Title: Escalating dispute with neighbour

Question:
I live in my dream home that my wife and I built on a lake in Canada, we have several kids.  My neighbour is a divorced woman in her 60s living in the cottage her father built. The point is, neither of us want to move.

I have always known my neighbour was an asshole, but I played nice with her for years while I built my house as she bragged about calling the authorities on every infraction the other neighbours made.  The woman is infamous in our neighbourhood and has ongoing feuds with several neighbours. We had a dispute while I was doing construction on my property that prompted me to end our friendship.  It would be safe to say she deeply valued our friendship (she has no friends in the neighbourhood) , and frankly I always thought she was an asshole and was glad she was out of our life.

This ushered in two years of incessant calls to bylaw enforcement, noise complaints, building officials, etc.  Most of these government agencies are aware of this woman and think she's nuts, and none of the calls amounted to much except inconvenience. Anyway, one day while following up on a complaint from my neighbour, the inspector noticed my driveway was too wide (not related to the complaint) and repairing that cost me a couple thousand bucks, which really pissed me off.

I'm a land developer, so I know quite a bit about municipal law, I figured two can play this game.  I filed a complaint with the municipality about her non-conforming septic system that easily cost her 10X what my driveway cost me.  (Spiteful I know, but you get tired of laying down all the time.)

This is when the wheels came of, the lady completely lost her shit.  She started erecting gaudy flags, weird signs and hanging underwear on the property line. She called my wife "white trash" while my wife was pushing our children in a stroller down the street. She gathered all the dog shit from her yard and threw it on our driveway.

I responded to this by simply shutting her out.  Years went by and we never spoke to her but rather than move on she got even more erratic and angry. Then things got really ugly.

A police officer came to my door and said someone reportedly trespassed into my neighbours house, shit on her bed, placed a dead mouse under the fridge, and left. She suspected me of doing this.  Apparently this was reported to police several months after it happened. Needless to say, I don;t know what happened in her house and I suspect she made the entire story up. I spoke to a police officer friend who recommended I erect security cameras to protect myself, which I did.

Yesterday I got a call from Children's Aid, a complaint was filed against us.  I'm certain it was this neighbour.

My wife is really finding all this stressful. I'm worried that one of these days, one of these charges will stick. What if she accuses me of sexual assault?  I run a fairly large company and am well known in my community, I have a lot to lose, this lady has nothing to lose.

&#x200B;

How do I protect myself from this harassment?

Answer:
 First off, you say the cops know her as a frequent nuisance? Ask for a contact number for the cops, preferably someone who has dealt with this person a lot. Then, whenever a new agency is called (and she likely will rope in more) you give them that cop's number and ask them to get in touch. Govt agencies don't like having their time wasted with bullshit, and they will likely either ignore her or file official misconduct/misuse of resources charges if she does it again.

Beyond that, you're doing the right thing. Cameras pointed at your property will help. Inform your employees that this is happening, and tell them they are not to let this person into your business, or speak to her if she calls/emails. Do not contact this person in any way, shape or form directly.

Speak to your neighbors and ask them for any hard evidence they have about her actions. Encourage them to report any wrongdoing on her part. One voice complaining about her may not get results. But 5, or 10, or 30 may.

If something changes and you have reason to believe she's a danger to you, call the cops immediately. If you have reason to believe she is a danger to herself, you can call adult protective services and ask them to perform a wellness check.Answer #2: Surely you have cameras recording outside your house, right? I'd record and keep all activity even if it is to just verify when you are home, should she try to claim otherwise.Answer #3: I'm wondering if you could file a restraining order, or have your wife file for one? You sound legitimately distressed, and I think once you have evidence from the cameras to refute her claims, you will have met the criteria for harassment.


Title: I think my school could be discriminating based on wealth. Is this legal?

Question: My school has a food drive every year where if you bring in nonperishable food items, you get bonus points. By the time you add up all the items, assuming it's one dollar per item, it is roughly a maximum of 150$ for 150 bonus points distributed to different classes. Now, for some in the lower wealth class or even the middle, 150$ to help your grades isn't an easily reachable, but if you have money it obviously is no big deal. There is no alternate option, it's items or nothing. Thanks!

Answer:
 I would make an appointment with the principal to discuss your concerns that the program is leading to buying grades.Answer #2: Despite the occasional Supreme Court case that it's hard to read otherwise, "the poor" is not a protected class under the Constitution and thus can be discriminated against, if what you're saying rises to discrimination. I don't even think that it would, though, because it's not necessarily discriminatory. The "alternate option" is to have naturally higher grades in the first place. This is just something that you can do for a bonus. There will be poor kids who find the money somehow and rich kids who can't be bothered. This isn't even getting into the whole school as a semi-governmental actor analysis part of things.

It's not a practice I'd condone, and it sends the wrong sort of message, but it's not illegal.


Title: Friends classmate has CP on his phone.

Question:
Obviously a throwaway. And this is in the Netherlands.

My friend (I know what this sounds like, but it was a friend I promise) was telling me about a CP video one of *his* friends had on his phone. This guy showed it to my friend, it's of a black guy having sex with a child. Allegedly the girl is *twelve* years old. I asked him how he knew and he said that his friends knew who this girl was. I told him immediately how illegal even having that video was, and to make sure he never let anyone send it to him.

But I know nothing about law, how illegal is this exactly!? What could happen to these guys if there caught with this video on their phone? They are teenagers (17 years old) and obviously didn't film it themselves. I don't know how they got it but probably someone sent it to them.

Also, can my friend (also 17) be punished for only having watched it? Although I guess it's hard to prove.

I don't know what the hell is wrong with these guys for watching that shit, but I guess its morbid curiosity. Probably the same reason I couldn't look away when someone showed me some Mexican getting decapitated.

Answer:
 >But I know nothing about law, how illegal is this exactly!?

Legally is a binary state. Either it is or it isn't legal.

Report this to the police or a school administrator, this is a big deal.Answer #2: I would also like to point out you said the person in n possession of th CP KNOWS who the victim is.  He KNOWS a chuld n is being abused and is not only not reporting it, but sharing a video of the abuse with others.

You don't want someone to go to prison who is knowingly allowing a child to be abused?!?  You think they don't deserve prison?

It would be bad enough that he has possession of CP if he didn't know the child.  But he knows thus child, he knows the child is being raped.  He shows people, he tells them he knows the child.

This needs to be reported immediately.Answer #3: Assuming your country has normal child pornography laws, very illegal. You should report what you saw to the school administrators. Child pornography is no joke and has real victims. This isn't tattling.


Title: [MO, USA] I got a letter in the mail with my ex requesting modification of child support.

Question:
I got a letter in the mail saying my ex is requesting modification of child support. Anyone have to deal with this? Do I have to go to court over this or just fill out the paperwork and be done with it? Anyone know?
 I'm more than happy to fill out the paperwork. Could care less if I get money from him. I just dont want to have to go to court and see him. I haven't seen or talked to him since Sep of 15 and neither has our child (he's currently got a case against him for shaking a newborn).
I have to fill it out and return it in 10 days or it is a felony. And if they lower it so be it. I dont really care. I just dont want to have to see him.

Answer: Fill out the paperwork, return it, go to the court date. There isn't a way around it.


Title: GEICO isn't trying to cover my car accident, should they be?

Question: I was in an accident on OCT. 2nd. My insurance lapsed due to a payment being missed, this happened because my wallet was stolen and I immediately froze my bank account not thinking about their automatic withdrawl. They sent me a certified letter which I did not receive since I was traveling, so it was returned to them not signed. Is there anything I can do to get them to help me? I live in Virginia in the USA.

Answer:
 No.

They dropped your coverage and it is up to YOU to make sure you are covered.

You can sue them in court, but IMHO they are almost certain to win here.

You could also sue the identity thief to try to recover that way.


Title: Was the assassination of Osama Bin Laden legal?

Question: Pretty much the title. I'm interested in both the legality of the assassination itself and the apparent violation of Pakistani sovereignty in the commission of the assassination.

Answer:
 Under American law, it was legal because it was a military action, properly authorized by Congress.

Under Pakistani law, it probably wasn't, but they're not in a position to enforce their laws against US military personnel.  The US is extremely unlikely to extradite anybody to Pakistan or cooperate in any way.Answer #2: There is one law that trumps all others: the law of the strongest. And that's applicable in this case, according to that law this was a lawful act. No other laws really matter in this context.


Title: Private businesses don't have to accept cash as payment. Does that still hold to restaurants or other serices where you pay at the end? What does it mean to be "legal tender"?

Question:
Even though United States dollars "are legal tender for all debts, public charges, taxes, and dues", private businesses [aren't federally required](https://www.federalreserve.gov/faqs/currency_12772.htm) to accept paper cash or coins as payment.

My original understanding was that in a normal transaction, there's never any 'debt' involved. When you buy something, ownership doesn't change hands until you pay. Because of that a store can refuse cash.

But now say you go to a restaurant. You have cash to afford the meal, but they make it clear they only take credit cards. After eating, you get a bill. What happens? Are they allowed to refuse your cash, even though the cash is for settling a debt? Do you still owe that debt, even though they refused your legal tender? I would assume so, but does the fact that they're refusing your payment mean anything?

Answer:
 If there is sufficient signage saying that they only take cc's, then you may have committed fraud by ordering the meal without being able to pay in the manner they accept.  Also, the same if they can prove that you did know, even without the signs, and proceeded deliberately.  So, go to jail.

If not, then the fact that you're trying to pay is sufficient proof that you're not trying to cheat them to get out of any criminal charges.  Any cop called will just say it's a civil matter.  so go to court.

Eventually there will be a civil judgment against you, where the judge will either order you to take the steps necessary to pay in their desired method, or to pay cash, as the court decides is appropriate.  If you can pay at that point, and don't follow the courts instructions, you can go to jail for contempt.  If you try to follow the courts instructions and they refuse payment, then you can ask the court to force them to accept the payment, or to declare the debt payed by the attempt, or whatever variation the court decides is appropriate.


Title: Virginia - 3 year old son's preschool was shut down immediately and permanently. All other preschools are filled up for the year. Do I have any damages?

Question:
Northern Virginia

We found out yesterday, Friday, at 4pm that our son's preschool that he was attending is shut down immediately. (He was doing summer camp there)

It was run out of the basement of a very large custom home that was built specifically for running a preschool out of said basement.

My wife and I are devastated. This was one of the very, very few preschools in the area that was non-religious and non-traditional (not stuck in a classroom, more on a farm/outdoorsy)

September is right around the corner and we suddenly are without a 3 day per week preschool.

As I understand it, after speaking with the owner last night, she was shut down because of too many complaints from neighbors (she's non-HOA, but her property backs up to a massive cookie-cutter suburban master planned community) and lacking some form of some kind of permit. I have put a call into the governing body in our county to gain understanding as to why this happened.

Interestingly enough, the owner told me that this happened 5 years ago and that they built this custom home so that this would not happen again...yeah.

My question to you is this: Do I have any actual damages here that I can sue for? Looks like the preschool was operating without proper county licensing, and even if I do find another preschool between now and September, it almost certainly is going to cost a hell of a lot more money.

Can I sue her for the (likely) increased cost of another school?

Thanks all!!!

Answer:
 Have you prepaid for the entire summer, or did you pay week to week? If you prepaid, they owe you for whatever time is remaining.

Other than that, it's unlikely you have damages. Being open today does not create an obligation for a business to remain open tomorrow. They only have to deliver on services already paid for or provide a refund for services they cannot deliver.

It sounds like their preschool wasn't entirely legit. I can appreciate the massive inconvenience this creates for you, as you have to scramble to find an alternative. But if they weren't on the up-and-up with permits, there are a myriad of other ways they might not have been in compliance with the law. Answer #2: If she was operating without a license and wasn't shut down for some reason she couldn't control, you may have a case for damages. Your damages would be the amount of money you've paid up front for daycare minus what you've already used, and whatever damages you have that are a result of you having to find alternative day care options. Having said that, if the alternative is cheaper than what you were paying her, you likely won't recover anything other than the money she has that she hasn't earned.


Title: Can an Attorney Adopt Their Client's Children?

Question:
*** New York ***

My brother-in-law (sister's husband) is a defense attorney. He is currently involved in a case regarding two young parents. They have two children already - both of which were put into foster care - and are pregnant with a third. They were accused of child neglect, and, if found guilty, their unborn child will, more than likely, also go into foster care.

My sister and her husband, however, have developed an attachment to this couple and their story. They are unable to have children, and I believe that my sister is seriously considering adopting one of theirs.

I cannot believe that this would be legal. Could my brother-in-law legally do this? Would he be disbarred? Has this ever happened before?

Thank you for any help.

Answer: I can't think of any rules of professional conduct it would be violating, though I would advise the birth parents to have a separate attorney represent them in the process


Title: [AL] I want to make sure my wife does not have a winnable case for defamation that caused her to lose her job

Question:
The facts are pretty straight forward. She worked for a smaller company (~15 employees). It was at-will employment. 6 weeks into her employment, her manager lied to the company owner to get her fired. The owner believed her manager, would not even look at the proof (via emails) that some of what the manager had said were lies, and fired her that day.

The statements were only told to the owner (not emailed/written). So there are no records of them being made, yet it was given as the reason for her firing. Obviously wouldn't pursue a wrongful termination because of the at-will employment.

So, while it is 100% defamation (false statement; with malice; told to the company owner; got her fired) it doesn't seem like it is worth pursuing, right? My wife is convinced that the owner will take her manager's side in any legal dispute. She was one of his first employees years ago. It's basically up to one of them to admit to the statements being made.

Answer:
 >while it is 100% defamation

Slow down there. What kind of statements are we talking about? As close to a quote as possible would be nice.


Title: [MA] Gmail suspended for breaking terms of service?

Question:
I'm 18 and was arranging casual sex via craiglist using my gmail account. In the posting I listed that I was 18 so there'd be no confusion.

I then receive some explicit emails and such and in minutes my account is suspended. Was what I doing and or trying to do illegal? All parties would've been above age and no money would've been involved whatsoever.

And if it's not illegal why is it suspended by gmail? I'm having trouble understanding there legal policy.

Answer:
 Google is a private business and can disable your account at any time for virtually any reason.  I won't speculate why it happened in this instance, but follow the directions [here](https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/40695?hl=en) if you feel your account was mistakenly suspended.Answer #2: Sounds like google's automated systems identified your messages as prostitution activity.

 If the sex was pro bono, contact customer support and ask them to review the messages manually as you were not prostituting.


Title: Car accident with a bicyclist during work while driving a work car. Just talked to his lawyer who guilted me for 30 minutes about the accident.

Question:
How the accident happened: I was making a U-turn in my work car during work hours, and while I was making the U-turn, a bicyclist who was speeding down the hill ran into the car that I was driving. He had many injuries including a concussion and a cognitive memory loss.

His story: He was right behind me going 15MPH and I made an illegal U-turn out of nowhere and caused the accident, so therefore 100% my fault.

My story: There is no way he could have been going 15MPH as he was pedaling as he was going down a pretty steep hill and he made a huge dent on the car(the car was at a complete stop when the bicyclist ran into it). The U-turn I took was not illegal, said the safety officer of my work, but suddenly, my work changed those rules after the accident and I also got a ticket for an illegal U-turn. Also, he did not stop at the stop sign like he was supposed to about 20ft away from where the accident occurred. So if anything, he should be more at fault.

Today, I had a phone conversation with the lawyer who is representing the bicyclist, and he guilted me about his client's injuries pretty much the entire time. Also, when he was talking about the traffic ticket that I received about the U-turn, he told me that the city ALWAYS takes the bicyclists' side, so I should not bother contesting it and just pay the fines.

Where do I go from here? What should I do? I cannot afford to hire a lawyer of my own. I just need some advices on what I can do.

Answer: You got in a car accident on the job, and you talked to opposing counsel *without legal representation from your employer*? Does your employer know about the conversation?


Title: I was sexually abused by my cousin

Question:
During  the time of abuse (which went on for about a year), I was 9 years old  and the perpetrator (my cousin, female) was 14-15. We were both living  outside of the US. I am currently in the US (having immigrated here),  and my cousin has also immigrated here and is now in the process of  becoming a certified physician in the US (she is studying for the USMLE  steps right now). She and I are now 27 and 32 years old, respectively. The abuse went on for about a year, and when found out  (by my parents), nothing was really done - I was told to just forgive  her, for the sake of our close extended family (and because she herself  was the victim of a broken home due to her parents' tumultuous  marriage). I know she (my cousin) was aware of what she was doing and that it was bad, because she kept making sure I told no one and that it was done in absolute secrecy.

&#x200B;

The  only reason I am writing this is, as a medical student myself, I was having a conversation with a mentor of mine when the topic of mandatory  reporting came up. As my cousin is now on the way to becoming a  certified health care practitioner who will be working with children (specifically, she wants to be a GP) , I have started to worry whether me  not reporting was the right thing to do. In my personal opinion, I do  not think she would re-offend (as she WAS a very troubled child back  then, and I know, from what my parents have told me, that she has gone  to extensive counseling sessions to deal with her own demons). However,  the chance that it MAY happen again, and the pure fact that this issue  is taken so seriously in the US gives pause to my previous  rationalizations.

&#x200B;

TLDR: It's been 18 years, and the abuse was conducted in a different country  (which does not have strict laws about this stuff), and she was a minor  when it happened, what would be the best course of action now? Is there a  statue of limitations for this kind of stuff when the crime was  committed outside the country? Is it different because of the field she is in (i.e. do I have more of a responsibility to report this)?

I do not want to report simply to "ruin  her life". Although I do not forgive her, and have almost zero-contact  with her now, I have done my best to build up my own life and move on,  and my objective now isn't to get some "revenge". I simply want to do  what is "right" by the law and my own conscience (especially given her  very near future of working with children).

Thank you very much for reading, and for all your advice.

Answer: NAL, but your main issue is jurisdictional (being what happened to you didn't happen on US. soil). Your best bet would be to go talk to a lawyer who specializes in sexual abuse. They can tell you your options, if you have any and what your next step should be.


Title: [CA] Mom is executor of grandfather's will. Says she plans on splitting money regardless of what will says. Is this legal?

Question:
So basically my older brother and I are very close to my grandfather so we are the only grandchildren in his will. All together he is leaving a house valued at about around 300k and a pension worth another 300k to be split between his two biological children and two step-children from his late wife, my grandmother who passed in 2012 from cancer.
He also has a credit union account with about 25k in it that he has designated especially for me with just my name on it and said its been there for over 5 years and its for me to finish paying my student loans when he dies (I owe about 29k).

My older brother has another account with just HIS name on it with a little more.

Now, I have two younger brothers which my mom had with my step dad and are very well taken care of by HIS parents (my step grandparents). They have paid for them to be in a private school their entire lives, go to college so they will not be accruing any loan debt like I have and my 24 year old brother receives help with his car insurance, rent and cell phone to this day. They are constantly being given cruises and trips by their grandparents etc. My dad was a dead beat and died at 41 in 2005 so I only have one set of grandparents.

My mom feels its "unfair" my grandparents are leaving me and my older brother money but not her two younger kids-my younger brothers. She has said she is going to take the credit union accounts that are specifically in my and my older brother's names and combine them and then split them evenly between all 4 of us. Now, I love my younger brothers but they will not have any college debt and I do, and this is totally unfair to me considering the amount being left to me isn't even enough to pay it off as it is, and yet she is trying to split it and give them leisure money? She says because she is the executor of the will she can do this, is this true?
I believe my mom is a joint- bank account owner on his main banking institution- wells fargo but the $ for me and my brother is in a credit union and she is not a joint owner of those accounts- we are the beneficiaries.
IF I am wrong, and she is a joint owner on those accounts, can she do this even though the will specifically states what money goes to whom? Ive seen the will for myself, it was written up with a lawyer and he is very proud of it, he has showed me numerous times the bank documents and balance and that its mine when he dies, I don't think she should be able to basically re-write his will and disrespect his wishes.

Answer:
 Nope.  It is not your mother's money to determine how it is split.

If your mother is not executing the will appropriately, you can speak to a probate attorney who can begin the process of removing her as the executor of the estate.


Title: Fence line dispute and adverse possession

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 We can't guess whether her claim is valid.  That's for the court to decide.

However, adverse possession is absolutely a valid legal argument, and in your case it's pretty clearly in her favor.  The land is question has been used by her for a long period of time(30 years, it appears), and she's had open and continuous possession of it for that entire time.  This is a **great case** for adverse possession.

You need to hire an attorney to help you sort this out.  Don't be surprised if he says you don't have much of a shot.


Title: Weird Calls from Debt Collectors

Question:
This was in Indiana. So I leased an apartment from a somewhat sketchy development company, I live in a college town so they're all around now. When I moved out they charged a few absurd fees, one of them being ~$150, the others being <$10. The reasons were vague titles such as "cleaning/maintenance expense." When I disputed these charges, the company's rep returned a total of one call (out of ten+, emails as well) I told her to send me the itemized bill detailing the expenses, and she simply said to pay up. The other wrinkle in this problem is that the management company got bought out in the middle of my lease, so I'm not talking to any of the original people.

That was ~2 years ago. About 7 months ago I started receiving weird calls where the person would immediately hang up, and when I checked the number it was coming from a debt collector company. They stopped after 3-4 times or so and I haven't heard anything since. I've checked my credit score and my dad (my guarantor on the lease) has checked his as well and haven't seen any effects. I guess I'm asking should him or I be worried?

Answer:
 >I've checked my credit score

First off, someone can sue you for an alleged debt without first having that debt reported to any credit reporting agency.

Second, a debt can appear on one of your three major credit reports but not on the other two major credit reports.

Third, a debt reported on your credit report may not appreciably affect the credit score for that credit report.

Fourth, if you are concerned that there might be something reported on one of your credit reports, then you should actually check your credit reports.  You can get one free copy of your credit report from each of the 3 main credit reporting agencies each year.

>I guess I'm asking should him or I be worried?

I have no idea.


Title: If I was to become a citizen in a state without state income tax, like say Washington and then lived in an RV driving around the country would that mean I have to pay no state tax of any kind, only federal?

Question: Except of course sales tax. Can you even change the state you're a citizen in if you don't permanently live there?

Answer: You generally pay income tax in the state in which you earn the income. Athletes, for example, pay tax in each state where they play games.


Title: 28-701A ARS Failure to control speed to avoid a collision "SERIOUS Answer please"

Question: I live in United state in Arizona. Just a warning ahead of time my grammar and spelling sucks. Honestly not sure If put this in right spot either. So yeah 4/29/2016 I was in the left lane near the curb traveling east bound at 35 mph. We where probably about 50 feet from turning left and I was about to do just that when off to my right a jeep starts changing lanes into my lane. I press my breaks in a panic bracing for impact... The person in the jeep side swiped with the right front side of my car her wheel leftside rear wheel almost making it up to my hood. Damaging the right side light and leaving tire marks on my car. So we pull over and this other guy shows up and starts saying it was all my fault. I found out that he was her husband and he was behind my car when accident occurred. The police show up gather my info her info and use husband as witness. In short terms I get slapped with citation failure to control speed to avoid collision. Whether she received a ticket or not for improper lane change without a turn signal is up in the air. I got irate when he gave me the ticket and blew up on the officer. I later called back to apologize to the officer although he didn't return my call the dispatcher left a email to him! So please I need advice preferably from a attorney or Lawyer. I plan on going to court and pleading not guilty. Nobody was hurt in the accident. which I'm great full for. My son was in the car with me he is 5 and he was all buckled up in his car seat and so was I. So I'm just asking for help?

Answer: I think you need to learn how to better control your temper. The next cop you blow up at may not be so cool about it. As to the ticket it will have information on how to contest it. Answer #2: Remember to replace your son's car seat! No matter how small the accident, they should always be replaced. Whether this ends up being paid for by your insurance or hers, make sure you claim the car seat as part of the damages!


Title: [FL] - Private Party car seller misrepresented the condition of the car and I want to return the car for my money.

Question:
I bought a used car from a private party yesterday, and today the transmission is having severe problems.

When we were looking at the car, we had asked the owners (a father and teenage son) if there were any problems with the car, and the father said 'No'.  I drove the car when it was warm yesterday and it did ok. The problems did not surface until this morning when the car was cold.

When I was looking at it, he had mentioned that he got an offer on the car of about $600 which he said was a joke, because 'Hondas are worth more than that'. They were also in a really big hurry to get out of there. They said they had a tournament to get to (kid was dressed for soccer), but in retrospect, I believe they were trying to dump the car as quickly as possible.

I paid an appropriate price for the car ($2100 cash) IF the car were mechanically sound. The transmission alone (just the part) is about $1400. Subtract that off the price of the car, and we get awfully close to the other offer of $600.

In retrospect, I believe he knew that the car has transmission problems, and this other person that made that offer knew it, too.

I texted the owner afterwards asking if they have had any problems with the transmission, they have not replied to my text. We texted all day yesterday to arrange the meeting, so I have the correct number.

I took screenshots of the ad online, which is decidedly vague on the specifics of the vehicle, claiming that it was always 'maintained'. No real statements on the condition of the vehicle except that it's condition is listed as "Good".

Do I have any legal recourse at this point?  How screwed am I?

*UPDATE*:  After speaking with the actual owner of the car (not her deceitful brother), she acknowledged that they had suspected issues with the transmission.  So we agreed to amend the purchase price of the car down by $700 which is not a great deal for me, but it is better than nothing.  So I will call it good there.

Thanks to everyone for your insights and taking the time to comment.  I have certainly learned quite a bit, and will be *far* more careful about what cars I buy and who I buy them from.

Answer:
 Leave them alone. You have no recourse. This was an as is sale and you should have gotten it inspected. That the ad and their answers were vague were deliberate and further evidence of what clearly was an as is sale. Answer #2: Do you have any proof they knew about the transmission problem and deliberately misrepresented the condition of the vehicle?

If not, used vehicles are "as is" and it is your responsibility to investigate the condition prior to purchase.


Title: A job I quit 3 months ago still has me on their website, and are not responding to my requests to remove me

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Legal option: pay an attorney ~$100 for a cease and desist. Honestly if it's only been 2 days since you requested it I wouldn't cross that bridge yet.

If you're otherwise friendly with them, how about dropping by during the work day with donuts or cupcakes or something like that? Say hello, let them know how much you appreciated working with them and hope they're doing well. Then remind them that you'd really appreciate it if they could please take care of removing your name soon. Give them the benefit of the doubt, they're probably just busy.

On the other hand, if they mistreated you and you just want to annoy them, get all of your friends to call them and ask to speak to you. When they say you're not there, have your friends say that your name is still on their website. They'll get the point pretty quickly.
Answer #2: You don't have a right to not be mentioned online by anyone.  If you've suffered damages because of this, then you could sue and try to recover the damages you've incurred.

While it may cost you, the easiest way may be a cease and desist letter from an attorney.


Title: "Police to pull over teens for good driving: Macomb County rewards good driving with gift cards" question of evadence?

Question:
"Police to pull over teens for good driving: Macomb County rewards good driving with gift cards"

This is a headline in r/news today. My question is if the police find evidence of a crime during one of these 'friendly stops' would that evadence be admisable at trial?

Edit: Pick a state.

Answer:
 >Pick a state

In Mongolia, the evidence would indeed be admissible if the police pull over a teenager to commend their skilful horsemanship and discover illegally-fermented yak milk moonshine.Answer #2: This is a terrible idea, IMHO.

It would almost certainly have to be settled at trial, even if the stops are seen as legal in the first place, which I doubt pretty strongly.


Title: Recently Fired while on Medical Leave Recovering from Surgery

Question:
Hey everyone,

First time posting here. I'll make this as simple as possible. I was recently let go from my job in Texas while recovering from surgery. I was in my role for 5-6 months and wasn't eligible for FMLA so I was on PTO that I had pre-negotiated with my direct manager. We agreed on my tentative return the next week after my surgery. The day of my tentative return, I emailed my manager multiple times and said that I couldn't come in because I was still in lots of pain and on narcotics.

My manager didn't respond after I stated I needed a little more time and the next thing I hear back from the company late that week that I'm being let go. Their reason is the "2 day no call no show" rule which isn't true. I was in contact and didn't feel sober enough to make a phone call given I was on narcotics.

I've been told by multiple other senior business people and mentors that this isn't right and that I need to report them to the Texas Workforce Commission (which I'm currently trying to do). I wasn't given any severance package and I cannot collect unemployment given the fact that I was fired, not let go. I'm in a hole and could use some help here.

I'm currently working with a law firm I personally know but they claim that there's no big stick we can hit them over the head with. It's incredibly shady business practices and I don't feel this situation is right. What is the next best step throughout this process?

Thanks

Answer: I don’t see anything illegal here.  At will means you can be terminated for any reason (including a bad one) or no reason at all so long as the reason isn’t membership in a protected class or exercise of certain protected rights.  If you were not eligible for FMLA then they can fire you for needing medical leave.  If you have a law firm that you are working with defer to them, but I don’t see any stick at all here, much less a big one.  Sounds like anything you get would be a settlement for nuisance value.


Title: Boss threatened firing over a IG post.

Question: I was wanting advice about my boss threatening my job over a post on Instagram. I am the one who runs our Instagram, I have not signed anything saying I agree not to post certain things. Or any sort of agreement at all. So I decided to post something about what's going on in our world right now,  that was not political in any sort of way. I really tried to make sure that it wouldn't step on anyones toes, and ABSOLUTELY  NOTHING involving politics. My post was about unity, love and the fact that we do not believe in discrimination or racism. Then my boss called me very upset, I explained myself calmly and told him I thought that it would look good on our part showing our support. Then he got all huffy and puffy saying that this is so so bad, I fucked up, this is just horrible, the worst thing I have done and I can't use their Instagram as a platform for my views, and that if my CO sees it I will get fired for it. Which I don't feel like they can fire me for that, especially when I have no sort of contract saying that I cannot post anything of this sort. I'm unsure about what I should do or if I should put my head down. I honestly don't want to work for someone that's not okay with us showing our support to what's going on, letting the world know that we support the movement and that we believe people are people no matter what you look like.

Answer:
 They can absolutely fire you for posting something they don't like on the company Instagram. You are their employee, you have to do the job how they want you to do it or you will get fired.

Most states would allow them to fire you for what you post on your personal social media too.Answer #2: NAL...I think the issue here is that you used a company platform to make a statement without making sure this was the company position.  That could be a problem. It shouldn't, because hopefully they DO agree with the sentiment, but as this is such a crazy time in the US, a lot of companies are treading water carefully. I mean, if for some reason, they didn't agree with you, they can't really retract it without seeming totally racist and harming the company. I would seek out a lawyer to look at your contact.Answer #3: Assuming that you live in the US and not in Montana, yes, you can be fired for this.


Title: My long-distance boyfriend is stuck with his “wife” because of their apartment lease together, she is making his life a living hell & he can’t get out of it, help??

Question:
They are *technically* still married, but they only did it on paper for benefits & he wants to get a divorce ASAP. She keeps hounding him trying to force him to stay with her, using their pets as a manipulation to say he has to stay, even her therapist told her to let him go & she just WONT.

He is *literally* going insane from this. His mental state is completely down the gutter, I cannot count the nights he’s called me in tears because she won’t leave him alone & he wishes I could be there instead (I live across the country but plan on moving to him once he’s out of that situation ☹). He’s even had thoughts of suicide because he has NINE WHOLE MONTHS left on it and he doesn’t think he can take this for that long.

She doesn’t seem to care about the mental state her constant pushing & manipulating is putting him in, it as though she’d rather have him absolutely miserable with her than happy with anyone else. This has been going on for a solid 2 months now so it’s not like she just hasn’t accepted it yet, she just refuses to.

His friends and family live states away, so he can’t stay with a friend or anything in the meantime. He wants to get off that lease early so bad because he feels worse & worse every day he’s stuck with her, but he says his landlord wont care about his situation, only the money.

Can he do ANYTHING?? It kills me to see him like this & i’m terrified it might actually do the same to him one of these days. He’s not gonna last 9 months with her.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 Getting married "on paper for the benefits" usually comes with a price way higher than whatever those benefits were worth. He can pay out the lease or pay the lease break fee. That's about it. The landlord is under no obligation to care about the situation he put himself in.

(And, incidentally, for most people "a solid two months" is actually not that long to process the end of a relationship.)Answer #2: > Can he do ANYTHING??

He can leave. He can file for divorce.

Your friend doesn't have a legal problem he has a whole lot of relationship problems, and some psychological problems.Answer #3: No.  He’s in a lease.  That’s a binding contract.

She’s not his “wife”, she’s his wife.

You might want to post a more fleshed out version of this on r/relationships.  You’re quite possibly a side piece.


Title: [US,TN] I stole $57 worth of items from Walmart. Got caught. And a police officer wrote me a citation for misdemeanor theft. What should I do?

Question:
First, before anyone tries to lecture me, I've learned my lesson. I'm an idiot. Now onto the next thing...

I am a 22 yr old college student and this is my very first offense ever. (besides speeding and parking tickets) My citation is green and has SUMMONS TO COURT stamped across it.

It also says I've got to show up to the courthouse to be booked at 7:30 am on Feb 8th. Does this mean I'm going to be handcuffed and thrown into a jail cell until I can see the judge?

Should I hire a lawyer?

I have an exam that day as well at 11:00am -\_- will I be done in time?

Any help would be appreciated!

Side note: I'm a broke college student and my dad has been unemployed for over 8 months now and there's 0 dollars coming into my parents house, so I DEFINITELY can't tell them, much less ask for money. Yes, I have a job, but I'm paying for everything, rent, car, school, and I just paid for textbooks. I barely have money to buy toilet paper to wipe my butt. I'm kind of freaking out.

Answer:
 >Should I hire a lawyer?

Yes! Don't mess around with misdemeanors (or felonies, for that matter). Having one on your record is a major pita.

> I have an exam that day as well at 11:00am -_- will I be done in time?

Don't bet on it. Offer to take it early.


Title: Arrested for DUI outside of vehicle and keys not in ignition (NJ)

Question: I was arrested for DUI outside of my vehicle after getting into an accident (hit a tree) swerved from a squirrel in the road. Neither the police nor anyone else witnesses this accident. I went to a different location (car still driveable) which I later admitted to the police although I told them someone backed into me and I drove to location 2. At location 2 my vehicle would not start and I forgot my cellphone so I walked to a neighbors house 250 yards away to have my parents pick me up with the keys on the dashboard (not in ignition). The police then arrested me for DUI and later refusal for a BAC. Can my charges be dismissed considering they have no proof of me operating a vehicle under the influence?

Answer:
 >Can my charges be dismissed considering they have no proof of me operating a vehicle under the influence?

Maybe, but it sounds like they had plenty of ~~proof~~ probable cause, especially with the hit and run.

You are going to need a criminal defense lawyer if you want any hope of fighting this.


Title: (CA) HOA President Wants Association to Pay for Damage to His Car

Question:
A board member recently sent an email saying:

“As you know, [President’s] car has been vandalized/damaged again.  Angry residents cause costly repairs if we don't protect ourselves.

[President], have you submitted the cost of repairs to [Property Manager]?  Are you looking for the Association to pay the entire repair bill?  There have been several incidents with your property that has warranted cameras being installed at your residence, yet they were never put up.  Where do we go from here?

...”

I replied that I was confused on why the association should be responsible and the president replied this (apologies for his word salad):

“i sent the cost in my text to you take a look at the cost of damage and we are looking into security camera now because this has to stop. im going to put up my own camera on my home but im doing a community service and my property is all ways targeted because im the one who inforces the rules on people and they take it out on my personal property and its not fair to me. whom ever doing this does this when we send them letter concerning there property or repair of there home. then they take this out on my property . im doing the job i was elected by the members and when they dont think that im doing it they can vote me off. but when i have dayana send them notices they take it out on my cars. as long as my resident keeps getting vandlized because of tennants the hoa is liabile. i should not have to put up cameras on my home to protect my property the hoa has the responsibility and duty to protect
home owners from vandlizim. my job is to enforce the rules and if angry tennants dont like it they have options to vote me off the board not key my vehicle. so the hoa has to pay for damage untill we put security patrol back on duty or put up community cameras to catch these people thats damage not only my property but the hoa property has well. thank you please send approval to [property manager] so i can get this fixed. she has the receit estimate for repair.”

First, I’m not totally convinced that the association should pay even if we have proof that it was an angry resident lashing against the association and a police report. But it sounds like he doesn’t even know who did it which makes me question if we should cover this without proof that it even was an angry resident. For all I know if was keyed in a parking lot and he’s blaming it on a resident so the association will fix his BMW. Is there anything legally I can do? Is this even allowed? Should this be voted on? Should we get three bids like we are doing for community gate to be fixed and vote on the lowest bid?

Our HOA is a hot mess. I’m supposedly on the board but we rarely have meetings and when we do it’s me, President, and another member. The two others on the board included in the email never show up. Obviously his precious BMW is taking precedence over the gate that’s not working half the time, preventing packages from getting delivered.

Thanks.

Answer:
 I'm not a lawyer.

> the hoa has the responsibility and duty to protect home owners from vandlizim

Would he agree that the HOA is responsible for damages if another resident's angry ex slashed their car tires?  I strongly suspect not.

The security cameras should get installed.  The current and recurring vandalism should be reported to the police.  The guy with the damaged car can see if it's covered under his car or home owners insurance.  If he has reasonable suspicion and reasonable proof as to the culprit, he can sue them in small claims court.

Since you're on the board and you say the HOA is a mess, I'd strongly advise making sure you're covered by D&O insurance.


Title: [California] Gas station doesn't have penny's

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Technically.Answer #2: >If they round down, they still technically owe you the remaining amount right?

Not if they put customers on notice prior to purchasing. Answer #3: Generally places that do this round up but I would love to see someone argue 4 cents with a straight face.


Title: Sold my truck to a guy and he's telling me I need to pay for a new engine.

Question: Im in San Marcos,TX I sold my truck on ebay to someone in Florida and used the money on a new car. The man i sold it too is trying to say it needs a new engine even though i spent 2000 dollars on it to get it ready to sell and the mechanic never said it needed a new engine. Hes trying to return it or get me to pay for a new engine. Im a college senior with no money. what should I do?

Answer:
 How did you list the car? Did you make any guarantees in your ad that stated the engine was in good working order or anything like that?

But otherwise used cars are typically considered as-is.


Title: A friend's son was beat up by 2 schoolmates on 3 consecutive days on his way home from school, but the school won't intervene or take disciplinary action because it happened off campus. What can she do?

Question:
The boys are in elementary school in Texas. Are there any laws or regulations she can bring to the school's attention? The assistant principal at the school told her it's out of their hands and she should go to the police. What can she do?
Topic:
Juvenile and Youth Law

Answer: Call the police


Title: Can I sue someone if they deliberately get my name wrong and make fun of my name in group chat?

Question:
One of my friend wants to sure my other friend because he got his name wrong in a very comical way.
For eg- My friends name is eeshaan Andrew yadav and my other friend deliberately calls him eeshaan andhera yadav, andhera meaning dark.

Can eeshaan actually sue this other friend for doing this to him?
Topic:
Non-US

Answer:
 Not successfully.

Time to grow up. Answer #2: no, but that is a great way to get made fun of even moreAnswer #3: No.


Title: Complex Child Custody Case

Question:
My mother in law is currently going through a very difficult child custody case. She is indigent and doesn't have a lawyer. Her child's father makes over $100k a year and does have an attorney.

Her child is 13 now, but was 12 when she was taken from my mother in law. Up until 55 days ago, my mother in law was the primary caregiver and her daughter spent the weekends with her father, who works out of town.

My mother in law has been unemployed for over three years and has struggled with alcohol abuse her entire life. As the daughter got older, she got more and more frustrated with her mother's behavior and drinking. There was never any abuse, though there were fights and obviously drinking.

The mother also had been taking Flexoril (a muscle relaxant that is known to cause depression and/or suicidal thoughts and should not be taken by women in my mother-in-law's demographic). She began to suffer from delusions and felt completely out of control and began having suicidal thoughts. This scared her and she made the mistake of confiding this with her child's father, hoping for some help and support. Up until last year, they had a decent and friendly relationship, but because of her financial situation, she filed for child support from him, which he had never paid for the child's first eleven years. He fought it, but was forced to pay and was resentful.

He used her words against her and claimed she was an abusive alcoholic who was also suicidal. She began to see a psychologist and a psychiatrist who took her off the Flexoril and put her on mood stabilizers and other medications. Since then, she has been completely sober and has worked hard to mend the relationship with her daughter.

However, the father opened a CPS case against her claiming she drove drunk with the child in the car and that she shouldn't have access to her daughter. For the first few weeks after the daughter left the home, she would respond to text messages and say I love you, but after two weeks, the father had to return to work, which was out of town, and so the child went to stay with an aunt instead of returning home.

The CPS case was closed as unfounded and so the mother texted the aunt saying she was coming to pick up her daughter. She filed a motion for a parenting plan since they had never set one up.

At the point the child went to her aunt's, all communication ceased. The child refused to return calls or text messages, refused to come to her nephew's birthday party, refused to see or talk to her mom on her 13th birthday. Her fear and anxiety has increased over time. Meanwhile, the mother has been improving drastically. She is alert, optimistic and mentally healthy during a time of great stress. It's clear that her medications have significantly helped her.

Then, the father filed a restraining order against her because she showed up at her daughter's softball pitching practice. At this point she hadn't seen or talked to her daughter in almost a month. She had been talking to her daughter's counselor and the counselor believed it would be a good idea and would help start rebuilding the relationship.

I know this is long and seems convoluted and I'm sure I've left details out, so please ask for clarification when needed, but my question is this:

My mother-in-law has a court date on Tuesday for a temporary parenting plan. The dad's lawyer has filed a request for a continuance and is claiming that the CPS worker is going to testify that there should be a very restrictive parenting plan in place against the mother, despite the fact that the case was unfounded. In addition to that, they want a restraining order against her until she completes treatment, even though she had an alcohol assessment done which showed the treatment she was already receiving was sufficient. They are also claiming they have to have more time because there is a second CPS case against her, which is false. She now has not seen her daughter in 55 days and they are trying to keep her from her child longer.

Can she stop this continuance and restraining order? What can she do to fight the false allegations of another CPS case? The dad's lawyer has said she will not be in court on Tuesday, so I think they're hoping that since she won't be there, the judge will allow a continuance. Can they do that?

Thanks everyone for your advice and help. This is in WA state.

ETA: Thank you to everyone who has responded! I really appreciate all the advice and comments. I'm trying to respond as best I can. There's a lot going on here and of course I'm not involved in the court case other than the fact that I've been witness to everything, so I can't make my mother in law do anything. But every piece of advice helps, so thank you <3

Answer:
 >Can she stop this continuance and restraining order?

She needs a lawyer.  One cannot successfully battle problems on this scale without one.

The court is going to rule in the best interest of the child. It seems as though there are substantive issues to discuss and she must have an advocate for her position.


Title: Got assaulted at work and have a 1.5 inch laceration in my head that needed staples.

Question:
Before I start anything I'd like to preface that I work at a restaurant in Philadelphia, and have been there for about a month and a half. This story might be a little lengthy, and I appreciate everyone's time. I am not sure how specific I need to be, so I will write every possible detail from this whole ordeal

To start things off, my trainer for work told me no matter the duty I have assigned at a restaurant, whether it be bussing tables, or running food, I should always help coworkers out. For my month and a half employed there, I have done nothing but that, and my coworkers love me for it. This one particular coworker asks for help a lot, but does not like to help back. He is in America with a working visa from South Africa. He likes to use this one phrase "Stay in your lane" when I ask him for help, meaning to do my own job because it is my duty.

Yesterday, he asked me for help running food when I was already swamped with bussing tables, so I said "I'm in my lane, I'm so busy, but I will help you anyway". So I helped him, and when I went back downstairs to continue doing my job, he asked me for more help, where I tried telling him no, but unfortunately for me, the manager was there and he went right to her, and called me stupid in front of her, so I helped again.

We crossed paths again and we had a little argument where I said "You're calling me stupid in front of the manager, and you're making me do your job when I'm already so busy yet you preach this 'stay in your lane' thing". We went back and forth, it was an argument that lasted about a minute, and was professional.

The other manager said we were so swamped I not only had to bus tables, but also wash dishes in the basement. It was tiring, but I did it, because we are supposed to help each other, all the while nobody was helping me. So I told him " We are supposed to be helping each other, they're making me do work I was not even trained for, and you can't even bring bus bins down to help me.

Apparently that was "disrespectful" and he started getting aggressive. He began to push me. I took his hands off me and said "Do not touch me. You'll lose your job", and he responded with "I don't give a f\*\*\* about this job" and kept pushing me. A dishwasher downstairs pulled him away from me, and said not to touch me. He walked away and said "Disrespecting me like that, I'll knock you the f\*\*\* out I don't care about this job". I said "Do it". He walked up to me, tried throwing a fake punch to make me flinch, then headbutted me in my chest, wrestled me down to the ground. It was split up again by the same dishwasher. The result of the fight was him quickly leaving the basement, and a large 1.5 inch laceration in my head. I had blood running down my neck, and one manager cleaned me up. Another manager told me to part my hair, and was like "Oh god you need to go to the ER. That needs stitches".

Manager drove me to the ER, where I was told I would need 3 staples in my head.

The employee was fired, and the medical expenses will be covered by workman's compensation. All other coworkers are telling me to press charges on the former coworker. I have the dishwasher as a witness, however CCTV did not cover the one area of the basement where the altercation happened.

Any help is good help, I appreciate any response. Thank you again for your time guys.

Answer: File a police report. I'm not sure what else you want us to tell you.


Title: One-sided divorce

Question:
If this has been addressed in another post please direct me, but I didn't see a megathread on it.

My friend’s wife of 2 years is filing for divorce out of nowhere and he doesn't want to divorce her at all and is refusing to sign. He said "She files. I have 30 days to respond. If I don’t respond I get a 7 day notice. Then she goes to court and a judge decides". Does that sound standard? Should he get a lawyer? He doesn't know what to do and is still in shock this is happening.

Please any advice would be so appreciated. Thank you

Answer: Yes he should get an attorney.  The court is not going to force two people to stay married if one wants out, as long as the statutory requirements for divorce are met.


Title: CA Got into an accident, I was parked and not at fault. We both took pictures and exchanged numbers but not insurance info. I'm now worried that they are going to claim I am at fault.

Question: I was half way parked in a parking spot, not moving when another vehicle swiped my vehicles rear causing very little to no damage to my car but some decent scratches and scrapes to the other parties car. I got the peoples phone # and took pictures of both cars but after inspection I decided to not bother with insurance as my car is okay. Now they are insinuating that my car backed into them. What should I do?  I'm worried that because of the damaged placement on both cars it will look like I backed into them. Should I immediately call my insurance?

Answer: Call your insurance anyway.


Title: Is my landlord within her rights to deny a potential tenant the ability to lease my unit strictly based on income?

Question:
Good morning Reddit,
I am looking for some advice pertaining to a rental situation in the state of Michigan. I moved into a new-construction apartment back in June that fell short on a lot of their promises and have had several security/environmental concerns. My lease states that I am permitted to sublet or assign the lease with management's permission and such consent cannot be unreasonably withheld.

I informed my apartment manager that I was looking to assign the remainder of my lease and put her in touch with the candidate I had found (we will call her Amy). I am currently set to move out on December 15th, and Amy and I agreed that that would be a suitable move in date for her.

Yesterday, my apartment manager called me and stated that she was considering denying Amy based on her not having adequate income. She informed me that she had her own tenant in mind, and that they would agree to start a new lease (rather than an assignment) on January 1st. When I started asking questions and indicating that I would prefer the first person so that I wasn't stuck paying an extra 1/2 months rent at two places, she started badgering me that this was in my best interest because then it would be a new lease and I would not be liable for the subletter. When I told her that I was seeking to assign, and NOT sublet, (as the lease seems to permit) she became hostile and continued to claim that the person I found was not a suitable candidate period.

When I had first put Amy in contact with the property manager, she mentioned that the property manager had tried to push her into signing a new lease, rather than the assignment for the remainder of my lease. However, I moved into the apartments at an introductory rate, and the new lease would be at the current rate. This was the first inclination I had that she may be denied for not wanting to sign a new lease, because obviously getting someone in to pay an extra $150 a month is in her best interest.
Last night, Amy sent me a disgruntled e-mail stating that she had been denied the ability to rent based on her income. When I asked for extra information, she told me that she had asked how she could remedy that and offered to have her parents cosign on the lease (Amy is a medical student student, so she is not going to have any income to report, but that wouldn't mean she cant afford the place). She told me she tried to contact the property manager several times and left several voicemails to try to figure out the situation, and never heard back. She told me that she no longer felt comfortable trying to rent the apartment because of the behavior of the property manager. (I do have this entire conversation documented through e-mail).

Basically, I am wondering if my landlord is within her rights to deny Amy the right to lease the apartment based strictly on income if there are other compensating factors, or if this could be considered as discrimination and could provide me an "out" for the last half of December's rent?

Answer:
 Yes, of course a landlord can deny an application if they don't think the applicant will be able to pay their rent. Answer #2: Yes they can deny her for not having any income.  I get it she's a medical student , loans and/or parents may be paying, but LLs don't have to accept "I'll get a loan/my parents will pay"

Secondly your LL is right there is much much MUCH less liablity to you if someone signs a new lease and they let you out of yours.  Yes you have to pay 2 weeks more rent but there is no possibility of you having to pay for 6 months and an eviction if the sub-leaser doesn't pay and there is no risk you will have to pay for damages the sub-leaser causes.  This is financial/common sense advice not legal advice but fucking jump at them signing a new lease with someone else and ending your lease on jan 1st.  You do realize if your sub-leaser doesn't have renter insurance and negligently burns down the building , you will be on the hook for all the damages to both the LL and all the other effected tenants or if they cat sit for a week/get a cat as an ESA and the cat ruins the carpet.


Title: Wells Fargo scammed me by reordering transactions to make more off of overdraft fees.

Question:
https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/nev95x/wells-fargo-is-trying-to-bury-another-massive-scandal

This happened to me less than a year ago. They did refund the amount after we complained, but is there anything I can do to get more in terms of the lawsuit?

Thanks!

Answer:
 You know, I fully realize that this is done primarily to increase profit for the bank, and there have been some lawsuits against various banks for doing this. That being said, you know what other benefit it has? It ensures that your larger transactions (typically the most important ones you make, like rent, mortgage, car payment, etc.) are a priority, since any transaction beyond your available balance could be rejected or bounce (if it's a check). Putting the larger ones first helps make sure that your most important expenses are covered and not rejected.

> The case centers on something called debit card reordering. Let's say you have $100 in your bank account, and you make three purchases, costing $20, $30, and $110. Under Wells Fargo account guidelines, the bank can charge you a $35 overdraft fee for taking out more than you have in your account. But by reordering the transactions from highest to lowest, putting the $110 charge first, the bank could charge three separate overdraft fees, one for each attempt to draw insufficient funds. Simply by altering the transaction order, Wells Fargo could make an additional $70.

No one ever wants to face the ugly truth that, in this example, **you are spending more money than you have in your account!**

Fuck. Is being a responsible adult just out of the question these days?

Find a bank that caters to deadbeats if you wanna be a deadbeat.


Title: Boss is adding their kids cash tips to my pay stubs and I'm being taxed on it, help!

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 First of all you have to ask your boss what's going on, he could simply be totally incompetent about such things.

Ask him why your tips reported do not match your figures and then go from there. Answer #2: Ask them whats going on. CT is a one party consent state, so you can secretly record them as long as you are a member of the conversation. Answer #3: If you're a student I would approach your classmates for leads of other restaurants that are hiring. Back of house restaurant work is usually on referral, not sure if the same for serving. If this is not an accident you don't want to stick around.

Have GREAT records of everything, including checks or deposit info from your bank and if innocent hey what the finances doesn't work report to the [Local Department of Labour](http://www.workplacefairness.org/agencies_CT).

Also not sure of the number, but might be worth it once this is settled to pre-emptively call the IRS for advice for the 2017 tax year. Less stressful asking in October for advice then April 20th.


Title: Me[20M] with ex? Girlfriend[18F] No contact terms of unsupervised probation. [ARIZONA]

Question: [deleted]

Answer: You can petition the court to modify your probation.


Title: Maintenance at my apartment set off my burglar alarm twice and now police are charging me $190 false alarm fine, what can I do about this?

Question:
My apartment complex has a deal with an alarm company so I purchased a system from them and by law had to give management my alarm code. So a few weeks ago, maintenance went into my apartment and set off the alarm two days in a row. Now I'm being charged for both false alarms despite the fact that I had given them my code when I initially signed the lease. Is there anything I can do to bring up the charges to them?

Edit: I forgot to include my location, I'm located in Texas. Thank you all so far for the responses, I'm going to see if I can get documentation of when I gave them the security code today and then most likely pay the fine and mail the receipt. I will follow up soon hopefully with good news.

Answer: Pay the police and send a copy of the receipt to the management.  If they don't pay, send them a demand letter. If they don't respond to that, take them to small claims.  Answer #2: If the police are fining you, you are liable to them. Then, the management company is liable to you. Pay the fine, then send via certified mail with receipt the fine with letter informing management that due to their error, they oweowed you the 190$. If payment is not given, small claims suit for 190 and court costs.


Title: Sueing wedding photographer in small claims

Question: Our wedding photographer delivered our pictures blurry and didn't deliver half of our gallery. I filed a suit against her and the courthouse is unable to tell me if she was served or not and our court date is set for Monday. I have a letter that I also resent certified but haven't found out about delivery yet, the first address I had was not up to date. I'm assuming I can not email the paper to her either but if she doesn't show I was told it could possibly get dismissed since I didn't get that letter to her. This entire situation is so stressful and I don't want to lose my chances of getting these pictures back or our money back. Is there anything else I can do? I am in VA if that helps.

Answer: You can hire a process server to properly deliver the summons to the photographer.


Title: [Virginia] I need your help. I am reeling and don't know the first thing about where to begin. I want a divorce from my husband. I want it to be amicable.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 This is divorced-stranger-on-reddit-advice, not legal advice: start at the library and educate yourself on the fundamentals.  Prior to setting your first appointment with an attorney, I highly recommend boning up on what will likely happen as you move through the process.  The way that I saw it was, I could pay a divorce attorney $350/hour to explain to me what was happening, or I could get that knowledge for free at the library.  I opted for free and 1) my legal bill was tiny, and 2) I slept a heck of a lot better because I had a fairly good idea of what was happening most of the time.  Good luck to you.Answer #2: From a practical support, start keeping a log of his attempts to find a job. You want to show that he is
not making a good faith effort when it comes time to figure out spousal support.Answer #3: Would /r/divorce be helpful? Seems like a support group


Title: Workplace alcohol drug test (California)

Question:
Last week I went to lunch with a few other co workers. We decided  to use some of our personal time to take an extended lunch. This is not all that uncommon at my workplace. I consumed 1 Tall blue moon while at the restaurant.

I returned to work after the the extended lunch and proceeded to work. About 3 hours later I was pulled back by my manager and sat in the back conference room. word travels fast at my work and was already somewhat aware of what was going on.

 I spoke with on site HR about my rights and asked as many questions as I could. They informed me If I refuse to take the test they can and will terminate me on a failure to pass. I asked about my right to a hearing and they said they had no knowledge of said right. I agreed to a oral fluid drug test. They performed the drug test after asking me some questions. I was also informed that while we waited for the results I would be on mandatory time off (Paid if the results are negative.)

Are they allowed to terminate me for having alcohol in my system? (I was unaware of any company policies that prohibit consumption during my lunches or personal time)

So here I am on my 2nd day off stressed beyond belief. Any advice comments or suggestions are welcome.

Answer: They absolutely can fire you for coming to work after drinking. Why wouldn't they be able to? Do you have an employment contract that says they can't?


Title: (Kansas) Roommate has been horribly neglecting his dog. Can I LEGALLY give his dog to a shelter/rescue?

Question:
My roommate has this sweet 1 year old beagle that he has been horribly neglecting. We’ve been renting this apartment for about 4 months now and this guy is almost NEVER here at the apartment. I see him here, spending the night, MAYBE once a week. This poor dog is locked away in his cage almost 24/7. My roomie isn’t exercising him, feeding him ENOUGH, and doesn’t keep his cage and the dog himself clean. Just this week I went on a two day trip and when I got back this morning I found the dog literally laying in his feces, the dog had rashes and bumps (I’m assuming from the feces). I took pictures of this just as a way of proof. I’ve talked to my landlord, and she informed me there wasn’t anything she could do legally because he’s been paying his rent, and he has proof that he legally owns that dog. She also doesn’t have any way to prove that he’s been neglecting the dog. I love in a pretty small town, we don’t have an animal control. Police deal with these kinds of situations. I would really prefer to avoid a court case.

(Just to be clear too, so people don’t think I’m a heartless monster. I’ve been helping to take care of this dog too. I felt so bad for this dog so many times, I’ve spent so much money and time on this dog than my roomie has. I just can’t afford to keep him nor do I have the time to commit.)

Thanks!

Answer: Call your local police and report an abused animal. Answer #2: 99.99% sure you have a county animal control. Call them. Then the police. In the meantime ask if you can have the dog in common areas that way you can take care of that poor dog too.


Title: HIPPA violation?

Question: I work with children with Autism for a private company. A client I've been with for a long time is switching to another company. By complete coincidence, I am also **considering** a transition to another company. Is it a HIPPA violation for the client's parents to send me updates from time to time? In other words, can we stay in touch? I'm close with the client's family and would really like to see the client's progress. Is this ok? Is there a way to make contact HIPPA compliant? Honestly, I'd love to offer my services as a babysitter (finding sitters for kids with special needs is extremely challenging) is there any way to make this HIPPA compliant???

Answer: It's in no way a HIPAA violation for parents to contact you or send you information. If they contact you, HIPAA does not prevent you from offering babysitting or similar services.


Title: I don't feel as if he deserved to go to prison in a way. Is it possible no prison time could have been served? [NY]

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Good to know.

Did you have a question which requires some sort of legal advice?


Title: [Virginia] How can I deal with homeless people loitering outside my liquor store?

Question:
They are sitting right outside my liquor store, drinking, panhandling, buying teenagers booze, sleeping there at night, and making everyone uncomfortable. I’ve asked them to leave, called the police, but they just keep coming back later.

I have nothing against people down on their luck, but I just wish they’d find another liquor store!

Answer:
 Although I completely detest them, devices do exist to prevent people from loitering/sitting/standing/laying down in specific areas. Google "anti homeless engineering" and you'll see what I'm talking about... I personally hate them, but they exist, and are legal. Otherwise there isint much you can do legally.
Sorry mate. Answer #2: If they’re buying alcohol for underage people you should stop serving them. If they can’t get booze from you they’ll probably move on.Answer #3: There is a store near me that has this problem. They hired a cop to work off duty to hang out at the store. I know a lot of cops that have second jobs like this and usually will still wear their uniform (legally). Just the presence helps! Answer #4: Play music that you think they're likely to hate. Even just playing the same 2-3 songs on repeat might be irritating enough. Automatic sprinklers might help too.Answer #5: You could ask them to leave, and you could refuse to serve them alcohol if you think they are buying for teenagers.Answer #6: Are you renting the building and in a strip mall? Perhaps your landlord could assist.


Title: Employee theft in Fort Smith, AR

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 >Could I be going to prison?

You can definitely be criminally charged with your role in the thefts.  Whether or not you serve any actual time?  Depends on the DAs office, judge/jury and all the other stuff that happens if it gets as far as a trail.

If you get contacted by the police, lawyer up.


Title: I have an update. My ex girlfriend accessed my email. What are my options? NYC.

Question:
I have an update to my [post](https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/3u3toe/my_ex_girlfriend_accessed_my_email_what_are_my/). I followed some of the advice I received and went to the police station to see how to file a report with the FBI. The officer took my report very seriously and got me in touch with the right people. I'm not sure why so many people thought it was stupid as I was taken seriously. It's a crime. The officer said it will be treated as such.

Do I need to hire a lawyer as well? Is that recommended? Thanks.

Answer:
 You are not suing her, so you won't need a lawyer. You are trying to have the police or the FBI press charges. That won't involve you beyond the evidence. You will gain nothing from this other than reopening old wounds and bringing your supposedly terrible ex back into your life.

That's why people were treating you so poorly in your previous post. Because while she broke the law, it's stupid to care about it six years later, and frankly it shows some serious mental imbalances on your part. Get over her.


Title: So, me and my dad owns a small diner. Yesterday night a customer had left his phone in her car in parking lot. It was stolen by somebody. Now, she is claiming we failed to provide reasonable security to her car so she'll gonna sue us. What should we do? Pay her? [San Diego, CA]

Question:
On Cameras, it shows a masked guy breaking into her car and stealing the phone.

I would like to say our entire livelihood runs on this small diner and there are only 3 workers in diner. Me, my dad and my girlfriend. We cannot afford a security guard. She is demanding $600 for her iPhone or she'll sue us. Honestly, $600 is too much for our diner earning wafer thin margin.

What can we do ?

Answer:
 Don't pay a thing or accept any fault. Direct her to file with the police and cooperate with their investigation. Also make a backup of the security tape.Answer #2: Preserve the tape but tell her to pound sand, get bent, eat glass, or whatever your favorite brush-off is. If she does sue, show up in court with your tape. Cars get broken into all the time ... this is why she should have insurance.Answer #3: She's not going to get a lawyer to sue you for $600. If she does sue you, it will be in small claims court, so you won't need a lawyer. Go there and make your argument. You will probably win, unless she can show that there's a history of similar crimes in your parking lot, and that there were security measures you could reasonably have taken to prevent the theft.Answer #4: You and your father are not responsible for the actions of a third party [the bad guy]. Tell her she needs to find this third part and sue them for the cost of the phone.

IANAL.


Title: Is it legal to carry a baseball bat in my car solely for the purpose of self defense? (WA)

Question:
I want to keep something in my car just for the rare situation in which I need to protect myself from an immediate threat, but I don't want to buy a firearm or get a weapons permit. I'd like to have a baseball bat, golf club, or anything which I could legally purchase at any store and which could be used as an improvised bludgeon. I want to do this solely as a means of self defense in an extremely exceptional circumstance.

If it isn't legal, then what would be the best way for me to defend myself without needing a permit (assuming I'm in a situation in which I can't use my car to flee)? I don't want to be a victim.

Answer:
 If you are going to carry a baseball bat, make sure you carry a glove and some balls.  Never say it's for self defense.  You'll save yourself a world of hurt.Answer #2: Those are not regulated in any way so I see no laws being broken but if the day ever comes when you need to use it for that reason don't volunteer why you kept it in the car. Answer #3: You're probably not going to listen to me, but...

I'm not a lawyer.

What I am though is a physical security specialist.  And I'm telling you that a baseball kept in your car is almost completely useless.

I literally cannot imagine a plausible scenario where you would be both capable of retrieving and then employing that bat,  as well as have a good reason to.

If you have time to get into your car,  you should flee.  If you feel you can't flee,  you should run your assailant over.   Cars trump just about any assault rifle as far as effective stopping power goes anyway.

If you want the bat to look cool and hard,  then fine,  listen to these smart legal folks and make up your mind.

If you're actually trying to defend yourself,  then get some actual training first.

Whether that's firearms training,  some sort of martial arts,  or whatever,  that should be your first step.

That bat is worse than useless. It's a false  sense of security *at best,* and more likely a legal liability or a tool that gives you unjustifiable feelings of toughness and invincibility.

Fuck your bat. Answer #4: I carry a bat in my car because I play softball.  Occasionally I like to take a visit to the batting cages after work to kill some time.*


Title: My landlord/Roomate has been given 3 days to move out. what are my rights as a subletter?

Question:
Here is my current situation

I am subletting a room from a tenant of an apartment complex. I have paid all of my rent on time to him personally but he has not been paying the rent. We just received a 3 day notice to pay rent or quit. My Roomate is now telling me that I have to move out by Friday. What are my rights here?

Answer:
 Your immediate landlord - your roommate - generally owes you adequate notice to end your tenancy, and if you haven't breached your lease with them, that's generally much longer than 3 days.

However, your right to occupy the property descends from your roommate's right, and if that right ends, so does yours. The owner can evict you if you refuse to leave, even though you aren't at fault.

What's likely the best strategy is if you let your roommate know you you're owed more notice and ask that they compensate you for terminating your tenancy earily. If they agree, great. If not, and if you can't work something out with the owner, pack and go, keep your receipts, and look at going after your roommate in small claims afterwards to recover your moving costs, differences in rent for the remainder of your lease/for your notice period, the portion of your rent for the period you are denied possession of your home, your security deposit if it isn't returned, and any other damages you incur.


Title: [QC, Canada] I've owned a .ca domain name for the past 10 years, company taking legal action to take it from me. What can I do?

Question:
I've first received a demand letter, (basically telling me to hand it over or else) and a court summons following that (not sure if those are the exact terms, everything is in french).

My domain name is basically a word, not a very common one, but one you might hear occasionally, so it looks like word.ca. I've been using it as domain for email, and for a small personal website, for nearly the whole time I've had it. The company in question is named after that word, and it is their legal business name.

This company, which has had no web presence at all, suddenly decided they want to have a web site and use my domain. They haven't even asked me if I'd be willing to sell it to them or anything. They just came out of the blue requesting it.

What should I do? I already know I shouldn't ignore the papers I was served with and to go to court.

Do I stand any chance at keeping it?

EDIT: They are suing me for cybersquatting.

Answer:
 Is what they are sending you a Uniform Domain Name Dispute complaint?

I assume they have a trademark on the word or incorporate it into their trademark and now they want a website they want the website to reflect that trademark. They are going to have a very tough time taking away your domain name and will almost certainly fail if you've been using the website longer than they've had a trademark. [This](http://www.marketingandbizpro.com/BusinessBullet_7-12t.pdf) document provides a decent analysis of what they'd have to show to be successful at acquiring your domain name. If you were using the domain, not cyber-squatting, and aren't trying to compete with the company or confuse customers that your domain is for that company, they'll almost certainly lose.

That said, you may want to sell your domain to them but be careful you don't run into cyber-squatting territory by holding the domain ransom for a large pay out.

Lastly, if you've received a court summons you need a lawyer to respond to this, someone versed in trademark law and disputes over domain names. It shouldn't be terribly hard to find someone in Quebec.


Title: Age of Consent law explained?

Question:
Hey guys, and thanks for the help!

I'm in Indiana, and am home for the holidays. A friend of mine (16f) who's a junior in HS and I (19m) are thinking about having sexual relations without being in a relationship, but I'm hesitant because of her age. She turns 17 in a few months, while I don't turn 20 for quite a while. Even though the age of consent is 16 (correct?), could we face trouble if my friend's parents did not approve? Further, would I be liable if she snuck out to meet with me? As far as I know, her family is somewhat conservative, so I am nervous about it. Thanks!

Answer:
 Legally, you're okay to have sex with her. Obviously, no sexual photographs or anything of the sort. Also, don't provide her with alcohol or drugs while she she's with you.

If her parents don't approve and you're hesitant, it may be best to stay away. However, you should be in the clear legally if you two are just having sex.


Title: Landlord is selling my apartment without my knowledge. Need some guidance.

Question:
I recently signed a year lease on an apartment in Phoenix AZ. The apartment was broken into twice, so I broke the lease early. I paid the early termination fees, and remarketing fees, had a final walk through with the property management company and handed over the key to the apartment.

In the lease, it states that I will pay the monthly rent until there is another tenant to rent out the place. It says nothing about what happens when the house is put up for sale or sold. My main questions is, how can I get out of this lease and stop paying. The rental listings have all been removed for my apartment and there is only an option to buy the place. Do I have any rights here? or is this worst case scenario, and if someone buys the place, I have to pay until the lease is up? It is a duplex and the tenants on the other side have a lease in affect as well.

I did read the Arizona's tenant and landlord rights act. It does not specify what my rights are if I vacate the apartment early, and THEN the owner put the apartment up for sale.

TL;DR  Rented out an apartment, broke the lease early, still paying rent but now the apartment/Duplex is up for sale without me knowing.

Answer:
 The advice you have received here about the lease continuing with the new owner is technically correct--it's a principle designed to protect tenants from getting evicted if a building is sold.

However, you *may* have an out.  You state:
>The rental listings have all been removed for my apartment

In order to continue charging you for the lease, the landlord **must** make a good-faith effort to re-rent the unit at market rate.  S/he can't jack the price up so high no one will rent it, and s/he can't only advertise it for rent on the wall of the laundromat down in Southern Heights.

I haven't been in Phoenix for 10 years, but my recollection is that LL/T law in AZ is landlord friendly.  That doesn't mean they get a free pass.  You might try www.arizonatenants.com, and see if they can help you.Answer #2: Typically the lease would continue to apply, and the new owner would basically inherit lease.

If you've already paid the early termination fee and had the final walkthrough, it sounds like your tenancy is over anyways.Answer #3: IANAL: Breaking the lease means you are no longer bound by it. If you're still bound by it, then it doesn't sound like you actually broke it. Correct me if I'm wrong, but you could have moved out without telling them, continued to pay the rent, and not have had to pay this early termination fee that doesn't seem to have actually terminated your lease.

Well, either way. If you're still on that lease, it generally would be inherited by whoever purchases the building.


Title: If my father sells his home and can’t pay taxes on the sale, will they come after my home because he lives with me and I take care of him?

Question: Title explains it, this is for my father about his father. Thanks

Answer: How can he sell a home, have taxable gains, but not be able to pay the taxes? Where is the money going?


Title: Garbage truck damaged my non-operational car. Is it worth pursuing? [TX]

Question: Parked in front of our house is my 2003 Pontiac. It hasn't run for awhile because we haven't had the money to fix it. It is not currently insured because it won't start and no one can drive it anyway. So, last Friday the recycling truck comes by and the claw hits the rear bumper leaving a huge dent. The guy called his supervisor and they both knocked on my door and told me what happened. I saw the damage, they took my information, and gave me the supervisor's number and the company's number. He said he has a garage that handles these types of situations. The problem is, though, I wouldn't be able to take the car to a garage without a tow. I haven't called yet because I'm not sure what I want to do about it. Any advice? Is this worth going after?

Answer: Ask for cash, ignore the dent, use cash to fix engine problems, and end up with a working car with a dent.


Title: (FL) Parking Garage has Poorly Designed Entrance. 4 drivers Have Damaged Their Cars Turning in.

Question:
I am one of these unfortunate drivers. I pay $30 a month to park there, and did ~$1,500 damage to my truck against the concrete wall turning towards the access gate.

If there is a car entering while you are exiting, there is likely no way you could turn a larger vehicle out without grazing the corner of the exit (Exactly what happened to me).

There is also a sign right there that says "Management is not responsible for any damages".
Ironically the corner right next to the sign has a rainbow collage of Auto paint scraped on the concrete.

Can I, and these 3 other drivers (at least) pursue compensation or are we SOL?

Thank you in advance

Answer: Nope. The garage entrance is a stationary object. It's up to drivers to avoid stationary objects.


Title: I have a bunch of questions about how I can get my girlfriend out of a situation that is taking a serious toll on her

Question:
So my girlfriend is a minor (16) who lives in Utah. Right now, she lives with her dad because of a whole custody thing, but her dad is emotionally abusive and seriously negligent. I'm just wondering what course of action we can take to get her out of that situation.

What was going to happen was he was going to let her leave after this school year, but he decided that he isn't going to let her do that, so now we need another way to get her out of there. Also, I just want to add, this isn't the usual "I hate my parents!" dumb teenager shit. She's in a seriously bad situation there and she needs to leave.

She's been dealing with serious anxiety and panic attacks for years. He has consistently refused to get her any treatment because "they didn't have the money". He also doesn't take her to the doctor or the dentist for the same reason. He says this, though he just bought a new truck, took his family on a cruise (but left her at home), and hired an interior designer to decorate his house. He's a Mormon, but it isn't a religious reason why he's refusing to get her any treatment. She has also, on top of the anxiety and panic attacks, developed pretty serious depression and regularly cuts herself and talks about suicide.

Also, he is divorced from her mom. Today, he just decided that she can't see her mom anymore. Now I'm not entirely sure, but I think that her mom is legally entitled to a certain amount of time with her every year, so I don't think he's allowed to do that.

Basically, we're just looking at a way to get her out of there. Emancipation is the option that I think looks the most reasonable, but I'm not entirely sure what you need to qualify for it. I'm just looking for ANY help at all on how I can make things better for her.

Answer:
 The mother can take the father back to court if he is refusing her visitation.

You or the minor can contact CPS if there are safety concerns.

Emancipation is not likely an option. She needs to be working and supporting herself, including housing.


Title: My child (12) was assaulted today at school. He has ligature marks visible on his neck where he was strangled. He attends a private school and there has been a bullying Snapchat campaign against him in which I was sent screenshots. We are in MS and I’m not sure how to handle this.

Question:
As my posts said, my son was strangled today in the weight room. No staff has answered calls, and I was not notified of this. When I picked my child up from the bus stop the marks were highly visible.

He refused to tell me what happened for hours. After talking to a couple of parents of classmates and him as well, I was given a pretty good run down. One player turned the lights out, and a 9th grader- we will call Wyatt proceeded to use a fabric ribbon to strangle my child from the back.

To say that I am livid is an understatement. I pay a hefty tuition for my child to attend this school and am baffled he could be assaulted and have highly visible ligature marks on his neck and no teacher or coach asked any questions or investigated.

After the incident and we arrived home, a friend forwarded me a Snapchat thread with several screenshots of my child being cyber bullied, as well as threats of it happening again if he doesn’t “sit his ass down”. The snap chat was from the QB of the JR High game, and I find this highly inappropriate.

I tried contacting school admin, with no luck. I did reach out to the cyber bullying kid’s father and was responded to with racist ad hominem attacks- being told that I don’t need to start nothing and “y’all” people (I’m white) aren’t gonna “play with him or his sons sports”. After the childish responses and racist bologna, I believe I’ve decided to try to take this to the police. I’m not really sure how to go about this. Cyber bullying and assault are just not acceptable.

We reside in MS and any advice is appreciated

Answer:
 Here's the order I'd approach this in:

1. The hospital. Neck injuries can lie latent for quite a while, and your kid may not be out of danger yet. Get him checked out.

    Once you visit the hospital, you can assume CPS will be involved even if you don't involve them. As you are taking appropriate steps to protect your kid from violence, this shouldn't be much of a concern.

2. The police. You have clear evidence that your child was violently assaulted in school, and someone in ninth grade is generally old enough to face juvenile criminal charges for it. It's appropriate to get law enforcement involved, and you don't need to wait for the school for that.

3. The school. They'll know anyways as soon as the police show up, but you might as well get them on side if possible. It's also appropriate to get a lawyer if things reach this point and the school is anything less than perfectly helpful.

4. If the school is non-responsive, the local educational agency that oversees your kid's school should get involved.

5. If they won't handle it, then child protective services should be involved if they haven't already contacted you by this point.


Title: Almost got arrested for being a fatass

Question: Soo my friend and I decided to go to our local grocery store to s t e a l some pocky and chips n shit aNd we got caught (im aware that it's wrong and i feel horrible for doing it) and they let us off with a prohibition of entering the premise (we can't enter the store for 2 years yay) but I was wondering if schools get notified of this since they did ask for our schools but didn't write it down from what I recall. Also, how do they varify that it is indeed us who entered if we ever did try to?? Do employees get pictures from security footage? Do they have access to the warrant? Basically anyone who has had experience with shoplifting,,, help a dumb teenager out. Thanks!

Answer:
 So they may tell the school resource officer if there is one or they may tell the school, they may not.

No idea how they'll track in store who you are, but if you enter the store now you can be charged with trespassing and they maybe able to charge you with the original shoplifting as well.