Title: Best friend got hit by a bus

Question:
My best friend was riding her bicycle Friday night and was hit by a city bus. She has the right of way (was heading trough an intersection with a green light and a bus turned into her). The bus driver admitted she had the right of way. She was taken to a hospital, had surgery, and is doing fine.

The bus company has been in contact with her, saying they’re going to pay for her hospital bills but they need a statement from her and they indicated she has a year to do so.  I’m wondering what the best way for her for her to proceed? She’s a bartender and was told by her doctors she needs over 8 weeks to recover at the earliest, which means she’s out at least 2 months tips and pay. She also does not have personal health insurance.

Location is Chicago.

Answer: She should probably at least consult with a personal injury attorney. Any idea if the bus driver is facing legal consequences for what happened?


Title: Ex Girlfriend (23f) refuses to abort our baby (23m). Am I stuck paying child support fees despite asking her to abort it and her blackmailing me with my nude pics?

Question:
*So I’m going to write this post in a first person perspective but this is actually happening to a close friend of mine.

So I recently broke up with my gf of three years about a month ago and the night before we had sex the condom broke. She convinced me at the time that she didn’t need a morning after pill and that there’s nothing to worry about. We break up, and maybe 3 weeks later she messages me a picture of a positive pregnancy test and sends me a picture of an ultrasound. I asked her to abort it (we are in no financial condition to be having a baby) but she refuses. We argue and she starts sending me picture of nudes she took of me (one when I was asleep) saying “you better treat the mother of your child better” and even threatened to send them to the new girl I am talking to. I feel like she is using the baby as a tool to take me back. She is already saying that I’m going to be paying for it and since I have a low paying job she’s also asking me if my parents will support it. Is there anything I can do at this point to have a say in the matter of this pregnancy? Or am I doomed to pay child support no matter what? If so, how much will this cost me?

Answer:
 You have no legal say in the child prior to it’s birth.

You will be legally responsible for it once it is born. You may be required to pay child support and other costs.

You’re likely going to be a father soon and need to come to terms with that.Answer #2: This sounds awfully soon to get an ultrasound. Are you sure she's pregnant and not just scamming you? If she is pregnant, and if a dna test proves you are the father, then yes, you will owe child support, and no, you cannot force her to abort. Don't pay anything now, though, because the threats and rapid ultrasound photo suggests your ex is more likely to be messing with you than actually pregnant. Only time will tell.Answer #3: You can’t do anything about the pregnancy. You cannot force anyone to have an abortion.

Re: the pictures, that’s a different thing. You should check the revenge porn laws on your state  and let her know the consequences if she breaks any laws.


Title: Hello as of writing I am in the hospital,I have just been diagnosed with suffering from a mental health condition.I have been keeping notes which I would love to have scripted into a novel that could ultimately help others.I need advice on opening a company and the setting up of a charity

Answer: You need to listen to your counselors and doctors and they can help you. Part of your treatment plan will be goal setting and you can ask them for help with that.


Title: Police Sting Operation: Served alcohol to minor.

Question:
A restaurant in the suburbs of Illinois, USA.

I served 2 beers to 2 minors who were part of a sting operation by the local police.

I had to go to the local PD.  Police fined me $250 ticket, said it will only go to "local" court (no idea what that means).  I had to get mugshots taken, Miranda rights read, etc.  My very first time dealing with police.  I don't even have a speeding ticket to my name.

I asked the officer on the spot "Is this a misdemeanor?"  and his reply was "It is lower than a misdemeanor".  Whatever that means...

As to how I ended up serving alcohol to minor:

I am a 2 month old server.  I was hired quickly as a rag tag server because the restaurant was very short on staff.  The restaurant manager/owner never taught me anything or anyone of properly servicing alcohol.  For the past 2 months of working, I have never seen a server check for IDs.  I was never trained, I don't even have a certificate (apparently servers need to have a certificate to server alcohol?).

Basically, checking for ID wasn't even on my To-Do list.  I was never trained that way... BUT to be fair, it is COMMON SENSE to check for ID.  For that, I am ashamed of myself, and cannot sleep tonight.

The owner/manager is a very kind hearted man and apologized for not educating the staff of alcohol service, and also said he would take care of the fine for me.

**Legal advice question:**

How screwed am I?  Is my life over?  I'm a college student.  Will I ever be able to get a part time job ever again?

Is this something that I have to mention at my next job interview?

My hands are still shaking and I cannot sleep right now.  Please help me reddit.

Answer:
 >I am a 2 month old server.

Well, there's the problem right there.  Infants should not be serving alcohol.

Your boss is paying the fine, that's good.

What is the exact statute you were charged with?  From where it sit, it looks like a Class A misdemeanor, which is the worst level.  It might be worth consulting with a lawyer to try to have the charge reduced or adjudication withheld.  See if you can get your boss to pay for the lawyer while you're at it.


Title: Started similar business after working with my now-competitor. He has threatened legal action.

Question:
I live in Ontario, Canada. I have started a business doing something very similar to what I was doing with my former boss for two weeks.

After working with him and determining that he is not someone I want to work for, and that the way he runs the business is not efficient, sustainable, or flexible enough for my schedule, I left.

I started my own business doing the same service he does, however I changed and improved upon quite literally everything. We use different software, hardware, preparation, and more. I am now significantly more successful than he is due to these improvements.

He has sent me an email citing copyright violation, as well as breaking the employment agreement I had with him specifically information, trade secrets, procedures and pricing I learned. He gave an example of such a breach saying that me using Groupon to promote the business, exploiting a confidential deal he claims he has with them, yet the deal is public and anyone could search it right now on his website or the voucher page. I even matched his prices rather than undercutting him out of respect.

He also says I copied the design of his website, and even use the same scheduling application. We happen to use the largest website builder in the world 'SquareSpace' which uses that scheduling application (also the biggest in the world). I used a template layout from the website builder (which his website developer no doubt also used), and copied nothing from his website. Everything is a basic template owned by SquareSpace, and all graphics and text are written and owned by me.

He claims that my business, "closely mimics and in many respects directly copies the concept and execution of my business. My lawyer is copied on this email for his reference and will be in contact should you pursue this further."

This is a huge industry with hundreds of locations in the US, but it is new in Canada. He was the only one in the entire city to run this sort of business, and I am now the second.

How do I respond to this? Do I send him an email explaining that I absolutely use the same idea, but the execution is done differently? Do I not say anything and immediately get a lawyer?

I've never been in a legal situation and I am almost certain that I am not in violation of any kind of copyright/disclosure/trade secret agreement.

Could you please help me? Thank you!

Answer:
 He CCed his lawyer, not had a statement sent by the lawyer. I'd ignore unless actually sued, but take it seriously if you are.

> breaking the employment agreement I had with him

Did you actually sign any kind of agreement?


Title: Discrimation possible on being let go?

Question: Been at said job for 3 1/2 years. Worked alone in Satilite office. 1 year in, Manager hires a traveler for the company from my town. Obvious from start this lady wanted my job. She was based in my office & that was made known, but it wasn't not hers. I would be out, work would be brought in & she would claim it was brought to her. She would do this across multiple offices she covered. I went to Manager with my concern & said lady was moved to another office as her base. When she would cover my office, emails would disappear, my company profile would get changed to her information as contact, internet history wiped, and again, she would take work. Again, addressed this with my manager. My email was assigned a security log-in. Soon after problems starting arising with her in the other office she was based in. My manager was being told I was never at my office, didn't answer the phone or return voicemails. Manager & I both were signed up to receive a daily call log. That problem went away. Lady in the other Satilite office ends up quitting due to conditions getting so bad for her by traveler. Various problems keep arising due to this individual. She's reporting to clients I had other girl fired. She would come to my office and talk like my superior. She would take over my job in front of me when she was clearly asked not to. Again, addressed with Manager. I was being harassed, taunted, bullied by this individual. 2 weeks ago I made it all known again. My job performance has been fine. Clients are happy & manager tells me she is confident in my work. Yesterday morning, manager shows up out of the blue, from an hour & 1/2 away, and says she has to let me go because I don't have a license & she needs someone with one in my office and has one (the other lady.) I asked her why she didn't have me apply? Could I not apply now? Could I not pursue it? Why was it a problem right then & there? Company was already short staffed, I could have stayed until she did hire or I got my license. No. She asked for my passwords & keys. Done. I don't even know if I have a chance of anything here. My Manager never addressed any of my concerns with this individual. Things got much better for her & she received special treatment, all while screwing the company. (Charging time & mileage.) Manager did nothing. Yes, I'm in a "work @ will" state, but after being there for 3 years & never having a problem with anyone, I'm let go out of the blue.

Answer: Where's the discrimination?


Title: Shown one flat, signed contracts, provided a different flat.

Question:
Location: UK

Hi,

I'm not sure how to go about this.
I'm a student in England, and me and 3 friends decided to rent a house together for the academic year. We found our chosen accomodation through Bellevue students accomodation and requested a 4 bed house.

We were shown and taken around a 4 bed house and we're told that the house we would be provided with is currently under development, but all their 4 bedroom houses are the same size and layout.

Based on this we agreed and we're sent the contracts to sign and such, and did so, but today one of my friends went to see our house as it's nearly finished being renovated, and it turns out they have given us a 5 bedroom house with significantly smaller rooms.
None of us are happy with this situation and we think they've tried to pull a fast one on us.

I just wanted to know if we have any rights to demand a different house or lower the rent, as it's not what we were shown but we have signed the contracts.

Any advice or resources that can help would be much appreciated.

Answer:
 You could go to the citizen's advice bureau, or your uni/college's advice centre. They can advocate for you.Answer #2: Did the contract specify an address/specific house?

If yes, does it match the one you were shown?
Answer #3: I'm pretty sure the Sale of Goods Act / Supply of Goods and Service Act are applicable in this case, particularly Sale by sample and Sale by description.

You were shown a sample of something (i.e. a house) and told you would be renting the same specification. You would therefore reasonably expect the contract to match what you saw.

It seems from the below link (page 34) that tenancy agreements are governed by the SOGAS Act

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/319820/Lettings_guidance_CMA31.PDF&ved=0CCYQFjAEahUKEwi5u7-UyuLGAhVlGNsKHfbbC1k&usg=AFQjCNE17h5OVVeXjziG1AsbDW8rE4A4Hg&sig2=w8ftCZGGizaFhfAzr7d_vQ

As they are implied terms, they are automatically included into most consumer contracts and cannot be written out of them.

My advice would be, as others suggested, go to your Citizens Advice Bureau and ask the Uni for any advice they can give you.

Sorry to hear about your situation, all else fails the Uni should have emergency accommodation for these kind of situations


Title: This is very off topic but Demon contracts?

Question:
Has any one ever take a minute and made up a demon contract like you see in the movies? like the ones with the type 5 font that is 20ft long?

Back story I am a larper and my future character is a demon so I would love something like this even if its a bunch of boiler plate copy and paste.

Answer:
 So there's two thing you want in your contracts - logic and loopholes.

Logic says goods and services are exchanged for an agreed upon price.

This is where you get exactly what you wished for.

Loopholes are the exceptions and forfeit that both seller and buyer can employ.

This is where you don't get what you wanted, but also where you can make the devil dance for you.

You can find various blank templates on Google to modify for wealth, health and romance, which are your typical three wishes.Answer #2: \*devil contracts.  Demons are too chaotic.Answer #3: If I were doing this I would make the language ridiculous, but that is me. Something like "*Signee will be entitled to X but only on the second Tuesday of a month directly following a full moon that rose on a Thursday and must be accompanied by two ducks in good standing and a pigeon of ill repute.* "Answer #4: **sigh*

Now I have ["The Devil Went Down to Georgia](https://youtu.be/sh7BZf7D5Bw) stuck in my head.Answer #5: The demon contracts you see in movies are usually very simple and vaguely worded. It's basically: You give your soul, in exchange you get X.

X is an ambiguous statement and immediately backfires in the most obvious way possible.


Title: Ex Claims She Had A Miscarriage

Question:
A week ago on Friday (6 days after our argument) she told me that she lost the baby. Important to note that we had her 12 week ultrasound scheduled on that day at 12:45, she text me at 2. A few days later a mutual friend of ours told me that I had the right to know she had an abortion and that he gave her the chance to tell me but she didn't take it. He told me that he found something she had posted on Instagram the Tuesday (three days after our argument)  before and it made him suspicious and that's when he began talking to her about it. It is now 2 weeks since our argument.

What I'm wondering is if there is any way for me to verify that she actually had an abortion or if she is lying and is still carrying my kid? She has gone radio silent on me, I've been blocked from all social media since our disagreement.

Answer:
 She has no obligation to disclose an abortion to anyone, including the father.  She may have aborted it, she may have had a miscarriage, or she may be lying about it all.  If she is lying completely, you have a right to visitation and an obligation to pay child support.Answer #2: Discovering a miscarriage during a 12 week ultrasound and having a subsequent D&C is extremely common. Medically, a miscarriage that does not complete by itself is called a “missed abortion”.Answer #3: Find out if your state has a putative father registry.  If it does, get on it.

But your friend was wrong about you having a right to know whether she had an abortion or miscarriage, at least legally speaking.Answer #4: Assuming somewhere in the US...

No. No way to force her to show you proof until the child is born.

If your state has one, you can and should register with the paternity registry.


Title: Pug custody in divorce [california]

Question:
My wife has decided she wants a divorce.  No kids, but 3 pugs that i love more than anything in this world.  She wants the split because ive been out of \[stable\] work and fighting an opiate addiction (3 months clean, btw).

&#x200B;

Since i've left our shared domicile, she has refused to let me see the pugs at all.  I am the one who originally purchased 2 of the 3.  I don't even want to take them from her, just want the ability to see them or have some sort of shared custody.  I'm currently living back at home with my mother.  Is there anything i can do outside of suing her for custody in small claims?  I never wanted this to get ugly, but she's leaving me no choice.  In addition to the pugs we have 2 chinchillas which are here with me, but they're her chinchillas, however she doesn't seem to care about them.

&#x200B;

I've got nothing left and I need my dogs :'( what can I do?

Answer: How do you plan to feed and provide vet care if you are out of work?


Title: Home loan... Is this legal?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Sounds like you are not financially ready to purchase a home. Continue saving money and pull the trigger when you have the funds for a down payment, closing costs, AND EMERGENY SAVINGS.Answer #2: >The rest of it will be about $6000 and seller is ok with writing my mom a check. My mom would then write me a check giving me that $. Since its family would that be ok?

From my experience buying a home, they are going to ask where that 6k came from, and then ask her where it came from, and then deny the loan when they see the seller is financing the home he's selling.


Title: Buying farm land with a family cemetery in Texas

Question: I am in the process of buying a piece of property (17 acres) that has a small cemetery on it. The current property owner gave me a "designation of private cemetery" that designates the a small portion (.057 acre) as a cemetery and gives it an easement (.9 acre). My question is regarding who has rights to be buried there after I purchase the property? The woman I am buying the property from is related to the 2 people currently in the cemetery. I do not mind her or her sister being buried there I just want to make sure there decedents do not have some sort of rights that could somehow impact me later. Like wanting to expand it or something like that. I am not concerned with the family wanting to visit the property or anything like that I just know nothing about cemetery's and i am trying to make sure i am not opening myself up for anything int he future. Thanks in advance.

Answer: It sounds like the cemetery is not a portion of the property you're buying, meaning the woman can bury whoever she wants there. The easement would be able to be accessed by anyone she gave permission to. The cemetery would not be able to be expanded past the boundary to the land you're buying. Answer #2: Why don't you consider separating the cemetery out of the sale and leaving it with her? It sounds like you gain nothing from buying the cemetery other than a potential requirement to upkeep a parcel of land you can't use - you might be better off not buying it at all.Answer #3: Texas Cemetery Association might be able to help.


Title: [MS] Neighbor's dog has attacked mine multiple times on my property

Question:
So background... about a year ago my neighbors moved to a new home and rented the home next to me out. Yay new neighbors. Anyway we've had tons of problems with the tenants. It's appears to be a mother and her two grown (or almost grown i.e. Late high school children. My wife and I have owned the home for 3 years now. We have 2 kids 11 and 3. And 2 dogs a shitzu and a lab mix. We used to let them roam free and never had any issues. The property is several hundred yards off the main street and  the rental property is the only other home that can be seen from my home. Very secluded which is why we bought the house to begin with.

The first issue we had was a domestic disturbance right after they moved in. The daughter came to our door late one night crying stating her brother was being abusive to her mother and herself. We called the police. Before they arrived the mother came over and demanded the daughter get in the car with her and leave. The young girl did and we gave our statement to the police when they arrived. Nothing happened.

Fast forward a year with no incidents. The tenants have a large dog. Our dogs have been known to bark at theirs from eachother's property but rarely crossed onto the others. One day we discovered the smaller dog our shitzu had bite marks and we took home to the vet. At that time we decided it could have been that he had instigated the incident by crossing into my neighbors property and paid the vet bills. We decided to keep the little dog inside more and eat the cost. We still didn't keep him on a leash when we'd let him out though but it wasn't unaccompanied anymore. At this point I should note that leash laws in our area only require a leash for specific breeds and ours do not qualify nor do our neighbors. Things were fine for a few weeks.

The next incident is where We became extremely concerned. Our kids were playing in our driveway riding their power wheels and my wife was inside cleaning watching through the windows. My wife had let the little dog out to play with the kids. At some point the neighbor's dog crossed both properties and attacked the shitzu. It dragged the little dog back to its house and continued to assault him. My wife was able to get him away and rush him to the vet. At that time we let the neighbors know what happened, we let their landloard know, and we filed a police report. The neighbors agreed verbally at that time to keep the dog kenneled or leashed from then on. We told them we may want them to help with the vet bills and would keep in touch.

That was about 3 weeks ago. Our dog was healing nicely but we hadn't gone back to the neighbors because we didn't know if we were completely done with the vet but things were looking good. At this point we're not letting the little dog outside without a leash and have gotten an invisible fence for our lab. Tonight though my daughter was walking the dog in our backyard on a leash and the neighbor's dog charged and attacked. My little dog will have to go back to the vet again tomorrow and we'll see more bills. I'm more concerned though with my children's safety though at this point. I walked next door to tell the neighbors (like a fool I didn't record it yay single party consent) and they told me they had let the dog out for exercise. They were very unresponsive and rushed back into the house

So here's my questions/goals. I want this dog removed. Can I sue for that? I can't really afford a ton of legal fees. What are the chances someone would take the case on contingency? We're talking about $1000 in vet fees (plus whatever else is coming) but I also have pics of my daughters scratches she got. These scratches don't appear to have come from the dog but from running away from the attack. The property owner is sympathetic with us but says he doesn't have anything in the lease that gives him recourse to do anything. Can we get the tenants removed? Are we likely to do damage to the property owner? He's a nice guy and I don't want to burden him unnecessarily.

Edit: my dog has now died as a result of the attack if that changes anything :(

Answer:
 Oh, I'm so sorry for your loss.

I'm not a lawyer, and I can't help with your legal questions, but I encourage you to call animal control. Answer #2: I'm sorry for your loss of your dog.

I'd be more concerned about the safety of your children at this point., as there clearly is an overly aggressive animal in the neighborhood. Immediately call the police and file a police report on what happened. Follow up with a call to animal control and if you can do a 3 way call include your vet who will provide testimony on cause of death.

The neighbor's dog probably should be put down.

You cannot get the tenants removed, but you can file suit for the cost of the vet bills.


Title: Legality of security camera in bedroom, recording sexual encounters with parties informed.

Question:
I was wondering if this would be legal. If I setup a dashcam in my bedroom, where my valuables are kept and where sexing will occur, and I tell the other party that I have a security cam setup for protection of my valuables and family jewels, and she actually agrees to be recorded, can I then use it as evidence in court if I ever need to prove no rape occurred?

What about signs outside and inside the house/apartment that says "This domicile is under video surveillance" or something and I inform her about it prior to sexual conduct?

From previous posts, I get that the other party would probably leave or that if I can't trust them, I shouldn't have sex with them anyway. I would like to know if the recording will become legal if I record her saying "okay, that's fine with me". And if she revokes consent at any time, I record her saying " I don't want to do this anymore" and record me backing off and saying "no problem, here's your clothes."
Yes, I'm being way too paranoid but also very curious.

I'm in CA

Answer:
 Sorry, I need to go take a Silkwood shower after reading that. Good luck with your psychological development!Answer #2: Consent must be based on a full disclosure of relevant facts i.e. you can't say "I record my house", you have to say "I'm going to record us having sex" in order for the consent to be valid.

Also, all this serves to do is prove that *that particular encounter* was consensual.  If you're worried someone is going to lie about you raping them, then why wouldn't that person be able to fabricate a story about a different rape?  "Oh yes, we had consensual sex bedroom, then /u/MioBestGirl raped me in the kitchen when I went for a glass of water"Answer #3: How paranoid do you want to get?

"He threatened me just before the camera came on and said I had better consent when he asked me on camera or else"


Title: Unemployment while on Maternity Leave (NYC)

Question:
So.... I found out Friday night that my job is gone. Basically I worked for a dealership of a product and the branch closed. Someone else (no idea who) will reopen the branch, but is a different company (I worked for Nyc LLC, and new company will be Whatever LLC).

Here is the kicker - I'm on leave until the end of May, unpaid of course b/c 'Merica. Though I suppose I can't be on leave from a company that doesn't exist anymore...

Can I file for unemployment? Will I even get anything since my income (since February) was zero recently?

Thanks in advance.

Answer:
 Not likely.  Not because your income was low recently, but because you can't get unemployment unless you're "ready, willing and able to work," which it sounds like you're not right now.  If other employees got severance, you should have gotten it as well, but other than that your maternity leave doesn't leave you any more screwed than anybody else--you wouldn't have been getting money if the office were open either.

File for unemployment as soon as you're ready to job-hunt post-baby.


Title: Employer demanding for my personal car insurance for driving company truck

Question:
I live in Florida, and the company I work at has a box truck for moving product. Recently, my manager asked for my personal car insurance to put on file for driving this truck. It is only used for business purposes, and on the clock. I asked why it was needed, and under what circumstances my personal insurance would come into play. They told me they would find out, but it would be required anyway. I asked if my insurance would be held liable should I be in an accident, and they said it could be. I said I wasn't very comfortable giving that without knowing more about my risk and liability, and was told to be argumentative and to stop asking about it. Is this a requirement? Shouldn't the company's car insurance cover my driving, as long as I am an authorized driver. I was the one that worked with the insurance broker on adding authorized drivers for the truck, and they needed my license info and checked my record, but that was months ago, and I've been approved and driving it since.

Thanks in advance for any help on this.

Answer:
 Your employer can require you to provide this information. Just provide it.

Your employer is probably thinking that they will be able to make a claim against your personal insurance in the case that you are in an accident while driving their vehicle. That's not really how it works. There's rare exceptions to that rule though.

Your employer can require you to provide your insurance information. If you refuse they can terminate you.

My advice, give them the information. Worst thing that I can envision them doing (sans one of those rare exceptions) is they try to file a claim with your insurance company to find out that they (your employer) is going to be on the hook because your employer was too stupid to obtain their own insurance for their property (the vehicle).


Title: Is it Suspicious for an employer willing to prepay me?

Question:
   I live in the U.S. and I'm a student at CSUN in California. So I applied to this employer through my college program that helps students find jobs. This person sent me an email stating I will work directly with him/her and that he/she is currently out of country and began to ask me questions as an "interview".

   I answered the questions, they were simple questions, and apparently this was enough for him/her to feel confident enough to send me a check to my address and run some errands until he/she is back in country and then I will work at the office.

   I have talked to my girlfriends mother who is a lawyer and she agrees that it is strange. They check arrived today and I will not cash it. It feels like a trap and I guess my question would be is this normal for an employer? What do you think?

   Also thanks in advance and this is my first post here so sorry for any mistakes.

Answer:
 The check is almost certainly fake and will be followed by a request that you send them back some of the money, take it to a friend of theirs, buy them something, etc.  Then the check bounces and hour out whatever you gave them back.Answer #2: Here's a key point no one has raised yet.

A few days after you deposit this check, the bank will make the funds of the check available.  You will assume that this means the check was legit.

THIS IS WHERE THE SCAM COMES IN!

The check was never legit, despite the bank making the funds available.

US banks will make funds available to you to withdraw before they finish clearing a check.  You withdraw the money, the bank finally discovers that the check is bogus, now you owe the bank the money you withdrew.

Don't be fooled.

Source: https://www.helpwithmybank.gov/get-answers/bank-accounts/forgery-and-fraud/faq-banking-fraud-01.html


Title: MD. My sister needs advice

Question:
Hi I am trying to help my sister with some advice. But I don't know what to tell her. She was in a accident but is afraid she might not have a case. Now everyone who heard the story says she has a case but I want to give her some advice. On how to pursue this and if she should take legal action.

Her story.

The fourth of this month she was getting off the light rail to come home from work. She was walking up the side walk of the platform not the yellow border. To catch up to a couple of her co-workers who gets off the same stop as her . And started to turn around to face in the direction she needed to go once the train had passed her. As she was turning the train pulled off  and hit the bag she had on it was over one shoulder going across her body. Like a messenger bag . Which then knocked her into the train and pulled her off the platform and threw her on the track that was next to it . And stopped and once she stood up because she didn't want to continue laying there . The conductor tried to pull off.

But the people who saw what happened made him stop. They called 911 and the MTA (from MD) officers arrived as well. She gave them her information and they gave her some information. She was rushed to the hospital but released that night. Her leg was swollen and she had bruising on both arms.  And her leg is still swollen now. She was told she had to miss a couple days of work.  And she is still having problems with the leg.

She called the number they gave her but no one has gotten in contact with her since. Does anyone have any advice I can give her so she would know if she has a case or how to pursue things.

Answer: She should talk to an attorney ASAP.  Many rail providers have limited sovereign immunity granted to them by the state and so there are specific steps that must be taken before a lawsuit can be filed.  Also Maryland is a contributory negligence state, meaning that if she is even 1% at fault she wouldn’t be able to recover.  An attorney will know how to beat present this case, first to the rail company and then in a lawsuit if needed.


Title: Exempt or Non-exempt

Question:
Hello /r/legaladvice!

I have a friend who is an assistant manager at Shari's, keyword "assistant". She easily works over 40 hours per week , in the range of 50-60 hours, so if she is nonexempt she should be getting overtime correct?

Well, she does not and she told me she files taxes as non-exempt. Also Shari's does not track her hours at all, so more often than not she works an extra hour per day with no record showing, and yes she is on salary pay.

I think its important to note she helps cooks, clean, serve, and other non-white color jobs every single day more than 50% of her work every single day.

She has been doing this for over a year, any legal advice would be appreciated? Does anyone suspect that an ASSISTANT-manager would be non-exempt at Shari's?

I know this may be a tough one so ask any questions that you have thanks!

Location: Portland, OR

Answer:
 >she helps cooks, clean, serve, and other non-white color jobs

In case anyone was wondering, OP probably meant **non white-collar jobs.**

This is not a post from the 1860s.


Title: Can't stop receiving someone else's mail

Question:
Location: New Jersey

TLDR version: I'm worried the police are gonna a-knockin or break down my door soon because the previous tenant is apparently a scumbag.

Long version: So this has been a minor inconvenience ever since I moved to my apartment, but now shit may be getting real, and I need to know how to handle this.

My wife and I have been receiving mail for the guy who lived here before us.  We've been here 2 years now, and still get just as much mail for him as we do for us.  We've brought his mail back to the post office dozens of times and asked them to note that this asshole doesn't live here anymore.  We still get his mail.

Inconvenient, but whatever.

Thing is, some of the mail he receives suggests that he's either not paying debts or he has actively committed fraud.  Today, he received an official-looking letter from the police, as well as two letters from law offices.  I assume they found out the police are after him.  What worries me is that he won't respond (because he's not receiving the mail) and then the police will take matters into their own hands by coming here.  To my apartment.  Looking for him.

How do I make it fucking clear that this piece of shit doesn't live here anymore?  The post office is obviously not worried about it.  How do I go through official means to document that he has not lived here for over 2 years now and to not come looking for him at my address?

Answer:
 I regularly receive mail at my home addressed to the previous resident. Often times, it's from the state child support enforcement office. I just write "No longer at this address, please forward" and place it back in the outgoing mail.

If there is an active mail forwarding order, it will get sent to the new address. Otherwise, it goes back to the sender with your note and a sticker from the post office that says "Unable to forward."


Title: State college (MA) is telling me I don't have enough credits to graduate a month before graduation.

Question:
I'm in my 30s and I went back to school a few years ago. I started school about 18 year ago, but dropped out after 3 years, then I finished my 2 year degree in 2014 and started at a State school in 2015. I had almost double the amount of credits that they would accept. So anyways, I went part time for a year then quit my day job and went full time. So after 2.5 years I was finally ready to get my bachelors. I filed for an "intent to graduate" had my program chair sign off on it and thought I was going to finally finish (this was in January). Well it's just about a month until graduation and the school emailed me that I need 3 more classes. I fullfilled all of my program requirements but not the school requirements, mind you they've been looking at this since January. So I go to the program chair and she's extremely sorry and we go to the dean. he basically says that "this is a really common problem, and the school doesn't waive on these kind of things." So my program chair starts looking at summer classes I can take, but assures me I can still "walk" graduation because my entire family is flying up to see me.
The thing that gets me is that summer classes are really expensive and the timing seems really fishy, especially for classes that serve no purpose for my major. Also, I was planning on moving out of state and now I have to change my entire life around to take these classes.
The dean is "looking into the matter, but doubful there's anything he can do." If I do happen to have to take these classes, I want people to be held accountable for this mistake. I feel that I can't go to the dean because he's just going to sweep this problem under the rug. I looked into filing a formal complaint and they sent me to the schools law department. I really want to expose these people for

1. Making me take useless classes (despite having 150 + credits)

2. and make a huge issue of this and potentially have people fired.

I've given them my story of being lied to and not staying close to the state, and they seem generally concerned, but in the end it's going to come down to money, and as someone who worked manual labor for almost 15 years to put himself through college, this really leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
I don't know who to go to because I feel they are all working together on this, and yet I don't have enough to hire a lawyer (if such a thing would work)

Answer:
 It is always the student's responsibility for being aware of their requirements. If you don't meet the requirements you don't get your degree, and there really isn't any recourse. Now, it may be possible that you can take the credits online, or at another institutions and transfer them in, which will at least allow you to move as planned, but you still need to take the credits.

When you say 150 credits are you including the credits they won't take for a transfer? Are there specific courses they say you need, or is it just credits? Did you actually look at your catalog to see if you've met the requirements?

Look, it sucks, and if you've had financial aid for 150 credits you probably won't qualify for any more to boot, but you aren't going to get people fired or get out of your requirements.


Title: Assets Before vs. After Marriage

Question: Let's say I plan on getting married next year. I have $250,000 in a taxable brokerage account, $100,000 in an IRA, $300,000 in a 401k. I own a home with about $200,000 in equity in it which I plan to use to purchase a new home once married. How do I keep my existing assets separate once I get married? For the investments, do I need to open new investment accounts after getting married? I hear about "comingling" money and it is scary. What if I am married and use money during that marriage to invest into my already existing accounts, that will comingle it, correct? So now it is all subject to be split 50/50 in a divorce? How about the house? If I pay the entire down payment on a house with all money I brought into the marriage, will the house be split 50/50 as well? I know I should get a prenup, I am just wondering the answers to these questions. Thanks. I am in Nevada.

Answer: You get a prenup.  And a lawyer for each of you.


Title: Looking for Family/Custody Lawyer. Unsure what to look for in a good lawyer/where to start. (NH)

Question:
We live in NH. USA

My husband has a 7 year old son from a previous relationship. They have a custody/parenting plan in place from 2013, but they have been using it more as a guideline than following it to the letter. Over the weekend, there was a huge issue with her and my stepson (can give more information if needed) that led to her threatening to call the police, hold us in contempt of the parenting plan etc. She never called the police (as they never called us nor shown up at our residence, I believe she didn't call them because she didn't want a formal record of what she did to her son) and we have documentation going back about 2-4 years with regards to my stepsons living conditions, attitude and behavior when he returns from his mothers, things she has said to my husband etc.

We are (finally) looking into getting a family lawyer and will be starting the process of taking her to court. My husband had a family lawyer a while ago (2009 I believe) but he wasn't satisfied with that lawyer. We would like to "shop around" but we are unsure where to start and what we should look for in a family lawyer.

TL; DR : Have custody issues, starting the process of taking stepson's mom to court to gain full custody. What should we look for in a good family lawyer.

PS - Unsure if this will make a difference, but I feel like I should disclose that my mother was a criminal prosecutor for the county we live in, she switched careers 7 years ago. She has given us some names of people who could help, but I don't want it to become a point of issue (i.e. we only "won" because our lawyer is a family friend, I am resting on my mom's laurels, my mommy is a lawyer and I'll sue, etc.)

Answer:
 >I don't want it to become a point of issue (i.e. we only "won" because our lawyer is a family friend, I am resting on my mom's laurels, my mommy is a lawyer and I'll sue, etc.)

do it anyway. your mother's recommendations will be one of your greatest advantages. and in the end, who's really going to know if you found your lawyer through the bar association or on recommendation from your mom? it's not like she or your lawyer will have undue influence on the judge.


Question:
Could a spouse get charged with anything if they tried to get their partner to regularly eat very unhealthy food, with the hope their partner would have a heart attack and die?

What if their actions were premeditated, and all of the food prepared was exceptionally unhealthy?  What if they knew their partner had very little self control around food?

Would it make a difference if the food preparing person lied about the fat and salt content of the food they made?

What about if the food preparing person knew that the food eating person had a family history for obesity and heart disease?

Could a partner be charged with anything criminal or their partner got very unhealthy and then died? Or would the person holding the fork ultimately be the one responsible for their own death?

Would answers be the same for Canada and the US?

Thanks for answering my ridiculous questions LAOT

Sorry I posted and then realized I forgot to finish my title, so I quickly deleted and reposted. Sorry if this was annoying

Answer: No this isn't a legal issue. You are not liable for what you encourage others to eat. Even constantly feeding a child extremely unhealthy food would generally not be a legal issue outside of really extreme scenarios.


Title: Parents might be dealing with predatory home buyer.

Question:
Parents are moving and set to sale their house. For the first time in my life they where enroute to be debt free and change their life style. Buyer realtor and our realtor came to agreement on contract. Now after multiple unexplained inspections the buyer is requiring additional work to be done outside of agreed contract and it’s forcing parents back into debt to fix. Latest inspection found a door that was out of code when my parents bought the house originally sold to them by THIER CURRENT realtor.

Is there any legal action that can be taken to hold the buyers responsible for these costs or the realtor for selling the house originally out of code? Also is there any action that can be taken against the realtor to recoup these inspection/repair cost that seem to be appearing out of the contract.

Answer: The text of the contract and contingencies will dictate their rights and responsibilities. Generally, they are not required to make repairs discovered during inspection contingency periods, and the recourse of the buyer is to walk away from the deal. It is very common for buyers to insist on a laundry list of repairs and for sellers to agree to some fraction of them, and the course of all of this negotiation obviously depends upon the relative bargaining strength of the buyer and seller vis a vis the market. Your parents should not be literally going into debt to perform some kind of pre-sale repair and their realtor should be earning their fat 3% commission by helping your parents in these negotiations.Answer #2: Your parents should consult a real estate attorney if they’re serious, but otherwise, no, they can’t force the buyer to do anything. They can insist that the sale go through or be cancelled, and if the buyers are making sufficiently trivial requests then they might have an argument for keeping the earnest money. But listen to a lawyer.


Title: Can I get in trouble for rehoming a lost dog when I know who the owner is?

Question: This dog was running around for over 3 days in below freezing temperatures, muddy, wet, and with no collar. Yesterday I got a hold of him and took him to check for a microchip (which he didn’t have) He’s super sweet and a lot of good people volunteered to foster and even adopt. However I had posted all over that I had found him and the owner contacted me and sent a family member to pick up the dog. I asked him to please get him a chip or a collar if he’s an escape artist and the guy just kinda grunted and left. This morning the dog came up to me again as I was leaving the house, muddy, wet, and shivering with again, no collar. There were no posts looking for him the last time and none this time either. He makes NO attempt to escape my backyard or run out the door. Can I get in trouble with the police for rehoming this dog? He deserves better and we live on a busy busy street and I don’t want him hit. I don’t want him to go back to them.

Answer:
 Yes you can get into trouble for this. Unless they agree to give up/sell the dog it remains their property.

Most areas will have guidelines about when you can rehome a dog after a reasonable effort has been made to find the owners but it's a murky area most of the time and it would be hard for you to say you made a reasonable effort to find the owners when you know who they are.

What is legal though is for you to take the dog to the pound (and it doesn't need to be your nearest pound - two towns over works) and let them know if the owner doesn't come forward that once the hold time is up you know somebody who would be willing to adopt them. This creates a paper trail establishing ownership and also means if they want to try and make an issue out of it they need to take it up with the pound/animal control, not you or the new owner.Answer #2: Larceny of lost property and conversion, so yes.Answer #3: The best thing to do is report this to animal control. If animal control is unable to find the original owner, or they determine the original owner was abusing or neglecting the dog they will find a suitable home. Answer #4: You could take him to an animal shelter. If the owner doesn't see their posts and they still haven't gotten the dog chipped, they might just give him to a new family in a couple of weeks. As far as I remember, shelters have the right to legally sell pets that aren't claimed within so many days.Answer #5: Yes dogs are treated as property, if you know who owns lost property then it's not lost.


Title: Would giving a kid $20 count as grooming?

Question:
Hey party people, fun hypothetical question for ya. I was reading [this](https://www.askamanager.org/2018/11/my-coworker-gave-my-kid-20-and-told-him-to-keep-it-a-secret.html#comments) post on Askamanager about OPs co-worker/supervisor giving OPs kid candy (with OPs consent) and $20 and telling the kid to "keep it a secret".

A majority of people in the comments took this as "grooming" OPs child, or at least saw it as predatory behavior. However, I just saw it as a slightly misguided attempt to make a child happy. Would the coworker's actions constitute grooming?

Answer:
 Anytime you tell a kid to not tell their parent about something you did it’s going to set of major red flags. Grooming isn’t a legal term so it’s not like we can say one way or the other if it’s “legally” grooming, but it’s certainly concerning.Answer #2: "Grooming" is not a legal term.  It's a catch-all to describe certain types of behavior often used by sexual predators.  Anything can be considered "grooming", as it's mostly opinion.  "Grooming" is also not illegal.  Some actions undertaken with the intent of leading to child molestation **might** be illegal but grooming isn't.

"Grooming" is also one of the terms that Redditors overuse to the point of uselessness.  No one's getting arrested for being nice to a kid, Reddit-panic notwithstanding.


Title: Is it illegal to bring a child to a job interview?

Question: Asking for a friend in Oregon.

Answer:
 No, it is not illegal. It's a great way to not get hired tho. Answer #2: Not illegal, unless children are restricted from the area. But a great way not to get hired for most jobs. Answer #3: Your friend is being graded from the moment he/she walks in the door.

Do they really want to send the message that they don't have reliable childcare secured right off the bat?


Title: Boyfriend's ankle monitor breaks or malfunctions so often. His new job is in jeopardy. [MA]

Question:
My boyfriend has a GPS ankle monitor and a midnight-5AM curfew. He's been doing everything right but the thing breaks or stops working roughly every 2 weeks. We keep getting calls from his PO that he has to visit the nearest court asap for a replacement. He's on his third monitor in less than a month. He just started a new job and we're worried how much this is really affecting his life. He keeps getting pulled out of work, or we're woken up at 4 am by frantic phone calls.

My general question is, is there a period of good behavior he can show to a judge that may one day get it removed, or are bail conditions set in stone until the case is over? More specifically, is this normal to have so much issues with an ankle monitor?

Answer:
 If your boyfriend is on bail and the ankle monitor is a condition of his bail he should bend over backward to do whatever his PO tells him.

I can’t say why the ankle monitors he’s using are so prone to malfunction or breaking, but technology is prone to wear and tear as just about anything is. It sounds like his PO is working with him to keep him within the conditions of his bail or probation by arranging for it to be replaced ASAP.

I would gather also that there is possibly something interfering with the signal itself the device is sending or receiving. Do you also have trouble using a cell phone from inside the house, or are you all using a blanket with metal or wiring in it?

GPS signals are very weak and be blocked by just roofs or walls. Just something to consider.


Title: Giving my ex space after a breakup

Question:
I live in Colorado.  I've been in a relationship for about five years with a woman, and we have been living together almost the entire time (we moved in together within a couple months of becoming a couple).

Last Monday, I broke up with her.  I had already arranged to stay with nearby family for a while to give her a chance to move out.

To pre-empt questions about common law marriage, I have reviewed the criteria for a common law marriage in Colorado and our relationship does \*not\* meet the criteria as far as I can tell:

* Neither took the other's surname
* We have not been wearing rings
* We have not represented ourselves as married
* We do not have joint accounts

My question is not so much about common law marriage though.  It's about rights to the apartment we live in.

At the moment of the break-up, I said I was going to stay with my folks and she said she was going to get her stuff and move back to the east coast.  I told her I would take over our lease and pay the full rent.

She and I have texted a bit throughout the week, mostly just the logistics of moving out.

She asked if she could take some cash that we had saved in an envelope, to help her move.  I said yes.  She asked if she could have her half of the security deposit back.  I said yes.

Then she started complaining that this still wasn't enough to move across the country, take our cats, and find a new apartment.  So I thought I could give her even \*more\* money (it works out for me; I really want her gone and across the country is better than elsewhere in our small town) to help her set up her new life away from me.

But before I offered more money I called a divorce lawyer.  I asked if they offered a free consultation and was put on the phone with an attorney.  I described the situation and asked something like "will my giving her money make me liable later on?".  That lawyer asked me a few questions about these common law marriage criteria, then answered me that because we don't have a common-law marriage, that giving her money would not create an expectation of spousal support.  Among other things, that lawyer asked what my girlfriend's name was.

&#x200B;

\*\*Then\*\*, here's the part that's worrying me:  after the phone call with that lawyer, my ex has gone completely non-communicative.  The last communication was that she asked for her half of the deposit, I said "I can do that", she said I could use Paypal, I asked for her paypal address, and then silence.  That was Thursday.

I'm thinking that this lawyer may have just hung up on me and immediately contacted her.  Going completely non-communicative suddenly seems like something a lawyering-up person should do.

I have two questions, on different tracks related to this situation:

&#x200B;

1.  What potential legal vulnerabilities could exist here?  Is there any reason why a divorce lawyer and a jilted lover could cause a man grief, even in a case where the relationship wasn't a marriage?  If so what should I do to protect myself against this potential?
2. Regarding the apartment:  long before she had any specific plans for where she was moving, she told me her move-out date was Tuesday.  Furthermore she said "I don't want to see you at all" and requested I stay away until she had left.  I have been staying with family since Monday night, so I have not stayed in the apartment.  Could my actions be seen as giving her "dibs" on the apartment, i.e. that I have abandoned the apartment?  If that is the case I will go and sleep a night there just to prevent having a continuous week of absence, but if it's not the case I would \*much\* rather not sleep at the apartment where she is.

The zero communication has got my mind cooking, and the timing of my call with the family law attorney and how she went dark immediately after my phone consult (a free consult, no retaining documents signed) has my mind running over the possibility that the lawyer just hung up and then called my ex and offered to help her extract money from me somehow.

&#x200B;

\*\*TL;DR\*\*:  I broke off a long-term, live-in relationship.  Ex asked me to stay away so I'm staying with family.  Ex was communicating logistics of our parting with me, but suddenly stopped communicating.  1:  Is there a real possibility of legal trouble during a non-marital breakup?  2:  Have I given up rights to the apartment by being away for a week?

Answer:
 The likelihood of an attorney hanging up and calling your ex are very small. That would be an ethical violation that the lawyer wouldn't stand much to gain from.

Is your name on the apartment lease? If so, then there is no worry about abandonment. Answer #2: 1. The lawyer did not contact your ex. It would be a violation of two ethical cannons and lawyers lose their bar cards for those types of actions. Rather, the attorney just asked for her name to put in his conflict check database.

2. No. So long as you and her are on the lease, you both have the right to possess and inhabit the property.

3. The liabilities you face are: a. Disposal of your ex’s property; and b. Joint liabilities (debts and obligations) that she may not honor, including her lease agreement.


Title: (FL) Professor requires a grade greater than a 70 to pass his class at a public university.

Question: Is this legal? The school has a requirement of a 70 to acquire a C but he/she has "risen the bar". What's to stop someone from requiring a 90 to pass their class? Any and all help would be appreciated.

Answer: That's not a legal question, it's a question of school grading policy.  Talk to your administrationAnswer #2: This is not a legal issue. Reach out to the dean or chair of the professor's department  if you disagree with grading policies.


Title: [TX] Roommates plan to claim my sister on their income taxes

Question:
Long story short: My sister and her husband have been living with some folks for around 6 months (possibly longer, will update if so) and she (sister) hasn't worked a whole lot. She recently had a job, but quit.

Apparently, one of their roommates (owner of the house) was recently talking to another of our sister's at a local store and said that since my sister quit her job, "Before she made 500, we're going to claim her on our income taxes."

Obviously, this would probably screw up my brother-in-laws return as he plans to do as he always has and file theirs together, with him claiming her.

Is it legal for the roommates/owners of the house to claim my sister on their income taxes? If not, what can my sister and bro-in-law do to stop them?

Appreciation and thanks in advance.

Answer:
 If two people claim her as a dependent, then the IRS will notice, and send letters to both people asking if they provided more than 50% of her support.  If both of them then claim that they did, then an audit is more likely, with penalties for whoever lied.
Answer #2: Your Sis and BIL can't stop them from committing tax fraud.  If they choose to claim her inappropriately, then that's on them if they are audited.Answer #3: IANAL but former IRS. First off, You cannot claim a married person who files a joint return as a dependent unless that joint return is filed only to claim a refund of withheld income tax or estimated tax paid.

Even if the above applied, she would have to be a member of the household for the entire year not just a portion of it. This is a different situation than a qualifying child. It has to be the whole year.


Title: [KY] Father found out a friend of Mother's installed camera pointed at Mother's bed in their home without their knowledge

Question:
So, my mother found a camera installed in an entertainment center pointed directly at her bed. It's unknown exactly how long it's been there and who all has been recorded. (This is located in the main family room of the home; mother sleeps on a bed there due to some medical / mobility issues. Everyone who visits the home congregates in this room.)

This friend has a recent history of incarceration for drug use and I have a suspicion the friend installed this camera in hopes of recording something illegal and then taking it to police for hopes of lighter punishment or to keep as leverage in the future.

While I haven't seen it myself, my father informed me he had found the camera, changed the locks on the house, etc. and stated it recorded audio and video.

Mother, obviously, doesn't want to go to the police because she fears what her friend may show or tell police. Both of my parents are of the mindset that they just want him never to come in the home again, cut all contact and have been asking him to get his personal belongings (and the camera) out of the house, which he refuses and sends harassing text messages to my mother.

This "friend" over the years has repeatedly stolen from my parents, brought drugs into their home, used their home (while parents are away under the guise of watching the home for them) to invite prostitutes and to peddle drugs, etc. (I realize that's all irrelevant)

I'm fairly certain, although not 100% yet since we don't know how long the camera was there, that I've been recorded as well without my knowledge when visiting my parents.

How illegal is what this friend has done? If there happens to be illegal things that were recorded, what could happen to my mother / parents? (Father is not involved in any of these activities, it's solely my mother and her friends. He almost never enters that room unless it's to speak to my mother/kiss goodnight/etc. Never when other people are there)

I'm livid over the situation, my parents just see it as "more drama". I'm tired of him getting away with things like this and I'm tempted to go to the police myself.

Answer:
 From what it sounds like, it seems that both parties here (your mother and the friend) are potentially involved in illicit activities.

That said, if you're prepared to potentially incriminate your mother then you could report it to the police.

It seems you're between a rock and a hard place - sorry about that. Answer #2: How illegal are your mom's activities? Generally, a recording of someone using drugs is not ample evidence to charge someone with a drug crime, but it could certainly yield a search warrant. Your mom would be wise to remove any illegal substance from her house - especially if she plans to go to the police. If you or her do involve the police, then I'd strongly suggest getting a criminal defense lawyer first. Unfortunately, it sounds like cutting this individual out of her life might be the best option.Answer #3: >How illegal is what this friend has done?

It might be a violation of eavesdropping, wiretapping, or privacy laws. Your location makes a huge difference. The exact nature of the activities or discussions that have been recorded could make a difference, too.

Otherwise, unless the former friend has taken action like blackmailing or threatening someone, it likely isn't tremendously illegal.

If you file a police report, be prepared for your parents to be unhappy with you and very little else to happen, at least for the time being.


Title: Can my brother do anything or pursue 50/50 custody or sole custody?

Question:
Hello, I'm hoping to get some great help and advice here!  Here is my story, my whole family lives in Kansas, my brother has visitation with his 8 year old son for half the summer and every other holiday.  He pays child support and has to travel almost 300 miles to get his son and take him back every time he gets to spend time with his son.  We recently found out that my nephew was molested by the father of his step dad, whom has been convicted and sentenced to jail for 25 years!  We were also recently told that my nephews mother and her husband drink often and are negligent with my nephew and her other children, one of which was recently hit by a vehicle while she was supposedly intoxicated, now while I wasn't there to know for certain, I'm obviously concerned!  What I would like to know is, can my brother attain more custody due to these circumstances or what should he do in this situation?

A little more info, they have been to court over custody before, my brother filed pro se, and did what he could since he has very little money, he got visitation with his son on weekends while in the company of his ex girlfriends new boyfriend, whom she later married, eventually she allowed my brother to bring my nephew back to our city over 200 miles away for half the summer and every other holiday, however, she has not complied fully, my nephew has had her last name since birth, and she was court ordered to get his last name changed by ordering a new birth certificate, which she has not honored, its been at least 3-4 years since that hearing.  My brother also pays child support.

Okay, more back story, my brothers ex wanted to leave after my brother and cousin caught her cheating on him, literally.  She stated she wasn't ready for a long term relationship and was too young to settle down for now (she was 18 or 19 my brother was 19 or 20) so within 2 days of finding all this out, she wanted to move out from my brothers house and visit her mother, who lived 300 miles away at the time, she almost immediately started dating a man 21-22 years her senior, and 2-3 months later informed my brother that she was pregnant, which as far as anyone knew, potentially could have been 2-3 other men's children, we just didn't take her word for it that the baby was my brothers, due to circumstances, so, she dates the older man through her entire pregnancy and never calls to tell us when she had my nephew etc. until days later, she had already filled the birth certificate and due to circumstances, I doubt my brother would have signed it as the father, YET.

Fast forward a few months, she finally allowed the paternity to take place and the results were that my brother was the father!  Obviously he wanted to be in the child's life and took action accordingly, however, her new boyfriend wasn't keen on having my brother around, even minutely, so, he would fight with her about it, she wasn't allowed to speak to my brother or any of us when we came to visit nor was she allowed to look at my brother..., the new guy is VERY jealous and possessive, anyway, this went on for a few months and my brother got some assistance to help with the situation and got visitation, due to us being so far away, and God knows what else, but the result was that her boyfriend always wanted to be present etc., he felt he was going to take over as dad, since he was now dating the mother!  So, after ping ponging and dealing with the situation, he filed for more rights, to change the last name and to be able to bring his son back to our city for weekends and more.

My brother had never married her.

Thank you for reading!

Answer:
 The court ordered her to change his last name, that he's had from birth, from hers to his dad's? Why?

I'm not sure how 50/50 custody would work living 300 miles away.


Title: [ONTARIO, CA] Are private businesses allowed to set store rules that apply to teenagers but not adults?

Question:
There's a supermarket by my high school that a number of us frequent during our lunch hour. There is a sign at the entrance that says:

"Please leave bags and knapsacks at the front before entering. Thank you"

Now the issue me and my friends have over this is for 2 reasons:

1. No employee supervises the pile of 15-20 bags just lying there. Literally anyone could walk up at anytime and steal many valuable items (laptops especially)

2. This rule seems to only apply to teenagers. I asked the cashier why all the adults in the store had their purses and other bags on them when we couldn't. She replied with, "This rule is only for students".

Can someone find me an answer in regards to whether a private business can discriminate based on age? Thank you.

Answer:
 I'll leave the legal perspective to others but it's *their* store. If you feel discriminated against, shop elsewhere. You don't think property owners should be able to set rules on their own property?Answer #2: IANAL. Personally I think you're right to be bothered by this and don't accept the explanation that store owners can set policies on their own property. In Ontario stores are public spaces subject to human rights laws and they wouldn't be able to do this based on other protected grounds (e.g., "Blacks must leave bags at front!"). Also it's insulting to assume one's customers are thieves.

That said, [the Ontario Human Rights code prohibits discrimination based on age, but this only applies to people 18+ so my reading is that you may be out of luck.](http://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/iii-principles-and-concepts/3-grounds-discrimination-definitions-and-scope-protection)


Title: (North Carolina) What rights does a 17 year old have if she no longer wants to visit with a parent?

Question:
Scenario:  Stepdaughter is 17 and no longer wishes to visit or be with her bio father.  While there are tons of little drama points I think most do not matter, cannot be proved, no paper trail, he said she said, matter of perspective, etc.

He has her 50% of the time, but we are less than 5 miles apart. All her stuff is here.  Recently, She has asked him if she could live with her mom and his response was to ground her from sports and social activities. He has also made it clear he would not allow her to live with her mother full time without a legal fight.

Does she, as a 17 year old in NC, have any real rights in this matter.  Everything I have read makes it sound like that in NC those deciding do not even need to hear from the teen.

She will be 18 in less than 9 months so a custody battle does not make any sense.  Note, he is very litigious.

Thanks for the advice

Answer:
 You have two choices that fully protect you legally. Get a lawyer and try to get the custody order changed or fully obey the custody order as-is.

If you do go the route of a custody battle, you should discuss the idea of asking the court to appoint an independent attorney to represent the interests of your child with your lawyer. This is likely the best thing you can do to ensure the judge hears your daughter's side of things, and the independent attorney can push for visitation arrangements in your daughter's best interests without the traumatic experience of your daughter needing to go to court to speak against her own dad.

I was represented by an independent attorney in my parents' custody case who got things changed from 50/50 to no visitation unless I requested it myself (as the child). I was the same age as your stepdaughter at the time, although a permanent custody arrangement was not yet in place.Answer #2: What's the custody arrangement currently in place say?


Title: Are racist remarks taken seriously by the justice system?

Answer: In what context?  In the US at least racist remarks by themselves carry no legal repercussions, they are protected by the first amendment, there would need to be some other factor (saying "we aren't hiring you because you're a ..." or making the comment and than assaulting someone for example)  at play in order for the legal system to have anything to do with it.Answer #2: Racist remarks are not illegal, so define "seriously."


Title: Guy asks me (tutor) to pay his daughter's caretaker w/ his money...any legal ramifications/advice?

Question:
hi r/legaladvice—I hope that this follows the guidelines (if this is the wrong sub, please tell me where it's better suited for, btu this is the first one I thought of), but I just am utterly confused and need some advice. I'm a college student who put my name on one of those university tutor websites and got a response from some guy asking me to tutor his daughter. I give him my hourly rate, he agrees for 10 sessions and to have his daughter meet me in my college's library, things are normal. Everything is by email, btw.

However, things get weird when he asks for my name & address so that his attorney can send the check. I don't really think much about giving my address because it's just a box in my university's mailing room, but the fact that his attorney sends the check is kinda strange to me. And then, he responds telling me this:

"I was told that the check had been sent out to your address as i said to you before that my attorney will send out the payment before traveling out. My attorney included Erlene's feeding, travelling allowances and other things that my caregiver will need to take care of her in the check sent to you.

Proceed to deposit the check at your bank once you receive it. Funds will be available within 24hours which you then deduct $300 for yourself which will cover all sessions. You are to give the remaining funds to my caregiver. Hope I can trust you with the balance? I will be more than grateful if you can render this assistance. Do keep me posted after you have received and deposited the check. Thanks for your time and understanding."

This isn't normal, right? I haven't received the check yet, but I'm already trying to figure out how to best document the amount of money I give the caretaker back. The tutoring is giving me a considerable chunk of money, so I don't really want to call it off (broke college student life haaaa).

I'm hoping he's just some absurdly rich and strange person, but I just wanted to double check that this isn't a scam. I've just never heard of attorneys sending checks, or even someone blindly trusting a perfect stranger they've never met. Would love if anyone could give me advice on how best to preserve evidence so that there's no accusation of me taking more money than I asked him for, or just any thoughts at all about this—is this a normal tutoring practice for people?!?!?!

tl;dr: a man i've never met asked me to tutor his daughter and while i'm at it, pay his daughter's caretaker with the extra money on a check he asked his attorney to mail to me.

Answer: I didn't read past the first line because this is a scam.


Title: Found human tooth in baked beans.

Question:
My fiance found a human tooth in his baked beans, he only noticed it after he bit down on something hard. What do we do, is there anything we can do?
In Ohio.

Answer: You can contact the company and forward them any medical bills you may have.


Title: failed mooring, damaged sailboat

Question: I'm in Bremerton, WA. In June of this year I had a mooring set in front of my house. Before I tied up to the mooring it went underwater because of extreme high tides. The company who set the mooring came out and extended the chain. July 4 was the first day my boat was actually moored. Since then there have been a few windy "stormy" days. On Sat, Oct 10 we had another stormy day with high winds and waves. That day the mooring failed and my boat was beached. I, with some other folks, was able to get her off the beach and sailed to a local marina where she will now be moored for the winter. Unfortunately she is taking on water and will need repairs to the hull. My insurance doesn't cover this since I have only liability. I asked the company who set the mooring about their guarantees/warranties and was told that storms are "an act of God" and therefore not covered under their policy. I have the failed piece of equipment in my possession, and it appears that it was used to attach the other length of chain and the mooring when the tides were high and my buoy was then underwater. It is recommended that moorings be checked every "5 to 8 years" by this company. I would argue that since this equipment failed in just 4 months, that this is a faulty equipment issue and not just because of the weather. I am here to inquire if they can be held liable for the equipment they used - and its failing - since I think this would affect how the insurance company would respond in lieu of the damage to my boat. Does anyone have any sound advice on this or how I should proceed? Thanks so much for anything you can offer in the way of advice!

Answer:
 On that same Saturday, multiple boat owners around here had the same problem. I'm sure you saw the Seahawk boat on the news, and the barge that broke free as well. There were plenty of others too. I'm not sure you'd have all that great of an argument, given all that. It was a stormy windy day, and shit happens.

Talk to a lawyer in person though, can't hurt.


Title: Landlord comes into apartment without notice.

Question:
So in January of this year (2018) me, my boyfriend and two buddies moved in together. Everything has been great except our landlords come into our place with no warning. The first time was the night my bf and I moved in. We were in bed and have two doors in our room one leading to the living room/ kitchen where our back door is. Our landlord just unlocked the door and walked in and asked if everything was okay. I was super creeped out. The next time we had asked them to make keys for us because the ones they gave us didn't work. A few days later they just showed up unannounced, actually knocked this time, but we didn't expect them and had been smoking prior, which was okay with them but still a little embarrassing. We obviously let them in and they did their business and left. Now today, I was in bed and heard a knock at the door, I ignored it because I wasn't expecting anyone and all the roommates have keys and can call if they need let in. After some time I went out and saw the landlord had come in and left a note about the trash.
I don't know what to do. They keep showing up without letting us know and come into the apartment without permission. I don't know the laws well about it but I'm sure they have to let us know a day in advance if they're going to come. I'm so fed up with it and don't know what to do. I'm scared I'll be home naked or something and they'll just show up. Any advice is welcome. Thanks in advance!
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 At a minimum, get a door wedge. Answer #2: There are plenty of things you can do:

* First, inform the landlord of the law. Find the law online, email it to them, and ask that they respect that law fully.
* Second, as recommended, get a door wedge, or a very loud audible alarm that you can set on the door. This makes the landlord look VERY bad if they are setting off alarms and another neighbor (or you in your bedroom) decide to call the cops.
* Third, if the problem persists, you may need to get a lawyer to send a strongly worded cease and desist letterAnswer #3: [This site](https://www.landlordology.com/pennsylvania-landlord-tenant-laws/) says there is no set timeframe on when a landlord can enter, but I would check your lease, most have wording in there.  My lease specifically states 24 hours notice.


Title: My manager fired my friend/workmate, can he?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Yes, of course he can.Answer #2: > Can my manager do this?

Yes, obviously. Why on earth would you think he couldn't?

What your friend did was absolutely unacceptable. I would've fired his ass too.Answer #3: I must be missing something. Would there be any reason he *couldn't* fire him for swearing at a customer (or anything else for that matter)?


Title: {IL} How does a roommate agreement work?

Question: If the landlord only allows 3 people to live there. We have one more extra person that does not sign the lease, but we him sign a roomate agreement that says he will pay his rent for a certain amount of time. However, he leaves during this period or just stays doesn't pay. What can we do? How does the agreement help us because he wasn't suppose to be there in the first place and he can complain to the landlord that he's not in the lease at all so he doesn't have to pay rent and then landlord can evict us for having a 4th person. So how does a roomate agreement help the people on the lease get the rent from the 4th person when the landlord doesn't even allow a 4th person? Is a signature of him enough? We know his name, but what if he just disappears one day, how can we collect the rent from him for what he signed up for. Do we just take him to small claims court and have not tell the landlord? What if he tells the landlord and we all get in trouble?

Answer:
 Did you not feel you got enough advice in [this post](https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/96q0a9/il_how_to_have_more_people_living_in_the_apt/?st=JKRPV3Z5&sh=2990bc08), or [this one](https://www.reddit.com/r/NoStupidQuestions/comments/96ugdp/can_someone_livesleep_in_the_kitchen/?st=JKRPUECE&sh=2a6b6411) where you asked if you could let a renter sleep in the kitchen?Answer #2: The agreement is evidence that he agreed to pay. You could use that against him in a lawsuit over the owed rent.

No agreement can protect you from your landlord if you violate the lease.


Title: Title IX investigator lying about important information to me, the complainant. Oregon.

Question:
I have opened a Title IX investigation into sexual harassment and stalking against another student. My investigator, while advising me that I am entitled to have an advocate present, manipulated me into feeling secure enough to not need one present.

During our last meeting, he lied about reaching out to witnesses who vocalized an alarming concern for my physical safety at the hands of this other student (the words "I'm just waiting for this guy to bring a gun to school and shoot you in the face" were used), and lied about important testimony from others. He also cited that the perpetrator of the harassment was getting off without punishment because he has a disability accommodation, which is also false. I was then subsequently victim blamed by my investigator, and he tried to coerce me into sympathizing with the other student; the words "he's been through so much, it's amazing he's coping at all" were used.

I have a no-contact order against this guy, but he has violated it twice now without repercussion. But the nail in my coffin is that, without an advocate and witnesses to the no-contact violation, it is my word vs. everyone else.

I am being silenced and lied to for the sake of closing this case immediately, and with as little noise as possible. As of today, the investigation is still open. I have refused further contact with this investigator, but I don't know where to go from here.

Other students have since come forward regarding their own experiences with the offending parties' behavior. Do I have any recourse? I am afraid to go over his head, for fear of the institution being a party to this at all levels.

Answer:
 You can complain to the office of civil rights in the US Department of Education.

Unfortunately, you're discovering that colleges and universities are really bad at doing these sorts of investigations.

If you have a no-contact order (ie from the courts), you can enforce that judicially.


Title: [Berkeley, CA] If one housemate invites a guest over, but the others do not consent to their presence, is that trespassing?

Question:
I live in a sharehouse. We agreed not to have guests over for extended stays without the consent of all the other housemates, and that any permanent additions will be added to the lease and pay rent.

One of our housemates has had his girlfriend over every night this month, and I am sick of it. Is she trespassing?

The lease has a clause about not allowing guests, so I know that contacting the landlord is an option, but the landlord is notoriously crazy and I would like to know what all of my options are before I take any actions

Answer: No it’s not.


Title: Pro Bono Attorney

Question:
Does anyone here know how I can get a pro Bono attorney that handles criminal cases in Texas?
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer:
 > I've been told not to trust court appointed attorneys, as they don't have your best interests in mind. They work for the courts.

You should probably stop listening to whomever told you that.  It looks like (most of?) Texas has professional full-time public defenders, as opposed to private attorneys contracted to do indigent defense. Public defenders are typically quite capable, and usually have more trial experience than a comparable private attorney.

The downside is that they often have a very heavy caseload, which means they don't have time to hold your hand and respond to you on your schedule.  They're your lawyer, but not your therapist or mommy.

They do have your best interests in mind.  While they work for the state (not the court), just like the prosecutor does, they are still lawyers and they take their ethical obligations to their clients very seriously.


Title: Is it possible for me to get any cell time for failing to comply with a municipal ordinance as well as an emergency order recently passed by the city?

Question:
Im not so much looking for advice as i’m asking a yes/no question, so if this belongs somewhere else please let me know.
Im planning to help distribute food to the homeless which is illegal in San Diego due to a Hepatitis outbreak. Other people were arrested last time this was done, but they were given a misdemeanor citation with a date to appear in court and released. I have no idea how the legal system works. How likely am i to spend any time in a cell? Could I end up spending a night in holding waiting to be processed by the police, is that a thing? Would the police be harder on me because this is the second time this has been done? Could I get any jail time?

Answer:
 > Im planning to help distribute food to the homeless which is illegal in San Diego due to a Hepatitis outbreak.

Don't distribute food, then, unless you get an exception to the law until the ban is lifted.

> How likely am i to spend any time in a cell?

Depends on what you'd be charged with.

> Could I end up spending a night in holding waiting to be processed by the police, is that a thing?

Depends on what exactly happens when you're arrested.  If you're cooperative, they'll likely detain you until they get you a court date, then release you.  If you're combative, they could keep you.

> Would the police be harder on me because this is the second time this has been done?

Possibly.  The police only hand out court dates.  The court determines what your punishment is.

> Could I get any jail time?

Depends on what you'd be charged with.  I couldn't quickly find the appropriate law regarding the ban.Answer #2: The ordinance carries a penalty of up to 60 days in jail *and* a fine of $500. No one's been jailed yet, but none of us are fortune tellers. There's always the possibility that the cops citing you don't like the way your eyebrows look and decide to book you until you get a bail hearing.

When in doubt, don't do something illegal.


Title: [Ontario] Server at our restaurant has been forcing people to tip without their knowledge.

Question:
The other night I'm closing up when two girls come in asking for a receipt for tax purposes. The girl who paid showed me her visa transaction, which came to around $225. Both of the girls stated that they tipped in cash, which doesn't make sense since the only high bill in our system for the same date comes to $180. So I looked into the card machine history, and it read that they tipped 25%.

From this, I looked into the servers transaction history, and she hasn't gone without a 15% tip (at least) for the past few months. To add some perspective, I get a $0 card tip at least 5 times per day, some people just prefer tipping in cash.

I'm not the owner, but my partner co-owns the business, and we've been scrambling to sort this out. The server is around 21 years old, and has been with our restaurant for nearly 3 years.

So, can anything be done about this outside of just firing her? We've gotten some negative reviews over the past few months about this and we've finally pieced things together.

Edit: I should note that we're a popular business in our small city, and most of our customers are students, who hardly ever ask for copies of their reciepts/transactions. We've received complaints on Facebook regarding the situation, though we weren't able to piece together this information until I looked into such a large bill.

Edit #2: yes I'm aware I should have written "stealing" in the title rather than "forcing to tip", but I wanted to better summarize the issue.

Answer: this is credit card fraud, call the police. Answer #2: You fire her immediately, if your credit card merchant (the company that processes your credit card receipts) finds out you have an employee embezzling money from your customers they will shut you down so fast. You then need to go back through all her receipts and find discrepancies. You can choose whether you go to the police or not. Answer #3: Fire her, institute a policy that all servers must provide a receipt to the guests for every transaction and all servers must turn in signed credit statements each evening. This is how we do it in the states, at least. Spot check your statements and reports for inconsistencies. People will still try to add numbers or change them to give themselves bigger tips, but it would at least prevent some problems. Answer #4: Go ahead and fire her immediately.  Other than that, there isn't much to do.  You can report it to the police if you want, or you can invite your customers to request refunds, but neither of those things are mandatory.


Title: Aftermath of "being hit by a drunk" pedestrian

Question:
California.

Title looks odd so bear with me: my uncle and I were driving back home last evening.

Since this is a residential area, and it was at night, we were doing around 15MPH.

Out of nowhere, this woman jumps out and smashes into the driver side windshield.

She was drunk and had two bottles in her hand. We are not sure if her head or the bottles broke the windshield.

We immediately called 911. The ambulance took her away and the police took reports and pictures of the scene. They impounded the car for investigation.

My questions are these:

1. While the police cleared my uncle's name and stated on record that this woman had prior history of this behavior, they did take the car and we are without one right now. Are we on the hook for a replacement vehicle until they complete their investigation?
2. How do we settle the costs of the damage? From pictures, the body repairs will be ~$3200. We can't claim against uninsured motorist as she was a pedestrian and she's on unemployment so subrogation will not work. Ideas?
3. My uncle looks to be on the hook for making the 911 call. Since he made the call, the city is going to bill him thousands of dollars for ambulance etc, even though he did not receive the service. Is this the usual process?

I would really like to help my uncle as he's terrible distraught right now. He did nothing wrong but is emotionally and financially affected terribly.

Answer:
 >My questions are these:
1.While the police cleared my uncle's name and stated on record that this woman had prior history of this behavior, they did take the car and we are without one right now. Are we on the hook for a replacement vehicle until they complete their investigation?

Yes. Unfortunately. You could sue her for negligently/intentionally damaging your property, but as you rightly pointed out: there's really no point. She sounds like a broke, crazy lady.  Your own auto insurance will cover rental coverage if you opted to pay for rental coverage.

>2.How do we settle the costs of the damage? From pictures, the body repairs will be ~$3200. We can't claim against uninsured motorist as she was a pedestrian and she's on unemployment so subrogation will not work. Ideas?

The only option is to go through your own collision/comprehensive coverage and pay your deductible or, again, to sue her which does not sound like a practical solution.

>3.My uncle looks to be on the hook for making the 911 call. Since he made the call, the city is going to bill him thousands of dollars for ambulance etc, even though he did not receive the service. Is this the usual process?

That's not how that works. The patient is the person responsible for the EMS bill.  Not the person who called in the emergency.


Title: [CA] Got fired from a job I worked full time at for almost 9 months on 8/29/16, started a new full time job on 9/12/16 I got fired from yesterday, what are my options for unemployment?

Question:
Thank you for taking the time to read my post. I am on the verge of being homeless. Main points I would like to know are:

. Can I still file for unemployment from the first job, or has too much time gone by or does working somewhere else null your possibility for collecting?

. I only worked at the new job for 6 weeks, can I collect unemployment from there?

Again, thank you for the advice. Have a good day.
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 What's the reason you were fired?

You can apply for unemployment and appeal it if denied, but the cause of your termination is important.Answer #2: Yes, you can file for unemployment. Go do that. This isn't a legal issue.


Title: [CA] Is it legal to run a criminal background check on a childcare provider without asking for consent?

Question:
The provider is not a nanny, so I'm not his "employer" as I understand it.  He works in a home-based daycare and would be the primary person watching my baby.

Can I check his criminal background legally without asking for consent?

I know employers and housing need consent, not sure about daycare "customers."  Thanks!

Answer: I'd this a licence daycare?  Because if it is a background check should have been done.


Title: Loud construction for next door being done in our parking lot space right that is right outside my window.

Question:
Austin, Texas here. Travis County. There is construction going on next door that is not related to the company that manages the property my condo is on. We own the condo. The construction place next door is "renting" the parking lot space that is perhaps 25 feet from my window. They are running incredibly loud equipment form a truck and pumping it over the fence to the construction site next door. (edit: The parking space is in our property, it's a gated community)

I've called management and they are unwilling to do anything about it since I assume they are getting paid a pretty penny by the construction group. I've spoken to the construction people and they are unwilling to move. This has been going on for multiple days, even on weekends.

I can't sleep in past 7:00am with them and I work nights, so being able to sleep in the day is incredibly important to me. This isn't something I can just grin and bear with earplugs.

Is there any legal action I can take? I've looked into noise ordinances for austin but that seems to be for construction noise is totally fine if it's withing appropriate hours. The only caveat here is that the construction site is now literally right outside my window and is INCREDIBLY FUCKING LOUD.

Advice?

Answer: You're going to have to accept it and find a solution, like ear plugs. It looks like the noise ordinance in Austin covers 10:30 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. I'm assuming they start right at 7? You can try and do a noise complaint if they're violating those hours, but that's unlikely. Construction is just a fact of city living.


Title: Security opened the door to my apartment for someone without my permission

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Talk to the apartment management about them letting in people without verifying identity.  Also, file a police report about your "friend" trespassing.


Title: CO poisoning at work. Am I entitled to compensation?

Question: On Friday I was exposed to carbon monoxide at work due to the forklift running inside the warehouse. EMS arrived and my levels were at 26. Everyone went to the hospital and were put on O2. I feel slower than I'm used to and I was reading that I'm at a higher risk for a heart attack for the next 10 years. There weren't any CO alarms on the building. Should I file a claim against the company I work for? Am I entitled to any compensation?

Answer: You can file a worker's comp claim.


Title: What law makes logic bombs illegal?

Question: I understand that logic bombs are illegal, but what are the exact laws in the United States surrounding them?

Answer: The laws against damaging someone else's property?  Is this a serious question?


Title: [TX] My Apartment Has Pitbull Breed Restriction and Apartment Employee who Lives On-Site's Pitbull Attacked my Dog

Question:
I live in an apartment complex who advertises a Pitbull breed restriction online, as well as in my lease it says pitbulls and rotweilers are restricted. An apartment employee who also lives onsite has a pitbull who got off it's leash and attacked my dog. So far two procedures were required and the bill so far is about \~$1,500.

&#x200B;

Is the apartment complex liable since pitbull is a restricted breed? Or is it legal for them to have given the employee permission to have the pitbull without them being liable? I have talked to her and she said she is willing to pay the expenses, but also seemed to indicate she may not be able to afford them. However she still has the dog even though it also states in the lease that if your dog attacks they must be removed from premises.

&#x200B;

How do I determine if the  apartment complex is liable, and should I hire a lawyer?

&#x200B;

Thank you.

Answer: Apartment leases don't have to be the exact same for every unit. Usually they are and it's probably a better management strategy, but it's not legally required.  The owner is the one responsible for the bills caused by her dog. Answer #2: You should hire a personal injury lawyer. The lawyer can look into going after the owner of the dog, and also explore whether there is liability on the part of the complex. Personal injury lawyers do not generally charge consultation fees, and normally only charge if they are successful in obtaining compensation. As a result, it should not cost you anything to check in with an attorney. Normally, however, it is the owner of a dog who will be responsible for the actions of that dog.