Title: Neighbors From Hell

Question:
State: Rhode Island

Posting this on behalf of my mom, trying to get some advice. Came up in conversation yesterday (yay, mother's day!)

My mom's house has a shared driveway/parking area with a duplex which is being used as a 2 unit rental. The duplex is owned but not occupied by someone else.

The tenants that live in the duplex are generally unpleasant - loud at all hours, 2 dogs tied up in a tiny back yard that bark all day, throwing glass bottles into the shared driveway, drug deals happening in the parking lot, etc.

My mom has called their landlord but the landlord refuses to do anything because she doesn't live there (i.e. doesn't have to deal with the nuisance) and is still getting paid (section 8). Calling the police is an option but retaliation is a possibility. Potentially some arrests/fines/judgements might happen but it's unlikely that they would pay any judgements and even if one got arrested the rest of the family would still live there and when they were released the hassle would start up again.

Advice welcome, burning question is: Is there any way to forcibly evict them?

Answer:
 Your mom doesn't own or maintain the property, she can't evict them.

You're making a lot of assumptions about what is going to happen if you call the police. Your mother can ask to be kept anonymous and if they choose to retaliate, she can call the police again. This is the sort of thing they're here to handle. Answer #2: Anecdotaly, I've heard of someone ridding their neighboring property of drug deals by changing their wifi id to "DEA CAMERA 03".

It's not exactly something I'd rely on but it's free...Answer #3: If they are arrested it would seriously jeopardize their Section 8 assistance. If the PHA is unaware, most have anonymous tip lines that let neighbors complain and they launch an investigation.


Title: Is it legal to put photos of people on my website if I never asked for their permission?

Question:
I live in the United States. I've been doing sports photography for a few years submitting my photos to my cities's newspaper. I was thinking about creating a website showcasing my work.

Is it legal to use pictures of these athletes on my own personal website if I never asked for permission?

Answer: AFAIK, as long as you took the pictures while not trespassing on private property you should be able to.


Title: Where to find a good lawyer to sue the FBI in the DC area?

Question:
Hello,

I was targeted by the FBI a couple years back. The blacklist isn't fun, let me tell you.  I was fired from every job that I got, if I was able to even get one, my family and I were harrased, my mother was driven to suicide because of it(she lived),  my name was slandered, my house was being broken into, and I personally feel that they were trying to set me up for murder.

I have witnesses, photos, videos, and can name names of the corrupt agents.

 A plug to a good lawyer would be amazing, thank you.

Answer:
 If this is really true, I imagine the ACLU would be interested. https://www.aclu.org/affiliate/washington-dc If they aren't then I suspect that you are delusional. Have you ever been under the care of a mental health professional? That's not a trick question - I would answer "yes" if I was asked this, but your narrative seems, umm, improbable.Answer #2: this sub doesn't provide recommendations.

and as for suing the government, gooooooooooood luck with that shit.Answer #3: You might try Matt Murdock in Hell's Kitchen.  Technically not DC, but he's a real daredevil of an attorney.Answer #4: We don't do referrals here. Contact your local bar association for referrals.


Title: [NY] If I tell my family I want to travel to Belgium to commit assisted suicide, can they stop me?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Are you a citizen of Belgium?

If not your question is void because you won't qualify. Even citizens of other European countries can't access this program without first establishing permanent residency.

>I have no diagnosed illness

You also need a psychiatric or physiological diagnosis to qualify

>I steer clear of doctors

You also need to establish that you have exhausted all available conventional treatments.

Please speak to your family and seek counseling. Suicide is not your answer and nor is it something that Belgium is going to be prepared to help you achieve.Answer #2: > possibly mild autism, but I can't be sure because I steer clear of doctors since it can't be treated anyway and would have ruined my ability to stand for the bar.

This is utterly untrue.Answer #3: Yes, since you're suicidal they may be able to commit you to a mental institution for psychological evaluation (psych hold).

Also: What you want is still illegal in Belgium and the doctors will not assist you.

Please consider seeking treatment. Think about how your family and friend would feel.


Title: Can somebody press charges against you if you call them a whore.

Question:
Somebody thought my friend called her a whore when she was talking about something else. Now this person wants to press charges against her! Will my friend be fine or is she in legal trouble.
Location: Newark, Delaware

Answer:
 >Can somebody press charges against you if you call them a whore

No.Answer #2: No, you can't get arrested for for calling someone a whore.


Title: [MI] Can we evict squatters from a secondary residence?

Question:
My grandparents are in a predicament and I'm hoping someone may be able to shed some insight into their/our rights.

They own a plot of land with a trailer style home on it in North Eastern Michigan. They do not live on this property anymore since they moved to Phoenix full time around 15-20 years ago.

In 2010 they "sold" the property to their tenants on a renewing 10 year land contract for $350 a month. In 2006 the tenants stopped paying the monthly fees to my grandparents but have continued to pay the property taxes and the home insurance. They will not respond to letters, phone calls or answer the door when people knock on it.

My grandparents want to get rid of the property and have offered to write it off to my wife and I if we want it. It would become our responsibility to deal with the tenants if we want the property. It's not worth much so we need to determine if the costs and headaches would be worth it.

This property holds a lot of sentimental value to my wife which complicates things.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 You'd have to evict the tenants through the court process in Michigan.  Probably safest and less complicated to have your grand parents do that before transferring the property to you. Depending on what kind of contract they had with the tenants/buyers though, it may not be a simple eviction but may be more like a foreclosure? And if they've been paying the taxes and insurance they may try to argue they own it through some screwy logic.

Do you mean the tenants quit paying in 2016?

Your grandparents need to talk to a real estate attorney in Michigan, they can probably get a phone consultation with someone to tell them their options and what each will cost. They may be able to give you the rights to do this under a power of attorney, if they don't want to deal with it and you do.
Answer #2: I'm assuming there's a typo here and the tentants stopped paying in 2016, not 2006. Yes, you can most likely use the terms of the land contract and evict the tenants. To do so you'd likely need a real estate attorney as it sounds like this land contract may be a little less straightforward then a usual lease. Be prepared for the trailer to be completely destroyed by the tenants though. Evictions can turn ugly and chances are good that these people may turn their frustrations onto the home. Answer #3: Absolutely secure a real estate attorney. Now. Michigan has adverse possession statutes of 15 years. This will complicate things if you’re both trying to remove them from and retain the property.


Title: What will happen if there is a Draft and I refuse to go? (Florida)

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 Up to 5 years in prison and/or $250,000 fine. Answer #2: The correct answer is that yes, they can indeed jail you all. And wouldn't need to. If circumstance were dire enough to require the draft be reinstated, the public opinion against those that refused would be so strong it would be a self correcting problem. Jail the most vocal and visible figures to crack the resolve of the weaker members, and the resiststance would crumble.

The proper answer is that you report for national service as ordered, notify them of your objections, and likely get placed in a non-combat role supporting the war effort. There's lots of ways to support the country without being a combat troop.

Although your comment on being overweight brings up an interesting issue. People talk a lot about integrating the military and opening up jobs for women and making it more inclusive. They're not doing that just because of equality. Projections have shown that within the next half century there won't be enough males in the population that meet the militaries current weight, fitness,  drug, conduct,  or education standards for entry in order to serve the countries needs. We need to have women as a sizable percentage of our force just to meet our needs. It's a national security imperative to improve the quality of life for military servicewomen.


Title: BC, Canada: FtM trans coworker was beaten up by friends of offended coworker

Question:
Throwaway because super obvious of who this applies to.

Two co-workers got into an argument about her becoming a him.  Guy was so offended by trans person process he quit.  Next day trans person got off work, waited for bus, and we then beaten by 3 of offended person's friends. Friends claimed to trans person that trans person forced offended guy to get fired. Trans person went to go to ER.

Besides filing a police report, which was already done, is there anything else trans person should do?

Answer: He could consider suing the people who attacked him for his expenses/lost wages from the attack.  If they have anything worth suing for, that is.  That's about itAnswer #2: I would file a complaint to my employer if I thought they understood. Don't want that asshat getting rehired. Answer #3: well if the friends were not with them it is not on him. file a police report and tell the employer about the situation. did the person who quit put them up to the beat down or were they just douchey friends with an excuse.


Title: Is work skimming hours of my paycheck?

Question:
I am being as vauge as possible to protect myself.

I work at a call center, USA.

I found out that work uses two different timekeeping systems.

This is how it was explained to me.

When you log into your computer, you are clocked in for you shift.

You then spend 4-7 minutes at your computer logging into work programs and accounts, and getting ready to take calls for the day.

When you are done, you click a button in a program to start taking calls. The company only begins paying you when you click that "ready to take calls" button.

Apparently all the other time is unpaid work.

I did the math, and it equals about $15 to $20 per paycheck per person that the company does not pay us for work.

Is this even remotely legal?

Answer:
 Yes this is illegal.

A call center I worked at was recently sued for this exact thing. They must pay you from the time you arrive and begin work. Logging into the system counts as beginning work.

You can file a wage claim with the DOL. Depending on the size of the call center, a lawyer may be interested in helping class action style.


Title: (WV, US) My boyfriend is being worked to death, and they pay him through two companies to avoid paying overtime. Help.

Question:
I read through the FAQ and I see I should report it to my local labor board, however I'm not exactly the party in question. (Side note: I do work with him, and have been subjected to the weird bookkeeping, but my exploitation has been minimal in comparison and I'm only really seeking justice for him). The forms says stuff like "How much money are you owed?" and I wouldn't be filling it out for myself, and I don't know the exact amount at all. Thousands.

He works hourly, no salary, but they make him do some work off the clock. After he clocks out he has to do scheduling and count up hours and I'm pretty sure that's not ok if he's not on salary and not being paid for that work. They ask/require this of him. I tell him to just not do it, but he says it doesn't work like that. I trust him, I'm more of bridge burner than him, so I try to stay back when it's his life. But this seems beyond unacceptable.

The worst is that he works like 60-80 hours a week, and doesn't get paid overtime. There's technically two restaurants he manages, and although he only spends about 12 hours a week at one of them, they paychecks are split between the two places, so it looks like 40 hours there, and 40 hours there...! He's never been paid overtime. Looking back at the last few months, the LEAST amount he worked in a week was 50 hours. I've been sort of oblivious to how bad it's been, but something needs to happen... My heart breaks for him and how discouraged he is. Beyond the direct financial implications of being exploited, I imagine it's psychologically damaging.

How hard is this to prove ? and get help?

I'm looking around for proof. I can gather up screenshots from the scheduling app that shows he was scheduled for like 60 hours one place, 10 the other. They're all still there and have dates. Is that useful? Can I send that to the labor board? I guess these screenshots could be compared to his paychecks and payroll/clock in thing. I don't know anything. Please help.

Answer: If he wants this to stop he needs to either go to an attorney or the Dept of Labor. They know what they are doing and are clearly not interested in following the law.  He can also refuse to work off the clock, and collect unemployment if he gets fired and find a new job.


Title: Stolen Bike Came up on Craigslist

Question: (Location: Vermont) I had my bike stolen off of a college campus about a week ago (it was locked with a low quality combo lock). Yesterday I found the very same bike on craigslist about 30 minutes away being offered up for $25 dollars. Technically I have no proof that the bike is mine, but did contact campus police services earlier in the week so they are aware of the theft. Any advice on what I should do?

Answer:
 Do you have proof of purchase? Serial numbers or receipts for anything?

If so, contact the non emergency number for you police force and ask if an officer can come with you to pick up the bike.


Title: Not sure what to do next...

Question:
Taken directly from my Facebook, where I posted it for community awareness, but I didn't feel like retyping it:

I'm 7 months clean today and I couldn't be more thankful for everybody who has been by my side and supported me through one of the most difficult things I've ever had to overcome.
While I'm open about my recovery, I normally wouldn't post about it on the internet, but today is a very different day and I have something I really need to publicly address.
If you saw my post this morning, you already know I had surgery today. Every appointment I go to, every time I'm seen for an emergency, I have to let the nurses and doctors know that I am a recovering addict and that I can NOT have any narcotics. Today was no different, and at this point it's basically just like telling the doctor my birthday. I told every nurse, every MA, the anesthesiologist, the doctor, every medical professional I spoke with that I absolutely do not want narcotics. They all said that was fine.
Yet when I woke up from the surgery, I was so high I could barely talk or keep my eyes open. I asked two nurses what I was given but they both refused to tell me and simply said "Well, if you told them then they didn't give it to you!" I also spoke with the registration at Same Day Surgery and Medical Records about getting my medicine records but they wouldn't give them to me, let alone TELL me what I was given.
So I called my drug and alcohol counselor to get an emergency drug test which proved that I was given Suboxone! For anybody that doesn't know, it's a medication given to heroin addicts to prevent severe withdrawal, but it's also a very easily abused medication if you do not have an opiate tolerance.
While the surgery itself went well, I am so disgusted by the hospital staff blatantly ignoring my request. What I'm even more disgusted by is that I'm not even surprised by Uniontown Hospital!
I'm not sure what I'm going to do at this point but I really am considering a medical malpractice lawsuit if I can find a good lawyer who can help me win this case.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and please be careful if you need to go to Uniontown Hospital!

Uniontown, PA
Topic:
Medicine and Malpractice

Answer:
 You were likely given Buprenex. Generic Buprenex is buprenorphine, one of the two active components in Suboxone. Suboxone is buprenorphine combined with naloxone. Using IV Buprenex in a post-op situation would be quite common. My guess is you tested positive for the Buprenex. IANAL, rather a chemist. Good luck on your recovery.Answer #2: As an aside from the legal aspects of this, congratulations on 7 months. Talk to your sponsor about this and share your experience in meetings.  Wishing you all the best. Answer #3: Congrats on your sobriety. This is not exactly legal advice, but ask yourself if this is a fight you want to get in to. You consented to major surgery and in doing so you put your trust in to the trained medical professionals to manage your health. You told the medical team "no narcotics" which is a undefined, non-medical, legalish term like "drugs" or "downers" that not even you can wholly define and most certainly carries no real classification. Pain killing is a necessary part of post-operational recovery and in light of your requests and medical history, your medical team **absolutely** followed your request to their ability--they gave you buprenorphine, an atypical painkilling opiate that does not work like most typical opiates do and thus is indicated for pain management in opiate-tolerant or opiate-addicted patients. Why does that upset you?

Obviously there are issues here with your medical team not being as informative as they could have been and weird witholding of records, but beyond that your outrage seems nonsensical.


Title: My doctor prescribed a medicine that has exacerbated a known condition (New Jersey)

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Pharmacist here.  Ziana is a topical cream.  The only way this would be contributing to your pancreatitis is if you swallowed it.  You're supposed to be spreading a pea-sized amount on the affected area; are you eating it instead?Answer #2: You will need to see a lawyer for an answer. Look for one that specializes in medical negligence. Medical negligence is incredibly fact specific and it's impossible to give meaningful guidance over the Internet.


Title: Bought used car/brakes failed

Question:
Im in Texas. As the title says I bought a used car and when I went to check it out everything seemed fine except for a few scratches. There was a bottle of brake fluid in the console and I asked if there was a leak and the seller told me no everything was fine.

Fast forward 2 weeks and I get the title transferred and now it's in my name and I started driving it more regularly. About the third time I drove it the brakes went out on me while I was driving. I got it home and took the brake lines off to find they were both broken and one was brand new still had the sticker on it.

Do I have any options to pursue against this seller?

Ps. Sorry for any mistakes first time poster here and on mobile.

Answer: No. You bought the car as is. Your time to have it inspected was before you bought it.


Title: [NY] A bar in Buffalo recently instated a 23+ policy. Is that actually an enforceable rule, or is it legally discriminatory?

Question: Granted, I'm 35 so I'm enjoying the reduced drama, but it just seems legally wrong.

Answer: Nothing is illegal about setting a minimum age for their clientele.


Title: Paypal helped someone scam me

Question:
 I did a personal favor to someone which resulted in me being scammed. That person asked my help for buying something and I promptly accepted as I thought there was no risk for me.  I received the money from that person's "Brother", and I used it to help that individual buy something online.
After the transaction was done, that person asked Paypal for a chargeback and Paypal opened a chargeback case. The case was closed less than one minute later, without asking for my input on the situation, and Paypal took 214.91€ from my account without my authorization, leaving me with a negative balance. As soon as this happened, I contacted Paypal, and they informed me that the chargeback process was automatic and, because the user had no history that led them to believe that the transaction was authorized, they took the money from my account, as well as a fee for the chargeback. No further help was offered.
I later escalated the problem to the  European Commission's Consumer Support, and Paypal replied me that the decision to chargeback the money to the scammer was made according to their policies, which I signed when creating the account. Furthermore, Paypal told me what I did was a personal transaction and that isn't covered by their Seller Buyer Protection, however, the problem wasn't the first transaction itself, it was the fact that PayPal took money from my account without contacting me, thus helping that individual on his scam.

As Paypal has a banking license in Europe (since 2007) and its European headquarters are located in Luxembourg (which is part of the European Union), I'm thinking there might be some laws/rules regarding EU banks not being allowed to withdraw money from someone's account without that person's consent. Please help me out.

I thank you in advance for any help provided.
Topic:
Consumer Law

Answer:
 > there might be some laws/rules regarding EU banks not being allowed to withdraw money from someone's account without that person's consent

Of course there are.

>Paypal replied me that the decision to chargeback the money to the scammer was made according to their policies, which I signed when creating the account.

And you gave Paypal the consent to take the money.

All legal.

Do not blame Paypal for your decision to trust a scammer.


Title: When are you "allowed" to complain about a police officer. - Kentucky

Question:
Was told today by police dept staff that I could not file a complaint on an officer regarding a citation that I thought was malicious.

Does this have any truth to it?

More info: I pulled up to my house, the cop was behind me. I park in the street and entered my home.

Cop proceeds to put orange citations on every car on the street for "Storage more than 24Hrs".

City ordinance states that you have to move your car once per 24hrs or you can be impounded.

The cop saw that this was not the case for my car and then still placed the citation.

Answer:
 City or state police? If the department won't take the complaint, go to the city commission or the state to complain. Answer #2: We need a lot more detail than that.

What is the citation for, what is the complaint for, what evidence do you have?

But most likely not. They don't necessarily have to take it though. Try speaking to their superior, and if that is not available, your local gov./state representative's office depending on the type of police.

I could maybe see them not taking it if it's obliviously frivolous i.e. Officer Smith is a reptilian alien, but there is always someone you can take your stuff to.Answer #3: At my department a supervisor can deny a complaint if he thinks it's absurd. You can go straight to IA or his supervisor if you want. Why do you think the citation was malicious?


Title: I'm In debt. My ex-wife is living under the same roof, taking child support and not helping with Mortgage or other large costs. I'm in falling into debt because of this. What to do?

Question:
Hi Reddit,

I'm asking this on behalf of my brother who lives overseas in the USA, Texas.
I'm not a good writer, so I'll to be straight to the point.

He and his ex-wife had 3 kids all under the age of 12. She cheated on him and has since had a child with the other man. Her and the other man are still in a relationship. This is why they are divorced.

She is currently using a car that he purchased under his own name.
He would like to sell it, but she is refusing to bring it home. It was ~$25,000 brand new. Purchased 1 year ago. It was financed.

His ex-wife is currently living under the same roof (for the kids). House is under both their names but she is not contributing to the mortgage, despite agreeing to paying 50%.
She has agreed to move out in December.
He can't currently sell the house due to being behind on the ?Land Tax?(I'm not exactly sure but he is behind on some payment, that is stopping him from being able to sell)

Despite her not contributing to major costs, he is also required to pay child support.

He is desperately trying to keep his head above water and because to all of these costs, and growing debt, he has resorted to pawning the car that he is using just to get by (I'm not sure if this was the right decision).

He is currently ~$50,000 in debt and would like to know what his options are. He works 12 hours a day as a process worker but it seems this is not enough to keep him a float as it currently is.

If he can get back on his feet, he wants to fight for custody.

To go from having family with 3 kids to having no kids, no wife, and no money must be devastating. He is severely depressed and has gained so much weight.

If you guys can give any advice on what he can do or what he is entitled to that would be awesome.
My family here in Australia want to help him out as much as we can, but would like to know what the best way to do that is.

Let me know if there is any critical information that I'm missing and I will ask him.

Answer:
 >She is currently using a car that he purchased

Was it part of the divorce?

>House is under both their names

Again, what does the divorce say? And yes he or she needs to get it caught up on taxes before selling.

I don't know how he made this situation (allowing her to live there while he pays everything) but it was his choice at some point so he could live with his kids. If she moves out then that should help him get financially back up. Pay the taxes. Sell the house. Answer #2: If they had an agreement about these costs, he can sue her for them. If the car is his, he can also sue her to get (the value of) the car back. He should not deduct it from child support, he can get into trouble if he doesn't pay that.

The small claims limit in Texas is $ 10,000 so he cannot go that route and he'll need to contact a lawyer.


Title: [KY] Can a car be returned to a dealer if they didn't disclose it was previously wrecked?

Question:
I purchased a used car about one month ago, I received an Autocheck that said the car was clean and it seemed so. Because of its age and low mileage as well as remaining factory warranty I didn't get it inspected. I heard a co-worker saying Autocheck was unreliable today, so I paid for a Carfax on the car I bought to be sure and it revealed it was in a severe wreck previously (but was not totaled or issued a rebuilt title). Had I known this, I never would have purchased the car.

I made a fairly substantial down payment and financed the remainder but have not made any payments yet as the first one is not due until next month, do I have any standing to request a refund of the majority or all of the down payment and return the vehicle? I haven't put many miles on it, but I am not comfortable driving it anymore knowing it was a wrecked vehicle. I feel certain they will say they had no idea, but looking back at it the price was lower than similar year and mileage vehicles so I'm wondering if they did know and just tried to hide it.

It's a fairly large dealer, not a hole in the wall or a BHPH. At this point am I better off to just try and sell the car myself since it's been a month already? I saw something about them having to notify me that the vehicle was in a wreck previously, none of the paperwork I have states this but I'm not sure if that wasn't something they made me sign in a rush without reading (I'll never make that mistake again).

Also wanted to add one other thing, I asked the dealer for the previous owner's information prior to buying the car and they did provide it but it turns out the number they gave me was one digit off from the right number. I called the number and left a message but received no response so I didn't want to harass the previous owner if they didn't want to return my call, but I found some old paperwork with the previous owner's information on it and the number was just wrong. This could've been a genuine mistake, but part of me is suspicious of if this was intentional so I couldn't find out the vehicle was wrecked from the previous owner who wrecked it.

Answer: Others have covered the law aspect, so I'll just say as a former Autozone driver: Don't go back to that lot.  And in the future go to an auto parts store first.  Autozone, O'Reily's, KOI, and Bumper to Bumper all have commercial divisions servicing garages and used car lots nearby them.  Talk to a commercial driver, or even better, the commercial manager, and they'll give you a good idea of who is shady and who isn't in that area.


Title: Was fired for hanging up on a customer who called me a stupid retarded n****r. Do I have any legal recourse?

Question:
I work(ed) for a very large well known retail store in their call center as an Escalation Lead.  I'd spent the passed couple years fixing complex issues and handling irate customers like a boss, so in September they promised me to one.  Never had a single complaint about my work from customers and always had exemplary monthly reviews, no write ups, and very well liked around the building because I'm a pretty laid back cool guy.

I volunteered to work on Thanksgiving, figuring I could work some OT hours on a Holiday and fluff up the holiday paycheck a bit.  Guess I should have stayed home...

Customer calls in and immediately starts screaming, yelling, and cursing at an agent because her package wasn't delivered. Didn't care it was a holiday or not.  The agent tries to help but the customer screams some more and then hangs up.

5 minutes later another agent has her on the line.  Same thing. No package. Screaming and yelling.  We are horrendous and she'll never shop with us again.  Screams and hangs up.

Another 5 minutes go by and I can tell that she's back on with another agent.  I have her transfer the call to me so she doesn't have to take the lashing.  I pull open her order and see notes from each agent she spoke with stating she was loud, rude, cursing, basically everything I was already aware of.

I then spend the next 10 minutes being bombarded with the most ignorant verbal regurgitation I have ever heard.  I curse daily and this lady put me to shame with her creativity.  From comments about my mom to me being too dumb for a "real job", she was trying to go all out to prove her superiority and show she was better than me in every way.

During one of the brief moments when she stopped to breathe, I was able to squeeze in about 20 seconds worth of a productive resolution, which she surprisingly accepted as fact. However even though she had the answer she needed, she still continued cursing and yelling.

I politely let her know I would appreciate it if she could keep the conversation professional, but that if she was unable to do so I would be forced to disconnect the phone call.  She responded back that she would do whatever she wanted because she is the customer and that I was nothing but a stupid retarded nigger.

That was when I hung up.

I was visibly shaking I was so upset.  I immediately walked over to let my manager know what happened in case the customer called back again, as I'm sure she wouldn't want to speak with me any longer, and I wanted to brief her on the situation in advance.  We kept an eye on the order, but now she had the info she needed and didn't call back.

Friday I was called into my managers office and informed I was being fired for disconnecting that call.  Even though the call never recorded and there was no proof of what took place, I was still fired.

It boggles my mind I was termed for not wanting to sit there and be called the things she was calling me.

So now I'm writing this from my couch.  So amazed that the job i spent years working up to was so easily taken away.  But at least the kid is only 3 so all he knows is daddy is home early.  Save having to explain to my him why I'll be around more often.

Anyone think there's any sort of case here?  I honestly don't even know if I'd want to go back if this is the environment I'm expected to put up with, but it's better than living on the street.

Currently in Arizona, USA.

Answer:
 You have been fired, but given the reason you are probably still eligible for unemployment.  They may issue you an initial denial, at which point you appeal, and you get to explain in a hearing just what a bunch of morons your ex-company is.

Relax and enjoy a week or two with the kid, and enjoy the undoubtedly better job you will soon be getting.Answer #2: Nal I've never worked anywhere that a supervisor would allow their employee to continuously be treated that way. I'd find new employment.


Title: (UT) Roommate has been sharing my internet activity with people in my city. Also placed hidden cameras in apt.

Question: I'm not sure if this is the right subreddit so I apologize in advance, but I recently discovered hidden cameras in my apt. and know that footage has been shared with people I know and work with. I also found out he has been using a personal router to intercept my internet activity and has been sharing it with many people. I have done nothing wrong and have nothing to hide, but none of this was with my permission and there is a lot of potentially embarrassing stuff that could've been shared. I have no hard evidence except for the words of people I trust, is this something worth pursuing or am I wasting my time?

Answer:
 Who is paying for the internet? If you are,just cut off his Internet until it's resolved. Answer #2: That's a long-winded way of saying "my roommate needs to get his own internet connection." Unless you agreed to give your roommate internet access for the duration of your tenancy, you can let him know you're no longer sharing at the end of the current billing cycle, or even refund the pro-rated amount he's paid for the current billing cycle, and tell him he's no longer welcome to use it. Factory-reset the router, pick a new wifi password, and carry on.

As for the cameras, it's … rude, at least. If they're only in the common spaces and in your roommate's room, there's probably not much you can do about it. If he's placing cameras in places you have a reasonable expectation of privacy, such as in your room or in the bathroom, or if he's making audio recordings of conversations he isn't a party to, there could be a larger issue and you should talk to a local lawyer about whether it's worth filing a police report.

However, odds are pretty good that this is firmly in the category of "dumb roommate bullshit" and that your best recourse is to find a new roommate.


Title: City construction from 9:00PM to 9:00am for 14 months.

Question:
So quick question is there legal recourse in California, IE compensation, for City construction that is going on outside my home ~100-200 yard constantly all hours of the night. Its been going on for about 14 of the last 18 months. DB readings outside the home have been higher then 90db for hours at a time and they have construction lights pointed straight at my home and windows. We are talking at least 7 large backhoes moving at all time. Its 3:000 morning right now and you could have a dinner party inside even with all the shades drawn.

There are no permits filled for late night work with the city that I can find, they started without them  and were not happy when I called them out on it.  The construction crew, non city employees, that is doing the work had done nothing but give me lip service about how it will get better in just a week.  I bought the home about two years back and did a permit search at that time as well for any planned construction and found nothing pending or planned until 2020 in the area.

Answer: Call your city councilor and complain/ask about the standing of their work permit.  Or attend a local meeting and speak your mind.  Get your neighbors involved.


Title: Youtube Pranks and reactions

Question:
I recently watched some youtube pranks that go wrong ie pulling chairs out from under strangers in public, offending/insulting a guys girlfriend in front of him, or other pranks like that. The person who is "pranked" then responds with physical violence to a perceived threat to his girlfriend or something. Could the pranker claim a civil suit for injuries from a situation that the pranker instigated?
Topic:
Personal Injury

Answer:
 Sure.  They could sue each other and it would all be sorted out.

However, lots of those videos are fake.


Title: Someone called me an Uber while I was drunk

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 How were you planning to get home otherwise...?

Likely, it won't be fraud, since you had to have unlocked your phone, willingly got into the car, and eventually coordinated with the person assisting you in order to do all the actions.

Don't go out and make poor choices.


Title: Can Reddit Mods be charged with violation of 1st Amendment Rights?

Question:
I recently made a post on r/politics, in this post, I linked to a article about how Antifa's extremism is facism in the making. Regardless of my political view, the article was removed within 10 Minutes. It was tagged "off topic", I asked the Mod to clarify, he said that the article is off topic from politics and "We usually remove ult right articles"

Is there a legal battle here?

Answer:
 No. The 1st Amendment protects the populace from government action, it generally does not restrict the actions of private parties. Reddit is one such private entity - and Reddit has chosen to vest some of it's power in the hands of moderators.

Those moderators are free to take action or not as they see fit within the parameters of their authority and nothing they do would implicate someone's first amendment rights.

>Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

That right has expanded to encompass the states through incorporation under the 14th Amendment, but reddit is not congress, nor is it a state government. Answer #2: I’m curious, have you ever read the first amendment?  It’s only 45 words and pretty clearly answers your question.


Title: Is hacking legal in this context?

Question:
my friend is locked out of his email and he asked for my help to hack into it for him. Is this legal? and if so should I take any precautions such as getting him to sign something?

I am in massachusetts

Answer:
 If it is his email he can do a password recovery like normal people.

It isn't his account so yeah, it would be illegal. Pretending like you don't know that fact won't get you out of consequences


Title: Shoes got stolen at a party, anything I can do?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: I would contact the FBI. They have a division that deals with cases like this. Call your congressman's constituent services office. He may be able to pull some strings and get your feet back in some shoes ASAP. Do you still have your socks? If you are asked to speak with the salesperson at Payless, have a lawyer present. The Payless sales person is NOT on your side. They are there to get the most money out of you that they can. Let your insurance people handle this. That's what you pay them for!


Title: [Immigration] Cousin's H1B visa is running out soon

Question:
My cousins (husband and wife) are on a 6-year H1B visa that runs out on September 15. They say they have no way of extending their temporary residency and they'll have to return to India until they get another H1B contract or EB2.

Thing is they have a lot of family already living in the US and more importantly, two children born in the US. Would it not be possible for them to work on getting a green card through family while they're on temporary residency?

They say they can't try to get permanent residency through family because they need to stay loyal to the employers who are investing in them.

They have worked for Infosys and Tata and I believe are being manipulated by them.

Is there anyway they can stay in the US and get more temporary residence while at least being on the path to permanent residence? Family has offered to file for them but they are convinced they'll be better off trying to get EB2.

Is there anything we can do?

Thanks for reading.

edit: they're in California

Answer:
 They're probably SOL.  The opportunity to extend the H1-B is long overdue; they should've started the green card process before entering their 5th year of the H1-B.

The first step to an employment green card is getting a labor certificate i.e. a PERM.  H1-B holders can extend in one year increments if they've been waiting longer than 365 days for a PERM approval.

Did your cousin's employer even start on the PERM process?


Title: I am dealing with a deranged person from Craigslist who went berserk when I tried to haggle with them, what to do? Michigan

Question:
I am a single father. I am trying to get my boy into retro video games, the kind I grew up on. Super Nintendo, N64, Gameboy Color etc. Some of the games for these systems can be a bit pricey, so I decided to save a buck by checking out CL. I found an ad advertising a lot of games for the retro systems in my town at a good price. I already have the consoles. I texted the number in the ad and all seemed fine, except they lived clear on the other side of town. I didn't want to drive over that way, first off, because it's not the best area and I recently bought a new car. I asked them if they could deliver. They were reluctant about this, but I said I would throw in an extra $20 for the trouble. They agreed to this and a time was arranged, which was yesterday evening.

Now, I must point out here that I assumed, incorrectly, that the individual I was dealing with was a student. The area they were coming from, while sketchy, is also known for off campus housing. I also believed they were male. Again, this was incorrect. A beat up Toyota pulled into my driveway and a waif of a woman got out. In our correspondence, I said I would allow them to come into my home to test the games, but I did not want this woman in my home and around my boy. It was NOT a race thing, as she was white, it was a class thing. She had this look about her that screamed, "hey, I do heroin!" We live in Michigan and have been deeply affected by the opioid crisis. Sad, but true. What if the video games were just a front to case my house so her and her homeboys could rob me later? I was only being practical. I am a father, I have to consider these things.

I told her I had changed my mind and that I was only interested in Super Smash Bros. I would give her $10 for the game, take it, or leave it. She started screaming, cussing me like a dog. She threw the game cartridge so hard on the ground it bounced, then proceeded to stomp it into oblivion and got in her crappy four banger, peeling out of my drive way like a crazy person, clipping my mailbox on her way out. I think it was intentional. I was very shaken up. The whole thing happened so fast I didn't get her plates.

I didn't sleep well last night. I can't think of any law she technically broke, but I feel very threatened by her irrational behavior and I think that's reasonable. If someone that unstable knew where YOU lived with your young son, I think any parent would agree with me here. So, the question is, what can I do about this?

Answer:
 >What if the video games were just a front to case my house so her and her homeboys could rob me later?

You invited her over and offered her $20 to come.  She would have never known where you live if you just man up and gone over.


Title: Me, 26M, have an ex-girlfriend, 36F, who is systematically trying to ruin my life by spreading false rumors that I violently abused her. Seeking legal advice.

Question:
Cross-post from /r/relationships.

I hope this doesnt sound too jumbled- my mind is a mess right now. I have an ex-girlfriend whom I broke up with ~5 months ago. Toward the end she was being very jealous when I would talk to female coworkers, and I caught her stalking me a couple times when I would go get drinks with my guy friends. The final straw was me catching her going through my cell phone messages- after this I told her I wanted to separate. (This happened at night, after I caught her going through my phone, and I was furious).

After we separated, we both went our separate ways. She blocked me on facebook, which I thought was odd, but I never saw her around anymore so I felt all was calm again. Fast forward to today, and I find out that she has been spreading rumors to all my coworkers (about 30 of them) for the past 5 months. She has been telling everyone, personally, that I had been violently abusing her, and the night I broke up with her, that I had choked her and slammed her head against the wall. Both of these couldn't be further from the truth. I was calm and collected, and was anything but violent toward her. In general, im a very non-violent person. But now I have to personally talk to ~30 people I work with to clear this up. Many have been avoiding me, and now I understand why. So I fear they believe her lies, which makes me feel so empty inside. As a side note, I should say mention she is manic depressant, bi-polar and suicidal.... and thankfully getting help for these.

We are both students at a university. I'd like to go to the University seeking a slander/harassment charge, and also file for a restraining order if appropriate.

Seeking any advice anyone can give me, as well as the legal stuff since I have no experience in this area. I have to talk to my department chair, and other professors tomorrow. I'm literally shaking as I write this.

 Location: Hawaii, USA

**tl;dr**: Ex-girlfriend, and fellow university student, is spreading blatant lies that I violently abused her, I need to clear my name and possibly seek legal reconciliation.

Answer:
 >We are both students at a university. I'd like to go to the University seeking a slander/harassment charge, and also file for a restraining order if appropriate.

It is unlikely that the university will do anything.  They don't know who to believe and if anything they will err on the side of caution and believe HER not you.  In addition, they don't do "restraining orders".

You're best bet is to ignore her and after a while her obsessions will turn to other things.  The more you try to "clear your name" the more likely it is that she finds out about it, which will likely only feed the cycle where she feels the need to make sure everyone knows her point of view.  But if you really feel the need to engage her through others, then you can simply tell others that she is spreading lies about you and that you are looking into your legal options as a response and that's all you're willing to say because you don't want to encourage her.Answer #2: Your university might offer its students free legal services, but not for something like this. This would be a civil case that your have to hire your own lawyer for. You could try to get a restraining order against her from a local judge, but she's already shown that she's willing to lie about you, and the moment you do that, she might file a police report and actually try to get charges pressed against you. Your best bet is to tell your coworkers the truth and ignore her altogether.


Title: Can I only rent to white men?

Question: Basically title says it all. I'm not racist or sexist or anything I've just had a very bad time with non-white renters. They either don't pay or ruin the house etc. But all my white male renters have been perfect every single time. Basically, is it possible to put that in my craigslist ad? White males 30+ only please.

Answer:
 > I'm not racist or sexist or anything

>  White males 30+ only please

That would be racist. There's no way that isn't racist.

Whether or not it's actionable discrimination entirely depends on the circumstances of your rental and location.

Edit to your edit: [Here's the Ontario Human Rights Commission's information about housing discrimination](http://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/policy-human-rights-and-rental-housing). Short answer; no.


Title: [Virginia] I lost my greencard over a year ago and still haven't been able to replace it. I need ID and I have no idea how to get it.

Question:
Like the title says, my greencard was lost (physically lost, I think technically I'm still legal as it doesn't expire until next year). I'm Canadian. My passport expired years ago. I've been trying to replace it or get some other form of ID but so far I've had no luck.

My only two options seem to be replace the greencard or passport, but I've hit a wall with that, too.

I *finally* have a DoH appointment for biometrics near the end of this month for my greencard replacement, but terrifyingly the letter makes it very clear that I need to bring a valid form of photo ID, which I do not have. It strongly suggests that I will be rejected without that form of ID, and DC is a very long drive just to be rejected. I'll be going anyways, but it seems futile.

My passport application also requires that I attach a valid form of photo ID.

I cannot find a [DMV or anything](https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/apps/documentbuilder/proof_of_identification.aspx) that will issue any form of photo ID without my greencard or another form of ID. I have nothing on that linked list.

I'm trying to get my dad to send me a copy of my birth certificate (or rather, a new original printed? idk the terminology). I have my social security card, lots of mail in my name, an (old) expired WV driver's license and an expired Canadian passport.

I can't even work. I've just been doing random art stuff for my pathetic income, my family supports me totally. The hopelessness is going to completely crush me. please help.

Answer:
 They may accept an expired license (even a Canadian one) for identification purposes under a certain time limit.  You need to call ahead and ask.Answer #2: The lack of a valid ID is a huge roadblock for any approach and this is on you for not renewing your IDs in a timely fashion.

You can apply for a new [Canadian Passport](http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/passport/apply/new/apply-how.asp) while in the US.  You will need [a guarantor](http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/passport/apply/guarantor-reference.asp), which I believe can be your father.  It may be better for you to follow this route first and try to reschedule the DoH appointment once you have the passport.

Another option is to return to Canada and apply for a local drivers license or ID and rebuild your identity that way.


Title: My autistic brother's [25M] employer [?F] makes him teach other people with disabilities

Question:
Edit: my brother is employed in South Carolina, which as I understand it is an "at will" state.
Edit 2: the issue is not that he doesn't want to teach any disabled people. He doesn't want to be treated differently because he has a disability (that does not interfere with his job duties).

My brother is on the autistic spectrum. He was diagnosed as a child. He's made great progress and today works as a music instructor part-time.

The business he works for provides music lessons to children and adults. Somehow, the woman who makes the schedule found out about my brother being on the spectrum (he asked me if his employer can access his medical records, because he never told her, or anyone at work).

She scheduled him to teach all the students with physical and mental disabilities, telling him "You'll get along because you're the same." This was an offhand comment from her, and I'm sure there is no documentation making this arrangement "official."

I want to help my brother. Does he have any recourse?

Answer: He is a music instructor and he is instructing clients. Recourse for what?  Your brother wants to refuse to reach those with disabilities?


Title: I Need Legal Advice, Sue Walmart?

Question:
Hello everyone! Okay so this is officially my first post on reddit so please bare with me! I've been a lurker here for some time now and finally found a good reason to post and step into the community- even if it's under these circumstances! 😓😝 what can ya do lol.
So I'll get to the point, one late night a couple months ago (I have the receipts of my purchases) I went to my local neighborhood Walmart to pick up a prescription from the pharmacy as well as a few extra things. This particular location is usually pretty slow when it comes to check out so after picking up my rx I opted for the self check out as usual. I had everything ready and started putting the items I wanted to buy on the conveyorbelt to begin scanning. Right around this time I noticed there were two male Walmart associates, who were clearly on the clock, next to one another in the same isle as I. Thinking they were just doing their job, maybe checking inventory for dates, possible restock, or simply trying to look busy just to kill time- I pay them no mind and continue with my check out. Then all of a sudden I hear them murmuring to one another, sensing the hushed discussion is regarding me. "The world doesn't revolve around you" pops into my head and I push it off. Continuing checkout, the two men's conversation gets louder, and I can clearly hear comments ranging from "If I had the time of day," to "If we weren't at work right now." It was cold this particular night so I was wearing a big hoodie, I like to be comfy, sue me! So I think I gave off the wrong impression that I thought I was "gangster" or whatever you want to call it. Whatever the reason, it made them feel they needed to continue their back and forth banter about me. "Thinks he's hard," etc etc. Suspicions confirmed, I give the two men a glance, with what I thought was a look of confusion because I was just caught so off guard. They both looked at me and continued their remarks straight to my face, and I recall specifically- "oh, homeboy thinks he's tough" and it went on and on. I was just in utter shock and disbelief; what did I do to these two guys? I just wanted to get my medicine and some milk-that's it! I felt so belittled and insulted by their remarks, let alone at my own local neighborhood Walmart, which is barely a mile from my home(at the time). I'll admit, I let the words of a stranger affect me way more than they should have and wish I would have handled the situation more appropriately looking back and while hindsight is always 20/20, no comment should lead to what transpired next. So, after having heard enough insults and nasty remarks, I replied to the two men: "And that's why you work at Walmart." Now, before I get mad hate- Ive worked many retail jobs as well as other jobs I felt were undesirable but no ones above a days worth of work! Trust me I don't like writing all this and tldr ftw so I'll get to the point, the two obviously did not like my comment as they immediately changed their demeanor and start heading my way. Bracing myself, thinking I'm about to get in a fight with two older, much bigger black dudes, they creep really slowly right next to me-here it comes, this is is-and walk right past me, to the customer service department. Just happy I'm not unconscious on the floor at this point, I'm trying my best not to shake just so I can get my things together and scurry out of there. The men appear with a female Walmart associate who has clearly been informed of the situation and if I'm not mistaken-supplied the younger of the two men who is now approaching me, with what was now in his hand: a box cutter with the blade sticking out. He has it in plain view as he approaches me, implicating that he's about to use it. At this point I was in such shock at the whole situation, I just couldn't believe it- I was almost in a state of paralysis. I just braced myself for the worst as the girl encourages him by yelling "get him, get him with it, cut him!" The man with the blade could have easily slashed me up pretty good, but he slowly, menacingly walked right up to me with it and thank God, he didn't use it. He walked past me, I grab my things and I bolt the heck out of there! I was so scared that the guy with the box cutter was going to chase me into the parking lot to my car that I ran so fast I accidentally dropped and spilled the milk I purchased all over the parking lot. I didn't even think twice about it (and that was one of the main things I actually came for!). Luckily, he didn't chase me and I'm not injured from all of this. I know a lot of you will say I'm dumb for not reporting it sooner but I just didn't know how to go about it. They were clearly Walmart associates on clock and although I'm a big boy and can handle my fair share, no matter how you slice it, what they did wasn't right and these degenerates deserve justice. So I come to you, the great community of Reddit, for advice. What should I do? I still have the receipts for that day, I just wonder if they still have the tapes to prove my statements.
TLDR; Almost stabbed by Walmart associate, want to sue.

Answer:
 Well, a reasonable person would have called the police when it happened. But that point has really past since you have no way of telling them which of the 50-100 employees there did this to you, months ago.

At this point, move on. Nothing happened but that you had words with some guys at a store. You don't have a lawsuit. Answer #2: Nice story.  Here's the advice you are clearly looking for:

don't cry over spilled milk.Answer #3: /r/thathappened


Title: Landlord gave less than 24 hours notice to have balcony cleared of furniture for next 45 days!!!

Question:
I live in Texas.

The lease states: "We may regulate: (A) the use of patios, balconies, and porches".

And, that's it.

They gave us less than 24 hours to take all the furniture we have on the balcony off and store it elsewhere (which I don't know how we are going to do, we have a fully outdoor set).

They have told us to keep it clear for work over the next 45 days. Which is insane. It's prime balcony weather, and I use it for work (I write, we will leave it at that). They are asking I relinquish the right to a work space and living space I pay for, for 12% of my 12 month lease!! Is there anything I can do? To me this is a huge violation of the lease, as I pay for that space and picked the apartment in-part, for the balcony (it's like 130 square feet).

Answer:
 >(I write, we will leave it at that)

Looking forward to your next installment in your self-published auto-erotica series.

I get that you're upset, all that's required is 24 hours notice, especially considering they can regulate the use of the patios, etc. There is nothing you can do. You can try to talk to your landlord to see if they will work with you, but if you go in there start taking about "relinquishing your right to a work space," things will not end well for you. The matter of the fact is that they own the property, you're just living in it. If they need patio furniture off the balconies to rehab the building, replace boards, etc., then they can do so.Answer #2: >To me this is a huge violation of the lease

It's not a huge violation of the lease, and in fact I would argue that it's merely an amenity. You are welcome to ask for a reduction in rent, and they are welcome to say yes or no.


Title: [VA] I messed up and I regret it. Spray painting cameras. May kill myself.[17]

Question:
Hi.
I know this isn't what this sub is for but I have no one to speak with at this moment as I hope by the end of this post you will be able to tell me if I need an attorney or not.

Preface: I also did, my first time ever doing something illegal other than speeding by the way, shoplift from Walmart on May 22nd however I participated in a diversion program and removed that charge ending on August 31st.

Before story, here is the charge:
"HE DID ON OR ABOUT 08/11/2015 UNLAWFULLY DESTROY PUBLIC PROPERTY BELONGING TO THE (REDACTED) POOL, VALUED AT APPROXIMATELY $400.00. IN VIOLATION OF S18.2-138 OF THE 1950 CODE OF VIRGINIA AS AMENDED"

Story: My friends and I frequent a pool in our town. It's a pool where neighborhood residents pay $475 yearly to get access to this pool (I am not a member. Lifeguard A, we shall call John, allows me in for free). We use this pool from opening until August perfectly fine, no troubles. August, lifeguard A is quitting and gives keys to access to the pool out to friends who may have an interest in throwing a party there later. Friends make copies of the pool key and return original key. Lifeguard B (drug addict; frequent user of ketamine, one week before this incident she took 5 xanax pills drove, had a hit and run with a civilian, then hit a police officer with car and hit in face same hour. Pleaded insanity, got away free, she's 17) August 3rd steals MY Rayban Sunglasses, estimated worth of $200. She refuses to admit she stole them, also won't pay me back. Irrelevant, just bringing up context. We decide, in our dumb teenage minds, to get revenge on Lifeguard B by using the key to spray paint the cameras inside the pool guard tower.

We go in at night, two of us painting (how did I get my dumb ass into painting...,), two watching. We mask ourselves with a shirt on face, and the other with sunglasses and a hat. Walk to pool, spray paint the 6 cameras outside of the pool and use key to open pool. Open room, walk in, paint camera and walk out, close door. We think the paint is on the wall by accident, we go buy matching wall paint color, fix up walls, then lock door and leave. This thirty minute task is the reason I may end up killing myself if I do indeed get charged.

Next day; John last day. We tell about paint, he hardly noticed, laughs, tells LG B about it. John leaves. Three days later, we see cop at pool. Cop talking to B. B tells them it was us, gives out our info.

We see the cop at the pool because myself and two other friends are taking a walk, but we parked at our friend J's house who lives by the pool. Cops go to J's house, J has to go home and talk to them, we ignore and hide like the babies we are.

2 days later, cop calls me on cell phone. We talk in person 1on1. She says they have evidence of me doing it with my mask on. She says we can either admit and the pool board will discuss a punishment, possibly only banning us from the pool and nothing more, or she will have to make a petition and take us to court. I get scared, I admit I did it.

3 days later friend who painted has not yet admitted. I tell him to admit and we will have to easier because of what she said. He admits.

2 weeks later, cop calls me and tells me the pool wants to press charges. After this happened I emailed the pool president (on the website) with an email asking for forgiveness and pleading my case, straight A/B student with over 100 hours of voluntary community service, member of multiple volunteer clubs at school, senior in high, and have an internship on capitol hill this year. He says he will get back to me if the board changes their mind or not.

He never gets back to me. Today, September 16th, I receive a summons for me and my mother to go to court on September 29th.

The charge is "HE DID ON OR ABOUT 08/11/2015 UNLAWFULLY DESTROY PUBLIC PROPERTY BELONGING TO THE (REDACTED) POOL, VALUED AT APPROXIMATELY $400.00. IN VIOLATION OF S18.2-138 OF THE 1950 CODE OF VIRGINIA AS AMENDED"

I have asked the pool board several times to make me pay a civil fine (no matter the cost), allow us to do community service, and ban us form the pool (all of the above together) instead of prosecute us yet they have decided to do so. I am honestly scared to death of being charged. I am going to lose everything I have worked so hard for in the past four years for doing one dumb thing. I also am in a political science class internship program at my school where I will be working on Capitol Hill as an intern for a senator (cannot name) however if I am charged this will be cancelled. I won't be able to go to college. I won't be able to get a job. My life will be over.

Is there anyway to not be charged? The court date is on September 29th, very soon from now. Do I need an attorney? I have already told the officer I am guilty, can and should I still plead not guilty? I know what I did was dumb, I regret it more than anything in the world, but I cannot express my regret in this post because I am here for legal help.

Do I need an attorney, can I not be charged, and what will happen to me? I am 17, I live in Fairfax County of Virginia.

If I get charged I may very likely kill myself, honestly.
Thanks.

Answer:
 Ok first, That sounds like a misdemeanor, so your life isn't ruined. Nobody asks about misdemeanors when you apply to jobs. Don't kill yourself for at least a month, okay? If things are as bad a month from now you can always undo the choice to not kill yourself, but you can't un-kill yourself a month from now.Answer #2: /r/SuicideWatch

1 (800) 273-8255 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

Minor legal troubles aren't worth your life.


Title: Friend's wife called cops to check on him while smoking pot at a friend's house. Family of friends threaten to sue afyer they were arrested for possession.

Question: So my friend and his wife were fighting and he left to go hang out with some buddies and they were smoking their blues away.  While texting my buddy, being dramatic, said he felt like dying.  His wife, being even more dramatic, continuously called her husband's friend because she refussed to call her husband. (Please bare with me) Her husband told his friend to ignore her and that she would call him eventually.  She didn't call her husband, she called the police, who then charged his friends with possession of very small amounts of pot.  Family of friends now wants to sue.  Seems absurd as fuck to me but are there any precedents in Ga. of any nonsense like this?

Answer: What would he sue for? Because he got caught violating a criminal statute?


Title: Is it illegal to record my boss while at work?

Question:
I have a boss that calls me in for one on one "chats" a lot. These chats are completely not work related, and this person usually manipulates what I say and I end up getting drilled by upper management. Can I record these conversations without the other persons knowledge, in case I am called in by upper management, I can prove that what they are being told isn't what is happening? Thank you for the advice. This is in GA btw.

&#x200B;

&#x200B;

Answer: Location matters. Also, regardless of the legality on the matter, you can likely be fired for recording him. Answer #2: GA is one-party consent, so legally you should be in the clear. With that being said, you should expect to be fired after telling company higher-ups that you have covertly been recording conversations with your boss.


Title: [WA - King County] So this seems completely ridiculous to me...

Question:
So I recently came down with a case of the flu and as a result missed a court date to contest a red light camera ticket.  I accept responsibility and acknowledge that it was completely on me to attend court, and I'm willing to just pay the applicable fine at this point to put this behind me.  *However*, according to [this](http://www.kingcounty.gov/courts/DistrictCourt/CitationsOrTickets.aspx), in addition to the original fine I'll also be on the hook for $52 (oh well, I guess, I can afford to pay it), and my driver's license may be suspended(!!), which will apparently cost me another $75 to reinstate and I'm sure I'll have to spend a whole day at the DMV for the privilege of doing so.

I can understand the extra fee for no-showing, but really, suspending my license? Over a stupid camera ticket?  I go to school full time and I work part time and not having a driver's license (even for a small amount of time) is going to be extremely difficult for me.  I already had to miss some classes due to being sick, and I can't afford to take more time off to deal with this.

Sorry for venting, it's just really really frustrating that they won't just let me pay and move on.  Anyway I guess I have two questions for the scholars of /r/legaladvice:

My license apparently hasn't been suspended yet--can I prevent it from being suspended by, say, going to the court and just paying the fine ASAP?  Is there some other way to prevent them from taking my license?

The King County [online ticket payment site](http://your.kingcounty.gov/kcdc/payonline/) has my ticket listed, but doesn't include the additional $52 missed court date fee(??).  This might be a stupid question, but if I pay online at that site, will that get rid of the ticket?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.   Thanks!

Answer:
 > I can understand the extra fee for no-showing, but really, suspending my license? Over a stupid camera ticket?

That's not what it's over.

You committed a new crime- "failure to appear."

*That's* what this is over.

Calling the court first thing Tuesday morning is your best chance to minimize the consequences here.


Title: I've been stealing from work for months and just got caught

Question:
I received a text from my boss saying I am terminated and owe them thousands. I did the math and it only adds up to 900+$. I know for a fact that my coworkers have also been stealing and this company has been breaking numerous laws like selling tobacco products to underaged people and not performing background checks. Not to say I am in the right but all of it is being put onto me. I really don't know what to do about this. Run away and hide? Go to jail? Help please

also not sure what flair to put here I'm sorry.
Topic:
Intellectual Property

Answer:
 First, provide you location.

Then, seek a consultation with a criminal defense attorney.


Title: [Virginia] Company is going to switch PTO models and noted they would "zero" out all existing PTO. Is this legal?

Question:
My company is switching from an accrued PTO model to an "unlimited" PTO model. You can use as much PTO as you want, as long as it is approved. I have my reservations about this model, however, I am more concerned about them essentially deleting my accrued time. Is this legal in the state of Virginia? It would be more palatable if they were simply going to cash you out...

Thanks for your help!

Answer:
 How are you losing anything if they're giving you unlimited PTO in return for taking away your accrued PTO? Unless you're planning on quitting some time soon and the company has until now made a habit of paying out unused PT (which is not a legal requirement in VA).Answer #2: In my experience "Unlimited" PTO means you get none.

All accrued PTO should be paid. They can not zero it out.


Title: SC suspended from work until further notice, for not allowing them to search my vehicle.

Question:
Hi there folks, I'm currently shitting.
Our site is a no guns policy, although I was told by HR my first day 3 years ago that as long as they stayed in my car I was fine (I did not get this in writing)

I work third shift, and was called to the conference room. I met with the Safety manager and security manager. The informed me that someone had reported seeing a holster going in or out with me. I told them they could search my tool box, my bag, or my persons.

They said they wanted to search my vehicle. I asked what my options were, and mulled them over for a few minutes.

Option one, they search my car and find nothing, and I go back to work
Option two: They search my vehicle and find a weapon or contraband. I'm suspended till further notice.
Option Three: I refuse to search, and suspended to further notice. (They also said that me not consenting is the same as finding a gun in my car).

I went with option three, and am now suspended without pay.
I believe they said I can appeal it to a board of managers or the plant manager.

What do I do? I never admitted to having a weapon, and I'm 99% sure I'm fired come next week.

Any help? I know I'm boned, but is there any advice here (legal or otherwise)?

Edit: I have a lawyer calling around 11:00 A.M. est to see what exactly my options are.

Edit 2: Lawyer said the case is interesting, and that she would take it with a retainer. Only after I'm officially terminated though.

Answer:
 If you're that sure about being fired soon the smart thing to do would be to look for a new job.

HR gave you some bad advice- they basically told you what we don't know we don't know. They have a right to exclude guns from the premises. They can ask to search your car. You have the right to refuse the search. They can then fire you for refusing the search.


Title: [Little Rock, AK/Edinburgh, UK] Husband involved in police pursuit, police stopped pursuing him, can they pursue him still over it?

Question:
We're from Little Rock, Arkansas. Went over to the U.K. two weeks ago to see my best friend (she's 36) who's married to a dude (34m) across the pond in Edinburgh. I'm 38, my husband's 35.

I've known my friend since I was 15.

Anyway, my husband and his friend went for a drive through Edinburgh (her husband was the driver), he told me that they went to some local towns, Niddrie/Niddry (how do you spell it), Gogar, and some other Edinburgh suburbs, and the police saw them speeding in my friend's Fiesta. (AFAIK from my friend, it's a newish 2016 Fiesta ST).

My husband admitted to me that he'd been throwing items from the back of the Fiesta on to the road; some sweets, a box of Butterfingers, some Milk Duds boxes, a tub of ice cream, a bottle of whisky, some packets of potato chips, some Doritos, a box of paperwork, a hard disk that you plugin to a PC, some bikinis, some papers and bags of rubbish, and finally, he threw a jack (that thing for fixing the spare tire) out of the car on to the road.

He said that my friend's husband instigated it (he wanted to copy what he'd seen on a YouTube video for someone called Charli XCX where she's in a police pursuit) and that the police followed them up to somewhere called Mid Calder, then called off the pursuit, apaprently they stopped following them.

He told me how some police BMW was following them for miles then gave up.

AFAIK the police call off pursuits for public safety... would this be why?

Me and my friend were having a girly chat, she was talking about her American Womens Club membership, etc., her marriage (she's only been married 18 months).

AFAIK, the police haven't gone after my friend's husband, or my husband, so neither are gonna end up in the slammer, for now, but theoretically... could they?

How likely is it that the police could pursue him for it, would they get a warrant for his arrest out over here in Arkansas? Would the U.K. authorities even want to get him?

We're supposed to be visiting the U.K. again in January, and will they be interested in trying to get my husband over this behavior?

Sorry. Confused American here not really understanding the British legal system.

Need advice. We're coming back to the U.K. for 3 weeks in January and I wonder if this will affect visas etc.

Will we need to get U.S. embassy help or the like?

Answer:
 Are you sure your husband is 35, and not 15? What in the wild world of sports was he _thinking_?

In any case, no, the UK authorities will not be able to arrest him in the US. r/legaladviceuk will have a better handle on what specific laws your husband and his buddy broke, but you can safely assume the officer noted down the car's plate number and will be around to ask your friend about it at some point.


Title: Sealed juvenile record from a dumb mistake when I was 13 is the first thing that comes up when you google image my name. Because of a website called Bailbondcity

Question:
I'm in college and am going to job search after I graduate and the picture is something that was an accident that happened a long time ago. I called my local police departments and submitted a request with the FBI because this is not public data. I did everything I needed to do for this not to be on my record.
Is there anything I can do? Or have a lawyer do? please, please help me.

Side note: there is also a couple of websites in the google search that have my name, address and DOB it says because of my voting id? That is less important for me but I wanted to ask also, thanks.
Edit: I live in Florida, US

Answer: Sorry, those things pretty much never get removed. Best way to combat this is using SES to have other things tied to your name come up instead. Whatever you do, do not pay a fee to the site to remove your image. It won't work and will pop up somewhere else.Answer #2: Voting record sites are absolutely legal. Anyone can see your name, DOB, address, party affiliation, and which primary ballots you voted.Answer #3: Brandyourself.com


Title: Landlord demanding a 60 day notice before I move out in Wisconsin.

Question:
I just received a letter under my door stating that I need to give a 60 day notice if I will not be renewing my lease.

&#x200B;

The exact verbiage is: **"you are required to give a 60-DAY WRITTEN notice from the first of the month to terminate your lease. If you fail to give a 60 day written notice prior to the termination of your lease, or fail to return this notice, we assume you are not moving and you will be charged based on your month-to-month rate listed above."**

&#x200B;

This apartment has been 1 bad experience after another and I can't wait to leave. The only issue I have with giving a 60 day notice is that they have two months to open my doors to strangers for tours. This feels like a huge invasion of privacy. I understand my unit will need to be shown to prospecting renters, but I always thought that threshold was only 30 days.

&#x200B;

Is this legal for them to require a 60 day notice allowing two months of touring in my unit? Or can I wait until my last month to turn in this form.

&#x200B;

Thank you.

Answer: If your lease mentions requiring a 60 day notice, you're required to give 60 day notice.


Title: Delaware Secretary of State sent us a “tax notice” saying we owe money to the state

Question:
So I’m kind of freaking out and I don’t know what to do. I think I could be screwed.

I registered a business I was trying to start as a C-Corp in Delaware in 2016. This “corporation” has never made any revenue and has no money in its bank account. I’m the only person that has been on its board and owns 100%. (I know, looking back, I should have run this business as a sole proprietorship or an LLC. Lesson learned.)

I paid the minimum franchise tax ($175) and filed my $0 revenue in 2016 and 2017. However, at this point, since I still had made no money, I decided to quit trying to make this business work.

Because of this, I forgot to file corporate taxes in 2018. Nothing came of it, I never heard from them. Then like an idiot I also didn’t file in 2019. I kept on putting off closing the business.

**Two days ago, I got a notice from my lawyer that Delaware Secretary of State had sent me a tax notice that said I owe $121K.** If I don’t pay it in full by June 1 I will get additional interest added to it and owe $123K.

I knew that I would have to pay a penalty of $200, since this was the fine from not filing on March 1, along with a minimum franchise tax of $175.

How did $375 turn into $123K? The corporation has $0 in its bank account. **Can Delaware expect me to pay when the corporation has no money? Can they take money from my personal bank account?** Who should I talk to to get this figured out?

My “lawyer” is this firm called Rocket Lawyer, I get assigned to a different intern every time I contact them. I just used them to pay my franchise tax bill and get my incorporation paperwork drawn up. I don’t have the money to hire an actual lawyer.

Would appreciate advice/ help.

Answer:
 There was somebody in a similar situation where they were told they owed $62K in [this thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/7llzk0/i_owe_delaware_62000_in_corporate_tax_for_a/). The consensus there seems like it's just a quirk of how they calculate things when they have 0 info, but if you actually do your taxes and tell them the company has no assets you pay the expected rate ($375).Answer #2: This happened to me in GA for a LLC I had when I failed to report sales tax on time.  Got a bill for $4k when in actuality I owed them $32.

The key is to talk to a person.  She told me the $4k was the average amount owed by small companies and that’s all they had to go on since I failed to report.  The remedy - I submitted the missing forms, paid my $32, and a nominal fine.


Title: Dead rodent in can of iced tea [WI]

Question:
I left an open can of iced tea in my car overnight and after finishing the drink in the morning, discovered what looks like a baby chipmunk or possibly adult mouse in the bottom. I haven't cut the top off the can yet. Is there a way I can determine whether it was bottled in there or crawled in there during the night? Would I have to get a private autopsy done? If I just give it to the health department, is there a way I can ensure it actually gets tested?

I don't really want to involve a lawyer unless I have evidence it was the company's fault, but I don't want to ignore a possible public health issue either. I'm not feeling sick yet and the doctor just said to come back if I start vomiting or having stomach pains. My main hesitation is, if I do end up getting sick, but I've already given the can to the health department, then I've relinquished my only piece of evidence.

Answer:
 I happen to know a good deal about the canning process.

Considering the way that beverages are canned, it's extraordinarily unlikely that a foreign body would get trapped in a can, especially so for something as large as a rodent.

Even if a rodent were to get trapped in a can, there are multiple systems (specifically, measured dispensed product and product weight) designed to detect anomalies that would have kept that can from reaching the consumer.

In all likelihood whatever was in there either crawled in there overnight, was placed there after the can was opened, or isn't what you think it is (bacteria and mold growths are often mistaken for small animals, and occur semi-frequently in compromised product).

If it in fact was a canning error, and you do get sick, you may have a case. Get any documentation together that you can (pictures, the report from the health department, date of purchase, etc), and cross that bridge when you come to it.


Title: My attorney never filed my claim against car dealership and is now saying it’s too late.

Question:
I’m clearly not a car person & wound up purchasing a certified used vehicle for that very reason in MA. I subsequently learned within 90 days that the dealership violated its own criteria for selling certified vehicle. I do not know the true mileage, model of the vehicle I purchased, it has an open recall, and was sold with an illegal window tint (vehicles with window tints over the allowed percentage of light transmittance is illegal in my state) it’s a manufactures tint so its not a film the actual glass has tint particles embedded in the glass. Keys didn’t work but were checked as being functioning on their multipoint inspection. I’ve been at their service depart over a dozen times. The original manufactures warranty still had a year left when it was purchased & I paid for an additional year extended warranty. After fighting with the dealership on the lot with the owner they refuse to do anything, not even to trade it back for a more expensive model.

So I contacted my attorney general who recommended issuing the dealership with a 93A 30 day demand notice which has gone unacknowledged.  In late 2016 I found a lawyer willing to litigate the claim & met twice with. I paid a fee of $100 to resend my 93A letter and and in March of last year paid another $225 at the second meeting to file my claim in the court after the 93A was unsuccessful. I was told we could sue for threefold the amount of the vehicle and they took the case on a contingency basis.

So in June of this year I received another blank representation agreement in my mail box. I responded in email stating I thought they were filing my claim and attached the form we both signed a year ago while asking they please move on filing my claim with the dealership as promised during our last in person meeting.

I woke up to their reply (approx 3 months after my email responding to their duplicated representation agreement) that states:

“As acknowledged by your email, a volume of time had passed since I last heard from you.  The significant passage of time does not allow me to proceed against the dealership for the issues with your vehicle.

I think we would benefit from a follow-up meeting in-person or by phone. If you wish to do so, please let me know.  My hourly rate of $250.00 will apply (just so you are aware in advance).”

/end correspondence

The $225 is not memorialized on my receipt or the lawyers representation agreement (it shows under charges/expenses etc as being N/A) but I was told it goes toward the cost to file my claim which clearly never happened. Now the attorney stated my window for recourse has closed. When I recall at the last in person meeting the lawyer stated they were moving offices that following day and said they were experiencing a surge in immigration case due to the new administration but would be filing my claim within the next few weeks.

This lawyer was always regularly flakey & would take weeks & months on end to respond to my calls or emails but I assumed they were filing my claim like we agreed. I never received any correspondence during the period we didn’t speak regarding they were waiting on me for anything or warning for a window to move on filing my case with the courts. I received a form we had both already signed a year ago then an email terminating the relationship this morning.

I apologized to them for the time lapse as my mothers been diagnosed with cancer and mentally I have been all over the place. In hindsight I know could’ve followed up but they did warn me litigation would likely take a long time & I feel since they were entrusted with my case for their knowledge of the law they should be responsible for filing their clients claim or at least warning them a window to do so was closing? Do I get another lawyer for this lawyer or another for the vehicle sale idk what to do.

Since purchasing the car its been such a nightmare & my own lawyer essentially screwed me if that is true, any inputs greatly appreciated!

Thanks guys

Topic:
Consumer Law

Answer:
 A few questions:

When did you purchase the car exactly?

What state is this in? Edit: Is MA Massachusetts?

So, just to clarify, you signed a retainer agreement that specified that the attorney would be representing you in this matter? Do you have a signed copy?

Did the attorney specifically tell you the statute of limitations has run on this case?

Depending on the answers to those questions, it might be worth it to first try another attorney. If the statute hasn’t been blown, then I would just let the first attorney be.

But if the statue of limitations has been blown, and you came to the attorney and signed the retainer agreement with more than enough time for him to bring the case, then he officially represented you in that capacity and was duty-bound to file your claim timely. If he did not do so, then this is possibly a legal malpractice case. For that you will have to consult a legal malpractice attorney.

The likelihood of succeeding with a legal malpractice attorney will depend on whether you actually had a viable case to begin with. When they litigate these malpractice cases, it’s like a mini trial within a trial to determine if you would have won the case. If so, then you get damages from the attorney in an amount more or less equaling what you would have gotten had he won your case.

Legal malpractice attorneys also work on contingency fee bases, I believe.

Whether this is all worth the effort to you will depend on how much money is at stake, of course. These can be drawn-out affairs.


Title: Principal married to teacher at the same school--conflict of interest?

Question: I'm currently working as a teacher at a charter middle school in Minnesota. The principal is married to the math teacher at the school and therefore is her boss, negotiates salary, etc. Is this a conflict of interest/ something that should be reported to the state?

Answer: Is this something that you think no one else knows about?


Title: (California) Afraid I can lose my B.A or get into legal trouble with my University if they find out I am still working in a student position.

Question:
I graduated university in spring 2017 but was offered to continue working at the university by my current supervisor. I accepted her offer thinking it would be an actual position, but she just continued my student position. She told me she was only able to hire students but said she still wanted me around so she had payroll continue my student position. I had no problem with it since I was planning on staying in town for another year and needed some kind of work, but now I am freaking out over what the consequences would be if the university found out I am no longer a student. Can they take away my degree? I don't think they would be able to, but I am still concerned. Can I get into any legal trouble for continuing to work in a student position without being a student?
All answers and advice are welcome.

Answer: They won't take away your degree.


Title: I'm in a band and I'm getting cyber bullied with false allegations. They've ruined me. What can I do?

Question: I have recently been accused of being a racist and or nazi. These allegations are completely false but the owners of a music label on Facebook has been posting and sharing hateful things about me nonstop. They've even brought my band and our manager into the situation. They've even went as far as getting complete strangers to add me on facebook just to confront me with hateful things. They are purposely picking on me and now my band manager just because we are girls. I have since deleted my Facebook but its brought unwanted attention towards my band. We wrote a statement clearing the air but they still continue to harass us. I am 30 years old and they would be in my age group. I am currently with child and I'm afraid the extra stress is not good for me. I do not have the financial means to hire a lawyer so I'm just wondering whats the best advice someone could give me. Thanks for reading.

Answer:
 > I have recently been accused of being a racist and or nazi. These  allegations are completely false but the owners of a music label on  Facebook has been posting and sharing hateful things about me nonstop

What were the statements that they publicly made, exactly?


Title: (Indiana) Apartment was broken into, and I believe apartment maintenance may be the culprit. High value items were stolen. What can I do from here?

Question:
Hello!

So...the title kind of sums up my question, but here is my problem.

Yesterday my girlfriend and I left for work. I came back home afterward to find my laptop, her desktop, our Xbox and numerous other items had been stolen. We called the police, called apartment management, called renter's insurance, etc. Got that all out of the way.

Our first observation though for all of us was that everything seemed to have been locked up when I got home. The windows, the front door...everything seemed perfectly normal in that regard.

Thing is, maintenance had been in that day to replace a light bulb in the kitchen (one of those really long ones...didn't feel like handling that ourselves), and they left a note saying they were there and left at 11:22 AM. The detective got a picture of that note. Management asked the maintenance person who came in if everything was all normal when he got there, and he said everything looked fine.

So anyway, I remembered I had a cellular iPad and Surface 3 both stolen, so I checked Find My iPhone and Find My Phone respectively. Find My iPhone was not able to turn anything up unfortunately. Find My Phone (for the Surface) did though. At 11:49 AM, my Surface had logged that it was at an apartment complex <10 miles from my current location, in a not so nice neighborhood.

So here is what I know for certain.

1. Maintenance had a key, and was in the apartment likely around the time it happened
2. The maintenance worker in question said the apartment was in good order when he got there, meaning likely the break-in did not happen before he got there.
3. The Surface showed up in a new location (mind you, it was off when I left that morning) almost immediately after he left

Do I have any actionable evidence here? I am planning on consulting with the apartment manager to proceed forward from here, but is this even something that can be pursued? I know not to show up at the other location, simply because he could be armed or something like that.

Thanks in advance for your help, reddit!

Answer:
 #DON'T TALK TO MANAGEMENT UNTIL AFTER SPEAKING WITH THE DETECTIVE

**Management has a VERY clear conflict of interest.** If it turns out that one of their workers stole your stuff **they might be  financially responsible.**

Start knocking on doors. The neighbor down the road might have seen the worker acting suspicious.

You say that the worker was there at 11:22 and that the Surface was at another apartment complex <10miles away at 11:49. This makes me think that he stole it then immediatly droped it off.


Title: Update: (NJ) Got in an accident while working for Uber but didn't have a customer at the time. My insurance company doesn't know I drive for Uber

Question:
My original post is [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/3n6wx6/nj_got_in_an_accident_while_working_for_uber_but/)

So both cars have been written off and I found out that the driver of the other car had to have surgery on her broken arm. I don't know what if any kind of insurance she has for medical or her car. I only have personal insurance, not ride sharing. I have been determined to be fully at fault (100 percent) for the accident. The police know I was waiting for a fare and that I work for Uber because I stupidly told them when they first got there after it happened. My insurance hasn't said anything to me but I'm afraid they will find out. Is there anything I can do to help or protect myself here?

Answer:
 There are likely three consultations you need to have.

1. Personal Injury Attorney to help defend you
2. Bankruptcy attorney for when you get hit with the suit for the bills
3. Bike shopAnswer #2: >  I don't know what if any kind of insurance she has for medical or her car.

Whether the other driver has health insurance or not is moot.

> The police know I was waiting for a fare

How did you cause an accident by just waiting?

> there anything I can do to help or protect myself here?

For now, wait for your insurance company to make the next move.


Title: Confirmed we were adopting a dog from a shelter, the next day they let someone else pay a deposit on the same dog and now they won't give us the dog.

Question:
This is in Washington state.

My school provides spay services for local animal shelters by allowing students to spay the dogs. I recently fell in love with one of the dogs my friend spayed and called the shelter to see if she was available to adopt. Someone else had expressed interest in her before she was sent off to be spayed, but they hadn't paid a deposit. The shelter told me that if I paid the deposit at that time, I could get the dog. So I called my husband and okayed it with him, then called the shelter back. I had my credit card out and ready to pay but they told me that because I'm a student I'm not required to pay a deposit, which was great. I gave them all my info and confirmed the adoption. Before we got off the phone they mentioned a discussion that they needed to have with me, sounded like something medical, and I said I'd call back the next day with my husband to get more info about her history so we'd know what to prepare for.

The next day we called the shelter to schedule the pick up and have the "discussion." They then told me that before we could adopt the dog they needed to check with the person who was first interested to see if they wanted the dog. I told them no, I had solidified our adoption the day before, there was no reason to do that. They claim that their policy is to give the dog to the first person interested, regardless of whether they pay a deposit. Without our permission they called the other party and received a deposit from them, claiming that we hadn't solidified our adoption because we didn't pay a deposit.

We've been talking to the shelter whenever we can, pointing out that they are in breach of a verbal contract, but they are being extremely difficult. I'm terrified they are going to give the dog away when she gets back from the school. I've had a week to bond with this animal, seeing her multiple times a day. She has significant sentimental value to me as well as she was a part of the huge part in my life (my first time spaying a dog).

What can I do to ensure that this dog ends up with us? Unfortunately the shelter is two hours away so we can't just drive there and talk to them.

Answer:
 > They claim that their policy is to give the dog to the first person interested, regardless of whether they pay a deposit.

It sounds like they're following their policy.

>We've been talking to the shelter whenever we can, pointing out that they are in breach of a verbal contract

That might have been true, had a contract existed. However, a contract requires something called "consideration." Given the fact pattern here, I'm unable to find consideration. Given the discrepancies between what you believe and what the shelter believes, mutual assent may also be lacking.