Title: Fired for "drug use", not allowed to test, blacklisted for other jobs [Wichita, KS]

Question:
I am a nurse who was working in a LTC facility for approx 4 months. I received a promotion in that time and multiple commendations from the company. Over all I was well liked and respected for running a tight shift.

A month before the incident I began being harrassed by another nurse. She was very open about her religious views and openly insulted me for being gay, often in front of staff and patients. She then began attempts to set me up for termination, and this was acknowledged by my supervisors. She went so far as to accuse me of narcotic theft, which was easily proven wrong.

After that incident I put in my notice due to hostile environment. They pleaded with me to stay and I agreed with the term that next time she was out of line she would be gone.

Approx a week later I was told to report to the office. They claimed a call had come saying I use drugs, and that I was to be tested. They chose to use an outside tester instead of the usual in-house tests. They also told me I had been "randomly" selected with 7 others. How coincidental that this was the first random, right after the supposed call...but I was the only one to be tested off site.

I was driven to the lab, escorted to the test area, patted down and told I was required to be observed. A male doctor accompanied me, had me pull pants to mid hip, and watched me urinate while looking directly at my penis. I had some difficulty under pressure, and when I gave him my sample he said it wasn't enough. We stood there over 5 min before I finally could go more, adding a small amount of urine to that already in the cup.

I handed him the sample, he took it out, and the tech immediately discarded it. She said it was 2 degrees under temp. I asked about the time between the initial sample and finishing, and she said anything over 4 min to temp testing will be too cool. I would have to go again. Unfortunately, no drinking, and I had 30 min to closing.

When my Supervisor heard this she notified hers and we were told to return to work. I assumed I would test there then return later to the lab. Instead I was met outside, prevented from entering, and told I was terminated. I was also told I could expect great references due to my quality of work, and he was very sorry to see me go. This was by the head honcho. He seemed legit, hugged me and all.

Several hours later my phone blew up with texts saying they announced I was a drug addict and fired for failing a test. **I never tested!** Two friends who tested in building told me they were not allowed to see their results, but were told they passed. Both admitted frequent and very recent use and stated there is no way they really passed.

I dropped the issue and tried to move on. Three months later I had gone to multiple interviews who essentially promised me jobs, only to never hear back or have calls answered/messages returned.

I received a call from a former co-worker a few days later. She said the supervisor had told several patients families that I was fired for being a "junkie" and had told my friend "he will never work again if I have any say". Two days after I called to make a complaint and ask if this was true my friend was fired. For drug use. She immediately scheduled a test and came up clean for the substance they claimed, and dirty for two they didn't.

The state board shows me as active license, and no action has been pursued against me. Narcotic violations are required reporting. There was no report made obviously, because I was never even tested.

Six months later, I still cannot find work. I have *never* had this issue. Each place seems excited, then fades away. Do I have any legal options here? Telling co-workers I was fired for drug use, black listing me, not allowing me to test, bragging about hurting my career, this all seems sketch. My friend is pursuing a case, but I don't have resources to waste on spite. I was commended for my work even as I was terminated, there is no write-up history or disciplinary history. There seems to be a clear personal vendetta. The biggest thing that bothers me is years of building a rep as an excellent nurse is wasted.

I received word this week that each person involved in this issue was recently fired, including the top supervisor. It seems like this could help me.

Sorry for length. It is complicated and I want you to have all info.

TL;DR- Fired and black listed for failing a drug test when I was never tested.

Answer:
 >A month before the incident I began being harrassed by another nurse. She was very open about her religious views and openly insulted me for being gay, often in front of staff and patients. She then began attempts to set me up for termination, and **this was acknowledged by my supervisors.** She went so far as to accuse me of narcotic theft, which was easily proven wrong.

Contact an attorney in your area who specializes in employment issues.Answer #2: See an (employment law) attorney in your area for a consultation. Its possible you have a defamation claim based on some of the facts in your story.


Title: Custody & porn/sex addiction issues

Question:
Illinois

Please go easy on me here, I'm shaking as I type this. I am currently trying to exit my 15+ year marriage to my narcissistic husband that is verbally and emotionally abusive.
He has always been addicted to porn which has has gotten in the way of our marriage and has gotten much worse over the years

On one occasion I walked in on him looking at porn and masturbating 3 feet away from our sleeping son who was around 11 at the time.. He was on a different sofa and I don't believe my son was awake, but obviously could've woken up to see what was going on. I know this has happened at least a few separate times. My husband just said "there's no way he woke up or saw me". Yes he is that messed up to minimize this situation. I was and still am mortified, but also numb because I have walked in on him (by himself) so many times before.

He had been diagnosed as a sex addict and has been in therapy for a year now but I am not seeing any improvements in his behavior. Still addicted to extremely hardcore and offensive porn. (Not child porn).
I feel so embarrassed asking this, but I have brought it up with his therapist a couple times and she didn't seem to flinch.  Am I crazy to think that this is not ok?
My son is now 13 and having emotional issues (cutting and depression). I am in the process of healing myself and getting the hell out of this mess and my son into therapy. Can I use this information if he tries to fight for custody?  I could use any advice possible, I feel very alone fighting this battle. Thanks in advance.

Answer: You're not likely to get anywhere with his _preferences_ in porn, but his habit of masturbating in front of his sleeping kid is extremely concerning. You and an attorney have a reasonable shot at reducing his visitation (to, say, days only, if he can keep it in his pants when he knows his kid is awake) or to supervised visitation (so that there are witnesses if he acts out).


Title: My last final was pushed back because of weather. My flight was not. What do I do?

Question:
I don't know if this is the right sub for this, but I want to know all my possible options here.

I'm an international student in Eastern Canada. Yesterday we got a foot of snow. My last final was supposed to be yesterday at 3 but, due to the massive amount of snow, the university was closed and all exams were pushed back a day. Unfortunately, my flight is still on schedule to leave at noon today. I've called the airline and tried to reschedule but was told that a) it would cost me at least $600, and b) the earliest flight they could get me on leaves two days from now, after the dorms have closed for the summer. I have emailed both my professor and the head of the department explaining the situation but I have yet to hear back. The exam is worth 50% of my grade.

What else can I do?

Edit: The university opened back up this morning and I was able to put in a deferral request with  my department and talk to some ladies in the department office. They were sympathetic and said it would most likely be approved. I also brought up getting the exam proctored near me and they said they'll look into it. Apparently ten of my classmates are in the same predicament but I was the only one to actually show up at the office for a deferral, so I'll probably be fine. Thanks for all your help during my last minute panic post!

Answer:
 First of I know it sucks.

I won't give legal information but rather some practical information. 2 nights of a hotel and 600 dollars are probably cheaper then failing the test.Answer #2: Contact the professor.Answer #3: You can contact the professor and see if he will allow you to write on a different day. But since your flight is about to take off there is probably not a lot to be done. If you go to a maritime school like MUN or Dal or SFX then they will have specific policies about this which usually say that you will be responsible for accommodating weather related changes in schedule. In practical advice: In some parts of Canada a foot of snow during finals is common and it is best practice to leave some space for a deferral between your final and your flight.


Title: Fake sexual assault report

Question:
So I'm just a freshman in my first year in university, this girl and I got close and eventually started to do the do, she was against sex before marriage so we didnt do that, but it was consensual groping for about a month. Every couple of days she would want to talk about how she was feeling uncomfortable about the whole situation, so we decided to stop. The next day or two, she came in and played in bed and asked to start the sexual stuff again, since I wasnt the one who was uncomfortable with it, I just thought she changed her mind.

This happened two or three over the month long relationship when she came in and wanted to break up. I believed it was a clean break, we weren't at each others throats and we were still hanging out every now and then (we were part of the same friend group). She came in after a month of being cool with each other and told me to give her a reason not to report me for sexual assault.

There is no evidence to support her claim, my roommate was in the room several of the times and heard what was going on (please no comments about how trashy that is, I know) and he is willing to testify if it ever comes to that.

She wants to take the 'moral highground,' she knows I work with kids over the summer and hopefully later on, and report me, but not press any charges so that if anyone reports me again, then I'd be sent to court immediately with a record of sexual assault.

I want to know if theres anything I can do if she does file this fake report. Can I contest it and get it expunged from my record?

Any help is welcome, and thank you

Answer:
 >She wants to take the 'moral highground,' she knows I work with kids over the summer and hopefully later on, and report me, but not press any charges so that if anyone reports me again, then I'd be sent to court immediately with a record of sexual assault.

That is not how any of that works.  At all.

>Can I contest it and get it expunged from my record?

Of course you (and hopefully your lawyer) can defend you against the allegations.  If the police come a-knocking, don't try and explain your side to them without a lawyer.  Politely decline to answer their questions without a lawyer present.

Generally just because a police report is made against you doesn't mean it is on your "record".  The criminal record you should be worried about is if you get arrested (and subsequently convicted or not because the arrest is still on the record).

None of that takes into account if she only reports you to the university and they do any administrative types of hearings.
Answer #2: You need a lawyer to nip this in the bud right away.  If she files a report, it could get out of control quite quickly.


Title: Can a landlord force somone out of their home after California wildfires?

Question:
I have a friend who lives in Sonoma County, California, and has been renting his house for nearly a decade.  They were lucky enough to not have their home burn in the fires that ravaged the area.  A few days ago, though, they were given notice by their landlord and will have to vacate.  To me, it doesn't seem right that this is happening, especially since the county is still in a state of emergency (I think) and my friend had to take his parents into his home, since their house did burned down.

I understand that since he is paying month-to-month, the landlord is well within their rights normally to give my friend notice at any time.  But is displacing people from their home during an emergency like this legal?  Does he have any legal recourse?

(There's been speculation that the landlord or someone the landlord knows has been displaced by the fires, and wants to use my friend's home as a replacement.  Nobody has confirmed this, though.)

Edit:  Realized I had automatically assumed a 30-day notice.  I removed that part, sorry.

Answer: Yes, the landlord is well with his rights to do this.


Title: Got fired because I made a complaint

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Sounds like you got fired because HR discovered some emails whose content might have been against company policy.

If that's the case, then the firing was legal and you should file for unemployment.


Title: My rights on my recorded conversations from workplace.

Question:
I have legally recorded interactions from my previous employer. I live in TN.

I am looking for information on my rights to share or distribute the audio.

For the record, they are stonewalling after illegal termination, and I am considering making a post on a personal profile for former coworkers to see my experience and possibly connect with other employees afraid to speak out.

I wonder if they could pose a legal challenge to my doing this or attempt to block my public use of the audio recordings for potential litigation.

Could I transfer the rights and ownership of my files in case something happens to me, so that my family could own the files and use them on my behalf?

Thank you in advance for whatever information or resources you are able to share with me.

Answer: You recorded conversations you were a part of? Did you have a contract? Does it say anything relevant?


Title: [Update] Memphis TN, Eviction for failure to pay rent but all of my rent checks have been deposited.

Question:
[from this post](https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/4yjne3/memphis_tn_eviction_for_failure_to_pay_rent_but/)

I spoke with both companies and seemed to have everything sorted. I got a statement in writing from the new company saying that they did not intend to continue the eviction lawsuit and that all rent had been paid.  A few days later I get a receipt from the company saying that the rent money has been accepted “with reservations” and there is a past due amount of $199.50 that I owe.

So I went to court on the day it was scheduled even though the guy at the rental place explicitly told me I didn’t need to, and somehow my case was still on the docket.
The judge suggested we go outside and talk while she moves on to the next case. When I get outside I first talk to the witness/representative from the rental company. He says he agrees with me but “he’s not sure what the boss is going to want to do” and he motions at the person I thought was the court clerk (who was talking to someone else at the time) so I ask what everyone’s role is and find out that the other person is just an attorney hired by the rental company (and others)

So then I talk to the lawyer who then tells me the same thing “this sounds kinda silly, you probably don’t need to worry about it, but I’m not sure what [the rental company] is going to want to do about this.”

Then the lawyer and company rep go off and talk for a bit. The company guy left and the lawyer came back said they were going to ask that the case be dropped from the schedule and he mentioned that if the debt was sold to a collection agency they might reopen the case in order to collect. He said I could ask that the case be dismissed (I think is the word he used) and then it would be done completely. When we went back before the judge he asked that it be dropped from the schedule and the judge asked me, and I said that I would like it closed completely and done. So it got scheduled for a new trial date.

Anything I additional I should do or have prepared for the next trial date?

Answer:
 You'll want to make a motion that the case be "dismissed with prejudice."  That means that they can't file it again.  Have the statement that shows all rent paid with you and show it to the judge.

Don't talk to the other lawyer or anybody else who works for the other side.  They tried to cheat you by telling you not to show up for your case.  You can't believe anything they say to you.

If you get papers from the court showing the case has been dismissed before the new trial date, call the Clerk to make sure that's what really happened.  If it says anything other than dismissed with prejudice, talk to a lawyer to find out exactly what it means.


Title: Tipping pool, can my manager take 35%, and distribute them to bartender, kitchen staff and themselves?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Managers can't share tips intended for you.  Kitchen staff and bartenders can be given share.

https://mdrestaurantlawyer.wordpress.com/category/tip-pooling/

http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/maryland-laws-tipped-employees.html

http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs15.htm


Title: [TX] Going to court for Order of Protection from ex-boyfriend. He also has an arrest warrant for attempting to assault me. Will he be arrested at court if he shows up?

Question:
Hi /r/legaladvice, hoping you can help me on this. A link to the situation occurring: https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/5fu20s/tx_my_22f_psychotic_exbf_34m_with_prior_burglary/

----

My ex-boyfriend has a warrant issued for his arrest (F1 felony; Burglary of Habitation with intent to Assault) after breaking into my home 2 weeks ago. To my knowledge, he has not been arrested yet. HOWEVER, we have a court date for tomorrow because I filed for an Order of Protection. If he shows up, will he be arrested? I'm asking because technically he doesn't need to have an arrest warrant for me to get a Protection Order from the court, and it's not the "same" issue (although I am seeking the Order of Protection due to the burglary/assault). Will they check him for warrants and arrest him there? Or let him go because it's "not their problem," so to speak? Thank you.

Answer:
 He is just as much of an idiot as he seems to be if he shows up in court.

That said, arrive very early, dress with respect to the court, and act professionally. During a break (or before proceedings), ask a bailiff (sheriff) if you can speak aside to them for a minute. Explain your situation briefly and concisely and tell them just the facts: your ex-BF is due in court and you believe that he may have a felony warrant for burglary and assault against you. They will handle it from there, but be prepared to repeat your concise story to an ADA or the judge. If he shows up and can be positively identified, there is an almost 100% chance he will be arrested on scene and escorted to jail.

It is OK to smile smuggly at that point. Be strong!Answer #2: If he turns up make the court clerk and/or the bailiffs/sheriff's deputies in attendance aware that you understand there is a warranty out for his arrest. They should handle it from there.


Title: Apartment building in Texas renovating my apartment while I’m still living in it

Question:
Hello,

I came home Monday night to an unlocked apartment with all my lights on. I walked inside to my bathroom and all of my personal belongings and personal hygiene items were strewn about the bathroom floor and the sink was trashed.

I thought it was a break in or something but my then I realized my ceiling fan was new and I had a new sink and new lights in the bathroom. Later, someone tried to enter my apartment without knocking.

I found out that my apartment complex started renovating the units without prior notification to the residents.

I had no idea that they were going to be entering my apartment and renovating everything.

I emailed the front office that night and did not get a response the next day until after I called the front office. I told them my concerns and showed pictures of the bathroom situation, but got no response.

Yesterday, when I got home at 6:30 pm, the door was unlocked again and my lights were on again. My kitchen was completely torn up and I could not even use it to cook. At this point, construction workers entered my apartment to finish sealing the countertops. They did not leave my apartment until 7:00 pm.

All of my personal belongings were placed in the living room, including dirty dishes from my sink. The dirty dishes (still with water from the sink in them) were placed on my couch.

Today, when I got home. My door was left unlocked again and I am still unable to use my kitchen.

I have expressed my concerns to the front office and have not gotten a response back.

Do I have any rights? / what can I do in this situation?

I have read my lease and there is no clause regarding renovations during occupancy or an unlivable apartment situation.

And just FYI, I leave the apartment at 6 AM for work and do not get back until 6:30 PM. The office is only open from 8:30-5:30.

Please help.

Answer: NAL, but I do manage some properties for a family member. The leases we sign require us to give 24 his notice before entering a unit except in an emergency. This seems really bizarre. Are you certain you didn't miss a flyer or notification of some kind? Can you call the office during business hours? They should at least be locking up when they leave - that would make me super anxious.


Title: [Advice] Ghost Employee at State Job

Question: Hello Guys! I'm currently working for the state of (REDACTED) on a project that is a contract employment. I have not worked a single day and still log hours in and get paid, my supervisor and recruiter have not reached out to me to talk about me not working at all. Am I good to do this or no?

Answer: What do you mean you haven't worked but log hours. Are you submitting false time sheets?


Title: Is it legal to refuse cash at a store in United States?

Question: Walk into a subway and they said they were only excepting credit or debt.  I never heard of someone not excepting cash.  not planning on making a stint, but curious.

Answer: Yes, just like they can accept only cash.


Title: [WA] Sold a used car with “as is” written on bill of sale. Maintenance proving to be too much for buyer and now wants to return the car.

Question:
The engine light was on during the test drive. My zip code did not require emissions/smog testing to register the vehicle, however the buyer’s county does. The car failed emissions now they want to return it and are threatening small claims. Both parties retained signed copies of the bill of sale which explicitly states the car is being sold as is. Already filed the title transfer stuff with the DMV. Do I stick to my guns and refuse to take the car back?

EDIT: I informed them the engine light was throwing a code 4 and that I didn’t know what the meant. The buyer sent us a screenshot of the failed test after purchase of the car stating the 4th cylinder misfired, hence failed emissions. I never had the car diagnosed so had no knowledge of the extent of any wear/damage.

Answer: Remind him the sale was as-is and to have a blessed day.Answer #2: Absolutely.  Assuming you did not withhold information during the sale, it was as-is and final.  They’re on their own.


Title: Received a letter from the IRS stating I owe $900.

Question:
Location is Florida.

Today I received a letter from the IRS stating that I owe $900 due to an error in my 2015 tax return. I file every year as single and do a simple 1040 ez through free turbo tax.

I pay for college out of pocket and usually file appropriately. I do not claim perilous items such as book bags and transportation or anything of the like. I had one job serving tables for a corporate restaurant during that year and have claimed tips every year aside from 2016.

The letter contains all of my info including a correct social security number.

What should I do next? Lawyer up or independently speak to the IRS? While $900 is not crazy it certainly hits into my plan and savings.

Thanks in advance!

Answer:
 Why do they say you owe $900?  For instance, maybe they think you under-reported income.  If it's not clear from the letter, just call them up.  Hold times suck, but once you get someone, they're typically very helpful.

They do make mistakes sometimes.  One year, their system somehow misplaced a decimal point on a 1099 someone issued me.  So instead of 2,123, they thought I had been paid 21,230, and sent me a scary bill.  I wrote them a nice letter with a copy of the 1099, and they corrected it.

Lawyer probably not necessary unless they insist you owe and you want to fight it.


Title: Want to set up a webcam that shows the line outside of a restaurant in Kentucky. Any issues here?

Question:
Hi, I live across the street from a popular restaurant in my town in Kentucky, so popular that it often has a line with a long wait. I'm thinking about setting up a public webcam and website that will broadcast the front of the restaurant so people can see the line before they decide to go. The webcam would be placed inside my apartment, just pointing out a window, across the street at the restaurant and its parking lot.

I won't be trying to make any money from the website, just want to do a small public service. I know many people have said it sounds like a good idea and they'd love to use it.

Thoughts? Thank you!

Answer:
 There is no expectation of privacy if your outside in a line. You are free to record anything in public view. Answer #2: Sounds like a valuable service to me. Like the other dude said, you need to consider the implications of recording a conversation, but KY seems to be pretty lenient about that:

"It is a felony to overhear or record, through use of an electronic or mechanical device, a wire or oral communication without the consent of at least one party to that communication. A conversation which is loud enough to be heard through the wall or through the heating system without the use of any device is not protected by the statute."

By the way, my college beat UK in football last year, in Lexington.


Title: Reported suspected animal abuse to vet and...

Question:
So myself and another person called a veterinarian to report suspected animal abuse. I called anonymously and left a voicemail stating my concerns about the animal and the owner having animals die on him in the past. I also stated that the vet should call the proper authorities and report it, which I believe they’re supposed to do anyway. My friend also called in and reported her concerns. Well this veterinarian wrote our names and phone numbers *THAT SHE TOOK FROM CALLER ID* inside the medical record that the OWNER of this animal could see. He has since published both of our phone numbers online in order to cause his friends and followers to attack us. He has also threatened an interstate lawsuit (which I believe is bollocks because he had to create a go fund me page to pay his vet bills; but he is going around saying it). He has also made a public post saying that this vet said she would write a notarized letter. I mentioned it to the vet when my husband called them to ask why they put our information in the medical records. She stated then that she has NO INTENTIONS on writing any letters for him.

My question is, is it illegal for him to publicly publish our phone numbers generating harassment? What can I do about it?

States involved: Indiana, Tennessee, Florida.

Answer:
 If you give your phone number to a random person there is nothing restricting them from giving it to anyone else.  Call the police if you think an animal is being abused, quit giving out your personal information to strangers, and get an attorney if you are sued.Answer #2: Are the guy's online postings directly threatening your life or well-being, or did he ask his readers to harass you? If not, you could have an attorney write a cease-and-desist, but that would be pretty much your only recourse.

The vet had no obligation to keep your information private, even information gleaned from the voicemail metadata. (And also had no real ability to do anything you couldn't do yourself--why did you not go to the proper authorities yourself, instead of relying upon a third party?)


Title: [US-OR] Hosting company dishonestly advertising in my name using quotes made up by them.

Question:
A few weeks back I dropped the (fairly large) hosting company I was using because I was not satisfied with the ability of their customer service.

A few days ago, I received an email from them stating that my "review" of their services had been approved by the admin. Having never submitted a review of any kind, I was puzzled. I checked on their website, and in their reviews and testimonials section they have written a gleaming review, praising their "Great service, reasonable price and good uptime." under my name.

I have never said any of the things that they are quoting me as having said to them or anyone else.

What are the best things I could do in this situation?

Thank you.

Answer: The words "fraud" and "cease and desist" come to mind. Have a C&D letter written to them, stating that you never stated any of those things, and to remove them from their site.


Title: [FL, USA] Condo Management Company switched parking security companies this month. My lease and existing decal from the last company end at the end of this month. Today they threatened to tow my car if I don't buy their year long decal for 149.00. Do I have any recourse?

Question:
UPDATE. Expressed my opinion and alluded to the fact that we were looking into legal advice and was told that our cars would be exempted considering the circumstances and short amount of time on our lease plus the fact that we already provided an intent to vacate.

I appreciate all of the advice and for giving me some added confidence that I wasn't alone in thinking that was effed up.

Answer:
 I would pay for the decal then sue the management company in small claims for 150 for breach of contract, purchasing your existing parking pass was a contract which they violated by refusing to honor the last 2 weeks of the pass.

As a strategic note, if they are your landlord, wait until you have moved out and gotten your deposit back before serving them, otherwise I guarantee they will come up with BS deductions from your deposit.Answer #2: This situation would be even more unfair to someone who signed a lease 2 months ago and still had 10 months on their parking decal.   Will the new management company offer a pro-rated decal?   not legal advice, but a local TV station investigative reporter would probably love to pursue a story like this.


Title: Wife wants divorce few months in, I owned house years before we even dated, can I change locks?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: No. You should get an attorney asap. He or she may be able to get a court order barring her from taking any property. Answer #2: That would be an illegal eviction. Absolutely do not do it.Answer #3: Move all your stuff that you don't want her taking, that belongs to you of course, and move it to a storage locker. DO NOT change the locks!Answer #4: PA is an equitable distribution state vs community property (which will be relevant during divorce) but at this time she at the very least has tenant rights.


Title: Had a fire at my apartment and my landlord's insurance company is coming after me for almost 40K

Question: About 2 years ago, I had a fire on the balcony of my apartment.  It was determined to be cause by an improperly disposed cigarette.  My landlord's insurance company covered the cost of repairs and now they are coming after me through an attorney for approximately 40K. I have tried talking to several lawyers, but so far they all just deal with claiming bankruptcy. I don't really want to do that unless its my only option. I was hoping to negotiate a settlement, but I can't find a lawyer that does that kind of thing. Any advice on options or the type of lawyer I should talk to would be greatly appreciated. I live in Richmond, Virginia.

Answer:
 Do you have renter's insurance?Answer #2: > My landlord's insurance company covered the cost of repairs and now they are coming after me through an attorney for approximately 40K.

Are you being sued, or have you just been sent letters by the attorney?

I'm surprised you're having this much trouble locating an attorney.  Any decent civil attorney should be able to take this case.  The Virginia State Bar allows you to [search for members](http://206.113.151.134/attsearch/search.aspx) in your area.


Title: Sudden parking violation enforcement threatens my neighborhood of narrow streets. I got two tickets - one per vehicle. Please help me crush this.

Question:
Edit:  I am in Indianapolis.

Without putting up 2 wheels on the curb, parked cars block the streets and are in danger of the accidents that have already occurred with cars with all four tires on the street pavement.  Recently, I got two parking violations for my cars "parking on the sidewalk."

I don't have full coverage insurance, and I don't want to endanger my car and truck to gratuitous collisions.  Also, local businesses in the area affected by the sudden enforcement of this narrow-sighted law will suffer as their customers are discouraged by parking violations.  For years, people have been parking with two wheels on the curb or sidewalk to help keep this stupidly narrow streets clear.  Our municipality seems to need money now, and it's trying to squeeze it out by deprecating a parking tradition of safety, but it may suffer by deterring business in the encouragement of crowding the narrow streets and damaging cars in otherwise avoidable accidents.

I read on the ticket that I have seven days to appear to argue my case.  This is day 2.  I am seeking counsel for this elsewhere also, but I would like help from here as well on how to strike these two tickets and get back to parking on the sidewalk.  Or just getting rid of the tickets.

I contacted the Attorney General's office, but I'm told they can't help me as they don't have jurisdiction in the matter.  Oops.  And I emailed 3 lawyers, but no one got back to me.  Is this because it's hopeless?
Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer: Parking laws are what they are. The city has every right to enforce the law and ticket the cards. You should work on changing the law rather than fighting the ticket.


Title: What are the consequences of entering an "employee only" zone?

Question: Obviously I'd be asked to leave. If I agreed to leave when asked, would there be any consequences?

Answer: It could theoretically be considered trespassing.


Title: [Seattle WA] Landlord wants me to pay extra month's rent because I didn't give 20 days notice to vacate, but I'm on a fixed term lease where it shouldn't apply.

Question:
I'll try to keep this as manageable as possible.

In Washington state you are required to give 20 days notice if you leave a unit. I didn't know this, I'd moved to the area 18 months ago and didn't have to deal with this before.

My Landlord keeps citing [RCW 59.18.310](http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=59.18.310), which states that
>(1) When the tenancy is month-to-month, the tenant shall be liable for the rent for the thirty days following either the date the landlord learns of the abandonment, or the date the next regular rental payment would have become due, whichever first occurs.

But for a fixed term lease,
>(2) When the tenancy is for a term greater than month-to-month, the tenant shall be liable for the lesser of the following:
(a) The entire rent due for the remainder of the term; or
(b) All rent accrued during the period reasonably necessary to rerent the premises at a fair rental, plus the difference between such fair rental and the rent agreed to in the prior agreement, plus actual costs incurred by the landlord in rerenting the premises together with statutory court costs and reasonable attorneys' fees.

~~Additionally, I've seen [RCW 59.04.030](http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=59.04.030) which states that~~
>~~In all cases where premises are rented for a specified time, by express or implied contract, the tenancy shall be deemed terminated at the end of such specified time.~~

While that doesn't apply to landlord-renter agreements, I did find this ([RCW 59.18.220)](http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=59.18.220) which states
>(1) In all cases where premises are rented for a specified time, by express or implied contract, the tenancy shall be deemed terminated at the end of such specified time.

Wouldn't that mean that my tenancy was deemed terminated at the end of the lease, with no necessary notice from me for the landlord? He was presuming I'd go on longer, but I never gave any indication. In fact, I insisted on a 6 month lease (and he incorrectly gave me a 7 month lease originally, which I had to have him correct.)

My landlord is trying to say that it's just my interpretation of the law, and that I'm still required to give 20 days notice. In our lease it states
>1.TERM: The term of this Agreement shall begin on **02/01/2015** and end on **07/31/2015**. Upon expiration of the term, this Agreement shall revert to a month-to-month tenancy on the same terms and conditions as this Agreement except as may be amended by Owner upon 30 days written notice.

My landlord says that they assume I'm going to stay on, and that makes it a month-to-month lease, but it says upon *expiration* of the term, and I gave him notice on 07/20/2015. He says that doesn't matter, and that I'm just interpreting the lease to suit my own needs, but I don't think that's the case.

He then cited [RCW 59.18.200](http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=59.18.200) which states
>(1)(a) When premises are rented for an indefinite time, with monthly or other periodic rent reserved, such tenancy shall be construed to be a tenancy from month to month, or from period to period on which rent is payable, and shall be terminated by written notice of twenty days or more, preceding the end of any of the months or periods of tenancy, given by either party to the other.

His argument behind that is that I'm defaulting to month-to-month, but that only applies to an indefinite rental period. I have a defined rental period of 02/01/2015 to 07/31/2015, and within that defined period I gave my notice that I would not be renewing.

He's trying to get me to pay another month's rent at $1420, obviously I'm trying my hardest to not get hit what that. His reasoning thus far has been

>Well how would you feel if you were in my position?

>No, you're paying it, no matter what!

>That's just your legal interpretation.

I don't know shit about the law but he has not been able to point me to a single law stating that for a fixed term lease I am on the hook for a 20 day notice. Can anyone with more expertise please help?

Thanks a ton, I've been pulling my hair out over this for the past day.

Answer:
 actually, he sounds correct. generally it's an option to go to month to month, but this makes it automatic (which seems designed to do exactly this).

now, that said, if you refuse to pay the rent he can file against you for it, and you can defend your interpretation at that point. don't pay him until there's an order or if you stay there. Answer #2: I don't know WA law, so you'll want to talk to a tenant's advocacy clinic or some such, but I read it the way your landlord does.

The default rule in many states is that --unless the lease says otherwise-- no notice is needed at the end of a fixed term.

Your lease says otherwise -- by specifying that the lease does not automatically terminate at the end of the term.

Note, though, that if a new tenant occupies in the month of August, you're entitled to a pro-rated refund of Aug rent.Answer #3: RCW 59.04 doesn't apply to residental landlord-tenant agreements. ([RCW 59.04.900](http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=59.04.900))


Title: psychologically disturbed husband, need advice on divorce!

Question:
Hi reddit, I am a 45 year old married women from Nepal. I am currently living in Dallas, Texas. I have been married for almost 26 years now. I have two children (a son and a daughter, both early twenties). My husband has psychological issues (bipolar disorder, i suppose) and severe inferiority complex. He is an avid gambler and gambles all his paycheck money the day he receives it. He also drinks a lot and keeps terrorizing me and my children every now and then.

I somehow do not want to harm him and do not want him deported back to Nepal. I have contemplated on calling the cops while he is violent at times but have somehow stopped by the  thought that it might be costly for my already financially struggling family. He and I have been living separately and haven't had a direct conversation for almost ten years now as I do not consider him as my husband.  I just have some sympathy for him as a human being. He is around 52 years old now. He recently broke my bedroom door by punching it while we had locked ourselves in when he started getting violent. He even threatens to kill me and my children and even shows us kitchen knife at times.

I have thought about getting medical help but he is not willing to go through it and gets aggressive whenever my son bring that up. I am sick and tired of this toxicity in my life and feel severely helpless at times.

What would be the best/ easiest way to get rid of this person and move on with my life?

Answer:
 The best way would be to call the police. He's been violent, and he's threatened you. If he has mental health problems, he may be involuntarily committed on the basis that he is a danger to himself or others.

Please stop worrying about the consequences to him. Its not worth your life.

And then consult with a divorce lawyer. You may not consider yourself married, but you are.


Title: [Indiana] Retrieving (my) stolen bike from shop without informing the shop itself

Question:
This is actually my friend's situation, not mine, just sounded better in the title.

**tl;dr** Can you "steal" back your property which was stolen from you?

On our college campus the local police encourage us to register our bikes with them less they be stolen. Fortunately my friend had done so, so there is solid proof the bike is in fact his. His bike was stolen a week or so ago but he didn't file a police report thinking they wouldn't be able to do anything about it. Fast forward to a couple days ago in a local bike shop (which sells used bikes) he amazingly stumbled upon his bike. I forget the details as to how he knew it was his, maybe the paint was scratched just right, but he was positive the bike was his (let's just assume it is, if the serial # were to check out with the police).

Now we all know what he *should* have done. Call the police, tell the shop owner, etc. But what he actually did do is take the bike off the shelf and walk right out the door. The cashier calmly yelled out something like "sir did you pay for that?" and glanced at his coworker. Well my friend rode off and I fast walked a few yards at which point the running began. In their eyes, we clearly stole a bike. But it was his bike. No force was used and no words were exchanged.

Like I said it's been a couple of days, so he might have gotten away with it, but if he were to turn himself in would he get away with it? Should I be involved in the process? If we do nothing and the police come knocking have we broken any laws just by not turning ourselves in?

Answer:
 Thats the dumbest idea I've ever heard of, and /u/grasshoppa1 constantly tells me how good the Seahawks are.  Which is pretty dumb.Answer #2: > Can you "steal" back your property which was stolen from you?

No, it doesn't matter that the bike was stolen from your friend. What matters is that the shop was in possession of the bike in question and that you removed the bike from their control without their permission.


Title: [NC] Crazy mother harassing

Question:
Good morning, I have a question. At what point can you press charges against someone for harassment?

My mother has a documented history of mentally ill and because we didn't purchase a christmas card for her this year, she has been calling and cursing me out all morning (I've had 25 calls from 5 different numbers since 6 am). This isn't the first time she's had a meltdown like this, but I want it to be the last time. My wife and I have a kid on the way and I don't want this type of person in my life.

I attempted to just block the numbers this morning, but I went by my house on my break earlier today and she was parked at a starbucks very close to where I live. (She live on the opposite side of town... there are 2 starbucks within 2 miles of her house) It makes me nervous that she might do something stupid / regrettable and I want to protect my home / assets but can't be there due to work.

What can I do? I don't want to have her thrown in jail, will a cop just go talk to her? What if she makes crazy accusations back at me when she talks to the cop? I'm just worried that this is going to be ridiculous and something that ends up costing me my job or some of my property.

Thanks

Answer:
 NC LEO here. Go to your local sheriff's office and ask to speak to the magistrate. If you are going to take a restraining order out against her it will be a [50B](http://www.ncleg.net/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/ByChapter/Chapter_50B.html), since she is your mother. The harassing phone calls, and the showing up at places near you fits under [NCGS 14-277.3A](http://www.ncleg.net/enactedlegislation/statutes/html/bysection/chapter_14/gs_14-277.3a.html) which is stalking. Harassing phone calls is also its own charge, [NCGS 14-196](http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/enactedlegislation/statutes/html/bysection/chapter_14/gs_14-196.html).

Tell the magistrate what is going on, and they will tell you want you can do. Some magistrates will let you take a 50b out without other charges, some won't. Know that taking a 50b out against her means you can not contact her either. Also know that 50bs are enforced via arrest.Answer #2: Restraining order. But as another responder replied about not getting the police involved... that's what will happen when she breaks the RO. Sad situation. Best of luck.Answer #3: You can get a civil restraining order against her.  I think the Order is called a 50C Order for a non-domestic violence type order. You may be directed to file for a domestic violence protection order but unless she has physically threatened you or abused you in the past, I don't know if calling you would constitute the type of threat required to get that Order.


Title: Stole some vodka (New York)

Question:
Hello reddit :), I am 16 years old and today I did something oh so very stupid. Me and my two pals were hanging out and drinking some beer when we decided to walk into town and play some basketball. Anyways, as we walk by the local liquor store we see that there is a vodka distributor unloading his truck, and of course we get the bright idea to try and pilfer a bottle. So without a second thought (as the man is rolling his dolly inside the store) I run up the ramp, grab a bottle of Kettle One and run down just as fast before dipping around the corner. So me and my buddies are hiding in the woods and one of them leaves to go get the car, long story short he gets picked up, names are named and the cops showed up at my house so I’m basically screwed. What kind of charges am I looking at here (the bottle is gone, thrown into a lake) and what’s my best course of action? Apparently the distributor guy is meeting with the cops on Monday so I’ll know then. Thanks!!

Edit: Punctuation

Answer:
 You need to tell your parents about this now in case they need to get you a lawyer. This isn't something you can handle on your own. Answer #2: Whatever you do, do not talk to the cops. They will use every trick in the book to get you to confess.

If they come to your door, do not answer. If they call you, do not answer. If you’re arrested, don’t say anything to them without a lawyer present.


Title: school "lost my daughter.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Why didn't you tell the after school program you had her? Geez.

Call the school board of you want to complainAnswer #2: Not a legal issue.  Take it up with the administration.Answer #3: The fact you don't bother to do anything when the issue should have been addressed with school administration (at the point "[i]t freaked [you] out") and you're now seeking help from "legaladvice" makes it out sound like you're one of those who are looking for any reason to bring a lawsuit.  Don't be one of those people.  Have more class than that.

The chain of command for complaining is what it has always been: take your complaint to the boss/supervisor of the person you want to complain about.  If you're not happy with the outcome, then go to that person's boss/supervisor.


Title: [California] Recording cell phone calls at work

Question: I work in IT and have started recording my cell phone calls to cover my ass in case I have to deal with a client lying and saying I broke something when I didn't (people pull this all the time to get out of paying charges). I'm aware that California requires both parties to consent so I know what I'm doing is essentially illegal but it's to protect me from getting fired based on someone's accusations. I recently gave a recording to my boss where someone admits to doing something they shouldn't and he might report them to their manager. I'm worried that if my boss mentions the recording and the person loses their job, they could sue me for it. Is this something that could actually happen?

Answer:
 Not only could they sue you, but they could probably have you arrested too.

Since what you're doing, is, you know *illegal*.


Title: What actions should I take if I feel I’m being discriminated against at my workplace?

Question: I’m the only male left working at my employer in Montana. When it comes to breaks and time off my boss and co-workers don’t give me the time of day. Recently I had to work over 10 hours with only a 4minute bathroom break. This is a job where I have to help customers so I can’t just take a break when I need to. The only other male that worked there left after he couldn’t get coverage for a break. I’ve contacted the Montana human rights commission and they are going to call me for a interview in ten days. I’ve documented a lot of the occurrences where I was treated unfairly and differently. What actions should I take from here? I’m still employed at this job but I hate it.

Answer:
 >What actions should I take from here?

Go to the interview that you set up. Let them investigate and determine whether there is an issue.


Title: [Ontario] My subtenant stole a bunch of my furniture. There are technically 19 hours left to his agreement. What can I do?

Question:
My subtenant has stolen a bunch of my furniture ( the agreement was for a furnished sublet) I came by today to ensure move out, and he's mostly moved out, including some of my things.

I've called the landlord to change the locks.

I've called the police to file a report.

I'm cleaning the place as he left it, and my question regards the odds and ends left over.
Since it's a subtenancy, do I have to keep his trash? how long?
Since he's short on his last rent payment, does that change anything?

Any advice is appreciated. I am a student myself, and don't want to be holding onto his old bongs in case he sues or something. (as an aside when I called the cops, they said the drug use is unenforceable)

Trash day isn't for a couple days, can it go on the curb?

Answer:
 Call the police to report the theft.

**Do not** attempt to have the locks changed unless his is over and he no longer has any rights to the the property.

RTA - C24 - "A landlord shall not alter the locking system on a door giving entry to a rental unit or residential complex or cause the locking system to be altered during the tenant’s occupancy of the rental unit without giving the tenant replacement keys.  2006, c. 17, s. 24."

Provided that it is clear that there is an agreement between the two of you that he is moving out, insomuch as he has given notice to you and it's agreed that his tenancy is ending, you are allowed to do whatever you want with property he abandons in the suite. Be advised that you cannot dispose of it before the actual time when his lease has ended (yes, you have to wait those 19 hours).

RTA - C41 - (1) A landlord may sell, retain for the landlord’s own use or otherwise dispose of property in a rental unit or the residential complex if the rental unit has been vacated in accordance with,
(a) a notice of termination of the landlord or the tenant;
(b) an agreement between the landlord and the tenant to terminate the tenancy;
(c) subsection 93 (2); or
(d) an order of the Board terminating the tenancy or evicting the tenant.  2006, c. 17, s. 41 (1).

You may collect any expenses for disposal of his trash out of his security deposit, or add them to a potential suit for the theft of your own property.


Title: I was unknowingly driving an uninsured car and got into a wreck, now being sued for damages...what options do I have?

Question:
The car was my mother's that I was using for a bit to get to work. I guess her boyfriend didn't make the payment for a month or two so the insurance won't be of any help. I didn't have my own insurance because I hadn't owned a car for several months at that point.

I'm just wondering what options do I have?

I was at fault in the wreck. I am not being sued for any pain or suffering, just the cost of the car + interest + "reasonable attorney fees." Would getting a lawyer be helpful or would I just be "wasting" money since I'm bound to lose?

Car wreck happened in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer: You are totally responsible for the damages. Sure they can also go after the registered owner but if you say she doesn't have much it's trying to get blood out of a turnip. So it's all you. No way around it.


Title: Can landlord break a one year lease? (TX)

Question: My friend signed a year lease with her apartment complex and has been living there for 3 months (from January 1st to now). She lives in a 1 bedroom overlooking a lake and the price is supposed to be more for that particular building because of the view but she got it for regular price. The landlord wants to break the one year lease because of the price difference but my friend doesn't want to move. She has been given a 30 day eviction notice. Does she have to move or can she stay until her lease ends? If she has to move can she force them to pay for moving costs, day off work and manual labor to move the furniture? If she can stay what should she be doing to ensure they don't mess with her anymore.

Answer:
 Unless she's breaking her lease, the eviction notice won't amount to anything.  If she is served with a court summons, she needs to show up.

The landlord cannot unilaterally decide to end the lease unless the lease allows for such a thing.


Title: Rent apartment in Laguna Hills, CA. Leasing agent changes price and dont notice until after I sign application.

Question: Renting apartment in Laguna Hills, CA. Leasing agent tells us apartment is $1955, use $1955 figure for income verification, and always stated it would be $1955. I told her that I needed to hurry since my lunch break is almost over, and she brings back an application I quickly sign. Looking at it now, she had changed it to $1995. Is there anything I can do?

Answer: She may have just made an error. Have you discussed it with her?


Title: [Throwaway] Got a letter reading mother-in-law passed away (in N.Y. State) I received it 30 days after the event and after her funeral. The grandkids are livid.

Question:
The letter my brother-in-law sent me claimed he couldn't find my number and didn't know who to call, sorry for your loss, there is no will, take care of your kids. He left no return address or a phone number.

I am widowed, never remarried. My wife died if cancer after she gave birth. Her mother and I stayed in touch and we visited her in 2016. i think it's cruel to not notify family of a death. Is this legal?

Answer:
 Yes it's cruel. Yes it's legal. Also without a will, your children inherit your wife's inheritance

https://www.nycourts.gov/courthelp/WhenSomeoneDies/intestacy.shtmlAnswer #2: Don't believe someone who stands to potentially benefit from your inaction.

No return address means they want to be hard to find. Waiting 30 days sounds like what someone thinks - or potentially actually is - a waiting time to try to get around notifying for a will.  NAL.

You have no proof that someone is hiding something, but this sounds like what someone would do if they do have something to hide from you. And yes, he could just be an asshole.Answer #3: “There is no will” sounds like there is a will and it was all for your kids but he’s trying to keep it. If he is going full greed mode, there may not have even been a funeral and he just took the cheapest & fastest disposal method possible. I don’t know what kind of person your BIL is but people do some disgustingly selfish things when inheritences are involved. And unfortunately being a shitty human being is legal.

Even if there truly was not a will, there are default laws in the absense of a will and your children are legally entitled to 50% (your wife’s share).

You likely wont be able to recover anything from the bank account, there isn’t much you can do once its been drained unless you hire a forensic accountant and sue the brother... but there may be a life insurance policy your children are entitled to...


Title: Mom in FL is about to receive a large sum of money and is asking me to take the money from her

Question:
Apologies if this isn't clear.

&nbsp;<Enter>

My mom lives in Florida with my stepdad.  Last year she had an accident at work that was the fault of the company.  The company is paying her a large amount of money soon.

&nbsp;<Enter>

My mom has a lot of health issues that did not stem from the accident.  She has battled kidney failure, strokes, cancer, and heart disease for many years.  Honestly, it's a miracle she's still going. Those medical issues she has and the money is what brings me to this forum.

&nbsp;<Enter>

My mom is set to receive this money but does not want the money in her bank account.  She is afraid that even though her name is the only one on her bank account, my stepdad would have access to all of the money if something happens to her.  I have a few siblings. My siblings are the type that constantly use my mom for money.  They are almost 40 and still come to my mom weekly for financial support.  My stepdad does not get along with one or 2 of them and my mom does not want him to leave out anyone.  I am, unfortunately, the most responsible of her offspring and would be the only one to fairly split the money up between my siblings. This brings me to the issue at hand.

&nbsp;<Enter>

I do not live in the US any more but I still have financial ties to the US (including a bank account).  My mom wants to put the check she receives into my bank account.  This amount is about the gift tax exclusion limit so would be subject to taxes.  How would this affect me?  Would she have to pay taxes twice on the money? (once when she gets it, and then once when it transfers to me).  She is also planning on making me her power of attorney this week.  Is power of attorney legal if done in two different countries?

&nbsp;<Enter>

My mom has spoken to a financial advisor but he insists my stepdad would have access to the money in her account and this is the best way to go.  I feel like this isn't the best way to go but wanted to get another opinion.Unfortunately because I am in another country the tax laws for the US are not as well known here.

&nbsp;<Enter>

Thank you for your help!

&nbsp;<Enter>

tl;dr mom is getting large amount of money soon.  Doesn't want stepdad to have access to it if she dies.  Wants to put the money in my account.  I'm not sure how I feel about it. Also, is a power of attorney done in two different countries still legal?

edit: Forgot to ask question about power of attorney.

Answer:
 This is more of an estate handling issue / tax issue than a legal one. She really should meet with an attorney that specializes in estate planning, it'd be alot cheaper than paying taxes on a large sum of money.Answer #2: A Trust under your (or an attorney's) control may be the way to go here, particularly if there's a lot of money here.  It's a more legal structure with more controls than.Answer #3: Simple answer would be a POD (pay on death) account, but that gives you all the money and creates an issue when you gift to your siblings.  Best answer is a living trust with you as the Trustee and Mom as the beneficiary.  Upon her death, the trust becomes irrevocable and the siblings can all be named beneficiaries.

The tax laws of your country of residence are really not an issue here.  It is a U.S. situation and your mother can easily be advised by a local estate attorney.
 Answer #4: Why doesn't she just add you to the bank account payable on death (JTWROS). The funds would immediately pass to you and only you upon her death with no need for probate.


Title: [US] Built a shed, No HOA, Unaware of CC&R until neighbor now complains and requests removal

Question:
As mentioned in the title I recently built a shed on our property. The shed has a proper permit and has been approved by the city. Additionally a major reason I bought this home is there is no HOA so I was under the impression that upgrades like this would not be an issue.

Upon completion of construction of the shed one of our neighbors came over and gave us a CC&R document that was drafted and approved over 20 years ago when the subdivision was built. They of course are complaining about the shed and saying it is in violation of the CC&R.

I was never given the CC&R to review during closing on this home. I checked with my attorney that handled the closing and they also noted we were never given this document.

The CC&R never specifically mentions that a shed is not allowed, but rather states: “No building or structure of any kind whatsoever, other than a residential dwelling and appurtenances thereto,  including but not limited to fences, shall be erected on any lot in the development, except as set forth herein, and no such building or structure shall be or put to any use other than for residential purposes”

Later in the document it mentions that any new construction must be approved by the “Architectural Review Committee” but this just seems like generic jargon used when the document was created, I do not believe such a committee exists. The document also says if anyone does break the rules of the CC&R the developer will not be held liable for taking any action. It is up to any other owner in the development to bring legal action.

So with all this said there are several houses within our neighborhood that have auxiliary structures. Pools, pool houses, pergolas,  gazeebos. Additionally nearly everyone has a fence. It does seem we are the first to build a shed, at least within a ten house proximity.

So with all this said here are my questions:

* Does this CC&R have any legal ground, it does say it expires after 25 years, at which point it “renews for ten year periods forever”
* Wouldn’t a shed be considered “for residential purposes”? I’m using it to store my mower and other lawn tools.
* I was never made aware of this document during closing, I believe this responsibility falls on the title company, would the title insurance cover the costs if I do have to have this removed?
* Any other advice? I appreciate your help.

Answer:
 Call your title insurance and ask them if there are any restrictive covenants that would apply to your land, and explain the situation. This is, as you suspected, what you paid them for: to ensure you receive clean title, and that you are aware of any encumbrances that could affect the value of the land.

_If_ the CC&Rs are actually binding, then you'll likely have to take your shed down. A storage building is not "residential" even if it's used only by residents.Answer #2: On the Moon creation of a HOA is punishable via three weeks in the gerbil pit.

If you're not on the moon location is important, because Title/property law can be extremely state-specific.

1. It may. Is it attached to your deed?

2. No. The document specifically lists home and **attached** pieces.

3. If the CC&R applies to you it's part of your deed. If it applies you're not getting it removed.

4. Don't ignore this, but don't assume your neighbor is right. Look at your own deed first and see if it's bound by a CC&R


Title: My cousin stole over $4000 from my father, and is now threatening to accuse him of child molestation if he goes to the police.

Question:
We only have proof that she stole $2225, because $2225 went missing from my father's savings account, and we tracked it to the apartment complex where she lives.  The payments went to that apartment complex to pay for the two apartments she keeps, and she set up a monthly scheduled payment to be subtracted from my father's account.

Now she comes out with child molestation charges against my father if he goes to the police.  Her mother wants my dad to go to the police, he's wavering on the decision out of sympathy and her history of mental illness.  Also he's a big giant softie when it comes to family.

My question is this:

How bad can this get for my father if she makes the accusation?  I believe she's making it up, partly because I'm biased in favor of my father, but mostly because she has a history of lying for her own personal gain.  How much proof does she need to provide?  All she has is her word, and no one will back her up on it, her own parents included.

Seriously.  I need some advice.  If this can be handled out of court, that would be fine, but I'm still pretty pissed that she took advantage of my parent's trust to steal his account numbers, as well as $2000 in petty cash that my dad keeps in his bedroom.

How much time could she do if convicted?  How much will my dad do if convicted?

I can provide more details in PM

Answer: It's time for your father to get a lawyer and talk to him/her about how to proceed, consultations are usually free. What your cousin is doing is called extortion and it is illegal. Try to gather whatever evidence you can about your cousin's threats. If there are emails, that's great, and witnesses are also good. You may want to have your father's lawyer write your cousin a letter explaining what extortion is and how your lawyer will sue her to kingdom come for damages and have her thrown in jail if she even thinks about it. A lawyer can probably do all this for around $200.00 or less.


Title: [US, CA] I received a state referee ticket for driving my friends car

Question:
So a buddy of mine let me use his 2015 GTR for a couple hours while he uses my car for a music video. I drove his car and within 1 mile of driving it I get pulled over. I was not speeding (approximate speed on ticket was 15mph). The police officer asked for my paper work and before I could explain the situation he says "you got two options, open the hood or have your car impounded for evidence".

The officer had pulled me over for the exhaust being too loud. The car is heavily modified (1000+ horsepower), I open the hood and the officer takes a look for about 10 seconds. He ends up writing me a ticket for exhaust being too loud and a state referee.

The ticket is under my name and the car is not mine. I asked the officer how he expects me to have someone else's car up to code when I have no control over it. The cop said I'm liable for him fixing the car and the ticket is going to be couple thousand dollars.... I don't want to get screwed out of couple grand for driving someone's car for 10 minutes.

Thank you for any input.

Answer: You can see if your buddy wants to compensate you but while you are driving the car you are responsible.


Title: [NY] How do you get an ID if you don't have an ID?

Question: So this person I know has no form of ID since his wallet was stolen, and needs one.  However, as far as I can tell, all ID requires first having ID to get.  We have spoken with legal help and everyone is basically stuck.  This has been going nowhere for months.  The internet may be our last hope for ideas.  So how can someone get an ID when they don't have one?

Answer:
 You can get a birth certificate in New York if you have two recent utility bills or letters to you from a government agency.

Or their parents can get one for them.  Once they have that, they can get a social security card, etc, and then eventually a state ID or passport.


Title: Texas Security Guard Question

Question:
Hello community. I have done some research in the past regarding this matter. I do however want to ask so I can confirm if I was right or wrong.

I don't want to give away too many details as it may be easy to locate me. What I will say for now is I am a Security Guard at a privately owned business. This business is a bunch of small shops under one roof is the idea. We have higher end stores such as Michael Kors, Zales, and others.

With it being a privately owned business, it has it's own codes and rules. One of them is no Animals Allowed unless it is a Service Animal. With all of that said, it brings me to the point.

I was on patrol like I am almost every week. While on patrol, I noticed a dog wearing a vest, with no tags or markings. It looked like a red, almost an orange vest to me. I went up there and asked the woman "Do you mind me asking if that is a Service Dog?" (those were my exact words). She responded "It's an Emotional Support Dog". Not too long after that one of my Supervisors pulls me off of patrol and tells me not to do that again. I said ok and moved on.

My question is this.. Knowing it had no form of identification, I asked politely WHILE in full uniform, and the statement was given voluntarily (she never told me she didn't want to answer).. Was I in the wrong?

I was told that the general rule of thumb when it comes to Service Animals in the law, it is an animal for the Disabled. Is this correct?

While I am here I would like to ask one last question that is off topic. I can't get a clear answer in regards to this. Is all Security Guards and or Personal Protection Officers only allowed to serve under a contract? Can they serve voluntarily if sufficient Legal Documents are signed?

Thank you if you reply and help community. I appreciate any and all answers.

Answer: There is usually no requirement under the law for a person having a service dog or emotional support animal to provide proof the dog is what he says it is.


Title: I need help with a dealership.

Question: I had a car deal fall through and I'm going to get my trade in back. However they are telling me that the body work has already been done (this was before the deal was finalized.) who pays for this? I don't want to be roped in to what they would think is a fair price because it was a luxury car (bmw.) and lord knows how much they think they can charge me for it. The car was purchased in Illinois and I am stationed at fort Campbell.

Answer:
 Read the last page of this document on "Spot Delivery":

http://illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/consumers/new_vehicle.pdf

This is your situation.  The dealership is required to return the vehicle to you.  They should not have performed work on the vehicle before financing was finalized.

Here is a link to the Illinois Attorney General's site:

http://www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/consumers/autobuy.html

It contains resources and phone numbers to get you in the right direction.  I would give the nearest office a call, explain the situation, and ask for advice.  Then follow their advice.

You are correct that under Illinois law, you may return the vehicle and get your trade-in back.  The dealership is in the wrong here and (in my opinion) is trying to take advantage of the situation.

Go get 'em and please report back how it went!


Title: A teacher is threatening students with lawsuits

Question:
Just a little background, I am a student in Ohio at a public school. The logo for my school is just the name and a few weeks ago a senior at my school made a parody of the logo by just changing one letter of the word to change the meaning. It’s nothing vulgar or super insulting but it is a bit derogatory just to the school.

The senior who made the parody logo then printed off a ton of paper stickers and started handing them out to people for them to put on their notebooks, laptops, bags, whatever. But one teacher has taken huge offense to this.

I understand that it is upsetting to see students making fun of your place of work but I feel like she went overboard with it and I think she may have lied about the circumstances.

One day during class she stood up after seeing one of the stickers on a students laptop and told us all that we need to immediately rip off and throw away all of the stickers because it’s illegal. She said that because it was a logo then it was copyright and we would be sued by the school for it.

Now I’m slightly familiar with copyright laws but not really. Is this actually against the law? It is a parody and the guy who made them didn’t sell them; he just gave them away. And it’s a public school so isn’t the logo in the public domain? And lastly, can we be punished at all for having these stickers? Because I feel like it that would be fringing on our freedom of speech and even freedom of protest. Thank you.

Answer:
 The issue of if you can be punished by the school and if this is illegal are wholly separate.  Schools have wide latitude in addressing matters within their walls.  It's not illegal in that it is against the law.  It might be copyright infringement, but then he would have the right to assert the defense of parody which has been upheld by the Supreme Court.  As to who owns the logo, that I do not know.Answer #2: > And it’s a public school so isn’t the logo in the public domain?

No, it's not, at least not automatically. Some public high school logos (and nearly all public university logos) are trademarked, and they can--and often will--take action if someone's using their logo inappropriately.

Realistically, even if your friend was violating your school's trademark, would the school/school board sue him? Probably not. They'd likely just tell him to stop distributing unauthorized reproductions of the logo (even if it's a parody) and have a stern word with him about respect. But honestly, the fact that (apparently) the entire school or senior class hasn't been lectured about this directly, and that the school hasn't sent out communications saying anyone caught with an offending sticker would be disciplined, suggests that it's only this one teacher who's upset about it.


Title: My parents want to take me to court to have a part of my paycheck go to them.

Question:
My parents sat down with me today and said that they want to take me to court to ask the judge if part of my paycheck goes to them as long as I live in their home.

So here’s my story, since I was a child I struggled with severe depression. When I turned 18 I qualified to get social security from the government. I was incredibly depressed, I couldn’t hold a job, and I was suicidal. At 17 years, I was hospitalized for failing to commit suicide. Then at 24, I admitted myself to a hospital to get help as I continued to struggle. Since that hospital stay, I improved in every aspect of my life. I enrolled into college and am now one year from obtaining my associates and have been able to hold my part time job. I have a part time job while I’m going to school and even though I have improved, going full time and going to school would be too much for my mental health. I’d rather wait and obtain a full time job in the field I am pursuing (computer networking).

I’m now 29 years old and my parents want me to get a full time job and help them pay for bills. I do not earn much doing part time but enough to support myself. I do give them money for electricity, car insurance, and part of the internet bill.  They both receive enough money from the government and can support themselves. They complain of not having enough money but are going to Disneyland this Friday... I believe it’s just greed.

I’m not too sure on where I stand with all of this.

Answer:
 If you have an agreement to pay your parents a certain amount of money, and you aren't, they can sue you for the money they're owed.

They can also start charging you rent.

They cannot just tell you to turn over more of your money without a reason, though.

It may be time that you start looking for your own place.


Title: Rapist father tries to come back into son's life

Question:
Okay so I have a son. I met him and my fiance about 3 years ago.  He was a part of the package and I loved every second of it and quickly became his father.
      The way he was conceived was my girlfriend was at a party and she woke up after passing out drunk to a man having sex with her who quickly ran off and she didn't know who he was.  She was too afraid at the time to call the police at the time and ended up never doing it for fear that maybe somehow it will be looked at as her fault.
      She is against abortion so therefore decided to have the child which ended up being an amazing decision because he is the light of our life.
       Long story short somehow this man found my girlfriend and is trying to now contact us to try to get back into his "son's" life.
      He says he doesn't remember that night so I'm not really sure where it's going to go from here she can't prove that he did it and he can't prove that he didn't.  He is now calling my girlfriend and harassing her about it.
       I looked it up and the statue of limitations for rape in Connecticut is 5 years and it's only been about four and a half so she's calling the police today and has to go down there tomorrow to file the report.  also Connecticut has a law that a rapist cannot come into his child's life at all.  not sure where to go for your from here considering she has no actual proof it was rape.  Thanks for any help.

Answer: All you can do is get an attorney. Good luck to you.


Title: CA marijuana legalization and kids?

Question: I was curious how the new legal recreational marijuana laws in California might affect someone who's a parent...for example if my neighbor is smoking pot and has young children and I call the cops will it still be something they look into or would it be shrugged off?

Answer:
 My guess is that it would be shrugged off.

It would be equivalent to you calling the cops on your neighbor for smoking cigarettes


Title: Found out I was fired by walking in and finding my replacement. Is there anything I can do?

Question:
Sorry for any errors or miscommunication.

So I just recently started working at a small, privately owned hotel in a small town.

I was warned going in to watch my back.

Today I walked in and found someone else in my position.

No phone calls, no prior notice.

The boss didn't even call me.

Supposedly I received a text.

Two things, I gave them the correct number, but I also switched providers so new phone and number. However, I still have the old phone and it's still active until the end of the month. So I checked. No calls. No texts.

Now the girl who replaced me, we'll call her Jane, she had no idea she was replacing me.

She was told to come in on Thursday and was never advised she was taking my position.

And when I came in, the employee i normally relieved, well call her betty, had told Jane if i came in to have me call betty.

Now mind, betty is at the same level as me, only been there longer. However she's a known theif. She's not our boss who well call Rhonda. Rhonda had asked betty to fire me for her. She couldn't even do it herself.

This isn't right. It's unethical.

Is there anything I can do?

Tl;Dr new job, found out I was fired by walking in and finding my replacement in my spot. Can i do anything?

Edit: This is in Oklahoma.

Answer: You can see if you're eligible or unemployment as you look for a new job.


Title: [KY] My great grandfather has dementia and (to my knowledge) has no living will. What are his (our?) options for securing his assets properly?

Question: If it helps, my great grandmother is still living and is of sound mind. They are still married.

Answer: YOU have no options because his assets are not yours, and what he does with them is not your business.


Title: [TX] Got served an eviction notice (I did in fact miss paying rent) and have since paid, am I still screwed?

Question:
Using a throwaway, title mostly explains my situation. Never thought I would actually need to post here and just sit back and enjoy the popcorn in BOLA!

I stupidly missed hitting the final confirmation button in paying my rent via my apartment complex's website.

 I received a note on my door Thursday saying I had missed rent and stupidly didn't double check assuming the bank just hadn't sent it through yet.

On Friday I got the eviction notice at 5:30 when I got home after their offices had closed.

In investigating, on Wednesday they had also notified my via email I was late in payment and stupidly hadn't checked my email in several days. So, they notified my twice and served the eviction notice.

The offices aren't open again until tomorrow (Monday) and I have paid rent 100% for sure (confirmation email recieved) and have left 2 voicemails and 2 emails. I have work Monday from 8-4 and the offices are open 8-5 so I hope to catch them on the phone during any free breaks I have and rush home before the office closes.

The notice says I must be out of the apartment by Monday night at midnight and I'm pretty terrified they'll actually try to kick me out still. I also don't know if I'll need to resign a lease, or if this will be put in records or what.

TLDR; I was at fault for not paying rent, received eviction notice on the 4th to leave by midnight the 7th, paid rent on the 4th immediately after receiving notice, and have not been able to contact the office yet during the weekend. Looking for general advice/what to legally expect. Thank you LA!!!!

Answer: You paid the rent; you’re fine. Follow up with a phone call first thing tomorrow morning, apologize, and confirm they’ve received the payment and that everything is kosher on their end.  I’ve been in this same situation before (except I forgot the rent check in my wallet...) and they were fine. It costs them time and money to formally evict, and since you’ve paid the rent it’s not worth their time to move forward.


Title: How to ensure maximum sentence for offender?

Question:
This is really hypothetical at this point, but here goes.

I own a small retail store, and have been the victim of petty theft over the past few weeks. I installed a robust camera system and got my first offender today. The police have filed a report, and I plan on posting this person's image everywhere and offering a reward.

Should I find this person and they are found guilty, what means can I take to ensure the MAXIMUM sentence is handed to them? I'd really like to make an example out of the first person I catch, so even if it isn't him, maybe a person in the future. Can I acquire legal consul to encourage the courts to move towards the harshest punishment possible, or am I left to the mercy of whatever the judge decides?

Thanks again

Answer: Luckily for everyone, that's not how the legal system in the US works.


Title: (TX...kinda) Wifes new military contract employer has drastically changed the paid time off policy. Surprise days off from the CO are taken from paid time off.

Question:
Texas, but on a US Navy base. My wife works for fleet and family services as a civilian contractor for counseling services. Her previous employer lost the contract and she got her job transferred to a new one. It has the usual benefits package of insurance/paid-time-off/sick-leave but with a pretty big change.

Previously, if the Base CO or Command CO declares that the base is being closed for the day or the Hospital is being closed for whatever reason (training, ceremony, inspection, etc.) then the contractors all get the day as essentially a free paid day off. Enter on the time sheet as a normal day and just go home.

The new company says that if the CO declares an unscheduled day off, it must come out of the accrued paid time off, regardless of how much you have banked. Where surprise days off used to be a good thing, now everyone is pissed off because the CO called a day off and screwed everyone in the office out of another day.

There is probably no recourse to this, and I know she's just a contractor, but is this normal/legal?

EDIT: Answered. Thanks guys! Was pretty much sure that there was nothing to be done and it was normal in contracting work, but wanted some confirmation.
Topic:
Labor Law

Answer: A private employer isn't required to pay you for days not worked at all. In my job I just have to eat it.Answer #2: It's definitely normal. Whether it's legal depends on her contract with her employer, which I'd be willing to guess lays out this policy.Answer #3: As a contractor myself, I'm surprised she managed to get free money for post closures in the first place.Answer #4: This is pretty normal in government contracting. The previous contract may have been setup differently or the contractor was paying her out of overhead. I rarely if ever paid one of my providers for days they couldn't work due to a base/hospital closure or government shut down. This includes psychologists to nuero surgeons unless they were deemed essential (ER staff)


Title: I made a stupid mistake, But the contract is also misleading

Question:
So I went to a motorcycle safety course this morning and didn't bring the required gear, causing me to lose $169 due to their no refund policy. The print out that I got from them is shown partially here: https://imgur.com/a/M5FLVHL

Note that the section I circled is titled "What to bring to the first session" in bold. This was my "first session" with them and I brought everything listed in that section.  Yes, there was Another section below that, that I skimmed over (probably because I have done a class like this before where gear was provided and assumed it was here as well, since I had just read a list of everything required to bring and gear was not listed.)

I know this is partly my fault, but is this not misleading on their part? I don't think its necessarily intentional, but it could surely be laid out much better.

Thanks for any help.

Answer: That's not misleading in the least.


Title: Child Custody

Question: How difficult is it to obtain child custody when the parents live in different states. Currently my daughter lives here with me in Lousiana and her dad lives in Alaska. She attends school and vists her dad in the summers. However with a pending child support issue the relations have become somewhat hostile. I'm afraid of sending her up there and him keeping her as there is no legal arrangement set up. Would it be possible to sign a notarized agreement saying she will have to come back before school starts?  How long is the average child custody process and how much is the cost?

Answer: You need to hire a lawyer and petition for a court order to establish custody.  If the father is willing to agree, it will be fairly simple.  If the father contests it, and the court may or may not alter your current arrangement (not highly likely but possible).  But once there is an order the father will have to follow it.


Title: [California] Delivery Driver - Sketchy Breaks and Unpaid Overtime. What should I do?

Question:
So I work as a delivery driver for a well-known take-out-Chinese food restaurant in Torrance. My hours are from 3PM to 10PM(closing) every weekend and Wednesday from 5PM to 10PM(closing).

For the 7 hour duration that I work, I am provided with a very sketchy 15 minute paid, dinner break at 8PM. Food is provided Allow me to clarify what I mean by **sketchy**

* This paid break that is suppose to be 8PM, does not always start at 8PM. Food is provided only when the chef is free and the restaurant is not currently busy. This means that food could be provided as late as 9PM.

* Even if food is provided and set out for employees, delivery drivers are pretty much extremely obligated and pressured not eat or take a break until all orders are delivered.

* If delivery drivers are eating, they are still not entirely relieved of duty. If there are orders, drivers are urged and told to stop eating to ensure delivery is completed.

* My boss has stopped me and my coworkers several times already, telling me to either clock out to finish my dinner, which I usually have to scarf down frantically(due to hunger and rush), or to stop eating because it exceeds my 15 minute break.

* Sometimes the restaurant is so busy, I don't get to eat or take a break at all.

Okay so those were my concerns regarding my breaks. I'm wondering if I am legally entitled to a real break of 30 minutes. Reading this article made me believe that I am being wronged by boss and I was wondering what actions I could take.
https://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/FAQ_MealPeriods.htm

*Part 2*

I'm the only delivery driver in the restaurant from 9PM -10PM. There are always orders that come in around 9:30PM - 9:59PM that my boss makes me deliver.
That means I have to work past 10PM due to the fact that each delivery can take up 40 minutes there and back to the restaurant.

* My boss forces me to clock out before taking the food and wants me to just go straight home after dropping off the order.

* My boss doesn't pay overtime or any pay at all for the time I'm away on that delivery. Sometimes the order is on the total opposite direction of my house and it would extend my commute home by 1 hour+.

I've told her that I'd prefer to return to the shop before clocking out 3 times in one night before but she just dismissed it saying that it would be too late and she had to go.
I've spoke to her about these complaints a couple times but I'm not going to lie... I'm pretty scared of my boss. She's very intimidating and she has threatened me a many times to cut my hours or remove days off my work schedule. I'm also afraid that she will find out about this post LOL

**TLDR:My boss doesn't give me breaks and she makes me work without pay**

Answer:
 Besides the fact you arent getting paid and being clocked out while still working, and the fact that your breaks are often non-existent-you have a larger issue.

That issue is the fact that unless they supply the delivery car and insurance, if you should get into an accident your SOL UNLESS you have a commercial policy. The insurance will not cover you period if you are using the vehicle for delivery for profit.Answer #2: Keep track of all your unpaid work as it occurs and file a wage claim [here](https://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/HowToFileWageClaim.htm). Keep in mind that, while it would technically be illegal to fire you for doing so, this may lead to you losing your job.

Practical advice: start looking for a new job and file the wage claim once you've found one.


Title: [Columbus, OH] Guy punched me in the face and chipped some of my teeth

Question:
Yesterday my friend dragged me[22m] to a country concert at the osu football stadium. Where we sat there were two people to my right that I didnt know, a guy(Call him person M) and a girl(call her person W).

We eventually introduced ourselves and they told me they were 18, dating and had met in highschool and quickly introduced me to person M's brother and some of his brothers friends that were sitting in the row infront of us. The conversation pretty much died out there as it was just a little meet and greet.

Later on in the show the random guy M started talking to me again, so we chatted just me, him, and his girlfriend about random stuff. She told me she was gonna be a doctor, I told them about how I had just graduated with a math degree.

Suddenly during this conversation the brother of guy M turns around and starts yelling at me really aggressively saying stuff like, "what are you even doing here, why are you here" and I originally thought he was joking around since I was literally in a normal conversation with guy M and girl W. Guy M then started to mimic his brothers aggression and grabbed my shoulder hard, I attempted to stiff-arm him back because I was feeling pretty threatened. We stayed like that for a few seconds as people around started to notice and were telling us to calm down, then he suddenly lunged at me and punched me right in the face.

It's at this point where I get a little shaky on what happened. I didnt think I was knocked out but my friend who I was with said I was down for a few seconds while guy M tried punching me some more. I only remember the one punch and then sitting up really confused and seeing the blood all over me and I could feel it flowing down my face.

Apparently my buddy I came with started trying to break things up and one of my buddies friends that was also there tried to get between the girl W who was trying to get at me and when my buddies buddy got in between her and me she started hitting him and tearing his shirt.

I was still just sitting there so confused as to why I was bleeding and why he punched me and the cops quickly came and brought us to a room.

The most frustrating part is the girl started telling the cops this story about how I shoved her and was calling her names. The cops asked everyone for their story and none of them matched up with what the girl was saying yet that was the story they went with and wrote on the report.

Also very strange in the room they cops took us to they said they all had the same last name and were siblings which confused me since they explicitly said they were dating and had met in highschool.

I also took pictures of my hands and knuckles because I figured if any of them tried to say I hit them I could show my unred undamaged hands as proof because if I had hit someone theyd be red or bruised.

I ended up getting charged with disorderly conduct and went to the ER and got 3 stitches. I also have some chips in my front teeth both top and bottom.

I'm pretty sure the guy who hit me got charged with assault, my buddy didnt get anything, my buddies buddy got disorderly conduct, and i'm not sure what the girl got but nobody was arrested.

I really dont care about getting them in legal trouble, I just want them to pay for my medical + dental bills since i'm sure they wont be cheep.

So really what i'm asking is what to do. I have a court date on the 19th which sucks because i'll have to take off of work and explain to my new employer that I have to go fight a disorderly conduct charge which doesnt leave a good impression.

Do I bring a laywer? Do I bring people who saw what happened? What can I expect?

Answer:
 Criminal defense attorney for the charges, civil suit for the drama to your face.

Edit: I realize it's a typo but screw it.


Title: Legal for a McDonalds manager to carry a gun on his waist?

Question:
Last night I went to a McDonalds around 10 pm and ate inside. While there, a manager took my order. Right away, I noticed a pistol in a holster on his waist, so I questioned him as to why it was there. He told me since it was a crime-heavy area, he got permission to wear it.

I did see a sign on the front of the McDonalds that had a gun with a red cross through it, meaning not allowed.

I’m just wondering, is this legal?

Location: Texas, USA near Mexico border

EDIT: words

Answer: Assuming that is legal in your state (and it's Texas so it probably is) it's entirely down to McDonalds if this is acceptable. If it's corporate owned probably not, if a  franchise maybe.


Title: Common Law Marriage, South Carolina

Question:
This August, my girlfriend, my friend, and myself signed on a lease.

She mentioned something about a common law marriage, that would occur if we paid bills together for over a year. I recognize that common law marriage could mean that she is entitled to some of my assets, or I hers, but I'm wondering what exactly that could mean.

So, first of all, how do I avoid creating this legal tie?
What kind of separation of assets is expected to occur, in the case of divorce?
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer: Simply living together is not enough for a common law marriage in SC. The couple must share an *intent* to be married to each other, and they must present themselves to the public as a married couple (filing tax returns jointly, insurance policies, etc.).


Title: If I made a lot of capital gains in crypto currency market, then my hard drive legitimately died and I lost the wallet, what would actually happen?

Question:
So its my word against the IRS. I say my hard drive died and with it my entire wallet of coins that would have been worth hundreds of thousands.

They probably think im lying to evade taxes.

Who wins? How can any one party prove the other wrong?

Answer:
 You wouldn't have capital gains until you sold the bitcoins: simply owning them as they appreciate wouldn't trigger any taxes.

But it's not really that different than if you run a cash-heavy business, and you lose the cash in a fire, or if any other valuable property is destroyed.

There may be grounds for suspicion, and investigations. You may not be able to get to a metaphysical certainty about the truth, but there's usually some evidence: are you living like someone much richer han you claim to be, say?