Title: I Was "Exposed" (and I'm only 15)

Question:
The title pretty much explains it all, but I'll give you a little backstory. I was going to send a picture to a long time friend of mine who I've been somewhat flirting with and who has never met anyone at my current school. I mean, ever, we live on opposite sides of the country.

Girl #1 is 18
Girl #2 is 18
Girl #3 is 16
We are all located in Arkansas

So I was talking to my "friends" about what I should do. Two of them say: "Send them here and we'll rate them and tell you if you need to change anything..."

I thought "Well, we're friends. No big deal right? These girls have experienced being exposed before and they know the legal repercussions that come with exposing someone." It was stupid, I don't need anyone to tell me that again, I already know it. Telling me that it was stupid just makes it worse on me, and I'm already to the point where I don't want to go to school.

Anyway, flash forward about 4 or 5 months, these girls all hate me and are basically harassing me at school and on social media because of girl #3. I'm not gonna get into that but even a week or two after not talking to or about #3 I still hear her talking to the other two about me and even to other people outside of the group. Really just dragging my name through the mud because I haven't really become friends with anyone at this school since I've moved here except for her and her group and a few other people who I don't have any classes with. And the people she's talking to about me don't really care to ask anyway so I guess it doesn't matter.

Anyway, I miss one day of school because I have a lot of work to get done in one class and I'm honestly just so tired of being berated every time I come to school, and I come back to school to find that girl #3 has been talking about how she and girl #2 are going to "expose" me. And she's already been showing the picture around. I don't know if she's been sending it to people or just showing it to people off of her phone, and I'm not sure who she's showing it to other than one person. (Who's at least 80% trustworthy in his word, but considering everything else that's been going on, It's probably pretty likely that she did show it to him, and is probably showing it to more people as we speak.)

As for the aftermath of all this: I told the guy who told me he saw it that she's(#2) in some pretty big legal trouble now as she's an adult (18 yrs old) or I was going to "beat her ass" before she got the chance to get into any trouble. (Yeah, sorry. I shouldn't have, but I was pissed.) So she(#2) came to talk to me and tell me how she would never do that because she's experienced that before. But really as much as she's talked bad about me what can I trust from her? I mean who wouldn't lie to avoid possibly going to jail as an 18 year old?

Edit: info about location and and ages of people in possession of the picture.

Edit #2: Talked to the Dean of Students today. He's the guy in charge of all our discipline and he talked to the girls. The one who's been showing people denied it all but is stall talking about how I'm the one who won't leave HER alone. The cops were contacted, but never showed up to even talk to us and take a report so we're taking it to the county office instead of the local one. Also found out today that someone has been telling people that I've been going to therapy daily, so that's why I haven't been riding the bus.

Answer:
 If the pictures are pornographic in nature, then you produced and distributed child pornography.

Anyone who has the images is in possession of child pornography.

Anyone who sends the images on is distributing child pornography.

Answer #2: I don't see any legal question here at all.Answer #3: To be clear:

1. You're being bullied at school. (Have you reported this to the school?)
2. People are showing a picture of you around. (Is it a regular photo or a nude photo?)


Title: Is it legal for a school to advertise religious clubs over announcements? (Pennsylvania)

Question: I've been attempting to gather information on this topic but have come op up with few results. Every morning and afternoon my high school has audio annupouncemnets and a video news, and I'm curious as to whether the fact that they mention Christian club meet dates and events is within legal bounds, thanks!

Answer: As long as they don't favor one over the other and the clubs aren't compulsory, it's fine.


Title: 2 weeks notice declined several times

Question: I work at a McDonald’s in a bigger city and with ours being the only McDonald’s in the mall (outside mall in the middle of downtown ) makes us very busy with homeless and crazy people. I have been working here for a while and do to a very close co-worker who is no longer with us made me want to quit. But when when I told my manager that I was putting in my two weeks I she told me I wasn’t allowed. What should I do? Should I just leave with no warning or anything?

Answer:
 > What should I do?

Work out your notice period and then quit anyways. Your manager can be in denial all they want, but you can still quit, and there's nothing they can do to stop you.Answer #2: Send that notice in email, so that if you get bad references or other issues coming up, you have a record that you gave the courtesy of notice.

"Not allowed" is absolute horse pucky.Answer #3: You can quit at any time. 2 weeks notice is not required, it's just a nice thing to do.


Title: How true is it that the US government generally only extradites people in serious cases ?

Question:
  One usually only hears about extradition involving serious cases , which begs the question of how that applies to less serious cases ...

&#x200B;

  Has the US government ever extradited someone from a foreign county for ( say ) willfully not paying their phone bill ? Or ( to use a better example ) has the US government ever extradited someone from a foreign country on behalf of an individual state for fireworks smuggling  ?

Answer: A more accurate statement is: The US is rarely *asked* to extradict someone for a minor crime.  The time, effort, and cost of going through diplomatic channels to get a foreign country to send someone is extraordinary.  And even if they wanted to, most minor crimes don't have any kind of international, cross-border task force working on them to even be aware of it.  If the French police get a report about a burglary, they aren't calling Interpol and the FBI to identify suspects because they heard he might speak with an American accent.


Title: [CA] My workplace recently started testing their products on dogs. It's awful and I want to blow the whistle. How do I go about doing this?

Question:
[removed]
Topic:
Misrepresentation

Answer: It is 100% legal to test on animals if you go through the appropriate steps to satisfy the IRB of your institution in compliance with federal law. You should see if this occurs.Answer #2: Not a lawyer, just work in research. I am fuzzy in this as I only have worked with mice and rats which aren't a covered species, but I think the USDA wpuld be the ones dealing with dogs. Testing on dogs is allowed and can be done ethically, but there are rules in place for minimum care for some species. This care is not the same they wpuld receive as a pet, and if they follow the applicable laws and are not advertising as not testing in animals (which gets fuzzy anyways as products must be proven safe- it usually means they just contract it out or use published animal data) you may just need to seek employment elsewhere. Animal welfare is hugely important in animal research and it is fine to make sure everything is done by the book, there should be an IACUC you can make complaints to anonymously. Animal research is a necessary part of ensuring products are safe though, so it is far harder to find a company never ever utilizing it than you may think.Answer #3: Why do you think that this product testing that is being done using dogs is being done illegally?


Title: I think I have PTSD from working with a jerk boss

Question:
NH/MA  I worked for seven years in shipping for a pharmaceutical company. It started off good but a few years later they hired a punk kid to work as a shipper. The punk quickly sucked up to the manager, pretended to be his bestest buddy and was promoted to supervisor over several far more qualified employees. He didn't like me and was immediately hostile towards me (I showed up every day and worked my butt off; he was lazy, incompetent and basically useless). Apperently he thought that teasing and harassing a big six foot 300 pound "quiet loner guy" with access to firearms was a good idea!! I attempted to talk to the top manager at the company but he told me "I'll get back to you". Repeatedly. For about *two friggin' YEARS!* Even though I was a five plus year employee in his eyes I was too lowly and unimportant to so much as talk to. When he finally did talk to me his response was pretty much "Quit your complaining and get back to work." Nobody told me to go to HR. As you can imagine I was increasingly upset about the situation, but I kept my mouth shut in order to stay in a fairly decent job as the economy was tanking at the time. After about two years of this I came in one morning and was told that I was being let go with unemployment and my vacation pay. I was so happy I was literally jumping for joy in the parking lot! I was out of work for a year but I now have a better job with a great boss.
Unfortunately, four years later I still have deep anger issues about the way I was treated. I still think every day about how much I would like beat that arrogant punk senseless and it is negatively affecting my life. I had several sessions with a psychotherapist after I was fired but he was more interested in finding me a job than helping me with my anger. Recently I bumped into a former coworker who told me the punk is still working there. My question is do I have any options at this point and how should I handle the situation.

Answer: Get a job, keep going to therapy.Answer #2: You certainly should seek out therapy, but I can almost assure you that you don't have PTSD. Regardless, there were absolutely no legal issues from your fact pattern. "Pretending to be the boss's bestest buddy" is a great way to move up the chain.


Title: [OK] Corporate restaurant's air conditioning went out during heat wave and corporate refuses to do anything

Question:
Hi there, I'm a manager of a corporate restaurant in Oklahoma. Our air conditioning has always been an issue. It went out and it's currently 103° in the store. My employees are showing signs of overheating due to running around and when we called out district manager to see if we could close the store he told us we'd have to work through it.

I care about my employees safety and health. This is extremely dangerous not only to my employees but to my customers. Yesterday one of our pregnant servers almost fainted.

Is there anything legally we can do?

Answer:
 Have the customers call corporate...they’ll listen to them.Answer #2: Just call a local AC company and have them bill corporate. Answer #3: Does your company not allow you as GM to make emergency repairs with cash in hand?

Have your contacted your district vp. Answer #4: There's no formal OSHA regulations on temperature, though at a certain point you can argue that it is a health hazard. Doesn't hurt to call.

Presumably someone will approve repairs when they see $0 in sales every day. Do you even have customers?

I would probably send the pregnant employee home.


Title: (OR) Homeless people lock up their items in our bike cage. Can we break the lock?

Question:
I work at a small business where employees share parking spots and four individual bike cages with upstairs residents. I'm fairly certain the business owner leases the property rather than owns it, if that makes a difference.

Fairly regularly, homeless people will use the bike cages like lockers. At this time all the cages are occupied, two with the belongings of homeless people. Can my boss break their locks and remove their belonging? Do we have to go through the police? The property owner?

Location: Eugene, OR

Answer: Could you get locks (maybe settable combination or identically keyed) so that when somebody takes their bike out, they can lock the bike cage behind them?Answer #2: Contact the property owner. Your boss should also look through what rights they have as far as the bike cages in their lease.


Title: Classmate broke my glasses frame in school and I want him to pay me the replacement cost.

Question:
highschool student
My classmate broke the nose pad of my glasses and it couldn't be repaired because it snapped, so my parents have to pay the 200+ dollars to get me a new frame. I didn't notice him behind me and he suddenly tugged my hoodie over my head so it put pressure on my glasses and snapped the nose pad. I wasn't playing around with him and he did it without my consent or knowledge. I really want him to pay back the money it cost to buy a new frame because he was the one who broke my glasses and now MY PARENTS have to pay. I'm thinking about going to the principal's office and asking her to tell my classmate to pay the cost of the new frames. Any suggestions or ideas for what I can do to make this work?
Thank you in advance
Topic:
School Related Issues

Answer: Your principal can't force him to pay for the frames. If your parents want to, they can ask his parents to pay for it. If they really think it's worth the effort, they could sue in small claims court for the deprecated value.


Title: Landlord still sleeps in tenant rented house.Need advice

Question: [deleted]

Answer: This is not an answer to your legal question but bug bombing is not going to rid you of a bedbug infestation. Get a professional in there or you're gonna have a really unpleasant time with those little fuckers. Look up your state's laws about the landlord's responsibility in this situation as well, because the odds are pretty good that he'll be on the hook for the treatments, though the best way to get him to follow through with this responsibility is something you'd have to ask the people on this sub with stars next to their name. Good luck man.


Title: How do I checked if my doctor did something incorrectly?

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Medicine and Malpractice

Answer: Are you, by chance, a red head?


Title: Can they force me to shave

Question: I am joining explorers PD and they said I have to shave and take out my earrings (I am male) do I have to?

Answer: You're talking about the explorer program at the police department?  Yes they can.  They can set grooming standards which include clean shaven for men.  It is likely that their officers also have to adhere to a similar policy and if you want to be a police officer you better get used to it.  Most departments have policies on facial hair.Answer #2: You didn't say what they wanted you to shave.Answer #3: Yes. The US military has the same policy. Answer #4: PDs have a vested interest in making sure members don’t have easy handholds on their face and ears, yes. Answer #5: I'm kind of surprised that no one here is asking the obvious question - OP why don't you want to shave? The answer to your question is that it depends. Police, firefighters, military, etc. all have the ability to set uniform and appearance standards but they are limited by certain individual rights. For instance, a military branch may not be able to bar a Sikh from wearing a turban during certain events or force him to shave due to religious practices. Firefighters and the Navy might be able to force that same person to shave due to concerns related to donning fire fighting equipment.


Title: I have a blog for my field of work [Belgium + WI, USA]. Got scammed for over $2500 by a company, found out this is their strategy and they have been doing it with dozens of artists for years. Can I make a blog post warning others and explicitly naming the company?

Question:
I know you cannot make public that an individual in the USA is defaulting on their debt. This is a company.

The company is based in Belgium and has no ties to the USA. I worked for them as a contractor.

Now I live and work in the USA intermittently, so can I make this blog post at a time I'm not connected with the USA and then just leave it up? The law is not clear for me.

It was fishy to me that they'd hire me even though so many better artists were available in that price range, but there is *zero info online* on them purposefully scamming.

I am sending a debt collector after them, but the other folks I talked to are NOT interested in doing anything, so it looks like their practice will not end and I cannot build a case strong enough for court, because everyone just wants to forget about it (I know it's "just" $2000-$4000 each but.... what the fuck?).

So I feel like I will not be able to stop the company from doing it, but maybe with a blog post I can help others to 1) **not work for this company at all, ever** and 2) **show them how to successfully get their money back if they stumble on it right after being scammed.** (like how the Belgian law works, how they can send a notice of default, which companies they can hire at a low fee to collect the outstanding invoice, ...)

I'm mostly frustrated that nobody wants to cooperate with me in debt collecting/suing together, but this is the next best thing?

Answer: What makes you think you cannot say someone is defaulting on their debt? Debt collectors cannot discuss someone’s details with other people, but I do not believe other people are not allowed to. The news reports on celebrities and politicians filing for bankruptcy and things like that all the time.


Title: In Virginia, my private conversation was recorded at work.

Question:
Hello All, this is in Virginia. Thanks for reading.

A few days ago my boss and I were having a conversation about a third employee and that employee's recent bad behavior with customers. The employee in question had been sent out of building on an errand at the time, but she had left her cell phone in the room we were in and was recording us. We did not know we were being recorded.

I'm not worried about the recorded content. It was just my boss and I discussing what the employee had said to a customer the evening before, and my boss worrying about keeping her on. Well, that doesn't matter now because the employee quit with a big long email, where she states that she recorded us.

But I do feel weird about being recorded without my permission, and I am kind of afraid of this coworker harassing me online or out in the world (small town). She has a history with that sort of thing.

Was what she did illegal, and if it was, is there anything I can do about it?

Answer:
 This is a crime in Virginia because no party to the conversation consented to the conversation being recorded.  [Link.](http://www.dmlp.org/legal-guide/virginia-recording-law)

Edit:  As an "oral communication" that was intercepted, my reading is that it's a Class 6 felony.  [Link.](http://law.justia.com/codes/virginia/2006/toc1902000/19.2-62.html)Answer #2: I am not a lawyer. But it sounds like you're worried about what may happen to her if you report this to the police. If you are concerned about her future behavior towards you - and it sounds like you are, then the advantages of reporting her to the police may outweigh the disadvantages.


Title: [Texas] Kissed/cuddled underage girl

Question: Throwaway for obvious reasons. I am 28 and I made out with and cuddled a 15 year old girl. She told her therapist who then told CPS. I know it's awful and have been rightfully berated and lost my closest friends for it. I'm wondering what I should do (if anything) and what kind of trouble I am in.

Answer:
 Geezus. Don't talk to anybody without an attorney present. Is there anything at all about that is in any way unclear?

edit: except your therapist, which you desperately need.  You can talk to those two people and only those two people. Get a piece of paper. Write down the name of your attorney and the name of your therapist. Nobody else goes on the list. If you ever feel inclined to talk about this, check your list. If the person that you are about to talk to isn't on that list, keep your mouth shut.  There are people sitting in prison right now who wouldn't be had they remembered this.


Title: Drunk guy hit my brand new truck overnight, and fled the scene. Come to find out he's my neighbor. He filed a false report with his insurance company but now admits fault. I had just put a $1000 dollars into the truck as it was used. I want to take him to small claims court.

Question:
Do I have grounds to do this? His insurance company was the same company that I use (progressive) which is how I know he filed a false report. I assume he was drunk because after I called the police and filed a report, I found out he has a previous DUI arrest. The insurance company will be compensating me for the vehicle (as it was a total loss) however the $700 dollars in tires will never see use, nor will the $300 of maintenance. Any advice is appreciated!

Thanks!

EDIT: Located in Texas

Answer:
 If you got compensated for the full value of the truck then you don't have anything else to sue him for. Answer #2: Is the Truck brand new or used? You can request they pay the additional money if you have recent receipts.  They might, just to avoid problems for their insured who is already pretty screwed. Either way good luck. Answer #3: >however the $700 dollars in tires will never see use, nor will the $300 of maintenance.

This is not the case. You do not have to take the insurance corp's total loss offer, you can counter offer the full value of what you lost. They're responsible for covering the damage the drunk is liable for and the drunk is liable for making you 100% whole, either repairing the truck to the condition it was in before it was hit or paying you enough to buy the exact same truck in the exact same (or better) condition it was in when it was hit. Check you state's small claims court limit, if it's like $5k then you can easily file against him and his insurance for every penny you paid for the truck.Answer #4: At the least, send in the receipts for the new tires to bump up your settlement a bit. The maintenance won't be considered as it was likely routine to address wear/tear


Title: Can i sue someone for giving me herpes?

Question: Recently had sex with someone a few weeks back, i asked her about her STD status and she said she didn't have any. Fast forward a few weeks I've noticed small blisters on my genitals. I live in Wisconsin, is there any laws here that allow me to sue them? Or is it something that's not worth perusing? She is the only person i had sex with in 10 months

Answer: The first thing you need to do is go to the doctor.


Title: I broke a key, will I be liable for the "damage?"

Question:
I live in a shared house, with one big entrance. I try to open the door with a key, but the key breaks because of the cold and is lodged inside the lock. Will I be fined if I tell the landlord what happened - liable for the "damage?" Or should I get a friend's key, duplicate it, and pretend nothing happen?

I'm a broke college student.

I live in ann arbor, michigan

Answer:
 You can call a locksmith to get the broken key out of the lock (making it functional again) and they will probably cut you a new key.

This isn't a big deal. It happens. It's not expensive to fix.

You can tell the landlord or you can call around for a locksmith and explain what happened. If you get someone on a good night? This will be about the cost of a pizza. Cold happens. Metal doesn't like cold.

Have you called around to ask for prices?


Title: [NJ] I'm a minor and just got caught with 2 different pills, what should i do?

Question:
Basically, I was caught with 2 pills of adderall and a few other pills of some other no name pill, with intent to sell. I've been suspended 5 days and am having a meeting with the superintendent of schools to plead my case for why i had the adderall and why I should stay in this district. I don't know what to do from here, what's the worst possible scenario? should I talk to a lawyer? will this even go to court? I know i shouldn't have had pills on me, but i needed to use them to study and that was it. this is my first criminal offense and i'm seriously scared because i dont know what to do. Also Am I allowed to post about this legally?
Topic:
Drug Possession

Answer:
 Caught by who?  The police, or your school?

If you're charged with a crime, you should retain a lawyer.  If this is being handled within the school system and is not involving law enforcement, then you should follow whatever procedures your school/school district has.


Title: I am 7 weeks pregnant and my MIL is threatening to fight for custody. What do I do?

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 >What are my immediate actions?

None. She's just trying to get in your head. Don't let her. She has no standing to fight you for custody. Unless you're an unfit parent, you will have custody of your child. So, focus on the things you should already be focusing on and you'll be fine.Answer #2: I recommend deleting all your post history about taking drugs to start with.Answer #3: Get help in the Australian site. GPR (grandparents rights) are different in AUS than in the US.

https://www.reddit.com/r/AusLegal/Answer #4: What is she saying would be her justification for such an act?


Title: My university will not issue my diploma with my name on it.

Question:
Kind of clickbait. Tldr: They want to use my legal name. I do not use my legal name and it does not accurately identify me.

Edit::: Takeaways from discussion. I'd like to copy a piece of [this comment of mine](https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/7s1wct/my_university_will_not_issue_my_diploma_with_my/dt1m8ik/):
> Look, I realize now that I came to the wrong place with this issue, because the obvious recommendation is a legal change, which I acknowledged in my original post. I shouldn't have come here for an evaluation of university name policy vs university anti-discrimination policy vs Title IX, partly because it's a lot more nuanced than "simple legal questions" and partly because going that direction instead of a legal name change would be bad advice.
>
> Really I just wanted to see whether a diploma is a legal document or not. I just want my name on a piece of paper, and if it's not a legal document then I can probably get it if I go into the registrar's office and ask nicely, because they probably just didn't want people putting stupid things on their university diplomas.
>
> Sorry for being argumentative in a place that isn't for that.

University in question is a public institution in Michigan. You may be able to narrow down based on the subsequent details. I'm on a throwaway for that reason.

My university, like many others, asks students intending to graduate to apply for graduation. Included is a section to enter "your name as you would like it to appear on your diploma and in commencement program." I have used a different name (which I refer to as "my name" from here forward) from my legal name throughout college. I use my name in the university system. My professors and classmates know me only by my name. I have published academic papers with my name. I have even combed through internet search engines and had the results pertaining to my legal name removed. Except for a few documents such as medical records, bank account, and my lease, *a person bearing my legal name effectively does not exist*. I have worked very hard to erradicate instances of my legal name for personal reasons. I have never committed a felony.

It is unclear to me whether university diplomas are regarded as legal documents. The best explanation I've found is that they are "sometimes" regarded as such. Either way, I've seen no laws cited to support that. I have not seen a legal justification that I cannot have my diploma printed with my name.

My university's name policy is explicit that my diploma should bear my legal name:
> DIPLOMA NAME. Students indicate their diploma name on the [redacted]. The student name listed on a diploma or certificate must match the legal name as it is recorded on the student’s official university record, with the following exceptions: option of first name or initial; option of middle name or initial; inclusion of former or maiden name(s); and inclusion of proper capitalization and accentuation of name.

In contrast, the preferred name policy, which allows me to use my name:
> PREFERRED NAME. The university recognizes that many of its students use names other than their legal names to identify themselves. Students may indicate their preferred first name on [redacted]. Once established, preferred name will be used across university systems, where possible.

I submitted my application for graduation with my name because I figured a diploma is ceremonial and I didn't need to use my legal name. The registrar's office contacted me requesting that I re-apply, stating, "We are unable to order your diploma until this discrepancy has been cleared." I explained that my name does not match my legal name and asked for their patience while I explore my resources to resolve the situation. I said that I do not agree to issuing a diploma with my legal name. Cherry on top: Because I'm hard-headed, I added that if necessary I would postpone my graduation before I would agree to having the diploma issued then ammended after a legal change. I refuse to go to commencement or have a diploma bearing my legal name.

I realize a legal name change is the natural solution, but it requires time, money, and a court date (in my county of residency, in which I do not live) that I currently do not have and may not be able to secure in time to graduate this semester.

Is there actually a legal barrier to printing my name on my diploma? If not, can I contest my university's policy? Thanks in advance for your comments.
Topic:
School Related Issues

Answer:
 Go to court to legally change your name. Otherwise the university is correct to require your legal name. Future employers will require your legal name along with the government. Your feelings are meaningless legally.
Answer #2: The keyword here is "where possible."

It isn't "possible" to use your preferred name on your diploma. Your legal name is on your university record and the name printed on your diploma must match your university name.

My (first) diploma has my maiden name on it, even though I was engaged and knew I wanted to change my last name. It sucks but all you can do is legally change your name beforehand.Answer #3: They don't owe you a diploma with whatever name you want on it.Answer #4: > My university's name policy is explicit that my diploma should bear my legal name

So you knew this yet did not take the steps necessary.

> I have worked very hard to erradicate instances of my legal name for personal reasons.

Right except in the once place that matters.

>  I added that if necessary I would postpone my graduation before I would agree to having the diploma issued then ammended after a legal change.

Then this is probably what you will have to do.Answer #5: You refuse to go to commencement or have a diploma with your legal name. Well, I guess you'll just do without then because that IS your name even if you don't like it. You use it in other places where you have to. This is one of them.


Title: Florida: My brother was threatened with a shotgun.

Question:
My brother, who lives in Miami Florida, was threatened with a shotgun. It happened when my brother was working on the side of the yard when my cousin walked by with a shotgun. My brother asked about the gun. My cousin responded with, "This is the gun I'm going to blow someone's ass off with." and  then pointed it at my brother and cocked it. He then acted as if it were a joke. I don't know if the gun was loaded, but my cousin has a history of unstable behavior and the "joke" was taken pretty seriously by my brother since they haven't been on the best terms lately.

This event was not witnessed by anyone and it has already been more than 12 hours since it happened. Is there any reasonable recourse? Can filing a police report/pressing charges actually accomplish anything when it is basically just one person's word against another?

Thanks in advance.
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer: Call the police and report it.


Title: GYN Took Pics of my Junk & is being prosecuted (PA)

Question:
Throwaway. To make a relatively long story short, my former Gyn is facing a host of charges in a number of separate cases for being everything from a pedophile to a rapist to a woman beater. It has also now come to light that he secretly took photos of me and many other women during our exams, and saved them for his own disgusting personal use. I am one of the only women who could be positively identified, due some very unique identifying features on and around my cooter. Thanks, vag.

The DA has asked if I'm still willing to prosecute as I will be basically going it alone, and hell yes I am. The crime he will be charged with seems extremely wimpy compared to the shocking violation I feel, but apparently it was the best they could come up with, and if it's just one more nail in his coffin I'm happy to be the hammer.

A number of people have suggested I should sue him. I know he has no cash and his appearance of wealth was just a flashy facade. He's skeezy and broke, a civil suit would get nothing. However, an ER manager friend suggested bringing suit anyway (as soon as he is convicted) against his insurance, which he would have had to operate as a doctor. She mentioned there could be HIPAA violations due to him taking photos without our knowledge or consent, and then his storing them on multiple devices at his home, and storing them for purposes other than medical use or information. Can anyone speak to this?

Answer:
 Not a lawyer, just wanted to say thank you for being willing to go after this guy. Most people wouldn't bother or want to risk exposing themselves to the legal system. Thank you for stepping up. Answer #2: There was a similar case a few years ago.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/07/21/pelvic-exam-pics-cost-us-university-190-million/12944399/Answer #3: He might end up making some money in prison. It may not be much but why not eat into his potential commissary action with a judgement?


Title: What if someone steals an original idea posted on reddit?

Question: Is there any recourse if someone posts a book idea, movie idea, product idea, etc. on reddit and someone steals it?

Answer: Generally speaking, ideas are not protected.


Title: Glass Exploded in My Eye at a Store

Question:
Hello everyone, I was at a store shopping around and decided to test a lamp at their “testing station” and the bulb of the lamp dropped and shattered two seconds later (not on impact)causing glass to bounce into my right eye. The assistant manager came and had me explain the incident on paper and gave me an occupational health treatment referral form to take to Kaiser Hospital. My questions are, if I’m stuck with a bill after my treatment is the store liable? They also asked how did I want to go about things? What actions can I take? What can I do.

-Southern California
Form I filled out https://imgur.com/a/037Yd

Update-
I’ve been seen and they removed a glass. Size of a small crumb. Couldn’t take a photo because my phone died. Sorry guys. But yeah it came out to be $100
Topic:
Personal Injury

Answer: Once you have your medical bills, contact the store. Their insurance should handle such things.


Title: Co-Worker keeps touching me - NV

Question:
Throw away because several people know my main

A coworker grabbed my rear as they reached into my back pocket to take my phone out a few days ago. They didn’t have permission to grab my phone or even to touch me, which made me incredibly uncomfortable. Then they joked around with my phone, taunting me that they have it and that it’s theirs now. I panicked a bit because of being touched like that and the fact that it’s an expensive smart phone that I got as a gift and that if they were to drop it and break the screen, I would be SOL. I know they would fight against paying it. They also kept taking some of my other belongings and saying that if I leave them around, they are taking it. They also hug me which makes me tense up. I just really do not like being touched as I’m really sensitive to it, especially when I barely know the person and it’s totally uncalled for. I do not even like being touched by my SO of 6 years most of the time.

I’m too scared to confront them because not only are they twice my size, but they are incredibly aggressive. I’ve been cornered in the break room by them and bossed around. I told one of my mangers about this but after confiding in a coworker I’m close to about my fear, I do not think anything will happen. They have a file on them with other complaints about behavior similar to this but have not been let go because of their sexual orientation. I’m also really afraid that they’re going to confront me again, which has made me regret even saying anything.

I’m too stressed to go back to work and it’s becoming even worse because of my disability. I’ve been applying to different places but until I get another job I can’t quit - I wouldn’t be able to support myself.

I’m not sure what to do to alleviate this problem, I don’t like causing issues but I also want to protect myself.

Answer: Report it to HR immediately after the fact. Also file a police report with as many details as you can. Answer #2: Call the police and also report this to HR.


Title: [MA] "On-call" social worker lied on my file about our meeting (horrible things) and sectioned me for 4 days in a psych ward and was denied an attorney in the facility.

Question:
I'll try to keep it as quick and to the point as possible.

* Been in the same therapists office for 7 years. I ONLY have been diagnosed with ADD and have been on the same dose of ADD medication for nearly 5 years.

* Office was closed Sunday, really wanted to talk to my therapist that day somehow (anxiety) and the office said I can speak with a social worker at the hospital nearby.

* HUGE MISTAKE. Left in the room for 7 hours, this lady talked to me for 10 minutes, left the room, and brought a nurse to seize all my belongings. I was put in restraints and was sent to a womens psych ward an hour from home for 4 days.

* I did not get to read the contract I signed at the ward because they said "we'll get through this quicker if we just explain it to you". Later to find out I pretty much signed my rights away as a person

* I was the only one living there not being administered Thorazine and/or Haldol. My roommate slit somebody's throat. I heard crying all hours of the day and night and was housed with extremely violent people

* Since nobody believed me that I shouldn't be there, I read the hospital handbook to see I was allowed an attorney AT NO COST, AT ANY GIVEN TIME if I were to believe I was there for unfair reasons. I was supposed to tell a nurse and they were supposed to provide one right away and they would be there no LATER than the next business day.

* I ask the Human Rights Council representative for an attorney and she tells me "I have to look online myself and go through a list for ones who might cover mental health" OH REALLY??? INTERNET? YOU TOOK EVERYTHING I OWN INCLUDING MY BRA. YOU WATCH ME SHOWER. YOU THINK I HAVE THE INTERNET?

* My REAL therapist finally found out where I was and freaked out and said I am NOT supposed to be there and to get me out ASAP.

* finally a nurse at the ward finally started to believe me and realized sectioning me was a mistake. She told me the social worker who hospitalized me wrote I was "hearing voices in my head" and "planned to overdose on 60mg hydromorphone". !!!!!!!

* I have an rx for hydromorphone for chronic kidney issues that are only taken when in pain. I only have a select amount and there is NO ongoing rx for it.

* not ONCE did I mention I'm hearing voices and not ONCE did I say I planned to overdose. My therapist backed me up since I've been seeing her for years. I only have ADD!!! I was diagnosed when I was seven!!

* I don't do drugs, I don't drink in excess (socially, maybe once a week/2 weeks), I have NO criminal record, I have a PERFECT driving record, NEVER a single ticket or violation, I am in nursing school, I have a 3.4 GPA, I have a wonderful home life and yes my parents are alive and still happily married.

---

Now I have to be treated for trauma now that I'm home. Loud noises scare me, I'm afraid of night time, I can't stop crying, I don't eat. Being in safe, home, and usual environments don't feel real, almost like I'm dreaming. I'm getting night terrors and have to take klonopin to be ok for a little while. I feel like the life has been sucked out of me. I saw so many terrible things, heard crying 24 hours a day/night and had a flashlight shined in my face every 15 minutes EVERY night.

**wtf do I do. This social worker shouldn't have a job**

EDIT: phone autocorrected to "hydrocodone" when it SHOULD BE hydromorphone.

Answer: You can file a complaint here: http://www.mass.gov/ocabr/licensee/dpl-boards/sw/Answer #2: I'm no doctor, but it seems a bit odd that you are prescribed some hardcore opiates *AND* amphetamines while suffering from anxiety. You may want to seek a new "therapist."


Title: Ex wanting money for a gift after break up

Question:
Thanks for reading and any advice is appreciated. So basically this is what has happened. I will use fake names and speak in third person I just find that easier!

Sarah and Ben were dating for roughly 2 years. Sarah purchased a car for Ben because he needed one and she had the money. At the time of the purchase Sarah and Ben were not legally classed as de facto. The car is solely in Bens name. Fast forward to now. Sarah and Ben have split up and it's getting nasty. Sarah wants Ben to give her the money for the car that was a gift at the time of purchase. Does he have to do this? I think the only way Sarah can confirm she had any involvement in the car would be her bank statements showing she paid for the vehicle. Other than that her name isn't on any of the paperwork etc. Sarah is threatening to take it further, where does Ben legally stand?

Answer: If it was a gift she has no recourse.


Title: (TX) Is it illegal to pay for a date if there is no sex?

Question:
 I have social anxiety due to some emotional abuse that I experienced. I am bad at going on dates with women. I want to improve my dating skills.

So, I was thinking about going on a date with an escort. The date would just consist of getting a cup of coffee, some talking, and some pretend flirting. There would be no sex.

However, I would still have to pay her for the date.

Is this legal or illegal?

Answer: Hire a therapist instead.  Or a life coach.  Or a dating coach.  Escorts are prostitutes.  Even if you seriously have no intention of having sex, good luck convincing a police officer of that.


Title: How do I protect myself if things go south with French fiancee/babydaddy?

Question:
Like the title says, I am having my first child with my French fiance. We are planning on moving to France in February and I've agreed to have the baby there, get married there, and stay for possibly up to a year or more. After that, we are not sure what we'll do, either moving back to the states is an option or moving somewhere else in the EU like Spain.
I guess my question is, not to be too pessimistic, but suppose we break up and things get nasty. What is the worst he could do? What is my best recourse. Is there anything I can do to possibly feel like I have more control? Could he possibly get primary custody or is it similar to the U.S. where both parents are kept involved?
(We both want this child, that's not the issue, but things tend to get dramatic when we fight sometimes.) I just want to know what is the smartest course of action so I don't end up like Sally Field in Not Without My Daughter.

Answer: If you have the baby in another country you may get stuck there if you decide to split up later on. You won't be trapped in Europe but you may not be able to take your child with you if you go. You would most likely end up with a shared custody agreement in France. Your partner would likely not agree to you taking your child back to the US if you ever split.


Title: What would be a good bill for Florida that doesn’t need funding from government ?

Answer: Someone has some homework they didn’t do.Answer #2: Recreational cannabis.  The tax benefits would far outweigh any expenses and since the Florida MMU registry already exists and monitors medical medical use, production and distribution the new users, producers and distributors can easily be regulated under the existing bureaucracy with little to no extra cost.


Title: NM - New (to us) house, major roof leak, ceiling collapses during rain, who's on the hook?

Question:
So the fledgling family real estate biz just bought a house and closed last week. Over the weekend we had very heavy rains and a large section of the ceiling (10x10 section) fell in due to a roof leak.

Here's the kicker... the sellers disclosure said:

>Any Roof problems:   YES[X] - new roof 2016.
Roof leaks: Past YES[X]
Roof leaks: Present  NO[X]

There's a small section on the opposite end of the house where there was some repairs done in the last 1-2 years, but it's not a new roof, just a repair/patch on the existing.  It could be 1-2 years old, but that would make the roof around it older than "new in 2016"

So our realtor thinks that the property was misrepresented because the seller claims a new roof, but I feel that since they checked "YES" under "any known issues with the roof" they might get off the hook.

We did see the roof before purchase, but none of us are professional roofers... I could tell a brand-spanking-new roof from one 30 years old, but I have no idea really what 1-2 years of weather would do to a flat roof (all mine have been pitched).

What say LA? Do we have a case against the seller, their agent, or are we boned?

TIA.

Answer:
 > We did see the roof before purchase, but none of us are professional roofers...

Which is why you hire a home inspector. Did you hire a home inspector?


Title: [India]Can I sue for missing life-vest in an aircraft?

Question:
I was flying domestically today, and during the safety briefing, I decided to check under my seat for the life vest, just for fun. I found that there wasn't any, and even informed the air-hostess. She said she'd get me another, but I didn't get one. Is this something I can sue over?

Additionally, I'm curious how the law would work outside India

Answer: I don't know about India, but in the US you would not have suffered any damages and thus you would have nothing to sue over.


Title: What are the potential legal ramifications for leaving a parking structure without paying for parking?

Question:
I've always wondering this and just discovered this sub.

Let's say that, hypothetically, you're leaving a paid parking structure with automated gates and everything, and you don't want to pay for parking. If you were to get your car out without causing any damage, by like, slipping out behind the car in front of you, what potential consequences could you face?

Answer: Theft of services or the equivalent.


Title: Help with a phone call I received this morning

Question: I woke up to a message from a blocked caller saying that it was the legal support service and a claim has been filed against me. They said to call the company holding the claim at an 888 number. Is this something I should worry about or is it a scam attempt. I looked up the phone number the message said to call and found nothing about them.

Answer: Ignore it. If you're being sued you'll know it because you'll be served with the paperwork.


Title: My [22F] little sister [15] wants me and my boyfriend to adopt her, should I? If so, how should I start this process?

Question:
So to give a little backstory, my little sister moved in with me in December of 2018. Our mother and father are divorced. Our father barely works, maybe makes $400-$500 a month. Our mother moved down to North Carolina to follow her boyfriend of maybe a year. So when our mother moved, my sister was given the option of if she wanted to go with our mom or move in with me. My sister refused to go to NC because she didn’t like the boyfriend and barely knew him and didn’t want to leave all her family in VA. So my sister came to live with me and my boyfriend. When she came over here, we agreed to the house rules to give her some stability. She got a bedtime, she got her school work done before she could game or talk with friends, she got the whole stable home life I wanted to give her. I even got her to focus on school and got her grades from Cs, and Ds to straight As. I’m so proud of her.

Our father has no home, barely a job, and he currently stays with my boyfriend and I because we don’t want him on the streets. Our father still tries to be my sisters father even though he isn’t providing for my sister. He is constantly hovering around her. When we try to talk about her future (I.e. college, jobs, savings) he likes to say we aren’t her parents and we shouldn’t be speaking of stuff like that with her.

My sister asked me last week if we could adopt her because she’s afraid that our parents would try to take her away from us. I want to adopt her but I’m also worried that if I do how would that affect her relationship with our parents? She’s only 15 and she’s emotional and wants to please both our parents and make everyone happy. Should I adopt her to stop our parents from pulling custody? We never got papers when they decided to let her live with me because our dad was living with us. If I were to adopt her, how should I start the process?

TLDR; my 15yr old sister asked me to adopt her because our parents are basically irresponsible and she doesn’t want to live with either of them. Should I and how should I start this process?
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 To be completely honest, unless both parents waive parental rights and reading your fathers actions that is very, very unlikely, there really isn’t a process to start. You’re not going to be able to adopt her short of serious issues that would force a court to strip their rights away.  I personally think the best thing you could do is ask for guardianship.

Knowledge: similar situation


Title: [Houston, TX] Landlord was negligent and caused me to break out in rashes (and other things, photos attached). I asked for a rent waiver and they refused. What can I do now?

Question:
**TLDR:**
===
I recently moved into a luxury apartment complex. For the first 17 days, I had a number of unresolved issues that left me sleeping in the living room, breaking out in rashes, and without any way to check my mail (which was really important since I just moved here for my job and bought a car, insurance, etc.)

They finally resolved all the issues, but it took them way too long. I don't think I should be paying a full month's rent for 17 days of non-service. What options do I have?

Images here: [https://imgur.com/a/GSPFCUb](https://imgur.com/a/GSPFCUb)

===

On day one, they handed me an inventory checklist and I submitted all the issues I found. This was signed and scanned so both parties had a copy. Despite my weekly nudging, none of these issues were resolved until I started sending strongly worded emails citing Texas Tenant Laws. This took 17 days.

Long Version:
===

These were all the issues that went unresolved:

* **I found a lot of pet hair in the carpet, which caused me to break out**. At first the apartment said that the previous tenant didn't have pets, and that they couldn't clean the carpet again anyways. Then they said they would, but never got back to me. When I showed this to the facility manager, I was told this was male pubic hair (???), and that he'd get it cleaned right away. I still didn't hear anything for 4 days. That's when I finally lost my patience and wrote them a strongly worded letter. Then they said it actually was pet hair.

===

* **I didn't have a mailbox key.** Apparently the previous tenant returned the wrong one. This meant that I had to rush home from work early to check mail before the office closed to use their original key. They knew about this issue for a long time, and kept promising I would get a key copied soon. Again, it didn't happen until I wrote that email.

===

* **The fire extinguisher had no inspection tag on it.** I also voiced this concern, and it was also ignored until I wrote the email.

===

Needless to say, all of this was very frustrating and draining for me to deal with. Having just moved into a new city, trying to get adjusted to work, figuring out car loans, insurance, etc. is stressful enough. And to add on to getting mysterious rashes, sleepless nights, not being able to get important documents just made it very unpleasant for me.

I wrote another email stating that I wanted to waive this month's rent, given that the apartment was not ready for me to move in, had health/safety issues, and was largely negligent when I voiced these concerns. I felt that I should not have to pay for 30 days of rent when 17 of those days occured when the apartment was uninhabitable (and definitely not up to the terms of our lease agreement).

Just now, the manager apologized for all this, but did not budge on allowing me to waive the rent, or even get a pro-rated fee. It wasn't until I said that I was not happy and would voice my concerns that she said she'd talk to her supervisor, and that's where we are now.

Reddit, any thoughts on what I can do?

===

===

Oh, Two other minor issues that have happened:

* A worker walked into my apartment twice unannounced, mistaking my room for the one next door

* I missed packages because they misread the apartment number...

Answer: Pet hair does not make the home uninhabitable and clearly, by your own admission, you were living there during this period. I don't see how you'd be entitled to free rent.


Title: Is it actually a crime to defecate on children?

Question: Please humor me here and solve this one for myself and my pals....is it specifically illegal anywhere in the US to defecate on your children?  I'm not trolling, it's a serious request to solve a debate dispute.  TIA!

Answer:
 Not a lawyer
Going to guess assault/battery of a minor. And if the DA is feeling particularly vindictive, sexual battery of a minor. Answer #2: I’m sure it falls under child abuse or endangerment to intentionally do so, yes.  Various assault statutes could cover it as well.

Also what in the blue blazes were you debating? 🤢


Title: Virginia - Where does the speed limit begin? When you can see the sign, or when you pass the sign?

Question:
I was pulled over, given a verbal warning, and sent on my way.

I was in a 35MPH zone that turns into a 50MPH zone. After you come out of a curve, ~50 yards up there is a sign that shows 50MPH. The sign can be seen as soon as you come out of said curve.

The cop was sitting with his radar gun between the end of the curve and the sign...in that 50 yard patch. He told me that I have to pass the sign before I can accelerate. My best guess is that I was doing 44-47MPH when I passed him. I told him that I thought is was when I could see the sign, I said I was sorry and not interested in breaking the law, especially in front of a cop. He said I was a nice person, gave me my ID back and told me to have a nice day.

So...where does the speed limit begin/end? Who was right and who was wrong in this situation?

Answer: Consider the reverse case, where the speed limit drops. If you saw a sign ahead telling you to go 35MPH after a stretch of 50MPH, you'd begin decelerating. You'd be confused if you were told that you had to have already reached the lower speed the instant you SAW the sign. Thus, the sign really has to mark where the speed changes by its location.


Title: Easiest way to get a US green card apart from marriage or military?

Question:
Hi there!

I'm a rising junior from India at a midwestern college on an F-1 visa. I've fallen in love with America and really really want to stay here. I'm studying Computer Science and hope to get a Silicon Valley job so I definitely have valuable skills to contribute.

What are my best bets of staying in America apart from marriage (don't want to force it) or military (too much of a time commitment, not disciplined enough)? I plan to work in high-tech so staying illegally is not an option.

Thanks!

Answer: Realistically: study really hard so a good company is willing to go through the trouble to sponsor your H-1B visa. Once you have that you can apply for a green card. It's summer, do you have an internship? Your best chance of working for one of these companies is get an internship with them and they are much more likely to hire you full time.


Title: Flare Gun Inserts Legal New York City

Question: 26.5mm steel flare pistols [such as this one](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0970/5802/products/Untitled-Grayscale-03_1024x1024.jpg?v=1485517343) can be used with [inserts of various calibers](https://www.mississippiautoarms.com/22-cal-sub-caliber-device-flare-gun-insert-by-runway-sub-cal),  thus turning a flare pistol into a firearm. No FFL is required to  purchase either a flare gun or an insert, but would it be legal for a  New York City resident to possess both and not put them together? Or  would mere possession of both be illegal?

Answer: That’s a good question for a real life lawyer. I would be willing to bet that both police and prosecutors in NYC would argue that having both would be constructing and possessing an unregistered pistol, which is a big deal in NYC, especially since the way you phrased your question makes me think you are thinking of doing this specifically to avoid NYC’s registry/FFL rules.


Title: [Seattle, WA] - My drinking water is dirty, next door neighbor's is clean. As a tenant do I have any rights to have my landlord perform a water quality test?

Answer: Yes, you do. First, tell your landlord in writing that your water is dirty. The caselaw (Tucker v Hayford) holds that a tenancy without clean water is not a tenancy. If you are in the City of Seattle, contact the City's landlord-tenant office, tell them what is going on and ask them to inspect. They will. Either they will get you clean water immediately or they can pay you relocation.


Title: Applying for police but I have a huge mark against me

Question:
Hi, this in Virginia and happened in a city where they are particularly harsh on traffic violations.

I'm 21 and graduated college in May. I'm applying for various government jobs to hopefully use the political science degree. I really want to a cop.

When I was 18 I regretfully got clocked at 97 in a 55. Fuck, it was the stupidest thing I've ever done. Seriously. I got sent to jail for a few days, got slapped with a huge fine, and was placed on a 36 month probation. Three damn years. It ends in April 2018.

I'm just looking for advice on getting it expunged or something. I don't know if its even possible. I really don't need the downvotes or condescending comments about me having to live with my mistakes, I've been living it. I'm well aware and very thankful it didn't end in an accident. Thanks in advance.

Edit: the conviction is for reckless driving

Answer: Even getting it expunged will not hide it during a police background check.  This will not bar you from being a police officer forever but since you are still on probation it will probably not work out for you right now.


Title: [NY] My car was hit while parked by a USPS truck. What are my options?

Question:
Ok so basically what the title says. I was in my apartment, decided to go down to buy some things and found my car in pretty bad shape. Front side driver door busted, front rim broken and fender busted. Car wouldn't turn on and had to call a tow truck. Found a note on the car left by a supervisor from USPS.

What are my legal options here? The car is financed and this is pretty much going to kill the value of the car.

Answer: Report this to your insurance company and let them handle it.Answer #2: The good news here is that USPS seems to have admitted it's their fault - so let your insurance company handle it as /r/grasshoppa1 indicated.


Title: [Washington State] Can a Union revoke your membership and have you fired from your job for a non-fee issue?

Question: A co-worker threatened to have the union revoke my membership. I know already that the Union won't do any such thing. I talked to my shop steward and Union president and they say they wouldn't in this case. But I was wondering if a Union revoked my membership would it even matter as far as my employment goes? I'm just reading a bit on wikipedia about the Taft-Hardley act and I don't believe being expelled from the Union would do anything to me.

Answer:
 Wow. This is one of those rare conditions in this sub when people actually can respond with "right to work" instead of "at will employment"

25 states have passed laws stating that union membership can't be considered a condition of employment; these laws are generally known as "right to work laws". As best I can tell, Washington hasn't passed these laws (although it looks like there is a ballot initiative to do so this year). So your employer can make Union membership a job requirement.


Title: I bought a car in Virginia, and it has a valid inspection sticker. If I register the vehicle in Pennsylvania, does the inspection sticker become invalid, or will it remain valid through the expiration date?

Question:
Basically the title.

Do automobile inspection stickers remain valid across state lines?

Answer:
 No.

Each state has their own inspection standards and requirements. You will have to get an inspection with 10 days of moving to PA.


Title: My aunt just passed away and was a sole proprietor of her law buisness, what do I do?

Question:
My aunt was a lawyer and just passed away. My family and I have to idea how to handle this portion of the estate. None of us are lawyers so none of us can take up the mantle so to speak. Really need advice on what to do! My first instinct is to approach the group which she did probono work with, but no idea what else.
Topic:
Wills Trusts and Estates

Answer: This is a relatively common issue.  Since non-lawyers can't practice law, a lawyer will need to wrap up your aunt's business affairs.  In my state, the local bar associations have committees that will assist and make sure that the clients are represented.  I don't know about Indiana specifically, but if there is a local bar association, you should start there.  Even if they don't provide that assistance, they will know who does.  If there is no local bar association, then contact the Indiana bar association - https://www.inbar.org/


Title: (Texas)seller failed to disclose water damage during home buying.

Question:
Hello, I'm kind of new to reddit but I was told there could be someone here that might help me.

Well, I bought a house in Dallas area and the closing date was May 31, during the process there were no issues. The home inspection went well with minor deficiencies. The sellers agreed to fix everything I asked for.  Everything went well and I decided to go forward with my first home purchase. During the afternoon of 5/31 at approximately 4 pm I was informed the loan had been funded and I was given the keys for the property. I had planned to do the official moving day June 4th but decided to go check out my new house and move in some small boxes. I arrived to the house and unloaded the boxes from my car and after I was done it began raining heavily. I decided to wait for the storm to pass before returning to my apartment since I had a 30 min drive. While I waited for the storm to pass I noticed the carpet near the outer wall of the house was soaked in water. I also observed some molding along the floor and it appeared to be rotted out (and it had been for some time). I poked on it and the paint began peeling while the rotted wood began falling apart. I took some pictures (and videos) of the whole thing. I frantically began calling people but I was unable to get an answer. Today I contacted the home inspector, who after my call he said he was on his way and quickly responded to the house to check the issue. The seller never disclosed any issues with the house including water or drainage problems.

The home inspector said there was a french drain on the side of the house it had clogged and water had seeped into the home through the weep holes, he said it was obvious the seller had some knowledge about this issue due to the fact of how the french was prepared(how the gutters were connected into the french drain in to avoid more water to drain in the affected area),  however he said it was inadequate for the amount of water during yesterday's storm. I spoke with one of the neighbors who said the previous owners had water issues and had replaced the carpet about six months ago. At this point do I have the right to rescind the purchase? my question is more or less based on the fact that I have no time nor interest in wanting to deal with courts and a legal suit if I can avoid that headache.

Thank you

Answer: Wait, how did this not come up during the inspection?  Was it a full inspection or just the bare minimum "yep the foundation isn't made of plywood" inspection?Answer #2: You need to contact your realtor. They should have knowledge in what to do.


Title: Owning a firearm in Florida with a record.

Question: When I was 13 I got charged with a first degree felony that involved a handgun. I’m 22 now and haven’t had any problems with the law. I was wondering if it’s legal for me to purchase a handgun even with a sealed juvenile felony

Answer: No, it's not legal. You need to be 24 if what you were charged with would be a felony if you were an adult. Look up [790.23](http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0700-0799/0790/Sections/0790.23.html). Don't even think about it until then. You're a prohibited possessor and having a gun can result in second degree felony charges, this time, as an adult.


Title: [CT] (X-post from /r/AskReddit): Is the sentencing of Aaron Hernandez Unconstitutional?

Question:
Is there an argument for the detaining of Hernandez a few miles from Gillette Stadium as an unconstitutional punishment based on the 8th Amendment (No cruel or unusual punishments)?
Hernandez will be mentally tortured for the rest of his life hearing the crowds and faint sounds of the stadium he could be playing in (were he to not have made the choices that he made).
I am not condoning his actions. I agree that a life sentence is justified for taking the life of someone, but I can't help but feel some empathy for Hernandez. Could this be a valid argument for him to try to appeal his case or to be moved to a different prison?
My law knowledge isn't great, just a thought question.

Topic:
Constitution

Answer:
 Even if you could hear the cheers from the stadium inside the prison, I doubt this would be considered cruel and unusual by anyone.  Constantly being reminded of how you fucked up isn't cruel or unusual, it's a daily occurrence for every single person in that prison.  Hearing the cheers from the stadium isn't any more cruel than a guy who has to see his children growing up without him.Answer #2: Cruel and unusual punishment requires a showing of:

>The institution's employees were aware of some danger or risk of harm to an inmate; and

>The employees chose not to take any steps to remedy the problem; and

>The inmate's fundamental rights were violated as a result.

It would be a real stretch to say this even remotely qualifies.  Besides, at best he'd only be tortured for maybe 7 more years or so...he wouldn't play forever, and the average shelf-life for TE's isn't crazy high.  Also, that's assuming he would play out the rest of his career as a Pat, which is unlikely.  He's a top dollar seeking kind of fella, and we all know the pats don't give top dollar to aging former stars.  See Vince Wilfork, Darrel Revis, etc.  Answer #3: Are you mentally disabled or under some kind of legal guardianship?


Title: Fall from grace

Question:
I am a co-owner of 3 restaurants in California. I've just discovered that the majority share holder and CEO is taking funds from our group and loaning it out to some of his other failing restaurants to cover payroll and other expenses.

After more digging I was able to obtain the balance sheets for all his other locations and he is spreading the wealth to cover debts, bills and payroll.

This was brought to my attention as we were about to announce we were going to sell our shares and move on from this group. My wife and I have created a successful business that is highly admired with in the community and is likely the cash cow that is holding the rest of these failing concepts together.

What do I do here?

I should also state that the owner is like a cult leader and I feel alerting the other share holders will back fire onto me. The spin from the main share holder would likely damage my fledgling reputation and leave me with nothing.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and I'd be happy to explain in greater detail if I have not been clear.

Answer:
 If the CEO is taking funds to help businesses that have no connection to your business, he is doing so in breach of his fiduciary duties to your business, as well as embezzling.

If you believe that telling other shareholders that this guy is committing felonies will backfire on you, you've got bigger problems. If he is breaking the law and undermining the financial success of your business, you know what you need to do.

Tell them.


Title: A company claims it owns the trademark "adblock"

Question:
Is this possible? they want us to change the name of our software because it contains the word "adblock". But isnt it a common word?
Topic:
Intellectual Property

Answer:
 https://trademarks.justia.com/search?q=adblock

The original trademark "adblock" no longer exists since it was abandoned, but both "adblock plus" and "adblock browser" are still active.

If your software is similar enough to those, it can rightfully be seen as a trademark / copyright violation.

The question would however be how enforceable that is. "Adblock" is not an original dictionary item and has only been coined over the last decade and a half or so; would definitely speak to a specialist lawyer about it.

I assume the party contacting you is (acting on behalf of) Eyeo GmbH? If it isn't, you can disregard it, but double checking with a lawyer certainly helps. If it's Betafish Inc. (owner of the abandoned adblock trademark) I'd also review if they might have a past claim, if your software was around while their trademark was still live.


Title: Put Lumber Liquidators laminate in a yr ago, sold home 4 months ago, now new owner is emailing me for info. Do I respond?

Question:
As topic said, the laminate we put in has been specifically mentioned in a class action due to formaldehyde issues.
http://www.classaction.org/media/pdf/gcm-v-lumber-liquidators.pdf

We had it put in summer of 2013, home sold last fall.  New owner has the 2 unopened boxes we left behind and is asking if we have receipts, etc.  he got my email from my old neighbor

Not sure I want to reply at all, give him any info, etc. thoughts?

As a side note, if the laminate is proven hazardous, I have receipts but no longer live there, do I have any recourse to join a class action?

Answer: Wait. You don't want to help this guy get a new floor that is not potentially harmful to his family, a *floor you sold him*, but you're willing to get in on the class action to benefit yourself??


Title: Debt Collection Agency lied to me about my eligibility for a program. Do I have a case? [New York/FTC]

Question:
I have been involved with a debt collections company (Performant) due to a defaulted Student Loan which was previously held by NYS Higher Education.

Two months ago I was contacted by a Rep who informed me I was eligible for a program that would put my outstanding debt into a Recovery Program, freeing me of the Debt Collection Agency, restoring my Credit Rating and leaving me in a much better financial situation. I went through their process and was insured on multiple occasions that this was a done deal. I would be put into Recovery and placed in a much better situation.

As a part of this process, they gathered more information from me, new references, new address info, etc. They asked for my financials and reassessed my monthly payment which was reduced to $5.00 per month.

Up until yesterday, I had been waiting for a resolution for a month. I contacted their offices yesterday and was told that I was not eligible for the Recovery Program and there was little I could do besides pay the loan in full, or continue on with my monthly payments until I could pay the loan in full.

As far as I understand, I was lied to, I was never eligible for this program as of prior to August 2008, when I began this relationship. Through this they have deceptively collected new information from me, and left me in a potentially catastrophic and inhuman financial situation, unable to resolve a debt legally within the span of my lifetime without paying them in full, while the interest compiled on my loan month after month.

Since this revelation, I have been contacted by management at this company and informed that I can be placed into a Consolidation program, which would effectively do EXACTLY what I was told would happen in the Recovery Program, Credit Report cleared (the debt marked as paid) a new loan opened, Credit increased, and new loan terms on the loans with much more favorable terms. Since I called prior to this situation, multiple times, and asked about alternative solutions to getting them off my back and was told no, it feels as if they're bending over backwards to avoid serious legal problems without outright admitting it.

I do have a copy of the form they sent me to fill out for this Recovery program, I do have sent emails with the forms in my outbox, I do have account statements reflecting the change in the monthly payment amount. Besides that, I just know of my account records WITH this company and any recorded phone calls they may have regarding this deal (they record all of them as part of the law). I believe I have a case for legal action under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, Section 807 (False of Misleading Representations). I have been in contact with my family Attorney and I have not heard from him yet today regarding this matter.

I need to put this out to a larger mind - do I actually have something here? Does anyone know anything about this? Is this even worth pursuing?

**Edit 1: Was asked to put this into the OP**

The situation prior was to pay $365 per month on a $24,000 dollar loan, resulting in payment in full within nine years. With the renegotiation my monthly payment was brought down to $5.00 per month on a $24,000 loan, which would result in a full payment within 403 years. The monthly payments are automatic, and as far as I have been convinced in prior conversations, I cannot pay more into the loan until the loan has been placed in Recovery or Consolidation.

This also has a drastic negative effect on my credit score, which tremendously impacts my life moving forward. If this were allowed to stand without corrective action, I would never be able to buy a house, a car, get a credit card, or go back to school for the remainder of my natural life.

If this company had never existed, I would be able to make monthly payments to NYSHE and the loan would be in much better standing, my credit would not be damaged as it is and the loan would eventually be paid off.

Thanks

Answer:
 You sure you didn't screw something up?

Why the hell would a collection agency negotiate down to $5/month for on $24,000.00? At 400 months that is north of 30 years.  It would be more cost effective to sue you and garnish wages than collect $5/month.  If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is...

They probably wanted your financial information so that they can determine how hard to pursue you... (e.g. sue for garnishment or just keep harassing).


Title: Can I share a Google hang out chat with my university, one of the group members said I don’t have permission to show this chat to anyone. (California)

Question:
Had to do a group project for graduate school. The chat took place on google hangouts and one of the team members started saying disparaging comments. I have since contacted the professor and was allowed to complete the project on my own.

However, this student and the other group member get to keep my topic and I have to pick something else. Also, this group member just gets to carry on without any other repercussions.

I have the option of launching a complaint and providing the chat to the university. Can I  share this chat with the university academic specialist? Even though she stated “you do not have my permission to share this chat”

Answer: In CA, text messages are like email - there is no expectation of privacy. Share away.


Title: 3 break-ins in a week at the abandoned house beside us (Alberta, Canada).

Question:
My wife and I (early 30s) are tenants in a house on a fairly busy street. We live on the main floor, and two women (20s) are tenants in the basement.

Immediately to the one side of us is an abandoned house. It's been abandoned for as long as we've been living here (10 months), but it's always been quiet with no activity. How do  I know this? Because two of our bedroom windows open directly towards the windows of the abandoned house, and there is about 8 feet of space between us. We can see right in. We do keep curtains, however.

It's never been an issue until this past week. I originally had written a long post, but I believe the rules say 'keep it short'. So here is the summary of events:

1) Friday morning, 3:30am. I wake up and hear breaking glass. I peak out and see a man trying to break the window on the main floor of the abandoned house. I call 911 and they dispatch the cops, who arrive in about 10 minutes. The suspect had taken off by then, however, and the cops left shortly afterwards. The cops are back during the day, and they do a quick walk through of the house. They tell a neighbor that we should call if it happens again.

2) Sunday 4:30pm. I look out the window and realize that I can see someone's legs in the abandoned house. They move, and I see a hand enter my view with a cigarette. I call the police non-emergency line and they say they will dispatch someone.

4) Sunday 8:30pm. Again I hear breaking glass. I rush to our window, and someone is breaking in, this time through a basement window. It's light enough out that I can snap a couple of photos of the guy break the glass and climb through. This time, I figure since it's a crime-in-progress, I call 911 right away. They take my information, and say they will dispatch a car.

5) Monday, 2:30am. As far as I can tell, no one has been around all night. I call 911 again, because I can see people inside the house. I am currently waiting to see what happens.

Normally I'm a pretty sympathetic and chill guy. But my wife and I are about to have a kid (in less than a month) and I have a big problem with people breaking windows, getting high, and using lighters 12 feet away from where my kid will be sleeping. Every time I call, dispatch thanks me, because "squatters pose a significant fire hazard to abandoned buildings". My wife is at home while I work during the day, and is 8 months pregnant, and I have some real anxiety about leaving her to go to work.

My questions are: what can I do?

* If the cops don't show up this time, do I keep calling 911? The suspects are still in the house, I can see them right now if I peak.

* Am I risking retribution if they find out I'm the one calling the cops on them?

* Is there a city department that I should be contacting, to have them board up the place better?

* What are the home-owner's responsibilities?

* And finally, would this be enough for my wife and I to move somewhere else without suffering penalties for breaking our lease?

Thanks for your help, I really don't know what to do!

Answer:
 You keep calling 911. They're actively committing a crime. And i really doubt squatters would retaliate against someone for calling the cops on them, even if they knew for sure it was you and not another neighbor.

You can contact your local building dept, but there's only so much they can do about it. I know of abandoned homes which had their windows boarded up to prevent just such an event. I don't know if that's something the buildings dept will do on their own in most cases, but it can't hurt to inquire.

The property owner has some responsibilities, but even if you can find them, you likely have no way to force them to do something. If the home is abandoned it's usually for a reason, and it's likely the owner doesn't have the means to maintain it.

It would not be enough to break your lease because there's nothing your LL could do to stop it, and it doesn't make your home uninhabitable.


Title: My parents car was hit by a person who may not have insurance. What should they do?

Question:
So my parents were driving on a snowy road today when a car driving way too fast coming the other way lost control and hit them head on. Most importantly, my parents are OK although my mother may have broken some ribs and they are both pretty sore. The car, a 2014 ford escape, is a total loss. There were a bunch of high class folks in the other car (sarcasm). None of the other occupants were wearing seat belts and they all seemed the criminal type. Top top it all off, the driver claimed that the car was not insured at first. After some more questioning, she claimed that they might have insurance but that is might be expired. So I want to know what my parents need to do to protect themselves and prepare to handle whatever may come of this. Any advice is appreciated, thanks.

Edit: Location is Virginia

Answer:
 >There were a bunch of high class folks in the other car (sarcasm). None of the other occupants were wearing seat belts and they all seemed the criminal type.

I'm really sorry that this happened to your folks, but please don't be that person. You have every right to be mad; you can do that without stereotyping.

Having said that, your state REALLY matters here, so we'll need that before we can tell you what to expect.


Title: Pulled over driving on a license I did not know was suspended

Question: As the title says I was pulled over for speeding and found that my license had been suspended due to an unpaid ticket, which I thought I had paid. It had been suspended for quite a while, over a year. I've paid my fines and gotten my license reinstate. Colorado laws says I have to have knowledge of the suspension but I'm not sure how I can prove I was unaware. I can't afford an attorney. I can bring bank records to show I used Uber to get to work from the time I was suspended until it was reinstated. I remember receiving notices in the mail about the ticket but got nothing saying I was suspended, when spoke with the credit agency holding the account for my unpaid ticket they had an incorrect address for me, should I mention this? Any advice would be appreciated, I don't know what to do or what to expect. My court date is Thursday. Thank you ahead of time for any advice or encouragement.

Answer:
 As you have stated, it's very difficult to prove that you didn't know something. The proof of uber is going to look good on you. Just be honest with the judge. Traffic court is a different beast than normal court. It's about how you present yourself. Wear a tie, shave, get a haircut, be humble, spoke only when spoken to but when you do speak, speak loudly and clearly. Respect the court and keep emotion down. Yes sir, no sir.

Hope you get a sympathetic judge. Good luck.


Title: Buying a house with different names on mortgage and title - VA

Question: Long story short, my boyfriend has terrible credit due to unfortunate circumstances many years ago. He’s slowly getting it back up but not enough to get a loan without pulling my good credit down. The plan would be for me to get a loan in my name with his mom as a co-signer. The title would be under my name and my boyfriend’s, not his mom’s. Is there a legal way to do this without his credit being questioned?

Answer:
 DO NOT DO THIS

Do NOT put a home mortgage in your name (and your moms) and give him 50% equity. He has zero stake in the money owed and half of the house. So if you break up, he gets  half the profit and you are fucked

BAD IDEA!!

Just buy the place yourself. If you guys get married you can add his name then.

DO NOT DO THIS


Title: I’m parked legally, and was threatened with damage to my car if I don’t move

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer:
 >So what can I do if she does actually damage my car?

You can report the crime to the police.  Including the information about the prior threats.  The police may or may not be able or willing to act on that information.

You can, of course, report the threat itself to the police.  Again, the police may or may not be able or willing to act on that information though it is perhaps less likely than if vandalism actually occurs.  The report itself may do you some good if you later have to report damage to your vehicle.


Title: Can you legally sass/talk back to a rude customer if you’re the owner of the company?

Answer: as long as its not libelous yes. bad for business though.


Title: [KS] Ordered tablet from ebay store which apparently had a pricing error. I received the tablet, but now they want it back.

Question:
First off, thanks in advance to everyone here. You guys do awesome work and I appreciate it.

So as the title says I ordered a tablet (specifically a Surface Pro 3) from an ebay store. The price was very good, but I figured maybe they're just clearing stock since the surface pro 4 just came out. Well apparently this was an incorrect price (they're claiming now they were hacked -- [see here](http://imgur.com/gJ4oVDa)) and they want me to send it back or pay a much higher price than the original order.

The original order was for $367 and the new price they want is $1160.10. I checked and they did already refund the original $367 that I paid.

While I am sympathetic if they were truly hacked, I don't want to pay that much for a last gen tablet.

So my question is what are my options here? Do I have to send it back or pay what they're now asking? If possible I'd like to just pay the $367 I thought I was going to originally.

Last note, I have already received the tablet and set it up and everything. It was new in box so even if they do get it back, it won't be new anymore.

Answer: Hey, you miss 100% of the shots you don't take, right? That's all they're doing, hoping that you'll just return it or pay the larger amount. It is a completed sale, payment was made as agreed, item delivered as agreed. Enjoy the tablet, it's yours. You do still owe them the agreed amount of $367 (that they refunded), how did you pay originally?Answer #2: You and the company already made a deal and the deal was satisfied on both ends. They probably weren't hacked, it was probably just an employee error. Not your problem. Tell them that your transaction with them was completed and you owe them nothing further.


Title: Think I have any case or possible course of recourse against Hertz Corp?

Question:
Hi everyone,
I'm still getting over the frustration and anger with my latest Hertz On Demand (aka Hertz 24/7, aka Hertz Doughnut?) and I already raised a complaint via the BBB as a result, but thought hey, reddit might love hearing a story about how shitty a company can be.

Some background: I'm a competent driver who formerly owned a car of my own until I moved to a much better urban living area outside of Manhattan (New York), so I signed up for Hertz on Demand.  I have (was) a member of their program for almost 3 years before this debacle.

So recently I changed my driver's license since it was about to expire.  Because I now live in Jersey, I got a brand new one altogether which meant that my drivers license number had to change.  As a result, I was forced to call Hertz on Monday (4/14) in order to speak with an operator and change it (wasn't allowed to online for some reason).

That went all fine, and while I was at it, I booked a car for Easter Sunday (4/20) so that my wife and I could go visit my mother who lives alone because she's a widow.  My father passed away quite some while ago but these 'holidays' are always something we don't dare spend apart as its just kind of family tradition.

I get off the phone, I get my text message notification saying my car is reserved, great.  No problems, all going according to plan.  I knew Easter Sunday would be crazy to rent a car as time got closer so I was glad I got the reservation in early (hell, I was proud of myself for actually putting in that much foresight/thought).

So week passes, and Sunday comes.  Wife and I get up, do our morning routines, and I'm about to leave to go get the car when I realize I have a text message on my phone. I check it (the time is now 9:30 AM btw, a half hour before I'm supposed to get my car) and low and behold my car was cancelled.

I immediately call up the company to ask why this was and to put my reservation back on track.  Apparently my pre-approval didn't go through.

For Clarity; Pre-approval happens apparently according to the representative starting almost 48 hours prior.  So instead of telling me 48 hours ago or so to fix my card information or talk to my bank to allow the pre-approval, they keep trying for the pre-approval, and predicatibly, it keeps not going through. This culminates until they just straight up cancel my car.

Another point: This was a DEBIT CARD, not a Credit card, and I EASILY had this money in my account, and I have used it MULTIPLE times in the past with no issues.

So I'm angry.  Very much so.  But I'm trying to be rational with the person and tell them ok, let me give you a different card or something and re-book me.  Well, turns out, that SOMEHOW, SOME RANDOM GUY  (or girl) managed to book my car during that brief period of time while my reservation was cancelled.

No other cars were available in the area, remotely, and I was completely shit out of luck.  No recompense was offered, no alternatives given, I was stranded with my wife with no way to get to my mother who now had to spend Easter completely alone.  They cancel my reservation without proper notice, they immediately give it to someone else, and completely botched my family's easter up something fierce.  My anger was only outmatched by my mother's anger and sadness.

Anyone think I have a case for legal recourse?  If nothing else I get to vent here but lord knows I'm furious about the whole thing to this day.

Answer:
 > Anyone think I have a case for legal recourse?

No.  You have no damages.  It sucks, but it's a clerical error, at best.


Title: Sold hockey stick at garage sale, turns out Wayne Gretzky signed it, now what can I do?

Question: I just learned that an old hockey stick I just sold at a garage sale for$40 actually has the great one's signature, among others too, and I had no idea. Can I force the guy who bought it to give the valuable stick back? - USA

Answer:
 Yes, absolutely. In 1843 the Supreme Court held, in Jacobs v The Estate of Adams, 123 NE 27, that a mistaken transaction of a valuable good, in this case G. Washingtons very own dentures, negated the purchase entirely.

Not long after, in 1876, the court ruled, in Santa Clara Base-ball Club v US Pacific Base-ball club,  377, NE, 112,237, thT this right extended to signed items, in this case a bat signed by Zachariah Williams, one of America's first great players.

Finally, in 1995, the court had a seminal ruling on the ancient standards, finding in The Sandlot Gang, Oj Simpson, et al v Hollywood, 90, NE, 210, that breaking the law to retrieve said items was a God given right.

so yes


Title: Parents tossed mail now medical bills are in collection

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 So you left this part out of your story here for some reason but this is what you said:

> All I asked of them when I went NC was to destroy my mail

So your parents did exactly what you told them to do so no, of course you do not get them sent to jail for that.  What is wrong with you?Answer #2: The first thing you need to do is to update your mailing address with all of the places you receive medical treatment from. Answer #3: Yes it will likely affect your credit. Why are you using their address at all for anything?  You can file a complaint with the postal inspector.


Title: [France] Just a short one for you guys: How can I be sure my landlord will pay me back?

Question:
A bit of context :

I've be renting an apartment for nearly a month now and my landlord never gave me the keys to the mailbox. I repeatedly asked what should we do about it and they have finally answered to get a locksmith to replace the lock and give me new keys and they will pay me back for the expense.

This agreement is only by e-mail, so my question is how can I make sure my landlord will pay me back without being an arsehole about it? Just some kind of legally binding agreement but I'm not sure what to ask for and how to ask for it.

Thanks!

Answer:
 Contact the post office about it.  They'll likely rekey the box.

If they don't, then ask your landlord if you can deduct it from rent.

Otherwise, have the locksmith invoice your landlord directly.


Title: just terminated from work, do i have a case to sue?

Question:
this afternoon i was terminated from my job. there was an incident with another employee that happened when i was in my store shopping around not even working that day.

for months this employee has been spreading rumors about me personally stealing from the company i work for. these rumors are in fact false but they kept going non-stop for months and months. my managers failed to look into the situation or even give it the time of day when my coworkers and i approached them with the situation.

things were said by both parties during this argument that i was baited into. the other employee started attacking me verbally about me losing my job as soon as he saw me walk into the store.

i feel as if his comments towards me to other employees and the lack of support i had received from my managers to be very frustrating. the employee is a known drug user and is the one who still has a job.

yes we argued and most of it was sarcastic comments back and forth that he was laughing about up until i left the store. my hr department cared for nothing else that went on from my statement and terminated me effective immediately.

do i have a case to sue the company or the other employee for his slander towards me and what i feel is a wrongful termination?

any help would be greatly appreciated, i am not looking for a payday or anything. i just need a job and this does not seem fair to me at all.

thanks everyone.

Answer: It sounds like you were fired for the argument, not due to what the other employee said about you. Your best course of action is to find a new job.


Title: Where do I find the legal written agreement on for a piece of property?

Question:
This is in Iowa.

My Grandpa "sold" our family farm to a quarry company in the late 1980s. They since tore down the house and building and quarried out 20 of the 100 acre plot. Well I am getting back into farming and always thought it would be cool to have the same piece of land my ancestors worked from. I had been in contact with the owner of the company who said he can not sell any of the land. I casually brought up to my grandpa (now 90) that I was talking to the owner about the land and he said I could not buy any back and so on. Well my grandpa then said he never sold the land to him but only leased it too him. He said that he has to legally give it back when he is finished, which he almost is because he just hit a massive spring causing it to fill. 5 years ago my grandpa wanted to get a lawyer to get make sure the rest of the surrounding land (which is still perfectly fine and not used or effected by the quarry) would be returned. My aunt and uncle convinced him not to bother because they would lose and didn't want it anyways. Well I would want it if that is even possible. I do not know who to believe and do not want to pursue this if my grandpa is wrong. How or where do I find the legal written agreement made when the land was sold?

Answer: Your county's records office may have a copy of the transfer.


Title: (27m) Brothers (22f) gf trying to leave and take their (1.5m) child from him. What can he do? (Virginia)

Question:
My brother and his gf have a 1.5 year old son whom they both adore. The gf has always had serious control issues and has kind of bullied my brother throughout the relationship. She's threatened him by saying if he didn't agree to her terms on things, or if he "pushed back" too much that she'd take their son and my brother would never see him again. Recently she's threatened to call the police if my brother tried to take their son somewhere on his own. He wanted to take their son to church yesterday but the gf said he wasn't allowed because she had lunch plans, and that he wasn't allowed to use the car anyway (of which my brother is the primary on the title), and that if he took their son on to church, she'd call the police. My brother is terrified she's going to file a fake police report so he kind of just accepts her behavior.

Now the gf claims she's leaving in a couple weeks and taking the kid. My brother is devastated and doesn't want to lose his son (or his gf for that matter but what're gonna do). What is his best course of action? The gf is a cosigner on the car but says he can have it, she's on the lease where they live and that isn't up until June 30, and my brother is more stable than she. Should he preemptively file for custody of their son? Should he just speak to a local lawyer? What does he do about their lease if she leaves earlier than it's up? Thanks.

Answer: He needs to get a lawyer and file for a custody agreement. Without one she can take the child whenever she wants to wherever she wants and keep him as long as she wants.Answer #2: He can file for custody right away if he wants, obviously if he is trying to continue dating this girl that may not go over well. If she does leave with the child he should immediately file. There is absolutely no reason for any delay at that point.


Title: Would love somebody with legal experience to help me figure out if I'm overreacting to what I feel is unacceptable sexism.

Question: [deleted]

Answer: To be clear: the only action they've taken that you maybe see as discriminatory is the loss of a small number of participation points in one class?