Title: Machine at Target paid me, I feel bad

Question:
So a throwaway account obviously.

&#x200B;

My family (2 year old and pregnant wife) and I were just at Target. We went up to the self checkout as we would usually do. The machine said "tap to dispense cash" I had not even read past tap by the time my hand was up to tap. The machine dispensed $40; we did not see the previous customer when walking up, nor could I see someone acting like they forgot something or anything like that when the cash was dispensed. At that point I started feeling guilty, so I used a $20 from what was dispensed to pay for our purchase as opposed to using the debit card. My wife remarks that these are the kind of videos we get to see on the internet and I immediately realize that I am still wearing my work shirt with the (well known locally) company name on it. At this point I am worried because I really like both my job and the company. I am more than happy to give back the money. Had I been paying attention the screen would have remained untapped. So I feel bad and guilty. On top of that I'm now worried about it getting me fired. Should I contact the Store? What kind of fallout could I reasonably expect and how should I get in front of it in that case? Am I like my fiance says just overthinking it and it's a $40 lesson to the person who used the machine before us. Finally, did I use the ; correctly?

TLDR: TIL target self checkout machines ask you to verify receiving cashback.

Thanks!

Answer: I’m not following the logic of “I felt guilty so I spent one of the $20 bills”.Answer #2: Yeah, I’d give the money back, if just to clear your conscience.


Title: So I was unemployed and got into debt. Just got a dui. Need the last of my credit to deal with this. If i pay everything somehow with my new job,for 3 months, then file bankrupcy, will this prevent me from being accused of fraud? The system really screwed me, and I just want my life back.

Answer: r/personalfinance


Title: [IN] Child Support Laws

Question:
[Indiana]

My friend's ex is supposed to pay ~$130/week in child support. He makes ~$600/week. This is a court ordered payment. He's asked her to lower the payments.

My questions are:

1. Since it's court ordered, is even legally binding if she says he can pay less? The last I knew in CS, they had to pay through the courthouse and then the payment would be issued to the main caregiver. So, they couldn't pay less, and if they did, the amount unpaid would still add up.

2. It's a new order, within the last few months. He threatened to get a lawyer involved, so how likely is it that the judge will lower the payments if he does? I thought unless circumstances had changed drastically (loss of a job, demotion, etc.) that the payments will stay the same?

Thanks!

Answer:
 > Since it's court ordered, is even legally binding if she says he can pay less?

"She" being the recipient?  No, it's not legally binding.  The court's order is binding.  If he doesn't pay that in full, he can be in trouble.

> He threatened to get a lawyer involved, so how likely is it that the judge will lower the payments if he does?

A lawyer is more likely to get payments lowered than a *pro se* defendant.  But you're correct, absent a change in circumstances lowering that payment can be tough.  Answer #2: There's nothing prohibiting him making the full payment through child support enforcement, and then having her voluntarily return some money to him; if that's what she really wants to do. But he needs to have a traceable way to show he made the full court ordered payment, or he can be held in contempt.

The odds of them modifying a recent order without a change in circumstances are very slim. I'd also say 20% of his pay doesn't sound all that unreasonable for child support; why does he think that it should be lower?


Title: Drug into a drug ring...

Question: So here is the story...I lived in a house with two friends who sold drugs...I smoke pot and had more than the court sees as personal use...anyways I was laying in bed one morning waiting for our internet service provider to be to come install our stuff...I just so happen to look out my window and see theSWAT team running up to our door...I jump out of bed grab my weed and hit the bathroom and flush 3 onions of dank...idk how much went down...anyways my roommates got caught with boy girl hard and done other shit...the police killed our dog and sat us on our couch as they trashed our house...they eventually take us downtown and say they found a gram of heroin in my room...which is bs...in a 9 month investigaon my name isn't in it nor my vehicle...the search warrant even said our house. to be searched on the following people and my roommates names and their vehicle...I lost everything I owned to get out on bond and can't afford a good lawyer...what are my chances of beating this... and how do I go about proving that stuff wasnt in my room....like why wouldi I run to flush chronic if I really had heroin...just looking for advice....27 year old white male in north Carolina

Answer:
 I only understood half of what you said, but I'm fairly confident that you are going to have a difficult time "beating this" without the help of a competent criminal defense attorney.Answer #2: If your primary defense is "why would I flush my one illegal drug instead of another illegal drug?", you really need to rethink your strategy. Better yet, sell everything you have, beg, borrow, and ~~steal~~ to get a lawyer. You absolutely need one.

As for the *bullshit* charges, this is the chance you take when you live with heavy drug users/sellers and do drugs yourself. You should probably make better decisions in the future.Answer #3: 3 onions for personal use? Nice try petty drug dealer. You want advice? Stop using/dealing and grow up.


Title: Violated by the police, no charges, no report written, 150$ worth of my medications stolen. PLEASE HELP!

Question:
Hello everyone, im in quite a strange predicament. X-files-esque, conspiracy maybe. Anyways, heres what happened. This happened yesterday, January 13, 2015. Im from the chicagoland area. So yesterday I was coming home to crystal lake. I slept through my station which was pingree road station, where my bicycle was parked. I ended up getting off the train and decided to hoof it. A few minutes into my walk, some strange man pulled along side of me asked if i was ok and if id like a ride home. Against my better judgement i agreed to the ride. I got in the car and he starts asking my name, and if im alright cause it looked like i wasnt walking right. I was trudging through 2 feet of snow, of course i was walking funny. I was a little out of it, having slept for over an hour on the train, but not high, and not drunk. After a bit of chatting, turn out he took me to the crystal lake police for whatever reason. He goes in and comes out with 2 cops. They start asking me if i had taken and drugs, i said yes because i take subutex to keep off of illicit drugs.(been clean 7 weeks now)At this point, they had no reason to hold me but there were now paramedics there. The paramedics said i could not walk home. They denied the fact that i wanted to refuse any treatment, so they take me to a hospital in the next town over. They bring me in to the ER for some odd reason. I did not give consent for any tests or any other services. After laying in the hospital bed, i fell asleep for a little bit. I wake up to a nurse about to put an IV in! I told her no and that i did not consent to this. She said the doctor ordered it, so i figure ill just play nice and let her finish. She leaves the room after very rudely saying she doesnt know when i can leave. I fall asleep again. I wake up to them pushing me into a cat scan! Remember i have not consented to any of this. I asked why the gave me a cat scan and he said i didnt need to know why.(very strange)
Finally they call my girlfriend and let her know that i can be discharged. She comes pretty quick. As im getting dressed, hospital staff is retrieving my backpack from a "secure room". They bring my bag and we leave. Get home and check the contents of my bag. My pills are gone. Vanished. I pay for the doctor visits and the medication. I had just under 40 pills in the bottle with the label on it, rx number an all.these pill cost me 3 dollars each. I call the police station and they say the officers notepad said i had nothing on me or in my bag. The police didnt even write a report!(another odd thing)the cops say they didnt take them (even though theres no report to support that). Call the hospital, they say they dont have them either. Im so mad. I dunno what to do. Either the cops or someone at the hospital stole my medication.Im valling a lawyer tomorrow but wanted to get some opinions from anyone willing to read this

ANYBODY HAVE ANY INSIGHT INTO THIS?? WHAT SHOULD I DO??
**Edit LOCATION, MCHENRY COUNTY, IL**

Answer:
 First off, quit discriminating against [this guy](http://i.imgur.com/7evmKwM.jpg). He's your friend. Use him.

Second, you obviously weren't OK. There are two possible explanations for what happened:

1. Your side of the story is accurate, and the police, medics, and hospital were all engaged in a huge conspiracy to keep you against your will and steal your medication, or
2. You were so out of it that you don't remember what happened.

I'm going with #2, personally.

Answer #2: I will give you a partial answer. I don't have a full answer for you as I am not a lawyer but I am in the medical field.

Yes you did give them consent. It is called implied consent. You stated that you were out of it because you just woke up. This gave the police every reason to take you to the hospital. Think about it this way if they had allowed you to walk home and you froze to death or got hit by a car. What happens to that officer if he is asked why he allowed you to leave.

Now while you were at the hospital you stated that you continued to fall asleep. If you were so concerned about these procedures being done to you, you would not be sleeping. Continuing to sleep and wake up gave them the impression that you are not in the right state of mind.  allowing them to continue under the implied consent.

Once they determined that there was nothing wrong with you they released you to the care of a competent adult.

As for the missing pills. Yea, I'm not touching that one.


Title: Ex-husband recently starting paying me with business checks and has asked me to send him invoices for particular items/services our son's needs before he pays.

Question:
Basically it is my title. My ex-husband runs a business with about 10 employees. He use to just transfer money into my account for the purpose of child support but he has recently started issuing me checks with the business name on them. He recently said he needed me to write up an invoice and put "services" or "items" I bought for our son on it.

I told him no. He said he isn't asking me to lie. Just put that it covered reimbursement for daycare or groceries or whatever. It sounds a little bit like a lie though even though it is also the truth. He claims to need them for his records.  I have not cashed the two business checks he has given me for the month because it sounds and looks weird. To be honest, I am not a 100% sure the bank transfers didn't come from his business account. I don't know the legality of this. Am I safe to deposit the checks? Do I have to send him the invoices?

Is this really shady or am I being paranoid?

Answer:
 IANAL.  From my understanding, you'd be OK accepting business checks from him.  If he's playing games with his taxes, that's between him and the IRS.  As far as you're concerned, he's just using a business check for convenience and paying the money back to the company account.

If you provide him with fake invoices, though, you're on the hook for that.  The only "invoice" I'd provide would just state "July 2016 child support from John Businessowner - $XXX.xx."  Except in very special circumstances, you don't have to tell him what you're spending the money on, and in this case you really shouldn't.  If he wants fake invoices, he can fake them himself.

Also, if there is a legitimate reason for him to be requesting this, I'd like to hear what it is.  Until then, I'm assuming some kind of tax fraud.Answer #2: I think you are fine to cash the checks as long as the money is green, but I would not construct invoices or receipts. You may need your attorney or go to the court to write him a friendly reminder letter if he refuses to pay you court ordered child support without a fraudulent receipt for his payment. If he is bold enough to fraudulently write off child support as a business express that's his business with the IRS.


Title: Utah - I was fired from my job after I told supervisor I was going to apply for disability. What can I do?

Question:
Hi I was recently fired from my job. According to my supervisor I was unfit for the job and she added that I have been consistently late. I started working in January of this year. I told her I had OCD and wanted to see what options I had. She refused to change my schedule starting time (as flexible schedule, I have an email to prove it). In the email she said "you stated you want a flexible starting shift due to your OCD, however, I am not able to do that for you". However she also mentioned I could talk with the office of equal opportunity to see what my options were. Unfortunately I didn't do that because this same manager changed her attitude for the remainder of my time working there telling me it was totally fine if I was late by 15-30 minutes or so. I thought I didn't need to apply for accommodations then. Fast forward to 5 months later, she changed her tune and told me I was consistently late for work and that was unacceptable. She also mentioned how she heard some complaints from someone about me refusing to help them as part of my job. I denied this since it is not true at all. I was very surprised how this manager told me how it was 'totally fine to be a bit late' and how I shouldn't worry about it at all and now she blamed me for being late. To make long story short, she fired me on the grounds of not being fit for the job. Fortunately, 3 of the coordinators I worked directly with, were surprised by the sad news and let me know they are totally wiling to write me letters of reference for me (which contradicts the supervisor saying I was unfit for the job). I am wondering, a week before I got fired, this manager told me I needed to improve and added I should contact the equal opportunity office to apply for accommodations. I said sure I will do that. That same day I went ahead and called that office to let them know I wanted to apply.  they sent me an form I needed to fill out (days later). I also had a medical release form signed the next week. Sadly, a week later, I was fired. I am wondering if the manager violated my rights since I had officially started the process verbally a week before I was fired. I also had signed and emailed the form to the equal opporturnity office a few hours before I got fired. I asked the office to give me temporary accommodations to which they denied me since they needed to check with the supervisor to see if these were reasonable accommodations.
Tldr: I was fired from my job for being constantly late due to my OCD and because I was not fit for the job. However, 3 of the coordinators I worked with are willing to write me letters of reference. I verbally let them know for a second time I wanted to apply for accommodations (in addition to a few weeks after I started working there) a week before I was fired. Did they violate my rights? And what are the consequences if they did? Thank you so much. I hope this makes sense.
----------------

 Edit: it seems there is a lot of ignorance about Ocd and honestly, I came here for advice to those who know about labor laws and disability. I didn't come here to educate all of you about my condition. Yes, ocd makes it very hard to be on time and no it if not an excuse I came up with. It's not like one day I woke up and said I'll be late so I can't get fired. I honestly feel if you don't know anything about OCD that you should educate yourself before making assumptions.

Answer:
 How does your OCD cause you to be late?  I mean you can get to work so why can't you get to work on time?

Being allowed to be consistently and unpredictably late to work is not a reasonable accommodation.Answer #2: Just because you have a disability doesn't mean you can show up late for work and/or not do your job. If you needed a wheel chair ramp then your employer would have to provide the wheel chair ramp, but if you are late every day they can fire you for that.


Title: [California] Car in tow yard for a week, can I abandon it?

Question: I got a beat up 90 camry that got towed while I was away and its been sitting at the tow yard since.  Its worth a few hundred bucks I assume.  Can I just abandon it?  What options do I have?  Paying the big fee seems like a waste.

Answer:
 No. it will continue to rack-up storage charges. Once they do process it as abandoned and sell it at auction, they will have the option of continuing to chase you for any storage charges over the sale amount.

Contact the tow yard. Ask them if they will accept the title in exchange for the fees. If not, get it out of there as quickly as possible to avoid owing more.Answer #2: Pay the fee and sell it to pick n pull. I had the same thing happen. I asked the tow yard if I could sign over the title and they declined.


Title: [Colorado] What does a court do if your income is not sufficient to cover all alimony, child support, and expenses(living/debts)?

Question:
I live in Colorado, and I'm going through a divorce.

I've ran the calculations and based on this...
I have a monthly short fall of ~$1025 between my income ($4125) and alimony (-$1082), child support (-$510), and living expenses/debts (-$3560)... it's the alimony that burns me!

I'm NOT asking for /r/PersonalFinance advice... I already live in that sub.

What I'm asking is... what expectations does the Colorado Court system have for me? I provided the numbers just for reference.
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 > what expectations does the Colorado Court system have for me?

They expect you to cut expenses in order to make your payments.


Title: I watched a livestream on YouTube last night where a guy bought mushrooms from someone. He showed the mushrooms and the transaction taking place and proceeded to trip. Is there any possible legal ramifications for this individual?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Just to summarize, you just asked if there are possible legal consequences for breaking the law. Do I understand your question correctly? Answer #2: The police would have to investigate anything first themselves. Or have said video come into their attention.

Then they have to actually prove there were drugs in his system at the time of the video. Or what he even possessed was drugs and not him lying.
And if he was or was not a public nuisance which is a separate matter.

To answer your question? He admitted to breaking the law. Of course there is potential consequences.

Answer #3: No. Video of a "mushroom" sale and consuption isn't evidence of a crime. Unless there are chemical tests that can prove the mushrooms purchased and consumed were illegal then any court case will get tossed out with the slightest resistance. You can pull a random mushroom out of the grocery store and pretend it is illegal and put it on youtube. You need proof that it is actually a restricted mushroom.


Title: 19 year old student. Caught with less than 30 grams of Marijuana and less than one gram of hash in Ontario. What should I expect?

Question: It is my first offence, and the police have set a court date for me to attend.I was not taken to the police station.

Answer:
 Expect to lawyer upAnswer #2: IANAL. But am Canadian and have spoken with someone with a similar charge to yours. (possession)

Go to legal aid ontario (if you're a student you should qualify) and bring up the diversion program.

http://lawfacts.ca/criminal/diversion

Summary: People who are charged with a minor criminal offence in Ontario are eligible (your charges qualify but speak to a lawyer) and successful completion will allow for the charge to be withdrawn or stayed. Meaning no criminal record or finding of guilt, but there will still be a record in police databases that charges were laid.

That should point you in the right direction.  And guy, legalization happens next summer. Keep your nose clean until then. :) Answer #3: INAL but expect everyone to not really know what they are expected to do at every level. With the promised marijuana legalization bill expected in the next ten months, officers, lawyers and judges are somewhat unsure what the best operating procedure is going forward.


Title: (MI) In marriage, everything mine is also yours?

Question: Is this only in Christianity or is this like law? My dad always argues with my mom and says "This is my house. I pay rent here. You can gtfo." Well, is this not my moms house too? They've been married for 20+ years, her name is on the lease, but my dad pays the rent and most of the bills. Does this make this exclusively my dads home and does he have the right to kick my mom out even though he always says this and she's still here?

Answer:
 If they are renting then it is the Landlord's house. Because they are both on the lease they have an equal right to live at the house. Answer #2: You father is incorrect. There is such a thing as marital property and marital income.

Plus, your mother is on the lease. Your dad cannot evict her. Only the landlord can do that. Your dad is only a tenant.

Even assuming your dad is correct (he isn't) and he owned the house (he doesn't), your mother would be considered a tenant and he would have to give her appropriate legal notice to vacate and then legally evict her if/when she does not. But none of this is an issue because your father is full of it.Answer #3: No, and if he tries to physically force her out he'd be arrested for domestic battery. The only way he'd be able to legally evict her would be a court order as a result of a divorce proceeding.

And with that long of a marriage, alimony is pretty certain as well.


Title: [TN] Are there any legal ramifications for getting married without being recognized by the government?

Question:
My fiancé and I are at the point where we would really like to get married. Do everything like a normal couple would do to be married, but not recognized by the government.

I hope it does not make us sound scummy, but our reasoning is health insurance.  She and my daughter have health insurance through the state and it is great.  Our daughter has autism, and she goes to therapy every day of the week. We do pay some out of pocket now, but the state covers a lot as well. I cannot get insurance that great through my job.  Our daughter's care and therapy is the most important thing to us right now.

Are there any possible legal ramifications? We understand she would still use her maiden name on everything and none of her information would change and we are fine with that. One day we can sign the papers to make it official.

Answer: Yes, your marriage will not be recognizedAnswer #2: One problem might be is if the state finds out your living together, have dual incomes, but using state insurance, which I am guessing is Medicaid?  They may force you off, and pay back the state back because of that.


Title: Extremely loud neighbors downstairs, I don't have money to move. [NYC]

Question:
Hey everyone,

Long story short I moved into my new place in June, and every single day from 9am to almost midnight or later I can clearly hear my downstairs neighbors TV blasting, it is ridiculously loud, to the extent that I can often tell what kind of show he's watching. It basically precludes me from using my living room.

We've talked to him about it twice, once he just said "no." The other time he yelled at my girlfriend and said some weird stuff to her and she ended up calling me crying, this was the result of her asking him to lower it at 10:30 pm on a Sunday night. He is hard of hearing and retired, so I'm not exaggerating this problem.

My landlord said he came by three times and didn't hear anything, but he also said I can break my lease if I give him one months notice, I would just lose my security deposit. The problem is that I cannot afford to move. I just spent all the money I had saved up to move into this place, and now I basically have no money.

Is there anything I can do legally in this situation? I basically feel totally screwed over and helpless.

Thanks for your time or advice, I really appreciate it.

Answer: You can call the non-emergency line to your local police and tell them you have a noise complaint. If you can't afford to break your lease and move, that's your best option.


Title: Threatened by old man I wrestled for money [MA]

Question:
This old guy paid me and a friend 1000$ to wrestle him a few weeks ago. Now he's messaging me on facebook, gmail, linkedin, and other media outlets and is threatening to harm me. He says that I either have to pay him back or hes going to go to my bank and my college and get me in legal trouble. He venmo'd me and tried to get the payment canceled and my account suspended but their customer service people contacted me and I explained what happened and they told me I was good in their eyes.

I haven't responded to him since the event, but he emails me several times a day and is very intimidating. Should I be worried? I've thought about going to my campus police but I'm not sure if its worth it. What we did was legal I think, but I just scared that he's going to screw me over. We were clothed and nothing explicit went down btw

Answer:
 Does "wrestling" = sex? Because if that is the case, this isnt going to turn out well for either of you.Answer #2: You realize this was a sexual thing, right? He's probably very upset that you didn't actually sleep with him for that $1000. The police will most likely treat you as they would a prostitute.

I wouldn't talk to the police without a lawyer. He has your real name? I would just give the money back. Yes, what he is doing is illegal, but I don't see the point in a legal solution.


Title: My friend's airbag went off at 12mph

Question: There was a car ahead of her on the highway that was stopped for turkeys crossing. She ended up rear ending the person. The person only had paint off of her car, and wasn't hurt. My friend was going about 12-15mph and her airbags went off and blew out the windshield. Is it worth taking the car into somewhere to check for faulty airbags?

Answer:
 From http://www.iihs.org/iihs/topics/t/airbags/qanda :
>
> Frontal airbags are designed to inflate in moderate to severe frontal crashes. Among airbags with advanced features that include a safety belt sensor, there are different inflation thresholds depending on whether people are using safety belts. One threshold used by airbag designers is "must deploy," which includes a situation such as an impact into a rigid wall at 10-12 mph if occupants are unbelted. The "must deploy" threshold is slightly higher — about 16 mph — for belted occupants because the belts alone are likely to provide adequate protection up to these moderate speeds.

Sounds like they did exactly what they were supposed to do to me.


Title: I [22] have thousands of dollars I have earned from working that is being held by my parents that will not give me it. What can I do?

Question:
I have ~$6k in my parents safe deposit box in mostly cash due to working for tips or getting paid off the books. I am 22 years old and they are refusing to send me my money that I want so I can make my own savings account. They will not budge and I do not understand this. I am an adult.

Are they committing a crime? Can I charge them with anything? I'm in New York State. They aren't "stealing" as I gave it to them awhile ago, but they are refusing to return it.

Answer:
 Sorry to chime in, since I'm not a lawyer, but this happened to me. They spent your money, it is long gone (safe deposit box, really?). You will never get it back. You've just learned a valuable lesson about your parents. Don't forget it.Answer #2: Have you actually seen this money stashed in the deposit box? Or have you just been giving it to your parents and they've been telling you they deposited it?

If you've never seen it, you have to consider that it isn't there. It's always a possibility they spent it and are trying to stall for time/try to get you to drop it.Answer #3: >Are they committing a crime? Can I charge them with anything?

No.  This is a civil matter and not a criminal one.

You can sue them for your money back.Answer #4: We understand it perfectly well.  They spent your money.  Criminal charges are not on the table.  You could sue them, but if you can't prove that the off the books money existed or that you gave it to them with the understanding it would be returned, then you are out of luck.

Put them in a dump of a nursing home when they're old.Answer #5: Have they said why they're not giving it back to you?

Why was it held in the SD box to begin with? Why not deposit it straight into a bank account?


Title: [Ontario, Canada] Local baseball diamond blasting music 4x/week with city permission is slowly driving me insane

Question:
The baseball diamond behind my house has been playing music at their games during the summer for the past few years. This was totally fine with me until they released their schedule for this year and I found out that they'll be playing music *four* times a week, including *every* Saturday from 11am to 11pm. The city is complicit - I've communicated with my local councillor numerous times and he says it's totally fine and he doesn't see a problem with it.

There are bylaws in place to prevent excessive noise, but the city has granted them an exemption for these four days a week, so there doesn't seem to be any legal avenue here as far as I can tell.

I work from home, and like to work outside on my deck in the summer months, but this music is making that impossible. It's loud enough that I can't drown it out with my own music, and they play the same playlist every time (Imagine Dragons, Pitbull, Florida Georgia Line). It's slowly driving me crazy.

I can't have people over on Saturdays anymore because they have this music playing nonstop from 11am to 11pm every single Saturday for the whole summer.

Does anyone have any ideas that could help me even just reduce the number of times a week they're allowed to play music?

Answer: Since your city is allowing it, your best bet would probably be to see if your neighbors feel the same way and use the power of numbers to try to force a compromise


Title: Where to report truancy?

Question:
Theres a kid in the neighborhood who hasn't been going to school since he was in 2nd grade (he's 12 or 13). He's a little thief too, and not a very smart one. He burglarized a house down the street for a few video games, then sold them for candy money. he also stole things out of my yard. We know it's him because he's been caught more than once.

All of this was done on school days during school hours (when most of us are at work.) I've told his mother and all she says is, 'Oh i'm so sorry.' (???) Your kid is a preteen dropout felon in the making, and that's all you have to say? I'd rather see him back in school than jail, or even worse, shot.

Answer: Personally, I'd call CPS. The kid is supposed to be in school, is clearly unmonitored, and is probably being neglected by his mother.


Title: Dealing with the child of a Karen

Question:
Hypothetically, if an entitled kid decided to say some derogatory things against me and attempt to injure me or damage my property, and they had a toy or comically large lollipop, and I calmly pluck it from the kid's hand and throw it into a river or curb stomp it, could her mom who's 100% a Karen "sue me for everything I have and burn it while you are sentencing to the death penalty" ?

This didn't happen to me. I just hate it when people don't own up to a mistake and blame everyone and everything.

Answer:
 She could sue you for the value of the toy you destroyed. It would almost certainly be a phyrric victory for her, considering the opportunity (and monetary) cost of going to small claims over such a small amount of money, but you'd generally lose if she did: destroying an aggressive child's things is not self-defence or otherwise justifiable if you're not that child's parent.

Being "a Karen" has no bearing on this, and I'm not sure why you'd expect otherwise.


Title: Can my husband’s employer deduct money out of his paycheck without his permission to pay employees for time off due to COVID?

Question:
Hi everyone,

We are located in California if it matters. My husband works as a tradesman and is part of a union. He recently noticed that about $40 is getting taken out of his weekly checks. He asked HR and apparently the company decided to deduct a portion of everyone’s wages and put it in a fund. This fund is then used to pay employees for the two weeks off they are required to take off if they or someone they work with test positive for COVID. Is it legal for the company he works for to do this? What should he do if this isn’t legal?

Answer:
 What does his collective bargaining agreement say about the matter? Did the union negotiate a contract that allows the employer to do this?Answer #2: He needs to call his union repAnswer #3: No, it is not legal. He should contact his union rep or file a compliant with DIR.

https://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/faq_deductions.htm#:~:text=from%20my%20wages%3F-,A.,following%20from%20an%20employee's%20wages%3A&text=Deductions%20expressly%20authorized%20in%20writing,wage%20paid%20to%20the%20employee.Answer #4: I would suggest talking to a union rep or contact the DIR about this. They’re better equipped.


Title: Renting a home for 3 weeks, notified landlord that I'm leaving 2 days earlier than expected 2 weeks in advance, am I obligated to pay the entire amount?

Question: I'm in Charleston for a 3-week business trip. I requested to book a place from a landlord via AirBnB. He contacted me directly in order to avoid the AirBnB service charges. I paid for the first 15 days via Venmo (max I was able to send). I still have 2 weeks left on the agreed upon time and I told him I'll be leaving 2 days early and will only be paying him up until then. He is saying that I have to pay the full price even though I'm leaving early. Neither of us signed any documents but I'm afraid if I say no he will kick me out early. Any advice would be appreciated.

Answer:
 You have an agreement to rent it for X days. You are breaching that agreement. He might have been able to rent it to someone else for that period but chose you. Since you bypassed Airbnb, you are forgoing its protections as well. He could sue you for those 2 days of rent.

Will he sue? Doubtful. But he could. He could also just kick you out now.


Title: Dad took 10k out of my college savings after having an argument with my mom.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 If his name is on the account you have no recourse. Answer #2: Who's name is on the account, who contributed the money, and how old are you?

If he is the custodian for a UTMA account in your name, he can be compelled to return the money (if he still has it); if it is his account and he contributed money that was just designated for your college money, he can change his mind and spend it on wine/women/song.


Title: When is it better to quit/resign? When is it better to let yourself be fired/laid off?

Question:
I'm not really sure about all the technicalities between the differences in ways you can leave a job, voluntarily or involuntarily. And I think a lot of other factors involved affect the best outcome as well. So can a professional lawyer or someone well-versed in this topic teach me the best way to leave a job?

Anywhere in the U.S. really I think this can apply to a lot of states depending on where you work.

Answer:
 Generally speaking.

**Fired - not for cause**  You get unemployment, minimal ding to professional reputation.

**Fired -- for cause** No unemployment, ding to professional reputation.

**Quit** No unemployment, Neutral to ding on professional reputation.

**Resign** No unemployment, circumstances dictate affect on reputation.

>So can a professional lawyer or someone well-versed in this topic teach me the best way to leave a job?

This depends on a totality of circumstances as well as potentially state issues too broad by far to consider in macrocosm.  If you are worried about contracts you are a party to and potential litigation as a result of terminating employment you might want to consult with an attorney about your specific situation.  Most attorneys have low - no cost initial consultations.

It's also good to have a name and a face for if the shit hits the fan.


Title: My longterm girlfriend just trapped me in a pregnancy without my consent, is there anything I can do?

Question: [removed]

Answer:
 Not legal advice. I knew someone who broke up with his GF of seven years because at 35 she got pregnant without his consent. He left her to prove a point etc but lived the kid and happily did his bit to parent. Ten years later they're back together. Kid is overjoyed. The guy let him being pissed off take away ten years of family life. I guess my point is do what you have to do but don't cut off your nose to spite your face. Answer #2: Unfortunately you are stuck. Do you want to raise this child? If not, I'd sit your gf down and remind her that she is going to be a single mother and start discussing how you'll pay child support in full and on time. That may get her to realize what she's got herself in to. I think she's expecting you to stick around. Also find a lawyer to help minimize payments as best they can. You *will* pay child support but a lawyer may keep the amount low.

If you do want to raise this child then congratulations. Start saving up.

Seriously op, I'd hammer single motherhood at her. Is bet dollars to doughnuts she thought you'd stick around to help her raise a kid. Leaving her and pointing out she's a single mom for the next 18 years may wake her up.


Title: My dad died and left a MESS for me

Question:
Alright, here's the situation. About a month ago, my dad was killed in a motorcycle crash in a city about an hour and a half from where he lived, and about 2.5 hours from where I live. He was 55 and left behind two kids, me (26F) and my brother (29M). He was divorced from my mom (54F) and also he has married and divorced a lady we will call EW (Evil Witch) twice. I have the divorce decree from the last time. They were only married a few weeks- maybe two months. EW has two kids, but NONE with my dad. They were from a previous man that she trapped in her web. My brother has denied being the executor and doesn't want anything to do with this as he was estranged from my father.

We are all located in Indiana, in the US, other than my brother who lives in TN.

So, my dad has nothing. He had $0.50 in his savings account. He lived with my grandparents. He has a truck that he owns outright and I have the title for. He also had two expensive guitars that we gave to my brother. EW was the beneficiary for his life insurance and I BELIEVE for his 401k. She got paperwork. I just got off the phone with her a little bit ago and she told us she had paperwork. She was asking how we would get the truck to her and how we will get the guitars from Matt. She has NO claim to those, right? I have a paper from my attorney saying I'm the executor of the estate. We did NOT set up a legal estate for him.

So, here's where it gets tricky. My dad had a TON of mental health issues when he was alive. I actually had to have a warrant put out for his arrest in February because he went missing (he's done that a few times) and was threatening (text messaging me- I still have the messages) to kill my grandparents and my uncle, so I went to the police. He has had a TONNNNNNNN of mental health issues all throughout his life. He has been in an inpatient mental facility against his will before. With that, do I have any legal actions I can take against EW to get some of the money? I gave her that name for a reason. She is an awful person and I don't think she will do the right thing. We paid for the funeral- she paid nothing. He still needs a headstone as well, which we can't afford right now. I don't know how much we are talking about here, and I don't know if she is both life insurance and 401k beneficiary. He thought he quit that job but they still had him as an active employee (he was on disability), and I know his 401k has around $60,000. I would estimate the life insurance is around $70,000, but I have no idea.

He has a motorcycle that he still owes on, and that's the motorcycle he died on. It's totaled. I'm working with the insurance company and the bank. My mom says he still owes her around $10,000 in back child support, so I don't know if there is anything we can do with that.

Can she even GET a death certificate if I don't give her one? She's not family. I have the divorce decree. I don't THINK she knows his social, DOB, or where the accident happened, just the city. My lawyer has been about as helpful as talking to a mirror and I think we are going to try to find a different one.

I've never had anyone die before, and especially not have all this dumped on me. Any and all advice will be helpful. If there is anything you need to know, I'm sure I can answer.

Answer:
 If she can prove a financial interest in his estate, yes, she can obtain a copy of the death certificate. ([cite](https://www.in.gov/isdh/26824.htm))

In Indiana, divorce does not affect her claim as his beneficiary to assets that pass by contract (life insurance, IRA), UNLESS the assets themselves, such as the insurance policy, included specific language excluding former spouses (rare, but sometimes happens) or the divorce decree said anything affecting her beneficiary status. However, the divorce does extinguish any right to inherit via a will or by intestate succession, so she has no claim to the truck or the guitars unless she had some separate right (joint ownership of the truck, e.g.).


Title: Me and my girlfriend broke up, i own my condo it is only in my name. She won't leave, and last night she denied me entry to my own unit. I cannot evict her due to COVID what the hell am i supposed to do?

Question:
Me and my girlfriend rushed into moving in together, after 2 weeks of living together we realized it wasn't going to work. She agreed to move out by end of February. Then COVID happened, and now she refuses to leave.

I have 1 bedroom in my apartment, and i am tired of sleeping on my couch. Lately she has started denying me entry into my own unit. She uses the deadbolt on the inside and pretends to not hear me. Last night when i came home around 11 pm, i discovered i couldn't get into my apartment as she had dead bolted it.

She started screaming at me to go away. I ended up calling the police who after talking to her briefly he told me to go find somewhere else to stay for the night and said i needed to leave. I slept all of last night in my car.

This morning, after she left for work i removed the deadbolt from my door. I also discovered a complete and utter stranger sleeping in my living room, along with another girl passed out in my bed.

After i kicked them out, my ex came home and told me i have no rights to kick out her guests. She called the police and the officer said it was a civil issue (by this time her guests had already left).

Tonight i have a late shift again, and i guarantee you the same thing is going to happen. What am i supposed to do? What kind of lawyer do i need?

Can someone please help me? I live in Toronto, Ontario.

Answer: Change your door locks immediately. Why is this not your first step? Lick all windows. Set her stuff outside in a box.


Title: Neighbor’s dog killed my parents’ cat and lunged at my dad. We want it euthanized.

Question: [removed]

Answer:
 You can call animal control and report the incident.

You can sue this individual for any costs that you have incurred due to the behavior of his dog, including the cost of the cat.

You can express your wishes to have the dog put down, but that decision ultimately lies in the hands of animal control. They will determine whether or not the dog needs to be put down.

Do not shoot the dog. That would be committing a crime and might very well end up with you having a jail sentence. Seriously. You will go to jail if you shoot that dog, and the police will use this post as evidence.


Title: who has right of way

Question:
usa fl bay county
4 lane road with a 2 lane road crossing it, has flashing yellow lights not stop lights, car uses turn signal does not stop turns left form the 4 lane form the far lane that has a turn lane onto the 2 lane road, truck going same direction that is stopped at the intersection on the 2 lane road goes at same time, pushing car out of way, who had right of way?

mabye there is driving advice place idk

Answer: Your narrative is difficult to understand.  Please re-write, focussing on proper spelling and grammar.  Additionally, you need to be a lot more clear on what's happening; I'm not totally sure who was driving where, with what lights.


Title: SO unknowingly signed a non-compete. What to do?

Question:
So my SO made a foolish decision.

The company she works for finally figured out their account reps goals and bonus structures for 2016, yesterday, a little late to the party, but oh well I guess.

The manager promised everyone up and down that they never wanted to "impact people's lives" and there was no non-compete clause in this document they needed to sign to get their checks for the past five months of bonuses.

My SO was given the 4th page of a four-page document to sign and take her bonus check.  Which foolishly she did.  Then at the end of the meeting the manager prints out the rest of the documents and BOOM right there on the 3rd page is a non-compete clause for a year after an employee is terminated or leaves the company.

Well, the SO feels like a fool for signing a document she didn't even get to see, which is her fault, but also feels completely betrayed and in general, fucked over by the manager and the company.

 From what I understand these non-competes are not worth the paper they are written on, but still if a company wants to sue, that can make a life a hassle.

What can she do?

She works in NH btw.

Answer:
 If her manager made a representation that the document did not include a non compete clause then your wife would have an extremely strong argument for fraud in the inducement of a contract. If she wants to fight it you should buy an hour of time with an attorney and get a letter together.

However she should NEVER sign documents in the future without reading all pages. Answer #2: > Which foolishly she did.

Why was it foolish? Did it say "page 4"?

On everything I've signed like this I have to initial every page to signify that I've read that page/am aware of them.


Title: (CA) Unlicensed cannabis owner stolen from by roommate

Question:
My friend runs an unlicensed cannabis delivery service in California.

Today, his on/off roommate, in the midst of a manic episode, took about $2k dollars of stuff plus a whole bunch of flower and ran off.

My friend can legally have lots of cannabis but can’t legally distribute it.

What’re the risks if he calls the police and his ex-roommate tells them that my friend has a illegal delivery service?

Answer:
 The risks are he gets charged with the crimes he's committing (like being a drug dealer).Answer #2: >My friend runs an unlicensed cannabis delivery service in California.

That's a nice way of saying that he is a drug dealer.

>What’re the risks if he calls the police and his ex-roommate tells them that my friend has a illegal delivery service?

They could opt to investigate, find out that he is a drug dealer, hand over the evidence to the DA's office and then he is up schits creek.


Title: My brother in law works 45 hrs a week as a sl

Question: My brother in law works 45 hrs a week and makes salary getting paid twice a month. Is it legal in Missouri for him to work over 40 hrs w/o overtime pay?

Answer: Yes.  That is what salary means.  There are some guidelines, but it is likely fine.Answer #2: When you're paid a salary you rarely get overtime. That's kind of the point.


Title: I work at a restaurant I’m Virginian and I need some legal help

Question:
Good morning and I hope you guys can help me out.

I work in a restaurant in Virginia. I am a host and I have to take care of carry out orders. I get paid hourly and customers tip me frequently. However, since I’m paid hourly, I don’t get any of my tips and if I keep my cash tips, I get in trouble. Is it legal in Virginia for tips people give me to go to someone else? I’d be fine if it was pooled but I’m not getting a single cent and I’ve complained and I’m simply told because the waiters only get paid $2.13 so they have the right to money customers intend for me. If there are particular laws and such, please help me out.

Answer:
 Not legal. Tips belong to the employee who receives them, absent some sort of legal tip pool. Your employer can't just take your tips from you.

Have you been keeping track of the total tips? If so, you can file a complaint with the VA Dept. of Labor. But beware, you will likely end up getting fired for some other "completely non-related" reason.

It's a shitty situation all around. I would start looking for a different job.


Title: AT&T DSL Violating own Terms of Service.

Question:
EDIT: OHIO Damn Bot
I have a question, Don't know if this is the right place to ask. Or what. Maybe if not the right place to ask suggest a better one.

I have been dealing with AT&T DSL Customer support for a elderly family member.  Its seems like AT&T are flouting their own terms of service.

This is apparently what happened for times over the last year.  She calls in makes a payment arrangement and was told everything's fine. Then two weeks later her service his shut off and is subject to a 30.00 reconnection fee.  One time, the bill was shut off for being 5 days late, the other 7 , and the other two 6.   But on their terms of service it states that the account has to be 30 days past due before. Yes mind you, the previous bills were 30 days past due but were corrected in time and many business days before the service was shut off.  I have below a direct copy of their terms of service.  And Although I might be a layman but I believe they broke their own Terms of Service because contracts are Contra proferentem(or Against the offeror)

    b. Suspension/Termination by AT&T or Yahoo!. AT&T respects freedom of expression and believes it is a foundation of our free society to express differing points of view. AT&T will not terminate, disconnect or suspend Service because of the views you or we express on public policy matters, political issues or political campaigns. AT&T and/or Yahoo! may, however, immediately terminate or suspend your Member Account and Sub Accounts, and all or a portion of your Service without notice if: (a) your payment is more than 30 days overdue; (b) you provide false or inaccurate information to AT&T; (c) you (or a Sub Account associated with your Member ID) violate this Agreement or the AT&T Acceptable Use Policy; (d) you (or a Sub Account associated with your Member ID) engage in conduct that is a violation of any law, regulation or tariff (including, without limitation, copyright and intellectual property laws); or (e) if you engage in conduct that is threatening, abusive or harassing to AT&T or Yahoo employees, including, for example, making threats to physically harm or damage  employee or company property; frequent use of profane or vulgar language; or repeatedly contacting our customer service representatives for reasons that do not pertain to our provisioning, maintenance, repair or general servicing of your  Service after you have been asked to stop such conduct.

Answer: What happens if she pays her bill on time? Do they still disconnect the service?


Title: Dad passed away, No will to be found. Step mom kept all life insurance money and nothing was given to children. Is this legal with intestacy laws?

Question:
I've looked into intestacy laws and seems like that is what we would need to go court for.
More Background: The Father mentioned having a will and it's now, "nowhere to be found" (not in courts or anything either after checking with surrogate courts).

Answer:
 Life insurance policies come with a beneficiary.  It is entirely possible the step mom was the beneficiary to the policy.

Your state matters.Answer #2: Life insurance isn't part of the estate. Whoever is the named beneficiary gets the insurance money


Title: "What's up I'm just letting u know u got the green light phoo do yourself a fav ese kill yourself before I do I know were u live I know were u work at I know your homies @"

Question:
Is the text that I just received. I believe I know who the person is but I don't know the reason. He called, said something I didn't understand, hung up, then proceeded to text me this. My question is, is this a legit death threat (because of the way it was written) and what steps do I take next? I live in National City*, CA.

Edit: For details and update.
I've called the police, they're on their way to speak with me in person. Wish me luck.

Also I do have this person's number... So any awesome suggestions for petty revenge?

Answer:
 Personally, I'd buy him a subscription to Hooked on Phonics.

But, if you feel threatened you should contact the police.


Title: Bought home Sept 2014, husband did final walk through and missed that they had taken one of their " improvements" with them...what do? (Cinti OH)

Question:
Help needed!
We bought a home in Sept 2014. I was out of town for final walk through. Husband went it alone and didn't notice they had already removed and taken bookcases listed as an improvement on a realtor produced pamphlet about the house (see this pic http://imgur.com/Q6T6ioi )
Now I found the pamphlet finally after rummaging through the last packing boxes and it's 7months later. We signed all paperwork for inspection and whatnot of course. Can we sue for the money it will cost for new bookcases/built ins? I do want them and wanted them when we bought the house!

Any and all help and advice is appreciated, thank you!

additional pic
http://imgur.com/Fnk8HOS

Answer:
 Update: the bookcases were listed in the mls listing and advertised as a permanent structural improvement to the house interior ( much like the new kitchen they put in and new garage doors) . My realtor is sending all he paperwork to their realtor to discuss how to proceed with either getting them back or being compensated for them.Answer #2: What did your contract and inspection documents say about these improvements?

The realtor pamphlet is not binding.


Title: Can I get in trouble for reporting a video on a porn website ?

Question:
USA, NY

I saw randomly a video on Xvideos where there were minors in it, they weren't making sex but they were talking to a guy on a webcam and the dude was masturbating.
I reported it to XVideos but they needed my infos like name, mail, adress etc. I gave it to them and now the video is gone but it's written that they're contacting the guy who uploaded it. I don't wanna get in trouble. All I wanna know is are they going to give my name/adress to the guy ? Or to anybody ? Please help

Answer: Why would they give your info to a guy jerking off in front of kids?


Title: Is it legal for an employer to dock your wages after you turn in your resignation?

Question:
I had a job with a freaky fast sandwich franchise, went to training, and received my agreed-upon pay once I returned from training. This new hourly rate was nearly double the minimum wage in Indiana (7.25) so I was in good shape.

Life happened and my dream job came out of the blue, more work, less pay, but it was what I went to school for so I took it. Understanding this wasn't the best timing for my employer, having just gotten back from a very expensive two-week training only three weeks prior, I had to turn in my resignation and my boss was incredibly upset.

Even with the bad blood, I expected to be paid what my wages were after training. I only just received my pay stub this morning to find that he set my pay back to 7.25 an hour, seemingly because I was quitting on short notice. Not all of those hours that I worked were hours that I knew I would get that opportunity. More than half of the time on that pay check was time that I was making sandwiches and had no idea that I would be leaving.

Is what he did legal?

Answer:
 It's legal for your boss to decrease your pay rate, even in the middle of a pay period.  What's *not* legal is to decrease your pay rate without telling you.  Tell your boss that you aren't being paid according to the wage you thought you were getting, and that you expect that to be corrected or you will complain to the department of labor to get it corrected.
Answer #2: Nope.  He can change your pay rate going forward, not going backwards.Answer #3: You can fill out a wage claim for Indiana [here](http://www.in.gov/dol/2671.htm). Sounds like a pretty open and shut case if what you've said here is accurate.Answer #4: You also should probably be paid for training. Answer #5: Indiana does not appear to have any law saying he can't do this, but you should still file an unpaid wage claim.  You could also sue in small claims court for the difference.


Title: US (Georgia) - Summoned for jury duty tomorrow, but moved a few months ago and haven't changed my legal address yet. What to do?

Question: My legal address is still my parent's place. I moved a few months ago. My mom called me to let me know that I'd been summoned for jury duty. I don't mind going - actually would be kind of excited to serve. But could I get in trouble since I do not technically LIVE in the county summoning me if I did not share that I haven't changed my address yet? What would you do?

Answer: I'd report for jury duty, tell them that you don't live in that county anymore, and have them determine if they want you to serve anyway. Answer #2: I had this happen a few years back.  I replied to the summons with a current electric bill with my new address in my name as proof I had moved and it was fine.  If you go bring a bill with you as proof and they'll probably dismiss you.


Title: [IA] Mother being asked to sign away unpaid child support by deceased ex-husband's children/executor in order to remove lien on his estate. Advice?

Answer:
 More detail is needed.  The ex-husband owed her money, the debt is still valid after his death, and the executor wants her to forgive the debt?  How about "no" as an answer?
Answer #2: Why don't they pay the owed child support from the proceeds of the sale of the house?Answer #3: No.  Certainly not without some reasonable offer based on the amount of money available in the estate.


Title: (CA) Mom is in the Hospital Because of a Problematic Tenant

Question:
My parents own/live on a property in Los Angeles that has 2 detached homes on it. They are living in one of the homes and the other is being rented out to a family on a month by month basis \(no lease was signed\). To make a long story short, one of the tenants \(a woman\) has escalated an issue with my mother to the point where 2 days ago she walked into my parent's garage \(without warning and there was no reason at all she should've been there\) and started arguing with my mom and tried to physically fight her and three grown men had to hold them back. My mom got a panic attack
 \(like she always does in stressful situations\). Police were not notified. Today the same tenant somehow got my mom's family member's phone numbers \(i'm guessing it was from a family member she's currently dating\) and called them up to lie horribly about my mom. The family members then called my mom and cussed her out to the point that she got another panic attack and had to go to the hospital this time. The tenants have been toxic for a while now and they were going to serve them with a notice to vacate \(?\) soon but it is being moved up to tomorrow. As far as we understand, we must give them 60 days to move out but is there any way to speed this up? This woman obviously is out to hurt my mom and I'm so worried about her because she spends most of the day on her own while my dad is out working. The tenant's boyfriend \(again, a family member\) also has keys to our house and is also angry at my mom because he is obviously taking his gf/tenant's side.

Any advice is greatly appreciated. Please feel free to ask any questions!

Answer: Your mother's property may be subject to rent control (RSO) if it is located in the city of Los Angeles. If so, that generally precludes issuing a 60-day notice of lease termination. You should definitely seek advice from an attorney versed in the RSO and landlord-tenant law, because many restrictions, limitations, and requirements apply to owning rental property in Los Angeles.


Title: [Ohio] Our dog was attacked by 2 pitbulls. What should I do legally to best prepare for a case against this person?

Question:
x-post from assistance after they suggested I post here.

I was walking our dog a few minutes ago when I saw a big pit charge at our dog. I Couldn't get to my dog in time and he was violently attacked by this mutt! Then another one came and joined in. The damn owner didnt come for a full minute later, and im screaming for help waking everyone up. He pulls him off and goes inside, then i try to calm my dog down because he's limping and yelping like crazy. He bites me and now my thumb swole.

We let him relax for a few minutes. He is now okay laying on one side but if he switches he will instantly be in pain bleeding. I don't know what to do and I'm so mad/sad right now, please help!

To be clear hes not bleeding now but he was. We will take him to a vet in the morning - will the people be held liable for this vet bill? I'm so stressed out right now.

I'm in Ohio.

-------------------------

So what I'm asking from a legal perspective is, what do I do (beyond pictures) to ensure I have a strong case? All we want is to have this guy pay the vet bills (or reimburse us I suppose) and have his dogs put down. This is not the first time these dogs have caused havoc here. There are kids and other dogs in the neighborhood too. These dogs are often seen without a leash and the owners, quite frankly, seem like terrible people to own animals.

Sorry for the emotionally-charged piece. I'm still upset.

Answer:
 Call your local animal control. Not sure which county you're on but you have google it up.

Take pictures, copies of the vet and your own doctor's bill(bitten thumb) and tell that person to pay up. I also suggest you go to the doctor today. The dog who bit you may have rabies.

If they ignore/reject, sue them.
If it's over $3,000 in small claims, you'll need a lawyer.


Title: [NJ] After a major stroke, a 33 year marriage turns into a very ugly, insane divorce

Question:
My mom, who has a history with mental issues, went off the mental deep end after having a massive stroke (she also lost use of her dominant arm and cannot walk properly now). She's relentless and actively harassing my father, myself, my brother, my sister-in-law, all our friends, places of work (to get my brother and father fired), etc, literally trying to ruin our lives. Yesterday alone I got 23 voicemails from her, and I can't block it because it comes up "unknown". I'm looking into changing my number.

She's an actual pathological liar. Since this insanity started, she's made up lies that my dad has physically abused her so he'd be arrested (I know this did not happen, I was there daily). She even went so far as to lie and tell people that the reason she had a stroke was because she walked in on him molesting me, his own daughter. She also got herself (and my dad and I, as I was living there as her full-time caregiver) evicted by spending her SSDI money instead using it to pay the rent. I went and lived with my brother for two months while my dad lived in a truck and he paid for her to live in a motel. She now lives in an assisted living facility. We've tried to get her help and have her evaluated but nothing has worked. She's incredibly manipulative. The one time we called up the assisted living place to complain that she was using their phone line to harass us, the woman laughed and said, "But she's so sweet." It is nothing short of maddening when you have people saying this to you but you have over 100 insane, hateful voicemails saved that prove the exact opposite.

They both want a divorce. He gives her $125 a week because he's scared not to (I figure maybe this would at least look good in front of a judge down the road? I dunno). They have no assets, so I think all she can ask for is alimony, but she says that despite her living in assisted living (which covers all her needs because she has medicare, medicaid, and SSDI), she's entitled to 60% of my dad's weekly paycheck and she's going to ruin him financially. She said him getting a restraining order on her would only help HER case in court. She has access to free legal aid thanks to her having Medicare/Medicaid, and that's supposedly what she's using to file for divorce and where she's getting this advice. Unfortunately my dad doesn't quality for free legal advice but he can't afford a lawyer (truck driver - lives paycheck to paycheck), so we have no clue if what she's saying sounds true or if it's her lying and being desperate and insane.

We all just feel incredibly helpless because none of us know anything about the laws, so any thoughts from anyone would be helpful. Thank you.

Answer:
 >but she says that

Why would you take legal advice from her?  Ignore EVERY SINGLE THING that she has said.

Now, what do you do?

Go and see a lawyer.  In many jurisdictions they will do the first one for free so you can get an idea what is going to happen.  Then, divorce lawyers know that a lot of clients are broke.  Between your father, you, your brother, credit cards, you can find a lawyer to take $1,000 to get started and pay out over time.

Please don't tell me he can't afford a lawyer.  he can't afford NOT to get a lawyer.Answer #2: Keep every single voicemail.  People say she's sweet as pie?  Play them the voicemails.  Answer #3: IANAL, but just wanted to point out that New Jersey is listed in the wikipedia article on "filial responsibility laws" as being a state that has such a law. This means that the state of new jersey could (possibly) come after YOU to pay them back for the medicaid benefits they are paying for your mother's ALF care.

You really need a good lawyer!


Title: I signed a confidentiality agreement at a previous company on something i developed, but what I developed is the solution to an issue at new company

Question:
At a previous company I worked for, I help develop a method. This method was considered a trade secret and not patented. I signed confidentiality agreement later. I left this company to work at another company that does research in a related field. What they do is different. The two companies are not competitors.

The people I work with were stuck on something. I know what needs to be done, and I wasn't thinking, so I did it and it worked. My colleagues asked me how, but then I realize it was a trade secret and I told them I'm not sure I can tell. It is not completely the method that is needed but a sort of 'corollary' to the method.

They are reverse engineering my solution right now. If they discover it, is it trade secret violation?

The companies are in different states. I do not want to say which states so as not to indicate which companies or what field. It will be considered interstate trade secret violation I believe.

Answer: You need to speak with an attorney about this, it is far too fact specific to comment on in broad sweeping generalities.


Title: My son wants to bring charges against his father for giving him LSD when he was younger.

Question: We live in Alabama and this took place in Ohio. It was ten years ago. Is it too late to do something?

Answer: This would be incredibly hard to prove. While there is probably no statute of limitations on something of this nature. This would come down to "he said, she said" very little chance of this being something worth of pursuing, absent a lot of professional backing, medical and psychological, and there being some kind of redemption at the end, is his father rich? because it is likely that very little if any criminal recrimination will happen, there might be a slight recourse in civil, but, it is doubtful.


Title: Driving with a broken ankle in Minnesota

Question: My surgeon has been giving me non answers when I've asked if it's *legal* for me to drive. I have a weight bearing cast on (can't walk yet though), and am no longer on meds. Driving is comfortable for me, and I *personally* think it's okay. Is it "okay" in the eyes of the law in Minnesota?

Answer: Your surgeon is not a lawyer and you shouldn't be asking him legal questions. If you get into an accident and it's discovered you were driving against the advice of a doctor the other side's lawyer is going to rip you a new one.


Title: (California) HELP! My boss filed an appeal against my unemployment using information that is not factual. I'm appealing his appeal tomorrow!

Question:
Good morning, PFA folk!

Short version: I was terminated for allegedly not informing my boss when I was sick and not going to show. However, because I did in fact inform the parties responsible  (and have the screen shots to prove it), I'm appealing his appeal.

From what I gathered over a few calls with the edd,  apparently the only behavior that comes into question when awarding unemployment is what happened in that moment you were fired.  Boss claims that I didn't text my supervisor and fires me. I have proof of texting (and receipt of text), and phone calls of me notifying my supervisor; I feel like my supervisor deliberately  kept that information unavailable to my boss.

I received a large file from the appeals board  containing reports from my boss; all fabricated pieces of doc. that I've never seen before.

Documentation saying I'm a poor worker, that I've allegedly "yelled" at fellow employees, that I've allegedly no-called-no-showed, and the kicker; that I've allegedly "sent workers home" (I was a line cook with no such power; those employees straight up  left)

I've never received any warnings for any of this alleged behavior (because I didn't do any of these things), yet the report alleges that I've  in fact been warned; wouldn't they need  to be signed to prove that I've received these warnings?

I understand this is quite wordy, but I feel that this information  is necessary  if I'm to get any assistance on the matter.

Am I totally screwed here? What should I do or say at the hearing tomorrow,  short of providing my "proof"?

Answer:
 The key issue in a misconduct claim is the proximate cause, unless the employer is trying to build a case of repeated bad behavior leading to eventual termination, in which case they need to show the employee was warned. But if they are claiming that you were fired for a specific incident then nothing else that happened in the past really matters.

This proof of texts and phone calls.... did you submit it into evidence?

At the hearing, simply deny anything that is not truthful and ask where the evidence is. Say you did call/text when you were going to be sick and did not want to lose your job.


Title: Unhappy client asking for valuable business information...

Question:
Hey, I am a self employed hair extension technician and have been fitting extensions now for several years. Last month I visited a client in her home to fit her with her 3rd set of extensions by me. The last two sets she has loved but this third set she is having a lot of problems with and apparently they are extremely rubbish quality and nothing like the last two sets. She paid a lot of money for each of these.

She contacted me only a week later to tell me that the hair was horrendous and her husband and friends have commented on how they are thin, dry and of poor quality.

She mentioned during her fitting that she would like to upgrade to my higher quality extensions which are £120 more expensive than the last.

Because of her disappointment in this set I have offered to fit her with a new set of extensions, and upgrade her to the higher quality ones, where she would only have to pay the extra £120. This way it is costing her absolutely no money in the long run and I am physically paying the remaining cost of the hair to make it up to her.

She was happy with this agreement, and agreed to wait for 3 weeks as I am on a business trip.

Since then she has contacted me for an invoice of the last set of extensions and the name of the supplier. She said her husband would like to ask them a few questions and he wishes to take up a civil case against them.

I personally don't want to give this information to any of my clients, despite the situation as it is valuable business information. It would give away the location of my supplier, my profit margin etc and I would rather not give this information. I am unsure as to what questions he would like to ask my supplier, as from my end I have done the best to resolve this issue and my client was happy with the resolution. I would rather put it down as experience and move on from it.

I am not sure what my reply should be to her and I was hoping someone could lend me some advice?

I am also seeing her this weekend to fit her with the new set of extensions. I am worried that I will be interrogated by her husband for this information.

NB; Based in London

Answer:
 Just tell him no. It's none of his business. He's not even your client. If he gets particularly assertive, tell him to have his solicitor put the request in writing so you can consider it.

Her (not her husband's) contract is with you. She's unhappy with the product and service you provided, and you're replacing her extensions at your own cost (plus the money to upgrade which is reasonable).Answer #2: "No thank you, my suppliers and pricing are confidential business information that I can't give out to clients"Answer #3: It sounds like she and her husband are trying to pull one over on you. What kind of civil case would someone have against hair extensions? How have these people been damaged by this? Tell them no, and that you are happy to stuck to your original remedy.


Title: Suspect toxic black mold in newly purchased home, sellers verbally acknowledged mildew before renovation. We did not get a home inspection. Help!!!!!

Question:
I will try my best to keep this as brief yet thorough as possible. My husband and I were desperate to buy a house starting in April of 2018 with a needed move in date of August 1st. We lost a bid on a house, and the real estate agent’s company offered to renovate a house that they were currently renting out in the town we were looking at the top of our budget. We agreed to go see the house.

My husband and I walked in and the place REEKED. I didn’t know what it smelled like though - a mixture of wet dog, stale cigarettes, and the nasty burnt sausage that was sitting on the kitchen stove in a pan. I asked the owners what the smell was and they just looked at me like I was absolutely stupid, and said “well someone lives here you know”. Like yeah, duh. But most houses don’t smell like that. Fast forward to when my husband and I walk into the bathroom and I see HORRIBLE mildew/mold all over the walls and ceiling in the bathroom. And I said VERBATIM “I hope you plan on taking care of this mold in the bathroom, because this is a big problem”. Suddenly the guy owner (a husband and wife pair) starts getting all huffy saying it’s because of the broken fan and lack of ventilation in the bathroom, but that it will be “taken care of”. An obvious issue, of course.

We agree to buy the house, with a purchase date of August 1st. My husband and I were first time buyers, naive, and newly EXTRA poor because we just made a huge down payment and we started graduate school. I wanted to wait until we could get in with the sellers to have a home inspection. We had an initial post renovation walkthrough scheduled for five days before closing. The seller cancelled and moved to three days before. They cancelled and moved to the day before. We walked in and the wife seller was running around frantically trying to do various things that STILL weren’t finished. But we didn’t have a choice - we needed the house ASAP so we signed the papers, as the sellers signed the disclosure saying there were no known issues with mold, damages to windows, roof, etc. also, sellers added new roof in 2015.

As soon as we move in we start noticing the shotty, crap work that the sellers did. They didn’t even putty the nail holes In our trim. The bathroom fan sounds like a gurgling mess. Fast forward to about two months ago - I notice that water is dripping down from my ceiling. The ceiling is also a little bowed in this area. I text my realtor and ask if the sellers were aware of roof leaks. She says “I don’t know, I can ask”. Never heard back. My husbands allergies start to really, really kick in. He is MISERABLE. All the time. I hire roofing company to inspect leak. He identifies that the people who installed roof installed it improperly, and we will have issues if he doesn’t seal around the ventilation pipe that exits the top of the house, and down the side of the garage. So he seals it up and we haven’t had any leaks since. Now a few weeks ago I start to see brownish black spots forming in the corner on the ceiling above the shower. Ive tried to spray and clean them with vinegar, bleach, and mold killer but it’s like it’s growing out of the ceiling not on it.

Last week the weather here in Iowa took a crap turn, and we got a crap load of snow and it got VERY cold. Our kitchen is freezing, so we are poking around trying to figure out why - the sliding door is so crappy and old that water got in between the seals on the glass and is dislodging it from the frame of the sliding door. We have TWO INCHES of ice built up around the edges on the floor and about a foot up the door. I found mold all over in the track of the door too. I bleached it and sprayed mold killer, but the ice probably won’t help the situation. It’s too cold to have the door replaced at this point and won’t be warm enough for another week. All of the windows are getting condensation on them because it’s so damn cold and they are old so they don’t seal super well. I went to wipe them off and discovered TONS of dark brown and black colored mold all over the bottom edges. Again I have bleached and sprayed mold killer, but the inspector can’t get here until Tuesday.

Last month we adopted a new kitten. Three days after we moved in he developed severe diarrhea, and my resident cat had a small problem as well. I also noticed that my cats started coughing so I took them to the vet and was told there were no parasites or apparent respiratory distress but given antibiotics. My resident cat got better but the kitten still has intermittent diarrhea. As of yesterday he has developed a runny nose, and both of my cats have begun sneezing and coughing since I cleaned up the visible mold.

I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in October - this can be exacerbated by fungal infestations as I have a naturally weakened immune system due to the condition and I have been MISERABLE for a solid three months. No symptom relief at all. My entire household is sick - my husband has recently developed chronic sinusitis and now needs surgery. I don’t know what to do. I’m desperate for help, and it can’t happen soon enough. Literally. We can’t get anyone for removal until Thursday.

I’m getting very worried. We are not in the financial situation to vacate the property, or even pay for damage if it is a more serious problem.

I started smelling that weird stale cigarette smell again yesterday, so I went hunting again and found it growing on the window again. I cleaned it up. I’m terrified that it’s everywhere and we won’t have a place to live because we can’t afford to leave. But it’s making us all sick.

I ultimately want to know if I can sue the sellers for failure to disclose a known mold issue that is causing serious harm as during the renovation they obviously handled it in some way - whether it was painting it to cover it up or not, I’m not sure. Ultimately they had a failure to take proper measures to prevent it with the roof being improperly installed and hired incompetent or unqualified people to renovate our house for us.

Please, please help me.
Topic:
Real Estate law

Answer: You can run this by a real estate attorney, but by gut feeling is no. That's why you get an inspection.


Title: I work at a fast food chain, by law those under 16 have to clock out before 7 PM, but off the clock our managers give them 30-40 minutes of work off the clock (closing duties). Is this legal?

Question:
I’m not familiar with labor laws for those under 16 regarding our restaurants so I just want to know the legality of it. This is in Georgia by the way.
Topic:
Juvenile and Youth Law

Answer:
 Once, you're clocked out, leave.Answer #2: Not specific to teenagers, but in general: if you're hourly, you must be paid for the time you work. Working "off the clock" means your employer is illegally shorting you on your wages. If you have any decent records that would show how much you're being underpaid, then - whether you're a minor or an adult - you can file a wage complaint with your nearest Department of Labor office.

(Most states have a state-level department you can file with, but Georgia - and Florida - does not empower theirs to hear wage disputes.)

As for your hours themselves, Georgia state law requires that minors under 16 must not be made to work past 9 PM, and federal laws require that minors under 16 not be made to work bast 7 PM, or 9 PM during the summer months. Working off the clock is still working.


Title: Found a crack cocaine pipe in my rental car

Question:
I've never actually seen a crack cocaine pipe before, but that's my current assumption as to what it is. I've already thrown it into the garbage at the mall.

It was under the driver's seat, I found it fishing for my cellphone after it slipped through the cracks. It was in a black metal tin from a beauty supply company, it was wrapped in aluminum foil, and it was a glass beaker with a small hole drilled in the round end. It had black and brown residue in it.

My first thought was 'so that's what a crack pipe looks like' my second thought was 'i don't want this in the same vehicle with me'. I left the car, confusing my spouse, threw it out, then explained why.

I do not know if there are other drugs in the car.

So, we are renting this car through turo, which is essentially Airbnb for car rental. I didn't really get druggy vibes from the owner, a college grad student from China, but that doesn't mean anything.

I took no pictures.

I'm on vacation. I don't really want a hastle.

Who, if anyone, should I inform? The police? Turo? The car's actual owner?

Answer:
 That sounds like a crack pipe. You did the right thing, but I’d let this go and quietly return the vehicle as soon as possible if you can. Involving the police now will only focus their scope on to you. But yeah- return the car and rent one from a reputable rental company if you have to.Answer #2: >I do not know if there are other drugs in the car.

I would definitely Not tell the police.
I would Thoroughly check the rest of the car for drugs/paraphenalia.
If you get pulled over - it might be hard to argue that they're not yours.Answer #3: You have no legal obligation to do anything.

You can complain to Turo, who may refund some or all of your fee.


Title: Dentist messed up, now I am in pain.

Question:
I went to a new dental salon that opened for an initial visit and a cleaning. I had my cleaning done and he told me that he would like me to come in so he could fix a few problem areas. I was experiencing no pain or issues so I was a little taken off guard that there were 'problem areas'.

Fast forward a few days, I am back in the office to address the problem areas. He told me that two of the teeth on the back right side of my mouth and one in the front had small cavities that he wanted to address. He placed composite fillings in the back right bottom molar on one composite filling on my bi-cuspid on the right bottom.

Fast forward to the next day, after the numbness has worn off and I get shocks of pain every time I bite down on that side of my mouth. I call them up and ask them if this is normal to feel that much pain from just biting down. They said, yes, it is normal, the pain will wear off anywhere from a week to a month.

He prescribes me an antibiotic and tells me to take 4 Ibuprofens every six to eight hours. I do this for three days and then over the weekend the pain becomes unbearable to the point where it hurts all the time. There is throbbing in the teeth and I can barely sleep.

I go in that Monday, (I had the fillings done on Wednesday) and he says that the fillings are seated too high and drills them down. He said all of my pain should go away in 24 hours to a week.

The next day, the pain was the same, sharp pain on pressure to that back tooth and dull throbbing constant pain that got worse and worse as the day went on.

I have been on Tylenol and Ibuprofen now for over a week and it is starting to make me sick to my stomach. I went back twice after he drilled the filling down and on the last visit he told me he didn't know what was wrong and told me I would probably need to have a root canal. He referred me to an edodontist and that appointment is tomorrow morning at 9am.

Yesterday, I went to another dentist for a second opinion and after looking at my before and after x-rays, he says that the original dentist just replaced silver caps and that because the fillings were not filed down 24 hours after they were done too high up, the trauma from my bite has caused that back tooth to become compromised.

He said there is a 50/50 chance that I will need a root canal now to save the tooth because of the trauma from the filling being seated too high and left for 5 days before drilling it down.

I went in for a cleaning and am in no way financially prepared to take on quite possibly two root canals. I had no pain, sensitivity, or any physical issues with these teeth when I went in for the cleaning and am wondering if there is anything I can do or am I powerless and have to fork over the money to pay for this mistake?

I am in a lot of pain and I am exhausted from lack of sleep. I don't have the money to pay for all these procedures I am going to have to go through in the next couple weeks.

Any advice would help and I appreciate the help.

Answer:
 Did the first dentist mention or give you a sheet on after care? Same thing happened to me but they told me before I left I may feel it after the novacane comes off and to come back and they will file it some more.  If he did and you didnt follow the after care there may not be much you can doAnswer #2: >I have been on Tylenol and Ibuprofen now for over a week and it is starting to make me sick to my stomach.

Long term NSAID use can cause ulcers and other stomach issues. (especially if you're not eating much due to mouth pain) You may want to run this by a doctor and make sure your schedule is OK.


Title: My girlfriend and I broke up 6 months before our apt. Lease ends. She's living there for the remainder of the lease and paying the bills in full. Should I have something notarized saying she is agrees to pay the rent and I am not responsible since we are both responsible as of now?

Answer:
 Signing an agreement between the two of you would be helpful if a suit were later required.

That does not relieve you of your obligation to the landlord, though.  If she stops paying rent, he can sue **you** and can win for the full amount of the rent.  You'd then have to sue her separately. Answer #2: That would, most likely, not excuse your obligation. An agreement would have to be worked out between all parties, including the landlord. Provide state.


Title: [AL] was suggested to post here from r/relationships. My mobility device was stolen and destroyed by 3 kids in my apartment complex. I am being harassed, threatened and accused of racism for wanting to go to the police. What should I do?

Question:
This is essentially a cut and paste of the post from r/relationships. I can modify to fit community guide lines if necessary:

Hello everyone. The incident happened late Friday afternoon and my life has been a living hell ever since. Basically like the title says, I am disabled and except for short distances I am unable to walk. I had an insurance/medicare provided mobility device to facilitate moving around. On Friday, I was having the carpets cleaned in our apartment and in order to charge my mobility device, I left it on the shared walkway of the complex plugged into an outside outlet.

I just so happened to look out my back window and see three kids who live one and two doors down from me running away from my mobility device as it sat turned over in the creek behind the complex. I asked my live-in girlfriend to please go check it out, she was able to get the complex maintenance man and pull my scooter out of the creek. The front wheel is completely broken off, the seat is shredded and I am positive the electronics and batteries are completely ruined because it was in the water. I'm afraid to even plug it in.

I was livid angry so I did my best to walk down to the apartments of the kids and talk to their parents. I got one mother and she claimed it wasn't her kids. I said it absolutely was her children because the three kids standing behind her are the exact three that I saw running away from the creek and they still had mud on their shoes and clothes and the footprints went right to this front door. She accused me of lying and I said she was going to pay for the mobility device, she gave me a sob story about not having a job and not having any money because her ex is not paying support and that she could never afford it even if her kids did it.

I said maybe the police would have to help us out. This woman started screaming at me and calling me every name in the book and said that if I called the police because of my "racist ass" they police would shoot her and the kids because every "goddamn cop is racist in this town." I screamed back at her that if she didn't want the police involved she should go get her check book and write me a check for the mobility device. She and I screamed back and forth and people came out and a crowd gathered. Every single one of them started taunting me with "fat racist b****" and the like. I will not be bullied and I was prepared to sit on her bench all day until she paid me my money.

My girlfriend heard all the commotion and pleaded with me to come inside of our apartment. She says I should not call the police because she says if we do, these people will never leave us alone and we are already some of the only white people in a mostly African-American complex and our lives would be a living hell because we stand out. I said this is crap and they should pay for my mobility device. She begged me not call the police so I haven't yet.

Since Friday, we have had well over a dozen ding & ditches, someone threw a rock at our back window (thank god it didn't break because it's so hot out right now) when I walked out to get the Sunday paper two of the three kids that stole my mobility device made a motion with their fingers pointed like a gun at me.

Seriously what should I do? I can't even begin to call my insurance and medicare until tomorrow and I can't even really leave no matter how much they threaten me. I want to call the police but my live-in says she will not cooperate with them because she's afraid for our safety. My girlfriend says if I'm patient medicare and insurance will cover it and this will blow over.

What should I do?

Answer:
 Call the non emergency police line unless you feel your life is threatened.

Edit: If you feel threatened, then call the emergency number. Answer #2: Call the police. I don't know what your overall situation is, but if you're able to move to another apartment, you may want to consider that.Answer #3: Yup, call the police. Insurance will likely want the report.


Title: Ownership rights on photos taken of a musician

Question:
I own an LLC in California, USA and I want to take photos of a musician for my blog / social media.

The musician's Manager requested full ownership of photos. Is that a normal thing or does my company maintain the right of ownership on these photos?

If Rolling Stone takes photos of Beyoncé, wouldn't Rolling Stone maintain ownership of those photos?

Answer: If you take the picture in a public place like a concert venue, they have no claims to your photos.  Could be different if you are invited to a private meeting to shoot for a particular purpose.  Hard to say with the little details you've given.


Title: My ex is committing marriage fraud.

Question:
Hey guys, throwaway for obvious reasons. I broke up with my gf a little bit ago because she didn't tell me she was married. I learned and instantly broke up with her, as that is not something I can support at all. Not to give too many details, she was given a significant sum of money and gifts. They share a few bills but that is about it. They very rarely talk or communicate. They live around 40 minutes away from each other. She fully admitted it was marriage fraud but was 100% sure they would never be caught. He is from a high risk country if that helps.

&#x200B;

To cut a long story short, they should not have passed their first interview but they got lucky and were able to cheat. She is going to divorce him in lets say less than a year. I think it is morally wrong and pretty despicable so I reported it to ICE and USICS. I went into pretty great detail regarding the situation and I was just wondering what is going to happen now. I provided a throwaway email that I have access to in in case they need to contact me but I would like to stay anonymous. I'd also like any general legal advice about what I can expect or what can happen. Thanks!

Answer:
 What happens now is none of your business. They will investigate, and when asked she will probably mention some guy who is angry with her who may have reported it. Then they will either decide the anonymous report was stupid and move on, or maybe they’ll investigate further.

Move on with your life.Answer #2: Not your problem now. Maybe immigration will take action maybe they won’t. But it’s not your issue and you have no right to any information.


Title: [FL] HOA won’t fix leak over a year and it’s getting worse.

Question: I own a condo and currently there has been roof damage since the hurricanes in 2017. Since then the HOA have put blue tarps on all condos  and left it at that. I didn’t even know we had damage because they just put a tarp on all roofs and called it a day. Then, during the fall of 2018, contractors through the HOA came up on our roof and did work that caused all hell to break loose in one of my bedrooms and my living room. I call the association and they tell me the contractors weren’t even suppose to be working on my roof and it wasn’t approved. Now since then we have had horrible leaks that keep getting worse every rain storm. Every time it happens I take videos and pictures and inform the HOA about them but we barely get a reply and when we do it just them telling us that they will have someone out eventually but no one has come yet. My entire living room ceiling is covered in Leaks and the center fan could fall due to damage. It’s leaking right now as I type this and I have no clue how to move forward. The HOA won’t respond to anything I send them. They have a main phone that barely gets answered and an emergency line that always has a full vm inbox. The only direct answer I’ve gotten from them is that they won’t repair the leak because they are waiting for the insurance claim made back in 2017 to be investigated. I don’t really believe this cause that sounds absurd. I own the condo and can’t afford to get a lawyer or get a new home. If anyone has any advice it’s greatly appreciated. I am worried that mold is building up and I have had to take days off work to come home and make sure my ceiling isn’t falling.

Answer: Get a free consultation from a lawyer that does not charge upfrontx but instead takes a percentage of the money sued for. Then i suggest going after them hard.


Title: SERIOUS ASAP- fb guy threatening to call cops on me and has my license plate number

Question:
i sold a ds game to a guy through facebook. when i tested the game, it worked. when he tries it, it doesn't work. i have pictures of the game working. now he is threatening me over facebook not even asking for his money back, but just threatening me by having my license plate.

while i 100% know the game works and is legitimate, do i give him his money back even though i dont know if he tampered with the game once he got home?

edit: do i message him to give him his money back? ignore him? do i message him, apologize for his experience, but say that you do not accept returns?

Answer: Let him call the cops. What are you even worried about? At worst this is a civil matter. Answer #2: He probably has a damaged copy of the same game that he wants to switch out with yours.Answer #3: Electronics are usually sold as-is. Did you turn it on while you were both present?


Title: [California] Dish charged my account without my consent.

Question:
So about a year ago my mother needed to use my school debit card for a one time payment over the phone to Dish Network. The charge was less than $100 so no big deal. I made sure to specify that my card will not be linked to her account in any way.

Yesterday, I got my financial aid for this fall semester. I was surprised today to see a charge of $400 on my account from dish network. I swiftly called them to see what this charge was for as I don't have Dish. They specified my mother stopped paying her bill and the fee was for non-returned equipment. They will not refund the money to my account without the return of the equipment and payment of about $800 that's owed on the account.

I have no ownership of the Dish account nor did I authorize them to save my payment info for future charges. What should I do?

Answer:
 > What should I do?

Tell your mom to pay you the $400 she now owes you.