Title: (MN) Bought only landlocked property on a lake access not possible except through neighbors yard. What are my options for easement?

Question:
This is in Minnesota.
In December I bought a tax forfeited property from the state of Minnesota on a lake with the intention to build a cabin and possibly sell for a profit. Originally I thought my access through state land behind my property would be ok as I have a 4x4 with big meaty tires. As the snow melts I am realizing that it is not going to be an option as it is just a big swamp halfway through. I talked to my neighbor at his cabin, he just laughed in my face when I asked about access from his land. There is a road that stops maybe 100 feet shy of my property in the area I plan to build my cabin, but his yard is in that 100' area. Currently he is renting his property it and the tenants were kind enough to let me park in their driveway and walk to the property. I don't have a lot of money left as I was not planning to have this issue arise. neighbors and his tenants have long used his yard as a walking path to get to the trails in my property but I have no proof. His tenants are leaving unexpectedly next week and they expressed he may be selling soon. Should I start driving through to establish access while his property is vacant? What can I do aside from suing him for access? Would there be easement records for the area I can find somewhere in case there was originally access?

Edit: Arial picture with layout. Red is the private road/easement in question. https://imgur.com/a/DJfUqiT

Answer:
 > Should I start driving through to establish access while his property is vacant?

10000% no. Only addressing that as wasn't mentioned by grasshoppa1, whose advice is spot on.Answer #2: This will likely need to be litigated so you can ask the court to order a road easement or easement by necessity be recorded. Talk to a local real estate attorney to help you navigate this process.


Title: Unknown whereabouts of children for 2 days, now that I have them back, can I do anything?

Question:
Saturday night, my husband and I got into an argument. I recently filed for divorce for numerous reasons, one being domestic violence.  We had discussed my moving out, which he was against. He wants to work out our marriage, I do not.

During the argument, which was prompted by my packing my clothing, he and his sister grabbed our two children (ages 7 and 2) from their beds (they were sleeping ) and took off running.

Police were called, and I was unable to do anything because he is their dad.

He ended you getting arrested that same night, on an unrelated warrant.

I was not informed that he was arrested, and did not know where he and his sister had taken the children.

The police were at my house after the arrest, and did not tell me about it, and told me I could do Nothing because the kids were with their dad, and he has the same rights I do.

His sister then hid my children from me. I filed a CPO on Monday and was granted this to protect the children and I from my husband (legitimate reasons, had a DV advocate with me) . It took 3 hours after the police found my husband after his release to find the children and return them to me. It was the longest time of my life.

My question is this:  is there anything I can do about my sister-in-law hiding the children for those few days, being that she knew I wanted them home, and my husband having been incarcerated during that time? Is this not some form of abduction? Can I do anything at all?

I do not have her phone number, and my husband's phone was at home (he has zero numbers programmed, and deletes his call and text history frequently ), so I had no way to try to contact to tell them directly that I wanted the kids home. They were also not at the places I knew to look.

I have had harassment issues with her before and after this incident, if that matters at all. There was a No trespass warning issued to her a week before this happened, and she came on to my property to help take the kids, but the police have said there is Nothing I can do about that, either.

Edit: I am in Ohio.

Answer:
 If this were me, I'd focus less on trying to seek redress against the sister in law and more on what I needed to do to get things in order.

You need to file for divorce and get a temporary custody order.  A lawyer would be of great assistance in getting this taken care of.Answer #2: I read your other comment and saw your attorney is unavailable until your court date. Call your dv advocate. That's what they are there for. They know the ropes.


Title: Employer "doesn't do" time and a half for overtime.

Question:
Location: North Carolina

I work at a dog grooming/boarding place. I've been here for several months and only just opened up my availability enough to get overtime, so I haven't run into this until just now. My paycheck this week was cut off at 80.00 hours and the hours I got after that were paid in cash at my full hourly rate ($10/hr), untaxed.

When I asked my manager about this I was told they "don't do" time and a half. They said they don't report overtime because it saves both the boarding place and myself money - even though they only pay the regular rate in cash, not x1.5. This doesnt make any sense to me, but they are insistent I make more money this way. They say regular time gets taxed normally, then overtime gets taxed even more, and overall the take-home comes out to LESS than the untaxed, regular rate. According to this explanation, they are doing me a favor.

My coworkers generally agree with this system but my friends outside of work insist this is BS. I could easily get a job elsewhere (I've had offers), but I like working there and I like the people there. That said, I am fairly certain they would find a reason to fire me if I decided to push the issue to get normal, taxed overtime. I have other job offers. Before I move forward, I want to understand the situation better and know if they're telling the truth about the take-home being more this way.

I get that this is illegal regardless, but I'm suspicious they are lying about how much I'm making. I don't understand taxes at all (it's a problem, I know). Is overtime ($15/hr, in my case) really taxed so much that it's less than the regular untaxed rate ($10/hr)?

Answer:
 This is your employer committing tax evasion and fraud. There's nothing else to it.

Your hourly is not taxed differently for OT v. regular. It's taxed based on your overall income. The "more" you're making is that your company is (illegally) not declaring all of its wages when paying taxes. And expecting you to do the same.

This is generally a Bad Idea.


Title: Samsung Galaxy S6 active exploded. What to do now?

Question:
At 3am this morning, I woke up to a noise and bright light, and smoke filling the room. I started screaming and my boyfriend ran in, as he was still awake in the other room. He grabbed the phone and took it outside to the patio.

The phone had been charging on the side of my bed. Luckily no one was injured but the bed has ~~burn marks~~ chemical residue and so does some of the bedding from where the phone spewed materials. It also smells terrible in the bedroom. What should I do now? Do I contact a lawyer? Do I reach out directly to Samsung?

I live in Washington state.

Here are photos of the phone, we're avoiding going into the room where it happened, as it smells terrible: http://imgur.com/a/w8yqf

edit: I have reached out to Samsung. A couple of things to note, It was on the bed; however, it was not covered by bedding. It just was resting there. I often use a sleep app to help me wake up at the end of a sleep cycle, although it was not running last night. I get that charging it on a nice, hard, cold surface is ideal, but it doesn't really help to call me dumb for that. It had no prior damage to it; it was less than 2 years old. It also had no case on it. Also, it does seem like it exploded from the inside out. It's not as if the bedding or phone caught on fire first (actually the damage to the bedding is a chemical residue issue after further investigation, and none of the bedding actually burned). First I heard the hissing noise, then the pop, then the fire. I do appreciate all of you taking the time to respond!

edit2: When I reached out to Samsung yesterday, they said they'd call me and send out a team to retrieve the phone and to take pictures. They also told me to hold off on buying a new phone until I was contacted. Unfortunately, they didn't do either yesterday. They're now saying it will be later today. Super frustrating, as I'm self-employed and I need a phone for work.

edit 3: Samsung is responding! They are sending me a new phone, and may be reimbursing me for some for the bedding. All good news.

Answer:
 I'm glad you have reached out to samsung. The manufacturer probably wants to know about every instance of exploding phones. Maybe you can get a voucher for a new phone. I would try asking for that. Answer #2: Were you using the charger that came with the phone?Answer #3: Lawyer here. I can't see any attorney taking your case because your damages are relatively minimal. The cost of pursuing a case like this is significant when compared with the (relatively) low value of your damages - a phone and bedding. You're talking damages measured in the hundreds of dollars when an attorney might spend thousands of dollars pursuing a case.

If you were in my office asking me what to do, I would say try and work something out with Samsung, but mostly count yourself lucky that your house didn't burn down, gain a new appreciation for life, and move on.

Sorry this happened.  Best of luck with Samsung.


Title: How legal is it for a host to change prizes during competition?

Question: When the competition started Prize was A, and now as we near to the end I was surprised it became A minus a lot of stuff, how legal is this?

Answer: Chances are there are legal bits in writing that say that the prizes are subject to change without notification. Answer #2: The last time a Toyota turned into "toy Yoda", the winner sued and won.


Title: Hypothetical tHursday: Mr. Incredible

Question:
Welcome to our first edition of Hypothetical tHursdays. Discussions on books, movies, or any other legal hypothetical ideas. (thanks to /u/sprigglespraggle for the idea)

Today we are moving over the Mr. Incredible thread from legal advice.

OP by /u/RTRB:

First, Mr. Incredible was sued for saving a man who publicly threw himself off a roof. The man went through a window, and sustained injuries. A criminal in the building threw a bomb, which landed on elevated train/monorail tracks.

Next, Mr. Incredible stopped the train from crashing into the ground. At least 10 men and women were injured.

Mr. Incredible lost both lawsuits, but would he have won, assuming the movie takes place in California?

Answer:
 > Welcome to our first edition of Hypothetical tHursdays

Hypothetically, wouldn't "THeoretical THursdays" have been a better name?


Title: Can I wind up in legal trouble if I shut out my dad's nightmare health/living conditions situation at least for a few months?

Question:
\[I am in the US\]

&#x200B;

My 62-yr-old father's cognitive function, physical health, and mental health, as well as his living conditions, have been deteriorating progressively for years. He was already getting noticeably forgetful and living in disgusting conditions (like mold and fruitflies everywhere) when he lost his job 3 years ago, so it's hard to blame all of his current situation on his job loss. However, once he lost his job, he completely gave up in life and stopped taking care of himself or doing basically anything proactive I begged him to do to help his situation. I begged him to start investing in home repairs and cleaning services so he could sell his home and downsize, as he clearly could no longer afford to continue living there. Instead, he used his severance pay to buy things like new cars and expensive dinners with women he met on dating sites. I begged him to apply to new jobs or come up with some other plan instead of sticking his fingers in his ears and saying "lalala" while his bank account dwindled and his world burnt around him...he made every excuse why he couldn't and refused to take any jobs he felt were beneath him.

&#x200B;

Eventually, it got to a point where his bank account was down to zero and he was looking at imminent homelessness. Around this time, I also began medical school, and he started calling me guilting me to let him "borrow" a few hundred here and there from my student loans. He also screwed me over on several financial situations where there were still financial strings attached that I am still struggling to deal with while trying to make it thru med school at the same time, but I won't go into the complexities of all of that.

&#x200B;

Thankfully, last August, he got accepted for disability. I don't know for what or how he managed, but he was shockingly accepted super quickly once he actually took the initiative to apply (I and other family members begged him for about a year to do at least that much if he refused to get a new job). He now receives just short of $3000 a month in disability benefits, making him ineligible for many other forms of assistance and rightly so...$36K a year is plenty for one person imo. Except his health and living conditions are now at an all-time low to what seems to be the point of no return. He makes no sense about half of the time when you talk to him...he will repeat the same thing he's already said to you 30 times that day or start talking incoherently about how he met his sister when he took a class with her or how he wants to go skydiving so he can catch shrimp from the ocean. He goes literal months without bathing or washing the clothes he is wearing. I refuse to even go inside his house anymore because the second I walk in there, my eyes begin burning and watering from whatever is in the air. He smells absolutely putrid whenever I am around him.

&#x200B;

On Christmas, I drove him to my sister's place where we were doing Christmas since we obviously can't do it at his house. My car still wreaks of him. While we were at her place, my sister lifted up his pant legs to find giant, festering sores all over his legs and massive leg swelling. The whole time we were there, he repeated himself and said things that made zero sense. My sister, who cleaned his leg sores, wound up getting violently ill shortly after we left, she suspects from getting something along the lines of Staph food poisoning from bacteria from the wounds getting into her food.

&#x200B;

I took him to a low-income clinic when we got back, as he is not eligible for Medicare/Medicaid and insists that despite his $3K in benefits a month, he is basically penniless. They got him on some meds and an antibiotic he'd really been needing but can only do so much. I've gone to social security and various other agencies trying to get him help, but there just really aren't any programs in place for a 62 year old who starts developing dementia for no apparent reason, is living in such filth his home could probably be condemned, and whose children are all financially unable to support him. The fact that he's already getting so much in disability (yet insists he has no money to pay for anything that might improve his situation) further limits options.

&#x200B;

On top of all of this, I have my boards for med school coming up and my stress levels from that alone are through the roof. I've had more panic attacks that I care to admit. If I fail my boards because I am spending all of my time and mental energy on his situation, that would only make everything 100x worse financially and otherwise. Leaving med school to care for him would similarly be a disaster for many reasons. I don't really have any current skills to fall back on and could, at best, get something like a waitressing job. It goes without saying that my entire future would be radically altered as well. There is also a history of domestic abuse at his hands that makes me further reluctant to sacrifice my entire future to care for him.

&#x200B;

At this point, I'm really wanting to just throw up my hands and block the entire situation out, at least until I finish my boards. I am just worried I could wind up in some sort of legal trouble for doing so. A family member says I could be arrested for neglect. He is also, even in his demented state, very manipulative, and I would not at all put it past him to tell a social worker or somebody that I and/or my siblings are abusing him in any number of ways he invents in his head, as he's already tried telling doctors he doesn't want to live with my sister who offered him her guest bedroom because she "yells at him."

&#x200B;

I'm sorry this is so long. I hope someone knowledgeable can at least skim it and offer some insight.

Answer:
 Your family member is wrong.  You are under no obligation to help him.  You can walk away any time, for as long as you want, or forever.

Edit: typoAnswer #2: NAL - Call Adult Protective Services (APS), they will visit him.  They will talk to him, take in the condition of his house and take over from there.  They will develop a plan of action that will remove him from his house and get him the medical attention that he seems to desperately need. All of that is done at no charge to you, I believe.


Title: Was my boyfriend and I's relationship illegal at some point? (AZ)

Question: Hi, so this doesn't matter now since we are both over 18, but I am curious to know if it was technically illegal at some points. My boyfriend and I started dating when he was 15 (just before his sophomore year) and when I was 16(just before my senior year, graduated at 17), we became sexually active after I turned 17 and he was still 15. So from there on, I graduated at 17, he was 16. Then I turned 18, and for 2 months I was 18 and he 16, then the next year it would have been 19 and 17.  He is 18 and I am 19 now so it doesn't matter, but I was wondering if in AZ that was illegal?? Thanks!

Answer:
 In Arizona, it's illegal to have sex with a person under 18.

There's an exception for consensual sex between minors less than two years apart in age from each other if both are at least 15.

By the way, the "it doesn't matter because we're old enough now" is silly - if you had been 3 years apart in age and it qualified as statutory rape, the state could still prosecute you until the statute of limitations were to run out.


Title: How serious of a crime is strangling someone until they pass out? Can I still report it after 13 years?

Question:
Washington state. Sorry if flair is wrong.

I was 15 when it happened. My parents used to let my sister beat me without consequence.  One night she said she was going to kill me, which was nothing new since she used to give me death threats often, but this time after she was done hitting me she choked me until I lost consciousness. I remember just accepting I was going to die when she didn’t stop like usual. I woke up with her crying because she thought I was dead. I was so used to abuse back then that I just accepted that sometimes you get strangled, and aside from writing about it in my diary and telling my best friend, I never told anyone until the recent years. I wish I had taken photos of the marks on my neck but it never even occurred to me of document that stuff back then. Like three years ago my sister apologized to me for it, in front of her boyfriend, so I know he knows too. At the time I accepted her apology because she never gives me those and I thought it was a sign she was becoming a better person.

I’m asking now because I no longer talk to my sister, because she’s not better like I had hoped. I stopped talking to my parents long before I stopped talking to her, but they keep trying to get back in my life. They all say they never did anything bad to me, and it’s just not true. My parents and sister did horrible things to me and got away with all of it, and that upsets me now that I know exactly how wrong it all was.  It upsets me even more that they keep acting like I’m a crazy person for not wanting them in my life. I guess I’m just looking for some peace of mind, and probably some validation. I don’t even care if nothing happens to her I just want a record that it happened, or maybe even just the threat that I can still report it is enough to get them to stay away from me.

Tldr: wa state, choked until passed out by sister 13 years ago, only people I told was a diary and friend, can I still report it?

Topic:
Personal Injury

Answer: It looks like attempted murder has a 10 year statute of limitations, so it may no longer be something she could be charged with, but leave that ultimate decision to the cops/prosecutor.  Call the non emergency number for the police department where this happened.


Title: [URGENT] "hacked" a friend's Facebook, he's dealing drugs

Question: [deleted]

Answer: You sound like a great friend.


Title: Is an apology an admission of guilt? Does this vary by state?

Question: I'm mainly asking for incidents in the medical field. What would change outside medical contexts?

Answer:
 "I'm so sorry for your loss."  Not an admission of guilt.

"I'm so sorry, we did everything we could to save her." Not an admission of guilt.

"I'm so sorry, I was probably too drunk to be in surgery today." An admission of guilt.


Title: I was exposed to Asbestos in my retail Job...

Question:
Connecticut

The landlord hired hacks to remove asbestos from the basement of my retail job. This went on for over a month during business hours. When the job was "finished", we noticed after a week or 2 that there was asbestos powder left  the basement in a few different places. I let my company know and they sent an independent company to test for contamination. The basement was contaminated and the sales floor tested negative. We were told to continue working and not to go into the basement until the abatement could be completed. A second company was hired who seemed legit. Shortly after the initial crew left, I began to suffer from chronic urticaria which could not be explained by my team of docters. An allergist an imunologist and a rheumatologist. At the time, I didn't think to report the contamination to them as it seemed downplayed by my company and no medical evaluation was ever recommended for myself or my employees.
I am still struggling with some of the symptoms. Should I contact an attorney? It doesn't seem like our company handled things the way they were supposed to.

Answer: Sorry Charlie, probably too small of an amount to  seriously harm you. . . Psychosomatic.


Title: Ex wife reopening accounts in my name

Question: What can I do if my ex wife is still reopening old accounts under my name online. So far it’s been a credit card, an AT&T internet account, and a cell phone account. Is there any legal action I can pursue? The places are no help, because they’re in my name as it appears

Answer: Whoa! Definitely go and file a police reportAnswer #2: On top of the police report, I would freeze your credit as well. That will stop any new accounts from being created in your name. Answer #3: That is a serious crime. File a police report.Answer #4: File a police report.


Title: (CT) Tree from other property in danger of falling. Question about giving notice to neighbor

Question:
ETA:
1. We have spoken to the neighbor a few times. Informally and friendly. He has ignored our request to remove the tree. We have spoken to him, informally and friendly for about 2 years about the problem.

2. We are sending a certified letter because of his lack of action. This way *when* the tree falls (And its a matter of time) he will have to pay for the damage it causes.

3. The letter is also going to be friendly and neighborly. We actually don't live in the house. Its my mothers and she passed away, so my brothers and I own the house. W are wording the letter in a way that makes it very friendly.

4. Bottom line. If we DON'T send the letter and the tree falls he will NOT be responsible. So the sooner we send the letter, the sooner we are protected.

5. Lastly. My question to the LA forum: Do we have to include anything else other than a letter? Pictures? professional opinion?

Thanks.

Our neighbor has a tree in his yard that is going to fall on our house. My cousin is a professional tree guy and just removed a few trees for us on our property. While doing it he notices this one small Birch that is in IMMINENT danger of falling. And another that is pretty suspect.

We know we have to send a registered letter with return receipt. Do we have to include pictures? An "official" letter from the tree service? Anything Im missing?

Or a letter saying "You have 2 trees that are in danger of falling. We had a professional service come in and while removing our trees they pointed a few out on your property that are ready to fall".....good enough?

Do we have any recourse to take the trees down even if he does not? I'm pretty sure the answer is 100% no but thought I might throw that in there.

As an aside they are small trees, probably 10 inches around. But they are super tall. They will cause damage to the house, but wont rip the roof off.

Thank you in advance.
Topic:
Insurance

Answer: Have you actually had a conversation with the neighbour about it? Sending formal notice seems like a bit of an unnecessary step if you haven't first discussed it and found him resistant.


Title: Harassed at work for 3 years

Question: Hi,  i am a male. at the place I worked for three years I was threatened to be stabbed, constantly harassed, talked down to, called things like faggot, nigger (I'm white?) And many more things. Honestly names don't bother me but i was in general treated very poorly. I am an open atheist and was told to my face that it was because of this. I really don't care about that stuff if it wasn't for the fact that I live in a small town and now I can't get a job anywhere in town. I think that the manager and boss has been spreading misinformation to people around town and now where ever I go I'm talked to like this. What can I do?

Answer:
 Discrimination based upon religion \(or lack thereof\) is likely actionable.  You should probably bring this to an employment or civil rights attorney.

Please post your location if you want people to give more specific advice.  We can also point you to your local bar association's attorney referral program so that you can find an attorney in your area.Answer #2: Whenever you are threatened with physical violence, file a police report.

Does the company have a HR department? Do you have any evidence of these threats and slurs and the manager/boss doing nothing about it?


Title: My employing company created a new, separate company for a related business venture and I'm being asked to perform my core function for this new company as part of my current job.

Question:
So here's the situation... the company I am employed by is run by a board of directors who wanted to pursue an opportunity tangentially related to my company's purpose. To do this, they created a completely separate business entity - which is NOT a subsidiary of my employing company. In fact, the C-Suite is adamant that the two organizations look, feel and operate separately.

Except, the second company has no staff and I'm being asked to perform my function for the original company for the new company.

It feels like this is a second job for a company that I am not employed by, and the legality seem murky. Granted, I'm still working my regular hours, but my work is being 'loaned' to the new company - a company that has never hired me.

I'm in Colorado and although my parent company has offices around the world, they are based in Texas.

Answer:
 Why would this be illegal?

In terms of whether it's contractually allowable, unless you are part of a union, or you have a contract stating exactly what they can or cannot do, yes, they can loan you out to another company. They could assign you to a company making balloon animals.

So are you part of a union, or do you have an employment contract dictating the term of your employment as well as your duties? One that would prevent them from doing what they're doing? (These are rare BTW.)


Title: disabled, evicted, no where to go

Question:
I'm in Michigan, on disability, and I was arrested for marijuana possession.  My court date is next tuesday.  My property manager won't give me information until my conviction but told me to expect a 30 day residency termination notice.  Legal aid told me that I might lose subsidized housing assistance for 5 years.  This is going to be my second eviction.  I have no where to go.  My medical marijuana card was expired.

I've been making phone calls and doing tons of research.  Everyone is telling me I'm basically screwed.  I'd hate to feel sorry for myself but this seems inhumane due to how serious my medical condition is.  I had gangrene in my organs when I was 10 years old due to a hospital mistake, I have PTSD, hundreds of polyps in my organs, incredible pain and serious diet restrictions.  I understand federal law and everything but there has to be something I can do.  I live in a small town in the middle of no where and everyone tells me the judges and police are ultra strict and won't give me a chance.  What am I supposed to do?

Answer:
 Start looking into homeless shelters in your area. This may be your only option to keep a roof over your head.Answer #2: >  What am I supposed to do?

Plan ahead.   You seem to know what is coming.   The best course of action is to accept it and work with it.  Start looking for homeless shelters.   Call around.   Find the best one you can.

Good luck.  Answer #3: Avoid breaking the law until you can get back on your feet (and even after then).


Title: Possible to break lease if landlord removed backyard fence?

Question:
The townhome I rent used to have a private, fenced in back yard.  When we moved in all 50 or so units all had fenced in back yards.   I don't think it was explicitly referenced in the lease, but pretty much implied since everyone had one when we moved in.

Each units fenced in yard had a gate in the fence which management would access to mow the lawn, etc. Recently management, came and replaced the fencing but instead of having each back yard have its own private gate, now they've connected everyone's back yards to the adjoining units back yards. Now the fence is more like a privacy screen and anyone can just walk right into your back yard from any number or adjoining neighbors yards. People with dogs no longer have a truly fenced in back yard. I am in New York State.

Would this type of change in the property give me grounds to break my lease?

Thanks.

Answer: I don't see you having any recourse but that's a really crappy thing to do. Did they give any reason for it? Were the existing fences in poor condition?  I would raise holy hell if I had a pet.Answer #2: *Maybe* is terminable as a breech of the covenant of quiet enjoyment and associated constructive eviction, but this is heavily fact dependent and *very* likely to be influenced by local law/interpretations (also, loss of a fence is relatively *de minimis* in comparison to what prototypically constitutes a breach of the covenant of quiet enjoyment). More likely is a recovery of damages for loss of the private yard implicitly (although not explicitly) included in the lease. Talk to a local LL/T attorney for reliable advice.


Title: Living with my crazy girlfriend who I want to end it with but she won't leave and has nowhere to go do I get a restraining order? What can I do?

Question:
Shortly after high school I brought my girlfriend out of her abusive home to live with me 700 miles away. Flash forward a few years. She is paranoid, frightening, and downright abusive. We live in a small trailer renting it under the table from my grandparents friends. We are both in our early 20s

We fight a lot and it usually always leads to her trying to take the keys to my company truck I use for work and to hide my work clothes and phone. I need my phone for work because I am always taking calls. She will throw things grab my cloths and stretch at me. And in the past month I have been telling her I'm tired of it and want her out but she won't leave she doesn't work and has no friends that I know of in this town.

Here's where I saw it really turning in he past few weeks she has been getting mad for my lack of intimacy (although I tell her I don't want to be with her already) and she will try to force me out of the room and then grabs on me and I snapped  she was holding my shirt and as it started to rip I hit her arm hard and her hand hit the wall. She started crying and it swelled up some.  Normally I'm a very easy going person and I never get violent with anyone but I feel my rage against her raising and I just want her out now. I'm afraid she will try to attack me and I'll seriously hurt her. I've never felt his angry in my life before. I'm rambling.

How do I just end it. She has nowhere to go and practically no work experience as she has always refused to work. She doesn't even have a drivers license. Could I get a restraining order on her even though we have been living with each other for a few years?

I'm sorry this is a wall of text I can't think straight right now I'm angry and sad I'm sitting in my car because if I go inside it will start a whole new fight. I'll answer any questions to clear up any confusing thank you.

TLDR
I'm brought my girlfriend to live with me 3 or 4 years later I want to end it she's abusive but won't leave and has nowhere else to go.

EDIT: this is in NM and reading over I see this sounds like I'm asking for relationship advice. I don't want that I want her out of the house I pay rent for under the table she refuses to leave so I'm asking if I can get a restraining order and that will require her to leave.

Answer:
 You should get out yourself ASAP to mitigate the risk of being arrested.Answer #2: >I'm asking if I can get a restraining order and that will require her to leave

Since you asked, [here](https://seconddistrictcourt.nmcourts.gov/domestic-violence.aspx) is an example of a New Mexico court website with instructions for obtaining a restraining order. It is physically possible for you to apply for the order, and they will probably give you a hearing.

Others here are saying that it's a bad idea for you to do this because it's not clear who the actual aggressor is. No one is going to stop you from applying, but if you go down to the court and testify under oath that you assaulted your girlfriend, you risk being the recipient of a restraining order yourself or being arrested.

> I can't think straight right now

Don't make any decisions until you've calmed down. Then take s-dubya's advice and find somewhere else to stay for a while.


Title: I'm a young male doctor and being blackmailed into sex by a patient who found out about my porn past. He threatens to expose me to the hospital board if I refuse. PLEASE ADVISE

Question:
My worst nightmare is basically unfolding right now. I can't comprehend it. Please all help is appreciated.

I'm currently in my mid-late twenties and work in a major metropolitan hospital. I'm specializing in the surgery field. I have worked very hard to get where I am now and sacrificed a lot.

A couple of years ago when I was 21 and still in med school money was tight. I had an emergency and needed money desperately. I have always been active in sports and the gym so I had a good physique. I had sent some photos to a porn company and they really liked me. They offered a good ammount of money for a solo scene. I accepted and was flown out to do the shoot. Apparently my video was viewed a lot in a short period and became popular. The company contacted me again and wanted to do a scene with a partner. I was hesitant, but they offered to triple the pay and I agreed. Again was flown out, shot the scene and got back.

Afterwards I got another offer from a bigger company. They wanted to shoot several scenes for a 'porn movie' and offered a generous payment with a vacation of two weeks. I did that too. I know I was stupid. This was my last video though. I haven't done porn since and regretted ever doing it. I was young and needed the money.

The videos I did were 'gay for pay' because I heard gay porn pays a lot better for guys than straight porn does and I'm pretty open minded and had done 'experiments with guys' in my private life as well. I haven't done porn since and graduated a couple of years ago. I've been practicing medicine since.

This sunday we admitted a patient for surgery. After every surgery I do the ward and see how my patients are. He was pleasant at first just like any other patient. He is still in recovery in our ward. Yesterday the nurses paged me and told me he had some questions about his condition. I made time for him and we sat in a private room. He adressed me with my porn name. I was confused and flabbergasted. I managed to hold my composure and said 'Sorry?' He said 'I know you did porn and that is your porn name isn't it? Cut the crap dr [actual name]'

I denied obviously. He said don't bother lying I know. I recognized your videos. Again I kept denying but maybe he read something off my face or something. I told him he was very inappropriate and I would transfer his care to another doctor. He demanded I did no such thing. He said he would expose me to the board, unless I have sex with him. It's apparently a fantasy of his.

I don't know what to do. He is willing to ruin my career if I don't have sex with him. If the board hears of this I fear I will get fired. The hospital will obviously want to protect their reputation. Who will hire me if word gets out? Can I legally prevent him from exposing and thereby damaging my name? I denied denied and denied, but he is very persistent. This morning he had a gigantic smirk and told my attending he had a chat with his 'friend' [my porn name] while looking at me. What can I do?!

Answer:
 Sorry but this is totally a penthouse letter and a troll.

But legally, it is true that you did porn so it is not illegal for him to tell anyone.


Title: Landlord charging for extra week of rent after move out (California, Bay Area)

Question:
I have been renting a home in California (Bay Area) for the past several years and recently decided to move out. I planned to move out on 10/31 and the lease says I must give 30 days notice before move out so I emailed my notice to the landlord at the end of September. In this email I also asked what I needed to do to complete move out. I received a terse reply stating that I needed to clean everything including carpets and that there was nothing else that I needed to do. I also received a written confirmation in the mail several days later that stated my tenancy would be terminated on 10/31. I did perform a thorough cleaning and completed move out on the scheduled date. I left the keys and garage openers on the kitchen counter and exited through the garage as neither the lease nor the landlord’s replies about move out included any information about how they were to be returned.

In CA the landlord has 21 days to return the security deposit so I waited through 11/21 for them to contact me about it. The landlord has my home email, work email, phone number, and I have mail forwarding set up so they should have no difficulty in reaching me. On 11/21 I still had not received anything from them so I emailed the landlord asking about the status of the deposit. I received a reply stating that they had attempted to email me several times about returning the keys and received no response. They also said that they mailed the deposit to my old address hoping that mail forwarding was set up. I never received any email from them during the time that they claim to have attempted to contact me about the keys and I find this very suspicious as I have never had any issue receiving email from them or anyone else during that time.

On 11/23 I did finally receive the forwarded security deposit. It had a massive deduction for 7 days of additional rent. I always paid rent in full every month before the due date including rent for the final month through 10/31. The move out confirmation also stated that they had received the final rent payment. It appears they just decided to assume I lived there for an extra week and charge me for it since I didn’t return the keys in the way they wanted, but they never told me how to return the keys. Neither the lease nor my communication with them has anything about returning the keys and when I explicitly asked them what I needed to do to complete move out they said nothing other than cleaning. Does CA law have specifics about how keys must be returned? Can the landlord charge me for an extra week even though I completed the move out on the confirmed move out date? I do have dozens of photos and a video walkthrough that I did on 10/31 showing the house completely empty and fully cleaned.

Answer:
 If you didn't return your keys to your landlord at the end of your tenancy, you failed to return possession of your unit to your landlord. Having photos and videos showing the house empty on 10/31 will not be helpful in this situation.

Does your lease have any wording about returning the keys?


Title: What should/can I do, I got beat up by a best buy employee?

Question:
&#x200B;

I was trying to return a camera lens to the Best Buy store. Lens was purchased yesterday, brought the wrong one yesterday. The box was not even open. But manager opened it and then he said it was opened.
They refused to pay in full because there is a 15% restocking fee. I was disagreeing to pay. Thing starting heat up. Then I agreed to take the deal but now they refuse return at all. They want me get out. I said I want to return. They started shoving then they some guy he had no uniform. He grab push me through door. I feel to asphalt. He came back punch me head. I am gonna knock it out. My right over my eye is cut and bleeding. My back, knee hurts. my jaw is swollen and little headache. I would go to hospital to check up but I have a job. it's my first day I am planning after tomorrow to visit a hospital.
What should I do?

I did not call the police because I don't know what will be in my criminal record, I am waiting for my green card for good years and right now I've heard even if it's not my fault Uscis might deny my case.
Topic:
Personal Injury

Answer:
 Go to urgent care. Keep track of your receipts for any service. Go to the police and file a report. Sooner you do this, the better.Answer #2: Pretty much your sole recourse when you're assaulted is to call the police.

You can sue the individual that assaulted you for any money you're out due to medical attention or what-have-you.

This is assuming you're somewhere in the USA.


Title: Single dad needing child immunization advice.

Question:
the details:

My daughters' mom and I have been separated since her birth and had to go through the courts to get a child agreement. One of the agreed points the court-mandated was that our daughter is immunized, her mother was and is vehemently against the idea and I am vehemently for immunization. Due to the age of our daughter at the time of the separation, we agreed on a schedule that would see her with more time in early on and it grows to fifty-fifty as our daughter grew into childhood.

 The setup with the courts, therefore, had her listed as the "head of household" as far as our daughter was concerned. I have known for a couple of years now that she has ignored the court's decision and not immunized our daughter but been worried what the legal ramifications would be of just getting her immunized myself. We had to go back again a few years ago because she was refusing to allow the schedule to change to equal time. My daughter's mom has now remarried and asked if id take over ou kids' health insurance. I'm looking into getting her on mine or her own through Obamacare. Every month I don't do something about it I feel more and more like a horrid parent.

I don't want to give any ground to take her from me but if the courts said she needs to be immunized isn't that now a fact of law between us? please help me.

Answer: There is not a location here, but I typically tell my clients go ahead and get your kid immunized at their primary care physician, the place that will hold the shot records.  What is the worst that can happen - your child is protected and mom files a restraining order because she is mad you had her immunized (so long as they are the recommended shots at the recommended time)?  It is a "ask for forgiveness not permission" situation.Answer #2: If you have a valid court order stating the kid is to be immunized, then take her to her pediatrician during your parenting time and get it done.  There's nothing stopping you if you have a court order.Answer #3: If you have a court order saying your daughter must be immunized, then I don't see what argument your ex would have. Is there anything else in the court order regarding medical decisions?Answer #4: What does the order say about medical decisions (other than the immunization part)? Have you taken the information you have regarding your ex not following the agreement?


Title: Buddy of mine been subcontracting for his dad for 5 years and hasnt payed taxes once in his life what does/can he do? (Canada)

Question:
A friend of mine subcontracts for his dad's company doing a trade. He has never filed taxes in his life (in mid twenties) and hasn't saved a single dollar. It's the two of them doing the work.

To me he should be an employee because
-hourly wage
-gets picked up for work
-doesn't set his hours
-doesn't supply his own tools or materials

But he also
-works 6-7 days a week
-doesn't get Overtime pay
-doesn't get travel time
-doesn't get holidays off
-finds out about day off that morning
-has hard time about booking time iff

His dad subcontracted him to stating it was cheaper for him, his dad is making anywhere from 20-30k a month while my buddy is making 3-4k

So my question here is where does he go from here? What will happen when he has to pay 100k in backlogged tax and can't?

Are there any laws that help sons being taking advantage of by their fathers? I know he should have been saving his money but expecting a young adult to put away 30 percent of their paycheque away and not touching it is absurd and it bothers me his father put him in this position

Answer: How does someone in his 20s not know that they need to pay taxes? He needs an aacountant right away. The CRA will probably be opened to a payment plan, but he should expect massive penalties.


Title: Should I continue to pursue a malpractice / wrongful death claim?

Question:
I'm in WV but this took place in a hospital in Ohio.

My mom passed away a couple of months ago.  Things have been tough, but I found out that she had set in motion a claim for malpractice.

The situation is fairly lengthy, but I'll outline it here.  She had a history of problems with fibrosis in a rare form that causes it form in an almost cancerous manner over long periods of time.  In May she had a major surgery with a well regarded surgeon who removed much of the tissue and set her on to recovery.  About a month later there was some leakage so he went back in to make sure there wasn't a fistula forming and concluded it was an abscess that he fixed.  The next day there was some continued leakage, but that surgeon was out of town so another surgeon unfamiliar with the case went back in and tried to find the problem.  He was overwhelmed by the complexity of the case and apparently caused cuts in her intestines which later formed a fistula making it impossible for her to eat.

So from June until her death she was relegated to IV sustenance which lead to liver failure.  She spent this whole time extremely limited and in pain relying on people to constantly change bandages on this open wound and fistula - which is why she sought the original claim.

However I contacted this attorney after her death to see the status of it and he hadn't done anything with the case since it started in late June/July.  He then sent the medical records to another attorney in Ohio and he responded that there wasn't anything that could be done.  I contacted another attorney locally but he said that he had too much of a caseload currently to look in to it.

It seems clear to me that this second surgeon that was unfamiliar with the complexities of my mother's rare situation made a mistake both in his perspective of her symptoms, the necessity of another surgery, and his mistakes during the surgery that left her suffering all of this time.
I found a (precedent here)[http://www.goldsmithlegal.com/web_app/main/default.aspx?PT=5] (about a third of the way down) that seems to have a similar situation, though in a different state.

My question is if it's reasonable for me to keep seeking other attorneys for this situation?  Am I just being emotional her in wanting justice for this other doctor (that never once showed up after this situation) or is this a legitimate situation?  The fact that it was turned down has me second guessing the situation and I don't know if I'm being unreasonable.  It's just been hard.  She was 49 and we spent our whole lives struggling and she never really had anything.  I did my best to keep her on her feet but I could only do so much.  It just frustrates me that I had to watch her suffer and then die so young from what seems to me to be just arrogance or something.

Sorry to make this so long, thank you anyone who can give me some perspective here or anyone who took the time to read it.

Answer:
 I'm sorry for your loss.

A malpractice claim is a claim that the surgeon violated the standard of care; roughly, that either no reasonable doctor would have made the decisions he did or some existing rule would have prevented the harm if followed. Making mistakes, even serious mistakes, isn't automatically malpractice.

You can keep shopping around if you have the time available, and it's understandable that you're angry. But you don't necessarily have reason to doubt the first lawyer's judgment.


Title: Florida restaurant makes staff (servers) pay the credit card fees.

Question:
Orlando, FL. I work for a restaurant that makes the staff (servers/bartenders) pay the credit card processing fee ($.33) per transaction.  Is this legal?

I've asked a few people at work, no one really knows for sure. A manager did say that when we were hired and filled out paperwork we signed a document agreeing to this.

I and a few others never received any "paperwork" just our IRS forms and menu information, so I didn't agree to anything.

I should also mention that this (somewhat disgruntled, about to quit) manager told me even if we did fill out paperwork, the restaurant doesn't bother saving it.

There a ton of ex employees who have been wrongfully terminated and treated like crap, quit, harassed... I'm in the process of starting a new job early next week, wondering if we have any legal recourse as a final fuck you to this place.

Answer:
 Do you make above minimum wage after the deductions are made?

>[Federal DOL](https://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs15.pdf)

>Where tips are charged on a credit card and the employer must pay the credit card company a percentage on each sale, the employer may pay the employee the tip, less that percentage. For example, where a credit card company charges an employer 3 percent on all sales charged to its credit service, the employer may pay the tipped employee 97 percent of the tips without violating the FLSA. However, this charge on the tip may not reduce the employee's wage below the required minimum wage. The amount due the employee must be paid no later than the regular pay day and may not be held while the employer is awaiting reimbursement from the credit card company


Title: Legality of not telling employees whether or not they will keep their jobs.

Question:
My girlfriend works as a waitress at a family owned restaurant. The restaurant hasn't been doing so well, so they have decided to sell it to someone else that is going to revamp it into a more modern themed restaurant. The owners have clarified that everyone will keep their job, and shouldn't try to find other places to work.

The owners daughter is a bit of a trouble maker though. She manages the place, and has a lot of say in what happens on the day to day. Today my gf found out that the daughter, lets call her Kristen, made a secret list of employees to keep and those to fire by the new owner.

This implies that everyone in fact won't keep there job, something that a lot of people have freaked out about. Kristen is a spoiled brat who likes to play favorites, so it's expected that this secret list will be based on those she likes, not based on one's merit.

The store is said to be sold at the beginning of september, so not much time is left for people to seek new employment. I was wondering if there was anything legal people could do to ensure that they would still have their job, or at least have some sort of security in the situation.

Edit: Yes this is USA, Louisiana.

Answer: Absent a contract, you can't force anyone to keep you employed, or promise you'll be employed.


Title: Previous Owner not Disclosing major issue on a house my friend purchased.

Question:
So my best friend just purchased his first home ever and was super excited until the closing date came. As we walked through his final inspection we saw the laminate flooring in the kitchen was popping up. We had it written into the final closing that it Had to be replaced.

Well fast forward to the guys replacing the floor and we [find this](http://imgur.com/a/PM2Kh7e)

They had tile previously and everywhere the foundation had cracked, the covered with some quick cement, then laid down the laminate wood on top of it.

What should we do? This is Arizona, if the realtor knew how do we address that and is there a means to report this?

Unfortunately his realtor is out of the country. Any guidance would be amazing.

Answer: I’m no lawyer but I am a home builder. Just want to make sure. The original tile was left there, they covered patches on top of the tile, then laid down the laminate?


Title: Daughter is scared to go to her dad's, and he is causing problems.

Question:
(Kansas) I have been divorced for about a year now. Over the last year and a half my now ex-husband has been harrassing me and threatening me constantly through digital means. He threatens to take my daughter away, threatens legal action against me consantly, tells me to kill myself so our daughter doesn't have to see me, calls me a whore, a prostitute and variations on that. I have pages and pages of text messages from him of this behavior and I have asked him to stop and to leave me alone unless it's regarding our child. And this hasn't stopped him. I've been told that there's nothing I can do to stop his behavior toward me because he's not being physically threatening and I should just get therapy. I have a permanent heart condition that multiple doctors have said was caused by the anxiety he causes me and I have to take multiple medications for it now.

When my child came home last week she had bruises on her arm that wrapped around her arm and a spot that indicated a point of harder pressure, and she cries and says she doesn't want to go to her dad's house anytime it's his time to have her. I've also been told that there's not enough information or proof for me to take primary custody of my daughter because "she's only 4" and "4 year olds do weird things". He has lately been trying to get me to give him primary custody and then he'll leave me alone. He has also told her that they are going to move away and she will only see me sometimes. This has occured more than once. He also has said that since he didn't have representation in the divorce (his choice) none of it matters and he can do what he wants.

Do I have any kind of recourse that can get him to stop this behavior? I am scared that his hatred toward me will eventually get my daughter hurt or taken. Thanks everyone.

Answer:
 If she is coming back with bruises, call CPS. It's possible CPS will suspend visitation while the investigation occurs, and if they substantiate abuse, they have broad power to limit visitation and require visitation to be supervised.

Either way, get with your divorce lawyer, and file for custody modification. He is committing what is called parental alienation, and the courts take a dim view of it.  If you had a custody order, you can file to modify the order, and if you didn't, get one RIGHT NOW.

You can also contact the police and file a police report for [harassment](http://www.kslegislature.org/li_2012/b2011_12/statute/021_000_0000_chapter/021_062_0000_article/021_062_0006_section/021_062_0006_k/) \- cite the statute in case the officer thinks that it's not his problem.

Finally, Kansas has notice requirements for moving away in cases like these - he must give you 30 days notice. Failure to give notice would strengthen your case to get primary custody. That said, trying to get your child back after a parent absconds with them is an expensive pain in the ass, so it's far better to solve this problem now.

If you cannot afford a lawyer, contact [Kansas Legal Services](https://www.kansaslegalservices.org/). If they cannot help, Kansas has some [self help resources](http://www.kscourts.org/programs/Self-Help/default.asp) to help you with the court process.Answer #2: Call the police and CPS about the bruise on your child's arm.

Talk to your divorce attorney about what it would take to modify the custody agreement.


Title: My 3 year old child named me their sexual abuser I'm innocent! USA FL

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 STOP. Do not talk to anyone about this except a criminal defense lawyer. Talking about will only make people think you are a sexual predator child molester. Delete this post. No matter what you say or do you will be deemed a child molester by most people. Answer #2: This shall be the last time you post/talk/speak about  this publicly. Lawyer here on in.Answer #3: I didn't even read your full post. You're beyond Internet territory here. Lawyer up.Answer #4: Yeah, delete, talk to lawyer. Answer #5: Don't offer DNA. Don't share your phone with the police. Jesus. Get a lawyer NOW. This could easily end up with you serving decades in prison.

You could have easily incriminated yourself with either of those two actions. What if you'd visited a website that they could have twisted into something against you? Even a site like *this* has pornographic sections that feature "teen girls." They could have pointed out that you had a Reddit account and probably viewed those subreddits, and therefore you are a pedophile.Answer #6: Lawyer up.  Talk to no one except your lawyer about the issue.


Title: Need Advice Suing Fast Food Corporation

Question:
I need to take a fast food chain to small claims court as I was overcharged $800 for a meal. I do not have the original receipt, but I can get a copy of our credit union statement as proof. We contacted our credit union who filed a claim. We also contacted our credit card company that told us that we should contact the food establishment for a refund. I was told to speak to their human resources department and the person there said it was a mistake of hitting the wrong keys. I spoke with the chain's corporate customer care more than once and was told I would get a phone call but never have. We wrote down everyone's name, the date, time, and they said they would do. I've never done this before so I would like to do it right.

Someone suggested to me to try the better business bureau, but I don't know if that will just waste more time. Any advice appreciated. What would the judge like to see and what would be a waste of time. Just FYI my purchase was made in the evening, I don't believe they can justify that much money without the proper amount of product.

Answer:
 >Someone suggested to me to try the better business bureau, but I don't know if that will just waste more time.

BBB is Yelp for old people.

Also: you mention a credit union account AND a credit card. Which one did you use? Your options vary between the two. A credit card company will do a chargeback in situations like this once you've contacted the restaurant and they haven't done anything. If it's a bank, it'll be a bit more complicated and they may not refund you, but in a situation like this I think it's pretty clear cut and I don't think the credit union would give you much guff.Answer #2: Why did you not file a chargeback immediately?


Title: Motorola refusing to honor four year warranty on Droid Turbo 2's screen

Question:
EDIT:  sorry for forgetting my location; I'm in Louisiana.

I have a Droid Turbo 2, for which Motorola advertises an unbreakable screen and a four year warranty to cover screen damage.  I bought the phone exactly for that reason about a year and a half ago.  Naturally, I broke the screen by dropping it on a pebble from about knee height (I was sitting down).

Now, I've spent hours dealing with Motorola, asked for escalation, and was finally told flat out that they will not swap out my phone without a "physical damage" fee *because the warranty that Motorola advertises as covering the screen doesn't cover the screen.*

I'm willing to pay a fee associated with their "advance exchange program" and I'm willing to allow them to place a hold on my credit card in case there is actually damage not covered after they see the phone.  But I will not pay a nonrefundable "physical damage" fee up front to get Motorola to honor their advertised warranty.  I explained this to them; no dice.

I've contacted my credit card company, which unfortunately can't do anything because Motorola's main warranty doesn't cover such screen damage, and the screen warranty (which Motorola isn't honoring) is supposedly still effective.  A chargeback wouldn't help much because the bulk of the phone cost was paid as part of Verizon's monthly payment, and it's probably too late to pursue that anyway.

I've contacted Verizon (from whom I bought the phone in the first place) twice.  First they told me to contact Motorola, which was obviously a dead end.  After explaining the situation afterwards, they told me they can't do anything because the warranty is entirely through Motorola.

What other options do I have?  I'm pissed at Motorola for not honoring their advertised warranty, especially because that advertised warranty is exactly why I bought the damn phone in the first place.  Do I have any options for getting my phone screen fixed or replaced at no/minimal cost to me? Or should I just pack it up and never buy Motorola again?

========
Phone warranty advertisement and fine print, copied from https://www.motorola.com/us/products/droid-turbo-2 for reference:

The world's first shatterproof display
Moto ShatterShield™ is world’s first smartphone display guaranteed not to crack or shatter.¹ Because you deserve a phone that won’t let you down.

1 The display and embedded lens are warranted against shattering and cracking for four (4) years from the original date of purchase; scratches or other damage to the protective lens is not covered by this warranty, but should always be in place to prevent scratches and other damage to the underlying components. This phone is not shockproof or designed to withstand all damage from dropping. All other warranty exclusions, including scratches and other cosmetic damage, intentional damage or abuse, normal wear and tear and other limitations apply; Visit www.motorola.com/shattershield for additional details.

Answer:
 Ex Verizon employee, there is a certain way employees can do the Motorola screen replacement warranty. You just have to find one that knows how to do it.

The warranty only covers the screen not the LCD below the screen. So if there is a crack in the plastic then it should be covered but if you screwed up the LCD they will charge you.Answer #2: Just reading that link it sounds like all the warranty  covers is defects since normal wear and tear, dropping, and intentional damages are all excluded.Answer #3: All I see at the web site is the option to by a replacement shatter shield for $30 if the customers shield breaks. What does the Motorola warranty **actually state**, not what you think it does? Answer #4: Perhaps I'm mistaken, but isn't accidental damage not included in most warranties? I don't see anything really in your post to suggest why this would be different here. Granted, you might not expect it to shatter under normal use, but it's ambiguous as to whether it covers the circumstances you describe.

Edit: I did a little googling, and it seems I'm correct. The warranty is voided in the case of accidental damage, and it's all just misleading advertising. There's a forum post from a year ago with someone in the exact same situation being denied a replacement [here](https://forums.lenovo.com/t5/forums/v3_1/forumtopicpage/board-id/486/thread-id/4221/page/1).

Edit 2: Just looked at a [link](https://motorola-global-portal.custhelp.com/ci/fattach/get/1415608/1445878694/redirect/1/session/L2F2LzEvdGltZS8xNDgxMjI5NzUzL3N)  shared in another comment, and it does explicitly say under the section for 'What is not covered?' that accidental damage of any sort voids the warranty. So yeah, it's all just advertising spiel.


Title: I'm a College Student who accidentally had an overdraft in her bank account

Question: I am currently taking one summer course from june-august.as for paying the tuition,  I applied for the monthly payment for it. I paid $275 on June 1st then again on June 21 for $118 and my last payment was on July 21 for $118. Now,my balance that I owed the school should be $0. I paid everything on time and my money is only enough to pay for the tuition and have a little left over for other things that I have to pay. As of july 21~22 I know that I had a current balance of at least $60 in my bank account. From 24 to today, I had spent some money for my necessities, and only spent total of $40 for them therefore I should have $20 remaining balance. This afternoon however, I checked my bank account and noticed that I had overdraft my bank, total of -$201. I checked the history and saw that the school took $118 in my account which caused the overdrafts that I had. I am not sure what I should do or expect from school and bank about this situation. I would like to know what I can do, since I am still inexperienced. Thank you

Answer:
 If the school took an extra payment in error, they should return the money AND cover whatever overdraft fees you incurred. Go talk to them tomorrow, and if necessary call the bank from the bursar's office.

If the school took what it was supposed to take, you're pretty much SOL.


Title: [WI] Slipped on butter at a movie theater, injuring my knee. Received a letter that they cannot entertain a claim.

Question:
About 3 weeks ago I slipped on a floor with butter/oil on it at a movie theater. I started to have some pain in my inner knee and limited range of motion. I got X-Rays which showed no structural damage. I missed one night of work from it because I work on my feet. I still get soreness but it has healed pretty well.

I received a letter today stating the following:

"Our office has completed the investigation regarding the above captioned claim.

All the information that was gathered by our office was reviewed and the determination was made that our client was not on notice of this problem prior to your fall and therefore not responsible for your injuries. Therefore we cannot entertain an injury claim at this time. "

Should I meet with a lawyer or anything? I'm not trying to get a huge settlement or something, but it kind of seems like bs a little bit. Any advice is appreciated.

Topic:
Personal Injury

Answer:
 The fact that there was butter or that you slipped doesn't automatically make them liable.  The theater had to know that there was a dangerous condition and didn't take any action to remedy it.  They're saying they didn't.  Whether this is plausible depends on where the butter was, how much there was, and whether you saw any employee looking at or being told about it before you slipped.

You are free to go spend some time with lawyers if you wish.


Title: Tagged with 3 tickets for $540. (No proof of insurance, no proof of registration, failure to exhibit drivers' license). NEW JERSEY

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Just go to the police station, get a copy of the report and go back to court. When you go back also make sure you have your registration, insurance and licence.


Title: Sister-in-Law was served papers for money owed on a credit card, what options does she have? (US, Texas)

Question: As the title reads, she was served papers a few days ago that states she needs to file an answer with the court and if not a default judgment may be taken against her. What options does she have? She's being sued by debt collectors, can she just ignore the papers? Are they scare tactics? Any help is appreciated.

Answer:
 >She's being sued by debt collectors, can she just ignore the papers?

If she does, she automatically loses the lawsuit.

>Are they scare tactics?

Nope.

>What options does she have?

Pay her debts or fight it in court.


Title: (California) Aunt recently passed away and still had about 15 years to pay off home. she was only registered owner, no will. how does her son change the title to his name?

Question: 25 year old son wants to change it to his name. There was no will. How does he do this legally? He went to a lawyer and they want to charge him $20,000 to do the name chabge. Is that right?

Answer:
 It depends.

Has her estate been settled?  Who is the executor of the will?  Was she married?  Any other children?


Title: [WA] I TA a lab class at a public university and was told to record the class without telling my students

Question:
Do these students have a reasonable expectation of privacy against being recorded in a university classroom?

Washington State. I am a graduate student at a publically funded university and serve as a teaching assistant (TA) in a large class. As part of TA education and improvement we will be taping our lab sections to assess how well we address student issues. I was told by the course coordinator to not tell the students because they are not being assessed, I am. I guess I'm concerned about one of them saying something without realizing they are being recorded. It may be worth noting that students must request permission from instructors to record classes.

Most of my research has found cases concerned with searches on campus, not with recordings, so any insight would be appreciated.

Answer:
 ianal i don't live in wa I'm just a guy.

Don't uni's have cameras just about everywhere now? Mine did. Hallways, walkways, outside, everywhere. IDK about the classrooms themselves.

I would hazard they have zero expectation of privacy. They're not in a private setting. Hell, they're among dozens of their peers.

What's the student handbook say?Answer #2: There not an expectation of privacy in a classroom.


Title: Can a dead person really be held responsible for paying rent through the end of their lease?

Question:
I was looking over the terms of my lease agreement and this paragraph struck me as odd:

>Unless you’re entitled to terminate your tenancy under paragraphs 10 (Special Provisions), 16 (Delay of Occupancy), 32 (Responsibilities of Owner), or 44 (Move-Out Notice), or any other applicable law, you won’t be released from this Lease Contract for any reason. Unless otherwise allowed in this paragraph, you may not terminate this Lease for marriage, separation, divorce, reconciliation, pregnancy, loss of co-residents, voluntary or involuntary job transfer, loss of job, loss of financial aid, voluntary or involuntary school transfer or withdrawal, suspension or relocation of classes, circumstances caused by any pandemic, epidemic, or other health emergency, medical circumstances, **death**, or for any other reason, unless agreed to in writing by us.

Note the word death toward the end. Does this mean that when someone dies, their estate is still responsible for making rent payments through the end of the lease term? Is this legally enforceable and is this sort of wording common for lease agreements?

Answer:
 >Unless you’re entitled to terminate your tenancy under ... any other applicable law

In most jurisdictions the law specifies that contracts end at death unless the estate chooses to continue them.

This does mean that if you are renting with your wife, and she dies, you're still bound to the contract.Answer #2: N, no, no. As you can clearly see in the last clause, you won’t be held to the terms of the lease so long as you ask permission to die first.


Title: Can someone please ELI5 why government officials who put lives at risk purely for politics aren't sued and held personally responsible for COVID deaths or life long disabilities?

Question: [removed]

Answer:
 As a general rule government officials are immune from civil liability for acts they take in the performance of their duties. A moment's thought should show you why:

"I'm suing Councilman Smith for voting against funding a new traffic light at Elm & 6th Street, because look how many accidents have been there!"

"Oh yeah? I'm suing Councilman Jones for voting FOR that light. That money should have gone to hiring a crossing guard for morning and afternoon student foot traffic. A crossing guard is way safer than a light!"

The exercise of politics is guaranteed to place you in a position where you disagree with some or all the positions taken by some or all the politicians. But the remedy for these disagreements is the ballot box. Using the legal system for this end creates lawsuits that are called "nonjusticiable," or "political questions," and are not decided by courts.


Title: [GA] My boss offered to personally pay for my drug rehab, but is now taking 25% of my paycheck to recoup what he's paid.

Question:
So about two months ago, I was failing miserably at work. Coming in late or not at all, not getting work done, etc., because I was actively using heroin. My boss let me go, but I fought for my job and ended up confessing my heroin addiction. My boss took pity on me and said he'd let me keep my job if I agreed to undergo a 12 month rehab program, which he'd pay for (not relevant, but my boss is a millionaire). I started the program that day.

Now, two months later, he called a meeting and told me he'll be taking 25% of my paycheck to pay for the rehab, plus the "debt" from the past 2 months. I can't afford the program (it's just under $500/month) and had I known I'd be paying for it, I would've just quit my job (sad, but true).

Also of note, the rehab center has said they haven't received any money from my boss yet, and soon they'll have to stop seeing me. So he really hasn't paid for anything.

What do I do at this point? I can't afford to live on 75% of my paycheck, and at this rate, I'll never pay off the debt from the last two months where he wasn't taking anything from my paycheck. Am I obligated to pay back anyway since he made it a contingency of me working AND said he'd be paying for it all as a gift? If I quit my job, will they come after me for the debt?

Thanks. I know it's kinda complicated, so I can clarify anything in the comments!

Answer:
 You need to start looking for a new job today. You don't want to work for someone who would do this "debt to the company store" act on a person who is in a vulnerable place with recovery.

He can't deduct from your wages if you're not working there any more. Let him sue you for it, I doubt he'll have any success. Answer #2: Unfortunately GA doesn't have a law relating to wage deductions. But if his deductions put you below minimum wage, that is illegal


Title: Found a stray dog, went to take him home and found deplorable conditions and several more dogs. Advice? (WV)

Question:
I live in West Virginia. I was told by a kid my dog ran away so I grabbed my leash and sprinted after him. As I got closer I realized it was not my dog, just a dog of the same breed. I decided to catch him anyways as he was clearly running away and was disturbing traffic.

After calling the number on the collar to inform the owner I decided to take my own hound on a walk with this other hound, taking my boyfriend as the street is not a friendly one. The area of town is very rough and when I arrived at the house I felt sick.

There was a smaller hound chained out front. When I walked up to the front door I found piles of filth on the porch, a dead raccoon rotting in the sun, and other signs of extreme neglect. I knocked on the door. All windows were covered and the front door was padlocked shut from the outside. I heard more barks and saw another bluetick coonhound out back on a chain.

After debating about what we should do a neighbor came out to address all the howling. She informed us the people who lived there had left about 10 minutes ago. I went out back to see if I could find where the dog escaped and waded through filth. I saw the poor coonhound chained outback and another hound behind him, growling. None of these dogs had food or water.

There were holes in the foundation of the house for one of the dogs to hide in but that was the only shelter. I saw a large pit bull mix pull away one of the curtains inside the house.

All of these dogs were in relatively healthy condition but were pulling hard on their leashes and have skin rubbed raw around their necks. None had access to food or water. I saw 5 dogs on my own and none were fixed. What is the best way to ensure these dogs get help?

The county I live in is notoriously poor and I know stuff like this is commonplace but I feel a moral responsibility to help this dog. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

tl;dr: Found a stray dog and the house he belongs to has at least 4 more dogs without access to food or water, living in absolute squallor. How can I best report this?

Answer:
 > What is the best way to ensure these dogs get help?

Call the police and/or animal control.


Title: Can a bounty hunter legally search my home for someone else?

Question:
Location: Minnesota

Earlier this evening I was reading someone else’s experience (though not in MN) who described having her door broken down by a bail bondsman and guns pointed at her at 2am after her brother gave her address as his own. Spoiler alert: he didn’t actually live there, nor did he own the home.

This got me to wondering about the laws regarding bounty hunters and although I searched, I couldn’t find any specifics for Minnesota other than to say that if the property owner is the one being sought by the bounty hunter, then they can legally enter his or her property... but what about the situation described above? What if I have a disgruntled relative who gives my address (with me as the property owner) as their own- is a bondsman legally allowed to enter my property to search for them?

Answer:
 Always call the police. They have no authority. And are civilians.Answer #2: They absolutely cannot.  This was a home invasion.Answer #3: Bounty hunters are civilians. There are multiple cases of bounty hunters lying and saying they are federal agents or state police . These bounty hunters have been severely punished . If a bounty hunter roles up and asks to do anything your not comfortable with , call the police , they have no authority .Answer #4: In a number of states you would have been well within your rights to shoot them dead for this.Answer #5: Have fun with this rage:

https://www.miamiherald.com/latest-news/article230692964.html

750 bond, guy uses his aunts address. Bounty hunters literally ram down her door, while clearly trying to mimic police forces with their "Agent" lettering and faux police insignia. They use a, no joke, late 1800s supreme court case to justify them forcing their way in.Answer #6: Another point in this discussion is that a bounty hunter could be motivated to illegally enter one's property (or otherwise act illegally) with the full knowledge that the person they're after has skipped out on bail and is less likely to call the cops. It's a lazy and corrupt attitude, but what can you expect given that this is a profession wrought in vigilantism anyway lolAnswer #7: They need a warrant. If they don't have a warrant, I wouldn't believe them. If they're pointing guns at you at 2am I'd consider them thugs and call 9/11. If they refuse to show a warrant of some kind, they're not officers.


Title: I just found out my roommate has been upcharging me on rent

Question:
I live in a college town and over the summer I started a full time job a town over. At the end of July the lease at my old place ran out and I hadn't been able to secure housing for the coming year. On top of that, I was on a vacation I had planned months earlier and needed to be out the day I came back. I found housing on the Facebook marketplace this guy had posted for $650 a month to live with him and two other roommates. Two of them would share a room, I would get a room, and the guy I  signed with had his own room. It was a little more than I wanted to spend, but it came with a driveway(which is huge to have free parking in a college town) so I was interested. He sent me the lease and when I got it it was a basic two page sample lease you could find on a quick google search. The only important thing on it was it said the rent per month($650) and the security deposit of $650. I said I wanted to see the original lease he signed with the landlord but he said it wasn't important and couldn't get it to me right away. I told him I wasn't going to sign until I saw it and he said he was going to pass it off to someone else if I didn't sign that day. I had no options and was thousands of miles away in Vegas so I went ahead and signed it.

&#x200B;

I knew I was probably getting upcharged and when I found out after the first month they weren't asking for utilities I knew that was definitely the case. Fast forward to today our place just got heating. We hadn't had heating until now because it's oil heating and we'd have to pay $400 for our place to get heating. We'd been using space heaters until this point and basically lived in our rooms because it was so bitter in the rest of the house. My roommate finally caved and ordered heating because the pipes froze and we couldn't use the sinks or shower. After our the heating was running I get a venmo request asking to pay a fourth of the heating. I can't afford to pay that so I went downstairs and asked our neighbor how much he pays a month. (We live in a townhouse and his place has the same exact layout as ours and the same landlord) He told me they pay $1075 a month for the whole unit plus utilities. So essentially, I'm paying for over half of the apartment before utilities are factored in.

&#x200B;

I don't know what to do and my contract at my job expired at the beginning of January so I'm not working again for a couple months. The situation is made worse by the fact that I've become good friends with the three of them and finding out they've been screwing me the whole time :(
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 You are a sub tenant. You are paying an amount of rent you agreed to. How much your landlord/roommate pays his landlord is irrelevant to you.

Your concern can only be if your landlord is abiding by the law and by the lease you signed.

What does your lease say about utilities?


Title: Please help! My ankle bracelet is about to run out of power and my power cord is broken, what do I do???

Question:
United States, Colorado

hey reddit,

I am freaking out right now. I have an ankle bracelet through immigration and for some reason the power cord is jut NOT WORKING. I have tried calling my immigration officer, I left him a message, I called everyone I can think of and I'm afraid I'm going to run out of power on the bracelet before i get ahold of anyone.

What do I do? Should I call the non-emergency police in my area?? I'm afraid they are going to come take me to jail if it runs out of power. Help please!

Topic:
Immigration

Answer:
 Don't freak out. These things happen. If you left your IO a message, you've done everything you can. Relax and hope to hear back from your IO tomorrow.Answer #2:  Have a phone? Grab a "track my run" app and activate it.

Better than nothing.

Answer #3: I vote for calling the non-emergency line. All calls are recorded and you will be able to use it as supporting evidence later if your immigration guy gives you trouble.


Title: Disfigurement resulting from steroid injection - Medical Malpractice or Class Action?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 I think before you even consider the idea of a malpractice lawsuit you should get a second opinion from an independent doctor about whether the steroid injection was an appropriate treatment or not.  If it was appropriate, I wouldn't put much hope in the malpractice angle.

I would suggest you talk to a product liability lawyer about suing the manufacturer directly.  Class actions make more sense when the damages individuals in the class have are relatively small, so individuals are not likely to want to sue on their own.  It sounds like you have very substantial damages from these side effects, so if the company is actually responsible, an individual lawsuit would probably make sense.

If you can't do that option (either because you don't have the money to pay for the lawyer or the research you would need to build a good case), you could contact class action firms to see if there's any interest.


Title: Am I entitled to be part of this irrevocable trust?

Question:
Texas:

In 2005, my father created an irrevocable trust for my brother and his wife and kids which contained property/assets of significant value. The reason my father issued the irrevocable trust only to my brother (the trustee) and not me and my other siblings is because my brother financially supported my dad for quite some time (house, car, living expenses etc..). After years of convincing my father and brother to agree, in 2008 my brother finally agreed to create an affidavit document with the title of the trust and it basically says that him and his siblings would split the trust into 1/3 each. However, he also sent a separate document he wanted us to sign that says he must be paid in full the expenses that he had incurred with taking care of our father through the years. He also wanted a certain percentage given to him. We did not sign this document, but we kept the document that he sent in regards to the trust. Does this mean that we are entitled to the trust too? Do I have a fudiciary relationship with my brother (the trustee) now because of that letter he signed and sent in regards to the trust? Or would he had to of revised the original trust in order for that to stick and for us to be entitled a part of the trust? Since i am (technically) not in the irrevocable trust (upon it's creation) as a beneficiary, is it still possible for me to sue him and become a part of that trust or terminate the trust altogether and get the property rights?

Answer:
 Your father is (was?) free to leave his property to whomever he chooses. He had every right to exclude you. It's not clear that the trustee had any power to modify the trust to include you in the first place, although if the trust has operated as if you are a beneficiary for the last ten years you may have some standing anyways.

This situation is complex enough that you need input from a local attorney to have any confidence in your position. An initial consultation is relatively inexpensive and won't commit you to suing. I suggest contacting the state bar before you sign anything.


Title: I might not be able to pay off my restitution fees for my Pre-trial diversion. [Texas]

Question:
I have $714.99 due next month, I'm 18, I don't have a job (i'm actively applying and going to stores almost daily) and i'm barely making the $60 a month probation fees.

I graduate high school next month and should get a decent amount of money from relatives but there's no way to know if it will be even close to $700. I've been selling my things and clothes trying to make this payment, what if i don't complete it? My PO says I can't move the due date back and i'm fucking freaking out.

If I get removed from the diversion program I'll get charged with a felony (tried to eat a gram of weed while getting pulled over and the cop charged me with a felony for fabricating criminal evidence) and i'll have to go on actual probation/possibly serve jail time, and I will have that felony permanently on my record.

I've completed all my community service hours, I've taken a marijuana intervention class, I've payed everything up until now, and I've stayed clean. I don't know what to do now.

edit: grammar
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer: You're a legal adult, and the court doesn't really care if you are struggling to pay restitution for a criminal act that you committed. Borrow the money, get a cash advance, or ask a bank for a personal loan. You really don't have the option of not paying it.


Title: Federal vs. State laws

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Damn, man.  Why haven't all the constitutional lawyers thought of that dope ass argument?! [10]

But really.  What are you asking?  Cause what you said doesn't make any sense.  Why don't the marijuana companies sue the Federal Government?  Well they can.  But it would be dismissed for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted.

>that by their own definition federal law cannot be imposed upon a sovereign state?

Lol, no.  This is called Federalism.  Plus, you're using the phrase "sovereign state" incorrectly.  That isn't what it means.


Title: [New Mexico] Neighbor shot flaming arrow into my backyard, caught patch of grass on fire, fire spread to other neighbor's house. Other neighbor's collection of license plates and street signs were destroyed and they want to sue me.

Question: [removed]

Answer: Ignore him unless he actually sues then get yourself a lawyer. Answer #2: So I'm speaking in very broad strokes here, but your insurance may be able to help. The liability portion of your insurance covers damages to others property. Since the fire was on your property and damages occurred to the neighbor, there could be a claim. However since your neighbor negligently started the fire the claim should be against him as he caused the fire and it subsequently spread. So ultimately your insurance can help, both defend from the one neighbor and subrogating against the other neighbor to recover damages. Answer #3: OP we need a pic of this taxidermy set up you have going on.


Title: Help with Company Forcing Me to "Willfully Terminate" My Employment

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 What did you tell your current employer?

Because if you say "I have a better offer, and unless you match it, I'm gone," then you have given notice effectively.

If you say "hey, someone approached me with an offer," then not.


Title: Serving an elusive defendant

Question: Seeking some thoughts/suggestions on how to serve an elusive defendant.  I am suing my former deadbeat tenant in small claims court.  I have a PO Box, but no physical home address.  Attempts to serve via certified mail have failed.  I know where she works, but it is a government building, so serving her there would not be possible.  I had hoped to set up a meeting to return some stuff that she abandoned.  Initially she agreed, but now has gone silent.  Any other suggestions to find her home address or otherwise try to hunt her down?

Answer:
 Assuming somewhere in the US

You can hire a private process server to wait outside of her work. You can hire a PI to try to find her home address.

You can look into substitute service or service by posting in your state. You will likely have to file a motion to ask permission to do this.


Title: [IL, USA] Is it legal to discriminate against foreign student workers to avoid Obamacare?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: This makes no sense. If anything, the[ foreign students are likely exempt from Obamacare mandates](https://www.internationalstudentinsurance.com/explained/the-aca-and-international-students.php).


Title: [KY] How do I fight discrimination in the ACA when it comes to contraceptives for men?

Question:
So the ACA, otherwise known as Obamacare, covers all health costs for the process of sterilization in women. It covers none of the cost for men. There is no given reason for this act of discrimination, and section 1557 of the ACA expressly prohibits this sort of discrimination.

I don't want to have to spend $800-$1000 to be sterilized, especially when I'm being unfairly discriminated against and could get the procedure done for free if I were a woman. So I'm curious about the best method to approach and abolish this discrimination within the ACA.

Answer:
 >So the ACA, otherwise known as Obamacare, covers all health costs for the process of sterilization in women. It covers none of the cost for men.

You don't quite have this right. The ACA doesn't "cover the cost" of anything because it doesn't directly provide insurance. It states what's required in compliant plans. While compliant plans are required to cover such procedures for women, they are not required to cover them for men. They are certainly permitted to do so and you are certainly allowed to purchase a plan that includes such coverage.

>There is no given reason for this act of discrimination

I imagine it has something to do with women's ability to get pregnant, and the fact that pregnancy and birth cost insurers far more than birth control and/or sterilization. So requiring this coverage and helping to avoid unintended pregnancies makes the whole system more cost-effective.

>So I'm curious about the best method to approach and abolish this discrimination within the ACA.

1) Lobby Congress.

2) Find a lawyer and spend the next 5-10 years litigating the issue all the way up to the US Supreme Court. It should cost about $200,000 or so, conservatively estimating.
Answer #2: First, find a lawyer willing to help you with this.

Second, apply for coverage through an ACA-provided healthcare plan for sterilization, and be turned down.

Third, appeal the rejection through your insurance provider.

Fourth, return to your lawyer and proceed from there.

You will probably not be able to complete step one, but you will need a lawyer to work with you on this. Challenging a federal law is not "do it yourself" territory, any more than your vasectomy is.


Title: Is saying 'OK' a legally binding acceptance of verbal contract?

Question:
Location: Tennessee, US.
Me: F age 36.
Ex: M age 46
Married in September 2002.
Separated: 15 mos
Divorced in April 2019.

Okay so very very very long story short when I filed for divorce my ex husband was served with the papers.  He raged at me and told me I was not allowed to have a divorce and I must call immediately and "cancel the proceedings."  I said "OK" and continued on with my life.

My ex was served with written notice of my intentions for division of property (fair) and custody of our child (also fair).  And written notice if a deadline to file an answer to these requests.  My ex raged again at home. Beat the crap out of me, and then told me I was absolutely under no circumstances allowed to divorce him and I had to go the next day and request it he undone.  I said "OK."

I started sending him notices about apartments for rent in the area that would accommodate him and the children on his time. I would do this once a week and screen shot the messages.  He would rage upon receiving them.  He would scream at me that I wasn't allowed to have a divorce. I would reply "OK."

He was served with official notice of my intent to continue with the divorce by default judgment. He was told he had 90 to reply to this. He did not hire a lawyer. He did not reply. He did not look for apartments. He sat in my house and verbally told me NO, I was NOT allowed and nobody was allowed to leave him. And that I MUST take it all back. I said "OK."

After the 90 day waiting period for the default judgment and a strenuous (for our state) 365 day waiting period on the legal separation from the day I first filed, he was served again. This time with a detailed divorce agreement and a court date stating when it would be finalized. And stating that if he wasn't out of my house by 7 days after that date he would be legally removed.  He gave me the beating of my life. Told me I was again not allowed to leave him.  That I must walk into court and tell the judge I changed my mind.  I said "OK."

My ex did NOT show up to court.  He did not reply. He did NOT hire a lawyer.  And he did in fact have to be forcibly removed from my home.

Our state allows him a 30 day grace period to contest the divorce.  I was served today (day 30) with papers saying he is doing this based on the verbal contract he can prove we repeatedly had on which I agreed to cancel the divorce but did not follow through.

My lawyer says he will not gain traction. His seems convinced they will will.  If he wins we legally become married again.  (The divorce overturns.) He gets to move back in. And we have to redistribute assets and custody.

Does he have any legal footing?

Answer:
 1) You can't create a contract that you won't get a divorce. That would be against public policy.

2) Even if you could legally create a contract like that, you did so under duress and it won't hold up.

Listen to your lawyer, you know the person with actual knowledge of the law and not your abusive ignorant jackass soon-to-be-husband.