Title: Georgia. Theft from customer by employee

Question: Short and sweet. Bartender took a credit card that had been used to open a tab and then forgotten about (customer paid tab in cash before leaving). Bartender took the card to another store and ran up charges on it. Customer came back, confronted him, and he fled out the back door. Bartender was on camera at the other store making the fradulent purchase. What ability do we, as the store owner, have to press charges on the bartender, since we were not the directly damaged party? Are we restricted to a civil suit?

Answer:
 You don't press charges or sue. You fire them. The credit card company will soon enough press charges against the bartender.Answer #2: You can call the cops, and they might decide to press charges.  But, if the customer doesn't want to cooperate with the investigation, it's doubtful it would go anywhere.

If this is your bar, I would be more concerned with the customer trusting your establish again.  I'm assuming the cc company refunded the customer, if not, I would make him/her whole by paying off the fraudulent charge.  I would also send a letter of apology along with a gift certificate.


Title: [NC] Move out charges

Question:
I moved from Charlotte to Raleigh almost 3 months ago. At both locations, I rented apartments from the same property management company. When I was moving out from Charlotte, they did a check for damages and said everything was good. 60 days after I moved out, I get a letter in the mail that I need to pay a depreciated amount of $600.00 for carpet replacement due to grease stains near the kitchen and bleach stains outside one of the bathrooms. They transferred this amount to my new apartment balance in Raleigh. I've asked for photos of damage as proof, and invoice from the carpet installer for the amount. They haven't provided either and for some reason are stalling. When I paid this month's rent, they asked for that $600.00. I said that I received notice of the amount, but no proof/invoice. I'll only pay when I receive them. They said that I cannot do that, that the amount is due immediately and needs to be paid by the Sept 5th.

Can I withhold payment of that amount till I receive proof? Aren't they legally required to provide proof of damage and invoice of said charges?

Answer: They have to provide you with a detailed invoice. Most states allow 60 days for the landlord to submit this invoice. If they do not, which sounds like it might be the case then they owe you your deposit in full. Its possible that they will take you to small claims over this and as long as you did not receive a detailed invoice then you will be okay. However I'm sure the property management won't renew your lease after the current one is up


Title: Do I have to appear in court if I was subpoenaed as a witness? (PA)

Question:
About a month ago I parked in front of some guys driveway, when I went to move my car this guy basically cussed me out. The cop pulled up as he was yelling at me to make sure the car got moved and when he heard how this guy was talking in front of his kids he decided he wanted to charge him with disorderly conduct. He asked me to give a statement and I did, and now I have a letter that says I am to appear in court for this guys hearing.

Not only do I not want to start more problems with this guy, I also have to work that day. Is it acceptable to call and just say I cant make it? This guy lives in my neighborhood and I am just really not trying to have more problems.

Answer:
 A subpoena is not a "court suggestion."

It is a court *order*.  You are legally required to appear if subpoenaed.


Title: Filed a corporation, domain purchased by external party day after.

Question:
C-Corp in the USA. Filed in Delaware on May 10th. What do you know - domain was purchased May 10th. It's now for sale for $950.

I'd rather not share the name of the business or domain name. Looks like the person filed it in China. Is there any legal recourse here? Might this count as domain squatting?

Answer: You can buy the domain off them.


Title: (IN) Warrant put out for possession of a schedule 4 substance?

Question:
I posted about this on a different account about a week ago. I understand that some of you may not be very willing to help me, but this has been giving me terrible anxiety and I want to know if there's anything I can do besides enroll in a rehab program (which I am) or hire an attorney(which I cannot afford)

To preface this I am 18 years old and formerly a senior in high school. I was caught under the influence and in possession of the analog in school. I was questioned by an administrator for a bit before being taken to the emergency room. There, in my drugged out state, when asked I told the doctors that I was suicidal. Because of that I was taken to an impaitient care center(fancy terms for a psych ward) for 72 hours. I was afraid that police would arrest me on a synthetic drug charge immediately after, but it has been about a week now and I have had zero contact from the police. The drugs taken from me at school were sent to a county lab by the school administrators. The chemical I had was schedule 4, excluding it from state and federal analog acts but I still feel as though I have definitely lulled myself into a false sense of security and that at any moment sheriff's could be beating on my door.

Answer:
 What is your specific legal question?

Can they kick you out of school? Yes.

Can you be arrested? Yes.

Are you responsible for the bill? Yes.

Should you stop doing drugs or crimes? Yes, of course, you are not good at drugs or crimes.


Title: Ive been poisoned, what steps should i take

Answer: Going from your lack of location, I suggest unicorn blood if phoenix tears aren't readily available.


Title: Neighbors from hell possibly running an unlicensed day care. (TN)

Question:
Just moved into a new neighborhood and apparently my neighbors are running an unlicensed day care so far as I can tell. Every weekday afternoon from about 3-7 pm there are at least five or six kids (sometimes more) running around unsupervised and causing chaos.

Some examples -

The side of our house that faces their yard has no windows, so we can't see out of that side. Every day the kids will either throw balls or their bodies into the side of our house. This sounds like someone hitting the wall with a baseball bat when you're in the living room.

I've been hit in the jaw with a kickball while sitting on the back deck with my wife. Came out of nowhere and hurt like hell.

Constantly throwing balls over our fence and going through our gated fence to retrieve them. This happens several times each day.

The boys are apparently not allowed inside the neighbors house (they don't live there) and so frequently pee right out in the open when they get the urge. We really don't want to see that.

The yard is a trash heap. Rusty metal and toys, beer cans everywhere. The kids literally are running through piles of beer cans some days.

I have cats that enjoy sitting in the front window when I have the window raised up. I've had some of the kids come right up to the window and start hissing at my cat, scaring him away. This was on my property mind you.

There are more examples, but that's the gist.

I've tried the nice "hey, please stop this" approach with the adults. That didn't work so I've called the cops several times when it got unbearable. Didn't work either. I assume the cops give them a warning but they just start it right back up.

I'm at my wits end. Should I pursue a civil case, contact their property manager, my landlord,  the city? I just want some peace and quiet and I'm also concerned for the kids safety. With such minimal supervision and a very hazardous environment I feel it's only a matter of time before one of them gets hurt. I'm not angry with the kids, but the adults who are letting them run wild.

Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated.

Answer:
 Call CPS and report them.  It doesn't really matter whether this is an unlicensed daycare or they are just caring for family members.  Either way the kids are unsupervised and in danger.Answer #2: contact your local child care licensing office

http://www.tn.gov/humanserv/adfam/child-adult-care-licensing-offices.pdfAnswer #3: > going through our gated fence to retrieve them

Put a lock on the inside of your gate. All it takes is for one of them to come onto your property and get hurt and you (or your homeowners insurance) will be liable.

Personally I would call the police every time they hit you house or enter your property. If they are watching kids the parents will start to find someone else if they see cops there a time or two.

Also, get security cameras like RIGHT NOW. Once you start dealing with this you can safely assume there will be some retaliation from them. You need video proof.Answer #4: Consider contacting your county and file a complaint as I'm 99.999% sure they're violating some sort of ordinance. the threat of $1000 plus fine works incredibly well not to mention quicker than a civil suit. Also, CPS.


Title: Ex asking for child support after she mentally abused me and got pregnant on purpose

Question:
I dated my ex for a couple of months until I realized she had severe mental health issues. Once I realized this, I tried to break up with her. Long story short: she cut herself multiple times if I tried to break up with her, leaving me (and sometimes my roommates) to clean up the mess throughout the house. She tried to commit suicide at least 5 times in the time we were together,  resulting in many overnight psych ward stays.

We did not have sex towards the end of our relationship because I just didn't want to. I was afraid she was going to kill herself. After the psych ward stays slowed, I tried to break up with her yet again. She screamed, cut her wrists and forced me to have sex with her. I said no but she said she would kill herself if I didn't. Scared, I had sex with her. Come to find out, she secretly stopped taking her birth control and purposely got pregnant so I wouldn't leave her. She agreed to get an abortion but didn't. Then she agreed to pursue adoption but ultimately decided to keep it. I left anyway and she told me she didn't want me to be part of her and her child's life and that she didn't need any support from me.

I now see a therapist and am traumatized from everything that she did to me in the time I knew her. She lives with her mom. She does not have a dad as her mom did the same thing to a man as she did to me. Guess it runs in the family. I tried to contact CPS but they said there's nothing they can do unless something happens with the kid. I do not want a relationship with the kid due to the abusive relationship with the mother.

3 years have gone by and she is now asking for child support. I obviously know that the standard would be me just paying the child support. What can I do about the trauma and abuse and being forced to have a child with this woman? How come women are allowed to do whatever they want and get away with it? Is there anything I can do legally after 3 years have gone by - psych ward/medical records included? I'm at a loss.

Answer: You're asking if you have to support your child because you had a bad relationship with your ex?  You have to support your child, period. It's not your child's fault your ex is crazy.


Title: [CA] Landlord's brother moved my security camera while I was on vacation.

Question:
I'm currently in the process of moving out of my unit amidst an ongoing dispute with my landlord/employer. I recently went out of town for 10 days and set up a security camera mainly to deter theft. While I was gone, the landlord and his two brothers entered the unit on multiple days, took photos inside the house, and then one of his brothers flipped off my camera then laid it on it's side so that it could only record the ceiling (this is all recorded). That really pissed me off because someone could have broken into the house.

What if anything can I do about the landlord coming in without my permission (there was no repair work done)? What can I do about the childish brother who moved my camera, is that considered vandalism?
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 > What if anything can I do about the landlord coming in without my permission (there was no repair work done)?

Even with the law on your side, realistically, not much.

> What can I do about the childish brother who moved my camera, is that considered vandalism?

No, not even close.

You have no damages, you're moving out anyway. Let it go and just be glad you're out.Answer #2: Sorry I can't answer more but I can confirm that it is illegal for them to enter without notice or an emergency. I don't know what the damages are or about moving the camera.


Title: 2 year contract signed with 40hour week terms, employer is cutting hours to 32 hours and will cut pay

Question:
I'm halfway through a 2 year contract and recently they have suddenly removed me from my previous schedule and have basically given me a random schedule that changes every week. Which has been stressful but my schedule is not laid out in the contract, we only verbally agreed on it before starting. I noticed now that for the next month that I am only scheduled for 32 hours a week. I am salary and they offer hourly overtime but it says in the contract that if I don't work 40hours they are not going to pay me for the hours that I do not work. One week awhile back they had suddenly changed my scheduled, not upon my request, and I was missing 4 hours so they took it out of my paid vacation. If they were to do that and keep scheduling me for 32 hours, I'd be out of vacation very quickly. I have contacted the administrator twice and she refuses to answer me. We have already had a confrontation about the initial change in schedule and I believe this is retaliation for questioning her decision to change me. Also, there were a couple of issues before with them not paying us on time. In our contract it says every 2 weeks but they switched and pushed back the paychecks so it was 3 weeks for a couple of them. I was given a raise after a year which is outlined in the contract that she conveniently forgot until I had to keep asking her about and the new 32hours would basically put me back at where I was before the raise. Which is another reason that makes me believe this is intentional.
So my question is, is it a breach of contract to not give me the 40 hours? Or can they decide what they want and what they need? Is not paying me the every 2 weeks a breach? I'm really just wondering if this is even worth taking to a lawyer or if it allows me to get out of this terrible work environment.
Fyi, my employers are not new to screwing people over and they have multiple problems with multiple employees. I would've left a long time ago but according to the contract I would have to pay them to leave which is not an option.
I forgot to mention, this is in Texas.
Thanks to anyone who can offer any insight.
Topic:
Contracts

Answer:
 If they're only assigning you 32 hours and your contract says 40/week, they're breaching the contract terms and you have remedies that should be outlined in the contract (walking away without penalty, etc).

Does your contract have any clauses like that? If not, you might need to consult with an employment attorney to see what your options are.


Title: How to change public defenders in WA state?

Question:
I am in Oregon, sister in trouble is in WA. Her public defender is terrible. Our family is kind of shitty, and I have no money for an attorney. She has been waiting for trial for a very complicated case for 2 years. Her court-appointed attorney has ignored all of the resources and advocate options as well as contact info for expert witnesses I have provided. He has condescended to me, yelled at me over the phone. I told him that I will only communicate with him via email.

He has been often rude and aggressive toward her, then seems to have compassion on their next visit. He has told me to send the information and contact info of the people I have spoken to, they have tried to contact him, and no response. I wrote to him and told him she felt bullied and disregarded. He seemed to be on her side for about a month, then back to the roller coaster approach.

She said she has written a letter to the judge and told me it had been ignored. I have so few details, her self-worth is shattered, she has lost her fight. She told her psych doctor she wanted a new attorney and she was condescending and dismissive.

I have contacted another public defender in WA because I think she can switch easily if someone else is willing to step in? That person did not contact me back, and I don’t want to continue barking up the wrong tree. I also am afraid that the next one might be worse.

What might my best strategy be? We have contacted all of the legal aid resources we could find, and have gotten very minimal response.

I really appreciate all of the great info here. Thanks for your time

Answer:
 Your sister has the right to an attorney, not the right to an attorney of her (your?) choice.

Unless the PD's office has an internal mechanism to shuffle around cases (difficult clients, overloaded, etc.), then there is no method that I'm aware of to change PDs.

Your option will be to hire private counsel.


Title: I'm reselling a pair of shoes for 2 payments at 2 different times and i need to write up a legally binding contract

Question:
Grand Rapids, Michigan/Detroit, Michigan

My buddy and I are selling this guy a pair of shoes for $400. The guy only has $350, but he can get $50 in a week. Through extenuating circumstances, today is the only day the sale can be made. Can I just have the guy sign a hand-written contract or do I have to use some special legal language?

Answer: The kind of person who needs to buy luxury shoes on a payment plan is not someone who's good with money. They won't honor any contract. Answer #2: You realize he's not going to pay you, right?


Title: (Elizabeth, NJ, USA) High School African American student got suspended and sued for accidentally dropping an orange at a teacher

Question:
So I'm strong friends with a kid in my high school. Lets just nick name him Legal for now.

Now Legal was in English class one day at November of 2015. He was carrying an Orange from either breakfast or lunch and was playing around with it. He goes up and asks for something from his teacher and then he accidentally dropped the orange. The teacher created a big fuss about it, suspended him, kicked him out of her class and just now, sued him, accusing him for "purposely throwing an orange at her". He's going to court this month. Many people are accusing the teacher for racism as well since this has happened before to a white student but that student got a free pass and received no punishment.

What should he do to win the case?

Edit: Wasn't actually present, just trying to help as this guy is freaking out right now.

Edit: He received a letter stating he should go to court at Wednesday

Update: Despite the downvotes, he appreciates the help. Everything is resolved and the guy knows what to do now. Wish him luck.
Topic:
School Related Issues

Answer:
 You'll have to forgive me, but I don't believe this at all.

Was he actually sued, or was there just a threat? Were you present during this encounter?

To answer your question: *you* should do nothing, as you aren't part of this. *He* should talk to his parents and hire a lawyer if he's actually being sued.Answer #2: "we"?  Who are you in this?  Unless you're actually the orange thrower or the orange thrower's parents, *you* should have absolutely nothing to do with it.


Title: [CA] My stepmother of 3 months stole my father's entire estate

Question:
When my father was terminally ill, he met a lady that wanted to marry him, I'll refer to her as Tina. Against all reason, he married Tina. One week before the wedding he signed a will leaving his entire estate to me and my sister. He didn't own a house, and had all of his money in an online stock account. This was the case before he met Tina. He also setup an account for Tina funded with money from the sale of her home. Initially he didn't put her name on her own account, probably because she was being perused by creditors.

Three days after signing his will, he signed a single set of documents with the bank in order to add Tina's name to her account, as his health was declining rapidly. Over the next 10 days or so, Tina submitted several sets of documents to the bank, for both his and her accounts. ALL OF THE DOCUMENTS TINA SUBMITTED USED COPIES OF THE SAME SET OF SIGNATURES. There are 3 signature pages, with both his and her signatures, and the signatures pages do not identify the account number. Further, notarization is only required by the bank when removing a person, not adding them.

The day that my father signed the documents, he was hallucinating, confused, and on several high-risk meds. Texts from Tina, and his medical records document this quite well. We also have a letter from a doctor describing his condition, stating that he was unfit to make decisions about his estate that day.

I think we have a strong case, but so far we have over $30,000 in lawyers fees, and may have to secure a bond for a preliminary injunction that will probably cost us about $20,000.

My question is: whom do I contact to file criminal charges against Tina? By falsifying bank documents, she has undermined the Will that my father signed just 3 days prior. This has cost my sister and me tens of thousands of dollars so far, and is completely against my father's wishes. I would think that this is bank fraud, and must be taken seriously by someone, but when I search online, I see too many options. I need to know where to start.

Thanks!

Answer:
 > whom do I contact to file criminal charges against Tina

*you* don't file criminal charges period. You can call the police, and then they will decide to file charges if there is enough evidence implicating Tina in any sort of crime.

What *you* can do, is retain a lawyer and follow their advice. Answer #2: You contact the police about fraudulent documents.Answer #3: Possible hiccup - you say the will leaving everything to you and your sister was signed a week BEFORE the wedding. Did it say that it was made in anticipation of his marriage to Tina? If not, it's probably not worth the paper it's written on, since except under specifically-defined circumstances marriage voids an existing will.


Title: I've been with out power for about 12 hours and my landlord is refusing to do anything (California)

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 There was a storm that knocked out power. You need the power company to come out, your landlord is never going to pay a private electrician to come out on a Saturday before the power company, especially when it is a storm that knocked out enough power for them to be swamped. Answer #2: >I realize that 12 hours isn't all that long, but it's concerning that no one is doing anything at this point.

Actually the power company is doing something: they go down the list of sites with power outages due to the storm in order of priority, so that your outage can be checke ASAP.

Answer #3: I live in the Hollywood Hills.  Power went out.  They are doing something about it.


Title: Promises in email but not in offer letter

Question:
Hello Legal advice,

I just started working for a small company in the NJ area. When I was being recruited, they said there would be stock options included in my compensation package, but it would be explained to me after I signed my offer letter. I even have an email confirming that this was the case. One day after I signed the offer letter, they told me there was no change I would get any stock options. Do I have any legal ground to stand on here that I deserve compensation?

Thanks,
Actual adult 69
Topic:
Business Law

Answer:
 Have you showed them the email that states stock options would be included? What do they say?

Your choices at this point are to suck it up, negotiate a change, or quit. I do not see any "legal" options unless you have a contract you aren't mentioning.


Title: Ex girl friend has a child but, won’t let me take a paternity test.

Question:
So I need advice on something’s so to tell you the story I’ll need to be as descriptive as I can. I a 17yr old male during the time was dating a 16yr old female. I was a senior she was a junior we were kind of a do it together couple we were cute in the beginning like all relationships but, we became toxic in the end. This story takes place in Utah if that matters

Format will be weird because I’m on mobile. Basically to start the story I’ll get to almost the end. My ex and, I had gotten into a fight where we ended up breaking up for  two weeks and, during that time I was trying to talk to some girl but, failed. On the other hand my ex had successfully gotten laid she had sex with a 19yr old co-worker where she worked . He had taken a video and, after they finished he sent it to a friend which then sent it to more people . Specifically I was one of the people that received it with a caption saying “ isn’t this your girl” I was shocked on what my ex did but, I thought it wasn’t my problem we were not together during that time. Then again something was eating at me so you can say I was kind of upset but, I knew I could not have done anything . A day goes by and, she calls me having a panic attack I calm her down to have her explain to me why she’s freaking out. She tells me that she didn’t know he was recording and, now everyone knows what she did so I tell her to call the cops she gets worried that her parents will find out. After getting her convinced to contact the police she then asked me for a favor that she wanted to talk. We end up talking at school she feels bad how we ended (we ended the relationship because of a really weird thing) I took her I still liked her but, wouldn’t want to date her until things cooled off basically then asked her if she’d want to be friends with benefits she says no but, will ask me if we can “hangout” I agree. During that time prom was around the corner and,I had been wanting to go so I wanted to ask her but, she probably wouldn’t want to or couldn’t go so I stayed quiet about it. One day I wanted to speak to her about what we had so I call her and, asked if we could meet she replies yes. As I go rushing to meet her after hanging out with friends that’s where I ask her to prom and, that maybe we can work things out and, get back together. She says no at first because of the big fiasco but, I assure her I’m good. We start dating again but, ends shortly because of a lot of gossip. A week later she wanted to talk to me so she sent some of my friends if we could talk that’s when she kind of begs for me but, didn’t want to be on and off so I said no. I’ll be honest during this whole Time I really did love this chick but, part of me knew I couldn’t trust her. I end up blocking her on everything because i didn’t want to talk to her anymore because I was starting to hurt real bad.  I ended up going to prom alone and, I guess during that time again she had sex with another guy. I pay it no mind ignore it and, move on when the inside of me was crying to go back to her. Then after prom I was getting ready for graduation I was happy and, ecstatic because I’ll be the second in my family to graduate. That’s when she calls me wanting to work things out and, that she’ll go to my graduation dressed up. I agree to maybe working things out and, I’m that day three days later I stayed home for senior ditch day. She surprises me by coming to my house long story short we had sex. I hadn’t had sex with her for a month because of the other guys but, I ended up doing it. Graduation comes and, then we fight again but that was the last time .
9 months later she has a kid ... a child that I never knew about but, I was not told about the kid until a year and a half later where someone she was friends with funds me in social media and targets me for leaving my ex to be a single mother. I freak out because I didn’t know she was pregnant. During the time I found out I was with my current girl friend that I had met in college . So I asked her if it were okay if I had a kid she said no and, that I should see if the kid is mine anyways which I really do want to know if he is. Back story is that I never had a dad and, I made a promise to myself that I would never knock someone up and, not step up to be a father. So I get in contact with my ex and, asked her the usual “ how have you been”  we ended up talking for a bit until I asked her about the baby. She instantly panicked and, I could tell she was angry on how I could have known. I told her who told me she gets upset but, asks why I care . I told her if the baby was mine she states that she doesn’t even know who the father could be. I tell her how she can’t know she says it’s because she had more sexual encounters during that time . So that’s when I get to now to the present time. It has been eating at me on if this kid is mine and, if he is I want to be there for him. Every time I ask if I can get a paternity test she ends up ghosting me or deleting her Facebook . The only responses I get from time is she still doesn’t know who the dad is. It’s been two years and almost 9 months now since I’ve found out about the kid and, she’s moved since I graduated. She doesn’t tell me where she’s gone nor if I can find out if he’s my child nor it doesn’t help that I ran into her once when I was putting gas in then she texts me asking me if she’s gotten fat. She knew that I acknowledged her so she knows something . I just really want to know if this kids mine I can’t let him grow up without a father not like how I did . I don’t want him having questions on why his father left or if he cared or if he even tried or that he was a dead beat I want to be there.
Don’t even know if this post would fit her but, any advice would be greatly appreciated

TDRL :Ex had sex with multiple partners had a kid , now I’m worried that the kids mine and I can’t be a father to him.

Answer: Dude. Use paragraphs, cut out 90% of that, and ask a specific question if you want any help. And location matters if it isn't buried in that wall of text.


Title: My car was parked and was badly damaged in a wreck. My insurance is trying to charge me a deductible

Question:
I'm in Los Angeles.

My car was parked on a busy street right in front of my business on Saturday when it was hit by a car involved in another collision. When the police came, they brought tow trucks to tow away the cars and clean up the street. The police filled out a police report and provided me with a copy. This included the insurance and contact information of the other two vehicles. The tow truck driver told me explicitly to wait to contact my insurance company until I had a police report in hand. They provided the information of the body shop they towed my car to.

As soon as I had the police report, I called my insurance to file a claim. They took all the information, but let me know that I would not have an adjuster until Monday.

On Monday, I called my insurance first thing to set up a rental car and find out next steps. They set up a rental car for me and assured me that an adjuster would be in touch by the end of the day. At 4:45, I followed up to see whether someone had been assigned, and I was given a name and number. No answer, so I left a voicemail.

On Tuesday, I still hadn't heard from an adjuster, so I called the name and number I'd been provided. No answer, so I left a voicemail.

On Wednesday, I got a phone call from someone saying that he'd just been reassigned my case. He asked for some details of the accident and general info. Then he asked whether I had a preferred body shop and mentioned that he can recommend one that will have a warranty. Since two people had warned me that it may be a total loss, I asked why he doesn't go and assess before going through the hassle of moving it. He said that it is currently racking up storage fees AND that I only have 30 days of rental car coverage, so I should be in a hurry to move it to a different shop. I very clearly told him that I am doing nothing to stand in the way of progress and that if he needed to move it, to do so promptly. So he found a body shop and gave me their contact, saying that he would arrange for my car to be moved. Next step would be getting an estimate for the damage and authorizing the repair.

This is when he dropped a bomb: if the other driver's insurance denied his coverage, I would have to pay a $1000 deductible. I balked - I know that I explicitly asked for uninsured drivers' insurance when I set up my policy. He explained that I have uninsured driver personal injury coverage. So I ask what I need to add to my policy to ensure I am never in this position again, and evidently the magic words are "uninsured deductible waiver." So I decide to hope for the best until I know anything for certain.

Today, Friday, I got a phone call from BOTH body shops separately. Curious why they would be contacting me instead of my adjuster, I call him to get some info. He doesn't answer, so I transfer my call to the operator. She keeps me on hold until he is done with a customer and picks up. He explains that the car has not been moved yet because the original body shop will only accept cash for the storage fees, and the bill is already up to $1800. So he and his manager are trying to figure out how to get this amount of cash in the tow truck driver's hands in order to get the car moved and stop racking up charges.

Before he hung up, he told me that he'd heard from the other insurance company, and they were denying coverage, saying that the policy had lapsed.

So now we still don't know how much it will cost to repair or if it will be considered a total loss, but we do know that I will have to pay $1000 before they will begin any repair. If it is totaled, the deductible will come out of my settlement.

All of this feels like a complete racket. I wish that I knew better how to protect myself in this situation. All I can think is to reach out to an attorney, so that will be my next step.

Anyhow, just wanted to reach out to keep you informed and to also see if you had any advice.

Answer: Generally, you are responsible for reading and understanding your insurance policy, but this can change depending on the state you live in.  You can ask your adjuster if they plan to sue the other drivers and if so to keep you apprised.  You may be able to recover your deductible this way if the other drivers have any assets.


Title: An Instagram Shop gave me a discount and products, but I'm unavailable to reach them

Question: On May 13th, a company called @accessory.allies contacted me through direct message and told me that they liked my posts and would love for me to have their sexual assault awareness gear, so they gave me a percentage off. They stated that they donate 15% toward RAINN, and that attracted me to the company. So, I decided to do the purchase. I received my bracelet, and I paid through Paypal to make sure no theft occurs. Today, I receive two rings, which I never ordered along with my purchase and I'm not sure if it's from them. There's no paper inside and I didn't receive any kind of email. I go on my Instagram to see if I can contact them, but it shows that the account was deleted or remove. I had no money stolen from my account, but Paypal told me that the payment was still pending, so I tried asking Paypal what was going on, but then I got a refund to my Paypal account. I tried contacting the company through Gmail, but I don't know if they will answer. The website is down as well. What should I do?

Answer: Dude it was most likely a scam shop you got lucky


Title: [CA] 15 year old intentionally hit batter in the head/face while pitching in a baseball game. The batter died.

Question: My cousin's stepson is on his school baseball team. While he was pitching he hit a batter on the opposing team in the head/face. From what I know the batter went to the hospital after being hit and later died. Everyone thought it was just an accident but one of his classmates came forward about Facebook messages where my he talked about how he was going to hit or beam that batter the next time he had chance. It has also come out that he had a hand on ensuring that one of his fellow pitchers on the team got a failing grade on a group project. School policy says a failing grade means you can't play until you make it up or get a better one next time. Because the other kid failed my cousin's stepson got to pitch instead. Now the cops are investigating. This is all so crazy to me. Could anything actually happen to him for this? Also the batter's parents are talking about suing him even though he is not an adult yet. Our family is really worried and my cousin is upset.

Answer: This is a troll. A 15 year old schemed, plotted, and sabotaged his classmate so that he could kill someone with a baseball? A youth dying in a baseball game after being hit by a baseball would be front page news, yet Google doesn't turn up an article that matches.


Title: 15 and legal issues

Question:
So about one month ago a few friends and I were messing around our old gradeschool, it was about 10pm and we saw an open door to get inside. Somebody complained, and I was charged with a 2nd degree felony, 3rd degree felony, trespassing and conspiracy.

I've been a mental wreck since, thinking my future in ruined.

still have yet to go to court, the lawyer my parents got has gotten adults off felony drug charges. I've really been stressing and I know I've learned my lesson nor will I ever do this again.

I've never had a issue with the law before, my grades in school are A's and B's

Advice on how not to stress so much/what might happen to me?

Answer:
 I just want to give you some pointers for your day in court. Teenagers tend to have emotional extremes that can work against them.

Do *everything* your lawyer says.

Don't get angry, yell or cry. Try to be polite and demure. SHOW them it was a one time error and that you are a reasonable and respectable person.

Don't lie. At all. About anything. Don't try and blame someone else unless they actually DID do whatever you blame them for.

Listen. Watch. Don't take your phone and don't try and talk (especially if the judge is speaking).

You're young. Young people do stupid stuff. (I've done faaaar worse.)

If you do as the lawyer says and act maturely, demonstrate you are remorseful and it's usually all good.

But even if worst comes to worst it won't hold you back like you think. It's a speedbump, not a burnt bridge.

Watch videos. Play video games. Write really shitty poetry and come up with ideas that will save the world (that won't work, but it's always fun.)

Once it's done you'll walk out and wonder why you were so worried.Answer #2: You need to talk to your attorney about what the expected outcomes are here. They will have a better guess than us.


Title: Roomate is getting evicted and now won’t pay her share of the utilities. (California)

Question:
We live in a house of 4 people total. My name is on all the utilities but we split it evenly 4 ways. This has been the rules of the house for over 8 years. This roomate got evicted by the landlord and is moving out next month. Utilities were due July 10th and she never paid. I have repeatedly asked her to pay but she ignores all my texts. I have old texts from her from when she first moved in acknowledging the utilities are due the 10th of every month. I have a feeling if she’s not paying this months, she definitely won’t pay for the next cycle once she out of the house(the utility bills are back dated for past cycle).

Can I take her to small claims court to get the money she owes me?
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: You and the other housemates are almost certainly responsible for paying for the utilities whether she pays or not.  Your recourse here would be to file a small claims to recoup your losses.


Title: Is Uber driver liable for accidents made by the passenger?

Question:
My friend is working in Uber as a driver. He has a car of his own. Yesterday in one of his ride's completion, when the passenger tried to get down, she opened the door without checking whether someone is coming behind. A motorbike hit the door and the person riding it fell down. Now that person registered FIR and the inspector says my friend is liable for this but not the passenger.

Then I thought, Uber's insurance could take care of that. But it is completely removed from Uber's official website. So how should I advice my friend to proceed it.

P.S: This happened in Chennai, TamilNadu, India.

Answer: We don't have any India law experts here. A lawyer from that country would be far more useful.


Title: [MA] Not allowed to attend school in relation to mental health issue.

Question:
Sorry if this has been posted in the wrong place. It seemed like a legal issue.

I have had past suicide attempts and I have been forced to go through the recovery. At this point in time, that is all done and finished and I now consider myself recovered. At the start it was my school who had me go to a hospital for some time, they are aware that I went through the recovery stages. I now have an outside therapist who I can visit when needed, although my school still feels the need to regularly speak with me about the issue they are no longer included in, and I do not want to continue speaking with their councilor who is more intrusive than helpful.

**THE QUESTION:** Can the school legally not allow me to attend because I do not want to speak with them about my past health issues, although have been evaluated by doctors to be perfectly healthy? If they cant, what type of lawyer should I look for to contest my school?

Answer:
 "..I have been forced to go through the recovery. At this point in time, that is all done and finished and I now consider myself recovered"

A) It is not up to you to determine if you are recovered or not.  Depending on the circumstances, it may be up to your doctor, a court, or the school.  Especially as it seems you did not seek out the help on your own.

B) By your tone, It does not sound like you have "recovered".  While whatever determination is being made on your current mental health, I would urge you to continue to work on your recovery/mental health.
Answer #2: You did not supply your state, nor the level and type of school you are talking about (High school? College? Private/public?) so no one can even guess at a substantive answer.

However, if by being "forced" to go through the recovery means you were involuntarily held for observation, out of an abundance of caution it seems reasonable for a school to inquire about issues before being allowed to re-enter. Perhaps through an official hearing.

So, what is your state? What type of school are you talking about?

An example of how this might be worded


Title: [MA] Saying you will post naked pictures of someone online (but then they post the pictures themselves first) and "attempted" extortion

Question:
If someone leaves his ex-girlfriend a voicemail and texts her that he will put naked pictures of her online unless she pays him, but she turns around and posts the pictures online first, how is it that he can be charged with a crime? In case I described he didn't actually succeed in extorting her and she obviously wasn't upset or scared because she put them online herself before he could. The guy is a total jerk for sure, but how is it that he is now charged with "attempted" extortion?

(This wasn't me btw. It was my cousin. I'm using a throwaway because some of our family know about my reddit account)

Answer:
 The crime of extortion is not dependent on whether the extortion is successful.Answer #2: > how is it that he is now charged with "attempted" extortion?

Because he literally *attempted* to extort her. Answer #3: [The statute defining extortion](https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartIV/TitleI/Chapter265/Section25) simply doesn't say anything about success. The threat itself is extortion, regardless of whether the threat was or could have been successful.Answer #4: He was charged with "attempted extortion" because he attempted to extort her. The fact that she tried to get in front of the situation doesn't somehow negate his actions. Answer #5: Attempting to commit a crime is still a crime.

If you shoot at me and miss, you still TRIED to kill me- the fact that you did not kill me does not mean you can't be charged with trying.

Same with trying to rob me but you don't get anything.  Or trying and failing to break into my house.

Answer #6: "Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear."

Your cousin's ex-girlfriend may have been terrified of those photographs getting posted. She was simply *more* terrified of letting her ex blackmail her for the rest of her life.


Title: Judge has two Defendants on conference call?

Question:
I was the Plaintiff in civil complaint pro se.
On the days I had to appear in court, only one defendant out of three appeared in person. The other Defendants got called and had a conference call between all the parties.
Is that normal? I know if I didn't show up they'd close the case on me and I wouldn't ever get a call. So what's up with that?!

Answer:
 > I know if I didn't show up they'd close the case on me and I wouldn't ever get a call. So what's up with that?!

Three things.  First, as the plaintiff, you're the one pushing the issue, so you **should** be there.  I mean, if you can't be arsed to show up, why are you pursuing it?

Second, it's generally true that someone **representing** each side must be present.  Since you're *pro se*, there's no one to represent you; thus you must show up.  If you were represented by counsel, then you may very well not have to show up.

Third, you never know unless you ask; unless you motioned for appearance by phone, and were denied, you can't say for sure that the judge wouldn't allow it.


Title: My boss says he's wired me my pay but I haven't received it, getting frustrated.

Question:
I'll try to keep this concise. I'm writing from Ohio. [Edit to add: I work in Ohio but the company is based in Indiana. We work across several states.] I agreed to help start up a branch of my friend's company in my city. It seemed pleasant enough to start; I had my own rented office space and supplies, I was promised decent pay, etc. My boss/friend is in another state so I don't see him on a regular basis and most of our communication is via email/text.

The main issue at hand is that I'm not getting paid consistently. My time is tracked on a paper time sheet and I scan it and send it to him so he can manually enter the hours into the system for payroll. He supposedly has the company set up with another company that processes payroll but that hasn't been proven to me yet.

I finally received my first wire of a payment after working with him for a month. It wound up being a wire because first I was told that I gave him my wrong banking information (even though I submitted my paperwork as requested). Then I was told that the bank *forgot* to make the wire. I finally got the payment about 4 days after it was expected. I asked my boss if things were now set up so that it wouldn't be a problem again and he said yes.

Yet here we are. We were supposed to get paid last Friday (Veteran's Day). Since it was a banking holiday, the deposits were set to go in on Monday, which is fine. But it never went in. I asked him about it on Tuesday, and he said he'd look into it. I never got a clear answer out of him. I asked again on Thursday and he said he never heard back from the bank and he said he'd go again on Friday but told me Friday night that he didn't have time. Now, Tuesday morning, more than a week later, I still haven't been paid.

I told him yesterday that I didn't want to keep doing work until I know that my pay is on the way. He has promised that once he gets confirmation of the payment that he will send it to me. So I guess I'm waiting until then. Just to note, it's a small company, and there's no HR department for me to go to.

I'm already looking for new jobs. There are other practices about his company that I do not care for (asking me to falsify paperwork, asking me to tell white lies to customers, etc.). These things just make me uncomfortable. Either way, I'm just getting so mad to the point that I want to quit but I don't have a new job lined up yet.

So my question is, what should I do while I wait for confirmation? Should I keep asking him? Should I consult a lawyer? I'm at a bit of a loss. Any insight or advice would be greatly appreciated.
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 You're doing fine.  Don't do a lot of work if pay isn't happening.  Find a new job if pay isn't happening.

If you don't get paid for work you have done, file a complaint with your state labor agency.Answer #2: >There are other practices about his company that I do not care for (asking me to falsify paperwork, asking me to tell white lies to customers, etc.).

If you are asked to do this, politely decline to him.  Do not do this at all, and keep record of him asking you and you declining.  When this comes back on him at some point, he might try pointing the finger at you, and you need to be prepared


Title: Please help, regarding an unwanted person in my home

Question:
So me and my mom lease an apartment, and regardless of how many times I told her not to give my sister our address, she did anyway.

My sister then proceeded to move herself in, under the guise that she just needed to rehab for a few days. I was away for work a lot back then and little did I know, she never left and established residence and started receiving mail there, and has identification under our address. She never dropped her heroin addiction and also eats every pill imaginable like candy. Things reached a boiling point when she pushed my mom, back in May. There's still an open case for domestic battery on her regarding that.

Luckily, she was on probation and tested positive for everything imaginable and thrown in jail for 6 months. Life was so calm and peaceful again, until a few days ago when she was released. We moved all her crap to storage thinking we could just deny her entry because she's not on the lease. Unfortunately, residency laws here in Nevada are incredibly stupid, and in the first couple days I called the police about 5 times. From threats to have me assassinated if we evict her, stealing my moms phone, stealing my prescription pills, screaming so loud that our entire complex must have heard it, suicide threats, and now smoking heroin in our bathroom.

She needs to go. On Friday, I went to file a protective order, but they said it's unlikely to pass because the domestic violence was against my mom (a long time ago, but it's still an open case at least). My mom was so shaken up by my sisters psychotic episodes that she couldn't bring herself to go file with me, so now we have to wait until Monday to submit her papers which is slighty more likely to go through.

As far as eviction, we'd most likely get evicted in the process because we technically broke our lease "letting" her stay.

I really don't know what to do. I don't think she's on probation anymore but I'm going to try to find out on Monday if she is and tip them off to drug test her. I think her time served cleared her probation though?

I know we kinda put ourselves in this situation by not acting sooner but what's done is done. I'm asking for any advice on how to proceed. Also, the cops literally refuse to do anything regardless of what we tell them. I even showed the worthless officer a video I took of her taking my moms phone, and threatening me. Like, are they trying to make me break and bash her stupid junkie face in?

Answer:
 >Luckily, she was on probation and tested positive for everything imaginable and thrown in jail for 6 months.

>and now smoking heroin in our bathroom.

I see a simple solution.


Title: An Ohio Redditor got a NICS denial that he can prove is false, but the FBI is no longer processing NICS appeals. What could he do? (X-Post from r/Guns)

Question:
A couple weekends ago he went into a local big-box outdoor store to pick up an SR-22 they had on sale. He filled out a 4473 and it came back delayed.

The following Thursday He went by the store to pickup the pistol and was told that he  had received a denial. He took the NTN, and filled out the online appeals form and attached a copy of fingerprints. This Friday, he received a letter stating that the reason for the denial was a violation of question 11(c) (Have you ever been convicted in any court of a felony, or any other crime, for which the judge could have imprisoned you for more than one year, even if you received a shorter sentence including probation?). He called NICS support and spoke to a lady who supposedly looked into it again and came back telling him that the system shows that him (or someone like him) was convicted of a crime that prohibits him, but she couldn't tell him any details.

Now, he can prove that the record is wrong. The problem is, the FBI stopped processing NICS appeals back in January. Normally, you'd just wait for the appeals process to finish and move on, but with no appeals process in place, how is he supposed to clear this up?

> "Even though I've bought firearms before, I've never had the ATF come knocking on the door looking to retrieve any of them because I was a prohibited person. Since my last purchase, I haven't had so much as a speeding ticket. To be on the safe side, I've moved my firearms out of my possession, but this has got me pretty freaked out since I have no idea where to even begin to get them back without an appeals process. "

What can he possibly do in this situation? Is it worth it to try to contact the NRA? Could a lawyer do anything in this situation, like sue the DOJ or something?

Is this a violation of Due process?

https://np.reddit.com/r/guns/comments/4acxle/i_got_a_nics_denial_that_i_can_prove_is_false_but/?ref=share&ref_source=link

Answer:
 >Is it worth it to try to contact the NRA?

What are they going to do, send out pamphlets to their subscribers asking for more membership dues? Answer #2: I think your friend is wrong. Did he actually file the appeal? According to the [FBI appeals website](https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/nics/appeals/nics-appeals-process/appeals-home) it's not that they stopped accepting appeals, it's that right now (March 2016) they are processing appeals from January 2015 and June 2015.  So probably if he files the appeal today, it will be completed sometime between December of this year and May 2017 assuming the same lead times exist.

I suppose he could get the NRA involved, but I doubt they'd be interested. I suppose it is a due process issue, and an attorney could be hired to sue, it wouldn't be worth the $$. Answer #3: Don't contact the NRA, thats not even what they think they are for. The NRA and other lobbying groups exist more to inform policymakers and try to change laws, not really anything else.

If you do contact the NRA, they may or may not help him, and they may or may not help him and also use his name and situation to try and push for different laws.  Whih would be annoying for that guy Im sure.

This is more practical than legal advice though.  Contacting the NRA would be really similar, practically, to contacting the media, and both of those actions are probably the wrong course of action for a dumb clerical error.

Take my advice with a grain of salt though, fair warning.  Im a gun owner and I hate the NRA.  I work really close to their headquarters in Fairfax VA too, and I know how they generally operate, kind of.


Title: Sucker Punched by Girlfriend's Brother. Likely punctured ear drum - what are my options?

Question:
Hi guys, I wanted to reach out for some help and advice on what to do. For backdrop, my girlfriend (now ex and never speaking to again) were having an argument. Things got verbally heated and while we were close up to each other, she proceeded to grab my mouth area and scratch me all over my face. The attention seeking drama queen then proceed to take her hands and dig her nails into her face, giving herself her own scratches - I'm not sure why...to get even, to get sympathy, to use it this to blame me..likely a combination of all three. Anyways, her brother comes to pick her up, sees the scratches, and obviously thinks I did it. He comes marching into my house, gets in my face, we start yelling. He starts pointing his finger to my face, which I don't like, and when I push it away, he proceeds to punch me in my face and lands in my side/ear area.

I never retaliated, hit the girl, or her brother. I wanted to - so bad - but I held back because I thought things would lead to this and I don't want to give away my leverage. I've gotten countless slaps and punches in my face from her (much weaker than a guy's, but still hurts and have scratches/bruises on my face to prove it). The more troubling thing is the punch rendered my ear useless for the last 12 hours. I can barely hear anything out of this ear and am getting a headache from the constant ringing. I'm due to see an ENT doctor to diagnose the problem. Most likely not permanent damage, but an injury regardless. If it is permanent (and the doctor won't be able to confirm this right away as I'll be monitored for the next few weeks/months) this will be a completely different story and I will undoubtedly pursue significant legal action.

In terms of filing a report, pursuing action, getting money for treatment - what are my options?
- Do I file a report with the police first? Or do I seek out a personal injury lawyer who can represent my case?
- My medical is covered by insurance, but what kind of compensation should I seek or expect?
- Can they deny they did this? Obviously there is no video evidence and don't want to come to a 'he said/she said' type of feud.

Thank you for reading and your help.

edit: NY, USA based

Answer:
 Two separate processes here.

1.)  You can file a criminal report with the police for the assault.  They will investigate and take the case to the prosecutor if enough evidence is found.  If it goes to court, both sides will be able to tell their story and present any evidence and then the judge will decide.

2.) You can sue the brother in small claims court for the monetary damages you suffered as a result of the attack.  Both sides will tell their stories and present their evidence and then the judge will decide


Title: Neighbor's goats keep coming into my yard

Question:
We have a neighbor that owns two goats. They don't keep them penned, and allow them to roam free. Sometimes they end up in our yard. We own two large dogs, and while they've never attacked livestock or another pet before, both of them have caught small animals before (wild mice, moles, that sort of thing). We do not keep our dogs outside without supervision, but our yard is not fenced and we do not leash them (they stay on our property, and don't wander off).

My concern is that my dogs could hurt the goats at some point. They've never met a goat, and I'm not sure how they would react. If the goats are on our property and are harmed, who is liable? The goats have never damaged our property, but we've asked that they be kept in a pen, but get excuses (the goats keep jumping the fence).

Answer:
 Not legal advice: Goats are master escape artists. I let mine free range from time to time and they go to my neighbors (neighbors are ok and love their visits) I have three and live in WA. Your neighbors probably are telling them the truth. Have you told them you are concerned about dogs getting them? I built a small 150 by 150ft fenced in area with t posts for them that took only about a day. Super easy. It's important for them to get no climb fence and have it be tall enough that they can't jump. And make sure it's flush with the ground so they can't  go under.
Some advice if your concerned about your dogs hurting the goats, it's not their fault their owner isn't taking responsibility, put your dogs on a leash and introduce them.

NAL legal advice: goats are considered livestock sadly even if they are pets. If your neighbors goats come onto your property and your dogs hurt them you won't  be liable (I really really hope that doesn't happen) However, if his goats come onto your property and wreck things he could be sued. For example eating the bark off a tree causing it to die, jumping on your car (common for my goats and all goats).

You could also call animal control and maybe they can't talk with your neighbor to get him to get a better fence.

TLDR; you are in the clear as long as your dogs on on your property. That's doesn't mean it couldn't cause trouble by your neighbor trying to sue you, he just doesn't have the law on his side.


Title: How to evict someone who never signed a lease?

Question:
Location is Denver, CO.

My mom allowed someone to move into her home 2-3 years ago and now would like for this person to leave. She never had him sign any kind of lease, contract or binding document whatsoever, but I imagine since he has been here for so long he has some sort of rights.

What is the best way to go about getting him out? Write a letter and say he has 30 days, or should she proceed differently?

Thanks!
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 According to [this](https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/sites/default/files/Attachment%2010-Landord%20and%20Tenant%20Rights.pdf), tenancy at will can be terminated by either party with written notice 10 days prior to the end of the rental month (11 days before the next rent payment is due).  30 days notice is not necessary unless there is a written lease.

Just to be clear.  This is to terminate or deliver a notice of non-renewal.  Evicting a tenant is the process by which a court orders (and enforces) the removal of the tenant.  You won't need to "evict" unless they refuse to leave when they are supposed to.


Title: [US] K1 visa - cold feet right after marriage, wanting to go back

Question:
I came to US to marry, having known eachother for 3 years. Living in US is very different than Romania and I didn't imagine I'd miss my country so much and everything I left behind.

I'm not looking to be judged because I knew the stakes, I want to know how my future will go from here.

When you move for love you tend to not think about everything but reality hit me once I moved here. I told her on two occasions I wanted to go back but it affected her so much I didn't have the hearth to go through. Then I thought multiple times to leave while she was at work but I kept postponing it many times because I couldn't imagine doing that to her, have her come home and not finding me there.

We're about to have our marriage tomorrow, in Florida, and I'm absolutely horrified, I can't take a moment to rest. She in no way wants to move out of USA. I love her but I also love my home country and my family over there. My mother is old too so I don't feel right leaving her in her elderly years alone with my not so much caring brother.

We're gonna get a marriage licence in Florda tomorrow, we live a different state actually, Washington, but came here to get married. All her family is here and I just can't call it off like that. I'm alone here, surrounded by them, I feel so vulnerable and so powerless.

What happens if we get married and then I want to leave, can we get divorced from distance by mailing papers? Will I have to pay her alimony? The income in Romania is much lower, if it ends up being hunderds of dollars I won't be able to have a life there anymore.

Appreciate any responces.

Answer:
 Do not get married.  Tell her sorry, you're out, go to a different hotel and arrange transportation back to your home country.

Answer #2: You need to not go through with this marriage.  You are ABSOLUTELY shooting yourself in the foot here if you are opening yourself up to incurring debts in USD that you will then need to pay off on a Romanian income.

"No" is a complete sentence.  You need to say no, call off the wedding, and do what is best for you.   Otherwise, you are making the situation worse and may be seriously damaging your future prospects.

Divorces in the US are not cheap.  Medical bills in this country are astronomical and may result in significant debt you will be forced to take on overnight.  Don't go through with this.  Just go home. Answer #3: Use kind words, but do not go through with the marriage.  If you are still in love, you could get married at a later time. If you have any doubts, you should wait to marry and discuss your concerns first.


Title: (NM) Girlfriend found in posession of weed

Question:
Last night my girlfriend (17) was dropping her friend off at her house, after the friend smoked, she did not smoke and was not high. She was just leaving back to her dorm when she was pulled over by a campus police officer. The officer found a pipe and the weed in her car and wrote her a citation. It was a very small amount of weed, 1g.

She is really freaking out. What are some possible outcomes? How will it change because she is under 18? And is there any way that this will not stay on her record?

Any feedback would be a great help! I have no previous experience with offense such as this, nor has she. Thank you!

tl;dr. 17 year old girlfriend pulled over with 1g of weed.

Answer:
 Most likely this is going to happen.

It's going to go on her record. She's going to get 1-3 years of probation (get a lawyer). After the probation is over, and she paid all the fines, she can get it expunged from her record.

By the time she's 20 or 21, it will be off her record.Answer #2: That’s likely to stay permanently on her record


Title: vaccinations at camp question

Question:
I am in Texas

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I am a volunteer board member with a co-op type day camp in Texas. We require that our campers be vaccinated against measles. If a child isn't vaccinated against measles we require a medical exemption or a note from the child's doctor explaining the reason this vaccine is contraindicated that our camp medical director will review. The medical director, with the full support of our Board of Directors, will make the final say in whether or not a child can attend camp.

&#x200B;

The camp is fully funded through camp fees, corporate and private donations, and grants from non-governmental organizations. We do not take any government money at all. Our camp "staff" and  board of directors are all volunteers. We have no paid staff.

&#x200B;

I have looked up rules about immunizations and exemptions and I can't really find the answer.  I want to make sure we can refuse to admit non-vaccinated kids unless they have a medical reason. We do not want to admit any child with a philosophical or religious exemption. Are we allowed to do this? If no one knows, how can I find out?

Answer: Can't see why you wouldn't. It's a private after all.


Title: Political sign being ripped out

Question:
We have a group of teenagers that are ripping out political signs in our neighborhood. This is the second week in a row, last week they ripped all the signs out in the neighborhood and put them in the middle of the street, and they took a 5 dollar driveway light, this week they targeted the people with new sign out, our neighbors. My dad wants to get a sign and put razor blades in the sides coated with got sauce. Though I have my doubts at that being legal. So my question is what could we do that is legal to get them to stop. (our security footage doesn't give a good enough view all we know is it's 3 people)
Topic:
Douche

Answer:
 > My dad wants to get a sign and put razor blades in the sides coated with got sauce. Though I have my doubts at that being legal.

You are correct. Your dad would face serious criminal charges if he did something as stupid as this.

> So my question is what could we do that is legal to get them to stop.

Call the police every time it happens. Get a security camera (a better one). Setting traps is a bad idea.Answer #2: It is super illegal to try and hurt people. Call the police and get better cameras.

The police can increase patrols in the area to catch them.


Title: Drug testing of unionized public sector employees in the state of New York

Question:
I'd like to start off by stating that this question is based more on general interest than any specific need. I do associate with some people that use marijuana and could possibly fail a hair test, but I don't tend to let people blow smoke in my face and I doubt my employer would be willing to pay for a hair test.

I'm currently working for a state entity as part of a union. I wasn't asked to take a pre-employment drug test. The handbook of my union agreement with my employer says nothing about drug testing. None of the documents I was given to review and/or sign when I accepted employment or at any time after mention drug tests, but there may be one that hasn't been brought to my attention. I haven't heard anyone discuss drug testing and won't bring it up. I work a desk job and have access to financial records. I am not involved with law enforcement, operating heavy equipment, driving a vehicle, or handling classified information.

I would like to know if I can be required to submit to a drug test and if so, under what circumstances.

Answer:
 If you are a public sector employee and you are past the "probationary period", then the terms under which you could potentially be drug tested depends on your union contract.

My strong recommendation would be to contact your local's union steward. They are there to answer your questions, and I guarantee you that you are not the first, fifth, or even tenth person to ask this sort of a question. It's an extremely common question.

If you don't know who your union steward is, then contact your local for more information.


Title: Ordered package from amazon. Powder that had “do not inhale & avoid contact with eyes” went all over my living room and is in all the other items of the order

Question:
I ordered a concrete cleaner/bacteria that eats oil stains and cleans them up. The package was delivered today, however the container with the powder was spilled all throughout the box, and contaminated the other contents of the package. Items I need for my business later this week. I took pictures of the box right when I opened it, and all other subsequent pictures of contaminated items. I handled everything with gloves, but I did inhale the contents since the powder puffed up over my living room as well as while I was trying to move the box/shuffle around the contents for photos.

I’d expect there to be some sort of laws/regulations for shipping “hazardous” materials of products that could have health side effects (such as a water/moisture activated bacteria that eats fats/lipids/oils I’m assuming). I’d expect the container to be inside of a bag at the very least Incase of a spill like this. Is there anything that can be done?

Answer:
 I would contact Amazon customer support.  They are usually pretty awesome about fixing stuff.

About inhaling the dust...  If you didn't seek medical attention then you have no damages thus no case.  I'm not a lawyer, just a normal human with common sense.


Title: Signal blocking in work place prevented me from calling 911 on a dangerous customer last night.

Question:
I work at a Dollar General. In this dollar general there is no cell phone service. If you step outside and walk away from the door a little bit you can get some signal. When I asked about this when I started working there, someone mentioned something about “8 inches of insulation,” but if you walk to the far corner of the building you can get about a bar. I don’t know how it’s being blocked, but that 8 inches thing seems suspicious to me.

Last night a man came in who was obviously inebriated by some drug or alcohol. He decided to buy a cart full of groceries that would cost around 30 dollars about 20 minutes before close. The problem was that he didn’t have the money. There are a couple things that you have to know about the dollar general checkout process to continue. (This may or may not be relevant so feel free to skip down to THE PART WHERE I TRY TO CALL, but it does explain why there was conflict to begin with)
1) You can split a bill between food stamps and other forms of payment.
2) once you pay for something, even just a little bit, you can’t cancel a transaction
3) there’s no way to check your food stamp balance unless you call or pay a little bit
4) a key holder is the only one with the power to cancel any transaction

This man decides he needs to call the food stamp people to see his balance. He asked for our phone because he’s used it before. At this point I told him we don’t have one to use as it’s kept in the managers office. He started getting upset and that’s when I had the key holder on duty come over and try and check his balance. She pays the one dollar and sees he only has 13 on his account. The rest he said he’d pay in cash. We said alright. When we finished the EBT (food stamps) part he decided he only had three dollars to pay for the rest.

This is where we get screwed. If he doesn’t pay for the rest, our register gets locked. There’s no cancelling the transaction. He starts getting angry and is throwing around profanity left and right. My key holder, god bless her kind heart, pays for it out of pocket WHICH IS A BIG NO NO. I understand why, but that only encourages people. He doesn’t understand what she did for him and I have to explain several times that he can take his groceries and leave. There’s a pile up behind him as is. He looks at me and tells me to not fucking rush him and he’d do whatever he fucking wanted and exploded. He started moving towards the key holder who is much smaller and female. I place myself between him and her and ask him nicely to leave.

THE PART WHERE I TRY TO CALL

The man starts getting in my face and tells me he’s been to jail and he’s not afraid to go back. He’d beat my ass and wait until close to do it. I started dialing 911 and held it up so he’d see. This was a bluff as I obviously couldn’t do anything in this situation. I had no cell service. He looked like he was about ready to throw a punch but another bulky gentleman walked through the door and I think it was enough to keep him from starting anything.

In this situation anyone could have been hurt. He could have had a gun. Regardless of the reason, if there was any sort of physical altercation I would have been fired. I don’t know if this is the right place to ask, but what should I do now. We get a lot of meth heads coming in at night around here and I don’t even have the power to call 911 if they threaten me. What can I do to make sure I’m not left in this position again, and is Dollar General’s cell phone blocking even legal? This is not a single location thing. Most if not all of the stores in my area have this problem. Even the one in the center of town. Thank you for your time and I’d appreciate any advice or even a point in the direction I should ask. Thank you.
Topic:
Business Law

Answer:
 You can quit and find a new job with better cell service.Answer #2: > is Dollar General’s cell phone blocking even legal?

What phone blocking?  You work in a building with bad cell service.  Lots of buildings have bad cell service.  It's illegal to *actively* block cellular signals but it's not illegal to have bad service.  Answer #3: Do you have any evidence they're doing something to block the signal, such as using a device?  There are plenty of buildings inside of which you get a bad signal.


Title: [Canada] Do grandparents have rights to see grandchildren if there is no previous relationship?

Question:
Hello,
My husband and I are happily married with 2 young children and #3 on the way. I had a question about grandparents rights.
We are estranged from our parents and they have never met our children. They have been stalking/harassing us and won't leave us alone. Do they have any rights to see the children? And is there anything we can do to get them to leave us alone? We have moved many times to avoid them but they keep coming back and we don't want to move anymore.
Thank you.
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 > They have been stalking/harassing us and won't leave us alone

First thought: those words gets used a lot, messaging on holidays on facebook about how sad you are that you can't see little Johnny isn't harassment.

> We have moved many times to avoid them but they keep coming back

Second thought: wow. You were not kidding at all. Get a lawyer and go to the police.Answer #2: In SOME provinces (you don't say where you are) a grandparent could apply for a court order to visit their grandchildren, if they can prove doing so is in the best interest of the child. Foe example, BC: http://www.familylaw.lss.bc.ca/resources/fact_sheets/childrensRightToTimeWithGrandparents.php

However, this is rare. And absent the court order the grandparents can't force the issue.


Title: [MN] My SO's lease says it ends on June 31. When does she have to be out?

Question:
The landlord is not being very cooperative on the inspection date and wants to have the inspection done today, even though my SO hasn't moved out entirely yet.  We went back and looked at the lease and found that it says she has until June 31.  Ideally, my SO wants to move everything out today/tomorrow and do the inspection on July 1 (since the lease will officially be over).

It doesn't seem to make sense to force her to do the inspection while she still has a right to be on the property.  Also, if the lease says she is paying for 31 days in June, would there be any recourse to have the extra day applied to July 1 and have the inspection then?

Answer:
 > Also, if the lease says she is paying for 31 days in June, would there be any recourse to have the extra day applied to July 1 and have the inspection then?

No, she pays the same for every month, regardless of length.  The "June 31" thing is a typo, and the meaning is very very clear.

She needs to be out on June 30.  They can do the inspection that day, or the next, whichever they agree on.


Title: Should I have just stayed out or move (as I did)?

Question: I was with a lady friend of mine and we decided we wanted to park somewhere and play ukulele. I pulled up to a spot in an area, on a public road, near some houses. This area is on a hill and allowed us to see an okay view. On the side of the road I parked in there were no houses, but on the other side there was. Now after about 45 minutes of just chatting and having a good time I see some man, presumably a resident of a house there, walking towards the car; but I don’t think too much of this. This man then knocks on my car window and proceeds to say “this is not an area to Hang our; you can either leave or I’ll call the police!” Not wanting any trouble I just said okay and pulled away. But the more I think about it I’m not too sure if I actually had to leave. If the cops would have been called what’s the worst that could have happened? And if this were to happen again I’d like to know what I can say/do in the situation.

Answer: Why not just go to a public park? It’s not illegal to park in front of someone’s home but it is inconsiderate


Title: [NC/USA] Landlord wants to sell my house while I'm a tenant. No provision in the lease for it. When I pointed this out, he threatened to evict me.

Question:
Title.

He threatened to evict me for things he has *known* about for a long time and has continued to accept rent (which feels slimy):

* pet damage to the carpet (he has known for a long time; carpet has been torn up by the cat clawing at it)
* an extra pet in the house (he has known and not said anything about it)
* he thinks there were extra tenants at some point but admits he has no proof (friends stay over constantly as we all have diff schedules and hang out with people at diff times)

He also refuses to produce a signed copy of the lease for me to take to a lawyer to look over. I have the digital, blank, unsigned copy but not the signed copy. As far as I know, he cannot actually terminate the lease just because he wants to sell the house, so he's looking for reasons to evict.

He called me today and said I need to be out by January 31 so he can sell. I don't want an eviction on my record, but I am literally incapable of moving out due to finances. My roommate spent over $4000 of her savings to move up here from Florida less than 3 months ago and can't afford to move either. Our lease was signed for a one year term and ends in October 2016. I suggested to my landlord that we would move out in exchange for moving costs and he countered with the eviction threat instead.

I'm sort of at a loss. What happens if he doesn't produce a signed copy of the lease? Can he evict me for (what I would consider to be wear and tear) damage to the property? Can he evict me for having an extra pet even though he's known about it for a long time and has continued to accept rent? What are my options?
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: So you did sign a lease? How long was the term of the lease for? And where are you at in that term.


Title: Credit Union in VA Does Not Accept Executor Named in Will to Allow Access to Mother's Account

Question:
As executor in my mother's will, I'm trying to gain access to her credit union account to pay off funeral bills as instructed in her will.  The Credit Union asked for copies of her will and death certificate which I supplied and here's how they just responded:

"I spoke to my supervisor, and was informed that we actually need a copy of the executor of the estate paperwork naming you the executor. The will just states that she wanted you to be the executor, it doesn’t show that you are."

My Mother's will states:

"ARTICLE SIX:  I appoint my Son, jLionhart, Executor of my Estate."

Is this additional request for "executor of the estate paperwork" naming me as executor legal or even typical for Credit Unions or Banks to require in order to allow access to an account?  I thought the Will satisfies their requirement by clearly appointing me as Executor.

Thanks

EDIT:  I live in VA but my Mother lives in PA where the Will was drawn up.

Answer:
 They're probably thinking it's in probate. Is it?

Here's an [article about being an executor and probate](http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/executor-probate) and here's [one specific to Virginia](http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/virginia-probate-an-overview.html)Answer #2: Their reason is sound. A person can decline to be an executor, even if a will calls for it. They need something that actually says that you accepted the roll.

Sorry for your loss.


Title: New puppy was lost/stolen by airport employee during layover, airline didn't notice until after connecting flight landed.

Question:
We ordered a puppy through our already trusted breeder. Puppy flew from Spokane to Seattle and was supposed to then fly from Seattle to Ontario Airport California. During the layover an employee of the airline unloaded our puppy and then took the puppy to baggage claim and handed the kennel off to some stranger. This was caught on camera but the airline didn't realize the puppy never made the connecting flight until AFTER the connecting flight landed hours later in California. Now the dog is long gone, the airport has helped as much as they can but they can't identify the person the dog was handed off too, and the police can't arrest the employee because she claimed she thought she was handing the dog off to the owner. We want justice because they wont change their policy on how they handle animals if they get away with this, but nobody gives 2 shits so we're probably just gonna give up. Any advice before we call the airline and settle this evening?
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 >  We want justice because they wont chance their policy on how they handle animals if they get away with this,

And what  would that change be? Cause this wasn't there policy a mistake was made....makes ya wonder who knew there would be a dog and why would some stranger just take a dog. Was there supposed to be another dog. Way more questions than answers!

Either way, take the value of your property and buy a new one. Answer #2: You can't force an airline to change their policies, but you should be able to recoup the value of the puppy. The airline will have a posted policy for shipping animals. Unless the employee conspired to steal the dog, nothing illegal happened.


Title: Neighbor in a HOA controlled community (Bay area, California) is recording video of kids that are walking in tennis court (instead of playing)

Question:
HOA is of a gated community with internal roads and tennis court. Newsletter from HOA board reminded people/kids to use tennis only for tennis (as per CC&R rules), and to also not use internal roads for anything else than ingress/egress.

this newletter comes just a week ago.. Now an activist homeowner (also a HOA board member) is recording videos, focussed pointed at kids, and scaring kids. What are privacy issues here ? what are legal recourses for concerned parents and owners?

Answer:
 There's nothing illegal about that at all.Answer #2: The HOA sent the reminder to homeowners (not kids) and he is filming rule-breakers (not kids specifically).

There are no privacy issues filming a person walking on a community court.

Tell your kids to stop skateboarding on the tennis court and move on.


Title: Locked out, landlord out of town, pets inside

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Call the local fire departments non emergency line (and if you just get a recorded message because that number is not monitored call the police or dispatch centers line instead. Just not 911.) or drive over to them and explain the situation. We do residential lock outs all the tine and 90% of them we are able to get in without damage.Answer #2: Call a locksmith. They will want to be paid at the time service is rendered so yes, you will likely have to pay the cost upfront.

You could ask your landlord for reimbursement but most likely you will be responsible for the costs. Sometimes the agreement regarding after hours/emergency unlocks is outlined in your lease agreement.Answer #3: If it were me, I'd try to get a quick estimate on which is cheaper; paying a locksmith to open the door, or paying to replace a broken pane of glass in the window I'd have to break to get in myself.

Then I'd choose the cheaper option, and gain entry.

Also; have you tried opening any of the windows?  People often don't think to lock them.


Title: Ethnically “Gamer” on the 2020 Census (Not a troll post, let me explain)

Question:
I’m a brand new adult and have no idea how the census works or what legal ramifications it entails.  So a few of my buddy’s found the definition of “ethnicity” (according to Oxford) to be “The state or fact of belonging to a social group that has a common national OR cultural tradition.”  And we thought it would be funny to consider “Gamer” a legal ethnicity because of their shared cultural traditions ie cons, streaming and speed running communities etc.

Some of my buddy’s are genuinely planning to select “Other” and write in “Gamer” on the 2020 census.

This leads me to two questions:

1. Would this action land you into legal trouble?
2. What is the legal definition of “ethnicity” and how does an ethnicity become legally recognized?

Again, this isn’t a troll post, I’m worried for my friends.  Thanks in advance for the help.

Answer:
 >we thought it would be funny to consider “Gamer” a legal ethnicity because of their shared cultural traditions ie cons, streaming and speed running communities etc.

>Some of my buddy’s are genuinely planning to select “Other” and write in “Gamer” on the 2020 census.

You guys are finding it funny to submit junk data to the Census, an massive effort undertaken every 10 years to collect data on who lives in the USA.

Honestly, while you will not be in legal trouble, I do not find your actions funny, since they will lower the quality of the census data.

But hey, feel free to do whatever you think is funny.

And why stop at gamer? Why not furry? Or Klingon?


Title: My internet provider wants me to pay the equivalent of the remaining 6 months on my contract in fees even though they can't provide my internet

Question:
I havr posted to the Ireland sub, but it's v small. I have a 1 year contract at 35/m with 6 months left. I got a new job and my new house has the same provider, but their signal doesn't reach to my part of the house. They can't get internet to me at all and have no fisable suggestions. They want 210 in fees to cancel my contract

I had no choice but to enter into a contract with them and they said I could absolutely bring it with me to my new place. I can't afford 6 months internet for no service

Answer: Unless you got it in writing when you signed the contract that they offered the service you're paying for at the new address, then yes, you're on the hook.  Maybe you can convince them to charge a lower cancelation fee, but it's up to them if the contract doesn't specify anything different.


Title: Is it normal for police to ask for a SS#? I’m kind of sketched out right now.

Question: Tonight I thought I witnessed a crime. I called the police, gave them my statement, and said they would call back if they needed anything. Cop calls me asking me for more info (from a local number), what happened, what was I wearing (I’m assuming to pull the cameras and see what happened step by step), and then he asked me for my social, and like an idiot, I gave it to him. Now my friends are calling me an idiot and saying it probably isn’t a cop/it wasn’t necessary to give them, but I was also scared of not giving him my social because I was afraid I might be in trouble if I didn’t.

Answer:
 IANAL. Get your credit locked down now and call the police asking for whoever is handling the case. Ask if that officer called you asking for this information. If you remember the name of the supposed cop that called, that would help. If that officer didn't call you asking for that then you need to file another report for a fraud case. After that you need to stay on it to determine how seriously they take this. If it wasn't a cop that called you then the department probably has a problem with information about cases getting leaked.

Edit: a few words.Answer #2: IANAL but I work closely with the police/DA. I’m not saying NOT to follow up with the police department, however...

This is not abnormal. Every time I transcribed witness interviews or was riding with the police, the detective or officer asked for witness SSN. Typically, when police are making contact with witnesses and gathering information about the crime, they will get as much information as possible in the event they need to talk to the witness again. Name, phone number, birthdate, SSN, address.Answer #3: My car (and many others on the street) got broken into recently and the officer there asked me for my SSN. I gave it to her but have been thinking the same thing. Glad I'm not the only one weirded out!


Title: Campus Security/Police pulls fire alarm to detain student

Question:
Hi, so this happened a few days ago.

A friend of mine who sells weed was on campus in a friends room when out of no where a "Fire Drill" was started in our building and campus safety officers immediately knocked only on the door of the room he was in. As he left the room, campus safety officers were directly outside the door and he was quickly grabbed and and taken to meet with county police, and later arrested on marajuana charges.

The circumstances surrounding the drill were extremely suspicious, in that it was conducted only in our building, students in the lobby were advised of the drill by campus safety officers and advised to leave the building, officers admitted to conducting the drill knowing that the only facilities worker with the ability to turn off the alarm had left for the day, and the official police and campus safety report refers to it as a "Fire Drill" with quotations. Basically, it seems like they staged a fake fire drill and kicked a whole group of students out of their residential building for over an hour in order to apprehend him.

This happened in Florida, and I was wondering if it is legal for them to use a fire alarm in this way.

Answer:
 Campus security is undoubtedly authorized to conduct fire drills.  And obviously authorized to arrest people engaged in some sort of drug infraction on campus.

It is unlikely that the two coming together create any kind of legal problem.