Title: [NY, USA] Sister got $$ in a settlement resulting from a car crash injury when she was 4. Now she is 22 and my dad refuses to give it to her.

Question:
Forgive me if I use incorrect terms, I am not familiar with the legal jargon.   An impaired driver t-boned our car and my sister was injured. He claimed bankruptcy, so my parents sued their own insurance company for $ to take care of medical bills and aftercare, and my sister has had this money in an account - with my dad taking ownership of handling it because my sister was 4 at the time.

Now she is 22 and has been living in poverty since she moved to Florida with my mother 11 years ago.  She is currently in a trailer, with no working fridge, no means of transportation, and rides a bicycle 2 hours round trip to get to a minimum wage paying job.

We have asked him to just give her a small stipend so she can have an actual apartment in Florida and work on getting actual transportation so she can get to college, but he keeps saying if he takes money out for her then it will no longer accrue interest and also, then she would not be eligible for government aid.  He says she should use the system now and he wants to save that money for her for an emergency, or a down payment on a house. If I bother him enough about it, he gets angry and says he's going to give her all of her money so she can blow it in a year.

Any advice you can offer is very helpful, my sister is in a pretty bad spot - she has no idea how to really take care of herself so I don't think she should have ALL of that money, but I do think she should have access to a monthly stipend so she can have a chance to get an education and live in an apartment that has a working fridge and holes in the floors.

I have no idea what flair this needs.

edit: you guys have been very helpful so far! I have been able to find some details on the original case, and some careful questions got my dad to reveal to me that it was a trust for my sister in his name, but now it is not in my sister's name at all.

**edit 2:** OK so I got a lot more clarifying info.  My dad  called me, elaborated and said it is an ITF.  When my sister got pregnant she was 17, my dad had her sign over the money to him so that it wouldn't affect benefits she would receive as a single mother (bio dad was not around at the time) He said she will not get the money until he feels that she will not waste it.  I asked my sister and she confirmed this.  And the sum when she was 17 was 34,000.00.  I do not know, legal wise, if anything can be done at this point because she did in fact sign that over.  And she did confirm that she did see a $ amount. This does not mean that my dad hasn't spent that money - he bought a house last year and has been doing repairs.  So, it's entirely possible that he is "Withholding" money because he invested it into a house.

**edit 3:** Thank you again guys.  I am much more informed and feel more secure about this situation.  I don't want to get too deep into specifics because it's not related to legal advice, but at this point in time I am not going to press my sister to sue or try to obtain that money.  There are too many variables, and a lot of it has to do with my sister and her inability to handle that sum of money.  It is helpful to note that my sister was raised by an alcoholic father until she was 11 and then and a mother who is manic bipolar with suicidal tendencies for the duration of her adolescent life.  Her life is like 7-layer burrito dip, except instead of the 7 layers being filled with delicious ingredients, it's 7 layers of a shit. So, I am going to keep this information  and collaborate with my dad in an effort to help my sister reach levels of autonomy and get her into a better life situation.  After speaking with my father at length, I feel that he is genuine - he just lacks that empathy a lot of parents have.  I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt.

My dad has told me that he will not give her this money "until she shows him she is responsible".  While I do feel that statement is a little douche-y, I'm going to entertain the idea of putting myself in his shoes and realizing that this is literally the ONLY way my dad can salvage some sort of future for my sister.  My issue is with the "shows me she is responsible"...when will that be? How will he know?  For all I know, she might never be responsible enough in his eyes.  I'm going to have my dad make a list of what things my sister needs to do in her life in order for him to feel like she is responsible enough for that money.   For me, this is allowing my dad to be a dad the only way he knows how, and to get an idea of the time frame we are working with.  If our collaboration gets my sister into a better spot, and she has "shown" my father she is responsible by doing the things on that list and my dad makes an excuse - that is when I would urge my sister to pursue legal action.

Answer:
 Is the money in a UGMA/UTMA account with the dad as a custodian? Or in a trust?

If so, the age of majority in New York for those is 21. If her father refuses to sign over the account, she can sue for breach of fudiciary duty, and get a court order for the whole thing. If it's a trust, it's going to depend on the rules of the trust.

If the account is in her name already as a UTMA, it would already have benefits implications. It wouldn't have mattered if it was still under her custodians control.

I don't disagree with the advice the dad is giving, but he probably doesn't have a leg to stand on if she decides to sue. Answer #2: Not a lawyer, but... it feels like your dad has already spent the money.


Title: [Oklahoma, USA] Debt collector collecting for debt I have no record for.

Question:
So today my wife, not me but my wife, got a call asking for me. She hands me over the phone and I get a nice lady asking to verify information. I verify and she asks about a claim against me. I tell her I have not been given any information and I write down what a "claim" number and a number she gives me. This number is 844-220-1342.

Now here is the weird part.
She tells me that I have now been notified.
I asked of what.
She says my claim.
I asked what the claim was for.
At this point the phone hangs up.

 I do some googling and find this might be a scam. So I reverse dial the number. The number they called me on was 918-213-0720. I get an automated person tell me this is the investigation department, to hang up, and not to leave a message. I leave the phone on anyway. This gives me another automated message saying "Invalid response." Well then that means that there must be a valid response. I say "Leave message" and get the same response. So I pull up the dial pad on the phone. I start pressing buttons. I notice that almost all the numbers give me the same invalid response reply. Every number that is except 3. Besides a slight belief that this is proof for HL3 I decide to punch combinations of numbers. I fid that 345 gets me another message telling me the number is busy and to leave a message. I try a few more 34#s and I get the same thing. So I start at the beginning at 301. I find 303, 307, 308, and 311 give me the same message and the numbers in between are invalid. I then get Maria on extension 313. She asks me for a claim number. I don't give information freely to people like this so I ask her to look me up. She does again verifying the same information. She informs me I owe an online pay day loan that references my old unused GMX email, address, and my old but unused bank account. I ask who is the original debt is through. She informs me it's a company called Paragon Online Pay Day Loans. I tell her I have no knowledge of this debt and it does not show on any credit report. She tells me they don't report it to the credit companies. When I ask for more information she says a "Locator" should of given me that information. When I tell her no one has "located" me she kinda trails off. So I ask her what the company name is. She says Midwest and after explaining what I mean by national company she tells me they are located out of LA. I thank for her help and she informs me if I try to deal with this alone that they will not be able to help me.

Now I was talking to my wife and a similar call was made for me a month or two ago. The next step is to check in 2012 if there was a deposit of $600, the amount we "owe." That will have to be tomorrow since the account is so old it's now locked.

My question is could this be for real? If so the [according to #8 on this list](http://www.credit.com/debt/top-10-debt-collection-rights/) they haven't provided any real proof. Should I just ignore this from now on?
Topic:
Credit Debt Bankruptcy

Answer:
 By mentioning Half-Life 3 you have delayed it by 1 Month. Half-Life 3 is now estimated for release in August 2319
___
^I ^am ^a ^bot, ^this ^action ^was ^performed ^automatically. ^If ^you ^have ^feedback ^please ^message ^/u/APIUM- ^or ^for ^more ^info ^go ^to ^/r/WhenIsHL3


Title: Seller doesn't want to move now, 2 days after closing date agreed to and signed - GA (USA) - Dekalb County

Question:
Title says it all. My seller was unable to find "suitable" housing arrangements two days after he signed an amendment to the sales contract to close 2 weeks later, and has emailed and texted as much to say that he cannot move. He had "cancelled the sale of his house and notified the closing attorney." (I'm reaching out to the closing attorney to see if that's the case.)

Obviously, we could sue for specific performance if he doesn't show up to the closing appointment. At this point, we're pretty soured on the whole experience (this was a FSBO... I do not recommend!), and are pretty upset that we have to scramble to find a new place 5 weeks before we have to vacate our current home. We're not interested in a specific performance claim especially due to the timeline required for it to even work. I had a consult with an attorney that seems to indicate that consequential damages (short term storage, double moving fees, etc.) are not typically awarded by a judge, and that the only real damages I can sue for would be the difference in the fair market value (perhaps the appraised value) and the sales price, which is $9k. Attorney's fees are not explicitly called-out by the sales contract, though this seems egregious enough that we might have a good case.

My questions are:

- In GA, real estate is treated than most other states. Assuming this is $15k or less, could this be done in small claims court?
- Obviously, a legal battle with professional assistance is expensive and not guaranteed to be awarded as damages. What is a prudent course of action to seek damages but not to the point of a courtroom appearance? Strongly-worded letter, perhaps even a case filing, and then strategic dismissal?

For what it's worth, I've performed each and every action required by me in the contract, and can verify that.

Answer: You already had a GA attorney answer your questions. If you don't like his answers, talk to another attorney. You won't get better advice here.


Title: [CA] I backed out of my driveway and because of obstructions another driver crashed into the rear end of my car.

Question:
As the title says. The other driver (Driver B) hit my car (Driver A) and took out the rear metal defense, bumper and trunk off. Insurance declared it a total loss but I'm confused by all the lingo and I am trying to figure out if I am screwed or not.

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Also I (Driver A) have liability coverage and Driver B has full coverage. There is footage of the incident as well and it clearly shows they were driving fast and didn't react until they were 250 meters away after hitting the car.

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My questions are this;

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What does it mean if my insurance says my vehicle is total loss, do I get compensated since I can't drive the car ?

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The insurance already said they will not pay for x reasons (they changed the reasons 3 times), should I pursue legal action ?

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Am I in the wrong and should I consider dropping this, I got an email today stating that they are changing representatives regarding my claim, I'm not sure what to do and I would appreciate any advice, thank you in advance.

Answer: If they were driving down a road and you were backing out of a driveway, how would the wreck possibly be their fault?


Title: I know of a 15 year old year who is repeatedly getting physically abused by her parents

Question:
My friend who is 16 has a girlfriend who is getting abused. She is 15, and has gone to counselors there was nothing they could do. Went to other adults like her band director who also told her there’s nothing they can do. She has bruises on her arms and legs currently. Also, her mother owns an opera house, and one of the older men in the band touches on her and tries to grab her yet her mother does nothing. She says she has no family she trusts. I’m just an outside person in the situation and someone she has chosen to confide in. I really don’t know what to do.
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer: State matters. In florida not reporting this is a felony


Title: I think my girlfriend is having money taken from her paychecks and she wants it back

Question:
My girlfriend got a job as a teacher in Delaware in February, and signed a mid year contract for $30,000 annually, well on every paycheck there is a deduction titled Mdyrcntadj, for exactly $200, when she asked the payroll department as to what that adjustment was for they explained that it stands for Mid Year Contract Adjustment, and that she would have to ask the school why it was applied. When the school payroll person was notified by the state that my Girlfriend  was asking about that she came into her classroom and was mad that she even asked the state about it and told her it was because there are 27 pay periods this year instead of the normal 26.

this doesn't make sense to me at all i'm not sure why something titled Mid Year Contract Adjustment would be because of an extra paycheck,  because she has already lost over $2000, because in my mind an extra pay check would take $40+/- dollars out of every paycheck.

Please any advice or guidance would be much appreciated.

Answer: My advice would be to discuss it with her union rep if she can't get an answer that makes sense out of the payroll people.


Title: Mentally Unstable Neighbor

Question:
So ill be breezing by some details as this situation has been going on for over 2 years and is causing much difficulty in my life.

Basically, i live in an spartment complex with a board of directors where tenants own the apartments and pay maintenance fees rather than rent and utilities. A woman moved in below me about 2 years ago, and immediately began to complain about the normal sounds of me living my life, (ie i can hear you walking around, talking on the phone, using your sinks, showering, etc.) I worked 2 jobs at the time, and she complained about hearing me playing my bass guitar (note for the musically uninitiated: very low pitch instrument.)

She was told that her complaints were unreasonable, and to not bother me and my gf again. She then began to knock on my door weekly with a new complaint about some loud noise that no one (myself, maintenance, or the BODs) could hear or confirm the existance of. She alleges that its some kind of malicious plot orchestrated by me, a devious criminal mastermind, (/s) and that "i need to stop." Ive told her no less than 200 times, calmly and understandingly, that i was not responsible for the noise, but eventually lost my patience and ceased contact.

This eventually resulted in me filing a complaint on her, as her "door knocking confrontations" had gotten more frequent, and LSS, we has a meeting with the BOD where they told her basically that they dont hear the noise, its probably mechanical or from the heating/cooling system, and she needs to deal with it and leave us alone.

Great, right?

Well, shed been banging on her ceiling/my floor a few times, which i ignored, until Tuesday morning, im served with a protection order and a date to appear in court. The order alleges that i told her i carry a gun, (i have legally carried for years, long before she moved in, and NOT information i would share, especially not with her,) and that she feels this whole situation is racially motivated. So, we went to court, and despite me catching her in several bold-faced lies, the order is extended to both parties until the end of this year.

Now im terrified she is going to tell more lies and try to get me arrested for breaching the order. How do i legally protect myself moving forward when the entire situation is "he said/she said" and i have very little proof?

TLDR; unreasonable neighbor lies to get protection order, may lie again to get me arrested.

Answer:
 It's highly likely that the order was given out of an abundance of caution, but you're definitely doing the right thing by taking it seriously.

First, start keeping a log of every interaction, and make it clear in the log who initiated the interaction. Consider a doorbell camera - it'll show that she is initiating all this contact.

If this goes to court again, you need to get the complex's notes (and affidavits from neighbors) that show she's the one initiating baseless complaints out the wazoo.Answer #2: I advise you do two things.  First, obviously, abide by the court order.  Second, organize the evidence you have of her harassing you, of her lying to the court, to the BOD, etc., for use later if you get accused of anything.

If it's at all feasible to sell (or rent out) your unit and move elsewhere that would be a good idea.Answer #3: I had that downstairs neighbor! She complained that I drilled holes in 13" thick concrete floors from our apartment to hers and installed cameras to watch her. And of course no one else could see the cameras, they were invisible! I don't live there anymore....


Title: [Illinois]Veterinarian didn't tell us dog has cancer after out of pocket biopsy, can we get compensation in the form of treatment for our other dog

Question:
Last year we took dog A to the Vet to see if a tumor was cancerous and we never received a notification that it was cancerous on the next visit or over the phone. This month we took dog B to the vet to check out a tumor and the vet remembered the biopsy came back as cancer for dog A.

The cancer has since spread and is obviously untreatable. However, Dog B can be treated but our insurance won't cover the entire treatment.
Is it possible that we can get compensation for Dog A not being treated in the form of treatment for dog B?(Dog A is still alive but the cancer is terminal)

I'm not trying to drive this guy out of business, I'm just trying to keep my other dog alive

Answer: Almost certainly not. You knew dog A had a biopsy and were waiting to hear results which never came and you didn't think to call and check?


Title: Mechanic lied about car needing repairs. Cancelled appointment after getting a second opinion. Mechanic charging me for parts after not getting work done. [CA]

Question:
Went in to have an issue with my car fixed. While I was there the mechanic pointed out several things on my car that they said were broken or would need to be fixed ASAP as preventative measures. They stated their policy was to charge a $1,500 deposit (which I put on my credit card). One of the parts they claimed was broken had a warranty. When I got a second opinion they pointed out that almost 75% of the work they said needed to be done to the car did not in fact need to be done.

I called to cancel the appointment. The shop owner is stating they placed an order for parts and said now they will return the deposit minus a non-disclosed diagnostic fee (they said is waived when they preform the work) and for the parts. They won't provide any documentation that they have in fact placed the order for parts before I canceled. They said they are unwilling to return the parts even if there is the option from the vender. They have yet to accept any parts or have any of the parts in their possession.

Deposit was put on a credit card. Two things were signed. A signature for the credit card and a signature for an auto repair order that states that I authorize the itemized repair work to be done with the necessary materials and grant them permission to work on the car. No information about parts ordered, fees, etc..

I weary of doing a chargeback on my credit card. The shop is unwilling to cancel the deposit and has been very hostile. They are trying to utilize the deposit and withholding it to pressure me into continuing with the work. The parts they want to replace do not need replacing and these appear now to be the shop taking advantage of the situation where the car needs some service, but they've not be honest about all the repairs needed. Any part ordered does not need to be replaced.

Answer: Depending on the parts, you may be on the hook for restocking fees. You would be on the hook for diagnostic fees. Many shops waive that IF you get the work done. You aren't getting the work done so would owe that. Ask them to give you a quote for the fees you owe broken down.


Title: [QC CA] Festival renting street effectively landlocks some residents who have no other access to their homes than by going through the festival.

Question: [removed]

Answer:
 Which government agency grants the permits for these festivals? Could your neighborhood approach them as a group and explain the problem, and ask that the agency make some sort of exception for you all?Answer #2: You need to call the city.
They are already making you park away and walk to your house. They should not be allowed to search you when you show your drivers license or some kind of 'pass' they give you to prove you live there.

What would they do if you went grocery shopping during the event and had to bring in your food and drinks to get to your house? Answer #3: Does the festival prevent you from carrying alcohol to your homes?


Title: Coworker willing working "off-the-clock" and affects other people.

Question:
I have a co-worker that willingly works off the clock all the time.
He works for two departments. He makes more money at the other department, so only works 5 hours with us once a week.
Part-time are only allowed to work a maximum of 25 hours per week at the college we work at. No more. They do no give part-time benefits, or overtime. I know this for sure.  He will constantly come in and stay WAY past the hours doing work. I have seen him stay as late as 9-10pm doing work off the clock. I have even seen him come in on Saturdays and do work for our department. When he is not scheduled to work. He works 8am-1pm everyday. Even though he says he's on the clock. Which he thinks hes on the clock because he "clocked" in. But I know he isn't getting paid for those hours even if he is "clocked" in. They will still only put 25 hours max on the payroll when they submit Monday morning, and truncate those extra hours. My boss will constantly ask him to come in when myself and the other tech refuse to come because we are over the hours to do work. I know my boss knows he's working off the clock. Because he has to talk to my boss about the hours hes going to work with us. My coworker is a push over and will never say no. He doesn't like confrontation, and people take advantage of him all the time. Even asking him to buy lunch.
This is also problematic, because the other techs sometimes have no work to do because he did it all off the clock, and we lose hours as well.

What should we do?

Answer: You do nothing. It has nothing to do with you. If he chooses to volunteer his time then that is his choice.


Title: Sister was just told that they are going to lay her off even though she has 2 months before she returns from maternity leave (Santa Clara, CA)

Question:
She lives in Santa Clara, CA.

My sister has been on maternity leave the past few months. Prior to leaving, her boss quit and she ended up getting a new boss that was based in another state (where HQ was). Since she went on leave, everyone on her team quit (4 of them), with her being the only remaining one. They were all offered incentive packages to stay until end of the year, but they all declined.

In the meantime, the company hired consultants to do the work. The consultants are based in the Santa Clara office.

She was just informed by one of the upper management that they are building out a team in the other state and that they would love to have her relocate. However, he was under the assumption that she was returning in August, but she actually won't be back until September. So before he could respond to that, he said he would prefer to speak alongside HR and would call her next week.

So her assumption is that they are going to lay her off. We heard that we might not have much since the company is "relocating", but the situation just sucks since my sister is a new mother with very real bills to pay.

Do we have any legal recourse here? Or anything we should research/prepare before she gets the official HR notice about her layoff or severance/relocation offer?

Answer: They don't have to hold her job past twelve weeks at all so an offer of relocation after those twelve weeks are up is more than they are required to do Answer #2: She is making a big assumption. They certainly can relocate and offer her the same or similar job. It is up to her if she wants to move.


Title: Recently FI from parents, but they're keeping my car

Question:
I'm a young adult from Oregon, recently forced into financial independence by my parents. I will have to take time off of school, so I can work and actually survive between loans and whatnot. I'm figuring all that out and it's fine, but my main issue is that my parents have ownership of my car. The car was gifted to me on my 16th birthday, but my parents put it in their name. Even since I turned 18, they still refuse to turn the car over to me, saying that they'll give it to me after I graduate college. Now that they no longer support me in any way, I need a car. My brother was gifted $2000 for his 16th, that my parents let him keep and put towards his car. So, the way I see it, is they should either give me my car, or pay me the $2000 it's worth. Is there anything that can help me out legally, even though the car is in their name? I have a picture proof that the car was gifted to me, there's a picture of me unwrapping the key, and then standing outside the car with my grandparents. The car has a bow and balloons attached to it.

I know the car isn't worth much. I wish I was able to just walk away and leave it be. But I can't afford a car on my own.

EDIT: I wasn't clear. The car was a gift from my grandparents for my 16th birthday. my parents put the car in their name because I was 16 and idk their logic but yeah it happened. fast forward 2 years, my brother turns 16 and he is gifted $2000 from my grandparents that my parents allow him to keep and put towards his car. Now I am 21, and need my car, but my parents refuse to turn it over to me.
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 >he car was gifted to me on my 16th birthday, **but my parents put it in their name.**

Not your car son.


Title: Vegan for six years, intentionally served meat and dairy at a restaurant [CA]

Question:
Hi, as the title states I've been vegan for 6 years, meaning no meat or animal products like dairy. At a recent lunch with my boyfriend, I told the wait staff when I ordered to please not use any meat or dairy products on my food- even though I ordered what looked like vegan friendly options, a lot of non vegan places use butter or chicken stock in their recipes so I always let them know. I specified it's not an allergy so they didn't need to wash/sanitize all their equipment since I know that's annoying. I try to be reasonable.

When I received my food I didn't immediately notice anything wrong- there's lots of vegan options nowadays that taste almost indistinguishable from the real thing. About halfway through the meal I started to feel like something tasted off, so I called over the server and asked him to double check with the kitchen. He was gone for a while, like ten minutes, and then the manager came out. He told me they "did their best to accommodate" my "extreme dietary restrictions" but that they "can't change their recipes for every vegan oddball" that eats there. The whole time he seemed to be suppressing laughter. I asked why the waiter didn't let me know the recipes couldn't be altered so I could order something else and I swear to God the manager rolled his eyes and told me that I shouldn't expect a waiter to be "at my every beck and call." At this point I realized this was going nowhere useful and we decided to cut our losses and get the check. The waiter was really apologetic so I don't think he was in on anything, so we left him a nice tip and took the rest of the meal home. (My boyfriend is not vegan so he could finish what I don't eat). The check definitely had "no meat no dairy" under the notes for my meal.

I've kept some of the food in a separate container as well as the receipt in case we need to somehow prove my request was intentionally ignored. The night of and day after the meal I experienced some pretty extreme... I'll just say Gastrointestinal distress. It was extremely unpleasant. I was on the toilet multiple times that night. I'm not exaggerating when I say it was miserable; suddenly reintroducing food you haven't had in six years is not pleasant. That's aside from the ethical issues I have with the agriculture industry, which I'm embarrassed to admit had me crying on the car home. It's been really important to me to minimize harm to animals and I kind of felt like a failure leaving the restaurant. I try really hard not to be abrasive or demanding, and I would have been perfectly happy to have an order of fries and be done with it if they had a problem changing the recipe. They never gave me the chance.

So my question is kind of multi part. First off, I know allergies are considered a disability, and I said I don't have an allergy because small amounts of cross contamination aren't the end of the world. However, is it criminal to intentionally put something in someone's food like that? I imagine it would be discrimination to tell a Jew that they were eating turkey bacon but it was really pork, but I know veganism isn't a protected class. If it's not criminal, do I have the grounds for a civil suit? I know my damages aren't that substantial and it's not a chain restaurant so the payout would be almost nil but I don't really want money, I just want there to be some sort of consequence for this. Maybe it's a health code violation or something? I'm not sure.

Any insight or advice welcome. I know it might not seem like a big deal to have meat with one meal but it's well documented for difficult it is to digest those kinds of proteins when you've been vegan for so long.

Thanks in advance!

Answer:
 Not criminal, barely civilly actionable. You have no quantifiable damages. Sorry, just chalk it up to life. Answer #2: Leave a bad review, move on.

Unless you want to pay to get your food tested for animal product *and* can prove willful negligence on the part of the restaurant, you don't really have anything you can take to court over.


Title: Just a dumb question, 18+ for subject matter

Question: So you guys know those ads on certain adult videos that are like “Play this game now and cum in 40 seconds!” Just wondering if they could be hypothetically sued for false advertising? Most of them are scams in other ways anyways and I just think it would be really funny to see one of these companies be taken to court because some guy didn’t cum in the allotted amount of time.

Answer: This isn't that difficult of a question. Hyperbole is allowed in ads, even if they're for a porn site. Just like you can say "World's best" without actually having to prove it's the world's best, or even not the worst.


Title: [PA] Me and my Wife are separated, she is currently pregnant with her current boyfriends child.

Question:
I've been looking around online and haven't found much in the way of specifics on what U should do now.

But I just recently found out that my still-wife-but separated is pregnant with, I assume, her current boyfriends child. I do not live with them and there is absolutely zero chance that this child is mine. We stopped having sex about 6 months before we separated and only see each other to hand off our current daughter.

What I'm curious about is what should I be doing go protect myself during this time. As it stands there is no alimony or child support payments for our daughter. We have joint a  custody arrangement. This works out well for both of us.

My concerns going forward are that I will be presumed to be this child's father and be on the hook for child support even though it isn't mine. I have no plans to care for it, her current boyfriend can step up. Any advice is appreciated.

Answer: Hi, I think this is lawyer time. The PA hospital will automatically write your name on the birth certificate if you are still married when the baby is born. I think it might be divorce time too, because if you and her are still legally married at the birth, even if the real dad wants his name on the certificate, they legally have to put yours. Also, even getting a divorce right now might not be enough to get your name off. Lawyer time OP.


Title: Employer threatening to fire me if I don't try the food (NH)

Question:
I recently started a job at a restaurant as a cashier/host. My boss and the chef said I must try the food so I can help customers choose what they want to eat, and to answer questions regarding the taste. The thing is, it's at an Italian restaurant where meat and dairy is pretty much included in every dish, except for our salad. I was born and raised vegan and never have knowingly had meat or dairy in my life. I really like my job and the people I work with, but I don't want to try the food. Even if I agreed, I can't imagine how my body would react in the middle of my shift. I am familiar with the menu and everything in it, as well as asked my coworkers how it tastes. I never had a problem with a customer regarding the menu.

At first I thought they were joking about letting me go, but the chef and manager on duty pulled me aside and very sternly told me they have no problem replacing me.

Can this happen?

Thanks
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer: Yes, veganism is not a protected class. They can let you go for not trying the food.


Title: Will I get into serious legal trouble if I use someone else's credit card?

Question: Someone hacked into my apple account and linked it with their credit card. Thinking of purchasing a bunch of apps but wondering if I'll get into any legal trouble.

Answer: You're not serious are you? Of course it's illegal to use somebody else's credit card without their permission. It's fraud.


Title: (ND/MN) What happens to a child if his mom dies and he doesn't have a dad?

Question:
One of my best friends from high school had a major stroke last July, and it has made her mentally and physically disabled. She has a six year old son who has lived with me since then. Her condition is worsening, and she is at risk for another stroke that could kill her. She can barely remember her own name at the moment. No legal documents have been signed making me his guardian. This all happened so suddenly.

His dad's never been in his life. His only other relatives are her parents, who occasionally pick him up for a few hours when they feel like it. Her mom is morbidly obese and in a wheelchair, and they have said they don't want their grandson to live with them.

I'm fine with him staying with me forever, and he gets along with my kids. Legally, I don't have the right to dictate that though.

What will happen if she passes away?
Will he get sent to his dad (listed on the birth certificate)? His grandparents? Put in foster care?

Answer: CPS will need to get involved if the dad isn't around. You could check into adoption of the child if the mom & dad is willing. If you adopt the child then if she passes away you will be the parent already.


Title: [IL] Government Intern Fired, Social Media

Question:
I was an unpaid intern with a government entity. I was fired for social media posts. He did not tell me what those posts were and where he found them. He just said "You know what you said" and fired me.

My supervisors have all been happy with my work, they had no complaints and they had no idea why their boss wanted to talk to me before he fired me.

I don't post anything under my real name or shared where I worked on anything but on linkedin.

I know government employees get pretty good first amendment protections and several public employees have won lawsuits for being improperly fired for even blatantly racist or inappropriate posts, which I have never posted.

Did they illegally fire me?

Answer:
 > Did they illegally fire me?

They did not.


Title: Is it illegal to import magic mushroom spores from US to CANADA?

Question:
Is it illegal to import Magic Mushroom spore syringes from the US to CANADA? As far as I can see from research it's not illegal to have spores- but it is illegal to sell magic mushrooms. Can't find any information on importing.
Can the Boarder Police have a search warrant against you if they hold spores at the boarder?
What are my rights if this were to happen? Would I get a lawyer?
What would you do if you were to be investigated?

Answer: Don't transport controlled substances across international borders.


Title: [California] $1000 dollar fee for no show on fix it ticket

Question:
Im.currently a full time student and I am completely independent from my family. Awhile back I received a fix it ticket but later ending up selling the car ; which caused me to forget about the ticket. Now it's gone to collections along with a fine of $1000 along with my license being suspended.

I am not in a financial situation to afford my ticket, but I do need my license reinstated as that if my means of making money (i.e. driving at least 15-20 miles for work.)

I was just wondering if anyone has any advice on how to approach this situation. Thank you.

Answer:
 Well, you aren't getting your license back until you pay the fine/fees. You can contact the court and try to work out a payment plan, but that is typically reserved for people before they fail to appear.

Edit: TypoAnswer #2: If you didn't fix the ticket in time you're stuck with paying and you'll have to pay before you get your license reinstated. You could see about getting a small loan to help with this if you're in a tight situation.


Title: Preventing Liquor Stores from Selling to Alcoholic?

Question:
jpfrwjgpirwjgpirwjgpirwjgi rwhgrwpigrw grw grw[grwi 00g9-24u9 -24- R#_@(F@$_(F V@Rmjn-9fvjr2-9 2JR @_(Fj -92J F_(@J_( F@JF_( @FJH*R @J+F @+ jpfrwjgpirwjgpirwjgpirwjgi rwhgrwpigrw grw grw[grwi 00g9-24u9 -24- R#_@(F@$_(F V@Rmjn-9fvjr2-9 2JR @_(Fj -92J F_(@J_( F@JF_( @FJH*R @J+F @+ jpfrwjgpirwjgpirwjgpirwjgi rwhgrwpigrw grw grw[grwi 00g9-24u9 -24- R#_@(F@$_(F V@Rmjn-9fvjr2-9 2JR @_(Fj -92J F_(@J_( F@JF_( @FJH*R @J+F @+ jpfrwjgpirwjgpirwjgpirwjgi rwhgrwpigrw grw grw[grwi 00g9-24u9 -24- R#_@(F@$_(F V@Rmjn-9fvjr2-9 2JR @_(Fj -92J F_(@J_( F@JF_( @FJH*R @J+F @+ jpfrwjgpirwjgpirwjgpirwjgi rwhgrwpigrw grw grw[grwi 00g9-24u9 -24- R#_@(F@$_(F V@Rmjn-9fvjr2-9 2JR @_(Fj -92J F_(@J_( F@JF_( @FJH*R @J+F @+ jpfrwjgpirwjgpirwjgpirwjgi rwhgrwpigrw grw grw[grwi 00g9-24u9 -24- R#_@(F@$_(F V@Rmjn-9fvjr2-9 2JR @_(Fj -92J F_(@J_( F@JF_( @FJH*R @J+F @+ jpfrwjgpirwjgpirwjgpirwjgi rwhgrwpigrw grw grw[grwi 00g9-24u9 -24- R#_@(F@$_(F V@Rmjn-9fvjr2-9 2JR @_(Fj -92J F_(@J_( F@JF_( @FJH*R @J+F @+ jpfrwjgpirwjgpirwjgpirwjgi rwhgrwpigrw grw grw[grwi 00g9-24u9 -24- R#_@(F@$_(F V@Rmjn-9fvjr2-9 2JR @_(Fj -92J F_(@J_( F@JF_( @FJH*R @J+F @+
Topic:
Alcohol Related Other than DUI

Answer:
 There is no specified format. Are you in Allegany, Carroll, Charles, Harford, Kent, Montgomery, Queen Anne’s or Washington county?

>[Your Name and Address]
>
>[Date]
>
>Dear Owners and Managers of [Name of Store] located at [Address of Store]:
>
>I am [Your Name] of [Your Address]. This notice is in regards to my mother, [Mom's Name as appears on ID], whose legal address is [Address on Mom's ID]. I am over 18 years of age and I attest that Y is of intemperate habits as described in Md. Ann. Code art. 2B, § 12-110.
>
>You, your agents, employees, and affiliates are hereby given notice under Md. Ann. Code art. 2B, § 12-110, and that I hereby request you not sell, barter, furnish or give any intoxicating beverages to Y.
>
>If you have any questions or concerns, I may be contacted at [contact].
>
>Signed,
>
>[Signature]

If you want to go all-out, have each original notarized and have the notary mail it return-receipt certified to each store, as well as a copy to you and to whatever agency licenses that store -- look for the certificate they have up on the wall. If you want to be a smart-ass, replace "Signed" with "Conduct yourselves accordingly." Answer #2: I had no idea statutes like this existed.


Title: [CO] Dog attack

Question: A couple of weeks ago my dog was attacked by a pitbull who escaped the owners backyard. I called the police and animal control came and gave the owner a summons. We accumulated around $500 in vet bills. What are my next steps? Do I take him the vet bills and ask to pay? I provide the police a copy of the vet bills so I don't know if I need to wait for him to go to court and see what happens and if the judge orders him to pay them. I guess I am just wondering how do we get our vet bills reimbursed?

Answer:
 > Do I take him the vet bills and ask to pay?

That's a good start. If they refuse, you can sue in small claims court.


Title: [MI] I am a maintenance person for a large apartment complex being accused of taking a bottle of painkillers while the lady was home.

Question: Let me start by saying that I did nothing that the resident is claiming. We have had issues with her in the past. Thursday night I receive an emergency call from a lady stating that she noticed a foundation leak in her bedroom. I call her back to say there wasn't much I could do at the moment since it was so late. I told the resident that I would be by in the morning to cut wall and put a blower and a dehumidifier in to dry it out. I arrive at 10:30 and she lets me in to start work. She goes with her dog into the bathroom and I go into the bedroom to start the work. Once I'm done cutting the wall and cleaning up I bring her into the bedroom to show her the crack, how to empty the dehumidifier, and to ask her to move things away from the outlet since I needed power for the equipment. Nothing out of the ordinary when it comes to the work. I leave to go take lunch but receive a text from my manager asking to see her after lunch. I meet with her and that's when she says the resident I dealt with earlier is saying that I took a whole bottle of vicodin. My manager knows I didn't do this but had to call me up to get my side of things. All of this was Friday but today, Monday, I get called back up to my managers office where he had a card from a detective who wanted a talk with him and myself. We called but had to leave a voicemail since the detective was not available. Not sure how I should proceed.

Answer: Perhaps this woman has a drug problem. Having a police report saying your drugs were stolen is a way you can get more drugs, especially if the "theft" occurred on the 1st, when she would have presumably had a full bottle of Vicodin. I have seen a similar situation with one of my tenants before, who said their daughter's boyfriend had stole their pills when the story was blatantly not true since he was high as a kite for like 2 weeks. I would definitely suggest to your management that no maintenance is ever alone in her apartment. It doesn't seem like you will have a legal issue from this. If your city is like mine, small theft reports are basically useless, even with video proof.


Title: What should I know before marrying a Chinese national?

Question:
I am an American male, and am dating a Chinese international student. We have been dating for 2 years, and we've decided to tie the knot.

There are MANY complications it seems when it comes to marrying a non-american, especially from China. I know some basics, she needs to stick around for the green card process, can't leave the country... But other than that, I'm at a loss. I'll be meeting with a legitimate legal advisor about it soon, but I'd like to know more about the process of marrying a Chinese citizen, and maybe some good questions to ask a lawyer.
Topic:
Immigration

Answer:
 Know that as long as she has family in China, she and your family will be monitored by the Chinese government, and she will have to comply with any requests from them or her relatives could lose their jobs, be unable to travel, get kicked out of any private schools, have investments confiscated and potentially jailed.

There's been numerous incidences of US citizens being asked to steal technology from their places of employment by Chinese officials, on threat of jailing and torturing their family members who remained in China.  Many times the relatives were indeed locked up for months or years.

And never use WeChat, Baidu or AliExpress.Answer #2: https://my.uscis.gov/exploremyoptions/petition_for_spouse

Try /r/immigration for advice, in addition to this sub.


Title: Mom wants to put her house in my name - help me understand possible consequences

Question:
Hello,

I am a young married professional on the west coast. My mom, who's 70 and divorced from my dad, lives on the east coast in the house i grew up in. She is retired and has a great pension and health coverage and is comfortable but not well-off. She is now really thinking through her estate plan, end-of-life decisions, etc.  She is seeing a lawyer in the next month or so to update her plans and think about a strategy.

She has floated the idea of putting her house in my name, i.e. deeding it to me and/or putting my name on the title (?). She would pay the mortage and live there and (she says) I would have no responsibility for anything. She believes this will help if, for example, she has some health catastrophe and "they" try to "take" her house. (The house is worth perhaps $300K and she owes roughly $150K on it. It's very small but in good shape and in a perennially hot market.)

I am totally fine with having the house in my name but I don't really know what the unintended consequences might be, and I can't really consult a lawyer at the moment but I will if I have to. Can anyone give me a sense of the kind of trouble I might get into? Or is this a neutral thing? I don't imagine, nor do I expect, any benefit for myself, I just don't want to have some awful unintended consequence befall me or my mom, or get surprised by a bizarre tax situation, or whatever. I don't think her attorney will steer *her* wrong but I want to think about it from my perspective.

Thanks for any thoughts or advice. I'll post this to r/personalfinance too.

Answer: It may be fine, but if your mom needed something that would require Medicaid (long term care, etc), there is a 5 year look back period. You should have an estate planning attorney for this.Answer #2: She may be better off to put the home, and possibly other major assets, into a revocable living trust. It accomplishes what she wants to do without any financial entanglements/risks that might affect you prior to her death. She really wants to see an attorney who specializes in estate planning.Answer #3: The main thing I could think of is that if she defaults on any of her payments or other fees on the house, it goes against *your* credit and not hers. This may be what she meant by saying that you having the deed will keep the state from taking her house away; if you absorb the financial damage they technically can't for a while.


Title: Girlfriend refused ambulance, was detained anyway

Question: So in this recent shit show, my girlfriend was detained at a venue for throwing up and put on an ambulance after repeatedly denying the EMTs. In addition, the EMTs on the scene cleared her of need to get sent to a hospital, but someone at the hospital overruled it. Currently in the hospital and they won't tell us who overruled the EMT diagnosis and the doctor claims to not know what a HPI is (he definitely knows). However, the doctor also said that she appears fine. In addition, the police on the scene threated to detain me for public intoxication despite the dean of the college being on site and confirming that I was sober. At this point, they've effectively said 'don't ask questions or we will arrest you'. My girlfriend is currently on the hook for an ambulance ride that she refused in a private location. My goal out of all of this is have the campus police who wrongfully detained her pay for the ambulance. They've ruined a very very expensive night and now the trip to the hospital will be another couple thousand dollars. Do we have any recourse?

Answer:
 This is going to be very fact based, and you won't be able to get any definitive answers here. Presumably someone thought that your girlfriend lacked capacity to refuse transport and treatment.

How old is she? What was she under the influence of? Answer #2: Medical Control was called to approve the patient refusal, which is standard procedure, and medical control decide that your girlfriend was not capable of refusing treatment for any number of reasons. There are many rules and steps to take for a patient refusal, and it sounds like each one was taken by the EMTs. If your girlfriend was drunk or under the influence of anything else, the EMTs and Medical control cannot accept a patient refusal because she is not in control of her faculties and able to refuse. This is where implied consent comes into play, and just because you don't want to pay for the ambulance and because everything is fine now, doesnt mean that at that time it wasn't medically warranted. They don't just detain people without good reason and without making sure they legally can do so.

It sounds like there was some drunk or disorderly behavior going on and that the cops are trying to let you off easy by simply going to the hospital instead of facing arrest.


Title: [CA] Groomsman passed out at my wedding due to heat exhaustion, should the venue pay for his medical bill?

Question: A groomsman (my brother) passed out at a wedding due to heat exhaustion this past weekend and he went to the hospital in an ambulance. The wedding was in a tent and it had poor ventilation. The venue said the front flap would be pinned up for ventilation but it was not and there were a few small slits in the tent but it was very hot. How should we proceed from here?

Answer:
 Oh please. Really? You don't think this had anything to do with you choosing to have your wedding in a tent in CA in the height of summer?

Edit: I think your brother might have a case against you for being so stupid though.


Title: Not sure if this is the right subreddit but is what my mom and I did illegal?

Question:
My mother for the past week has been going nuts and ranting to me about this blue car that follows her when she goes on runs. Now, at first I took this with a grain of salt because she's a very very paranoid person. This car could just be a person who gets off work around the same time my mom goes on runs.

So my mom decided to run at some different times now. And apparently she saw the same car. So now she's begging me to come with her, to just walk a fair distance behind her when she runs. I'm not exactly a super tough guy or anything but I'm pretty big so she tends to feel safer around me.

So we're walking and sure enough we see a blue car. My mom walks back to me and says ''Oh god I think that's him, if I saw his face I could recognize him." So I'm like eh fuck it. Let's walk around to try and get a glimpse of his face. So like an idiot I wave at his rear view mirror and begin walking sort of towards his car. The guy immediately floors it and drives off.

Half of me is worried that I was walking towards some random guy who got paranoid that these two people were walking towards his car so he booked it. I've had some awkward run in's with the police before and I was wondering if I could get in trouble for walking towards a stranger's car.

Answer:
 >I could get in trouble for walking towards a stranger's car.

You don't state your location, so it's hard for me to say for sure, but I can't think of any jurisdiction where it's illegal to walk towards somebody's car on a public road.


Title: Being asked to remove a positive LinkedIn recommendation (Texas)

Question:
So, I voluntarily left a company at the beginning of this year. A contractor with that company had his contract expire at the end of the year, and it was not renewed, so that contractor asked me for a recommendation on LinkedIn. I gave him a positive recommendation; I mentioned the things I feel he did well, and did not mention things that I think should have been done better. When I made the recommendation, LinkedIn asked me about how we knew each other, so I indicated that we both worked at that company, and what our working relationship was at the time ("worked in the same group").  This was about a month ago.

This morning the owner of the company texted me asking me to remove the positive recommendation, because "it's untrue". I told the owner that I didn't feel right doing that, as I believe what I wrote IS true. The owner replied that he disagrees, and that the contractor is now suing him (it's my understanding that the suit is about the owner refusing to pay the contractor part of the monthly set amount for the final month of the contract). He wants me to at least disassociate the company from the recommendation.

1. Is what the owner asking me to do legal?
2. If it's not legal and I decide to do as the owner asks (which I'm not inclined to do) would I then be doing something illegal?
3. Am I doing anything illegal?

Note: I'm not in the legal industry. While googling about this I could only really find discussions on it that involved the ethics around endorsements and recommendations for those in the legal field.

EDIT/FOLLOWUP: Thanks for the responses, everyone, I appreciate it. Nothing further has happened yet.

Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 It could be a very bad idea for the company to seek to remove the review, since it could be evidence related to the lawsuit.

You could consider telling the company guy that you'd be happy to do it, if the request is made in writing by the attorney or firm handling the company's defense to the suit.

That would at least give his attorney a chance to tell him "hell no!"


Title: Could I claim copyright over a vacation photo I asked a stranger to take?

Question:
First, I know that under US copyright law, the person who takes a picture owns the copyright, unless it's "work for hire".

A very common scenario: I'm on vacation, and I hand my camera to a stranger to take a picture of me. I have no record of who this stranger is, or vice versa.

99% of the time, I'm only using that photo for personal use, and no one cares.

What if I decide to make commercial use of that photo, and the stranger somehow finds out and claims copyright ownership?

Would I have any grounds to stand on? Could I claim it was "work for hire" although no explicit contract existed (and there was no consideration given to the stranger  in exchange for copyright transfer)?

Has there ever been an actual legal case for something like this?

(Ironically, the closest example I can think of is the famous monkey selfie case, but the facts are obviously very different there. :p)

Answer:
 You can't claim work for hire without a contract.Answer #2: NAL, but would they first have to prove they took the photo to claim copyright ownership?

If so, I'd doubt they would be able to claim it.


Title: [CALIFORNIA] Going through photo album of myself as a kid, there are a few nude baby photos? Is it CP?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: No it's not CP.


Title: Moved into smaller home, sold many items totaling $1,600 to a woman who has turned out to be a scammer. Looking for advice on steps to take.

Question:
While moving into a smaller home due to to going from 4 people living in home to just two of us, I had to sell/get rid of lots of things that simply would not fit in the new home.

I sold 1,600 dollars worth of items to one lady who seems to be about as honest and sweet as possible. Looking back this in itself should of been a red flag. So what I have, I have a contract that I wrote up listing the items sold and their individual prices, I have it dated, and signed by both of us. I have $1,200 of checks she wrote after giving me a $400 down payment. I would then deposit 300 a week is what we worked out. She explained she was on social security, etc, and it would be helpful it I cashed the checks in that manner. I will never make this mistake again obviously. I have her name/address/cell number Photo of her loading the items in her vehicle/trailer so I have her license plate also.

What should I do, Who should I contact first? What if any chances do I have on actually getting paid? I appreciate the time to read this and give any advice. Thanks. Feel free to ask for any more info or just let me know im an idiot and shit out of luck lol.

edit - located in Dallas, Texas.

Answer: Did the checks bounce?


Title: Can I sue over potential lost profit?

Question:
Hi, Ticketmaster wrongfully cancelled some tickets of mine that I planned to resell. If I can prove the tickets were cancelled wrongfully, can I sue for the resale value (replacement value) of the tickets versus for the purchase price of the tickets? Ticketmaster did refund my purchase price.

I was planning to sue in small claims court for breach of contract so I wasn't planning on getting a lawyer. Their "terms of use" does state that they can cancel my account and orders for "no reason". However, they cancelled my ticket orders for violating the "posted ticket limit" which I didn't do.

Answer: Usually resale is against their terms of service. You could sue them but you won't get any fruit. You got a refund, take it and run.


Title: [CA] DUI while outside of my car.

Question:
Short story is I got a DUI a month ago. It's my second, the first was in 2008.

The officer claimed I didn't come to a complete stop at a stop sign late one night. I saw him turn his headlights on and I pulled into a nearby gas station, turned the car off and got out of my car. He went around the block and and pulled up as I was outside of my car.

The regular line of questioning started - "You know why I pulled you over? You been drinking?" etc.

I refused the field sobriety test and breathalyzer. Took a blood test at the station. I haven't received a copy of the police report yet, so I don't know what the results are.

I have an attorney handling my DMV hearing, but I haven't raised the retainer fees to have him handle my case. I went today for my arraignment, and told them I had an attorney. They've given me until next Friday (8/12) to come back. I have been unable to get ahold of my attorney and I'm kinda freaking out.

I have no idea what to do from here. Can anyone provide some insight?

Answer:
 Just because you were no longer in your car when he pulled up does not mean that you cannot be charged with a DUI. Answer #2: I'm not sure what kind of advice you're looking for here.

You don't have to be in your car when contacted by the police in order to get a DWI.

The police just need evidence that you were driving while intoxicated- which they seem to have plenty of here.

So there's no magic "get out of DWI free" card here.  You need a lawyer to represent you in the criminal case if you hope to minimize the legal consequences of your actions.


Title: Got an Auto loan for my GF, what if we broke up?

Question:
So I just recently got an Auto Loan for my GF. We've been dating for almost 2 years but I would just like to know what my options are in case something happens.

Everything is legally in my name, (Loan, Title, Purchase receipts, etc.) and we are coming up on our first monthly payment.

If we broke up down the road, what options do I have? I would honestly just prefer her to keep paying me the monthly amount we've agreed on so I can continue to build my credit - but in case she decides to stop paying me.
It was a relatively small loan of $6k and I could easily make monthly payments + even reimburse her for all the money she had already paid off.

Sorry if this should be in personal finance, but I figured I'd ask here first!

EDIT: USA, CO.

Answer:
 Sounds like you got an auto loan for your own car that you let your gf use.

If its all in your name its all yours.


Title: Former employer refusing to pay me til he opens a new store and makes money off it.

Question: I recently quit working for someone who ran two separate business at the same time (Maryland). One was a video game store, the other a coffee shop. Back in May the coffee shop went under. My former employer was pulling funds from the video game store to pay bills for the coffee shop. When the coffee shop went under they declared bankruptcy. I am still owed 3 pay checks from the coffee shop. My former employer is now trying to reopen a coffee shop in another state (Pennsylvania). He is refusing to pay me the money I am owed til he opens the new store and starts making a profit. Two of my checks I have in hand but can't cash because they will bounce. My final check was never submitted to payroll. He managed to pay 4 other employees what they were owed when the store shut down, but refuses to pay me and one other person because our checks were too big. Ever since June he has been telling me that the new store will open soon. But each month he blames the property managers for not being able to open the store yet. Everytime I talk to him about it, he just says I'm causing drama. I don't know what to do, I just want to know how certain it will be that he will actually pay me. I have no money left, I'm unemployed, and I have bills due. I texted him last night saying that I felt that he wasn't trying all he could to do right by me and he just ignored my message. What can I do short of getting lawyers and police involved?

Answer: File a wage claim in Maryland by [starting here](https://www.google.com/#q=maryland+wage+claim).


Title: I Don't Feel Safe.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 You are an adult. *You* need to call Child Aid Services about this, because he's putting your younger brother at risk and your family (and you) are allowing this abuse. Answer #2: Do you know if he is using drugs? If this is a sudden change of behaviour he could be taking something.

Punching holes in the wall and hitting your father is crossing the line when it comes to violence. Your only option may be calling the police on him when he has his next episode.


Title: [NJ] A business owner is suing me over negative Yelp rating. The business is suing for $2500 in small claims court for defamation.

Question:
[removed]
Topic:
Removed - PII

Answer:
 Check your home owners or renters insurance policy to see if it covers defamation of character (surprisingly some insurance policies do cover this).  If it does, consider turning it over to your insurance company.  In a number of states (and I don't know about NJ) someone being sued in small claims court has the option of moving it to Superior Court (which the Insurance company would do) and then have their attorneys handle it.  This would raise the costs for the small business suing you.

The real question of defamation is if what you posted is actually factual and if you can back up your statements as actual provable facts.

Note - I was sued for defamation (because I had to sue for eviction - the couple would not pay nor would they move), and my home owners insurance policy took over.  The couple counter suing me, could not compete with the Insurance company and neither could their lawyer.
Answer #2: Make sure to update in your yelp review that this company files retaliatory lawsuits when they can't bully people into pulling bad reviews. Answer #3: I still don't understand why you took it as a negative that the cleaning service said he could fit you in for sunday, sounds like he was trying to be flexible to fit you in, and you sound like a pain in the ass.  That being said I doubt he will get a dime.Answer #4: You should also contact Yelp directly. They have an economic interest in protecting people's rights to write bad reviews. If people could no longer write bad reviews, Yelp would no longer be useful and would go out of business. They may have resources to help you.


Title: ~$600 check sent in my name to my home address from random Law Corporation

Question:
Based in California and got a check from an insurance company (CSE Insurance) for ~$600. It said for "out-of-pocket rental" during a time I was abroad and I didn't make any rentals at the time

I called the company to clarify and they mentioned it sent to them from a Law Corporation, so they wouldn't be able to correct any errors or confirm the reason why the check was sent. It was also under a credit card that I do not own (confirmed via last 4 digits)

Since I'm pretty confident this is an error, I yelped the Law Corporation and they said they'd get back to me but haven't yet.

So my question for y'all is: **is this a scam of some sort, and will I get in any legal trouble for cashing the check?** I would return it if they respond, but if it's something that really can't be undone I wouldn't want $600 evaporating in 90 days

Any insights would be great thanks so much!

Answer:
 You should check your credit report.
Don’t cash that check.


Title: My best friend has been arrested for being a drug mule in Europe. Sentence and extradition to United States questions.

Question:
From what I understand so far, while on vacation she was offered money to make pick ups and drop offs of ecstasy in a single country in the Shengen area. I dont want to be specific because I know she would not want me telling anyone about this and someone may look it up and I am super paranoid right now. This country has a pretty close relationship with the united states as well as an extradition agreement.

From my research I see that this country has relatively low sentencing times compared to what people would get in the united states. My first question is if extradited what kind of sentence will she get as a first time offender for the 18 kilos she was caught with. My second question is how normal is it for the united states to have someone who committed a crime like this where the usa was not involved at all extradited. I am freaking out that if she is sent here I will lose my best friend forever. The cases I looked up had widely different amounts of time and I am having trouble finding federal sentencing guidelines for this specific drug.

She made a stupid mistake and now her life is ruined. I cant believe this is happening. I have only a couple real friends who I am barely close with other then her so this is devastating.
If she is imprisoned overseas will I be able to visit her? No matter where she ends up do inmates these days have access to any kind of supervised email so I can talk to her or is it still letter mail only?
Any help is appreciated.

Answer:
 18 kilos is hardly a "mistake." You make it sound like she tripped and fell into drug trafficking. Her life is ruined over explicit choices she made.

There's no reason for her to be extradited back to the US unless she is going to be charged with a crime from this jurisdiction.

I think you're not going to see your friend for a while. Answer #2: If this crime occurred entirely in the foreign country, then she'll face the music in that country.  There's nothing to extradite her for.

Extradition is when one country has legal action against a person, and they want that person brought to the country against their will to face the music.  The USA has no jurisdiction on an illegal drug transaction occurring wholly in a foreign country.

If she was trafficking drugs *from* or *to* the United States, both countries might have jurisdiction.Answer #3: From the quick internet research I've done into Shengen area countries, it sounds like she's looking at 5-10 years, and then deportation.Answer #4: The extradition-issue has already been answered: she will get sentenced in the country where she was arrested.

What could happen, and regularly does, is a sentencing measure or even a parole measure where she could sit out (part of) her sentence in the US.

BTW, according to some past cases with similar quantities, in Belgium, your friend is looking at 15 to 40 months in prison. If this is a first conviction, a substantial part will be a suspended sentence.


Title: [VA] Ex-Landlord is claiming that my S/O and I owe a significant amount of money due to "theft." Should we engage?

Question:
Tldr at the bottom. I'll try to keep this concise.

A bit of backstory: in August 2017 my S/O and I moved to Virginia into the landlord's house on the second floor. He lived there also but on the third floor. The first floor (living, den, kitchen, and dining rooms) were shared space. We never signed a lease and paid him in cash. We ended up not liking Virginia so we moved to Alaska in March 2018. We made sure to leave the apartment in pristine condition so we'd get out deposit back (which has never happened).  Near the end of our time there, the landlord, who is 87 years old, had surgery to remove a cancerous tumor in his pancreas. He never fully recovered and never returned to his independent state (still unable to drive, didn't eat unless reminded to, difficulty with stairs, etc).

Since then he would repeatedly accuse myself and my family members of making copies of the house keys and stealing his personal belongings (both accusations are 100% untrue) - which sounds like dementia/paranoia to me. This along with many other factors made our stay in that city quite miserable so we put in our one-month notice to move out. We handed in our keys on March 17 2018 and he once again asked my S/O where X items are because we'd apparently stolen it. We haven't heard much of anything from him since then until today.

He sent us a personal itemized list of all of the things we have supposedly stolen, each with the price he paid for them however long ago. This is not a legal or official document so I'm inclined to just ignore it. Is that okay? Should we engage? $12K is an awful lot of money. The thought of owing that to anyone makes me sick to my stomach. I'd also like to get our deposit back as we're not terribly well off so $800 is a decent amount of money for me. I've heard that withholding a deposit for longer than one month is illegal in Virginia. Is that true? Should we pursue this or would it only lead him to legally pursue us? Please help!

tldr; my S/O and I moved into landlord's [87M] house in August 2017. We moved out March 2018 and just now (August 2018) received a handwritten letter claiming we owe roughly $12K due to "theft," particularly on my family's part. Should we ignore this or respond? Oh, and we never got a deposit back. Can we do anything about that?

Answer:
 Ignore it, don't engage.

&#x200B;

If you're served officially respond but until then minimizing contact would be best.  I can't imagine you'd get served for a civil suit before a police investigation though.


Title: My employer does not pay me or my coworkers overtime. How to I get our full wages without becoming a workplace pariah or worse, unemployed?

Question:
I am a long term reader here and have seen many posters look like absolute fools so I am going to do my best to prevent that. First, I am ignorant and know that I am. I am not here for corroboration of what I already believe. I want to find my best course of action and inturn, become a little less ignorant. Now to my problem.

I've been working at a hotel in Maine for over a year. The hotel is franchised so there are owners and the brand with a shared stake in the business. Above me is the General Manager, who I see day to day. I get along with him great on a personal level, but due to my position in the business I see a lot of the numbers behind the scenes which are a little shady. Then above him are the owners and corporate. I have very little interaction with the owners and doubt I could contact them even if I wanted. While I don't interact a whole lot with corporate there are obvious channels to get in contact with them.

I was trained by the employee (Joe) who I was replacing. Joe told me that the GM did not pay time and a half (just the flat hourly rate) if you work 40hrs. Joe told me he spoke with the GM about it and was told there was a hospitality exemption. Joe looked into this and could find no evidence of such and exemption. I tried searching for it as well, but no luck. It very well may exist though, as I said I am ignorant of labor laws. I didn't stress this too much, and have simply refused to work over 40 scheduled hours. Despite this many times I will end up in the 40-45 hour range (relief running late etc.) However, I wasn't willing to pick a fight with my employer and risk my job over the small amount of pay that would add up to.

One of my duties is taking the employee time cards and entering them into excel to streamline the payroll process for the GM. This is the heartbreaking part. There are employees routinely working 50+ week in and week out without overtime pay. Now that's not a small amount of money. Just to make sure it wasn't just my department being screwed on overtime I asked one of these employees who works 50+ if she receives overtime.  She said no. I did my best to be discreet in my discussion with her.

What do I do here? My first thought is to speak with the GM. Yet like I said, Joe spoke with him and was dismissed. If I do the same and then pursue further action, it will be very obvious that I am involved. I am a full time student and this job allows me to juggle school and work like most would not. I don't want to lose this job or becone a pariah at work so therefore would like to proceed as anonymously as possible. Should I attempt to contact the owners? Should I contact corporate? Should I reach out to a labor lawyer? Should I drop the Robin Hood attitude and simply cut my personal loses and pity those who are working 50+ without full compensation? Since I see the hours worked through the time cards (not wages or anything like that, just hours), I feel oddly complicit in the whole ordeal and as a result feel some personal responsibility.

Thanks in advance for any advice, I really appreciate any help that can be offered.

Answer:
 As best as I could determine, from 1995 to 2007 there was an exemption for hotel and motel workers in the Maine overtime statute. [Title 26 §664 (3.)(B)](http://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/26/title26sec664.html). But it looks like it was amended with PL 2007, c. 640, §5 (which I'm having trouble finding the text of); which struck out that exemption.

Edit: [Here's Maines DOL](http://www.maine.gov/labor/Templates/news_template.shtml?id=58609) announcing the change, but the link to the text of the law is dead. Frustrating.

>...The bill also removes minimum wage and overtime exemptions for public-supported nonprofit organizations and overtime exemptions for restaurants, hotels and motels.

Answer #2: the maine department of labor may be willing to accept an anonymous complaint.

it is illegal to fire or discipline you for complaining (whistleblower's law), but that doesn't mean they won't find some other pretext.

http://www.maine.gov/labor/labor_laws/publications/employeerightsguide.htmlAnswer #3: Just for some clarification - are *you* paid a fixed salary? And are the people whose hours you process hourly workers (like housekeepers, etc.)?


Title: [NJ] Friend bought car with deleted EGR system from seedy dealership

Question:
Hi all,

&#x200B;

I'm writing this on behalf of my idiot friend who has no idea how to buy cars properly. He purchased what he thought was a slick, high performance car that had had some work done on it. He did not know exactly what work, however, and thought it was just limited to the kind of muffler that makes you "that asshole" in the neighborhood (remember, he's an idiot). Anyways, it winds up that this was a "deleted" vehicle, with a EGR delete device, and as such could not  pass NJ state inspection. From a cursory Google-fu, it also appears it was illegal of the dealership to complete the sale with this  device installed.

&#x200B;

Fine.

&#x200B;

My friend, being an idiot, opted  to allow the dealership to attempt to remove the EGR delete device rather negotiate for the rollback of the sale. This dealership is an hour away from his home, and he retrieved the vehicle from them yesterday evening after they completed their attempt at getting this car to street-legal status. Shortly thereafter, the car broke down on the freeway.  Upon popping the hood, it was immediately obvious that certain components of the engine were entirely unfastened and unsecured. He's been looking at Lemon Law for remediation on this and I think generally just wants to take all this back. What are his options, and what is the best course of action?

&#x200B;

tl;dr idiot friend bought EGR deleted car from shitty dealership, brought it back to dealership to try to make it a legal car again, and the car immediately broke down; friend just wants out.

Answer:
 A lemon is a term that doesn’t apply right now.  The dealership has to fail to fix the same part 3 times or it has to spend so many days in repair.

Unwinding the sale is unlikely. New Jersey requires a dealer provide a warranty. He’d have to go through the dealer to fix anything wrong.Answer #2: The attorney general of your state might handle complaints like this. I bought a car and they didnt get the title to me in time to get hard plates. The dmv had me file a complaint with the attorney general. It was a used car place I bought from.


Title: Passport assistance

Question: My friend is a photographer for an upcoming destination wedding in Aruba. He has been denied his passport due to non payment of child support for this year. Ex wife was willing to sign anything to get this passport, but the courts need to hear the case and don't expect a resolution before February.  This is obviously in Massachusetts. Any thoughts to get my bud on the plane to sunny Aruba for January?

Answer: He should find someone to take the job for him.


Title: Reposted modeling photos of my classmate online without her permission and now she is threatening to put me in jail

Question:
From Malaysia.

I'm a guy. A girl from my school is a semi-pro (?) model. She isn't doing runway shows or magazine covers, but like take pics to promote some local indie brands. Like most models, she is quite hot. Her photos are easily available on her facebook, instagram, twitter (all non-private and she has thousands of followers) and the social media sites of the brands she modeled for.

I reposted several pics of her (just like how I reposted pics of other models, singers and actresses) on my social media accounts. I admit, the captions aren't so gentlemanly. I posted shit like,
"Look at that body. Sexy as f*ck."
"Melting from all the heat."
"Check out those sweater puppies."
"This girl got ass."

I reposted at least 4 pics of her. We aren't close friends. We just go to the same college. Our mutual friends found those pics with the captions on my social media accounts and alerted her.

She said she is disgusted by the captions and that I posted her (modeling) photos without her permission and that she is scared for her personal safety now. She claimed to have told her parents, contacted a lawyer and will make sure that I will get fined and/or go to jail for what I did.

I was thinking, is that possible? To go to jail for posting pics of a model that I found publicly on the internet? Yeah, I admit the captions are pervy but that's like me posting a modeling pic of Emma Watson and saying I want to bang her. Can Emma Watson sue me and send me to jail? I mean I reposted pics of Cara Delevingne, Hayley Atwell and Margot Robbie too with caption saying how hot they are.

It wasn't like I was stalking her and been taking private pics of her or anything like that. I told that girl that I'd delete the photos and I did delete them. But she said she is scared to leave the house alone now because she feels like someone is stalking her and she will get her lawyer to deal with this.

Please advise?

(sorry for any language error, English is my second)

Answer:
 >She said she is disgusted by the captions

Understandable

>and that I posted her (modeling) photos without her permission

Correct

>and that she is scared for her personal safety now.

Not unjustifiably.

>To go to jail for posting pics of a model that I found publicly on the internet?

Jail? Probably not. Restraining order and a civil lawsuit for copyright violation and harassment? That's not unlikely. Just because you found a picture on the internet doesn't make it yours to copy and republish, after all.


Title: [NY] Unlawful Possesion of Marijuana Question

Question: i was recently pulled over for a defective headlight and the cop smelled marijuana in my car and upon searching found my stash. I had about 17 grams in the car which is less than the felony amount (25 grams). So I received a ticket for unlawful possession of marijuana which is just a simple violation, not a misdemeanor or a felony, and the maximum fine for this offense is $100. Now  a friend of mine was caught in the same situation and  he said that when they went to court he was offered a deal where they basically had to be clean and stay out of trouble for a year and then the charge would be dropped. After further researching it appears this is something called an ACD, Adjournment in Contemplation for Dismissal. Basically I was just wondering how I go about getting this. Should I just ask the prosecutor? Or do I need a lawyer? I've gotten a speeding ticket before but I don't think this should affect my eligibility to get this ACD thing. When I went to traffic court for my speeding ticket there is a process where pretty much everyone gets to meet with the prosecutor beforehand and to receive an offer for a plea deal, usually to plead guilty of a lesser charge, with a lesser fine (for example, speeding ticket is lowered to 55 in a 45 rather than 62 in a 45, which would result in less of a fine and less points on your license). Does anyone have any experience with this process? What should I do? How do I get an ACD?

Answer:
 There are basically two ways:

1) you show up in court dressed like you're going to church.  Before they start calling the cases, you seek out and approach the prosecutor for your ticket.  You proceed to politely tell them about how this is your first UPM or any other drug ticket, you're a good student, you go to church on Sunday, blah blah blah.  If an ACD is forthcoming, now would be the time the prosecutor mentions it.  Keep in mind, the length is negotiable - if they offer 12 months, you can ask if they'd do 6 instead.  (But don't be a dick about it - they don't have to lower it).

2) Second option, is to get a black, medium point Sharpie marker and write "I demand a 6-moth ACD, bitches!" on your duck.  Go to court wearing assess leather chaps and a nice button down shirt.  When they call your case, go up to the podium, whip out your duck and slam it down in front of the prosecutor.  Then wait for ACD to follow. (Fair warning, this method does not work nearly as well as Option 1).

Good luck.


Title: [NC Public Sector] Can my employer make restrictions on my maternity wardrobe?

Question:
I am employed by a local government agency. There is not a standard dress code for the entire agency, because there are lots of different functions within it of course. I am issued a uniform which I wear 5 days a week in normal circumstances. On weekends, I can dress “down” wearing my own clothes. I do not come into contact with anyone in the public ever, for what it’s worth. My uniform is also not dictated by any safety concerns—I do not operate heavy equipment or lift anything. I sit at a desk all day.

My division was recently taken over by a new leader who has imposed a new dress code that prohibits jeans and open-toed shoes.

Cue me finding out that I am pregnant. I have obtained a note from my doctor asking my employer to exempt me from the uniform policy and allow me to wear comfortable clothing for the duration of my pregnancy. I currently have no pants of my own that will fit me, but a friend passed me down some of her maternity pants including nice, dark maternity jeans with no rips or holes. I do not own business casual pants that I can currently wear.

Question: Can my employer force me to buy pants to wear to work that are not jeans while I am pregnant?

I have not asked anyone in management outright, but I am concerned because just after the new dress code was enacted, they began picking on one of my pregnant co-workers who has bad swelling in her feet and cannot wear closed-toed shoes. She can barely wear any shoes at all some days, but has sandals (not flip flops or beach shoes, but a strappy open sandal) that she makes do with. Our manager (a male, if it needs saying) made the comment, “She should buy shoes a size bigger to wear.” In this case, she went to HR who backed our manager, and ultimately had to go to her doctor and ask her to specifically write in her note that she could wear open-toed shoes to work.

This sort of feels like the twilight zone. Any advice or thoughts are appreciated.

Answer: It may or may not be a reasonable accommodation to wear open-toed shoes while pregnant; that's up to your doctor to recommend and your HR to approve. But I can't think of any reason why jeans would be a reasonable accommodation. There is nothing about pregnancy (and yes, I've been pregnant) that makes jeans a medical necessity.Answer #2: If the policy is no jeans, there is no medical reason you need to be exempt from that.  Go to Goodwill or another thrift store, and you'll find plenty of cheap pairs of elastic waist pants you can wear.


Title: Is it fraudulent to fake a doctor's note if there is no intent to defraud?

Question: I booked a nonrefundable cruise which won't take passengers past 24 weeks pregnant, and requires those under 24 weeks to provide a doctor's note confirming the due date.  I will be 33 weeks at the time of the cruise: visibly pregnant enough to need a note.  Is it fraud to forge a doctor's note with a wrong (too-early) due date?  Does 'going on a cruise that I've paid for' count as intent to defraud?

Answer:
 It is an intent to defraud. They have their rules for a reason; you're trying to violate their contract by impersonating a doctor and providing fake testimony. Answer #2: still fraud. Answer #3: Sure does.  The ship has insurance that excludes certain passengers because the ship isn't equipped for medical emergencies and help is hours/days away (by helicopter, if they can even land one on the ship or hours if close to port).

And if you use a real doctor's name and they find out, they'll sue your ass into the ground for risking their license.

Also, the cruise lines aren't fools.  One look at you by the ship's doctor and they're putting you back on shore.

You're better off calling the cruise and seeing if you can get credit for a future cruise or partial refund.


Title: Don't know if I can press charges against nanny or not. Need an answer ASAP.

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Canada

Answer:
 You can file a police report, I am not confident this would qualify as CP for the purposes of criminal prosecution.

You should also, obviously fire her.


Title: [Washington state] Possibly inheriting FSA Title II weapons, any legal considerations I need to know?

Question:
My grandfather has been a gun collector for all his life. He has many guns (an exact number I cannot say, but probably
20+ pistols, 10 or so rifles, and a couple assault(?) rifles (at least one AK-47, one M-15 or similar, and one SKS).
I don't know a ton about guns. I've gone shooting a handful of guns and know basic gun safety, but haven't studied them them a whole lot, it hasn't ever been my hobby or passion, but I believe I am the only relative who is interested in shooting, so it looks like I will be the one inheriting the weapons.

So, first off, my grandfather has yet to pass, but he is currently in the hospital and things are looking very bad. I am pretty devastated by this, but since I live on the other side of the state (we are both in Wa state), and he cannot have visitors, I don't really have anything I can do until he gets better or passes. When the time comes, I don't want to be unprepared for any legal issues with passing ownership of a large assortment of weapons, and I don't think I'll be in an emotional state to do so either, so I'm hoping to get some questions answered.

His current condition as I said is very rough, he is unable to communicate, so my uncle is handling all of the decisions as the power of attorney. So it may be too late to make any preparations necessary, but if anyone has recommendations for actions to take, he can help. I've heard that setting up a trust might be the best option?

So here are my questions:

When inheriting a large number of guns, do I need to have any specific paperwork to take ownership of them? Does this need to be done through a shop somewhere with a background check or anything like that?

I am not certain, but if any of the weapons are Title II, what happens with them?

Are there any legal considerations, or any other things I should be aware of in a situation like this?

Thank you for any suggestions or advice, and if this is the wrong place to ask these, please point me in the right direction.

Also, since it is likely relevant:
We are both in WA state. I am 29 with no criminal record.

I am not certain that he has any Title II weapons, but I am quite sure that if he does, they were obtained legally.

Answer:
 This would be a question for the probate attorney who handles your grandfather's estate.  There are certain weapons that are not able to be inherited, so the exactly composition of the collection would be important.

It may be helpful for you to inventory the entire collection and submit that to the probate lawyer who could do the necessary research.


Title: Hour common is extradition from the UK to the US?

Question:
~~Hour~~ How common is extradition from the UK to the US?

I am a UK citizen and a permanent resident of the Universe States. I *may* be facing jail time in a country jail in Texas. It would be for about six months. The charge is violating a probation agreement not to drink alcohol.

 I drank and was caught and now am facing *possible* jail time.

I have a UK passport. I am not a US  citizen. I have no other criminal record apart from my DWI arrest.

If I fled to the UK, would it be likely that I could be extradited to the US?

Answer:
 Fleeing to avoid incarceration or prosecution is a new crime.

No one here will advise or help you do that.


Title: Fined for skidding on ice

Question:
A couple weeks ago we had a bad storm up here and I had to take my GF back to her college.  Sort story short, I ended up spinning out on the freeway and got hit by a guy in the left lane(I was in the right and started to spin so I was sideways).  I am now getting a citation for "Driving on roadways laned for traffic".  Well no shit I'm driving on a roadway laned for traffic.  That's what a road is! It goes on to say "Failed to drive within a single lane and or movement from lane was not made safely."  Now because I lost control due to snow/ice is that still technically my fault?  I wasn't driving recklessly and I sure as hell did not do it on purpose.  Should I just pay the $147 fine or am I able to get out of it.

I live in the stat of PA as well.

Answer:
 Yes, it is your fault. It's your responsibility to drive at a *safe* speed for the weather conditions. If you spun out, you were going too fast for the conditions.

You can pay it, hire a lawyer and try to fight it, try to negotiate with the prosecutor yourself, or defend yourself in court. That's up to you.


Title: My gardners blow all the leaves down to the street. Can I get in trouble for that?

Question:
California

http://i.imgur.com/A34LnC5h.jpg
Topic:
Real Estate law

Answer:
 I don't know but I hate that shit. Also you may be contributing to the clogging of storm drains.

to actually answer your question we'll need to know what town or city you're in so we can look up the local ordinance.


Title: Landlord wants form filled out to receive lead-safe grant money to improve apartment [Cleveland, OH].

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Almost every single dwelling built before 1978 has a strong possibility of having, or once having lead-based paint.  This is just a fact of life sadly.  Worried about it?  Then sign the papers, and ask your landlord to have someone come check, or even check yourself as certifications for this (not really a certification) can be done online, and there are tell-tale signs of lead based paint that can be checked via a few google searches.


Title: I'm a US Citizen(TX), my GF is Canadian(NL). How can she stay down here for an extended period beyond the 180 day limit?

Question: We have been dating for over 3 years now and spent 3 months living together last year which went well but want to be able to live together for at least a year before we make things permanent. Do we have any options?

Answer: She can seek the appropriate visa to allow that! BOOYA!!! #lawyered


Title: If my parents puts the deed of their home in my name, what do I then become liable for?

Answer: Everything. Taxes, damages, building permits, reporting to your local government of changes, ect.


Title: Neighbor sucks. Has a pit. I kicked it.

Question:
[GA] I’m in a pickle with a neighbor I don’t know how to handle.  I live in a gated townhome community with an HOA.  My new young and just married neighbors are a PITA.  Some of the things they have done after moving in this year:

When moving in they left some trash from their wedding in the middle of the road.  Eventually a neighbor put it on their porch and they threw it away.  They don’t clean up their dog poop.  They drop trash out of their vehicles and leave the trash in their parking spots.  They leave their front windows open (which happen to be next to mine) and their dogs bark at anything that walks by, or at us when we leave the house.

One two previous occasions to this weekend, they have let their dogs run out of the house, one is a little yapping dog, the other looks just like a pitbull.  Over the weekend, their dogs got out again, and just so happened while I was just about to walk my dog (80 pound Rhodesian Ridgeback mix) and their dogs charge my porch.  To keep their pit from attacking my dog, (while wearing flip flops) I kicked the dog as it was lunging for my dog.  I kicked the dog solid, and knocked it off my porch.  Neighbor comes running out, grabs his dogs, while yelling sorry, and I just turned around and walked my dog in.

So my questions for legal advice:

1) I kicked that dog hard.  I was protecting my dog, who I feel is like my child, and kicked that dog as hard as I could with barefoot in flip-flops.  Am I liable if it has vet bills?

2) My middle toe has been numb since I kicked the dog Saturday evening.  Is the owner of the house liable for my medical bills?

3) Are there legal remedies to protect myself in the future?  I have a CC, but I love animals and wouldn’t want to shoot the thing because of bad animal owners, but I also love my dog and don’t want a dog bite.

Thanks in advance.

Answer:
 1) Doubtful. You have a right to protect your property in a reasonable manner. Yes, your dog is legally considered property. They could sue you, but you have a good defense.

2) Possibly. But you might want to wait it out to see if there's actually any pain. Heck, even if you broke your toe, there's likely not much the doctor will do other than just wrap it in foam.

3) Why don't you get your HOA involved?Answer #2: I would pressure the HOA to intervene, it seems like a lot of the grievances you have are things covered by most HOAs.  A few fines will change their tune pretty quick.

Do NOT shoot the dog, regardless of whether or not you have a CC.  That will be the fastest way to lose your CC, not to mention the legal bills *regardless* of whether or not you were in the right.  The repercussions of firing a firearm in a residential area are a nightmare.Answer #3: Your HOA is cool with an unleashed pit bull?  You didn't call animal control on an unleashed pit bull?

You're talking about shooting a dog before just letting the correct people know?

If your HOA is anything like every single one I've ever lived in, it will be ALL OVER dog poop, trash, and an unleashed pit bull.


Title: Neighbors pressing civil charges against side walk chalk drawing whilst making false accusations; what should I do?

Question:
Location: Arizona, USA

My neighbors took up three parking spots so I drew with side walk chalk on these spots. However, they are suing the wrong neighbors for doing this and also accusing them of scratching their truck. They are taking this to civil court. I am more than willing to take credit for the side walk chalk because it wasn't offensive, sidewalk chalk is not vandalism, it was directly in front of my house, and there are no assigned parking spots or regulations. Should I call the civil court and let them know that they're suing the wrong neighbors? Should I approach the irrational drug addicted neighbors and let them know it was me? Should I call the cops and let them know it was me? Should I tag along to court with the neighbors they are suing to take credit? Would I have to pay to have a lie detector test in civil court about the scratches on the truck? What in the world should I do? The apartment office is closed right now but should I tell them? Should I get a protective order against these neighbors? I realize the silliness of this situation but am rather panicked.

Answer:
 Since it's civil court the police couldn't give a hoot.
And they're not sueing for chalk on the sidewalk because they usually don't own the sidewalk (give us a state and I will give you an exact answer) and even if they did they're not out any damages because someone put chalk on it.

No one is taking a lie detector.
Protective order for what? Have they threatened you in anyway?

They have to prove you, or the neighbors, scratched their truck. While standard of proof is lower in a civil case than in a criminal case I don't see you saying anything saying they had any proof at all.

Stop panicking. Take a breath. Even if the neighbors sue you they don't have a case. Don't go to your neighbors court case  since you are not a party there. You can let your neighbors know that you are the one who drew on the sidewalk if you like.