Title: [CO] My Sister is borrowing my car. I've asked her to return it, but she refuses. What are my options?

Question:
The title is relatively self explanatory - around seven months ago, I began letting my Sister use my car since I am not able to drive it myself (I lost my license). On Thanksgiving, we were out at dinner and had an argument which escalated to me explaining that I feel that lending her my car has been a very generous favor which she is unappreciative of and has taken for granted (She smokes and eats in my car, neither of which I approve of, and refuses to stop). Anyways, I got very frustrated at that point, and began yelling for her to give my car back, but she simply refused. It's been a month now, and I haven't pursued the matter any further because I don't know what I can do (if anything at all).

The major caveat to this situation is that, while the Certificate of Ownership is in my name, it is also co-signed to my Mother because she helped me with the cost when I first purchased the vehicle. In spite of the fact that I've long since paid off the amount which she lent me, she refuses to take her name off of the certificate, and has stated that she will back my Sister up should this become a legal issue by giving her authorization to use the vehicle. Do I have any legal recourse at this point? I've given up on trying to find a way to get my Mom's name off of the title, but I'm curious to know if my Mom's authorization outweighs my statement that my sister is not authorized to use the vehicle. Any help is deeply appreciated!

Answer:
 Although it sounds totally rediculous - look at the title. Does it say "Your Name ***AND*** Moms Name" or "Your Name ***OR*** Moms name".

If it's the former you need your moms permission to remove her. If it's the latter, either party can remove the other, or sell it without the other signature on the title (so you can transfer it to a friend and they can transfer it back).

But /u/countykerry is correct; as long as Mom is on the title she can give your sister authorization. Answer #2: Do you still have keys? If so, and you know where to find the car (without trespassing on your sister's property), you can bring a friend who's legal to drive and just go get it. Make sure you park it somewhere your sister won't find it, and maybe have a locksmith rekey it for good measure.

That won't change the fact that your mother could legally do the same, but if you can hide it from her she won't get the chance.Answer #3: no. you and your mother both legally own the car, and your mother can freely give her permission to your sister to use the vehicle, regardless of your opinion.


Title: A couple has no kids, own no property and earn the same pay. Only debt $150k from husband's gambling. Wife is divorcing after finding out about this. Is the debt half hers? - Albuquerque, NM

Answer: If it's literally gambling debt, then no, it is his separate debt under [NMSA § 40-3-9.1](http://law.justia.com/codes/new-mexico/2006/nmrc/jd_40-3-91-e861.html). But this probably wouldn't apply if, for example, he took out a mortgage or credit card advances to fund his gambling.


Title: [Florida] Landlord expects us to pay electricity, internet for MIL suite behind our house

Question:
Hi /r/LegalAdvice

So, I just recently moved in with my mom and siblings into a new house. Behind the house is a one bedroom cottage sort of building in the backyard.

Our landlord expects us to let them use our WiFi and pay their electricity (it's on the same meter as our house). Today, she said that there would a house inspection tomorrow, and is a monthly thing and is now telling us that the small two car garage in the front yard is not for our use (there's piles and piles of stuff in it, so we couldn't really use it if we wanted to). There are also things in the house that need to be fixed like spots where there's no paint and a plumbing issue with our dishwasher.

The thing is, none of this is in our lease. Nothing about paying for the electricity they use, nothing about letting them use our internet, and certainly nothing about monthly home inspections.

Our landlord's son owns the house, and still has a ton of stuff here. He has a broken down car in the front yard, a boat, and a ton of random tools and junk. He still has stuff in the house, and he had stuff (including a broken grill) on the back patio.

What sort of recourse do we have? Not paying rent until things are cleared up would almost surely leave us homeless. But, we can't expected to pay for things that they use, right?

Answer:
 If you pay for the Internet service, you don't have to let others use it unless you agreed to in your lease contract. As for the electricity, you don't have to pay for their electricity unless you agreed to in the contract. If you're on the same meter, you should work out a formula for dividing the costs or see if the electric company will install a separate meter.

The landlord has the [right to perform inspections](http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0000-0099/0083/Sections/0083.53.html):
> 83.53 Landlord’s access to dwelling unit.—
> (1) The tenant shall not unreasonably withhold consent to the landlord to enter the dwelling unit from time to time in order to inspect the premises ...Answer #2: 1. Put a password on your WiFi and don't give it out.

2. Figure out which breakers go to the cottage and turn them off. Then put a padlock on the breaker box.

3. When the landlord complains, ask them to show you the portion of the lease that says you agree to provide free internet access and electricity.Answer #3: Tell them they are breaking the terms of the lease as well as the implied covenant of quiet enjoyment.  You can demand the deposit back and break the lease.

Hm. If there isn't a separate meter for the MIL suite, this may not be a legal rental configuration. Answer #4: does the lease specify exactly what parts of the house/property are included in the lease?


Title: Does looking at ones lap/seat constitute probable cause to pull someone over?

Question: So I was pulled over and cited for texting/illegal use of electronic device, in Minnesota.  He claims I was looking at my lap when he first pulled me over, in his notes it state seat instead.  I am wondering whether this constituted probable cause to pull me over?

Answer:
 Looking at your seat looks exactly like ~~"distracted driving"~~ "Careless driving", which would be pc to pull you over.

Editted: Better?


Title: Chicago apartment has roaches, rotting wall, and yellow-tinted water. Need to get out

Question:
I am renting an apartment in Chicago and it has only been a week and I want out of here.
When the landlord showed me the demo to a studio apartment, it looked fine. No bugs in sight, floors and walls looked clean. No cracks, chipping paint, or rotting walls.
When I signed the lease, they didn't tell me anything about a roach infestation.
When I moved in, the place was dusty a d overall looked unfinished. As I was cleaning, I found a couple of dead roaches and a spider.
For the past week, I have seen about 20 roaches already. I wash all my dishes right away, and keep no food out. I keep all the food inside my fridge. I also take the trash out daily, and roaches keep appearing.
Also, the water in the tub has a yellowish color to it. The showerhead also broken so it spits out a bit of water to the wall and now the wall is chipping and swollen (rotting).

How do I get out of the lease?
Isnt there an implied warranty of habitability?
This apartment is not sanitary. Also, I heard that the heat sometimes does not work in the winter.
I WAS NOT INFORMED BY THE LANDORD ANY OF THESE PROBLEMS.

Answer:
 IANAL: If all water in the apartment is not potable, it likely violates the warranty of habitability, and would require your landlord to provide you different accommodation for the duration of your lease.

A roach infestation is something your landlord is most likely legally obligated to get resolved (or at least bear the cost of).
Similarly, a rotting wall indicates moisture (and as such, mold) and can have a permanent impact on your health.

If you were shown a different apartment than the one you're currently inhabiting, that may be grounds to break the lease.

Depending on the cost of the apartment you're in and the term of the lease you've signed, it may be worth consulting an attorney to see if it's worth pursuing anything other than quickly getting out.


Title: Forcing an employee to drive after accusing them of being drunk

Question: So I was embarrassed about seven months back. I was trying to train my replacement and my employer came in, claimed he smelled something on my breath, and then made me leave the company to get tested. I passed. Then I came back, and continued training. Now my employer is trying to demand I give over the domain name to the company, a company that I can't find any copyrights or legal rights on, and will not spare anything. Honestly, I feel like he is trying to ring me. I don't want a big pay day or anything like that...I just feel like he abused me in that situation (Did not pay for gas, did not apologize to employees) creating a hostile work environment for me as I left. Do I have any recourse?

Answer:
 Can you clarify a bit further - what sort of recourse are you seeking?

If it's about the alcohol test - sure it was a real dick move - but there's probably not a lot there that would be worth wasting time over.

When you say domain name are you talking about something you created while on the company payroll? If that's the case then the company owns it and he has a right to ask for it.Answer #2: > Now my employer is trying to demand I give over the domain name to the company, a company that I can't find any copyrights or legal rights on, and will not spare anything.

Wat?

What domain name? Spare what?


Title: 3mph accident HELP!- other person got attorney

Question:
I was considered at 100% fault.

I have a 25/50 policy.

I was just notified she got a attorney and claiming Personal Injury,

There is a crack on the bottom left of my bumper, crack on her middle bumper under license plate.

I'm sweating and don't know what to do - I think she is milking it and I am personally fine... just a dumb mistake but I have no idea what she's doing. When should I get lawyer? Do I need one?

Please help!

ALABAMA

Answer:
 Take a breath.

You have insurance- they're going to pay whatever the damages are.

At speeds that low, the amount should not be more than the policy limits (which you should look at increasing- it's super cheap).

The odds of this going to trial are very very very small.


Title: (Ontario, Canada)

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Canada

Answer:
 >I have a week to get rid of all this shit and I'm kind of freaking out. Most of it is unimportant to me and I wasn't planning on taking it. Do I legally have to?

You don't have to take it. Your parents can just discard it.


Title: [Santa Barbara - California] [Renters Rights] What are my rights in a shared bathroom?

Question:
Hello, I am renting a room in a house and share the bathroom with another women. I have been having issues with her since day one. She has very specific rules about how the space is used and I am expected to comply 100% of the time, if i do not i receive notes and emails. These notes have often been daily and are affecting my mental health. My questions are, I am within my legal rights to say no to any of this, and can this be considered harassment?

I am a people pleaser so up until now i have really tried to bend over backwards to follow her wishes as to not have any conflict, but i fear that I may snap and do something I regret. Here are some of the things i receive notes about:

*Leaving the toilet seat down when flushing the toilet.

*Not leaving personal items such as toothbrush or face wash on my side of the sink, even though she has both practical and decorative items on hers. I once left the base of my toothbrush out to charge, she unplugged it put it and the charger in a bag, opened the door to my room and placed it inside with a note stating in short 'these are great for health and happyness, charge it in your room.'

*Powder being on the floor. I use baby powder on some occasions and always clean up after myself however twice i have missed some, she stated to another housemate that i and i quote "put the powder on the floor" as if i did it to make her slip and fall.

*Hair in the shower. This is the most recent issue, i have really long hair and have a routine to remove it from the shower. I was running late from work one day and missed some. She gathered the hair and left it near the shower to make sure i saw it, i didn't as i wasn't really home. So then i received a long email about it, the email mentioned a shower strainer thing and a comb i keep in the shower. I don't use the strainer because the water doesn't drain right with it and it causes shower scum, and the comb is a comb.  When i got home the wad with the small amount of hair, the strainer, and my comb are all out of the shower lined up next to it. I want to fly into a rage at this point, how dare she touch my things. That is where i am at, little things are making me way to angry and i feel like i'm cracking up.

Do I have any rights I don't know about in the matter? I tried to research it but with the santa barbara fires my internet is not working very well, i will continue to look for answers anything will help, thank you.

Answer:
 Your roommate has no direct avenue to enforce any of her rules, and you're not legally obligated to pay any attention to her at all beyond not damaging her property or interfering with ordinary use.

However, you mentioned that your roommate and your landlord are close. If your landlord sides with your roommate on this, your landlord can opt not to renew your lease over this, unless you're rent controlled. You're entitled to 30 days' notice in your first year, and 60 days' notice afterwards, if your landlord is terminating your tenancy over this, and it's not cause for a mid-term termination so it'd have to be at the end of any term lease you have, but that's about all the protection you have.

Furthermore, the law can't make your roommate be more reasonable, no matter how this shakes out.Answer #2: > Leaving the toilet seat down when flushing the toilet.

Ugh - how does she know if you flush with the seat up or down? If she is leaving random notes about this when you didn't, you may want to make sure there is not a camera in the bathroom recording you.Answer #3: It sounds like she thought your toothbrush/charger was a personal massager...


Title: A business is using my home address...

Question:
At first we got mail from the government (tax-docs for new businesses), so we marked that mail as wrong address, return to sender and returned it to the post office. We thought that would be the end of it. Now we're getting random mail from banks offering checking accounts and such. In the last 2 days we've turned away 5 packages that were sent here. The packages make me think that this might be credit card fraud or worse.

We're in NYC.

Please advise.

Answer: Contact the USPS. You can call someone at thei[r fraud department](https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/contactus/filecomplaint.aspx) and ask for their help.


Title: Friend forced to lose weight to get promotion

Question:
A friend of mine works for a fast food chain. Apparently she has to shave off some pounds to "fit within the company's healthy lifestyle" in order to get some manager promotion. Is this legal? Could my friend sue the company?
Location: California

Answer: Overweight is not a protected class, as far as I am aware.


Title: Spy cam in company rented apartment[CA]

Question: [deleted]

Answer: California is a two-party consent state when it comes to recording audio. If they recorded you in your apartment without consent, it would be illegal. You might want to start by calling the police.


Title: U.S.A. Would it be legal for me to print my own identification card and use it for purposes such as purchasing alcohol? I've always been uncomfortable with the fact that my address is so easily available.

Question:
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer:
 You can definitely print out your own 'identification'. It'll be about as useful as having your mother write you a note. Answer #2: Your concern is understandable, but your proposed solution isn't--the whole point of an identity document is that the user can place their trust in the issuing entity, instead of you. Self-issued documents are not useful for this purpose, though it is not illegal to use them if you do not purport them to be anything else. In situations where someone may not legally take your word for it or does not wish to do so, as when purchasing alcohol, it just won't do.

Instead, use a form of identification that does not list an address. For example, a U.S. passport or passport card, which are near-universally accepted in America as photo identification, proof of age and proof of citizenship.Answer #3: Your address is public information: everyone who cares can find it with ease.  Don't overthink simple things like buying alcohol.


Title: City building park trail behind house

Question: The city I live in is building a public walking trail 35ft from my backyard. I have a lot of concerns about it. Safety of my family, losing privicy etc... is there anything leagally I can do l to protect my property.

Answer: You can build a fence.


Title: I complained about my extremely noisy neighbors and my landlord's response was to send me an eviction notice. How is this even legal? What are my options?

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: If you're month to month your landlord likely can end your tenancy upon proper notice any time he wants. Assuming he gave you proper notice to end your tenancy rather than evicting you he can do that without a reason.


Title: Clinchco, VA: social services took child

Question: I am reluctant to leave too much information on a public forum.  I have been helping a hard-luck family in Dickenson County, VA for twelve months now.  Father recently got a job but won't be paid for a month yet.  Last night social services took the child to foster care.  I don't have $350 to help them with a lawyer.  I can barely afford gas for them sometimes.  I recently wrote the letter that social services was asking me to give them stating that I was helping them with their expenses.  (A little too late I'm afraid.)  What should I advice them to do in court?  The social worker did not have a warrant.

Answer:
 If the worker did not have a warrant then they had exigency. Meaning that their was an immediate and imminent risk to the childrens safety.

They need an attorney. Some states will give them an attorney when they go to court (income based) some do not.

At the first court date they determine whether or not there is enough reason/cause to keep the children in custody. Some states will also ask for the parents to plea to the accusations/charges. Some might wait until the next court date.

There is a lot more to this story. It is nice that you are trying to help them. But just being poor is not going to cause CPS to remove kids like this. The parents are going to be asked to do services to solve whatever the problem is. You can help the parents by supporting them in their services (transportation and such).


Title: [Chicago] Split up, I took the dog. Ex is trying to press charges for theft.

Question:
My ex and I got a dog together as a gift to myself because it has been advised by three different doctors that I obtain a dog to help with emotional support issues.

It's a french bulldog he purchased for $2000, his name is on the contract between the breeder.

A month later he physically assaulted me - I got a protection order and moved out. The judge granted me custody and ordered that he is to stay away from the dog and it is to be returned to me. However they were not succesful in serving the papers. While this order was in place I went to gather the last of my things from his apartment and removed the dog from his apartment and just wet home while he was gone to get a pack of cigarettes.

After that I pressed charges for assault - he sent texts apologizing and quote:
 "You can have [dog] and I will never talk to you again."
 " I am going to start looking for a new puppy today, I miss [dog]"
 " Since you aren't going to return [dog] I will just let him go."

Now question is - is this theft that I took a dog that he bought me - during a time that a judge granted that it be returned to me and he stay away from it? Do these texts constitute as a verbal contract giving me the ownership of the dog - since he literally said you can have the dog I'll leave you alone.

I know he doesnt really care for the dog, but its going to come at me hard because I have such an emotional connection to it to hurt me.

** More specific about the order - it was an order of protection that listed he not be around or contact me or the dog. It was only valid for 14 days and is no longer valid. I need to go get a new one issued tomorrow, however that specific order is now not enforced at this time. But I did take the dog while it was in effect, I'm sure the new one will also list the dog. **

Answer:
 No. The judge has ruled and you have evidence he gifted the dog to you.

Tell him to pound sand.


Title: nyc: is it legal for landlord to put a padlock on the door that leads to con ed meters and gas pipes, in a building with no super?

Question: now my landlord has put a padlock on the door that leads to the gas pipes and con ed meters. we don't have a super. once there was a gas leak in there and con ed had to come check it - when that happened, the door was wide open.  now, it's padlocked. im afraid if there is a gas leak again, no one will be able to get in the room.

Answer:
 I wouldn't worry too much about locking ConEd out.  If there's a gas leak I guarantee they will get through that door.  Your landlord might not like the result.

You can contact ConEd and let them know about the padlock.  If it's a problem they will contact your landlord.Answer #2: ConEd will solve this with bolt cutters and a bill.


Title: Getting drug tested in a state which now allows medical use for marijuana.

Question: Early this year in January, I caught my first offense with law enforcement. I was caught with small amounts of greenery and paraphernalia. I was put into a program similar to probation (divergent program) seeing it was my first offense. It required me to take drug test once a month. This same year it became relativity easy to get a medical card. I wanted to find out if I were to get a medical card in my state (FLORIDA) would they still require me to take these drug test to see if there is marijuana in my system.

Answer: Possibly. Certain people also have to be tested for alcohol as part of their probation.


Title: [SC] Mother has stolen College Fund money set aside by Grandparents.

Question:
I have an opposite problem of a thread I just saw that just hit the front page on /r/personalfinance- my mother has taken the money my grandparents  set aside for my education.

 I've been paying for being a college student on my own for a few years now (22 y.o.) and my mom doesn't exactly want to give me the savings my grandparents have set aside for us from a young age. (she claims it was only about $13000, but I remember them putting in about $1k each year. w/e) She avoids it whenever I talk to her about it, even going as far as saying, "well that money went to rent and food," when I was growing up. (I know she spent it the last few years on things she didn't need. but she makes well enough to pay it back)

My moms not exactly the loving or supportive type, she's a bitch if I want to be straightforward about it. It's not about trying to save me from "all that money corrupting me" like in the other thread. She's just genuinely more interested in keeping the money for herself than giving it to her kids. (sis has the same problem.)

I just paid a lot of money for classes this sem, and I could really use that money. **I obviously don't want to get the law involved, but what are my options?** Is there any way I can verify how much was put into the account, and do I have rights over the account or am I basically SOL if she took that savings money out already after I turned 18? My grandparents are both dead now, and the money was specifically for college funds, to be clear.

She's definitely holding the money as leverage over us just so she can have more control on our lives. She's not the most moral person. And it makes the outlook of this situation very questionable to me.

Thanks for any input.

Answer: Depends on how the money was saved.  If it was in a 529 or something, your mom would have had to cash it out and take IRS penalties.  If it was cash and you have no documentation, you are screwed.


Title: U.K. Accident Claim - Getting weirder by the minute...

Question:
Good day friends

I have a legal question.

I was involved in an accident about 6 years ago, the other party in the case admitted liability and their insurance company agreed to pay out. I got a solicitor to deal with the case.

Now the last I heard from the solicitor was in 2014 where they were chasing some medical records of mine pertinent to the case and that they would get back to me with the next step. I did not hear anything else. I kind of assumed that these medical records were unobtainable and frankly was so busy I did not chase them up. Tbh though, I hired these people to represent me and they said they would contact me (I have documentation of the last correspondence where their solicitor said they would contact me for the next step) I dont see why it was my job as the client to be chasing them.

I received a letter on the weekend saying to contact them as they hadnt heard from me in a long time. Ive just called them and the guy basically said that the case had been closed by the opposing insurance company due to length of time since the case was dealt with. However he seemed to be indicating that there is something they could do and was very adamant that I should come in to discuss the case. Which I agreed to.

I have now just had a call from these solicitors asking me to rearrange the date of the meeting as they want a partner of the firm to be present - I'm guessing indicating this is more serious.

So yeah thats where Im at now. Can I still carry on with the case? If not are these solicitors liable for not getting back to me? Why is the partner getting involved?

Any help would be great. Thanks.

Answer:
 I deal with personal injury claims in England and Wales, I'm assuming you're not in Scotland or Northern Ireland; if you are, what I'm about to say may not apply!

There's a three year limitation period in PI claims - what this means is that by the third year of an accident, the claim either needs to have settled or Court proceedings need to have been issued. Once issued, they have to be served within 4 months and medical evidence (i.e., a medical report) is needed to do that.  From what you've said, I would imagine that Court proceedings either weren't issued or served within the relevant time limits, and this is why they want a partner to be present at the meeting.  if that is the case, you can't pursue any claim against the defendant in your original claim. However, this would mean that your solicitors have been negligent (missing limitation is basically the biggest no-no) and you would be able to pursue a claim against them for that.  You will need to find an alternative firm to do this for you.  The limitation period for this claim is 6 years from your date of knowledge of their negligence.


Title: Contractor is threatening a mechanics' lien without finishing the job (Illinois)

Question:
My father is having a problem with a contractor.  They contracted to have their kitchen redone and he gave an estimate of $7800.  The "contract" and "estimate" is basically just a letter listing the work to be done and the total cost.  It is not itemized, nor is it signed.

During the job, my parents made some upgrades and paid for these upgrades as they occurred.  We have documentation of this.

Eventually the contractor kept adding things on that were clearly part of a kitchen remodel (like charging and extra $100 to put the knobs on the cabinets and additional fees for hooking the appliances BACK up after they were moved to install cabinets etc.)  Long story short, he never finished the job (there's numerous things on that original letter that weren't completed) and now says they still owe him $1800 for additional add-ons.  He has no documentation of any of this.

The only paper trail here is my father's emails and texts to him asking whether he was going to be there on a certain day and listing the things that still needed to be done.  Eventually, my father itemized everything for this guy and emailed it to him.  Taking into account what they already paid him (over $11,000) as well as the items he never completed, my parents overpaid by about $800.

I have no interest in getting money from this guy, but he's now threatening to put a lien on the house. It seems pretty easy for him to do this without showing much documentation, so my question is how hard is it to get the lien off the house if we have tons of documentation that he's wrong?

Thanks!

Answer:
 1.  Contractor files a mechanic's lien
2. FIL files a section 34 demand (letter stating that contractor needs to file  foreclosure lawsuit within 30 days.
3.  Contractor does not file lawsuit
4. Lien disappears.

On the slim chance that the contractor files suit your FIL can then respond to the lawsuit< which would likely be filed in small claims court.


Title: What happens when more compelling evidence against someone else is found that undermines the initial suspect?

Question: Exactly what the title says. If, say, a person is being investigated but the investigators are only coming up with a small amount of evidence that wouldn’t hold up in court, what would happen if more compelling, indisputable evidence was tipped to the investigators pointing towards a different suspect? Will the investigators continue to investigate both suspects, or will they turn their attention to the new suspect with indisputable evidence?

Answer: Are you asking if investigators will follow evidence?


Title: [TN] Contacted DoL and my boss found out it was me. Now I'm being treated unfairly and unsure what to do.

Question:
I contacted and submitted a claim for nonpayment of wages by my employer. I work as a server so I make cash tips daily which we report. I worked there for about 6 months and was never paid the $2.13 an hour (which mainly pays for taxes.) It took me equally long to get my employer to allow me to fill out my W-2 and upon numerous requests for a paycheck (which all other servers were getting,) finally got two paychecks which my employer told me was all I was owed. I contacted the Dept. of Labor that month and after another 3 months they came in to investigate. Their investigation awarded me and several others quite a bit of money along with what I found out was quite a large fine against my employer.

A fellow employee and I were talking in what I thought was confidence about the investigation and I told this person that I had contacted the DoL several months back, but didn't think anything had come of it. Turns out, this person told my boss it was me.

I was told by the agent conducting the investigation that my boss asked if they could reduce my hours because I was leaving soon (this was news to me) and the agent told the boss that if my hours were reduced without my consent it would be considered retaliation which was not allowed.

My boss has paid me all the money I was owed and afterwards I began receiving very unfair treatment by the boss and the boss' family. (A relative of the boss comes in to collect pay at the end of the day and occasionally shows up to work as a server assistant/front of house.) They would refuse to sit tables in my section, refuse to help run food when I had large parties, moved parties out of my section, among other things. After having enough, I went to my boss to request the same fair treatment that all other servers were given and that I was told by the DoL agent that any retaliation could be reported, but I was hoping to just settle the matter with the boss.

The boss kind of went nuts and started telling me the following things; the company may have to close because of me, there were $X,XXX fines in legal fees in addition to $XX,XXX owed in backpay for all previous employees, "no one here likes [me]" (the boss seriously said that) and "they are just waiting until [I] leave", all of the guests have been giving the restaurant checks to help keep it open because of what I decided to do, no one is treating me unfairly and I am making all of this up, I should look for another job because I am responsible if the restaurant closes, I am breaking some contract that I signed saying I wouldn't discuss what happened in public, and a few other pretty random statements.

Another thing I was told is puzzling; the relative, per my boss, is in no way an officer nor an employee of the company and has no role in my employment. However, this relative acts like the boss and goes over our checkout and collects the money we turn in at the end of the day. (We don't have a cash register we can use, we just come in with a "bank" which is our own money to use to change out cash paid to us by customers. At the end of the day we subtract our credit card total from our total sales and if in the negative the restaurant owes us money, if in the positive we owe the restaurant.) In addition, this relative is the one who makes our schedule, "enforces" the late policy by calling out the tardy individual in a public forum, tells customers as well as staff that they are the manager and is the main person treating me unfairly. When the relative comes in to work as a server assistant, my wages are effected when my section isn't seated, and even when I request for tables to be sat, the relative just says the guests didn't want to sit there. But the boss says this person is not actually an employee?

I have not signed anything about discussing the matter in public. The only document I have signed is that I would accept the pay and not contact an attorney to sue for backpay as I was accepting the amount the DoL found I was owed. Having personally not said anything more about the matter other than to the original co-worker who wound up leaving the restaurant at the end of the investigation, I have been approached by friends of the boss inquiring about the matter, as well as hearing other family members and the boss discussing the matter in the restaurant with customers, pointing me out to indicate I was the disgruntled employee.

What should I do? I live in a very tiny town and have been looking for other work, but have not been able to find anything. I drive an hour each way to get to this job and have enough saved up to last about 2 months if I quit or lose this job. Should I call the agent back and report this as retaliation, or should I just drop the whole issue and move on?

Also, if this is the wrong place to post this, I am so sorry, please tell me where to post it and I will! Thank you all so much!!

*Edit- I am working the next two days and then the restaurant will be closed so the boss and the family can go on vacation through the first week of July. I will be checking in throughout the day as I can, and will update if I need to based on the response I get from the boss/family; I went to the boss yesterday after work to request the fair treatment.

Answer:
 Contact the DoL guy again and tell him everything you wrote here?
I'm not a lawyer so don't take my advice too much Answer #2: I know you might be in need of a job and feel you have to work there, but seriously, they are not going to treat you any better in the future. If at all possible, just get out of there and find a different job.

The way he is harassing you is going to be difficult to prove, which is probably why he is doing it like that.

But, by all means, call up the guy from DoL and ask advice - he'll be much cheaper than a lawyer.

And of course you are not responsible for the restaurant possibly closing or anything else like that. Those who decided to cheat the employees are at fault and he's just bitter that he was found out.Answer #3: Yes, call the DOL agent and tell him everything you said here. Make sure to mention that your manager even reprimanded you over the dollar amount of the fines and back pay to other employees.

>...the company may have to close because of me...all of the guests have been giving the restaurant checks to help keep it open because of what I decided to do

Yeah, I'm sure customers are donating extra cash to a restaurant. Sounds legit. Answer #4: Report this SOB again for retaliation for sure.

It is NOT your fault that the owner is shitty and wasn't paying properly. He probably has a ton of tax issues as well. Don't let him guilt trip you. Let him keep digging his own grave.


Title: [Canada] A search warrant was just issued on my house. They believed I possessed firearms, only to find I own airsoft guns

Question:
Hello Legaladvice,

This just happened moments ago. I was terrified when they told me I was under arrest when I know I had committed no crimes. The search warrant notice states they can still come back until 9PM tonight.

I need to know what they can do with anything they may have seen in the house unrelated to their search. I live with 3 other guys and I don't know if they have a dime bag of weed or something. Secondly, they broke one of the bedroom doors. Should they be paying for that?

I know I, and this house, is 100% clear of any firearm related thing. What can I do to find out why this happened, what I should expect moving forward, and if they will replace damaged property.

Thank you for any advice.

Answer:
 >I need to know what they can do with anything they may have seen in the house unrelated to their search.

Anything they see while looking for the items on the warrant are in "plain view".

>Secondly, they broke one of the bedroom doors. Should they be paying for that?

Yup, that's no problem. The police are liable for whatever they damage. Submit a claim to the department and/or the city, they'll pay.

>I own airsoft guns

If the muzzle speed is faster than (edit: 500) fps, I have some bad news about your firearms.

If they aren't, the regulations surrounding imitation/replica firearms are tricky. You'll need a criminal lawyer to sort them out and tell them what side you're onAnswer #2: PMs are against the rules of this sub and any that I receive from posters about situations discussed in their threads will be deleted.


Title: Not informed of job termination in NH

Question:
Hi /r/legal advice,

So this is a bit lengthy, and I'm not entirely sure if it's me being upset about the way things went down, or if there is potential legal recourse (JUSTICE!)

I worked for a company for about a year, things were all well, I worked my ass off and loved my job! A couple of months ago my husband and I decided to move to Seattle, which was great because my company had lots of openings for people out there and we were willing to go!

So I got my husband hired, we worked for a few weeks, and the way the work is submitted for review is through their website, each employee gets a 'site' and the jobs show up on there with instructions, you complete it and submit it, all is good, if there is an issue , you are contacted and try to resolve it.

Now I had apparently messed up on a job, and through lack of communication from my company (and therefore lack of response on my part) the incorrect work was not properly handled and I was terminated.

Now, we were relying on this job to get across country, had already rid ourselves of all our excess belongings and our apartment and dog and were days away from leaving for our first job, which we weren't even informed was no longer a thing (I had to seek a response), but that's the way it works.

Now my issue here is that all of the previous work had been on my site in my name, the mistake was mine, I accepted the consequences, but my husband (who was still in training, he had no idea what was right and wrong for the jobs, nor submitted any of his own work) was terminated alongside me WITH NO CONTACT from the company.

He has not received an email, phone call or any sort of notification or reason whatsoever, and I was told nothing of it when I spoke to my boss, we only even realised this when he was denied access to his site when one of my bosses (who also was not informed) asked him to work.

So my question, is this legal? Is there anything we can do?

Due to this we are essentially stranded here with zero assets or fall backs (maybe poor planning on our part, but how can we know we have no work when we aren't told?) until we can try to raise money to get out of dodge, so if there is anything we can do, or any advice anyone has in regards to this matter and how to handle it, it would be so greatly appreciated!

TL;DR - Got fired for a mistake, husband was terminated as well without being informed or responsible in any way, is there legal recourse?

Answer: Nope you are SOL. You made a mistake, the company didn't want to continue to employee you anymore and decided that your recommendation was no longer valuable so they shitcanned your husband too. You don't even have a promissory estoppel argument which some law school student is sure to bring up here.  They didn't pull the rug out from you. You were there and had a job, you made a mistake and it was enough to get rid of you. I don't know of any legal argument you would make. Absent a contract your cross country move does not prevent them from firing you.


Title: [UPDATE] Scam left me(...) - Updated

Question:
Link to original post:
https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/4miqx9/scam_left_me_with_an_outstanding_debt_of_3400_usd/

So I've talked with the specified department at BofA.
 I got a check to settle the debt on Monday, went to my bank to deposit said check only to find out that BofA placed a hold (!) on the total amount of the scam check, setting me back another 3,620 (check amount was 3,620, it was returned, taking back those funds from my account), which makes no sense because there was no check in my account by Monday!
They placed a hold on a check that was not even there by Monday.
They told me they could not remove the hold, an analyst has to take a look at my case and they will determine what is the true balance of my account.

What is ridiculous at this point is that I do not have a bank account because of this, they froze my account along with the check I deposited, having lost some of my funds (well, not lost, but not able to use my OWN money). They said it could take 15-20 business days, aside from the fact that nothing guarantees me they'd remove the debt from the hold (this was literally told to me by the operator).

 It seems just ridiculous at this point.... I made it as easy as paying the debt on Monday, and now because of the hold, the analyst, the freeze on my account and all that I do not know if I will be able to use my own money, if I will more debt from said hold, and also them bouncing a lot of my transactions because of the freeze...

What should I do? Are they liable? Is this even logical?

Thanks guys!

Answer: Someone used your account, and likely the account of another customer, to run a scam. They're basically shutting it all down until they can sort out what happened.


Title: [KY] Brother-in-law said he was going to kill his father's future wife

Question:
My BIL told me and 2 other friends last night while we were all out drinking that he has seriously been considering murdering my FIL's fiance because he hates her. We kind of laughed it off but then he insisted that he wanted to really make her feel pain.

I was frightened but we eventually ignored it..

But today i'm wondering if something should be done about it?

Answer: Report it to the police?


Title: [NC, USA] Sellers didn't disclose mice problem

Question:
I moved into my house just over 3 months ago. No pests were disclosed throughout the home buying process. No mice were reported by the home inspector.

When we moved in, I noticed glue traps were set around the house, but I wasn't sure what they were for as I had never seen them before. About a month ago, there were two mice caught in one in the bathroom. Tonight, there's two mice caught in one under the fridge that I didn't know existed. I'm leaving them there as evidence for now...Since the trap was set by the previous owners, they must have had knowledge that the mice existed.

Sellers did not disclose the pests when selling the house. I'm not sure how I can prove they knew and that I wasn't the one that set the traps in the past 3 months? I'm also not sure if it's too late to take action? It seems this is more than just a two mice problem and I'm concerned I am going to have to shell out some money for an exterminator. What are my legal avenues?

Answer:
 Welcome to home ownership. Houses get mice. Keeping a house mice free is a constant battle. If you've done nothing to prevent them for three months and are just seeing them now the previous owners left you in rather good shape.Answer #2: > just over 3 months ago

It gets cold. Mice get in.

> What are my legal avenues

Get a bulk pack of mouse traps on Amazon. It'll cost you about $20. Get a jar of peanut butter. It'll cost you about $2. Get a Sharpie. Label the jar of peanut butter so you don't inadvertently put the mousetrap peanut butter on a sandwich.

Move on. Honestly, given the passage of time and seasons, this is not worth pursuing.


Title: Water Sports Injury

Question:
Hi all. I'm located in Alberta, Canada. About 2 years ago my father-in-law had invited his girlfriends family to the lake, like he usually does, but this time her daughter brought her (now ex) boyfriend. They ended up taking my FIL's boat out for some water sports. The boyfriend went tubing (FIL was operating the boat) and is now suing my FIL for injuries he says he sustained while tubing. FIL was just served a few days ago and this is the first he's heard about these injuries so he's not sure how the boyfriend got injured or how badly.

Should my FIL seek legal advice? Any other information is appreciated too!

Answer:
 When someone is sued, it is always a wise idea to seek legal counsel.

He should contact his insurance company as they may provide an attorney as well as may indemnify him for the boyfriend's injuries. If not, his homeowners insurance may have a personal liability inclusion as well.

He is not necessarily liable for the injuries. It is important for him to have legal counsel to defend him against a lawsuit, even if the claim has no merit.

Best of luck.


Title: The housing charged me extra fees for not paying the rent while they sent the payment link to the wrong email address

Question:
Hello guys. I signed a lease for a place a while ago and gave them my email. Turns out they mistyped into the computer and they sent the link for payment (portal) to the wrong email address. Not only that is a huge security breach, but they are now asking me to pay 100$ because I didn’t pay in time (I received the link today after SMSing them). Do you guys think I have a case? Thanks I really don’t know anything about laws and stuff like that
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 > I signed a lease

Presumably, the lease says you're responsible to pay rent each month by date 'x' (usually the 1st of the month). Did you pay your rent by date x?


Title: [NC] Attorney promised to file bankruptcy, did nothing, and won't return the money

Question:
Hi /r/legaladvice!

Long story short, I found an attorney (through a referral program my employer offers) to file bankruptcy for my mother. Things started going south when I never saw action on their part.

I was given one excuse after another (death in a staff member's family, vacation, out of office seminar, funeral, etc). They would always say that they had lots of other clients, that I'm not their only customer, that they would get to it soon, etc.

The paralegal was handling the drafting of the paperwork. I've never sent her any details. She missed the only meeting we had scheduled after she promised to dedicate her entire afternoon to our case.

Again, after a couple months and tons of missed deadlines (which the firm set themselves) and missed meetings, I decided to pull the plug and find someone else. I did this through the referral service, which promised to handle the refund. However, now the attorney is saying that all the work has already been done and they won't return the money.

I have never seen the work, nor have I provided any details that other firms ask for when filing bankruptcy.

We really need the money back so that we can file with another firm. We are financially struggling until then. Any advice will help. Thank you!

Edit: Also, in case it gives some context... we are filing bankruptcy for my mom because someone used her identity to rack up a lot of debt without her permission.

Answer:
 I guess the first question would be, "Why aren't you pursuing to discharge the debt through the creditors?"  Identity theft shouldn't require someone to declare bankruptcy.  I believe that it would almost be worse by listing these debts in bankruptcy as actually being debts you are responsible for.

As for the lawyer's office, something is very wrong.  There might be a bar complaint in here somewhere but more than likely you will need another lawyer.

IANAL but this sounds wrong on many levels.Answer #2: As /u/MaverickWentCrazy wrote, identity theft shouldn't have driven her into bankruptcy.

Complain to the state bar about the attorney.


Title: Postal worker forged my signature [x-post /r/USPS]

Question: [deleted]

Answer: if it's stolen, a lawyer won't help much ... but the [USPIS](https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/) might find your case amusing.


Title: Ex Girlfriend publicly defaming me

Question:
So my ex girlfriend thought it would be a great idea to go onto twitter and call me out first and last name saying I neglect my animals. I'm serving a cease and desist but with like to be able to present solid facts that PROVE I have not neglected my pet. For the record, I have not or ever will do such a thing. Hell, I've volunteered 200+ hours at an animal shelter in high school. I just want to know how I can prove that she is being treated well and taken care of.

Thanks!

Answer: Just ignore it and move on. There's no point in feeding the flames. A cease and desist letter holds no legal significance. It's just a letter saying you're going to sue her if she doesn't stop. You likely aren't going to sue her for this, so it's likely just an empty threat.


Title: [FL] Could my bf be ordered to meet my ex?

Question:
Ex and I share a 4YO. We have an open court case and are going to mediation in a few weeks. Have never been married, and he has been sporadic with visitation. He is angry that I am dating someone and is insisting on meeting him. Saying it will happen "no matter what anyone says."

BF and I do not live together. He spends some time around 4YO, but is never left alone with her.

Ex messaged BF on FB, and finished the message with "....it will be the worst and last mistake you ever make." (After telling BF not to disrespect 4YO.)

I do not want them to meet. Ex is high conflict and an angry person. Could a meeting between the two be legally arranged? Ex is also wanting to meet BF's extended family.

Edited to add that I have not been in relationship with ex for ~4 years. Never lived together.

Answer:
 In theory practically anything can be written into a visitation/custody agreement if the judge thinks it's in the best interest of the child.  But your ex has a high burden to meet especially if you're not living with him.  For now I would advise your bf to block your ex.Answer #2: >  Could a meeting between the two be legally arranged?

You mean legally required?  Sure, the judge could order such a thing as part of the custody matter.  He could also order your boyfriend not to have contact with the child.


Title: Life insurance with no beneficiary

Question: Someone passed, has life insurance policy with no beneficiary. Curious if executor gets it, subjected to debts or goes to all surviving children. Ohio btw. Thanks in advance.

Answer: Generally, it will go to the estate, which means that if there are debts, those debts must be settled before any distributions.


Title: I want to get my last paycheck and am worried my boss won’t mail it to me.

Question:
Okay, so I gave a weeks notice of quitting, since I found a way better job. However on the last day I was supposed to work, I let the other manager know that I was sick and unable to come in.
She responded that if I don’t come in or get someone to cover for me (since she wouldn’t do it) that I would be fired and have to talk to her before I get my final checks. (I think it’s ridiculous she’s firing me on my last day, but okay.) I live in Utah, and was hoping she would mail my check to me. Is there any laws regarding how long she has to mail me my checks? I was under the impression that the employer must mail it if it doesn’t get picked up in a certain amount of time. I appreciate any advice I can get!

Answer:
 IANAL

If you quit, your paycheck is due on the next regularly scheduled payday.

If you're fired, it's due within 24 hours.

Source: https://resources.lawinfo.com/wages/utah/what-are-the-rules-on-final-paychecks-in-utah.html


Title: Best friend incarcerated in Japan in June - Dual US/JP Citizen - How can I reach her? How can I know for how long she will be in jail? No contacts available over there. (Japan)

Question:
My best friend (we went to high school in the US together) was recently incarcerated (June 2018). I don't know exactly why/how for sure. I found out from her husbands friend, who has only spoken with her husband once since they have been jailed. Her husband is also incarcerated. I believe this has to do with a DUI. I thought they were dead.

&#x200B;

&#x200B;

I'm looking to find out if I can see how long she will be incarcerated for, and if there is any way to contact her without being in Japan (I am located in the US). I do not speak Japanese, nor do I write in Japanese confidently, but I have been learning feverishly ever since I found out in July, and would be able to send a letter ASAP. I was told by her husbands friend that all contact had to be in Japanese if I was going to attempt.

&#x200B;

&#x200B;

I don't even know where to start. I don't know where to call, where she is, absolutely nothing.

&#x200B;

&#x200B;

\[My friend\] has dual citizenship (this is rare, but she has both Japanese and American citizenship). I've reached out to her family, and they have not gone to see her, and do not know anything. There is no one else. Please help, any information would be helpful. Thank you so much.

Answer:
 I'm not a lawyer but you might have better luck contacting the US embassy in Japan. They may at least be able to point you in the right direction.Answer #2: You should contact the US embassy in Japan. They have pages on the [arrest of a US citizen](https://jp.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/arrest-of-a-u-s-citizen/) and [legal assistance in Japan](https://jp.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/attorneys/).

If the husband holds a non-Japanese citizenship, you and/or the husband's family can contact his country's embassy in Japan.Answer #3: If her family won't give you any info you might be SOL. The Japanese legal system is pretty inscrutable if you don't know Japanese. The embassy *might* be able to give you some pointers, but don't expect them to come up with her address/inmate number/etc.

If they *ARE* in jail for DUI, they're gonna be away for at least 3-5 years. Japan does NOT screw around with DUI. They've got shared liability (don't know the actual legal term) so if you knowingly let someone drive drunk/give them the keys/let them use your car you can get got with the same penalty. And if they're *in jail* it means something BAD happened. Generally a DUI pullover just results in an immediate license revocation. In order to actually get escalated to criminal charges you have an accident (That's 3-5 years) or hit someone (15 years if you injure them, 20+ if you kill someone).


Title: Kentucky - Bought car from an established dealership that was advertised as a hybrid. It was not a hybrid.

Question:
I bought a vehicle from a dealership an hour from where I live.  I had done lots of research on the vehicle and had test driven the same type of vehicle locally before finding the deal with which I ultimately wanted to go.  Pretty much all the negotiation took place via text/email/phone.  I took off work a little early in order to arrive at the dealership about 30 minutes before they closed, enough time to test drive the vehicle to confirm it actually worked, and then do the paperwork.

I'm home doing research on the hybrid scheduled maintenance, when I notice something different, so I call the manufacture with my VIN number and find out the vehicle isn't a hybrid.  I contact the dealership a week ago, literally 7 days, and haven't been able to speak to a single person other than the receptionist that answers the phone.  I've sent emails, texts, etc, all of which have been ignored.

Do I have any legal recourse?  I have an html saved archive of the vehicle listing showing it was advertised as a hybrid.  I also have screenshots of the listing.  The listing was obviously removed the day after it was sold (Feb 1st).

While I suppose some of this is on me, I am not an expert in cars.  This would have been my first hybrid vehicle.  I once had a friend buy what he thought was a TDI (Diesel) volkswagen from someone.  Turns out, they put the TDI lettering on the back of it because they thought it looked cool, but they knew it was gas.  They got it towed to the lot and it was put up for auction as a TDI and my friend bought it.  Found out it wasn't actually TDI when he went to fill it up and the diesel gas nozzle wouldn't fit.  He ultimately was able to get his money back but that was from the county government repo police lot auction thing.  Don't know what my chances are with a dealership where I signed the dotted line.
Topic:
Consumer Law

Answer: Read the paperwork you actually signed. Does the paperwork mention a "Hybrid" or not?Answer #2: Check your paperwork to see what they have it listed as.  And this may be one of those times when you get off the phone and go in person to speak to someone.


Title: Minnesota Salon intimidated sister into signing promissory note

Question:
My sister worked at a large, dysfunctional hair salon. They had management problems with managers coming and going. One of them trained the employees to discount friends and family by ringing up haircuts as "miscellaneous". This kept their appointment in the computer but charged them 0.

Eventually, a more permanent manager was hired. She witnessed an employee ringing things up this way and asked her what was going on. The underling explained this was how they were trained. The permanent manager did not tell the staff that this was wrong, rather she called corporate.

Apparently all but 2 of the employees (one my sister) deleted out records of the appointment by cancelling them. They had all the transactions recorded to my sister however, and I think they knew she was young, dumb and easily intimidated.

The district manager and an asset specialist showed up, isolated her in a room together, asked her for an explanation, then told her, despite her explanation, that she knew what she did, she stole from them. They got her to sign a promissory note saying she had stolen from them and would "pay back" $3000. They asked how much cash she had on her, and took the $20 and change that she had. She was told not to discuss this with other coworkers. She did anyway and all the others walked rather than admit to anything or sign the notes.

She since has received a letter from a law firm explaining she has a civil claim for merchandise for 300.00. A separate letter informed her it was attempting to collect $3000.00 in restitution.

Is there any chance she will get out of this? She signed, with 2 company witnesses. She is fairly certain the other employees would testify on her behalf that they were trained to give discounts in this manner, I am worried all of them will be scared, even though none of them work there after this.

Thanks for reading.

TLDR: Dumb 22 y/o cashier trained to give discounts, company upper management intimidated into signing $3000 promissory note saying she stole and would repay.

Answer:
 your sister signed a contract to pay the salon money at a future point in time. in exchange for them not suing (presumably), she'd pay them money.

this is a legally binding contract. I can only see that it might be negated if it was signed under duress. I don't know enough about your sister's case to know if it was signed under the legal definition of duress. Your sister should engage in a free consultation with a contract lawyer to see what she should do, and whether it might be considered "duress".


Title: Need advice. I’m being sexually harassed at work and can’t file due to the law. What can I do?

Question: I live in Texas and work for a company with less than 10 employees. The owner is male and everyone else is female which is how he likes it. The owner has kissed me and after trying to handle it myself to get it to stop, he continued. I again tried to handle it but after he made some comments about wanting to continue his behavior I went to HR/CFO. The owner admitted to the behavior and said he had taken a liking to me and that it was mutual. In the meeting he said he would stop and not retaliate but I’m uncomfortable. I can’t file sexual harassment. I’m the bread winner in my family and need a job, I don’t have the luxury of just quitting right now. Does anyone know a lawyer or perhaps offer advice of what to do? Do I have any recourse?  I appreciate any advice or options.

Answer:
 Why can't you file sexual harassment exactly?

Consult with at least two local lawyers that specialize in this field.Answer #2: Get the police involved for sexual harassment. If you can get others in the office to back up your story with some of their own he will have being a sexual predator put on his record. You will most likely be fired for some bs  though.Answer #3: Gather all the evidence you have and write incident reports. Every time he is behaving that way write down the time, what happened, who was involved and where it occurred.

You already contacted HR, they obviously did not help. Your job is failing to protect you, you need to report this to the police and then immediately seek an employment attorney. An attorney can help you get through this, please stand up for yourself. I know it’s not easy being the breadwinner but it is better than letting it continue and possibly escalate.


Title: Landlord forcing me to sign addendum and wants to retroactively collect amount it has on it

Question:
Location: Atlanta, GA

I've been in this apartment 7 months out of my 12 month contract. No problems so far. Today I receive a charge of $25 on my account and a notice that I had unsigned paperwork. Strange. I open it up and it's a pet addendum stating that I need to sign it and I now owe $25 more per month for a "pet fee" and retroactively owe for the past 7 months.

This was never mentioned to me when signing the lease a while back. It did mention a pet deposit, which I paid and is on their records. I've made no attempt to hide the fact that I have a pet: every maintenance request mentions that I have one, I had to supply proof of vaccinations to them at the start of the lease, and of course I have the proof of paying the pet deposit on record.

I checked back in the original lease, and in the dozens of pages it does mention that I need to sign an addendum along with the security deposit. They say that since this was in the original contract that this should have happened from the start. That's all it says though: no mention of any additional fees or anything.

This is a gray area for me. Yes, it does mention an addendum in the original contract, but it literally just says that and doesn't say anything about what it contains. There was no addendum presented to me during the signing of the contract and there is no copy of it attached to the original contact according to their records and mine. The total renter amount due per month stated on the contract doesn't include the $25.

Can they really force me to sign this addendum and pay up despite not even informing me or showing me the addendum on the original signing of the contract - especially since it involves money? Their argument is that they didn't know I had a pet, so I have to sign it now that they "discovered" I have one. It's blatantly obvious and on written record I made no attempt to cover it up and they knew about before I even signed the initial contract.

I haven't signed anything yet.

Answer: To be clear, you signed a lease, and in that lease you agreed to sign an addendum concerning pets?


Title: MEGATHREAD: Amicus Brief claims CDC Eviction Moratorium Violates the Third Amendment

Answer:
 We've had dozens\* of questions today about this groundbreaking legal argument, so we wanted to gather all of those questions into one comprehensive post.

Q.) What is the Third Amendment?

A.) It's the one that prevents the government from quartering troops in your house.

Q.) Why is it the Third Amendment if it's about quartering? Shouldn't it be thirding?

A.) Actually it was the fifth one proposed.

Q.) Shouldn't it be about fifthing then?

A.) Please don't drop the "r" when you talk about the First Amendment, that's all I ask.

Q.) The government never quarters troops in anyone's house, so why do we need an Amendment?

A.) This is why the Third Amendment is widely understood\* to be the best and most effective amendment ever. If the First Amendment was so great, why does the Government break it all the time?

Q.) Why is this amicus brief so important?

A.) Because u/cypher_blue has been making his wife dress up as a redcoat every night to fulfill his Third Amendment fantasies, and now he's finally not alone.


Title: Sperm Donation for Surrogacy

Question: I live in Texas and my friend has asked me to be the sperm donor for her baby. Since she is unable to produce her own eggs, she will be using the eggs of her friend, who is also the surrogate. My question is, what kind of legal/financial responsibility am I on the line for if I donate my sperm? She told me that I would need to sign away my rights after the baby is born and she would then legally adopt it from the surrogate but, it all sounds kind of risky to me and while she is a good friend of mine, I don't want to risk being financially responsible for a child that, while biologically mine, is not actually mine.

Answer:
 > My question is, what kind of legal/financial responsibility am I on the line for if I donate my sperm?

Literally, *all* of them.  You will be the baby-daddy and you will enjoy at least 18 years of child support (if not 21).  There is no such animal as "home donations".

The only way to avoid this is to use the services of a duly licensed sperm bank.Answer #2: yeah... don't do sperm donations at home. Legally speaking, you're relying on the friend never deciding to sue you for paternity. Or, in many states, her needing governent support- since in many states, you are required to try for child support before the government will give you financial assistance (it makes sense - to the government, the mother is expecting the government to pay what the father should be paying)


Title: Can I be sued for libel if I wrote a complaint to my boss about another employee?

Question:
To be clear, I'm not asking whether it's possible I'd *lose* a lawsuit, or whether I might be in the wrong here. Rather, I'm asking whether I could even *be sued at all* by a coworker, because I really don't want to be entangled in a lawsuit.

I feel like the answer is obviously no, because otherwise no one would be allowed to complain when being mistreated at work. However, I just sent an email to my former employer informing her of managerial bullying that was occurring by my mid-level boss who was my direct superior, and I listed various examples of this behavior in the email. I'm just wondering if the mid-level manager could do anything legally if he found out I sent that email.

Edit: This is in Florida.

Answer: Yep. This person can absolutely file a suit against you. You don't have immunity from suit just because this was sent in a work context. Answer #2: Anyone can sue for anything, they definitely can do that and might if they have a history.Answer #3: You can be sued. Though truth is also an absolute defense. Also in order to be guilty of libel the remark would need to be published by you, this is a private workplace email to a supervisor.


Title: CNA now unemployed because of sick child. Is this intimidation, bullying and a violation of work place safety?

Question:
And should I consult a lawyer or let it go?

Nebraska USA as a location maybe it will help as I know employment laws vary state to state

I am a certified CNA.  I recently started working for a small city owned nursing home.  Two weeks ago my child became incredibly ill and I took him to the doctor. I had to miss work that day and got a doctors note per company policy to show why I missed work.  I did not miss work again until last week.

Thursday my son's daycare called me to pick up my child. He was getting sicker (11 days after his illness showed up).  I immediately called the doctor and got in. He was diagnosed with Influenza B.  The note from the doctor stated specifically that I should be excused from work and my child excused from school until he was 24 hours with out a fever. I immediately called my work from the doctors office.

The charge nurse refused to let me speak to the Director of Nursing, instead insisting on talking to her for me.  The C.N. asked if I'd be able to work my double shift Saturday, I said at this point I should be able to as I have daycare lined up for him.

Friday at 1 p.m. my daycare provider stated she could not watch my son Saturday because she had to take a mandatory clinic to keep her license.  I called other day cares and no one would take my son because he still had a fever.  My friends that had children couldn't take him because they didn't want to expose their children who were healthy to Influenza B.

I called the nursing home (1:30 pm Friday) and talked to the same C.N. and stated I could not work Saturday because of the fact that I had no one to care for my child.  I asked for a list of numbers so I could attempt to find someone to pick it up instead. The C.N. scolded me that they needed me more [than my son].  Offended I did say "Would you prefer I bring my kid in and make him sleep on the couch all day?" to which she scolded me again for giving her an attitude.  She then stated that she was not going to mark me as "calling in" so if I didn't find someone and I didn't show up for work it would be a "no-call-no-show" and "you know what that means."

I called 10 employees and couldn't find anyone to work for me. I called the Director of nursing and explained the situation and she said she would "take care of it".  I asked if I should call the C.N. back and she said "no, I'll take care of that".

Saturday morning I received two phone calls asking where I was.  I called back and talked to a Nurse Supervisor and explained why I wasn't at work and she said she understood and hoped my son would start feeling better.

Monday I called the D.O.N. because I am a full time college student and she had been scheduling me to work during my classes.  (When she hired me 3 weeks ago I gave her a hand written copy of my school schedule and kept a copy of what I had given her).  I explained that she had scheduled me during school hours and she said she would take care of it.  I told her I wanted to talk to her about what happened with the C.N. and this weekend and how it offended me to be treated like that because of something I couldn't control.  The D.O.N. lost her temper with me and accused me of lying about when I was available to work (I was PRN so I was not a scheduled employee even though she took it upon her self to schedule me) I refuted her claims and explained I didn't appreciate being accused of saying things I never said.  She then accused me of missing more work than I actually had.  Again I refuted that and stated that the three times I had missed work I had doctors notes and proof of why I was gone. She stated "Those don't even matter, they are taken into consideration but missing 3 days in your probationary period isn't going to look very good for you".  She then stated she would not "have this argument" with me and "we'll see how it goes for you from here".

I ended the call and called the administrator to file a complaint.  When discussing it with the administrator (I recorded the phone call) she stated that she was very sorry for the way I was treated and that I had done nothing wrong.  She went on to say that she would be as upset as I was and that she hopes I stick it out with them even though I had a rough start.  I stated "I want to come back but I don't feel comfortable because I don't know if you can promise me I wont be retaliated against".  The Administrator stated "you're right, I can't promise you that"  Word for word.  I told her with out that guarantee I didn't feel comfortable working for them anymore and I would be in tomorrow (Today, Tuesday) to drop off my key and pick up my paycheck.  I thanked her for the opportunity to work for her company.

**Edit** I also was guaranteed $11.25 an hour by the D.O.N. when she hired me but I was only paid $10.38 an hour when I received my pay check stub today.

I'm sorry this is so long but I've been told I should probably get a lawyer because they violated their "Bullying and Intimidation" clause in their employee handbook and that by not promising that I could be protected specifically from work place retaliation that it's a work safety violation.  I didn't know based on the information if I'd have a case to peruse or if I would be wasting my time.

Topic:
Labor Law

Answer:
 You have no case. I can't even say file for unemployment because you quit. You can't quit over what *might* happen and then think you have a case.  You should have just let them fire you for missing work.

You should ask about the discrepancy in your rate. Whether it's worth it to file an unpaid wage complaint is up to you.


Title: What do I do if deliberately infected with HIV?

Question:
I've just been diagnosed HIV positive and am at my wits end trying to comprehend my life. A few months ago I met with a guy off a hookup website. We arranged a time and a place and he gave me unprotected anal sex. We had agreed on unprotected because I was STD free and he said he was (and on his hookup profile he had selected HIV Negative).

We only had two hookups. He is from Europe (I live in Australia) and was in Australia for 2 months for work. He is the only sexual partner I have had since mid last year and my last STD checkup was in December, so my positive diagnosis is definitely from him.

Just before being diagnosed I had a chat with him and he mentioned that he was returning to Europe. I said ok. A week later, after being diagnosed I tried to track him down but found he had blocked me on the website. He still has his profile there as I made a new one to check so. I don't know what to do?? I want revenge, I want him arrested and sent to jail, but I live on the other side of the world. I'm feeling so guttered and hopeless right now. I can't even cry anymore. From a legal standpoint is there ANYTHING I can do that will get this man criminalised in his home country? Because his website profile is still up, authorities could trace him through that? Would authorities in Belgium (where he told me where he was from) even care about the words of a 23 year old? I don't know. If I can't get justice then I am ending it.

Answer:
 You seek immediate medical treatment.

Based on what you wrote, there is no proof that you were "deliberately infected."  He may honestly not know he is positive.

You can report it to the police, but I don't know what the specific laws are in Australia.

I don't want to belabor the obvious, and I do feel terrible for you, but this needs to be said for others to read:

"I had unprotected sex with a stranger I met online because he said he was STD free" is monumentally bad decision making.Answer #2: Likely not. It is somewhere between reasonably possible and quite likely that he was unaware of being HIV positive.

>I want revenge, I want him arrested and sent to jail, but I live on the other side of the world. I'm feeling so guttered and hopeless right now. I can't even cry anymore.

Obviously this is upsetting and you are lashing out.

However, you have no way of knowing whether this was intentional or that this is your fault.

You had unprotected sex with a stranger from a hookup website.....

While the results were unfortunate, they were also predictable. Stop blaming him and focus on yourself.


Title: (MN) When recording a conversation, do I have to answer truthfully if the other party asks?

Question: I know Minnesota is one party consent, but what happens if the other party asks if the conversation is being recorded? Thank you!

Answer:
 You should always, always always, answer questions truthfully or decline to answer.

The other party's consent isn't required, but if you tell them you *aren't* doing something, and they take action based on that, you could find yourself at issue later.  Either tell the truth or refuse to answer.

If they tell you to stop, you aren't required to in a one party consent state.


Title: Want to start lease 2 weeks later than roommate

Question:
I'm trying to start a lease soon with a roommate (the lease has not *yet* been provided to us by the apt complex). She wants to move in on the 1st of the month, I want to move in on the 15th (because I won't start work til then and need to be cautious with $. Those 2 weeks would make a big difference).
But after I asked the landlords if they'd be willing to accommodate our 2 start dates, they flatly said it wasn't possible. Their argument is that because we'll be in the same unit - and because they're not renting by bed - we'd just have to figure it out amongst ourselves.

I don't want to foist this cost on my roommate either - but she initially told me that after she spoke with the landlords, they had informed her that even if I moved in mid-month and only started paying then, it would be ok. If I didn't get that verbal confirmation, I wouldn't have even pursued this option.

Is there anything I can do to get the landlords to help me with a later start date? Or am I now stuck paying for the 2 weeks I'm not living there, or asking for my roommate to absorb that cost?

Answer: The landlord has no obligation to accommodate you. If you don't want to move in, don't sign the lease. Then you can find somewhere else that is willing to rent to you beginning on the 15th.


Title: United Airlines cancelled my CHI>SFO flight because i missed an unrelated flight last week on the same reservation.

Question: United Airlines cancelled my return flight from Chicago because i didn't fly to Cleveland last week.  They didn't notify me they were canceling it so i found out at check in.  They claim this is a policy but I cannot find it anywhere on their refund and cancellations page nor is it in any emails we received.   I don't understand also how a policy would allow them to breach a contract in this manner and not even tell me, just because they thought i might not show up for a different flight in the future.   We rebooked for a lot of money for the earliest flight tomorrow,  so we have to get a hotel and miss work.  Does this make common sense to anyone and has anyone else had a similar experience or know where to locate this policy?   What are my options?  At this point we are probably out about a grand and this has also caused me significant emotional distress.

Answer:
 Just to confirm, was this a multi city flight on the same reservation?
NAL but I can tell you that it is a very common industry wide standard that if you miss any leg of the outbound flight without notifying the airline, your return will be cancelled.Answer #2: Rule 5 section H of United's contract of carriage.

&#x200B;

Missing part of your flight will result in the remainder of your flight being canceled. This is a commonly known rule.


Title: Can I get in trouble for outing a Pedophile?

Question:
Throw away for obvious reasons.

I am involved in a hobby. It's a hobby both adults and children enjoy, let's say it is . . . robotics. Several years ago, a man who taught coding as a side business was convicted and sentenced to prison for molesting some children (more than one, less than ten).

He served his time, was released and legally changed his name. As a condition of his parole, he is not allowed in public places that children frequent. But club meeting and events are held in private homes and private businesses, generally, where children abound. He is teaching coding again.

I think that he is violating the spirit, if not the letter of the law. He may no longer be teaching children, but he is certainly in a position to be around them. Changing his name means that people who are new to the hobby have no idea just who they have hired and let into their homes.

Am I legally allowed to post on social media / robotics sites re: his legal name change and the record of his convictions? The truth is obviously a defense to a charge of slander / libel, and I would not be reporting anything other than what I know to be 100% true.

This is in Canada, if that makes a difference.

Answer:
 Is he on probation or parole? Notify the parole office and let them investigate.Answer #2: >He may no longer be teaching children, but he is certainly in a position to be around them

Everyone is in a position to be around children. They are everywhere. If you think he is actually violating then report that to the police.

As for the defamation issue, you need a province.


Title: I'm going crazy, I need some help internet. Please advise [Class C/B Misd. in TX, etc.]

Question:
I'm writing because I've let myself fall into kind of a legal mess and he said you might be able to offer some advice?
I got arrested for possession/paraphenalia last march, a class b and c misdemeanor, plus a speeding ticket that prompted the arrest.
When I was arrested (just south of Dallas) I was arraigned the same day (by a Judge on skype), I didn't think I'd have to talk about a lawyer but get out in time & ask ppl what to do and move on from there. But, when I was in my cell, I was asked how to plead and since I thought that since they had my evidence in their possesion, I had to plead guilty. I plead guilty when arraigned by the judge on skype, friends helped me pay bail and was just waiting to get someting in the mail.
I kind of fell into depression after it happened, since it compounded pre-existing issues, and I missed my court date & failed to pay my speeding ticket.
After that happened, I called a lawyer who said I should not call them but start working with him. When the family member who said they were going to help me could no longer afford to, I tried to ignore the issue and fell even deeper into depression.
Since then, I got a denial of renewal of drivers liscence in the mail, fines for paraphenalia/speeding/failure2appear/violationofpromise to appear. I've been depressed and have still ignored the fines, until recently getting mail about a warrant round up and needing to act immediately to avoid arrest. It also says 'please be advised that you may have pending cases' which makes me wonder about the possession charge?

Should I pay the fines? Will they start pursuing me by the deadline they gave me?

Answer: You need an attorney. If you cannot afford one, turn yourself in on a Monday morning. I believe you should still be able to ask for a public defender even though you plead guilty. (which you should not have done by the way). Your utter failure to deal with these issues with any degree of responsibility has turned something bad into something far worse. You should get your affairs in order because you may be spending considerable time in jail.


Title: Missing money from bank account

Question: This morning I woke up around 4, and decided to check my bank account. I deposited over 300 yesterday and was told it should show as available funds after midnight. I saw that there was a tranfer of 700 to an external account, I didn't authorize this at all. I called the bank as soon as they opened at 8 and was told they have something in their system with my signature approving the transfer and that I need to go in at 9 when the bank opens and take it from there. What should I do? That was my rent money, the SO and I are supposed to pay 1st months rent today, and now have no way of doing so. Any advice?

Answer:
 > What should I do?

Go in at nine when the bank opens and take it from there.

You don't know what's going on; we can't guess what's going on; there's no more advice to be offered.


Title: Evicted but still here

Question:
I have been evicted. The landlord hasn't gotten sheriff to force me out, maybe because he doesn't want to pay for that. He keeps asking me to leave, but I am having hard time finding where to stay.

New tenant's relatives I think are knocking on door and asking when I'm leaving and saying hurry up. If I get a loan and pay all now, and landlord agrees, can I stay until the first?

Edit: In Texas
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 I doubt your landlord will let you stay when his new tenants are literally knocking on your door. Although he hasn't called in the sheriff to remove you yet, he certainly can if he's already got a court order for your eviction.

Find a non-touristy part of town that has a few old road-side motels. The cheapest ones are usually just outside of town in an area with more interstate truck traffic going by (truckers often will get a room for the night in a cheap motel if they're sick of sleeping in their sleeper cab).

Call the front desks of several of these motels and ask for their "lowest weekly rate". Explain that you don't need daily linen service or anything, you just need an inexpensive place to stay for several weeks. Once you've reviewed the quotes and selected a place, move your excess furniture into a cheap storage unit and move out of your current place.

A weekly motel rate might be more than your equivalent rent, but it also includes all utilities, a phone line, a TV with cable, and typically free parking. Some of these places also have coin operated laundry facilities.

Most importantly, the motel doesn't do landlord background checks so they won't know about your recent eviction and/or damaged credit. You can live in that motel until you find another apartment to rent. Good luck!


Title: Need Advice on how to "Turn In" Person Using False Identity

Question:
I have been made aware of a situation that unfolds like this:

Person has multiple (5) DUIs in Nebraska. 15 year license revocation.

However, they have a second, also valid license from Arizona. Apparently, changing a couple numbers on their social as well as using a more formal version of their name (Example:  Dave/David) allowed them to have a second "identity" of sorts. Their vehicle is registered to this identity in Arizona , and they live, and regularly drive, in California.

Curious: What charges would they be facing if caught? How would one go about turning them in, as the ID has passed when being pulled over for speeding?

Answer: Call the police and tell them all you know. They'll likely face charges in relation to driving on a revoked license, and possibly fraud charges if it's determined that their license is fraudulent.


Title: [CA] Judge ordered property to be returned, police still won't give it back

Question:
I have a court order for a large sum of money to be returned to me and the police still will not release it to me.

The judge ordered this about 3-4 weeks ago.

The lead detective and I have history with each other and he's upset about the outcome of the case.

What is my next course of action?

Answer: File an order to show cause. Might want an attorney to help you with that. Whoever is in charge of evidence will have to show good cause why they are not carrying out a court order or be held in contempt. OSCs generally have a magical way of unfucking an issue. Answer #2: A motion to compel compliance with the court's order.Answer #3: If you don't want to wait for the Order to Show Cause you can try going over his head and show the lead detectives boss (possibly the chief) the court order.


Title: (NJ) If I just don't tell the hospital that I was divorced less than 300 days prior to giving birth, can the father sign the birth certificate?

Question:
I am about five weeks pregnant, while also going through a divorce. The baby is not my soon to be ex-husband's; I haven't even seen him in months. However, I was reading about presumption of paternity laws and am concerned that I could be forced to put my ex's name on the birth certificate since the baby is due in November and I don't think my divorce will be final before this summer.

I'm thinking of just not telling anyone about this when I do give birth, and having the father there to sign the Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity so that his name will go on the certificate instead of my ex's. Will this work, or is there a way that someone will find out what happened and I'll end up having to put ex's name on the certificate anyway?

Answer:
 The only thing you fill out at the hospital is an order-form for the birth certificate.  The state will process the forms and issue the birth certificate, and will possibly/probably correct it to be your legal husband's name no matter what you say.  If that happens, you need to file a lot of paperwork to fix the situation.

In order to avoid this, you need to submit to the state a a denial of paternity from the  husband and an affidavit of paternity from the father.

The last FAQ on this addresses the situation:  http://www.nj-paternity.com/faq.aspx


Title: DEA seized all my Dad's money, will he get it back? (Texas)

Question: My dad is a doctor and the DEA is investigating him of running a "pill mill", money laundering and tax evasion. The DEA searched his clinic and home and did not find any pills and but seized all his bank/retirement accounts and all cash at his home and clinic. He can still work but he has no account to deposit his checks. They didnt take his cars or house, yet..... He says he did nothing wrong and his lawyer is working on it. Just wondering if anyone has any experience with this? I heard that even if my dad is innocent they may keep his money.....

Answer: [Doubtful](https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bostonglobe.com/news/nation/2017/03/29/since-dea-has-seized-from-people-never-charged-with-crimes/qhFQpkftQZ3WoJOQFOEQzL/amp.html) that he'll get it back.


Title: (Help) Got a DUI when I was 17. I need to get my license.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 I think it's an SR-22 that you need.

And no one here really can give you a recommendation for the cheapest insurance- you can certainly shop around your area to find that if you want to.

But it's not going to be dirt cheap at all- you're a high risk driver and will pay a high risk insurance rate because of that.


Title: Should my friend have let this guy get dressed?

Question:
This is a true story, but years old and nothing came of it.

Buddy comes back to his apartment after work to find his girlfriend in bed with a stranger. He tells the guy to leave, the girlfriend and guy want to talk first, he basically picks the dude up and throws him out the door. The guy did not have any clothes on.

My friend was the only one to pay rent or have his name on any paperwork, but the girlfriend did live there.

I'm interested in hearing the legality of physically throwing him out, but my main question is this: was there any legal issue specifically because he was thrown out butt ass naked?

Answer:
 It might be argued that Buddy "stole" the guys clothes maybe?Answer #2: CBRJack covered the assault angle but as far as the issue of forcible nudity in public, that's going to depend on location.  I'm not aware of any strict liability statutes on that but some may well exist.  Most cases, however, require intent so it's likely he'd be fine even if he did end up dealing with law enforcement.

Interestingly, however, in some places (such as Seattle, where I am) the only criminal part of being nude in public is if you're being lewd.  Public nudity is entirely legal in Seattle absent that.  So it very much depends where this happened.


Title: Personal property confiscated by employer - Wisconsin

Question:
My mother works in a cube farm for an employer who is tight on security in that no writing utensils, paper, or phones  are allowed at her desk. She suffers from several medical conditions, including severe, chronic asthma so she does carry  an emergency inhaler and one of her pill prescriptions with her at all times. Today law enforcement is in her office to investigate as there appears that one of her coworkers had been stealing credit card info from customers, so her managers really cracked down and took away beverages, etc from people's desk. As part of this, they also took away my mother's medications and are refusing to give her access to them. She is terrified about not having access to her rescue medications as she has been hospitalized numerous times due to her asthma and has previously had 911 called for some of her attacks.
Does this seem like a situation where she has any legal recourse?
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 Yes, she needs to start by making a formal request for a reasonable accommodation to keep her medication with her at all times. Answer #2: There is no universe where an employer can restrict an employee's access to a medication for asthma. She needs to put in writing her demand to have her medication given back to her immediately. If they refuse, contact law enforcement to have it returned. Answer #3: Question for the legal beagles:

Is the employer/employee holding the prescription medications violating any laws by possessing medications not prescribed to them?

My understanding was that it is illegal to possess prescriptions not prescribed to you unless you are a pharmacy/doctor.Answer #4: I think you've already got better legal advice than I can offer, but does your mom have a backup inhaler?  I don't know if we're talking albuterol (aka Ventolin or salbutamol) or something more advanced, like inhaled steroid-- been a while since asthma has been a problem for me, but I keep a rescue inhaler around the house just in case, and every doc I've ever visited has had no problem with re-prescribing for that inhaler.  If it's something more exotic (read: controlled), well, it may be more of an issue, but albuterol should be easy to replace, particularly in light of her medical history.

Anyway, get another from the doc right away if she doesn't have a second.


Title: [US - CA] Are airlines allowed to deny boarding based on form of identification?

Question:
This happened this summer: My (non-US) passport got stolen. I thought this wouldn't be a problem as I had both a CA driver license (valid form of ID in CA) as well as a European national identity card (valid form of ID in the EU + some other countries like Iceland). I had an international flight from LAX to Iceland. Here's what happened:
I showed the TSA my CA driver license. They had no problems letting me through airport security. However, the airline I was flying with (WOW air, a low budget carrier) denied me from boarding because I did not have my passport. I did show them my CA driver license (+ EU ID) as well as written confirmation from the TSA that the CA driver license constitutes a valid ID (I sent an email to the TSA beforehand).

Aftermath:
They rescheduled my flight a few days later and I had one of those flimsy emergency passports made by my embassy. Once I arrived to Iceland, I showed their border agents my EU national ID and they had no problems letting me into the country. So no real financial harm done but definitely pointless inconvenience. I felt that the airline agent was abusing their power.

My question:
Did the airline have any ground to deny me boarding despite a valid form of identification? This happened in LAX, so technically US soil. However, the flight was indeed international if that makes a difference. Can a private company willy-nilly decide that you have to show them your passport and not the ID (or vice versa)? Legally, both should be an acceptable form of ID. What kind of proof would I need to pursue this in court?

Answer:
 A passport is nearly universally required for boarding any international flight from the US.  I'm sure their website says you were required to have a valid passport.

Due to the many forms of ID in the world and the many destinations airlines fly to, plus the complications of visas for many countries/people, the airlines don't have time or desire to sort whether a passport is required person by person and flight by flight.  It almost always *is* required, with rare exceptions. And the airlines are often subject to considerable fines if they carry a non-admissible person.  So they require a passport, which is accepted everywhere.

None of this has anything to do with the TSA or what they consider acceptable identification.Answer #2: >  Did the airline have any ground to deny me boarding despite a valid form of identification?

Yes. When you board, it's not just ID; you have to prove to the airline that you are permitted to travel to your destination, a requirement generally satisfied by a passport. A EU national ID card would not suffice (it provides ID, but not proof you're permitted to travel).

You should have contacted the airline beforehand if your passport got stolen. For example, here's [Delta](https://www.delta.com/content/www/en_US/traveling-with-us/planning-a-trip/international-travel/traveling-from-the-u-s.html), telling you flat-out no international travel without a passport.

Answer #3: They did you a favor.  You would have had a hell of a time getting back into the US without a valid passport.  There are likely Federal regulations at play here as well.

As far as suing, what are your damages?