Title: Help

Question: If you get pulled over does the cop have the right to ask to see everyone present in the car to show there identity

Answer: The LEO has a right to ask, certainly. Passengers, depending on location, must identify themselves but they _are not_ required to produce (or even have) government issued ID


Title: My father is the leaseholder of my apartment in Brooklyn. My roommate's father is the guarantor. My roommate wants to overcharge two incoming roommates significantly more than we pay, so that we/he has to pay little to nothing. I feel that this is unethical. Does he have any say in what is charged?

Question:
The apartment is not rent-stabilized, so we can legally charge tenants (subletters) anything we want.

My roommate wants to lie to the tenants and say we all pay the same.

Answer: It's not unethical. Some people make their entire living leasing and then subbing out for a higher price. Some people pay their mortgage by getting roommates. It's a market economy.


Title: [IL] Landlord keeps finding excuse to enter the apartment

Question:
The Windows don't have blinds. She came in last Saturday to install blinds in one window. Then She gave us notice she will enter today at a certain time and she came and only did one window. Then she says they are out of stock of blinds and wants to come in in again to do the other Windows next week. There's 4 Windows left without blinds. So is she gonna enter 4 different times. This isn't right because why can't they just wait till they have all the blinds and come in once. They have already been here twice. Both of the times none of us were at the apt. I think they are using this as an excuse to keep entering the apartment.

Yesterday, the neighbor came up to me and took my info. He takes out a notecard and writes his name and number down. But he was suppose to give that to me. He just kept it. Then he takes my phone number and name and walks away

Anyways, so the landlord using the blind excuse to enter and neighbor spying on us.

What should we do? We don't want blinds we don't want them to enter. And if they do come why can't they do the blinds at once. Already been here twice

Answer:
 There is no problem with the landlord. You come across as paranoid... . How one earth did you conclude the neighbor is spying on you?

 Your LL can enter with proper notice. Answer #2: > What should we do?

Let the landlord do their job. There's no legal issue here.


Title: [CO] Can Person Who Held Lease Before Me Pursue Me Legally for Power Bill Under Their Name?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Dog Law specialist here.

He could absolutely sue you for the balance.


Title: My former landlord is pursuing legal action for a post I made on Yelp.  Can he really do this?  Do I have any recourse?

Question:
Here are the details.  I rented a 1 bedroom apartment for 2 years.  During the 2nd year, some rotten incidents happened.  (Sewage backed up onto the carpeting, a lamp was broken while they were showing the place to prospective tenants, light bulbs would blow out often.)  None of these incidents were taken care of.

As anyone would do, I opted to move out at the end of the lease.  A month before moving out, the landlord entered without notice to take pictures of the place.  He did this to add charges to the security deposit.  Upon receiving 6 items I would be charged for, I fixed them all.  He then re-entered and added 5 more items with photos.  This led to a series of threatening phone calls and emails, effectively forcing me to take some deductions out of my security deposit.  If I didn't he threatened to do a "more detailed inspection" where more items would be added to my charges.

While this was happening, I wrote an unflattering review on Yelp about the place.  The landlord has since emailed and called with continued threats and harassment, insisting that it be removed.  Just today I received a letter in the mail saying there will be legal action if the post isn't removed off of Yelp by Wednesday.  Do I have any recourse?  Or do I continue to let him bully his tenants?

Thanks so much.  I hope I don't come off as a whiner and complainer.  Nothing like this has ever happened and I feel very hopeless.

EDIT:  First and foremost, I want to thank each of you for your wisdom and kind words.  For the time being, I've edited the Yelp post, essentially removing everything and stating that it was removed due to a threatened lawsuit.  I will also be looking into small claims court for the portion of the security deposit withheld.  Thanks again - you've been a tremendous help.

Answer: If you really don't want to go to court and fight back (you should),  just tell him, fine, act like you don't want to deal with it.  Remove it, get your deposit back.  Once that is done, post it back to yelp with an even more unflattering review with the updated details.


Title: SAW my step dad maturbating over my sister

Question:
Nobody believes It happened I even made a post in r/Advice I also constructed a portfolio of past things that have lead me to believe he did it. When confronted he got defensive said he was. Looking for a charger . I took pictures of all 5 phone chargers residing in his room. I have been discouraged by my sister and mom to not report  this and the portfolio of pictures and evidence. Thing is i have no actual picture of the incident happening because when I saw it I was so outraged that I acted out. And yelled at him. There are no other witnesses but me. My mom says that she doesn't want a social worker to come and take us. That's her reasoning . She is also a pastor and believes that what I saw isn't what I saw and if that was the case "God will show her". She told me I am tearing up the house and my sister yelled at me aso then pushed me into my room and left the door shut and would not release me for 2 mins. I have a solid portfolio of what happened and how I've been " investigating" . They want me to leave and during the confrontation he was laughing entire time. May I add he was convicted for armed robbery and drugs. My sister was mad because she wants me to drop it. As a brother I can't do that. How can I legally and safely handle this..
[Georgia age Turning 18 United States ] she is 16
Also I would like to say. Since I have no proof of him doing  something over her how will it be handled ?
EDIT: Guys I am terribly sorry about how I explained it. I wrote this on a small moto G. I couldnt really focus on grammatical errors at the time considering this is urgent. I am currently trying to figure out what to do. I'm trying to be strategic and with my sisters safety in mind. Thank you for those who understood how I explained this and why it was so garbled.
Edit2: I am not religious, everyone in the family knows I am very atheist. I do.not think god showing her anything is feasible at all
Edit3: I don't have access to a computer right now. Typing on mobile is painful. Guys please be less harsh. I ran out the house last night thinking of suicide and I had planned to take my life last night. I ended up dropping the knife in the lake i was at. Came home sweaty and my mom and sister were hysterical. She talked to me this morning and she said for now on she will look out for anything he might be doing. I want to just say forget it and leave it alone,but I feel as if he got away with it. He changed some things to cover up his lie (hiding all his chargers from his stash)

Answer:
 If you believe your sister is being abused by your step dad, then you call the police or child protective services and report it.

If you believe your step dad is committing other crimes, you take your evidence to the police and report it.Answer #2: Something that's not being said enough: If you do make a call to CPS or the police, remember that **nothing that follows is your fault.** It is not your fault if an investigation happens, it is not your fault if nothing happens. Please know this, no matter how long or inconvenient the following *whatever* may be.

Nobody gets to tell you how to feel, especially about things like this.Answer #3: My father did the exact same thing to my young step-sister. She was finally brave enough to tell her school councilor who informed the police. He got 10 years.

The amount of psychological stress this is going to put not only on your sister but yourself too is very harmful. My father never touched me but just his overly sexual behavior around me screwed me up.

Denial is probably alot easier for your sister right now but in the long run she will be much happier with being removed from him. And if he starts with just watching what is to stop him from doing something worse to her, you or some other child?

Talk to CPS. They will know how to handle it.

And when it happened to my father neither my step-sister or step-brother were removed from their mom.   Answer #4: How old is your sister?


Title: KY Wrongful Termination?

Question:
I use to work for a gas station in western Kentucky.  One night I rang up one hundred dollars on my debit card and cashed it out so it would charge my card and I would have a hundred dollars cash back.  Well with the way there system was set up it never charged my card and I had been doing this for months in smaller amounts, ten or twenty dollars.  It never threw off the drawer and it never threw off paper work and also apparently never charged my card when i did this.  So i get a call from my boss a couple days after  and am told that it didn't charge my card and could they rerun my card for the amount and I told her yes and that was the supposed end of it.  Now today i go in and work two hours and my district manager shows up and pulls my store manager, another store manager and me into the back room.  She asked about the situation and I explained how I had been doing this for months and never had a problem till this time and when it was reported to me I told them to charge me for the money.  Now she calls someone from our Loss Prevention department who proceeds to ask the same questions but ends with that he believes that I was aware of this glitch the whole time and I was stealing money intentionally.  My store manager also confers that she believed it was accident but nothing he tells me I knew it the whole time and that i was aware of me "ripping off" thge company.  So he tells me that im fired and we can do it two ways: I sign admission statement or they file a police report and let them handle it.  Me being an idiot signed it and paid the money while writing down that my card wasnt charged and I tried paying it back.  I just wondering if there is room for wrongful termination or not? Any advice?

TL:DR A computer glitch causes my debit card not to be charged while doing a cash back and I offered to pay the money but the company's loss prevention accuses me off theft and told me to sign a admission statement or let the cops do an investigation. I signed like an idiot  Wrongful termination possibly?

Answer: Wrongful termination? You're lucky you weren't prosecuted. Sorry, just not buying the bullish "my card wasn't run *glitch*". Somehow you managed to charge every single customers credit card though? Use an ATM or visit your bank. (bangs head off desk)


Title: Police threatening charges if I don't talk [MA]

Question:
The police in Malden are investigating me for something I was involved last month. They have called me 4 times before to "get my side of the story" and today the officer left me a voicemail saying if I do not contact him by Wednesday, he will file criminal charges.

I'm very concerned but I know talking to him is a bad idea. Is it likely that he will actually file charges? I think it might be a bluff as they seem increasingly desperate to talk to me but I do not have much experience dealing with these types of situations.

Please help!

[EDIT] The officer is a PATROL officer not a detective. I don't know if the police actually have authority to file charges especially if they are at the lowest rank.

Answer:
 The lowest rank still wet behind the ears just graduated from the academy police officer can write warrants and file criminal complaints with the district attorney's office. There is functionally very little difference in authority between a patrol officer and detective. Answer #2: >I don't know if the police actually have authority to file charges especially if they are at the lowest rank.

Any sworn officer can make an arrest and sign warrants for the jurisdiction they are sworn in.

If they have enough to charge you, they will charge you, it won't matter if you talk to them or not.

Next time they call, advise them that you are exercising your right to seek legal counsel before talking and that you will not go in to answer any questions.

Also, start seeking legal counsel.


Title: [CA- San Diego] Me [21 F] with my younger sister [17 F], out parents illegally kicked her out and we need to find a place for her to live

Question:
Hi reddit, this might be a little long and unusual, so please bear with me.

---
**Background:** When we were younger, our mother (let's call her Ann) married an abusive man (let's call him Bruce.) Ann was young an inexperienced (she had me when she was 15) and Bruce was just unfit to be around children. CPS was called multiple times on our family for a variety of reasons, but our parents were very good at lying their way out of it and nothing came of it.

I moved out the day after I turned 18 and a few months later stopped speaking to them entirely. I haven't spoken to them in over two years.

My sister (let's call her Clara), faced much of the same abuse as I did, and she ran away at age 15. When she was caught, they placed her in a weird Christian boarding school for over a year. Since she's been back, they have had many arguments (usually around grounding her for something trivial-- I know that sounds like an excuse but please trust me or read my post history).

They changed the locks on her and have repeatedly kicked her out of the house, telling her to never come back, then called the police and reported her as a runaway. She has even been arrested just sitting on the curb outside the house waiting to be let back inside. That has happened 9 times in the last two months.

Because of her unstable situation, her grades have been terrible. She was a straight A student before all this, but now she has solid Fs because she can never make it in to school. She has no transportation and the friends she is able to stay with sometimes live far away from her school, so she has a 25% attendance rate for this semester.

Last month I called CPS to report the ongoing abuse of police reports and my parent's other behavior, and they put a case worker on it. The case worker came to Clara's school and told her that if she wants to press charges, Ann will probably lose her job/nursing license and our younger brother will be put into foster care. Clara felt guilty and didn't want to cause any problems, so she didn't continue talking to him.

---

**Past week:** Last Saturday my sister's boyfriend was moving across the country and it was the last chance she would have to see him. She asked if she could visit him and our parents said no, so she lied and said she had work. They called her work to see if she was there, and of course she wasn't, so they locked the door and taped a note to it that said, "Clara, call me. There's a payphone by the laundromat." with some dimes taped to it and printed brochures for the local homeless youth shelter stapled to it. ^[Photo](http://i.imgur.com/nx6kjxL.png) There was no payphone so she borrowed a stranger's cell phone to call Ann, who told her that she's sick of dealing with her and doesn't want her back. Clara then called the police from a store and the police showed up to talk to her. The police called Ann who confirmed that she doesn't want Clara back at the house. The police then told her to find a place to stay and to call them if she wasn't inside by 10:30pm.

She stayed with a friend for a few nights. She tried calling Ann to give her some things like her clothes and birth certificate, but Ann would either refuse to answer the phone or just give it to Bruce, who would say, "Screw you, you're not getting your shit back until you're 18, and if you show up at my house to get it I'll never give it to you." At this point she had been wearing the same clothes for 3 days and had no money to buy food or go anywhere.

Yesterday (the soonest I could do this), I drove to get her and we called the police to come with us to collect her things. Three officers went to the door while we waited in the car and it turns out they had already boxed all of Clara's belongings, so Bruce threw the boxes to the curb and then got in the car with Ann and their son and drove away. We sorted through the boxes to find her clothes, shoes, and documents, then the police said that they were sorry we had to deal with this and they left.

Clara has since been staying at my apartment. I have a one bedroom apartment with my boyfriend and our cat, and I don't have the money or the space to take care of her for very long.

---

**Problems with Homeless Youth Services:** After Clara got kicked out but before we went to collect her belongings with the police, I called the homeless youth program they have in this city. I explained the situation (parents kicked her out, cops heard it, she has nowhere to go and wants to finish school/get stable job/have a place to live) and they said that they would have a bed later for her this week, at which point they would assign her a case worker and put her into one of the more permanent housing programs. We were super happy about this because it looked like it was finally going to work out. They told me they would call me when the bed opened up.

A few hours ago I called them again to check in and let them know that we now have her ID papers and three additional officers who witnessed our parents' behavior and abandonment. They said they lost our paperwork and didn't know who we were talking about, then acted confused and told us they wouldn't be able to take Clara and to call the police about it. The thing is, we had already called talked to the police/dispatch when we were trying to collect her belongings, and they told us that the homeless youth program was the place we should work it out with. I tried explaining it to them and they said, "This is a very unusual situation, I need to talk to someone about this, I'll call you back." and hung up. They closed at 6 and it has been hours and they haven't called me back.

---

**Now what?** In case the homeless youth program doesn't work out, we're trying to figure out what to do. Clara has around 5 months before she turns 18, no credit, no driver's license, and now (because I live too far from her old job) no employment. I would be okay with living with her, but my place is small and the lease isn't over until March. It's a $2400 fee to terminate the lease early, which I can't afford on top of the expenses it would take to move to a larger place.

Clara really wants to finish high school because she only has senior year left, but Ann isn't talking to her and she can't sign up for school on her own. Is there some way I can become a legal guardian for her and sign her up for an online high school or a different local school? What can we do about finding a place for her to live? All the places that we haven't spoken to yet are only for 18+.

All the places that should be helping us are acting like this is a situation they've never seen before. The only family we have outside of our parents is an Aunt and Uncle, who already have 3 kids, 3 dogs, and a mother-in-law living with them so they don't have the space or money to help Clara either.

We don't know what to do.

Answer: Call CPS. Her parents are legally obligated to care for her until she is 18.


Title: I stole a small amount of money from work last night and my asst. mgr. saw it on video but didn't confront me. [NH]

Question:
First of all I'd like to say that I know I am completely in the wrong in this situation and am not excusing any of my actions in any manner. This is what happened. I was at work on the 18th and around 8pm I was given the master keys to open up one of the arcade games we have because a customer's tokens were getting eaten without credits, after I fixed the issue I had the bright idea to go to a few other games since I had those keys and opened up the parts that hold on the tokens. Because some people put quarters in instead of tokens I figured I'd grab a few bucks of them because for the last two weeks my manager had refused to fix something with the register that kept the employees from being able to get tips. Anyways I'm just about 100% certain that a customer saw this and told the asst. manager who was running the place and he looked back at the security tapes and would have seen me unlock the machines that I don't normally have access to and most likely saw me grabbing coins and putting them in my pockets.  I had also done this before so if they look a while back in the tapes they could possibly find another video of me doing the same.

Anyways, I absolutely don't want to get fired for the sake of not having that be on my record but I am okay with leaving the job because I have another one on retainer. What would be the best course of action to take?

Before deciding to make this post, because I work tomorrow at 3pm EST and the possibility of her calling me and firing me before my shift, I was just going to call my boss first thing in the morning to tell her I quit and to possibly say I'm quiting because I feel guilty about what I did last night, then telling her what I did before she was informed by my asst. manager (admitting to it without it being brought up to me, basically as if I just had a change of heart as opposed to knowing that I got caught). The reason I'd admit to it is to possibly keep her from wanting to press charges.  I am 99% certain that if she is told that I was on video stealing from one of the games that I would be fired but I am not sure exactly how the situation would go down.
What would be the best course of action to take keeping in mind not particularly wanting to be fired, keeping police out of it, and them having video evidence of it happening?

Thank you for any advice and suggestions, I'd really appreciate anything to help me approach this situation in a way that would minimize the trouble I'm currently in.

Answer: I'd start lookingnfor a new job, to be honest. I've yet to meet a manager who'd be okay with just forgetting that you nicked money from the store.


Question:
Was stuck at this guy’s house where his cats PEED on my laptop

Didn’t notice until I took it out my backpack the next day and it was soaked in cat piss
(needless to say, it’s completely goners, probably beyond repair)

Contacted him right away and tried giving him benefit of doubt at first but then he started being unresponsive and eventually said he doesn’t give a fuck

What are my chances if I take him to small claims court? 😩 (Austin, TX)

Edit:
1. I had just accompanied him on a trip but we didn’t get back on time plus other delays so I had to stay over until he could take me home. This was when we were on good terms of course.
2. The laptop was inside my backpack and I just didn’t notice until later

Answer: IANAL. Is the laptop damaged (beyond smelling like cat piss)? If so, you could try small claims. Save any communication that you've had so far (screenshots of text messages etc.) Answer #2: Do you have any proof his cat is the pee-er? Seems very odd that you didn't notice this right away, unless you don't have a sense of smell.


Title: What is Posse Comitatus?

Question: I'm in South Carolina but they really doesn't have bearing on why I'm asking.  I was reading through a book on homesteading and it mentioned "threat of penalties under Posse Comitatus...".  Can someone break this down for me please?  Kind of EIL5 since what I've  Google isn't telling me if it's still used, extents etc with going into jargon I just can decipher.

Answer:
 > The Posse Comitatus Act is a United States federal law (18 U.S.C. § 1385, original at 20 Stat. 152) signed on June 18, 1878 by President Rutherford B. Hayes. The purpose of the act – in concert with the Insurrection Act of 1807 – is to limit the powers of the federal government in using federal military personnel to enforce domestic policies within the United States. It was passed as an amendment to an army appropriation bill following the end of Reconstruction, and was subsequently updated in 1956 and 1981.

It is still used.  The federal military cannot be used for Law Enforcement purposes on US soil.


Title: [NY] Photographer here. Girl [25F] is harassing me into removing her pictures from the website. I own the pictures & she's not willing to buy them. How to get her to leave me alone?

Question:
I do erotic content. This girl was a working girl and back then, I was running an offer of very cheap photoshoots in exchange for using their pictures for my own advertisements. Standard contracts were signed.

She came to me three months ago, asking me to put down the pictures. Apparently she's not working anymore and wants to remove all traces of herself online. I understand that. According to the contract, she can buy the rights to the pictures for $2500. I reminded her of the contract and said that as soon as she pays the fee, we will transfer ownership of the pictures to her and remove them from all my websites. She doesn't want to pay, still wants me to remove them. I said no.

In the three months since, she's tried calling me exactly 39 times, being extremely rude and demanding that I put them down. At first I repeated that she needs to buy the pictures, but since she was not going to pay, I just stopped answering. She has five times stepped into my studio harassing me in person, last time I had to tell her that I was calling the police to get her to leave. She said that she will call the police herself and left.

So the question is, how do I get this girl to leave me alone? Can I file for a restraining order? And second, if she goes to the police, what's going to happen? I'm guessing she will just tell them that I've posted nudes of her without context, will that be enough for the police to arrest me? How do I prepare for that without having to break the bank?

Answer:
 I am an attorney, but this is not necessarily legal advice, although it's probably the advice I'd give to a client.

Be a mensch and take the naked pictures down.


Title: Want to get my life on track but...

Question: I'm in Texas, currently homeless and need a valid drivers liscense for a promising job opportunity. I have my expired drivers liscense (as of 3/10/2018) with my past address, my W2 from the most recent tax season (proof of residency?), my birth certificate, and social security card. It's my first liscense renewal since turning 18 and I'll have to do the renewal in person at the local DPS. I heard I'll need 2 copies of proof of residency. The expired liscense isn't valid for this and the W2 only covers 1 of the 2 documents. Would a police issued citation from the same county as the DPS be a vaild 2nd proof of residency? I need the job if I want my own roof over my head and really could use some insight to get out of this hole. Thank y'all so much, with love from Texas.

Answer: The [Texas DPS](https://www.dps.texas.gov/DriverLicense/residencyReqNonCDL.htm) web page has a list of documents you can use to prove residency. Your current W-2 counts as one, there are some others that are pretty easy to get as well. If you can't come up with two of the documents you can complete the Texas Residency Affidavit as well.Answer #2: Texas DPS is very strict with their requirements. I tried to use a piece of mail from my student loans organization (government) as proof of residency and they said no. “Mail from a government agency” was listed as an option. But a piece of mail from the local/county police department may work, you would just have to call and see. Good luck.


Title: Friend shoplifted in Texas. What will happen?

Question: So my **17 year old** friend was caught **shoplifting** about $200 worth of merchandise in **Texas**. Right now she is in custody awaiting her trial in about 5 days and I'm worried. What is the most likely outcom of this situation? She has never been arrested before. Ask for any other necessary information. Thank you so much!

Answer:
 Class B misdemeanor, punishable by up to 6 months in jail and a fine of $2,000. Her age is irrelevant, she is going to be treated like an adult for purposes of this crime. Outcome depends on how she pleads. In many such cases, defendants are offered plea bargains whereby they plead no contest in exchange for probation and have their cases dismissed at the completion of that probation. Something closer to this may be more probable as a young person on a first offense, but they could throw the book at her depending on many factors. Her lawyer will attempt to negotiate the best possible outcome with the prosecutor, which may range from slap on the wrist to pretty fucked.

Separately she is likely to receive a letter from whoever she shoplifted from that is demanding X amount of money (could be $500ish) in exchange for not suing her for damages related to the shoplifting. Even though they probably got the item back, they will still claim monetary damages related to their loss prevention efforts. She can pay this money to them as a private settlement in exchange for them not pursuing further action. If she doesn't, it is likely that they will sue her to recover that amount. In Texas, the prevailing party can also recover attorneys fees, so if she does not pay their civil demand she could end up with higher liability than if she had.


Title: [Minneapolis, MN] Was riding a Lime scooter and hit a pothole, fell off, and cracked my phone. Any chance of reimbursement?

Question: I'm a student at the UMN and was riding a Lime scooter to class. I was riding in the street like you are supposed to when I hit a pothole. I fell down pretty hard and there is a lot of bruising on my leg from my phone being in my pocket when I fell. I took my phone out and the screen is pretty shattered. Lots of spiderwebbing everywhere, it needs to be replaced. I don't exactly have 200 dollars to spend on a screen replacement and was wondering if the city is at all liable for the pothole. I understand completely if they are not, however I couldn't find any answers online not relating to cars. Thanks for any help.

Answer: nope, not a penny, sorry OP that one's on you.....


Title: [Ontario, Canada] Landlord wants to rent out our apartment before our lease is up

Question:
I'm on my current apartment lease until July 29th, but my husband and I are moving to our new place on July 1st. I just found out that our landlord has listed the move-in date for the new tenants as July 2nd. No one has signed the new lease yet, but it has been listed for that date and at least 12 people came by today to see the unit.

Our original plan was to take the rest of July while we have both apartments to sell some of our older furniture and move some of the stuff we don't want the movers touching. If they end up renting the space for July 2nd are we entitled to money back for the last month's rent that we already paid for? Can we flat out refuse to turn the keys over before the end of the lease?

Answer:
 Unless you gave notice to leave early (which they accepted) then you can refuse to vacate before your lease ends.

If you mutually agree to leave early, then you are owed July's rent back.


Title: Is this illegal or immoral?

Question:
So I joined a buy/swap/sell facebook group.

Some guy posted of a photo of an empty box for sale for $200

The people of the group were led to believe that the box contained what was depicted on the outside of the box. Although the poster never stated weather or not the box contained the item. He was vague when answering questions and never once said anything to suggest the item was in the box (if you carefully analyse his replies to questions).

My brother brought this item, paid for it with a bank transfer and then received and empty box.

Answer:
 Illegal? Of course it is. Intentional  misrepresentation, fraud, theft by deception, however you would call it in your jurisdiction. Judge Judy has a fantastic episode where some idiot tries to explain that someone on eBay bought not two new cell phones but two PICTURES of cell phones. The Great One was not amused.

Immoral? Usually intentional fraud would always be immoral. But sometimes it is almost a kindness for criminals  to separate morons from their money. If that's the only way they will learn to not do stupid things then perhaps it's not outright immoral. Sounds like that's a possibility in this case.


Title: Landlord Claims Our Dog Violates Our Lease

Question:
Location: St. Louis, Missouri

&#x200B;

&#x200B;

Our landlords are selling the building we live in, and performed an inspection with a realtor after said realtor decided that our place was not up to par for taking photos/having an open house. Our dog (which had been approved when we signed a lease amendment and made a pet deposit) greeted the landlords and realtors at the door enthusiastically, and had to be restrained so as to not overwhelm them or run out into the street. Several hours after our visit, we received an email from our landlord claiming that we were in default of our lease because we had 1) violated the pet amendment of our lease stating we could not have an "aggressive guard dog" because she "growled and showed teeth" when they entered and had to be restrained, 2) the dog had caused "significant damage" to the property, which we 3) had not reported. We have 5 days to re-house the dog elsewhere, or the lease will be terminated.

&#x200B;

&#x200B;

As to the first claim, this is simply untrue. As I stated, our dog greeted them enthusiastically, and was nothing but friendly afterwards. I handed each visitors treats to give to the dog, which the dog took happily. The restraint only took place because we did not want our dog running into the street. As to the second claim, yes, the dog has caused minor damage in that it scratched up the window sills it likes to jump on, and scratched the paint off a door frame, but it no reasonable manner could this be considered "significant." As to the the third claim, we did not report this damage because it was small wear and tear. We considered it something that we could easily repair on our own. Their is other damage to the property that existed before we moved in that the landlords did nothing to address (even though they knew about it!) because we did not consider it significant.

&#x200B;

&#x200B;

I apologize if this is rambling, but my partner and I are slightly panicked. We love our dog and would not give it up for the world. We have no legal experience, so we would appreciate any and all help. I am happy to provide as much detail as possible while still remaining anonymous.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: You say enthusiastic, they say aggressive. They own the property (or act on the owner’s behalf) and you do not. If they choose to terminate the lease, they can do that, and perhaps you find a place to live that accepts “enthusiastic” dogs.


Title: Drug testing question

Question: I have a legal medical marijuana card in New Jersey. I have just been offered a new job ( I was on laid off status since March 17), that has a drug test. Am I able to find out what they are testing for and if for Marijuana, would they be able to stop the hiring ( i have till sometime in May to do this test).

Answer: They can fire you for having marijuana in your system. Employers are not required to allow drug or substance use of any kind, even if it is medically legal.


Title: Valet broke my seat track, is refusing to pay to fix it (NYC)

Question:
I spent the night at a hotel on Sunday. I gave my keys to the hotel to valet park my car. When my car was returned to me the next afternoon, my floor mat under the driver's seat had been pulled up completely. It mounts to the floor with hard to remove plastic clips. I noticed as I tried to get back into my car, so I fixed it. Then I went to adjust my seat and the bar to manually move it into place came off in my hand. I immediately informed the hotel manager who got the 3rd party valet company to come back. They insisted they hadn't moved the seat ( I am very short and the seat was moved all the way back).  I had to get another manager from the valet company who attempted to fix it but was unsuccessful. I took it to the dealership and was told that they have never seen this broken before and they must have pulled as hard as possible to bend this bar. In order to replace it, they need to take out my entire seat and replace the frame, which is over $650. The company does not want to pay to fix it and is "asking their repair people about it". I just want to feel safe driving my car again, and not worried the seat is going to pop out.

What can I do? I live in MA and the valet is in NYC.

Answer: Sue in NY small claims court, or let your insurance handle it.


Title: Boss offering me a huge bonus if I quit. Can I still get unemployment? [MD]

Question:
I work in a warehouse and I don't really like my manager very much and I don't really like the way the warehouse is run.  Everyone knows it cause I have a big mouth and complain.  I've stayed because the pay is pretty good and I've been promised a series of year-end bonuses that really make the pay great, all of which have been paid out so far.

I did something kinda dumb and I pissed off the owner.  He also knows I'm unhappy.  So the owner now has approached me with an offer to quit the company.  If I "voluntarily resign" and sign a letter indicating that I am doing so, he is offering me a severance package worth about one month's pay.  I also have to sign a complete release and agree never to sue for anything in the future.   Owner says its a "put up or shut up" deal.  If I stay at the job, he wants me to stop complaining and just do my job "his way."

I think I can get another job within a month or two.  But I'm not sure because as warehouse jobs go, this one pays well.  I'm wondering if I'll be able to collect unemployment if I can't find work after a while since my company will be able to prove that I quit.

Answer: Leaving on your own accord disqualifys  you from unemployment.


Title: (CA) Power shut off at apartment due to hazard from storm, need advice.

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Storms knock power out. That's what they do. I've been out of power for up to two weeks at a time during big storms before. What exactly are you asking, and who are you trying to hold responsible for this?


Title: Adult friends boss goes to his mom over him for scheduling him.

Question:
Disclaimer: mobile and first post

So for some context my friend who is 18 and still Loving with his mom due to having to finish school works at a BBQ owned by his uncle, from what he's been saying about his mom she's a complete control freak who got him the job a couple years ago without his permission.
With that said the problem is his uncle when someone cancels or can't come in he immediately goes to my friend, or more specifically his mom on whether or not he can schedule him for work that day, this has been going on for a while. Additionally he says his uncle constant cuts corner to save money even if it means going against health codes. Any advice on what he can do would be helpful and appreciated.

Answer:
 He's free to find a job where his boss treats him like an independent adult. There isn't much of a legal issue, here: an employer probably _shouldn't_ be asking anyone other than the employee about scheduling questions, but they generally can.Answer #2: He can talk to his uncle about scheduling.

If he doesn't like how he is being scheduled, he can find another job.

If his uncle is violating health codes he can report it to the local Department of Health.


Title: (Michigan) Parked at a corner store, made a purchase, walked next door to the sub shop, bought something and came back to a ticket for parking on private property. Can I fight it?

Question:
I was parked for only 15 minutes. I have the receipt showing that the ticket was given within 15 minutes of me making a purchase. The parking lot was by no means full either, so I wasn't preventing other customers from parking. $45 for this feels completely ridiculous. Can I fight it or am I screwed?  This happened in East Lansing, MI
Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer:
 What statute or ordinance number are you charged with violating?

In most places, it's perfectly legitimate to ticket you for parking on private property when you leave the property.  The parking lot is for people doing business at the corner store, not at the sub shop next door.  Once you left the property, you were no longer a customer of the corner store, and no longer authorized to park there.


Title: Slanderous pictures being posted on fake blog.

Question:
[Location: Virginia, United States]

Hello. My sister did a google image search of herself and found photoshopped pictures of herself and friend smoking marijuana. The photos were obviously photoshopped and had a bunch of animations on it about getting drunk and high. My sister was very alarmed and confused, so she followed the pictures to a tumblr account that they were from. Someone had created a fake tumblr account using her name and they have been posting these pictures and others like them.

My sister worries that these pictures could effect her ability to get another job in the future. She doesn't know who posted them, but she has a feeling it might be her ex roommate, who was always mean to her and lied about her. She and this girl did not depart on the best terms and she knows this girl does online photoshopping very similar to this all the time.

I have done some research and can see how my sister can get the tumblr account taken down and even sue for libel. However we don't know how to prove who did it or get the pictures deleted. Can anyone give us some advice? Very much appreciated.

Answer:
 > However we don't know how to prove who did it or get the pictures deleted.

Have you contacted tumblr directly?  This is a good first step towards getting them removed.

Alternatively, your sister can possibly sue a "John Doe" and get subpoena power to compel the service to identify.  This is likely to be expensive, and may not be worth it.


Title: Fired for wanting to start my own business.

Question:
I've been thinking about starting my own business that was unrelated to my now former career (I was in insurance sales). I hadn't made any money, formed an llc, anything. I reached out to some insurance agents to see if they would have interest in a product like this, but thats it. (my idea was a form of lead sales for insurance agents, but in no way selling insurance)

I was canned yesterday for applying for a grant essentially for people who want to start a business. Did I break any laws? Does it seem justifiable that I was fired?

I'm in PA

Answer:
 File for unemployment while you look for a new job. Good luck. Answer #2: > Did I break any laws?

Probably not.

> Does it seem justifiable that I was fired?

Absent a contract to the contrary, you can be fired for nearly any non-discriminatory reason.  Firing someone who's looking to leave is perfectly legal.


Title: Next of kin burial arrangements

Question:
Hey r/legaladvice, i could really use your help on this one and I’m gonna try to summarize this as much as possible.

I live in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and my father just passed a couple days ago. Me and my sisters are his next of kin (all above the age of 18) and we are trying to decide what the next step is. All of us decided to have him cremated which is fine. My grandpa now wants the ashes to get placed into a mausoleum with him when he passes. Me and my older sister like the idea since they were very close. My younger sister is completely against the idea and wants the ashes to herself and said she’ll get a lawyer involved if she has to.

My question is; is there anyway me and my older sister can do like a “majority rules, 2 against 1” thing or is it just gonna be a standstill between us?

Answer: As a widow of a few years ago, I know they can split the ashes.  May not be desirable but it could resolve the issue if everyone agrees.


Title: Rented house and it was damaged. Getting sued a year later.

Question: When I was 17, I rented a shorehouse for 3 months with 6 other friends. From the beginning the lady made it obvious she was just trying to evict us and take our money, but after talking with a lawyer we settled that. Towards the end of the summer I left to go back home and get ready for college to start. One of my former friends and the only remaining tenant trashed the house. He said he would take care of the damages and we believed him. Now over a year later I was given a letter in the mail claiming $7000 to be paid by each tenant within 10 days or further legal action will be taken. What can I do? I do not have the money to fight this case or pay for this and the friend who did it refuses to take responsibility.

Answer:
 Your names were all on the lease right? Then legally, you would all be responsible for the damages regardless of what your friend said he would do. Obviously you don't have the money, so the landlady will pursue court. Expect a letter. Did you take pictures of the property before renting?

Just curious, what kind of destruction would warrant 7 people to pay $7k each in damages?


Title: Artificial incemination/Medical Law. Massachusetts

Question:
My mother was artificially inseminated by a doctor in Massachusetts (Cambridge I believe) in 1989/1990. I was born September 1990. Around 2014 I began calling this doctor to find out if there were records available to me about who my father is. I called for months just leaving messages with the secretary. When I finally did get a call back I was told that the doctor did not keep any records from this time. I have always wanted to know who my father is for health and personal reasons. However, I do not know what my legal rights are? Is it truly possible that my doctor did not keep any records from this time? Is there any other legal information that could help me in this search?
Topic:
Medicine and Malpractice

Answer:
 If the donor went through a clinic he most likely set this up to be anonymous and so the clinic would not give you his information even if they did have it.Answer #2: Not legal advice, but as far as I know there are DNA registries that could help you find people that are blood related to you. Do a Google search for: DNA registries sperm donor

At the very least, this could get you one step closer to finding out.


Title: I have some friends who went on vacation and they left there medications at home and there about 20 states away is it legal for me to mail there prescriptions to them

Answer: No, you cannot send prescription medication through the mail.


Title: Driver who hit me while I was cycling is refusing to give me his insurance details (UK)

Question:
So yesterday I was hit by a car, ended up in A&E but fortunately was discharged the same day (I'm doing okay). I was luckily enough for there to be an off-duty (if that's the term) doctor passing who saw me in the road, stopped and having given me a quick assessment offered to drive me straight to A&E himself. I sensed his urgency and of course took him up on his offer, however, this only left me enough time to get the driver's name and number. I was very shaken up and completely forgot about his licence plate... hindsight's a bitch.

Once I was discharged from the hospital and made it home I gave the guy a call to politely introduce myself, tell him I went to hospital but that I am okay, and to ask for his insurance info so that I can make a claim for my bike (it's mangled) and potentially loss of earnings. He got very angry and very defensive, eventually hanging up on me. I tried phoning him again today but got no answer. I've filed a police report but I was wondering if anyone here would have any other help or advice for me?

Thank you for thanking the time to read this, I do really appreciate it!

Answer:
 Call the police for advice on their non-emergency number \[101\].

Also, if you have his name/number try googling him. You'd be surprised how easy it is to find people. Answer #2: You can search the car insurance database yourself if the police aren't helpful.

It'll cost you £4: https://www.askmid.com/askmidenquiry.aspx

I'd wait for the police though and save yourself the £4 - as you were injured, just by failing to give their details on request the driver has committed an offence.Answer #3: I'm pretty sure from the wording (A&E, junction, solicitor) that this is a UK issue, and you should post to /r/LegalAdviceUK to get a more relevant answer.


Title: The US allows 30 insect fragments in every 100g of peanut butter. So could I put a whole tarantula (broken into 10 fragments) into a jar of peanut butter and legally sell it?

Answer:
 They most likely have a more specific definition for “fragments.” Also, spiders are arachnids, not insects.Answer #2: The thing is, tarantulas are largely misunderstood. they are gentle creatures who assist in their thriving ecosystem and as such do not deserve to be dismembered and folded into peanut butter.Answer #3: I doubt the wording is defined as fragments, since that would give way to wide range of amounts. 30 ant fragments is very different from 30 tarantula fragments.Answer #4: You probably could, so long as you prepare it in a sanitary manner and label it truthfully. There's already a market for [edible insects](https://www.edibleinsects.com/product/roasted-crickets/), so I'm sure there's quite a market for your Buerre Arachnids, as well.

However, no, you can't intentionally contaminate food on the premise that the total contamination is less than the limits. USDA sanitation limits are only one piece of the puzzle. Most states, and federally, have laws against adulterating food or drink.Answer #5: That limit is one of the limits for the "maximum levels of natural or unavoidable defects in foods", the limit for avoidable defects is 0.  If you add any insect parts deliberately to something that shouldn't have them, then it's adulterating food, and renders it illegal to sell as food (and in some situations just the act of adulterating the food sufficient to be illegal on it's own)


Title: I need to break my apartment lease early. My roommate refuses. What to do?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 You can't force him to do anything. You are bound to the terms of the contract you signed.Answer #2: It sounds like he wouldn't be profiting off you, but using that money to complete the lease as you agreed to it.

You made an agreement to stay in the apartment until August, if you have to pay the same amount to break the lease, why wouldn't you just fulfill your side of the agreement by paying your half of the rent and removing your name from the lease?


Title: Parents want to civil sue my girlfriends parents. Utah

Question: My mom went through my phone and found out that my girlfriend and I sent nudes to each other, she disapproved of my girlfriend bc she’s a year and a half younger than me. She turned us in and now we’re dealing with the nudes legally. But after my parents want to civil sue her parents. They’re pissed off that her parents let us date knowing my parents didn’t. Can they civil sue them over that? Her parents didn’t know about the nudes, they simply let us date.

Answer:
 Your parents would need to show that they are owed monetary damages from the other parents.

It's highly doubtful that "letting a couple of teens spend time together" caused your parents to lose anything but your respect now that they're talking about such a dumb lawsuit.Answer #2: There does not appear to be grounds for a law suit here.Answer #3: No, she cannot sue your (ex) girlfriend's parents. I recall your last post indicating that your mother is not allowing further contact between you.


Title: Are employers allowed to terminate someone based on anti-vaxxer beliefs?

Question:
ok theoretical, as I never met an anti-vaxxer but... wondering.

Is it possible for a company, even a big one, to tell someone that they can't work here for believing in anti-vaccination?

Answer: Antivaxxers are not a protected class.


Title: Signing a lease transfer in September, one roommate refuses to sign the transfer and wants other two roommate to continue paying for her to live there until October 31st. The landlord approved the lease transfer already. (Manhattan, NY)

Question:
Hello r/legaladvice. I'm posting this for a friend who's having some roommate conflict issues. This is taking place in Manhattan.

My friend, his friend, and his friend's girlfriend are lessees on their current apartment. Their landlord approved them to sign a lease transfer in the month of September, as both my friend and his friend are permanently out of the country for professional reasons. The two of them have signed the transfer already, but the girlfriend is refusing to sign and wants them to continue paying for the apartment so she can live there until October 31st. Since all three of them are on the original lease, her signature needs to be on the transfer. There are people who are moving into the apartment in September once the lease transfer is signed.

My friend and his friend have been out of the country for almost three months already, but the girlfriend refused to let them sublet, so they've basically already been paying for her to live there by continuing to pay their portions of the rent. And this is an expensive place we're talking about.

What are my friend's options? It's completely unreasonable for the girlfriend to expect the two of them to continue paying for the apartment (for context, my friend and the other roommate have been out of the country for three months already). The landlord is aware that they are transferring the lease (he approved it). What could happen if my friend decided not to pay his portion of the rent next month and October, seeing as he signed the lease transfer and isn't even living there? Will there be legal repercussions if he just doesn't pay and the girlfriend gets evicted? Can the girlfriend legally force my friend to keep paying rent?

Thanks in advance! He's asking a large group of us now and we're telling him to call his landlord.

Answer:
 >It's completely unreasonable for the girlfriend to expect the two of them to continue paying for the apartment

.. That they agreed in writing to pay for.

They agreed to this when they signed the lease. The other roommate doesn't have to allow strangers to live with her.

If he doesn't pay and the girlfriend doesn't pay, they can ask be evicted. Or she can pay then sue him for his portion.

The lease transfer was not signed by all parties so it is not in effect.


Title: Somebody is attempting to blackmail me with a threatening email

Question: Last night I received an email from an unknown person telling me they had hacked my webcam and recorded me doing sexual acts then got my contact list and are going to send the video to all my contacts if $400 is not paid through bitcoin within 24hrs. The entire message was written in extremely broken English, they claimed to be from China but the email address is South American, I am not worried about the threat as I have never done anything explicit in front of my webcam. I know things like this happen very frequently to many people but in the cases I looked at they where on mass email lists and in my case the attacker knew my first and last name which bothers me. I don’t know if there is anything I can do in this situation like reporting the email address to the proper authorities or if I should change my email address in case it has been compromised to the point other people could attempt to exploit me.

Answer:
 This is a super common scam. Ignore it, and subscribe to /r/Scams- even the stickied post of the subreddit has this exact scam posted. Your 'personal information' such as first name, last name, email, etc, are incredibly easy to attain- and the authorities will not be able to do anything about somebody in a country where they have no jurisdiction in. Answer #2: Your location is relevant, but I would ignore and move on.

> the attacker knew my first and last name

  What comes up when you Google your name? What comes up when you Google your email address? Regardless, that kind of info is infinitely simple to obtain.


Title: Is it considered booby trap if I secure my bike like this ? Would I get charged if someone tries to steal it and hurt themselves?

Question:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tufnWwV2J5I

If I secure it with a rope tied to light pole in my driveway and a thief steals it and hurts him. Am I in trouble or thief is in trouble?

Answer:
 That's two "bicycle booby trap" posts in one day.

It is almost always illegal to booby trap anything. Like *seriously* illegal.


Title: May need to take early disability/maternity leave because of 1 person's choices

Question:
I'm a teacher in a private school and 8 months pregnant. When my titers were tested in early pregnancy, we discovered I'm no longer immune to measles.

I work in a town less than an hour away from a town with a measles outbreak, but it hasn't yet hit my town. When the outbreak began, our 1 student with a vax exemption was excluded from school, but she's now back, apparently by court order, during the appeal process.

I feel that it's unsafe for me to be in close confines with this child during pregnancy given that it's so easy for the outbreak to reach our town suddenly, and am sure my doctor would feel the same way.

I can easily get the medical documentation that it's unsafe for me to work, but I can't afford an extra 2 months of just NY disability pay at 50% or whatever it is.

Who would I in theory be able to sue if this child (meaning the parents) causes me to have to take early medical leave due to the combination of their choices and my pregnancy? The school? Parents? The court that required that the child come to school?

Answer:
 At least some scientists are trying to make the case that people who intentionally fail to get the measles vaccination should face tort liability:  https://www.forbes.com/sites/dandiamond/2015/01/28/measles-is-spreading-and-kids-might-die-sue-parents-who-didnt-vaccinate-absolutely/

In reality, I think such a case would be very very difficult to make. First, you would have to prove that you got the measles from that child.  Probably hard to prove that. Second, you are aware of the risk and are choosing to remain at the school. Definitely cross the Judge that ordered the child back to school off your list...the judge is almost certainly immune from liability.
Answer #2: You don’t have a cause of action.


Title: [Upstate New York] Landlord and property manager had contents of my storage unit thrown out.

Question:
Hello /r/legaladvice, I could really use your help.  I have lived in my current apartment building since October 2014.  I was unhappy at my previous apartment and my lease was up so my property manager offered to let me move into another apartment building for $50 more a month.  I asked him if I would need to sign a new lease and he said the landlord would be willing to take me on as a month to month tenant.  At the time this seemed ideal since I wasn't sure if I would stay there long due to some personal issues with this property manager (unwanted advances and unsolicited pictures) that happened the week I moved into the new apartment.  A friend of mine is a landlord and she said that what we have is a verbal agreement.

There are 20 apartments and each apartment has a numbered storage unit.  When I moved in it was conveyed to me that I was entitled to store my belongings in the corresponding storage unit, which I did.  I had a lock on the unit. So last night, I went to do laundry and noticed that the hallway that houses our storage units was exceedingly clean (usually there is some clutter).  I walked down the hallway and saw that each storage unit was empty and clean, including mine.  It was around 3am so I figured I'd text my property manager in the morning.  In the unit I had clothing, some xBox games and accessories, and a lot of sentimental items (yearbooks, movies, books photos, keepsakes).  It was all in storage bins and labeled.  I've only been in the storage unit once since moving in so I really can't remember most of the contents.

I texted the property manager this morning and he said that there was a notice posted that any unlocked storage unit would be emptied and cleaned out by a cleaning crew and noted that my unit was locked and should not have been touched.  I saw no such notice (and I do pay attention to notices when posted).  I asked him for the dates it was posted and he said "Last Monday" but then when pressed for how long he said it was posted two Mondays ago and units were cleaned out two Fridays ago and everything was left bagged up before it was brought to a dump last Wednesday incase "anyone came out of the woodwork" to claim things.

The fact that I have no lease here probably means I'm an idiot and shit out of luck.  I'm sick to my stomach thinking about some of the stuff that was tossed out.  I'm going to ask around my building and see if everyone had seen this notice that was supposedly posted.  He said maybe the lock was off and that's why they cleaned it out.  Even if my unit was UNLOCKED it still seems pretty shitty to throw everything out seeing as it was included as my space in the verbal agreement we had.  Do I have any sort of a case in small claims court against the landlord here?

Answer:
 You probably do have a claim, but your bigger issue is proving what was actually in the room when the LL tossed it.  Absent receipts from you, it'll likely come down to a credibility contest between you and your landlord.

How much documentation do you have on whatever was in the storage room (receipts, photos, etc.)?Answer #2: Could you try to track down the cleaning crew? They could testify as to what they did and the instructions they were given.


Title: Can My Husband And I Be Reunited?

Question:
I am trying to sponsor my husband to come to Canada. He is currently living in France but can move here as soon as he is given the green light to do so. He grew up in Australia and has dual French/Australian citizenship.
He has no criminal record in Australia or France, and when he ordered his police check it came up completely clean. He visited Canada last year. However, 9 years ago he got a DUI. We do not know how this would affect the process, as DUIs are not considered serious criminality in Australia, like they are here in Canada. since getting the DUI he completed an interlock program and got his license back.
so our question is: is my husband allowed to enter the country? can we begin the sponsorship with him here, in Canada?

Answer: You should get a consultation with an immigration lawyer. Doesn't seem worth it to DIY if it's going to affect your future together.


Title: Falsely accused of rape, proven innocent. Now what do?

Question:
This happened in Australia.

So the other day some guy i barely know told my girlfriend that i got into a drunken stupor and raped a mutual friend of ours.

My girlfriend came home in tears and asked me about it. This took me completely by surprise. Imagine your partner coming home to you and saying that you had been accused of rape. At first i thought that this woman was going around saying that I had raped her.

I sent her a nice non-confrontational message about it - telling her that her mate had been going around saying this, that it wasn't true (couldn't have been true!) and that I thought she ought to know about the situation.

This whole thing took her by surprise too!

She has no idea what he's talking about.

She say's she has never accused me of anything and that he is a lying sack of shit.

So in some bizare attempt to undermine my relationship with my GF (who he had been secretly in love with for years) this utter fuck-stick just pretended that there was a rape allegation against me in.

She has blocked him on everything and will never talk to him ever again.

Now I have two questions:

Firstly, did this asshole commit any crime by pretending that someone had made a rape allegation against me?

Secondly; this asshole happens to be a psychologist. Well he is pretending to be one. He got a job whilst provisionally registered then lost his provisional registration - for a while he was calling himself a psychologist and working as a psychologist whilst not registered with the APA. Could this be a reason to report him to the police for fraud?

In case you can't tell i'm fucking lived at this dipshit.

Thanks legaladvice!

Answer:
 > proven innocent

For the record, that's not how it works.

You may be found "not guilty" in that the prosecution could not prove your charges beyond a reasonable doubt, but that is not the same thing as being "proven innocent."

Also, /r/auslegalAnswer #2: If he’s calling himself a psychologist but isn’t then report him to AHPRA.

Answer #3: Perhaps you could direct a query to his governing body his conduct Answer #4: While you probably have no damages to sue over, him telling your GF something false about you is most likely defamatory. In the US, defamation involving accusation of a heinous crime can win a money judgment even if it didn't cause actual harm to you. AUS might have similar rules (here it's called "defamation *per se*").

He probably hasn't committed a criminal fraud (IDK how AUS works for stuff like this though).  He very well may have violated the law regarding misrepresenting himself, and a report to the licensing agency for the profession he falsely claimed to represent might be a good idea.Answer #5: You (& GF) could make stat decs and then forward them to the APS with an explanation of events. You might be able to get a police check to include too.


Title: Parent tax evaded to receive Financial Aid for college

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 I think you need to stop and calm down. The worst thing to happen out of this is that you will be required to pay back the financial aid and you won't receive as much, or any, financial aid the next time you file. Thats it. You won't get arrested or punished for this. Your dad on the other hand is a different story.

> I was thinking maybe I can cancel my financial aid and apply to scholarship programs or even join the many ROTC programs available. I obviously know my father will disagree with this. Also, I am under 18.

If it makes you feel better. Personally I'd recommend against it.


Title: (CA) School forced to cut down trees because student is allergic?

Question:
I noticed that my son's elementary school in Socal had all of their big trees cut down.  The school was built about 60 years ago on an orchard so the trees were enormous and provided a beautiful landscape setting for the campus (the trees were at least 80 years old).  Apparently a parent complained that their child is allergic to these types of trees and demanded they be cut down, to which the school/district complied.  Besides the several thousand dollar cost for tree removal, I'm a bit dismayed that really old, borderline historic trees can be cut down because a single elementary student might have an allergic reaction to them.  It completely alters the appearance of the school and now the sun beats down on the courtyards where the kids play.

My question is did the school/district have any chance in court if they refused to cut down the trees?  If not, what's to stop these parents from going to the local Walmart and demanding they cut down their trees since they are the exact same type?  What if the kid goes to Harvard one day? Can the kid demand they cut down their 300 year old trees?  I don't understand how you've had tens of thousands of students cycle through this campus over the decades, and a single student complains and the campus gets altered forever.  Note that there are numerous local elementary schools alternative this one that would not have caused hardship for dropping their child off.

Answer: I find it hard to believe that even in the People's Republic of California any court would order a school to cut down trees when there were other, equally convenient and less destructive options. It sounds like your local school board is run by a bunch of pushovers more interested in not rocking the boat than in providing a good environment for kids.


Title: Former employer released W2 in phishing scam, a false tax return was filed for me the very next day. What are my legal options with the former employer?

Question:
Almost 2 weeks ago the HR department of a former employer in Massachusetts released the W2s for all 2015 employees in a phishing scam, including mine. I have seen a few posts on here about people saying similar things - basically an email was sent to an HR person pretending to be the CEO and apparently rather than question why the CEO might need all 2015 W2s the rep just went ahead and disclosed them. I wasn't notified until this week. I called the IRS this morning and confirmed that a false tax return was filed for me the day after the W2s were disclosed to the scammers.

I'm now in the process of getting a police report, freezing my credit with the three bureaus, and calling my banks. Do I have any legal options here against the former employer since my identity has now been compromised due to their negligence?

EDIT: also going through all the identity theft check-list on reddit's personalfinance

Answer:
 IANAL - but from what I've seen and experienced  - [The DoD let  the Chinese have all the data I submitted for my TS clearance](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/federal-eye/wp/2015/07/09/hack-of-security-clearance-system-affected-21-5-million-people-federal-authorities-say/), you will get a couple or three years of free credit monitoring. Arguably you have not actually suffered any *tangible* damages yet so there is nothing to recoup. The monitoring is supposed to mitigate the potential for future damages.  If you suffer actual harm in the future, you might have some cause to sue for damages, but their attorneys would argue that you had been warned and given tools to protect yourself and thus at least part of the responsibility for damages would fall on you.

FWIW


Title: Found golf clubs that were stolen from my house last month being sold on ebay. Can I do anything to get them back?

Question: Pennsylvania: I know they are mine because of the markings on the club face and the type of grip on the clubs. Plus the seller is 10 miles from me.

Answer:
 Screen shot it all and take it to the police with proof that they are yours.  I assume you filled out a police report when they were first stolen. Answer #2: Be aware that the people selling them may not be the same people who stole them.

Though that shouldn't matter in regards to getting your property back.  You owe them nothing, their grievance is with whoever they got them from.  Just in case they try to hold you responsible if they're also innocent in this.


Title: I now owe the IRS 1500+ for 2016 because I lied to my mom... Now I'm in over my head!

Question:
Kansas USA

So here goes..

I was going through a rough spot in 2016 and dropped out of college. It was for just a year, but I never told my mother. I didn't want to disappoint her.

Anyway she filed my taxes that year. Without realizing it until now she put me down for some education credits. American opportunities credit and Education credits.

They sent me a bill, that says its specifically not a bill, and I owe them the whole kit-and-caboodle this time next month.

I was hoping someone out there could point me in the right direction when it comes to dealing with the IRS.

Maybe there is someway to correct this with out having to go to tax court.

Has anyone been in a similar situation? How did it turn out?

Anything helps really.

Thanks

Answer:
 > They sent me a bill

The IRS? Then call them up and work out a payment plan. They are usually pretty helpful and accommodating. Answer #2: The IRS doesn't want to screw you. They're pretty friendly, actually. The IRS just wants their money. If you call them and try to get help, they'd be more than happy to work out a payment plan.

They don't want to screw you. They don't want to put you in prison. They don't want to garnish your wages. That takes up their time and money. If you work proactively with them, they're really accommodating. But start now, because there's a lot of paperwork to do.

Take a deep breath. You'll be okay. It's a lot of money, but you'll be fine. You're only in trouble if you dodge the payment.


Title: If I make a remake of game, using it's graphic resources without modifying them, and share said game publicly for free, can I get sued?

Question:
Topic:
Computer and Internet

Answer:
 So, you're asking if you can take copyrighted material, change nothing and give it away for free?

Yes, you can be sued.


Title: How intrusive is the police investigating process to the victim?

Answer:
 Very minimally intrusive to extremely invasive.

Depends on many factors.


Title: [OH] I just got fired for having diluted urine during a drug test.

Question: Is their anything I can do legally? My work says only people with diluted urine are trying to hide some. Even though I'm not and I don't do drugs.

Answer:
 First, if there is no reason you know of that you would have "diluted urine" you might want to go to the doctor to see if there is a medical problem for the sake of your own health.

Second, you can try calling the HR office of your company and explain this to them and ask if there is any other drug test you could take that would satisfy them such as a blood test or hair test.  You could agree to the cost of this test at the lab of their choice if it is worth it to you.Answer #2: > Is their anything I can do legally?

Do you have an employment contract?

If not, they can fire you for nearly any reason, or no reason; and indicators of drug use are certainly a decent reason.


Title: What is stopping us buying the surfing history of politicians and then data mining that for suspicious activity?

Question: Given the new laws on ISPs being able to sell customer data. Or are the politicians protected?

Answer: #1 this isnt a new law, they have been able to do it forever, and the law that was repealed hadnt even taken effect yet.


Title: Lease agreement changed after digital signing.

Question:
So my lease was up for renewal. Previously my base rent amount was 744. I received an email saying that I could renew online, and that the new price would be 754.
When I went online, the price they gave me was 680. I thought this seemed low, but I went on the website and saw similar apartments in my complex going for 680-700 so I assumed the price just went down. Just to be sure, I called them and asked to make sure that it wasn't a mistake. They said they would send me a new one with the correct price. This one also had 680. So, I went ahead and signed it for 15 months.

Last night, I got an email saying it was cancelled, and a second email with a 754 price. I decided to wait and think about whether or not I wanted to renew at that price. Then, this morning, I got an email saying I signed it. I looked at the document and it has my digital signature on it, but I definitely did not sign that.
What are my options here?

Edit: my location is Arkansas, USA.

Answer: Wait - they signed the new one with your digital signature? Have you spoken to them about this? Because that's fraud.


Title: [Kentucky, US] Water has been shut off in apartment for 7ish hours now - no notice from the real estate group that owns our building. After contacting their emergency number, they said they would call water company tomorrow morning.

Question:
The water has been off since around noon today, with no notice given. After contacting one of the maintenance guys who works for the real estate group who owns our building, he said he would call the water company tomorrow.

Is that alright? I saw one of their trucks outside of our building for a few hours today, but never saw what they were doing. We're on the second/third floor of a building with two apartments in it. The apartment below us is vacant.

Thanks

Answer: Call the emergency line for the water company


Title: [NYC] Roommate moved out without notice, threatening not to pay and sue me for damages

Question:
I'm a female who's been living in the same 2 bedroom apartment in NYC for the last four years, finding roommates on craigslist (always female, since this is what I feel comfortable with). Normally I haven't had any problems, but a few days ago I had a roommate of mine move out without notice. I saw her leaving the apartment one day with a bunch of stuff but didn't think anything of it. The next day I received an email from her saying she had moved out due to circumstances out of her control. I responded telling her I expected her to pay the remaining three months we had in our contract. She responded saying she had spoken to her attorney and would not be paying me. She has since moved to a neighboring state.

&nbsp;

I replied saying if she didn't pay the remaining rent I would have no choice but to go to small claims court for rent, utilities, as well as any damages, legal costs, and court fees associated with the process. I then received a threatening phone call from her boyfriend who told me that his father was an attorney who would subpoena the master lease (with which my ex-roommate has no involvement, since I'm the only one on the lease) and would go after me in any way possible (for things like smoking weed in the apartment, "cleanliness issues" (not sure what's being referred to there, the apartment was always relatively clean and no concerns were ever raised), checking if I overcharged her at all, any ensuing damages, etc) unless I dropped this issue altogether. He even accused me of thinking I could take advantage of her because she's a nice person who's easy to bully. Basically he said that she might be willing to roll over and pay, but he would "go to war" if he had to over this. To be honest, it sounded like he had watched a few episodes of Suits and was trying to intimidate me, but I had no way of being sure. Since I'm not a lawyer, this freaked me out a little! I have no idea if anything he said is true or reasonable in any way, but since I was in a hurry and a little frazzled, I just said I'd drop it.

&nbsp;

I'm also hurt because I tried really hard to make the apartment a nice place to live for us. I made sure all the bills were paid on time, I would often if not always be the person to buy common things for the apartment (toilet paper, dish soap, etc), and like I said, the entire common space was furnished with my property. Obviously this doesn't have any legal relevance, but I'm really frustrated.

&nbsp;

Here are the relevant details as I see it:
&nbsp;

* I'm the only person on the lease, and have been since I originally signed four years ago
* I charged her $200 more a month than I paid (total was $3200/mo, I had her pay me $1700) because I furnished the common spaces in the apartment myself
* We have a signed contract through Jan 1, 2016, saying she would pay $1700/mo plus half of all utilities and common charges
* There were no provisions in the contract dealing with ending the contract early
* I did not take first/last month's rent when agreeing to live with this person (needless to say I'll be doing that from this point forward)
* The contract between us stipulated that rent and utilities should be paid by the 7th of each month.
* I'm not sure if my lease allows subtenants, but the research I did for NYC housing law suggests that it doesn't matter, since I lived in the apartment as well, so she was considered [a roommate not a subtenant](http://codes.lp.findlaw.com/nycode/RPP/7/235-f).
* I have not changed the locks yet, but an attorney friend of mine said I should not take any action until I do since she still has a key
* I have not taken any actions since the phone call aside from speaking to my friend who's an attorney

&nbsp;

Anyway, I'm just trying to figure out what my options are and if this is worth pursuing in the first place. The most experience I have with the law is fighting a speeding ticket 10 years ago. I'm happy to answer any other questions. Thank you!

Answer: I think it's pretty clear he was trying to intimidate you.   You appear to have a strong case against her. But you do need to make efforts to find a roommate. (mitigate your damages)Answer #2: Ask for the father's name and then send a letter to the father's office stating that his son is trying to intimidate people with a lawsuit and you are going to assume that the father is the lawyer for this case, unless he sends a letter back stating that he is not the lawyer. Probably the son will also get a stern talking to.Answer #3: It seems like you would be well within your rights to sue her for what she owes you (rent and utilities for the duration of the lease that she signed with you).  Your only problem would be knowing where she currently lives so that she could be properly served with notice of the suit.


Title: DUI Dad's car title is in my name

Question: My dad got a DUI and lost his drivers license. He threatened to throw me out if I didn't sign for the title and license plates for his new old junk car. He doesn't have a license or insurance. He drinks and drives all the time still. I'm scared if he get in an wreck it'll get me in trouble. I don't want to call the cops cause I don't want to get him in trouble and the Chicago cops aren't very nice in my neighborhood. I don't have family to help me. How can I get the title and plates out of my name?

Answer: Sell it to somebody. It's your car. How old are you?  You need to find another place to live. If your Dad gets into a wreck you could be sued.


Title: *NOT* a simple legal question, but I'm too embarrassed to ask elsewhere...[x-post]

Question:
I was lately terminated from my high\-school teaching position for having an inappropriate relationship with a student.

In no way do I have any desire to defend my actions. There is no defense. I confessed to everything and voluntarily surrendered my teaching license for five years \(I can't believe they don't take away licenses forever for this offense \- I fully expected it and I have no intention of seeking to reinstate after my suspension is up, because I don't think I could ever sit before the board and ask them to forgive what I did and trust me again\).

To my question: I have to find another job. I'm a single mom and I have to support my child. I am a nervous wreck about applying for jobs, though, because I don't know how forthcoming I'm required to be about this. I don't want to intentionally mislead anyone \- I am not asking for permission to lie \- but can I simply state I lost my license for a violation of the ethical code and leave it there? Do I need to be prepared to spell this out? Would I be exposing myself to action from the student if \(somehow??\) a potential employer was able to piece together details and determine the student's identity, and that got back to him?

Second question \(not very important\): The story briefly appeared in local news. The district did not release our names, because I wasn't charged with anything and, I hope, to defend the student's privacy. However, someone posted our names on the Facebook report, meaning everyone in the community knows. Was that...legal? I mean I guess it's just gossip and she was correct, so it can't be libel...shouldn't the victim have had the right not to have that information publicly posted on social media? I guess there's nothing there, just irks me.

Details, in case they matter \(not offering as a defense, just information\):

The student was 19 years old and not in my class. His parents actually attempted to persuade the powers that be not to take my license, and vocally protested my termination. I was not charged with anything.

\(Feel free to tell me I'm scum \- really, really \*stupid\* scum, for throwing away 9 years of a career and $150,000 worth of education\).

Answer:
 That you are not currently in prison for confessing to this means what you did was entirely legal.

Disclosing information that's in a news story is also legal.

You don't need to tell a prospective employer anything. You could in fact simply say teaching was not for you (because it clearly wasn't).

I would suggest investing in SEO would be beneficial to you. Answer #2: Wait -- you were a TA and the student was an adult?

Dude, what you did was legal. Unethical, maybe -- maybe -- but not illegal. You shouldn't have given up your license so easily. They didn't charge you with anything because you didn't commit a crime.

There's nothing illegal about someone posting true facts.

I'm not sure what other legal question you have but you need to own up to this and just move on with your life the best you can.


Title: Under extreme circumstances (murder in apartment building, etc.), can I break my lease with no penalty in NYC? Wondering if I have a case (details in text).

Question:
Hi legaladvice. I have signed a two-year apartment lease here in New York City. My understanding is that landlords are very protected here, and after having a more experienced New Yorker look over my lease, it seems I'm fucked. My landlord is within his legal rights to keep my security deposit, my last month's rent, and even charge me for every month until my lease is up. However, there have been some fairly extreme circumstances in this building that have caused me to feel unsafe, and I wonder if I can make the case that the landlord has failed to create a safe, secure living environment and it's causing me distress. Here's the ammo:
A 20 year old boy was murdered in my building's hallway. I did not witness the actual murder (it was at 4am) but did witness the aftermath. Blood splatter on the walls, blood soaked carpeting. It made the news.
The tenants in the building routinely break the door, so the building itself isn't often secure. Anyone could get in.
The tenant next to me loves to scream violent threats, like "I'm going to burn this building down", "I'm going to kill everyone in the building", etc. I can hear him through the walls.
There's been another case of suspicious splatter on the walls. It looked like hot sauce, maybe blood, and wasn't cleaned for days.
There are the usual issues of rats, etc. but I think that's par for the course here in NYC.
By the way, all of this is in an 8-apartment building in Park Slope, a generally very safe area. In fact, I picked this place with safety expressly in mind. Funny.
I can't rely on the goodwill of the landlord, he's not a good person. Wondering if I have anything I can work with here? I'd very much like to get out of here, but obviously can't afford the thousands it would take.
Thanks.

Answer:
 Landlords are not responsible for the criminal actions of third parties, so issues like this don't allow you to break your lease.

However, in Park Slope (I love that area. All those cool brownstones, although I do fully sympathise with your situation) you do have the legal right to sublet your apartment. If you find an appropriate candidate, the landlord has to give you an approval or reason for denial within 30 days, or you can simply allow the sublet to move in.

Subletting your apartment gives you the ability to move out while also fulfilling your obligation to pay the landlord for the rest of the rent contractually due them. This is assuming your sublet actually pays, but it is much better than nothing. Best of luck.


Title: is this an example of hate crime Canada

Question: calling somebody with a blocked number saying "burn the gays!  burn the gays!" to a gay person even if it was a joke?

Answer:
 Jokes are supposed to be funny. If it's only funny to you, but likely to hurt someone else, it isn't a joke.  You can't do shitty things to people then say "it was just a prank, bro."

Also, yes, it likely could be considered one of a number of crimes in Canada.

If the police deicide to treat it as a crime, do you *really* believe that they can't figure their way around a blocked number?

NAL, but my advice is don't be a dick.


Title: [NJ] Neighbors Want Percentage of Property Taxes Forever for Use of Driveway

Question:
We have a lawyer and are walking away from this house, but I was wondering what you all think will ultimately happen in this situation since it has everything: Driveway easements issues! An HOA! [A bad paint sketch!](http://imgur.com/CqE0CJM)

We were trying to buy a house in an historic neighborhood where the lots are quite small. The sellers have lived there for fifty years and at some point built the driveway, retaining wall, and back patio. I would guess they were parking there prior to building all this, so for the full fifty years. The driveway is right against the house, the retaining wall continues to wrap around the back of their property, and the neighbors' driveway and house are up above the sellers' lot by a few feet. One would assume that the wall is at the property line, but of course, the sellers built all this 5 feet past the line. I have no idea if they knew this at the time, but a survey was done over a decade ago (I suspect when the current neighbors moved in) showing where the property line actually was.

The sellers didn't bother to tell us about any of this before we signed a contract and moved into attorney review, but they've been trying to get an easement from their neighbors formalizing the continued, exclusive use of the driveway once they sell. They offered a one time cash payment, and maintenance of the wall and driveway would be the responsibility of whoever owns their house.

The lawyers' office just forwarded us a letter from the neighbors declining that offer. Instead they want whoever owns the house to pay about 5% of their property taxes every year, the owner would be responsible for all maintenance, and either party could cancel the agreement with a year's notice. The letter ended with a passive aggressive line about not charging the sellers going back over a decade to the year that survey was done, so I think they've been pissed about this since they bought their house.

The final fun fact is that none of these people own this land. It all belongs to what is basically an HOA; you own the house, but merely lease the land it is on from them.

It's not going to be our problem, but what do you all think will happen here? It would be a good sized engineering project to remove what the sellers built, and you would have to modify things that are on their lot. No one is going to want to buy a house where the neighbors can rescind access to the driveway and even tear it out. Could the HOA step in, redraw the lot lines, and tell the neighbors to pound sand? Is there any other avenue for the sellers to force their neighbors' hand?

Answer:
 how can you own the house but not the land? especially a 50 year old house. i dont even think HOAs of this nature existed that long ago.

and, what about adverse possesion?

and, how would millage rates even be determined for owning a house but not the land?

ive never heard of anything like this except for trailer parka and condos.


Title: Do I have a case for this issue I’m having at work (sexual harassment and harassment)

Question:
This is the exact post I used in another thread. I just want to know if I am able to pursue legal
Action. I apologize if this is hard to read or understand.

“Here to vent using a throwaway because I don’t feel protected or respected. I work at a restaurant. And ya been about 6 months or so. There’s been a guy here making inappropriate comment towards me and as many times as I told him and management, they won’t do anything. It’s been going on since the first week of me stepping foot in that place. About my breasts. How he wants to have sex with me. And it escalated to him physically touching me. I was sexually assaulted in college so it makes me extremely uncomfortable.

The story really starts when we supposed to be suspended for touching a girl and as a result, she hit him. She got suspended but somehow he is back and it has only been two days.That day, This man was being extremely inappropriate. More than usual. In a way that’s like “you can’t touch me, I’m immune to punishment.”

So, he came up to me and said something about helping someone at take out because the girl was in the back and he was getting too close to me so I told him back up. And he said something like "I wanna watch you walk away" and then he was acting like he was trying to grab my boob. Then he came up to me again acting stupid and under his breath, he mumbled something about eating my ass. I’m even more disgusted.

Then I was discussing with a coworker about the other coworker being suspended and he walked over and tried to defend himself. I was calm and he started yelling in my face and cursing. A female coworker had to get him away from me. I was sorting silverware and I was so close to jabbing a knife in his stomach. But obviously thought against him.

I was fucking vivid with him. More-so angry at my managers for giving passes. I need the money so my hands are tied right now until other jobs I applied to call back. So... I called corporate and they’re investigating the situation and all parties involved.  My coworkers (that I mentioned that he was doing the same thing to them) backed me up and vouched for me.

One of the servers, who I guess he’s dating, was talking mad shit. She goes “some stupid bitch called corporate on DJ (fake name) and she’s lying because I was there” she wasn’t. The night everything happened, she came in at the END of the night and was DRUNK because she was picking up another co-worker. They were at the host stand and he was literally feeling her up and all.

So I confronted her and said “you need to quit speaking on shit that has nothing to do with you” and she goes “whatever, I don’t care” and walks away and was looking at me funny all shift. Everyone else literally has agreed I did the right thing and that other girls are facing the same shit. THREE different girls (not including me) and a male said the same thing.

She kept talking about it all night. I told the GM. Nothing. Told my manager. Nothing. The bartender eventually told her to shut the hell up.

The next shift. She was STILL angry. She threw menus at me (don’t know if it was an “accident” or not), clipped my side with a high chair WHILE I was interacting with guests and blatantly said in front of me to another server “well since DJ is gone the LEAST she can do is bus tables” the other server walked away and just ignored her. I laughed.

Things came to a boiling point when she called me out my name while I was cleaning her tables for a 10 top because she took forever to clean them. She called me a “dumb ass” for “sitting guests at dirty tables.” I lost it. And i shouldn’t have. I defended myself and I did call her a bitch and told her she’s making herself look like a clown by holding on to it. She ran to the back and told my manager. I was sent home early.

I need to find a new place to go work.
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 The sexual harassment seems to be dealt with if DJ is no longer there. They have a requirement to stop sexual harassment. If that has stopped, they did their job.

You should ignore her and stop trying to pick fights. Who cares if she wants to talk shit about you? They are just words. She is allowed to have an opinion about the situation.

If he is no longer there, let it go. If he is still there, wait for management to complete the investigation.


Title: Apartment management company admits to losing my money order, wants another check in three days.

Question:
Hi All,

The building in which I live recently changed management companies and the transition has just been a mess.

Today there was a note on my door saying that due to a "bank error"  my money order for December rent was misplaced. They want me to put a tracer on the money order and then give them another check by January 3rd.

Great, so I usually save my money order receipts but of course this one I haven't found, although the notice also listed the money order number.

First of all, is this my responsibility? I could understand if management said "you didn't turn in your rent" but they're saying "you did turn in your rent but we lost it and now we want you to fix it".

Second, will USPS refund me with only the money order number and not the actual receipt?

I'm not against working with USPS and getting management their dues but I'm more than a little peeved with them at the moment.

I would also consult my lease but their online portal is down, I would consult the office but they're closed.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Answer:
 Honest question here: another thread had a similar situation, but with a lost/stolen check. In that thread, the consensus was that the LL had received the money and he lost it. The money orders I've used were usually paid in cash, so if it can't be refunded, it would seem OP is out that money, period.

Is this actually OP's problem since he handed the money order over? Wouldn't this be a case of "Sorry, LL. I paid. Get the money from your bank." instead?Answer #2: Wait, you have the money order serial number? Then you can check its status online:
https://mois.usps.com/pls/pmoisnp/mois_external_pkg.main

If you don't have the number, then you can call USPS at 1-877-876-2455 and explain the situation.

Thing is, even if you can provide USPS with the necessary information for them to make sure the money order hasn't been cashed, you won't get an immediate refund. It could take a couple of months. If this was a "bank error," i.e., the management company's bank received the deposit, but then misplaced it, they're the ones the management company should be hounding.