Title: [AZ] I’m worried my boss may try to fire me for being pregnant.

Question:
I work a demanding job with very long hours. It’s getting harder to keep up as I’m further along in my pregnancy. It’s the kind of work where you need to “make your numbers” and I’ve been struggling lately. Is there anything I can do to protect against termination? To what extent is my workplace required to accommodate me? How can I protect myself?

In Arizona. Company is owned by a major corporation based in Nebraska.

Answer:
 From the DOL website ,  you can be given paid or unpaid leave. You *must* be treated like someone with a disability.

edit: workwise. Not socially


Title: San Antonio, Texas - Arrested for Something I did Months Ago

Question:
I had been caught buying mushrooms months ago. I was handcuffed but the detective who had arrested me told me that the incident would be in his notes but due to the fact that they were looking for a serial rapist (that just so happened to fit my description) and that it was my first offense I would be let go. Yesterday two cops came to my door, showed me a warrant for my arrest and took me to jail. I was realeased on bail 18 hours after arrest.
At the time I thought that it kind of made sense but now that I've had time to think about it I don't really understand why it took them that long to arrest me. I gave the detective my number and everything but I never received a call or a letter about having to appear in court but all of a sudden there's a warrant for my arrest? I just need some advice because this is my first (and hopefully last) run in with the law.

Answer:
 That's because you haven't had a court date. You only have been charged. That's why you haven't gotten anything in the mail.

You need a criminal defense attorney. You're facing one of two felonies depending on the quantity of the mushrooms. Potentially 1-10 years in jail and $10,000 in fines.Answer #2: You're looking at a possible felony charge and serious prison time. You need an attorney. The lag time in charging and arresting you is not relevant to your case.  It's entirely possible they just had better things to do which delayed moving forward with charges.


Title: COLORADO Parents want to kick me out I'm 18 what do I need to know from a legal standpoint

Question: My parents decided to do an at home drug test in which I failed for THC and now want me out of the house. I told them if that is what they wish then I need a 30 day eviction notice. I'm not well versed with law enough to know my rights here. If it makes any diffrence I have a medical marijuana license which allows me to use marijuana. They took my wallet and locked my med card in the gun safe and refuse to give it back I feel as if in no way this is legal and want to know how to get that back. thank you for your help

Answer: If you're homeless how do you plan on fighting an illegal eviction? Stop smoking pot and listen to your parents. Or smoke pot all you want to and find another place to live when you're an adult.


Title: Got arrested with less than 1g LSD, 30mg adderal and less than 1/8 oz of marijuana. First offense, scared as shit, can't afford lawyer..

Question:
Location arrested: Utah

I'm not really sure where to go from here.. I have chronic anxiety and depression and I fear I may kill myself if I go back to jail.. Am I looking at jail time for this?

 I can't afford a lawyer and I hear public defenders aren't so great... Is there a place I can go to get low cost/no cost legal help for this? I make under 12,000/year...

Edit: Thank you everyone for your advice and support. I'm feeling better about it and overall. Come what may.

What I'm getting is:

-public defenders aren't so bad after all and could even be a better option for me than a lawyer.
-reddit cares. Thank you everyone.

Answer:
 Get a public defender. It's a myth that they are not as qualified as private attorneys. In most cases, a public defender will get you just as good of an outcome as a private attorney.

Please call (800) 273-8255, the national suicide hotline. Do not kill yourself over this....or anything! Breathe. It's not the end of the world. Don't make it be.


Title: Falsely Accused at 17

Question: I took this girl on a date a couple of days ago. We went to the movies and she seemed like a really nice girl. We had an hour to kill in the parking lot of the movie theater and we started making out and she started to kiss my neck. Heavy petting was taking place and she pulled her pants down I asked if it was okay and she said yes so I started to touch her nothing about the way she was acting told me she wasn’t okay with that (kissing my neck and scratching me) I went down on her for a few seconds and then she started to touch me. We stopped to go walk around the mall for 20 mins and then to go see the movie. She had me all over her snapchat story and she was smiling in all of the selfies. She was holding my hand and smiling looking happy as can be. We went and saw the movie. She was still acting as if she was on cloud nine. I took her home. She was making plans to hang out the next day after school and she was also telling me how she had such a good time and she kissed me on the cheek. I get home and look at my phone to see her claiming that I raped her. I have been getting several death threats from her friends, people exposing me on all different kinds of social media trying to find me... She said it was okay... I do need to also clear WE DID NOT HAVE SEX. But I really just don’t wanna live anymore...

Answer: Don't talk to anybody about this except an attorney, therapist, or religious leader. You may want to  unplug from social media for a while. If you are all over that denying everything you're not helping yourself.


Title: My uncle may have stolen our entire family's inheritance - need advice

Question:
My grandmother died in August, from liver cancer, sooner than expected. During her last couple weeks, she moved out of her own apartment to live with her oldest son (my uncle, lets call him Frank) where she was taken care of. The extent of her care is questionable at the very least, but that is beside the point. Shortly after moving in with my uncle she was hospitalized. A few days later she died after being given morphine.

There was allegedly a sum of over $200k that was intended to be split between all of her 4 children, one of them being my father. The family was told there was no will by my uncle Frank. However, my grandmother had an estate lawyer. My uncle Frank was made power of attorney a couple weeks before my grandmother died, even though at that time she was mentally inept. A couple months after her passing my uncle Frank sent all the other children a company check for $25k each. Everyone was appalled because it was well known how much money she had. Everyone refused the check and my father contacted her estate lawyer. Apparently my grandmother gave my uncle Frank all her assets as an "investment in his company" a month before her death, and we also found out he didn't even notify the estate lawyer that my grandmother had died. My family is unsure of what to do, everyone feels like my uncle Frank stole the money from everyone. He apparently has a lawyer who has told him to cut contact with everyone in the family.

Legally, what options do we have?

-Massachusetts

Answer:
 You can hire a probate lawyer to represent your father (or perhaps the other 3 siblings together).  The disposition of the estate can be challenged, and you would argue that Grandma lacked capacity to administer her affairs and Frank exerted undue influence on her just prior to her death, and therefore that the "gifts" should be undone.

Talk to a lawyer.

EDIT: to be clear, because of your other questions: you need to hire a new lawyer.  The interests of Frank, the estate, and your father/other siblings are different.


Title: Questions from a Cam Model in New Jersey

Question:
Hey guys, so long story short I am a married Web Cam Model. My husband is VERY supportive of what I do, and we have an agreement that if he ever changes his mind I will stop camming. Anyways, my husbands step brother had found out I am camming and screenshotted pictures of me in a show and is now showing them to everyone.

I am sure it sounds weird considering what I do for work but I feel like my body was violated. Now my husbands family, excluding his mom and brother, will not talk to us. I was just wondering if this would be considered sexual harassment, I honestly feel very violated. Are there any legal steps I can take to make sure they stop spreading these pictures of me?

Answer:
 He hasn't done anything illegal. When you put out any content online you risk it being disseminated, and he is free to screenshot it and show people or refer them to whatever website or platform you're using to see for themselves. Answer #2: I'm not sure there is any legal recourse here, you made a decision to perform publically. But I'm NAL and could be mistaken.

In the future, most cam sites allow georestriction. It is not perfect by any means, and there are work arounds, but it can limit the ability of people in certain areas to view your shows.  It does not, however, limit the ability for people to record you and post your videos to porn sites.

While work like this can be quite lucrative, you have to understand that these are some of the risks that come with the work.


Title: [UT] Tree Law/Liability—Neighbors Picking Toxic Tree Seeds

Question:
The house I’ve been renting for three years has a few large Aesculus hippocastanum trees—horse chestnuts/buckeyes/conkers, is what most folks know them as. The seeds resemble chestnuts, but they’re actually toxic and inedible. From what I’ve read, they’re rarely fatal, but can cause severe gastric distress and even paralysis.

The issue is that I’ve had several neighbors and passers by who pick them from the trees or ground—in cases where I’ve caught folks, they’ve said they intended to roast and eat them—and they never talk to me first (if they did, I’d warn them off). When I see folks collecting them, I do warn them that they’re not actually chestnuts and are inedible, but I’m sure I don’t catch everyone.

Just today I saw a mom and daughter picking them, and I warned of their toxicity, but the pair seemed unconvinced. They left the yard, but took the collected seeds with them.

My question is if any of these foragers get ill from eating the seeds, am I liable? Do I need to post warning notices or anything to dissuade them or, barring that, protect myself? I have renters insurance, but would like to avoid needing to use it. Nobody has gotten ill yet (at least that I’ve been made aware of), but I’m worried that it’s only a matter of time and want to make sure I’m as protected as I need to be.

Answer:
 NAL. You're a renter, right?  And you didn't plant those trees?  If you don't own the land or trees, and aren't responsible for the trees being there, I don't see how you can be responsible for injuries occurring from a trespasser stealing nuts from a tree that doesn't belong to you from land that you don't own.

You might consider writing your landlord a letter (and keep a copy for yourself), informing them that people are eating these toxic nuts and that your landlord  might consider whether they want to take any steps to mitigate the problem.Answer #2: How about a sign? I'm sure the tree nearest the road wouldn't mind one nail, or four pushpins if you make it from paper. "Aesculus hippocastanum, seeds are toxic, do not eat."
My mother roasted and fed us horse chestnuts once, when we were on vacation in a forest. They tasted so terrible and bitter we spat them out, so we didn't get sick, and she looked it up in the library when we got home. So I don't think you need fear too much.
Answer #3: I’m in the UK so it necessarily isn’t the same but here horse chestnuts are used in a game. Maybe they don’t actually want to eat them.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/ConkersAnswer #4: In Ohio people just collect them randomly to make necklaces and stuff for OSU gamesAnswer #5: It is really bizarre that people would confuse the two. Chestnuts on the tree look *nothing* like horse chestnuts - they have a very spiky green outer shell. We used to collect horse chestnuts when I was a kid growing up in MO - they are just the right size for throwing - but nobody ever considered eating them.


Title: Maternity rights

Question: I just returned to work from a long maternity leave. I was on medical leave from 8/2016 to 3/2017 then took my 6 weeks of baby bonding time from 3/2016 to 5/2016. Before my leave I was an administrator working 40 hours per week. The owner of the company says that my position is no longer available and has demoted me to a classroom position working 16 hours a week at a different facility and claims it is a comparable position. I haven't received my first check yet so I don't know if she's changed my rate of pay. Also, for a full shift she only gives one 10 min break and one hour lunch. I am located in CA. I want to find out if it's worth it to pursue legal action or if I'm better off just cutting my losses and finding something else. My husband said legal action might not be worth it because of the expense. Any advice or info would be appreciated.

Answer: You are well past any protected leave time. FMLA is only 12 weeks and I think Cali leave is only another 4. So they don't even have to offer your any job


Title: Can I hold Johnson & Johnson responsible?

Question:
I would like to sue the shitty global family company Johnson & Johnson for serious human rights issues that I have had to endure. I don't really want any money.

I think I have a case. Do you think I have a case?

Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia

What would I be suing for: Medical negligence?

No mainstream free lawyers that I know of wants to take on my case, as they wouldn't get enough money. I wasn't working at the time and I'm not permanently disabled.

I've spoken to lawyers, all levels of the ombudsman, doctors, nurses, top psychiatrists and looked at the data doctors rely upon (MIMS and Medline). I've reviewed primary FDA approval documents and journal articles.

Crime committed by Johnson & Johnson:

When they tested the antipsychotic Risperidone for approval on patients they did not obtain any data on withdrawal effects once patients came off. Almost no drug company has. This sounds minor, but it is actually major. As there is no data on withdrawal symptoms on this drug, doctors assume there are no symptoms, and patients end up with life-threatening emotional and physical reactions.

Several suicides in the FDA approval process were officially reported during the withdrawal phase of the drug Risperidone.. but they unfairly blamed the suicides on schizophrenia.. even though there were journal articles available at the time that concluded that abruptly discontinuing antipsychotics leads to severe side effects.

[http://breggin.com/td-resources/Risperdal-new-drug-application.pdf](http://breggin.com/td-resources/Risperdal-new-drug-application.pdf) (8.5.7 Withdrawal Phenomena/Abuse Potential)

&#x200B;

Myself:

I was put on a high dose of Risperidone for a month, and I was taken off it abruptly, (as there is no data on withdrawal symptoms on coming off the drug). I subsequently experienced temporary extreme amnesia lasting for 2 months. Dystonic physical reaction. Extreme and unbearable emotional pain. I couldn't  play a mobile  game. I didn't know how. I Couldn't drive. I didn't know how. I couldn't kill myself (I didn't know how)

Implications:

If it's possible to hold the drug companies responsible , suicides and pain will be avoided. And possibly there could be changes made in the medical system.

There is no post-marketing reporting system in place for psychiatric drugs. The only way to hold them responsible is to sue them. Would it be possible to hold them responsible?

Answer: Do you have any quantifiable damages that you could sue them for?


Title: [IN] [25/F] Guy I slept with reported a false rape claim against me to appease his girlfriend and not lose her because he cheated.

Question:
Okay. So, I took a friend of mine and his buddy to a dinner, a strip club, then we all came home and drank together. I'm female by the way.

Anyway, the one guy and I, we will call him fred, let me kiss him. We started making out, then I started touching him. The other guy was upstairs during this, and when he came back down, fred had a condom on and we were going at it. He was behind me. Well, he joined in. Fred finished, and they left.

This ordeal was almost two years ago. I was feeling very guilty since he cheated on his sweet girlfriend, so I told her that we went to a club and then had sex. Well, hes lying and manipulative, and shes well, stupid.. he convinced her that I raped him and that's NOT the case. He did it to try and get her to stay with him and make it seem like he never wanted me. It's a very messed up situatuon. Well apparently he told her that he filed, and wouldn't press charges as long as I leave them alone.

Reddit, I've never asked for advice or posted much on here. But, I'm at work and this is all I can think about. As far as I know he only filed.

Will I be arrested? How can I find out if he actually filed a claim against me for rape? And will the police let it go since he isn't filing charges, or what will happen?

Answer:
 The part where he says he won't press charges makes me think he either is lying, or doesn't understand what he did. It's not up to him to press charges, if he filed an police report or complaint, they police gather evidence, give that info to the prosector, and THEY decide if there is enough to press charges.

You can check public records to see if there is a police report. Or, the police may contact you if they decide to investigate. Of either happens (and this is very important) DO NOT CONTACT OR TALK TO THE POLICE ALONE. Get a lawyer. Period. No wiggle room, no "well I'll just tell them my story once". Go no contact with law enforcement until you have obtained or been provided an attorney.

Otherwise just block both him and the girlfriend and sit tight. Obviously he doesn't value you as a friend, so it's time to cut ties. Chances are nothing will happen, but if there is an investigation it's better to no longer have contact with these people. Doing anything right now, such as confronting them, or digging for info, can only make matters worse. Answer #2: That's most likely something he just pulled out of his ass , unless the police actually show up you have very little to worry about.Answer #3: First off... IANAL/ Stop communicating with all parties involved. If you happen to have any texts or emails from then, that pertain to hooking up, I would gather them.
Wait to be served or contacted by the police. If that happens, its time to lawyer up...


Title: Parents Falsely Gave my Address as their Physical Location to IRS.

Question:
All,

I've received a phone call from San Benito County (California) court and let the call go to voice mail. A woman left a message. It said, paraphrased:

"Consider this message an official legal notice by telephone that [My Mom] has legal filings against her in San Benito County court. Your name, phone number and address is listed as her location."

I assumed scam, but looked up any Court docs, in that county, online and found one for 5/2018 listed with my parents name and description as "IRS TAX LIEN". My parents do reside in San Benito County California and have an unclear housing situation, but I'm fairly certain they do not have their name on the house they live in. They do have other property under their name such as a single vehicle. My parents filed ch 11 five years ago to escape IRS and mortgage foreclosure.

1) What are my responsibilites to the government in this case?

2) What kind of fuckery are my parents pulling by listing me and my phone number in this case?

3) My address was never stated in the voice mail. My full name and phone number are the only information I know that they know.

4) I own a home in Washington state and live there full time. I own several other pieces of property in Washington state along with several vehicles.

Please help me understand what's going on so I can resolve the situation and understand what my parents are up to before I confront them.

-Lurky

Answer:
 > What are my responsibilites to the government in this case?

Nothing so far. If they want something from you, you'll know.

> What kind of fuckery are my parents pulling by listing me and my phone number in this case?

Can't be sure, it's possible that they don't even know.

Obviously, make sure that you are registered at your current address so that you receive any related paperwork (summons, etc).

An IRS tax lien has nothing to do with you unless you manage your parents financials or share ownership of some sort of asset.


Title: Competitor went out of business. I would like to use his company name.

Question:
I have an ecommerce business and at the end of last year, one of my competitors stopped selling on their site. They put on their homepage, that they are no longer in business.

Their domain name expired and is now up for auction. I will be purchasing this domain name.

I also want to change my company name to my competitor's company name and operate under the same name. I want to do this because they are the oldest company in this industry with a good reputation.

Are there any issues with using my competitor's company name as my own when they have gone out of business?

Thank you.

Answer:
 Somebody still owns that name, even if they aren't doing business with it. You would be unwise to squat on their domain name, and wearing their flesh as a mask isn't a great idea either for numerous legal and hygienic reasons.

>they are the oldest company in this industry with a good reputation

And they failed anyway. And you outlasted them. But that's just me talking.Answer #2: Buy it from them. You can't just take it.


Title: Got this from my landlord today, as did all other tenants....this concerns me, thoughts?

Question:
http://imgur.com/a/GW9Yl

Sorry if this isn't the right place to post this. I received this today and it makes me a bit uneasy....I am thinking of talking to the landlord about this, who I may add doesn't even live in the building.

I was thinking of calling my local landlord/tenant office and showing this to them. This seems like the yearly "Ensure the locals know who their boss is" type of letter....

Any advice?

Answer:
 Your landlord is trying to be funny.  There's nothing threatening here.Answer #2: I take it as a poor attempt at humor while reminding everyone of the rules.

Answer #3: I give them points for attempted humor. And trying to enforce their rules. I'm not sure why anyone would have a problem with it. It's mostly asking for common sense (let them know ASAP if a drain is clogged) and to abide by rules in the lease.


Title: Is my landlord required to give notice before increasing my rent on MTM lease?

Question: I live in Seattle, WA and my lease expires on May 1st. I do not plan to renew and my landlord emailed me today asking if I will renew and informing me that if I don't my rent will be going up per the current month to month rate. This notice of a rent increase was only 12 days before the payment is due. To add to the frustration the increase was close to $500. Is my landlord required to give more notice? Do I have any legal wiggle room to avoid this insane hike in rent?

Answer:
 Since you live in Seattle, I believe your landlord has to give you 60 days written notice if your rent is increasing by 10% or more. I'm going to assume that 500 dollars is more than a 10% increase.

[Source](https://www.municode.com/library/wa/seattle/codes/municipal_code?nodeId=TIT7COPR_CH7.24REAGRE_7.24.030REAGRE)


Title: [PA] Settle a debate: is this fraud?

Question:
Hi everyone.

The way getting paid at my university works is as follows: the supervisor emails the payroll department a description of a student's job including their pay rate and expected hours per week.  After receiving the email, payroll then allows the student to submit his/her hours for the week.  My supervisor accidentally sent the wrong pay rate for my coworker, but corrected it shortly after.  He has been receiving money at the wrong (and higher) pay rate, though, since the correction.

Is my coworker committing fraud since he is being paid at a rate he knows to be wrong?

Answer: If your friend hasn't taken an overt action to get the wrong pay rate, then it's not fraud.  But it's still not his money and they can get it back because of the error.


Title: U.S., WA State. I was rear ended (minor damage to the bumper), and the offender convinced me to let her pay cash. She paid half, and now she won't return my calls.

Question:
I borrowed a friends uninsured car. She's out of state and cancelled her insurance because she won't be back for a while. I have insurance for my car, but it's base level insurance and doesn't specify that it would cover me if I'm driving a different car.

I was rear ended while stopped at a red light on Jan 28th. We exchanged insurance info and phone numbers, but then the woman who hit me pleaded with me to let her pay cash. She really seemed to be in a tough spot and I felt bad for her. I wasn't sure if my insurance would take care of me anyway, so I agreed. I got a quote to replace the bumper for $1000, and texted her a copy of it. She asked if she could pay half now, and half on her next check. That seemed reasonable to me, I wouldn't expect most people to have a grand to lose on short notice.

She gave me a check for $500 on 2/6. We agreed to meet a the same time/place in 2 weeks (her next payday). The night before the meeting on 2/19 I texted to confirm, and she responded that she'd be there. I went to the meeting place, and she never showed. She's stopped responding to texts, and her phone number rings without an answer or option to leave a message.

**Would it be cheaper to just let it go? She already paid me $500, and if I'm gonna have to take a hit to my insurance and pay a $500 deductible anyway, I'd rather just go get the bumper replaced now. I considered small claims court, but i don't know anything about the process so I don't know if I'm even in a good situation for it, or what kind of time/effort/money would be
involved.

Any nudge in the right direction would be greatly appreciated! I've never been in any kind of situation that needed a lawyer involved, so I'm a little lost and stressed about all of this. If any more info is needed, please tell me and I'll respond as quickly as I can.**

Answer:
 Give your insurance company her information and go from there or deal directly with hers. Keep the check and don't cash it. Keep any text messages you have between the two of you. The check and the cash provide excellent proof that there was an accident and she admitted fault.

Or you can tell her you are going to do the above before you do it, and give her one last chance to make you whole.


Title: Police tested piece of trash. Possible possesion charges from residue.

Question:
I recieved a voicemail from a detectove back home.  I called him back and he said that during a visit to a casino over 10 months ago, I was seen on a security camera throwing out a 'stamp bag' after using an ATM.  Supposedly, i missed the garbage and it landed on the ground.

A maintenance worker found the bag, turned it in, and it gets sent to a lab.  Cocaine residue.

They found out who I was from a different camera that could read my license plate.

I have no recollection of this as it was over 10 months ago.  I have since moved to a new state as of 5 months ago.  This all seems very absurd and my only guess is I found a piece of trash and attempted to throw it out.

Whats crazy is he only recently got this case. He mentioned the previous detective (who has since retired) never bothered to contact me.  Wonder why....

These detectives work for the city police yet are 'stationed' at the casino.

How could I possibly have known there was drug residue within it if it took them a damn lab test to determine that?

I basically was just truthful, denied any knowledge and he said it would have to be decided whether or not charges would be filed for possession.

I plan to have an attorney consultation but would like opinions.  I have recieved no mail regarding it in the past couple weeks.  Will answer questions you may have.

Answer: TBH, it sounds like a scam. The next call you get will probably be a “pay us (x) amount or we will file (y) charges.


Title: Amazon raise and pay rate discrepancy

Question:
Hey! Not sure if this belongs here but if not can someone please direct me to a better suited sub.

Anyways, I’m sure most have heard that amazon is raising the minimum wage to $15 everywhere. Cool. This also applies to Whole Foods employees, which I am.

Now, I am a customer service supervisor. I have been with the company for over 2 years, and have been a supervisor for over a year. My current pay rate is 13.75.

I contribute a lot to this company and I “exceed expectations” on my performance reports.

With the wage increase, you would think I would get more than 15.00 because that is exactly what a new, starting cashier will make now. But no. I talked to two of my bosses about this and they told me since I’m not a member of leadership (even though there’s clearly more responsibilities and expectations as a supervisor) I would be treated like a regular team member and be bumped up to 15.

It’s still a raise, but how exactly is it fair that I am a high performing supervisor will be making the same as a starting cashier? Why should I even put in effort? Can’t I just step down and make the same pay?

Answer:
 > how exactly is it fair that I am a high performing supervisor will be making the same as a starting cashier?

Your store's policies don't have to be fair, just legal. Answer #2: I don't think this is a legal question.  Amazon / Whole Foods is under no legal obligation to provide a differential in pay between front line employees and supervisors.  If you think this is \*unfair\* you can certainly make your case to the relevant people at Amazon / Whole Foods, but there is nothing here actionable from a legal standpoint.Answer #3: > Can’t I just step down and make the same pay?

Your boss is under no obligation to offer you a job with fewer responsibilities.


Title: 5 Write ups in 2 days.

Question:
I change oil. This past Sunday i had a closing shift with 2 other coworkers, 11-7:15. I was asked by the closing assistant manager to stay a little longer because company policy states 2 people must close the store.  I let the assistant manager know I had already clocked out but I would be staying, the only reason I clocked out was because I thought I would be out before the other closer. I stayed the extra 5-10 mins. I texted my store manager the time I clocked out so I could adjust my time later.

The next day, I come to work and everything's cool up until I clock out for break. Before I clocked out for break I asked my Store manager if I could wait 5 mins before clocking out so he didn't have to adjust my time. I thought he'd maybe give me a free 5 mins for the time I stayed yesterday. He replies with "are you really going to bitch about 5 mins?" And I said "yes, because it was time I stayed at the store." He then asked me to clock out and go home. So I clocked out, went downstairs to change my clothes and as I'm changing, he calls down and asks me to come up after I'm done. When I get upstairs he begins the paper work for 4 different Write-Ups.

1. Not performing as well as I should.(BS write up, anyone at the store will vouch that I'm a top performer, didn't sign this one.)
2.punctuality(late 2 or 3 mins about 2x a week, no excuses, signed.)
3. Not mopping for my closing shift 1 week before. (This was given a week late, and I explained that I didn't mop the floor because we had a corporate inspection the next day and more important things needed to be taken care of before 7:15. Nonetheless, I signed it since mopping is part of the closing procedure and I didn't complete it.)
4. Not wearing protective equipment. Glasses (no excuses, signed.)

So I sign the documents and I left.
I was feeling stressed about the 4 write ups and I ended up getting sick. I called out Tuesday, i wasn't scheduled to come in on Wednesday so I rested. Thursday I tried calling off because I was still sick but no one was answering the store phone. The calls were on the stores call logs. I texted my coworker and told him to let the manager know I wouldn't make it in since no one was answering the store phone. I called at 9am and my shift started at 12.

When I came in today, I had yet another write up for not following the company's policy on call outs.

My question is: can I get a write up even though I clearly tried to call out the proper way? Is it my fault that I couldn't follow the correct call out procedure? I really don't think it's fair and believe that he's picking on me.
Also, my store manager spends a lot of time with the Area manager off the clock outside of work. They ride their motorcycles together and stuff. I know there's a rule about employees and managers not being able to hang out outside of work but I'm not sure if this would apply to them does it?

If anyone can help me figure this out I'd really appreciate it. I don't want to go to HR, but I will if I have to.

Answer: You call in sick after getting 4 write ups? Not just 1 day, but 2 days? What??? You are lucky you have a job, still. OP, businesses need people who are reliable and honest, who show up on time, and do their required job. Do you realize what a burden it is on the company and the other employees when somebody decides not to show for their shift? And then you come on here to complain. Wow.Answer #2: This isn't a legal issue. This should be addressed with your HR department.


Title: So my girlfriend fell for a craigslist scam and lost $3,000. What should I tell her to do?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: The money's gone. There's next to nothing the police can do aside from filing a report. Lesson learned, and money gone.


Title: My wife is trying to blackmail me, so that I'll give her full custody of our son

Question:
My wife has been trying to blackmail me repeatedly over the past two months for full custody of our son. I filed for divorce 2 months ago. Every time she comes up with some dirt on me, I go one step ahead of her, and fess up to it. She doesn't get that she has been threatening me with blackmail our whole marriage, and I finally am able to recognize it and stay one step ahead. Tonight, she told me point-black that she is trying to blackmail me for custody. The things she are using against me have nothing at all to do with my son, or my ability to raise him. It is all in the past, from well before I met my wife. I wish I hadn't trusted her with all my dirty secrets.. When I dropped my son off tonight, she said "Say goodbye to Daddy, this is the last time you'll see him". I asked what she meant by that, and she said she had a recording of me saying I was stealing money from work, and she was going to get me thrown in jail for it. I never stole any money from my work, so I am not worried about her attempting to blackmail me.
My question is this. Do you think that I can use her repeated attempts at blackmail to get full custody of my son? I didn't really think I could get full custody, as I always thought she was a good mom, but now I am reconsidering.
-note- I am talking with a lawyer tomorrow, and am in Hawaii.

tl;dr: My wife repeatedly attempts to blackmail me, can I use that as a way to get full custody of my son?

Answer:
 What you *should* have been doing all along at the very least:

Every time the blackmail occurs, document it (dates, times, locations) and turn the documentation over to your attorney for safekeeping.

Maybe start now, if you haven't been doing it already.

Your relationship with your son isn't the only thing that she's threatening... Answer #2: >Do you think that I can use her repeated attempts at blackmail to get full custody of my son?

It's not particularly likely.  Just as your past acts have little to do with your ability to parent, her feelings and actions toward you are equally irrelevant to her abilities.  Shared custody is a more probable scenario.

Parental alienation is a real thing, and some of it seems to be going on here.  Not disparaging each other should be a topic that is clearly addressed in your custody order.


Title: How much trouble am I in?

Question:
I messed up.  I did something petty and vengeful, and while knowing that it was wrong, completely underestimated the fact that it might be (and probably is) illegal.

I accessed my mothers Facebook account and posted a bunch of messages about her boyfriend working under the table while having collecting disability and other DSS assistance, having an STD, etc., that I was sent by this gentlemen’s ex lover, as well as some comments of my own about how she has walked out of her granddaughters (my daughters) life coupled pictures of my mom and her new boyfriends daughter all snuggled up on christmas.

This was petty, wrong, and nasty of me to do.  I regret it.  I’ve taken it all down.  My mom is Facebook illiterate so I gave her boyfriend (since I don’t have her new number) an easy password, reminded them of her log in email so she can access the account and change the password effectively locking me out.

They’ve threatened to call the state police.  Kind of understandable.  At this point, I don’t know what, if anything, I should do.  Do I get a lawyer?  Do I call the troopers myself?  How much trouble am I in?

A few other notes:

-My mom had previously given me her password and permission To post on her behalf, so I didn’t “hack” the account, per se. But I definitely didn’t get explicit permission for the derogatory posts, obviously.

- We all live in New York State.

- I had previously changed her password.  She knew this about two and a half months ago.

Answer: You keep your head down and do absolutely nothing else about this.  Don’t talk about, admit to it, etc.  If (and it’s relatively unlikely) you are contacted by the police about this you refuse to speak with them without an attorney present.


Title: Buying house that was flipped-no permits

Question:
I am in the process of buying a house (Ohio) that was bank owned for about a month, then bought by someone who flipped it. He didn't do any structural work, just new floors, light fixtures, and remodeled the kitchen & bathrooms. As far as I know he didn't do any new electrical or plumbing work (but of course I can't know that for sure), just replaced existing appliances with new ones in the kitchen, new toilets/sinks/cabinets, and re-tiled the bathroom floors and shower. We are having it inspected this week, but I just realized he did not get any permits for this work.

I don't live in a state where real estate attorneys are generally used. Should I get one? What would they do? Would they be able to help somehow so I'm not liable for any unlicensed work? I 'think' he can get the permits after the fact, but can we make him do this if we already have a signed contract? I'm worried about finding problems after we own the house and having to pay a ton, or having a fire/leak/etc due to shoddy un-permitted work and insurance not paying because it wasn't done with a permit.  Of course it all may be quality work, or he may not have done any electrical/plumbing changes, I really have no idea.

Answer:
 You can call the municipality to ask them if permits were needed for this kind of work. You should also ask the inspector to see if they did any room modifications or additions. Usually something like that does need a permit.Answer #2: I think you should do three things as extra precautions here.

First, never mind the permits, who did the work?  If it was done by licensed contractors and you can talk to them and they can tell you what was done and why they didn't get / didn't need a permit, you should be able to relax about that point.

Second, no one has been living in this house since the remodeling, which means that if there's a leak somewhere it might not be evident.  I would ask that you be allowed to run all the plumbing in the house for about an hour during the inspection and then return a week later to take moisture readings on the walls and floors to see if everything's dry.

Third, ask for a 1-year home warranty.  That will help cover all the new appliances in case they were installed improperly or damaged, or just defective ones that haven't been used yet.

You do have an out here if you're uncomfortable buying this house: the home inspection is actually a contingency in your offer (at least, that's the standard way to do things).  So you can basically demand whatever you want to remove that contingency, or you can just say the home inspection wasn't acceptable and exercise the contingency.


Title: [NY] Trespassing question- who has to give you permission to be on property.

Question:
[removed]
Topic:
Troll Post

Answer:
 Yes. You're trespassing. Also - don't speak to random 8 year olds...

Right now it *should* only be civil. But you could also be committing other crimes depending on what else you're doing. There are homeless shelters, or hell, ask your acquaintance if you can crash on a couch or something.

It becomes a lot harder to become not-homeless if you end up with a criminal record too.


Title: (Indiana, US) Sent threatening email, police calling. What do you think will happen here?

Question:
The title says it all, but I will expand. I sent an ex a threat over email. It was not a violent threat, and it was not explicit but implied. She more or less made a similar threat against me, but I didn't go to the police about it. Apparently, she did. The day after, a police in her area called my number and left a voicemail saying he wanted to get in touch with me to hear "my side of the story." The next day, a police from their investigation unit called me saying he needed to hear back from me that day or else  "I'll be forced to reach out to you in another way." I did not return either call. Today (Day 3), I believe I got a call from another police number, but I didn't answer it. I looked up the number and it is a personal number for someone near that area. I suspect it was another attempt to try to get me on the phone.

I did a consultation with a criminal defense lawyer...a pretty good one...near my area, and, after hearing the exact wording of the email, he said that the police's goal was likely to try to get me to fully admit what I was insinuating. He thought they'd try to bring intimidation against me. Without talking to me, he reasoned, there may not be any trouble at all. He wouldn't guarantee it, though, as I'm sure no lawyer would.

I've been reading a ton about 'when you're contacted by police,' and I had a couple questions. There are two schools of thought that I've read. Which one do you subscribe to?

1) The police call you when they can already arrest you, and the purpose of calling you is solely to strengthen a case they're already going to bring against you. Given the timeline and it being literally the next day, I'm skeptic of this one. I want to be skeptic, though. Thoughts?

or

2) The police call you when they need more information to bring a case. In other words, if you don't talk to them, they may not have enough to bring anything against you. They're trying to get you to incriminate yourself.

I know they have the email if she gave it to them, but I don't think the wording of it really damns me. It hints at something but it could also hint at about a dozen other things. I, obviously, want it to be #2. I mean...if they could arrest me, wouldn't they just arrest me and then question me once I'm in custody?

Do you guys have any thoughts on this issue? I haven't retained a lawyer, yet, but I plan to never return a police phone call and never open my door (unless warrant) or speak with a police officer in any way. If they come to the door, I'll say "do you have a warrant?" and if they say "no" I will stop responding. If they stop me, I'll ask if I'm free to go or being detained, and, if not, simply walk away. I am preparing to weather a storm here, and I suspect they'll come to my work or try to reach out to friends or family in an attempt to embarrass me, but I'm really prepared for it.

I would love to hire a lawyer who could monitor the case better, but, unless I have to, I can't really afford that. When do you think police call and do you have any other advice for me?

Answer:
 You're already in contact with an attorney with boots on the ground.  Stick with his advice.Answer #2: even if they do have a warrant and they come to your door, your only response should be "i want a lawyer".  i personally think it's #2 and you should listen to the lawyer.Answer #3: You don't need a lawyer yet, you haven't been arrested. But don't let that stop you from committing that guy's number to memory. If they call you, feel free to pick up and say "Hello officer, I regret to inform you that I won't be making any statements now or in the future upon advice from counsel. Good day!" *click*

If you are arrested, remain totally silent and contact an attorney at your soonest ability to do so.

EDIT: please never say anything to the tune of "am I being detained?" If they attempt to speak to you. Just continue to remain silent.


Title: My roommate and I had consensual sex. Now she wants me to move out. I’m poor and can’t exactly seek legal help. What are my options?

Question:
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 Do you have a lease if so for how long? (or are you a month to month/week to week tenant?)

What is your location?


Title: (NC) Employer accidentally overpaid me, now wants to take all of my wages for the next two months.

Question: I've been working full-time at a research facility for about 3 years. This past August, I switched to part-time to pursue a master's degree. I filled out all of the necessary paperwork to complete this change and have the documentation to prove that I did my part to make sure everything was in order. Recently, however, I noticed that I was paid for a full-time workload for the last two months. Now, my employer wants to deduct ALL of my wages for the next two months. Can they do this?

Answer: You need to check the FLSA. Perhaps I am mistaken but my understanding was that they can reduce your earnings to minimum-wage to recoup the difference but that you are still required to be paid minimum wage for the time you’re working.


Title: Father the Victim of a Gold Digger [NV]

Question:
So, here's our problem. My dad has a terminal lung condition, and unfortunately has only a couple of years left if he continues to not respond well to treatment. However, this isn't the problem I came to ask about.

My dad has been living with a woman for a few years. They aren't married (and no common-law marriage in our state), but they did have a "commitment ceremony" outside of the country while on vacation. They did this because she is still collecting a pension and health benefits from her previous husband (deceased), who was retired military.

We have suspected for some time that she was just trying to get his money. Unfortunately, it turns out we were right. I recently found out she has been married to older men who have died 3 times in the past, and lost a lawsuit against her last husband's children for the rest of his estate. Now that he's getting closer to the end, she is trying to get him to stop seeing the rest of us and move out of state. Unfortunately, my dad is falling for it.

I'm also concerned about him being alone with her. She is verbally abusive to him on a daily basis. She refused to take him to a medical procedure a couple weeks ago because she "wanted to sleep in", and my brother had to take him. She guilt trips him about not leaving his money to her even though she is about 20 years younger and a nurse (unemployed). She is more than capable of taking care of herself. She's refusing to even let him come to our family holidays. After the funeral, she even went as far screaming at my dad because my grandmother didn't leave her any money. She's just horrible, and very transparent.

So, do we have any legal recourse to prevent her from a) cutting off an old, barely competent man from the family that actually loves him at the end of his life, and b) keeping her from getting his money?

I'd appreciate any advice you can offer.

Edit* Some formatting

Answer: If he's loosing his facilities you could have him declared incompetent and become his legal guardian. That can be tough, especially if he fights it. If she's verbally abusive you could also call his state and report her for elder abuse, but again that's going to be difficult if he doesn't think it's a problem.


Title: Please Advise

Question:
I have court on the 21st for recieving  stolen property

Heres my story,

Over  the summer i bought some gift-cards online on gift-card granny for a  local grocery store called BiG Y, i went to store and made my purchases  with no problem gift card scanned with out a hitch through my wallet app  on phone

Fast foward 4 months im  getting calls from the police in the town of the big y asking about the  purchases now perhaps this is my fault for not speaking with them but to  be honest i hate the police and think speaking to them creates more  problems than solutions regardless of the problem. Anyways i think to  myself if they have enough i will go to court and present my case there

My question is,

I paid using paypal, i made a store rewards card using my real information aka how they even found me in the first place...

Will that information be enough for the judge to see that i could have no idea the card was stolen??

Please advise, court is this friday and thank you in advance....

Happy holidays

Answer: You need a lawyer to represent you.  These are criminal charges.  This isn't something that you want to do alone.


Title: [HI] LGBT rights for unmarried partner of 15 years

Question:
Hello,

I am looking for help on behalf of my friend. He and his partner have been together for 15 years in Hawaii. They are not married, and due to unaccepting family members, are not publicly out. However, they refer to each other as husbands and have lived together for 15 years.

Recently, my friends husband suffered a terrible episode that left him in the ICU. He is slowly getting better, but has lost the ability to speak and is experiencing extreme memory loss. His family has come in from out of town to be with their son, and have taken on the full responsibility of his care as he is technically single.

This is devastating for my friend. The parents do not know about their relationship and think they are just friends. This is his spouse though, and he wants to have a say in his husband’s care. The parents are talking about transferring their son to a facility closer to them, which would be far away from my friend.

Is there any possible course of action that my friend can take? Technically they are common law married (shared finances, present each other as spouses) but it looks like the state of Hawaii does not allow common law marriage. Is there anyway to get power of attorney or something to be with his husband?

Thank you for your help.

Answer: Honestly the only option now is for his partner to tell the family. They don’t have to accept it and without any kind of lasting poa the partner doesn’t have any legal recourse, but when you don’t have options then you need to accept that if you want to do anything, you have to try a Hail Mary.


Title: My friends dog was shot to death by their ex cop neighbor in Oregon yesterday. What kind of options do they have?

Question:
http://imgur.com/a/Oq3kM

As far as I know my friends girlfriend and daughter were playing outside when their neighbor approached their dog with a shotgun and shot twice into the back of their dog Trigger.  They are devastated and overwhelmed.    They called local police who did absolutely nothing for them and they believe it is because the neighbor is an ex cop.  I told them to document everything take pictures and write down everything that she remembers as it happened.  They made a Facebook page and I screen shotted some stuff from their page.  I'm still at work but am trying to help them find some sort of reconciliation.

Any advice or if you want to reach out to them through the page they'd be happy to hear it.

Answer:
 >As far as I know

I guarantee there are important parts of the story you don't know.


Title: (RI) 2nd Amendment CCW Issue

Question:
UPDATE:
Just received my official written denial this afternoon from the EPPD.

It reads as follows:

Dear TheJuiceMan02914,

This letter will serve as a formal written notification that after careful consideration your application to carry a concealed weapon has been denied. The responsibility for the issuance of a concealed weapon permit by a police chief is an important responsibility that requires close scrutiny and a real demonstration of needed by the applicant. Unfortunately your application and the follow-up conversation with Major Nebus did not convince me that you have a true need to carry a concealed firearm.

I realize you have been a good law abiding citizen, however the issuance of a permit to carry and the requirements involving the issuance of the permit to carry a concealed weapon requires more than just good character. It also requires a proper and true need.

I will revisit your request for a permit to carry a concealed weapon if the new facts and circumstances are presented to me they convinced me that you have a proper in true need to carry a concealed firearm. If I can be of further assistance in the future, please let me know.

-----END----

Well, it looks like I'm off to the lawyer. I spoke with the attorney who represented Gadomski and it looks like I will probably be using him. I just wanted to update everyone on my situation. If you happen to be in the same boat as me, please send me a message.

--------------------------

I'm posting this with the hope that some of you will be able to lead me in the right direction.

Here's the whole story:
I applied for my ccw permit about two months ago and received a call on Thursday, February 25th, from the deputy police chief. After asking for me, he said "Yeah, I'm callin' you about this gun permit". He sounded very skeptical, which surprised me.
Before hanging up on me, he told me that he doesn't see that I've filed any complaints against anyone (i.e. threats against my life or property) and doesn't see that I have any need to carry a concealed firearm. I went on to tell him about all the reasons I'd listed in my application: exercising my second amendment right to protect myself and those with me when outside of my home, protection of myself when filming with high dollar equipment (I'm an independent filmmaker and often shoot in less than desirable locations with camera and gear that cost in excess of $3000), etc. and he seemed to dismiss these and acted as if he expected me to list more. He told me he's "never heard of a photographer needing to be armed". I told him I wasn't a photographer and I found that offensive and dismissive. He repeated himself but said 'filmmaker'. He asked me if I've ever hired a security guard. I said no. I said how I didn't really understand what I was missing and he basically repeated himself. I told him I thought it was unprofessional and I found his condescension rude and that I don't agree with any of what he said, that I've never heard I need to have a documented threat against my life in order to procure a carry permit. He said "And this is exactly why we do these interviews" as if I had somehow proven myself unfit to carry. I said that I wanted to meet with the chief about this and he told me I could reach him through the switchboard and then he hung up.

Needless to say, I don't agree with any of what he said. I'm not sure what I should do now. I really didn't plan on having this kind of an issue with the local PD. I emailed the chief, who is a nice, level-headed guy, and he apologized for the negative interaction. He said he is more than happy to meet with me in person or to speak with me over the phone. He also said, however, that our meeting would most likely not have any influence on the carry decision. I responded to this email and asked how it was lawful for him to deny me (if that was indeed what he had done) like that, but I have yet to hear back.
 It should be noted that I was never told officially that I've been denied. I also haven't received an official written decision either. Don't they have to send me an official, written denial? I'm so frustrated with all this. Any help or advice is much appreciated.

Answer: RI is a weird hybrid of shall issue and may issue. I think there was a supreme court decision last year that basically told police chiefs to issue unless there was a specific reason to say no but it seems a lot aren't following it. If you have no luck with the chief you could contact the mayor or your elected state representative. What you are experiencing is what happens when the law isn't very plainly "shall issue".


Title: what does it mean to be banned from a store?

Question:
In this context it's a gas station and my white-trash dad showed up with no shirt or shoes (just khakis if I got the whole story right) and he told me he's banned from that gas station for violating there policy. I ask because it's a gas station near his house and sometimes it's kinda convenient to use  and I don't want the manager to show up and tell me I have to leave even though I wasn't there when he did whatever it is he did.

(hope it's concise)

Answer: It means your dad can potentially be arrested for trespassing if he steps foot on that property again.


Title: How would someone challenge part of a ruling made in the 9th circuit court?

Question: Specifically, U.S. vs Davis, 482 F.2d 893, 908 is part of the reason the TSA has it's power. I feel this ruling violates my fourth amendment rights as a law abiding citizen.

Answer:
 You can't challenge a specific ruling. You do something, say go to fly somewhere. Refuse to submit to to their screening. Get arrested. Then you go to trial and argue that your refusal was just cause of your rights. Then you lose based on this ruling. Then you appeal, challenging the ruling as incorrect. Then you seek certiorari to SCourt. Then, if SCourt takes your case, you argue that it violates your rights. Then SCourt decides if you are right and if so Davis is overruled.

Now since this sub can not advise you to commit a crime and the first step is to get arrested, I can not advise you to do any of this, but that is how. Also, you are likely wrong.


Title: [Ontario] My grandpa left me an inheritance when I was a minor, now I'm almost 30 and I've still not received the cash. Is my mother lying to me?

Question:
I'm not educated when it comes to complicated financial matters at ALL, but I received a small inheritance when my Grandpa died and I was about 8-9 years old at the time it happened. This was my mother's side of the family for reference. I was told by my mother that the money was for "education, getting married, or purchasing a house" when I got older. I was constantly shown pieces of paper while growing up showing me how much my inheritance had grown. This stopped when I was around 16 or 17 and I haven't heard anything about it since, other then "oh, it's still there for when you need it". She wouldn't tell me how much it's worth or any other details.

 My Dad and I recently discovered my mom has a horrible gambling addiction. We always knew she gambled, but never knew to what extent. My dad has (well... had) a joint account with my mother since they got married (30 years ago), my father stopped banking completely at that time and let my mother do %100 of the banking, pay bills etc. This summer my Dad wanted to put a roof on the house but according to my mom, we didn't have enough cash. My dad thought this was ludicrous because he earns about $85,000-$90,000 per year, my mother also works, but she earns a much more meager salary. Sorry for getting off-track, but a couple weeks ago my Dad walked into the bank for the first time in 25-30 years to look at the banking info. What he saw just about made him pass out and fall to the ground... chequing account was -$4000 and the savings account was -$3500. My dad did the only thing he could and got a solo account that my mom can't access and had his pay deposited in there from now on. He went over the bank statements with the teller and he noticed every time his weekly paycheque was deposited, every last dollar was taken out in increments of $203 at our local OLG slots (I feel like burning the building to the ground. They've ruined my dad's life and he's only ever stepped foot in the place to confront my mother. My Dad is 62, broke, feels unloved by his wife and 2 weeks ago he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. It's so depressing that it sounds like a false sob story).

 I'm now pretty sure where my inheritance went, straight down those damn machines. I'm sorry for the rant, but I felt like I should lay out the situation for you guys and it was also cathartic to some degree. I'm hoping that you guys could help me find out where my inheritance is, since I'm clueless on where to start. My Dad has no clue and my mom just explodes and tells me "it's still there for when you need it, but you don't need it now!". I've asked my mother for some proof that it's still there, like the statements we used to get from the bank every couple months that let us know the balance, but she always finds a reason that we cant take the 2 minute drive to the bank to get a bank statement. I know what bank my inheritance was placed in and I also know that it was some type of mutual fund or something other then a simple savings or chequing account because the money grew too fast for that. It may be a GIC, but I'd be totally guessing. I feel so stupid asking some of these questions, but I'm just at a complete loss and also close to my breaking point. I was also told by my mother that I can't have my inheritance (it's just cash, no items or property) unless she signs for it, despite the fact that I'm 29 years old?? I told her that sounded like made up bullshit, but who knows maybe she's right because I'm not certain at all about any of this stuff.

Answer:
 > I know what bank my inheritance was placed in

you *may* be able to go to the bank and ask for access to the statements on the account, *if* the account is in your name.

if there is some restriction on the account that requires her permission to access the funds, they'll be able to tell you about it.

as you suspect, chances are really, really good the money is gone.

my dad set up a UGMA account for me in the 1970s, and i remember seeing statements for it, and i knew he put money into it; the idea was that the money was for my education. i know approximately $5000 went into it was gifts for my bar mitzvah when i was 13.

i left his house the friday after thanksgiving the year i was 18; the next monday, he emptied the account and all $40k disappeared, never to be seen again.


Title: Would like advice in choosing a divorce lawyer

Question:
My wife told me last night she's filing for divorce and has already given $5000 to a law firm. Here is a [link](https://www.reddit.com/r/Divorce/comments/9oku9y/my_wife_just_told_me_that_she_is_filing_for/) to a post I started last night that has more of the details.

&#x200B;

She has a law "firm", so should I also look for a firm as opposed to an independent (on their own) lawyer?

&#x200B;

There is a lawyer that I've spoken with a few times over the past 8 years, when our marriage was shaky and needed some questions answered. I like her and have regarded her as sharp and responsive. She has never charged me for answering my questions over the phone, so I feel obligated. I don't want to offend her by getting legal advice from her today and going with someone else later. Or should I shop around first, which will cause delay in getting legal advice?

&#x200B;

I feel like a babe in the woods with a hurricane blowing in, very dark clouds moving in, and I'm not sure which way to go.

Answer:
 Find an attorney who specializes in divorce/family law, whether an independent attorney or one in a firm. Answer #2: You will want a divorce/family law specialist.

1. Ask your attorney for recommendations.

2. Ask anyone you know in the legal community for recommendations.

3. Ask anyone you know that's gone through a divorce in that jurisdiction for recommendations.

Then meet with 3-4 of those recommended and figure out from there. You will get some basic information in an initial consult, which is probably all you need at the moment.Answer #3: I agree with the other answers so far, I'll just add that whether you hire a sole practitioner or a large firm, make sure you get someone with experience in family law specifically. Answer #4: Unless your financial situation is unusually complex I'm not sure it matters much whether it is a firm or a solo. Family law is not generally one where you try and bury the other side in motions and paperwork. At least in my state the forms are all standard and the process pretty controlled. 9 times out 10 everything is resolved in mediation or otherwise by agreement.

You want someone who does this full time, not someone who occasionally does family law. The latter is fine if it is uncontested, but that's not what it sounds like here. You also want someone you feel comfortable with. This is a personal matter and you need to trust your attorney and feel comfortable telling them things.

I would talk with the attorney you already have a relationship with. If she can't help she can likely recommend someone who can. Otherwise I would talk with people you know who have gone through this and see if they have someone they recommend.


Title: (NJ) Friend received a traffic ticket in early June and the city's court has forwarded today's court date all the way until September

Question: A friend pled not-guilty to a traffic violation in June; he showed up today, in July, to the assigned court room, and the clerk told him that declaring not-guilty would postpone the date to contest the ticket all the way until September. My city is particularly notorious for having shitty cops/judges, but is what they're doing legal?

Answer:
 All the way until September?!?!  You mean it's being continued a whole month?!?!

Yes, it is legal and very common.  September is actually quick to get a trial date


Title: Incident with a bicyclist on the road during rushhour?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 if you hit him you failed to properly yield to another vehicle in the road and are entirely at fault. He has no duty to let you pass easily nor be on the sidewalk.

if he damaged your car in a later incident (a though it sounds like you damaged it when you hit him), then he owes for that. Answer #2: Sounds like you illegally hit a cyclist, and are at fault. You probably should have gotten out of your car so he could punch you in the face.Answer #3: >This is in the USA, state of Maryland

Shocking.Answer #4: You do know that in large parts of MD it's illegal for bicyclists to be on the sidewalk? It feels like you are obfuscating that facts here but the reality is the cyclist had no obligation to let you pass and was only riding in the right side of the lane out of courtesy. If you struck him in his lane you committed a hit and run.Answer #5: It's way easier to hit a cyclist than you realize.Answer #6: You are the person whom "share the road" signs are meant for.


Title: The house in which we live is being sold. We cannot do business with the new entity, and they have threatened us. (Texas / USA / Earth)

Question:
We have rented a dwelling for the last seven years. Originally, it was owned by a sweet older couple and it was sold to a university professor five years ago. He decided to continue under the preexisting lease, a relatively vague and open document.

Two weeks ago, the professor decided to get out of the real estate business and sold the property to a well known local slum lord corporation. We cannot enter into a contract with this entity, as their business practices and the terms of their lease are unacceptable to us.

We notified them that we would not be entering into a contract with them, and as our rent with the professor was paid through July 31, we would no longer occupy the premises after that date. This angered them, and they demanded that we pay them for rent through the end of August. They have threatened to file suit and to badmouth us to future landlords if we do not. They have alleged that Texas state law requires us to enter into a lease with them and give them 30 days notice prior to its termination.

We will not be occupying the property in any part of August, and, to the best of our understanding, we have no contractual relationship with them. Our obligations to the professor are fulfilled and cover our occupancy through the end of July. We fail to understand why we must pay for a property we are not occupying to an entity with whom we have not signed any contract.

Answer: You are a month to month tenant so yes, you need to give 30 days notice. You owe rent through those 30 days.


Title: Can I collect child support from my father even though I’m 20 years old?

Question: My dad has never been in my life. He created me and my sister and has never paid a cent to take care of us. My mom wasn’t the best parent, but at least she’s always been here to somewhat take care of us. I’m in college now and have been thinking a lot about how much not having a father in my life has effected me. Part of me wants to get child support from him as a pay back or a fuck you for his choice to be completely absence in my life. I don’t know if I even can. My mom has never asked for anything from him, but I want to get back what I should have gotten all this time. Is it to late? Can I not sue him for backed child support? Is there anything that I can do?

Answer: The cold support was due to your mother, not you. You have no standing to sue him for it.


Title: Paid child support for 8 years without a judgement (only verbal agreement), now getting garnished. (MO)

Question:
Almost 18 years ago my girlfriend and I had a child together. She found someone else she was happier with, moved out and moved on. I paid $300 a month, determined via a verbal agreement for 8 years.

After she and her husband moved to Colorado, I was then ordered to pay just over $700, as I had promoted several times and could afford that. I paid every month, on time, without issue, for the next 9 years. Without getting into details of how she did it, she stopped allowing me to see my son, even though he spent all summers with me until they moved to Colorado.

Now, she and her husband have gotten a divorce. She moved back to our home state, and filed to have child support changed to MO instead of CO. In that filing, Missouri found that I did not pay for the first 8 years because I paid directly to her.

I have received a summons, and was just notified that my pay will be garnished.

My bank has the check copies from 6 of the 8 years. I am currently working with them to get that paperwork to take to court.

My question is: I made the payments which were vernally agreed upon for eight years. However, these payments were made to her, not through the state. What options, if any, do I have?

Answer:
 If all you had was a verbal agreement, what do you mean when you say you were *ordered* to pay just over $700?

Was your ex drawing welfare benefits at any point during those first 8 years?Answer #2: You should be able to submit documentation to the court that you have been paying her. Receipts, bank statements...hopefully you always paid with a paper trail and not just in cash.Answer #3: IANAL, While growing up my dad was paying child support for his oldest daughter who lived with her mother in Missouri. Missouri was constantly messing up and always had a bad record of what was going on. My dad kept detailed records that helped him prove they were wrong every time they tried to tell him he owed more than he did.

So in the future, keep detailed records of everything. They'll probably mess it up again.


Title: Can state holidays in the US require that an employer gives their employees a paid day off? And how is that enforced?

Question:
I'm a high school student who participates in Youth and Government, which is a program where students fill various roles in a mock state government. This year, I'm going to be a senator, which means I propose a bill and it gets voted on.

My goal with the bill is to give workers in my state a paid day off on election day. The best way that I've thought of is declaring it a holiday, but I have several questions.

First- is declaring it a holiday the best option here? Or is there another way?

Second- Does a state government have the power to declare a holiday that requires a paid day off?

Third- What are the different levels of Holidays? Because I know that some holidays are pretty much just a day to honor someone or something and don't require a day off.

Thanks in advance for any answers, and I'd greatly appreciate any additional tips.

Answer:
 In the US, private employers are not required to give time off, paid or unpaid, on state or federal holidays. And even for the government agencies which are affected, there are exempt employees (like police), that obviously can't all take that specific day; so they are permitted to give it as a "floating" holiday on a better day.

You will get a better parallel in Canada; where private companies DO have to give paid time off on certain holidays, as long as they're a federally regulated industry.


Title: Canceling a flight through the bank?

Question:
I'm trying to cancel my payment for a flight ticket. I can't get through to the booking agents (they only have customer service hours Mon-Fri) and I can't get to the airline service either (high phone traffic; automatically disconnected). I bought the ticket less than 24hrs ago. I called my bank and asked if they can cancel my payment and they told me to go to the fraud department tomorrow since it's not open today. Should I do this? Is that illegal?

This is in California but I'm traveling (within US) so I don't see how it matters much.
Topic:
Credit Debt Bankruptcy

Answer:
 Are you planning to tell them that someone besides you made the reservation?

Because that would be both illegal and a TERRIBLE idea.


Title: What, if anything, could I do to get my damn Firearms Rights restored to me? In Ca. pc245(a)(1)

Question:
About 13 years ago I was convicted of pc245(a)(1) in California. I was 19 at the time.

I was seated at a parkbench being physically abused by my girlfriend, repeatedly and at length until i lost my cool and i stood up and hit her, once, with a closed fist, and nothing more.

Yes I am a male, and please dont judge me too critically, she was abusive for months leading up to this and I tolerated it during the worst of it due to the fact that she was pregnant and I loved her. But she had an abortion and taunted me with it and I left her, which led to her delivering the beating I was taking that day.

Later the next year I was convicted of a DUI. It was a rough time for me.

I have since completed all of the conditions of probation and sentencing for both offenses. I have never offended again.

I am now nearly 33 and I have since successfully expunged both of the above offenses.

I have a long steady work history, and I have a happy healthy lifestyle and family. The storm that was my youth is long over.

My question is would a Gubernatorial pardon or any other efforts ever restore my firearm rights and/or restore my ability to serve as a peace officer or as a member of the armed forces?

Is there any thing I could do? Or hire an attorney to do that would help me to achieve my goals?

I really want to be a WHOLE citizen again and regain the rights and opportunities that I lost all that time ago. i also would like to possibly apply myself to the Coast Guard or the Army Reserves, or even quite possibly as a Correctional Officer. And I cant do any of these things right now.

Sorry so long, thank you for reading, I really appreciate your time.

Edit: Thank you all for your time,

Answer: PC245(a)(1) is assault with a deadly weapon, I believe. Was it a felony conviction, or misdemeanor? Conviction of a felony results in a lifetime ban on gun possession. Also, generally speaking, it is also difficult, if not impossible, to get your gun rights restored after a domestic violence conviction. While a Gubernatorial pardon is *possible* if you have gone 10 years without any criminal activity, it's still a *VERY* long shot, and I wouldn't count on it.


Title: Recently closed on a house with a glaring HVAC defect. Inspectors missed it, and house flipper/seller claims not to have known about it—any legal recourse?

Question:
Hello,

My spouse and I recently closed on a two-story house. We did things “by the book” with private and city inspections. The seller had majorly flipped the house, but his work seemingly checked out and inspections went smoothly. Soon after closing, however, we noticed an undetected material problem with the HVAC system. Namely, only one vent exists on the first floor, and only one working vent exists on the second floor. (The second floor has other vents that aren’t connected to anything; the first floor simply only has one vent, period—shouldn’t an inspector have noticed that?)

We’ve since had multiple contractors inspect the system, and they’ve given us quotes in the ballpark of $20-30k to bring full heating/cooling to the entire house. All contractors have agreed that, without at least a partial fix, the house will have extreme temperature and mold problems; one said that this is the most negligent job he had ever seen.

The seller claims not to have messed with any ductwork or to have removed any HVAC units during his renovation of the house. He also claims not to have known about the ductwork situation. However, contractors who have since looked at the system note that a lot of the ductwork looks new, and it even looks like the flipper tried to run proper ductwork, ran into a problem, then never finished. According to the city, the seller didn’t get permits for any ductwork modifications.

Our inspection report noted no issues regarding the HVAC system, but there’s a small-print disclaimer that they don’t examine airflow or adequacy of ductwork. I assume that protects them? The inspector admits to not even going to the second floor of the house since he only wanted to inspect the heating/cooling units themselves, which are in the basement.

We’re first-time home buyers and know nothing about this kind of stuff. What do you all think?

Thank you for your time.

Answer:
 Your inspector didn't even go to the second floor of the house? How long did your $900 inspection take? Maybe I should be charging more for mine; I check literally everything I can get my eyes and hands on.

I would check to see if there is a SOP for home inspectors in your state. In Texas, we are legally required to inspect to our SOP, which would include many things on a second floor. Yeesh.Answer #2: You'll need to add your location to the post before any of the legal eagles on here can really help you.
___

The first thing I would do is see if you can pull the permits that were issued. Start at the city and see what they have on file. If there's a permit for repair/replacing HVAC as part of the renovations then the previous owner is going to have some explaining to do.

While you're at it, I'd check to make sure all of the renovation work was done with the proper permits. Generally, on a seller's disclosure form it asks if any work requiring a permit was performed without a permit.


Title: Parent died, other parent wants all belongings even though they were separated.

Question:
Mom passed away months ago. I took all of her belongings when it happened and put them in storage because my dad was homeless and I have no room in my house at the time for all the items she had. My dad recently had an attitude change and now wants it all back (even though he’s still homeless) They were on/off for years and during the time she passed they were on one of their “off” periods. My mother had a will but unfortunately it wasn’t notarized, she passed unexpectedly. The will stated I was the first to get what I wanted, my dad would receive nothing. I let him have one of the items he had a receipt for and an ownership paper from the place they rented it from (dad had it in his name but mom made all the payments...) and he went and sold it for drugs today.

The storage locker is under my name only so he can’t go up to the office asking for the pin, so I’m not worried about that.

The rest of the items in storage, what do I do when he comes asking for them? Who should receive the items? I briefly heard probate court is where I need to go but I seen the process is really long. I don’t want to get harassed daily until this is figured out by a court, but is that my only option? He’s already threatened to call the cops and have him escorted to take his things (I don’t know if he can even do that..) do I have to let him have access to the storage?

KY

Answer:
 If they never actually married, then he’s gonna have almost no grounds to contest. You would be next of kin.Answer #2: Since they never married and didn’t live together continuously the court will likely favor you over him. Usually, the burden would be on him to prove which items were his or purchased jointly.Answer #3: >and he went and sold it for drugs today

Well that's sad.

But that said, consider offering him a bit of money to relinquish any claim to the items. If you go that route make sure you get a signed contract from him.


Title: Double Jeopardy and Cell Phone ticket

Question:
I was driving and talking on my sell phone when I was pulled over and given two citations. One was for careless driving and another for talking on my cell phone. The cop stated that I was given the careless driving charge b/c of the cell phone charge.

I will I get one of the charges thrown out on double jeopardy? Each offense are based on the same exact act.

Troubling thing is that cops do this all the time.

Edit: I understand they could throw the book at me, but will they be able to find me guilty for both charges.

Edit2: Wouldn't one of the charges be a "lesser included offense".

https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/lesser_included_offense

My dilema is that if the act of talking on your cell phone is categorically careless driving, aren't I being convicted twice for doing one single act. I mean imagine if the legislature creates a bunch of redundant criminal and traffic statutes just to convict people multiple times for the committing the same act. It just doesn't seem kosher to me.

https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/357/386/
I got the answer. Thanks for nothing. This sub sucks, too many quack lawyers.

http://www.albo-oblon.com/2012/12/17/a-reckless-driving-conviction-barred-a-felony-dui-prosecution/

Virginia Attorney website discussing how a court is required to dismiss a reckless driving charge if there is a DWI due to double jeorpardy.

Answer:
 >Troubling thing is that cops do this all the time.

What's even more troubling is that cops wouldn't have to do this if people like you could finally figure it out and put down the damn phone while driving.  Answer #2: That's not what double jeopardy is.  You can be given multiple citations based on the same act.Answer #3: > I will I get one of the charges thrown out on double jeopardy? Each offense are based on the same exact act.

No.  Double jeopardy is being tried twice for the same offense.  Charging you with two offenses for the same act is perfectly fine.


Title: [NJ] Was arrested last night for possession of under 1 gram of marijuana, court date is tomorrow. Don't know if I should get a lawyer.

Question: I was arrested for having under a gram of already burnt marijuana. The officers searched my room and found it. I go to court tomorrow. On one hand, they clearly have evidence that it was in my possession and I don't think I can get out of the charges. But on the other hand i know there is a maximum sentence of up to 6 months in prison which seems ridiculous for the little amount of already burnt weed. Should i get a lawyer or just plead guilty tomorrow? If I go without a lawyer and plead guilty and I get a ridiculous punishment can I then get a lawyer to try to get a better punishment?

Answer: Plead not guilty and hire an attorney. Your only leverage (if you are as guilty as you say) is the hassle of going to trial. A prosecutor would rather plead it out than go to trial, but if you're going to make it easy for him then he won't reduce the charges. Your lawyer can attempt to tactfully use this leverage to reduce the charges.


Title: [IL] Employer fired me based upon an arrest

Question:
I was arrested for unlawful possession. I went to court, showed the judges my prescriptions and the case was instantly dismissed. During the terry stop the officer lacked comprehensive reasonable suspicion that a crime was occuring. At first he claimed that he thought I was smoking marijuana however in the report he claimed that he thought there was someone underaged smoking in the vehicle. His report is fulled with flaws (IE he saw the cabin with the two occupants from behind my vehicle, which has limo tinted windows. There is no possible way he could have saw into the cabin from the rear.

I digress. My employer fired me based upon the arrest and i was eventually reinstated. However my boss verbally threatened me and stated that if I attempted to get back pay I would be fired and that i should be happy to have my job.

The arrest lead to an impounding of my vehicle which, had I been working those 3 weeks I was suspended I could have retreived the vehicle from impound. However because I was not getting paid I lost my vehicle.

I was to sue my employer because I feel that they violated the illinois human rights act.

I have an anxiety disorder and the arrest and then losing my job made me lose control of my conditions. I became suicidially depressed, unable to function day to day,

I want to sue my employeer for everything and anything. The manager who fired me repeatedly verbally harassed me, Do i have a case?

Answer:
 Nope. Unless you have a contract that says otherwise, you can be fired for any non-discriminatory reason. Unless "arrested people" is a protected class in Illinois (it's not) you can be fired for it.

Adding things like your inability to pay the impound, or your mental health, aren't even close to things you can go after your work for, even if the suspension was hinky.

If you are having suicidal thoughts, please contact a mental health professional or local support hotlineAnswer #2: You are not owed "back pay" and you are not owed a car or a job. You were also not illegally harassed unless your boss threatened violence etc.

That said, from your description this sounds like an unfair situation and I can absolutely see why you are frustrated and angry.


Title: I'm a veteran & thinking of getting divorced, but I have questions about alimony (Arkansas)

Question:
I deployed to Iraq in 2010, ETSed in 2013 (honorable) and I've since used up my GI Bill on a degree.

Veterans are entitled to VA compensation depending on the severity of wounds and injuries incurred during their term of service, it's a monthly stipend that I get for the rest of my life. It's guaranteed non-taxable income, but it isn't much (it covers rent and some bills, that's it.)

I'll spare you the juicy details about why my marriage is in trouble, but I will say that my spouse has repeatedly threatened to leave in moments of anger and I'm getting sick of it. We've tried couples therapy, we've tried trips and vacations, we've tried heart-to-heart talks, and nothing is changing. I'm tired of spinning my tires trying to fix things while having this axe put to my neck over and over again.

So if I do make the decision to file for a divorce, is my spouse entitled to any of my VA Compensation pay?
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 As I understand it, your disability is not touchable. Pension can be under certain circumstances, but not the disability payment.

It'll be reduced by a certain amount when the divorce is final, because you're getting the married rate.


Title: Convicted of DUI (4th)in20 some odd years.

Question:
This happened in Sapuplpa OK, USA.

So I was driving home from my weekly UA and classes as required after last DUI (wouldnt have even been in that town if not for these obligations). Sober all day, and days prior to that.  For some reason I seizured, passed out, etc behind the wheel not 10 minutes after meeting my PO.  Single vehicle accident, hit a curb.

Eneded up goin to the hospital to get checked since I was frightened I may have had a seizure or something Consented that I'd do the state test via blood and UE.  Nothing to hide.  All came back clean for everything.  I wasnt worried, just thought I'd get driving under suspension...Well this cop finds an empty package of Kratom which was not consumed anytime prior to the accident. He writes me a DUi (which I've had a few guilties of but learned my leason)...With this additional charge I could face substantial jail time even though I was not in anyway intoxicated.  I was never given sobriety tests, read rights etc.  This cop may have just ruined my life right as was rebuilding it, so pissed!

Any advice?

Answer:
 Get yourself a lawyer or public defender. Tell them what you wrote here. Sounds like they don't have enough for a DUI conviction, but there's never a guarantee, so get yourself a lawyer and tell them this.

Also, don't answer any questions from the police. "Respectfully officer, I'm not answering any questions. I'd like to speak to a lawyer."


Title: Boyfriend drama...

Question:
Philadelphia

My boyfriend insisted we get on the same phone plan just months before he broke up with me. As a result, he cancelled service to my phone and asked me to send it back. We are seldom in contact with each other at this point, and I have yet to return the phone. Am I committing a crime by not returning an item which was technically a ‘gift’? Side note - he is still in possession of the phone I was using before he got me a new one, both of them are iPhone 7s+

Answer:
 You get to keep it as long as it has service.

He can sue you for the value of the phone, and would likely win because technically, it's his phone.


Title: A receptionist got me relocated for not "being nice" Cincinnati, Oh

Question: I work for a home health company. The company has a contract with an assisted living facility where I was assigned. Long story short the facility calls my boss in to talk shop and my name comes up. It is said that I am "mean" and "stuck up." My boss asked about my performance as a therapist and there was no complaint. My boss asked for examples of the behavior and no specific incidence was cited beyond "he doesnt say hi." At the end of the meeting my boss finds out the person who was singularly vocal about me was the receptionist (she'd assumed she was a manager or higher up) . Two weeks later Im out. Am I just screwed?

Answer:
 If you're fired then file for unemployment. But this wasn't an illegal termination.Answer #2: >Two weeks later Im out. Am I just screwed?

What do you mean your out? Were you fired or relocated to another location. Neither of which are illegal


Title: [CO] Co-worker took a company Excel file with customer names, addresses, and SSNs home and cracked the password.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 > god forbid the data gets maliciously obtained.

 Kinda think that's already occurred. I doubt he did all that just for the LOLz.


Title: Custody issues with grand parents, not knowing what to do.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 First off, yes, the court is ABSOLUTELY not allowing you to make your own decisions when they go against the court order.  You cannot just decide to change the child's schedule, school, etc. when that conflicts with an order in the books.  If you want to make a change for the child, you need to go through the proper channels and petition the court for permission.  THIS is why you are in contempt, and this is also likely why the court is not well disposed towards you at the moment.  You need to stop this immediately, and going forward, any major change in the child's life needs to be done via the courts.

Your girlfriend is NOT the only decision maker here.  She cannot unilaterally make major decisions for the child without the father's input.  He does have a say, and the courts are there to see that your girlfriend allows him that.

It doesn't sound like the grandparents have custody.  It sounds like the father was granted overnight, weekend supervised visitation to be supervised by his parents.  That's actually pretty normal in cases where one parent has minor run-ins with the law and may need supervision for general decision-making, but is not considered to be a specific danger to the child.

I think you and your gf need to sit down with an attorney that can review your case and explain it to you.  From the story you present, it is clear that your behavior is part of the problem (which needs to be corrected), and that you do not understand the situation at hand clearly at all.  A lawyer can sit down and read over your case, and then better explain to you what is happening, why, and what can be done to fix it.


Title: Is it legal to lie to people to make them feel bad for you to give you money?

Question: I actually am broke AF, but I'll hit up old rich men and say hat i've a baby, that I was raped, and that my baby daddy is in prison for 10 years. Like I'll just come up with a sob story to make them feel bad for me and make them want to help me. Is it illegal to do this? I was just wondering.

Answer: Yes, fraud is still illegal.Answer #2: Yes, it's illegal. You're committing fraud.Answer #3: Look up the definition of fraud and then report back.


Title: I accidentally lied to get out of jury duty.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 You didn't lie, by definition.  You were mistaken.

It happens.  Don't worry about it.  Get it right next time.Answer #2: There is nobody who is going to look you up.  Don't worry about it.Answer #3: You made a mistake. You didn't willfully omit information or deceive the judge. It's all good. Answer #4: lol don't worry. If they didn't grill you about it right there, then they don't care.


Title: (Canada) Am I allowed to deposit money someone gave me into their account at a bitcoin ATM?

Question:
A stockbroker tells me that he uses bitcoin for work but is too busy to getting around to depositing money at ATMs. He would like to e-transfer me money (a cut of which I will get to keep) and do this for him. I will deposit the money into his account using a code he gives me. I don't think there is anything wrong with this, but it feels a little sketchy and unofficial.

&#x200B;

What does r/legaladvice think?

Answer:
 It's a scam.

You're being scammed.


Title: [California]HOA pool rule- why is this rule unsafe legal territory?

Question:
[California]I came across the following HOA rule at my friend's condo complex pool:

>'There shall be no children under age of 14 in the pool area without the supervision of an adult.'

HOA Leader's website it says that this rule is unsafe legal territory. Furthermore, the website says, "There have been cases pursued by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development or a state enforcement agency. They've taken a housing provider—whether it's an association or an apartment complex—to task for having a rule like that where the age wasn't set at an age that was legitimate for the safety of the young person. Avoid having an age cutoff. Tailor your rules to the abilities of the person or maturity of the person." Lastly, the website states, ""Adopt rules regarding behavior," he says. "And don't try to adopt rules requiring supervision of children because the Fair Housing Act prohibits you from discriminating against families."

I don't understand how this rule is "discriminating against families." Can anybody explain why this is not a good rule to have and how it could get the HOA in a legal battle? I'd greatly appreciate it!

Answer: Rules that adversely impact families with children without good reason can violate fair housing laws. Basically, that pool rule arbitrarily excludes children under 14 from swimming unattended but not an adult who hasn’t swam a day in their life.


Title: False advertising on Facebook.

Question: I ran across an add from a third party company basically claiming to be an article about a fan duel experience. Clearly just a fan duel ad. I have pictures available, but there’s a lot of logos to blur out. They claim a man had $600000 available to him within 24 hours of winning the money. They included an alleged picture of the bank account in question as proof I’m guessing. The banks policy clearly stats a maximum of $5000 to be available next day. Is there a way to sue for false advertisement? I’ve reported to Facebook multiple times and that doesn’t seem to stop them.

Answer:
 > Is there a way to sue for false advertisement?

First, you don't have standing to sue for false advertisement.

Second, you don't have evidence of false advertisement.