Title: Immigration Law: My best friend's husband wants to tell USCIS at her 2nd green card interview that they're not really married anymore. I really need help to talk him out of it.

Question:
Edit: To be clear, my friend didn't get married explicitly for papers. The marriage was real, but they decided to stay married after they became estranged. So would this still be fraud in the eyes of USCIS?

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Edit 2: What's with all the downvotes? Thought this was a legal advice forum.

I just got a call from my best friend that her American husband (previously boyfriend) is hardcore panicking and is going to pull the pin on her path to a green card. He's planning on telling USCIS at their 2nd interview they've been separated for 2 years and tell them either a) they kept it going so she can get her papers or b) that they stayed together to try and work things out (I'm just not sure what he's thinking). I need to find out as much as possible so I can try and convince him to not bail (I'm unfortunately the last line of defense, and my friend doesn't even know I'm going to talk to him).

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It's taken 4-6 years for them to get to this point, and I know just how desperately she needs this so she can get a non-dead end job and finally work in her field. To pre-empt any moral judges, the girl came when she was 12 years old with just her brother and grandmother (who soon got deported), finished high school at the very top of her class, aced her Bachelor's and graduated in the Honors College, and has been working non-stop since she was 15. Puts this natural born sucker to shame. Also, I don't exactly know what her status is right now, but if she went to school she's got something, I guess.

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I've done as much last minute research as possible, but I want to get your folks' opinions, so now for the questions.  I started writing this for /r/immigration, so there's much more context and detail below. Per forum rules, location is South Florida.
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1) Does USCIS require 2 or more interviews?

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2) Does USCIS monitor or ask for call logs/texts/Facebook histories? They haven't visited my friend or her husband's families, friends, or bosses, so I doubt they're on high watch.

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3) Would it help if he told the board the truth, that they were honestly married for love, but have been separated for two years? If he could add anything like that he fell in love with someone else, would that help?

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4 and 5) If the husband confesses to being separated now, is it likely he'll get in trouble? He thinks he'll be in the clear. And how often does USCIS REALLY come after a citizen marrying an immigrant for documents?

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6) Does my friend still have a chance to get approved if the husband confesses that they're estranged?

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And most importantly:

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7) Could my friend get deported if the husband owns up (even with the new law)? If she doesn't get deported, what will happen to her?

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8) This is crazy, crazy talk, but if the husband absolutely won't change his mind, could it help to say that I've just been waiting for their process to be over so that she and I can get married? If they call our bluff, I could probably do it for her.

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Thank you, ladies and gents! Full story below:
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Background: My best friend ("Mary") and her boyfriend ("Ben") decided to get married b/w 4 and 6 years ago. It was a rocky relationship, but they agreed to stay married and continue the motions when they realized they couldn't work it out. They did everything right for paperwork with shared accounts, photos, she saved the wedding dress, etc. But they split a couple years back (and don't live together), and he's had a long-term gf since then.

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Anyway, they apparently had a 1st interview which went just "okay", and have a 2nd coming up in a couple of days. I *think* Mary told me that they don't always require a 2nd interview (Question #1: Do they? Sites say yes) so she's nervous. But I'm pretty confident no one's contacted either of their families, bosses, friends, etc. (a couple sites said they'll do that), so I'm assuming they're not under tight watch. Mary is also very nervous about their calls and texts being monitored or asked for, and that their Facebooks might be under watch (Question #2: Does this happen?).

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But then Mary called me up a few days ago to tell me that Ben is hardcore panicking. At first he didn't want to even go to the interview, but she was able to finally convince him to show up. Now though he wants to come clean and tell USCIS everything. I don't know if he wants to say he and Mary have been separated for two years and he has a girlfriend (Question #3: Would saying this just not make any difference? I'm assuming it doesn't). This entire time they've done a bunch right (like holiday photos together, kept the shared accounts), but maybe screwed up some things too (probably posted too much or not enough on FB, I'm not sure how often all the accounts are used by both). Either way, he for some reason feels certain they know now or will find out that he and Mary haven't been living together as husband and wife, and thinks if he confesses to USCIS he'll be in the clear. (Question #4: But if he confesses, will he be cleared or is it just as likely they'll bring charges then?)

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They've visited three lawyers (also, Mary was a hardcore immigration rights activist until a couple years ago so she's pretty knowledgeable). The general consensus (from what I gather) was that either way if he confesses now or gets found out later that not much will happen to him. I've read what the penalties on paper are, but (Question #5) how often do they actually come after the citizen? A lot of people in my town marry for papers and I've never heard of anything happening in general, and especially not to the citizen. But that isn't to say it doesn't happen.

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Furthermore, one lawyer said that Mary has a 50/50 chance after he confesses. (Question #6) How true is this? I'm just assuming they'll pull out a zippo, set all the papers alight, and laugh maniacally as her future falls apart (Mary could also just be telling me she'll be ok to make me feel better; she's a doll like that). She's also told me that she won't be deported because of the new law that just passed, but (Question #7) could she be? And this is crazy, crazy talk, but (Question #8) if the husband absolutely won't change his mind, could it help to say that I'm waiting for their process to be over so that she and I can get married? If they call our bluff, I could probably do it for her.

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Mary says she understands that Ben is panicking, and is super appreciative of what he's done so far so she's not going to pressure him. But if this falls through, I know it will devastate her. She's become terribly depressed after being stuck working in a dead-end job at a restaurant for the past few years, and she just wants to use her degree before she gets aged out of her industry. She misses her family loads, so to be able to go back and visit would mean the world to her (I don't think she can now). And not for nothing, but I love her maybe a little more than a friend, and even if I didn't, she'd still mean the world to me.

Topic:
Immigration

Answer:
 Nobody is going to recommend lying to the Federal Government. Ben should answer all questions truthfully. Answer #2: If he says he arranged and filed all the paperwork, knowingly that the marriage was entered into under false pretenses, and he LIED to the immigration officer at the green-card interview, he does expose himself and your friend to the possibility of jailtime and a huge fine.

However, if he goes to USCIS and says 'Our marriage didn't work out, I'm not applying to lift the conditions on the green card' this is not fraudulent and probably won't affect him. However, your friend will be deported and unable to reapply for any sort of nonimmigrant visa since she has expressed immigrant intent.

Your friend has a few options, she can apply for a waiver due to Domestic Violence/Abuse/Divorce issues. You should really talk to an immigration lawyer. BTW, her husband is absolutely responsible for financial support of the petitioned spouse, even in divorce, for approximately 5-10 years.

See this:
http://www.uscis.gov/green-card/after-green-card-granted/conditional-permanent-residence/remove-conditions-permanent-residence-based-marriage

and tell her to get a divorce.

DO NOT offer to marry her to keep her in the country. It's a sham marriage, and could do more harm than good if you try to reapply for her via marriage. Look up the


Title: I'm Doing Research For A Story. Can Someone Be Arrested for doing this?

Question:
If a woman pays a psychic to put a curse on her to say, make him impotent, is this ilegall if he goes to the police and tell them that his wife is attempting to use magic on him?

I want to have the cops actually do something but I am unaware if this would be taken seriously in real life. I know I can write whatever I want, but still. How would law enforcement actually handle this?

I am in Miami.

Answer:
 Uh no, because magic isn't real.

You can call the police and try and get a 72 hour psychiatric hold in place. Going to a psychic to put curses on people is not normal behaviour.


Title: Abusive mother has now taken two power bills in my name (Missouri/Arkansas)

Question:
Hello there I’m from Missouri, and as the title says my abusive mother took two power bills out in my name in two separate states one in Missouri and one in Arkansas, I was checking my credit score as of late just to see what it was, was thinking about my future and such.

I open credit karma and see two bills taken out in my name which angers and confuses me. I knew by checking it out with the credit union it displayed her old old address the bill was taken out in 2016, while the other one in Arkansas was taken out in 2014. The Arkansas one is a huge shocker for me. I basically ran away from home in 2014 at 19 because I lived in an abusive household, I was abused physically, mentally and sexually (sexually by my stepfather) I wasn’t allowed to go out, have friends, let alone have a say on who could do what with my information.

My am (Abusive mom) had all my info and original social security card, ID, etc whatever she would need to set up an account? I have no idea how the hell she did it.

So the Arkansas 2014 bill is 464 dollars while the Missouri 2016 bill is 599.00 dollars. Which is insane and need to me, I didn’t realize how far she would go. I have an awful relationship with her, I haven’t held a conversation her since 2016 when she stole from my (used to work at a grocery store) job I worked at the time. Which is another long story. What can I do with this information can I file a police report? Can I sue her? Or am I screwed with paying the bill. She lives in another state now and I do not talk to her and she isn’t anytime soon going to give me over a grand of money.

I’m frustrated because no mother should ruin their child’s future. I don’t know where to start and any advice is very much welcomed. Thank you so so much
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: I have heard before that the only way to get it removed is to get her arrested for fraud


Title: Can a company take legal action for me not returning their mistaken refund?

Question:
To summarize, I want to know if a merchandiser can take any legal action against me if they want their refund back after mistakenly refunding me twice. I live in Dallas, Texas.

Before I tell you about buying the part and the mistaken refund the way buying a part works with them is they will charge you X amount of money for a part. Once you get the part, you have a certain amount of time to send back your faulty part. Once they receive it, they will deduct a certain amount of money from the original price. So if a part costs 1000$ and the refundable charge is 500$, once you send back the faulty part it will only have costed you 500$.

I returned my faulty part the day after purchasing the new part and they gave me my refund that exact day with the invoice. 2 days later they called me and informed me that they accidentally gave me 2 refunds when I only should get one. They asked for their refund back and admitted it was their mistake. Can they take legal action against me if I refuse to return their mistaken refund?

Any responses appreciated.

Answer: You are required to return the mistaken refund to them. Administrative errors happen all the time and them making a mistake doesn't mean that you get to have $500 for free. It is the same if your employer overpays you.


Title: Sold an underage kid alcohol at work...-_-

Question:
(21, White, Male, Illinois) Soooo yeah. Last night we were super busy at work (grocery store) and this guys comes through my line, with a bottle of wine and his ID in his hand. He had a beard and looked older than me so I figured, no one would be stupid enough to hand me their ID if they were underage. So I took it and scanned it up and down. I couldn't find the birthday after the first second so for some reason I just automatically assumed that he was 21. It was even a vertical licence. I just had so much shit to do still I didn't even think about it.

Sure enough two undercover cops came in and told me that I just sold alcohol to a minor. And long story short told me I'd get a court date in the mail. One of the cops asked me if I had any criminal history. I said no. And he said I don't have to worry too much but I shouldn't just expect a $100 fine, since it's a class A misdemeanor.

I just wanted to know if I should get a lawyer. I feel like a public defender would do the job since I'm obviously guilty and have no intention of fighting it. I just plan on telling the judge the truth and hoping he doesn't go too hard on me. My only hope of easing my punishment is telling the judge a true story of how just a week before all of this my underage friends tried to get me to buy them booze and I told them no because I don't want to get in trouble. Isn't life something?

I'm trying to keep my head up and just not think about it too much until my court date which I should find out in the next week or two. Hopefully I don't get fired as well. Hmm. Oh well I suppose I'm still alive and health with plenty of support from my friends and family. I just figured I'd see what the professionals thought.

Thanks <3
Topic:
Alcohol Related Other than DUI

Answer:
 You only get a public defender if you can't afford an attorney. The court will determine this.

If you truly don't have a criminal record, there's probably a diversion program you can enter to wipe this from your record. Speak to the prosecutor about it on your court date before your appearance. If not, then yeah you'll want to plead not guilty at your initial appearance hire an attorney because a misdemeanor still means a criminal record. They can help you plead it down.Answer #2: I'd probably drop the story about not selling to your friends. No one will care, because you DID sell to someone else who was underage. All that story proves is that you won't sell to someone you already know is underage (which obviously isn't a bad thing), but that you did slack off with IDing people you don't know who are underage.

IDing people sucks. It's uncomfortable, people get mad, and honestly once you've been working there for a while you start thinking that you know better than what an ID could tell you. You think that you can tell their age by their facial features, clothes, or even taste in alcohol, but you can't.

Edit: took out the part about the "small fine" because I need to work on my selective reading.


Title: is my po trying to trick me?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 There's no trick.

She told you: You're not officially off probation until the judge signs the paperwork.

Until then you are still on probation.

If you stop using illegal drugs altogether, you don't have to sweat things like this, FYI.Answer #2: So what's your plan here? Wait till you're off probation and then immediately start using drugs?Answer #3: She's trying to trick you into using drugs? Easy solution: don't use drugs.

It will still be illegal to use drugs once you are off probation, and given that you've obviously already been caught once, I don't think you should be confident in your ability to get away with it, whether or not you are on probation.Answer #4: Not a lawyer, just some advice that should be common sense:

Until you have the signed papers that say you're off probation, assume you're still on probation and act accordingly.


Title: Texas: Grandmother recently passed away, trust was set up many years ago. Questions on getting Aunt and Uncle out of her house amicably.

Question: A trust was set up many years ago, and grandmother recently passed away, she had been in an Alzheimers care facility for 7 years. Aunt and Uncle have been living in her house for 6+ years. They have been paying insurance and taxes on it and taking care if it reasonably. The house and all other properties go to us 5 grandchildren 2 children on the Aunt and Uncle's side of the family that are living in the home, and 3 children including myself. When the trust was set up it allowed for them to live there as long as they paid for everything, and anything that upgraded and made repairs to would not be refunded to them when the property goes to the grandchildren. The Aunt has made comments in the past that she was upset that the home did not  go to her. The Aunt and Uncle make over $100k a year combined, and should have no issues getting their own place, but they have made comments about wanting to make upgrades to the place in the past so us grandchildren could use the place. My 2 siblings and myself have no reason to keep the home, and would like to sell the home. We have not spoken to the other 2 grandchildren about having their parents move out to sell the home. The home is valued at close to $400k. What is our best course of action to sell the home, even if the other 2 grandchildren don't want to kick out their parents from the home.

Answer: This is a great example of why life estates are a terrible idea. There is likely no reason that A/U would move out of an effectively free house that is worth $400k and based on what you've said, the trust itself allows the A/U to live there as long as they pay for upkeep. You are not going to force them out of the house legally and aside from asking them to move, there isn't an amicable way to move forward.


Title: Dealing with Mattress company

Question:
TL;DR— mattress company wont pick up my mattress and broken frame thats already been refunded, and was never signed for upon delivery.

Made the mistake of shopping at Mattress Firm last weekend in San Diego, CA, and bought a bed where the frame ended up being a rickety piece of trash which promptly broke after putting the mattress on it.

When the delivery guys originally tried to set up the bed, they made mistakes which ended in me never signing, or even looking at, any paperwork or delivery confirmations. After a night of being terrified the bed would break (spoiler alert, it eventually did; the frame buckled under the beds weight and nearly injured my girlfriend and dog), i called the company to return the mattress.

They ended up not showing up on the date to pick up the bed. Now Mattress firm wont commit to a new date to pick up the broken bed.

I need this thing gone so i can have a new bed installed. I’m wondering, since they’ve already refunded my money and i never signed any delivery confirmation, how can I legally get rid of this thing if mattress firm wont help?

Can i throw it all in the dumpster and tell them its their problem? Can i hire movers to come take it away somewhere and expense mattress firm? What are my options?

Answer: Who are you buying your new bed from? Maybe they'll take away your old (new) one. It's a common enough practice that it's worth looking into.


Title: Question about cousin marriage in Texas

Question:
Hello all,

Please don't hate me. Please provide me some information in this scenario if you can. I am in the US on work visa. I come from place where cross cousin marriage of the first order is legal. If I marry my cross cousin of first order, who also has work visa and is living in us, in my home country and come back to us with my spouse to live in Texas, with a valid marriage certificate, will there be any issues? What will be the Immigration scrutiny in cases like this. Please let me know.

Thanks!

Answer: Texas will not allow first-cousins to marry, but will recognize existing legal marriages between first-cousins.


Title: My college is now essentially telling me I need to pay $8,820 extra to get my degree.

Question:
TL,DR: college says I need 10 more elective classes, after they removed all of the electives that previously counted to my degree (from 80 credits to 61). This would cost me thousands and I'm already paying out of pocket.

I had ~80 credits (120 required, some external transfer because labs) listed towards my degree approximately a month ago. Recently, I checked my advisement report for the unnamed, but "veteran and military supportive" college, and found it dropped to 71. When I emailed the school to ask, it was reviewed and they dropped the amount of credits I had to 61. They stated it was "to make room for more upper level electives".

They removed all of my electives. That I paid for. And now are requiring me to take an extra 10 classes (at a minimum) for my degree. They don't offer 10 classes in my degree area, which means I would have to go to another college to complete them all. However, in order to get credits counted from another college I would have to have 25 credits from them.

I've already spent thousands out of pocket to pay for my education. I work an alright job, but I think this is ridiculous. In order to complete this, I would have to spend $8,820 on top of what I have to for the remainder I was budgeting.

What do I do from here? Can I do anything? Why didn't they make this clear in the beginning, instead of waiting until I was two semesters from the end so I could have planned for it?

Answer:
 Went to colleges in MD.  When I transferred I worked with a career/ admissions counselor at the school I was transferring to.   An appointment might be necessary. They were able to adjust what credits went where / qualified. I wouldn’t try this over the phone.

Hope that helps.

Edit: If you frame your issue about time and expectations and not money, they might be more receptive. Answer #2: Why did they remove the electives?


Title: Can I get out of my consumption by a minor ticket if my parents say they allowed me to drink?

Question:
So basically I got a consumption of alcohol by a minor ticket and the police told me I had to go to court for it. The thing is I’ve read online it’s legal in Illinois for a minor to drink if a parent allows it to and I stay inside the house. The thing is my parents didn’t really give me consent per say but I’m wondering if they could say they did when I go to court? And could this possibly get my parents in trouble if the cop/judge doesn’t buy it? If that doesn’t work they’re going to get me a lawyer.

I know it’s probably better to get a lawyer but I’m thinking I could get out of this without it being on my record/paying for a lawyer.

Thanks I’m advance, really appreciate any input

Answer: So you want your parents to commit perjury?


Title: City wants me to pay an estimated $1900 for driveway and curb repairs. Do they have a legit argument?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 My step-dad owned a rental home in a run down part of town when I was growing up.  One day, seemingly out of the blue, the city demanded that every home owner in the neighborhood cleanup and repair their sidewalks.  The city stated that there would be inspections and fines for non-compliance the following month.

My step-dad's first thought: "that house has a sidewalk?"  Well, sure enough, we found an old brick sidewalk buried under 4 or 5 inches of dirt and grass.  Being a teenager, I got to spend the next weekend shoveling dirt to uncover the hidden sidewalk.

I know that story doesn't help you, but I thought you'd find it interesting.  In my opinion, this is more of a political issue than a legal issue.  By all means confirm that the city has the authority to order repairs, but they probably do have the authority.Answer #2: > EDIT: I thought it might be good to add that they also earlier last year tried to get everyone to install backflow devices on their water systems. Which ultimately fell through and no one ended up doing it because it made no sense.

Backflow prevention devices make lots of sense. Unless you like crap from your neighbors' yards, street runoff, and sewage overflow in your potable water, of course.


Title: LL came into home/PD won't help. Next step? (IL)

Question:
Excuse the throwaway. I'm new to this sub so also forgive me if I babble while explaining the situation.

TLDR; Caught my Landlord snooping and police won't investigate.

I recently got a shelterdog and he has "issues". He has a bit of separation anxiety and so I rigged up an old laptop that I placed on the kitchen counter with the camera pointed towards the front door where the dog tends to hang out and where his bed is in view. It's not a perfect system but I am able to see from my phone most of the the front part of the house and I can also talk to my dog while I am at work throughout the day.

About two weeks ago when I was watching the video I saw the front door open. My heart was pounding and then I noticed that it was my landlord. I fought the urge to scream at him and just watched to see what he was up to.

He fed something to my dog (still don't know what he had) and continued to "look around". He went though my shelf where I keep books and random crap and then he walked out of view into my bedroom. He was in there for maybe 3-4 minutes. Then I see him walk out the door with something in his hand. Something he did not have when he walked in. I still don't know what it is.

I call a friend right away who has a key and ask if she can go over and check the place out.  Then, I decide to give the Landlord a call to see if he mentions any reason he came into my house (with no warning)
I forgot exactly what I said but it was along the lines of, "Oh, I think I missed you coming by, Is something wrong?"  He denied ever coming over and I did not mention that I just fucking saw him on video.
So, I call the police.

Unfortunately, there is no record of the video and I was only able to take a couple still shots that did not turn out. There is no way you can tell who it is in the photos. But, I watched the video as it was happening and it was very clear who it was.

An officer came to my house later in the afternoon and I left work early to meet him.  I explained what I had saw earlier in the day and that when asked the landlord denied even being there. I also said that he took something from my room.  The officer wrote stuff down but that's it. I asked if they were going to go arrest him and he said no. They were not even going to talk to him. They would do nothing but advise me to call 911 if I see it again.  He left and I was livid.

At this point I am already making arrangements to move and breaking the lease is not of concern to me. (He can sue me) I'm gathering up money and even working on getting a bank loan so I can leave as soon as I can.  I "hired" my unemployed friend to hang out at my place when I am at work and to watch my dog.

I went though all my things and I really have no idea what he took from the room.

My question is, Is there anything I can do to press this issue and have him held responsible criminally? Can I go directly to the DA? Or is there really nothing on him since I don't have "proof" despite clearly seeing him?

It may be worth pointing out that my Landlord is a little bit of a "big-shot" in this city and "knows people". I don't know if the fact that is is so well known (and liked) is why the officer didn't investigate or if it's standard when there is no proof other than my own account.

Answer:
 You cannot force the police to take legal action.  If they choose not to pursue, you can ask them to, or file a complaint, but you can't force it.  Given your story, I doubt anyone would prosecute.

You also likely have no suit, as you have no provable damages. Finally, I'll caution you that you'd likely lose a breach of lease suit, if he pursued one.


Title: My mom got a restraining order on my dad.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 If your mom felt that she needed a restraining order and one was granted by the court (not an easy feat), she needed one. Don't belittle her. That's besides the point though.

Possibly. Tell him to check out the terms of the restraining order and seek aid if he can't discern for himself. I say tell *him* to because this is not your battle to fight and he ought to be the one proactively dealing with the order he incurred. If you tell him to look into it and he gets "hot headed" or just says "Oh I can't, I know I can't" without looking into it then goes into some emotional speech about how much the order is impacting him, his priorities are making you think what you currently think about your mother, not attending those events with you.

EDIT: And for the love of the Father, you should stop chewing. You're very young and that's very illegal. Where are you getting that?


Title: Car Loan, Parent not paying on time, affecting my credit.

Question:
In 2014, I was in basic training for the Army. I was getting paid well, therefore, I was able to pay my credit card bills on time while I was using them for items (small purchases, not furniture or TVs you here some people do) at training. Fast-forward a little too Christmas, I got a break to come home, my parents split before I left for training and my mother had a "USED CAR"(newer car, around 2012 possibly) it had a lot of issues that the dealer "fixed" yet they kept coming back. Back to Christmas time, my mother was finally done with the "USED CAR"  and said she was going to get rid of it and purchase another car, which will be Car-A. She didn't have good credit, and since I did, I offered to be a co-signer on Car-A. I needed a car when I got back from training, ill get to this later. She was making the payments on time. When I got out of basic I went to the dealer and purchased the same make, model and year of car, just different color, I will call this Car-B. She was a cosigner on my vehicle, Car-B. (Forgot the reason why possibly my age?) 6 months later I decided that I didn't want to be paying the monthly payment the initial loan was asking me to pay. I went refinanced, Car-B saving almost 150/mo. and she got taken off my loan. Flash forward to within the last year, she has failed to make Car-A payments on time, going into possible repossession status by literally 3-4 days at times. I don't have extra cash to be paying someone else bill when they are appropriating money to the correct areas. My question to you, being that I am the main name for Car-A, and possibly on the registration, what legal course do I have? Am I legally allowed to take possession of Car-A and keep her from it until a. she pays the company. b. Refinances it within a timeframe? If I were to take the Car-A, I would be looking at possibly trying to refinance it and letting my wife drive it (I know I said I cant pay someone else's bills, by that I mean I am not going to make a car payment for someone who is going to end up making the same mistakes, it's hurting my credit which I'm trying to repair.) OR selling Car-A for hopefully a profit or trade-in credit and getting a minivan or SUV since we are having another child.

*Legend: Car-A: Mothers Vehicle, I am Signed with her. Unsure if I am on DMV Reg. Thats something I will need to ask DMV, the loan company says that I should because we are both on the loan. //////////////     Car-B: No other signer on my vehicle, only myself on DMV Reg.*

Hope this isn't confusing and if so, I can try to clarify without giving too much-identifying information.
Thank you for help in advance.

Hopefully labeling the vehicles makes it easier.

**I forgot to mention, that she has taken and passed her RE exam and has paid for her licensing** I found this out when I went to her house (I am on the lease which i need to try to get off as well, but at least she is paying the rent, it WASNT breaking or entering

Answer:
 The reason that your mother has bad credit is that she has a history of defaulting on her loans. As a cosigner on her loan, you are liable if she defaults, and defaults on that loan will affect your credit history, as well. That's what you signed up for.

If you're not on the title to the vehicle, you cannot take the vehicle. That's theft, even if you're obligated to the loan, and a theft conviction would _very much_ ruin your career with the military. If you _are_ on the title, then it's also your car and the two of you need to work out between you who gets to use it and when.

You have no leverage to force your mother to sell, give you the vehicle, refinance, or to pay off the loan, but if you find yourself paying it off on her behalf to protect your credit, you can likely sue your mother to try to recover what you paid. I wouldn't place good odds on ever seeing that money again if your mother's too broke to make payments, but it's your only option if you're not willing to let the loss go.

The choice to "not make a car payment" is something you signed away when you co-signed the loan. If your mother defaults, the lender will include you in any resulting lawsuits, and will come after your wages and assets to be made whole if you lose that suit.


Title: My friend found out his girlfriend is cheating on him via her Facebook Messenger

Question:
(apology if I'm not using this sub incorrectly, first time)

So my best friend recently found out that his girlfriend of 5 years is cheating on him, and he wants to if she has any legal recourse against him.

He lives in Minnesota, St cloud area. My friend and his girlfriend have been living together for 4 years, so they share a lot of things, so they're both on the same phone plan which my friend owns (relevant backstory). So, he heard from a friend that there was something suspicious going on, so he checked the phone records and saw that his girlfriend and this guy had texted a TON and talked on the phone for hours. This got him suspicious, so he realized that his girlfriend's old phone was still in a drawer at their house. He charged the phone and powered it on, it had no SIM card but connected via Wi-Fi.

The phone had a password on it, but my friend remembered it and logged on to the phone. At this point, he clicked the Facebook app and found that it was auto logged in. So, he opened the Messenger app and found messages that she sent that clearly incriminated her.

So my question is, was it illegal in any way for my friend to look at his girlfriend's messages? The phone is technically under my friend's plan, so I think he's technically the owner.

Thank you in advance for any help you can provide.

Answer: Why can't he just break up with her without mentioning how he found out she cheated? Is he Jim Carrey from Liar Liar and will spill his secrets if she asks him?


Title: Fired from two jobs for having two jobs

Question: I have an interesting situation that many find hard to believe. I worked two jobs at the same facility at the same time collecting two separate checks from two different employers. I was recently fired from both for having both jobs. I was hired by company A five years ago as third party contractor working inside company B's facility. Six months ago I was hired part time working with company B with the shift overlapping my shift at company A. Both companies were aware that I was working with both companies at the same time. About a month ago I was hired full time with company B, company B knew that I was still employed full time with company A. however company A was never made aware that I went full time with company B. Well company B's store manager who hired me was fired on Friday by his regional manager. The regional Manager dissaproved of my situation and had me fired from company A, as well as firing me from company B. I work in an at will employment state. I've talked to a few lawyers and some are willing to give me a consulting and some have said that because it's an at will state there is not much I can do. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Or feel free to inbox me for more info.

Answer:
 Presuming this is somewhere in the USA except Montana, and you are not a union member and do not have an employment contract prohibiting such action, you can legally be fired for having two jobs, for having two cars, for having two favorite basketball teams, or for having two dogs.Answer #2: > however company A was never made aware that I went full time with company B.

If only there was someone who could have made them aware...someone like YOU.

Frankly, you are lucky you weren't fired for billing two groups to do the same work at the same time.


Title: The birth control patch almost killed me

Question: [removed]

Answer:
 The potential for blood clots is a well established and recognized side effect of hormonal birth control. Answer #2: You might have a problem with your case:

"Boxed WARNING

What is the most important information I should know about Xulane?

Do not use Xulane if you smoke cigarettes and are over 35 years old. Smoking increases your risk of serious cardiovascular side effects from hormonal birth control methods, including death from heart attack, blood clots or stroke. This risk increases with age and the number of cigarettes you smoke.

**Women 15 to 44 years of age who use Xulane may have an increased risk of blood clots compared to women who use certain birth control pills.**

**You will be exposed to about 60% more estrogen if you use Xulane than if you use a typical birth control pill containing 35 micrograms of estrogen. In general, increased estrogen may increase the risk of side effects, including blood clots.**

See full Prescribing Information for complete Boxed WARNING."

It looks like you were warned on the package, and this comes from their website.

[https://www.xulane.com/en?utm\_source=bing&utm\_medium=cpc&utm\_campaign=B\_ENG\_Xulane\_DTC\_Branded\_Adherence&utm\_content=B\_Safety\_E&utm\_term=side+effects+of+the+xulane+patch&gclid=COnT7NfIt98CFdDUDQod\_\_YKsA&gclsrc=ds](https://www.xulane.com/en?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=B_ENG_Xulane_DTC_Branded_Adherence&utm_content=B_Safety_E&utm_term=side+effects+of+the+xulane+patch&gclid=COnT7NfIt98CFdDUDQod__YKsA&gclsrc=ds)


Title: Removing Ex Wife off Mortgage

Question:
Hello all,

I am divorced and looking for the process of which to take for removing my ex wife from the house mortgage (I was given the house in the divorce). She is applying for FASFA and having problems because of it. I heard it's either refinancing or obtain the divorce decree and quitclaim. is this correct?

Thanks for the advice!!

VR

Answer:
 Contact your lender about a loan assumption.

This is basically a refi that maintains the conditions of your loan and simply removes/adds borrowers. It'll require a new closing, deed, and run you more or less the same costs a normal refi would.

If you can get a better interest rate now go for the refi.


Title: Is there a way to remove a car that's parked straight outside of my house on the street?

Question:
There's a small beaten up truck that's parked outside my house since Friday night. It's Sunday night now and it is still parked in the same spot, pretty much hasn't been touched.

Technically it's not our property, it's the governments. But we park there because we only have a two car space for our house and because it's literally in front of our house.

We have 4 four cars total so we park the other two in that spot and the spot next to it since our property still runs that way up the street. We could fit a 5th car and they'd still all be in front of our property, but our neighbor has one of his cars parked there.

I believe it's either said neighbors car or one of said neighbors friends car, because they have sort of done this before. Not in the exact same spot it's in, but the spot that's behind it. Hes also left a junk car or two where the 5th vehicle of my family's could go because this neighbor has at least 3 broken down cars in his yard and about 4 shacks built in his yard.
This guy has no decency whatsoever. He is becoming extremely irritating.

So what do I do? I live in Washington in the Seattle area if that helps.

Quick edit: We have talked to him before about trying to keep the spots in front of our house open for our cars and he seemed to understand both times.

Answer:
 If it's legal to park on the street, then anyone can park there even if it is right in front of your house.

But many cities do have rules about how long a vehicle can be parked on the street for. Usually 48-72 hours, but generally speaking that'll lead to officers marking the vehicle and coming back 48 hours later to see if it's moved and *then* doing something about it.


Title: [MN\IL] Being threatened with a defamation lawsuit for not returning a product

Question:
I'm in MN, other person is in IL. This is a bit convoluted and stupid, so please bear with me and let me know if any of this is hard to follow.

Two months ago I bought a custom piece of shooting gear (not an actual gun, if that makes any difference) from a guy online. He runs his shop through facebook, so we did all of our communication through facebook messenger  (will be relevant later). The guy is very outspokenly right wing and big into militia stuff, and posts a lot about it on his business facebook page. Anyone here who shoots will know the kind of stuff I'm talking about. My politics are fairly left, but it's his company and his business so I don't care. I also learned a long time ago you can't really exist in the shooting community without putting up with this to some degree, I'm friends with and have done business with people like him before.

Last week I accidentally linked him a news article about a recent politically charged event through messenger that I'd meant to send to someone else ([this article, if it's relevant](http://www.king5.com/news/local/community-mourns-loss-of-mr-samish-island/458685333)).

He replied back the next day with a long, insulting rant against me and the left in general. I ignored that, but he's also claiming that I'm "damaging his reputation as a patriot" and that he'll lose business if anyone finds out he sold it to me. He claims it was clear he wouldn't sell to left wing people based on the content of his business page. He's telling me he'll forgive me for "lying" to him (politics never came up during the sale) if I return the item for a full refund. He's the only person making this piece of gear, and I really like using it, so I have no plan to return it. Since then, he's messaged me about it two more times, and made a callout post about me on his business page where some of his customers have made threatening comments.

I'm going out on the worlds shortest limb here and assuming he's full of shit, but I'm not in a position financially to deal with a lawsuit if this were to come to that. Assuming this even comes close to the definition for defamation, am I at any legal risk here?

Thanks

Answer:
 Lmaoooooooooooooooooooooooooooo just no.

He's more than welcome to try, but this article is about the death of a maritime attorney. Pretty sure if he tried to sue (anyone can sue for anything), this would very likely be dismissed upon you submitting a motion for summary judgment.Answer #2: Yeah, NO. That's not how it works. You bought it, it's yours absent any agreement that he could force you to return it. Block the right wing gun nut and move on. Answer #3: The article I'm seeing is about some poor guy in Washington State getting murdered by his son. What's political about that?Answer #4: So - no legal risk, as has been covered here, but you should put up some cameras around your home etc. for your own safety, especially if he has your address due to shipping the product.


Title: [IL] Having a dossier go faster because of an emergency situation?

Question:
Hey there, I’m here on behalf of a friend of mine who is in a dire situation and as the title says, need government letters and paperwork to be rushed out.

Their situation is as follow:

First off, they are 23. They got out from an abusive household recently and their parent are making threats against them. They are getting disability through SSD (Social Security Disability) and OPM (Office of Personnel management), but their parent are receiving these, and they will probably cut them off for having left the household, or leave them with way too little to live.

Concerning the SSD, they will officially be their own payee as the State consider them capable. But their parent will most likely lash out when they realize this, and as they will not receive the money, and the letter that goes with this process.

Concerning the OPM, they are getting their health insurance and disability through them as well, but separately. It is unfortunately still lumped with their parent, as is the case for their elder sibling’s survivor benefits.

They are not stable enough to work at the moment, and they have no way to get the mental health or physical healthcare that they need.

So at present, they are couch surfing in Illinois, and need to get the paperwork to straighten their situation asap so they can get the help, and the money they are owed.

Does anyone know where to get started for rushing paperwork out for cause of emergency?

Answer: A [disability advocacy service](https://www.olmsteadrights.org/self-helptools/advocacy-resources/item.6563-Illinois_Disability_Resources_and_Advocacy_Organizations) may be able to help.


Title: A crime of convenience.

Question:
Hi everyone, I'll try to make this as quick as possible, thanks in advance for reading.  This situation took place in Los Angeles California.

So In august I got pulled over for a licence plate not being affixed properly, the plate was in the back window because my old plate from out of state was literally stuck on, a screw was broken and I couldn't replace it, I eventually took it to a mechanic and got it fixed.

This was a 15$ fix it ticket, now I physically lost my license a few weeks ago and finally went to the DMV to pick up a new one, my license is suspended because of this ticket I came to find out.

So I go to the court house today, wait in line to speak to a Clerk, from 8 AM to 12:30 PM I'm running around for this and waiting in lines, she tells me wrong office go down stairs to speak with collections.

I speak with them, get told because I failed to appear in court and because of that I owe 1085$, I ask since the problem has been corrected can I see a judge, yes I can make an appointment for April 1st at the earliest, what a joke (pun intended).  So rather than sitting there waiting to speak to a judge while my license is suspended for a month I go ahead and start payments on a 4 month payment plan.

In summary, I am paying 1080$ so I can avoid having my license suspended for a month, I still have to wait 7 days to go back to the DMV and get my license re-issued, on top of all this I have a flight on Friday that I now have to research how to get past TSA without an ID for.

Anyone able to offer any advice on this situation? I know I was in the wrong by not coming into court, but WOW this seems highly unfair to throw someone's life into this mess over a $15 ticket for a license plate that has been corrected.  The lady at the court said I can write a letter to the judge after it has been paid off asking for my money back and explaining the situation.

Thanks again for any advice.

Answer:
 > WOW this seems highly unfair to throw someone's life into this mess over a $15 ticket for a license plate that has been corrected.

That's not why your life got thrown into this mess.

Your life got thrown into this mess because you ignored a summons to appear in court.  Courts frown on that.

You can certainly talk to an attorney and see if they can work something out for you.


Title: Lawyers only answer plz

Answer:
 No we don't do that here.Answer #2: We don't do work like that here. We're here to point you in the right direction. You'll have to pay someone to give you legal advice like that.  Answer #3: Lol.Answer #4: You're asking for free input, and you want us to do what now?

The general default is that opinions and true statements of fact are legally protected.  That doesn't mean you won't get sued, just that you are likely to win if you are sued.

Statements of fact that are incorrect ("X stole money from me") are not protected, and expose you to liability.


Title: food stamp investigator scenario in calif.

Question:
Hope anyone can advise on this: Background: I am a food stamp recipient In Southern California who works and lives paycheck to paycheck. I pay rent  by the week. Last week I disclosed to a food stamp telephone rep that my work hours have decreased, and am applying  for partial unemployment benefits(which ended up being only three dollars) and that documentation would be supplied soon to verify this(note-I have yet to gather these documents). Fast forward to Yesterday, when I ignored a loud knock on my door; through the peephole there appeared to be a man wearing a suit and holding a clipboard or folder. Maybe he was holding  a badge. I noticed later  he left a card at my door identifying himself as an investigator working for the district atty. I left a voicemail and promptly received a voicemail after I got to my place of employment.  I called the investigator from a work phone, who let me know that the nature of the call was to discuss my food stamp eligibility and to inquire why my gross income is less than my rent cost. (Note-my gross income has been like this for months if not years. I receive less than $70 monthly in food stamps, which has gradually decreased from $200 monthly )
	 The investigator seemed unaware when I mentioned my (partial) unemployment benefits, and he asked if this was supplementing my work hours(in order to afford rent). I said that my unemployment benefit was for only three dollars--and danced around the rent question.  I mentioned that since I was at work but not on a designated break I must call him back Thursday . I did not mention that I have a roommate, who makes up the difference for rent. This person does not collect food stamps.
My question is , am I legally required to speak to this investigator? If I do how should I mention the roommate ? Was there a reason why the investigator did not call to see if I was home before he knocked on my door? Should I seek free in-person legal advice before I call this person back? I will not answer the door to this person, if/when he comes back.
Thank you to anyone who responds to this.

Answer:
 What is the big dilemma here? If you are committing fraud then don't talk to the investigator. Get an attorney and deal with your crime. If they just need information to ensure that you are not committing fraud then give them the information. If this is such an invasion of your life and you don't like the hassle then stop taking free money from the rest of us taxpayers.Answer #2: I don't understand.  Why don't you just answer the question?

Or, are you committing fraud?


Title: (FL) lawyer didn't show up for court

Question: alright I had court today for 2 misdemeanor chargers, driving with license suspended or revoked and leaving the scene of a single vehicle accident. I hired an attorney and paid 600 up front. They never showed up and I settled for 2 withhold of adjudications and 570 in court costs. What recourse do I have against my attorney if they don't refund me the money I already paid for something they didn't do?

Answer:
 Do you have documentation showing that you're a client of this attorney?Answer #2: Do you know why your lawyer no-showed? Sometimes things happen. I've been to court where a case was declared ready-hold because the attorney got into a car accident on the way to court.

Unless the lawyer did significant work for you ahead of time, like speak to the prosecutor, but you should at least request a full refund if the attorney did nothing. If that doesn't happen, contact whoever handles attorney complaints in Fla. (court? bar?)Answer #3: I'd just get in touch with the attorney and request a refund.  Then if you have time and are so inclined, I'd probably submit a complaint to the bar with documentation showing you were a client and that you paid him or her.


Title: Brother finished High School here, in the States, was then deported to Mexico, now needs proof of schooling to get better job.

Question:
Hi, and sorry if my question is not relevant to this sub, I just didn't know where else to ask.

So, here goes, my brother and I were brought to the States, illegally, by our dad, when we were small. Here we went to school and pretty much had a life. I still go to school and now, with the deferred action act, I work legally. My brother, however, got deported before that act came to be.

My question is this, what can I do here, to help him get the documentation he needs to provide proof of his schooling here.

Thanks!

Answer: He can contact the school and request transcripts. It is not hard. He may need to mail it fax a document.


Title: Long haul trucking company is trying to stop me from quitting.

Question:
Not sure what location would apply here, I live in Texas, the HQ and only terminal is in Nebraska, and I operate pretty much anywhere in the midwest.

So I've been trying to quit for a month now. The policy is that if I give 2 weeks notice, then they will route me home to clear my stuff out, then to the terminal to turn the truck in. I tried to be courteous and gave 3 weeks notice since I live so far out of their operating area, and it took them 4 weeks just to get me home. I was planning to turn my truck in over a week ago, but they won't let me go to the terminal, even yesterday when I came within 200 miles of it, because they don't want me burning money by running empty, and they didn't have any loads going there.

I'm not going to abandon this truck because that's one of the worst possible things you can do to your driving record. They have said if I just ignore a load assignment and drive empty to the terminal anyway, that counts as unauthorized use of the truck, and they'll have me arrested for grand theft auto.

Do I have a case to get a court order forcing them to just let me drive back to the terminal? I was supposed to be away from this shitty company 2 weeks ago, and I'm about to miss orientation for my new job.

Answer:
 I have given you my notice. I am not trying to abandon a truck but I will.  I have asked repeatedly to be routed back. I'm done. No mpre loads. No more trips. I am done. I'm going home. I quit and I gave you notice

If they say anything else? screw em unless you have a contract that says you'll have to pay if you walk away

Return the truck to where you picked it up. Take pictures
Answer #2: Best advice is ask them where they want to pick up the rig because after the last day of your notice you are no longer driving for them.Answer #3: Sounds like empty threats, returning their property to them is not theft. Answer #4: NAL, but threatening you with fraudulent legal consequences if you don't keep driving for them? Think a lawyer could make an argument for extortion?Answer #5: >  They have said if I just ignore a load assignment and drive empty to the terminal anyway, that counts as unauthorized use of the truck, and they'll have me arrested for grand theft auto.

And that is utter nonsense.  "Returning your property to you" is not "grand theft auto."   Are you going to be anywhere close to the Terminal in the next week?  Loaded or not, just take it over there.Answer #6: It's not grand theft auto if they've previously given you permission to drive the truck.

NAL.

Source: Similar questions on r/legaladvice (My ex gf was borrowing my car and now isn't giving it back help)


Title: Boss told me they have been paying me wrong for an entire month. Says I have to pay money back and losing over $1000 a month. What can I do?

Question: I’m an RN at a hospital. I started out as PRN 5 months ago and  a month ago accepted a full time position. My boss emailed me asking me if I was interested in the position with no other details except me emailing back saying I was interested. When I arrived at work that same morning I had gotten an email about my status change and my pay rate stayed the same, so I thought nothing of it and signed it. Two HR people plus my boss signed this status change with my same pay. I got called into my bosses office the other day and they had told me they didn’t realize they never changed the pay rate and have been paying wrong for an entire month. They told me I would not only have to pay back all the money from the past month, but they are also paying me $7 less at the starting rate. I was never told my pay would drop so dramatically when I went to full time. When I went to HR they said they could do nothing for me and just apologized. Along with having to pay the money back I will be getting paid over $1000 less a month and I have moved based on my pay, quit another job based on that pay. What can I do about this.

Answer: They don't get to retroactively change your rate of pay, and if they did not notify you that you would be receiving less, it's their problem. You can decline to repay the money. However, that likely means you won't have a job going forward, as they have no obligation to continue your employment at any wage.


Title: UPDATE from previous post about a probate issue

Question:
I posted back at the end of January:

http://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/2u4uzi/illinois_i_am_stuck_paying_the_taxes_on_a_house_i/co55jwb?context=3

TLDR: I live in Illinois. I inherited my grandmother's house, my brother was living there at the time of her death and he wasn't paying rent and I needed him out. He also threatened to challenge the distribution of my Grandmother's estate.

UPDATE: We were in court on Tuesday for the eviction case. My brother appeared and did not have an attorney like he had previously threatened that he did. He informed the judge that he could not afford a lawyer and that one should be appointed to him. After she explained that that was impossible in a civil matter and that he could consult legal aid, she went ahead and issued an Order of Possession in my favor and evicted him. He has 14 days from Tuesday to leave the house. He was told that he could have legal aid review the case, but since he was not paying rent to me, there would be no basis for the judge to delay entering an order of eviction. I have been over to the house once since my attorney filed this and the place is a mess. It is going to cost quite a bit of money for me to make the repairs necessary just to make the house presentable enough to sell.

As for the probate portion of the case, where he was questioning the allocation of the estate, he asked the judge to do that. She said she had no jurisdiction over that matter and that he would have to file a separate case in Probate court.  The attorney I hired told me that it would be costly for him to do that and that I probably have nothing to worry about in that regard, because if he couldn't afford an attorney for the eviction case, he wasn't going to be able to afford one in the probate case. He also told me there is little to no substance in any argument for a probate case that was closed on January 7 and that any appeals to the final distribution may be time barred because it is past the standard 28 days.

Thanks for the advice and getting me on the road to where I need to be. It seems like everything worked out well.

Answer:
 Congrats and thanks for updating! as /u/mustard_mustache said: beware of additional damage. You might consider offering him some money to turn in the keys and move out *immediately*. Sounds like he could use the cash, and you could then immediately change the locks. What it costs you in cash it might save you in repairs....Answer #2: > My brother appeared and did not have an attorney like he had previously threatened that he did. He informed the judge that he could not afford a lawyer and that one should be appointed to him.

Obviously, your opponent is a cunning foe with keen legal instincts. You may have bested him this time, but I fear the worst.Answer #3: Congrats to you!

Hopefully he doesn't trash the place futher due to losing in court.


Title: Father wants to renew his will and sign everything over to his wife, then me when she dies. I don't trust her with what she would do with the money. Need advice.

Question:
Hey Reddit,

Hope this is the right place to post this.

So yesterday my father called me out of the blue and said he wants to renew his will. Since splitting with my mother some 10 years back, he has since remarried and has been with his now wife for maybe 9 years or so.

Basically, he has decided to now renew his will and wanted to make things as hassle free as possible, so he was planning to sign everything to his wife upon his death, and when she dies, everything will then go to me. He wants my consent to do it however so I'm looking for some advice if this is actually the best course of action

First of all, I don't really care about the money. What I do care about is the time and effort he's put into earning everything. He has two rare cars, one day to day car and two houses among other things (those are just the ones I know of, although I know he has large amounts of savings too.

Basically, I don't entirely trust his wife. I never hated her or anything, but we've always had a healthy distance from each other, and I honestly don't think either of us care very much for eachother.

The first question that sprung to my mind was this: What's to stop her from turning around after his death, selling some or everything, and using all that money or giving it to her relatives etc? I have little doubt she would do it if she could. She has no great formal education and has only ever worked low income jobs, so at this point, my father pays for mostly everything.

I know he trusts her and loves her, and I don't want to hurt his feelings or anything, but he is a very rational person who's taught me a lot on finance. He's always been good with money, so part of me wants to just trust him fully on this decision, but a greater part of me worries what his wife would do with it all.

Thanks for reading, hope you can give some advice!

TL:DR - Father wants to rewrite will and sign everything over to his wife and when she dies, to me. I don't trust her, but trust my father with money. What do?

Answer:
 He can't control her will, so if he gives her everything and asks her to give you everything in her will, she is under no obligation to do so.

There are ways to ensure that the assets end up with you.  One might be using a life estate (depending on your LOCATION).

Encourage your father to talk to a professional in writing the will.  An attorney should be able to set it up so she gets the benefit of the estate during her lifetime, but cannot give it away/take it from you.


Title: [NC] Brother's wife threatining financial ruin if he divorces

Question: Brother and his wife have been married just over one year. They are miserable they fight all the time and she has threatened him to financially ruin him if he divorces her even though he wants to. He's in agriculture and owns several hundred thousand of equipment assists and very little cash assists due to reinvestment. He's terrified because he is just now coming out of financial hardship due numerous poor weather years that affected crop production.  He scared the only thing he's always loved will all be gone and won't be able to farm. She has an estimated 80,000 in cash and 401(k) assets. No prenup was signed. I have told him just talk to a lawyer. What can he do to protect himself from her if he or she divorces?

Answer: Whatever financial impact he would suffer due to divorce will only get worse the longer he waits to file. Answer #2: First thing to do is to immediately protect himself from unexpected pregnancy.    This sounds like a controlling spouse.


Title: Shoplifting

Question:
So I stole about $30 worth of makeup at a Target here in MN about a week ago. More like.. tried stealing. As I was getting thru the front doors the security guy stopped me and said there was a mistake and took me to the security room. He asked me what I stole, and I took it out of my bag and set it on the counter for him. He took account of it all and, thankfully, said he was feeling nice and wouldn't call the police on me. Took my picture, had me sign, and told me I was banned from Target for the next year.
Anyways, I just got this letter in the mail.. and I want to know what I should do next. It demands I pay $50 in satisfaction of the civil claim Target made against me (MN STAT. ANN. §604.14) within 21 days. Should I pay the $50? What can I do now to lessen my problems? Can I just pay and move on? Or will Target put a warrant out on me anyways?
I know what I did was wrong, I regret it, and I want to make things right. I'm a college student- and I can't afford to get into legal troubles right now. I wish I would've kept that in mind before I made the dumb choice of stealing.. but what's done is done-.. please help me out. Give me all of the advice you can.. thank you

Answer: Wow. Usually that's a lot closer to $500. I'd pay it immediately. Answer #2: What did you think would happen if you got caught stealing? You're lucky he let you go instead of arresting you. You're a college student who doesn't want trouble yet you choose to steal? Pay the money and be thankful it didn't lead to more. Answer #3: Yes, you have to pay; it's a civil demand letter and stores are allowed to recover under statute. If you don't pay, Target may refer the matter to the police.


Title: (PA) My wife saw opened mail addressed to her about a trust fund at her mother's house

Question:
We know my wife's side of the family has some money dating back a few generations and we think we may getting some of it some day.  My mother-in-law never really talks about it to my wife so we have no idea what we are getting, if anything, and when.  Strange thing is, last time we were visiting our mother-in-law, there was a bank statement on the desk with with wife's name as the recipient of the mail.  The statement showed a rather large amount of money as well as the name of the trust (her great grandmother).

We don't want to cause any riffs in the relationship between my wife and her mother (already a difficulty relationship) but we really want to know more about the trust.  She snapped a picture of the first page of the statement and we went to the bank and asked if we could learn more.  They actually had a really difficult time finding the account, even with the bank account number (not sure they ever even did find it) but told us they couldn't talk to us about it (they were acting very strange).  Anyone have any idea of what is going on?  It is sort of torturing us thinking about that statement.  Any suggestions on how we could find out more?

Answer:
 The trustee of the trust is the legal owner of the account.  Your wife isn't the trustee, and that's why the bank couldn't talk about it.  Your wife isn't entitled to anything from the bank's perspective (nor could the bank disclose anything because of privacy issues).

A trustee is just a contractual relationship between the settlor of the trust (your wife's great grandmother/her estate) and the trustee.

A beneficiary (e.g. your wife) is entitled to see the trust document, if she can identify the trustee and ask for it.  You need to ask the trustee for it and more information.  Your MIL would be the place to start.  She may or may not be the trustee, and if she isn't, she'd likely know who is.  It could be almost anyone/any entity.

You may need a lawyer to help you, if your MIL isn't going to cooperate.  Trusts and estates litigators are a specialty area.


Title: [New York]Employer only allows employees to drink water on breaks. Is this legal?

Question:
Halloween City does not allow their employees to drink any kind of beverage, including water, except on their break and are not allowed to have water bottles.

Is this legal?
Topic:
Labor Law

Answer: Yes, perfectly legal unless you have some sort of medical condition that they need to accommodate.


Title: (Michigan) Fired for appearing for a subpoena.

Question:
My girlfriend recently began working at a new place of employment. She informed her direct supervisor of a court date she had, months in advance. She is to testify in a sexual assault case, in which she was the victim. The court date is the 26th. Today, she reminded her bosses boss (her boss is on vacation) that she will likely be unable to make it to work that day.

He told her that if she can't come in that day, not to bother coming back.

So my question is, in the state of Michigan, can you be fired for appearing in court, when your only other option is jail time?

Thanks.
Topic:
Business Law

Answer:
 Looks like her boss may have broken the law.

http://www.blr.com/HR-Employment/Benefits-Leave/Jury-Duty-Court-Appearance-in-Michigan#

Read under "Court Appearance".

Here's the actual law: http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(guxy2ny4xtbdzfbvouk1txxw))/mileg.aspx?page=GetMCLDocument&objectname=mcl-780-762

You should probably contact a lawyer to get this straightened out.  Or maybe the court in which she is testifying, since it carries a contempt charge.  IANAL, so maybe someone else can offer better advice.


Title: [WA] Husband's ex girlfriend didn't put his name on the birth certificate, she's a lawyer, claims he has no rights to child

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 He's not a parent. He dumped his pregnant fiance, has made no effort to parent this child for 17 years, and it's a dick move to try to jump into her life at this point. There's also a good chance that they got his rights terminated if he was out of the picture for 17 years.

Just move on. Contact her once she's 18 if he wants, but it's a douche move to try to be part of her life now.Answer #2: He can go through the court system to establish paternity. Also, keep in mind he will very likely owe a substantial amount in child support.Answer #3: Without commenting on all of the other stuff, I would say that if the child is already 17 and paternity hasn't been established legally, I doubt that it would actually be worth going to court over, rather than waiting and trying to contact the child after 18, unless family court works shockingly fast in your area.


Title: Student Conduct Alcohol Incident

Question:
Using a throwaway account + typing this quickly, please excuse any errors.

North Carolina Private University

This past Thursday my flat was written up for consumption and possession of alcohol. There was no report given at the time - no loud music, no drugs, nothing. We found out via email the following morning from our RA (who lives in our flat) that we were written up by the maid because she could not clean since there was beer cans in her way -- also that she was the one who had reported us. Some additional information on the RA -- we were told we can drink in the common room, and he also has been written up from drinking off campus by the head RA (but was not fined??) -- Finally he works for student conduct.

A few days later we received an email from student conduct about our hearing. We all scheduled our hearing, but still felt pretty sketch about everything..... what maid writes us up on a college campus? Given the skepticism, my suite mate decide to further investigate the entire situation. He was first denied the report from student conduct (which is a violation?) and had to confront the maid about the situation.

The maid told us that she in fact was not the one who wrote us up - and actually said we were one of the cleanest flats in her residence. She went on to report to her boss that the RA had lied to us (email evidence) and is willing to be a witness in the situation. After the lie was uncovered, the report was changed to take the maid out of the situation.

From my stand point we have two violations here - entrapment, given that he allowed us to drink and lying? not sure how that applies. What can we do here?

EDIT : Student Conduct is the one screwing us over here - they do not want to release any information in order to protect their employee who clearly lied. There is nothing we can do as far as student contact... Do we not have any other options here?

Answer:
 This isn't a legal issue.

Contact your school's student advocate/assistance service for information about disciplinary proceedings.


Title: Pot possession ticket in South carolina

Question:
Im hoping that i can find some answers here.
last week while on spring break in myrtle beach South carolina i was pulled over and given 3 tickets one for not using my turn signal one for paraphernalia and one for possession. I was not arrested and the two pot tickets are over 1700$ the state laws as ive seen say first time offense for both of these shouldnt total more than 700$ I have a court date on april 15th and just need some advice on what to do. I live in PA so its a 10 hour drive but I really cant afford to pay these ridiculous fines. please help.

Answer: Are these just fines and no criminal record? Then you're getting off light. It would cost you a lot more than $1,700 to have a criminal record follow you around the rest of your life. What's ridiculous is when people choose break the law and then complain about the consequences.  A large fine is supposed to be a deterrent.


Title: My dogs photos were stolen and now on a site saying she is for sale.

Question:
It was brought to my attention that Kiwi’s photo was stolen and posted on this website as for sale (she is with us and safe...def not for sale) they forgot to blur her name out on one of the photos too. What can I do to get this taken down or actions I can take on this website/fake breeder? Let me know your thoughts/ideas! (This is why her name is on all of her photos now!) She is the black pug, Kiwi on the little couch.
Link: [https://www.longshorepugs.com/available-puppies.html](https://www.longshorepugs.com/available-puppies.html?fbclid=IwAR2JYi53r9X1zw1rgb9cvNXzPDuwgPG3L6-kaiTz9FdtCBnftug76PQeYLo)

Answer:
 IANAL. Here is a government site that will tell you how to go about reporting their website.

https://www.usa.gov/online-safety


Title: [US/VA] Need to revoke power of attorney, but don't want to let agent know until it's revoked.

Question:
Hi all,

I previously made a post [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/75c0pi/executor_of_will_transferring_funds_using_my_name/) about my situation, but it shouldn't be directly relevant to what I'm looking for in this post. It's just there for context.

In short, I'm suspicious (and pretty sure) the agent that I granted a PoA to when I was 17 may be abusing it to use my inheritance for personal reasons. Although that sounds evil, the withdrawals so far have been small so I don't want to press charges. It may just be a misunderstanding, but I think the chance of that is low. He has always been a good family friend that I visit often, which is especially important since I don't have parents.

I was suggested to cancel the PoA as soon as possible, which is what I'm looking into now, but it looks like I'll need to know the date that the PoA was signed. I don't have any of the documentation, so it looks like I might have to ask the agent. The issue is that I definitely don't want to let him know my intentions until I have the PoA safely revoked, since he might realize he's losing the power and try to do something to keep it. (He could try saying no, or give me a bad date for example, or worse.)

Are PoA documents kept on record anywhere?
Is there any way I can get it revoked knowing only roughly when it was signed, and who it gave power to?

Any help is appreciated, thanks.

edit: All the previous websites I looked at said they needed the date the PoA was signed. I recently found [this](https://www.rocketlawyer.com/document/revocation-of-power-of-attorney.rl#/) which doesn't ask for that. Is this valid?

Answer: The advice you got before was too see a lawyer. Did you do this? Because this is well into get a lawyer territory.


Title: Probation questions

Question:
I’ve been on Felony Probation in NY for 2.5/5 years, with the opportunity to be released after half the time served. Christmas day is my early release date.

I was told in October that my PO is putting in the paperwork for my early release, I figured I was good to go. In November my boyfriend got into a fight and I had to call the cops because he beat me up pretty bad. I smoked some pot to calm my nerves for the first time in a long time. We have a child together. I took him back and my PO was PISSED. She told me she wasn’t going to release me early and not until she knew my living situation was “stable”. I was called in for a drug test by another PO who I had issues with in the past and had to call his supervisor for harassment (following me around Walmart, showing up at my house for home visits alone without my PO, involving himself in conversations between my PO and I by interjecting his own personal and unwarranted opinions), and subsequently failed for THC. I have never violated before.
What do I do and how do I get released when I should?

Answer: It was an opportunity to be released early, not a requirement. You messed that up. You can ask your PO to reconsider but since you failed the drug test (if other guy was a psycho and you knew you could be drug tested and if that was apart of your probation then it’s not his fault) you will have to now abide by the terms they set for you.


Title: Can my landlord legally require me to have to keep my heat at 65°F or higher during the winter?

Question: I live in Wisconsin btw. I pay for my own heat and it's electric so it can get very expensive. I would like to turn it down to about 58 or so when I am not home to save money but I am not allowed to. This was not stated anywhere in my lease, they just put up a sign on everyone's apt door. She says it's because the pipes will freeze and if they freeze I will be liable and have to pay for repairs. However, how is it my fault if the pipes weren't properly insulated? I doubt having my heat set at 58 would make the pipes freeze anyway. Everyone I know keeps it at that when they're not home and they've never had any issues with pipes freezing. Is there even a way she can see that I have my thermostat set at 65 or higher? Can she legally require me to have it set so high all the time with myself having to pay for this?

Answer:
 They can't require that if it is not in your lease. However, if you crank your heat down and it causes a pipe to burst you're going to be on the hook for that repair. Answer #2: She may not be wrong about the pipes freezing if they are in an exterior wall and not adequately insulated.   Ive seen similar burst if the inside temp wasn’t enough to overcome the freezing temp.

I suspect it may be because you are at the top and it has happened before.   I’d ask that.   But it indeed should be in your lease.


Title: rape accusation in school

Question:
hey y’all. i’m a 15 year old sophomore in high school. recently, this girl (let’s call her sidney) and I were talking and we both had interest in each other. one morning we were hanging out together before school with two other people. while we were hanging out we all realized that we were running late and we needed to get to school. one of the people we were hanging out with was a senior so he said he could drive us to school. Sidney and I sit in the back and the driver and sidney’s friend are in the front. the drivers car was full of trash so sidney and i were squished up next to each other. we naturally started to hold hands and we were holding hands for the entire car ride. her jeans had rips in them so i started to play with her knee asking why she’s wearing pants with rips, as a joke. we get to school and everything is fine and we’re both talking to each other and happy and nothing seems off. the entire day goes by and i see her at the start of sixth period, which is wrestling. (the sport we’re both in) when i see her, i see she’s balling her eyes out and all the wrestling girls are surrounding her. since i know i mean a lot to her, i went up to her and ask what’s happening. everyone starts to verbally attack me so i left. and just went to practice. nothing really happens until a couple hours later, she texts me and says “what you did in the car was way past boundaries and you need to stop talking to me or else their will be consequences.” i was so confused, like all we did was hold hands and she was holding tight so i knew she wanted to. i skip school the next day because i got really sick and then i go to school the day after, which is today 12/13. as i’m walking to school one of the wrestling kids pass’s by me and says that i’m so fucked and that everyone’s gonna jump me as soon as i get to practice. i asked why and come to find out rumors are spreading that i groped her ass. I NEVER DID. their is no proof showing that I did but their is also no proof that shows i didn’t. my general question is what can i do in this situation? what rights do i have if i get called into the office? what do i do if the administration doesn’t know about it and i have to deal with it on my own?

Thank you guys in advance!!!

Answer:
 My best advice would be get your parents, and the school administration involved. Go straight to the office and dont leave out any details. Call on the people you were with to ask them to witness. And hold your ground. Write down everything that happened. Every word every action and every reactionAnswer #2: Keep your mouth shut.  Talk to no one.  If confronted by the school admin (or police), talk to your parents.Answer #3: you said you have accusation on you in the past, how did you deal with those? Are you being targeted for something? This is my advise. Talk to your parents, tell them what is going on. It is better you tell them now than calling them from the principals office, when you are all scared and tensed.

Are you hiding something? I still can't understand why you are accused third time and that too for rape specifically. Does your parents know about previous accusations? If you are a victim, please change the school you go to, you are young and I want you to be free from all this non sense and enjoy your teenage. Answer #4: 1st of all, this isn't a rape accusation, If it is only groping. I guess it would be sexual harrassment or assualt, but not rape.


Title: Son with minor special needs not asked to return to private school.

Question:
Here is my question:

(San Antonio, Tx). My son is 3 years old and attends a private pre-k school. Last year he was identified as having a speech impairment and is receiving assistance at a public school special education class and a one on one tudor paid by my wife and I. He attends the public school in the morning and the private school in the afternoon. The private school has accommodated his schedule the best they can, but next year he would move into another more structured class. The head master of the school has stated that my son would not be able to follow the curriculum of the new class as being at the public school in the morning and suggested we find different accomodations for him next year.

This private school is not for special needs children, and they have stated they would take my son back when his speech delay was corrected.

My wife and her mother feels that our son is being discriminated against and should sue. Though I find the private school did not do there best to communicate I do not see a legal case for suing them.

Other background information : private school is not a religious based. My son is of European descent. ( So no reglious or race related reasons, his disability is minor and being corrected).

Answer:
 To me it doesn't sound like he is being kicked out for his speech issues but for his scheduling issues. They don't offer a half day program and don't feel he would benefit from missing half a day and that it would cause problems as he would need one on one assistance to make up what he missed/keep up with the other students.

As always you can talk to an attorney but I don't see any case here. Talk to public school about a full day program there for him until he is caught up on speech. Answer #2: Discriminated against how? They told you that they would happily take your kid back if he was able to progress to the level that they are qualified to deal with. If your child is special needs and they feel they can't effectively deal with it then that's the right thing to do. And why would you want your special needs child to start of their educational career in a place that was not the best suited for their needs?


Title: What do you do if you don't know the speed limit of the road you're turning onto?

Question:
Sorry if this is an obvious question, but I am confused here. I don't feel this belongs in r/legaladvice, so that's why I'm posting here. But anyways, what do you do if you turn onto a road and you don't know the speed limit?

&#x200B;

Where I live, there are 2 different roads a couple miles from each other. Both connect to a road where the speed limit is 55 mph. When turning, there are no speed limit signs for about another half mile or so (I'm bad at guessing distance), and one on the left you can't see unless you're coming from that direction. Both of the roads have a few houses on them, so they are both residential. They are also pretty much identical. I've been on both of the roads coming the left once, so I know the speed limit, but I'm mostly asking what to do if I don't know the speed limit. One of the roads the speed limit is 25. The other the speed limit is 50. So, if you go the unmarked residential speed (25) then you're going the speed limit on one, but 25 under for the other, which if there is a driver not paying attention behind you, can lead to an accident. If you go the speed of the road you turn off of, you're going 5 over on one, but 30 over on the other. So, which should I do if I didn't know the speed limit? Go really slow and risk getting rear ended, or go 30 over and risk getting my license revoked? I'm mostly asking this so if I come across another road like this I know what to do. And since I only came from the left on each of the roads once months ago, I have a hard time remembering which road is which.

Answer: Most state traffic codes have default maximum speed limits.


Title: [VA] Prospective landlord emailed me saying he doesn't want to rent to a woman. I would be renting one of four rooms in a house, the other tenants are all male.

Question:
I set up the viewing over the phone yesterday. After I went and looked at the room, I decided I was interested in it. Last night, I received an email saying the other tenants had "a strong preference" for a male housemate.

The landlord wouldn't be living with us, and we'd all be on separate leases.

The fair housing law says it only applies when the landlord owns 4 or more dwelling units, am I reading that right?
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: At this point do you still want to move there? Living with three people who have said they don't want to live with you sounds pretty unpleasant.


Title: [US, OH] Fraudulently charged for company's domain registration and services

Question: Today I was charged ~$200 for a company's domain registration and services by godaddy.com. I've already had the charges refunded through godaddy. Should I contact the company? Is there any legal action I can take? Thank you in advance.

Answer:
 GoDaddy already made you whole, so I don't see a cause of action here. You need *existing* damages.

What makes you think it was fraud?


Title: Is it legal for a minor to buy a phone?

Question:
Hello, I'm thinking of buying my own phone.

&#x200B;

As the title states, I am a minor (14) and looking to buy a phone in full, up-front. I have no need for a contract or service. I would imagine that if I can buy an iPad/Tablet or anything like that upfront, I wouldn't need my parents to sign off on anything. Is it the same deal? I live in MN, USA.

&#x200B;

(Note: My parents want me to be financially independent, I'm buying this with my own money and will use WiFi calling to contact people.)

Answer:
 Yes. If you don't need a service plan or contract you'd just be buying the device, and you can definitely do that.Answer #2: You should be able to also buy prepaid service too.

There's a bunch of a prepaid options. Essentially, you buy a Sim card (like smart talk at Walmart) and you have to pay monthly for the service you're going to use for the month.Answer #3: Yes it’s legal for a minor to buy a phone, but may I suggest if you’re going to be using it without a contract it’d probably be cheaper to buy an iPod


Title: USA. Is entry outside of ports of entry legal?

Question:
TLDR:

Can a US citizen, permanent resident, Visa holding, or otherwise person with proper documentation able to legally enter the USA outside of the designated points of entry?

Context:

I'm a US, UK, and Mexican citizen, with valid passports from each.

Between Tijuana, Baja California, México and San Diego, California, USA; lies the most crossed border in the world (AFAIK). Sometimes the wait to enter the US can reach 6-7 hours, or worse for holidays. There's daily a 3-4 hour wait during the morning rush however.

There are two nearby designated points of entry.
San Ysidro (Chapultepec was recently added)

Is any legal restriction preventing someone entering the US, by, say a boat and arriving on the beach or port?
What about entering or exiting by a territory that doesn't have a barrier, such as  a mountain, or desert?

Answer:
 Unless you properly go through customs, it's an illegal entry. Answer #2: https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/19/1459

    (a) Individuals arriving other than by conveyance Except as otherwise authorized
        by the Secretary, individuals arriving in the United States other than by vessel,
        vehicle, or aircraft shall—
        (1) enter the United States only at a border crossing point designated by the
             Secretary; and
        (2) immediately—
            (A) report the arrival, and
            (B) present themselves, and all articles accompanying them for inspection;
                to the customs officer at the customs facility designated for that crossing
                point.

Edit: Penalty is "a fine of not more than $5,000, or imprisonment for not more than 1 year, or both."


Title: If I smoke weed in Amsterdam then take a green card medical test in the US, will I fail the test?

Question: I'm in the Netherlands for vacation right now and have been smoking weed, which is completely legal here. I just found out I have to take a medical test for my green card once I return to Ohio in a few weeks. I've been told they will be testing for drugs as well. Am I going to be denied the green card if they find traces of marijuana even if I haven't broken any laws?

Answer:
 The laws of other countries do not matter. If you test positive this will affect you. Marijuana is still illegal federally. Answer #2: >Am I going to be denied the green card if they find traces of marijuana even if I haven't broken any laws?

You may be not breaking Amsterdam laws, but US federal laws still have marijuana as illegal.  Stop smoking now and pray that it is not in your system in a few weeks if they do a urine test.  Hair test is a different storyAnswer #3: Yes. So don't do it.


Title: 24 hour notice to move my car parked legally in my apt complex or it will be towed. I am out of the country.

Question:
Got an email today from my apt complex saying I have until tomorrow afternoon to move my car from where I always park it, in the spot designated for me. They are resurfacing. No one in town who can move it for me.

This is in Dallas, TX. Not sure what to do.

Answer:
 Pay a tow truck company to tow it somewhere that isn't the yard.Answer #2: Ask them where you can pick up your car when you get back?

I don't think you have any other legal recourse here.Answer #3: I would definitely try calling the apt complex and explain about being out of the country and see if they can reschedule your spot.

Because the other options are to get a friend to fetch a spare key and move the car, pay someone to fetch a spare key and move it (if you can convince anyone it isn't a scam), pay someone to have a locksmith open and move it (sounds like a scam), pay someone to tow the car (if a towing company even believes you), or let it be towed, then pay $50/day "storage fees".Answer #4: Agree with what /u/Cypher_Blue said. If they have access to your apartment you might try asking them or a neighbor to go inside and get your keys and move it so you can avoid towing fees. But likelihood of them agreeing to do this is probably low. Just easier to call the tow truck from their point of view (What happens if they damage it while moving it for you).


Title: Landlord stating that I have not paid my first month's rent, however the check has cleared on my end to the parent company. What are my options? - Texas

Question:
Hi this is my first time posting.

I started this lease back in middle of August. Because of this, I paid a pro rated check for half the amount. The check had not cleared for a 6 weeks, so I went to the office and spoke with them.

They said they cashed the check, but it was returned. I spoke to the bank and they have no information on file for any returned check. I cancelled that check, and then wrote out a new check for the pro rated amount. The check went through the next day. On my bank statement, it shows the amount going to the parent company who owns the apartment complex. I, stupidly, never asked for a receipt.

They are now saying they never received the money. I showed them the bank statement with the check going through and they are dismissing it. All of my other checks have gone through with no issues.

One thing I have noticed on my bank account is the checks will show a picture of the check and the endorsement on the opposite side of the check. For this particular item, there is no picture of the check at all, just that the amount has been removed.

They are stating that I must pay the amount plus a late charge. I need to figure out what my next steps should be. I'm doing 18 hours in my final semester and working an internship part time so my money is stretched pretty thin. I won't be able to afford next month's rent if I have to pay this again.

Answer: Ask your bank for a copy of the front and back. Without, you have no proof you paid rent and could be evicted.


Title: [Pennsylvania] brother owes thousands after he gets hit backing out

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 The cop determined fault for a report. It goes to insurance from there.

If you back into the street and get smacked, you're almost always at fault.


Title: 99designs refusing to refund money despite "100% Money-Back Guarantee"

Question:
I'll try to keep this brief. My business partner and I submitted a contest on 99designs for a website design. We entered the "finalists" stage about a month ago, which according to 99designs guarantees the money.

My business partner was involved in a car accident a couple weeks ago and the outlook isn't good for us moving forward with the project, especially not any time soon.

I paid $698 for the contest, and 99designs has a "100% Money-Back Guarantee" which apparently has a few exceptions (don't they all). In this case, since the contest went into the "finalists" stage, they are unable to refund the money, and have only offered to refund the fees their company took, of $124, and then distribute the remainder evenly between all the people who entered the contest. Note that I did not specifically guarantee the money, and the guarantee was automatically put into place when we entered the "finalists" stage.

Here is the transcript from the conversation w/ their customer support:
> Me: Hi there. My business partner was involved in an accident and we're unable to move forward with our contest. We were in the finalist stage for selecting a design, but is there any way I am able to get a refund? I am unable to do this project without him and the financial loss of $698 would be extremely heartbreaking on top of going through this tough time.

>Veronica:
Hi there

>Veronica:
Let me check

>Me: thanks Veronica

>Veronica:
Oh. I checked your contest and this already at the end part of the contest. We are not able to refund this anymore since the finalists that you selected are already expecting that a winner will be declared since it has been guaranteed already

>Me: You are not able to refund the money or you won't refund the money?

>Veronica:
We are not able to refund it since the contest has already been guaranteed. This is our money back guarantee policy: https://support.99designs.com/hc/en-us/articles/204108729

>Veronica:
Let me check with one of our team leads if it's possible

>Me: I'm trying to be as open-minded about this as possible, and I understand you have a policy - it's just extremely upsetting that I literally cannot move forward with this project anymore and because of events completely out of anyones control I have to lose $700 because of it.

>Veronica:
I checked with my team lead and he said that since the contest has been guaranteed we are not able to provide a full refund anymore. Instead, we can refund the 99designs fees which is $124 then we will distribute the prize among your finalists

Is there anything I can do?

Answer:
 I'm not sure why you don't understand their policy.

The designers shouldn't have to just get screwed because of the car accident. As much as the accident sucks for you and your partner, it's really not their issue.

You should read terms and conditions before you get involved in something like this.


Title: Adoption fees?

Question: My stepmom doesn't want me, and is going to send me to live with my mother who is a drug addict. I live in hawaii and go to a school in which i finally made freinds. My freinds wondered if their families could adopt me, but i didnt know how much it cost. Any of you guys have a ballpark

Answer:
 No, your friend's family cannot adopt you without the permission of both of your parents.

If your mother is a drug addict and has been deemed unfit by the court, you will not be able to live with her either.

What does your father say about all of this?