Title: (NM) Dad has bench warrant from 2008, now wanting to pay me/my mom $3000 to absolve it...

Question: From what I can gather, back in 2009/2008 my dad failed to pay his child support for me, and thus had a bench warrant placed on him for not doing so. His plan is for my mom (who no longer lives in New mexico) to go to the NM courts, and file some paperwork to absolve the warrant for him. I'm really just trying to figure out how insane this is, cause he has a history of being basically a con artist (as my mom has told me) and it seems pretty fishy. Anyone have any advice on this? Does it even work that way? Thanks in advance.

Answer:
 Your dad needs to pay the back child support first through appropriate channels. Then, he needs to hire a defense attorney in the jurisdiction that issued the warrant to help him ascertain his options regarding the warrant. There is no other plan to consider. If he suggests anything else, he is conning you.

Plus, your mother can't just tell the court to drop the warrant. LOLAnswer #2: Yeah, no. Hey, if you and your mom can make bench warrants disappear for a small fee, there's a gigantic market waiting for you in every single state.

This is now in the hands of the court. Don't give him a penny. He owes you many pennies.


Title: VA Roommates don't pay there portion of wifi or electric

Question: I live in VA. My roommates are always either late or never pay there portion of electric and wifi, which is in my name.  Normally this doesn't bother me but today I heard my roommate talking insane trash about me.  My question is can a change the wifi password/deny them access to the wifi?  There is no wifi in the lease so I (a tenent) set it up in my name. Also sorry if something doesn't make sense, I'm up way past when I'm normal asleep listening to her trashtalk me

Answer: Change the WiFi password until they pay up, and once they are paid up insist they transfer the electric to their name before they can use that WiFi. Only far to split up utility accounts.


Title: Is it legal to drive around in a van with the word "RAPE" painted on the side?

Question: In the show Workaholics, Karl has a van that has the word "RAPE" painted on the side. Would this be legal?

Answer:
 Would it be crossing the line to write in small text underneath, “free candy”?

I’m a terrible person.Answer #2: Don't forget that free speech does not free you from the consequences of said speech.Answer #3: Sure. But expect to get stopped by every police car you encounter Answer #4: sold a camper to a dumb ass in my high school, who "fixed it up" and spray painted it, and wrote on the back "don't laugh your daughter is probably in here" and the cops pulled them over and made them paint over it, this was RCMP officers


Title: In Iowa, if someone kills themself how much police involvement would there be?

Question: Will there be any sort of investigation? If so, what sorts of things will police investigate? If their roommate happens to keep illegal drugs around and the police find them during an investigation what can happen to the roommate?

Answer:
 Hi OP, sounds like you're having some troubles.  Please visit /r/suicidewatch.  They have links to a lot of resources that could help.  Take a look at the sidebar.

I wish you well.


Title: [TX] Dealership “repaired” my car and the engine seized after they attempted to drive it out of the service bay.

Question:
My cars turbo started to go out so I brought it to a dealership to have it looked at. After inspecting it, the techs said that three things needed to be replace, two semi unrelated to the turbo itself.

After agreeing to the repair, they called and said the engine seized after trying to drive it out of the service bay after repairing it.

I spoke to the service manager who told me he saw the car smoking in the service bay while idling and that the tech said “we’ll see if it clears up” and then attempted to drive it out and the engine rods locked up.

They’re claiming no foul and saying this is entirely common and that there was sludge in the engine of a 2015 vehicle with less than 80k miles which has had regular oil changes.

I won’t go into technical details unless asked but what they’re telling me sounds fishy and I believe they messed up somewhere which caused the seize. They’re also quoting 16k to replace it which is half of what I owe on it still.

Is there anything I can do here?

Answer:
 Mechanic here....

No. just no. If it locked up the engine was run without oil pressure and the id10t light would have been on. What was replaced exactly? It sounds to me like the shop done fucked up.


Title: Proposed 62% Rent Hike - Winnipeg - What Can I Do?!

Question:
Today I received notice of application for rent increase from the Residential Tenancies Branch. The requested increase amount is 62.3%.

&#x200B;

This apartment was recently taken over by new management. It was in terrible condition. Our apartment was renovated prior to our move in. I assume this is the reason the rent was increased from $693 to $940/month prior to my wife and I moving in. We were informed when we signed the lease that we would likely see a rent increase to pay for structural work to the building, maybe as much as 15%. Other units have been renovated since we've moved in, but no improvements have been made to the common areas of the building or the structure. They are still in terrible condition, best described as untouched in 30-40 years. Our proposed rent will go up to $1445/monthly, 5 months before our lease expires.

&#x200B;

What can we do?

Answer:
 They are not allowed to increase your rent in the middle of a lease.  Report them to the Residential Tenancies Branch if they try to do this before your lease is up.   You can also go to the RTB and file a formal protest against the proposed rent increase before it happens.  Your landlord is entitled to make the request and you are entitled to lodge a complaint.  It would help of other tenants filed with the RTB as well.Answer #2: If it's a month to month lease and you don't want to pay the increased rate, you'll have to give notice and vacate.

However, if you signed a lease agreement for a defined period of time it should include a monthly price - and it would not be legal to deviate from this price unless both parties agreed. Answer #3: Do you have an active lease? What does it say about rent increases? Does it allow for them? If it doesn't I would send them a kind letter saying something like, sorry, but we like our current price guaranteed by the lease, so we'll be continuing to pay that.


Title: someone stole my niece's artwork and now it's in Amazon

Question:
Hello,

What can my 19 y/o niece do to go after these stolen artwork?  I can provide links if needed.  She's pretty depressed about it and she's the nicest girl ever, just can't fathom why anyone would steal it and blatantly sell these images on a shirt, caps and other merchandise.

Answer:
 Is your niece in the US? If so, she could send a DMCA take down notice to Amazon.Answer #2: Here's the page to report it to Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/reports/infringement

When writing them, she should make it clear it's the art printed ON the item that is the problem, and provide proof.

When she writes in, sometimes first response you get back may not make sense if the CSR did not understand the problem, so be prepared to have to reply back to further explain. (Try and be nice and succinct, not ramble on.)

Unfortunately, this kind of thing is becoming increasingly common with "Print On Demand" products. Unscrupulous sellers will download a pile of images and make mock products, they don't even print them up until someone orders it so it costs them nothing.


Title: Did something stupid and hired prostitute off backpage last night. Now "pimp" is claiming that she is underage and that the whole thing was recorded.

Question:
Basically as title states. The thing is, nothing really happened because she was falling asleep the whole time. Seemed like she was on some sort of drug and completely out of her mind. I've never done anything like this before and I'm kinda starting to get scared. Pimp mentioned something about police but wouldn't he be incriminating himself for pimping an underage girl in the first place?

If she really is underage then I feel absolutely disgusted and violated. I feel like this was a scam from the get go.

Anyways, any help would be appreciated.

EDIT: This is in TX

Answer:
 > Pimp mentioned something about police but wouldn't he be incriminating himself for pimping an underage girl in the first place?

Yes, yes he would.

He would have produced child pornography in addition to being a pimp to a child.

You can't buy silence, you can only rent it.

My advice is to cut off all contact and stop hiring prostitutes.


Title: Landlord fining me without solid evidence that I've violated my lease.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 I don't get it. How can someone's statement like that possibly hold up? What if there's a no smoking rule and somebody "saw" someone smoking, and reported it? They'd have to pay a fine, too?

It seems to me ridiculous that the LL would just take the word of a tenant tattling on another tenant with no proof.Answer #2: Testimony is evidence.  So he does have evidence of your lease break.

Here, you have two options.  You can pay it, or you can decline.  If you decline, I'd strongly recommend talking to the landlord and providing your side of the story.  If you can't come to an agreement on the payment, he may move to evict you.  You'd then have to provide your defense in court.


Title: OR - charging victim for apartment damage caused by abuser in domestic violence situation

Question:
I was the victim of a domestic violence incident where I was attacked and my items were destroyed. There was also damage done to my apartment.

I have since gotten a restraining order, the person is in jail, and I've relocated.

The damage to the apartment is around $2-3k+. My landlord is refusing to pay and insists that I pay for damages. Insurance will not cover any structural damage. I received a pamphlet from an advocate on housing rights and it states that "A landlord may not charge you for damage caused by the abuser." Is this true?

Thank you in advance.

Answer: Were you a leaseholder at the apartment?  Was your abuser?


Title: Does 17 U.S. Code § 512(c) require service providers to accept DMCA takedowns via email?

Question:
Under the DMCA, service providers are required to maintain a designated agent with "name, address, phone number, and electronic mail address" in order to enjoy safe harbour under the DMCA.

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/512

I recently sent a DMCA takedown notice to a service provider fulfilling all the necessary requirements. I sent it via email. The service provider sent me an email back stating that they do not accept DMCA takedowns via email, but only via an online form. I presume they do this to save time. However, it creates more work on my end.

Question: Is the service provider required to accept DMCA takedowns in electronic format. The DMCA itself is very vague, stating that the designated agent must act on any DMCA received in written form, but not explaining what qualifies as written form.

I have several hundred DMCAs to send so I'd much rather send them via email. I think the provider is being lazy.

Location: United States

Answer:
 Hey, I'm a copyright lawyer who has sent thousands of DMCA takedowns and even written articles about the process. There is nothing in the DMCA that says they can't be sent by email. In fact, the law even explicitly allows you to use an electronic signature since it knows most DMCAs will be sent online.

I also prefer to send them via email and have sent hundreds that way. The vast majority have been processed. If you go to a service provider's terms of use, do an alt-f search for "copyright". Often, they will have DMCA instructions in their terms of use that include an email address to send notices to. If there is none,  just send it to every email address you can find (customer service, and a few others). Put something like "ATTN: LEGAL DMCA NOTICE. LEGAL ACTION REQUIRED", in the subject line and at the top of the email request that they forward it to their legal department immediately.

I've had a couple service providers respond and say that they don't accept DMCA notices via email. Both times I replied very sternly saying that since they acknowledged they received it with their reply, they were hereby under notice and now liable for secondary copyright infringement if they didn't process it, and I would not be sending a second notice to conform to their arbitrary, non-statutory rules. Every time they have quickly complied after that.

*None of the above is legal advice and I'm not your attorney.


Title: [NJ] Lawsuit for bright lights in gym?

Question:
The fitness center (room where the weights, cardio machines etc.) in my local non-profit gym whose name may or may not begin with a Y, is in a space where the lighting and ceiling looks like a typical office -- florescent lighting every few feet embedded in a false ceiling. The room is no brighter than the cube farm I am sitting in right now.

There is a patron at the gym who, due to his vision problems, has difficulty tolerating bright light. He therefore is planning to sue the gym for the room being too bright.  I assume it would be under the ADA.

My legal question, assuming the fitness center is not unusually bright, can one person force a business to accommodate his needs in this case to the detriment of others (for example, many people read books while on the cardio machines and dimmer lights would make that difficult), especially when there is a seemingly reasonable work around, like wearing sunglasses, to otherwise accommodate his disability?

Answer:
 I think the reasonable accommodation here would be that the guy wear sunglasses inside rather then the gym have to replace all its non extreme normal lighting Answer #2: All they need to provide is reasonable accommodation, which in this case would likely include a hat or glasses.

Can he sue?  Yes.  Can he win?  Not likely.  Can he intimidate them into changing things to avoid being sued?  Possibly.


Question:
[New York/5 Years Ago] Girlfriend got an IUD from a new Gynecologist - Ended Up Getting Pregnant Anyway

I'll keep this short. Kinda.

About five years ago my girlfriend went to a new gynecologist and got an IUD (new meaning she had never seen this doctor before). The IUD posed a couple problems for us in the beginning. First, it caused her to have very bad cramps occasionally. Secondly, sex became very painful for me because I could feel the IUD strings hitting my dick whenever we had intercourse (I'm only 6 inches). So my girlfriend goes back to the gyno to fix these issues. Gyno cuts the strings shorter and tells her that the occasional cramps are normal and should go away with time.

The cramps subside eventually, but come back. And I can still feel the strings.

A couple weeks later my girlfriend develops severe nausea from eating sushi. After a visit to the Emergency Room we find out the cause of her illness is not food related, but because she is 7 weeks pregnant. According to the doctor at the ER, the IUD was placed too low for it to effective against an unwanted pregnancy. We ended up getting an abortion immediately, as neither of us feel ready to start a family at this point in our lives, and I'm afraid that the presence of an IUD is going to negatively affect embryonic development.

Many years later, me and my girlfriend are still together, but I find myself often looking back on the experience with remorse. The abortion was devastating for me because I legitimately felt like I had made the decision to end my unborn child's life, and to this day I still feel terrible about it. Furthermore I never sought to look more deeper into the matter because I was busy trying to cope with the situation, but now I'm beginning to look at other aspects, mainly the gynecologist, who was responsible for implanting and maintaining the IUD.

With that being said, what can I do about this? Both me and my girlfriend have since moved on from this, relatively, but a large part of me feels like this a huge fuckup on the gynecologist's part.

TLDR: Girlfriend got an IUD from a new gynocologist. Girlfriend got pregnant anyway. What are my options, if any?

Answer:
 Getting pregnant is a risk of an IUD.

If you want to argue this was malpractice you would need a lawyer and really you're limited to the cost of the abortion. Answer #2: It’s also worth noting that the uterus is a muscular organ and can potentially shift the IUD’s position, not to mention the inherent failure rate as with any method of contraception.


Title: Investment Advisor (Fiduciary) forgot to invest cash in mutual fund, can I sue for negligence/losses?

Question:
I have an automatic deposit into a PNC investment account. The account manager is supposed to allocate the cash every month when it is deposited. That hasn't happened for the last couple months. So, I have a large cash balance, and have obviously missed out on all of those investment returns.

Is there any recourse for this?

Answer:
 As someone who used to work for a large investment bank (I've seen this exact situation), you can reach out to your IA and see if they will compensate what you would have made if the funds had been invested. If they choose to do this they will pay the difference out of the company/branch funds to cover, what is in essence, a mistake by the IA.

There is no need to sue unless A) the amount you would have made was monstrous or B) if the branch/company gives you a really hard time about it and you just want to go that route.

I wouldn't suggest option B though unless the amount is substantial.


Title: If i'm the legal dropout age can my parents stop me

Question:
So I live in Ontario (That's in Canada) the legal dropout age is 18. I'm currently 14 and wanted to know if when the legal age can my parents/guardian stop me from dropping out.

I hope this was the right sub to post this
Topic:
School Related Issues

Answer:
 No, your parents cannot force you to enrol in school once you're an adult.

However, your parents can demand that you move out and stop supporting you once you're an adult.


Title: City failed to bill for water for 2 years, just sent a $9,000 bill [California]

Question:
Hello Reddit Esq.,

My mother signed up to have water and sewage at her new residence 2 years ago. When signing up, she had the utilities people set her bill to Autopay. The sewage bill has been getting paid automatically, but the water bill hasn't (despite her signing up both at the same time through the same utilities person). Unbeknownst to her, because she was never charged, never sent a bill, never called, or contacted by the city in any way regarding the issue over the course of 2 years, one of her pipes deep underground got a leak. Based on usage history that we have just now seen, the leak occurred 18 months ago, just a few months after she moved in. But how the heck could she have known?

After they shut off her water (You could call this her first contact with the Water Department regarding the issue) she called them to ask why. Our city's water Department (I'll call them Water Department A) told us we weren't in city A's jurisdiction (even though they shut off our water and left their phone number), call City B.

City B says, not our jurisdiction, call City A.

We call City A again who sends us to a third water department.

Finally we call City A again and basically ask to speak to someone who isn't an idiot. Non-idiot is able to pull up our water bill and confirm that they had not at any point billed us or attempted to contact us in anyway, that both parties had agreed to automatic payments, etc. The water bill just sat in their Database completely ignored for 18 months accruing massive amounts of charges for a leak they never attempted to contact her about until they shut off her water and sent a $9,000 bill.

What can we do? We fixed the leak within a few days of receiving notice and the water department has since confirmed that the water usage is back to the rate it was at for the first few months. But they still want the $9,000 for what seems to me like a series of failures on their end.

Thanks for your help!

Answer:
 Escalate with the city or water company as high as you can. If they don't budge, you may need to have a lawyer write them a letter.

There is a legal "doctrine of laches" that essentially states that a delay on their part that prejudiced you (by not alerting you to the underground leak and thus preventing you from fixing it) should prevent them from collecting.

There may be some specific law regulating water companies either as a public utility or municipality that will come into play as well.

If the leak is fixed and the water is on, I'd offer them six months' of charges at your current usage rate to settle it.Answer #2: Vegeta! What does the water meter say about our debt level?

>The water bill just sat in their Database completely ignored for 18 months accruing massive amounts of charges for a leak they never attempted to contact her about until they shut off her water and sent a $9,000 bill.

That sounds unethical. I'd reach out to the local government / utilities regulator and see about having that fee partially waived. Answer #3: I would also suggest reaching out to your local city councilman/alderman/utilities commissioner. These are people that will go to war for their voters (particularly if your mother is elderly) with local utilities. Answer #4: I heard there was a class action lawsuit on this.  Does this cover you? https://topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/lawsuit-news/584820-los-angeles-department-water-power-class-action-settlement/


Title: [FL]I own half my neighbors driveway. Should I keep the land or sell it to him, or do an easement?

Question:
Owned house for 2.5 years. Old neighbor had no issue. We've been working on building a fence to replace the shitty old fence and have been coming back 24 inches from the line to retain fence rights.

But the new owners might want to turn the large house into several apartments. Should I offer to sell the property to him or do an easement, to prevent any issues for in the future?

Also, have shitty ms paint diagram. Uploading momentarily

Edit: http://imgur.com/ok8oC05

Answer: Hey Mods--at the end of the year could we vote on Best Shifty MS Paint Diagram of 2017?


Title: [CT] I am an 18 year old working a summer job. Do I need to be paying federal taxes?

Question:
Hi all,

I am currently working as a lifeguard this summer, and am making about $13-15 per hour. I make about $500-700 per week before taxes. The place where I currently work automatically takes the taxes out of my pay checks. I am paying Social Security, Medicare and Federal Taxes. Do I need to be paying Federal Taxes?

Thanks

Answer:
 They withhold the taxes.

Next April (or before) you file taxes.

If you haven't made enough money to owe taxes, you get the money back in a refund.


Title: Landlord in IL sold partial lease to collectors who are trying to collect more than the verified amount. Advice?

Question:
I lived in Illinois in an apartment from August 2013 to December 2013 when I had to move to take up teaching in Kentucky.  My landlord was adamant that I put things in writing but she would not put anything in writing so all of the communication was verbal.  When I moved the landlord verbally agreed to end the lease so another tenant could move in they just needed my keys so I mailed them with tracking and delivery confirmation but the landlord never sent any paperwork back.  I have still not heard a word from the landlord.  But 10 months later in September I get a letter from a collection agency in Illinois or $5500 which is the amount the lease would have been if I had never paid rent a single time.  I asked for verification and a month later got a list of charges totaling up to $3800 and in the same letter them asking for $5500.  My most recent contact with them was in January when I asked for verification of the full $5500 they're asking including this mystery $1700 difference.  I have a few questions.

Is it legal for them to ask for more than the verifiable debt?  (note I looked over my lease dozens of times and there is nothing allowing a 43% charge to be added)

Is it legal for the landlord to sell the debt without ever contacting me to even let me know it was owed?  (last I heard from the landlord the lease was terminated if they got the keys back)

What course of action should I take?  (If necessary I'm prepared to settle on a lesser amount but the collectors are pushing this made up number of $5500)

I'm about to head back to school for 2 years, the last thing I need is to have these guys pop up out of the wood works while I'm taking 15 credit hours of engineering classes

Thanks in advance for any advice.
Topic:
Credit Debt Bankruptcy

Answer:
 >Is it legal for them to ask for more than the verifiable debt?

If they can't verify it, then an attempt to collect it is a violation of the affair Debt Collection Practices Act.

> Is it legal for the landlord to sell the debt without ever contacting me to even let me know it was owed?

Yes

>What course of action should I take?

Do you agree that you owe *some* amount? If so, offer to settle for that amount and tell them you'll drop your FDCPA claim. Get the settlement in writing before paying anything.

>while I'm taking 15 credit hours of engineering classes

On snowflake.


Title: Neighbors running a business from home in a residential zone.

Question: Neighbors run a party supply business from their property causing noise and a lot of unknown visitors. They park their RV and business U-Hauls in their driveway causing them to flood our street with cars when they park their 9 cars outside. They also seem to rent out their property for people looking to host parties causing even more noise and parking headaches. Is it right to be that neighbor that calls the city?

Answer: Nothing will likely get done unless someone calls. Whether that someone ends up being you or not is completely up to you.


Title: How do I find out why I failed a Background Check? (KS)

Question:
A friend of mine submitted my info for approval for visitation at a residential center/work release facility.  It was denied.  The officer told him it was due to either (1) a warrant or (2) criminal history.  But couldn't tell him which it was. I'm squeaky clean!

How can I find out what it was?  I don't even know what jurisdiction this supposed history would be in.  I don't suspect they would tell me over the phone if I called the facility.

Answer:
 [Here are your rights under federal law](https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/pdf-0096-fair-credit-reporting-act.pdf)  Request a copy of the background check and dispute the results. You are entitled to an accurate report. There is probably someone with the same name and dob as you and they are not doing their due diligence. Answer #2: You call them and ask.

What turns up on a background check will depend on which of the thousands of services they used, and what is "passing" or "failing" will depend on the standards they set up for themselves.


Title: [Minnesota] My friend is asking me to write a letter stating she is independent from her parents to file as in independent for FAFSA.

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
School Related Issues

Answer: Don't say anything untrue, otherwise you're arguably conspiring to commit fraud.  Tell the truth to the level you're comfortable being involved and to the level that you can do so with assurance that it's accurate.


Title: Made a new entrance into my house, now I’m in trouble? [RI]

Question:
On mobile, so sorry if the formatting is off.

So just like the title states. There was a new entrance made to my (fathers) house. Now, he didn’t get any permits, so I probably know how this is gonna go, but I want to be sure. But my question is, what are the legalities of this?

I came over today, and there was an inspector from the city outside and he said “we got a complaint that somebody is building without a permit” when asked who complained, he responded “the city did.” He asked if he could come take a look, I told him “no., he’s not welcomed on the property” He asked if the owner of the house was here and I replied back “he’s not here, but I’m his son.” then I walked inside the house, and closed the door. He promptly came and knocked, then left when he heard the dog start barking at the door.

Now the new entrance was made in the back of the house, by an actual company, not just John Doe from down the street, this was an actual construction company. There’s no way the inspector could have seen it unless he went to the back of the house, which I know he did, because one of the two gates we have, WHICH IS ALWAYS CLOSED (because 1. There’s a dog here, and 2. Any visitors we’ve had have only ever use the *other* gate to come in. We pretty much forget about this gate) was left opened.

So ultimately, did we need a permit to open a new entrance? Was the inspector actually allowed to come take a look without us giving him permission to go into the yard? What kind of punishment/fines are we looking at for this?

Should I add pictures of the entrance?

Answer: I’m not a lawyer, but you said a construction company completed the job? From what I understand they’re the ones that usually get the permits. I can’t imagine a licensed and insured company would do something like that without knowing and following the local laws. Wouldn’t hurt to give them a call and ask.Answer #2: Whatever "legit" company renovated the structure of your house without a permit risks penalty as does your father.  You always need a building permit (Not a lawyer, directly involved with building codes and municipal gov (civil engineering))


Title: Store delivered an extra oven at no cost

Question:
Hi legaladvice! Hope this is the right sub.

Here is my situation:

Last week we had to buy a new oven because our old one quit working unexpectedly.  We went to a department store (which I'll leave unnamed for now, suffice to say it is a nation-wide retailer of appliances, power tools, homeware, clothes, etc.) and bought a new stove.

A couple days later the new stove was delivered to our house and the delivery men left it sitting in the middle of our kitchen, which is where we wanted it to be left.  Later, when we tried to put it in we discovered it was too wide for the space it needed to go in.  We checked the advertised measurements and it turns out this was a manufacturing defect--the oven was 1/8 inch wider than it was supposed to.

We called the store, they agreed it was a defect, said they would come deliver a new one and pick this one up.  No problem.

The new one arrives, we measured it before it left the truck, found that it had a large dent in the side.  Called the store, they agreed to bring us a different one.

The next day the new one arrives, we bring it in, it fits! Everything is resolved.

Tonight we got a call saying that our new oven would be delivered tomorrow.  An EXTRA oven.  We only have one charge for ONE oven on our credit card.  Obviously, the most "ethical" thing to do would be to inform them of the mix-up and send oven #2 back.  However, are we legally obligated to do this?  If the store has screwed up and given us another oven for free, are we obligated to inform them?

Any input would be great

EDIT #1: We are in North Carolina, if that matters.

Answer: I'm not even going to entertain your question. They could ask you to pay or return it once they discover the error. Let them know and save yourself the hassle. You know it's the right thing to do.


Title: Fired a few days ago. Employer trying to screw me on some contract details

Question:
Hi Reddit, I need your help. I work in California, and I was let go a few days ago from a small company (3-4 people) and was told I would be paid until the end of the month (so 1 paycheck after the date I was verbally fired).

My contract has details about "termination without cause" and "termination with cause". I believe I am being terminated without cause, but of course, my employer is trying to say "there is a cause" because I was unable to perform the duties I stated on my resume. When I asked my boss what duties I failed to perform, she was unable to give much of a response. When I asked how long she and my coworker have been having concerns about my abilities, she said "for months now. we've talked about it several times". So I asked them why I wasn't included in any of these discussions, and she couldn't answer me. This is why I believe I am being terminated without cause.

Under the contract they wrote to me, to terminate without cause, the employer must give 60 days prior written notice and I would be entitled to all earned salary, wages and expenses through the effective termination date.

There are certain items under "termination with cause" that I am concerned they will spin against me:
1. Failure of employee to perform duties after written notice from employer stating the alleged failure(s), after which employee failed to correct the matters within 5 days of receiving the notice 2. Commits an act or omission which in the opinion of the employer brings discredit of a serious nature to employer.

I have not done either of these things but I am worried they will try to say I did.

It also says termination with cause shall occur by written notice, which I also have not received.

Under my contract, I believe I fall under "termination without cause", which would mean I deserve 60 days of written notification, and my vacation hour payout. That's significantly more than the 2 weeks of severance they are offering me.

Anyone have experience/advice on this? Much appreciated.

Answer: You're going to need a California employment attorney, as this varies greatly from state to state. One thing I am reasonably sure about, however, is that even if you are let go "for cause," they can't not-pay you your accrued vacation time.


Title: [MI] I Called OSHA on my Job, Now What?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 >I am currently waiting for my FOIA request of the entire investigation. But I'm wondering if there's anything I can do to receive any money out of this situation.

What would you like money for?  For the things you reported to OSHA?


Title: [SC] College (Private not state) made a billing error now says I owe almost 2k before graduation

Question:
Bills for spring semester went out (and was paid immediately in full by me) very early January. Yesterday I get called over to the college's business office with the accountant telling me that due to a computer error which took a fall scholarship and erroneously carried it over into the spring as a credit, I now owe that money (they're also unwilling to give me an extension, they say it has to be paid before graduation) or I will be unable to graduate.

Do I have any grounds to refute this? She says the school is allowed to add expenses/fees at any point in the semester even though bills for tuition/housing go out in January.

Thanks!

Answer: None whatsoever. You agreed to pay tuition when you registered.


Title: I found my brother's Pornhub account and it contains "hidden cam" videos where the woman is clearly unaware she's being filmed (not sure how I can prove she's unaware). Am I allowed to report it, since I'm not otherwise involved? How best to report it and remain somewhat anonymous?

Question:
A little background: My brother and I don't speak to each other. No one in the family talks to him. He's an asshole. I found his Reddit username a few years back when Snapchat recommended I add him as a friend, because his phone number was in my contacts. His Snapchat name is the same as his Reddit name.

I have a Google Alert setup for his real name, and today it hit me that I should add his Snapchat/Reddit username for alerts. That's when I found his Pornhub name (same username). The age and address of the Pornhub profile were correct, but I wasn't 100% sure until I saw his face in one of the videos on his public Pornhub profile. He has 28 videos, and 21 are "Hidden Cam #" (two are titled "Hidden Cam 3", but have different lengths). It's pretty obvious the woman in the videos is completely unaware she's being filmed. I don't know her name or how to contact her.

He lives in Virginia (I live in the US, but not in Virginia). The videos have timestamps on them, and the last one is from March of 2018. According to Pornhub, he was last online yesterday. Do such videos count as "revenge porn"? How is best to report this? Am I allowed to report this? What can I do? I feel like I should do something. I would rather he not know I'm aware of his username, but I can break anonymity if I have to.

Answer:
 >I found my brother's Pornhub account and it contains "hidden cam" videos where the woman is clearly unaware she's being filmed (not sure how I can prove she's unaware).

>It's pretty obvious the woman in the videos is completely unaware she's being filmed. I don't know her name or how to contact her.

You do realize that porn actors... act? Not saying they are good actors, mind you - but they do try to play a part when being filmed.

Your suspicion those people are unaware seems to be baseless - you have no idea whatsoever who they are and whether they were aware of the camera or not.

If anything, you seem to just be assuming the worst about you brother based on your existing disagreements/conflicts.

Your assumption could be right or it could be wrong, but you have zero evidence on this matter.

>Am I allowed to report it, since I'm not otherwise involved?

You can report it, even though without anything other than allegations from a estranged family member that has no knowledge about those specific matters it is highly unlikely anything will happen to your brother.

>How best to report it and remain somewhat anonymous?

No form of reporting would guarantee that you would stay anonymous.


Title: Fired after 30+ years of employment without any write-ups, suspect retaliation [California]

Question: Hi, r/legaladvice. This is actually for my aunt. She was just fired today from her job as an editor of the local newspaper. A few days ago she was in a work meeting and her supervisor asked her if a project she was working on was sustainable. She asked him what he meant - cost-wise or labor-wise? He responded, "Well, do I have to explain it to you?" The next day, he called her into his office and yelled at her, questioning her ability to lead. Today, she was fired and the reason given was that her supervisor lost confidence in her. She has never been reprimanded or warned about her job performance. This supervisor just came on in March of this year. We suspect that he was hired to eliminate some of the newspaper's higher earners to cut costs. I know about the whole thing with being an at-will employee, but we were wondering if she could do anything legally. She noted that there were other women in the workplace who have been targeted for possible termination and it has become a hostile work environment since this guy was hired. More information can be provided if needed. Thank you!

Answer: You'll need a lot more than that if you want to prove illegal discrimination. Maybe they just wanted a change and to shake things up. As an at-will employee she's not guaranteed continued employment just because she's worked there a long time. She should file for unemployment and look for a new job.


Title: Can my employer force me to work overtime as a part-time employee?

Question:
Throwaway account to protect my anonymity.

Other useful info:
Work in NYC.
I am paid by the hour and contracted to do 29 hrs per week (part-time employee).
I am regularly asked to stay late, come in early, and have been clocking much more than 29 hrs every week. Yet, I am never compensated for the extra time.

Am I within my rights to ask for compensation for the extra hrs? Can I be legally fired for refusing to work unpaid overtime?

Answer:
 Do you mean you're not being paid for the extra hours **at all**, or that you're not being paid overtime pay for those hours?

You should be paid normal wages for anything worked up to forty hours in a week, and overtime wages after that.  Answer #2: Absolutely you must be paid for all time worked no question. How long have you been working for free?

You can refuse to work overtime and you can be fired for it, but you must be paid if you work it.

You can file an unpaid wage complaint if you aren't being paid for time you work.


Title: Man discovers he doesn't own his own home that he has been living in since 2012 in an odd mixup

Answer: That’s why you get title insurance.Answer #2: [But is it his beautiful wife?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IsSpAOD6K8)


Title: [USA - TX] My current employer stopped contributing to my insurance, insurance company dropped my coverage and is threatening collections. Do I have any options?

Question:
I’m sorry if this is the wrong sub; please let me know if there’s a better place to post this.  I am really at a loss here, so any advice is appreciated!

**The short version**

I’m a full time hourly employee (Edit: not sure if it's relevant, but this isn't a minimum wage situation.  My hourly wage is relatively high and I work in corporate America.  See the long version below for details).

I am paid weekly.

I have my company’s crappy insurance and my premium is automatically deducted.

I submitted a timecard late and received one paycheck late.

Which meant that I missed a payment for my insurance.

Insurance company took me off of automatic debits and wants me to pay them directly.

I’m willing to directly pay my regular premium, but my employer refuses to pay the portion that they normally contribute.

I have now involuntarily “left” my company’s insurance program.

My company refuses to allow me back on to the insurance program until next open enrollment (8 months)

**So here’s what I currently face:**

I have no insurance.

I owe Aetna for 3 months of insurance that I can’t pay, because they want me to pay both my own contribution and the portion that my employer usually pays.

Aetna is now threatening to ruin my credit score by sending my debt to collections.

I think I may have to pay penalties for not having any insurance when I file my taxes?

**The Longer Version:**
I am a full time, hourly employee for a company called Workforce Solutions (not the real name) as a project manager.  Workforce Solutions sends me out to work for clients offsite and at the end of every week, I submit a digital timecard of all the hours I worked on behalf of the client.  Workforce Solutions then pays me an hourly rate for my work (and I receive a paycheck every week) and sends a bill to the client.

In August of 2014 Workforce Solutions released their new “Obamacare Compliant” healthcare plans (seriously – that’s the phrasing they used in the announcement).  So I signed up for a basic plan – not the cheapest, but definitely not the most expensive.  So every week $60 was deducted from my paycheck and I had insurance…Woohoo!

But one week in October of 2014 I had a crazy work schedule and I wasn’t able to submit my timecard on time.  I was working for the client out of the office and didn’t have access to the internet.  So my paycheck was a week late – no big deal.  But in December of 2014 I was contacted by Aetna (my insurance provider) about a past due balance on my account.

As it turns out, no insurance premium was deducted from my delayed paycheck back in October.  I still don’t know if this was Aetna’s decision or Workforce Solutions’.  And since I “missed” a payment to them, Aetna took me out of their auto pay system and require me to make a direct payment to them via check or debit card in order to continue my coverage.  I thought that was an inconvenience but I know that I need insurance, so I whipped out my debit card and was ready to pay over the phone.  However, the amount that I owed was **significantly** greater than the $60/week that I had been paying.  The amount is too much for me to cover by myself so I haven’t made any payment at all.  Obviously, Aetna dropped my coverage.

Apparently when the auto deduction from my paycheck stopped, my employer also stopped making their contribution.  And that’s the problem: regardless of whether I pay my portion of the premium, Workforce Solutions is refusing to pay their part for the missed payments.  Furthermore, even though Aetna was willing to re-enroll me in the automatic deduction system, Workforce Solutions has stated that they will no longer pay make their contriubtion.  In effect, I’ll have to cover 100% of the cost of my insurance until open enrollment begins in August, 2015.

**So here’s what I’m currently facing:**

I have no insurance.

I owe Aetna for 3 months of insurance that I can’t pay, because they want me to pay both my own contribution and the portion that my employer usually pays.

Aetna is now threatening to ruin my credit score by sending my debt to collections.

I think I may have to pay penalties for not having any insurance when I file my taxes?

Answer:
 You should contact the Texas department of insurance regarding the issue at tdi.texas.gov preferably call them tomorrow.

This makes no sense to me either. Nonpayment after the grace period results in the contract terminating. There is no debt, because you receive no consideration (coverage) after the contract terms. -  though of course if the contact is no longer in force you don't have health insurance. (things like retroactive reinstatement exist but it varies by state and contract.)

Regarding tax implications, there is a iirc a 90 day grace period which you may squeak under.

The affordable care act is open for enrollment until Feb 15 so you should check Healthcare.gov

Another oddity, in my state the grace period is 31 days, you said you get paid weekly...

I am involved in health insurance regulation, but not in your state. This is a personal, not professional opinion.


Title: Missouri - My Aunt died - Her derelict husband, has delegated my mom to manage all of his financial affairs - How does my mom do this responsibly ?

Question:
My Aunt was a sweet older lady who had been married for many years before her death.  Her husband was a bit of derelict. He works off and on and gambles a lot . My aunt managed the household and finances. My Aunt was on a fixed income and received only social security and disability check ( I believe). Her husband in extension, has less than 1000/month in income . (We suspect he may work a side job for cash tips - but I think he gambles with that.)

The husband has no starting point nor desire to learn about how to manage his affairs. He is in his 80's and has never worked a computer, been to the grocery store,  opened a bill, or written a check before.  Before his wifes death, my mom had partnered with my aunt to help her manage her bills and budget. Now after her death, her husband has asked my mom to continue to manage the household bills in his stead.

Considering, that the husband has no awareness of any of his bills or environment and there is no legal document ( like a will ) or any POA to assign this - I am wondering if this is in anyway risky- is it ?
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 Nice of your mom, but has she considered not giving a fuck? Honestly, why bother with this hassle? Really consider why this situation which is 100% "Not her problem" should take up a moment of her day.

After that, yes she will probably need a POA if she is to do this effectively. The risk she runs is she will have to act in the fiduciary best interest of the husband, an unrelated otherwise perfectly capable adult who you didn't say suffers from a mental or other disability that would render their ability to be an adult null.

If there enough cash/assets she may be able to fire a trusts attorney to do this.

Again, while I get he is "family" and sweet and what Aunt "would want" there is no obligation here so why bother creating one?


Title: My father opened a corporation under my name, what do I do?

Question:
Location: US, Florida

My mom told me the other day that if you search my name on corporationwiki I am listed as the president of one of my fathers failed businesses. My father has a history of opening business, screwing over who ever he can, and then closing shop and dodging lawsuits and debt collectors for as long as he can which he has already done with the one opened under my name. Unfortunately I did give him the information when he asked for it a few years ago thinking it was for car insurance purposes.

So to get to the point I'm basically worried about who ever he fucked over this time coming after me since I am the founder. Is there anything I should or can do legally to distance myself from this business/ cover my ass in case someone does decide to come after me? I know he's in deep shit because he tried opening another business, under his name this time I think, and the lawyers he was working with accidentally let slip that they thought there was something shady going on with him and that they should look deeper before proceeding.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Edit: also forgot to add I did call him and ask about it, he admit to opening it under my name and said it was no big deal.
Topic:
Business Law

Answer: Report him to police and let him explain to them that identity theft is no big deal.


Title: Dad signed checks before death [California]

Question:
My dad passed away from cancer just a few days ago.

&#x200B;

Knowing that he did not have much time left, he signed multiple checks in advance in order for our mom to cash them out for bills, food, expense, etc. He was unable to prepare a will.

&#x200B;

Before he passed, he sold all his stocks and transferred the funds to his bank account but he passed away before the transfer was complete so my mom was unable to cash some of the checks out.

The money in his bank account is all that he had at his time of death.

&#x200B;

We haven't notified the bank of his death yet as we had just went to the funeral home the other day to start the process for death certificates. The funeral home told us it will take a few weeks for us to receive the death certificates.

&#x200B;

Question is: is she allowed to cash out the pre-signed checks after my dad has passed away?

He has roughly 20 - 30k in his account. She wants to cash it all out but I'm not sure if that is okay.

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Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Topic:
Wills Trusts and Estates

Answer:
 If the checks were written before his date of death, you can cash them.

I'm sorry for your loss.


Title: My boss is taking a month's pay in order to pay for damages that weren't my fault. (TN)

Question: I work  as an online shipping associate who lists and ships out items for a local small-town business. Please forgive my lack of details and coherence, I just had two extremely heated phone calls with both my boss and a customer who received a damaged $1200 amplifier, so I'm extremely frazzled at the moment. I'm not sure whether UPS dropped it, or backed it over with a truck, or what. I know for a fact that I packed it as I do every other heavy object that we send out, with company-provided boxes and void fill, then they're shake-tested to make sure there's no movement, and then labeled and sent off. But apparently, the amplifier was completely smashed to pieces. So, apparently, my boss, understandably got an angry phone call this evening from the recipient, and he felt it would be a good idea to give the customer MY phone number. Just to cut a long story short, it wasn't a pleasant conversation, that was probably the most heated conversation I've ever had with any customer in all my 8 years total retail experience. Not long after that, my boss calls me; the call wasn't much better than the last one. He tells me that because the amplifier was packed up and shipped out by me that I would be taking 100% of the blame and that I would have to pay for the total cost of the amplifier plus shipping charges out of my paycheck, totaling $1300. Which would mean that I'd be working the next four weeks without pay.  I told him that if he did that, that I would contact the labor board, but he said that he had a full right to do that and if I objected, then I would be fired and would receive no recommendation from him, which is a pretty hefty blow since most places require your past 5 years of employment and I've been working for him for four years while the year before I was just doing college work-study cleaning classrooms. Is there any way to fight this legally or am I just stuck until I've paid him off?

Answer:
 TN requires written consent to deduct wages. The wage deduction cannot take you below minimum wage.  [See this site](https://www.tn.gov/workforce/employees/labor-laws/labor-laws-redirect/wages-breaks.html).

If he does it, file a wage complaint. Call the TN Labor Standards unit at  844-224-5818.Answer #2: This is an illegal wage deduction. If you file a complaint and he retaliates against you for it, the company could face serious consequences and you may be entitled to compensation and or your job back. It’s up to you how you’d like to proceed, here is a helpful link:

https://www.tn.gov/workforce/employees/labor-laws/labor-laws-redirect/wages-breaks.html

See the section on unauthorized wage deductionsAnswer #3: It seems you understand your dilemma well. He cannot deduct wages but he also has no obligation to keep you or provide a positive reference. He cannot defame you, but the burden of proof would be on you.Answer #4: What about insurance? This smells like damages that should be covered by shipping insurance? Was the amp not insured?


Title: Got a large speeding ticket in NC and I have a court date which i won't be able to make because I'm a full-time student in New York. What should i do?

Question:
On the ticket the officer cited me going "A80" in a 55mph zone. Does anyone have any insight into what might happen/what I can do/if there's any way around this? I'm a poor college student and I can't afford to miss school, let alone whatever this fee might be

Any insight is great,

Thanks!

Answer: Either pay the fine or show up to court. When you miss court dates you get arrested. The fine will be bigger and police will escort you out of class once they have a warrant.


Title: M/22/Ontario Being brought to police station tomorrow for sexual assault charges

Question:
Hi there, bit of a backstory, I am a 22 year old male from ontario. I was recently contacted by the local police saying i am the prime suspect in a sexual assult case and that I am to meet them at the station. We set up a date for tomorrow (1pm). I asked for more information and he said he couldn't tell me over the phone. I asked the officer a couple of questions and this was what i was able to get from him:

The offence in question happened anywhere from september 17-30 2013.

Now i can only remember having sex with one girl at that time but i would 110% say that it was consentual. Any advice/help would be greatly appreciated. I have also contacted a lawyer and he said to call me tomorrow if charges have officaly been laid.

Thank you guys!

Answer:
 "I'm so glad my client talked to the police" - No Lawyer Ever

Don't talk to the police. Even if your innocent. Answer #2: You may want to find a new lawyer if he's not willing to meet you at the station... Do not attend a meeting with the police unless you have an attorney present to help answer all questions. They're seeking information to charge you. I wouldn't even attend the meeting unless you're formally charged with a crime, which you're not. They want you to give them enough information to charge you


Title: Thinking on starting a clothing brand

Question:
I was looking up what thing do I have to set up and realized there is something called sales tax, I'm 17 I dont understand taxes yet, what does this means? Do I need any permission to sell my clothes online?(not counterfeit,I produce it)
Topic:
Business Law

Answer:
 I can tell you that here in the US, I run an online store, and everytime someone in my state buys something, I have to charge them sales tax, which is something like 7% to 10% depending on where they live.

Then, 4 few times a year, I have to send that money to a state agency. If I failed to collect from someone I still have to send it based on sales I've made. (it's yearly for smaller stores, but they make it quarterly here if you sell enough stuff.)

You probably have something similar, you may also need a business permit from your city depending on the city.


Title: School Cell Phone Seizure Legality

Question: In recent months, my school has seen teachers seize students' phones located inside of their property -- such as backpacks, pockets, etc. -- upon any suspicion that the student may have used that phone during class. While my school district's statues regarding cell phone usage do in fact deem its usage to be grounds for being removed from class, would it not be a violation of a student's constitutional right to refuse search and seizure when the school official searches someone's property for that device? Although New Jersey v. TLO. ruled that searches are justified  "when there are reasonable grounds for suspecting that the search will turn up evidence that the student has violated or is violating either the law or the rules of school," how does the presence of a cellphone in any way provide the necessary evidence for proving that a person broke a school's rule regarding texting? Beyond that, wouldn't this be a stretch of school-facilitated search law?

Answer: That applies to government/LEOs. Schools have a fairly wide latitude in enforcing rules.


Title: I'm afraid i will lose my already limited custody with my child and i dont know what to do.

Question:
Maybe its because i'm the dad, but for some reason when the judge gave me a temporary custody agreement i was given one day a week and every other weekend of my 3 year old. I'm fighting for more days but i'm not sure if our justice system here is fair for dads.

My ex was cheating on me and shortly after our split she got married to the other guy. Now the other guy claims he got a great job promotion in CO and wants to move my child there and give me only a few vacation weeks a year. The other guy is now living there and my ex takes my child there every week (we all live in Broward County FL).

My ex is claiming that my child would have a better life there but this is just a move to separate me from my child. My ex had a good career but quit when she got married and now claims my child is dependent our her new husband but i can support my child.

My child loves me and my family and hates her step father. I just can't imagine a judge saying "okay, say goodbye to your daughter" but i don't know. Is it likely this move will be approved?

I've talked to my lawyer but she has a defeatist attitude and keeps side stepping my questions.

Answer:
 >I've talked to my lawyer but she has a defeatist attitude and keeps side stepping my questions

Contact a different lawyer who may be interested in taking your case.


Title: Mom has addiction. Can we administer her prescription?

Question:
My mom has a problem with muscle relaxers and it’s out of hand. She’s taking way too high of a dosage. What are our options? Can we hold onto the prescription and administer it? If not, is there a legal option to do so? Anything to do in the meantime to prevent continued abuse despite her being against us administering it?

Thank you very much for your help. We just want to do what we can but dad and siblings don’t know where to start.

Answer:
 >Can we hold onto the prescription and administer it?

Certainly not if she is not agreeing to that plan.

There isn't a lot you can do about an adult using drugs in a way you don't like. Answer #2: Is her prescription for a controlled substance?

Do you have her permission to manage her medication, or a court order appointing you as her guardian?Answer #3: No, you may not take her legally prescribed medication. That would actually be majorly criminal on your part. If she is at a point in her addiction where she can no longer care for herself, you may be able to get conservatorship which gives you more leeway to help administer her medication on a set schedule.


Title: Soap made from human fat (from the movie Fight Club)

Question:
I was watching Fight Club and was wondering about the legality of selling soap made from human fat. Is this even remotely legal in any circumstances and would a company be required to disclose the origin of the soap to the buyer? Also would the resulting soap be considered a biohazard?

The only link that I could find that was even remotely related was http://www.odditycentral.com/news/miami-artist-uses-his-own-body-fat-to-make-soap.html . This was an artist who made soap from his own fat after a liposuction and sold it as art.

Answer:
 Biohazard no. The main pathogens of concern are prions, and they exist in the brain. Bacteria wouldn't easily be able to survive and viruses generally don't infect fat cells.

The legality depends on the state. For example, California bans the sale of all human body parts, even preserved specimens in jars or plastinated organs

You would absolutely have to make it known that the soap is made from humans. How clear you'd have to make it is debatable, but it would cause extreme mental distress to a reasonable person to be tricked into rubbing human body fat all over themselves, even if the compounds in the soap are indistinguishable from soap made from beef fat.Answer #2: [Apparently the FDA only gets involved with detergents, not "true" soap](http://www.fda.gov/Cosmetics/ProductsIngredients/Products/ucm115449.htm). So this would be regulated through the CPSC; as well as whomever enforces the biohazard regs, presumably Health and Human Services.


Title: Fiance is Canadian and wants to have child in Canada, but we both want it to have my American citizenship. How do we do this? (ND)

Question:
I am aware that because I am an American with the requisite years spent in the states, that the child qualifies for United States citizenship. What I don't know is how to ensure the child has that citizenship from birth since it will be born in Canada. Paperwork? Procedures? Advice? Thank you much!
Topic:
Immigration

Answer:
 Simple. They are a US citizen because you are. You just need to get a consular report of birth abroad form and they need to file for that, a passport, or a naturalization certificate before they turn 21.

Also:
>The U.S. citizen parent had been physically present in the U.S. or its territories for a period of at least five years at some time in his or her life prior to the birth, of which at least two years were after his or her 14th birthday.

Answer #2: After your child is born, you will go to the nearest American Consulate to register the child and obtain a  Consular Report of Birth Abroad form FS-240.

You will need the Canadian birth certificate, your US passport, and evidence that you lived in the US for at least 5 years (not sure if this period is correct) after age 14. You can use school records to prove this.

My children were born abroad and have US citizenship from birth by this method.


Title: Car was totaled in the parking lot. What are my options for recuperating my losses?

Question:
**Background**: On March 1st someone hit my car while it was parked outside my apartment in the parking lot. They hit it so hard that they hit my car (2014 Chevy Cruze 2LT) hard enough to move it up over the sidewalk ledge over onto the sidewalk, moved a Jeep Wrangler almost perpendicular to how it was parked which then hit another car on the other side. My car, of course, got the worst of it and was hit head on. The guy seemed like he was trying to get away seeing as his wheels kept screeching … stopping … and screeching … but he hit it so hard that his car (2016 Suzuki XL7) was not drivable also. The police showed up right away. EMS took the guy away. The cops said they breathalyzed him and he blew 0.0. I am located in Greenwood, IN.

**Situation**: This week I received a call from my car insurance saying my car was a total loss (totaled). I had about $9,000 left on my car loan that I was still paying off. Of what I can find just on KBB is that my car is worth around $14,000 (it was in perfect condition. No scrapes, no mechanical failures of any kind). Of what I have researched online the insurance company will try and get whatever they appraise my car for from the other guys’ insurance, then they will pay off my car loan. This would leave me with around $5,000 to find a new car (if we are being optimistic and they appraise my car for what KBB says).

Obviously $5,000 is not going to buy me a new car. $5,000 won’t even buy me a used car that has the same options, same mileage, and is in the same condition as my car (was). So what are my options?

1.Is there a way to have my insurance no put the money towards my car loan and I just keep paying that. Then with all that money they can find a car with the same options, same mileage, and is in the same condition as my car (was)?

2.Can I sue this person after all this insurance stuff is said and done?

3.Just a side note. I will obviously have to get a new car. Will this person be responsible for my registration fees? (I obviously would not need to be paying these if he didn’t total my car)

Basically I don’t understand how my car was parked and I was not in it and some idiot comes along totals is that I should be financially responsible for anything whatsoever. I am hoping this isn’t the case and have come here looking for help/options/advice. I worked hard to save up for a down payment when I bought this car. My life has already been delayed due to student loans. I have a girlfriend of 6 years that I would like to marry before I am 30 (25 now) and have been saving up for that. This is only going to further delay my life.

Answer: You're entitled to the value of your car, nothing more. You will need to pay off the loan, now that the collateral (the car) is basically gone. If you need a new car that is the same value as the one that is now totaled, you can take out a new car loan and put the $5,000 down, leaving $9,000 left on the car loan which is the exact situation you were in before the wreck.


Title: Can a 17 year old go to the doctors and get prescribed any medication without a guardian allowed? [New Mexico, USA]

Question: I have really bad, embarrassing and i know the only way for these to be treated is to go to a doctor and get prescribed medicine. The problem i have is that my parents dont believe in medicine and i am suffering horribly mentally and psychically from their choice.

Answer:
 A doctor will very likely treat a 17 year old without a parent present however, if you file anything through their insurance then they will see the charges.

If your parents are withholding necessary medical care then you can call CPS or talk to a teacher at your school who can determine if there is some way to help you out and/or if CPS should be called.


Title: [SC] I am renting an apartment to undocumented immigrants on my property

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 There's no requirement for you to verify tenants, nor is it illegal for you to accept their cash. You're not going to jail. Answer #2: They're you're tenants.  You have no duty to check their immigration status.  Answer #3: You're 100% fine. There were a few select towns in Texas that made it illegal for landlords to rent to undocumented immigrants; the ordinances were ruled unconstitutional by the US Supreme Court.

Enjoy your day.Answer #4: Not a lawyer just want to say thank you for doing a good thing.Answer #5: >They have two small children who were born in the US.

Not legal advice, and not advice for you, but if you're on friendly terms with them you might consider pointing them to /r/immigration.Answer #6: OP, please keep in mind that even if you are being paid in cash, you still have to report this as rental income to the IRS when you file your taxes. You won't need to include any of your tenants details, but just keep in mind that this is reportable income regardless of how it is paid.


Title: TX - FMLA and 2 Week's Notice

Question:
Texas. I promise I am going to try to keep this short, but there is a lot.

I work for a city library. I am currently on FMLA. My FMLA ends June 15; I was planning to give my notice on June 1. I'm doing this because they have made clear that I am not welcome back \(I was in the middle of a constructive dismissal, see below for full story\).

I read that if I do this, my job \(a city, I worked at a library\) could take back my benefits, etc, that I have been using during this time. Also: other employees of the city donated their sick time, which gave me an extra month's worth of pay. I'm afraid that that will also be subject to recall.

I just want to know what to expect. My leave was for severe anxiety, exacerbated by the constructive dismissal, and so I can't tell if I am truly in trouble and need a lawyer or if my brain is just over\-reacting.

For a fuller account of the job experience: [here.](https://www.reddit.com/r/Libraries/comments/8010im/please_i_need_help_my_first_year_working_at_a/)

The details, which I will try to keep as short as I can:

I was hired as a Youth Librarian in December 2016. I am the second person to hold this job, the first being a former library director who was fired before his six month probation ended.

I thought I was doing well, or well enough, for my first year.

**June 2017:** I received my six month review which was horrible. It was, I feel, inaccurate: it said I had not run any events, though at that time I had already run eight and was about to run what would be the third\-largest event of the year. Instead of being fired, I was put on extended probation and put on a Professional Improvement Plan.

I submitted a list of questions to my director and supervisor, asking for more detail about what I had done wrong \(I was "rude to co\-workers"\) and how I could improve. A week after submitting, I was told by the director that it was all a misunderstanding, a generational issue, and that already my director was impressed by my work \- I just ran the library's first book sale.

The rest of the PIP was strange: I was told to work on a certain project, and then taken off of it when my supervisor complained. The PIP continued for 2\-3 more weeks, but I was not given any re\-training. It was more a discussion of my week. The PIP ended in August, and my extended probation ended in October.

**February 2018:** My annual review was in December, but I did not receive it until February. The day before, I told my supervisor I was having some medication issues, but that I was certain I could continue my job. She told me to go to HR and start paperwork for FMLA, so I could go see my doctors as needed. The next day, I was given my annual review, which was even worse and contained a lot of confusing criticism \(leaving my co\-workers during a busy time, when I was truly sick; working on a personal project during a library\-wide project, when those happened on *two separate days*\).

I was told that, though I would be placed on probation again, they had "lost faith" that I would ever improve, that there was no time for it, anyway, that I had proven that I was not a "good fit," and that I would be better elsewhere.

I asked for a time table, for how long I would be allowed to stay, and the director told me \(in front of HR\) that they would work with me, but, again, she "is losing faith that I would improve."

I stayed on, to help with the transition. I intended to work as I had, and to finish my projects. At first, I was allowed to work on the front desk, but then I was told again and again to work in the back office. I would offer every day \(I made notes\) to cover the desk, but they were refused. During my first PIP meeting, I offered again, and I was told it was not necessary.

However, at my second PIP meeting, they wrote that I had not improved because I spent all of my time in the office \(again: I was *told to do so*\).

So I went to my doctor and went on full FMLA/medical leave the next day. My anxiety and health had worsened, and I was afraid to lose my insurance when I needed it most.

**Now:** my medical leave ends on June 15. I am still not well; I can have my doctors attest to it. I cannot go back into that situation: they are looking for reasons to fire me, and I can't bear that right now. I want to give my two week's notice on June 1, so that it will end on June 15, and I will not have to go back.

What is going to happen?

Will I have to pay back my insurance?

Will I have to pay back the money I have received? Not just my own sick time, but also the sick\-time other employees donated to me?

Should I get myself to an employment lawyer as quickly as possible?

Or am I just over\-thinking this?

Answer:
 If you are still too unwell to hold a job and have certification to that effect, they can't require anything back. Ditto if you're retiring.

If you are simply not going back to *that* job but are well enough to work, the employer is permitted to stop covering your health insurance when they know you're not returning; they are also permitted to require the return of the premiums paid for benefits such as health insurance while you were on FMLA.  That doesn't mean they will; it's not always worth it to an employer to do so.

The sick leave pool issue is likely to be governed by workplace/municipal policy.

BTW, nothing of what you describe in your job itself sounds like a constructive dismissal; it just sounds like a bad fit and possibly just a bad job.  I'm assuming you're not in a union since it didn't get mentioned, but if you are, you'll want to consult your union rep as well.


Title: Was it legal for Chris Jones to kick Vince G off of his Youtube channel?

Question:
Some of you may have heard of this. There's a fitness channel on Youtube called Physiques of Greatness, run by Chris Jones and (formerly) Vince G. Apparently all the profits were sent to Chris; all the channel documentation was in his name. However, Vince and Chris had a verbal agreement to split the profits half-half. Vince had been contributing very little for the past year; he released very few videos.

A few months ago, they got into an argument or something, and Chris decided to kick Vince off of the channel. He changed all the passwords and basically just stopped Vince from uploading or accessing.

Would Vince G be able to win a lawsuit against Chris Jones?

Not sure if it's relevant, but both of them live in Texas IIRC.

Answer:
 > Some of you may have heard of this.

I'd bet money no one here gets involved in crappy social media drama.  Regardless:

> Would Vince G be able to win a lawsuit against Chris Jones?

That depends strongly on their agreement.  If Vince wasn't holding up his end of the agreement, then the chances of him winning a lawsuit are slim.  If he was, then his chances go up quite a bit.


Title: 18F and 15M - is it legal for us to date?

Question:
He's 15 and lives in Ontario, Canada.

I am 18 and live in California, US.

We are almost exactly 3 years apart in age.

Is it acceptable for us to date long distance? This would mainly include romantic/flirtatious voice-only calls and texting.

We would not trade pictures of anything approaching explicit content.

We would not do anything physical until he is 18, and we will likely not meet in person at all until then.

If it is not ok for us to date under these conditions, will it be ok when he is 16? Is there anything of a romantic nature that would be acceptable to do before he is 18?

Recommendations for other subs we can ask about this, or anywhere we can get more information, are appreciated.

Answer: As long as you continue in the way you have described you're fine.


Title: Can animal control seize my cat?

Question:
This happened in San Marcos, Tx.

Long story short, my cat bit me (my fault) and I had it treated by a doctor and they (supposedly) had to report it to animal control. I met with an officer and he told me that my cat would have to be quarantined for 10 days but since she is fully vaccinated I could do the quarantine at home, but I'd need two home vists and she'd need to be cleared by a vet after the 10 days.

The bite happened on Monday, 07/04, and I saw a doctor on Wednesday, 07/06. The first visit was scheduled for Thursday morning but he called me 2 1/2 after saying he forgot to go over so we rescheduled for Friday where he didn't show again. The second visit is supposed to be Monday, 07/11, but I haven't heard anything from him. My vet appointmet is scheduled for Thursday afternoon, the 10th day of the quarantine.

Can animal control decide to seize my cat because they keep forgetting to do the home visits? I have cooperated with everything they asked me to do but they keep dropping the ball.

Answer: I would be extremely surprised if they seized your cat. Just keep a log of the convos between you and the worker just to be safe.


Title: In need of legal advice quick!!!

Question: So I signed up for a sugar daddy at 17 ended meeting a man at having sexual relations I told him my age and saying he can have me arrested for fraud and black mail I know what j did was wrong but I need help and if it's true he said he got a detective and researched me and has all my relatives numbers and addresses what can I do? I'm scared

Answer:
 You believe a man will have you arrested for sleeping with him?

Please take this as a sign you are not mentally mature to be doing these actions.

Nothing will happen. Stay in school.Answer #2: Use sentences.

Where are you?

Explain what actually happened.


Title: Laid off from job, they still haven't picked up company laptop.

Question:
A few of us temp workers were laid off, and the contract company told us NOT to contact the hiring company, and that they'd be making arrangements for the work provided equipment to be picked up.

They have made only one attempt, changed the meet time 3 times, and then cancelled suddenly.

It's been well over 4 months, and it's taking up space. I was told not to show up at the office either.

What can I do with it?

Answer: Give the laptop to the contract company, get a receipt.


Title: [Western Australia] Children and their parents keep hopping my fence to use my pool.

Question:
I moved to a new suburb about a month or two back. It's pretty isolated but nice. My parents aren't around very often so most of the time I have the house to myself. Here's the thing. It's bloody winter and I've been waking up to kids swimming in my pool at 7 degrees C. A few days ago I saw them cracking the bloody ice on top with a stick, when it was about 2 degrees C. I've drained the pool but now I have kids repeatedly asking me if they can use it (I have the only one in the suburb).

I can't afford to erect a decent fence and without a license razor wire is illegal in WA (IIRC). I'm even being approached by the kids' parents asking if their kids can use my pool. I've openly expressed that I don't want people using it without my permission (which now that I think of it is probably why I keep being asked).

I get my door knocked at least twice a day by random people I've never spoken to asking me to refill the pool. What legal options do I have?

//EDIT: Please don't redirect me to /r/auslaw, it clearly states in the sidebar it's not a subreddit for legal advice

Answer:
 This is your parent's problem.  If they are willing to accept the liability of people trespassing in your yard, you don't really have the authority to do anything about it.

Be careful with leaving your pool empty.  Depending on groundwater conditions in your area, it is possible to "float" a pool shell and basically destroy your pool.  I've seen it happen.  In one of the first cases I worked on, because the pool was close to the house, soil slumped from under the home foundation to the new void under the pool and made the house uninhabitable until about $80,000 worth of foundation remediation and repair work were done.


Title: Should I Pay the Money?

Question:
Okay so the past few days I've gotten a pretty terrifying scare, and am curious what I should be doing about it.

I was on an online dating site, (OkCupid) and matched with & got a message from a lady who has a pretty sparse profile, but says that she is 18. She messaged me first, and soon suggested we move to text. I obliged, and she was soon suggesting she send me nude messages. I, at no point in time, directly asked her for or even indirectly asked her for the messages. She sent 2 topless pics, I responded with 1 topless pic, and then she stopped replying. The entire texting incident happened yesterday.

Today, I got a text from another number claiming to be a detective and telling me that he has 3 warrants ready to go because the lady I was dealing with is underage and that I should give him a call. He claimed that it was up to the father. I at this point deleted all 3 images. This number is from South Carolina (as apparently was the number I was initially texting). I called the number after work, and he told me that once the matter moved from OKC to text, it was my responsibility to verify her age, that the father wanted to talk to me and that if it were up to him they'd just file the charges and extradite me. At this point, my assumption is that this is a private detective, otherwise I don't see how this adds up. He tells me that the phone used to text me was the father's second work phone, and that he would call the father and let him know I was willing to talk to him.

I get a call like 20 minutes later from the number that had sent me the pics, and basically he claims that the lady is 15 and he's going to send her to a facility to reform her and that he basically wants me to help pay for it. I mention that this is extortion, and he waves it off as just me trying to help him out and accepting the responsibility here. This guy clearly wants my money right away, mentioning like $1800 outstanding money and that he's not expecting all of it. He floats $900, and I mention that I don't have much money and would like to think it over. He hangs up, I call him back, I tell him I've got $200 on hand or so and he wants me to send it to him digitally right away. I say I don't have an app for that, and ask to do it in the morning. He said that if he wakes up in the morning and the money isn't there, he's going to file the charges during his lunch, which is clear blackmail.

So here's where I'm at, scared shitless of what may very well be a scam or extortion scheme. Should I be concerned? If this is real, am I likely to end up doing time over this?
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer:
 Lol. Not even close. It's all a scam. Once you pay, they'll find more evidence and want more. It's a scam.Answer #2: >I got a text from another number claiming to be a detective

This is a scam. There was never any girl or detective. Block them, and move on with your life.Answer #3: As others have stated, this is a scam.

I thought I did elaborate though. This is a well-known scam with many variants. Googling "underage scam dad" will bring up a crapton of results, it's an interesting read!

So sing the scam song with all of us here on /r/legaladvice !

You did the right thing; Many have lost hundreds or thousands .


Title: Tenant was in a hurry, rushed through move-out, and property damage checks, return security deposit in form of personal check. Found additional damages after, cancelled check

Question:
This is in Rochester, NY.
A family moved out at the last minute on the last day of the month, and needed money on the same day for the other place's rent/sec deposit. I complied, and went through the property to check for damages. Along the damage checks route, the family was crowded me and I did not have an opportunity do a through check. I wrote a personal check to return the security deposit. The next day when I went back, I found additional damages that I would have not seen if I was not crowded.
I called the bank to cancel the check, so I can give them the correct amount minus damages.
But I wonder about the legality of my action since i've already wrote a check and I think constitute as an agreement that they are free and clear?
I plan on contacting my lawyer, and I realize this is really jurisdiction/city/state dependent, so what I'm looking for is perspectives, experiences, and advices from Reddit.

Answer:
 I am not a lawyer.  In the future, take your legally-allotted time to return deposits.  Do not let the poor finances of others cause you to make hasty business decisions.Answer #2: Not a lawyer, but a landlord.

Your case is really weak depending on what documents were signed at move out.  I generally do a walk through with my tenant prior to them vacating.  I take note of any damage and the tenant confirms my report as he/she is next to me.  When/if I pull from their deposit, my evidence is strong.

Again, not sure what paperwork you have your tenants sign so it would not be a bad idea to talk to your lawyer.


Title: Uncle who passed away a few days ago sent us a weapon (class 3) and I have no idea what to do.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 1) Ignore the rest of the advice you're seeing. SOT / Class III stuff cannot be dealt with by a typical FFL.

2) Head on over to /r/NFA and inquire there. If your mom was on a trust with your uncle, then a transfer is much more readily accomplished than a sale. Regardless, if you're in possession without having paid the requisite tax stamp, you could be in hot water. They can offer attorney recommendations for people that specialize in such things.

For the sake of everyone else reading this, Class 3 is a special class of firearms that the standard gun shop is not equipped to address. While, in most cases, "see gun store for info about guns" is decent advice, it most assuredly is not in this case.


Title: [California] 18 with a learner's permit - can I drive by myself?

Question:
Long story short: I put off getting my license until I was eighteen and was severely wait-listed by the DMV. My behind-the-wheel test isn't until next month, and I've been waiting for two months now.
Anyway, I've had my learner's permit for the past nine months or so and I went ahead and bought myself a car and it's under the family insurance and everything. I'm quite the adequate driver and have never been pulled over while driving in town (then again, I live in a really small town)  I have an appointment in a city that is about an hour away from where I live, and I was thinking about just driving there by myself.
 I was just wondering how much shit I can get into in case a cop pulls me over and I don't have an actual license. Please halp.

Answer: No, don't break the law. This is the sort of thing that has the potential to go south quickly.


Title: [US] or anywhere, is it any crime to display my inner thought process on commiting crimes through things like YouTube content?

Question:
US, UK or wherever.

Let's say I make YouTube content that explores philosophy, sociology, human psychology and such. And sort of be a kind of public display of my inner thought processes.

But I express honest but controversial anti social views about how I struggle with ideas on commiting heinous crimes, I might even discuss loop holes in law and ethical dilemmas. I might hypothesize plans to be a serial killer or make bombs, and then contemplate on things like the morality and effectiveness.

All these are done not with malicious intent, not as any form of threat or announcement of intent. It's purely for awareness, education, entertainment and social commentary.

In a way I am also playing a character as a form of art. I am also aware it might give evil people ideas to execute, or good people ideas to change the world for the better, but my intent is purely to be a chaotic neutral.

One example is imagine someone talking about the best way to assassinate Donald Trump while he was president, discussing whether it's justified, and about his reasons to do it, and why he hasn't done it yet, and saying maybe he will do it if situations align, etc.

What will happen?

Answer:
 At a minimum you can expect your content to be removed, your account to be suspended and you will almost surely be investigated by multiple law enforcement agencies. This is just not a good idea. At all.Answer #2: Well, the FBI placed a GPS tracker on a man who is Muslim's car after he commented on a reddit post about how if deodorant is potentially a bomb, why is the TSA just throwing it in a waste basket.

The guy made a comment about how malls are easy or something.

It was a fun story because the FBI showed up to his California college house asking for the GPS tracker back.

Some details are foggy here, but museum of reddit should fill in the rest.


Title: [GA, U.S.] Group of juveniles burglarized two homes on separate days. Is prosecutor being lazy? [Bonus video footage!]

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 > I see nothing wrong with at least charging a designated felony.

They might be able to, but they don't have to.  There are lots of good reasons why a prosecutor may not charge the maximum potential crime and would instead go for a lesser one.  It has nothing to do with being "lazy".Answer #2: I have a hard time imagining any prosecutor using racketeering laws (which are designed to take down organized crime) on juvenile burglars.  A judge might find it to be a huge overreach as well.

Prosecutors have discretion as to what to charge and what not to charge.  You can backseat quarterback all day long, but it's still up to the prosecutor, and he or she isn't required to explain their legal reasoning to you.   They may be of the opinion that these kids are amenable to rehabilitation and should not have a felony conviction at all.  That's within their discretion.

You can sue in civil court under whatever theories you wish.  Answer #3: Pattern of corrupt activity charges are usually reserved for the worst of the worst.  They are designed to bring down organized crime.  Rarely is it charged (anywhere) except for big fish or if the state can't get them on anything else.Answer #4: Do you ever get the feeling that some of these are law students with 24 hour take homes?


Title: Ex-wife(TX) took the COVID stimulus money intended for me(VA)

Question:
Ex is in Texas, I'm in Virginia.  So the legal custody of our daughter changed from her to me at the end of last year.   I agreed to let my ex claim our daughter on taxes last year, since she had her for all but the last 2 weeks of the year.
Because the stimulus package is based on last years income tax returns,  she got the money intended for me. I contacted the ex, and she was "nice enough" to send me $200 of it, and kept the rest.  Is there a way for me to notify the IRS that she is no longer the legal gaurdian of our child,  so she doesnt get any future money? Also is this considered fraud, since she doesn't have legal custody of our daughter? We have another shared child and I would love to be her gaurdian as well, and this might be a way for me to get her.

Answer:
 Assuming her return for last year was accurate (and from your post it appears it was), then there's no fraud here.  The IRS acted correctly, and your ex did nothing wrong in keeping the money.

It'll all work out with the 2020 taxes, where your stimulus check (or lack thereof) will be considered in calculating your 2020 tax bill.


Title: My car exploded in my driveway and burned part of my house but luckily nobody was injured

Question:
So this actually happened to my uncle.

But the check engine light on his car came on a couple of days ago so today he took it to the dealership. He dropped the car off at the dealership and picked it up a couple hours later, after they said they worked on the engine and transmission. He drove straight home from the dealership and when he got home decided to take a nap in his car in the driveway, but he was sure to turn the engine off. After about 5 minutes he smelled smoke and opened his eyes and saw flames coming out of the hood. He jumped out of the car and within maybe a minute, the entire car exploded. He called the fire department, who put out the fire and the police came and filed a report and took pictures.

The car is completely destroyed and the flames burned part of the front of his house and broke some widows, in addition to most of the grass in the front lawn being burned. But miraculously no one was hurt at all. We are currently looking for a lawyer.

In a case like this, is it possible to receive damages because something disastrous ALMOST happened? Ive done some reading on punitive damages and such but I'm still unclear on what exactly to expect from here.

Thanks and sorry if I left any crucial information out! (By the way he has gotten used to napping in his car because he has 2 loud kids in his house that make it hard to sleep)

Edit: We live in Maryland

Answer:
 He should contact both his automobile and homeowners insurance companies. Was his copy of the paperwork on the repair destroyed in the fire? If so, ask the dealer for another copy for his records without first mentioning the fire.

> In a case like this, is it possible to receive damages because something disastrous ALMOST happened?

Well, having your car catch fire with you in it and then explode is something disastrous, and it DID happen.

Punitive damages are typically awarded in cases of actual malice or gross negligence, which doesn't seem to be the case here unless vehicles exploding after repair are common with that dealership. He'll likely be compensated for the vehicle and repairs to the house along with something for a rental car and possible temporary lodging, but I wouldn't expect a windfall.

If I had to guess, a cross-threaded or poorly secured fuel fitting or a mis-routed or poorly attached fuel line would be my first suspicion. Check engine light is an emissions-related issue and that can be fuel related. Dealer may well have been negligent although evidence may have been destroyed in the fire. Gas leaking onto a hot exhaust manifold is a bad combination.

When he was napping in the car, even if the engine wasn't running, did he have the ignition turned to the on (not accessory) position, for example to listen to the radio? I'm thinking that an electric fuel pump may have added fuel to the fire, and not as a figure of speech.


Title: Will I be able to become a lawyer despite my history as a cam girl?

Question:
Before I proceed, please, no judgement about sex work.

I’m an undergrad student at an Ivy League with plans of going to law school. The business I had a part time job at closed and I was desperately in need of money to pay my bills, so I cammed for a bit to make ends meet.

I was mainly concerned about being found out through video, but I was recently told that law schools and law firms run extensive background checks and that they could find out about my camming history through tax forms like the 1099. How likely is it that I will not be allowed into law school or be prevented from practicing if I do even end up becoming licensed? Should I just give up on my dream of going to law school before wasting?

TLDR; I used to cam and am wondering if I would be wasting time/$ on law school

Answer:
 There is an attorney in my state who served time for manslaughter before he became an attorney. He did have to appeal to the bar to get licensed. He actively practices law now, and even teaches at one of the better law schools in the state. I think you should be fine.Answer #2: Several of my law school classmates stripped in undergrad (or even after) and, as far as I know, that did not prevent them from admission to various bars throughout the country.

I really encourage you to keep on with your plan, and if anyone ever gives you any shit, to look them straight in the eye and ask them specifically how that activity prevents you from counseling clients and advocating for them on their legal matters. The exception to that is that if it is flagged for a character and fitness review, hire an attorney no matter the cost to ask the review board that question for you. Someone might huff and puff about moral turpitude, but I don't think it's something that will exclude you from practice altogether.