Title: [MD] Tenant entering my bedroom without permission, cat cam picking him up

Question:
Some background info: I am 30sF, I own a home in Maryland and I am renting a bedroom to a 30sM tenant. It’s a shared kitchen/bathroom/living room and separate bedrooms. I have 2 cats so I need to keep my bedroom door slightly open for them to get in/out.

I became suspicious my tenant was entering my bedroom without my permission so I got a motion activated camera and put it on my bedside table pointing at my bedroom door. 10 minutes after I left the house the next day, I see him open my door, enter my bedroom, go to my bed to do something, and look towards the camera. Later on, he returns to close the door to the original position. I returned home and didn’t mention anything.

The next day I am home watching a movie downstairs. I moved the cam to my desk to get a better view of the door. While I am downstairs, I can now see him peeking through the door frame towards where the camera used to be. He is in full view because of the new position. He enters my room a few feet and stands there for 30ish seconds just looking around my bedroom. He again looks towards the camera in its new location.

There are zero reasons for him to be entering my bedroom and I am afraid of escalation. The way he acts on camera, it is hard to describe just how creepy and malicious it seems.

I don’t want to confront him about entering my room because I’m afraid he will just retaliate or attack me in another room. Him just not entering my bedroom anymore is not an adequate solution for me to feel safe. I want to get him out ASAP. I have a few questions I haven’t been able to answer by looking through the wiki/faq/google.

Is this enough evidence to begin eviction?

Is the motion activated camera legal in MD? MD is two party consent but Ring security cams seem to be legal. Is it legal to record my own bedroom?

Answer:
 Can you put a cat flap in your bedroom door? Just say you've been meaning to do it for ages and finally got around to it. Then lock your door. Even if you still proceed with evicting him you at least have a secure space for you and your cats.Answer #2: My brother was a thief. The way you describe the tenant's tentative movements into your bedroom is *exactly* how my brother would creep into my room.

I lost hundreds of dollars and tons of jewelry to my drug-addicted brother, OP.Answer #3: I think you would be hard pressed to have evidence or support enough to easily evict him.  Since it's only a 6th month lease, it might be easiest to just attach locks to your bedroom door and install a cat door.  If you go to a second hand store like ReStore, you could get just a cheap door to use as the one you drill holes in for locks and cat doors and such.Answer #4: I think, given what's here, you wouldn't have enough to legally evict him. Like someone else mentioned, you may not be able to use the audio on the camera.

The practical advice is to cut a cat flap or arch into your door and then lock it. I would strongly suggest making sure it is an actual key lock. Leave the camera up so you know when/if he is entering.

I would also suggest making sure any sensetive or personal information, irreplaceable belongings, etc are securely stored.

You may also look into security systems which log access points. There are many systems out there that log and report when doors (that have been equipped with sensors) are opened, closed, etc. Something like that may help.


Title: My power went out for over 24 hours, causing my basement to flood and destroy my belongings. What can I really do?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: I am by no means an expert on this subject, but my parents basement flooded when the sump pump when out. They did not have flood insurance coverage so nothing was covered. Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but maybe you should get a battery backup for your pump.


Title: Injured child at my business. Inform parent or stay silent?

Question:
Tonight at my escape room business (single owner LLC, Wyoming) a rowdy bunch of 12 year olds dropped an empty glass coffee pot, breaking it.

Immediately upon hearing the glass break, I came into the room to tell them to leave it to me. But as I open the door I am met by one of the boys holding an upturned banker box lid with the majority of the glass. (Turns out the coffee pot fortuitously landed in the lid, and most of the pieces stayed there.) I picked up the remaining glass pieces on the floor, vacuumed, asked if anyone had been hurt, and was responded to by head shakes and noes all around. The boys were being supervised in the room by the father of the birthday boy (a requirement I'm very glad I have in place).

After the game was over and everyone gone, as I was taking the lid and glass out to the dumpster I noticed a small amount of blood. Maybe 5 drops worth. I guess one of the kids tried picking up some pieces and cut themselves before I got into the room.

I was just now about to email the father to inform him of the possibility that someone got cut on the glass. If it wasn't his son, then he could contact all the parents to figure out which kid was cut and make sure they clean the wound properly. But I'm wondering if I'd be provoking trouble by saying anything.

Sorry if this seems very paranoid and not worth discussing, being such a minor issue. As long as the wound doesn't get infected I doubt I'd hear anything about this except maybe a bill for a few stitches showing up in my mailbox some day.

But I'd appreciate your opinions just the same: Do I have anything to gain by notifying the father that his son or one of the other boys might have been cut? Or could speaking up only hurt myself?

Answer: Don't say anything, wait till one of the parents contacts you if they decide to.Answer #2: I don't think there's much chance that the cut would require stitches. A 12 year old boy with his buddies in an escape room is bound to have his adrenaline up and his heart pounding, so it's safe to assume a small amount of blood could be from a superficial cut. If it does end up getting infected then the parents (who should have tended to the cut) would have to prove it was from your escape room. What better way to do this than a preemptive written confession from you? Just leave it alone. It's not your fault.


Title: I'm marrying my fiancee soon but dont wanther to have legal rights to any of my stuff. How?

Question:
Texas.

We are getting married this summer. I own a house, dogs, 5 acres of land, car, and a ton of stuff. I'm a 100% disabled veteran and make 5k a month. She owns 1 car ans is an illegal immigrant. We will be starting the paperwork for her green card after marriage. She isn't marrying me for the citizenship, it's just a perk.

But I worked hard as fuck for what I have. I watched my sister go through a divorce and he took everything and she had to go through hell in the courts. I don't want to leave anything to chance. How do I keep absolutely all my stuff as just mine? Especially in case of my death I want everything going to my sister. My will is made out to my sister and my house has her on the deed as well in case of my death.

I already am planning to not have her on my bank account.

I love my fiancee but I'm a paranoid bastard.

Also, she's absolutely cool with this. She doesn't want my stuff.
Topic:
Wills Trusts and Estates

Answer:
 You need to go see a lawyer about a prenuptial agreement.  If she's "cool with this", then she should also be cool about getting her position of "not wanting your stuff" in writing.

A prenup says stuff like: your stuff before marriage will remain your stuff alone, she relinquishes all claim to it. It will also cover how to handle - in the case of a marital dissolution - any assets that the two of you have gained during the course of your marriage, including the growth of any assets, like the valuation of your house increases.... 'But how would that matter? Its my house?' Well yes, but if she's living in it, helping to maintain it, paint, landscape or even just not devaluing it, she may be entitled - without a prenup in place - to any capital gains on the value of the house. Same thing with joint accounts etc. etc.

Now, prenups are contentious. The common rebuttal is usually "well don't you trust me?" - prenups are just like car insurance, and practical people recognize it for what it is: Hopefully you'll never need it, but it can really save your butt if you do.Answer #2: Get a prenup


Title: Fired from employment where HQ is based in Illinois but my address is from Florida

Question:
This is a hypothetical scenario but one that might become a reality for me very soon.

My current work is for a company based out of Illinois. I do consulting for this company and moved to Illinois last year but it was agreed upon that I could move back to Florida and continue working as I travel weekly and it does not matter where I live as long as I can make my flights. Fast forward to now, the company is making my life hell in many ways that I won't get into but my boss and I have had it out several times and I am waiting for the inevitable. I have several concerns about this that I will lay out below.

1. Florida is a right to work state and my checks are addressed to my Florida home but because the company is based in IL, can I be terminated as a right to work state employee?

2. If I am fired, what difficulties would I have claiming unemployment (never have I done this) until I find new work?

3. I am currently Salary+Exempt per a contract I signed but my hours can bleed past 75 per week not including travel time. Do I have any leg to stand on for recouping any losses?

4. I was hired on as an hourly employee but was strong armed into a salary contract as I was threatened to either "take it or find something else." I have heard stories that if your terms of contract change and you refuse to sign said new contract, you can claim unemployment at your current rate and walk away. Does any of this hold any merit?

I am more than happy to answer questions that anyone may have about the specifics but don't want to give away to much. I also am sourcing a FL lawyer and an IL lawyer but I am finding it difficult on which I should use predominantly.

Answer:
 1. Right to work has nothing to do with this. That has to do with union membership. You're looking for 'at-will'. Both of these states are at-will, so you can be fired for almost any reason, or for no reason at all.

2. Check your state's standards, but you'll likely qualify.

3. I'm sorry, what losses?

4. Did you have a contract when you were hourly? What were the terms of that contract? Actually, what are the terms of your contract *now*, this is the first you've mentioned it.


Title: [CA] Crazy neighbors submitting bogus complaints

Question:
About 4 years ago this September, my wife and I bought our current house. We live on a hill, with neighboring properties uphill and downhill. The property behind us is part of the downhill neighbors' lot and we are and have always been on friendly terms with the downhill neighbors. We're in Los Angeles County.

About a year ago after nearly three years of what I thought was a very cordial relationship, the uphill neighbors developed a mystery stench that they are 100% totally convinced is coming from our property. They alternately seem to be convinced that it's our trash cans or our pet chickens.

Our three pet chickens are kept clean and in accordance with our local "city chicken" ordinances, the most important of which is that the coop is to be kept 35+ feet from their nearest door or window and 20+ feet from our nearest door or window.

We keep the trash cans on the side of our house closest to them. They are conservatively ~25 feet away from their nearest window; ~15 feet of that is an embankment that extends from our side walkway up to their property line. They are about six inches away from one of our bedroom windows that we like to keep open. This is where they've been for the entire time we've owned the property and as far as we can tell for the entire time the previous owners were there; it's such an obvious place for them that it wouldn't surprise me if they'd been there since the house was built in the mid '60s.

I know there's no smell coming from our property for a number of reasons. Number one, eeew. If our place stunk I'd fix it, no question; I have zero desire to live in stench or have any of our neighbors live in stench. Number two, every single day minus vacations I walk my entire property line in the morning before I go to work and in the evening when I come back, trying hard to detect any odor at all. I've done this every day I possibly could since their first complaint to us and have yet to find anything.

They call us frequently to complain about "our smell," and continue to believe it's us. I've told this neighbor every time they complain that if we could find something to fix, we'd fix it; he refuses to come see for himself because it's "obviously" our trash cans or our chickens. Several times their complaints have come when we weren't even in the country; the trash cans were empty and the chickens had pet sitters taking care of them, along with our dogs.

The calls have escalated to calls to various city services. They've:

1) Called the fire department, who came out thinking there was a fire on our property (there wasn't.)

2) Called animal control, several times, stating that our chickens are too close to their house (they are not) and that we keep huge quantities of chicken poop in our trash cans (we do not and have never put chicken poop in our trash cans.) The animal control inspector found no issues with our chickens and no evidence of lack of care or odor.

3) Called the city health department, stating that our chickens are too close to their house (again, they're not) and that we have a cockroach and fly infestation (What the heck? If we did, why wouldn't I have fixed it? Also he's never mentioned roaches or flies before.) We've received a copy of this complaint but the inspection hasn't been scheduled yet. It's apparently going to cost us $116 an hour that the inspector has to be here.

He's now threatened to sue us, saying they can't even open their door because the smell is so bad (though this didn't stop them from having a Memorial Day BBQ in their yard...) Obviously I'll deal with that when it happens.

My main question is what recourse do we have to protect ourselves from the bogus complaints? Apparently they can call and say whatever they want to these departments and it then becomes our burden to prove them incorrect or get fined. Apparently it also costs us money to have the inspection that would prevent us from being fined. We've been keeping records of all the calls and complaints, but they've proven themselves to be willing to say anything at all to get inspectors to come out. It's humiliating and causing us a ton of stress, to say nothing of the expense of paying for the inspections.

Should I be worried about them lying their butts off to a judge? Could a judge even order me to do something that's not possible for me to do? I've never been in a situation like this before and am not really sure what to expect.

Edit: There was an incident today that is frankly pointing towards the explanation that the neighbor lady is having some kind of a mental break. She screamed down at my wife as she was leaving for the day, and it was something about "Oh you have to feed your veggies do you?? Veggies? Why don't you put them by YOUR pool? Put them by YOUR bed! Put your nose in them and take a big whiff!" as near as my wife could tell. We do have a tiny vegetable garden, farther from their place than our chickens, and apart from a very slight potting soil smell from six inches away there's no odor I can detect. This is the first time in over a year of this that they've even mentioned vegetables. My wife didn't answer or respond.
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 When was the last time the wax seals on his toilet(s) replaced? Answer #2: Do you smell the smells?  The non-legal advice would be to find the source.

If you don't smell the smells nor does anyone else, take note that olfactory hallucination is often a surprising pre-cursor of schizophrenia, Alzheimer's, epilepsy or other brain or sensory diseases. [Wikipedia on Phantosomia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phantosmia)

Edit:  It presents itself most commonly as an incredibly awful stench as you've described, but may be something harmless but more familiar, like say, cookies.Answer #3: Does OP really have to pay $116/hr for an inspector they don't need?Answer #4: OP, if there ends up being a dead body somewhere, YOU NEED TO UPDATE US.Answer #5: Do you know if any of the houses in your neighborhood are on septic tanks?Answer #6: Have you noticed any pattern with the complaints in regard to time of day or weather conditons? With him up the hill, the breeze or low pressure might deliver smells to his lot that you don't get down below.

I used to live four miles from the city's sewage treatment plant. About once a month the right combo of environmental conditikns would lead to very bad odors floating around. This could hapen if there were a dump in te area as well.

Does your neighborhood have natural gas lines? Hopefully he isnt smelling the rotton egg smell from a gas leak.


Title: (Orange County, CA) Lost my job but wasn't fired? Trying to figure out my legal options (if any) in this situation.

Question:
So this afternoon, I was told by the law firm that I work as a Legal Secretary at that they are "terminating the relationship with" me. I, of course, asked if I was actually being fired and it was going to go on some record, and was told "no, we're just terminating the relationship with you." I had asked if had done anything wrong or if there was anything that I could improve on in the future and again, I was told, they are "simply terminating the relationship" with me.

Now, the person "terminating the relationship" (the office manager) knew I was going to law school in the fall, but I didn't plan on quitting until July, which I hadn't told her yet but I didn't really know the exact date I was quitting yet because I don't know where I'm going yet and I was going to tell her as soon as I knew where I was going.

Also, This person had an attorney sit in on this situation, and I've seen her fire people dozens of times. She's never had an attorney in there for that.

As far as I know, I don't have any obligation to tell them that I'm leaving until two weeks before. Further, according to her and two other people, I didn't do anything wrong. Do I have any legal options here?

Answer:
 You can file for unemployment.

That's about it.


Title: Sprayed a fire extinguisher in my dorm room need legal advice!

Question: In my drunken stupor, I sprayed the extinguisher on my buddy and some of his room, now I have a court appearance tomorrow at 8:30! Really foolish thing of my to do, but I don't even have the $25 public attorney fee, so I will just defend myself. What are my options here?

Answer:
 You're in college, but you can't come up with $25?  Bullshit. I'm sure you eat out, go out, go to movies, etc. You can come up with the money, borrow it from friends if you have to.

Or, call your parents and ask for money. Or see if your university has a student legal clinic that can help.


Title: Can I put the name of the university I am currently enrolled in on a t-shirt?

Question: I attend school at the University of Vermont and am currently making t-shirts to sell to the local college students and community. Can I put the name "University of Vermont" or "UVM" on the t-shirt without issue or is that copyright infringement of some kind?

Answer: You should just ask your school. Here's some information from the UVM website - http://www.uvm.edu/policies/general_html/graphic_design.pdf


Title: Claiming Cash Prize from Radio Station?

Question:
i apologize if this isn't the correct sub to post this question..but here it is: my girlfriend randomly won a small sum of money through a local radio station promotion in the bay area, CA. the station will randomly call a person and rewards them with money should the caller know the phrase that they're looking for. while excited at the possibility of winning, we're a bit worried that perhaps someone is using this promotion as a way to scam her (and others) perhaps?

so far a representative  of that station emailed her (email looks legit) requesting she fill out and return a W-9, which of course asks for her SSN, address, etc. and i just want to be sure that this is common practice for claiming a cash prize in this instance. are there any red flags we should be looking for? thank you for your help.

Answer:
 > local radio station

If you are worried just go to the local station and verify.


Title: Does the purchase of Original Artwork pass License Rights to the owner?

Question:
Moved this here from r/legaladvice. This is more of a curious mind post, but I do have friends who own original draft sketch art from comic book artists or original paintings of some artist, and I've always been curious about how the license rights work out. Specifically, does the sale of these pieces of art, being that they are the original non-reproduced works, constitute a transfer of rights as well? Further, how does this effect the holder if this is the case? Does the holder gain right to royalties or compensation? Does the holder become the authority to approve license of this image for commercial use?

I mainly ask because as I've come to understand most IP law effecting artwork, unless the artist sells or transfers rights through contract, that art remains squarely the property of the original artist. If I'm missing something, I'm willing and eager to listen. Thanks as always for your time, and much appreciated!

Answer:
 Usually, when you buy a work of art, you're only buying that individual piece.  You don't get the copyright unless the artist assigns that to you as well.

You're free to do whatever you want with the actual item you own, but you can't, for instance, make a copy or use it as a corporate logo.

The artist, as copyright holder, would be free to attempt to make another copy of it to sell to another person, but for most types of art, that's really hard to do.


Title: Are 2 month Notice periods legal ?

Question:
Can you an employer make you do a 2 month notice period?

I have been working for a company in the U.K whereby the contract states that there is a 2 month notice period after a probation period. I have been in the company less than a year, do I have to work the notice? Is it legal to have a 2 month notice period?

Answer: r/legaladviceuk


Title: [NY] My HR rep friended me on Facebook and is insinuating repercussions if I don’t accept

Question:
My HR rep friended me on Facebook.

I just ignored it at first, figuring it was just an oversight on their part, thinking we were friendly than we are.

Then they approached me and asked why I hadn’t accepted their friend request. I told them I don’t friend people from work. They said they appeared to have mutual friends with me so I clarified I don’t friend people I don’t socialize with outside of work.

They said a big part of their job is ensuring the employees represent the company and its values positively so they‘d really appreciate if I accepted the friend request.

Now they’re saying they’re concerned I haven’t accepted the request because it suggests I have something to hide, is a red flag, and could raise larger problems. So far this has all been in person and emails I’ve sent to confirm the interactions haven’t received replies.

I don’t really know who to go to about this because the bizarre invasive request came from HR itself.

I’ve checked the company handbook back to front and there are no specific guidelines about social media use, only email, I don’t think the thing has been updated since the 90s.

Can they fire me for not accepting the request/can they force me to friend HR reps?

Answer:
 Are you just downvoting advice you don't like?

Yes you can be fired or reprimanded for this.Answer #2: >Can they fire me for not accepting the request/can they force me to friend HR reps?

In at-will employment scenarios, yes.

I mean, they can't *force* you to friend HR reps, but they can hold your job over your head.  Will they do that?  That's unknown.Answer #3: Sure, they can fire you for any reason that's non-discriminatory unless you have an employment contract stating otherwise.

You can refuse, but they can fire you for refusing.Answer #4: It sucks that you can get fired for this, but there are a few ways to mitigate the invasiveness on Facebook.

Adding the HR rep to a Restrictive Friends List and making specific parts of your account "Friends Only" will mean they can barely see anything on your profile. If you use the "See As..." feature you can also vet what you have on your profile. That way, even if HR adds you, they can only view very limited things.


Title: GFs boss says he will take days away from her

Question:
If she doesnt start coming in on Saturdays. Can he do that?
My GF has been there for at least 3 years and has always worked weekdays.

Answer: Would need location for an exact response; but generally speaking unless your GF has a work contract that specifies her hours or is part of a union that also controls her hours, then her boss has the freedom to change her hours at will, or even terminate her altogether.


Title: Legality of Landlord giving money to voters while feigning neutrality but vaguely suggesting a political preference?

Question:
Just curious what the legality of a landlord/property owner sending an email to all the tenants encouraging us to vote by offering $10 off the rent if you bring them proof.

Most of the email is neutral, but the last sentence is pretty clear that they want things to turn out a certain way.

Answer: You didnt't include your jurisdiction, but that would be illegal in the United States.


Title: My friend bought a house, in his name. Lived there with his now ex girlfriend who paid half the mortgage while she was there, but then left him. Now she is suing him for 100k, half the value of the house. Does he really need a lawyer for a claim like this? Washington State.

Question:
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 If she was not on the title, she was paying rent.

That being said, if he has actually been served (and not a threat to be sued), he needs an attorney.Answer #2: It depends on whether there were agreements that they were sharing ownership. He absolutely should get a lawyer - the chance at losing 100K is no joke.Answer #3: He absolutely should hire an attorney.  While he has a good chance of winning, he doesn't want to try to go it alone.  That's a great way to turn a winning case into a losing one.


Title: If i need some handyman work done, is there a law stoping me from hiring the homeless people in my city?

Answer: I'm not a lawyer, but as far as I know, you can hire anyone to do work on your house as long as it's not something that needs a license (certain electrical work, for instance).  Before hiring non-professionals who should have their own liability insurance, check with your homeowner's policy to make sure you've got coverage in case a worker is injured on your property.


Title: [TX] Received an MIP for holding an empty cup

Question:
I was standing in a club with a friend (both of us are 20) when an officer comes up to us and asks what we're drinking. My cup was empty at this point so I said coke. My friend (with some still left in his cup) admitted his was coke and whiskey. The officer smelled my cup and claimed it was coke and whiskey; I didn't reply. I really was drinking coke and whiskey, and my friend and I were both given MIPs, but is the officer's sense of smell on an empty cup enough to really prove I was drinking alcohol? I was never breathalyzed and was not observably drunk.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Answer:
 >was not observably drunk

Decades of experience have taught me that this is sadly rarely the case, especially when you promised your significant other that you were just popping out for one, and you'd be straight home after the football and of course you'd pick up some broccoli and a pint of milk whilst you're out, but you turn up three hours later with a courgette and no milk.Answer #2: Yep, the officer's sense of smell is just fine for this.

Pay your ticket, and move on with your life.  And try not to get caught underage drinking.


Title: I'm being wrongfully accused of speeding.

Question:
*Reposted same story with a better title. I apologize everyone.*

Hello everyone. So a month ago I got a speeding ticket for going 97 in a 70. I just wanted to share my story and maybe you guys can give me advice on what to do to fight this ticket, because I'm being wrongfully accused. The court date is next month.

So I live in GA, near Savannah and a friend and I were traveling on I-16S to go home. I know how the cops are with speeding, so I always keep my cruise control set at 78mph. Fast enough to make me happy and slow enough for the cops to not care. Well that particular day, we passed two highway patrol cars sitting in the median trapping speeds. My speed was still 78mph at this time. Well right as I pass them, a silver Ford Focus flies past me in the passing lane doing around 95 maybe 100 mph. I look in my rearview mirror and see the first cop pull out and turn his lights on. The cop flies past me and pulls the Focus over. About a minute later, the second cop is coming up fast behind me in the passing lane, drives slightly past my car, then slows down and pulls me over.

So he walks to my car and ask me "Do you know why I pulled you over?" I reply "No sir, I really don't." He tells me he trapped me doing 97 in a 70. I'm incredibly confused and I ask him if he did not see that Focus fly past me? Because that guy was most definitely doing 97. He tell me to "please be quiet" then explains that his buddy pulled the Focus over and trapped him at 85. He ask if I want him to check the radar and I say yes. And he never did it! I was almost in an outrage. So he takes my license and runs it in his computer, then ask me to step out of my vehicle. He ask me about where I'm from and ask if I knew his son and yada yada. Then he tries to tell me that the bigger wheels on my car can throw off the speedometer. Seriously? By 27 mph??? My wheels are only 1 inch bigger than factory size.

So he says he'll reduce it down to 84, which it shows on the citation kinda scribbled in.  Well yesterday I finally look up the ticket online and it say "SPEEDING 90 TO 94 IN A 70" with a fine of $908. Not only that, he forgot to check the box that confirms a radar calibration check.

Is there anyway I can get out of this ticket? This is literally highway robbery. I'm a 24M and this is only the second speeding ticket I've gotten in my life.

Edit: I drive a Silver Nissan Sentra.

Edit 2: fixed spelling errors and added more text

Answer:
 Cop here.

He doesn't have to show you the radar regardless of whether or not he said he would.

Get a traffic lawyer. Seriously.


Title: My Landlord Is Trying To Evict Me For "Assault" Off The Premises - MA

Question:
Let me do a Vincent Van Gogh and paint the picture with words. I am a 52 yo divorced father from Vermont and have travelled to Boston to go back and complete my college education. I am currently renting a flat in the city (at an exorbitant rate) From a local landlord. We have had a few major squabbles in the past that have left some serious tension and bad blood between us, leading to us almost coming to blows on more than one occasion.

Unbeknown to me, the landlord has a son who works on the cash register at a local Cafe in the area. Earlier this week I ordered a hot chocolate and panini to go at said cafe. Unfortunately I had left my wallet in the car and was unable to pay immediately upon receiving my food. The employee at the register (landlord's son) was very rude to me and ordered me to pay immediately, even though I had explained that I needed to get my wallet from the car.

I got frustrated after about 30 seconds straight of pointless conversation and stormed off, telling the employee that I wouldn't be paying and that he should "f*ck right off". As I walked out of the door the employee chased after me and grabbed my arm, telling me that the police would be called if I didn't come back. This rightfully enraged me as the meal was barely worth the money being charged, and I sucker punched him the stomach hard enough that he dropped to the ground. I used this opportunity to hurry away from the scene and got into my car, driving off.

Later that day I got a knock on the door and opened it to find the landlord standing in front of me with two security guards by his side. He had the guards very violently and roughly remove me from my building by force. I angrily paced around the building for about an hour until one of the security guards emerged and dumped a large box at my feet. It was full of my belongings. I was told that I wouldn't be welcome back.

 As I sit at a relative's house right now I plan to take legal action against the landlord, not only for a wrongful eviction, but for a blatant assault and theft of several of my belongings that have not been returned. What is the best way that I can go about this?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Answer: You sound like a hothead, but that's an illegal eviction.


Title: A lease versus the law

Question:
So I'm getting married. Pretty exciting, but also extremely nervous. Both my fiancee's and my parents have agreed to let us move in with them respectively to save money away from multiple bills. (I.E Rent, Electric, Internet, etc.) Thus we can have a nice start together.
However, I was under a lease and must pay an amount of $1800+ to break the lease to leave. (They also keep the $475 down payment.) Yet I believe to have a legal reason to break said lease.
Not only this, but the Landlady has been uncooperative in getting my legal representative and I contact information to the owners to discuss the legal reason to break the lease. She's even been hostile by blocking our exit out from the apartment after the final walk through.

Is there some course or action I should take or act defensively until the owners contact us?
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 I bet you a hundred dollars that lease agreement doesn't contain "Should lessee seek to prematurely sever the terms of this agreement as set forth above, the only way he may do so is if he is totally stoked about moving in with his fiance and really thinks he shouldn't have to pay all that money."
Unless it does, you'll be paying them their money my dude.Answer #2: You agreed to pay the fee to break the lease. That's that.


Title: TIFU and told insurance I was delivering pizza while I was involved in an accident (Chicago, IL)

Question:
I'm currently being screwed by my employer and insurance company.

- I was involved in a car accident while delivering pizza.
- Maybe my fault, maybe the other person's fault. The police report does not assign blame.
- The other party initiated a claim with my insurance company; I have collision coverage
- Today I called and the assessor began to ask me questions. I told him that I was delivering pizza while the accident occurred.
- The assessor told me that my claim will be denied because I was using the car for business use, and that my employer's insurance will have to cover me.
- I call my employer and they tell me that they don't have insurance for their drivers, and for the insurance company to get in touch with them. They plan on telling the insurance company that they are not liable.

So I did ask them if they could consider me as 'off the clock' when the insurance gets in touch with them. They told me 'no' in no uncertain terms. And they told me I should have purchased my own special insurance rider for commercial use, which they absolutely never told me (or any of the other drivers) when I signed on, and no information about this is present in their new hire paperwork.

So it looks like I'm screwed. My personal auto insurance won't cover me because I admitted to working while the accident occurred. My job doesn't have any insurance for me and isn't going to help me at all. What do I do at this juncture?

The other party's car was a piece of junk. Mine is a relatively  new car and it took a pretty good deal of damage ($5,000+). Is there anyone I can go after? Should I bother with the other party's insurance? Is my employer liable in any roundabout way? They told me that I probably can't be working there without insurance, but they never informed me that my personal auto insurance would be useless while I was on the clock with them.

Edit: I'm not sure if this information can get me anything, but the other driver was driving for Postmates. She filed a claim with her insurance and I could call and wreck her claim by telling them she was doing Postmates. Postmates has insurance, so I'm kind of wondering if I wreck her claim with her insurance company, and she turns to Postmates' insurance, if Postmates would cover me.

Answer:
 Your title says "TIFU telling the insurance company I was delivering pizza" when it should say "TIFU by driving a car to deliver pizza without making sure I had proper insurance to do so"Answer #2: >So I did ask them if they could consider me as 'off the clock' when the insurance gets in touch with them. They told me 'no' in no uncertain terms.

Ya, they won't do that because it would be insurance fraud and likely criminal

>nd they told me I should have purchased my own special insurance rider for commercial use

They are rights, and they shouldn't have to tell you. When you signed up for your policy you specified to them that you were not using the car for business, when that changed you needed to adjust your coverage accordingly.

>What do I do at this juncture?

That depends on who is at fault for the accident. The police report not assigning blame will make no difference to the insurance company. They will assign blame. Do you know which one of you is, in fact, at fault for the accident? Because your options depend on that.


Title: I live in Iowa, my child was subpoenaed to court during other parent's custody time while they are visiting KY.

Question:
My daughter is 11 and was a witness to something that is now going to court. I received in the mail a subpoena for her testimony here in Iowa. The date is 7/6 but apparently she may be needed for several days.

According to the court custody agreement she is supposed to be with her other parent (who also lives in Iowa) from 6/27 to 8/15. HOWEVER the other parent is planning to take her to Kentucky for those 7 weeks so that she can experience life on his parents' farm.

There is nothing about this sort of situation in our parenting agreement.

Questions:

My ex believes that because I am the one who received the notice, I am the one who is legally responsible for her attendance to court. Is that correct, or is he responsible for her attendance since he has legal custody of her at that time?

If that IS correct, am I legally required to give him more time with her at a different time?  (e.g. if she misses a week of visitation with him due to court do I have to give him a different week?) Our parenting contract does not really address this situation.

And finally am I the one who would be responsible for her transportation from Kentucky back to Iowa, and then back to Kentucky after the case is over?  (He is responsible for transportation for his visitation, but he believes I am responsible for the court issue because I am the one who received the notice.)

Answer:
 > My ex believes that because I am the one who received the notice, I am the one who is legally responsible for her attendance to court. Is that correct, or is he responsible for her attendance since he has legal custody of her at that time?

You're both responsible, and either of you could be held in contempt if she doesn't show.

> am I legally required to give him more time with her at a different time?

You don't have to take any time back from him.  He just has to get her to court.  That might mean delaying the vacation; that's life.

If you two **agree** to make a change to make this easier, then that's fine.


Title: Ex-Boss wants money back

Question:
I worked at an agency for 9 months in Atlanta, GA; and left in April for a better opportunity. For Christmas 2015, my boss gave everyone a voucher for a vacation to use as we please, because the company did "very, very" well. Mine was $1000, because I had only been with the company for 6 months at the time. I booked my trip in March, before I knew that I would have another job. I put in my two weeks notice exactly two weeks before my vacation was scheduled. My boss told me I was obligated to pay him back, because I would no longer be his employee at the time of the trip. I offered to cancel the trip (too late) or work another week to still be considered his employee at the time of my trip (he declined). When I left, I let him keep my quarterly bonus ($600) to start paying back the vacation. (so I now owe $400)

He sent me a letter last week saying that if I didn't pay him immediately, he would be getting his lawyer involved.

Am I actually obligated to pay him? He had given me a gift for Christmas, that I earned. I feel like he is being petty because his feelings were hurt that I wanted to leave his company. But I also don't want to be in legal trouble over $400. Any advice would be great!

Answer:
 Why on earth did you give him back anything? It was yours "to use as you please"... regardless of whether you work there or not.

Its a bonus for past work done, not a proactive bonus for future work. Answer #2: I would not have given anything back... no way.  That vacation voucher was a paid bonus as of Xmas. Perhaps subject to a 1099 for value received ($1000), but that would be between you and the IRS.

I highly doubt he would bring a lawsuit over $400. If he does, then you should respond timely. Consider a counterclaim.

I would not respond to him further except maybe to say that you earned that Xmas bonus and the $600 quarterly bonus based on work you did. He has already retained $600 of a total of $1600 in bonuses that you earned.

Good luck.


Title: How does domain investing not violate the anticybersquatting consumer protection act of 1999

Question: Title says it all.  Investing and “parking” domain is big business and a huge, seemingly well-respected, industry.  How does it not violate the anticybersquatting consumer protection act of 1999?

Answer: Section 43(d) of the Lanham Act (the ACPA) only applies to trademarks and personal names. Plenty of domain names are neither.


Title: boss "banking" overtime

Question: I work at a small retail store with 2 locations and generally really like my job, except i regularly work 100-110 hours every 2 week pay period, and recieve no overtime on my cheques. The owner of my store says they are banked, which i didnt agree to first of all, i would much rather recieve my overtime pay on my cheque, and whenever I ask for some money out of what I have in banked hours it's perpetually "not a good time right now". it's been just shy of a year and I'm owed somewhere in the neighborhood of 2 grand. keep in mind this is in Canada so laws may be different. is my employer allowed to hang on to overtime pay indefinitely like this? what can I do without getting fired? Thank you to all who reply

Answer:
 Unless if they’re giving you paid time off I would definitely look into and taking action now and have that corrected. I do believe it is illegal but haven’t done my research to confirm.

If you are Ontario read up on this link.

https://www.ontario.ca/document/your-guide-employment-standards-act-0

If you’re not in ontario please specify what province.


Title: identity theft

Question:
I was looking over my bank statement and noticed a charge for
a jeep 4x4 store for 517.75. I don't own a Jeep nor have I ever been to this store. I emailed explaining the situation and asked to reverse charges but haven't heard back from them. what should I do next.
I'm in Minooka, il

Answer: You should be filing a dispute with your bank, and getting your card reissued ASAP. If you emailed, try calling or going down in person.


Title: Am I responsible for my dead mother's hospital bills?

Question:
Alabama - USA  TL;DR at the bottom

 My mother, recently deceased, spent three days in the hospital before she died. She was on a fixed income with nothing but Medicare to pay her bills. In her will, she made me executor because I am her only child and at 84, she really didn't have anyone left except me.  After she was diagnosed with dementia, I ended up being her full time care-giver with no help from anywhere.  (I was an elementary school teacher, but resigned from my high stress job to try and get my sanity back, but I ended up not going back to work.)

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We both lived on her monthly check and what I had saved up from working. She was ill, but she lived longer than than had been predicted. When I would try and talk to her about going back to work, she would cry and get upset, and I'd cave and stop looking. During this time I developed my own health problems as we tend to do when we age, but I have no health insurance to do anything about it.  I'm looking for work, but not in the teaching field. I'm not physically able to do that again. I'm 58 with bad knees and my mobility is limited, so I'm not a hot prospect for most employers.  I'm doing online jobs right now, but the pay is terrible and I don't make anywhere near enough to pay cost of living bills.

Now my question, the hospital bills have started pouring in, along with the Pay Us phone calls. I don't have the money to pay these bills. My mom left exactly a $4,000 insurance policy and her funeral costs were @4,500.  She had around 3K in the bank, which is still in the bank in her name because it takes awhile for paperwork to go through to close the account with the outrageous monthly fees being applied to it, and I don't think I'll have access to it till August some time.  Am I responsible for her bills?

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TL;DR: My mom died, I'm poor. Do I have to pay her hospital bills?

Answer: As the executor of the estate, you have to pay her hospital bills with the funds and assets from her estate. If that $4,000 insurance policy was life insurance to which you were the beneficiary, that's your money and not part of the estate. Unless you signed something at the hospital, you should not be personally responsible for the cost.


Title: [CA, USA] Uncle just died unexpectedly who was in charge of finances of the household, his druggie kids from his previous marriage are trying to kick my aunt of their nice home. Are they allowed to do this?

Question:
I found out today that my 80 year old uncle died. My 68 year old aunt is his 2nd wife and I love her very much. She retired and just works part time at Walmart so she wouldn't be bored at home all day and it helps out with grocery shopping and home goods with their employee discount. They are very well off, have a very nice home in an affluent  neighborhood, with a huge pool and backyard that I basically spent all summers in.

My uncle was in a previous marriage and his druggie kids who live Arizona just wanted to make sure that their dad is okay after 10+ years of never talking to him. They know that their dad and my aunt are well off and I'm very scared they're going to hurt my aunt and try to get the house from her.

As of right now, there is no current will. My aunt is a bit clueless but I just want to make sure she is allowed to keep the house to herself. They have shared financial accounts and are legally married, but I'm not quite sure if the house is under both of their names or just my uncle. Is their any hope in any of this?

Answer:
 If there is no will she gets all community property and half his separate property.  The kids get the rest.  Whether the house is hers depends on its status.  If it has a mortgage that he's been paying during the marriage, it almost certainly is community property.

She should retain an attorney and not leave the house absent a court order.  If the kids try to strongarm her, she needs to call 911.  Changing the locks and alarm codes is not a bad idea, either.


Title: Found out my Father (divorced) has been using my Social Security number for child support payments, and keeping it in a private account...

Question:
So for some basis, I live with my mom, brother, and stepfather. I am 18 years old, and my dad has been ordered by the court to pay my mom child support of $1,300 every month until I graduate from undergrad school in 2022. He makes very good money. I believe his net worth is estimated to be at least 1.5 million dollars. Entrepreneur, mechanic business, snowplowing in winters, landlord, etc.

 But the other day his ex-girlfriend called my mom and tipped us off that he has been using Social Security money in order to help pay the child support for me, but has been putting it all in a private bank account.

So my mom and I agreed for me to call him up and ask him about it. He instantly got fucking terrified and said he would happily give me the money. I say I will think about it and debate calling social security to turn him in or just take the money.

The next day he sends my mom an email that he will be forwarding $27,778 dollars to my mom's bank account to give to me.

I ask him where the money came from and he says he ordered it as assistance to pay the child support, but I believe that would mean he had to LIE about his income in order to get it. He also opened a bank account allegedly in MY name in order to put the money into. So he'd been keeping this money privately and still shorting us child support money.

We accept this in exchange to possibly hold it over his head in order to get him to pay my mom the child support and also a $3,000 yearly payment to us for my college money. For years he has been trying to get reductions and been shorting my mom each month, and also not paying the $3,000. I call him to negotiate for these things but he then gets infuriated with me, says he will go to court to try and reduce the support even more for my college, etc.

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This leads me to ask you, people, what do you think the charges would be for him taking this fraudulent money and keeping it for himself? If I called Social Security, do you think they would investigate, charge, and even arrest my dad? Do you think it would be beneficial for me to simply keep the money and forget about it?

 Thanks.

Answer: sooner or later SS is going to figure out that someone committed fraud. Then they are going to start asking questions. They will ask you if you knew about the fraud. They will ask if you benefitted from the fraud. Someone might end up going to jail over this. Make sure it’s not you.


Title: [NC] Evicted tenant for unpaid rent is asking for her security deposit back

Question:
My parents filed in smalls claims court against their tenant for nonpayment of ~$1,000 in rent and received a successful judgement for possession, and tenant pays the rent owed and all court fees. Tenant has moved out of the apartment leaving it in good condition, but still did not pay any amount owed. My parents continued with the Notice of Right to Have Exemptions Designated, and recently just filed the Writ of Execution. Now, the tenant is asking for her security deposit back before she will pay the owed rent + fees.

1. My parents can use the security deposit (~$800) towards the rent owed and do not have to return it to tenant correct?
2. The court never asked my parents if there was a security deposit/not sure if they factored that in with the amount owed (rent + fees + interest) for the writ of execution. Should my parents go back and ask about it? Or do they return the security deposit after all the owed amount is paid.

Answer:
 > [Reasons You Can Keep a Tenant’s Security Deposit in North Carolina](https://www.thebalance.com/north-carolina-security-deposit-law-2125084):
>>In the state of North Carolina, landlords may be able to keep all or a portion of a tenant’s security deposit for the following reasons:

>>> Unpaid rent

>>> Unpaid utility bills

>>> Damage in excess of normal wear and tear

>>> Breach of lease

>>> Costs of re-renting the unit

>>> Costs to remove and store tenant’s possessions after an eviction

>>> Court costs

>>> Any additional unpaid bills the tenant has accumulated during their tenancy that could cause a lien to be placed against the property.

 https://www.ncga.state.nc.us/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/PDF/ByArticle/Chapter_42/Article_6.pdfAnswer #2: So she wants you to pay her $800, but swears that she will then pay you $1000?  Answer #3: Make sure to send an itemized receipt of where that security deposit is going


Title: The landlord for my mom's Connecticut apartment scheduled an inspection with an appraiser. 24 hour notice. The apartment is not inspection-ready by a LONG shot.

Question:
Like the title says. He wants to come by tomorrow, but she is out of state visiting family at the moment. Things have been extremely stressful for the past 6 or so months (a couple deaths in the family, etc.) and my mom works full time. Because of this, and perhaps because of laziness, her apartment is an actual disaster.

I'm talking trash everywhere (including 4-5 trash bags that won't fit in the trash cans outside because they are shared with the 2 other tenants), bathroom and kitchen sinks clogged and filled with dirty stinky water, cardboard boxes everywhere, tiles/drawers/doors missing, cobwebs everywhere, dirt all over the walls, absolutely disgustingly filthy floors, her bed was practically destroyed by her dog, etc. etc..

I know this is bad, but I don't live in town so I can't really do anything about it myself. She always knew he'd find out eventually, but was going to forfeit her deposit (obviously) as well as pay an extra month's rent and pay for repairs after she moved out.

There simply isn't any time to make it inspection-ready before tomorrow, even if anyone was there to do so.. but nobody is. I told him that nobody is home (not about the state the apartment is in, yet at least) but he insists it must be done because if they don't come through he will "not get his mortgage that he worked to get for 6 months."

But the appraiser and him will be horrified if they see this apartment. Legitimately.

My questions are:

1. Can he legally enter the apartment without her being there, with such short notice?
2. Can we ask him to postpone it so I can take some time off work to go to her apartment and help her clean/repair stuff?
3. Any other advice/tips for this..

Thanks in advance!

Answer:
 1- 24hrs is an appropriate amount of time. She doesn't have to be there for them to enter

2- you can ask. He will likely decline since it is scheduled with someone else

3-warn him


Title: Help! I think I've been scammed

Question:
Hey guys, I'm an international student moving to Madison, Wisconsin  this September and was looking up places to rent on Craigslist. I found one a few weeks ago that seemed fishy, cheap, too good to be true, but I sent him an email anyway to see if there's any reply since all the other ones are pricey.

Lo and behold, I got an email in broken English from the "current tenant" saying he'slooking for someone to take over the lease because his mom has cancer and he has to move to Texas to be with her. Once I fill up the lease and send the direct deposit to his landlady, he will mail the keys and lease agreement to my address in my home country.

Problem is the landlady doesn't stay in Madison but in Illinois instead and I have to do direct deposit for my deposit + 1st month's rent. I don't have any family in the States so I had to ask my American roommate if he could ask his mom to do the direct deposit to the bank account he gave me while I cover for his portion of our house rent. It took a week for his mom to gather up the money and go to the bank to do the deed, but every day the tenant would email me asking if I had transferred the money and I would say no just wait. Finally, a few days after my roommate's mom went to the bank, he received the money and told me he would mail me the keys and lease agreement.

However, he is also deliberately ignore me when I asked the landlady's contact information and email. I passed it off as he's just super weird and bad in English when in hindsight it was a major red flag. He also didn't have any extra pictures of the apartment and the location pinpointed on CL was different from the address given to me in his email. Even the pictures I found on Google of the apartment looked differently.

He did send me a picture of his driver's license even though I didnt ask for it, probably to make me feel more comfortable? Idk. But it could be fake or just stolen from anyone. I got very suspicious so I went on whitepages to look for both the landlady and tenant since their home address was provided to me (probably to make me feel at ease) But both the tenant and the landlady's name didn't show up in their respective home addresses. I also tried going back to the CL ad but it has been flagged for removal though it could be that he removed it himself. I'm not sure.

Right now, I'm almost 90% sure I've been scammed and now I'm at a loss cause I probably just lost my friend's parents $1600 and I would have to suck it up.

Is there anything I can do at all since I'm not living in the US now? Can my roommate's parents file a police report or try to ask if the bank could return the direct deposit in lieu of a scam situation? I'm still confused as to why he's still replying to my email even he claimed the "landlord" already got the money though. I would imagine a scammer would just stop replying altogether and be done with it.

Answer:
 You have 100% been scammed.

Only thing you can do is have the parents go to their bank and see if there is anything they can do. It's most likely gone and there is nothing you can do.


Title: (IN) Got pulled over for no reason with one gram of marijuana..

Question: My license is suspended from a prior DUI and as I was driving home an officer pulled me over and claimed he ran my plates and saw my license was suspended but I am confident he was not behind me long enough to even do this. I believe the house I got the marijuana from is under surveillance. I also recently bought the car so it had paper plates from the dealership. If he ran those would it even show my name since i have not registered the car yet? Is it possible to get the possession charge dropped if I get a good lawyer? If not what will my punishment be? This and the DUI are the only things on my record.

Answer:
 Driving on a suspended license because of a DUI to buy drugs from a dealer known to the police.  Boy that is a special kind of stupid.

Get a lawyer. Maybe you can challenge the stop. I wouldn't get your hopes up.Answer #2: >(IN) Got pulled over for driving on a suspended license ~~no reason~~ with one gram of marijuana..

FTFY.

You need an attorney, and expect your suspension to continue.Answer #3: It really only takes as long as typing like 7 characters max to run a plate and instantly get a hit, or if they had a plate scanner they can get your info in about 2 seconds.  You got caught, get a lawyer.


Title: Want to drop charges after GF was arrested for domestic violence with knife

Question: I regret calling the police on my gf, she flipped when she saw a porno and came at me with a knife. Before that, she was my best friend in the whole world. I can't live without her even though it sounds extremely bizarre. She was arrested for a night, sent to court for 5 minutes, and had a order of protection against her. She has another court date on the 26th. I'm scared she's gonna get charged with something severe(months, possible years in jail). Is there a way for me to get the charges dropped and remove the order of protection? We both told the police the same story. Please help, thank you.

Answer: You don't have control over whether charges are filed, that's the prosecutor's role.


Title: (California). Girlfriend won't move out

Question: I own a condo in California and my girlfriend moved in with me about 2 years ago. She has never paid any rent, utilities or hoa fees. I would like her to move out now but I anticipate that she won't go easily. Do I have to evict her to get her to leave? Is there any other legal issues I should aware of?

Answer:
 No you don't have to evict her necessarily. You need to give her proper notice (generally 30 days but some locations in CA are more) THEN you can go to court to evict if she doesn't leave. But you have to give her notice. She's a tenant.  Don't touch her stuff or change the locks or anything else like that.Answer #2: In California, you can give her a 60-day written notice to vacate (60 days because she's been there for more than one year, otherwise it's 30 days).

If she does not vacate after the 60 days, you will need to file for a formal eviction with the courts.

The legal issues you might want to be aware of would probably largely concern "helping" her move out -- things like changing the locks on her, bagging up her stuff and putting it outside, or otherwise denying her the right to access her home (your condo is her home) and her belongings during this time period.  Either she leaves on her own, or the cops come and physically evict her -- if you get directly involved with moving her out against her wishes, that's where things get messy and illegal.


Title: [MA] Got involved with a situation that's spiraled way out of control..

Question:
TLDR:

I'm 16, friend of mine claimed he was being harassed by these two girls, asked me to have a spam bot bombard their phone, I posted their # on 4chan, blah blah. Now, my friend had a mental breakdown last week, said he was suicidal because these two girls claimed he was harassing them back, went to a psych ward (or so I've heard), is in 100% denial of what happened. Police got his phone, which has his texts asking me to spam them or whatever.

At this point like 12 others from my school are involved, and the police have already asked for my phone (I said no). Yesterday they called my parents saying they're in the process of getting an administrative Subpeona on Verizon, and they said that that will let them see from Verizon who downloaded whatever texting app was used to Harrass these two girls.

At this point i just want out of this whole situation. Should I go to the police today and tell them that my friend asked me to post their # online and say I did, but nothing else? Or just keep my mouth shut until either A) they get a warrant for my phone or B) wait it out

Answer:
 You should talk to your parents and a lawyer before you do anything else.Answer #2: There is no "out" at this point. Listen to /u/Citicop -- you need your parents and a lawyer in on this now; do not talk about this situation with anyone else, especially not your friends, the police, or the school. Answer #3: > At this point i just want out of this whole situation.

Little late for that I recon.

> Should I go to the police today and tell them that my friend asked me to post their # online and say I did, but nothing else?

Say nothing to the police with your parents and a lawyer present. This is beyond talk your way out of it.


Title: [TX] Mother of my girlfriend wants me in prison even though her daughter is over the age of consent.

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Wait until she's 18 and moved out. Parents can still dictate who their minor children see. Also, no more nudity over computers/phones. Because that's federally illegal.


Title: post divorce, ex changing address on my accounts.

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Have you closed the account yet? Gotten your name taken off everything, regardless of the zero balance ?Answer #2: It is possible that he went in to change the address on his accounts,  and the banker just updated everything that had his name on it. Depending on how tge bank's internal software is set up, it might be really easy to do that without so much as a signature.  You need to close the accounts as you will still be liable for whatever he may do with them.


Title: Can you be high on marijuana in public?

Question: Marijuana is legal in Nevada. Nevada also has no public intoxication law. My question is if I smoke in the privacy of my home and then went for a walk, as long as I don't have anything on me and I'm not being nuisance I'll be fine, right?

Answer:
 I feel like this is the legal "if a tree falls in forest and no one is around to hear" question. As long as you aren't doing anything that would make one question your sobriety, you can be as inebriated as you want in public. Answer #2: > My question is if I smoke in the privacy of my home and then went for a walk

Going for a walk would be fine. Driving, however, can get you a DUI.


Title: [DoD Contractor] My company is paying me half my hourly rate for overtime?

Question:
I'm a Department of Defense Contractor currently stationed overseas. After several months of working for a new contracting company I finally took a look at my paystubs and found that for my overtime I'm being paid at half of my base hourly rate.
When I made payroll aware of this I was informed that this was company policy. I work 72 hours a week. I've been told that the policy breakdown is this:

0-48: Normal hourly rate, with various hazard and hardship uplifts due to my location.

48-60: Half of my base hourly rate.

60+: Time and a half of my base hourly rate.

I've checked my contract, there is no mention of this policy or anything regarding overtime rates. I was under the impression that OT was legally required to be time and a half. Am I wrong? If not, what is my recourse?
I am trying to get a copy of this policy in writing, as it was only told to me over the phone.

Answer:
 Paralegal here, husband worked as a defense contractor, but this is not legal advice. This is an FLSA violation, if I've read it correctly; I found a more user-friendly/easy to understand source. If you are working in Kuwait/Iraq, they are not required to pay you time and a half, but you should still be receiving straight pay for all hours worked, not half of your base hourly rate.

Here is what I read on a website which will not be named/linked, but you can do a simple google search and find the same information: "defense contractors and overtime pay overseas":

>**Overseas Positions.**
Employees of defense contractors have often spent time overseas working for private companies that provide services for the U.S. Military.
***In those overseas positions, U.S. overtime laws typically do not apply.***
But when those same employees return to the U.S., the overtime laws do apply.
***For example, defense contractors could pay straight time for all hours worked in Iraq but may have to pay overtime for the same work if it were performed in the U.S.***
It is a small difference that could result in a large pay disparity.

There is also a question of how compensation affects your taxes and tax brackets, and what portion of your compensation is taxable, depending on how long you're out of the country,  If you're receiving some kind of premium pay for your location, that may be their rationale for trying to pay you less, but it doesn't make sense to me that you would receive only half your regular base pay for overtime.


Title: Cyntoia Brown is a victim of human sex trafficking who was sentence to life in prison after shooting and killing a man who bought her. What are possible reasons why her defense was unsuccessful, and what options would she have to finally become free

Question:
https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/11/22/us/cyntoia-brown-sex-trafficking.html?referer=https://www.googleapis.com/auth/chrome-content-suggestions

https://www.teenvogue.com/story/kim-kardashian-cyntoia-brown

https://www.allure.com/story/kim-kardashian-west-tweets-support-cyntoia-brown?mbid=synd_teen-vogue

Brown was charged and convicted of first-degree murder in 2004 sentenced to life in prison. She will be in her late 60's by the time she is eligible for parole. This happened in the state of Tennessee. While Tennessee has changed the law so that minors who engage in the selling of sex are considered to be victims of human sex trafficking instead of perpetrators of prostitution, the law does not apply retroactively, as it was enacted after Brown was incarcerated. Her story has recently gotten new attention after several celebrities such as LeBron James and Kim Kardashian and Rihanna and others have raised awareness of what happened to her. Something I'm wondering is, based on what little I've read about this, it sounds like she performed in the act of self-defense. Why was her defense on able to successfully prove that? And now, what options does she have to become free? Would she have to be granted a new trial? Could her sentence be commuted? Could she be pardoned by the governor of Tennessee? Could she sue for other reasons like claiming that her punishment violates the 8th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States which bans cruel and unusual punishments?

Answer:
 Disclaimer: Not a lawyer

Was her life in immediate danger? As in, was someone holding a gun to her head and threatening her life? I'm going to guess the answer is no.

Then, what did she do? She planned to murder someone, and then she murdered them. That's the very textbook definition of first-degree murder.

I don't get why this is becoming this outrage issue in the news. She literally committed first-degree murder. Maybe the *spirit* of the law was not properly instituted in this case, and jury nullification could have come into play, but she did commit the crime she was convicted of.


Title: I think my brother and his wife's neglectfulness caused their baby to die, what do I do?

Question:
My brother and his wife are neglectful parents and they just lost a 3 month old baby for what was officially declared "SIDS".  I was there after the baby died to support my brother and after everything that I witnessed I am very suspicious of the circumstances.

They lied to the cops about several important details such as where the baby was located at the time of death and how much time after the baby was discovered before they called for help in addition to several other less significant details.

In the police interview they told the cops that the baby died in the crib right next to their bed. However, later on in the week when I went to visit my brother I asked him if he had trouble sleeping in the same room as where the baby died. He then informed me that the baby actually died in the living room on the couch. When I asked why the baby was on the couch, he told me his wife put him to sleep there so he wouldn't wake her up.

From what they admit to me, they waited at least an hour after the baby died to call the cops because the mother was in a state of panic and needed to call several other people first, including her mother and my brother  (who was at work at the time). However, their house looked unusually clean for them (they are generally slobs) when I was there, which makes me think more time may have gone by. They told the cops that they called as soon as they awoke to find the baby dead.

What should I do about this? They have an older daughter who is 2 years now and there have been signs of neglect all along. After their newborn died, I feel like I have to do something to protect their other child. However, this could also tear the family apart. I am conflicted and don't know what to do. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks for reading.

Update: I spoke with my sister and mother, we will be reporting them to child protective services. Thanks for your help.

Answer:
 Do you think they did it intentionally?  If not, you should leave this alone,  it's not illegal to panic for a while before reporting a death, and the other child is too old for SIDS. What specifically have you seen to make you think the older child was neglected?Answer #2: Given that they're already being investigated by the police, there's nothing else for you to do, legally, about their dead child. If you believe their other child is also being neglected, call CPS.

Beyond that, grieve, and reevaluate your relationship with your brother.Answer #3: A SIDS diagnosis requires an autopsy before it is confirmed. So, if it has officially been declared SIDS, there has been an autopsy performed. If they had caused the baby's death through neglect, it is likely that the autopsy would have revealed this.


Title: Former co-worker wrote a bad review of my book

Question: So I was working at a job (NYC)  where the boss was sexually harassing me and creating a hostile environment for me. Long story short I ended up resigning abruptly because I was having a nervous breakdown from the stress. The day after this resignation I saw that a very negative review had been published on Amazon about my self-published book. My co-workers knew I had just published it and it was my pride and joy. I strongly suspected that one particular person had written the review but had no proof. Today I discovered that the name of the account that wrote the review had been changed, so I investigated, and it turns out that the reviewer doxxed himself, and it is in fact the former co-worker I suspected. What legal remedy do I have if any? Amazon has a feature where you can like a review, and so many people have liked this review it looks like my book is terrible. But that co-worker never read it; he only wrote that review to stick it to me for quitting.

Answer:
 How you do you know he didn't read it? Can you prove it? If you sold one copy you can't prove it. If you haven't sold any yet you'd have no damages because it would be impossible to tell how many sales you lost due to his false review because you have no sales history. Out of luck. Answer #2: >What legal remedy do I have if any?

You can try to persuade Amazon it's a fake review and they should remove it per their policy.  Anything else would be very difficult to pursue.


Title: [CA, USA] HR Manager lying about the reason I left the company

Question:
Obligatory throwaway because people I used to work with are Redditors. Anyway, two weeks ago I quit my old job. This decision was due to a number of reasons: lazy management that had no accountability, payroll constantly messing up my paychecks, not being reimbursed for a business trip I took for the company, HR looking the other way (the HR Manager's brother is the General Manager of the store I worked at).

So I'm looking for a new job and have interviewed at a few different places. I just found out yesterday that two of my potential employers were told I had been "let go due to unacceptable behavior" by the HR Manager of my old job when they called to do a reference check. I am so pissed right now... I feel like what the HR Manager has told them is the reason why I'm not getting hired anywhere. What can I do about this? Is there any legal recourse for me?

(The reason why I know what the HR Manager said is because when I did my follow up with the potential employers, they told me that what I told them about quitting was conflicting with what the HR Manager at my old job told them about me being "let go.")

Answer:
 [Here is a good resource](http://scholarship.law.berkeley.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1254&context=bjell) which examine California's stance on job references, and the interplay between defamation, tortuous interference, and recommendations. You can probably get a lawyer to draft a nice cease and desist letter which causes them to clam up and just give your previous job description and the time you spent working there. But I'd also give them a heads up in your interview that the company is being difficult and offer other co-workers at the company or references from your jobs before it. Answer #2: Are you sure it was the HR Manager and not a HR worker?

This is highly unprofessional and just terrible HR work for someone working in a HR setting. You may have a real case of defamation.


Title: I got fired from my job for trying speak to my coworker outside of work.

Question:
I know I don't a case nor do I want one. I am wondering if it is considered harassment if I were to try talk to and settle things between us. I was told that because of my panic attacks and bipolar episodes that she was extremely uncomfortable around me. We use to be friends and she was who I talked to about everything during a very dark time in my life. I was told back in march not to speak to her outside of work but things got back to normal so I thought everything was okay. I was told at work before told my bosses they could burn in hell that speaking to her outside of work could be considered harassment. Do note I have never seen away from work, never waited by her car, never went to her house or anything like that. It was only facebook messages until we had a falling out and she blocked me. Last time I tried to talk was via instagram. Our workplace is in the state of pennsylvania in the USA. Let me know if you need anymore information.
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: Leave her alone. If she wants to talk to you, you'll know. Answer #2: Yes, continuing to contact her when she's made it clear she does not want to speak to you could constitute as harassment. Leave her alone.


Title: [WA] Married for a month on k1 visa, seek annulment or divorce

Question:
I came to US on a k1 fiance visa for over two months now and married. I realized this country isn't for me and I can't have a life here. What is the best option for me?

I'm from Romania, wife lives in Washington. We went to the court but they weren't being very helpful, told us to print the divorce forms online but we saw it takes at least 90 days until they look over the case.
We are both in agreement, can't afford a lawyer as I've spent all my resources to come here and pay rent.

I looked into annulment but it seems they have strict criterias for it and 1 month long marriage seems to not be a part of that.

What are our best options? I can't stay for 3 more months here, I want to return home 2 weeks from now. Should I be the one to start the divorce process? Or should she be the one and then mail me forms that I need to sign?
She's not a vindictive person but I don't know if anyone will try to influence her negatively. We haven't made any investments, once I leave the country I won't have any control over anything that happens here.

Answer:
 I don't understand, is your problem with your marriage, or the USA?

If you don't like America, is your wife completely unwilling to move to Romania? Did you consider this before the marriage?

If your problem is with your marriage, then it is quite unlikely you could get an annulment (the entire basis would need to be failed - like if you were secretly not attracted to her gender, and incapable of having sex).

For a divorce, at least one of the parties must live in Washington State, so if your wife stays there, you could leave. Alternatively, you could look into divorcing in Romania after you return (I have no idea what that would entail).


Title: [Ohio, USA] Parents are divorced, mom is lying about work hours in hopes of getting larger alimony

Question:
They have been divorced for a few years and the first time they went to court over this she only brought a small notebook with her work schedule written down. It was all clearly written on the same day, at the same time, with the same pen. 100% completely made up, as she was claiming only to work 20hrs per week, while actually clocking in 40+. It was good enough in the courts eyes so my dad got shafted.

He was injured very badly in Feb 2014 and can't work anymore, so only has limited income. For some reason it has taken from then until now for their new court date to adjust the current  alimony owed, and to assess any back payments that he missed.

Scumbag Stacey, my mom, missed the hearing last week because she was too drunk to go so it has been rescheduled for later this month. She now has a signed letter from her boss stating she only works 20hrs per week, along with a copy of a made up schedule that she "works" every week. This idiot even went as far as to say that the schedule never changes as his employees are so competent that everything is rock solid. In reality, it is a bar and they can't keep anyone employed long term so my mom is the one who always covers in the kitchen, thus working 40+ hrs every week. Currently she is on a string of 2 months straight of double shifts everyday.

Now the real kicker is my dad hired a PI the first time around who followed her for a month and watched her work everyday, yet somehow this was not allowed in court. It completely boggles my mind as to how this can happen.

What, if anything, can my dad do or ask his attorney to get some sort of fairness out of this situation? There is no real paper trail of her work hours as she is paid under the table.

Answer: Is there a reason the hours worked are the important thing, rather than the amount she earns?


Title: I [23/m] had sex with the GF [22/f] of my best friend [23/m]. She wants to make it look like I had raped her. (Germany)

Question: [deleted]

Answer: A word of caution: most of our posters are familiar with either U.S. or Canadian law.  Posts related to sexual activity in any way tend to receive a disproportionate number of replies, many of which are inaccurate.


Title: [TX] Worried my PS3 might have evidence of a crime?

Question:
So maybe 9 months ago, a co-worker gave me his old broken ps3 so I could fix it up and have a ps3.  I haven't yet had time to crack it open (I haven't even plugged it in).   Soon after he transferred to another department, and then a few months later was at a different company.  He and I weren't close, just friendly acquaintances that both enjoyed video games.

I recently saw him on the news.  He was arrested for soliciting a 12 year old boy.  Should I be worried at all about the possible contents of the hard drive in the ps3 he gave me?  Or am I being overly paranoid?

Answer:
 If it were me, it sounds like a nice excuse to upgrade to a PS4.Answer #2: A working used PS3 is like $100. This one seems nowhere near worth the headache involved.

If you turn it over to the police don't open it up. Don't look at a drive.

Super best idea, ask a criminal defense lawyer how best to divest yourself of this thing. Answer #3: Pure speculation, but you should be fine as long as the photo/video sections of the PS3 menu are clear. The PS3 takes over the entire hard drive, so it's not like something could be hidden away. You could also just get a new hard drive if you want to wipe your hands clean of the whole situation.


Title: TX - How do I report a doctor to the State?

Question:
The details of the backstory would be 10 pages long.  Basically, I fully believe my pre-natal care doctor is at fault for the death of my baby.  I've contacted malpractice attorneys and they say it's impossible to pinpoint negligence, but they STRONGLY suggested I should make it my life's mission to report their actions (and non-actions) to the State.

How do I go about this?

Answer:
 https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/cpd/medical-professional-complaintsAnswer #2: [Here](http://www.tmb.state.tx.us/page/place-a-complaint) is the state agency to which you can file a complaint.Answer #3: I just wanted to say I'm sorry for your loss.Answer #4: Medical malpractice is very fact specific and it is unfortunately beyond the scope of this subreddit. It is highly recommended to speak with a medical malpractice attorney; your state's bar may be able to refer you to one. They typically work on contingency, meaning there is little up front cost to you. Similarly, consultations are typically free. It wouldn't hurt to meet with one, have them look over your info, and go from there.

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Title: Ex got caught with my pill bottle and I don't know what to do.

Question:
I use to be with an abusive ex and finally was able to gather the courage to escape five months ago. I left most of my shit and took off. He stole my pill bottle from before. I'm prescribed adderall.

Well he's been texting me from different numbers and calling. I've just been blocking them. He said he got pulled over and they found my bottle on him, which has my name it.

He's asking me to write a letter and have it notarized saying that I accidentally left it in his car and that I moved.

I don't want to do anything, I just want him to fuck off from my life. I'm finally getting my life together, I have a good job now, nice apartment, etc. I don't want this to ruin my life. I just want him to disappear.

What should I do? I'm afraid if I don't write a notarized letter he will say I sold it to him or something to fuck up my life, but I don't want to write the notarized letter because I'm afraid I'll get in trouble too.

I shouldn't have to be dealing with this. For once I thought I could escape him and he just drug me back.

I don't have a criminal history at all. I've never been in trouble with the law before.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. If I just change my number and disappear would I get in trouble?

I don't know what to do.

This is in Maryland btw.

Thank you.
Topic:
Drug Possession

Answer: Don't do anything at all. If the police want to talk to you say nothing without a lawyer. Answer #2: I would ignore him. He is using this to try and control you.


Title: Concerned I am target of extortion plot or worse by (soon to be ex) wife's new drug dealing BF. International location but I am US citizen

Question:
So this is in the Pacific region, I am a US citizen and it is a mess of a situation.

The country I'm living in (rather not dosclose here) is very small and slightly corrupt so I am hesitant to reach out to the local police but I have gotten a local Legal Aid lawyer who has helped me get a DVRO restraining order against my wife after she assulted me. I also reached out to a local police station chief who I knew from years ago and he knows the situation. I dont feel in immediate danger but... a storm is brewing.

All I'm telling people right now is either nothing or that we are having domestic issues and also I am trying to work with the local immigration people to stay long term.

Truth is, she has left me for another guy, which is fine I am done with her, except I am pretty certain he is a drug dealer. Not sure how high up. However I have also learned that my (soon to be) ex wife probably has been running drugs around the islands here for years and she may know that I know about this.

Also, the only place I had to stay after getting the DVRO while sorting this mess out was her in-laws place. She suddenly showed up a few days ago which is not against the terms of the temporary DVRO as long as she does not do anything overt, so the police say. I keep hearing her talk to various friends about her plots and stuff in other languages over the phone, some of which involve me, but I can only understand fragments.

On top of this, we have kids that are eligible for US benifits, and that is the main reason I am here; to make sure the money starts going to someone responsible like my wife's parents (who are simple honest hard working farmers) overseen by a local government social work organization. I would like to make sure too that her poisonous network of undesirables stays away from the kids. Unfortunately my situation does not allow me to bring the kids (who technically are now US citizens) back home. I lack the resources in the short term to support them in USA.

My wife has gone nuts and is totally against seperation that involves government oversight or social working group for obvious reasons, and were not for the DVRO and me basically babysitting the situation claims she would have run off with them. I believe her plan would be to get the benifits and marry the new guy. I also suspect she is planning to set me up for something to get me deported or worse.

Now I have not been overtly threatened but a lot of strange things have happened and a few people I've talked to who have told me stories off the record about my wife and who she is now in bed with, figuratively and literally, have dissappeared or had problems pop up. None of them are willing to go on record in any sort of legal matter for fear of retribution from my wife or others (not sure exactly who the "others" are).

I'll be honest, I knew my wife had a low level shady history for years but in investigsting the cheating and then later this criminal she has affiliated herself with I discovered some fragmentary evidence that is a lot deeper and may be of value to a law enforcement agency. But then again she knows most of the local police, if I start advertising what I know... not sure what would happen. And the evidence I have is fleeting or incomplete.

While the DVRO is finalized I will need to start Divorce Proceedings and child custody which I know she is going to fight tooth and nail and could drag out for months anyway. That gives her plenty of time to extort me or do something else.

I'd like to reach out to the US Embassy but not sure what they can do. I've also considered hiring a priviate investigator but that is expensive and the quality and trustworthyness is a crapshoot.

Honestly, my narrow interest is just to make sure my kids get their benifits and the grandparents have custody and she has no access to them (hopefully I can win all that in court, not a certain prospect but the Legal Aid lawyer is hopeful) and then at that point I could get out. But my wife has pulled some amazingly horrendously horrible shit and fucked over a lot of people, and given how long we have been together I may be of use and I'd like to cooperate with a legitimate investigstion but only if the US authorities are made aware of it first.

I hate to feel chased out of this country after coming here for 8 years and having kids that will probably grow up here.

Also, if it was not apparant, I am of limted means at the moment so I cannot afford a pricey attorney in USA or here, and have been told most of the Attorneys here are sheisters anyway and be careful.

I am not sure legal advice is exactly the right sub but it was the first place I could think to turn for advice.

Thanks.

Answer: Do you have a question? And location isn’t optional, laws vary by country and nobody will be able to give meaningful advice without a location.


Title: (Ohio) Employer may think I'm committing petty embezzlement (He's right). Need advice and a best/worst case scenario.

Question:
For the past month I've been embezzling small amounts of money from my service industry employer while I work the register and I think I may have provoked their suspicion.

Since the guidelines say to be succinct I'll give the simple summary right here, details and my questions below the line:

I've been embezzling small amounts of cash from my employer over the past month, totaling roughly around $300. While all of it was caught on camera (aside from me actually pocketing the money), the way I did it wouldn't draw any suspicion unless you knew explicitly what you were looking for and due to the way I did it, I left absolutely no paper trail. They wouldn't notice the money was missing, or how much of it there was, because the money was never in the system to begin with. Unfortunately something I did might have drawn attention to me and if they start examining things closely (which I suspect they will) they're almost certain to catch on. What should I do? What should I expect? Am I screwed?

If there's any details you need that I didn't put below just ask and I'll provide them unless I think they could be used to identify my employer or I. If that seems excessive well, if it's not already obvious I'm a bit paranoid at the moment.

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

The good news is twofold: First, my employer is a small, local company with less than 1/2 a dozen locations total and due to their frankly terrible organization and lack of forethought my stealing left/leaves no paper trail whatsoever. The money I took was never recorded in any way and my employer is an entertainment service job so there was no merchandise going missing or anything like that. I'll provide more details on that if needed.

The second good thing is that as far as I know they've no reason to suspect me of stealing. I've been a more or less model employee thus far, with a few small strikes but nothing that would even hint at me being the sort to steal. The only reason I'm worried is that a manager caught on to me adding a small bit of my own money to the till (Long story, short version is that it's part of the process I used to better conceal what I was doing.) At the time I played it off as odd behavior due to sleep deprivation, a lie that is slightly more convincing than it actually sounds on the surface. The manager in question is well aware that I suffer from frequent insomnia, occasionally come in with only a few hours sleep, and tend to engage in all sorts of harmless but highly unusual behavior when I'm running on low sleep. Putting my own money into the till is definitely the most suspicious thing I've done but it's far from uncharacteristic.

When he noticed I did it he asked why the register was over, I told him I had put my pocket change in it, it was another stupid habit of my insomnia and he sent me home immediately, telling me to go to sleep and sounding (to my mind) somewhat suspicious. He's kind of a gullible moron but even that has limits and he explicitly said he was going to speak to the general manager, who is fond of me but also seems much less credulous.

The bad news is that most if not all of my activities were caught on security camera. Due to how I was doing it my stealing would be almost completely unnoticeable and would blend in completely to normal day to day business BUT if you were examining it closely it might seem odd, and if they knew exactly what they were looking for it would be incredibly obvious with almost no way for me to hide it or brush it off with an excuse. I'm unsure of exactly how much I've taken, since it was done in small amounts over the past month or so, but I would put it at $200-300, probably closer to 300.

So I guess my questions are as follows:

* Above all else what sort of outcome would there be if this did go to court and I was indicted? Jail time (how long)? Heavy fines? I'm more concerned about just how fucked I am and in what position more than I am about the possibility of getting out of it.

* At the moment there have been no charges filed or even any allegations but as I said if they start looking (which I feel they probably will) they're almost certainly going to find something. Should I start looking into lawyers?

* Once I got home I sent the manager a text reading
"look, I do stupid pointless stuff when I'm running on low sleep [...] check my pockets constantly, hum constantly, pace around nonstop (*All things that I have done and that he has seen me do*) and yeah, once or twice put my own pocket change in the till and then remove it when I leave. please tell me I'm not about to get my 3rd warning/fired because of the dumbass things I do when my brain is fried from lack of sleep."
I did it thoughtlessly because I was starting to panic as I considered things and I can't decide whether it was a bad idea (communicating after I got caught doing something wrong and was sent home) or a moderately good one (Acting as though it was some small mistake that I was worried about rather than panicking over something that actually deserved a lot of scrutiny). I get the feeling you're going to tell me it was the former, but can that text be used against me in any way? And if somehow you DO think it was a good idea should I contact anyone there again before my next shift?

* Without any kind of paper trail can they use the footage alone to bring a case against me? It's worth noting that to the average person what I was doing would look perfectly normal and unsuspicious. I was generally very careful to make sure that the camera never caught me doing anything so obvious as slipping a $20 into my pocket or anything. Only someone who understood or worked at my employer would even think anything was amiss. Obviously Ohio is at will employment so even if they can't prove anything suspicion alone is enough to get me fired. I've come to terms with that.

* Something I just considered, could the fact that there's no paper trail turn out to be a very bad thing? Like I said, I've stolen about $300 over the past month, nothing more but without any hard evidence as to how much I actually stole could they feasibly suggest in court that I might have been embezzling money since my very first day 1 year+ ago?  Or would that be a completely untenable accusation?

* If the managers follow the same sort of procedure they always have I'll probably be approached when I go in for my next shift, Tuesday morning. Could anyone with experience in this sort of thing tell me what to expect from them? If they didn't watch the footage (or did and didn't notice anything) I can deal with it just fine but if they've cottoned on should I expect confrontation? Interrogation? A simple "we think you might have been stealing from the company, get your things and get out?" And is there any feasible way for me to prepare?

* If I do get cornered and questioned what should my tactics be? Deny, deny, deny? Play dumb? I feel like shutting up completely and demanding a lawyer or something would actually be the worst thing to do.
Topic:
Douche

Answer:
 Never return to work. Do not talk to them or the police for any reason. You need to find a new job. Lose your stealing habit or it will catch up to you then you will be put in a national database and possibly convicted of a crime. Answer #2: You do realize this post can also be used against you, right? Contrary to popular belief, the Internet is real life. Answer #3: You're over-analyzing all of this, and attempting to get peace of mind about a situation that is now largely out of your control.

If your employer files a police report, your chances of being charged with a crime depend on how much evidence they can gather that would implicate you. I would suggest not talking to the police at all.

Your employer can (and should, in my opinion) legally fire you. Whether or not your unemployment could be fought would depend on the body of evidence they have against you.

You are under no obligation to speak to either your employer or the police. If you admit to it, and pull a "I'm so sorry it will never happen again" in an attempt to keep your job, that confession can be used against you in court.
Answer #4: So, you admitted your guilty to reddit and are now asking for advice on how to get out of it?

IMHO: Stop embezzling.