Title: [UK/US] Friend got catfished, could he get in trouble?

Question:
So friend is from UK, I am from Germany and he was talking to a girl from America claiming to be 18. (Her Facebook said 18 as well so we didn't really think to ever question it) Yesterday he got a message from her mother saying he was a dirty pervert for talking to a 15 year old girl. The only he reason he told me is because I was also friends with her and talked to her on a somewhat regular basis. We have both removed and blocked her on all social media and are no longer in contact with her, it was the first thing we did after receiving the news. I did not talk to her about anything sexual but he did (they were basically in an LDR) though they did not trade pictures asides from selfies (nothing provocative or sexual basically)

Basically what we want to know is, if the girls mother goes to police in America with his name.... Could he get in trouble even though he was under the impression she was of age and was basically lied to and is in the UK?

Answer: It’s a scam.  There is no girl, just scammers.  Block and move on.  Don’t send or solicit nudes from people online.


Title: [CA Traffic] I was pulled over by city police on the highway, but in a different county

Question:
I was pulled over by a Redwood City (San Mateo County) officer on the highway, but in Mountain View (Santa Clara County) for "passing him".

Is this going to hold up?

Answer:
 If you committed the violation in Redwood City, then it doesn't matter where the car was when you finally stopped or were pulled over.

In some states, the police have statewide authority- so the officer could write you a ticket for a violation committed elsewhere.  Though he'd probably have to write the ticket to the court of the location where the violation occurred.


Title: How long can I be held in Jail for?

Question: Lets say I was pulled over for a DUI and I didn't have bail money, how long would I be held in jail for?

Answer: Legally they can hold you until you complete your trial or a judge orders you released


Title: Ex sending Snapchat videos of him drinking and driving

Question:
My ex who has a previous dui has been sending me Snapchat videos of himself drinking beer while driving. I have recorded a few using my friends phone but this has become a reoccurring thing. What would be the best legal action I can take?
Topic:
DUI

Answer: You can call the local police and make a report.


Title: Court date for unpaid credit card

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Credit Debt Bankruptcy

Answer:
 >Is there anything I can do to prepare for this?

Don't let them get a default judgment.  Make them prove their case.  Learn the magic words...

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/532/magic-words

>Or make it go away?

Like others have suggested, the only routes to make this go away are to try and settle with them or to prevail at trial.


Title: Started new job, need to take 2weeks off

Question:
Started a new job last week. However, due to a recent mental breakdown I started taking medication yesterday and my doctor told me to take two weeks off.

As you can imagine im terrified that my emloyer will fire me. I called in sick today and told HR that i started new medication and needed to adjust, they said cool,i now need to tell them that my doctor is telling me to take two weeks off which is terrfying me

What is the likely hood that they will terminate me or am I protected? How do I go about telling them that i need the time off while legally protecting myself

Answer:
 if i were you, i'd expect to be unemployed afterwards -- which i think is reasonable.Answer #2:           ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

We are attorneys -- not psychics.  Answer #3: I'm not going to say that you should ignore a doctor's orders, but is there no way that you can work through this? What is the job? If you've been there for all of one week and you already had a mental breakdown, you may want to consider another job.Answer #4: >What is the likely hood that they will terminate me or am I protected?

Very high.  It's not a good sign, and they can save themselves a lot of anguish by just not dealing with whatever is going on.

>How do I go about telling them that i need the time off while legally protecting myself

You don't.  You are not legally protected.  The legal protections that exist for cases like this, you do not qualify for.  You will have to hope for their mercy or discuss with your doctor whether the time off is worth losing your job for.  It may very easily be that your doctor can suggest a plan that allows you to return to work with some reasonable accommodations.  Answer #5: 1. I would say it is highly likely.
2. You are afforded 0 protections under the law because you've been there for a week. Tread carefully.


Title: Legal steps to prevent mother from gaining guardianship upon my death? (MN)

Question:
I am a single mother of 2 kids.  Their father died while I was pregnant with the 2nd.

We don't have contact with any of his family. (they are all out of Country )My only living relative is my mother.

My mother is awful and I in no way want my children to be around her. So far, they have not. (Young teens now)

Unfortunately,  there is no one in our life who would or could care for the kids should I drop dead. (Morbid but reality)

Are there steps that I can take now to prevent my mother from taking them as I am sure she would try? Would  documenting that I wish for the State to gain guardianship be acceptable and followed even if she were to step in as blood relative wanting them?

 She lives in another state and has no relationship with me or the kids.

Answer:
 You can probably find useful information under chapter 257B of the MN statute.

>**Subd. 12.Standby custodian.**
>"Standby custodian" means a person named by a designator to assume the duties of co-custodian or custodian of a child and whose authority becomes effective upon the incapacity, debilitation and consent, or death of the child's parent.

>**Subd. 8.Designator.**
>"Designator" means a parent or legal custodian who appoints a standby or temporary custodian.

https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/statutes/?id=257B&view=chapterAnswer #2: If you drop dead and their father is dead as well, unless a sibling (their aunt or uncle) wants to contest custody, grandparents by far have the best claim to custody. The state is not going to stick children into foster care just because you do not like the grandmother. You option is to find their paternal grandparents and get them to agree to custody. Since they are out of the country, there is a good chance the courts will still give custody to the maternal grandmother.


Title: [Denmark] Underage (16,f) friend in California has phone seized by police containing images and messages of a sexual nature to Me (24,m). What can i expect?

Question:
Today i was informed that my 16 year old female friend in California had her phone seized by the police after her failed suicide attempt (its a complicated story), containing several nude pictures she has sent to me (through facebook messenger, so my real identity is tied to these conversations), along with suggestive audio files, conversation topics, and even a single video. She has told me the police may try getting into contact with me as a consequence. My question is as a citizen of Denmark, what can i expect to happen? I am extremely worried about the entire situation as i have yet to be involved with any illegal activities and therefore have no idea what to expect.

Among my primary questions are whether or not this does at all constitute a crime, considering the age of consent in Denmark is 15, and furthermore, what powers might be exercised beyond borders.

I realize the context may mean little to the legal question at hand, but i think some context is vital. I have known the girl in question as a casual aqaintance for what i guess is by now 4 years through an online chatroom. This girl has been the victim of very harsh circumstances (foster care, an abusive much older boyfriend when she was only 13, and as a consequence has suicidal tendencies). I have long considered her a friend, but last winter she confessed that she had feelings for me and accredited her friendship to me with her not having comitted suicide yet. Instead of turning her confession straight down, however, i said i would be open to meeting her in two years when she would be of legal age (18). This agreement seemed okay at the time, however she steadily over the past half year increased her affection towards me through conversation and it turned rather sexual in nature. As a result, she has sent me multiple nude photos (though received none in return), as well as voice recordings of her arousal. Ive been very paranoid about her actions for quite a while, but i dared not cut off contact or shut her down hard, lest it would lead to another suicide attempt. Forward to today, when i am informed that she yesterday attempted to end her life, and when taken into police custody her phone was seized and all her conversations fell into the police's possession.

I hope all this information was sufficient, and i hope to be told what i might be able to expect in the near future.

(Edit: minor formatting)

(Edit 2: fixed awkward wording)

Edit 3: I have done some further research and Danish law states that simple possession (without distribution) of such imagery of a whild under 18, but over 15, is legal with consent. My remaining question would relate to the international aspect of the problem

Answer:
 > Possession, distribution, and production of child pornography is illegal under Danish law, likewise is spectating such an act even without taking part. Specifically, §230, §235, and §235a in the Danish Penal Code are concerned with children and pornography, although the language is dated and vague.[112]

So you *could* get charged if the authorities here contact the police there.

Find girls your own age.


Title: Working from home laws - I want to work in Europe "from home"

Question:
I am a fulltime employee in NY and have been working from home for the last year. I originally worked in the office 2 days a week and 3 days from home, then later was promoted to full time at home. For the last year, I haven't been to the office and have had about 10 phone conversations with people in the office. Everything is done through emails. I was curious if my employer would be able to fire me, if I decided to work from home, while in Italy. I currently log in with my computer, with a VPN, to a computer that is sitting in their office in New York. If I decided to pick up on Friday and set up shop in Italy for Monday, while keeping the same business hours in NY and being available by phone during business hours, could I get in trouble?

I understand my employer could find my location if they looked up my IP address, however I would be able to mirror my home computer with my laptop and sign into work under my home computer. Not sure if that is a great idea, but it was an option I was thinking of.

Edit - Sorry I should specify.... I don't care if I get fired, I care if I get fired and won't be eligible for unemployment. I was thinking about going for only a month or so. I wouldn't be violating any Italian laws, since it will be under 3 months.

Answer: Absent a contract or labor agreement stating otherwise, yes, they can. This is the default answer to any "can they fire me" question not regarding a protected class.


Title: Legally is this abuse? Can these parents be arrested?

Question: One of my friends is homeschooled we were video chating on skype and his dad has bipolar anger issues he got mad that my friend was on the computer he started yelling and my friend yelled to stop (mind you i saw all of this happeneing since we were on skype) my friends dad (230lbs) picked up my friend (120lbs) (mentioning weight since my friend is extremelt weak compared to his dad) and threw him against the wall my friend put both his arms up and asked me since i saw this happen to please take a picture thru my computer from my phone for proof i have the pics and some video i recorded from my phone off the computer from our skype. His arms and back are all very bruised up he just now skyped me again (just chatting no video now) and told me his head hurts and that this headache has been there since this happened at 6:30 this morning. It is now 4pm he told me all his head did was land on the hard wood floors i suggested he take a tylenol will that help? He told me he scared to call the cops and that does not want to deal with cps and he has no where to go because he cannot drive yet and i live 40 minutes from him. Tennessee. But if i were to report his dad what would happen who would they believe? Is this abuse or normal?

Answer:
 Throwing him is assault. Assaulting your own child is abuse. You can make a CPS report yourself if you like, and provide them with a copy of the video - it may lead to your friend being removed from his father's care, or to criminal charges.

Your friend may also want to go to a hospital. It sounds like he should get checked out for a concussion. The hospital will also likely be receptive if he tells them how he got it - they're mandated reporters, and an injury like that will make them very interested in his father's conduct.


Title: How to combat former workplace slander and harassment?

Question:
I live in North Carolina.  I recently quit my part-time job with a small business due to harassment.  The inciting incident was when I complained to a co-worker that I had to take on extra duties because the person supposed to perform them was off getting drunk with the owner.  I was reprimanded (and rightly so) for discussing this with co-workers.  However, after that the harassment began.  The owner clearly wanted to get rid of me , but felt like he needed a reason (he didn't, NC is a right-to-work state) so he accused me of stealing merchandise and selling it on Amazon and eBay.  To be clear, I did not steal anything from him or anyone else.  He then demanded to see my credit card and bank statements.  Clearly seeing the writing on the wall, I just quit.
Here is where the legal issues come in:
He has since contacted another part-time job that I have (MC'ing trivia nights at a local bar), and told them what happened.  The owner of the bar didn't believe him, so it caused me no financial damages, but great embarassment.
He has withheld my final paycheck.  I know my recourses in reporting this to the state Department of Labor, but it was for only one day's work, and therefore barely worth the effort if I have to miss any days from my fully-time job or go to court.
He has also told many people at his business, which has caused damage to friendships that I have there.
My question is, since there has been relatively little financial damage, what should I do in regards to the slander?  Can I draft my own cease-and-desist?  What are my options?
Topic:
Labor Law

Answer:
 Depends what was said exactly. Did they say you stole from them? A false allegation of a crime could absolutely rise to the level of defamation.

You could have refused to provide those documents and then if fired collected unemployment while you looked for a new job.


Title: My sisters are currently being abused and I am not sure what grounds I have to get them out of the situation

Question:
Okay, this is my first time posting here and I'm shaking as I write this. Per the rules, I'll refrain from divulging anything too personal here, but suffice it to say my father abused me (23 years old) physically, verbally, and sexually when I was younger. My two younger sisters (both 14 years old) currently live with him, and he has full custody of them.

I am away at college right now, and, earlier today, one of my sisters notified me privately through an app on another electronic device that my father took both her and my other sister's cellphones and they are unable to call for help. She said she is scared for her safety. My father has a history of abuse, neglect, prescription drug abuse, and Child Protective Services have been notified of the situation twice. Both times my father was able to manipulate the situation and no neglect/abuse was found. As far as I know, my father has not physically abused my sisters, but he has verbally abused them and just yesterday told them he didn't care if they starved. This is extremely concerning to me as one of my sisters has a chronic illness that requires consistent medication and a strict diet.

Anyway, I called the local police department this afternoon and notified them of the impending situation. They said they would do a wellness check and that I could call back later to find out the outcome.

My sister then reached out again and said that the cops came and left without speaking to her because my dad wrote it off as their "crazy mother" calling the police. That's a different story, but she has called CPS in the past, and there was a long custody battle.

I called the station again to follow up on this. The police proceeded to tell me that my father could file "harassment by police" charges if I kept calling (mind you this was only the second call to follow up on the wellness check). They were again unhelpful when they went out the second time. Leaving after talking to my sisters in the presence of my father.

I then called local Child Protective Services to let them know that my sisters seem to be in imminent danger. They said they would investigate and "take it from here", but that I would not be notified of the outcome unless they had questions for me.

My grandparents have been notified of the situation, and they tried to intervene, but my father will not allow them to take my sisters.

Just now, my sister called me crying and my dad snatched the phone from her and cursed me out. He also told my grandfather that he was going to drop them off at their moms and go drink (I am pretty sure this is illegal considering he takes prescription narcotics). I am afraid that my sisters are in danger and it seems like every level of the system has failed them at this point.

For context, they are located in Alabama, but I am in a different state for college. Is there anything I can do legally at this point to get them out of the situation or get them help? I know I may need to talk to a lawyer, but I'm not sure what kind of lawyer to contact. I feel extremely helpless, and I am terrified of what my father could do to them. Any guidance you all can provide is immensely appreciated.

Answer:
 You are doing what you can. Advise your sisters to **call 911** if he abuses them. If they do not have cell phones, tell them to walk next door and do it.

Edited to add: you may need to follow up with CPS, and tell them in detail what's going on. Write down all the important facts. Refer back to the list when you talk to them. I understand it's hard not to be emotional, but in this case remember that the facts are very important.

They can also reach out when they are at school. They can ask to speak to a guidance counselor, even together, and talk about what's going on, and *ask to make a CPS report themselves.* This will help their case a lot.


Title: I let a friend borrow my car and it ended up in flames, and ashes...what can I do?

Question:
  I let them borrow my car one day after work to clear out some grass in a field that we had a bonfire in a few nights ago on their parents property. It was really fun so we decided that we bring friends out there with us again later that night. When we had the first bonfire we cleared out a dirt patch for the fire and trimmed some of the grass using proper tools. So, when they borrowed my car to go clear out more grass I figured that they were just going to use the same tools.

Anyways I'm at work and I get a call from the police department asking if I know this person and if I gave them permission to drive my car. I tell them yes and they say well you cars been destroyed and their field fire has been put out and don't really tell me much else other than that the cops are dropping them off at my work and we can go back to the fire. My friend describes how the neighbors to this empty property called the cops after they see a field of fire come towards their house. They tell me that the fire was spreading fast so as a last resort they decide to park my car over the fire to keep it from spreading. I knew they had a bag of weed with them and a lighter so I don't know what to believe...if they accidentally set my car on fire or if they really did try to put it out with my car. I live in NW arkansas so weed isn't legal.

At them time had just finished my freshman year of college, and my family is not well off. I ended up having to buy another car to get back and forth to school because I live on the outside of town where our transit don't reach. This left me close to no breathing room because I was in college full time, parents just divorced and my little sister and I are supporting my mother and all the bills because she is sadly going blind and can no longer work. Now this happened in 2015 and a couple days after it happened they signed a contract saying that he would contribute to payments the new car which was about nine grand. For that past two years they've put less that 200 on the payments and I have about 4,000 left to payoff. We fell of as friends after this and things because very stressful for my family and I. I just sucked it up and kept working and it felt like i was trying to play catch up for two years with bills and school.

Recently (about a month ago) they've been showing up at my work without me asking them to come by saying "Hey i've got a good job so message me when your car payment is due and ill contribute," or "So I'm getting a 5,000 dollar loan I wanna pay off for the mistake I made." I do what they ask and i just never hear from them.Then the next week they come back into my work saying the same thing but always ghost when they tell me to message them on certain days. They received the 5,000 dollar loan and I know because they fixed up their own car, and they brag to my coworkers that they're buying ounces of weed and throwing crazy parties at their house.

Is there some kind of lawyer I can go to over this? If so how can they help? Im fed up of empty promises and I feel like their actions were very dumb and put people at risk. I have pictures of their property and the car if needed.

Not sure if this will work but here are some pictures I took as soon as we got there, you can see how far the fire spread:
IMG_2537.jpg.jpeg
IMG_2576.jpg.jpeg
IMG_2581.jpg.jpeg
IMG_2558.jpg.jpeg
IMG_2538.jpg.jpeg

Not my picture I pulled it from google but here what it should look like:

2007-bmw-x5-3.0d-executive-e70-3.jpg.jpeg

Answer: If your insurance doesn't cover you, you sue your friend for the fair market value of the car.


Title: Native American Bio father trying to prevent adoption of son to mothers new husband.

Question: Let me preface by saying I am asking on behalf of my brother (the new husband of kids mom) We all live in Utah. The Mom got knocked up by the father, who is native american. He was not involved in any way other than the impregnation. His name is not even on the birth certificate. My brother is now married to mom and they applied for adoption. The Bio dad filed for a temporary order which was not accepted at a hearing today but the adoption was also not accepted because only a judge can oversee an adoption. The Bio Dad has threatened to "get the tribe involved" My question is, Does the tribe have any jurisdiction or power at all since the adoption is not a state adoption and it is not taking place on a reservation or in a tribal court.

Answer:
 Yes, they do, because of the [Indian Child Welfare Act](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Child_Welfare_Act) (not the other tribe members exactly, but simply the fact that bio-dad is a member of a tribe)

This may be relevant:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adoptive_Couple_v._Baby_Girl

>The court held that the procedures required by the ICWA to end parental rights do not apply when the child has never lived with the father. Additionally, the requirement to make extra efforts to preserve the Indian family also does not apply, nor is the preferred placement of the child in another Indian family required when no other party has formally sought to adopt the child.

Regardless, you're gonna need a lawyer.


Title: [MA] Landlord switching to from check to electronic-only payments; wants card number + CVV on a paper form

Question:
My apartment block has up to now been taking rent payments by check (under the office door!). Today I came home a letter taped to my apartment door, saying (my emphasis):

> To improve and streamline our accounting purposes, [landlord] will be moving to an electronic rental payment system on November 1, 2018. [...] This means **we will no longer accept personal checks for rent after October 31, 2018**.

> Enclosed is a Credit/Debit Enrollment form authorizing electronic payments. [...] This document will be **added to your lease agreement and kept in a locked file** for security purposes. You may also call the office or visit personally to give us your credit card/debit information, if you are not comfortable writing it down on the enclosed form.

The form asks for name, credit/debit card number, CVV (!!) and expiration date. It also says:

> This authorization is to remain in effect until further written notice

It also specifies a $2 monthly processing fee (probably the least objectionable thing about this though still annoying!)

My questions:

* I'm obviously not happy about giving them everything they need to make cardholder-not-present transactions, but am I even allowed to? It seems like this would be in violation of my cardholder agreement but I just reread it and couldn't see anything to that effect (in violation of common sense for sure)
* Are they allowed to keep paper copies of this information? Does PCI come into play here and is it reasonable for me to ask to see some proof they are abiding by it?
* Is it normal for the authorization to be open-ended like this? As opposed to running until the end of the lease (March 2019)
* Speaking of my lease, I just reread it - it doesn't specify a payment method - am I on solid ground telling them that if they can't allay my concerns I will continue paying by check as I have been for the last 2+ years?

Thanks!

Answer:
 A merchant, your landlord in this case, cannot store CVV number per PCI. It is considered Sensitive Authentication Data and is prohibited to be stored by a merchant in any form.  For a recurring transaction,  they can use it for the initial transaction but cannot store it for future use.

https://blog.pcisecuritystandards.org/faq-can-cvc-be-stored-for-card-on-file-or-recurring-transactions

Card number can be stored. Paper records require to be secured per PCI DSS requirements 9.6 through 9.10. Answer #2: Tell them you don't have a card. Answer #3: Does your bank offer online bill payment? It is far less risky to set up a "push" payment where you initiate either a one-time or recurring payment from your account to a vendor than to allow a vendor to "pull" money from your account. Ask if they can accept EFT from your bank account.

The $2 "convenience fee" is illegal in MA. https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXX/Chapter140D/Section28A section (2).


Title: Asshat landlord says we aren't allowed to sublet over the summer - can he legally stop us, and what are the consequences if we get caught subletting anyway? (CO)

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 You can have your lease revoked, plus whatever other penalties that might be in your lease.

BTW, why is he an "asshat"? I wouldn't want a tenant to sublet either unless I approved (credit and background checked) a sublettor either.Answer #2: That means it's only permitted if the landlord allows you to do it. What did you think it meant?!?


Title: Friend of mine is having her parenting plan violated and the judge seems to be biased.

Question: Friend is supposed to have 3 supervised visits a week minimum and her ex has preventing the third visit since about the beginning. He also refuses to be in contact with her at all even though she has expressed concerns over the child's mental well being. The judge for some reason has ordered a psych evaluation on behalf of the ex. When friend went to do so the doctor told her she did not need one and did not give her one saying she was fine. The judge continues to push for the evaluation even still. This is the same judge that did the restraining order against my friend from the ex, telling her to get in contact with the ex to talk about the parenting plan. I'm wondering who she would need to talk in order to possibly get a new judge or if there is anything.

Answer:
 She would need to talk to her attorney. If she does not have an attorney, she should hire one. Answer #2: Attorney here. She needs to file a Motion to Enforce Parenting Plan to put the third supervised visit at issue before the court. She should ask the clerk’s office if they have “pro se” (without an attorney) forms. Write Motion to Enforce Parenting Plan as the title, state that the order requires three supervised visits and that she has only been getting two. Provide dates for when the third ones have been denied. Attach texts of denials if possible. Begin communicating only through text to make a record.

As for the evaluation, I would start by contacting that doctor again and seeing if he/she would do some small exam to submit to the court. There is not much to do about getting around the court order and speedy compliance would likely be the best course of action. But a local attorney is always a good idea if it can be afforded.


Title: Getting a "gift" back from the person. Is this possible?

Question:
[Nevada] I recently gave a gift to a girl who I had been seeing, but quickly after things went downhill. I had planned on paying this jewelry off over the next few months but since we are no longer dating obviously it would be nice to be able to return the product. However,she is not seeing eye to eye on this and as such I am left without a clue what I am able to do.

Is it wise to get the police involved? Or hopefully have her come around and just give me the jewelry back. I have all of the original paperwork under my name and it is on my card. Any help would be greatly appreciated and if you need any more details feel free to post or PM me.

Answer:
 If it was a gift it was a gift: you can't get it back.

In some states (and really, you haven't given a state after being asked several time when you were posting?) if the gift was contingent on something like marriage (as in an engagement ring) you might be able to make a claim.

But it sounds like it wasn't and you can't.


Title: Workers Comp then Ehlers-Danlos diagnosis - Oregon

Question:
I've been on work restriction/partial disability for about 5 years now due to tendinitis in both arms and associated pain in my hands and shoulders. My restriction is keyboarding/mousing/fine motor movements are limited to 10 min 2 x/hr. My responsibilities were modified so I was able to keep my job and have never missed work. Yes, I am very lucky in that regard.

Workers compensation has paid out years of doctor visits, physical therapy, and acupuncture. I have never had surgery. Eventually I was told I was permanent/stable and basically discharged from continued care.

My workers comp claim is still open and if I leave the company I am due a decent payout for future care.

This brings me to my current predicament, I have recently found out that the root cause of my pain is due to a rare connective tissue disease called Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. I do not have an official diagnosis yet due its rarity, but the agreement between medical professionals so far is unanimous.

My question is - how will an official diagnosis of EDS going to affect past and future worker comp benefits? Am not too worried about future payouts, but could I possibly be responsible for past treatment?

To clarify, EDS means my connective tissue is weak and my muscles are doing way more work than normal to hold me together. This doesn't directly cause tendinitis and arthritis, but I am certainly predisposed to injury with repetitive activity.

Answer:
 Workers comp also covers pre-existing conditions that are worsened by work activities.  So no, you wouldn't have to pay back past treatment expenses they've covered.

It might be worthwhile to schedule a consultation with a lawyer specializing in workers comp to see how this affects the claim in the future.


Title: Should I take legal action because the nurse did not try CPR?

Question: A home visiting nurse did not perform CPR on my sibling. She called CRP and a neighbor had to do it... he only had one arm! She worked for a visiting nurse service. What steps should I take?

Answer:
 Well the first question I need to ask is: how is your sibling now?Answer #2: My condolences on your recent loss.

If the nurse found your brother dead, CPR may or may not have been warranted, depending on a huge number of factors. However, it's very unlikely that it would have resuscitated your brother: brain damage begins within tens of seconds, and irreversible brain death within minutes, once the heart stops pumping. Unless the nurse was with him when he died, it's likely he was already irretrievable, and shattering his bones to try to bring him back would have been futile.

There's no bringing him back, and… honestly, there's likely nothing to be recovered by suing the nurse. Grieve, as you should, and be angry, if you like, but I don't think the legal system is the place to look for closure on this. Consider a grief counsellor.

If you feel otherwise, your state bar or provincial law society should be able to refer you to someone.Answer #3: I'm a Paramedic in the US. If there are obvious signs of prolonged downtime, a DNR, or injuries incompatible with life we will not do CPR. If the person has rigor mortis (stiffening of the body) even just in the jaw or eyelids (where it starts), if they are cold, and if they show asystole (flat line) on the monitor we will pronounce them on scene.

I'm sorry for your loss, but you should try to get a copy of the report from the EMS agency who responded. They may be unwilling to give it to you because of HIPAA. You may have to wait for the report from the medical examiner in that case.


Title: [Michigan] $4,500 in pay-to-stay county jail debt

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Call the collections company and try to negotiate a deal that would at least allow you to pay the debt over time, and maybe you can negotiate a reduction in the principal amount too.  Not really much else to do.  You owe the debt and you've pointed out the numerous ways that it negatively affects your finances.  Pay it, but figure out if there is a way to pay it that won't be so risky for you.


Title: Janitor at Local School Accuses me of Trespassing (New York)

Question: For the past few months I’ve taken to riding my bike to a local elementary school (after hours, usually between 7:30-9:00). Had no problems the first few weeks, until one of the nighttime custodians came outside, screaming and yelling at me, accusing of trespassing on the premises. Does he have legal grounds to accuse me of trespassing? (He’s threatened to call the police several times, although nothing has come of it and I never received any notification that he ever took action). In addition, is this grounds for harassment?

Answer: What actions are you doing when you're "riding my bike to a local elementary school"?  Are you just riding to the school parking lot, turning around, and going home?  Or are you loitering on the campus?


Title: [NY] I would like the trees cut down behind my house. They are on the electrical companies property. What is my best course of action?

Question:
Behind my property there is a plot of land which belongs to National Grid (my power company). There are three, very tall, unstable trees. One of them has already snapped in half and luckily fell in the other direction hitting the power lines. National grid came and fixed that no problem. My concern is the other two trees are theoretically just as unstable as the one that broke, and if it was to fall the other direction it would crash right through my kitchen and living room. Ideally, since the trees are on their property, I would like to have them be responsible for taking them down as I fell they are a danger. However I wouldn't be opposed to paying for it myself if necessary. But then again, I don't know if that is an option being that the trees are not on my property?

Would national grid have any responsibility to take these trees down at my request, or on the flip side would I have any right to take them down even if they are on national grids property?

Thank you in advance for taking the time to read and advise me on this matter.

Answer:
 If the trees appear healthy and not an immediate threat of falling then all you can do is ask the power company if you can pay to cut them down.  They are not under any obligation to allow it.

If the trees are rotting then you document it (photos) and send that along with a certified letter to the power company advising them that they have trees on their property that are not stable and you are notifying them.


Title: Name change for a genderfluid person.

Question:
I want to change my name legally. My problem is that I'm genderfluid, which means I sometimes identify and a woman, sometimes a man, sometimes neither, sometimes both. I've read stories about genderfluid people not gaining custody of their children or being otherwise dismissed in court for being "confused".

My issue is I don't know if it will help or hurt to list the reason for my name change as being transgender. What if I have to specify? I don't exactly want to change my gender legally, because I'm not transitioning or taking hormones or anything. I'm afraid they wouldn't want to change my gender if I'm not actually changing my gender.

Should I tell them my reason is being transgender or I just don't like my name? Which is more likely to help?

Answer: You don't have to give a reason for changing your name. Your reasons are your own.


Title: [California] Estranged sister defaulted on student loans, Mother is desperate to help her out

Question:
My older sister has never been the most stable person. Not too long after graduating from a private art school, she cut off all communication with everyone from her life. However, she never bothered to change her forwarding mail address. My mother receives a letter marked urgent addressed to my sister, opening it to find out that she has been defaulting on her loan payments. My mother has since been sending checks to the agency to help pay back a portion of the loans. However, the interest rate (currently 20%+) and fees keep getting worse since my sister hasn't paid a dime. No matter how hard she tries to catch up, she is barely making a dent.

Legally, we cannot discuss my sister's loans with the agency unless she gives permission, which is impossible since she refuses to talk to anyone. Based on her bank account, my mother and I speculate that she is unemployed and may have psychological issues, though we cannot clearly prove either without her involvement.

I'm looking for any way to alleviate this situation. What are my options to help pay off a loan for someone we have no contact with?

Edit: I have applied to a peer-to-peer lending company to bring down the interest rate but was denied due to my own student/auto loans, and mother has limited credit history.

Thank you everyone for the responses. We cannot afford to pay off this loan at once, so we will stop sending in money and inform the agency they have the wrong address. At this moment, there's not a lot we can do for my sister if she refuses to talk to us, but we will advise her to go for disability/hardship discharge if we get a chance.

Answer:
 I think you need to focus more on getting her help and worry less about the loans. Call adult protective services if you are concerned about her safety. May I suggest you also look for a nami near you for support. Answer #2: >I'm looking for any way to alleviate this situation. What are my options to help pay off a loan for someone we have no contact with?

As I think you and your mother have discovered, unless you are paying off the loan completely, or at least making the full monthly payments each month, you will only be pissing your money away.

If you (meaning you and/or your mother) can't pay off the loan completely, or make the full monthly payments each month, then you could borrow the money to do that from somewhere else.  Perhaps a home equity loan or something like that.  Unfortunately, nobody has any magic ways for others to make money or make debts go away.

If nobody is making at least the full monthly payments each month, and you have no way to contact your sister (for instance, to help her filing bankruptcy or whatever), then you might want to think about informing the lender that they have the wrong address for your sister.  Otherwise, ultimately, they will sue her and try to serve her at your address.  If they claim that they served her at your address (even if they didn't), then they will take a default judgment against her, which they will use to garnish her bank account and her wages, etcetera.Answer #3: How are you and your mother monitoring your sister's bank account?


Title: I work in a vet office and the sheer volume of work coming in is killing me. Mentally, emotionally and physically. If I quit, can I get unemployment?

Question: [removed]

Answer: You would almost certainly not qualify for unemployment if you quit your job willingly.


Title: My sister was demoted at her job because of weight gain/medical condition. Does she have a case?

Question:
I am just getting this info in the last half hour or so and wanted to get some advice on my sister's behalf. Location Minnesota.

My sister works as a weight loss counselor at a well known weight loss company (not sure if I should disclose the name), and about 6 months ago she was diagnosed with some type of kidney disorder/disease and has been on medication (prednisone) to help regulate things, one side effect of the medication being dramatic weight gain and a gaining a puffy face. Just today she was informed by her boss that "her performance has been lacking and she is not management material", also stating "it's not the right fit, she is not client service oriented, and questions some of her decision making". All of this after working for the company for over 3 years, being promoted to assistant director of the center about 1 year ago, putting in a lot of effort and long hours in general. She thinks it is most likely has to due with her appearance and weight gain - which makes sense when she is counseling people for many hours a day on how to lose weight. It has been hard enough on her doing the job anyway with her appearance the way it is, and now the company demotes her from assistant director to a basic customer service type employee for less money and with less authority, also basically stopping any advancement potential she had there.

She is also a registered dietetic technician and went to school for nutrition/health.

The biggest issue may be proving why she was demoted, the timing is super coincidental.

I do not have all of the facts probably necessary to go into too much more detail at this moment, but I wanted to see if she has any kind of claim at a discrimination lawsuit. The medical condition leading to weight gain seems like something pretty relevant here.

Any general advice? Does she have any kind of case here? If so, who should she talk to?

Thank you for any help you can offer.

Answer: An employer has fairly wide latitude to discriminate, even sometimes on the basis of a protected class, if they can prove a legitimate business need. A weight loss company can likely build a good case here for not wanting to have overweight employees.Answer #2: Being (or looking) overweight is not a protected class.  So even if her boss had blatantly said "you're too fat to be a manager" there would still be no case.


Title: Prior owner did bath remodel without permit.

Question:
We found out today that we have to rip out one of our bathrooms because none of it was vented properly. Previous owner did the work and didn't do it right. We had the house inspected when we bought it but the inspector didn't say anything about that bathroom.

I was wondering if there is anything I can do? Should i contact the previous owner, inspector, or insurance company? Or just bite the bullet and pay out of pocket.

Answer:
 Out of curiosuty, what work do you believe was done without a permit?

Regardless of the above, you closed on the house and your inspector didn't raise any red flags, so you will likely be the one biting the bullet on repairs.


Title: AZ - Wrongly accused of using drugs in pool area in apartment complex (UPDATE)

Question:
Original Thread for more detailed account: www.np.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/6cz1sq/wrongly_accused_of_using_drugs_in_pool_area_in/

tl;dr Was accused by apartment complex of doing drugs with friends in the pool area, with video evidence. I was not at the pool area at that time and the video evidence is not me. Complex issued eviction notice and court date for me and roommate (who was not accused by apartment complex of anything.

After I reviewed video footage with them, the administrative staff decided it was NOT me and called to have case dismissed.

I looked at the "Notice of Voluntary Dismissal" issued by their legal representatives and it says "This action is dismissed, without prejudice (case can be refiled at a later date)"

It was NOT me in the videos. I was asleep in my apartment at the time. I was being wrongly accused of something I did not do, and the case can still be refiled at some other time? Is it time for me to call a lawyer?

Answer:
 No they're moving to dismiss it. They're just reserving the right to refile in case they decide they screwed up and it IS you in the video.

Not a lawyerAnswer #2: 90+% of dismissals are without prejudice.  It's SOP.Answer #3: I just commented on your other post,    I'll copy it here,.

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

The fact that it was dismissed without prejudice means nothing (well it does but I think you're looking at it the wrong way) . It's only because they withdrew the claim. It has nothing to do with the strength of their evidence or their claim or anything like that.  It's just because there were no hearings, no judge looked at any evidence so nobody has been able to make any ruling saying it should be dismissed with prejudice.

The court doesn't know you were misidentified so they can't say they can't refile.  They wouldn't know that unless you had a hearing, then it'd likely be dismissed with prejudice.

 Not a lawyer, someone can correct me if I explained it wrong but I wouldn't pay any attention to it being dismissed without prejudice. There wasn't really any other way for it to be dismissed right now.


Title: [HI] Roommate has unregistered gun, can I be charged as well?

Question:
I live in Honolulu, Hawaii. My roommate returned from the mainland with a pistol that he has never registered with the state. Can I be charged with his crimes if he has an illegal firearm in our apartment?

He purchased the pistol in Florida by having a friend buy it for him, then sold it to him the same day, so that he wouldn't have to take a course or deal with the waiting period. I think that's illegal too but I have no idea.

I'm pretty sure you have a few weeks to register the gun in Hawaii if you bring one from the mainland but it has been months and he hasn't registered it yet. I'm nervous because our land lord does occasional checks and could end our lease AND charge us both for his gun. Am I in any legal trouble/danger? If I report him does it absolve me? I'm a year away from separating from the military and I don't want to lose my benefits because of a crummy room mate.

Answer:
 You mentioned military.
Have you spoken to your Co about this. They might be able to shed some light on the issue especially if it is subsidized housing on base.

Oh and very illegal to have someone purchase a gun explicitly for someone else to bypass checks and waiting periods. Iirc both your roommate and the purchaser have committed a felony.Answer #2: It's not a crime to have a roommate with a gun, but if it appears to be accessible to you, you could get convicted of it, key term is "constructive possession"Answer #3: I would turn him in just to be safe, if he gets caught you don’t want to be punished for something you didn’t do


Title: Serving alcohol to minors (in a restaurant)

Question:
Hi all - first time posting here!

I’m a restaurant server in Georgia (Dekalb County). Someone at our ‘sister restaurant’ was just caught serving alcohol to an underage officer (is that a sting? LOL it feels like Law & Order to use that term)

ANYWAY I am coming up empty handed for a clear explanation of the law.

OBVIOUSLY serving to minors is illegal and it’s my responsibility to card people.

But I’m being told that EVERYONE must be carded every time they come in because they must have ID on them in order to be served.

ALSO I’m hearing that the server would be facing a $5,000 fine, automatic termination (or the restaurant would be fined) AND they could no longer obtain the necessary permit to serve alcohol again.

Basically I’m trying to determine what the law actually IS and the best way to cover my own ass (apparently we are very likely to be investigated or targeted by these undercover officers because of the recent violation)

Thank You!

Answer:
 > I’m hearing that the server would be facing a $5,000 fine, automatic termination (or the restaurant would be fined) AND they could no longer obtain the necessary permit to serve alcohol again.

That is all accurate.

> Basically I’m trying to determine what the law actually IS

Don't serve anyone under 21 or anyone without an ID

> the best way to cover my own ass

Always check ID, deny the service if it seems sketchy (PD will use fake IDs sometimes too)


Title: May have been mugged, may have been a drunken idiot and may have had my card stolen. UK. Please help

Question:
Ok team, it's a long one but please help me as it's left me really in a situation.

I went out for a night out and overdid it on the drink. I then woke up the next day to my bank ringing me to inform me of fraudulent behaviour on my debit card, so I immediately cancelled it. I then checked my wallet and saw that I didn't have my card, assumed I had lost it and that the chancers/thieves had spent all my money online. I then went into a local branch of my bank and they said to come back in a few days once any pending transactions had gone through and then the bank would help to refund my money. At this stage both I and the bank were convinced my card + money had been stolen.

However, I have just checked my bank transactions 7 days later after anything pending will have gone through. It appears that my card was used at two seperate cash machines withdrawing £100 at each of them in the early hours of the morning. Now, I have absolutely no idea why I would have withdrawn this money. I have no memory of doing it or any reason of doing it, and according to my bank statement both of the cash machines were a good half an hour/hour long walk away from where I was spending the night, although only ten minutes or so away from each other.

My few theories are:

1: I have simply been a drunken idiot and for whatever reason decided that withdrawing and then losing/spending £200 was a good idea at the time. This is not like me and I honestly can't think of why I would do it

2: I was mugged and don't remember it. For example being made to withdraw cash from the machine and hand it over to my muggers. However, I still had my phone with me the next day so I'm unsure about this one.

3: I lost my card at some point in the evening and whoever found it or stole it then managed to withdraw the money without my PIN.

So I have a few questions:

 Is there any way of checking the security footage from the 2 cash points to see what happened?

Is there any way that money could have been withdrawn without my PIN?

What do I tell my bank?

Thank you so much in advance for reading this post and any advice you may be able to give.

Answer: Are you certain that you were not drugged? It isn't uncommon to drug someone and then take them to an atm to force them to withdraw money, although that seems like a very small amount


Title: [NJ] Horse boarding vaccinated my horse without my consent and now wants me to pay?

Question: I board my horse here, and it's fairly cheap. I recently discovered they vaccinated my horse without my consent, and now they want me to pay $120. Is it illegal for them to vaccinate my horse without my consent?

Answer:
 You need to read your contract. If it was titer tested and found to be (or just known to be) not-fully vaccinated against any requirements, most contracts allow them to do so and charge the owner. Without having it, nobody can say if they can do this or not. Answer #2: Your contract almost certainly contains language to that effect. They have responsibility for other people's horses as well; and this protects all the owners' interests, not just the boarder.Answer #3: Owner of 2 horses here - The barn can vaccinate your horse (and require you to pay) because science has proven the vaccines are necessary, or they can kick you out of the barn. Both are legal options. And rarely do I see anything longer than month-to-month on boarding agreements.

If you owned your own barn and kept your horse there with no other animals, you could do what you want. On the flip side of your issue, if you owned your own barn and boarded other horses there, most people would remove their horses and find someplace else to keep the animals.Answer #4: Do you have a contract with them? It's possible there's language in the contract that allows them to do this.


Title: Ohio: Wrong prescription entered for lasik procedure

Question:
Hello everyone,

I was pointed here from my post on /r/lasik .

About a month ago I had Lasik surgery done on both eyes. The right eye went perfectly, the left eye not so much. The laser was supposed to go for 10 seconds and after 2 seconds the laser stopped. I could tell the surgeon and tech were mouthing thing to each other and It wad clear something was wrong.

I got into the post op room and could tell my left eye was not corrected. The surgeon, optometrist, and who I assumed to be the manager of the place came in to talk to me. They informed me that "they were not able to reach optimal correction in my left eye" and that "sometimes the laser detects issues and stops to prevent eye damages."

I was confused and didn't ask questions, I just accepted that as an answer since they said they would re do the surgery for free. I knew it was possible that sometimes you can't get optimal results.

The next day for the day 1 follow up I went in with my wife, who was extremely mad, to follow up and get more answers. The optometrist there was a different one than the day before and the surgeon is only in on Wednesdays, so no one seemed to know what had happened and couldn't give me answers.

I scheduled my month follow up on a surgery day to get more answers from the surgeon, the office made it seem like that would be an inconvenience but after pushing they scheduled it.

Something came up the day i was supposed to go in so I called to reschedule and they informed me that the surgeon wasn't going to be in that day anyways so it was good I called to change. They did not plan to tell me they cancelled surgeries that day but I called to change.

That brings us to yesterday, I finally got the meeting with the surgeon. Who explained what really happened. He stated that he stopped the laser because he noticed it would not give me optimal results. I asked why it wouldn't give optimal results and he gave another round about answer. Upon further questioning he finally admitted the prescription was put in wrong.

He eventually explained that he checks the prescription before starting the laser, except for me he only verified the right eye. The tech who works the laser entered my prescription wrong, he said they reversed the sign from + to - and he did not verify the left eye prior to starting.

So he started the laser and after 2 seconds realized it was wrong and stopped it. While i still have vision my left eye prescription is nearly twice as bad as it was prior to the surgery and now wear a contact in the left eye.

They rescheduled the surgery for free and gave me a prescription for glasses because prior to surgery you cannot be in contacts for a week and told me I had to pay for the glasses.

Is this malpractice, or worth speaking to a lawyer? Or should I just take the surgery and move on? Thank you in advanced for your advice. Let me know if I need to clarify any details.

Answer:
 You should certainly be talking to a medical malpractice lawyer.  They will likely want to review all the documents about your treatment and have you examined by another doctor.  I wouldn't proceed with any further medical procedures until you have done that.Answer #2: 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.

*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/legaladvice) if you have any questions or concerns.*Answer #3: Definitely worth speaking with a lawyer. Doctor even admitted to you that something was wrong.


Title: Father (55) will not give me (18f) court ordered CD

Question:
Hi legaladvice,

When I was 8 years old I got into a car accident that ultimately killed my mother and seriously injuring my my brothers and I. After the accident, we each got a court ordered CD (roughly 15,000 dollars) that would be given to us once we each turned 18, and my father is the guardian in charge of the accounts.

Growing up, my father treated me very different from my brothers. I was always put down and while he praised his sons. This caused us to have a very rocky relationship that recently completely crumpled. When it was my brother's time to receive him money came around, my father gave it to him without and hesitation. I just recently turned 18. I've been informing my father for months that I would like my CD pretty directly when I turned 18 since I am now legal age to obtain my money. My birthday passed, and after many attempts he said he doesn't plan on handing the CD over to me, now I have no idea what to do. Can I go to court? Can I do it myself? Any advice would be great, and thank you so much in advance.

Answer:
 Before rushing off to court, investigate some other options.

Most of the time, these CDs aren't physical certificates. They're kept in a bank account or UTMA account. Talk to your brother and figure out which bank. Go there with your ID and a copy of the court order. If you've actually reached the age of majority reached on the order, they should grant you access to withdrawal the funds and move them to your own account.

If it's a physical certificate he's keeping in a safety deposit box somewhere, then you'll need to file a motion challenging him as trustee. Answer #2: >Can I go to court?

Yes. Write him an email, and request that he release the funds. If he does not response. Write him another. If he refuses in writing, take it to a court and your problem will be solved.

You can also ask your brother to intervene on your behalf. He clearly has a better relationship, and might convince your father to give in.


Title: Thedirty.com slander/libel post

Question:
There’s an anonymous post about me doing FAKE illegal things that have to do with my old job being a real estate agent saying I asked for nudes to get someone an apartment and that I’m racist.

 I have no idea who this could be. The policy of the website says I can’t take it down without a subpoena from a court and then they will consider it. What is the correct way of doing this and is there another option? I DO NOT want to contact this person as I’m afraid they will say more slanderous things about me and maybe do more crazy things.

Answer:
 > The policy of the website says I can’t take it down without a subpoena from a court

Then you do that. Hire an attorney and sue.


Title: Bought a car, turns out its stolen

Question: So I am in Washington state and as the title says I just recently bought a car that i found out after that fact, that it was reported stolen. Basically I was searching for a potential drift car. Came upon this Lexus that would be perfect so I message the guy and he seems pretty eager to sell which puts me off so I ask for the vin to run the carfax which comes back clean. well it has had some major accidents but its just going to be a track car anyway so i used that to get the price down more eventually talking to him i decided to go look at the car and it seemed to be pretty alright. he had the clean title signed over by the previous owner to him and a bill of sale but he never transferred it into his name. which is somewhat common people dont want to go through the hassle. anyway i did not confirm his ID to the information from the bill of sale connecting him. If I contact police am i going to get in trouble for being in possession of a reported stolen vehicle? it seems i have the solid proof that i bought it from this guy. just want to know my options or opinions and be prepared for the worst. it seems highly unlikely that this guy managed to get his hands on the title and the car and the keys for the car considering the key corresponds with the ECU allowing it to start. i have text messages from the guy and all the paperwork proving i bought the car so im hoping ill be alright especially if i go to the local police. should I contact an attorney? try and find the guy? are the cops even going to do anything to find the guy in question? anything helps thanks

Answer:
 First him not transferring the car to his name is not common, it's a title skip and it's illegal. Don't ever buy a car like that.

How do you know that it is stolen?


Title: 12 and 15 year old with parents who have addictions

Question: I know a 12 and 15 year old who no longer want to live with their parents as the parents have problems with addiction. They are scared of them. I am in Michigan. Is there anything I can do to keep them safe? They’ve been staying here for the past 2 months almost with their parents permission.

Answer:
 If the parents are allowing them to stay with you then at the moment they are safe right? If they are not abel to continue living with you then you should likely contact CPS.

You may also want to involve a lawyer and see if you can get some kind of custody set up.


Title: I was arrested on theft charges (felony level 6). The charges were based on false information from my best friends (she also went to jail) ex boyfriend. Need advice. (Indiana)

Question:
OK,  I know the title was a bit rough lol sorry about that. My best friend has an ex boyfriend who has gone crazy and has been actively trying to destroy her life. This Friday we were arrested at her birthday party by about six sherrifs deputies. We were arrested in front of her friends,  family, and church members.

Her ex boyfriend is a powerful man in another County. He owns three business and has a lot of connections and money which is how I see this happening the way it did.

The "theft" he is claiming we performed was actually some furniture he gave to her when they broke up. We took it from his house, while he was there, because he told us we could. Now three months later we have warrants and got arrested and put in jail over the weekend. We then had to go to the county where it happened and we were finally able to bail out.

I have largely ignored him these past three months but I do admit to calling him once as he was talking to my best friends brother about how she was sexually abused when she was younger. I called him when I was a bit tipsy and threatened him (not smart I know). The phone call was recorded and used to get a restraining order against me like two months ago. That was the only contact I had with him in three months.

Anyways, we didn't steal anything. She has some text messages that show this but we have no physical proof I guess. Court date is in a month.

She has a lawyer in the family but they don't really handle cases like this, but she will do it for free. Should I get a legit criminal attorney? Is there anything I can do? I lost one day of work and my boss is less than impressed. This has caused a lot of stress and aggravation.

If you need more information please let me know. Any help will be appreciated

*edit* The warrants were issued on September third. I'm pretty sure he was stalking her house knowing there would be a party. She has a restraining order against him as well but I have no proof he was outside but the timing is too odd to be a coincidence so I'm guessing he called and said we were there.

Answer:
 >Should I get a legit criminal attorney?

Yes.  You don't mess around with felony charges.Answer #2: You need your own attorney.

The text messages (depending what they say) ARE physical evidence.

You will most likely end up missing more days for court hearings before this is all said and done. Start saving a rainy day fund.


Title: I'm going to lose my car...

Question: My ex roommates where my bf lives are trying to get my car towed for NO REASON, I don't know what to do, The cars in my name just won't move, Is their a way I can get the law involved?

Answer: Towed from where?  Is it parked legally?  Private or public property? How do you know they are trying to do this?  Have they actually taken any steps towards doing it? What country/state are you in?  Folks are gonna need some more info here.


Title: I need help getting my girlfriend away from her abusive parents.

Question:
My girlfriend is 22 years old and lives with her emotionally abusive parents. She does not have her own financial security or job and has no relatives to turn to. I have known her for a decade now and have the means to take care of her.

However, if she does move in with me, I am worried that her parents will try to come after us. They feel like they are in control of her, but she is 22 years old now and should have the right to leave. If I decide to have her move in with me, do they need to know my location? Is there a way we can file a restraining order or something similar so they don't harass us? I want to go through transparent and legal channels to get her out of this situation and keep her parents away.

I'm afraid that if we just leave, they will claim that I kidnapped her or they will physically try to stop us. We may be able to convince them to let her go peacefully, but I want to plan for the worst just in case.

Location is TX.

Answer:
 She is an adult. She can live wherever she likes. Answer #2: They can not stop her. If they try to go anything as such, she can call the police , that would make getting a protective order easier/faster.

She should pack what she needs and get out asap when they are not around, or slowly start moving stuff a few things at a time until nothing left except the the bed and dresser
Edit: not a lawyer


Title: Younger sister was sexually assaulted. Guy who assaukted her now trying to get into a fight with me

Question:
My younger sister is 12, this guy who sexually assaulted and tried to rape her is 16 while I just turned 17 yesterday. I’m in California in the Los Angeles area in the US if all that matters. So, my sister was walking home from her school bus stop, this guy pinned her down, and took off part of her clothing and attempted to rape her.

I wasn’t there at the moment because I was in the hospital wth my mother while my dad was at home waiting for my sister. My sister’s friend called the police after and  the school removed him from  the school transportation and suspended him and the school sheriff was involved.

Now, a few motgs after, I found out thsi kid goes to my school and the court date is very near- to be precise, only a few days. For now the kid has community service and counseling and he started walking home through where I walk. He walks very near me and says small insults and has gathered a few of his friends to try and intimidate me. I’m not intimidated,

I could easily run home home where I’ll be safe because my dad is a legal owner of firearms and I’m also an amateur boxer with over 30 bouts so I’m not really intimidated. The thing is, I don’t want to get into any legal trouble that would ruin my boxing career or get me banned from boxing. This kid is to the point where it’s about to get physical. What are some things I can do? Also, if it gts to the point where he attacks me and I defend myself, would boxing be over for me?

Answer: You should call the police about this, and / or the prosecutor who is handling the case, as this would likely be considered harassment and / or witness intimidation, even though you’re not a witness to the assault.


Title: Town's recommended plumber isn't licensed!

Question:
This is in Connecticut. We had a major sewer backup over the weekend (why can't these things occur during business hours?).  Thankfully we caught it early as I happened to be in the basement when my husband flushed the toilet, and there is minimal damage to the house.  Per our town's website we called the police non-emergency number and they sent out the town sewer inspector who, upon determining that the damage/clog was on our end, asked me if he could call up a plumber buddy of his who could unclog the pipes.  Since it was after 5:00pm on a Saturday, we agreed, and the guy came out with his rooter and attempted to unclog the pipe, only to discover ($375 later)  that the pipe itself had shifted and we were pouring sewage into the yard, about 3ish feet underground.  To make a long story short, we need to have the whole sewer line replaced from the connection to the street.

Of course, the plumber, recommended by the town, (who I will refer to as P1) wants the job, so we asked for an estimate.  I also got two other estimates from other local plumbers (P2 and P3). When I shared the name of P1 with P3, he said I needed to be careful as P1 had his license taken away.  This lead to more sleuthing, and it turns out P1 did have his license revoked (it is still revoked) and has a number of arrests due to assault, impersonation and burglary!

We had asked P1 if he was licensed and insured when he came to the house on Saturday and he assured us that he was and showed us a copy of it. I snapped a picture of it, and the number belongs to someone else!  Thankfully, he didn't damage anything in the house, but the convictions for burglary make me anxious that he knows how to get in and steal our stuff.

My major question to legaladvice is, should I let the town know that P1 isn't the plumber he says he is?  He did unclog the pipe and discover the damage, but he's pro-porting to be a licensed plumber, which he is not.

Answer:
 Call the police about him using someone else's license - that sounds like fraud.

I would also file a complaint against the inspector for recommending someone who is unlicensed.Answer #2: Sure report him.  You can make an anonymous complaint with your state's Dept of Licensing and Regulation or Dept of Consumer Protection. Answer #3: Just to be clear, the town didn't reccomend the plumber. The inspector recommended a plumber.  Sure, report the plumber, but don't blame the town. You should also be able to report the inspector, it sounds like nepotism. Answer #4: In most cities it's illegal for a municipal employee to recommend a private business. Definitely report that (after your job is complete).Answer #5: I’m in CT as well.
Don’t report the inspector.  Just inform him of what you found when he comes out.  Just a casual.

However you do need to report P1.

Call the State at 800-842-2649 or email them at dcp.complaints@ct.govAnswer #6: While he sounds sketchy, he could be licensed under a different contractor atm (i.e. an employee for a plumbing company). This is entirely legal. But if he showed a license with HIS name on it but someone elses license number and he himself is claiming to be license, then yea you got an issue.


Title: Mta tix

Question: I got a ticket for jumping the turnstile, I was told that I don't need to pay my ticket because it was only the 1st ever and this was just a warning, the office saw my PBA card and told me why I didn't show it to him in the first place, the officer writing the ticket told me I don't need to pay it, unless I get 3 more then that would lead me to a warrant for my arrest, should I pay my NYC ticket or should I not and listen to the officer

Answer: What you should first attempt to do is form a cogent thought and then provide a location and then maybe somebody can help you.


Title: Do my parents have to amend the living trust to my new married name?

Question:
I recently got married in California and my maiden name is now my middle name. My parents has a living trust they drafted years ago with my maiden name. Do I need to have them amend the living trust with my new married name even though I technically still have my maiden name but it's just my middle name?

Thanks!

Answer: No.  The trust probably reads "to my daughter happypanda8.  Unless they have another daughter named happypanda8 they do not want to participate there shouldn't be any confusion.Answer #2: No, but it might be a good idea. Keep a copy of the marriage certificate/proof of name change.


Title: Friend was attacked and the cops are discouraging.

Question:
In NC.
So someone I work with tried to stop this guy from beating his wife, but was instead beaten up.  His nose was broken plus possible other bones and possible eye damage. The guy took off after the beating but is a regular at the restaurant.

The guy was identified to the cops but they said don’t identify him.  My coworker is waiting to hear back from the detective about finding the guy, but he’s worried that this guy might be paying off the cops.  Apparently he has cops in his pocket.  He’s also worried that the cops will help the attacker find his family.

What should he do?
We want to call the cops if this guy ever comes back in so that he can be arrested for felony assault, and so that he can sue civilly for the medical damages. But what if the cops say to drop it.  What if they say there is nothing he can do?  Is this true? Should he be afraid of the cops helping the attacker?

On throwaway account because my friend has reddit and I don’t want him to know I’m asking for help.

Answer:
 > My coworker is waiting to hear back from the detective about finding the guy, but he’s worried that this guy might be paying off the cops. Apparently he has cops in his pocket. He’s also worried that the cops will help the attacker find his family.

This batshit crazy and has about a .01% being true.  Failing that your friend can simply call the state police or county sheriff.


Title: [TN] Title loan company trying to repo a car that is sitting in a lake.

Question:
do I have any need to worry about them taking the cars I DO own? or do I just wait for them to sue.

edit: I know they can sue, i know I will lose. My only concern is that they can't take my current property that is not the collateral

Answer: ...why is the car sitting in a lake?Answer #2: Look OP this is important. is the car scrapped, literally in a lake, or somehow both?Answer #3: Poor analogy... but if they can verify the debt... you still owe it regardless of what eventually happened to the vehicle.Answer #4: What do you mean the car is sitting in a lake...?


Title: (FL) Does a restraining order apply to immediate family?

Question:
My brother's wife has a restraining order against him (Permanent Injunction for Protection Against Domestic Violence with Minor Child). The order also mentions that the husband cannot go near their property.

At the family court office I asked for whereabouts of the wife so that I could speak with her. They told me the restraining order applies to me as well because I am immediate family. My name is not on the restraining order.

I would like to know if this is actually true. And if so, what immediate family does it apply to? Mother, father, siblings? Am I permitted to go to the property?

Answer:
 Generally speaking, restraining orders only apply to the people specifically listed on them. However, it's also a violation of a restraining order to have a third party go and speak to the protected party on behalf of the defendant. IE, you can't go talk to your brother's wife for or about him without risking *him* violating his restraining order.

Also the court generally will not provide information about where a protected person is to someone with a high likelihood of harassing them. You being the defendant's brother puts you in the group of people likely to harass his wife.

With the wife's permission and legitimate business on the property, you could go there.Answer #2: NAL, It sounds like they are operating under the assumption that your brother asked you to do this which is generally a violation of a PO, do not be surprised if the the Sheriff or local PD show up asking questions.

To avoid your brother facing arrest or further charges, I would ***strongly*** suggest avoid making contact.

> Am I permitted to go to the property?

This would be a reallllly bad idea for a multitude of reasons.

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Title: Ending child support when the child reaches 21

Question: Basically, I live in NYC my ex and my kids live in GA. My daughter is in college and just turned 21. Child support claim was filed in NY. As I understand it, the CS for my daughter ends on her 21st birthday. Is this correct? Do I have to do anything to make sure it's not collected anymore? Who do I call?

Answer:
 There is an expression "bad cases make for bad law". There was one particular [bad case](http://www.divorceny.com/child-support/court-extends-parents-obligation-to-pay-college-expenses-beyond-childs-21st-birthday/) which extended the age of child support beyond age 21 if certain conditions were met.

You'll want to talk with the NY Division of [Child Support Enforcement](https://www.childsupport.ny.gov/dcse/home.html) and likely your original divorce lawyer to clarify if you agreed to continue support if the child was still in school.


Title: Pokemon Copyright

Question: I'm thinking of making a game in a pokemon style, catching mosters, battling, levelling up, doing gyms etc. Where can I look for exactly what I'm allowed to put in the game without being sued by Nintendo? The game will be commercial.

Answer:
 IANAL but as a gamer for... more decades than I like to think about...

There's IP protection, and then there's Nintendo's protection of the Pokemon IP. A little googling will tell you a lot about fan projects with zero revenue getting absolutely wrecked, legally, even after changing sprites and naming conventions.

This is not a sleeping bear you might poke without waking, it's a high on cocaine mama Ursaring with psychic power tuned for anyone even thinking about coming between her and the Teddiursa.

Tread very lightly with any direct comparisons.Answer #2: There's nothing proprietary about a moster catching game. Digimon, Dragon Quest Monsters, Suikoden, there's a list a mile long.

Where things get hairy is if you start catching monsters with balls, copying the Gym structure and battle structure, basically anything that would legitimately potentially allow the market to confuse your game with a Pokemon game.

There isn't going to be a list of things you can and can't do, but if your idea is to keep all the game mechanics and paste over the artwork/names you are certainly going to be in danger.


Title: Hi just got arrested in Tenafly NJ for pot.

Question: With the recent news and governor of nj what kind of charges am I looking at with marijuana.

Answer:
 By "[recent news and Governor](http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/11/hold_murphys_victory_is_the_first_step_toward_a_ma.html)" you mean that the governor-elect of New Jersey, Phil Murphy, is strongly in favor of the legalization of marijuana.

But Murphy won't be sworn in for another six weeks, and the legislation would have to be fully drafted, debated, passed, signed, and become effective.    That will take months, maybe years.

The new legalization will very likely not affect offenses that happened before the law was passed.   Even in California, it only reduced the penalties for serious marijuana crimes to less-serious ones.

So "what kind of charges am I looking at" depends on how much weed, what you were doing with it, and your local prosecutor's office policies, as well as your criminal history.

Most first-time offenders for simple possession get probation.


Title: (Florida) Do I have to prove that I didn't shoot paintballs at my neighbor?

Question:
I was shooting paintballs at some vultures that were hanging out in my yard, black vultures like fresh meat, after the attacked my smallest dog.

This is a rural area the closest house is over a mile away so, it's not like I could accidentally hit someone. My neighbor(the guy who lives a mile away) claims that he was walking along the road infront of my house and I turned and fired a gun(he thinks that it was real instead of a paintball one)at him. He threatening to call the cops unless I give him $2,000.

The road runs along the north of the house and I was firing to the south into a tree.

If he does call the cops do I have to prove that I didn't fire a gun at him? And would it be worth it to tell them about his blackmail attempt?

**EDIT: I forgot to mention that I don't own a real gun!**

Answer:
 > He threatening to call the cops unless I give him $2,000.

See if you can get that in writing lolAnswer #2: Vultures aren't predators. They're scavengers. I find OP's premise odd. They don't go after live dogs.


Title: Is a green card that was issued in the 1970's still valid?

Question:
Some context. My parents came to the U.S. in the 70's and were issued a green card. They both worked and were legal citizens in the U.S. for over 10 years. During this time, my sister and I were born, therefore making us U.S. citizens by birth. When I turned 9 years old, my parents decided to return to their homeland, Naples Italy. We all moved to Italy and my parents were both sure that they would never return back to the U.S. Fast forward 13 years, I'm back in the U.S. and so is my sister (totally unrelated story on why we returned). At that point my parents were still living in Italy until my father passed away. My mom is there alone, and would like to return to be close to my sister and I. So, we consulted with a lawyer and were blown away by the bad news given to us.

The lawyer suggested that my mother had "abandoned" the U.S. without notifying the immigration office of her return to Italy. She had been in Italy for over 30 years and could not renew the green card because so much time had gone by. She said we could try to apply for a new green card, but it would most definitely get flagged and she would be sent in front of an immigration judge and they would likely deport her. Once she is deported, my mom would not be able to reside or visit the U.S. for 5 years. After the 5 years, we could try and reapply for a green card.

Side note, the green card was issued in 1970 and does not have an expiration date, and nowhere on the card does it say that she has to inform the immigration office if she is leaving the U.S.

The immigration lawyer has never handled a case like this and has requested additional fees to do more research. She said the entire process of going in front of the immigration judge, fees, etc, etc... would end up costing 15k or more. Also, there is no guarantee of how long it would take. Well, my mom is 65, so we don't want this to drag for 10 years. I may consult another lawyer, but does this sound legit? The lawyer was insisting that she should have notified the immigration office before leaving. My mom says that she was never required, or told to do so. There is no expiration date on the card and the immigration office has no record of any correspondence sent to her requesting her whereabouts in the past 30 years she's been absent from the U.S. The green card she has is so old, the lawyer wasn't even sure what it was.

Answer:
 Yes, leaving the US to live in another country without a fixed intent on returning to the US constitutes abandonment of their status. If they wanted to ensure their ability to return, they likely were eligible to apply for citizenship before they left back to Italy.

The expiration date on the card is a bit of a red herring. Even with the current 10 year cards, you don’t actually lose your status when the card expires; it just means you need a new card.

That being said, as long as you’re older than 21, you can apply to get them a new green card pretty easily. There’s nothing wrong with applying for a new status when the previous status was abandoned, especially many years ago. .


Title: My boyfriend [27m] and I [25F] got into a fight, and now I'm being charged even though he was the aggressor. What can I do? [Ontario, Canada]

Question:
Throwaway account.

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The title basically says it all, but I'll give as much info as I can and please don't hesitate to ask questions, I'm happy to answer. Buckle up if you want deets 'cause this is gonna be long.

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Essentially, my boyfriend and I got into a very loud, stupid fight in which lots of things were thrown around/broken, and he put his hands on me for the first (and only) time. I, in shock, and since this has never happened to me before, screamed for help, and the police were called (I live in an apartment building). Once they arrived they took a quick assessment of the damage to my home and a brief statement; he ran from the building as soon as I started to scream. I was taken to the station to submit an official statement while they tried to find him.

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He went to his parent's house, and his family started texting me telling me not to say anything, to not give a statement, saying I'd ruin his life. Eventually the cops found him hiding there and brought him in.

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I thought a lot about what everyone had said and decided not to give a statement; I didn't want him to be charged formally and I never wanted the police to be called to begin with. I did however tell the detective that everything I had said in my initial conversation with the officers who arrived was true. I was driven home and told they'd update me.

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However, when he was questioned, he made up a huge fake story about how I had been the aggressor, that I hit his skull against the wall multiple times and even had a bruise on his head. I didn't at any point put my hands on him and would never dream of physically attacking anyone, the only thing I can think is that he may have hit his head purposely at his parent's house when he was there waiting for police, as an alibi. There were no witnesses other than my next door neighbors who told police they heard screaming, but didn't see anything.

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Since I didn't give a statement, and he did, I ended up being arrested and charged with spousal assault. I'm absolutely gobsmacked by this and I don't know what to do. Before anyone mentions it, I don't have the money for a lawyer at ALL, like it's not even an option for me, and Legal Aid said they can't take on this case (though I don't remember why, it was something to do with the kind of court date - a pre trial or something?).

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Reddit, I'm getting desperate and scared and my pretrial court date is coming up. What the hell do I do? Am I royally boned? What are my legal options to fight this?

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TL;DR : My boyfriend and I got into a fight, I didn't give a statement and he lied in his, and now I'm being charged even though he was the aggressor. What can I do?

Answer: You NEED a lawyer. Beg, borrow, or sell stuff.Answer #2: You really ought to get a lawyer but if you happen to be in a city with a law school they all have legal services.  Call them and see if they can help you with anything.


Title: [TX] Daycare Wants a Diagnosis and Details

Question:
(Texas)

My daughter is currently being treated for hives (the kind you get with an allergic reaction) that are triggered by the cold she has. We have seen a doctor Monday and provided daycare with a note that states she is OK to go to school.

The staff at daycare have just sent photographs of the hives (which haven’t gone away completely yet) via email and said they would like more information from the doctor about the condition and contagiousness (it’s not).

We know it looks scary, but the hives are being treated and two medical professionals have told us that the baby is FINE.

Are we legally protected by HIPAA, FERPA, or anything else in this situation to give them only medically necessary information?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Answer:
 HIPAA is only for persons actually working in the medical field.

> The staff at daycare have just sent photographs of the hives (**which haven’t gone away completely yet**) via email and said they would like more information from the doctor about the condition and contagiousness (it’s not).

Just because you say it's not, doesn't mean that's true. The daycare asking for some kind of relevant document stating your daughter isn't truly contagious is perfectly fine, and frankly the responsible thing to do.

Let me put it this way; how would you react if your daughter caught something at daycare that was infectious but preventable because a parent said their child was fine but actually wasn't?

They're doing their due diligence to ensure your child can actually be around their other clients without infecting them as well. This is a good thing not a bad thing.


Title: In California, if a teacher finds out student (16yo) is pregnant, legally who must teacher notify?

Question: This is a hypothetical scenario, and one of the potential questions on a test that I'll be taking soon. Legally, is there anyone the teacher MUST notify? Principal, parents, counselor, or none?

Answer:
 I am not entirely sure how mandated reporter laws differ between states and what the procedure would be at your organization. Since the age of consent in California is 18, if a 16yo is pregnant, it is clear evidence that she has been raped. I am a mandated reporter and I would report if I knew that a minor had been raped. In my organization, the procedure is that I would report to my supervisor and we would make further reports together.

Edit that a quick Google shows that California does not necessarily require a report in the situation you describe.


Title: My boyfriend's ex keeps contacting me, my family and my friends

Question:
Some background info on my boyfriend - he's from Brisbane, Australia and is currently here in Toronto, Canada on a work visa. Long story short, we had spoken online for about 10 years and finally met in person earlier this year. He got a work visa shortly after.

Some info on his ex:

- They dated on and off for 3 months and decided they were better as friends. They were friends for about 2 years after that and spent nearly every day together

- Throughout their friendship, she went into fits of rage and threatened to get him fired at work (they worked at the same place), threatened to turn his friends against him, and got jealous every time he mentioned another girl's name

- She has abandonment issues and attempted suicide when she found out he was moving to Canada to be with me

When she started raging about him leaving, he blocked her on his phone and on social media. After that, she started messaging me on Facebook. I blocked her. She then turned to Twitter. I deleted my account. She then messaged my sister and mom on Facebook. They both blocked her.

She then guessed my email address and found my friend's work email as well and has continued to send us emails that are clearly meant to destroy my opinion of my boyfriend. She includes incredible criminal accusations against him which have no merit. She is also trying to guess at my family members' emails (I see her attempts in the "cc" section).

Recently, she forwarded me and my friend scans of my boyfriend's ID, passport and bank / credit card as some kind of proof of how close they were and that therefore everything she's saying is true (interesting logic). She has that info because she assisted him in booking his first flight here when he was just visiting.

He tried going to the police before he moved here but they said it was a civil case and that they couldn't do anything. I haven't blocked her email address yet because part of me wants to know if she starts making physical threats or says she's coming to Canada....

Is there anything we can do despite her living in another country?

Answer:
 > Recently, she forwarded me and my friend scans of my boyfriend's ID, passport and bank / credit card as some kind of proof of how close they were

Get those replaced and the old ones invalidated as soon as you can.


Title: Mom Scammed out of $15k from Immigration Agency (ON, Canada)

Question: About 5 years back my mom paid a company to help bring her brother's family from China to Canada. It's now been 5 years with literally no progress, I'm suspicious if even they submitted the application. Now she's trying to ask for a refund, the company was initially responding but they've just been trying to drag things out and now they've gone dark. I'm almost 100% sure that she'll have no chance of getting any of her money back. Is this something that's worth going to a lawyer for? Or will the effort + fees exceed the $15k?

Answer: Sounds like a scam. There is no reason to ever pay $15k to an agency that can't even guarantee you will be accepted. What's the name of the agency? Was it New Can Consultants? They've been busted recently for running a scam China --> Canada immigration agency.


Title: Hypothetical - parental rights of a male minor who impregnates an older woman? Happened in MN.

Question:
A recent scandal came up in Minnesota of a teacher who had sex with a 17 year old student. The teacher may be pregnant. Here's the story: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/minnesota-teacher-fired-over-student-sex-may-be-pregnant/

I googled out of curiosity what the parental rights would be in this situation. I found a lot of information about rapists in most states being able to claim visitation rights for their children born out of rape, but the cases cited seemed extreme and the sources seemed to be biased. They were also focused on male rapists.

In MN, the age of consent is 16, but I have heard (sorry, not a legal expert at all) that if the older partner in a relationship is in a mentorship/leadership position (like a teacher, coach, boss or camp counselor) the older partner could be charged with statutory rape. Can someone explain that? Is that even true? (Heard it from a friend who did a lot of research before dating a 16-year-old when he was 22).

Because if that last part is true, in Minnesota law, the teacher in this case could be considered a rapist. But, could she still sue her victim for child support? Would she have to wait until the victim is 18 to do so?

This post is entirely driven by my curiosity and I would love to hear your opinions, especially from anyone who has experience in family law or assault cases.

Answer: The right to support from a parent belongs to the *child*.  Nothing the custodial parent did or can do will change that.  The child has no culpability, and is therefore entitled to support.   The teacher will be able to seek support from the father.


Title: Sacramento, CA -- I'm a victim of identity theft. Possibly at the hands of family... insurance fraud, etc. Please help me!

Question:
I'm not sure if this is the best place to post this, if anyone else has something better please tell me.

I'm 21 years old, last week I got a phone call from debt collectors telling me I owned nearly 300 dollars for an unpaid X-Finity bill... I've never bought cable or any service like that in my life. Come to find out, the address it was tied to was in Marysville, the town where my dad and his now ex-girlfriend used to live. I am certain it was them, as both of them are not necessarily of the best credit or moral compasses. I told the guy over the phone and we talked about it a bit, and he said he'd file it under potential fraud and I've sent in some identity theft reports and am expecting a recovery packet in the mail.

Fast forward to today. I'm looking at Geico and Esurance for quotes to find that that there are three separate cars tied to my name and information, all supposedly insured through me. This of course isn't true. I've never had any car insured under my name. I recognize the cars. Two of them belong to my uncle, who has fucked me over financially before. Having lived with him for nearly 2 years in the past, my social security card and drivers license were easily accessible by him. The other belongs to my dad's ex-girlfriend I mentioned earlier, the one who lived in Marysville but now lives in Utah.

This is a clear case of identity theft. Not by the hands of malicious strangers, but by my very own family members. It isn't a question of who did it, but what I can do about it. How do I proceed? Who do I contact? And more importantly... how do I protect myself? Please, anyone, help me. I'm stressed right now and deeply hurt.

Answer:
 First, file a police report.

Then, run a credit report so you can see everything outstanding in your name.  Report anything that isn't yours as fraud.

Then get a credit freeze until you're confidant you're back in control.