Title: Non-compete clause/North Carolina

Question:
Hello,

My job was recently eliminated and I'm trying to figure out a question that has been bugging me for awhile.

I worked in a call center basically and the company I worked for was contracted out to another company to handle calls. The company I work for claims to have a 2 year non-compete clause with the company we are contracted out to. I worked this job for 4 years and was promoted to a management position. While in that position I've witness a fellow employee attempt to break away from the company and start working for the contracted company, to which our employer would remind them of this non-compete clause. One employee stated "Well if you are going to hold me to this non-compete clause, I feel like it would be fair to have this in writing". The company never provided this document (Which is the strange part) but warned the employee again that if they were to do this, they could find themselves in legal problems.

While employed I obviously learned how to answer questions anyone had regarding the specific product for the company we were contracted out to. I would love to start working for the company I was contracted out to, but I'm worried about any legal issues that could arise from this non-compete.

If there is anything I missed in here or if I need to clarify anything, please just let me know and I'll reply as soon as I can. My ex employer is offering me another job within the company (Less pay and my position would not be management) and they told me I would need to let them know if I want this by the end of day tomorrow.

Answer:
 >  The company I work for claims to have a 2 year non-compete clause with the company we are contracted out to

That's great for them. Unless you **signed** a NCA you're not held to it.


Title: [Canada, B.C] My friend took us quadding, and we got in a serious accident. Now his Father says he is going to sue me for damages.

Question: So long story short a co-worker/friend took me and my roommate quadding. We got to the viewpoint half way up the mountain, and pulled over to wait for my truck following us. My friend offered to let me drive the quad, and I agreed and said I'd go slow. We ended up around 4 ft from the edge & buddy tried to jump off. Which resulted in him hitting my arm to turn/ accelerate off a 30-50 foot embankment. His head hit the tree and fractured his skull through the helmet. I got my abdomen and had internal bleeding. I ended up in the hospital for eight days & my friend was 21 days. My father agreed on my behalf to pay the insurance deductible for the accident while I was sedated etc. Which I wrote him a check for which "for insurance deductible" on it. His father crossed it out, and cashed it than forced his son to pay the shops fee $4000. They tried to get me to pay for the entire thing & Not go through insurance since his dad would be paying for it that way. Now I hear his dad is trying to sue me. Can I get in trouble even if there was no legal documents saying if pay for the accident etc?

Answer:
 You have a good argument that by cashing the cheque there was been accord and satisfaction and so you shouldn't have to pay more.

If he actually sues you then contact your insurance company immediately. They should deal with this for you. If your insurance won't cover this for whatever reason then you need to at least show up to court. Do not miss the court date. If the amount they are suing you for is over the small claims limit and your insurance is not covering you'll need a lawyer.Answer #2: What are BC's requirements on insurance and off-road vehicles? And were you on public or private land.  It sounds like the vehicle wasn't actually insured, and that's a big no-no when riding on public trails.


Title: Can I stop my exMIL from being able to send my son out of town to go camping with her church group. We do not share the same beliefs, I dont know these ppl and my ex simply does not care what my MIL does with our son.

Question:
I have a 12 year old son that is being sent out if town during my visitation weekend because my ex-husbands mother (whom my-ex lives with) wants my son to believe in her religious beliefs (my beliefs are known and they are the opposite of hers)

However, because my ex has lived with his mother since we broke up and fully depends on his parents for everything (place to live, car to drive, EVEN ability to do fuck all for my kid, he does not wake up with my son or cook any meals for him) he has become parent in name only.

(SIDE NOTE) I have been told by legal aid that as long as my child is being taken care of my ex who won custody (by tricking me into not going to court cuz we were going to work things out) doesn't have to be the one actually taking care of him.

I am only allowed to see him every wed  from 6-8 and have him every other weekend.

So my most recent issue is that my ex husband is that he is allowing my ex mother in law to send my child away on my visitation weekend to go camping with ppl that I have never met and have no idea if any have criminal records I am not being told who he will be with, where they will be or what they will be doing all so that my son can become more informed about her religion and god and I am being told by my ex to deal with it.

My plan is to call the police and file a report that my son was not surrendered for visitation and try to take the steps to get my son out of that environment.

However if there is a way to prevent my exMIL from sending my child away for the weekend I would like to do that!

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Answer:
 The police MIGHT, but probably won't, do anything at all. It's a civil matter and generally isn't something they deal with. Do what idontgetbacon said and show up, court order in hand, to pick up your child for your court ordered visitation. If he is not available to you at that time, go to the courthouse first thing on Monday morning and ask the clerk for the paperwork to file for contempt. File. It's vitally important that you do that.

There will be a hearing on the contempt. Go to it.

Do this EVERY TIME the court order is violated. Ask that he pay your costs. It won't take many of these for him to follow the order. If he continues to violate, you have cause to file for a custody modification.


Title: Is restaurant responsible for damage to clothing?

Question:
Hi, r/legaladvice. On early Sunday afternoon I was out to eat with my SO at a restaurant in NYC. The restaurant had a decorative metal fence inside to separate the dining area from the entry/waiting area. To try to paint a clearer image, you walked into the restaurant and the fence was on your right for about 12-15", and the fenced area was narrow. As we were waiting to get a table, if people were exiting the dining area, we'd have to maneuver ourselves closer to the wall to allow people to pass.

We finished our meal and paid, then got our coats from a small coat room off the dining area, and there wasn't enough room to put it on while I was still inside the restaurant. There was a family with kids standing in the fenced in waiting area but not as close to the wall as they should have been (or would have been courteous, but I digress), so that in order to pass them and exit the restaurant, I was hugging the fence on my left side. Within a few seconds I felt my jeans latch onto something on the fence, and given the crowding, I was pushed forward. I was left with two large rips on my upper left thigh, amounting to a hole that's not so easily repairable.

I approached the hostess, told and showed her what happened, and asked for a manager. I was told the manager wasn't working and saw the hostess go make a phone call behind the bar. From where I was standing I couldn't tell if the hostess actually spoke to anyone or not, but the hostess told me there was no answer. I asked for the manager's name as well as a card, and my SO and I left.

The damage to my jeans happened on the restaurant's property due to the design of the restaurant's fence.  I haven't yet emailed the manager and have no indication that she knows what took place. Do I have any recourse to get my jeans replaced (presumably by getting a check for the value of the jeans), or am I out a pair of pants? Thank you.

Answer: Just because you weren't paying attention and ripped your Jeans at the restaurant doesn't mean they're responsible for it.  Would the restaurant be responsible for your shirt if you were eating their food and spilled on yourself permanently staining it?


Title: [CA] Can I hire someone from craigslist or randomly off the street to help me move?

Question: I need to move apartments next week. I was planning on posting a Craigslist ad or going to my local Home Depot and just finding 3 people willing to help me for $10/hr in cash. My friend claims this is illegal. If so, why?

Answer: No it's not illegal. But it may not be wise. 1) If they injure themselves when doing this, you could be on the hook. 2) You now have a random person knowing exactly where you live and what stuff you have.


Title: Is throwing underwear/sex toys at someone considered sexual harassment?

Question:
This isn’t about me or anyone I know, it’s just a vague question.

I’ve seen videos of people throwing underwear or even dildos at singers and celebrities, and I was wondering if there are any laws in the US that make it sexual harassment?

I know here in Australia it is but I obviously don’t know anything about the us, and nothing comes up on google.

Answer:
 In the US, "sexual harassment" as a legal cause of action is something that exists almost entirely in the employment context.  It's not a crime, it's a civil cause of action.

Throwing underwear at a stage is probably nothing.  If someone was hit by something heavy on the street or something, it's assault or battery.


Title: What happens when you cash a check twice in two different places?

Question: my coworker claims he takes a picture of his check front and back for mobile deposit, then cashes the check at walmart, then goes on his phone and submits it to cash on edeposit for mobile and apparently that’s just how he gets by getting double his actual income. how has the bank, walmart, or the employer not caught on to this? and who is losing in this scenario the job or walmart? i mean imagine taking your monthly income and just doubling it for funsies. what will happen to him

Answer: your coworker will be going to jail soonAnswer #2: He's either lying (I'm nearly positive it's this) or he is soon to be arrested and charged.Answer #3: I think you have to assume he’s trying to wind you up.Answer #4: He either isn't doing this, hasn't been doing it long (not caught yet), or is just trying to get a rise out of you. Either way, this wouldn't actually work in the real-world, no.Answer #5: He's either a very bad criminal who is going to prison very soon when he gets caught (and there is a 100% chance he gets caught here) or he's screwing with you.


Title: Ex-wife is ditching the mortgage

Question:
So we have been divorced for about 5 years now. It was a quick divorce and we did not do a separation of assets. We had an agreement that when she could, she would re-finance to get my name off the mortgage.  Well she never did.

Thoughout the years, she's missed payments and have been late.  She re-enrolled in college and got student loans to pay the mortgage.

Now she hasn't paid the last month mortgage and has decided to up and move with the kids to an apartment.  She said I can have the house now. Leaving me to pay the last months mortgage and so on, until I can get her off the mortgage and deed.

Is there any course of action I can take

Answer: If the divorce didn't address this, that was a huge mistake on your part. Your best bet is to pay to catch the mortgage up before it ruins your credit.


Title: I didn't get paid and all I have are emails

Question:
First post here, feel free to delete or ignore if I'm breaking any rules or please redirect me to the right place to get advice on this?

I was a home health nurse with this nursing agency for a few months, then I got offered a hospital job, so told the agency I'd be back once I was off orientation because I loved my patients, but I needed to focus on my this good career opportunity.

A couple of months later, I'm off orientation (yay) and ready to come back to make home health my second job. I had been emailing with the case manager who asked me what my earliest start date was. Saturday May 26th. I also told her my schedule would vary (which they accommodate) as my hospital schedule isn't always the same. The only days this patient has available are Friday and Saturday nights, which will work great for me, but I won't always be available. She asks for all of my paperwork and has me go through the hiring process again. Whatever. I ask the case manager if she needs anything else from me a couple of weeks before May 26th which is when I plan to begin, she says "I don't need anything else from you". Sweet.

May 26th comes around. I work 9pm to 9am. I email case manager while on the shift to notify her that I'm there and that my registered nurse authorization isn't popping up. Their clock in app is a joke. I thought it was a glitch. I send in my charting for the shift as I always had as proof I was there, my hours signed by the family. Next morning she's emailing and calling saying I wasn't approved for the time and insurance won't pay for that shift.

I'm getting calls from a few people in the agency now. They've told me the agency may absorb the cost, and by that they mean I MIGHT get paid minimum wage of $7.25/h instead of my $22/h for working fucking night shift, but I probably won't get paid at all. They keep saying it was a miscommunication on both parts.

What now?

Is this something people sue over? I feel like this is in no way my fault. All I have is emails and my shift documents. I just feel crummy that I haven't gotten paid for hours that I clearly worked and I probably won't see any money from them and I'll feel bitter about working there even though I love my patients.

Not sure what to do.

Answer: It kind of sounds like you scheduled yourself. They asked what your earliest start date was, but they didn't approve you to work that day yet.


Title: Legal Options For Companies Lying, Resulting In Negative Impact On My Credit

Question:
Hi all. My question is regarding companies impacting your credit when being told flat out that nothing they were doing would affect my credit.

Went to get a new phone plan with AT&T at one of their ‘authorized retailers’ (did not know this at this time, thought it was a normal store). Looked at phones, I said let’s do it, and the employee told me that it requires a credit check. Told him I was not interested in that, that I have great to outstanding credit because I don’t have tons of inquiries for useless stuff. Spoke about doing it without the check, paying the deposit. Decided against it. Then another employee tells me that it will be a soft inquiry, at which point I reply “I can get down with that.” *The employee helping me originally texts his regional manager and she confirms yes, it is a soft inquiry*.

**Based on the information provided to me by both store level employees and the regional manager, I proceeded to do business.** Now a few days later, it has shown up on my credit as a hard inquiry. This is absolutely unacceptable to me. The only time I make hard inquiries is buying a car if I am not buying it straight-out, and for mortgages. To put it in perspective how much I guard my credit, when I called Time Warner Cable to setup Cable TV when I bought my current house, they told me it required a credit check, I told them no, I can’t do that, so I simply didn’t have TV for over a year.

I have been in preliminary contact with the employee who has been forwarding my concerns to the regional manager that originally confirmed it was a soft check. She said ‘she cannot remove it.’ I said, yes I understand that you can’t click a button and remove it, but you can submit it to the credit bureaus as the retailer, saying it was an unauthorized inquiry to have it removed. I don’t see them coming through as they are barely responsive now.

I want to know what courses of action I have through a lawyer. Yes, **I know that one inquiry isn’t a big deal, but to me it is more about the principal.** They either flat out lied to complete the sale of the phone plan, or if they made an honest mistake, it was made on multiple levels, and they are telling mistruths that affect people’s lives, especially those with bad or building credit. Either way, this is the kind of thing 999/1000 times when people get upset, they say ‘nothing we can do’ and that is the end of it. **I am tired of companies lying or making mistakes that affect people and just shrugging it off. I am willing to come out of pocket just to make a point** and to have it removed off my credit. Of course best case scenario would be something resulting in them paying my legal costs if it went that far.

What type of law firm would I consult with? Maybe a consumer protection lawyer? Civil tort claims? Any advice is appreciated. I am in McAllen, Texas.

Answer:
 >What type of law firm would I consult with? Maybe a consumer protection lawyer? Civil tort claims?

None. Your neuroses about credit pulls is not actionable.


Title: (AZ) Accidentally paid child support twice in one month. Other party agreed to return the extra payment, then turned around and spent it. What are my options for recourse?

Question:
I accidentally paid child support twice in one month due to an auto payment I had set up with support clearinghouse and my companies payroll failing to let me know that they had began deducting from my paycheck. The support clearinghouse said that there was not an easy way for them to reverse the payment once they had already sent the check out, and that it would be better to work with the other party if possible. The other party initially agreed to return the money during my next parenting weekend the following month. Lo and behold, when that time came they refused, stating that they had already spent it. What are my options for legal recourse? Is this something I could take to small claims court, or would it have to be handled in family court. Thanks for your time.

EDIT: I spoke to a worker at the Clerk of Superior Court's office this morning. Apparently in the normal case they refund the over payment or apply it to arrears (I have none). In my case, I had an issue setting up the payment through the state portal initially (had one number off in my routing number) and now the state now does a 10 day hold on all of the funds associated with my account, apparently because of this the system didn't catch it. All the funds have already been distributed to the other party. The worker told me that bringing this before the judge in family court is likely the only way I am going to get my money back if I can't work it out with the other party.

I appreciate everyone's input.

Answer:
 Is there a reason it can’t be applied to the next month’s payment?Answer #2: Contact your DSHS case worker. They will review overpayment and refund or apply it to your next payment.

If you don't have a case worker or documented via court ordered/state etc. Sorry but you're an idiot.

P.s guy who's been fucked by his sons mom for the same dealAnswer #3: Sounds to me like you paid next month’s already. Let your auto-payment processor know what you want to do and make copies of and keep that documentation, texts, emails etc.Answer #4: Our experience with child support in AZ:

The divorce finalized and the court said to pay through the court system until the clearinghouse took over.  We did this.

The next year we filed taxes and got a letter back that the state was withholding $800 for back child support.  We asked the biomom if she had received all her child support and she confirmed she had.

We went to DES to try to work it out, WITH THE BIOMOM who confirmed she wasn't due any back child support.

DES to Biomom:  "OK, so you aren't owed this $800?  We'll keep it then"

DES to us:  "Fuck you"

We spent probably 40 hours worth of time trying to recover the money. The biomom even agreed to just give it to us if it was ever given to her.  Eventually we gave up.

Good luck bro.


Title: Would I get in legal trouble if I don't pay for this?

Question:
Ontario, Canada

I ordered a textbook through Abebooks from Germany on Sep 7. The website states that "The seller will ship the item upon receipt of payment", but I found a textbook somewhere else and never sent a payment. I didn't cancel the order and forgot about it.

On Oct 6 the textbook I ordered arrived to the pickup place and I got it on Oct 19. The sender never contacted me other than a few days after the order to give me instructions on how to pay.

Is it safer to just keep it or contact the sender return the textbook.

Answer: You ordered it, they sent it to you, you owe them the money you agreed to pay them. You may be able to contact the seller to return the book instead.


Title: Stalker threatening suicide, help!

Question:
My boyfriend has had a stalker (Canada) for almost 2 years now, she was a former housemate that never left him alone (They had some interactions that were kind of aggressive ;she used to bother him and take advantage of him when he was drunk, they made out once- she thinks they're in love) .

I didn't know the gravity of the situation until a few days ago, now we want to approach this problem with the right tools. She has, many times, alluded to suicide as well as threatening my BF's family business --which, naturally, has under him under her heel. She constantly emails him and messages him reliving whatever moment they had years ago and keeps on using that as a topic of conversation.

 As an effort to solve the problem,he met up with her in person a month ago hoping to end it in person. That did not help she's back. she's a psychopath (we have character witnesses from all the other house mates) She's actually stuck in a weird loop from two years ago, she moved out of the house but remained a block away from us in a different sublet. Both of us have bumped into her on the street and she's ALWAYS sweaty and nervous. When I went into to her room once (when we were housemates) I saw a slew of pill bottles all for anxiety,anti depression,mood stabilizers. All this to say is there a way we can make a mental health case out of it and get her the fuck away from us?

If anyone could chime in, it would be great!

Answer:
 Get a court to order this person to stay away from you both (a provincial matter) and don't engage this person in any conversation. Their alleged mental illness isn't your problem and holding yourself hostage only works in Mel Brooks movies. You aren't responsible for someone harming themselves.

If you think someone's mental illness makes them a threat to themselves or others, call the police.


Title: Expensive package stolen

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 Here's a pro-tip, you thieving little scrote: before you come here selling a hardluck story, make sure the post you made a few hours earlier to r/shoplifting about taking a package from a neighbor's doorstep isn't immediately visible whenever someone clicks onto your name here. Not mention all those posts about your plans to steal phone from stores and bilk the returns systems and that.

You stole that phone and now you are shitting your pants worrying that you're going to get caught. Given the level of Stupid you've already shown, you have every reason to be worried.Answer #2: With how vague the facts are here, it's impossible to tell. The police may look, or they may not have time. They may find something, or they may not. You've done your part. Wait for either Sprint or the police to get back to you and you'll know how to proceed.


Title: Ont, Canada. Wife wants divorce, won't leave the basement. (Xpost /r/divorce)

Question:
Throwaway account.

A number of months ago, my wife dropped a bomb on me that she wasn't in love with me anymore and was considering divorce. She took some time to think about it and decided ending the marriage was in her best interest.

We've been married 15 years, with 3 children, mortgage on our home (we're both on the ownership) and one van. Living in Ontario Canada.

My wife has only ever worked (sporadically) part-time outside of the home in a number of menial jobs. I've always been employed, I feel she's under the impression that divorce will grant her money from unseen source, but we just keep the lights on and the kids fed with my income.

So she's living in our partially finished basement. She's not contributing to helping the children with homework, housework or the mortgage.

The issue is is that she won't go to mediation (to begin the divorce procedure), won't move out (because she has no money) and will not tell me who her lawyer is.

How the hell do I get this woman out of the house without changing the locks while she's out or causing a major scene?

Has anyone ever had this problem?

Answer:
 IANAL.

>How the hell do I get this woman out of the house without changing the locks while she's out or causing a major scene?

This is her house. She owns it, it sounds like it's the matrimonial home, and she lives there. You could seek a court order for exclusive possession of the matrimonial home, but you absolutely need to retain the services of a family lawyer.


Title: Weird mail situation at my apartment.

Question:
Hello! I would like some advice on what to do with my mail/landlord. This is in Ontario, Canada.

For some background info, I live in an apartment building on a college/university campus. Although the apartment building is on campus grounds, it is separate from the school. This makes our mail situation a tad weird and messy.

So our paper mail always seems to come in promptly and we usually check it every few days or so. That isn't the problem. The problem comes with packages. With packages they are first delivered to the campus mail at the school. I've had no problems just coming in and getting it there. The problem comes when the "mail guy" comes and gets my packages before me.

The "mail guy" lives in the apartment building right beside me and has been desinated by the landlord to go and pick up the mail/packages from the school's mail room for the apartments. We haven't ordered much online so not many packages come by for us. What he does is go around to all the apartments, knock/ring the doorbell once, and leaves super quickly afterwards. If you happen to be right near the door when he does this, you can sometimes catch him. To which he then tells you to go to his apartment and pick it up from him after his rounds (usually 5 minutes after he leaves).

Now, that is just the inconvenient and background info. My current problem is that I had a package delivery that confirmed that it arrived on June 22nd. I still have not gotten the package as of yet and it is July 4th. It is a $90-100 package too, so I am eager to have it. I contacted the landlord on the 29th inquiring about it, and he said he would have the mail person deliver it that day or the next. Two days passed and I asked about the mail again. No response. Today comes along and still no package. I sejt another email asking for times the "mail guy" would be home for me to go by and get the package, as I have tried going almost every day at various times and no one is ever home. I am getting concerned now, I or someone else is always home so I just don't think we have missed him. Even if he did, he has made no more attempts at contact or left any notes that he has my package and to get it at so and so time/date. Nothing from him and no response ever from his apartment.

My questions to you all are:

* Is it legal to hold my packages for this long?

* Is it legal for him to pick up my package to distribute to me at his leisure?

* Can I legally request that he not pick up my packages in the future?

* How can I get the landlord to communicate and work with me here (I've been renting this apartment for two years now and he is a new landlord for only a couple months and he never answers calls and sometimes doesn't answer emails)?

*Should I try a different mail alternative?

Thank you so much for the help and I'm sorry about the length! I hope I gave enough info and I'm sorry if this is the wrong place to ask.

Answer: Not legal advice, but problem-solving. Canada Post has a new service where you can have your parcels sent to them at one of the outlets and they'll hold it there for you instead of taking it to your dorm. It's called [Flex Delivery](https://www.canadapost.ca/web/en/pages/fd/default.page?ecid=murl|pdn|lh|297) and it's free. Most Ontario universities either have an on-campus CP outlet or a Shoppers Drug Mart nearby, so this might be a better solution.


Title: Friend suing/passenger suing me over car crash

Question: Hi everyone. I live in Pennsylvania and a few weeks ago I got in a car crash where a car t-boned me. I was found at fault but my insurance covered it and i thought i was in the clear. However today i just found out my friend who was the passenger got a lawyer and is now filing a claim against my insurance. The funny thing is i saw him last week and he still hasn't been to a doctor (i took him to the er the night of because he had old injuries). Would it be advisable to talk to him and try to get him to stop?

Answer:
 You have two ways that are advisable to handle this: 1) Stay his friend and don't talk to him about this particular thing, or 2) Stop being his friend and don't talk to him about this particular thing.  Talking to him about it, opens up a whole set of issues for you that are going to be more trouble than they are worth.

If he was really injured suing you (really your insurance company) is how he is going to get paid.  Even if he wasn't injured he still probably needs to sue to cover the ER visit.  It's a weird situation, but it's probably what he has to do to recover anything at all.  Don't take it personally, let his lawyer work it out with your insurance company and, chances are, it will go away without you needing to do much of anything.  Yes, your insurance will probably go up some, but it was probably going to do that anyway - your friend isn't (likely) causing you much financial harm and he is probably doing the only thing he can to cover the actual cost of his medical bills (even if they are only for the ER trip).Answer #2: No. Not advisable to talking to someone who could end up suing you. Let your insurance handle it


Title: [OR, US] Wife's friend receiving sexually explicit texts from a supervisor who then deleted them from her phone

Question:
Hello all,

My wife's coworker is a CNA at a large regional hospital here in Oregon.  Her supervisor (charge nurse, if it makes a difference - this is a different position than her manager) has been making sexually explicit remarks to her and other nurses and CNAs, and recently he obtained her phone number through her HR file and sent a series of sexually explicit text messages.  The next day this charge nurse (who is 6'5" and very physically intimidating) cornered her and demanded to see her cell phone.  She handed him her phone and he deleted the texts from her device.

She's already initiated an HR complaint, and I've advised her to make a police report as well.  The day after the HR complaint was initiated she was again working under him (he was supervising the floor she was working on).

My questions:

Are there any laws that have been broken?  I've been looking at laws like Harassment, Intimidation, etc. and my non-lawyer brain doesn't see that the behavior described quite meets the criteria for any criminal behavior.

Additionally, does her workplace have a duty to protect her as an employee?  It's hearsay at this point, but apparently this charge nurse was fired from a previous job for watching porn on company time and having a contest with a doctor (who also now works at this hospital) to see who could get the most inappropriate photos of their female coworkers.  It seems to me that it's irresponsible to put this person in a supervisory role at work, and it seems even more irresponsible to continue having this person supervise her at work after the HR complaint, especially considering part of that complaint was his physical intimidation of her.

My thinking is that the police report will at the very least establish a pattern of behavior if this person continues acting inappropriately and crosses a line at some point.  I'm just upset at the fact that the hospital continues to allow this person to supervise employees he's intimidating, even if it's still only an allegation from HR's perspective.  Would it be worthwhile for my wife's coworker to contact an employment attorney?  Or maybe would this qualify an an unsafe work environment, and maybe OSHA would care?  I'm trying to think about this from all the angles.

Answer:
 IANAL but this is this her personal cell phone, since her got it from her HR file, correct? If it’s her personal number, you should be able to get a record of all texts from your cell phone company. You can look them up online and if they’re not there, go in to the store and ask for a print out.

Just because they’re gone on the phone doesn’t mean they’re gone. Good luck with this awful situation.


Title: UK LAWS: Looking out for a friend. Is it illegal to lock someone in your house and force kissing on them?

Question:
Look I'm 18, but I have a friend who was forced to stay in some guys house, they're both the same age as myself. However, this guy, he's a waste of space, genuinely the scum of the earth. I thought this much of this guy far before this even happened, I've never liked this guy or his crowd, total wasters. Take everything and just don't care about anyone or anything in the slightest, just disrespectful pieces of s**t, excuse my language, but that's what they are. I don't even have anything personal against this group of people, they've never really done anything to me specifically, however this event as SERIOUSLY upset me.

Anyway, my friend, she told me that he locked her in and forced her to kiss him, he even tried touching but she refused, I seriously want to pay the guy a visit myself, but I know that'll just get me into trouble. I want to report him or at least tell the girls parents, but she has begged me not to whisper a word of this to anyone.

It is so hard considering that she's a close friend. What the hell do I do? I mean I'm pretty sure that's illegal right? Even though it's not full on rape or anything, it's just one step away from being full on rape, right?

Answer:
 Ok. This is illegal and can be reported.

But you need to respect your friend in this situation. You can point/push her very very gently towards reporting, but this was done to her and you won't be able to change that.

Support her 100% behind whatever decision she makes. You can't fix anything but you can simply be there for her.


Title: Campus Police Filed a False report on me.

Question:
I attempted to apply for an app called “Lyft” so I could earn an extra income for the summer. After about a week, I got an email saying I was disqualified because I had been charged with a disorderly conduct. Here's the thing, I HAVE NEVER BEEN ARRESTED IN MY LIFE. It was from campus police and they never notified me about this citation. I found out 6 months later because of job background. I called the court and she told me that they charged me with "following a security guard outside and using profanity." NOT ONCE did I ever use profanity toward the security guard or the officers. We had our disagreements, I talked back but I never used profanity or followed anyone. I SWEAR TO GOD. They falsified the report. I found out 6months later because they never told me. I never got a letter because they sent it to my old address. I called campus police and the campus police said, "we never filed a charge on you. Are you sure it wasn't the city police?" BUT THE COUNTY COURT lady said it was from Campus. IT AS BEEN FALSIFIED I SWEAR TO GOD. It's a disorderly conduct Class C.

Edit: More info added.

I have had multiple incidents with the security in the library, for the simple fact that he wanted everyone to leave the library at 1:00am, even though the website stated 1:30am. He literally came up to me for a week straight and insulted me and my parents and then he would call the officers on me. So he comes up to me, insults me and then he calls the officers? Not once did I use profanity towards the security or the officers, not once did I ever raise my voice, and not once did I ever follow him. What I did do was talk back. I talked back to both him (the security) and the officers, but not in any manner that was illegal or inappropriate. Look at it from my point of view, you have a security guard who is using profanity and insulting you and you’re expecting that the cops will stop him, but no. The cops start to question me. They would ask questions such as “Why are you staying here till 1:30am?”, “what’s your problem”, “what is your name?”, “what’s your major and what are you doing on the computer?” they were aggressive and rude. What did I do in return? I talked back and started to question them instead. I would ask them questions such as, “Couldn’t find a real job, is that why you’re both here?”, “What’s your major? Did you even go to college?” and then the officers would reply “Yes, Criminal Justice is my degree.” And in return, I would laugh at them and tell them it’s a liberal arts degree. It obviously angered them that I was talking back and they could do nothing because I did nothing illegal.

Answer:
 Get and attorney is really all I can suggest here.

I honestly feel like something is missing here however, especially a lack of notification and the communication between the University and you.


Title: What are the implications of the application of the Equal Protection doctrine to sexual orientation as a class?

Question: (USA) Beyond the ruling about marriage equality, has Kennedy done more than what the headlines are expressing?

Answer: jeez. give us a minute to read the decision.


Title: Can I lie about my social security number on Patreon?

Question:
I am trying to claim money they owe me, and of course they want -- for no good reason -- my social security number. And this is from a company that has had *leaks* in the past. I was thinking of putting my school ID instead.

Is this illegal?

Answer:
 They want your social because they need to report your earning to the irs.

They need it.  Don’t lie about it.  You need to pay taxes on your donations.Answer #2: If they are paying you, they want to be able to file proper taxes for that payment.

No, you cannot lie about that.Answer #3: Everyone that pays you like this will need your social. You may be able to create a corporate entity and use its EIN number instead, you’ll want an accountant or attorney to go over that with you.


Title: [OR] Is there a way to give a gift to a married person, without its value being factored in the event of a divorce?

Question:
My situation: My sister has been having a hard time lately, and my and I would like to get her a newer car as her's is pretty old and has various problems. We're not thinking anything crazy - like a $5,000-$6,000 used car. The rub is that she's currently separated from her husband, and it seems likely it will eventually end in a divorce, but maybe not for a year or more.

Is there anyway to give her a car, without it becoming an asset to be divided in the event of a divorce?

I've considered just registering it under my name, and having her insure it. If I do that, is there anything I should be aware of or worried about?

Both my sister and her husband live in Oregon, they were married in Oregon, and the family involved with buying a car would be a mix of in Oregon and Washington.

Any advice is very much appreciated.

Answer: This is a great question to ask her attorney.  If she doesn't have one, I would seriously consider instead gifting her money for one.  That is likely to be a much bigger help to her.


Title: Not allowed to go to college. Can I get emancipated without parent permission in Tennessee?

Question:
I’m in Tennessee, and I’m going to graduate high school at 16 (because I have a summer birthday and skipped a grade), and my mother is not going to let me go to college. Since I’ll be a minor for a year after graduating, I can’t leave home yet, and I also have to worry about the FAFSA, which needs my parents’ financial info. There’s a good chance my mom will refuse to fill it out, so I can’t just wait until I’m 18 and leave. The only way I can fill it out by myself is if I’m legally independent, and the easiest way to become that is by getting emancipated without my mom’s permission.

I didn’t grow up in a physically abusive or neglectful household. My mother is a Jehovah's Witness, and they are taught to believe that one shouldn’t pursue higher education. Jehovah’s Witnesses are not allowed to accept blood transfusions, and we have to carry a “no blood” card in our wallets in case of a medical emergency. It could endanger me if I were to get hurt and lose a lot of blood. My mother is also homophobic because she’s a Witness, and that sucks for me because I’m bisexual. Also, she didn’t let me get the HPV vaccine, which could also put me in danger. Is this enough to get the judge to side with me?

Will I have to hire an attorney? What constitutes as a suitable living arrangement? If I make enough money to rent an apartment and the only thing keeping me from signing the lease is my age, can a landlord say they will rent me out a place when I’m emancipated and that be considered suitable living?

I’m in the middle of junior year right now. I want to be emancipated by fall of senior year to apply for college financial aid. I’ve calculated how many hours I need to work at a fast food place to get a landlord to rent me out a small apartment. If I get a job and work all junior year, get my driver’s license and a car, and stay in good academic standing, will that be enough to get me emancipated by fall of senior year?

TLDR: Trying go to and to get financial aid for college without depending on a mother who doesn’t want me to go for religious reasons.

Answer: Talk to guidance counsellor or social worker.


Title: [CO] I have a suspicion that my co-worker is stealing money from students and the company. How do I go about turning her in?

Question:
A little background, I work at a college and run a testing center.  My college has a 'Free GED' program that tutors students and pays for their exams.

To do this, we purchase vouchers in bulk.  Company policy is that we will pay for one attempt of each of the four exams, per student;  however, they have to pay for any retakes. They are required to pass a pre-test before we will send them for any exam.

A student, after finding out he failed one of the exams, asked me if he needs to pay me or my co-worker.  I informed him that he has to schedule his retakes via the ged.com website and that no student should ever be paying us (the school) for exams.

This light up one of those mental red-flags, so I decided to investigate a little further and found 11 retake exams that were paid for with company vouchers over the past 3 months. I only looked at students that had taken more than 4 exams, so I am sure that my 11 is actually a lot more.  I deliver 100+ exams a month, so it will take some time to go through each one line by line.

I do not yet have evidence that students are actually paying her, however I can easily show that she is violating company policy.

Should I try and find a student that will admit to having paid my co-worker; go to my boos with what I have; or something else?

Answer: Stay out of it.  Go to your boss, report your concerns, move on.Answer #2: Go to your boss (or HR) with what you have. Don't try to investigate it further, it's not your job. Your boss/HR will be able to investigate it better, while ensuring that they comply with any necessary rules or regulations. Just go right away and be honest with everything you know. Answer #3: Go up the chain to your boss and move on?  Any investigating is likely to put you in trouble and under the spotlight for not reporting it.


Title: I (f/33) am being pulled into an E&O insurance claim.

Question: AZ - I worked for an insurance company about 4 years ago and I have recently been approached by that companies E&O attorney. There is a discrepancy with a certificate of insurance sent out. I spoke to this attorney today about what I remembered regarding the situation, but now he is asking to go a step further by meeting him in person to go through the case more thoroughly. Am I legally obligated to talk with the attorney about the case or can I step away at this time?

Answer:
 You should not be obligated to meet with the attorney unless there was some provisions for that service in your separation agreement.

You could tell them that your initial assistance was free, but additional work would be at $XXX per hour.


Title: [Tn] A girl (25F) that I've (30M) been sleeping with texted me tonight to tell me that she has herpes.

Question:
She said shes known for years and didnt tell me because she didnt want to lose me. I feel so taken advantage of and violated. I kept all the texts from her. She said that she knew she had it and she never told me because I was a good guy and she was afraid I'd leave her. I have an appointment tomorrow to get tested and I'm scared. We used protection most of the time but not all of the time. If I test positive for herpes, and she knowingly transmitted it, do I have a case here? We have probably had sex 20 to 30 times. We had sex tonight. She texted me when she left to tell me. She said the only reason she told me tonight was because she knows that I'm a good man and good father ( I have sole custody of my daughter ) and she felt guilty.
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 Not really worth the trouble for HSV. It's really hard to claim that your life is affected in a substantial way from HSV.

That said, i know what you're going through, I've experienced the exact same thing and got them. It's shitty but there isn't much for you to do here.

Also, it's not very common for an STD panel to include HSV as it's very hard to test for and usually involves a cell culture from a sore. Answer #2: [Yes, that is a crime](https://law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/2014/title-68/health/chapter-10/section-68-10-107/) in Tennessee. It's a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by up to 30 days in jail and a fine of up to $50.Answer #3: Herpes is very common and can be dormant for a long time. Do you have a negative test from before you started having sex with her to prove you didn't already have it?  Answer #4: Are you in the US? It's extremely uncommon to test for herpes, you have to specifically ask for it and any competent doctor will dissuade you from having it done. Yes, even if you say "test me for everything". Because most people have it already. And most people who have it never have a flare-up. And most of the people who experience a flare-up one have it once.

&#x200B;

You get it from your parent's drinking glass when you're 6, you get it from your aunt you gives you a big smooch when you're 9, you get it from your first girlfriend in high school. Because most people have it already.

&#x200B;

Read up on it, understand what herpes actually is, think about how you feel about this woman and make a decision that reflects the good man she thinks you are.

&#x200B;


Title: My tax preparer offered to reserve my tax return to pay for next year’s taxes. Is this legal? Is it normal? Have other people had this offer from their tax preparers?

Question: It's a pretty great deal since im classified as an independent contractor and have to take out my own taxes. This way I don't have to worry about that as much. But is this normal and legal?

Answer: Very normal. Very legal. It’s called a carry forward and there is a line for it on your tax return.


Title: If someone is in prison and has life sentences at both the state and federal level and he sending letters to his surviving victim against a court order, is the prison in any way liable or is it all on him? (NV)

Answer:
 Has the prison been made aware?

They can certainly remove/revoke privileges from him (such as being able to send out letters) if he is continuing to do this.Answer #2: The prison may not be aware of the issue. Have they been notified?


Title: Ex-girlfriend being a hassle when sharing our kid. No legal involvement yet but im working towards it.

Question:
A couple of years ago my girlfriend got pregnant, our child is now 16 months old, and we just recently (about a month ago) decided it would be best if we broke up. I knew things wouldn't work out in the long run so I never did ask her to marry me. Now that we aren't together things have been okay and we're being civil but I've had to give up alot more than her IMO. Not that I didn't expect this but she always makes a big deal out of things and only compromises if it's in her favor. I just don't think she realizes how selfish she is being. We agreed that we want to get an legal document signed by an authority and avoid as much legal involvement as possible. Now I'm getting a little fed up, her family has money and mine doesn't have as much. They like to take alot of vacations and I just let them take my daughter on a week long vacation, now a couple days after my parents are going to be in town so I asked if I could keep her in the evening as well (typically I keep her in the mornings-mid afternoon until I go to work, she then takes her for the night but this isn't always the case because 3-4 times a week she works a night shift.) She's throwing a fit about this now and I'm just irritated because over the past 16 months my family and me always get the short end of the stick and in tired of always being pushed around. What are the steps I need to take to ensure we both get adequate time with our daughter and avoid as much conflict as possible?

Thanks in advance!
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 > What are the steps I need to take to ensure we both get adequate time with our daughter and avoid as much conflict as possible?

You might as well take her to court. The only conflict you're avoiding is with them. It's obviously making you mad. That's not going to help anyone. The sooner you guys get into a routine, the better.


Title: (PA) my friend whom is on parole is moving into my basement. Does his parole officer have the legal right to search or go into the entire house?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Don't have anything illegal in the house.


Title: Boss taking lunches out of paycheck that I am not taking (US,NC)

Question:
Like the title says. Everyday I go in she takes 30 minutes out of the day that I am working. I talked to the accountant about it yesterday and she said the boss justifies it by saying that my smoke breaks add up to thirty minutes and she KNOWS I'm taking a lunch anyways. I am not, haven't had a lunch break in months. I have had many other jobs in two different states. I have never had this happen to me. So, this is illegal right? If so, what can I do? I plan on confronting her with this today and just asking that I am paid the money I work for. The thing is, she may fire me on spot. I confirmed recently that, even though I have been with the company since day one and have been the only employee there for that long she wants to fire me and hire some other people. Fucky thing is she can't because production would halt without me, but she still wants me canned. So, what are my options.

Thanks for reading and any help

Good day.

Answer:
 You have to be paid. As much as I loathe smoking for a number of reasons, your short smoke breaks cannot be unpaid per the FLSA. So her options are either:

1. Give you a half hour break where you are free of all job duties.

2. Not dock your pay for a break you didn't get to take.

3. No longer employ you because you are taking too many smoking breaks. (a perfectly legal reason to fire somebody).


Title: PLEASE HELP. I am charged with statutory rape for having sex with a 13-year-old girl, even though SHE CONSENTED TO IT and ENJOYED IT.

Question:
I am in Florida.

I am a 25-year-old male. I met this 13-year-old girl online. I was her sugar daddy. I gave her money, electronics, took her to nice places, in exchange for a sexual relationship.

It was a 100&#37; consensual relationship. I paid her over $2000/month, more than any other 13-year-old gets. She loved being around me. She wanted the relationship to go on indefinitely.

Then her mom found out and turned me in. She loved me more than her parents, and was extremely upset at her mom for doing so. Her parents are super-strict, no fun, no money, no allowance. I gave her everything her parents didn't give her.

SO IN A NUTSHELL, I was her sugar daddy, and this was a 100&#37; consensual relationship. What do I do now?

Answer: You go to jail


Title: Family pet viciously killed by a neighbor's dog - what are our options? [Nashville, TN]

Question:
My family had a cat that'd been with our family for 12 years and was very sweet. Yesterday a couple of dogs came onto my family's porch and stuck their head inside the small shelter that the cat was resting inside. The cat ran, but was too slow to get away and they caught him (and it wasn't pretty). The attack was caught on video via our surveillance cameras, which has been given to the police, but we've been told that the dogs have been reported before without anything being done. We have had one person ID the dogs as belonging to a pro football player that lives nearby, but we don't have a solid ID on the dogs (they had tags, but we couldn't read them).

Has anyone here dealt with a similar situation before? The dogs have been seen in the area several times and are not contained by their owner, nor are they trained (by any appearances). Obviously the family wants the dogs put down due to their danger to our and our neighbors' pets (we have 2 other cats and a small dog), but I'm not sure if there might be something more we can do other than report it to the police and animal control and hope for the best. Seeing as that's been done before and they're still running around I'm not all that confident in that approach being sufficient...  Is there anything else possible to be done to keep these dogs away from our neighborhood / have them put down?

Answer:
 > Seeing as that's been done before and they're still running around I'm not all that confident in that approach being sufficient

You don't know that this has been done. You have only been told that this has been done. Reporting to Animal Control should be your first step.


Title: How are companies like mugshots.com even allowed to operate? They're trying to charge me to take my picture down even after a dismissal.

Question:
I was charged with an MIP, arrested and taken to jail, fingerprinted and had a mugshot taken of me. A month later it was dismissed, but Mugshots.com still hosts my picture. What can I do?

EDIT: Is there anything legally I can do to take it down??

Answer:
 Because the information is public record and it is all true. You were arrested.

Your option is to pay them or leave it up. Answer #2: Nothing.  The information presented is true, accurate, and public information.

With very rare exceptions, you can't stop someone from speaking the truth about you, even if you dislike that truthAnswer #3: If you pay them it will just pop up somewhere else. Many of them are run by the same group. It will be like whack a mole.Answer #4: Just to give you some info for later: some states are trying to pass laws that would allow you to remove a dismissed mugshot from 3rd party sites for free. Not sure if your state is one of them but you should check it out.


Title: [WA] I resigned with two weeks notice from my employer. They have asked me to leave immediately and are forcing me to use my accrued vacation time to cover my pay for the two weeks.

Question:
I resigned politely and professionally yesterday. The institution I work for is a total mess, but that’s a different story. I’m salaried if that makes a difference.

Today my manager came into my office and told me that today was my last day to work and to use my vacation time to cover the rest of my two weeks. This coincidently is the same amount of vacation time I have.

Is it legal for them to do this?  What should be done here?  I have already emailed HR, but they are SLOW to do anything. I don’t want to be in a situation where I haven’t showed up for work in 4 days and now they have a case as to why I’m using vacation time.

Answer:
 Legal. Happens all the time, in fact.Answer #2: Is it legal for them to do this?

Yes, it is legal. Effectively they are ending your employment today and payout out your vacation. You could apply for unemployment and likely get it.

>If the employee is discharged during a notice of resignation period, and the employer does NOT pay **normal** wages to the employee for the balance of that period, then the question will be whether there was just cause in connection with work to support the discharge. Bank One Cleveland v. Mason , 1990 Ohio App. LEXIS 190.

That is Ohio, I do not have a specific Washington case, but many states are similar.


Title: [NYC] I need help advising my brother on what to do with this collection agency situation.

Question:
Hey everyone. Pardon me if I don't know enough details about the situation, but my younger brother needs some help. I'll try to keep it straight to the point.

Earlier today he showed me a letter he received in the mail from a collection agency on behalf of Liberty Mutual, claiming that he was involved in an automobile accident over a year ago. He called them to confirm and they claim that he is liable for the damages.

Thing is, there are quite a few inconsistencies here. Firstly, the SS number associated does not match my brother's. Second, the birthdate is wrong (actually technically it's right but that's because my idiot bro hasn't gone to correct his d.o.b with SS dept). Thirdly, my brother never owned the car mentioned, never mind owned a car at all at that time. The person mentioned has the same name as my brother but my brother doesn't have a middle name. Apparently this person does.

In short, I want to tell him what's the best course of action. He is really scared, and although I try to assure him that he will be fine, I don't know what to tell him to do. Fellow redditors, I need your help. I apologize if I didn't follow protocol in posting.

EDIT: I failed to clarify that my brother was never in an accident. He did not own the vehicle indicated in the letter, nor did he own a car at the time. He received this letter out of the blue. The person's name is different (instead of Example my bro name being John Smith, the name is John A Smith). the social security number is different. We have never heard of the car owner's name. It's obviously someone else, we just don't know what to do about it. The collection agency claims it is my brother when it isn't.

Answer: Tell him to Google "debt validation letter" and to make sure he sends one, return receipt requested, to them within 30 days of his getting the dunning letter.


Title: Dentist Broke my tooth.

Question:
Location: Florida

Hi guys,

So I broke half of my tooth about 8 years ago. I got it fixed 7 years ago. I went to the dentist to get my teeth cleaned. I told my dentist which of my teeth was the repaired one. Half way through the fucking process, she literally pushed it up and wiggle it for a good bit and she fucking broke it (the repaired half, not the whole tooth). I literally told her about it before we began to be careful with it because it obviously wasn't a bone anymore.

After she broke it she said "oh sorry. We do crowns here too if you would like to get it fixed."

"WHAT THE FUCKKKK????? Are you kidding me?????" That was my actual response.

On what grounds can I sue her? Is there any legal action I can take agains her? I do not have any of this recorded in any sort of way and there wasn't any cameras in the room.

Answer:
 Is there a way for users to summon the MedMal Automod?

Medical Malpractice is outside of the scope of this sub. It is very fact and region specific. Contact your local bar for leads on medical malpractice attorneys in your area.


Title: New Landlord of my apartment complex had my car wrongfully towed

Question:
Connecticut

I come home from being out of state Friday and late Friday night I take down the garbage and see one my cars is gone, specifically my moms car.  Saturday morning I call the towing company posted on this new sign that says "unauthorized vehicles will be towed". I told them there sign is posted and my car was towed, I said no more and the person on the phone knew what car I was talking about. I said I'm confused as to why it was towed as I'm a resident. The guy said the apartment complex recently got new owners and they seem like assholes. I do know we recently got new owners but not sure why he would say they're assholes or if other people have had their cars wrongfully towed.

He said its there and there was no reason or notes written on why it was towed and asked a few questions like if we had assigned spots or if you're allowed to park there. The lease states we have no assigned parking spots. My mom has been parking the car there for two years now ever since I bought a newer car and I keep the main car infront of my complex as there isn't enough room for me and my moms car and the neighbors cars.  Usually there are 2-4 cars parked in those spaces where my car was towed and there are plenty of open spaces. As of writing this there is just 1 truck parked there.

The guy on the phone says its $300 to get it out and it raises in price everyday it sits at the place. I asked if I can come in and get my belongings out as I left a couple jackets in there, my mom has some things, and I was  hiding a couple christmas presents for my nieces in the trunk. He said no we can't let you take anything from it until the fee is paid. I said I have to call and deal with this to the landlord and their office is closed Sat-Mon and I just need these important items as I don't have the money until the beginning of the month nor should this be my problem. He said the same thing then said "it'll be here until its junked". Not his exact words but he basically said hurry and pay the fine before its gone for good. He said to talk to the landlord and they can tow it back.

I looked up the shop online and its basically a cheap used car place and after looking at it on google earth I assume my car is parked outside in their lot, which isnt fenced in, anyone can drive in and unless my car is in my garage im thinking of going there and grabbing my shit while they're closed tonight. The shop is 40 minutes away from where I live, I have no idea why this new company outsourced a towing company so far away. the old towing company was only 10 minute drive.

What can I do? I know its registered to my mom, but shes currently about to go to physical therapy since shes been in the hospital since Thursday having had foot surgery for an infection. So I need to deal to this for her. I've lived in this apartment complex since 2007 when I was a little kid, we have had his car since 2009. The same person owned this complex until late 2017. Then it was sold, now it recently got sold again in October or November I believe to the current owners. The first owner had people fill out a forum a few years ago asking info on the cars so I know if they have our paper work they have info that its owned by a resident. There was no notice, nowhere where I parked does it say "no parking" or "guest parking". If a car had to be moved due to snow plowing or if we parked over a sewage pipe ALL previous owners left a note on everyones door. It hasn't really snowed yet this year enough for plowing. Last time I saw the car was the 8th and there was no ticket or warning on it. I didn't ask the towing company when it was towed but I assume it was between the 10th and 14th since they're closed Sundays.

Sorry for the big wall of text I'm just really frustrated.

Answer: NAL or Connecticut  resident but first things first, get the car out of their tow yard.  You may/may not be able to sue depending on the reason you were towed but you need to mitigate your damages.   Once you have your car back, talk with the new owners of the complex and inquire why your vehicle was towed.  And be polite.


Title: Landlord wants to evict me because I won't bend to his lease amendment 4 months into a 12 month lease.

Question:
TL;DR at Bottom, though I encourage taking the time if you plan on offering advice. Outside of the backstory I didn't ramble, everything is an important detail. Thanks!

Based out of Nashville, TN.

So heres the story:

**BACKSTORY**

Near the end of March 2016 I finally found a place worth visiting in my long search for a new place. Nashville has through the roof real estate so for a young unemployed guy who moved here recently to pursue my passion for the music industry, roommates was and is a must.

I viewed a rather large place with 3 bedrooms and every intent to fill each one. The RENT is $1,650 a month plus utilities. Divided by 3 roommates thats only $550 a month, not a bad deal at all for a 2200sq.ft. place in a gated community.

I was shown the place by a showing agent. I loved it. I was ready to sign. I checked with the showing agent to make sure, 'hey, I can have roommates right? I don't know anyone yet cause I just moved down here, so I'll move in alone, but I'm aggressively looking for roommates. That cool? 'Yeah. The lease needs to have everyones name on it though, so when you get roommates just contact use, we will amend it with their names and you'll be good to go!' Sold!

He makes the leasing agent aware of my desire and that agent contacts me and gives me the lease. Things seem in order, but before I sign I just gotta double check that roommate factor. If I was given misinformation and can't have roommates then I won't last the lease without a job. He did confirm exactly what the showing agent said. SOLD! I sign the lease.

A few days later I give them a call and say hey, I found guy number 1. I'm getting close to this process. (I meet them, make sure we click, they apply through the rental agency, when they accept the guy then I let him move in and we amend the lease). So on the phone I say hey, I was told by these two agents I can contact you when I'm ready, but what exactly does that mean? Person 3 at the rental agency gives the details and I'm all good to go.

Well, long story short, I have bad luck. It took me until June to get roommates. It took me 2 months of paying the full rent on my own, but not only did I find 1 but 2 guys ready to move in. Finally! So they get through the whole process I just mentioned, they pass the application process, and I ask the rental agency; 'hey, can I just move these guys in? I like them and they passed your application. Signing the lease is just a formality right? They need a place to live asap.' The person in charge of lease amending at the agency says thats not a problem.

I get the 2 roommates moved in and not a couple days later do we all get the new lease. The only difference? All of our names are on this lease, just as explained to me by the showing agent, leasing agent, and lease amending lady at the third party renter agency. One roommate signs digitally, I go to sign the next day, but before I do I get a call.

**PROBLEM INTRODUCED (my thoughts)**

"Hey, so the owner actually in fact was never in favor of you having roommates. He was under the impression that you were going to live alone (in a 3 bedroom house?). He doesn't want you turning it into a frat house (what? lol.)." I tell her yo, I spoke to so many people so many times, I can't afford the place without roommates. I'm sorry you and your client had a miscommunication, but we live here, I signed the lease, which DOES NOT say wether I can or can not have roommates, and you told me to go ahead and move them in that the amending of the lease was just a formality. You gotta talk to this owner....

Next Day

"Alright so I talked to the owner. Hes fine with you having 1 roommate, but not 2 (oh no, I can't kick someone out, I need 3 people for that prime price). But since 2 are already moved in he is willing to compromise (my favorite word....). He wants you guys to make an additional $1,500 deposit (haha, what?) per roommate (jaw drops..)." Ok, no lol. One guy is an intern and only here for just a couple months, and intern = no money. Another just had a major car repair and can't afford anything extra, in fact can't afford anything at all, I've fronted him his first months rent which he will pay me back next week. And I'm not rich, I can't just dish out $3k just because this owner wants me to.

So to be clear, he doesn't want the money for himself. Hes asking for a deposit... We get the money back. So he's not a thief, just shady.

**HERE IS WHERE I NEED LEGAL ADVICE**

Over the course of the next few stressful days of ongoing conversation and more conversations and details I won't bore you with, everything culminates to this; The owner wants $1,500 total in the form of an extra deposit in exchange for him allowing me to have 2 roommates, and he is willing to accept it over the course of the remainder of the lease. 10 months, 10 $150 deposits. This detail will be outline in an amended lease with the new roommates names on it. We verbally agreed to this.

So is this legal? Again, the lease says nothing about roommates. Not that I can or that I can't have them. It says nothing about an additional cost contingent on the addition of said roommates. I'm being threatened with being kicked out if I do not comply by signed the new lease and paying the money. I've been told over and over by the lease amendment lady that there are other ways out of the lease, I will not receive the black mark E(viction) Word on my name. Which is good, I guess?

**UPDATE**

2 more months have transpired. 1 roommate moved out due to a disagreement, and did so without a problem because this fiasco took so long that the lease never got signed. The remaining roommate wants to move out in 2.5 weeks due to his internship being over and I'm on the hard search for 2 more guys to take their place. So myself and the lease amending lady agreed to not sign an amended lease due to this revolving door of roommates due to the fact that they charge $100 to amend the lease every single time. So every time a roommate comes and goes? No way, lets wait till everything is set in stone and pay that fee once. The lady has no problem with this.

**UPDATED LEGAL ADVICE NEEDED**

So here I am with an unsigned amended lease and I get a call from the lady again bringing up this issue after 1-2 months of silence. "Hey, so a couple weeks ago your leasing agent spoke with the owner and the owner changed his mind. He wants the money in a lump sum. He doesn't agree to the monthly payments anymore (haha what?). I didn't tell you because after speaking with the leasing agent I was advocating for you. This owner shouldn't go back on his word and verbal agreement. Go convince him to change his mind back so that I don't need to inform the tenant of this shady change." Well, that conversation either didn't happen or didn't work. At this point he wants his lump sum deposit. I get an ultimatum email from the lady saying "I spoke with my team and we recommend you stop searching for 2 roommates and only look for 1 since the owner was ok with 1 after our very first convo when this problem started (but wait, your team advocated for me to search for 2 roommates before I even signed the lease?). Also, he wants that lump sum of $1,500 deposit, just a reminder. And if you can't comply with these let me know and I'll ask the owner if hell let you out of the lease (are you out of your mind???).

I chewed her out through email and ended it with the threat of seeking legal counsel and litigation towards the owner. This is my first time moving out and I don't know anything about landlord/tenant law, so I'm not sure if all of this is actually legal, but even if it is it's definitely shady as heck. Well, I figured I would post my story here and see what you all have to say. In the meantime I should be going to sleep due to an early call time, but instead I'll look for local lawyers who I can hopefully pay for a phone call for some legal advice in addition to /r/legaladivce's advice. If what he is doing is illegal, I'll pursue. If it's not, I guess lets get out of this lease.

Is this all legal? Do I have any recourse?

**TL;DR**

I'm 4 months into a 12 month rental lease. Rent is $1,650/mo + utilities. I was verbally told by a leasing agent, showing agent, and lease amending agent that I can add roommates at a later date. 2 months into the lease I try and instead of allowing it the owner asks for $1,500 deposit, per roommate, or I can move out asap. I'm given an ultimatum. I'm NOT in violation of the lease, to my legal knowledge. It doesn't mention wether I can or can not have roommates and doesn't mention any additional deposit money contingent on said roommates. My question is, is this legal, do I have any recourse, can I move forward with my staying here or must I bend to the owner and sign his forced amended lease demanding money?

This is a BRIEF SUMMARY. There are a lot of details in the long version. If you plan on offering advice I recommend taking the time to read. I did my best to not ramble and only put in the problem and the shady details. Theres just that much going on... That said, I encourage and appreciate all input even if you stuck with the TL;DR.

Thanks for your time reading Reddit, I know it was long. I'll take all the input I can get!

Answer: You can be evicted for not complying with the lease. If you didn't get the terms of adding individuals in you have no recourse. It is standard for each roommate to pay their own security deposit.


Title: [USA-OH] Who can I report my CEO to?

Question:
Tldr I believe that my boss is a neptotist that only started this company to go on trips around the world with her friends and family.

So, I work for a company that provides aid services to young adults with autism (consumers). We have to provide paper work to the county, and that's also how we get paid, because most of the people we work with have some sort of government funding.

Twice a year the CEO of the company plans these large trips "for the consumers." These trips are completely paid for by the consumers, and they are only ever staffed by the CEO's favorite employees, and different family members that they "hired" and who get scheduled with consumers, but who never actually do any work.

I'm on here because I'm not sure that anything actually illegal is happening, but this definitely seems fraudulant to me, and I was just wondering if there's anything I can do about this.

Answer:
 > this company to go on trips around the world with her friends and family.

You will be shocked to learn this is the only reason most people show up to work at all.

You can alert the county. I'm unsure why anyone would care.


Title: Hello r/legaladvice , have a couple of things that I need some clarification on, (CO)

Question:
My first question is when discipline turns into abuse? of course I am asking for a friend. In the last couple of weeks a close friend has been dealing with her (already sexually abusive) stepdad, and saying how much she hates him and how it makes her feel (not good). Now her parents want to take her (15, 16 on the 29th of december) out of the public school system and homeschool, even though she threatened to run away if that happened, and not being in a social environment will negatively affect a teenage girl. She also claims her stepdad hits her younger brother daily, and has sexaully abused her in the past. I have met him before and he is not mentally fit to raise a family.

The second is about a police report of suspicious activity on me (14 male) in her neighborhood, while I was telling her merry christmas and happy birthday, as I won't be able to see her on either of those days. I was leaving as her dad pulled up and screamed at me, claiming for me to have abused her and how I was the cause of recent self harm (she personally told me that he is one of the reasons), going on to threaten me.

Now that I am fully involved with her abusive stepdad, are there actions that can be taken against him to make sure her family is safe?
Topic:
School Related Issues

Answer: The sexual abuse is the important part here, none of the rest matters. You should talk to your parents about that and then to the authorities.


Title: I Screwed Up, Hit and Run. What do I do next?

Question:
Location: California

I completely panicked when I hit a car in front of me because I was changing the radio, it was the stupidest mistake ever... I barely tapped the car in front of me.  But due to my circumstances I panicked and ran off, what do I do from here?

I was on my way to work and was cutting the time close, they're upset with my tardiness and I didn't want to make it worse.  I have little money available and only 21 years old.  My mom's been going through really hard times and this would just break her... All this caused me to panic, it would have been so simple in hindsight to just follow procedure and pay a small fee for the fender bender. But now I'm at complete loss.

I'm pretty sure they managed to get my information.  Can someone walk me through the next steps?  I Know what I did was wrong and I'm willing to own up to it. It's just if possible I wish I can minimalize damages... I'm sorry I can imagine you guys wouldn't enjoy helping an ass like me.  I'll take any advice if possible.
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer:
 1. Get an attorney who practices in criminal defense.
2. Don't talk to anyone else about this matter
3. Do what you attorney says.

In particular, if you are contacted by the police, do not lie, simply tell them you don't wish to answer questions and you wish to be represented by an attorney.


Title: When my husband is mad, he takes my things away from me-- want divorce but I am an immigrant

Question:
Florida resident

My husband doesn't hurt me physically but when he is mad he takes my things away from me so I can't do anything. He has taken my phone away from me, my laptop, car keys, IDs. He has also refused to let me in the car and threatened to leave me when we were visiting another state.

I am an immigrant through marriage and I am scared of what he will do. He has said that he will make it hell for me to get my citizenship. I would like to divorce him.

Answer:
 Even though he doesn't physically assault you, some of this can be considered abuse. What state do you live in? There are most likely resources for you.Answer #2: If you're worried about immigration issues, you're going to need to be more specific about your status. Visa or green card? If green card, is it a conditional card (were you married for less than two years when applying?), and have you had it less than two years? If not, how long have you had your non-conditional green card?

It is possible for you to request a waiver which would allow you to naturalize without needing your exes signature, but it is much more involved that the process for a spouse to naturalize. Answer #3: See if a domestic abuse organization like rainn.org would be willing to help. Do you have access to your important documents like passport/visa, birth certificate, etc?Answer #4: You can divorce him and file for a waiver to remove conditions on your green card in cases of domestic violence. If you can get evidence of him doing these things and forcibly treating you badly. IMBRA is your friend here.


Title: [US] Wife terminated a day after bringing up a safety complaint for being "unhappy." Should we contact OSHA?

Question:
My wife was fired today from a multination company for being "unhappy."

Over the past few weeks, my wife and I have been making suggestions for improvement on the ergonomics of our work areas. Yesterday, my wife brought up to her supervisor that she's having shoulder pain and is considering going to a doctor and filing an injury report. Today, she received a call that she was fired because she was "unhappy" there.

Now, this company floods us with information about how much they respect their workers' safety and are dedicated to improving working conditions, specifically ergonomics. My wife and I have repeatedly talked with this supervisor in the past about the opportunities and career paths available to us, and how we are planning our careers and lives around this company. To be fired at all is a massive shock, but to be fired the day after discussing a health issue for such a flimsy reason seems incredibly shady.

What kind of legal rights do we have in the matter? I know if we want to contact OSHA, it needs to be done within 30 days. Should we contact human resources? What kinds of proof or evidence do we need? Should we see a doctor?

Any advice would be appreciated. It's kind of bewildering situation, and we need some direction right now.

Location: West Virginia, US.
Topic:
Labor Law

Answer:
 Very few.  Your concerns about ergonomics are not the same thing as safety violations.  OSHA doesn't regulate ergonomics, nor are offices really required to be comfortable or otherwise ergo-friendly.

Unless you can prove that the company knew that your wife was injured AND that it was potentially work-related, they don't have much exposure.  And a single mention of shoulder pain and *maybe* calling a doctor won't cut it.

You can consider calling HR about this, but I wouldn't expect much to come of it.  Answer #2: Did she have an employment contact or union? She did not file a legal complaint so there is no legal retaliation issues to address.


Title: My professor thinks I copied off my neighbor

Question:
Iowa City, Iowa

&#x200B;

I've never cheated in my life, I've not done well in college, but I've happily accepted a lower grade than cheat to try to get a higher one.

Edit: I even wrote in reasoning for the problems I answered on the test. I'm just not sure what to do.

I'm not sure what to do now, I'm so scared, I want to contact her, but recklessly doing that is almost certainly the wrong thing to do.

Answer: This isn't really a legal issue; it's a university policy issue, subject to whatever rules and procedures your university has for suspected academic dishonesty.


Title: AmEx: Federal "Requirement" for Physical Address

Question:
I have functionally quit using the US postal service. More than 99% of what I received in the last two years was unwanted junk mail. My work takes me to multiple states and countries. Sometimes these trips are 6-8 weeks long. I've often come back to some "we need your response within 14 days" BS letters/notices. I'm just done with "snail mail" because of this. It doesn't fit my life and I am sure as hell not going to change jobs or lifestyle because of the postal service.

This past week, I received a courier package from American Express with a letter stating that without a physical address, they would suspend and/or cancel my account within 30 days. I got phone call about the same topic from my P&C insurance carrier, but was able to work it out with them quite amicably.

American Express claims that this requirement is due to the Patriot Act, but I called Chase (Visa card holder) and they were fine without a physical address, so long as I was enrolled in electronic statements.

Is it worth hiring an attorney in an attempt to work through this, or should I just cancel my AmEx?

(FYI:  there is NO way that I'm going to restart USPS service, get a post office box, or pay to sign up for some "physical address" mail location or scanning service)

Thank you.

&#x200B;

&#x200B;

Answer: We really don't need to consider whether or not Federal law requires them to collect an address (which it does, though the regulation allows that someone who does not have a physical address or PO box to give an address of their next of kin or someone else -- but an institution may insist that the address be yours if they wish), as AmEx is free to drop you as a customer at any time for any reason, just as you are free to cancel your card at any time for any reason.


Title: [Pennsylvania] My home is up for sheriffs sale, what do i do? detail in post

Question:
in 2011 my family and I moved into a large house with a landlord and all was good.

early 2013, landlord dies, wife takes over, communication is zero, she disappears eventually stops all correspondence with my family.

now the home is forclosed on and up for sheriffs sale, what can i do? i only have one month, id like to at the very least postpone our eviction date for a couple of months. Please help

Answer: So you're a stranger to the transaction - you are neither the borrower nor the owner nor the lender. You can't sue (more accurately you could, but it would be thrown out).  You can and should contact the bank to let them know that you are living there pursuant to a lawful tennancy, and want to know how to continue your lease when the bank takes ownership. Answer #2: When you say the new landlord disappeared, have your parents continued paying the rent?


Title: Can I be sued for a verbal contract that my mother broke.

Question:
   Ok so I need some advise, in November of 2015 my mother ended up putting a car in her name for me because the dealership couldn't get me financed through the bank. The agreement that we had was that, if she put her name on the car I had to pay for it and take her to and from work, which was all a verbal agreement nothing was in writing. The whole time that I had the car she would change the terms of the agreement by adding new things in such as I wasn't allowed to give anyone any rides especially my boyfriend or she would take the car back. She even started to call me at the last minute to take her places which was a problem because I worked full-time and she would have a problem if I told her no I can't take you.
    So by April of 2016 she asked me to drive her and my brother to take his state exams for a whole week, but by the third day I could take them but told her that I had another appointment I wouldnt be able to pick them up they would have to get on the bus. She started an argument with me about if I didn't take her there and drop her off back home she wanted the keys to her car back. So after I dropped them off I ended up cancelling my appointment which was to sign the lease for my new apartment, and I waited there took her home and gave her the keys to the car and told her that she can take the keys to her car since she kept threatening me. She asked me if I had already made the payment on the car for that month which I did and also the insurance was paid.
   After she took the car from me the bank repossessed the car 3 months later in July because she wasn't paying the car note. Now she's threatening to take me to court because her wages are being garnished, and she feels that I'm responsible for them taking the car from her.

My question is can she sue me for this because I put all the money into this car, the down payment and I  was making all the payments on the car every month including the insurance. I did everything until she told me to give her the keys back, because I didn't want her to call and report the car stolen. Please help sorry I wrote so much but this is my dilemma.

Answer:
 NAL but

Cars in her name it's her responsibilityAnswer #2: She can try to sue you, yes, but her chances of winning are super low. The car was always hers, legally - that's what being on the title means. Effectively you were paying for her car, and in return she was letting you use it. Eventually you mutually decided to end that arrangement - you couldn't deal with her conditions, and she voluntarily accepted the car back. From that point on, you had no obligation to continue paying it.


Title: Will marriage guarantee visa?

Question:
Location: the United States

I live in US under F1 student visa, about to become OPT status next year for a year and try to apply for H1B.

I know H1B is heard to come by these days, so my boyfriend and I are talking about getting married if it comes down to it (I’m a boy too).

Will this guarantee or increases my chance of staying in the US or not really?

Answer: Assuming your boyfriend is a US citizen or green card holder himself, marrying him could be an avenue to permanent residency. But it’s not automatic; you need to apply for it after you get married, while your current visa is still valid, and it costs about $1500 in fees, and you have to be marrying in good faith. But as methods of obtaining a visa go; it’s one of the easier avenues to obtaining permanent legal residency in the US. Once you do this I also believe you can also get a fast track towards naturalization and citizenship if you want (Melania trump got hers within two years of marrying Donald.)


Title: [Hypothetical] Speed limit sign knocked down by snowplow, missing for four weeks now.

Question:
(WA State, btw)

On my daily commute there's a section of state highway that goes through a small community and the speed limit drops from 60mph to 40mph. About four weeks ago the 40mph sign disappeared, I'm assuming it was knocked over by a snowplow because that was right around the time we got some heavy snow. If someone didn't know about the reduced speed (Say, they were from out of town) and stayed at 60 the whole way, that would be a valid defense against a speeding ticket right?

Answer: Yes, you're not responsible for knowing arbitrary changes in speed limit if it's not clearly posted. Even if you live right around the corner.


Title: I want justice and I want reddit to help me. My local groomer abuses the animals. (MA, USA)

Question:
My family moved to a new town earlier this year, and after driving back and forth an hour to our old groomer, we decided to try the place down the street because it was more convenient and less stressful for our very elderly dog. She is a small breed and is almost 20 years old.

I had a bad feeling walking into the place but I assumed it was just nerves because my dog is my best friend, and has been for two decades. It was hard for me to leave her in the care of someone new, but I told myself that I was just being nervous.

I dropped her off at 8am, and she was not "done" until 4:30pm. When I showed up to pick her up, she was gushing blood. She was very hot, she was scared and shaking, and she ran to me in a way that I have never seen before. I wanted to throw up and cry at the same time, because I should have trusted my gut. The owner of the store told me that it was my dog's fault, that she is an evil dog, and that the bleeding eventually stops because it had happened earlier too, and that time was worse than this. She rushed me out of the store because she was leaving to go to an appointment, and she told me not to leave a bad review on Yelp.

Three weeks later, after my dog's breath smell changed drastically in a way that I can only assume is from an open wound and never went back to normal, she lost a tooth, and had trouble eating, I went to go get my money back and explain how badly she had hurt my dog. I recorded the entire conversation on my phone. She insults me and my dog, incriminates herself by saying that it happens all the time at her store, and was very rude and defensive. There is something seriously wrong with this woman. It wasn't until I did some more research on her Yelp page that I found all of the reviews that had been marked as spam. Several people have reported abuse, and a couple even had to spend hundreds of dollars in veterinary bills after she injured their pets.

If my dog had died from an infection after going for a haircut, I am afraid I would have gone off the deep end. My dog is the only thing that I have in this world. She is okay, but I am afraid for other animals that might not be as lucky.

I wanted to put the audio on Youtube and pray that it goes viral, but I am afraid of the spotlight being on me, especially involving someone who is so vindictive. What should I do?

Answer:
 Take your dog to a vet?Answer #2: It looks like MA is a two-party consent state - did she consent to being recorded? If not, don’t put it on YouTube. Answer #3: >I wanted to put the audio on Youtube and pray that it goes viral, but I am afraid of the spotlight being on me, especially involving someone who is so vindictive. What should I do?

Surreptitiously recording someone's conversation in Massachusetts is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison -- so probably not that.


Title: The cable is included, but requires you to rent a box to use it? North Carolina

Question: The apartment i just signed a lease for advertises that they have Cable included in the rent, and suggests the cable is free for anyone who leases. The catch is, in order to access this "Free" cable, you have to pay $20/month to rent a box. I plan to look deeper into my lease, but wanted to know if this seems illegal to anyone or just a shitty move?

Answer: Pretty normal, actually. Based on the kind of cable, you may be able to use different kinds of boxes, and each comes with a different cost. For example, I use mine with a CableCard rather than an actual cable box, so I wouldn't _want_ the box to be included with the rent.


Title: I was assaulted and it was caught on video but the defendant owns the surveillance system. But he gave a copy of the footage to his attorney. If prosecuted would that footage be brought forward in the discovery process?

Question: DA failed to prosecute saying there was no evidence to backup my story. But the assault was caught on video. The defendant claimed self-defense when I didn't even touch him due to a broken hand unknown to me at the time. I almost died I don't see how that qualifies self-defense nor how the DA could say there's no evidence to back up my story due to that fact. If it wasn't self defense it was Assault. Someone across the street works for the DAs office from the defendant and he stated that why the case was dropped. I showed evidence of this statement to the DA and people came to my house to arrest me. Also due to false statements of the defendant it came almost to the point the police were going to arrest me for assault, but I provided video evidence of the defendants character and police came to my house looking for me again but I was gone at that point. The questions in the title.

Answer:
 Your story is all over the place.

Why were you arrested? What evidence did you show the DA?

WTF does any of this have to do with footage that the defendants attorney may or may not have? The charges have been dropped.


Title: I was publicly embarassed at work. What can I do? (23f)

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 There's no law against being mean to you.  Realistically, this is probably just a joking reminder that you're new and that you don't, as of yet, contribute much.  That's true of many new people.

If you don't want to remain at the company, you can quit.  If you don't go into work, you'll likely be fired.Answer #2: There is nothing legally wrong with what they've done.

If you are genuinely hurt by this, I would suggest talking to your boss or HR about it.  Tell them (calmly) that you felt it was very hurtful, disrespectful and unprofessional.  You might get an apology out of whoever organized it, or you might be told to lighten up, that it was just a joke.  If they go the second route, you'd probably be best off looking for another job.

Personal suggestion, try caring less about your job.  Easier said than done, but it makes dealing with crap like this easier.Answer #3: You can:

1) Find a new job.
2) Take the joke and work harder or at the same level. It really was just a joke about you being new.


Title: Dog breeder deceived and sold puppy from different litter. [GA & AL]

Question:
I hope I'm not leaving any information as I'm trying to keep this as brief as possible.

My brother and I wanted to purchase 2 puppies from the same litter.
We found a breeder with a litter of 4 puppies (2 male and 2 female) and we were promised first pick with deposits from both of us back in June.
We were sent videos of the puppies to make our picks, but my husband and I decided to drive from Georgia to Alabama to make the choice in person.
Once we arrived at breeder's home, she informed us while we still had choice of 2 females, she only had 1 male left. I shared the bad news with my brother via text and he was upset as he wanted the male.
My brother settled on the remaining male and I made my pick of female.
We picked up the 2 puppies end of July after they were mature enough to leave their mother.

Last week our veterinarian mentioned how the 2 puppies look so different despite being siblings.
I had reasons for suspicion as the breeder tried to push a different male puppy from another litter multiple times, but I refused since we wanted siblings.
Although the puppy she tried to push on us was of same breed, it was from a larger mother, thus would grow larger as well.
I went to the breeder's Facebook page and went through all the videos of larger litter.
There's a clear video of her confirming the male she sold us as the larger dog's puppy.
Breeder differentiated all the puppies with different collar colors/patterns, she didn't even bother changing the collar.
I am not making this post lightly and I understand how hard it could be to tell apart the puppies at such young age, but I'm certain of it. There are numerous videos, pictures of the puppies from the 2 litters.

I haven't told my brother yet, he was already upset with the breeder for selling his initial choice of male puppy.
I'm upset as well, bringing dogs into our lives wan't a light decision and to have the breeder lie to us made me sick to my stomach.
My husband and I are attached to our dog and we will keep it under any circumstances, but I don't know how my brother is going to react.

Breeder and I communicated mostly through Facebook Messenger, so I can screen capture those for evidence.
I can download the videos she posted on Facebook as well.
I'm willing to have DNA testing on the 2 dogs, if necessary.

What kind of compensation is realistic?
I haven't confronted the breeder yet, how should I approach her?
Can we do anything legally, if the breeder isn't accommodating?

We appreciate your time.

Answer:
 I think the first step needs to be ascertaining that the puppies are indeed not litter mates. I don’t know how they’d test that, but your vet will.

Once you have that information definitively, you can compile all of your correspondence with the breeder and take it to her and demand a refund, or take it to an attorney.