Title: [IL] Trans child with a trust fund- will a name change cause problems?

Question: I have a 19 (almost 20) year old trans daughter who wants to make her preferred name legal for her upcoming birthday. She has a trust fund left by her grandmother that of course has her “old” name on it. My mom is worried that if we change her name before the trust fund is released to her at age 21, it might cause an issue. Is this something we need to worry about? Or will it not make a difference since there will be legal documents regarding the name change?

Answer:
 You can change the name on the account. Ask the bank/brokerage company what documents you need to do this.  It’s easy. Happens all the time when people get married, divorced, etc. Answer #2: Contact the firm managing the trust fund, inform them of the upcoming name change, and ask them what paperwork they'll need to change the name on the account. Likely they'll need a copy of the court documents for the name change and some other paperwork done.

Just do it at about the same time as the name change. Not that you can't do it later, it'll just be easier to do it when everything is fresh in your minds and you have easy access to any documents they need.


Title: How do third party merchants on Etsy get away with selling band/movie/show merch without violating trademark laws?

Answer:
 If they're reselling genuine licensed merchandise, that's not usually a trademark violation under the [first sale doctrine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First-sale_doctrine).

Otherwise, intellectual property law is not self-enforcing, and different owners of properties go to different lengths to track down potentially infringing uses, especially small scale ones. So they might get away with it because nobody has noticed/cared yet.Answer #2: I've always worked under the assumption that the trademark holder doesn't know/doesn't care based on the limited sales.


Title: [FL] Buddy locked up for battery. Wondering about the cost/benefit of bailing him out.

Question:
A friend of mine is charged with "BATTERY: TOUCH OR STRIKE BODILY HARM" in Florida. His arraignment date isn't until early December, and he's asking me to help with a bail bondsman. I'm hoping to hear if my assumptions around this process are correct.

The story is that he beat up his boss, and got tossed in jail. He's not from Florida, and his boss has since left the state abandoning my buddy in out of state jail. My thought is that my buddy is going to skip out on Florida, so I'll end up paying the entire bail amount not just the 10% bail bondsmen ask for. If he skips out, *even though his accuser has left the state and also won't show up to court* does my buddy end up with a warrant, or does the case just get dropped without the accuser there to followup? Would it matter if the courts have my buddy dead to rights (like, maybe he gave a damning statement on the scene?).

My thinking here is that maybe it's best to leave him in jail. That way, the bum gets fed every day and he shows up to court for sure. Then, if he gets lucky vis-a-vis his accuser being gone, he gets out after his vacation and avoids warrants and I don't pay a dime.

Is there anything else I should be considering? For something so small as a battery, he won't end up in some crazy prison where he'll go from bad to worse, right? The arraignment is in a couple of weeks, so they'll just keep him in the local county lock-up, yes?

Answer:
 Just don't do it. Answer #2: Absolutely do not put your ass and money on the line to bail your friend out. I see no outcome where you are glad you spent that money to give your friend a couple weeks out of jail. The chance you get paid back the bond money even if your friend does show up to his trial is approximately 0%.Answer #3: Okay, so here's the thing. It isn't a civil suit, so the person he beat isn't the one pressing charges, the DA is. The accuser doesn't have to be there for the trial to take place. If you bail him out and he doesn't show, he automatically loses. Absolutely don't post bail for him if you think he's going to skip. Your wallet will absolutely be on the line.

Now I'm not privy to the case details. I can't say if the accusor showing up or not showing up will make a difference in the case. He may be coming back. They may have his testimony recorded. They may have an eye witness. I really just don't know. But what your friend needs is a lawyer.


Title: Legal advice about covering a shift

Question:
Info: I work in Washington State and I had a legal question about covering shifts. I work as a Direct Support Professional. I basically help disabled adults live independent lives. I get paid hourly for this job.
   I covered two shifts for the same co-worker, which was 20 hours. I usually work four shifts (40 hours), so I thought I might as well get some over time. But my manager said that I didn't get paid for those hours I worked, and that my co-worker gets paid for the hours I worked. This made no sense to me, so here I am. Is this legal at all?

Answer:
 Step 1:

Ask for your money in a polite and respectful way. They are legally obligated to pay you the hours you worked, and it's good business to do so even if it makes them look bad in the very short term. Kicking up a fuss might make them defensive and resistant to doing the thing in their best interest.

Step 2:

If the above fails, file a wage claim. You can do so [here](http://www.lni.wa.gov/Forms/pdf/F700-148-000.pdf). The linked PDF is the form, it's fillable online so you can just type it in and print it out.

This is something of a nuclear option. While you will be protected by whistleblower laws for a few months from retaliatory firings you might want to dust off your resume and go to work elsewhere when practical.

Step 2(a):

You could, alternatively, file a lawsuit against your employer. It's much the same as above but a much more personal way of doing it instead of relying upon the impersonal state bureaucracy to handle it in your stead.


Title: Weird Fake ID Confiscation (Indiana)

Question: [deleted]

Answer: You should shut up. Yes you can still be charged. Don't talk to them anymore. They are trying to trick you into giving them evidence to use against you. Without you possessing the ID or admitting to it being yours they have very little if anything to charge you. Anybody could have made that ID using your identity.


Title: Sexual harassment?

Question:
Im going to start by saying this is in the US Army.

I have a coworker who had a baby about 6 months ago. She was given an area to pump milk. She refuses to use it. Instead she does it in her office. I am requred to go into her office on a regular basis.

This happened about two weeks ago: she told me she was going to pump, but she needed to talk to me. So go to my office and sign out of my computer. On the way i told another coworker, "(name of female) wants to talk to us." Because I didn't want to be there by myself. Hear a loud expression of shock from the other room. Apparently my male coworker walked in and saw her. I laughed.

I walked back into the female coworkers office and sit where I have no veiw of what she is doing. We talked about a soldier she is having trouble dealing with. At some point she finishes and gets up to walk across the room. I turn to look at her (thinking she is covered). She was partly exposed. She made some joke about it. End of the incident.

I notice she started acting weird, cold to me particularly. Two days ago, i was talked to by another female coworker about it and was told she felt uncomfortable around me. I have not talked to her other then a few words, all professional. Last night I got a call that the commander has heard about the incident.

At this point i have no idea what to do. To me it wasnt a big deal and is developing to a point where my office is becoming hostile.

Hindsight i sholdnt have been in the room at all. But i need advice on what i should do. Should I report this to someone? Who? Am I just completely fucked?

Summing it up: Coworker exposed themself to me and is creating tension at work.

Edit: took out "Hostile Work Environment" and replaced with an accurate term.

Answer:
 You should talk to your supervisor and first shirt. Hindsight should be that she shouldn't pump in front of you, even though I wouldn't call pumping sexual in any way. It's simply not professional.

 Edit: I don't know what you think is hostile, btw. You may consider going to MEO if necessary.


Title: Statutory rape law help

Question:
I don’t know how to ask without sounding like a creep, but I’m just curious. Is it legal for someone who is 18 to have a sexual relationship with someone who is under the age of 18? I read, that in Oregon, it’s legal if the two people have no more than a 3 year age difference. So legally, being 18, I can have sexual relations with a 15 year old? Any information about this would be helpful.

Edit: here’s the [article](http://www.portlandcriminallawfirm.com/what-is-the-age-of-consent-in-oregon/) I was looking at. Maybe it’s wrong?
Topic:
Juvenile and Youth Law

Answer: Anyone else creeped out that OP is trying to find a loophole in stat rape laws?


Title: US, Wisconsin: My workplace is not concerned with my comfort

Question:
Basically, I was curious how I could proceed with handling a situation at my workplace. I am currently employed at a light manufacturing facility that produces medical supplies. There are a variety of machines and assembly lines wherein people are rotated throughout randomly and spontaneously. It is common practice since some products are sometimes lacking in orders. "Training" is done on the fly so that people can be passed around on different operations. Anyways, I have been working there for two years and have never protested working on any specific station until now. I expressed to my supervisors that I felt unqualified and uncomfortable working a specific machine that was too fast for me and which I have had bad experiences with before. My supervisors ultimately made me work this position without offering me any other options. Again, there are a vast array of machines--some easy, some harder--and without warning I was assigned to a machine that I was never aware of when I first accepted a job at this facility, and I see this specific labor as very difficult for me. I asked to not be assigned to it, citing questionable training and discomfort, but they did not take my protests seriously. That might be what most concerns me . . . that I have voiced concern for my own well-being and it went unacknowledged. I have since mentioned that I don't feel I can properly produce and inspect this machinery's products, but they still refuse to discuss any alternatives.

At this point I almost feel as if I'm being entrapped or being provoked to leave this workplace, as I have no other options. I cannot say it would be the worst thing that management here has done.

Is there any wrong-doing here? Or am I just being melodramatic?

Thank you, r/legaladvice!

Answer: Being uncomfortable isn't a protected state of being or activity.  The only way this would be an issue is if the reason you can't use the machine is due to a medical issue on your part, or if the machine is legitimately unsafe for use or being used improperly.  If your issue is "I don't know how to do this correctly" or "I'm worried because the machine is intimidating", the problem is with you, not the company.


Title: You own a parrot. You own a recording device that can be activated by pecking. In your absence, your parrot activates the recording device, which picks up a private conversation. Is it a legal recording?

Answer:
 Probably not. The issue is consent of the parties recorded, not technicalities of how the recording is made.

In this scenario, you don't have the consent of the recorded parties.Answer #2: This brings the monkey selfie case to mind. Answer #3: Another question: What if the parrot itself remembers and duplicates the conversation later?Answer #4: I think you need to have the parrot testify in court..


Title: [KS] A subcontractor placed a claim of lien on my house because the general contractor did not pay them We paid the general contractor in full and have a lien release

Question: Using a throwaway because the general contractor knows me personally. Last month we had an an addition (sunroom) built on our house. We fully paid the general contractor for the work and they sent us a lien release form stating we paid them off in full. Turns out they never did any of the actual work on the sunroom, and it was entirely subcontracted out. (The general contractor only came to check on the work and make sure the windows and other materials got here) The general contractor never paid the subcontractor, so the subcontractor placed a claim of lien on the house. I don't have much money and want to try and avoid more costs if possible. (I saved up for multiple years to pay for the work) Will the claim of lien negativity affect me, and what can I do to resolve it?

Answer:
 Mainly, it will prevent you from selling the house.  You should get up with the General Contractor.  Sometimes, these are set up so you pay the subs directly, and then pay the general contractor separately.Answer #2: It should be in your contract. Maybe it's set up so that you pay the sub yourself but most likely the GC screwed the sub. You received a paper before construction started called a Notice to Owner that detailed everything you described. They established their lien rights and are now exercising them because the GC didn't pay them.

Read your contract. You'll need to pay the sub to release the lien and sue the GC for your money. You can also post this in /r/construction for more advice.

I'm a Project Manager for a contractor - I handle subcontracts and lien rights all day every day (in Florida).


Title: Lost my children in divorce (Louisiana)

Question:
I am recently divorced, my ex husband took me to court and somehow got custody of our 2 small children. I was a housewife at the time he left, but I got a job and with some help from the government I was able to provide my children with food and a roof over their heads. I never got a dime from my ex. He took me to court in a different parish than where we were married and lived, and where I know he has family that work in the legal system. He won custody (domiciliary) and I didn't even get to see the inside of a courtroom. He was also awarded 400 dollars a month in child support, he lives with his father and pays no rent/utilities and makes a good bit more than I do (7.25 hrly)

Basically I'm asking if there's anything I can do, I've asked lawyers in my area for help, but none will travel 1.5 hours to represent me. I've tried leal aid, but the lawyer I got wasn't any good.

Also, the judge threatened to award my ex a Bergeron ruling.

I'm not a bad person, I've never been in trouble with the law, I don't do drugs. But still he won. If anyone can offer some advice, or some numbers for lawyers to look to for help I would be very appreciative.

thank you

I also only get to see my children every other weekend.

Answer: How did he win custody if you didn't agree and there was no hearing?  Was there a court date for your appearance?  Did you file an objection to the case being in this parish?


Title: My ex is threatening to tell my parents that I am gay

Question:
About 2 weeks ago things didn't end so well with my ex. I'm gay, a guy, and he is a guy. He has stopped making contact with me, but has been contacting my friends saying that he is going to tell my parents that I am gay.

The situation with my parents is complicated and I have a post about it from a while back.

The TL;DR from the post:
> came out gay, realized I was the devil, then realized I’m not, trying to come out again and am experiencing technical difficulty. What do?

If you wish to read it in its entirety, please check out my submitted posts from about a year ago. This post keeps getting removed because I am linking it incorrectly.

Our relationship lasted about a month and a half, really short, but he really fell hard for me. I should add that we were never officially dating, and only stated that we were the only people were seeing. But for ease of understanding, I'm referring to him as my ex. I definitely lead him on, but nothing was official. I started to talk to someone else while my ex and I were apart for 2 weeks, and I planned on ending things, but he came over to my place unannounced, before I could have broken up with him, and flipped his shit. The guy I was with was just hanging out on the couch, and he knew about my now ex. Thats when he made a public post on facebook telling my friends, by tagging them, about his delusions of grandiose that explained how we were going to have kids and how we were gay etc.

*really sorry for all of this drama..*

I live in Chicago, Illinois. What can I do to prevent him from telling my parents? A TRO, an injunction? What can I do if he does tell them? Is public disclosure of a private information a thing I can seek damages under?

Thanks for any help any of you can give to me.

Answer: The best advice I've seen elsewhere for this situation is to tell your parents you had a fight with your friend and he told you he's going to spread lies about you.


Title: Boyfriend questioned about cocaine use at a club in Las Vegas. Let go by security without police involvement - if they got his info from his license, can they pursue charges later?

Question:
At a weekend in Vegas my boyfriend was approached by security at a club about cocaine use in a bathroom stall. They took him outside and said something along the lines of, "You look like a good guy and I'd like to give you a break - do you have any illegal drugs on you?" My boyfriend said, "If I just give you them to you can I just be kicked out without police involvement?" and once they agreed, he gave up a small amount of cocaine. The bouncer took his ID and wrote down his name "for their records," and put the baggie in an envelope. My boyfriend asked if he was banned from the club and the bouncer said, "Nah you can even come back tomorrow, just take tonight off." They let us go without contacting the police at all.

I keep trying to tell him that if they wanted to get the police involved they would have done it on the spot, but he's freaked out that they took his name (maybe other info from his driver's license?) and they might have security cam footage of him with drugs. Should he be worried about the club submitting this to the Las Vegas police? Or is he in the clear?
Topic:
Drug Possession

Answer: That cocaine went straight up the bouncer's nose. Your BF is fine but probably shouldn't go back to that club, or do any more blow.


Title: [Utah] Notice needed to kick someone out of house?

Question: I have lived with my parent for the past 2 years. I'm in my 30s with a child of my own. We did not sign a rental agreement, we didn't think we needed to. It has been a mutually beneficial arrangement for everyone involved. I do pay rent and have never been late. After a disagreement regarding a rent increase, they want me out by Saturday (so like 2 days from now).  Can they legally do that?

Answer:
 No, they may not legally do that.

Three days before eviction procedures for legal cause (running an illegal business on premises, engaging in other criminal activity, failure to pay rent etc), fifteen days before eviction procedures otherwise. As long as you've been paying rent properly etc you are due a 15-day notice and then eviction procedures may be started. (Utah)


Title: (TN) RA went into my room unannounced found drugs

Question:
At a public university I was moving between rooms (from one floor to another). I checked into my new room at 4 PM and began moving my items. The layout of both rooms is as such, A living room and four individual single occupancy rooms. The other rooms were all vacant at this time.

I put my things on my bed in my new room and go out to dinner (@~7:50PM on Sunday). I come back to find two forms stating that they went into my room seized 2 grams of marijuana, 5 tabs of acid, and 5 pills of modafinil. They said they were checking vacant rooms to make sure they were ready to move.

When I asked them why my room showed as vacant they said the RA must have had an outdated roster. Also the Head of housing emailed me on Friday telling me to be moved into the room by 8PM on Sunday. The RA found the drugs at 8:30PM on Sunday.

There are no criminal charges but I meet with the conduct board in about thirty minutes. I plan on referencing Smyth V Lubbers which shows students have the same 4th amendment rights as other citizens in their own homes and that students are unable to waive that right in a housing contract. I also intend on referencing State V Houvener to show that the living room was a part of my private property and when the RA saw my belongings there he was knowingly violating my 4th amendment by continuing to my room.

Any help would be much appreciated. Thank you guys so much.
Topic:
School Related Issues

Answer:
 You are super lucky this is just school discipline. If you got criminal charges you would be in way worse shape, plus have a big problem with financial aid.

Drugs and dorm rooms are a bad combination. Answer #2: I am sure that if you check your housing contract, the RA was well within their rights to enter.

> I plan on referencing Smyth V Lubbers which shows students have the same 4th amendment rights as other citizens in their own homes and that students are unable to waive that right in a housing contract. I also intend on referencing State V Houvener to show that the living room was a part of my private property and when the RA saw my belongings there he was knowingly violating my 4th amendment by continuing to my room.

Go ahead and do that. It'll do nothing.


Title: What do I need to do legally if I move to the Bahamas and work remotely?

Question:
I just graduated from university and I would like to go to the Bahamas for 6 months to 1 year for fun. I have a job working remotely as a software engineer. My company is in the USA and I am in Canada, and they pay me as a contractor. So I already work remotely now, just that I would like to do it from the Bahamas instead of from Canada (I am a Canadian citizen only btw).

Anyways, right now I just owe taxes within Canada since my company pays me as a contractor. But I was thinking that if I go to the Bahamas for 1 year it would work out because I think I'd still owe tax money to the Canadian government since I'd still be a resident by Canadian law, and I'd also owe taxes in the Bahamas but since they have very low income taxes it would be pretty affordable for me to just pay taxes to both countries.

I was wondering if anyone has experience with something like this where you want to go on a trip but still need to be able to keep working, and had to get the right permits and everything to do it legally. I don't want to be dodgy and make it look like I worked illegally in the Bahamas, or like I abandoned Canada to avoid taxes.

Answer:
 If you can get the proper visas, taxes shouldn't be an issue. The US is one of a handful of countries that taxes based on citizenship rather than residence, i.e., where the income is earned. Bahamas have no personal income tax, and Canada does not tax its citizens on income earned elsewhere.

Getting the proper visa may be your biggest hurdle.


Title: Michigan- what to do about prowling charge?

Question:
Last night I was arrested while intoxicated. They took me in for prowling ...I was sitting on the sidewalk/ someone's front stoop (I think). I'm obviously out now but I don't know what to do now. I've never been in trouble for anything, I'm 24, a teacher... this is all so crazy for me. I have court in two weeks (charged in another state from where I live). I will have family in town at that time.

1. Do I have to appear in court or can I just pay a fine?
2. When/how do I plead?
3. When/how can I take this off my record?
4. Will I get fired and what is the process for getting a job while having a record?

Tl;dr arrested for prowling... never been in trouble before. What to do next?

Thanks!!!

Edit: found out that my "friends" were the o fez who called the cops on me because I did not want to get in the car with them (I was trying to uber home). Then, they told police I was suicidal which I have a history of but was not at the time.
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 Retain a lawyer; they can appear on your behalf.  Especially as a teacher, you absolutely categorically must fight this and make this charge go away.

Generally, you should be granted the presumption of innocence until the legal matter is resolved, but we cannot say what your employer will do.

Stay out of trouble while this is being resolved and listen to your lawyer.  Above all, keep your mouth closed with regards to your "friends" or anything like that.  They clearly do not have your best interests in mind and if you seek them out trying to get some sort of an explanation you may damage your standing or hurt your case.


Title: I'm a 15 year old high school freshman. I got in a fight and broke a kid's collarbone about a week ago. (CA)

Question:
What's gonna happen to me? No one seems to want to tell me.

Details; he kept talking crap and pushing me around and kinda bullying me when I was already in a pretty severe mood. I pushed him, he laughed, so I tackled him to the floor and started choking him. We got up after about a minute and he went to the nurse's office, I went to security. I am 5 foot 6, 115 pounds. He is 6 foot 1, 150 pounds.

Answer:
 Nobody can tell you for sure what will happen but here are some things that could happen. You could be charged with assault. Your parents could be sued for the costs of his medical treatment. You could be suspended. You could be ordered to take some sort of anger management class.

You need to worry less about what people say and more with how you react. Breaking a kid's collarbone over a few jabs is overkill.


Title: Drinking ticket

Question:
(NYC) A little less than a year ago, my friends and I got nabbed in Central Park for drinking. The cops were super nice, didn't stick any of us with underage drinking, just public.

Anyway, I lied and told them I didn't have my ID with me. I was really nervous, so I told them my real full name. I also gave them my dorm address. They gave us our tickets then walked away.

I ended up never paying the ticket and never received anything from them. I don't live in that dorm anymore. Did I just get away with it? How do I check?

Answer: Lol what? No you got a ticket. The one they hand you is just for your records.


Title: US visa issue due to domestic violence charges [TX]!

Question: I am a phd candidate from Asia. I did my undergraduate here in US. Now, I need to go back home due to family problems and while returning I need to apply for US visa. The problem is I have been charged with domestic violence case. But, I was not arrested or went to jail or anything. We had a fight - I (I was drunk) pushed her twice and she went home and filed a case against me. Now, I am doing counselling and anger management thing so the judge will dismiss my case in 6 months (deeply regret not pursuing a good lawyer because my gf (ex) told me it was a mistake and she will do everything to dismiss the case). Does it affect on getting US visa? What can I do to ensure I will get visa?

Answer:
 Domestic violence is typically considered a crime of moral turpitude, this means that if convicted you'll be unable to secure a US Visa. Conviction is [defined](http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/86942.pdf) differently for immigration purposes:
>INA 101(a)(48) (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(48)) defines “conviction” as either:

>(1) A formal judgment of guilt entered by a court; or

>(2) If adjudication has been withheld, either:

>(a) A finding of guilty by judge or jury; or

>(b) A plea of guilty or nolo contendere by the alien; or

>(c) An admission from the alien of sufficient facts to warrant a finding of
guilt; and

>(3) The imposition of some form of punishment, penalty, or restraint of liberty
by a judge.

As you have to go through counseling and anger management, you have have an issue according to (2)(c) and (3). You should consult an immigration lawyer to help you with this.


Title: [Ontario, Canada] Mother-in-Law Says She Is Being Evicted Because the Landlady Wants the Property for Her Personal Use?

Question:
My mother-in-law is not exactly someone you would call a nice person, she has a tendency to be manipulative and lies quite often, particularly in an attempt to draw sympathy and perhaps move into our house. She's tried this before, we're on to her, but I wanted to see if there was any possibility she was telling the truth.

My MIL's landlady is definitely not a nice person either. She refused to fix my MIL's Trailer until my MIL had to sue her in court, and she's always trying to dream up reasons to evict her, including often claiming she didn't receive the rent even when confronted with proof. (We stayed with MIL for a bit so this is confirmed.) My MIL has a rent to own agreement with her for the trailer.

Now, my MIL is claiming that her landlady appealed to the Landlord and Tenant Board and got an eviction order against her because the landlady claimed she wanted it for her own personal use. My MIL also says that she won't be getting any of the money back she gave to the landlady for the rent to own agreement, and that Tenants in our province have no protections and that's why she hates renting. Is there any possible way this could be legal, or is she just mistaken/lying?

Edit: Just got an update after asking her for a bit more, apparently the hearing was a conference call between the Board, the landlady, her lawyer, MIL, and her lawyer. Apparently the landlady has a bad back and can't go up and down stairs to put wood into her furnace, and since she owns the trailer she could fix it up and use that and make it acceptable for her back. According to my MIL this was backed up by a doctor. Still seems weird to me that MIL wouldn't get any of her money back from the rent to own agreement, or that the landlady. couldn't have fixed up her own place though.

Second Edit: I'll leave this up for the story and update it later, but I want to thank /u/Municipalis for helping me with this. Apparently her story is likely too and she'll be able to sue in Small Claims Court for the rent to own agreement money.

Answer: If she has a rent-to-own agreement, it is probably not legal.  That said, you'll have to consult with a Canadian attorney.


Title: Got into a car wreck - now what?

Question:
A few weeks ago, a girl was looking down at her phone and ran the red light. Unfortunately for me, I was halfway through the intersection and she slammed into my car.

The cops showed up and gave her the ticket then called a tow truck for me. I didn’t know it was that bad (as I honestly didn’t even see her coming - I was just minding my own business driving maybe 20 mph on my green light) until the police officer told me my car wasn’t driveable.

So since then, my insurance (Allstate) has been amazing and are pretty much doing the leg work since her insurance (State Farm) is taking their sweet time. I was told today that my car might be deemed a total loss. My car is a 2015 Toyota Camry SE with 50k miles.

She hit me right where the back door meets the trunk right where the tire is. I guess she knocked all of the stuff under my car out. I’m sorry, I’m not a car person so I don’t know any of the real terms.

If they deem my car a loss, they’re saying I may get somewhere around $14k back. I still owe roughly $9k on the car that I bought at the end of 2015 for $30k. I’ll walk away with no car and a check for $5k if I’m lucky.

My question is this - is there anything I can do to fight this and get more money? I feel like this is such garbage that I didn’t even do anything wrong yet now I might not have a car that I own 70% of. I have paid several hundred dollars a month for the past 4 years - and now because of this idiot driver, that means nothing and I might get stuck with literally nothing but $5k.

I’m wondering if it’s worth finding an attorney but I don’t even know what kind or where to find a reputable one. If I find an attorney, can he/she get me some more money back? Thanks.

TL;DR - Got hit by driver who ran a red light and now car might be deemed a loss. How do I recoup some of my money,

Answer: Dont waste your time on an attorney. An attorney wouldn't take your case even if you had one you could win. You don't. They owe you the value of your car at the time of loss. No more. What you paid, what you owe and what your payments are is irrelevant. Cars drop in value like a rock. If you'd totaled it yourself in a single car accident you'd get the same 14k (minus your deductible). They totaled a 14k car that you owe 9k on. You go find another 14k car, put the 5k "extra" forth as down payment, finance 9k. Boom, you're back exactly where you were the moment before the accident.


Title: [MA] Neighbor is threatening to sue me because of the flags I fly in my front yard

Question:
I live in Massachusetts and I fly four flags in my front yard. A transgender flag with the no symbol, a "Make America Great Again" flag, a gay pride flag (I'm bisexual as is my wife), and the U.S. flag.

My neighbor is a trans woman apparently as this morning I got a nasty note about how I am "bigoted", and that I am getting sued if I don't take down the flag. Now, in my town there is no bylaw stating that I can't have certain flags up in my yard as long as they are not obscene. This neighbor has also verbally abused me in the past and has called me "a trumpanzee", "a disgrace to queers", and "an alt-right nutjob".

I do not wish to offend anyone but I am upset that my free speech rights are being infringed. I understand reasonable people can disagree on issues, but I don't agree with this whole "lesbians are bigoted if they don't date trans women" argument I see everywhere. That is why I flag the transgender flag with the no symbol. I don't think most people even know what the transgender flag looks like.

What legal recourse do I have to stop my neighbor from suing me for my flags?

Answer:
 > What legal recourse do I have to stop my neighbor from suing me for my flags?

None. You can defend yourself against the lawsuit, if she ever files one. I doubt she will though, but if she does, hire a lawyer for best results.


Title: Las Vegas Nevada: Hotel Room broken into, everything gone

Question:
Hey guys I just got back to my hotel room in a Vegas hotel  (reputable, on the strip) and all my stuff is gone, at first I thought maybe the maid thought I was an overstaying guest or something but the room isn't anywhere near clean and my toothbrush and toiletries are still in the bathroom.

Before I go have this conversation with the hotel what is my position here? I dont want to say or do anything that will accidentally absolve them of liability or admit fault in anyway.

Thanks!

Answer:
 You should be talking with the police, since you are the victim of a crime.Answer #2: Call the hotel operator and ask for the security department. Tell them what happened and ask them to bring a police officer with them so you can make a report.

Hotels have lots of cameras, especially in Vegas. They also can query the lock to see if it was opened with a card and if so, whose card was used.


Title: Landlord claiming paperwork for service animal was never submitted.

Question: I live in Chattanooga, TN and go to UTC. My off campus apartment is owned by John. The apartment does not allow pets, but does allow service animals, which I have. The paperwork for said animal was given to John in August of this year. However, he is claiming the paperwork was never submitted and is attempting to fine me for the animal. What do I do?

Answer: Give it to him again. If he still tries to fine you, don't pay. If he tries to evict you for the unpaid fine, go to court with the evidence you have a service dog.Answer #2: Submit it again?


Title: Ex-employer wants a cut of my earnings

Question:
Location: UT, USA

I know what my ex-employer wants is immoral, illegal, and unethical on so many levels, but I wanted to check before I moved on and started my own business.

I signed an agreement during the hiring process that stated that because the company I worked for had "trade secrets," training methods, and other things they deemed "their property," that I would have to give up a cut of my earnings if I started my own business in competition with them, or worked for a competitor. I don't believe there was a fixed time -- I think they wanted a cut of my earnings for the rest of forever.

I could perhaps understand if it were some cutting edge R&D or manufacturing firm, but it's just electronics repair, and just about everything my previous employer arrogantly believed to be "trade secrets" was actually public knowledge, and they were things I was already aware of before joining the company.

They surely have no legal right to enforce that contract. I signed it in good faith, believing that I was going to work for the company for the long term, and that it wouldn't have even mattered because I had "trade secrets" of my own, except I was not arrogant enough to label them as such. I also signed it in thinking, "hey, maybe they do actually have some top-secret shit I have to keep quiet about." Nope -- it's just a YouTube video away.

There were miscommunications with my hiring, and I thought I'd be quickly moved into a role that would be more suited to my skill set. Instead, I became a bottom-tier technician, and it was pretty clear that they'd intended to keep me there indefinitely, paying low wages and making disgusting profiting off my labor.

I happened to break a lot of things while adjusting to my new work environment, their methods, tools, etc., but my breakages were completely in line with others that had been recently hired. It doesn't matter if I was more experienced in this field than the other new hires -- I was not being paid any differently.

I left this hostile environment on good terms to start my own business. I am too independent, realized that I was going nowhere, and I wanted to specialize in other things. However, there is some overlap in the revenue sources I'd like to target, hence the concern about them coming after me. I know it's a mere scare tactic, but I'd like to be sure they have no legal grounds for pursuing this.

Answer:
 It's a mixed bag. If you took their client list, and went down the roster saying "hey, I just started. I know you're paying business X this amount for this service, but switch to me and I'll change you $y!", that'd be a pretty clear violation of your non compete and abuse of their trade secrets (client list and pricing data).

Setting up your own shop and getting new customers naturally? Probably not enforceable, unless there was a specific geographic and time limitation on the non-compete. Answer #2: Can they sue you and try to get that money?  Yes.  Will they likely win?   No.

If you can show that their trade secrets are available on youtube videos then according to the [UTSA](https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/trade_secret) (Utah's specific [UTSA](http://le.utah.gov/code/TITLE13/htm/13_24_000200.htm), 13-24-2 section 4a)its not a trade secret.

Now as others have said if you start actively soliciting their customer base that's a different story and can land you in legal hot water. Answer #3: Hahahahahahaha. Tell him to go pound sand.


Title: Hi, are there any lawyers (especially in the state of Florida) who would be willing to offer assitance with a breach of contract/fraud/emotional distress claim?

Question: In April 2011, my father was undergoing a divorce from his second wife. Because they were living in the same house during the divorce process, he was scared she would accuse him of improper behavior towards her and her kids, in order to get him kicked out. I was working out of state and was planning on attending graduate school in May. He asked me if I would return to Florida (Palm Beach County) to live with him in exchange for payment of my graduate school tuition, living costs, and a new car. I was registered for school and he called the graduate office to confirm that he would be paying for me. The original agreement was from May-June, at which point I would leave to start school in July. In July, he asked me to stay until August because the divorce wasn't over. I obliged. In August, he asked me to stay again, and I refused, instead demanding our agreement be fulfilled on his end. He refused, stating that he had just been using me all along and never had any intention of paying. I immediately left his premises. I have proof that he called the school to confirm he would be paying. Between 2011- 2013 we had no communication until late 2013. In February 2014, I was working full-time and was informed by an ENT that I needed an immediate tonsillectomy to determine if I had a malignancy of the tonsils. I asked my father (a physician) for his advice, and he told me would purchase superior medical coverage for me, pay for the surgery and recovery costs. I informed my boss who told me if I took time off, I'd have to quit. My father told me to quit for the surgery. He called a surgeon to arrange the surgical date. He purchased the superior health coverage. He again reneged on his offer stating that it was inconvenient for him to help me. He then demanded access to my banks, copies of all my paystubs, and all medical reports. When I refused, he went through my mail to obtain that information. He tried to access my bank account information on the phone, to which my bank advised me to put an additional security code. I have all of this proof of him promising to pay, telling me to quit my job, saying he paid for the health insurance, demanding access to my bank through text messages. I was left without income, housing (as I had given notice thinking I would be staying with him for the surgery), and has denied all culpability and responsibility. Before anyone gets into the whole "this must be your fault and you're an idiot for going back to him"- please read my posts in r/raisedbynarcissists. He is a sociopathic narcissist, and does not feel any guilt for his reckless behavior. As well, he has committed third-degree felony theft and forgery when he forged my signature on a government bond in my name and cashed it without my permission or knowledge but this was in 2008, so the statute of limitations has passed. I have suffered tremendously, and my emotional and physical health are in serious decline due to my enlarged tonsil.  I still have not had the surgery and do not know if I have cancer. I had to get a job in order to prevent homelessness, but had to give notice as due to my emotional and physical decline, could not handle the workload. I have tried to no avail to work things out between us.  I hired a lawyer to write a demand letter and draft complaint to him, and he responded with an e-mail containing libelous claims against me, as well as confirming that if I file, he will hire a commercial attorney for tens of thousands who will file motions to dismiss and extensive depositions in the defense rather than pay me a penny. I am at my wit's end, and cannot afford an attorney to sue him. He knows this and knows that he will win because he is wealthy. I am stuck and in severe emotional distress, and have no recourse. Is there anyone who can help so I can move on with my life? Thank you for your time.

Answer:
 TLDR: Father promised to pay for grad school if OP came to live with him. Didn't pay. Then Father promised to get OP some decent medical coverage and pay for surgery, OP quit job to have surgery, Father didn't pay (surprise!). Father then tried to get into OP's bank accounts to find out how much money OP has.

OP, your dad has apparently been messed up your whole life. YOU KNEW BETTER THAN TO TRUST HIM.

If you hire a lawyer to go after him to force him to pay for your school and surgery, and he hires one to fight, SO WHAT? That's to be expected when you hire a lawyer. In the end, the lawyer may be able to get father to pay the attorney fees. The lawyer can tell you if this is possible. Also, attorneys don't do time wasting crap like dad is threatening unless its necessary to the case. Dad may demand it, but no ethical attorney is going to do all that for no reason - they can be sanctioned by the court.

This sub is to give guidance and general advice, NOT to find a lawyer to take your case. Emotional distress claims are super hard to claim (you generally need a physical manifestation of your stress).

My advice is to get another job or pay for insurance and just cut contact with your dad. If you have grandparents or other family, ask them to loan you some money. If you have money to hire a lawyer, you have money to get your surgery. There's often credit and payment options at the doctor's office, just ask.


Title: Cop called me today about my dog's barking.

Question: Today, I received a phone call about my dog. The voicemail said they came and the dog kept barking and to return the phone call. I'm in CA. What do I do?

Answer: Be a responsible dog owner for one. Do that and you have a happier dog, happier neighbor, and no police phone calls. Answer #2: Um, I would say you should return the phone call.


Title: [US, AL] My wife is on a leave of absence and found her job posted for hiring.

Question:
My wife started her job May 2014. She had emergency surgery on New Year's Day for a ruptured disc in her back. Due to Dr.'s orders, she couldn't return to work and had to put in for a leave of absence. She hasn't worked there long enough for FMLA but they approved her for 12 weeks off.

She is currently taking physical therapy, still has no feeling from the waste down (Dr. says it will come back at any time but could take up to a year....who knows), can't drive, but just taking it one day at a time.

Last night, she was going through their system trying to look at her emails and found her job posted in the job openings section. It's technically still up in the air as to if by the first of April if she would be returning or still not able.

Is there anything she can do about this? If they plan on firing her but waiting until the leave is up, is there any way to fight that? Just trying to maybe get a little direction to go with this because it seems kinda dirty and low down.

On a side note, I understand they need someone doing the job and can't hold out forever but again, just seems wrong.
Topic:
Labor Law

Answer:
 They were very kind to extend her 12 weeks even when she didn't qualify.  Is there any way she would be able to work with reasonable accommodations?

Also, right now you don't know that they are actually going to fire her.  They could be hiring someone else and will keep both your wife and the new hire (if the person is hired before your wife returns).


Title: Paid retention fee and lawyer didn't show to court

Question: I live in CA. My dad was arrested with a felony and got a retention fee from a lawyer for about 9,000$ dollars. The lawyer did not even show up to the hearing while my dad was in the hospital and therefore was issued a warrant.  My dad passed away a couple months after, is there a way to get the money back?

Answer: Have you contacted the lawyer and asked for the retainer back? He should refund it minus any work he actually did. He doesn't get to keep the whole thing and doing so can put his bar membership at jeopardy. If he tries to justify keeping the whole thing based on a few hours of work, that's also unacceptable and unethical. I'm sure the CA bar would be very curious to know why he didn't bother to show up to the hearing to prevent a warrant from being issued when his client was in the hospital. Regardless of what he says and if he provides a refund, you should contact the state bar; he can't do this to clients.


Title: (TX) Disclosing HIV after Hiring

Question:
Hello,

I currently work two part time (without health benefits) jobs in Texas, one in retail and one for a school district. When filling out the new hire paperwork, I never disclosed that because I am HIV+, I have a disability. The diagnoses was well before I applied for either job, if that's relevant; and I currently on consistent treatment and have a undetectable viral load. Fortunately, I am able to do all of the essential functions of my job, and I doubt either boss even suspects my disability. I have also never applied for or collected disability, nor do I believe I qualify based on the SSA list of HIV-related impairments; although it does have a footnote about mental disorders and I've had major depression for most of my life, seen by both psychologists and psychiatrists, so maybe it could.

Am I required to disclose to my employer? Could I be fired or in legal trouble for failing to disclose during hiring? For the school district I likely wouldn't go through my boss to correct this, but for the retail job, my direct supervisor would likely be the person I have to talk to to update any of my paperwork. Although I believe she would be professional about it, I am concerned it would change the working relationship; would that be grounds to not disclose?

Additionally, I am applying for full time positions within and outside my current employers, would I be required to disclose on those applications that ask about it?

(Note: there has never been nor ever will be any physical/sexual relationship with anyone I've worked with.)

Answer:
 I don't believe there's any law requiring you to disclose your disability. If your employers haven't asked, I wouldn't go out of your way to report it.

The only thing to note would be that you wouldn't have a reasonable expectation of getting any accommodations for your disability (if you ever end up needing any) if you don't disclose it.Answer #2: Does your job entail a safety issue around handling blood?  (Eg, school nurse)

Does your disability require accommodation from the employer?

Did your job application ask about HIV/disability status, and you lied?

If not, I don't see the relevance of your conditions.


Title: [NV] Energy company has contractors RIGHT outside of our house working as early at 6am and as late as 11pm

Question:
We had a power outage in our neighborhood a week ago. 9 properties without power. Power company determined it had to do with the equipment in the area.

They are rewiring the neighborhood and digging a yard wide ditch around the culdesac right up against our drive way. When I want to leave in the morning for work they have to stop and put a plate down so I can pull out of my driveway. I would say my driveway is blocked about 50% of the time.

I don't care much how early they work, but they are very loud and the other night they were jack hammering until 11pm. They have been here for 5 days.

I am wondering if we have an recourse, perhaps with the power company? I feel like this is really inhibiting our lives. I don't think there's any residents noise ordinances in Las Vegas so they are allowed to work any time of day.

Answer:
 NAL. Las Vegas does appear to have a noise ordinance which includes construction work like a utility tearing up the street. They're allowed to work from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm unless specifically granted an exception. Call 311 (or the police non-emergency number if vegas doesn't use 311) and call in a complaint both for the noise and blocking your driveway.
 https://www.municode.com/library/nv/las_vegas/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT9HESA_CH9.16NO_9.16.030ENPRNOAnswer #2: Is your or your neighbors power out as a result of the outage they're trying to fix?

If so, they probably have some dispensation to work outside normal hours to fix the problem.


Title: roommate recorded AND disseminated video (with audio) of my bedroom without my knowledge -- i am present, but not visible.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 You have a right to privacy in your bedroom. If the video / audio was taken from inside your bedroom, then this is a violation of your privacy. This is worth taking to the police.

Also, MA is a two-party consent state, which makes it a crime to record audio without the knowledge and consent of both parties. If the audio was recorded from within your bedroom, that's likely a violation. If it was recorded from a common area (such as the living room) and the roommate wasn't using any unusual means to capture the sound, it may not be a violation.

Print out / screenshot any tweets she's made about this, especially if it includes the URL. Download the video and keep it somewhere safe. Keep note of the URLs where the video is posted. If the video / audio was recorded from a sensitive area (such as within your bedroom), talk to a lawyer.

EDIT: distinction between recording locations.

EDIT #2: MA is interesting. It may be a crime to record audio, even from a public place with no expectation of privacy, and even if distinct conversation is not captured, without the consent of all parties.

http://www.dmlp.org/legal-guide/massachusetts-recording-law


Title: Friend being demoted for health reasons. Ohio

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 When he was out of work, did he use FMLA, personal time, vacation time, did he call out, did he give them a head's up of the surgery?

You posted very little detail, so impossible for us to tell you anything useful.Answer #2: He used 7 paid vacation days, he lwas off from Feb 24th til March 6th, and works 5 days a week. They were aware of his upcoming surgery. Sorry, I'm asking him for this info now but he's currently at work and not able to respond all that well.


Title: Will my family get deported if I contact CPS? Virginia, USA

Question:
I'm 14 and I live in Virginia. My family came to America 7 years ago so I'm more familiar and comfortable here than my home country. We're on a work visa so we're here legally but we don't have green cards.

My mom has anger problems and I'm afraid of her a lot of the time because I have no idea what she's capable of, she drags me by my hair, pushes me, holds me down and hits me, and yells at me all the time. She's always making fun of me. She leaves bruises and then asks where I got them, and if I say it's because she pushed me she says I'm a liar.. There's more but I don't want this to be too long.

I would like for all of us to go to family counseling but she gets angry when I suggest it. My sister said something that got CPS involved a few years ago and my parents said we had to lie about what went on, otherwise we'd get deported. Is that what would happen if I said anything? What does the law say? I don't want to jeopardize my family and I don't want us to get deported.

Answer:
 If the report leads to criminal conviction, then deportation is probable. Conversion of the visa to a green card is unlikely.

I gather there are two parents. If the other parent is the one with the work visa, then your mother's conviction won't impact the visa status of the other parent or you.Answer #2: Extremely unlikely as ICE and CPS are two different branches of government and your family has a legal visa.Answer #3: 7 years here on a work visa? H1Bs can be extended up to 5 years, but that's unusual. [The longest is normally three years](http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/how-long-will-your-us-visa-allow-you-stay.html). 3 years + 4 years previously on a student visa? Maybe, but unlikely.

It's possible there are some exceptions I am not aware of. But my point is it's very likely your family is not telling you the whole truth, and they aren't here on a work visa anymore. They may be visa overstayers which is one reason they are worried about being deported. Do they ever go back to their country to visit family?  If they don't, that's another clue they have overstayed, because they know they wouldn't get back in.

But let's assume they are still here on a legal work visa. There shouldn't be any consequences from reporting to CPS unless your parents were arrested. And being arrested would put them at risk of deportation, or simply that the visa wouldn't be renewed (it shouldn't have been renewed this long anyway). Answer #4: I would mention to CPS when you contact them that they've lied before and what their reasoning was, so that it doesn't happen again


Title: [OR] Is getting a retainer normal to review an already written premarital agreement?

Question:
My fiance has drawn up a premarital agreement with his lawyer and now I'm looking for a lawyer to review it with.  Is asking for a retainer normal for this situation.  I can't seem to get a rough idea what this will cost.  I realize there can be some back and forth but surly it's possible to know a ballpark cost?

Edit: OK, so a bot says I didn't include a location.  Apparently [OR] is not recognized as Oregon?
Topic:
Contracts

Answer: I'm very surprised you weren't quoted a flat rate.  Only if you're getting married to someone *very* wealthy would I imagine you'd need a retainer for something like this.  Even then....


Title: [Utah, USA] So... I just got arrested for sexual solicitation. How screwed am I?

Question:
So I fucked up pretty badly here. Not trying to make excuses, but for some backstory, I've been working 80 hr weeks for the past few months and was completely stressed out and lonely. I got home from work and decided to google how to hire an escort. I randomly decided to text a cute girl on backpage.com and roughly 30 minutes later I was looking up at 4 huge cops in a hotel room.

I wasn't sent to jail or anything, but I was given a citation and then let go. I'm midway between depressed at how sad my love-life is and  freaking out about how fucked I am in regards to everything else in my life.

I'm 27 and I'm starting to find a bit of success in life. Have a good job working in Software Engineering.

Is this something that's going to follow me the rest of my life? Is there a way I can mitigate the damage?

I've never been arrested before. Unmarried, I just started a new job and I recently bought a house.

Is this gonna show up everytime someone googles my name? Is this going to screw me everytime I apply for a new job?

Answer:
 Get a lawyer. Don't talk to anybody about this but your lawyer.

> Is this something that's going to follow me the rest of my life?

Maybe.

> Is there a way I can mitigate the damage?

Get a lawyer.


Title: [Texas, USA]ID expired, I need SS card I don't have to get it renewed, but I have no proof...

Question:
I am 24-years-old, unemployed, and I live with my parents, and I let my Texas state ID card expire last year. My mom has misplaced my Social Security card.

When I tried to renew my ID, they told me my SS number wasn't on file, and that I need proof. They scanned my SS card when I got my first ID in 2011, but the scan is unreadable. I have none of the documents they accept to prove my SS number.

To get a new SS card, I require an ID that they accept, preferably a photo ID. I have none. I have no recent photo ID. I have a health insurance card, which is on the list of accepted documents, but it has no photo, and I've never used the insurance and am not under the care of any doctor. It's a few years since I've seen a doctor.

I have no school or employment records of any kind. I was home schooled, and never entered high school. I have no high school equivalency.

I still have my expired ID card. It expired mid-2017. The photo on the ID card was taken mid-2011. I was born in Texas. My mom misplaced my birth certificate, but a new one has been ordered.

I'm at the end of my rope. I have no idea what to do. I feel screwed. I need to move on with my life and end my dependency on my parents, but I need ID to do so.

Answer:
 Is there any chance that you might not have been born in the US and were brought to the US as a child?  At first thought, the "misplaced" social security card, birth certificate, SSN not on file and home schooling sounds like a bit too much to be coincidental.

Regarding the immediate concern, some states let you sign an affidavit in front of a notary that you are who you say you are.  It would be worth investigating if Texas allows this as proof.


Title: Need a creative lawyer.  I might have found a loophole to avoid over $100000 in student loans.

Question:
My girlfriend has $175000 in student loan debt from getting a doctorate in Psychology.  At 7% interest (her average rate), the lowest the annual payment could be is $14,916, and that's if it's spread over 30 years.

The government has a program where people work for 10 years for a qualifying organization get the government to pay off any remaining balance after 10 years.  Details can be found here:
http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/PSF.jsp#Q1

Relevant quote :
"What kinds of employment qualify?  ... a non-profit organization that has been designated as tax-exempt by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC). The type or nature of employment with the organization does not matter for PSLF purposes..."

**Question: Can we create a 501c(3) organization which will hire her as its only employee and therefore make her eligible to have her loans forgiven?**

Then, 10 years from now, her remaining balance would be repaid by the government.  If the loans have 30 year terms, even after 10 years of payments she would have over $100,000 to be forgiven.  How hard would it be to do this?  How much would it cost?

Answer: This has conspiracy to commit fraud written all over it.Answer #2: There's a lot that goes into establishing and maintaining a 501c(3) entity. The IRS will see right through you if it's not legitimate.


Title: [Virginia] Child's daycare states that he is not permitted to attend while he has a feeding tube.

Question:
Good afternoon. My friend's 8 month old is going through some medical issues which have affected his ability to gain weight. His doctors have inserted a temporary feeding tube through his nose, which allows him to intake formula in higher quantities than he'd otherwise eat. It is estimated that he'll need this tube for anywhere from 3-12 months. Feeding involves hooking up a bag of formula to the tube in his nose, and allowing it to flow with the force of gravity into his stomach. It's a simple procedure that they have trained his mother and grandmother on, and shouldn't present much more of a difficulty than bottle feeding.

The daycare center where he has been going for several months states that he cannot come there while he has his tube in. I understand their position, as they are not medical professionals and they are nervous about the prospect of intranasal feeding.

Is it legal for them to refuse access?

Edit: thank you all for your help! I hadn't even considered the safety aspect of it, she described it as simple and safe. I'll pass along all your replies, I hope everybody has a good weekend!

Answer:
 They probably are dealing with a combination of concern over  their ability to properly care for the child as well as getting sued if something goes wrong.Answer #2: I work in disability group homes and we are not allowed to touch feeding tubes without proper training. IANAL but I would say they are in the right here.Answer #3: >It's a simple procedure that they have trained his mother and grandmother on, and shouldn't present much more of a difficulty than bottle feeding.

What happens if he pulls the tube halfway out and they do not notice because they are not trained. Then they feed him a bag of formula right in to his lungs? Answer #4: As for feeding concerns, I think that opens them up to liability issues. I know from professional (non-legal) experience that in schools for my state, a nurse is required to feed special needs students if they require a feeding tube. Also, do not assume its easy, the mother and grandmother only has to worry about that child maybe 2 others tops. Try saying its easy when there are many more kids.

Also my state draws a distinction between special needs day cares and not, pretty sure VA does the same. That comes with a whole set of other associated trainings and paperwork that the day care must do in order to properly and legally care for the child. I am not entirely sure what VA's regulations are regarding that.Answer #5: Another mother who had an infant  with a temporary NG tube at home for quite a while...NOT as simple as bottle feeding, many more ways in which it can go wrong, and not something I would have felt comfortable with in a regular daycare situation.


Title: (US, WA) Landlord eviction notice for cat urine smell

Question:
As the title says. I just got this notice on my door that I have "disturbed your neighboring tenants... ...with odor of cat urine that is coming from your unit and the hallway outside your door." I've lived here for a year and a half and this is the first notice or mention of any kind for smell.

My cat does sometimes pee on the carpet, and did recently pee near our front door. I cleaned it up, but that temporarily makes it smellier, you know, so I think maybe that's what caused this notice. I know cat pee is something you get used to when you live with it, so maybe it IS my fault, but I really don't think there's still a smell. I had friends over yesterday who said they couldn't tell. And honestly, most of the units on my floor, including the one across the hall, are empty. So who's smelling this smell anyway???

Worth noting I live in a no-pets apartment, and only have my cat because it's a service animal (my seizure-warner). I think maybe they just want me gone and this is an excuse.

They said I have 10 days to fix it or move out. I think it's already fixed. How do you quantify smelliness? I'm a little worried because it feels like a my-word-against-your-word situation. I'm preparing to move out, but 10 days is NOT enough time, and they sent this notice just as prices are going up all around us. It sucks.

To add insult to injury, they're charging us a $40 fee for the goddamn paper notice. The fee is written into our lease, so I guess it's legal, but that sucks!!

So, it's a dumb situation, and it is partly my fault. What can I do? What should I know before I call my landlord?

Answer:
 > I think it's already fixed.

It's not. Cat pee soaks the carpet pad and it stinks. Answer #2: >What can I do?

Hmmmmmm. Oh! I know, this:

>They said I have 10 days to fix it or move out.

What state are you in and are you under a fixed term lease or month-to-month tenancy?

Do not kid yourself, the stench of cat urine is pervasive. Cat urine is insidious.

Edit: because you want to report this comment rather than providing information (state/tenancy type) needed to give you advice, no one can give you advice here.


Title: *Updated* Condensed - Ex refuses to honor court ordered Parenting Plan

Question:
Decatur, GA

12 month TPO issued April 2014.

Both with counsel, my ex and I agreed to a graduated parenting plan in October 2014. It was signed by the judge and made into a court order. We've followed the order extensively through the first 5 months using a third party for exchanges/visitation.

12 month TPO expires April 2015. Per our visitation order, the services of the third party for exchanges/visitation would end and exchanges/visitation would be conducted directly between my ex and I. My ex motioned to get a 3 year permanent order issued the day before the 12 month TPO expired... it was denied.

She's failed to honor a single one of these direct exchanges/visitation citing "her fear of me" as the reason for not honoring the court order. She's offered to continue using the third party if I wanted to see my son... I refuse to use the third party anymore. After the dismissal of the 3 year permanent plan, she filed for another 12 month TPO. My ex and I went to court and the judge dismissed the case stating that nothing new had transpired therefore no reason to issue a TPO. The judge was very clear, that my ex could once again propose that we use the third party for exchanges but I was under no obligation to agree and that if I did not agree then we should refer back to our court order for exchanges. My reasons for not wanting to use the third party are that we were subjected to the third party hours of operation and that on any given scheduled exchange, I was losing 3-4 hours off what I was awarded.

I've kept communication very short and simple. I've since filed for contempt.. not just for her refusal of visitation but her ignoring my requests for phone calls with my son as well as a daycare issue. Per our court order, our son was to attend a specific daycare starting in November 2014. He wasn't enrolled in any daycare until March 2015 and even then, it wasn't the one we had mutually agreed to. She has also moved and has not notified me with an updated address which was part of our agreement should either one of us move. This became an issue when I tried to have her served for contempt. She still hasn't been served but I have documented confirmation from her that she's aware of the hearing.

She's tried to bait me into arguments via text and even accused me of stalking when she found out I had contacted our son's daycare for records which I need for our contempt hearing. She has since filed for yet another TPO and even though I haven't been served yet so I can't see her written basis for it, I'm pretty sure it's going to be for stalking.

Outside of court, I have not seen this woman since January 2014 and have no desire to in any capacity except maybe for exchanges.

I posted a novel of a post earlier and ti was brought to my attention how irrelevant it was. Fair enough.
My questions still remain...

-Someone previously brought up how a lawyer will help me with modifications and prevent anymore frivolous court appearances in the future.... In October 2014- after a solid 6 months of our lawyers communicating back and forth and dispositions and mediations, we finally agreed to a rather long 7 page parenting plan. It's very detailed regarding how exchanges/visitations should occur. Since her "fear of me" has been expressed, I've offered modifying our plan to change the meeting place to a police station. I've also suggested that she bring someone for support whether it's friend, family, or significant other, should she feel the need to. Once I was accused of being adamant that I see her, I suggested that someone else entirely conduct the exchange and that I didn't have a preference who that person was to be. Are these proposals of modification not sufficient enough or not considered proactive on my part? Can a judge reasonably rule a modification and order us back to using the third party without my approval and without any substantial reason or documented incident from my ex beyond "I'm afraid of him"?

-What am I within my rights to do regarding her refusal of visitation? I'm going to wait until after our contempt and TPO hearings but if she fails to honor our court order afterwards, what are my options beyond filing for contempt again and having to wait a month and a half for a hearing? I just want to see my son. Can I call for police assistance with my court order?

Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer: What happened to cause a TPO to be issued in April of 2014?


Title: Kearney, NE here. My boyfriend was falsely accused of rape.

Question:
First of all, I would like to know what kind of legal ramifications this chick is facing.  I did some Googling and didnt really find anything useful.

My boyfriend and I both want to know what he can do when (not if) the DNA test comes back negative, and what i can do to possibly hep him with it.

He wants to sue her, but im not even sure you can do that.  I mean, i dont know why you couldnt, but im not real versed in anything legal.

Answer: IF someone knowingly makes a false report to the police and that causes you damage you can sue.  NOTE knowingly false does not mean mistake , vague , even "I suspect" or "I'm not sure but I may have been raped"   A person can be 100% wrong and still not "knowingly false"


Title: Broke a tooth at buffalo wild wings

Question:
Title says it all, I went to buffalo wild  wings and ordered some boneless wings, well one (more like five) of them happened to be nothing but a ball of skin that after it was fried (or however they're made) turned into a rock, well I was unaware of this until I popped it into my mouth and bit down on it, and heard a crack, well it completely broke one of my back molars, I didn't talk to the manager because I was quite angry, and just wanted my girlfriend to finish eating so we could leave.
I'm wondering how would I be able to go about getting them to pay for the dental costs, if at all possible?
I did send corporate a message about the incident.
Thanks for any feedback!

Answer:
 Your back molar?

You eat boneless wings by putting them entirely in your mouth and biting down hard enough to break a molar on fried skin? These "balls of skin" were big enough to resemble a boneless wing and somehow hard enough to break a tooth, but you didn't notice the odd texture when you put it in your mouth?

I'm just surprised -- I've fried many a chicken part in my time, and never have I seen the centimeter-thick skin of a chicken do anything like ball up into a tooth-breaking rock.

Even if you had proof that this happened and immediately reported it to the manager, clearly your tooth was severely compromised.


Title: ESA laws [WI]

Question:
My girlfriend was planning to move in with me in July but my place doesn't allow pets. She had registered her dog as an emotional support animal both online and has a letter from a Medical counselor licensed from Utah, we are in Wisconsin.

I emailed my landlord notifying him that she was planning to move in next month and has an ESA. He asked for a "letter signed by medical doctor." We provide that from the previously mentioned counselor.

The response I got was "The new Federal law says the official documentation must be from a Medical Doctor licensed in the State who has seen the person requesting the need for a Emotional Support Animal.   The Doctor will know the required information that will need to be in the letter. The letter and the card you send me is from “USA Service Dog Registration” which is an internet site."

I've searched everywhere and cannot find a law that states what he's saying. The counselor also says he's incorrect.

What can I do? She's in need of a place more so now than when we initially planned it.

Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 > She had registered her dog as an emotional support animal both online and has a letter from a Medical counselor licensed from Utah, we are in Wisconsin.

So she's scamming. She should stop scamming.


Title: Getting taken for child support in a unique way. (CA/MI)

Question:
I will keep this short and include what's relevant.

I got divorced while in active duty in CA and have a young son. We always planned on moving back to our home state of MI after my enlistment but when my contract was up, Ex didn't want to go. I had the child half of the time but techically she has primary custody.

I moved in June, we went to court immediately beforehand to recalculate custody and child support and the agreement came to $700/mo with me having my kid summers and every other christmas. It was alot for me since I don't make much but whatever, it could have been tougher.

Here's where I start getting played: I had my son for the past two months 100% of the time as I'm in MI. I'll have him 100% of the time until mid-September. I just discovered my ex is moving back to MI very close to me as soon as it's her turn to have our son.

Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled that my son will be close to me year round, but I need to know if I have any options for this child support arrangement. The reason the support was so high was because I would only have my son 30%. Now I have had him 100% and will continue to have him 50% for the forseeable future but I'm still paying the extra. I am reasonably sure my ex did this on purpose as mutual friends have told me she planned it like this for the extra money.

It gets more frustrating. Apparently (I went to a legal assistance office, can't afford a lawer by a long shot) MI cannot do anything with this case until my son has been a resident for 6 months (except enforce my payments, of course...) and in the mean time, I'm barely getting by and my ex is making money off of me by gaming the system...

Anything I can do about this?

Thanks.

Answer:
 Use this 6 months to your advantage. Spend as much time as possible with your son, pay your child support before anything else (even your rent), get him some friends/playmates, give him some structure.

When the six months are up, you'll be able to file not just for a change in child support but also a change in custody due to a change in circumstances-- something that reflects you've been the primary caretaker of your son for nearly the last year.

Don't even mention anything to the mother-- keep everything friendly and cordial. Be the bigger person.  It will reflect well on you when the time comes.Answer #2: In MI, child support is based on how many overnights a year each parent has according to the parenting plan. If you and your ex are exercising a different plan than court ordered, you still have to pay the support that is ordered until the court changes it.

If you want to file in MI, yes, you will have to wait until your child is officially a MI resident.


Title: Multiple spam calls a day

Question:
I'm receiving multiple spam calls a day on my cell phone from a different number and I don't know next steps to prevent this from happening.  Every call has my area code and the same prefix but the last four numbers are different every time.  I've added my number to the "do not call registry", I've block their numbers on my phone and when I do pick up (and its not 5 seconds of silence and then hang up), I asked them to not call me again and they just hang up.  If I try to call the number back, it just continues to ring.   While I've received one or two calls occasionally in the past, I'm receiving these at least five times a day and its beyond annoying. Is there anything I can do prevent these calls from happening?

Edit: Bot wants my location.

Location: Tampa, Florida.

Answer: There really isn't. These are spoofed numbers, most likely originating from abroad.


Title: shoplifting at walmart

Question:
Okay so I posted on here a few months ago about this but something very weird/scary happened today

Backstory:
My friend and I got caught shoplifting at walmart about two months ago. We returned the merchandise, nothing was damaged, we cooperated and the total of the items was about $18 combined between both of us.

They didn’t call the police, we didn’t sign any papers, we weren’t banned from the store, they just took our information and told us we’d get a letter in the mail and then we left.

We haven’t gotten a letter in the mail yet, and nothing has happened since.

Until today:
My friend and I both got a text message at the same time from the asset protection man that caught us stealing and took our information (so he has our phone numbers). Both messages were in the same exact wording something along the lines of, “This is only for 321ynotkcuf. This is xxx from Walmart, the guy that caught you shoplifting. I’m getting ready to file my cases with the district court and I wanted to give you the opportunity to let me know why I shouldn’t file your case. Please be specific. Tell me something I haven’t heard before. If I don’t hear from you by friday the 29th, I assume you are okay with me filing your case with the court. What you write me back could still influence me not to file it. Get back to me soon. Thanks.”

Is this allowed? Is he being serious? Or is he just trying to take advantage of a couple of young girls? We honestly have no idea what to do. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks

also: we know stealing is bad - we have not stolen anything since - we are never stealing again

Answer: You absolutely need to talk to your parents about this. There is absolutely 100% no way they are not going to find out about this, and you need an adult actually present in your life to be making decisions and providing direction here.


Title: Neighbor keeps mowing my yard

Question: I have about 3 acres and my neighbor keeps mowing my yard and cutting down my trees. He recently bought the property behind me and wants it cleared out. I don't really care because it's out of sight of my main property, but can he take possession if he clears out my woods because he was 'taking care of it'? I live in Indiana if that matters. Is there a paper I can have him sign or something? I am low key and do not want problems, but he is taking over my yard. Thanks a lot!

Answer:
 > cutting down my trees

That doesn't bother you? I'd be very disturbed about the theft of my trees. If nothing else, they're valuable timber.Answer #2: Just mowing your lawn is not enough for an adverse possession claim in Indiana. Also please have your neighbor get in touch with me. I have a shrubbery problem. [Here's some basic info.](http://online.dakotahomestead.com/Vol%20VI%20State%20Und/5-Indiana-partf-AdversePossession.pdf)


Title: Flower Shop Owner Claiming Content On Workers Insta

Question: Alberta Canada. I have a friend who has made an Instagram account to post the arrangements that she makes for her job. She is trying to do it as a hobby but her boss claims it as his property (which to be fair it is). He demands that she links the store and plugs the shop for every post. These guys aren't the best bosses so she would prefer not to. Is there any way that she can maintain her account without selling out to her bosses or should be back down?

Answer:
 She can stop posting pictures she took on the clock of work someone else paid her to do.

Or she can attribute the store.

This is a weird hill to die on. Having a portfolio can be beneficial for potential career moves in the future. While it may seem shitty to advertise for someone you don't agree with, it's also dumb not to advertise yourself because of something so simple.


Title: [St Louis]My mortgage company leaked my personal info to my entire office while attempting to verify my employment.

Question:
I live in St. Louis Missouri, on Thursday morning, the mortgage company I'm going through emailed my work to verify my employment. The email they sent the request to is to my entire office (all 100-120 employees see the emails that are sent to this box) and in the request were two pdf files, one of which had my SSN on it.

5 minutes later they sent another email advising "please delete previous email. sorry for any confusion" which in my mind only drew more attention to the first one.

I have saved/printed off all the emails and even other employees responding to it and have a copy of the privacy disclosure from the mortgage company.

How do I go about this? Do I try and confront the mortgage company? Or lawyer up first and go from there?

Any and all help/direction is appreciated.

Answer:
 Ask then what happened. If they emailed an address you gave them then you might be SOL.

If it was their error ask for credit monitoring to be paid for by themAnswer #2: Location bot needs to get himself to The Gateway city. That aside, I wonder if it was the same one we used. We didn't have a massive screw up like this, but they kept pulling our credit reports - seven times each for myself and my husband - because they were shopping around. The rep didn't know the difference between soft and hard pulls, resulting in us having to fight the pulls just to get a decent rate. Then they waited until the very last minute before we were to get funded to verify my husbands employment. His company didn't use The Work Number back then and it was a lot of stress all around. It was compounded by the fact that it was right before the 4th of July weekend and before a nasty derecho blew through the area.


Title: Grandparents rights?

Question: My child's paternal grandmother is a mess and I do not want her to be a part of my daughter's life. She lives in Delaware, do I ever have to worry about her receiving visitation rights? My SO (daughter's father) and I are on the same page, we think it would be detrimental to my daughter's well-being to include her in her life. If so, what can we do to prevent this nightmare. If I need to include any further information, please let me know, I just didn't want to leave a wall of potentially irrelevant info.

Answer: Unless she has had a significant relationship with the child to this point there is next to no chance they would be awarded visitation rights.  Also if there is a demonstrated reason why you are keeping her away the court would take that into account.  Visitation has to be found to be in the best interest of the child, its not awarded just because a grandparent wants it.


Title: How wrong and discriminatory were his actions? (Florida)

Question:
I'm a 31yo male just to clarify. My manager pulled me aside today at work, with no witnesses, and told me that I can't use my prescription cane at work. I have spinal stenosis and need a cane to move around. Also, I can't lift heavy objects, stand for long periods of time, walk for long periods of time, or use ladders. I work at Home Depot doing merchandising, so these restrictions don't afect my job too much. I just replace price labels all day on a mobile printer.

He said I need to bring my 'spinal issue to a conclusion'. Then he asked me to take a Leave of Absence, suggested I transfer to another store position, suggested I apply for Social Security Disability, and finally suggested I find another job. He asked about my finances, like rent, car, if I have dependents on my taxes.

How wrong and discriminatory were his actions?

Answer:
 It's not illegal to just ask questions. Has he taken any concrete action? Is there a store HR or employee relations person or something like that? Sounds like the 3 of you need to have a meeting. In the meantime just keep doing your job and using your cane as you always have.

> He asked about my finances, like rent, car, if I have dependents on my taxes.

You can respectfully decline to answer all these questions.


Title: Protocol for breaking apartment lease over aggravated robbery?

Question:
My brother was just robbed at gun point, five feet from the stairs to our apartment. It was broad daylight. The murderous twat ran behind him and put a gun to his back and threatened to kill him unless he gave her his wallet. He said she threatened to “blow him away unless he gave her all his shit.” (When she saw he had no cash, she demanded his pin # and he gave the real one [ugh!]. She used it while he was on the phone with 911.)

Is this something we can terminate our lease over? Our lease is up in June or July, but this unacceptable and we are both freaked out. Our complex isn’t in a great neighborhood or area. But the community is gated. (Which only works if you don’t leave the gates open.)

There’s always been crime here. Ppl breaking into cars. My next door neighbor is a state trooper and said someone broke into his marked vehicle and stole his vest a while back. (We went straight to him after we hung up with 911.) A couple of years ago, a man got shot in the groin during a robbery, but it was late at night, and the management somewhat blamed him for not paying attention to his surroundings when I asked for more information.

I looked at my lease, and it basically says the apartments don’t guarantee our safety and we need to be vigilant. But my brother wasn’t on his phone or distracted (though he clearly wasn’t CIA alert either). He was walking steadily into his apartment during the bright, open day and was robbed. She could have shot him or worse. (She first told him he needed to come with her and when he turned around to be like what funny joke is this? She then threatened to kill him.) Not being punny, but this is too close to home, and I don’t feel safe enough to go walk my dogs now or check the mail. Am I just stuck here until my lease is up?

Answer: This does not give you grounds to terminate your lease without penalty.


Title: Landlord found our puppy.

Question:
My GF and I wanted a puppy for a long time so we decided to look into getting one. Talked to our landlord about this idea and she was tolerant with some expectations. One of which was the dog could not be a puppy and the other being a pet deposit fee. We decided to go ahead and get a puppy anyway. Fast forward a fee weeks and the puppy situation is going great, no major issues. However out landlord still doesn't know we have a dog.

Today my landlord's BF entered our house without prior notice. (Lease states landlord must give 24 hour notice before entering the home) and discovered our puppy. Now our landlord will for sure know about the dog.

What are my legal options here?

Answer:
 I assume your lease prohibits dogs? Or only allows them with permission?

You can contact your landlord, fess up and try to negotiate a solution or you can likely expect some kind of eviction notice, a three day cure or quit is pretty common but you need a location to know exactly what options you will get.Answer #2: What does your lease say about pets?


Title: Clothing allowance for Volunteer EMS being taxed. [NJ]

Question: I live in New Jersey. I am a volunteer EMT in my town, and the town gives volunteers EMTs in the town who have served for a year a clothing allowance. When we received our check for it, it was taxed and brought down from 400 dollars to 324 dollars about. I am not an expert in law, but why would the money be taxed in the first place? We are not employees, but volunteers and shouldn't we be treated as such? I can give more details in edits if asked.

Answer: All money given from any entity to a private individual is taxed. Nothing wrong with this.


Title: (Colorado) I believe a couple may be living in a U-Haul truck in our back alley. What can I do?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Call 1-800-GO-Uhaul. If they've been there a week the UHaul is probably looking for it.

Happened all the time when I worked at a UHaul.


Title: about the legality of gore sites

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Why do you think they should be illegal? There is nothing illegal about explicit material. Only becomes illegal if there is underage nudity involved. You have to be careful of what area you're asking about, though. Bestgore.com's founder was charged under Canada's obscenity law for his website.  Answer #2: Because nobody has passed a law banning them.  Gross stuff is legal to look at.  Answer #3: And they should be illegal because........(wait for it)..... they offend you?


Title: Failed breathalyzer at work (NC)

Question:
At work, new job with union coverage, I pulled a muscle, and went to the nurse for advice/treatment, per company policy.

After being given a heat pad, I was escorted to an off site doctors office and was given a drug test and breathalyzer.

The breathalyzer first read .12, second attempt came back inconclusive, third .096, and the fourth and final one came back at .046.

Upon gathering my paperwork, I was asked to wait for them to inform hr of the results. I was asked not to step outside to smoke a cigarette, which I promptly disregarded and did anyways, like an idiot. I was sufficiently freaked out, and not thinking properly, and here's why.

I had not drank at work, or before. It's just not something I do. My last drink had been at 10:30 pm the previous night. This test was done after 9 am this morning. I have no clue how those results are even possible.

Not only this, but upon arriving back at the facility, we began discussing the affects of this, and took record of everything. The hr supervisor took note that I had returned to his office at 11:20 am, at which point I pointed out that the test results printed directly from the machine read that the first test was administered at 11:24 am.

I realize that this isn't strictly legal advice I'm seeking, just advice on this in general, because it seems to me that this machine was in fact in error, multiple times.

I've made peace with the regrettable fact that I most likely lost the job, but just seeing if anyone has experience with breathalyzers, and if so, is this common?

Answer:
 It takes a healthy liver one hour to break down and disperse one unit of alcohol (about a half pint of beer), so depending on how much you drank, it's not entirely implausible for you to fail a breathalyzer the next day. Answer #2: Did you get like totally blotto the night before? Answer #3: How long between tests?  If it wasn't too long,  then simply pointing out the stupidly fast rate of elimination should be enough to bring the machine into question.   Answer #4: Do you smoke menthols?  The rate at which your tests decreased was too fast. It should be about .015 loss an hour.
Smoking menthol or chewing gym or using any mouth wash with alcohol in it will show up and cause eronious readings.


Title: [CO] Wells Fargo fired me for my disability

Question:
I was hired by Wells Fargo last year, over the course of this year I have been struggling with multiple chronic illnesses, been in and out of the hospital and doctors offices, was officially diagnosed by my doctor as disabled with pancreatic insufficiency and lupus, and still have ongoing appointments and specialists to help diagnose other medical conditions as they have been arising. It seems clear to me that Wells Fargo and their disability insurance carrier, Liberty Mutual, has done everything they could to ignore timely and valid documentation that I had provided to them. I believe they did so in order to deny my short term disability benefits which should have been paid out, and as of yesterday they had terminated my employment which will cease my medical benefits. I believe I have been discriminated against for my disability by the actions they chose to take.

I reside in Colorado Springs, I don't have a lot of money, but I do have friends that care enough about me to help cover legal costs up front. I believe I have a case here, but does anyone have any advice on how much this should cost. I got a call from a company who wanted me to pay 29.95 up front for unlimited consultation but wanted to make sure this is not a scam.

Answer: A consult with an employment attorney is free. Don't pay. Call your local bar association for referralsAnswer #2: What reasonable accommodation did you request from WF to allow you to continue your job functions?


Title: Lease begins June 1st but landlord is saying we might not be able to move in that day (SC)

Question:
My boyfriend and I signed a lease for a house that has June 1st as the start of the lease. BEFORE we signed the lease the property manager said June 4th as the move-in date in an email to my boyfriend. However, when she sent the lease for us to sign it was for June 1st. We have also paid the first months rent. It was not pro-rated.

Today the property manager said that we MIGHT be able to move in on June 1st. She said the current tenants lease does not end until May 30th.

Since the lease says June 1st is that legally the day they have to let us move in even if June 4th was said in a previous email? If they know they needed multiple days to get the house ready they shouldn't have had our lease start on the 1st, right? It seems like they are trying to make money off us while they get it ready.

Answer: What does your lease say happens if the landlord is unable to deliver possession on time?Answer #2: The lease supercedes it. This is a breach of the lease. This is an opportunity to break the lease, but if this is the only issue I would recommend asking for the 3 days of rent pro-rated and possibly accommodations for the 3 days you may need to spend in a hotel. It's up the the landlord if they agree, and you'll have to decide if small claims is worth it if they refuse to negotiate


Title: I'm not Christian enough....

Question:
So my wife of almost 6 years has decided that I'm not a good enough father...i.e. I won't raise my son in a christian atmosphere because I'm an Atheist.  So she's given me an ultimatum, raise him christian or she'll move back home (from PA to IL).  What can I expect if I go see a lawyer, and how can I stop her from moving?

To answer a few up front questions:  Yes, she knew my "religion" before we got married.  No, I've never tried to dissuade my son (5 years old) from any religion.  I just want him to be able to think for himself when he's older, and wont take part in any religious teachings.

Answer: You need to see a lawyer and ask about a temporary custody order to keep the kid in the state while any other proceedings are pending.  You can't keep  her from leaving, but you can probably keep her from taking the kid out of state.  But don't wait until she's gone.