Title: Girlfriends family took the phone I gave her and are trying to sell it.

Question:
Hello! This is probably going to be one of the more mild requests here, but I need some help. So I'm almost 18 and my girlfriend is 16. She lives across the country, so we have a LDR. Her family only gives her those free government phones that last for a month or two and then die, so I wanted to help. I recently got a new phone and I still had my old one, which still worked well. So I sent the old one to her. This was after we got specific promises from her family that it would be hers and her family wouldn't touch it.

&#x200B;

Well, they got the package and didn't give it to her. They took it and now they're planning on selling it. Is there anything I can do to stop them? They haven't sold it yet but that's what they're planning. This all sounds kind of stupid and petty, but any advice would be really appreciated.

Answer:
 She's a minor. Her parents have the right to dictate what phones she is allowed to possess and use. You gifted her a phone and her parents decided they did not want her to have it. The nice thing to do would be to return the phone to you, but they are not under a legal obligation to do so. Absent neglect or abuse (and not being able to use a phone is neither of these things), the police will not interfere or have any interest in the case. If they did show up to check on the situation, the only outcome I can see coming from this is complicating relationships. The postal service likewise would not be interested in the case, as she is a minor and her legal guardians viewed/confiscated her mail, which they are allowed to do.

You could possibly sue for the return of the phone, or its value, since there was apparently an agreement of some kind that she would be able to use the phone and she was not allowed to do so, but your on the other side of the country and the costs to do so would far outweight the value of the phone.Answer #2: As an employee for a phone carrier since your name (or parents name) is tied to the initial purchase of the phone they can report the device as lost or stolen, which will blacklist the device from use on US based carriers. If they’re going to sell it they will face challenges when the buyer tries to get it active. Some websites even make you input the IMEI when selling a phone there to prevent lost or stolen property from being sold. It’ll bounce back in their face pretty hard that way.


Title: I'm being Blackmailed.

Question:
So yeah... Let us jump right into this ball of shit.
So a few days ago I get a friend request on FaceBook and I accept its a chick so so we start talking and then randomly sends me nudes and shit this is where I fuck up I send some back (Non Including my face) turns out it was a dude and he is asking for money otherwise he'll post my pictures on the internet so what the fuck do I do?

Answer: It's a scam.  Stop sending nudes to strangers.


Title: Seizure due to flashing lights

Question: I had a seizure due to the flashing lights of construction and the police cars around the construction. It made me out of it for a couple days and I couldn’t function. Is there anything I can do about this legally?

Answer: If that was something you could pursue legally, do you think every ambulance, police car, and fire truck in the US would have those flashing lights?


Title: Renting apartment with ESA dog in pet unfriendly area

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Do you want legal advice or advice on how not to piss off your landlord? These tend to be mutually exclusive.


Title: Was just involved in hit and run (I was the running party)...

Question: This was in Denver, Colorado. What happened was I was stopped at a light, after the light turned green the driver in front of me was going well under the speed limit, so I slowed down and was waiting for a safe opportunity to pass the driver. As I was trying to pass him, he continuously started "brake-checking" me, stopped his car in the middle of traffic and got out of his car. At this point I panicked and felt threatened so I passed him and clipped the corner of his car in the process. He got back in and started following me but I kept driving until he quit following me. I then checked the damage on my car (very minor) and immediately went to the police station to let them know. I had no intention of escaping any responsibility I had in this but I felt threatened after he stopped and got out of his car. The city police told me to file a counter claim (the accident had already been reported when I got there) with state patrol since it was in their jurisdiction. The officer I talked to said it shouldn't be anything major, considering I felt threatened and went to the PD afterwards. Still, what can I expect to happen now?

Answer:
 A hit-and-run is a criminal charge.  Given that you immediately went to the police and explained the situation, and there was no personal injury, it is unlikely that you will be charged with a hit-and-run.

Given that you hit the other person's car, you will almost certainly have an insurance claim against you for the damage, which you will want your insurance company to deal with.


Title: Arrested on spring break in Alabama.

Question:
I was on spring break a couple weeks ago down in Alabama and happened to get arrested for a pedestrian under the influence. My court date is coming up in a couple weeks. The only problem is that I live in Iowa and go to school in Wisconsin. My question is regarding my court date and whether or not I actually have to show up or if I can plead guilty over the phone and pay the fine? Can they really make someone come to court if they live that far away?

Thanks in advice for any help.

Answer:
 yes they can make you appear in court. in fact they can _so_ make you appear in court that if they believed you would not appear they could deny you bail to ensure that you would face your charges.

depends on state law if you can pay a fine. what's the statue you were charged with violating? Answer #2: You should probably enlist a local criminal defense attorney to see what (if anything) he/she can do to help you out. A local attorney (in AL) would know the local law and personalities and what can be worked out for out-of-town spring-breakers. Surely, you aren't the first kid to have this issue.


Title: Can I "pause" the divorce process? Divorce help in Oregon!

Question: My partner and I have completed two mediation sessions to discuss parenting plans and custody. The sessions have not been helpful because we don't have healthy communication in our day-to-day lives when we swap for the kiddo (she's two). He only spends about 16 hours with her a week right now, but he wants a lot more, like an unreasonable amount of time that provides a very unstable, back n forth kind of lifestyle for her that isn't best for her at this developmental stage. I try to talk to him about normal parenting things or a slight change in pick/drop off time because I work full time and he doesn't even have a job anymore (he was fired for inappropriate behavior the week after I moved out) when we see each other for the short amount of time we have together but I either get ignored or a dramatic "we should not discuss this outside of meditation." The progress we've had is slim to none and I am beginning to think that we need to just pause for a bit before we move forward because there is so much anger and emotion tied to our contact. We are both back in school as well to finish our degrees and there is so much uncertainty with our schedules/ way of life that it might be best to wait to formally document such important changes. I am the Petitioner in our case, can I put a pin in the process and let some things cool down before moving forward? Thank you for reading!

Answer:
 What's an "unreasonable amount of time"?

Is he asking for 70% of the time? 80%? More? Because really, 50-50 is fair and reasonable, and if that's all he's asking for I'm not sure he is the one being unreasonable.

The most important things in divorce:

1- love your kids more than you hate your ex- ie: make sure every decision you make is the right one for the child, not to spite the ex.

2- when sorting out agreements, never make an offer you would not accept for yourself. This is how you know it's reasonable and fair.

He is also correct in not engaging with you at exchanges, and that you should not be discussing outside of mediation - especially in front of the child.


Title: [PA] Parents want to sue my school.

Question: [removed]

Answer:
 Ummm... what are they suing for?  It sounds like you dont really give a fuck and they are looking for someone else to blame.

If you have straight F's after missing 3 days that isn't the schools fault you aren't graduating on time - that is your fault  There is a lot more going on than what you are talking about here.  3 days of missed work doesn't equal a failed year.Answer #2: Your post history is full of ridiculous and contradictory statements. In fact, weren't your parents kicking you out recently? Now they're suing the school on your behalf?


Title: I think my spouse is a pedophile

Question:
First off my boyfriend of four years has been kicked out of my house just to be safe.

I found out my boyfriend put a hidden camera in my 15 year old daughters room, he did not turn it on or record anything but I knew the lies he told me on how it got there were bullsh*t so I decided to do some digging.

I found after going through his Google web app activity that over the last 8 plus years hes been looking up and viewing child pornography, it started with searched like child models , tiny children in swimwear,  sexy kid, and the progressed to websites that had actual explicit images of children between 6 and 15 years old . As recent as December 2018 he visited a file sharing site and Googled two torrents for Siberian mouse  and a few other things. Immediately after seeing his search history I went to the police they came and saw his browse history on his computer which is linked to a tablet he threw away after I found it hidden in camping gear and his phone. They seized his computer but it's now been over a week and no warrant has been issued to search his stuff.

He has a lawyer already and his family is helping him try and fight any charges that may come up as well as they put him in therapy I believe to build a defense as they never cared before about any issues hes had.

My first question is if they do not get the warrant can I press charges for placing the Camera in my daughters room as he is not a legal guardian and I was never consulted about purchasing it even though he didnt record anything?

Second question is if he only searched for images and videos but maybe didnt download or actually torrent the videos can he still be charged with possession of child pornography?

We live in Texas and I've tried searching the laws on this but it's all pretty vague. My daughter is very scared to the point that even after installing security cameras and changing locks, she covers her TV, laptop and even refuses to open her A/C vents because shes afraid there might be more cameras.

I dont know exactly what I can do to help her feel secure and safe outside of what I have and worry our police department may drop the ball here and he'll get off

Any suggestions would be much appreciated

Answer:
 >can I press charges for placing the Camera in my daughters room

Did you report this information to the police?  You can't decide to press charges but you can make sure the police know of the event.

>if he only searched for images and videos but maybe didnt download or actually torrent the videos can he still be charged with possession of child pornography?

That's a fairly complicated question.  Ultimately it could be difficult to prove on the basis of the search history alone that he committed a crime.

>I dont know exactly what I can do to help her feel secure and safe

Obviously your daughter needs counseling.  Perhaps you do as well.Answer #2: IANAL but didn’t see you mention this anywhere - have you considered getting a protection order for your daughter? If the camera isn’t enough without actually recording to charge, it may still be enough to get a protection order which might discourage him from moving back to your area and give your daughter some peace of mind.Answer #3: >*edit* I would like to add that since finding out the police have his computer he has gone into his web activity and permanently deleted his search history

Having written software myself *and* being married to a highly skilled computer programmer  trust me,  nothing is ever "permanently deleted". Sort of melting down a hard drive or grinding it into powder, there's virtually no way to completely get rid of files. A skilled computer forensics expert can retrieve most or all of it if the police/DA want or need it.


Title: My lawyer defrauded me of $5,000 (FL) what can I do?

Question:
Hello Legal Community!

About 6 years ago I was charged in the state of FL with a crime I didn’t commit (I had already moved OUT of FL at the time of the alleged incident, so it was an easy thing to prove)

I didn’t even find out about this charge until about 2 years ago. I hired a lawyer to help me prove my innocence, but she never showed up to court or did anything else after filing the initial motion to reopen the case.

After 2 months of her never returning my calls I hired a different lawyer to take care of things. The criminal case was quickly dismissed after the new lawyer took over, but that’s not what this post is about.

I had given the original lawyer $5,000.00 to handle the case. It’s now been 2 years and 2 months since I gave her that money. I have tried calling her numerous times and I have not been successful in communicating with her.

At this point it’s less about the money (it’s still $5k that I don’t want to lose) and more about the principle.

I don’t live in FL (presently a CA resident), what can I do to get my money back?

Thank you
Topic:
Contracts

Answer: contact the florida bar association


Title: Apartment neighbor aggressively approached me and said she's recording me going in and out of my house [Sorry for the wall, I want to be thorough]

Question:
My downstairs neighbor, who has lived here for maybe a month or two, has been basically harassing me from day one. I live upstairs and she lives downstairs. I'm not an inconsiderate neighbor by any means. I don't stomp around, play loud music, or cause noise of any kind. I've lived below inconsiderate neighbors and I know how it is. The first day she was moving in she approached me about my dog barking occasionally when I'm not home. I work and my fiance works so there is some time when there's no one at home with him. I feel it's important to note that I've never had a noise complaint outside of when he was a puppy when I first moved here when we were breaking him of his separation anxiety. We quickly corrected the problem and haven't had any since. This was almost four years ago. My dog likes to go out on my porch and occasionally he'll make noise at the people walking by but never growls at them or barks. He's actually quite a coward and would never hurt a fly. He's never bitten anyone or gotten aggressive over anything ever in his life and I've had him since he was four months old. She goes outside when he's out on the porch and yells at him to shut up even if he's not doing anything. Her dog barks all the time when she's not home. It's constant and I've never reported it because, hey, it's an apartment complex with thin walls and you're going to hear noises. Her dog also lunges at the screen door when anyone walks by.

She then proceeds to come out of her house to say that I'm intentionally slamming my door to make her angry and knock the stuff off her walls. I explained that my door doesn't shut correctly and there was nothing I can do about it and assured her that I would never slam the door on purpose. She said alright and went back inside on her way. She then proceeded to call maintenance on my behalf without telling me and the only reason I knew of it was because the office called and asked if it was alright if they came over. I said, yeah okay I guess, and they came over and said there's nothing wrong with my door and they don't want to mess with it because it would let air in etc and they told her the same thing. My door still doesn't shut properly and I have to put force behind it to close.

Fast forward to yesterday afternoon. I get a call from my apartment complex that my dog has been barking nonstop for the last bit of time and that it needs to stop etc. The only problem is that I WAS HOME when she was claiming to have heard him barking. I had a doctors appointment shortly after and I told the office management that and they seemed to understand.

Then last night while I was outside talking on the phone she came out of her house and I had this sinking feeling. She waited until I was off the phone (And I waited to see if she would go back inside and she didn't... she just kept waiting). So I walked back up to my house and tried to go in past her, ignoring her the entire way. She physically stepped in front of my door and stopped me from going inside. At this point I'm severely freaked out and afraid, visibly shaking because of this. She then told me that and I quote (to the best of my ability) "Every time I hear someone going down your stairs or see you coming back to your house I'm going to record you and take it to the office to prove that you're slamming your door on purpose." I tried to tell her again that I don't slam my door on purpose and I don't try to slam it at all and she then said "Oh yeah? Do you want to hear yourself? I have it recorded." At this point I'm so scared because who knows how long this woman has been recording me and for what reasons and I panicked and (sort of) yelled "Just leave us alone!" and went inside. I was hysterical and hyperventilating and could barely get any air. I took the only logical step I could think of and called the security for my apartment complex and explained the situation.

Jump ahead about 10 minutes when security finally gets here. They question her and she tells them that I've been slamming the door on purpose and yelling at her. She also says that my dog is mean and barks constantly. The officer then tells her that she is more than welcome to call them if SHE feels there is more harassing behavior against HER. The officer then comes to my house to talk to me and test my door. She tested my door and saw that it doesn't shut correctly. I told her that maintenance said it was fine and didn't want to fix it. She put in her report that she strongly recommends that they come and put in a new door and door frame. She then told me that I needed to be more considerate about my door and I shouldn't be so loud. She didn't even address this woman recording me going in and out of my house and her physically getting in my way of going into my house. I also told the officer I've lived here for four years and I've never had a noise complaint against me or anything of that sort in the time I've been here. She then said "Oh, well that makes a difference then." I also informed her that I'm pregnant and I don't feel safe with this woman, who admitted to recording me, living below me. Especially when I'll have a child later on and while I'm going to be in and out of my house and doctors a lot. I also feel it's important to say here that this woman was yelling at me through the door when I was talking with the officer. She just dismissed it off and said I'll put it in my report and then left. She did say I should call the police if I felt if was necessary but she didn't feel it was.

So now I feel trapped in my house because this woman will call the police if my dog barks and I don't want them to come seize my dog or going into my house. I just don't feel safe. But yet I don't feel like I have enough of a case to request a restraining order. And I feel as if the officer labeled me as the aggressor and this woman as the victim even though I've never approached her or given her any reason to act like a victim before this. She's a 60 year old white/Mexican woman and the officer also appeared to be Mexican/Latina.

I live in Kansas if this helps anyone. I just don't know what to do next and my fiance is just basically shrugging it off as if the woman is nuts.
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: You can move. Other than that, she can video you in public if she chooses. All she will have is video of you walking up and down stairs to your place. She can call the police about your dog but if it is not barking when they get there they won't do anything. She is annoying but not breaking any laws.


Title: Microburst caused tree branch to fall onto neighbor's car parked in my driveway. Am I liable?

Question:
Some background: I lurk here often and now have an issue of my own. Throwaway for privacy. I live in Summit, NJ and last week we had a powerful microburst topple many trees in our town causing tons of property damage and leaving hundreds without power for a couple of days. The storm caused a large branch on one of my otherwise healthy trees to fall.

Late in the night before the storm, my Neighbor had a Guest stay overnight and since overnight street parking is not allowed in our town, Neighbor instructed Guest to park in my driveway (around 3am), I was asleep so this was unbeknownst to me. I get along with Neighbor and because I have a larger driveway he wasn't blocking me in so this would otherwise not be an issue.

Well the next day a branch fell off one of my trees and landed on Guest's car causing damage.  The repair estimate is $4,500 and they approached me wanting me to claim it against my homeowners insurance.  I immediately refused. I definitely want to avoid that because I never agreed to have the car parked on my property and don't need any claims on my insurance possibly causing my rates to increase. My concern is that if Guest claim it on his car's insurance, they'll want to subrogate against me.

So my questions are - (a) am I liable for the damage to the car and (b) is there a way I can avoid making a claim on my homeowners insurance?

Answer:
 If the tree was healthy as you say or if you had reasonable expectation that it was healthy (even if it had hidden disease weakening it but you had no knowledge of such) then you aren't liable. Answer #2: How is the home owner liable for someone trespassing and having their vechicle damaged while doing so?Answer #3: God I hate the New Jersey towns with these rules about street parking.  As another poster said, I think you should definitely let your insurance company know so that they can defend you if the guest does come after you.

But it's my understanding that the guest is a trespasser and, therefore, you only owed a duty to warn of artificial hazards.  [This case](https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=12470798463130040430&q=Pisano+v.+AAS+Realty+Holdings,+Inc.&hl=en&as_sdt=6,31) from an appellate court (but not NJ Supreme Court), reaffirms this.  Because you could not have known about a healthy tree branch falling in a freak storm, I think you would likely prevail.

And tell your neighbor that, unless things have changed, he can call the Summit P.D. and give them the guest's license plate and they won't ticket him if this is a once in a while thing.  Or he can park at the non-resident lot at the train station for like $9 I think.


Title: My girlfriend has a guy suing her when she has no money. How might this case go.

Question: Three years ago, my girlfriend hit a tractor driving In the middle of the road in the dark with no lights on, and for the past 3 years, this case has been gone on and on, he’s apparently “angry” and won’t stop until he’s gotten money out of her. Well, she’s a 23 year old girl, she doesn’t have the 15k for her own hospital bills accrued in this, plus what ever this dude wants. I have no idea why this case is still even a problem, he was driving a very very old John Deere, there’s not even lights mounted on the thing. Well next month, she’s scheduled to have a discovery disposition (I don’t know what that is) and I’m just really worried about how this case is going to go. We don’t want her to go bankrupt, and lose all of her savings she’s worked so hard for. This guy is literally trying to get blood from a rock.

Answer:
 Why isn't her insurance dealing with this?Answer #2: Her ability to pay won't have any bearing on who wins the lawsuit or for what amount. It will make it hard to collect against her but a judgement is usually good for 10+ years (location dependent) and can typically be renewed so if they win they may bank on her having more income and assets in the future. Answer #3: I'm guessing you mean a discovery deposition?  Does she have an attorney?

If he wins, he will get a judgment against her for whatever damages he is able to prove and is awarded, and she will owe him that amount of money.  As you noted, you can't get money from a rock, but he may be able to get her wages garnished going forward and/or be able to get at her savings until he is paid the amount he is owed.


Title: My girlfriends crazy rich ex wants her to pay him back.

Question: So my girlfriend is in an interesting perdicament. Before we got together there was an ex. They had just moved into a new apartment. When they moved in he had to pay a full years worth of rent up front. They both signed the lease. Now he wants her to pay half of the rent that he paid up front. While my girlfriend works she has a minimum wage job and doesn't make allot of money. I make a decent amount but I'm not trying to help with the debt. Other than signing the lease she has not signed any agreement to pay him back. Is there a defense if he sues?

Answer: So her name was on the lease? Did they have an agreement that she would pay him back or that she would pay for something specific in exchange for him paying the rent? There might not be a writing, but she may be liable to pay him something back if he relied on her promise to pay him back \(or pay for something else in exchange\) to his detriment. Having said that, he should be refunded a portion of that rent. She shouldn't be liable for the refunded portion.


Title: My friend confide in me something that might be potentially serious

Question:
First of all, thank you so much for taking some time to read this. I am not a native English speaker so I apologize if there are any misunderstanding. I will try my best to share and correct. I am from Thailand / Malaysia.

Recently a friend, whom haven't been in contact for quite some time, asked me for some time to speak. When we spoke, the friend shared something that the person did that is bad. Not very bad as in murder or anything like maximum prison sentence, but bad enough that the person would be in some serious shit. I have use google and some of the answers showed that the person could get some jail time if charged.

I have no prior knowledge of this or anything the person had done, the person was just a person I know from common work and events. I have no idea why the person decide to share with me. I feel very bad and taken advantage off, its like the person want to share with someone to get it off the person's chest and decided to pick me.

I don't know whether to report it or keep quiet. I have lost some nights from loss of sleep and stress. I feel guilty like I will get in trouble for not reporting or get in trouble in some other ways.

I don't know what to do. Can you share some advice to maybe help me.

Thank you very much. Your comments are very much appreciated.

Answer: [Thailand does not have a duty to report crimes](http://tilleke.com/sites/default/files/ICLG-Business-Crime2011.pdf).  So you have to decide whether you think this person is a danger to the community (or himself) or not, and then make your decision on a moral rather than legal basis.


Title: Can time be valued when suing in small claims court?

Question:
I am located in Kansas. About a month ago, I went to a business to receive advice and recommendations on how to best complete a project, and to purchase some materials. This is a national chain, but is a specialty store - not a general big box store. The employees are professionals - not kids working after school or on summer break.

I received what seemed at the time to be good advice and exact procedures for completing my project. Over the course of three or four additional visits, I purchased over $200 worth of product from them, and received more advice.

During the course of putting their advice and products to use, I spent approximately 40 hours, including taking three days off work, to work on my project. While doing research for another part of the project, I wound up back on their web site, on a page which provided information that contradicted everything I was told in store.  The information renders all of the products I purchased useless, and which means not only will I have to redo the project, I will have to *undo* all of the original work first.

I have escalated the issue to corporate to see what they have to say. In the meantime, I am considering a small claims case due to the negligence of the store's employees in providing accurate information. To me, the value of the time to re-do the project far exceeds the cost of the products provided (and the cost to re-purchase the correct products). However, I'm not sure if there is any way to put valuation on time in small claims. The only thing I can think of is perhaps using the 3 days I took off work and my hourly pay to come to a starting figure.

How should I approach this?

Answer:
 As I read this...

You got free advice from a store...

And, now you are looking to sue that store, because the free advice you received was bad.

You are coming here, seeking free advice on how to proceed.

Thanks... But, I'll pass.


Title: Wired a company money for leads. They never delivered and won't return calls.

Question: [deleted]

Answer: We can't guess whether "good faith payments" will be enough.  You made a promise to your client and failed that promise.  You owe them a refund.  If the other group failed to follow through on their promise to you, you can sue them.


Title: [Immigration] My father is a U.S citizen and I want to immigrate to the U.S to work with him at his business. I'm from Sweden.

Question: I'm 21 years of age so I definitely won't qualify through relation right? My father says to just travel there on a tourist visa and then he'll get my a lawyer to get my shit in order while in the country, but that seems a little bit risky since I'm essentially lying about the purposes of my visit to the states. How should I go about doing this?

Answer: Your father is in the U.S. and willing to hire an immigration attorney?  Have him consult one about getting the proper documentation.


Title: Body Modification Legal Advice

Question:
USA Huntsville, Alabama

Hello all,
I am seeking legal advice for an improper body piercing. About 6 1/2 months ago I took my girlfriend to get her lower belly button pierced. We had called and scheduled the appointment for 7 o'clock and everything was set. Upon arriving at the tattoo shop, we noticed that no one was there. We called the number left on the door and was told by the receptionist that the staff had gone out for dinner. We were told to hold on until 9 o'clock, which was fine. We arrived back to the tattoo shop just as the staff pulled in. It was apparent that some of them had been drinking. The guy that did the piercing seemed fine other than glazed eyes. My girlfriend has multiple piercings/dermals and felt very uncomfortable after the piercing was done. We did notice that the piercing wasn't as deep as expected, but clearly there was nothing we could do. She took all proper procedures in cleaning the piercing (as stated she has a lot of piercings that have caused no problems/rejections). So the piercing was finished and upon paying the girl at the register, she apologized to us that they were 2 hours late and that they had been drinking, which was clearly obvious because the girl was barely standing. So now here we are 6 months later and the piercing has completely fallen out. Since about 2 months ago we noticed that the piercing was being held by just a thin piece of skin (About 1-2 centimeters in width). Now the piercing has completely come out and has left a nasty scar with slight pain every now and then.
My question is-is there any legal action that can be pursued? We have no evidence that the guy who pierced her had been drinking except for the remarks made by the receptionist. Any advice would be appreciated.

Answer:
 Definitely make a complaint to the health department or wherever piercing/tattoo licenses are being issued.

If they investigate (and they might not), there is still no proof that they were under the influence while piercing. Things going wrong or unexpected with piercings is not exactly unheard of. It would be hard to prove negligence here or any kind of "malpractice".

You can talk to a lawyer, but without quantifiable damages and some proof, they'll probably tell you that you don't have a case.


Title: Girlfriend was just in a hit and run accident. Witnesses got runners plates and are happy to testify. Advice?

Question:
As the title states, my gf was just in a hit and run. Thank god she is not majorly injured , but her car is undrivable and she is very shaken and may have a concussion.

We want to pursue max punitive damages, hitting someone and running is an extremely awful thing to do. We live in Texas, any advice on how to proceed?

Thanks in advance!

Answer: Call the police.


Title: [ONT, CAN] Seller backing out of Condo backing out at the last moment. What is the buyer entitled to?

Question:
Asking this question for some friends in Ontario, Canada.

  Last week, on the closing day of purchasing a condo, my friends encountered an issue with the money in their bank account not being immediately accessible to their lawyer. The Seller was informed that there may be an issue having the funds at the Buyer's lawyers office by 5 pm, the dead line for the contract. However, after a few phone calls they were able to sort everything out, and had a cheque for the remaining funds to their lawyer by 4 pm.

 However, the Seller then decided that since there was no way that the cheque could be delivered to their own lawyer by 5 to be deposited by that day, they were entitled to kill the deal and back out of the contract. However, the term of the contract was that the payment be delivered to the Buyer' Lawyer by 5 pm, not that the payment be in the Seller's Account by 5 pm. Since cancelling the sale, the Seller has demanded that the Buyer accept a new offer to purchase the home at a higher cost, or they will sue the Buyer.  The Buyer's lawyers scoffed at this suggestion, and have offered to sue the Seller for breaking the contract. My friends, in interest of closing the deal, have floated an offer of the original purchase price plus one day of additional expense to the Seller as a final offer.

My question is, if the Seller refuses the new deal, and the Buyer then decides to pursue suing them for the broken contract, are they entitled to and able to sue for an amount of money above the costs they incurred from the broken contract (lawyers fees, house inspection)?  They are currently living rent free and have no storage fees, so the only monetary damages they have are the fees related with purchase of the home.

Answer:
 Seller can't decide on their own to kill the deal if the buyer did everything required by the contract. Buyer can sue for

1. Specific performance (require the seller to go through with original contract)

2. Damages (e.g. costs actually incurred because of this).You can't sue for arbitrary amounts.

Buyer should rely on their own lawyer's advice, since that lawyer knows the situation, and not reddit.


Title: Is my personal cell phone subject to FOIA? Oklahoma.

Question:
I work for a state agency. Recently we got the offer to receive new cell phones/plans for free. I use my phone a lot in my job, but I don't want to carry two phones and I don't want to lose my number I've had forever.  So I rejected the offer. My boss told me to just be aware that my personal phone would be subject to FOIA requests since I conduct state business on it.

First. Is this true?

Second. What kind of information would be made available to the public from a FOIA request?

I don't really care about the ramifications, I'd still rather just have one phone but this has me curious.

Thanks.

Answer: He's generically correct.  There are plenty of caveats in sunshine laws and FOIA, but generally speaking if you use something to conduct official business, it's subject to the same laws as officially owned equipment.  Answer #2: Despite the inconvenience of having to carry two phones, you might want them to give you a company phone.  You should be aware that if you use your personal phone to connect to their e-mail servers, then they can probably legally completely reformat your personal phone back to original settings thus deleting everything on your phone (you likely told them they could do this when you accepted the ability to log into their e-mail server).  You can google BYOD to read more.


Title: Should I claim all my income on my taxes, even if I can't prove it (in terms of Earned Income Credit) US at large

Question:
There's no state income tax. I'm asking about federal income taxes.

My income for 2018 looks to be in the range of maximum Earned Income Credit. I know I have to claim all my income, even if I can't "prove it" but that's typically to increase my tax base, not decrease it.

My plain question is this: I have some income in cash (less than a couple thousand) for which I have no paper trail. These are likely to increase my EITC.

What do I need to do to make this as legal as possible? Do I exclude it? What should I do?

Answer: You need to claim it. I'd keep a ledger where you enter the income, date received, and for what. There are many people that claim income this way. Farmers, restaurants, mechanics, babysitters ect. Answer #2: You should file an accurate tax return is the correct legal answer. For help with your specific tax situation, /r/tax is probably a better resource.


Title: My mother and I rented a vacation house through TripAdvisor and now the owner is telling us that we stole items from the home.

Question:
Ohio, US | Help! My mother and I rented a home for a weekend away with some of our closest friends (6 ladies, total). We left yesterday with everything in order (dishes washed, used linens all piled together, chairs/furniture in place) and followed the rules of the house to a tee (no shoes inside, no parties, don't mess with the decor, etc). This morning the owner called my mom and told her that we had stolen toilet paper, paper towels, and bedding from the attic. We didn't do this and none of the other ladies would have either (we know them extremely well). My mom and I were the last ones to leave and did a once over of everything to ensure it was all as we found it. She wants us to pay for the missing items.

Two of us did go up into the attic out of curiosity (just snooping around the house), but obviously didn't take anything. Plus, there was plenty of toilet paper, paper towels, and bedding downstairs so there was no need to bring anything down. On top of this, the lady hasn't even been to the house since we left it yesterday morning. Her cleaning crew went in this morning and called her to let her know the items were missing.

What can we do? We don't want to end up in a legal battle or anything, but we're not sure how we can prove that we didn't take anything. At the same time, we know she can't prove we did and we're not willing to pay for things we didn't take.

EDIT: She's filed a claim against us with TripAdvisor, adding that we had a party in the house (which we didn't) and listing the damages/loss at $200.

EDIT 2: We sent her a kind but firm response last night saying to provide proof of all that was missing/damaged and that we partied, stating that we did not do any of the things stated and would not pay for it without proof. She responded late last night and my mom missed it. Apparently, "someone sent the blankets out to be dry cleaned and forgot to tell the cleaners" and she's sorry for the confusion. No mention of any of the other accusations, but we'll be getting our security deposit back and won't be charged/responsible for anything. I honestly think she should refund the whole weekend after the crap she pulled, but I don't think it's worth pressing. Pretty sure we just called her bluff and nothing was ever missing. Thank you for all of the advice. Would it be reasonable to post a bad/honest review after our money is returned?

Answer:
 In as nicely worded way as possible, I would tell her that you definitely did not steal anything and do not think it is possible that anyone else in the party stole anything. Tell her you are not paying and if she has proof that something was stolen by your party she better share that before going any further.

Honestly, toilet paper, paper towels, and bedding? $100 worth of things? If she continues to make accusations I would just ignore her after asking her firmly to provide proof. It could be some scam, but just in case it is not - and some member of your party *is* a closet kleptomaniac (wouldn't be the weirdest thing ever) - there is no proof and you won't get in trouble for anything. If there IS proof, you may need to pay, but having someone say something is missing shouldn't pass the sniff test and I don't think you would face any legal consequences at all. Answer #2: Call up TripAdvisor and speak to them. These website claims departments deal with this all the time. Stay calm and just flat out say, "What do I need to do on my end? I think the owner of this home is trying to scam us out of money to make a quick payday". They'll usually walk you through it and lean towards judging in your favor. Unless that owner comes back with photos of a trashed place. If that ends up being the case, have TripAdvisor/owner show you the photos and check the metadata on them. There is a timestamp on them and you can absolutely know if they were taken before you rented or way after you left.


Title: Corruption in schools

Question: Hello everyone I want to know whether there is a forum for parents to discuss about corruption in schools? Schools ask for donation for the admission process, and that too without the receipt. Isn't this corruption? And if it is corruption, then how many of you are with me?

Answer:
 None. None of us are with you.

Why does your obsession hinge on whether there was a receipt given?


Title: Gave my 2 weeks at my waittress job in a nursing home to join the CNA program at the same home. They are telling me I need to work 4 weeks in my original position??

Question:
I am transferring departments from waittressing to CNA at the same nursing home in PA, USA. When I told them my 2 weeks notice, they told me I must work for 4 more weeks before I quit. If I just don't show up waittressing after 2 weeks, do they have the power to fire me from my CNA position?

The 4 weeks won't work because the CNA classes and job starts in 2 weeks. Any advice??

Answer: You can quit at any point.  They can fire you for any reason.


Title: My boyfriend was arrested for a warrant he had that he didn’t know about.

Question:
My boyfriend got a DUI in 2015 and payed some of the fines but not all, and went to some classes. He failed to appear for a court date because he moved in with me and his mail was redirected to his new address and by the time he got it in the mail the court date had already passed. This was his first offense and he has not been in trouble since. We are in PA. He was pulled over today by state police in a county an hour away from where we live, so he is in Mercer county jail. My question is where can we go from here and how long they can hold him? Do you think he will get actual jail time from this? He has a full time job and pays his bills and doesn’t get himself into trouble since the dui. Please help me with some advice as to what we can do from here.
Topic:
DUI

Answer:
 He needs a lawyer.

Basically, his not paying the full fine and ignoring the missed court date after he found out about it tells the court that he does not take what they say and do seriously.


Title: [CA] Can an employer limit how much water I drink? And dock my break times for time used in restroom?

Question:
Lol, I can't believe I'm even writing this.

Let me start by saying I'm not one to abuse restroom breaks. I'm an honest person and I do my best to go and come back in a timely manner.

**The Situation**

A few days ago, my supervisor docked the 7 minutes I took to use the restroom (to be fair, the restrooms are located a bit far from our work area so that's why it took me that long) from my regular break.

She said I happened to go to the restroom right before she could tell me she was relieving me for break, so she just punched me out and counted me as being on break at that time.

I had to come back 15 minutes after the time she punched me out for break, which resulted in me only actually getting to enjoy 8 minutes of my break...

**I Had Honest Questions About Whether or Not This Was Against OSHA**

I also want to say I'm not one to be rude to my coworkers and superiors. Sometimes I have honest questions.

In a non-confrontational way, I brought my concerns up with both that supervisor and our manager. I wanted my manager there to keep things from seeming confrontational on my end.

My manager defended my supervisor, and said that it was definitely legal for them to dock the time I took in the restroom from my break since I was about to be relieved for break anyway.

I reminded them that I wasn't yet relieved for/told to go on break *before* I walked out to the bathroom, so I had no idea I was about to be relieved until I came back.

They said this didn't matter because it was "around the time I would have been told to go on break" and I should have known better.

Note: While we do have scheduled break times, we hardly EVER go by our scheduled break times because since we are a bank, it's always "serve the customers first, then worry about breaks later". So, often times we don't go on our breaks on time because we get backed up by different customer situations.

And since we can't step out for break until our supervisors give the ok, it's hard for us to take responsibility for our own breaks without risking gettimg in trouble for job abandonment.

**They Told Me I'm Drinking Too Much Water**

I was open and asked my managers if my restroom use had become a rising concern of theirs.

They admitted that they notice I use the restroom sometimes frequently (although it's not an everyday thing).

I asked them if I was taking too long in the restroom or if my timing was poorly affecting our operation and our customer experience.

I wanted them to tell me so I can become more aware and do my best to avoid these things from happening in the future.

They said no to both, but that I still go pretty often.

**Then my manager told me she notices I drink too much water and that I should cut my water intake down so that I don't have to urinate as frequently.**

Uhm, *what*?

She says it's me being considerate of the get of the team if I just limit how much water I drink, since it makes me go so often.

Note #2: I literally step away from my desk to pee maybe 2 times throughout my 9 hours of being there...

Note #3: I always have my water bottle at my desk, so it's not like I'm actually stepping away to grab water. It's literally with me at all times. I fill it back up on my breaks.

So finally my question is, *can they do this?*

I just want some answers and some advice on what I can do if this isn't something they're supposed to do.

If there's more information you need, feel free to let me know and I'll gladly provide it.

Thanks, Reddit.

Answer:
 I don't know about the docking break time but I do know they can tell you to not drink water and they can't really enforce that, and they can also decide to not employ you anymore for almost any reason.  Answer #2: The break was perfectly legal. You are given fifteen minutes away from your duties and spent seven in the restroom. Your employer does not pay you to urinate.

As for water, OSHA does say employers much allow employees *access* to water. However it does not mean at your desk or that you can drink any time you need. They may limit you to drinking only on your breaks. Think of construction workers working outdoors in summer. They must be allowed to bring water from home, and may drink on break or when not otherwise busy. Employers do not have to allow employees to drink water whenever they wish.

If you are thirsty all the time to require water at your space all shift, you need a doctor to assess why this is. Healthy people do not need to drink all day to stay hydrated.


Title: (IL) My husband's children (30's M&F) are posting insulting comments about me on my friend's blog

Question:
Before you read: I'm not going to respond to any insults or judgemental comments about my marriage. I have a question about whether or not these comments are libelous or defamatory, that's all I'm interested in reading.

BG: My husband was at the end of a bad marriage and going through a divorce when he and I started dating. His ex-wife found out about it before they had formally separated but were definitely no longer together, and she and their adult children despise me.

Since then, their divorce was finalized and my husband and I married and had two children. We now live in the house that he and his ex built together (which we bought as a favor to her).

A couple of years ago, I was featured on my friend's parenting blog. I posed for photos with my son and answered some questions about my life as a mother.

Every once in awhile, someone will post insulting comments on the post featuring me. The comments do not come from the same IP addresses, but they're from the states that his kids live in (KY and FL). There are no real names or email addresses attached to the comments, but it is most likely them. They've denied it, of course.

Technically, the comments do not say anything untrue. He was married when we started dating, I was let go from my job because of our relationship, and he is an alcoholic in recovery who had an abusive relationship with his ex-wife (both were abusive).

They also say that I'm a bad person with no conscience, a bad mother, or that my children are ugly. I know that's not illegal to say, but that's the tone of the comments.

He has never been arrested for any of these things, so there's not much of an official record. However, he is in therapy now for the abuse and the alcoholism and was suspended from his job and sent to rehab for being drunk at work. It was kept quiet from his clients, but he has been treated for alcoholism so I'm not sure if it is defamatory to say that he is an alcoholic or "a drunk."

Their goal seems to be to expose me to our friends, but my friends are all perfectly aware of how we got together and no one but my friend who owns the blog has ever brought this up to me. This friend is travelling today, so she can't delete their latest comment for a day or so. She doesn't want to change the commenting settings because she says it would interfere with her business model.

My question: Is this libelous or defamatory? If I can prove that it's them, can I get a restraining order taken out or sue them for harassment?

Answer:
 > Is this libelous or defamatory?

> Technically, the comments do not say anything untrue.

Then no.  People are allowed to publicly say true things even if you find them unpleasant or hurtful.


Title: My biological father is refusing to leave me alone.

Question: I am currently 18 in the state of Massachusetts, and I’m having issues with my biological father. Being in a divorced family, i spent my life split between my mothers house and my fathers house. My mother is a fantastic and strong woman, but my father is horrifically depressed and manipulative. I used to be unable to leave the house because he wanted to spend “as much time with me as possible.” He has physically assaulted my brother on several occasions and borderline sexually assaulted me. (That is a very complex situation. My point here is ultimately that i don’t want him in my life.) I told him not to contact me because it is immensely upsetting and stressful. Despite my thorough explanations for not wanting to see him, he continues to message me frequently. After i blocked his number, he began sending me long winded emails and eventually mailed letters. I messaged him again, reminding him i did not want to be contacted, yet he still sends me these letters and emails. Would I be able to get a restraining order of some kind? Or prevent him from reaching out somehow? Thank you.

Answer: Here is a list of [service providers](http://www.massmed.org/patient-care/health-topics/violence-prevention-and-intervention/domestic-violence-map-2017/) in MA that can help. Many of them have 24-hour phone lines that you can call and I would guess most of them have court advocates that can help you go through the process of trying to get a restraining order. I know he's your dad and not a former partner, but I believe these agencies will still be able to help you.Answer #2: Yes you can, and if you feel even a little bit like you should, trust your gut and get one. Ideally you would have a lawyer but you might be able to get help from a civil advocacy project like a domestic violence shelter or agency. In any case, contact your local district court and ask them about the procedure -  clerks can’t give you legal advice but they can give you the forms and talk about process.Answer #3: You can look into a restraining order. Or report him to the police for harassment.


Title: Out of curiosity can someone sue for libel or slander if someone via Twitter reposts something they tweeted with the user name blocked out and says it’s a racist statement?

Question: Again there’s no identifiable information on the original tweet - no user name or personal information - just the actual tweet which someone says is racist

Answer: Well that wouldn't be libel or slander even without the name blocked. Libel and slander are when you say or write something false about another person.


Title: Is it legal to secretly record a conversation between you and your boss? I think my boss is gaslighting me and I want to be able to replace our conversations for some clarity.

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 State is going to matter.

Without knowing the details I only have this advice to give.  The standard response to CYA in these situations is to send an email to your boss after any questionable conversation/meeting that highlights the details of what you talked about.  You do it under the guise of making sure you are understanding everything clearly and end it with "If I misunderstood please let me know"  This creates a papertrail that is timestamped.  It's not a bad idea to bcc your private email on this if you are really worried.

"Hey boss,

I just wanted to confirm I understood our last conversation.  As we just discussed you want me to x,y, and z.  If I missed anything or misunderstood please let me know.

Thanks,
littlebearbighat"


Title: Is this abuse?

Question:
Most people who I tell about this refuse to take it seriously or ever call it the a word.

My mother has been cruel to me since as long as I can remember. In fact I don't remember the last time she ever hugged me. One of my earliest memories is when I had to get surgery to remove my tonsils at 7, and when I asked her what was going to happen to me she said that a knife was going to be stuck up my nose.

When I started school at 6 it was the start of my years in Hell. Even when I did well in school my mum would always screech at every little mistake I made and would call me names. The times when I did badly she slapped me often, pulled on my hair, scratched me, screamed at me for hours on end and threatened to kill me and the cat \(which I loved very much\) about hundreds of times. She also threw away many of my posessions including gifts from others and entire shelves of books. Did I mention that all of this was due to the fact that I was performing badly or averagely at school?

Anything not related to school was still Hell. She would call me names, insult me. Whenever I even made a peep around any family members she would somehow direct the conversation to why what I said was so stupid or reflected all my flaws. She used to blame me for her own issues and say her life is Hell because of me and even said I'm going to cause her to go into manic depression one of these days. She would even say I was the cause for low blood sugar \(she's diabetic\). I remember the time I got my ears pierced and my mom had to put them in, she slapped me because I was crying and annoying her and said it was so I'd have something real to cry about. Once I said a swear word in front of her, it was the first and last time, and she hit me plenty of times. For all my teens years she threatened to kick me out once I turn 18 literally whenever I did something that she didn't approve of like looking generally unhappy.

My brother got pretty much the same treatment, plus a busted lip from when she punched him in response to a swear word. My dad recieves verbal abuse from her. Both of them deny that it is abuse and my dad constantly justifies that her treatment is to make me study and do well in school. It doesn't help that almost no one I tell is brave enough to even call it the a word.

Am I going insane or is this actually abuse?

Answer:
 Your parents can call it whatever they want, the people that you tell can call it whatever they want, and you can call it whatever you want.  Therapy might help you process it.  But I don't think it is anything that you can take legal action over.

If physical abuse is CURRENTLY happening (eg. an event that happened within the last year, not something that happened 10 years ago), and especially if you are a minor or if your bother is a minor, then you should talk with the police or your school counselor.


Title: Arizona - Car Accident where friends agreed to pay for damages beforehand but now won't

Question:
For part of spring break, my roommate wanted to use my car with his four other friends to go to New Mexico. I told them that they could use it as long as they paid for any damages if they crashed the car. Well, they crashed the car in New Mexico, and the driver (who was told to slow down but didn't while driving) backed out on paying the damages claiming "he doesn't have money". So he and my roommate told me that I should use my insurance saying that "the rates wouldn't increase" and they would pay for any increase. Well the insurance company came back and it came to a 200% increase from the then-current rate and, yes as you guessed it, the driver said he wouldn't pay it. The company even called him regarding the crash and he says he admitted to crashing the car, but I'm not sure if that changed/changes anything. Right now I've already decided that 1) the driver is absolute scum, 2) I won't let my roommate use my car anymore and, 3) to switch insurance companies as it's just too expensive for me. Is there anything I can do to get the driver to pay for the damages? Or what can I do if anything?

FYI: I (author of this post) am writing this for a friend of mine who doesn't speak English very well.

Answer: Sue.


Title: Are laws that punish people for wiping hdds when you are under an investigation violation of the 5th amend?

Question:
I am a new computer science student (not yet) and one of a professor was talking about privacy and certain laws saying you couldn't wipe data if you are being investigated. I realize they argue that it obstructs it, and it is illega.

The basic question I am wondering is, is it actually legal? I mean, doesn't the 5th amendment clearly say you don't have to be a witness against yourself? Under constitutional law, shouldn't it be legal for you to wipe data on your own systems? Wouldn't being punished for that be a violation of the 5th amendment? Such as is it unconstitutional? I am not advocating or suggesting anybody should do it. Let's say data on a system that contained certain material that you did not want to see. I mean, it's your data being a witness (wording wrong? lol) against you. If you plead the 5th shouldn't you have the right to wipe that data? I have no opinion on the matter, I am just trying to understand the US constitution on this matter.

Answer:
 5th amendment means you don't have to incriminate yourself. It does not allow you to destroy evidence.  It allows for your **inaction** only.Answer #2: The 5th Amendment prohibits a person from being compelled to be a witness against themselves. In other words the 5th Amendment protects a person from being forced to give testimony that may lead to the person being
 charged with a crime.

The 5th Amendment does not protect a person from producing documents, data, or other tangible evidence that is adverse to their interests.


Title: How Can I Separate Myself Completely From My Mother?

Question:
Title probably sounds weird, my apologies.

I am 27 and living in Texas I have never lived elsewhere, have not seen nor spoken to my mother since I was around 18 or 19, have been living on my own, due to her being abusive and a general pos parent, father passed away when I was younger.

Now, my mother who is a pos, doesn't like to pay her bills, has committed several crimes like check fraud, theft of a rental vehicle, etc. Last I heard she was in a womens shelter in Tennessee (I think?)  after evading the police across country for several other petty crimes, she was in prison in TN for a few months while trial was going on, they let her out on parole/probation  because she stated she was homeless and no family (which to be fair, none of us kids are willing to risk our sanity, safety, and money on her) so she was in a women's shelter for a few years and I think finished her time there, but was also ordered to pay restitution which I doubt she ever paid.

I still get phone calls from several different companies searching for her saying they are issuing warrants/court documents after her, and when I decide to answer I tell them wrong number only to be verbally harassed and accused of hiding this person who I honestly can't wait until they pass, am told I will be jailed/fined for hiding her which again I'm not. This most recent voicemail I got had listed a few addresses, the first 1 was the last house I lived in her with (though they got the street name wrong), the second address was my brothers address (I don't believe she lived at that address with him as she should have been in TN during that time) and the last address was my most recent apartment that I lived in for 3 years and just moved out of last week. One company stated my number when I called back pulled up as her name, but I've reached out to my provider (Google Fi) and they say it's listed with no name, only the city my area code is located, when I call others it also does not say a name it says the city.

These companies I can't seem to find any actual information on, and they don't say anything like LLC, Corp, or law office of XYZ, for example the most recent voicemail was "this is agent Benson with JAS we are attempting to contact POS Mother to issue final documentation....."

Never used any of her information for getting an apartment, my credit history has no marks or indication of her being there and a very high score (800's) only thing I could think of that may still have her name is my student loan with Navient (formerly Sallie Mae) because I was 17 at the time and had to have a parental/guardian sign with me. My truck I bought in my name only, when I was 19 and paid off in cash before I was 20. My credit card is my name only as well.

How do I get these agencies, to stop tracking my address, and my relation to this subhuman?

Answer:
 Sadly, you can’t. Even if you got adult adopted by two adult friends, legally terminating the remaining legal relationship you have with your mother, this does not destroy the records that these agencies are using to try and track her down, and which contain information about your former legal relationship to her. These are things like your birth record, your voter registration record, your lifelong directory information (such as online white pages which list your address and hers as being the same), where you took out a car loan, and more. Removing the online directory information is like playing whack-a-mole — as soon as you ask one site to remove this info (or even pay them to do so), another will crop up with the same info. In addition, legal records showing where you registered to vote, or who you were born to, cannot be removed. These agencies are trying to use any method they can to track her down, so even if you did get adult adopted, they’re still going to call you bc you might potentially know where she is.

The only thing I can think of that might help, and it has a very low chance of helping, is to have a lawyer send these agencies a cease and desist letter. The letter would have no legal power behind it, hence my thinking it won’t really help. Even if the many calls from these many agencies feels like harassment, you’re probably not getting called by the same *person* each time, so you can’t ask for a restraining order or anything like that.


Title: In what kind of situations is it a good idea to waive your right to trial by jury?

Answer:
 I don't remember who said it in here, but if I remember it well enough :

If you case relies on convincing 1/12 people, go for a jury. If your case relies on a specific point of law, you might be better off in front of a judge only.Answer #2: You want to be tried in front of a judge if the facts of your case are inflammatory (read child/sex abuse) and/or your defense is based on a technical point of law. You want a jury of you are going for a straight SODDI (some other dude did it) or reasonable doubt defense.  Answer #3: When the allegations against you are repugnant, you might consider it.

When your defense rests on burden of proof, you might consider it.

When you're just going through the motions so you can proceed to appeal, you might consider it.

Most of the time, when you know who the judge is going to be and that guy hates trials, you might consider it.


Title: Scammed out of $250 by Modeling Agency NYC, USA

Question:
I was searching for modeling/acting opportunities anywhere I could find online. Since I am very new to this type of industry, I thought I'd look on Craigslist (my first mistake). I searched within the category of tv/film/video/radio to see if I could find anything related. I ended up discovering something that had the title, of "RALPH LAUREN POLO CATALOGUE NEEDS MEN & WOMEN" -- I applied. The day after, I got a phone call from a woman saying "we like your look and are interested in working with you". Not only did she not mention at all what her name was, she didn’t even mention what company she worked with during this phone call. With this being my number one red flag, I still set up a time to meet and discuss when my first photoshoot would be. She texted me later that day with the time and the place for the appointment:

2:30 Friday
5 Columbus Circle
8th floor
58th & Broadway
Take the A D C B or 1
Train to Columbus Circle
Bring photo ID
Ask for Casting

I go to meet up with this woman and she quickly introduces herself by the name of "Carol". We step into her office that she apparently rents out a few times a week and we quickly go over how much the photoshoot is going to be and what "website" she works with (Fashion Trade). She skimmed the website extremely fast and as she was doing this, she kept complimenting me on my looks. She said I would go far in the modeling/acting industry and that I would make a lot of money doing so. I was flattered but also concerned. I kept asking her what exact modeling agency she worked with and what photographer(s) she used; she didn’t answer my questions at all. Every time I asked for her name (first and last), she quickly answered by saying, “you don’t need that, trust me” and changed the subject immediately. After all this, “Carol” then asks me for $250 in cash for the photoshoot; I told her I didn't have the money on me. Her immediate response was to walk with me to the nearest bank to get the cash. I sadly did this and then signed a very illegitimate looking "contract" that said I paid and will receive a photoshoot in the near future.

I called her later that day and asked AGAIN since I had paid her, who the photographer was going to be, where the photoshoot would be held, and what day/time: she again could not give me any of this information and said it would be in the next week or so.

After a couple of weeks of trying to contact her, I found that her phone was not able to get phone calls anymore – so, I texted her and I still got nothing.

I finally get a call back from a different number asking to confirm a photoshoot on May 29th at 6pm (tomorrow). She even specifically told me to not bring any friends or family members because it would be too crowded if I did.

My question is, with this entire situation, should I still go or should I file a report? Do I have enough evidence? The photoshoot is apparently held at this address:

245 West 29th
11th Floor
Between 7th & 8th Avenue
6:00pm Friday

Someone else also posted an account of their interaction with this woman on Scamdex. Here is a link to her detailed story:

http://www.scamdex.com/ScamTipReports/22706

Answer:
 > Every time I asked for her name (first and last), she quickly answered by saying, “you don’t need that, trust me” and changed the subject immediately.

Christ... and you still paid her?

What exactly did you pay her for? The photoshoot? The one that's happening on Friday at 6pm? If so, what exactly do you plan to report her for?

But more importantly, I'd think very very hard about going to this photoshoot. Especially alone. Especially this woman who won't tell you her name told you to go alone.


Title: Neglect of students on a sanctioned trip.

Question:
Hello there,

My girlfriend has gone on a 5 day trip with her professor and classmates. The class is an animal behavior class. So far, this 5 day trip has consisted of nothing but hiking in odd places, even going on an illegal mountain trail.

He has left the students unattended for 20 minutes at a time. He even fed them expired food. (Lunch meat had mold on it, expired months ago, and carrots that were also disgusting and had expired in August of *last year*". They still have a couple days to go, and they're ending their trip by exploring a cave.

He's most likely tenured with the college. Is there anything I can do? The trip just seems like a waste of the college's money, as they've learned nothing about animals and their behaviors (which is the fucking subject of the class). It feels like this is just a little vacation for him and he doesn't really give two shits about the students, but maybe I'm overreacting. I feel like he shouldn't be able to do that.
Topic:
School Related Issues

Answer: Neglect of.... grown adults who are free to leave? Or seek out their own provisioning?  Yeah, NAL, but I'm gonna go ahead and say this is an issue for the college, not the cops.


Title: My ex still has nudes of me and 3 other girls when we we're all under 18.

Question: My ex fiance, now 21. Still has hundreds and hundreds of nudes of me and 3 other girls back when were all under 18. We've asked him to delete them but he has not and when we tried to delete them he apparently has a software online that has them all backed up. All us girls are over 18 now and I was wondering is it possible to go to the police about this? Is this considered having child pornography? On top of just those photos he has THOUSANDS and I mean THOUSANDS of pirated and illegally downloaded games, movies, software, etc. I want the photos gone more than anything and away from this sick human being. What are my options here?

Answer:
 So, yes, it's absolutely child pornography.

Yes, you can go to the police.

You run some risk yourself, having produced and distributed that child porn.

The police aren't going to "make him delete the pictures."

They are going to open a criminal investigation that may lead to arrests, prosecutions, and convictions.

But there is never any guarantee that they got all the images and that they haven't been further distributed/copied/backed up somewhere else.

You can't put the genie back in the bottle, unfortunately.


Title: Need some legal advice in the state of New Jersey... I'm the victim of an Aggravated Assault w/ a Handgun.

Question:
So... This happened to me on the way home from an Xmas party :

http://www.northjersey.com/news/238273411_Two_men_charged_with_pointing_gun_at_Clifton_pedestrians.html?mobile=1&ic=1&iphone=1

I talked to one lawyer, he said because I wasn't physically injured it wasn't a strong case. I want to make this dude pay, in some way, for the way he treated me an my GF. I truly thought one of us, if not both, was dying that night.

Any advice?

Answer:
 > I want to make this dude pay, in some way, for the way he treated me an my GF.

It sounds like they're being charged, criminally.  If you have damages, you can request restitution as part of the sentencing process.

The lawyer is likely correct on the strength of the case - at best, you're suing for emotional damage, and your damages are small.


Title: needing indiana foster law advice

Question: Ok so i am dating someone who is still in the foster system they are over the age of 18, and they have to be supervised by a gaurdian or case worker on our dates(usualy only able to last for an hour due to caseworker schedule) i need to know what can be done to be able to spend more time with them if not help get them out of the bs

Answer:
 I mean this in the least offensive way possible, but is there something wrong with him? As in mental incapacity, or criminal history or something?

Once children are 18 they can do what they want. There must be a very specific reason that he is still being supervised, and why he can't be around you without direct supervision.


Title: Who is responsible for paying professional cleaning/hazmat cleanup fees when a tenant dies? - Illinois/Chicago

Question:
A relative of mine recently passed away in her apartment. It had been several days (if not more) since her death before anyone discovered her, so her apartment is in need of professional cleaning to handle issues related to a dead body being on the floor for some time.  My parents are currently trying to work out all of the death-related issues with the landlord, but money is tight and they are worried that they will end up having to pay an expensive cleaning fee.  My relative was the sole occupant and lessee of the premises. I currently do not have any more information about her lease.

My gut instinct is that the landlord is responsible for cleanup because it seems to me that the landlord bears the risk of a tenant dying on the premises when it leases it out to individuals, and a proper cleanup will enable the landlord to begin leasing the property to a new tenant. But, that could be totally wrong.  Generally speaking, are landlords responsible for paying professional cleaning fees when a tenant dies in the premises? Or, are the relatives of the deceased responsible?
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: the landlord will use the deposit and if clean up exceeds that then he can make a claim against his estate in probate. nobody else can be charged for the damage.Answer #2: If your relative had rental insurance, they'll pay for it usually. Your parents need to check that.


Title: Is it a bad idea to marry my friend to get out of a university housing contract?

Question:
I'm in my 3rd (junior) year at a private university in upstate New York, and students are required to live on campus in the dormitory building until their 4th year. The dorm is expensive and generally sucks, and one of the ways to be excused from living there is to get married (produce a notarized certificate).

I have a willing friend, but neither of us have parents who are all right with this. We'd be getting married in Ohio, since I am a permanent resident there (friend is a permanent resident in California), and because there is an option to get a no-fault dissolution of marriage. We do not plan to tell our parents. My questions are:

*Can you think of any good reasons we should not get married?

*If we divorce by the end of the calendar year, does this affect my dependency on my parents (who are also OH residents)' taxes Health insurance?

*Is it reasonable to assume we can get a divorce processed in time for the end of the calendar year?

Thanks!

Answer:
 Yes, it's incredibly stupid. Don't enter into long term relationships to solve incredibly short term problems.Answer #2: Yes, it's a bad idea.

You've obviously not done even basic research, or you would know that 1) where you get married is irrelevant to where you get divorced and 2) nearly every state has no fault divorce.Answer #3: Yes, this is dumb.

Life is not a sit-com, where you can get married and annulled in a 30-minute window (22 when you include commercials). Getting married and divorced can and will affect all of the following:

- Tax filing status

- Benefits at jobs you hold

- Security clearance should you ever go to work for the government or contractors therefore

- Moral turpitude clauses should you ever apply for the bar or other professional certification

- Your future spouse, should you get married out of something other than reckless selfishness

- Debt obligations for the spouse you're 'marrying.'


Title: I am being harassed by the Jon Ossoff campaign. What should I do?

Question:
Thowaway because for obvious reasons. I am receiving calls from their campaign specifically up to 5 times a day for the past week and have relentlessly told them to stop calling me. Sometimes they will even text me. I am an active voter and live in the 6th district however I feel like this is pretty excessive and reaching harassment. They are asking me if I had voted already, when i plan to vote, whether I had sent in my absentee ballot yet. I don't explicitly know if they are asking for any financial contributions since I hang up before the end but the fact that I have told them repeatedly to not call me which is almost driving me to the point of calling a lawyer and filing for a lawsuit. What can I do legally to get them off my back and how to approach the next call that I will most likely get?

Johns Creek, GA

Answer:
 Politicians have notoriously exempted themselves from the do-not-call laws.

My response to such calls is that I keep a running tally and will vote for the candidate who annoys me the least. Answer #2: You are identifed as a likely voter who has not yet voted.  Send in your ballot and the calls will stop like magic.


Title: My friend (M,28) raped me (F,21) in my sleep. What do I do?

Question:
Make sure to read all of this before replying. This is a repost from /r/rapecounseling

I had gone over to my fuck buddies house to have sex with him but decided we needed to stop having sex. We had a big conversation about it and I made it clear I didn't want to anymore and then went to sleep. I woke up to find him having penetrative sex with me without my consent. After a few minutes I realised that what was going on was wrong and then asked him to stop, which he did. There was no physical violence. I also found out that he didn't use a condom even though we never discussed this was okay. He assumed it was okay because one other time he didn't use it and I said it was ok that time and to just pull out.

I talked to him on Facebook after the event and he did apologise and told me he thought I was awake, which I found hard to believe. I went to the police today (a few weeks later) unsure of what to do and they said they can either go to his house and tell him it's not on but he wouldn't get in trouble. Or I could give a formal statement and he would either get a warning or convicted. If he got convicted he would be a sex offender and wouldn't be able to go overseas, it would also effect his career options.

Keep in mind this WAS one of my best friends and he does seem genuinely sorry. I really don't know what to do. I am to make my statement in two weeks but I am allowed to pull out at any time.

I am also living in New Zealand.
tl;dr: Friend raped me in my sleep.

Answer:
 You should seek help, both medical (STD and rape kit testing) and psychological.

That being said, I'm not sure what your legal question is, unless you are asking about contacting the police, which it seems you have already done, *maybe*? Are you sure that the police said that if you made a complaint that he would be warned or *convicted*? I'm not familiar with NZ law at all, but I suspect that while they might take your complaint, it seems that if you file a complaint, that the police would investigate, whether or not he gets convicted depends on whether or not the prosecutor can prove the case. Based on your own post, he initiated sexual contact and stopped once you said no. While I'm not excusing that he initiated sex while you were asleep (pretty creepy IMO), the fact that he stopped when asked will go a long way to defending against a charge of rape. I suspect the police (if you told them the same story you told above) thought the same. Again, I'm not sure what you're asking.

Regardless, I hope you seek some medical and psychological resources to help you get through this.


Title: Was served papers and called the court the couldn't find anything under my name

Question: Okay so first I am from Utah. I was served papers about a default in payment, when I called the courts they said they didn't see anything under my name which was 11/7/16, called today stating I received the default papers from their attorneys office and when I called the courts they said they still didn't find anything. Come to find out they did actually enter the judgement but completely spelled my name wrong and didn't hyphen my last, there lies the confusion. My question is what can I do? They will enter a judgement by the end of the month to have my wages garnished and I will lose my home. I have a child on the way and taking care of my step-son and my SO. Is there any pro bono lawyers or any programs that can help? To be a tad more specific with the default it was a car they sold and had money left over. They sold the car to me way more than it was worth and now because I screwed up, I may be stuck paying it instead of trying to get it handled to get rid of the amount. I am stressed out here sorry if this post is a mess. Any help will be appreciated

Answer:
 Didn't the papers you were served have a case number that you could have looked up?

I don't know if you have good grounds to vacate the default. But if your defense is "the car was overpriced, so I shouldn't have to pay what I owe on the loan," it doesn't sound like a winning case for you. Consider that if you fight this and lose, you will likely end up owing even more money for their court costs and attorney fees.


Title: Am I disqualified from Unemployment benefits?

Question:
This is by far the worst time of my life and really embarrassed by all this but I definitely need some legal advice and even counselling in life.

Basically, I was fired from my work as a bartender last Friday. I work in a high volume bar and was taking a big order. I cranked out the drinks and made the transaction. Apparently, one of them was under 21 from what my General Manager claimed after she went out to their table and talked to them. I was let go on the spot.

I figured I should file for Unemployment benefits for a short term solution for paying rent and eating until I can find another job. I have a small amount saved up so with the help of the benefits I can survive a bit longer. Problem is, I don't know if I would be disqualified from getting it.

This whole situation sucks and I've never been fired from anything before. It was an honest mistake and I would never serve anyone who was not over 21 knowing it. Please, any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much for your time.

Answer: There's no harm in applying. At worst, they'll deny your claim. You won't be penalized for trying.


Title: Girlfriend and I got stopped by a cop just because she was crying?

Question:
Hi this is my first post here,

So tonight me and my girlfriend were walking back from a party, she was drunk but not visibly stumbling or anything. She was very upset because her brother has been going through some stuff at home and was on the phone with him. She began to cry and I waited nearby to let her have some privacy. Following this, a cop pulls up out of nowhere and gets out of his car, begins questioning my gf. She is scared and tells him through teary eyes that she was talking to her brother who is depressed and needed help. Cop goes on a power trip and basically disregards this and says he smelled alcohol on her breath and said he was issuing her a citation. I step in and obviously end up getting written a citation as well for underage drinking and we are both 20 years old. However, my question is that is it legal for him to have stopped us then issue a citation for something completely unrelated? She didnt wave him down or anything and was clearly on the phone and if he did not stop by his own means then none of this would have happened. He was incredibly rude and didnt have any justification for stopping. He said to me “If that was your family member crying on the side of the road wouldnt you stop, son?!” (in probably the most condescending way possible).

Is there a way out of this? obviously its not a huge deal but truly hate this kind of crap and cops who go on power trips just to issue a citation. Truly a horrible reflection of the police. Would love any advice you all have to offer. I feel there is not legal grounds for his stop, but I do not know.

Answer:
 A police officer doesn't need a reason to talk to someone who standing on public property. And yes, it was legal to cite both of you.

That's not a power trip. It's a cop doing his job. Answer #2: Which bit do you imagine is illegal? A cop checking that a clearly distressed member of the public is okay? Or a cop citing someone he finds doing something illegal?

Of course both those things are legal,and pretty much the definition of what a cop is for. That's like being stopped for speeding then wondering if it was legal for the cop to arrest you for the completely unrelated mutilated body in the back seat. Answer #3: In many places in the USA (you were not more specific) public drunkenness is illegal. Plus your gf was distraught. Most likely you don't realize how visibly unusual your gf was acting (because of intoxication plus emotional issues). The cop was just doing his job.


Title: My ex-husband is threatening to kill me. What can I do?

Question:
About 2 years ago my husband and I got divorced because of his infidelity. The divorce was just terrible. It really hurt both of us and our kids [15m and 16f] went through a lot of emotional pain.
We live in the same city and have 50/50 custody. Lately, my ex has been threatening to kill me. After our divorce, I told my kids about his infidelity (with hard proof) and they decided to cut off their father. They don't speak with him and hate having to spend time with him.
My ex was obviously angry at this. He is saying things like "I ruined his life" and says he will kill me for it. I've documented all the evidence.
I will try to get a restraining order this weekend but in the mean time, is it possible to request for police protection or maybe have some cops monitor him?

Answer:
 1\) Call the police. They are not obligated to protect you or otherwise act as bodyguards, though they will take the threat seriously. They may speak to your ex; they may see if he's doing anything else illegal in order to provide pretext to lock him up while you get your RO in place. This will depend on geographic proximity to him and the respective level of involvement of both your and his municipal police departments and the nature of the threats.

2\) Go through the process to get a restraining order. Without knowing your state, no links available, but your best bet is to call your local courthouse, ask to speak to a victim's advocate, and ask who they'd recommend to help you push the paper. Some courts have arrangements with local students or volunteer staffing for this sort of thing.

3\) Take whatever measures you need to protect yourself. This might include staying elsewhere, acquiring some pepper spray, acquiring a firearm, having a brother/friend/whatever with a gun stay over, installing security cameras, or some mix of the above. Do what you find to be most in\-line with your personal mores. Keep in mind, a restraining order gives the police a reason to arrest the person violating it, but does not obligate them to do anything more.

4\) Keep documenting and documenting. Get a recording app for your phone \(if legal in your state\), get his workplace info \(useful for police when you talk to them\), his friends/buddies he might be hanging out with, and so on.Answer #2: you need to call the police right awayAnswer #3: This is at least the third time that you have posted this (under different usernames). Why?


Title: I just moved into a house with a few roommates. One of them revealed if they have a bong and smoke marijuana. What can I do to protect myself if he gets caught?

Question:
I live in North Carolina.

I recently moved into a house close to my state University with a few roommates that I found on Craigslist. I signed a 6-month lease with the landlord (who lives in a different state), and all is well. My roommates are great and the house is awesome, and I'm excited to start school!

Just a few days ago, one of them casually mentioned to me that he possesses a bong and smokes weed "every now and then." I do not smoke at all, and always distance myself from anyone who does illegal activities. My roommates aren't bad people, but regardless, I am afraid of the legal repercussions that may follow if they are caught with the bong or their weed. As far as I know, in my state, if they get caught with it in their car or in the house, then EVERYONE will go down for it, including me, the innocent person. I don't want to start any trouble with them, I just want to go to school and be a good student, and NOT get in trouble with the law, especially for something I had nothing to do with.

What can I do to protect myself completely??
Topic:
Drug Possession

Answer:
 No, not everyone will be caught for it. That will only happen if one person doesn't admit to possessing it. You won't get in trouble for this especially if he confines it to his room.

Legally, you could all be evicted, and yes, if it's in the common room and he is a coward, you'd all go down. You can't really do anything.


Title: I plead guilty to a class B misdemeanor and need legal advice

Question:
Earlier today I plead guilty to a resisting arrest charge I got back in October. I now have a class b misdemeanor on my record. I have no other criminal background.

I am about to graduate from college with a dual degree in Finance and Accounting and have an internship at a prestigious CPA firm starting in January. What are the legal implications of this misdemeanor? Do I have to inform my work? Will it be difficult for me to find work in the future? Can I appeal to have the misdemeanor expunged from my record?

EDIT: New Hampshire!

Answer: You were asked three times for a location.


Title: Can a school withhold information on assault?

Question:
Missouri.

My son, Abner, and a classmate, Bernard, have attended three different schools together, by coincidence. Three years ago, at a private school, Bernard shoved Abner against a fence and punched him. This followed a semester of verbal taunts and teasing (Abner is physically disabled and in the gifted program at school).  The school informed us of the incident, but were tight lipped about how things were handled going forward.

A year and a half later, they were in the same class at a local public school (Bernard moved into our district). Bernard tackled Abner in class. Administration was unaware of prior history and determined Bernard was just trying to be friendly in a misguided way.

They now attend the same middle school. It is a public middle school and they only have a record of the most recent incident. The first school is refusing to release information, citing FERPA. Is it true that federal law prevents the first school from sharing information with the school both boys now attend?

Bernard and Abner have the same lunch and there continue to be issues.

Answer: Even if the private school was able to share info, they aren't required to. And your current school may not be able by policy to consider disciplinary records generated at a private school.


Title: Dealer over paid my trade in by 21,000

Question:
San Antonio, Texas

I traded in a truck with a pay off of 17,984 and the dealer send 39,000 to the bank to pay off the lien.

The bank has put the money into my personal saving account as over payment and states that I have a claim on the money.

I purchased the new car on Monday 8/21 and here we are at 8/29 and no calls from the dealership asking questions.

Am I allowed to keep the money as it is a dealer oversight?  I had planned to call them today but thought it best to talk to someone before I call and give away money that could be mine.

edit: thank you for confirming what I knew,  I hate this dealer and was hoping there was a way I could stick it to them but doesn't appear that way.   I will call them and work out a way to get the money back to them.

edit 2:  I just talked to the finance director all of the paperwork is correct.    They can't find any issues and aren't sure how it could happen.   He states let me make some calls.

edit3:   Dealer just called me back and states they pulled the check mailed and gave me the check number, it does not show an over payment.   Dealer states it is with the bank.    Bank states they have not made a mistake.
WTH do I do now,  let the money sit there for a few months and if no one says anything spend it?

edit4:  Bank found their error and reversed it.  21k gone like that!  Sad but relieved.

Answer:
 No, when they ask for it back, you'll have to give it back.

You don't get to keep it.Answer #2: The edits were a rollercoaster.Answer #3: >Am I allowed to keep the money as it is a dealer oversight?

You can try, but I'd almost guarantee you're going to be sued and be ordered to pay that back. If you made a $21,000 clerical mistake would you want the person who got the money to keep it?Answer #4: You should check you car loan with the new dealership to make sure they didn't put all $39k on your new loanAnswer #5: Make sure, when you have to give the money back, that you get documentation, receipts, signatures, etc for EVERYTHING. You don't want loose ends on $21k.


Title: Items in Storage Unit were auctioned off (Louisiana)

Question:
I rented a storage unit in June and have been paying for it on time since than. I tried to pay my bill last week and they said the unit was moved out because it was empty. They had no idea where my items were. Today they told me they were able to figure out what happened. Apparently I was suppose to be in unit 123 but they claimed I moved into unit 124. That unit was auctioned off for nonpayment back in Augest which had all of my things.

I was never past due for my unit. They never told me Ihad moved into the wrong unit. At the very least they should have told me that I had been paying for an empty unit (123). How can they auction off my stuff if I was never late or informed?

Answer: Did your contract say 123 or 124? This matters. I wouldn't want a storage company to know if my unit was empty. They should stay out.  Answer #2: They didn't try to call you are anything before the sell? Or was someone on the 124 unit account? They screwed up big time. Try to get down an accounting for what was in there and ask to speak to upper management. They likely have  assets management team that will try to settle with you.


Title: Broke my brothers bed, now he wants me to pay for the entire frame. I think it was cause he was boning a girl.

Question:
Hi guys, just a quick random question, wanted to know your thoughts on the matter. I'm indifferent either way. I don't mind paying the whole amount, but I do want to make sure that it is fair. Here is the completely unbiased version of what happened:

I am a 6'4 230lbs male. I went to try my brothers mattress, and I excitedly jumped on it and then violently jerked my body to the left and slightly cracked the frame and took the slats off the tracks.

We ended up fixing the bed to the best of our abilities, and the bed served its purpose for 5-6 days after the incident.  I believe it would have continued to serve it's purpose as a bed had last night's shenanigans not occurred.

Well, Fast forward to last night, he brings a girl home and starts banging her in the bed. I'm assuming that because of my previous crack, and his ferocious banging, the bed started to come undone and got damaged again. It completely cracks and breaks, and he believes it is entirely my fault. He claims they laid down after boning and it wasn't until AFTER the bone sesh did the bed break. However, i'm thinking that because he was boning her so vigoriously, he also contributed to breaking the bed, and thus we are BOTH responsible for 50/50 payment.

Either way, I'm cool with paying for it. My brother is under a lot of stress and I dont want to keep adding more stress to him. Just wanted to hear your guys' thoughts.

Edit: He's a lawyer, so I do need some expertise advice here, if in fact you guys do agree that it is NOT fair. if you do agree that it is fair that I pay the entire amount, then that's also cool too!
P.S I have a great relationship with my brother. he's awesome, love him a lot, and he is under a lot of stress right now.

Answer: I dunno. I think the fact that he can brag that he banged a girl so hard that his bed broke is compensation enough.