Title: Lady at dog park not controlling or taking responsibility for her dog attacking other dogs

Question:
I’ll start by saying I’m no longer going to dog parks after this situation. I have a 1 year old spaniel who I was just at an off leash park with, and a German Shepherd mutt with extremely aggressive behavior attacked probably 4 or 5 dogs in the 20 minutes we were there (it’s a big park so we were just staying on the other side at first before quickly deciding to leave). Everyone was panicking grabbing their dogs and the owner was laughing about it saying it’s fine and her dog is just playing. As I was getting ready to grab my dog and leave, her dog ran over and aggressively tackled, pinned him down growling in a way you know it’s not just playing. My dog had a bloody lip when I picked him up, and the owner didn’t even attempt to grab her dog even though he was trying to lunge at us again. Another man had to kick her dog away and she was yelling at him. She must’ve had at least 8 people yelling at her that she needs to leave, and she was only fighting back calling us crazy and that her dog is fine, while also refusing to leave.
I called the local sheriff and animal control and they both told me there’s nothing they can do. Thankfully my dog is fine but if by any chance anything happens like infection appearing, I don’t have this lady’s name or info as she refused to give it to me. I was able to snap a picture of her and her license plate but I’m not sure what to do at this point. I understand dog parks are enter at your own risk but I have a hard time believing she can get away with bringing a dog around like that who can seriously hurt somebody. I’m thinking of just going into the police department and filing a report with any info I have of hers but I’m asking if anyone has any suggestions that I’m not thinking of. Thank you

Answer:
 You already told the police and animal control. There's nothing else you can do.

Some people are irresponsible dog owners.


Title: Advice on student debt with a thief father.

Question:
US,KY
Hello, So I will jump right in. My wife has just finished her master's degree in Piano, She has several loans. We will be making payments to them in 6 months after she graduates. There is one loan though for her undergrad which we are having a problem with. She and her father made a deal that if he cosigns on the loan and she pays him 300 a month he will pay the interest off at the end of it. We have a paper where he typed it up and typed all of her payments she has given him over the last 4 years, she paid back 14000 of the 16000 loan. Well about a year ago my wife and her mom found out he was having an affair for 3 years. He has since moved out and they are going through a divorce. He has not made a single payment to the loan and told his daughter "you'll have to sue me in court honey" Now the divorce lawyer has written this money into the settlement that he has to pay back the loan including interest but he has broken every status quo and order the judge has given him. This is no poor man he made 250k+ last year but it seems like he has been spending a majority of that money taking care of his heroin addicted girlfriend and buying cars and what not. She doesn't want to pay the money again since they had an agreement and I know it might sound stupid but this was her father who was a very good father and it completely blindsided all of us that he was doing this. What should we do? Should we go to small claims court, granted we have a paper that he gave her with all the payments she has made and stating mom and dad will pay the interest off. We also can get the checks she has written to him from the bank. Sometimes she gave him cash.

She should have paid the loan directly but she trusted her father and he told her he would help her save this money and pay off the interest.

Just sucks we will have to take this guy to court after everything she has been through now this is stacked on top of it. This was no simple affair this guy has been a part of a fetish website with very very naughty stuff posted. The girl he is with is my wife's age and he considers her a slave and he is a master. He beats this girl and posts pictures of the marks and blood. They have master and slave tattoos and this girl wears a "slave collar" He has tormented my wife's mother with their autistic son trying to get custody so he can get the social security and money from the state that they provide for care which is 30k a year. It is terrible and I feel so bad for them. They had a party at the marital residence while my mother in law was out of town and there were suboxone pills and drugs everywhere when we went over to check on her little brother. Neighbors reported screaming. It is just a shitty situation and he is now barred from the house by court order but he keeps driving by and harassing the mother and texting how she is a bad mom and a whore. He also recently did a discovery with his lawyer asking completely obscene questions about her sex life. He listed 150k that her dad has in a savings box as being hers ( and he wants half ). It's not hers and when he dies it goes to her my mother in laws mother. He is just a sick demonic satan spawn.

Answer:
 If she wants her money, then she will probably have to sue him in court to try and get it.  She should not wait to see if her mother can collect whatever the court has said that he owes to her mother.  In the meantime, she owes the lender and if she doesn't pay the lender then they will sue her.

She will probably win a judgment against him, but she will have to learn how to collect her judgment (ie. how to put a lien on any property that he owns, how to find and garnish his bank account, how to garnish his wages, etcetera).

PS.  If he has a girlfriend who's a heroin addict, then you can bet your bottom dollar that he's a heroin addict too, and that all of his money is going to feed his habit.  She will have a hard time finding and attaching/garnishing assets, but that's what she'll have to do.


Title: CEO - co founder fires me but says that I quit. Golden parachute was in the terms. What to do?

Question:
As the title says this is my situation: After some internal discussions on who should lead engineering, me (CTO) & my co-founder (CEO) said that I don't need to come to work anymore and that my last day will be (last) friday. He then removed me from slack, email, and github. He claims to the board that I quit. The company is potentially about to be acquired for some considerable amount of $. Delaware corporation, California based company. I have a Golden Parachute agreement in the terms. All the discussion happened verbally between the two of us. What to do?

Here is the Vesting Paragraph:

>Vesting. The Forfeiture Condition shall lapse and the Restricted Shares shall become vested in accordance with the vesting schedule set forth in the Summary of Stock Grant. In addition, (i) if the Company is subject to a Change in Control before the Transferee’s Service terminates, the Forfeiture Condition shall lapse with respect to 100% of the Transferred Shares, and (ii) if the Transferee is subject to an Involuntary Termination, the vested portion of the Restricted Shares shall be determined by adding an additional 6 months to the Transferee’s actual Service.

&#x200B;

Answer: You need an attorney to go over everything and advise you. This isn't self-help territory.Answer #2: You need your own attorney as in yesterday.


Title: If I am marooned on an island and presumed dead, and my fortune is distributed to persons via my will, what happens if I come back? [Hypothetical]

Question:
I am genuinely curious about this situation. I do not have a location because this is purely hypothetical.

If I, for example, get lost on an island like Tom Hanks in Cast Away, and my fortune is distributed as per my will (assuming I already have one), and then I return to civilization, what happens? Do I get my fortune/belongings/assets back?

I used an island as an example. Doesn't have to be an island, just what happens after a person is assumed to be dead but isn't?

Has there been a legal precedent for someone dying and coming back to life?

Answer:
 Of course there is legal precedent.  Plenty of people disappear, and then re-appear.  Though it's relatively rare to be someone who had significant assets (presumably because they tend to want to take their assets with them, when they disappear).

That said, the law has [some opinions](http://lawandthemultiverse.com/2010/12/05/im-not-dead-yet-resurrection-and-probate-law/).  (That, by the way, is one of my favorite legal blogs, right up there with SCOTUSblog for useful & interesting reads.)Answer #2: Funny you should mention it. The Province of New Brunswick actually has [oddly specific legislation](http://www.canlii.org/en/nb/laws/stat/rsnb-1973-c-e-13/latest/rsnb-1973-c-e-13.html) dealing with this issue - see s. 13. I can only surmise that it happened one too many times there.

I have never bothered to look to see if any other province -- even my own -- has a similar enactment.


Title: I left my abusive fiance, now she wants to keep the dog. [Pocatello, ID]

Question:
In September we adopted this beautiful puppy named Ritz (Pug, Poodle, GSH mix). I love her to death, but since I moved out she refuses to let me see her. My research has led me to believe that in Idaho dogs are defined legally as property, so split custody isn't really an option that can come from a court. I am 19 years old and  I don't have the money for legal fees, but I do know a lot of lawyers in my town.

I paid for her to be fixed, her shots, and we adopted her from one of my friends. I don't want to take the dog away from her, but if she insists that I can't ever see her, I am willing to do just that. I don't want to be in heavy contact with her anymore, but if that's what it takes to make it so I can see my dog, I consider it an option.

I guess my question is, what is my legal ground and would taking legal action be a waste of money and time?

Answer:
 Dogs are property under the law, unfortunately.

This is no different than if you and your ex bought a piano together, but you paid for the maintenance and tuning.

The only way to get it back is to sue, with some claim that the dog belongs to you instead. It's very much an uphill battle, and most likely not going to be successful.


Title: [CA] Landlord left a document on our door stating we violated terms...

Question:
My roommate and I have had complaints from our neighbor upstairs stating that he smelled marijuana in his apartment. Neither my roommate or I smoke and we have re-iterated that to our landlord multiple times.

We received a letter on our door with an official letterheard from a law firm in Los Angeles stating that we had violated terms and our landlord was a witness to it and that we had 3 days to remove all items that were related to the violation- burning marijuana or incense in the premise. However the date that it says he witnessed us violating these terms (which is impossible) isnt even possible because both my roommate and I were out of town...What can we do? This is not the first time our landlord has come to harass us with accusations.

When we called to clarify the note with our landlord he told us not to worry about and it was just a warning because HOA had complaints.  However it seemed more like a scare tactic..

Answer:
 If someone is smoking pot and it is not you, then it will likely continue and you will still be blamed. For that reason, I would not leave this alone if I were you. I would send a certified letter to your landlord denying that you have not violated any terms of the lease and informing them that they have the wrong apartment.

I also wouldn't mention that you werent there, you dont want then changing the date of the accusation if this ends up in an eviction action. Keep the letter and any evidence you have that you weren't home on that date, then you should be able to quash this is the landlord takes further action.Answer #2: >Not only is this evidence of illegal drug use

Not even illegal in CA anymore.


Title: (Missouri) do I as an adult child have rights to see my school aged siblings?

Question:
Long story short my mother and I had a falling out over her new lover that no one in the family approves of, I have chosen to cut contact with her as I feel our mother/daughter relationship is no longer healthy.
She has school aged children that are my half siblings that I love dearly, I do want to continue to visit and contact them as it is also important for my young daughter (4) who adores play dates with them.
She is planning on having this man live and marry her (4th marriage is the charm right?)
He lives half way across the country and is still married.
I am afraid if that happens they will continue to try to push family (me included) away and cut contact.
Do I have any "sibling rights?" I know in some cases grandparents do.

Answer: Generally, siblings don't have visitation rights. However, there are usually statutes that allow for third party custody and visitation. Having said that though, it usually involves finding that the parents of the children are unfit. That might not be a road you want to go down. It might just be easier to patch things up with your mom for the sake of your child.


Title: Need help with roommate who won't pay rent

Question:
So, I currently have a lease with two other roommates. One roommate decided to find someone on craigslist to fill her spot in the apartment when she went back home for the summer. No written agreement for this.

That person she found has not paid me rent (I pay the landlord and everyone else pays me). He has lived on the property for thirteen days. Can I call the cops to remove him?

I tried searching this up, but there's nothing about removing a person who hasn't paid rent or stayed on the property for less than thirty days.

Forgot to mention that I'm in California.

Answer:
 >Can I call the cops to remove him?

Nope. You can legally evict him. Give proper notice to pay or quit


Title: APS

Question:
Hello,

     I have an 18-year old deaf daughter who is currently involved in a complicated situation. She was taken out of our home by Adult Protective Services on 9/11/18. We have had no contact with her since then. We are worried for her as she is also a type 1 diabetic and is extremely impressionable and easily manipulated. She has the mental capacity of a 9-10 year old. We are an American Muslim family. Our family has been torn apart by this. There were no allegations of abuse, they said that she felt isolated and that she wanted to go to school. We only kept her out of school for a few weeks because were moving out of state. They took her 2 days before we moved.
     We are a practicing Muslim family and we think our daughter should not be in an environment that is going to pressure her to do things counter to her beliefs. If a Christian had their child removed from their home, they wouldn't want that child to be in an environment that is encouraging him/her to abandon Christianity. The same goes for any religion. We are no exception.
      We need all the help we can get. We need someone to go out and talk to her to tell her that we love her, we miss her and we will be able to send her to school here and make her happy. They never gave us a chance to work out the problem, they just came and took her without a warning.  Is this fair and legal?

Answer:
 The advice is going to be the same.

The only way you can contact your daughter is by following the directive of your lawyer and CPS. Full stop.

There is no other advice to give.


Title: I’m have an issue with my daughters school.

Question: I gained sole custody of my daughter a couple years ago after she was taken from her mom due to child abuse. Since then I have had many problems with her maternal grandmother I had to get a no trespassing order against her and no longer allow contact. At the beginning of the school year when I registered my daughter for kindergarten I let them know the mom and grandma were to have no contact. Well last week on Sunday I checked my daughters backpack and it was full of snacks and gifts I asked where they came from and turns out her grandma showed up at school and the school pulled her out of class and allowed a visit without even informing me. I am beyond upset and have pulled her out of school but I was wondering if i should pursue legal action or is there nothing I can do about what they did?

Answer:
 Call the police.  Have the grandmother arrested for violation of the no contact order.  In doing so, the police may interview the people at the school who allowed the visit.

This, in and of itself will 1)  Put the blame on the appropriate person:  The one who violated the protection order.  2) send a clear message to the school that the grandmother is not permitted to visit.

I suspect that that will correct the matter, and it would not happen again.  I would not pursue this from a perspective of seeking punitive measures against the school.  Answer #2: If you have some kind of order against grandma, you should seek to have it enforced.  Your legal remedy is with grandma.

Certainly you might raise your concern with the school administration or school board.  They unquestionably should not have allowed someone not on an approved list, much less someone on a disallowed list, access to your child.


Title: [MI] Ex Cat-sitting friend threatening to sue

Question:
Backstory: While in the process of moving to another country, we asked a friend to come by the house and feed the cats until we could bring them over.  We told him what we were willing to pay and he agreed.  We even gave him more than that for expenses (including extra crap we didn't ask him to buy).  We've finished our move and paid him his money.

Since then, he spoke to friends who told him we should have paid him more for the job and is now threatening to sue us and put a lien on our house because "we can afford to pay him more."

He says (although we have no actual proof) that the legal aide lawyer he talked to believes there's a case and will draw up papers if we don't give him more money.

Our "verbal contract" was almost quite literally, "Can you watch the cats while we're gone?  We'll pay you $60."

Should we be worried, or is he probably bluffing?

UPDATE:  Considerably less worried, however, just received a message saying he'd be figuring stuff out Monday and to consider ourselves served.

I still think he's bluffing, but if I do have to face him in small claims, what should I expect?

Also, flying back and forth to deal with this BS is going to be expensive.  Am I going to have to eat that plane fare if he loses?

Answer:
 > He says (although we have no actual proof) that the legal aide lawyer he talked to believes there's a case and will draw up papers if we don't give him more money.

no, they didn't, unless he lied about the circumstances

the answer to this is "I look forward to seeing you in court."
Answer #2: He's likely bluffing.  You're under no obligation to pay him the most you can afford.  Unless you changed the parameters of his work, there's likely no issue here.


Title: [Northern VA] Landlord says I can't be present when she does the walk through with the contractor

Question:
I moved into a new apartment on Saturday, and there were some serious cleaning issues/safety problems with the apartment.  My landlord said she is coming to do a walk-through today with the contractor to identify what they will fix.  However, she told me that I can not be home when they do the walk-through.

I feel very uncomfortable about this. What are my rights?

Answer:
 sounds shifty. definately happen to be there.

but before that write up a list of your own and take photos of the prior damage so you cant be charged for it when you move out. then email it to ll and  yourself.

dont forget to take photos of when you move out too. Answer #2: Stay right on their heels!! In each and every room.Answer #3: Sounds to me like she wants to minimize the amount of repairs/ cleaning that will happen. It sounds like you signed a lease (at least I'm assuming so since most rentals start that way!) and it already started so stay right in there with em. I would suggest making a nice typed up list to give to both your landlord and the contractor to make sure everything is accounted for.Answer #4: IANAL. I would also take pictures of everything. Maybe a set before they show up and a shot of everything they say they are going to fix.


Title: Self - Posted Child Pornography Issue

Question:
Throwaway for obvious reasons.

So my daughter, 17, posted on gonewild about 7 months ago. Since then, posts have been deleted but she only told me about this Saturday. I have not been able to get it off my mind since.

The story goes, she posted a picture of her butt 7 months ago and also a picture of her face, different posts, different subreddit, but still all on her profile. She admitted this to me when a man messaged her claiming to be a teacher who is 31 from the Southwest. He said "I understand you must get a lot of messages so I get it if you don't reply." The message was very vague and it contained no aim at anything specific. He wasn't asking her for more nudes, wasn't saying anything really specifically at all, which makes me think it was just copied and pasted and he sent that message to many users on reddit. She had been active on that account, like commenting under other posts for awhile now so it doesn't surprise me that someone would still message her. I had her reverse search her images into a search engine that I trusted because I had successfully used it, and it even showed me a hashtag on Instagram where that image was posted under. I've googled her reddit username, and I've followed the link myself on this throwaway to see if it was deleted, and it sure was. I can't think of any other measures to take, but this has my daughter and myself very scared.

She is recovering from mental health struggles which is why I can't be too angry with her for posting that because I know she just did it for attention. I am livid inside, she endangered multiple people's lives with child pornography but I need to know my baby is safe. I can't let this follow her her whole life. She had gone 7 months completely fine, no messages, no nothing. The picture had 2 comments and 14 upvotes, so nothing compared to the hundreds you can see in that subreddit. She didn't have many views on the photo either. So the idea that the photo was posted elsewhere is probably slim, I just can't help but wonder.

Is there any further action I can take on how to be sure this photo does not exist? Thank you.

If you are going to bash my daughter for posting herself like that, just don't. I don't need it. I need help to reverse this. What is done is done, but I want to make sure I can stop it from spreading.

Answer: The photo exists somewhere. Somebody saved it and there's nothing you can do about that. But if this was 7 months ago and nothing has happened then almost certainly nothing will. So stop obsessing over this it will only give you an ulcer. The internet has a very short attention span.


Title: Detective want to talk to me, can I refuse?

Question:
A detective has called me three times already. The first time I talked to him and he said to email him. I never did. The second time about a week later he called three time in one day and I didn't answer. He left a message saying to call him back. Then two days later he left another message saying to call him back or he "it's very important and he has no problem coming to me to talk in person".

Do I have a legal right to not return his calls? / Illinois

Answer:
 "I'm so glad my client talked to the police" - No Lawyer EverAnswer #2: > Do I have a legal right to not return his calls?

Sure.  It'd be nice if you'd call him and tell him you don't want to talk to him - it'd be a timesaver for everyone.  But you're not required to speak to him or answer questions, unless you're served a subpoena.Answer #3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wXkI4t7nuc - everyone should watch this.  Answer #4: What does the detective want to talk to you about? Are you a witness or a suspect? If it's the later, speak to an attorney first.Answer #5: Yes.


Title: Some kid told this girl i jack off to her VSCO. She says she is "going to the government on me". Need help. IK it sounds weird, but i'm scared.

Question:
I'd like to ask, first of all, for context, this is in a New York State high school. I'd like to know what legal problems can come up from this accusation on me. What is the worst that can happen? Does this count as a form of sexual harassment as in I'm harassing her? Do i have to register as a sex offender if she wants me to? We are all 14 years of age. Does this count as any sexual crime if they somehow get "proof" i did so?
Topic:
Juvenile and Youth Law

Answer: You can jack off to whatever legal content you like.Answer #2: You can't really get in legal trouble just for engaging in this kind of talk with one another. Do NOT exchange explicit pictures with other people your age, as this would be possession and distribution of child porn even though *you* (and/or the girl) are the child. If your friend is just talking about you to some girl, it's unlikely anything illegal has happened or that you are in trouble with the law.


Title: Roommate storing dead animal

Question: My roommate is storing a dead armadillo under a bush in front of our front porch. It smells god awful & I can't even use the front door. Can I just call animal control to come get it or is it actually their property now?

Answer:
 You'll have to enlighten me. Why would your roommate be storing a dead armadillo? Answer #2: Well first of all, your roommate is preserving it by storing it out of the sun. It needs to be hanging up, in direct sun, so the flesh can rot and the bones can bleach.

But yeah, this is gross, he doesn’t seem to know what he’s doing in the first place - I’d throw it out and blame it on a wild animal like someone said before.


Title: [WA] Facebook page administrator being contacted by university police

Question:
I run a shitposting page for a university in WA and someone submitted, and I posted, about how they brought a firearm to school. That was the entirety of it.

I was contacted by an officer of said school regarding that post, and they mentioned that it violates the school's code of conduct (which I have verified) and I'm concerned that I could be affected by posting this.

Answer:
 As the administrator, have a bit more discretion than approving posts that could be illegal and/or cause public terror.

You can coordinate with the officers to find the identity of the poster, or you can refuse to cooperate until contacted by the police and have secured a lawyer.


Title: [NY] How do I get out of a mortgage and off the deed?

Question:
Let's say I share a house with several people who are not related to me, and we're all listed on the deed and we all pay into the mortgage.

Now let's say for some reason I need to leave this place due to some kind of irreconcilable differences before the mortgage is paid off. What is the ideal procedure for doing that? What happens to my equity? Can they evict me? Can I force them to refinance without me?

Any info or suggestions are appreciated.

Answer: “Off the deed” is the wrong way to say it.  You’re a co-owner of the property and you would need to grant a deed to convey your ownership interest.  Do your co-owners want to buy you out?  Start there and negotiate a price based on your equity.  To answer your specific questions: no they can’t evict you as long as you are a co-owner.  They can’t refi without you because your name will need to be on the mortgage because you’re an owner, the lender will require that everyone on title give the mortgage.  The best way to do this is simply sell them the property and get released from the mortgage.  Call a local real estate lawyer to understand your options and draft the paperwork.


Title: Bank refuses to recognize disputed item on CC as fraudulent. Some questions in the event of collections

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Consumer Law

Answer: Legally speaking, the charge is not fraudulent and your issue here is *potentially* a breach of contract, or a misrepresentation. You should post in /r/personalfinance for the repayment advice but from what I understand, you are going to be liable for the debt and any default penalties too.


Title: Got into a traffic collision, the other party is uncertain as to whose fault it was.

Question:
I give rides to a fellow student who attends the same campus as I do.  Every school day I pick her up and we head to the bus stop and after school I bring her home from there.

Last Wednesday, I pulled into my fellow student's driveway to drop her off and parked behind her mother's car since the other half of the driveway was blocked off by a trash can.  Not having noticed any lights or other signs of the engine running, i came to the conclusion that the car I had parked behind was off so I stopped and the girl I was giving the ride to opened the door and stepped out.

After she grabbed her bag we heard a crunch and she thought I had bumped into her mother's car, who had actually ended up backing into my car.  My friend's mother instructed me to get an estimate and deliver it to her so that she could decide to pay for the damage out of insurance or out of pocket.

Now that she has received the estimate, my friend's mother does not think the accident is entirely her fault and believes my side should pay for some of the damages, if not all.

I'd like some information regarding whose fault this accident was and if the answer requires any more details or clarification of those provided please let me know.

Our location is Orland, CA 95963
Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer: Report it to your insurance carrier.  They will sort it out.


Title: Sibling Causes ~$700 in Damages, Refuses Repayment, Cannot Confront Him

Question:
To give context, I'm 27, F, and rather disabled (severe hearing loss, vocal chord paralysis leading to speaking difficulties, chronic health issues, in and out of hospitals my whole life). My brother is 29, FtM (if it's relevant: he has already transitioned physically, and been on testosterone for a year), and abusive. I have no qualms calling him such, because he has demonstrated a history of physical abuse and deliberately terrorizing me: from childhood (drowning threats, an attempt at breaking my spine by stomping on my back, locking me in dark rooms as "punishment"), to teenage years (stabbing threats, physically restraining me), to adulthood (four strangulation incidents, from childhood to as recently as yesterday). He regularly makes death threats, in a "joking" tone, so our parents do not take his behavior seriously, chalking it up to sibling rivalry, or pure exaggeration, or plain old victim blaming. My father is abusive as well (emotionally, verbally, with some physical blows). My mother downplays all of this, and just wants to keep the family together.

I have begged for therapy: group therapy, family therapy, anger management for my brother, to no avail. I contacted the police a few years ago over a particularly violent incident (choking), and I was told I would be disowned if I pressed charges against my brother, so I didn't. I contemplated a restraining order, a few months ago, but was again convinced not to. I have no savings due to previous poor budgeting, but I'm trying to look for any job that will take me, and my friends are distant and cannot be relied upon. My cousin and her wife know somewhat of my situation, and they recommend therapy and simply avoiding the offensive family members until I can move out, but in the meantime, it's not very helpful. I've tried online domestic help hotlines, to no resolution. My brother and I both still live at home. In short: a difficult situation, without much resources.

Yesterday, I come home from out of town to discover my brother has invited his friend to stay in my room, as if it were a hotel. I cherish my personal space; I am very tidy, and all of my possessions are incredibly valuable and precious to me, organized in exacting order. My brother is the opposite, a slob who treats his own belongings badly. I discover my brother has inflicted hundreds of dollars worth of damages to my Japanese software collection (visual novels, which are about $100 each), which is both expensive and sentimental to me. Autographed collectibles, birthday presents, Christmas gifts: seven copies were damaged, scuffed, scratched, dirtied, replaced incorrectly, and one outright stolen. I cannot confront my brother to ask for a repayment: when I tried yesterday, he got physically violent and choked me, twice. My mother believes he can simply be talked to, and tells me I must resolve the issue with him, as we are both adults. The problem is, my brother is so frightening and unreasonable and selfish, he won't listen to me.

I am to the point of tears. I don't know how to receive compensation for all the damage my brother has done. I don't know how to stop his violence. I don't know how to cope in this terrible environment, and the nonchalant cruelty to my treasures is just the last straw. My brother has just left this afternoon for a trip (a week or two), so I have some respite, but what can I do?
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer: You can call the police and file a police report when he is violent.   You can pursue a restraining order if this is not effective.  You can attempt to collect your damages in small claims, although if your brother’s friend is the one who damages them you would need to sue him. Your family can certainly choose to stop financially supporting you at any time.  The situation you are describing is you choosing to stay an abusive situation because you want to be financially supported. You can make the choice to leave.


Title: My brother sexually abused me when I was 7-8 he was 9-10. He also did it to my sister who is 5 years younger than me, and one of my friends...best part? Parents new about it and didn't do a damn thing.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 >I'd really like to see my Brother and Mother behind bars

Neither of those things is going to happen, you should get some therapy - living well is the best revenge...Answer #2: You can't really hold a 10 year old accountable for a crime. He probably had no idea what he was doing. You have to move on.Answer #3: The statute of limitations for sex abuse to a minor in IL is 20 years starting when you turn 18 (though I saw articles about it being repealed all together). You, your friend and your sister can and should go to the police and speak to them about your brother. The sooner you are able to do so the better in case there are other victims.

Just out of curiosity, did the touching happen just when he was 9-10 or was it ongoing? If the former, your brother may have been a sex abuse victim himself and was just doing what was done to him. I suspect the police would be very interested in that. If, as you say your parents knew, your parents may be knowingly covering up for somebody else entirely.

As to the rest, best of luck. Hopefully you can find a therapist to help you come to terms with your past and move forward with your life.


Title: [TX] Received a doctor's bill from a collection agency saying I had to pay $500 or a lien will be placed on my property.

Question: Thing is, I never been to a neurologist and this person they're looking for has the same name as me, but with a different social. Normally, I would just throw out letters like that and toss it in a pile with other junk mail. However, I did inform them it was not me, but i'm wondering if that's enough. I'm also wondering if there could actually be other liens placed on my property because of a mixup.

Answer: Did you inform them in writing?  Nothing over the phone really counts.


Title: Accidentally viewed CP

Question:
US - Michigan

Hey,

Was browsing a fairly popular site a little while ago and came across a gallery. I opened it, and from my iPad the thumbnails are hard to see clearly. I clicked one and it opened an image that I'm concerned may have been CP... Actually I'm fairly sure it was.

I left immediately and feel like death over it. I'll not be back on that site again, and am kind of surprised because usually they're good at keeping that kind of shit off their site.

My question is twofold; what potential consequences am I facing? I don't want to seem paranoid, but I am actually quite worried about it and am trying to remain calm. Furthermore, I would like to report it to some kind of authority but definitely do not want to try and find it again to do so, and am also unsure if that's what I should do anyways.

I'm looking for some calming statements, haha. I'm borderline freaking out over here.

Edit: I've reported it to the cyber tip line, but I included my contact information... Was this a mistake?

Edit 2: thank all of you. After a restless night I've started to be able to calm down a bit. I feel safe. At least safe enough that I am no longer sweating and nauseous.

Answer:
 You'll be fine, the cops have bigger fish to fry than some guy who accidentally saw something bad by mistake. Stay off 4chan, nothing good ever happens there.Answer #2: [Here's a discussion that dealt with the same situation.](http://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/1zdz26/reported_child_porn_site/)

Don't worry too much. If you really feel like reporting it, [DOJ gives you several options.](http://www.justice.gov/criminal/ceos/report/report.html#reportcp)


Title: Being a Sperm Donor = Being Sued for Child Support?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: I am unaware of any successful child support cases where a legit sperm bank and actual doctors and procedures were used.


Title: I'm terrified, found old fix-it ticket in my car from October that I blanked on. Court was a month ago, OOOOPS!

Question: So I found old fix-it ticket in my car for getting pulled over for broken headlight picking up my friend from SFO. I had last semester finals and take care of elderly grand-father, so I always have something on my plate.  New Years, start cleaning my car find fix-it ticket from October. I assumed Fix-it tickets have no court date, but this one did and it was a month ago. Where do I proceed from here? ( can't afford criminal record, because ready to take CPA exam).

Answer: See if they have a way to pay online, and pay your original ticket plus your failure to appear fine/warrant. If not, call the court on Monday.


Title: Person who may provide assistance to disabled person does not meet income requirement for apartment.

Question: I am about to move into my first apartment in Georgia alone and I am in a wheelchair.  The apartment requires I have monthly gross income 3 times the monthly rent which I do.  My concern is I might need my brother, who is also in a wheelchair, to move in with me later on to help me cook, clean, and so on.  The problem is the apartment requires roommates to have monthly gross income of 2.5 times the monthly rent which my brother doesn't come close to meeting (he is on SSI.)  Any advice or suggestions to work around this issue?

Answer: If he isn't eligible to live there he isn't eligible. You may have some luck offering to sign a personal guarantee such that if you left and he stayed you would still pay any shortfall in the rent.


Title: [GA] Employer wants to fine me $10k for leaving position.

Question:
I am a W2 employee at a company in GA. I want to leave my position for some reasons that I won't go in to here. The broad stroke is that this job is affecting my mental health.

The title of this contract is: NON-COMPETE  AND NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT.

This is the part about employee termination.

\> Upon request by COMPANY, and in any event upon termination of the employment of  the Employee with COMPANY for any reason,  the Employee will promptly deliver to COMPANY all property belonging to COMPANY, including, without limitation, all Proprietary Information (and all physical embodiments thereof) then in his custody, control or possession.

\>

\> The Employee shall provide 90-day written notice to COMPANY, in the event the Employee decides to terminate employment with the COMPANY due to the critical nature of the position held.  Should the Employee fail to provide 90 day written notice, the parties agree that the Employee shall pay the sum of $10,000.00 as liquidated damages for breach of his obligations as provided by the terms of this Paragraph 2.

This is Paragraph 2.

\> RETURN OF MATERIALS.  COMPANY and the Employee agree that, upon request of COMPANY, and, in any event, upon the termination of his employment with COMPANY, the Employee will surrender to COMPANY all materials pertaining to COMPANY's business or the Employee’s employment, including but not limited to any and all memoranda, notes, records, drawings, manuals, quotations, invoices, and all copies thereof, including but not limited to any document or tangible information construed as a trade secret pursuant to the Georgia Trade Secrets Act, O.C.G.A. § 10-1-760 et seq. or that is defined in this Agreement as Proprietary  Information.  Should the Employee fail to return any or all of such materials, the parties agree that the Employee shall pay the sum of $10,000.00 as liquidated damages for breach of his obligations as provided by the terms of this Paragraph 2.  The parties to this Agreement agree that the stated sum is a reasonable pre-estimate of damages attributable to a breach by the Employee of his obligations of the terms of this Paragraph 2.  Such sum is not intended as a penalty, and does not preclude the right of COMPANY to seek injunctive relief relative to the protections afforded under this paragraph, nor does this affect the right of COMPANY to seek appropriate injunctive or any other relief under any other paragraph of this Agreement.

\>

I did give my 90 days notice but I just can't continue to work here. I've asked several times to be let go or to leave my position but dispute my better judgement, I've been asked to stay until my 90 days, always under the umbrella of legal action.

My questions are this:

\* Is this contract enforceable?

\* Can they hold me liable for any and all damages due to me leaving this position?

\* Is this even LEGAL?
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 There is a huge public policy argument against enforcing a 10k penalty against an at will employee for failing to give 90 days notice. However, you need to speak with a local attorney to assess the strength of that argument for your situation. Answer #2: Liquidated damages clauses are generally enforceable unless they are unreasonable.  If you're working, for example, at McDonalds and the only material your employer has provided is a name tag and training manual then $10,000 isn't reasonable.

If you're working as a high-level executive and you've been provided a car, high-end laptop, and access to sensitive material then $10,000 might be reasonable.


Title: [FL] Restricting facial hair

Question:
I attend a small private high school in Florida. I recently discovered that my school has dress code restrictions that stretch beyond what one wears.

The male students are restricted from growing facial hair on the grounds of the dress code. I'm extremely upset about this, especially with No Shave November just around the corner and beards very much in style. As a young man, don't I have the right to grow hair on my face? Rather, do I have the right to not use potentially painful and dangerous tools to restrict my natural bodily functions?

Not only is enforcement of this subjective and shoddy, the rule itself is sexist, as there is no restrictions on where females can and cannot grow hair.

Answer:
 >As a young man, don't I have the right to grow hair on my face? Rather, do I have the right to not use potentially painful and dangerous tools to restrict my natural bodily functions?

Sure. But you have no right to go to that school. If you want to go, follow their rules. Suck it up, Paul Bunyan. Answer #2: > do I have the right to not use potentially painful and dangerous tools to restrict my natural bodily functions?

I don't think they care *how* you remove your facial hair, just that you remove it.

> the rule itself is sexist, as there is no restrictions on where females can and cannot grow hair.

I'd be willing to bet females aren't allowed to have facial hair either. Answer #3: >Rather, do I have the right to not use potentially painful and dangerous tools to restrict my natural bodily functions?

Oh please, come off it.  I'm not sure how you can breathe, with your head up so high because of the high horse you're riding on.Answer #4: you're not sikh, i'm presuming? you have no reason to have facial hair except for preference? then no, they have every right to restrict you.

>Not only is enforcement of this subjective and shoddy, the rule itself is sexist, as there is no restrictions on where females can and cannot grow hair.

im presuming they're not policing your leg hair either though


Title: I was in a horrible motor vehicle accident

Question:
A truck I was driving behind suddenly came to a screeching halt in the middle of the highway, far too fast for me to be able to compensate for it, in 50mph traffic. I swerved to avoid crashing into it but ended up clipping the left corner anyway and my vehicle overturned, rolling three times across two lanes of traffic before coming to a stop upside down. My car was completely obliterated and is not salvageable.

I managed to crawl my way out of my car, stood up, and promptly collapsed in a fit of hysteria. My gastrocnemius was torn apart and I had a cranial contusion. My right kneecap was blown out from the impact with my steering wheel and I jave abrasions and cuts all over my body. I'm 22 years old and I don't know of my health insurance will cover my hospital stay. They had to do a CT scan and six X-Rays. If they don't my hospital bill will likely exceed $15,000 and that will cripple me financially.

Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer:
 Do you have a legal question?

You are legally required to be far enough behind the car in front of you that you don't hit them if they stop. So you have the liability here for this accident


Title: (US/California)Domain Name Registry

Question: [deleted]

Answer: This is cybersquatting and you can get sued. IANAL.


Title: [NE] I was scammed out of $200 value trade on Facebook Marketplace and blocked by the seller.

Question:
Good evening,

I recently had a lot of quadcopter equipment listed on Facebook Marketplace which I had valued around $300. It was listed for a while and I was contacted by an individual who was interested in trading some of his gear for mine.

After some agreement, we decided that he would trade a Network switch and a Transporter private cloud device to me, which he believe was worth the trade. I agreed and we met up. When we met up, he told me he didn't think it was completely fair, and so he took the 500 GB drive out of the device and gave me the rest (which I agreed to).

When I got home, I was having issues setting up the device. I had it on the network and plugged in, formatted several drives and tried several different connections. The device was leased a DHCP address through the router which means that my network was working properly. While doing further research, I found that the network light on the device was OFF, meaning it was having troubles with connecting to my network.

I contacted the trader and requested that, since the device was fault prior to my ownership, that I would like an equal value trade in return or the cash value of the device (he had it listed for $290).

The trader blocked me on Facebook and did not respond, leaving me where I was, and essentially admitting his guilt that he knew it was faulty. Fortunately for me, I had his name and general location and was able to track down his phone number and address and also was able to contact his wife about the issue.

I want to know where I stand legally and what can be done to receive compensation. I've considered the possibility of small claims court and filing a police report, but have read that it can't be a criminal issue due to its civil matter.

Reddit, please help me understand what is going on. This has been a huge mess, but I want to fight it until the end to defend what is right. Huge thanks in advance and best wishes throughout the holiday weekend.

Answer: You have no recourse. You agreed to accept the trade as is. Maybe /r/techsupport is more appropriate than LA.


Title: (FL) How to prevent my parents from confiscating my possessions before I move out?

Question:
I'm in my early 20's and live with my parents. They've dragged me into a religious cult I wish to disassociate from. Today I refused to comply with their demands and said that I'd just move out. Then they confiscated my phone and wallet. So that meant I couldn't do anything at that point & had no choice but to comply. I don't pay rent & they were the ones who paid for my phone, but my wallet??? I got my first job a couple months ago & have since been saving to move out. My wallet contains my bank card where my check is deposited to & also several credit cards (which they are the ones who use, but are all under my name). They want me to comply with their cult and if I don't, they want to hit me where it hurts the most by leaving me with nothing.

So, what do I do if I try to move out but they take all my stuff & money?? How can i leave then?

Answer:
 The cards are under your name (assuming the phone is too); file a police report for theft and get an escort while you move your stuff out.

My girlfriend went through it a lot with her parents when she was a teen. They thought swiping her purse with her phone and bank cards (all in her name) while she was in the shower would somehow teach her a lesson. All it taught them was that it was theft, and every time they got police called on them.

When it came time for her to move out we had to get a police escort to have the parents vacate the property for a few hours so we could move her stuff out.

I'm not sure if they were ever charged with anything but as long as the cards and phone are in your name, your parents are committing theft and can be held liable.

SMH dude, I swear there are some people who should be barred from being around society, let alone being in charge of raising kids. Answer #2: Call the police and report them for stealing your wallet. If necessary, walk to a neighbor's house and ask to use their phone.Answer #3: Call the bank and tell them the card was stolen.


Title: Work trying to read my text messages

Question:
Bascially everyone at my office is on a company phone plan that is more or less mandated on employees because we technically have to be available 24/7. Now our company is discussing going through everyone's phone and/or mandating you delete all text messages older than a set time. Maybe 5 people out of the whole company haven't gotten on the plan, mostly because they are part time or interns. I sort of suspect nothing is illegal since they are company property, but I just can't imagine someone being taken out of the closet (all the people I've know who were gay here kept it quiet because of the culture), I know of several employees that have either tried to hook up with each other or have, and countless other mess- I even wonder if HIPAA applies or some other coverage for people in hidden legal or medical troubles. They also want us to pull all our icloud backups - which are not linked to work or paid for by work and examine them. This is under the guise of a request for documents in a court case.

&#x200B;

Do we have any options?
Topic:
Business Law

Answer:
 Get a separate phone for work use.

If they put an app on your phone for company email (like Outlook) and you leave, they can and will wipe your phone without notice.

The do not have the right to ask you for any of your personal information, but they can fire you for not following company mandates.  Get a separate phone.

HIPAA is for medical providers, not relevant here.Answer #2: One phone for work, one phone for personal.

&#x200B;

Don't use hookup apps or dirty texts with a work phone.Answer #3: It's a company phone and plan?

Yes, they're going to be able to examine material on it.


Title: [ID] I signed a lease for $X rent, $Y grounds keeping, and $Z utilities. Next day, owner says Oops we meant $X+A rent and $B grounds keeping.

Question:
Edit: Idaho Falls, ID.

The property management site said $X for rent plus $A if you have a shortened lease. The site also said $Y grounds keeping.

I applied, was accepted, paid initial deposit, signed a lease (they signed it too). The lease I signed was for $X rent (when it should have been $X+A) and $Y grounds keeping with a move in date of Sept. 12.

The next day, they inform me about some changes to the lease I need to initial and sign before being able to pick up my keys. These changes include the fix from $X to $X+A rent and a "Fix" from $Y to $B grounds keeping ($B is twice $Y).

I have the original lease, I have not signed the "fixed" lease. What obligation do I have to sign it? How do I protect myself and my budget?

I feel inclined to agree to the fixed rent amount, I knew that could be an extra cost before I was even accepted. But that bogus bump to the grounds keeping cost is a real slap in the face, especially when the site said only $Y.

Answer:
 You have a signed copy with both your signatures on it? Its legally binding you don't have to sign anything to change that. State this is legal signed agreed upon amount and won't pay anything more. But dont expect a lease renewal Answer #2: Don't sign the new lease. They fucked up, they can live with the consequences.

But start documenting the condition of the property now with photos, etc. in case they try to play fuckfuck games when you move out.Answer #3: >I feel inclined to agree to the fixed rent amount, I knew that could be an extra cost before I was even accepted. But that bogus bump to the grounds keeping cost is a real slap in the face, especially when the site said only $Y.

I'd go in and tell them that.Answer #4: I know this is/r/legaladvice and not /r/goodadvice, but I would think long and hard before playing hardball here.  Could they make your life significantly more difficult while still upholding their end of the contract? Could they be trying to pull a bait-and-switch? If you think they can't be trusted,  you might want to offer to find another place and give them the opportunity to find another tenant.


Title: [AUS] My private school is trying to suspend me for a facebook post.

Question:
A close friend of mine was diagnosed with bone cancer in his knee earlier this year. To help pay for his treatment, a fundraiser night was set up by the local community, at which my band was going to play. Unfortunately, the event coincided with one of the school's cadet camps and two of my band members were cadets. Naturally, thinking that raising money for a cancer patient attending this very school would be more important than a camp that happens four times a year, we went in to explain why they wouldn't be able to attend. To my shock, they were denied leave from the camp. The school stated that if they didn't attend they would be discharged from the cadet program entirely (remember this is still just high school cadets; these camps have talent nights and flour bomb fights).

In my frustration, I turned to social media to vent, making a facebook post outlining the situation and criticising the school's decision. Instead of support, I received a barrage of phone calls, emails and facebook messages from various deans, teacher/cadets and even an older student who was in direct contact with a furious head of the department. Every single interaction threatened to suspend me from school unless I removed the post immediately, which I did simply out of fear.

I have no idea what is legal in this situation. I know that I had the legal right to speak my mind on Facebook, given that Facebook agreed to host my status,  but it gets complicated with the school. As a private school I suppose they are technically a company with a business reputation to uphold, but surely making threats at its students to keep their mouths shut about the amoral decisions of the school is way out of line. Or do private schools have far more power than I originally assumed, e.g. to expel someone for no reason at all.

Thank you to anyone who can help me. This is all in Australia and so the laws may be different to the majority of redditors, but hopefully not too different.

Answer:
 You have the right to free speech.  HOWEVER there can be consequences for your free speech.

Moral or immoral does not matter.  The school is private, therefore a business and can have it's own rules outside of public school laws.  I don't see anything the school has done wrong.  Have they threatened anything else besides your continued enrollment?


Title: Can I dump one ton of manure on my neighbor’s driveway?

Question: Is this illegal? Asking for a friend.

Answer:
 Perfectly legal, but only under certain circumstances:

Your neighbor **must** be:
- parked in an open top convertible in their driveway at the time
- a known bully and/or attempted rapist
- a temperamental individual who reacts wildly when accused of cowardice

You **must** be:
- an awkwardly charming time traveler
- in possession a vehicle capable of traveling ~85-90 mph
- aware of temporal coordinates of a lightning strike

Good luck!


Title: my dad broke my nose and i want him to pay(california)

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Statute of limitations was two years. Sorry. You can ask but legally you are out of luck


Title: [FL] Been arrested, innocent, can I represent myself without a bar degree?

Question: [removed]

Answer:
 > This seems like a pretty easy case of self defense even if the cops are stupid so I think I can handle it.

No, no, no. This is not DIY territory at all.Answer #2: There is no such thing as a "bar degree."

Which is one of about thirty reasons why this is a bad idea.Answer #3: You legally can represent yourself. I would personally not do so.Answer #4: Can you? Yes.

Should you? Almost certainly not.

Self-defence is invariably such a fact-sensitive thing that having a professional eye on how you present your defence is extremely good insurance. Remember, to raise a self-defence argument, you need to admit to the underlying offence: if your self-defence argument fails to convince the jury or judge, then you're left with the problem of having admitted, under oath, to assault.

You only get one chance to make this argument.

Reach out to local legal aid societies, womens' shelters, and start calling lawyers and asking if you can arrange a payment plan or a pro bono defence.Answer #5: Can you? Sure. Should you? Almost assuredly not.

Part of learning to be a lawyer is how to present your side of the case. Do you know how to question witnesses in a way that shows what you did was acceptable as self defense? Do you know how to do case law research to determine what the standard of self defense is in a case like this?

You can't just walk into a courtroom an just say "self defense!" and leave it at that. You would have to question witnesses to show your side.


Title: Can I be expelled from high school for being in a psych ward?

Question:
Some background info, I'm 18 still in high school.  I go to a charter school and attendance is essentially given based on the amount of work we do.  E.g. each student is supposed to complete 5 packets a month in order not to be truant.

Last month I was at my worst mentally, suicidal and unstable.  I couldn't eat or drink, change my clothes or shower, I barely got up during the day and thus I barely attended school and did my school work.  I went into a psych ward for around a week and I went to school straight from the hospital.  I was told since I didn't do the 5 packets, I would face a truancy and would be kicked out of the school, regardless of my valid reason.  I stood at school for the entire day, finishing the packets as desperately as possible and somehow managed to complete everything on time.

I'm finding myself back in the same position.  I have ptsd, bipolar depression, and a list of other diagnoses.  I'm at my worst again, however I do not have a backup plan for school.  I fear being kicked out, despite it being a medical reason.  I'm on a no harm protocol with my therapist and if I'm feeling suicidal again, I'll be brought back to the psych ward for my safety.  Which is what I feel is going to happen at next week's appointment.

Answer: Does your school receive any taxpayer funding? (As a charter school, I'm going to guess the answer is 'yes.') If so, they have specific obligations under various federal laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, that require them to work with students who have disabling conditions, including mental health issues. You are probably going to have to escalate this up the ladder to an administrator, however.Answer #2: Will the psychiatric facility allow you to bring the homework with you and complete it during your stay? That seems like the easiest way to handle this.


Title: My landlord asked me to leave the apartment in Gaithersburg, MD.

Question:
Firstly, I am staying long term with this lady with Airbnb. 3 months to be exact.

Over the weekend, I went to visit my parents back home in WV. I got back to my apartment later in the evening, ate a quick dinner and went to go get groceries. The land lady also lives in the same house/apartment I am staying at. I just rent a room off of her through Airbnb.

When I got home from getting groceries, I noticed the garage door was open. I am not allowed to use the garage. I never have been. I have been told to park in the street. I went inside to check to see if anybody else was home, but I did not find anyone. I meant to close the garage door to be nice, but I forgot as I had groceries in my hands.

Apparently her daughter had forgotten to close the garage door, and when the landlady came home, she asked me about it, and I told her what I had forgotten to close it myself because I was busy,  even though **I didn't open it**.

She found out that her daughter had opened the door, and proceeded to send me a text message telling me how irresponsible I am for not closing the door. She even acknowledged that I didn't open the door! Should I have closed it? Yeah probably, but I didn't. She then told me that I have to find somewhere else to live. She doesn't want me here the rest of the summer, even though I have been here for almost 6 weeks.

I called Airbnb and they called her and eventually got her to agree to let me finish out the summer (About 6 more weeks). Airbnb even told me that she was being petty.

What protections do I have under MD state law? I tried calling some offices this morning, but couldn't get a hold of anyone. Is my landlady required to give me notice? Do I have rights even though I am through Airbnb? If she tries to do this again, what course of actions do I have? I want to be prepared because I was blindsided this time. I won't be blindsided again.

Answer: Legally you're a tenant and would have to be given proper notice. They can't legally kick you to the curb.


Title: Public works or contractor damaged my house with a pile driver

Question:
   A couple of weeks ago there was a drainage/sewerage project that started up in my neighborhood, (Louisiana near New Orleans) they installed a "lift station" about 50 yards from my house. On the first day of the job, my wife called me at work complaining about the "whole house shaking" because there was a (effing) huge pile driver doing what pile drivers do and I just told her to chill, there is no way they can damage our house from driving piles into a swamp.

The next morning I was in the house when they started driving... I can tell you from experience, even though we are in S.E. Louisiana that this would have measured a 2.5 on the Richter scale in southern California. I actually saw pictures on the wall and furniture in our house jiggle every time it hit. Unbelievable but I still didn't give it more than a "WOW" with no thought of permanent damage to the structure but...

   A few days later, we notice that the front door to the house, that would normally close and latch on it's own without being slammed now requires me to hold the doorknob and force the door closed. Also, the rear door has to be pushed with such force that it is causing the door frame to separate. I see cracks in the sheetrock that (I don't think) were there before.

  My question is: Should I even bother getting a professional to look at this with hopes of recovering damages or should I just get a sander and grind the door enough till it closes properly. How will this play out 10 years from now? (Yeah, that part is a construction question but....)

TL;DR Public works project caused minor(for now) structural damage to my house with a huge pile driver. Do I have any kind of recourse?

TIA - This is the first time I have ever posted here but it is def one of my favorite subReddits!

Answer: Have you contacted your home insurance?


Title: Threatened

Question: So I was talking to my friends and their father asked us what we were talking about and I said "Nothing that concerns you" and he started telling me to get away from his house and so I did after a few seconds and I went infront of the house that was next to his. He continued to yell at me and started to get a bit threatening. So as I moved further away from his house he started saying get away from my house before I handle you like a man. To me this is very threatinging and not at all legal considering my age and when I came back past his house he continued to yell at me. Note, I live in a small complex in Washington state and am a minor. Should I call the cops and tell them that he was threatinging me or is he aloud to do that since I was infront of his unit? I felt very threatened and unconfortable when he did this.

Answer: Call the police because you were told to leave and instead decided to hang around and antagonise the situation further? That will end well. You should have left, period.


Title: Notice of Petition Nonpayment of Rent- Please help :(

Question:
Has anyone ever had a Petition of Nonpayment of Rent served on them? I got in an accident May 1st and have been out on disability, and my partner does not work so we have not been able to make our full rent since April. We never received a "Hey pay this rent" notice from our landlord, and in our online rent portal it says what we owe, no late fees or anything. Im confused, and scared. I don't make enough money to send in the $2,100 (owed rent, legal fees and late fees) in this and I dont have anywhere else to go where I can keep my job... Does anyone have any words of wisdom? (I have a blocked out picture available if it needs to be seen.)

Some other key things: They served it in my old roommates name. We put my partner on the lease, but were never given a new one to sign but it has him in their system. The lease states that if you don't send anything back the lease turns into a month to month with an extra $100 fee. We talked to the landlord, got him approved, but never got a renewal back to sign, but havent been charged the $100 a month either. Im so scared.

Answer:
 I mean you didn't pay your rent.

You should talk to them about a payment plan or prepare to be evicted. That's literally all you can do. It won't be immediate, you'd stay in the place likely for 2-3 months, but it will severely affect your ability to rent in the future.

Your partner should probably get a job.


Title: Why on earth would no laywer take my case?

Question:
Mid last year, I was a big restaurant chain having dinner.  The waiter accidentally served me a glass of a corrosive chemical instead of water.  I took a big swig of it not realizing what it was and had to go to the ER.. stomach and esophagus were on fire.. then had to have some tests done to check for any internal damage.  And I had to be put under for a gastro endoscopy.  Doctors said they couldn't find any evidence of permanent damage.. that's good and all but it was still inexcusable that it even happened in the first place, and that I had to go through all of that.

I called probably 6 or 7 lawyers in my area after it happened.  Nobody would take my case.  Well, some said they *would* but that it wouldn't be worth it and all recommended I settle out of court, saying that what I'd receive in settlement would get eaten up with legal fees.  You read all the time about people filing these ridiculously frivolous law suits for insane amounts of money.  Yet I take a hefty shot of sodium dichloro-s-triazinetrione due to a negligent employee and have go go through all manner of medical procedures and no lawyers think it's worth their time?

I was so frustrated about this and so tired of dealing with it (for months) that I ended up settling with the restaurant's insurance company for peanuts.  Got enough to pay the bills and about $1.5k extra for damages.

I was just reading the article about the current top post in /r/gifs ([link](http://q13fox.com/2015/01/28/watch-seattle-school-teacher-on-cell-phone-pepper-sprayed-by-police-officer/)).  A teacher gets pepper sprayed, files a $500k law suit.  Here I am thinking about all the shit I went through, and nobody wants to take my case.. this guy gets some pepper spray in his eyes that wears off in a few minutes, washes his clothes and he's good to go.  And suing for $500k in "damages"?

I just do not understand.  This is partly a rant, but I'm seriously wondering what it was about my case that wasn't worth anyone's time.

Answer:
 > And I had to be put under for a gastro endoscopy. Doctors said they couldn't find any evidence of permanent damage

Bingo.

> that's good and all but it was still inexcusable that it even happened in the first place, and that I had to go through all of that.

You're the only one who cares about that.

> Got enough to pay the bills and about $1.5k extra for damages.

So you actually came out $1.5k ahead. Yay!

> I just do not understand.

Because you're suppose to be made whole again. They paid your bills and paid you on top of that. What more do you want? Sorry you didn't get filthy rich. :(


Title: Hypothetically, if a former married someone else while married to you, how do you divorce them?

Question:
Consider the possibility that your husband ran off years ago and then married a new, younger and prettier woman but never divorced you.

Will divorcing him wreck his new family? In this scenario, the husband now took the role of a stepfather to two young children. You want to get married someday yourself but you don't want to ruin his marriage or the lives of two young kids.

Answer:
 If he never divorced you, his new marriage would be invalid. You are still considered his lawful wife until a decree of divorce is entered (there’s no such thing as “common law divorce” or the like).

In short, his new “marriage” is null and void. You are still his wife, and he simply cannot have more than one wife at a time. Period.

Note: the same would be true for you. You cannot legally be remarried until you get divorced. Your new “husband” would not be a husband until you get married **after** a divorce.


Title: Girlfriends crazy uncle paying someone to take candid/spy pictures of her family/me/us together

Question:
Ok reddit, first time posting here and I need some help.  Sorry for any formatting issues, I’m on mobile and don’t really post at all.

The problem:
My girlfriend and her siblings have an uncle, who we will call S, that is kinda nuts. Super manipulative controlling and due to that the two oldest kids in the family (my gf and her sister) cut off all communication with him. Since they have done this, he has nonstop emailed, texted, called, and bugged them trying to get them to “be friends with him” again, even going so far as to come to my gfs work and leave notes on her car. They’ve told their parents about it but they won’t do anything about it because he is “family”. The two youngest kids in the family are still in contact with him and go over to his house for play dates and such (they are 8 and 12) and he would constantly ask them questions about me and my gf, her friends, what she was doing and all that. yesterday while they were with him, he went into a store and left his phone in the car and the kids and they went through it, where they found a number with no caller ID that had been sending constant pictures to him of me and my gf at concerts together, her at work, her siblings at school recess, even pictures of us hanging out at MY HOUSE, so this guy has been basically spying on us for who knows how long. Is there anything we can do to put an end to this? It is getting creepier by the second and I don’t want it to end in a kidnapping or something.

Answer:
 You can make a complaint to the police (non-emergency line). I would imagine that they would contact him and tell him to stop harassing* you (*non-legal use of the word).

If he continues this behavior, continue to call in to the police (non-emerg) and report each incident. Because he hasn't done any harm, you may need to force the issue a bit with the police. But if there are enough instances, the police will eventually get involved.

Keep in mind that there is a grey area between being allowed to take pictures of people in a public space and stalking someone. Without knowing all sides of this story, it's impossible to say which side his actions fall on. That's why police investigate complaints.


Title: Private University Giving Health Info to Parents w/o Permission

Question:
Hi, my sister goes to a private university in NC, that has a policy of calling parents after every visit to the health center to discuss the visit. My sister didn't remember signing a form authorizing this, and asked someone at the front desk about revoking the permission (because they called our parents to discuss a recent visit). That person said there's no form, it's a university policy that anyone who pays a student's tuition gets a call updating them on their health information. My parents do help pay her tuition, but they do not have the greatest relationship to where she wants them receiving all this private information.

Can the school legally do this? Is there any way to stop them from doing this?
Topic:
Healthcare Law including HIPAA

Answer:
 The doctors and nurses that work at the health center are bound by HIPAA and they can't talk to your parents without your sister's permission.  There is no exception, if it is a health center employee who has access to the medical records then this is a massive violation.

They may try and claim an exception under FERPA but there isn't one.  The exceptions are: " Under this provision, colleges and universities may notify parents when there is a **health or safety emergency involving their son or daughter**, even if the parents do not claim the student as a dependent," and also disclosing her financial aid.  This isn't either one of those because it is a *medical* record and not an educational record.  File a complaint with HHS.

[https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/filing-a-complaint/index.html](https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/filing-a-complaint/index.html)

[https://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/students.html](https://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/students.html)Answer #2: Contrary to the other incorrect opinions, this is not a HIPAA violation as student health clinics are exempt from HIPAA privacy act.

Source: https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/faq/518/does-ferpa-or-hipaa-apply-to-records-on-students-at-health-clinics/index.html

Only non-student health care is subject to HIPAA at the campus health center. If she wants her records kept private, she needs to find an off campus clinic.


Title: How do we go about establishing paternity and visitation for my partner's son he's never met? In NC

Question: My partner, lets call him John, and a child 9 years ago when he was a teenager but the mom and her family chose to exclude him from the pregnancy and did not include him in the birth. She tried filing false restraining order charges that were dropped once her allegations proved to be false. She did not want John in this child's life. At the time, he was a punk kid and not exactly the worlds best role model. However he has cleaned up his act, he went to school and got a degree, he has three beautiful daughters, and he just started up his own business. We don't have a lot of money since most, if not all, of our money is going towards helping the business grow but the older this child gets the more depressed John gets. He hates not being a part of his life and he truly is an amazing father. How do we go about even starting this? He has tried reaching out to the mom in the past about meeting him and she blocked him on all avenues so we don't want to keep pestering her and rather have another way. We aren't looking to take him from the only parent he's ever had unless there's reason to? We simply want to meet and get to know our son.

Answer:
 Find the proper jurisdiction for where kiddo resides. Write it down.

Read this https://www.lawhelpnc.org/files/CF76DC62-D528-7183-3117-39472C017826/attachments/CEEB8B8B-1528-4A8C-97F0-59062E8A02AB/custodypacket-parent.pdf

Watch this.  http://www.legalaidnc.org/get-help/Pages/self-help-clinics/child-custody-and-visitation-clinic.aspx They have a video. Neat.

Call them if confused. http://www.legalaidnc.org/get-help/Pages/apply-for-help/Apply-by-Phone.aspx

Guess since you are on online you could just ask them now.
http://www.legalaidnc.org/get-help/Pages/apply-for-help/Apply-Online.aspx


Title: Lost Brother

Question:
I live in Gainesville GA

An unfortunate event occurred to a friend a road down from mine. His brother, who was becoming clean on drugs, was found hung in their shed at 5:30 the morning of 05-23. His heels were covered in dirt and there was a trail where it appeared he was dragged. Earlier this month this same brother was hit by a car and the driver and passengers came out and jumped him leaving him on the road. That same driver was an immediate suspect, and oddly enough his parents and friends don't know where he went off to.
The doctor refused to perform the autopsy and the police have said their isn't anything they can do. The family also received a threat saying that they will be coming for their family one at a time, they alerted the police and again they responded with their isn't anything they can do.

What can this family do?

Answer:
 " The doctor refused to perform the autopsy  "

I don't immediately understand this. Where is the body? Have the family specifically requested an autopsy? Where is the coroner's office in this?Answer #2: why specifically have the police said there is nothing they can do? is it a "civil matter"? escalate up the chain of command, someone at that police station doesnt want to deal with this and its up to you to get it through their head that they have to. talk to supervisors. ask for case numbers. if all else fails reach out to news stations and try for press coverage. you cannot seek justice or protection on your own - you lack authority and resources to do so. you can only try and force the police to see youre not going away until something is done.


Title: [WA] Landlord scheduling apartment showings everyday

Question:
So I am moving out of my apartment in August and since April my landlord has been scheduling a large number of showings. Including the most recent scheduled showings, there have been 31 scheduled showing notices between May 1st and June 17th. That's about 2 out of 3 days.

 Is this sort of thing allowed?

They are giving 48 hours notice but is the frequency allowed?

**EDIT: I should mention that they haven't showed up at 90% of these times. The problem is that I feel they are using this method to circumvent the 48 hour notice policy.**

Here is one of the emails they have sent us:
** **
Notice of Intention to Enter

Dear Residents:

Sunday, June 12th                             from 1:00p.m. to 6:00p.m.

Monday, June 13th                            from 1:00p.m. to 6:00p.m.

Tuesday, June 14th                            from 1:00p.m. to 6:00p.m.

Wednesday, June 15th                      from 1:00p.m. to 6:00p.m.

Thursday, June 16th                          from 1:00p.m. to 6:00p.m.

Friday, June 17th                               from 1:00p.m. to 6:00p.m.

You are not required to be in the premises. When a manager comes to your unit they will first knock to determine if anyone is home. If no one answers, they will enter using a management key.

This is intended to be a reasonable notice of at least 48 hours (48) hours.

The Manager personally delivered this notice on Friday, June 10, 2016 by 1:30p.m.

Thank you for your cooperation and if you have any questions please feel free to contact us.

Answer:
 > A landlord shall not unreasonably interfere with a tenant's enjoyment of the rented dwelling unit by excessively exhibiting the dwelling unit.

What counts as excessive to the courts? That seems pretty excessive to me.

edit:

Send a written response saying that under 59.18.150 (6) you consider this showing schedule to be "excessively exhibiting" and not permitted, and under 59.18.150 (8) that further showings after receiving this counter-notice may hold the landlord liable for up to $100 per violation.Answer #2: Personally I think it is excessive, that being said, nothing is requiring you from being polite to management, remember this is a business.

There is nothing illegal in answering your door in your underwear with porn loudly playing on the living room TV and bottles upon bottles of lotion and lube on the coffee table.

There is nothing illegal in having an easel with a large piece of paper on it documenting all the times management has shown the place with huge font on it saying that if you live here, this will happen to you too.

I would first talk with management about the excessiveness of their showings, if they do not tone it down, nothing illegal about pulling the "nuclear option" to send a message.  Answer #3: Get some bed bug brochures and leave them throughout the house.Answer #4: They've appropriately followed the law regarding notice, etc.  What they can't do is unreasonably interfere with your enjoyment of the premises by scheduling too many showings. I'm not certain this is the case here, yet.

Your best bet at this point is to work with the landlord. Determine if the showings are in fact excessive and request a more reasonable schedule.


Title: [UK] I have issues with concentration & attention. Can my teacher give me permission to record the audio in class to review when I am more on the ball?

Question: I'm in class from 9-5, 3 days a week, and have a hard time focusing on anything for over half an hour. If I ask my teacher, can they give permission for me to record the class audio, or should I ask the college itself?

Answer: Just ask the teacher/college. Recording tools are standard issue for those with disabilities (including ADD/ADHD etc) in uni, i wouldn't see an issue in college either but realistically a legal perspective is barely relevant if the college/teacher don't care. Which they almost certainly won't. If they get arsey about it you can have a look from the legal angle.Answer #2: r/legaladviceUK might also be helpfull.


Title: Roommate Pill Thief

Question: I have a roommate, and I think he has been stealing my prescription pain killers, but I have no way to prove it besides all my pills are gone. What am I supposed to do?

Answer: Lock them up. File a police report if you want to.


Title: Let a friend borrow money, never paid it back

Question: Hello all, I'm just curious if there is anything I can do on this. I live in Utah County, Utah and I had a friend ask to borrow $1600 almost 2 years ago. They promised that it would be paid back within a month, but we're at $200 paid after 22 months. This friend is now ignoring all my calls/messages, and I would love to have that $1400 owed. Is there really anything I can do that would be worth it? I actually put the expense on a credit card, so getting the interest money back would be great too. I'm just worried that going to court will end up costing me as much as I'm owed and make the entire ordeal not worth it. Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thank you and have a wonderful day!

Answer:
 > I actually put the expense on a credit card, so getting the interest money back would be great too.

You're not getting that back unless your contract says you do. If you have to put something on a credit card, you can't afford to loan anybody money.  Small claims is your only recourse.


Title: Use of CCTV in dormitory hallways

Question:
Hi,

I live at a residential college on campus in Queensland, Australia. There are newly placed CCTV cameras in all corridors, off which are the residential rooms and the bathrooms. The cameras are also present in all public spaces. Recently an incident occurred in which a resident was punished for a misdemeanor and it was revealed that he was actively tracked on the cameras in real time by the administration of the college. This has really raised tensions between the residents and the staff.

My question is what are the legal standings in regards to CCTV within the dormitory corridors? The vast majority of residents are strongly against their use and feel like their privacy is being invaded, especially given the fact that staff has been repeatedly seen actively monitoring several cameras in real time, as well as the recent tracking incident.

Thanks in advance.

Answer: If this were the US, then there would be no issue with the cameras. I am not sure about Aus.Answer #2: Seems like a really good idea by the school.


Title: Legit forgot to pay wasn't caught

Question:
Hi guys,

Sorry if this isn't the right place to ask this, but I live in Singapore. I accidentally walked out of a store today with an unpaid pen in my hand and didn't find out until I was home and the store had closed for the day. Didn't realise I had an unpaid pen with me because I had some old ones in my hand and was comparing prices and no one stopped me as I was walking out of the store. Will the store report me to the police if I return tomorrow to pay for the pen? I damn scared the police come knock on my door how.

Edit: the pen costs SGD16 (USD11.50)

Edit 2: I went back to the store today to explain what happened and return the pen. They didn't even make me buy it and were very chill about it even though I was freaking out. Made a mountain out of a molehill. Thanks everyone for the help! I can breathe better now.

Answer: Return to the store with the pen, put it back on the shelf, pick it up, go pay for it.Answer #2: You can donate 16 flecknoids or whatever you use for currency to a charity to assuage your guilt.


Title: Was it legal for my high-school to charge me $5 every time I would forget my ID?

Question:
Currently 22, and when I was in high-school they would make you wear a lanyard with your ID, if you forgot it at home they would make you get another one that day and charge you $5, was this legal? Would they have been able to potentially suspend students who refused to buy an ID? My little brother is going into high school soon and this advice may prove useful. Location: California

Edit: the old wording made it sound like I was still in high-school

Answer: I missed the comma and read this as "Currently 22 in high school"


Title: Guy owes my dad $5000.

Question: About 8 years ago my dad let his friend borrow $5000 because he was in an economic crisis. He agreed to pay it back but this was all done verbally, there was no paperwork. After 4 years my dad and the guy moved to Houston, Texas and he still has not paid the money. About 2 years ago my dad got him to write a couple of checks which amounted to $5000 and they all bounced when we went to cash them in. The guy is now avoiding all calls and he moved to avoid us. But recently my dad found out where he lives, still in Houston and we need advice on how we can get the money back.

Answer: You can't squeeze blood out of a turnip.Answer #2: If the man has any assets you could take him to small claims court then seize or attach a lien on the property or automobile. Your dad could also investigate having the man prosecuted for writing a bad check, but by now the statute of limitations may have passed.


Title: [Maryland] Open Alcohol Container, Right to Remain Silent, Unjustified Arrest?

Question:
Last night I was riding in a car with 4 other passengers. As I got into the car there were two beer bottles open (we are all of age to drink).  I sat in the front passenger seat. The three passengers in the back decided to smoke some marijuana. I have never smoked in my life, so I respectfully declined. We were pulled over on our way to our destination. Immediately the cops smelled the marijuana. I was the first one asked to step out of the car. As I stepped out of the car I heard a beer bottle at my feet. The cops immediately noticed it as well. I was searched then requested to have a seat on the sidewalk. The cops were asking me lots of questions, such as, "who's weed is it?", "who's beer bottles?", "have you been arrested before?" That last question. I did not answer the first two questions, because it is my right to remain silent. However, when I was asked if I had been arrested before and I did not answer, for some reason one cop did NOT like that. He repeatedly asked me the same question several times. I remained silent. He warned me he was going to ask me one final time, and if I did not answer he was going to ARREST me. Of course I answered once he threatened to arrest me.
Didn't I have the right to remain silent? Could he arrest me for remaining silent after asking me such a question? When they ran my ID, wouldn't it show up if I have been previously arrested? Also, I was cited for the open container of beer. I will get a court summons in the mail. Should I go to court and fight it? What happens if I plead guilty? I need advice, please.

Answer: You were arrested for the weed and alcohol, not remaining silent.


Title: TimeWarner Cable truck crashed into my vehicle

Question:
Hello all, a TimeWarner Cable truck rear ended me at a stop light, the driver called his supervisor and reported the accident as his fault, I tried to file a police report but the police refused to show up over the phone, so no police report is filed. I'm currently in contact with TimeWarner, I sent them the estimate of the shop which is for 4k they checked the vehicle inside and out. Now TimeWarner said 4k was too much and they would send an appraiser out, the appraiser showed up and viewed the car and left was gone before i was able to show him the inside of the trunk being crumbled from the crash. Now they're reaching out to me and only want to give 2k. What can I do in this situation? Should I go through my insurance and have the insurance deal with TimeWarner or should I go repair and do a small claims? Really befuddled in this situation.

Edit: Location is California

Answer: Use your insurance, that's what they are there for.


Title: I have a disability and was fired for failing to meet productivity, is there anything I can do?

Question:
First of all, I'm in Wisconsin and I have Cerebral Palsy in my left arm and leg.  It isn't too bad but it does affect my daily life and work ability.  I was working at a company doing screen printing, which was going well, but during slow days we would be sent across the street to the distribution center to do things like restocking shelves and picking orders for delivery.  This is where I got warnings for failing to meet productivity and eventually was fired for it.  My boss knew I had CP and tried to prevent me from being fired, and when HR called I made sure they knew too.  I'm wondering if there's anything I can/should do to get compensation since it has put me in a really bad financial situation.
Topic:
Labor Law

Answer: It's not a get out of jail free card. A disability only requires the employer to make a reasonable accommodation of your disability. In Wisconsin upon notification of the disability the employer is required to conduct and "interactive process" of discussions about accommodations. The question here is whether that occurred and whether or not you needed some type of accomidation. Unless your accommodation was a waiver of the quota requirements, you are still expected to meet quotas. You can file a claim with the the Department of Workforce Develeopment, but be prepared to have specific discussions of specific accommodations. It is not illegal to fire someone with a disability that doesn't meet quotas if there is no accommodation in place to change the quotas.


Title: Being blackmail over photo? Need advice!

Question:
San Diego, California, USA

Long story short - Due to my frustration of my parents over protectiveness and argument with what I can't do - I decided to sneak out and meet up with this who I don't know anything about other than his name (most likely alias, as I can't find him on social media). His numbers also appears to be a spoof coming from app like textnow or something. He texted me saying he knows me from college but I don't remember. Either way, he seemed nice. When meeting, we ended up doing a one night stand in his car and while doing that I let him took some photos of me. Later on, I realized what I've done was wrong and decided to ignore him. Of course he didn't take it well and decided to threatening me by texting the photo to my family. He hasn't yet.

However, I thought I counter him, so I told my father about it. My father is planning to help me by reporting to the police. My question is what can they do to help and what can we do?

Answer: How old are you?


Title: Bought a car that the dealer did not disclose had frame damage. He has since admitted the "mistake" and offered to make it right. How strong is my negotiating position?

Question:
I bought a 2014 Corolla from a Toyota dealership in Pennsylvania a little over two weeks ago. The car had a clean Carfax, though my rookie ass didn't look before I had signed. I'll come back to that. My insurance company offered to buy out the auto loan to beat the interest rate, but denied it due to the car having frame damage.

First visit back to the dealer. Guy pulls up the Carfax, shows it's clean, no accidents. Claims it's not possible and tells me his service department wouldn't have missed that. Basically, he insists the car is clean.

I go home, buy the AutoCheck.com report. It was bought at auction 2.5 months and 38mi before I bought it, and was announced as a frame damaged. Carfax also excluded an accident from the year before, too. There's no possible way these guys didn't know.

Second visit to dealership. I show them the AutoCheck. Dude immediately admits they bought it from auction, but denies them announcing it as damaged. He says he's going to follow up with the auction about it.

I get an email a couple hours later. He states that the auction confirmed it being announced as damaged. Apologized for the mistake and offered to make it right, though he didn't offer anything specific.

Tl;dr: they're playing it off like an honest mistake, but I strongly suspect they saw the clean Carfax and tried to capitalize and never expected to get caught. Bare minimum, I get the car refunded, but I'm looking for advice on how strongly I should play my hand considering the dealership committed fraud. Should I be contacting an attorney anyway? All advice welcome.

Answer:
 You are absolutely entitled to recover your damages.  That means either a reduction in the price of the car to what is fair market value given the damage, or the dealer buying the car back for what you paid (arguably less some amount for your use of the car for 2 weeks).  You should ask them to do whichever of those things you prefer.

It sounds like you're asking do you have an opportunity for some kind of windfall based on this event?  I wouldn't think so.  Especially not if you get there and they make an offer that reasonably makes you whole.  Answer #2: Don't get into another deal with them.  Make them rescind the purchase completely.  Get your $$ back and go to another dealership.


Title: Abuse of access by landlord in Ohio, do I have any recourse to pursue?

Question: While I was gone for the weekend my landlord or part of the staff entered my apartment without any notice.  They have my number and didn't call it to ask me.  No written notice was left about their intent to enter.  I only later found out about it when they informed me I would be getting a new roommate and that the common area had some trash (literally one pizza box) that needed to be cleaned before my roommate's arrival.  They did not enter for any emergency or any other reason that I could tell.  I had lots of private documents (I had recently moved in) and lots of expensive equipment in open view.  What, if any, legal recourse do I have?  Really scares me as a young woman on her own that the staff can just walk in at any time for no reason.

Answer: Wait? They lease the apartment individually by room?