Title: I think my boss is sexually harassing all the waitresses that work for him but not totally sure?

Question:
Background: 19F, started waitressing at small family-owned restaurant when I was 15. Worked there part time through high school, now work during summers home from college.
The restaurant is small enough that there’s only ever one waitress + the chef per shift, and the chef is also like the hirer/manager/schedule maker. Basically, his niece owns the restaurant, but she literally never ever comes by, so he runs the show.
When I started working there, he would always ask me to come and “help” him with his phone (he’s like 60-70 yrs old so I didn’t really think anything of it), but when he passed the phone to me there would be pictures of women on there. It wasn’t anything I could immediately say was sexual in nature, but just imagine typing “beautiful woman” onto google images. They were clearly stock photos of maybe models or something, and he would say something like, “how do I save this to my phone?”
I remember this making me feel kind of uncomfortable, but I was 15 and a.) didn’t want to piss off the boss, b.) couldn’t really put my finger on what he was doing wrong.
He also knew I spoke Spanish and would infrequently make me translate Spanish messages between him and some mystery woman that were also not technically sexual, but would be something like “I’m going to see you” or “where are you now.”
He also really clearly stares at young women when they come into the restaurant and is really really nice to them, despite being a giant asshole to everyone else. I started telling him I didn’t know how to use his phone so I didn’t have to see what was on it.
I still work there part time, and finally asked one of the waitresses that has worked there for 3+ years whether he also did this to her. She said that sometimes he would pull up pictures of girls on Facebook and just tell her he thought they were pretty, and stare at women all the time. She also said she thinks he’s really creepy as well, and also used the “I don’t know how your phone works” line.
He almost exclusively hires 16-25 girls to work in the restaurant with him, and we’re all okay to look at.
None of the other girls have reached out to me about him, and I don’t want to fuck up my (or anyone’s) job by saying something, because it’s a really easy job that pays under the table. Is this sexual harassment/what steps can I take to bring this to someone’s attention without screwing up the jobs?
There’s only about 3 waitresses working there now so he’d know if one of us said anything. Any thoughts appreciated!

Answer:
 Creepy? Yes.
Sexual harassment? No.

Like another user said, despite photos and customers, it doesn't seem to be the case that he's even harassing you or the other staff, let alone sexually harassing you.

You could argue the photos and translations are inappropriate but that's really it.

Being paid "under the table" is also very much illegal; you will owe the IRS taxes.


Title: Got accused for violating non compete agreement

Question:
I'm in new Jersey.

So i was working for a small company marketing firm. It's a sketchy job because we sold clients marketing packages for hundreds if not thousands, for their online business website. But they never saw anything profits back, ever.

Anyways, my colleague presented to me an idea to start a social media marketing company and he wanted me because of my skills of sales, and being revolved about marketing. However i think i fucked up, just for my own knowledge i wanted to edit my friends company logo just to play around with. (this isn't even a company this was just a whole idea) So i was doing this on my business computer, and then the owners spotted it. They fired me because i violated my non compete agreement. They thought i was going to backstab them and use their resources. Which of course wasn't the case i was just dabbling around with the logos and stuff because i go through with it everyday.
Now, I'm not the designer of course so that's how they found out.

I'm trying to get my job back but idk how to go about it and fighting against because everything looks like i tried to start my own marketing company.

Answer:
 You were approached by a colleague about starting a competitive business and you used work property to design and edit a logo for that business. "Just to play around" doesn't cut it.

The firing was legal.


Title: Stopped payment on a $60 check. Check cashing store cashed it anyway. Am I liable?

Question: I'm in Illinois.  A check was obtained fraudulently.  That same day I stopped payment on the check.  The check was cashed a week and a half later at a currency store.  Am I liable for the check?

Answer:
 Talk to your bank. Stop payments on checks don't always work.

If this was a fraudulently filled out check then you may want to talk to the police about someone forging one of your checks. The police report might help you when dealing with your bank.Answer #2: If you stopped payment, why would your bank allow that?


Title: [Iceland] We put petrol in a diesel engine of rental car

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 DO NOT SWITCH ON THE IGNITION!!!!

Cannot stress this enough!

get a hose and siphon whatever you can out of the tank.
Call a recovery company to flush the engine.

You dun fuk'd it.
Answer #2: This really is not good. You may have something to build off of if the documents you were given say Petrol and not Diesel.

You should speak with an Icelandic lawyer who knows the nuances of law because not many people here would know. Even in the US, it would be a matter of who was more negligent in determining who's responsible for damages.


Title: HELP IM 16 AND CANT GO TO JAIL

Question:
For starters I know I am stupid as hell and really need any help at all.
 I have been talking with this guy from the internet for about a month now and we had talked on the phone a ton, as of late he wanted to send some money to me and his brother for his car. So being the dumb shit I am let him have access to my internet account. So quickly he uses the photo check feature to put in money and then sends it to supposedly the car company. Now flash forward to today where I get a call from my bank accusing me of cashing fraud checks then sending them using e-transfers. They have shut my account down and I have changed my password already. I am scared that they used my account for check fraud and I could go to court and or jail. I didn’t know that they were fraud and I don’t know what to do.
Someone with any serious suggestions or tips please help me!

Answer: You need to tell your parents what happened right now.


Title: (MN) My brother and his wife bought a house that was stolen (taken from someone through a forged quit claim deed)

Question:
My brother and his wife bought a house 6 months ago. It has now come out that the person they bought it from wasn't the owner, her cousin was the owner and he forged a quit claim deed and had her evicted by the police. He then turned around and sold it to my brother and his wife.

They had no idea. They thought the sale was legitimate. They had a real estate agent and got the mortgage from the bank. They aren't bad people and have no interest in living in a house that was stolen from its rightful owner. She's been homeless for the last 7 months and was living on the streets and in shelters the last anyone knew.

So once she is found, what happens? My brother and his wife aren't going to fight with her, they just want to know what the process is and how they will get their down payment and stuff back. The cousin who did the forgery was arrested after trying this a second time with a stranger's house (thankfully he did not succeed) and that's how his lie about this house was caught. We just want some information on what happens next.

Answer:
 I want to make it clear that your brother and his wife should not, under any circumstances, just surrender the house. They have the down payment+mortgage invested in the house, and, regardless of whether the guy committed fraud, the bank still gave him money and is going to want it back from the people who borrowed it (your brother). It sucks, but title insurance will help them settle this.

I feel like there is more to the story than this anyway. If the cousin took this to court to file an eviction, than the court has likely seen the title and found that it was valid. Be very careful that this isn't a scam itself happening.Answer #2: #THIS IS WHAT TITLE INSURANCE IS FORAnswer #3: Hopefully you had title (search) insurance of some kind?  I don't know if they cover this sort of thing, but I would hope so.


Title: Is it legal to mine in the wilderness in Wisconsin? If not, is there any other state where it is?

Question: I found an abandoned mine extremely close to my house, and I'm planning on restoring it. It's in the middle of the forest and nobody owns the land.

Answer:
 > It's in the middle of the forest and nobody owns the land.

You can be pretty certain that the state or the federal government does.


Title: What do you need to get a restraining order. I've gotten one before but it is the weekend. Someone is poisoning my food, factually. Do I need to wait till monday to go to the courthouse or can I call the police today and get one and have him removed from the premise?

Question:
We both live in the same house.  Need answers.  thank you.  I'm in New York.

This guy watches me through the door, stares, stalks.  There are a multitude of reasons I will get into in another post.  Can I call them today or not?

Answer: I'm going to answer as if this isn't a troll: If someone is poisoning your food call the police.  And you will probably have to wait until the courthouse opens to petition for a protection order.


Title: WI Teenagers smoking weed in my garage

Question: [removed]

Answer:
 There is no relationship between being a good person and smoking marijuana.  That being said, it's illegal for people to possess and marijuana.  It's also illegal for people to get high and then drive.

>Had the cops shown up, and I was upstairs sleeping, would I or my son get in trouble?

Sure.  The police aren't going to believe that your kid wasn't smoking.  If nothing else, it's going to start an admin drill that costs money to fix. They are likely to find something to arrest/charge and it's hard to get around that.Answer #2: Worst case scenario, they can **take your house due to civil asset forfeiture**


Title: Found out a local franchise is rounding up all receipts of their customers in town and pocketing the change, can I sue for a considerable amount?

Question:
[IN] About a month ago I noticed that my purchase at said restaurant seemed to be more expensive than it should have been but it was close enough to where I didn't want to do the math.

Fast forward to tonight, my friend and I go there. My order comes out to 7.25 including tax. They charged the card $8.
My friends purchase came to 17.64 including tax. They charged him $18.

Essentially this has been going on for months in my town to most likely every customer that comes through that doesn't question their purchase. They have probably made thousands and thousands illegally.

Answer:
 1. Call customer support for whoever is locally in charge of the franchise. Keep receipts (you could probably go back to build up a paper trail) and get them to CS.

2. You could hire a lawyer who will, for probably around $500 write a cease and desist letter to the managers, franchise owner and their higher ups. This will get their attention but rather expensive.

3. I doubt you will be able to sue for any significant amount past what you have records of paying. You could sue  for $0.75 in small claims court. Not worth it given the filing fees are $45-$50.

4. You could call your CC company and file a dispute against the amount. They may reverse the amount charged and change the transaction to $7.25.


Title: I fear my Apartment mgmt may be scamming for repair collections to remodel and I may be next [AZ]

Question:
I am in Arizona. When I moved into my current apartment, things were phenomenal. But a now few years down the road, everything has changed practically overnight and their practices have gone out the window. Several previous residents of the apartment have made it aware to me that on move-out, they have gotten bills with nonsense charges claiming total repair of their clean like-move in day units. An example:

"Apt cleaning $80
* Apt cleaning Tax $1.84
* Carpet Cleaning $55
* Carpet cleaning tax $1.27
Full Paint $160
Full Paint Tax $3.68
Resurface Kitchen Counters $145
Resurface Kitchen Counters tax $3.34
Tub Resurface $200
Tub Resurface tax $4.60
Total charges = $654.73"
 It seems like they are trying to remodel their apartment at the tenant's expense, and whoever moves out they will send a hefty bill to so they can remodel the apartment and re-rent it for more money. (Many units are outdated so this makes sense to me that they are trying to save a dime. And when new management moved in, there were also corners cut to save the apartment money like grass to rock landscapes, no pool/hottub entry, etc.) I would like to know how to protect myself from these charges as well, so that when I move out in less than a year I will not get that dreaded letter in my mail. Also, what is the proper course of action should I receive this bill too? I already plan on asking the property manager upon walk-through on moveout if the carpets will need replacing or the walls repainted. (But I am extremely clean and ZERO damage or wear has been done to the apartment.) Is a cease and desist letter appropriate to this situation, and what will become of the bill afterward? I am fairly young and not familiar with collections/cannot find this info. If I get this bill, and refuse to pay, will this affect my future renting or buying? In the event of the bill, I do not expect them to drop it if I go about asking kindly as their new ways are entirely unwelcoming and unforgiving. Hence why I am preparing for a struggle. I see NO mention of this in my lease contract. Thank you for any help.

Answer:
 After cleaning yourself, prior to the move-out inspection, take pictures of all rooms and do a video walk through to further show condition of walls/carpet/kitchen/etc.

With the move-out inspection, ask for a copy of the report or take a picture of it so you have a record of what was noted.

If they submit a damage assessment like described above, you can contest those charges and ask for your deposit returned in full. If they do not, you can take them to court. Many states have requirements on how long the damage assessment could take and how long they have to return your deposit. Might be good to read up on your local deposit rules. Answer #2: The charges you've listed are on a very low end (if those services were actually required).

As long as you leave the apartment broom clean there should be no cleaning charges. As long as you did not damage walls, kitchen counters, bathtub, there should be no charges for paint and counter/tub resurfacing as that falls under normal wear and tear.

In case you did damage things, and they have to be repaired, the landlord can only ask you to compensate the prorated amount based on the remaining life of paint/counters/tub.


Title: My girlfriend is 16 and is in a borderline abusive household and she wants to get out

Question: I am 17 and turning 18 in December and my girlfriend is 16 turning 17 in February We live in North Carolina and she is starting to feel really unsafe in her house she has frequent panic attacks and anxiety because her parents yell at her almost everyday for the littlest of things. They will even threaten to send her to a mental hospital or to jail just cause she is crying and trying to defend herself by talking back to them. They basically come home from work mad and take it out on her and they try not to yell at her when I’m around but sometimes they do and it can get bad. She wants to get emancipated but we don’t know what we need to do entirely and she doesn’t want to deal with court stuff because it’s only going to get her parents even more mad and we don’t have any good evidence all we got is some videos of her being yelled at and her crying her sister also would get in arguments with the mom but the sister would probably side with the parents because she has before when my girlfriend was being yelled at. We don’t know what to do we really need help before it gets worse. Her closest relatives are her uncle and aunt who lives right next to them so is there anyway that she could live with me and my family? And what would be the best solution to this?

Answer: Emancipation is for people who are already out of the house and supporting themselves. Your girlfriend isn't in that situation and it sounds like if she leaves her parents will force her to return, which they can do. If you believe she is being abused, you can contact CPS. You don't need evidence or proof to call them, it's *their* job to investigate. Without her parents permission she cannot just move in with you or anyone else.


Title: [Texas] My friend had a gun pulled on him for reckless driving in a neighborhood. What is the legality of the person pointing a gun at him for that?

Question:
Last night, my friends and I were driving from a restaurant back to one of our houses. We were all in one car and the person that was driving (who we shall refer to as Matt) began to speed and swerve as we approached the neighborhood that the house was located in. Matt was doing this as nothing more than a "joke" and the road that we were traveling on was a well lit, wide road, with no cars or pedestrians present. As we got closer to the house, we saw a couple of people standing next to their car in a driveway, adjacent to the house we were going to. When Matt saw these people he began to amp up the "joke" by rolling down his windows and blasting music, increasing his speed even more, and making some really sharp swerves. After doing this, the friend who's house we were going to (who we shall call James), grew upset and told Matt to leave the neighborhood for a couple of minutes because he feared that the neighbors would come out and berate him for Matt's driving.

We left the neighborhood and came back about 20-30 minutes later, this time Matt drove much more calmly. As we got out of the car, James, still visibly upset, told us just to go home (which was understandable). So we all parted ways and went to our separate cars. As I was getting into mine, I saw James's dad rush out of the house towards Matt's car. As my eyes followed him I saw that he was approaching a man that appeared to be holding Matt at gunpoint. I began to freak out and impulsively drove off to a school parking lot down the street. I felt really bad for leaving my friend in danger, but nothing like this had ever happened to me before and I didn't know what to do. I checked my dash cam to see if the man really was holding a gun, and it turned out to be true. After a couple of minutes, I calmed down and checked our group chat for any updates. James's dad was able to calm down the gunman and Matt was allowed to leave without the police being involved. Apparently, the gunman was one the neighbors standing outside the car from earlier and he had pulled a gun on Matt because his driving had scared some of the girls that were outside with him.

Now, I, in no way condone Matt's actions. His "joke" was completely idiotic as he could have gotten somebody hurt if he had lost control. But, in my opinion, his actions didn't warrant having a gun pulled on him. **What is the legality of the person pointing a gun at Matt just for his reckless driving?** From what I've read on the internet the last couple of minutes about the legality of pulling a gun on someone in Texas, it pretty much seems illegal unless the man was in immediate danger (which he was not in as Matt was not armed with any weapons, and he was not in his car driving recklessly at the moment).
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 > When Matt saw these people he began to amp up the "joke" by rolling down his windows and blasting music, increasing his speed even more, and making some really sharp swerves.

Maybe the guy just held Matt at gunpoint as a joke too?

Look - both parties broke the law. Matt broke the law. The "gunman" broke the law. Police should have been called.Answer #2: > What is the legality of the person pointing a gun at Matt just for his reckless driving?

Likely not legal.

But, in order to report this, your friend would also have to confess to his massively illegal and dangerous "joke".  While your friend would be absolutely in the right to report the other person's dangerous use of a pistol, he would also be opening himself up to some very significant liability.  Answer #3: Probably illegal, but he sure has a good story to back up his "I was in fear for my life, someone was driving around acting crazy and I though they were a danger to myself and the community." Answer #4: Unless that person's life was in immediate danger, it was properly pretty illegal. But that was in Texas, so who knows.


Title: [OK, USA] Can I ask that the prosecutor handling my son's case be changed?

Question: [removed]

Answer: Why?


Title: (KS) Ticketed for unsafe speeds with no officer present?

Question: I was in a car accident a while back and I crashed my car off of an icy road on black ice.  After a few hours I was tracked down by a sheriff and given a police report to fill out.  I claimed I may have been going 40 (in a 45) but am not sure of the actual speed, as I had sustained a concussion in the wreck.  I was issued a ticket for unsafe speeds for prevailing conditions.  Is that reasonable given there were no witnesses, namely the sheriff himself?

Answer: One could make the argument if you were going a safe speed you wouldn't have crashed your car off an icy road.Answer #2: It doesn't mean you were traveling over the speed limit, it means your unsafe speeds led to you crashing.


Title: Legality of traveling without the consent of parents (U.S.)

Question:
Hello.

I am currently 17. In a month I will be 18. I understand that once I am 18 I am allowed to travel without the consent with my parents.

However, I would like to take a vacation on my own once I turn 18. My parents are against this, but I was under the impression they couldn't stop me if I paid for it upfront.

However, my parents are being adamant about refusing to let me go. They are warning that if I decide to go they will claim I have "stolen goods" because they bought all my clothes and my luggage, and they claim have the right to claim this and have the police after me. Is this true?

I live in the United States, Connecticut.

Edit: Thank you all for the help. I am heeding your warnings.

Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 The police have seen that kind of family squabble before and will almost certainly tell your parents it's a civil matter, and that if they sincerely believe you have something of theirs that they should sue you. Criminal charges are vanishingly unlikely.

Separately, even if they do sue you, there's a good chance the judge will yell at them for wasting the court's time and dismiss the case, unless they bring concrete evidence that the items in question were loaned to you or that you had agreed to return them, and that they weren't gifts.

Basically, don't worry about their threats to involve law enforcement. They may be sincere but it doesn't work that way.

What you should be concerned about is that you may not be welcome back once you return. Your parents' obligation to house you ends when you reach the age of majority, and while you're theoretically entitled to the same notice as any other tenant at will, in practice if your parents lock you out without notice you'd have the choice of spending money suing them for an uncertain result, or of dropping it, but either way you'd still have to find another home more or less immediately.

Move out first, or at least have a fallback plan for when you come home.Answer #2: You're an adult at 18. You're free to do as you wish. Your parents are also free to require you find a new place to live.


Title: Is it legal for my SO parents to threaten to keep her siblings and her from seeing each other?

Question: Back story. Her parents kicked her out at 17. It's been two years now since she has seen any of her siblings. Her mom said "keep away, or else"  is it legal for her mom to do that? (siblings are 17, 14, 11, and 7) (This is in Indiana)

Answer:
 Yes. The parents can decide who has access to their children, including siblings. Answer #2: > Her mom said "keep away, or else" is it legal for her mom to do that?

Yes.  Absent a court order, the parents of a child have an absolute right to decide who their child associates with.


Title: Parents stole $40k from me after I was arrested

Question: I was living out of my car for a couple days because the lease at my old place was up and I hadn't found another place yet. I'll be upfront about this. I make a living going to festivals to trap. My entire inventory was in my car including a volcano, vials of LSD, etc. When I was arrested, I was in my car, not high. I don't use. They took the money I had (8k) and the drugs obviously. I know I'm not going to see any of that again. It's pretrial for me right now. I agreed to go to rehab to look good for court on the suggestion of my lawyer. I'm 19. My parents told me to transfer my money into their accounts so that the police won't seize it as trap money. I did that. They now won't give me access to any of that money in order to "incentivize" me to do what they want. How do I get out of this?

Answer:
 > How do I get out of this?

You got jacked, fool.

You can sue your parents for the money, but good luck with that.


Title: Landlord trying to ban a guest

Question: My lease says that I can have guests over and doesn't specify how long they can stay or indicate that I have to tell my landlord that they are there so my boyfriend has been living with me for the past 3 months and my landlord just found out and tried to charge him rent after the fact. When he refused to pay, my landlord called him individually and started screaming at him and is now trying to keep him from coming over. Is he legally allowed to do this if my lease allows my guests to stay with me? I live in Florida.

Answer:
 If he's living with you, he's a tenant, not a guest. Answer #2: > past three months

That’s not a guest. That’s a sublease. And if unapproved a possible eviction. Answer #3: That's… yeah, as others have said, if your boyfriend lives there with you, he's no longer a guest, he's your subtenant. Does your lease control subletting?Answer #4: someone who is a guest leaves. your boyfriend is not a guest.Answer #5: Living with you for 3 months does not a guest make.

He lives there. He's a tenant. He's not on your lease. You are breaking your lease.


Title: Mom received a settlement, and lost her Medicaid.

Question:
My mother (age 73) has no income other than $600/month in SSI. She was recently involved in an auto accident which broke several vertebrae in her back, and was awarded $50,000. She used $20,000 to pay off her dentures that weren't covered by Medicare/Medicaid, and was hoping to save the remaining $30,000 for future emergencies and funeral costs.

Since receiving the settlement, she's already been disqualified for Medicaid and food stamps, and will have to begin paying her Medicare premiums. I'm also concerned that she'll lose her low income housing benefits.

The asset limitations for Medicaid are $2,000 in savings and $1,500 for funeral costs.

Is there any legal way to transfer the remaining amount into my name so that I can hold it for her, and allow her to still qualify for Medicaid?

Edit: She lives in Kentucky. I'm in Ohio.

Answer:
 > She was recently involved in an auto accident which broke several vertebrae in her back, and was awarded $50,000.

> Since receiving the settlement, she's already been disqualified for Medicaid and food stamps, and will have to begin paying her Medicare premiums.

If she had an attorney, he might have committed malpractice if he didn't warn her about this. Answer #2: Sigh, this was something to consider BEFORE taking the cash. Get to a Benefits lawyer asap or see if you can find a Trusts attorney.


Title: Sidewalk retrofit is going to ruin my property. What can I do to stop it?

Question:
A few of my neighbors started a petition to have a sidewalk installed in my neighborhood.  I live within city limits in NC.  This is an old established neighborhood that was built in the 50's before any right of way was established.  My house is situated on a large corner lot close to the road.  I also have a creek that runs through my back yard which the road and sidewalk cross over.

As it turns out, I (and other neighbors) was lied to in the petition process about the footprint and the impact this would have in the neighborhood.  To install the sidewalk the city also has to install curb and gutter to conform to the UDO.  Last night was the 25% design meeting and I learned that they are trying to take an "easement" on my lot to install a 20' long concrete strip with a pile of rocks (I forgot the official name) that will be used for overflow stormwater, essentially creating a useless pond in my yard.  My yard already gets overly wet when it rains, so that will be an issue.  Also, my home's value has a lot to do with the aesthetic.  This "easement" will rip out a lot of trees and plants that are long established on the property since the 50's.  They offer privacy, beauty, and also help with excess water issues by absorbing it.

There's a lot more I can say about this, but for now, is there anything I can do to stop this from happening?  Do I have any legal ground to fight it and the city?  Apparently the precedent is high, but they are going to ruin my property, and greatly devalue my house by installing this system.  Again, it was a citizen created petition that was passed.  Thank you in advance for any help.

Answer:
 Realistically, you should be aiming to have the city pay you handsomely, not aiming to stop this outright. The city can probably force the purchase of an appropriate easement through eminent domain; you can delay that quite a long time through the courts, but in all likelihood the city will eventually win.

Instead, talk to a lawyer about how to maximize your return from from this. The city is talking about _major_ modifications to the landscaping and aesthetic features, including the loss of established trees, so you'll probably need to get the property reassessed, too.

How much would you want if you had to sell someone the appropriate rights? How much is the property realistically worth in its present state, vs. in the state where the sidewalk has been installed and there's a city-owned easement preventing the restoration of any trees in that segment of it?


Title: HOA fees/home deed/divorce/Texas- ex husband racking up fees on purpose

Question:
Brief history of the house- we built/purchased it together.  I paid the down payment and a large chunk of the home amount with the remainder of a trust fund I had.

At some point we refinanced and added $20,000 of debt to be rolled into the mortgage.  I think somehow I was left off of the paperwork for this, and I think it left the house in his name only.  I'm not sure.  Nothing changed with the HOA company, and both names are on that account.

I left him due to abuse of our children and me.  I was and continue to be a stay at home mother; one of our kids is disabled.

In the divorce decree, I am listed as being the recipient of the house.  By the time we actually arrived in court for our court date, XH was supposed to have filled out a special warranty deed assigning me full ownership of the home, and he was supposed to have contacted both our mortgage company and HOA to let them know that he was to be removed, and I was to be the contact person, seeing as I had been the one making payments, would be the sole owner/occupant, etc.

I paid the mortgage and HOA fees and continued doing things the way I had been since the separation and since I'd taken over making all the payments myself, and this went along fine and I assumed everything was okay and handled.  However, I found out that he had never filled out or filed the warranty deed, and he had not contacted the HOA or the mortgage company.  When I called the mortgage company, they said that legally they cannot add me to the account without the deed, and that they can't talk to me at all and could not dating back to the date of refinance.  I contacted the HOA, which said that they needed a copy of the deed too.  I hired and paid for a lawyer to draft the documents, since my XH wasn't going to do it of his own volition.  I literally did all the work for him, all he had to do was sign.

He has looked for ways to "make me pay" for leaving him in so many ways.  He found a new one over the summer of 2017.  He contacted the post office and had them forward all mail having to do with the house to his new address.  They had been coming to me.  This is where it all started to go downhill.  Apparently I got a $50 fine for weeds in my flower bed, and I was sent a letter (with a cost per letter of $30) about the weeds.  But I didn't know, because he had made the change to mail regarding the house without my knowledge.  This initial $80 fine multiplied quickly with interest, and more letters at $30 each.  When I went to pay my fall assessments in October, I owed $600 (the HOA fee alone is simply $144 and I had that, however in no way did I have the $600+).  I contacted them and explained the situation and asked them to waive some of the fees and to take his name off the documents so that they wouldn't forward. They said they'd get back to me about the fees but they could not remove his name until he gives them the deed.

Fast forward today, it is time to pay my January assessments.  I have not received any mail about the house since speaking with them in October, which is not unusual since I pay online and have not had any violations with my yard or anything, and again I thought it was resolved.  I logged in to pay my assessments and see that I now owe over $1300 and that it is mostly letter fees- letters that are still being forwarded to him and I am not receiving or have any knowledge of.  No fees were waived and I had no idea I was still receiving letters.  My XH sheepishly told me that he HAS been receiving the letters.  He said he will "get around to" filling out the deed paperwork.

I am on a tight budget, a very tight budget, and I can't afford to pay for his mistakes, or hire a lawyer to fix this for me.  I am at his mercy.  What are my options?

Answer:
 hire at attorney get them to fix the issue and then sue him for the attorney fees

you can get a low cost or no cost attorney by calling around. i would call social services in your area, womens shelters, and low income charities to see if they have any advice. also google free legal help in (your town)


Title: Incident at Job

Question:
I apologize in advance if this isn't the place to ask this, or if this ends up being too long but here goes!

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A little backstory, I'm a 21 year old college student working at a local restaurant for my rent and other expenses. It's your typical ma and pa style restaurant, so I don't make a crazy amount in tips as tabs are hardly ever higher than $20. I've been here for about three months now or so, and moved up quickly from working in the kitchen to being trained to serve and bartend. I was hired by and trained under our general manager who left last week, we'll call her Amanda.

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Amanda was a very kind and respectable women, but was stern in her leadership. Given that this is not an upscale restaurant by any means, and the area we're located in, we hire plenty of rough people. I've never had a problem with any of them before, I'd like to think I'm fairly easy to get along with. Whenever there was an issue, though, Amanda was quick to handle it the best way possible and that'd be that.

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The same week Amanda left, two other serves left for unrelated reasons. That fact is important for later. After Amanda left, though, one of the shift managers was promoted to general manager for the time being as the owner of the store finds a full time general manager. We'll call this new GM Stacy, who happens to be a fairly strict manager in her leadership style.

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Yesterday Stacy had left me in charge of the floor as she went home to take her break. She had told me to keep on my coworkers back as he had done a terrible job closing last night and was doing a poor job today with his customers. Stacy let me know that John had been told already that he is to listen to me as if I were her, and that if I have any issues with him that I am to report to her when she gets back.

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Stacy leaves and John immediately starts hanging out in the kitchen chatting with his brother and friend who both work back there. I'm fairly non-confrontational so despite this being  one of the behaviors Stacy wanted me to look out for, I decided not to worry about it since we weren't all too busy. A few minutes later, John seats a table and then immediately goes and takes a smoke break without asking their drink order. Given that I already had my hands full with my own table, and Stacy had just chewed him out for taking a smoke break when he had customers, I headed out back to confront him. I asked what he was doing smoking when he had just sat a table, which he told me how he's waiting on hushpuppies to cook. I reminded him that hushpuppies don't take nearly that long to cook and that by the time he gets their drinks, the hushpuppies will be ready to serve. He huffed and puffed, put the cigarette out and went inside to do his job.

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About half-an-hour passes, both my tables had received their food and I had checked to make sure they didn't need refills, sauces, etc. I make myself a sandwich (perks of having worked in the kitchen) and sit down to eat quickly as I had been there for five hours at this point. I'm hardly halfway done my sandwich when John approaches me to accuse me of treating him unfairly just because I was put in charge. I tell him how I was put in charge because I've been there over three times longer than he has. I try to keep my cool but we end up yelling at each other for ten minutes or so, I had upset him by mentioning how his poor job of closing the night before was the last nail in the coffin of him being fired which of course he didn't like hearing. He had said something to the effect of me being a waste of space or a loser or whatever, which I replied that if I were such a loser I would have got a girl pregnant at 19 like he did. I know, it was a low-blow and petty, but I'm not going to work this minimum wage job for much longer, and frankly, I don't earn enough to deal with this 25-year-old's lack of respect.

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Anyway, that struck a nerve, and he starts yelling about how I won't step into the kitchen and repeat that. At this point, one of the guys from the kitchen had come out and started pulling him into the kitchen and yelling over his shoulder to me that it isn't worth it. I go and check on one of my tables and return to the front of the store, where John comes back out from the kitchen and starts gas-lighting me again. Against my better judgement, I follow him into the kitchen. The verbal fight continues, this time with him getting in my face and hitting me with his chest. I don't recall every detail of the conversation as I was pretty hopped up on adrenaline, but I remember having told him to just hit me, to give me a reason to defend myself, and using his situation as someone who was far from ready to father a child what he's going to do to support his kid after he loses this job. Again, he didn't like me mentioning his kid, likely because as someone who can't afford his own cigarettes, that worry has probably already crossed his mind but his own pride was too much for him to back down and apologize. After making another remark about how I hope he has something planned for his kid and turning away to walk out, he grabs my arm and pulls me back in. I point to the camera and remind him that everything is being recorded, and how I'd love for him to give me a reason to defend myself. I then push his wrist off of me and he finally backs off but continues yelling about how he hates this job and doesn't give a shit about being fired.

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I head to the front of the store and text Stacy, telling her she needs to get back to the store. She calls me and I explain whats going on, and she gets there thirty minutes after I call (she lives five minutes up the road). Her and I head to her office and John follows in behind us, Stacy screams at John for being disrespectful for not knocking and that when she's ready to hear his side of the story, she'll call him in. After he leaves, I explain what had happened and point out which camera feed will show him grabbing me. I then tell her that either Stacy fire him or I leave, because I can't work somewhere where I feel on edge at work. She agrees and assures me he'll be fired, and which point I also tell her to let him know that he can either apologize or I'll file a police report. She agrees that thats fair and she'll pass that along.

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I go back into the store, I pass John who smiles and says "Oh you're still here!" I just smile at him and realize just how diluted this guy really is to assume I'd be fired over him. Anyway, Stacy calls in John's brother first as he had witnessed the second part of the argument in the kitchen, then John himself, then me again. She explains to me how she told John that if she had more serves she would fire him on the spot, but can't fire him right now. It's beyond me as to why anyone would tell someone they can't be fired but whatever, too late for that. She then assures me she will try to hire some more people, and as she does that he will lose more and more of the shifts he has this week until eventually being fired, which she promised me would be within two weeks. She also promised to get me the footage of him grabbing me, which I had asked for for when I speak to the police. Finally, she tells me that she is writing both of us up, him for grabbing me, and me for my comments about his child. These write-ups aren't really important, more so so if either of us were to be fired and to file for unemployment, the restaurant has proof that we were fired for good reason. Regardless, it didn't seem fair to me that he would have his job for any length of time, or that I would be written up too.

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After explaining everything to my girlfriend, she was furious that nothing was done, and believes that legally the restaurant is at fault by allowing him to stay. Her point being with John being uneducated and obviously struggling that it's impossible to say what he could have done during the argument or now.

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What should my next step be? Is there something I should do in regards to the restaurant? Is there enough here to warrant going to the police department? I did stop by the police department but without having John's address, the person I spoke to suggested I come back with that information. Regardless, thank you for reading and I appreciate any advice you may have!

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TL;DR: coworker put his hands on me during an argument, acting GM did little in the ways of discipline.
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: Yeah, trim that down by about 95% if you want people to read it. Just the facts, no one cares about the rest. Just going by your TLDR, if someone touches you against your consent, file a police report.


Title: (VA) Title company was not notified that new house was part of an HOA, I am being asked to pay disclosure fees instead of seller

Question:
I closed on a house a couple months ago that is part of an HOA. I come to find out recently that the previous owner was still being billed for the HOA fee and threatened with a lien for not paying, so I contacted the HOA to let them know I am the new owner.

They told me they were supposed to be notified of a title change and got in contact with the title company. The accounting representative with the HOA went back and forth with the title company and it turns out that the title company was never notified that the property was part of an HOA, therefore they did not collect closing fees. Specifically there is a "disclosure package" of $250 that is supposed to be paid by the seller. The HOA tells me I am now responsible for this amount since they were never paid.

I'm wondering how to handle this, worse case scenario I can pay the fee but I feel that it's unjust for me to pay for the screwups of whoever was suppose to disclose that the property was part of an HOA. Any advice?

Answer:
 "Title company wasn't notified" seems to have the case backwards.

It's the title company's job to investigate this kind of thing prior to closing.  Maybe the title company didn't know there was a fee... but it still seems like it's their job to find this out, because the CC&Rs for the property should be recorded at the county recorder's office.

As regards you and your HOA, you may have to pay it.  You might then be able to go after the title company for it.

However, if the money to pay this would have come out of the closing costs that you put up, then it would have come out of your pocket anyway.  If that's the case, you haven't lost anything since you already were supposed to pay it.


Title: Monthly exterminator comes to my unit but this wasn’t mentioned in my lease, I get no notice and I just found out they aren’t even exterminators [South Florida]

Question:
I’d like advice about how to approach my landlord about this (if I even should). There is nothing in my lease about exterminators coming every month. I just found a printed slip saying “exterminator was here” on my kitchen counter one day shortly after moving in just over a year ago and I eventually figured out it was the last Tuesday, sometimes last Wednesday of the month. I’ve never wanted to raise bother about it, I figured it was a useful service, but a few times if I was home sick I was lucky enough to catch the door opening and could shout for them not to enter.

Yesterday I proactively put a post-it on the lock saying do not disturb because I was busy at home all day. As I stepped out of my shower I heard keys jangling and through the spy hole I saw it was just the maintenance lady! She seemed really frustrated, she had my note, took a picture with her cell and was waiting around, seemingly for a response? She had her broom and bucket. Then she left.

I have a few questions. 1) Is this legal? Are they just spying on the units of the residents or something? 2) If not, who is responsible, my landlord or the building management? 3) If not, is it even worth fighting over? Like is this just standard practice? (I guess I’m just asking for advice on this last one)

Thanks for any help!

Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: Landlords in most states are required to give 24 hours notice to enter, whether it's the landlord themselves or an agent thereof. If they refuse to give notice, you could terminate the lease without penalty potentially for illegal entry. Start documenting.


Title: Is this legal for a landlord to do?

Question: Okay I have a serious question. Is it legal for a landlord to offer several times to buy you out of your lease. To threaten you with your section 8 (MSHDA). To ask you when the last time you were at a bar was? Wants you out because a family member took them to court back in 2015 and won? These conversations are recorded. Also what about the manager showing up at your apartment drunk threatening you? And manager calling you a retard? I have talked to others who have had similar issues with these men. Thank you.

Answer: I’d file a police report for harassment if I were you. IANAL and you didn’t give your location so it’s hard to give better advice.


Title: Question on religious discrimination

Question:
I am trying this again after my first attempt was deleted and have done my best to follow this communities rules in a sincere request for legal advice.

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Background:

1. Location is Louisiana in the USA.
2. The gym is a national chain with a monthly membership fee and an annual contract.
3. The gym plays exclusively Christian music.
4. I have asked the gym to stop playing Christian music because it makes me feel unwelcome.
5. No action has been taken by the gym to stop playing Christian music.
6. The local management says that the corporate management decides what music will be played over the loudspeakers.
7. The corporate management says that the local management decides what music will be played over the loudspeakers.
8. Neither the local or corporate management will tell me directly if they will take action on my request.
9. I feel that failing to even acknowledge my concern is religious discrimination.  They won't tell me what their policy is on playing religious music.
10. I did not know that the gym plays Christian music when I entered my membership contract but I can't end my membership early without paying a fee.

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My question is in three parts:

First, do I have grounds to file a lawsuit against a gym for religious discrimination?  Second, am I required to pay a cancellation fee to end my membership early?  Is the gym required to disclose their policy on religious music?

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Answer:
 Have you considered headphones?Answer #2: >First, do I have grounds to file a lawsuit against a gym for religious discrimination?

No. That's not what religious discrimination is.

>Second, am I required to pay a cancellation fee to end my membership early?

Probably. You have to do whatever the contract instructs. "I don't like their religious music" won't be grounds to get out of the contract.

>Is the gym required to disclose their policy on religious music?

No. If it was important to you, you could have asked prior to entering into the contract. Answer #3: >First, do I have grounds to file a lawsuit against a gym for religious discrimination?

No, the gym can play religious music if it likes and doesn't have to stop doing so simply because you dislike it.

> Second, am I required to pay a cancellation fee to end my membership early?

Probably.

>Is the gym required to disclose their policy on religious music?

No, why on earth would they be required to do that?


Title: (NY) Divorce was supposed to have up to a 2 day trial but the judge got impatient, heard no contests, and made judgement by 10:30AM. Custody involved.

Question:
Someone I am close to, the father, recently went through a divorce hearing. It took 10 months to get to near finalization. The judge said that there would be a hearing and allowed approximately two months to prepare for it. The father, a much more suitable parent for the children involved , prepared extensively for the trial. The first day of the trial the mother's lawyer even asked to be removed from the case due to her client's lack of responsiveness/involvement. All lawyers involved (father's, mother's, children's) were near to convincing the mother (due to legitimate factors that would hurt her during trial) to give up custody of the children. However, by 10 or 10:30 AM of the first day of trial, the judge pulled everyone into the courtroom and said that everything was being split 50/50 per NYS standard. And that was it. The was no discussion, no trial, no evidence of anything provided. My main question/concern is: Is what the judge did legal and, regardless, how can the ruling be contested so that evidence against the mother's ability to care for her children be presented to provide a more knowledgeable ruling? So much time, effort and money were put into this divorce only to have the judge put it off for months and then disregard everything completely. It feels horribly inept and unfair. I'd just like to know if there is some way to get another, impartial and honest ruling. Thank you for any thoughts. They are always appreciated.
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer: Here is the information you need about [appealing a family court ruling in NY](http://www.nycourts.gov/Courts/nyc/family/faqs_appeals.shtml)


Title: Visited by Fed Task Force 1 year after buying drugs from someone, and have been off all of them for about 11 months. They have photo of me buying 'something' 11 months ago. State: VA

Question:
I'm not really sure what my options are, as this was what I considered "old history".... until today.

I was visited by two men from some federal Task force, one was federal, one was county. They showed me a photo from last April where I had met someone about 3-4 times to purchase heroin, which at the time I thought was my normal pain medicine from the street, which my doctors stopped writing me due to DEA crackdowns.

Anyway, I didn't know this man. I got clean, deleted his cell phone and never heard from him again.  Until today.  These men showed up and while they were very friendly, they told me that the guy I had met a couple of times was in jail, showed me a long-range photo of me getting out of my car into his.  That's about it.  They asked me what I bought and htey knew he dealt those drugs.  I was honest with them, and afterwards I wish I had decided to get a lawyer but for multiple reasons I wanted to tell the truth.  I told them I bought an amount for myself to last me a while about 3-4 times, then I decided to quit.

Now, I thought it was all in the past.  The cops said that it's up to the prosecutor to do anything with me based on what I told them, which was simply buying 3-4 times but they have no evidence that I said this would ruin my career (it will).  They were nice to me, but now I'm worried that I screwed myself.... they had no possession charge since I have nothing, no distribution since I never ever did that, and I didn't even know that the person was in jail.

I have no criminal record and I'm quite terrified.  I just want to know what legal ramifications I could be facing.  The dealer is in jail, and I had nearly forgot about the whole entire situation since it's been a year.

I guess what I need to know is, since I admitted purchasing drugs about 3-4 times up to a year ago, and I told them I had been off everything on my own taper & free-will, is there the potential for jail-time for me based on pictures alone + me admitting that I bought personal amounts years ago?  The agent did say they're not after the user, but that could always be a way of talking "smooth" to me.  Looking back, I should have just gotten a lawyer.

Anyway, can someone provide me some advice on what options I may have?  I apologize.  The state is Virginia.  Again, I have no substances on me and they were in my house talking to me and I told them I had nothing.  They didn't ask to search the place, they just wanted to ask me questions and were on their way.  Even if they searched, which I would have objected, nothing would be found.

Overall they were very cordial, but still, that doesn't mean much when they were taking notes.  Didn't see a recorder or anything.  Thanks so much for any input from someone who made a stupid mistake during a bad period.

Answer:
 >is there the potential for jail-time for me based on pictures alone + me admitting that I bought personal amounts a year ago?

Statute of limitations for most crimes is measured in years... so sure.


Title: (NY) Fraud in Bank Account

Question: My friend submitted a fraud check back in October of this year and was wondering how can he get out of this situation from the bank. The bank overdrew his account and froze it. The money from the check was taken out a day later after it was deposited and it went somewhere without his knowledge. He had some money in his account before the check, and he wants to know how to recover that money back without getting into any trouble.

Answer: Tell your buddy, "Welcome to ChexSystems and not having a bank account for the next 7 years."


Title: [Rochester, NY] Me and my co-workers (Teachers) want to offer free rides all night where ever when ever to teens prom night drunk or sober. We want them to call us even if they are drunk so we promised not to tell anyone including their parents. Could we get in trouble for this?

Question:
[removed]
Topic:
Troll Post

Answer: I posted a response before  and then you deleted your post. Sigh. I think it's admirable you want to do this, but I don't think you have a chance in hell of coming out of this unscathed. Someone will find out about this and complain. And no matter the legality of doing it, you'll be in the shit. The best way to do this that I can think of is pay for taxis/uber/whatever. You need a hands off approach.


Title: My baby's father just reached out to me after wanting nothing to do with my son

Question:
So I'm going to try and summarize this as best as possible.
Me and my baby's father conceived my son back in august 2016. I didn't know I was pregnant until October and at that point we were broken up. When I told him about it I wasn't sure if I was going to go through with the pregnancy and I'm assuming he figured I got an abortion because we stopped talking and he started seeing someone else. Fast forward to this past February. I reached out to him because I moved back to New Jersey (was living and dating baby daddy in VIrginia before) and told him about his child and he completely blew me off saying he didn't believe the child was his and we left it at that. I wasn't planning on going after him for child support or anything. I would rather have my son to myself and not have to worry about splitting custody.
Well fast forward to tonight. Baby daddy reached out to my sister because he doesn't have my number and I blocked him on social media. He said "I know you and your sister hate me but I really want to talk to her as an adult"
My son was born may 23rd and I'm just wondering what kind of rights would he have if we went through the whole court thing. My son was born and is now living in NJ with me. If I have to I will bring up my sons fathers past DUI and drug charge if it means it will supervise visitation.
Don't get me wrong I'm not keeping my son from knowing his father I just don't feel comfortable handing him over on weekends to his father and his 20 year old girlfriend for them to play house.
I have no problem for him to have a relationship with his son on my terms. I will drive my son to VA to see his father and he can come to NJ anytime to see his son. I just want to know what to expect if we go to court with this. Thanks in advance for the advice.

Answer:
 His past drug charges are unlikely to effect much unless by past you mean last week.

He is the father and, with a court order, has a right to his child. He can get custody and visitation which will include over nights after a few months when the baby is older. "playing house" is called parenting. He has a right to parent his child, in his house, with his girlfriend.


Title: Brandishing a fake gun?

Question: Could someone be charged with brandishing a firearm for having, say, an airsoft gun that could easily be mistaken for a real firearm?

Answer: Sure. You also open yourself up to being shot... legally.


Title: My 13 Year old is getting charged with Simple Assault

Question: I live in Utah and my son had an altercation with another child that was trash talking him. He punched the kid multiple times on school property. Will he be fined? There is no injuries that I know of.

Answer:
 If your son is facing charges you need to get him a criminal defense attorney.  The consequences could be much more serious for him than just a fine.  No matter what the sentence is, a criminal record will hurt him.  You want to do your best to see that he avoids starting a record now.

Enrolling him in anger management and/or professional therapy to help him learn how to handle these situations better in the future generally also looks positive to the courts.

The school has a wide latitude to discipline as they see fit.  This may be instead of OR in addition to any criminal charges he faces.


Title: [NY] Divorce after 3yrs, no kids. How will assets likely be split?

Question:
I'm considering leaving my husband of 3 years mostly from emotional exhaustion and irreconcilable differences, not anything like abuse. We don't have any kids, so I think that makes things easier.

I plan on meeting with a lawyer within the next week or so, so I'm sure I'll get specifics then, but I'm specifically worried about these 5 things:

- House: Purchased in my name only before marriage (4 yrs ago). About $15k in equity
- Car 1: (his) Paid off, purchased before marriage (5 yrs ago)
- Car 2: (mine) About a wash as far as debt vs equity. Purchased 2 yrs ago during marriage
- My 401k: has about $50k in it right now, contributed most of it during marriage. I assume he's entitled to half...? What happens to future contributions?
- Bank accounts: we each have our own checking accounts that we've both has since before marriage, and one joint account. His account and our joint account are pretty much the same, but I have 3x as much as either of them in my personal account. I assume this will be leveled out?

Also... Financial payments. (Alimony/spousal support). I don't have any idea how this works, but I know I'm on the payor end of things. I've looked at the calculations, there is an amount and a duration of payment based on how long the marriage was. Using the tables, I should pay somewhere between 15-30% of the duration of the marriage, which amounts to under a year. So, my question is if the amount owed was $20k, is that assuming annual payment of $20k- and therefore if I only have to pay 6 months, $10k total?

Any rough ideas would be greatly appreciated, not looking for anything concrete at this point.

Answer: Lawyer. Now.


Title: MI- A girl at a party started to touch me late at night and we were both really drunk and then the next morning she says that it wasn't consensual

Question: What do I do here?

Answer: Don't talk to anyone about this. Don't try to change her mind, don't try to convince your mutual friends of your side of the story. You're not in trouble YET. Sexual crimes are often scarce on evidence outside of testimony, so don't give any more evidence. Even saying "It was consensual" affirms that you had sex with this woman. Admitting that you were drunk makes any claims you make about its being consensual suspect. Etc.


Title: Question about NDA pregnancy

Question: Hi everyone I’m doing research for a book and I have a question that I can’t seem to find an answer for and don’t personally know anyone to ask. Could a man legally ask a woman to sign an NDA so that she wouldn’t disclose that he is the father of her baby? Obviously money would be her end of the deal. If so, would the contract be indefinite?

Answer:
 No.  This would be unenforceable as a matter of public policy (at least in the US).   The way this is viewed is that the *child* has a fundamental right to having two parents responsible for its support.  The parents can't contract away the child's right to support.

This is a somewhat common question, or at least a variation on it.  There is pretty much no way for a man to protect himself against child support -- if his swimmers reach the finish line, he is a daddy and he pays like a daddy.  You protect yourself with contraception or celibacy.

A woman might agree to this, but if she changes her mind he'd still be on the hook.  Even if she chooses not to go after him, if she ever ends up on public assistance then her benefits might be made conditional on her disclosing the identity of the father.


Title: [CA] My mom (48/F) just died a month ago and my boyfriend's mother said I may be able to get her social security death benefits.

Question: Would I be able to claim this if she was nowhere near close to receiving her social security? Also, if we can do this, would it be better if I claimed it or my dad did?

Answer:
 How old are you?

Are you disabled in any way?

Were you dependent upon her for financial support?


Title: Landlord didn't tell me when new tenants are moving in

Question:
Location: Switzerland

I'm not sure if this is the right subreddit for this...

So, about 3 months ago I told the real estate agency that I would be moving out of my apartment on the 31st of October. That's a Saturday, and the agency is closed on a Saturday. In my rent contract they mention that if your lease ends on a weekend or a holiday, you can hand over the keys on the following working day (which would be Monday 2nd of November). They told me to ring them and tell them when I want to hand over the keys around 2 weeks before I move out. I think great, I finish work on friday the 30th and then I'll have the whole weekend to move out. Well, I rang them today (3 weeks before I move out) to tell them that I want to make an appointment to hand over the keys on Monday the 2nd of November. They say no, I have to be out before then because the new tenants are moving in on the 2nd. I have to have the apartment clean and empty on Friday the 30th, when I'll be at work and still basically living there... I do not have time that week to clean the apartment, and I still need to live there for my job! (Am also leaving my job; Friday is my last day and my new apartment is 2 hours away.)

I don't know what to do. Are they allowed to do this?

Thanks for any advice you can give me

Answer:
 It sounds like you can return the keys the next business day, not live there until the next business day.Answer #2: I assume you have a copy of the lease highlighting these terms?
Because if its plain as day and your lease is till the 31st you are in the right.


Title: Wisc, my friend had a problem with doxxing on facebook comments

Question: location is in Wisconsin. my friend had a problem with a guy and the fallout was bad after one time thing so he got pissed at her because somebody made up things about that guy. he retaliated by going after her and encouraging people to go after her and he doing by doxxing her so what's her recourse

Answer:
 Doxxing is not illegal.

What sort of "encouraging people to go after her" is happening?


Title: Can a high school ban its students from making petitions?

Question:
Can they? Because I think that’s it’s illegal because it violates 1st amendment rights. If it is illegal, how should i confront this issue? Take it to principal(petitions were banned by previous principal), take it to board of education, or what? Thanks in advance.
Topic:
Constitution

Answer:
 Ban a petition in what way?

A school has broad authority to control your behavior on campus, so if you mean preventing you from roaming the halls with a signup sheet? Yes, they can bar this.


Title: (Texas) Do I have grounds to break lease?

Question:
In June of 2017, a company took over the apartments where I was living. The moment they took over, things became awful.

There was suddenly an increase in my utilities. It's allocated, so I didn't think of it very much. With the old company, I typically spent $70-80 in gas/trash/water/waste. However since they took over, steadily my utilities have risen. In October, my utilities were $150 after having been only $100 the month before. I asked for my usage from the office for explanation of the sudden spike. My lease states they are required to have this on file during office hours for me to see. The office told me they didn't give out itemized receipts. I asked for my usage and the current office manager told me she'd email it to me by the end of the day, October 4th. Never heard from her. I called twice more and was told they didn't have the information. I refused to pay for utilities and opted to pay just for the rent until they could show me my usage. Come November, they charged me $160. I now have over $300 in utilities for 2 months for just my boyfriend and I, and still no record stating my usage. That's all I want is proof.

Also, back in June, I heard scratching in the walls and discovered an animal was trying to dig a hole through into my kitchen. I filed a report online and no one ever answered. I waited one day and called. The animal had gotten loud and was pushing through the wall, damaging it. The office told me I was not a priority over people with broken A/C's. Two days later, the animal died in my wall and caused an awful smell. My boyfriend opened the wall and pulled three birds out with tongs. I have proof of this. The office filed the report as "complete" on September 30th (3 months later) even though they never came out to my apartment or followed up with me by phone.

Now in October we found a new apartment that better suited our needs. I called the office and asked about subletting. They said it was allowed. I asked when they wanted me to drop my handwritten consent off, they told me I didn't need it. Since then, it's been nothing but trouble. I had someone interested to move in, however, changed his mind because the apartment office lies and fails to be available. They are not always in the office when listed. They're maybe there half of the days and times they have listed. They don't communicate so whenever you talk to someone they have no idea what's actually going on. Then they tell you they'll call you back and close early.

We asked about terminating the lease and noticed on our original lease, they have left termination fees and a few other spots blank, however the office claims they're filled in on their side. So they obviously have a different lease from ours. We were never told of any lease changes, even when the apartment complex was bought by new management. We went to the office to ask to compare the leases and see our usage and they didn't have either available. I inquired for the lease last Thursday. They told me they could have it for me Monday, yet today they have not opened like their hours state they will. Also when I was there, Lars, the office staff, asked if our lease was signed with old management. When told yes, he promptly said "our lease has nothing to do with them". So technically that means we have no lease at all with them. we did not sign a new lease, or consent to any changes.

I don't know what to do. I don't know if we have a case. I don't have much money, which is why this is difficult because they're keeping me stuck with two leases, despite having people interested. I have proof of my lease, my subletter flaking because of the offices negligence, and my utilities ledger stating how much I owe, but not for how much usage/or formula used to find amount.

Answer:
 It maybe a moot point now but, do you have any way of verifying that you notified the company of the health/saftey problem (animals in the wall)? If you do then they would be in violation of the repair provision in Texas' law SB 1367 which requires them to remedy the issue in 7 daysAnswer #2: >Also when I was there, Lars, the office staff, asked if our lease was signed with old management. When told yes, he promptly said "our lease has nothing to do with them". So technically that means we have no lease at all with them. we did not sign a new lease, or consent to any changes.

Yeah this isn't true. If it were true, you could just leave.

From your post history, I'm assuming you're in Austin--give these folks a call: http://www.housing-rights.org/contact.html


Title: Ridiculous silly hypothetical: if I send Bill Gates a check for negative $1 billion, and he cashes it, do I get a billion dollars?

Question: Asking for ...reasons

Answer:
 No.

Whew, that was easy.


Title: According to Wikipedia, a lower-resolution version of an image is more likely to fall under fair use, or something of that nature. Is this true? It sounds...questionable. How could a lower-resolution image be "less copyright-infringing"?

Question:
I apologize if this isn't the usual kind of question, but I'm curious about something I read on Wikipedia's policy page, and I'm wondering what a lawyer would think.

According to Wikipedia, a lower-resolution version of an image is more likely to fall under fair use.... or at least, something of that nature.

Is this...true? It sounds questionable. How could a lower-resolution image be "less copyright-infringing"? It's the same content, right? Why would resolution matter?

[Here's what I'm talking about.](http://i.imgur.com/pnziZ9f.png) You'll notice that Wikipedia mentions that the image has to be "web-resolution", and that images [must be as small as possible to see all the detail.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Non-free_content#Image_resolution)
[They elaborate on it a bit here.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Fair_use/Definition_of_%22low_resolution%22)

To be honest, it sounds like someone made it up. I can't see any corporation suing Wikipedia over using an *image*, and I can't see any corporation *not* suing because an image was 240 pixels wide.

I'm wondering what real lawyers would think of this. What are your ideas?

Location: St. Petersburg, U.S., [according to their own page.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation)
Topic:
Intellectual Property

Answer:
 Their rationale is that a low-res image more likely to be a fair use because it doesn't compete with sale of high res images.

It's one bit of the fair use analysis, but not determination either way.


Title: Heir refuses to sign affidavit

Question:
I was hoping you all could help us out. My father in law passed away about 4 years ago. We found out there is some unclaimed money through the state (NJ). We went to the surrogate court to get the proper paperwork to file the claim.
My husband told them it was between him and his brother. His brother is refusing to sign the affidavit.
In a nutshell the total amount to claim is 10k we were going to split it in half but his brother is refusing.
What can we do?

Answer:
 Who was the executor/administrator of the estate? If there was nobody appointed, you can try to reopen probate, get your husband appointed as administrator, and use that authority to see about recovering and distributing the funds.

Would be much easier to just figure out why his brother is refusing free money.


Title: Did I just get completely boned by a well spirited man of god? (Motor Vehicle & Title dispute)

Question: So I'm a young buck from Wisconsin 53095 who a bit ago purchased a used vehicle through a friend. After the Purchase was made, all of the information was in a bag in the seat of the vehicle.  It needed repairs so I had it taken to a shop which was the same price to fix as the initial investment plus extra. Now halfway through the process someone said they didnt see the title (LET ME REMIND YOU THIS IS MY FIRST VEHICLE PURCHASE).  I thought they were wrong and thought that the 'application for title' document was actually the title. I know, I'm not super smart.  Now the vehicle is fixed, and I go to the DMV to change the title over and they laugh because obviously I cant do that with the application.  So I call this guy, and he's super evasive.  He insists that he gave me the title.  I Tell him he's wrong, send him a link to the DMV site where you can reapply for a lost title.  He says he fills it out and he'll be back in town on the 21st. Today is the 22nd.  He calls me saying he went to the DMV, it's 150$ for a new title and that I have to pay for it.  15 minutes later, I'm here and I'm furious.  I have no idea what to do.  I have no real family or smart friends that have any idea what to do about it. Did I get conned? Is there anything I can possibly do other than to not do this again down the road?

Answer:
 update. turns out the vehicle was out on a lean and he never even held the title in his hands.  I have the bank informed and he will be receiving their calls soon.Answer #2: Replacement titles in WI are like five bucks so tell him to get out of town with this $150.

You absolutely shouldn't have taken possession of the car without a valid title.  It is not legal to sell cars in WI without titles. Now you're in a real mess.  At this point your only recourse is probably small claims court.  Hopefully if you file this guy will just give you a replacement title to avoid the hassle.


Title: [Hypothetical] if I am killed at work but I am able to be revived via CPR, would I still be able to collect accidental death or dismemberment insurance?

Question: So for the sake of the argument let’s say that a client at work was to kill me, but then my coworkers were able to revive me using CPR and a defibrillator. Would I be entitled to the accidental death or dismemberment insurance that I pay out of my paycheck, because I technically died?

Answer: Someone whose heart stops temporarily but is then resuscitated is not legally dead, and would not be able to claim on any life insurance policy.Answer #2: No. For one thing, you'd need a death certificate; you wouldn't have one.


Title: Worried about personal safety

Question:
Hi LegalAdvice,

I am having some trouble with a person who is harassing me due to a work related grudge some time ago.

At the height of the grudge the person deflated my car tires and threatened my personal safety, and now he has been hacking my computer.  I have a number of network logs indicating intrusion, additional evidience, and a number of witnesses that can help to validate the history of case.

So far I have not pursued the legal help due to my lack of funds.

Any Help in advising the issues to consider and a course of action would be a huge help.

Answer: Why would you not call the police when someone deflated your tired and threatened you? That is what you should be doing


Title: (Seattle, WA) I hit a middle-aged woman with my car going <5mpg. She was briefly hospitalized for knee injury, did not settle with my insurance agency, and is filing against me...What can I expect?

Question:
2 months ago I hit a ~55-60 year old woman crossing the street as I was pulling out to turn (<5mph). She fell over and could not get up, saying that she experiences chronic knee problems that the collision exacerbated. She was taken away in an ambulance and I was ticked ~$150 for (presumably) negligent driving and pedestrian awareness. There was a full police report filed. My insurance includes full liability coverage so I figured that was the last of it, in addition to an increase in my monthly rate.

I got a call today from my claims department saying that they could not settle and agreement with her and that I could be facing legal action. I am also covered by them for legal fees.

I don't know much more than that....also no one but my parents knows my current address. Will I have to be personally "served" in order for her to continue with the suit process? How else can her lawyer contact me if nobody knows where I live? I want to help out and work with her but I just have no experience with these types of situations.....I also have very very little savings money and an income of <30k/year. My liability coverage is up to 250k/person and I can't imagine that she would need more than that to cover her expenses.

Thanks for reading, would really appreciate some advice/what I can expect/how I can respond.

Answer:
 Don't duck service.

Call your insurance company and let them know you believe a lawsuit is pending.  They will hire an attorney, and they can possibly receive service for you.


Title: [TX] Found glass baked into chips. No injuries. Contacted manufacturer. What next?

Question:
Over the long weekend my wife and I attended a family event. While sitting at the table I was passed a bag of chips to open. I opened the bag and handed a few chips to my 4 year old nephew, grabbed a few myself and passed the bag to my wife. About 5 minutes later my wife bites into a chip and something hard in it breaks into tiny shards. She starts pulling hard, transparent slivers out of her mouth. She wasn't injured, but was startled.

&#x200B;

We put those pieces in a small amount of water. They did not dissolve. It was not salt; it was glass.

&#x200B;

We immediately confiscated all the chips, called the manufacturer and started trying find additional glass in the bag. She found several stray pieces and one baked into a chip.

&#x200B;

The manufacturer was closed for the holiday, but had an emergency medical paging service. I called them and reported it. They seemed reluctant to contact anyone immediately since the manufacturer's office was closed. I said I needed to speak to someone immediately, whether it was them or the retailer. Fifteen minutes later I received a call from the manufacturer who took extensive notes about the situation and said they'd call me back on Monday.

&#x200B;

I got that call first thing this morning. They asked if we were still OK. I told them we had yet to show symptoms if we were injured. They said they were shipping me a box to place the bag/chips into along with a waiver, that they had filed report with the 3rd-party they used to create the chips and were requesting a root cause analysis. I asked if they had received any other reports. They said no.

&#x200B;

Getting to the point.

&#x200B;

I didn't agree to anything yet and I'm feeling unsettled. There still could be contaminated bags out there. People could be injured while these companies go through the motions of determining how bad the problem is. I don't care about getting money from this company. All I want is to ensure no one is injured. Opening that bag and handing those chips to my nephew has been haunting me.

&#x200B;

Do I just go through with their process, sign the waiver and ship them the bag/chips?

&#x200B;

Do I call the retailer and inform them of the issue?

&#x200B;

Do I go public? If so, am I making myself a legal target?
Topic:
Consumer Law

Answer: wait for some coupons in the mail and go on with your life.


Title: [FL] Forced to sign car dealer credit application or they refused to let me leave. What's going on here?

Question:
Hi All,

This happened at a reputable luxury brand dealership in Central Florida this morning.

I had the craziest experience as I tried to leave with the dealer with a car I purchased earlier today so I'd like to figure out what's going on, and any rights I may have regarding the situation. Will try to stick to the facts and TLDR at the bottom.

So I found the vehicle I wanted (pre-owned, not their brand) online and decided to head over first thing this morning to check it out. I get there, inspect the car initially, find a salesperson, inspect/test drive the car, everything seems great, time to start talking pricing.

We agree on a price, I call my bank with the final loan amount, everything is approved and they email me documents for the dealership to complete. I forward the email to the dealer and the salesperson goes to get it printed out.

She comes back with my document, and another piece of paper and starts asking questions that sound like a credit application. I stop her and say that I'm not interested in their financing, and she responds that it is "just for information purposes". I refuse, stating that I am not signing their credit application and she drops it from there. I don't blame her for trying, but I'm ready to move on.

She submits all the documents to the finance manager and after a few minutes he calls me in to his office. We review all the paperwork: buyers guide, IRS, tax, title, odometer stuff. Everything that references a lien holder references my bank, so it all looks good. We get everything signed and now I'm just waiting for the car wash and gas fill-up before heading home. So far it's been an absolutely great experience.

They pull my car up, I thank the salesperson and as I open the door (literally one foot in the car) the finance manager comes out and tells me I can't leave until I sign the credit application. I refuse again stating that I don't want to sign their credit application.

**This is where it gets crazy.** (Summary of what was said.)

Finance guy tells me I *have* to sign the credit application before I leave. I refuse, we go back and fourth a little and he brings a manager (manager1).

Manager1 tells me the same thing, and they wont pull my credit it's just for "information purposes" So I tell him to bring me an information verification form instead. He leaves and another manager comes back (manager2).

Manager2 keeps on with the same thing, "we're not going to pull your credit", "it's just policy", "we don't have any other form" and we keep going in circles. For almost 30 minutes with the circular reasoning, and at this point I'm getting frustrated and tell manager2 that I don't even care if they pull my credit, this is on principle and to "quit fucking bullshitting me".

I guess the head director overheard that. So now he comes over and tells me that I'm being inappropriate and I need to leave. I say okay, get up and start to walk to the car, I'm just ready to leave at this point.

A few seconds later I'm at the car with the door open and I am surrounded by 3 or 4 guys including the head director. The director says that if I take the car he is going to call the police and they have no obligation to sell me anything.

So now he and I go back and fourth a bit and I tell him I'd sign the credit application if they just told me the truth and that they wanted to pull my credit, but I'm not going to be lied to. So we go back and fourth a bit more, and finally he writes on the form "DO NOT PULL CREDIT, INFO ONLY" and I chuckled a bit and just signed the paper. I just wanted to leave at this point. All they got was my name, address, and social, no other financial information was provided.

After that, I apologized for cussing and said that I wasn't upset with him or anyone else personally, but I didn't appreciate the underhanded tactics. I got copies of the form, and walked to the car with the salesperson. I apologized to her and let her know that she was great during the whole process and none of this was her fault, I was just getting upset over being lied to. She said she understood, we said our pleasantries and I left.

When I got home I called my bank and gave them a rundown of the situation. They seem to agree that the dealer was acting pretty shady. I asked when my bank would officially own the car and they said that it could be a few days until the paperwork is filed and until then the dealer legally owns the vehicle. For now I've got it parked out of the way.

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

**TLDR:** Bought a car this morning, financed through my own bank. Everything on my side is done and signed. As I'm getting in the car I'm stopped and told that if I don't sign the dealer's credit application for "information purposes" that I can't leave. After back and fourth with 4 managers I try to leave and they threaten to call the police. I cave and just sign the paper so I can get home with the car I wanted. My bank thinks it's pretty shady. This happened at a large & reputable luxury dealer who is known for good customer service.

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

At this point I have the car in my possession and I'm just waiting for paperwork to process before my bank legally owns it and I feel secure about this.

1) Can the dealer refuse to submit the documents I signed to the state/bank/etc...?

2) Do I have any recourse with my own signed copies of these documents?

3) Can the dealer refuse payment from my bank?

4) What can I do if they call and tell me it "fell through" or I otherwise have to bring the car back?

5) Should I wait to get the car serviced in case that happens? (Oil change, inspection, etc..)

6) Anything else I should watch out for?

In general, I'm not too worried if they pull my credit since my bank already pulled it earlier this week so it wont effect on my score, but I don't want them doing anything fishy like submitting their own financing in my name either.

This all may be nothing but overzealous sales guys, but I'd like to know where I stand and what rights I may have in the situation (if any). Thanks in advance.

Answer:
 If they refuse to submit the signed documents, have your own attorney contact them, referencing words like 'attempted fraud' and 'failure to fulfill contract.' If they call and tell you it "fell through," talk to your own bank, who from your recounting are the ones providing the financing.

Frankly, this stinks. I think I would have requested that they go ahead and call the police, as you would like official documentation of the exact situation. Once all of the papers have been signed, he's already sold you the car, so refusing to let you leave gets perilously close to unlawful restraint and false imprisonment.


Title: [OH] [Serious] Is there anything I can do about new white trash neighbors ruining the neighborhood?

Question:
I live in the city in a fairly nice working class neighborhood. Most of the houses are small, but nice starter homes. The vehicles in the driveways are nice, the yards are mowed; it's quiet. It would almost be suburbia if we weren't technically in the City Limits.

However, the ghetto isn't too far away. For this town, it gets hairy only four or five streets south. But, *our* neighborhood is nice and I want to see it kept that way. I don't want to see ghetto creep make it's way to our block.

Several months ago, the house next to us was foreclosed upon, bought by a landshark out of state and renters moved in. For what they're worth, the people are very nice and friendly.

However, if there was a White Trash Checklist, they'd score 100%.

**1)** The house, frankly, should be condemned. It is *by far* the worst house on the block and should be torn down. There really is no salvaging it. Having said that, a mother/father and five kids now live there. The paint on the siding is almost nonexistent. Carpeting inside *is* nonexistent. They live on the sub floors.

**2)** Not one, but two pit bulls. One isn't spayed, the other isn't neutered. They bark all day long. My wife and kid are terrified of them.

**2a)** Dogs used to run loose quite a bit, police caught up to the wife and formally charged her for loose dogs. They're now chained up, but always outside.

**2b)** Mailman stopped delivering to their house because of 2a and they had to move their mailbox to a safer location because of it.

**3)** The yard is an absolute mess. Think what your 5 y/o's play room looks like, well that's the front and back yard; toys everywhere, never mowed.

**4)** They own five cars, in various states of disrepair. Somehow, he just dragged home a new (used) Escalade today. It's currently bumping subs as I type this out.

**4a)** They swap plates from vehicle to vehicle because, presumably, they can't afford tags on all the cars.

**5)** Shoes? What are those? Kids will be kids, but I've never once seen them with shoes on.

Having said all that, they **are** nice people, but this is getting out of hand. They are, sadly, the eye sore and embarrassment of the neighborhood. Is there anything the City could do to help this situation?

Answer:
 Call zoning or code enforcement for any exterior issues that are legitimate violations. Their carpet is really none of your business. Kids not wearing shoes isn't a problem unless it's cold outside.

Call the police to report the noise violation if the dogs are barking for lengthy periods. Call animal control and ask if it's legal in your area to chain dogs outside 24/7 (it's not legal a few places).

Other than that, you really can't control the behavior of your neighbors. You also can't choose who their landlord rents to. Sorry. Answer #2: > Is there anything the City could do to help this situation?

What laws are they violating?  Off the top of my head, the only thing I can think of is the state of the house.  Maybe a tag issue.


Title: Boss is significantly behind on my pay, and working under the table, I don't know my rights.

Question:
To begin with, I live in Connecticut. My community was hit with a supercell storm in the beginning of the summer, and I found an opportunity to work as a laborer with a local self-employed General contractor to clean up storm damage. For the first month and a half, everything went well. I was paid on time ($180/day), And since it was all under the table, it was a great way to save up money before my sophomore year of college.

However, my boss fell behind on my pay ( A debt now in excess of $2000 ), and I was unfortunate/inexperienced enough to trust him to come up with the money, and here I am with costs of living stacking up, with no definite promise of regular income.

I know my boss is not in any position to skip town on me or otherwise ditch me, but I leave for school again in three weeks. Not only this, but due to health problems, his attendance to work has been very hit or miss. Due to the nature of our work/payment plans as he arranges them, if we don't work, we don't get paid, and we're running out of time to work.

Prior to this $2000 debt, I've been paid $1500 for my labor services. Being that it's all under the table, I'm not sure I can take him to court for this. I have documentation of the payment owed to me day by day— figures which I've sent to my boss by text, and he has confirmed that he owes me. Do I have anything to stand on in a court of law/civil court ?
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer: You can sue him. But don't expect the taxpayer funded system to protect you when you cheat on your taxes.  And don't work under the table again.


Title: Is it legal for a store owner to ban me from his store?

Question:
He banned my friend after getting an argument with him, was doing a favor for a friend and the owner noticed the similar grocer list my friend choose. He got confrontational and he all of the sudden banned me. This was in N.Y.
Topic:
Constitution

Answer: This is the plot to an Episode of Seinfeld


Title: Collections Agency Calling Me For Someone Else's Debt - Canada

Question:
For about a month, I  have been receiving phone calls at work from a collections agency claiming that I purchased ad space in several magazines and have not paid. I am not involved in media buying at all and told the guy on the phone as much in one of the first calls he made to me.

I asked how he got my contact information. Basically, he did a Google search for my name, my LinkedIn profile popped up and he saw that I worked at a company in a similar industry to whoever owes this debt. I guess he assumed he had the right person and began calling me/my company.

Obviously I told him he was mistaken and that I was not the person he was looking for. The problem is that the company STILL keeps calling. They are now calling and leaving messages not only on my extension, but the main company line.

So far I have been ignoring the calls and messages - is this the right course of action or do I need to do more? I'm worried about this somehow coming back to bite me later even though I have nothing to do with it.
Topic:
Credit Debt Bankruptcy

Answer:
 This is [a page from Consumer Protection Ontario about Coleection agencies](http://www.ontario.ca/page/collection-agency-your-rights).

If you're in a different province, say so, and I'll try to find the rules that pertain to your situation.


Title: Put down $500 deposit on vehicle in a private sale ive decided on another vehicle in the meantime have a receipt of the deposit clearly stating that it is a deposit and not a partial payment he is now refusing to give my deposit back, am i entitled to my refund? This is in victoria Australia.

Answer:
 Generally he would keep the deposit as liquidated damages for him having removed the vehicle from the market.Answer #2: You've committed to buying the car by giving a deposit. Theyre not obligated to give your money back, you should of checked and had it written that it was refundable if you were still looking at other options.
If you want to fight them you'll have to go to small claims.


Title: Buddy owns a robot to guard his house, has live ammunition. What happens if it kills an intruder? Wisconsin, USA

Question:
So this is a what if, he owns a company that programs robots for defense. He has one for his house that can shoot live rounds. It's 100% an armed security guard. I got to asking him all sorts of "what if questions" What if he shoots you or goes haywire etc.. but my main question to /legal is what if someone is breaking into his house and the intruder crosses the line at which the robot deems dangerous (a virtual line that is physically crossed that enables the robot to fire at the intruder) and kills the intruder. Who is at fault for the murder?

Posted in /legal when I remembered this one :)

Answer:
 > Who is at fault for the murder?

Your buddy is. Booby traps are illegal.Answer #2: It would generally be illegal for an armed guard to shoot someone simply for trespassing.

It's even more illegal for an automated system to do so, since a system is indiscriminate. He's intentionally created a deadly hazard on his property.

Lord help him if his robot gun shoots a kid or a firefighter, but frankly, if it only does its job and shoots a burglar, he's still going to prison.


Title: Five year later, found out that the oral surgeon didn't remove one of my four wisdom teeth (KS)

Question: So, kind of a weird situation.  Five years ago I had all four wisdom teeth removed by the oral surgeon my regular dentist referred me to. I was due for my panaramic X-ray from my regular dentist today and found that one of the wisdom teeth is still there.  There is no question, it is the same tooth.  My dentist, in their file, have a letter from the oral surgeon saying they were all removed.  I have no paperwork from 5 years ago, but estimate I was out of pocket around 2k to remove all four.  My dentist called and said all I have to do is call the oral surgeon and they will do another consult and X-ray, free of charge.  I am just wondering what to do.  I'm not sure I even need this one removed as I was only having issues with two and figured I should go ahead and take them all out while I was under.  Is there any specific steps I should take if I just want to be refunded/compensated for the tooth not being removed.

Answer: It's possible you had an extra wisdom tooth. It's rare but it happens. Did your dentist say you needed to have this one removed?


Title: Ex getting sued for extra rent money. Landlord is claiming I was living there for the last 6 months. She wants me to write a letter to show in court that I was not living there

Question:
What would this letter look like?

I only visited a couple times a week, and it was only over-night visits. She mostly stayed at my place, for days at a time. And we broke up 3 months ago, so I've only been over there about 10 times since then, again just overnight visits.

I've never written one of these letters before. Thanks.

Answer: Do you have a lease and/or utility bills in your name at another address? A copy of those and a standard letter stating what you wrote above should suffice. The landlord will let you know if they need anything else.