Title: parents divorce

Question:
So my parents got divorced in 2011 and my mom agreed to receive alimony until my dad retired. Well, he retired last year or the year before and my mom is still going after him for money because she thinks she signed an agreement to receive money from him for life.

here's some info:

* Dad worked at ford, he decided to take the buyout and put his money in an IRA. Mom decided to keep the pension and receive $3k a month from ford.
* Dad is 68 and retired, mom is 64 and approaching retiring age
* Mom has other incomes and as far as I'm aware, she gets upwards of $100k a year(not including the alimony from dad)
* Dad has about $800k in the bank including the IRA

Ok, so my dad wanted to leave us something in his will and if my mom takes him to appeals court, hes going to run out of money quickly. So he offered my mom $120k to just part ways and move on. She said "eat shit". So  my dad just called me and my brother and asked if we could talk to her about this. He is also offering us $100k each if she says yes. He is also keeping us in his will. I could really use the money. Should I try to convince my mom to take his deal?

Answer:
 > my dad just called me and my brother and asked if we could talk to her about this.

It is extremely inappropriate for your father to involve you in his divorce like this, and I strongly recommend that you decline. You don't have to be mean about it, but "I'm not comfortable discussing that with mom, and I'd appreciate if you didn't ask me to intervene" is reasonable. (You don't have any standing to intervene legally, and your mother has no social or moral obligation to take your input into account, so you may even be wasting your time if you try to get involved.)

Keep in mind that you cannot count on receiving anything from your father even if he gets his way, too. Neither you nor he have any idea whether he's going to incur major medical expenses later in life that might wipe out the money he claims he's keeping aside for you. Telling you he can't give you an inheritance because he owes your mother alimony is manipulative and unfair.

The appropriate place to work this out is in court. If you want to help, help your father pay for the attorney he likely needs. If he has complied with his decree, then his ex-wife will not prevail even if she believes he should continue paying spousal support; if he has misunderstood the decree, his attorney can help him solve that problem more easily.


Title: Ex-fiancee is prostiuting herself. Shes masking is it the form of "sugar-daddying". I have 1 child who is biologically mine who lives with her. What options do I have?

Question: As the title states my ex, whom my child lives with currently is prostituing herself online. My child is young, 4 years old so I know he cant comprehend the situation, or situations he might be put in because of this. Do i have any legal options? The most evidence i can get are screen shots establishing that she is engaging in this activity, but I dont think could exactly hold up in court.

Answer:
 You can contact CPS with your concerns.

Ultimately you know your ex better than we do, but is it out of the question that she is engaging in sex work and still protecting your child?  Just cause she is a sugar baby doesn't mean she is exposing your child to clients. Answer #2: What exactly is she doing? If it's anything illegal you can report her to the police if you're worried about it. Answer #3: You can't do anything about what *might* happen. To take action you'll need evidence that the child is being harmed. If you take the payment element out of the situation, what you're left with is disliking the fact that your ex is having sex with people other than you. But you don't get to control that. Judges aren't stupid, and they don't change custody over what amounts to jealousy.


Title: Sexual Battery in NJ?

Question:
I've had a recent incident where someone is accusing me of touching them innapropriately. It was in a public place and I was really drunk. I do not remember doing this... I have never been in trouble with the law... I'm very scared and don't know what to do. The police detained me and brought me in for questioning. What am I to expect after this? The place has cameras and the police are going to have the tape. So if I did do this in my drunkness (which I swear I do not remember doing. I was probably more than 10 drinks in when this happened) what am I to expect? Will police issue a warrant and come find me at my home or at my job? I would certainly lose my job if that happened... whats next? I reside in NJ
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer: You should hire a lawyer immediately and quit talking to the cops.


Title: [NV] Old employer owes me ~7k in unpaid wages, closed the business after wage claim turned in. Am I SOL?

Question:
I was wrongfully terminated from a job as a waitress March of last year, where my boss made up a whole bunch of stuff in an effort to not pay the unemployment. I was awarded it right off the bat, he fought it, lied to the adjudicator but I was able to prove that all of him claims were not true so I was able to keep the awarded money.

I magically landed an awesome job and I'm back on my feet again, but the missing 7k is still really bothering me.

I originally started the process of turning in my wage claim by requesting my time records, which my ex-employer flat out refused to send. I was advised by the labor board to just estimate everything as close as I could because I only had so long to be able to file.

This is what I wrote to them, edited for names and clarity.

---
There are 3 different things I am claiming for.

1) we were forced to pay a daily $5 "cleaning fee" to pay for a cleaning crew that was never hired. When pressed on the legality from a different employee, he stated it was a mandatory tip out to him. As the owner of the business he is not a tipped employee. (Another ex-employee tried to put in a wage claim for this too but worded it wrong so she didn't get it.) The cleaning fee was charged from June 2014 to Dec 2015.  81 weeks plus 5 days, making 410 days worked. This comes to $2050

2) I was not allowed to clock in until I received a table, even though I was at work, in uniform and was forced to work by taking care of existing tables even if they did not transfer to me. This was also the rule for every other employee. I  requested my time records on April 20th of (last) year, but the employer refused to send them, so this is my best guess. The amount of time it would take for me to get a table was anywhere from 30 mins to 3 hours. I have chosen to claim only the 30 minutes daily, as I am not sure which days took longer for me to get a table. I worked 190 days at 8.25/hr, which totals to $783.75. I worked 272 days at 9.00/hr which totals to $1224.

3) I was not paid the correct amount of overtime. Employer would only pay OT when total weekly hours were more than 40. However, my shift was 8 hours exactly til close of business, but I stayed at least 30 minutes everyday to finish cleaning hookahs, wiping tables, etc. Since some overtime WAS paid, I have opted to halve the amounts in order to not get overpaid. I was never offered a lunch, on or off the clock, so my 8 hours shifts were always 8+ hours worked. Again, employer has refused to give me my time records so this is my best guess. I worked 190 days at 13.13/hr (time and a half), divided by 2, which totals to $1247.35. I worked 272 days at $13.50/hr, divided by 2, which totals to $1836.

I have already calculated for missed days, to the best of my knowledge.

As a final note, i have text message proof that my final check was shorted 3 hours of OT, although my employer stated it was only 1. As already discussed he did not pay OT correctly. I still to this day have not received the remainder of my final check nor my last pay stub, even though he is aware that he shorted me the money.

---

They sent him two or three notices to pay up or fight it, which he never responded to. Then he closed the business on June 1st. (I'm also not the only person with an active wage claim against him. Long story short, he paid all the girls who worked the day shift less than minimum wage by paying them a flat "day rate.") Because the business is now closed the labor board basically told me I was shit out of luck, and I can't go after him personally because the llc protects him from that.

Am I pretty much screwed here?

Answer:
 IANAL here, but I would find out and see if the LLC is even in bankruptcy.  Those who do have wage claims is a high priority creditor for the remaining assets.

This might be something worth pursuing with an actual attorney.Answer #2: http://labor.nv.gov/

This is the official government link to the NV  labor department. Take a look at the list on the right hand side of the page and start with one of those.

I have not dealt with NV specifically but in my experience these agencies are very user friendly.

I doubt you are out of luck. It doesn't matter if he dissolves the LLC or corp. There will be a  period after a dissolution during which you can still claim against a dissolved corp, etc.  Assets can be tracked if he just changes names and "re-brands".

Unemployment is usually paid from the state from money he paid or should have paid into the state fund. If you are worried about that I would also check to see if he paid your Federal withholding taxes to the IRS. Those people will not mess around and will freeze and lien everything he has if he pulled that stunt.

Start with the state labor department but you should really talk to a lawyer.

Yeah, yeah, IamaL but not in NV. This stuff is pretty much the same in all states though.


Title: [MA]Grandfather Suing Parents for their home

Question:
My Step Father's Father (I'll refer to him as "X" for the rest of my story) is suing my parents and has filed an injunction on the sale of their house. X has been estranged from my family for over 12 years due to an arguement over a ring that my grandmother gave my mother. My parents married back in 2001, a week after their marriage my Step Father's mother passed away and he inherited her half of the home. In 2004 X signed a quick deed turning over his share of ownership to my parents. Fast forward to May of this year, he attends the first open house and signs in under an alias, this was brought to our attention by the realtor because his demeanor appeared strange, going through our personal effects and staring at our photographs. Weeks later the realtor and my parents were served. The complaint states that my Step-Father was made an involuntary trustee and that ownership had to be transfered due to X's health.
What can I do to discredit his claim?
What public records should I look for?
Can I personally file an injunction under the guise that my brother and I have more of a vested interest and claim in the property?
Should I look for other records that call into question his character and moral standing?

Answer:
 Are you and your brother on the deed?  It sounds like it's just your parents.  In which case, YOU can do nothing as it is not your house and you have no standing.  It's their house, and they need to handle it.

It's not illegal to go to an open house and give a fake name.   Unless there is a restraining order on file, anyone can go to an open house.

Sounds like X has an attorney, in which case, your parents absolutely need one.  If you want to help, you can help them pay for it.  Answer #2: He signed over his rights to the home in 2004? How does he feel he has a claim to it after he signed his rights over on it?


Title: What legal action can I take if someone posts an embarrassing video of me without my permission? (IL)

Question:
Hello,

I had some people over to my house the other night and we were drinking. I had a little to much and started to make a fool of myself, carrying on and spouting profanities. One of my guests videoed me on his phone without my permission and am worried he may post it online someday. I have already asked him not to post it anywhere and I don't think he would, but these things tend to come back to bite you. What legal action could I take against him (civil suits, etc) if he posts it online? The video I believe would significantly harm my character.

More details:

This occurred in a rental property, my name is on the lease. The guy who videoed me was a guest and not one of my roommates. My guests and I were of legal drinking age.

Answer: None.


Title: Can I sue a police station for endangering me?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 You assume that the police even knew that they were relatives.  They cannot be expected to run around and ID everyone who is of the same ethnicity of all of their suspects... and THEN put them in a waiting room.

They had every right to be in the same facility that you were.

That... and:  No.

Just:  No.Answer #2: >  I went to a store to get lipgloss in the hall I see old people that are minorities in my country. It turned out they were parents of the suspected. So because I went to the station I was able to be seen by relatives of the suspects in clear light, my family car registration number was seen by the same.

So... what? In the event of any court proceedings (in the US at least) you'll be identified by name and address anyway.

> Do you think that I am able to sue the police station for putting at me risk?

You're inferring a risk where none exists (namely, that the assailant's parents will provide your identifying information to the suspect).

In the US, you would have no course of action.


Title: A flew off a bicycle I bought last week and now my wrist is fractured and I'm in a cast, is there anything I can do to get my money back?

Question:
I bought a used bike last week and before I exchanged any cash I ask if there was anything wrong with it. He said it was in mint condition and there are no issues. I gave him the cash and less than a week later the back wheel gets stuck into the frame while I'm cycling at speed, I fly off the bike and fracture my wrist. Now I am unable to work due to having a cast and won't get it off for another 4-6 weeks. I don't know much about my rights in this scenario but he did say the bike was in mint condition when in fact it wasn't, otherwise I wouldn't be in a cast. Am I correct in wanting a full refund or taking him to small claims?

&#x200B;

Cheers

Answer:
 You had the chance to test and inspect the bike? It worked for a time without problem, until there was suddenly a problem? How does the seller know you didn’t cause the problem?

Likely this is an ‘as-is’ purchase and you don’t get your money back.


Title: (FL) Lawsuit was dismissed. What next? Can the costs and everything through it be removed through bankruptcy?

Question:
Some time ago my nephew was seriously injured after crashing into a pole while he was rollerblading. He was skitching when it happened. The cops declined to charge the driver. My sister and BIL filed a lawsuit against her. The lawsuit has been dismissed with prejudice and they have been ordered to pay all her legal and other costs from this. Their son is in a coma and has a brain injury. He has not woken up since it happened. The medical and hospice bills have already bankrupted them once because her and her insurance refused to pay. Now on top of his medical bills they have a six figure bill from the lawsuit, just from her. They also owe their own lawyer money. What should they do next? This was before the Affordable Care Act so they did not have health insurance for their son. Could they declare bankruptcy again in the future to remove needing to pay the driver? Is there any way for them to appeal? Apologies for all the questions and if they are obvious, our family is in shock and reeling right now.
Topic:
Personal Injury

Answer:
 > Could they declare bankruptcy again in the future to remove needing to pay the driver?

Unlikely.  First, there is a long time period between when you can file bankruptcy.  I don't know if they've waited the required time.  Second, it is very likely that this court ordered debt would not be discharged in bankruptcy.  However, their other debts may be.  So it is worth consulting with an attorney.

> Is there any way for them to appeal?

This should be a discussion had with their attorney, as the specifics of how the court case played out and what the judges order constituted are important.

I'm sorry for what you and your family is going through.  Based on the very limited facts you've given here, I think going after the driver is a lost (and inappropriate) cause.  Best of luck to you and your family.


Title: customs problems

Question:
Hello,

I ordered fake ids a while back and they were seized by customs. now everytime i come into the US from another country I am brought to a seperate room where they search through all of my belongings and question me about the fakes. I have also had my global entry revoked. is there anything to be done about this? thank you

Answer: You can avoid entering and exiting the country.


Title: Does This Constitute Gross Negligence?

Question:
If you suffer from depression and social isolation and make a lot of important friends on Facebook, and they become an important support network for you, and Facebook then proceeds to ban you from chatting on IM over some small bit of shock humor, does this count as gross negligence?

I'm guessing not, due to the terms and conditions, but it seems like Facebook does everything they can to be THE ubiquitous IM service, doesn't that come with some level of responsibility? The honest truth is, I've seriously been struggling. I didn't even sleep last night and I've spent all day crying and damn near psychotic. I really needed to talk to specific people throughout the day - But I couldn't.

I had no real problem with them preventing me from making public posts. The only problem I had was that they seemed to interpret a joke as a sincere expression of belief when, in fact, the humour relied on the expressed opinion being obviously wrong-headed. They didn't get it, they felt it wasn't good for their website and it could be misinterpreted. Fair enough. I accept that. But why did they block me on IM too? Not only does that not seem proportionate, but it seems absolutely negligent.

But now I've just spent the past fourteen hours, having been unable to sleep for more than thirty hours, suffering unnecessarily because I couldn't talk about my problems with the people I feel most comfortable talking to.

Answer:
 No. You have other alternate means of contacting those people (phone, email, competing IM services).

This doesn’t even rise to the level of simple negligence; let alone gross negligence. You’d have to be able to show they owed you a legal duty in order to show negligence. Facebook isn’t a public utility.

Gross negligence also requires a level of willful and wanton conduct that is actually pretty tough to establish. There was a Maryland case where a homeowner was annoyed that motorcyclists were riding across their (long) driveway as a shortcut to get to a mountain road. So they strung up a chain across two trees across the driveway, but didn’t mark it in any way. That night, a motorcyclist hit the chain going 60mph, and died; he was nearly decapitated. Even conduct that extreme, which they should have known would result in injury, wasn’t enough to rise to gross negligence.


Title: Mortgage foreclosure summons for me as "unwanted heir" to dead aunt in Illinois

Question:
I was served a summons for a mortgage foreclosure for a condo that belonged to my aunt who died in November of 2016. She still has a husband who is alive but in a nursing home. I do not want to have anything to do with the estate as there is not much there. What is the cheapest/best way to exclude myself? Why am I being named if her husband who lives there with her should be the one getting served? It does also state his name on the summons. If I don't show up for court date would I be liable for any deficiencies related to mortgage by default judgment .
Thanks

Answer:
 Mortgage lenders when foreclosing on a property subject to an estate often name anyone who may have a claim to the property securing their loan.  If you are a beneficiary in the estate, they want to name you so as to avoid any chance you make a claim to the property later.

It is likely you can contact the attorney handling the foreclosure, sign a quitclaim deed or other document disclaiming any interest in the property, and be dismissed from the suit.

>If I don't show up for court date would I be liable for any deficiencies related to mortgage by default judgment.

A very cautious person might pay a lawyer for an hour or two to see that this concludes as it should.  If you're not on the loan you don't have any liability to pay that loan.  If everything plays out as it should, by not showing up you would lose any potential claim to the property but not create any liability for the loan balance.  But that probably isn't necessary and you could be able to trade a release of your claim for a dismissal as to you.


Title: Wife is Moving to California with or without me. Need legal advice, child involved

Question:
Hey guys,

Without diving into too much detail (to avoid the wall of text) I'll link another post I made if you really want to dig through the details.

[https://www.reddit.com/r/relationships/comments/8wg05e/girlfriendwife\_26f\_wants\_to\_move\_to\_california/](https://www.reddit.com/r/relationships/comments/8wg05e/girlfriendwife_26f_wants_to_move_to_california/)

So here's the bulk of my question. My wife, has made it abundantly clear that she plans to move to California regardless if I'm willing to go. We have a child on the way, so there's not much of chance of her going tomorrow. I would like to know what legal options I have, I've read up on when the child is actually born, but is there anything if she tries to move prior to birth? Are there things I should be overtly aware of?

Even if things work out, I'm not looking to get neutered by the LA court district. So, anything you guys can toss me to read, links, whatever I'll gladly digest!

Thanks!
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 You cannot in any way restrict the movements of your wife.  After the child is born, you will be given some say as to the movements of the child, but this will be restricted to the child and the child alone.  So for example you STILL would not be able to stop your wife from moving after the birth of your child, but you may be able to stop her moving WITH the child by stopping the child from moving (though she could choose to leave the child).

You should make sure to legally establish yourself as the father of the child as soon as possible after birth.  This should happen automatically if you are still married when the child is born, but it never hurts to double check, especially if you are separated at that time.

Keep in mind that custody of a breastfeeding infant is usually naturally unequal due to the infant's increased dependence on the mother.  However, as the child weans, custody should gradually become more equal as well.


Title: FedEx didn't deliver the $1000 phone and the driver signed for the package himself

Question:
I bought a Samsung Galaxy phone and it was shipped through FedEx. It was to be delivered after signature but I got a text that it was delivered and signed for. I looked everywhere but couldn't find the package. I called FedEx and they opened a ticket for this. I received a call later from them and was informed that the driver left the package at the door and signed for it himself due to the virus issue. I am pretty sure that either he didn't deliver or delivered it at a wrong address. I called Samsung and they told me to wait for FedEx to finish their investigation and then file a police report.

Does any one knows what happens after the police report? Are my $1000 gone for good? I asked Samsung to block the IMEI number of that phone but they won't do it (yet).

Answer: The driver admitted to it.  So most likely the investigation will find FedEx is responsible.  You'll either be shipped to new phone. Or the driver will find the package and deliver it againAnswer #2: Former FedEx Driver. Forgery is an automatic termination. He will be canned. You need to get in writing what they told you.


Title: Package Thief - With a Twist!

Question:
Long time lurker, first time poster.

Here is my question: Is it illegal for someone to steal a package off of my door step, if the name on the package is theirs, but the address is mine?

Situation: My ring doorbell picked up 2 videos yesterday evening: The first was UPS delivering a package when I wasn’t home. The second was a woman driving up and stealing the package (ugh).

So I go through the normal routine and post it to the Ring Neighborhood, but then I also call UPS and ask what the delivery was. Here comes the twist: to my surprise, they told me the name it was being shipped to, and that it was sent from Sprint. So now I know the name of the person who likely stole the package and where it was coming from. Why didn’t she just ring the doorbell and say “hey sorry this was misdelivered, it is my new phone.” Instead of driving up and stealing it? Is this illegal? The next step with Ring is to file a police report and I am considering my options and wanted to consult the internet. Should I just let it go?

Answer:
 She's scamming the company she ordered the phone from.Answer #2: This is some type of scam. I had a neighbor who used my address for hospital visits. When she skipped out, the hospital bugged me for years searching for her.Answer #3: The person who picked the package up is a scammer.  Have you checked your credit report and credit card statements for fraudulent activity?  Usually they ship it to your address because they are using an account of yours and it has to be shipped to the billing address on record.Answer #4: How did she know it was delivered to your address?

A common scam is for someone to purchase something with a stolen credit card, using another person's name and a third person's address for delivery. She might have falsified this information, knowing the phone was coming and swiped it. If you know this is a neighbour and they transposed the digits (441 Main St versus 414 Main St) then possibly you might not need to file a police report. But I'd be skeptical.

Filing a police report is a smart idea. Keep an eye on your credit report. If you start receiving multiple packages for different names, you'll want to escalate the issue further. Consider having your mail/packages held at the post office or require your signature for delivery going forward if you're worried about porch piracy.Answer #5: She's using YOUR address to perpetuate a crime of fraud.  I'd take a good hard look at your credit reports to ensure you're not compromised.

This is fairly common. They use your info/ details/ accounts then ship "themselves" - most likely a fake name btw to your address to satisfy (buyer address=account holders address).

This is 100% fraud.


Title: Marijuana possession

Question: So, I got pulled over after driving for 15 hours from DC after purchasing around $600 worth of legal marijuana (I bought it from vendors in broad daylight downtown). I got pulled over in Michigan (for going 8 over I know, riding dirty and speeding, hindsight 20/20), where there is medical marijuana laws. The officer "smelled" pot, and proceeded to search my vehicle, confiscating my loot. I also received a $945 fine, community service, random drug testing and probation for 4 months.  Is there nothing I can do about this? I purchased the thc products legally in the United states, and now getting fucked over. The court also ordered that I cannot obtain a medical marijuana card while in probation. This all seems just unjust and unreasonable. Is there anything i can do?

Answer: Regardless of legality, it's illegal to transport marijuana across state lines (even directly into another legal state) so even though you purchased them legally, you definitely haven't handled it legally. Additionally, if you're in a medical marijuana state, with marijuana and no medical exemption.... It's still illegal. It may suck, it may be really fucking ridiculous, but legally, there's really not anything you can do here. Sorry friend.


Title: Help please!!!!!!!!!! Anyone!

Question:
I can not afford an attorney at this current moment so I’m hoping someone on here can maybe give me any kind of advice if possible.

(I AM A POOR COLLEGE STUDENT, but a grateful one :)

I recently was arrested for possession of two scheduled substances in Georgia!

I was never read my Miranda rights.
Not sure if that matters just thought I’d put that out there.

Will I serve jail time?

This is my first drug related offense ever.

Answer:
 Plead not guilty and ask for a PD. Stop talking about it with anyone but an attorney representing you.

Miranda rights have to be read before substantive interrogation, not at arrest.


Title: [TX] Legal Zoom for a Very Simple Will?

Question:
At this point, I have no real assets.  No children, no spouse.  I do have insurance and money in a Roth IRA, but both of those have designated beneficiaries.

Basically the point of the will is to appoint an executor so that they don't have to go to probate court.

Is this simple enough that Legal Zoom won't thoroughly mess it up?

Answer:
 >Basically the point of the will is to appoint an executor so that they don't have to go to probate court.

Absent some weird TX law I don't know about, that's not what a will does.  It will still have to be probated.

Honestly, a consultation with a local attorney would be a much better use of your money, and you would be sure it was done right.  You can get additional documents, like a living will or power of attorney, drafted at the same time.


Title: (Florida) Father not registered on birth certificate, now wishes to gain rights to his daughter but is afraid of child support.

Question:
Hello, I am a current resident of Florida and I'm the father in question. I am currently 24 , the mother is 23 and just married her husband (we we're 17 and 16 respectively when our daughter was born), and our daughter is now 6. Back when my daughter was born I was not put on the birth certificate as her father; my parents thought it was good to protect me and the moms parents didn't know or trust me then (they do now and support me getting legacy involved), the mother didn't want me to pay child support, and I was a dumb teenager who just listened to what his parents told at the time.

All these reasons aside, I for the last 2 years have been involved in my 6 year old daughters life, now seeing here twice a week as she lives with her grandparents; her mother still holds all rights. We are all in a good relationship and I have not pushed anything since what mattered most to me was just being able to be a part of my daughter's life. Now however it seems it would be easier for me to have certain rights, for things like being involved in what school she can go to and what programs she can be involved in. But even more importantly because I'm now weary of the mother. My daughter is pretty much raised by her grandparents who are amazing influences on her, but now the mother wants to have our daughter live with her permanently. I'm concerned with this since the mother has a history of mental problems, she had a near suicidal breakdown a few months ago, (found this out recently) and has confided in her mother (the grand mother) desire to harm our daughter.I do not want my daughter being subjected to that and it terrifies me. I don't know if those thoughts were stressed induced but I can't take the risk of something happening to my daughter.

I want to get custody or rights (I'm not sure of the difference here) to make sure my daughter is in a safe environment; the only things holding me back is that I'm positive it would force me to pay child support for all the years gone by. Now I'm okay with paying child support, I make $1500 a month, but I don't want to be crippled in child support. I've heard horror stories of such things, my father's friend (in Alabama I believe) is in jail and has been for nearly 20 years for not being able to pay child support. I want to be more involved in my daughters life, not taken away from her.

So what should I be doing here to acquire rights? And what should I be expected to have to pay? I don't want her daughter to not see her mom ever or anything, but I can keep seeing my daughter on the moms good graces, I need to take action. I wanted to have some idea of where to start and what I needed to do before acquiring an attorney.

Answer:
 As you've apparently figured out, you can't have paternal rights without paternal responsibilities - if you want her to be your daughter, legally speaking, then you'll have to support her as well.  So yes, if you take paternity you could be on the hook for child support.

It is strongly unlikely that your friends dad has been in jail for 20 years for not paying child support.  Really unlikely, to the point of being absurd.  Stories like that are overblown and generally don't contain the entire story.  There are various calculators for child support obligations - try out several of them to get an idea of what you might pay.  Talk to an attorney **before** you go to file for paternity, to see what they think your potential obligation might be.  They'll know the local courts and your situation better.Answer #2: If you want to be able to take care of your daughter, you subject yourself to child support. If you think your daughter is better off living with you, you can petition the court to make that happen.


Title: Turning in firearms after inheriting them. 4th degree domestic violence charge on record. My dad doesn't deserve to spend Christmas in jail.

Question:
My step father and I are broke. We need to turn in some firearms that my step grandfather left us when he died 12-11 years ago. My stepfather has a 4th degree domestic violence charge on his record. He completed all his anger management classes and did everything he should and is not probation nor do we a restraining order.

Tangent: The domestic violence happened about 12 years ago. I was the victim but it was the city vs my step father. Water under the bridge and we have a healthy father/daughter relationship. We live in Washington state.

Back to business: What steps do we need to take? We have been doing mold restoration and cleaning of my step father's home. We found the firearms in mess of stuff my step grandfather left. My stepfather is freaking out and about to "turn himself in". I need your help. I don't want my dad to spend Christmas in jail.

Tangent: Please, please for the love of god please help us.

Answer: Why are you freaking out about this? Somebody will probably buy them. They aren't going to spring to life and kill anybody. Assuming you're an adult, just make sure they are unloaded and take them to a gun store.Answer #2: Why can't you turn these firearms in? Washington has very gun-friendly laws and open carry without a permit is permitted.


Title: How do I start a petition to change the NY Mental Hygiene Law's terms for involuntary hospitalization and commitment?

Question:
I am a victim of corrupt and overly-invasive mental health laws in NY. I have had my rights violated multiple times by both the police and hospital staff because I am either assumed "crazy" because of my history of hospitalizations or because I demonstrated angst towards my overly-restrictive and abusive guardians. I've been harassed by the police every time my guardians find any ridiculous excuse to call them and they always refer to the Mental Hygiene Law when they violate my rights as a human being.

I want to at least start a petition to restrict the abilities of both law enforcement and medical staff to violate a mentally-ill person's constitutional rights. The terms for involuntary hospitalization and/or commitment should be much more strict and precise- not just "because your guardians are concerned" or "they *think* you may be self-harming" or "your guardians mentioned that you were acting 'aggressive' earlier (angry)." The ONLY time when a person should be involuntarily detained and hospitalized is if they make a *direct threat* towards themselves or someone else, or if they physically attempt to do so. No one should be hospitalized merely on someone else's say-so or because they express discontent with their treatment. Both have happened to me.

How do I go about starting a petition to address this major concern? How should I word it? Should it be general or specifically refer to a section in the article of law?

Thank you.

Answer:
 OP you have multiple pics of self harm on your profile, I would construe this as an active threat to harm.  It destroys your narrative.

I hope you get the help you need.  I mean that sincerely.Answer #2: Well, your major concern is not coming off as sounding "crazy". A well researched and thoroughly substantiated argument would be the most persuasive. Ideally, you'll want to avoid making it all about you. Legally speaking, you have the right to create a petition and speak your mind about the laws that you feel are unjust.

To make any decent argument here, you'll have to research the history of the applicable laws, identify historically important cases in the past that shaped the law further, and distill it into something that the average person can understand.

In contrast to your post, you'll want to cut out all the "poor me" narrative and general whining.


Title: [AL]My father committed suicide and left me a lot of debt. Will credit card companies come after the house?

Answer:
 Your Mom can file for bankruptcy protection if she needs to. This is not Mom or your debts but **his estate debts**. If your mom didn't co-sign for any of the debt it is not hers. The probate lawyer can handle the estate for you if there is no will.Answer #2: Curious why you say you can't collect life insurance. Did your father have life insurance with you as one of the beneficiaries? If so, then why can't you collect?

Generally, the suicide clause in a life insurance policy restricts payout only if the policy holder commits suicide within two years of taking out the policy. More than that and the policy still has to pay out. Your father's policy may differ, of course, but if you or your mother hasn't checked, it would be a good idea to do so.Answer #3: unless he protected himself well, the debters will go after anything that is in the estate, though the house and a vehicle may be protected under state law.


Title: Is not disclosing a HOA and rules prior to signing a lease legal in Colorado?

Question:
My family and I moved right outside of Colorado Springs last summer. When we rented the leasing agent did not disclose any HOA was in place. We were here a month or so before the other people living in the townhome complex mentioned it.

Recently we have been getting notices that our 12-year-old daughter can't ride her bike per HOA rules anywhere other than the "playground", a 24 x24 rock and concrete area with one shitty splintering wooden swing set in it. This playground has zero space for kids to run and play, much less ride a bike. Apparently the HOA rules state kids can only play in the playground area, i know this because the jerk who works for the HOA accosted my daughter while she was riding her bike rather than come notify me.

My daughter isn't of the age where she wants to be on a playground with toddlers and i certainly would not have rented here had i been told my daughter wouldn't be allowed to ride her bike on the property.

Is not disclosing this fact a violation of Colorado rental laws? i'd like to get out of the lease and move somewhere that my daughter can play without a bunch of whiny old people turning her in every day. The lease would be up in August. it probably doesn't matter, but their is at least one other family who rents here who was also not told of the HOA and rules regarding kids playing. Each unit is owned by a different owner, it's not like an apartment complex. The other family rents from a different management company.

Answer:
 INAL but, umm... is there anything in your lease about having to abide by community or HOA rules?

If not, then the HOAs beef is with your landlord and not you as you would not be bound by their regulations. Granted, that means your landlord may wind up getting tickets or a lien placed on the property your renting but that wouldn't be any of your concern.

Just make sure your lease doesn't say that you have to abide by anything other than the lease with your landlord.


Title: Landlord trying to charge me an entire month without me living in the apartment.

Question: So, I had some issues with roomates and getting a lease set up which led to me only giving 19 days notices of move out. My landlord is now telling me I will be charged for another months rent while im not living here because I waited to long. Is there any way around this? The complex has been pretty horrible thus far and this is just icing on the cake. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I live in Michigan.

Answer: You didn't post your state. If your lease required 30 days notice, then it would generally be the end of the following rental period, so yes, you're probably on the hook for another month.


Title: Question about police entering private property.

Question:
My friend was telling me about he was at a party last week, and there was under-aged drinking and marijuana use there. He told me that police entered the private property and apprehended a few people. The property was accessed by taking a dirt road back about half a mile through a forest. The question is, are the police allowed to enter the property? It seems very questionable considering the fact that there's no way that any neighbors or people on the street heard the noise.

Edit: I live in Florida
Topic:
Searches and Seizures

Answer: Yes. They can enter the property since there was probable cause of possible drug and alcohol use. Someone would have had to called or the cops would have had to seen the party for them to show up in the first place.


Title: Are a disproportionate number of high-profile federal cases tried in the Southern District of New York? If so, why?

Question:
I was reading an article about the extradition of El Chapo, which mentioned that he will be tried in the SDNY. According to Wikipedia, other prominent cases, which had seemingly little to do with New York, were tried in this court:

- The African Embassy Bombings

- Deflategate

- One of the Somali Pirates from the *Maersk Alabama* incident

* The Alger Hiss and Rosenburg trials

* Cases related to the *Titanic* and *Lusitania* sinkings

Additionally, it seems like every time I hear about a terrorist being tried in federal court, it happens in this court as well.

Why is this?

Answer:
 SDNY has New York City in it.  New York City is one of the possible jurisdictions for many civil trials, as it is the headquarters of many corporations and organizations.  Many major law firms also operate there, so they'd prefer to hear cases there.  Deflategate was heard there because the NFL is headquartered there.  Notably the NFL Player's Association filed a suit in Minnesota, of all places, but jurisdiction was transferred to New York.
Similar calculation for the *Titanic* and *Lusitania* sinkings.  The ship owners operated in SDNY, so the jurisdiction made sense there.  The Julius/Ethel Rosenberg trial was held in SDNY because they resided in New York City while committing espionage.

As for the terrorism ones, that's generally because NYC and SDNY pioneered some of the original anti-terrorism investigations and prosecutions, and thus SDNY became the go-to for many of these prosecutions.  There's no particular reason you couldn't do those prosecutions somewhere else, but SDNY generally has expertise.


Title: [New Mexico] Speeding, officer told me to plead not guilty uhhh help please

Question: First time getting pulled over (16), was going 12 over in a 35, a four lane road. He pulled me over and asked me how fast I was going at to which I said I wasn't 100% sure since my 37" tires are not calibrated to the speedometer, but I do know that usually this miscalculation accounts for probably 5-6 mph, definitely not 12. But I think the officer thought that I could have meant it was even 12 off. I was being as respectful as possible using manners, yes sirs, ect. I was still given two citations one for no proof of insurance, which I have now, and one for speeding, BUT the weird part is he told me to plead not guilty to both and that he was going to try to help me but I don't know, can someone please educate me on what to plead, what to do, ect?

Answer:
 Generally don't admit to failing to properly maintain your vehicle to police officers.

The cop is not on your side. Don't take legal advice from him.


Title: We built our house and it's a lemon... Are we able to sue the builder for anything?

Question:
My husband and I built our house in Gilbert, Arizona a little over 3 years ago. I wish we never did, as it's been a headache ever since. I will list some of the issues below (some have been fixed, others not).

1. Our house is 2800 sq. ft. and we are currently having issues with our air conditioning (first floor will not cool-- And in Arizona, this is a major issue lol). When I contacted an air conditioning company, they said we should have 2 units for this size of a house. They are coming this weekend to fix it, so I have no idea how much this will cost me.

2. They improperly sealed our attic and we had 2 swarms of bees because of this. They sealed the attic after I threw a fit.

3. We paid to upgrade the floors (for way more than I'm willing to admit), and they used the wrong grout. Instead of replacing it entirely, they stained it. There are literally chips everywhere in this grout that I am constantly fixing. Holes too... Which leads me to believe that there are underlying issues with the foundation?

4. The entire wall in our living room was crooked. It took them a year to fix that.

5. So many more incidental things... Just crappy workmanship, etc.

Bottom line is we paid for a new house and we've just had issue after issue, and never been happy here. We definitely didn't get what we paid for.

Is there any way to make the builder provide compensation for this?
Topic:
Real Estate law

Answer:
 > Is there any way to make the builder provide compensation for this?

It seems they have been doing that by fixing the things you have complained about. For other outstanding issues, you could take them to court to have them fix those things or cover the cost of fixing them.


Title: Neighbor Wanting Payment for Them Digging Roots Up From Our Tree

Question:
Hello there. I live in Stanislaus County in California, USA.
My neighbor just knocked on my door asking me to pay for the removal of our trees roots that are growing under her property. The tree was most likely planted when the housing tract was established in the early 90s. We moved into our home in 2008 and at the time the tree was already very tall and lush. It hung over our driveway and our shared side yard. Since then, it has had 10+ years of growth with only a yearly trimming/maintenance. Our neighbors moved in five years ago and immediately began redoing their fencing and decided to fence in the side yard making their backyard larger. Cool. Except they asked us to pay for half of it while they were in the middle of it. No warning. I came home from work to my neighbor asking for $500 to replace the (already torn down by them without alerting me) small stretch of fence that accessed my backyard. I was taken aback, and only able to pay $250 since it was such short notice. I thought that was fair since it's a tiny stretch of fencing and her son was doing all the labor (we offered to help with the labor and he declined).
Their new fence enclosed their side of the former shared side yard as well as the PGE and cable/phone access hubs into their yard (fairly sure this is against our minimal HOA rules), but so far we've all (the hub links to four homes total) been cool with asking their permission to access the yard when we need to switch carriers.
Unfortunately, this made our tree now hang over their new backyard, which they paved and made into a very nice hangout for their family.  We trim the tree back once a year every year ourselves, but it goes nuts in the spring. I did look into the cost of professionally trimming the tree WAY back and it was $5k. I don't have that kind of money.  I wish we would have ripped the thing out when we moved in, but we were 25 and this is the first time we've ever lived in that was not an apartment. Hindsight and all.
Anyway, my neighbor knocked on my door today asking for me to help pay for the digging up of the trees roots on her side of the fence. Apparently the roots have caused the cement in the backyard to come up. She wants $1k to remove part of their fence, cut the roots out, and replace their fencing and cement. She said she tried to cut them up herself and it's too much for her, so she wants to hire someone. I told her I have no money to give her right now. If she would give me more notice and an itemized plan, I could try and save up. Right now I am struggling to save up to replace our own fencing surrounding our home. She kept trying to negotiate anything out of me (she was down to $200) and I was getting frustrated as this came out of nowhere once again and I have had SO many unexpected expenses this month (son broke his arm, husband's pay was cut, and I had to purchase a car since mine wasn't worth repairing anymore). I know she isn't aware of all of this, and none of it is her problem, but asking someone for such a large amount of money out of nowhere is frustrating. Plus I have no real clue of the cost of something like this or if she has legit quotes or what. I never see this lady 99% of the time she's lived here, until she wants something from us.
I am assuming the roots are MY responsibility since it's a tree on my property. My question is, if they go ahead and rip up the roots of my tree, can they sue us for payment? And if the tree dies or becomes unbalanced and falls over because of half it's roots are now gone, is that on me since it's my tree?
Any and all advice is appreciated.

I will try and post a pic of the tree in the comments.

Answer:
 First off, unless you have very unusual local laws, understand that no, you do not gave to pay to cut the roots in her yard just because its your tree. Stuff on her side of the property line is *her* responsibility and her prerogative... with the caveat that she is almost certainly not allowed to cut the roots so severely as to kill your tree.

So feel free to just say "no, we will not be paying for trimming of anything in your yard".

Hiring an arborist to assess the tree would be a prudent idea though.


Title: Girlfriends mother threatening to lie to my employer

Question:
Location New York

I'll start with some backstory, my girlfriends mother and me used to be coworkers but she quit a couple weeks ago.  A week ago my girlfriends mother attacked her, throwing her to the ground by her hair, shoving her through a door (There is documentation of this, she reported it to the police.  Anyhow her 13 year old brother was home during all this so cps got involved.  I have the mothers phone number blocked, but today my girlfriend received a voicemail from her mother saying "I got the letter from cps, you reported me etc... I have a meeting with work tomorrow and im going to tell them all about tuza227s side business"  I'm not sure what to do in this spot regarding protecting myself from whatever that means, if something happens due to that meeting can I sue her for making a false statement that cost me potential earnings?  Basically how do I protect myself?

Answer: What “side business”? And your girlfriend should keep the recording


Title: TX Drivers License Suspended and Getting Company Car

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 This is a company/Enterprise policy question, not a legal one.

The law has no comment as to whether or not your company/Enterprise finds your driving record satisfactory enough to entrust you with the use of a company car.Answer #2: >It's ridiculous that I'm being punished more severely than in he was for being wasted and driving.

No. It's ridiculous that you didn't act like an adult and handle your tickets appropriately to the point that you didn't have your license suspended. At least your boss seems to be handling his situation maturely.

Who knows what your company will do. They might not let you have one because of insuring a person with an ODL. Answer #3: > The bullshit thing is that he got a DUI 6 months ago and still has his license and his company vehicle. It's ridiculous that I'm being punished more severely than in he was for being wasted and driving. Not cool.

I bet he didn't skip out on his court dates.

This is a question for your company. They may give you a vehicle with an ODL, they may not.


Title: Lost my state ID card. What's the worst that could happen?

Question:
Hi all,

I'm already a super paranoid person and today I lost my state ID card. What's the worst someone can do with it?

Do I need to file a police report? Should I freeze my credit?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Answer:
 Go on a shooting spree and leave it next to the gun.

Go to your state's DMV website and follow the instructions to replace it. I personally think everyone should have security freezes on their credit reports, so you can do that, if you want. It's not required, though.


Title: Los Angeles -- Builder screwed us and just want the property fixed

Question:
X-posting this from r/LosAngeles . We have a lawyer, we've talked to several -- really just looking for if there's something missing I should bring up with him?

____________

They've gotten contractors, lawyers, professionals, etc. etc. -- but everything circumvents the problems.

The builder broke several codes and laws, but somehow still got the property through all the inspectors and for sale.
Just want the damages fixed and to move on. There's parts of the house that aren't waterproof and will leak through the roof. Worried the water is sitting in the drywall and causing further problems that won't be so easily fixable.
Soil wasn't properly compacted and it's gone from "we need to fix this" to "ok tiles are starting to crack, wood is starting to deform" to "welp now we have to fucking replace everything" and hoping it doesn't become a safety issue where we're scared where we can step.

He has built several houses like this already and is already building more. He is a foreigner with no insurance and no contracting license.

Just want to hear your guys opinions or at the very least your own horror story

Answer:
 This is a very confusing story. Are you saying that you bought a house in the city of LA from a builder who is not licensed and who built a house that's not up to code?  And what does this mean:

> They've gotten contractors, lawyers, professionals, etc. etc. -- but everything circumvents the problems.

Are you saying that you've been talking to the builder?

> Just want to hear your guys opinions or at the very least your own horror story

Well this is /r/legaladvice so what you're going to get here is legal advice.  Now IANAL but I have worked in the construction industry so to be completely honest I'm wondering why your inspection didn't catch any of this.  You did get an inspection done before you took possession of the house, correct?  And if you hired the builder to build it and paid during the project,  you did confirm that the city had issued permits and was signing off on inspections, right?


Title: A hired contractor took our money and ran, but check was made out to his daughter. Can we get the money back?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 This guy threw up so many red flags that you should've been preparing for a British invasion, not writing ~~him~~ his daughter more checks. This is well past the internet advice/DIY stage.  You need an attorney.Answer #2: Why in the hell would you agree to write a check to somebody's daughter in this scenario? Really?

You need a lawyer. You're going to have to sue them both. If you can't afford one up front maybe one will agree to take a percentage from the recovery. But realistically, this guy has no assets. You're money is probably gone. Answer #3: You need a lawyer, not reddit.

Start here: http://www.calbar.ca.gov/Public/LawyerReferralServicesLRS.aspx
Answer #4: Geez, you paid him nearly the entire contract price and almost everything is unfinished?  Google "construction attorney [insert name of your town here]"  Don't wait for a response from contractors board or bar referral service.  Time could be of the essence in getting your money back.  Answer #5: So, just to expand on this, the rules for contractors in California are *scary.*

That calling a lawyer bit is important, because there is all kinds of special California-only stuff. I suspect that reports to the contracting board might actually be much less of a waste of time than it would be in other states.


Title: GF of 5 years cheated on me. We own a house together and have a son together. Last night she agreed to leave the house and for me to keep my son. This is all in a voice recorder.

Question:
The state I live in is a one party consent for recording, meaning as long as I'm one of the parties involved it's legal.

Can I use this in court to keep the house and son?

Answer: No, she's free to change her mind when it comes to requesting custody.Answer #2: She's free to change her mind on everything. Custody, leaving, etc. She could move back in, she owns the house.


Title: Owner of the restaurant I work in wants to open without basic safety features.

Question:
I work in a small independent restaurant, and today our hood vent decided not to work. It is a legally required safety device for any gas grills, ovens, etc. in my state. She says that we can open without it as its job is to vent heat, not gas. I refuse to work in that situation, though I'm sure it wouldn't be incredibly harmful for one night. If and when I walk out tonight because of this, she has stated I will no longer be employed here. Do I have any recourse, or should I just find a new job and not worry about it?

Edit: located in Tennessee

Answer:
 You can report her to whatever entity is in charge of restaurant safety. She can fire you for leaving when you were scheduled. Unless you are a member of a protected class you can be fired for whatever reason they want. If you are member of a protected class they can fire you for whatever reason they want as long as it isn't for being a member of a protected class. Answer #2: You should contact your local Fire Dept.

 No overhead ventilation is a serious fire hazard, and they will shut the restaurant down until it is fixed.


Title: Custody

Question: c DD has pink eye and can't go to daycare

Answer:
 >Any other suggestions?

Get a lawyer to draft a propper custody order and possibly also a child support order.


Title: My sister is the executor and beneficiary of my inheritance. Is she obligated to divide everything equally the way my mother intended?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 The bank account is your sister's, full stop.  If your mom listed your sister as the beneficiary, then that transfer happens outside of the view of the will.

As far as the house, if your mom was the sole owner, upon your mom's death, it became the property of her estate, and is to be distributed according to the instructions in her will.Answer #2: Had almost the same thing happen to me but no will. I can tell you that the bank account will go to her and then an estate lawyer should determine from the will that the house will be half yours and half your sisters. Both your names will be on the deed but you have to manually change over all the utilities (or not, they honestly don't care who pays, alive or dead). From my experience, my sister also got the money and did not give me any - claimed that she deserved it. You can ask her to buyout half of the worth of the house. If she refuses, I believe you can take her to court. Very sad that these situations arise from an already difficult situation. Sorry for the passing of your mother and best wishes getting through everything.


Title: how much of my apartment is my property

Question:
okay thank you everyone. I got the answer I needed and I will call the cops next time this happens. I'll even press chargers and begin a case against him. However, I need to sleep tonight, so thank you but please stop.

Edit, in case anyone else is going through this:

My apartment is laid out to where I have a porch in the front and there's an unlocked door that leads to the balcony. To enter my apartment, you have to go through the balcony door then through the front door. Yesterday I had someone show up uninvited and unwanted, I pretended not to be home. He proceeded to let himself onto my balcony and tried to jiggle my front door to see if he could let himself into my apartment to "wait for me". My question was, how much legal standing do I have? Aka, can I bar him from my balcony and do I have the right to call the police and press charges for entering? The answer is yes, my balcony is technically my property and I have every right to say he isn't allowed there and call the police if he comes over again.

Answer:
 If your balcony isn't shared by any other units, and is included in your lease, then you have the right to bar him from it.Answer #2: ...a man tried to break into your home. You call the police for that. Answer #3: Please edit the post back to its original form. It may help other people in the future.

You can still leave in the update at the bottom though.


Title: What are the legal actions that can be taken if you are paying healthcare premium but your employer isn't providing coverage?

Question:
  Someone I know in Orlando, Florida has had healthcare premiums taken out monthly since October 2015 but has not been given a health care card. They have no way to prove insurance coverage and their employer continues to ignore emails sent to them asking about coverage.
  They called the healthcare provider the employer uses to cover employees and was told they are not covered. Had a allergic reaction and was unable to go to hospital in Orlando due to no insurance. Had to drive 7+ hours to hometown to see a doctor who is a family friend to avoid medical costs. What actions should be taken?

Answer:
 Without much factual depth, I'd say that employee could sue for (1) return of the premiums paid to employer, and (2) the tax they are going to pay to the federal government for not having health insurance.

Additionally, the state and federal governments would be very interested in this kind of fraud. Your friend should find a new job.Answer #2: Even though the amount of money involved here might be small, this is a pretty serious infraction, possibly rising to the level of breach of fiduciary duty under ERISA (which includes both civil and criminal penalties). The [DOL is always interested](http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/erisa_enforcement.html) to hear about these types of violations.

First step is to send the certified letter demanding immediate and retroactive health coverage. Assuming that fails, the next step is contact a local plaintiff-side ERISA lawyer.

An ERISA practice is highly specialized, so your friend would be well-advised to contact the American Bar Association to ask for a list of lawyers in Orlando who are members of the [ABA's Joint Committee on Employee Benefits](http://www.americanbar.org/groups/committees/employee_benefits.html). I'm reasonably certain that most, if not all, the ERISA lawyers in Orlando advise employers and/or employee benefit funds and so would be conflicted out of taking the case, but the EB Committee members in Orlando might know a local plaintiff's lawyer who's worth talking to.


Title: [IN] My wife cheated multiple times. We planned a divorce with agreement but it's breaking down as she is changing her mind and threatening to falsely claim abuse. What are my options?

Question:
I'm in a stressed and shitty place right now and I need some help.

For context, we've been married for a few years. She had an affair with a friend of mine a little under a year ago. I discovered by accident, tried to forgive her (stupidly), we went through loads of therapy and growth, and it really seemed like things could work again (still stupid).

Then a few months ago, again on accident, I discover that she just never stopped sleeping around, and is in the middle of an affair now.

I move out while's she's gone for a weekend. I open a new bank account and move half our money to it.

My plan was to seek a Divorce With Agreement. I want to avoid court and trouble, so I'm going to put away my anger and try to negotiate a favorable agreement. We're both broke and busy so court isn't a great option.

No kids, no house. The major points of contention are:

- A car, in her name only (bought a few months before the wedding), worth ~$7,000 that ~$3,000 is still owed on.

- An hard apartment lease which we're both stuck on for around a year.

*My goals are to end up with the car, and for her to take over the apartment completely - all rent, responsibility, and finding a roommate.* I don't need the car immediately and can wait for her to graduate and move (she's still in school) in 6 months to take ownership.

At first, she verbally agrees to everything. She'll take over the apartment, we can share the car and she'll give me the car when she graduates and moves. She even offered to do the divorce paperwork. We have an honest conversation about the relationship ending. She feels guilty, apologized for hurting me in her "process of self-discovery" and wanted to give me an fair easy divorce. At the time it seemed like I'd get what I was looking for.

Now things are slowly getting hostile. A month has gone by and I'm not able to get any of her agreements in writing - she's "too busy". I'm getting impatient and worried she'll change her mind. She let the car's plates expire and didn't renew them for weeks, leaving me unable to legally use it, and got pissed at me when I asked her to please renew them.

The worst part is she's threatened to publicly accuse me of sexual abuse, if I become difficult. She's told me she will multiple times in private, and keeps making veiled threats - "don't give me reason to be difficult with you", "I don't want to fuck you over, don't make me want to" - any time I get impatient or critical about her. I know what her allegations are thanks to it coming up during couples therapy, and I can definitely discuss the details elsewhere (maybe on AITA). The short answer is I didn't abuse her, but she's convinced herself that what happened between us "counts" as abuse.

A few days ago we met to go over agreements. I finally get her to sign a (hindsight bad) contract about the car - we share usage and payments equally for 6 months, then she gives the car to me. But she refused to sign any agreements about the apartment yet. She said she's considering making me pay for the apartment anyway, and threatened me further. Finally, as she's leaving, she reveals she got intimate with another one of my close friends a few months back. Then she leaves to immediately renew the car's registration and bill me for it.

I'm done. No more goodwill, I definitely can't trust her and never should have thought I could. She could tell me the grass is green now and I'd doubt it. There's no way the car contract we signed can work, and I'm not sure a Divorce With Agreement will work either. ***I just want to meet the above goals, and get this bitch out of my life as quickly and completely as possible.***

1. What are the realities of going straight to divorce court in Indiana? I'm absolutely broke, can I self represent? I have a lot of time and currently work a very low effort minimum wage help desk job.

2. Regarding the fake sexual abuse threats, what can I do to protect myself against them legally? Should I file a police report?

3. Should I use "taking her to court" as an ultimatum to get her to proceed with the Divorce With Agreement as we originally agreed? She does NOT want to go to court, the added stress will likely derail her graduation timeline. Can she block a Divorce With Agreement from completing after documents have been submitted?

4. If we go to court, what's the likelihood I meet my goals regarding the apartment and car? Indiana's no fault. But she kept the cat, the apartment, the bed, most of our furniture and kitchen supplies, she's the one who cheated and I have proof, I'm the one who moved out, I need the car just as much - will any of that help my case? My #1 priority is getting out of the lease, I can worst-case-scenario handle not getting the car.

5. The car contract we just signed is a huge problem, and has a major loophole due to it being built on trust. I'd like to exploit that before she does, to convince her to break / revise the contract. Is it legally a good idea to do that that? The exploit does not break any of the terms of the contract.

Sorry for the monolith and barrage of questions. Hope I can get some help here.

Answer:
 1. You don't need a lawyer, but it is recommended.  If your wife is the breadwinner, it is possible to have her pay your legal fees as part of the divorce decree.

2. You distance yourself from her and record every encounter you have from here on out.

3. Don't threaten going to court.  Simply file for a divorce and serve her.  You'll have to go to court eventually to finalize the divorce.  There's no avoiding that.

4. Can't help you here.  You'll need to list out all community assets and decide how they'll be split.  If you two don't agree, a court will determine who gets what.

5. If the car is in her name and purchased before the wedding, it is her car.


Title: Legal Question About Mail and Mailboxes

Question: Hello, my friend and his wife recently moved into a new home in Upstate New York. He recently found out that the previous owners have been going into the mailbox, and taking mail that they haven't had forwarded. In the process they ended up taking my friend's mail, important things like reimbursement checks etc, they gave a couple pieces of mail back. This has been persisting for about a month now. What sort of legal action can I advise to my friend to take to prevent this from happening?

Answer:
 Your friend can remind them that tampering with the mail is a felony under federal law.

That may or may not scare them into stopping.

Your friend could also have all mail to the address held at the post office for a little while and just pick it up from there.  After a few days/weeks of never finding mail in the mailbox, they may give up.Answer #2: Contact your local postmaster.


Title: Hit and run

Question:
State california

Commercial driver

27 years old

Male

Pretty much it was 3am last night, I ran over a tree and a sign in a business parking lot with my 18 wheeler, I was able to get out but did not call the cops or make a report,  I'm asking who should I call to report this and what are the consequences of leaving the scene with following the proper procedures. I basically panicked and didn't want to lose my job but I'm thinking clearly now and would like to just get this over with.  Thanks for any advice you may have!

Answer: Did the power unit you were driving have a DOT number stenciled on the side of it?  If so, the entity under whose authority you were operating will bear liability for this property damage and needs to be informed about what happened.  (In other words, tell your boss what you did).


Title: [Florida] Landlord and roommate trying to kick out minor with one day notice.

Question:
I'm 17 years old and three months ago me and my mom moved into a house with a roommate with no written agreement on the rental payments. We payed by month and the first and last months rent is already payed for.

Now my mom is in the hospital and they are trying to kick me out with one days notice even though the month has already payed for twice because she didn't know this would be the last month.

The roommate and landlord also randomly decided that me and my mom should pay $75 more even though neither of us agreed to pay it. The landlord does not want to get involved he just says that he wants the money now but i'm moving out in a week.

She's threatening to sell my stuff if I don't come and get it tonight and she said she gave my mom a 10 day warning so I should know but I was never told of this. What are my legal rights and should I get the police involved?

Answer: [This page](http://floridalawhelp.org/resource/illegal-evictions?ref=5N2Ck) gives you more info on illegal evictions.   The section under "What can I do if my landlord tries to evict me illegally?" provides you with steps you can take.


Title: Police refused to take a report on felony identity theft + computer hacking even though I have recorded call of the person admitting it!

Question:
My local police department refused to take this report even though I have a phone recording of the person admitting to doing it! (1 party recorded calls are legal in my state). They said and I quote "We don't have the resources to investigate that". They both left the room together to talk to their "Sergeant", came back 3 minutes later and said the decision stands.

I also have like 15 text messages from gmail and other accounts saying "Here is your temp reset password/PIN". They could definitely investigate and get her IP address from that

She also threatened to tell my neighbors, work, and the police that I'm a pedophile (I'm NOT!). The police said they can't press charges for that either because it's considered civil not criminal.

What's my next step? Report it to local media? Get a lawyer and sue the police department?

Location: USA

Answer:
 > Get a lawyer and sue the police department?

You have nothing to sue them for.  They're not required to investigate your case or take a report.

If you have damages, sue the other party.  Answer #2: What kind of identity theft are you talking about? If this doesn't involve money then the police won't get involved because they don't have the time and money for such a case. If this involves money then you can try to get a report from your State police or the FBI. In most identity theft cases the police and DA will not go after offenders. They only go after the offenders they catch red handed.


Title: My mom was stabbed to death and I need help accessing her account to provide for my new family

Question:
Hey guys, I've been trying to access my mother's LLC account from Chase she created for a club she bought in Colorado. I live in Arizona so that's where some of the troubles lie. I am her only next of kin in any remote sense and she was the sole owner of the LLC. I have business letters from lawyers verifying she was the sole owner and I have her death certificate and my birth certificate. I have a brand new family (4 month old daughter) and I need help to support them because her death has brought on crippling depression and failure in my life since. Is there any way I can bypass power of attorney to access the account? If I cant, is it going to be hard to get power of attorney from a different state? If I can access her account personally am I entitled to it (forgive my ignorance, no idea if that's legal)

**The last they thing they told (the bank) me was the dollar amount exceeded a certain threshold that would have made it easier to access it, is there any way around this?**

I would seriously appreciate any legitimate advice. Either reply or PM any time of day.

Answer:
 The only useful advice anyone can give you here about this is as follows:

Get an estate attorney and follow his or her advice.Answer #2: I'll just encourage to hire an estate lawyer. You have no legal right to access the LLC's property.


Title: Is this discrimination

Question: I was on the phone at the end of my shift (with my mother) and I said “is Alex a Jew or something” and someone overheard and told my boss I was making anti Semitic remarks. I was fired for this. I am Jewish as I explained to my boss and was asking if her new boyfriend was Jewish. They said they didn’t believe me and said he had to let me go. He said he didn’t believe that I was actually Jewish. Is this discrimation?

Answer:
 No, from the narrative you posted, the employer did not discriminate against you.Answer #2: Location?

Generally, since you were let go for what you said, and not because you're jewish or not, I'd say it wasn't.

edit: with location, my advice remains the same.


Title: Blacked out and slapped my best friend twice and threatened her-Ohio

Question:
11 days ago I was drinking with some friends. I had about a little more than half a bottle of 42 proof vodka. I called my friend and asked if she wants to go to a bar for a few drinks. So we go and I order a long island. I drink half of it and then I don't remember anything after that.

I woke up the next morning with a bad feelings so I texted her and asked if I did anything to make her mad and that I'm sorry. She gets back to me hours later and tells me that I slapped her twice and threatened that I wanted to kill her, even going into detail. I was shocked, I couldn't believe I did something like that. I tried to get her to meet with me but she wouldn't. She said that she doesn't know what to say or do and that she needs time.

Fast forward to yesterday and she texts me saying that she hasn't been able to go to classes and that she is afraid of going out at night and that she is very depressed. She says that what I did was assualt and that she doesnt know how to handle the situation.

I would never intentionally do anything to hurt her. We've known each other for years and she knows I wouldn't hurt a fly. This is the first time I've ever displayed anything physical while drunk.

I'm stricken with guilt and don't know what to do. But now I'm afraid my life is over because she she could call the police.

If she calls the police on me what could I do? I'm shocked that I did this and I've apologized profusely but there is nothing I can do right now but wait. I wish this never happened because she means a lot to me.

Answer:
 You get an attorney and say nothing to anyone else but them.

You should probably stop drinking as well if you get blacked out drunk to where you don't remember what you did or you cannot control yourself. This last part is not legal advice but more life advice.Answer #2: > If she calls the police on me what could I do?

Tell them you won't answer questions without an attorney and then shut up and stay shut up until you talk to an attorney.

> I'm shocked that I did this and I've apologized profusely but there is nothing I can do right now but wait.

You can - and in your shoes I would - start looking for either an addiction counselling service or some personal counselling to help surface and address whatever it is that's leading to violence when you're disinhibited, at least. Beating on people during a blackout isn't normal, and I would guess that you've got some anger in there somewhere that's coming out in inappropriate ways. That's _completely okay and normal_, but you need to confront it, and a professional is a huge help in that.Answer #3: Consider this from her perspective: Someone who she trusts and has known for years, who up until this point she thought would not hurt a fly, just attacked her and threatened her life. The best thing you can do, both legally and with the view of preserving any kind of future friendship, is stop contacting her. Maybe she'll call the police, maybe she wont. Maybe she'll forgive you, maybe she wont. *Maybe you'll see this as a wake up call and start taking steps to control your drinking* ...


Title: frozen burgers: is this negligence?

Question:
I bought a 6-pk of burgers from a local supermarket.
After making all 6 in the over, the 5th and 6th patties had pieces of bone in them. The size of the bone is about the diameter in width of a nickel and half its diameter in height.
I believe I damaged my tooth biting down on the (disgusting) piece of bone in a burger.
I placed a report with the super market today and I took pictures of the report, copy of the receipt, and the evidence. I kept the burger and bone evidence in the freezer for the time being.

The manager who took the report advised me that the company's attorney will be in contact with me.

Do I have a case? Do I need to see a dentist on my dime?

P.S.: Let it be known that any type of bone in food I have trouble consuming as I am very sensitive to this. In fact I do not eat any fish for this reason. Now I believe burgers will be impossible to eat. Can this be considered emotional distress?

Answer:
 >Can this be considered emotional distress?

No.

You may be entitled to your dentist bill.  That's pretty much it.Answer #2: This post caused me emotional distress.


Title: What is the proper procedure to do a legal citizens arrest?

Answer:
 First of all: don't do it.  It's almost universally a bad idea.  It is a far, far better idea to be the best witness you can and leave the arrests up to the professionals.

But, if you want a procedure, sure.

First of all, be familiar with all of your city, county, state, and federal laws (specifically the ones defining crimes) because there's no such thing as a legal citizen's arrest if their conduct wasn't criminal.  "I was acting in good faith" isn't an excuse extended to the general public in most cases.   Also, keep in mind that if you make a single mistake there's virtually no laws that will shield you from criminal charges or civil liability if you make a mistake.

Secondly, make sure you know what happened in the events leading up to the conduct you think is criminal.  Again, just because you  *think* there was a crime being committed doesn't protect you if you make a mistake.

Then, ensure you're following any of your state's laws concerning when and where a citizen arrest may be made.  There are often restrictions on locations, times, and for which types of crimes you can make an arrest under different circumstances.

After that, ensure that you're following all your state's laws concerning communicating that you're making an arrest and the levels of force allowed to effect that arrest and maintain control over someone you've arrested.

And first of all, call the police and do what you can to be the best witness possible.  Or "last of all" if you've made absolutely sure you're learned everything you need to know and ignored the advise not to perform a citizen arrest in the first place.


Title: Husband of pregnant alcoholic. Do I have any rights?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 You can call and notify her doctor.  They won't tell you anything, but they will listen to what you have to say.Answer #2: I would suggest that you contact child protective services. Although they can't require that a pregnant woman obtain treatment, they can strongly advise it with the fear that the baby may be apprehended at birth. This motivates some women. Answer #3: It was a huge mistake to impregnate an alcoholic. But I did it too twice, and I regret it.

Threaten to divorce her if she doesn't stop.

Then after she stops and the baby is born, divorce her any way and sue for full custody and zero visitation for her.

Lawyer up.

Consider a vasectomy so that you don't make this mistake again.

This is the voice of experience ... don't be a co-dependent and force your future child to be a co-dependent.


Title: Flooding and red light ticket

Question:
Tarrant county, Texas.
There was a huge storm and some puddles of water. I tried to stop for a yellow going only like 25 mph in a 45, but my car skidded and the red camera light flashed. Any way to fight this, or should I just take the L?

Answer: Fight it on what grounds? Sounds like you were driving too fast for the conditions and couldn’t stop in the distance required.


Title: May be kicked off my campus for something I didn't do (Chicago)

Question: [deleted]

Answer: This sounds like a school policy issue not a legal issue


Title: My car was struck.

Question: {Chicago} While I was driving today another vehicle failed to yield and struck the rear side of my car causing a slight dents and Socrates on my side bumper. The driver of the vehicle who struck me (is my friends brother) and owns a bodyshop and said he will take care of it. Is it better to claim insurance or have it fixed by him? I can post pictures if you guys like

Answer:
 You've gotten good advice so I'll risk modwrath in asking:

what's the going rate for buffing out ancient Greek philosophers these days?


Title: (Delaware) Just agreed to a divorce settlement but wife filed to amend it because she won the lottery and wants to add half of it to the settlement

Question: My wife separated from me and moved out a while ago and she's now filed for divorce. Iit's not final yet but it will be soon. We both have lawyers and just worked out the settlement. But my wife just won the lottery (not the Powerball jackpot but still 6 figures) and her lawyer has asked to change our settlement. The wording says she wants to disclose that she won the lottery and wishes to add the amount of 50 percent of what she took home to the settlement for me. I've called my lawyer but it's the weekend so I haven't heard back. In the meantime I just wanted to get an idea as to what my options are. We don't have kids, but can I get spousal support or alimony from her now? Our original settlement didn't include this for either of us but now that she won the lottery could it change or be added? I live in Delaware.

Answer:
 Wait wait, she won the lottery whole you guys are mid-divorce and about the sign the paperwork... and she willingly offers you half after everything, despite the original paperwork not including anything about alimony or spousal support, now you want that and more ?

Dear god you're greedy.
Answer #2: ??? She is willingly giving you half of her lottery winnings, which I assume she won whilst separated from you and going through the divorce process

Your options are to either take the money or don't take the money.

Half of a six figure lottery winning is more than she has to give you and more then you are entitled to. Just take the money and don't get greedy.

Answer #3: It sounds like she's offering a pretty fair split (actually, possibly more than fair based on tax liabilities). You aren't going to be able to get 50% and spousal support (and, really, it's incredibly unlikely to be granted unless you did something like supporting her through college). If 50% of the winnings aren't enough, then negotiate, but don't be a greedy prick.Answer #4: Take the 50% and shut up. You are in no way entitled to 50% AND spousal support.Answer #5: It's really no wonder why she's divorcing you.


Title: Massachusetts- Shady Parking Services at my University

Question:
Hey everyone, my University's parking services department seems to be increasingly taking advantage of students and I'm wondering if this behavior is grounds for a class action case of some kind.

* Prices for parking permits are astronomical. Like over $300 per semester for the worst parking lot on campus, and rising.

* When football games happen, they make us more our cars from our spaces so that they can sell them to visitors for $10 each. We are forced to move them to plain dirt lots that are very inconvenient to get to, especially for disabled people.

* If we don't move our cars by exactly the time they say, we are ticketed $60 and towed halfway across the city to a really shady tow yard. They charge each person $210 to get their cars back.

* If we are unfortunate enough to be towed, they don't even tell us. All that is listed on their website is that we have been "ticketed" with no mention of the fact that we've been towed. They seem to be in cahoots with this towing company, since they make no effort to tell us that we've been towed so that we don't realize it until we owe this company hundreds of dollars in "storage fees."

It seems like they are working within the system to take advantage of us, which makes me wonder if there's even a way to stop this. This is affecting a lot of students right now and is making it very hard to make ends meet.

Answer:
 This is super common and not illegal.

I work at a Big10 university. For employees (even professors), it's $800-1500 a year for parking depending on the lot. Annual bus passes are only $50, so they push people to commute via that route.

During game days, those parking passes don't work and they charge $10-30 to part in those lots. The $10 ones are the cheap far away ones.

That towing scheme is super common.

Cars are not a requirement for going to college. Walking, Bikes, Busses, Ubers. There are alternatives, they just may be less convenient. Answer #2: Nothing illegal whatsoever in what you are describing. If you do not agree with your school's parking policy, your recourse is to park elsewhere.Answer #3: None of that is grounds for a lawsuit. Parking sucks at colleges and universities. It’s always expensive. It is very common for them to make regular parking pass owners vacate for special events so they can sell event parking. They are within their rights to do all of that. If you look around you will find that you agree to all of it when you purchased your parking pass. Answer #4: The university doesn't owe you parking at all, unless you can point to a contractual obligation where they do.

If they do offer parking, they can do so at whatever fee they want and under whatever conditions they want.

Your options are to petition the school, as you do for any other change you want to see happen.  You aren't *owed* a change but you can certainly try for one.


Title: Leasing agent wants fees upfront before application approval

Question:
Hi, throwaway account. Sorry if this is a dumb question but I'm 20 and have only lived in a few apartments.

&#x200B;

We found a great place but the leasing agent wants 100% of the fees (pet fee, move in fee, first months rent, and application fee, adding up to 3k+ total) as a part of the application process. If we don't get approved for the application (which is unlikely but the place is in high demand so we may not even get it anyways), they say they will return all the fees to us. Is this normal? The only other apartments I've lived in took similar fees in a check upon the lease signing.

&#x200B;

They want us to send the money over Zelle or in a check, I just want to know if this is typical before I send a ton of money.  How do I ensure that we will get the money back if we end up not getting approved/not getting the place?

&#x200B;

Thanks all in advance.
Topic:
Real Estate law

Answer:
 I think you are most likely dealing with a SCAM BROKER. DO NOT SEND MONEY!!!

&#x200B;

The will try to lease properties they have no right to lease or lease the same property multiple times.


Title: GF is refusing paternity test. 3 months until due date. Can I legally make her have paternity test done after birth?

Question:
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer: If you have reasonable grounds to believe you could be the father, then yes. Although I imagine getting a court order without her consent would mean she’s your ex girlfriend.


Title: Seattle, WA: emailed my landlord intent to vacate. He acknowledged and responded. Now, as a retaliatory action as seen in an email, he is saying he does not acknowledge my intent to vacate and will not return my damage deposit, AND I have to pay one more month's rent. Will this stand up?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 1. Respond to him noting that you did give written notice, which he acknowledged.

2.  Let him know that withholding the damage deposit is not appropriate.

3.  You can sue him in small claims court if he actually withholds the deposit.

There are [tenants' rights organizations in Washington](http://www.tenantsunion.org/en/programs/tenants-rights-hotline) that might be able to help.


Title: Still owe on a car with a blown engine, what to do?

Question: I'll try to keep this short. My car 03 Honda I just bought 3 months ago, no warranty left has a blown engine. I took it to a repair shop I trust and they said it will cost 2-3 thousand to replace. I owe about 5k on the car. I don't plan on driving it anymore. So basically the car will just sit in my garage and I'll still be making payments and paying full coverage insurance on it for the next couple years. What are my options, do I keep paying on the car, basically throwing money away and helping my credit. Or should I let them repossess it and file bankruptcy when they sue for the remaining amount. I'm 44 and don't plan on buying a home. I'll be paying about 400 a month on a car and car insurance that's not being driven for about a year and a half if I chose to keep it. Any help that you can give or advice I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you for taking time to read this. I just don't know what to do right now.  I live in Kansas City Mo

Answer:
 You owe the money. What you want to do to your credit is not a legal questionAnswer #2: Visit /r/personalfinance.

It makes no sense to declare bankrupty on 5k of debt.


Title: If I'm uninsured and suddenly incur a large hospital bill, will my family/parents have to pay if I'm not able to?

Question: I Live in California. My parents hold this over my head all the time... but this doesn't sound right to me. I'm 32, I have a totally independent life from them. Does this cost really fall on them?

Answer: Not only are they not responsible for your medical debt, a debt collector by law can't even discuss the debt with them or acknowledge its existence.


Title: My boyfriend's landlady is fucking crazy.

Question:
I have never met someone so vile in my entire life.

My boyfriend and his family (mom, dad, and his younger brother) live in a 2 family house. He lives on the first floor and has neighbors living on the second floor, and the landlady lives in the basement like a fucking gremlin. My boyfriend's family has lived there for years and have been unable to move because they have a dog and pet-friendly apartments with an affordable rent are very hard to find. My bf's family has no contract. Their contract ended about two or three years ago. The landlady increases rent every year by quite a bit with no real reason (at least none that I'm aware of). I'm pretty sure their landlady thinks they're illegal immigrants because they're Costa Rican, which I believe is the reason she abuses them like this. But they are completely legal. I'm pretty sure she's racist; she's an old Polish woman who had a Trump sign in her yard for about a year with two hispanic families renting out her house. She harasses these two families constantly.

Here's a list of the bullshit she's done:

- Told my bf's family that their loud music was disturbing the neighbors. Said the same thing to the neighbors about their loud music too. Probably to turn them against each other and avoiding the confrontation with either of them, because that would mean she has to ask them nicely to shut the fuck up.

- Treated her yard with pesticides without putting up any kind of warning so dogs walking by her lawn would get sick, because for some reason her shitty lawn is like some kind of holy ground to her. She put up a fence after this.

- Complained about my bf's bird being too loud even though said bird is a wonderful singer and just sleeps when no one's home. This bird is now staying with me.

- Told my bf's dad that he needs to put their dog down, even though she agreed to let him stay in the first place. I'm not joking.

- Called me a whore to my bf's dad because she deliberately looked into my bf's room through the window and saw us having sex. We're adults btw.

- Accused me of throwing up on the side of her house and ruining the vinyl. It was my bf that did it. I wasn't even there. She maintains that it was me to this day. Bf's dad cleaned up the wall with a power wash and it is now cleaner than the rest of the fucking house and she still complains about the "stain" (you mean the clean, white spot that looks like stain because the rest of your house is dirty as fuck?). Then called me ugly to my face, accused me of spitting gum onto her lawn and leaving my trash even though I can't chew gum and wtf what trash??? This was her first interaction with me, ever. She was also complaining that I have a copy of the key (because my bf always misplaces his). This resulted in a shouting match between her and my bf and the cops were called.

- Asked me if I was homeless. I visit my bf almost every day because my parents are emotionally abusive and I guess it annoys her to see my car near her house.

- Tried to hit the neighbor with a rake. Pretty sure this was recorded, but it happened just today so I'm not sure.

There's more that I'm not remembering but I think I've made my point.

My bf and I are planning to move out west soon but I dont want his family to be stuck there with her. I don't want her harassing them anymore. They don't have the money for a lawyer, so I'm wondering if there's anything they can do?

TLDR; My bf's landlady is a bitch and constantly harasses his family and the other family living there. They don't have much money. What can they do?

Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 The landlady shouldn't be looking in the windows, nor obviously keying cars or hitting people with rakes, but most of this just sounds like bad interpersonal interactions not rising to the level of a legal dispute, or in some cases, like she's the one in the right (if the lease says no copying the keys, you shouldn't have a key, whether or not your bf is losing his all the time; between the key and your being there every day, she has a legitimate concern that you're living in the apartment without being on the lease). If you see her attacking people or destroying property, call the police. It is normal for a landlord to live in a basement apartment on a property they own.Answer #2: Why don't they move somewhere with a less annoying landlord?Answer #3: Legally, I don't see anything your bf's family's landlady has done to them that is criminally or civilly actionable.

The easiest solution is for your boyfriend's family to find another apartment. If you are correct that they have no lease and they are month-to-month, then they only have to provide one month's notice.

I understand that it's very difficult to find affordable apartments that accept pets. It's very kind of you to want to help your bf's parents even though you are leaving. Rather than spending your efforts seeking legal recourse perhaps you could help them look for apartments?

If you witness or have evidence that the landlady has committed a crime, you should report it to the police.