Title: I rent and the house was burned in an accidental fire.

Question:
Im from the UK, and Im afraid I may be liable for the repairs which would easily cost tens of thousands of pounds. I accidentally caused the fire when I cooking. I had also cancelled my home insurance last week as my tenancy agreement ends in less than a month. But to my understanding the insurance was for contents only, not the actual house. so what can I do? am I liable to pay the costs for the whole house? The house is owned by a landlord but it managed by an agency. I've been staying with my parents for the last two weeks and I don't know what to do.
Topic:
Real Estate law

Answer:
 I'm in the US, so the laws might be different, but I was in almost this exact situation back in 2004. No renter's insurance, started a fire while cooking, thousands of dollars in damage. I got sued by the landlord's homeowner's insurance company for the damages. Turns out that renter's insurance isn't just for your stuff - it's also liability coverage. If I'd had it, everything would have been fine. But since I was young and broke and owned nothing worth insuring, I didn't.

I was sued for $15,000. Ended up settling for $1500, and had another grand or so in legal fees. Could have been much worse, but obviously could have been avoided altogether.

Moral of the story: always have insurance as a tenant. It might just save your ass.

OP, I hope everything works out for you.


Title: Previously awful roommate becomes more awful and is putting me at risk after getting arrested on drug charges. What can I do?

Question:
Recently, my roommate was arrested for drug possession. A misdemenor for less than 20g weed and a felony cocaine possession charge. I was the person she asked to bail her out. I couldn't connect to her when she called from jail and when I finally got a call from her bailbondsman, they explained it was because she didn't have money added to her call account and I was a long distance call (different area code phone number). I wasnt going to add funds. While all this was happening, I was with my friend at her neurologist appointment watching her child. My roommate knew I was busy doing this. The bailbondsman explained my roommate wanted me to retrieve $300 from her room and bail her out. The rest, however, would be my legal responsibilty to pay if she happened to miss a court date. $2500, and if I cannot pay, I go to jail. No thank you. I eventually was connected to my roommate and told her I could not help her. I asked if she could call her ex (who she still hangs out with regularly) and ask if he could help and she said she "Didn't want that kind of repertoire with him". Okay. But you can ask *me* to screw myself over and help you?

Here's the important part: I'm already on probation for a DUI and almost done. I cannot be around drugs, it's one of my probation requirements. I didn't mind her smoking before bc I'm never checked in on or drug tested. But now that my roommate is out on bail for two counts of drug charges, one felony, I cannot risk being caught with drugs around me or in our common area. I've asked her to keep it out of the living room, even moving a joint she put right next to my room back into hers. She understands and has been keeping it away from me. BUT, now she's leaving rolling papers, a roller, and a clearly used ashtray on the living room coffee table. I put it back in her room. She sends me an irritated text about how they're not illegal and to stop touching her stuff, to which I replied (and I almost never text about important things bc shes more likely to argue like a little girl) that it's making me very uncomfortable and that I dont ask her for much, that I just want all of it to stay in her room. She became arguementative and said that it's her living room and I'd have to deal with it because her room is too messy to keep these things in. I'm livid. This is my last straw.

My question is if I can even get in trouble for this if authorities or a PO comes into our house. I have no drugs in my room. It's such a simple request and she is not listening to me.

And yes, I am already planning on moving out. Made plans to begin looking a while ago. I am not on the lease (her mistake) nor am I on any other utility bills. I'm actually planning on moving without tellling her until she finds me beginning to pack. She's bullied me long enough and while I would normally warn any other roommate so that they could prepare, I won't extend that courtesy to her.

Sorry if these reads a lot like a complaint about her character, it's half of my r/badroommates post.
Topic:
Drug Possession

Answer:
 > My question is if I can even get in trouble for this if authorities or a PO comes into our house.

If illegal drugs are in a common area, yes you could.


Title: What options do we have kicking out a tenant who refuses to sign a lease and isn't paying rent.

Question:
So my buddy owns this rental house in Illinois. His renter has lived here about six months and only paid 2 months rent so far. And hasn't paid any of the utilities utilities weren't supposed to be part of the rent but she refuses to put them in her name. And she refuses to sign a lease.

 My buddy was stupid and let her move in just on an oral agreement with no agreed upon expiration. Basically she was supposed to be paying 800 a month and she was supposed to put the utilities in her name but she never did. Now he wants her to sign a lease because she won't pay rent in a timely matter and she's refusing to sign anything. He gave her the 5-day notice over two weeks ago. But she refuses to move out and she's continuing to rack up utilities it under his name.

 He wants me to go over there and turn off the gas or he's going to try and have the the utilities company to turn it off in his name. I was just wondering if there's any legal ramifications for this considering she isn't paying rent, and doesn't have a lease and has been given an eviction notice. We are planning to take her to court but that's a long process and my buddy would prefer to not continue to pay for her utilities considering the way she's treated him she's physically assaulted him and he was stupid and didn't tell the police I think that would have helped get her out even quicker.

Answer:
 He needs to follow he eviction process in the specific jurisdiction. Notice to vacate is only the first step.

Don't turn off the gas/water/electricity.

There are probably attorneys that specialize in evictions for a fee, but you have to bring the tenant to court, argue your case, get a lawful order to evict the tenant, then enlist the help of the sheriffs to force the issue.

Once you get her out, you sue her deadbeat ass for the damages/back rent/utilities and hope she wins the lottery. Answer #2: He may not employ self-help measures to evict (cutting power). Has he told her in writing that she has to put the utilities in her name? If not, he can't cut power.

He needs to file a formal eviction action with the court to get her out.


Title: Purchased dress online and then returned for refund. Company claim I got makeup on it and have refused refund, but now won't return dress to me. [UK]

Question:
Hi guys,

I'm not sure if this is the right place for this, but hopefully someone can shed some light.

I purchased a £150 dress from a boutique website and paid through PayPal at the end of May.

The dress arrived and wasn't suitable, so as per the website's terms and conditions I returned the dress in its original packaging within the time frame specified.

I didn't hear anything for >10 days so I emailed asking if they received the dress. They replied stating that they had, but that they were not prepared to offer a refund as I had apparently got makeup on the dress.

I *very* rarely wear makeup and wasn't on this occasion, so I am very dubious about this but if they say there's makeup on the dress then I guess I don't have a leg to stand on.

They offered me credit for the store. Instead, I asked that the dress be returned to me. I requested that this be returned to me exactly 4 weeks ago today but never got a response despite numerous emails/tweets etc.

So, basically, the company have gone radio silent on me and haven't returned the goods. What can I do in this situation? Are PayPal any help to me?

Answer:
 Dispute it through PayPal.

If you still can't get a resolution /r/LegalAdviceUKAnswer #2: Dispute through PayPal. Answer #3: They don't get to keep the dress and the money. PayPal should be 100% with you. Answer #4: The way it works is paypal basically gives back your money end of story


Title: Should I sue for malpractice?

Question:
Last month we saw a special for $20 (common price for South Carolina due to the extreme amount of strays caused by accident litters let wild) to neuter a male dog for that month with a animal rescue/clinic we have had good experience with for this month, so of course we messaged them about it. We asked if they could still neuter Gunter (our one year old german shepherd) even though he had one of his testicles attached to his abdomen. They assured us they could and that it would be fine. So we waited until the day and brought him in and he got neutered. When we returned to pick him up the next day we saw that he had staples from the side of his penis all the way up his stomach, and random places (1 beside the staples on the stomach, 1 on his inner leg) he had been cut and stitched up. We didnt question it because "theyre the vet", you know? That night when we got him home he was swollen up a bit on his shaft, and his testicle skin. They told me he would swell so I didnt think anything of it. Next day it was the same, up until that night, then his testicle was swollen to the size of a golf ball and solid, his penis was swollen a bit bigger than the night before also solid, he had a hard abcess beside the staples, and his staples had dried blood on them and 2 were starting to be eaten by his skin. We agreed he HAD to be seen the next morning (it was 11 at night). My boyfriend called both numbers the vet left for us that night and no one called back. We woke up the next day and called again 4 times from 7 am to 8 am in the morning (they left 2 phone numbers one was supposed to be a cell phone that always gets answered, and one was the wrong number so he had to find the right one and they still didnt answer), I then messaged the place on facebook, where they didnt respond until 10 am at that point we were already being seen by the animal hospital. I was so happy we got there in the time we did because as soon as we walked in his incision site started leaking blood. They took him back and said he had a very severe infection. And that they were going to send him into surgery the next day. That visit alone costed $975. We woke up really early the next morning to transport him to the hospital surgery office and signed him in. Gunters wound smelt awful with puss, he had fever and was just growling and crying in pain. The vet said they would open him up and drain everything out and shut the wound. That was going to be $1000 more. She called later that evening though and explained that the place they sewed in the abdomen had become stuck to some of his intestines and made a lot of dead skin and infection (started by the other vet making the staples too tight and not even doing them right), which ended up making the total $3'580. Gunter is back home and is stitched up professionally now, and feeling a lot better! The contract of the vet who initially did the surgery does not say that they wont cover /this specific/ situation, only that they wont cover an animals death/injury caused by their anesthesia/pain medicine. Also that they arent responsible for the infections after they leave the hospital,  however their bad staple job and stitching on the abdomen wall is what caused the infection, so technically the problem started before he came home to us. My question is, should we try to sue the other vets office for malpractice to cover the additional vet bills they caused?
Topic:
Medicine and Malpractice

Answer:
 I think you should present the bill to them and demand payment before filing suit. However, if they don't pay, then suing them is an option.

You will want an actual attorney for this. Your damages might be limited to the value of the animal? I have no idea for sure, but in a lot of states animals are just another kind of property, and so you want to bring that up with your attorney. Also, you might need a veterinarian to testify as an expert. That would also be expensive. Basically, filing suit in this case would suck.

So, try really hard to get them to just pay. I doubt they want this to become public, so they have an incentive to deal with you.


Title: My father passed away while flying with an airline. Lawyers and Aviation experts, I need your advice.

Question:
Dear Reddit,

I am here to tell my story and seek advice. I will try to not give any unnecessary, sensitive, or explicit details away as it is currently ongoing but some details are important to mention. I will add or delete details if necessary. Or delete this entire as this is an ongoing case.

Prequal and tl;dr:
First things first, my family is not financially well off so cost is important in this whole ordeal but don’t question to what I'm about to say next. A few days ago my dad was on his flight home and as I waited for him, I was notified by the airline and US Consulate that my dad had passed away and was pronounced dead at what we’ll call country A for now. Note that all parties/orgs/bodies involved tried contacting our family but was having difficulties. And now i'm in the process of going there to handle this entire thing.

To get into detail:
An airline agent was the first to contact me through phone and told me that my dad has passed and that they don't know the exact details. Hours passed then they sent an email that I won't say word for word, but they basically told me that: within a couple of hours into the flight my dad was found unconscious to which they had medical staff provide first aid treatment along with help/communication from the outside, After emergency landing at country A, he was pronounced dead by ground medical staff. Hours later, I receive a call from more Airline agents sending condolences and telling me what happened with minor differences. Then they offered to accommodate and cover the cost to fly my family over to that certain country and to handle this.

I’m going to leave out details on the US Consulate and the passed few days as it has just been preparations and repeat of details on the case but coming from the US Consulate. I would also like to note that both org/parties gave a big hand in my preparations.

Questions and important details I would like to raise:

- I am leaving official paperwork with country A and the US out of it as there is little to no cost.
  And that there isn’t advice i’m seeking for this.

- It’s important to note that the US Consulate does not financially assist but they are their to help and guide.

- What I learned so far in terms of cost is that there are three:
   - transporting my fathers remains to process or to funeral
     homes. $300-$1000(which I actually don't know who to negotiate cost with)
   - disposition of remains, such as embalming the body or
     cremating. $4000-$5000(cost would have to be negotiated
     with funeral home)
   - sending the remains home. $300 approx (shipping freight cost
     negotiated with airline)

- I am grateful that the airline is covering my families flight and hotel cost, and providing a team with translators. BUT they say in terms of cost mentioned in the previous point, it is covered by the family.

- IMPORTANT: I am in the process of finding out if my father purchased travelers insurance through the travel agency he bought the flight ticket from.

- Even so, there is some insurance and liability in a flight ticket itself and with an airline.

- ALSO IMPORTANT: In terms of paperwork with the airline, I do plan on holding it off so i don't needlessly sign away any liability.

- The airline also promised by email our return flight will be covered. So far they only handled the departing flight which is both logical(in terms of how long this will take) and skeptical as i’m a bit wary that they might use this as leverage if things don’t go their way.

So my question for you guys:
Do i have a case? What are the standard procedures for airlines in cases like this? What are your advice? Is the airline liable to reimburse in any form? Should they be covering any other costs? How will travelers insurance come into play? Will reimbursements/liabilities be too late after the trip?

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS ON GOING AND I HAVE YET TO ARRIVE AT COUNTRY A.

Answer:
 > Do i have a case?

I'm sorry for your loss, but "a case" for what?  Against whom?  Who broke what law?


Title: My life is a cliche: 18 year old daughter has ran off with a criminal

Question:
State: New Mexico

My question is in regard to the car she is driving.  Her mother told her that if she wants to continue living the life she's living, she can not stay in the house and she can't have the car.  The car is not in her name in any sense (maybe on the insurance card, that's it).  She's taken the car and ran off with her boyfriend.

Her mom is reporting the car stolen.  A felony charge.  Will the mother be able to decide not to press charges once the car is back?

Answer: No, if her mom reports the car stolen then she cannot take that back later. It is also possible the police will tell you this is a civil issue and not deal with it at all.


Title: (ex)Friend left expensive belongings at my house and told us to sell them, keep them or dump them because we were moving. Now they are saying we stole them and want compensation.

Question:
The friend was given about a month's notice that we were having to move. He was upset about having to spend money to put the stuff in storage and stalled quite a bit. After much hassling, he agreed to pick it up one week before we moved. He took some of his personal belongings but left the expensive equipment being stored.

I have text messages where I asked him if he was coming back for it and he said "It's yours. Sell it. I'll never need it again."  I said I would help him move it to storage and he didn't have to do it alone. His reply was "It belongs to you". I said "No it doesn't. I refuse to take your things." His next reply was "then dump it".

Now we're not talking about some small change. This is 50K in professional equipment. So the items were moved into the apartment's lobby because they were way too heavy to move back up the stairs and he was supposed to come back for them. We went house hunting the next day and they were still there. That evening they were gone. We assumed he had picked them up because no one goes in that lobby but the tenants of which there are two. He doesn't text us. Doesn't call us. Not a peep until moving day. He shows up with a Private Investigator asking about his equipment. Now the police are showing up at the door telling us we stole it and we should all take polygraphs and that we're liable for his equipment.

After he clearly abandoned it and made it clear he didn't care about it anymore, were we still responsible for taking care of his things? Are we going to be sued for the cost of items and possibly criminal intent?

The bot says I should tell you I'm in Pennsylvania

Answer: Unless your ex-friend can dispute the text messages, they should constitute an agreement to gift you the equipment, authorize you to dump it or both. He may sue you but there's a system to weigh his claims against yours and your text messages, if legitimate, should protect you. Considering the police are investigating you, I'd look at getting a lawyer. You can certainly volunteer the text messages but you should get legal advice before agreeing to an interview or polygraph.


Title: Illinois, roommates old job wants to charge 25 dollars to pick up a W2 form they claim they sent. Is that legal?

Question:
Its not super important, shes already fucked from years of not paying taxes and she was only there a few weeks. Her grandfather just wants her to get as much documentation and information as she can and then they're going to a lawyer or whatever, to get all her past taxes taken care of. Just curious if that is legal to charge someone for the document.

Also if anyone has insight on what she'll be dealing with for likely 5+ years of not paying taxes and owing about 5k, perhaps more.

Answer:
 I believe you can ask the IRS for copies of tax documents submitted about you.

https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/form-w-2-missing-irs-can-help


Title: In the USA, do multiple instances of rape by the same person to the same victim count as one, or multiple, separate crimes?

Question: I'm having this argument with a friend and I'd like a clear answer from someone with experience on the topic, as I'm far too green to even know what to look for

Answer:
 Each incident can be a separate count, even if they occur on the same day.

It may not always be charged that way, but it could be.


Title: If someone has a gun to your head and tells you to kill someone and you do it, what/would you be charged?

Question: So, I'm sitting here watching Seven and started thinking to myself, if a person had a gun to your head and threatened to kill you if you didn't kill another person what/would you be charged with any form of a crime. For anyone who hasn't seen Seven, the "killer" is clearly super distraught and very apparently is clearly traumatized.

Answer: Murder. Duress can be a defense to most crimes but not murder.


Title: [California] An interesting case of mail theft

Question:
In the middle of December of 2016 I ordered parts for my car. After receiving a notification from FedEx that the parts had been delivered, I drove to my apartment (was visiting my parents for a weekend) and found that the parts weren't there.

After some calls to and from FedEx and USPS, I found that the delivery person had left the parts outside of my door. I marked it off as a stolen package and closed the investigations with USPS.

Fast forward to this morning and I get a knock on my door. I quickly get dressed and open the door to find the missing packages (opened and torn apart) with some more missing mail on my doorstep with a note.

The note said that she had just moved in and found these in her apartment. She assured me that she had not opened them. She left her apartment number in case I wanted to get in touch.

I spoke with my landlord about what I'd learned, and she told me that a girl Julia had just subleased her room to a new girl Amy (the one who left the note) and she suggested that I speak with her.

When I spoke with Amy, she confirmed that she'd just moved in to the apartment. She said that she found the mail in the corner of the kitchen. When she asked her new roommates whose mail it was, they said they thought it was someone who lived in the complex (prompting Amy to return it like a good neighbor).
Amy gave me the facebook name of the girl she is renting the room from.

I plan on opening an investigation with the USPS and the local police. I'm sitting on the Facebook information and don't plan on doing anything with it unless advised otherwise.

I hate thieves, and I really hate thieves who steal from me. What should I do looking forward?

Answer:
 Why do you believe it was actively stolen?   OK ... it might have been.

But another possibility is that USPS simply left it on the wrong doorstep.  The other person started to open it and realised that it was car parts .. not the stuff that she was expecting.  (If you are expecting a package you may not actually look at the address label, you just assume it's for you)

It gets put in the corner of the kitchen with everyone mentioning that _"I'll drop it back around after I do this other thing first ..."_ and then it just kinda gets forgotten.  Then it gets remembered and delivered to you.

OK - not exactly a story that the other apartment would be particularly proud of ... but it's plausible and doesn't involve any deliberate theft.  Just neglect.

Imagine that you contact the police say:
> **"It's possible that a parcel was delivered to my neighbor instead ... and they gave it to me entirely undamaged (apart from the packaging).  They even gave me some other misdelivered mail.  However I'm not happy because they took much too long to rectify the postal service's mistake.  They pretty much left my parcel neglected in the corner and only fixed the post office's mistake after a couple of months had passed.  I want you take action on this."**

What action should the police take?

I'm not saying that is what actually happened.  But it's plausible and is certainly a reasonable possibility ... especially when you are basically accusing somebody else of a crime.

Good luck!

-- Mac


Title: Any way to make blackmail legal if there's consent?

Question:
# Background:

In bdsm there's a group of people who want to be blackmailed for real, not just by pretending and roleplaying. But because it's illegal to blackmail, it's not possible to experience it. Even if you sign a document saying that you want to be blackmailed, then it's not enough and wouldn't hold up in court.

Think about chastity cages, they are also really just roleplay, because even if it's locked on to you, then you can still simply pull it off. It's only role play. But some people want it to be real, so they have to take additional complicated steps to make it happen, such as piercing themselves so they can't just pull it off any more.

It's the same concept with blackmail, but I'm not sure if there is any way to make it possible. But I have some food for thought which maybe could at least spark some ideas which could lead to a solution if anyone is interested to help.

# Idea:

So, first of all, if the dom were to publish the pictures online in public, we need to make sure it wouldn't be classified as revenge porn thus putting the dom in prison. So, maybe at least in this case there's a possiblity to make a contract? I mean otherwise porn wouldn't exist any more. So, if all the pictures were signed over with contract, so the ownership is changed, then there's nothing stopping that person from publicly uploading those pictures whenever and wherever (not exactly 100% everywhere, but as long as it's on porn sites, subreddits made for that purpose,  imgur, etc?

But, even if that takes care of the revenge porn problem, i'm not sure it takes care of blackmail problem. Because even if they now have ownership of all the pictures and it's said in the contract they may at any time upload them to the web (just like porn sites to i assume?), then if they say for example "if you don't want these being uploaded, as I have the right to do, then you need to keep sending me pics and money, because if you don't keep me happy with your performance, then I don't care to help you avoid being humiliated and exposed.", or something like that. But I'm going to guess that it still wouldn't hold up in court. I'm not asking if exactly this situation would be allowed, I'm asking if there's anything you can think of which would make it possible.

Hopefully with my idea to start this discussion, we can think of a way to make something like this a possibility without anyone ending up in prison.

**Alternatively...** if it's really not possible, would it be possible for them to upload all pictures to porn sites when their relationship ends as long as they've signed a some kind of contract which allows them to do that? That would give the sub/slave incentive to do anything they can to keep the dom happy to be in relationship with them.

Answer:
 >In bdsm there's a group of people who want to be blackmailed for real, not just by pretending and roleplaying.

Well, they can't. Just like you can't consent to be raped (if you're an adult). You can fantasize about being the victim of a crime, but by definition these things aren't crimes if you want them to happen to you.

Other things you can't do include inviting people over to trespass on your property or honestly defraud someone.


Title: Let's say you are told by a court that you aren't allowed to leave the United States. Broadly speaking, can you fly over other countries from one part of the US to another, like Puerto Rico? (More dumb questions in text)

Question:
What about taking a boat through international water to get from one part of the US to another?

What about if you went to a piece of land claimed by the US, but administered by another country? [Like the Bajo Nuevo Bank](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bajo_Nuevo_Bank), which is administered by Colombia, but claimed by the US.

What if you went there and the Colombian government arrested you and took you to Colombia against your will? Would you be breaking your hypothetical court order?

Answer: When barred from leaving the country you are ordered to surrender your passport to the court. Any place you can go to without a passport is fine by the court then


Title: I'm being sued for a collision incident and feel the while thing is out if proportion.

Question:
I can't even call this a fender bender because there was no damage from either vehicle, but I was just served for damages and "severe and permanent injuries" and I'm scared.
Just about 2 years ago in PA I rear-ended a car at low speed when she slammed on the brakes for no reason when we were merging onto a freeway. I was checking for cars in the left lane when she braked unexpectedly. We both pulled off to the side, police were called, she told the officers of a prior neck injury and she was taken in an ambulance, all the while I'm standing there in disbelief because I barely hit her and there wasn't even a dent. I still made a report of the incident with my insurance company and a police report was done.
Obviously I need a lawyer, but how serious is this? Why didn't she go through insurance? I can't do anything about it over the weekend. She is suing for a lot of money. Does anyone have experience with this?

Answer: Contact your insurance company, they’ll handle this.


Title: Can I use a recorded conversation to kick someone out of school?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Kicking them out isn't a legal issue, it is up to school policyAnswer #2: So you're willing to be charged with a crime and/or sued to get someone suspended for a week or two?

Lets play this out.  How do you see this working out for you?


Title: Car was towed in the state of CA. Do I have to fork over cash to get the car back or can I ask them to bill me?

Question: Maybe a long shot but I read on some other sub that, in certain states, if you present your ID and ask the tow company to send you a bill, they have to do it and give you your car back. Is that true in the state of CA? Appreciate anyone willing to answer that or provide other advice.

Answer: You need cash.  It runs a daily charge so get it out fast


Title: Legally required to give stool sample?

Question: In CO, if the health department demands a stool sample am I required by law to provide that?

Answer: Way more context is necessary for a meaningful response.


Title: [IL] I hit another vehicle during a storm and was not insured

Question:
The storm was so bad that the traffic lights in front of me were completely obscured. My insurance was lapsed by about 4 months but I hired a lawyer and both tickets were dismissed in court (driving w/o insurance and failure to obey a traffic device).

Now however, the other driver's insurance company has hired a collection agency to come after me. They are asking for a little over $10k and they were saying they sent a letter to the Secretary of State (I think?) and that my license could be suspended.

I know that I should not have been driving uninsured but it happened. So, I am wondering at this point, what am I legally on the hook for? Is it any leverage at all that my tickets were thrown out? The traffic lawyer I used made it sound like getting the tickets thrown out would make this part more difficult for them but when I called he seemed uninterested in helping me.

&#x200B;

Please help!

Thanks!!

Answer:
 > what am I legally on the hook for?

You're 'on the hook' for the amount of damaged you caused in the accident.

If you don't pay or agree to a payment plan or lower amount, then they'll sue you.  And they'll win.  And your wages can be garnished and your license can be suspended and you just keep digging yourself a deeper hole.


Title: [Canada] Mail being delivered to wrong mailboxes in building. Mail being left on tables by mailboxes. Mail being tampered with after left on tables. What can I do?

Question:
To make a long story short, the mailman has recently been delivering mail to the wrong people, leaving mail outside the mailboxes and as a result some mail has been stolen/tampered with.

I've called the post office like 2 times in the past month regarding this, and they've 'opened a ticket to investigate', but nothing has been done. This is infuriating, because the mail being stolen and tampered with has extremely personal information on it (sometimes).

What can I do in this situation?
Topic:
Canada

Answer:
 In the US, you could go to the post office and ask them to hold all your mail for in-person pickup.

I'm guessing Canada's postal system would do the same.


Title: Drive-Thru car wash dented my car

Question:
I live in the USA - Phx Arizona

Yesterday I went to a drive-thru car wash and once I finished I noticed that one of my rear-view mirrors was hanging off, so I showed the worker and he simply said that "it happens." Now I got home after that and realized two fairly
large dents on my car as well. I went back showed them the dents and then they said that they'll
have someone look into it. They called back today and said that it's not their fault but mine for
apparently putting my car in reverse..which I don't remember doing at all. The man went on to say
that if anything they can sue me and force me to pay them for damages to their machines. The dents
are rather large and I just would like to know what I should do at this point.

Answer: You can sue them for damages after getting a valid estimate for repair.


Title: Employer made us change health plans right after I had a major surgery, causing me to have basically no benefits for 22 days. What should I do?

Question:
**EDIT: I live in California.**

On December 1st, I had knee surgery.  I hurt myself in November and told my boss that I had scheduled surgery for December 1st.  Everything went fine, and I told her I'd be back in a limited capacity after 10 days of rest.

On December 15th, my boss tells me that we're switching healthcare providers.  The rep came in on December 20th to go over the plans and collect our paperwork to get it set up.

I had been going to Physical Therapy from December 8th-December 30th.  On the 30th, I get an email from the rep that says, "Do not schedule any appointments between now and January 4th.  The paperwork has not gone through and you may have to pay out of pocket for any services."

I contact my therapist and ask how much the out of pocket fees are, and it's $200/visit, which is more than I can afford.  I told them my situation and they said that I can't continue going until I provide the new insurance info, which I didn't have.

Fast forward to January 5th, I still don't have my new insurance plan.  I contact the rep and he says, "It's in the underwriter's hands.  Hold tight."  I tell him that I need to continue therapy, and that it's very important.

He responds by saying he'll take care of it.

Fast forward to July 10th.  I haven't heard from the rep.  I have now missed 10 days of therapy, or roughly 4 visits.  I contact the rep again.  He doesn't respond for 2 days.

I tell my boss I'm fed up with this shit, and ask her to step up and see if we can expedite this process.  She agrees, but again I don't see any action.

Fast forward to the 15th.  Still no insurance.  I contact the rep.  Still in the underwriter's hands.

At this point I just start calling around to see what I can do.  Fortunately, I found a therapist who will allow me to go without paying, and will just collect payment when I get my insurance info.

I go in for my first visit with him on the 18th.  He tells me that my knee is in bad shape.  He tells me there's a chance I may never walk properly again, that my gait may be permanently altered.  He says that someone ~7 weeks out from surgery should have full range of motion, and I only have very, very partial ROM.

So now I'm fucking livid, because everything was going fine with my previous therapist.  As of today, I still do not have my new insurance info.  I've contacted them directly and they have no record of me.  My rep is like a fucking ghost, and my boss doesn't seem to give a shit.

I don't know what to do, or what I can do, but I feel like someone dropped the ball on this big time.  Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Answer:
 IANAL, save all copies of written communication, including the email telling you not to schedule an appointments.  Forward to secure storage off of work computers.

Hope someone has better answers and that things aren't quite as bad as they seem with your knee :(

Edit: I once had an employer change my insurance Retroactively which left me no time to get a prior authorization I needed for a vital medication.  It took 2 weeks because insurance tries to get out of it any way they can.  I spent $400+ the first week on medication and the second week I told my work I couldn't afford to keep paying out of pocket and stayed home with pay instead.  I'm so livid on your behalf because your recovery was damaged and not easily fixed.Answer #2: Aren't these things usually backdated?

Presumably OP has paying for the health plan since Jan 1.

/r/insurance might be of more assistance on this one.Answer #3: Is it a group plan or indemnity plan? Is it governed by Erisa? Did you use any FMLA time when you were out? If you were, employer is obligated to not only hold your position but also your benefits.

You may also want to post this over at insurance also.


Title: Being harassed at work (22M), unfortunately I can’t record my interactions due to a two party consent law, what are my options? (MT)

Question:
I just started working for a new (construction) company after leaving a prior workplace. I’ve been there for two months now and after the second week I noticed it wasn’t “just locker room talk”. My direct supervisor has made multiple comments about issues he has had with my attitude because I refuse to acknowledge his ego. He likes to tell stories, so he will tell an experience he has had that always has to do with him beating someone up, or making hurtful comments towards people, he is your typical “tough guy”.
He has made a few almost threats to actually fight me. He consistently (daily) makes comments on my performance and how useless I am. Makes unwanted comments about my smile. He creates a very hostile work environment due to all his stories of his actual assaults and threats to commit more, almost unworkable considering how hot tempered he is. I want to take this to the owner of the company but I’m afraid I’ll have no proof without a recording. He would never consent to one either, I could write every interaction from here on out, but unfortunately I don’t think that could be credible in a court of law. What are my options?

Answer:
 Is nobody else witnessing these interactions?
You don't have \*no\* evidence of his harassment, you have your own testimony and hopefully a diarised record of exactly what has happened, what was said, location, time etc. If you haven't been keeping a record start ASAP, this lends your claims credibility and also allows follow up or verification via cameras that you may not be aware of.

Finally, while you might not be able to secretly record him you might want to start every call or interaction with him with a polite 'Due to some unfortunate circumstances I now record all phone conversations'- this would hopefully deter his behaviour but if it escalates also means you now have evidence you can use. (Obviously not hugely practical, but worth suggesting in case it assists).Answer #2: Just so you know, he doesn't need to consent to be recorded, you just can't record him secretly.

> 45-8-213. Privacy in communications. (1) Except as provided in 69-6-104, a person commits the offense of violating privacy in communications if the person knowingly or purposely:

...

> (c) records or causes to be recorded a conversation by use of a hidden electronic or mechanical device that reproduces a human conversation without the knowledge of all parties to the conversation. This subsection (1)(c) does not apply to:

...

> (iii) persons given warning of the transcription or recording, and if one person provides the warning, either party may record;

https://leg.mt.gov/bills/mca/title_0450/chapter_0080/part_0020/section_0130/0450-0080-0020-0130.html


Title: [Utah] I was placed under arrest. No handcuffs, didn't go inside a police car, my rights were not read to me. Do I have a case or should I just let it go?

Question:
Accused of a hit and run and reckless driving while driving the company van for the company I work for. Very angry woman left voicemail in the company's voicemail. No damages do the company van or her vehicle whatsoever. I really don't know why she said I was involved in a hit and run and also reckless driving?

I'll try to make this brief. I have posted it before.
Police inspected my van and no sign of any kind of damage. Told I was under arrest and later changed it to being detained when my boss showed up. I was being detained for an hour and twenty minutes. Police told my boss that the investigation will get turned over to the highway patrol because it happened on the freeway.

This was a month ago. No phone calls from police and no one else has called me or my boss.
I have most of it recorded on my phone except for the one police officer telling me I'm under arrest for a hit and run!

To say I was a nervous wreck throughout the week after it happened is an understatement! I usually joke around at work and was very quiet and serious all the time. That's not like me.
I have a three year old son. I kept thinking that the police will come knocking on my door with an arrest warrant and take me away. I didn't want my son to see that. He would have cried if he saw that.

**I will submit a complaint to the police department. But not sure what else to do? Should I let it go? Contact an attorney?**

Hope someone here can offer some good advice.
Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer:
 The cops did nothing wrong, they don't have to read you your rights when they aren't questioning you, and yes they can legally ask some questions on the side of the road without reading you your rights. Answer #2: So you were investigated as a suspect in a crime. Police examined the information and it seems that they let you go.

What exactly are you looking for?


Title: If a felon is held at gunpoint by an assailant, and initiates a struggle in which he retrieves the weapon from the assailant, can he be charged with illegal weapons possession if witnesses corroborate his story that he was attacked and fought for his life?

Answer:
 >can he be charged with illegal weapons possession

Yes. And he could argue self-defense, or necessity, or something like that. Or the prosecutor could decide not to prosecute because of the facts and circumstances of the case.


Title: Stupidly keyed a car, am i a felon?

Question: Guy was parked like a jackass so i keyed his car as a cop was coming around a corner. Can i actually become a felon for this? State of California, no other citations were given except a ban from parks for 90 days. Cops says if damage is above 400 dollars (which i know it is) its considered a felony. What should i expect?

Answer: A felony


Title: Overseas girlfriend wants to stay in the States. What options are there short of marriage?

Question:
United States. Florida. 30 Y/O Male US Citizen.

So, my girlfriend from Europe came out to visit me in the US for the first time and really loves it here. Like a LOT! She says she wants to stay; so I have been pouring over the USCIS website for every form possible to see what can be done. The only thing I can think of doing at the moment is filling out Form I-539 which is the "Extend your stay" paper basically (https://www.uscis.gov/visit-united-states/extend-your-stay). Her flight out is technically on August 22nd and it says to fill it out I-539 up to 45 days before supposed to leave which means it should be sent in within a day or two. What is the likelihood these are denied?

Also, another options my mom thought of was a sponsor program. My mom works, and my dad is a truck driver so he is gone two weeks at a time for the most part. The idea was that since my girlfriend is my parents' god-daughter that she would stay to care for my grandmother who lives with my parents since they are giving up time and money to accommodate her at the moment and it would help if she could stay to help with her.

Anyway, I am just looking at a way to do this short of getting married. She really doesn't want to go back to Europe anymore and we aren't talking marriage so what is the best that can be done. Could she just technically stay without doing anything? Will that hurt her eligibility for Green Card status? Just looking for some tips.

Thanks all!

Wanted to add that I made an appointment to go to the local ISCIS office on the 17th to ask what can we do to ensure her stay. Is that a bad idea to go and ask them?

Topic:
Immigration

Answer:
 >Could she just technically stay without doing anything?

Yes but it'd be illegal.

>Will that hurt her eligibility for Green Card status?

Definitely.  You don't get to stay in a country just because you want to.


Title: Wiretapping One Party Consent Rule: Still applies if other party asks you not to?

Question:
This is a question about GA, USA.

Georgia is a one-party consent state, meaning as long as one of the parties consents to recording, you can record a phone call. Even the person doing the recording can be the party that "consents." Say you are talking on the phone and you tell somebody you are recording. The person then asks you to stop recording. Do you legally have to stop just because they asked you to? Or can you still record since you are a party to the conversation?

Answer: You can keep recording. The other person may then of course hang up or not say something they were otherwise going to say, which defeats the purpose of recording.


Title: Denied hours due to not knowing about work from home policy.

Question:
Edit: Fixed a word.

Hi all!

I worked for a small quasi-surveying company in Texas for a couple of weeks.  It had a start-up feel where everything and everyone seemed to be in flux.

I started in the field with the understanding that I would sometimes do office work due to past work experience.

On Wednesday, I started working on a spreadsheet in the office.  Towards the end of the day, there were issues with some formulas, but I didn't have time to fix them.

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First thing in the morning on Thursday at 7 AM, I hopped on my home computer and fixed the formulas.  I sent one of my bosses an email to report my progress.  When he tried to set up a Hangouts screenshare meeting to show his computer screen, my camera accidentally turned on and broadcast a glimpse of my ceiling showing that I was not at the office.

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Not long after this, the company's owner called and let me know that working from home was not allowed for the first 90 days.

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After a series of red flags, I resigned today.  I have spent part of it arguing with my boss over mileage and hours for the past week.  He is denying my hours for Thursday stating that I did not report in and nobody told me to work from home.

I did not know that I could not work from home within 90 days of hire until after I had performed some work on the spreadsheet.  Can these hours be denied?

Answer:
 Your employer can tell you when and where to work, and fire you for violating those terms. They're also required to pay you for all time you worked, including time that you worked in violation of those terms.

You can get a lawyer, but it's probably not worth yours or their time to pursue a single day's worth of work.


Title: My abusive wife has bruises from hitting me. How do I protect myself from a false accusation?

Question:
My marriage is disintegrating and my wife has become increasingly abusive: she has been slapping, biting and hitting me.  I plan to divorce her, but I'm not able to do so or move out for a while (I'm currently unemployed and know literally no one in this city).

I have not hit her back, but she sometimes gets bruises on her forearms from me blocking her blows. This concerns me greatly because I'm worried that she could point to them as signs of *me* abusing *her*.

Are there any steps I can take to protect myself from being falsely accused of domestic violence?

EDIT: I am in the US (TX)

Answer:
 >Are there any steps I can take to protect myself from being falsely accused of domestic violence?

Never be alone with her. That is it.


Title: (WA) Is attempting emancipation worth it in my situation?

Question:
I'm 16, I live in Spokane County WA, I have lived here for just 2 months. I will turn 17 in 4 months

He didn't pay child support for the 7 years I was not living with him. I work 30 hours a week @ 10.25 an hour during the school year. I work 60 hours a week at the same wage during the summer. I got my first job when I was 15. I also run small a "business" repairing cell phones, which pulls in roughly 750 dollars a month of profit. I have an LLC, but the name of the business is registered in the state of Montana.
 I pay taxes and all dat shit. I have 12,000 in savings. (This may not matter since this would all be confiscated the moment my dad realized I was trying to get emancipated.) My cummulative GPA is 3.75, despite moving 3 times over the last 3 years. I have never been in any legal trouble.

I am seeking emancipation because I am sick of paying for my dad's shit. He screams at me constantly, throws things at me, cusses me out, and misuses his prescription pills, which I pay for. I spend roughly 700 dollars a month on various shit that he wants me to buy, some of it is basic needs, others definitely not basic needs. Please don't tell me to call CPS, been there done that when I was 15. Plus, CPS and the cops are unlikely to do shit unless your life is in actual danger. It ended getting me sent to live with an uncle, where it was 10X worse than what it is like now. Living with a friend's parent is also an option, which I already have plans to persue legally if I cannot get emancipated.

What I am really asking here is, do you guys think attempting emancipated would be worth the massive fucking shitstorm that it would cause with my entire family? What can I do to increase the odds that I get emancipated successfully?

Throwaway since I wanna remain anonymous.

Answer: Emancipation is typically for people who are already living on their own and supporting themselves.  Think movie stars.  Assuming full time employment at 10.25 x 2000 hours = $20,500 a year.  Add in your $750 in cell phone repairs and you get to just under $30,000.  It’s highly unlikely a court would find that sufficient to emancipate you.  Can you live on that amount?  Absolutely, but it’s not so substantial as to be likely to convince a court there is not a risk that once emancipated you would require state benefits when your father could otherwise be obligated to support you.Answer #2: Emancipation is going to be extremely difficult to obtain and extremely unlikely


Title: [California] Tenant won small claims judgment against me (landlord). I can't pay a lump sum. Can I ask the court for a payment plan?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Your best bet would be to negotiate with the tenant. If it were me, I would not agree to $20/month.


Title: Grandparent's right to custody for an out of state child?

Question:
Need some help on where to start in a family matter. Throwaway account for good reason.

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TL;DR: sister's drug test pending (will likely come back positive) and not sure what to do for her children. We are out of state.

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Sorry for such a long message, I will do my best to give enough background info to be helpful. My sister lives in ND and has 3 children (first two from one father to which she shares custody with) and last child is 4 months old from another father, not currently married, (we'll call him Dave). She has admitted to doing hard drugs with Dave in the past month/1.5 months and recently had a huge argument with him and Dave packed up and left where they were living. Dave and his mother reported to my sister's employer that she has been using and her employer has taken hair for a follicle test, results and action pending on Monday. Thing is, both Dave and his mother are both also druggies. If she loses her 4 month old if/when the test comes back positive, Dave and his family are obviously not fit to be parents either. The oldest two children will likely go to their father. My mom (the child's grandmother) is considering going after custody of the 4 month old. It bears mentioning that she does not breastfeed the child, so as far as I know, there are no drugs in the child's system, and drugs were always done when the children were at their father's (per my sister). Not a great parenting technique, I know, but better than the alternative.

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Of course, my sister is absolutely responsible for her own actions, but honestly, we just don't want to rat her out. She needs counseling and treatment, not more legal ramifications. We are afraid that if her children get taken away completely, she may take her own life. We are all out of state (CO) and don't know the "right" next step, this is new territory for all of us. Waiting until Monday seems wrong, contacting a lawyer seems wrong, calling social services on both of them seems wrong.

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Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Answer: Call CPS and file a report. No need to wait until monday.


Title: Should I Contact Authorities? Or Do It Myself?

Question: I left my home for rent and will be moving in again - the rent lasted for 3 years. During this time, the tenant reported that his son died in the house, the neighbor's later told me it was of a supposed drug overdose. The basement does have traces of blood and the walls and ceiling have been damaged. With all that said, I'm a bit afraid that drugs may have been left in the walls or vents. Should I check for them myself or have police come and investigate? Suppose I do sell the house in the future, I don't want to be questioned later if drugs ARE found by the buyer. Thank you for your advice.

Answer:
 I don't think the police will come and check out nooks and crannies in your house for you. That's your job. Answer #2: My biggest worry is if whomever was in that house, wasn't just using. Someone posted that growing pot in a house is basically a "clean up well" situation, but other narcotics can basically destroy a house. If Meth was being cooked in that house, it is probably a chemical hazard *to just be in the house.* I know there are machines that can detect if those chemicals are in your house, I do not know if they are available to the general population; nor do I know if there are any products/kits you can DIY to test your house.

If all of the house is just paraphernalia a Hazmat suit and some serious gloves when cleaning would not be the wrong way to go.


Title: Felony domestic abuse in California. How fucked am I?

Question: So me and my girlfriend were arguing when all of sudden things got physical. She punched me In the face and I hit her back and I got out of her car and went home after that. Later that night I have police at my door arresting me for domestic abuse. I have since bailed out and have gotten a lawyer. I'm 19, I have a clean record and I'm scared for my life because I have no evidence to prove she's the one that always puts her hands on me.  How fucked am I ? I know I'm leaving somethings out but I'm open to answering any questions

Answer:
 The only thing we can tell you is "listen to the advice of your lawyer."Answer #2: > all of sudden things got physical

>to prove she's the one that always puts her hands on me.

That is the opposite of "all of a sudden." I hope you realize now that this isn't normal for relationships.

IANAL, but this happened to my friend's brother, and it turned out fine. Listen to your lawyer and don't try to retaliate or game the system or get ahead of anything.

My friend's brother was ultimately not charged, but he was sent to some kind of therapy-- which he needed, and it sounds like you need, too.


Title: Help with predatory roofing company. Please.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 The first thing to do is read the cancelation terms in the contract you signed.

The second thing to do is speak with a bankruptcy attorney to see if it's worthwhile to file bankruptcy and get out from under your medical debt.


Title: Can I legally get out of this speeding ticket?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Do you have a defence of any kind? Because "the flow of traffic was already 25 over so I thought I would try to get another 10 on everyone" sounds really bad.

Why is the ticket 40 over? 90 in 55 is only 35? Is that an error on the ticket?


Title: Due to everything going on with immigration can people be stopped on the streets by officers and asked to prove their citizenship? If so what type of identification do people use that works to actually prove it?

Answer:
 IIRC It's kind of a Schrodinger cat grey area. A legal citizen does not need to carry ID to prove they are a citizen. However, legal immigrants are required to carry some ID on them at all times; (Green card, permanent residency, passport, etc)

The police cannot force a legal citizen to provide an ID proving they are a citizen. You do have to identify yourself but your not required to carry proof of such at all times. They can detain if you don't while they investigate if you are who you say you are though. Same as if you refuse to identify yourself or you are too drunk or incapacitated to answer their questions. But they can't FORCE you to carry it or to fork it over.

A legal RESIDENT however DOES have to provide it, and is required to carry it at all times. So that makes it awkward for police because if a illegal citizen does not carry it, they have to determine if they are or are not a legal citizen. Again, Legal citizen without ID = perfectly fine. Legal resident without ID = illegal. Illegal resident = illegal.

As to what kind of ID, Passport is probably best. State ID's and drivers licence probably are fine, but they will have to place a call into their department to run the ID to confirm your identity. But theoretically as long as they don't think the ID is fake it should be enough to prove your citizenship once they make a phone/radio call to verify.


Title: If someone had an advanced directive consenting to organ donation before committing suicide would medical personnel be able to carry out those wishes?

Answer:
 I don’t feel comfortable answering this question in the level of detail you’re asking and I don’t think anyone else should either,

If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide please call 1-800-273-8255.


Title: (British Columbia) There's a book written about my father and it has false information about me.

Question: So like the title says... My biological father is a (very bad) career criminal and he conned a woman out of money so she wrote a book about their time together. CTV got involved and tried to expose him this was back in 2009. I recently found out about this book and started to read it and in it it states my first name as his only child and said I was killed by a drunk driver at age 4. I do not even really understand why I'm mentioned in this book but obviously I'm still alive. How do I go about getting my name removed from the book? The author and publisher are both in Ontario. All I want is my name removed from the book... Do I just ask or do I have to get a lawyer involved? I'm kind of choked that its listed as a true crime book but obviously they didn't fact check things.

Answer:
 Legally, while that information is false it does not sound libelous, as I can't imagine it could realistically be argued to be damaging to your reputation.

You could of course ask them to remove or correct it, but there's not much point in contacting a lawyer. Honestly I'd let this go because if you contact them you run the risk of them actually providing more current information about you in the book due to correcting it. Personally I'd prefer a book about a notorious criminal relative to erroneously say that I died at age four rather than giving up to date personal information about me.


Title: Girlfriend's (ex) roommate won't let her ship her things and has moved them to another house and sold some of it. What is her recourse (house was in Cali, now in VA).

Question:
Sorry if that is a weird title. Not sure where to turn. My girlfriend moved to California for a few months to work on a project. She has since moved back, and was working out a way to ship her things here. Well, after she moved back, her roommate decided to move all of her things to his mothers house, sell some of it, and now refuses to ship anything unless she gives him a laptop (which is not his laptop to begin with...). She is all paid up on rent, and they gave her a 30 days notice to make it official.

That being said, they moved all of her stuff and sold some of it without her knowledge or permission. What can she do? We are in Virginia now, and are not sure what the recourse is, since they moved it to a different house and everything.

Edit: I should note, he is basically blackmailing her over the laptop for her things. It's not his laptop to begin with, so we don't really understand this and assume he won't send the things back even if he gets the laptop. We have Skype conversations with him (text) which indicate this situation and outline the fact that he sold some of her stuff and won't send any of the rest back.

Answer: Her recourse is to sue the roommate for the value of the items that he kept, plus court costs.  This will probably be in small claims court.  She could also call the cops.


Title: (Texas) I have just ran my car into a tree while speeding.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 I'm hoping you called a tow truck as well because chances are if any law enforcement see your car in the state it's in, they'll have it impounded. And you'd be on the hook for the fees.

And expect your insurance to go up if you report it.


Title: Child Abandonment - Tennessee

Question:
I currently have emergency custody of my niece, who I want to adopt so I will not be going back and forth in court with my sister. Our court date is Dec 28th in regards to the emergency custody I received. She's been in my care since June 5th, I filed on July 2nd. My sister has not seen her for more than an hour or so since June 13th. I never received any support from her. As I understand the abandonment laws, it is 4 months of no support OR visitation. I've met that time frame on both. June 26th my sister, the mother, move out of state as well, to New Mexico if that matters.

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How do I file to have her parental rights removed and adopt her? I have been told several different things by several different people. Some say it is through Juvenile court, with others saying it is Circuit. I just want to give my niece, a 2 year  old that is severely developmentally delayed due to neglect, her best chance and I can't do that if I am always fighting her for custody.

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Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Answer: Adoption is not DIY. You are asking a judge to remove her as a parent. That isn't taken lightly. You need to hire an attorney


Title: Someone used my name

Question: Somebody got a ticket for an ATV infraction or some motor vehicle of the sort and I'm assuming used my name to get the ticket because I got a notice from the court to appear in February because of it. What do I do? I am from the US

Answer: Your name alone isn't enough. You can't just tell the cops, "Oh, I'm Johnny Smith, send me a ticket at the address on file!"


Title: uncle has felony warrant for obtainment of money by false pretense, possible to settle out of court?

Question: To simply put it, he "borrowed" money from someone to pay for something, but just kept it instead. He currently has a felony warrant for it and was recently "arrested" but he was never put in the cell or handcuffed. There was even a bail amount set, but he was released a couple hours later and claims that he was instructed that he needs to go to court. Is it possible to contact the people who are filing charges and attempt to settle out of court (pay them back and have them drop the charges)? What options does he have? Let me know if you need a little more information.

Answer: It's a bit too late for that. He's facing a felony, it's out of the hands of the people he stole the money from. He should retain a criminal defense attorney ASAP.


Title: [NEW YORK] Planning a rally of 1500 people. Is it legal to carry a syringe exchange down a Manhattan street?

Question:
I can't discuss who's organizing the rally, what the motives are, or when it will be. However, we are looking to do impactful things to send a heartfelt message. We are treading the line of legality here (purposefully), which is why I'm reaching out.

As the rally progresses, there will be a moving needle exchange for drug users in need of needles and are welcome to take them as the rally moves forward.

I realize this is very specific, but would I be breaking any laws by doing this?
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: New York Penal Law 220.45. Class A misdemeanor. Answer #2: If you are purposefully pushing the boundaries of the law, you should get a lawyer's professional opinion backed with E&O insurance by hiring one for a brief chat.


Title: My landlord changed leasing terms in his favor while attempting to add roommate that was not present for signing of original lease.

Question:
I signed a lease starting August 2016 until July 2016. My property manager was made aware that I will be living here with my wife to be, but she was not there to sign. She moved in about a two weeks later, so we wanted to add her to that lease.

We recently received a notice stating we have a new property manager, who is very nice.

I contacted him about adding my wife to the lease, and he said that she would have to fill out an application and pay an application fee. No problem.

Also, a month ago, we start to notice a few mice have gotten new property manager has addressed this issue, but they keep getting in. I've put in numerous requests and he only came the first time, to seal some holes and lay some traps, and hasn't come since although there are still mice getting in. Is a 24 hours notice necessary for a work order?

Aside from the continuous pest issue, my wife fills out the application and pays the fee. He sends a new lease online for both of us, not adding her to the previous lease as requested. This new lease is different than the last.
Conveniently, it changed a section to  prohibit living with a cat ruling pest control as the tenants financial responsibility, but only the landlord can elect to hire an exterminator..

Can he do this? These are not the terms I agreed with upon moving in.

Edit: I am located in Pennsylvania

Answer:
 First, don't sign a new lease! (Especially one as prohibitive as that one!) It's entirely possible to add someone to an existing lease. Don't buy any nonsense story from the landlord that you need to sign a new lease. He's either mistaken or lying. In all likelihood, he just wants *you* to take care of pest control for him.

Second, concerning the pest issues. If I were you' I'd take steps to do a repair and deduct. Simply put, you pay for the pest treatment and subtract that amount from your next rent payment. However, the law requires that you follow the steps precisely. Here's a [link](http://www.palawhelp.org/resource/deduct-repair-tenants-right-to-a-safe-and-dec?ref=PpEoj) about what you need to do.


Title: I am inelegible for an USA visa for 10 years

Question: Hello. I am from Spain , 3 years ago, when i was 18 years old i used to use traveling dating sites , and i flew to Los Angeles to meet one guy i met online , he paid for my flights . When i reached to the airport , i was stopped at the border and they took me to a room with other people to make me few questions . They checked my phone and they found that i was planning some trips with other men in exchange of some money (although not in my trip to USA). They forbidden the entrance to USA for 10 years , and i could not even step in USA . Although they didn't find me doing prostitution they deported me and banned me 10 years when i was 18 . Now i am 21 years old and being working for an european short haul airline as a cabin crew , i went to Madrid Embassy to ask for a visa , and they rejected straight away they gave me a paper which it says rejected visa due to : other 2D1. I thought i would be able to explain how my life changed in the last 3 years to the embassy staff but they didn’t do me a proper interview i was asked few questions behind a window and thats it . I could not even show them my work references or any prove that i changed my life and that i wanted to be forgiven... The thing now is i want to work in a long haul airline , and as its a private airline they fly to USA sometimes not sure if this big problem would make me be rejected to work for them?? . I am thinking if i pass the interview and they select me they will make me apply for a crew visa in USA embassy and i don't know if i still would be rejected as when i went to get a tourist visa i was told there was nothing i can do except waiting 10 years .. i feel i cannot progress in my career and i cannot carry out my life goals.

Answer:
 >i was stopped at the border and they took me to a room with other people to make me few questions . They checked my phone and they found that i was planning some trips with other men in exchange of some money.

You need to plan for a career that does not involved traveling to the  USA until you are 28.

>They forbidden the entrance to USA for 10 years

Sorry, but actions have consequences.

Plenty of ways to make a living that do not require travling to the USA - even your airline may be able to accomodate you.Answer #2: Im sure this isnt the first time you have asked this some weeks ago.  Or there are two different spanish women the same age who did the same thing.Answer #3: You can talk to an attorney with experience in US immigration matters and see if there's anything they can do to help you, but you have no right to any kind of specific procedure here.


Title: [ND] Psychiatrist touched my during urine exam and now I can't urinate

Question: [removed]

Answer: You should see a psychiatrist to talk about your piss-poor trolling efforts...


Title: I got pulled over yesterday with an 1/8 of Marijuana in Texas. I got off with no charges, no arrest. They just confiscated the weed. Question...

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 >I don't want to aid a criminal

You realize you *are* a criminal, right?Answer #2: They can charge you tomorrow or in a few years.  They can charge you and then change their mind and make different charges.

> If I didn't get charged, I can just continue on with my life right?

I mean, you can continue your life, but just because you aren't charged right now, doesn't mean you won't be.   They certainly have enough to rip apart your home with a warrant at any time.


Title: ADA (Delaware) I have a disability that is easy to accommodate. My manager is pushing me, but not requiring me, to forego those accommodations

Question:
My employer is based out of Delaware.

I have Type 1 diabetes and this was disclosed during the interview. I even showed off my insulin pump.

I have been informed that I am classified as disabled by the ADA (though clearly not to the standards of SSA).

The accommodations I need are pretty easy. If I say I need sugar for low blood sugar, I need to be able to immediately get sugar. If I have a blood sugar of 500+, I need to be able to chug water, per to my heart's content, and stab myself with a whole bunch of needles. This also makes my eyes blurry, gives me a headache beyond belief.

My blood sugar was high. I needed to spend the next few hours chugging water to the point that I should be peeing very frequently. Because of this, I requested to use up some of my PTO.

When I did, I got chewed out by my manager. Basically shaming me into working today. So now I'm trying to juggle drinking as much as I can but still not enough to make me pee (to get out the ketones) so that I can be at my desk and working.

At this point, I may have to go to the ER tonight because I haven't been able to expell my ketones and if I can't make that happen, Type 1 means my blood will turn into acid and I will go into a coma. I'm not at that point yet (it's sort of plateaued).

I am concerned for my stability at this job if I were to push to do the things my body needs to stay alive.

I don't think anything has happened yet that could be an issue under the ADA -- but where is the line drawn? When do I know that the employer has gone too far?

I strongly believe that if I had said "nope, I still need to live in the bathroom with a few gallons of water" I would have come to work tomorrow only to be terminated.

EDIT: I was hospitalized last night because I was unable to get my blood sugar down while working due to not receiving reasonable accommodations. A representative from the ADA (the other ADA) is working with me to ensure I'm getting the best documentation, as this was something that would have been an issue had I not backed down (and basically "consented"). But, yes, what I was worried about is a thing and if it happens again, I will be asserting my right to reasonable accommodations. Thank you!

Answer: Did your accommodation request include the need to be given time off work to treat a blood sugar level of 500+?


Title: [Florida] Aunt gave my mother money that was left for me in my grandfathers will. Can I sue?

Question:
First, sorry for any grammar and format issues.
When I was 15 my grandfather passed away. He left each grandchild $5,000 (he had 12 grandkids). For all the kids 18 and under the money was supposed to be held onto by my aunt and given to us to help pay for college.
I remember getting a call from my aunt when I was about 16 asking if she could give my mother the money for rent and I said no. Mainly because my mother received government assistance that covered rent and most bills, was still working and was an alcoholic who would blow the money on cigarettes and liquor.
When I was 20 I called my aunt and she told me that she had given it all to my mom in 3 different payments to help pay for our rent. My mother said this was true.
I paid for my own education, graduated and working in my career field. I would love to continue my education.
I am now 27 and the more I think about this situation the more upset I become. My aunt gave the money to my mom knowing I’d never see it. Am I even able to sue my aunt for giving it to my mother? Is it too late to sue?
Topic:
Wills Trusts and Estates

Answer:
 I’m sorry to say that the costs of disputing a probate this old would far exceed the amount that was left to you.

Also, for what it is worth these disputes generally tend to destroy familial relationships beyond repair.


Title: Land dispute, I am at the end of my ropes and don't know what to do.

Question: I have been living at my current residence in SC for the last 5 years. My neighbors have a house behind me and the only way to access it is a driveway that we share. Today I find out the neighbors somehow own the entire driveway (which we thought was state owned). They are threatening to block it and i would then be landlocked. Over the last couple years they have rented their home out to garbage humans that trashed my yard every time and I put up small posts that my neighbors pulled up today. There are no parking signs in front of my house and I won't be able to park there and adding another driveway isn't an option. I've tried working it out with them but there is no compromise and I really don't want to move, can they legally block me since they own the driveway? Any advice would be amazing.

Answer:
 1) Get a survey

2) They very likely cannot landlock you as you very likely have a strong case for a prescriptive easement due to prior use. This is only important if the survey actually says they own the driveway. EDIT: forgot to mention, check for an existing easement.

3) Sue the people they rented to for every penny of damages. Have before/after pictures ready and then hire people to fix it to exactly the undamaged state, sue the people next door for the costs. You will prove it was them because your next stop will be a place that sells security cameras for your house.

4) Put the posts back, previously mentioned security cameras will capture them removing them. If they are on your property call police for damage of property and trespassing. Sue for whatever it costs to fix.


Title: I was rear ended and the lady's insurance can't cover fixing my car and paying a rental. I'm paying the rental out of pocket for the time being but, legally, should she be paying for it?

Question:
I live in an at fault state and I was wondering, since needing a rental to get to work is technically a resulting cost of the accident, if I should take legal action to get the rental paid for. And if so, how?

 I am very new to accident insurance/legal stuff so any help would be deeply appreciated.

Answer:
 Go through your own insurance (if you don't have liability only) and let them go after the other person for compensation. If you don't have decent insurance then you have to do the leg work and sue the other person yourself. If the amount is less than the small claims limit ($10,000) then you can do it through small claims court. If not, then you'll need to hire a lawyer and go to big boy court.Answer #2: Can you sue her for your rental? Sure.

Is someone who is under insured likely to have extra money to pay? No. Collecting won't be easy. Up to you if it is worth the time. Answer #3: It depends.

Does the lady's insurance say that they have reached the policy limit and we cannot provide further coverage?  Or does her insurance say that 'she doesn't have a policy that covers rental cars'.  The wording matters here.  If the first, follow other people's advice in this thread.

I'm posting about the second, because its misleading even if not quite exactly untrue.

What you're looking at is a 'loss of use' type claim, and if her insurance said some version of the second one, you want to go ahead and tell them that you'd like to make a 'loss of use' claim - which is essentially allowing you to rent a car while yours is repaired.  They may not rent directly, but have you rent the car yourself and reimburse.


Title: [Alabama]'Friend' inadvertently poisoned my cat after deciding I had a rat problem.

Question:
Basically, I let an old friend of mine sleep on my couch for about a week because her boyfriend kicked her out. Four days ago she somehow decided that I had a rat problem(never seen a single rat in my house) and bought rat poison and put it in random areas in the house, and outside in the garden whilst I was at work. She never told me about this, but two days ago I spotted rat poision behind my washing machine, confronted her and she told me had put it out because she was sure she had seen a rat. I kicked her out that day because it could have easily killed my cat and didn't want her in my house if she would put rat poison out(without telling me) when I had a cat. As a precaution later that day I took my cat to a vet, and was told that he had ingested some of the rat poison and they had to run tests and give him some sort of treatment to stop the gum bleeding's, and keep him overnight. The bill for this was $720. I agreed to pay it, came back the next day and took my cat home with some medicine. Now I tried to contact her asking if she could pay me back like half of the bill but she is not responding to any of my texts, so I am wondering if legally there is anything I can do for her to reimburse me since it was her fault. I also don't care about our 'friendship',(hadn't spoken to her for 4 months when she approached me to stay) so I am willing to break any friendship we have at this point.

TL;DR Old friend stayed on couch for a few days, put out rat poison without telling me, cat ingested some of it, and I had to pay $720 in vet fees, wondering if there is anything I can do legally for her to reimburse me.

Answer: Yes, you can sue her in small claims court for damages (your vet bills).Answer #2: Take her to small claims court. Get all the documentation and take all the pictures you can go support your claim.


Title: California anti-gridlock blocking intersection law

Question:
I'm in California. I'm not in any trouble but just had a question about the traffic laws.

There's this intersection I regularly drive through that always has terrible backups. A few days ago I was in the right turn lane, and had a right green arrow. But traffic in the lane I was going into was at a complete standstill, and 3 cars from my lane had already pulled in and were stopped in the intersection. I did what I normally do: stop at the line during the green light to wait for the backup to clear. I try to start going when I see several cars ahead start to move, and if I time it perfectly I can approach the back car just as it is starting to move, thus no one loses any time, and I'm never stopped in the intersection. Some people do the same thing as me, waiting, but most people in my shoes instead just go into the intersection.

Realistically there's never any chance of blocking the intersection, because the lights on that intersection are timed in such a way that after 10-20 seconds of complete standstill, traffic starts moving. Only only once it is moving nicely does the light turn red. So no one is ever trapped in the intersection on a red.

That day when I was stopped before the intersection on the green, a red Tesla behind me started honking at me over and over. He was obviously quite angry that I was stopped at a green light. In resignation I pulled forward into the intersection, stopping behind the car there. Then he pulled behind me and stopped. 15 seconds later the traffic started moving and we exited the intersection. It was completely useless. No time was saved by doing that.

You might think "It's a right turn, how could you even block an intersection on a right turn?". But it's actually a bizarre 5ish-way intersection, and in between the street I am coming from, and the street I am going to, is a another 1-way street entering the intersection. So if I was hypothetically trapped in the intersection on a red, I would actually be blocking people coming from that street who are trying to perpendicularly cross my path.

My question is, is it legal for me to pull into the intersection and completely stop there due to the backup? And the second question, is the opposite course of action legal (what I normally do), stopping at the green light before entering the intersection when there is a backup?

Answer:
 Blocking an intersection is 100% the wrong thing to do.

Your usual course of action is the correct one. Answer #2: You are never under any obligation to do what the (non-police) guy behind you wants you to do.  Ever.


Title: [NYC] Hours reduced with infant child to 3 hours every other day

Question:
Hi folks,

I am the [male] victim of domestic violence. I am currently in a protracted restraining order court case -- one of the items that continually comes up is visitation.

My ex-partner presented "expert" testimony today from a lactation consultant that got my visitation reduced to 3 hours every other day. The testimony was allowed, even though the court didn't allow her as an expert.

I spent the first 9 weeks of the baby's life with him 24/7. My ex-partner is currently facing several criminal charges, plus a neglect charge from child services.

I wonder if anyone has any case law that might be relevant in preventing such reduced access to the baby? The baby is 12 weeks old.

Answer: You need a lawyer. Do you have one? He or she would be able to conduct legal research in support of your position.


Title: College professor using scanned copy of textbook that’s used for all testing material (CA)

Question: I am a UC student taking a course where the professor is scanning and distributing said scans of a textbook we do not have full access to. It is not his work either and is from a copy he privately owns. All exams in his class are based around information found in this textbook. Is what he’s doing illegal?

Answer: Would you rather he require you to purchase the book instead of giving you a free option?Answer #2: You are trying to get your teacher who is trying to save you money on a textbook in trouble?Answer #3: It’s possible he is violating a copyright, but that’s not something you have standing to do anything about. You have no idea what rights he doesn’t or doesn’t have.


Title: [CA] Nosy co-worker found my notebook with login info and journal entries that I accidentally left overnight at my desk. Do I have any legal options?

Question:
Throwaway for obvious reasons.

I have a notebook where I write weekly to-do lists, login information for all my bookmarked websites (including bank info), and also journal entries detailing private thoughts and gay casual sexual encounters.

I first began to seriously suspect that my co-worker had gotten a hold of it when this week she started talking about how she was saving up for a gun (my most recent entry detailed my first gun purchase).

Then I guess she reached further into my journal entries because she started smiling every time she came by my desk--indicating she found the details of my most recent sexual escapade.

Now, my co-worker is a woman who loves to gossip. The office is mostly made of up women and when some juicy gossip is discovered, the whole office knows about it by the end of the day. For example, we had an employee who works in the field get hit on by a transvestite--her exact words to this news were "I can't wait to give him shit about this--I'm juiced!" And believe it or not I am not taking her out of context, that's exactly what she said about a co-worker who had almost been sexually molested.

It clearly became evident that she had spread the news about my sexual preference to my boss, whom she is buddy-buddy with, as she too had the same grin when talking with me.

I feel completely humiliated and have been beating myself up mentally for being so stupid for leaving my notebook at work. I made sure to keep my sexual orientation private and up until this week everyone in the office thought I was straight.

So far I've changed the password to all my subscribed websites, protected my future tweets and deleted some old ones. I will keep my notebook at home from now on.

I feel like I don't have any recourse since my nosy co-worker is friends with the boss and if I complain about this, the nosy co-worker won't get fired. I plan on searching for a new job in January after getting dental work done provided by the health insurance I get from work.

In the mean time, what can I do?? I feel like I have no options.

Please help :x

Answer: It sounds like you don't even know for sure that she read anything. You're just making assumptions.


Title: [PA] No running water at work

Question:
Hello,

Today at work (corporate place) we have been informed we have no running water. No bathrooms, no drinking water, no way to wash hands, etc. The central AC is also down.

Can they keep us at work all day? It's 10 am at the time of posing and we work until 5 PM. It's expected of us to stay and work. I dont really want to use the restroom if I can help it but its unreasonable to expect that, right?

Thank you!


Title: [Uk] Is it illegal to browse the dark web

Question:
I just want to look as I am curious, I am.not going to buy anything
What will happen if I go onto the dark web through tor?
Topic:
Non-US

Answer: Browsing the dark web is like looking through your mother's underwear drawer. You're either going to find something you don't like which will be disturbing for you, or you're going to find something you do like, which is disturbing for everyone else.


Title: How can I find out where my parents were residing when I was born? Is there a free database I can look this info up?

Question:
Am located in the U.S.

Having difficulty getting passport. Born with a midwife in a border town. The legality of my birth certificate is being questioned so I have to show a pile of documents to prove my citizenship.

Mom was born In Dominican republic but have her certificate of naturalization. She doesn't remember where her and my dad were living in at time of my birth and she doesn't have any proof of her marriage to my dad.

They need as much info as I can produce from my first 5 years of my life. Only have my first immunization records of that time.

Answer: I don't know that you'll like this answer but I'd bet all the change in my pockets that she isn't telling you because she knows you (and the US government) won't like what you find out. I would not proceed any further on my own at this time. I would drop what I am doing and hire an immigration attorney who may help you find a PI to help with the search, or they may have wildly different ideas of how to approach your problem. The issue now is that you really might not be a legal citizen and the US government is aware of that, in this administration and climate that is not good news. Please handle this proactively and discreetly, I wish you nothing but the utmost success in this. Answer #2: Unless she has suffered a traumatic brain injury she knows exactly where she was when you were born. This isn't something a mother forgets. She doesn't want you to know because she's hiding something.  It's possible you aren't really a US citizen.


Title: Recruiter from staffing agency falsified resume, then slandered me in response for not following her (ethically questionable) suggestions

Question:
Seeking a job in Georgia. I met with a recruiter from the company named Insight Global staffing agency. During the introduction, the recruiter had lied to me about the role. She told me it'd be a Senior Leadership role and that I'd have a development team reporting directly to me.

This made sense as I was coming from a developer management position. I'm not a software architect, but I do have software development experience and have had a recent history of being a software team lead/manager. I then wanted to double check with them if the company really needed a new manager, to which they said yes.

I go out to the company to interview. Interview went well up until I met the senior developer on the team. He then starts drilling me about specific technical questions about software architecture. I told him that I don't do of software architecture and design, but I usually work with a software architect and his team.

He eventually figured out that I was a manager and continued with the interview. Interview went well from there, then wrapped up and left.

Later, got a call from the hiring manager. He told me that he was surprised that I went this far in the interview, however they decided that it would not work out with me so they'll pass me on for this job. They told me that it was due to my lack of technical ability which was odd for me to hear because I've been leading technical teams and have a software development background.

I called back the recruiter that led me to the job and she told me this: That I should have not told them that I am a technical lead or manager, even though I really am. I asked, did you want me to lie to the hiring manager? She said no but I should have focused on my technical abilities on the interview. I told her that I did, and anything further would be lying. She said she put her relationship on the line to get me this job, said I had no words to say and just hung up.

I decided to contact the HM of the company that interviewed me if we can meet over lunch, just to make some network connections long term and not intended to want a second chance at getting this immediate job. He agreed and we went to lunch.

During lunch, the HM asked why I lied to the recruiting company just to get the interview. I said, I didn't lie. At that moment I got confused. The HM said that I had been lying to the recruiter about my experience and career goals, and also that the recruiter said I had a history of lying to Insight Global before and even that I was on a blacklist with them.

I have never connected with Insight Global in the past so I have no idea what made her think I'd be that kind of person. At this point I don't expect the HM to believe me, however he brought up my resume. He said that it's a farce, claimed that my titles were all software architects.

I said that he got the wrong resume, and luckily I keep my own on OneDrive so I was able to quickly get out my phone and show it to him right there. I show him that the resume doesn't say that, but he is shows my "other resume" that has all those false jobs, complete with job details that I have never mentioned nor correlate with my resume.

 The resume he received was some other person's resume- not mine. The recruitment company literally removed all of the job titles and responsibilities I had, including additional content like a link to my website, and possibly replaced them with that of another person's. The only thing that was the same was the company I am with and the role I was seeking.

So here is a case not that the recruiter was merely improving or "boosting" my resume to make me more marketable (which I find is typical for many staffing companies) but creating completely different background for me. As well as alleging that *I* was the habitual liar with the staffing company, going as far as saying I have a bad reputation with them and being blacklisted.

Seemingly this seems like her comeback for not following what the recruiter wanted out of the interview and pushing me into a job using her tactics, and she badly wanted me to get but I didn't. I believe I was slandered at this point. What kind of legal actions could I take against the recruiter? The agency she works for?

Answer:
 I would immediately email the HM with a summary of your conversation (while it is still fresh in both memories) and attach a copy of your "real" resume with this email. Let them know that the CV in their current possession is not yours, that you did not send it to the staffing agency and assert that you have never worked with this woman or her agency before. Also ask if they could send you the copy of the CV the agency sent them.

Then, go through all the emails you have exchanged with this woman, **especially** your first contact. If she found your CV on LinkedIn then LinkedIn might have a history of your CV on their site. If you, however, sent her a CV via email then I would f/w that message to the HM. That first email where she introduced herself is especially critical because it would show that you don't have the supposedly long and deceitful history with them that she alleges  and also show that she - and not you - is the liar here.

Then once this is sorted out with the HM, write to her supervisor with what the HM told you, and wait for their response. But this is only after you get the HM's assertion in writing from him or her. Until then do not contact this agency. You need solid written
documentation that this woman lied to and about you before you go after her and her agency.Answer #2: First thing you need is a copy of that other resume, and a statement from the HR contact, while it's fresh.  They may balk at that, but ask nicely.  Answer #3: You're going to want to edit out the company name in this post asap or it will get removed.


Title: [California] Bank is holding paycheck, employer refuses to pay.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 > What should I do?

Wait nine days. Your employer's not responsible for your bank's check clearance policies. If the check actually bounces, then go back to your employer or file a wage claim if they won't make good on your wages.

Spend the time looking for a new job, because if your employer's payroll accounts have a hold notice on them, they've been bouncing checks. Your employer's out of money and they're going to fold soon.