Title: Sensor is damaged in car wreck, I'm not buying it.

Question: Two weeks so, I bumped a truck and it only scratched the bumper and now the owner is saying that the sensors in his bumper need replacing. I was going less than 5 mph and most of the impact fell on my car cause it came up against the trailer hitch. Do I have any moves here because I am really failing to see how hitting a car at less than 5 mph can damage a sensor in a vehicle.

Answer:
 it's possible.  bumpers for cars these days are very complicated and include lots of sensors and electronics.

http://westernautobody.com/auto-body/car-bumper-repair-costs-explained/

"People are often surprised by car bumper repair costs. This is probably due to an outdated understanding of what a car bumper is. In the early days of the automotive industry, a car bumper was just a piece of wood or metal bolted to the ends of the vehicle. It was literally there to take damage when drivers “bumped” into things. The bumper was held on by a couple of bolts, and could be easily removed and replaced.

Over the past decades, car design has become much more complex. Bumpers are now an integrated component of the vehicle, and perform far more functions than just protecting the body from damage. This has caused car bumper repair costs to rise. To understand car bumper repair costs, you need to understand what a modern bumper does, and what’s involved in fixing or replacing one."


Title: Messed up and now will have to face a preliminary hearing without representation

Question: Last month I was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia and drug possession in the state of Pennsylvania. A week or so later I received a packet in the mail containing several copies of the criminal complaint, fingerprint order (which the arresting officer told me I could ignore as we took care of that at the timw of my arrest), and preliminary hearing order. Naively, I assumed this would work more-or-less like traffic court and I didnt need to worry about representation. Looking through it today to verify times and addresses, I discovered that it also contained a slip of paper the proclaimed in large print that "YOU NEED A LAWYER." The deadline for contacting the public defender's office has passed. Is this something I really need to worry about? If so, can anyone tell me what I neeed to know to handle this on my own? What exactly goes on at a preliminary hearing?

Answer:
 You do need an attorney for a preliminary hearing, which depending on your state will determine whether your arrest and the subsequent charges are based upon probable cause.

Explain to the judge what happened and ask for a public defender. I would also begin contacting the public defender's office now (as well as the court clerk) and explain the situation.


Title: Hit & Run resulting in death. Don't know if to autopsy the body.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 It sounds like this isn't really your decision.

They can prosecute without an autopsy for a hit and run. For vehicular manslaughter or worse, an autopsy is helpful in that it nails down cause of death which, even if not in serious dispute, does need to be proven in those sorts of charges. It's a minor weakness not to have one in those cases, but not a huge one.

Again, doesn't seem like it's your decision, but you can advise them that the chances of conviction for the bigger crimes is higher with one than without one.


Title: [KS] I tutor high school kids for extra money. Was fired by client because of my gender

Question:
Client and I had a verbal contract that i tutor their child twice a week in a public area in their high school. I emailed my client today (their payment was due) and the parent told me they wanted to stop the sessions because of my gender. The client has previously said I have helped their child's grades a lot and they have never disputed fees so neither of those issues are the reason.

I am an independent contractor so I'm not sure if I was fired unjustly or not.

Thanks!!

Answer: It doesn't sound like you had a formal contract with this person (i.e. 'x' number of sessions or sessions through 03/31/17), so they're free to not bring their child to another session for any reason they see fit.Answer #2: You can be fired. You are also entitled to payment for your services. How much are we talking being past due?


Title: Estranged wife did not disclose seriousness of her medical issues prior to marriage. She has barely spoken to me for months and we have not lived together since February. I'm ready for divorce.

Question: Washington State resident. Wife has been staying with her parents practically since we got married. She had medical issues that I knew about prior to getting married but she never shared with me the full extent of those issues. She is now disabled and on my medical insurance. I'm also paying for a car (that's registered in my name) and her auto insurance. I have mentioned divorce to her in the past weeks but she does not want to do it. I don't really have any feelings left for her and I want to move on with my life. I don't want to screw her over, but I can't afford to continue paying these bills. How can I get out of this situation as cleanly as possible?

Answer:
 >How can I get out of this situation as cleanly as possible?

You call divorce lawyers first thing tomorrow morning.


Title: Questions about FakeID/underage drinking

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 > Can I be charged in court with having the fake ID even though they did not/have not seen the fake ID?

Yes. They can charge you after the fact.

> What do I tell the judge when he asks how I purchased the alcohol?

Nothing unless your attorney says to.


Title: [MO/MD] Long Distance Custody of Newborn

Question:
I'm posting this for my brother. Trying very hard to stick to the facts.

He knocked up a girl. She's now 6 months pregnant. He moved from MD to MO for his career when she was about 10-12 weeks along and she "found out" a week after he had moved. He wants to be part of his child's life but doesn't know how.

Mother has a stable job and a housing situation that could continue indefinitely. Makes about 50k/year according to Glassdoor. Father is pretty much couch surfing and has unstable work. Makes maybe 20k/year and is heavily supported by family.

Mother and father both have family in MD. The pregnancy was the result of a casual relationship, so the parents are unmarried.

How would splitting custody/getting father his rights work? He cannot appear in person, can he choose a proxy? Could this proxy also take some/all of his parenting time? Could the mother be forced to move to MO to facilitate a relationship between parent and child (or handle the transportation)? What would child support look like?

Answer:
 >How would splitting custody/getting father his rights work?

After the kid is born he would hire a lawyer and file for visitation. If he is in another state and this is a newborn that may mean some skyoe/phone time.

>He cannot appear in person, can he choose a proxy?

Do you mean in court? His lawyer may be able to appear for him.

>Could this proxy also take some/all of his parenting time?

Generally no, his parenting time is for him to use.

>Could the mother be forced to move to MO to facilitate a relationship between parent and child (or handle the transportation)?

Make her move? Absolutely not. Why should she have to move? He can move closer to her and the child is he wants to make it easier.

As for transport they will work out who is reponsible for what but given that he moved out of state he should probably expect to handle a lot of it himself. When you are talking about shorter newborn visits there is also a good chance that he will need to go to the baby if he wants in person visits.

>What would child support look like?

Child support is generally based on income. His lawyer should be able to calculate an estimate for him.


Title: (TX) Neighbor's yard being damaged by cars. Legal/responsible ways to deter?

Question:
A neighbor has had several cars cut corners at the intersection next to her home. There is a street light there that was once taken out. Normally, it just leaves deep grooves in the wet grass and soil that require fill and repair.

Is there a safe and appropriate way to deter this in the future? Could she place large rocks at reasonable distances to deter this type of traffic? Could she get away with just letting the natural rock colors out instead of painting them in a warning color?

Also, with the street light there, she wants to give clearance for the city utility maintenance. If she sets it back from the road and gives a few feet around it, would that be reasonable?

Answer: Check the HOA bylaws, but a concrete flower planter can be painted to look decorative and will absolutely wreck a car. That's why they're used by cities to deter bad drivers from crashing into things.


Title: I was robbed yesterday in Houston, Tx.

Question: If anyone can help me I will PM you all of the information. I think I know who the suspect is, but I need a way to link him to the crime. Any help is much appreciated.

Answer: Nobody will PM you, call the police.


Title: Atlanta suburb: My son was walking his roommate's dog when a neighbor child ran up. Dog bit child, months pass, now he's being sued. What questions should we ask a lawyer?

Question:
Same story/old story: My son was walking his dog and his roommate's dog, both on leashes, in the parking lot of the apartment complex. There were the usual gaggle of 10-12 preteen children running around the area. One of them calmly asked my son if she could pet the dogs, and just as he reached down to hold the dogs' collars (instead of the end of the leash), another child ran up and reached over the top of my son's roommate's dog's head.

The dog predictably reacted and bit the child on the upper arm near the elbow. The skin was scraped but not broken. Child went home, mom came out screaming about the vicious dog attack, then called police.

Police show up with an ambulance responding to call about multiple vicious dogs threatening children. During EMT evaluation, the child, for the first time, begins to cry. Mom insists on transport to hospital, threatens to sue.

Months pass.  Roommate moves. Son moves.

Today, he gets a call from his homeowners/renters insurance company - he's being sued, and will probably get served next week.

He's not a minor, so it's really his problem.But I'm his dad, so I want to help. And he doesn't reddit. So...

Here's what I recommended:
How does he find a good (and yes, cost is an issue) lawyer?
Does he need a lawyer of his own, or will the insurance company's lawyer represent my son's interests?

Get a copy of the complaint - How does he do that? Will it be included with the summons?

Notify the former roommate.

What am I missing?

edit: I need to read the guidelines before, not after I post. deleted annoying statement
Topic:
Personal Injury

Answer: It sounds like he has renters insurance, so they'll handle the lawyer. And notifying the roommate as well. Tell him to cooperate with service and the insurance company.


Title: Selling property, do not want to sell to neighbors.

Question:
Try to make this short. In MO.

We owned a house out in the county, lived there for 5 years and had a very frosty relationship with the neighbors.  Mostly little things, but then our house burned down over a year ago.  There was no mortgage, so we now own a empty lot in a nice area.  The neighbors have asked 3 times now to buy it, and due to spite we do not ever want to sell to them.

If I put a price of 20k on the market, I assume I do not have to accept their offer, I can just say fly a kite?  Or the price for you is 40k?

I know you all salivate for the juicy details.  Lets just say straw that broke was a phone call to my wife cussing her out and saying she was a horrible mother, and threatening to call CPS.  Dont say that to my wife. I would say more but it would be personal attacks, and that's not nice.

Answer:
 Perfectly legal to not sell to someone you don't like.  Also perfectly legal to give a discount to say, a pig farmer, or a professional yodeler.Answer #2: You don't have to accept anyone's offer, providing that your reason is not legally discriminatory.  "I don't like you" is not legally discriminatory.Answer #3: You don't have to accept an offer you're not happy with.  There could be problems if you reject an offer over a protected status under the fair housing act, which this seems not to be.

If you have a real estate agent, your contract may entitle them to be paid commission in the event that you reject a full price offer and don't sell the property to someone else.

More importantly, however, money is money.  If your goal is to get $20k out of the vacant lot it should matter little where that money comes from.  And your neighbors are the most obvious buyers with motivation to meet your purchase price.  Answer #4: Why not offer it to your neighbors for $40k, if you think it's worth 20k? What better revenge than taking an extra $20k from the people you dislike?

If they don't bite, you can just gradually lower the price over a few months until they or someone else does.
Answer #5: Just out of curiosity, the neighbors didn't have anything to do with the fire, did they? Just the chain of events... bad relationship -> fire -> pestering you to sell the diminished value property to them... seems a little suspicious.Answer #6: One word of warning: the neighbors are probably smart enough to understand about a "straw purchaser" -- someone else buys it but then sells to them.

Of course, that will require paying sales tax on the property twice.


Title: My ex-girlfriend changed the lock on our leased apartment. My name is still on the lease.

Question: Is this legal? We have a place in Anchorage, AK. And now she's wanting to have my sign something saying that she will take care of rent for the remainder of the lease but my name will still be on the lease. This is because neither of us can have just our own names on the lease due to not being able to afford it. Can I get some advice here?

Answer: Not legal.  As you're on the lease you have a right to live there.  And if she doesn't pay the landlord could still come after you for the money.


Title: Ebay offers no business account protection?

Question:
Selling high dollar value ($2,500+) computer equipment on ebay to the winner in Canada.  This is new to us and we just recently encountered an issue where the buyer received the item and 4 days later states that it was damaged and is requesting a refund.  We reached out to the buyer to understand what exactly happened and they explained something broke during shipping on the inside and a couple computer components were damaged.  We did ship the package with special handling and with insurance.  The package was also shipped international to the buyers location.  We called ebay to understand the next steps, the first call we made they told us that we should try and work on a resolution with the buyer and also to open up an investigation with the shipping carrier because that is what eBay will need before anything is refunded.  This sounded fine to us so we called USPS and opened up a claim and were told that the individual has to return the package to the postal office for them to investigate it.  We explained to the buyer they have to return the package so their local office so that it is investigated or we could ship them replacement parts to correct the issue.  They said they want a full refund etc and also stated that they called their local post office and they were told that the post office there does not handle claims and cannot take the package??  I then responded to them that an investigation needed to happen per eBay's comments during our discussion with them.  They respond back to us stating that they just spoke to eBay and were told that they are entitled to a full refund and shipping costs regardless... so we call eBay again and this time we are told that we need to issue a refund to them and hope that they ship everything back to us.  We explained that we would be refunding the buyer and have a high chance of being out the item also if it's never returned which is a huge risk and the individual just had to tell us, yes I know and unfortunately that is all we can do.  They also said there is an option to send them a prepaid mailing label through ebay and the buyer has within 5 days to drop it off to be shipped back and if they do not do this then the case is awarded to us (the seller) otherwise if the buyer ships back the damaged items we will still have to refund them which voids any and all insurance we have on the package (since USPS is requesting it go back to their local office for inspection).  This seems like something we will possibly have to get an attorney involved as it is very unreasonable for eBay to basically give the buyer full reign on the decision making process and expecting us to void our insurance on the package so that the buyer can receive a refund when USPS and all other carriers have specific steps for insurance claims which eBay apparently does not care about it when it comes to refunds?  Does anyone have any experience or insight into this?  We have been on the phone with ebay for over an hour trying to get a hold of someone to provide guidance.

Update 7/26/17:  Continued communicating with the buyer to get them to return the package to their local post office as USPS advised me to tell them.  I explained that they need to drop everything back off to their local post office and USPS will advise their office how to handle the package as everything is insured and they handle these situations.  The buyer didn't like this and wanted me to just send them a new shipping label so they could send it directly back to me instead which I have not done.  They also called eBay that told them that I should just send him a new shipping label through eBay's automated system which will completely avoid any insurance I purchased through USPS and USPS will not investigate anything if the buyer ships it all directly back to me.  My last communication to the buyer over the past couple of days was directing him to return the package to his local post office where a claim with USPS is already opened and they will be contacting his local office with instructions to process the package.  I did not receive any response and this morning noticed that they opened a claim up with PayPal stating the the item they received was not as described and damaged other.  Now I get to call PayPal and deal with them and hope they will force the buyer to follow USPS's return policy for internationally insured packages and not just rule in their favor or allow them to bypass the USPS insured return process.

Answer:
 This is all in your agreement with eBay. They always side with the buyer.

But if they don't return the product then yes you sue the guy who bought it


Title: (NH, US) The home I am renting has been under repair for 6 weeks now, with no end in sight. Is there anything I can do to force my landlord to get it done already?

Question:
Photos of repairs [Imgur](http://i.imgur.com/JI9k7Je.jpg)[Imgur](http://i.imgur.com/aUlYJDh.jpg)[Imgur](http://i.imgur.com/aUlYJDh.jpg)

Approximately 6 weeks ago, the ceiling of the home I rent began leaking. I immediately called my landlord. He came over, had me shut the water off, and told me that he'd have someone in there Monday to look at it (this was a Saturday). He did offer to pay for a hotel for my daughter and I to stay in while we had no water, but my neighbors offered us the use of their bathroom so we stayed. Especially since running off to a hotel would have interfered with my work/studies.

Monday and Tuesday he brings in two different contractors, (they turn the water back on) and promises everything will be repaired by the end of the week. That was 5 weeks ago.

I've tried to be patient with this getting fixed, but the dust is getting everywhere. This morning my landlord brought in a 3rd contractor, at 9 in the morning, who stated that the previous contractor didn't repair the wall/ceiling correctly, and he can't fix it till March.

I don't want to move. I'm not trying to get out of my rent or lease, but damn it, I would like this fixed already. I'm tired of the dust, mess, leaving work/school to meet contractors and plumbers, getting up early on the only days I have to sleep in, and canceling playdates and activities for my kid to be here for the people who never actually get this thing fixed. Is there anything I can do to compel my landlord to get it taken care of now? Can I hire someone myself and force him to reimburse me? What are my options? *Please let me know if you need additional details. I did attach photos.

Answer:
 Do you have a multiple month lease or are you renting month to month?

If you have a lease I don't see anything here that could get you out of it.  If you have your water back on, I don't see anything here that could be construed as constructive eviction or a violation of the implied warrant of habitability.  This is an inconvenience to be sure but it doesn't make the home uninhabitable.

If you're renting month to month you have more options.  You could ask your landlord for a discount for the upcoming months.  Since he wont be able to easily rent the unit in its current state he'll likely want to negotiate if there's a possibility you'll move out.


Title: My "friend" let his dog starve, and today it died.

Question:
So I had a roomate who I have known for years and this guy was a diabetic who had gone throug the process about 5ish years ago to get a diabetic alert dog. Nothing really to unusual.

He and his mom move states for a bit but he wanted to move back last year. So i go get a house and he moves in and turns out to be the worst roomate I've ever had. During that time I notice he has been forgetting to feed, walk, or just take care of the dog in general. I feed and walk the dog but eventually I just move out.

I have been keeping tabs on the dog whenever I see them. (We did hang out a bit still.) Last time I saw the dog I went home and called animal control because the dog was so skinny. According to the new roomate (who I know well) animal control came by and waited for the owner to get home and get the dog. (He works down the street) The owner put the dog's vest on to hide the malnourishment.  Animal control said nothing and left.

Today I saw on Facebook, 2 weeks from the animal control visit, that the dog has died.  I want to report this, but I'm not sure who to. Any advice would help.

I should point out, not that it matters, I don't think the dog died due to malice, but sheer laziness. The reason I moved out to begin with. I'll do whatever I need to to push this matter forward. (Legally of course) I just dont know where to start.

This is in Fort Worth Texas.

Answer:
 [This is a crime in Texas](https://www.spca.org/law).

Call the police.Answer #2: Maybe contact the people at Lone Star Diabetic Alert Dogs.
https://www.facebook.com/LoneStarDiabeticAlertDogs/

Even if they aren't the group that trained your ex-roommate's dog, they may have advice for you. And if nothing else, perhaps they can help ensure that this jerk never gets another dog.

I'd also contact Animal Control again and let them know the dog died and that you believe it was related to neglect. Even if there's nothing they can do about this particular situation, it gives them more of a record about him.Answer #3: That is horrible. What adult ‘forgets’ to water and feed their dog?!


Title: [AZ] Craigslist Car Scam?

Question:
Hello all posting this on a throwaway for a friend

Two days ago I met with my friend as he was looking to purchase a used car off a private seller (note that I have had no knowledge of purchasing a used vehicle and ownership - I was just there to inspect the car as I am a mechanic). In the end, we were able to get the car to a fair price, nothing out of the ordinary and the seller signed off the Arizona title with his information on the front and my friend signed his. He also paid the car in cash. Great!

Fast forward to today, he tried to get the title transferred over at the MVD, however, it was rejected due to the title not being notarized and no bill of sale was included in the transaction. We tried to get a hold of the seller, however, he informed us he has moved away out of state and will not be back in town for months. The guy basically told us to "forge his signature" which I advised not to do that.

All in all, we're not sure if we just fell into a craigslist scam but we're wondering if there is any way we can transfer ownership as to my knowledge you do need the title notarized before transferring. He is also stressing out as he doesn't know if he can sell the car either. We do have the original title with correct mileage as well as seller information, however, we're a little stuck on what to do next. Any help will be much appreciated!

Answer: Forging the signature is not an option, legally, and no notary would notarize the signature.  I'm not aware of any remedies to this fix this situation except for having the seller sign the title in front of a notary.  If the seller was a trusted individual, the friend could mail the title to the seller to have him sign it (in front of a notary) and then mail it back.  The lack of bill of sale complicates things as the seller could decide to keep the title and not return it.  How far away is the seller?  Is there anyway they could physically meet up?


Title: Question about porn/hentai. (US)

Question:
So i was watching the trailer for the characters coming out in the new soul calibur game on YouTube.

One of the trailers was for a character named talim. I was reading the comments and there were a bunch of creepers and pedos commenting on her and what they were talking about what "videos" they watched even though she is supposed to be 15.

Isn't porn like that illegal? Why are they saying stuff like that?

I understand why actual hentai is legal but these characters in soul calibur are all 3d so they look realistic.

Porn like that should be illegal isn't it? If not, why isn't it? That's kind of messed up.

Answer: Animated porn is not "child porn" in the US under federal law unless it is "indistinguishable" from a real child.


Title: Husband's family harassing him at work

Question:
Hey everyone, I originally posted this in r/relationships but was sent here. This is in KY.

When I first met my husband, he was living with his grandma in our hometown. She, and other members of his family, are extremely manipulative and are career criminals. His grandma stole a lot of money from him when he was a minor, regularly pawned his stuff when he wasn't home, and was generally a horrible woman. He eventually moved into my apartment, two hours away.

Since he moved in, he has rarely heard from his family and has no interest in contacting them. They used to occasionally get burner phones and call him to try and guilt him about "cutting off the family," but he got a new provider and the calls have stopped. He has them all blocked on Facebook except for his mom, because he wanted to try and rebuild his  relationship with her before we got married. She wasn't having it and just kept sending him mean messages (i.e, "I don't see why you bought a car when you're just going to wreck it anyway," "how'd you find a girl to marry your ugly ass anyway?") so he is no contact with her now, too.

Anyway, today while he was work, his boss told him his grandma was here to see him. (Note that he hasn't spoken to her in years, and she isn't on social media). He went to speak with her (a mistake, but he was probably afraid she'd cause a scene), and she started talking about all of her recent financial troubles (supposedly getting robbed and having to move to our city, car trouble). He knew where this was going (her asking for money) and tried to shut down the conversation ("I don't care, I have to get back to work"). She started insulting him ("You've really gained weight, huh?") and he was seething at this point, so he just told her to never come here again and walked off. She began yelling at him ("You can kiss my ass, little boy!") but he didn't turn around to see if she was escorted out or what. He spoke to his boss and said to not inform anyone else claiming to be his family of his schedule or that he's in the store if they ask.

Reddit, I am concerned because her showing up to his work means they've been keeping tabs on us. I had to scrub my social media last year after some random guy threatened me, and have always been careful about not putting too much on there. He is too, but still had his work listed. He's taken it off, but it is almost pointless now since they already know. I am afraid that she or other family members will keep showing up to cause trouble.

What can we do to protect ourselves? I thought about deleting our online presence altogether, but I have a strong support network on mine that would come in handy. Should we involve the law?
  ---
  **tl;dr**: Husband's manipulative grandma (who he has been no contact with) showed up to his work to ask for money and began yelling at him when he refused. Need advice on how to protect ourselves.

Answer:
 You can't control where she may show up, but both of you can each file for a restraining order.  If you are granted one, law enforcement is required to respond and investigate any violations of that restraining order.  Answer #2: > Reddit, I am concerned because her showing up to his work means they've been keeping tabs on us.

It is perfectly legal to keep tabs on someone. There's nothing we can tell you about the law that will help there.

> I am afraid that she or other family members will keep showing up to cause trouble.

One visit is the kind of thing best ignored. Although maybe mention to his boss that in the future his family shouldn't be invited in to see him. But if they DID continue to show up regularly and cause trouble, then you should have no difficulty getting a restraining order which would order them to leave you alone.

> What can we do to protect ourselves?

Honestly, given what you describe here, it doesn't sound to me like you are in danger. If it were me, I would just ignore it unless the problem escalates.Answer #3: I would also point out that, as private property, the workplace can ban anyone they choose and have them arrested for trespassing if they don't comply.


Title: Legal Issues child pornography

Question:
Maryland USA

Hi,

CONTEXT (i am acting inplace of a friend) (all names are made up)

So my friend (tammy) asked me if i could keep her streaks for her on snapchat, i said sure and logged into her snap. My other friend (John) then asked what was on her memories. It was full of nudes of this girl. My friend (John) then asked for them and i said sure and sent two. Now she (Tammy) is pressing legal charges on me, trying to sue me. We are both minors. (both females). My guy friend (John) who i sent them to received many nudes from this girl in the past. I know i am "liable" for this, but their is no proof i did commit these acts. My friend (John) then sent around 20 of this girl (Tammy's) nudes to over 400 people (im guessing) but a lot of people recieved them. Am i still able to be prosecuted by law and be sued or serve jailtime? (John would be charged as an adult). I am worried because my family has no money and my parents would kill me if they found out i did this.

Please help!

Thanks!

Answer:
 Yes. You’re liable. Get a lawyer.

What would make you think this is okay? Grow up.Answer #2: You need a lawyer ASAP. You’re also a garbage human being.


Title: Someone offered me money to poop on them. Is this legal? [MI]

Question: I wouldn't physically touch them or even do anything sexual with the poop, just poop on their face, get paid a few hundred and leave. My friend did it with him before so I know its not a scam or a trap. My student loans far exceed my dignity, but I don't want to risk having pooped on someone's face being on my record.

Answer:
 The definition of prostitution in Michigan includes not only paid sexual activity, but also "any other lewd or immoral act."  Whether this qualifies or not, I honestly cannot say.Answer #2: In order to get in trouble, someone would have to call the cops on you and there would have to be proof of money changing hands- kink communities are generally self-policing in this way, because both are consenting parties and neither wants photographic evidence of their sexy times, whatever they may be.

As far as if you’d get arrested, it really depends on the cops showing up, the moral leanings of said officers, and if they know money was exchanged (which can be really difficult to prove- that’s why they set up cameras for prostitution stings. You have to have proof of the monetary agreement.) If your friend has already vetted this person, I’d say the chances of you getting in trouble are pretty slim, but there is inherently a risk involved with money and sex acts. Make your decision accordingly.

Not a lawyer, but I may or may not have once had a job that fell under the “dear god I do not want this on the internet” umbrella.

Edit: [wiki link for porn regulations](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adult_film_industry_regulations)    (Since I’ve typed out what a 2257 is a bunch of times and I don’t want to anymore.) Answer #3: This is a clear risk/reward question. What you would lose by having a prostitution charge on your record far exceeds what you’d gain by participating in this, even if the chance of getting caught is very small. Just thank him for the tax cut and move on.


Title: Friday Shitpost: Bad Legal Advice from other subs

Question:
Just because we have our own shockingly bad legal advice from time to time, doesn't mean we can't also laugh at bad legal advice that gets posted elsewhere.

So share your favorite stupid comment or post with legal advice from another subreddit. (Don't forget the NP link!)

Answer:
 I can't seem to find the post itself anymore but I guess that any of the regulars who have been here for a while know what I'm talking about when I mention the moron who went to almost all of the divorce attorney's in his area for a free initial consult so that his STBX-wife couldn't hire them. (this idea he got from another sub (luckily) and they probably got it from the Soprano's). (If anybody could link the first time he came to the main sub or the original post from the exmormon sub would be nice)Answer #2: IS THIS SUBREDDIT BEING DETAINED?

MUH RIGHTSAnswer #3: If you're pulled over for drunk driving just throw your keys and pound some hard liquor! That way they can't prove you were drunk driving somehow!

I have never, ever understood this argument. I think it comes from the advice that if you absolutely must sleep in your car impaired then you should put your keys in the trunk and curl up in the back seat, locking the doors from the inside. It ain't fool proof and you're always better off getting a cab, but it's better than slumped over in the driver's seat, key in hand.Answer #4: INB4: "That's assault!" When it's actually battery.Answer #5: The post in R/sex asking about the issues surrounding impregnating a lesbian friend as a favor.  That post is 0% sex and 50/50 relationship/legaladvice territory.  r/sex is notorious for being a younger crowd, it's horrifyingly entertaining.

[Link](https://NP.reddit.com/r/sex/comments/6syfer/should_i_help_a_lesbian_friend_of_mine_get/)Answer #6: I was told my wife can drive illegally on her non-existent foreign license after having a valid US license for 2 years that expired because her green card expired and we still hadn't gotten our Notice of Action yet.


Title: Roomate got fired after Stroke and Surgery

Question:
Location is Central Indiana, USA.

Job was at a Call Center providing over-the-phone technical support. Employment had been from January 2015 to January 2016.

In November his health began to decline, often vomiting and losing his voice afterwards, and having to go home. He got a Leave of Absence so that he could get to a doctor and get things straightened out. It was discovered he had an ear infection, and underwent surgery due to it damaging his eardrum.

He had a stroke during the surgery, or in recovery. It physically weakened him, but no permanent loss of facilities. The Leave of Absence was up about this time. Over the next three weeks, he had various related problems; a severe vitamin deficiency that had him passing out, a piece of cotton lodged in the open eardrum that needed to be extracted, causing severe pain in the mean time. The surgery had been a failure as well, resulting in 60% hearing loss in that ear.

They called him Thursday saying that since his Leave of Absence had expired, that they were accruing attendance points despite all the doctor and Emergency Room notes I had delivered there myself. This weekend was supposed to be his return, but they said they should have fired him two weeks ago anyways.

Their normal attendance policy is to group absent days together if you have a doctors slip excusing you. He'd had consecutive days, but they were from each group of workdays. He'd moved down to 30 hours a week while this was managed, also.

We've just started to get things together, such as Unemployment, Food Stamps, even applying for Disability.

With all this, is there any sort of case for wrongful termination in relation to illness?

A note: Any vagueness is because of the 'no personally identifiable information' bit. First time posting here, so I'm trying to stay well clear of it. If there's any more information, I'm glad to provide it.

Answer:
 Sadly, it would seem not.

The Family and Medical Leave Act provides some protections for workers who have a "serious health condition", which this would be.  But the act requires that they have worked for their employer for at least 12 months, and have worked at least 1,250 hours in the 12 months before the leave, based on your time line it seems likely that neither are true for your roommate.  And in that case he is SOL.


Title: Legal to ship items in previously used and labeled boxes.

Question:
IE Can I use a shoebox to ship an entirely different item someone bought from me from ebay.
Canada QC.

Answer: Yes. Make sure it is a sturdy shoe box.


Title: [Texas] I have been made aware of a rape.

Question:
Sequence of events:

1) past Saturday night, alleged rape happens at a party. A supposedly drunk guy forced himself upon a drunk girl who is actively saying no.

2) victim runs out of room and weepingly tells witness what happened.

3) next day (sunday), witness tells me this.

4) it is now Tuesday. Victim does not want to report it because she is afraid of her parents, the police, and the alleged rapist. As I understand it, it's too late for a tape kit, and she wouldn't consent to it anyway.

I feel like it is my responsibility to women at large and the women at the university the alleged rapist to report him to the police. I feel like he's a public health risk and that it's not the victims call anymore. I feel like her discomfort is worth preventing possibly many more rapes.

What do y'all think? I'm at a loss here as to what to do.

Answer:
 You do nothing.

The victim has had their consent taken from them once.  Don't take her consent from her again and involve her in a police investigation against her will.

Be there for support and light encouragement to report it, but it is ultimately her decision and you need to respect that.Answer #2: > I feel like her discomfort is worth preventing possibly many more rapes.

No. What you feel is irrelevant. You have no business attempting to report this if the victim does not want to at this point.Answer #3: You're not the victim, perpetrator, or a witness. All you have is a rumor. So, no, you shouldn't go against the victim's wishes, and you probably don't have enough for the police to go on anyway.

If you believe the victim, stop associating with the perpetrator. Answer #4: It's not your decision to makeAnswer #5: One of the best things you can do for your friend is to point her to RAINN (www.rainn.org). They have counselors who can help (and her school likely does too).


Title: Police hiring process

Question: So I'm going through the hiring process for my local city (Phoenix PD). And I had to disclose on my background packet something I'm not proud of. Two years ago I had set my phone in a bathroom to record (yeah I'm a piece of shit, I know). So I got the recording but immediately felt shitty and deleted it. So now the detective on my packet is asking when, how, why, how I set my phone up, how many women, etc. Now I feel like a case is being built up on me instead of going through with my hiring process. Is it possible that's what they are doing?

Answer: Yes. You need a criminal defense lawyer and do not talk to the police again without the lawyer present.  You can forget about working as a police officer.


Title: [WA] Sold item on OfferUp, buyer claimed defective and filed in Small Claims Court. Help!

Question:
Recently, I sold a piece of test equipment for a not small amount \($500\). I am not a professional seller, this was simply a spare piece of equipment which I couldn't justify the space for any more. In my description, I did say the item was in mint conditions \(which is true, it had zero scratches and came with all of the spare parts\). More importantly, before even trying to list the item I tested to ensure all channels displayed a trace and ensuring that everything worked properly \(to the best of my ability\). I took multiple pictures showing the channels working, the LEDs on the front working, etc. Some of which were shown in the ad. All in all, I spent over 30 minutes taking these pictures, etc. I have no doubt in my mind that what I gave to him was a working instrument.

The seller messages me claiming that I am committing fraud, that the item was emitting smoke and demanding a refund. Now my thoughts are either 1\) buyers remorse or 2\) he used the instrument wrong and damaged it and is trying to get me to eat the cost. Either way, I basically told him I tested it out and I don't doubt it was working when I handed it to you. Plus, since I don't know what you did with it from that point on and even more importantly it is easy to damage this piece of equipment by testing things you shouldn't I will not issue a refund. He asked for proof that it was working, so I sent him a link to some images showing some of the channels working.  I thought since he didn't send me anything more, that things were settled.

Yesterday evening, I received a letter sent by USPS indicating he filed a small claims court filing. I am not sure how he got my address but this is not important, I assume this is "being served". It indicates that he is filing for TEN TIMES what he paid \($5000\).  His filing claims that I committed fraud and knowingly sold a broken instrument, that he suffered medical illness by smoke inhalation, and that he is entitled to treble damages. Now obviously, I am scared as hell. I'm not a rich man, by a long shot. I have the images of the device working \(way more than I sent him\), my wife was in the room with me and she could attest that she didn't smell anything wrong \(but since it is my wife, is her testimony even legit/allowed?\). In the end, did I screw myself by thinking that he is lying and am I liable for what feels to me to be a scam?

I can't get a lawyer involved since this is small claims court, so I have NO CLUE what to do besides print out the text of the ad and the pictures showing it working. Right now, I am just wishing I donated this test equipment to charity instead of selling it.

Answer:
 Take all your photos and your wife to court with you. Tell the judge that you tested the device and it was working as described when you sold it. Provide the pictures and inform him that your wife witnessed these tests and can testify that the device was not dangerously faulty when tested.

Small claims is fairly informal, and nobody expects you to be a lawyer. Dress appropriately, be polite and respectful, and present your case clearly and concisely.Answer #2: I would suggest taking a read upon the OfferUp web site. Their entire list of terms and conditions throughly  Answer #3: First, relax.

Based on what you said, he doesn't have much of a case. He's not getting $5k no matter what.

Simply bring all your evidence and provide your end of the story.

But the bottom line "caveat emptor" applies.

You're fine. He won't win.

Answer #4: He purchased a piece of used test equipment.  Unless you provided him with some sort of warranty, he hasn't got a case.  When you go to court, present yourself with respect towards both the court and the buyer.  This alone will go a long way toward making a favorable impression on the court and lend credence to your case.


Title: Hacking - Ruining lives

Question:
I would like to share a true story concerning my brother, currently living in Sydney. There has been great injustice suffered by my brother, AB, while studying at Macquarie University in NSW, Australia. He is perhaps one of many students whose grades were manipulated or deleted after hackers gained access to unhashed passwords of students accounts back in 2012. AB discovered that all his assignment grades were deleted only after completing his third year of study in December of 2013. He wasted the whole of 2014 trying to get the matter properly investigated and resolved. Despite, having evidence on my brother's favour, the university has tried to bury the matter on multiple occasions by delaying the final decision until AB's visa is about to expire. The university always gave unreasonable rulings despite the evidence being on my brother's favour. AB has even written to other Australian offices seeking their help but till now he has not seen justice prevail. Frustrated, AB is forced to return home while having wasted four years of his life and accumulated a large debt just because a premier Australian institute wants to deny that its students grades were manipulated by hackers. There are a lot more details to this story but I just wanted to put this short version online while hoping to warn others and also get some advice as to how to solve this problem. Thank you

Edit: A letter written by my brother:

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am a Fiji citizen and I had been studying at Macquarie University from 2011-2013.

Upon completion of my studies in November 2013, Macquarie University falsely accused me of forging result notification.

It has been a year now and I have appealed numerous times, but in every meeting the university has declined to properly investigate the case and without any reason they have excluded me from the university and prevented me from graduating.

I received an email address of a Macquarie University staff member of the International Office from my sponsor’s representative (rainy.renx@mq.edu.au). I used to email Rainy Ren whenever I needed something from the university throughout my study period. The person assisted me with all my enrolment and provided advice. The person used to send softcopies of my results which my sponsors upon verification with the university would in turn pay my living allowance for that semester.

In September 2013, the person informed me that he was also a representative of the International Student Association and was requesting for a membership fee. I had problems withdrawing funds from my account so I didn’t end up paying the fee.

In September when my sponsors requested for my results, I emailed Rainy Ren for a copy of the results, as I have done so in the past semesters. He sent me the results which I forwarded to my sponsors. My sponsor tried to get verification but was not able to reach Rainy Ren. I approached the International Office to get a disclosure consent form signed for my sponsor and to enquire about the inability to contact Rainy Ren, to which the person responded saying that there might have been system updates which may have caused this. The reception desk informed me that Rainy Ren was out on lunch break and since I wanted to get a signature urgently I should proceed to Student Services. I followed the instructions and got my form signed by a course assistant.

In November the Campus Wellbeing Department issued an alert that there were groups posing as the International Student Association, and everyone should be alert. After this the staff email was unreachable and my sponsor tried to get my results verified but couldn’t.

In December, my father went to my sponsor’s office and found out that the university failed to verify the results. This was the first time I came to know about this. A few days later, the university sent me an email informing me of a meeting in December.

In the meeting, the University Discipline Committee requested for the email headers, which I happily sent them, following the instructions Iona (UDC rep) emailed me. After this I lost access to my student accounts and was not able to sign in. Upon checking with the IT department, they would inform me that I would get access by a particular date but I didn’t get access till March, 2014. I contacted the HOD of Earth and Planetary Science Department who informed me that this was an administrative problem and that it could easily be solved. I later found out that the lecturers claimed they didn’t receive my assignments (this was odd since no lecturer ever spoke to me about the assignments during classes or tutorials or even sent a notification email)
In March, we found out that someone during this time had been signing into my student accounts. A message in the draft of the email was left behind which claimed that Rainy Ren had accessed my accounts, disabled my Ilearn Account (which students use to submit assignments), hacked into my bank account (my debit Visa card had fraudulent activity on it), also hacked into my social networking accounts.

In the March meeting, I requested the UDC to track the email address and the IP address from Sweden (which was found in the sign in history), but the UDC declined my request. At the end they informed me that they were excluding me from the university.

After this I approached the Redfen Legal Centre for assistance. They helped me with my appeal submission and prepared for the meeting. Reviewing the documents we found out that a Macquarie University staff member had issued a copy of my Student ID card to someone else (I requested the UDC to investigate the employee but they declined). We also requested the university to give me a copy of my emails from their backups but they declined (UDC claims to keep student emails for up to 10 Years but they apparently don’t have mine).

In the April meeting, the UDC requested for my laptop which I handed over to them the very next day. They also asked me for my assignments which was on my hard drive and a letter from the bank confirming fraudulent activity on my account. I informed the UDC that I was travelling to NZ and I will do everything I can to give them everything they have requested. Upon returning from NZ, I was contacted by the University that their independent investigator (Clinton Towers) had finished with the laptop and it was ready for pickup. After picking up the laptop and checking it, I found out that it was not operational. I informed the University about this. They checked with Clinton Towers and after a lot of delays, the University asked me to have it check by a repairs store. The repairs store informed me that the hard drive was completely damaged. During this time the university was still waiting for the report from Clinton Towers which was already a month late. The university paid for the damages to my laptop. The bank informed me that they needed a police warrant to get the letter I had requested. I informed the UDC and requested them for a letter which I could use to get a warrant, but the UDC declined again. Since my laptop was damaged I wasn’t able to access my assignments. Therefore, I printed a few of the assignments as proof that I had it and took my backup hard drive with me to the meeting in July. The Clinton Towers’ report had arrived in June however I was not informed of this. The report showed that I was not responsible for anything the university was accusing me of. The University also requested my laptop files to be sent to them without my authorisation, even though I had requested Clinton Towers to send the files to me at my address.

During the meeting, I presented the assignments and correspondence with the bank. However, the committee did not even touch the documents. They did not even consider the report from Clinton Towers. They directly informed me that they were not going to consider the appeal.

I finally received the letter from the bank confirming fraudulent activity on my account.

I presented this to the Student Ombudsman, and he informed me that he will thoroughly investigate the case. He asked me to see a psychologist and send him a report. I did everything as requested. In December, the ombudsman informs me that the psychologist was not qualified to make an assessment and that he will not consider the report and he will not investigate any further. I requested him for a contact for another psychologist but he declined. I also requested him for a report of his findings but he declined citing privacy protocols. He informed me that the NSW Ombudsman’s Office had the resources to investigate it and answer the questions about the case (this was after over 3 months he sat with the case). In an email he also tried to frighten me saying that the ombudsman will be reporting me to the police if I decided to go ahead with my appeal to the NSW Ombudsman.

I emailed the Vice Chancellor, that due to unfair treatment I will now have to resort to outside help.

The Deputy VC requested me for the police case file number (case which I filed in March 2014). In the first email she told me that the number was wrong. So to be accurate I took a photo of the number and emailed to her. She still insisted that the number was wrong. In my third attempt, I email a copy of the entire report card. Now she said that she had the correct number. A few days later she emailed me saying the number was wrong again and that I should get it sorted out. After a lot of running around and about a month later the Blacktown Police Station informed me that the number was absolutely correct. During this time the Deputy VC was tracking the staff email address. Upon receiving the report, she emailed me a review saying that the person responsible needed to have technical knowledge in order to access the Google severs (which I definitely don’t have). Also she said that since the original emails were now missing they can’t track the email address. She accused me of deleting the emails during the time when I had no access to my student accounts. The Deputy VC informed me that she will not review any further.
I have now forwarded the case to the NSW Ombudsman and they are now looking into it.

I have wasted so much of my time and money trying to get this sorted out but Macquarie University has made no effort to properly investigate this case. They have just made me run around and just given me excuses. They have also misguided me into doing extra units, hence my sponsors ended up paying more than was required for graduation.

Therefore, I am requesting for your assistance in getting this matter investigated properly and resolved as soon as possible.

Yours faithfully

AB

Answer: Did you have a legal question?


Title: Falsely Accused of Creating Child Pornography [BC, Canada]

Question:
First off, I live in BC, Canada and understand answers will come from mostly those in the USA. I’m open to lots of opinions and ideas though, so don’t let location stop you from replying.

Backstory: Years ago I worked with a model that was under 18, shooting content for a website. It was swimwear and lingerie. Morally grey area, but legally fine. No nudity, no closeups of genital areas, and no suggestive or lascivious poses. I did not talk with her parent or guardian, but she did bring a model agreement signed by a person she said was her guardian. A week or so later, I get a knock on the door. Two plainclothes officers from the Sex Crimes unit want to know what I was doing that day, and said that they received a complaint that child pornography was being created. I explained the circumstances and they said it was the mother that called the police because she had no idea what her daughter was doing. All she knew was pictures were taken of her underage daughter in lingerie in a hotel room.. Yeah, I’d be pretty worried as a parent too. I explained the signed model release, and admitted I “really” should have talked to a parent and witnessed them signing the release. I hadn’t yet submitted the content, and happily surrendered it to the officers for inspection. Never heard another word.

Around 3 years later I’m pulled over by a police car. I had a cracked windshield and assumed it was because of that. Officer explains he pulled me over because there’s a “note” about child pornography on my “file”. He asked me a few general questions (where am I going, where have I been today), and then told me to get the windshield fixed. So, now I’m living in constant panic whenever I see a police car. I’m married (happened after the previous events), and my wife works with kids. I’m terrified I’ll be pulled over again with her in the car, and then have to explain why there’s a note about child pornography attached to my name.

I filed a freedom of information request, and got the police file sent to me. It describes everything that happened, and the officer’s remarks that while my actions might have been a little questionable morally, there was absolutely no child pornography produced and nothing illegal occurred. The case was closed and labelled “unfounded”. I’ve since had criminal record and vulnerable sector checks, with no problems. I have a Nexus card, and even have had it renewed with no issue.

My question is can I do anything to have this “note” removed from my file? Is that “child pornography” label going to be forever in my file? Is this only attached to my local PD “notes” about me, or does this info go further? Any ideas?  Thanks for reading! :)

Answer: Did I read correctly, that you're saying that a cop ran your license plate while you were driving and decided to pull you over because of a "note" in your "file" that mentioned child pornography, even though there was no arrest or conviction (or even awareness on your part that there was an investigation going on)?


Title: (TX) My surgeon added on a procedure without my express consent, verbal or written, during my foot surgery because "other patients were happier that way."

Question:
I am a young, active woman with genetically terrible feet. I've given up several activities and shoes due to pain. I knew this surgery was coming from the age of 18. I opted to have one of my severe bunions fixed with a Lapidus (joint fusion) at the base of first metatarsal. I authorized in written form for many things involved in this surgery (and I still have a copy). What I DIDN'T authorize was (1) for a surgical staple to be placed in my big toe and (2) for my big toe to be permanently "stuck" pointing up. The agreement specifically stated what instrumentation and bone cuts were authorized. These were not covered.

I asked my surgeon about this at an early follow-up. (I was still swollen.) He stated, "Most of my patients liked the way it looked better with the toe pointing up." (Ok???) I let it go because my foot was still so swollen at this point.

I am many weeks post-op and no longer swollen. When I stand, my big toe cannot touch the ground. I cannot bend my big toe. I do not ever see myself returning to rock climbing or yoga, let alone a proper gait. I am seeing another doctor for a second opinion. I am overall unhappy with my result.

&#x200B;

Do I have the grounds for a malpractice suit?

Answer: Failure to get informed consent is pretty textbook malpractice, but the question is what you're damages are. You should consult with a medical malpractice attorney.


Title: Rehomed a French Bulldog, buyer will not pay second half of rehoming fee.

Question:
We re-homed a French Bulldog to a buyer from a state over with a fee. Agreed to send first half via Paypal and the second half payments would be dispersed throughout 5 months.

I tell her beforehand that the dog is unregistered with AKC. She comes to my state to take the dog and agrees that everything is in order and she loves the dog.

I have her sign a payment agreement letter stating she is paying X amount for a deposit and X amount throughout 5 months. I ask to make a copy of her driver's license so I can track her down if she decides not to pay, she says it's in her car and I agree to let her send me a photo later.

I get a message later from her stating that she believes that the dog is not a purebred French Bulldog and that she will not pay the second half that she owes me. Keep in mind this is a quite expensive dog.

I'm not too upset about the money, just upset that she might get away with essentially stealing my dog. I did almost everything wrong by accepting Paypal and only one half. But I know her name, a city/state of residence. Is there any legal action I can take to either get her to pay the second half or refund her money and she returns the dog?

I have a signed payment agreement letter (probably not legally binding), screenshots where I state the dog is unregistered, and videos of her meeting the dog.

Would the best course of action be to file a police report in her city/state or open a small claims suit in my/her state? Or just to let it go all together?

Answer:
 You can sue her, likely in small claims, for the remaining payment.Answer #2: You sold your dog. Period.

The whole idea behind a rehoming fee is that if someone is willing to pay for a pet they're more likely to have thought it through and will be more likely to take good care of the pet. It's not to make a profit or recoup every penny you ever spent on a pet. It's incredibly deceptive when an owner sells their animal and asks a "rehoming fee" for an exorbitant amount. Keep that in mind if/when you go to small claims court. Stop using that BS phrase and be honest about selling your pet for the stated amount of $1,500. The payment agreement letter is %100 binding and should hold up in court.


Title: Just found out a band used my photo as their album cover.

Question: I was just tipped off that a band used one of my photographs as their album cover without permission.  I have never heard of the band, so I’m guessing they just came across it on Reddit and used it. They are not a big band by any means so my question is, is it even worth going after something like this? The album is already out and is on Spotify with my image as the album.  Just curious to what my options are. Thanks.

Answer:
 Obligatory: I'm an IP lawyer, but I'm not *your* IP lawyer.

Assuming that the photograph is actually yours (not a similar photograph by someone else), and it isn't a fair use of your image (a complex analysis that is best conducted by an offline lawyer whom you've retained to help you), your options are to:

1. Ask them nicely not to use your photograph and see if they comply;
2. Send them a formal cease and desist letter demanding that they stop using your photograph, and see if they comply; and/or
3. Take them to court for copyright infringement.

You have nothing to lose by doing 1 and 2, and it's amazing how cooperative people can be when faced with simple, non-threatening requests. If you opt for 3, you'll need to do 1 and/or 2 first (ideally both, to show that you've made good faith efforts to resolve the matter without resorting to the judicial system). Also, be warned that 3 won't be fast or cheap, and you'll almost certainly need to retain an offline lawyer to assist you.Answer #2: Heh; that's happened to me three times now: [1](https://imgur.com/TFMQAXJ), [2](https://www.discogs.com/W%C3%BCrm-La-For%C3%AAt-Dautrefois/release/4139713), [3](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-nNGo0qaC7YE/UtQwiM9mAGI/AAAAAAAAVzE/7tBNy1qboI0/s577-no/1998+-+Orke+%2528Demo%2529+01.jpg), plus several more that weren't album covers.

If the offender is in the U.S., you can file a DMCA takedown notice against them and their service provider. If that doesn't work, I think you need a lawyer. If the offender is outside the U.S., then you could still try writing to them and their service provider. If that doesn't work, you're probably SOL.

Do you have actual damages? I don't do photography for money, so I'm equal parts PO'd about my work being stolen, and flattered. I've never pursued any legal avenues.


Title: Can my neighbors claim I'm harassing them when I confront them for being noisy at midnight?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Start calling the police on him. You've given him fair warning, no need to keep bothering him in person. Answer #2: He can claim it but in reality it's not harassment.

However you don't want to get yourself too involved with this person. You can't underestimate crazy and all that. in future I suggest going through management or calling the police, stating that he's been aggressive when you've asked him to keep it down in the past.

I also suggest making a recording of the noise in your apartment each time, in case he claims he's not actually making noise and you're using the police/management to harass him.

Keep all this documentation (recordings, police reports, emails to and from management, a log of any contact made (e.g, if he tells you off for calling the cops) and if it shows no sign of stopping do the big complaint to management sending them all the documentation.


Title: Nevada - Doesn't a 45 - 65 day wait for my information to be registered in the state's computer system for a citation violate my right to a speedy trial?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Having a backlog in one of the busiest police departments in the world does not violate your constitutional rights. Especially since you aren't going to have a trial (probably).

Go ahead and have your response to the citation prepared and check often to see if it's been posted.


Title: Employment/Labor Law: Is there any way to require an employee, upon hire, to sign a contract which mandates that they work a minimum period of time (ex: at least 2 years)?

Question:
Hi all. Is there any way to require an employee, upon hire, to sign a contract which mandates that they work a minimum period of time (ex: at least 2 years)?

EDIT: This would be for California.

I know you can give employees retention bonuses, which is conditioned on them having to return it if they leave. But I'm curious if there are other legal ways to require an employee to work a minimum amount of time upon hire, and ways to ensure that they stay that amount of time, or else suffer some sort of consequence. That's probably a bad way of saying it, but I'm looking for something consequential as opposed to an incentive.

Thanks for any help!

Answer: If you want to remove the at-will nature of any employment, you do so by having the employee sign an employment contract. Both parties are bound by the agreement, and that includes term, compensation, etc.


Title: Surgery center double charged us, do we have any recourse?

Question:
(Ohio) So, my wife had an issue with her foot. I won't get into it too much but the relevant info is that she had a small cyst removed, and a taylor's bunion fixed (which involved breaking her 5th metatarsal and relocating it). The doctor and surgery center billed us separately, and the surgery center bill listed two separate procedures on the order of $3500 and $3900, plus a single screw. The really crazy bit to me is that the doc only charged $1200 for everything he did. My wife called the surgery center and asked them why they're charging us for the procedure and not for time spent in the room and supplied. Their short answer was "we charge based on the procedure the doctor does." So my wife asked "So am I being charged double then? There were two procedures, but I didn't use twice the amount of time." Their response? "That's just how our billing works, we charge for time, supplies and staff based on the procedure done."

So they're pretty much admitting to double charging us and the insurance. They didn't itemize the bill in any intelligible way. Just procedure 1, procedure 2, and screw. I'm not sure if I should call the insurance company and report them or what. They wouldn't give at all on the phone when she talked to them. This seems like some sort of fraud to me. Anyone know for sure?
Topic:
Medicine and Malpractice

Answer: There were 2 procedures. The fact that 2 procedures took maybe 1 hour when just 1 procedure would take 1 hour is irrelevant.  Or am I missing what you're trying to explain?


Title: When is a surgical complication considered malpractice?

Question:
This is my first ever post so please forgive me if I’ve made an error.

I recently had what was expected to be an overnight surgery result in a nightmare.  I was referred to a large university hospital due to swallowing issues.The plan was for a laparoscopic surgery where part of my esophageal muscles would be cut.  While inside, surgeon found my spleen to be encased with scar tissue so the surgery was changed to open.  Spleen was removed, original problem was addressed, and I was then admitted for a longer stay,  The first post-op day was really not bad, but the 2 days after became increasingly painful.  The response was an increase of pain meds.  Day 4 I ran a high fever, blood pressure dropped, pulse sky high.  Turns out my bowel had been nicked.

I ended up in the icu with a trach for 6 weeks.  During this time I had 12 abdominal surgeries to try and control the infection with my abdomen left open until the 12th one. I remember nothing of the icu stay until the 4th week. Things were pretty dire as friends and family were told that it was time to visit.

I was then transferred to another facility to be weaned off the vent for a month, and then spent another month at an inpatient facility to regain the strength to even sit up in bed much less walk.  I then spent 4 months in outpatient PT.

I live in VA and the surgery was done in NC.

You sign your life away on a surgical consent form, but this was obviously not an expected result.

Answer:
 >When is a surgical complication considered malpractice

This topic is far too complicated for internet advice as the AutoMod points out.  But in the most general terms, when the outcome is the result of an error or deviation from a standard course of care as opposed to the sort of ordinary risks of the procedure.  And when there is a demonstrable tangible loss as a result.

>Turns out my bowel had been nicked.

That's probably a reasonable time to consult an attorney.  It isn't necessarily certainty that you have a case, but you should review the situation with someone qualified to discuss it with you.


Title: Lease says I pay $0/month for my house, nothing has been charged to me yet. What should I do?

Question:
Location: Louisiana

Multiple iterations of the lease for the house I am renting have been activated/deactivated due to errors on the property management company’s end (missing a roommate’s name, etc). On the final lease that is currently active now, the section detailing rent payment each month specifically states “TENANT  shall pay promptly as a monthly rental sum of$0.00  which is due and payable on or before the first.”

Today (July 1st) is the first day I have had to pay rent at this place, and the online portal we are to use says that no payment is owed at this time. It’s looking like since the “rent payment” of the lease says $0, nothing is getting charged to me or my account, assuming this is all automated.

Being that the legal document I signed to live in this house says I owe $0/month, do I have any obligation to let them know of their mistake? Should I ride it out until they contact me about it? What should I do?

Answer:
 Let them know. They'll figure out eventually.

This is a obvious error in transcription. It doesn't allow you to take advantage of the error by not paying rent you're still bound to pay whatever the rental amount your agreed to is.Answer #2: They will figure it out eventually, at which point you will need to pay, possibly with late penalties. Best to contact them now.


Title: I left my dog in my car. (Ontario, Canada)

Question:
Background:

In a moment of thoughtlessness I left my dog in the back of my car for a few minutes while I went to get something from a store. I first returned after 10 minutes, and my dog was fine. I'd forgotten something so went back to the store. Again, no more than 10 minutes later, I returned to find two police cars and an officer opening my window.

I opened the trunk and Charlie came out, I was berated by the officers briefly and then left.

I was issued a court date:

"Owner or custodian of an animal permitting the animal to be in distress."

I'm terrified I'm going to lose my dog, I don't care about fines or anything else.

Realistically what should I expect, and what can I do?

Answer: You should expect a fine of not more than $1,000.


Title: Stuck buying home I can't afford

Question: US-NJ I am under contract for a bank owned property and am having severe concerns that I am in over my head. A mortgage commitment was delivered satisfying all contingencies. My lawyer informed me that backing out now would cause a default of contract. The contract says they would keep my deposit (which I'd be fine with), but that they would still be able to pursue legal options against me. My lawyer says they could sue me for any cost difference between my offer and the final sales price of the home along with costs to maintain the home until it's actual sale. My closing is in a few days, do I have any options here to get out of this contract? I had considered offering perhaps 10% of my offer price to default and prevent future lawsuits, is that something a bank would accept? My current deposit is only 1%

Answer: Maybe they will accept, maybe not. But you have a lawyer who is in full knowledge of the contract and knows the potential consequences of defaulting, so follow hiss advice. There's no magic wand here.


Title: Will I pass inspection with illegal tinting?

Question: I’m getting 15% tint on my car besides the windshield next week. The law in my state is 70% tint which is basically nothing. Will I pass inspection with the 15% tint?

Answer: You're asking if your illegal tint is illegal?


Title: (Israel) Would I get in trouble for ordering Mein Kampf?

Question:
I'm Arab and I live in Israel, before the question, I want you to know... I'm not racist, I love Jews, I have Jew friends, I respect everyone, I don't have Nazi ideology, I don't love Hitler, you get the point...
I wanna read it ONLY for the purpose of education, I know it might not be the best way to learn about Hitler, but I wanna see what the monster thought.

&#x200B;

Would I get in trouble if I order it online? (since I heard they only sell only 1 copy here which is really condensed and rare to find).

If I'm not allowed to have it... what's the most that will happen? take the book from me? put me in jail? etc...
Topic:
Non-US

Answer: If you are able to get one, I would recommend making sure that it’s one that includes a lot of annotation and context. I know there are editions of it that have a lot of extra commentary from historians explaining everything, the lies and why people believed them. That could help on a personal level if someone saw you have it for you to explain that you are interested in it historically.


Title: I slipped in dog shit. Premises liability. Environmental damage.

Question:
[removed]
Topic:
Removed

Answer:
 You can keep complaining to management. You can call the police (I'll eat my left shoe if the police actually investigate). Otherwise, clean your shoes, look for a new apartment, get on with your life. Answer #2: Your last post about this was shut down. Why are you posting it again?

In any case, even if you're a troll, the cost of filing a small claims suit against the owners of said dogs and investigating this claim will certainly outweigh the cost of your Reeboks.

Cheaper resolution: wash your shoes in soap and water and air dry.Answer #3: Your first step is to get a judge to grant you subpoenas for every dog in the complex so that you can take DNA evidence.  I suggest wearing your now shitty shoes to court because judges love that kind of stuff.  Once you have DNA files on every single dog in the complex you can undertake testing each and every piece of canine fecal matter you find using a third party lab (there are a few in the US including one in Tennessee).  Expect results in 6-8 weeks.  Once you've identified the culprit canine, you can sue the owner for the cost of the paper towels, water, vinegar and other cleaning materials you might use.  If you took your shoes to a professional shoe shiner, you can charge for the shine but not the tip.  That should mean that you're suing for $15 or so.

Oh, and blaming water quality on dog feces is hilarious.  Agricultural runoff is a much larger problem.


Title: (MN) Vice principal threatening to charge everyone sitting at a lunch table with assault

Question:
A typical lunch for me involves planning (ok fantasizing) what's happening on the weekend and otherwise discussing pop culture such as the non-English class related book we're reading or hot new video game and the next session at the clubhouse.

When I sat down with my literal circle of acquaintances there were two other guys standing next to the table. A person sitting at the table was wearing an Israeli Defense Forces t-shirt and the passerby thought it was so damn interesting that he struck up a conversation. Mr. IDF shirt explained how he spent last summer over there and he's glad "...they defend us from terrorists." That piqued the interest of the other passerby and they got into heated discussion ending with ethnic slurs and one dared the other to "say that again" which was responded with a shoulder check. A fist fight began, everyone in the vicinity moved away. This one girl was recording the fight on her phone and one of the hot headed guys demanded that she stop. She didn't. He grabs her phone and throws it at the other guy but misses. In what felt like slow motion the phone hit the vice principal in the eye.

So like everyone who was at the exact scene has been suspended for a week and the vice principal is threatening to confirm to the police that he wants to pursue assault charges against "the instigators." Is this a bluff? Should I lawyer up now?

Answer: I am not a lawyer, but a vice principal cannot charge anybody with a crime.


Title: Marriage agreement in CAlifornia

Question:
So let's say my husband wants to sign a marriage agreement with me, is it legal/ the following items would have legal force?

1. I have to marry him for life
2. If I ever leave him, I will not have any form of alimony
3. If I ever leave him, I need to compensate him with money
4. If we divorce, he will have the full custody of our child

Thank you!!

Answer:
 I'm a cop. I've seen this level of control plenty of times in domestic violence suspects. He's nice enough to tell you that he will be manipulating and hurting you at some point in the future. You should thank him on your way out the door.

When I say hurt I don't mean hurt your feelings. A man that thinks this way does not see you as a peer and will not hesitate to physically assault you to maintain control Answer #2: inal but run Answer #3: 1- not legally binding

2- need a post nup

3- need a post nup

4 not legally binding AFAIK Answer #4: IANAL but you can find a paper evaluating this subject [here](http://www.hg.org/article.asp?id=6782). The point of a prenup is to protect pre marital assets, what he is doing is trying to set up a completely unequal contract wherein he has full control of the relationship and your family.

Contracts don't work like that, they need to have some kind of give and take. Given my admittedly limited understanding I think you'll find a judge would throw this out if you did sign it.

That said *do not sign it*, postnups are entirely voluntary and you'd be mad to sign this one. Either make a counter offer from your own attorney (you're going to need one if you go through with this), get married without one or end the relationship.


Title: Sextortion advice

Question:
**Please, if you're going to shame me, just don't. I know i'm a moron and I don't need to hear it from other people.I just want help.** A while ago I was having some home problems. Someone I seen on POF (plenty of fish) messaged me asking if I wanTed to hook up. I was hesitant because it said she was from Portland (I guess Oregon?) and she sent me a number that was a North Carolina number. I got my friend to look the number up and it showed her in North Carolina. A whole different state from me, but it said she was visiting family in my city. She said we should hook up while she was still in town. She then admitted  that she was turning 16 in a week (not 20) and and since I was a M/17 who is also going to turn 18 in a week. I said that was okay since we both were still underage and in SC. I asked for a time stamp picture but she didn't want to, she then wanted to exchange face pictures so we did(looking back red flag). She then wanted another picture so I sent her one of me at the gym lifting weights and then she sent me a picture of her in her underwear so I sent some of me in mine when I got home and then she sent nudes and same thing happened since I was thinking with one head instead of the other I sent them. While talking to her I happen to look at POF and noticed she must have blocked me or deleted her profile because our whole conversation was gone and her profile was no where to be found. It threw up some flags but I ignored them. She then said she had to charge her phone, and then a little while later I got 5 text at one time from the supposed dad who made it necessary to write his job title in the message sent me this "She is a minor son that's against the law! If you don't contact me back soon and explain yourself to my wife and I I will take this phone to the authorities with your photo and other info and have you locked up for attempted solicitation of a minor and child pornography. I will also make sure you get registered as a sex offender and while you serve your sentence in prison." He ended that with I will not call you again (I had no call from them) he then said he will put his daughter in therapy and that his daughter threw her phone at the wall to stop them from seeing the messages we exchanged. He then said he would find me if his wife had a miscarriage because of this whole thing. He then ended the conversation asking me to pay for the phone ($600ish dollars)
What should I do? I want to contact the police, but what if they want more info? What if this isn't a scam and the parent is actually really mad? I don't want to get in trouble if I'm wrong. I have so much to loose educationally so I don't want to attract more attention than necessary. I also don't want my parents to know I was doing stuff like this.
Please help I don't know what to do.

Edit:(I also noticed that the pictures didn't match up clothing wise so that also through up flags but she said she changed so I also threw that to the side)

Forgot to mention that while looking up some stuff about this I found a bunch of people being scammed  like this in my area with almost the same thing written

Answer: This is a scam- don't pay or contact them again.Answer #2: This is a scam, ignore it. Stop communicating with whoever it is.


Title: [PA] My girlfriend and me want to make it so her aunt can't have any contact with our child

Question: Me and my gf are in the process of have our first child and want to make sure her aunt and uncle have nothing to do with our child. They are abusive and manipulating people and we want them far away from our children. Is there a legal way we can do this so they can face legal repercussions?

Answer:
 Do you and/or you GF live with her parents? because her parent/s can decide to let aunt visit. Answer #2: So, apologies for any misinformation here... I've *heard* that it would go something like this:

Upon contact from aunt & uncle, inform them that you don't want any contact with them (so, don't reach out, just let them know you aren't interested in a relationship with them if they contact you first). Best to do that in writing. Keep a log of all contact attempts and after the first "no contact" warning, avoid responding or reiterate that you want no contact if they corner you or something.

If they persist in contacting you, get a (family?) lawyer to send them a cease & desist.

If the c&d doesn't work, continue documenting any contact attempts while also doing your best to avoid them.

If contact persists, you might be able to get a restraining order. Then you'd keep on avoiding, documenting contact attempts by them, and reporting restraining order violations.

If you're very concerned about these people, the usual advice is:
If your gf is birthing the baby, make the hospital/birthing center aware that these people are not safe and are not wanted. Security is usually pretty tight in labor & delivery.
Lock down social media & make sure no one in your family/friends leaks info to aunt & uncle.
For everything but especially things concerning baby (pediatrician, daycare, school) make sure they can't get info by informing each company/group that these people are not allowed access and/or set up a password so they can't pretend to be you.
Make sure you are CPS-ready at all times.
Put up security cameras at your residence.
Nuclear option: move far away and don't give anyone your address.


Title: Neighbor animal advice

Question: So I live in Mew Mexico with my girlfriend, son and three dogs, a shitzu, chaweenie and wiener dog. So we live next to an older Asian couple that speaks very little to no English. We did not have any problems with them before this. I got a call from my fiancé while at work that she couldn't find regal, my chaweenie dog. She turned around for less than a minute after letting them out into our enclosed backyard (walls and gates). She searches and is calling for him, and can't find him. She calls me at work, and I tell her to keep looking and go back to work. I call her 10 minutes later and she still hasn't found him, so I tell her I'm coming over. After about 10 minutes as I'm still driving over she calls me saying the Asian man next door has him and won't let her get him. I found out talking to her later that he had regal cornered next to his house and was just spraying him ( and he is a tiny dog) full force with a hose in the face. This went on for about a minute with her yelling to let her grab him and trying to get his attention. He ignored her and regal finally got close enough for her to grab him over the wall. During this regal was yelling and crying. I got home a minute or so after this. I obviously was pissed so I went to their door and knocked kinda loudly waiting for someone to come out. He finally does and since he doesn't speak English, his wife called a family member to translate. I'm gonna be honest, I was not nice. I insulted him and cussed a lot, but I didn't make any threats or anything. He wouldnt explain why he was spraying him or why he didn't tell us he was back there. He said regal bit him but there was no mark and regal has never bit anyone, he is very friendly. I finally just got fed up and left back to work. Regal is fine, but it was scary. For background info, regal does jump on the wall adjoining different neighbors, because they have dogs and he likes them. He has only jumped into the other neighbors yard 2 times in the 2 years almost we've lived here, and those were in the beginning. But the Asian neighbor has a bunch of thorny trees against the wall and regal has never even been interested in his yard. And regal always yells and barks when he jumps out of the yard. And during the 25 minutes of my fiancé searching and yelling for regal she did not hear anything. I truly do believe he grabbed regal over the wall or something, cause it's almost impossible for regal to have jumped over there by himself. I just want to know if I should inform the police  just so they have it on record, or if I should just let it be. What would be the best thing to do?

Answer: Keep your dogs on your own property and supervise them while they are outdoors.


Title: Roommate threatening to destroy personal property over cleanliness of non-shared space

Question: Hello, forgive me if this is minor but my roommate is a chronic threat\-maker and I just want to make sure I have my bases covered. Because of title and a lot of other things I am planning to move out although it won't be until the end of July when the lease ends. My roommate has been demanding that I clean my bathroom (he has his own bathroom and no reason, or right imo, to use mine) as he is planning to show potential new tenants the house. I would have no problem doing it if not for the fact that he demanded it right off the bat instead of politely asking and, most importantly, has been threatening to enter my bathroom and discard items such as the shower curtain, and who knows what else, if he "cleans" it himself. I told him if he does that he'll have to buy replacements for the items immediately, and he responded that he would simply refuse, claiming there's "nothing you can do" if he takes these actions, which is why I'm here. I realize a shower curtain is easy to replace but I'm tired of his absurd behavior and would like to prove that he is not as all powerful as he thinks so I can move out with my sanity and self\-esteem intact. My first thought is a small claims suit but I worry the offense would be considered too frivolous and that he's legally free to do as he pleases to any of my low value items. On a related note, he has also previously threatened to let my dog loose outside the house while I'm not home, although I recently secured a screenshot of a text conversation where he acknowledged that letting the dog out of my room when I'm not home makes the dog his responsibility. I live in Florida if that's relevant.

Answer:
 I mean you could just clean the bathroom....and not have it turn into a big dramatic affairAnswer #2: > claiming there's "nothing you can do" if he takes these actions, which is why I'm here

Other than report him to the police for trespassing, breaking and entering, destruction of property, and possibly domestic violence, sure.

You could also sue him for the cost of replacing the shower curtain.

Would any of these things actually happen?  Probably not.


Title: Parking spaces are painted too small. What to do?

Question:
At my employer we have a huge problem with double parking. Sights like this are common [https://i.imgur.com/cC4sxmy](https://i.imgur.com/cC4sxmy.jpg) And I would normally laugh. But recently I measured a random parking space and found it to be 6.8 ft in width.  The county minimum is 9' according to this county code booklet [https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/pds/docs/Parking\_Design\_Manual.pdf](https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/pds/docs/Parking_Design_Manual.pdf)

My company is a tenant of a landlord company which owns many properties in the area and all have similar tiny parking spaces. It seems that this code is not enforced. What would be the best plan of action to get this issue corrected?

Answer:
 >The county minimum is 9'

For an "accessible" parking spot -- in other words, handicapped parking spaces.

Edit: Read the PDF wrong, this is for *all* parking spots, save for parking lots that get an exemption from this.


Title: [NC] My current roommate moved out of her apartment prior to the end of the lease because she believes the renters did not uphold the lease due to infestation. She just got a letter from a debt collector for the unpaid rent.

Question:
I am currently in Iraq and my roommate who is awesome and watching the house and my dog along with her 2 dogs is in a bit of a predicament! I know her pretty well and she just wants to live a simple life and get what she pays for, which in this case was a bug free apartment. I asked her to email the situation so I could share here since she doesn't reddit. Below are her words, not mine. Any help would be appreciated! If there are any follow up questions I will try to message her and have them answered as timely as possible, but may be delayed due to our time difference!

February 2016 I moved into a cute historic apartment just newly renovated. On the first day of being there, I moved in at night and noticed some roaches on the wall. I leased apartments, and usually when someone moves in they spray which makes bugs come out to die so I didn't think anything of it. In march I start to notice more bugs as its warming up outside. I also acquire new neighbors. Those of which had a roach problem, and were vacated to a new apartment. (beside mine)  I followed all instructions by the apartment complex on fixing the issue. I had to double bag all of my food and I fogged the apartment several times. At this point, I notified the office of what was going on. They basically just offered to spray more. They asked me to clear my cabinets, but did not offer to spray any other rooms. They told me it would take time and to be patient. Months later the problem got aggressively worse. It was so bad that I did not even live in the apartment for all of may and june. I had to go to the doctor because I broke out in some kind of hives. They were in all of my belongings, I had to throw away my couch and anything in the kitchen. Even  hiding in my modem to get away from the spray! In july, I put in a work order notifying the apartment complex that if they did not fix this I would consider it a breach of their lease for insanitary condition because I had been extremely patient. My patience ran out. I couldn't even feed my dogs in the daylight without seeing roaches swarm to their bowls. My neighbors were extremely aggravated too! I finally went to the office to talk to the manager. She did not offer to move me to a different apartment, all she offered to do was have me take all of my belongings out of the house so they could spray. I told her that was fine if she offered to pay the expense of moving and storing my things. I even demanded that they allow me to hire my own exterminator and pay the cost because their spray was not affecting the bugs. I got some legal advice, and was told that in NC, if where you live is inhabitable, you can vacate if they don't fix the problem. I gave them a notice on the signed work order that I would move in thirty days, and then i gave them a letter certified mail for thirty more days. All together this is 60 days total that I gave them notice. Within that time frame they never once tried to contact me while I still was paying rent. I moved and never heard from them again. A year later debt collectors are calling me saying that I terminated my lease early and that my deposits didn't cover the damage of my apartment. Well I took pictures of the entire apartment when I left. I also took pictures of the infestation since the night I moved in to the last day of my lease. I did not leave anything in bad condition. And I left a 300 deposit for them for damages along with 600 in dog deposits!! thinking I was being generous. The debt collectors say that I can file for a discrepancy but I'm not sure that my certified letter will be enough evidence for their approval. I have documented everything. Bills from the doctor, pictures of my apartment from the time I lived there until the last day. Pictures of how it looked when I moved out. And all my work orders from where i repeatedly asked them to fix this problem. The pictures are literally disturbing! I've talked to a few lawyers and most seem uninterested because there is not much money to profit off of, and also because renters commonly abuse their landlords. Should I take them court? If so should I go to small claims and represent myself? Or just try to settle with debt collections?

Answer:
 TLDR, way too much un needed info, and no paragraphs.

But I'm guessing you did not do the proper steps to terminate your lease early, and yes even if you had roaches, your can't just stop paying, and expect them to just let you out of your lease. You owe this money.


Title: Mothers boyfriend kicked out her and their son out. Need advice.

Question:
Hi /r/legaladvice

My Mother has been kicked out by her boyfriend of 18 years 2 days ago.  He also kicked out their 16 year old son also.  The house belongs to him and it was bought before the relationship.

This severely hinders my brothers education as they are staying with me temporarily,  which is far from his high school.

The father does not work and when he does its under the table construction jobs (has always been for 18 years).

Weeks prior the father had a violent episode with my brother.

We are located in Montreal, Quebec and from what I understand they are considered common law.

Is their any help for my mother? Any steps we should take?

Thanks guys
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer: Common-law marriage doesn't exist in Quebec because they follow the Civil Law code.  There is a "de facto union" which is similar for benefits purposes but doesn't give any rights between the partners.  If the house is only in one person's name, that person owns the house.


Title: Fiance' is agoraphobic and has severe anxiety about moving in with me, is there a way I can write out an agreement to help with this?

Question: My fiance' and I aren't able to get married yet as it would cause her to lose her current medical insurance which she needs while she is trying to acquire SSI benefits for a disibility (HyperPOTS) that prevents her from being able to work. I want her to move in with me though, and since she's mostly bed bound she's developed a high form of agoraphobia and anxiety about relocating as she has a feeling of security there. What I'm trying to find out, is if there is a document I can write up, or have written up that will make it so I can show her security living with me, so that no matter what ever might happen she couldn't be forced to leave, even by me?

Answer: She has a mental health issue not a legal issue.