Title: Gifting a car to avoid paying sales tax

Question: In my state there is no sales tax on gifts under a certain value. I am wanting to sell my car to a friend, is it legal to gift him the car and still have him pay me to avoid him paying sales?

Answer:
 > I am wanting to sell my car to a friend, is it legal to gift him the car and still have him pay me to avoid him paying sales?

No, that's tax fraud.


Title: [WA State] Roommate/Landlord giving me 24 hours to gather my belongings and leave the property.

Question:
I will keep this short and simple. The roommates I am living with (who both own the house) are attempting to kick me out of the house within a 24 hour period. We do not have a lease, but our verbal rental agreement has been that I pay 400 dollars per month to use their room and utilities.

I have never paid rent late, but my nocturnal habits are bothering my roommates and they confronted me early this morning about it (one was even trying to challenge me to a physical fight). I don't really feel safe here, but I do not think it will be possible for me to find a place by tonight.

Do the tenants have a right to do this? I tried to look up the WA state laws regarding this, but it said I may lose my rights if I do not have a legal lease document, so I was unsure.

Any advice on the matter? Thanks.

Answer:
 > Do the tenants have a right to do this?

First of all it seems that they are your landlords and that you are their tenant. You are considered a month to month tenant here.

This means that they would need to give you 20 days notice in writing.

> I tried to look up the WA state laws regarding this, but it said I may lose my rights if I do not have a legal lease document, so I was unsure.

Not completely true because month to month tenancies may be verbal. But when your landlord(s) take any type of deposit or non-refundable fee from you then this must be in writing.

Also are you by any change in Seatle?


Title: Seized devices

Question: Located in Scotland. Ok so about 2 and a half months ago the police came to my home and searched it for devices. My uncle who lives with me was taken for questioning as he was speaking to an underage girl online and it turned to a sexual nature. The police has taken 3 computers, 2 tablets and 2 phones. I was told by an officer the reason my computer was taken as I have a similar set up to my uncles (Pretty lights as its a gaming PC). The police have also seized both of my tablets and my phone. My PC and tablets were not password protected which i now fully regret but have faith that there is no evidence relating to his crime on my devices. This all happened two weeks before I started college and its rather embarassing being the only computer network student in the class without a computer. The line of questioning in the house with my grandparents was centered around whos devices he uses and if he has access to them when we are not their. My phone is fingerprint and password protected and with me at all times. The police never took any of my grandparents phones or computers although none of them are password protected. I have spoken to them about how i need my stuff for college work and they told me it would be a few weeks later. Jump 2 months to where i am now and they wont tell me anything about a time scale. Is there something i can do to have my devices returned. We have 15hrs in class and im expected to do 15hr at home this is very difficult as i can only use my grandparents computers for a limited time after my tea. Iv'e spoken to the pf about having the PC returned without the hard drive as I would just get a new one to put in. I'm looking for any sort of advice that could help me in this situation and greatly appreciate any that is given. Thanks.

Answer:
 It is time to stop asking politely and have an attorney demand they be released. It is going to cost you, but it is the only way you are going to get your devices back in a reasonable amount of time.

Be warned, if your Uncle ever used them somehow, you are not getting them back anytime soon.


Title: Is there ever a time where someone would be in trouble for indirectly causing someone else to commit suicide?

Question:
California

I know that someone could be in trouble if they actively coached someone to commit suicide and the person ended up doing it. I'm talking about indirectly--like if someone had a failed romantic relationship with someone (more than once even) and they committed suicide and left a note saying they did it because of their broken heart.

Also, what if it turns out it's not just a failed romance, but the person who killed themself discovered that the other person had been using them the whole time and never really loved them and put that in the note? Is there ever a time where the person named in the note could be in legal trouble?

Answer:
 No to both of your hypotheticals.

This probably belongs over in /r/legaladviceofftopic.


Title: Landlord forged my signature

Question:
So I just found out at the end of my lease that my landlord forged my (and at least 2/3 roommates) signatures on a mold agreement. There was a huge issue with water leaking from a wall in my room this past March and it took them a month and a lot of fighting to actually fix the wall--they blamed us the entire time for taking too hot showers and not keeping the windows open at night, even though when they fixed the wall the way we suggested the problem was fixed.

It happened to come up that they sent one of my roommates a copy of our lease during this debacle, and there are two pages that have four signatures that look similar to each other, but are not our signatures, and are addendums to the lease that I was never sent and have never signed. I have proof that I was never sent the paperwork via email and I was a 2 hour drive away from being there to sign in person on the signed date.

What do I do in this situation? This is my first official lease and all I really know is that I'm upset they forged my signature, especially on a document that helps them escape liability and possibly hold my deposit re the wall/mold issues we dealt with earlier in the year...

Answer:
 First, go to the police and file a report for identity theft. It is absolutely illegal to forge someone's signature. Every person who was on that addendum and did not sign should file a separate police report for identity theft.

If the landlord says you owe money for this don't pay. His recourse would be to sue and prove that you caused it through abnormal use of the shower. This doesn't sound like it to me, but you never know.

I'd love to see the landlord try to collect on an addendum with a forged signature. The court will destroy his ass if you're telling the truth.


Title: Can I get a car towed if it's been parked in front of my house for 2 or more months?

Question:
This car has been parked out front of my house for 2 months. It's literally parked just enough so the entire car is in front of my house. If it was moved up 2 inches part of it would be in front of my neighbors. Neighbor stopped me about 2 weeks ago and said it's her son's friends car that's away doing an internship and couldn't take it. Never did she say how long it would be or that they were fling to move it in front of their car or even better in their damn driveway.

 The car is in my husband's spot so now he needs to park somewhere else and if we have any friends over they have to park down the street. I honestly can't stand the neighbor and especially her son. Is it possible to get it towed as an abandoned car even though we now know who's car it is? Can we say we don't know who's car it is?

I live in New Jersey if that makes a difference.

Edit: the flattening the tires part was obviously a joke just because I hate the neighbors and the car. But I removed it.

Answer:
 You can usually call the city and let them know there is an adnadoned car/car that has not moved in 2 months. They will usually come down and put a note on the window and mark the tires to see if it moves. Usually its 72 hours but could very by state and city. If it is not moved by then they will usually tow it. You don't need to say you don't know who's car it is as they still usually only allow X days it can stay without being moved.Answer #2: Is this a public street?  Generally, people can park there, even if it's in front of your house.  Unless you own the part of the street in front of your house or have some legal claim to it, anyone can park there.

The length of time that they've parked there seems to be excessive, and yes, cars can get towed and/or ticketed for parking on the street for too long.  You should call the police non-emergency line and inquire about whether it would be appropriate to ticket/tow the car, and how to go about requesting that be done.

> Maybe we should flatten the tires first?

That would not be the proper course of action, obviously.Answer #3: It's public parking. You can tell the city about it, and depending on their local ordinances, maybe they'll tow it, or maybe they won't. Also depends on whether it's registered.

Honestly though, it just sounds a bit like you're being petty, because like I said, it's public parking, it's not yours. However, legally, you can always let the city know. If they can get some sort of revenue from it, I'm sure they will.Answer #4: Most localities have laws for abandoned vehicles.


Title: What recent court case in your opinion has set a dangerous precedent?

Answer: Depending what you mean by "recent" - I think the *Citizens United* decision delt a catastrophic blow to our republic by legalizing corruption.  Unless we can overturn it, the ruling may go down in history as the beginning of the decline of American legitimacy.


Title: [TX] Ambiguous exclusion being used to wrongly deny accidental death claim.

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Insurance

Answer:
 >taken or used as prescribed

Those words right there are the basis of the exclusion. The medication was not taken or used as prescribed as it was taken in quantities more than what was directed. Sorry for your loss.


Title: [TN] Landlord not responding to any communications (phone or email) and rent check has not been cashed in over a month with a second one being due tomorrow. Anything I can do?

Question: I know the answer is probably no, but I was wondering if anyone had any advice on what to do with this situation since it's never happened to me before. Rent is due on the 1st, late on the 5th. I dropped November's check by their office on 10/31. I don't just want to keep giving them checks and being out in limbo. What would you do?

Answer:
 Keep trying to pay them, and hold onto proof of these attempts. There could be some stuff going on on their end that keeps them from being able to stay current with basic paperwork, that's not really your problem.

Do your neighbours also have the same problem?Answer #2: Keep paying and not spend that money on anything else.Answer #3: Have you googled her even to make sure she's not in jail or, erm, listed in another section of the paper that would preclude one from cashing a check?  She also could have just gone away for the holidays or lives close to the wildfires.


Title: My son is 20 years old and has been committed to a state mental hospital for criminals after being found incompetent to stand trial.. I have some questions.

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Have you established legal adult guardianship?


Title: (MO) Roommate charging a "personal fee" for late rent - misrepresentation?

Question:
I was late giving my HoH my rent money by 9 hrs (due to them on a Sunday, I paid first thing Monday morning) and now they are asking for a steep fee to cover "overdraft charges."

However, the overdraft charge does not exist because the account was never overdrawn. The money is just going into their pocket. They claim that they had to borrow money from their parents while my payment was still processing, but rent overall was still paid on time.

I have refused to pay because we don't have a legal agreement anywhere in our lease stating I owe them a fine every time I'm late and my money still appeared in their account 2 days before it had to be postmarked.

HoH tried to threaten me that because my name is not on the original lease they could get me evicted, claiming I broke a "house rule" that none of the tenants agreed on. The only reason my name is not on the lease is because they're were limited lines, but I still signed a separate lease. A few of my other roommates have paid the fee believing that it was going to an overdraft charge, when it was indeed just going into their pocket.

Are we legally obligated to owe our HoH a fee? Can they kick me out for not paying their "fee"?

Answer: Whatever is written in your lease surrounding late fees is what is binding here. Good luck on them for trying to kick you out for not paying a late fee that isn't in your lease.


Title: Charged by Microsoft for xbox live months after my card had its expiration date changed.

Question:
Today I woke up to see a charge of 53.97 on my account from xbox live. Not knowing what at all happened seeing as I haven't had access to Xbox live since the end of October, I sign into my xbox account. I look to see  that Microsoft has 3 months of xbox live charging me for a total of 10.79 each month after taxes. I then have a yearly subscription to EA Access which had expired in October. My issue is that, because my card had expired I never went and updated it. Every month or maybe every few weeks they sent me emails telling me to update this.

So it seems they charged me for two months of xbox live and the EA Access.(Even though there is a third month ordered on the same date that was already charged to me old card) It appears this is not uncommon for companies to charge your card if you have auto renewals set up even if it expired. It seems they went to Visa to get my information because my card has now been updated with the correct expiration date.

So I talked to Microsoft support on chat because that seemed to be the only option. The rep lied saying that I had accessed xbox live in games in the last few months, which I disproved(Last online activity was in Halo 5 before my sub had ended). I am still talking to them. I have been asking for a manger for the past ten minutes to no avail.

I have a couple questions, I have yet to call my bank and request a charge back for services I never had access to. Is there anything I should say on the phone that will make it more likely to happen? Will they most likely tell me to call Visa?

Is there any legal forms I can submit to Microsoft in order for them to provide me the money back if my bank is unable to do? Its only 53 bucks but I am a poor college student at the moment and I am moving in a month and can't afford to be losing money.

Answer: Did you cancel your auto-renewing subscription, or did you just hope that if you didn't update your card it would magically go away?


Title: Wedding caterer left early, didn't bring enough people and didn't bring some items. [GA]

Question:
Hello I recently got married and the day was a hectic one since I was meeting with everyone and what not. I noticed the caterer was gone pretty early so after the wedding I talked to my coordinator.

I found out that the caterer left 4 hours early (contract said from 4PM to 11PM, he left at 7PM), was short staff (brought 2 other people including himself, when he was suppose to have a total of 5), and did not pass hor d'oeuvres (placed them in baskets instead.)

Not part of the written contract but he did not bring ice, or napkins (he told our wedding coordinator that he told us that was our job, which he didn't. And then said we told him walmart was 5 minutes away, which we did not and there was not a walmart within 15 minutes)

What should/can I do about this?

[GA]

Answer:
 The ice and napkins weren't his job, since they weren't in the contract.

If you've already paid, you need to find out how much those services were worth to you and ask to be reimbursed that amount.  If you haven't, negotiate for a discount appropriate to the services not delivered.Answer #2: If you've already paid him, you can sue him for breach of contract.


Title: Pennsylvania Boating license not present

Question:
I was pulled over in a PA lake for not having registration stickers on my wave runner, i showed them my temporary registration but couldn't find my license at the time. They informed me i had to "mail within 7 days, my original boating certificate to the address listed" and i was unable to do this within the time frame.

Now i am hit with $150 fine plus $52 in fees and would like to know what i can do to settle this. I do not think it is fair to pay the fine, as the officer had radio'ed in and determined that i still had a valid boaters license at the stop, i just didn't have the physical license. I would like to fight it, is there anything i can do?

Answer:
 The law says you have to have it with you.  You didn't.  You had a chance to mail it in.  You didn't do that either.

How many chances do you want?

You can contact a lawyer and see if (s)he can work out a plea bargain for you.  You can go in yourself and ask the judge or prosecutor for a break.

But it sounds like you're guilty.  I don't know on what grounds you would "fight it."  "I don't think it's fair" is not a legal defense.


Title: Preg Ex threatening to take me to court for Pre-natal care costs in Pennsylvania.

Question: Emotionally abusive girlfriend who uses the kid and suicide as leverage to control my life, going as far as saying as I will never see my kid if I go have Mother’s Day dinner with the woman who gave me life. Can she get any money for me at all for pre-natal care costs in the state of PA?

Answer:
 She can sue you for anything she likes, but that doesn't mean she'll get it.

Realistically, yes \-\- she'd have a better\-than\-50/50 chance at getting pre\-natal care expenses from you. The courts \(rightfully\) consider raising a child to be the joint responsibility of both parents.

Unless the child isn't yours, in which case she can pound sand.


Title: Is there a law in the US requiring someone to pay a Lularoe consultant during a Facebook Live party?

Question:
I just watched a Facebook Live auction where someone commented “sold” which is used to let everyone know that you want the particular item. If you call it first, then the consultant will read your name and say you’ve “won”.

This person made the comment, was told she won, and then changed her mind later on to which the consultant told her that was not allowed and she was required to pay for the item. Other than just blacklisting the person from participating again, is there any actual “law” requiring someone to pay when no actual contract has been signed?

Edit: im in Florida, but this could occur in any of the United States where there are Lularoe consultants.
Topic:
Consumer Law

Answer:
 A verbal contract is a contract.

So is she gonna get arrested? No. But she could be sued. Successfully? Who knows. Answer #2: It will be difficult, if not impossible, to enforce any punishment. The most easy way out for everyone is banning said lady.

After all, the item most likely is cheap and they could have auction it off next round.Answer #3: I don't believe there is any reason, that it would not be a binding contract. Did you sign any terms at the beginning of the auction?


Title: Friend got sent to prison unexpectedly. Former roommate is refusing to relinquish any of his stuff until rent is paid. Is there any recourse?

Question:
Myself and a few other mutual friends have been trying to recover the stuff my buddy left behind in his old apartment after being sent to prison very unexpectedly, but his old roommate, who he was subletting his room from, refuses to let myself or anyone else enter his room to recover his things until rent is paid in full. However, he was sent to prison before the end of the month, which has been paid already, and before next month's rent is due, which is being demanded. There was no official document or lease signed prior to moving in and he was living on a month-to-month basis. Is there any possible advice or recourse we could pursue in order to recover his left-behind stuff? Would we have any leg to stand on?
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: First, he was not sent to prison unexpectedly. He had months of knowledge, while the case was pending, that prison was a possibility. Second, you have no right to his stuff and the room mate can deny you his property as long as he likes


Title: I am being threatened with a Defamation (Libel) lawsuit for facebook posts and memes made about one of my wife's dance teachers (West Virginia)

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Are you 12?  Talk to a therapist about your inability to act like an adult at your age.  Contact an attorney if you are sued.Answer #2: If you've now deleted everything, contact him and ask if he's willing to drop the suit in exchange for you knocking it off and not creating anymore "memes" about him.

If he refuses and does file suit, get a lawyer.

About your only two options at this point.


Title: Extortion/ Blackmail help needed

Question:
I'm being threatened to either pay someone money or have them report me to the police for the interaction we had.

How it started is that I got DM'ed asking for a quick hookup online.
After we both send eachother a nude she says shes actually 15 but shes in Australia and meets her age of consent.

I'm over 18 in California but say screw it, already this far and this horny so I stick with it.

About 3 image exchanges and a whole lot of time in between she eventually posts my location information and name.

Now she wants about $9,000 or she will report me to the police in my area for pedophilia.

&#x200B;

I'm pretty sure I should report it to the police but how screwed am I for doing this? Will blocking all contact and reporting it really solve any legal problem with this?

Answer: It’s a scam. Pretty common one. Just block the number and move on with your life.


Title: Engagement called off. Parents want reimbursement for wedding expenses.

Question:
So I’ll try to keep this simple. My fiancée and I ended our engagement and cancelled the wedding. Her parents paid for the deposit and plus some. She and I sent in checks separately. Her parents are claiming I need to reimburse them for the wedding costs that they paid for and are claiming that non-related expenses (offering to pay for something not wedding related, such as car repairs) must be reimbursed as well. They have said they will take this to court.

In case it helps, she’s the one who ended the engagement.

Answer:
 Let them take it to court. Gifts are gifts. Deposits are Deposits. Asking for those back isn't going to get anywhere.Answer #2: They will be categorically unable to recoup anything like a gift towards car repair.  And if they want deposits back they should contact the people who hold the deposits, not you.

This isn't any different than you back-billing your ex for all the dinners you've bought her.Answer #3: Do they know their daughter’s the one who canceled? Did you offer to pay any of it back at anytime? Either for the wedding or otherwise?

Typically, they are outta luck unless they have something in writing or voice recording stating you will pay them back. Deposits and money for a wedding is considered a gift unless other arrangements were made.

Now different states have different laws. Some states may deem poor behavior as a breach of contract...say for instance she called off the wedding cause you cheated on her...some states may determine that your actions resulted in the termination of the contract to the vendors and hold you responsible to make them whole in their loss.Answer #4: Save any texts, emails, etcs. Those screenshots could pay themselves off in a few monthsAnswer #5: >In case it helps, she’s the one who ended the engagement.

It helps.  Though if she called it off because of something horrible you did, then it doesn't help so much.


Title: Boss wants to pay me a lower wage for 'training hours' when Im going through a training course for work?

Question:
My boss has asked me to listen to a series of mp3 files that are part of a training course on marketing. My current role at my company is IT technician/Office manager but he wants me to move into a role of marketing and sales.

I currently get paid hourly, and my salary is about 1.75x the miminum wage in my county. However, because of this training, he wants to pay me minimum wage for all the hours I work through this training material. This material is about 40hours of listening time.

I am a contractor, and my contract doesn't say anything about training hours. Is he allowed to pay me at a lower hourly rate for a training he is requiring me to attend?

Thank You in advance. I am located in Southern California, if that matters.

Answer:
 Your contract will dictate the terms of your pay and when rayes can change.

Have a lawyer look at your contract.Answer #2: If your contract doesn't say it, he can't do it. Now, is he the type that would terminate your contract for not agreeing to this? Is your contract terminable? The answers are in your contract.


Title: [WI] Bought a lemon car off of craigslist. Is it worth going to small claims court?

Question:
About a week ago, I bought a used 2007 Dodge Caliber off of craigslist. It was advertised as having "no mechanical issues" and a "few rust spots". I took it to a mechanic today and found out the frame of the car is severely damaged by rust, and the car is unsafe to drive. The cost to fix ($4300) is over twice the cost I paid ($2100), so the car is basically worthless.

I contacted the seller, asking for a portion of my money back. The seller claimed to have no idea about the damage, and insisted that the car was sold "as-is" and that I should just resell it to someone else. I don't know if he knew about the damage, but I do know that I'm not going to pass this issue onto someone else. I am considering taking him to small claims court for the purchase price of the vehicle, plus title/registration fees and mechanic estimates.

I understand that there is no guarantee for the condition of used cars in private party sales, but the vehicle was advertised in much better condition than it actually was. I have records of the advertisement, and estimates for the cost of repairs. My strategy would be to convey that I bought the car in good faith that the advertisement was accurate. I had a consultation with an attorney, who said that I have a case and that it'd be worth going to small claims court. I figured it'd be worth getting a more opinions and I didn't ask every question I had, so here I am!

Questions:
1) Do I have a decent shot of winning in small claims court?

2) What's the easiest way to find out the legal name of the person I want to sue? I have his phone number and address.

3) Do I need to wait for the settlement of the suit before donating or junking the car?

4) Should I lower the requested amount in the case by how much I recoup by junking the car?

&#x200B;

Thanks for the input!
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: Unless you can prove the seller lied to you, you have no recourse. Get cars inspected *before* buying them.


Title: Nebraska: My my neighbors built a fence specifically to block the lake view of their new neighbors who have just broke ground on their new home. Is their any recourse?

Question:
Long story short. People in my area didn't like the fact that someone is building a house next to them (1/2 acre lot) that is at an angle so they have a little bit more of a view of the lake. They felt as though the angle of the new house would be uncomfortable for them because it somewhat faced their front lawn.

So they built a 9 foot fence on that side of their house and planted three trees to (admittedly)  block the view of the lake for the new neighbors. It's obnoxiously big and is clearly intended for retribution, not privacy.

Do the new neignbors have any recourse? They are just now building the basement.

Answer:
 [Spite fences](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spite_fence) are somewhat common.  Your best bet will be to check your local ordinances and see if there's a maximum height or other restrictions in place.  Stop by your town hall and inquire.

These are the baby cousins to [spite houses](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spite_house), one of my favorite topics.


Title: Lost Luggage! California

Question:
I parked my car at a long term parking lot and took their shuttle to the airport at 6 am.

I was one of the last riders to leave and when it came time to depart, noticed my luggage was gone!

The driver had given it away to another rider who had a "similar" bag.

This was a couple weeks ago and they have not found my bag.

The parking company forwarded me to their claims department who asked me for an itemized list to which I complied.

Total itemized listings came out to ~$3k.

They offered me $650 to settle it.

What are my options?

Do I send a demand letter to the parking company or can I file in small claims?

The company is nationwide with their headquarters being in Chicago.

Who am I supposed to write on the small claims court?

Their location in California?

Any tips appreciated.

Answer:
 Check your agreement that you did not release them of any liability.

If not, send them a demand letter. If they don't respond, file in small claims.


Title: TX: Landlord wants ESA details

Question:
My physician has determined that I have a disability for which an ESA is necessary for my health to mitigate my symptoms.
My landlord wants to know what my disability is, what life functions are impeded, how, and how the animal helps.
Am I required to give this info? Any supporting documentation will help.
My understanding of the law seems to be that I don't need to provide this info, but I'm not 100% sure.

Answer: You can't be required to disclose the exact diagnosis, but he can ask for verification that you have a disability of some kind that is diagnosed by a doctor and for which this an animal is an accommodation, along with what the animal does that accommodates your disability.


Title: Wrong place wrong time.

Question:
I don't want to bore you with what happened but lets just say I was at the wrong place at the wrong time.

I was detained for 4 hours and filled out a paperwork of what happened and let me go, they ( the cops ) told me if I don't hear from them that it's a good thing and I should pretend it never happened.

Would this be on my record and if it is how do I go about removing it from my record?

Answer: This is the most Yellow thing I have read today.Answer #2: How would we possibly know that when you've told us nothing about what happened or why?


Title: Miami Nightclub screws me and friends over

Question: So we had a work event this past Friday in Miami that some of us younger guys (25, 28, 32) decided to turn into a full weekend. Late friday night (130am or so), my two work friends and I were chatting up some girls from New Jersey in the hotel lobby bar at the Fontainebleau Hotel/Resort. We probably talked to these girls for about 15-20 minutes when a guy who worked at LIV Nightclub (or at least he said he did) approached us at the bar and tried to convince us to go. We all agreed to go so the guy led us to the club. No discussion of price or anything was brought up, but rather just that we would go. So we show up at the door and a female hostess led us to a booth where we sat down. The girls ordered a mixed drink while us guys were more mesmerized with the club to consider another a drink at that point. Within 5 minutes, a girl and a guy who worked at LIV showed up with the bill showing $1988 and asked me if they could hold my credit card. I immediately was in disgust and asked what that amount was for. I was told it was for the cover charges and 3 drinks the girls got. I said I never knew or agreed to a cover charge and would not pay. Please keep in mind everyone is pretty intoxicated at this point...which doesn't help my argument or story here at all, but that's the truth. The argument escalated and one of my work friends and I end up in a "bouncer room" with several guys who worked at LIV. I can't say I felt threatened (my memory is a bit blurry about exactly what was said) but it basically was just us going back and forth about if I had to pay or not. While I told them i was never informed of this cover charge or any other expenses (besides the 3 drinks) they were charging me for - they said no one walks in for free at LIV and I should have known that.  I told them if I knew of the cost I would not have paid one penny of my hard-earned money to walk into this club. Long story short, I didn't know what to do (and quite frankly probably should have called the cops) but I was drunk and a bit nervous, so I ended up just paying with my credit card at the time. We all left right after that. I wanted to reach out to this forum and see if there is anyone that can give me some advice on how to handle this. I don't need to be criticized for getting really drunk and putting myself in a vulnerable position to be taken advantage of...I get that is completely my fault. However, one thing I do have is integrity and I really know my friends and I got screwed over. I was thinking of calling LIV management tomorrow or Tuesday and trying to work something out with them (i.e. get my money back) and threaten litigation possibly if they are not willing to work with me. Does anyone else have any ideas or do I not have much of an argument here since I already actually paid them?

Answer:
 This is a common scam in some parts of the world, but I never expected it to take place in the US.

You should have refused to hand your card over.  There is no way they would have called the cops over this.  Now, the only thing you can do is challenge the charge through your bank.  If you signed a receipt, you will probably be out of luck, but it's worth a shot.

Name and shame them on Yelp and every other site out there if you want to.Answer #2: I think you got scammed by this guy and his crew, LIV is a legit club and cover is usually like $40-80. $2000 is nuts unless one of the girls thought it would be funny to order Louis XIII on your card or something.Answer #3: You can try and stop the payment by talking to your credit card company. End of the day though, you used their services and were charged what the rate is. Clubs like that are insane with pricing, and not telling anyone is pretty shady. Good Luck.


Title: [US-IN] Paypal attached my email to another account and is now saying I owe $367.

Question:
Hi,

I received this email today from Paypal:

>Your PayPal account registered to myemailaddress@GMAIL.COM appears to be
linked to another PayPal account registered to notmyemailaddress@gmail.com. This
other account currently has a negative balance of -$366.28. Before we can
remove the limitation from your accounts, you first need to resolve the
negative balance on any associated account(s).

>These accounts appear to be linked because they have some key details in
common or they appear very similar. For example:

> * Sharing the same personal or business details (email addresses, phone,
tax ID)

> * Appearing to be the same business (same name, using the same web address
or eBayseller ID)
> * Linking to the same bank account, credit card, or other financial account.

> * Appearing to use the same computer when accessing accounts.

> To learn the specific details these accounts share, please call us at the
number listed below.

> You may choose to complete a payment in one of the following ways:

> * Call us at the phone number provided below and complete a
payment over the phone or provide authorization to transfer funds.

> * Send a check or money order to the following address (please
indicate the associated email address in the memo):

>PayPal Accounting

>PO Box 45950

>Omaha, NE 68145-0950

>If you believe that there was an error and want to appeal our decision,
please call 1-866-648-5870.  Please call within 14 days, if we don't hear
from you we'll use funds from any linked account to pay for any negative
balance you may have.

>For more information on reasons why we limit access to accounts, please
refer to the 'Closing Accounts and Limiting Account Access' section of our
User Agreement.

>You can contact our Customer Service at 1-866-648-5870 for further
assistance.

>Thanks,

>PayPal

>Please do not reply to this email.  This mailbox is not monitored and you
will not receive a response.  For assistance, log in to your PayPal account
and click the Help link in the top right corner of any PayPal page.

This is NOT my account at all. I thought this email was fishy, so I went to Paypal's website. Lo and behold, I was not allowed to log in to my account. I grabbed a phone number off of their website since I didn't trust the one in the email. When I called them up, I was bounced around to a few different departments, before I finally reached collections. Here I was told that yes, the email was legitimate, yes I would be billed, and yes, they would try billing my bank account or send me to collections.

I pestered them to find out how I got connected to this email and finally I was told that it was because our mailing address was the same. Normally, this would be pretty good evidence that it was my address... except my address is a small college. Our campus has all mail sent to the mailroom. I've been using this address since I'm almost always here. I told the agent to Google it for proof.

Now I don't know what to do. This was not my account and I would be happy to prove it if they would let me know.

How can I get this charge removed from my account? I want to avoid a chargeback. How would I also avoid collections and having this (probaby) ruin my credit history?

Answer:
 Contest the charge with your bank, otherwise you're not seeing that money again.

PayPal may try to sue or put the money through collections, but you have a pretty valid defense as to why the debt is not valid.


Title: Ex-wife harassing me over custody of daughter

Question:
*posting for SO*

IN located.

Ex-wife and I have been separated and legally divorced. She is remarried and living with him, while I am living with my long-term girlfriend.

We share custody of our 2 year old daughter, 40/60. We went to the court because I wanted 50/50, but she wants 80/20 (in her favor) the judge said keep doing 40/60 until she made a decision. (covid has postponed the final decision)

Every single day is a fight. She harbors so much resentment and argues with me constantly. Whether it's her day to have our daughter or mine, she doesn't stop contacting me. It's usually verbal harassment or threats.

Legally, I'm abiding by the custody agreement. But it's not what she wants so she fights me on it constantly and will say things to our daughter to sway her feelings.

I am sick of being pulled through the wringer every single day for doing nothing wrong.

Legally, is there anything I can do to stop the harassment without jeopardizing my custody with my daughter?

Answer: Look up parent alienation. It sounds like what she’s doing.Answer #2: NAL - but you might want to look into parentel alienation.   You stated that she tells stuff to your daughter to try and sway her feelings.  And keep a record of everything.


Title: [CA] Nasty Neighbor,Damages to car because of where I parked.

Question:
So I'm speaking on behalf of a renter, we'll call her Sally, of my home. They park on the curve, and all legal. Think of a residential street. My house is at the corner so we have the "frontyard" parking and then the other corner side parking towards a closed off courtyard. Sally parks her car in a legal spot, nothing strange/ or potentially annoying to neighbors.  That corner is blocked off by our backyard fence so we can't monitor that area if we wanted.

What legal options can we do to find out who is causing these damages or action I can take? Also what can I do to have enough evidence at least that someone is harassing this car. She's a quiet renter so I only heard about two stories. So i'm also annoyed she didn't call the police for any of these incidents (she comes from a country where you don't call the cops). Thank you in advance!

1. They removed all bolts on all 4 wheels of the car. Luckily no one got hurt.
2. They threw a bunch of salt on top of the car.

Answer:
 Your story is missing some parts.

Call the police, get cameras.


Title: Assault and battery on a family member along with attempted murder!?(Massachusetts!)

Question: Hello there, so a little background, back in mid-september, my boyfriend(age 23) and I(age 25) got into an altercation while staying home with my mom due to being under the influence.  Long story short, she came in, he called her a name, I hit him, he hit me back.  She called the police who came and arrested him, I was transported to the hospital for injuries sustained(I tried to abstain from going but being under the influence, I somehow ended up in the ambulance and going to the hospital)  We have had 2 court hearings so far where I was not allowed to speak and he was deemed dangerous by the court system, held without bail, court comes up again at the end of this month.  Anyhow, here is the question part, right now it is the commonwealth vs my partner.  My stance on the matter is I would like my partner released from prison, this is  a man I love and it was a case of us abusing drugs and being stupid.  I have received a letter in the mail asking for a victims impact statementand my stance on what should happen to him.  I was wondering if anyone had any tips on what to write to make the best case for him.  Also anything else that you may know of that I could do to help him out woud be wonderful!  Thank you in advance, sorry for the length! Massachusetts legal advice.

Answer:
 Your advice is to get into rehab, FOLLOW the no-contact order, and for him to listen to his lawyer.

There's just like...a mountain of bad decisions here. And yes this impacts your written statement. You getting yourself into a better space influences how the court looks at your words.


Title: Basis for libel/defamation

Question: I worked for a U.S government organization for 4.5 years. At the end of my contract I was involved in a legal case and received non judicial punishment. I was put on a legal hold and not allowed to end my contract until the legal investigation was completed. However I had already chosen not to renew my contract anyways. Once the legal investigation was completed. The legal hold was removed and my contract was VOLUNTARILY ENDED. However multiple news sources have stated in press releases that I was "kicked out" of the organization which is entirely not the case. I feel this is an obstacle to my employment and a source of severe anxiety knowing anyone conducting a search of my name may reveal this misinformation. Do I have any basis for pursuit of a libel or defamation case?

Answer:
 Wow, this is actually about the closest thing I've seen to a decent defamation case on here. Okay there's a lot to work with here, let's see where to begin. First, it does seem like you have the basis for defamation. A false statement. It was absolutely published to a third party. So, that's a plus. It had to do with your job, so that's likely defamation per se, which means it's just deemed defamatory on it's face. Which you would then just have to figure out your damages.

But the hitch here is that it was the media that did it and you may be a public figure. The *Times v Sullivan* ruling says that you have to establish actual malice against a news organization for defamation because we need the news and the news can't be drug into long legal battles without just a little bit something extra. The actual malice standard is that the defamer did so with knowledge that the statement was false or with reckless disregard of whether it was false or not.

So, in order to have a case you would have to know that the media knew it was false or just didn't care to check the facts that were being thrown in their face. Having said that, you also have to realize that whatever your investigation was about will be scrutinized if you do pursue this. You can't keep it a secret anymore. They in and of itself could hinder future job opportunities.

This is a rare occasion where I would advise you to speak with an attorney about your defamation case. There may be something there.


Title: Is a slightly damaged/dirty marriage licence still valid?

Question:
Hey there, bride to be in Ontario, Canada.

Long story short, a potted plant fell over onto our newly acquired $158.00 paperwork. It's slightly warped from moisture, but all the information is still legible -no running ink or smudges. We really don't want to pay to have it replaced if we don't have to, and I was hoping someone here could tell me what to do.

Answer: In many ways it’s a beautiful metaphor. Answer #2: It will be fine.


Title: Curiosity surrounding a hypothetical scenario IL

Question: I take a prescription medication that is labeled as a CS. Every now and then, my husband picks it up if I am busy with school or work related projects. If he were to, by chance, be pulled over after picking it up , and said prescription was found, could he face legal trouble?

Answer:
 There is a none percent chance that he's going to be arrested or charged for having your controlled substance in the car, in the labeled container, inside the pharmacy packaging in between the pharmacy and your house within an hour of filling the order.

It simply is not a thing that is reasonable to worry about. He's orders of magnitude more likely to die in a car crash on the way home.


Title: Bought a car where we were told the interest rate is 0.9% but signed contract for 6.98%.

Question:
Hey all. At my wits end at this point as my gf and I went the dealership over the week and shook hands for 0.9&#37; but last night when we went to sign the contract it was for 6.98&#37;. We didnt realize at the time as it is written in really small font and we had been signing pages upon pages before we got to the page of the actual contract. I know fully well were likely fucked as we signed the contract and drove off the lot but, is there any way to back out of the loan now? I know it is not a lemon sale and unlikely that they will give us a remorse/unwind buy back.

As we are financing through scotia back (canada) should we call them instead? We could really do with some advice as we cannot afford a lawyer and feel we are royally screwed.

Thanks for your time! :)

Answer: Take this as an expensive lesson as to why you should always read what you sign before signing.


Title: [MA] Can my primary care deny a specialist referral when simply because I didn't visit the clinic in a very long time? Is this legal?

Question: About 5 days ago I got a stye on my left eye and its not getting better. I went to the emergency room last night and they prescribed me antibiotics  and pain killers. They also explicitly told me to call this specialist tomorrow to double check what I got because they weren't 100% sure. So I did, I called the specialist and setup an appointment but I need a referral from my primary care doctor so I called the clinic. Now here is a little back story, I moved from that town to a different town about 40 minutes away and I rarely get sick, maybe every 2 years I would get a cold. Anyways they rejected the referral telling me because I haven't visited the clinic in a very long time, not since last august. They told me to scheduled an appointment with them then they can give me the referral? My eyes are getting worse I don't have the luxury wait 2 days to go to an appointment  for primary care so I can wait another day or two for the referral so I can setup the specialist appointment.  I really hope its just none sense so I can call them back up and get that referral.

Answer:
 I think it depends on your insurance, but it has been my experience that they will not do referral if you haven't been seen in a year.

A referral is a doctor telling your insurance that in their professional opinion, you need the specialist. I'm not sure why you wouldn't use your primary for a stye, that is definitely something a PCP can diagnose and treat, and it's cheaper than the specialist or the er.


Title: I ordered a package and received an open and empty box. What can I do?

Question:
I ordered a book on the internet and it was shipped via UPS, with the last leg being done by USPS. When the package arrived on February 7th, all that was in my mailbox was an empty and open box.

I know it's possible that somebody stole it after it was delivered, but the way it was open looked more like the box failed. My best guess is that it fell out somewhere in transit, but the box was delivered anyway. The next day the mailman said that it had been a substitute mailman that had delivered the mail the day before.

So far I have tried to contact the customer support of the seller, but have received no response. I also tried to find some way to contact USPS, but the package was not insured so all I could find was a form to submit for lost/stolen packages that didn't arrive. I submitted that and also have not heard anything.

Is there anything I can do to get my money back or am I SOL?

EDIT: I'm in the USA (MD) and the package shipped from the USA

Answer:
 Your best bet is to follow up with USPS and see if it was delivered in that condition.

I'm guessing it was NOT because they generally retape and attach a note saying that it arrived in that condition.


Title: Uninsured motorist hit my wife's car. Now he wants to include my wife in his insurance fraud plan.

Question:
Indianapolis Indiana.

My wife was hit by what turns out to be an uninsured motorist. No injuries, just significant damage. $8 to 10k is my guess. But still drivable.

He said he had insurance, turns out he did, but not on the car he hit my wife with. That car was uninsured. No cops were called in. But they each called their respective insurance companies. So there is a paper trail.

This dipshit wants my wife to say the accident occurred tomorrow, now that he has an insurance policy on the vehicle in question. Basically he wants her to assist him in his attempt to commit insurance fraud.

Luckily my wife has an uninsured motorist policy, so we're covered. We're out whatever the rental car costs, cause she doesn't have rental on her insurance.

So what should we do next? Let the dude report the incident tomorrow and screw himself over? Give him a call and let him know that we're putting in a claim to insurance? Give him an opportunity to see if he will pay for the damage out of pocket? (given the situation I really don't trust him) Is there any legal recourse?

Thanks in advance.

Answer:
 Go file a police report today. Then contact your insurance and let them deal with the rest. Answer #2: You made a claim on your uninsured motorist coverage, so I suggest you begin by telling this to your own carrier. In the meantime, do nothing to assist this person. Wait until you speak to your insurance company. Worst case scenario is being implicated in conspiracy to commit insurance fraud.

Curiously, does your U/M coverage not cover damage to your vehicle? I'm a bit confused by your last paragraph.


Title: a guy let his dog jump on my brother and our 15 year old dog.

Question:
We were just leaving our favorite place to take our 2 dogs (one a little yorkie and one a 15 year old yellow lab) when a guy and his 2 dogs arrived. He had 2 large boxers, one on a leash and one roaming free on what he called a "shock leash". well as they approached, the dog of his that was on the "shock leash" (no actual cord attached from his hand to the dog, he just held a button in his hand)  got as flat as it could to the ground as some dogs do when they see people or other dogs coming. We see this dog go flat like that and we pick up our little yorkie to hold while we pass the man and his dogs. well the man doesnt say a word to us, no "hello" or anything, lets his dog that was on the shock leash jump on my brothers back that was holding the yorkie, and then the mans 2 dogs, the one on the real leash and the shock leash, run agressivly at our 15 year old lab and knock her on her back. Here is where it gets complicated, only our yorkie was on a leash. Our 15 year old dog wasnt on a leash, but she stood in the same spot the whole time. She clearly looks old and frail when you see her... her faces is super white, she has a shaky back leg, you can just tell shes old.... well the man doesn't apologize or anything, he just kept saying "YOU NEED TO KEEP YOUR DOGS ON A LEASH"  , referring to my 15 year old lab that stood still until this mans dogs attracted her...

this confrontation made my blood boil and i really want to report this man to the local PD. I got his license plate number and i also filmed him and his dogs from a distance while walking back to my car. He yelled at me to shove my camera up my ass... so yeah not the nicest guy. will the fact that my 15 year old yellow lab was off leash when his dogs, one that was off a traditional leash but on a shock leash, attacked her make my stance invalid?

Answer:
 IANAL, just have dogs so know the rules for my area. I have no idea what he thinks a shock leash is, it sounds like what he had was a shock collar, which is to say an unleashed dog. Even if a dog is leashed, it must also be under control and not disturb others by barking, lunging or jumping, or prevent other dogs or people from walking (such as by jumping on them). If in an area where leashes aren't required, owners are still responsible for their dog's behavior (sometimes called voice and sight control).

It wouldn't matter if they were aggressive or just hyper. Both dogs would be in the wrong in my county and could be reported to animal control, which is where the police in my county would refer you to. The fact that your dog was off leash wouldn't invalidate your complaint, but could leave you open to also receiving a ticket, should the animal protection officer decide to. In my area this would be unlikely, but ymmv.

Your specific leash laws and who to report to will vary by city/county, but should be listed online.


Title: My niece [16/F] wants birth control, but her mom won’t let her. What can I do legally?

Question: I’m 27/F, my niece is forced to watch all of her little siblings, and her mom won’t let her leave the house or have a social life. Her mom also has physically hit her. My niece has a boyfriend now, and is terrified of getting pregnant. She asked her mom for birth control, and her mom attacked her. I want to take her to get the birth control injection, but I don’t want her mom to retaliate or throw me in jail. Can I legally take her?

Answer:
 Under CA law she doesn't need parental consent at age 16 for access to reproductive health services, including birth control.

Go to Planned Parenthood with her.  She must be prepared to pay cash for the exam and any Rx (PP has a sliding scale for fees) so her parents won't find out that way.


Title: Is there anything I can do to protect my cat from another?

Question:
For about the 5th time in the last 6 months, my neighbors cat has come into our yard and attacked my cat (I have only recorded it once, that time being today when it was in our yard and jumped on my cat). My cat has had some visible injuries as a result, like a noticeable limp and what almost looks like a bite mark on her rear.  I have contacted this neighbor 3 times asking them to find a way to keep their cat in their own yard, where I was met by a reluctant "Oh we'll try but you know cats, you should keep yours indoors." I find this stupid, as my cat has always been an indoor - outdoor cat.  Is there anything I can do legally to protect my cat? I'm worried that I will have to take her to the vet again in case of a future attack.  Los Angeles, California for my location

Edit:Most people seem to suggest keeping her indoors, as if I wouldn't have immediately done that if it was possible.  For a multitude of financial and health reasons, she can't be unsupervised indoors as I work all day.

Answer:
 Keep your cat indoors.  Indoor cats can lead whole, happy lives.  Longer and healthier lives too.

There is nothing you can do, unless you want to spend a lot of money making it impossible to get in your yard.Answer #2: > Is there anything I can do legally to protect my cat?

keep yours indoors.

letting your cat wander outside can get them injured or killed in a variety of ways. the way to prevent it is to not let her out.


Title: [OR] Impulsively bought expensive wedding dress, retailer won't accept return less than 24 hours later. Related question on store credit.

Question:
In brief: I got caught up in a bit of wedding fantasy last night and purchased an expensive wedding dress at a local store that I later realized is completely not me or in the style of our wedding. I also purchased a second, more casual dress that I now realize is the one I would like to wear to be married.

The reciept says the store will only accept exchanges for store credit. I don't need nor will I ever use $2400 store credit to a bridal boutique. I understand that I might be hosed, although I did not see when I paid that there were no returns allowed. Additonal details:

* Dress never left the shop, it's still there. It was going to need some slight alterations which have not happened yet.
* The sale actually occured after the shop was closed, so they haven't lost any opportunity to sell the dress to anyone else.
* I have offered to pay any reversal fees they might face for refunding me.

It seems like under the circumstances, the retailer will be made whole if I refund any CC fees they face. Does that have any impact on a return policy?

If it turns out that this policy is completely valid and I'm stuck with the store credit, they have it expiring in a few months. Under OR law, gift cards not sold at a discount cannot expire. Does any one know whether that holds true for store credit as well?

Answer:
 You're hosed. The store is not under any legal obligation to offer returns, it's a store policy. You can talk to them to explain your circumstances and maybe they'll take pity, but again there is no obligation.

If the credit expires your best bet might be to keep the dress and try to sell it second hand.Answer #2: A gift card is not store credit. they're not the same thing. So it does not hold true.

You're SOL here.


Title: My ex-wife has hired an attorney to review errors in the terms of our parenting plan. What should I do?

Question:
Me and my ex divorced about 2 years ago.

I retained custody of our son, my ex has visitations (a few afternoons out of the week and every other weekend).

I was heartbroken and attempted to stop the divorce several times. My ex wanted to go discover herself.

In the year we've been apart, she's partied and slept around, did drugs. She couldn't keep her minimum wage job and moved in with her parents, who absolutely hate me and believe I brainwashed their daughter. They got her a job at a local law firm with a friend of theirs.

She hasn't paid child support in 2 years, but I hadn't enforced it either. I told her not to worry about it originally because she didn't have a good job and was struggling to make ends meet. I was hoping she'd get her feet under her, but she hasn't. Child costs have gone up, and our son is now in school and I've asked my ex to start paying half the tuition. I believe that sparked some of this new legal action.

That attorney notified me last night that he is representing my ex to review the divorce and compromise agreement. The attorney's letter states: " There may have been some errors in the terms which may need to be reviewed by a court if we cannot come to an agreement."

He also requested I stop talking to my ex.

I have a 2 p.m. with my attorney who I retained during the divorce, but would like some legal advise.

1. What can she legally challenge? We are in Georgia.
2. How do I conduct myself going forward?
3. What's nightmare scenario and how do I prepare for that? I don't want this to get Kramer v. Kramer. It's been an emotional nightmare already.

I do not want custody to change at all. I offered joint custody (verbally, not in writing) at the time of the divorce, but she rejected it. Since then, her lifestyle choices have continued to deteriorate. I truly believe our son is better with me. We have a stable lifestyle now.

Any advise would be great.

Answer:
 1. We really don't know as we haven't read your agreement, so it's best to talk with your attorney about this.
2. You should stop speaking to her and look to pursue her for the back child support and enforce your actual order.
3. They could contest this and you will have to retain that attorney to go to court to re-litigate the custody agreement.


Title: [Texas] Sexually harassed at work. I told HR who gave me "helpful tips" to deal with it myself, then did nothing. Now he has moved to sit near me.

Question:
Hello legaladvice! Sorry of this has been asked, can't find anything about it. Asking for a friend. I have been sexually harassed by a man at work repeatedly. I have text messages, and I have documented the conversations that occurred. Other women have documented things as well. He has made numerous comments including remarks about my breasts and about how he thinks about me pumping (I have begun to keep my pump locked up after these events. I do not typically pump at work, and when I do, I go to the bathroom). I, however, am the only one with text message proof of the harassment. I wrote an email and spoke to HR complaining about this, including the texts and specific encounters, and they gave me "helpful tips" to avoid dealing with this man, and basically told me to ignore him. It hasn't worked, and this continues to occur. Since that time he has now become part of my department and has moved desks, so he sits near me. What can I do to make this stop? I work in civil service as support staff (so no union). The department serves the city, but we have our own HR.

When it happened HR (after giving me the "helpful tips") told my supervisor to handle it, who told my manager to handle it. The manger is a new employee and does not have the tools or knowledge to handle this, and he told them that, then told me he does not know what to do. So nothing was done (except his moving to my department and sitting close to me).

What should I do? I am shy and don't want to make a scene, but there is no end in sight and the harassment is becoming frequent. I am inclined to send the exact same email to HR again, but cc it to city HR. Or maybe send my HR another email saying that I will be sending the original email to city HR, but I don't know what to say or how to word things so it is taken seriously and something will be done.

Also he is disabled. He is deaf and partially blind. I don't see how this matters.

Thank you for your help.

Answer: Also- I don't see a state listed but most states require a secure pumping room for expressing breast milk. She shouldn't have to do it in the bathroom.


Title: Red Light camera ticket in San Francisco CA but I live in Colorado. Do I have to pay?

Question:
 I was in SF for work recently and I ran a red light and got caught by a camera.  The rental car company charged me $20 for some reason and the ticket is ~$500.  I received a letter/Notice to Appear in the mail that says it was issued by City and County of San Francisco.  It is my understanding that In Colorado a Notice to Appear has to be served by an officer so we don't have to pay automated tickets unless an officer actually serves the ticket.

I legit ran the red light(unfamiliar city and car and by the time I saw the light, it was safer to keep going than to try to stop.) but $500 seems pretty steep and how do they even know they sent it to the correct address and I received it?  Thanks for reading!

Answer: Why would Colorado law apply in California?


Title: Shoplifted relatively cheap item. Censors went off but they didn’t chase me. Need advice

Question:
Colorado

So I was dumb and shoplifted today. It was a somewhat cheap item, under 15 dollars. I used my credit card to purchase a different item while keeping the stolen one in my pocket, so I think they’ll be able to track me. I didn’t think they had censors, but they went off when I left the store with the pocketed item. They did not chase me and I went home.

Will they go after me? They should have video surveillance and my credit card info. Would it be a bad idea to go back and feign ignorance that I accidentally pocketed the item? What kind of consequences am I facing?

Answer: Yes, they can report this to the police, provide them with video surveillance and your credit card info, and yes, you could be charged.  Whether or not they will take these steps is not something anyone here can guess.


Title: Hit and run against a racist

Question:
I’ve been discussing a crime with someone in a comment section lately, and wanted to get input on it.

Basically, the guy was offended by someone’s tattoos and flipped him off from inside his car. The man threw his hat on the ground, and started walking towards the car. Guy on the car stepped out, punched the man’s face in, and started to beat him up. When the man was broken and bleeding on the ground, the guy drove off in case police came.

He claims this all falls under self defense, and that the man was the one committing aggravated assault. What are y’all’s opinions on it?
(Full conversation can be followed if needed, just check my comment history)

Answer:
 > He claims this all falls under self defense

How?

There's no obvious way in which someone who is in a car and able to leave the situation by driving away, or able to protect themselves by locking the doors and rolling the windows up, is in any way in the right to get out of their car and attack someone, even if they believe the person is approaching with some kind of violent intent. Self-defence requires that someone reasonably believe they are in imminent danger - for example, because someone is actually being violent towards them at that moment.

Furthermore, any argument for self-defence ends the moment the threat ends. Continuing to attack until someone is "bleeding on the ground" makes it fairly clear that this was a mundane assault, and not self-defence, or he would have stopped attacking long before that point.

Racists have the same rights as anyone else, including the right to be free from violence during a verbal confrontation.


Title: My landlord failed to fix my toilet and now I am slammed with a massive water bill.

Question: My toilet has been running non stop and I was told weeks ago that it would be repaired and that I should not worry about it, I just got slapped with a $900 bill and I feel like this is not right since the toilet was originally broken when I moved in and he has failed to repair it. Also, one of my windows was improperly set when I moved in and long story short, it fell out of the hinges landing on a friend of mine causing broken glass to be everywhere. That was almost a month ago and he has yet to replace that as well. Is there any action I can do to get out of this water bill or get the window fixed? I am a broke college student and any help would mean the world. Thank you.

Answer: Short term not legal advice answer. Google how to fix running toilet. May be a $5/5 minute fix.


Title: Guy wants to report me for hit and run after we made a deal (NYC)

Question: so sat night i got into a tiny fender bender with someone in nyc. I pulled over talked to the guy he said he didnt want to call the cops i offered him 150$ for the tiny dent he had on the side of his car but he declined. now hes calling me saying he wants to be compensated for it saying i have to pay him of he will file a hit and run report with the police and that he has a recording or me saying it was my fault and a picture of my license plate. Can anything happen to me if he files a police report?

Answer:
 No, but he's going to have some splaining to do about how he has video of you saying it was your fault if he's also alleging you hit and ran.

What was the sequence of events between what you described and you leaving?Answer #2: INAL but am an asshole.

New York is a 1-party consent state. Get a recording of him threatening to file a false police report on you then call the police on him for extortion.

What you did wasn't a hit and run.


Title: Protective order against my child's mother.

Question:
I am Maryland resident. I have a kindergartner with an ex, we have no court ordered stipulations. We coparent and take care of our son's needs.

I recently had a little girl with another ex, we are unable to agree on anything, support, visitation... nothing. Over the course of knowing her, I have had a few instances of interactions that would probably qualify as harassment (I have and continue to keep records of every text message we exchange, I try to keep everything text so there is no he said she said).

Recently things have gotten really bad, my daughter will be 6 months old and though I did not plan for her, I want to have a relationship with her but her mom has stated over and over that she does not trust me to care of her, nor does she want any of the people who make up my support system involved with her. We have tried to facilitate me seeing her a couple of times which ended with her blowing up because she didn't like that I had to do something in a manner she is not comfortable with.

**To the point...** last week I had to call non\-emergency services to have her removed from my home because she would not leave when I asked her to. Yesterday, I was out with a friend and she calls me to tell me she will be at my house waiting to drop my daughter off, to which I responded I was not home and would not be for a while, and we had not agreed or discussed this previously. She had her friends check my social media (I have her blocked on all social media) to find out where I was and who I was with.

My phone died and when I was able to eventually get power she called me and proceeded to argue with me for 45 mins about who I was with and what I was doing. I am looking to file a protective order against her and I would like to speak to someone to try to figure out how it would affect being able to communicate with her to spend time with my daughter, is there anyone here who is experience with MD laws that can give me a quick run down on how a protective order with affect the situation? Waiting for a call back from the MoCo court, I called them and they were not in office.

Answer: Talking Parents. Its an app. Change your number and only communicate through there. Everything, even messages she types and doesnt send and the time she sees your messages, is saved AND admissible in court


Title: Being sued by a cosmetology school.. help! (WA, USA)

Question:
My wife signed up for a cosmetology school in April of 2012. The school was something like $7000 for the 1600 hour course. We put $2000 down and were put on monthly payments for the remainder.

Immediately it was obvious the school was a joke. She probably should have withdrawn then, but we stuck it out. She was older (26-27 at the time) than most of the girls there (17-19) and the drama was a bit unbearable. The owner of the place had no control over the constant shitshow this place was. She continued to go there for about 1000 hours, leaving 600 left to completion when she could no longer bear it and quit.

In their contract that she signed, there is a clause that dictates how much refund you are entitled to if you quit early. It states that if you complete 50% - 100% of the course, the institution is entitled to keep 100% of the tuition. I assumed that meant we simply cannot get a refund.

Apparently, this means that they can sue us for the balance of the full tuition. So, they're suing for $3300 + $800 interest + $400 or so in court costs/attorney fees.

There has got to be recourse for us in this. I feel there has got to be someway to argue about the quality of education she received. Or something to the effect of how their entire clause talks about refunds, not tuition being due in full if you quit. The rate at which it ramps up is amazing. In the schedule that shows the percentage earned by the school, once you complete 1% of the hours (two days of attendance, 16 hours), they are entitled to 20% of the tuition, or roughly $1400...

Does it not matter how ridiculously asinine a contract is, if my wife signed it we're screwed? Is there a way out of this? I just feel helpless that because of a signed piece of paper a school was able to get away with shitty service, nothing gained what-so-ever, not only not give a refund for the quality of education received, but ALSO sue us for money that they absolutely never earned and have no reason to try and collect other than the contract says they can.

**TL;DR - Getting sued by a cosmetology school for balance of tuition for a course that my wife quit because instruction was awful and she felt she wasn't learning anything. Possibly screwed cause of contract. Any possible way out???**

**If needed, I can post the relevant sections from the contract if anyone is willing to take a look**
Topic:
Contracts

Answer:
if you had paid the full $7000 at the very start in cash, would you have interpreted that line differently?

The $7000 is the 100% of tuition. You're saying you understand not getting a refund. What would you get a refund for given that you've been paying monthly and have only paid for what you used. Even if she had only completed 49% of the course and was entitled to a refund of some of the tuition, you likely wouldn't actually be getting money back, but would just owe them less.

Answer #2: The contract signed governs your agreement. As they're simply following the contract, you should have raised these concerns before signing. The fact that your wife did not want to deal with the drama and wasn't a fan of the institution and quit does not absolve you from the contractual obligations.


Title: Utah trying to take $2000 for an accident that happened three and a half years ago... I'm Canadian

Question: So, I hit some slush in Utah, went off the side of the freeway and through a fence, and wrecked my car in December 2010. The cops came and got my info and I never heard anything about it. Flashforward to the present day, where I've just filed my Utah income taxes, and the state sends me a letter saying I owe them $1300 for the fence and $700 in collection fees. Thing is, I'd finished up college down in the States and am now living up in Canada. The easiest option seems to be just ignoring it, since I'm maybe in Utah a couple days every other year. Any possible ways not paying this could screw over my life? All I've thought of is American credit, but that's not a big issue since I live in Canada. Thanks.

Answer: Classy. Basically you're asking us how to skip out on a bill that you caused and should pay. Why should the Utah tax payers have to pay for the fence you destroyed? Reddit teaches us Canadians are good people, is it all a lie?


Title: Removing a large utility truck I don't own off my property

Question:
Hi there, legal advice!

Almost three years ago, I bought a house with about 10 acres attached to it from a very lovely elderly gentleman. At the time, another elderly friend of his was storing a well digging truck on the property. I wasn't too bothered by it at first (maybe this was a mistake) because the family that owned it did stop by a few times, trying to get it started and off my property. I knew that the older gentleman who owned the well truck also had very bad lung cancer and I felt bad about pushing the issue. I really expected them to get it off my property by now, because even if it's not working, I'm sure that it's worth money in scrap metal.

However, over two and a half years later, the well truck is still on my property. The family stopped by in the first year I owned my property to "work on the truck" with very little notice (I work from home, but I have livestock/dogs and I have to corral stuff if people are going to be there) and just expecting me to let them in whenever they wanted, which I wasn't 100% comfortable with because I'm a young woman living alone in the wilderness and I don't really know these people.

The last year or so, no one has come by to work on the truck, I haven't heard from any of these people and I don't have any way to contact them because during a software reboot on my phone, I lost all my contacts. I don't even know if the owner is still alive--he was in a bad way last time I saw him.

I'm planning on some landscaping work and adding chickens and goats to my little homestead next spring and because my property is very hilly and the truck is on one of the few large flat spaces, I want it gone so I can build a goat shed and some chicken coops where it's parked.

I want to either sell the truck to a scrap yard and have them come pick it up, or pay to have it towed to a scrap yard. But since I don't own the truck, I'm not sure if I can do this? I don't want to get in trouble. If there was a way to contact the family, I'd give them the money from the sale of the truck, even. I just want it gone so I can buy my goats and chickens.

Does anyone have insight on this? Would the vehicle be considered abandoned? Because it's on my property, can I get rid of it? Or do I need proof of the title or something? I'm not really great at legal stuff, so there may be issues I'm not even thinking of.

Thank you for any thoughts on this! I appreciate it.

EDITED TO ADD: I am in California
Topic:
Real Estate law

Answer:
 Depending on what state you're in, many have an "abandoned vehicle" procedure. Typically you get info from the vehicle (VIN number, tag number, description, etc.) and provide that to your States Department of Motor Vehicles, they will send notice to the title holder giving the owner of record a certain amount of time to remove it. After that period of time elapses, if they don't remove it, DMV will issue a new title to you.

Edit: As I said, depending on the state. I'm in AZ and our relevant statute is:

A. If a vehicle remains unclaimed at the expiration of the dates prescribed in section 28-4841, subsections B and C, the director shall make an inquiry to determine if the vehicle is a stolen vehicle. On receiving notice that the vehicle has not been reported stolen, the director may transfer ownership of the vehicle free and clear of all liens or encumbrances on compliance with this chapter to the person in possession of the vehicle.

Source: http://www.aptra.net/ARS_28-4801_AV_Statutes.htm


Title: I suffered a traumatic brain injury after I got into a confrontation with a former friend.

Question: I got into a fight with a former friend when we were hanging out at another friend's house. As a result of the fight I suffered a traumatic brain injury. I remember nothing from the night because of the nature of the injury. The person who injured me got arrested but was released a few days later.  I was in the hospital for almost a month. I now have epilepsy and I havent been able to get my license back because of the seizures I have.  I had to resign at my job because of all this. I have had people tell me I have a claim here for a civil lawsuit. I need some advice on what to do and how to do it. Thank you.

Answer: You should consult a personal injury lawyer in your jurisdiction. Most will do free consultations. Has your medical insurance been informed about how your injury was caused?


Title: Normal family inheriting crazy grandmother’s unique, multi-million dollar home.

Question:
Hi everyone. In the 1950’s, my grandmother bought a house in a now ultra-wealthy beach community in California. The house sits on the sand, and has a full ocean view. The strange thing is neither she nor anyone in my family is wealthy. She bought the house for less than $100k.

My grandmother is now in her late 90’s. She has  also declined all bidders on the house over the years. The house value is now between 8-10 million, and will be passed on after her death.

Being normal income earners, what kind of taxes should we expect to pay after her passing. Will keeping the house in the family be a possibility?

My fathers side of the family all grew up there. I would hate to have to sell it.

Thanks for your help.

Answer:
 Honestly, you should speak to an estate lawyer, and do it promptly.  If she loses her capacity to make decisions it will be too late.

The best solution is probably a trust, either to manage the house and keep it in the family, or to manage the proceeds of a sale, especially if there are multiple heirs with conflicting opinions.


Title: Non Profit Animal Rescue Scam - What to do??

Question:
MINNESOTA - Anybody know the legalities with non-profit animal rescues? I have had a horrible experience with a non-profit animal rescue in MN and want to know if anyone has any advice. Here is my story:

My husband and I adopted a kitten on March 19th, who we were told was 'perfectly healthy' and he did seem like it to a normal person, until I brought him to my regular vet. We brought him in to our vet and immediately they found that he was severely anemic, due to pale gums. After a basic blood test, the dr. found that he had non-regenerative anemia and his red blood cells were at 20% when they should be at least 40% along with a high number of white blood cells (double what they should be). This was to a point where the Dr. was concerned about him crashing if his red blood cells dropped any more.

During all of this, our adult cat got very sick at home within 4 days of us bringing the kitten home (They were separated, but we did have the kitten out a few times to get his smell in the house for our adult cat to get use to. This was before we found out either of them were sick.)
Our adult cat started throwing up, had diarrhea and was not eating or drinking. We had him at the vet for 3 days, and racked up quite an expensive bill. They are not sure what he got, as they don't know what the kitten had, but to me it seems like he got it from the kitten. Some of the things that they were concerned about the kitten having were life threatening diseases, like FIP or FELV that is in the bone marrow.

I contacted the cat coordinator after we found out that the kitten was very sick. She said that he was 'perfectly healthy' in the foster, when in fact he was not. The level of anemia that he had doesn't just come on in a few days. It takes some time for the anemia to be that bad. She said if we wanted we could return the cat to them and we decided that was the best option. My husband and I lost our other young cat due to cardiomyopathy earlier in March and we could not go through that again so soon. We thought we were getting a 'healthy' cat, not a sick one. We obviously understand that health is not guaranteed, but when a cat is this sick and seemingly contagious, this is not right.

When we dropped him off (which was completely heartbreaking), the Cat coordinator assured us up and down that we could email and check in to how he is doing and that they would let us know what they find out from their vet, especially since our cat at home got very sick. After a couple days, I inquired to see how he was as I was worried about him and wanted to see what they found out so I could figure out what my adult cat got sick with. The coordinator said he was 'fabulous' and back with the other kittens in the foster and that he had been into their vet and they had no pressing concerns. This struck me as extremely odd, as blood work does not lie and something underlying is causing his anemia. I had sent over all the records and blood work from my vet before dropping him off, so they had the history. I then asked some follow up questions about what they thought about the non-regenerative anemia, if they did more blood work, if they thought it was contagious and if there is conflicting information, I would like to see the results to know what is really going on. She responded that they did not want to divulge any more information regarding his blood work or vetting and "Best of luck on your search for another kitten." This infuriated me, as they originally told me they would keep me updated. I guess they will say anything to shut up a person who is crying over a sick kitten. They really seem to be hiding something. If they didn't have anything to hide, they would just tell me what I am asking and not be so shady about it. That is all I wanted in the first place, was to know what they found out and they refused to tell me and didn't even email me back.

I have no idea who they go through to get these animals checked out and they do not list any veterinary clinic names on the records. The only record of where anything was done is Kindest Cut, where he got neutered and all the rescues go through KC. Looking back, that strikes me as very shady as you would think it wouldn't be a problem to list where the care was from.

I received a $50 "medical" refund after I spent over $900 between the adoption and all the vet bills between my adult cat and the kitten. The kitten is still alive and again available for adoption and they are asking the full $200 that I had paid for him in the first place. They never responded back to me and didn't say much when I filled a BBB complaint. I am completely blown away by this as they are a pretty big animal rescue in MN and they operate extremely sketchy. I found online that in 2014 they got over $1 million that year between adoption fees and donations. I would guess that number is higher in 2016 and 2017. I still think that this kitten is sick and they didn't mention anything about it in the listing - if he has FIP (which is incurable), he will die within a year.

I don't know if there is anything else I can do? They never had me sign anything when I gave him back and they promised they would let me know what they found out since my adult cat got sick too. Thankfully, he is doing better but I still wonder what came into contact with him and if he is a carrier to a disease if we try to get another kitten?

Any suggestions/thoughts would be much appreciated.

Answer:
 When you adopted the kitten did you not ask for the paperwork from its previous vet? Animal rescues are very short on funds so it is unlikely that they would have run any blood tests on a kitten without a significant reason to do so. I would be surprised if the kitten had anything more than a neuter and basic shots.

When you adopt a rescue there is always a chance that it will be sick which is why you are normally advised to quarantine (keep the kitten in a single room that your resident cat does not access) until you get a full vet check done. FIP has symptoms so it would be noticed in a quarantine and you can run a SNAP test for FIV/FeLV (you should probably have this done on your older cat if you let it and the kitten cross over in terms of space sharing).

It sounds like you only got $50 back. If you should get a complete refund after returning the kitten will be dictated by the contract you had with them. They don't have any obligation to keep you updated on the kitten that you returned.


Title: LONG POST BUT PLEASE READ... please help.. tl;dr at least. I stole three pairs of shoes months ago, my court date is tomorrow! Please share some legal advice with me. [24M]

Question:
[24M] Temecula, California

I provide all the info below and I GREATLY appreciate any qualified advice.  Feel free to grab some popcorn or your favorite snack.

I was working at a nearby Macy's.  I was closing one night after working there for months and I had been giving out discounts for awhile to employees.  To my recollection this is the only reason I did this, it was spur of the moment, stupidest thing I had ever done.  It was the first time I had EVER closed a store by myself, and I don't have a record or history of stealing.  To be honest (and this is something I realized later.. but why I included the legal disclaimer in the beginning and I know.. personal ambitions are probably watered down in court for good reason I suppose) .. anyway honestly I think it was a cry for help.  Cliche` or not, at the time my living situation had been so.. oppressive and stressful I wasn't handling it very well at all.  And it has been this way for 8 years. 8 long years.. it may seem crazy to steal something but I just wasn't in the right frame of mind at all.. believe it or not I'm in a MUCH better place now, maybe making such a huge mistake helped me realize.. like 'what the fuck was I thinking?'.. because that's the first thought I had that night. I knew I was going to be caught, I didn't expect to get away with it and I did do it.  I didn't think about the.. repercussions.. at the time I didn't care.. I know I wasn't stable and I have been seeing a therapist which did help a lot.  Maybe these few details will give me some brownie points... I don't know.. all I know is that I'm not a thief.  I was in hard times.  I didn't plan this.  It was TRULY a last minute thought and the dumbest thing I ever did, ever.  I really didn't care... even when saying my statement .. I realized I needed help after dealing with my living environment and found it.

Anyway, I haven't disclosed much information on the actual incident.  I was closing, it was probably 9 or 9:05 pm I suppose.  I had a friend who I gave a big discount come in and .. take them out of the store.  They were 3 pairs of Calvin Klein dress shoes.  I HAVE a couple pairs of dress shoes and my shoe drawers were already full.. I would have nowhere to put these shoes.  It was a pointless act.. really wasn't about the shoes.

Anyway, asset protection manager comes up, very reasonable guy, as I'm closing the register.. says, "Come with me."  We go up to his office, chat a bit, he actually acknowledges and sympathizes with me and I was honest about everything. I told him it was all my fault, all my idea, I didn't want my friend to be in any trouble.  We didn't talk too much.. he went through procedures... I had my friend come back with the shoes.  The manager went to go get them, I was actually RELIEVED they were returned.  He wrote up a statement 'in my words' on the computer.. basically asked me questions and wrote down what I said to the questions, filled in the blanks.  Like a template statement.  Not sure if there's any wiggle room here for an attorney's advice on the statement but I admitted and signed to the incident.

There was a long silence in the office.. like an hour.. He made a couple grammatical errors and I corrected him, he thought that was funny and he called me smart.  He said I shouldn't be doing this stuff, I'm not the type.  Obviously I imagine that doesn't matter in court but that helped me.  He assured he would do what he could to make sure a... bill doesn't get sent to my house indicating it's a serious case.  Not sure what bill but he said 'If a bill is mailed to you for $400 OR a officer shows up to your house, this is serious.' But neither of those happened... then about a month ago I was called in for court.. he did mention I will go to court no matter what.. so I guess he did something for me and I appreciate that.

TL;DR - My FRIEND was caught outside with the bag on camera, I was called in, admitted and took full responsibility for it because I did in-fact organize it.  The shoes were returned, I paid in full for the discounts that had been tracked, he gave me a paper acknowledging this.. so I gave out $47 in discounts and I paid them all off back to Macy's and was happy to do so.  It felt great, actually... didn't receive a certain bill / no officer showed up at my house.. and I am Misdemeanor DEJ eligible.. I don't know all the details of that but I think that's better than not.

Based on this information what should I definitely say or not say in court?
Do I need an attorney or public defender? if so.. what's the easiest way to get one?
Are public defenders there at court?
What do you think would be the most useful thing for me to include in my statement or say to the judge / do in court?  Thank you, so very much for your time and dedicated attention to help me on this.

I KNOW how selfish and stupid it was to involve my close friend, so I went to all measures to take the wrap.  Please understand.. I wasn't thinking clearly at all this time, this is very hard to write about and my life then was harder than I can explain.. it actually brings a tear to my eye to think about.

Answer: You need an attorney and shouldn't have waited until the day before to think about it. If you can afford an attorney you won't be able to get a public defender. If you think you don't have the money, request a PD and the court will determine if you're eligible. They'll ask you to enter a plea tomorrow. Say "not guilty, your honor." Then get yourself either a PD or criminal attorney ASAP


Title: 16 year old gfs mother died and her father isnt in the picture. Is it possible for me (m18) to get guardianship of her? [Mi]

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Pretty much 0 chance whatsoever dude. Answer #2: I highly doubt any judge is going to give you guardianship so you can shack up with your girlfriend in her mom's house. Answer #3: You're not allowed to bang your wards , it's an add on to the statutory rape laws.  So even if a judge ordered you to be her guardian (which they wont ) if you then slept with her it would be rape , as it should be.

Michigan has school of choice her uncle may let her drive to the school she is already in , he might even let her speed some nights at her old house (hopefully under someone else's supervision)Answer #4: 0 chance.

Guardianship will almost certainly pass to her family unless you decide to marry her, which is probably inadvisable for a broad swath of reasons.


Title: [CAN] Car dealer won't provide necessary document in order to complete car registration

Question: Hey guys, hoping you can offer some advice to a fellow Canadian. I've recently bought a car from a used car dealer about two weeks ago. I went to go register the car, and in two separate places they told me that I needed an extra document in order to register the car that was never provided by the dealer. I've messaged the dealer, and he insists he gave it to me, while I am convinced he hasn't (I had all the documents in one folder, and the documents he gave me were stapled together). About a week and a half ago, he finally replied to me saying that he will get a new document and text me once it's ready. I have not heard back from him since, and did not receive a reply when I messaged him yesterday reminding him. The temporary registration for the car has now expired, and I'm left with a car that is undriveable. I can provide more information, if needed. What are my options?

Answer: Bring all your documents there during business hours. Ask to speak to management.  Wait as long as it takes. Leave only when you get the paper or they explicitly tell you to.


Title: Falsely Accused, need help

Question:
Hello, all. This is my first time posting here and I'm on mobile if it means anything.

To get right to my issue, or my mother's actually. My mother went shopping at a popular thrift store that helps to employ special needs persons. A month ago, my mother went in and was shopping around for a while. She came upon a box of a 4-piece set of wineglasses. It was missing one glass so my mom looked around for another and found one of the same design. Before she did anything, she asked an associate if she could include the same design glass into the 4-piece set since it was missing one anyways. The associate said sure, I don't see why not! So my mom put it into the box with the other three and carried on with her shopping. Near the end, after she paid for over $30 of merchandise, a man came out of the back of the store and pulled my mother aside, saying that she had shoplifted by putting the glass into the box that they had it on camera. My mother told them they were wrong, that she asked beforehand to be allowed to put the glass with the rest and was OK'd to do it. She pointed out the associate who let my mother do it and she was asked if it was true. Now, this associate was a little slow, and when she was spoken to, she clammed up and wouldn't admit to anything, even though I don't think she would have been in trouble allowing what she did anyways. In any case, since they didn't get a confirmation from the associate, they told my mother that she was banned from the premises. They made her show them her license, and took her pic and set her out. To add to this, they could have looked at their security footage and seen for themselves that my mother spoke to the associate, but they didn't. Now, a month later, they are billing my mother with demand for a payment of over $300 in legal/lawyer fees.

Can my mother contest this? Why was she sent a fee in any case? My mother is stubborn and adamant that she didn't do anything wrong and doesn't want to comply with their bullying. I just don't know what to do or how to help her and I don't want her to go to jail/court for something she didn't do. If anyone could give some advice, I'd be very grateful. And I don't know if this will help with anything, but my mother has no police record whatsoever, she has been shopping at that store for years and is not someone who would try to steal or break the law. I'm losing sleep with worry for her.

Answer:
 Your mother should consider speaking with an attorney about the matter.  In this situation it sounds like there is nothing but an account of the conversation with a clerk that stands between your mother and being arguably guilty.

A lawyer may be able to more effectively fight the issue with the store.

Your mother certainly has the option of refusing their demand for payment.  Some stores sue, and some don't.


Title: Can parents legally disinherit their child for cutting contact?

Question: In the US, can parents legally disinherit their child for cutting contact with them? And is there any point where a will is final and can't be changed? I have emotionally abusive parents, don't want their drama in my life anymore, but greatly fear this will happen. Properly receiving the will or not will make a huge difference in my life. I'm their only child and adopted from birth if that makes any legal difference.

Answer: You have zero rights to an inheritance. So yes, your parents are allowed to leave their things who whoever you wish for whatever reason. Or to not provide them.