Title: Landlord told me to leave by the weekend so I left.

Question:
A couple years ago I was living in this apartment, was behind on a couple months of rent, and a friend of mine offered to cover the lease until I could find a job and pay off what rent I owed and split the rent with him. Those last couple of months I was behind on rent and avoiding my landlord, so I was so happy to have my buddy move in with me. Then one day she let herself into my apartment while I was home, and I explained to her that I had found a roommate, and that he was willing to pay rent while I paid off what I owed.

She said it was too late and wanted me out by that friday (it was a tuesday). I asked if there was anyway that I could stay but she told me there wasn't and that if I wasn't gone by the weekend, she'd call the cops to have me removed.  I started packing and realized I wouldn't have enough time so I texted the landlord asking for the weekend so I could clean up whatever was left over from packing. So I packed everything up, cleaned everything over the weekend (no one came to kick me out so I assumed I was allowed to stay to finish cleaning but never got a response) and left.

They've sent collection agencies after me, who just call me on a daily basis, usually calling two or three times a day.  Which isn't much of a bother.  But now I want to improve my credit. And I checked online, the money I owe to them is what is killing my credit. I mentioned this to a friend of mine recently and was told that the way they evicted me was illegal and I could possibly fight it. The company themselves call me every now and then, but it's usually the collection agency that calls.

Is there a chance I could fight it? I barely make enough to keep my head above water so if I have to pay it off, it's going to be a long time until it's paid off. But if there's a chance I could possibly get it removed from my record or even just get the amount lowered so it'd be easier and quicker to pay off and improve my credit, I would want to know about it. I have no real solid understanding of the situation legally so I thought I'd ask the internet. Any helpful advice would be greatly appreciated. Keep in mind I'm in Alberta (Canada), just in case that makes any difference.

Answer:
 So timing matters. How long ago EXACTLY did you move out? Also, were you ever sued for the debt and have the collectors talked about having a judgment?Answer #2: It sounds like she told you she wanted you out but didn’t go though the steps of evicting you formally. You could have stayed longer but since you left now, I don’t think there is much you can do.

You will still have to pay those months of missing rent even if you had a case and won.


Title: My employer is "recommending" I take down a social media review.

Question:
About 4 years ago I observed a local business damage my vehicle. I raised my concerns to the manager and they refused to acknowledge my complaint. I posted a 1-star review on a social media site detailing the facts that occurred and recommending an alternate local business who I had more positive experiences with. The review was purely factual and calm headed.

Flash forward to today. The local business has contacted my **current** employer, *who I was not employed with when I posted the review*, and demanded that I take it down.

My employer has "recommended" I take it down, but has not demanded it.

Where do I stand legally, can my employer make me do that? Does it matter if I was / was not employed by this employer at the time the review was posted?

Edit: Location is U.S.

Edit: Thanks for the advice everyone.  I spoke to a local attorney and he had the same message as most of you... they can't make me take it down but they can fire me for not taking it down.  I opted for passive aggressive and took the review down.... then made an anonymous profile and posted a negative (albeit generic) review.

Answer:
 Since you provided no location, I'm assuming you're in a US State. They can recommend it. They can also fire you if you don't follow their recommendation. They cannot force you to take it down.

On the off chance you're in an ISIS controlled region/employed by ISIS, they'll probably behead you.Answer #2: Assuming the United States, but state laws can differ a bit.

If the review is entirely true, or obviously your own opinion, it is not illegal in any way.

That said, your current employer is free to fire you if you refuse to take it down.  Even if he couldn't fire you for that reason, he can fire you for wearing black shoes tomorrow, or for saying "good morning" in the wrong tone of voice.  You can be fired for anything at all, except being a member of a protected class.

There is a good chance your boss knows the owner of the other company, or does business with him.  He doesn't want you interfering with that relationship.  You can talk to him about it, but if he insists, you should probably take it down.  You might be able to post another one anonymously, but be careful if you decide to do that.Answer #3: They can ask you to, and fire you to not do it. You can also seek unemployment if they do. Seems very scummy to call your boss and demand they take your review downAnswer #4: You should leave another review in the same spot detailing the current circumstances.


Title: Did I just get an illegal massage?

Question:
Hi r/legaladvice. This is pretty embarrassing. My back has been sore for a couple weeks as well as my legs, so I went to a massage parlor in town to... get a massage basically. I looked up reviews on Google and found one that had a decent amount of reviews and a good rating and in a good part of town.

I get there, and everything is typical. The lady at the desk asks what massage I want, and I do 30 minutes. They have me pay with my card and I go to the room. The lady walks in, and is very nice, but does not speak English well. She was watching some YouTube videos and seemed really lighthearted when she walked in. Seemed like a nice lady.

Well the massage evidently only covered my back? So I asked if the hour long one covered the front half, and she was like oh yeah the full massage. Made sense to me: half price was half the body, full price was the full body. So I agree.

When she got to the front side... she like... started normal but then... started to jack me off? I didnt know what to do, so I sat there for a minute in shock, and then was like, "uhh can we do the rest of the massage?" And she was very kind and stopped and finished the rest of the massage.

I'm not sure what happened. The place even had reviews from middle aged women. There were was a woman booking an appointment when I left. The parlor was in a good part of town surrounded by other stores. It didn't look sketchy at all.

Now I'm sort of weirded out because I paid with a card. I paid the 2nd half hour in cash, but I'm worried that if the place is doing something illegal, what would happen to me and even the other customers? The language barrier alone seemed to cause this, and now I'm kind of upset.

Answer:
 > When she got to the front side... she like... started normal but then... started to jack me off?

Yes, that would make this illegal. Answer #2: If approached by police, ask for an attorney.

Yea, seems like you went to a shop that does a lil prostitution on the side and gave the code word of "cover my front"Answer #3: Sounds like sexual assult to me.  If I went for a massage and the therapist started touching my lady bits without permission, I would totally go to the police.Answer #4: You're fine. If your really worried you can file a police report which would exonerate you from any potential claims you solicited prositution. It's a fact that some asian masage parlors are just fronts for human trafficking. A great deal of parlors were just recently busted where I live for prostitution and human trafficking. You could potentially be saving someones life by reporting it. Answer #5: Somewhat off topic, but I want to make sure you know you have the right to feel violated and upset by this—what that woman did was assault, and it’s completely inappropriate under any circumstances. And more importantly, none of this is your fault. You were given every reason to trust this establishment and you communicated a very reasonable, legitimate request in services.

I see that you have spoken with a lawyer, which is great, but I recommend you seek some counseling as the human brain tends to internalize this kind of stuff, even if we feel generally ok on the surface.

Good luck, OP. Answer #6: > and she was like oh yeah the *full massage*.

Apparently that's codeword for 'a happy ending'.


Title: Daughter's mom is cashing child support checks but daughter lives with her grandfather.

Question: Basically, what the title says. I just found out that my daughter lives 10 minutes from her mom with her grandfather but her mom keeps cashing the child support checks for herself. If I can have the money sent to her grandfather in the system I don't mind since it would actually go to my daughter, but I'm also curious if I can use this to try and get custody of my daughter. Thanks in advance for any info!

Answer: You may petition the court to modify custody and support and bring it to their attention. What you can't do is take it upon yourself to stop paying support to the mother.


Title: California. City put in video cameras at a stoplight but changed the time of the yellow light to 2 seconds.

Question:
My city recently put in a video surveillance at a busy stoplight and changed the time of the yellow light to 2 seconds (I timed it).  The other yellow lights near the intersection run for about 5-6 seconds, which is what the light in question used to run for until it was changed to 2 seconds.  It is nearly impossible to get out of the intersection before the light turns red, even if you enter with a green light because the yellow is only 2 seconds long.  The speed limit in the area is 25 mph.  There have been many people getting video tickets and complaining about the time of the yellow light, claiming the time on the yellow light isn't fair.  I go through this intersection every day and I'm sure it's only a matter of time before I get caught with a red light in the intersection.

My question is, is it legal for the city to reduce the yellow light to 2 seconds?  This was done exactly at the same time the cameras were put in.  Does this count as some sort of trap considering that if so one is doing the speed limit and going through the green light, it is possible for the light turn to yellow and then red before you are out of the intersection?

Answer:
 The cameras only ticket you if you *enter* the intersection when it's red. Theoretically you can enter an intersection when it's green and remain there a full cycle if you're unable to complete your movement safely (say there's a baby in the crosswalk), and not be ticketed. It's only entering on red that's an issue, not remaining in the intersection or finishing the turn.

But still, in other jurisdictions messing with the yellow light timing is typically specifically against the statutes which authorize a red light camera, so there probably is a way to challenge the camera tickets. Answer #2: Beside the fact that this is probably illegal, it's also pretty dangerous.

I had the same situation in an intersection 5 miles from my house: brand new cameras, and ridiculously short yellow light. The first tickets started to came in, and word spread around fast. Drivers that approached that intersection started paying attention to the stoplight only, and hard braking as soon as the light turned yellow.

I think that when approaching an intersection, your undivided attention should always be on the road, since any kind of shit can happen in a blink of an eye: you're rapidly passing by others vehicles standing on other lanes, bikes filtering through them, pedestrian not paying attention, and so on... your peripheral vision will still know if the yellow comes up, but you'll have time to decide if you're committed into going or safely slow down to come to a stop.

Threatening a ticket will make drivers shift their attention towards the stoplight, creating potentially more danger than a car passing half a second past the red light.


Title: If I'm 19 in the time zone I was born in, am I 19 in another time zone if it isn't my birthday yet?

Question: [removed]

Answer: Your age would be based on where you are at that moment


Title: [US] What authority to states and municipalities have to regulate ocean use?

Question:
I'm mainly curious about our rights when it comes to swimming.

The reason I'm asking is because I have a home in a NJ town that is somewhat notorious for its overzealous lifeguards. Over the past ~20 years, their enforcement of paternalistic city ordinances has increased dramatically. Bathers are limited to waist-deep water even on the calmest days, and anyone who swims beyond that depth risks being issued a $100 ticket with a mandatory court date (the ordinance is essentially "failure to obey a lifeguard").

This wouldn't be an issue if they simply had an unguarded beach where you could swim at your own risk, but swimming at unguarded beaches is strictly forbidden and their patrol units will quickly whistle you out of the water and/or issue you a citation. Also, the beaches are guarded from 9-5 on weekdays and even later on weekends, which leaves hardly any daylight to swim without the overbearing lifeguards bossing you around.

The nearest town without lifeguards is 30 minutes away, but going there every day would sort of defeat the purpose of owning a home that's just blocks from the beach. My family enjoys being able to walk to and from the beach every day, and we *used to* enjoy swimming there, but the beach patrol has made that second part very difficult in recent years. It feels like we're being treated like a bunch of babies just so the city can reduce their risk of facing a drowning lawsuit, and so the lifeguard captain can brag about having "zero rescues" every year.

Answer:
 New Jersey has territorial waters [which extend out to three nautical miles from shore.](http://www.state.nj.us/dep/cmp/czm_federal.html).

Their authority to pass laws regulating activities there are the same as they are to pass laws regulating activities on the shore.Answer #2: this beach is not unlike a state park or city park. I'm assuming all members of the area or town are allowed to use it? that being said, your right to use the beach is still governed by the rules of the beach. the rules are probablly about saftey, whether they actually serve that purpose or not is a different discussion.

if it's a small locak beach, the peple who write the rules are likely at the town level, i would talk with them, maybe go to the next town meeting and bring it up and see if they can back off a bit.


Title: My apartment complex stole and destroyed my furniture

Question:
Yesterday my partner and I were moving out of an apartment complex in MD, USA. I had a reservation for a moving truck at 9:30 AM, so before we went to pick up the truck, we moved several items of furniture down the elevator from the fourth floor to the lobby. We made sure to arrange the pieces so that nothing was blocked. The idea was to pick up the truck, which was ten minutes down the road, and then move the furniture out upon returning.

When we arrived to the truck company the owner had not shown up, and when we called him we were told to get lost. So I spent about an hour talking with corporate trying to get another truck and somehow fix this. At the end of the hour I called the apartment to let them know about the furniture and that we were held up.

The person who answered told me off and said that what we did was a "big no-no" and that we could find our things in the dump. After some hysterical crying I found some of the items completely broken by the dumpster, and some of them missing--since we were only gone for an hour, I think the lady was encouraging people to take/steal it.

I lost about $500-$800 worth of furniture. My question-- is this legal?? I know I left it in the public lobby, but surely there must be some common sense preventing this. Is there any action I could take to regain the value of my property?? Thank you all.

Answer:
 You dumped your stuff on someone else's property. You had no permission to do that. No idea why you would think that was a good idea at all.

They owe you nothing. Answer #2: Question... there were two of you (at least).  Why didn't one of you stay with the furniture while the other went to get the truck?


Title: CBP pulled me off a flight and questioned me - what are my options

Question:
I am still a bit freaked out

I am traveling to Japan with my wife from the US and after getting on the plane, I was instructed by the flight attendant to get off the plane with my wife.

The CBP pulled me to the side and searched my bag. They repeatedly asked whether I am carrying large amount of cash which I replied No. they also asked if I’m carrying sensitive data outside of USA (I used to work for a DoD contractor and held a secret clearance)

They did the same thing to my wife.

The thing is I was trained during my time with the clearance to never ever share confidential info outside of work. Even at work it’s on a need to know basis. I have since left work almost 3 years ago....

Eventually after 20 min of questioning they let me back on my flight.  What was strange is that the excuse they used was that “I was in the bathroom for too long”

I don’t buy that BS.

Does anyone know what I can do in this case?
1.	I think this is targeted search and is rather serious. Does the US law allow citizens to find out what the reason for such search?

2.	 this is the second time this happened. First time I was detained at Canadian border. Same bull shit - searches my entire luggage.

I’m seriously angry and scared.

Answer: Unfortunately your only option if you don't want CBP stopping and searching you is to stop travelling outside the US.


Title: Stopping church bells

Question:
I recently moved to a house which is near a church. The church rings its bells extremely often and loud.

Not only do they ring every hour, starting at 8am each morning until 8pm at night, using a gong succession to tell time (1 gong for 1pm, 4 gongs for 4pm, etc.), but they also do a 10 minute long melody at 7:45am on a Sunday morning. Which is then promptly followed by 8 gongs to announce 8am. This is done 3 more times at 9:45am, 11:45am, and 12:45pm.

The bells are loud, not needed, and are awful for newborns as babies have a tough time sleeping through the noise. They also hurt the value of real estate here, as people familiar with the area know about the nuisance of these bells and choose to not purchase homes anywhere near the church.

Our neighbors agree with this and also find the church bells a nuisance. How do I get them to stop ringing them or reduce the frequency and volume at which they play? Should I start a petition? Contact legal counsel? Is this an excersize in futility?

Answer:
 > I recently moved to a house which is near a church.

I see the problem.Answer #2: You moved to the nuisance. You likely have no viable case.


Title: [OH] Is it legal to randomly drug test high school students who drive to school?

Question: Is it legal to randomly drug test public high school students who drive to school?  If they refuse, can the school automatically require them to do 20 hrs of community service?

Answer:
 Yes, you can be drug tested, but only for (a) extracurricular activities or (b) under reasonable suspicion. They can require community service, but don't have the authority to actually enforce it.

[Source](https://www.drugabuse.gov/related-topics/drug-testing/faq-drug-testing-in-schools)


Title: my landlord wont answer me about how to pay rent

Question:
Hey reddit,

I moved into a new place in September that's owned by a private guy, not a company. Everything seemed totally normal to me upon move in. Gave the guy checks for the security deposit and first months rent, no problem.

We talked about how to pay rent, because he doesnt live close by. He said that his tenants commonly Zelle him the mone or put a check in the mail. I said great, I'll Zelle it to you.

Flash forward to this week. On the first,  I opened up Zelle and put in the info I had for him, and sent the money. I also sent him a text, saying I'd just sent it and asking him to confirm.  He doesnt answer.

On the third, I text him again, again asking for him to please confirm if he got the payment I Zelled. He writes back that hes out of the country and will check tomorrow.

I dont hear from him again until the fifth. He texts me saying that he doesnt see the money, and what account did I send it to. I explained that I used Zelle, with this phone number. He tells me he doesnt understand how his bank account is linked to a phone number.

We went back and forth a little, with me trying to explain how Zelle works. I asked him if there was another number I should try, he didn't answer. i asked him if he could open the app and send me a request for the money, he didn't answer. I tried sending the money to the other phone number I had for him, and the same thing happened (he said he didn't see it).

His last text to me came a little after 7:30am Friday the fifth. I've texted him another four or five times and gotten no answer. I finally told him I'd just write a check and put it in the mail, but I don't have his address so I dont know where to send it. He hasn't answered me.

It's now the morning of the sixth, he hasn't sent me a request for the money (which I asked him to do just so I'd know what account I'm sending this money to). Nor has he gotten back to me with the address he'd like a check sent to. Now my rent is technically late, and I'm afraid hes going to start slapping fees on me. None of my neighbors have been around for me to ask, and I don't really know them well enough to go knocking on their doors.

TL;DR : I've been trying to pay my rent since the first, but my landlord wont tell me where to send the money, and now its "late".

Please help. I've been working really hard to get my credit up and get my shit together, and I dont like what's happening at all.

Answer: Print, not just save, all of the text conversations. Set the money aside (in an account, not cash) and send him a request for payment instructions every few days. Print all correspondence.Answer #2: Calm down. You're making an effort to pay him. If he's out of the country, he's not going to be able to check his mail and put it in the bank anyway. Having said that, go knock on your neighbor's door and ask them. This is a good reason to get to know your neighbors.


Title: Forced to work after calling out sick even with doctors note

Question: Eastern Idaho - My girlfriend has been working for this horrible care facility for about 8 months now and has been the model employee. Always picking up shifts, going through extra mile and whatnot. She NEVER calls out sick but after spending time in the ER yesterday we got a doctors note, brought it in and told her boss that she can't work for the next two days. They told her they can't find anyone to cover her shift and is making her come in tonight despite the doctor note and her physically not being able to work. Can she sue for this? It doesn't seem right that they can make her do this even though others call out sick all the time.

Answer:
 She does not yet qualify for FMLA protected leave so they can fire her for missing work.Answer #2: She is not a slave, so no, they can't MAKE her work. But she can get in trouble/be accountable/be fired for not showing up.Answer #3: What exactly would she sue for?

They can fire her for not coming into work. Even if she's sick.


Title: Pulled over, cuffed, released (TX)

Question:
Hi, I’m wondering if I have a case.

I was pulled over this morning for a bent license plate. It was fucked in the car wash at work.

I’m having a shit day, I’m short with the officer. He says I was just gonna give you a warning for the tags, but now you’re getting a speeding ticket.

Mind you, I wasn’t speeding. I ask him to show me the radar gun. He says “I paced you.” ???

He disappears to write a ticket, he takes his dear sweet time because I mentioned he’s making me late for work.

Gets back, asks for insurance. Im digging in my wallet but at this point I’m pretty fuckin mad, i ask him why he’s trying to ruin my day. He says, okay, no insurance too. Then adds that to the list of shit.

I say why are you trying to fuck my day up, so he tells me to get out the car. Cuffs me, and tells me I’m getting booked for “new traffic.”

Ultimately, he calls his supervisor and they let me go. I was under the impression he was just trying to scare me so I kissed the ass a little bit after calming down and they let me go.

What I want to know is, is this not an abuse of power? Did he ever have any way to actually arrest me? Or was the purpose to  He said he did, but I don’t think he did.

Answer: Just let it go and don't be so combative in the future. You were both assholes, but what are you looking for, a civil rights lawsuit? No, you do not have a case.


Title: Car in front of me kicked up road debris, which hit my car. I have his license plate # (Ontario).

Question: Wasnt really his fault except he ran over a bumper on the side of the highway (401), launching it in the air. It hit my car and caused a lot of damage. He didn't stop and kept driving. I have dashcam footage of the event and from it his license plate. My question is is he at fault at all? Or do I just go to insurance with this claim?

Answer: If it was debris from their car, then yes it would be their fault. If it is just random debris, no it would not be their fault and it would fall under the comprehensive section of your insurance.


Title: What can someone do when police does not investigate or prosecutor does not press charges?

Question:
So a recurring theme I keep hearing around here is prosecutors not pressing charges or the police not investigating.

I know in the UK there's private prosecutions but is there something similar in the US?

Is there anything people can do when faced with such a situation or can these 2 entities simply dole out "Get Out of Jail" cards as they see fit?

Answer:
 In some places, a citizen can direct-file charges, on their own, with the court.  Practically speaking, however, this is nearly useless, as the case is immediately assigned to a prosecutor, who can push the case or drop it as they see fit.  There is no ability in the USA for anyone to force a prosecution.

If the person involved has damages, they can sue the perpetrator for those damages.


Title: My friend is 3 months pregnant with my baby and wants to give it up for adoption. What rights do I have?

Question:
Hi, bit of long shot here, I don’t have anyone who can i ask advice to.

About 3 months ago me\[15/m\] and a friend \[17/f\], had a drunken one-night stand. Both of us being extremely naïve, drunk and immature meant that it was unprotected. Yesterday she messaged me saying that she is 3 months pregnant and plans to continue with pregnancy and give it for adoption because she doesn’t feel ready to have a baby as she is going to college next year. She has thought about abortion but has decided against it because she doesn’t want to go through the traumatic experience. After telling me this she has blocked me.

I was wondering what my rights here are regarding the situation. I understand its her choice in the end, but ideally if she is planning on having the baby, I would like to have custody of it. My questions are:

\- Do I have any say in her giving the baby for adoption?

\- My parents and I don’t get along and I doubt they will support me with taking care of the child. And since I am still in school. Is there any way someone/some agency would look after the kid for a year and when I turn sixteen I would be able to get a job and support the baby? My brother who is currently in UNI (different state) will be finishing uni next year and said I will be able to live with him and he will help me take care of the baby next year.

\- What would my next step be in contacting her as she has refused to answer my calls and has blocked me?

I will in Texas, USA.
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 >I was wondering what my rights here are regarding the situation. I understand its her choice in the end

Not if adoption is the choice it is not. You would need to sign off on that. If you would prefer to take full custody of the child (assuming she agrees to that) then you can do that. If she is not speaking to you then you can register as a putative father with the vital stats office.

>Is there any way someone/some agency would look after the kid for a year and when I turn sixteen I would be able to get a job and support the baby?

No, you need to be able to support and care for your child. If you cannot do that then you should be giving very serious thought to adoption. If you want full custody that means you need to be able to care for a child, you cannot plan to dump it somewhere else for a year and then take it back when it's more convenient for you, it's a child, not a hamster.

Answer #2: You need to file with the state to add your name to the putative father registry. You can file before or up to 31 days following the birth of the child. Then, once the baby is born, you'll need to actually establish paternity. You should speak to your parents about the possibility of finding an attorney to help you with this.

&#x200B;

[https://www.dshs.texas.gov/vs/patreg/default.shtm](https://www.dshs.texas.gov/vs/patreg/default.shtm)


Title: [Colorado] Provided landlord 30 day notice of vacancy of house, they are giving an ultimatum to leave.

Question:
FOREWARNING:  There is a LOT of information in here, any help would be greatly appreciated.

Backstory:  My wife and I started renting our house around 7.5 years ago.  We have had perfect renting history, have had no complaints, no issues with our landlord (owner of the house).  He ran his own Properties group, and we dealt directly with him through email (his preferred contact)

He turned over his property management to a group manager here in Denver suburbs roughly 1.5 years ago, in which we re-signed a lease with that group. We were year to year lease with the private management, and when we changed to the group it went month to month.

They have a line of communication for repairs and communication through their website (which is VERY dated and provides no direct email to contact, you have to submit through a portal submission)  We have submitted requests for basic maintenance in the past with no issue, the guy that provides maintenance lives 3 houses down from us....we have a great relationship. Garage door opener died, light fixture needed replaced because it was so old it was causing bulbs to blow out frequently, etc.  Typically had a 2-3 day turn around on repairs, so we know the submissions on their website worked.

Fast forward to now, we bought a house.  During the process, we reviewed our current lease and confirmed that we needed to provide a 30 day notice no later that the first of the month.

[NOTICE TO QUIT OR HOLD OVER PROVISION ON LEASE](https://i.imgur.com/ZjCzYBA.jpg)

This is the third house we've tried buying, and we have lost them due to inspections, and seller back out.  And we got final notification we are 100% good to go for closing on Nov 7, so we submitted our 30 day notice through their site on Nov 1 at 6:00pm.  I never once thought of taking screen shots or anything to prove, because we never had an issue with communication with them.

2 days go by, and we haven't heard anything. So we emailed the owner of the house, indicating we submitted our 30 days and have not heard back from the rental group and wanted to make sure he was aware.

Rental group calls my wife later that day, and said they never received the email, says its no issue, they will submit it as of the first.  Asks for her email and mine, and says she will send it.  Nothing sent.  I call 3 days later, and they said they sent it....to the wrong email.  They mixed up names, used a generic name...they used her maiden name (we've been married for 5 years) and gets my email.  Sends the email again, and they have her email wrong AGAIN...we submit their "formal" document, email it with an email they provided us through contacting us with.

I go through my web browsing history and there is proof I submitted the message through their website, I showed them my web history to coincide with timing.

[Indication we submitted the form through their website](https://i.imgur.com/naWz87z.jpg)
[Time code of web history](https://i.imgur.com/HmLyErm.jpg)

2 more days go by, and wife emails owner again, saying we haven't heard anything...whats going on?

I get a call from the owner of the rental group, and he gave us an ultimatum.  He confirms they did receive the notice on the 1st, but indicated it was too late (said it needed to be before the 1st), that it was not a full 30 days....and we must be out by the 15th (in 6 days), or pay for another month of rent.  Our November rent is paid, so we are paid until the 30th of the month.

I countered with an option, if we could stay until the 19th (Sunday) so our kids can finish their week of school prior to Thanksgiving break (we are changing school districts), and we won't have the carpets cleaned (indicated it must be done in the lease) and they can keep the security deposit ($800).......this is still cheaper than paying another months of rent, AND adhering to the lease terms of cleaning the carpets

This conversation was with the owner of the rental group on Thursday of last week, and we haven't heard back from him.  He said he would speak with the owner, and get back to me right away....

And that's where we are now.  They have had HORRIBLE communications, and from our point of view we have followed the lease agreement....but they say otherwise.....thoughts?

Answer: Even if they decided to initiate procedures to evict you they have no basis to do so. You have given them 30 days notice and you're pay to the end of the month. Since in order to put in a petition to evict you they actually need to have a reason I don't foresee that happening so the only thing they can do is b**** and moan. Frankly they're just being dicks I would have completely ignore them as you've done what the contract said you needed too. Be out by the 30th and don't expect that deposit back.


Title: Are you legally obligated to get out of your vehicle if a police officer requests it but doesn't have a warrant? [USA]

Question:
I'm sure it will make the stop less pleasant for the officer (and maybe yourself).  I understand that I'll probably have to give him my license, registration, possibly my proof of insurance, and possibly agree to a breathalyzer or blood draw.  But if the officer doesn't have a warrant and tells me, "Get out of the car" do I legally have to follow that instruction?

EDIT: Nice, got [bestof'd](https://np.reddit.com/r/bestoflegaladvice/comments/3ziark/if_a_police_officer_pulls_me_over_he_has_to_drive/)
Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer:
 Yes.
In Mimms, the Court held that “once a motor vehicle has been lawfully detained for a traffic violation, the police officers may order the driver to get out of the vehicle without violating the Fourth Amendment’s proscription of unreasonable searches and seizures.” 434 U.S., at 111, n. 6.

They also only need probable cause to search a car.
Answer #2: Two possible outcomes here:

1. You are [failing to comply with a lawful order](http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/2921.331v1), the specifics of which vary by state, which means the police can use reasonable force to ensure compliance. Congrats. Now you're arrested, instead of being given a field sobriety test.

2. You are not failing to comply with a lawful order, but the officer, for whatever reason, thinks the order is lawful. This means that the officer will use what they believe is reasonable force to ensure compliance. Congrats. Now you're arrested, instead of being given a field sobriety test.

Either way, it's going to end badly for you. If you really believe the order to exit your vehicle was not lawful, the time to challenge it is afterwards, with a lawyer, not on the spot, by yourself. There is no case three where the cop, having ordered you to exit the vehicle, is going to conclude "oh, okay, I guess you don't have to" if you refuse.


Title: [US-NJ] Donation bin company won't remove bin from my property

Question:
I asked them to remove a clothing donation bin from my business' parking lot two months ago. They assured me it would be removed within a month. I did follow up to confirm a deadline, which passed last week. Now, they're not responding to emails, and when I call, they tell me to call another number and leave a message. But nobody is calling me back.
What is the best action to take?

Answer:
 Did you give them permission in the first place?

Send them a registered letter saying that they have XX number of days to remove it or it will be removed at their expense. Make sure it's a "reasonable" time frame, like 15-30 days. Answer #2: Send them a letter giving them 30 days notice to remove it, or else it will be thrown away.

The bin companies are basically a scam.  They make it look like a charity (some start fake ones), then process and sell all the goods for profit.

In NYC they place bins everywhere, without permission.  Landowners started having carting companies throw them away a few years ago, so they started putting bins on sidewalks and removing identifying signs; vans come in the middle of the night to empty them.  The city has to process it like abandoned property, so they have to put a notice on it and wait 60 days or so before removing it.  At which point the bins disappear and end up 2 blocks away -- requiring a new notice.

Neighbors put signs on them saying it's a scam and directing people to local churches/mosques/synagogues to donate, and encourage people to use it as trash can. Answer #3: You can send them an invoice for future rent if they don't move it by X.

The more fun option, is to post a sign nearby, be sure not to touch their property, stating that this donation booth is no longer a valid receptacle for donations.


Title: [US] Can you purchase stock in a foreign company if the product that is being sold (Marijuana) is illegal in the US?

Question: US citizen, want to purchase a publically listed stock (NYSE) of a Canadian company that sells Marijuana products for personal consumption. Marijuana for personal use (outside a Rx) is not legal in my state.

Answer: If it's listed on the NYSE, it's legal to buy in the US.


Title: Employer promised a raise with multiple emails stating an 8/1 start, now reneging months later. Are compensation promises in emails legally binding?

Question:
In Massachusetts, the story is this:

* In July, after asking, I was told I'd be getting a raise and a promotion, raise to take effect 8/1. They still needed to work on compensation level.

* Early August - told they need to work on some internal processes to determine my promotion level and appropriate compensation amount. Email clearly states that even if this process takes a while, raise will be back-payed to 8/1.

* Mid-August, September - repeatedly told the internal processes are being worked on but raise will still be effective 8/1 and will be reflected in future paychecks.

* October - finally negotiate salary and am told it won't take effect until 11/1 now because, essentially, I'm lucky to be getting such a big raise anyways.

I have at least 3 emails stating that any compensation increase associated with this promotion would be effective 8/1 and would be back-payed into future paychecks. Are these emails legally binding?

Answer: Did you ever work any hours after the specific amount of the raise was set and you were told it was going to be effective? If not, then your employer has likely not violated any wage and hour laws.


Title: Oregon family legal advice was served papers in a state that my child does not reside in

Question: Today I was served with paternity papers on my one year old son.  A little back story.My son's mother has always lived in the state of Oregon but my son was conceived in the state of Washington where I resided at the time. My sons mother and i were not in a relationship at the time of conception. I moved 300 miles away when she was 5 months pregnant. Ive tried to work it out with her regarding having  split custody now that the baby is one years old. she's stuck in her ways and is refusing that... she's getting state assistance in Washington State where she does not reside. So now the Washington district attorney is serving me papers for back child support  in a state that my child does not live in what do I do? now what's the next step on getting split custody without having paternity established? This is the most important thing ive had to do in my adult life and i dont know where to begin.

Answer:
 > now what's the next step on getting split custody without having paternity established?

You need to establish paternity to get any kind of custody. You will also need a lawyer and you should understand that it is very unlikely that a court will order that the mother allow a one year old to spend 50% of his time in another state 300miles away (especially if you have had limited contact with the child so far).

You should also ask your lawyer about the state assistance. I am not sure why she is collecting in Washington when she lives in Oregon but ultimately if she is getting state assistance you are going to liable to pay for some of it.


Title: [MD] Limo company refuses to provide refund after failing to provide service

Question:
This all happened in Montgomery County, Maryland.

Our junior prom was last Friday, May 17th. The thirteen friends I went with decided to hire a limo for transportation to and from our photo location at a local regional park, the restaurant, and finally our prom location. We paid for a total of 6 hours and the cost ended up being 1000$, split 14 ways. We agreed upon the date and everything was all set for the day. However the limo arrived fourty minutes late to our location at the park. In addition, despite a 15 minute warning to our limo driver that we would be coming out to go to our Prom from the restaurant, he failed to show up. We called numerous times but for the longest time they never picked up.

When we eventually did get through to our driver he said five minutes away. Five minutes turned into 20 and we called him again. He told us that the battery had broken down but he was five minutes away. We waited some more but after another 15-20 min we called the company line. We informed them that we would be getting Ubers and that we would like refunds for The five hours for which the limo was not used. The manager told us that if the limo wasn't there in five minutes they would refund for the limo service. The limo never came. All of us except two headed out using Ubers to get prom as soon as possible. We have proof of contact (i.e. text msgs and call logs) showing exactly when the limo actually showed up. Our two friends left behind grabbed our belongings left in the limo and also took an Uber over. We ended up arriving so late to prom that we had 20 minutes before it ended when everyone was leaving.

Our prom night was completely ruined. Despite promising us a refund when we called them the next day the denied us our claim. They made up stories stating that we threatened their lives and called them names. In addition they said that because we gave them bad reviews on Yelp and called them on multiple occasions they would not be providing us our money back. Throughout the entire process they were extremely rude and unprofessional.

What legal recourse do we have available to take in order to get our money back? Would it be able to get compensation for our Ubers and our Prom (for which we lost a total of about 2.5 hours)?

Answer:
 I worked for a limo company. This is super common during prom season. The limo is double, sometimes even triple booked because it's the busy season. He didn't have battery trouble he was driving someone else.

If you paid by credit card file a dispute and say services were not provided. You'll win. I don't remember a single occasion that the credit card company sided with us when a customer filled a dispute.Answer #2: If you paid by card, you should start a charge back. This should be the easiest method to get your money back, but if you didn't, it will take a little note effort.

File a consumer complaint against the limousine company with the Maryland Attorney General. It's obvious that they failed to provide the services agreed upon, so when they receive a letter from the AG informing them of the complaint, they will likely pony up the money they owe you.

http://www.marylandattorneygeneral.gov/Pages/CPD/complaint.aspx

In the event that they fail to pay you, you will have to sue them in court. Here's a helpful brochure about how:

http://www.marylandattorneygeneral.gov/CPD%20Documents/Tips-Publications/smallclaims.pdfAnswer #3: How did you pay? If with a credit card, dispute the charges.Answer #4: The fact that it was split 14 ways leads me to think that it was paid by cash, at least the majority of it. If so, then gather all the evidence, talk to your parents and see if they can help you find a lawyer to take to small claims.


Title: What are the legal implications to the relating to the acquisition and destruction of The One Ring?

Question: For example, the possession of The One Ring. Being that it was taken by Isildur as a spoil of war. Lost, found by Smeagol. Stolen by Bilbo, and then transferred Frodo.

Answer:
 Isildur taking it would likely qualify as a prize. Besides, Isildur was a king. Sovereign immunity applies. He then died, and the ring was lost in the battle which killed him. Presumably that means that Smeagol finding it makes it an act of salvage.

Bilbo legit stole it though, so Gollum probably had the right to sue him. There is the question of jurisdiction though. The state where the act of theft occurred, which was a goblin kingdom/tribe, was essentially dissolved. So I'm not sure which court Gollum could go to. Shire maybe?


Title: HIPAA Violation?

Question:
Morning all, I've posted this (with screenshots) on r/ProChoice as well, and someone suggested I come here.
Yesterday Friday, I reached out to clinics for information on terminating my pregnancy, and woke this morning with text messages from an unknown number. They sent me a link to a website for alternate options, and would not respond as to who they are, who gave them my information and how they knew I was pregnant and looking into abortion options.
Only my fiance (and now my mom) know, so I only have the people I spoke to at the clinics and my insurance who could have possibly taken my number down.
How can I respond to this?

Answer:
 Are you certain all of the clinics were abortion clinics & not pro-life agencies posing as an abortion clinic? Answer #2: Were the clinics you called actual reputable clinics? John Oliver recently did a show on “Crisis Pregnancy Centers”, which are essentially fronts for Pro-life groups; but don’t qualify as medical providers.Answer #3: Without knowing who sent the message, there is nobody specific to report. I would reach out to the clinic’s compliance department or privacy officer and let them know your PHI was breached. They will likely do their own investigation. Answer #4: Did you contact more than one clinic? If so, it may be nearly impossible to track down the source of the breach, if any.

You can contact the clinics, tell them what happened, and provide the phone number. But you must disclose that you contacted other clinics as well. You can also file a HIPAA complaint with HHS, listing all of the clinics you contacted.

Assuming that the text was the result of you contacting the clinic, this would be an unauthorized use under HIPAA, but not necessarily an unauthorized disclosure. But it certainly is not clear that this is related to you contacting the clinics.


Title: US - I want to create a website where people can post about their negative experiences they've had with a company

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Have you tried Yelp?


Title: Florida: are there legal consequences when you fail to report domestic violence when there is a minor child present?

Question:
From earlier posts from me you can read in what type of situation I am in.
Anyway: a few weeks ago my former husband and my minor daughter (there were aso two other minors in the house) had to lock themselves into a room because his soon-to-be-ex was drunk and went after him with some type of heavy object. Then she tried to smash the door in and ripped pictures off the wall. After she passed out he took my daughter and fled to a hotel in the middle of the night, leaving the other two minors (which of one is her child from a previous relationship and one infant that is his biological child with her) in her 'care'.

After another text-sh*tstorm that I received of him last night because I have involved Florida CPS, it dawned on me that he might be actually livid that there is maybe a law in place in FL that imposes legal consequences on him since he failed to report the incident or call 911 (Lord knows why...) while there was at least one minor also being threatned by her, and two other minors present in the house.

My daughter is certainly a witness since she can describe the whole ordeal and still has nightmares.

Also: this is the 'worst' case of domestic violence I am aware of that took place when she was in the care of her dad, but my daughter finally confided in me that her stepmother also tends to throw objects like cellphones and even laptops while she was in the same room.

I just cannot find a clear legal text that outlines if my thoughts are right.

**In short: if you are a victim or at the least a witness to a clear case of domestic violence (and destruction of property) when there are three minors present, are there legal consequences for you when you fail to report it in the state of Florida? Also; if this imposes indeed a legal consequence: where can I find the exact text in the law that states this?**

I am so upset right now, I fear for my daughter, I can not protect her all the time, I have sleepless night, I can not think clear and I did all this research on Google but I can not find a clear legal standpoint. Please help.

Answer:
 No. The legal consequences are risking kids lives. Leaving a baby with a passed out violent drunk could mean criminal charges if that child is injured. Not calling the police, and leaving the children with  someone that tries to kill children could be child abuse.

Continuing to allow his children around a violent crazy alcoholic is child abuse.

But it is not illegal to not call the police.


Title: (TX) Skilled Nursing Facility Fouls?

Question:
Hello All,

I know medical malpractice is not generally touched here, but I'm not entirely sure this counts as malpractice. I'm just worried about the current treatment of my dad.

He been in a skilled nursing facility for 18 days now, after having brain surgery to remove a tumor. He is slowly learning how to do things on his own occupationally, but he does not initiate conversation nor does he talk for more than 4 words - thus I don't really think he can be an advocate for himself and my mom takes it upon herself to make sure he is treated correctly.

However, the facility seems to be understaffed and grossly...negligent. Now some of this could be me overreacting because he is my dad and I hate seeing him like this, but here are things that seem very wrong to me:

* yesterday we told the nurses as we left around 1:30 PM that he needed to be changed because he had went 1&2. We came back at 5:30, with him still not having been changed.
* he has had an open sore on his ankle, that is on record with the nurses, that has not been treated for a week
* We told the nurses at 1:30 today that he needed to be changed; he wasn't changed until 2:30 (an improvement, but still)
* That was when we saw that the bandage for an open sore on his buttcheek had also been...soiled and needed changing
* The nurse was warned, but did not come to change the bandage until 7:30PM
* The sore was open, black and blue and had white in it (either a sign of infection or a sign of his fat cells being visible, I don't know, I'm slightly freaked out about it)

My mom has extensive notes of all the perceived ill treatment of my dad. She is also his medical power of attorney. It seems like the nurses are not really caring about my dad and I get that that perception is most likely heightened BECAUSE it's my dad, but it just doesn't feel right.

My mom has spoken with the nurses themselves and sent multiple emails to the facility manager about her concerns, only to be replied with a dismissive "we'll look into it."

**Legal Questions: Is there a rule/law/statute about patient care in regards to sitting in your own excrement/injury care?**

**Is there a regulation of how many nurses (at various levels) have to be working a shift (because it seems like the facility is just understaffed)?**

My mother is going to speak with our insurance's nurse advocate about possible options, and his neurosurgeon about signing off on a transfer to a different facility. But for now, I feel really helpless and to be able to write an email to the facility manager saying something to the effect of "This is grossly negligent because X,Y,Z and you have an obligation to do 1, 2, 3 or else legal blah blah blah" would feel at least like a deed.

Thank you for reading and for any advice. If you need to tell me "calm down, you can't do anything - just get him out of there," please do!

EDIT:formating

EDIT: thank you to everyone who has responded. To clarify a few things, we are contacting our insurance's advocate for further help and we are going to transfer him come hell or high-water by Friday. Your links have definitely helped and made us feel more productive despite being essentially powerless in the situation of man vs. disease.

And look, I'm not here to sue anyone. I just want to be able to say to the facility "don't let a grown man sit in his own poop for four hours" and get an actual response instead of an eye roll (yes that did occur, I was there and I have 20/20 vision) or a "we'll look into it." He has a right to his dignity per DADS, and I'm pretty sure soiled underwear is not dignified. Plus, if this is happening to my dad who has his family check in on him twice a day for hours on end, what about the other patients who have no family members? What kind of care are they receiving? It's worrisome.

As of now, he is temporarily parapalegic due to brain surgery (which is why he has to go through so much therapy and why he cannot go to the bathroom on his own) and while we do have excellent insurance, we are not rich and cannot drop our jobs and take care of him ourselves.

Thank you to everyone who has responded, even those who seem to be jaded by the medical profession. I can sympathize; it's a gross, high stress, thankless and often understaffed environment. If I had the passion and dedication, I'm sure I would be in your place too.

But my dad is younger than 60 and won't live to see 2018 - how dare you tell me I'm too entitled when I want to see my father with some dignity and be at least treated like a human being.

Answer: You might have luck looking up ombudsmen for Texas. They are there to look into long term care nursing areas and take action.


Title: Help! My roommates haven’t paid their rent and now the landlord wants to collect

Question: So, I signed onto this group lease with some people and when we were ready to move out there were some end of lease fees. They needed to replace the carpet and clean those roommates room. The final amount was posted and they ghosted me. The amount is going to collections ($1200) and it will ruin my credit unless it is paid soon. I spoke to the landlord/ complex manager and they said that there is nothing they can do. I have to go to go to civil court? Should I pay and then try to sue them in small claims or should I try to sue them first?

Answer: You need to pay before you can sue them. Until you've shelled out their part of the money, they technically don't owe you anything.


Title: Little sister is getting abused physically and verbally at school and the teacher is so scared of the kid she’s quitting (NC)

Question:
I just want to know what legal actions we can take against this abusive kid, here’s the whole story.

So, my little sister is in fourth grade (9) and recently there’s been a kid in her class (10-11) who has gone out of his way to target her and bully her. The teacher has punished him multiple times for it, but he continues. The teacher is intimidated by the boys father who happened to be tall and loud. After an incident with lots of threats, she reported it to the new principle at the school, and watching him do nothing she put in her notice. She’s leaving soon now, and today was when it happened.

During art class, the teacher asked them to line up, and the trouble maker tried to jump in the front for whatever reason, when the teacher sent him to the back, he decided to punch my sister on his way. While my sister isn’t a delicate little flower having grown up with two older brothers myself included, she does say it hurt a lot and it left a mark. The teacher blew it off since they were transitioning class periods and when my sister told her main teacher she immediately asked the trouble maker what happened and he then proceeded to deny everything and claim it was all an accident. The teacher then just ignored it and moved on.

The interesting part here is that my mom, your traditional tiger mom, works at the school. She learned this happened by other class mates of my sisters coming up to my moms class and telling her what happened. THREE students admitted to it, and my sister knows others saw it and asked if she was other. So, my mom wants to do something in the terms of legal actions but I was curious as to what her best approach was. Working there, she has access to the trouble makers personal file but I’m pretty sure it’s illegal to take pictures or copy down his address and parents names and such.  This being said, I’m just a 17 kid who has the best interest in protecting my little sister since I can’t exactly go and intimidate a fourth grader into submission due to well, legal reasons. It’s not the 20th century anymore.

Sorry for bad formatting, if I need to clarify anything let me know!
Topic:
Juvenile and Youth Law

Answer:
 Your mom can go back to the principal and find out what is going to be done about this.  If the principal does not do anything, your mom can escalate it up to the school board and so on and so forth.

You will very very likely get people on here telling you to call the police.  The police are very likely not going to criminally charge a 10 year old for this.

If push comes to shove, it could be documented in a police report but since this happened on school property the police will refer your mom to the school resource officer (school police) to do the report.

*edit*
>Working there, she has access to the trouble makers personal file but I’m pretty sure it’s illegal to take pictures or copy down his address and parents names and such.

That is a bad idea.


Title: [CA] My asshole father wants my dying Grandmother removed from my parent's house before she dies as he claims it will affect the property value if he sells. How can I stop this?

Question:
My Grandmother is dying and will probably be dead in less than 2 weeks. My dad has demanded my mother remove her mother from the house before she passes because he'll have to disclose a death in the home IF he ever sells. Also because "she's been dying here for 6 years and that's long enough". My grandmother would prefer to die at home rather than a hospital (she's afraid of them and afraid of dying alone). My mom has fought my dad on my Grandmother's care for a while and I think she's at a point where she's willing to move her just so she doesn't have to deal with my dad anymore.

I know there's no way to stop my dad from being the selfish prick he is, but is there a way to let my Grandma die in peace at the home she's known for 6 years?

Answer:
 If your parents own the house jointly, which is likely, he can't remove her without your mother's consent.

Further, he'd need to give your grandmother 30-60 days' notice.

Finally, a peaceful death in a bed is not going to affect property values at all.  It's not the same as a grisly murder.Answer #2: Sorry for your situation.   If it helps, it won’t matter unless he wants to sell the house within 3 years of her death, according to California Civil Code Section (CCCS) 1710.2. Answer #3: Your grandmother has established tenancy at your home - she's lived there for years, whether or not she paid rent or has a lease. To "remove" her, your father would have to formally evict her through the court system, which will take at least 30 days (likely much longer). Anything less is an illegal eviction.Answer #4: Who actually owns the house?Answer #5: IANAL but maybe you could speak to a realtor. If they can explain to your father that it isn't an issue maybe he'll stop being such a prick. I helped my dad take care of my mom her last few months, and she died peacefully at home the way she damn well wanted to. Anyone who wanted to object could go play in traffic.Answer #6: He would have to legally evict her which would take 30 days. Additionally he can be reported for elder abuse. http://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/Adult-Protective-Services


Title: How can I go about selling a *NEW UNUSED* water pipe?

Question:
Hello everyone who is taking the time to read this, hopefully for the sake of actually giving me a beneficial response. I live in Pennsylvania.
     I am making some 'water pipes' from sanitized liquor bottles. I'm hoping to sell them for a very reasonable price since every head shop in a 50 mile radius of me charges $75 at least for a plain tube and stem piece, I want to help my community out a bit, is it legal?

My main questions, can I sell water bongs as 'tobacco water pipes' or even 'decorative glass'? Where can I do this, Craigslist, Facebook, flea markets, yard sales? Do I need I license if I call them tobacco pipes because I would be selling tobacco products? I want to do things right, but haven't gotten into the art enough to supply on a high scale level yet.

Answer: talk to an attorney, you're at a fun intersection of federal, state, local rules and practices, plus liabilities and minor sales issues. and that ignores basic business stuff like taxes and liabilities and maybe a copyright infringement.


Title: Cop stopped me after I was outside my vehicle walking down the street and asked for my license for a violation. Is this legal?

Question: Tonight I was stopped by an officer and asked for my license, however at the time I was asked I was no longer in the car. My car was parked and I was walking up the street from it. It seemed a bit fishy because the officers drove past me after I parked without sirens on having made no effort to stop me, then turned around and came back. They did not demand my license the way they normally do but instead asked "if they could take a look at it." It' was expired non-renewable for a parking ticket i owed which I didn't realize at the time. They also made a big deal about how they wouldn't have my car towed, ans weren't even going to ask if I'd been drinking (I was stone cold sober and in no way displaying any signs otherwise so they'd have no reason to ask for a test anyway) that struck me as odd as well. Were they actually giving me a break or did they know it was an unlawful search? Walking with an expired license in your pocket is not a crime. Would it have been within my rights not to give my license given how I was stopped? I currently will have a court date for driving unlicensed. Is that something I can do anything about given the situation? Was the officer at fault and should I report that? I'm not trying to get out of anything, I just honestly want to know whether I was unaware of my rights should anything like this come up again.

Answer: If the officer witnessed you commit a driving offense he is not required to immediately stop you for it.  He can still stop you for it after you park your car and get out of the vehicle.


Title: What is the legality of starting a weed infused restaraunt or catering service (Washington State)

Question: My friend and I are looking into investing into the growing market of cannabis in Washington state and he is interested in starting either a weed infused cafe/coffee house lounge, or a weed infused catering business. I remember seeing an article online about a Californian man who caters 5 star food with weed infused into it and it got me thinking that me as a cook at a 5 star restauraunt would have the know how to run a place like that. But I have no idea where to start looking for legal advice and I do plan on speaking to a lawyer eventually about specifics but I need to know the basics of what I need in licensing and permissions to legally operate this. I want to bring wonderful food infused with weed to the hearts of people, and their minds when they're eating and thinking about how good the food is. It is a passion of mine, and I am very proficient at the processing of weed into edible food so I thought I should pursue my passions and spearhead this hopefully great business idea

Answer: It's not possible under WA's current regulations.


Title: Dentist messed up, told me I was insured when I was not, and called my mother giving up my personal information.

Question:
This is the story: I live in Chicago, IL, and I went to the dentist yesterday for a routine cleaning. I tried using my parents insurance, which I believed I was still on, and they checked once, said that I wasn't insured, and they realized that they checked vision insurance instead of dental, and that they would try again. After the next try I was told that I was in fact, covered. I went through the cleaning, I was told that I had a cavity and they would take care of it. I asked again what it would cost, and was told "not to worry, I'm covered." Then they numbed me and before they started filling the cavity another dental assistant came in and said I wasn't insured. I was told again that it was just an error and I was covered but to come back on a different day after it was sorted out and they could finish the filling. Then today they call my mom and just gave her my personal info over the phone e.g. amount of money I owe and pressed her for my dad's social security number, then demanded she pay my bill. My mom refused to give my dad's social security number or pay my bill and got off the phone. They even call my girlfriend, who I had listed as my emergency contact, 3x's, she however did not answer because she was at work. Then they call me, tell I was not covered, that because my dad's name was so similar to mine (in a tone that indicated it was somehow my fault, btw... my name is Ian and my dad's name is Timothy) and that they ran the wrong name, and said because it was their error they would only charge me $100 for a $400 procedure (all I got was a cleaning and the numbing agent for the cavity to be filled). I ask them if I can set up a payment plan, and she continues to press me to pay immediately and asks me to get my parent's credit card number to pay over the phone. I tell her that I don't live with my parents and am not comfortable asking them for money. I ask about a payment plan again and she threatens to send it to collections and that I can pay $50 next week and I get off the phone. So I was wondering if I have any legal recourse?
Topic:
Insurance

Answer:
 For what? Your should have known if you had insurance or not. That is on you. You likely also agreed to pay anything not covered by insurance. You told them your mom paid your insurance and they asked your mom to pay. I don't see anything illegal here.

They offered your a deal to cover their misinformation. You should pay it.


Title: Recently turned 18, I am no one.

Question:
Writing this for a friend.

Recently turned 18, lived in New Jersey their whole life. High school dropout, no diploma or GED.

&#x200B;

Wont dive into much of the past, but as a child, social security card and birth certificates were lost while in possession of the mother. Fast forward years later, complications in the household lead to getting a job and leaving. He recently turned 18 in August.

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Job searching commences and problems are discovered with ID and social security. No problem, mother still has medical records from hospital visits as a child they can use to obtain medical records, bring to social security to retrieve the social security card, and then from there create a state ID.

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 He and his mother proceed to the only hospital he has even been to, and they are unable to retrieve medical records because his past visits are from his as a minor. They can not give the medical records to his mother as he is now 18, and he can't retrieve the records because he can not prove his identity to them.

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They later contact social and explain they can not retrieve medical records, and the assisting agent tells them there is nothing he can do. Everything requires ID or a social security card. (social number is known if that means anything.)

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He is stuck, he does not know where to go or what to do, and is currently staying with a friend for an unknown amount of time.

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What can he do to retrieve his identity?

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Any help is appreciated

Answer:
 [Here's the link to the NJ page for requesting a Vital Record](https://www.state.nj.us/health/vital/order-vital/). Use that to request a birth certificate. If your friend still has his high school ID he may be able to request it himself, if not, his mother should still be able to request it for him. Get a certified copy.

Once he has a certified copy of his birth certificate go get a driver's license OR a state ID if he doesn't drive.

Once he has a birth certificate and a driver's license have him go get a replacement SS card.

Now he has all the ID he needs.

EDIT: He does NOT need ID to be able to get his birth certificate. His mother can do it for him. [Here's the direct link for the form.](https://www.nj.gov/health/forms/reg-27a.pdf) Have her put herself down as the requester and have her fill in the relationship. [Also, here's how to order it online.](https://vitalrecords.egov.com/CDC.VitalRecordsMVC.Web/Wizard/NJ/Municipality/SelectMunicipality)Answer #2: Mom can get a duplicate copy of his birth certificate from vital records and proceed from there.


Title: Idk human trafficking I guess

Question:
I live in TN

I work for an Asian fusion restaurant whose health practices don't even closely resemble legal, but they continually get an A grade. When, in the past, I would ask how our grade was possible, someone would always say we were "grandfathered in." Aside from that, servers get the usual 10% of tips taken for taxes and another 7% that gets redefined every time I ask. Originally, they said it was for the chef's salary until we told them that was illegal, at which point they said the owner "just said it was for the chef's" but that it was actually for dropped dishes, mistakes, and credit card swipes. In this state, it is legal to have your employees pay for credit card swipes, but those are flat fee transactions. When I cashiered, I was told our tips went to the chef's but I've heard that that has since changed and the cashiers keep their tips now. We are given in-house checks that I can't even cash at Kroger and we don't claim our cash tips, nor do we have a way to do so if we want to. We are not in control of our cash or credit card tips. Our dishwashers make less than $3, and our chefs make salary. No one from the back of house is legal, and all of them (roughly 10 people) live in a 4 bedroom house that the owner pays rent for. This same owner was once called out publicly in the local newspaper for supporting human trafficking and, after being investigated, was audited and had to pay his employees money but got away with the trafficking by literally deporting all his workers, to no legal backlash. I work for him but am about to move, and I have always wanted to do something about it. His workers are often sexually inappropriate, one has tried to molest a former coworker, and I've been touched and commented on often in different languages that I happen to understand. I hate many of them but love a lot of them and know he would not hesitate to throw them under the bus. I also know that to some degree living like they do may be their best option.
What would you do? Is this the best it gets for them? Should I report it/is there a way to report it that doesn't get them deported?

Edit: I was drunk when I wrote this originally and it was kind of a mess. Edited for clarity

Answer: Just FYI, there's no such thing as being "grandfathered" into health code. Add whatever dept. handles health inspections to your call sheet.


Title: Sold my home, new owners threatening legal action a year later.

Question:
I sold my home last march, the buyers had their inspector come out and give the okay, few minor issues which were corrected (hole in sheet rock in garage and caulking around a couple toilets).

In between the inspection and the closing, the compressor for the A/C died, i contacted our agent and explained what happened.  She advised to have it fixed.  Being a licensed HVAC contractor, I replaced the entire outdoor unit with a new one.  Existing unit was 2006 newer unit was 2008.  Both are same size.

Fast forward to a year later.  The new owners are having issues, mind you it cooled fine in the hot south all summer.

Is there really any action they can take?  Or is it all bluff?  They had home warranty company come look at it, and home warranty is refusing to do anything about it.

Edit - Georgia

Answer:
 Not an attorney,  but been in real estate many years.  What OP did is fine, imo. Buyers had the opportunity to question the fix or reinspect. Presumably also do a final inspection. As long as it worked at that time,  they have no recourse. People threaten things all the time.  I would ignore them, completely,  unless you are summoned to court or arbitration.  Most standard real estate contracts require you to waive your right to trial in favor of arbitration.

If you want to shut them down,  you could hire an attorney to write a letter on your behalf,  that you feel you have no further obligation to them. But I would probably wait and see if they keep bugging you or not.


Title: Mororway signs flash the message *TIREDNESS KILLS, TAKE A REST!* I pulled into a service station for a sleep and am slapped with a £100 fine. Advice?

Question: I'm from London, UK.

Answer: Did the sign say to pull over right there and that you could sleep there? Nope probably not. But I would check r/legaladviceuk and I personallyhave tosay that that billboard is correct.


Title: Help me I'm 19 and fucking stupid

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Ignore this guy. Call the police if he shows up. Answer #2: He's trying to extort you because you're 19 and dumb and have access to resources he doesn't. He's probably aware if he *does* come to your house and criminally trespasses in order to extort drugs from you he's in a world of shit.

Ignore him. Call the cops if he shows up. Let him know in no uncertain terms he is to leave you alone and is not welcome at your home. Block the number. Stop selling/trading your scheduled prescription drugs if you want to avoid felonies. Answer #3: >he's going to come to my house. I still live with my family.

What did your parents say when you told them?


Title: Campus Police trying to arrest me for a hit and run on my car

Question: My car was parked and hit overnight at Pennsylvania Sate University Berks. When I saw the damage I contacted the campus police. They came out and called "BS" said that I must have wrecked the care and driven it here. I asked for them to check the security footage, which would clearly show who hit me. There are signs all over the parking lot that state "This lot under video surveillance". My axle is broken so there is no way I could have driven back to campus from an accident. They told me there are no video cameras and nobody saw anything. Is there anything I can do about them saying they have cameras but not actually having any?

Answer:
 Wait what? How are they trying to arrest you?Answer #2: I use to to work for a campus police in college, and i reviewed camera footage for this kind of stuff.

Lots of times cars are hidden behind other cars and you cant see anything happen. Best you can hope for it the do have camera is you driving in and you not returning to your vehicle until you discovered the damage. Thats if they have cameras.

Also we reviewed everything...whether we thought it was real or not, with out a warrant.  But that's just the station i worked at.


Title: It's below zero outside, ~50 inside, landlord hasn't turned on heat for ~20 hours. Mass.

Question:
In the lease it states that the landlord would be responsible for heat. We have an old heating system (oil and large radiators). As a tenant I can not turn them on, but I can turn them off with the shutoff valve.

I've brought this up before, he sent someone over to fix and they said working as intended. My plan was to send him the following email. Advice?

Dear (landlord),

It is currently 50 degrees in the apartment and the heater has not been on for 20 hours. I have brought this up before and the maintenance person said it is working as intended. Any reasonable person would conclude that you have failed your obligation to provide heat, and thus are in violation of the lease.

Unless resolved immediately, I will be reducing my next rent payment by $200 to cover the cost of electric heaters, and $50 per month hereout to cover the increased cost of electricity. I shall also advise my fellow tenants to do the same.

Answer:
 Massachusetts regulation requires the temperature be at least 64 at night and 68 degrees during the day from September 15 to June 15. [Here](http://www.mass.gov/courts/docs/lawlib/104-105cmr/105cmr410.pdf) is the code (go to page 8).

With the price of electric right now I'm not sure $50/month would do it unless your place is small. I don't know which company you're with but National Grid increased their prices for the winter again. I wouldn't include that part of your note.

IANAL, but I would make contact again letting him know your immediate issue and include a link to the code so he understands you are aware of his duty as a landlord providing heat. Let him know you expect it will be taken care of immediately or you will have to take the next steps. I wouldn't include a threat of inciting the other tenants but you're free to speak among yourselves about your mutual issues. Let them represent their own issues with the landlord.

You may also want to take a look through [this](http://www.mass.gov/ocabr/docs/tenantsrights.pdf) booklet explaining tenants rights and responsibilities. I feel for you it's freakin' freezing out there!Answer #2: Most states won't allow you to withhold rent for damn near any circumstances.   Some require you to place the money in an escrow account.  Some require that you provide an accounting for what you are withholding (e.g., a heater cost $200).

It would be a hundred times smarter to contact the housing authority.  Iirc, there are daily fines in some places, which gets expensive as fuck quickly.  Or break the lease, citing the heating laws.


Title: I had a motorcycle accident due to poor road conditions.

Question:
Hi all,

I was commuting on my motorcycle tonight on a road I hadn't been on before. The speed limit on residential streets is 50 kmph but this road had very poor lighting and my visibility was affected so I slowed down to 30-40 kmph. I'm riding along and then at the last second I see a speed bump in front of me (a speed bump with a sharp curve in the road created by a raised curb, designed to further slow vehicles - [I drew a picture to better illustrate it](http://i.imgur.com/LGlwYIE.png). I had no time to swerve out of the way and impact it at about 20kmph. The angle of the raised curb snaps my front wheel to one side and I lowside the bike. There were no street lights anywhere near the speed bump so it was essentially pitch black and usually there are warning signs when you're about the hit one. I walked back to check and the warning sign was bent to one side and barely visible at all so no wonder I missed it. Now, it's a relatively old bike (1998) and doesn't have the super bright headlights that bikes today come with which no doubt didn't help my visibility, but it's still completely roadworthy and fine in normal conditions.

Since it was a low speed crash I'm pretty much unharmed aside from a few scrapes and bruises but my bike won't start and has a lot of cosmetic damage on the side that went down.

What would my course of action be? I live in Australia if that makes a difference. Is it possible to be reimbursed the costs of repairing the motorcycle?

Answer:
 Claim against your insurance.

As a fellow rider, you crashed because you were not riding for the conditions. If you can't see ahead of you, go slower. Don't outride the lights (headlights, road lights etc) available to you.


Title: [Florida] Car airbags did not deploy despite being inspected by the dealership 2 weeks ago.

Question:
First of all, i apologize for the long read but i need to explain the whole issue from the beginning.

I had a radio installed a few weeks back in my 2007 Volvo s60 by a Best Buy in my home town in Florida.

When they returned the car to me, it had a "check airbags system urgent" massage on a small message window right on the cars dashboard. of coursed complained to BestBuy and spoke to the store manager. I even had them put it in writing. They told me if i was so concerned about the light, to take the vehicle to the Volvo dealership and have them diagnose and inspect the issue and if they find a problem they will pay for the damage. A few days later I took my vehicle in to the Volvo dealership and according to them they tested and checked the bags (I have all the paperwork) they also cleared the warning light. They told me my car was fine and that the light was probably triggered accidentally.

Fast forward to last Friday. I was involved in an accident. I rear-ended another vehicle going 35-40 mph and my airbags did not deploy and as a result i smashed me head pretty good on the steering wheel. My vehicle was totalled in the accident and every single person that has seen my vehicle says they are shocked the bags did not deploy. The car next to mine at the tow yard was involved in a fender bender and the bags deployed successfully.

I have emailed several lawyers that say they will not help me because i wasn't hurt. One of them said that if i died in the accident my family would have lawyers knocking on their doors but since i didn't its a waste of time.

My problem is not with Volvo. My problem is with the dealership. How do i know they didn't just park the car for an hour and turned the warning light off?

Should i keep pushing till i get a lawyer willing to help or should i let this problem die?

Thanks for the help in advance.

Answer: You need damages for a lawsuit. You don't get a windfall merely for someone having done a bad job with something. You recover an amount that makes you whole. If you were not injured as a result of the airbags failing to deploy, you don't have damages. That's why you haven't found a lawyer to help you.


Title: HOA Eviction Help

Question:
I live in DuPage County in IL.

In early 2015 I had begun to run behind on my HOA dues monthly.  It dragged on throughout 2015 and in September 2015 we went to court, paid each the HOA and the Recretion dues (that were also behind) 500$ each and had agreed to make monthly payments.

Earlier this year in March, I had paid them both 1000$ and we agreed that I would I would pay 300$ (150$ to each) until the payments were caught up

Fast forward to today and all of sudden I get this pink notice on my  door from the Sheriff about an eviction.  WTF is going on?  We had agreed on a payment and now they pull this sh*t?

If need be I'd just pay them off the full amount (borrow money from a friend) but can they just change our deal like this out of no where?

Answer: What does the court order say? Were you following the order?


Title: [IL] Brother is being sued over materials bought 3 years ago which we no longer have due to unexpected house change, and is being called to court now over it.

Question:
edit: no guidelines say not to reveal the name of the companies. mmk

So, as to what had happened, about three years ago (2013) my brother and dad owned a construction company under my brother's name, and they had bought a lot of materials which had been planned to be used over the working periods. But some of the workers who my father had hired, had done a horrible job, and screwed up something with the money to the point that the company went under. Effectively, my brother's company doesn't exist, or seems to be like that, but that's not the point. After we missed rent for 1 month, the house owner attempted to evict us because we were late with that one month (sweet 16 lol). We were able to hold him off, but because we then had to move, well, my father began to give the materials away to local companies or scrap people in exchange for some cash. That's where the problem comes in.

Company B, the one suing my brother, in the document claims that they still are the owners of the missing materials and are asking for about 3 thousand in USD (American).

I wish I could be clearer, but I'm having a hard time understanding what is going on or what the heck to do with all this, since my mother keeps saying that since he's now registered as to where he lives, they can come and pick him up at any time/send collectors over. any help?

Answer:
 It looks like company B was not paid for the materials.  They are suing your brother for payment.  They are entitled to do that.  It doesn't matter what your brother did with the materials or that he doesn't have them now.  They are still entitled to be paid.  This is a civil claim so he is not going to be arrested.  He can end up with a judgment against him that can be collected from any of his assets and will affect his credit.

He should respond promptly to the lawsuit or they will get a default judgment.  It would be best if he hired an attorney.  Sometimes a creditor will agree to take a lesser amount in settlement.


Title: [AL] What constitutes a holster?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Call your local Sheriff's office and ask their opinion on it.  Be sure to take note of who you spoke with in case you have any troubles.

On another note, what make and model is the revolver?  I have never had any issues finding holsters for guns of any size.


Title: Why do the laws about service dogs seem so biased in the favor of service dog owners? Specifically business are committing a crime for even asking if the service dog is a real service dog and to provide verification?

Question: This was inspired by a recent popular post on r/legaladvice. Basically there seems to be an epidemic of people buying fake vests on sites like ebay to make their dogs look like a service dog. The reason they would do this is to get to take their dog everywhere. Now I am sensitive to the needs of disabled persons but what about business owners that don't want dogs in their establishment? For example imagine a scenario where a fake service dog is shitting all over a carpet in an office or barking in a restaurant or library ruining the experience for the other patrons? I think what should happen is that if you have a service dog you should have an id card on you at all times and business owners should have a right to refuse service to those that don't provide the id card.

Answer:
 > For example imagine a scenario where a fake service dog is shitting all over a carpet in an office or barking in a restaurant or library ruining the experience for the other patrons? What about a fake service dog biting people?

If a dog is being disruptive you can kick them out even if they are a service animal. The issue isn't that the law is one sided, it's that people don't know the law and think a dog can do whatever as long as you call it a service dog.


Title: [USA] Someone threatened to sue me in an online game!?

Question:
Keeping this as vague yet detailed possible.

1. A member of our "team" in this online game purchased in-game gold to help out our team during an event. Nobody forced or even requested him to do this.
2. A few days later he was kicked from the team because of his toxic attitude and profanity.
3. After, he sent private messages to me saying I need to pay him back the money he spent on the in-game gold AND recruit him back into the team, otherwise he'd get his attorney involved. (Remember, the game got his money, not me.)
4. He then proceeds to brag how he's a rich kid with a family lawyer, and he's going to sue me for everything I'm worth. When I try to reason with him and calm him down, he keeps saying, "Oh. You talked. The demands just got higher. You're screwed."

Now I'm fairly confident in the game's ability to keep player information private, but is this even possible!? I understand anyone can sue anyone else for any frivolous reason at all, but this is just absurd. And honestly it greatly concerns me ... But because of the silly nature of the game, I am not sure if I should talk to a lawyer or not, as he may be bluffing, and that would only waste my time and money.

Not sure where to go with this.

Answer: Just ignore him.  Block him.  Do not speak to him at all.


Title: [TX] My daughter is being kept from me, and I need help ASAP

Question:
I'll get to the point, the mother of my child isn't a good person. She routinely threatens violence against me, has a history of mental instability (was in a mental institution less than a year ago for about a week), and no matter how hard i work to prove that I'm a fit father, she see's me as the person i was years ago before the child and does anything to spite me. Her most recent example of this is also the most extreme, she insists her new boyfriend is a better fit to be a father and has forbid me from picking her up on my days (every weekend, Friday after class, until Monday when i drop her off at day care on the mothers side of town)

At first I thought, fuck her. I pay for day care. I'll just pick her up and take her. Then, i came to my senses and realized that would not be fair to her, the mother, and I also could be charged with kidnapping, i think.

I'm 20, my daughter is 3, the mom is 21. I live at home, go to school, and work a graveyard shift job to save for my own place once I begin my hopeful career, daily things and toys for my daughter, and pay for her day care. Needless to say, I'm paying for my mistakes, I have little money for luxury, and absolutely not enough for a decent lawyer or any kind of court fee.

Please don't think I'm throwing myself a pity party, I'm just trying to paint the picture. It may come off as "feel sorry for me" but that's just because I'm very emotional right now and pretty livid. But I know that my background or my feelings don't have any weight when it comes to whats right and wrong.

All I want is to be able to see my daughter . it's been two weeks. I've considered calling the cops and saying something, but I wont be taken seriously. I don't know what to do.

I'm a good guy, clean record, not so much as a speeding ticket. I'm just very, very poor. And, at this point, very, very desperate.

I'm just hoping someone can guide me in the right direction. I'm so fucking angry. I changed who i was to be a good dad and this woman thinks she's god and can just take her from me at a whim.

I'm sorry for ranting, I'm very emotional right now.

TL;DR: daughter being kept from me because mother wants to let her new boyfriend play dad, don't want to do anything stupid, very poor and cant afford legal help. Need direction.

EXTRA INFORMATION: I AM saving for an attorney, I'm just seeing if i can do anything sooner rather than later if you know what i mean.

Answer: You should see a family law specialist to arrange child custody.


Title: [MN] Ordering supplies for small company without piercing corporate veil

Question:
I'm a member manager for a small LLC in Minnesota. The company is a partnership with three members, no employees, and is structured internally as a partnership.

Occasionally we need to order supplies for the business and generally the internet is most convenient. Ideally, I'd just use the company card on my own online account for convenience and to take advantage of shipping perks I personally receive.

1. Does using the company credit card to purchase company supplies on my own online retailer account count as mixing finances?

2. If so, would it be better for me to personally order the materials, then write myself a reimbursement check from the business?

3. Am I missing anything else?

Thanks in advance!

Answer: Everything should be done in the LLC name. You should have a CPA set up your record keeping system. You are creating a tax headache by doing this.


Title: (OH) Deposited check gets accepted and then gets denied, I owe money.

Question:
Hello! This is for my friend who just called me and I figured the best place to turn was to reddit. Here are the facts:

* Someone gave him a check
* He went to Chase bank and asked if it was a real check
* Chase bank said that if the ATM accepts the deposit, it is real
* ATM accepts it and the money goes into his account
* He sends the money via MoneyGram? and the money gets withdrawn (2 days after deposit)
* Chase bank puts a freeze on his account as they then decided that the check was fake (8 days after deposit)
* Friend now owes the full amount of the check
* The person who sent him the check in the first place sends another check
* Friend goes to a different Chase bank and asks if the check is fake and they say "yes"

So the question becomes, what does my friend do? He believes (and I am open to suggestions) that he was a victim of fraud. He does not personally know the guy that gave him the check, but the guy is still in communication with him "trying to make this right."
Does my friend have any protection from Chase bank? Are we even asking the right questions?

Thank you all so much for your time!

Answer: It's a scam. Your friend needs to pay the bank back. The info he has on the guy who gave him the check is almost certainly not the actual scammer's info, and the person he sent the MoneyGram to is likely just another victim in a separate but connected scam. There are warnings about this all over the internet, Craigslist, eBay, etc. Your friend should have known better.


Title: My husband recently sold a business he has on for 25 years. The new owner was making monthly payments until recently and has made it clear that you will not make any more payments. She still is $42,000. Is there anything we can do that won’t cost thousands of dollars in lawyers fees?

Answer: Based on the zero information provided, your husband should consult with a civil attorney.


Title: Sellers and the tenants delayed our closing even though the agreement stated they have to vacate the propety, what can we do/say to get them to stop delaying? (WI)

Question:
Issue taking place in wisconsin. We signed and agreed to an offer to purchase, one of the contingencies was that the tenants living at the property had to vacate by closing.

Well the tenants have caused major delays in our closing. They haven't "allowed" the home owner to fix repairs required by our appraisal. The home owner says he cannot fix the repairs until they move out, and they're not moving out until Nov. 5, our closing date was set for the 7th. Because of these delays we will have to delay closing more than 2 weeks after our original agreed upon date. If the owner can't fix the repairs till the 5th, we can't get an appraiser to the property till the 7th. Then our lender won't be ready to  close until 2 weeks after the 7th at the earliest.

Specifically the contract states : "if property is currently leased and leases extend beyond closing, seller shall assign sellers rights under said leases and transfer all security deposits and rents thereunder to buyer at closing. The terms of the written leases are tenants to vacate prior to closing"

And then the contract again says : "additional contingencies: seller at seller expense to ensure property is vacant prior to closing".

My question is the tenants will be technically out prior to closing. But our closing date is being delayed because of them and the seller.

Do we have any recourse or any leg to stand on to insist they stop delaying our closing date?

The contract also says: "this transaction is to be closed no later than 11/7/16"

And also of course: "seller and buyer each have the legal duty to use good faith and due diligence in completing the terms and conditions of this offer. A material failure to preform any obligation under this offer is a default which may subject the defaulting party to liability or damages or other legal remedies".

I'm meeting with the listing agent and our agent tonight. If we can't close before the 17th, we will have to find another place to live and find a storage unit for our belongings. We also have 3 pets we'd have to bring with us.

Answer:
 Nothing in your agreement with the seller can force the tenant's to move out faster, they are not a party to your contract.  And, at this point, there's no legal way for the seller to speed it up either (eviction, if even a possibility, would take much longer).

Therefore, any remedy you seek will need to be from the seller.  It seems they bit off more than they could chew in promising that the place would be vacant.  You might consider seeking concessions to cover your expenses during the interim.