Title: Bought a TV from Walmart, got home to find out the wrong tv was in the box. They wouldn't accept my return.

Question:
First of all, if there is a better place to post this please let me know.

So I went to Walmart (Southern Indiana) this morning and bought a Vizio 70in 1080p TV. Model E70-C3, the one they had on sale for black friday for 900 bucks. I brought it home, unboxed it, and immediately noticed the tv looked used. There was a lot of dirt and dust on it and multiple scratches and scuff marks. I then noticed the base for the tv was wrong. It was the center mount version instead of the legs on each end. I looked at the model number on the tv and saw it was the E70-B3 version, which was last year's model and not the model the sale was for or the model that was on the box that I bought.

We pack it all back up and bring it back to Walmart and tell them what happened and that it appears someone bought the tv, swapped out their old one for the new one, and returned the old tv in the new box. Well it took about an hour to finally get a manager to look into it cause the regular employees couldn't do the return. The manager looks at the serial numbers on the box and the tv and verifies they don't match, which is exactly what I told them. They didn't seem to know quite how to proceed so I asked them if they could just look up the serial number on the box to see if it was previously bought and returned. Sure enough, the records showed it was purchased 2 weeks ago.

At this point I think it's pretty obvious that someone did exactly what I expected but here's where it gets a little confusing.  They also looked up the serial number for the actual tv, the old model used one, and their records showed it was sold yesterday. They looked to see if there were any returns on that model of tv in the last few days and couldn't find any.

I encouraged them to look into the purchases to check card numbers and who may have bought the tv(s) before but they said that wouldn't really help.

Also, my receipt didn't list the serial number on it either. It just listed the bar code which is the same for all tvs that are that model.

Two managers were involved at this point and were off working on it for another hour or so, only to return to say they could not accept the return. They said it had something to do with their claims group not being there but will call me tomorrow after they speak to them and will let me know IF they can accept the return. It didnt sound too promising though. One of the managers mentioned that happened to him before with a laptop and he was stuck with it. Well I'm sorry, but just because it has happened before that doesn't make this acceptable.

So I paid for a brand new tv, and got a beat up, used tv that's the previous year's model and would not give me an exchange or a refund. This all took well over 3 hours too.

What can I do here? I'm getting screwed over big time and am not happy. I'll be more than happy if you have any questions or need any more info.

Thanks.

EDIT: I called them again today and was informed they have someone going through their video footage. I guess to see who bought and returned the tv and what happened. They are going to call me back tomorrow. Before I have a chance to respond to the comments, I just wanna say thanks for all the ideas and help!

Answer:
 Give Walmart a chance to rectify the situation.  Otherwise, if you purchased the tv with a credit card, open a dispute with the issuing bank and get your money back.Answer #2: Telephone the store where you bought the item and ask for the regional manager's number; not the district but the regional.  Call him/her today.  I believe you will most likely have to leave a message; this is the biggest single sales day of the year and all the managers are in a huddle crunching the sales numbers.

Tell that person exactly what you have written here. Take photos.  I believe Walmart will make this good ... might take a few days for them to get back to you so ask to hear from them within a reasonable time frame.

Best of luck.Answer #3: Former Walmart manager.

CALL the store, ask for the store manager, explain the situation. If they won't help (which they should) ask for the market manager's phone number and leave them a message. It might take a day, but you'll get a call. That SHOULD clear it up.

If that doesn't, contact the customer service number and blast on social media. That WILL get you a new TV, but customer service is more likely to be helpful if you haven't "skipped" a step. Answer #4: Sounds like credit card dispute is your only choice of action.


Title: Tried to call in sick 12 hours before my shift. Employer denied call off. OH

Question:
I guess I'm mostly asking because I'm irritated and because I know if I have to go in tomorrow it's going to be rough.

We have had multiple call offs this week, and I suppose my manager got fed up with it and wrote on the schedule "not accepting call offs "

She knows that quite a few people are sick so something is going around, and I feel it is unfair to me and other devoted workers that we can't call off when we need to.

I am curious, is it legal to deny call offs? Company policy states calling off less than three hours before your shift is qualified as a no call no show, which is 3 out of 6 points you're allotted per quarter, but I attempted calling off 12 hours before my shift.

Answer: Question for research - do you work with food?


Title: (Tennessee) Job requesting I claim religion or be required to participate in "culture days"

Question:
Hello, so my concern is that we have culture days at work.  These involved wearing hats or graphic tees depicting super heroes. Nothing I find offensive but due to religious matters I cannot participate.

My boss has started to lean on me and have multiple conversations about how I'm not being a part of the team. The latest conversation he explained that I need to file a claim on my religion, they will add it to my file /record in HR and then they will consider what can be done.

I am Jewish but more specifically I am Kabala based and I'm a Nazarite. It's really uncommon and some of the rules are obscure such as wearing a shirt with iron man on it is considered idolatry as I am in essence promoting another being that is not - - -. Not wearing these things is not costing the company anything. As a matter of fact the company is actually buying the shirts, hats, funny totem poles. I have declined stating I cannot take them and have not taken a throng into my possession.

I am a learning and development specialist (corporate trainer) at a call center. I cannot go further than that on explanations but I am not public facing nor do I represent the company in anyway except for training.

Am I required to file a claim on this? If so what route can I take to prove it? I apologize for any formatting errors, I am on my phone and do not often get days off to be able get on a personal computer.

Thank you in advance.  If there is any further information I can provide, please let me know.

Answer: There's nothing wrong with your company documenting an accommodation you are asking for. This is actually good for you because if you get fired over this there will be proof you told them.


Title: Coworker quit, comes up to me today and claims he's collected evidence of illegal activity in the company. Are his claims legit?

Question:
Throwaway because I'm paranoid.

Coworker hated my boss and my company so he quit. He comes up to me today and says he's been compiling evidence of illegal activity in the company and that's why he took his time to quit. My job is selling phones in a state with taxes on them being required to be paid up front, which is a lot, usually around $400. But my district manager works in another state with no taxes, so if we have a big sale here in my state but the customers taxes are too much, he'll give us codes to wave the taxes if we say we sell the phones in his state. We've been doing this for a while now at my location. So is this serious? I put in my two weeks a few days ago but maybe I'll bail a bit early....

Edit: This bot wamts me to say what state I'm in?! Ayyy I'm in WA bordering Oreg

Answer:
 So you sell phones to Washington state residents while in the state of Washington but claim that the sale was in Oregon?

Yes that's tax evasion. Even if the sale was in Oregon, customers still owe use tax.


Title: Dad won't let me play football, anything I can do?

Question:
[removed]
Topic:
Troll Post

Answer:
 > I'm on the bigger side so I know I would excel at football.

You don't know enough about the game.

> I can benchpress more than most guys my age and can be very aggressive although most of the time I'm very nice.

???

>  I can probably become a professional player.

?!?!?!?!!??!?!

Friend...you haven't thought enough at this. Just start training. Work on increasing your stamina, and being healthly. Do footwork and agility drills. Incline press is more important than bench press fyi. Triceps more important than biceps. Work on your stride and footstep speed.

When you go to school, walk on.
Answer #2: I just really need to tell you that the phrase is "the *gist* of the question"Answer #3: You can wait until you're 18, move out, and do whatever you want. Until then he makes the decisions.


Title: Is it legal for a business to deny service based on one's age? (Disregarding alcohol-related entities)

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 >Not place specific, just a general question.

It is place specific.


Title: Balls keep hitting my house from nearby sports complex

Question:
My husband and I just bought a home that is adjacent to the city’s public school soccer complex. While it did worry us, the builder assured us that the balls only rarely go over the fence....yeah right. Soccer season started a week ago and there been 4-5 balls EVERY AFTERNOON. Today is Saturday and there’s already been 3... it’s only 10 am. One of them landed in our yard, one in the vacant field behind my house (the kids jump on our wall to go get them because there is a chicken wire fence around the field), and one landed on our roof.

My concerns are:

A) I have 2 dogs. Should a kid jump the wall to get the ball, the dogs would not be happy about that. I don’t want a child to get hurt nor do I want to have to euthanize my dogs or be held liable for something like that.

B) There is a large vacant field behind my backyard where balls also end up. The field is surrounded by a 5 ft chicken wire fence, so the kids end up jumping on our block wall and walking along the top...about 20 ft. There is obviously a huge fall hazard here. Again, I don’t want to be liable!

C) In addition to the safety concerns of the kids, we are not comfortable using our backyard in the evenings and now weekends because unless we are hyper vigilant, there’s a real possibility of getting hit by a stray ball.

D) Lastly, it’s just a matter of time until our home sustains damage, whether it be a broken window, stucco damage, or even roof damage.

I’ve called the school district and the public school sports department numerous times, however I’ve not received a single call back.

What are our options, if any? Short of putting up netting that ruins our view and posting tons of No Trespassing signs, do we have any recourse or standing to demand they raise the fence around the soccer complex?

We are in New Mexico if that helps. Thanks!
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 Report it to the city as a nuisance. The school needs to put up a higher fence.Answer #2: It's a public school, is that's really in your favor: you have both the school and regular city council chains you can tug on

Go visit the principal of the school and talk to them about a higher fence. They may not have the authority, so next up is the superintendent, then the school board.

If there's a parks and rec department, that's another approach if they run the soccer league. City council is also a good place to find help.

Liability is the word to use: replacing a window, fixing walls, etc can add up really quickly to the cost of a net fence to keep balls out, especially if the school/city has their own facilities folks to erect it.Answer #3: If this is a city owned facility, you should try working through your city council representative.


Title: Washington State - Pregnant employee can't lift boxes

Question:
Hello. I am looking for advice. I have a pregnant employee who informed me today that in 2 weeks she will not be able to lift our boxes and will need light duty tasks. Her job is about 75% lifting and packing heavy items. We have no other light duty jobs for her morning shift. She works part time about 20 hours per week.

There is an afternoon shift that has easier work but that doesn't work with her childcare schedule.

My business is small, besides myself there is one FT person and 6 PT people. I like this employee and she is a good worker but I don't see how she can fulfill her work duties without being able to lift heavy items. What are my options? Thank you.

Answer: If you're unable to accommodate the light-duty request, then you put her on a leave of absence until she's able to return to work full time.  Let her know that you've reviewed the request and don't have the work necessary to support a light duty role, then present her with her options: Move to the afternoon shift and have light duty work, or be on LOA until she can return to full duty.


Title: Ohio, Separation -- My dad fears his soon-to-be ex-wife will sell his things during the separation transition period. Can he legally take the things that are his (e.g., things that he brought into the marriage, personal effects, gifts she's given to him, etc.)?

Question:
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer: Anything he bought or any gifts he was given are his. If he fears his stuff will be sold, he should try getting it into a temporary storage unit which only he can access.


Title: Wine and custody (TN)

Question:
I have  a consultation with a lawyer next week but basically my husband and I have decided divorce is probably the best option. We aren't outwardly hurtful towards each other but emotions are pretty high.

We haven't lived together in about 4 months. And I have a separate residence. Right now, we function at a shared custody default with some flexibility.

He said something tonight while picking up our child (3) concerning my wines. Now, I work with weddings and events for a living so the majority of my time in the office and on social media is spent talking about parties, drinks and foods. Because wine is a huge passion of mine I talk a lot about it on social media. Nothing of it isn't professional or something I wouldn't want my boss to see.

He would like both houses to be alcohol free. Completely. He is claiming it is safer and better for the child. While I agree getting plastered with baby around is a bad idea and terrible parenting, I don't agree that using wine to make a sauce is really any of his business.

Right now, my three year old barely acknowledges any of the wines as anything more than decoration and breakable things they aren't allowed to touch.

We had a vague debate about it where he basically told me that he was going to ask that I put in a  wine cellar, lock it, and then avoid drinking or cooking with wine when the child was around.

I  am a wine collector. I get a lot as gifts. I cook with many of the wines so they are usually around the house, some as decoration. None are uncorked and available for just any tiny fingers.

When they get old enough to reach, find and use a cork screw I might consider locking up the booze but I had hoped to raise them in an environment to respect alcohol and the rules related to it.

I know my lawyer probably has a lot better information but I am kind scared right now. I have had a glass of wine with dinner but hardly ever when the child is around. My husband and I, when we were together, would occasionally enjoy a glass of wine together with dinner when we were together.

And I almost certain there is at least one Corona in his fridge. And he also is printing out any of my social media regarding any kind of wine phrase even if it is reference to a particular wine I got for a bride for her wedding and me taking a picture of handing it over to her.

So, is there any weight to this? Can a judge basically say no wine around baby ever even if you aren't drinking it and it is just around. Could I be made to build a wine cellar and lock it? I know I could be. ANything is possible. But has anyone ever heard of it?

Note: I have a lot of bottles. I have a full wall shelf of wine in the dinning room.

Answer:
 He's pushing your buttons because he knows you and knows how to push your buttons. Let your lawyer tell his lawyer precisely where and with how much force they can shove his ridiculous request.Answer #2: You are in the beginning stages of a divorce.  It is total war.  Cut off his access to your social media.  You are giving him access to everything that could potentially hurt you and nothing that could help you.

Answer #3: Not legal advice, but if you are a wine collector and can afford the expense, you should put in a wine cellar regardless of your situation.

Source: am a wine collector.Answer #4: He's fucking with you, it's really common in divorce and custody cases.  I've heard of one husband try to get the wife's professors to testify about her attendance and grades at college from years before they met.  He's found your trigger and he's pulling it to make you behave irrationally.  It'll probably get worse before it gets better.

You have nothing to worry about unless you've got DUIs or show up to court drunk or something ridiculous like that.  Owning wine, especially when it's a part of your job, won't impact custody and a judge won't order you to burn your wall o' wine.Answer #5: Spouses sure know what buttons to push and how, don't they?

Don't let him push yours. Just deal with your lawyer, and stop worrying about what is clearly foolishness.

Not a lawyer, but come on.


Title: Fake Sugar Daddy

Question:
I’m on a sugar daddy dating site, where I usually just watch weird guys jerk off for cash, or get people to buy me stuff off my amazon wish list. No big deal, don’t judge. I’m a student, y’know?

Earlier today, some guy messaged me and seemed pretty legit. Until he told me he was going to send me a cheque through email that he wanted me to deposit ($1500), and that he wanted me to buy his nephew $700 worth of Steam gift cards, and to send him pictures of the codes on the back.

I deposited the money online before I realized this was probably a scam, and I haven’t spent any of it or done anything yet. I don’t even know what this man wants with that much money in Steam cards. He wants me to buy them today, but my bank account hasn’t released all the funds yet (it’s a youth account so I can only receive so much money at a time), which I told him. But I don’t know if I can keep making excuses as to why I can’t buy him the gift cards.

Anyway, what the fuck should I do now? Will the bank contact my parents? (Because they’ll be pissed that their daughter is now a sex worker apparently, and again the account is a youth account so it’s still in their name even though I turned 18) And the cheque is just going to bounce right? Should I contact the bank? What do I do, send help.

Answer:
 contact your bank and let them know about the check. tell them you believe it’s an online scam and the check will likely bounce.

i’m not sure what they’ll do exactly, but they’ll know your best course of action.


Title: (NC) Towed for parking in non-visitor space

Question:
I accidentally parked in a non-visitor space at a friends apartment last night.  My girlfriend and I went in, spent time with our friends, and came out to find my car missing.

We had thought that we parked in a visitor spot.  There are about 20 spaces, with 5 of those spaces separated from the other 15.  There were 3 "Visitor Parking" signs along the row of 5 spaces, which made us (incorrectly) assume that the entire row of 5 spots was for visitors.

After coming out from our friends and realizing my car was gone, we found a sign that said "If towed, call Towing Company."  T owner of the company told me that I had parked in a non-visitor spot and was towed.

I said that I didn't know that those were the only three visitor spots and that none of the other spots were marked as private.  The renters had told us to park there and that we would be fine.  He told me the call was over and to bring $150 to his lot if I wanted my car.

We eventually made it out to his lot, paid the $150 (he said if we didn't come to pick it up during the night, he would add an additional $40 for overnight storage).

The renters of the complex and I are a bit confused about the signs.  We have parked in this strip of 5 spaces for years, assuming it was guest parking.  I know it is only a $150, but that is quite a bit of money to me.  Enough for me to need to make some adjustments for the next month.

Do we have any recourse due to the lack of signs designating the parking lot as private parking?

Is there any chance of getting my money back through small claims court?  I am guessing no, and that this is just a tough lesson that I have to learn.

Answer:
 no, it is on you to know where you can park or not. unless the signs were confusing and had an arrow showing an extension, those each labeled the specific spot allowed, like almost all apartment complexes I've rented.

you can yell at your friend though, but they also don't legally owe you.


Title: The house I'm renting an apartment in just got condemned by the city, i need some advice to make sure i don't get screwed over by my landlord.

Question:
[MINNESOTA]

So some city inspectors came by this afternoon and told us the sewer line broke, and that they were condemning the house and we all had to leave immediately until it gets fixed. I live in the twin cities, Minnesota. It's a big, old house split into 3 different units, and we are all college students. The landlord wants to put us up in another one of his properties until the repair is done, but it's half an hour away, dorm style housing where we have to live with our neighbors... It's a massive inconvenience. I set up an appointment with our University legal services right away for Tuesday morning but I'm wondering if there's anything else I should do. This is your stereotypical scumbag college landlord, who has seemed pretty damn shady in the past and I want to make sure we don't get blamed for this or screwed over somehow. This is the worst possible timing for this situation, and I really don't want to accidentally make it even worse. I also want to make sure we can get as much compensation as possible.

Thanks in advance for your help, anything is appreciated.

Answer: Your lease will typically have a clause about inhabitability. Most leases allow you to break the lease at that point. You can then choose to move/rent anywhere


Title: Long term care facility is giving me the runaround

Question:
My mother is in a long term care facility.  Technically it's a rehab center for physical rehabilitation.

She has been at this place for 6 months,  and for 6 months she has been denied a therapist.  The social worker there stated they have an on site therapist that works on mondays.

After about two months of nobody coming to talk to my mother, I started pressing the social worker for answers. She says her insurance doesn't cover the therapist.

A month later she gives my mother a large file full of therapists who take my mother's insurance.
I spent 4 hours speaking to every single one of them and more trying to find a therapist under her insurance to come and do in house  talk therapy with her. No dice.

I decided to call back to my mother's old counseling center which she was a client of four 20 plus years. (I couldn't believe myself at how I didn't think of this in the first place)

They were great.  They informed me that HER INSURANCE COMPANY HAS BEEN PAYING FOR HER THERAPY.
Meaning the facility is leaving her to suffer and accepting all charges.  I get in contact with the social worker and inform them that the insurance is paying for her to get therapy and they need to get on it NOW. they tell me now that the reason it hasn't happened was some little snafu with her coverage and to contact the insurance company to remove the snafu.

After another hour on the phone it Turns out,  that snafu was removed since she arrived at the facility. I inform the facility and they tell me they will make sure she is seen. This was over two weeks ago and most reports that no one has given her an update or talked to her yet.

I am furious right now.

I do not know what to do or who to call.

I'm tired of calling the social worker.  I hate her.  I tried to confide with her initially and discuss how desperately my mother needs a therapist to talk to.  I told her how difficult it is for the family to have her crying every interaction we have with her. The social worker said pretty much that's just how my mother is.

EXCUSE ME???! I think I know my own mother better than you.

I've been nothing but pleasant to all of these people. Even when she said that's just how my mom is , omg I wanted top  go off on her,  but I knew that I would lose all of my traction thus far had I  went that way.

What can I do? The insurance company is paying for my mother to receive therapy that she is not receiving and I just keep getting the runaround to everyone I talk to.
She is bedridden, that's why she needs an in house counselor

Answer: Theres a federal whistleblower hotline for this now. This is a common problem


Title: Landlady left cats for me to watch but now wont pay for their care (long)

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Call animal control and see if they will help.

I only skimmed your immense block of text.


Title: Reasonable accommodations?

Question:
I live and work in PA. I am currently 24 weeks pregnant, in a high risk pregnancy that has already had some complications. My job is a fairly physically strenuous one, although I do have limited control over that normally. The expectations for the job include things such as bending, lifting, working in incredibly hot conditions, going long periods of time without food or drink, and being on my feet for 8+ hours at a time potentially. However, all of those things are only occasional. I spoke to my doctor about what I should not be doing (which included pretty much everything on that list), and she offered to write me an accommodation note. I declined originally. I spoke to my manager (as well as her boss), and let them know that I had chosen not to get an accommodation letter, although it was available as an option, but instead to try and balance my safety and my job myself. They were both ok with this, and things have been fine for a while.

Last night, at work, I was left with very few employees, and ended up working 12 hours, on my feet the entire time, and ended up not completing some of the things I am supposed to have done (things I would normally have someone else complete, but did not have the staff available for it). I ended up taking today off, as i did not feel like i would physically be able to complete my job today after the difficult night last night. In response, my managers boss has asked me to provide an accommodation letter as to what I am not able to do.

My concern/ question: will these be considered reasonable accommodations? What can they do if they are not? Can I argue the decision, if it ends up with me losing my job? I need my income, and I could probably find a job better suited to my current needs, but would not be able to reach the required year to have the protection of FMLA before I have my baby. Am I protected somehow?

In case it's important, I am a manager at a restaurant. So while my job does not always mean I need to be in the (around 120°) kitchen, it is sometimes necessary in order to help the kitchen staff. The job does not require always being on my feet, but depending on the staffing/business of the restaurant, it can be necessary. And so on. We are not offered breaks, and they frequently aren't possible (I am the only manager on duty during most of my shifts), but if staffing/ business allows, we are allowed the chance to eat/drink sporadically. If it doesnt allow (as frequently happens on weekends), I can end up going entire shifts of 8, 9, 10 (in the case of last night, just over 12) hours without the chance to eat, drink, or sit down.

Answer: A note from a doctor saying you need to have short breaks to get a drink would probably be reasonable. A note from a doctor that you cannot work in the kitchen of a restaurant (which is always going to be hot, busy, crowded, etc) when your job requires you to be in the kitchen is not, because it means you can't do your job.


Title: After submitting my 2 week notice, my boss claims I owe him almost $2k!

Question:
Long time reader, first time poster. Here it goes.

I've been an employee of this small software company for 3 years and 8 months. On 8/7 I put in my 2 week notice. The owner of the company didn't have much to say and has been avoiding me like a plague. On 8/10 he sends me a company email and wants to know how I'm going to pay him back. Here's what he's inquiring about:

In February of 2018 my current project manager helped put together a commission plan to incentivize billable time with our clients. The commission plan had tiers. At each tier the percentage of billable time went up and we could make more money. Everything was great. We were making more money. Flashback to November 2017. Our only software tester gave his 6-month notice and followed through. So when May came around and our software was not tested, it was put on us to spend our time testing and not looking for billable time with the clients. We asked about our commissions and were told by our project manager to bill the company for the time testing. Well when it came time to submit payroll, our owner freaked out. Cussed all of us out and kicked over a trashcan as he stormed out of the office. He collected himself and came back in and said he was going to approve this payroll but going forward it was not going to work this way. He asked our project manager to come up with a better solution to compensate the testing that we had to take on. The payroll went through and the commission money was in my account.

Our project manager comes up with a convoluted proposal to deal with the testing we were expected to do. Owner signs off on this and then says "I decided to create a credit against each of you for May's commission billing. It will come out of your future commissions." At this point I sent him and email and said "I am withdrawing myself from this commission plan. It's more anguish than it's worth. I'm going back to my base salary. If you feel the need to track any future commission to apply against what you think I owe you, so be it." I received no reply.

About the next time we're up for payroll he sends me another email. "I'm going to be applying the credit to your base salary in your paycheck." I confront him and tell him the hell he is. I am supporting a family of 5. We're living paycheck to paycheck. He's now changed his mind 3 times on this matter and I've agreed to none of it. He says well I guess I'll let it slide this one time, like he's doing me a great big favor.

So here we are to this past week. He is asking how I'm going to pay him back. The guy is an absolute crook who pirates software for his customers and owes back pay to multiple employees who he never paid overtime to (This is getting handled by the Federal Wage and Hour Labor Board shortly.)

Technically I have about 7 days left. I SHOULD receive my second to last paycheck on 8/15. I plan on going in long enough to make sure that it hits my account. I feel like he's going to garnish my wages and we'll end up in court.

Does anyone have any ideas about the correct way to handle this from my end. I appreciate any advice.
Topic:
Labor Law (Unions)

Answer:
 If he deducts your wages without permission file a wage claim with the department of labor/your state’s equivalent.

If he sues you respond. Answer #2: When you leave it sounds like you need to make some reports to the state dept. of labor and for the pirated software. If he doesnt pay you at least you can get the bounty for reporting the business using pirated software ;-).Answer #3: http://www.siia.net/piracy/report/report.asp


Title: Landlord destroyed my posessions.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Bad news. Bed bugs frequently hide in electronics. Get diatomacious earth asap and a spray bottle of iso alcohol 90% . You will be lucky to get away bug free. I still have nightmares about my war with these creatures.

Edit: spelling


Title: How can I obtain a restraining order and have my father lose custody?

Question:
My mother lost of custody of me for reasons involving domestic abuse. She also refused to allow me to go to any school until custody was finally lost. My father now has complete custody. I had a restraining order against her for the purpose of my protection. This order was violated multiple times. Some of these violations had my father accountable; he came ridiculously close to losing custody due to this. In this case, my grandmother would've gain complete custody. I'm 16, living in Florida.

This order expired, my mother was released from a forensic psychiatric hospital, and she is harassing me with my father's assistance.

What can I do to get this order renewed, and have my dad lose custody? Is emancipation of a minor possible? I desire to carry on with my life without such a burden.

Edit 1: After my mother making a quick visit to my residence, she stole my phone. I use this for my studies and employment opportunities.

Edit 2: Updated, and proofread.

Edit 3: I have searched up the requirements for emancipation in the state of Florida. It is truthfully and pragmatically my best option and should be possible to obtain.
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: have your grandmother move to gain custody, if that's your end goal. based on this though it will be hard for dad to lose custody


Title: Lost 500$ in virtual items.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 1. Valve will almost NEVER reverse a VAC ban.

2. Valve's customer service is atrocious, you'll likely never get a response and if you do the response will be "We will not reverse a VAC ban.".

3. You haven't lost your items, in fact they're more secure now since they can't be traded of that account.Answer #2: > While most of you will say it's dumb to spend money on a game, but is it really if someone enjoys it?

Yes, it is. Because you're paying a private company that through their software license has specifically disclaimed any liability or responsibility to treat you fairly or like anything other then a credit supplying program for them. You specifically gave them permission to be the arbitrator in decisions that directly profit them with no appeals process. At least when you spend $500 in other stupid ways, like building miniature ships in a bottle, at least at the end of the day you still have something to show for it.


Title: UK-Place of employment claiming a co-worker is not allowed to smoke on the way to work

Question:
My co-worker and I both work for a public school. Members of the senior leadership and now the head of two high schools are telling her not to smoke as she walks from her house (a couple of streets away) to work on a morning.
I personally think this is abhorrent and discriminatory but they are threating "further action" if she is "caught" again.
Topic:
Labor Law (Unions)

Answer: If you're working at a school, kind of understandable, don't really think they wanna be promoting cancer to children, any other occupation, there is no reason for them to stop her, but I thought working at a school would be kind of obvious.


Title: Tax refund taken to pay off speed ticket that someone else got. Not me.

Question:
Some other person I've never known in a car I've never seen in my life got a speeding ticket and never paid it. Come tax refund time, I'm informed a significant chunk of my refund money was sent elsewhere to pay that off. I called and asked why and they told me what was up saying "it was a yellow Toyota" I've never owned such a car! So I went to my local dmv. They saw my name wasn't on the record for that other vehicle but apparently I still need proof to send to the other dmv that the mystery car is registered at. I got a VR request and at the

VR section C record information

Page, I'm not sure what box I should check off.

I feel like all of them could be proof but I have a bad feeling the dmv won't be satisfied if I choose wrong.

Answer:
 > I got a VR request and at the VR section C record information Page, I'm not sure what box I should check off.

What are the options?


Title: Someone stole my written content. What can I do?

Question: Hi, first time posting here and could use some help. I'm based in Pennsylvania and have a blog/website. I recently posted a [guide to sunglasses](http://www.stylesofman.com/blog/sunglasses-guide) and someone sent me a message with [this link](http://www.vogueglasses.net/articles/author/rxlcn3per4lt/). This is blatantly stolen from my site and they even cropped out my website from the thumbnail image. The website sells fake designer sunglasses and I doubt it's based in the US. Is there anything I can do to make them take down my content? Thanks in advance!

Answer: Send a DMCA notice to Google. It won't stop this other company from using the content, but it will stop their site from showing up in Google's ads or search listings. This can cripple a business.


Title: If you’re a doctor on a plane and there is a medical emergency but you refuse to help as you have had some drinks, are there any legal repercussions?

Answer:
 The doctor is duty-bound to not perform medicine while intoxicated.

In this case the doctor would be well within his rights to not assist. In the US there is no duty to assist anyone, anywhere, even when acting in your core profession. However when you do assist, you MUST maintain the standard of care until someone equal or higher than you assumes care. In the prehospital setting, doctors and EMTs are considered equal for the purposes of first aid and CPR.


Title: Security Cameras Outside Fraternity House [Minnesota]

Answer:
 Short answer: Nothing.

You have no reasonable expectation of privacy while you are outside in view of a public street.

And people who are on the up and up generally don't move passed out girls away from the house to the "landmark next door" to wait for the ambulance.  Why did you not leave her where she was?


Title: Random People Parking in Front of My House

Question:
So I bought a house a few months ago and people have been parking in front of it for hours on end almost every day. My Mom suggested that maybe they were sued  to it being empty and stopped as a lunch break from work or whatever and so I warily accepted this explanation and ignored the people as best I could. It stopped for a bit but since the house across the street went up for sale, EVERYONE is now parking in front of my house. Realtor, prospective neighbors, even the neighbors friends who come to visit them don't park in front of their house, they park in front of mine.

My Mom said it's technically public property so there's nothing I could do but I'm curious if there is a way I could deter people from parking there? I feel like people are watching me and encroaching upon my personal space when they do so. Like, why don't they park on their side of the road?

They always run when we are outside so we can't ask them why they like parking there, we don't have a vehicle yet so we can't just park there to be petty, and I doubt a sign asking them to stop would do anything.

Answer:
 You can't do anything, at all.  If this is a public street, and not otherwise zoned, then anyone can park there for any reason or no reason.  It's not your spot.  Answer #2: Is your street two-way? If it is, I would guess that people park on your side because it’s more convenient; that is, they’d have to either take a different route in or drive past and turn around in order to park on the other side.

As for your question: Your mom is correct. This is an unavoidable part of owning a house that faces a public road with public parking—sometimes other people are going to park in front of your house, and there is not a damn thing you can do to prevent it. Asking people not to do it, especially if parking is in any way tight, just makes you look like an* obnoxious crank who doesn’t quite grasp the concept of “public”.

Your only legal option would be to go through local government; if non-residents routinely park on your neighborhood streets, some jurisdictions have a permit system that bars anyone except residents from parking on certain streets for more than an hour or two. This would deter the friends, at least, but it wouldn’t affect your neighbors, and it would be equally inconvenient to anyone visiting you. A sign you put up has zero legal force; if you try to block the space your blockade will be removed, and if anyone sees you do it you may be fined for littering or dumping.


Title: Bringing inheritance from overseas to US

Question:
So my dad and I are going to Jordan in Nov to collect money left to him by his father as an inheritance. His father died more than a decade ago, so since the account hadn't been touched, it got frozen. We have by the end of the year to get it.

How do you declare that money when bringing it back to the states? Do you just wait and put it on your taxes? Do you have to tell customs? Mom hasn't filed taxes for this year bc dad used to do that, and he has gotten very sick, so I'm worried that the money will be taken if she doesn't have the taxes done before we return. How likely is that? She will need all of that money for his medical bills and bc the family business is closing due to his illness.

Thank you.

Answer:
 Generally, the U.S. government does not tax money that you inherit.

How do you propose to move the money from Jordan to the US?  Is it possible to do a wire transfer?  If it is, then you would want to visit your bank in the US before your trip to ask what their instructions are for incoming wire transfers.  Also, try to contact the bank in Jordan who will be sending the wire and ask what additional information (if any) they will need.

If you can't do a wire transfer, is it possible for the Jordanian bank to give you a check denominated in U.S. dollars drawn on a U.S. bank, or a U.S. based branch of the Jordanian bank?

If that doesn't look likely, are you familiar with hawala transfers, and do you trust them?

It's legal to bring any amount of valuable property into the U.S., but if you bring more than $10,000 worth of cash, gold, traveler's checks, or other highly liquid items into the U.S., you must fill out a form.  Details can be found here:
https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/195/related/1/session/L2F2LzEvdGltZS8xNDc4NDc5NzYzL3NpZC9FZFNCZyoybg%3D%3D

The worst case would be to bring cash or gold into the U.S. - it's legal to do this if you fill out that form, but - much to the shame of the U.S. - you run the risk that some overzealous police agency will try to steal it by claiming that it is the proceeds of some illegal activity and it will be difficult, costly, and time consuming to get it back.


Title: Please help! My dog was essentially abused during a groom visit and I can't afford a lawyer against a LLC. AZ law I am hearing is hard to fight with cases as such. I need legal advice. If I go to court they can file for dismissal because the owner is saying I did this when we got home!

Question:
Topic:
Consumer Law

Answer: I don't think there is a legal cause of action for "essentially abused dog during a groom visit".  What damages have YOU suffered as a result of this dastardly deed?


Title: 10,000 Check Fraud - Kentucky

Question:
I made a post [here](http://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/2tteih/single_deceased_father_left_no_will_im_22_and_in/) with details about my father passing away.

While taking care of some things to settle his estate, I saw a 10,000 check that had been cashed after he passed. I went to the bank and asked for information about this check. They showed me a copy of this check and the date on the check was even after he had passed. The handwriting was also clearly not his, it was made out to someone we know, and it looked to me like it was even in this persons handwriting. It seems like this is pretty clearly check fraud, no? (Hopefully I'm using that term correctly.) I was advised to take copies of these checks to the police and let them approach her about it. Is this the best course of action? She does have his check book and I'm not sure I'd feel comfortable approaching her myself about it. I also don't know if I want to press charges, this is someone that has been a part of the family for awhile. I just really would like that money back. What's the best course of action?

What makes it even more awkward is that she has things at her house that are mine and that I need to go and get, as well as one of my fathers vehicles that I need to relocate. Not only that, before all this happened, she asked to come into dads house and get some of her things that she had left over the years, which was fine, she has some tables and decorative items there, but when she did she also took a bunch of stuff that definitely wasn't hers.

Thanks for any help, and I hope this is all clear enough. If I need to clarify anything, just ask! Thank you!

Answer:
 > I was advised to take copies of these checks to the police and let them approach her about it. Is this the best course of action?

Yes.  When someone steals from you you call the police.

However, I feel there's more to this story.  This person has the checkbook and has been "part of the family" - have you considered just talking to them?


Title: Romeo And Juliet Law

Question:
I've heard about this a few times and this is the first time I really need to know about it
I 18m am interested in dating a 16f. The feeling are mutual and I was wondering if this is legal? I am saving myself for marriage so no need to worry about sex. But how is other things legal considered. We live in Minnesota btw if that helps

Answer: The age of consent in Minnesota is 16. This is fine. Romeo and Juliet laws are not relevant to this.


Title: [Parkersburg, WV] Signs in McDonald's; were these legal and if not, could it be a "PR disaster"?

Question:
Throwaway account for obvious reasons.

We went to the local McDonald's in Parkersburg center, and it had a sign on which read:

(LGBT rainbow flag)

NO GAYS, NO TRANSGENDER PEOPLE, NO GENDERQUEER OR NON-GENDER BINARY PEOPLE CAN BE SERVED HERE. PLEASE USE ANOTHER RESTAURANT. THE MANAGEMENT. THANKS.

As of yesterday; the sign was in tatters, slightly ripped, so obviously someone's protesting.

I know it's a private company and can do what it likes with who enters the premises, but is sexuality/gender a protected class and could this be a "PR disaster" for them? It doesn't help that enough people in our hometown know about this.

Could an LGBT organization sue McDonald's over this, and what would/could be the potential fallout if this goes further?

Answer:
 No bigot would use correct gender terms in place of slurs, I'm guessing someone has a disagreement with the management.  You don't see the KKK complaining about 'people of color.'Answer #2: I highly doubt anyone affiliated with the restaurant put that there.
Answer #3: There is no statewide protection based on gender identity or sexual orientation. A feel oval cities have ordinances to that effect, although it appears [Parkersburg](http://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/20160412/group-campaigning-for-lgbt-anti-discrimination-ordinance) is not one of them.

You can likely complain to McDonalds corporate, and they will be less than amused, and take some sort of action against the franchisee. Other than that, not much you can do. Answer #4: Those are not the words that a person who would exclude those groups from their business would use to describe those groups. This sign was poor quality trolling 2/10, maybe 3/10 with rice. Answer #5: >NO GENDERQUEER OR NON-GENDER BINARY PEOPLE

I hate to be a conspiracy theorist, but this doesn't sound like something that someone who legitimately holds those beliefs would say.  They say ignorant things like "if you have a penis, use the men's room."

I'm thinking this is some kind of attention seeking set-up.  Answer #6: Photo? Because I doubt the owner knows about it. No franchisee is going to risk their investment for a stupid sign like that.


Title: What are the legal implications of office semi nudity?

Question:
New York, New York

How strict does an employee dress code need to be in New York? What are the legal implications of allowing female or male employees to appear in revealing outfits or even topless?
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer: You are asking for someone to sue you for creating a hostile work environment/sexual harassment.  All it will take is one person not acting like an adult, there will be at least one person who won't be an adult around "BOOBIES, and your business is going to be liable.


Title: [TN] Brother stopped for speeding, finds drugs in wallet. Civil Rights violated?

Question:
I have a TL;DR if you'd like to jump right to my question.

My brother isn't aware of his rights and is easily intimidated by authority figures. (just wanted to get that out of the way) He was pulled over for speeding early in the morning taking a family member (someone who hasn't looked sober for years) to an appointment. After running his license he asks him to step out of the vehicle and begins a sobriety test and said he "looked like he was under the influence of something" and that he had "eye tremors." My brother's reasoning was that it could've been due to him just recently waking up. (I'm sorry if some of this info is irrelevant I just want to be thorough.)

After the test he asks if he can search the vehicle and my brother says yes. (I know. I want to scream with rage too) After my brother says yes to searching the vehicle the officer performs a pat down and asks "Is that your wallet" in his back pocket. He said "remove it for me." He then takes my brother's wallet and finds acid inside. I fear the officer asking him to remove it gives consent.

TL;DR: Here is my question. From my understanding they only pat you down for their safety and can only go through your wallet after you're arrested. The officer specifically asked to search the vehicle. Can we get this evidence suppressed?

My brother is young and he hasn't had the same blessings in life that I have. I left shortly after becoming an adult, only recently coming back and it's been a struggle to show my brother that he can live his life differently. Any assistance or advice would be greatly appreciated. Let me know if I need to clarify anything.

(UPDATE: he did not provide consent to search wallet and he was NOT under the influence of anything. That much is a fact.)

(UPDATE 2:https://www.avvo.com/legal-answers/can-the-police-search-your-wallet-if-your-not-arre-466108.html this is what I've been able to find on the internet but it wasn't a traffic stop and I can't find anything else on it)

(UPDATE 3: Why is this getting downvoted? I tried my best to come off as humbly asking. I'm not asking a question that has already been asked. I'm not being confrontational and I'm taking every answer seriously. This is just me trying to getting a little prepared before I speak to a lawyer for someone I really care about. Thanks to everyone who is trying to help. I honestly appreciate it.)

Answer:
 >Here is my question. From my understanding they only pat you down for their safety and can only go through your wallet after you're arrested

That is wrong.

>Can we get this evidence suppressed?

Impossible to stay.

Honestly if he was with someone heavily intoxicated, just woke up, and was speeding - nothing sounds out of the ordinary here.  Get a criminal defense attorney.


Title: Florida - turns out the lawer I hired represented my wife for divorce mediation. Appears to be a conflict of interest.

Question: Is it the lawyers respinsibility to verify if he / she can or cannot work for you?

Answer:
 You hired this lawyer to do what, exactly?

A conflict of interest is when an attorney can't properly represent you because another set of interests conflicts with his interest to you.  Unless this case involves your divorce or your wife in some manner, there's likely no conflict of interest.

The attorney may choose to not take your case, out of an abundance of caution, but that doesn't mean there's an actual problem here.Answer #2: For there to be a conflict of interest the prior case would need to be relevant to the current case. If this lawyer helped your wife in divorce mediation and you are divorcing your wife currently, and he is representing you in that divorce, that would be a conflict of interest. If you hired the lawyer to represent you in something unrelated, say a car crash, then it wouldn’t be a conflict of interest. It is the job of the lawyer to check, yes. If there is a conflict, you will need to retain a new lawyer and the lawyer would likely be disqualified from representing your wife too.Answer #3: You're going to have to give us more than that. Conflict of interests aren't as simple as the attorney worked on a prior case.


Title: What can you do if you believe the cop car behind you is not a cop?

Answer:
 Call 9-1-1 and ask.

The chances of you being pulled over by a fake cop are like 0.000001% or less. Answer #2: Call 911. Give them your location and say you're being pulled over. They can verify if the person behind you is a cop or not and give you instructions.


Title: What's the legality around routing 911 calls through company security first?

Question:
My company (in Ohio) put a policy in place last year that if you dial 911 it goes to the security desk first and then they'll place the call (or perhaps it was they'll transfer directly to 911). This was in response to employees accidently dialing 911 and the company getting fined for it.

What concerns me is that it adds a delay/extra step to getting to emergency services which might cause additional harm or possibly open the company up to liability... Thoughts?

Answer:
 Sixteen states criminalize the interruption of emergency or 911 calls. These include Indiana, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Ohio, South Carolina, and Texas.

Here's more on Ohio: http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/2909.04

What you are describing is a felony in your state, punishable by 6-18 months in prison and up to a $5000 fine.


Title: My roomate got a restraining order on me to get me out of the house and now im homless

Question:
So my roommate got a restraining order against me in retaliation of me doing a room search on her after I found out she was stealing from me and found a plethra of my personal belongings in her room and after months of coming home to many of my things being hidden around the house and moved around. Everyday i had to go downstairs and do daily walk through checks to see what's been moved , stolen or thrown away because it happend almost daily. I was forced to leave my own house by the police with really nothing but the clothes on my back. The minute I left the house she began giving my things away to the neighbors and began to trash the house took down and threw all the decor and paintings and basically everything all over the floor. I'm at a loss for words. I dont have the slightest idea as to what to do but my life has crumbled to dust before my eyes and there's nothing I can seemingly do about it. I have no way of protecting my own things from her either throwing, selling or giving them away which she has already begun to do. If theres anyone out there who knows how to fight this please help I'm essentially homeless with the Great luxury of having to pay for rent for a house I cant live in and being forced to pay the utility Bill's in their entirety becasue it's in my name

how can i get this evil person out of my house? shes on the lease but i am the primary lease holder if that matters. the landlord resfuses to get involved. my roomate did paint the walls and put a lock on her door which is againsnt the terms of the lease is that enough to get her evicted? she refuses to move out while im currently living on the streets idk what to do

Answer:
 I refuse to believe that anyone got a full restraining order against you after you did nothing wrong.

More details are probably needed.Answer #2: You can't get her out, she's on the lease.

You can hire a lawyer and go to the upcoming hearing to defend yourself against the restraining order.


Title: [IN] I'm being bullied at work. What are my options and what should I start doing?

Question:
I've been getting prank calls lately. The phones are analog so I can't tell who it is. I've had trash dumped on my desk, a picture of a dead dog posted on my bulletin board ruining my picture in the process, and trinkets taken/moved/or hidden. These things happen after I leave work so I don't know who does them. No in office cameras and my co workers won't ever tell me who it is. They all think of it as "office pranks." It's been happening intermittently over the last year and a half (since I started).

Whoever is doing this is anonymous. It's creating a hostile work environment. I'm a huge loner and keep to myself. I've informed my boss when it happens but we don't know who is doing it. There isn't any way to prove this except the emails to my boss.

The office I work at is connected to a factory so HR is focused on the factory worker turnover rate (we have 2-4 workers quit/get fired every day). Office staff is not a concern of theirs and when I speak to them it feels like they think of us as a nuisance. I have not informed them yet.

It's a hostile environment but I need the paycheck.

The boss has a meeting scheduled for today for our team. I think it is going to be along the lines of, "grow up and stop the office pranks." I'm worried this meeting is going to make it worse. If they continue what are my options?

Answer: Your options are to quit or not. You are using the term hostile environment. This is not a hostile environment in the legal sense. You are not being pranked because of a protected class such as race, you are being pranked because you are a huge loner and it gets a rise out of you. I'm not sure what you want your employer to do other than what they are doing. Yes it might make it worse if the employer says cut the shit. Or it may end. We will have to see. But until someone specific is identified, there is not much more the employer can do. You are not legally entitled to a general prank free work environment. So your option is to have a little thicker skin and a paycheck, or to find another job.Answer #2: Not hard to set up a camera.  I would.  It might also be more than one person so don't reveal rift away when you catch someone


Title: Getting full custody of kids when the moms a piece of shit

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Your brother needs to stop half assing it. The court will always try to keep both parents involved. He should get a lawyer to pursue full custody ASAP.

Letting a series of incidents build up is harming your brothers ability to argue she is unfit. It implies he's not serious about the health and well being of the children either. Apply for full custody, which they probably won't grant. Then next time she does something stupid apply again, and so on.

On your end, since your brother is failing to do anything, you can call child protective services and make sure they have a case file started and inform them of any new developments.Answer #2: To be blunt your brother doesn't come off particularly well in this situation either. He can simply go see a lawyer and have them file for custody. He can also do this himself by looking up the appropriate forms for his area. It will probably go smoother if he has a lawyer.


Title: Being charged "late fees" I never agreed to on a car bought through private sale

Question:
Woodstock, Georgia - Back in January, I bought a car (my first car, in point of fact) from a then-coworker. We agreed that I would pay him $500 on January 9, and $225 the ninth of every month February-October, no interest or additional fees. The Bill of Sale, which was signed by both myself and the seller, includes this payment schedule. However, due to my paycheck schedule I haven't always been able to pay precisely on the ninth of each month. Nearly every month I was unable to pay on-time, I have SMS messages between myself and the seller saying that I would be unable to pay on-time, and the seller agreeing that I can pay the next week without penalty.

A couple of months ago, however, I was forced to reschedule a payment again, to a few days later (but still within the month). The seller informed me that a $50 "late fee" would be incurred, and told me (not threatened, but implied) that my car would be repossessed if I refused to pay. Not seeing any choice in the matter, I paid him the extra $50.

Last month, in September, I had to reschedule my payment again, but was ~40 minutes late to the rescheduled meeting, and the seller was not there. I sent him a text message asking where he was and he replied he was in the next city over, Marietta but he would be there in ten minutes. I replied that I was in a hurry to get to work, and I couldn't afford to wait ten minutes, then made my way to work (where I was barely on-time).

The next chance I get to check my phone, I have a slew of messages from the seller, asking where *I* am, and why I'm not there, eventually culminating in him saying that he is charging me an additional $75 for the month. $50 for the late fee we "agreed upon", and an additional $25 because he "drove all the way from Marietta and [I wasn't] there". I paid him the $225 that we agreed upon, but not the additional $75, as he said I could put it on my final payment in October because he knew I didn't have it at the time.

If I simply give him the $225 as scheduled, and he refuses to hand over the title, can I take him to small claims court and expect a ruling in my favor?

Answer:
 You agreed to pay on a certain schedule.

You failed to pay according to that schedule.

He appears to be willing to excuse your breach in exchange for $75, that he considers reasonable damages as a result of your breach.Answer #2: If the sale was through a finance company you would have lost the car by now. He did you a *huge* favor. You should pay him for inconveniencing him the entire time you were supposed to be paying him back. If you take him to court you may be able to get a ruling in your favor, you may not (it sounds like whoever argues their side the best would win), but you would certainly be the asshole in the situation.


Title: [CA] - billed for lawn service I did not sign up for

Question:
Recently bought a new house in California. We have a very small front yard and there is a landscaping crew that handles a few of the neighbors’ lawns. I asked one of the landscapers how much they would charge and they said $50/visit. Seemed too high for the size of my yard so I said no thanks.

About a month ago I came home from work and my lawn was mowed and weeded and there was an invoice on my door for $50. I called the number on the invoice and explained I never signed up for service. I left a voicemail and did not hear back.

Well the same thing has happened each week since. Four weeks in total. They never return my calls and always come when we’re at work. Today I took off work and saw them at the neighbor’s house. I approached them to resolve the situation. It was a different crew but the same company. The guy I spoke to actually said he is the owner and he apologized for the confusion, but insisted I pay for the service provided which is now $200.

Do they have any recourse here? I don’t want to be an asshole but I never signed anything and I tried to call them ~10 times with no reply.

Answer: I would stop contacting them, do not pay the bill.  If they try to invoice you, ask them to provide proof of a contract.Answer #2: If they drag you to court over this (they won’t) ask them to produce a signed contract. Without one, they have no hope of collecting a cent from you. If you are sued though, you must respond or risk a default judgment.Answer #3: Is your property in a HOA? There's a slight possibility if it is that the association is contracted with this company to provide services whether you really want them or not. If you do have an HOA, I would double check your covenants to see if this type of lawn service is included as a separate charge from your dues.


Title: OHIO- landlord won't replace a/c

Question:
Hi everyone, I'm posting on behalf of a good friend of mine, D.

Just a little general info:
We live in Ohio
D and s/o are on 12 month lease together
Property is an apartment complex

So D's a/c is broken. Landlord knows and says they can't afford to fix it, along with 7 other a/c units that are also broken (D's neighbors) the apartment right now is 88° and has been miserably hot like this the past 2 weeks. D is wanting to withhold rent until the unit is fixed, so my question is, can he legally do this in the state of ohio? the apartment complex gave them a huge indoor a/c unit for the time being but it is making their electric bill go up like crazy. What are his options?
I appreciate any advice! Thanks :)

Answer:
 > the apartment complex gave them a huge indoor a/c unit for the time being but it is making their electric bill go up like crazy

The apartment complex solved the issue by giving them an AC Unit and D is still wanting to withhold rent? Tell him not to, the judge will not be very pleased with him if it comes to court.


Title: My ex is trying to say she is going to home school our kid, I disagree 100%. Help.

Question:
So long story short, my ex is saying she wants to do home schooling with our daughter. I do have joint legal custody, she has sole physical but has to guide by visitation.

So I told her no I disagree 100%, and with joint legal I have every right to do so, she is not fit to be a teacher to be honest. However, she just ignores my stance and says "well im doing it anyways." This is going to screw up my kid for the long haul.

Anyways, what can I do in this situation? Do I need to get my lawyer involved again? Hate to do that cause i'd have to use her college fund I started to pay for it :\

Answer:
 Take this to court and try to get an order from the judge saying she has to enroll her in school. Answer #2: I was in your shoes several years ago, and my lawyer easily got a court order that mandated that she was enrolled in school. It will cost some $ but it's worth it for your daughters sake. Answer #3: I know that it sucks, but you need to go back to court (through your lawyer, of course) and ask the judge to issue a court order that your wife enroll your daughter in school.

I know that you're trying to save for your daughter's college but, book at it this way, if your wife home schooled her, it's not like she would be going to college anyway, right? So you actually are protecting her future, just in the way you planned.


Title: [KS] What can I do about this speeding ticket (32 mph over)?

Question:
Throwaway because I don't want people to find my account.

I was driving in Kansas some time ago and got pulled over going 32 mph over the limit, not in a school or work zone. I have had one ticket prior to this.

What can I do to make it so that my insurance doesn't go up? I'm willing to pay quite a bit more so that my insurance doesn't rise, but I can't find anything concrete online.

Thank you!!

Answer: Hire a traffic attorney, cross your fingers, and stop driving that dangerously.


Title: Help With A Let Go Scam

Question:
Hi everyone! I wasn’t sure if anyone has been through this process before but I figured I’d ask.

I recently purchased a large lot of N64 games and assorted other things from a seller on Let Go, unfortunately to my untrained eye these were all fake cartridges with reproduction labels...and I feel like an idiot. I immediately checked the post after the realization and the seller deleted everything. I only had a seller name to go off of (a generic one), a physical description and his vehicle.
I posted about the situation on Let Go and was tipped off on who it might be. I did some investigative work on my end and have 100% identified the seller.

Where do I go from here? I don’t know if the police will get involved or not due to it being a civil matter. As much as I want the money back, I really just want to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

Edit: I live/this occurred in Pennsylvania

Answer: Depending on where you live, the seller's actions may be criminal.  Selling counterfeit goods is a form of theft.  You can always try contacting the police, or you can contact the seller, threatening to contact police if the seller does not return your money.  The way you go with this is up to you.


Title: Honda recently failed to finish a warranty repair on my motorcycle, stating they simply can't fix the bike but wont replace it. What are my options?

Question:
(Tennessee) I own a 2014 Honda VFR800. I bought the bike in 2015 brand new, but it immediately began having serious issues. Namely that, even when off, the it constantly draws power from the battery. Since it was a manufacturer issue the warranty covered the repair. It spent six months in the shop, they declared it repaired and released it when they replaced some components including the ignition, regulator rectifier, and all the fuses.

The issue returned in less than a year and the bike has been in for another eight months so far (Totaling more than 14 months, including one or two week stays inbetween these periods). They've replaced both the wiring harness and the sub harness, and re-replaced all the components they replaced during the previous fixes. None of these actions have repaired the bike. The shop ran out of ideas months ago, and the most recent few months have been done by a tech that Honda corporate sent.

That rep just admitted to me they don't know how to fix the bike and have no where else to go with the repair. The bike has been in the shop so long now that, at the end of the year, my warranty will run out. At that time they plan to release the bike to me without finishing the repair. They've told me they wont do a buyback on the vehicle, and since I am outside of the one year period I have to declare a lemon in Tennessee they have no obligation to lemon it.

What are my options?

Answer:
 I'm curious what your warranty actually says regardiing repairs. Surely there is a clause in there regarding those that are made incomplete, improper, or otherwise? In that case, you can simply wave that at them.

But the idea that they *plan* to keep it in the shop till the warranty runs out and then simply say "psych!" is rather ludicrous on its face. A warranty end date isn't a loophole to get out of already-accepted repairs.

In your shoes, I'd honestly go down to this place and have a conversation summarizing all of this and record every word. Thank you one-party-consent. That way, when they refuse to honor the warranty, admit that they plan to do nothing, and want to simply return the bike after "waiting out" the warranty, you've got it all for posterity - or at least a consult with an attorney. Corporate may be interested in knowing what one of its franchisee folks is doing to their name as well, especially since they are already involved in the issue.


Title: Was written up for refusing to work past regularly scheduled time

Question:
Ok, so I have been with this company for 6 years. They have a very strict schedule of 730-4 and are very vocal about refusing o give anyone overtime.

In the 6 years I've been there I have had to work over 2 times (I really don't care about working over) and I was given a week notice.

I pick my daughter up at 430 everyday and today I was given a huge workload, I said "there's no way I can get this done by 4"

my boss said "I guess you'll have to work over", I told her I have plans after work to pick my daughter up and wouldn't be able to, she told me that she was writing me up for not following her orders and expects me in the hr's office first thing in the morning to sign my written warning.

Anything I can do to fight this? Any write ups make it hard to get a raise for the year.

Philadelphia, PA

Answer:
 PA does not regulate writeups. In the absence of an employment contract controlling your termination, or a union agreement, you could be fired on the spot for refusing to work past your scheduled time.

You don't have to sign the writeup, but refusing may antagonize your boss further and jeopardize your job. Signing it largely only confirms that you've seen it.

If you work past your scheduled time and are owed overtime as a result, your employer must pay it.


Title: Mom made $25,000 profit in the stock market in addition to $34,000 from work. She is being charged $17,000 in taxes. They adjusted her taxable income from $34,000 to $84,000!

Question:
I checked the CRA website about capital gains tax and found [this](http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/E/pub/tg/t4037/t4037-e.html#P317_34283)

My mom sent a bunch of e-mails, called them to let them know there was a mistake. She refuses to pay it until it's resolved, and now we received a letter with interest added and a threat of legal action.

It was originally a loan taken on the house amounting to $135,000. The loan and the profit was reinvested, but its value dropped by 30% during that time. The money is basically locked until the markets improve, but we're willing to take capital losses if it will negate the taxes.

Answer:
 All that's happened is that she did not include her cost basis when she filed Schedule D. Go to a local CPA and they will get you squared away for a couple hundred bucks. You could do it yourself, but it's not worth the hassle for you.

Edit: is this US? If not then what I said may not be right. I dunno how you crazies up north do it


Title: Is there any scenario where defending yourself is better than having a lawyer, even if you are one yourself?

Question: I'm not a lawyer so I wouldnt know, but it seems that there is no clear benefit to defending yourself in court

Answer: If the worst-case cost of losing is less than the cost of representation.


Title: (TX) Company asking for commission money back after the fact

Question:
I apologize for the long post, but appreciate any help at all!

I live in TX and work in an outside sales role that includes commission as part of my compensation package.

We are given a quota each year, and our compensation is based off of what % of quota we achieve, with a significant earnings accelerator past 100%.

I was offered by HR (worth it to note that it was approved by them and management), and agreed to a quota of $1million.  At 100% of quota, let's call the commission that is to be paid out $100k (made up but will scale to my situation).  At 150% (1.5m in achievement) of quota, this would mean a commission of 200k with the accelerator kicking in. I achieved ~150% of quota, and was paid according to the letter of my offered and accepted quota letter- agreed to at the beginning of the year.

Now I am told that HR is coming back to my management team asking if my quota was correct.  I have documentation of the letter/#s involved, etc.  However, HR is telling management that they see a quota of ~1.4 million in their files attached to my name (very suspicious in the first place that it is just under the amount I've achieved...)

I am under the impression that my management team is working on my behalf to sort it out with HR, as the situation is clear as to what I was offered and accepted.  However, I am also under the impression that HR would adjust my quota after the fact and ask for money back in accordance to that new quota- all after I've been paid for the work I've done(not to mention that I've paid student loans off, contributed to 401k, etc. and wouldn't have the 100k to give back...), if they come to the conclusion that they think my quota was wrong and they'd like to pursue..

So, my question is, can they do this?  Even if they can, is there anything that I could/should do or be prepared to talk to if this happens?  I should find out soon if they are going to seriously consider that course of action, and needless to say, I am more than a bit worried about it.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read and for any advice you may have.  I understand this is not legal advice and will not take it as so.

Answer:
 They can not adjust your pay after you performed the work, let alone after they paid you.

If you have the letter they sent with the terms, there should be no dispute, unless it is clearly an error.  If you spoke about a $1 million commission, you have a document that reads you have a$1 million commission, that should be that.

If the numbers you mentioned are close to the actual numbers, it would probably be worth it to retain a lawyer if they do try to come after you for the money.

You would want an employment lawyer, or a good contracts lawyer.


Title: Texas High school won't let me use the restroom of the gender I identify with.

Question:
I'm a gender fluid teen and I got to ***** High School in Texas. Some days I feel female and some days I feel male. I didn't understand what was going on for awhile but now I do and I came out to some friends. Last week I went into the girl's restroom since I was feeling or fronting as female. Security brought me to the office and I got suspended. I tried to talk to the principal and she said she "wouldn't have that nonsense in her school."
I got suspended. I begged the principal and counselor not to tell my parents about my gender identity but they did anyway. I hadn't come out to them yet and they freaked out. They are very religious and told me there's no such thing and they are homophobic too. Now they are making me to go to bible study every night to cure me.
I tried emailing the Lambda Society Legal desk but got no answer. I don't know what else to do.

Edit: I removed the name of the school
Topic:
School Related Issues

Answer:
 You have to understand that your generation is the most gender complex (confused?) in recent history, possibly ever. It sounds like a load of crap to most of us older folks.

I'm assuming you have a penis. Use the boy's room if you want to stay out of trouble until you have a court order that says you can use whatever restroom you feel like at the moment. An event I find extremely unlikely to occur.

I'm not an attorney, just a grumpy old man. Answer #2: This has nothing to do with homophobia and it's baiting to use that term. The rule is that if you have a penis you go to the boy's room. If you want to challenge that, get a lawyer and sue the school district.

Have you considered how uncomfortable this may make the girls?


Title: Is my job committing any labor violations?

Question: Hey there, so I work for a fairly large craft brewery in Colorado. I'm here today because I'm genuinely curious what I should do about working conditions at my job. Mainly, is it legal to never receive a break on shifts lasting more than 8 hours? I see on my time card that it says I take 30 minute breaks but I that's my boss adding them after the fact. Is this legal? What can I do about it

Answer:
 [This is definitely not legal](https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdle/breaks)  Not only is Colorado a state that mandates breaks and mealtimes, your boss altering your time card is absolutely illegal.

There is a "Contact Us" in the link above.  You can absolutely contact them about this.

I will remind you that Colorado is an at-will state.  Your employers cannot terminate you for reporting them as retaliation is also illegal, however down the road you may find yourself terminated for "other reasons".  If you can prove retaliation, there is another case...


Title: mom's husband filed for divorce days before she undergoes cancer surgery

Question:
Okay, so I will try to keep this is as short as possible...

Southwestern PA here. So, with PA laws taken into account...

My mom has been married to her husband (my "step father") for nearly 21 years. From the very beginning, he's been abusive, manipulative, non-contributive & deceitful.

She was diagnosed with breast cancer about 2 months ago and is undergoing surgery this week. 2 weeks ago, her husband packed his stuff and left the house while she was at work after refusing to explain a number of shady things he had been doing lately. Today, she was served with divorce papers.

A little backstory: The house they lived in has always been hers. Her name is on the deed, she pays the taxes for it, it's totally paid off. He moved in around 1995. He's been an abusive, lying drunk since a little after they were married in 1996. In 1997, he broke her elbow. There is proof of this. There's been countless occurrences of violence over the past two plus decades, but she's never reported anything, mostly due to fear and threats. The first 15 years of their marriage, she paid all of the bills of the house. That changed about 5 years ago when he wanted to receive his pension early while still working, but required her signature to do so. She refused to sign unless he started contributing to the bills, which he agreed to. She signed, and he began paying the bills (other than the cable/internet bill, because when he first received it he went ballistic over the price and threw her around, so she's been paying it while he's paid the utilities.)

He received a settlement to the tune of $250,000 for an injury (fraud, but obviously a whole different story) this past January, on top of the (roughly) $250,000 he's accrued over the past 20 plus years due to not having to pay any bills and what not. My mother's name is on nothing and never has been. She has never had any access to his assets and is not his beneficiary.

For the past 2 years (while on workers comp and after receiving settlement), he's just laid around the house (while he wasn't out living a double life) contributing next to nothing physically while she's worked 40 hours a week.

Obviously, as best we know, the next step is meeting with a lawyer to try and have any divorce proceedings postponed until she's recovered from her cancer surgery (which should be roughly a month if all goes well). But can anyone here offer any insight or advice beyond that?

Answer: OP - make sure that any life insurance, retirement account, bank account, etc beneficiary designations are updated immediately.  She may also want to withdraw money from joint checking accounts and create a will to disinherit him from any separate property ASAP.


Title: Ulysses, Kansas, If a member of animal control comes to my house and kills my pet before identifying themselves, can I shoot back?

Question: I had a pet deer and animal control came and killed her by shooting her in the direction of my house.  Out of fear,  I shot back and then they immediately identified themselves as animal control and called the police.  I was arrested and my weapon was confiscated. My issue is that I didn't know this was animal control until after this guy shot my pet in my general direction. How was I supposed to know it was animal control before he fired? He pulled up in a all white truck.

Answer:
 You need to hire a lawyer.

(Source: I am not a lawyer.) Answer #2: You can't fire on anyone unless you reasonably believe human life is in immediate peril.  Like it or not, animals -- even beloved pets -- are property and mostly only have value as property.  And if it's illegal to keep a deer as a pet or as livestock where you live, that value is $0.00.

Plus, *once the animal has been killed*, what you are suggesting is retaliation, not defense.   Retaliation is never legal, period.  Not even with snowballs or rubber darts -- certainly not with deadly force.


Title: Bullied and harassed at work (racism). Can I sue or make a case if I ever get laid off?

Question:
This is in Ontario

Hi, there is a superior of mine who I work under and I've been countlessly bullied by them and a couple other coworkers.

- One coworkers (superior I work under) continuously makes racist remarks (I'm south asian). There's one other south asian lady in the office and he says that we're getting married. He's even sent an email with both our pictures together as a marriage proposal with some coworkers. I have the email saved.

- One coworkers went to my desk and snooped on my email to see my bonus (it was emailed to us). He's stolen food off my desk and accuses me of stealing things from his desk. To the point where he texts me after work hours harassing me about his coat or umbrella. I have these texts saved. I also have texts saved bragging about how much of a bonus he got.

There's a couple more instances I have logged but the bottom line is I feel like I'm getting treated unfairly at work, especially from my superiors.

I don't really want to bring this up to HR unless I get laid off because I really don't want to start drama at work. Do I have a case? What kind of compensation can I expect? I live in canada if that helps. should i be doing anything else to help build a case?

Answer:
 You should work it out through your company's mechanisms first. You will not likely be entitled to anything if you don't inform your employer and give them a chance to take action.

I would suggest your review resources on the OHRC website including this one:

* http://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/iv-human-rights-issues-all-stages-employment/12-resolving-human-rights-issues-workplace


Title: I'm going to the United States on Christmas, what questions am I probably Gonna be asked and what are my rights?

Question:
Hey, I'm born in the United States so I have the citizenship, I'm Lebanese and have lived in Lebanon, Iran, USA and currently living in Quebec. I haven't been to the United States since 2006.
What may i be asked at the border, is there a chance of denying my entry and what are my rights? Thank you!
Topic:
Background Checks and Expungements

Answer: Are you traveling on a US passport? Hint: you should be.


Title: Maryland (Blizzard related)- Will I get in trouble with the police?

Question:
I was supposed to spend the weekend at my gf's house with many other people and party through the blizzard. Long story short, my relationship didn't last beyond Friday night.

I woke up Saturday by myself and found a hotel several miles away that would take me on short notice. While the rest of the house was busy, I grabbed some food/alcohol, and snuck out the back.

My battery was low so I kept my phone off while I walked 4.5 miles through a fucking blizzard and white out conditions so bad I could barely keep my eyes open. Made it to the hotel and collapsed on the bed because I was physically and emotionally exhausted and honestly still hungover.

Woke up several hours later and remembered to plug my phone in, at which point it started BLOWING up with missed messages. Ex-gf who cheated on me had finally gone looking for me and couldn't find me. She sent a billion texts/fb messages/voicemails, etc asking where I was. I had texts and voice mail messages from my parents (ex-gf called my parents and said I got lost in the blizzard. She didn't bother to tell them why I left).

Apparently my gf called the police and told them I was drunk and wandered out of the house and begged them to look for me because I was in danger. (Side note, I wasn't drunk on Saturday morning. I was drunk on Friday night when I discovered my gf cheating and tried to walk out into the blizzard. But it was a lie that I was drunk and walking on Saturday).

I called my parents, let them know I was ok. Said I wanted nothing to do with gf. I guess my parents told her they heard from me because she tried blowing up my phone again.

Ok, onto the problem. Today I get texts from my gf that the cops are angry I caused all these problems by wandering off. She spoke with the officer who went out looking for me yesterday to let him know I was at a hotel. It sounds like he's angry at both of us for causing a situation that let police resources get diverted to something frivolous during the blizzard. My first question is, can I get in trouble for anything? Have I broken any laws by leaving without letting my gf know where I was going? Did I break a law because the police were trying to look for me only because my ex-gf freaked out?

Also, once the house got word that I was ok, some of the guys there were super angry because I took a big bottle of their alcohol. I'm getting texts that say I need to return it, or they're going to file a police report for theft. My second question is, can they do this? Will I get in trouble for theft? Is it a bad idea to even risk it if the police are already angry at me?

Location: Maryland

**edit** The consensus seems to be that I need to give them back the alcohol. I really have no desire to ever see these people again, but it looks like I have no choice. What do I say when I contact them so that I do not open myself up to legal trouble? Also, they have all the food and alcohol I bought. What language do I use to ask for it back?

**edit2** Well, they've seen this post and they are not happy. Gonna stop updating before I get in huge trouble.

Answer:
 I don't have legal advice for you, but after following your post yesterday, just wanted to say glad you made it to your hotel safe and sound.

ETA - Oh, yeah...you quite seriously have some of the shittiest friends on the planet.Answer #2: IANAL or C, but i don't see anything illegal here, and hahaha re a theft charge for a bottle of booze.  i'm guessing the city PD have better things to do right now.

i suppose were it me i'd at MOST drop their bottle of shitty cheap booze on the doorstep, sending someone involved a text that i'd done so, and i'd wash my hands of these toxic people. though honestly, i'd probably not even bother returning the bottle.  if the cops were 'annoyed' that you wandered off in white-out conditions, i have a hard time believing they'd arrest you for a bottle of popov.  (or even don julio.)

re the language you ask for your food and alcohol back, you don't.  seriously, just remove yourself from this absurdity.

that's my NAL nonlegal grain of salt advice.


Title: Tree branch fell on car after warning landlord - now he wont answer my texts or calls

Question: [deleted]

Answer: IANAL, Have you contacted either your car insurance or renter's insurance? They'll probably be able to help out. They don't want to have to pay, so will likely go after the LL or the LL's insurance for the damages.


Title: Can I access records of a sexual assault cause I was involved in as a minor?

Question:
I’m located in Colorado. On the website it says this:

“The Investigation report expands on the basic Accident and Offsense reports and often includes officer and witness statements, the detective's notes, and scanned images. Decisions regarding release of these reports will be made on a case-by-case basis. Possible restrictions include whether the investigation is ongoing, as well as whether they are part of an active criminal prosecution. Documents related to ongoing criminal cases should first be sought through a Discovery Motion to the court. Identifying information of victims of sexual assault will be redacted, as will identifying information of juveniles. Information contrary to the public interest will likewise not be released.”

So in this last part, they basically answer exactly what I’m asking but I’m wondering if it makes a difference if it’s my case specifically? Like since I am the one involved am I still unable to see records regarding me?

Answer:
 Yes, even if you are the victim that information is redacted by law. The narrative and other information will still be there, but due to rape shield laws and laws regarding juveniles any identifying information will be redacted for safety. Especially since once it's out there you have no idea who might see it if the document is lost or stolen.Answer #2: Maybe it would make their job easier if you were the only victim and as such they wouldn't have to go to the trouble of redacting. I think the answer is to inquire.

In the future it would be helpful if you included the link to the website in question so people helping you could see your quote in context which might contain a link to or information about the statute/rule/or caselaw that it is derived from.Answer #3: Yes, you have a right to access information about your case. Victim Services may be a better way to get the report than a general records request.

https://www.denvergov.org/Government/Departments/Police-Department/Programs-Services/Victim-Services


Title: Step Daughter’s iPhone confiscated.

Question:
In the Seattle area.

My wife and I recently purchased her daughter an iPhone so she can communicate with us, her friends, and our extended family while she is with her father.

After returning to her father’s house the iPhone was immediately confiscated.

We have an extensive parenting plan in place. However nothing covering cell phones.

Thoughts as to how to handle this situation are appreciated.

Answer:
 Contact the other parent and ask that he return your phone. It's still your property, even if you gave it to your daughter to use.

For now, stop sending her with the phone. He's going to confiscate it again. If contact with your daughter while at your coparent's home is important to you, talk to an attorney about filing for an amendment to allow you unsupervised call times, and be prepared to offer the same in return.


Title: Sold a website. Buyer signed contract, took my mailing list and then never paid.

Question:
I created a website on my own a couple years back.

The website ended up growing an extremely large mailing list.

A foreign buyer offered me $x for that website and the website's mailing list.

The buyer paid a down payment and promised (in the contract) to make monthly payments for the next year.

The buyer ended up taking my entire mailing list (and using it for his own marketing purposes on unrelated projects) and then never paid me another penny. It looks like what the buyer *really* wanted was the mailing list, and not the website.

As soon as the mailing list was transferred, the buyer missed 100% of his contractually obligated monthly payments. And now won't answer emails or messages.

QUESTION:

1) Who owns the website now?  The contract never stipulated what to do in the event of a partial payment. The buyer paid the first payment but no others. He now has the (very large) mailing list -- which can't exactly be returned because it's data and the buyer now has it all already. (It's not something that can be returned)

2) The buyer has control of the server... but I still actually have control over the domain, although it's supposed to be transferred. Can I point the domain back to another server and just "take it back"? Or is that theft?

What's the remedy here?

Thanks for any insight.

: (

Additional info:

This is a US based website.
The buyer is in Europe.

Answer: You’re probably fine repointing the domain, though it would have been much better if you’d spelt out penalties for nonpayment in the contract. Worst case scenario, this goes to court, which is what you probably want anyway. Answer #2: /u/jwcooke owns empire flippers I'm sure he might have some practical advice. I'm sure you can take him to court for breach of contract.


Title: My best friends ex sent naked pictures of him and another girl to everyone on his Facebook and Google plus account. She also sent the pictures to his work. (Kirkland, WA)

Question:
Earlier today my friends (now ex) girlfriend found pictures of him and another girl on his phone. She then proceeded to send out an album of his nude pictures and the other girl to everyone on his social media accounts.

Once he caught wind of what was happening he confronted her to get his phone back. Since she wouldn't give it back he grabbed the phone out of her hands. She then slapped him twice.

He called the cops and they ended up arresting him saying he was the primary aggressor when he grabbed the phone out of her hand. He was charged with Assault 4 DV. After my friend was taken away she sent the album of nude pictures to his work.

My friend will be searching for a lawyer in the coming days and I'd like some advice on his ex girlfriends actions. I'd like to know if charges could be pressed on her for sending out nude pictures of him and the other girl without their consent and accessing his social media accounts without his permission.

Edit: All photos were of people 18 and over.

Answer:
 Washington State has [twice](http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=2250&year=2013%20-) not been [able to](http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=2257&year=2013%20-) to make sending out intimate pictures a crime. (They have no revenge porn law.)

The access of social media accounts without permission might be [computer trespass in the second degree](http://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=9A.52.120) in Washington. This would be a gross misdemeanor, if applicable, and the punishment (absolute maximum) would be 364 days in jail and $5,000 fine. Whether or not to pursue this is not up to your friend. He can report what happened to the authorities but the DA will decide if they want to prosecute her.

While she was morally in the wrong to take his phone (given the facts expressed in your narrative) he should not have forcibly and physically grabbed his phone from her, he should have called the police. He should not speak to anyone else about this (not you, not other friends, not on social media) until he can speak to an attorney. And he should do what that attorney advises.

Edit: This is all presuming the photos were of people 18 or older.

Answer #2: Make sure your friend knows to avoid ALL contact with her, even via third parties. Washington doesn't play around when it comes to DV and no contact orders.

He should also hire a good criminal defense attorney ASAP. Assault 4/DV can land him in jail for a while. Answer #3: I always thought that you were allowed to use limited force to protect your property. Can someone explain why in this instance he would not be justified in grabbing the phone? I could understand if he punched her in the face or something but grabbing the phone just seems to be limited force to protect his property.


Title: [FL] I am a 22F who is being harassed by a friend of my parents...What legal actions can I take to stop her?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Have you at any point told her to leave you alone? That is step 1. Also block her number.

I highly doubt you have been "traumatized" by a few missed calls and one text.Answer #2: >There must be something that I could do.

"Hi Irene - do not ever contact me again under any circumstances."

Tell her this each time she contacts you. If she continues, you may want to contact the police and file a harassment complaint.