Title: I'm in Greater Boston, Massachusetts, and that's where I work also. My boss has installed a employee-monitoring software on our PCs. Need your advice/comments/suggestions.

Question:
My co-worker and I work in a small operations in Greater Boston. Today, my boss told me that he wants to install a software on my PC to "help protect it from viruses and also notifies him which sites I visit so that he can monitor our usage." This software is activtrak, and he personally installed it on our PCs under the pretense that it'd block viruses and monitor our usage.

Here's the thing - my coworker and I are very good, patient, hard-working fellows, and we do indeed visit facebook, espn, news, and other random sites. You see, our job is VERY MONOTONOUS and we make a lot of outbound dials. In spite of how monotonous and boring it is, we get our job done even though we visit non-job related sites. This doesn't affect our productivity.

When he saw that we're not happy with this, he said to me "enjoy the software." BTW, before he uploaded this software on our PCs he already knew which sites we visit. He told us that he can go to the servers and get a log. For example, he knows that I'm visiting match.com and clothes shopping.

However, now that I know that our boss basically tried to trick us in a cold way (by suggesting that he's doing this for anti-virus purposes), this would distract me quite a bit in getting my job done (not to mention stress/depress me).

What legal recourse do I have?

Answer:
 > Here's the thing - my coworker and I are very good, patient, hard-working fellows, and we do indeed visit facebook, espn, news, and other random sites.

and

> This doesn't affect our productivity.

These two directly conflict..... there's no way that it can't. Every second on ESPN is a second you're not working for your boss.

> He told us that he can go to the servers and get a log. For example, he knows that I'm visiting match.com and clothes shopping.

Wait, you don't think finding a fuckbuddy and shopping for clothes is not time you're not working for him, that he's paying you for? How naive are you?

> this would distract me quite a bit in getting my job done (not to mention stress/depress me).

Actually. Not being able to visit those sites would cause the extreme opposite of not getting work done. As for your stress/depression, boohoo, cry us a river. It's work, not play time.


Title: New York - Freezer Contractor Wants to Take ME to Court

Question:
My parents own an Asian restaurant and do not speak much english so I try to help them as much as I can while being in another state.

Anyways they brought a "smith" brand name freezer from Lowe's for \~$600, and it stopped cooling after 8 months, so what they had me do was to call the manufacturer and manufacturer sent a guy over to fix it. According to the manufacturer it should be free since it's a functional fix and it is still under the 1 yr warranty (well 2 years since we used an AMEX CC).

So the repairman came over fixed it and charged my mom $180! Being busy and receiving threats from the repairman of how it was going to take apart the freezer even more/make it worst she ended up paying the repairman. As soon as I found out I called the manufacturer and they said what the repairman did was wrong and shouldn't have. So I went ahead and blocked the check. Later I received a call from the manufacturer that this freezer is suppose to be for residential use only and not commercial, therefore there was a charge, BUT no one said that having the freezer being used in a commercial place voids the warranty! Now the manufacturer is trying to sue us for $550 due to the blocked check and his "time"

Will we lose in court/does he have a right to sue? Advice on what to do next please.

Answer:
 > BUT no one said that having the freezer being used in a commercial place voids the warranty!

I'm 99.999% certain that's in the terms of the warranty they were provided.

What's your legal question? If it was not covered by the warranty then you need to pay the repairman. You're lucky he didn't go to the police over the bad check.


Title: Should I have to pay damage allegedly caused by my four year old son on my neighbors car?

Question: Last week i was approached by one of my neighbors and her six year old son and they told me that my four year old son had caused a scratch on the hood of her car. I was apologetic toward her and very angry toward my son at the time and i asked her what i could do, to which she replied " Nothing". I then led my son inside for his time out and lecture. Later, when my wife came home i told her about what happened and she too went to the neighbor to apologize and asked what she could do. She did not receive a direct answer as to what was expected from us financially. we live in a largish apartment community with shared parking and lots of playing children in close proximity. It is a major annoyance, but i too have received scratches on my vehicle from neighborhood kids clumsily riding bikes, because our cars are parked hood hanging over the sidewalk where the kids ride. Even if i had caught the kid(s) who made the scratch, i would have taken it as an unavoidable risk of shared parking. Last night my wife received a text from the neighbor saying the the damage will cost 500 dollars to fix and that she is willing to accept payments. I thought that figure was very high when i considered that her car was already in very poor condition before, and the small scratches on the hood were barely visible next to a large scratched up, dented front quarter panel and large crack across the windshield of her at least ten year old car. She told us she is not planning on fixing any of the existing damage. I feel that she is only trying to take advantage of us and we don't believe she is even planning on repairing the damage. We have not seen any estimates in writing and they do not have definitive proof that my son even caused the damage. what are my options?

Answer:
 You can refuse to pay, and see if she'll sue you.

You can ask for estimates, and pay those.

You can pay what she asked.

In general, though, to answer your question, yes, you should pay damage caused by your son.  That's both the law and just, you know, common sense.Answer #2: You may not be (unless you were negligently supervising him), but your son very well could be. If he's sued, your contact your insurance.


Title: I'm dumb and got fucked over

Question:
Okay so I made a craigslist post selling or trading my guitar. A seagull acoustic electric. I was looking to get some cash but a guy offered me what he said was a "2016 Fender Telecaster MIM"
He told me via email and in person that it was a 2016 model. I was too busy inspecting the guitar for cosmetic damage that I didn't even check the serial number.
The guy gave me a whole spew about how he was retired and basically free to meet up at any time, so I probably trusted him more than I should have. I actually took a day off to drive 2 hours to meet this guy so it is extra frustrating. He basically told me he didn't do anything wrong and refuses to simply trade back guitars.

Is there anything I can do? I have the email where he said it was a 2016 model...can't that be fraud?

Edit: I'm located in Texas and trade happened in Houston. The telecaster I received is actually a 1999 model

Answer: You don't ever say what the problem actually is.


Title: Can public schools and their officials force a student to stand and stop in the hallway during the pledge of allegiance?

Question:
This took place in TJHSST, a highly accredited public school in Northern VA.

 An incident that I have never encountered before occurred as I was swiftly walking to my first period class as the bell had rung 30 seconds before. As I made my way to the main hallway, an administrator and a group of students was standing still. The official instructed me to stop and stand for the pledge. It's true, individuals, even on public property, are allowed to observe their own religions and adhere to their personal ethics as long as they do not interfere with the observance of others. I was walking through the hallway, not obstructing the view of the flag, making any distracting noises, or even moving the air around those in the hall to a noticeable level. The students rights and responsibilities handbook of my school system makes an explicit statement concerning the observance of the pledge of allegiance and the minute of silence. I personally find that fact that a non-educational observance in which every student is forced to drop everything they are working on and sit/stand still is equivalent to forcing a kid to say the pledge of allegiance for that minute. Essentially, requiring someone to stop doing something is the same as telling them to do something, just in a converse way.

Think of it this way:

There are many students of Islamic faith in my school and they are accommodated so that they can leave at a certain time of day to pray in the halls where they are relatively undisturbed. Do the school officials make everyone else remaining in the class stay completely silent and inactive out of observance? No.

The end result is most likely that, under current laws regarding education in the Commonwealth of Virginia, that they were technically able to do that. Regardless of the legality of the official's actions, I personally think it was principally wrong and that the entire situation pertains to blind following and nationalism.

Any legal insight would be immensely helpful.

Update: Only 2 people actually gave actual answers relevant to the subreddit.

Answer:
 > Any legal insight would be immensely helpful.

Yes, they can make you stand still.


Title: My friend is trying to make faje pay stubs to try to get a loan. Isn't this illegal?

Question:
She has a child and is currently living with me and my mom. She has to leave the house by the 27th of this month. Her and her baby daddy, who is not living with us, are trying to make fake pay stubs to try to get a loan. Isn't this fraud?
TX

Answer: Yes. Fraud is obviously illegal


Title: DUI?

Question:
I was driving home and I was pulled over for a DUI. In the state of Arizona. I refused the breathalyzer and I was given a blood test warranted by the state. They have threatened to take away my license and they have impounded my car. What should I be doing?

Edit: I am sorry guys I was distort and confused but I did take a breathalyzer test, a field sobriety test, and then got the blood test. However, on my police report it stated that I never took a breathalyzer test. A different police officer filled out my arrest report than the one that conducted the breathalyzer. I am lost, please help!
Topic:
Alcohol Related Other than DUI

Answer:
 Getting a defense attorney asap. Answer #2: You should get a defense attorney right now.

And never drink and drive again.


Title: Can a probation officer check my computer ?

Question:
My step brother is going to be out of prison for doing some "sketchy shit" on the internet, and hes going to be living with us for a few months. Can a parole officer check my phone and computer even with a password?

We live in Oregon

Answer:
 You are free to refuse to allow your brother's parole officer to access your computer.

However, it's likely that your brother's terms of parole heavily restrict his computer use and require that the PO have full access to inspect any computer he might be able to use. So, if you don't let him inspect, your brother's PO is free to tag your brother with a violation and stick him back in the clink.


Title: Husband cheated with Pastor's wife's best friend. I want to sue her based loosely on alienation of affection (Texas)

Question: I will make a long story short, if you have questions I'll elaborate. I have been a member of this particular church for nearly a decade my husband joined apprx 3 years ago. In October 2015 he began an affair w/ one of the long time members who knew me and was fully aware he was married w/ 2 children. She is the pastors wifes best friend and our children often went on playdates. I confronted him and her in a hotel parking lot in Feb 2016 they had been checked there. Following this they continued the affair. I have proof of her being the affair partner. She even professed her love for him. I have proof. He had her address in his GPS also. Understandably as a result of this I suffered great emotional despair. Embarrassment, betrayal. Obviously I was an emotional wreck for months. She even lied and told the pastor it wasn't her and they accused me of accusing the wrong person! I was forced to dig up information proving it was in fact her even though I told them I saw her and spoke with her that night. I lost a lot of weight and there were many sleepless night. I now do not feel comfortable attending church at the place I have called home for many years. I have lost friendships.She continues to attend and is still close with the pastor's wife. While I have lost friends because I proved it was her. The pastor also asked me to keep the situation private so I have experienced alienation. I had to uproot my children and find a new church home. Do I have a solid case to take her to court or at least a chance to win? I don't want to waste my time. I have not retaliated against her in any manner,but I certainly feel she deserves to know the extent of the damage she has take part in. Also what would the statue of limitation be if any?

Answer:
 Nope.  Texas, along with most other states, has abolished the very silly and antiquated heartsbane torts.

The phrase "it takes two to tango" comes to mind.


Title: [Texas] Bossing threatening to sue for looking at porn on the clock.

Question:
This is beyond ridiculous so I don't know what to make of it.

I basically work the overnight shift and we're allowed to browse the net or play games to stay awake and do the job as it's slow.

My boss comes up to me telling me that he's going to sue me because he went to the computer and porn popped up on the screen.

1.  It's a 38" computer monitor and there's a CCTV camera pointing right at it because I am the cashier.
1. what the heck would he be suing me for over this? Specifically porn and not playing games.
1.  I know better than to watch porn at work, let alone ON a 38" monitor at work under the surveillance of a camera.

I asked my cousin and he said to have a lawyer subpoena the router logs and get time stamps to match the computer and the CCTV footage.

I am so confused, not sure what to do. should I hire a lawyer, have the routers subpoenaed and sue for the cost and for slander?

Answer: He can fire you but I don't see how he could have any damages to sue for.


Title: Disputed transaction and the store wants to go to the police

Question:
Alright here is what happened I went to car shop to fix my car(it was losing power and shaking), the store gave me a call back and said the bill will be $900 for the fix. I asked them if this is the only problem and paying that to change those parts will fix it 100%, the guy said yes. I paid for it, picked up the car, less shaking but the power issue still exists. I went back to the car shop, and I told them it is still not fixed completely, yes less shaking, but still and issue with the power. They kept the car for a day, and then they called and said well there is another things to be fixed for $3000. I told him how come you did not find out about these yesterday? because if you told me it need that amount of fixes I would not have paid the $900 in the first place. He said no well you came for something else and we did not see this, but today for the other issue we looked more. I told him thank you I will pick up my car and do not fix anything else.

&#x200B;

Took the car, called the bank and disputed the first $900 because they missed diagnosing the car, I explained everything to the bank, and told the bank hey even if I do not get it refunded fully, I do not mind paying the parts price because by the end of the day I got new parts, but I refuse to pay it fully because it did not solve the issue.

&#x200B;

The bank opened up a dispute ticket, and returned the money to me temporarily on hold, while they go through the dispute. The dispute not done yet, and the shop called me today and they say well you will win the dispute anyway, and you took the money from us, so tomorrow we will file for a police report. I even gave them the bank number and the case number and they can tell the bank their story, and whatever the bank rules I'm completely fine. But the guy in the store was like no that does not work for us, we want the full money tomorrow, we will file a police report for it.

&#x200B;

I told him I will go talk to them in person tomorrow, because I did not want to keep talking on the phone for nothing. Can they go to the police for it? even though the bank is still working on the dispute and the investigation. What do you suggest I should do now? what are my rights here? and what would happen if they go to the police?

&#x200B;

Thank you.
Topic:
Consumer Law

Answer:
 >  Can they go to the police for it?

Absolutely.

> What do you suggest I should do now?

Frankly, unless you got the "guarantee" in writing, you should pay the money.   Mechanics don't generally "guarantee" that a fix will completely fix a problem.  They give you a price for work, then do the work.  You owe them for the work whether or not the work fixes your entire problem.


Title: What can I do to stop a previous "landlord" from retrieving my mail and sending it to my "new address"? PA USA

Question: Moved out of residence at end Aug 2016. Never named on lease. Utilities were in my name, and now are being sent to my s.o.'s parent's address. Said parents are friendly with "landlords". but I have not changed my addres, and I have given no consent or forwarding address.

Answer:
 > but I have not changed my addres, and I have given no consent or forwarding address.

So you created this problem.  That's a dick move by the way.  Nobody wants to or should have to deal with your mail.Answer #2: You don't live there. Change your address.


Title: Can male nurses be denied jobs in womans' medicine as a matter of policy?

Question:
A nurse friend of mine recently mentioned that many medical areas that primarily treat woman - labor & delivery departments, gynecology offices, etc. - have a stated "no male nurses" staffing policy.  Can this be right?  Please explain.

Practically, I understand that this probably makes many people more comfortable, I'm just wondering how this isn't legally discrimination.

Edit ... Dear Location Bot: this is in Illinois, please forgive me.

Answer:
 Bona fide work requirement?  Nurses have to be with the patients a lot, often then spend more time with them then doctors.   In a OBGYN settings there is frequently a policy that there be a second practitioner is in the room if the DR is male, that would be really counterproductive if the nurses needs a second nurse too.

IDK I'm just guessing. Answer #2: Given that hospital patients are probably close to 50/50 male/female but nurses are skewed heavily female, your friend might be in a position to specialize in male urology and become quite marketable.


Title: Procedure with "sovereign" citizens from police perspective.

Question:
I would like to know, in the US, how a cop should procede infront of a non-compliant sovereign? What legal basis, in the US, do these people have? Are the cops that I've seen in many videos getting into any trouble, legal or otherwise, for detaining (not sure if correct term) these people?

I know this is a pretty broad question, any information is welcome. Thank You.

PS: "These people" refering to the "sovereigns" is not meant to be offensive. For threat purposes I have to choose a state. Utah.

Answer:
 >I would like to know, in the US, how a cop should procede infront of a non-compliant sovereign?

Be a lot more careful than normal. Sovereign citizens kill more cops than gang bangers ever dreamed of.

>What legal basis, in the US, do these people have?

The same legal basis as the toothfairy has to hear all crimes relating to oral health.

>Are the cops that I've seen in many videos getting into any trouble, legal or otherwise, for detaining (not sure if correct term) these people?

So long as the officer is follow all local, state, and federal laws, they are not getting in trouble. Answer #2: Sovereign citizen = I want to make excuses for disobeying the law, and I'm too lazy to petition my government to change existing laws which I dislike.

>I would like to know, in the US, how a cop should procede infront of a non-compliant sovereign?

Like they would with any routine stop.

>What legal basis, in the US, do these people have?

They get the same rights and responsibilities as everyone else. A sovereign citizen in any state is legally no different from a resident of that state.

>Are the cops that I've seen in many videos getting into any trouble, legal or otherwise, for detaining (not sure if correct term) these people?

Not if they have articulable reasonable suspicion to detain them.Answer #3: If the cop has the right to pull you over in a car or detain you then they are doing nothing wrong. Actually most sovereign citizens admit guilt to the officers while they ramble on how the constitution doesn't allow the police to stop them because they were doing X.


Title: Girlfriend would like me to co-sign a lease for her- what can I do to protect myself if I decide to? (crosspost /personalfinance

Question: Hi! My girlfriend is an international student looking for housing in Los Angeles- we've been together a while, but I'm not sure where we'll end up. I trust her and we have a good relationship, but signing a lease together is quite serious, of course. I already have my own place in a different part of town. She needs proof of income and previous housing in the Southern California area to be approved, which is difficult for most college students to have, let alone an international one. Her family is quite wealthy, so there's no issue of money, just our relationship. If I decide to help her, what should/can I do to protect myself? All advice is appreciated =] Thanks!

Answer: You can't really protect yourself here, aside from refusing to co-sign. Once you do co-sign, you are on the hook for rent if she ever can't or won't pay.


Title: [Arkansas] draconian no compete contract

Question: [Arkansas] a friend of mine is "training" to be a wedding planner. But her mentor uses her to do web design, customer correspondence. And barely pays her. She has "trained" with her for 2 years. And I recently met her (the trainee) and learned her mentor made her sign a draconian contract that stops her from working as a planner for 2 years within 2 states. Ironically like most people in abusive situations her mentor/boss keep promising stuff and never delivering on it to keep her. Any advice to help her get out of this contract? Because it literally sounds like legal slavery, it doesn't sound very legal for all thats going on. Not getting paid, etc.. Please help

Answer: There is almost no chance a multi-state, or even state wide, non-compete is legally enforceable.


Title: [MI] Baby boomers with parents in assisted living, need advice on legal rights pertaining to eviction of parents. More in comments.

Question:
I have POA (power of Attorney) Durable power of attorney, medical and general. My father has dementia, and has started to get frisky and violent (pushing and shoving.) He has not been legally deemed incompetent, (where two doctors say he is and I get full POA.) We also are not LEGAL GUARDIANS and the assisted living home suggested heavily to get this. With the deteriorating relationship with the assisted living home we don't know if this is a good thing or not.

The home called last Sunday and said, Father was aggressive and needed to be removed. either we take him home (with us) and he could not come back until he saw his doctor or got a psych eval. The emergency room basically laughed at us saying there was no way to get a psyche evaluation on the weekend.

The assisted living home has fired workers recently. We believe they may be understaffed and that while my father is problematic part of issues stems from not enough staff on shift.

* What are the rules in michigan about kicking him out?

* How do I determine if they have enough staff present for the number of patients?

* What other advice if any can you provide.

Thank you very much.

Answer: They're not going to put up with anyone displaying violent tendencies. Your entire argument about them not having enough staff is 100% nutty. The $$ your dad pays to live there isn't worth them having to deal with his worsening condition. At any time they will be able to charge him with assault (yes...pushing counts). Stop trying to point the finger at them, go move your dad out and find a TOTAL CARE facility that can deal with him. Authorize physical and chemical restraints at the new facility to combat his violent nature.


Title: [State: Internet] How the fuck do I remove my address from Spokeo since I just searched for only my full name and city AND THE RESULT WAS MY ADDRESS (HOUSE NUMBER AND STREET) JUST POPPED UP WITH A MAP ZOOMED-IN? Also how the hell did they get this information?

Answer: If you own then it is public info. House sales are public record. Answer #2: That's all public record. Nothing you can do to force them to take it down.


Title: [TX] Lost my Nintendo Switch and someone picked it up. Told this is "found property" and I cannot report it to police. If I find the person who has it, do o have a legal right to recover my Switch?

Question:
Yesterday, my Nintendo Switch fell out of my backpack on the way to a Pokémon GO meet up. It's a distinct model -- special edition Pikachu and Eevee -- and I've yet to personally meet another person in the area with this model.

I realized what has happened within a half hour, and doubled back (and then again, and then a third, and then a fourth time...) to look for it, but I couldn't find it. I know someone has picked it up, as they have used it to log into Epic Games as of around 9pm last night.

I thought I might be able to file a police report, not that I had proof someone has it (and presumably has no intention of trying to return it) but I have been told by a friend of a friend who is in law enforcement that this is considered "found" property and until they use my account information to purchase something (unlikely to happen, as I deactivated the console from my account and changed the password) no theft is involved. I don't want anyone to get in *trouble* for having my Switch, I just want it back.

It's likely that it got picked up by some kid in my neighborhood, and if that's the case there's a non-zero chance that I'll end up seeing it with someone at one of our local parks. Obviously, I can't go snatching video game consoles out of kids' hands or anything, but I want to know what my actual right are to recover my property. Assuming they didn't wipe the system (which seems unlikely considering whoever has it didn't have the sense to not link my account to their Fortnite account) I can provide identifying details about the save game files and even have unique screenshots taken on that Switch -- and still stored on it -- that have been posted to my Twitter.

I know this all sounds really stupid, but this Switch has a lot of sentimental value to me that far surpasses its monetary value and it can't be replaced, so I want to know all my rights in getting it back. I'd also like to know what recourse I have if it gets sold to a used game store or a pawn shop.

Thank you.

Answer:
 Police report.Answer #2: Do you think you know who has it or you just know someone has it? At the very least change all your passwords that were saved on the Switch.Answer #3: Finders keepers is not a law.

Theft by finding is.


Title: I want to videotape a urine therapy meetup.

Question: Obviously, urine therapy is complete insanity. The area in Colorado I live in is a very hippy dippy alternative medicine town. There is a urine therapy meetup group that I want to go to and ideally record in some manner. Sorry if this is a basic question, but is this illegal to do? It's an open event, I wouldn't be sneaking in. Would greatly appreciate some help!

Answer:
 Recording something? Fine

Refusing to leave when told to? Trespassing

Blackmailing anyone with the recording? Criminal


Title: My original Debt was for $970; my wages have been garnished for over $5,000. I need help to end the garnishment and make the Dept of The Treasury find my money.

Question:
My debt was for $979.74 exactly.    A Wage garnishment order was completed in July 2015 and I was not notified.    Since then, my income has been garnished by over $5,000. I work for a city in Texas and they have never received a cease order and are still currently garnishing my paycheck each month despite the fact that I have payed $4,000 more than what I allegedly owed.  The cities payroll submitted the garnished wages to the Department of the Treasury's address in mailed check as the garnishment order instructed. The city is one of the largest in Texas and the payroll department is very familiar with wage garnishments as they complete them for other employees often. They, like me, are very confused as to why they have not received a cease order to stop garnishing my wages.

I have contacted the Dept of the Treasury Multiple times and get repeatedly told that I will receive a callback in 48 hours to no avail. The supervisor supposedly handling my case has yet to speak to me despite my multiple attempts to call her and the multiple times I've requested the phone operators to email her or get her on the line.

As I stated above this all started in July of 2015. All from my past time in the Military. Apparently the USMC completed an "audit" of their records and found they overpaid me by $970. They then sent the debt to the Dept of Treasury to be collected.
The city then received a Wage Garnishment order from the Treasury and began pulling the money from my paychecks. They then mailed checks for the exact money taken each two weeks to the Dept of the Treasury. The payments started and remained at $6 a paycheck for all of 2015 mostly. Then drastically jumped up to what I can only figure is 15% of my disposable income each paycheck.
I'm a young kid and self admittedly didn't pay enough attention to my pay stubs in detail. I never even noticed that this money was being held from the checks. I discovered all of this in march of 2017 and have battling to get my money back ever since.

The dept of the Treasury denies receiving any of the checks after they went from the $6 to the higher amount. As such, they show my debt still active. However my pay stubs and the copies of the checks sent by my employer show that the money was held from me and sent. I have provided them with all of this info and the supervisor handling my case only dodges my calls and refuses to reach out to me.

I tried to keep this as brief as possible. I am at my end with handling this matter as the Dept of the Treasury offers me no assistance in finding what they did with the checks and why they haven't been credited to my debt. I have been battling with them over this matter since March of this year and have accomplished nothing.
What are my legal options?
Would an attorney be able to help me in this matter?
If I wanted to get an attorney to represent me what type do I look for?
I really just want the cease order to be sent and my debt to be cleared. I'm tired of seeing 15% of every check sent to a ghost (The Dept of the Treasury).

Apologies for spelling typos. Posting on my phone from work.

Answer: One possibly simpler option would be to call your congressman or senator's office and ask to speak to constituent services. Those folks (whose effectiveness admittedly varies from office to office) are charged with helping you navigate the federal bureaucracy, and a supervisor ducking your calls is somewhat less likely to duck a formal request from a congressional office.


Title: Mortgage lender wasted my time and money because of their own incompetence

Question:
My fiance has bad credit but makes good money. I have good credit but don't earn as much. Our lease is up and her mother gifted us money to buy a house. We found a lender who seemed very enthusiastic. We found a house and fell in love with it. Lender told us that the credit was not even going to be an issue since we were willing to put down a 10% deposit. After a lot of paperwork and money exchanging we were declined for the loan after about a month. Lender said we were declined because the underwriter "doesn't like that the funds are gifted." We were furious. Seller was furious. Our realtor was furious. My fiancés mother was furious. We went into panic mode. Our lease is up and going from month to month without resigning the lease is expensive. The lender (in a desperate attempt keep our business) told us that if we wait 60 days for the "funds to season" then we would definitely be approved because that is the only thing holding us up, the credit is not an issue. In other words, the gifted money is legally ours after 60 days no questions asked. Lender spoke with our realtor and seller and assured all parties that we should not resign our lease.

We waited 60 days. We got declined again. The official reason was that "the underwriter doesn't like that the funds are gifted...sorry."

Um...what the actual fuck. Seller got impatient, I lost the house. I lost about a grand on all the fees and inspections.  Not to mention my rent going up because I didn't resign my lease for 3 months. The branch manager called me and apologized for fucking up our life for 3 months, but I want my goddamned money.

What can I do? What can I realistically demand from them? Do I have a case? Help me fellow redditors plz!!!!

Edit - I am in Central Florida.

Answer: The lender positively guaranteed you that you would be approved after 60 days? Do you have this in writing?


Title: I know I should be excited but I just feel overwhelmed and confused. Do I need an attorney?

Question: I'm fairly new to Reddit, and I need advice from someone who knows how to manage publicity, etc. Yesterday something I posted here went viral and I've been contacted by major media outlets both in the US and the UK who want to use my story. Also, I've written a book about the subject matter of my viral post and so I want to maximize the opportunity to maybe get the word out about my book. I'm feeling pretty naive and insecure about how to handle this. Any ideas on how I can find some help so I don't thoroughly mess up what seems to have the potential to be a good opportunity?

Answer:
 You're looking for a PR firm, and you need to be certain this "viral" moment is truly worth the pricing.

This isn't really our thing here.


Title: No justice in hostile work enviorment

Question: To try and make a long story short. My girlfriend was working for this great company, got along with both owners/bosses, and shes a great asset. She works her ass off for them. There are 2 supervisors and one of them she gets along with very well, the other has a dislike for her. My girl is a sweetheart who would not harm a fly, which I guess some people just can't handle. He verbally harassed her twice in a row in front of her co-workers, and customers, and sent her home early. The last incident, he even called her a "bitch" twice. Because of his heavy influence on the other co-workers, the main boss ended up gathering "conflicted reports" and is doing nothing about it. She now is out of a job due to the hostile work environment, and the piece of shit gets to keep his job. What can we do? This is just so unfair, she deserved none of this. Now she can't even provide by herself. This guy has been out for her since day one, and holds a " seniority " position. Any advice would be helpful, thanks for reading.

Answer: It may be "unfair," but it does not sound actionable.  Her best bet, as dubya suggested, is to file for unemployment and move on.


Title: Chances I'll get custody of my children and questions about child support...

Question:
This is a long story...

I've been with my girlfriend for 13 years. We have never married. We have 2 kids together, age 4 and 6. We just moved into a new rental home and she just told me that she secretly removed my name from the lease and that she is seeing someone else and now he is staying overnight in the home. He is an ex-con, he was in prison for a sexual offense and is supposedly a level 1 sex offender, he just got off parole (all I know is what she has told me). She has bipolar disorder as diagnosed by two different doctors and has been on medication for it since shortly after we got together, I originally encouraged her to see a psychiatrist about her behavior. She was also diagnosed with PTSD by a military doctor during her time in basic training after she took a swing at a drill sergeant. I have no idea what is going on with the lease, I don't think it's legal to remove someone's name from a signed lease without their consent but she has shown me lots of evidence that that is what happened and I'll be calling the landlord on my lunch break today to find out. She has also stolen money from my private bank account by forcing the password reset by trying the wrong password too many times and then, since she knew my email password, finished the reset procedure to change my password and withdrew $1500 from my account.

I am essentially bankrupt right now, after paying for the new home and the moving expenses, and I feel like she tricked me into buying her a nice new home (well, it's a rental, but it's cost about $3000 to move into it).

I'm a software engineer and make 52k/yr, she is a caseworker with CPS and makes ~33k/yr. I want primary custody of my children but right now I have no home and she has a nice new home because she tricked me. The only money I have to my name right now is about $18k in my IRA (retirement) account which I can take out but at significant tax penalty. I have no idea what to do.

If you need any more information about this please ask, will I get custody if I ask for it given her mental health problems, her new boyfriends history as a sex offender, and the theft from my bank account?

---

Edit: This is in New York state

Answer:
 You obviously need an attorney to deal with the custody issue.

Custody is, unless one parent is unfit, or someone doesn't want custody, generally shared.  Which is to say that you generally have a very good chance of getting at least shared custody.

It sounds like there are some questions of fitness, and of the safety of the children in the environment at the mother's home.  Your attorney can advise you as to how far those issues may go.  No one here can really predict that outcome.

Her actions with respect to the rental property were improper.  Your attorney may be able to seek compensation for your losses around her actions.


Title: [CA] Parents took my SSI checks from the mail and won't give me them

Question:
My parents own the house we live in and they won't give me my SSI checks that came in the mail. I'm an adult who is the sole payee and they claim they are withholding my checks because they don't trust me to be responsible with my own money. I called my local social office multiple times and they said they can't help me because the checks haven't been cashed and they were delivered to the address I provided. I changed my payment method to direct deposit and my mailing address to a trustable friend's house so my mail won't be taken in the future. I would rather not get police involved but what are my options to get my checks back?
Update: I called the police and they won't help me get my checks back.

Answer: That’s theft - you call the police. Not sure what other legal advice you’d expect here.


Title: WI: OWI Arrest refused blood draw

Question:
I was arrested for OWI last night and during the arrest I did the breathalyzer at time of arrest as well as at booking. When they asked about a blood test, I refused because if it would come back at greater than .15 I would be required to get the ignition interlock and with that I would lose my job.

Now that I am looking over the paperwork, I see that this is a 1 year revocation of my license not a suspension. I need to drive for my job through the local government and I am on call 24/7. Is there any way to go back on the refusal and bring this back as a suspension for 6-9months seem to be the average penalty as opposed to the year revocation?

Answer:
 >>Is there any way to go back on the refusal

What would you propose they do? They can't very well draw blood from you now.

>>I see that this is a 1 year revocation of my license not a suspension. I need to drive for my job through the local government and I am on call 24/7.

That would have been something to think about before drinking and driving at over twice the legal limit, while working for the local government.

Lawyer up and see what they have to say.


Title: Single vs divorced on forms [WA]

Question:
Is there ever an actual legal distinction between these options when filling out forms, and if so, when? What, if any, consequences are there to marking single instead of divorced?

Three examples:

* I imagine that my massage therapist doesn't really need to know I'm divorced, and even if she'd like to know that, I don't think there are any legal consequences for lying on a medical intake form.
* On census forms, it maybe makes sense to mark divorced, since the whole point of a census is to gather demographic information, but while by law I am required to fill out the census, I don't see any avenue by which the census would a) know if I lied or b) be able to do anything about it.
* On a credit application, I could see it being fraud if I didn't report legal obligations that reduced my available income (alimony, child support), but some states award 'palimony' and you don't have to have ever been married to owe child support, so as long as I disclosed those obligations, it doesn't seem like lying to check single instead of divorced.

I put [WA] for LocationBot, but this is really a general question and I'd be interested in hearing answers to locations other than the US if it differs. And there is no particular situation I'm in prompting me to ask, it's just a combination of:

* plain curiosity.
* I'm really sick of something that happened years ago being considered the fourth-most defining characteristic about me (it's often after full name, birthdate, gender).
* pedantic irritation about how it's always a radio button instead of a check list even though I am technically both single because I'm not married and divorced because I used to be married, and if I were to re-marry, I would be both married and divorced and it would still be a radio button, unless by dint of getting re-married I am somehow magically 'un-divorced' in the eyes of the form gods.

Answer:
 I think you're overthinking this a bit.

If it's a form you sign under penalty of perjury or fraud (such as for a bank), then you tell the absolute, most specific truth, which is that you are divorced.

If it's for your massage therapist, a dating site, an anonymous internet forum -- tell them whatever the hell you want.


Title: 23 year old arrested for possession of controlled substance 7th and DWAI (NY)

Question:
This is my first time posting here so I apologize if I break any rules. In November  I was arrested for possessing cocaine heroin and Xanax and released on an appearance Ticket. I have no criminal history but have been to rehab before. After this arrest I immediately went to treatment And completed 6 weeks at Betty Ford. I have a lawyer and my court date is January 30th. Any advice on what I can do to prepare for my court date and why kind of punishment I may be facing?

Thanks!

Answer: Stay in touch with your lawyer. Follow up with outpatient treatment and self-help meetings. Keep doing the next right thing.


Title: My [OH] Bosses are lying about annual raises (conversations recorded), do we have recourse?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: You are not entitled to annual reviews or annual pay raises, unless you have an employment contract that requires them.


Title: Landlord says she's not responsible for toilets.

Question:
Landlord stopped by today, to let us know she's getting the property appraised. We told her about our problems and how the downstairs bathroom doesn't flush well.

We explained our situation and showed her. She explained she's not responsible for a slow toilet because toys or other containment could be flushed down the toilet and she doesn't cover it. I slowly and sensitively explained that the toilet was used as normal and clogs happen with basic use. She said it worked before we moved in and if it stopped working it's on us. And we have to pay it. Then she asked if we used Draino. On top of that we had have issues with the stove she refuses to fix. I feel like like we have a slumlord.

I feel so angry, I paid rent a WHOLE month early.

What can I do? I live in TN.

Answer: You're not supposed to use draino on toilets.  See https://www.pippinbrothers.com/blog/article/why-you-shouldnt-use-drano-in-your-toilet


Title: I was denied use of the only men's bathroom at work

Question:
Ok guys, I am hesitant to share this because it is something I am not sure is illegal but it was humiliating and the stinging I feel on my pride is something I cannot shake. So here goes...

&#x200B;

I work in Texas as tech support overnight. My  schedule is roughly midnight till noon and my lunch always falls when the  overnight maintenance guy cleans the men's bathroom upstairs. This is fine  b/c I just go use the downstairs one but as of  a week ago, the downstairs bathrooms along with a conference rooms are  closed for remodeling. This became an issue Monday morning when I went  to lunch and really needed to use the restroom. I am sick and have been  drinking tea with lime four times a day along  with a gallon of water every shift to stay hydrated while the cold runs its course. I mean it when I say that I really had to use the bathroom. The maintenance guy is just finishing mopping and is at the door  of the bathroom on the outside of it propping  it open. I say excuse me so he can move for me but he says it’s drying  and the boss lady said she saw tracks on the floor so he wants it to dry  first. I told him he can say I didn't listen and I really needed to go. It had  occurred to me, how does the boss lady know  what the men’s bathroom floor looks like but I thought what I said was  enough to get me in to relieve myself. The maintenance guy puts his  shoulder in front of me and blocks my entrance. To go any further would create a physical confrontation and I am not  a small guy and being forceful has gotten me on the losing end of  things because I win physical confrontations so I back off and reiterate my urgency and he refuses.

&#x200B;

Due to the construction  on our building, there is a port-o-potty at the  end of our decently sized parking lots. So I cuss this guy out b/c of the urgency and go outside to look for somewhere to go and luckily find the port-o-potty I just mentioned that I had not known about. The parking lot is about half  the size of a large Walmart parking lot. Monday morning is when the cold  front moved in to Texas and it dropped from 80’s, 90’s to 40’s so that  walk was cold and I was humiliated. After I relieve myself, the urgency is gone but the more I think about what happened, the more and more the humiliation builds.

The very next day, the usually talkative  maintenance guy does not say a word to me and I have to make a bathroom  trip before my lunch on emergency basis, which counts against my  production numbers, so I can actually use the bathroom. He  walks in while I am washing my hands, sees me and walks right back out.  He is at the women’s bathroom when I walk out. I went on an unscheduled  break b/c my lunch is when he always cleans the bathrooms and that  morning not only was it cold but it was raining  hard. I was not making that walk to the port-o-potty. During my lunch,  his equipment is at the men’s bathroom door propping it open as I pass  by and he is mopping inside the bathroom and there is another guy at the  sink washing his hands. I confronted him  about that and he said he was mopping inside and when I came in, he was  at the door. I don’t know how that can make a difference.

My point is, I feel humiliated and the more I think  about it, the angrier I get about it and I have to see this guy every  day. Can he do that? Can he physically prevent me from using the  bathroom? I don’t know how to approach this except  I need a schedule change if I have to use the outside port-o-potty.  It’s meant for the construction workers and not tech support plus the weather was horrible in North Texas those days and there was no end in sight. I am a  physically intimidating man and I don’t won’t to approach it that way  b/c I will be on the losing side and seen as a bully  purely based on my physicality. The maintenance guy is smaller and  early 60’s while I am late 30’s. Who do I approach? I am new here, since  March and at the bottom of the totem pole and things usually don’t go  my way so I don’t even want to bring this up but  I have to use the bathroom. Maybe a doctor’s note? I don’t know, I’m  just unfamiliar with facing something where I am not treated like a  human being.

&#x200B;

I also feel for the guy b/c this female supervisor of his really does go through everything with a fine toothed comb and will nitpick to the point of frustration. The day after my incident, she complained he was not vacuuming b/c she saw 5 pieces of black fuzz in the same place on the carpet two days in a row. Didn't matter that trash was taken out and everything else was clean, especially bathrooms, he was written up for five pieces of lint. He had vacuumed by the way, it was just a couple of feet from me and I saw him vacuum. I get it that she is too much but to physically deny me access to the only inside bathrooms rather than get in trouble with this supervisor seems like she pressures him way too much. I think they are missing the point of having a bathroom when they would deny someone the use of it's intended purpose to make sure the floor dries without any marks on it.

&#x200B;

Or am I too sensitive and need to just get over it? Like I said, I can't shake this sting of humiliation. Am I just to find somewhere else to go to the bathroom off site until the downstairs bathrooms open? Aren't they supposed to provide bathrooms? I think it is too much to ask that we regulate when we go because you've got to go when you've got to go. How do i approach this? Will I be arrested if I force my way in to the bathroom if I really have to go?

&#x200B;

I don't know what to do if anything at all. What do  you guys think?

Answer:
 I think your overblown "humiliation" is not a legal issue.

Take a break when he isn't cleaning and use the bathroom.  This is not a difficult issue.Answer #2: >Or am I too sensitive and need to just get over it

 Bingo.Answer #3: There is nothing illegal about the bathrooms being closed or unavailable for cleaning.  You need to let this go and move on.


Title: Landlord claims my check "bounced" (but I forgot to sign it) and now is making me pay a late fee/check bounce fee - do checks bounce when you don't sign them?

Question:
TL;DR - checks DON'T necessarily bounce if you don't sign them (that's right, you can cash in an unsigned check!). Here's the [proof](http://imgur.com/a/PhmxG).

My landlord is charging me a $35 late fee and a $15 late fee, but I think there's some foul play involved:

Timeline of events:

1. On December 31st, I send my landlord a check (but I forget to sign the check).
2. On January 6th, [my landlord leaves my roommate a voicemail](https://instaud.io/hlT) that indicates that he knew that the checks were not signed (the checks were invalid). Either he came across that information (that the checks were not signed) by himself or the bank told him that the checks were not signed.
3. On January 6th, my landlord contacts me and says that the check bounced and - in an effort to pay rent - I withdraw the rent money (associated with the check) from an ATM (I had to call my bank to increase my withdrawal limit) and I pay my landlord in cash. He charges me a $35 late fee and a $15 check bounce back fee.
4. On January 7th, I receive a [Not-Sufficient Funds fee](http://i.imgur.com/y0Rb50p.jpg?1) associated with the check because I withdrew the money to pay him. This means that the would have gone through if I had not withdrawn the money in cash to pay him.
5. On January 8th (two days after he makes me pay in cash because the check supposedly bounced on January 6th), he receives notification that the check "bounced". He sent me [a picture](http://i.imgur.com/37LzJiD.jpg) of the "Return Item Chargeback".
6. I have a [conversation](http://imgur.com/a/PhmxG) with him today (January 10th). It turns out that I didn't even sign the check for rent last month and it went through. He is unable to come up with any evidence that the check bounced on January 6th (but he sends me the picture of the check bouncing on January 8th).

Here are my thoughts:

1. If he deposited the check and the bank called him to let him know the check was not signed, why would the bank - nonetheless - process the check? I know the check was processed because I received a NSF fee because I already had paid him. So the banks did not call him on or before January 6th (or else the conversation would have been something like: "We received an unsigned check, but we are going to process it anyways"). [His conversation](http://imgur.com/a/PhmxG) with me verifies that: He had no idea what was going on with the bank when he charged me a "check bounce back" fee (He says: "Ok will ask bank next week" and he shows me evidence of the check bouncing on January 8th). He SHOULD have had that information on or before January 6th - BEFORE telling me that my check bounced and charging me a $35 late fee and $15 bounce back fee. Furthermore, if the check was in the process of being deposited, he should have called to cancel the process (I would have called to cancel it, if I can, but I thought it was already cancelled) because I already paid him.
2. If he knew that the check was invalid, which [he did know it was invalid on January 6th](https://instaud.io/hlT) AND if the bank did not tell him that the check was invalid (which I believe to be true, as mentioned in the above thought) - then it must be the case that he KNEW he was depositing an invalid check. So my conclusion is that there might be foul play involved - he might have taken advantage of the situation: he used the fact that I had an unsigned check and made be believe that the check "bounced" so he can get a little bit more money out of me (when really he didn't get any notice that the check "bounced" at the time).

I deserve the late fee - but I think his charging of the bounce back fee is illegitimate.

Answer: It gets returned because the bank will not process the check if it's not signed.


Title: [PHL, PA] Can a subpoena be served to anyone on your behalf?

Question:
So I'm at work and my boyfriend was at my apartment (he does not live there, he lives with his parents). He was just stopping to go to the bathroom and someone showed up with a subpoena. Was it legal for that person to give my boyfriend a subpoena on my behalf?
Topic:
Personal Injury

Answer: Rule 402(a)(2)(i) permits what you described. If you want to challenge sufficiency of service, you'd have to make a showing that your boyfriend wasn't an adult in charge of the premises at the moment of service.


Title: I have a DWI at 19.

Question: I was arrested at 19 for DWI in Texas. I have a previous Public Intoxication charge at 17. What can I expect when I go to court?

Answer:
 While this being your second charge means you are probably well and truly fucked in terms of getting leniency, to minimize your risk of getting the book thrown at you, you should proactively enroll in some kind of alcohol rehab program. Two alcohol related charges before your 21st birthday show you have an unhealthy relationship with alcohol and something like this will show the courts that you understand you have a problem and are working to better yourself. Other than that, get a lawyer (a public defender if you or your family have no funds for a private one) and only talk to them about this. You are risking a liscence suspension up to a year, huge fines, community service, and having an ignition interlock system installed in your car. Answer #2: Nine out of ten times, you'll have your license suspended. As to whether you'll have any jail time, I'm not really sure. However, you will have fines and court costs. Probably a couple years of probation and driving classes.

Edit: Spelling


Title: I am a convicted federal felon of mail fuad. I have a question about restitution. Please help. I know this may be out of the depth of this sub.

Question:
Ok like I said, I am convicted federal felon of mail fuad. I owe a lot of restitution to a very very large company. I pay the Government, then they pay the "victim". I have served my 5 years of probation, with no issues. I am on disability due to being bi-polar.

So the question I have is, if I contact a lawyer is there anything that can be done to get the company to dismiss, wipe or clear me of the rest of my restitution?

Basically can the Government make me pay something back if the "victim" doesn't want it?

Answer: The only way a person could get out of court ordered restitution is if the court itself orders it. All parties would have to petition the court


Title: Michigan Medical Note to break lease laws?

Question: Somebody was shot outside of our apartment door, and obviously that causes some mental issues or increased mental disabilities. If we get a doctor note in Michigan can we terminate lease, or will we still be required to pay buyout fees? I am desperate to find anything to keep my family safe...?

Answer:
 This is not likely to get you out of your lease.Answer #2: > If we get a doctor note in Michigan can we terminate lease, or will we still be required to pay buyout fees?

Won't get you out of your lease. Just talk to the landlord; they're people too, and may cut you some slack.


Title: [Alberta, Canada] Girlfriend's Mother creating a "contract" so I can't visit.

Question:
I'm a 27 year-old Male and have been dating my 19-year old girlfriend for two years.

Her mother doesn't approve of the age gap and it has caused some strife and drama with her family over this time. About 8 months ago she actually  moved out/got kicked out of her parents place and moved in with me as a last minute necessity.

At the end of this month the lease is up, and as my roommate moved out so I will also be moving, can't afford such a large place without him.

Things have gotten better between my girlfriend and her mom (at least they are talking now), and she has decided to move out to her own apartment which she is co-signing with her mom who will also help her pay for it. I will be moving in with a co-worker who owns a house in order to save some money.

Before signing the lease, my girlfriend's mom is demanding that my girlfriend sign a contract of sorts, stating that I cannot come over to her place.

- Is this legally possible? My girlfriend would be a full lease-holder, and obviously this contract wouldn't involve the building management/Landlord.

- How can I verify the contract is legally binding? If she just makes her sign a random piece of paper obviously there is no reason for us to follow it.

- Any suggestions you have would be appreciate, obviously the idea of not being able to easily see or spend time with my girlfriend isn't ideal.

Answer:
 The mother has zero obligation to assist her grown daughter with paying the rent.  She can extract certain concessions for paying the rent.  Your girlfriend can choose not to take the money.  Would this contract be enforced in a court?  No, probably not.  But what would happen if she breached the agreement is that her mother would stop supporting her, and then she'd be in a rather difficult situation.
Answer #2: If the mother co-signs, she's ultimately responsible for the rent anyway.

Seems like the mom is dangling money over your girlfriend's head to control her.

She should find a cheaper place or room mates so she's not relying on someone that has already proven to be unreliable.


Title: My school psychiatrist/doctor is telling Dean I should not leave country. Help?

Question:
Hello, I recently told my doctor about my drug usage. The doctor is concerned about me having seizures while withdrawing abroad, although I quit 2 weeks ago and have not shown symptoms. Today, the doc wanted me to sign a form giving him consent to tell the dean about my travels abroad next week and, even though I declined, he said he is contacting the dean tomorrow anyways. I understand that this may not violate HIPPA because he believes he is looking out for my best interest. Is there anything I can do?

Edit: University in Tennessee

Answer: Advice, Listen to your Doctor. He's a Doctor for a reason. Unless you have a medical degree, you're not qualified to say.


Title: [VA] My accountant messed up BIG TIME and is now avoiding me.

Question:
My accountant/CPA made two major errors:
1) He entered the wrong bank account information when filing my taxes and I now owe penalties + interest
2) He submitted "full payment" instead of "payment plan" which would have caused me to overdraft (had he entered the correct bank account information)

He is now seemingly directly avoiding me.

If you want to read the whole story, I've posted in r/personalfinance and cross-posted to r/accounting. Here is the link:

https://old.reddit.com/r/personalfinance/comments/8nt43f/my_accountant_messed_up_big_time_and_is_now/?ref=share&ref_source=link

Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you.

Answer: The posters in the other forum gave you some good advice on reporting him to the state board and suing in small claims for the additional fees and penalties. Do you have another question?


Title: Biological fathers rights after one night stand.

Question:
Wife had a one night stand while I was deployed and got pregnant.  I'm not looking for relationship advice or input.  She wants him completely out of the picture, I will be on the birth certificate and will effectively be the father, which is what I want.  He's threatening to try and take the baby, but from what we have seen, he doesn't have any rights if she doesn't want him to, looking for input.  I can give more info if needed.

EDIT: We're in Florida

EDIT 2: I'm not going deeper into this on purpose, but there are many good reasons for going this route.  Not looking for relational advice or judgement.  That's why I'm on /r/legaladvice and not elsewhere.

Answer: Location absolutely required if you want anything close to an accurate answer.


Title: Can this be required?

Question: Each year with my prescription plan they force me to call them to say that I opt out of their mail order system threatening that if I don't they won't cover my prescriptions with my local pharmacist. Should this be a requirement?

Answer:
 It isn't going to be illegal if that is your question.  Answer #2: >Should this be a requirement?

No, it should not be.

Yes, it legally can be.


Title: Arrested with about 1g of weed and a grinder.

Question:
So I was driving home around 1am a few weeks ago and I was pulled over for driving a little carelessly. I was speeding and just barely crossing the double yellow. I'll admit it was stupid, but there was 1am and no one was around (so I thought).
Long story short I got booked with
1. Reckless driving
2. speeding
3. not having a license (although it was in the car I was just too nervous when trying to find it)
4. 1 gram of weed
5. paraphernalia (grinder)
After they told me to get out of the car I pretty much admitted to having the bud in the car because I didn't want to lie and make things worse for myself. I know I can not consent to a search and all that but in the moment I was nervous. About 7 cop cars pulled up for this nonsense, meanwhile the whole time they were thanking me for being so cooperative and I had normal conversations with a few of them. So when they found the stuff, they arrested me saying "sorry we have to do this" and then proceeded to cuff me and bring me to the station in one of their cars. I then got there and took two sets of mugshots and they took my fingerprints. After about two hours of waiting in a cell for "paperwork to be done" they said since I was so cooperative that they would drive me back to my car, because who am I gonna call at 3am?

Before bringing me back, the cop mentioned that he wouldn't have a problem telling the judge that I was cooperative and that he'd basically put in a good word for me. He also said "don't worry about the driving charges" implying that they would be... I don't know, removed?

Regardless, I'm coming here to ask you guys what I should do. Should I try and get a lawyer? Even assuming that the driving charges get removed, I will also get conditional discharge. Meaning they will be looking at me and performing random drug tests for a whole year. And once that year is up and I'm clean, they will remove the charge from my record. My problem is that I won't be able to get an internship next summer if this charge is there for a whole year. I've heard of people having their conditional discharge reduced to 6 months, but I'm not sure whether or not that was done with the help of a lawyer. I obviously do not want my parents to find out (and I've took all the precautions to ensure they do not) so I do not want to ask them for help. It's very clear that they would be extremely upset if they knew this happened. What should I do?

On a side note, my license was in the car when they searched it and I was still given a ticket for not having a license. I just couldn't find it myself right away.

Edit: This was in NJ

Answer: If you were arrested and charged with an offense, you should talk to a lawyer about it, and let this be the thing that encourages you to get your life sorted out.


Title: Laporte County Indiana public intoxication, jumped bail

Question:
 Had a PI, spent 90 days in jail, one year probation (pled guilty)
Violated probation a few months later, again another PI
After two weeks in jail, got bailed out and jumped bail.

Was away for five years and now seeking to surrender myself to the court.

I'm wondering what the best/worst case scenarios are for me.

I'd also like to make a statement to the judge and prosecutor explaining myself. Can someone tell me the proper
 time to make a statement? I've been railroaded in that court, so don't want that to happen again.

I'm going to ask for a public defender, most likely.

Also, do I have to be arrested or can I schedule a court date and show up then?

Thanks.

edit: no money for a lawyer btw

Answer:
 You don't schedule court; the court does. Before you go to turn yourself in, consult a criminal defense attorney. You might have some options here.Answer #2: >I'd also like to make a statement to the judge and prosecutor explaining myself. Can someone tell me the proper
time to make a statement? I've been railroaded in that court, so don't want that to happen again.

Only after speaking to a lawyer.

>I'm wondering what the best/worst case scenarios are for me.

Jail, even more jail

>I'm going to ask for a public defender, most likely.

you will need to be arrested first, go to your first hearing, plead not guilty and ask for one

>Also, do I have to be arrested or can I schedule a court date and show up then?

depends on the warrant, some places have warrant squash days where you can show up, however I have a feeling you are far beyond having anything like that help you. So you will probably just have to turn yourself in, DO NOT TALK TO ANYONE, AT ALL. and then get a public defender.


Title: Dad died, no will. My brother owns half the property.

Question:
My dad said there was a will, but my brother said there wasn't one.
He has taken care of him the last 3 months of his life paying all the expenses and said he is keeping the house and everything in it after my father promised the worth of the house is going to be divided in between his three children.
What do I do? Philadelphia PA

Answer: You go see a wills and trusts lawyer.  If there is no will, his property is distributed by law, probably equal parts to all three kids.  If your brother can document his expenses, he's probably entitled to reimbursement before the remainder is split.


Title: Got fired for accidental HIPPA violation, any ground to stand on?

Question:
I worked at an Urgent Care.

So I'm looking at this site  [https://www.hipaajournal.com/accidental-hipaa-violation/](https://www.hipaajournal.com/accidental-hipaa-violation/)

&#x200B;

Here's what happened.  I'm trying to clean up someone else's mistake.  Some paperwork didn't get sent to where it needed to go.  I get tasked to find this old paperwork and send it.  I find it, but the computer it was scanned on did not have Outlook, so I just attached it to my gmail and sent it to the folks that requested it. Didn't even begin to think it might be a HIPPA violation or that I could be instantly terminated over this.

I got tagged with HIPPA violation and fired on the spot the next day.

I'm seeing a lot of things that suggest I should not have been fired for this, as the recipient was supposed to have all that paperwork anyway and had access to it.  A side note, there was basically no information on the papers I sent.  It was a super basic consent form with a signature of the patient on it. Literally nothing else. No DOB, no social security number, no idea what they were seen for. Legit just consent form with a name.  Still probably falls under HIPPA but....  I'm wondering if the severity of the breach warranted me being fired?

Do I have any legal ground to stand on if I wanted to sue? Probably not. Would I want to sue if I had a shot at winning? Would it cost more than it'd be worth?

Thanks in advance for any advice,

weedythrowout

Answer:
 > so I just attached it to my gmail and sent it to the folks that requested it

WHAT

> I'm wondering if the severity of the breach warranted me being fired?

Yes. You copied patient records to your personal gmail.

> Do I have any legal ground to stand on if I wanted to sue

No chance whatsoever.Answer #2: Patient name is still PHI, which you should be aware of. And I suspect you don't have the corporate GMail which offers the option for encryption. Regardless, if it is their policy to not send PHI via (unencrypted/external) e-mail, you're still out of luck.


Title: Former roommate killed one of my cats, and seriously injured another.

Question:
[removed]
Topic:
Alcohol Related Other than DUI

Answer:
 Animal cruelty is a crime. Call the police and make a report.Answer #2: Animals are considered property in the eyes of the law. You could take your roommate to small claims court and sue for any vet bills you had to pay because of this and with all that evidence it sounds like you’d have a good case against her  Answer #3: Google for the local FBI office and report your former roommate to them as well.

FBI tracks animal abuse as it's a sign that the person will or is abusing humans


Title: GF Injured in car accident in company vehicle on her way to work; company claiming it is not their responsibility and they do not need to provide worker’s comp.

Question:
GF was traveling to meet with colleagues in company vehicle a few weeks ago. She was hit (not her fault as detailed on the police report) by an illegal immigrant who ran a red light. One of her injuries will require surgery. I do not have faith in her current attorney who is a family friend of hers and who has been sitting on a suit from a previous personal auto accident for over two years now.

She is an exempt employee (not paid hourly but salaried) and she was the sole driver of the company vehicle at the time of the accident. The vehicle is a fleet vehicle registered and insured by the company.

Her “Safety Manager” of the company claimed that because she was merely commuting to work and had not “officially” began working for the day, it is considered a personal accident and not a work-related accident.

As an exempt, salaried employee (no time sheets, no punching a time clock) dressed in company attire and driving a company vehicle AND as she was injured in an auto accident ON HER WAY to meet with colleagues before traveling to her first job site of the day, does this safety manger have a leg to stand on when he says that she is ineligible for worker’s comp and that she needs to handle this through her own insurance and that the company has no obligation to her in this instance?

Thank you in advance for your replies.

Answer: The safety manager may be right.  The question here is likely to be whether she was commuting or whether she was acting within the scope of her employment.  Just because she's an exempt employee or in the company vehicle doesn't mean that an accident in it would merit worker's comp--but it doesn't mean that it wouldn't, because it could depend on other factors like her work at home, etc. Given the likelihood of high cost with an upcoming surgery here, I'd consult an attorney--or, I guess, a different attorney.


Title: Can I cut up and sell used books by the page? Ontario, canada

Question: I own a small bookstore and every once in a while I come across an old Atlas or Encyclopedia that as a whole is too ratty to sell. They usually contain beautiful full-page illustrations and maps etc. Is it legal to cut those pages out, frame them, and sell them as individual pieces? (Not for too expensive, maybe like $15 each)

Answer:
 Yes, of course you can do that.  You aren't making a copy of anything, so there's no copyright infringement.
Answer #2: Canada's law is much the same as the U.S.'s "first sale doctrine" - once the copyright owner has sold a copy, they no longer have rights to control that copy and you can mess with that copy as much as you like.

If you want a legal discussion:

http://aippi.org/wp-content/uploads/committees/240/GR240canada.pdf

Answer #3: I appreciate you so much that you wondered if it was illegal to destroy beautiful old books.


Title: How to deal with 'Drug Recognition Expert' police officers

Question:
I just watched [this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zk99NofbLVQ) posted by /u/LAULitics in /r/atlanta. For those who don't want to watch, the tl;dw is a cop in Cobb County, Georgia, is arresting sober drivers based on his special Drug Recognition Expert training.

Here's an article if you would rather read:
[http://www.11alive.com/mobile/article/news/investigations/the-drug-whisperer-drivers-arrested-while-stone-cold-sober/85-437061710](http://www.11alive.com/mobile/article/news/investigations/the-drug-whisperer-drivers-arrested-while-stone-cold-sober/85-437061710)

What would be the appropriate response if a completely sober person were to be stopped by a police officer like this? Should you do the breathalyzer but refuse to do the other tests?

How should you respond to the question, "What medications are you taking?" if you have a chronic health condition that requires maintenance medication? I know you shouldn't lie, but does the police officer need to know that you take antidepressants or blood pressure or high cholesterol medication, for example?

I would like to consider ways to deescalate the situation and avoid arrest in the first place, not just assert your rights, although I know that's not always possible, because you don't usually know who you're dealing with when you're first stopped.

Answer:
 I read the article and it makes me furious, the fact that the internal affairs straight up says "we think the all the scientific tests are wrong and this officer is right" is appalling! I so very much want to see this article go viral.

The fact that this "officer" is getting huge raises, awards and merits based on the *number of arrests* and the fact that they are *denying the efficacy of SCIENTIFIC TESTS*.

Let the sink in, they say that they blood test is negative because it had already metabolized out. That the officer *knows better* than the tests. That his training is more accurate than science! Utterly ridiculous! Answer #2: My favorite response is " I don't answer questions".


Title: Bank is taking SSI money

Question:
Danville, VA (US)

So my aunt gets about $900-$1000 every month. The money goes directly into a local credit union, but for the past 2 months they've taken every dime that goes in. She went to them the first time and they told her something along the lines of money was randomly put into your account and taken out. That's all she got as far as an explanation goes, and she tried informing them that it wasn't her but the head honcho there said that they don't care. The money was taken out and had to be repaid. They didn't care if it was fraud, their words were well someone must have your account info and routing number, there's nothing we can do about that but you have to pay the money.

So far she's 2 months behind on rent and bills, is there anything she can do or is it just out of our hands? She's 72 with 3 kids to take care of.

tl;dr a credit union is forcing her ssi money to go towards some kind of fraud issue instead of investigating it or even remotely caring. Anything we can do?

Edit:

In July there were 4 separate transactions for roughly $1050 in the middle of the month. Two of the four were deposits and the other two were withdrawals. She gets around $980 on the 3rd of every month then goes to the bank and has a teller withdraw it all and hand it to her. When she went in on the 3rd of August they told her about the new transactions and that she has to pay that money back no matter what. The manager explained their stance as they won't open any kind of fraudulent investigation because if someone managed to get their hands on her account information then it was her responsibility.

This makes the second month in a row that they've automatically withdrawn her $980 automatically and placed it towards the unauthorized transactions. She talked to a worker at the Social Security Administration and they said that as long as the bank decided she was at fault, then there's nothing they can do.

If you have any certain specific questions to ask then if you could just post them I'll get them answered.

Answer:
 By your post here, you have no idea what's going on. First, find out what happened, and what the bank's position is. Until then, nobody can actually give you any advice.Answer #2: This is a very common scam, only they've added on doing the deposit and withdrawal themselves.

Usually it's "here's a check for $10,000 for *random $8,000 silly thing*, give me $2,000 back" then the check bounces and you're out $2,000 in cash.

The CU has allowed unauthorized withdrawals from her account. They need to make her whole, immediately and return her full SSI amounts. The magic words she needs to say are "Reg. E". I'm assuming that upon being told about these events, or upon receipt of a statement, she immediately protested to her banker.

She also needs to make other banking arrangements before SSI makes another deposit into this anomalous CU that is apparently run by assholes. Credit unions are usually the good guy bankers.


Title: [DE] Involuntary hospital bill? No insurance. Can i fight it?

Question:
(delaware) Cops came and got me for a sucide attempt. Took me to the hospital emergency room. They asked to do a blood test, urine test, and take vital signs to which told them i do not consent. (They told me they would force me, but they didn't lol). So they move me to the "crisis center" in the hospital. I was there for 20 hours total. They took vital signs a few times in the crisis center and a nurse interviewed me. They also say that i saw a docotor my only interaction with the doctor was me saying i do not consent and him shining a flashlight in my face (pupil check). Im sure i'll end up with a ER and Docotor bill seperate, do you think i can fight the dr bill?

They take my phone/clothes/ect I refused to sign the personal belongings papper. I signed nothing the whole time there, they didn't ask for me to sign anything else. I refused the food they tried to give me due to billing scares. Eventually transfer me via cop car(yay free ride) to some other place with a doctor that is 100% free. Im in and out of that place in 5 minutes cus it was all just a bullshit 1st world problem sucidide bullshit.

But now im wondering about that hospital bill. Does not consenting matter? When leaving the hospital they gave me 0 papper work. How can i start preparing to fight any bill / do i have any case you think? (And i know about the pay $10 a month payment plans, save your breath.)

Answer: It’s still your bill to pay.


Title: My ex landlord wont take my RO, and is now sending my rent to the debt collection agency

Question:
So I was in an abusive relationship, and I co leased with him. Finally I left him, and got a TRO and later an RO. I gave the landlord a copy of both, a letter telling her I was leaving, and a month of rent paid.
She wouldn't take it. And told me that my ex had to be present to leave the lease. Which I couldn't do, because that will be him going against RO.
So now she billed me, I refuse to pay that which I don't owe, and now its being sent to the debt collection agency.
This is in California. Event happened in Sonoma county

Answer:
 If you have notified your landlord that you have been a victim of domestic violence, [you have a strong defence to any debt pursuant to the tenancy starting from the date of notification](http://housing.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/CA-DV-protections.pdf), regardless of whether your landlord "accepts" the notification or not. Normally it would be true that both you and your ex-partner would need to consent to any lease modification, but California law provides an exception, and you seem to meet it. If so, you owe, at most, rent to the last day of the month containing the date 30 days later, exactly as if you had given notice terminate a monthly tenancy, provided you actually leave within that 30-day period. _Make a written, dated record of all communications_ and communicate in writing as much as possible from now on.

If your landlord insists on sending this to collections, and you are contacted by a debt collector, request written verification of the debt, then [dispute the debt](https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0151-disputing-errors-credit-reports) if it appears on your credit history. If the collector sues you, your TRO and your evidence that you presented the TRO to your landlord and vacated within 30 days will likely defend you, but you should talk to a lawyer or a domestic violence shelter anyways just to make sure.

If your landlord does not return your security deposit within 30 days, consult a local lawyer.


Title: [California] My girlfriend stole $60 out of my wallet after a very heated argument and is refusing to give them back.

Question:
So me and my girlfriend got into an argument tonight after she flicked me in the face. I asked her to apologize for it, and she wouldn't so I got out of her car and started walking away. She runs up to me grabbing my shirt and refusing to let go unless I went back to her car. She wanted to take me home but I was done with her, I just didn't want anything to do with her. While she's holding on to me she reaches into my pockets, throws my phone away from me, takes my pocket change and my wallet from me. I managed to get free and run away. I actually had to run because she chased after me. I get away and walk in the direction of a bus stop. On my way my gf drives up next to me yelling at me to get In the car,I tell to just give me my wallet back which she doesn't do. Finally she pulls into a gas station up ahead and gets out and throws my wallet in the street and drives off. I get it back, all my cards are there minus my $60 something I had. Is their anything legally I can to get my money back?

Tl:Dr me and now ex gf get into argument. She steals my $60, doesn't want to give it back. How can I get it back?

Answer:
 Call the police, and report the theft as well as the physical violence.

Also, don't date anyone that is this crazy ever again. Dealing with this sort of insanity is a lot harder than getting to know someone well enough to ensure it won't happen before starting a serious relationship.Answer #2: You can ask her for the money back, or have a lawyer do so on your behalf.  You can sue her in small claims court.  Or you can report the theft to the police and seek some form of restitution as part of any criminal case against her.


Title: My SO and I participated in BDSM. What are the laws regarding physical abuse, outside of sexual relationship? (California)

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 It's an issue of evidence.  If you admit you participated in activities that could causes bruises, etc., it's going to be difficult to prove you received them outside a consensual context.  I'm also guessing you didn't get a medical exam promptly after the assault, which would have helped.

Leave him immediately and then go from there.


Title: [PA] Trying to get custody of my 3 year old daughter

Question:
I am a 31 year old male who is currently taking steps to gain custody of my daughter. The mother, who is 28, is addicted to pain pills. She doesn't have a job, a car or license. She lives in VA.

I just found out that she currently got a second DUI on Mothers Day last year. Her son (who I still take every other weeken) does not live with her. He lives 5 minutes down the road with his grandmother. In the month of January my ex kept both kids from me all month.

She is now doing the same thing again. Only this time she isn't calling or responding to my text messages. I want full custody of my daughter. Any help?

Answer: Lawyer. Now. Judges really don't like one parent withholding visitation. If she and the child have lived in VA for awhile  (6+ months), you'll need to file there.


Title: A popular movie displayed my friend's phone number. Now he's getting annoyed.

Question:
This is in Mumbai, India.

So a movie (currently in theaters, released less than a week back) displayed my friend's phone number in a scene where someone calls the protagonist. Now he's getting calls and texts by idiots assuming he is the protagonist or it is an Easter egg of some sort.

He'd just change the phone number if it wasn't used for every bank account, transaction, government document and record etc.

We don't know if someone on purpose put his number there, or they typed a random number and it happened to be his. We tried contacting the studio and the director, neither of whom responded.

He wants the movie to blur his number. What could be a legal recourse?

Answer: By the time the legal process is over it will already be widely distributed. It's best to change the number at this point unless you want to use it for advertising.Answer #2: IANAL but assuming it's available in India, he could install an app like Mr. Number that will tell you who is calling from a number you don't have saved.


Title: 1000$ citation for having a gas bike in my apartment -(Austin, TX)

Question:
I go to school in Austin and live in an off campus apartment. I've been working for the past few days on attaching a small gas engine to my bicycle. I was testing it outside today and the fuel filter broke, spilling gas over me and the bike and onto the ground.

Here's a shitty drawing of the bike: http://imgur.com/a/J4YZi

I was bringing the bike back upstairs and the property manager said that I wasn't allowed any gasoline engines inside the building. I went back outside and read over the lease and didn't see anything about this, so I brought the bike up to my room. She called 911 and the cops and fire marshal came. I didn't answer the door when they knocked or speak at all. They said they would bust down the door if I didn't talk to them, so I started talking to the fire marshal through the door.

I told him that there was no gas in the room, and it had all spilled which is why it smelled like gas. He said to gather all items that "have, or have had" gas in them. I opened the door and gave it to them, then closed it again. They said they still wanted to search my room to make sure there wasn't more gas in there.

 I said I wouldn't let them search my room without a warrant. They ended up drilling through the door. Four cops came guns up and handcuffed me and brought me into the hallway.

The cops kept trying to ask me questions. I answered some of them but then I remembered that I should remain silent. i said I wanted to remain silent and would not answer questions without a lawyer. The cop said "a lawyer will always tell you to do that because they want it to go to trial, or else they would be out a job." And continued to try and ask me questions. At one point he asked "do you want to hurt yourself or others." I continued to say i wanted a lawyer here, but he said if I did not answer he would take me to jail, so I told him no.

The fire inspector ended up writing me a 1070$ ticket for having gasoline in my room. I will (obviously) not be keeping the bike here anymore.

I have a few questions.

Did they enter illegally without a warrant? Or does extingent circumstances apply here because they smelled gasoline. It took 2 hours from when they called 911 until they got here, so I wonder how they can classify this as an emergency.

Were the cops right to keep questioning me after I tried to ask for a lawyer?
Should I request a jury trial?

What should I have done differently?

Thanks! Sorry about the wall of text, I'm just trying to include all the details.

tl;dr I was attaching an engine to my bike. Cops broke down my door, handcuffed me for an hour because my apartment smelled like gas.

Answer:
 Just because its not in the lease doesn't mean its against the local laws. I know in my area you can't have gasoline in apartments, its a huge fire hazard & can harm / kill many people if a fire breaks out. IMO you handled this situation pretty poorly & put yourself in a spot where you now have a $1000+ fine and bad standing with your landlord. People can downvote me if they want but sometimes its better to just cooperate with law enforcement than to make a bigger issue out of nothing.Answer #2: >I told him that there was no gas in the room, and it had all spilled which is why **it smelled like gas**. He said to gather all items that "have, or have had" gas in them. **I opened the door and gave it to them**, then closed it again. They said they still wanted to search my room to make sure there wasn't more gas in there.

> The fire inspector ended up writing me a 1070$ ticket for having gasoline in my room. I will (obviously) not be keeping the bike here anymore.

The bolded sections of your narrative are very likely to be enough support the charges that got you the fine.  The subsequent search and the questioning after you asked for a lawyer can get thrown out, and they still have enough evidence to get you.Answer #3: You got a ticket because you were uncooperative. The fire marshal has much more leeway than cops and doesn't require a warrant to search your apartment.

If you had just agreed to take it out in the first place, you probably would have gotten off with a warning.


Title: How to get rid of this guy

Question:
I am in Florida. I work for an article website. It is split between two people. The head and the lead business manager. They split the company so each own 50% of the company. For the past few months the lead business manager has been doing nothing but harming the company. He hasn't been listening to any of the writers and will shut down any idea that isn't his about expanding the business. He will hide away and only responds to us to tell us to "Stop going behind his back to the head guy to get things done. He is working on a project and will get to us when he can" although we asked him things a few weeks ago and he wouldn't respond so we had to go to the head guy. If the problems persist we want to know how we could get rid of him even though he now owns 50% of the company.

Topic:
Business Law

Answer: You can't. What makes you even think this would be even remotely possible, being that you're just an employee?!?Answer #2: Of course you can. Employees always have the absolute right to fire any owner of the company that the employee feels is not pulling his weight. I think the Napoleonic Code gives you that right. Or maybe it's God. Or the IRS. Who knows.


Title: Landlord wants to charge fee to cancel eviction (California)

Question: [deleted]

Answer: The fee is legal.  It is also almost certainly negotiable.  Paying a pet fee would also be a defense to any future attempts to evict based on violation of a no-pet policy.  They should negotiate the amount, get receipts that say "pet fee" or something similar, and get an addendum to the lease if the lease has the no pet policy.


Title: [IN] Slavic surnames in USA, legal or not?

Question:
My fiance is from an Eastern European country that has Slavic naming customs. You can find out information about it [here](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Slavic_naming_customs). My fiance, let's call him Ivan Ivanov, is moving to America by means of a K1 visa to marry me, Jane Doe. When we get married, I want to keep his tradition alive because it's important for both of us.

Keeping with the customs of his country, when we get married and I take his last name, my name would be Jane Ivanova. Women, in this instance, would have an -ova ending, as opposed to just -ov for men. Is there a way, through the marriage certificate, that I could keep the -a suffix?

Another question for the future is in regards to children. How could I name my child, if they were a girl, Sally Ivanova?
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer: You'd probably need to just file for a name change. As for your kids, you are free to name them w/e you want. Just be clear that this is intentional cause your average person will probably think its just a typo and leave the a off.


Title: My mom wants to call CPS on my sister, but is afraid that if her kids get taken away that she will not be able to have to kids come to her because of 2 incidents from 10+ years ago. (CO)

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
CPS and Dependency Law

Answer:
 SHe shouldnt decide if she should call CPS based on how it may effect her. She should call because she is worried for the kids health and safety.

But whether or not she is an appropriate placement depends on the details of the investigations as well as many many other factors. She should call CPS immediately


Title: [US-Georgia] Minor doing 33 MPH over in another state

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer:
 > i told the cop that it was my first time being pulled over but he wanted to meet his quota

Oh shut up.

You'll be lucky to keep your license. Get an attorney.


Title: Party City is stealing money from thousands of employees on a consistent basis. Can someone please explain how I can get them to directly pay me?

Question:
Baltimore County MD

Party City has a policy that all employees get paid on a "debit card" which all of your money gets deposited onto on paydays. This sounds great except anytime you use this card you are charged a big fee (like $3.00 which is a lot on minimum wage.) I wouldnt care if I could just take the money right off the card and put it in the bank but I still get charged the 3 dollars just to get my paycheck out.

Also, Im thinking about closing my damn bank account because without a direct deposit they now charge me a fee every month. I bank with a small local bank since I was 16 and dont want to leave there.  I talked to my manager about getting paid by check and she basically told me if I didnt like it there are 10 people in line for my job.

So, can someone ELI5 how in the world this is legal. Also, any advice on what I could do to get paid by check would be cool. Looking for a new job ASAP.

Edit: forgot to say thanks to anyone who reads this and/or gives a response. Idk if this is the best place here to ask I am fairly new to reddit.

Answer:
 Legally they can not force you to have direct deposit at a specific bank.  If they are forcing you to have the money deposited at a specific bank then they also have to allow you another option such as check or cash.

So for example:

1) They can force direct deposit only but you get to pick the bank.

OR

2) They can limit direct deposit to a specific bank but then must also offer checks/cash payment options.

If your manager threatened to fire you over exercising your rights then I would contact Labor department for Maryland.

http://www.dllr.state.md.us/finance/consumers/comphow.shtmlAnswer #2: Libertarian: Why isn't there some sort of government regulation making this illegal!

Can't make this stuff up.Answer #3: They can't force this on you.

Read this article for starters: http://www.today.com/money/feds-employers-cant-force-payroll-debit-cards-workers-8C11312099Answer #4: Thanks, OP.  I will add Party City to my life boycott list (along with Hobby Lobby).Answer #5: One thing, though...the $3 doesn't go to Party City, it goes to a combination of the debit card issuer and whichever ATM system you use to withdraw the money.
Companies like PC use the debit card system because it is currently the cheapest and most fraud-proof way to run a large payroll, but they are not "stealing" that $3.
Answer #6: (I followed a link here, but did not vote, this is my only comment and it is to correct OP's issue)

[How to set up direct deposit using ADP, which seems to be the service Party City uses.](http://www.ccsnh.edu/sites/default/files/content/documents/HRdocuments/How%20to%20Use%20ADP%20Self%20Service%20and%20iPay.pdf)

If they use a different company then I recommend using this new search engine called [Google](http://www.google.com) to find out more.

[EDIT] [ADP's website](https://portal.adp.com/public/index.htm), don't want you to get lost on the scary interwebs.


Title: After 17 years, I am getting evicted

Question:
I just got back from track practice and my mother shows me a paper giving a ''60 day notice to quit" What a fucking Tuesday.

The paper gives us that specified amount of time before we are evacuated.

My mom has raised me in this apartment building. Out of no where, without any precedent, we send us this notification. What can I do? Is there any way to find out why they are able to evict a long-time tenet out of the blue?

I live in Los Angeles.

Answer:
 I'm sure this is a major upheaval for you and your family, but it doesn't sound like there's anything legally wrong going on.

Your lease not being renewed by your landlord has always been a possibility, and chances are it's not personal.