Title: I won in small claims, but my landlord still won't pay.

Question:
A month ago, I won my small claims case again my former landlord who evicted me without cause and kept my $650 rent deposit.  In Missouri, I am responsible for getting him to pay.  I wrote him a nice letter requesting payment with no response (I didn't expect one, but I had to try).  I can't garnish his pay check because he's retired.  I can't garnish his bank account because I don't know where he banks (and I never wrote him a check which he cashed).

Are there any other options for me?  What's the easiest way to pursue this without a lawyer?  At this point, it's not really the money-- this guy was super awful and I just don't want him to get away with this.

Answer:
 You need to file a Request for Execution, Garnishment, or Sequestration with the county sheriff.  You can use it to seize any property the landlord owns, such as items in his house or money that other tenants pay for rent.  https://www.courts.mo.gov/file/CV%2090%20Execution.Garnishment.Sequestration%20Application%20&%20Order.pdfAnswer #2: Put a lien on his property.  [This link](https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/judgment-liens-missouri-46842.html) has a simple explanation.Answer #3: OP, [here's what the Missouri bar has for a walkthrough of the collection process.](http://www.mobar.org/uploadedFiles/Home/CLE/Free_MoBarCLE_Course_Materials/Palmer%20-%20How%20to%20Collect.pdf)  I do collections in my state and they are fairly easily done by laypeople, but ymmv.  This is the MO Bar document for attorneys.  You can adapt it for your own use.

Also, you may have access to a legal aid clinic.  If you qualify, take advantage of it. Answer #4: Did you pay him by check? If so, get a copy from your bank. The landlord’s checking account number and bank should be on it. You can then write a writ of execution and try to garnish the money from his account. (If you go this route, present the writ early in the month, when he has likely deposited other tenants checks.)Answer #5: The court can order him to appear and disclose his income, bank accounts, etc. See Section 513.308.


Title: Is it illegal to blackmail my dad into paying my university fees? (UK)

Question:
Okay, I’m gonna be straight up with you, I can’t afford a lawyer to seek legal advice and google is giving me conflicting opinions that don’t really match my situation.
My dad got my mum pregnant and for some reason she decided to keep me even though she was broke as hell. But anyways my financial situation has been really really shitty, I’ve lived in relative poverty all my life but I’m at that age where I kind of want to take control of it ie I don’t want to say I’m poor because my family is yanno? I just want to make something of myself and I think I have the work ethic, determination and ability to do that
I’m sitting my A levels this year (for non-brits they’re basically the equivalent of SATS(?) they determine which uni I go to or whether I go at all) and I really, really don’t want to fall into debt. Besides I applied to do law in a really good uni and kind of want to focus on my degree so I don’t wanna work a low end job just so I can afford to feed myself
Okay. here’s the catch. My dad is rich. He has a whole family that don’t know about me, only his wife and parents do but not the extended family or his kids. Can I just basically threaten to tell his family and ruin his reputation if he doesn’t pay my student loans? I don’t know if it’s extortion or blackmail but I know for a fucking fact 9 quid a year won’t make a difference to him.
Any advice is appreciated. I know this is not the most moral way to go about things but I’ve struggled for a lot of my life and can’t help but blame him for it. I don’t want to think of it as a punishment, just a compromise. Besides, law here is only 3 years and I’ll fuck off forever after that I just need to get through uni

Answer: I’m pretty sure all blackmail is illegal I just wouldn’t risk it


Title: [NC, US] Was dating a girl online and now her "mom" thinks im a pedophile

Question:
I'm 17 and I was talking to this girl (shes 15-16) online and after a while we go to know each other we kinda formed an online relationship. So after a bit we start getting sexual (just dirty messages the only pic i got was her with only her bra on), then today I get a message that asks me if i ever got a nude pic from apparently her mother. She said she hopes im 17 and that shes turning her daughters phone into the police tomorrow. Is there anything that can happen or am I just being paranoid?

EDIT: The mom also said sexting is "illegal"

Answer:
 You may be getting scammed.  If this was legit, do you think she would tell you that she's turning the phone over to the police?  I'll bet the next message you get from her will be "For $500, we can forget this whole thing ever happened."  Ignore and block the number; do not converse with either of them again.Answer #2: > EDIT: The mom also said sexting is "illegal"

If you or her are under 18, nude/sexual pictures are absolutely illegal.


Title: [Tx] I moved into a new apartment in my college town on Friday. I was matched with 2 random roommates and was told they don't have a key for my room.

Question:
Hello, college student here looming for some advice.

So, I moved in on the 21st, with the understanding that I'd have my own, lockable,  room. Upon my arrival I found out that not only did they not have my room key, they have also run out of mail keys. I was assured that they would have maintenance make me a new room key. I have gone to the office twice now since move in and received the same answer.

It's not that I'm worried about my roommates taking anything of mine. However, I have no control of who they are bringing over and have already found our front door unlocked on several occasions. That makes it extremely difficult for me to feel safe even going to my classes knowing anyone can just go into my room at any time.

Is there anything that I can do if they continue giving me these same excuses? Also, if something is stolen or damaged will my apartment complex be liable?

Answer:
 GET RENTERS INSURANCE.

Also if the deductible is too high for personal property, get a personal property policy. It should all be <20 a month.


Title: I was charged with a misdemeanor for reckless driving, court date is Thursday and not sure how I should proceed

Question:
A couple months ago I was pulled over for going 72 in a 45 late at night on a near vacant state highway. At the time, the officer just told me to call and pay the ticket or that I could attend the court date, and didn't mention anything about reckless driving.

Today, I called to "pay" and was told that it was reckless driving, and that I was required to attend my court date.

I've never recieved a ticket or had any legal trouble before, so I'm honestly really stressing out about this. I'm studying to become a physician and the though of a misdemeanor affecting my chances really scares me. What I did was so fucking stupid, and I didn't even realize that I could get anything outside of a ticket for speeding.

I was considering explaining my situation to the judge, and seeing if he would reduce it to just a speeding charge as I was only 2 mph over the limit. I don't know if this is a stupid idea or not, but like I said I have no legal experience so I really have no clue how to approach it.

Please, any advice or information would be appreciated.

Answer: I'm sorry, but 72 in a 45 is way more than 2 mph over the limit.  Unless I'm mistaken, anything 15 mph or more over the limit is reckless driving.  In all reality, the cop did you a huge favor by not arresting you.


Title: If I agree to a substantially lower wage than my co-workers in the same position without being told the positions standard,do I have grounds to request back pay at the propper rate?

Question:
This starts with a position I got recently at a company in CT if the state matters and is a brittish company if international laws apply.  I was working as a temp for 2 years in our R&D lab for 12.00 per hour.  My new positions base pay is 14.50 per hour plus a dollar an hour for third shift differential.  However when I was brought on I retained my 12 an hour as a temp for 3 months until I was fully highered while others highered in people who were work in at the company before were being paid the same rate they would go on to make when transitioning from temp to full hire.

Update: so I did have a meeting discussing my issues about the pay discrepancy with one of our highering managers.  I was told that it was standard practice at my company that people within the company moving to a new position would typically remain at the rate of their original job until the end of the end of the 3 month "trial period".  I was also told that part of thier reasoning for not changing my pay rate was also some "attendance issues" during my time tempting for 2 years (yeah im so sorry I took an unpaid week off for a trip I planned months before I even got highered and for unpaid bereavement days the funerals of 2 if my family members, I hope that wasn't too inconvenient for you....)

However I was not a member of the company I was a temp through a temp agency and was employed directly by them.  Which if I am not mistaken means that for one thing the "attendance issues" would not be something they could legally use to determine my pay as that information us not something that can be asked for from previous employers, and as a non company member applying for the position I should have been offered the same rate as anyone else being brought in from outside the company.  On top of that by shorting me they may also have been shorting the temp agency, I am still trying to find out if the temp agency gets paid a flat fee or if its based on a % of my pay, which if the latter is the case that could give me some leverage.  After all shorting one under paid person is easy to get away with, but if im not the only one its happened to a big temp agency could potentially throw its weight around to get what it's owed as part of thier stand in contract with my company.

And for those that may bring it up I have at no other point been treated as if I were a full member of company prior to this.  My application was treated expressly as that of someone from outside the company, since current employees have first dibs on any job openings within the company.  I was competing against 2 other applicants from outside the company for the position, where I treated as a member the other applicants would have never made it to the interview phase and the position would have defaulted to me, which was not the case.

Does any of this make a difference?

Answer: No, negotiate better next time. Answer #2: Btw it's "hired" and "proper".


Title: [CA] Massage therapist friend was sexually harassed by a consul. She's afraid he might have diplomatic immunity.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Go to the police. Let them investigate. Diplomatic immunity doesn't mean nothing can happen, it just means the process is political instead of criminal.  He may be told to knock it off by the state department or his own superior.  At the extreme the state department can remove his status as a diplomat but that will not have retroactive effect on this case.

The purpose of diplomatic immunity is not so that those people can commit crimes wily nily.  The purpose is that sometimes there are cultural or legal misunderstandings between cultures and those protected should he held accountable by their own governments instead of a foreign one.


Title: Do natural born US citizens have a right to a passport and a right to return to the United States?

Question: Assume that the US citizen was born in the fifty states, is not wanted for a crime and has not undertaken a disqualifying action, e.g. prior drug convictions, sex offenses, tax liens, renunciation of US citizenship, etc.

Answer: Now is the time to check the batteries on your carbon monoxide monitor.Answer #2: Yeah typically. If you lose your passport enough times they could refuse to issue a new one because they suspect you of selling it or something.


Title: My nanny family just told me that CPS may contact me

Question:
I have been nannying a 3.5 yr old boy since he was 13 months at my house. His grandma used to drop off and his dad picked up after 4 hours with me, but his grandmother abruptly moved to Florida last year and now i have him 10 hours a day and his dad now drops off and picks up.

I have complained about the boys parents to my friends and family a lot, sometimes they bring crappy half eaten food thst isn't enough for the week, or he will come to my house in pajamas and not dressed, or they will be late without telling me. Once last year his dad came to pick him up and he reeked of alcohol. I let his son go with him and to this day I feel so terribly ashamed and horrible about it. Often in the mornings his dad's car smells terribly of beer. These are the things that have been bothering me about the family but other than that he is a joy to have, he is sweet and easy and gets along with my kids. Because of my concerns and complaints I have started emailing a separate email account that I made just for issues with my nanny family. Anytime the parents do something I think is stupid or wrong or bad I email myself a brief message. I have a years worth of notes which adds up to about 20 emails. I did this just incase something ever were to happen (what, I didn't know) or to just reference back.

This morning I was up bright and early waiting for him to be dropped off at 6:30am and around 6:40 I get a text from the boys mom saying she was going to drop him off "a little after 7"
this happens a lot and I feel like my time isn't valuable so I texted back saying "I wake up early and wait for nate at 6:20 so please let me know in advance next time you are late" and she never responded.

He just got picked up by his dad about 20 min early so I just had a feeling something was up. His dad's voice was all shakey and he asked me if I could take nate tomorrow (wednesday) which is typically my day off. I said sure, then he proceeded to tell me that his wife had to "be seen by a doctor today" for "stress" and thst CPS is involved. He was fairly brief. He asked if it was ok that he gave my info to CPS. I said sure.

I have no insight or experience with stuff like this. What does this mean? Why would CPS be involved with a family if a parent sees a doctor for "stress"? What questions would CPS ask me, and probably a stupid question but should I tell them about my emails that I have been sending myself?
Topic:
CPS and Dependency Law

Answer:
 CPS isn't involved because she is stressed,  she is stressed BECAUSE CPS is investigating.Answer #2: As both a mandatory reporter, and someone who as a kid had CPS involved in my life, please as numerous other people have said, tell them everything. It may be a false accusation, or there may be something terrible going on that you haven't picked up on. I'd look over your notes.

I would look up your state's neglect/abuse law and/or contact an attorney for clarification/legal interpretation. It's probably a good idea if you're watching (a) child(ren) anyhow so that you know what's required/expected of you.Answer #3: OP, it’s possible you need advice about licensing. To get this advice you really need to say which state you’re from.  Posters are trying to help you here.


Title: Just left my husband tonight, still have my keys but not all my things. I'm not on the lease, is it trespassing to go get my things? (tx)

Question: I'm sitting at my parents after leaving our apt. He claims that I'd be trespassing if I go there to get the rest of my things. I've lived there for almost a year with him and am his legal wife. However I am not on the lease because my credit wasn't good enough. Is he right? My paycheck has been going to rent too. So, am I a squatter with zero rights in this case like he says?

Answer:
 > So, am I a squatter with zero rights in this case like he says?

Nope, you haven't fully move out yet.

But I would call the police non emergency line and ask if they could have an officer accompany you when you get your stuff. (Especially if he has made threats or if you fear that he becomes violent when you pick up your belongings).


Title: [ON, CAN] Not so neighborly neighbor, tree law, seeking further advice.

Question:
Greetings all!

After four months I'm back with an not-so-satisfying follow up, and I'm hoping to gather a bit more advice on this situation.

[Here](https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/7fq3sb/on_can_not_so_neighborly_neighbor_tree_law_lame/) is my previous post, but the tl;dr is my neighbor cleared and excavated about 3000 sqft of my property.

So, there’s a lot that’s happened, but writing it all out is a novel, and I should probably keep it all under my hat until this is settled, and it’s not really relevant to my follow up question.

Basically, I reached out to a lawyer I’ve used extensively in the past, who told me that they didn’t handle civil, but gave some great advice including that courts like to see an attempt to handle the matter privately before litigation, and that I can ask for the cost to restore the property, and basically all my communication should be like I’m writing to a judge (which I do on occasion in my line of work, so I understood the reference, basically all my communications should be like I’m writing to the Queen of England.)

So over the next two months there was some back and forth, quotes were obtained, demand letter sent, other side lawyered up, offered an unreasonable settlement, I politely declined.  But all and all, I was confident with the progress.  A month goes by, (I’m allowing time for clean-up before I file, I am way too reasonable sometimes) and things are quiet until one day it explodes into craziness, and we are forced to call the police.  I am super non-confrontational, and it sucked.  Anyway, I email the other lawyer afterwards to say these super threatening and intimidating workers are barred from my property, he keeps insisting I should have never approached them in the first place, which I think is ridiculous because there were two strangers running chainsaws on my property, of course I’m going to see what’s up.  Point is, at this time I realize I am going to need a lawyer.

So, the relevant info for my questions as follows; I reached out to a few firms in my area that handle civil cases, got a meeting with one which I went to yesterday.  The upshot is, basically I’m on the right track with everything, but this lawyer says I’m not allowed to ask for restoration costs at all, only diminished property value.  Based on the info I received here, and from the other lawyer, and from some recent case law, I disagree.  She showed me some older cases in which the courts said it was inappropriate to award restoration costs, and diminished value was the only appropriate remedy.  Because I’m on CanLii all the time anyway, I had previously found a more recent case in which cost for restoration were awarded, so I casually mentioned this to her, she looked at it, admitted she hadn’t seen it before and would look into whether it was appealed or not, but I got the impression she still disagreed with my position on cost.

[Here is that case]( https://www.canlii.org/en/on/onsc/doc/2014/2014onsc4422/2014onsc4422.html?resultIndex=1) if anyone is interested, paragraphs 74 – 78 contain the relevant reasons.  Some of the facts are quite similar, but in this case, the relationship was far more acrimonious than it is here.

(Side note: It's a long read, but a pretty crazy story with some satisfying justice at the end. If you have nothing better to do with your day, I recommend it.)

So, my questions are, does anyone know if this lawyer is correct that diminished value is more appropriate than restoration costs?  (Because of the size of my property, and where the clearing occurred, diminished value will likely be nil)

If she is incorrect, what is my best course of action?  She has a small retainer from me to look into everything, but if she continues to insist on diminished value, should I politely insist otherwise (and how on earth would I do that without coming across as knowing her job better than her, which I don’t, I am basically just a layman in law and I don’t want to piss her off)

Or, should I look for other counsel? I don’t want to go it alone at this point, but I also want to make sure I’m being represented well.  I am not in a position to tell if I am in the right or not though, so your thoughts on the subject are welcome.

Thanks, all.

Answer:
 If you aren't happy with your lawyer, hire another one.  At least have a couple of consultations.Answer #2: It could be that restoration is similar to the equitable remedy of specific performance - if you buy a house and the seller refuses to go through with the sale, you are generally limited to damages and don't get the house unless you can prove the house/lot is unique and you are unlikely to find something comparable (in which case specific performance is the remedy).

This is probably all fact based, and it'll probably tip on whether remediation is appropriate (is unique area, doesn't fit in with other properties the way it is now, etc.).


Title: (SD Co, California) Legal for < 16yo to drive off-road vehicle on public street?

Question: Is it legal for a child under the age of 16, without a license or permit, to drive an off road vehicle on public streets in CA? I think the child would need a driver's license to drive it on public streets.  Saw this yesterday in town.   It was one of those Polaris 2-seaters.  Thanks in advance!

Answer:
 > Is it legal for a child under the age of 16, without a license or permit, to drive an off road vehicle on public streets in CA?

No.


Title: Ex boyfriend is threating violence if we cut off his phone line. The line he hasn't been paying since September 2018. What could/should I do

Question:
We broke up back in summer 2018. He stopped paying back in september 2018. He has been coming up with excuse after excuse. month after month. Finally, I had enough. I've been paying $90 each month for him for the past 8 months.

I texted him for payment for this month, and he said he had to give his last $100 bill to his sister. I told him, okay forget about all the money you owe me in past phone bills, i'm just gonna cut off the line.

He started arguing and saying he can't get a new line bc he didn't have credit. Now he saying if I cut the line, something will happen to me. Now as a indirect scare tactic, he post a question on his IG story saying; is it wrong to shoot someone if they deserve it.

I personally know he isn't capable of violence, but then again, we haven't been together in almost a year. What should i do in the event he does do thing to my property.

PS. I have no idea where he lives now. I do know where his family lives though. There's also a bench warrant against him due to child support from a different girlfriend.

Answer: Close the account. If he continues to harass you, call the police. In all likelihood, write off the loss: you could theoretically sue him for the outstanding bills he hasn't paid, but it doesn't sound like you're likely to recover any money from him in court, and keeping him in your life only prolongs his ability to trouble you.Answer #2: Cut off the line. Ignore all messages calls from him and if he shows up call 911.Answer #3: In addition to the other suggestions, look into putting a camera that records on your front porch and possible your back door.


Title: Can I sue for racism from management at my work place?

Question:
I am from Arkansas. I am an Asian male and have been receiving racism from multiple managers. One manager has decided as an Asian my nickname is squints so everytime I see him I hear squints. The other manager decided that as my cat was deathly ill yesterday instead of letting me home at my scheduled time, she would keep me at work for an additional 2 hours. During those two hours she made comments about how I should eat my dying cat and she also told me I could take it to my mothers house instead of a vet to have my mom cook it up for me. My cat died when I went on break shortly after this. The squints thing has been going on for weeks while the cat thing happened yesterday

EDIT: I've called Customer Service because at this point its  the only number I have and they have put me on hold
EDIT2: Corporate said that I work for a franchise so I have to deal with the franchise instead.

Answer:
 Did you file formal complaints with HR?Answer #2: It sounds like you've got legit complaints to HR. There are [EEOC laws](https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/facts-retal.cfm) about retaliation against you for HR reports.

As an aside, I'm sorry to hear about your cat.


Title: Doctor is telling me I can't park in front of his office (Massachusetts)

Question:
So some backstory. I've lived at my current residence for around 2 1/2 years. This apartment building does not have any available off-street parking, so I am forced to park on the street. There is occasionally parking in front of my building, although it's usually very difficult to get a spot after I come home from work as I work second shift. Down the street (30 feet or so) from my apartment building is a doctors office which has no private parking lot but there is on-street parking, enough room for 3-4 cars depending on how people park. If I see an open spot in front of this doctor's office, I usually take it as it's the next best thing in terms of parking. I've parked there overnight if there's a spot open ever since I moved into this apartment as I said 2 1/2 years ago. Dozens upon dozens of dozens of times.

Yesterday afternoon I went out to my car to go to work and noticed I had a letter on my windshield underneath my wipers. The letter was on the doctor's office letterhead and read as follows:

*Dear Sir:*

*For several months you have parked your car in front of my office on a regular basis.*

*The few parking spaces that are in front of my office are for my patients many of which have trouble walking.*

*Please refrain from parking in front of my office during the weekdays.*

*If you ignore this friendly notice I will reluctantly tow your vehicle.*

*Thank you for your anticipated cooperation.*

*(Doctor's signature)*

The doctor's office is on a public street. There is no signage on either the street or the sidewalk to indicate that the parking in front of the office is reserved. The only sign on the street is one that advises that there's no parking allowed in the driveway of the business next door to the doctor's office. I looked at my city's ordinances in terms of circumstances where a car can be towed and I don't appear to be violating any ordinances. Additionally, several other vehicles park in front of this office overnight and they are cars I recognize so I imagine they are also cars owned by people living in my apartment building and nearby buildings. There weren't any vehicles around when I left for work today so I cant be sure if this doctor had left similar notes on other vehicles' windshields.

My impression of this is that he's simply trying to scare me off, but does he have any legs to stand on legally if this is a public street without any signage to indicate that the parking in front of his office is reserved for his patients? Could he, based on the circumstances, tow my car? I asked my landlord the same question and he said that the doctor is absolutely wrong and that he would talk to them about the issue.

Thanks for reading and I appreciate any input you have!

Answer:
 No legit towing company is going to tow a legally parked car at the direction of a private citizen that hasn't proven it's their car.

Tow trucks aren't free so he'll have to pay up before the tow even happens and then the tow company is going to want to know what to do with it.

This guy's plan isn't so brilliant if you ever had to have a car towed/impounded.  If this doctor impersonates you to get the car towed off he's committing several crimes that will certainly blowup in his face.


Title: [Canada] Can I not testify against someone who assaulted me?

Question:
Hello,

To make a long story short, I am from Sask, in my mid-20s, moved back in with my parents briefly and discovered my father's abusive nature had gotten much worse since ~10 years ago when I last lived there.

One evening things got out of hand, he punched me ~10 times or so in the face, and the police were called. In the moment, I agreed to press charges, and in the questioning process from the officers that night, they also determined that him trying to force my mother out of the house was enough for them to charge him with domestic abuse.

At this point, he has left the house, and through lawyers, sold the house to my mother (so, he is away from my mother and unable to continue his abuse, which is my primary concern). Now, several months later, I received a call from an officer talking about needing to get a court document delivered to me. I assume this is for the assault charge (him assaulting me, me being the victim) from that night.

At this point, since he has been cooperative in leaving my mother/family alone, I personally don't want to pursue the assault charge, and feel like if I follow through with testifying against him, it will just result in him looking for a means of revenge later down the line.

Same question applies to my mother. In her case, of the domestic abuse charge, the police/province are the ones who are charging my father, so will she see any punishment/consequences for not going to testify against my father?

**tl;dr my father is charged with assaulting me and domestic abuse against my mother. He's moved out of their marital home, and sold his portion of the home to my mother. Now that he is out of our lives, we do not want to pursue getting him found guilty for the criminal charges. Will there be consequences for myself and my mother not going to testify against him at trial?**

Answer:
 >  I personally don't want to pursue the assault charge

It's not your decision anymore.

If you are subpoenaed, you HAVE to testify. Answer #2: You can be required to testify about what happened and the court may impose penalties on you if you refuse.

You can ask the Crown prosecutor to drop the charges, if you like.  They may or may not.
Answer #3: If it's a subpoena, it'll say something like "You are hereby commanded, in the name of Her Majesty, to appear at the court on this time and date and give testimony". You'll need a lawyer's help to make that instruction go away; simply not showing up will land you in the shit.

Talk to a local victims of crime group and/or a criminal lawyer to see what your options are.


Title: What happens if you are charged with a crime, found not guilty, then do it?

Question:
Per the fifth amendment, you can't be charged with a crime, found not guilty, then be charged with it again (right?)

What happens if you are charged for, say, murdering someone but they were not murdered and you are found not guilty (as it hasn't happened) and then you do murder that person. Can you be charged?

Or, more realistically, let's say a bank is robbed. You are accused of that and found not guilty. You then go on to rob that bank. Would being charged be double jeopardy? I figure it wouldn't, but the wording of the bill of rights is pretty ambiguous.

I have also heard of some movie about this topic, but I haven't seen it and generally I try not to get my interpretation of the law from movies haha

Answer:
 No, the second time is for a second crime, it's not double jeopardy. You can't be found guilty multiple times for the same crime, you can be found guilty multiple times for multiple crimes though.Answer #2: > Per the fifth amendment, you can't be charged with a crime, found not guilty, then be charged with it again (right?)

You cannot be charged again with the same(or similar) charge for **the same action**.  You can be charged again for a different action.

The fifth amendment prevents you standing trial again for the same crime - in other words, the state can't keep trying to convict you on something after you've been acquitted of it.  They can try to convict you for new things.


Title: My landlords failed to give me 24 hours notice for a showing.

Question:
dateline: Illinois

So, in my lease, it explicitly says i get 24 hrs notice before a showing.

I saw nothing about a showing in my email before I left work, so you can imagine my surprise when I was woken up by some rep and a family in my bedroom.

The rep said they notified me. I check my email and... I got one only 17 hours before.

so... what can I do here?

I replied back to that email immediately after they left to document the timing of it.

>I would like to note that notice was sent only 17 hours before the showing.

>I check my emails in the morning, or more generally, when I'm at work. Next time, please don't notify me right before 5 the previous day.

>I woke up with strangers in my house... you can imagine my confusion and embarrassment. My house is not clean enough to show...and it would've been if I had proper notice.  The lease says 24 hrs and that's not something I can be lenient with.

so....what else can be done?

Answer:
 Document it. Contact your landlord in writing telling them you expect it not to occur again in the future.

Beyond that, you don't really have any legal recourse for an isolated incident. Answer #2: This happened to me all the time in college.  Landlord would just bust in with a customer to show off my studio.  No notice.  Happened about 3 to 4 times near the end of my lease.

I just ignored them and kept on sipping my beer and got back to watching Game of Thrones.  The raunchy sex scenes and violence made it awkward and they left soon after.

I have no regrets.  I'm not the one that forced this upon them.

But this is a college town so we are all very chill here, even the landlords.

But if you have kids, family, other reasons, etc. You need to let them know firmly that you have rights and demand privacy.  Because once they do it, they'll keep doing it.


Title: Involuntary manslaughter or no?

Question:
I’m currently in a class where we are studying law and one of our assignments consisted of determining what charge to place upon certain offenses. In the scenario in question (we’ll use the names Bob and Jeff), Bob is walking down a street. Jeff comes up behind Bob and steals a wallet from off of Bob’s person. Jeff then flees with Bob’s wallet. Bob chases after him to retrieve the wallet and in doing so, lunges on Jeff’s back, causing Jeff to hit his head against the concrete. Jeff dies from blunt force trauma.

My instructor and the rest of the class insisted that Bob should not/would not face any charges. I argued that this would at LEAST be involuntary manslaughter.

Thoughts?

Answer:
 Your instructors (and the rest of the class) would be correct. Bob's use of force was lawful, as he is allowed in almost all cases to use force to prevent the theft of his property.

Since his use of force was lawful, Jeff's death is an unfortunate accident and Bob has nothing to worry about in terms of criminal charges.

Bob might still be found (partially) liable in a civil wrongful death suit.


Title: The tenant I asked to move out is refusing to leave. Help! CO

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: You realize that we don't know what the lease you wrote says, right?


Title: I lied in my progress report, and want to quit, but I'm worried they will sue me. please help!

Question:
Dear reddit, my company in Los Angeles has been downsizing in the past 5 years and so many people are getting laid off! I kept my job secure because a few years ago I've been tasked with a project that is worth multimillions. I was able to accomplish this with flying colors and no one in the world has been able to replicate it as of yet. I thought I was in a good position.

Only now, my boss suddenly wants me to train the lower level workers, and I know I will be laid off within a year, but likely by December. I want to quit, and take my patent to my grave, but I'm afraid. I wasn't honest in my methods when writing progress reports so that no one could replicate. I'm worried that they will sue me if they realize they can't do it using my reports.

What to do?
Can they sue me for this?
Can I quit in peace and just leave? Please, I need all the advice I can get.

Answer:
 NAL, but, because of the industry I work in, I know a little bit about intellectual property in hiring contracts.

>  I want to quit, and take my patent to my grave, but I'm afraid.

Do you actually have a patent issued to your name for this process or what ever you made up?

If so, and you didn't transfer it to the company at some point, I would guess that would give you the right to take it with you, but as I said, I'm not a lawyer, so I'd consult one.

If you don't have an issued patent, stop using that word.

With that answered, pretty much all the hiring contracts I've signed have said my company gets to keep any intellectual property I create on company time, or using company property and I've seen that enforced in the past. It's a pretty standard addition as far as I know, so I would be surprised if yours didn't have that in it too.

You're very vague in what you created, but my guess would be they own it (again, consult a real lawyer).


Title: Looking for the punishment of a certain crime.

Question: My friends, (minors) were caught trespassing in an abandoned factory. (Ohio). They were throwing things off the roof so if I'm correct that makes it criminal trespassing. I was wondering what the punishment for this would be. They also resisted arrest by running away from the police into the factory. They are really nervous they are gonna get a felony on their record but I thought that they'll only get fined and community service but I don't have much of an idea. Thanks. First time posting so I apologize in advance if I messed anything up or if this is the wrong subreddit.

Answer: Trespassing is an 4th degree misdemeanor punishable by up to a $250 fine and 30 days jail. Resisting arrest is a 2nd degree misdemeanor punishable by up to $750 fine and 90 days in jail. What is likely to happen is entirely dependent on the judge and court.


Title: Dentist threatening to sue for libel and slander

Question:
This is an update to a post I made a few days ago here: http://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/2uykxt/dentist_receptionist_tells_mother_to_find_new/

We received the documents the receptionist said she would send along with a letter that said their attorneys have been notified and if we pursue anymore they will sue for libel and slander to the full extent of the law.

We have never been in a situation like this. We don't know any lawyers nor how to deal with lawyers. Like my last post said, we're located in California. Should we just let this go? Help is much appreciated. Thanks.
Topic:
Insurance

Answer:
 California has law called SLAPP that forbids people suing people for reporting or criticizing somebody to a State agency. Your insurance company will protect you from being sued for filing a complaint with them about a doctor in their network. Just don't go out and start publishing or saying DR so and so is a crook. You just need to communicate with your insurance company and the insurance commissioner. Answer #2: > We received the documents the receptionist said she would send along with a letter that said their attorneys have been notified and if we pursue anymore they will sue for libel and slander to the full extent of the law.

But they were apparently cheap enough to write this themselves instead of having their lawyer do it, right?Answer #3: File your complaint with the State insurance commissioner and your insurance company.


Title: Parental Rights and CCAP Assistance in Denver, CO. Any advice appreciated.

Question:
Sorry, new to posting to Reddit.

So, I moved to Colorado from Indiana back in August of this year with my now ex-boyfriend, and my 4 year old daughter. Because of us breaking up, I'm needing to apply for any assistance than I can to be able to move out with my daughter.

The thing is, to apply for child care assistance here, I have to open up a child support case for her non-exsistent "father." I am completely against doing this. He's not even on the birth certificate, and has had chances to meet her since she was born, but declined each time and has now blocked contact from me.

I need the assistance, but I'm scared to open up that avenue. He would then be put on the birth certificate (which would prevent me from doing alot of things with her, because I would need his permission, i.e. traveling outside the country). And he would also have rights, and be able to push for visitation. I don't want to have to send her off to a place she's never been, to people she's never met, just to be able to afford to live.

Is there anyway I can bypass the child support? Or even make sure that he has no rights to get visitation? I've tried to contact him, to see if he would be open to just terminating his parental rights as soon has he was declared her father, but he has blocked me on all channels.

Important information that may be asked. She was born in Indiana, with literally just me as her mom on her birth certificate. He, as far as I know, lives in South Carolina. Her and I now live in Denver, Colorado. Her birthday is in March, and so it's been almost 5 years that he has made no effort to try and have a relationship with her, no phone calls, facetime, visits, all from him not wanting that.

Any help or advice is much appreciated. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Answer: I sympathize with your discomfort and dilemma, but it is (IMO) the right thing to expect parents to support their children rather than taxpayers. You will not be able to terminate his rights unless there is a step-parent willing to adopt. It is likely that if he does pursue visitation, it will be awarded in an age-appropriate manner, and since he hasn't even tried, he may not.


Title: [Florida] Landlord was aware of active gas leak for three weeks before they had someone out to confirm. Gas bills show double the charges for the two cycles the leak occurred during.

Question:
Hello, first off thank you to anybody that takes the time to read this post and respond to me. I am a college student living in a student apartment complex and want to take legal action towards this matter considering this has been a three month ordeal of back and forth (or lack there of) with management regarding a gas leak.

Here are the facts: My unit's water heater and A/C heater are the only appliances to use gas lines. The water heater and A/C heater had been cutting in and out of functioning properly from early December 2016 - mid March 2017. They made repairs when asked during this time but come early March, a gas leak became obviously evident through smell and intense headaches. I have documentation showing that they were notified of the situation on March 16th (the leak started before that but we were not sure what the smell was until it intensified) to which a general maintenance employee came out three days later to check on it. He could not identify the problem and told me "I could not find anything but I'll let the clubhouse know to get someone else out here since something does seem off. It might be a city utility issue though."

Another notification went out to them on March 25th claiming that this needed to be immediately checked out due to severe headaches that my roommates and myself were experiencing. On March 31st, a city employee came out and told us to immediately open our windows and air out the apartment and that if we experience headaches, we need to go to the ER as soon as possible. He noted that it was a severe leak. Our gas bills nearly doubled (went up about 75% from average) during this time frame and they took almost three weeks to DISCOVER AND CONFIRM said leak. It took another two weeks of having the gas line finally shut off before they made the appropriate repairs.

I contacted the property manager on April 3rd asking when the repairs would be made as it was 85 degrees in our apartment and no hot water or A/C present since we were instructed to keep all of it off by the city employee. She responded saying we were mis-informed and that we could us the A/C cooling system since the gas line had been shut off for the time being and that she will keep me updated about repair progress. She did not. Mid April the repairs were finally made.

I sent a follow up email to her mid May (when utility statements came out) requesting reimbursement for base rent during those three weeks (since my roommates and myself were essentially couch surfing due to the headaches and smell of natural gas in our apartment) and for the excessive gas charges administered to us during that time.

No response from her. I found out on June 1st that she no longer works there and that her inbox emails were not being forwarded to anybody. I sent the chain of emails that relay our back and forth to the general email line for my complex and it was forwarded to current management one June 2nd. No response from them yet.

I am frustrated and feel helpless and that they did not do their due diligence to identify the leak faster or to provide us with a habitable environment during the time frame of the three week long (very prevalent) gas leak.

I have documentation of service requests, emails, and the city employees confirmation to prove dates and such. **I am wanting to know if I have a case for reimbursement during that time and if so, where should I go if they (management) deny me this or continue to be unresponsive?**

Edit: added to my question

Edit 2: I anticipate they will deny me or just not respond entirely. A part of the leasing agreement had me sign essentially saying that I would not say/post bad or negative reference to them. IMHO, this alone speaks volumes as the the type of management that I am dealing with. They own various complexes on a national level so it is not just some small and bo-funky company. Also, I am aware that part of the leasing agreement is entirely unenforceable if the "negative" is factual.

Edit 3: they just emailed me an email (not in response the the thread of emails addressing the issues) saying if I don't remit rent for three more days, I will have actions taken against me towards eviction
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 IANAL, but I work for a major, publicly-traded gas utility.  I am really confused by this narrative.  Why did you not call 911?

PSA::  If you smell a gas leak, CALL 911 AND/OR THE LOCAL GAS UTILITY.  Don't screw around with apartment management.  You and others could be at serious risk.

I really can't answer your questions, but I wanted to make this clear.  DO NOT STAY NEAR A LIVE GAS LEAK - CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY.  Any reputable company will be onsite within half an hour.  Even small city utilities, which are honestly kind of scary, will have processes in place to keep you safe (like shutting off gas). Answer #2: If a city employee told you to leave and stay out, then you have a case for reimbursement. You can take it to small claims, and/or google tenant services <locality> to find a local tenant services group that can also help you.Answer #3: People have died from the situation you just described.  Next time call 911 however you can sue for the bill as the landlords failure to maintain the building to livable standards cost that bill.Answer #4: Check to see if your university offers free student legal services. Many do, and landlord/tenant issues are their bread and butter. They'd be happy to tackle this issue.


Title: [Indiana/Arizona] mandatory enrollment in debt lowering program to qualify for house?

Question:
My wife and i are trying to buy a house in indiana owned by someone in Arizona. We had to pay 50 dollars to view the house and after deciding we wanted it the seller gave our info to their credit and loan guy who sent me this text.

Hello (me)
You can qualify to buy a home in the two year period if you successfully complete my MAP program and settle collections for child support for $7262 and other collections totalling $734 and negotiate a student loan payment down to $200/mo.

I'm already seeing red flags here. I do not owe child supportand am in fact OWED support but not in that amount. This seems like very outdated information they are using.

So what's the deal here? Is this a scam? Do i have any options? What should be my next steps? Any help is appreciated.

Answer:
 Why are you giving all of your personal information to someone you've never met? Answer #2: >We had to pay 50 dollars to view the house

Seriously I don't know how the market over there is but this wouldn't fly in my area.
And if it would be common in an arrea then it would be a sellers market where every house sells above asking price within a day or two.

>You can qualify to buy a home in the two year period if you successfully complete my MAP program and settle collections for child support for $7262 and other collections totalling $734 and negotiate a student loan payment down to $200/mo.

In the market where you need to pay to see a home they aren't waiting around 2 years before they sell the home.

And I wouldn't use their credit and loan guy but I would just use a guy that I pick.

I would nope the fuck out because this smells like a scam.


Title: Landlord requiring me to take my belongings and pets out of my apartment for upgrades (TX)

Question:
My landlord is taking our carpets out to put in hardwood (not repairs, the current flooring is very nice) on Tuesday and is requiring us to move all of our belongings out of our bedrooms and take our pets out of our apartment for a day (8-5). There nothing in our lease regarding this other than that they have to give us 24 written notice to enter our apartment. I have finals exams from 8-5 Tuesday and will then be flying out at 3 am for 4 days. I can’t ask for a later day in the week because my dogs will be there. I don’t have time to move everything I own before or after. I can’t afford two nights in a hotel for my dogs. Are they allowed to do this? Am I at least able to require them to pay for a hotel for my dogs? To my knowledge, the apartment will be empty from 7/31-8/14 for repairs when we move out.

Also, do emails count as written notice? And they’ve said they and their contractors are not liable for damaged, stolen, or “missing” property. We have not signed anything agreeing to that. Does this actually mean they aren’t liable if they steal or damage things?
Thank y’all so much!

Answer:
 You have a contract with your landlord that they will provide a specified home to you in exchange for rent. Requiring you to leave would put them in violation of that contract.

You should be asking them what alternative arrangement they have made for you in regards to accommodation, and when will the removalists they will be paying for will remove your stuff and then return it afterwards.Answer #2: My wife and I had a similar situation with them removing us to repair the concrete or some bullshit, but they paid us like $150 a day for hotel. They most definitely will be compensating you up front, and if they don't ask, about itAnswer #3: Can they do it the 4 days you will be gone?

My landlord's changed the flooring while I was gone for christmas break.  All I had to do was box up everything I had in my room while gone.  It was much easier than the effort of fighting it.

Can you simply move the things from your room to another room, or at least have it ready and easy for them to move your things?

Do they expect you to move your furniture also?


Title: Vicious dog is forcing us to move out of new apartment! We don't know our rights!!

Question:
My girlfriend just moved into this new apartment in Tempe, Arizona. She saw the place alone initially and the dog was very well behaved, she was even able to pet it calmly and the dog did not mind. I then came with her a second time and I too was able to approach and easily pet the dog. Initially he seemed fine. We decided it was a great place and so she signed a month-to-month lease.

Now our dilemma is that every time she comes home the dog is EXTREMELY aggressive. Barking and growling very loudly and doing little jumps at her as if about to jump and attack. She has paid 2 months rent and has stayed there maybe a week in total. Is there anything we can do to get out of this lease immediately? We are trying to tell her roommate, who's parents are the landlords, that this will be the last month but she is saying we need a 30 days notice. We're completely lost as to what our rights are.  We're going later today to get her lease from her room and I will post the scan here so that maybe it can help more. I will edit it so that any "sensitive" information is not seen. Please help!!!

Answer:
 Whose dog is it?  Where is the dog?  Is the dog running around loose in the building?

Regardless, she is likely bound by the terms of the lease.  You may very well need 30-days notice.


Title: [PA] I was almost killed yesterday by a "100% faulty" car part. How do I prevent this from killing others and is there any recourse to pay for the damages?

Question:
Please bear with me if I'm in the wrong subreddit here.

I own a car that is 7 years old and originally bought brand new. Yesterday while driving on the highway in light traffic, out of nowhere the front latch on my front hood broke, sending the entire hood through my windshield while driving approximately 60 mph. I had zero vision outside the front of the car, the center mirror flew off, and was left just the side mirrors to brake and get to the shoulder without killing myself or anyone else in the process while covered in glass shards.

The body shop took an initial look today, and found that the spring that keeps the latch down had completely rusted out, and when finally crumbling caused the front hood to slightly pop up and then immediately turn into a sail before completely smashing my windshield in my face.  I'm thankful to be alive and to have not severely hurt myself or anyone else in the process. I had been stuck late at work so thankfully the roads were mostly clear by around 7 pm when I started to drive home.

According to my body shop, this was a complete mechanical failure, and either a faulty part or faulty design. I was one of the first to buy this model car, so I wouldn't be surprised if these incidents weren't common yet.

That being said: how do I bring this issue to light with the manufacturer and actually get then to give a damn, because this could have easily killed me and I'm sure will kill others if left unchecked. Maybe it was just my car, but I whole heartedly believe it needs to be investigated.  I've researched past recalls and this falls within none of them for my car manufacturer.

Secondly: I still have to pay deductibles, towing, etc.  Do I have any worthwhile recourse here if I have half of the faulty part as evidence?

TL;DR: highly likely that a manufacturing flaw almost got me killed. How do I bring this issue to light and do I have any recourse for personal damages I am out because of it.  I'm not money hungry here, but I also would rather not be out all the money I have to pay.

Answer:
 I think that, realistically, you are going to have a very difficult time showing that a seven year old car's rust damage is the result of a manufacturing defect. Especially in PA where they use corrosive road chemicals very heavily every winter.Answer #2: There is some info here about how to file a report on a potential manufacturing defect:
https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/

I would also recommend calling a customer service line with the car manufacturer. Tell them you have reason to believe there is a manufacturing defect and you want to report it.


Title: Father-In-law threatening to sue for visitation rights to our son [OR/NV]

Question:
Long story is...  My father in law (FIL) and mother in law (MIL) live in Nevada and we live in Oregon.

My FIL injured his leg 2 years ago in a high speed motorcycle accident and has had numerous health complications, surgeries etc and hasn't been able to travel well. Last year my MIL and FIL decided to divorce after 30 some years of marriage due to his emotional abuse, financial stuff and all the baggage that comes with getting a divorce in general. (side note: he's always been physically and emotionally abusive to all his children, my wife included. Hes been witnessed hitting the other young grandchildren who are 1-6 years in age.)

Our son was born 7 months ago and my MIL came to visit for a few days because my wife was really ill after having the baby, had surgery when he was two weeks old, and I had to head back to work. MIL has not seen the baby since. Christmas is coming up and my MIL is coming to visit my wife's sister who lives in a different part of the state. She may or may not see our child, just depends on the timing. We are travelling to see my parents for Christmas, this has been planned since last Christmas.

FIL calls tonight to say he's coming to stay for a week over Christmas to visit and meet his grandson. My wife states that its probably not a good idea since on his recent cruise to mexico he re-broke his bad ankle and needs surgery in January to fix it... again. (Side note: every time he has left the city he lives in these last two years, hes gotten ill/broken something and ended up in the hospital somehow for 1-6 weeks with subsequent nursing home care. Which is why we say he doesn't travel well.) Wife also states that we already had plans to visit my family for Christmas.
FIL gets upset and states "so your not letting me see my grandson? MIL gets to see him whenever she wants." Wife clarifies and says he wont be able to see him this Christmas since we already have plans. FIL gets angry and states that we are forcing him to get a lawyer to sue for rights to see our son.

Question is; Does he have a leg to stand on for legitimate legal action to force us to let him visit our kid or force us to bring our child to Nevada for visitation? My wife and I are happy married couple, been together many years and are now in our 30's. We have a good relationship with all of our other family members. He's always been a bit extreme but would go through with a threat like this as he has done similar stuff to other family members in the past, slowly estranging himself from everyone.

Answer: He has no case, grand parent rights normally involves some kind of pre existing relationship between grandparents and grandchildren and a divorce or death of the parental figures.  Courts don't override parental authority just because.


Title: Prosecuting predator from my adolescence w/ underage photos? (US)

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 >he asked me to take pictures for him when I was 15

Of you or another minor?

You *should* be ok, criminally, but if you are worried you can always consult a lawyer prior to filing the report.


Title: Not too sure where to post this but what do police do if you don't have fingerprints to take when you get into the police station?

Question: I'm not sure about other countries but inside the United States it's common to have your fingerprints taken when you're arrested. What happens if you don't have any fingerprints because of an accident or some other reason?

Answer:
 I get what you're asking. People are saying "they wait till they grow back" or something, but what about someone who has had both arms amputated or something?

I think this would be more suitable for /r/legaladviceofftopic which is more of the theoretical or "what if" type law questions, and you can actually get into a discussion about it.Answer #2: I actually heard of this happening from a cop. The person being fingerprinted said he worked at a pineapple plantation all his life and the acid removed his fingerprints. All they could do is make a note that they couldn't fingerprint him.


Title: Can I do a credit card chargeback for a bad henna tattoo?

Answer: This isn't something that you could get the cc company to reverse. If you had paid for a tattoo and then were refused the service, that you could chargeback.


Title: I found some property and turned it in to the police and now they are violating state law by not letting me claim it.

Question:
I found some jewelry a while back. I typically take it upon myself to return lost items to their owners because I will do more to find them than the police and people don't typically check with the police when they lose  things in my area. If the person who lost the item is not known to me, I put up signs and notices on craigslist or ask around the neighborhood. However I found this jewelry in a location I wasn't frequently in at the time, and the police station was just a block away, so I turned it in there thinking a person might be more likely to check with the police in this area being the station is nearby. I also put a notice on craigslist.

Anyway, our state laws mandate that if found property is turned in to the police, the police must hold it for 90 days, and if the person who lost it doesn't claim it, then the finder may claim it.

Only the police are denying knowledge of this law and say they have no way to return the unclaimed jewelry to me. The girl at the counter could not even tell me where found property goes.

How can I proceed with this?

Answer:
 Impossible to answer without your location.Answer #2: >  our state laws

Which state?Answer #3: How do you expect us to check on a law and you didn't provide a location?


Title: I can no longer drive to work as a result of an (as of yet) undiagnosed condition that causes me to unexpectedly lose consciousness. What accommodations is my employer required to make?

Question:
I live in New York State. I am a salaried employee at a not-for-profit. About 3 months ago I started losing consciousness unexpectedly and unpredictably. It took me some time to get in to see a neurologist. I had an appointment last week and was informed by my neurologist that I cannot operate a motor vehicle while we work to diagnose and treat my condition.

I do not need to be at the physical location of my workplace to execute my primary job functions. I suggested in a meeting with my immediate supervisor and top management that I be allowed to work from home except on days where it is absolutely necessary that I am present in the office. Instead, they proposed:

* that I be given a mobile hotspot that would allow me to work on my commute to the office in the morning on public transportation and that I could count this time toward my hours worked;
* that I can adjust when I work my hours as long as notice is provided;
* that I can take time off of my one hour lunch and instead leave earlier (e.g. instead of taking lunch 12-1p and leaving at 4, I can take lunch from 12-12:30 and leave at 3:30p)

My commute when I could drive was 25-30 minutes. Taking public transportation would result in the commute being between 1 hour and 20 minutes and 1 hour and 40 minutes. The route involves one transfer and three walks, one of which is 15 minutes along a road with no sidewalks. Uber/Lyft would be \~$20/ride. There are no viable carpool options.

What are my options here? My preference is to work from home given the hardship and potential danger of getting to work.

How do you all recommend that I proceed? What are my rights? What are my employer's rights? Am I considered disabled under these circumstances?

The research that I've done suggests that my employer needs to provide reasonable accommodations. It is my opinion that their proposed solution is not a reasonable accommodation for my circumstances. I am feeling overwhelmed during this process of negotiating a fair agreement with my employer.

Thanks in advance!

&#x200B;

Answer:
 Your proposal is reasonable, but from a legal perspective I strongly suspect your employers' is as well.  Your choice to live in an area poorly served by public transportation isnt their problem per se.Answer #2: To be declared as having a disability you have to have a diagnosed condition that is covered under the ADA. That being said, I would also suspect that any governing body would consider your employers accommodations as reasonable. Generally accommodations are only for the physical work space, not your commute. If you are officially diagnosed as having a covered disability then you can possibly explore Medicare and medical transport services on your own. Answer #3: > What are my options here? My preference is to work from home given the hardship and potential danger of getting to work.

Your job is required to offer accommodations that allow you to perform your job functions fully, not to abide by your preferences.  Honestly, you're lucky they're offering you what they have based on what you've described.  You haven't mentioned anything that actually impacts your work or your ability to work.  You have, essentially, a transportation issue.  Your job is not required to provide for or accommodate your commuting needs, they must only accommodate things that impact your job performance.

You can certainly attempt to negotiate something here, but I'd suggest treading very carefully.  They're already offering more than would be required by law.

It's frustrating to deal with, I'm sure.  But keep in mind that your frustration doesn't require their support.

&#x200B;


Question:
Hello good people of Reddit,

I am a female of age 19. Less than a year ago, I have met this one guy online. We proceeded to talk on SnapChat for months. I did not know his real identity, but it did not matter at all at the time. One day he wanted to meet. We lived about 6 hours away in different states. (His state was Georgia). He is with the law enforcement. He convinced me to drive to him to an AirBnb. He called me to his AirBnb house, where he had an alcoholic drink poured for me already. As soon as I drank, I felt even more tired and we ended up having sex. I must have fallen asleep at some point, because when I woke up, he was still on top of me. He said he would use protection in the beginning, but afterwards he told me to go buy Plan B and threw me out of the room. That was the first time I had sex so I didn’t know much about anything at all. I took Plan B and went back to my state.

After that, he gave me a different SnapChat account and we proceeded to talk on SnapChat, in which he would talk only dirty to me, but I didn’t know any better because this was the first time someone seemed to care about me in that way so I thought that’s what adults do. He would send me nude pictures while he was on duty all the time through SnapChat and would expect naked pictures and videos back from me. In every video, he would instruct me to do something horrific, but I did it. He said that he wouldn’t be keeping any of the pictures or the videos at all. By pure luck, after 6 months of sexting on SnapChat, I discovered his real identity. He was a father of three children with wife. When I confronted him with the information, he immediately told me that he was disappointed with me and he could not trust me any longer. He threatened to release all the pictures and videos that I sent him. Since I sent all of them through SnapChat, I didn’t think he had anything and when I asked for proof, he sent me one of the pictures I sent him some time ago. He said he has hundreds of naked pictures and videos of me, and if I ever came close to him or his family again, he threatened to release all the pictures and videos. I screenshotted the threat and I cut all the contact with him. I was and am deeply hurt because I am not a person like that. I just trusted someone and did something I would normally never do and that person ended up being an online sexual predator. I read online about sexual predators and apparently this is how they operate. I am sick to my stomach and I think all the times about how he could be doing this to any other unsuspecting girls. Please good people of Reddit, I need your advice.

And due to my financial inability, even if I would have a case, I am not able to hire a lawyer. Thus for this reason, if you have any suggestions about how to find a pro-bono lawyer for a case like this, I would be most glad. If you would like more specifics about anything to help me build a case, let me know so I can share some more information that I couldn’t here.

Thank you

Answer:
 You might consider contacting RAINN, the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network. They have just a ton of resources available, and they can probably help you in several different ways. [Go to this link](https://centers.rainn.org/), enter your ZIP code, and you'll get a map and list of centers close to you. I counted almost two dozen in Indiana.

You can also reach out to them via online chat at https://hotline.rainn.org/online/

It's horrible to think this, but you're not the first person to go through this. RAINN can help. Answer #2: What state are you in? And what kind of case are you trying to pursue here?


Title: Douchebag cop

Question:
I was going home in an uber pretty late at night and there was a police check point to check people for drunken driving. Usually these guys don’t interfere with Ubers however my cab got stopped. My uber driver was fine and so the cop who stopped us waived to let us pass however a moment later he stopped us again and this time he looked towards me sitting in the back seat. Now I do have slightly long hair and look disheveled and mildly suspicious (to a cop I’m assuming) and he proceeded to ask me for my id. I showed it to him since I didn’t really have anything to hide. He then asked me to show him my wallet. This request seemed a little bizarre but again I just wanted to cooperate so I did. He took my wallet and went through it (I assume he was looking for drugs or whatever but I didn’t have anything on me). Now he was getting a little aggressive and asked me to get out of the cab. I didn’t get why and I protested asking on what grounds? This asshole now starts threatening me that he’s going to beat me up if I don’t and he claimed he knows what the likes of me are upto. For some reason he was convinced that I had weed and kept saying he could smell it. Of course I didn’t and there was no smell but I got a little scared and I obliged. Once I got off the cab he asked the uber driver to leave which I protested again but was met with threats of violence. Finally I got frustrated and asked him what the fuck was it that he wanted from me, to which he replied that I need to come with him to get a drug test done. This scared me because I have smoked weed in the past and it would probably show up and in my country that’s illegal. Finally after a lot of back and forth he took a bribe and let me go. I know his name, is there anything I can do about this now?
Ps I’m from India

Answer: report him for accepting the bribe


Title: Los Angeles Parking Ticket for missing/expired tags. Tags were in the mail. Any way to fight this ticket?

Question:
I got a ticket in December at 12:45 A.M. for failure to display registration tags in Los Angeles. My 2017 tags expired in October, but I had already paid registration and was waiting to receive my new tags. I was waiting because:

Long story short, my car is registered to my brother who lives 360 miles away. I've been living in LA and driving the car in LA and never got around to changing the info. I paid him registration money and he was supposed to send me the tags. The problem this time is that he was traveling a lot and was not able to forward the new tags to me until over a month after he received them. They were in the mail and arrived two days after I got this ticket. He didn't seem to think it was a big deal. Some traffic cop in the middle of a December night cruising through my neighborhood decided otherwise.

The registration was current, the tags were simply not in my possession. I tried to explain this in contesting the citation using the LAcity parking site, but the status of my ticket went from "pending" to "citation valid". So I'm assuming I'm just going to have to eat this ticket. Merry christmas and fuck me, right? Guarantee'd I'm having my registration sent to my house from now on, but that doesn't change what happened. Is there a chance I can contest this ticket still? I know the ticket is valid, but is there at least a chance of some mercy from a judge?

THE CAR WAS REGISTERED. THE STICKERS WERE IN THE MAIL. WHAT WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO? NOT DRIVE TO WORK?

Answer: No, "my brother lives far away" is not a valid defense to not registering the car.


Title: first ticket, didn't have insurance on me at the time, should I just pay the fine?

Question: Last night I got my first speeding ticket (East Texas). I was driving my moms car at the time and I couldn't find her proof of insurance so I got fined as well as the speeding ticket. The officer told me I could get it removed when I can show proof of insurance. My mom doesn't want this to go on my insurance because it would raise our rates, so she said to just pay the tickets and she'd pay me back for the insurance part. Is this an okay thing to do? I'd rather just pay it off and be done but I'm not too sure how this all works because this is my first time getting a ticket.

Answer:
 Your mother is mistaken.

There are two issues here. The first is the speeding ticket. That will raise your rate when it invariably gets reported to the DMV equivalent in Texas. If you have Traffic School as an option in your state you should pursue that. If not, your rates are going up. Sorry.

The second is the "driving without the insurance card" ticket. Resolving this doesn't get reported to the insurance company-- and not fixing this is horrendously expensive in most states versus a $10 court fee. This is effectively a "fix it" ticket, not a moving violation.Answer #2: That's the opposite of what you want to do.

The police do not take the insurance incormation and send your insurer a letter saying "Hey, /u/champaaagnemami got a ticket!"  They just put it on your driving record and the insurance company sees it when they pull your driving record and your rates are then calculated...

As for the insurance ticket, definitely show proof of insurance if it will make that ticket disappear.

I'm not sure what state you're in, but there may be programs to have speeding tickets changed to non-moving violations by taking some type of safety class.  I'd do some homework on this and see if there are any options available in your area.

Edit:  I just saw you're in East Texas.  SCORE!!!!  Texas is one of the best places to get a speeding ticket.  You can take defensive driving!!!  Check it out and slow down.


Title: Are you covered by worker's comp if you injure yourself walking into work, before clocking in?

Question:
**Texas**. My mom recently fell just outside the building she works in and broke her knee. She was on her way into work, but hadn't clocked in yet. She asked me if she was covered by the company's insurance or worker's comp and I just don't know. To further muddy this, she works as a contractor for this company. She brought up that when you fall in a supermarket, for example, they will often cover your bills.

Mostly, she just wants her medical expenses paid for. Is she covered by anything? How would she find out? She's hesitant to ask the company directly because she's sure they'll give her the runaround.

Answer:
 Ahh a nice "going and coming" case.  Depends heavily on state.

If she's properly classified as a contractor and she isn't an employee, then she almost assuredly doesn't qualify for workers' comp.

Who owns/controls/cares for the parking lot?  She could probably sue the owner of the parking lot, but she'd have to prove they did something negligent.  If she just fell outside while walking, I can't see how that would be anyone's fault but her own.


Title: Can a Private Citizen Talk to a Sitting Judge?

Question: Let's say a private citizen is a fan of a particular Judge. Can the citizen contact him and meet with him and discuss various legal things, provided the citizen is not part of a case under the Judge, etc?

Answer:
 Why not? Judges are people too (citation needed).

They aren't obligated to respond to requests from random fans for interviews or lunch invitations, either as private citizens or as part of their duties, and obviously can't openly discuss many things.

Stalking a judge is usually a phenomenally bad idea, particularly if the legal system thinks you might be doing it in connection with an ongoing case.


Title: [Virginia] My fiancé was in a motorcycle accident and his leg was amputated. Need some help with next steps.

Question:
My fiancé is 3 days into severe injuries caused when he was struck by another car while riding his motorcycle. He is in "critical stable" condition. He had his left leg amputated in the ER and is at risk of losing his left arm, although it is more stable now. He also has several fractures in his left arm, his pelvis, his sternum, and his shoulder. He has no head, brain, or spinal cord injuries and he was conscious, alert, and of sound mind both at the scene and prior to his first surgery.

Because we are not married yet, his parents are his legal next of kin and they are here and have been able to give consent, etc. I do not have power of attorney (nor does either parent).

His medical condition is our utmost concern but I need some practical advice on how to proceed.

We received initial accident data but won't get the full crash report with reconstruction for 30 days. The other driver was issued a summons for reckless driving. 70 mph in a 55 zone with max safe speed of 45 (so maybe around a curve). I don't know at this time if she was insured.

We've initiated the disability claim with him employer as far as his pay goes. Here is what else I think we need to do:

* Personal injury lawyer
* Employer life insurance policy dismemberment clause
* His motorcycle insurance policy claim

If you could help me figure out where to start or add other things I need to think about, that would be great. How do I hire a lawyer, do I need money up front? What specific areas can the lawyer help with - our insurance co, the driver's insurance co, his work policies, etc.?

So far I know that we should not sign anything from the insurance company without legal counsel. Other than that I am pretty clueless. I would appreciate any guidance you can provide right now.

Emotionally, we are up and down. Mostly he is stable and his labs/vitals are good, but there are a few concerns and he is still in critical condition so we are fervently hoping he will pull through and grow in strength. Sometimes I am very strong and sometimes I am a hot mess. Trying to stay organized, be sure to eat, and get sleep at night (struggling with that though).

Thanks so much in advance for your help.

Answer:
 Most personal injury lawyers will take such a case on a contingency basis - so don't worry about paying upfront. They will help with both insurance companies. If your fiance' has PIP coverage he can start drawing the lost wage portion now.

Edited to add: If he wants to make sure that you are economically secure you should arrange with the hospital chaplain to have you married at his bed-side immediately.  It's not terribly romantic, but in most states parents cannot sue for wrongful death of an adult child, but spouses can. This sounds mercenary - but if he's still in critical condition it could make the difference between a small settlement going to his estate and then through intestate succession to his parents and a large settlement going to you. Answer #2: Next steps....ouch.Answer #3: Get a personal injury lawyer now


Title: Is it illegal for a civilian to slow/stop interstate traffic (by turning on flashing lights and weaving back and forth across all lanes) in order to prevent an accident? (Los Angeles, CA, USA)

Question:
**UPDATE/EDIT: Offline research reveals that, on occasion, situations arise in which CHP officers do turn to civilians for help. The example provided was CHP will put a call out on the radio for a truck driver assist... either having one or more truckers slow down/block interstate traffic or in rare cases having a truck driver park across all lanes of traffic to block an accident scene. I suppose this doesn't answer the question of legality... but it is a practice.**

Watched a documentary about camermen/journalists that patrol the streets and listen to police scanners in order to film accident scenes and sell the footage to news networks. They call themselves, "stringers". In one case a stringer got word of an accident waiting to happen, called it into CHP and then told them, "I'm almost on the scene. I'll slow traffic down for you". He proceeded to turn on flashing orange lights and weave across all lanes of traffic until they came to a stop. Is this actually legal for a civilian to do? Or is it likely he has some sort of additional clearance/certification? While this particular stringer/civilian did not, ultimately, prevent an accident altogether... it can be safely presumed that he prevented it from escalating (in a multi car pile up).

Answer:
 >Or is it likely he has some sort of additional clearance/certification?

Do you seriously think that the police are deputizing these "stringers?" Or certifying them in any way?Answer #2: The person almost certainly violated a number of traffic laws which he could be cited for.

And, if not... well... there is always disorderly conduct.Answer #3: Strictly speaking, it would almost certainly violate several traffic laws at least, and might rise to the level of a more serious crime depending on local laws. If you were to attempt it, you'd basically be relying on the discretion of the local authorities to let it slide instead of citing or prosecuting you, and you would certainly be opening yourself to civil suits if your actions caused an accident or any other loss or injury themselves.


Title: High school deletes every graduates email adress after high school

Question:
So, basically. Back in first year of highschool, they had us create an email associated with the school, something like an @acla-edu. we used it for five years and most of us being young, this was our first email adress. Most of us used it for our apple products and various other stuff you do with email you know. Well today, the twats decided it was a good time to start deleting everything, and after multiple failed try I realized my email and the email of many other has disapearred. Most of us are panicking rn because we continued using the email for college, etc. Im wondering if there is anything I could do, because we had no prior warning and when creating the email they never told us it would one day be deleted.

Is there anything I can do

sorry for any typos, english is my second language

I live in Canada, quebec

&#x200B;

thank you

Answer: This is normal. The same thing happens at universities and companies - when you leave, your inbox is archived for a period and eventually deleted.


Title: Last name change because of wedding help

Question:
Hi Reddit!

Last week, my fiancé and I went to get our wedding certificate. I have a hyphenated last name. We both want to take just the second last name (instead of Smith-Johnson, just Johnson)

When we went to try to put that as our last name, we were told, only my fiancé could drop Smith and keep Johnson. I had to keep both last names, or get my last name legally changed.

Our officiant told us that we are both allowed to change our last names once through marriage. I am wondering why she can take the second last name  but I cannot. Please help!

Answer:
 I think you might have gotten some bad information.  In CA, both parties can change their name to "A name combining into a single last name all or a segment of the current last name or the last name of either spouse given at birth."  [\(Family Code, section 306.5(b\)(2)(C).)](http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=fam&group=00001-01000&file=300-310)

Did you already turn in the license application?  Because if so, it may be too late.


Title: [MA] My mother is keeping my money hostage as "rent" money

Question:
I am and only child and 15 years old and I have had a part time job for a few months. I receive checks that my mother cash into her bank account. She told me that she would open a savings account for me later and put it in there so I just dropped it.
I am very interested in computers and want to learn programming and I wanted to buy a cheap one (I use a laptop), so when I went to my mom and told her, she told me no. We got into a fight and she told me that the money I earned was going towards "rent" so therefore I didn't have any money.

From what I know, she already receives child support for me and now she is also taking MY money that I've earned!
I don't know who my father is, I have never met him and I don't have any contact information.

Is there anything I can do? I was thinking of talking to a lawyer but I'm a minor and I don't know how talking to a lawyer works. I also don't have money to pay them and I don't even know what to tell them. I have never met any of my other family, it's always been just me and my very strict mother so I have nobody to go to or ask for advice.
Is there any way I can get my money back? I know that I'm a minor and shes my parent but is she allowed to take my money like this?

Answer:
 She cannot charge you rent because she's legally required to house, feed, and clothe you.

However, she can take every cent you make as well. If you're not getting your money, quit your job. You're working for free. Basically, if you can't have it, neither can your mom.


Title: [CA] How to change a city ordinance?

Question:
Short:
Went to park. Was told there was a day fee of $21 to eat/ use a bench for picnic. Looks to be true. What are few next steps to get this changed?

Longer:
Yesterday, my wife and our 3-year old and boy/girl twins went to a local park with some sammys. We sat down at one of the many open benches with the goal to eat our lunch then play at the park. 5-10 minutes after sitting down, we are approached by a city official with the parks. Got his clip board in hand, notifies us that all these benches are reserved. Thrown back, I point to one of the benches that has a reserve sign on it; which is why we sat at this table (no reserve sign). He explained that all the benches on the weekends are reserved and you have to pay. He said we could pay right now the $21. I asked, “so this table has not been reserved today?”. He explained again that weekends and holidays you have to pay; however, weekdays are first come first serve. There was easily 4 other benches not being used at all. We declined paying out of principle and moved our stuff to the ground near-by in the shade.
Still annoyed by this whole thing and doing a little bit of research, it looks true.
What are the next few steps? I feel this ordinance is absurd in the fact that the benches were not being used in a public space. I think a reasonable change would be if benches are not reserved, people should still be able to use them.

[http://www.mountainview.gov/depts/cs/rec/facilities/bbq.asp](http://www.mountainview.gov/depts/cs/rec/facilities/bbq.asp)

** Day of family table reservations fee increases to $21.*

Park | Large Group | Family Table | Capacity | Fee | Beer/Wine Allowed
:--------:|:--------:|:--------:|:--------:|:--------:|:--------:|
Cuesta | - | 10 through 16 | 8 | $15 | No

Here is the munciple code

[https://library.municode.com/ca/mountain_view/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIITHCO_CH38REUSPAOTFA_ARTIREUSPA_S38.3PEREUSAPSTLIRE](https://library.municode.com/ca/mountain_view/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIITHCO_CH38REUSPAOTFA_ARTIREUSPA_S38.3PEREUSAPSTLIRE)

SEC. 38.6. - Barbecue areas.
Because of the limited number of barbecue spaces available, the high demand for their use and the desire to balance their use by large and small groups, the city manager shall set aside an adequate percentage of the barbecue areas for reservation by groups during the barbecue reservation season as determined by the city manager.
Reservations.

a. Reservation of these areas is expressly excluded from the requirements of Sec. 38.3 except for the provisions related to liability. The insurance requirement provided in this paragraph does not apply to barbeque reservations.

b. The application acceptance period for barbecue areas shall be determined by the city manager.

c. Mountain View residents, groups consisting of a majority of Mountain View residents and Mountain View organizations and businesses located within the city limits of Mountain View may make reservations sixty (60) days in advance of the barbecue reservation season.

d. Reservations shall be taken on a first-come, first-served basis, or by a lottery system.

e. An appropriate fee, as determined by council resolution, shall be charged for the reservation and use of these areas.
(Ord. No. 6.14, § 1, 4/22/14.)

Actual ordinance passed in 2014.

[http://laserfiche.mountainview.gov/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=72891&searchid=f100f507-b041-450e-9e8f-6a8f82552b17&dbid=0&cr=1](http://laserfiche.mountainview.gov/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=72891&searchid=f100f507-b041-450e-9e8f-6a8f82552b17&dbid=0&cr=1)

edit: some formatting. Also, this is a throwaway.

Answer:
 You can call you local representative. Answer #2: Call a city council member and make your argument as to why you think it should be changed, or go speak at a meeting during the public comment period.

Such ordinances are commonplace, so prepare to not succeed.


Title: (New Mexico) Employer "paid" and then deducted my entire final check of PTO

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 You could definitely start by asking then why they deducted your pay and when they intend to pay you, but a consultation with an attorney would be in order.Answer #2: It sounds like they "fired" you before your resignation was effective, but I don't think they can refuse to pay you for your PTO even if you were fired. I would definitely file the wage claim. Report them to the IRS too if you have any suspicions that they aren't handling taxes properly.

You can't legally retain the company property but you can wait until they make arrangements to return it, and insist on being paid at that meeting. I wouldn't answer any calls - make sure everything's in writing.


Title: [Houston, Texas] If people that died at Travis Scott's Astroworld music festival snuck in without tickets, can their families still have a successful shot at lawsuit compensation?

Answer:
 100%!!! Travis Scott tweeted *before* the concert INVITING people to sneak into Astroworld. & there’s lots of videos that show people just going over the fence to get in. in short, they were invited…Answer #2: Is Travis Scott considered to be an attractive nuisance?Answer #3: Yes; even trespassers can sue for personal injury in some cases. A discussion of Texas law in that regard is [here](https://agrilife.org/texasaglaw/2018/04/16/texas-landowner-duty-to-trespasser-on-property/).Answer #4: Generally I’d say people injured while trespassing would be unsuccessful if they tried to sue, but considering these specific circumstances an argument could be made that the injuries occurred due to an unsafe environment. Kinda like how setting booby traps is illegal, except in this case it’s the venue/organizers not implementing safety measures. I’d honestly be shocked if the proper party doesn’t settle with the victims/families, I’m just not sure who’s going to get the blame here.Answer #5: Generally yes, even trespassers can sue for losses or damages.

However, there may be some exigent circumstances that would need to be ruled on before they can sue. Like how much did the contribute to their own demise.


Title: Contestant advice

Question: I am 18 my gf is 17 she is from Virgina but we are in Pennsylvania where aoc is 16 but she is from VA where its 18. Does aoc depend on where you are or is it where you are from?

Answer:
 Contestant advice? Are you having sex on a game show?

Laws apply where you are, not where you're from.


Title: Roomate went out of town, left dog in the care of the household. Friend of household (who has walked dog in the past) took dog on her regular afternoon walk through her regular route. Cat lunged out of a bush unseen prior. Dog injured cat. Roomate, friend, and myself being asked to pay 5kbills. LA

Question:
I am separating any type of emotion from this post as much as possible.

The purpose of this post is to seek advice on how to legally protect the roommate, the dog, the friend, and myself.  As well as how to settle on half of the medical bills. I feel that paying the full amount is not our responsibility due to the facts of the situation.

Additional facts: LA COUNTY CA

The injury did not happen on the cat owners property.

The cat lunged from a bush, previously unseen by the dog or the friend walking the dog. She lunged at/in front of the dog. The dog responded.
Friend intervened  and got in the middle of the dispute. Screamed for help. The cats owner ran from inside his home with wife in tow.
Owner of the cat then assaulted the dog and sprayed both friend and dog with hose.
Dog did not attack owner of the cat or act aggressively in any manner toward him - while being assaulted, or after.

Friend was injured by cat and dog, but no punctures. Friend freed the cat and it ran off.
The dog did not attempt to pursue the cat.
The owner of the cat then proceeded to film friend on cellphone camera,, asked friend for name and the information of where the dog lived and whom owned the dog.
Cat owner acknowledged  on film “i know you did not intend for this to happen, and our cat was outside”

Owner if car then said would call animal services.

I was asleep at home (the reason friend was walking the cat is because I had worked all day after waking up at an irregular morning hour to take roomate to the airport and wasn’t feeling well. Friend whom was over visiting, offered to walk the dog. I said no twice. Friend insisted. To which i agreed, friend had walked the dog in the past many times)

The friend then had to walk back to the house, after the incident and arrived injured. I tended to friends injuries as well as the dogs. And contacted the roomate whom was across the country.

Friend was injured in the event and had to go to urgent care. Friend is not pressing charges against cat owner or roommate. Both roommate and cat owner are holding friend most responsible.
The three of us (myself, friend, roommate) agree we should split the cost equally.

The three of us reached out and were in contact with the owner immediately.
He said he would stay in contact.
Owner of the cat contacted animal services after speaking with the room-ate and roommate had expressed that we could not afford the cost of the full vet bill, which cat owner expressed  would be placed fully on us.

Fast forward to today. I was sent a video. And a text message.
The cat lived, however had to have its leg amputated. The video was of the cat walking in  its home with three legs. Then cat owner proceeded to text ME (as far as I know I am the only one who received this video) and used language that insinuates the dog is 1: mine, 2:that the dog destroyed the life of the cat and the family members lives. 3:a threat to the neighborhood “she will attack again” under a false presumption, that the dog” has no business living in a small apartment”
(we live in a two story townhome, not a small apartment by ANY means )  “ due to the dogs breed type.

Cat owner then provided paypal and email and said would accept cash check or pay-pal and would be adding an additional 1k charge to the vet bill for pain and suffering  and other care the cat would need.
The total amount is just below 5k

Cat owner is aware that the three of us are unable to pay that amount. And is still pressing the issue that we are responsible for the full amount.

I am concerned for the dog in this case. My heart goes out to the cat. I am relieved the cat lived and I am saddened that the cat only has three legs and is in pain.

However, I am concerned he will take un-just action against the dog and the dogs owner.

I am concerned for everyones well being in this case.

Info on The dog: rescue animal adopted from a shelter nearby.. was in the shelter for less than a day when adopted.
The dog has lived in the same neighborhood for a few years. Female. Pitbull rhodesian ridgeback mix. She lives a very active lifestyle, gets along well with most other animals and spends most of her days with large groups of children. She even has cat friends.

I have suggested to the roommate and friend that we settle on half of the bill. I am not willing to pay more than that. I feel that the cats owner is half responsible for the incident. I was not there or involved physically. i was not asked formally to care for the dog, nor was I compensated. However I accept the responsibility being placed upon me out of compassion for the cat and this situation. This situation could cause me homelessness due to the cost he is asking we all pay in conjunction with the high rent we are all already responsible for.

However, I believe This could have happened with any other dog in the neighborhood.  I have witnessed multiple times while walking the roomates dog , other dogs pulling and lunging at said roomates dog without any prior or post action being taken by the roomates dog, these dogs are large breeds like huskys and shepherds, and they do it from across the street.

She is not an aggressive animal.
However she is a hunting breed and I full well know the scopes of that label. She is not used to hunt however.

TLDR:
An unsupervised cat lunged out of an unseen location, outside of its home property,  during peak dog walking hours in our neighborhood, at a leashed dog while dog was on her regular twice daily walk on her own home street.

The number and time frame he is requesting compensation is not realistic for the three of us involved.
My concern is that he will take un warranted adverse action towards the dog. According to California law. The dog was not in violation of any ordinance. She was leashed, walking on the sidewalk, by a competent human.

Any advice on how to present the offer of half compensation (just below 2,500) to the owner of the cat and avoid adverse action being taken on the roommate or the dog would be greatly appreciated.
All information provided is provided to the best of my knowledge.
Both parties are biased to the care of their animal involved. It is important to me that this matter is resolved fairly and both animals involved get to live their lives.
Thank you for your time.

Answer: She's taking advantage of you. Don't pay a cent. Tell her to sue you and settle it in court.Answer #2: Don’t pay, that’s accepting responsibility. The cat instigated and got injured as a result. That’s the owner’s fault for not keeping an eye on their cat or keeping them inside.