Title: My HOA has put a lien on my condo. What can I do?

Question:
A quick rundown. I have a condo that I rent out. I had set my HoA fees up for automatic payment from a credit card at the beginning of the year. I pay this credit card balance in full each month. Last month I noticed the HoA has not been taking ANY fees out and my account balance with them was overdue $750. I immediately paid $200 and planned on paying the remaining amount this month. I was stupid not to double check and make sure the fee was coming out and also notice what had been coming off my credit card but I honestly forgot about it.

So last night I checked my PO Box and they had sent a letter there with an intent to put a lien if I did not pay in full within 10 days. I just checked my online account and it appears they have gone through with the lien. I can’t reach anyone over the weekend. I’ve already repaid the entire amount plus this month so my account is technically paid ahead now.

Can they foreclose on my condo? I do have a mortgage/primary lien holder on it as well. I am in Tennessee.
Topic:
Real Estate law

Answer: The lien is removed once you pay the outstanding debt. But realistically the lien was for them to get in line for if you sell they get thier 700 bux. Seems  kinda dumb to lien on a property thag a honest mistake was being made. After you made the 200$ payment you showed intent to pay but hey its thier money to blow.


Title: Consequences of an eviction? (NYC)

Question:
My mom is a non US citizen who hopes to get a green card within the next few years.  She plans to move from her current apartment where she is the sole person on the lease.  However, the landlord isnt realising her from the lease without penalty (even though she pays $1400 for a 2 bedroom apt in NYC).  The penalty is very steep so we are considering to just not pay rent and have her evicted.  She has no credit and doesnt really need it so thats not a big concern.  The big concern is would an eviction on her record stop her from obtaining a green card/ citizenship in the future?

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We are trying to get out of the lease by assigning the lease to someone else. (They have to release from lease if reason for denying the assigment is unreasonable.  They will 100% deny it because of the low price of the rent)

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The building's side door is always unlocked.  Anyone can get in. (Was thinking about using this info to fight eviction to be released from lease)

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Part of the ceiling fell in the apartment once, leaving a big hole that has since been reparied.

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Any advice, info, or input aprreciated.

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Answer: An eviction will make it very difficult to find a place to live in the future. It's a civil matter not criminal.


Title: Trying to exit a perpetual contract in NYC, but the other party is threatening legal action. HELP!

Question:
I'm a musician in a band. In June, an "agent" found us and signed with us a contract to receive 20% of gross revenue from opportunities that he directly influenced or secured. He promised a lot of things but never delivered.

The contract didn't have an end-date, is non-exclusive.

In early September, the first opporunity that he booked and secured for us, ever, happened to be a gig where a prominent music manager noticed us and talked about a potential deal.

We figured that since our previous agent (I use that term generously) wasn't doing much for us, we'd email him telling him we'd like to terminate our agreement. We have new things on the horizon and don't really want him involved. Now he's threatening lawsuits because he claims we wouldn't know the potential prominent music manager without him, and that he is entitled to any any all revenue generated through a relationship with the new manager.

Am I fucked here? Are contracts without end dates even enforceable in the state of New York? Am I free to exit at any time?

Any and all advice is appreciated.

Answer:
 Yikes. Proceed directly to a contracts attorney who has experience in the entertainment industry. Do not pass Go, do not collect an advance from your new manager.

A contract without an end date is enforceable but can often be terminated. Because your former agent directly introduced you to the manager you're now looking to sign with, there is some chance the payment clause should be enforced in some form. However, 20% of your _gross_ from your new manager is enough money that you need a professional who is responsible to you to look at the situation and advise you.


Title: [CA] My insurance has delayed getting me an MRI for 10+ months for my injured knee. They denied the 2nd request from my Dr without letting anyone know about it for 6 months. Now they require that I do physical therapy before getting an MRI, despite pleas from my Dr.

Question: [deleted]

Answer: What I saw is that neither you or your doctor checked the status of the MRI authorization for 6 months.


Title: [GA][Atlanta] - My landlord (who has a history of shady behavior) seems to be extorting me.

Question:
I'm currently living month-to-month in a duplex. My landlord has raised my rent several times, as he is legally obligated to do (as long as he gives 60 days notice), but today was very different.

You see, he has a pattern of showing up and banging at the door without any warning, demanding to be let in to "check on the HVAC system" or stuff of that nature. Every single time, I have pointed out to him very calmly and in plain terms that the local law states that, in non-emergencies, he must give 24 hours notice if he wants to be let into the residence uninvited.

That hasn't stopped it from happening at this point about ten times. I insisted that all conversations we had when these incidents happen occur over text message so I had it all on record. I still have all of these conversations. In one of them, he even says he is not going to leave until I let him in. I didn't cave, and he eventually left.

Anyway, today he said that he is hiking our rent $400/mo (which is about a 25% raise) starting in 60 days unless we start giving him free access to the residence whenever he wants.

Am I wrong to think that this constitutes extortion? He's demanding I pay him more money unless I let him break a law.

This is not the first time he has done crooked things:

- Our agreed upon policy with rent (until this incident) had been that I would send him rent checks in the mail. One month, the check never made it to him for whatever reason. I offered to provide him with another check in person on the day rent was due, since he lives close by, but he said that wasn't necessary, and he could wait. However, several days later, after it still hasn't shown up, he demands that I provide him not only with rent but a late fee. The lease says *nothing* about late fees, and I made a good faith effort to get him the money in a timely fashion when the method he wanted to rely on failed. He wouldn't accept rent that month unless I paid the late fee and made numerous eviction threats.

- He wrongly accused me of not paying rent several months in the past (i.e. several months before the complaint, not today). After I said that my bank statements confirm that I did, in fact, pay rent that month, he demanded a copy of **all** of my bank statements going back to when I moved in. I said that was a huge breach of privacy and refused. He kept raising a fuss about it, and I ultimately agreed to providing him specifically with documents that Bank of America produces that include all of the information, including a scanned images, of all checks deposited against the account.

- The Atlanta Gas Light technician that hooked up our gas said that every last one of the gas powered appliances (gas dryer, water heater, stove/oven, and HVAC system) is not up to code. He insists (maybe he is right?) that he isn't obligated to fix these because he is grandfathered in. However, the fire extinguisher he provided us with is non-functional and about a decade past its expiration date.

- In the summer, the HVAC system stopped working, and he comes by with a technician who quickly determines that the coils need cleaning, something that is considered routine maintenance that you are *supposed* to (even if most people dont) do yearly. In front of both myself and my significant other (who is also a resident here), he stated that since it was a quick and easy job, he'd only want $25. Three months later (in October!) my landlord says that he needs me to repay him the $200 that it cost for him to have the technician clean out the HVAC system. I told him that, not only was he blatantly lying about the cost, but that the expense was his obligation. He continued to harp on the subject for awhile before giving up.

- I'm a software developer. Upon finding out about this, he has put pressure on me to pirate copyrighted material on his behalf and provide it to him.

- He demanded that I immediately and permanently give him the only key to a lock on an external storage unit on the property that he was letting me use as part of the rental agreement. I pointed out that, since it was in the lease but we were month-to-month, he could reclaim with and only with 60 days notice. Once I brought this up, he dropped the subject and has not brought it up since.

- Pounding very intensely on the door and yelling one time we wouldn't let him in to the point I was genuinely terrified of him breaking into the unit and came close to calling the cops.

Am I wrong to think it's time to just file suit against this guy? I don't have any cash for a retainer right now, but maybe I can get a lawyer who will take the case for a contingency fee?

Answer:
 It sounds as though you have a terrible landlord and should likely move.

Your landlord is generally able to ask you to (but cannot force you to) provide him more generous access to the property than the notice required by law.  And it sounds as though your landlord is able to raise your rent at this point.  The combination of those two things may be unconscionable, but may not be legally actionable.

What losses do you have that you intend to sue for?

Edit: typo


Title: [VA] Mom divorcing Dad

Question:
I'm 24 years old and just completed my degree with a job lined up in a few months. My other brother is out of the house. However, I came back home and discovered my parents on the brink of divorce. I've been living here for a month and got to see all what's happening first hand.

My father is a narcissist who completely controls my Mom and she is reaching her breaking point. He controls everything: money, who she can talk to, expecting every meal perfect, etc. He is a narcissist and will use any opportunity to make people feel sympathy for him.

My mother is hesitant about going through with divorce because she is a stay at home mom for over 30 years. She doesn't have the money to pay for a lawyer. This is seriously the only thing that's holding her back. It's devastating to watch her because the psychological fear has taken a physical, stressful toll on her well being and I'm super concerned.

What should we do?

Answer: She can open her own personal account, and remove money from the joint account for an attorney consultation. She would very likely receive spousal support and/or alimony, especially after a 30 year marriage.


Title: Someone trying to get ups pkg by using my address

Question:
Hi, (Miami, FL)

I don't know if this is going to be very clear; I just want to know if I need to call the police, please.

UPS just came to deliver a letter to my address, but to somebody else's name. The driver said that he had spoken to the young man earlier in the day who claimed that my address was his home. He said the young man was in the front yard and said he didn't have ID to be able to pick up the package, and please come back later. The UPS driver just came back to try to deliver it again. Also, the sticker that the UPS delivery person left on the front door is missing. My family's been in this house for 50 years and we have never rented to anybody, nor do I know who this person is that is trying to get his letter here.

What should I do, please?

Thank you so much!!

Answer:
 > He said the young man was in the front yard and said he didn't have ID to be able to pick up the package, and please come back later.

Sounds like someone is attempting to use your address as a dead drop for something illegal. It's very reminiscent of a kind of credit card fraud that one of my buddies was busted doing a decade ago.

I would call UPS and explain that someone is attempting to use your address fraudulently, and to send back whatever package is that they're trying to deliver.


Title: GA: Odd custody battle with ex over my child and child support

Question:
So my situation is a little different then most. I'm gonna try and keep it sort and simple, and time of events in order.

5 years ago, my ex left me. We had a daughter together, who has my last name and just were not ready for marriage yet. Didn't want the stress of it yet, had been together for 3.5 years before, never an issue or question in my mind about our relationship or whatever. (Honestly that part doesn't matter)

So, I leave for a 2 month work trip, shit gets weird, she acts sketchy, blah blah blah. I get back, we break up thru a text message. (Really, a text message)

Anyway, she goes off in within 6 months is engaged, 3 months after is married to the guy likely she cheated on me with. (No proof, doesn't matter). Thru this time, she makes it extremely difficult to see my daughter, every excuse in the book why she can't or wasn't feeling well. Seriously, every excuse ever. Even on her birthday.

As time goes on, shit gets a little better we make friends again and I can see my daughter like every other weekend and it was great. My ex definitely damaged my relationship with my daughter and taught her that her new husband was "dad". Not fucking okay obviously.

However, building a relationship with my daughter was important and when she is old enough, she will know the truth.

Here's where it gets fun. The legal aspect of it. I've paid Child Support every month since we broke up. We made a BS contract (which I still have I think) using the GA child support calculator and came up with $800.00. I never wanted to involve courts, I felt it was wrong and may have been my mistake beforehand.

She goes thru jobs every 6 months, very unstable financially and specifically avoids any question regarding her income, so that the Child Support number may change, because at least for the past 2 years her income was slightly more then mine.

Thats part A. (Child support portion)

Part B.

She know got divorced about 2 months ago, just got finalized and is onto her new BF who was the neighbor she likely was cheating the whole fucking time on her husband with. (From what I can gather, the now ex husband and the new BF were friends before, and likely not now). Now, she gives every other weekend the now ex husband to have my daughter, while she can go off and have fun.

I have a big fucking issue that I'm paying Child Support and having this shit dictated when I can see my kid or my family (dad has stage 3, it really brightens his day seeing his grand daughter).

I have a stable career and 2 side companies I own parts of. I've got one of the cleanest records you've ever seen outside a few speeding tickets here and there. My career does a background check that is low level security clearance because of what I have access to information wise. So, that being said I have nothing to worry about looking good on paper or in court.

I have a meeting with a lawyer I was referred to in about 2 weeks to discuss options, but I want to come prepared. I want to hear what I could actually make a case on. Can the courts go back thru her income, and show I didn't owe that much? Can they make her prove she's actually spending the money I'm giving her? Anything? Or am I just fucked into the system?

Thank you

Answer:
 Your case is not odd at all. You are a young man who unwisely was afraid of courts only to discover now that legal system is the only way to preserve your rights.

> Can the courts go back thru her income, and show I didn't owe that much?

They can but they will be more concerned with your income and your payments. I pray you have good records.

> Can they make her prove she's actually spending the money I'm giving her?

Nope. Of course she is spending the money. Unless your kid is abused or neglecting stop worrying about what she spends the money on. The answer is rent & food.

> Or am I just fucked into the system?

The system is actually going to help you establish legal visitaion. You may want to consider filing for primary and get a full 50/50 split of your childs time. You seem stable. You have a reason to want her around (to be around granddad) and she has a history of tumultuous relationships. "Your Honor, Sweetpie needs to learn who her Dad is not spend time around not Dad #2."


Title: Pulled-over for traffic violation, Officer casually mentions marijuana smell, asks "incriminating" questions- how should I have responded and how might he have responded? (MD)

Question:
As a long time lurker, I feel a little foolish exposing myself as a no-good, would-be "drug offender"[?], but last night was SO jarring that, besides being a bit of a wake-up call, I could use some outside perspective on it.

While visiting a friend, we smoked (marijuana) together in my parked car before heading inside to his shared living space. Much later, while getting something to eat, I attempted to pull what turned out to be an illegal u-turn, only to be immediately pulled-over by the police.

By the time I did, I'd already begun making peace with the fact that my life was potentially over-- but when the officer came to my window, he mentioned only the illegal u-turn, and asked some questions about my address and why I was in the area. After telling him I was just visiting, he went back to his cruiser and we waited.

When he returned, he told me that he would only be issuing a warning! Relieved (beyond measure), I was stammering my gratitudes when he, as almost an afterthought, mentioned he "smelled some weed" from the car and said "You wouldn't have anything illegal in the vehicle would you?" I said only a polite but firm "No, sir", to which he suggested we more likely "didn't have any on us but had been smoking" or even "smoked something earlier in the evening, and/but left it at home" (true).

I was terrified at this point, but was able to answer his first questions clearly (no drugs/paraphernalia in the car)- it was the last few that shook me and have me curious as to his motives for asking. I continued to deny his inquiries in the same manner, but offered no counter explanation, as I did not want to incriminate myself by actually *explaining* the origin of the smell.

Finally I rushed in with a bit of an abrupt/desperate "Well, thank you for this [the warning], really appreciate it!!", at which point he DID allow us to go and said no more of it (as I went on to spend the rest of the night examining some of my more recent life-choices.)

Still, my QUESTION is this: had I *not* flatly denied everything, and instead admitted to having smoked earlier in the evening, would it have affected the outcome? Would such an admission have given him cause to search my vehicle, or perhaps perform a sobriety test?

And if NOT, what might have been his reason for asking these questions??

Finally, what consequences might I have faced if things had gone differently, and/or what are some other ways this could have gone?

Thanks so much for the insight, I've taken a lesson from this scare and am hoping to learn a little bit more!

Answer:
 I'm predicting the scare you got will last for exactly four days. Answer #2: > had I not flatly denied everything, and instead admitted to having smoked earlier in the evening, would it have affected the outcome?

Yes, you would be in jail now, instead of posting on reddit.

> Would such an admission have given him cause to search my vehicle, or perhaps perform a sobriety test?

Yes, and Yes

>  what might have been his reason for asking these questions??

He's trying to catch people breaking the law.

>  what consequences might I have faced if things had gone differently

DWI, search of your car and your home, prosecution for possession of M.  depending on amount and state, 10 years in jail


Title: We found bedbugs in our apartment. Now we are being charged almost $800 in late rent fees and the office hangs up every time we try to call [MO]

Question:
Ok. I never post to reddit so excuse any formatting errors. Also, sorry if this is a jumbled mess.. It's late and I am exhausted.
Husband and I (newly pregnant at the time) moved into our apartment around this time last year.
No bedbugs until early May this year. I found one on our mattress and called the office only to be told that I was probably mistaken. They couldn't do anything until I caught a few in a ziplock bag.
A few weeks go by. No more bugs to be found and I finally have my baby on the 15th.
Get home on the 18th and the first night home my newborn and I have numerous bites on our legs and arms. Awesome.
We are lucky and catch a few in a bag the very next morning and bring the bag to the office. They send an exterminator out to the apartment and treat the place while we stay at our in-law's.
Get back and everything seems fine. The office tells us **they didn't find any bugs**. Uh. Okay. They seem to be gone regardless so I wasn't going to argue.
Two weeks go by and the exterminators come to do a check up on the place. Husband and I overhear one telling the other to double check under two of our chairs in our living room because they had found nests in the floorboards where the carpet and wall meets.
I would like to note that not only was all of our furniture bought new after we moved into this place, but my husband and I are total recluses. Especially during my pregnancy. Any time we had away from work was spent exclusively watching TV in our bedroom. And we had NO guests over.  We never used these chairs. They were almost more for decoration that actual use.
I confirm what I heard from the exterminator and he told me that he could not be 100% sure, but it seemed these bugs were not brought in by us.
Fine. Whatever. They leave and we hear nothing else from the office. No notice or call concerning the issue for almost two months.
That is, until we are hit with a $100 late fee. Well, we have never paid rent late so we called the office and they inform us that they were charging us $500 for the pest control, and we hadn't paid it, so there was now another $100 on top of that. Of course if we paid them by September 30th they would be kind enough to wave the $100 late fee.

We were obviously pretty upset over this. There was never anything that said we were being charged for this service. I have read the lease over and over and NOWHERE does it say we are responsible for pest control. In fact it says that any pest control will be covered by the apartment. When we touched on that they told us bedbugs were different and counted as damage to the property.
We called the company which came out to do the extermination and were told that not only did the exterminator confirm that he did not think we were at fault, but they had an extensive history with this apartment complex and they had been treating **5 out of 6 units in our building alone since before April**.
 Again, we did not even have this problem until May.
When I ask how they can charge late fees on a sum of money we were never given a 'pay by' date they dance around the issue and just say "Well are you going to pay it, or not?".
When we ask why we are being charged for bedbugs that are obviously not our fault they tell us that "Bedbugs do not just happen. They have to be brought in by the tenant, therefore we are responsible for the damage done to the property. There are no other apartments in the complex that have issues with bedbugs".
My husband has gotten the run around multiple times on the phone with the (extremely condescending) woman that runs the office. Any time he tries to ask a legitimate question concerning these fees he is spoken over and mocked. The last few phone calls have ended with her hanging up on him.
Now, we have received a notice that the last two months of rent are delinquent and every 8 days we acquire another $50 in late fees.
As I said, we pay rent on time every month. By check. Specifically stating "Rent for -lot number here-".
We called the office again today and they told us that any monies taken went to charges for the pest control, so technically we never actually paid rent at all and still owed it.
I don't understand how one day we are told to pay fees for the extermination by Sep. 30th (which we actually have her saying on a message, saved on my husband's phone), then another day told money has already been taken from our rent payment, so now it's not that we owe for the extermination.. but the rent itself.

I think that is everything... I hope that wasn't too bad of a jumbled mess. Right now this 'Delinquent rent' crap is totally messing up our credit and we couldn't get another apartment if we wanted to.
So, Reddit.. are we totally screwed here?
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: You need to get some advice on this. Landlords cannot arbitrarily divert your rent to some other use.  This link contains lots of useful info for MissourI renters.  See the section on legal advice.  Good luck, i hope the landlord gets whats coming to them.  https://www.landlordology.com/missouri-landlord-tenant-laws/Answer #2: I don't have any advice on the money  situation, but I would suggest you  stop talking to them over the phone and have all your future communication with them be in writing


Title: [MA] car insurance premium as the result of an accident

Question:
First of all, I know I made a really stupid choice. Admitted, owned, acknowledged. Throwaway account.

I had a perfect driving record. My (ex)boyfriend’s driving record was less than perfect (speeding tickets, not accidents). We live(d) together and were on the same, well, everything - including car insurance policy. Fast forward 2 more years into our relationship, and he sideswipes one of those concrete barriers at the gas station. Obviously he wasn’t driving fast - he just wasn’t paying attention - but he did some serious damage to his car.

Being the perfect little know-it-all, excellent driver that I am (r/sarcasm), with my perfect little driving record, I said NBD, I’ll just say I was driving. So I did, the claim was filed and the car was repaired.  This wasn’t an issue where we had to call the police; it was more about whether we pay it out of pocket or go through the insurance. The repair cost was enough that we definitely had to go through the insurance.

Fast forward another 5 months, and 2 big things happen. The first is, we break up. The second is, I get the 6-month renewal info for the car insurance, and see that the premium has increased significantly. As the breakup is new, he still hasn’t separated from our joint policy yet (he just moved out 2 weeks ago). So I called the insurance company and asked for a quote for just me, with my car. It’s still more than double what it should be, if I still had the same perfect driving record. ($81/month to $183/month).

I’m assuming you can guess the question: what are the consequences if I call my car insurance company rep and tell her I wasn’t the one driving in that accident back in November?

tl;dr: I lied to my car insurance company about who was driving in a single-car accident. Should I come clean, or just eat the higher premium for the next 3 years?

Answer: Possible criminal charges for insurance fraud. 3 yeara of higher premiums will probably be cheaper than a lawyer.


Title: Hello, I became a cryptocurrency millionaire before I will get married ($3M in crypto now). I live in the US. Does the fact that I bought the crypto *before* getting married protect me in the case of a future divorce?

Question:
First of all, this is me for reference:

https://np.reddit.com/r/ethtrader/comments/6chmu6/i_just_became_a_crypto_millionaire/

As before, I am using this throwaway account for obvious reasons.

Update: My portfolio is now worth over $3M. (I have put another $50k of USD fiat since my post above).

--------

The situation: I have a girlfriend and I am thinking about getting married in the future. I live in the U.S.

All my $3M worth of crypto will have been purchased before we marry. Any crypto we purchase after we get married will be both of ours.

She knows I have a good holding of crypto, but she does not know exactly how much. She probably thinks it's just a few hundred thousand.

Our relationship is great, and I really do not foresee any problems down the road, but I like to play financial issues carefully and I know that no one *plans* on having a divorce. But they can happen.

So my main question is: **In the unfortunate case of a future divorce, could my future wife realistically obtain my crypto assets even if I purchased them all before we married?**

The key to my question is the fact that I bought the crypto *before we got married*. I know that we would split assets if I acquired them while we were married.

I'd love to hear your thoughts and suggestions, mainly from people who know the laws on this sort of thing or who went through similar situations.

Thank you in advance.

Answer:
 Without your location, it is absolutely possible that your wife would be entitled to some (or half) of that money. A robust pre-nup would almost certainly protect you.

Finally. DUDE! You have 3 million dollars. Speak to an actual lawyer rather than using us internet, armchair lawyers. Answer #2: Would a pre-nup be an option?Answer #3: The state you are in is super important info.

Without knowing that, there are situations in which may directly or indirectly be entitled to your pre-marital assets. Some states say that income and profits accrued during a marriage are joint assets. So if your cryptocurrency gains value over the course of the marriage, she *may* be entitled to a portion of it. So this isn't a cut and dry question. It depends on many things. A pre-nup written by an attorney is your best best to protect your pre-marital assets.


Title: I hang out with my girlfriend at her place, gf's roommate is pissed and went to leasing office citing "legality implications"

Question:
LOCATION: MICHIGAN, USA

So this is likely going to be long....

Anyways, to add more details, the roommate is a PHD student and therefore is always super busy and stressed with work/school.  At first, the roommate's issue was that I was coming over to watch TV but she could hear the TV and we were talking so she couldn't study in her room.  Even one time when we hung out in my girlfriend's room for 3 hours talking she said it was a distraction to her studying (on the other side of the apartment in her room) and it bothered her.

Roommate tried to say we should just hang out at MY apartment all the time instead. And we do hang out at my apartment sometimes....but neither of us want to confine ourselves to one place.  My gf is paying half the rent for her place and she deserves to be able to use it from time to time to entertain friends/guests I would imagine.  Anyways, my gf wasn't agreeable to us just NEVER hanging out in her own apartment which I think is reasonable. So this started the first drama.  Basically my gf tried to talk things through with the roommate and set up a schedule that worked best for everyone.  That way, if there were specific days the roommate needed the apartment to study then we would stay out so she could have it to herself.  Other days, when she didn't need it to study, we could hang out, watch tv, etc and it would be ours for a few hours  for that evening.  Roommate was not agreeing to setting up a schedule that worked for everyone and basically just stopped talking to (in person) and responding to my gf's texts.  This went on for a few months until the end of the semester (december) when the roommate and gf both talked things out and agreed they were both being a bit unreasonable.  We thought the issue was solved at this point but apparently not.

Anyways, most of January has been fine.  My gf has been texting the roommate making sure she didn't need the apartment for studying and if she did then it was no big deal and we wouldn't hang out there that night.  That was going well for most of January until last week or so when on a Friday night we were watching TV in the living room on a night where the roommate said it was ok for us to come over and use the apt as she didn't have to study/do hw.  The next day roommate sent a text to my gf saying how she didn't like that we were in living room watching tv till almost midnight and that this arrangement wasnt working out for her anymore.  my gf texted back saying she was under the impression that if the roommate didnt need the apt for studying we were free to watch tv, cook, TALK, etc.  My gf then told the roommate she would like to talk about things in person as soon as they could so that they dont misinterpret each other over text and whatnot.  So then the roommate texts back saying she doesnt want to talk about it as they already tried that before, so instead she went to the leasing office "and they will be contacting you to set up a meeting to discuss some things that have been going on that have legality implications."

Also, I also spend the night 1-2 times a week (we hang out in total at her place no more than 2-3 times a week).  I understand how me spending the night could be an issue (and we will be checking the lease to see what it says regarding that), but outside of me spending the night, is there anything the roommate can do to stop me from coming over, hanging out with my gf, eating dinner with, watching tv with, etc (assuming I leave at a decent hour and don't spend the night......my gf usually goes to bed around 10/1030).  I have never been in the apartment by myself and I don't use any of the roommates things (my gf has her own bathroom)...so it's not like i'm hanging out there when my gf isn't around.  Also, the roommate has NEVER once mentioned that me spending the night is a problem...just that us in the apartment watching tv and talking is an issue when she studies.

So what leg does the roommate have to stand on, outside of me spending the night (which I agree with, is a legit argument if the roommate wants to make that argument)?  Can she get me "banned" from coming over to watch tv and hanging out with gf at a reasonable hour for 2-3 times a week for a couple hours (2-4) each time?  Seems a bit ridiculous.

Answer:
 In Saudi Arabia, the housing complex could have you put to death for spending the night with a woman to whom you're not married.  I'm guessing that's where you live, since you didn't put a location like you were supposed to.Answer #2: >Can she get me "banned" from coming over to watch tv and hanging out with gf at a reasonable hour for 2-3 times a week for a couple hours (2-4) each time?

No, but I suspect that her roommate has a very different impression of how much time you spend there. She can't get you banned from the apartment, but if you're over so often that you're basically a third roommate, it could be a problem.Answer #3: The only issue is going to be if the lease says no over night guests or limits how often.

She likely cannot get you banned from coming over. This is likely a bluff but if not, your GF needs to explain that any breach of the lease effects both tenants if they are on the same lease. So if both signed one lease, both will be in trouble for violations of the lease.


Title: [Serious] (US) Election Justice USA has proof that Bernie Sanders actually won the Democratic primary. Is there a way to legally pass an injunction to have this proven in a court of law before the November election?

Question: I am only interested in learning if something like this is possible, rather than opinions on political views.  Is an injunction possible?

Answer:
 I will pretend for a moment that your statement is factually correct.

Party primaries are neither required to be nor are they advertised as democratic. The parties and their delegates can more or less do whatever they want to pick a candidate. Outright fraud would cause problems - is that what you are alleging? Or, rather, do you just think that it's unfair?


Title: Had two days off work, received the new schedule with my name removed without reason. Possible wrongful termination?

Question:
So I work at a holiday inn, I have been there more than 90 days so I’m not in a probationary period. They hired two new front desk agents and even though we were supposedly over staffed. This hotel in particular likes to just remove their employees from the schedule and not inform them that they’re fired or why. And then the manager would just say he’s in a meeting whenever the employees come in to try and discuss what happened.

Now, I have no write ups, I’ve never been confronted about something I did, I am passed probationary period, if over staffed why hire new employees? And then fire another employee who’s been there longer.

It’s looking like discrimination. And I’m in Florida so idk what the laws are or rules on firing someone but it just seems really wrong to not give a notice or reasoning.

What are some things I can do or steps
I can take? Is it possible to sue for discrimination and wrongful termination? Maybe go corporate?

Willing to answer any questions .

Answer: Nothing in your post gives any indication your termination was unlawful. File for unemployment. Maybe those two new employees were just really well liked and they didn't need you anymore.Answer #2: It's not wrongful. They can fire you for no reason at all or for many other reasons even if they feel "really wrong". It is only discrimination if you have been treated differently *due to* your membership in a protected class and you have given no reason to believe that it is. ("Like the new employees better" is not a protected class.)Answer #3: Why is it discrimination?


Title: i owe child support had my passport revoked now i can't return to us

Question:
I moved to the caribbean for a job, and lost it i fell behind on child support and lost my passport. i know being stuck on a tropical island sounds great, but id like to return home. i miss my family, civilization and my life. is there anything that can be done? there is no embassy here, its not big enough.
The child support order is from michigan.

Answer:
 > there is no embassy here, its not big enough.

There is an embassy or consulate that covers your territory.  Contact them.


Title: Partner willingly wants to leave company, demanding money we don't have, threatening arbitration.

Question:
This is a throwaway account.

We are a C-Corp incorporated in Nevada with equity divided equally between 3 founders. There have been no other investors or equity distribution. One founder willingly wants to leave, but he's being a stickler about his buyout price. At first, he demanded $70,000 which he now has brought down to $23,000, but this is a number we still can't afford. He is threatening to take this to arbitration unless we agree to a number he likes. The company is an online only operation with a website and an eBay store. Here are some facts:

Revenue by year is declining: 2013 = 700k, 2014 = 550k, 2015 = 400k, 2016 = 250k,

Current Inventory: $8000

Tangible Assets (laptops, machinery, etc.): $5000

Intangible Assets: Our website, eBay account

There has been no payroll for over a year and half.

Debts and Accounts Payable: $18,000

Average Monthly Revenue: $20,000

Lease (1.4 years left): $2100 a month

At the end of each month, our bank account is left with only a few hundred dollars, and debts continue to grow every month. We also have an F on the BBB website (but great reviews on websites relevant to our market).

He has tried to find a buyer, but no one is interested in just his share. He supposedly found a group willing to buy the company for $70k, but the other partner and myself do not want to sell.

We have offered him $12,000 ($7,000 upfront, and $5000 overtime), but he absolutely refuses to take it.

What are our options? What will happen in arbitration? Will they demand that we pay an obscene amount even if we don't have it? Also, I know it may be hard to answer, but what would be a fair amount to offer given the facts above?

Answer:
 I'd tell him "Sorry, no."
Based on what you've written and on the provision in your bylaws, you don't have any obligation to buy out his shares.  The bylaw provisions you posted give you and the company rights of first refusal, but that doesn't mean that either of you have to actually buy the shares.

Regarding valuation, if you're losing money every month (which you are, otherwise debts would not be increasing), then you have a net loss every month, with no substantial assets.  Which means that the company isn't worth anything.  Why are you still continuing to operate?

It's unclear why he thinks he can push you into arbitration.  Is there a separate agreement on that?
Answer #2: If someone wanted to pay me $70k for my $18k debt I would probably take that deal.


Title: [PA] Police raided my parents’ house and took my brother for a polygraph test.

Question:
I no longer live with my parents, so all information I have is second hand, given to me by my mom. This morning police showed up to my parents’ house with a warrant to search the house for child pornography. They specifically asked for my brother. From what my mom tells me they took my brother to the police barracks for questioning while using a polygraph. My parents’ nor I have ever had to deal with anything like this.

My brother is 23 years old and was sort of a failure to launch. He’s been living at home his entire life, has never had a steady job, and from what he has told me and my parents he’s been trying to become a professional online-gamer. I don’t know enough about his lifestyle to elaborate on that further other than that he really likes video games, and occasionally proudly shows me videos of him ending up on people’s twitch.tv streams. I know that it sounds cliché and like what everyone says about criminals in documentaries, but it doesn’t seem like my brother would be getting involved in child pornography. That being said, I am afraid that he’s being questioned without any sort of legal counsel, I’m afraid that due to his inability to adapt to real life he doesn’t understand that he needs legal counsel, and I don’t even know where to start with helping my parents figure out how to get him legal counsel. Where do I/my parents start?

Thank you in advance for your help. I follow r/legaladvice for the tree/property damage stories; I never thought I would need to be posting here asking for advice.

Answer:
 While I agree with everyone saying hire a lawyer, I want to point out that they don't get a warrant for somebody with no credible info. They've got something.Answer #2: Your brother should not answer any questions without an attorney. But it likely won't matter. If they find child porn on his computer he's going to prison.Answer #3: You find a lawyer and hire him to represent your brother.

The police can give your brother a polygraph if he agrees to it.  He's an adult.


Title: Ex girlfriend is requesting reimbursement of equity gained in personal condo during relationship

Question:
I live in Willoughby,  OH

Broke up with long time gf this weekend.

Prior to relationship I bought a condo with a total payment of around $1400 per month (for p&I and property tax).

For the last 5y3m the ex cohabitated with me. Our verbal agreement was that we would pay the monthly bills proportional to our income. This meant (approx) that she paid 35% of the monthly mortgage note (along with other utilities).

Now after the break-up she is requesting that I reimburse her for the portion of her 5+ years of payments that went towards the mortgage principle. Arguing that I got to "keep" that money via home equity and that she is not going to let me profit off of her.

An extremely quick Calc rings this up to ~$5000.

Does she have any legal basis in this request? We had no formal written document outlining the conditions of our cohabitation nor any kind of landlord/tenant agreement.

Thanks!

Answer: She has no legal basis whatsoever.


Title: (Update) Home under threat by eminent domain (MA)

Question:
Original post: https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/4fcxkj/home_under_threat_by_eminent_domain_transfer_to/

Since then a few things have happened, but notably it got on the news: http://www.myfoxboston.com/news/carver-residents-fight-to-keep-homes-in-eminent-domain-battle/249218608

Basically, the town of Carver is going to seize properties through eminent domain, develop the land, and then try to sell it off for use as business/industrial. Build it and they will come!

On a hunch, I did some digging into the guy who is in charge of this plan. Turns out, he did the exact same thing in another Massachusetts town. They seized a bunch of property through eminent domain and then began to develop. Then they ran into a bunch of financial problems, not least of which was several court cases where they had to pay the landowners who they ousted way more because they had underpaid them. The land sat around barely developed and was barely sold late last year - over ten years after property was taken. There is still nothing there.

Articles:
http://www.thesunchronicle.com/key-events-in-attleboro-redevelopment-authority-history/article_c276bc68-eaee-11e4-bd6f-d78b7cdb186f.html

http://www.thesunchronicle.com/news/attleboro-s-road-to-nowhere/article_ff420bb2-e6c2-570d-8aad-767eca0796e5.html#user-comment-area

http://www.mclaughlinbrothers.com/cases/cullaz.html

http://pbn.com/Construction-begins-on-53M-Attleboro-youth-and-community-sports-complex,111219

http://www.thesunchronicle.com/attleboro/ara-proposed-business-park-insolvent/article_a0dc54de-a60d-541d-9304-eac50663a23b.html

Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated, but here are a couple precise questions I have:

1. After the fiasco in Attleboro, he was fired. He then sued the town for firing him and eventually won. Obviously, the Town of Carver is not going to want to incur legal expenses for firing this guy. How can a town official be fired? What do they have to do to warrant it?

2. Maybe he is just following a plan he learned in Town Development 101, but if there is any form of corruption going on who would investigate? That is, he could have ties to some developers or something and stands to profit.

Answer:
 MA town politics are famously dirty.  Your best course of action is to  rally all the property owners and get a lawyer.  Internet advice isn't going to cut it as you may need to go to court to save your property.
Answer #2: Unfortunately, it's legal.  https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelo_v._City_of_New_London. Your best bet is trying to sway public opinion so that it is political suicide for a politician to support it.  Good luck.


Title: Where is the line for CPS and adult nudity?

Question:
My ex-wife has primary physical custody.

My son came to see me on one of my weekends. He is four. And as we were discussing the last few weeks with his mom ( I have him every other weekend), he told me that mom's bleed out of their private area.

To keep this short, from him and confirming it with her, I found out that she has told him about periods, private parts, and taken him to the doctor with her for her gynecological exam where she told him what was happening.

Her excuse for the appointment is that she didn't have anyone to watch him and couldn't move her appointment because it was a fairly urgent matter. She said he brought his tablet along and mostly sit in a chair but he occasionally was worried about her and would ask what was happening. She said she wouldn't obviously let him see anything and he mostly set by her head. She did admit it wasn't an ideal situation but she said it was unavoidable.

When asked about the period stuff, she said she explained it when he walked in on her in the bathroom one day and asked where the blood had come from.

He also knows what breasts are and pubic hair and regularly is in the room when she dresses/bathes.

When I try to talk to her about it, she says that it is just a cultural difference and hangs up. " I am not a nudist and this is not sexual. It is just life", she says.   I have managed not to be nude around him ever though.

 I asked him if he ever touched her and anything like that and he said no.

She has been topless when I have gone to pick him up before. She said she was just getting dressed. She does some non sexual nude paintings I know on some weekends when she doesn't have him and there is one of her hanging in the bedroom. I am worried she might be doing it when he is there.

I don't feel she is a danger to him or would put him in harms way but he is really young and that is a lot of information for a 4 year old to have. He is already calling private parts but their real names while his classmates are still saying kid-like nicknames.

I am just not sure where my responsibility to report is. Obviously I feel uncomfortable but I am wondering if this crosses that line where I should report it so someone can look at it and see if this is wrong.

Missouri.

Answer: None of this is anything you need to be reporting to CPSAnswer #2: Yeah, none of this is going to damage your kid unless you start to shame him for it or make him feel uncomfortable.  Heck, some cultures breastfeed their sons until they're 5.


Title: I was part of a 40 person layoff. Now my job is listed on a website. Minnesota

Question: Here is my backstory. I was laid off Sept. 1 2017 as a part of a 40 person layoff. My position was eliminated. I signed a non disclosure agreement which means they paid me severance pay in return that I do not make any claims or take the company to court. After I left they moved another person to my position. He quit 2 weeks later. Now I see my job posting on a work search website. Is there any thing I can do? I live in the United States. Minnesota.

Answer:
 Apply? Maybe get hired.

But they didn't do anything illegalAnswer #2: Maybe they wanted to scrap everybody and start over.

You did file for unemployment right?Answer #3: In short no. Unless you think you were fired for an illegal reason, IE: discrimination, you have no recourse.Answer #4: That just sounds like they’re restructuring the company. Companies do it all the time.


Title: Why do people drink beer concealed in brown paper bags?

Question: I assume there's a legal reason for this, but Idk what it is. Everyone knows what's in the bag. For LocationBot, I'm in Ohio.

Answer:
 My understanding, and I could be wrong here, is that in some places the cops have a mutual understanding with bums/certain people that they wouldn't hassle them for drinking if they cover up the booze. Also in many states alcohol must be bagged in a non-transparent bag (usually paper bag) before leaving the liquor store.

This certainly isn't the case everywhere though. Just look to Oven-Mitt Man and Muffler Man. They both got busted concealing their beverages in California.


Title: (Wisconsin)Father's former company owns a closed landfill. DNR claims I will be liable to pay for annual testing in perpetuity after he dies

Question:
My family owned a business that owned a landfill which has now been closed for several decades.  The WI Dept of Natural Resources has required water testing on the site for a nearby well since the landfill's closure to ensure no contaminants are leaking into the groundwater, of which the annual cost is now $4,000.  Apparently when the landfill was first closed, the tests were only required for about 10 years but since that time (the 1980's I think), we've been told a new statute was passed that required testing of closed landfills basically forever.

My father and his siblings who still own the landfill have asked about other options like donating the land back to the state, etc. so they no longer have to pay for testing but were told the DNR/State of WI doesn't want it.  The DNR is also telling them that once they die, their children will be liable to pay for the annual testing, basically in perpetuity and if we refuse they will go after our assets, garnish wages, etc.  We children have never owned any part of the company that owned the landfill, nor owned the land ourselves; the company also no longer exists.

I've looked around at statutes on the WI State Legislature site and couldn't find much as to specific limits on how long testing is required for closed landfills or responsibility after the owners die, the closest I found was this NR503.08(5)(e), stating:
["Following closure of the one time disposal landfill, the landfill shall be inspected and maintained by the owner or operator."](http://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/code/admin_code/nr/500/503/09/10/b)

They've spoken with a lawyer who used to work for the DNR, he met with the DNR and basically said as it stands their children will still be liable for these inspection costs and suggested they setup a trust with his firm (which makes me leery whether he has our best interests in mind).  I'm wondering whether our inheritance of this testing responsibility is legal or if anyone knows what options we'd have to fight it since we never had been involved with company nor the landfill ourselves.

Edit: thank you guys for all the responses, I think our best bet is to speak to a few other attorneys ideally specializing in estate and/or environmental law in Wisconsin.  I understand we could have to pay something if it would close out the issue but I want to do whatever we can to avoid the requirement of paying for testing every year going forward, and the possibility of our children getting that responsibility later on...

If that means refusing the entire estate we'll have to look into that possibility when speaking with the attorney too, as the annual testing fees and possibility of something going wrong with the land and being liable for an entire cleanup of a landfill we never chose to be involved with is something we want to avoid.

Answer:
 > They've spoken with a lawyer who used to work for the DNR, he met with the DNR and basically said as it stands their children will still be liable for these inspection costs

Sounds like he's parroting the DNR party line. You need to ask him - specifically - under what statute or precedent are children liable for these cleanup costs. Standard estate law does not put you personally on the hook for these.


Title: [Minnesota, USA] Do I have any legal protection against harassment from someone living in another country?

Question:
I am a 27 year-old woman. When I was 19 or 20 --it’s been quite awhile so I don’t have exact dates--a Japanese man (living in Japan) sent me a friend request on MySpace. His profile said he was an artist, I’d studied Japanese in school and was interested in Japanese culture, so I thought it would be neat to have a Japanese pen-pal. I exchanged a few messages with him via MySpace and then he started emailing me. He asked for my home address (which was, at the time, my parent’s) so he could send me a postcard. I provided this and he sent me a card or two.

Within a few months, his emails had become very frequent and he started saying he wanted to be my “boyfriend.” I told him that I wasn’t interested in a long-distance relationship. He continued to email me and it didn’t seem like he was getting it, so I stopped replying to any of his messages and have not contacted or responded to any communicated from him since. The last time I responded in any way to his communications would’ve been, at the very latest, 6 years ago. But probably more like 7.

In the following years he has continued to contact me intermittently. Starting around 2013 his attempts spiked in frequency. He has tried to add and contact me on every type of social media, tried to text/call/FaceTime me via my cell phone number (which I never gave him), called my parent’s house, sent flowers and gifts to their address, and sent emails to all my email addresses (new ones I I didn’t have when I was 19). Obviously, all of this contact information is easily available through online searches so he has continued to find every new avenue of contact available. He often sends me 20+ emails a day.

I can’t be sure of details but he seems very mentally unstable and something went *way* downhill around 2013 when he became really fixated on communicating with me. English is not his first language and many of the things he writes are disjointed/unclear, but even without me having contacted him in many years, he seems to think I am communicating with him. He writes that I am his wife, but uses my maiden name. (Name changed a few months ago when I got married, which is clear via my social media presence.) He writes a lot of wacky stuff: sent me a photo of a baby born on my birthday saying it was an incarnation of me, sends me images he’s modeled of he and I kissing, sent me “conversations” between he, my parents, and I (where he writes all parts), etc. It’s a constant stream of delusion, and very disturbing to me.

In early 2014 it was a LOT of unwanted and intrusive communication, but I basically just tried to ignore it. Declined any attempt to add me on social media, set up a filter that would send his emails directly into a “Records” folder so I didn’t have to be notified of *every. single. one.* (again, often 20+ per-day), blocked any numbers or addresses he used to try and text/FaceTime/skype me... his attempts were so frequent it was taking a fair amount of energy but I figured I had no other option.

Then, in the spring of 2014, I found that he’d forwarded me the receipt for a plane ticket he’d bought to my city. (He sent me a message telling me to be ready to pick him up at the airport.) I never saw him and as far as I know, the ticket was never used, but it really scared me. He also sent me a receipt for a ticket from my city to his (in Japan), which obviously I never used.

After that incident, I started looking into any possible protection I might have against him. My understanding is that a harassment or no contact order would have to be delivered to be valid, and since he lives in Japan, that’s not really possible. I’ve talked to a a Consul General of Japan in my city, a police officer in my city, and even someone at the local FBI office. At every turn, with varying degrees of interest/sympathy, the answer has been that there’s nothing I can do. The Japanese government will not have any interest in intervening, the US government wouldn’t try to force them, and there are no particular systems in place or legislation to deal with “international” harassment such as this. Even if he was making direct threats of violence, which he hasn’t. The police officer I talked to even said that “he hasn’t really don’t anything wrong, so even if he shows up, there’s not much we can do if he hasn’t broken the law.”

I am a building a photography business and I use social media and my name to market my services. I cannot delete/abandon my email addresses or social media, and even if I could, he simply finds the new ones. I try my best to ignore his communications but especially after the ticket incident, I don’t feel like it’s safe to just filter his messages to a folder and *never* check them (which is what the police officer told me to do), because I want to be aware if there’s any chance he’s going to show up on my (or my parent’s) doorstep.

I still get texts/messages on my phone from new addresses that I haven’t yet blocked, usually in the middle of the night. I know he’s sent cards and such to my parent’s house that they haven’t even told me about (saw one on the counter once when I was visiting them) because they know how freaked out I am by the whole thing. It has had a significant, negative impact on my life and mental wellbeing, especially as someone who already suffers from anxiety issues. It’s really shitty feeling like there’s nothing I can do and no one who will help.

I’m sorry this post is so long! Basically, I’m hoping that by asking those who may have some knowledge of the law--I don’t know that any of the people I’ve talk to so far have had significant legal education--I might find out if there’s **anything** I can do, or any protection I can count on.

Thanks so much for reading.
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer:
 Based your narrative, you may qualify for a restraining order against him. However, the two issues would be serving him and having it enforced. I'm not even sure what the proper venue would be, but an argument could be made for MN.

That being said, you are probably best sending one email from an account you can afford to burn asking him to not contact you further and then getting a new set of emails. It can be incredibly difficult to get restraining orders enforced across state lines, I can only imagine how difficult it will be to get one enforced across continents.


Title: Company ghosting us but threatening to send bill to collections (MD)

Question:
Hello! I am looking for some advice about a situation we have with our old leasing company.

My husband and I lived in an apartment for several years. We just purchased a house in August and our lease ended August 31st. We asked in June how they would like to be notified that we are ending our lease. They asked us to fill out a form and email it back which we did. Our lease says 60 days notice, which we  gave.

A week after we moved out, we received a bill in the mail for $2400 for failure to notify them of our intent to vacate.

It’s been a month and a half now. I have been emailing and calling their offices (local in Maryland and their corporate office in Arizona) every day trying to get someone to acknowledge that this bill is a mistake. We have gotten several emails and letters from them that our balance is “past due” and that it will be sent to collections, which seem like automated responses. Their phone number goes to an answering service.

I finally contacted them thru the form for people interested in getting info on apartments on their website, and someone emailed me back!.... except they didn’t acknowledge any of my questions about the bill. They just sent me a copy of it as is.

We live about 40 mins from their office now, but my husband and I both do shift work and haven’t been able to get there while they are open yet.

My question is, what happens if they do send this to collections? Would it make sense to send them a reply by certified mail?
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: Did you send the original letter certified?


Title: Parked in Church to Make Phone Call, Cops Told Me I was Tresspassing

Question:
So it's a little bit complex, as any legal situation is.
Colorado Springs, Colorado, (lemme know if you need more info)

I was trying to buy a new beamer today, so I pulled into a church parking lot, (which I should note is very publicly accessible. No fencing of any sort, or any other barrier) so that I could make a phone call and text a few people.

I proceeded to leave afterward and a guy who claims he was the owner (but definitely was not, as he provided no evidence of the claim, nor is the parcel of land even registered in his name) of the property, blocks me from the exit and begins to video me. I ask him if there's something going on, and he accuses me of speeding in a parking lot (no posted speed limit signs and I wasn't even going 5. Note that I don't know why he accused me of this, other than he needed something to claim that I did), then he starts getting closer to my window frame and I panic and hit the gas.

I should mention that the entire time he was taking pictures and videoing it.

At this point I'm irritated that some guy just accused me of something and took some photos of me. So I come back and ask him what his name is (at this point it's important to note that I never left my car, at any point), he then calls the cops and tells them that I was punching him and around the same time signals a van driver to park at my bumper while he stands at my front so I am unable to leave or escape.

I get scared and grab my knife, and hold it in my hand in case they try something like grabbing me out of my car (they were sketchy and I was scared for my life. I was prepared to defend myself. I even cried whenever I told the story to my parents or my friends. I cried when I got home even.). When the guy in the van got out and walked to my car, I genuinely believed that my life was about to end. I continued videoing so at least there would be a real and true explanation on what happened.

And to wrap up, the cops show up, tell me the guy said I punched him. I showed them the video which proved there was no altercation, then they tell me I was trespassing.

My issue is whether a publicly accessible, publicly available, essentially utility, such as this church can charge someone who's motives were not malicious and were not damaging in any way, with trespassing. Trespassing is going onto property without express permission, but nobody who ever goes to church has no sort of permission.

What can happen to me? Where should I go from here?

Answer:
 >My issue is whether a publicly accessible, publicly available, essentially utility, such as this church can charge someone who's motives were not malicious and were not damaging in any way, with trespassing.

Absolutely, and whether the intent was malicious has zero to do with it. You were on private property, that is merely accessible to the public, and you did not have permission to be on the property. Guess what that is called? Trespassing. Answer #2: Yes you were trespassing. Where do you go from here? Anywhere but back to that church parking lot. Answer #3: There's got to be something else in here.   That's weird behavior, even for church folks and BMW buyers.

I have a feeling that at some point, you were asked to leave and that you did not.   That's what the police probably advised you was trespassing.

If you were not cited, nothing has to happen to you from here.


Title: Help me with my stupid cover letter my writing skills are horrible

Question:
The job for administrative assistant caught my eye because of my past experiences in administration and my love for working on ***’s campus. I currently am the office manager for***which is located in the ***. This is my second college campus to work on, the first one was *** but don’t hold it against me, and I absolutely love the energy!

I would be a great fit in the Provost office because I’m organized, cultured, and love working with people. I’m also a quick problem solver and very analytical which is necessary when working in an administrative position. I can easily step into a lead position when needed to ensure all projects run smoothly if other support staff isn’t present. An example would be when our Senior Controller left, my bosses chose me and one other staff member to step in and take on the task of controller. We had a little over a week to learn everything as well as a brand new software system that Aramark was just rolling out. There were very few hiccups and we worked together to make it work for about 6 months. I loved the challenge!

Thank you for taking the time to review my resume and I would love the opportunity to meet with you and discuss the job opening. Please feel free to email me or write to my address above or call me

Answer:
 I envision the person posting this to /r/legaladvice is also the type of person that likely will mail this to the wrong University...

Good Luck, OP! Seems like you'll need itAnswer #2: Wow. I don't even know what to say.


Title: My Boss is continuously treating me poorly and I don't know how to act (NJ)

Question:
I've been working at a private doctor's office for the past two months as a Medical Assistant. Its a very busy office and when I started there was only one other person working, who was meant to train me. But the only real training I received was that I was able to take vitals on a patient properly and conduct a proper medical initial examination. After that my coworker had to handle the office side of the job and I was left to learn most of everything on my own or by asking questions whenever I reached a problem I couldn't do on my own. After about a month my doctor sat me down upset with my progress saying I should know the job after four weeks work. Since then her attitude towards me has been terrible, where she regularly gives me attitude over questions I need to know, when I try to help out in a situation, or if she determines me to be doing something wrong; which she does quite often as one week I'm told how to do something one way and the next week it's something new.
I wouldn't have such an issue with this position if it wasn't for the constant attitude, disrespect, and dirty looks when I'm just trying to do my job. They're a good doctor but a terrible manager. Recently it's as if she has been focusing more on me as I work with two other women, me being the only man. I don't see her treat my coworkers like this as often, just the occasional attitude. I'm looking to leave soon as it isn't the best position in terms of pay and benefits, but I wanted to at least stay for half a year for the experience but it's becoming almost every day with these instances of disrespect. My friends speak about Labor Laws protecting me (I'm in New Jersey United States) and I'm not exactly sure what this means.
The work isnt hard or too much, the patients are good to us, but it's just the constant struggle with my boss to where I'm unsure when I should even ask questions, or even speak to the doctor.
Topic:
Labor Law (Unions)

Answer: She is allowed to be mean to you


Title: City attorney contacted my boyfriend's work asking for me

Question:
About 3 years ago, I was in an accident with a city ambulance (ruled my fault, location: Kentucky). My insurance company said it would handle it. I haven't heard from anyone about the incident since. Just yesterday, my boyfriend received a call from his secretary saying a city attorney was trying to reach me. My boyfriend called the attorney and asked why did he reach out to him? The attorney said he had his clerk get on facebook and saw my profile picture, which features the two of us (our profiles are otherwise NOT linked via relationship status) & the clerk knew who my boyfriend was, so he had contacted his office.

The attorney had told my boyfriend that they are simply waiting on my deposition from the insurance company regarding the accident (and not trying to sue me) and the insurance company has been dragging their feet on the issue.

My main concern is this: Does the attorney have the right to call my boyfriend's job in order to reach me? Is this considered harassment? We are not legally connected in any way nor do we live together or anything like that. No one has attempted to contact me regarding this matter.  I'll provide any other details necessary. Thanks!

Answer: They don't _lack_ the right.  They're not prohibited from doing independent research and using their best effort to reach you.Answer #2: Nothing illegal about this at all, and it is not harassment. The city attorney is doing his job, although this incident is a little strange. I wouldn't panic about this. Make your insurance company aware of the contact though. And if he calls again, refer him to the insurance company.


Title: Stormchasing contractor convinced my wife to sign a form...

Question:
A company canvassed our neighborhood door to door a couple of months after a bad storm here in MI.

 They told us that we needed a new roof due to storm damage and managed to browbeat my wife into signing a document which said that if the insurance company agreed to replace the roof, that we were legally obligated to use them or else pay a penalty of some sort.   She ended up signing just to get rid of the guy, thinking that "no way do we need a new roof and no way is the insurance company going to make that determination."

Well, the insurance company did in fact decide that there was sufficient storm damage.   At the same time  a little research shows that this company has many complaints for poor quality, overcharging, etc. etc. so there is really no way we want to use them, exploitative sales practices, notwithstanding.

Any suggestions?

Answer: You should contact a local attorney. This isn't something for Reddit to handle.


Title: Tried to buy a house. Seller and seller's realtor both screwed up, and now I'm homeless.

Question:
I sold my house and had a signed agreement to purchase one the same day that I closed on my old house.

The day prior to closing on the new house, my realtor was told that the seller was not ready to move out and I couldn't take possession. Later that day, he was also told that the wrong payoff amount had been submitted to the title company and we couldn't close on the house either.

This has rendered my wife and I homeless, and we're stuck living in a hotel until this can be sorted out. The realtor of the seller had been extremely slow to respond to my realtor, sometimes going a full day without responding to calls. He says that the seller is refusing to pay for our hotel bills and the costs of our homelessness.

Do we have any case for compensation from the seller and the sellers realtor?
Topic:
Real Estate law

Answer:
 Doesn't your contract have a clause stating what happens in case the property wasn't delivered at the agreed date?Answer #2: The other person falling down in this situation is YOUR realtor who should have warned you that real estate deals are delayed or completely fall apart with fairly high regularity.

That's the problem you're going to have suing the sellers - you're going to have to prove the reasonability of your faith that they'd move out on time, and I'm going to wager that a quick examination of what's 'customary' for this type of transaction will have the judge telling you that it was unreasonable for you to put yourself in such a precarious position, because you should have known possession wasn't a certainty, and thus had a duty to mitigate your damages.

If you used your state standard contract, it's usually pretty seller favorable.  If it was you screwing up, they'd be threatening to take your earnest money deposit, but you have no such leverage.   Your contract may limit the amount of damages you can recover even if you sue, so check that out before making a decision.

Does the contract guarantee an automatic extension?   Or did you sign an extension addendum that they've sent over?  Or are you not at the contract expiration date yet?Answer #3: Your real estate lawyer should be all over this.Answer #4: This is a breach of contract issue.
You can threaten action and insist that they comply with the contract. However, if you want your expenses covered for their noncompliance (which they’ll probably not agree to cover) you’ll need the lawyer.


Title: My mother has been wrongfully convicted of doing something legal [KY]

Question:
Okay so this is a long story.  A few notes: both of my parents are not on drugs, unlike many other people around my area.  My dad is a fulltime truck driver and my mom is a stay at home mom and works as a substitute teacher when she isn't doing anything else.

My mom and dad were going through a rough time and my mom went down to the SNAP office and signed up on SNAP benefits, this was in 2011.

We received around $700 a month in SNAP benefits  (foodstamps) then it ballooned to $900 a month in benefits, along with healthcare.

In October of 2015, my mom received a letter that basically said she has to pay back around $64,000 because they said she "intentionally lied" about her income.  But the clerk she signed up with knew my parents weren't divorced but were separated.

After a lengthy battle of my mom telling her side of the story to the courts saying stuff back, my mom got a lawyer.  This lawyer is horrible and has not helped her in any way, and won't even answer her questions.

She plead guilty a month or so ago and has to pay back around $64,000 in monthly payments of $100, along with a fee of $10 monthly for probation.  She's also on probation for the next 3 years and is not allowed to have any weapons in her house which is a big issue because my brother is a hunter and she has three sons who have BB guns.  She also has to tell her probation officer when she leaves our neighboring counties.

My mom recently learned about filing a motion to discovery which would let her find out who falsely  reported that we were lying about our family arrangement.  She asked her lawyer if she could do that but he said she can't because she has already plead guilty, even though her lawyer did not tell her she could do that.

She also doesn't know how to submit payments or even make a deal where she could possibly just pay $12,000 and get it over with because her lawyer won't ever call her back.

Someone please help us, we don't know how we could possibly get out of this situation or go back to not owing money we're not supposed to owe.

Answer:
 Are your parents living together and sharing finances?  That's likely an issue. Or if she reported she was single when she was actually still married.

In any case she pled guilty? If she voluntarily took a plea then she admitted guilt and it's very difficult (usually impossible) to change that after the fact.Answer #2: Why do you think your mother doesn't owe this money? She received benefits she should not have.

She pled guilty. She owes the money. She has the probation. That's it.

She needs to not have weapons in the house and to make the payments as the court agreed. Answer #3: If she plead guilty then it's over. She admitted to it. You can't unring that bell. Did her lawyer advise her to plead guilty?Answer #4: She plead guilty and was sentenced.  What is she looking for?  To withdraw the plea and go to trial again?

This is incredibly difficult even for people who are factually innocent.  So the first step would be to find out if she in fact is factually innocent of the charge she was convicted of.  Finding out who reported her doesn't help whatsoever.


Title: (VA) HOA run by corrupt developers, BOD election rigged?

Question:
In a very rural area. Since this neighborhood was created back in the 1960s, there has been one horrible business decision after another. There are lots that have never been cleared and roads that have never been paved. (Because the planned development is WAY too big for such a rural area.) Some 1300 of these lots were bought up by a developer just as the housing market plummeted a few years ago.

Somewhere it is written that a) every lot gets one vote in an election and b) the developer gets 3 votes to my 1 vote. So the developer has some 3900 votes- and most normal people have 1-2. I don't know who made these absolutely horrible rules, but that's the way they stand at the moment.

At the last election 3 years ago, the developer used all of his votes to vote himself and his cronies as president, vice president and treasurer of the Board of Directors. Since that time, they've managed to increase dues some 60% and drive the value of developed lots into the ground. The best part of this is that none of them live here, they simply own property here- and they owe thousands in county property taxes, which prevents our entire neighborhood from getting access to county services! Of course, they don't care, they don't live here. But I digress...

It's election time. All three of these boneheads are due to rotate off the board this year, but they can succeed themselves. There has been a pretty significant push to get these guys voted out. Ballots were mailed out with our most recent dues bill. Some of the candidates were left off- but naturally none of the developers. Smell that? That's the stench of corruption. It's about to  get worse. They wait a solid 3 WEEKS to send out new, correct ballots- and BTW, you can't use the old ballots. They are printed on different colored paper. The reason for waiting so long to send out the new ballots? The employee who handles that was on vacation. The smell is getting worse...

For many people this is a 2nd home/vacation home/rental property, so they have their mail forwarded to their full time residence, which might be several states away. After all of this, the BOD, who is at fault for this election mess, refuses to move the due date for ballots to be postmarked. That seems awfully hinky...

To vote we have to mail our ballots to a CPA that was hired by the BOD, who will tally the votes. What recourse do I have to make sure that these votes are actually tallied correctly and fairly? Any other legaladvice that might come in handy? I've tried creating bad press for the developers company to no avail. Can I pursue the property tax issue with the county? How do?
Topic:
Real Estate law

Answer:
 How delinquent are they on their taxes?  The county can condemn the properties after the end of the calendar year in which the taxes become two years delinquent.  Perhaps the sheriff would take an interest in selling off all these lots at auction?Answer #2: I've read somewhere that a court can disband a HOA if they don't meet their obligations
http://www.ehow.com/how_7513736_remove-lot-home-owners-association.html


Title: [CA] Ex-wife threatening to take me to court for spousal support after summary dissolution was signed and made official. Does she have any case?

Question: Title is pretty self-explanatory. We filed and signed summary dissolution paperwork in the fall. We waited the six months, and we were officially reverted back to “single” two months ago. Everything was fine and amicable when we filed, but I guess she had a change of heart. She wants to “work something out” and doesn’t want to “have to involve the courts.” Does she have any legal standing, or can I just ignore her?

Answer:
 I'm not sure about your state but in my state there has to be a change in circumstance before an ex-spouse can take the other ex spouse back to court.Answer #2: Heh. She will have to "ask a lawyer" who will tell her that unless there was something factually incorrect in your income, disclosure, assets & debts forms that would somehow invalidate your now permanently binding marital dissolution, she is "shit out of luck". That's what the six months are for - to discover falsehoods that would invalidate the divorce.

If it is discovered that something crucial was omitted... or someone lied.. in those disclosure forms you both filed, then yeah, that could be grounds to reopen the matter.Answer #3: "See you in court" is your response.


Title: Need advice fighting a Window Tint Ticket Tennessee

Question: To preface this I've had the car for three years I've never added any tint to it I bought it as it came from a family friend who also never had any problem with it.  The officer pulled me over tested it and he said the tint was 14% the legal limit in TN is 35% he never showed me the results on the tester So I don't know if the tester showed what he claimed or not.  I don't think it is that dark at all is there anyway I can fight the ticket I was gonna just pay it but it's $147.

Answer: You can get the tint tested and if the results show it is legal you can present that when you go to the courthouse.


Title: [NY] Are the actions of the teachers at my school fair?

Question:
So, I go to college, almost got my degree.  The problem is that I am not very liked at the school.  Mostly because my bullies are at the school from high school and that I don't talk to people so I am always alone.  Anyways this happened more than once to the point where I am questioning the actions of the teachers.

One was my advisor who, at first was really kind to me, got really close to my bully one year.  I don't know what he said but, when I went back for advising she told me to take a harder class (genetics) than the one I wanted to get into (microbio),  I already had a tough schedule so that is why I wanted to take it.  She was also teaching the class too!

Next, is my anatomy professor who constantly made fun of me during lecture and I ALWAYS just laughed and brushed it off.  Why?  because if I did something to him, he will take it back on us with quizes/tests.

Then I took my genetics class;  one is my genetics professor was lousy basically she took all the questions from the quizzes we did and copied and pasted.   Secondly my lab teacher played favorite to the point where people (I) barley had a chance to participate in the lab assignment.  The favorite was my lab partner as a consequence, my teacher PREFERRED him to do all the experiments and when I tried to do anything my "lab partner" would just keep me out.  He was supported by some people who he helped and so I was trapped.  He basically got 100 and a research position while I was left struggling.  This professor was also trying to claim a spot in the school since she wasn't a full teacher at the school.  So she starts saying that my current genetics teacher has a degree in another field than the one she has to get the students to favor her.

I know that I am not very liked but, my grades shouldn't suffer because of that.  I try to stay out of people's way and try to not talk to much people.

I guess there was one semester where I wasn't liked, it was Ecology.  People had a hard time understanding what he taught.  I was doing pretty good, I told the people too read the textbook and take notes.  Since he didn't provide much material/notes.  I always helped people understand the in-class assignments and at the end of the semester most of them do pretty badly/fail.  I tired to help people the best I could but, some people were lazy or they didn't do what they were told and so failed.  I tried to help as much as possible but, in the end I was blamed for helping people out.  To the point that I heard people discussing about beating me up.  My bullies had following me alot.

tl;dr:  teacher doing what they feel like, treating people how they want.  Bullies at old school, and OP is not very well liked.  OP stays quiet though and keeps out of trouble.  OP is worried that this might affect OP's grades in the future, since he is taking harder and harder classes.
Topic:
School Related Issues

Answer:
 Do you have a question?

Because that's all legal, snowflake. Welcome to the real world.Answer #2: If people are threatening you call the police. If you are brig harassed and followed call the police. If you think teachers are playing favorites tell the administration. But chances are this is all in your head. You sound like you have a victim complex.


Title: (NC) Can I legally sell a Colt 45 "lunch box special," i.e. a stolen (albeit many decades ago) pistol without a serial number?

Question: My folks are cleaning out my late grandmother's house now that it has been sold.  Everything in the house (from knick knacks to the riding lawnmower) is being sold via an online estate auction.  Buyers must arrange to pick up their purchase from the house or to have it shipped.  We found an old Colt 45 pistol from my grandfather's collection with no serial number.  A google search suggests this might be a "lunch box special," where factory workers would swipe a whole gun or take a piece at a time and assemble it at home.  No other info besides a 1911 patent date is on the gun.  Would there be any reason it cannot be sold, since it lacks a serial number where it is supposed to?  We don't know what year it was made.  What about shipping it either in-state or over state lines?   Edit: dunno if it matters, but this pistol has to have entered our family before 1976 (when my granddad died).  He was an avid collector and, given we are from an isolated Appalachian town, had no relationship to the factory.  Someone suggested contact the corporation, we will do that, no doubt they get this kind of question all the time.  Thanks to everyone for the quick replies and suggestions.

Answer:
 A gun that old may have certain grandfather provisions that don't necessarily involve law enforcement.  You may have to jump through some administrative hoops, but I would suggest contacting a gun shop (at least, NOT a corner Pawn Shop), and they may be able to help you out a lot more.  Those stores tend to know the collectors in town and know the process of liquidating old found firearms.

That gun is more of a collector's item and could be worth a bit of coin, and there IS probably a way to legally sell it to a collector.

IANAL.


Title: Mom has started process of taking emergency custody of my son. She currently has him with her. Need help please! WA state

Question:
I have struggled with drug use on and off for the past several years. My drug of choice was opiates. Recently after losing my job I had a brief lapse and consumed a few ecstasy pills and unfortunately my high state was noted. To make it clear, this whole issue has risen on the accusations of me being addicted to and using drugs regularly again.

About a month and half ago, I was asked to find another place to live by my mothers roomate, for a completely non drug related reason. He has no idea of my past or anything , it was a long time coming.

I moved back to my hometown (Tacoma, WA)  with my son, but unfortunately was not able to find a home for both of us suitable enough in time.

So my son went to stay with my dad, and I stayed with friends. I continued my search for a home, obtained a part time nanny gig, and signed up for benefits (food stamps), all while diligently visiting my son everyday, or pretty dang close.

I found a place to live with my son and was set to move in on july 20th. I informed my parents and continued visiting my son. One day he is not at my dad and I'm told he's at my moms. Nobody plans anything with me my mom didn't even grab the car seat nothing. I already know it's going on but I give it some time. My parents continue to lie to me about when he's coming back when I continually ask. Finally I get my mom to tell me what is going on and she says that I'm going to be served with papers next week and that she has filed for emergency custody. Today is July 23, 2017.

I have some custody from the father, he is not in the picture currently. If was to come in the picture, could he retrieve my son? Could he over ride their custody so to speak?

Can I go and retrieve my son since I haven't been served yet?

I can't afford a lawyer.

What is the process of this situation?

What are the steps I should take?

What can I most likely expect?

Answer:
 You are not stable at this moment. You admit that you resorted to drug use because of losing a job. You aren't getting along well with other. Your housing situation is completely out of line for raising a child. Your money situation is dire. What happens when the next stresser comes along? What do you have to offer your son? Are you showing him how to cope well under pressure? Are you showing him positive outcomes or dead ends? A nanny gig? A job isn't a gig. Go back to school. Get treatment. Get stable. Keep your son in your life, but keep him away from you. Answer #2: Right now, you might want to think about what's best for your son. Drug use, a lack of stable housing, and practically no income is not good for a child. Your son needs stability and he's not going to have it if you're constantly moving, looking for work, and possibly falling back into drugs. Your mom apparently seems to be looking for the best route to help him out.

Work on what's best for you: get clean. Get healthy. Find yourself a solid, practical job and a living arrangement that would be suitable for a child. Resources are out there to help you get on your feet. Use them before you seek custody.Answer #3: I guess it's time to ask the most blunt question I have ever asked on here: Could you, right now, hand on a bible, pass a drug test? If so I would contact your parents, tell them that you are clean enough to pass one and see if that starts the ball rolling.


Title: [UK] Flight Advice - Insane Price Hike

Question:
So I booked a holiday to New York a month ago.

Recently I realised the outbound date I'd booked was really, really inconvenient . I phoned to amend the flight.

On Tuesday morning I was quoted via email that this would cost £70.

I have been busy and working most of the hours the calling line is open, and so only had a chance to call today to send the money across. Today being Thursday morning. 47 hours after the quote was issued.

I have now been told the flight has been 'ticketed', making the new price £350+. I can't afford this. This is to amend ONE outbound flight date.

I have written confirmation of the £70 quote and the day it was sent but when I expressed this I was basically given a 'tough shit' response.

Shitty, horrible situation, but is there anything I can do? I'm guessing not. I'm just hoping that somebody somewhere can at least give me some advice.

I was not made aware of this 'ticketing' process at all on Tuesday - which has made the price go up by a multiple of 6.
I have also been informed that a 'refund' would only give me back 50% of my hotel price, and I would lose the flights entirely. Essentially the refund is next to nothing as the flights make up 90% of the cost.

How can anyone justify putting the price up by six times the original value in under 48 hours without any warning? I'm just disgusted and fed up.

And to make matters worse it's my birthday. Fantastic. 'Can't you use your birthday money' was essentially the response I got on the phone to the increased price. Wow.

The flights are in January if it helps.

Anyone dealt with this situation before? I've all but given up hope.

Answer:
 Nope. This is the cost of buying inflexible airfares. If you wanted to take advantage of the £70 change fee, you should have paid it when it was offered. Airline ticketing is dynamic and subject to multiple factors; you can't assume any price will continue to be available.
Maybe buy a new ticket if it's cheaper. Otherwise fly on the originally booked date.


Title: I was given a ticket just on the word of a citizen. Seek a lawyer or defend myself?

Question:
I'm not sure if I should seek a lawyer or defend myself.

I was taking a right turn into a gas station.  There was a CDL Training School tractor-trailer stopped at the entrance trying to back up.  The instructor was out of the truck guiding the student back onto the road.  I had stopped and put my 4 way flashers on to allow the truck to back up.  I couldnt turn into the gas station because the truck was blocking the parking lot.

After the truck was able to pull back into the parking lot I followed it in.  After I parked a guy came over yelling at me that I pulled out in front of him. Started cursing at me and so on.

The other guy left the store and I followed out about a 30 seconds later. A State Trooper happened to be pumping gas and I saw the guy talking to him pointing at me.

The Officer came over and told me that the guy wanted to file a statement against me and for the Officer to issue me a ticket.  The Officer said he tried to talk the guy out of it that, but it was his duty to follow through.  I asked if the other guy could be ticketed also and he said Yes. We both gave our statements and the officer gave us our tickets.

I spoke to the tractor-trailer instructor and he gave me his business card incase I need a statement from him.

The Officer never saw any of this happening.  There was not even an accident.  I'm mainly concerned because I was ticketed with a moving violation that can carry points.  This is New York State.

Should I get a lawyer or plead not guilty and go to court myself?

Answer: Fight it. Represent yourself. Either the cop or the guy himself will most likely not follow the summons and your ticket will get thrown out. If he shows just follow the judge's lead and state your claim.


Title: Is starting a mirror of the stock market legal? [Securities Law]

Question:
Hello! For a little background, I'm a university student working towards a technical degree.

I'm also in the midst launched a start-up that aims to offer users unlimited trading on a subscription bases. The key is that it's not actually trading stocks, but rather "tokens" that reflect stock market values. For example a user would buy an AMZ token at market price (from the company) and then sell the token back to the company later at the new market price. So the company would pay out the difference. It's stock trading without actually buying or selling stocks.

My question is, is this legal? I'm currently in Canada and the closest thing I could regarding this is security-swaps but that's not really what it is. I personally think it's more similar to crypto trading but I also have no law background.

Thank you in advance for anyone who has more information on this or can point me to resources that I can use!

Answer:
 > The key is that it's not actually trading stocks, but rather "tokens" that reflect stock market values.

That's called [a CFD (contract for difference)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contract_for_difference), and a site that allows investors to buy or sell CFDs or trade tokens like what you're referring to is often called [a bucketshop](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bucket_shop_(stock_market).

CFDs are legal in Canada, but are heavily regulated. Issuers of CFDs must be registered as investment dealers and regulated by the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC). They must also disclose the risks of contracts for difference and evaluate clients' past investment knowledge and trading experience. Finally, CFD issuers must establish cumulative loss limits for each client's account.Answer #2: No, there is no elephant sized loophole in the securities laws in any country that I know of that would allow you to act as a stock broker without the proper licensing and meeting all regulatory requirements, just by pretending that a token that acts just like a stock share is NOT a share.

To make a long story short... you cannot be serious!