Title: (KS) Received inappropriate messages from my landlord claiming I need to pay to clean the common area. Not sure how to respond.

Question: For the back story: I live in a house that has an upstairs apartment and the basement apartment. I live down in the basement section. We have a shared common area in the basement out side of my apartment where we can have storage and do laundry. The upstairs apartment has been vacant for a few months, with me being the only tenant. The girl that lived there before had a cat that peed all over upstairs, so my landlord had to take out the carpet and clean everything. He states that it still smells like pee, and says it must be coming from my place. My place is clean and I personally do not feel smells, but told him I may be immune to the smell at this point and told him he was free to check my place and let me know what he thinks. He came and saw my place, agreed that my apartment is fine and does not smell bad at all. He said the smell must be coming from the common room then, and that  I needed to clean it. The house was his old home, so he used to live there. He has told me numerous times that he had cats and that they used to go to the bathroom all the time in the basement, so there's probably left over smells down there. My cats hardly ever go in the common area, unless they sneak out while i'm leaving or coming home. There's a chance they could have peed out there, so I agreed with my landlord that I would help clean it when I had a chance. Problem is, we decided this on Saturday night. I had work that night, which he knew about. I work a full time job and a part time job, so my free time is very limited. He sent me a text yesterday when I was taking a nap right before I had to run into work again, which I worked at till 2 am. He stated that the new Tenant was moving in a day early, and asked that I devoted 30 minutes to cleaning the common area before then. I did not have a chance to respond, as I was rushing to get ready and then at work. I woke up this morning to [these ](https://imgur.com/a/QKqv4H8)messages. I personally feel they were extremely inappropriate and uncalled for. I am not sure how to proceed with this and do not want to start a fight with my landlord. My lease does not state anything about the common area or being responsible for it. Can he legally charge me for cleaning that area? How should I move forward with these messages? I just resigned my lease and am stuck here for another year.

Answer: The fact that he was mean to you is not legally relevant. He's mad because he thinks your cats are pissing all over the place, you agreed to clean it up, and you haven't.  What does your lease say about cleaning the common area?Answer #2: You greed to clean it and haven't. He only asked for 30 minutes of your time. If your cats have accessed this area, it's not unreasonable to assume you would clean it. It clearly sounds like you ignored other messages. Being mean to you isn't illegal.


Title: How do you make an unrelated person a member of your family? (not adoption)

Question:
So I know that it is impossible to actually adopt someone as a sibling yourself- your parents would have to do that. I am wondering, however, what the closest thing someone could do would be. How would one go about giving a unrelated person the rights that are normally reserved for the linear family? Assume that both people are adults and the parents and other siblings, for whatever reason, are not interested in entering a relationship with the unrelated person. I would be really interested in hearing from anyone in any part of the USA especially.

Thanks!

Answer:
 Marriage or adoption are really the only two solid answers.

What "rights" are you trying to give them that are only reserved for linear family?

You can make anyone your heir in your will, you can give anyone power of attorney, you can change your name to match theirs, etc.


Title: My condo only allows 2 pets per unit, and we already have 2. My 17 y/o sister brought home another dog.

Question:
Hello Reddit, I live in Bradenton, Florida for reference. I will continue to update this post as events transpire, as I don't believe I have all the facts as of just yet.

I am a 20 y/o currently living in a condo with my mother and my younger sister. Our HOA allows for two pets per condo unit, a rule we abide by, as we have two small dogs. My sister however, has just brought home yet another dog, and my mother and father are livid, as they should be.
My sister is 17, and we believe that either her friend, or friends mother who are 18, completed the paperwork to adopt this dog from an animal shelter. My mother and father have told her that they will NOT allow her to keep the third dog at the condo, but my sister will not take no for an answer.
If this dog is not registered in my parents name, can we legally call animal control and have it removed? We cannot have a third animal in our condo or we will be fined and eventually evicted.
Thank you for your time reading and responding.

Answer: It’s your parents call on whether your minor sister takes no for an answer. If they allow her to keep the dog, that is **them allowing her to keep the dog**.


Title: Kentucky - I was at marina and fell through the dock because a board broke. My knee hurts.

Question:
I don’t know what to do.  I don’t want any problems with the marina where I keep my boat.  I stepped on a board that broke and my right leg went through.  My left knee is the one that hurts, though.  I guess I kinda twisted or something.  I let the owner know right away about the broken board and took a photo.  If I had parked where I normally do, my dash cam would have caught the indicient.  Anyway, the only reason I’m asking is that I know knee injuries are no joke.  I’m in law enforcement, so I need to be able to move around.  I only told the owner I stepped on a board that broke and I fell through.  He only responded with a quick thanks for letting him know.  My pain isn’t constant and I’m not really limping.  There are just pulses of pain sporadically.  I’m thinking I should at least have it checked by a doctor.  I’ve already met my deductible for the year so it will only cost me like 10% out of pocket, but I’m more concerned about any potential long term issues?

This sucks.  What should I do?

Answer: The marina should have insurance for injuries on their property. If you don't want to pay for medical care, you need to address it with them.


Title: Home repair fraud while selling home?

Question:
I live in Idaho. I recently sold my home. While selling my home, the buyer asked for several things to be repaired. I agreed to do the repairs. Several things were stated "repair this and then paint it", when it came to "repairing stucco outside walls", there was no mention of painting. So in sticking to the letter of the agreement, I did not paint it. The repair stuff is a pre-made stucco repair stuff and does not match the paint completely. House is a light tan, repair stuff a slightly dirty/off-white.

Buyer had contractors come out, stated that it was going to take $7000 to $8000 to repair/paint and that we had changed the appearance of the house so it wasnt the same house anymore.

After a couple days of talking with our realtor agent, we relented and gave him $7000 and he agreed to the buying of our home.

Three weeks later, I see that he has rented the house out already, and no repairs have been done to the stucco, nor had any painting been done.

Do I have any legal recourse here? I feel like I was defrauded of the $7000, that was suppose to go to repair/paint but it seems like the guy just pocketed the money.

Answer: No. He had no obligation to actually do those repairs. That was your obligation before selling. I won't go into how dumb of an idea it was to agree to $7k for some stucco paint. It sounds like your realtor only wanted to complete the sale and make their commission, and didn't really have your best interests in mind. Of coarse that's looking from a distance without all the details.


Title: I think a youtuber is suicidal. What can I do?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Here's [YouTube's advice](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/2802245):

> If you come across content in which someone is suicidal or engaging in self harm, please contact local authorities and flag the video to bring it to our immediate attention. We reach out to these individuals with resources and work with suicide prevention agencies to provide assistance when possible.


Title: Going to be fired due to corporate conducting a repeat background check

Question:
Hi all, on mobile so sorry for formatting yada yada yada

So my wife works for a bussing company in the united ststes and got hired about 6 months ago. When hired, the company conducted the usual background check, drug test, etc.

Now, six months later, the company conducted a repeat background check (apparently they conduct them every six months) and somehow miraculously found a 2 year old charge that somehow wasnt on the first check.

They have decided to terminate her emlloyment, however I can't help but feel that this is wrongful termination on the part of corporate for their failings to conduct the first background check adequately. Additionally, my wife told the hiring manager when she was hired that she had this charge (misdemeanor for possession of marijuana paraphernalia as a minor). There is no way that the company didnt know about this charge.

What can the union do to help us?  I know basicially that they fight for workers rights, but is this a situation in which we would be successful in fighting the company? What isnthe extent of what they can do to help us?

She is our main breadwinner as I am currently in school and we wont be aboe to pay even a fraction of our bills if she isnt able to find a new job asap.

Answer: It’s not illegal to conduct background checks and drug checks on employees, particularly when they are in a position which safety is a concern.  That they missed it before, even if they should have caught it does not forever bind them to their mistake.  In fact, unless she has a union contract or other contract that says she can only be fired for cause she is an at will employee and they don’t need a reason to fire her.  So long as the reason isn’t membership in a protected class (and nothing you have said here suggests it is) or in retaliation for her taking protected activities (again nothing suggests it is) this would be legal.


Title: [North Carolina] New landlord is supposedly illegally charging us for water and gas. Can we refuse to pay him without being evicted or should we pay him, then possibly take him to civil court?

Question:
Me and my 3 other roommates live in a small apartment building in western NC. A new landlord bought the building in mid November. Previously, water and gas had always been included in rent because there was no way to legally charge for them.

WHen the new landlord gave us a copy of the new lease to sign, it included that we would now be paying for water and gas. We signed it because we assumed he would be installing water and gas meters for each individual unit, thus we would be paying for our share only.

This month we received our first water bill, he split it up by taking the universal water bill (as there is only one meter) and dividing it by all the tenants. Our gas bill was done the same way. We've read over our states laws concerning this and discovered that what he is doing is unlawful and we are  not obligated to pay regardless of what his lease says.

If we refuse to pay him for utilities can he legally evict us? If we pay him could we take him to court for unlawfully charging us? There are plenty other things he is supposedly doing unlawfully.

Answer:
 Your landlord is using a Ratio Utility Billing System (RUBS) to determine each tenant's responsibility for your utilities. In some states this is illegal and in some it's perfectly legal (my water is billed to me via a RUBS calculation for example).

Before you consider your legal options, have you found the state or municipal code that says this utility billing methodology is illegal in your location? You mention it's illegal in your narrative, but don't mention your source on how you know this.


Title: Who is liable and who's credit is affected more if a monthly payment on a leased car is not paid? The primary signer or cosigner?

Question:
I live in the state of Georgia in the U.S. My gf is the cosigner of a Volkswagen beetle and her uncle who is the primary owner left her with all the payments while getting upset with her if she doesn't pay for it. We're university students and she's working full time alongside full time school to pay for it and it's causing her unneeded stress. My question is this: If she refuses to make full payments or to pay at all, what will happen to their respective credit and who is primarily responsible for the payments? If you have time to answer a more open ended second question, any ideas on what she could do to get these payments off her back?

Thanks, I appreciate your time.

Answer:
 Both are equally liable and both will have their credit trashed.

Why was she cosigner for her uncle's car?


Title: [New York] Is there any way to help or report someone who is engaging in prostitution without getting them in trouble?

Question: There's a person in a few of my classes that's obviously a prostitute. I've seen them hinting at at towards everyone and taking money from people, a few who go to the same school but mostly those who go to a college across the street. They're only 15 but they're telling people who pay them that they're 16 or 17. I want to help them but I'm pretty sure if I go to the police then they'll be the one getting in trouble for prostitution. How does reporting work in New York and is there any way to report them without harming them?

Answer:
 If this person is 15 it's more likely they are a victim of many crimes rather than a perpetrator. Please report this to as many trusted adults as it takes until someone listens.

If you tell me what county you are in, I may he able to provide you with links to additional help for this person. Answer #2: Tell a guidance counselor or other trusted adult at the school.


Title: [IL] Baby Naming in Illinois

Question: Are there any laws dictating how a child born in Illinois can be named?

Answer:
 Certain names may get DCFS involved and investigating your fitness as a parent.

So don't name your kid Hitler.


Title: [Ms] lawyer contacting me representing ex-gf dad

Question:
We dated for over a year, break up was kind of rough and the last contact I had with her or her family was a year ago when her uncle came to my house threatening me.
I've since moved out of state, moving on with my life, still have the same number.  I got a text today from a lawyer saying he was representing her father and that his process server has been trying to contact me to give me a letter and that if I don't call him he will use his full scope of the law.   I'm not sure what that means.

I'm about to join the military and get on with my life.  What do I need to do?  What should I do?  What could this possibly be about?   Thank you for your advice.

Answer:
 None of this makes any sense.

* An attorney isn't going to text message a defendant
* One doesn't use a process server to serve a letter
* A process server is used to serve notice of a lawsuit, in which case the lawyer is already suing the full scope of the law, so that veiled threat would be meaningless

You're under no obligation to contact the lawyer or to assist in having yourself served.  That's their problem to figure out.


Title: MIL threatening eviction because I wouldn't allow her to take my daughter somewhere.

Question:
Location: Texas
So a few years ago my MIL asked us if we wanted to buy a house with her. Told us it would be all of our house. We were a little apprehensive about it because she tends to go nuts at times.
But we were in a rough patch in our lives so we agreed. My wife came up with the down payment for the house and we moved in.
 Here in the past few months she is getting increasingly...crazy.
Yelling at my children and wife for no reason( this is literally everyday).
Everyone just kind of ignores her..we don't participate in her bs and I do not allow my children to "talk back" to her.
Then yesterday she comes in my room and asks to take my 3 year old to her friends house. My MIL and all of her friends are deaf and I don't feel safe having my child alone around people who can't hear her if she was hurt. I know this sounds unreasonable but there have been incidents where she has dropped my daughter out of her chair and never noticed. So I told her no.
She then started yelling i was stupid and I just ignored her and continued with what I was doing.
She storms out of my room only to return 30 sec later screaming that she doesn't want this house and we need to move out.
WTF am I to do. What are my options?
I am not above suing her if I can(and boy would I like to)

Answer: You didn't buy a house with her, you helped buy a house *for* her. =(Answer #2: Who is on the title to the house?


Title: My S/O is a disabled Vet (in TX). He was provided emergency care at a local hospital because the VA Hospital was not equipped to treat him. He was balance billed & has now been sent to collections.

Question: In Nov. 2015 my S/O (M25, 70% disabled vet; 100% unemployability) was diagnosed with a rare blood disease (ITP). We live in East Texas, he first got sick in the Midland Texas Area while we were visiting family for Thanksgiving. He went to the nearest VA Hospital who did not have the means to treat him and sent him to a nearby hospital by ambulance. That hospital was also unable to treat him. Long story short, he was shuffled around to 3 different facilities before one could help. He only has VA Benefits, no other health Insurance. The VA covered all of his bills since it was emergency care. One hospital is balance billing him. The VA claims they paid the facility all that they are required. The Hospital claims they were not paid enough. The collections agency says nothing can be done on their end. We have talked to all 3 parties multiple times and conference called the VA & Hospital on more than one occasion. We still haven't been able to get it taken care of. The bill is hurting his credit & we are weeks away from getting married & want to buy a house soon. From my understanding, it is illegal to balance bill a Disabled Vet if VA is their only coverage? What are our options?

Answer: I would call your states insurance commissioner. He is entitled to mediation for balance billing above $500. They should also be able to provide better/more specific information. Answer #2: You're correct, [it is illegal](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/38/17.1008), unless they also refunded the inital payment to the VA. Answer #3: I would post this on r/veterans


Title: If I strapped myself into enough balloons to float away, how would another country's government resolve me landing there?

Question:
For context, I live in Europe (well.... the UK). I'm jealous of how Americans can do this and then just land a few states over.

If I set out from the UK and was pulled northeast for example, how would Denmark/Finland handle me landing there? Or basically anywhere in Europe.

I get that I would probably be illegally crossing borders. If I didn't stay under a certain altitude, I would also be breaking aviation laws of all sorts. If I landed in France or something, what would happen? Who would be mad and why, and what consequences would there be?

Note: I'm barely considering actually doing this so you don't have to worry.

Answer:
 According to German law: as long as you stay below 100 m above ground, it will just be Hausfriedensbruch (trespassing), because you have to ask the owner if you can fly around. This is the law for drones as well as for manned flights e.g. with kites. Usually there will be no problem, if you destroy nothing and apologize.

Above 100 m the airspace begins. You need a flight permit. Without one, you will get a penalty fee for about 50 000 Euro. During night time, it weill be a crime and you can be sent to prison. Because it is dangerous not only for you.

Nice question.


Title: HIPAA Violation

Question: My estranged wife is a psychiatrist and told my parents and sister that she prescribed me with an anti-depressant without my authorization. Is this a violation of HIPAA?

Answer: It's a violation of professional ethics for your wife to write you a prescription.


Title: How can requiring homeowners to shovel snow off city property (sidewalks) be legally justified?

Question:
Where I live (Vancouver, Canada) bylaws require a homeowner to clear the snow from sidewalks around their property by 10am.

I know this is the case elsewhere.

How is this justified legally?

Would it be legal for cities to require homeowners to shovel the street? Prune median gardens for traffic visibility? Clean the bus stop in front of their home? Work shifts cleaning toilets in city hall?

This is for the sake of curiosity only, I'm not any legal trouble.

Answer:
 How is it legally justified to make citizens serve on juries, or risk their lives in the military?

The legislature has determined it is in the best interests of everyone for citizens to do these things, and in the case of snow removal, more practical to have individual homeowners do it than any other option.  If you wish to contest it in court, you're free to spend the next 5-10 years doing so.


Title: In the state of California, is it illegal to follow somebody in your vehicle if you're not a private investigator?

Answer:
 Stalking is illegal.  So whether it's legal or not depends upon your actions and your intent.Answer #2: Generally not illegal.

Edit because we can't have nice things: if there's a restraining order in play, don't do it. If you're gathering "evidence" for court, don't do it. If you're being followed and feeling unsafe call the police.Answer #3: In itself no. However if you following them makes them fear for their safety or their families safety then it may be stalking.  PIs don't have some magical not-stalking card but it does go to show that any fear of safety is not reasonable if the PI is simply completing their assignment.


Title: (Manitoba, Canada) I did not renew an employee's contract this morning, and now he's ranting on social media.

Question:
This morning, I decided not to renew/extend a long time employee's contract. They have been increasingly grumpy and disruptive to the office environment over the past two years. After they left for the day, they went to social media to rant about me, my managers, and my company. The rant, comments, and responses have negatively affected my company, and two of my managers feel personally hurt.

Is there anything I can/should do to get the ranting to stop?
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer: Did any standing contract or agreement you had with this employee, which was not terminated by the end of their employment, include a nondisparagement clause?


Title: employer knowingly bouncing checks for months

Question:
i live and work in indianapolis indiana, my employer is based out of bessimer alabama. since november of 2017 they have been writing bad checks to basically all of our employees and contractors on a week to week basis. some people have been able to cash their checks but only the first 5 or 6 people that get to the bank before the account runs dry. when this happens we wont get money until the next week usually a day before pay day. this happened to my brother and myself recently and we went 18 days without receiving pay.

My question is: Is what they are doing legal since they know that they dont have the money in the account to cover all the checks they are writing?

Answer: Please god, tell me you're actively looking for new employment?  Not meeting payroll is the number one "get the hell out of Dodge" sign you can find.


Title: My dad wants a divorce but...

Question:
My mom isn’t willing, nor does she care to sign anything at this point. For the sake of saying my parents names, I’ll just refer to them as mom and dad,. Their marriage of over 20+ years has been tainted with dread and deceit. My dads dreams of living in paradise has been shattered, my dads plan of having better financial security has been filled with betrayal. My dads hopes of retiring comfortably with a nice 401k has been emptied. All this came puzzling together when we found out my mom has been having an affair with some other woman’s husband. My dad received a message on Facebook messenger 2 months ago from some lady asking my dad to please tell his wife (my mom) to stop contacting her husband. Fast forward a month after that message, the husband has decided to leave my mom and to fix his marriage, my mom still continued to pursue that guy even after he exclaimed to leave him alone and to work on fixing her own marriage. So.. what does my mom do now? She has another man that she’s also been talking to, she’s flying out of the country tomorrow to visit a second guy now. All these years my mom has been draining my dad financially to the point where she sapped his 401k.

My parents have had a project together for over 15 years, which was to build their retirement mansion in their home country. This year, their project was finally completed, their mansion of 13 bedrooms and 7 bathrooms was ready to be occupied, but not with my dad. My mom has been having her affairs in the very own home my dad and her was suppose to retire in. My mom apparently started a business there and always told my dad it was going well, except there were some times where she said there was an emergency and she had to fly back and settle things. Turns out, that business she started was thanks to the first guy she had an affair with, the one that told her to work on her own marriage. (I’ll continue the backstory when I can, I’m currently at work)

My key question in regards to the divorce are:
Even though my mom won’t sign anything, nor does she care for all the destruction she’s done to her own family, luckily in California the law states that divorces can proceed forward even if one person does not give consent, BUT, both parties must give consent to the remittance. Knowing my mom will not sign anything period, how can my dad go forward on this? Is my mom just going to leave my dad and take all the property they’ve worked on? (They have several other properties). I’m hoping my dad will at the very least have everything divided equally, financially, property and even debt. Yes, my mom has left my dad 3+ years of unpaid taxes (supposedly she was paying for them but my dad received a mail last week from tax collectors to pay for a 2015 file).

I have many more information that I’d like to add but I’m currently at work right now and will edit when I can.

Thanks for any advice given!

Answer: If one party won’t consent the only answer is going to be that an attorney is needed.  It’s going to be a messy process where the court is going to have to split up the property between your parents.  It’s not DIY territory when one party won’t consent.


Title: Which stupid thing would get me in less trouble?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 * If I had a dollar for every high school party I heard about that was only going to be 20 to 30 people and no more, and things wouldn't get out of hand, I'd have enough to retire.
* Both of these ideas are *really* stupid and a great way to start your post-HS interaction with law enforcement.
* Trespassing is an additional stupid crime. Don't do that. In general, doing no crimes is the best way to go about life. Doing the fewest crimes is better than doing more crimes.Answer #2: ITT OP trying to get people to bless his bad decisions. Go for it OP, I mean worst case scenario some kid dies from alcohol poisoning that you supplied, or they sneak their keys out from under your nose and kill an entire family and you get found negligent in the criminal trial and do 20 years in prison. But that won't happen to YOU right?


Title: [CA] Boss lied for months about cash bonus to meet deadlines

Question:
Last fall my husbands immediate supervisor offered him a cash bonus for hitting a certain deadline.
There was nothing in writing, just verbal confirmation over three months.

To ensure he could hit the deadline, I didn't take my season job. We have kids also and we're transplants, work and kids are a balancing act for just the two of us. We were relying on the bonus to fill in the gap.

Two days before husband was supposed to receive the bonus, we found out it wasn't approved. Worse than that was that the supervisor had known all along that it wasn't approved and continued to tell my husband that it was "good to go". He also knew we were making financial decisions based on what he was telling my husband.

Supervisors immediate supervisors pretty much gave my husband a pat on the back and a "sorry about ya".

Salt in the wound, immediate supervisor cashed out his start up stocks and left the company ten days later.

We lost income, we made financial decisions for our family based upon months of verbal confirmations. We are now struggling as before we were just fine and had no room to complain.

Is there anything that can be done?

Answer:
 Legal Answer:  Maybe.  You might have a detrimental reliance/promissory estoppel claim against either the boss or the company itself.  But those claims are difficult to prove, even in via a DLSE complaint.  Which is where you'd go with this.

Practical Answer:  No, not at all.  Any lawsuit/wage claim you file will end with your husband losing his job.  The DLSE is great with basic unpaid wage claims, but when the claim gets more legally complex, they usually just wash their hands of it and let you go sue.  Unless this is a huge amount of money, this won't be worth the time and effort.

He should go to HR and let them know what happened and voice his extreme displeasure at how he's been treated.  Then find a new job and quit without notice because that's a really fucked thing to do.  And this is coming from someone who works in HR.  Answer #2: First off, let this be a good lesson in getting anything and everything in writing.

Does this company have a Human Resources department? The most your husband could do is file a complaint there of some kind. However, there isn't much recourse on your end as nothing was promised in writing.


Title: Bank asking me, a nonmember of said bank, for personal information and about my deposits.

Question:
I work for a pretty large franchise of convenience stores as a store manager. I've been with this company for nearly 10 years and doing business with said bank for the same amount of time. I take my stores deposit to the bank 5 days a week, as I've been doing for nearly 10 years, and having it deposited into the companies account. Today after handing them my deposited the bank gave me a form asking for my full name, SSN, address, home and work numbers, and a copy of my driver's license. Along with the form the started asking me where the money is coming from. My store is less than 100 yards from the bank and I've never been asked for this information before. When I inquired about the form all the bank would tell me is that it's because of the Patriot Act and they have a right to know their customers. They held a small amount of money, $600 that was separate from my deposit and is used for a change fund, hostage until I filled out their paperwork.
Is this normal or is something going on here I should be worried about. I'm reluctant to give out this information without cause and definitely don't like being extorted into providing it even tho they assured me that the information wouldn't leave the bank.

Sorry in advance for bad formatting I typed this on my phone.

Answer:
 Yea that's the cash transaction report.  Either the dollar amount was above the 10k threshold or the regularity made them think it was possible structuring.

Either way you aren't in any trouble


Title: My mom refuses to provide for me (17F)

Question:
My relationship with my mother has always been strained and becoming increasingly tense as I grow older. She has a history of hurting me and destroying my property ever since I can remember, and now that I am almost 18, she is doing everything in her power to get rid of me.

For background information, I am 17 years old and currently residing in Canada. I was supposed to graduate last July, but traumatic events have delayed my graduation process. I am currently attending a school in which attendance is not mandatory as work is done through course modules.

I received a text from her earlier today stating:

"You think you're just a guest but expect to be fed and all expenses paid for. Life doesn't work that way. I have enough of this. If you don't like it, move out and don't ever come back or contact me again even if you're in trouble."

Basically, this is her way of telling me that she is not going to provide for me and my only choice is to move out.

As my province dictates that I am not a legal adult until 18 years of age, I do expect to be fed. I've had unstable living conditions so I am currently unemployed but looking for a job. However, she believes I should be paying rent to be living here, which I obviously cannot afford. She has kicked me out of the house on multiple occasions before, but I have always been able to come back after she has calmed down.

In regards to the "don't contact me if you're in trouble" part, I had once called her during a party after I had just been raped, and she refused to do anything to help, stating it was my fault and then proceeding to hang up.

More things she has done recently include:

* Accusing me of smoking weed/cigarettes almost on a daily basis. She has never found evidence to support this belief other than that she "smells" it on me. During my showers, she enters my room and smells the clothes I had just removed to check for the scent. She also constantly asks my stepdad to smell my room. He comes in, sniffs the air, and returns to her saying he doesn't smell anything. Her argument is that he is "just used to the smell", as his son struggles with drug addiction. This has been going on since I was 15.
* I asked for school supplies a few days ago. While we have always been relatively financially stable, she told me it was too expensive and that I should use my life savings towards my necessities. She stated she will buy me my necessary medication and food for the fridge, and nothing else.
* She has texted my friends, boyfriend, and their parents on multiple occasions. She sends them threatening messages and attempts to tarnish my name so I do not have a safe space to go to if she were to kick me out, and also illustrates how much of a burden I am due to my mental health issues.
* Uses my mental illness against me, telling me to "use my OCD" to clean the house and perform other tasks. She also states (and tells others) that I do not have "real depression", but rather, I am just lazy.
* Tells me I "trigger her PTSD" (self-diagnosed) constantly as I remind her of my father, whom she has been separated from since my birth. To my knowledge, no traumatic events had occurred between the two other than the fact that their marriage did not work out.
* Forces an "open-door policy" upon me, stating it is so the house can have air flow throughout. She is constantly entering the room immediately after I finish showering, while I am still completely naked, telling me she *needs* to put lotion on my back.
* I have also found evidence of her coming into my room during my sleep, as my belongings are often slightly misplaced. I have been awake a few times during this as well, but it sounds to me as though she merely enters the room and stands inside for a few minutes before leaving.
* Telling me on a daily basis how I sit at home doing nothing, even though I clean the house and do schoolwork while she is away at work. She has also forbidden me from going out, further contradicting herself on the fact that I sit at home doing nothing.

I have no idea what my options are at this point. All attempts of contact with my father have failed, and he travels for work so I would not be able to move in with him. I don't know how to get her to support me and in the meantime, I am currently living on a $0 income. I am posting here to ask what programs I should be in contact with, if at all (such as social services?) and how to find out if I qualify for government financial aid in this situation / in the future.

Answer:
 If your mother is not feeding you or housing you, and you have not moved out voluntarily, contact your province's children's aid society.

> Forces an "open-door policy" upon me, stating it is so the house can have air flow throughout. She is constantly entering the room immediately after I finish showering, while I am still completely naked, telling me she needs to put lotion on my back.

This has alarm bells ringing in my head for sexual abuse. You're close enough to an adult that your province's children's aid folks and police are likely to view this very dimly. Your mother is touching you without your consent, specifically when you're naked - if you were an adult, it'd be straight-out assault.

I hope this goes without saying, but you should plan to move out as soon as you can. I don't give that advice lightly - parental support _can_ be an enormous asset. However, the kinds of things you're describing are unsafe, and when you reach your province's age of majority, your mother's obligations will end anyways. If you voluntarily remain in her care past that point, you're putting yourself in harm's way. To that end, start making plans now - looking for places that you want to work, looking for roommates, finding your vital documents to take with you, and figuring out where you want to bank would be good places to start.


Title: It's it illegal to sneak into the country if it's perfectly legal for me to be there?

Question:
Let's assume I'm a Canadian citizen wanting to go into the US. For this hypothetical I am not a dual citizen, have no family in the US, nor even know anyone that's ever been there. We are also assuming Covid never happened because I don't know what Canada has going on with border crossing right now, and it'll make it simpler maybe.

However. I have a passport. I have a visa. I went through all the hoops to ensure it's perfectly legal for me to be visiting. I also will not be bringing in anything that has to be declared.

What if, instead of plane or car, I just want to hike in. Maybe want the thrill of danger of being "caught". If I am succesful, have I broken the law and what would happen if I were found by the police?

What about the other way around, us citizen to ca?

Answer:
 Yes, it is illegal to cross into the US at any point that is not an official port of entry ("border crossing"):

https://help.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-782?language=en_US

It's the same for a US citizen attempting to enter Canada.


Title: My fiancee is being intimidated and called names at work by one woman, the company is scared of firing anybody because of a previous lawsuit.

Question:
I don't know if there is any recourse on this matter, any advice would be helpful.

So this co-worker has intimidated other people before that have quit due to her actions. The company is scared to fire anybody due to a lawsuit by a former employee (not positive if it was for wrongful termination). She hits/throws things. She talks about people behind their backs, but be nice to their face. She makes things up, and then denies it. She plays the victim to her bosses, and manipulates people. She will make personal calls to her daughter and loudly say that x is a bitch or y is a loser. She is overall very toxic, and it is getting to the point where my SO is considering quitting instead of dealing with her.

Answer:
 Where are you located?

None of her behavior is illegal, so there's no legal recourse.  The company can of course fire her if they want.

I don't think you have the whole story.  It is very unlikely that the reason the company isn't firing her is because they're "scared" because of a previous lawsuit.  It is probably because management doesn't think it's a big deal, or they think they're getting more out of her than she's costing them.
Answer #2: If this woman commits a crime against your fiancee, she should call the police.

Otherwise there's nothing she can do about her behavior. The company has decided to let the co-worker act like that for some reason, and they're allowed to make that decision unless there is discrimination/harassment against [protected classes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protected_class).

Your fiancee should look for another job if she's unhappy with her work environment. Answer #3: > She hits/throws things.

What does she throw?
What does she hit?


Title: [LA] Please help me understand if I was at fault at this roundabout.

Question:
Here is a [google maps link](https://www.google.com/maps/place/GNC/@30.2695725,-89.759915,119m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x889de6bee90b066d:0x8135ba6a98749931!8m2!3d30.269997!4d-89.7599136) that is centered on the roundabout I used.  Here is a [picture](http://i.imgur.com/mmUSUYR.png) of basically what happened.  I filled in the painted road sign that wasn't very visible in the maps picture, but it is there.  I, the red dot, entered and was going straight across, the blue dot was not that close but was driving faster than I was.  They didn't use a turn signal or anything and it shocked me when they started to turn into my lane to exit the roundabout.

We did NOT get into a wreck, but I am afraid that maybe I am using the roundabout wrong?  I've asked several people IRL, but I've gotten a whole host of mixed answers. "You should have stopped in the middle of the roundabout and let them exit,"  "they should have used a turn signal," "they should have been in the right lane," "you shouldn't have gone straight." etc.  I've also searched on google and while I've found a lot of helpful information, my sources didn't really include anything for this specific situation (I'd assume it'd be more common though).

Please help me understand who, if anyone, was in the wrong?  I do not want to cause a wreck and would like to correctly use the roundabout in the future.   Sorry if this is a dumb question.
Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer: Blue was legal, you have to yield to everyone in the circle


Title: Utah. My ex boyfriend kicked me out of our apartment after I became pregnant with his child. Didnt take care of things at the time, yesterday I got a call that he stopped paying rent.

Question:
Yesterday I got a call from the apartment manager that my ex had stopped paying rent, and it was going to an attorney.

We had signed a year lease in january. When we found out I was expecting in February, he informed me he didnt want to be a father and wasnt going to help me at all. We began fighting all the time, at one point he physically forced me out of the apartment and took away my key. I had to go to the landlord to get another copy. He proceeded to make my life hell until April trying to convince me to leave and he would pay the rent himself. I didnt want to leave, as my job was in town and my only other option was to move home. Finally in April I was an emotional wreck and he once again ordered me to leave. This time I didn't fight it, I got my stuff, but while I was moving he refused to come out of his room, so I had to leave hundreds of dollars of gaming equipment that was mine. Despite numerous attempts to contact him, I haven't heard from him since.

Because I was so depressed at the time it didnt occur to me to sort things out legally. The apartment is a giant mess.... he lived there for three years before me and there's mold in the bathrooms and a broken garbage disposal. Needless to say he's the kind of guy who doesnt take care of problems... so that is also a worry.

So I am wondering if there's much I can do at this point, I have a new baby I'm raising alone so clearly I have no money to pay the rent for a place I'm not living anymore.

Any tips?

TL:DR: ex kicked me out when he found out i was having a baby. Six months later he's not paying rent. Am I screwed?

Answer:
 It sounds like you're both getting evicted by the landlord. You could be held liable for rent and damages to the apartment since you are on the lease.

Have you filed for paternity and child support?


Title: I got caught giving a friend a lift on a ped without a helmet by the police, can I take it to court?

Question:
Ok so last night I was giving a friend a lift to a public WiFi hotspot so she could contact her mum to let her in her house after a party, we then got stopped by the police and he said I am going to get 6 points on my license and a fine, because I'm a new driver that means I'm getting my license revoked and I can't get another for 3 years, I obviously want to take this to court so I can get a reduced number of points, is it possible for this to happen? Or is it just black and white non negotiable because they got it on camera that she was not wearing a helmet?
UK Cornwall

Answer: How in the world were you able to ride without a helmet on the Moon?!


Title: [PA] Local B&M forgets to ring up ammunition

Question:
So I am at a hunting B&M store about 50 miles away yesterday, and I got a few items, as well as a box of ammunition. I put all the items on the counter, the cashier rung everything up and put in a large bag. I take the bag and receipt to the car. I stopped at another store in the same plaza, and as I was leaving, I noticed a cop car at the hunting store. I didn't think anything of it.

So I get home and realize this local B&M didn't charge me for ammunition on my receipt, but it was placed in the bag by the cashier. I know there are serious concerns, not sure about ID Laws (I have a baby face but am well over 21) and etc., but immediately I begin to add all the pieces up.

This isn't shoplifting, the guy put the ammo in the bag. I usually watch the credit card screen to see the items but it did not display the list of items, instead just said swipe now.

I'm an honest person with a good career, I never intend nor need to steal anything. If I can't afford something, it stays on the shelf. I know all too well about cameras and what happens to shoplifters. The ammo was only 15 dollars, but really not sure what to think or do. Please help!

Answer:
 You weren't caught, the store will accept it as shrink and move on. If you are contacted by the police,don't say or admit to anything, get a lawyer. Answer #2: Enjoy your free box of ammo.  That's what you do.

The item will be written off as shrink and covered by insurance during the next scheduled inventory.


Title: Is it really considered "terroristic threats" to say that your not going to listen to the governor's stay at home order ?

Question: I said on a public forum online called yahoo answers that I'm not going to listen to my governor's stay at home order and that I'm just gonna go out and about and do whatever I want. People on there claims that what I said was considered "terroristic threats" and that the police is going to trace my ip address and come to my house with an arrest warrant and arrest me and take me to jail. Is it really considered "terroristic threats" if you say on an public forum online that your not going to listen to the stay at home order ? Would they really trace my ip address and come and arrest me ?

Answer:
 >Is it really considered "terroristic threats" if you say on an public forum online that your not going to listen to the stay at home order ?

No.

>Would they really trace my ip address and come and arrest me ?

No.

Meanwhile, stop threatening to do illegal things to antagonize people on the internet.


Title: ADVICE- I had a confusing experience entering Canada for Vacation

Question:
At the border of NY state and Canada I was flagged. After asking me a bunch of questions they made me pull over and proceeded to ask me more of the same questions about my career as a musician. I wasn’t nervous at all nor was anything oddly suspicious in my car. I did however have a weed pen in the car. After asking the same questions again they made me get out and searched the vehicle. While I waited inside I was extremely nervous about the weed pen even though I was calm on the outside.

After 10-15 minutes the officer came back and said I was cleared. Once returning to my vehicle I noticed they had ripped through everything in my car including where the pen was. I drove away and once I got to a safe area I pulled over and felt for the pen. It was still there but when I pulled it out it was just the battery. They kept the cartridge.

What just happened? Did I just get a out free of jail card? Is something on my record every time I cross the border?

Answer:
 Importing marijuana products into Canada is a serious offence, and they would have been within their rights to arrest you or refuse you entry on that basis. Instead, they seized your contraband and let you go.

It's somewhat improper that you were not given a receipt for it, but it sounds like they didn't want the paperwork headache. That works in your favour: if there's no paperwork, there's probably no record that you specifically tried to import something illegal.

Buy your weed once you're in Canada, next time. While importation isn't legal, possession and use are.Answer #2: You got lucky, they probably felt it was small enough to not worry about.

It’s possible you may be flagged for secondary on future trips, but there’s no way to know for sure.

Don’t cross the border with weed, or anything else illegal to import or export.


Title: My landlords are camping in my yard. Help! (Vermont)

Question:
Hey Folks,

&#x200B;

I'm in a bit of a strange situation... My roommate and I  rent half of a duplex from my landlords (an older married couple) who live out of state.  A few weeks ago we called to let them know that there was  a problem with the plumbing (our washing machine was draining into  our next door neighbor's (the other side of the duplex)'s washing machine/basement and sometimes causing it to flood.

&#x200B;

We didn't hear from them about it so I included a written note with our June 1st rent check. Last week they left my roommate (but not me) a voicemail saying they'd be here to fix it Monday.

&#x200B;

I called last Thursday to follow up on the note, which was when they told me they were planning to come on Monday and that they also wanted to put new windows in. They also said they were planing to camp "there" which I assumed meant somewhere in town, near by.

&#x200B;

Well now it's Monday, and they're here. Vermont has a law that land lords must inform tenants of their intent to enter the home 48 hours in advance, which they did. What they did not make clear was that they were planning to set up their trailer, truck, and tent in our yard while they worked on the washing machine and the windows.

&#x200B;

This afternoon when I came home from work I asked them how long they planned to stay.  Dan (my landlord) said they should be out by Thursday after they install new windows (depending on weather, window adjustments etc.)

&#x200B;

For what it's worth I don't think they are intentionally attempting to exploit us (I think they're just cheap and don't want to pay for a camp ground or hotel... which, given the rent we pay they can certainly afford).

&#x200B;

They never informed my roommate, myself, or our next door neighbor (other side of duplex) that they intended to stay here. They certainly didn't ask our permission.  There is no language in our lease about the yard. We've lived here for 13 months and shared the yard with our neighbor. We asked Dan to till a garden bed for us before we moved in, which he did, happily. So it seems clear that we (Dan, and my roommate and myself) both have an understanding that we'll be using the yard.

&#x200B;

I've expressed that I wish they had talked to me about this first and that it feels uncomfortable. I haven't gone so far as to ask them to leave. Do I have the right to do that?

They own the property but does that mean they can just set up shop whenever they feel like it? (I'm hoping the answer is no).

&#x200B;

Also:

&#x200B;

I spoke with our small town police chief, he agreed with me it was uncool but said  that at the moment there wasn't a law being broken that he could enforce. He suggested I talk to an attorney and potentially sue Dan after the fact for the damages they caused by being here (inconvenience etc.)  The woman I spoke with at legal aid said it was a real doozie and suggested that I politely ask them to leave. I also left messages with a few other tenants rights organizations. I also left a message with the health department, thinking there must be some sort of statute about yard camping.

&#x200B;

So, now what?  I'd be grateful for any advice or perspective you could share.

Thanks!

Answer: Is it that big a deal?... they are only there for 4 days.  I understand your point of view as it's definitely odd and weird.  However, I would just b let it go.  If you want to renew your lease then don't say anything. If you aren't planning on b renewing then tell them it makes you uncomfortable that they are camping in your b rented yard.. just be polite about it. Honestly though I would just let it go.


Title: I have a (in my opinion and some others) pretty cool idea for a sci-fi tv show that to my knowledge hasn't been done before, now what?

Question:
How do I suggest it to someone that can make it happen? Where do I find those people that pitch new ideas for networks/Netflix? **How do I prevent them from stealing my idea?** (this is the real legal question I came to this subreddit for)
I know there's a pretty small chance they actually like it or do something with it, but in Dutch we have a saying: "niet geschoten is altijd mis" (if you don't fire you always miss).

I live in the Netherlands.

p.s. I have no idea if this is the right subreddit.

Answer:
 > How do I prevent them from stealing my idea?

In general, ideas aren't protectable, the expression of them is. You can get an attorney or an agent to pitch the idea. In general, Netflix isn't going to listen to a pitch from an unknown writer unless you have an agent or lawyer they do business with *and* a pilot script written, probably show bible would help. (The script itself would be protected by copyright.) It's been done, good luck!Answer #2: Most studios won't even open your submission. This is to prevent future lawsuits by people claiming that the idea for a show was stolen from their submission.


Title: Va. Intentional walk out

Question: We had a gentleman walk out of his over a $100 tab tonight after we ask him if he would be willing to leave identification while he ran to the atm at 7/11(a 2 min walk). he willing left his ID and never returned we have his ID and know his hotel we didn't want to assume he was trying to dash but it seems obvious now. Do we have legal recourse? Herndon Virginia . can give details on request sure im missing pertinent details

Answer:
 What he did is theft, you have all his info, don't risk making yourselves the bad guys in this situation by overstepping your legal authority and turning this into extortion, call the police.

Cops are usually protective of area businesses because a good economic base lowers crime and makes their job easier, so they should be very helpful, especially because this isn't a 15 dollar meal we're talking about.Answer #2: My guess is he gave you fake ID. Answer #3: Hindsight being 20/20, in the future when somebody tries this trick just offer to run the tab on their ATM card. Almost all bank cards now are either Visa/Mastercard supported and can be run like a credit card. If the card doesn't go through you can call the police while the person is still physically there.


Title: [ON]Construction workers moved the stonework from our driveway and won't put it back.

Question:
Hi, on August 9, a contracting company that does road work had to renew the concrete right in front of our driveway. To do this, they removed pieces of our stonework (on our driveway) to give them enough space to complete it. As soon as the concrete dried up, one would assume that they would put the stonework back; that was not the case. Not only are the stones in the same place as they left it, the grass/dirt/mulch adjacent to where they did the work is ruined. And on top of that, I was fortunate enough to stop people from taking the stones. I have called the City of Richmond Hill, submitted a ticket, and apparently, the person who oversees the construction work in my area took it upon himself to "help". Our first encounter, he said it will be done by the end of the week. The second encounter, he told me to give a few days and if they still won't come and fix it -- out of the expense of the contracting company, the city will take care of it. I waited and tried to call him, but he didn't pick up. So, I call the city of Richmond Hill again, and I tell them my ticket, and it turns out, right before he won't on his "vacation" he submitted my case as completed. Here I am, calling the man every day during his supposed work hours and still no sign of the guy. I also called my ward representative and she still hasn't replied back. I am trying to get up the food chain, but no one is taking my calls, everything is going to voicemail.

Here I am, with my dick in my hands, and I don't know what to do.  From a legal standpoint, is there anything I can do?

Update: Thank you for all the responses, all were helpful.

I got a call this morning from someone who oversees the supervisor (not sure his exact position, but I can find out more because I have his name and number.) Anyways, the guy said, Thursday (tomorrow), the city will send an interlock guy to come and put back the stones. So hopefully, this will all play out as he said. To add, I personally wanted to add this to my case id, but it said that it was already updated with the same information I was given, the by the same guy. To me, this sounds like good news.

Answer:
 >I also called my ward representative and she still hasn't replied back.

That's where your remedy is now. Wait for that person to refuse to help you before you consider suing the city. Answer #2: Call city hall, ask to speak with someone in engineering and then ask to speak to the project manager of this project.  When you get that person explain what happened they can help you out.

Source: work at city hall in engineeringAnswer #3: Im highly certain she wont blatantly refuse to help. Its just a matter of dodging calls. Answer #4: Not strictly legal advice but try calling from a different phone and see if you have an easier time getting through to anyone. If they still don't answer then they're not dodging you specifically they're just busy in general (or inept at their job). If you get through on the second ring however you have pretty clear evidence that they were avoiding you. Save times and dates and phone records in the event that it does end up escalating to the point where a judge gets involved.Answer #5: > From a legal standpoint, is there anything I can do?

IANAL, but I'd keep log of every conversation: date, time, number you called, who you spoke to, and what was said. At a minimum, those details help substantiate your complaint.


Title: Shady Doctor signed me up for credit card and promised results - Now no results and stuck with debt - any options??

Question:
A doctor I went to promised improved results for a condition I have. His secretary immediately made me sign up for a care credit medical credit card to put the balance on - $4,000, and another $600 on another one of my credit cards. She said they wouldn't provide service unless this was paid for in full up front. After a few months I went to another doctor that did additional testing - showing no improvement in my condition. So now I have $4,600 in medical debt on a credit card from this doctors practice with none of their promised results. When i tried to dispute it through the credit card company I got a very mean and aggressive phone call from the secretary at the doctors office - and the credit card company just rejected my dispute even though I have documentation of the nonexistent results. Also the doctors office when I was a patient did not give good service throughout my time there.
I'm not saying I don't want to pay anything at all - however I do believe the amount should be lowered significantly. Am I screwed now because they forced me to originally put it onto a credit card immediately?
I live in Florida

Answer:
 The credit card issuer didn't refund your money because you agreed to pay for services and you received services.  Doctors agree to provide services, but they don't guarantee results, so you are not likely to prevail in a lawsuit against the doctor unless you somehow can convince a judge that they are a total fraud (which sounds unlikely unless there is a LOT more going on that you don't mention).Answer #2: Doctors don't "promise" results. Also, the secretary didn't *make* you sign up for a credit card. Payment was due prior to services being completed. You didn't have the funds so YOU opted for a credit card to cover the payment. You received a service. Payment is due for said service.Answer #3: >His secretary immediately made me sign up for a care credit medical credit card to put the balance on

If you were physically forced then you may have a case.
If you simply fell for the BS they were selling then it's on you.


Title: I may have screwed myself.

Question:
Throwaway ID, here.
Got a call from police today that my name came up in the course of an investigation. I have to go in to talk to them tomorrow. They won't say what it's about.
Last month I color copied some gift certificates and used them. Value under $100.  What should I do?

Answer:
 Assuming you are in the USA,

You do not need to go down there.  If they come to you, do not say anything without your lawyer present.

Call a criminal law lawyer.


Title: Live 2 blocks from the PD, totally innocent grow light - how to prepare for a visit from the police?

Question:
This is actually a post on behalf of my Dad as he has no idea how to Reddit. We live in Iowa.

My Dad has a grow light that he got for growing herbs (not the illegal kind) indoors since my Mom loves cooking. He always researches his purchases like this and ended up finding out that the best source of knowledge on grow lights were...guys who grew pot. So the end result is he got the best grow light for pot - and also herbs. It emits the telltale pink 'glow' and he's positive the police will drop by for a visit any night now.

My father lives in a small town and is well known and respected in the community. Neither of us really know the best course of action here. Yes the best LEGAL idea is 'Stand outside your door, be polite, speak with the officer, ask if he has a warrant, etc.'

I feel that small town politics contributes to this. He quite literally has absolutely nothing to hide. In the event he asks one of the friendly small town officers to get a warrant we're both concerned they'll think he has something to hide and tear his house apart rather than simply walking upstairs with him, observing the grow light being used for totally legal purposes, and leave.

Edit: He lives 2 blocks from the PD. The house is on a hill with the PD visible from the second story. The grow light is in a second story room and is so bright that it illuminates our entire deck bright pink at dusk. It is obviously very easy to see from the PD.

Any advice is highly appreciated.
Topic:
Searches and Seizures

Answer:
 >My father lives in a small town and is well known and respected in the community.......
I feel that small town politics contributes to this.

Invite over community leaders (maybe even the police chief) for a dinner to show of your mom's amazing cooking with the fresh herbs she has from her amazing new grow light.Answer #2: Had this situation in Cali.  I was growing peppers indoors because I lived in a condo with no outdoor space.  Couple neighbors stuck their nose where they shouldn't have and called the cops.  I went ahead and invited them in to show them, was very polite, and both officers left with a smile and a sandwich bag of fresh peppers.  Just be polite, and they'll return the favor.
Answer #3: Honestly, if he has nothing to hide, when they come by, let them in.  Alleviate any concern.  Answer #4: The way the police detect grow ops involve a bit more complexity than just the grow lamps, they're looking for power fluctuations (Grow lamps and AC/Heating, for random window opening and closing (humidity), and for suspicious visits.  Simply having a grow lamp isn't merit for a full police raid. Answer #5: Small town? How about he goes to the cops and tells them and invites them over to look. Answer #6: Have you considered installing curtains?Answer #7: IANAL, but if he's got nothing to hide, there is nothing to be afraid of?

Also maybe don't make it so visible from the PD.


Title: Ex-Landlord charging us $5100 for repairs

Question:
My roommates and I received a bill from our previous landlord for damages incurred, but some of it seems like normal wear and tear, and some of it seems like they repaired things we didnt damage.

How can we go about disputing the charges or getting an idea for what's fair to charge us for?

Edit: State is MA

Answer:
 The laws vary by state, but generally speaking, you would dispute the charges by writing a letter back explaining where you disagree.

If in your opinion, the landlord owes you back some or all of your security deposit, you will have to sue in small claims to get it.  But many states have laws that further penalize the landlord for improperly withholding, so you could potentially sue for more than the refund you are owed.

If your landlord feels that you owe more money beyond the security deposit, your landlord may sue you to get it.

The court will attempt to figure out what's fair.  You should pay for damage, including cleaning, not for ordinary wear & tear or maintenance.


Title: [Calgary, AB) Roommate/Co-lease signer ran off with rent money and security deposits. Also stole over 2k worth of personal items from my room.

Question:
I just came back from 2 months in the states for depression and anxiety treatment and the holidays. Before I left I talked with Cole, my co-lease signer, and told him to keep me up to date with info on new roommates, rent, utilities, etc. He told me he would and that he could handle things.
While gone he refused to give me any information and then threatened to rent out my room when I didn't reply back immediately regarding my rent etransfer. Later I found out that he rented out a room that I had already rented out to a guy who was working a camp job and wouldn't be able to move in for a week. Then I find out that Cole plans to move out at the end of January and that he had been telling other renters that I hadn't paid rent and that I wasn't coming back. My passports had been stolen while in Seattle and I had been waiting to renew my US passport before flying to Calgary but after hearing this I decided to cross the land border and take a bus as only my citizenship document and ID are needed to cross into Canada.
Before I left I get an email from the landlord stating that we were getting evicted and that Cole had already moved out and taken with him rent money and everyone's security deposits. And that my bed was missing.
After I arrived I discovered that my room had been emptied of most of my valuables. Most upsetting being my Canon 60D, lenses, external hard drives, and new hiking boots. Other items weren't even valuable and seemingly taken just to piss me off. Such as my yoga mat and my old ass sleeping bag. Everyday I realize something else that he took. Strangely he left a few of his personal items behind including a weight bench that he used religiously.
I am extremely upset but have no idea what I can legally do.
The landlord is taking Cole to small claims court but I can't afford to do that myself.
No one has been able to reach Cole but I know where he works or at least where he was working when I left.  I also know that before he blocked me on facebook he posted a status that he was excited about getting accepted into University of Calgary housing.

Any advice on what to do? I'm mad about the money for sure but I really only care about my personal shit like the camera and hard drives. All my personal data backups, my whole photo library, and my entire movie collection were on those 2 drives.

Thanks in advance!

Answer:
 Your options:

* report theft to the police. You may or may not get your stuff back.

* sue Cole in small claims court for the value of your stuff.

Small claims court is pretty cheap, and if you win you get costs (e.g. your fees) too. The court can't order him to give you your stuff, just the dollar value. But if he still has your stuff, he may choose to give it back instead of the monetary value.

But, he may have sold your stuff. So even if you sue him and win, it may available to you anymore. The longer you wait, the less likely it is you'll get anything.


Title: does this count as sexual penetration [NE]?

Question:
quick throwaway account for this question.

Having a hard time understanding the definition of sexual penetration "however slight" it may be. If the perpetrator and the victim are both naked and the perpetrator is trying to thrust into the female but only hitting the labia and not actually going into the vagina - does that still count as penetration? The penis maybe go between the labia but isn't entering the vaginal cavity.

Thanks!

Answer:
 I'm just going to go with that if you need this level of granularity in defining the act it's something you shouldn't do or consider doing again, and not talk about on social media.

Particularly since you're quoting verbiage from felony statutes with mandatory minimums.Answer #2: Are you wanting to know if this act could be prosecuted as first degree sexual assault?  Like if Person A rapes Person B “just a little bit” is it really rape?

Yes, it could be considered penetration, and therefor first degree sexual assault/ rape if non-consensual.

If you’re thinking of doing this, don’t.  If you’ve been accused of this, get a lawyer.  If somebody did this to you, file a police report and seek medical care.


Title: In the state of Maryland, would a restaurant/bar have any liability issues if they printed cab company numbers, or an uber reminder, on your check?

Question:
Topic:
DUI

Answer: maybe, depending on how Maryland serving liability works. in some ways it could be better for the buisness, they tried so hard, but on others it shows they knew they were drunk. Answer #2: No


Title: We made a porno in 2013, and now the producer is making fake profiles of us looking for sex work.

Question:
My girlfriend and I live in the United States, more specifically, Virginia. Back in 2013 we were young, dumb, and broke. Long story short, we found a CL ad for an amateur porn company looking for work. We do the shoot, get paid (not 100% though), and we go home and forget about it. Well, yesterday we get a message from the photographer who did the shoot. He was really cool, and voiced to us before how much he disliked the producer. Anyways, he sends a link to a site called sexyjobs.com. When we clicked the link it took us to a profile of my girlfriend, with her stage name being used. It had all her dimensions, her attributes and characteristics, the one company she had shot for, and a part saying she was interested in looking for work. FYI, this is a site used by porn companies to find models for their shoots. We contacted the site immediately and told them this was not an authorized profile. I guess the question is, did this producer break the law by impersonating my girlfriend and saying she was looking for sex work? I feel like that's fraud, impersonation, and defamation of character. Oh, and the person who did this is located in Baltimore, so that complicates things a bit more as well.
Topic:
Intellectual Property

Answer:
 >  I feel like that's fraud, impersonation, and defamation of character.

It's likely none of the three.  It might be unauthorized, but none of it is truly inaccurate - except for maybe the "still looking for work" part.

It's not fraud, impersonation, or defamation to report that your girlfriend was in a pornographic film and the details of that.  That's all perfectly accurate.  Representing her as still looking for work *might* be, but that's a bit of a stretch.


Title: (NJ) I want to disinherit my parents and undo a medical power of attorney

Question:
This is something that I've been mulling over in the back of my head for a while, and I'm looking to get more preliminary information.  I don't have a great relationship with my parents and I would like to  separate myself from them legally.  I'm 28 years old, single, and currently reside in NJ; I move around a lot, but I usually maintain a permanent address here.   I don't have a big estate and I do have considerable debt, most of which is private student loans with no co-signer.

I would like to set up a basic will with a friend as the executor.   As I understand it, in NJ, I can apparently do this as long as I have two witnesses; I would probably get it notarized for extra security.  I don't intend to inform my parents of this anytime soon.  Is that all I need to do?  Would this hold up in court?

I have also read that any preferences I have for funeral planning should be kept separate from the will.  I'm not sure if that's so much a legal matter as it is a preference in writing, but how would I handle that?  I have heard that people dictate what they want for their remains, funeral services, etc. in their wills.

A bit of a separate issue...

A few years ago my parents pressured me to sign over a medical power of attorney for them (a friend of theirs had a daughter who got hurt in a skiing accident and, because the daughter was an adult, the parents weren't able to make any medical decisions while she was unconscious; it was something like that).   I did so, under the conditions that I also wrote a living will.  So I do have a living will and a document for medical power of attorney that names my parents.  I've been wanting to update the living will - I wrote it a while ago - and I'm rethinking the power of attorney.  How on earth would I go about that?

Thanks for any help.

Answer: Speak with an estate planning lawyer. They will be able to help navigate all aspects here.


Title: Future soldier waiting to be ship to Basic Combat Training but has potential law suit coming up. Help...

Question:
 Hi, I am an Army future soldier who is scheduled to ship on at the end of Feb.

&#x200B;

Here is my timeline.

&#x200B;

\- I signed the contract and swore in as green card holder on Oct 13, 2017 and got ship date on Nov, 2017

\- Due to DoD policy released on same day (Oct 13, 2017) I could not ship.

\- I established Single member LLC and signed a commercial lease with my name and the corporation's name on Nov, 2018 with 5 year contract. I did not have plans of joining the Army at that time.

\- On Dec 4, 2018 the policy got suspended by Pentagon and all green card holders could ship

\- The shop I opened did not run well and I decided to join the Army

\- Army Reno took place on Jan, 2019 (re-signed the contract) and I informed the landlord with a written notice & my BCT order 30 days prior to my ship date.

\- The landlord hired a lawyer and they want to settle this matter with retained security deposit and $4,000 of penalty on top of it. If I do not settle, they said they will sue my corporation with $30,000 of remaining rent balance.

\- However, the single member LLC has no assets what so ever. No inventory at shop.

\- My accountant told me once my corporation is sued, I can just bankrupt it and dissolve later.

&#x200B;

I have posted this thread on r/army and people advised me to post this on here to get help.

Should I hire a lawyer to take it to court battle? or should I just accept or negotiate the settlement and then go to BCT?

&#x200B;

I would really really do appreciated any kind of advice or opinion. I need every kind of help to solve this problem

Thank you a ton in advance

Answer:
 Beyond the standard, you need a lawyer, you will want to be aware of your [SCRA](https://www.justice.gov/servicemembers/servicemembers-civil-relief-act-scra) rights which IIRC should kick in when you ship. I'm not 100% this applies to your situation (hence you need legal help) but SCRA affords you the ability to break a lease upon receipt of military orders. Your LLC, on the other hand...

Also not sure if a civil suit would interfere with your ship date. but you are not the first and definitely not the last. Do: give your recruiter a heads up, as they can at least try to connect you with resources. Do not: bury your head in the sand and just ignore the issue, ESPECIALLY if you are going into any MOS requiring a security clearance. A $30k debt hanging over your head that you didn't bother to take care of is a security risk and a fast way to get denied a clearance.


Title: Is it Illegal to copy and change docket papers for an inmates protection

Question: A relative of a close friend is in federal for a sex crime. Basically, he was a dumb kid with no dad and got a light sentence and then was dumb again broke a parole stipulation and got the book thrown at him. His docket papers are sealed, but he's asked my friend to make him a copy of his docket papers with the items changed to stealing drugs... Obviously, these papers wouldn't be filed or official they'd be a fiction for the benefit of other prisoners, for his safety. He claims this is common. Falsifying documents is apparently a felony, but if they are not being used officially does that make them a.. work of art? Is there a legal risk and what is primary legal issue and for whom; he or my friend?

Answer:
 How the hell is his friend supposed to get seal docket papers?

How is anyone?

What do you mean benefit of other prisoners?

None of this makes sense.


Title: Would it actually be possible to cash this check?

Answer:
 Former banker. No. Under the 'pay to' line the amount must be written out in words. Also a teller would likely decline the transaction based on the numerical value as well. You are trained to look for a lot of types of fraud and it's kinda common so you have discretion in the matter. There are a lot of factors considered when negotiating a check other than the check itself. A person who is not a regular comes in with this check? No thank you.

Edit: Also you have .002 + -1 + 1 there so 1/5 of a penny. Answer #2: No way, Jose - both the routing number and account number are illegible.


Title: Nepotism within the courtroom

Question: I just found out that my criminal defense lawyer is good pals with my prosecutor.  It obviously can't hurt, but is it common for nepotism to play a role in the courtroom?

Answer:
 Nepotism is family members.

It actually can hurt, not saying it will in your case but there are some ethical issues than can come up. It is however very very very common for lawyers on each side to know each other very well. So friendships are very common usually not a problem and nothing to worry about.


Title: Random cars keep parking in my private parking spot. Besides getting them towed, what other legal recourse might I have? (NYC)

Question:
I rent a numbered parking spot in Brooklyn next to my workplace from the landlords at my office. It’s in a lot with a fence around it, with signs clearly marking it as private property and a warning about towing when you drive in. There is no gate, so anyone can drive in. But the spots are all numbered and there are signs.

There have been numerous occasions where I drive to work and someone is in my spot. I’ll call the towing company, but by the time they can make it, the car is gone. I’ve confronted a couple of people as well, who just shrug their shoulders and drive off.

This is getting to be annoying, since I paid for a private parking spot and there’s a limit to alternative street spots that I can park in while waiting for the tow truck. It also wastes my time since the point of renting a spot is to have an easy place to park.

What legal recourse do I have other than calling a tow truck? Can I charge someone for the space if they come back and their car is blocked from leaving? Can I bill the lot owner for allowing another car to park there, preventing me from using my rightful spot? If their car happens to be damaged when they return, am I liable? (Just kidding, maybe.) I’m sick and tired of coming back to a spot that is taken, which I am paying for every month.

Any legal advice would be much appreciated.

Answer: Not really legal advise but as a valet worker I got real friendly with local tow truck drivers my best suggestion would be  to do that, so that response time would be increased  and people would know they will get towed. since this seems to be happening a lot.


Title: Is it copyright infringement to make money of a cooking Youtube video using someone else's recipe?

Question: Suppose that I found an apple pie recipe online. If I was making money of a Yotube video on how to cook that exact apple pie without giving any credit to the website, would that be considered copyright infringement? (United States)

Answer: Recipes are generally not protected so you should be fine.


Title: Animal / business legal rights?

Question:
I took my cat to a local vet. Just to get new shots. He was in his carrying crate. I was takened back and they picked up the cage. I warned them he is nervous and will try to run. Well, they opened the cage, and he ran. Door was wide open. Long story short he ended up in the ceiling, due to a missing tile. And feel into the wall. Vet refused to do much. They hear him crying. Day 4 and he decided to not show at the vet. Was promised a contractor who never showed. My cat is not being heard anymore, although a nasty smell. And they still won't do anything. The building itself was no up to par in my opinion. My cat is most likely dead and he refuses to do anything. What are my rights?
I'm my opinion my cat was mishandled and they knowingly did nothing to save my cat even after THEY told me that they heard him and would get a contractor. My cat is probably dead!
PHILADELPHIA PA

Answer:
 If you feel their negligence has damaged or destroyed your property, you can sue them for damages (the value of the cat). Beyond that, there's not much you can do. Suing them for specific performance would take too long, you don't have the right to tear down their wall (although you might try to coerce the building owner to do it for you) and if you complained to the regulatory agency that oversees vets in PA, I expect they'd tell you that vets aren't contractors and can't safely do that work. They'd be right: Driving a drywall saw into the wall when you don't know what's behind it is an awful idea even when you do own the building. I wouldn't risk getting my fingers blown off because of a missing pet.

If it helps, four days isn't anywhere near long enough for a dead cat to putrefy to the point where you can smell it through the wall. Your cat can survive without water longer than you can (not that it's a good idea). He's likely weak and not in a very good mood but I wouldn't count him out yet.Answer #2: Asking any lawyers here – should OP call the police? Or animal control? This counts as animal abuse, right?


Title: I recently rented a unit in a large home converted to apartments which is supposed to be smoke free. My neighbors keep smoking and filling my apartment with smoke. I've told my landlord many times. What are my options? South Dakota

Question:
There are signs all over the hallways in the house that say if you smoke inside, the landlord can evict you and keep your deposit.  But the rental market is awful for landlords and great for tenants right now, so I think he's reticent to kick out tenants fearing he might not find new ones.  I've communicated with him many times in person and in text messages, which I have saved on my phone.  He knows this is a problem.  I'm allergic to smoke, especially tobacco.  I told him yesterday that it could be perceived as a breach of contract since I'm paying for a smoke free apartment, and that if he couldn't get them to stop, he had to evict them, and soon.  But here I am today in a smoky apartment.

Obviously the easiest solution would be for me to just move.  I'm on a month to month lease.  But moving is a pain in the ass, and I want to get what I paid for.  What are my options?

Thank you so much for your time.

Answer:
 >  I told him yesterday that it could be perceived as a breach of contract since I'm paying for a smoke free apartment, and that if he couldn't get them to stop, he had to evict them, and soon.

Does your lease guarantee you a smoke-free environment?


Title: I think my renter is screwing me on my electric bill

Question:
I go to a branch university and live in a student housing apartment complex.  The lease states that we have a $25 cap per person and if we go over, the amount will be divided between the roommates (I have 4).  The problem that I have is we didn't go over the first few months but then we started getting billed for as much as $20 every month since.  The bill that he gives us is something he made himself and is not from the electric company.  It doesn't say how much we are being charged per kilowatt/hour nor how many hours we have used.  We continue to receive overages even when we turn off heat/AC and reduce our electricity consumption (turning off lights and TVs, stuff like that).  When asking my renter about the bills he claims that he cannot share them with me.  Everyone else that is living here also goes over on electricity. A few of them just stopped paying it so I did too.  But I am moving out soon so I need some advice on what to do.  I do NOT want to be blacklisted.

1. Do I have to pay it because I signed the lease and said I would.
or
2. Am I being cheated?
Ohio

Answer: Just to be clear, your landlord is the university and they won't give you an itemized electric bill?


Title: [MA] Brother abandoned his wife while she was pregnant. He claimed her and the baby as dependents on his taxes and an application for social assistance.

Question:
I'm not condoning any of what he did. The only reason I'm here asking is because I know nothing about the law as it relates to this and I just want to know what he is in for, particularly so I know what to tell our mom.

My brother abandoned his wife while she was pregnant. We didn't know this and he told us she left him and he didn't mention the baby. They are divorced now. He claimed his wife and the baby as dependents on his taxes and despite having a good career and everything he also used them on an application for social assistance. He also somehow got his wife's name on his condo and the deed of his car and he has a bank account with both of their names. It was all lies. They don't live with him, he's never met the baby and he hasn't seen her since he left. He faked everything.

I'm hoping you'll tell me he'll be thrown in jail to rot now that the IRS figured it out and everything I said above has come out. What kind of penalties or consequences could he face here?

Answer: I am not a lawyer. I'm also maybe not a nice person... but if her name is on everything, then it's hers. She could maybe go get "her" stuff.


Title: Moving out of mom’s house, what items can she legally keep me from taking?

Question:
Alright, so I’m 19, in California. So, my mom’s extremely controlling and emotionally abusive. I’ve been secretly dating a guy, she found out about him and that I’ve snuck off with him and lied about where I am. During and after that fight she’s threatened to kick me out a million times, and said she’d be better off if I left. Today we fought again, and I’m ready to move out as soon as possible. My boyfriend and his mom are welcoming me, I really can’t live here for more than a few more days.

My car is in my name and bought with all my own cash, so I know that’s safe. About half of my possessions are “gifts” or she’s bought me because she had to (clothes etc). She bought and almost paid off my phone, if I leave without telling her she will cancel that service, will I be legally required to pay that off?/ Will that be considered stealing from her? Same with clothes and everything, can she stop me from taking it? She is very petty and I have no doubt she would get cops involved to make it more difficult for me.

Pleeease don’t try to convince me to not move out, I have two jobs and I make enough to pay my bills but not a whole rent, I just really can’t keep living under this roof

Answer:
 Gifts you can keep, same with stuff she bought you, generally. The phone is complicated and you might have to pay it off. If you can ditch it, that'd be the easiest way of dealing with it.

When you move make sure to change your address with insurance, voting registration, the DMV, etc. Also consider changing bank account info and make sure to bring your ID, passport (if applicable), birth certificate, SSI card, etc. if you can. Answer #2: Plan to pay off the phone if you’re keeping it.

If the situation is actually abusive, don’t worry about material objects so much, though, just get copies of all your legal documents (birth certificate, social security card, passport if you have one, etc).


Title: I got hit by a cop

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 You were 100% at fault. Left turn on green means you yield to oncoming traffic.

> What can I do to make sure that this doesn't lead to probation or a license suspension?

What exactly were you cited for? It should be listed on your ticket(s).Answer #2: Left turn across traffic has to yield the right of way,  you were at fault for the accident.

Contact the courts and they can explain the process of avoiding court. (Plea guilty,  pay fine)


Title: At the very least this is entertaining. Reverse sugar daddy, dead parents, should I marry an old dude for money?

Question:
EDIT:

Lol I'm not doing it. Thanks for pointing out some risks to me. I just want to clarify it wouldn't have been a REAL marriage, just a monthly check from uncle Sam. But as I suspected it's not that simple

Thanks for the words of support/advice/insults it was great!

ORIGINAL:
I just got off a phone call that put me in the weirdest situation of my life., **TLDR at bottom.**

Trying to sum this up, my mom had a baby 11 years after me, with our Mexican neighbor who was married. Mom died soon after that, my grandparents took custody of him and dad visited. Grandparents died, my aunt tried to take him but was psycho and wouldn't let anyone have visitation with him including me and his biological father, so I backed up the dad in court so he could get custody. Lets call the dad Carlos.

So, I was 13 when my mom died and I never got any money from the government, but I now know my other half brother was sent checks, and my youngest one. My aunt only wanted custody of my brother because from my understanding she got a monthly check for it which I believe included the social security or whatever of both my grandparents and my mom.

So now Carlos gets that money. Carlos is super old, I think like 80. His English isn't perfect but tonight he managed to ask me to marry him.

At my grandmas funeral he asked my cousin (much younger than him and hot) to go away to Mexico with him and his son/my little brother (Lets call him Joey) and he would pay for everything. Gross. My aunt also said he came on to her in the beginning when she was trying to get custody of Joey. Yet I was still shocked and appalled, when I started picking up Joey to spend time and got a feeling he was hitting on me. However, for now he is the only way I get to spend time with Joey and he needs me, so I have just played dumb and drug this thing out. When I pick up my brother he gives me gas money, sometimes $50 or more lately. He sneaks it to me because he says something to the effect of his wife doesn't like me and would get mad if he gave me money etc.. He says he is not happy in the marriage and doesn't always feel "safe" there when they fight. Joey says this lady is really nice and I should come over and spend time with them. I always ask him if he gets mistreated and he has been adamant that they are good to him.

So tonight, I call up Carlos to arrange a Joey pickup and he agreed and then basically said "Hey girl, I'm gonna die soon. And I'm gonna lose all my money to this chick, so, wanna marry me? I'm putting all the money Joey gets aside for his college but my pension is $3,000 a month so you'd get $1,500, I want to help you."

To clarify: I think they must be married in Mexico and not here or something I didn't even ask. I'm assuming he's legal because he gets a pension and visits Mexico sometimes. I feel like, if he wanted to give me 1500 a month he could just give me the money without getting married... He never gave me more than $100 so far. I feel like this is him being a weirdo and he's getting some weird kicks out of marrying me. I THINK he said something like there wouldn't be any sex or anything like that but his English isn't perfect and whatever he said was vague. Is he playing me?? Is this even possible and what kind of strings might he pull if I went through with it?

My first instinct was no fucking way. I think I get tax breaks and more money from financial aid because I'm single, like wouldn't that change everything for me? I'm a 23 year old graduating in Spring going to be a nurse. And if I meet someone I want to marry in the next few years and he doesn't kick it, how am I going to explain that to him. Do I really want to be a widow the rest of my life? And piss his family the fuck off by taking their money? Would it scar Joey for life? Also, I know very little about him except he lived on a farm in Mexico, knows how to fix cars, and probably in his late 70s. And went to the ER a couple weeks ago because he passed out or something, he's kind of a dope.

But on the other hand, I never got any financial help with anything in life, I have student loans, and what's in a name? Widow is just a title but at the end of the day isn't it life experiences that matter, and wouldn't having money to travel to Europe and get out of debt and do good things for Joey be better than struggling? Shouldn't we take every leg-up we can get in life? This would have to be a total secret from my dad and everybody I would be mortified.

Yeah, mostly wondering if what he said is even possible or if it could bite me in the ass someday. Leaning towards no but just a little mind boggled right now.

**TL;DR: My half brothers dad (70s M) asked me (23 F) to marry him so I can get half of his pension or whatever when he kicks it**

Answer:
 Ugh.   I'll regret the mobile-effort this will take....

Will you just... Cut it out.  Don't marry some dude for 1500 a month.   You don't need the trouble and it will get gropey.

Finish school, be dignified, expand your own personal growth and resist the urge to be a piece of garbage.

There is no such thing as a free lunch. Answer #2: $1500 a month? You could sugar baby for that infrequently. I'm not looking down on you. I'm just saying if you're gonna marry an old guy with hopes he kicks the bucket you at least want $5k a month. More realistically $15k should be your real entry level per month to marry an old man


Title: My separated husband broke into my facebook account and is now harassing me with the info he found

Question:
Last year ago I left my abusive husband after 14 yrs. We have 2 daughters together. I have had visits with them, but now he is getting vindictive. To keep the story short. Originally he got an injunction on me saying he feared me. I'm 4'11, he's almost 6 ft. He did this to spite me and try to make my life miserable so I couldn't see me daughters.

Last court date the judge removed the injunction and said I am allowed to see my daughters. We are going to court this September for actual custody conditions.

Well I just got an email today. He apparently has hacked my Facebook account. He might have had access this whole time. He stole my private msges and is threatening to use them against me in court and wants me to settle out of court.

The msges aren't that bad. However he could just take bits and pieces and dr it up so the context is different and does look bad. Can I call the police on him? He keeps harassing me about settling out of court with the information he stole off my Facebook private msges. He could even send msges posing as me and delete things and I wouldn't even know.

This is in Florida

Answer:
 > Can I call the police on him?

Sure.  It's not clear that a crime has been committed, but it may have been.

Practically speaking, they'll likely tell you to handle it in court.  Talk to your attorney about this.


Title: Pushed into a bonfire, twice

Question: I was at a bonfire with friends ( we are all above drinking age ) and one of the persons there got upset with me over a comment and pushed me into a bonfire, when I tried to get back out he pushed me back in a second time. My friend was able to get between us and get the assaulter away from me. I filed a police report the next day and I have 2nd degree burns on my hand and back. Will I have issues pressing charges or having a personal injury case considering we were all drinking?

Answer:
 It certainly sound like you should call an injury attorney. Getting pushed into a fire is battery.  Your lawyer will assess all relevant issues.

I hope you heal (I mean feel better).