Title: What is to prevent landlord from kicking me out for "other" reasons when I have an emotional support animal? [CA]

Question:
Long story short, my therapist wrote me a letter to support my dog being an emotional support animal. We currently rent and our lease states no pets, however it is my understanding that the landlord cannot discriminate against tenants with ESAs.

My lease is expiring in September and I want to be upfront about my dog, but what happens if they try to kick me out for reasons other than the dog. For example, if they say they want to "renovate" or something...

I live in California (Los Angeles).

EDIT: I do NOT have the dog yet.

Answer:
>What happens if they try to kick me out for reasons other than the dog. For example, if they say they want to "renovate" or something...

You move out.Answer #2: >  however it is my understanding that the landlord cannot discriminate against tenants with ESAs.

They can if they're a small-time landlord or if they can't make a reasonable accommodation (for example, if your neighbor is allergic to dogs and there are no places to move the neighbor).

I'd add, too, that if you already have a dog and haven't informed your landlord, he can likely boot you for that.

Finally, he's under no obligation to renew your lease unless you have a contractual first right of rescission. If that's not written into the contract (and some municipalities may mandate it, but not all do), then he can terminate the lease when it would have ended anyway provided he does so in accordance with said lease.


Title: [IL] Lady bumped into my car while at a stop sign, didn't get her insurance info. What should I do?

Question:
Hi Reddit. Longtime lurker here. Decided to post on here as I'm not quite sure what to do.

Last week on Monday, on my way home from work with 3 of my friends (we carpool), a lady bumped into my car while I was at a stop sign. My rear bumper got cracked as a result. We exchanged contact information but I neglected to call the police or get her insurance info as we were both in a rush. I contacted her (via text) and she calls me the next day and she left a voicemail with her admitting to bumping into my car, apologizing, and telling me that she and her husband would rather pay for the damages through cash and not through insurance (she also gave me her husband's contact info). Yesterday, I went to the auto body shop to get an estimate and the estimated repair amounted to almost $800. I sent the estimates to the lady but haven't heard back yet (I know she's read the messages cause she has read receipts on). I also reached out to her husband and got no response. At this point I'm worried if they are trying to evade responsibility and I'm not quite sure what to do. I made 2 stupid mistakes and that was failing to file a police report and get her insurance info :( This was my first accident and I'm very naive about this stuff. I know this isn't an excuse but I definitely learned my lesson.

What should I do at this point? Is it too late to file a police report? I have already called my insurance company and they advised me to wait a few days for the lady and her husband to respond and if they don't get back to me, I should file a small claims suit. I have evidence of the car damage, the voicemail of her admitting to bumping into my car and her offering to pay for the damage, and I also have text message conversations saved. My friends can also testify to the accident as they were in the car. This is in Chicago by the way.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you!

Answer: Your insurance company's advice is good.  At this point there isn't much to be gained by filing a police report.


Title: [CA] - Is there a way she doesn't have to see the guy face to face in court?

Question:
So a friend of mine recently got a temporary restraining order for a guy who was cyber harassing her and they are set to have a court hearing on September 4. She would like to know if there's a way she doesn't have to see the guy face to face in court as she doesn't feel comfortable with him being on the same room as him?

Thanks!

Answer: She can request a sheriff's deputy to stand next to her if she feels threatened by him.  That's really about it.


Title: Mom paid $15,000 to buy a business. Got scammed. Please help!

Question:
My mother "brought" a nail salon from a friend of a friend's. I say "brought" because there's really no contract involved.

Short story: this woman owns a nail salon. She is on the lease for the space she's renting until July 2018. She offered to sell my mom her business for 20k, my mom paid her 15k in cash without any receipts (I KNOW!!!!!) They signed a notary paper (literally one paragraph) It says:

'My name is xxxx and I am current business owner of xxxx at xxxx address. I am selling my business: xxxx to xxx (my mom). Currently xxx (my mom) is $5,000 short of the full price of the business I am selling her. Starting 2/1/17, she has agreed to pay myself $200 each month till the $5,000 that is owed is paid in full, then the business is solely hers.'

Now this woman has another nail salon that is about 5 mins away from this one. She basically took all her clients from this salon and brought them over to her new one. Now my mom has no clients at the business. My mom is paying her $200/mo + paying the rent of the space ($2,000/mo). My mom is not on the lease.

My mom told her that she's scamming her by taking her clients and not selling her a legit business. My mom threatened to leave and demanded her $15k that she paid the lady. The lady then threatened to take my mom to court.

What legal standing does the lady have over my mom? They did not sign a contract, just a paper that says my mom will get the business if she pays the 5k in full. My mom never got a receipt for the 15k she paid for.

What options does my mom have? Please help!

TLDR: My mom brought a nail salon for 20k, already paid 15k, scammed, now being threatened to get sued if she doesn't pay the rest of the 5k.

EDIT: I know this was a stupid move on my mom's part. She was in a desperate spot in her life and made a really stupid mistake. My question is: since she didn't sign any space/lease/rent agreements can she technically leave the business without being penalized?

Answer:
 She bought the business, not the clients. Nothing to see here.Answer #2: How do you figure this is a scam? Usually when you buy a business you enter into an agreement with the current owner that they will not poach customers or start a competing business within a certain radius or time period. It doesn't sound like your mom knew what she was doing.Answer #3: Why didn't she specify she was buying the client list, specify a 1 year non-solicitation, and place a geographic non-compete in the purchase agreement?

You get what you pay for, and your mom paid nothing to her attorney. Answer #4: Your mom needs to do her own marketing and get her own clients. This is 100% her own fault. She wasn't scammed.


Title: [IL] Roomate doesn't want to sign lease

Question: Moving into a new apt. Landlord only requires 2 people to sign lease with the 3rd being allowed to live there idk what that means. However the apt is huge, it can easily have 6 people living there so we may have 1 or two more people. The thing is how csn I make sure they just don't ditch us after paying first months rent if they are not on the lease or they don't pay at all and still live there. What kind of contract can be done? Would it be something private

Answer:
 >What kind of contract can be done?

A signed lease


Title: Vehicle towed from school lot within a few days (mostly weekend) of an accident. AFAICT the law wasn't filed and the Tow company is just trying to do a cash grab.

Question:
Within the last two weeks my girlfriend borrowed my car to drive her child to school.  She was involved in an accident that totaled my car.  I spoke with the patrol officer on the phone and determined that I didn't have to have the on-call rotation tow company tow the vehicle but could instead shop around.  This was on a Friday mid-afternoon (2:30 or 3:00pm, barely enough time for me to do anything before places closed).

I got one response from a body shop on Friday but then everything was closed.  I tried to get to the car before dark to take pictures but couldn't, so I wound up going the next day, Saturday, and inspected the location of the car and took full pictures.

The car was parked in a space (correctly, not in any way out of the parking space) in a school parking lot next to the intersection where the accident happened (not the kids school or in any way a school we deal with).

In NC the only reference law concerning private lots and towing I'm aware of is [G.S. 20-219.2](https://www.ncleg.net/gascripts/statutes/statutelookup.pl?statute=20-219.2).  When I went to take pictures I specifically took pictures of the parking lot and both entrances as well as the car.  I also wrote my name, the date of the accident, my cell phone number and my intentions (to have the car towed within a day or two after getting quotes) on a note and placed it on the dash within the locked car.

By COB Monday I had a second quote and had determined that the car wasn't worth repairing so I'd have to sell it for parts.  The car was in fantastic shape with all electric, leather interior, all electric, working A/C, relatively low mileage and flawless service history so I expected to get a relatively high salvage price.  All damage was on the front end (pulleys, belts, radiator, etc...  No frame damage only front bumper and hood damage on the body).

Tuesday I got a call from a towing company saying that they had towed the vehicle.  I asked them what right they had to tow and they said the school asked them to.  I called the school and was unable to confirm this because the school is closed (and had been closed this whole time AFAIK).  I never had a number to call and had to look up the number of the school via the internet to call at all and I got the closed recording.  I called 3 or 4 times but never got a person to confirm if the tow company had been called.  Since the law stated above didn't apply, I don't know how they can say they legally towed my vehicle.  Nobody ever contacted me except the tow driver, who called me using my note.

I called the city police and they said it was a legal tow.  I asked them under what law it was legal and they had no idea, just said it was legal.  I cited the law and read it to them but no good, they told me to go to civil court.

I called the local magistrate and he said I'd probably get my vehicle back because it didn't sound like a legal tow.  I have since filed with small claims and have my hearing next week.

My questions:

* Why/how are the police so blasé about what I sincerely believe is a towing company trying to steal a valuable salvage vehicle?
* What damages should I be seeking?  This has been a major PITA requiring me to go all over town, pay for both filing ($98) and serving papers (Sheriff's dept. charges $30 to serve papers).
* Will I have to show up to get the car with a tow truck?  I was going to have whatever salvage company tow the car, so I'm totally unsure how to have them pick it up at the private impound.
* Does this happen often?  How often?

Thanks in advance!  Appreciate all you guys do here.

Answer: Your totaled car was parked on someone else’s property and was removed from that property. The police concluded it was a legal tow (and most are likely to agree).


Title: My company is employing undocumented workers, and my signature is on their I9. How much trouble could we get into?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 They clearly know that they're undocumented.

They specifically said they don't want to go through the legal way of the j1 visa.

You could get into a lot of shit if word gets out about this.

Contact a lawyer yesterday.


Title: Can a spouse take the kids and leave the state, no divorce involved.

Question: SIL loves in Texas and is in a unfortunate situation. She's married with one kid. Marriage isn't going well. Could she take the kid and live in another state? The husband would know where she was, it would be to simply get her in a better position and maybe fix their marriage.

Answer:
 > Could she take the kid and live in another state?

Sure.  Either legal parent can do what they want, barring a court order otherwise.

However, he could file a suit and request the child be returned, and the court would almost assuredly grant it.


Title: Odds of me doing jail time !?

Question: I was recently arrested for a dwi/ hit and run combo . I have court in a month and I'm worried that I might be getting locked up for a while. Any advice from any lawyers on the page would be much appreciated

Answer: You need a defense attorney.


Title: Pizza delievery tip dilemma

Question: So recently I got tipped 50 dollars from a customer. I thought it was odd since it was a dollar order. I never called back informing her I received 50 by mistake. Fast forward 6 days later and the lady calls the pizza place I work at that she wants the 50 back. My manager today told me I have to give her the 50 back. Is it legal for me to keep me the 50 aND say it's her own fault? Also could my manager fire me for this? Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. I live in ohio as well.

Answer:
 > Is it legal for me to keep me the 50 aND say it's her own fault?

It'd be hard for her to prove theft.

>Also could my manager fire me for this?

Absolutely.  He probably would to, given that good word of mouth and the repeat business of this customer is likely worth more to him than you having another $50.


Title: Is being a police officer for Halloween illegal?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 If you use any costume to try to act like a police officer in such a way that people are deceived and believe you are a real officer, that could be trouble.

I doubt that going to a Halloween party and telling people "Stop!  In the name of love!  Before I break your heart!"  or singing Y-M-C-A with the rest of the Village People is going to be a problem.


Title: Is it legal to copy the source code of a site and modify it?

Question: I hired a web designer recently and it looks like he completely ripped the source code off of a site and then modified it for my website. He didn't steal any text or images from their site, but the layout is exactly the same. I'm not sure if he reverse engineered it or if he straight up stole the code. Is this legal? Can I be sued? I just will fire him if it's a big issue but honestly it looks really good and I'd like to use it if possible.

Answer: Source code is protected by copyright, but it's possible that the developer actually wrote the code and is using it for multiple clients or reverse engineered the design, which can avoid copyright problems if done properly. It is also possible that both sites are based on open source templates for which the copyright holders have given permission for it to be copied. You need to figure out what really happened here and go from there.


Title: Bought a house 50/50 with my sister, now I want out.

Question:
My sister and I bought a side-by-side duplex house in Minneapolis, MN 3 years ago - I lived in one side and she lives in the other.  A year after we bought the house I moved out of state with my fiancé and I am currently renting out my half of the house while she still lives and operates her business (dog boarding) in her half.

It was a great set up while we were both living in the house, but I was not planning on getting engaged, moving out of the state, and her being a terrible neighbor with my tenant.  Not to mention a lot of other personal/family reasons that are currently making me want to sell my part of the house.

We each put down $20k for the down payment, we are both currently making equal payments on the mortgage, and both of our names are on the deed.  So what I want to know is how do I go about selling my part of the house?  We only talked about this briefly when we were buying the house, but the original plan was for both of us to never sell it, and if we weren't living in it, we'd rent it out until we die.  Now I know this wasn't the smartest decision, but it happened...

Answer:
 You offer to sell her your interest in the house.

If she refuses you can file to have the house forcibly sold via the courts.


Title: (NJ) My uncle took his own life very recently and his wife of less than a year refuses to show anyone the note he left but is demanding that she be given money from a savings because "it was in his letter". Is there anything my family can do?

Question:
There is no will. They live in NJ. My mom believes she's trying to pull one over on my grandmother.

Legally, is she allowed to withhold/not show anyone the note my uncle left? We don't know what it says...and honestly it's less about this whole money issue, more about closure for my mom.

Can the savings account just be turned over to her Willy nilly with no proof?

ETA: its an HSA account that began before marriage.

Also, if nothing can be done about the account, is there at least anything that can be done about seeing the note? Would that have been taken by police initially? Can we go ask to see it ourselves?

Answer:
 Did he have a will other then the note , children are either of his parents alive and/or is his estate more then $50,000?  Estate does not include most jointly held property or life insurance or Payable on death accounts.

The bank wont give her the account willy nilly but she does not have to prove it to your mom.  If she was a joint account holder the money is now hers , if it was a POD account the money is now hers.  If your uncle had no children and his parents are dead the account will go to her.  If he had children and the estate is more then $50,000 , the first 50 goes to his wife and the rest is split between wife and kids or parents if there are no kids but a parent is still living.


Title: Wife's parents threatening to sue over parent plus loans

Question:
My wife and I have been paying off parent plus loans taken out for her education.

 We recently discovered that they took out $6000 extra that got refunded to them. We told them that we will not pay oany more of the loans off until this is resolved. They are now threatening to sue us.

How concerned should we be?

Our location: North Carolina

Their location: Virginia

School: Virginia

Answer: Let them. Parent plus loans are 100% the responsibility of the parents. You don't have to pay off one more cent. Of course there is the whole /r/relationships aspect to this, but legally you don't owe the lender squat and they have no winnable case.Answer #2: So they borrowed money for your wife's education and then used the refund? Your wife's parents are idiots if they think your wife owes that money. Answer #3: Not a legal comment, but I'd recommend /r/JustNoMIL. Unfortunately a lot of them have had this happen, or something similar, so you can get alright advice from them.


Title: Can you ask a DA for confidentiality?

Question:
Long story short, my father was arrested for assaulting me and I’m being emotionally blackmailed by his mother who is constantly trying to hurt herself to get me to recant my statement and say it never occurred. If I send an email to the DA and recant the statement, then follow up with another one saying that I was pressured and asking him not to tell anyone that I sent the second email. Will he do that? There’s plenty of evidence for the occurrence of the incident including photos of my injuries taken by the cops , neighbors hearing the shouting and my dad himself initially lying about it getting physical then saying “I may have pushed her”

Additionally, I told the cops everything that happened and talked about the past incidents where he beat me up but also i was pressured not to open the door for them when they came by again a week later.

Please help

Answer:
 Tell the da you're being pressured to witjdraw your statement. This is a crime.

If your mother is physically harming herself, call 911 and report it. She'll be placed in a psychiatric unit and receive the professional help she needs.Answer #2: The DA is not going to like you creating an issue of your credibility. The DA is also going to want to know *why* you're recanting your statement but then telling them you didn't really recant but to keep it secret. Your grandmother could get in trouble for trying to hinder his prosecution.Answer #3: If they are pressuring you to change your statement, that is a felony crime of victim/witness tampering.

If you change your statement and say you lied, YOU could be charged with a crime.Answer #4: >make it look like I did recant the statement to them?

No, the DA isn't going to lie in your behalf. They almost certainly value their law license enough to not do so.


Title: Am I obligated to go to work in a state of emergency?

Question: Many of my colleagues like to downplay things like hurricanes.

Answer:
 Absent an employment contract you are not.

But on the flip side, your employer is also not obligated to continue to employ you.


Title: Leasing problems

Question:
Okay so me & my girlfriend have been looking for an apartment to live in while were in college. So we end up being told that their are some student apartments that are supposed to be cheap & help out poor college kids (me & my gf) so we went & it wasn't that cheap but since we didn't know the area & was informed by a local (who was also a poor student) that it was in fact the cheapest we didn't doubt  them & it was our very first time doing anything like this. We had no help as our family don't really help us with much of anything regarding adulthood. So with all that in mind we thought this student apartment was the best we could do so me & my gf signed a lease on it but not without some annoying problems but those don't matter as much. So we signed the lease & after talking to my friends' parents about the issues we had trying to get it all done they found it odd so they offered me to take me over to the city I would be moving too & to see if we can find anything else & what do you know we find something real quick & much cheaper. So this is where the problem comes in. We called the other student place (this is one month before move in day & we have not made any deposit or any form of cash transaction. We haven't even set foot in the damn place) & Inform them that we decided to not move in there & would like to buy out the lease or see what we can do to just not have to live their but they say how they don't do that. That we have to live their or else they will ruin our credit & they will make us pay.  Now they have to understand that were broke kids who barely has money so what do they think they will get out of us if we don't move in. Our only choice is to break the lease. They told us we can find someone to sub lease but we don't live in the area so how are we supposed to find someone to sub lease. We tried doing any type of online ads to sub lease but all we get are bots answering the ad. What are the possibilities if we don't move in?

TL;DR : signed lease to one place found a better place. The first place won't let me buy out the lease. What could happen if I don't move in?

Answer: You will owe rent until the lease is up or they find a replacement. If you don't pay, your credit will be garbage and your future wages could be garnished.Answer #2: This sounds like an expensive life lesson. There's not much you can do. Read your lease and be more intelligent when shopping for apartments in the future.


Title: IA- employee left personal items after leaving. Obligation to return them?

Question:
I had an employee hired to work full time this summer. The employment lasted just shy of a week, and they left yesterday in a huff, leaving some clothes behind.

They moved out of their rental, leaving the key and returned home for the summer. What are my obligations in returning the items of clothing?

Answer:
 Send a certified letter advising of 30 days to retrieve items left or pay to have them shipped.

If you do not hear from them, chuck it in the trash. Answer #2: I am not a lawyer.

You should send a letter (certified mail) that states they have a reasonable amount of time (usually 30 days, give a date and time) to pick up their clothes and if they do not pick up their clothes by then, you will dispose of them as you see fit.


Title: Asking for a friend - who has a retail business with off the books cash employees.

Question:
Some tax agency has started nosing around, probably NY State. - She is a bit scattered about this ...By phone! so scam alert is high, but my guess is that sooner or later these chickens are coming home to roost.

She has been paying sales taxes, has an accountant who is described as very straight, but who has been unable to convince her to put everyone on the books...

Is this a situation that calls for a specialized attorney? - Will it have immediate federal implications (not paying social security for starters)  How serious is this - it's essentially a mom and pop operation?

If it turns out to be a scam - can she mend her ways without severe consequences?  Is there a dollar/time/number of employees amount that crosses felony threshold?

Thanks

Answer: She needs a tax attorney. In theory she can go to jail for willfully and illegally employing workers and failing to withhold and submit payroll taxes and tax information.


Title: Did I screw up by not getting a police report when someone hit my car?

Question:
Hi everyone! My first post here and in hoping y'all can help an ignorant 30 year old out with some advice.

I got in my first car accident the other day when some jackass decided he was gonna turn right out of the center lane. The light was red, I was slowly coming up in the right lane, breaking, and it turned green about the time I was even with his back bumper. That's when he proceeded to turn right, I slammed my breaks and layed in the horn, but he scraped up my front left bumper and knocked out me of my fog lights by forcing the turn. (It was in downtown Austin TX, three lane street, one way). The other driver was extremely apologetic, totally cooperative, yet adamantly begged me not to call the police. I didn't sense anything suspicious from him, and he gave me all of his contact info and insurance information right away, so we went our separate ways.

Now I'm filing a claim with his insurance, and I'm worried that they won't pay me to fix my car without a police report backing up the claim. Did I screw up by not calling the cops and filing a report? Hoping y'all can help!

Answer: I don't know about Texas, but in my state and the surrounding ones the police actually won't file a police report unless they personally witness the accident, a vehicle needs to be towed, or there is an injury requiring hospitalization.  So if an insurance company (especially a large nationwide company) tells you that they require one, they are lying.


Title: Long-time dentist didn't tell me they dropped as PPO until after all dental work completed

Question:
Three weeks ago, I went to my dentist to check out a dental problem. Before the appointment they asked if any insurance info had changed. No information has changed for the last 10 years. They already had a copy of my insurance card.

The dentist took x-rays and told me I needed to have 4 fillings replaced. They told me they needed to schedule a longer appointment to have all the work done at once and to work out my insurance. I did not pay anything at this time. I scheduled another appointment two weeks later.

I came in for the appt and had the work done. After I came out of the office, the office manager (dentist's wife) told me she just called my insurance, while I was in the chair, and my insurance would only pay 70% of Reasonable and Customary. She informed me they had dropped out as a PPO provider in the last year. This had always been a PPO provider where I was covered at 80% of Reasonable and Customary for the ten years I had been going there. She demanded that I pay $500 at that time, which I did. I was in such pain and could hardly be understood as my entire mouth was numb. She also told me that it probably wouldn't cover the entire cost and there was a good chance I would owe more.

My previous balance on my bill shows a charge of $115 for the initial x-ray visit. I called the insurance this week and they told me the dentist submitted a bill of $200 and they paid $140 on it. The main appointment was billed at $1025 for the 4 fillings. My insurance had not received that claim yet. They told me not to pay this dentist any more money.

I am not sure what to do? I feel like they knew from the first visit that they were no longer a PPO provider and didn't tell me on purpose until I was on the hook for the money. I didn't specifically ask about insurance as they have always been a PPO provider for ten years. As a courtesy to a long-time patient, I feel they should have told me beforehand. I would have paid the initial visit and gone to another PPO dentist for the dental work.

She told me they dropped out as a PPO provider because they got stuck with a $1200 bill that they had to write off.

I am in Illinois.

Should I try to negotiate or something else?

**tl;dr** Two dental visits two weeks apart. Informed me they dropped from as PPO provider minutes after work completed. Now owe a much bigger bill.

Answer: Try checking your insurance handbook under Continuity of Care or continuity of treatment (or call them and ask). They usually have provisions for when a provider is no longer in-network while you're still receiving care.


Question:
My girlfriend wants to leave her parents house shes 18 but to come to my apartment she needs to have an I'd and her social security number.
Her parents dont care for her they are truly assholes im willing to pay for the id and the background check fees but they magicaly lost her papaers as shes trying to leave. Doesnt she have a right to her papers since shes an adult we dont know what to do.
Any help is welcome

Answer: She can order a new birth certificate and social security card.Answer #2: If she can have all her mail forwarded to your address her military ID will be more than enough to have her other documents replaced. It will also work for her application to join your lease as it is a legal federal identification card.


Title: (Georgia-US) Friends ex left a washer and dryer at her house over 6 months ago during when they broke up and he moved out. Now wants them back.

Question:
As the title says. They broke up and he just left a lot of his crap at her house and never contacted her about it.

She ended up just keeping the washer and dryer, but it turns out he still has a debt on them via a Lowe's credit card.

Pretty sure Lowe's doesn't use appliances bought as collateral, and it was essentially abandoned property.

She isn't financially tied to this at all.
Does he have legal leverage to get them back?

They were not married.

(Bonus question)
He's also demanding she pays for outstanding balances for cable bills and home security (alarm system) bills. Both were 100% in his name and again, is just now bringing this up 9 months after no contact at all with her. Is he bullying her to pay, or does he actually have legal leverage to back up his demands.

Edit.
Derp title. Forgive me.

Answer:
 If he purchased the washer/dryer and they weren't gifted to her, he is entitled to them back.

Was there an agreement between the ex-bf and your friend about splitting the cable bill(s) and alarm security.


Title: Is it legal for me to write an e-book with "legal" advice on how to minimize the effect of a traffic ticket (ie. basically telling people the methods of a traffic attorney)?

Question:
I'm not an attorney. Assuming I have a legit business set up (a publishing business), and otherwise am legal (taxes, liability insurance, etc)...

Is it legal for me to write an e-book that basically tells people the methods that traffic attorneys use to reduce fines, eliminate "points" and similar?  This would be a bit of a step-by-step thing.

I'm concerned that there might be something actually illegal about this - like giving legal advice if you aren't a lawyer?  I'm not worried about liability, I'll contact my insurance agent to be sure I'm covered there.

Edit: I'm in Alabama but this would be sold online, really anywhere in the USA.
Topic:
Business Law

Answer: While I admire your pluck, there's absolutely no way you could create a product that wouldn't royally screw some percentage of your buyers.


Title: Neighbor wants to redirect stream through my yard? Need some help

Question:
I just bought a new house on some great property. I'm the back there is a ravine with a creek running through. This creek is cutting into my back neighbors deck (he lives in a condo) and his condo association is going to pay engineers to come in and redirect the creek. Problem is its all on my property. The proposed plan is going to put the creek right though a dry flat area that is very picturesque. That is one of the reasons I bought this house so I can go down and enjoy the creek. Now the run off comes from (apparently) a near by shopping center and a school. My question is can he take legal actions if I don't allow this to happen? All he wants me to do is sign off. I fear of not signing and getting sued for some reason and end up having to pay for all this.

http://imgur.com/a/49UjJ

Answer:
 Do not sign off. Call an attorney (preferably a land use attorney) and explain the situation. Based on the facts given, I highly doubt a condo owner can sue you to alter your property -- much less make you pay for an alteration to his benefit for runoff you aren't responsible for.Answer #2: I'd go further than simply telling him to fuck off and leave you alone.

Get a real estate attorney, and a surveyor. Document the property lines. Document everything about the condition of your property right now. Document how the water behaves when things are dry, when they are wet, when it's snowy, etc, etc. Does your basement flood ever? Is there standing water anywhere? Erosion? Trees that may be killed? Pictures, pictures pictures. Written notes. Everything. Nothing forces you to use all the evidence, but disc space is cheap these days, and it can't hurt to have.

Depending on the specifics, there may be a solution that benefits you as well here, but it doesn't sound like he is angling for that right away. If he's not willing to either neutrally or positively impact your property, you want a lawyer to draft him a *very* nasty letter that amounts to "if you negatively impact the quality of my land with modifications to drainage on yours, I will have you sodomized".Answer #3: You might also want to contact the EPA about this, too.  Redirecting a stream has long term consequences, as others have noted, and wildlife could be affected too.


Title: How can my friend find a house or apartment? He's on the sex offender registry and everything treats him as if he's subhuman.

Question:
I live in MN and have a friend in MI who is a registered sex offender, which in the U.S. are feared more than terrorists and are basically witches to be hunted. He now gets SSI but it's too little to pay rent, and none of the apartments in his area will let him live there. Meanwhile I am trying to get out of this failing mining town in MN, hopefully to a larger city in any nearby state. So I was wondering how I can find a decent state or town where I and my current roomie could get an apartment or house with the friend from MI, without them witch-hunting the poor guy or denying him *any place to live*.

And seriously, U.S. people. In the minds of the populace, violence, murder, maiming, shooting, war-- all of that is okay to talk or think or make endless movies and books about, and "those people can reform". But even though the country is obsessed with sex, sex crimes are the "worse than terrorism" boogiemen of our country, and people think those people are incapable of reforming or of being actual decent humans.

But I digress. Here's hoping we get some common sense reform in the future. He doesn't deserve this garbage.

Answer:
 Your friend needs to abide by the laws applicable to him based upon his requirement to remain on the SOR. Each state has its requirements. These laws exist for a reason. Landlords have a right to refuse to rent to a person because of the criminal conviction(s).Answer #2: Subhuman is accurateAnswer #3: Michigan may have a few support groups for convicted sex offenders that can help him find housing. They likely don't make themselves too obvious - if you think lone sex offenders are reviled, imagine how groups that help them are treated - but they are out there. Google turns up a few possibilities.

Beyond that, there's no magic to this. He's either going to have to shop around until he finds a landlord willing to overlook it, buy a place of his own, or offer enough money that the landlord he wants is willing to look the other way about his history. He'll also need to comply with any restrictions he's under regarding living near schools and the like, which will complicate the process.


Title: High school stadium flagpole's spotlight shines into parents' yard and house all night [WI]

Question:
My parents live next to a high school in Wisconsin.  Last year the school ripped up the football fields that border my parents' yard and constructed a football stadium.  The stadium's flagpole is next to my parents' house.

The flag is up on the pole 24 hours a day.  At night it is illuminated with a spotlight that is at approximately the same level as my parents' deck.  After dark, their deck is fully illuminated.  They can't sit out on the deck at night without a spotlight at eye level.  The light also comes in through a bathroom window, my mom's bedroom window, and the office window.  All three windows have honeycomb blinds, and the bedroom window also has curtains.  The light is bright enough that you wouldn't have to turn on any interior lights to use the bathroom at night.  The light comes through the bedroom and office windows at an angle, shines between the blinds/curtains and the window frames, and bright beams are visible on the walls.

My parents have submitted complaints to the high school, the district superintendent, and the district school board and have not received any useful response.  They do not want this spotlight to be shining into their yard and house all night.

My mom told me that one of the school's big selling points for the new stadium was that the spotlights for the field specifically point down so as not to light up the neighboring residential properties.  This isn't true, but there aren't football games going on all night every night so they've put up with the game-time spotlights.  School is not currently in session and it isn't football season.  Someone from the district did tell my mom that it would be "too much work" for someone to raise and lower the flag every day, but if that's the case, then how could the district afford a multi-million dollar football stadium?

What would be the next steps for my parents?

Answer:
 Have you contacted your town's code enforcement office? There may be town ordinances about light pollution or nuisance which the school is violating. It's worth a check.Answer #2: Looks like [Madison](https://darkskywisconsin.uwex.edu/files/2016/06/Ordinance-Madison-print.pdf) and [other Wisconsin towns](http://cosmicreflections.skythisweek.info/2017/05/22/outdoor-lighting-codes-and-ordinances-in-wisconsin/) have light ordinances. Answer #3: Two of the requests that might make would be for a collar (I don’t know the correct term) that slides over the light limiting the area lit. Perhaps they could suggest that the collar be used so only the flag is lit except for game nights.

The school may also be able to instal some sort of dimmer so that after such and so a time the flag is only gently illuminated. Answer #4: Can a freefoom of information request be filed against a local school board (foia) ? If you knew the type of bulb, you could calculate how many thousands of dollars are being spent (wasted) on this each year.


Title: [IL] I'm probably going to die sooner than later and I have a book I want to leave my younger cousin, I don't feel I can have my family carry out my last wishes and want to know if there's a way to leave it to him Doc Brown style like 20 years from now?

Answer:
 OP-

You don't say why or how you might go.  If it isn't natural causes, I urge you to get help.  Much better (if you have a choice) for your cousin to get to know you when he's older.

Don't go anything that can't be undone.  If you're contemplating self harm, call 1(800)273-8255 or head over to /r/suicidewatch and talk to someone.


Title: My employer is committing tax fraud and I have proof. How do I proceed from here?

Question:
My employeer is committing tax fraud. I've estimated that he's defrauded the government by $806,400 in false deductions alone. It would be impossible for me to check every single invoice for inconsistencies so I've taken a statistical sample of the invoices over the past 7 years, averaged the inconsistancies, and multiplied by the number of invoices. I'm in the process of filling out IRS form 211 at the moment for that sweet sweet reward money (15%-30%), but my major concern is my anonymity. How anonymous are tax whistleblowers? I know the IRS says they're completely anonymous, but what are the odds that people in the financial community in my hometown figure out that it was me? My mother keeps saying that if I report it it'll get me killed, and my father called me greedy for wanting (at least) $120,000 for reporting this defraudment of the government and the average taxpayer.

How do I maximize my chances of retaining my anonymity while still collecting the reward money?

Answer:
 It’s anonymous.  The problem though is that you have already told two people and if you get your reward money they are going to blab.

It’s not the IRS you should be worried about.


Title: My boss is a bully correspondence.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 None of this is a legal issue. This is policy and personal. He can be a dick. He can text. He can fire you for not following policy you didn't know about.

Edit: clarification


Title: Can the company I work for get in trouble if the employees use drugs on their own time and we do nothing about it?

Question:
I have a few employees I know use drugs. It is not currently  effecting their performance, but I don't want to get to that point.We also don't want that kind of environment at our facility either. Is it legal or even necessary to give random drug tests  to our employees?

Edit:we are located in Utah

Answer:
 An employer is not responsible for their employees when they are off the clock and off the work premises....

However, if your employees operate machinery, a motor vehicle, or interact with the public it is in the employers best interests to maintain a drug free workplace.

If your company pays workers comp insurance they often promote (and sometimes mandate) drug free workplace practices/ testing.


Title: I just found this to be mind-blowing! Murder vs duress.

Question:
When someone put a gun on my head and force me to kill another person and i do it, provided that i am not at fault for putting myself in the situation (i.e gang rituals or somethings like that) and they will kill the other person anyway, i will still be convicted of some sort of murder or manslaughter. I can't use the under duress defense because the potential harm imposed on me was equal to to harm i inflict.
This is what the law say about duress, but it make completely no sense to anyone with a shred of logical thinking. It's not that i value my life than that of the person i shoot but the well-founded belief that he would be killed anyway if i don't kill him, why throw my life away.

Answer: Why do we get this question so often lately? Duress is not a valid defense against a murder charge. It is a valid defense for almost everything else. If it was any other way every murderer would claim duress.


Title: Sister given wrong concoction of chemo drugs, now paralyzed from cancer. Any legal recourse?

Question:
Hey all,

&#x200B;

My sister (62F) has stage 4 breast cancer, and I am fortunate enough to go to all of her treatments, mostly to keep her company (I guess I'm better than the 50 year old puzzles with 5% of the pieces missing). She was diagnosed 4 years ago and has been doing great, despite it being in her lungs as well. She responds incredibly well to treatment, so the cycle is basically that the cancer grows -> start chemo -> cancer shrinks -> wait a few months -> repeat. They decided to try a drug which consists of the chemo itself and another drug which suppresses the production of some hormone or something. Anyway, the chemo drug doesn't work without the supplementary. She has been given that drug before, with great results, and once it achieved the desired effect she stopped it and it was basically filed under "chemo drugs that work".

&#x200B;

Now, my sister used to work as a nurse at the local cancer center, so she really has her shit together as far as what meds to take and when. About 5 cycles in (4 months or so), she noticed that in her course of 5+ medications that she gets during treatment, only one of them was the actual treatment. So she told the nurse that she was supposed to get two. The nurse didn't say anything, left, and went and got a superior. The superior checked her notes, looked at the IVs in my sister, and we could tell he knew that a mistake had been made. He insisted that no, the one drug was correct.

&#x200B;

Fast forward about a month, when my sis became paralyzed due to the cancer spreading unchecked up into her spine. She went to an oncologist in Texas, who told her that *absolutely* she should have been given both drugs, and that's likely why it didn't work.

&#x200B;

Now, this seems petty. After all, people with cancer just have bad luck sometimes. But is there *any legal recourse?* I feel incredibly silly being someone that seems so sue-happy, but the reality is that my sister is now paralyzed (i.e., can't work) and frankly we are incredibly angry that she went through 4 months of treatment that was never going to work.

&#x200B;

**TLDR; sister mistakenly given wrong concoction of chemo drugs for 4 months, now paralyzed from cancer**

Answer:
 Medical malpractice is well beyond the scope of this sub.

You'll need to get a consultation with a medical malpractice lawyer.  Your state's bar association may offer free referrals to lawyers in your area, so reach out to them first and see if that's a service they provide.


Title: CA - Cat defended herself.

Question:
I was looking inside and outside for a key my son had misplaced for our car. My cat apparently got out and because she's black, nearly impossible to find in the bushes at night.

She's a 10 year old, about 11 lb domestic house cat.

All of a sudden when I'm trying to get my son ready for bed, we hear some dog growling noises outside, a lady yelling, and I caught a brief glimpse of the encounter where her dog's leash was wrapped around her and her dog making lunges towards something and barking. I couldn't really see what that was, until the lady later yelled that she was attacked by a cat and was going to call animal control.

This dog was at least 75+ lbs. and big. I see a few tufts of hair outside and no idea the extent of this lady's injuries - could be a simple cat scratch from my cat defending herself, I have no idea.

In all the years of having my cat, I've never seen her be aggressive or attempt to hurt anything else unless she's provoked - and even then it's with a very typical cat warning.

I'm just trying to see what the situation or situations i'm looking at here?

I know i'll get a call from my HOA guaranteed.

Answer:
 The dog was on a leash and your cat was running around outside of your control like a wild animal. You are in the wrong here. If she contacts you about injuries then you are probably best off to just pay them or see if your insurance will.Answer #2: You are responsible for the actions of your pet.  Contact your homeowners/renters insurance.Answer #3: There are tons of cats outside. Can she prove it was your cat? Did you admit its your cat? Did she say it was your cat?

Her dog attacked the cat, so her animal is in the wrong in my eyes, but maybe not the laws eyes. I'm probably biased as a cat owner though. Was your cat OK?


Title: [Oregon] I have reason to believe that a guy I went to highschool with has child pornography on his computers, and has relationships with underage girls online.

Question: I live in GA and was wondering what I should do? He has a past history of doing this, and I think he's doing it again. He makes my friends uncomfortable and I'm unsure what to do. Is there any place I can report this anonymously? The weird predator guy is located in Oregon.

Answer: Report it to the [Cyber Tip Line](http://www.missingkids.org/gethelpnow/cybertipline) and they will determine if there is enough to get it to local authorities or FBI. Just give them all of the info you have. You may not have enough yourself, but it could be combined with info others have reported.


Title: [NC] Desperately need advice on a nasty custody battle and divorce.

Question:
First, I'm new to Reddit. So hi! I was pointed here as a place that might be able to provide some help.

The situation is this. My best friend was physically assaulted by her husband a few months ago. The police were called and she left with whatever she could grab. Their three year old was sent to a third parties house.
She did file a DVPO and took custody of the three year old. She stayed in a safe house for a few weeks before moving.
She was able to get a lawyer to help with a custody agreement. With the stipulation that it could be amended to fit both parents needs with both parent agreeing. That worked for a short amount of time. She is currently in nursing school so her schedule changes every semester. So come this semester the only time she could see the three year old is during the weekend. They both agreed that the child would stay with the father during the week and the mother during the weekend.
For more context before explaining this weekend's events the husband is refusing to sign any separation papers. Denies he ever assualted her, while also saying he doesn't remember that night. He constantly tells the three year old that he will get their family back together. He will hold the child hostage when he doesn't get his way. He likes to give his estranged wife the ultimatum of she either needs to come back and be his wife or he will take the child away. He has stated that he will no go back to work until his family is back together. He is pretty set on either getting what he wants or else.
My friend did lower the DVPO so that he could go back to work and to make passing the child between the two easier. This has been a very tricky situation since his outbursts can be randomly triggered. Earlier in the week when he confronted her about their anniversary and she said they no longer had one because she is seeking a divorce he grabbed the child ran to his vehicle and locked the child in it. The whole time the child is screaming.
This weekend they had a co-parenting counseling session and it was brought up again that my friend wants out. He flipped out and accused her of various things and explained that he will no longer be accommodating to her and that he will be taking back his child since according to their original agreement it was his day. And that the child would not be attending the pre agreed event for Sunday. (My friends white coat ceremony. He is not allowed on campus.) So basically is he can't go neither can the child.

All that being said here is my question. My friend is tapped out for money. She's living off of student loans and whatever gofundme money me and others raise. He doesn't pay for anything of hers at this point. He drained their accounts. I paid for her lawyer the first time.  How can she get the legal help she needs?

Answer: So to be clear, they haven't gotten a divorce? A divorce would provide her with her share of the assets he took (like the bank accounts)


Title: My Public High School Locks Every Bathroom

Question:
I go to a public high school in the state of Virginia. I go to a campus style school that has 4 student bathrooms (plus 1 in the gymnasium, though students aren't allowed to use it unless they have gym).

Of the 4 student bathrooms, 1 has been permanently closed all year. A second has been closed since shortly after the school year started. The third bathroom is seemingly open at random, and rarely at that. I should stress the rarely.

The last bathroom is inside a building that contains several classrooms, and is only open for the first 2 periods of the day. It is not open at 3:55pm when school ends. It isn't open any other time of the day, and the only other working bathroom in the cafateria is also locked once lunch is over.

My question is, is it legal for the bathrooms to be so completely restricted as to make it nearly impossible for a student to use them?

Again, sorry if i'm just upset and this is a stupid question, but I just wanted advice.

Answer: Ask your county health department.Answer #2: Do you have to go somewhere to get a key to a bathroom if you need to pee? Do you have to get a key from a teacher? Do the teachers have keys? I can't imagine a school that locks all bathrooms for the majority of the day.


Title: Help, police served a warrant on my California home.

Question:
90 days ago I had a warrant served on my home. The police were looking for previous roommate. We'll call him B. B lived in an RV on the property, he got a state license and registered his vehicle at my address. He moved out in April, and went on his way. Well he got into some trouble, and there was a search warrant served at my house. They took lots of my possessions. At the time I was not following all the laws of the land. Had somesteroids in my possession and some mushrooms. Not a crazy large amount, personal use only. And a handgun ...was a shiny trophy piece.  No charges were filed on me or anyone in the house. They got B...and all my stuff.  Everything is filed in his name, and no one it's helping to get my stuff back. I think I need to send a letter to the DA so he can send a letter to the police to release my things. Except none of my things are in my name, they are filed under B's name.   Can anyone help or send me in the right direction.

Tl;dr.  I got screwed by the man. They came in and took my things and I don't know how to get them back.

Answer:
 >Had somesteroids in my possession and some mushrooms. Not a crazy large amount, personal use only.

>I think I need to send a letter to the DA

how about you just call it a day?

Answer #2: > got screwed by the man. They came in and took my things and I don't know how to get them back.

Having your contraband seized isn't being "screwed". You should be counting your blessings that you weren't arrested. Answer #3: What stuff are you trying to get back?  The steroids and mushrooms?  Are they legal?  The handgun?

Have you spoken to the detective or detectives that ran the warrant?  What do they tell you about your stuff?

If the detectives believe this stuff belongs to B, and they consider it evidence, they can hold onto it for a very long time.

Answer #4: I cannot believe you're considering sending a letter to the DA. Count your blessings that you're not being charged and stfu.


Title: [IL] sister deposited scholarship check in her own acc

Question:
How stupid can you get? She deposited the check from an organization that she got a scholarship from in her own account. Anyways I'm suppose to be getting a scholarship from the same organization but they are not going to give me until she returns the check/money  to them.

Now she's been playing games with the organization saying do this and that and i don't know if she has the money or the school does. But I just found this out today since I wanted to get the scholarship. So I'm gonna try to get them their check back. Can the check be returned to the organization and how can I do that? If this ain't the right place to post, where do I post.What kind of information do I need? Also, does she need to be involved because I feel like she doesn't want to return the money

Answer:
 > So I'm gonna try to get them their check back.

So your sister deposited the check into her bank, and the bank accepted the check, even though it didn't have your sister's name on it?  If that's the case, you cannot get "the check" back because it has already been processed by the bank.
Answer #2: What kind of bank would let you deposit a cheque that isn't made out to the account holder's name?


Title: help my grandma evict someone unwanted

Question: This is in Indiana. My grandma who is renting has my aunt and her child living with them and my aunts ex/boyfriend living with them as well. He is paying rent each month but is on house arrest and is being awful/destructive and huffing anything he can get his hands on. My grandma has called everyone from the police to his parole officer and no one is of any help, the police even went as far as saying if she called again everyone in the house would be arrested, but shes fearful for her, her daughter, and 9 year old grandson in her own house. I'm trying to persuade her to call the state police this time instead of local, but what is the fastest legal way she can get him out? any advice is super appreciated.

Answer:
 You can't just call state police to get around local police or county sheriffs. If you are in a city/town with its own police force, they have jurisdiction. State police typically focus on highways.

She'll have to do a civil eviction. You can evict in Indiana even if they're paying rent if they violate a term of the lease, damage the property, or commit a criminal offense that endangers the health/safety of others. Do not expect any help from the police. They focus on criminal matters only and this is civil.


Title: School randomly searched our whole class

Question:
VIRGINIA, we were all just sitting in class and the principal, the dean, a couple of security guards, and the school resource officer walked in our class and said “we have have volunteered your class for a search” then they called us one by one, patted us down, and opened and started digging around d our book bags. The person who was doing the search told me to “spread em” lol it was like I was in prison. But my question is can they legally do this, and if this happens again in the future do I have the right to refuse to be searched?
Topic:
Searches and Seizures

Answer: Random searches of lockers are fine.  Totally random searches of your persons and personal property (bags, backpacks, purses, etc) are not.  They need reasonable articuable suspicion to search your persons or personal property.  Though the standard for RAS is very low and they don't have to tell you what information they have at the time of the search.  They would only have to tell you if you sue or they find contraband and use it in proceedings against you.Answer #2: Lots of factors are in play, for you though best thing is to tell your parents what happen, your feelings about it, and ask that they intervene on your behalf.


Title: Overstayed visa as a minor

Question: I am 15 years old and was born in Israel. At the age of 2 (June 2004) my family came to the US (Los Angeles) on a tourists visa. However, we overstayed it and are moving back to Israel in a few days. How does the government treat me in this situation? Will I be able to get my tourists visa back, considering I commited this crime against my will? Or will I be barred from reentry for the next 10 years?

Answer:
 Wait, so you've been in the country for 14 years illegally?

You will likely be barred from participating in the ESTA program and will need to go to an American Consulate/Embassy to apply for a visa if you want to come back here again. For the rest of your life.


Title: Landlord deducted cleaning and hole repairs from handing pictures and shelves from security deposit. Do I have a good case for small claims court? [Florida]

Question:
My landlord deducted $725 from my $1,300 security deposit.
$150 for unit cleaning  $175 for carpet cleaning  $400 for patching and painting holes in wall from hanging pictures, shelves, and a TV wall mount.
My wife and I cleaned the apartment before move out and only left toothpaste and a tooth brush on the counter (by accident). He will not respond to my emails or answer/return my calls. [I sent a demand letter](http://imgur.com/FjzyIT7) last month for $625 (I know the (2) 1/4" wall anchors for the TV are not minor wear and tear but I figured 100$ would more than cover it).
Do I have a good case for small claims court?  In Florida the loser has to pay the losers court costs and my landlord lives in NY so he might hire a lawyer and I don't want to get stuck with a $2,000 bill from him.

Unfortunately I did not take any photos of the empty unit when I moved out but I have [these](http://imgur.com/a/XDDMk) which were taken by his Realtor during the last month of my lease. (My lease went from January 18 - Decemeber 31)
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: $400 to repair a home is not unreasonable.


Title: Does Mom Really Need To Know About My Rape(underage, Connecticut)

Question:
Long story short I was raped. My school contacted my mom. I was told that was the end. However, a detective shows up at my house and leaves his card to talk to me and say he doesn't believe my story and believes I had a little boyfriend and cried Rape after I got herpes. NOT TRUE! I got herpes from the Rape. Mom doesn't believe it either. It was from a guy I knew and I did talk to him romantically at one point but NEVER Consensual sex wise. I didn't consent to him to Rape me. Does mom have to know the details of what I discuss with the detective. She'll flip cause she didn't even know I talked to him
Topic:
School Related Issues

Answer:
 how old are you, that will determine the answer?

this sounds, Um, disjointed and unlikely.


Title: [NM] 17 year old brother charged with shoplifting - trying to avoid having his name published in local paper

Question: [deleted]

Answer: The 1st Amendment allows them to publish his name and charges.


Title: Help getting rid of neighbor hard drug dealer

Question:
My best friend lives in a area of town known for illicit activity (gangs/shootings). He lives in an octoplex and one of the downstairs neighbors is a gaslighting-ly obnoxious drug dealer.
1. His car is rigged with stupid loud speakers that shake the entire building at all hours of the day (he's always on blow, selling out of the parking lot; he uses said speakers as a signal to the general area that he's "open")
2. He seems to have some sort of agreement with the landlord. They wave enthusiastically at each other every time they see each other. I have had several interactions with both of them individually and for some suspicious reason, whenever I speak to the landlord and refer to the obnoxious dealer & the amount of traffic he brings through  (seriously,it's like a drive through. There's even a 9am rush on weekdays when people are on their way to work!) He immediately states "No no no illegal or criminal activity happens here!!" He almost sounds desperate.
3. I can't afford any kind of camera to put up to gather evidence. The best I have is writing down license plates of customers and the occasional picture.
4. I have clearly witnessed him exchange a Ziploc bag with something in exchange for cash 15 feet away from me. He also pretends to fix his car in the parking lot for extensive amounts of time while various cars come and go.

I want to bust him. I want him gone for a long time. What sort of information/evidence do I need to collect and bring to the police?

Answer: You are not Batman and you are not the police.  Call them and tell them what you've seen and let them investigate.  Call the non emergency line when noise ordinances are broken.


Title: Pulled over being unlicensed as a minor.

Question:
In early September I was pulled over and given a ticket for driving unlicensed. They didn't take my car and I was asked to appear at court as the ticket did not have a fine. Im currently 18 and getting my license, does me getting my license before my court appearance change anything? I live in Riverside County CA, US

My court appearance is November 2nd, Thank you.
Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer: No. You shouldn't have been driving unlicensed and they will have that on record. You just shouldn't have done it. You broke the law and there are consequences. There's no good reason you should have been driving with no license.Answer #2: It changes nothing, you had no license when caught. If anything, it might cause problems getting your license.Answer #3: Depending on the state there may be a driving ban effective the date you get your driver license


Title: I live in the US and want to buy something from a Canadian, but I think it’s not allowed to be shipped through USPS. What’s a legal way to do this?

Question:
I know there must be a way to legally transport hazardous materials, since companies need them and such. Is it legal to mail these things through FedEx or something, or how do people work around this who need these things transported?

For the record it’s not something actually dangerous, but I read the “banned substances” lists and I believe this is technically covered, so just trying to be safe.

Answer: Are you asking us how you can bring illegal drugs into the US?


Title: California: Is my private high school allowed to not let me skip a math course?

Question:
I go to a private high school in California and recently have been asking if I can take Algebra 2 over the summer so I can take Pre-calculus next year.

My school used to allow taking summer classes, and even offered their own summer classes, but stopped allowing that 5 years ago.

I have expressed to them that I plan on taking an Intermediate Algebra (Algebra 2) online course at a local community college over the summer regardless of whether they let me take the class or not and that I hope they respect the completion of the course so that I do not have to waste another year in math, my favorite subject and passion!

Originally they said that, "Well, the completion of an online course doesn't necessarily mean you know the math to level we expect at our school" and in response to that I have offered to take both the school's Algebra 2 placement test (the same test incoming freshman can take to skip Algebra 2 and go into Pre-Calc) as well as offering to take the Algebra 2 final at the school. All of my suggestions and offerings unfortunately were rejected. They said that the current math course "path" I'm on is the one I will continue to be on.

After speaking with family friends who work in the math department for a high school in Canada for advice, they said I should look into the laws in my state if my school is actually allowed to not recognize a demonstration of all Algebra 2 concepts (e.g. Passing the online course, taking the placement test/final). They recommended I look into this because where they work (British Columbia) they said schools are required to recognize that.

My dad has tasked me with doing some research online but I'm not sure where to look; I thought coming here would be a good first start.  After a bit of looking I did find the [SB-359 California Mathematics Placement Act of 2015](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201520160SB359) but I'm struggling trying to figure out what it means and/or if there's any information pertaining to my situation.

The other possible issue is that even if it is a law, do private high schools have to abide by the same rules or can they just do away with those rules?

Any advice would be much appreciated, thank you!

Answer:
 Unfortunately it's all by specific agreements.  If this was solely at the college level in CA there are well-defined agreements between the colleges, and they can all be found on [Assist.org](http://www.assist.org/web-assist/welcome.html).

High-school <-> college agreements are often on an individual basis.  That said, while a school doesn't have to accept outside classwork you should be able allowed to test out of a class.  I suspect that if you get your parents talking with the school something can be arranged.Answer #2: Do you have a teacher at your school who could advocate for you and help you navigate this?  Sometimes schools are more receptive to out-of-the-norm situations if it is a familiar and trusted person vouching for it.  Perhaps if you pitched it as taking the class, see how you do, then take any placement tests and/or submit results before deciding for next year.

Online math courses are pretty intense, so buckle up and keep up with the pace.  Let any teachers you have a good relationship with know what you are doing.  Most of the good ones will go to bat for a student who is trying to get ahead.


Title: I am a YouTuber with 16K subscribers and someone is spreading that i stole someones video wich is not true.

Question:
So this guy called "scares" is telling everyone i stole someones video and also told that i was lying to YouTube and stuff like that.. He also insulted me but i did nothing wrong that screen shot is fake i realy didn't do anything wrong so that means i never stole someones video.
He did sent so many fans to my channel they All started to dislike my videos because of him. They also told me in the comments i should go "kill my self" because i stole someones video. Please take a look at 2:25-3:46 all if this is Bull https://youtu.be/LhsTeyJIb20
I already asked him to delete it but this guy didn't give a shet he didn't even respond.

Sorry for my English.
Thanks

EDIT: im from Belgium

EDIT2: I've sent a privacy claim to YouTube what means i "flagged" the video i didnt strike it i will keep you updated they will respond within the 48h.

Answer: This may be defamatory, but you’d have to prove how much money you lost in order to collect. And if the guy you say defames you doesn’t live in Belgium, you’re going to have to deal with him in his home country. It’s not worth pursuing. Just turn off comments until they get bored.


Title: I signed a lease for a college apartment but I am unable to provide a guarantor.

Question:
Hello,

Earlier this year I signed a lease for an apartment for the upcoming school year. So I found a apartment I liked and thought I could afford and signed a lease. Well when I signed it they said I would need a guarantor. I assumed my parents would sign for it, but they have made it clear that is a no-go, and I do not have any other family that can sign.

I emailed the head person for the apartment telling her my situation and she made it clear that I am definitely not able to move in without a guarantee, but I am still accountable for rent.

What are my options?
Am I accountable for rent on a apartment that I am unable to even live in?

Edit: This lease agreement is for Kentucky.

Answer:
 >I am definitely not able to move in without a guarantee, but I am still accountable for rent.

This is not right. Either they can agree to let you move in without a guarantee or they can choose to void the lease.


Title: real estate bought our mobile home without our knowledge

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Get a lawyer. But besides that write down everything with times, dates and names. Photocopy the documents, scan them too. Store them somewhere safe and keep digital copies as well.

Then speak to your lawyer.


Title: Ex-Husband is withholding the kids. What could she do?

Question:
I have a friend, let's call her Risa.

She's got an ex hubby and they share two children, 7 and 12. They live in small town, northern California. 12 YO daughter has recently started cutting. Risa believes that there may be sexual abuse but can't prove it. When questioned about it, the children will say "I don't know, I was asleep" or similar. Daughter has, with discomfort, admitted to things like being "brushed up against" with his hand on her butt. Along with being reluctant to visit Ex, the daughters have also said that Ex comes in their bedroom naked at night, interrupts them while they are showering/changing, and continues to do so even after they asked him to stop. There is also good evidence that 7 year old wets the bed and is afraid to use the bathroom. Ex husband has a past history of sexual abuse with two younger half-sisters and served 9 months in CYA (California juvenile prison) in the distant past.

Legally, they share 50/50 custody, week on/week off and it has been somewhat contentious. There have been a few incidents of trading days and Ex hasn't always honored his commitments. Ex does not allow the daughters to talk to Risa when they are with him and daughters are clearly uncomfortable talking about what happens at Ex's house during visitations.

A few days ago, Ex did not honor turning over the daughters to Risa, and had filed an "intent to withhold" with the district attorney. This obligates him to show cause within 30 days, but as of this writing, no such information has been provided, either with the county clerk nor with Risa directly. A police officer volunteered that the intent to withhold was filed because the 12 YO was cutting and Ex believes this was due to conditions at Risa's house.

I know Risa well enough to know that this is simply not true.

Risa is obviously traumatized and asked me for help. Being a long time Redditor, after suggesting legal counsel, I thought I'd post here and see if there's any light for my friend.

Is there a motion that would be advantageous to file? Should she wait to respond? What can/should she do/consider? She is concerned about doing things that are effective, and is bedeviled by not knowing the system despite having to represent herself.

(Xpost from /r/asklegal)

Answer:
 I'm sorry are you saying your friend has serious and legitimate concerns that her ex, who she shares custody with, is sexually abusing her two daughters and she never called CPS? That doesn't make any sense to me.

She needs to consult a lawyer to enforce their custody agreement. Answer #2: A lot of back and forth “he said she said” is happening here. The best thing might be to voluntarily call in CPS and have them come into the situation. Have Rosa go to a police station and get an officer to sit with her while she files a report and contacts CPS.


Title: I bought 2 hoodies, they only sent 1. Is there anything I can do to make them send the other? [NZ-USA]

Question:
I am in New Zealand, and I bought 2 hoodies from this website that is based in LA California, USA. After a couple weeks, they sent my package. Once I received my package, it only contained one of the two hoodies. I asked them if they could send the other  one, in which they replied after a couple days asking for details and proof of purchase. I replied with the necessary details with no reply. I'm not sure if they sent it or not. Their response is slow/never reply and ambiguous.
Is there anything I can do to make them send my missing hoodie? Any advice would help!
Thanks

Answer: Do a chargeback on your card if they fail to respond. Banks in NZ from my experience tend to highly lean towards customers as opposed to businesses when the cases are quite simple.


Title: [Las Vegas] While visiting from Canada, Grandfather slipped and hit his head on the tub during stay at the Tropicana hotel on the strip after shower. He lost a ton of blood but luckily survived. I don't know what to do next, please help.

Question: [deleted]

Answer: He should go to the hospital.  But, just because he slipped on the hotel property does not mean the hotel is liable for his injuries.  It would have to be proven the hotel was negligent in some way and that the injury was a result of the negligence.


Title: Got booked and released for possession and paraphernalia. Now what?

Question: I am 17 and was smoking yesterday with two friend in a local nature center. Mid session we saw two cops walking up so we put everything behind the bench we were sitting on. They approached and asked if we were smoking anything other than our e-cigs and we responded no. They then asked us to stand up so they could pat us down. We responded that we did not consent to any searches but they continued because they said that they smelled weed. When we stood up about halfway through the patdown they noticed the bag and the bong and asked who's it was. All we said was we didn't know so they said we would all be charged with possession and paraphernalia. They then gathered all of our stuff cuffed us and took us to the station for about two hours while we waited in a cell for booking. I haven't told my parents and I really don't know what to do. Also I was never read any rights or asked if i would like to contact a lawyer throughout the whole process. Wisconsin

Answer:
 The cops did everything by the book and didn't have to read you your rights. Tell your parents, as they probably have to go to court with you, and hire an attorney. Answer #2: The police did not need your consent to pat you down. The weed and bong were in plain view and you all constructively possed the items.

The police did not need to read you your rights, which would have prompted your the right to remain silent and have an attorney present before any questioning.

You need to tell your parents. It is not the end of the world, but it is a misdemeanor (punishable by up to 364 days in jail) - I assume so since you bonded out.

You need to tell your parents and hire an attorney. Charges like this can effect college admission, sports, and scholarships.

As for your other question regarding punishment? I can only speak to what often happens in my jurisdiction (which is a large metro area with a lot of these types of charges) - often first time drug offenders are required to attend treatment for their substance abuse issues and placed on court supervision (you piss hot or get so much as a ticket from the police it stays on your record). But if you are in a smaller county this may be looked at differently.


Title: [CA] Im working in a hostile environment and I dont know what to do

Question: My boss is constantly attempting to find things he is unhappy with, he refuses to apologize when proved wrong and he verbally berates both myself and my office manager who are the only 2 female employees in the entire company. Today he gave his nephew (another employee) a raise, his second in the past year while my office manager hasnt had a raise in 4 years and I have only ever received one in the entire 3 years that I have been employeed. It feels like hes baiting us into quitting, which is fine for me but my poor OM needs this job/reference. What should I do?

Answer:
 hostile work environment is one of the bases for a sexual harassment claim. there is no cause of action against a an employer for being unfair or being an asshole.

make the best of it and look for a new job.


Title: If you had a camera security system attached to a turret that only fired when you sent the command, would it count as a booby trap?

Question: Booby traps have to be indiscriminate to who it targets. So what if you had a panel with a rifle and security camera that alerts your phone of activity and shows you said activity. Would that count as a booby trap since technically you are remotely controlling it?

Answer:
 And what activity would you see that would reasonably require a deadly force response remotely?

And what happens when it gets hacked?

The civil and criminal liability here precludes any benefit you'd get.


Title: Let people stay at my apartment, now they won't leave. [Md]

Question: Ok, so a little over 2 1/2 months ago I let 2 adults and a baby movie into my apartment because they were having a hard time. They have been horrible roommates, icing on the cake being stealing my $300 tv. At this point, I just want them out. They are paid up till the first,  and I told them they had to leave around the 20th. Now, they are refusing to leave, saying I needed to give them 30 day notice. There is no paper trail to this, he has just been giving me cash and they stay in my spare room. Can I make them leave the first or am I gonna have to wait for this bullshit to end?

Answer:
 He is right, they are tenants and have to be given proper notice.

Give them notice, in writing.  Make them countersign too, if you can.


Title: preventing paternity testing

Question: [FL] I've raised my child from birth to four years old with 0 involvement from the father. Now he is coming out of the blue requesting full custody. He is not on the birth certificate. He has no interest in the child and is motivated by money. I was wondering if there were any ways I could prevent him from pursuing paternity testing of my child. For example, I read something about being married or adding a male friend to the birth certificate could prevent him from getting a paternity test. Also, the father does not know where I live or work, and does not know the last name of my child (different last name than my own). Without this information, can I avoid being served the paperwork for the paternity testing? Or will they be able to find me?

Answer:
 Can you point out to him that he's basically volunteering to have his paychecks garnished for the next 14 years?Answer #2: Avoiding service or otherwise playing games is just going to look bad for you.
You can't prevent him from forcing a paternity test.
If he is found to be the daddy, he WILL get some sort of visitation (think along the lines of four hours supervised a week) to help start to establish some sort of relationship.

Evetually he may graduate to overnights and might (many months or years from now) get to the standard EOW screwjob.

He will also be required to start paying support.


Title: [WI,USA] Is it common for a lawyer you're trying to hire to not get back to you via email or phone?

Question:
I am trying to hire what supposedly one of the best lawyers for adoption in Wisconsin. I emailed him once talking about how he came highly referred by another lawyer friend, he got back to me within 1 or so. But that was only inquiring about possible costs, so I think he didn't think I was serious about adopting my step daughter...

So I emailed him again about payment, grant possibilities or if he had some sort of payment plan. He never got back to me. A week or so went by and my wife talked to her parents and they graciously will pitch in some money and said get the ball rolling set up a consolation with this guy.

So I emailed him again, asking him to set up a consolation and to talk soon... never heard from him again after 3+ days. So knowing he was supposed to be "the best" and my wife and I really want to hire him I decided to call him directly (not his receptionist) and leave a voicemail... later that afternoon he still didn't get back to me so I decided to call the office where he works and **talk to his receptionist and she lets me know that he will be back in about twenty minutes so I told her to have him call me around 5:00pm.

He called me back right away, he didn't apologize for getting back to me late or not responding to any of the emails... he said there is a form we need to fill out before we meet and that he will email me dates that he has available to meet. OK so we look at the dates pick out a couple (Monday) emailed him (Tuesday) and it's Friday and he still hasn't gotten back to us yet... is this normal???

TLDR: Trying to hire an apparently credentialed lawyer except after the first email, he is very slow at getting back to me. Even after our phone conversation talking about how I would like to hire him he still isn't prompt with getting back to me. Is this normal?
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 Lawyers -- *especially "one of the best lawyers for adoption"* -- can be extraordinarily busy. I'm not sure what your issue is. You contacted him at first but did not hire him. You waited some time and then left a message for him and both he and his receptionist responded to you. Every law office is different, just like every business is different. If you don't like their communications protocol (for lack of a better word), get another attorney.

BTW... your **formatting** was **extremely** annoying. It would have been **easier** to read **without** it. Please, next time **just put** in the **TL;DR or leave** it out altogether.


Title: Live Above A Drummer, What Can I Do To Get Some Quiet? (TN)

Question:
The title pretty much says it all.
My apartment complex is not a complex designed for musicians (I know they have a few in my city, but I can guess they're crazy expensive) and he keeps odd hours- pretty sure drumming is his means of employment.
My partner and I have looked into reporting him for noise violations before, when he first moved in he would practice whenever he felt like (one particular night he started at around eight PM and kept it going until after I had gone to bed at around midnight) but I'm pretty sure one of the other tenants in the building beat us to it. I'm trying to find our copy of the lease to find the stated quiet hours.
My question is: what (if any) noise violation does this break? It's three PM here and he's been practicing since about eleven and I think I'm about to lose my mind.

Answer:
 It may sound like the drummer's playing late, but I'll bet the rest of the band is half-a-beat early.

I'll show myself out...Answer #2: This is insane. No way is this acceptable in a normal apartment.
I would keep complaining to the landlord and call the police if they go 1 second into the local quiet hours.
I would go knock on their door every time they start playing and ask them to stop.

This person has to be a complete jerk to think living in an apartment and playing drums is acceptable.  Answer #3: Noise ordinances are often governed by local law, down to the city or county level. I'd call the police non-emergency line and ask.


Title: New principal is taking phones off students left and right even though for many, phones are an essential part of their getting home.

Question:
New Zealand.

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So, I'm a twelve year old intermediate student living in New Zealand. Our school recently got a new principal and she hates phones. Any phones seen used on school grounds will be immediately confiscated, parents having to come into school to bring them in. The only option for those who have their phones (Which is practically everyone in the school) is to put them in a tray which gets locked up until after school.

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I have several problems with this. Mainly being that phones are handed out after school, after the bell rings and the class is dismissed. For those who want to catch the bus and get a seat, (Which is always a struggle) this system makes it near impossible to get a seat and as a bus user myself, I find this particularly infuriating.

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So I'm wondering if the school can do this. I did some research on it and found [this](https://www.consumer.org.nz/articles/schools-and-the-law#article-inappropriate-teacher-behaviour). Somewhere down the bottom, it states that teachers are only allowed to search a students bag if one, the student gives permission, or two, they believe there is something that could potentially cause harm to sed student or other students.

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Have I found a loophole? Or is this just me punching sand?

Answer:
 You don't **need** a phone. Plenty of us survived school just fine without them for many generations, and speaking as a teacher, trying to contend with them is a gigantic pain. If you absolutely can't bear to be without it, put it in your bag and leave it there. Answer #2: I teach in the US and here if the student handbook says phones must be in lockers and powered down they can be taken to the office until a parent retrieves it. The system to get them back in your case sounds poorly planned so that is what I’d go after not the “I just can’t function for six hours without a phone” angle.

I’ll tell what wiohapoen. You will say you need a phone to arrange a ride home. They will say it is your parents responsibility to have that settled before you even get to school.

What about an emergency? The school has office phones. Everyone knows the number they can call the school or you can call them from school.


Title: Landlord wants us to move out earlier [FL]

Question:
I signed a lease less than a year ago and our landlord mentioned to one of my roommates about the possibility of moving out earlier and my roommate said that it can be done but nothing was set, our last day was going to be July 31st with first dibs at renewal. On May 31st our landlord texted my roommate to let us know that our stuff needs to be out by July1st since he already rented the place out. We paid a very high deposit since we were just out of college and he needed to "trust us" and upon reading the contract it say " deposit will be given back only after the completion of a year lease" so I'm worried bc there's over $4000 on the line. Since nothing was set about moving out earlier I got an apartment for July 15th to have time to move out in a timely manner. So now with such late notice I find myself without a place for those days with all my belongings. Our landlord reassured us that we'll get our deposit in 30 days after moving out but when he talked to my roommate (on the phone) he mentioned we would have it on move out day and I was counting on that deposit to help with me paying 1.5 rents for the month of July. Is there anything I can do or demand since there was never an agreement between all roommates to the landlord.

Thank you.

Answer:
 If you have a fixed term lease they can't just make you leave earlier by giving you a notice. When does your lease say it's going until? Does the lease allow them to cancel? Under what terms?

If your lease says it goes until July 31st you're in a good position. Your landlord has new tenants who he wants to move in July 1st and not doing so will cause him problems (if he can't deliver the apartment he'll need to find them another place, pay for it, and maybe moving costs). I would want the landlord to agree to refunding the entire deposit, paying moving costs, and a little something extra in exchange for agreeing to terminate your lease early.


Title: Employee in California can’t be paid by employer in Illinois?

Question: My dad is working at home for a company in Illinois and apparently the company can’t legally pay him unless he is working from the state of Illinois, Delaware or other country. Can someone explain the laws and regulations of this and what we can do?

Answer: That’s nonsense. Not a lawyer but he needs to file an unpaid wage claim. Answer #2: Is your dad an employee or an independent contractor for the company?


Title: Apple repairs broke my iPhone and I want a compensation.

Question:
My iPhone 8 kept having battery problems despite only being a few months old, therefore my local Apple Store (in Melbourne, Australia) agreed to replace the faulty battery for free (it’s also still covered by warranty). After 3.5 hours of waiting I could finally pick it up and use it, however, in the first 10 minutes after picking it up the phone rebooted itself and kept showing me 1% charge even though it was on 80% when it rebooted. I should of went back immediately but I was too far already and they were closing soon so decided to wait and see.
The phone kept rebooting itself every 10-15 minutes or so, and on top of that, started actively electrocuting me (tingle at fingertips and buzz in ears when in contact with the device). Next day I was extremely busy so only went back on Saturday.
To cut the story of another 2.5 hour wait for nothing, I was advised by both store managers that I would get a new phone without a question, the same model, however I need to back up my data first. Which I’m basically unable to do as it keeps switching off no matter what and also I’d have to be in direct contact with it (also my computer) which is clearly unsafe. Both managers seemed nervous and as if they didn’t know what to do or say. Some of the things said were along the lines of ‘mistakes happen in the repairs’ and ‘it’s already pretty awesome that it came out with all of the data on it’
So essentially, Apple tells me that for
1. making my phone faulty after their own ‘repairs’
2. losing huge amounts of time with them as well as my data (which includes photos, music, and uni files)
3. being unsafe from phone’s issues with its current,
best they can do for me is get me a *probably recycled* iPhone of the exact same model and a promise that it won’t end up the same as this one did.
What can I do to get proper compensation?(and preferably a newer model phone as this one proved itself yet once again to be rubbish)

Answer:
 r/AusLegal may have more insight, but -

You are almost certainly not entitled to more than a replacement phone, not a new or upgraded model because it was not repairable by them or even if the additional issues were caused by them. Your phone was used (by you) when it broke, so a refurbished model is an equivalent. Had your phone been repaired by them, it would be no better than another repaired phone.

People are not entitled to recover *more* than they have lost financially when something like this occurs. They are only entitled to be 'made whole' - i.e. returned to the same financial position they were in pre-loss.

Time wasted is not quantifiable financially, nor is lost data as it can be backed up elsewhere. It is not Apple's fault if it is not.


Title: My car was set on fire a few years ago, and they caught the guy and put him away and i won 20k in reparations. Will I ever see it?

Question:
I was called to court and showed up, didn't really know what was going on or why i was there. but i met the DA and he asked me how much my car was worth and they put a price on the guy they caught telling him he'd have to pay that.

Honestly i was like, wow that's messed up, he's a vagrant. just went crazy and set things ablaze, including my car. thank god i was insured. What actually happens though? do i ever actually see that money? is this just one of those things where they place a value on someone's sentence? or can i actually get that money back somehow?

Answer:
 You can't get blood from a stone. Depending on your jurisdiction (which is why it is asked) you can seize assets or have his wages garnished.Answer #2: > thank god i was insured.

Most you'll get back is your deductible.  The rest belongs to the insurance company.

This is actually good news.  They'll do all the collection work for you, which is likely to be difficult.