Title: Help! I think I’m going to fail my drug test. What do I do?

Question:
So a few weeks ago I interviewed for a position for a summer internship having just finished up my junior year of college. A few days after, I was notified that they would be sending me an offer letter. The offer letter was sent and I happily accepted, as it was kind of my dream job. After having accepted this offer, I was sent all the usual employment forms to fill out (W-4s, I-9s, etc.) Following these emails, I was sent a link to take a drug test through Quest Diagnostics, and although my employer did not note that this was a pre-employment drug test, I assumed it was. The expiration on the drug test form I was sent was for exactly 3 weeks out from the day of the email. This is where I get stupid.

A couple of my friends had also recently taken internship jobs, and had already drug tested and tested positive for THC. They practically bragged to me, saying that their bossed didnt care that they tested positive for the substance. So, I continued to smoke daily thinking I’ll just take this test sometime before the expiration date, test positive for THC, and have my employer shrug it off, saying something like “well as long as you dont come high to work, I dont care”

So, I accepted the job and have been actively employed and working daily at this job for one week now, and do not need to take this drug test for another week. However, with the last week approaching, I know I need to take this test soon. Today, I started getting a little paranoid because having just smoked yesterday, I know that the THC will still be in my system for the next week, AKA I will test positive on my drug test.

So, I’m doing some research and can’t quite figure out if this is a pre-employment drug test or just a drug test. Considering I am already working and getting paid, I am a little confused, because if it is a pre-employment drug test, how have I already been able to work for weeks? I keep reading about pre-employment drug tests being almost apart of the offer and being just that-you must pass the drug test to start your first day at the job. Is this correct?

Additionally, WHEN I test positive on this drug test, is my employer likely to fire me on the spot after having already worked and filled out the rest of my paperwork? Or will they give me another chance to pass the drug test? I keep reading that if you don’t pass a drug test regardless of if it’s pre-employment or not, that you will just get fired on the spot.

Long story short, what do I do? Do I email her saying I think I’m going to test positive. Is there any detox methods that can get the THC out of my system in the next few days? (I’ve been smoking daily for the past week and a half). What do you recommend I do?? Considering I’ve already been I guess “employed” and working at this job, can they just take that away from me for failing a drug test, or will they give me another chance to take it? Will they care if I just test for THC?

Thanks, and sorry it was such a long read. :)

Answer:
 They gave you THREE WEEKS to take a pre-employment drug test and you managed to fail it?

Why in gods name would they want to continue employing you if you are showing this kind of disregard for their policies?

When the bad test comes back, they could fire you on the spot, promote you to CEO or anything in between.

But honestly, if you want to smoke weed, you need to find a job with an an employer that is OK with that, or lose your job for cause with no unemployment.


Title: [NV]I want to know what is legally justifiable when inquiring about the people my children are exposed to.

Question:
Ex has physical custody of the kids and goes through live in boyfriends once every few years.  She recently left my children at home for 4 days to visit another state for a potential boyfriend.  I don't trust her judgement.  I can't do anything about what she does or who she brings around.  I want to know if I can legally require her to inform me of people she moves into the home & how I can make sure they aren't a criminal.

**EDIT:**Added Location

Answer: You cannot legally require it. You can go back to court and ask a judge but it is unlikely. During her parenting time she gets to choose who the kids are around. During your parenting time you get to choose. You do not get to decide what happens during her parenting time.


Title: [NC] I was stupid and my phone was confiscated in school.

Question:
Hello /r/legaladvice, I was stupid and had my phone out for a minute during lunch, an administrator saw it and now they say they're gonna keep it over the weekend and give it back to me on Tuesday. The school *does* has a policy that the first time a phone is confiscated they will keep it for three days, because this happened on Thursday I won't get my phone until Tuesday, my parents came to the school this morning with me and asked for the phone back, the school told them to scram pretty much.

I was told at the start of school of a policy that states phones will be confiscated if caught, but can my parent get the phone back due it to being their property (technically I suppose since I did not buy it on my own and I am under 18) and not mine?

What steps could I take to get my phone back before the end of the day? The school still has staff in it for a couple of more hours so I have time.

Thank you very much and I am sorry for getting myself in this situation.
Topic:
Computer and Internet

Answer:
 >my parents came to the school this morning with me and asked for the phone back, the school told them to scram pretty much.

Your parents should have asked to see the principal. If the principal told them to scram. their next trip should have been to the district superintendent.

If the district superintendent would also tell them to scram, their next visit should be to the next school board meeting where they need to bring up that while the school can confiscate property from a student, they have NO right to keep that property from a parent/guardian.Answer #2: That's....toeing a poor line.

If your parents want to push the issue they can show up at the school with police to reclaim their property. The school has zero right to acquire your phone and not surrender it to your parents, and I can't think of anything that would suddenly give them said right.

Or you can just get it back Tuesday.


Title: Do i have a Cause for a Lawsuit?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 You let a simple noise complaint ticket escalate into a felony. You need an attorney.

>he officer kept talking after the fact and i told them goodnight

If the officer was still talking, it means they weren't done with you. Shutting the door on them is not the right course of action.


Title: Unstoppable work bully

Question:
One of the supervisors at work bullies the people she supervises. It's really bad, she yells at them infront of customers and colleagues, hurts their pride,dignity, will spread bad rumors about their professional and personal life and will even call them names(stupid, useless, idiot,etc) via the telephone.
She's also the person who makes the weekly roster for everyone.
The victims are too afraid to do anything official about it.
Some of the people who resigned gave exit interviews detailing what is going on but no investigation was raised.
This has been an ongoing situation for years. I joined the department she works at recently and after finding about all of this (I had an idea but I didn't know that it was so bad and it wasn't my place) I went to HR and informed them. I've also explained to them the disadvantages and costs that come with bullying. They weren't surprised, they shook her up really well because she stopped her bullying for two months, but after two months of holding her bad behavior inside her she is back. She also puts others to insult the victims and if they don't she will bully them. It goes without saying that she has the support of the manager. They're best friends.
The HR says they want an official statement from a victim to move forward to an investigation. The victims are too afraid to do anything. She is perceived by the staff as an irreplaceable asset of the company (because she has no personal life and does work at home too) and no one believes the company will do anything about it hence why they are afraid to talk. They're afraid of what happens afterwards, if she doesn't get fired (with an investigation it is impossible they won't fire her).
As a supervisor myself I've never been a witness of her behavior, she only does it on her shifts and when we're double shift she doesn't cross the line in front of me.
Am supporting the victims every day trying to convince them that they should go ahead with an official statement but no one wants to do it.
It's heartbreaking watching them suffer and the effects this has on their daily lives. They don't want to come to work, when they drive to work their stomach hurts,etc)
Any advice?
Location Cyprus-Europe.

Answer:
 This isn't a legal matter- it's not against the law to be a huge jerk to the people who work for you.

Nothing can be done if no one comes forward.  The company can choose whether to keep the jerk in place while rotating people through who quit as a result, or whether it would be better to fire this person who is causing the problems.


Title: Government agency won't let me dock my boat on the lake I pay taxes to live on and maintain (MINNESOTA)

Question:
This is going on in Excelsior Minnesota on Lake Minnetonka. The Lake Minnetonka Conservation District (LMCD) is the government agency.

Picture of the boat to get your attention:
https://imgur.com/a/D9ZAMpR

When the boat is docked, there is a cover on it and you can't even see there are jetskis on it.

This is a long battle that has been going on over a year now.

I have already reached out to:
The Hennepin County Commissioner
The Attorney General of Minnesota
The Governor of Minnesota
My Local Senator
My Local Representative

All of which have stated they have no authority over the LMCD as it is it's own "political subdivision of the state" and could not help me.

To summarize:

I was looking at purchasing a pontoon boat that can hold two jetskis on it. Before I did anything I wanted to be sure that I could dock it at my slip on the lake because I know there are some strict regulations. I downloaded and read through all the LMCD code of ordinances and didn't find anything that I felt pertained to the situation of a boat attached (out of the water) to another boat.

I reached out to the director of the LMCD by email and phone before I purchased anything for clarification. I did not receive any return communication from the LMCD. I proceeded to purchase the boat and dock it with the two jetskis on it (out of the water, securely attached). Two weeks after it being docked the townhouse association I live at contacted me said the LMCD told them the boat is in violation. Still no direct contact to me from the LMCD. I reached out to the LMCD again, this time getting a response saying they wanted more information on the boat. I provided more information and they reached out to their legal team for an interpretation. They interpret that as 3 restricted watercraft in one slip, even though there is only one restricted watercraft on the water attached to the slip/dock. They said it is an issue of lake density and cited section 1.02 and 2.02 of the LMCD code. Those code sections are basic definitions and shoreline requirements and I don't believe the specifics of this situation are outlined in those section of the code, nor do I feel this situation is in violation of any of the code.

I removed the jetski's from the boat to avoid the threat of a $10,000 fine.

That was all last year, throughout the fall/winter I've done additional research.

I spoke with the Hennepin County Sheriffs Office, who polices the lake, from their standpoint there is no issue with the boat/jetski. The only vessel in the water/on the lake is the pontoon boat. If the jetskis are out of the water they aren't on the lake and wouldn't even need registration.

I spoke with the boat manufacture who specifically built the boat to carry the two jetskis. They stated the boat is built to Coast Guard guidelines, National Marine Manufactures Association guidelines, and American Boat and Yacht Council Standards. Once the jetskis are secure attached to the vessel and out of the water they are stowed away and become a part of the primary vessel.

The worst part about this is that the LMCD code only regulates docking vessels. This is the way they regulate lake density. Only a certain number of boats docked per certain amount of shoreline. My interpretation of this is that the boat with the jetskis on it is completely legal on the lake and only becomes a violation of the code when it is docked. So anyone, from anywhere, who launched the same boat with jetskis on it from a trailer for the day and takes it off the water at night is completely legal. Yet people who pay significantly higher taxes to live on the lake, and maintain the lake, are further restricted and can't dock the same boat. This makes no sense and doesn't even successfully regulate boat density on the lake.

I have also witnessed boats docked at Marinas and residences around the lake with multiple boats in one slip and with jetskis/dingys on the primary boat which have been docked all summer long apparently against LMCD code, but nothing changes.

If anyone is interested I have all the back and forth emails with the LMCD as well as the letters I sent and responses I got from the various state agencies.

I am wondering if I have any type of legal recourse, and if so the most cost effective way to go about it.

Thank you for your help!

Answer:
 Nice boat btw.

The fact that this involves an HOA could be problem here. If you they were *directly* fining you then maybe you could wait for that to happen then try to escalate through whatever legal channels exist, but instead the risk is that you could wind up fighting your HOA too.

I think you should speak with a real estate lawyer, especially if you can find one with experience with dock\-related laws. I took a look at the LMCD's bylaws and man, there's a lot of text there. Someone will need to go over it with a fine\-toothed comb. A lawyer might be able to give you a better interpretation if you do want to risk a fight.

Or you can attack this politically. It looks like the LMCD is governed by a board with representatives from the surrounding cities. Have you reached out to your own city to determine the board member representing you?Answer #2: If the purpose of the regulation is to limit density of watercraft on the lake, you may or may not be within the letter of the rule, but you are definitely violating the spirit of it.  Once your boat pulls a reverse Voltron, you now have three craft on the water.  Next thing you know, your neighbor has a yacht with a speed boat on top, with a fishing boat on top, with a row boat on top, with a jet ski topper.


Title: What is the legal difference between a club owner being allowed to discriminate against men by allowing women to go in free and making males pay, and that Indiana pizza shop not serving gay people?

Question:
Put down your pitch forks and torches! I am not a men's rights activist nor am I homophobic. I am just studying law and am curious, from a legal standpoint what the legal difference is.

Why is discriminating against a born gender legal, but discriminating against a born sexual orientation illegal?

Answer:
 Differential pricing based on gender is, in fact, illegal in many states.

>Why is discriminating against a born gender legal, but discriminating against a born sexual orientation illegal?

As someone studying law, you should know that isn't quite correct.  Discrimination based on gender is suspect and subject to heightened scrutiny, but it isn't simply "legal" in most cases.  In some instances gender can be a bona fide qualification -- for example, a Hooters waitress, or as was discussed here recently, a bra fitter.  In other instances a qualification can discriminate against one gender as a practical matter -- say, the ability to lift whatever number of pounds that, say, 99% of women could not lift.  But if that's a true qualification with no practical alternative, it's likely legal.

Discrimination based on sexual orientation is illegal in some states and not illegal in others. There is no law making it illegal at the federal level, although some protections now exist due to the overturning of section 2 of DOMA.

I suppose some would say that in your example, the difference is in one case, a business owner wants his business to be a success, and to do so has to attract fairly even numbers of men and women to the club.  It's motivated by business need, pure and simple.   In the other case, it is based on something other than any legitimate business need -- negative personal or religious beliefs about gay people.

(Insert joke here about the chances of a gay wedding ordering take-out pizza are approximately zero anyway.)


Title: Rear ended. Leased car wrecked. What do I do?

Question:
As the title says, we were rear ended today and the car is basically totaled. We're gonna go get our stuff out of it tomorrow, but it's so messed up it won't ever be functional again. Cops and paramedics arrived. The car has been towed somewhere. We've been to the ER and we're basically fine (a little whiplash and bruising, but nothing major).

What do I need to do in regards to the car and insurance at this point? We'll need to get a new one, but we don't have money saved for a down-payment like we did when I started the lease for this one. We also had some stuff in the trunk that was utterly destroyed (smashed to smithereens). I've been told insurance should cover damaged goods in the car as well as medical bills, but... well, I'm at a loss. Is there a resource I can go to for this? Maybe a check list? Am I even in the right sub?

Thanks in advance!

Edit:
I’m in California. Also, apparently I should post to /r/insurance

Thanks!
Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer:
 r/insurance

You should contact your insurance immediately.


Title: [Ontario] Aktiv Capital has been giving my number to debt collectors for a decade. I'm not the guy they're looking for. How do I get them to remove my number?

Question:
Starting around ten years ago I started getting collections calls for some guy I don't know. I'm probably using a recycled phone number that used to belong to this guy. The calls are rare, sometimes years apart. In the past I would just call the collections agency back, tell them they've got the wrong guy, and that was that.

In the most recent call from a collections agency called Action Collections and Receivables Management (ACRM), the message mentioned the name of the company on who's behalf they were acting. Some debt buying company called Aktiv Capital (AK). I looked up AK and called them to tell them the same thing and they basically told me to piss off if I don't have an account number. I called back ACRM to ask for the account number and the guy flipped out at me and hung up. Wonderful people. In case its somehow relevant, my call display says both numbers are American.

So. I'm wondering how to get AK off my back once and for all. AK's website says they're a member of the BBB, so I was planning to file a complaint against them via their BBB listing. I'm a little nervous about that though since that involves submitting my real personal info and I REALLY don't want them to have that. So far I've been very careful not to identify myself to AK or any company they contract to do their dirty work.

If that fails to produce a satisfactory result, the next step is to file a complaint with Consumer Protection Ontario with a record of the BBB complaint and response.

I am not a rich man. I cannot afford to "lawyer up". Also, I am not going to change my phone number, or pay any debts that don't belong to me. Any advice on the best way to deal with this?

Edit: I've read some similar cases posted to this subreddit. Looks like I goofed telling ACRM I wasn't their guy before I could get some information out of them about the AK account.
Topic:
Credit Debt Bankruptcy

Answer: Just so you know, the Better Business Bureau doesn't really do much of anything.  It may have "bureau" in the name, but it is a private nonprofit that rates businesses and such, not a government organization.  Filing a complaint there is about the same as writing a bad Yelp review these days.  It might get a customer service oriented response from a company that cares about their reputation, but is unlikely to get you anywhere with debt collection agencies.  I would proceed straight to Consumer Protection Ontario, assuming that is an actual government body.


Title: Do most people watch porn in the United States, even without using incognito mode? If so, how? Since from my understanding watching and bookmarking videos on Pornhub is illegal and incognito mode doesn't hide anything from the ISP.

Question: Do most people watch porn in the United States, even without using incognito mode? If so, how? Since from my understanding watching and bookmarking videos on Pornhub is illegal and incognito mode doesn't hide anything from the ISP.

Answer:
 > Since from my understanding watching and bookmarking videos on Pornhub is illegal

Your understanding is wrong.Answer #2: Why do you think watching pornhub videos is illegal?Answer #3: You've been repeatedly asking this question on multiple subreddits, as well as previously on this subreddit and have gotten the same answer again and again. No. Watching porn is not illegal in the US. Incognito mode has nothing to do with it. Whether or not an ISP does or does not notice or care (they don't) has nothing to do with it. It is not illegal.Answer #4: What makes you think watching Pornhub is illegal?


Title: They Super glued my lock. What can I do?

Question:
I rent a storage unit and somebody who has it in for me sprayed Super Glue in my cylinder lock. It was caught on film by the storage company. Is this a criminal act? Can I pursue this in court?

Edit: thank you for all the advice. I'm not sure what to do, considering that legal recourse could make everything worse in the long run. I waited for the facilities to open and had them drill it out. Got pictures. May file a police report once I can find out if I can get the footage.

Answer:
 You could.

Would be easier for the storage company to cut the lock and bill the guy for a new one.

As others pointed out its vandalism. Practically speaking those locks are cheap. Answer #2: Yes, you should report it to the police. You could also sue the person for your monetary damages; however, you may want to wait until the criminal side plays out.

If he is charged and convicted, the judge may order restitution to you for the amount of your damages.


Title: Brother in trouble

Question: My brother just got arrested for a class 3 misdemeanor drug charge. His court date is the 9th, but he leaves for marine boot camp the 15. Should he tell his recruiter?

Answer:
 Yes. Tell the recruiter. You cannot ship if you have pending legal action. He isn't joining the Marines anymore. He will be separated. You cannot join the military with such a recent drug charge.

If he doesn't and ships, he could end up in the brig waiting for court over fraudulent enlistment charges, which is a felony. Answer #2: The chances of him going to boot camp now are pretty slim to none. He should definitely tell the recruiter. Answer #3: >Should he tell his recruiter?

Yes.

He will most likely be separated from the corps because of this.


Title: M[29] Blindsided by Parents' Request to Co-sign Mortgage Refi

Question:
*Parent-son dynamic, early career, existing credit card debit, $30k/salary, Chicago*

Sorry if the details are murky, but I just received this bombshell of a newsdump moments ago.

As it so happens, my parents are awful at managing their finances. As a child, I remember my mom hooked onto the TV set, flipping between QVC and HSN for the next product promising happiness/longevity/sex appeal for only a few low payments of $Gimme^99.

My dad has never held down a full-time job as long as I've been alive, always resorting to various "schemes" to scrounge up cash. So, my mom, a nurse, now into her early 60s, was--and continues to be--the breadwinner.

Background done. I just received a phone call in which my dad tells me I need to co-sign on a refi for their primary property (they own a second--right across the street). I told him I was hesitant, as I'm already saddled with my own debt as it is. He spent some time in the Navy and claims that he's entitled to a VA loan which, though my name is on the loan, will somehow absolve me of financial obligation to the property--as long as my parents continue to pay their mortgage on time.

I said no, that I would need sometime to think this through and he almost immediately flies off the handle, telling me that this is an investment for my future, that I should appreciate his sacrifice, that when he passes (brought up often to guilt me) that life insurance will take of the financial burden. That sort of thing.

I remained steadfast, saying I would prefer to talk about such an important subject in person rather than on the phone and well, it escalated from there.

So, /r/legaladvice, is there any merit to his claim? Can I, as a third co-signer, be absolved of financial responsibility should my parents be negligent with their mortgage payment? Is this "gift" of property in a city I want nothing to do with, in a neighborhood slowly crumbling over the years, a missed opportunity? What of capital gain taxes when I would inevitably sell the house? Is this all just another scheme to transfer a much-refinanced house to an individual, their son--far too unprepared and frankly uninterested--and provide minor relief in the form of lower mortgage payments?

I feel comfort in my decision and although I'm now apparently not my father's son anymore, I think sticking to my guns was the best course of action.

Answer: If you don't want to be on the hook for the payments, don't cosign the loan.Answer #2: Your first instincts were correct: don't do it. Now it's possible that your father really thinks this, because people think a lot of odd things, but you need to look out for you. Answer #3: The point of being a co-signer is to use the co-signer as a financial leverage to make payments should any of the signers fail to make payments. It sounds like not only is there nothing that you would gain from this, but you substantially could fall into a large financial trap. Given your parents' track record on spending, I would quit on that and not contemplate it any further.


Title: Worked 3 days, Aerotek not wanting too pay the $350 net check they owe me.

Question:
Long story short, live in Florida and disaster cleanup is bad from Hurricane Matthew. FEMA is hiring "Debris Pickup MONITORS" Sit in the car and make sure they're picking up vegetation only, write them a ticket so they can get paid for there truckload. 7 days a week, 77 hours a week. FEMA needs help finding employees so AEROTEK (3rd party job searching company) is making most of the hires. I get hooked up on the job through a friend.

I meet at office of said location too fill out paper work for Aerotek and start training with FEMA. Aerotek asked me too bring License, Birth Certificate and Social. I fill out everything W4, all of that. 2 guys then proceed too check over all my paper work, after about 5 minutes I am told everything is perfect and too head inside for training. Great.

Training goes good clock in at 10AM, work till 7:30pm that day. The next 2 days I work full days. 6:30AM-7:00PM Everything was going great

I get a phone call the 3rd night I worked around 8:30pm from the Aerotek guy that hired me, "Roberto".

-R  "Hey Zejae, just calling too check how the jobs going."

-Z  "Hey man it's going great, love the crew i'm with we all get along great and get our work done."

-R  "Great, great. Hey i'm sorry to say I forgot too check your age. I had no idea you were 17. I see you turn 18 in 2 weeks (November 17th) so just take a 3 week leave and re apply after. But i'm going to have too terminate you. Don't show up to work tomorrow. It's totally my fault, it's Aerotek's fuck up."

-Z  "You had my birth certificate, drivers license, and failed to check my fucking birthday?"

-R  "It is what it is man. I'm going too try and get you paid for the 3 days you worked."

-Z "Hangs up"

I was given a cash for pay card. Today is the Friday I should have received my net check of about $350. I went too activate the card and it said this card has been closed. The people I worked with are on my side, I have proof that I worked those 3 days in every single way. Aerotek is trying to make it look like I never worked for them and cover everything up, including NOT PAYING me. What course of action should I take here? Thanks Reddit.

Answer:
 Call them first, but if that doesn't pan out, file a wage claim with the [Department of Labor](https://www.dol.gov/wecanhelp/howtofilecomplaint.htm)Answer #2: > given a cash for pay card.

This is not how aerotek normally pays their temps.  They only give these things out when they fuck up reimbursements or to pay for gas etc.

He did this because he didn't want to put you on the books, at all.  So this would be the same as paying under the table in cash, except either he forgot to activate the card or he just stole it from you.

either way, wage claim with the DOL.Answer #3: I have worked for Aerotek in the past, though not a Florida office. When I was with them they mailed me my paychecks. Usually got them on a Saturday. I'd say wait until Monday then call them up and talk with them.


Title: My husband got married to another woman before we have begun the divorce process

Question: My husband and I have been separated for a few months after I found out that he was having an affair. I just found out that he has married the other woman, but we haven't even begun the divorce proceedings. Would/should I use this in court against him? Should I file charges against him?

Answer:
 Your divorce lawyer can take care of the bigamy charges at the same time as the divorce.Answer #2: It's a [felony](https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/PE/htm/PE.25.htm) in Texas.Answer #3: Are you absolutely sure he legally married this other woman? Texas is pretty good about checking status before issuing marriage licenses, even across counties. (Source: have been married twice in Texas, in different counties.)

If you're in Harris or Brazoria, I know for a fact that you can check family court records online. Is it possible that your husband had some type of "marriage" ceremony without actually getting married in the eyes of the law?Answer #4: This is something your family law attorney will add to the divorce proceedings. For all I know, it could help your settlement, so ensure you advise them. Answer #5: My mother went through something similar. Bigamy charges in her case would have annulled the marriage, and would have left her without any sort of compensation. Find a great divorce attorney and they'll point you in the right path.Answer #6: Are you sure he got legally married?

He could have had a wedding party or church marriage which are completely different things than civil marriage.Answer #7: How do you know he got married? To those saying Texas checks to see if you are married when you get the license...you can get married in any state, and they wouldn’t check Texas. Answer #8: k wait.  Did he have an actual wedding  or just procure a marriage license? The two are different.  Consult your divorce lawyer with any evidence you may have.


Title: TN - Getting fired for smoking marijuana in Amsterdam?

Question: Let's say, "hypothetically", that a Police Officer is going on a 20 day vacation and "hypothetically" spends the first four days of his vacation in Amsterdam.  If that officer returns to work at the end of the 20 day vacation and does not test positive for marijuana would he have any kind of legal recourse if he were fired from his job for smoking marijuana in a country where it is legal?

Answer:
 Absent a union collective bargaining agreement or a employment contract limiting the reasons for which an employee can be fired, an employee may be fired for any reason, or for no reason at all.  The only limitation is that an employee may not be terminated on the basis of race, sex, age, religion, color, national origin, or disability.

If the police officer is an at-will employee, then he or she can be fired for going to Amsterdam regardless of what happens there.  But I suspect that an officer is going to be part of a union and that there is a collective bargaining agreement in effect that will restrict the manner in which he or she may be disciplined.Answer #2: > would he have any kind of legal recourse if he were fired from his job for smoking marijuana in a country where it is legal?

Almost assuredly not.  His employment contract likely contains language banning him from using marijuana completely, not just where it's illegal.  More, it's generally legitimate to fire an employee for any non-discriminatory reason, assuming it doesn't violate a contract.


Title: [MS]&[GA] If party A has a retaining order against party B, but party B is a delivery worker.

Question: If party A has a retaining order against party B, but party B is a delivery worker. If party A orders something to be delivered not knowing that party B will be the deliverer, how does this play out legally.

Answer: If party B violates the restraining order for **any reason** he can be charged with violating it.


Title: Can a landlord send things I text him to another tenant?

Question: If I was having a problem with a neighbor, can my landlord forward my complaining text to the responsible party?

Answer:
 Sure, I mean communications between you and your lawyer are privileged and between you and you doctor are privileged.

However, I have never heard of conversations (that is all text messages are) are being privileged.

Was the landlord smart? No he is stirring the pot and going actually make the problem worse.Answer #2: Yes unless there was something especially private in there. Rules vary by state, but disclosing private facts can be an invasion of privacy in some circumstances.

Generally though, absent an express agreement to keep things confidential, people are not obligated to maintain confidence.Answer #3: There’s no law or rule against your landlord forwarding complaint, but your landlord might incur civil liability for doing so. There’s is no criminal penalty for your landlord disclosing your communication (like there would be for someone disclosing classified information), civil penalty (like a doctor disclosing a patient’s protected health information), or even professional sanction (like a lawyer disclosing privileged client information). But if your landlord knows that sharing the information could likely cause you to come to harm, for instance if it’s a complaint against a violent neighbor, and they share the information anyway, they could be liable. That is, if you do in fact come to harm because your landlord shared your text with your neighbor, you could sue them for damages and possibly have a case.


Title: Non Voter summon for Jury Duty

Question:
I just recently been summoned to jury duty, but, I'v never been a registered voter. I didn't know I could be summoned by my local government to do jury duty despite the fact that I'v never been a voter. How is this possible? Is this something I really have to do?

I live in Texas
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: You don't have to be registered to vote. You only have to be eligible to vote. Yes, you have to go.


Title: [MI, USA] Adult placed into inpatient Psychiatric Treatment Center - question about rights and ability to sign yourself out.

Question:
My sister was advised by her therapist to go to a local facility for some treatment after she had a bout with depression. The therapist assumed an out-patient program would be set up and some meetings and such would take place. She was admitted upon arrival, where they take most of her belongings including her cell phone, she let them know who her therapist was and that the therapist should be made aware this was the course they were proceeding with.

This was yesterday (Tuesday) around 4 PM. As of tonight (Wednesday) around 8 PM my family emailing her therapist to let her know my sister was placed into inpatient care was the first time the therapist had any update about the situation. The therapist plans on getting in contact with the facility tomorrow about a release for my sister.

According to my sister she has not been given any of her meds, or seen a doctor today for more than 5-10 minutes first thing in the morning. She has no opportunity to pursue signing herself out from the facility because there hasn't been an administrator on staff for her to speak with.

My questions are about the process for her to get herself out, why her therapist wasn't made aware of the situation, and just what happens from this point on in general.

Answer:
 Seeing the psychiatrist very briefly is normal - I've never been seen for longer than 15 minutes while inpatient.  So is the slow communication - frustrating,  but pretty normal.  Likewise, holding her property - cellphones can really isolating, and the goal of hospitalization is to let you get a handle on your illness in a demand free, supportive setting with no distractions.

Not being able to take her meds worries me - but it might just be that she didn't have them with her.   Unless her prescriptions are through one of their psychiatrists they can't just fill them automatically.

Good luck.


Title: Can my manager tell me to "take off your cover and look me in the eye while I'm talking to you" in a meeting?

Question:
Cover meaning hat. He then proceeded to yell and berate me, but as far as I've read there's nothing illegal about that unless I can prove it was because of a protected characteristic. (It was, I get discriminated because of my young age but they never directly word it that way so I can't prove it.) (Texas)
Topic:
Labor Law

Answer: Then how do you know it's because of your age? If you're not looking at your boss and wearing a hat while they're talking to you they are absolutely within their right to ask you to take it off/look at them. Anyways, unless I'm mistaken the only protected age group is 40+


Title: [New York City] To buy or not to buy title insurance? Newish condo with only 1 owner since it was built.

Question:
I am about to close on a condo and am wondering whether to shell out $2,500 for title insurance. The condo is less than 10 years old and has had the same owner since it was built. These factors make me think it's not necessary. Title research also came back clean.

I have a legal plan through work that should cover the cost of any negotiation or litigation arising from title or boundary disputes. So I'm not worried about legal fees, only settlement/judgment fees.

Also, the bank is not requiring title insurance.

Would appreciate everyone's thoughts on getting the insurance in light of these factors!

Answer: In a legal advice forum, the answer to the question "Should I get insurance?" is always yes.  The larger the value of the thing being insured, the more assertive the "yes" is.


Title: I broke all his dishes and threatened to kill myself but he threw me into a wall and I have staples in my head now. We have a history of his choking me and throwing my cat out of the window of a movie car. What do I do?

Answer: Cease all contact, move out and forget about him. If need be contact police to escort you to get your stuff. Did you report him to police for the staples?


Title: Someone is claiming they had intercourse with my mother (52). Factually untrue. Can I get an order of protection against said accuser?

Question:
US, New York.

We are pursuing to the fullest extent and have much more financial  means vs the accuser. My only concern is he is physically much much much bigger than me and I am concerned for my well being engaging in a legal battle with him.

I have no real evidence that he is violent but his physical stature makes me weary of pursuingthis case.

Do I have any grounds of getting an order of restraint for him against my mom, dad, and brother as we proceed even though he may have not committed a crime and its more  a defamation/slander suit.

Answer:
 If courts issued orders of protection every time some guy falsely claimed to sleep with a woman, the vast majority of the male population would be restrained.

Unless there's something more, no court in the world is going to grant a restraining order because someone said they banged your mom.


Title: Can my parents FORCE me to go to college? [CA]

Question:
I'm using a temporary account for this question; I have a main one, but I'd rather not post with it because it contains some potentially identifying information. I live in California.

I recently turned 13, and have graduated high school as of last month. I've skipped multiple grades multiple times and was put on an accelerated learning program at an IB school. It was difficult but I really enjoyed it and am overall glad that I did it. At the school I went at everyone was friendly to me, although it was intimidating at times; even around other kids my age I'm one of the smallest people in the room, so spending most of the day around kids almost twice my size was sort of nuts. Even so, getting to graduate five years early was more than worth the tradeoff of what I missed, at least I think so.

I don't have the best relationship with my parents as of right now. They are second generation immigrants from a culture that's very obsessed with appearing successful, and while I know they mean the best for me they have an unhealthy view of life in general. I'm very proficient at math and science, which is what they have always preferred me focusing on, since they want me to be a neurosurgeon. (Not a doctor, mind; *specifically* a neurosurgeon. They've become slightly less strict on this after I pushed back, but the only jobs they say they'll accept are doctor/high-ranking positions in academia, which I don't think they really understand.)

I like STEM fields a fair amount but don't enjoy it in a way that I'd want to make a career of it, and I'm much more interested in the arts, specifically writing. I haven't gone into this at all with my parents because my mother gets hysterical if I've even hinted about wanting to do a major other than biology/pre-med track. (She's so passionate about this that even if I point out that bio isn't the only way to med school she loses her mind, and so does my Dad.)

Now that I have graduated, the current plan is for me to attend my state university, which is a excellent one (top 20 school), and for which I've already been accepted with a full ride and confirmed to be attending (although I can back out with little consequences at the moment-- I wouldn't even be living at dorms, since it's fifteen minutes from the house).

I avoided thinking about it for a long time, but I've had free time for the first time this summer and it's forced me to deal with it. I actually enrolled under a creative writing major which they aren't aware of, and if they were I think they'd actually beat me. That's only a slight exaggeration.

I honestly don't want to go to college right now. While I'm glad I graduated HS right now, I don't want to go to college. The age gap is too big for me. I have no real life friends and I'm afraid if I go to college that that'll continue and that my parents will push unrealistic expectations on me that don't match my interests. They've already said they expect me to be taking six classes a semester (I don't even think my college lets freshman do that and I wouldn't want to try.)

This whole summer I've been spending my time going to the library and writing since it's the first big gap of free time I've had in a long while. I've been consistently meeting and beating my daily goal of 3500 words written and edited, and I can see clear improvement in my stuff. I've been sending out short stories out for the last year to contests and young people's publications and I've won/got in a few of them. I've even finished two 50k+ novels in the last four months which I've self-published on Amazon (more for fun than anything at the moment). They aren't good, obviously but I'm in constant contact with several authors who self-publish books for a living who are sort of mentoring me and they think that I'm very close to the point that I can expect to do this semi-seriously and at my age obviously I still have a ton of room to improve.

My parents didn't know about any of this until a few days ago, when I wrote them a letter telling them this. I won't go into detail but they spent the whole night crying and screaming and told me point blank that I will be attending college in the fall as planned and that I had no option. My mom came close to hitting me. I didn't even tell them the writing plans or anything about that, just that I wanted to postpone college for a year or two so I could try this out. I even want to go to college, just not until I grow (physically too, I'm so short lol).

Can they force me to go to college? I'm fine with whatever punishment they'd give but from a legal perspective they can't even though I'm 13, right? I'm honestly very insecure about being around people so much older than me all the time and in a lot of ways I'd prefer being around kids my age at least sometimes. I don't like being "Awww, look at the cute kid in the class!" all the time. I went to a smash tournament near my house recently and hung out with people closer to my age and it was so much fun even though I got creamed.

I hate the idea of doing HS again but on an even bigger scale, I just want time to do something for myself. I looked stuff up online about this but could only find stuff up about how colleges afford you privacy, very little info about dealing forced college for people in my situation. I don't know anything about the law so I'd really appreciate the help.

Thanks!

Answer: They can't force you, but they can make your life hell until you're an adult and move out. You've got a free ride to college, why not just go for what they want and pursue writing/ art on the side until you are able to move out and not rely on them financially or otherwise?


Title: Nicotine Testing

Question:
I don't use nicotine but my new RN job in Michigan tests for nicotine and will revoke job offers based on nicotine use. That was the case at all the hospitals up here I was looking at. I was just wondering that was even legal.

I was curious because everyone says that marijuana use can get people fired  even if it's legal in the state, because it's still nationally illegal.

Answer: They can set almost any policies for employment/hiring that they want. So long as those policies do not infringe on the rights of a protected class. Nicotine users do not constitute a protected class, and there is no valid medical reason to use nicotine, that I am aware of.Answer #2: It's not illegal. Smoking nicotine and/or marijuana does not put you in a protected class under Title VII. It's the same as a place being able to terminate or not hire someone for excessive opioid use. Those are legal to obtain and use.


Title: Email from hacker

Question:
I got an email from a hacker. They sent my my own password for something - they did not tell me for what account, and it was a password that I use, but it's an old one. They then said they would leak all my information and give similar threats unless I pay a ransom. Another member of my family has also reported this on their email and they implied that changing my password was futile. I am going to look into a password storing app, so they are hopefully more secure. In the meantime, though, what should I do?
Topic:
Computer and Internet

Answer: First of all, don’t respond to the hacker anymore. No more correspondence. If you give them the ransom, they’ll take it and just continue to milk as much money as they can from you. Old databases of passwords get leaked online all the time, and that’s probably how they got your password, so make your new passwords on all your accounts hard to guess, complex, and not similar to your former passwords. Don’t give into the fear, that’s how these people make their money. Looking through r/scams would probably be useful in this situation as well. You can contact police and let them know about the situation and file a report, but usually these people hide their tracks pretty well. It’s a common scam, they’re just looking for someone to fall for it. Don’t be worried if it isn’t a current password and don’t use that password anymore.


Title: Felony Charge

Question:
This is a really long story and i am stressed to the max  but i will make it short, I was charge with a felony after a stop and seizure but I feel like the stop was an illegal one, I say this because i looked at the video. The cop stopped me because i didn't show a signal when i made a right turn but in the video it had shown it, and that would make it illegal, but my question is prior to the stop lk 2 min my light stopped working for a second but the cop never stopped me i don't think he noticed it, can they use this against me and also i kinda made a wide turn don't think i signaled 100ft before turn can they use against me aswell eventhough he never the copped never said anything about it on the stop, to the majestry, or the paper saying why he stopped me, the only reason he stated was i didn't show signal. any help would be appreciated because the marjuana found in the car wasn't even mine but the person said he wouldn't take the blame since i got caught please tell me i have a way out.

Thank you

Answer:
 If the sole reason for the traffic stop was claimed to be failure to signal, you might have a chance at suppressing the search that followed.

Your description is difficult to understand, but it's possible that the officer had additional cause to stop your vehicle, like defective equipment ("my light stopped working for a second") or failure to maintain your lane.

In general, police cannot search your vehicle for drugs because of a traffic stop.  They need additional probable cause, like maybe the smell of enough marijuana to bring a felony charge.

You told this same story a month ago and got good advice to get a criminal defense attorney to attempt to suppress the search.

You have made important mistakes, including driving through a "drug hot zone" with large amounts of marijuana and a vehicle with defective lights.    If you want to minimize the consequences of your mistakes, you need the services of a criminal defense attorney.Answer #2: Get an attorney. You'll need the attorney to try to challenge the stop, odds are he got you for one of the times you didn't signal and it was above board. "It wasn't mine" is not a great defense to a felony possession charge.


Title: [California] Wife's employer is doing construction, not paying staff during time off. Can they do that?

Question:
Hello Legal Advice,

My wife is regularly full-time employed at a preschool. The school normally has a summer program that the teachers can work and receive pay for time. However the school is expanding next door and will be doing construction for 10 weeks. During this time the school will be closed. The owner told the staff they will not receive pay for this time wit the exception of those who receive health insurance. The employees will continue to be employed during this time and not be receiving hours to work (thus not getting work the I think is reasonably expected if considered a full-time employee).

I am not familiar with employment law in CA but this seems a little fishy to me that the **employer** is allowed to keep someone "employed" but not give them working hours. I am wondering if the employer would be on the hook somehow for the employees receiving some kind of compensation since the employees are not stopping work at any fault of their own, but due to construction?

Please let me know if any more info is needed.

Any insight would be helpful (if we don't have that income we pretty much have to uproot our lives and figure out something else).

Answer: It's probably legal if she doesn't have a contract and is an hourly worker. You can probably file for unemployment on the basis of constructive termination.


Title: Fiance's mom opened up a line of $15,000 unsecured credit cards in his name without his permission, the cards are now maxed out and I'm just finding out about this now. [NY, USA]

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Credit Debt Bankruptcy

Answer:
 > so how the hell did she even secure so much credit in his name anyway?

Credit card companies love young people because they acquire so much debt very quickly.

If she opened the accounts without his knowledge that would be illegal and he should report that to both the police and the credit companies.


Title: Broken AC after purchase of house

Question:
I just recently purchased a house.  On the paperwork, under the disclosure section the previous owner noted that "The AC unit blows cool, not cold and might need some freon".

After moving in, and attempting to use the AC, it doesn't cool down the house *at all*.  [This](https://imgur.com/zVSOBMk) is what the unit looked like.  I reached out to my lawyer who did the paperwork, and he sent something to the previous owners lawyer regarding compensation for the non-working AC unit which I have had replaced.

The guy is pretty much blowing me off, as he hasn't responded to my messages, nor my lawyers.  My understanding is that it's not worth the effort/price to actually sue him with lawyers and such, as it's only over the price of an AC unit (\~$3k), but is taking him to small claims court an option?  And if that is an option, based off of my scenario -- is it worth pursing? He technically did disclose there was an issue with the AC, but not the severity of it.

Or should I just bite the bullet, and accept the cost of replacing this AC?  Not sure what to do.  Any advise would be appreciated.

Answer:
 The previous owner disclosed that there was a problem with the A/C unit. You had the opportunity to hire an inspector. Even if you didn't hire an inspector, you certainly had the opportunity to notice [this](https://imgur.com/zVSOBMk) before closing.

Replace the A/C. Eat the cost.


Title: Old lady caused 6 car wreck, her insurance claimed total responsibility but is purposely delaying repairs

Question:
Illinois.

&nbsp;

Nearly 2 months ago, an old lady caused a 6 car wreck. I had a dashcam and showed the police officer. The police report + all parties acknowledged who was at fault.

&nbsp;

2 weeks later, statefarm said to wait because they were still determining who was at fault. Being a college student with 18 credit course load, I still drove my car daily to school and back but it was in pretty bad shape with new noises created daily.

&nbsp;

Statefarm finally contacted me 2 weeks after the accident and told me they accept total responsibility and for me to take the car to a shop to get an estimate. SF claims agent also told me everything looks good because the lady had 100k coverage and I will be covered no problem. I took it to a local shop the very next day and I explained what happened. The shop told me I should not have been driving this car and immediately gave me a rental through hertz and told me statefarm will cover everything if they accepted total responsibility.

&nbsp;

2 weeks went by and nothing so I contacted statefarm and they said they couldn't start any repairs because they were still waiting for all other estimates to come in and still figuring out the claims for all parties involved. SF claims agent also told me they received no estimate from me. I went to the repair shop and they showed me 3 estimates with proof all sent to statefarm with no reply to any of them over 2 week period.

&nbsp;

Another 2 weeks went by and now I've been in a rental car for 1 month. Hertz called me today telling me that statefarm will not pay for the rental car. They want me to pay for the rental car and have statefarm reimburse me later.

&nbsp;

My car has been in the repair shop for over a month with no work done, although statefarm has verbally told me they accepted full responsibility right off the bat and to get an estimate which I did right away.

&nbsp;

I called statefarm and the same claims agent tells me they are still figuring out the claims for others and they cant start any repairs until all the other 5 partie's estimates are in and if I want I should authorize repairs and pay for everything (rental and repair) and SF will reimburse me later. I tell SF agent I am broke college student and cannot do this. SF agent tells me it is my responsibility to get my car fixed as soon as possible and that I am increasing my claim without reasonable cause.

&nbsp;

I am not sure what I should do here. I think I have been more than patient and nice. I am thinking of contacting a lawyer but what kind do I look for?

&nbsp;

Any advice, help or opinions are appreciated. I am a fulltime student with no income so I am not sure what my best choice here would be. Thanks in advance.

&nbsp;

**Cliffs: 6 car crash caused by old lady. Statefarm accepts full responsibility and tells me to get an estimate. I get estimate but car is undrivable and so the shop gives me rental because statefarm accepts full responsibility. 1 month goes by and statefarm says not all estimates are in so they can't do any repairs. Hertz calls me and tells me statefarm refuses to pay for rental car. Statefarm now says I am increasing my claim without a reasonable cause they cannot guarantee they will pay for everything now. What do?**

Answer: I'm confused about why you didn't contact your insurance the day the accident happened. You pay them to handle this for you. They would have paid for the repair/rental, minus your deductible, than gone after the other party to recoup all of this for you.


Title: Intellectually Disabled Adult Sibling Care

Question:
Looking for a way to provide some basic housing care outside of my home for my adult sister\-in\-law and minimize liabilities etc. and maximize any financial advantages if any.

**Background:** My mother\-in\-law recently died of cancer and as a result, my sister\-in\-law \(SIL\), who was living with her is intellectually disabled/high functioning is now staying with us temporarily because of her mother moving with her here from another state in order to pass with family.  My SIL receives SSI/Medicare, etc. however has piled up medical debt and bad credit as a result.  Section 8 housing waiting list here in Panama City Florida is "years" away and with her bad credit, would get turned down regardless.  This was told directly to us from the apartments we visited.  She needs a place to stay, and gain independence for a variety of reasons and staying with us is only possible for a couple more months.

**Considerations:** While we are working to repair her credit, we are considering buying a second home nearby for her to live in.  She can drive short distances and can work in very limited capacity, but not likely enough to pay rent of any substantive amount.  I don't know if there is any benefit to us, or if we could qualify for any benefits at all like what the section 8 apartments get.  We have the funds available for a limited time and just want to find a meaningful way to help while waiting for housing opportunities etc.

Any assistance is appreciated.

Answer: Has she established services in the state yet or been evaluated by the state for services? Your best bet is to contact DHS and speak to someone who is her caseworker or get her one. Another good resource is the Disability Rights Resource Center: http://www.drcpc.org. Good luck!Answer #2: That might be the best option. You might want to look into getting a financial power of attorney to watch over her finances. Also look into a nursing service to keep up on her medical standing. Maybe a housekeeping service for a once a month deep cleaning. APS would have more ideas as this would be keeping her off their books as a potential problem.


Title: Is it illegal to have sex with someone without telling them you have an STD?

Question:
My friend and this girl have been dating for a couple months now.  He has an STD that his doctor knows about.  He didn't tell the girl and now she's starting to show symptoms, but he convinced her it was just a rash and that she didn't need to go to the doctor.  He's the first guy she's ever been with so she definitely got it from him.  Is he criminally liable?  Could she sue him if she finds out she has it?  This is in Massachusetts.

EDIT: The sex was unprotected, if that matters.

Answer: "They've got a pretty tight relationship," but "he was going to break up with her before she got it." And that's your basis for believing she won't report it? I most sincerely hope your judgment about that is as poor as your judgment in choosing friends.


Title: [NJ] Got pulled over, cops found weed I didn't know was in the car. I have proof I wasn't aware.

Question:
So yes obviously I know its in my car, its my problem. I get it.

My question is, can I even make the argument that I wasn't aware?

the reasoning behind why I feel like I have proof was, the weed(a very small amount under 1 gram) was left by a "friend" who borrowed the car in the glove compartment.

The officer pulled me over (for being on my phone), and was on the passenger side due to the road being busy. I was asked for registration and I told the officer. "Sure its in my glove compartment, Im going to open it?" ( I was told to kind of say what you are doing to a cop to show you don't want any problems)

of course I open it and the officer spots the weed.

I was arrested.

In short, can I argue if I had known there was weed in the car, I would have simply stated I don't have my registration/insurance with me and not willingly opened my glove compartment?

I have a lawyer and Im going to speak to him about this as well tomorrow.

Answer:
 >  can I argue if I had known there was weed in the car, I would have simply stated I don't have my registration/insurance with me

That argument doesn't help you at all.


Title: [Alabama] I received a letter in the mail from the IRS stating I owed them $16,000 after my identity was stolen

Question:
A couple months ago I received a letter in the mail from a collection agency stating I owed $10,000 for a PayPal account used on Ebay. I have never sold anything on Ebay, nor used a PayPal account with Ebay. So I sent them a certified letter back stating my identity had been stolen and the account information they had on file for me was incorrect. I then received another letter from them stating they were going to investigate the account findings and I would hear from them within 30 days. That was nearly 2 months ago, and I have not heard back.

Well, last Friday I received the letter from the IRS stating I owed $16,000 in taxes from my 2014 return. I knew immediately something was wrong, because my gross annual income was around the amount they were asking for. So I am wondering if the Ebay account is somehow tied to the amount of taxes the IRS is saying I owe.

Honestly, I have no idea where I need to begin to resolve this issue. If someone could offer any help/advice, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
Topic:
Tax Law

Answer:
 My wife faced an identity theft several months back, and had to deal with both the FTB (here in California) and the IRS. The IRS has an excellent (and I mean excellent) identity theft department. They will have you fill out a form where you can explain all the particulars.

In the letter you received from the IRS, there should be a toll-free number. Call that. You will no doubt be told (in a recording) that all agents are busy, but if you leave your call back number, they will call you back. No need to wait on hold. When they call you back, ask to be transferred to the fraud/identity theft unit.

If you want to review the form the IRS requires (referred to above), it's IRS Form 14039 ("Affidavit of Identity Theft"), and it's available online.

You might also consider contacting your Alabama tax authority, since your state tax returns might also be compromised.

Don't fret too much. Identity theft is rampant these days. Despite the running joke, this is one situation where they are from the government, and really are here to help.


Title: Illinois, allows people under 21 to drink alcohol under the direct supervision and approval of the parent(s) "in the privacy of a home" can a party room or common area in a privately owned condo be considered "privacy of a home" ?

Question:
[Source](https://www.illinois.gov/ilcc/Education/Pages/Under21Laws.aspx)
Illinois law prohibits persons under 21 years of age from purchasing, possessing, consuming and/or accepting a gift of alcoholic beverages, except under the direct supervision and approval of the parent(s) in the privacy of a home or during a religious ceremony. Violation of this provision is a Class A Misdemeanor.

Answer:
 You think you're the first one to try this? No, that exception only applies to the parent of the specific child, not a parent hosting a party.

Source: Am lawyer who represented parents charged with providing alcohol to minors and minors in possession.

Edit: Forgot to add something I also learned using that statute. It's not enough for the parent to be in the area or home. They actually have to know what you are drinking, how much, approve of it, and be present when it is consumed. So good luck having everyone's parents there supervising.Answer #2: Sounds like you want to throw a party and try to get it under a loophole.

Basically the law says **your** parents can give **you** alcohol in their home while you are under their supervision. This would extend to you in a private room in the home, regardless of what room it is. It could be a kitchen or bathroom or in a fenced back yard. The key word is privacy in the law. You can't drink on the front lawn if it isn't private.

Edit: basically what /u/Kelv37 said. Also Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer.


Title: [CA] Do I Have a Legal Duty to Help Someone Dying?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: I think you're close enough to being old enough to leave that you'll be out before you ever end up in that scenario.  Get out at 18 and never look back.  That's all you have to do.


Title: Ex agreed to no child support on a notarized piece of paper--will this hold up? (Georgia)

Question:
My ex and I have decided to forgo our custody arrangement we reached a few years ago via settlement agreement. Our solution is to temporarily agree on schedules that best suite our kiddo for the time being (for example summer, or per semester).

In lieu of his ordered child support we simply typed up a simple agreement that said he wouldn't pay, and signed it in front of a notary together.

While we get along fairly well, I would like to anticipate any future squabbles. How would a "document" like this hold up in court?

I appreciate your time!

Answer: Not at all. The judge will laugh at it and then order child support. Child support is for the child, not mother. The mother cannot absolve you of support.Answer #2: He needs to be paying his court ordered child support unless *a court* says he doesn't have to. If you want to turn around and give it right back to him you can do that, but he needs to have a paper trail he paid it.Answer #3: It's not possible to contract out of a child support obligation.


Title: Is this legal? Assuming they are in a state that allows recreational marijuana

Answer:
 Surreptitiously dosing other people with drugs is not legal, no.

It’s also certainly a fireable offense *and* gives anyone else an excuse to test positive in the next month.Answer #2: There was a post on r/legaladvice where OP was given a pot brownie, without his knowledge, at work and things spiraled from there.Answer #3: Not legal.

I mean if they had a medical marijuana proscription that they happen to ingest using brownies and someone stole it then there might be some leeway.

EDIT: Whoever did this is dumb as hell. They left evidence stating they had poisoned the food. Sure someone will be fired, but someone else will likely be facing jail time.Answer #4: Definitely illegal. This is a really common question on the main sub. You can out whatever you want in your food if you'd actually eat it. If you're knowingly trying to poison or dose someone it's illegal.

Also this isn't how marijuana works.


Title: ExGF won't move out of my house...

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 Give her 20 days written notice to vacate. If she isn't out by then, start the eviction process through the court. Answer #2: Congratulations, you have a tenant, and you're a landlord.

The nice thing is, as she's not paying anything and you have no lease agreement, she's a month to month tenant. Inform her, in writing, with witnesses (email, certified mail, etc) of her notice to vacate. I believe in WA you need to provide 20 days. After that you can go for an eviction.

Probably in your best interest to consult an attorney on framing an eviction if it comes to that. And given some of the nutty of the Xpost putting a camera up and locks on your bedroom door isn't a horrible idea.

Answer #3: Google your city and eviction process.  Certain WA municipalities have additional eviction guidelines.

Eviction is a very procedural matter.  You need to make sure all your i's are dotted and your t's crossed or a tenant friendly state like WA will side with her.  If you don't understand the process entirely, seek professional help from a lawyer or property management service.

While this is going on, make sure not to restrict her access to anything.

Call the police about any crimes/if she makes you feel unsafe.

Return the money.  Potentially offer her more money to leave early ("cash for keys")


Title: [NY] Being denied health care from employer and had to pay tax penalty for not having health care. what is my best course of action?

Question:
Hello redditors, My mother is a district manager(full-time/ Salary) for a small clothing company that operates about 3 dozen stores across the east coast.
She recently informed me that she was denied healthcare coverage from her employer when affordable care act was enacted with no explanation of why she was being denied. I was also informed that she was hit with a tax penalty for not having health care coverage since then. Her boss seems to avoid starting a dialogue about this matter when my mother brings this up.

My understanding was that employers that have 50+ employees are mandated to provide health care coverage for full-time employees(correct me if i'm wrong). What options does she have at this point? I was thinking a inquiry to the NYS labor department for clarification on this matter but I figured /r/legaladvice can give me some insight as well.

My mother now has a heart condition and I would very much like to get her on a coverage soon.  Any help or guidance would be much appreciated!

Answer:
 Buy through the exchanges.

Certain employers are required to provide insurance **or** pay a fine.    Answer #2: The business does not have to provide health care. They may receive a penalty of ~$2k for each employee over 30 employees, but there are many exemptions right now due to health care law implementation. She can buy it in the private market, through the health exchanges or pay the tax penalty.


Title: Failed drug screen for large retailer (corporate). Flagged as non-rehireable for life. Any recourse?

Question:
I was terminated 2 years ago from a corporate position for a large US retailer. I was getting a promotion from hourly to salary. Was given a drug screen and failed for THC. I was on my 4th promotion in less than a year, received several awards, and for all intents and purposes was an exceptional employee. I still have management there that wants to hire me but can't.

This came with a flag on my record of Gross Misconduct and said flag carries with it "Non-rehireable" for life.

I opened a case with the open door team and a week later I just received the call that after talking to HR and Legal they will not overturn the flag because policy dictates Gross Misconduct terminations are non-rehireable.

Especially given my track record and performance I feel a lifetime ban from the company is incredibly excessive.

Do I have any recourse here?

EDIT: Arkansas, USA
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 >Do I have any recourse here?

No. This is the risk you run when you decide to partake in an illicit substance.Answer #2: Nope. You don't have any right to be hired by any company. I suggest you get those managers write you very good recommendation letters and look for a different job. Answer #3: Nope.  Internal company hiring policies can be as draconian as they want them to be.  Find a new retailer to work for, or move to a recreational marijuana state


Title: I know who slashed my tires last night, what to do?

Question:
Hi all,

Last night I came home and my parking spot was taken. I looked around, honked a few times, and no one showed up. Then I called our towing company.

For some reason the towing company were taking forever. The girl who the car belonged to, came out. I asked is that car yours? She said yes, i said i have a tow truck in the way, that is a personal space, don’t park there again or you will be towed.

Guess what I saw this morning, 3 slashed tires.

So far in my investigation i know that:

1. Cleary a knife went in on all 3.
2. I don’t have a dash cam.
3. The apartment complex doesn’t have cameras that see my car.
4. One of the nearby apartment complexes doesn’t have cameras that see the parking lot.

What do I do in this case?

I know the car they were driving, and i know part of the vehicle registration number. I might be able to get it from the tow company. I also know what apartment they came out of so it will be no issue in finding that woman who did this.

I was going to call the police as a non- emergency but since there are no cameras around? What are they gonna do? They won’t have any evidence.

My next bet is to reach out to my neighbors to see if any of them have a dash cam and if it possibly caught them doing it.

I just paid for new tires, it cost me $457. This is really pissing me off that it happened.

What should I do?

Answer:
 File a police report. But although you "know" who did it and I don't doubt it's true, you as of now have zero evidence she did it. Unless you can obtain a witness or video you almost certainly lose in court. Did you have comp coverage on your insurance with deductible below your damages?Answer #2: Call the police, make a report.  Give them all the information you have as well as your suspicions.

Sue her in small claims court for the cost of new tires.  No guarantees.

Contact your insurance carrier(s) (vehicle and renter's insurance) and inquire about coverage for this.

Your location is important.

Edit: OP added location -- Texas, a state where it can be difficult to collect on small claims judgements due to its restrictions on garnishments for potential debts of this nature.Answer #3: None of those 4 things contribute any sort of evidence that you said you had though....

Call the cops if you'd like, I wouldn't expect another to happen. If anything, and this seems unlikely too, they'd give the other person a call who would just deny it anyway right? Sorry man, I think you're kind of fucked.

Toss some security cameras up and point them at your spot, can help in case this happens again too.


Title: Can my public highschool keep stopping us from starting a Secular Students Club? [OK]

Question:
I attend a public highschool in Oklahoma where we have been attempting to start a nonreligious student group. There is a massive Christian student group at our school, and I'd like to get the same rights as them.

Anyway, the school is very heavily Christian, and the administration has been trying to stop the formation of our group through very thinly veiled means.

We've done everything neccessary to form a Student group, but we must have a "faculty sponsor" and I'm wondering if this is a legal precedent. The school has been sending teachers emails about us and I'm sure teachers would never sponsor us, as they may be putting their jobs on the line. This makes it impossible for us to get a secular alternative to the school Christian groups, and could be used to effectively block any group that is controversial or a minority group.

This standard seems as though it's designed to be subtly discriminatory, and I'd like to know if there is anything we could do about it. I've read through a few Supreme Court Rulings on student groups, but nothing jumped out to me as particularly relevant.

Thank you all so much!

Answer: Maybe reach out to the local ACLU and ask them? The only thing I can see that would be wrong here is if the school is threatening retaliation if a teacher sponsors your group.Answer #2: Check with the Freedom From Religion Foundation (https://ffrf.org/). This is what they do.


Title: Was hit by a drunk driver yesterday. If he's uninsured how do recover my insurance deductible from him?

Question:
Yesterday I was involved in a hit and run collision in Texas. The motorist was apparently under the influence, as the police later told me he was arrested for a DWI. I'm going through my insurance to get a damage estimate and pursue him to pay damages and my deductible if he is insured.

If he isn't, my insurance company told me the uninsured motorist deductible all on me. While it is half of my collision deductible, I'd rather not pay $250 if I can avoid it.

Am I able to sue this guy for the deductible on my own? I've gone on several websites for law firms in the area that offer legal services, but I feel the amount of money I am trying to collect from him is too small to justify hiring a lawyer. I'd also want to collect some repayment for increases in my insurance if possible.

This is my first time in an auto accident like this, so I'm a little lost. I hope he's insured, but I want to plan in the event that he isn't.

Answer:
 Unfortunately, you’ll pay half your deductible, and your insurance will take care of your repairs. It’s why most states require us to carry Uninsured Motorists coverage.

However, your insurance company will sue the other driver on your behalf (and theirs) for the entire cost of the claim. It’s called subrogation. Most companies will reimburse you your deductible once they collect it. Sorry this happened to you. Glad you’re ok.


Title: (PA) Requested to use a vacation day, now the company is now giving everyone the day off, bit I need to use a vacation day.

Question:
Being a responsible eemployee, I requested a day off before a holiday a couple months ago and it was approved. The company is now giving everyone that day off without requiring them to use a day, except for me who still has to use the vacation day since it was previously approved.

Is there a law being broken here of just a jerk of a manager?

Answer: No law being broken unless them making you use a day is because of an illegal reason.  That's very tough to demonstrate usually.


Title: Sheriff Locked my house (HELP!)

Question: I live in Los Angeles County area/CA. We received notice on door(house) that states writ of possession and they gave us 3 day to move out. My dad filed some file forms to stop them from kicking us out of our home. Well, apparently, it did not work. Sheriff came by our house and told us to take our stuff and locked our house. We were not able to get most of our stuff, just the important stuff.  So, right this moment we have no home. Is there some kind of legal action, process, anything to help us to get our House back or worst case just get rest of our stuff.  Please help any legal advice, step-by-step or anything that can help us!

Answer: You are at the end of a very, very long process (if you owned)...if you were renting, the process is shorter, but not immediate.Answer #2: you were evicted.  find a new place to live.  you had multiple opportunities to respond and stop the eviction (mainly by paying the rent/mortgage/fees).  too late now.


Title: [CA] Landlord gave me 6 weeks notice to move on the 15th, If I move out sooner am I liable to pay rent through the entire 6 weeks if I move sooner?

Question:
I have a place I can move to on the 1st of sept, but he's saying i have to pay rent all the way through the entire 6 weeks, is that right?
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: What does your lease say about the amount of notice you must give to end a tenancy?


Title: Ontario, Canada. My landlord illegal entered my place so I complained. Now they are raising my rent by $200 per month (about 13%) to force me out.

Question: I complained, they raised my rent. Now I know because the building was built after 1991 they can legally raise it. My question is, can they legally only raise my rent? This is a large apartment building and I know after speaking with other tenants, only we got the rent increase. It was targeted at us for complaining. Is this discrimination? Can they realky do this to force me out and theres no recourse?

Answer:
 Are you on a month-to-month lease?

I'm not familiar with Ontario law and can't remember if anyone who posts here regularly is, so in case there isn't anyone: your best course of action would be to look for any city or state government agencies involved in housing, landlord/tenant issues, or similar.

This may be considered a form of unlawful retaliation, which most jurisdictions prohibit, and you may be onto something as far as their raising your rent significantly above market and not those of similarly-situated tenants. However, Canada in general and Ontario in particular may be radically different from the jurisdictions I am familiar with. That said, my general impression is that the laws in your country and province are very tenant-friendly -- I'd be surprised if the laws aren't on your side, at least to some extent. Answer #2: Did you make a formal complaint with the LTB? Or just complain to the landlord?

 If it was a formal complaint to the LTB, you could have a case that this action is a result of that complaint and therefor unlawful discrimination, as Residential Tenancy Act protects tenants from 'retribution' from landlords for lodging complaints. If it was just a complaint to the landlord, might be harder to prove.

 Did they serve you with the proper 90 day notice?Answer #3: ~~Your landlord cannot increase the rent by 13% without permission from the LTB.~~

~~http://www.sjto.gov.on.ca/documents/ltb/brochures/2017%20Rent%20Increase%20Guideline%20(EN).html~~

Crap; it looks like I am wrong.  Sorry.Answer #4: Contact http://torontotenants.org/

These guys were able to give me some pretty solid advice for some past problems I have had.

(Even outside the GTA, call! What's the worst that could happen?)


Title: Neighbor filed for bogus TPO UPDATE GA

Question:
[Old Post](https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/3bvlqq/neighbor_filed_for_bogus_protection_order_ga/)

Went to court and she failed to show. The case was dismissed. We are exploring our legal options against her.

I wish the update was at least a bit more exciting, at the same time I'm happy she failed to show. It made it less stressful and I believe it speaks to her intent.

Answer:
 good for you. I hope you can recover costs or get some kind of sanction.

semi-related: why does a restraining order have to have a different name and a different initialism in **every** state?! TRO, TPO, PPO, OPP, etcAnswer #2: Talk to your lawyer about suing for malicious prosecution.

> A criminal prosecution which is carried on maliciously and without any probable cause and which causes damage to the person prosecuted shall give him a cause of action.
>
> Ga. Code Ann. § 51-7-40 (West)

Because you've likely paid your lawyer to handle all of this BS, you have damages.
In GA, it also looks like you can infer malice if there is a lack of probable cause, and someone who makes false reports can be held liable.Answer #3: Yay for that!

I just wish she'd stop at that, but she'll probably continue and continue and continue.

I wish you luck.


Title: How do I stop text messages from a business ?

Question:
I want to stop text messages from a business that I have never dealt with or been a customer or or prospect of

Someone signed me up to their alerts but the business won’t tell me who it is. It was done on purpose and maliciously ( t

They offered to remove it from their records but I need to know
who signed me up
Obtain proof that it was not me interacting with this business should I need to produce it later

What is the best way to accomplish this ? What should my next steps be ?

Answer:
 >They offered to remove it from their records but I need to know who signed me up Obtain proof that it was not me interacting with this business should I need to produce it later

I t would cost you thousands or tens of thousands in attorney fees to get that information.

Let it go, reply STOP, move on with your life.


Title: Could use a hand with this rash on my hand... (CA, US)

Question:
This one'll be a long one, so please bear with me.

I currently am employed at a grocery store. Last May (2016) I moved up to our store's Deli department, and have been working there ever since. Things have been mostly fine, but this past fall (2016) I started noticing some red spots on the back of my hands. They would be itchy and sometimes would have this burning feeling. I did what any 20-something would do and asked my mother about it. Her advice was for me to keep an eye on it. So I do just that. I notice after a few weeks (3-4) of it that a larger area appears red and is itchy only after working over the weekend. I would always see it get better over the duration of the week while I was at school. So anyways, I start asking managers about it. I get the same response from most of them: Go see a doctor. I keep asking my mother for help in this situation and her word is: you shouldn't have to escalate this to your higher ups like store supervisors. So I didn't.

 Fast-forward a day or so, I go to a local urgent care facility and see that they have a worker's comp area, so i think: "great, I'll go there since I'm extremely positive that this is work-related." I get checked up and am told that (despite my observations) they cannot determine if it's work related, but he still gave me some advice on what to do to take care of it (topical creams). I'm there getting frustrated because in my eyes, I've figured out that it's caused by work, since whenever I'm at home on weekends before work, I do not do anything different than what I do during the week which could possibly cause a reaction on my skin such as this. The doctor calls my  store supervisor, and is promptly told by the supervisor that my worker's comp visit was not authorized and that they wouldn't pay for the visit. At this point I was extremely frustrated.

Not knowing what to do in this situation, I followed my instincts, since my managers were not being helpful whatsoever. That visit to the doctor's office essentially ended with the doctor apologizing and not charging me for the appointment, because he did seem to understand my frustration. I go back to work and go to the front end to talk to the store director to get this figured out, and he informs me of the worker's comp line that they have at the workplace itself. This was too little too late in my opinion. I had already purchased the recommended topical creams and had been using them, seeing much improvement over the next few weeks.

Here's where we are today: my issues are even worse. I've tried following all the recommended guidelines, I was compensated about a few dollars, and was sent a packet on worker's comp info when that all went down initially.  But today I come on here because my hands are in extreme discomfort. I am applying the topical creams even more often than before, have tried using latex free gloves (which are useless pieces of crap and cannot withstand anything close to what we do in the department, as well as having little to no way of blocking out any liquids.). Keep in mind these gloves were always in the department, but have always been useless. I gave up on them, because even with them I still saw issues.

For a short while I stopped having issues. Right around the same time I begged my manager for earlier shifts (where I work with less chemicals and less potentially harmful substances that might be causing my issues). Then recently I started being scheduled closing shifts. One day a week, two days, three, now four (I work only three or four days during the weekend because of school). Sure enough, my hands start getting bad... and I mean really bad. The red spots are two or three times bigger than before, and I'm even getting similar, extremely itchy, irritated spots on my feet.

Fun fact: I've been asking coworkers in my department about this, and a couple of other coworkers who also work closing shifts on an extremely frequent basis have mentioned that they experience the same thing, usually after working with the raw chicken. Most of them don't experience close to how extreme it seems for myself, however. I would most certainly use the store provided elbow-length gloves while working with this, except the only gloves we have like that are either heat-resistant (used for fried foods) and our dish washing gloves. So, our department has no gloves that are elbow-length for use with anything involving raw chicken which means I can't follow some of the recommendations fully by that doctor.

I have been applying the topical creams (Tretinoin and hydrocortisone) on both my hands and feet almost 4 times daily, and have seen some improvement during the week, and then flare-ups on the weekends. It has gotten to the point to where tonight when I applied said creams, I sat their for a good few minutes writhing in pain. So I've gotten to the point where I'm just confused. Do I have some sort of case to make? I am not sure if I should take this case to the legal side of things, or pursue something within the company. With those options in mind, I am still unsure as to what I should do. This has been causing me discomfort for quite some time, and do not want to keep dealing with the pain and frustration of this irritation on my skin any longer.

Pics of hands and feet linked here:
hands: http://imgur.com/a/IRM8y
feet: http://imgur.com/a/qDlmi

TL;DR:
I have bad rashes being caused by work. Unsure if I should seek legal counsel or not.
Topic:
Personal Injury

Answer:
 Not legal advice.

You should see a dermatologist. This should be step one. Sometimes it helps to take pictures of the rash to document the progression or severity since you said it flares up.

I have a latex allergy and use nitrile gloves. I find that they are much stronger and more durable than vinyl gloves. Also avoid ones with any type of powder.


Title: Can my landlord make me pay for maintenance?

Question:
Location is TX. My roommates and I have been having issues with the garbage disposal since we moved in. My landlord told us (not in writing) we can't put any food or debris in there. Basically, we either have a malfunctioning or a really crappy disposal. The garbage disposal has been clogged a few times, and mantinence had to be called out once to have it fixed previously. Last week, it got clogged again and we submitted another mantinence request. They found coffee grounds and orange peels in the disposal which is why it was clogged.

Today we were hit with a $100 fine on our account and had no idea why. We called the manager and he said its because of the disposal issue. Is he allowed to fine us for mantinence repairs without even a warning? Aren't garbage disposals supposed to be for food? Is it fair that ours basically doesn't work since we can't put anything in it besides water? I know this is partially our fault for putting food in there, but doesn't that mean our garbage disposal is malfunctioning?

There is a clause in the lease that says the landlord will not pay for repairs caused by "wastewater stoppages caused by foreign or improper objects in lines the exclusively serve the property". Is this the ticket for them being able to charge us without notice? Sorry if this is a dumb question, I just want to make sure before I pay the fine.

Answer:
 Not a lawyer but a plumber here, definitely do not put any food down the disposal especially think like orange peels or if you feel vegetables. Coffee grounds also clump up and will cause a stoppage.
The leftover food should go in the trash. Also a big reason why a lot of stoppages happen now are because a lack of water as per the epa lowering flow amounts on everything.

Good practice is while you do your dishes (if you do them in the sink) but if you are just putting small bits of food down, fill up your sink about hallway full of water and dump it. This will push a lot of stuff that might get stuck in it out.

You have to remember although the hole in the sink is big everything still drains out of an inch and a half pipe so while it may not look like much going in going out is another story.

Sorry if this post isn't allowed.


Title: [TX] How would someone contest the results of a blood test for DUI? Should they?

Question:
Friend of mine drinks a bottle of wine, finishing before 7:30 pm. She spends the next four hours sobering up before leaving at 11:30 pm, without drinking a single drop between that time. Several witnesses are present in that time period to corroborate that she didn't drink at all.

She is pulled over, arrested for DUI, refuses to give breathalyzer and is taken to jail. They draw her blood around 12:30 am, the results come back with a BAC level of 0.20.

Based on my knowledge of the rate the body filters out alcohol, this doesn't seem possible... she would have to have had a BAC greater than 0.4 at the time she stopped drinking. She weighs around 105 lbs. She was completely cognizant during the time of the arrest and remembers everything.

1. Does this BAC level seem implausible based on above?

2. If so, how would she go about with a lawyer to obtain the blood and would she be allowed to have an independent third party investigate? She is not worried if this option is pricey.

Answer:
 It is more likely that she continued to drink and that the witnesses are wrong than the blood test is wrong.

She needs to talk to a lawyer and see what she can do to contest it.  Answer #2: A bottle of wine for someone who is 105 lbs is quite a bit of alcohol. That's at least 6 decent sized drinks. I'm 5ft 8 at least 45 lbs heavier than your friend and 6 drinks in a night gets me very drunk.


Title: You're way more likely to get a stiffer sentence right before a judge's lunch break

Answer:
 Or not.

[Oft-cited study about judges issuing harsher sentences right before lunch may have been driven by the fact that defendants without representation were scheduled to be heard right before lunch.]
(https://www.reddit.com/r/law/comments/9kj91d/oftcited_study_about_judges_issuing_harsher/)


Title: Going 100 MPH in a 65 zone NY state.

Question:
I got a lawyer to help me fight this since I live really far away from where I got the ticket. The lawyer wants personal factors from me or anything that can help the case. I'm a regular 23 year old and I don;t think anything about is outstanding but maybe I'm missing something. Does anyone have any advise on what I could say to help me out?

By the way can I lose my license over this even tho it's 8 points and not 11?

Answer:
 Personal factors would be the "I'm a good kid" bona fides.  Did you graduate college?  Have you never been arrested?  Do you have no prior tickets?  Were you rushing to the hospital to say goodbye to a family member at the time you were stopped and ticketed?  Are you a member of the military?  Do you volunteer?

As for your license, was the ticket literally just for going 35 over?  Reckless driving (5 points) is a fairly common add-on for that type of speed and would give you a total of 13 points and put your license at risk.  Have you received any other points in the last 18 months?


Title: Landlord refusing to renew, retaliation. (CA)

Question:
Hello,

Me and my girlfriend signed a 6 month lease which is scheduled to expire Dec 31. In November, she and I weighed our options for staying or leaving. We felt it made more sense to stay another 6 months, because we only really just got in the place, and the location is perfectly in between our two families.

In late November, she emails the property manager asking about the fee increase, and our options. She requests a 6 month lease renewal. The property manager agrees, says it will be on our door shortly, and to sign and return before Dec is over. We have this conversation recorded in email. We receive a thirty day notice of rent increase on our door, still thinking this is part of the process and we are on track.

Then in early December we make a complaint to the property manager, saying their maintenance team is parked in the fire lane.

That Friday, we receive a 30 day notice of termination of tenancy. We think it was given to us by mistake. Call the property manager on Monday and are informed they are not renewing.

We believe this termination/ refusal to renew, is punishment for a legitimate complaint. We were relying on the property manager's statement that they would provide us an renewal, and are now in a terrible position because they changed their mind without notification.

I am currently waiting for a call back from a lawyer, but I would like to hear everyone's opinion. I tried to call consumer protection agencies but was unable to find the appropriate number, and kept getting bounced around to answering machines.

As I understand it, we can prove retaliation if we are able to prove a landlord agreed to an extension, then rescinded the extension without notice.

Do we have a leg to stand on to either, stay in the apartment, or negotiate something like a 3 month extension so we can reasonably find a new place to live?
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: You need to find somewhere else to live. Even if this *was* retaliation, it wasn't illegal retaliation. They are not obligated to continue renting to you.


Title: [KS,USA] Distribution of Xanax/Alprazolam

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 The only way to do anything with this situation is to get a criminal defense attorney. Charges may be slow coming, but on those facts it's nearly certain that they are coming. A lawyer may be able to help you negotiate a plea bargain to a lesser sentence, or to help you obtain a reduced sentence.

Since you already have a lawyer, stop undercutting them by seeking separate advice from unqualified internet randos.