Title: A friend of mine was caught switching out his girlfriend's antidepressants with adderall. How much trouble is he realistically in?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 He could have actually killed her because he was upset she gained weight. I hope your friend understands that. Christ. If I were her I'd call the police too. I hope she does. As for your friend, best thing he can do is not say a thing to the police and call a lawyer immediately.Answer #2: This is "years in prison" serious. Whoever did it needs to keep their mouth shut and retain a lawyer if contacted by the police.

They should probably also not tell their friends - friends can be subpoenaed. Answer #3: I'd take this down STAT if I were you. A verified user just shared it on Twitter. Not that you deserve to escape the ramifications of being a total asshole, but you're definitely going to jail if this blows up. Answer #4: Lots of jail time trouble.


Title: [MN, USA] Is it illegal for a business to shut down without notice?

Question: I moved to Minnesota a few years ago and every few months I hear about a business shutting down without notice. In at least one case, Green Mill posted a notice on the door that they were closed and employees could return home. I am just curious if there are any repercussions for the business closing in this way and if the employees are just SOL.

Answer:
 There are rules under the WARN Act that require 60 days notice to employees in the case of mass layoffs but

a) Not every business is covered by WARN, particularly small businesses

b) If a company is so broke they shut the doors without notice, there's usually no money to go after in the case of a lawsuit or civil penalty so it's moot.


Title: Brother got shot (didn't die)

Question:
Hey guys this is my first time posting here.

My brother was shot earlier today by our neighbor who has a history of beating his wife. Today we got off the car furious, cussing on the phone. Seconds after that I loud gunshot was heard. 3 seconds later my brother runs in the house bleeding from his right thigh.

What can we, as a family do? He is 15. He is in better condition now. I just wanna make sure he gets what he earned by his actions.

Answer: I hope to God to this goes without saying but you call the police and get your brother medical attention. They will take it from there. Answer #2: Did you call the police? If not, call immediately and make sure your brother goes to the hospital


Title: Work violating OSHA, Fire Code, Building Code, and denying it.

Question:
Not sure if this is the right place for this. First time poster here.

I am the supervisor of a small lab in Arizona. A few months ago I questioned upper management about why my building didn’t have fire extinguishers. (All of management is in another state, aside from the President of the Board who lives here but never come to the lab) I was told that legally they aren’t required to have them, and that they chose not to have them because the specification around required training and maintenance were too much to bother. I literally have a written email saying the above and “if there is a fire call 911 and get out.” Didn’t sit well with me.

My building has flammable fluids, three staff including myself, plus approximately 10-18 cadaver bodies on any given day. We have a dryer. We have a microwave. We have space heaters. With zero fire protection. No sprinkler system either.

Friday I discovered the fire prevention system in the building that controls the fire alarms, the smoke detectors, and alerts the fire department to a fire does not work. It has no power. The certificate inside the box says it hasn’t been inspected since 2010/2011. After being constantly shot down about the extinguishers I bypassed my boss and called the fire inspector in my city to get some clarification.

Fire inspector says from what he understands they are incorrect. He quotes a fire code for me to read, and emails me the application to apply for an inspector to come out. I type out an email and send it up the chain detailing who I contacted and the information I was given, along with quoted fire code. This was Friday.

Today my boss calls me and explains to me that upper management is not happy. Pretty livid actually. That I’ve overstepped my duties, invited unwanted scrutiny, and might have well as reported it with the call to ask question to the inspector. I began recording the phone conversation and my boss makes statement like “no one can pass an inspection” “you don’t want osha in the building” “no matter how good we are we are gonna get violations” “nobody is in 100% compliance with osha.”

They are mad I didn’t tell my boss before calling the inspector. I had gone to her many times about extinguishers and then discovered a system I didn’t even know existed didn’t work. So I called to see if that system was even necessary and now I fear I have burned a bridge. I know OSHA has a whistleblower law to protect me but I can’t exactly anonymously report when there are only three staff. And even if I did, and they didn’t fire me, I feel like they would find SOMETHING to fire me over after.

They have decided to fix the system, but stand their ground on extinguishers stating we are zoned as a B-non access building and not required to have them. I don’t feel like that is accurate because everything I have read about B zoned businesses fire code says the opposite. And I found zero information on whatever a “non access” is. I’m assuming that means not open to the public, but that should matter when it comes to the fire code and osha. Those regulations aren’t just for the public. They are for staff too.

What’s the legality with dealing with this if I am retaliated against or fired? What are my options to protect myself if this goes south, and what are my legal options/obligations being aware of the issue?

Cross-posted to r/legaladviceofftopic because I wasn’t sure where this should go.

Answer:
 call your local fire martial and OSHA office ask for inspections and ask that your request be kept anonymous keep copies of your emails asking about this (without violating any NDAs or security policies) if they fire you it should be fairly easy to show it was in retaliation which as I understand it is illegal everywhere in the US (I am not 100% on this)

IANALAnswer #2: I just want to point out that OSHA doesn't exist to protect the public. It's the OCCUPATIONAL safety and health administration. Their whole job is to protect employees (YOU) at work. So their line about the building being "non-access" is entirely irrelevant.


Title: [TEXAS] my friend owes $1,788 dollars in interest on a $12 principal balance (DOE loan) is this legal?

Question: my friend and his wife are currently in the process of purchasing a home - through the course of the qualification, their mortgage loan originator came up with a blip on their credit report that says his wife has an account in collections from the United States Department of Education (obviously it is now in collections). the principal balance remains from the last unpaid payment (due to an automatic payment failing) after being attached to a debit card. six years later - the total amount the collections agency is attempting to collect is $1,800 dollars. the loan officer says they cannot proceed with their home purchase if this is not resolved or if some sort of affidavit is not received from the collections agency. can this be true? it seems to wild to be true, i can't believe it.

Answer:
 Assuming the principle was never paid, yes, it is legal to charge interest on any remaining balance of a loanAnswer #2: Yes, it's legal but the collections agency will have added their own fees to the total.  She needs to contact the collections agency and negotiate a payoff.  It will certainly be in the hundreds of dollars, but it won't be $1800.Answer #3: You can go about resolving this issue in a few ways. Some are going to take longer than others, and none of them are likely to be very fast. You could call the collection agency and get more information about the debt. From there, you can decide to either 1. Pay it (all in writing, don't do this over the phone, never give account numbers) 2. Negotiate the owed amount to something more reasonable (in writing). With both options, it will be required for the agency to have an affidavit overnighted, faxed, whatever your loan officer is requiring. It might take months for it to get off your credit report, so an affidavit is certainly a reasonable request.

Or, you can hire a lawyer to do all this AND have them behave. I recommend that personally.


Title: Michigan boss refuses to schedule me for work and won't fire (so I can't collect unemployment)

Question:
I have been sick the last month and a half with a kidney infection. I had to take off of work for the sales job that I have had for a few months.

I have provided doctors notes to my boss and HR of the company. This is a full-time job with paid time off. I have used all of the paid time off.

I have been willing and able to return to work for nearly 2 weeks now. I have provided a doctors note stating that I have no restrictions. However, I keep hearing excuses as to why they can't schedule me for more shows. I do sales, so we are scheduled time for sales.

They now said they might now be able to schedule me for work for an entire month. I have been looking for other jobs.

However, I am so angry. I feel like they just aren't scheduling me in hopes that I will quit. I know that I qualify for unemployment and them not officially firing me prohibits me from collecting it.

Is there some legal recourse or agency to report this to?

Answer: You can file for unemployment.


Title: [WA] I received a job offer via phone an hour after leaving an interview. After a background check they called back and rescinded their offer.

Question:
The official reason given was "We decided to hire an internal employee". Of course I don't want to argue this with them, but multiple times throughout the interview process they stated that they were looking to hire someone fast, as they had no one on hand to do this job. They expressed (in writing) how excited they were to bring me on only an hour or two before they called and rescinded.

Obviously they have every right to choose who they do and do not want to hire, but I don't buy their official answer at all (why bring me through the entire multi-day interview process, introduce me to the VP, and make me an offer if you had someone in house?) so I really want to figure out what might be on the record they pulled. If asked, do they need to provide me with a copy of this record? Aside from a few speeding tickets (had 3 in the past twelve years) the only other possible criminal history I have was shoplifting as a moronic teenager in 2008. I paid a lawyer and (allegedly) had this expunged. Since then I've had background checks for multiple rental units that I was approved for, so I never even thought to check and see if the lawyer actually did what he claimed. I did a quick search on those shifty "free" record search sites and I'm seeing criminal arrests in 2012 and 2014 which absolutely never occurred. I don't know if these are showing up in paid results, of if they're just due to low-quality sites.

Also, if my records come back with no proof of expungement, do I contact the lawyer who I paid to expunge them? Do I have any way to check and see if he actually did what he said, and/or any recourse if he didn't?

Receiving this offer and then having it immediately rescinded was heartbreaking, but my main concern here is making sure there isn't anything on my background check that is making me unemployable.

Answer:
 Just FYI some jobs check your credit scores and go off that as well.

It sounds to me like your name is coming up with someone who may have the same name and even birthdate as you! It does happen! Can you call and ask them?

Good Luck


Title: This morning I woke up to a copyright infringement notice from Rights Corp

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 You did the worst possible thing: Paying them. They are trolls who 999.999999999999% of the time do nothing except for send threatening emails similar to the one you received.

Reset your modem and get a new IP, and just ignore any future threats.


Title: Friends power is cut off, can anything be done?

Question:
Hello!

Okay, so this may be a dead end road, but I have to ask. This is in Alabama, by the way.

My friends power was cut off. Her husband lost his job a few months back, and I'm guessing they didn't have any savings? So, it was around $450 to get it turned back on. They got the money and she called to have the power turned on today. The transaction was completed, then they informed her that since she was past the 5 day mark, it would be another $450 to have the power turned on.

Apparently, you have 5 days from the time your power is cut off to have it turned back on, or you end up having to pay a whole new deposit etc. She was never informed of this when the whole situation was happening. They even listened to the recording and did note that she was not alerted.

They have two children, a 4 year old and a 1 year old, a single income family. I'm not sure if it's a lost cause, but I just thought I would ask!

Answer:
 Not really a legal question.

Of course they didn't tell her, if they did she could have opened a new account under a new name to sidestep the first $450.

There are churches that give power assistance as well as the salvation army if there is one near you. She may also want to check with social services, as they may be able to qualify for emergency assistance.


Title: (TN) I was shot at while driving down the road.

Question:
If it's relevant this happened around the end of fall of 2014. So, I was driving down a main road heading into my town (in the city limits) I was playing music from the radio in my truck with my windows down around 5:00pm. When suddenly I hear 3 loud bangs, and honestly at that moment I did not realize it was gun shots, and about ten seconds later I have a man in a black truck coming up behind me (come to find out this is the man who shot at me). He chased me from his house up to a red light and then down the highway that goes through my town. I was on my way to meet some friends at this sports bar we all hangout at, so I decided to drive to them so I would have back up I guess, I don't know it seemed like a good idea. I should have called the police immediately. Anyway, I get to my friends and at that point my friend asks me what was on my truck and I look at the bullet hole then fully realized I had been shot at and he hit my truck, twice. He stopped about 50 yards from me and my friends. He was yelling out of his window at me and eventually drove off. I call my dad and tell him what happened and he tells my stupid ass to call the police, I finally did so. I met my dad and the police a little bit down the road from where the guy lived at a home depot parking lot. Told the police the story they said they searched his house for a gun and obviously they found nothing since the the guy had the gun and wasn't at his house. They found and detained him and then let him go and told me they would investigate it and I would hear from them soon. It's been over a year and a half and I have heard nothing. Is there anything I should be doing? It's been bugging me a lot lately and it's messed with me mentally. It's hard to admit it but I'm scared just to roll my windows down now, and I know it sounds dumb but it just reminds me of being shot at. Also, I believe the reason he shot at me was because of the music, which is crazy right?

What should I be doing? and is it too late?

Edit: fixing few things I missed while proof reading.

Answer: I think you really did all you could from a legal standpoint, which was contacting the police. Granted, it would have been better to do that earlier during the event, but the human brain does stupid things when under extreme stress.


Title: If you live in very small housing close to the road (I've seen some houses right on the concrete) and have sex in front of window is that illegal?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Yes, it's probably enough to support indecent exposure if the public can easily see what's going on.


Title: I signed on for a 2 year gym membership when the owner verbally told me i could get out anytime prior to signing it, now he's saying i have to pay the remainder fee.

Question:
I'm a bit worried, its a 24 month contract and it's only been a month so far.

For more clarity, i told him i was worried about the length and he said dont worry you can just let me know and i can cancel it anytime.

Australian resident here

Answer: The manager's a salesman. Generally (in the states) if the paper contract disagrees with the sales pitch, the paper always wins.


Title: (New York City) Old car sold, buyer left it on the street, tickets and towing fees are in my name.

Question:
 \[New York City law\]

I've sold my old car about 10 days ago to what seemed like a serious buyer. Sat down with him to do all the paperwork, signed the bill of sale as well as the title. Now about 3 days ago I receive a letter from an NY Marshall saying the vehicle has been impounded by the city and is heading to an auction.

The letter says that if the final auction sale price is below the amount of expenses incurred by the city due to booting/towing and storage fees along with the incurred ticket fees, I will be held responsible for the remaining amount.

I did my research prior to selling it, and thankfully took a picture of the bill of sale along with the guy's official New York driver's license in the same frame (I'll post a picture for reference), but I forgot to take a picture of the back of the title which we both signed.

I've called up the number on the letter and the gentleman advised me to contact an "administrative attorney" in the judicial district to get the matter straightened out. I of course plan to go there but I'm just a bit concerned that the proof I have is either insufficient or does not qualify to hold up in court (since it was not notarized).

What sort of a situation am I looking at, if I have no (tangible) proof of sale and they must simply rely on my word that I have sold the vehicle>?

This is the only document that I have kept, all pertinent info is redacted of course.

[https://imgur.com/a/14gfEFQ](https://imgur.com/a/14gfEFQ)

Answer:
 Similar situation happened to my husband only he sold a motorcycle and forgot to remove the plates off of it and the man went through multiple tow roads. And unfortunately the guy passed away on the bike about 2 weeks after purchasing So whenever all of the bill started showing up to my husband he had to call and explain the situation and he just had to fax over the photos of the bill of cell and they let him go without having to pay any of the bills.Answer #2: Sounds mostly correct, but you have to remove the plates/registration stickers as they're in your name - not the new owners. If the new owner gets pulled over without registration/plates, he can show the police officer the bill of sale and recently signed title to weasel out of the ticket. Sadly, it'll probably be on you, unless you can convince the buyer to pay up.

[https://dmv.ny.gov/registration/buy-or-sell-vehicle-transfer-ownership](https://dmv.ny.gov/registration/buy-or-sell-vehicle-transfer-ownership) takes you to  [https://dmv.ny.gov/brochure/information-and-instructions-about-your-certificate-title](https://dmv.ny.gov/brochure/information-and-instructions-about-your-certificate-title)  which says...

 **Tip:  Before you complete the sale, take your license plates off the vehicle, and remove your registration sticker from the windshield. Unless you transfer the plates to another vehicle, turn them in at a DMV office as soon as possible.** ***If you fail to properly dispose of the plates and sticker, you may be charged with traffic or parking violations that do not belong to you.***


Title: Short and sweet?

Question:
To make this easy, I'll write it from first person.

I bought a house and the loan is in my name only.  My girlftiend is also on the title.  We are going to split.  What happens if we profit?  Who is (jointly?) responsible if we have remaining debt.

State is Tennessee.  Peace.

Answer: You're responsible for all of the debt. She's entitled to half of the profits.


Title: [MO] Could someone legally give out flu shots on Halloween?

Question: A group of friends and I were wondering the legality of giving kids flu shots for Halloween. Someone jokingly said it could fall under Good Samaritan laws which I imagine is crazy. But it got us thinking, wondering what your thoughts were. Would the person have to be a doctor? Nurse practitioner? Just a normal person with consent forms?

Answer:
 Depends on the state laws - and I’m too lazy to search MO - some states it can only be done by a doctor, other states other non-physician health professionals (midwives, pharmacists, NPs, etc.) can assess, prescribe and administer.

But a non medical person with consent forms? No way.

Vaccines are prescriptions - you can’t just go pick up a case of flu shots at the local Walmart. Most vaccines require special handling, the person administering them needs to be a trained and certified health professional of some type.


Title: Drug addicted brother won’t leave property. Is he trespassing even though he has equal legal ownership?

Question:
My three siblings and I inherited our dad’s house last year and I have been living here and paying the bills as a sole occupant since shortly before his death.

My older brother is an ice addict and one morning about a month or so ago I walked out the front door to find him sitting there claiming to have nowhere to go. I have been letting him stay under the proviso that it is only temporary and he must organise rehab immediately. That has not happened and without going into the details, he has run out of chances.

I have told him in no uncertain terms yesterday and today that he must leave yet he is still sitting outside the house right now. I didn’t sleep last night as I knew he was lurking around outside and worried he might try to break in.

I feel like I’m a prisoner in my own home. I haven’t left the house in 2 days, I’m afraid if I leave he will be more likely to try to break in. I also have a feeling he may try to stay in the back shed. I can’t have him creeping around at night I want him off the property.

Please somebody help.
What are my options?
Is he trespassing?
Even though we are equal owners do I have a legal advantage since I have been living here and he hasn’t?

We are in NSW Australia.

Answer:
 Unless Australia has weird property laws, your brother owns the place and is free to be there unless you have a document showing he agreed to another person's exclusive use.

It may be in your best interest to either buy him out so he has no ownership or to leave the property until the situation gets cleared up.


Title: My girlfriends parents are threatening to charge me for statutory rape.

Question:
First, sorry if the flair is incorrect, didn’t know what to put. But here we go.

I have been dating my girlfriend for 2 years now, while being sexually active the past year & 1/2. Her mother knew we were dating early on, but her dad was never told as he is very strict and would never let her see me again. Yesterday, my girlfriend wanted to do a quickie in the back of my car, beside her house before I dropped her off. Her dad happened to come out while we were going at it, and must’ve recognized my car, seeing us in the middle of it. Neither of us knew he seen us. Today, I got a text from my girlfriend telling me her dad knew about everything and is telling her he is going to press charges on me.

My girlfriend is 17, and I am 19. From what I know, it is legal for me to have sex with my girlfriend, since she has given me consent. Which I believe you are able to give consent to have sex at the age of 16 in Canada.

What can I do right now to protect myself? My girlfriends family is VERY strict, and her dad is also threatening to dis-own her if she doesn’t lie saying she was raped. I don’t know what she’s going to do, but I have our texts saved with her telling me I had consent after the incident.
Topic:
Juvenile and Youth Law

Answer:
 You haven't broken any laws. He can't press charges on you.

If your girlfriend lies and you do get charged, you need a lawyer. Answer #2: I would keep a copy of any texts you have with her for your protection. If you have a copy of the texts mentioning that she is being told to lie than keep that as well.

Also, I don't think you can be charged with Statutory Rape at this point since she can legally consent. It would just be plain rape and they would have to prove she didn't give consent.


Title: [CA] No hot water in apartment since January 7th

Question:
The apartment my friend has been living in had a water pipe break under the floor boards.  As a result, she and her children have had no hot water since January 7th.  When she confronted her landlord, they told her that they couldn't fix it unless she moves out because they have to rip up the floorboards.  She asked if she could move into another apartment in the same complex, but they told her she has to prequalify under new terms and pay 160$ a month more (for the same apartment), which she can't afford right now.  They have been giving her 200$ off of her rent.

What other rights (if any) does she have?

Answer:
 Absolutely unacceptable that her family's gone almost two months without hot water. Hot water is one of the basic requirements California considers necessary for habitation. In other words, the apartment isn't considered fit to live in. Assuming she's already notified her landlord of the problem in writing, she has a few options:

-Withhold rent-
-Move out without notice-
-Contact local code enforcement agency/building health inspectors-
-Sue landlord-
-Repair and deduct-

A quick way to get that landlord moving is to have her talk to her city's Office of Housing and Code Enforcement ASAP. They take these issues very seriously and have some teeth in their bite. They also work closely with attorneys who assist tenants and may have a few attorney recommendations.

Your friend should in no way consider paying higher rent and relocation costs by moving to another apartment.  If anything, her landlord needs to pay for the household to stay in a hotel while the work is done.


Title: My car was moved to another area in our complex, and we are being charged a fee for it (California)

Question:
We received a notice that told us to move our cars from the covered parking spaces (which are reserved for residents of the apartments) to the uncovered parking spaces (which are for general parking) about 3 or 4 days ago. The notice said that there would be a map on the back of the flyer to indicate where to park, but when we flipped it over it was blank.

This morning, the towing company had moved all the cars (including the ones in uncovered, general parking spaces) in one area to open spaces in another area further from where we normally park. At first we had thought our cars had been towed, so we were relieved that they hadn't taken them to the tow yard, but as it turns out, our apartment complex is adding $75 per car towed to everyone's rent for the coming month.

To me, it seems like they aren't allowed to do this. We parked in the uncovered spots as the flyer told us to, but since they weren't very specific as to where we should leave our cars, we don't feel that the extra fee is fair.

Apart from the situation, I've done a bit of research and it seems that towing companies in Southern California are notorious for bending the rules when it comes to towing laws. Any help you guys can offer would be much appreciated :)

Answer:
 You probably have a reasonable claim against your landlord.  Certainly, you would have a legitimate argument that they cannot recover more than they actually paid to the towing company, since it was their own incompetence that caused the necessity for towing.

Although one would think that if they say "use the map" and the map is blank you would call them and ask, instead of just parking randomly.

Your best bet if you want to challenge this is to get together with a group of residents, and tell them that you do not believe you should have to pay since it was their error not yours.  See what happens.


Title: I got laid off, my former supervisor is asking me to send letter of apology because I copied personal files off my work computer. I think my former employer is trying to screw me out of unemployment.

Question:
So I started an IT job two years ago. My superiors authorized expenses to buy me a phone and a laptop so I could do my job duties anywhere I was needed. I paid the phone bill so I never had any reason to think the phone was mine and not work issued device. My personal supervisor implied both were mine to keep.

Got the pink slip last Thursday. They called me on my work issued phone after I left for the day and told me I was being laid off effectively immediately. Instead of having several guys doing IT they decided to contract with some local firm to provide support. I was told they would not contest if I filed for unemployment.

I showed up on Friday, cleaned out my desk. Copied some personal personal files off my virtual desktop and computer. Said my goodbyes to coworkers and left.

On Monday my supervisor called me and told me I had to return the phone and computer. This surprised me as it ran contrary to what I had been told before   but I didn't feel like arguing about it.

The job had long stopped being enjoyable due to the pressures of upper management.  I was fine with turning in everything that reminded me about the job and walking away. Dropped the computer and phone off just a few hours after the call and thought that was the end of it.

Last night I get a call from my supervisors that he's getting weird question about what I was doing on the device after I was let go. He's being very vague about what exactly why questions are being asked or exactly what I am being accused of.

I apparently signed in multiple times over the weekend. Not surprising since it would automatically connect to company servers every time which I would simply immediately log out.  I moved my files some personal files from both the hard drive and my virtual desktop.

Today he's trying to reassure that he smoothed thing over but insisted that I send in a note of apology for accessing those servers. He's convinced this is going to help me. He is dangling a possible small  severance package for doing this.

It sounds like I am I signing a confession that I engaged in wrongdoing when my actions were normal and totally benign. I worked IT, I know how easy it would be for someone to look and files I copied and determine there was nothing work related about them.

I have little doubt the company is trying to screw over of my unemployment.

What do I need to do to protect myself here and get my benefits?  Am I at risk of more serious legal trouble? I don't know what to do or what type of lawyer I need or even if I need one.

EDIT: Location Minneapolis, Minnesota

Answer:
 "Letter of apology" means "confession". Do not confess to data theft, or any other offense, in writing unless your own lawyer to whom you have paid money tells you to do that.

You are entitled to your severance. Call your state's labour board and explain the situation to them, leaving out the part about you doing the thing he wants you to confess to.Answer #2: I went through something similar, also in IT, but at the highest level so none of the other bozos knew what I was doing.

Don't sign anything. Tell them that you won't sign anything because you would be admitting to something you didn't do. Make it clear that you expect them to make good on their "non contest" promise. I have no idea why he would be dangling a severance package, at this point in time, other than that he wants to screw you over.Answer #3: 100% dont confess to your crimeAnswer #4: For somebody in IT I would think you would be better at following directions like "provide your location".


Title: My fiancee and I are renting a townhouse and we let a friend and his girlfriend stay over temporarily and now they are refusing to leave, they have been violently threatening us and are trying to ruin My relationship with my fiancee and get us evicted, can anyone please help?

Question:
So I'm going to try and cover every single point of detail here, I read through the stickied comment/post about tenant/landlord laws and info but couldn't really find any more information than what I already have, and that has not been enough.

Starting from the beginning, My fiancee and I were leasing a place previously at a different location and when a good friend of mine was getting kicked out of where he was currently staying, I said I would be willing to go pick him up and let him stay with us.

I drove a few hours to go and pick him up and when I got there it turns out his girlfriend was with him too and he had never told me that she would be there or would need to be coming with. At the time this was not a problem so I allowed them to come back and stay with us. This was around the end of August 2018.

We allowed them to stay under very specific conditions, we don't expect them to pick up after us or do anything other than simply clean up after themselves when they make a mess, and that if for some reason they run out of food and need some, ask us and we can let them have some of whatever we decide we'd like to give to them.

Note: (My fiancee and I both work all day, 12 to 16 hour shifts and we are gone from the house pretty much all the time and never create any messes or have time to cook much)

I told my friend that he would be able to stay until the end of October, when our lease ends, we had to leave that unit by November 1st. I let him know that he would need to get a job and be able to pay me $300 by the beginning of November in order to move into our new place with us (the place we are at currently) and that if he was unable to do so he would have to leave.

(During this month they were contantly extremely disrespectful, they would come into our room while we were gone and eat specific foods we had picked out for ourselves to eat throughout our work week, they would create giant messes and refuse to clean them up and would constantly tell us that we were disrespectful and that we had no right to be confrontational with them, etc etc. it was becoming more and more stressful with each little thing that built up over that month of time)

Well, the end of October finally came around and he still did not have a job but he had said he had applied at a lot of places and had an interview coming up on November 3rd. I said okay, you can come into the new place with us, but if for some reason this place does not hire you for any reason and if you can't give us $300 by the end of the second week of November, that they would both have to leave.

We told them that we did not want them to register to have mail delivered to our new house and that we would go up and pay for a PO box to be set up for them in writing, they both agreed to this and said they would not register to have any mail delivered to the new place.

Well, after a couple days when we went up to go and get the PO box set up and they said that we couldn't set one up on behalf of someone else, and in order to do it, the friend and his girlfriend would both need to come in and present a valid form of ID. We let them know and they refused to go set up the PO box and said they had already registered to have mail delivered in their name to our location and had packages en route already. This was the moment that everything flipped, right after they refused to go set up the PO box and decided to cuss out my fiancee I was up to me ears with rage while sitting at work.

That night, we let them know that they would have to leave within a reasonable amount of time and they refused. They instead started screaming and yelling at us and making threats against us and against themselves. My fiancee and I were trying to sit down and have a cordial discussion with them about what we would be willing to do to help them get out of our place, we offered them bus tickets to anywhere they wanted to go in the continental USA, they refused, we offered to put them up into a hotel for a week or two until they are able to have family come and pick them up and take them back to where they came from, they refused.

While we were discussing all this we let them know that we can either A. Leave this on good terms, and we will be willing to help you go wherever you need to go to make sure you get to the next place safely, or B. We can leave this on bad terms, we will do everything we legally can to get you out of our house, and at the end of that process you will be out on the streets with no assistance and no help in the middle of winter.

This apparently didn't sit well with my friends girlfriend, as she then started screaming and yelling about how she would just kill herself now and how she might as well just shoot herself in the head and then she grabbed a large ceramic plate out of our dish holder next to the sink and tried to throw it at my fiancee while saying "You think I'm disrespectful you haven't seen nothing yet, just wait, you'll see, i'm going to make this a living hell for you" She also said that she would attack me and destroy my belongings while we are gone from work. My fiancee was smart enough to have started recording video of the incident after she grabbed the plate, and kept recording from there forward.

The incident eventually ended as we were able to remove her from the room and speak civilly with the friend of mine until the end of the conversation. They said that we would have to go about the process of evicting them and all of this and that they were not planning to leave under any circumstances.

I spoke with my property manager about this issue, (she is really cool and likes my fiancee and I alot and is willing to help us as much as possible). We spoke with the police after the incident and they said that they couldn't do anything because it is a civil issue and they have established residency, we would have to go through the process of evicting them even though they have only been with us at this new residency for less than a month.

They are not on the lease, they were simply invited as guests and we had an agreement that they would leave if he did not have a job by the beginning of November. He never got hired on and neither of them have any income.

My landlord and property manager both came over to try and talk to them about getting them out of the house and they cussed out our landlord/property manager and said the vilest shit to them. They told them that they are hoping that we get evicted and they apparently told the LL and PM that their goal is to go scorched earth and try and completely ruin our lives. (So much for helping people and being as generous as to give them a free roof over their heads to make sure they aren't homeless :/)

They LL and PM told me that the only we they would be able to get them out is by evicting us as well which they don't want to have to do, because they know we are good tenants and that we have good paying jobs and good background history.

They did, however, tell us that on Monday they would be serving my friend and the girlfriend with a 24 hour notice of unlawful possession of premises and that if they were not out within 24 hours they will go through with the eviction process and kick us all out, but they said that they would just let us move into another unit in the same complex and we could transfer our lease over. They told us, if they did do this however, that they would still rent to us, but that we would have an FED on our record, which is something that never goes away.

So at this point in time, I'm looking for any and all possible guidance on how to get them removed from my house as quickly as possible so we don't have to get evicted and go through the process of being removed from this location. (the landlord offered to let us move our stuff into another unit in the same complex but we both really don't want to have to go through the process of moving our stuff out again as we just moved in here less than a month ago)

We have explored ideas galore. So I am asking you, fellow members of reddit, please, if you can offer us any help at all, my fiancee and I cannot do this anymore, we feel unsafe in our own home every single day, we fear for the safety of our belongings and our pets, we lock our door to our bedroom every time we come in and are propping up a 100lb wedge against the door handle to prevent it from being pushed open at all on top of the lock.

My fiancee has been in shambles and crying every day and vomiting due to the stress, It's been effecting both of our work performances due to us having to leave early because of these situations and me wanting to come home to make sure nothing happens to my future wife.

Options we have considered:

1. Would it be possible for us to file a restraining order/order of protection tomorrow morning with the clerk of court due to the fact she tried to hit my fiancee with a 5 pound ceramic plate, threatened to destroy our belongings and quote "fuck us up" and that "you aint seen nothing yet" and have them removed from the premises, we have this incident on video recording of her doing this and screaming through the house and stomping violently, after the incident happened and she left the room to go upstairs, after which he said, specifically "I will just deny it, I'll just say she didn't do it." We have him admitting he would lie about it happening as well. After we told him we informed the friend that the whole thing was on video and that we would be reporting it to the police, and he said "No, that never happened, she wasn't even in this room, she was around the corner by the stairs". - - So we have her on video threatening to harm us, our property, and even attempting to try and harm us. We don't feel safe in our own home, would this be enough evidence for us to file an order of protection/restraining order and have them removed from the property?

2. We thought that we could maybe remove all of our valuable and essential belongings from the house and move them somewhere else temporarily, either a family members place or into the other unit the property manager was going to let us move in to, and then after we move our stuff out, end all the utilities here that are in solely our names. Electricity, Water, Gas, ETC. I figured that if we could temporarily leave for a few days or so and have all the utilities in our name turned off, that they would more than likely be jumping ship as soon as possible and getting the hell out of our house. Could this be a potential option?

3. The other option would be to formally file an eviction notice to them and give them notice to vacate premises within X amount of time and they don't they will be forcibly removed if necessary. The only problem with this, is my understanding is that if we go tomorrow morning to file with the court for the eviction and serve them the notice, that they would still be able to stay in our place through that duration of time, and it could take up to two weeks if they don't abide by the 24 hour notice. The only problem with this is that, if they refuse to leave by monday, our landlord is filing the eviction process against my fiancee and I as well and will have to remove us from premises also, and that would put an FED on our record, which neither of us want, so this option doesn't seem like a good one.

4. We just let the landlord go through the eviction process against us, move all of our belongings out to another place, we get evicted and then they would be escorted out by sheriff/police. Again, we really don't want this to happen because of the fact that it would damage My fiancee and I's record and we have been working so hard to build a life for ourself, we cant afford to have something like that happen. Even though the landlord/property manager are willing to help us and let us move over into their other townhouse property a couple units down, which we appreciate, it would still damage our reputation and record and we don't want that.

So ladies and gents, this is the entirety of the information I could think to include at this moment in time, we are really in a bind and desperately need to get out of this situation. My fiancee and I would both GREATLY appreciate any help more than words could ever explain. Our mental stability has been destroyed because of all this and we are both anxious messes, and are unable to be comfortable in our own home due to the violence and threats.

Answer:
 If you want any help, you need to trim that down by 95%, with just the facts. It doesn't even look like you posted a location in that novel. I didn't read much of it, but my primary advice would be to avoid eviction by all means if you want to be able to rent a decent place in the future.Answer #2: Yikes.  Thanks for the read :/

TLDR you have tenants; they are creating a volatile and dangerous situation.  They are unlikely to go quietly into the night.

You can *immediately* hand them a 3-day notice to leave under Iowa 562A.27A

Their determination to leave a scorched earth behind them means this could go bunker.  Iowa is one-party consent state so you can (and probably should) record all of your interactions with them - but be careful not to record them on their own.

You may be wiser to de-escalate and offer cash-for-keys, in which you pay them e.g. a few weeks rent to move somewhere else.  This sounds nuts, but the sad truth is that while they would be responsible to you for any damage they do, you will be responsible to the landlord, and two pissed-off tenants facing eviction can do *a lot* of damage. Answer #3: Is there a location buried in that giant wall of text somewhere?Answer #4: Nobody is going to read your huge essay. Cut it down to what's relevant.


Title: [Hypothetical] Is it a crime if a person finds, on the side of the road, a container that had expensive equipment inside that included a company name and number but the person chose instead to sell it online for profit?

Question:
More specifically looking for what charges could be brought against a person who genuinely found the items but then took the moral decision to sell for their own profit.
Edit - didn't even receive replies yet and already fixing grammar

Answer: This is called "Theft by finding" in some jurisdictions. Someone who finds lost property must make reasonable effort to locate its owner. If there is a company name and number, the "reasonable effort" is very simple: call and tell them you found their property. You don't have to ship it to them, you don't have to drive it to them, they have to take care of this, but you absolutely have to report it in many jurisdictions.


Title: [il]buying a house with best friend

Question:
My best friend and I were looking at places to rent with our sons. She wants to own a house but I just want to rent as I don't want to stay in this town forever.

We found a rent to own for $385 a month which is super cheap in the area but its a nice house in a good neighborhood.

We would both be on the lease but once we own it, I don't want it.

Is there any way we could draw up a contract that would make the house soley hers after buying? I may still live there and pay my half of the bills for awhile and be just a friend helping her buy a home.

Would I beable to just give her my half?

Answer: Why doesn't she just lease to own the place herself, and then you move in as a sublessee of your friend?  She'll just have to make sure the lease allows for subleasing.


Title: Can Charlie Sheen go to jail for not telling Bree Olson he was HIV positive?

Question:
Heard Olson on Howard Stern this morning and wondering if Sheen can go to jail for what he did with her: https://www.howardstern.com/show-guests/24764-sheen-ex-bree-olson-reveals-hiv-test-results-live/

EDIT: This would be in the state of California

Answer:
 No one here knows enough.

>Cal. Health and Safety Code § 120291
>Felony
>Any person who exposes another to HIV by engaging in unprotected sexual activity (anal or vaginal intercourse without a condom) when the infected person knows at the time of the unprotected sex that he or she is infected with HIV, has not disclosed his or her HIV-positive status, and acts with the specific intent to infect the other person with HIV, is guilty of a felony. A person's knowledge of his or her HIV-positive status, without additional evidence, is not sufficient to prove specific intent.

CA requires unprotected sex and specific intent to infect the person.  Specific intent would be hard to prove.  Plus he'd throw a couple truck loads of money her way before it even got that far.Answer #2: The intent required under the California statute ("specific intent to infect") is so difficult to prove that there is no case law specifically addressing a conviction under it.  That says, to me, that this is rarely prosecuted.  The couple of examples I found of anyone even being charged were prostitutes.

He may, however, be *civilly* liable to any partners he infected, depending on all of the facts and circumstances.  Civil cases have the much lower standard of whether the infected person had "reason to know" of the infection.  It doesn't require specific intent or even actual knowledge.  (*John B. v. Superior Court* (2006) 38 Cal.4th 1177.)Answer #3: [Yes, he could](http://www.hivlawandpolicy.org/states/california).  No comment on whether his conduct rises to that level.


Title: Employer charging me for possible tax fines

Question:
It was recommended I post this here.  I originally put it in /r/personalfinance

(I'm in Virginia)

I have been working at a business as an "independent contractor", but I recently discovered my status as a contractor or employee is determined by the IRS regardless of any contract I signed.

After looking over the IRS' criteria, I am very confident that I am misclassified and I am actually an employee.

I brought this to the attention of my employer and he responded with a letter saying a lot of nonsense, but concluding that, because of a paragraph in my contract, if the business is charged any fines or penalties I'll have to pay half.

I checked out my contract, and this is the paragraph in question:

>[the business] shall not withhold any federal, state or local taxes from [my] Compensation. [I] shall be solely responsible for paying any and all taxes as an independent contractor. [I] shall resultantly indemnify and hold [the business] harmless for any tax consequences incurred as a result of [my work with [the business]. [I] and [the business] shall follow the state and federal regulations set forth for independent contractor. In an event [my] relationship with [the business] result in change of classification of [me] as independent contractor all fees, fines and penalties shall be equally shared by both parties.

That sounds kind of fishy to me. Can the business actually charge me for penalties resulting in their misclassification? I signed the contract believing I would actually be an independent contractor, so it seems like this paragraph is saying I have to be a contractor forever even if my responsibility changes.

Thought?

Answer: It might be worth seeing what the VA Dept of Labor has to say about it.Answer #2: Anybody can send anybody a bill for anything. That doesn't a court would find you liable if they sued you.


Title: Hidden camera in work bathroom

Question:
So someone just informed me that a hidden camera was found in an employee only area bathroom at the hospital I work at. This bathroom is used by me multiple times a shift. I don't think they notified the police or plan on it and security said they have a pretty good idea who did it.

My thing is I'm pretty sure they may try and sweep this under the rug and not tell employees. Do they have any legal obligation to tell me that I'm on it? Can I take any legal action about this? I'm in Mississippi.

Answer: You need to report this to the police immediately. If you can find the camera, take photos of it for evidence.


Title: Weird situation in the middle of a crimminal defense trail: HELP!

Question:
(Florida) (Statute Number is 784.03)

I was recently arrested and let go on bail on a felony of aggravated batttery as I bit an individual while he was choking me in a fight. I was also charged with a normal battery for punching. I have a current attorney with years of experience and previous persecutor. He charged me 13K for this case and  told me he expected that it won't go to court, though if it does go to court, I would have to pay additional fees to him. He explained a lot, but now a week into this I find myself with some good news and bad news.

It turns out the victim doesn't want to press charges as he already spoke to the state attorney. My own attorney then let me know yesterday of all of this information and claims that the state has dropped the felony charge for now. That they are willing to drop the misdemeanor charge (battery) if I pay the full sum of 11K in restitution NOW (medical bills of the victim as they don't have insurance). While I knew and was always willing to pay the bills, I never knew the full amount or the process of paying back. Here is the bad news: my attorny proceeds to give me the bad news that I need to pay the full amount ASAP before the prehearing arrangement or the state will go to court against the normal battery as this is a once in a million chance type of opportunity. I proceed to tell him Im already struggling to pay him and I don't have a single dime left (it is true) to pay for 11K right away. I also ask him: why is it not possible to make a payment plan with the hospital and show my good faith of paying. He says he will see what he can do and that is that.

I am now dumbfounded by this situation as I don't understand how much progress hes actually making himself. It seems that the state attorney made their own decision to drop the felony chage (probably since the evidence wasn't sufficient and they don't want a college student in prison for years) so I don't see this as his work. Now here are the questions:

 He charged me so much because it was a felony but now that it isn't a felony what? I paid 13K for a lawyer to give me info on how the state dropped a charge and how I need to pay 11K in fees to the hospital asap or else I go to court? Thats it? Can't the state see how broke my family is and how we are willing to pay just not the full amount all at once? I don't know what to do or what to say to my attorny, Im scared and my family is going through a crisis of anxiety attacks.
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer:
 This is why criminal defense attorneys collect their money up front. You paid for their representation through the resolution of your criminal charges (excepting trial), and they're doing exactly that. In fact, you don't know how much their representation has already helped you, given that the prosecutor (and **not** the victim) decides whether to pursue charges. It's entirely possible that your attorney spoke with the prosecutor and helped to negotiate the current offer.

&#x200B;

A payment plan for the medical bills is a reasonable request, and I hope it works out for you. If you're denied, you'll still have to rely on your attorney to negotiate the best deal for you. Practice saying "Here's my financial situation, what do you recommend?"

&#x200B;

On a separate note, 13k for biting in a bar fight is pretty steep. For you and everyone else reading this, don't forget to shop around for attorneys in the future if you ever need one!Answer #2: > Can't the state see how broke my family is

No. They have no ability to see that.

> I don't know what to do or what to say to my attorny

Well, "what is your recommendation" comes to mind...


Title: IL - Bad breakup, girlfriend refuses to give me my things. Options?

Question:
I have no receipts because I've had all the stuff for years. She refuses to tell me when she will be home and is not at all being cooperative.

Update: I tried to go over to her place to see if I could talk to her landlord or her roommate because I know they have some illegal stuff over there and it would be easier to get that taken care of than go to the police. She was home and just started texting me "GO AWAY. STOP TRYING TO BREAK INTO MY HOME. I AM CALLING THE POLICE." So I just left. I really don't know what to do with this situation.

Answer: In some places, you can call the police for an escort to retrieve your possessions.  See if they have that where you live.  If not, you'll have to go to court.


Title: Sketchy former employer made it hard to tell if I was ever on the payroll (location: Savannah, GA)

Question:
I left a job that was made miserable by awful owners, and now I don't know my options

Some background: I started this job (it was just waiting tables) last December and left in late January. I had to be very insistent with the managers to give me the forms so I could give them my tax information. This place had a ridiculous turnover rate, and in my short time there I commonly heard from other recent hires that they were being given paychecks before they were given any tax forms. The forms they eventually gave me were the W4 along with an I9 form. I9 is of course supposed to be filled out by the employer (it says so on the damn thing), but they passed it on to me to fill out anyway. I happened to run into the woman who is in charge of the owner's payroll, and she confirmed that after working there for several weeks I was not yet on the payroll.

What I need to know is what options do I have to find out if my employer was paying me off the books. I don't want to file my income as personal income and pay the heavier taxes, so what recourse do I have at this point? I want to obey the law when it's time to file my taxes, even though I know an audit isn't likely. How do I do that?

edit: just remembered an important detail. My first paycheck had the wrong name on it. It had my last name, but the wrong first name. This was my first clue that they weren't following the law while paying me
Topic:
Tax Law

Answer:
 The IRS has procedures to follow if an employer does not give you a W-2 form.  If you received a paycheck dated in 2014 then follow this now.  If you didn't receive a paycheck until 2015 then follow this, or any procedure updated by the IRS next filing season, next year.

http://www.irs.gov/uac/IRS-Can-Help-if-W2s-Are-Missing


Title: I might have just unknowingly used a counterfeit $100, what now?

Question:
My grandmother gave me $100 two days ago. I went to the gas station today to buy condoms and used it. The man marked it, it came in a pretty dark brown, then he put it in an envelope. I had previously tried the bill at the place I work and it came as a pretty light brown. What now? Also, I don't want my parents knowing about the condoms.

Location: TX, USA

EDIT: The main reason I'm nervous is that he kept looking out at me as I left like he wanted my license plate. Then I read somewhere that they would put it in an envelope if it was counterfeit so they don't touch it/evidence.

Answer: If it was counterfeit, he wouldn't have accepted it. Answer #2: If he checked it and took it, it is fine. He put it in an envelope because it was going straight to the safe. He would not have accepted it if it was not real. It may have been a different brand of pen. But the fact that you checked it already makes me wonder.


Title: CA, USA: Can I ban the owner of a service dog from my place of business for reasons unrelated to the dog?

Question:
If I have continual problems with a person who has a service dog and want to refuse service to them based on reasons completely unrelated to the dog, am I within my rights to do so?

I feel that I understand the issues around service dogs.  If the same dog came back with another person, it would be welcome.  It's the person that's the problem.

Thanks for your advice.

Answer:
 /u/thepatman has you covered perfectly BUT you may want to keep in mind.... as a business owner be very careful booting these service dog users out of your business. Even if it's legally justified it just takes one call to the media and the story can take a whole new spin. It's all about the headlines.

Headline: Business owner kicks out blind customer and his service dog^for ^shitting ^on ^the ^floor, ^robbing ^the ^cash ^drawer, ^and ^banging ^business ^owners ^wife ^and ^cat.Answer #2: Pretty sure the sign says "Service dogs welcome". Not "Assholes with service dogs welcome".

If you stood by the "Has the right for any reason" rule as the owner, this person will most likely cry foul and try to make it about the dog. So if I were you, I would have a clear and reasonable case for having the ban. Put it in writing. Use video of bad behavior if possible. Give the person no reason to pin it on dog-hatred. Try not to leave anything to chance. Assholes can be very clever.

That's my non-lawyer advice, anyway.


Title: Ex gf falsely accusing me of sexual assault and demanding $$ for counseling fees.

Question: [removed]

Answer:
 > Is this a proper response?

Yup.

Just block her on everything. If you are contacted by the police, the courts, or her attorney, say nothing and hire a lawyer.


Title: Issue with massage board

Question:
Hi everyone so I am a massage therapist in NC. Long story short, I couldn't afford to renew my license when it lapsed in 2015 (licensed since 2010). A massage envy opened by us and I fudged the date on my license to get a job at massage envy.  I know that sounds awful but I had just moved back home to a small town/ left an 8 year relationship and was scraping by making minimum wage in retail and my kids were always in before and after school care or at my moms. Money was really tight like we were broke and I was desperate. I got the job at ME and financially things got drastically better. I wasn't able to renew my license then because they only accept renewals for a few months at the end of the year.  Anyway, I took all the CEU hours needed and then some and was prepared to renew this year.  When massage envy got hit with all the sexual assault allegations the franchises were required to verify all the therapists and their licenses on line. Obviously mine showed up not valid and my manager called the massage board and sent them a copy of the license I provided.  She said she wasn't going to pursue anything further against me after I told her the truth but that the massage board would be in touch with me. They mailed something requiring a signature to my old address, which I know Bc my ex still lives there and let me know. It just came Friday.  Should I have him sign for it even though I don't live there anymore? Legally I don't know what to do or what repercussions I could be facing. I know probably fine $1500 and possibly losing my license.  If he tells the PO I no longer live there then what?  Just really looking for advice on the entire situation or if I should get a lawyer.

Thank you!

Answer:
 >  A massage envy opened by us and I fudged the date on my license to get a job at massage envy.

So that's fraud. Which the board now has evidence of.

You need to read the materials you were sent. My guess is you're not getting a license again and/or being hit with a substantial fine.


Title: Repeated CO leak from hot water heater & Implied Warranty of Habitability, Pittsburgh PA

Question:
Our water heater is leaking CO, the gas company red-tagged it, we don't have hot water, and the landlord is dragging his feet about sending an actual plumber. We refuse to let the last guy back into the house - he fiddled around with the flue, tore off the red tag, and turned the gas to it back on without checking with a CO meter - effectively leaving us for dead. The gas company verified that the flue had been "partially unclogged" but was still backdrafting. The fire dept and gas company came out twice, 48 hours apart, because the unrepaired water heater of course continued leaking. If they have to come out again the gas company will have to shut off all gas to the house, disabling the furnace. The landlord left a voicemail telling us not to call the fire department if we have another leak - so that recording will help us if this goes to court. The landlord was yelling at me over the phone, and does this to our neighbors when they assert their rights, too. I dearly wish for rental reform.

I think we're dealing with it as best we can, and the fire marshal took landlord contact info down into the report both visits and promised to contact them and apply pressure. We're requesting reports from fire dept and gas company and we have preliminary info from the Neighborhood Legal Services Association (we're in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County). We found a motel that takes pets in case our heat gets shut off, and are looking at apartments for rent March 1 just in case, as well as ones available July 1 since there's no way in hell we're renewing our lease (and we're aware of the days advance notice to avoid automatic renewal). We're documenting all communication with the landlord, using email when possible (they refuse to email us back), and will be sending certified mail when time.

We really would like to take our time preparing to move at the end of June, and to have hot water ASAP. [PAlawhelp.org](http://www.palawhelp.org/resource/warranty-of-habitability?lang=EN) says that an "improperly vented furnace or hot water heater" qualifies as a serious problem covered by the implied warranty of habitability. We don't know exactly how far to push this, though.

* Does this mean that the entire apartment is uninhabitable, as the entire unit lacks hot water?
* Is this something that would qualify us to void the lease if they don't send a competent professional to replace the flue and check the safety of the unit with a CO meter before leaving?
* Can we verify that the plumber they send is qualified?
* Are plumbers really qualified to do this work, or should this be something an HVAC specialist should handle?
* What % of rent is a total lack of hot water / unsafely ventilated water heater, if we were to withhold rent?
* How many days notice is reasonable to require that they replace the flue before we hire the lowest bidder of 3 estimates to do the job and deduct the cost from our next rent payment?

I have convenient access to this account and will be checking it frequently to provide any details that might be necessary. Thank you for whatever help you can provide.

Answer:
 Contact your local housing code enforcement office and file a complaint. They will send someone to conduct an investigation, and will provide a report certifying that the premises are uninhabitable, if they find enough code violations.

*Do NOT withhold rent unless and until the premises are deemed uninhabitable.*

>Tenant Allowed to Withhold Rent for Failure to Provide Essential Services (Water, Heat, etc.): Yes, when an government agency or department certifies that a dwelling is uninhabitable, the tenant can elect to deposit rent into an escrow account rather than pay the landlord directly. (68 P.S. §§ 250.206)

https://www.landlordology.com/pennsylvania-landlord-tenant-laws/


Title: [South Australia] Made a purchase at a casino gift shop, should have been charged $8, was actually charged $80. Happened 4 days ago, only noticed today.

Question:
As the title says, last Saturday night I decided to purchase 2 decks of casino-branded cards from a casino gift shop, at $4 a piece. The guy behind the counter told me the cost was $8, and I told him I would be paying by card (EFTPOS access card, not credit, debit or Paywave). I paid and left. Admittedly, I should have looked at the number on the pinpad, because today I realised I was charged $80 instead of $8.

What courses of action do I have? I was thinking of going into the casino tomorrow to try and recover my money, but what can I do if they refuse to refund me? I don't have a receipt, since I rejected taking one (silly me, I know), but I still have the unopened packs of cards if they want them returned. As with most casinos, the place is covered with security cameras, and I can narrow the time of purchase to within an hour. I feel like this might help in some way, but I have no idea.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Answer: Even if you don't have a receipt, I would be shocked if the casino didn't still have a record of the transaction from four days ago. Because you paid by card, they should be able to look it up. Once they do, you can see what they actually charged you for and then go back to the cameras to see if that's accurate. You're going to need to find a nice manager who is willing to take the time with you, so try not to get upset or they will just throw you out. I have no idea legally where you are at, but on a practical level you're basically just begging for $72 out of fairness, so put on your polite face and be as courteous as you can.


Title: Employer wants to install camera in my home office, is this legal?

Question: Employer wants to install camera in my home office & I’m extremely uncomfortable with this as it’s in an open area of my home, is this a legal request?

Answer:
 Legal? Yes.     Weird as hell? Yes    something I would even consider? Nope. Not much trust going on. Does the amount of work being done not let him see you aren’t screwing around.Answer #2: yes, it's legal for him to ask. you can say no. he can fire you. if he's concerned about productivity he should install time tracking software on your computer which is the more standard solution to this problem.Answer #3: I would think the answer to this isn't quite that clear actually. Employers have the right to monitor their employees so long as there is a legitimate business purpose. There are also privacy rights at play that protect the employee. Most, if not all, existing law is in the context of central work places, not home offices where privacy rights would be even greater for the employee.

Employers can definitely use means to monitor your work activities during working hours, but the installation of actual cameras might be a step too far.

I'm a lawyer, but this is not an area I'm very familiar with, so I'd take these comments with a grain of salt.


Title: Isn't Madonna committing a crime by saying that she has considered "blowing up the White House"?

Question:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdjebS2toK0

If someone said that online, wouldn't they be looking at a visit from the Secret Service at the least and possibly some sort of arrest? Just because Madonna is a celebrity does that mean that she is above the law?

I mean it is technically a bomb threat is it not?

Answer: No.


Title: Changing my daughter's last name

Question:
When my daughter was born, we put her father's last name on her birth certificate. At the time, he and I were still planning to marry, and I was going to be taking his last name. To make a long story short, we did not get married, and we did eventually split up.

We've had an amicable split, and haven't had to go to court over any of the custody or financial aspects of co-parenting. Now that our daughter is about to start school, we've agreed that we'd like to have her name legally hyphenated, but I'm unsure of how to do it. She was born in Washington State, and we currently live in Oregon. All of the sources I can find for minor name changes involve court orders or sex changes. I'm also not sure if I could just register her for school with a hyphenated name, or if her name would have to match her birth certificate. Any advice is appreciated!

Answer: You're likely going to have to get a court order. Most states require it.


Title: Gun pointed at me on highway

Question:
He was in the left lane, I was in the right. There was a car coming up the ramp into my lane so I sped up and got in the left lane. I did a friendly "thank you" wave and pointed to the car next to me. The passenger in the car the flipped me off, so I tapped on my brakes. It was then when they passed me that the passenger had his window down and a gun pointed at me as their car passed by. I have this on dash-cam. Where can I go from here?

EDIT: Well, it appears that my dashcam did not capture the guys license plate.

Answer:
 > Where can I go from here?

Call the cops.


Title: Green Dot

Question: [deleted]

Answer: You're fine. Green Dot is an actual bank. They need your SSN to verify your identity for anti-fraud purposes.


Title: How to have legal relationship between 17yo female and 25 yo male?

Question: I have researched and it shows that relationships between an underage individual  (as long as he/she is above the age of consent, which in my state, New Jersey, is 16) and someone over 18. However, it gets tricky once sex or suggestive acts are thrown into the mix (the two parties are both conscious of the issue but sex is an important aspect to them). Charges can be pressed if the two parties are engaging or have engaged in sexual activities. So, I was wondering how can a relationship still incorporate sex without charges being pressed against either party? Both parties are paranoid of having charges pressed so I’d like to alleviate this fear if possible, and see if there is any way for the relationship to not cross legal borders before the 17yo turns 18.

Answer: Well, this isn’t weird and creepy at all...


Title: My University printed my photographs from Instagram without my permission.

Question:
I posted on /r/photography asking this question [earlier today](https://www.reddit.com/r/photography/comments/79j4cq/my_university_printing_my_photos_from_instagram/) and was referred to post here.

Here's the situation. I currently work for marketing and communication dept. in the print shop of my university and I was printing a job that contained pictures from Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter posts tagged #(universityname). I noticed a couple of the pictures were *mine* that I had taken an posted on two separate (public) Instagram accounts a few weeks prior; One account I run for an on campus club and the other was my personal photography account.

I asked my coworker how they got a hold of my pictures and why I hadn't been asked permission for my photos to be used. He said that because they were publicly available on Instagram, they didn't ask for permission to (physically) print and publicly post pictures from social media, especially if the university didn't stand to make any money off the photographs. I now know the photos are on display in a public area near our University President's Office.

I was credited by my usernames in both print photos. I didn't have a watermark on my photos however. I'm not really *that* interested in any compensation, but I would like to know how to move forward, especially because the people who reproduced my photos are my coworkers.

To wrap this up:

* I live in California and my university is in California.
* Photos *I* took on *my* camera were reproduced without my consent. However they contained imagery of University Property (i.e. buildings, campus, research boat).
*  When I took the photos, I was a student of the university, but not employed by, affiliated with, or working on a class project for the university
* I posted the pictures on public Instagrams, using the #(universityname)
* I found, a few weeks later while I was at work, that my pictures were reproduced by the university's marketing and communications dept, without my consent, however my username(s) was credited
* Had I been asked, I would have most likely allowed their use anyway.

My questions remain:

* Should I be entitled to any compensation?
* If this happens again, without my consent, is there any ground for legal action?
* What rights to I retain when publicly posting a photo on Instagram? Does this change because of my status as a student *and* and employee at a public university?
* Would putting a watermark on my photos be likely to prevent this in the future?
* Am I being overly sensitive about my work being reproduced without my consent?

Thank you so much for your time, this is my first post here, please let me know if I needs to add any info about my situation.

Answer:
 Well, regardless of content, you own the copyright because you took the photos.

On the other hand, using copyrighted material for educational purposes is considered fair use. Even though this is a college, I wouldn't call what they're doing with the photos "educational use", though I'm not a copyright lawyer.Answer #2: **Should I be entitled to any compensation?**

Yes.

**If this happens again, without my consent, is there any ground for legal action?**

Yes.  You can sue them for copyright infringement.

**What rights to I retain when publicly posting a photo on Instagram?**

All of them.  You don't waive your copyright rights just because you choose to post to instagram.

**Does this change because of my status as a student and and employee at a public university?**

No.

**Would putting a watermark on my photos be likely to prevent this in the future?**

Maybe.

**Am I being overly sensitive about my work being reproduced without my consent?**

No.  They stole your work.  You are right to be miffed about it.
Answer #3: Did you sign any intellectual property agreement with the university?Answer #4: If you’re worried about being “the bad guy” here, bear in mind that the next person this happens to might not be so sanguine. This is an opportunity for the university to learn a very cheap lesson about copyright law rather than a very expensive one.

Does the university have an IP department (eg for research IP)? They might be able to have a word, although it’s not their job to.


Title: CANADA/Ontario - Shoplifted, huge regrets, can I return items to the store without repercussions?

Question:
I shoplifted on an impulse today from Shopper Drug Mart (Canada). I am deeply regretting my decision and also am pretty sure I got captured concealing on camera, I went to another area of the store, took the item out of the box and I disposed of the box for the item I took (a concealer worth $27) in a shelf in store.

I am deeply regretting my decision, frankly I don't even know what possessed me to take it in the first place. I don't want these items and I want to bring them back and right my wrong. My question is, can I return to the store tomorrow, maybe wear glasses or something to change my appearance(?), and replace the items back on the shelf? Or is the damage done?

Could I possibly return to the store, place all the items back on the shelf or in a different area and just say (if it comes to it) that I changed my mind and put them back? Or is concealment enough to press charges?

So you think it'll be okay if I go back and just discreetly replace them on the shelf? I think in Canada according to the criminal code, even "moving" or "concealing" can be considered theft or intent of theft and you can be charged? This was also at 10:30PM at night so there may have not even been LP working then?

According to the Criminal Code of Canada - Time when theft completed: (2) A person commits theft when, with intent to steal anything, he moves it or causes it to move or to be moved, or begins to cause it to become movable. Secrecy: (3) A taking or conversion of anything may be fraudulent notwithstanding that it is effected without secrecy or attempt at concealment.

Answer:
 Going back and returning the items tomorrow isn’t going to cancel out your stealing. It’s best to just try to forget about it and if the police do care enough about this to contact you, don’t speak to them without a lawyer.

If you want to help clear your conscience consider donating an amount equal to the value of what you stole to charity.


Title: [CA] Racist Roommate

Question:
Currently I live with a another person in an apartment. We moved in together around the end of August. Right off the bat, in the first week we first met, she clearly stated her hatred & vitriol for certain groups living here in America. As time went on it has progressed into her explicitly saying racial slurs & derogatory terms right to my face. I’m living in a hostile environment in which I am fearful for my safety. I contacted the landlord, however they will not do anything to remedy the situation. I have talked to them on 3 separate occasions and the only answer I get is that I must find someone to take over my lease. As college student, this situation has led to some unsatisfactory performance in the classroom as I am fearful to go home even when I need to get some rest. I feel extremely threatened by her because she thinks it's okay to say racial slurs to me. Is there anything I can do from a legal perspective? Restraining order? Hate crime?

My number one goal is to just move out of there. But I need to find someone to cover my lease, but I can't. I want to break this lease and live somewhere else.

Answer:
 > Is there anything I can do from a legal perspective?

Move out and continue paying rent or find someone to take over your lease. Answer #2: You can't get out of a lease just because your room mate supports Trump or even if she disagrees with you (OP describes herself as
 *" female, minority, and gay*".
From another post by OP
"*It doesn't help that my roommate is a Trump supporter everyday I'm reminded that I am a second class citizen. Minority, female, and gay.*"

Find a subletetter.


Title: Is it legal to drive high? Like maybe a cop pulls you over for speeding and suspects you are high.

Question:
I've seen different answers to this online so i'm just askin here
edit: I'm in South Florida, Broward county to be exact
Topic:
DUI

Answer:
 No. It's called driving under the influence of intoxicants and is illegal everywhere in the US. ~~The specifics of the charge including the penalties depend on the location which you neglected to include despite the multiple requests to include it.~~

I'm more curious about the people who told you it was legal.


Title: US/GA - Verbally suspended from work, not getting paid, HR won't talk to me, no pink slip

Question:
**Obligatory TL;DR: I'm in IT, I was asked to do computer support for someone outside of organization, I expressed concern and did not want to do it, requested they get some other tech to do it, get suspended for insubordination, no pay, no termination letter almost 3 weeks later.**

There's been some ongoing drama at my job recently, and I'm curious to know what, if any, options I have regarding anything on the legal front.

RE: [THIS POST](https://np.reddit.com/r/sysadmin/comments/5aqiv8/those_of_you_who_have_walked_out_what_was_the/d9it7tu/) for most of the info and some background, but I'll try to add it all in this post, in as best I can, in chronological order.

BACKSTORY: I work in IT, I was originally hired to be the network admin for the company, with the title "Network Support Specialist", to which i dedicated 2 years of my life bringing the network and servers out of the terrible. The lack of policy and terrible management resulted in many complaints and an eventual investigation by an internal department that ended with the director "resigning" and a new director hired. New director comes in with a ton of background in networking, and immediately starts to reorg. I get bumped up to "Network Engineer" with no real change in duties and no new job description.

OLD HISTORY: During a complete rework of our department and a remodel of our office suite, I was in the process of reconnecting my computer and equipment, cables strewn across my cube, nothing connected, obviously unable to do anything. Director walks out of his office, past several people who are effectively helpdesk, who have been there several hours )per there schedule) and have fully functional systems. He walks directly to me to ask me to troubleshoot an issue for a user, to which I state that I can't because I don't have a computer hooked up, he says "Just call her, find out what's going on." Well, I don't have a phone either at this time, to which he says, "Well go find one." So I leave the office, go to the temp room where our guys were set up to work while the remodel happened, and as I walk in, there's a guy in there who has already fixed the problem. It was all a knee jerk and it was directed at me, specifically. After this incident, director calls me in his office to issue a "first strike, formal verbal warning" and says that if I'm going to have that type of attitude, then "this isn't going to work out" and "this probably isn't the place for [me]"

11/1/2016: I receive an email from my supervisor (not the aforementioned director) saying that there was a "user" who had an "issue" several months ago, and asked me if there was a resolution, and if not, reach out to the "user" and resolve the issue. No contact info other than a name. I search the company directory, and there is no user with that name. I search past employees, fist name, last name, nothing that matches this "user". I make this known to me supervisor, who promptly sends me a contact card with the user's cell number and a non-corporate Gmail address. I push back saying it's still not one of our users, and there's still no data on what the issue is. I'm told he doesn't have any information on the issue, and to just call this non-employee to troubleshoot their computer issue. I ask why this is being pushed on me and not onto the helpdesk, who are more than capable of calling a user and gathering information, if nothing else. I'm told that the Director *specifically* requested that I do it because of me *expertise*, which is hilarious considering the fact that we don't even know who this person is and what the problem is, how can you know what expertise is needed?

I take a grievance to HR because, at this point, I'm being asked to do something way outside of my scope of work, comfort, liability, etc. HR guy says that I should NOT call this user and asked if there was a history of me being asked to do stuff outside the organization. Blah blah. I end up not calling her as it's the end of the day.

11/2/2016: The following day, immediately as I walk in the office, my supervisor approaches me to ask if I have a status update on the user, to which i plainly replied "No, I did not call her yesterday." He tells me I need to have an update to him on that issue by 3PM, to which I reiterate my concerns for providing support outside of the organization, and that there are multiple people that are equally qualified to perform this task. I'm told to "Just do it" and again I ask for any information available before I cold call some user I don't know to troubleshoot their computer. (Yeah, that doesn't sound shady AT ALL.) "No, there isn't any information, just do it."

At this point I am heated, and i step out to gather my thoughts, and that's when I make the post I linked previously. My HR contact happens to walk by me and catches my attention and asks me how it's going, to which I give him the update. He says "Come with me." and we walk to the HR suite and he disappears for about 15 minutes, he returns and asks me to step into his office and we have another long discussion and he says he's going to find out more information and he'll get back to me.

I go to lunch.

While at lunch, I get a call from HR guy who says "Look, I know you're going to hate me, but I'm going to need you to call her, and here's why..." As it turns out, the director of IT and the director of HR were both in a meeting on the morning of 11/1 WITH THIS USER to which the user stated, in plain English, what the problem was, and if/when they would have a resolution. It comes out that this issue was brought up in a previous meeting months before, and there was no action taken because there was no ticket, no email chain, no paper trail, nothing. So, my director, who had just spoken to this user a few hours before, refused to give my supervisor any information that he clearly had available to him. My supervisor refused to contact him to ask for more information. I eventually got this information after 2 discussions with HR and a lot of legwork on their part, and the information ended up coming from HR directly.

Ok, fine, I'll finish lunch and I'll go call.

Immediately when I enter the suite again, my supervisor pulls me into his office and notifies me of my suspension, verbally, again with no paper trail, only stating the reasoning as "insubordination" and only when I asked.. I am told to clean out my desk and I'll be escorted out be security.

11/3/2016: The following day, I miss a phone call from VP of HR and have a voicemail that says "I was calling to follow up on the circumstances of the last few days, please give me a call back at XXX-XXX-XXXX." I attempt call back 8 minutes after the voicemail was received. No answer, leave a VM for her to call me back, and give alternate numbers to reach me. Nothing. This is the last time I received a call from HR.

11/4/2016: Attempt to call VP of HR twice, no answer. I check my back account and have received a paycheck. Standard 2 week salary. No payout for PTO (which is company policy). No final paper check, all electronic.

11/18/2016: No paycheck deposit, no paper check mailed. No contact from HR, no paperwork to be filled out, no formal statement of termination. Word from my friends at the office is that the director has stated I "self-terminated". We have an automated ticket creation when an employee leaves, and one of my friends says that yes, he got a ticket with a last working date of 11/4. All of this is news to me.

My contact in HR has no idea why/when this happened and why I was never notified. At the very least, I should be owed my PTO buyout. Recently, one of the managers of another team in the department was "let go" and was given, according to word-of-mouth, and "very comfortable" severance package, despite only being an employee for about 3 months. I received nothing. Hell, I can't even get a phone call.

What, if anything, can I do?
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 > I push back saying it's still not one of our users, and there's still no data on what the issue is. I'm told he doesn't have any information on the issue, and to just call this non-employee to troubleshoot their computer issue. I ask why this is being pushed on me and not onto the helpdesk, who are more than capable of calling a user and gathering information, if nothing else. I'm told that the Director specifically requested that I do it because of me expertise, which is hilarious considering the fact that we don't even know who this person is and what the problem is, how can you know what expertise is needed?

Holy shit dude.  I would have fired you on the spot right there.


Title: Undercharged for New Tires, Now They're threatening Legal Action

Question:
Long story short, my wife recently went to a local tire store here in Eastern Pennsylvania to get 4 new tires put on her vehicle. Total for everything was supposed to be $540, but the worker only charged my credit card for $54.  Receipt that she was given does state $54, although the sales invoice (separate paper) shows $540.
We noticed the error when we looked at our account statement online.  Since then my wife has rcvd voicemails from the tire store asking the difference be paid; the last such message states we need to pay the difference or they're referring the case to the local magistrate.
What legal grounds do they have to recoup the difference?
I understand what is the moral thing to do here, but just curious if we are legally obligated to pay?  Would we be forced by small claims court to pay?

Answer:
 This is plainly a mistake on their part.  Their recourse is to sue your wife for the amount owed.Answer #2: They will have a very strong case if they want to pursue it \- this was obviously a clerical error and you will not be able to convince anybody \(let alone a judge\) that you and the tire place agreed to the service for $54 rather than the $540 it was meant to be.

Look at it this way \- what would you expect to happen if the shoe was on the other foot and they had charged you $5,400 by mistake \- would you just accept that it was a mistake or would you want it fixed?


Title: [NE] landlord refusing to pay water bill they ran up

Question:
My boyfriend is renting a house and his landlord decided to put new sod in the front yard. My boyfriend did not request this work nor did he care whether or not the yard had nice grass, as long as he didn't have to pay for anything. He never signed any paperwork about the new grass going in and all was well until he received his water bill that the landlord had previously stated they would pay as they had turned his water on pretty much constantly for a few days after the sod was laid. Instead of the normal $40ish dollar bill he got a bill for close to $300 from the water company. Now his landlord is refusing to pay and he does not have the money to pay the bill and is facing his water being shut off.

Is there anything he can possibly do or is he going to be held accountable for this bill? I feel like the landlord would be responsible in this case because it was not work that he requested and he never signed paperwork that would hold him liable for the work they decided to do.

Answer:
 Small claims is your most likely remedy. Bring past records of your water bill showing your water usage and evidence he installed new sod and used water(if you have it). I'm not sure if the water company will help out, since you did use the water and it wasn't a leak.

Small claims takes time, your boyfriend is going to have to beg/borrow the money until then so he can pay his bill.Answer #2: Sod is expensive. I'm not sure how large the area is but it could easily be thousands of dollars worth and requires a lot of watering the first few months.

Maybe he can just talk to the landlord and explain that if his water is shut off the gras is going to die and the landlord loses a few thousand compared to paying a few hundred extra for the water bill. Answer #3: Pay the bill and then sue the landlord in small claims court.  Contact the water co, you may be able to get a payment plan.Answer #4: Why doesn't he just ask the landlord if he can deduct it from his rent?


Title: What is the legality of job postings that are restricted to "citizens only"? (Canada)

Question:
I've recently come across a few job postings that are advertised for "Canadian citizens only". If, say, a Permanent Resident or a Protected Person is legally allowed to work in the country, is it legal to deny them a fair opportunity to be considered for a position based on their status?

Since I don't want to single out any companies, I found via this indeed [link](http://ca.indeed.com/Canadian-Citizen-Only-jobs).

Answer:
 Most of those listings say citizen or permanent resident only.

There are some jobs that require security clearances, or working on government projects that require citizenship.


Title: Work email was compromised and direct deposits were redirected without my knowledge. HR

Question: [removed]

Answer:
 You can't "prove you didn't open the account". It's impossible to prove the negative. You have to be paid and you haven't been paid. They sent your money to somebody else, and they need to pay you, and the scammer being paid is between them and you.  You need to get the attention of the head of payroll, the head of HR, the CFO, anybody you can get to listen, and explain very plainly that you have not been paid and legally they are required to pay you. If they still refuse you would have to file an unpaid wage complaint but you didn't provide a location so it's not possible to give you any direction on that.Answer #2: NAL. DOL should be notified on the unpaid wages. Keep a copy of the email that the Allison sent you (showing it was a phishing account). This proves she authorized a payroll change based on a scam email. The proof of the Green Dot account ownership is bullshit since she transferred the direct deposit without proper authorization by you the employee.

Answer #3: Your company should have cyber security insurance or data breach insurance. They made the error and owe you the money- the liability is on them to secure their systems.


Title: How do I shorten a "we aren't making any claims" statement?

Question:
I'm way out of my league and I have to shorten this statement to be put on a label.

"These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease."

What are we obligated to include and what can I remove to make this more succinct without getting my boss in any trouble?

Answer:
 This is above the pay grade of free internet advice.

If you are selling it then you're opening yourself up to huge liability. Pay for a lawyer to pair it down, or pay for a graphic designer to rework your labelling so that it fits and is still properly readable.


Title: If I get a restriction order against someone for stalking, but the stalker then starts sending a friend to do the stalking...

Question: ... and it turns into a vicious circle, I get another restriction order for that stalker's friend, but then the stalker sends another friend... it seems like the stalker has a broad social circle... is there a way to protect myself from this with just one single restriction order that protects me against the main stalker and all the persons related to him? without filling a restriction order for every single person he sends out?

Answer:
 Usually no contact orders also prohibit the restrained party from using third parties to contact the protected party so the person under the order would be racking up charges for using minions like that

This happens all the time for instance when someone is arrested for dv has a pretrial no contact order and uses their cellmate to call the victim and give a message


Title: [NY] Ex let me into his parents house so we could talk, could his parents (who don't like me) call the cops on me for trespassing?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 He's technically a tenant.  He invited you into the house.  Your presence isn't trespassing.
Answer #2: Could you get arrested?  Yes, if he lies and says you were not an invitee.  But when a tenant invites you, you are not trespassing.