Title: Breaking a lease in Texas due to undisclosed bedbug issue.

Question:
I moved into a new place in Austin 3 weeks ago. The lease is for 12 months. I signed a bedbug addendum as is the norm here in Austin, and didn't see any bedbugs for the first 48 hours per the lease. 2 weeks later, I wake up with bites all over me, and I move in with family. I tell the leasing office and they get it inspected right away and find bedbugs. Then they slap me with the full responsibility for the pest control fee saying I brought them in. The leasing office manager repeatedly tells me I brought them in, when my last property had no bedbugs whatsoever. They say if they find another unit to be the source, I will be refunded. I sign the paperwork for the pest control since I don't want to be impeding the pest removal process. As of now I'm still living with family, since the apartment is not habitable.

This is where I go back after signing the papers and agreeing to pay. I reiterate in our emails that by signing this I do not take responsibility for bringing the bedbugs in, only that I want to cooperate. I go back to take pictures of the bedbugs and find bedbugs PAINTED OVER in the walls. This is important because when we moved in, it looked and smelled like they painted over the whole apartment. At this point, I want to break my lease and get refunded the rent I paid so far, or at least for the days that I have not been able to live in the unit. The landlord did not disclose that this unit had these bedbugs previously. It would be impossible to get new tenants with the current bedbug issue. I understand that they're trying to fix it, but they're making me take responsibility for it despite the fact that since there were painted over bedbugs, they were clearly there before me. I've taken many pictures of the bedbugs (there aren't too many, I think I caught them early and there is most likely a real infestation elsewhere in my building). I also have the emails from the office stating there were no bedbugs in the unit before I moved in.

Should I get a lawyer? Currently the ladies at the leasing office are like talking to brick walls. What are my options here?

Answer:
 You absolutely need a lawyer. If you can definitively prove they painted over the existing bedbugs before you moved in, you have a good case to negotiate out of your lease,  all the other fees you've paid, and perhaps more. But, you need a lawyer to navigate you through that process. Trying to handle this on your own would be a mistake, in my opinion.Answer #2: To be honest, take a layer. This people wanna make you responsible for thinks that been there before you? That's bs. Try to get your money back and move to another building. Try to get as many things documented as possible, many pictures, maybe certificates that proof the redbugs been there for a while (I don't know how you call it in the us).
These people try to fuck you up so don't let them.Answer #3: Lawyer up!! Sounds like you have a strong case. Also the amount of bed bugs is important! Talk to the exterminator hired for the job and get their estimation or at least description of the amount of bed bugs found. Bed bugs can only reproduce so much and if it is found that the number or description found exceeds what could be feasible from you living in the unit you are free and clear. And that’s not even touching what sounds like the nail in the coffin that there may be bed bugs painted over on the walls!


Title: Will for minor child?

Question:
Since we had a child my husband and I are re-doing our wills. In the event of our death her guardians will be friends of ours (not family).  Our assets will be in a trust with her as beneficiary (not sure that's the right term).
Can we make a will FOR HER that says in the (hopefully very unlikely) event of her death before the age of 18, the assets in the trust (less expenses to the guardian family) will be distributed to family?

(we are in St. Louis, MO)

Answer:
 No, minors can't have wills and nobody can make a will for someone else. But trusts are flexible. You can put a clause in the trust document that lists alternative beneficiaries or procedures to be used in case the main beneficiary isn't available.

Also, your lawyer should've told you this, but the most effective way to do all this is to set up the trust now with its own trust document and put a nominal amount in it (even $10). Then write your will to "pour over" everything into the trust. Since the rules for challenging wills and trusts are different, and the rules for trusts make it easier to set one up before you die than in your will usually, this can help insulate the trust from interference and it allows you to change your will without disturbing the structure of the trust.

Obviously, you need an estate lawyer.


Title: I'm being harassed by a female employee.

Question:
I know this may all sounds crazy,  but it's extremely embarrassing.  I work in a warehouse,  and we are allowed to wear shorts.  It gets really warm here in the summer.  I usually wear cargo or jean sorts.  Nothing exciting at all.  We have to enter the front office to clock in and out.  There is a female office employee that's always making comments about,  "how great my legs look,"  "it should be summer all the time," etc.  I dread anytime I have to punch the clock.  I brought this up with my supervisor and he laughed at me at first.  Once I let him know I was really sick of it,  he promised to contact her supervisor.  Nothing at all had changed.  She's makes her comments in front of my fellow warehouse employees,  and I get picked on for it.  What options do I have?  Could I sue?

TLDR  female employee is making sexual comments about my shorts.  I'm fed up,  help!

Answer:
 Keep a personal log of each time anything happens.  Write it down, with times and dates.

Send a written letter to your supervisor, with a copy to HR, complaining about the incidents and requesting that it be stopped.

If this doesn't work, come back for further advice on your legal options (specifying your location).


Title: What are my options against Amazon ? Vancouver, BC

Question:
My son killed himself last February, he was 16. He left us nothing but a post-it note on his computer screen, saying he had enough of life. He was such a nice kid . An avid video gamer, he frequently visited sites like Steam and Twitch where he watched many of his favorite "Streamers".
My wife and I knew little of his depression, but on Steam and Twitch he was vocal about it. He made numerous remarks about suicide through his Twitch account. I still don't understand why nothing was done to contact me, Amazon, who owns the Twitch platform, knows what color of shoes you like through keywords, but cannot be bothered to inform us of this. I contacted Amazon's PR and they still have to answer my requests and concerns about their "Twitch" platform. I think It's time for this to change and I am looking into my legal options against Amazon, Any advice is welcomed.

Answer: Amazon has no duty to report things like that.  They also very likely don't have the **ability**.  Most services like that don't monitor everything that's said, and don't have the capability to analyze it even if they did.Answer #2: I'm sorry for your loss but Amazon has no duty to report anything like that.


Title: Hostile Neighbor

Question:
My brother is having issues with a hostile neighbor. He said this:

“So my crazy neighbor had been piling his garbage up on what my records show is my property.
He has also accused me of carry a bunch of old torn out Sheetrock across both of our yards to dump it on the opposite side of his property. Which I deny.
He has also accused Dad of throwing a rock with a weedeater and denting his truck. Dad denied the allegation.
He has become increasingly hostile towards me by swerving at me on the road.”

Does he have cause to notify police for harassment? Is there a proper legal avenue towards the garbage issue?

Thanks.
Edit: Louisiana, US
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 Swerving at him on the road is something the police would almost certainly be interested in.
It also sounds like a situation where outdoor security cameras are advisable to provide evidence of what is actually happening (will also provide actual evidence instead of complaints from both sides about the other trespassing with garbage).Answer #2: Definitely talk to the police about the driving thing.  As far as the garbage - if your brother doesn't have it set up yet, it doesn't hurt to put "no trespassing" signs on the property line, along with some sort of marker - that orange mesh fencing you see at construction sites is relatively cheap and easy to set up.  Depends on how long the property line is.  And if your brother has a survey he can keep on hand in case the cops get called about trespassing... oh, and like the other comment said, an outdoor cam.  Even a trail cam (triggered by motion) - they're not super expensive, and can only help when it comes to the garbage/trespassing issues.


Title: Underage Sting

Question: I had one of these get me while busy at work. I work at a 7-11 and sold to a minor. The officers only gave me a court date other people who’ve been through the same said they just got community service through a probation office. Will I be drug tested constantly, or at all? What if I violate the first test due to not knowing I can’t have any drug or alcohol? Like I said earlier I only know about testing because other people, the officer didn’t make any of this known to me and I don’t see it on the paperwork. All I have at the moment is a court date. Oh also, this occurred in the state of Florida

Answer:
 Stop doing illegal drugs so you can stop worrying about it.

You need to get a criminal defense attorney.


Title: AirBnb owner’s cat is missing and he’s threatening to sue

Question:
I am from Canada and drove with my boyfriend and our friend to a U.S. city to attend a concert. We booked an AirBnB. It was the host’s first time doing AirBnb, and he had mentioned in the description that his cat would be at the apartment as well but had food and everything already. We just had to share the space with the cat. I booked that one because I like cats and it was cheap, so I thought everything would be fine.
We stayed two nights and it went fine, until I got a text from him as we were driving home asking when was the last time we saw his cat. We saw him that morning before we left, and I told him that. We only opened the door once after last seeing the cat, and it was as we were leaving. The cat would often hide under the bed, so we assumed he was just in his hiding spot as we left. He never ran to the door to try to get out, but we still paid attention to make sure.  We also would have seen him escape because we had to lock the door afterwards. I replied to the host’s texts and told him all of this and that he’s probably just hiding somewhere.
Shortly after, I got a message from AirBnb asking for my report of what happened. I explained the whole thing to them as well.
A while later I got another text from the host. He said it was “our final chance to come clean about (cat)” and that he “knows” we moved his stuff in his closet and cubbies that would only be moved if we were looking for his cat. We didn’t go in his closet or move any of his clothes. He said he will be pursuing legal action for carelessness and recklessness because his “child is missing.”
As far as I understand, we were not obligated to care for his cat. I replied to him and told him this and that we didn’t move any of his stuff because we believed his cat was under the bed, but that I’m very sorry that his cat is missing.
I’m sure his cat didn’t go missing on our watch. We didn’t have any windows open and were watching the door. I have no idea how he could go missing.
Is he able to sue us for this? I think he’s just very emotional right now and I feel really bad that his cat is missing. Even if the cat did sneak out on us, would he be able to sue if we weren’t technically supposed to be caring for him?
Any advice is appreciated.

Answer:
 I would tell him he's nuts and that the cat isn't your responsibility.

He won't sue, because cats have a monetary value of $15...maybe $20.

So it's safe to ignore him and move on. Answer #2: It's rare for the complaint to be passed through to Airbnb, but missing pets and the like are a common scam on that platform.  People have been known to swap loving fish for dead ones, a missing car could certainly be another avenue.

Double check any correspondence you've had from Airbnb and make sure it's actually coming from them.  Typically, the scammer will offer to settle with you for an exorbitant amount, probably talking about pain and suffering because a family member was particularly close with this cat.

Treat legal documentation that you receive seriously, but I wouldn't have any further communication with them.


Title: Ex wife physically threatened my SO

Question: [deleted]

Answer: If she felt threatened call the police


Title: Untie myself from my wife financially - SC

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 If you are a million dollars in debt it is time for you to meet your new best friend, Chapter 7 of the U.S. Bankruptcy code. You and she will have a grand old time.

In other words. it is long past time for you to file for bankruptcy. Answer #2: >We never got officially married. Just common law in SC.

Once established, common law marriage *is* really being married. Shared bank accounts have marital funds and shared property is marital property, both of which are generally subject to claims by creditors. You are required to formally get a divorce to separate property. Answer #3: OP- You may also want to ask this on /r/personalfinance


Title: (NV) Husband's Ex Still Cyber Stalking us. 3 years, 4 police reports later..

Question: We live in Nevada, her in California. 3 years ago my husband moved to Michigan from CA, then we moved to Nevada a year later. Through our travels, the stalker ex has been relentless. She's a lunatic that has threatened to have us killed by her biker friends, threatened our families, email bombs us both, signs us up for stupid things that are supposed to "send a message". We have 3 police reports on her in MI for this craziness and they were on the verge of extradition, to make her face charges but we had to move due to work. 1 here in Nevada. Now she's threatening things like "I'm getting a gun in a few months!" and she's posting my Husband's medical condition all over the Internet, specifically in places she knows he'll see it (HIPPA violation?). Someone please help. How do we deal with this woman? I know cyberstalking laws are just starting to pick up so do I keep filing police reports and hope someone with do something or just go after her in court? She's a previous offender, very bad alcoholic, scary woman. She once kicked a cops back window out. Husband seems lost on what to do and so am I. I'm at my wits end. We've blocked her in all places we can and both told her to stop, no avail.

Answer: Continue to report these THREATS to the police.  If you feel threatened, you may be able to get a restraining order, where every time she contacts you, it is a new crime.


Title: [SC] Hospital preformed wrong surgery on baby. Won't talk to the parents about it.

Question:
My boss and his wife had a baby about 2 months ago. The baby was born premature and has had a few common problems related to premature birth. This morning the baby was supposed to go into surgery for a routine procedure. The hospital preformed the wrong surgery on the baby and now the baby's health is deteriorating and the hospital refuses to talk to my boss and his wife about what has happened.

I'm curious as to what should be the next course of action other than talking to a lawyer? What kind of battle is he facing over this?

Answer:
 Somehow I doubt this situation is as simple as you are making it out to be. Plus, I seriously doubt your boss -- *who is presumably going through a difficult and traumatic family tragedy* -- is sharing all of the pertinent personal details with you. Without those details, you query is meaningless and there is no point in speculating.Answer #2: Wrong surgery doesn't mean wrong patient.

It's completely possible that the doctors made a diagnosis and the surgery for that diagnosis was correct but the diagnosis was wrong. So, wrong surgery *for the condition that the baby had versus what the diagnosis was*

It's possible that this surgery was performed successfully without any complications and that the baby is getting sicker because, well, the baby is sick.

Answer #3: As the parent of two extremely premature babies....it's very possible that they went into perform one surgery and found something else that also needed correction.  Preemies also are prone to VERY sudden declines in condition no matter what the circumstances. Much more so than "regular" sick infants.


Title: Can a school threat a student ? Scotland.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Not a lawyer, not Scottish, but I think you and your friend are both idiots.

You told a girl to kill herself. You have repeatedly written and said things that have offended other people intentionally. You just really need to grow up and realize that you don't always have the right to say whatever you want without consequences. This would be perfectly ok in the US, btw, where we have much stronger free speech protection.


Title: Accused of theft. Need help!

Question:
I was at my doc office and apparently the nurse lost her phone. I left and came right to work, clocked in, and then went to pick up my food order. A cop called me and asked if I took it, told him no. He said they would be in touch, then after I get back to work another cop called and asked me about my car, where I worked and if I had the phone. Again I said no and told him where I worked, he said he would come by to question me. He also said she didn't want to press charges.

I didnt take the phone, This whole thing is insane and weird they would call me.

Am I looking at possible arrest? Itd be pretty bad to be arrested for this stupidness at my work.

Any advice is much appreciated.

Answer: Don't talk to him. You're under no obligation to. You already told him you didn't take the phone that's the only thing you need to tell him.


Title: North Carolina; Teen Drank In My Home

Question:
North Carolina
A 17yo staying in my home  drank alcohol from my fridge.  After I was in bed, the 17yo left my house and went for a walk. He decided to take a nap in a public place and was picked up by police. He did a breathalyzer and was charged with underage drinking.

I need to know what he and I can both expect. What he's probably facing (fine, probation?) and whether I'm going to face any consequences because he got the alcohol here.

Relatedly, and in a separate incident, what can a 17yo expect in fines or punishment in NC for getting caught with a Juul device (with the pod) on school property?

Answer:
 I’m not sure about the alcohol.

For the Juul the minor could get up to $100 fine with a “minor in possession” ticket as I believe it’s still considered a tobacco product even though there’s no actual tobacco. They would also be subject to whatever the school’s punishment is (suspension, expulsion, detentions. This depends on the school/district.)


Title: Crazy ice head frequenting the area I live by What can i do??

Question:
not sure if this is the right place but i live in hawaii,  and there is this person who keeps walking by the area with a fruit picking stick, yelling obscenities at the top of his lungs  (probably on drugs)

he also stole avocados from my landlord "area" breaking into the rear portion of the outside of her house  to do so. But the avocado tree is on my side of the land though.

 and everytime this mortherfucker walks past the house he's looking towards it

what can i do about this besides shooting him dead on the street or cutting off limbs with a real katana .  He has been frequenting the area more than 2 months now showed up out of nowhere

Answer: If only there was some agency you could call when people are trespassing on/stealing from your property...


Title: My grandfather owned a piece of land by his old name but we can't claim it because he changed his name in all the documents

Question: My grandfather owned a piece of land and after almost 20 years of his death we found out we had it. The problam is that the land is written by his old name, while all of his other documents were written by his new one. So when we went to claim it they refused. So is it possible we can  claim it or nah

Answer: Who is "they" and where is this happening? Was his estate not probated?


Title: No Easements (MT)

Question:
I have a piece of property in MT in escrow.

When I got all the  paperwork from the title company we were surprised to learn that the two  driveways that cut through the property to the neighbors do not have  easements.

After some digging, we have discovered that one of them was made on a handshake deal with the current owner.

As  for the other, the current owner said "they snuck that in one day when  we weren't looking, quite a few years ago." Further, it goes to a house that belongs to the daughter of the (now dead) father who put in the  driveway. So she may not even know that that there is no easement.

What would be our legal rights regarding these two driveways? Do the owners of the homes they go to have any legal rights?

Answer:
 NAL, but consider putting the deal on hold until a real estate lawyer sorts it out.  A verbal agreement with current owner don't mean Jack to you as a buyer, it's not on paperwork. A "second driveway snuck in" is also a contention. Are there legally written access points to the other property from another route, and the "handshake deal" was just convenience?

The other home owners may have to go back to using their actual driveways on their deeds, if the sale ocurrs, and they may have to live with that, or pay up to get legally permitted access.

As a buyer, if in your shoes, I certainly wouldn't want undocumented driveways to someone else's property. Who pays to maintain them, or if someone gets hurt on one, etc? What about if the neighbors decide to be shitty and cause issues?

You could get stuck losing use of those parts of the property, and that affects the value if you can't put up a fence for your pets, or put in a pool, another structure like a shed, etc if those driveways are in bad spots.

Time to find out what you're buying into is before the papers get signed!


Title: Conversation online illegal?

Question: I have a small blog where I post my writing of fanfics that has smut in it. On the blog I write 18+ and I block anyone I see underage. Well one day someone talked to me about my blog and asked for request of a sex scene in it. I asked them how old they are and they said 18 and when I asked if they liked my writing they began talking lewdly to me and made me uncomfortable so I blocked them. Now a month later I’m wondering what if they lied about their age? if I did anything illegal by interacting with them? My anxiety now has me worried the fbi is gonna comeback bust down my door? Someone told me writing adult fiction with sex is illegal and similar to cp is this true? Should I maybe get a lawyer? Location is US.

Answer:
 You should talk to someone about your anxiety.

Nothing is going to happen. Move on.


Title: [texas] abusive ex making felony threats

Question:
During the last 4 years I was in an abusive relationship.

This relationship is turning into hell and overall causing mental duress with these threats she's attempting to make.

She was a manipulator and took advantage of my kind nature and mental disability. She welcomed me into her home and I lived with her off the lease, this was partly due to her persuasion to me thinking I was ineligible for A: being added to her lease and B: getting on my own lease.

Some other factors pertaining my relationship.

1. I was the primary care taker over her and her bills.
2. I was not tied to any of the bills.
3. All finances were handled either via cash or through her bank account (also her manipulation/refusal to add me to the account)
4. The primary vehicle is now under her name. Despite my paying for the remaining payments.

She is overweight, and even further a serious hardcore alcoholic. Combined with this and her laziness, she was unable to keep a job.

During the time she was unemployed she would drink in excess and do nothing with her life other than watch shitty tv. (While it may not seem relevant, it is), the reason being would be her alcohol consumption. On average I would go every 2/3 days to the liquor store buying a handle of vodka.

Her alcoholism and choices, did result in myself having to baby sit her when I was home to ensure she did not harm herself, this would then come to me through verbal harassment and physical abuse. She would eventually pass out and I would have to carry her to the bed. Staying up late with her and not having a regular schedule would cause other issues with job stability.

4 years of this I basically had enough, there were 2 very intense events in the last few months of our relationship, so much that resulted in recorded pictures/video of the assault(s). I ended up calling the cops. She was arrested on the first offense and I was given an emergency protective order. Being that she had no real friends/options who would let her stay with them during the duration of the epo, she was released on a personal bond and I let her into the apartment, 2 months passed and things were somewhat getting better, however she failed to keep up her end of the bargain and not attend rehab (for the second time) and began drinking, it got worse and event 2 happened, I had called the cops for the second time.

She went to jail for assault and violation of the protective order, she was there for 2ish months, and was released to her parents in another city. It's been fairly quiet, until today when I receive a text from my mother saying I received a certified letter from my ex.

The letter (supposedly discussed by her parole officer) was unauthorized use of the vehicle. It's basically stating I have 14 days to return the vehicle.

I spoke with her father who was supposed to be facilitating the transfer of the title to me as discussed with my ex previously, however his story is now that this is all being handled through her parole officer as she has stacked 10k plus of debt, so to recoup cost she's trying to (repossess?) the vehicle.

The conversation went well and ended up in conclusion that I'd be willing to help alleviate some of her debt in exchange for the title transfer.

After clearing that up, I got a Facebook message from my ex. She is now stating

"yup. mathafucka.
something bad about to happen....  when you giving my car and money. "

"You will pay.   One way or another...   *whoop whoop * click click *true story"

"I will also be filing felenoy theft charges on my bank card.

Don't want to go to jail?  Pay me and give me my car.
N
Hugs "

She then decided to clarify that she would be filing felony charges for all charges, and that I have 10 days to give her money and the car, or the police department would be showing up to my place of employment.

So now I'm somewhat unravelling and I am in fear of being arrested and losing my job, all over trying to get out of a horrible relationship.

So this leads me up to now where I need to know what my options are, (not exactly Google searchable).  And what I can determine  serious and what I can hold as scare tactics.

Do I have any options and any sort of protection?

I am sure I will get some negative response here in legal advice, this isn't about my bad choices, this is about ensuring I have some a semblance of being protected. I take full responsibility of my choices to not have much of a paper trail over the last 4 years.

Answer: The car belongs to her.  Return it immediately.  (Making car payments is less expensive than renting a car.  You have been using the car so it isn't like you have received no value for your money.)  The bank account and bank card is also her's.  Stop using the card and return it immediately.  If you can prove that the money you spent from the account was money that you deposited into the account, you have a reasonably good defense to any theft charges.


Title: I got sued in college, fucked it off, and have a judgement against me. what to do i have to do to start dealing with this? [CA]

Question:
when i was in college i got sued for pantsing a member of the school drumline we were both members of. I was frozen with fear and did not understand the gravity of the situation. I did not get legal help at the time and the lawsuit went into default.

From what i understand i have a judgement against me of about 170,000.

Im gaining sole control of an account my grandpa started for me when i was young and i want to make sure that i do the smartest thing to protect what i can of this money.

any information or suggestions would be much appreciated.

Answer:
 $170,000 for being pantsed?  For real?  Hard to believe, but if so:

This is a huge amount of money in a really bad situation.  Work on finding a good lawyer.  Interview a few, or several, before deciding who to hire.  The initial interview is called a "free initial consultation" by most, but it's purpose is basically to give you a chance to interview them and them a chance to sell you on their services.

A quick google search shows cases and law where an default judgement in an unconscionable amount which bears no relationship to the actual damages can be set aside or reduced.  To me $170,000 for being pantsed fits that.  But this is not something you can handle yourself.  You'll need an experienced lawyer to work on this for you and I have no idea if the odds of success are good, or low, for you.Answer #2: You can pay your judgement off then start building your credit back again.

What else were you looking for? If you are trying to hide money, no one here will help you avoid your legal obligations and judgements by hiding money. Answer #3: First, confirm with the court you were sued in of the judgement amount. That seems awfully high. Was this a person you continuously tormented and they just sued you for this particular incident? You may wish to consult with a bankruptcy attorney as well.


Title: Someone Is Pretending To Be Me

Question: [deleted]

Answer: You seem a bit paranoid. Have you ever been prescribed anti-psychotics?


Title: I got side-swiped in my car; other party's insurance adjuster is saying I am 35% at fault; I want to contest this and am considering small claims court [California]

Question:
Here's a link to an older post with details on what happened in the accident:
http://www.reddit.com/r/Insurance/comments/2msj68/i_got_sideswiped_in_my_car_other_partys_insurance/

My insurance company found me not at fault while the other driver's insurance company is saying I am 35% at fault because I did not move out of the way. I found out that the other driver gave a much different statement to his insurance co (LM) vs. mine (Geico), and I'm working on getting a transcript from LM to compare the two.

I don't believe I'm at fault, and my only option left to contest LM's decision is to take the driver to small claims court. I've been doing some research on it, but one thing I can't seem to get much information on is how much to sue him for. Would I sue him for the full amount on the body shop estimate (~$2k), or would it be for the 35% I would be responsible for if I accept LM's decision? As of now, I have not accepted LM's offer.

I also need to get in contact with the other driver, so I'd like to send him a letter via certified mail asking him to cover the damages before I take him to small claims, but I'm not sure what (if anything) I can use to back up the fact that he's at fault, plus I have no idea what to say, since this is based on my disagreement with his insurance co's finding. I have the letter from Geico saying that I am not at fault and potentially transcripts of his inconsistent statements (I will have one from Geico and I'm trying to get through to LM to request one for comparison), but is there anything else I can use?

If my approach is totally wrong, I'd appreciate your honesty in letting me know. Thanks in advance for any advice.
Topic:
Insurance

Answer:
 Why are you suing in small claims? You have insurance. Did Geico tell you they didn't want to be involved, or that you weren't covered for some reason? If so, you might need to tell them that you pay them to insure you against this exact situation. Generally, your insurance would be the one handling a dispute over fault like this, not you. It might cause you to pay a deductible (that you could in theory recover by suing the other party down the road), but if you can afford it, it's likely way less hassle than trying to navigate this yourself.

Edit: FYI--I've read a few times in this sub that Geico especially loves to try to tell you its not their problem until you push. Just don't want you in that kind of situation and going through a bunch of BS when you don't have to.


Title: Car Insurence dropped me without notifying me

Question:
[Ohio/Kentucky]

So, I moved from Ohio to Kentucky a few months ago. In Ohio, I was required to have an SR-22 for my car insurence. If it any point I no longer had insurence, the department of motor vehicles would be notified and my liscense suspended.

Well, my car insurence dropped me with no notification. I pay my bill on time in full. No claims filed. Nothing. I didn't even know until today because I went to pay the bill and I had no bill due. I called them to ask why, and the said it was because I never responded to a letter involving change of address. A letter I have never recieved. I asked when they allegedly sent it. They said October. I asked why they didn't try to contact me further since I had not responded. Another letter, call me, or email. They have all that information. They gave me no response.

I haven't gone to the DMV yet due to work scheduling, but considering the circumstances, my liscense is probably suspended. It's gong to cost me a fortune to get all of this straightened out. Is there anything I can do, or am I just screwed?

Answer: Did you notify them when you moved?


Title: My BF's father was neck deep in debt and killed himself two years ago. All the people he borrowed money from are harassing him and his sister for the money.

Question:
The father borrowed money from many people. My boyfriend was the co-signer on one of these loans(from a major bank) They seized the house and a  clinic that the dad owned and are now putting it on auction. If they don't get the loan amount from selling the two properties, they will come after my boyfriend.
Is filing for bankruptcy a good option?

Answer:
 First, probate the estate. There is nothing (seemingly) left in the estate and there is no money to get. Any debts that were solely in his name will be stomped out.

Second, your boyfriend elected to co-sign the debt and will unfortunately be obligated to pay the balance off. If that isn't an option he can offer to settle or file bankruptcy. You haven't told us where this is happening, how much the debt is, or what kind of income/assets your boyfriend has so it's impossible to say if bankruptcy is a good option.


Title: Texas - Landlord wants me to replace the entire carpet

Question:
I have recently moved out of an apartment complex and was informed by my landlord that I would be responsible to replace the carpet for the entire apartment due to some damage. They noted some burn-marks in the living room area. I figured that I would have to pay for the replacement for the living room only - but they insisted that I had to pay for the entire apartment! Apparently they don't allow "patching."

I asked the landlord if they could provide me a copy of the "no patching" addendum they made me sign. I reviewed it once more and saw that they simply said "no patching," but did not define what "patching" was. The landlord admitted that the carpet is cut when installed, so how am I liable for paying for the apartment's entire carpet to be replaced?

I wanted to get some input before I discuss this matter with my former landlord. I figured that the most reasonable course of action would be to pay only for the living room to be replaced as the addendum they made me sign only said "no patching." Apparently replacing an entire living room area would be considered "patching?"

Any help provided would be greatly appreciated. The landlord was throwing around a quote of $1500+ to replace the carpet and said that whatever amount I owed would go into collections if I did not remit the full amount within 14 days.

Answer: Did you cause the burn marks? Even if you did you don't owe the entire cost of brand new carpets. At most you would owe the prorated value left when you moved out. If it goes to collections you can dispute the record on your credit report and tell them to sue you.


Title: [IN] Apartments sending me to collections.

Question: [Indianapolis, Indiana] So I asked in August about disputing a damage claim from my previous apartment complex regarding pet damage(we had no pet.) I sent in a [letter](http://imgur.com/TafpMHF) requesting more information and it gave them a reasonable timeline to respond.  Well it's been over 2 weeks and I hadn't heard anything until this morning.  I was contacted by a company stating that the apartment complex has placed me in collections.  I sent the letter certified mail and I have the date & time that the letter was accepted at the office.  Do I have any recourse here?

Answer:
 Consumer finance bureau has this on the subject:

http://www.consumerfinance.gov/askcfpb/338/if-i-dispute-a-debt-that-is-being-collected-can-a-debt-collector-still-try-to-collect-debt-from-me.html

I'd do what they recommend.


Title: Father who owes child support is suing my mother for court costs

Question:
Texas. Father abandoned us when I was 3 months old. Divorce final a few years later with court ordered child support. He paid a few times, but owes back payments in the amount of about $80k.  My mother spoke the AG office and they opened a case to persue back child support, which we don't know the results of.

My mother received a notice today that he is requesting the amount owed to be reduced and is suing her for court costs,  lawyer fees,  etc. The paper says it is in my best interest that all of this happens.

I've seen the man once since I was 3. I'm 29 now. My mother struggles financially and is severely stressed. Please advise.

Answer: That’s a cute filing on his part, but if you are 29 the time to change anything was best case (for him) 11 years ago, and realistically much longer before that.  While she needs to respond, this won’t go anywhere.  Does he have an attorney?  I would be shocked if he did cause this is frivolous BS.Answer #2: My ex tried this and they raised my child support, and charged him for my court costs instead and I did not ask them too. Answer #3: It's not about you.  That's just the wording that the attorney used to try to make his filing sound not crazy.  Your mom needs to fight this in court.  I guess you could help her with the costs for a lawyer but beyond that I can't see much that you can do.Answer #4: That language is included in most, if not all, pleadings. It’s normal.Answer #5: Is your father homeless? Because if he’s back ~$80k in child support, there’s likely a warrant out for his arrest. This sounds like a dim-witted plan to get three-hots-and-a-cot without having to commit another crime.Answer #6: Anytime a suit is brought the opposing side always ask for court costs. Been thru child support suits before. He will absolutely not be granted please tell her not to worry. But she does need to respond.


Title: If I change my last name under seal, what happens if someone who knows my social security number looks up my public records?

Question:
I am trying to get my name changed under seal in AZ to better hide from a dangerous ex.  He knows my SS# and I'm curious what happens if he or someone else searches for me after my last name is changed under seal.  I'm having trouble getting further information from SSA or the local courts.  Does the trail just go cold?  How do background checks work after that?  Also, do I ask my previous employers to change my name in their system?  Can anyone give a description of how this works?  Thanks in advance for any takers!
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 I had a case where this happened.  Our state office had the client's original name redacted from all the paperwork on file once the court documents were received.  Can't vouch for everything in perpetuity, but yeah get a copy of the court order and be as thorough as possible.

As an aside, it helps if they know that printed ink is still legible under sharpie unless it's photocopied and the original destroyed.Answer #2: Someone mentioned this service in another thread:  [The Arizona Address Confidentiality Program](http://www.azsos.gov/services/acp)  (ACP) is a program that helps victims of domestic violence, sexual offenses, and/or stalking from being located by the perpetrator through public records. The program provides a substitute address and confidential mail forwarding services to individuals and families across Arizona.


Title: If after FDA approval, the Pfizer vaccine were linked to some kind of deadly prion disease or something, who would be liable, Pfizer or the FDA?

Question: [removed]

Answer: Neither would be liable. You can’t sue the FDA, and Pfizer would be covered by the PREP Act, which confers upon companies like Pfizer and Moderna total immunity from liability if something unintentionally goes wrong with their vaccines.


Title: Removing name from mortgage with bankrupt co-signer

Question:
My friend signed a mortgage a few years ago with his roommate. He now wants to move out and buy a new home with his SO. He and his roommate mutually agree on him leaving. But he can’t get a mortgage due to already having one open. His roommate declared bankruptcy a year ago so when they asked to remove my friend’s name they were denied. My friend doesn’t want any stake in the house, he just wants out of the agreement . What options does he have?

Texas

Answer: He and his friend can sell the house. That's the only option I can see. If his friend doesn't want to sell it then he'll need to sue for a partition sale.


Title: What would happen if I were to take out a personal loan, buy someone a bunch of gifts using the money, and then kill myself?

Question:
I'm not actually planning to do this, I'm just curious what would happen. If the gift recipients had to reimburse my creditor for the cost of the gifts, that could bankrupt them, but if they didn't, it seems like an easy way to scam the creditor!

Also, would it make any difference who I gave the gifts to? Say, my wife, my sister, my brother in law, a random stranger...

Answer:
 Your estate would be responsible for repaying the loan, once that money is gone then the creditors are just out that money. They can't get it back from the people you gave it to in this scenario.

The problem with your scenario is that someone without any assets is going to find it difficult to take out a loan for any appreciable amount. They aren't going to just hand tens of thousands of dollars to someone with nothing to guarantee it.Answer #2: You are on the hook for paying off the loan not the recipients of your gifts.  If you died, your estate is responsible for the debt.  Any money and assets you have would need to go towards paying off any debts you owe before any of your money/assets can be passed on as inheritance.

If you died penniless…not a dollar in the bank nor an asset to your name, congratulations you scammed the bank and contribute to making loans harder to get for the rest of those who really end them.


Title: Suing a gaming company over product

Question:
Red Dead Spoilers Coming Up (Incase you play)

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This sounds silly probably but I think it's ridiculous to pay for something and not get the product. I recently have been playing a game. This game I paid double what other people paid to get a bunch of extra stuff. There are two horses in the game that you pay extra for. Towards 3/4 finishing the game your character will die and lose the horse you are riding (I made sure I was riding a junk horse) and then the rest of your horses are stabled. After this epilogue, you play as a new character and surprisingly your horses that you pay for are just gone. POOF. You can't use them anymore. Can I sue the company for this?
Topic:
Consumer Law

Answer: You can pick up the thoroughbred and war horse again from the stable in Valentine for $0.


Title: [North Carolina] Am I legally required to pay child support if I am now outside the USA? If yes, how much and how do I pay it?

Question:
My Ex gave birth to 2 kids about a month ago. I left the country back to Europe as I could not afford to give her 50% of my wages (Approx $2000 a month). I have been self employed (making €1500 cash a month) and living with family.

So I am now outside the USA, do I have to pay child support? I don't think the USA laws apply in Europe?

I am making €1500 cash a month, decent wages. How much can I expect to send if I legally have to?

Could someone explain how I pay it if I am not even in the country? I am not even earning in dollars.

Edit - I am from Lithuania

Answer:
 Does the child stop being your child because you moved to another country?Answer #2: Countries often have reciprocal agreements where they will respect the court orders of other countries. So your ex would get a court order here, and it would be enforced by the other country. This process also occurs even when there isn't a specific treaty governing the process; although it's obviously more difficult to do. So even without living in a reciprocal country, you're not safe from your legal and moral obligations to support your children.

That being said - it's *highly* unlikely it would actually be 50% of your wages.


Title: Deer crashed through my closed bedroom window, renters insurance company said there's no such policy to cover it, is this true?

Question:
I live in a ground floor apartment in Maryland; On Wednesday morning, a deer decided to crash through my bedroom window and injured himself quite badly. Animal control and the county police came and deemed the deer too injured to save, so the police officer engaged his firearm and shot the deer in the head twice - while the deer was still in my bedroom - the gunshots caused even more blood to be expelled from the deer, which went all over my belongings, the carpeting, and the walls. Afterward, they carried the deer through and out of my apartment.

My renters insurance company originally said they could cover it and offered to place me in a hotel (since there is blood in my bedroom and living room), however, the next day, the insurance company said they actually were not going to cover anything because a deer crashing through a bedroom window is not part of my policy or any insurance policy that exists. They informed me that I would need to pay the hotel bill myself, as well. I challenged the hotel cost because they offered to place me in the hotel (if I'd known I would have to pay for it, I would've stayed with family instead), so they agreed to cover the time I'd spent at the hotel (two nights), but said that's all they were going to do.

Does anyone know if it's true that there's no such renters insurance policy that would cover an occurrence like this? Do I have any recourse?

Answer:
 A family member had a similar thing happen at her business. Cops were running a deer trying to get him headed back towards the words but he chose to run down another street. He saw his reflection in an 8x12 plate glass windows and flipped out. After kicking out the window, he ran around inside scattering blood and glass everywhere. Eventually they got the poor thing to the back of the shop and trapped in a walk-in cooler (florist, not for food) where he was shot. Animal control collected the dear which was dismembered while he was still laying in the cooler floor. Insurance paid for everything from replacing the window to covering all damaged merchandise to cleanup of the blood. Granted she didn't have rental insurance but it was covered and it was not considered an act of God as some policies will exclude.

Read your policy then read it again. If they cannot tell you why it's specifically excluded by which clause, call your state's department of insurance and see if they can offer any guidance.


Title: 19 travelling with alcohol

Question:
So, I am 19 and not a US citizen, and I am going to fly from Miami to NY with a few bottles of wine and a champagne bottle. They're gifts from my dad to the people I am going it stay at. Seeing as I am not 21, would this cause any trouble for me if I just put it in the checked baggage?

Thanks :)

Answer: It's illegal for you to possess alcohol in the USA.  So yes, you can get in trouble for having it in your bags.  Or in NY.  Or Miami.Answer #2: You cannot have possession of alcohol at 19 anywhere in the United States. It is illegal to do so. You need someone 21+ to take possession or ship them to someone 21+.


Title: I turn 26 this year, I've always been on my parents' insurance. When exactly do I need to get my own?

Question:
I turn 26 in September (born in 1989). I've always had medical/dental insurance under my parents.

I currently work and my job offers insurance benefits and stuff. I think you can sign up and they deduct monthly from your paycheck or something. Do I have to buy my own insurance soon? Can I sign up for my job's health insurance right away? Or does it take time? Can I "sign up" at any time or is it only at the beginning of the year or something like that?

**TL;DR:** When am I going to get "kicked off" of my parents' insurance? Can I sign up for my job's health insurance right away?

Answer:
 that's highly dependent on what the rules are for your employer's insurance policy states. you will be "kicked off" your parents' insurance the second you turn 26.

you need to look into the open enrollment period for your employer's insurance. HR can help you with that. the windows vary. *generally*, loss of coverage will qualify as a life event and you can sign up once you turn 26. i don't think that is always the case.


Title: Estranged wife has possession of my vehicle, trying to get it back

Question: I live in Salt Lake City, Utah, I'm currently separated from my spouse and preparing to file for divorce, my biggest issue right now is she has possession of my vehicle. I am the one who is financially responsible for said vehicle, I pay the loan on it, the title and loan are both solely in my name. I have been trying to get my vehicle back for months now but she refuses to return it to my possession. I am curious what my legal rights are to get it back currently and/or during the divorce process, she is driving the vehicle in to the ground, has not paid a single bill on it other than gas over the last 6 months and has caused quite a bit of damage to it, that while small items, will add up to a considerable bill that I will have to foot. She promised me a week ago that I would have my car back on Sunday before she moves out of state, however she told me then on sunday that it would be a couple more days and I have not heard any contact from her since Sunday. Can I report my car stolen? What can I do?

Answer:
 No, you can't really report it stolen. If you do, the judge will make your life even more miserable than it would have been.

Get a lawyer, file, and ask for the car back. In the meantime, keep paying because otherwise it will ruin your credit.


Title: Is my dastardly scheme illegal?

Question:
I know  a very nice piece of property, it’s an old  mansion, with several legends about what supposedly lingers inside.

My plan is to dress as a ghost, and scare off potential buyers, until the real estate aganey is forced to sell it for far below market value. Then I’ll buy the property, and dig up the treasure a previous owner buried in the back yard, AND ILL BE RITCH! MUAAHAHA HA HA.

If I happen to be foiled during the execution of this plot, what could my potential charges be?

Answer: Is this a scooby doo episode?Answer #2: Trespassing on the criminal side. Tortious interference, maybe, on the civil side, since you're screwing with the agent's ability to fulfill her duties.Answer #3: You'll almost definitely be foiled by a bunch of meddling teenagers and their dog, and then hauled off to prison.Answer #4: Potential copyright infringement suit brought by Hanna-Barbara on behalf of Scooby-Doo. Wear extra masks and avoid any meddling kids and you might get away with it.Answer #5: you should reach out to Norville Rogers. he had a few run ins with some crazy fucks who had similar ideas i dont remember what the consequences were, but he could probably fill you inAnswer #6: Doesn't say where this is located, but if you're in a concealed carry state and you scare the wrong person, a consequence could be death.Answer #7: My concern would be less about the law and more about meddling kids.Answer #8: "And it would have worked, too, if it wasn't for those meddling kids and their dog!"Answer #9: OLD MAN WEATHERBEE?!?!Answer #10: Just make sure to stock up on weed and scuby snacks.


Title: Judge made a bad call... What now.

Question:
[TN]12/11/14 our oldest daughter called 911 on him for touching her inappropriately.
12/12/14 our daughter had a forensic exam where the practitioner told me they believe my daughter. That night I got an ex parte order of protection to keep him away from me and our children.

12/31/2014 he filed for divorce claiming I was the one hurting the kids and I was bipolar. He also claimed that he was the only one able to care For the children.

We have went back and fourth in court several times and things were looking ok for us. The court had determined that I was not behind all this. I had emergency custody. And we were beginning to heal.

That was in Until yesterday when I received the final decree.

Divorce trial was rough. But we caught him lying. And had DCS on our side as well as a trauma therapist expert. I thought we were finally found to be okay.

I was wrong.

The judge completely flipped on everything. He accused our daughter of lying because she's jealous, completely discredited DCS, my daughter and the expert witness. The judge  ignored every lie we caught my ex in including child porn searches and then proceeds to split custody.

Now I have to hand my children over to a pedophlle every other week. I am so scared for them.

Do I have any options to keep my children safe?

Answer: What does your attorney say? They are the best resources since they have all the facts. You should ask them about the best way to challange this.Answer #2: Speak to your attorney about appealing the decision of the Judge.


Title: CT. Please help, I am so scared for my son.

Question: My son broke into a restruant while drunk and stole some liquor. He was already on probation from something in his youth 2yrs ago (broke into a house after the owner was taking away on drug charges, and the owners kid, his friend, had given him the code to the garage so he could retrive items). He 20yrs old and in jail awaiting his court date. He has a public defender who seems angry that he had a private lawyer for the prior offence. She said she contacted the previous laywer to take this case, she left a phone message. Does this mean he can't use a public defender? When he was a youth he didnt qualifiy so I used my savings to help him. What do I do? I am so scared. The public defender says he has a court date coming up but that its just "technical stuff" and that I don't have to go..what does that mean? I am so so scared for him.

Answer:
 >What do I do? I am so scared.

Calm down. Your son made some very poor decisions, and is likely going to have to suffer the consequences. As a mother, there is only so much you can do.

This is not on you. As far as what to do, encourage him to follow his attorney's advice. If he blames others for what has happened, or acts like it was not his fault, point him back to his own actions. The most helpful thing you can do here, since his attorney will give him strong legal advice specific to his case, is help him to understand why he made such incredibly poor decision and how to make sure he never does something this dumb again. He is not 16 anymore, and needs to act like a grown up. Sometimes people are a little hard headed and require hitting the pits to realize they can't act like a 12 year old in an adult's body. With your help, hopefully this can be a turning point.

>he public defender says he has a court date coming up but that its just "technical stuff" and that I don't have to go..what does that mean?

It probably means your son is making some sort of preliminary appearance in court for the second charge.

If he was on probation for breaking into the first home, it is very likely that breaking into a liquor store qualifies as a violation.

Probation can work differently, but essentially w/e the suspended sentence or punishment he was given the mercy of having avoided if he completed probation will now be applied for his first breaking and entering.

So, he will deal with that and the second charge.


Title: I hit a car who was breaking HOA rules

Question:
So my situation is this:
My mom had to go somewhere and was in a rush. I go into my car and start it up. As i was doing so, she started backing into my car so I honked. Crisis averted but I was still nervous as shit after it happened. I then quickly, without looking behind me, reversed until I hit the car behind me. This car was parked on the side of the road and on some grass where it's difficult to get out without hitting it. Our HOA rules say that you can't park there and you must park in the guest area instead. The cars that do stay there end up towed if they find out about it. All I left was a dent on his car and it just scraped some paint off of mine. We ended up not calling insurance and he says it looks easy to rebuff so he's going to get a quote for the damage done. Am I screwed legally if we decide to let the insurance handle it?

Edit: some words
Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer:
 > Am I screwed legally?

Not "screwed," but you're absolutely going to be held responsible for the damage you did to his car.

Just because he was parked improperly doesn't give you the right to run into his car.Answer #2: Almost definitely. If I park in front of a fire hydrant, it doesn't give a random citizen permission to slash my tires.


Title: PA -> NY, Picking up and mailing my mom her prescription oxycontin?

Question:
Hi all, I'll keep it brief. My mother is disabled, and works with a pain specialist with very strict policies about prescriptions, and will not give script early, ever.

She is prescribed Oxycontin, but will be away in NY visiting family when her prescription runs out. She has asked me and my wife to get the prescription filled at our local pharmacy where they know us and my parents, and to mail the Oxycontin from PA to NY where she is.

My question is, am I good? Is it illegal to hold oxycontin that was not prescribed to you, or to mail the drugs (across state lines)?

Edit (update): thanks everyone for the replies, I just spoke with my dad and he didn't know it was all that serious. They have a paper prescription, so they'll be calling a pharmacy in NY to see if they will be able to fill it or not before they leave.

Answer: No. don't even think that. There are Walgreens, CVS and two or three other national drug stores all over the country. Have the doctors office mail it to the home pharmacy or the branch where she will be. Talk to the pharmacist in the home location on the best way to do this. You don't want to mess around doing what they are asking. It's not worth it.Answer #2: Has she discussed this with her doctor? There may be a better way to accomplish this. Is it possible to post date a prescription? Then she could get it filled at a pharmacy in NY Answer #3: She just needs to find a pharmacy in NY to fill the prescription. Help her find one that delivers that way she won't have to go out and get it.


Title: Can I use a real ID at a liquor store place I have used a fake ID?

Question: Hi, Ive been going to a liquor store and using a fake ID for about a year but I am about to turn 21, meaning I will be able to use my real ID to buy liquor. The owners of the store recognize me and I would like to know if I can get in any legal trouble if I use my real ID next time I go to the store. Thanks!

Answer:
 Sure.

And they can refuse to serve you.Answer #2: Sure, and they can take it from you thinking it’s fake, call the police, and, two hours later, you can have your ID back and no booze. Answer #3: just go to a different store if you're concerned.


Title: Father passed away three months ago, his friend was living in the house and will not leave.

Question:
This is in Sonoma County, California. She has lived in the residence just over four years and has paid no rent or utilities. She gets mail at the house (food stamps and medicare).

I have attempted to research what the proper procedure is to remove her from the house, but she isn't really a renter (since she makes no financial contribution to the household and has no lease/rental agreement) and isn't really a squatter (because my dad allowed her to move in).

The situation is further complicated by her stealing from both my dad's estate and my living grandmother. However, I fear the evidence we have is circumstantial. We also have knowledge that she is buying drugs in the house, as well as prostituting herself for drugs in the house.

My father was still legally married to my mother at the time of his death, so she is the next of kin in this situation.

What do we do?

Answer: Whoever is in charge of the estate or the new owner of the home would need to follow proper legal procedure to terminate her tenancy like any other legal tenant.Answer #2: Give appropriate notice and evict her.


Title: Apartment "can't find my application"

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Absent a signed lease, you find a new place to live


Title: Caught with LSD and paraphernalia (MI)

Question: The police and college staff entered my dorm room and seized 50 LSD tabs, a scale with ketamine residue, rolled up dollar bill with ketamine residue, bong, wax, weed, nectar collector, DMT pipes, weed pipes, a smoke filtration device, and a syringe. I've been kicked out of the college, however I am wondering what type of legal repercussions I could be facing. The police didn't arrest me said that it is up to the prosecutor to decide whether or not to charge me. Is there any reason to believe they won't charge me? This happened on Sunday and I haven't heard anything from them since.

Answer:
 I'm absolutely shocked they didn't arrest you. 99.9% chance you're facing charges, unless you're the governor's kid or somethingAnswer #2: Consult with a criminal defense attorney

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DO not discuss this with anyone else, in person online, through texts or e-mail.  Don't speak to the police or the DA without an attorney seek representation immediately.Answer #3: > Is there any reason to believe they won't charge me?

No.  You will almost for sure be charged, sometime between a couple of months and maybe a year from now, when the lab gets done with the analysis.


Title: [IL] Would the officers reasonable suspicion to stop and detain me hold up in court?

Question:
I had posted here before regarding this issue but I have finally read the police report which gave me some much needed information but raised a fair bit of questions to me.

I was in my works parking lot in my parked car with a coworker smoking a cigarette. At the time I was 17 and my coworker was 19. A plainclothes officer approached me and asked if I was smoking marijuana and I replied no these are cigarettes and asked if I was free to go and he said that I may not leave. He saw what appeared to be drug paraphernalia and used that as probable cause to remove me from the vehicle and search me and at that point drugs were found.

In the police report there is no mention of his marijuana comment, he states that he noticed a suspicious smoke coming out of the vehicle and noticed the driver (myself) appeared to be too young to be smoking cigarettes and used this as his reasonable suspicion to detain me and my passenger.

Now, at the time I was 17 and about a few months away from 18. How could the officer be able to distinguish in the dark that I appeared to young to be smoking a cigarette, but not my passenger? Reasonable suspicion requires that a reasonable officer thinks I am committing a crime, however looks are subjective and had I been 14 or so that would be very understandable. But it is quite difficult to distinguish a 17 year old from an 18 year old based upon facial characteristics at night.

My question is twofold, was the officers suspicion "reasonable" and if not what are my options. Second is an officer allowed to patrol private property (which I was on at the time of the arrest)
Topic:
Searches and Seizures

Answer: Yes, it was reasonable.  He does not need to be convinced you are under age, he needs to have reasonable suspicion to think you are.  That's why investigations exist.  He could have approached and found out you were 19, or as was the case 17.


Title: Is this legal? Job pre-paying then forcing employees to work overtime.

Question:
Hello, I am just wondering if this situation is legal.

My husband's work laid everyone off for a week. Some people were upset because of that week of lost wages.

What the employer did to "make up" for this was pay everybody for that missed week of work, and make everyone work 10 hours a week of overtime (so a total of 50 hours of work per week and a total of 40 overtime hours) for the next 4 weeks.

My husband does not want to do this. He told them he doesn't want the week of back wages and not to pay him as he just wants to go back to work 40 hours a week as usual. But the employer already direct deposited that extra money, and now my husband has to write a check back to his employer for the "overpayment". The employees were not asked if they wanted this, they did it for everyone.

To us it looks like for the next 4 weeks, the employer is getting 50 hours of work out of everyone each week for the next 4 weeks and doesn't have to pay overtime.

Everybody agrees that this is stupid, but is it legal?

Answer:
 If the employees aren't getting paid time-and-a-half for working over 40 hours a week, that's a violation of New Mexico's minimum wage laws:

> 50-4-22. Minimum wages.
>
> D. An employee shall not be required to work more than forty hours in any week of seven days, unless the employee is paid one and one-half times the employee's regular hourly rate of pay for all hours worked in excess of forty hours. […]

([source](https://law.justia.com/codes/new-mexico/2011/chapter50/article4/section50-4-22/))


Title: Marijuana smoking neighbors are driving me crazy (TX)

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Start putting it in writing to the management. If they won't do anything, then get the cops involved.

You might also want to put it in writing to the neighbors that if they don't take it outside or abate it, management will get involved.

EDIT: In the interim, you may also want to get a Filtrete air filter for your AC intake, and an air purifier / ionizer can really help as well (not just for that, but for allergies too).


Title: [Hypothetical] Vending machine in a Fraternity House

Question:
Had this idea a while ago.

I'm in a fraternity. There is a good amount of drinking going on, and  many of them are smokers. What's stopping me from buying a vending machine, loading it with cigarettes, lighters, condoms, etc., and charging my brothers money for the service? It doesn't seem like a good idea if party guests were allowed to use it, but I don't see a problem if it was just used by the brothers.

I had thought about putting cans of beer, maybe shooters or something in there but that sounds like it would require a liquor license at minimum, and serving beer out of a vending machine seems illegal because there wouldn't be a way for anyone to verify the age of the customer. However, I've never heard of a fraternity that actually prevents under-21 brothers from drinking, so would there be any additional liability from what is already there?

Answer:
 Depending on where you’re located, I’m pretty sure there are also age restrictions on selling cigarettes/tobacco products.

I’m also pretty sure that you have to have certain licenses to run a vending machine.

If it’s in a fraternity house, you’d likely need approval from the national organization as well as the university.

But if you can get all that- sure, it might be a great moneymaker. Might be wise to have a lawyer on retainer, though. Just in case.


Title: No bereavement leave because of no legal marriage

Question: My grandmother passed away this morning and my dad and step mom have been together for 25 years but have never got married. They both work at the same government job, and the new boss is telling my step mom that she cannot take bereavement because they are not married. Does she have any sort of rights here? I've tried to do some googling but things are hectic right now. Any help is appreciated! We are in Idaho.

Answer:
 Federal leave policy would support this outcome. See if she can take paid time off.

As an aside, it's a huge deal not to be married. If they don't have well drafted estate plans they're at major risk in the event that one of them die. They'll also be omitted from survivor's benefits from Social Security.Answer #2: Bereavement leave is generally not a required benefit by law. Employers can set any conditions they wish including not offering any at all. Some states may have laws requiring leave and how it can be taken but I don’t remember a location included in your question.


Title: Legality of violence?

Question:
Brahs and I were at the club tonight and some joker came up to us to annoy us. He kept trying to touch my friend (let's call him B) on the arm. B repeatedly told him to quit it but he wouldn't. This went on for about half an hour of him harassing us, so B socked him in the face. There was a good solid smack that turned quite a few heads. I'm not sure if there was blood, the lighting was shit.

Fucker told us he'd call the police on us, so we bailed asap. Do you think we're in any sort of trouble if he manages to find us? Australia btw

Answer: You and your "brahs" could have left the bar at any point during this half hour or sought to have the "joker" removed by the establishment. I don't see how any of you would feel punching him was appropriate given the multiple options you had to get out of the situation.


Title: Complicated case. Family stealing from me. Please help me.

Question:
Hello, thank you for reading this.  I'm in a terriable situation within my family and I need legal advice and representation.  I am in a very complicated situation.  I'm in my late 20s and I had a fairly normal life for a 20 something up until a few years ago when I was brutally assaulted (sexually) by a hospital worker when I was a patient.  It crushed me and I am not actually allowed to talk about it.  Basically the hospital tried to cover the whole thing up, and they offered me some money to go away.  They threatened my family, with stuff like like...if this is in the media...your nieces will never have a normal life. So I took a very small settlement.  If you knew  what happened to me, you would be shocked to say the least.  Anyways, I have been struggling with PTSD and moved back in with my mom.  My sister has stolen thosands and thosands of dollars worth of stuff from me since then.  Literally, if I leave the house, she ransacks it.  I talk to my mom, and she doesn't want to get involved because she loves her grand kids.  My older sister has always stolen stuff from me and has a narassistic personality.  Think multiple marriages, compulsive liar type of thing.  We are complete opposites.  I don't know why she is like this and I love my nieces so she has been able to control me for about 10 years.  I don't gave any kids. I can't take it anymore. My mom is a good person but is stuck in the middle.  As someone who is paying rent, I want to pursue legal charges against my sister...what do I do as someone who is just a tenant?? Also, all of this is very upsetting to my mom.  My sister is also pregnant with her 4th child from a guy other than her husband.  My mom is upset that she will loose the baby but I can't take her stealing from me.  I have no money anymore and I can document what she has stolen.  I know I need to move out.  What can I do to get her stay away until I can afford to?

Edit:
Can I file a police report without actually suing her? I am worried because I do love my three nieces very much.  I'm very close with them.  My mom is concerned that my sister will lose her her job because she just started a job as a preschool teacher after bartending for like 10 years.

Answer:
 > My sister has stolen thosands and thosands of dollars worth of stuff from me since then.

If someone has stolen your property, call the police and make a report.


Title: Is there anyway to go out of a car loan?

Question: Once my first car broke down last march, my dad and grandparents pressured me into getting a car from a dealership. My grandma picked the car and my grandpa's name is on the title (he has good credit and i was 17 at the time). The cash price was 14,000 which was terrible but once i realized how much i was actually going to be paying (23,000) I panicked and have been trying to get rid of it since. Live in west texas.

Answer:
 Yes, the car can be sold, and you can pay the bank the difference between the price it sells for and the price you owe.

Of course your grandpa will need to be the one to sell it, since it's his car and his loan.


Title: My dad just received our new apartment's lease, and there are a few aggressive clauses. Are we right to feel uncomfortable? [NYC]

Question:
My dad came to me saying that he just read the lease and he wasn't feeling comfortable with some of the clauses. I'm going off of memory here, but here's what I recall:
&nbsp;
*  "Exempting landlords from liability for injuries to persons or property caused by the landlord’s negligence, or that of the landlord’s employees or agents." and **waiving** our right "to a jury trial in any lawsuit brought by either of the parties against the other for personal injury or property damage."
&nbsp;
* Also something along the lines of a **6% per day late rent payment fee**, which would come to roughly $78 per day in our case. Even though my dad has NO history of ever being late with his rent [he's proud of it too] When I tried to confirm if this was reasonable, I found this:
"This clause requires the tenant to pay either a set fee, daily penalty, or a percentage of unpaid rent in the event that rent is not paid on time as specified in the lease. The courts will usually refuse to enforce the collection of late charges if they do not reasonably relate to the landlord's actual damages. If, for example, you have agreed to pay $10.00 per day for every day you are late in the payment of rent (even if your rent is $500 per month), you will have a good argument to the court that this amount is unreasonably high, and therefore, void as a penalty." Is this true? My sister told me she read that ANY fee for days late is illegal.
&nbsp;
* One clause seemed to reserve the landlord's **right to shut off services such as hot and cold water and waive our right to withhold rent** as a consequence of that. I recall reading something that it's unlawful in NYC for a landlord to shut off hot water in winter months and cold water in summer months for purposes of retaliation etc. Is that true?
&nbsp;
* Another clause referred to something about reserving the right to add to the rent amount at any time, and it would be referred to as **"added rent"** but my memory is fuzzy with this one. It made it sound like he could just come out and decide to tack fifty bucks onto our rent whenever he wanted for some completely arbitrary and menial reason.
&nbsp;
* And lastly I recall there was a weird clause saying something like: should a fire break out and completely burn the apartment to the point where it's uninhabitable, we wouldn't be held to paying rent until it was made habitable again. However if the fire burned only a portion of the apartment **we would be required to pay a portion of the rent for the rooms in the apartment that are still habitable.** And that **only** the landlord reserved the right to determine what is and what is not habitable in such a situation. This one really stood out as WTF to me. Can someone explain?
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
I tried to research the answers myself and only found [THIS](http://www.landlordology.com/new-york-landlord-tenant-laws/) site and [THIS](http://www.sru.edu/studentlife/reslife/Pages/ObnoxiousLeaseClauses.aspx) site that seem to say most of these provisions are null and void in NY. Is that true? My pops says he wants to bring his concerns up with the landlord. Would him doing that just make us look bad, or is our unease called for in this situation?
&nbsp;
I may be able to post the full lease terms tomorrow, if someone really wants to read it en verbatum. I personally can't believe how many rights of ours it is relinquishing. But I've only ever signed one other lease before so I'm not well versed in how called for and typical these provisions may or may not be.
&nbsp;
Thanks for any insight ahead of time, we really appreciate it.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 From your sources it is pretty clear that a lot of this is not allowed. The difficulty is in how to deal with it. You have the option of signing it and then fighting it if you run afoul of one of the sections. If there are no problems like a fire or the landlord shutting off your water, everything is fine. If there are problems you will have to go to court or whatever landlord/tenant dispute resolution system is in place in your area. That can cost money.

On the other hand you can confront the landlord and refuse to sign the new lease. In a perfect world the landlord agrees and removes the odious clauses. In the real world he possibly refuses to renew the lease and starts the eviction process. I an evil world he will retaliate. This is generally illegal but again, you would be in the position to fight it.

A third option that might be available is to take the lease to whatever board or organization that oversees landlord tenant stuff. A lot of big cities have these sorts of organizations and they might be able to handle it or give more advice on it. Answer #2: Several of these are illegal under law.  There is no harm in signing it, because you cannot sign away your legal rights.  If it comes to a lawsuit, any illegal portions of the contract will be unenforceable.


Title: A few quick questions about double jeopardy.

Question:
I was reading up on the case of Emmett Till, a 14 year old African American boy who was murdered in 1955. The men responsible were acquitted in court, but because of double jeopardy, they later admitted to their crime in a magazine interview for several thousand dollars. Reading this led me to a few questions I hope someone could answer for me.

1. Is there absolutely no way for someone to be retried, even if they later confessed to the crime or overwhelming evidence was brought to light?
2. What's to stop someone, right after being acquitted, from going outside and telling the reporters, "Those guys are idiots, I  murdered that person and there's nothing they can do about it now?"
3. Are there any other famous examples of someone exploiting double jeopardy to profit from a crime they were acquitted of?

Thanks for your time.

Answer:
 >Is there absolutely no way for someone to be retried, even if they later confessed to the crime or overwhelming evidence was brought to light?

In the United States? Yes, absolutely. The only way the state can get a new trial following an acquittal is if the judge/jury was bribed to acquit.

>What's to stop someone, right after being acquitted, from going outside and telling the reporters, "Those guys are idiots, I murdered that person and there's nothing they can do about it now?"

The surviving family of the deceased could sue them. See: Simpson, O.J.

>Are there any other famous examples of someone exploiting double jeopardy to profit from a crime they were acquitted of?

O.J. tried to. [The rights to his book were promptly assigned to his victim's family.](http://www.wikiwand.com/en/If_I_Did_It)

edit: I'll also add that if another jurisdiction could also prosecute (i.e. the federal government, the military, or another state), an acquittal (or, for that matter, a conviction) is not a bar to prosecution, under the separate sovereigns doctrine. But that's not a "retrial".


Title: My Money seized as somebody else’s evidence?

Question: So wondering (if) a substantial amount of cash seized as evidence, is there a way to contest the seizure if it was not the person who was arrested’s money to begin with?

Answer:
 If this is theoretical, /r/legaladviceofftopic

If this is real, to get info on civil asset forfeiture policy you're gonna need to at least give us a state/country.


Title: Can my HOA refuse my payment because of "memo" line???

Question: I sent in a check, with the stub they sent for our HOA fees. I just received it back in the mail from a attorneys office stating they could not accept the payment because I wrote "Fees (King's Tribute)" in the memo line. Since I am in debt to them AND I offered legitimate payment in legal form, can they refuse my check? I live in South Carolina and I cannot find anything specific online.

Answer: They do not have accept payment by check at all, let alone something with a snarky memo. It is possible they think you are some sort of weird sovereign citizen type and they don't want to go down that sort of rabbit hole.Answer #2: I doubt there is a law saying that they have to accept a check at all.Answer #3: What is your problem with paying them the way they wish to be paid?


Title: Speeding ticket with some interesting circumstances in Mass

Question:
Okay so I'll make this short and to the point.

I was driving down a 35 doing about 44 and passed into a 20 zone. No other signs but "speed limit 20mph". I was slowing down but a pulled over officer LIDAR'd me doing 42 in the 20, as I just entered it, maybe 100ft into it. He pulled me over and wrote me a ticket and added a warning for no front plate.

Interestingly enough, he listed my blue car as black on the ticket, and I never signed it, nor did he ask me to.

Is there any way to get out of this on these grounds? Or is my best bet to just apologize and ask for a reduction? Also relevant; can I mail in an appeal?

Thanks in advance

Answer:
 Clerical errors (blue recorded as black) are no reason for a ticket to be dismissed. And many jurisdictions don't require you to sign the ticket.

Your ticket should tell you your options.


Title: My school has effectively deleted 2 months of schoolwork.

Question:
Okay so I’m in NC, and my county designated students new emails around a month ago. My school has been in session for about 2 months, and during that time I have written papers, done projects, and taken notes using Google Docs and Drive on the old account. I was never told that they would deactivate all of the old accounts, only that I needed to use the new account if I wanted to sign into the school computers. Yesterday, I went to sign into the account and finish up a project and I kept getting error messages that read stuff like “your account has been deactivated”. I had never been told that the old accounts would be deleted, and because of hurricane Florence I’ve been without power for a week, and have had to deal with much more important things than transferring notes and papers.

Anyways the point is, can they do this? Is there anything I can do maybe contact the administrator and recover my account? My school is closed until October due to the hurricane and I can’t even contact anyone right now, but I had almost finished several projects that are due when I return to school. I just don’t want all of my progress to be gone, and If i don’t have access to my papers, I’ll fail the “peer reviews” for an English class.

Answer: contact the school sysadmin and see if there is recovery.  BUT, be ware ... this person may not be returning to work until October.


Title: [US – KS] Employer nightmare. Haven't been paid on time in 3 months, boss canceled insurance benefits without telling us, and clients are contacting me outside of my job to help them transfer assets away from this trainwreck. What's my course of action?

Question:
**Background, IRS, and late paychecks**

For a year now, I've been working for a small company based in Kansas and I recently found out my employer has been adamantly avoiding the IRS for several years. I had no idea and everything was alright for the first 6 months of employment. There was an incident in October and again in December where my paycheck bounced, and my boss kept delaying repayment (assuming because he was short on money), but it was always figured out before next paycheck. Things have escalated since then though.

Starting in the middle of January he really started struggling. One of our biggest clients left and he refused to compromise on his lifestyle. Every check since January 16th (7 paychecks total) has been late to some degree. They started out a little late, and now it has progressed to being 2 paychecks behind (and 3 behind coming up on May 1st). I understand that small businesses sometimes have a hard time, but this is getting horrible. he's been writing paychecks every payday, and we don't find out until they bounce or won't cash at his bank.

As for the IRS, they had a lean on his business account and would take any money they could whenever they could. My boss rents a large house for around $3k a month and also rented a car for several years, in order to avoid having assets that could be seized and also so he could write them off as business expenses. The IRS has shown up at our place of business several times with the sheriff to try and collect payment, but they always talk in his office and end up leaving shortly after. I recently checked online on a .gov business database and it says they shut the company down in 2012, yet we're still up and running (barely).

Since everything has started spiraling downward this year, a lot of changes have taken place. First off, they changed company entity from incorporated to LLC, and switched ownership from himself to his wife. We suddenly moved out (most likely kicked out) of our office space (on the 13th we needed to be out by the 15th) and into the basement of his house. My boss bought a BMW and we lost 2 of the 4 employees working there, due to late payment. I'm now the only employee responsible for all deliverables to clients.

**Insurance Benefits and cancelation without notice**

In January, in an effort to “help resolve these bouncing paycheck issues” he opted to sign with a 3rd party HR, payroll, and benefits company. We had just hired a new sales guy and things were looking up. I was surprised though, because my boss was offering a good insurance package that was paid for entirely by him. I opted for it and then a little extra for dental, short-term disability, and long-term disability. The main draw of the 3rd party was the direct deposit for paychecks.

Well, we never saw a single paycheck get deposited directly into our accounts. The 3rd party company became a scapegoat for him when paychecks started bouncing again, “I wired them money, but it wasn't enough for them to release everyone's paychecks” and other similar excuses. At one point, he wrote me a paycheck and then put a hold on the check (causing it to be returned) because he forgot to deduct benefits (~$25 out of a ~$1000 check) and needed to write a new one for the proper amount.

Anyway, about 2 weeks ago, the other remaining employee got curious about our benefits and if they were still being paid for, even when we were not. After the other employee talked with the HR company (they told me what was said, so I'm not entirely sure it's true) and apparently we went through the entire enrollment process, going over benefits, filling out paperwork, etc. but my boss never once paid the company. So, we were never officially a client of theirs, and never covered by health insurance. We've tried asking my boss about this, but he has skated around it and never given us an official answer, despite deducting the premiums from our checks twice (stopped deducting them about a month ago).

Luckily, I haven't been to the doctor since “enrollment”, but one of the ex-employees wasn't so lucky. He underwent a very expensive procedure and got stuck with the entire bill. He's speaking with a lawyer, but I don't know him very well, and I'm not sure jumping into his case would be beneficial for me, since what I'm owed pales in comparison to what he's owed.

**Clients approaching me outside of work**

A lot of our clients are pretty aware of what's happening right now. The small business family-like atmosphere has caused relationships between ex-employees and clients to remain closely tied. I never signed a non-compete contract, but even if I had, the company has since changed from incorporated to LLC and switched ownership (not sure on novation in the process), so I don't know if that contract would even still be valid. Our clients are also wondering the same thing, since they signed contracts under the old company.

Well, one client in particular is very fired up about this situation, and has given me payment to transfer out his assets and manage them independently. He's since gotten another client on board to do the same thing, but neither have been completed yet. I've also helped 2 clients move away from our company, behind my boss's back, and with no cash incentive or promise of future work (one client is actually a law firm). The processes are still underway, but I've been very careful not to tip off my boss, and to have a story for every possible move. Luckily, my boss has a lot of pissed off ex-employees to use as scapegoats, and very little technical knowledge to know what exactly is going on.

**Conclusion**

I put an ultimatum on my boss last week saying that I would not work until payroll is caught up. He has since suckered me back into working, since clients won't pay until projects are completed. The only reason I haven't officially quit is because as soon as I do, he has no incentive to pay me. He has owed a few ex-employees for a few months now, and makes zero effort to pay them. I keep holding out, thinking, “tomorrow will be the day, tomorrow it'll get caught up.” But, the truth is, there have been more tomorrows than I can count now, and I'm afraid he's dug a hole that he won't be able to get out of.

I've been looking for a new job, but this is my first “career” job, fresh out of school, so it's been difficult. I'm out of options though, I'm moving back in with my dad next week, and I think it's time I speak with a lawyer, department of labor, or whoever. I have all of my pay-stubs, returned check notices, and a record of everything that happened with each paycheck.

So, my questions are: **Who should I contact about this? If my boss files for bankruptcy, could he get out of paying me the money he owes me? Is my side-work with clients putting me at risk of being counter-sued if found out? What kind of case is there for the insurance debacle? Would teaming up with the ex-employee being screwed by medical bills be beneficial to me?**

Any advice would be appreciated, thank you!

Answer:
 Immediately stop working.  You're volunteering at this point as any income the business makes will be seized by the IRS.  Speak to a private attorney who specializes in labor law and demand your backed wages.  They won't demand any money up front and will help you collect.

I'd also highly suggest pursuing your own thing, it seems like your work product is good enough to have your own business and you don't seem to be deriving a benefit from your current "employer".Answer #2: Can you + others take some clients and transition this into your own business? Either way you made a mistake to continue working with no pay. Sure he owes you that money but anyone dodging the IRS doesn't care. He is probably actively pulling as much cash out of this and hiding it offshore. You should quit working now. Look for a new job or possibly do work for some of the clients (for pay).


Title: [AZ] My apartment complex hates me, and I hate them. Now they are revoking my ability to get packages at the office

Question:
Yes, they hate me, because I have gone to their corporate office after being inconvenienced 3 months in a row for something I was not responsible for and they were being rude about it. Corporate fixed the issue in one day and gave me $100 off rent. I'm sure that didn't go well.

I get a package every month that is time sensitive. In late November, I was waiting for the package and found it odd that I never got it. Finally I got a notice in my mailbox around Dec 8th that I had a package, went to the office and didn't get my time sensitive package, it was an early xmas gift instead. At this point, I reached out to the company and they said it was signed for on Nov 30. I was annoyed, because I went into the office on dec 8th and only had one item given to me, when there was 2 in the back office.

I went in, explained my situation and they got it for me. They told me to sign, I was extremely angry, took my item and walked out. I felt that if I had gotten it when it came, I would be more apt to sign it out. Plus, I wanted to wring their smug necks so much, I figured it was better for me to say nothing than to give them a piece of my mind.

I have since gotten packages in late december, jan and february. I had not been asked to sign at any time after that, I saw no postage in the office that mentioned signing out a package. It's just something that was done randomly or not, depending on who is in.

Today I go in, because my time sensitive package is back again, I get the notice from the post office in my mailbox, I go in, with my ID and the woman who told me to sign in November walks up and says "We actually no longer accept packages for you, because of the one time you refused to sign." I said thanks and walked out.

In review of my lease, this is the only item in regards to mail

 PACKAGE RELEASE: Resident authorizes Landlord to accept packages and deliveries from the U.S. Postal Service, UPS, Federal Express, florists, cleaners or other service industries. Resident understands that this service is provided as a convenience to Resident and Resident agrees to not hold Landlord responsible for accepting the package or delivery in the event of loss, theft or damage. Resident also acknowledges that the Landlord representatives are not required to sign for delivery nor is it the responsibility of the Landlord to notify Resident when packages are received. Resident further authorizes Landlord to release any and all packages received through this Release to Resident or any authorized occupant identified in this Agreement.

Is there anything I could do to ensure they continue to sign for my package, or make it part of the lease that refusing to sign for a package means this privilege gets taken away? What about the fact that I never got notice that this was to begin? Nor have they said how many or which items they sent back. Are they at least required to tell me how many they did?

Answer:
 > Is there anything I could do to ensure they continue to sign for my package, or make it part of the lease that refusing to sign for a package means this privilege gets taken away?

The only thing you can do is ask nicely and hope they agree.  They have no obligation to sign for your mail.  Your lease makes it clear that it's a convenience only.

> What about the fact that I never got notice that this was to begin?

They don't have to give you notice unless your lease says they have to.  There's no legal requirements about revoking a courtesy.

> Are they at least required to tell me how many they did?

Nope.  Same answer


Title: [CA] Can I use the BBB to get action from a company based in Canada?

Question:
Dating app is being shady, taking people's pictures and using them for ads (example if there's two people in a picture they'll claim them as a success couple from the app.)

They've kicked me out of my account and I've found a few other people as well who can not log in anymore, they get the same error message. They will not reply to support emails, so if theres a subscription problem you better hope Apple can fix it.

I'd like my profile deleted, as I don't want to be used for their ads. Can I submit a BBB complaint to force them to erase it? Or does that not work because the company is based out of Canada.  Clover dating App.

Answer: The BBB is like Yelp for old people. They have zero teeth.


Title: Sexual Harassment Question.

Question:
USA/NE

So my wife works for a local Calling Company. She had a guy that she talked to basically say "I have something that you may be able to help me with. My dick is extremely hard and I think you can help me by sucking it or jerking me off." My wife responded with "sir I am not going to let you talk to me this way, if you continue to do so I will end this call." The caller responded with basically the same thing again. My wife stated that she was now ending this call. Well her place of employment is saying that there can be some repercussions up to being terminated due to hanging up with this caller.

My question is if she is to be fired over this, is there grounds for her to lawyer up and fight this with the grounds of Sexual Harassment? Does Sexual Harassment cover Telemarketers while on a call, every call is also recorded.

Answer:
 What does the company's policy say with respect to harassing phone calls?  Is there a provision for dealing with those circumstances that she failed to follow?

The employer did not sexually harass your wife.  It seems that there could be some level of problem with a policy that doesn't allow her any form of relief from those types of circumstances if that is in fact the case.  But that would be a complicated case you would want to review with an attorney. Answer #2: So a little bit of an update, she was told that she is supposed to get a supervisor. She emailed her team leader about it as soon as it happened, they are using it as a learning lesson to my wife.