Title: My friend's car was towed away from a crime scene, and is being made to pay for it.

Question:
I'm going to try to keep this brief as it can be.

The other night, my friend dropped his friend off at a strip club. It's a rundown place in the middle of nowhere, and had no real parking lot other than dirt on the side of the road, on their property. Well, it was pouring the rain, and his car had gotten stuck. He was out there trying to get unstuck, and there was a drive by shooting (the victims lived). Shortly after, the police arrived, and they detained everyone there, in handcuffs, for 5 hours in the pouring rain.

When they decided to let everyone go, it was 7 in the morning, and he decided to come back later in the day with his friend who had a pickup truck to try to get his car. Before he left, he put a white rag in his window to indicate that he'd be back for the vehicle.

A few hours later, he returned to find that his vehicle was gone, and the strip club didn't have signs up saying "no parking" or "parking here will result in towing at your expense". He called around various towing companies, and couldn't get a definite answer because all of their offices were closed until today. He found out that he must now pay $300 to have his car returned.

I understand that it was on private property, but given the circumstances, and the fact that he had a white rag in his window, as well as there being no "no parking" signs, if there was anything he could do to avoid paying the $300.

Answer:
 What does a white rag have to do with this? That's in no way shape or form any legal indication of anything, and won't help your friend out in any way shape or form. That's literally the car owners version of putting a tie on a doorknob.

Don't ever use this "white rag" thing as some sort of defense or explanation.

And if you think I'm being too harsh. Well, better someone on the internet than getting laughed at by the cops or even worse a courtroom.

Now on to the unfortunate part. Your friend is probably going to have to pay the 300. If this was indeed private property, then either the strip club had it towed (which is 100% in their rights, no street sign is needed on private property) or the cops asked the club for permission to have it towed.

Find out who had it towed. If the cops asked for it to be towed for reasons pertaining to an investigation, there's a chance your friend doesn't need to pay anything.

If the strip club had it towed your friend is SOOL.Answer #2: Kind of hard to help you if you don’t tell us where this happened. Laws vary from state to state.


Title: (Florida) Ex is attempting to prevent me from seeing my dog from now to foreseeable future - what rights do I have, and what are my next steps? Please help.

Question:
**Background**:

My ex-SO (30/m) and I (27/f) broke up in September of 2016 after dating for about 4 years. We had a dog together (let's call her Puppers). We got Puppers together at the end of January 2016 when she was ~8 weeks old; we adopted her from a rescue group. We lived in an apartment at the time together, and had a dog walker come to take Puppers out while we were both at work. In May of 2016, ex lost his job. He, then, stayed home with Puppers, instead of us having a dog walker. In July, I bought a house, and all 3 of us moved in to it together the next month. In September, we broke up (not great timing, I know). He moved back in with his parents (located a little over an hour north from where I live), and he took Puppers with him because a) he still didn't have a job, so he could spend more time with her and b) that still saved us money. During this time, we also talked about what would happen to her in the future, and it was decided (verbally) that Puppers would live with him the majority of the time because he was ready to dedicate his life to her, and I wasn't sure if I wanted that, etc. I was to be able to see her/come pick her up whenever I wanted, and I made this agreement assuming he would move back into town and soon (stupid, I know). So since mid September of 2016, he has had her with him at his parents' house. I would get her whatever weekends I could (which unfortunately were not many). He now got a job, and he is moving to DC early next month. I wanted to discuss when I would get to see her/have her with me, understanding that Puppers was still going to go with him and live with him the majority of the time. I wrote him an email stating that I understood she was going with him, but I also made an argument as to why I thought she should stay with me (which were: I decided that I did now, too, want to settle down with a dog, I have a house, I have a fenced-in back yard, I live in FL [nicer weather], I could get her another dog to play with). I knew he probably wasn't going to change his mind, but I at least wanted to put it out there. I also asked if I could have her for a week (since previously I've only gotten her for 2-3 days at a time) before they left. A few days later (Wednesday), we had a phone call to discuss my email. We got into an argument when I proposed having her for 4 months out of the year, and he was not open to it (or me having her for any time) at all. I was very frustrated, because I felt he was not being fair in regards to the custody of Puppers, and I stated that if we cannot work this out, then I would have to pursue this through other means (insinuating legal means). After hashing it out more and after we both calmed down, it eventually boiled down to that a) he was surprised that I wanted her for that long (he wasn't expecting that request), b) he feels like it's going against what we verbally agreed upon, and c) he's made her such a crutch in his life since we broke up (his reason for getting out of bed every morning), that he can't imagine that much time without her. I said okay, I understand, and that I'm trying to be as accommodating to his feelings as possible. So we decided that I will come pick her up this weekend (Saturday), and we will discuss, when he comes to pick her up a week later, what he thought was an appropriate amount of time was for Puppers to live in FL with me. Today, at 3:40pm, he sends me an email stating that, and to summarize, because he's been taking care of her for the past "7 months," including paying for her food and vet bills, and because of things I said in our last phone conversation that left him "very worried," (i.e., that I would pursue time with her through other means), he does not want me to pick up Puppers tomorrow or in the future, and he wishes for us to no longer have contact. He stated in our previous phone conversation that he didn't want me to take her, and I said that I would never keep her from him, he knows where I live, etc., and afterwards, we made the agreement that I would come get her. So I guess he is now defaulting back to that. I replied to his email stating that I didn't think this was fair and that I still wished to at least see her before she left.

**Question**:

What can I do? All I want is to be able to see my dog. I don't even necessarily want full custody, I just want to establish my right to see her and have her live with me for a fair amount of time. Right now, I feel like he is just strong-arming me into doing what he wants because he physically has her. Should I still drive and show up at his parents' house tomorrow to pick her up? Should I call his mom to ask his opinion (I still have an amicable relationship with her). What do I do next? I am devastated.

**Facts about Pupper's 'ownership'**:

* I filled out the paperwork and signed for her when we adopted her. I cannot remember if his name is also on the paperwork somewhere (the rescue group we got her from only had one copy of certain paperwork, and I got a kind of 'receipt' stating that I paid).

* My name is on all of her preliminary vet paperwork. We signed up for a plan with Banfield through Petsmart, and I have paid for that plan (~34$/month) until it expired this past February. For her other vet expenses, it looks as though he paid for some and I paid for some (I can tell from the last 4 digits of the CC number on the paperwork).

*  She is not micro-chipped (at least not that I know of). Her closest registrations are her rabies vaccine (given through Banfield, so still has my name) and her registration with Poo Prints (poop/DNA ID thing we had to sign up for when we lived in the apartment), and I can't remember if both of our names are on their since we both lived in the apartment.
* I have not bought her food for every day living, only my ex (and his family?) has/have; I've bought her treats and toys for when she is at my house and that's it.
* When I was visiting Puppers at my ex's parents house once, she had to go to the vet cause her eye was scratched, so we went to the vet his parents took their dogs to. She is under his dad's name (he and his dad share a name, so it could be argued that it was under my ex's name) on that paperwork, but I paid for her visit. My ex paid for her last round of shots at said vet.
* Our agreements have only been verbal; nothing has been written, except for these past few emails.

**Other more wishy-washy things that may still be informative/helpful**:

* My ex feels that he deserves Puppers and that she is 'his dog' because he bonded with her more and spent more time with her because he didn't have a job for so long.
* My ex was very hurt when we broke up and it was very shocking for him. It's especially hurtful because I moved on so quickly (I started dating someone soon after we broke up).

**Closing thoughts**:

I have no problem with reimbursing him money for care for Puppers for these past months (I tried to give him money but he did not want it, so I just continued to pay her vet plan). *I love love love Puppers so much*, and I don't want to lose her. I am looking for any advice. I am grateful that you took the time to read my ridiculously long post. I will happily provide any other information that will help. Thank you.
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 You need to find the adoption paperwork to see who legally owns "Puppers". Contact the rescue/adoption agency.

I know you love this dog but essentially it's property and the proper venue will be small claims court.

Non-legal advice: Let the dog go. He does seem to have spent more time and bonded more with the dog.

To the outside observer it seems more like you're using the dog and "visitation" to stay in this guy's life. Answer #2: Life advice - - Let Puppers go - - Dogs are property and trying to get a Judge to give you back a dog that has been primarily under your ex's care and $$$ for the last 6 months AND was primarily under his care for several months before that will be an uphill and expensive battle (BT,DT). Go adopt a new Puppers from your local shelter - - he/she is waiting for you with a waggy tail :)Answer #3: If you care about Puppers' well being you should leave him with your ex.


Title: Can a Restraining Order be Placed on a Minor Residing in a Different Country? [KY]

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 [previous post](https://np.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/5kzk0q/running_away_to_another_country_as_a_minor/)

Serving the restraining order might be an issue.  But, in all cases, the parents have a right to tell their minor who and who not to see.  They can stop her from accessing all forms of communication with you, and if you physically show up in Canada, then you can be served.

If you are that in love with her, wait three years for her to be 18.


Title: [NY] My employer has failed to pay me commission for several weeks. Now it looks like I may be fired before the commission is paid out. Do I have any recourse?

Question:
I work as a project manager and salesperson for a small home renovation company in NY. I receive a low base pay every week, and set commission after projects are complete. Projects sometimes take months to be completed, and commission is only paid after the customer makes their last payment. For several weeks, I've been paid only base pay, despite submitting the standard detailed reports of completed projects for which I'm owed commission. I haven't been paid for these, and my boss has ignored my emails and text messages asking to discuss the matter. At this point, the company owes me a significant amount of money.

I just came home from a week's vacation to find that my passwords for my company email and the company project calendar have been changed. I am supposed to go back to work tomorrow. My boss texted me earlier today and asked for a meeting first thing tomorrow morning. I'm concerned that my boss will try to fire me to avoid paying out commission.

We don't have a signed employment contract, though there are emails regarding my commission between my boss and me. There is also my payment history going back for many months, for which I used to submit detailed reports that were accurately paid out. I was paid under 1099. This company has a history of denying commission to others based on questionable reasons, but I've crossed every T and dotted every I on each project I've worked on.

I can't believe it's come to this. I've kept detailed records of my completed projects. If they do try to fire me in order to avoid paying commission, do I have any recourse?

Thank you for any advice you can give me!

Answer:
 This could be an amazingly fucked up experience for you. I'm sorry. Look I'm not a lawyer but I've got 3 thoughts.

First - record the meeting on your phone.
Second - Hiring a lawyer to fight for you isn't going to be cost affective. But paying a lawyer $100 or so to write a letter threatening X Y and Z can be quite affective.
Third - small claims court limit is 10K. No lawyers. Just the facts.

Good luck


Title: Being sued for setting off a firework

Question:
Last Saturday I noticed people were setting off fireworks so I decided to see what the ones I bought were like, so I set a single one off. Today I get a notice to appear in court (small claims), that a neighbor is suing me because her cat clawed onto her when the firework was set off. Now there's tons of neighbors attacking me on this "neighborhood facebook group" that I caused people with PTSD to have episodes and everything. Yet there were fireworks all night, and I set a single one off.

What the hell do I do?

Answer:
 Sounds fun. Show up to court and get a giggle when she gets laughed out. Answer #2: What kind of firework? Legal/illegal?
What time?
Where at as compared to neighbor’s house?

I suppose the claim would be negligence, so she’d have to show you acted unreasonably and caused harm (basic version). Your best argument is to show why your setting off the firework was reasonable (legal, timely). Answer #3: > Now there's tons of neighbors attacking me on this "neighborhood facebook group" that I caused people with PTSD to have episodes and everything.

This is the new thing, apparently. I've been seeing this stupid bullshit in my local Facebook groups as well. You received a notice to appear, so you need to show up and defend yourself. Tell the judge that you were lighting off legal fireworks as the law permits. I'll be surprised if you lose this case.


Title: Called the cops on someone trying to get in my apartment a week ago and just got a Preliminary Hearing Notice (Pennsylvania) - Do I have to attend?

Question:
As the title says, guy was trying to open the back door to my house. Called cops after he refused to leave my back porch and they arrested him for Public Drunkenness, Defiant Trespass, and Loitering and Prowling at Nighttime.

Got a "Preliminary Hearing Notice" in the mail with a list of his charges and a hearing date/time set a few weeks from now. The only thing on this notice related to me is the mailing address/name. I don't see anything with the word "Summons" or anything directing me to attend directly.

So do I have to attend this hearing? This is in Pennsylvania.

Answer: Call and ask.


Title: [CA] I'm being sued for tickets accrued by the guy I sold my motorcycle to.

Question:
California, Santa Clara County here. I sold my motorbike in early 2016, I followed the instructions I found online for selling a vehicle and transferring the title ~ after the sale I promptly mailed everything to the DMV. A few months down the road the DMV reached out asking me to pay registration for the vehicle; this was a surprise to me but I returned them another copy of the bill of sale / title transfer (lucky I took a picture on the day I sold it) and hoped this was all behind me.

Then mid-2017 I started getting lots of scary-sounding letters from Lawyers offering to defend me in a lawsuit. It took some digging but I was able to figure out that the guy I sold my bike to had not done any of the paperwork on his end and worse yet had gotten the motorbike towed and impounded. Late this summer I was able to explained these facts to the collections agency involved and the barrage of threatening letters and phone calls subsided... until now, they've refiled the case against me and I'm again getting sued (for several thousand dollars) for a vehicle that I haven't owned in almost two years.

Does anyone have any advice? Is there any recourse when the purchaser fails to transfer a vehicle to their name? Thanks!

Answer:
 Did you file the specific "Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability" form? You don't mention that form, but that's the one you need:

https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/detail/online/nrl/welcome


Title: [NY] I went to a doctor for a preventative care procedure, completely covered by my insurance, but he tagged on a medically unnecessary procedure.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Just because the insurance company says the sonogram was "medically unnecessary" doesn't mean that it was unnecessary.

IANAL, but I am a physician (not an OBGYN) and I am always shocked when I communicate with patients and discover that their understanding of what is or isn't needed for <*fill-in-the-blank*> was arrived at based on what their insurance company told them. Those companies are not doctors and decisions are made by adjusters based on costs and statistical actuarial tables, and often not the specific conditions for a specific case.

I don't know why your doctor decided to do an ultrasound before your Pap smear, but I'm sure it was not "just for the fun of it" and there absolutely was a medical justification.

By the way, I doubt your doc was looking to "line his/her pockets" by doing this procedure. Most people are shocked at how little many basic office procedures are reimbursed by insurance companies.


Title: Hospital sent me out to die, potential malpractice suit?

Question:
Sorry for formatting, on mobile in a hospital.

Starting Monday, I had some excruciating stomach pain. I've had a history of upper gi bleeds, both of which sent me to the ICU and required blood transfusions and endoscopic repairs. I looked for symptoms and found them Tuesday morning that internal bleeding was happening in the form of bloody stool.

I called 911 for an ambulance ride and went to the hospital where I was placed in the ER, had an IV installed and waited for blood tests. I had a rectal that showed positive proof of blood and a blood test which showed a slow bleed was probable. I was told I was going to be discharged and to schedule an endoscopy at my earliest convenience (within a few days). I emphasized my catastrophic history to which they agreed to do one the following day, but I was still going to be released.

In the middle of nowhere (due to work) I get myself a cab ride back to a hotel where I patiently waited until the following day for the procedure. The following day, I get the scope done where they confirm I had two bleeding ulcers but they showed evidence of healing so they didn't do anything to them. I requested another blood test which they refused because they deemed it unnecessary (was requesting CBC or H&H, which are complete  blood count and H&H is hemoglobin & hematocrit, both of which would show if I'm okay because I was still extremely weak and dizzy when standing, which I suspected was due to low blood pressure caused by bleeding that was potentially missed)

I got a plane back to my home base of texas on Thursday where I knew something was definitely wrong. I could hardly walk through the airport, having to take nonstop breaks to avoid passing out. I did pass out on my way off the plane and almost did again as I got into my ride home.

Today I got admitted to an emergency room with a horrendous hemoglobin count of 6.8, which at 8-9 they normally begin transfusions and 13-17 is normal and at 5 you are basically comatose.

What grounds do I have if any at this point to present a case for negligence. They had my prior medical history IN THEIR HANDS at the previous hospital, knew exactly what they were dealing with and just chose to not do a proper job caring for me to the point where I could of bled out on the plane. They discharged me twice, and the last thing I want to do is pay what my insurance doesn't for the "care" I recieved.

Answer:
 You have two main issues you'll need to get past. One, you'll need to prove that it was not in keeping the standard of care in that situation. It sounds like they ran tests and worked off of what those tests showed, so that is likely going to be difficult. The second issue you'll have showing is damages; you don't appear to have suffered any. Beyond that, medical malpractice cases are extremely expensive to run, so you usually have to have considerable damages to make it worth it.

Medical malpractice is extremely fact specific. You can consult with a local attorney who practices in the area and they will be able to give you a quick assessment


Title: My mother's BMW was obviously driven 1,000+ miles by autoshop

Question:
So about a week ago my mother took her 2014 3 series BMW into a shop to fix a rather large dent issue on the passenger door. Took about 5-6 days to fix. After the job was done she took it over to the BMW dealership to get something else fixed (can't recall what it was specifically, but it was minor). Anyways, today while I was driving, she was sitting in the passenger seat and found a parking pass for the Shrine Auditorium in LA. This was particularly odd because she has never been there and no one else really drives her car besides her. We ponder where it could have came from and I joke that maybe she got "Ferris Buellered". A few moments later we start to suspect that the mileage on her car was a little higher than it was before taking it into the first auto shop.

To confirm these suspicions, we called the BMW dealership to get the mileage that they recorded when she handed over the car to them. It was 47.3k, I believe. This is the sketchy part. The mileage going IN to the auto shop was 46.1k. They legit put on that many miles in a matter of days. I'm really frustrated for her because she is planning on selling the car and she wanted to do it before it hit 50k and now it is just that much closer to losing more value. My mom is scared to take action because of the sketchy vibe of the place. She claims they looked like thugs and as a single woman she is a little scared of taking a stand against those kind of people.

I just want to know what kind of action we can pursue here. The insurance covered the repairs at the auto shop and it was a recommended place by her insurance company. Any help on this situation is very much appreciated. Thank you for taking your time to read!

Edit: Also would like to add that this is in California!

Answer:
 A little update: We called the shop and all we got was a "That is literally impossible". I also have been hearing some very bad things about this shop from friends after I've been sharing the story around so it's getting interesting. Our next course of action will be to report it to our insurance and hopefully that will move things forward. I appreciate all the good advice here. Thank you!Answer #2: California has a very strong consumer protection agency called "Bureau of automotive repair". I have a feeling if the insurance company recommended this place they likely are an accredited shop. Call them to make the complaint. When they show up to a shop it's a bad day for them. They can shut the operation down in extreme cases.

Here ya go.
https://www.bar.ca.gov/Consumer/Complaints/index.htmlAnswer #3: I could be wrong here...

But, wouldn't this mean the car was stolen? Yes, they returned it and hoped no-one would find out...but it was taken without authorisation and it's potential trade in value was lowered in the process. The tires worn that much more. The breaks worn that much more. Over 1000 more miles on the car.


Title: I just got sent mail about pirating

Question: "Dallas Buyers Club, LLC has filed a federal lawsuit in the united states district court for the northern district of illinois. You have been identified in our records via your assigned IP, for pirating.  I'm 19 and so fucked. They gave me a court date command too.

Answer:
 http://www.antonelli-law.com/Dallas_Buyers_Club__LLC.phpAnswer #2: > They gave me a court date command too.

What do you mean?  Have they served you official court paperwork, with a docket number and everything?Answer #3: I've represented a number of people with similar claims against them in the Northern District. I don't see any recent ones for Dallas Buyers club though...could you provide the case number?

Its a numbers game. They sue a group of lets say 50 people. If five of them settle for $2000 each, they've made $10,000. When they've milked that group, they will lose interest and move on to another lawsuit and another group of 50 people.

These cases rarely if ever go to trial. They want to settle with you for, probably, a few thousand dollars. (conincidently about what most lawyer would quote you). If you ignore it, it may go away. BUT its hard to take that chance because if you ignore it you might also be hit with a massive default judgment.
If you fight it, you may have a defense. Perhaps you don't live alone, and your rommates may have used your internet connection? Maybe you just don't have any money?


Title: On drinking alcohol as a minor

Question:
I hope this is the right subreddit for this.

My girlfriend is above 21, but I’m 20. Am I allowed to drink alcohol with her at her home/my home?
Topic:
Alcohol Related Other than DUI

Answer: No


Title: [Iowa] DMV won't renew license since my H1B visa extension is under process - what are my options?

Question:
I am an H1B from India working in US. My current visa expired 1 month ago and my employer applied for an extension. My extension request got an RFE (request for evidence). They want my employer to prove that the work I do require a bachelor's degree and so on. My company has till August 1st week to respond to the RFE. And they are taking there sweet time.

While all this is going on, I cannot drive. For the last 1 month, I have been using taxis. And looks like it will be like this for another 1.5 month at least. I have absolute no desire to continue like this, and I want to go back to India badly. But I cannot do that without resigning.

I went to the Iowa DMV twice. They said they cannot renew without the visa approval notice. Yesterday, when I went there, they said "we used to give 2 months extensions, we stopped giving that.".

Please let me know if there is anything I can do to get a temporary license extension.

Answer:
 Welcome to the never never land of pending USCIS benefits and local DMVs who just don't care.

You're in a country legally but until you actually get something approved they will not issue you a license.

This is a really niche but happened to few people I know and I can't imagine how frustrating it is. You're losing your license due to no fault of your own and can't even do anything about it.

Try talking some sense to a manager at the DMV, escalate it.
Otherwise I would suggest contacting your state legislators, see if they can help out.

This also could be fixed and USCIS SAVE if they would just say you're in the country legally when petitions are pending but that would require an internal policy change at USCIS.


Title: WA - A friend just accepted a new job and the gym she's leaving has banned her for 3 months.

Question:
So as the title suggests, a friend of mine works at an LA fitness in Washington state. She recently accepted a new job because the pay was better and was told that she would not be allowed to work out at the gym for a period of three months following her last day working there. As far as I know, there has been nothing negative relating to her employment at LA fitness and this "punishment" for leaving is totally unwarranted. Is this allowed or even legal considering she has done nothing wrong?

 Its unfortunately the only gym in her area and she's trying to make a big change in her life by dedicating a lot of time to the gym so this was very upsetting for her

Answer: It's legal. They probably didn't want her talking to her clientele and telling them where she was going.


Title: I may have to evict my roommate. Any advice would be appreciated. (x-post /r/bayarea)

Question:
Hello good people of /r/legaladvice. I'm in a bit of a rough situation and just want to make sure I proceed correctly.

I live in downtown San Francisco, but for the past few months I've been working out of state. I agreed to let a friend of a friend stay at my place if 1) he covered the rent and 2) the place was made accessible to me when I'm in town. Those were literally the only two stipulations.

* Problem number one is not that big a deal, but he's consistently about a week late on rent. Note that I have crazy low rent due to rent control, and I'm not charging him any extra. He has a tech job and makes 400% of the rent monthly, easy. His usual excuse is that his paycheck is late, which might be true, but even so he should have no problem covering it. Again, this alone isn't a big deal and I wouldn't even worry about it if it were the only problem.

* Problem number two is, I told him I was coming into town and that I'd want to stay at my place (with about 10 days notice). He replied that he had friends visiting and there was no room for me. This is completely unacceptable and a violation of our original agreement. *Even so* I was going to let it slide this time, since it's the first time I've been back and maybe he wasn't totally clear on the deal.

* Problem number three is the dealbreaker. I had my girlfriend go and check on the place today (she has spare keys). The whole place smells like cigarettes and there's an ashtray full of butts on the windowsill. It's a non smoking building and this is a violation of MY lease, and could get us both kicked out. He definitely, without a doubt, is aware of this. My bedroom smells like cigarettes. I fucking hate cigarettes.

* Problem number four just complicates things. He has an unknown number of people staying there right now. At least one, possibly as many as three guests based on the luggage my girlfriend saw. I don't know these people and I don't want them coming and going from my place when I'm out of state. I have had my girlfriend check on the place a few times in the last few months and there have always been guests that I didn't know about—maybe even the same ones.

I'll be in town tomorrow (Thursday) for the first time in a few months. My plan is to text him first thing in the morning and tell him that his guests need to make other arrangements, because I need my place as per our agreement. ~~Then I'll text the building manager and tell him I need my lock changed. I'll be at my place by mid-afternoon, roommate will be at work. Anything that isn't mine will be packed and waiting for him when he gets home.~~ Then I will serve him with a written 30-day eviction notice and inform him that I am moving back in, to live there full time (at least until he's gone). I haven't thought much beyond that because I'm too fuming mad. What kind of rights do we each have in this situation? It was a handshake deal between acquaintances, but he's been there for a few months so he's technically a tenant by SF law.

EDIT: Hey everybody, first of all thanks so much for the help. I've gotten so much more good advice, sympathy and support than I expected, you are all awesome. An update on the situation: I have been texting with the roommate, and he's going to make room for me over the weekend. Things remain amicable between us and I think we can resolve our issues without much trouble once I'm there. I hope he enjoys the new asshole I'm gonna tear him for the smoking though. All in all I feel like I have a pretty good handle on the legal details and a solid plan for how to proceed if it comes to that, but right now it doesn't look like it will.

Answer:
 First of all, you're his landlord, he's your tenant.

You can't just change locks on him, and you can't barge into his home to inspect without proper notice. It really sounds like you're violating his rights here. SF is extremely tenant friendly and you may not even be able to terminate his tenancy at this point. Your best bet is to contact the [SFRB](http://sfrb.org/) and explain your situation and see what they'd recommend. Don't start moving forward on your own, and don't barge in to the unit or send your girlfriend there, since you could really screw yourself here. Answer #2: Was banging my head on the wall after first paragraph.  I probably wouldn't sublet a SF rent control apartment to my conjoined twin let alone
>...a friend of a friend....

Get a local lawyer or you're moving to Stockton.


Title: (19m) boyfriend's mom reading our (18f) texts

Question:
Hey everybody,

This is my first time writing anything on Reddit so I hope you'll forgive me if I get some part of the etiquette wrong. My boyfriend and I are both in our freshman year of college and have been dating for a few months. Twice during our relationship his mother has read our texts (and sexts, ew!) and have used them to harass him. Additionally, his parents track his location and text him for updates constantly. He wants to get out of this situation, but he is financially dependent on his parents and requires their support for college. His mother has many times tried to convince him to break up with me for a plethora of reasons, most of them being my background. My question is, given the fact that my boyfriend is not a minor, is any part of this illegal? Or because they purchased the device, is it legal? I am so confused but in desparate need of help, the situation is abusive and growing worse still. Thank you to anyone who responds.

Answer: If they own the device they can monitor the usage. If your bf wants more privacy he can pay for his own phone.


Title: Domestic violence repercussions

Question: So a couple weeks ago my wife and I, both 27, went out to have a couple drinks with a friend we hadn't seen in years. Had a great night and decided to get a hotel a few miles away even though we live close. Everything was great night until the ride home at 2 am we started arguing about Lord knows what but it was definitely fueled by alcohol, which is why we both quit drinking now, anyway the fight lasted all the way to the hotel and in the hotel parking lot where we drew the attention of the front desk attendant. I Could see her watching through the glass doors. Long story short my wife punched in the face 3 times after some name-calling on my part. As she was walking away I threw the car keys in her direction and they nailed her in the back of her head. The keys actually cut the back of her head and she bled an unreasonable amount of blood almost instantly. I of course felt immediate remorse and followed behind her to make sure she was ok in which time the lady at the front desk called the police. They were there in the parking lot within two minutes. I walked up to the officer immediately and told him everything and I was arrested and taken to jail. My wife tried telling them she hit me first and it was just a stupid fight and nothing like this has ever happened and she doesn't want to press charges but they weren't having it. I was arrested for domestic assault causing bodily harm. My court date is in a couple weeks, what should I be expecting and what's the worst that could happen to me. Is a lawyer necessary? I've never been arrested or in trouble with the law so I'm simply ignorant about all of this.

Answer: You definitely need a lawyer and what your facing depends on what state you’re in.


Title: Can an employer suggest you listen to praise music instead of podcasts? [AL]

Question:
When I to undergo surgery for fertility reasons, my Boss suggested this.  She also told me she saved her foster kids from living with 2 moms.

Are these types of religious and anti-homosexual statements discrimination?
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 No. Simply recommending someone listen to something is NOT illegal, not harassment, nor discrimination.

 It's probably the furthest thing from what you think it is.


Title: In my school i have been on break for two weeks and coming back tomorrow, and my teacher has had my phone for those whole two weeks. I want to know if i could report her for taking it for the two weeks.

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Generally if a phone is confiscated in school and not returned to the student, a parent is required to pick it up. But I do not know your school's policy.


Title: I Hit A Guy On A Bike

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Don't offer to pay anything.
You had a green arrow and at least in my experience, correct me if I'm wrong, green arrow still shows red on the crosswalk, and it is very likely the biker was not allowed to be on the sidewalk.

Call your insurance inform them of the situation and to prepare.


Title: Protesting a protest and physically defending myself.

Question:
Hello,

I'm a physically imposing man. 6'6", 240, full beard, bald head, forearms like old branches, and more tattoos than not. To an officer who arrives on a scene, I am person of interest A-1.

I intend to meet an anti planned parenthood rally with my own signs. Many of which could be charitably described as offensive. Maybe I shouldn't be antagonistic, but it is certainly legal.

I expect to be screamed at, reasoned with, and belittled, no biggie. My question is, at what point am I allowed to physically defend myself from abuse? For example, the last time I did something similar, I was spat upon by someone. Really, not an issue in the grand scheme of things, but my inaction emboldened the rest. It escalated to the point where I was grabbed by a man from behind. It wasn't a big deal as he was a paunchy easily thrown to the ground. I left immediately not knowing if I could be arrested for what looked like a nasty gash on the man's head.

Are there any clear requirements for confronting violence with violence? I have ptsd from my military service. Honestly, when someone presents, even mildly, a physical threat, I legitimately fear for my life. I'm undoubtedly on the fight side of fight or flight, but I work hard to control the irrationality of my reactions to such situations.

From what I understand about this particular event, there will be men there who fancy themselves tough guys. I'm worried that they will pick me as a target for their vitriol since it is always a good idea to go after the largest of an opposing group. I'm not worried of being hurt. I'm worried about getting arrested and dealing with the fall out that might impact my family and professional life.

Is there any objective measurement of when it becomes alright for me to just fuck someone up?

Thanks guys and girls.

Edit: The bot has spoken. Im in SC, USA.

Answer:
 To be clear: you're on the *pro* planned parenthood side? If so, that's great, but be aware that counter protests outside of places like planned parenthood are very tricky things.

Keep in mind that protesters outside places like PP are trying to intimidate women who need their services. If you show up antagonizing the pro-life crowd, you make it even scarier for patients. This is even worse if it's a clinic that carries out abortions.

If you're interested in helping, you should look into becoming a clinic escort. I did it once every month for about two years, and it was very fulfilling.Answer #2: >  My question is, at what point am I allowed to physically defend myself from abuse?

At the point where you're physically threatened, and only then to the level necessarily for an immediate cessation of the issue and no more.  So pushing someone away who's grabbing you might be fine.  Knocking them down and kicking them is not.

> Honestly, when someone presents, even mildly, a physical threat, I legitimately fear for my life

Irrelevant.  Your mental issues do not give you carte blanche to harm others.  You play by the same rules as everyone else.  Also, if you *can't* maintain that level of composure, stop putting yourself in situations where that composure will be tested.  The totality of the circumstances will come into play here.  In short: if you go picking a fight, and you find one, self-defense will likely not come into play.


Title: Free Trial Fake Card Generators

Question:
Hi, I just tried doing a free trial on a website that needed a credit card number to sign up. I tried purchasing a visa card, but it wouldn't accept prepaid card numbers. I looked it up and a reddit user recommended using a fake number generator for trials. I figure that that wouldn't hurt anyone; it was a free trial after all. I also heard that they would try to charge people even if they cancelled, so I figured it would just be rejected after a trial.

&#x200B;

I assumed that it would just make a fake number that would fulfill the requirement and I used it in the trial. But after reading more about it, I'm scared that (even if the information is invalid) it was wrong and I may get in trouble. I replaced it with my real information that I was afraid to use for fear of being scammed afterward. They already had my name and email, so this isn't really any new identifying information. I didn't want to do anything wrong, I just didn't want to be scammed and I put the correct information in to try and make things right.

&#x200B;

Will I get in trouble for this?

Answer: Credit card generators are basically letting you commit fraud. Which is a crime.


Title: Court summons for not going to jury duty ?

Question:
Apptently I got summoned for jury duty, I guess I missed the letter ?  I'm usually working during the day and the babysitter usually gets the mail everyday . I received a letter over the weekend  saying I'm summoned to show up in front of a judge for failure to show for jury duty ? What do I do ?

E/ forgot the location. This is in Michigan .

Answer: You show up, tell the judge you didn't receive the letter (assuming this is true), and state that you are willing and eager to serve on a jury.Answer #2: This won't help with your immediate problem, but I think you should consider signing up for USPS's [Informed Delivery](https://informeddelivery.usps.com/box/pages/intro/start.action). This will send you daily emails with scans of the envelopes of most of your mail. Should make it harder to miss something important in the future.Answer #3: This happened to me once. Call the court and apologize. They'll probably cancel the court date and just give you another jury duty date.


Title: FL my mom left my dad but nothing happened on paper, is it adultery if he's already dating someone else?

Question: So my mom wanted to talk about her and my dad getting a divorce and he very hastily agreed. My mom left very shortly after and is currently homeless, living in hotels until she can find an apartment. He's a very wealthy man and everything is in his name and he's currently hiding money from her so she can't get it in the divorce. Neither of them have served papers to eachother. All this happened about two months ago and my dad already has a girlfriend he's been bringing to the house. Because nothing legal has happened, is this considered adultery? And can it be used during the divorce to help my mom get anything from my dad?

Answer:
 Your mom should worry more about the hiding of assets than adultery. She needs to notify her lawyer ASAP about this.Answer #2: She needs an attorney to represent her and make sure that he does not with-hold or conceal assets that should be divided between them.

Most people who attempt to hide assets in a divorce do so very clumsily.

Florida is a "no fault" state for divorce.   His adultery will not affect anything but financial divisions or spousal support, to the extent that he is spending money on his new girlfriend.   If he's just bringing her to the house and not spending extravagantly on her, it's unlikely to matter at all.

If she is homeless, there are very likely women's advocacy organizations that can help provide her with legal services.


Title: [California] [Employment] I worked at a restaurant, then I accepted a job at a new one. I gave my notice. A few days later they put me on probation without saying why. Is this retaliation?

Question:
I was placed on unpaid probation with no warning and no reason, though I assume it's because I have the new job in the queue. Is this considered retaliatory?

California, US

Thanks

Answer:
 > unpaid probation

So, no more hours are scheduled for you to work?

You've been fired (whether they call it that or not doesn't matter).  You can apply for unemployment if you like.  Good luck at your new job.

It's not illegal to fire you for this reason so you have no claim against the business.


Title: Gf badly shocked at work and was sent home with no medical attention (just happened last night)

Question:
First off i work 3 1/2 hrs away and was only able to talk with her in text on and off for a few hrs last night.

So my gf works as a bartenter at a hole in the wall mexican restaurant. Last night she went to the sink to wash some dishes and was shocked because a waterleak was somehow dripping onto an exposed wire electrifying the whole sink from my understanding. She threw up 3 times and peed herself a little at the time of the incident. She was also slurring words for a moment right after. When i talked with her after she got home she seemed almost guilty saying she got herself electrocuted at work... im like wtf, not yout fault!
At this point she said she was fine just feeling sore and bruised all over. Also very tired.

I know she should have been checked out and she said it seemed they kinda wanted to sweep it under the rug
Im waking up still concerned waiting for her to txt me when she gets up. Hoping she still feeling ok and thinking she should still be getting looked at and reporting this. (She doesnt have insurance btw, america)

Being shocked due to negligence is one thing but being sent home with no care after is not ok. Shes not the type to make a deal outta things but im really upset about this treatment and lack of concern for her wellbeing by the employers.

Any legal or medical input from professionals wound be great

Thank you

Answer: Your gf needs the ER


Title: Running away from abusive parents, police are looking for me

Question:
I've ran away from my abusive parents. I have kept my phone but I worry about being tracked. The police are looking for me. They'll take me back to my parents if they find me but I think they will soon.

My parents have told the police that I'm violent, armed, and addicted to drugs so that they would more urgently look for me. My parents have reported me as a runaway before a few times when I was out with friends, and that was what they told the police that time. And when the police found me, I was found with 4 bars Xanax but wasn't arrested.

I know police will probably find me soon. What can I say to them so that they don't take me back to my parents?

Answer:
 >What can I say to them so that they don't take me back to my parents?

If you're under 18 then nothing. You're going back home, sorry.

Instead of running away call CPS if you are being abused.


Title: [California]Suing Landlord for Invasion of Privacy

Question:
My landlord has come on to the property multiple times without warning. I don't exactly have the records to verify illegal entrance, but there are repairs in the backyard that illustrate illegal entry. (edit: by illegal entry, I did not receive a request to do so nor did I receive a notice of any kind). Also, never once have I been asked whether he could park in the driveway. He's taken a parking spot and denied me parking. The driveway is a part of the property that is listed under the lease.

Also, he's been aggressive with getting me to agree to allow him entry. The last time he came, he told me that an electrician would look at the wiring outside the house and at most get a contractor for measuring the windows. Instead, I came home to his father, his fiance, and two contractors talking loudly discussing how to remodel the house after we move out.

The reason for all of this is that he rented out a house he bought to build credit and to also build up the funds to renovate the home. Now that he's accrued enough resources, he keeps taking advantage of me and trying to get us to make his life easier in moving into the home.

---

To sum it up, entries made to the house without permission were to:

1) tidy the yard w/out warning

2) repair the fence w/out my knowledge

3) parking spot in the driveway was taken in 2 different accords w/out my prior knowledge (driveway is included in the lease)

4) bringing more people in than agreed on

5) measuring the rooms (I gave him permission on this one, but I want to know if I can include instances where he came on to the property for reasons other than what are allowed for a landlord: basic repair, needed inspections, emergencies)

6) multiple contractors entering for the purpose of him refinancing the property

7) upgrading the gutter system w/out my prior knowledge

---

things that I can document:

maybe 3 times his father came on to the property, backyard renovations to the fencing, extending the gutters around the house, the multiple people entering and discussing remodeling through a signed witness statement

I want to know if I can sue him for the invasion of privacy and if there are certain things that won't hold if I take him to small claims court. Also, given the situation, would it be recommended that I get an attorney to represent me?

There are two people that can file suit in the invasion of privacy. I can make this four to quadruple the claim with previous roommates that moved out recently, but I'd rather not go that far.

---

edit:
The reason for this post is because I believe my landlord violated several parts of Civil Code 1954:

1954.
(a) A landlord may enter the dwelling unit only in the following cases:

(1) In case of emergency.
**(2) To make necessary or agreed repairs, decorations, alterations or improvements, supply necessary or agreed services, or exhibit the dwelling unit to prospective or actual purchasers, mortgagees, tenants, workers, or contractors or to make an inspection pursuant to subdivision (f) of Section 1950.5.** *(In my case, the landlord entered the premises for reasons to inspect for future remodeling objects post vacancy. I don't see how his reasons align with this section as no service was being provided to the tenant or were repairs being made.)*
(3) When the tenant has abandoned or surrendered the premises.
(4) Pursuant to court order.
(5) For the purposes set forth in Chapter 2.5 (commencing with Section 1954.201).

(b) Except in cases of emergency or when the tenant has abandoned or surrendered the premises, entry may not be made during other than normal business hours unless the tenant consents to an entry during other than normal business hours at the time of entry.

**(c) The landlord may not abuse the right of access or use it to harass the tenant.** *(I felt he has been abusing his right of access with the amount of entries he's requesting for his own benefit and future habitance of the property).*

(d) (1) Except as provided in subdivision (e), or as provided in paragraph (2) or **(3), the landlord shall give the tenant reasonable notice in writing of his or her intent to enter and enter only during normal business hours. The notice shall include the date, approximate time, and purpose of the entry.** *(More than half of the time someone came on to the premises were without notice. Approximately 14 different occurrences over the length of my tenancy.)* The notice may be personally delivered to the tenant, left with someone of a suitable age and discretion at the premises, or, left on, near, or under the usual entry door of the premises in a manner in which a reasonable person would discover the notice. Twenty-four hours shall be presumed to be reasonable notice in absence of evidence to the contrary. The notice may be mailed to the tenant. Mailing of the notice at least six days prior to an intended entry is presumed reasonable notice in the absence of evidence to the contrary.
(2) If the purpose of the entry is to exhibit the dwelling unit to prospective or actual purchasers, the notice may be given orally, in person or by telephone, if the landlord or his or her agent has notified the tenant in writing within 120 days of the oral notice that the property is for sale and that the landlord or agent may contact the tenant orally for the purpose described above. Twenty-four hours is presumed reasonable notice in the absence of evidence to the contrary. The notice shall include the date, approximate time, and purpose of the entry. At the time of entry, the landlord or agent shall leave written evidence of the entry inside the unit.
(3) The tenant and the landlord may agree orally to an entry to make agreed repairs or supply agreed services. The agreement shall include the date and approximate time of the entry, which shall be within one week of the agreement. In this case, the landlord is not required to provide the tenant a written notice.

(e) No notice of entry is required under this section:
(1) To respond to an emergency.
(2) If the tenant is present and consents to the entry at the time of entry.
(3) After the tenant has abandoned or surrendered the unit.

Answer:
 >I want to know if I can sue him for the invasion of privacy

No.

>given the situation, would it be recommended that I get an attorney to represent me?

No. You could maybe get an attorney to write him a letter stating that he needs to give you notice before entry but it is not actually clear if he is entering without notice or not?

>There are two people that can file suit in the invasion of privacy. I can make this four to quadruple the claim with previous roommates that moved out recently, but I'd rather not go that far.

There are no people in this description who could sue the landlord for anything.


Title: Can I go to the police for my dad kidnapping me?

Question:
So when I was 9 my parents got divorced.. they have joint custody over me so I go to there houses every other week.
One thanksgiving my cousin hit me in the head with a nerf gun. So i Tripped him on carpet. My dad got mad and tried to take my 3ds. I refused so he grabbed my hand and I wouldn’t give it to him so he crushed my hand. Me and my sister were driven home by my dad to my moms house. When we got there my and my sister went inside. My dad didn’t leave and then he came inside, he was made and started marching up the stairs saying he was going to take my stuff for what I have done. He took my 3ds and tried to take my laptop but I grabbed it and ran downstairs. I couldn’t   Get out of the house so I hid In a corner. My dad came over and took my laptop from me by prying it out of my hands.

I ran back upstairs and tried to barricade myself in my room but my dad broke through the barricade and took my school issued iPad. I was mad and told him to leave. It looked like he was going to hit me so i grabbed the neared object(a horse bone) and hit him in defense. Then he picked me up and dragged me down out of my room. I tried to hold on to the door to stop him from taking me and he slammed the door making my fingers bleed. He dragged me into his car, drove me to his house, threw me in my room, and locked the door. He let me go the next dAy.

I’m 14 now and I think my dad is going to try and kidnap me to make me come to his house. I don’t want to go back because it is unstable environment where my dad mentally abuses me. He makes me feel like crap.

If I try’s to kidnap me again and I escape, can I go to the police?
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 What does your mother say about this?Answer #2: Sure you can go to the police.

Whether or not they'll do anything will depend on whether or not you're **actually** "kidnapped" or whether he has permission to have you, custody paperwork etc.


Title: In Texas, in the military, raising two kids on my own, separated from wife who has made life a living hell. Need advice.

Question:
I’m in dire need of advice. I am in the military and am the primary caretaker of my 4 year old and 2 year old. My life has been turned upside down and suppressed by my wife for the last 4 years. The last year is what is important to focus on. So here is an overview of what I am dealing with…
A year ago my wife and I separated. She moved into an apartment and we were to split up responsibilities of taking care of the kids. She ended up only watching the kids during my work days and would drop them off at my house once I got home. They were both going to daycare Monday-Friday so she really was only spending an hour or two with them a few days a week. About a month later I found out she actually had moved in with a guy, he plays a key part in a lot of this so we’ll call him Dick. She ended up confessing that she had been having an affair with him for the past year. So at this point I told her she only needed to drop off the kids and pick them up from daycare and I would handle the rest. She did just that for another two months. Last January, I had to go on TDY to Baltimore for a month. Within 3 days she texted me and told me that I needed to come back and get the kids because they weren’t safe with her. She confessed that she had started to use Cocaine since she moved out and Dick was the one who got her into it. I had to get my first sergeant and leadership involved which caused a ton of problems for me at work. At this point I told her we needed a divorce ASAP.
 A few weeks after this incident she called me and told me that she wanted to quit drugs and needed help and that she was terrified of Dick and that he had pulled a gun on her while he was under the influence. I caved because I still cared for her and allowed her to move back in and tried to make a plan to help her out. It was a rough as expected and I lost a lot of sleep but after a few weeks we finally made progress. She stayed clean for about a week but then had a relapse and started speaking about suicidal ideations for which I called an ambulance for but she denied everything under the sun and they did not take her. I have a police and ambulance report filed for this incident.
Over the next several months, I suffered through sleepless nights, arguments, depression, thousands of dollars in plane tickets  because she kept going back and forth from her parents house, and ridiculous amount of emotional damage. I finally got overwhelmed to the point that I flew her to her parents house and got her into a rehab. Since then she has gone in and out of rehab three times and developed alcoholism in place of the cocaine addiction. I also found out she has continued her relationship with Dick, paid for a plane ticket for him using a credit card, and even brought our kids around him on multiple occasions.
In, just the last 6 weeks, she has spent $1,500 at bars alone. Our credits cards are maxed. And she used the last of the money at a bar.
I’m dead broke, in debt, and at the end of my rope. I want a divorce ASAP but don’t know how to pay for it or what to do. My work has made everything that much more of a living hell for me and I don’t want to approach any of them as to make my situation worse.  I know a lot  of this is my fault. I should have just divorced her a long time ago but I didn’t want my kids to grow up without a mom. By helping her I’ve put my kids and myself into the worse position possible. I just don’t know what to do.

Answer:
 You need to reach out to JAG and use their resources.  They can't represent you in a divorce, but they can give you the free guidance you need and help point you in the right direction.  There also may be some other legal aid resources to help you pay for some legal help where you don't bear the full burden.

So reach out to them asap and get that divorce rolling.Answer #2: Cancel your credit cards. You are under no obligation to fund her drinking habit. Cut her off (but don't kick her out of the house because you have to provide that under AR 608-99 until the divorce is final). Stop thinking you owe her anything else. Don't let her drag you down too. Talk to JAG ASAP.


Title: Father shot himself 2 days ago. Today I realized we need to pay the bills until I get a job. Please help.

Question:
Hello there everyone. I'm not looking for condolences or anything; I have a finance question regarding life insurance.

2 days ago my father was found in his vehicle after having shot himself. The coroner's results are not yet in but I think anyone can understand it was a suicide. He was in some very bad debt and had lost strained relationship with my mother, his sisters. 2 days ago he got in a fight with my grandmother and she told him she never wanted to talk to him again. That night he shot himself. In essence, his depression killed him. However, he had never been diagnosed with depression, only anxiety.

Today I realized I have to get our finances in line and he always had told me where to find "important documents" if he ever died. I looked and among other things was his life insurance policy. It was started 10 years ago with Midland National; a $500,000 dollar policy.

Its the shortest policy I've ever seen, shorter than our car insurance. It just states definitions, general stuff. It states that the death benefit is paid when the executive office receives "acceptable proof of death". Is that the certificate of death? What about autopsy results? I have no idea what to send, and I havent called the company.

My other concern is that by killing himself my father has probably nulled the policy. There is a suicidde clause which states:

"If the insurer commits suicide, either sane or insane, within 2 years of the policy date, our liability is limited to an amount equal to premiums paid."

Does this mean it is not null as the policy is 10 years old?

Finally, the anxiety. My father suffered anxiety for 20 something years. At teh time of teh policy, he had not been officially diagnosed in the US and he took homeopathic medicine. However, when it stopped working he was prescribed cymbalta which he takes once a day for the last 3 years (it really helped). In the policy papers he checked yes to

"Has your family ever suffered cardiac, circulatory, nervous, or MENTAL illnesses"

In the details it was written that his brother died of renal cancer, but nothing about anxiety; furthermore, in the second medical page he did not check a part that asked if he suffered a mental illness (among other things).

I am sure the company will know he took cymbalta (antidepressant), as well as pills for his hypertension (diagnosed 3 years ago). Will this be a cop-out for the company not to pay?

I appreciate any help.

Thank you

Answer:
 You should check r/insurance.Answer #2: So I believe only the insurance company can tell you if they will pay out.  Call them.  Don't go into detail, just explain that your father passed away and you need to know what to do regarding the policy.

My husband also shot himself.  We had a small life insurance policy, but I had totally forgotten about it until my dad asked me about it.  I called our agent and he sent me some paperwork.  Once I had the death certificate I sent all the paperwork to him and in less than 30 days from my husband passing away I had the life insurance money and was able to pay bills, etc.  His policy also had a 2 year suicide clause although because of the low amount it did not require much, if any, information  regarding health.

Good luck and feel free to message me if you have more questions (although I am not a lawyer).Answer #3: (I am not a lawyer.)

> Does this mean it is not null as the policy is 10 years old?

If the policy is paid up, then it should not be void.

> "acceptable proof of death". Is that the certificate of death?

Yes.

> Today I realized we need to pay the bills until I get a job. Please help.

Talk to your dad's bank. Specifically the manager. Show him copies of the paper work. Decent banks will work with you.

I am sorry for your loss.


Title: Seems like my GF is being ripped off at work (TX)

Question:
She is a Waitress at a bar that sells food and drinks during the day, and just drinks at night. All cash tips she receives goes into her pocket, she does not have to notify her manager of the amount, but she keeps track of it for tax purposes. However, the manager on shift totals the tips she receives via cards and then tips out helping staff like bus boys/kitchen staff and such based off this amount. This tip out can be anywhere from 10-50% (anywhere from $15-50) of her nightly haul. The tip out is not what I have a quarrel with, tipping out is an incredibly normal process in the restaurant industry. Last night my GF found out that she is taxed on her *pre-tip out money* not the actual amount she takes home. Meaning her and the rest of the wait staff are getting taxed on the money the manager gives to both them and the tip out recipients. Resulting in them paying taxes on money they literally will never see, while the recipients of the tip out are not taxed on this cash they receive each night. Whether this is intentional for whatever reason or if it is bad management, to me this seems like she is paying her coworkers taxes a bit; but I am not familiar with the norms or behind the scenes reasoning surrounding decisions like this when owning a business. So I came here.

&#x200B;

Is this legal? If not, what further steps should be taken (please don't just say quit her job, obviously she can do that but she likes it there)?

Answer:
 She can contact the Texas Workforce Commission and run it by them. It does not sound kosher.

https://twc.texas.gov/


Title: Doctor wrote note saying I can't drive, work told me not their problem, come in tomorrow- Work Comp Injury

Question:
Having upcoming surgery on my ankle due to an injury at work, and only medicine working for pain in Naproxen. However, it is making my drowsy, and my doctor said no driving while on it, and no making decisions while on it. Ibuprofen and Acetaminophen do NOTHING for the pain, so can't do those. Turned note into work asking what to do, and they said "it is the employees responsibility to find transportation to work. "

So, essentially not their problem. Is this correct? I have no one who can drive me, there are no busses out here(i live very rural) and no taxi services I can find. I live about 40 miles away from where I work. What the hell do I do?

Answer:
 Naproxen is much like ibuprofen not a narcotic.Answer #2: >	So, essentially not their problem. Is this correct?

Yes, it is correct. Your employer is not responsible for supplying your transportation to work. If you have no way to get there, you'll have to use sick time.

Besides, your doctor's note says no making decisions while on the medication. Your employer probably doesn't want you trying to do work if your are drowsy and impaired. Sick leave would be the way to go.


Title: (Massachusetts) Nursing home is saying I'm responsible for step-mother's bill

Question:
My father requested to be put into assisted living 5 years ago. At the time he and his wife's relationship was not going well and they separated for a while, and she went to live with her sister.

Dad did not need real "nursing" care, just help with basics to make things easier, so I got him an apartment-style unit on the assisted living side of the nursing home complex. So, when he and his wife reconciled three years ago, she moved into that unit with him.  I continued paying about $3k/month as I always had, and his wife paid the difference ($1k/month) that the bill went up when she moved in. I am assuming she paid with SSI or something as they had no money in savings.

Dad passed away about 4 months ago.  His wife continued living in their apartment, but she cannot afford it and has failed to get Medicare/Medicaid (can't remember which is for the elderly).  I am not sure if she failed by not trying or they did not accept her application, as I have no contact with her.

The bill with the nursing home was always in dad's name, but I wrote the checks. When he passed away I settled up the final costs and they said the bill would be switched over to my step-mother's name if she continued living there, or she could make arrangements for something else if she preferred.

2 months ago they sent me a bill for her apartment and care.  I called them up and explained that dad had passed away.  They apologized and said the records probably didn't get updated for billing yet and they'd let the billing person know.  A month ago I got another notice, called and the receptionist said she'd get it taken care of.

Now I got a past due notice and called them again, and the billing person was available so I spoke with her directly. She said that because I have paid for the apartment for the past 5 years, I have effectively taken responsibility for care of my stepmother, who lived in the unit.

She said that they have already contacted my step-mother's 2 children, but both are unemployed and have proven to the nursing home they have no income, so now the nursing home is coming after me.

I am not sure how serious this is.  I have read on here and /r/PersonalFinance threads that kids are generally not responsible for parents debts and when a collector attempts to get money they're trying to scare you into paying when you actually have no legal obligation to do so...but what about a step-parent who is still alive? And the fact that I DID write checks from my own bank account for the apartment she lives in for the past 3 years of her living there?

I don't know if this is them trying to scare me into paying like with some of those cases, or if there is a serious chance I am on the hook for her care.  I would appreciate any advice one way or another.  I am not sure if I need a lawyer yet.

Thanks.

Answer:
 First, just because the billing person says it's so doesn't make it so. Their job is to get the money in. Second, it sounds like you told them you were settling up your dad. If so, they knew (or should have known) that you weren't supporting your step-mother.

I would send them a certified letter saying you're not responsible - you paid for your dad while he was alive, but closed that down.  In there, I would also say something like "to be perfectly clear, regardless of the status of past-due amounts, I will not pay any future expenses for (step-mother's name)."

Send that to the administrators there, not the billing people.  If, after that, they continue to bug you, see an attorney. Answer #2: An eldercare lawyer would have useful information. I'm sorry for your loss.Answer #3: I would definitely get a lawyer.  This is a whole bunch of money potentially if you end up being on the hook and they will likely take what you say much more seriously if it is done through a lawyer.  Answer #4: MA does have filial responsibility laws, but I don't see how they would apply to you. And it appears that you made it clear to the facility (and they accepted that) that you weren't going to be paying anymore. But I have to ask - did you sign any form of lease for this housing?


Title: I work at a restaurant, and was fired on my day off, for having a few beers, and getting jumped by five guys.

Question:
I went to the bar that I work at on my day off. I had a few shots of 70 proof liquor prior to going there. I had 2 beers. Then the bartender started serving me water. I got up asked them if I could get a beer, they said after I drink the water. I hit the counter, not hard but I hit it. The bartender told me I had to go. As soon as she said it, she put her hands on me, and started pushing me out. Creating a scene that got everyone's attention. I grabbed her arms to stabilize myself. I batted her hands off of me. She look at me like I killed her dog. My eyes were locked with hers. Then a bunch of the patrons, started to rush me, and continuously sucker punch me, all the way out the door. They knocked me down. I got up, and threw my hands up challenging everyone that was hitting me. Making threats to protect myself. Now what I want to ask is... What should I do legally. Can I file for unemployment? Can I press charges on the bartender that put her hands on me, as she was the direct cause of my injuries. Should I sue the bar for negligence for serving me? tl:dr Came into the bar I work at on my day off for a few beers, bartender gave me two beers, then served me water. I got angry, she pushed me. Then I got jumped. Now a week later they tell me I'm fired. What can I do legally?  This all happened in Maryland.
Topic:
Personal Injury

Answer: You got belligerent at your workplace and got fired for it, there's nothing you can do about that. You can talk to the police about being beat, but that may also turn out worse for you being that you were drunk and got physical with a woman.


Title: New Girlfriend summoned to appear in court regarding divorce

Question:
Background: My friend has gone through a divorce recently - everything was finalised a month or two ago; the divorce had nothing to do with any cheating or anything like that - he moved out and met a new girl shortly after

Today his new girlfriend received a summons to appear in court regarding the divorce

Is this normal? Between us we can’t think of any possible reason they would need to speak to her?

This is Texas by the way

Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 No idea, assuming everything has really been finalized, but if she has received a summons she should respond as directed and appear if directed to do so.Answer #2: Your friend should contact his attny and do what s/he says.

New g/f does need to appear, but should do so w/ an attny present.

Answer #3: Texas does not recognize alienation of affections, but that would be its own civil suit, not a summons to appear at divorce proceedings.

However, if I'm reading correctly, [Texas recognizes fault divorces as of last year](http://info.legalzoom.com/can-ask-divorce-texas-adultery-committed-24604.html).  It sounds like they want the new girlfriend to give her chronology of their relationship so that the wife can claim your friend committed adultery and she can be awarded a larger percentage of marital assets.

It's important that the girlfriend not lie and get herself into trouble.Answer #4: Did they have a morality clause in their divorce? Kids involved? A friend of mine got divorced in Texas and had to go back to court once the ex learned she was living w/ her boyfriend due to the morality clause.


Title: Organizing, financing and executing a public show display against white supremacy and nazis.

Question: I am the person who is going to put 1000 stickers in my town. I have volunteers who are going to do the work over 1 night to plaster these very visible stickers proclaiming my city as unwelcoming to any type of hater. we intend to let the local news in on the whole plan to publicize the effort. they are on board. what kind of legal issues should I be ready for.

Answer:
 Vandalism for one, potentially not having a permit for organizing, disturbing the peace, etc.

This is a stupid idea. Answer #2: > what kind of legal issues should I be ready for.

Well, vandalism, for one.  You can't go putting random stickers on other people's stuff, public or not.  If you get permission from the person/group who owns that property, maybe.

Answer #3: Defacing other people's property, that will get them on your side!Answer #4: Most people just want to live their lives and stop having to weigh in on a controversy that right now is being waged by two sides chock full of piss, vinegar, and an undeserving sense of their own morality.

We know your town is not welcoming to white supremacists without you defacing a bunch of people's property. There are more people that believe Elvis is still alive, that believe UFO's kidnap people, that believe the Illuminati runs the world, than there are avowed white supremacists in the US. It's an vanishingly tiny minority movement.

In other words, you do not need to go vandalize a bunch of city property - and thus take time away from city workers who have actual work to do that would be beneficial to its citizens - in order to persuade us. We already know.

Sincerely, somebody sick of this bullshit.Answer #5: Vandalizing someone's property is not a good way to get them on your side.


Title: Does someone like me, a Utah young woman, have a chance to go to court about sexual abuse and rape?

Question:
Hi, I'm from Utah. (bot said I needed to add my location, so I hope this works)

A little background:
A year ago, in high school, I broke up with my ex after finally standing up for myself from a 2-3 year long abusive, manipulating relationship that lead into rape, not once but for over a year, made me take lewd pictures of myself, tore me apart until I attempted suicide twice just so he can jump in and pretend he's the hero that saved me, made me nearly run away from my family once, forced me to buy really expensive things for him (regardless me telling on more than one occasion that I work a minimal wage job) and be bored with it after a week and made me isolate myself from everyone as he wanted me to always talk/be with him 24/7. He lied so much, I still don't 100% know if he really deleted all the lewd pictures & videos of me.
Along with it all, I only realized recently that he never really saw me as attractive, only wanting to steal a part of me, be his puppet until he was bored.
I left by reaching out to my current boyfriend, asking him if I could shoot with him and his friends, during lunch, to be safe. We waited as ex would be sitting on the stairs, watching me, spamming my phone and wouldn't leave. Lunch finished and I unintentionally took a while to clean up my art supplies when ex approached me, demanding why I wasn't with him. I told him that I didn't want to go through hell every single day anymore, and to leave me alone. I walked away but he ran in front of me, blocking my way as he shouted "WAIT!!" I panicked, changed direction as I repeatedly told him to leave me alone, but he wouldn't let me leave, so I turned around to run when he grabbed me from behind. I screamed, yelling at him to let me go and to leave me alone when a teacher heard and ran down the hall. Ex let go on shock and, in fear for my life, I ran to my class.
Months past and he was still spamming my phone with messages, blackmailing me with the lewd pictures but BF (boyfriend) kept telling me to ignore.

His family is incredibly rich, and because of that my boyfriend now is worried that no matter what ex would always win, making it all my fault. It's been over a year since I finally left as well. To this day, I'm always thinking on the back of my mind that he could blackmail me or be my stalker again  plus he never was punished for any of what he had done.
Would I still be able to take him to court to finally get the justice he deserves or is it too late?

Answer: There is no statute of limitations for rape in Utah, and many other serious sex crimes.  If you want to report this to the police, you still can.  [RAINN](https://rainn.org) is an amazing organization that offers a 24/7 support-line and can help you find resources in your area.


Title: Gym has changed its opening hours, would it be reasonable to ask for my money back?

Question:
I work during the day all week and so I can only go early in the morning or late at night which used to not be a problem, but recently the opening times were changed without notifying any customers. The new times don't suit my week and I won't be able to use the gym as much if at all anymore. It's only open 9:30-9:30 during the week, closed at 6 on saturday and closed completely on Sundays!

Besides this, a couple of times I have gone up during the business hours to find that it's closed with no explanation or warning. Complete waste of my time and really annoying. It's owned and run by one guy who cancelled on me mid way through a PT session so he could go 'pick up his brother'.

Anyways, I paid about €180 a couple months ago for 6 months membership. Could I reasonably ask for the remaining months back as I would much rather just find another gym?

Answer:
 Yes. It's legal to ask for a refund. Answer #2: Look at your cancellation/refund terms on your agreement. That will guide you as to what you may be entitled to have back. Answer #3: Absolutely! I dont think they *have* to comply, but its definitely worth it to ask!Answer #4: I managed a gym for a few years and we made several major changes to gym hours, classes, etc. per their contract, members were unable to cancel unless it were for medical needs, moving (specific amount of miles away), and financial distress (negative account statement). Ask them first, if they say no, ask to see your cancellation rights in the contract (you should refer to the contract before you ask). They could be nice and say yes, but they also have the right to say no due to contractual obligation.

&#x200B;


Title: Landlord Has Falsely Accused Tenant of Smoking in Section 8 Subsidized Apartment (MN)

Question:
My friend is on Section 8 housing and has lived in the same apartment for 12 years. I am writing this for him as he is handicapped and unable to do so himself. 2 years ago a new apartment manager was hired after the previous one retired. Almost immediately after she was hired she inspected all of the apartments and accused my friend of smoking in his. The former tenant DID smoke in his apartment and the walls have never been painted and the carpet is from 1980 according to the previous landlord. He denied this and the matter was dropped until several months (2015) later when he received a warning letter that other tenants claimed they smelled smoke in his general apartment area. He denied this claim again.

&nbsp;

 On Monday he received a second warning letter that again he was smoking in his apartment. No one has been into his apartment for inspections or repairs since last year. If he receives one more warning he will be evicted and potentially lose his subsidized housing. I have been to his place many times over the years and it doesn't smell like smoke to me. He has also received a strange handwritten letter under his door that read "the police are watching you" a few weeks ago.

&nbsp;

My friend has severe anxiety as well as OCD and his apartment is very clean and he keeps to himself. He is afraid this landlord is trying to push him out as they have been remodeling and upping the rent on all of the other apartments in his complex and his is one of the last. What action can be taken? How can he protect himself against these accusations? We thought to invite the landlord in to prove that he does not smoke but what if she again claims to smell this non-existent smoke?

Answer:
 A similar situation is happening in my apartment building. Someone keeps complaining about smelling smoke. I personally haven't smelled any besides the smoke that wafts up from the back alley where people from the businesses below take their smoke breaks.

The building here is very old and does have a smell in the hallway, but inside my unit I rarely smell smoke.

We keep getting continued emails reminding us of the no smoking policy and there have been multiple building-wide inspections.

I wish I could offer help for your friend's situation--I've always wondered myself how they could find evidence of smoking. I'm constantly worried I'm going to get charged for someone else's smoke, since, this is a building with many units and air does travel.

I know in my issue there have been several inspections. I can't see how the landlord can keep accusing your friend if no inspection has been made.


Title: HOA and Architectural Control Committee Issue - Do I proceed and wait to be sued?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 IANAL: Have your attorney send a letter to the HOA Board stating 1) there is no easement issue; 2) the ACC approved your shed by a 2 to 1 vote; 3) his review does not indicate any covenant is being violated and therefore in the absence of any valid objection you intend to proceed.

The reality is you cannot stop the third member of the ACC from trying to cause problems, but you can at least put the board on notice that you've done your homework. Maybe it will encourage them to do theirs.Answer #2: You've already retained an attorney. No one here is going to contradict your attorney's advice without access to all the facts and knowledge of your state's law. I suggest you follow your counsel's advice


Title: Insuring an RX cannabis business (Los Angeles, CA)

Question:
Hey /r/legaladvice,

I am part of a startup seeking to produce and distribute RX edibles (we will produce non-THC counterparts also). Like any business, we are currently in the process of evaluating appropriate insurance coverage for our business.

Initial search results point towards industry specific insurers (e.g. Cannassure), but return very little results from big insurance companies. This brings me to my questions:

1) Are mainstream insurers able to provide coverage for this business type?

2) What coverage do the legal minds on this subreddit recommend?

3) Any other considerations to bear in mind?

Thank you in advance for all your help...

Answer:
 I doubt you will find any large insurers willing to give you a policy since what you are doing is illegal under federal law

I recommend not doing this as you can go to federal prison.


Title: Legal advice on boyfriends drug charges?

Question:
So last night out of nowhere, my boyfriend, who is not very well liked by the police and has a past with marijuana and paraphenlia charges, got a house raid. Hes 19. So he got his house raided and his mom said the cops charged him with:

Posession of CDS-3
Posession cds w/ intent to dist within 500 ft of public park
conspiracy
and 2 counts of "MFG/Dist/disp Lsd <10gr. 2nd degree"..

she said they didnt find lsd only money on him but i have a feeling he just didnt tel her they found his 25d tabs. He had these 25d combo tabs with another on them and he tld me the legal status was that it wasnt undee the analogue act yet which is why he got them. Honestly,

i just want to know what exactly do his charges mean, will he be serving quite some time? His bail for the lsd charge is 400,000. Ridiculous. Anyone can offer some experience or advice?

Edit: I am from New jersey and he is not on probation. He has never gotten a serious chatge where he had to do drug court probation parole ect. This his first real offense were looking at. Just found out he sold 3 tabs to a girl snd she rolled on him.

Answer: If you care about your future you will dump him immediately.


Title: Blackmailer is threatening a friend with leaking nude pictures

Question: So today my friend (Call her Louise) age 15, came to me with a problem. She was threatened by another girl that she would leak nudes of my friend. The girl (we'll call her Jenny) said "Louise you disgusting slut, I have your nudes and I'm going to leak them to the school." Is there anything my friend can do to prevent these pictures from being leaked. Thanks! Location: Illinois, United States

Answer:
 It's not blackmail unless the other person is asking something in return for not leaking the photos.

Releasing the photos would be distributing child pornography.

She needs to tell her parents and let them help her decide what to do.


Title: Car totaled by other driver, his insurance won't pay, blaming a (phantom) truck.

Question: Hello all, I was involved in an accident the other day that left my car totaled, the damages exceeded $7500. Sadly I only have liability on the car. After speaking with the other insurance company and having dealt with my own the other parties insurance has decided to not cover me in the event that they are willing to blame this phantom truck driver. What happened was all parties involved were headed in the same direction on a 3 lane highway. The right lane had a (phantom) tractor trailer that began to swerve into the middle lane, a Chrysler 300C without looking swerved into the left lane where I was, the 300C in the middle lane, then I was and slammed into the guardrail where he pinned me into it and rolled his car down the highway. The truck, which I never saw,he claimed he did, as well as a 3rd party witness, drove off. Leaving me and the Chrysler on the side of the interstate. The other insurance began to conduct their investigation and assessed my car at a proper number while they continued with their work and then called me and said they refused to cover me since it was the trucks fault that never even made contact with the center lane driver who drove me into the guardrail and then sent himself spinning down the highway. The police report clearly states that this was the case with diagrams and wording between the 2 cars. I was infuriated by them attempting to pin that as the cause. I don't have collision and my insurance company said that the statement as to why the other parties insurance won't cover is grade-A BS. He wanted to open an uninsured/underinsured case but failed to do so and said it would not be possible. My dad's attorney said that if he takes this to court it'll cost upwards of 5K when the car is only worth 6K. I'm disheartened to realize how awful the insurance world is but I guess I should have figured. I've come to /r/legaladvice today to ask if there is any option that I have not explored or if there is anything that I could possibly do to make this work in my favor. This took place with me as a NJ resident, and the other party a PA resident in NJ. Thank you for your time and expertise.

Answer:
 You can sue him in small claims court yourself, for up to $3000. https://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/prose/10148_sc_motorveh.pdf

Sure beats a swift kick in the ass.Answer #2: This is why collision coverage is important if you can't afford to fix your car, even if it's a cheap car.


Title: Brother's Girlfriend is Leeching Off Family

Question:
Hello all, Have a question regarding possible elder abuse. State is North Carolina.

My Grandfather, Mother, Brother and Brother's GF (henceforth called leech) all live in the same household.

The issue at hand is that the leech was only supposed to stay in the house for 3-6 months since she was moving from out of state. That was May 2013 and there are no signs of her leaving. She pays $100 a month to my mom and in exchange gets free run of the house, cable, internet, utilities, a car and insurance handed to her. My grandfather and mother are both mentally disabled and the one time I attempted to have a group sit down it got extremely heated and became a "me vs her" game where she began to guilt my mother. With me being out of the house it is far easier for her manipulate the situation and get pity.

At current she is working two jobs, has her won car that won't run and has no issues with paying over $200 on her hair and eating out for every meal. To make matters worse she has my brother tied around her finger and belittles him constantly but that is another story.

What possible actions can I take as my mother and grandfather are so medicated that they always move to avoid conflict. In this case, even though they have expressed to me numerous times that she needs to leave, she is always able to cause an argument and get my parents to cave to her and the new status quo.

Hopefully there is something to be done as my grandfather is in his 70's and my mother in her late 50's.
Topic:
Douche

Answer:
 If your mom rents the house and is willing to let her stay, there isn't much you can do legally.  The only legal option would be to get a judge to declare your mom incompetent to handle her affairs, and appoint someone to take over her finances, which probably isn't going to happen.

I suggest you talk to your mom about this privately.  Explain the effects it is having on you.  Focus on how it is hurting you and your use of the house, not on the GF.Answer #2: It's not clear from your post who owns the house, but your best bet would be to talk to a pastor, family member, or respected friend of the owner about having a conversation with Owner about this. The next best thing would be to get a family therapist or other mental health professional involved. You would have to talk the therapist yourself for ideas on how to get the owner to come to a session.


Title: At what point am I officially "employed"?

Question:
I was going to post this to /r/workersrights, but nobody comments on there.

TL;DR right up front:  I'm starting a new job in two weeks.  I have signed an offer letter from them and returned it to the employer.  Am I now legally employed by them, or is that not until I actually start working?

Reason for the question:  They're having me run all over the place this week signing papers/getting my photo taken/peeing in a cup for a drug test.  They're giving me very little notice for any of these requirements, and I've been pretty busy with some projects around the house, so the whole process is a bit of a pain in the ass.  I'm curious if I should ask to be compensated for the time and mileage involved in all of the running around and filling out forms.

I did some googling and found [this site](http://www.shrm.org/templatestools/hrqa/pages/payfordrugtestingtime.aspx), which indicates that I don't need to be paid for the drug testing before I'm employed, but I do need to if the employer requires me to take a drug test after I'm employed.

The job pays reasonably well, so I could potentially get a couple hundred dollars worth of pay for the time spent on jumping through all the requisite hoops.  Not a huge amount of money, but also not an amount that I want to just throw away.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Edited to appease the Bot:  I live in/will be working in Pennsylvania.

Answer:
 It sounds like you've probably been hired *pending a drug test.* You aren't employed yet.

In any case, you can ask. If you *do* ask, I'd expect to have your offer coincidentally rescinded. That's the worst possible way to start a new job.


Title: My company sabotaged our valuation in order to lower equity shares

Question: [deleted]

Answer: For tens of millions, it's time to consult an attorney.


Title: My Late grandfather's Handgun in our Attic - Westchester County, NY

Question:
Thank you in advance for your help.

I recently learned that we have what I can only assume is my late Grandfather's army issue Model 1911 handgun in our attic (found it with his dog tags). While I have many assumptions as to how it got there, the fact of the matter is, my grandfather passed away in the early 80s, and the legal grace period around inheriting firearms ( New York [Penal Law, Part 3, Title P, S265.20: Exemptions](https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/PEN/265.20) ) has LONG since passed. Based on the same section of the law, the quickest way to (hopefully) get out of this legal jeopardy is to contact the local PD/Sheriff to surrender the weapon.

**The reason for my post:** I have a Westchester County issued handgun license (FYI: Westchester County in New York, not the town in Pennsylvania). Considering the sentimental value of this firearm (my grandfather was stationed in the Pacific during WWII), and the very strict laws governing firearms in the state of New York, is there ANY course of action I could pursue to get this firearm legally registered under my name to keep it in my family?

**Secondary/related question:** I've read on other gun related forums that if I surrender the firearm to local PD, I can request to have it held while I work through the steps to have it registered under me. True, False, or Coin flip?

Other information:

* Already contacted the NYSRPA, and the NRA's legal channels and got no response.
* I know, I should talk to a lawyer. I am currently looking at local options.
* While gun rights/reform is a very heated topic in our country, I'm not looking to start a debate, and am terribly sorry if this post does so.
- Again, Thank you in advance for your advice.

*TL:DR Found Granddad's Pistol, can I register it under my name?*

Answer:
 Honestly, as labyrinthine as NY's gun laws are, I would probably ask an estate lawyer about this. I know you said above that you're looking at that.

https://www.nysba.org/lawyerreferral/


Title: [Vermont, USA] My house was burgled, the perpetrator was caught, what can I do to make sure he is charged?

Question:
While I was at work on Friday, someone smashed the window on our front door, broke in, and stole >$5000 worth of jewelry, foreign currency, tablets, etc. I immediately called the police, and later in the evening sent them security camera footage of the break-in. They recognized the perpetrator, found him the next day, and persuaded him to get a bunch of the stuff back from whoever he had traded/fenced it to. They had us come down to the station and identify the items, which they are keeping temporarily as evidence I guess. There are still some expensive family heirloom pieces missing, all of the jewelry was appraised and inventoried for insurance purposes. I doubt we'll ever see them again.

The police were aware of this guy because he's done stuff like this before. He's supposedly a drug user, and they said he'd probably be sentenced to a short stint in a rehab facility again. Personally, I don't think drug users should be imprisoned just for using drugs, so in a different situation that would be fine by me. But this guy smashed my front door window on one of the coldest days of the year, and stole a ton of shit including irreplaceable family heirlooms. In addition to that, it feels pretty damn violating to come home to a ransacked house.

My question is, not to sound too vindictive, but what can I possibly do to see that this guy has a chance of serving some time? I realize that getting some of the stuff back would be a mitigating factor in terms of sentencing. Do I just email the state attorney and ask nicely? Or, (and this is not legal advice), am I just being an asshole for wanting to see him serve a little time?

**tl;dr, Guy broke into my house and I want to know if there's anything I can to increase the odds that serves some time for it.**

Answer: Basically just talk to the Assistant State Attorney handling the case.