Title: [Pennsylvania] Pulled over and ticketed for speeding, but my brand new bowl was confiscated?

Question: Hey guys, I live in PA and I was pulled over and ticketed last week for speeding. My problem is I had bought a brand new bowl from a hedge shop in a neighboring town earlier that day so it was sitting in my cup holder, wrapped in bubble wrap, in a brown paper bag. He asked what it was, I told him, he asked if he could see it, I said sure, he opened it, and told me I wasn't getting it back. The pipe had never been used obviously, so I know its legal. I called the police station and they told me they would look into it and get back to me, and never did. I have called them again since and they just keep giving me the run around. I seriously feel like a cop just robbed me of $96.79!!!!!!!! At this point its a principle thing. What can I do?

Answer:
 >  I had bought a brand new bowl from a hedge shop

It's called a head shop. Google it, there's some history behind why. But you while others here are debating the language of the law, when it comes to drugs, always better to be safe than sorry. A prosecutor could *absolutely* charge you under your state's laws. You might win in court, but a criminal defense attorney is going to charge a heck of a lot more than $96.79. Aside from all of that, they aren't giving it back.Answer #2: http://norml.org/laws/item/pennsylvania-penalties-2

Paraphernalia
Possessing or selling paraphernalia is a misdemeanor punishable with up to 1 year in jail and a fine of not more than $2,500. Delivering paraphernalia to a minor who is 3 or more years his junior is a second-degree misdemeanor punishable by not more than 2 years and a fine not exceeding $5,000.

See

35 PA. Cons. Stat. § 780-113 Web Search
18 PA. Cons. Stat. § 106 Web Search
18 PA. Cons. Stat. § 1101 Web Search
18 PA. Cons. Stat. § 1103 Web Search
18 PA. Cons. Stat. § 1104 Web Search

So- Are you willing to go to court to argue that the “bowl” the cop seized (without arresting you) was purely a decorative item rather than drug paraphernalia?

How lucky do you feel?Answer #3: Were you dumb enough to call it a bowl when the cop asked you what it was?


Title: If I get shot, do I own the bullet?

Question:
Credit to slimetony on Tumblr for initially asking the question.

If someone shoots you, does that count as them giving you a bullet? Same with almost any piercing projectile.

If someone thought I was a werewolf or something for example and shot me with a silver bullet. Assuming I'm not actually a werewolf can I legally sell it on? It seems unfair if I can't.

Answer:
 If you or anyone else reports to getting shot as a crime, then the bullet becomes evidence. After trial, you could request the bullet back but the shooter could as well, assuming they aren't in prison for shooting you. If they are acquitted based on the reasonable suspicion that you were a werewolf, then they could claim the silver bullet as a tool that they intended to retrieve from the dead werewolf and retain ownership. If the court found that it was not a reasonable suspicion that you were a werewolf by acquitted them for being stupid, then the bullet would be yours as it was discharged on a manner that the shooter could not reasonably expect to retrieve it.

If no one reports it as a crime, then yeah, it's yours.Answer #2: consider it a giftAnswer #3: Under pure property law. I would think the bullet would be considered abandoned and would be yours if you claim it. Answer #4: Say you shot yourself.  You cant keep the bullets anymore because of some DHS regulations.  Cant even keep pulled teeth.  Pathogens and waste disposal regulations.  Or I am wrong and my dentist is secretly hoarding teeth.

If the doctor were to leave the room and you pulled it out of the cup,  mmmmm maybe you could get away with it.  The doctor would be absolved on that.


Title: [virginia] my previous employer targeted me for termination

Question:
so yesterday i posted about a guy i used to work with lying about me and costing me a promotion. today i log in and find out that apparently posted some bullshit story about me being a dick to him a few months back

i sound exactly like something he would say about me. i found out they were only looking for a reason to fire me. happy bridge said him fucking with my promotion would be tortious interference but is his costing me my previous job also tortious interference? he was doing it for my previous company so can i sue them?

Answer: So you can dish it out but not take it apparently. If that's the case I suggest you don't post about work stuff on social media. in the meantime file for unemployment and look for a new job.


Title: NY, Bartender was taking pictures of me and sending them to my Ex. Caused a scene at my house.

Question: I went to a local bar for some drinks last night and met up with some friends.  The bartender apparently knows my ex and decided to take it upon himself to take pictures of me and send them to me ex.  This totally caused a scene at my house and made my friend leave feeling super uncomfortable and left me feeling like my privacy was totally invaded. i go to this bar a good amount and it just totally ruined my experience there.  I know photos in public places are legal but inside a bar?  While he was on his job?  I have all the conversations right from my ex saying that they did it and i have their name.  I really want to complain to management about this and have something done.

Answer: Photos in bars are legal, especially by bar staff who have every right to be there. Your recourse is complaining to bar management.Answer #2: If nothing else, I can't imagine that his boss would be thrilled with the fact that he was busy playing spy photographer and texting rather than working.  While there's no real legal recourse here, I'm guessing that reporting him to management will at the very least get him reprimanded and potentially disciplined.


Title: My dads lawyer sent me a letter demanding i give back my godfathers ashes by Sept. 15 or further legal action would be taken

Question:
Ok, my dad and godfather were best friends but my godfather died in 2012 when i was only 13. He had only no biological family. After he was cremated my dad kept the ashes. I moved out when i turned 18, November of 2016. I took the ashes with me.

Now I'm married to a man who's really nice but only my dad doesn't like him. My husband and i both have restraining orders against my dad because he's not very nice and tried to fight with us.

Today i received a letter from my dad's attorney telling me that i have to return the ashes or they'll take further legal action.

Is this true? What action can they take? I kinda thought possession was 9/10 the law. Also is this breaking the restraining order?

Answer:
 The ashes belong to someone.  Probably your dad.  If they belong to your dad then you have no right to refuse to return them.

Does this violate the restraining order?  There's an argument to be made, but it's pretty tenuous.Answer #2: >I kinda thought possession was 9/10 the law.

Did you really think that you are good to go when you steal something? It's just yours now?

The restraining order won't stop him from suing you.


Title: [LOS ANGELES CA] Cops thought a metal pipe I was using to make a muffler was a gun suppressor, now have felony charges!

Question:
Thanks to anyone who answers this.

Me and my g/f were fighting, cops were called out on a domestic violence call. They ended up searching my apartment - I had some parts of an incompleted pistol I've been building. They were ok with that. Weed plants growing? Not a problem. But they came across a goddamn pipe I was using to make a MUFFLER for a motorized bike I had recently finished (it's loud as f*ck) - the cops took that metal pipe and are now saying I was building a SILENCER for my un-finished, legal pistol. This is a false accusation. They want me to take a plea of 3 years probation for some shit I didn't do, and my public defender doesn't want to help me fight this. Any advise??? Court on Monday...

Other info: I was arrested that day, spent 3 days in jail - but they threw out the domestic violence charges, now I have some type of manufacturing firearms, but only for the "silencer" which they took and left everything else.

Thanks in advance
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer: You're going to have hell of a time proving that with an incomplete pistol to go along with that. Not to mention that a diameter of a muffler is huge compared to a silencer, I'm not sure any officer or district attorney would make that mistake. Also your public defender not wanting to help you out is a sign that you're not going to win. I'm sure they talked to you, what was there reason on why you should just plea out?


Title: Teeth pulled without permission.

Question:
*edit* is there a reason I am being down voted for this?
*edit 2* please stop accusing my mother of neglect, she has four children 2 of which have perfect teeth, one which has overcrowding + overbite which we have been told is genetics and then there is my little sister. If she was neglecting her then wouldn't we all be neglected?

My 4-year-old sister went into surgery today to have some teeth pulled. She has low enamel and her front 4 teeth definitely needed to be pulled. She was under the public health system (Aus) and my mother was told that they would pull about 6 teeth- perhaps more and she specified that they were not to pull all her teeth. They pulled 15. It appears that she has literally 3 teeth left. They did not ask my mother for permission on whether they should take those teeth and as far as she was aware and what they had told her, her bottom teeth did not need to be pulled as they were not causing her pain. They accidentally overdosed her on panadol and it took her double the time to come to because of this. She is still bleeding and has stitches (the stitches are badly done and sticking half out of her lip?)  in her mouth from the teeth pulling. She has black eyes!!! And on top of all of that my mother was told she and my sister could not leave the hospital until the dentist had signed a release form. They arrived at 6am and went in to surgery at 8.30 am and did not get out until 4 hours later when my mother was told it would only be a 2 hour surgery. It wasn't until 6pm that a nurse came out and apologised because the dentist had actually neglected all of his patients (my mum wasn't the only one waiting on him) and gone home at 4pm. She will have no teeth until she is 7 or 8 and will now have to eat soft foods until then because of what this dentist had done. Does my mother have any legal standing for what he has done to my baby sister?

Answer:
 Medical malpractice is very fact specific and beyond the scope of this sub. Speak to a lawyer about this. Your local bar probably offers referrals.Answer #2: I'm just being the devil's advocate here: your sister had to be put under general anesthesia for the surgery--there are always dangers that come with anesthesia, including death.  The dentist *might* have found more underlying damage while she was under that he couldn't find until he started surgery.  He might have decided it was safer to take teeth out now, instead of putting her through another surgery.

Teeth with low enamel are really prone to infection.  Since the roots of our teeth are right next to the nasal passages, a tooth infection can spread to the brain and kill.

Black eyes are a common side effect of dental surgery, because the roots of the teeth are really hard to get out of the bone.  We have tons of blood vessels up under our eyes along with very delicate skin.  So it's easy for bruising and swelling to appear there.

http://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/5-things-to-know-about-black-eyeAnswer #3: I don't understand why she had to have any pulled, baby teeth start coming out on their own when the child is 5 or 6.


Title: Attorney refuses to execute personal contract (signed and notorized)

Question:
I loaned a guy money and made him sign a contract to pay me back. While at the bank I had it notorized. This attorney said it is legal and binding. So he wrote a letter telling this guy to pay me back. Dude got his own attorney and legally refused. So my attorney said I should file a complaint. He generated the forms but never actually filed anything. I know this because if he had the papers would have been served. After a mlntb I asked abput it and he said his guy usuallybserves papers within a day. So I asked what the status is. He said he is confident it will be done and he doesn't need to call to find out, and I should keep waiting. Meaning he never did anything. I never recieved my confirmation of service and never will.

Obviously it's too late to do anything. He's waiting out the statute of limitations so he doesn't have to do anything. I left him a message saying I'm done and he can keep my money. It isn't even a large amount of money, so he isn't interested. What I don't understand is if he doesn't care why even take the case? It's under $10K, so he knows he won't represent me in court.

Given that it isn't worth an attorney's time my question is simplle. Is it worth transferring to another one for another attempt? I really honestly can't afford another retainer and I'm prepared to walk away and shred my contract. I don't want to pay more money for execution than I'll be getting back. So in all liklihood there's nothing I can do but forget about it. I just really need a better alternative.
Anyway the info looks like this:

Contract date: September 16, 2016
Amount: $9,956
Location: I live in Anaheim, CA and my attorney is in Fullerton, CA
Complaint generation date: February 18, 2018
Date of this post: April 13, 2018
Date filed: it hasn't been
City complaint was supposedly filed in: Fullerton, CA
Date of service: hasn't actually happened
Money paid to attorney: $1,700 for 5 hours he refuses to use

I haven't called the clerk in Fullerton yet, but it can't be filed without proof of service, so I very seriously doubt it has been or ever will be.

Should I pay another guy or not? That's really all I need to know. If no, fine. I figured as much. If yes, then it's still no because I'm broke. That's why I really really want my money back. I'm budgeted to live without it already, so I'll eventually get over losing it.

Thanks and sorry for wasting your time.

Answer:
 >Should I pay another guy or not?

That's a decision that only you can make.


Title: Friends car was towed in Tampa, he sent a notarized document authorizing me to retrieve the vehicle and they refused to release it.

Question:
Hi everyone, my friend is about to move across the country and wanted to ship his car from Tampa to LA. The company he is using to ship the car told him to leave it in a parking lot and they would get it, as he was going to New Hampshire for thanksgiving. He, like an idiot, did so. The shipping company was a day late to get the car and therefore the car was towed after being left in a Burger King lot for more than 24 hours.

Because I am the only one of his friends that can drive a manual transmission, I volunteered to retrieve the car for him. The tow company requested a notarized document authorizing me to retrieve the car. Because he is in New Hampshire, he had it notarized by a New Hampshire notary, who followed New Hampshire notary laws.

The tow company refuses to accept the document because it was not notarized in Florida and the notarized section is on a separate sheet of paper (as per New Hampshire notary guidelines). My friend is not in Florida to get a new document notarized.

How the heck can I get this car back without forcing him to fly to Florida?

Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer:
 Beat on the tow company some more. If the document is properly notarized in NH, it's valid in FL as well. It's that whole "full faith and credit" part of the Constitution. Happily though, FL also put it in their laws directly. Title VII, 92.50(2):

>(2) IN OTHER STATES, TERRITORIES, AND DISTRICTS OF THE UNITED STATES.—Oaths, affidavits, and acknowledgments required or authorized under the laws of this state, may be taken or administered in any other state, territory, or district of the United States, before any judge, clerk or deputy clerk of any court of record, within such state, territory, or district, having a seal, **or before any notary public** or justice of the peace, having a seal, in such state, territory, or district; provided, however, such officer or person is authorized under the laws of such state, territory, or district to take or administer oaths, affidavits and acknowledgments. The jurat, or certificate of proof or acknowledgment, shall be authenticated by the signature and official seal of such officer or person taking or administering the same; provided, however, when taken or administered by or before any judge, clerk, or deputy clerk of a court of record, the seal of such court may be affixed as the seal of such officer or person.Answer #2: I would talk to a local Florida notary and see what they can do.  I'm sure they have *some* way to get things notarized if someone is far away.


Title: Is harming a nonviable fetus in a violent act against a pregnant woman legal?

Question: From my understanding, in most states abortion is legal on a nonviable fetus because the fetus has no Constitutional rights. If a nonviable fetus has no rights, then harming one should not result in any legal trouble, right?

Answer: Fun fact, many states actually expressly allow murder charges or harm to fetus for violence to a pregnant women. Answer #2: Wrong on both counts.


Title: Charged with a 220.03

Question:
So I was in NYC a few weeks ago and I was charged with a 220.03, this will be my first time offence and I am basically here to seek help on what I should do?

Basically, I just wanted help on what I should need/do to make sure that I am getting the best out of this case. Like should I get a lawyer? What are some possible charges I may receive and other things like that.

Also I should mention that I am only 18 and that I am most likely unable to get a good attorney cause I don't have that much cash, so I am pretty nervous of what might happen. Please help me out with this guys.

Answer:
 This is within the confines of what I do.

Feel free to send me a PM.


Title: [California]Inherited property with a sibling and 2 months later sibling dies in car accident, how to handle property now?

Question:
This actually happened in 2015 but I am trying to stop ignoring it and deal with it. Both of my parents have passed, and on my fathers passing in 2015, my brother and I each inherited 50% of the family property, roughly valued at $2.5M. Two months later, my brother dies in a car accident. He had no Will, but has a very messy home life: seperated with his wife of 10 years with 2 children and a new girlfriend who he had a child with at the beginning of 2015.

I am wanting to sell this property now, but that means I need to deal with his half of the inheritance. I don't have much money, so i would like to avoid any lengthy legal battle with his half of the inheritance. I know I need to speak to a probate lawyer, but wanted to know if there is any other way to handle this?

If there are any requests for clarifications or more information I will try to respond throughout the day.

Answer:
 > valued at $2.5M

If there's any equity in the property at all, you can afford an estate attorney to help you untangle this, even if you have to borrow against the property to do it. That's where I'd start.

Whether you inherited his half of the property or not will come down to details of your parents' will, as well as California probate law, that I'm not familiar with. There is no better way to approach this than with a lawyer, though.Answer #2: So, this is a single property, like real estate, right?

Basically, while it used to be 50-50 with the two of you, now it's 50% you, 50% his estate. Without a will, it likely becomes the property of his children, who I assume are all minors? They can't make those decisions on their own, so they'll need someone authorized to handle their property, which may or may not be their mother(s).

So, short answer: get a lawyer.


Title: [NM] Nephew of elderly man living next door acting as if their property is his, will not stop trespassing and damaging property.

Question:
My SO's Father is in his 90s, he owns the property he lives on. The Father's Nephew lives next door on property owned by his father. A couple weeks ago, Nephew started taking down the fences and moving his belongings onto their yard, as well as generally messing with the property. He has even gone so far as to enter the old man's home and simply take things. The Father lives there with his 70 something wife who takes care of him, they are both very passive and... well, old. The Nephew was explicitly told not to take down the fence, he did it anyway. He is told to stop trespassing, he does it anyway. Wife called the cops after repeated instances of trespassing, who arrived and were not sure what to do about it, so nothing was resolved. The fence was already gone, so it was difficult to discern, and the Father is too old to get involved. Nephew acted very buddy-buddy to them and sweet as sugar to the Wife once they arrived, its a very small town. He is really nice to their faces, but has been telling various people about how he's going to go in and kick the Wife out the day her husband dies, claiming he is on his grandmother's will, he is not. He is already acting as if the Father has died, like he has it in the bag.
My SO has been home for a week to help the situation. He has the paperwork discerning property lines, as well as power of attorney, and is the only recipient on his Father's will. He has the capacity to control this situation with the property, but doesn't know how to stop the Nephew from ignoring everything and continuing to mess around. He put a padlock on a gate today only to have the Nephew bend the U latch around it to get into their yard, is this obvious enough to constitute action?
Along with a myriad of random crap, Nephew has a broken down truck parked on their yard. How do we force him to remove his stuff and put the fence back? It can be towed, right? How do we get him to stop trespassing? He is belligerent and presumptuous and is going to ignore any verbal warnings and letters. A cease and desist would fall on deaf ears. What do the police need to really intervene? Nephew is back and forth quickly, when police arrive he will already be back on his own property. Am I correct in assuming that if a cease and desist is ignored, legal action can be taken? How is solid enough proof of trespassing and property damage ascertained?

edit: Does anyone have any suggestions for affordable cameras?
edit 2: Nephew confronted SO in the yard saying, "You better take this lock off before I cut it." and "You don't know what you're talking about." When told the property belonged to SO and his side of the family. He left upon threat of legal action, but this isn't the last we'll hear of him.
Just as an example of the level of presumptuous delusion we're dealing with.

Answer:
 What a douche. No advice I have to give would be legal. He needs the fear of god put into him.

Let's see, ok, call the police and demand they create a report for trespassing.  Multiple reports can be compiled as good evidence for a restraining order.  Put up security cameras.  Every new instance of trespass is a new call to the police.

As far as the truck if it's on your property have it towed.  Answer #2: Call a tow company and get rid of the truck.

This is probably going to be in the realms of an elder law specialist. The C&D falling on deaf ears doesn't matter. You want the paper trail to prove that he is deliberately doing things he knows are not allowed.

Invest in cameras to record his trespassing. Start suing.Answer #3: Sounds like elder abuse.  Try calling these people:

https://www.caregiver.org/new-mexico-adult-protective-services-aps-and-elder-abuse-hotlineAnswer #4: I have a secondary question maybe one of you people can answer. Why is it such a common occurrence in these types of posts that the cops aren't sure what to do about trespassers? Defiant trespassing is a crime. Arrest them.


Title: If I have a New Jersey learners permit and I move to Pennsylvania is my learners permit still valid or do I have to go thru the whole process again

Question: I’m moving soon and very worried I’ll have to do this whole process over again

Answer:
 Yup. All over again. Your NJ learners permit is worth exactly squat out of state.Answer #2: How close were you to your probationary license? Could you maybe just wait a few weeks and get your license in NJ (at the closest DMV) using your old address? Then you could just use that to get the PA license and save yourself the extra time and money.

Also, I have no idea about the legality of the above, but it might be more practical.Answer #3: Not legal advice but: Can you do you driving test and get your full license prior to moving?


Title: My landlord is killing me with utilities.

Question:
Here is a little bit of a back story. I'm living in a converted garage on a property with one other family. The other family lives in a granny unit in the back of the property. The main house is currently unlivable and not rented out at the moment. We have a shared utilities that is split "fairly" according to my landlord. There is no way to meter my unit for either water or electricity. I've recently found out that its not a legal living unit so I can't switch anything over to my name or set up an account.

I've been living at this place for a little over 4 months now and every month the utilities for my one bedroom garage is \~$185 for water and \~$90 for electricity. I do not pay for gas because nothing is gas in the unit. I have no heating or air.

&#x200B;

I have tried talking with my landlords about coming to some utilities included agreement but they are avoiding me and will not talk at all. They will answer their phone but as soon as the bill comes up they hang up. I've talked with the family living next to/behind me on the property and their monthly utilities is \~$250. I have no idea how I'm racking up as much of a bill as a family of five. My landlord will not show me the bill.

&#x200B;

I recently just came back form a four week vacation and they still hit me with a \~$280 utilities bill. I've payed them the rent for the month but I'm with holding on paying any of the utilities to them till I can get some other explanation form them.

&#x200B;

The reason why I don't just move is that this place is next to my work and that semi affordable housing in my area in California is incredibly hard to find. I also have a 4k deposit on the unit I'm afraid I wont be getting back. If you guys have any advice on the situation it'd be very much appreciated.

Answer:
 If you're ok with the convenience of being close to work and a high utility bill than continue living on.

I suggest paying off the bills as they come in and find a place just as good in the mean time, you're getting fucked in the ass by these people. Get your deposit and run. What are the chances that he'll look for anything not to give you the deposit back?

I wish you the best of luck, don't renew your lease.


Title: First offense, DWI in Texas, 24, BAC .15

Question:
Greetings from Austin, TX! This is my first offense in my life. Was going 55, in a 45, and pulled over for a DWI. They made me blow a .15. The prosecutor has a new offer of dropping the charges from a Class A, to a Class B, with 15 months probation, and 50 community service hours. On the tape I look sober as can be, passing all the tests, but it's the BAC that my lawyer says I don't have a chance with (less than 50%). Lawyer even said they checked all the lab equipment, everything is rock solid (they did pull my blood as well).

What should I do? Go to trial, risk losing and getting a Class A, or just accept the Class B, and hope my IT career isn't over. My lawyer says I need to decide as soon as possible, and I'm freaking out. My life is literally flashing before my eyes, and just in time for the Holidays!

Answer:
 >They made me blow a .15.

This isn't legal advice, but life advice: You made you blow .15. You drank, then got behind the wheel, and got caught. Taking responsibility for your actions will help prevent you from getting another DWI, which, as other have stated will ruin your life. Be happy and humbled you're getting a relatively minor sentence, Happy Holidays.Answer #2: How do you know you passed the tests?

Can you list the clues that the officer looks for on the tests?  If not, then you literally have no idea how you did.

And I promise you that at a .15, you did not perform as well on the tests as you think you did.

Here's the thing about the Field Sobriety Tests.  If you do well on them (they are not "pass/fail"),  you generally don't get arrested for DWI.  So the information we have- Field Sobriety Tests taken + BAC of .15 equals you did not look "sober as can be" on the tape.

You will very likely lose at trial.  Listen to your lawyer and follow his or her advice.


Title: I'm salaried but employer deducts pay for working less than 40 hours

Question: So I've only been working here 3 weeks, but the last paycheck I was deducted $3 for working slightly less than 40 hours. However, I do not get overtime since I am salaried. My understanding of salaried was that it meant I was paid the same amount regardless of hours worked. Is this legal, and should I say something or just deal with it? I'm in Georgia

Answer: $3 is a very weird amount to be deducted...does your stub have a reason for the deduction?  Does it have only listed something like 39.75 hours worked?


Title: Has there been any update on The Neighbors that Landlocked Themselves?

Answer:
 This happened with my neighbors. The city came in and tried to force us to allow a new development and our land locked neighbor use our private driveway. We fought for years over this. We won. The city argued that it was their land. We had plats re-surveyed over and over.. A total of 4 times. Finally the city caved in and for "punishment" they made us remove our mailbox and trashcans to the edge of our property and shut off our street light THEY put in back in the mid 1980's. We did however sign an easement to the land locked neighbor for HIS use only until he passes away. He did pass away and now (the mans son) the land locked neighbor is trying to sell off the land. Their attorney threatened us with a stiff fines and long drawn out legal fees if we did not sign the easement for the new owner of the deceased persons land. We won...It took the course of 9 years, but we won. The lesson here is, NEVER buy land that has no access to a public road.Answer #2: No. I think they are taking it on (good) advisement to keep quiet until there is a resolution (that hopefully is in their favor!!!)Answer #3: This one is like The Safe for this sub.  Open it!  Update us!Answer #4: I don't know why but I've been dying for an update on this one as well!  It's like a movie I don't know the ending to.
Answer #5: [Not yet](http://www.reddit.com/user/mattolol/submitted/).Answer #6: Dying to know more on this case. Can't believe the neighbors landlocked themselves.


Title: Buying a house with my girlfriend

Question:
Hi,

We live in the UK and are currently in the process of buying a house, we have to put a deposit down to be able to afford the mortgage and house that we want.
Except I will be putting about 90% in (90k) and she will be putting 10% in (10k). But we are not married but have been going out for 4+ years. Having mentioned the whole situation we both agree that some sort of agreement should be in place in case we did break up that covers our initial investment and then splits the profits if we were to sell. Would we need to get this done by a solicitor or would there be another way around it?

Thanks

Answer: Why don’t you purchase it yourself and have just your name on it until you’re married? Answer #2: r/legaladviceUK might also be helpfull.


Title: [USA- AZ] Altercation with neighbor

Question:
[UPDATE] Our landlord must have confronted our neighbor, the neighbor called the cops and told us they were gonna sue us. Cops came talked to us told us she doesn't have grounds for a case and it wouldn't go anywhere. Thanks again for the advice everyone.

A few nights ago my boyfriend had both our dogs on leashes and was about to take them out for a walk (Our apartment has a mandatory leash policy). He takes a step out the door and immediately sees our neighbor has their dogs out off leash, one of their dogs starts aggressively barking at our dogs so my boyfriend pulls our dogs back into our apartment, the one who is reactive is barking the whole time. He gets the dogs over the threshold and before he can close the door the neighbor's dog charges into our apartment at which point our reactive dog bites it. Our apartment also has a policy stating that no dogs other than service dogs are allowed to enter another dwellings unit. Long story short our neighbor comes back and is asking us to pay half the vet bill for the dog's injury. Are we or our Dog at Fault? Are we obligated in any way to pay part of the vet bill? If we aren't obligated to pay, what is the best way to tell the woman we won't pay? So far we left the situation at "We can't afford to pay that" "We'll see what can be done" and "Maybe we can work something out".
TL;DR Off-leash dog aggressively enters our apartment and our dog bites it, the owner wants us to pay part of vet bills, What are our rights?

Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 > "We can't afford to pay that" "We'll see what can be done" and "Maybe we can work something out"

I would recommend not saying those things.  I would have said, "I'm sorry, your dog was off-leash and aggressively entered our apartment.  We're not paying you anything."

Her dog was off-leash (which is a violation of the apartment's rules, and also might be a violation of your city's leash law), aggressively entered your apartment, and was bit in response.

In my mind, that's 100% on her.  I'd tell her to pound sand.

Also, IANAL.Answer #2: The fault lies with your neighbor,he is wrong by having his dog off leash and allowing it to enter your apartment.Answer #3: Are you saying your dog bit the other dog *inside your apartment*? Tell him to shove it. Even if your dog was in a public area (your lawn/whatever) and it was leashed, you'd have a good defense for it biting an unleashed dog. Inside your apt? He's got nothing.


Title: Ex was arrested for rape and is likely getting out of jail very soon, is there anyway I could get access to his phone to remove certain pics and videos? [N.O., LA]

Question:
If you read my post history you can see the story. Basically my ex raped me a week after we broke up. He is likely getting out on bond very soon, maybe as soon as today. The police confiscated his phone and still have it I believe.

He has... certain videos and pics of me on the phone. I'm terrified he's going to spread it around and my life will be ruined... I'm sure the police probably already extracted things from the phone too, which worries me also. Is there any legal way I could get access to the phone or have it wiped? I don't know. Thanks,

Answer:
 No, you have no right to someone else's property.  If he does spread the images, Louisiana does have a revenge porn law and you can report that to the police. Answer #2: Did he take the photos/videos?  If so, there's a good chance they belong to him and absent distribution they're not illegal to possess.

If it's in the hands of the police, then there's absolutely nothing you can do, as it's likely evidence.


Title: Stalker is making Facebook posts about me. Should I contact law enforcement? (Tx)

Question:
I've made a throwaway because I don't know how internet-savvy the person in question is.  If I've left out any important information please let me know.  I apologize for the length of the post, I'll add a tl;dr at the bottom.

I work in the public service industry and my job is essentially to help people with a variety of things.  I'm essentially paid to be nice and helpful and knowledgeable.  I also happen to be a young, fairly attractive woman.

One patron who frequented my workplace often was kind of a weird guy, but a lot of our patrons are.  It became obvious he had a crush on me and I wasn't sure how to deal with it at first.  His behavior ranged from reading me short stories he'd written, to giving me little home-made gifts that I would throw away afterwards.  It eventually culminated with him giving me a love note (dropping it on my desk in front of me and walking away quickly) and asking me out a day or two later, I told him no and hoped he would move on.

About two and a half years ago I was at work and got a delivery of flowers.  I thought they were from the person I was dating, so I accepted them without checking the attached note.  When I did check it, there was no name, but a phone number I didn't recognize and a poem referencing an event I had run that the patron had participated in.  I was able to find out the number was the patron's.  I reported the incident to my director, and she spoke to the patron the next time he came in--she told him he wasn't to make contact with me again or he would be banned from our facility.

I avoided the patron after that and never even spoke to him.  He started calling my workplace and asking to speak to me, my co-workers said he sounded "urgent" and wouldn't leave a message with them.  Not long afterwards I checked my Facebook messages and saw the patron had messaged me--I never opened it, but quickly blocked him and set my Facebook to private.

A few weeks after that there was a weekend-long event at my facility that I was working.  While I was in the building the patron (confirmed by security camera footage) came to the building and taped a note to the door about how people can change.  I guess he found out I'd been working that day and left the note for me to find when I left.

At this point I took all the things he had sent me and filed a police report--the police talked to him and warned him to leave me alone.

A month or two after that at 10pm the patron found my mother's house and rang the doorbell and when my brother answered he asked if I was home.  I had lived at my mother's for a while, but wasn't living there when the patron came.  My brother told him I didn't live there and the patron left.  At midnight my mother said someone rang the doorbell over and over and she didn't answer.  In the morning there was a bouquet of flowers on her front porch.

I updated my police report and, as the patron had some other legal trouble going on, he was arrested for harassment and spent several months in jail.  During his jailtime I moved out of state.  Part of his release stipulations was that he wasn't allowed to contact me.

I have been out of state for about two years.  The patron is no longer in jail.  A few weeks ago I was looking at my Facebook messages and I noticed the one from the patron had a number beside it like he had sent multiple messages.  This confused me because I had him blocked.  The number fluctuated up and down, like he was somehow sending and deleting messages.  I mentioned this to some friends and one of them checked his Facebook page.  He had recently posted "I love you ten8six4two0," and then referenced the event I had run years back.

Is this Facebook post enough for me to contact law enforcement where he lives and inform them?  Should I leave it alone?  I don't have any reason to suspect that he knows where I live now, or that he even has the means to travel.  But it has literally been over *two years* since this whole thing started and he apparently still has this obsession with me.  What can I do?

tl;dr: Two+ years ago a patron at a facility I worked at become obsessed and began to stalk me.  He was arrested, I moved out of state while he was in jail.  He is apparently still posting things about me on his Facebook and I don't know if I should contact law enforcement about this.

Answer:
 Yes, contact the police.Answer #2: This guy sounds like he could reach the level of i cant have you then no one can have you.

I recommend ghosting your online presence since your out of state.Answer #3: Shut down your online presence completely.  Tell your friends to never post about or tag you.  Don’t give this guy any way to get information about you or your whereabouts.


Title: [KY] I pay my grandmother rent, she is threatening to kick me out tomorrow. Is this legal?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 The default eviction notice in Kentucky is 30 days, without a contract. She cannot kick you out before that time unless you are committing some type of crime.Answer #2: > I just give her a $200 check around the first or second week of the month

This, and receiving mail, makes you a tenant.Answer #3: A verbal contract is still a contract.


Title: Parents getting divorced. Is it possible I can be forced to go to court? They are fighting over custody of my siblings. (M/21/NY)

Answer: It's possible. In most divorces, it's not tremendously _likely_ - your input into your parents' relationship isn't terribly relevant, nor is your opinion about custody. Unless you witnessed something that would indicate serious danger to your sibling, don't worry about it. (If you did, consider calling CPS.)


Title: I made some T-shirt’s for family, they have a Pro sports mascot on them. My friends say I should sell them online. I thought that would be illegal though, is it?

Question: As post says- I made matching shirts for my whole family - holiday gifts! My friends like them a lot and are encouraging me to sell them online. But, I figured the sports team owns the image of their mascot and I would promptly be sued or somehow have my life ruined by attempting this. Am I right? Or can I sell those shirts online? Thank you all so much for helping me with this!!

Answer:
 Yes, that would be illegal.

Technically you shouldn't have even printed the shirts as gifts, but it's unlikely anyone is going to care about that.


Title: The officer whom arrested me a month earlier followed me for some miles, and then proceeded to pull me over for taking "an unusual route" even though he had no idea where I was going.

Question:
^ I was arrested nearly two months ago in New Jersey for possession of marijuana. Since then I have been incredibly careful to avoid legal trouble. The officer asked me if I had anything incriminating, pulled me out of my car to "check how things were going" and to ensure I wasn't "using any of that crap". I don't even understand how what he did was legal let alone warranted
Topic:
Drug Possession

Answer: You've been busted with drugs so now you're an easy and potential target for future arrests. If you're local to the area you were arrested, prepare to be harassed. Don't keep anything in your car, obey all traffic laws, etc. if you feel you're being unreasonably targeted or bothered, talk to your lawyer. Answer #2: This might be worth filing a complaint with the department.  Police officers aren't allowed to pull you over just to see how things are going.  The fact that you were arrested once doesn't automatically give probable cause forever.Answer #3: Consider getting a good dash camera, possibly one which can record any interaction with a police officer if it's legal in your state.Answer #4: I don't think you use 'whom' there


Title: Ohio- Tenant Land-lord dispute

Question:
I have a tenant who discovered 6 mice in her house and wants to be released from the lease, I said no but I would look to replace her which I have started doing.

I'm trying to get an exterminator into the premises but she wants to be present and her schedule does not line up with the exterminators schedule.

 I have made 18 trips and have patched any access holes I could fine. I have been as good a land lord as anyone can ask for. She now has been saying things like "lawyering up" and "other actions will be taken". What can I do t protect myself  from a lawsuit from a tenant? I've also maintained traps on the proprty including large scale traps outside.

I have a signed lease and documentation of eveything I've done how concerned should I be?

Answer: It should be in the lease that you don't need her permission to perform maintenance. She is not in a very good position to sue you over the mice if you have offered to send an exterminator and she fights you on that. And realistically, she wouldn't sue you, she would just move out, then you would have to sue her for unpaid rent.


Title: Car was towed. VSF does not accept Credit Card as a payment. Which is against TDLR rules. Anything I can do?

Question:
IN THE STATE OF TEXAS. So my Car was towed last night in my apartment complex after I had apparently parked in a tow away zone (which was not visible to the eye at night time when i parked in the space). Besides that fact that I visually could not see any tow away lines, and no signs were up in front of said parking spot. My car was towed. In the process of figuring it all out, after calling the VSF, they told me that they could not accept credit cards because their machine was broken. I told them that's okay, I can wait until they fix it. He told me he's been waiting on the machine to get fixed for two weeks. He only accepts cash/money order as a payment. I asked if they had a paypal or something set up, and he said no. It is near rent time, so money is stretched thin as it is. I looked up the regulations, and it says "In addition to other forms of payment accepted by the VSF, including a governmental VSF, a VSF must accept cash, debit cards and credit cards". Is there anything I can do to perhaps get my money back on this tow, or get it out of the storage facility for free?

Edit: Included State

Edit 2: Changed wording on "Cash, Debit and Credit"

Answer:
 If their machine is broken, they always have the option of calling the merchant directly and processing the transaction over the phone.

A temporary disruption with their credit card machine likely wouldn't mean they ran afoul of the law.

And no, you absolutely wouldn't be able to get it for free.


Title: [Texas] Home stylist charged again after I disputed the first charge with the bank and won.

Question:
Hello! So here is what happened:

Back in April I paid $250 to have a self-employed stylist (she goes to people houses to do hair) to give me a "brazilian blow-out". For those of you who dont know what that is, here is the definition:

Brazilian hair straightening (also called Breezilian straightening, Brazilian Keratin Treatment, BKT, Brazilian Blowout, Escova Progressiva, Keratin Cure) are a semi-permanent hair straightening method done by temporarily sealing a liquid keratin and a preservative solution into the hair with a hair iron.

Typically this is supposed to last 10-12 weeks.

Well I paid her for this service, and awoke the next morning to discover my hair was a giant frizzy poofy mess (my baseline). I have had these done before in the past at salon's so I knew what to expect (not this); this was the first time I had used this individual.

I contacted her via facebook, as that was how we were communicating, informing her that her treatment did not work whatsoever and that I either want a refund or a treatment that actually works.

She blocked me.

I attempted to contact her via telephone and got no response.

Seeing as I didn't want to pay $250 for someone to shampoo and straighten my hair for an evening and given that I attempted to get a refund from her, I contacted my bank to dispute the charge on the basis of not receiving services I should have. (Of note, there was no 'no refund' agreement with this individual)

The bank decided in my favor and returned the amount to my account.

She has now charged me $250 again, without my permission and without contacting me.

Where do I go from here? Thank you in advance!

Answer: Dispute the charge again, probably as an unauthorized charge this time.Answer #2: Contact your bank again.Answer #3: Dispute the charge. Call the CC company and explain what happened. Make sure the put a block on the card to prevent further charges from her


Title: Embezzlement/Fraud? Misuse of company credit card - CANADA

Question:
This is in Canada.

An ex coworker misused a company credit card to the tune of $30,000 (that they know about thus far – that number may increase as more details unfold). Charges include strip clubs and vacations, among other things that were clearly and obviously not work related.

Employer is very wealthy and very pissed off.  Lawyers are involved.

Exactly how screwed is co worker?  I have reason to believe that this individual will not be able to pay their employer back (partially or in full) or afford an attorney.

Answer: Super-duper screwed. Definitely, definitive, limited edition screwed. Screwed like prostitutes would like to be, legally and for a lot of money.


Title: [FL] Federal law question: does addressing packages to my cats name instead of my own constitute mail fraud?

Question: I don’t do anything with the packages except open them, but I like to order things with Amex gift cards and address it to my cat “Fievel Katz” to see if he’ll eventually get mail without me addressing it to him. Is it in anyway illegal?

Answer:
 Does your cat object to your opening the packages?

In seriousness, for it to be mail fraud there has to be someone who is being defrauded or deceived or taken advantage of, and I'm not seeing anybody who fits that role. The businesses are getting their money, so it's not them, and the cat probably likes the open boxes anyway.Answer #2: >does addressing packages to my cats name instead of my own constitute mail fraud?

No.Answer #3: You should use your last name for the cat's name (Fievel Jones) to avoid confusing the postman. There is no mail fraud involved for sending mail to a cat. Answer #4: You are required by cat law to give him the empty box to sit in.Answer #5: IANAL but This American Life did a podcast recently where they discussed animals and their ability to own property and copyright. Can also google the “Monkey selfie copyright dispute”Answer #6: No but the mailman may refuse to deliver it and the pack will get sent back to the sender.


Title: [GA, USA] AirBnB Host says my group broke their television. We never touched it.

Question:
We had a group together for DragonCon and had to book a BnB. We only stayed in the room for sleeping hours and we were out for the entire rest of the day/night due to the con. It was a pretty gross place, but it was just for a bed, so no big deal.

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Then once we leave and send our review (Gave it 4 stars, and all-in-all, better than it deserved.), I get a notification of the host messaging me asking if we touched the TV. I say nope, he says it's broken, I say we never touched it. No big deal.

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One day later I get a request $285.00 due to us breaking his TV that be bought one week ago. I decline it, and then send a message explaining it wasn't us and couldn't be. I also asked for his proof of purchase since it's only 1 week old, and surely has a warranty.

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What are some ways I can better prepare myself for what is a possible soon-to-be shitstorm?

Answer:
 Inform AirBnB that your host is trying to fraugently charge you and explain the situation.Answer #2: In the day of leaving AirBNB homes, I ALWAYS take a video of the whole place with tv on and appliances turned on.

In the day of my first day’s stay, I video any wall dents, stains, etc and if something doesn’t work, I call the host right away.

Did you document?


Title: Ex stole my child's prescription.

Question:
My ex called my pharmacy and transferred my child's prescriptions to his pharmacy and picked them up. He then held onto it to force me to pick it up from him. I have contacted both pharmacists at both locations (my pharmacy and the one he had meds transferred to) and informed them that he cannot transfer or pick up the medication. The pharmacists printed off his electronic signature and insurance details to prove it was him. Now my child has another prescription being filled and the pharmacist told me he has been calling and asking questions about it and wanting to transfer it, but they wouldn't let him because of HIPAA and what I told them. Can I take this to court? This us one of many little things he does to my child and I to make life harder, but this time he has crossed the line and I want him to stop. He has not custody over our child and his visitation is one overnight.
This is in Oregon.

Answer:
 Inconvenient, but can you work with the provider to only get paper scripts with zero refills? Then you would drop them off and stay in the pharmacy until they are filled. Answer #2: I had a very similar issue happen in California. However, it was my prescription that was stolen & not that of a child's. I have a very unstable family member (mother) who stole my prescription from a clinical trial. She paid for it & intercepted the shipment pretending to live at my address. This incident was later used in family court when I filed a restraining order.

I would speak with the police & file a report. That was the advice given to me & it was the right step. You have legal custody & are the sole caretaker for this child (assuming I interpreted the comments right.) It sounds like stealing to me & I would contact my local precinct, even if it was just to document the incident.


Title: [CA] Landlord says I must have apartment professionally cleaned before move-out, lease says no such thing

Question: Not sure if this is the right place for this. My landlord tells me that professional cleaning of my apt is required to avoid additional charges at move-out, but my lease just says that the apt must be returned in the same level of cleanliness it was in at the beginning of the lease. When I moved in the apt was clean enough, but certainly didn't seem professionally cleaned beforehand—I had to clean and touch-up the walls for instance. Do I have any recourse here?

Answer:
 Don't pay for professional cleaning. If your lease states no such thing, you certainly have no responsibility to do so.

Your damage deposit covers actual **damage**, not general wear and dirtiness.

1) Don't pay. It's really tough to recoup this afterwards if you do

2) If he still deducts that cleaning cost, sue in small claims.


Title: My parents have guardianship and conservatorship of me (19F)

Question:
My parents recently gained guardianship of me last August. I have Bipolar Disorder and mild Autism Spectrum Disorder which do not affect my ability to live as an adult. I am a college student in very good academic standing and I am very interested in my options for getting out of the guardianship because 1) I feel it is very unnecessary and 2) they are extremely emotionally abusive, controlling and financially restrictive. Let me quickly explain more of my situation:

Ever since I can remember, my parents have violated my privacy, controlled my every action, and have been very emotionally damaging as well as physically abusive. My stuff has always been regularly searched, my door’s lock was removed and my father used to stand outside my window at night and peer in to see what I was up to. I won’t get into the physical abuse here. After years of living in a cage, I promised myself when I was 18, I would leave, and that’s what I did. I moved out for close to 8 months before I received a notice that I had been appointed a guardian ad litem and my parents filed to be conservators and guardians. They used the advice of a single psychiatrist. In addition, I had a suicide attempt as an 16 year old and was also raped, and they formed their guardianship case around these incidents. They claimed I was too vulnerable to live alone and that the rape showed that I was incapable of saying no. They also said I was a risk to myself. I did not believe these to be true and still do not. Last summer I came to an agreement by writing a contract with them that gave them limited guardianship. So far they have been extremely controlling, financially manipulative, and emotionally harmful to me. They haven’t stuck to the legal agreement for guardianship, either.

Is there anything I can do to get out of this or overturn this? It’s extremely hard for me to live in these conditions and I’m fed up.

Answer:
 >Last summer I came to an agreement by writing a contract with them that gave them limited guardianship.

You agreed to it.  That's why you have a guardian.

You need to go back to probate court and file a petition to terminate the guardianship and conservatorship.  Don't agree to it this time.


Title: (USA) My Own Defaulted Judgment, Can They Garnish From My Sons Bank Account?

Question:
Hello,

CA, USA

I have a defaulted judgment in my name and they used to take out of my personal account. I then closed that account and I don't have a personal anymore. I have a son who is 17 years old and he wanted a checking account. Capital One 360 offers a service called a "Money" account. It's a checking account for teens with 0 fees but because he is a minor, obviously I had to be the joint on the account. Could they garnish from his account? Is it illegal or legal to do so? He would like to make sure before depositing his money so that he doesn't loose it.

Thanks.

Answer: You are joint owner so yes, they can. Answer #2: Is there another adult who can put his/her name on the account?  Like a trustworthy grandparent, or uncle?


Title: Auto dealership wants out of contract in TX

Question:
Last week I went to a car dealership with my sister to help her negotiate the purchase of a vehicle. We knew what vehicle we wanted when we walked in the door and set about making a deal. After much back and forth the finance manager asked if I would be willing to buy the car without her name on it because they could only get it approved that way. My sister needs a break and I can afford the car so I agreed.

After about five hours I finally signed the paperwork and we got the keys. Two days after signing (on Friday) the finance manager called me and said they were having trouble getting the bank to accept the loan and asked for a cosigner. I talked to family and my mother agreed to help, but apparently it wasn't good enough for the bank.

Today he sends me a text message saying that he either needs to get the car contacted to someone else or get a cosigner. I don't understand this, I already have a contract.

The document I signed says that it is a finance contract with the dealership as the creditor and I am the debtor. I do not wish to terminate the contract. I also have a bill of sale signed. I don't see any clauses about voiding the contract if they can't reassign it. (I'll take pictures and upload if i can figure out how).

Can they force me to return the car? It's a nice car and I want my sister to have it. It's already taken a lot of stress out of her life. In my mind, I have a bill of sale and a finance contract, their inability to reassign the contract doesn't void the contract, does it?
Topic:
Contracts

Answer: Google “spot delivery.” That’s what this is and it’s common. If you or the dealer can’t secure financing, then you will have to return the vehicle. You can always try and get financing on your own through a bank or credit union.


Title: Can a condo association ban Section 8 rentals?

Question:
We have a clause in our bylaws that says that the association may reject a lease if it would have an adverse effect on the value of the units.

The situation is that I live in a condo in an area of New Orleans with rapidly increasing property values. We went from 3 owners to 12 in a fairly short period of time. One of the original 3 owners, perhaps not realizing the way the building/area was trending, decided to rent his unit to section 8. Since they've been here there have been constant complaints of noise. They broke a beer bottle in the garage just now after a screaming fight, and when I went out to clean it up another owner told me that he had come home at 5 p.m. the day before and heard them fighting from then until he was able to fall asleep after 2 a.m. It feels a little heartless to ban people from living here but the situation has people upset.

I had previously told the Association president that the clause about the value of the units meant we could, in fact, ban Section 8, but he just started ranting about how all of New Orleans was section 8 eligible and that clause would never stand up in front of a jury. I'd imagine that our next condo meeting will have a lot of discussion about the problems with the current Section 8 tenants, and what we will do in the future (they are moving out at the end of either this month or next and the owner is planning on selling his unit). I'm coming here for informal advice, and if there's any indication that we can, in fact, ban Section 8 because of the bylaws I plan on hiring a real estate attorney to give me a more formal opinion that I can present at the next meeting.

Thanks.

Answer: If people are fighting/yelling loud enough to keep you up and throwing glass bottles, **call the cops.**


Title: Illegal unicorn

Question: Just a simple question. I suffer from severe social anxiety and my coping mechanism is to wear a costume of a non threatening, not perverted, non furry unicorn that I bought at Walmart. This past weekend I was denied entry in to an amusement park with the costume. I tried explaining to the manager that I need it to not get overwhelmed in crowds as it helps me block out the noise. They deemed it as a security risk thinking I could have a weapon on me in which I told them I would consent to a search if that would ease their mind. They refused. I tried explaining I have documented proof of my condition and that if they do kick me out they are discriminating against the disabled. They didn't care. My question is, do I have a leg to stand on if I have paperwork proving I have mental issues and that the costume helps me with my issue. The only problem I'm running in to is they are owned by an Indian tribe which means that they don't follow federal rules and regulations. However, Indian tribes can opt out of this immunity which in turn gives them perks from the government. I have all the information about this but it's all mumbo jumbo to me. So please, any help would be appreciated. The amusement park is called owa in case you were wondering.

Answer: They are privately owed so to a degree they can set their own rules. Doesn’t sound like they are discriminating against you because of your disability though, it’s just their security policy which they are entitled to enforce. Good luck to you!


Title: Friend is in an abusive marriage, has a child and is suicidal. How can he get out of the marriage and stay in his child's life?

Question:
My best friend is an incredible guy. He's humble, patient, and caring. He's been married for less than 3 years and about half of that has been an abusive relationship. After getting pregnant, his wife moved back to her home state without him to be near her folks. He eventually joined her a few months later. The wife and her family are manipulative and verbally abusive -- they treat him like garbage. She's been physically violent as well. Being in another state, he has no support system and is constantly bombarded with the abuse, but he puts up with it to be there for his child. He's been away for a year now and he's at the end of his rope. After thinking things through in terms of finances and his child, he feels like suicide is his only option. He has a history of depression and suicidal ideation.

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I'm not even sure if this is the right place to ask this, but are there any legal grounds for him getting divorced, gaining custody over his daughter and coming back to his home state where his support system is? What steps does he need to take? I'm currently urging him to see a therapist/psychiatrist and get back home at least short-term so he can clear his head.

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Thanks in advance for any advice.

Answer: He should hire a lawyer and explore his options.  Honestly, allowing a suicidal father to take the kid out of state sounds pretty unsafe.  He probably needs to seek therapy to be sure he can be the best parent he can be.


Title: How do I proceed legal action with a undercover cop causing a major accident?

Question:
So I recently had a run in with the police (more like they ran into me) on my way to work last weekend. I was driving down the road, going the speed limit, when I get to the intersection and I get Tboned from a unmarked cop car with no lights on flying through the red light. I went sliding through the intersection hitting a city bus causing the bus driver to get a big gash on his face from the broken glass. Along with that guy there was a passenger that had to be immediately rushed to the hospital.

After getting out of my car I was immediately confronted by the undercover cop. He asked me what happened and I told him that it was green on my end so he looked down sighing.  Luckily I don't have any serious injuries just still very stiff. I did go to the docs and confirmed nothing serious. Within 2 minutes, I kid you not, there was about 30 officers that arrived. Feeling outnumbered I just stuck by my totaled car when I got approached by 3 officers asking to be questioned while being recorded. I politely declined and then got a ride home from one of the officers to my house.

I recently just got a check for my car but it's not worth barely anything. I talked to my insurance company and they can't sue the city.

What's my next step? This is in Florida. I have the police and accident report at my reach so I'll be able to upload if need be.
Thanks.

Answer:
 If you were paid out the fair market value of your car and any medical costs it doesn’t sound like there is a next step.

If you disagree as to the value of your car you can discuss that with the insurance company. Answer #2: You’re entitled to be made whole, and it sounds like you were by your own insurance. I’m unclear as to what more you’d like to be compensated for besides your totaled vehicle?Answer #3: What exactly do you want to sue for? It sounds like you've been made whole already.


Title: [MO] Fishing without a license

Question:
Two weeks ago I made a mistake and fished without a license. I violated 252.040 RSMO 1978. It was irresponsible and I realize I deserve a punishment. I decided to not fight the charge and just pay the cost online. It was $120. I payed that today. I expected the charge to be a infraction or something small and made the mistake of not researching my violation.

After paying I checked my name on the missouri court lookup webpage and I read I now have a class A misdemeanor under my name. What?!! Now I have a misdemeanor equal to domestic violence!!! I instantly contacted a lawyer and he is looking into it. This is my first ever violation, I have never even gotten a speeding ticket....

Will I be able to lessen my charge or am I screwed because I payed it already? Someone please give me some hope...

Answer: As others mentioned, it will be difficult now to withdraw your plea, but I really don't think "illegal fishing" will be a huge impediment to your life.  Regardless of whether the state considers it the same class as domestic violence, no one else does.  As an employer, if someone explained that criminal conviction on a job app, I would give zero fucks.


Title: To what degree can the police lie to us?

Question:
I understand officers are allowed to lie, but just recently a police officer told me that possessing marijuana while under 21 (but over 18) is a misdemeanor. However when I looked online in the state of California it says that it's actually just an infraction. And so far I haven't been able to find a city or county law (I live in the city of clovis, Fresno country) that says otherwise.

So my question is, was the cop just full of it? I know for sure he had the right to take my weed away, but was he telling the truth when he said "I'm cutting you a break, because this is a misdemeanor."? Is he allowed to lie about what is and isn't legal? Thanks in advance.
Topic:
Drug Possession

Answer:
 Police don’t determine what you’re charged with.

Don’t take legal advice from the police.

Stop breaking the law. Answer #2: Don't forget, police don't just lie; they also genuinely and honestly don't know what they're talking about half the time. It's possible this cop thought that was true when he said it. It doesn't matter either way, as others have said, don't take legal advice from police anyway.


Title: [CA] Should I look into hiring a lawyer after both of my parents were injured after a car accident?

Question: My parents were both involved in a serious rear-end collision and were sent to the hospital after the car caught on fire. We don't have any information yet about the car that rear-ended them as CHP hasn't given us the full report yet. My dad is still in the ICU with some rib fractures and cannot work for the next few weeks at the very least. My mother also fractured her ribs and cannot work for the foreseeable future as well. I'm going to get more information from the police tomorrow and I have not yet reported this to the insurance. Does anyone have some steps I should take, I'm too emotional at the moment to think clearly and I definitely want someone to pay for all the pain my parents are in.

Answer: Hell yes you should. You should also let them know that the responsible driver's insurance company will likely send an adjustor ASAP and attempt to settle this.  Do *not* accept that settlement without speaking with some people first.


Title: Oral surgeon charged me for a consult without telling me that's what I was there for. [OR]

Question:
About 6 months ago I went to my local dentist for an exam + cleaning, and they told me I need to have 1 of my wisdom teeth removed. They took X-rays and basically gave me the consult on it and recommended I go to an oral surgeon about 20 miles from where I live.

At the time I was pretty broke and unable to afford it so I put off scheduling until about a month ago. I called the oral surgeon and told them I need to have my wisdom tooth extracted, gave them all the details and told them the dentist I went to had X-rays they could send over.

They said they could get me in to have it done on 4/20/17 (today).

I show up for my appointment this morning and they bring me back and do another X-ray, and then sit me down and talk to me about the procedure for about 5 minutes. This entire time I'm still expecting to have the tooth removed while I'm there. Then the doctor get's up and leaves and his assistant sends me back to the front desk to pay and schedule my next appointment.

I was charged $310, which is what they told me when I scheduled, but they never told me I was just getting an X-ray and a 5 minute consult. The actual tooth extraction is going to be an additional $600.

If they had told me this beforehand I never would have scheduled. I am still struggling financially, and this $310 is gonna to put me in a rough spot. I only agreed to it because I was under the impression that was going to be my total bill for the extraction.

I stupidly didn't say anything about this when I was at their office, I was sent back to the front desk and had a bunch of things thrown at me (not literally) it was hard to process at the time.

Do I have any grounds on disputing this or am I just going to have to take the hit and move on to finding a better place to have the work done?

Answer:
 $910 for a consult, an X-ray, and a wisdom tooth extraction sounds perfectly reasonable to me.  I empathize that you didn't understand the costs ahead of time, but it's a little late to object now.  X-rays cost money, and they did an X-ray on you.

So I think you have to take the hit here.  If you can't afford the extraction right now, ask if it's okay to put it off for a couple of months, and save up for it.  I wouldn't recommend switching surgeons, because you might need to pay for another consult.Answer #2: That's something you really should have checked on. It would be atypical to not have a consultation first, they can't just dive right in, they need a surgical plan and to see what's up. You can attempt to call them up and see if they'll negotiate but you don't have grounds to dispute the charge.

Side note: Why doesn't locationbot recognize [OR] in titles?


Title: Excessive park parking lot rate for residents-- is it legal? [IL, USA]

Question:
Hi /r/legaladvice,

I'm using a throwaway because there's going to be some info that will reveal my location.

Recently, my local beach has started to charge $15/hr for parking, for residents. I have no idea what the non-resident rate is, but it must be exorbitant. The beach in question is [Rosewood Beach](http://www.pdhp.org/rosewood-beach-2/). There are two parking lots at this beach, one at sea (lake?) level, and a smaller one at the top of the ravine where you walk down to the beach. If you follow the link to the website, the new parking price is not updated.

Until now, residents with a Highland Park vehicle sticker parked free in either lot. Non residents paid $15/hour. Now, everyone pays $15/hour, which is excessive, in my opinion.

My question is, is this legal? I'm not a lawyer (which is why I'm on /r/legaladvice), but I'm pretty sure residents pay taxes (road taxes, income taxes, etc.) to ensure that public services, like these parking lots, are available to them. Not so! Even if these taxes don't go toward the Rosewood parking lots (might I add that Rosewood was built with tax dollars?), I see absolutely no way that the cost of maintaining the parking lot is such that the city must charge $15/hour per car.

Since this is so obviously, objectively overpriced (in the literal sense that the price far exceeds the cost to provide the service), is it unreasonable to assume that the excess money collected that is left over from maintaining the parking lots is being used to cover holes elsewhere in the city budget? I'm pretty sure that the city is deliberately seeking to profit from these parking lots to plug gaps in the budget that are completely unrelated to the park district.

This is where I think the question of legality might really lie: is the city allowed to essentially lie and tell residents that they are paying for parking lots when most of that money is being channeled elsewhere?

I'm also concerned because the extremely expensive rate means that lower-income residents are going to be disproportionately discouraged from attending the beach. A hypothetical family who used to drive to Rosewood from the other side of town on weekends to spend a day at the beach may now not be able to afford it because 8 hours of parking would cost $120, no small sum.

I'm pretty sure that if I attended a council meeting to question the necessity of residents paying for parking, they would tell me it's been implemented to alleviate crowding and traffic to the beach. In Highland Park, there is an "odd/even sprinkling ban" which lets odd or even house numbers run their sprinklers on certain days. If the parking fees were only to alleviate crowding, why wouldn't they restrict parking by odd/even license plate? Odd license plates could be allowed in for free some days of the week, even plates other days, or something along those lines. If the city tried charging $15/hour of sprinkling, there would be mutiny! Low income families couldn't have gardens! Why is the city, then, allowed to rob us via charging for park parking?

I may just be angry that I have to pay, and if that's all, then I'll accept there's nothing I can do about it. That being said, this fee honestly seems fishy and I feel as if there is something illegal about overcharging tax paying residents to this extent. Any legal advice is appreciated!

I'm trying to get a picture of the signs at the lots that say the price, but I don't have it yet. Also, I have a picture of a friend's parking ticket that he got after parking there without paying (only had his Highland Park vehicle sticker,) but I'm not going to post it because of identifying information.
Topic:
Tax Law

Answer:
 > My question is, is this legal?

Yes.

>  I'm pretty sure residents pay taxes (road taxes, income taxes, etc.) to ensure that public services, like these parking lots, are available to them.

No.  There's no law that says "I pay taxes thus everything is free!"

Property owned by the public is handled as the public sees fit - through their duly elected governments.  That may mean that the property is open, or closed, free to use or costs a lot of money.  "Public" doesn't mean "I get to do what I want with it", it means "we as a community decide what gets done".

Your recourse is to take the matter to your elected representatives to try to make a change.Answer #2: Take the bus.

Not illegal to charge high parking rates.

Complain to your city council if you want to change it.


Title: A pothole in my university's parking lot totaled my car. Can I get compensation? USA, Massachusetts

Question:
As the title suggests, this happened in Massachusetts. I can include the city if it is imperative.

I hit a pothole in my residence hall parking lot. The bottom of my car scraped the pavement which hit my engine and caused a tremendous oil leak. I didn't know this and kept driving. Eventually my car ran out of oil and stalled. My engine is busted (obviously) and my insurance company inspected my car and deemed it totaled. My car is a 2002 Audi A4, chassis has about 150,000 miles on it but the engine was replaced a little while ago and it only has about 70,000 miles on it. It has never been altered to be lower to the ground.

I read through the university parking agreement and nothing states that they aren't liable for damages caused by a parking lot. If I try to get compensation, can they fight this claim? Is there anything I can use against them, like neglect or something? Can I expect to get compensation? This parking lot is a dirt lot that changes to pavement, and there are two enormous potholes where the dirt meets the pavement. I have pictures of the pothole that I hit and the oil trail that my car left after hitting it.
Topic:
School Related Issues

Answer:
 The first thing you need to do is talk to your insurance company.  If you have comprehensive insurance, they will likely be compensating you for the damage caused by the pothole.  After which, it would be up to them to seek any compensation they can get from the University.  Have you talked to your insurance company yet?  If so, what are they doing?  If not, talk to them asap.

If you do not have comprehensive insurance, you may be on your own.  You can present your claim to the University, and they might be willing to work something out.  But probably not.  In which case you need to talk to a personal injury lawyer.  They may have a better shot at getting a settlement from the university.  Keep in mind, though, that if you do sue, it's possible that you may be found partially at fault for not having noticed the damage until it was too serious to repair.  It's not clear from your narrative if that's the case, but it's a possibility.  This is the kind of question a lawyer can answer.


Title: 20 years ago, my very first lawyer and former best friend double crossed me in a business deal involving his trust account. 20 years later, things come full circle...

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 No one has the time to read this.

Hire a lawyer, or listen to yours.


Title: My father has two social security numbers (US)

Question:
As the title says, my dad has two social security numbers, and he is approaching retirement age.  What should he do to consolidate the earnings/avoid repercussion of having two?  He is an immigrant and got the first one while studying in the US (Massachusetts).  He never memorized it because he didn't expect to stay for long, but when he moved to the US (New York), he got a new one.  He found the details of his old one, but has never figured out what to do.

Edit : phrasing

Answer: Did he work under the first number? If not, it won't make a difference. You need 40 quarters of employment to qualify for Social Security. If he has these on his second number, then there's nothing to worry about. If he's short and if he worked on the first number, you can combine accounts. Presumably he had low wages under the first one so the amounts earned will not affect the payout.


Title: (CA)I worked 99 hours in a two week period for a major fast food chain 1 year ago... Only received 5.45 hours of overtime. Is this grounds for a wage claim? (Gyazo included)

Question:
I no longer work there and haven't for about a year now. This here is a gyazo of my pay stub recorded hours.

https://gyazo.com/0b0ccf0a93770ddb661238090713fc40

On my taxes, I file as single, with no dependents. Is this grounds for me to file a wage claim?

Topic:
Employment Law

Answer: it depends. That's not necessarily an underpayment. You would need to know the dates of the pay period and the dates of the work week. But go ahead and file a claim and let them sort it out.


Title: [CA] College, Bipolar and ADA Requirements

Question:
I was recently forced onto medical leave from my college due to a severe manic episode caused by my bipolar disorder. I was misdiagnosed in the past as bipolar type 2, which does not include mania, and I disclosed this diagnosis to multiple people within the school, including the disabilities counselor.

Due to my manic episode, I got into an agitated argument with a teacher as well as a school administrator, leading up to my medical leave. When I was put on medical leave, they also accused me of many other offenses, many of which I could not recognize, but they refused to give me any details of what I was being accused of, telling me that "if we listened to everybody's sob story, we wouldn't make any money." They told me that I would not be allowed to take an incomplete grade in the classes I was unable to finish, regardless of the fact that the semester was more than half over, and that when I came back, I would no longer receive the half-ride scholarship I had been awarded for my grades, exceptional work and good attitude.

I talked with my therapist about it and she's urged me to look into finding legal representation, but first I'd like to understand in what ways I'm protected under the ADA. Bipolar is considered a disability under the ADA, and while I tried to call the national ADA hotline, I was forwarded to the federal Department of Education, who then forwarded me to my state's Department of Education, who then never returned my call.

If I have legal rights in this case that could save my scholarship and/or the classes I'm being forced to retake, I would definitely pursue the case, but I am afraid of making a fool of myself. Any input on the situation is appreciated!
Topic:
School Related Issues

Answer:
 For the purposes of the ADA a person with a disability is one who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities; a person who has a history or record of such an impairment; or a person who is perceived by others as having such an impairment.  A university is required to make a reasonable accommodation for such individuals so as to give them an equal chance at earning a grade/degree.

Is this institution a public or a private?


Title: Marijuana GrowOp Is Paying Workers Under The Table & Violating Workers Laws What Can I Do? (CA, USA)

Question:
There's a marijuana grow operation in California that is violating tons of different laws. They're paying their employees under the table for starters. They made some of their employees fill out W2 forms and they told their employees that they were all working legally and they told them they were getting them health insurance and never did. The company also doesn't have running water at times, workers often go past their fifth hour before taking a lunch, some workers aren't given a chance to take a lunch during 8 hour shifts, marijuana is smoked on the property, the workers aren't being paid any overtime, and they still don't have any healthcare even after being promised it. Also some of the workers that they have their are undocumented and don't have work visas.

The company is also evading tons and tons of taxes. They sell pounds off the books and pocket all of that money. This isn't just a small grow operation. This is a completely indoor grow op that produces hundreds of pounds every single week. I know they aren't reporting tens of thousands of their earnings. And on top of that I know that some of the higher ups have sent flower and concentrates by mail across the country.

I've already sent in an anonymous tip to the DEA and the IRS. I'm just worried that those will be overlooked. Is there anything else I can do? They're completely taking advantage of their workers and they're pocketing tons of cash. Who can I contact? And how quickly do they usually respond to things? These people should not be in business.

Edit: Just adding this in here so you can understand the scale of this op. These guys grow over 800 pounds a MONTH! They sell each of their pounds for at least $2000. That's 1.6 million a month or 19.2 million a year. I know not all of that is profit but that doesn't include all the shake and extract deals they have going on. Either way these dudes are making a fuckton of money and are barely reporting it if they're even reporting it at all.

Answer:
 It sounds like a regular criminal enterprise. Telephone call the DEA to report this criminal enterprise.Answer #2: Actually, the most aggressive agency they may have violations with is the California Department of Industrial Relations. Make a complaint to them on the missed meal breaks / unpaid overtime / misclassified workers and they will have someone there within a few weeks going over the books.

* IRS - only interested in unpaid taxes. Mist be over $2m in taxes and penalties (they can optionally pay out for less) and be an issue they would not have noticed during regular tax procedures.

* DEA - Has been pushing against the decriminalization in CA, but not very responsive to tips in 420 friendly states

* Local Police - would consider much of your issues as civil problems, not criminal.


Title: My Ex-wife keeps tress passing on my property

Question:
I live in Canada, and I am recently divorced.. My ex-wife keeps sneaking on to my property, the back yard, the drive way, the deck and having sex on my property with the man she cheated on me with. Do I need to have photographic evidence or would catching them with a witness or two with me be enough?

Is something like this sufficient enough for me to request a peace bond or restraining order against the both of them?

Answer:
 Set up a security cam and file a police report. Answer #2: File a police report and maybe also seek a restraining order against her. Photographic evidence would be preferred as otherwise it's a he said/she said situationAnswer #3: How about motion sensitive security lights?

If that isn't enough then how about [motion sensitive sprinklers](https://www.amazon.com/Orbit-62100-Activated-Sprinkler-Detection/dp/B009F1R0GC).Answer #4: Is she a co-owner on the property as well? Even just listed on the deed? It seems like no; but I figured it's worth the question. Answer #5: well first of all if its on your property you don't need a restraining order to keep them away, its your right to decide who is let on your property or not and you don't even need to give a reason.

Secondly, if you really want them to fuck off then just set up a security camera or cameras with signs notifying that your place is monitored and then sue them for trespassing your property and in court in front of of everyone (Invite their family members for the court case for additional fun times) use the procured footage as evidence and play it in front of everyone.Answer #6: Practical advice rather than legal - motion activated floodlights.  So they are lit up every time they sneak on the property.


Title: Firms that claim to retrieve damages of $500-1500 per spam/telemarketer call - BS? Or do consumers really recover this money?

Question:
I get like 6-8 spam calls or texts per day, and in my research I've found consumer protection attorneys ([like this one](https://report-telemarketing-abuse.com/stefancolemanattorney/)) that work on contingency and claim they can help clients retrieve $500-per-call rewards if I provide them with the call details.

This seems fishy as:

a) I could have thousands of dollars if I seriously kept track of my spam calls over the course of a year and even a small percentage of these assholes got caught...too easy, right?

b) From what I've read elsewhere it is *extremely difficult* to catch these people given the ways that they spoof an infinite amount of phone numbers.

So what's the deal with these telemarketing abuse attorneys?  Are they BS?  What's their catch/business model here?  Does anyone *ever* actually claim these damages?  Is it a waste of time to keep track of my spam calls hoping to make cash?

Answer: Their goal is to try to catch the big fish and have the cases go to class action status. The attorney you linked to is mine and I've had 2 successful cases with him over a 5 year period.  It takes some time to figure out who is actually calling. He can't just go after a phone number.


Title: If I make a 527 organization and have my paychecks deposited to it, do I need to pay taxes on those paychecks?

Answer: Yes, there is no “one trick the IRS hates” to avoid paying taxes.


Title: Buying nitrogen parts from Max Dog Brewing... How likely is it that the mailman will ask for my ID requiring me to be over 50?

Question: [removed]

Answer:
 Get some help bud. The fact you’re so worried about them thinking its for suicide, i worry for you.Answer #2: >Their terms and conditions require the buyer be over 50 years old

That's... really weird. Why?

>how likely is that to be enforced once it's shipped?

The US postal service is not going to give one single shit about the Terms of Service of an Australian company. They aren't going to show up and try to enforce it.Answer #3: There are a lot of people trying to help OP with information about brewing. OP is trying to order a suicide kit, he is not interested in brewing beer. Max dog brewing is a business specifically for selling suicide kits under the cover of brewing supplies. I'm not sure what this subreddit's rules or feelings on the subject are however everyone should be aware OP is concerned his package will be hard to receive for one reason or another due to the fact that it's coming from a known cover for assisted suicide.

&nbsp;

Here is a relevant link to Max Dog Brewing: http://www.nationalrighttolifenews.org/news/2014/01/nitschke-says-he-has-a-way-to-import-suicide-kits-into-the-united-states/#.WHUbiVMrKM8


Title: [PA] Defendant - Small Claims - Countersue for malicious prosecution?

Question:
I am being taken to court in a dog bite case.  My dog bit their dog in a fight their dog started.  The wound required stiches, and two short follow up visits.  There were no complications.  They are claiming $700 in lost wages, which is absolutely ridiculous (i.e., a reasonable person could not possibly think they lost that much in wages).

Should I countersue them for malicious prosecution?

By the way, the case is in the magistrate, not the court of common pleas.

Answer:
 No.  There doesn't appear to be anything malicious here - only a dispute about the appropriate amount of damages.  Just because they are asking for more than you think they deserve, doesn't make it malicious.  In fact, that is precisely what trials are for.

Asking for lost wages on a pet's injury may be a bit of a stretch.  You'll need to argue that they aren't entitled to lost wages, and if the judge disagrees, you can at least force them to account for it.  $700 may or may not be high.  Do you know what they do for a living?  If one is a professional (or otherwise well-compensated) and was required to take 2 half days from work, $700 could be accurate.


Title: Question About Child Support.

Question:
Hi /r/legaladvice,

My parents divorced at age 7 and my mother ended up with custody of me and my brother after a couple of years. My father was ordered to pay child support. My parents are kinda nuts/abusive and my mother told me throughout my life that he wasn't paying the money. So I wasn't aware of its existence.

My and my brother both moved out at as soon as we could (age 17) and went to University. I live in Newfoundland, Canada and I believe the way it works is that the support must then be paid until the children complete their first degrees. Maybe i'm wrong on this.

After we moved out we received no money from either parent to support us. All bills, tuition, rent, groceries etc.. we payed for from our money, be it either work or student loans. I received nadda, except for a scattered Christmas or birthday gift.

I understand the purpose of child support is to make sure the parent who has custody has enough money to support their children and I understand that legally the transfer is from parent to parent, not parent to child. But if I, or my father, can show that not a dime of the money was used to the benefit of either child during the time of the payment, are either of us in a position legally, to get the money?

To be clear here, I'm not asking about the money she received during the time I lived with her. It is totally reasonable that she be entitled to every dime she received during that time that we stayed with her. I'm not that entitled. I'm more curious about the money she received during the time me and my brother were at University (I only recently left). Because I can say, with certainty, that none of the money she received during that time was spent on us, in any capacity.  I think it comes to roughly 15-20k.

Thanks for the responses and I'll be sure to read every comment.

Answer: If you were still 17, you could contest the order going forward.  There’s no going back, however, as that was the order active at the time.Answer #2: Unless the order said the money had to go to you, or had to be applied to your expenses, then your mother was allowed to keep it.


Title: In California how long can my landlord force me to stay at home?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Is OP really responsible for going to extreme lengths like waking up in the middle of the night to prevent damage from a problem the landlord is being slow about fixing?

Can't OP just say "okay, that's fine, but the pot's probably going to overflow while I'm out tomorrow?"Answer #2: Where is it leaking from? Would turning off the valve to the pipe stop the leak?Answer #3: Call your landlord up.  Tell him the plumber keeps putting it off and that you've needed to drain the buckets every few hours to prevent water damage. Let him know that you can't do this forever and you need to leave the apartment longer and that there will probably be resulting water damage if this isn't repaired.

Send him the same info in writing but start the letter out, "As I told you in our phone call last xxxday at  xx:00AM..."Answer #4: Here's a page describing [the "repair and deduct" remedy](http://www.dca.ca.gov/publications/landlordbook/repairs.shtml) The key requirement is that "the defect must be serious and directly related to the tenant's health and safety." I would argue that it is impossible to keep water from spilling onto the floor and hence it's a slip hazard and could cause mold.

The nice thing about this process is that there is no direct legal process to invoke. Just hire the plumber and take it off the rent. You can use this as a defense if the LL sues you for non-payment of rent.

In terms of DIY, I would try using a garden hose as a siphon and then drain it into the drain (depending if the height works) or outside.Answer #5: Time to upgrade to a bigger bucket. Answer #6: this is way less interesting than I thought it would be.


Title: Bought a new car and felt like I was goaded into higher payments.

Question:
I bought a car this weekend (In Oklahoma) and felt like they goaded me into making higher payments by only showing me the monthly payments of the car with an extended warranty added to the price. I told them initially that I didn't feel that it was necessary, but the constant barrage of deals they were willing to make with the payments I submitted...I'd been sitting there for about 4 hours and was feeling pretty malleable.
Payments are around 500$ a month for a 25K car turned into a 33K loan. I feel like I got boned and wanted to mabe see if you more enlightened people think it'll be an ok idea to seek legal counsel to maybe get the contract changed. Thanks in advance for any help.

Answer:
 "Goading" you is not problematic.  Nor is offering you a higher price or more options than you may strictly want.

You're an adult.  If you don't like a contract, don't sign it.


Title: Can my landlord require me to keep my bedroom door open? [Illinois]

Question: [removed]

Answer:
 If you're cutting yourself and not taking showers, I think your landlord bitching about your door is the least of your concerns. Seek mental health treatment ASAP, please. Answer #2: No, but she can and will evict you so I'd play along. Also please get some mental health help, there are many different aspects of your post that concern me.

EDIT: also, your post in shoplifting 3 hours ago is laughable. Doing that will only add extra charges. So it's dumber than the dumbness that is normal shoplifting.


Title: I owe money for a lease that I signed but didn't move into.

Question:
(Louisiana, USA) I signed an apartment lease stupidly, and right afterwards I decided to move into another apartment. I talked to an employee of the first apartment complex (the one I didn't move into), and they said that that was fine, it wasn't a big deal and wasn't official. Now I'm getting an eviction notice and I owe thousands to this apartment complex I didn't move into. Am I screwed or can I get out of this? They have the lease that I signed, but I stupidly believed the person that said it "wasn't official."
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 Yikes.  You owe this money to the other apartment complex.

Hopefully the lease allows for you to terminate it by paying one or two months rent.  If not you need to tell them immediately that you're not living there so that they can find someone else to rent the apartment to.  You'll be on the hook for rent until they do.

*Edit: One quick thought.  Did you pay a security deposit to this first apartment complex?  I assume not, does the lease you signed say anything about being contingent on the payment of the security deposit or first and last month's rent or anything like that?