Title: [NC] Legal ability to remove animals from horrible environment

Question:
To start with to give a little context, my family are a bunch of hoarders. There is shit piled up in every free space and there is rarely any standing/sitting room. On top of that there is basically no attempt to clean anything ever. The ceilings are covered in mold, there has been a couple of flooding incidents and they haven't bother to clean, let alone replace, the carpeting on the ground floor. Basically, the entire house (town house, if that matters, and they own it) is near uninhabitable. The other adult siblings I have live there with my parents and to put things into context, I would call CPS if they were under age.

They have two cats and a dog that are undoubtedly suffering due to the state of their environment. The dog doesn't get enough exercise or even enough time outside, period. They're not being starved or anything, in fact they are all quite overweight. Some specific things I noticed growing up, they get flea out breaks about every other year, the cat's litter box is filthy and cat poop often ends up on the floor, and every summer there is an ant problem and twice they got into their food. They get lots of indoor play time and pets, but they definitely deserve better.

My wife and I cannot take in these animals since we already have 2 pets (our apartment's maximum).

Is this enough to warrant animal neglect or cruelty? If so, what legal ways are there to get the animals into a better environment?

ETA: Thanks to /u/Sudsworthy and /u/legalbyebye for pointing me towards animal control. I found that the town they live in has their own animal control jurisdiction unrelated to the county, but their website points to my county's (Wake) animal control ordinances. Section 6-67 (2) relates to animal abuse and states: "Failing to keep an animal under sanitary and humane conditions which are not detrimental to the animal's health and general welfare and which maintain a condition of good order and cleanliness and reduce the possibility of transmission of disease." Do I just contact animal control to report this? how would this be enforced?

Answer: IANAL but I work for Animal Control in California, so my knowledge is only based on our laws out here. If the dogs have food/water/shelter and no immediate veterinary care is needed, it's hard to prove cruelty. Fleas have only been able to get processed as neglect when the infestation was so severe it was causing severe anemia, from what I've seen. In hoarder situations, we usually go hand in hand with health departments and code enforcements. If the property is inhabitable, usually that would go through code enforcement. AC is usually called in to remove the animals if it's warranted. Like, if they were to condemn the home and kick everyone out. And don't listen to people saying the animals would most likely be euthanized. Not all shelters are quick to kill everything that comes in. And case animals usually tug on heartstrings and can get a rescue to back them if an adopted doesn't come forward on their own. But it's always a risk with an open intake shelter. So I would say your first step is to get in touch with your local code enforcement or Health Department, to get the ball rolling.


Title: Someone in Florida is using my mom's food delivery accounts to buy food, can I do anything about it other than customer service?

Question: Just like the title someone in Florida has my mom's grubhub and Postmates account and has been making purchases on it. When they made an order with the first account I didn't think too much of it but then after I cancelled the orders they made an order on the second account. This means it wasn't some simple account login error. I have the address of the person who made the orders and just want to know if it's possible for me to do anything like going to the police. For more information me and my mom are based in California and no nobody in Florida and these accounts are only shared between me and my mom.

Answer:
 Change the passwords. And don't use the same password for multiple sites.

Cancel/replace the credit cards.

File a police report. They may or may not do anything.


Title: [WI] Being accused of slander, threatened to be sued, but I've ben telling the truth.

Question:
First off, I'm 19. Broke. Living with me my girlfriend, and our two ex-best friends. We moved in with a good mindset but living with them as been a living hell and to make matters worse he has a history of domestic abuse. I have since then told my parents, a friend, and a former coworker merely for advice on how to handle the situation and to stay away from him. The other day he approaced my girlfriend calling me a "coward" and saying "[she] could do better". The next morning he talked to me inside my room and after him blackmailing me about "knowing things about my family", I told him to get out of my room. He did not do so, so I got in his face and told him to leave. He said "Or what?" and I threatened to call the cops, knowing if I did anything physical I would be in trouble. Fast forward 5 days and he texts me saying "I'm gathering evidence. If I get enough I might sue you for slander" What do I do?
tl;dr: telling truth, being accused of slander, need advice

Answer: "I'm going to sue for slander" is the "my dad knows karate" of the adult sphere. Don't worry about this guy.


Title: possible felony due to school registration.

Question:
[Houston, TX ] background: my parents are legally divorced but they're still living in the same house and are in every way but legally married (not sure if this is relevant. just bought a new house in a different school district. new school district has a bad academic record and is not a good place to be. old school is amazing.

it stated on my old school registration that falsifying resident information is a felony. on my old school forms im putting my old house because we are letting someone people rent it. my dad sold it to my brother and he is registered as a legal guardian. our old house is being rented out by some people. if i put the new address, the school will know 1. Im using two different addresses and 2. new house is out of district. is this legal?
changing schools would be a nightmare since credits would be messed up

Answer: You're asking if it's legal to lie about your address to get into a different school?


Title: (Columbus, OH) Spectrum lowered my internet speed from 50 mbps to 30 mbps w/out telling me.

Question:
Up until last year I had been with Time Warner Cable/Internet (I only used their internet service). I was upgraded to a 50 mbps plan and life was great. My internet connection could withstand both my wife and I playing online video games on two separate Playstation 4s.

At some point Time Warner said they were gonna be bought out by Spectrum internet, and that my services would remain the same. The only thing that would change would be the name. Once the transition occurred I noticed my internet lagging, things took forever to load and I could no longer enjoy playing GTA Online with my wife.

A couple months ago I conducted a speed test and the result was 32 mbps. I thought it was a mistake and I quickly called in a technician and he told me my internet was working great, above average. I told him that was not possible because I used to clock internet speeds averaging 54 mbps, sometimes 62 on amazing days. He told me to speak with Spectrum. I spoke with them once more and they informed me that I was only given 30mbps as part of my plan. I told them it wasn't possible and to check again because I was given 50 mbps. They checked and saw that while it was still Time Warner, I had that, but since the Spectrum switch, they lowered my internet speed to 30 mbps.

I used to pay $45 for 50 mbps, no contract and unlimited data.

I now pay $50 for 30 mbps.

Spectrum does offer a $30 internet plan that does 60 mbps, but after one year, you pay like $90.

Do I have any legal recourse? I feel like I've been screwed by both Time Warner and Spectrum.

Is there BBB or FCC, FTC complaint I can file?

Answer:
 You can file complaints to all the businesses, but it won't do much good for your specific situation.

We are also TW to Spectrum customers.  As it was explained to us, all contracts specify speeds "up to".  They do not guarantee speeds or have a minimum that they must provide.  So it's very much legal for them to grandfather you in at the previous price, but knock down the speed at their discretion.


Title: Do I have to pay taxes as a dual citizen living in my other country ?

Question:
I was born in the states and I’m a US citizen but I’ve never been there expect for a few times when i was underage and didn’t have work permit.

I’m 24 now and I’m working in Saudi Arabia for a year.

I haven’t paid any US taxes in my life and I’m not sure if I have to because I’m working in Saudi as a Saudi citizen.

Will I be in trouble ?
I’m going to move to the states soon and start paying taxes but will I have to pay all the unpaid taxes that i have accumulated from my saudi job?

Answer:
 You have a filing obligation with the IRS regardless of whether or not you have any US Sourced income during your time abroad. US citizens are taxed on their worldwide income, and are obligated to report it whether or not it’s taxable.

If you have been living outside the US your entire life, all of your income (provided it was less than roughly $100,000 per annum) should fall cleanly within the limits for the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion. This would basically mean you have no tax liability to the US, just a duty to report your income.

You should have been filing form 1040 along with accompanying schedules, and form 2555 for any year you had income.

Also, you may be subject to FBAR filing requirements if you had bank accounts with an aggregate value of over $10,000 at any one point during any given year.


Title: [WY] Water is now shut off and landlord is responsible for paying the bill.

Question:
I live in Laramie WY, in Albany county, and I am currently renting my place of residence. It's a complex, and the entire complex has had the water shut off now because the LL has not payed the bill. I noticed a warning this morning downstairs in the main lobby, however I normally do not go out that way and thus do not know how long the warning has actually been there. I got to wake up this afternoon to my mother (who also lives here with me) informing me that the water has been shut off. I am rather unsure what to do, and could use some advice. Luckily we do have friends who are willing to let us shower at their place, and a gas station on the same block that has a nice clean restroom. I can't help but feel there should be some kind of legal action here though. Thanks for any advice possible!

EDIT: Man, thanks for all the responses that were extremely helpful! I'm going to keep some of this info for the future, however this time around the water was actually turned back on the next day. I have to assume another tenant here contacted the LL and either got him moving along to pay the bill or perhaps one of the suggested solutions here. Again, I can't thank you guys enough for the helpful responses. Hopefully I'll not have to resort to using this info again, but it is nice having it on hand just in case!

Answer:
 It looks like Wyoming's residential real property act is very friendly to landlords (i.e., it sucks).  Wyoming has not adopted the URLTA.

Landlord has a duty to maintain operational water system:  Wyo. Stat. § 1-21-1202(a).  ("Each residential rental unit shall have operational . . . hot and cold running water . . ."

If he does not, you need to give your landlord written notice that the water is out.  Wyo. Stat. § 1-21-1203(b)

If he does not fix it within a reasonable time you need to give him “notice  to repair or correct condition."  This notice needs to be specific.  Wyo. Stat. § 1-21-1206(b)  "This notice shall: (i) Recite the previous notice served under W.S. 1-21-1203(b); (ii) State the number of days that have elapsed since the notice was served and that under the circumstances the period  of time constitutes the reasonable time allowed under W.S. 1-21-1203(b); (iii) State the conditions included in the previous notice which have not been corrected;(iv)  Demand that the uncorrected conditions be corrected; and (v) State that if the owner fails to commence reasonable corrective action within three (3) days he will seek redress  in the courts."

If he still doesn't fix it you must sue him.  Wyo. Stat. § 1-21-1206(c) "If the owner has not corrected or used due diligence to correct the conditions following notice under this  section, or if the owner has notified the renter that the claim is  disputed, the renter may commence a civil action in circuit court."

IMHO, this is a crappy way for the state to handle things.  If there is a legal aid office near you, contact them.  Otherwise, talk to a local attorney to see if I am correct.


Title: [Ontario, Canada] Recently moved and UPS package was delivered to old (vacant) house, package was delivered but not there when I went to get it

Question:
I recently ordered my bridesmaid dress for an upcoming wedding from an American retailer (J. Crew, for what its worth) and had it delivered to Canada. The website saved my previous address information, and because it is automatic, I didn't think to input my new address and did not realize that I made this mistake until after I received the notification that the item had been shipped to my old address. I had mail forwarding set up so I initially didn't think it would be an issue, but the mail forwarding is with Canada Post and not UPS, and UPS wouldn't allow me to change the delivery address.

The package was delivered yesterday, and the UPS website says it was left at the porch of my old house. Due to a family emergency I was out of town, and when I went to get it today at the old house, it was gone. The house we lived in was rented, and after we moved out a month ago, our landlords put it up for sale and it is now conditionally sold, but it has been vacant the entire time. I asked the landlords if they or their realtor had received it, but was told they had not. While the street I lived on wasn't a main street, it has fairly heavy pedestrian traffic and the porch is close enough to the sidewalk and road that the package would be easily viewable and accessible.

I know I need to contact the retailer and UPS about this, but I wanted to know if I will be found to be at fault for this, as I am the one who put the wrong address. If I am found to be at fault, is there any chance the retailer or UPS will refuse to ship to me again?  If I'm found to be at fault, will I still be refunded?

Answer:
 It sounds like it was stolen.  You can certainly try to contact UPS and find out exactly where the package was left (sometimes they hide it a bit, so it may not have been on the porch), and you could ask the neighbors (maybe one of them took it because he knew the house was vacant).  You could also contact the vendor and ask them if they would refund you; they will sometimes do it as a goodwill gesture.

Legally, you don't have a claim against anyone, since the package was presumably shipped to the address specified on the order form.


Title: 17 yo sister called DCF on my parents. CT.

Question:
Long story short... she began dating a boy who started emotionally abusing her and isolating her from everyone. My parents had given her 3 simple rules once she got her license last year when she turned 16. No bf. No one in her car. iPhone location always on. She continually broke those rules.

Everytime she broke them, she’d get the car taken away. Everytime she got her car taken away, he’d get angry at her. He was basically using her for her car, money and sex. He’d degrade her everyday. Called her stupid. Yelled at her when she couldn’t pick him up because I had her watch my son, called her a fucking dumb bitch because she stayed after class to talk to her teacher about his ex gf harassing her and making him wait for her like an idiot, told her if she didn’t take it up the butt they wouldn’t do it at all. Just a few of the incidents.

We told her and him she wasn’t allowed to see him anymore last month. Took away her car for the last time. Blocked everything on her phone so she could only use it as a phone to call my parents and myself basically. So she supposedly listened and started going out with her friends again.

Got a letter from DCF yesterday stuck to the door that someone tipped the hotline and had to set up an interview. My mom asked her and she said she told her guidance counselor everything that’s been going on (how we took everything away from her and she’s scared of me and my dad. We’ve never laid a finger on her.) and they called DCF and she talked to them. And she talked to them because she’s been so depressed because we’re abusing and controlling her.

Turns out. She’s still talking to the bf. Someone gave her their old iPhone so she’s been using the internet and talking to him through Snapchat. He told her to not let us get away with our lies to DCF and that his texts yelling at her and shit were taken out of context and he always apologized on FaceTime or real life after.

So basically he made her feel like shit but she’s putting the blame on us. When I called DCF to set up the appointment, the case worker said I should be there too. My question is. I have young kids (under 10) and my oldest told me yesterday that she asked him if he ever felt I was bad. So she’s trying to manipulate him and have him speak up against me. Can DCF talk to my kids? Can they take my kids away from me? Or will they just focus on her accusation against me and my parents? What will happen at the interview? Can I just tell them what I just wrote about this boy being the cause of her problems. Can I show them the texts? Should we get a lawyer?

Answer:
 IANAL: Are you her guardian? Do you reside in the same house? You, as a sibling, have no legal control over a younger sibling unless you have guardianship. However, anyone, a relative or not, can be investigated for child abuse. Not for neglect, since that is the responsibility of the parent or guardian.Answer #2: Your parents can take the threatening texts and attempt to get a restraining order on her behalf. They can disconnect the wifi or change the password every time they think she figured it out.

They can and should sell the car and tell her if she sees him after she turns 18 she will have to move out.  They can also try and force her into therapy.

Dfs has likely seen this scenario before. Just stay calm, hire a lawyer, and do what the lawyer tells you to.


Title: My deceased mother declared bankruptcy and died. All the sudden I have mail naming me+siblings as defense, with a hearing of some kind?!

Question:
We received mail at 3pm Monday about a hearing 2:30pm Tuesday with instructions that we should contact them 48 hours prior to the hearing to be able to conference call or appear?

My mom had declared bankruptcy, gone through foreclosure, then died of cancer... what little insurance she had got paid out and we moved on... now 5 years after her death we are defendants against some home loan thing with no time to prepare? I have 2 kids and I'm worried they're going to go after my grandmother's home we all inherited... I have 2 kids and my sister has a daughter, stepdaughter, and son on the way. Having to pays off some secret charge or taking our home will devastate us financially. I'm really scared.

My long, detailed edits disappeared. Fuck it. Going to bed then, wish me luck.

Answer:
 I've read thru the thread, please take some deep breaths and relax.  In the US you cannot inherit debt.  Unless you have co-signed for any loans you are not responsible for them.  The deceased's estate is responsible for all debts.

Do not, under any circumstances, assume responsibility for any debts of the deceased.  Do not make any payments or partial payments on debts of the deceased.

IANAL, but I have first-hand knowledge of this crap.

I'm sorry for your loss.  Be strong.  Don't make rash decisions. Don't let bloodsuckers take advantage of you in your time of mourning.


Title: (Texas) My ex is threatening to press charges against me if I talk about her or talk what happened during our breakup.

Question:
We broke up two months ago and I had been trying to get my stuff back from her, like some clothes and other trinkets and such that I had bought. I asked for a camera back and she went insane on me, claiming I was harassing her for her stuff (that I bought) and then said that she’d file charges against me if I talked about her because “she doesn’t need that drama.” Is it actually illegal to talk about her? Or, for instance, if I were writing a story based off of what happened, but it doesn’t state her name or anything remotely personal about her or anyone else that exists, could she press charges for defaming her (is that what it’s called)? I have since cut contact with her, since she’s acting incredibly immature about this.

Another thing is that she asked for my number because her therapist wanted it. Is it legal for a therapist that is not your own to ask for your number through someone else?

Answer:
 There is nothing illegal at all about talking about someone as long as what you say is either true, or opinion. Defamation is saying untrue things that hurts their reputation. A therapist can ask, they just can't tell you anything. Be careful that asking for your stuff back doesn't turn in to harassment. She has requested that you stop talking to her. Now is the time to go through official channels.

If you bought stuff for her, you don't get to say it is yours after you break up.  If you bought it for yourself and  you want to get your items back you have 2 options: 1\)call the police and ask that they accompany you on a  pickup of personal belongings. If they have time or the inclination, they will. 2\) sue her in small claims court for the used value of the items.  Answer #2: > Is it actually illegal to talk about her?

No.

>Or, for instance, if I were writing a story based off of what happened, but it doesn’t state her name or anything remotely personal about her or anyone else that exists, could she press charges for defaming her (is that what it’s called)?

She can't "press charges" but she could sue you in some circumstances. She won't, and if she did, she probably wouldn't succeed.  Still, it's best to avoid "the drama."

>Is it legal for a therapist that is not your own to ask for your number through someone else?

Do you really think there's a law against asking someone for a telephone number?  Have you ever heard of the First Amendment?  Yes, it's legal.


Title: Jewelry chain store lost my rings not once, but twice, and tried to pass off other rings as my own! What can I do next?

Question:
On two separate occasions my wedding band and engagement rings were each lost through a (Canadian national) jewelry store located in Alberta. I have the Life Time Protection Plan which I used for repairs/maintenance. The first incident was with my wedding band in August 2016 and when I was able to prove that they were trying to give me one that wasn’t mine, the store ended up having to replace it as mine was never found. Reluctantly, as I have pre-paid for this service, I brought my rings in for service again this month and when I went to pick them up they were again going to give me the wrong ring, this time with my engagement ring. Both the previous incident and this one are documented and as the diamonds in both rings are inscribed with the numbers of their Certificates of Authenticity there is no question that the store is at fault.

Repairs are outsourced for service and I am not sure where the breakdown is taking place but the receipt for repairs says that the jewelry store cannot be held liable for more than the stated value of the pieces. They are looking into locating my ring using the inscribed serial numbers but based on the experience of my wedding band having to be replaced I am very doubtful they will locate it.

As you can imagine the original rings had a ton of sentimental value for myself and my husband – he saved up for many months and we feel kind of sick about this situation. At this point I have spent time, energy, and emotions on the events of last year and now. Do I have any legal recourse here, if not for the value of the rings then for the loss of sentimental items? I’m quite upset and want to warn others of the negligence, but want to give the store the opportunity to make things right first. Any advice as to how to proceed?

Answer:
 First, get the current issue handled.

Then insist on a refund of the prepaid repair & maintenance, as I assume you will never trust them again with anything of value.

Then, once that's resolved, you can share your experience with a review.


Title: A resident instructs someone to use the resident's mailbox to deliver an item. Who is most responsible for breaking the law? (SC)

Question:
In SC, (though this pertains to a federal law) a resident instructs an individual to drop off an envelope containing cash in the resident's mailbox.

Should this case be brought before a court, is the resident or the individual responsible for the offense?

Follow-up: If the individual placed a stamp and delivery address on the envelope, does this change the result?

Answer: None of this is anything anybody will care about.


Title: HEEEELP! car was stolen 3y ago and now police recovered and towed leaving me with $700 bill!

Question:
3 years ago my 1990 accord was stolen. Few days ago sheriff's office (WA-State, Snohomish) told me that they found it and gave me a number of a towing company to call. I called the towers and they said that the bill for it is $340 +tax for the services already performed. Well I did not authorize them to tow the car, but apparently 3y. ago when the sheriff came to give me a report about my stolen car, I had singed a piece of paper where I gave my consent to them of towing my car if found. Besides the fact that I was in shock of my loss, the sheriff didn't explain this to me and now I'm bitter. When I spoke to the towing company, they said that there was a mismatch in the VIN numbers of the vehicle found and my vehicle and that police is still investigating. I asked to call me back when the investigation was done, but did not receive a call, so I thought that the car was not mine. Couple of days go by and I receive a mail stating I owe money to the towers, so I call them again. This time they tell me that I owe them $700 and yes the car is mine they said ( completely dishonest and cheating business). I spoke the the "big boss" of the company and since the car is total junk I offered him to take on the title and make his money from the scrap yard. He was ok with the deal except he wanted me to pay the $340 for the job and no charge for the accumulated storage. I am not happy with this situation at all, because I am getting ripped off twice - first by getting my car stolen, than now (LEGALLY) I am being robbed.

Please Please Please help me out! If you have any advice for me to avoid paying this cheaters $400 let me know! Your help will be greatly appreciated...thank you

Answer:
 $340 for the job + no charge for storage is reasonable.

If you don't have the money handy, they are probably willing to take a payment arrangement. They know the car is worth next to nothing, so getting $20 / month for the next year and a half is better than getting nothing at all. They don't have to accept this, of course, but they could wind up suing you to recover their $340.Answer #2: You're not being robbed. They performed a service. They towed and stored your car. They aren't a charity. You think you should get it back for free??????


Title: The store I worked at all summer randomly shut down due to bankruptcy (I think) with no warning or information, but my boss owes me 1.5k due to a payment mistake earlier in the summer and isn't answering my texts or emails.

Question:
Hi guys,

So I'm a university student, and for the past two summers I've worked at a small, non-chain juice shop in my city (it sells healthy juices and smoothies and stuff). Last winter, the minimum wage where I live was raised from 11.40 to 14$. Anyway, the owner of the juice shop clearly has his issues (he fires people for no reason, has screamed at employees for stupid stuff, is always at least 2 hours late, and my coworkers and I found online reviews of him insulting customers.) I can't say I loved working there, but it was a job.

Anyway, about a week ago, I randomly got an email from my boss saying 'we've closed the company and dissolved the corporation'. I was shocked because I'd been at work the day before and he'd told me information about a juice cleanse that was ordered for my next shift, so clearly, he had no plans to shut down. He wrote on the store's Facebook page that the landlord had changed the locks and he was unable to get in, so clearly, something bad happened. Anyway, my coworker texted him about getting our final paychecks, and he ignored her texts. Another of my coworkers' paycheck bounced, and his account is now in the negatives, but when he texted him, the owner ignored him too.

My problem is that, because I'd worked there the previous summer, I  was still in the payroll system when I came back this summer, and the owner didn't change anything, meaning for most of the summer, I was still getting paid 11.40/hr. When we realized this, the owner told me that, cumulatively, I was owed about $1500 for the hours I'd worked. I'm not super happy about him not paying me for my last 2 weeks of work, but it's not THAT much money, but $1500 is a lot of money that I really want to be paid, especially since working there was really stressful.

If the owner is bankrupt (which it seems like he is, although honestly, my coworkers  and I have no clue because he closed down so randomly and has given us 0 information), do I have any legal recourse? What can I do to get the $1500? I kind of need it to pay my tuition fees, so I'm pretty stressed about this. Any legal advice would be super appreciated!

Answer:
 I could be mistaken, but you may be able to collect owed back wages through EI.Answer #2: If he's declaring bankruptcy then there should be someone overseeing that.  You should find out who that is and file a claim.  Realistically, there's probably no assets left but the good thing is that unpaid wages should be at the front.  If you don't get anything you are eligble for this:

>The federal Wage Earner Protection Program (WEPP), offers some compensation to eligible employees who are owed money from a bankrupt employer or one who is in receivership.

>To access this program you must file an application for payment with Service Canada.

>For more information on the WEPP, call Service Canada at 1-800-622-6232.

https://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/es/pubs/bankruptcy.phpAnswer #3: NAL so take this with a grain of salt.

&#x200B;

You are owed the money that you earned however it's an important distinction that you're owed that money by the company not your boss specifically.  If the company has gone bankrupt you would have to get in line with the other creditors to make a claim for repayment (which probably gets into "ask a lawyer" territory, others might know of free resources though).


Title: URGENTLY NEEDS TENANT/RENTERS LEGAL ADVICE BY TOMORROW!!

Question:
This is happening in Canada Ontario Ottawa:
1. Can my Landlord come into my apartment without cause or 24 hour notice?
2. Can my landlord Kick my boyfriend out on Monday even though he doesn't live with me he just visits?
3. Can my landlord kick my dog out, with a lease stating pets allowed only upon approval
4. Can my landlord disapprove my lease take over candidates based on there sex as he has been doing? example: Males not allowed
5. Can my landlord have  female only units within his building
6.what defines a dorm from an apartment unit and can it be one gender only
7. what actions can he take if I don't get rid of my dog or my boyfriend?
This is happening in Ontario Ottawa Canada

Answer:
 1.) Maybe.  It depends on where you are.

2.) Maybe.  It depends on where you are.

3.) Maybe.  Do you have approval on the lease for a pet?  And it depends on where you are.

4.) Maybe.  It depends on where you are.

Seeing a pattern here?


Title: My girlfriend let the cops search her truck, her place and her phone without a warrant. She also did an interview. They didn't find anything but is there anything I can tell her so that she doesn't do it again?

Question:
Illinois. So my girlfriend and me both live off campus. She lives in a building for students which is a bunch of bachelors style apartments. The cops came to her building and arrested one guy on her floor for drugs and then they went around and asked to look in the apartments of everyone else on the floor. They said it was because of "drug activity". The property company let her move to a different one of her buildings after that.

Apparently everyone said no except for my girlfriend. She let them not only search through her entire apartment, drawers and all but also her truck and her phone. She gave them an interview too. They didn't find anything and nothing came of it for her. Later they came with warrants for the other apartments on her floor and 9 more people were arrested for drugs.

She doesn't see what the big deal is when I tried to tell her that she should never talk to the cops without a lawyer and let them search anything without a lawyer. No matter what I say she doesn't get what a big deal it is and says she has nothing to hide and doesn't use drugs ever and was happy to co-operate. I need her to get why this was a bad idea. Is there some kind of what I can get her to see that? Is there like some kind of legal president or something from Illinois or America that I can use to make her get that the cops aren't on people's side and what she did was a bad idea? TY, I just wanna show her that it was a stupid thing for her to do.

Answer:
 This is more of an r/relationship issue.

You can find videos on youtube to show her about why talking to the cops is not smart.


Title: Is it legal to travel to a country which requires vaccinations without them, if you cannot receive vaccination?

Question: So it's been my wish to go to Thailand for martial arts for years now, and I'm now 16. I have medical issues involving my immune system and it not being correctly formed, so I get artificial plasma which acts as a substitute temporarily. For the most part, I can do anything I wish without getting sick, having an "artificial" immune system. But would I be able to travel to countries requiring vaccines to be in order, if I cannot receive them due to this? I cannot get vaccinated because my immune system does not evolve or adapt, it's just... renewed. Would I be able to make a case for not getting them and still be able to travel, or am I stuck in countries without vaccination requirements? Thank you for your time. Edit: I'm in the United States, btw.

Answer: It would be up to the Thai government. You need to contact their embassy's visa department and ask them.


Title: Dealership will not let me return vehicle after it nearly causes an accident 4 days after purchase

Question:
I purchased a vehicle from a large dealership in NY state that had 105k miles on it. While taking the vehicle to be serviced for delivery, it was noticed that the transmission was shifting oddly. Per my agreement with the dealership, the transmission was repaired before I picked the vehicle up.

The next day, the transmission is acting up again, so it goes back to the shop. It is held there for 6 days, then returned to me stating the problem was repaired. Two days later, I am driving in the left lane of the expressway at 65 mph and the transmission goes completely haywire. The tachometer jumped up and down rapidly, the check engine light came on and the engine stopped delivering power to the wheels. I nearly got into an accident as cars swerved around me and I had to drift over to the right lane.

In total, I have had possession of the car for about 4 days. I want to trade the vehicle back for the purchase of something newer and more expensive, but the dealership is claiming they cannot do this since the title and paperwork has already been filed. All they are offering is to repair the vehicle again, which has been attempted twice and resulted in me nearly dying on the expressway. What can I do to help convince them to give me the full amount paid for the vehicle (minus registration costs since that will be transferred) as credit towards a newer, more expensive vehicle?

Answer: They're right, if you purchased the car with an agreement to repair the transmission, it's your car now and your recourse is to press them to repair the transmission again. You aren't going to convince them to accept a return of a car that they now see as a problem, even if you plan to buy something more expensive from them.Answer #2: They are required to honor the terms of any warranty sold with the vehicle. That is all.


Title: Husband charged with with sex crime - is there support for me somewhere?

Question: We are in Wisconsin and obviously have a lawyer, but as his wife, I need someone safe to talk to, someone to vent to, someone to help me analyze all the thoughts going through my head, and just deal with this trauma.  Who is it safe to talk to - obviously someone who can't be called to the stand and have what I said used against me.  Please help, I'm really, really lost.

Answer:
 You can find a private therapist, therein which all of your conversations would be confidential.

You can also look here: http://www.endabusewi.org/gethelp/shelters

They offer shelter & support for women in your position. Best of luck through all of this.


Title: Is there a way to legally own a restaurant that caters to both humans and dogs? Specifically in the state of Ohio.

Question:
I got into a discussion with a friend about how I wished I could take my dog with me to restaurants. So then we started talking about opening a dog restaurant that basically serves both human and dog food. Is that even possible without violating health codes?

Sorry if this is the wrong sub. If there's a better one, please let me know.

Answer: [Sure](http://mobile.dudamobile.com/site/dogspin?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dogspin.com%2Fnyc-dog-excursions%2Fpooch-ini-shake-shack%2F&dm_redirected=true#3004). Several place do it. The dog food has to be prepared to human health standards, and pups aren't allowed in the food prep area, and there are probably increased cleaning requirements of the staff in the seating area, but nothing insurmountable.


Title: TREE LAW!!!!

Answer:
 All Credit to u/reachlingAnswer #2: Actually, Tree Trover!

#TREE TROVER

Trover: common-law action to recover the value of personal property that has been wrongfully disposed of by another person.

I learned this word yesterday reading about [this case.](http://loweringthebar.net/2018/09/rejectee-sues-re-magna-carta.html)Answer #3: This is accurate.Answer #4: I was called for jury duty in Vermont probably 15 years ago.  They were selecting juries for four cases--two PIs and two theft by logging.  The trials on the tree theft cases were twice as long and much more hotly debated.  If grandma's tree was veneer quality, it could be worth $5,000!

&#x200B;

In northern new england, trees > people.Answer #5: I subscribe to this subreddit just for the tree law.
Answer #6: This was right above a post from /r/marijuanaenthusiasts on my front page


Title: UPDATE: [NJ] Woke up this morning with dad's car disappeared. Called police, it was towed while being parked in my driveway.

Question:
Original post here.
https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/3mp66h/nj_woke_up_this_morning_with_dads_car_disappeared/

Figured why not make an update. So dad's car was towed away. Dad contacted the bank. Turns out he had over $1000 due to the bank. He just has the mentality that if you make late payments, you pay a late fee and messes up your credit, but it's all good if you make payments. Well turns out he was wrong and the result of it was the tow. So he made the payment, plus we went to the towing spot and paid $240 in towing fees, and we got the car back like three days after the incident. All things considered, we're just happy we got the car back. I was under the assumptions for banks and companies to do this, they would send warnings in advance.
     Maybe they did, and my father didn't read it properly, who knows. We discussed his financial situation. My dad isn't an over spender per say, just bad at managing bills and money. Guess this is a life lesson, don't mess around with loans. I hope people can learn from a similar issue like this before their car/property is gone!

Answer:
 Thanks for the update.

>Maybe they did

They did.  They probably called him every day, too.Answer #2: >My dad isn't an over spender **per say**...

Pssssst!  Not legal advice, but it's spelled "per se".

Not a knock, I just want you to look better when you use the term in future written communications.  :DAnswer #3: Banks usually send a 'final notice' before doing anything like this.  It is likely your dad ignored it.  They'll never repossess your car without contacting you to pay a few times.


Title: Taco Bell road rules?

Question: My partner and I just drove out of a Taco Bell parking lot that had a sign near the exit saying “Right turn only”. The sign is clearly posted by Taco Bell, not the city (it’s purple, has the bell logo on it, etc.) The exit connects to a very low-traffic, two-way road that serves as the access to several parking lots and there is no obvious reason for the sign. To the right, as the sign directs, is just another business and a dead end at a fence. To the left is the actual way out of the area. We turned left. Was this a traffic violation?

Answer: I don't know for sure, but I bet it's most likely to get drivers to turn right instead of waiting to turn left and backing traffic up in the parking lot. Answer #2: Would depend on specific state and, perhaps, local law but probably not enforceable if the sign is not in conformity with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manual_on_Uniform_Traffic_Control_Devices


Title: Was hit by a drunk uber driver with a suspended license- What are the chances of me successfully suing uber?

Question:
Hey, r/legaladvice,

As the title says, I was in a car accident where a drunk uber driver hit me, and I later found out that he had a suspended license. What are the chances that I could successfully sue uber? I am currently living in Kentucky.

Answer:
 This is a good question for the personal injury attorney you should hire. Answer #2: Did he have a fare with him?
Was he on the clock with Uber or was he just driving his own car he uses for uber?
Uber drivers are considered sub contractors so you will have to deal with his insurance directly.


Title: [TX] Veteran, 14 year old transcripts are ruining new GPA for medical school applications

Question:
Currently 32 years old, took a few college courses out of high school 13-14 years ago, stopped going to classes halfway through the first semester leaving me with 3 F's.

Fast forward to today, I spent 4 years in Texas working as a Paramedic, then 4 years in the Navy as a Corpsman. I left the military in 2016 and started on, from scratch, my B.S in Biology, from an out of state University with plans to apply to medical schools in Texas. Graduating in December and currently have a 3.8 GPA, but come to find out when applying to medical schools, in Texas or out of state, you have to include ALL of your prior transcripts, and ALL grades from every course you have ever taken are utilized in calculating your final GPA that the schools will see on your application.

This means that with those F's from 14 years ago, my 3.7-3.8 (anticipated GPA, 2 semesters left) which is competitive, is effectively brought down to around a 3.4, which is not very competitive.

This makes absolutely zero sense to me, colleges and medical schools state that they want non-traditional students to apply, those who have served their country, or have prior medical experience, or work experience etc. Non-traditional students work hard, but then are judged from grades that are over 10 years old?  Where do we draw the line, what if the grades were 20 years old, or 30 years old, why are they still included in the current GPA??

I served the community that I grew up in as a Paramedic, then served my country for 4 years, went back to school and busted my ass to maintain a strong GPA, and despite all of that, the hard work is negated by 14 year old grades.  Have I not earned a fresh start? A somewhat level playing field for when I apply to schools? Despite these grades being 14 years old, they might have well have been taken last semester with how they are affecting my GPA.

There should be some set in stone time frame for when grades can no longer be calculated into a GPA for graduate school / other school admissions purposes. Otherwise what is the state saying, or the medical admissions process in general, "thanks for all your years of service and work, go fuck yourself".

Is there anything that can be done in a legal sense, maybe to change the system or the laws, I mean if this is a case of someone needing to stand up and say hey, this is messed up, it needs to be changed, I'm all for it.

TL;DR - Navy Veteran applying to medical schools next year with a competitive GPA, courses that are 14 years old with 3 F's are being calculated into new GPA, bringing it down significantly.  Needs to be some sort of change in the system to make it so grades that are 10 years old or something do not count against you.

Answer:
 I remember writing a reference for graduate school for a student who had done something similar. Super bright and motivated student 6 years after she left school totally homesick. I made sure to address it directly in the letter. She made it into grad school. I would recommend you taking a similar approach.Answer #2: This is a school policy issue and not a legal issue.Answer #3: >Is there anything that can be done in a legal sense, maybe to change the system or the laws, I mean if this is a case of someone needing to stand up and say hey, this is messed up, it needs to be changed, I'm all for it.

Sure, you could ask your state legislators or congressional representatives to pass a law making it illegal for medical schools to consider the grades you don't want them to consider. It's probably not going to happen in the next two semesters though.


Title: Heeellpp meee...

Question: What should I do? I'm only 14, living in New York and was hanging out with a couple of friends one day and we were bored. I have crazy Asian parents and can't afford to get in legal trouble. This was my first time prank calling so I was unaware of using *67. I called a McDonald's out of state half way across the country. I said in a slow voice "Sir can I get everything on a big Mac but..." The employee cut me off, said if this was a prank call he wouldn't appreciate it. He had my caller ID and said he could report to me to the police. I instantly got scared and hung up. 5 minutes later I call back stating I'm very sorry sir. The employee says it's okay but then says he is going to file a report to the police. I'm incredibly scared. What should I do? It's been a day and nothing has happened yet... Is this only a threat or could this actually get me in so much trouble?

Answer: You aren't getting in serious trouble for one prank phone call relax.


Title: [OH] Got blood drawn just two days ago... Have nerve damage now. What do I do?? Please help!

Question:
So as the title states, I was at the VA getting some blood drawn for lab work. The technician that drew my blood jammed the needle in my right arm (right at the elbow), and I instantly had a shocking feeling down my forearm and into my thumb, index and middle finger. I've had blood drawn many times to know that's not right at all. Now every time I straighten my arm out I get a shock all down my arm....

What do I do from here?? Say something to the VA? Just let it heal? Time to sue for a trillion?? Ya know because the American Dream and what not?? Lol jk

Thanks for the help!

Answer: You should tell the VA about the complications that you're experiencing and ask them what to do.


Title: Do I have to return scholarship?

Question:
I received a scholarship from my (public, Texas) University for a study abroad program this summer. Obviously that has been cancelled, and they're "requesting" that I refund the scholarship funds (email excerpt below). I've lost my job, so I don't have the money to it pay back, and I'm not sure if this is really a "request" or if they can force me to return it or damage my credit score if I don't. Any advice is appreciated!

&#x200B;

>The department requests that any unused portion of the scholarship be returned. In this case, “unused” means any portion of the scholarship that was not used on program-related expenses. If you have incurred any program-related expenses (such as a flight, passport fees, etc.) please email receipts for those items to me. Make sure they are receipts showing the amount paid (not quotes or estimates) and include the full document (no screenshots). One we have your receipts, we will let you know how much money you owe back, if any, and send you instructions on how to do so.

I didn't not incur any non-refundable expenses, so this doesn't apply to me.

Answer: To clarify, you have been living on this money? How is the scholarship funded and paid out? Were there forms/contracts/applications?


Title: Hit by a Car in a Parking Lot - New Hampshire

Question:
Hello,

I'm posting on behalf of someone close to me who was recently hit by a car while walking through the parking lot at her place of work.

As she was walking to her car in her work parking lot *after punching out for the day*, my friend was hit by a car that was backing out of its parking space. My friend did not see the car moving and went down to the ground rather hard. The police responded, gathered the driver's information, etc. My friend drove herself to the hospital immediately after the incident. There were no broken bones or open wounds, just bruising and soreness that has persisted for several days.

My friend is insured, the driver was insured, she was on work property, they have video footage of the incident. I'm not sure where to go next. I have people advising different things. Some say lawyer up, some say call insurance, some say wait until her insurance reaches out.

Any help in guiding us through this process would be most appreciated. Not sure what the next step is.

Thanks!

Answer:
 She needs to file a claim against the driver's insurance. Workplace is *likely* not responsible since it occurred after the work day was done.  That is assuming that the parking lot was up to code, properly lit if it was dark, properly marked, etc.

If the insurance company seems to be dragging their heels or reluctant to cover your friend's expenses, that would be the time to get an attorney involved.  Probably don't need one if everything is as you stated in the OP. Your friend will have her medical bills paid and maybe a little more to compensate herfor her time and any "pain and suffering". Not a payday, but a little compensation.


Title: My former boss is saying shes going to create a case against me for defamation for my review on glassdoor what should i do

Question:
So I used to work for this local place in town and it was a complete basket case. I posted a review on glassdoor because I was worried for peoples sanity of being tricked into working there. I left in May 2017 and she just texted me saying if I don't take it down by 9 am tomorrow shes filling a case against me. what should I do....?

This is what I posted:

 **Inexperienced Owner, No set Schedule, Poor time management, and organization. Unfortunately, the owner doesn't care much about the business and that's shown through the lack of professionalism established through her own personal work schedule. You are considered a receptionist but actually, you're a personal assistant and cleaning lady. There is absolutely no structure in the salon, and nothing gets done in a** **…**

Answer:
 Laugh your assistance off and wish her the best of luckAnswer #2: Ignore her. Defamation cases are expensive to litigate and hard to prove. And this isn't defamation so she'd lose. Ignore her unless you get served with a summons to go to court. HIGHLY unlikely. You might even get a demand letter from a lawyer but (even if it's a real lawyer, and you never know unless you do some research) a demand letter has no actual legal significance.

On the 0.000000001% chance that she actually hires and attorney to file a suit against you, then yes, sadly, you'll need to hire an attorney. I think there's a better chance of the Cleveland Browns winning the World Series.


Title: Landlord wants to receive the annual rent payment as lump sum

Question:
Due to credit history we agreed to pay a year's rent up front when renting a new home in southern UK via a letting agent. The agency fully manages the property.

The agent has spoken to the Landlord and they have advised that they would like the advance payment to be transferred directly into there account.

Agent can do this but would need me to consent.

Agent said they would also need me to go to branch to sign a new contract and a letter that states "that upon the transfer of the advance payment monies to your Landlord you would no longer benefit from ‘Client Money Protection’ in the event of the Landlord defaulting on their mortgage payments."

This raises red flags. We've moved in and would like a smooth relationship with the agents and landlord, what would reddit advise?

Thx

Edit: added location

Answer: red flags all over. Was the original deal that you would pay agent, who would dole out rent a month at a time? That's what client money protection is meant for (in case the agent walks off). I'd insist on that.


Title: Cops woke me up in bed and gave me an underage while roommates threw a party

Answer: I recommend menudo or szechuan hot & sour soup.  If you can't get either of those, jack-in-the-box tacos are good hangover food.Answer #2: I'm guessing you mean you passed out at the party you and your roommates were throwing, right? Answer #3: Lay low for the rest of the weekend and start looking for attorneys on Monday. Answer #4: So you drank while you were underage and the cops gave you a ticket for underage drinking. I don't see how you think we can help you. You committed a crime and got caught, so plead guilty and pay the ticket. Answer #5: Why did you blow?


Title: I Was Physically Attacked At Work

Question:
Location: West Virginia

I don't know what to do right now. I was attacked at work and I feel horrible. I'm in pain, head is throbbing, can't sleep, and having panic attacks about this, because I don't understand what happened or why. I'm confused. I was attacked out of nowhere.

>at work
>having altercation with fellow coworker
>we are face to face talking smack to each other because he kicked a chair towards me.
>other coworker butts in
>tell coworker it's none of their business
>coworker runs over, grabs me
>starts punching me.
>I fight back
>coworker Starts choking me, punching me relentlessly
>we get separated and I say wtf are you doing
>coworker keeps talking shit right in my face
>don't remember what I say back (probably talk shit back to them)
>coworker sucker punches me a few more times
>punched in the balls
>take a thumb to the eye
>endless hits to my head
>get separated again
>both bleeding

Currently awaiting to hear from HR. Refused medical treatment. Didn't call police. Was kind of scared cause this person been there longer than me and I've been told by everybody that there's certain ways things are ran at my job and certain people get favoritism and stuff. I'm still in my first 60 days.

Right now idk what to do and even if I somehow don't lose my job I don't trust this guy. He told me that he'd kill me if he gets fired. I need the money and don't want to lose the job, but my god I don't trust anyone there and I'm in so much pain I had no idea what was going on.

We are both suspended until HR is contacted. Dude is a serious lunatic, mentioned about doing time in jail, being in a mental hospital, mentioned he needed to get home to his medication after the fight and all kinds of stuff.

What should I even do??
Topic:
Personal Injury

Answer:
 Well what do you want to do?

If you want criminal charges, you need to call the police and make a report. They'll decide whether to go forward with a criminal case.

Do you think you'll need medical attention? Then you needed to get a workers comp claim and get your medical bills paid.

Are you just nervous about going back to work with him? Then you'll need to wait until HR handles this. If you don't believe they're handling it properly, you can complain or leave the job.


Title: Sucker punched in NY

Question: Last night a bouncer punched me in the face outside of the bar as I was leaving. Moments earlier I had a verbal argument with someone else in the bar and the bouncer approached us and told us both, “Shut the fuck up before I knock you both out”. I told the bouncer to chill out because I was leaving.  After stepping outside he proceeded to tell me to get the fuck out of there, to which I turned around and asked why he was following me. That’s when he sucker punched me. After he assaulted me I called the cops, who were far more unhelpful than I could have ever imagined. They told me I was too drunk to make a statement (I wasn’t) and that he was claiming I swung at him (I didn’t).   Today I was contacted by an acquaintance I haven’t heard from in a while who told me this same bouncer sucker punched him last year, pretty severely injuring him and that he had filed a complaint with the ABC here in NY state.  So this bouncer has a history of this behavior.  My face is pretty brutally swollen and black and blue today. I was supposed to go to thanksgiving dinner at my In-Laws, but opted out because I looked like a hooligan.   I guess I’m just wondering if I have any legal options here. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Answer:
 Can you check if there were any CCTV's in the vicinity? Unfortunately if you don't have a statement taken by the police and the bouncer says that you swung at him it becomes a game of he said she said and it won't go any further.

I personally wouldn't have turned to ask the bouncer why he was following me. Nothing but trouble can come from mixing words with New York bouncers.


Title: I was in a car accident yesterday. Colorado.

Question:
So yesterday I rear ended someone going pretty fast, my airbags went off my and front end is in shambles, theirs didn't and their bumper is a little dented, but thankfully no one was really hurt--I've got some burns and a little bit of tinnitus but I think that will go away. I have received a 4 point reckless driving ticket for which I have to go to court. The problem is I'm afraid to go to court because I don't remember what happened. I don't know if it's because of the accident itself or because I was feeling really dizzy and lightheaded before hand (I know I probably shouldn't have been driving like that and I have definitely learned that lesson), but the last 15-30 seconds before I hit the breaks are just gone. I remember driving, then being somewhere way further down the road about to hit them. I don't think I was going to fast or following to close but I can't remember. Will I get in trouble if I say I don't remember? Thanks for any replies.

EDIT: Careless not reckless, I misheard. Sorry.

Answer:
 It's not unusual to forget what happened in an accident like yours. Chances are your memory of what happened will come back. If it doesn't, then just be honest in court with what you remember and don't.

It might not be a bad idea to get a traffic attorney though. Reckless driving in Colo is a misdemeanor.


Title: UT - Pet Dogs were killed by 3rd party. Were not charged.

Question:
A family member of mine lives in a semi-rural area. Several days ago, their two pet dogs were killed in their own yard for chasing a deer. The person that shot them was an employee working in an adjacent orchard. They claim the dogs were hurting the deer. The dogs were a jack russell terrier and a medium size mixed. There is no way a dog could cause the damage they are claiming. One of the pictures they have shows the entrails coming out of the deer.

The shooter was not charged for any crime because Utah has a law: http://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title18/Chapter1/18-1-S3.html?v=C18-1-S3_1800010118000101

Stating: 18-1-3. Dogs attacking domestic animals, service animals, hoofed protected wildlife, or domestic fowls.
Any person may injure or kill a dog while:
(1) the dog is attacking, chasing, or worrying:
(a) a domestic animal having a commercial value;
(b) a service animal, as defined in Section 62A-5b-102; or
(c) any species of hoofed protected wildlife;
(2) the dog is attacking domestic fowls; or
(3) the dog is being pursued for committing an act described in Subsection (1) or (2).

How can this law be valid on the dog's owner's property?

Also, if there is no chance of criminal prosecution, could the shooter be taken to civil court for distress or anything like that? The dogs were pets of young children who are heartbroken and devastated from the situation.

Thank you for reading.
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 > How can this law be valid on the dog's owner's property?

Yes. If there are game or other protected animals on your land and if the dogs are attacking them the dogs may be killed.


Title: [CA/MD] EZPass is Charging me for not living in MD. I never notified them I left nor have used the EZPass in ~7 years.

Question:
I got an email the other day from EZPass Maryland saying I have a past due balance of $65. I haven't lived in Maryland for more than 7 years, nor have I used my EZPass in that time (I thought I returned it, but maybe not?). I now live in California

Upon some investigation, I finally got my hands on the electronic statement that they had not been sending me, and found that they have been charging me a service fee of $1.50/mo for quite a long time for not living in Maryland. The last address I furnished to them was my Maryland address, I can only assume that they tried to mail me something which got returned because I filed a change of address form with the USPS, so started charging me when they discovered that I had moved.

Is there anything I can do here? Charging me for years without sending me a bill until the bill is $65 seems unfair, if not illegal.

Answer: You are getting charged because you never canceled your EZPass account. If you weren't using your EZPass anymore, you should have contacted them to close your account.


Title: How does copyright infringement apply to free educational websites that teach the same subject matter as textbooks?

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Intellectual Property

Answer: Copyright doesn't cover ideas, just the specific expression of those ideas.  Investopedia doesn't own explanations of credit scores, just their particular explanation of credit scores. As long as you write your own explanations in your own words, copyright shouldn't be an issue.


Title: Can I print images from the internet at a photo center such as Walmart legally?

Question:
Is it permitted to print, for example, photography I found on the internet at the Walmart photo Center? I am not selling or giving the photos away, I just want them as decorations for my room.
Topic:
Canada

Answer: The cops won't be called to arrest you if that's what you mean. But sometimes they will flag photos as professionally taken and ask for the release and won't let you have the pictures if you don't give it to them.  Shutterfly doesn't care about any of that.


Title: do I have to attend those classes?

Question:
Hi.
I did something stupid and got shoplifting charge for drinking redbull in Walmart they made really big deal about it.
I already had court case and now they I have to go to those classes 2x 8h and obviously I have to pay for it. Its like educational program called SAGE Counseling. after those classes my case will be dismissed etc

Is there any option to bypass this or at least pay and not to come. I mean come on it'll be Saturday and Sunday I dont wanna loose my entire days for it.

Answer:
 You go to classes and charges get dismissed. You don't go, and you get a conviction. Make your choice. Its 2 days punishment for you being an idiot. Take it.

I hope you're not seriously asking this. Answer #2: > I mean come on it'll be Saturday and Sunday I dont wanna loose my entire days for it.

This is a small price to pay to avoid contempt of court or a shoplifting charge that will follow you into your future employment and travel opportunities.

If it's meant as a punishment it's not meant to be pleasant.


Title: FMLA for baby daddy being ill (WA)

Question: Here is the scenario, a woman living in Washington state lives with but is not married to her kids baby daddy, he is in the final stages of terminal cancer and she is taking care of him. Can she apply for FMLA, again they are not married, but she is taking care of him and he is the father of their two small kids.

Answer: That's not a qualifying family member per the FMLA. Only spouse, parent, or child is.


Title: Grandfather died, left substantial amount of money in his bank account, Uncle saying it's all his.

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Your father needs to hire an estate attorney immediately.


Title: My friend in West Virginia needs help with a conspiracy charge (pot)

Question: A few months back my friend made a really stupid move and decided to start getting pot mailed to him.  One day he texted me and told me that an undercover cop had busted him with 2lbs of pot.  He also confiscated all his money.  The charges were possession with intent to distribute.  He got an attorney and ended up getting the charges dismissed (I have no idea how) but just last night he texted me and told me he found out the Supreme Court of WV is picking up the case and he is going to be indicted on conspiracy charges on Thursday.  What kind of jail time is he looking at?

Answer: Not a lawyer, but your friend better call his lawyer back.


Title: Busted texting inquiring Prostitution service

Question:
I’m in Ohio, USA, where buying sex is illegal. Like the title said, I found an ad on the internet, texted back and forth with an escort, and the other person claimed to be a sex trafficking agency. Our conversation goes like this:

Me: “Are you still in (this city)? What are your rates?”

Other person: “Age race”

Me: “(My age)(My race)”

Other person: “Pic”

Me: “I can’t send it here. Do you have kik or snapchat?”

Other person: “Well this is an agency where sex trafficking and solicitation can be reported so should I proceed or not”

Other person: “(She/he send me my real name, even though I haven’t given it to her)”

Other person: “You being reported”

Me: “?”

Other person: “What”

That’s the end of our almost exact conversation, which took place over a week. I search the phone number on the internet, and found that there are similar escort ads on various sites. I have not exchanged money for service or anything.

Is there enough ground for legal action? I’m freaking out, and I have deactivated my phone number, social media and most of my communication apps associated with that number. I’ve got a new phone number and deleted all the chat. Can someone please advise me on what to do?

Answer: Almost 100% this is a scam. I am surprised they didn’t ask you for money immediately following that.


Title: Comcast has been fucking me for months, and I don't know what my options are.

Question:
So it's a bit of a long story here. I had an account active with Comcast with their highest speed offered from July 2015 to May 2016 prior to relocating for work.

Up until this point, I used anywhere from 300-500Gb per month in data (300 being my cap.) I transferred my service from that location to my current one on May 26th, and somehow between then and June 5th, they claim I used 3.5Tb of data. Yes, you read that correctly. The final charge is just over $1000.

I had this escalated across about 5 different departments over the course of the next three months, after having canceled my service at the end of June with the intention of paying a core amount for the two months I kept service as well as the cancellation fee. To me, this is what I owe them as per the contract agreement.

Around the middle of August, I was left with having this issue escalated to some team which would supposedly audit the Comcast router (which is still in my possession until this is resolved). I was told it would be 2-3 weeks until I heard back, and a collection hold would be placed on my account so I wouldn't be harassed.

The very next day, an agent from a third party collection company calls and says that Comcast had sold them the debt. I explained the situation and was told the note would be added to my account. I then called Comcast who told me that I shouldn't be getting any calls, yada yada.

3 weeks pass, and I haven't heard from either, so I decided to use some of my down time at work to call Comcast who tells me that the team my issue was escalated to hasn't gotten around to it, that this is normal, and I should allow them more time and they would call me back.

That was about two weeks ago. I received a letter late last week from the debt collection company threatening to report this to the credit bureaus, and I feel helpless. I just want this charge to go away, and I don't feel like I have the option to call bullshit where it needs to be called.

Any help or advice in this situation is appreciated.

Edit: I am in Tennessee.

Answer:
 No legal advice, but Comcast has had some controversy regarding the accuracy of their bandwidth meters (which they claim are perfectly correct and no you can't see the proof)

http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2016/09/tales-from-comcasts-data-cap-nation-can-the-meter-be-trusted/Answer #2: You need to contact the FCC and BBB. Comcast Management will be contacting you within the week. Comcast *hates* dealing with them.Answer #3: Doesn't he need to dispute the debt in writing immediately with documents about the Comcast research?  Can't the debt collection company declare it a valid debt and collect after 30 days?
Answer #4: Not necessarily "legal" advice but potentially helpful. Have you tried posting to /r/comcast_xfinity? It took me 3 months to finally get everything with Comcast set up correctly via chat and phones. I found that sub while looking for a place to rant, and the escalation team in that sub seems to be able to fix even the most complex issues very quickly. I wish I had found it when I first signed up, as I might have saved hours of my time right off the bat.

Good luck


Title: [Iowa] I have been served. Now what?

Question:
I'll try to keep this short:

-I opened two credit cards ~6-7 years ago when I was an irresponsible college student. Paid one off, must have forgotten about other or ignored it at the time.

-I've moved around a lot, so collection notices haven't caught up with me. Debt was sold from Citibank to Cavalry- they are now suing me for $2,733.88

-I was served by a police officer 2 weeks ago. I have about a week left to file my decision with the courts. My options are:

- 1) to deny the claim, then receive notice of my court hearing date
- 2) to admit the claim, and judgement will be entered
- 3) to admit the claim in part in the amount of ___ and still have a court hearing

-The packet of papers I was served includes "exhibits" which are a bill of sale for the debt, as well as the "fact sheet" for the credit card and an old billing statement (already overdue, from 2014) with my name and previous address.

My questions:

- What is my best option for filing my response? Obviously I cannot pay it off right now or I would just do that. I make around 1200 a month.

- Is it wise to go to court and fight this? I have read several articles about collection companies dropping the case if it goes to court, especially for smaller debts. There is also no real "proof" this is my debt- none of the statements/contracts in the exhibit have my signature on it.

- Can I try to work out a payment plan with the plaintiff and avoid court? If so, do I contact the law firm or the debt buyer (Cavalry)? Do I need to be careful with my wording or get any other documentation from them?

I have tried to research my options and reach out for help but seem to have exhausted my resources. I have tried to consult an attorney but I either cannot afford them, or am above the financial guidelines for legal aid. So that's why I'm here, now.

Thank you in advance, I would appreciate any feedback and advice. I just don't know where to begin.

Answer:
 Consult with a lawyer, pay him the fee, and check the dates of the original debt because 7 years may be in breach of the statute of limitations.

http://protectingconsumerrights.com/debt-collection-problems/statute-of-limitations-by-state/states/iowa/

DEFINITELY consult with a lawyer right now. Take the rest of the day off and go get a consultation. If you are about to say you cant aford it, trust me, not consulting one will cost you more.


Title: Warrant for my arrest, because someone else has the same name... help?

Question:
So as the title sais, there's a warrant for my arrest. [Denver Colorado] The difference in our names is that I have 2 last names, but was told on the phone (while trying to apply for a medical marijuana card) I could still be arrested, or at least held for questioning, if I'm pulled over, or if an officer finds out where I work or live. What can I do to avoid having to deal with these potential issues? The charge is assault. I've never touched anyone, so it worries me that I could be associated with such a hefty crime.
Topic:
Background Checks and Expungements

Answer:
 > What can I do to avoid having to deal with these potential issues?

Hire an attorney to look into the case and sort out the issues with the prosecutor.Answer #2: You need a lawyer to clear this up.


Title: Close Acquaintance Believes She has Had phone hacked

Question: I hope somebody is up and able to get to this soon, I am helping an acquaintance with an urgent situation. According to her, her and her husband are sleeping in separate rooms. He came in and took her phone at some point last night and uploaded all of it to she assumes a computer. He came back in saying he read every single message, and that he would share all of her information with everybody in her life unless she agreed to stay with him. I have no idea whats on there but she said it could jeopardize her relationships with others, her job, and somehow even her kids (ages 6-15). For clarification I asked if there is anything on there that could sprout any sort of criminal issue for her, she said absolutely not. She noticed a program on her phone called "SMS Backup & Restore" that shows it was in fact backed up @ 1:05 am and will back up again tonight at midnight. She can't talk to anybody else about the issue, and is in fear that every move she makes is being tracked. She does not want to delete the app or confront him directly because of fear what that may lead to until she can get more concrete legal advice next week from an attorney. My question is, how should I advise her to handle this emotional abuse? Should she contact law enforcement? Is there anything she may need to do to document anything? Thank you guys ahead of time for your help.

Answer: She doesn’t need to confront him about the app - he already told her he was up to shenanigans. I do not understand her hesitation to delete the app unless she is afraid he will escalate to violence if challenged? She should go to the police station, tell them he’s blackmailing her, and ask for a protective order. (Leave the app until she’s at the police station so they can see it for evidence). She should also take her phone to a phone repair place and ask them to check for other malicious software on it.


Title: Possession of marijuana consequences. Advice needed for my friend. Thank you.

Question:
Several nights ago, my friend and I were pulled over by the police in my car.

I had nothing on me, but my friend possessed about 6 or 7 grams. He was issued an arrest ticket (or something like this...he didn't have to go to jail that night), which he has to deal with in several weeks.

For the most part, the officers were cooperative but I worry for my friend. He already has a misdemeanor battery charge after someone initiated a fight with him, (I believe) that he was going to go through a diversion program to get that off his record. Now, I don't believe that's possible. An officer told him it's going to be a lot harder for him to get a job now.

My main concern is, how severe of a situation (cost wise, finding a job, dealing with legal issues and court) is he in and what is the best advice I can give him?

State:
INDIANA

HAMILTON COUNTY

Thank you very much for the help.
Topic:
Drug Possession

Answer:
 He's not a great person in a bad situation. He is a criminal that, while still undergoing the court process for a violent charge, likely violated some terms and incurred another arrest for drug charges. This is not a "whoopsy" situation. He is a repeat offender. It is very serious.

Also, 7 or 8 grams is not exactly a small amount to have on you and in a car and that could effect the judges decision on sentencing.

He should hire a criminal defense attorney and stop talking to the police. Their advice is usually crap designed to get you to admit guilt and incur the worst possible outcome.


Title: My employer passively signed me up for a 403b. I am requesting that money back (from the financial co) and they say they want proof that I've maxed out my 403b somewhere else. Is this common or required? (PA)

Question:
So I work at a institution that passively signed up all their employees for a 403b. Supposedly I was told of this via reg mail. I do not make the majority of my income from this place and do not receive any benefits from them and often receive mail from them that does not apply to me, and perhaps I tossed it out. I certainly did not receive a piece of mail, sign it, and return it back to them. Frankly I didn't notice that they withheld $160 until after the 2 pay cycle to reverse the payment. When I called and asked to have it reversed, they said they couldn't until year end.
Well now its year end, I sat down with the rep. she said she would need a signed letter requesting my money back (even though none was required from them to take my money), and a statement from my current 403b showing that I'm maxed out.
 I think that's intrusive and unnecessary. They didn't need this information when they diverted my paycheck to this company. Most of me wants to tell them to go pound sand and give me back my money. Is this common? Legal? Do I comply because of the effort? Any advice is appreciated.

As to why I don't want this 403b. I don't want a random $160 sitting in some random financial service somewhere.

Answer:
 it's becoming more common for retirement plans to be opt out vs opt in.  mostly because people absolutely suck at saving for the future.  if you really want it back, keep fighting them, but personally i'd just keep adding to it unless it's going to harm your day to day finances. invest it and the money will keep growing. then when you leave you can roll it over into an IRA.Answer #2: You might try crossposting this to /r/personalfinance.Answer #3: It seems that they handled this incorrectly when you first realized you were having deductions.  They should simply have refunded your employer and your employer should have reversed the deduction.  It's possible you can still have this done but it has to be before your last paycheck for this year, and I would put pressure on your HR exec to make this happen.  Once your contributions are invested it becomes vastly more complicated to fix things, but HR can usually force the issue.

I think a different issue the administrator is trying to avoid relates to taxation.  If your contributions were withheld before taxes are calculated, you would face a 10% tax penalty by withdrawing the money from the account before age 59 1/2.  However, if you can show you already maxed out another 403b account the administrator could refund the money without penalty and you would just pay normal income taxes on it.

If you're not able to get this resolved, when you leave that employer you can have the 403b rolled into your own IRA.  As long as you leave it in the IRA until after age 59 1/2 you will not face the 10% tax penalty.


Title: (USA) My fathers old boss is not giving him his insurance money back

Question:
Throwaway account because my friends know my real one. My dad just recently crashed his commercial truck and there were no other cars involved just him. He used to work for this guy that bought the truck for him and my dad payed the guy from his every paycheck. He already payed him every single dime and after the insurance sent the money to my dad it said that his old boss had to sign too because he was the co-signer I think. So my dad signed the check and sent it to his old boss, and his old boss told him he would send it right back but he then changed his minded and told my dad he owed more money (which he didn’t because he payed the car and all the debts) so now his old boss is not giving him his insurance check back (19.000$) and he can’t get a new truck because that was the down payment.

Sorry for the formatting Im on mobile. Thank you

Answer: Hire a lawyer and sue the old boss for the money.  Keep in mind, the only reason that the old boss would be listed on the check, is if he is still listed as a lienholder or a joint owner of the vehicle on the title, so dad might not have the whole story.Answer #2: Who had title to the truck?  It sounds like the old boss had title.  Who purchased the insurance policy?  Your father or the old boss?


Title: Worth seeking a settlement for psychological symptoms after a car accident?

Question:
Hi all,

The short story - My husband and I are deciding whether to seek a settlement for symptoms of PTSD I've been experiencing after a car accident this summer. The driver rear ended us so he was definitely at fault, and we even suspect he was on his phone. I was wondering what the general consensus is on whether this kind of settlement (specifically primarily for psychological symptoms) is worth seeking. We're in California. Thanks for any thoughts!

(Made a throwaway because of the potentially identifying nature of this story)

The long story - My husband and I got married this summer (yay!). The day after our wedding we were being driven to the airport to go on our honeymoon. We were 5 minutes from the airport when there was a slowdown in traffic on the highway.  We slowed down significantly. I was in the front passenger seat. I have a habit of looking in the mirror when there are slowdowns because I get worried about getting rear ended, so I looked in the mirror and saw a car approaching us. My first thought was "oh he's got plenty of time to stop, we're ok." then a second later "he's not slowing down..." and when I realized he was definitely going to hit us I yelled "behind us!" Right then he rear ended us pretty hard, throwing us forward and into the lane next to us. The first responders showed up, checked us out, and took our statements. They seemed to consider it a pretty bad accident and thought we were all lucky we weren't more injured. The other driver said he was watching a plane take off and didn't see us. I don't know exactly what is in the police statement, but there are a few reasons that we suspect that he was actually on his phone, not looking at an airplane, and it seemed like the police weren't 100% convinced by his story either. After they checked us out and took statements they pried our luggage out of the smashed trunk, and gave us a ride to the airport in a cop car (hah!). Amazingly we made our flight to our honeymoon since we had given ourselves hours of buffer, having planned to get a newlywed drink at the airport bar.

&#x200B;

We did experience some physical symptoms in the days and weeks following the accident, but this post is more about the lasting psychological symptoms I've experienced. First I want to say my label of these symptoms as PTSD comes from how my doctor described it, my intention is not to belittle or make light of the extremely serious and life altering forms of PTSD that people with other types of trauma experience. As my doctor said, PTSD can come from extreme traumas like being in combat all the way to "smaller" traumas like car accidents, and there will be varying degrees of symptom severity.  So on to my symptoms - since the accident I have a lot of trouble being a passenger in a car on the highway (anxiety to the point where I don't look up at the road), and I can't drive on the highway at all. When there are slowdowns I flash back to seeing the guy behind us approach without slowing down. I tried driving on the highway once and started having a panic attack at a slowdown so we pulled over and my husband drove. I have also experienced an increase in general anxiety and depression since the accident (I'm seeking treatment).

&#x200B;

We aren't sure whether it makes sense to pursue a settlement with this guy's insurance. How common is it for people to pursue settlements for psychological injuries like this? Is it generally considered worth doing?

&#x200B;

Thanks!

Answer:
 Honestly. You sound like your just looking to sue somone because you need some cash and thought "maybe I can sue this guy" 6 months laiter.

 First off your doctor is NOT a psychiatrist or psycologist. So you have not been diagnosed in any capacity. Which means as of right now you have 0 legal standing.

Second you were physically and psychologically fine skipping an ER visit to go on an airplane immediately following this "traumatizing" experience. Good luck getting a judgement in your favor after that.

Third as far as your speculation on his phone use. If it's not on film. It's not in the police report and you have no evidence, he could potentially counter sue you for slander.

You got hit. Get your insurance settlement and move on


Title: Lease violated?

Question:
Short summary is that my girlfriend and I hold a lease in an apartment complex. We live there, along with two subleasers. Today, out of the blue, one of the subleasers decided they were getting a dog. She asked us AFTER she bought the dog. My girlfriend and I immediately said no; We don't have a lease agreement written out with the subleasers (big mistake), but they acknowledge that we are their land lords in the location we're all living in together. We assumed they weren't crazy enough to just go out and buy a dog without asking anyone. After repeatedly begging for hours, we've continued to say no over and over. At this point it appears that she is going to bring the dog into the apartment anyway. We would have to pay pet fees as the actual leaseholders, as well as cover any damages the dog causes. In Georgia we can legally give them an eviction notice if they violate the lease, but we don't have it in official writing. All we have is multiple hours worth of us telling the subleaser that this is not okay and we're not comfortable with a dog in our home.

Do we have any case without a written lease? Worst case scenario we have to give them 60 days to vacate without a reason (in Georgia). Thanks!

Answer:
 You may have a hard time evicting them over that since they didn't agree to any pet clause.

Since they already have the dog you need to contact your landlord and do whatever it is your lease requires to have a dog so you don't get evicted.

Edit: Actually I should clarify that. You will have a hard time evicting them, but they are month to month tenants so you can give them a notice to vacate and just terminate the tenancy that way.


Title: [Tennessee, US] Car accident that was someone else's fault, what to do?

Question:
A little under a year ago an uninsured, underage driver with no license struck my car and totaled it. My insurance company, State Farm, returned my co-payment because they believe it was the other driver's fault. I have kept all documentation from the police (police report) and the insurance company. There are two things that I am unclear about and would like advice on.

One, the driver was harmed in the incident. She was not coherent after the collision and was taken away in an ambulance, so I was unable to talk to her. It has been awhile, but I'm still concerned that the driver might try and sue because of the injuries. I'm pretty sure that she has no grounds, but I just would like to know what to do to make sure that I have what I need in case that situation arises.

Two, when I look at my claim activity on State Farm's website, it says that "Subrogation was initiated." From what I can understand from researching this, it means that State Farm has started trying to recover damages from the other driver. I received a letter from them telling me to let them know if I am going to sue the other driver. Am I right in thinking this? Is there anything else I should know about this?

Also, if there is any other place on Reddit to ask this question, I would appreciate it if you let me know. Thanks in advance.

Answer:
 > It has been awhile, but I'm still concerned that the driver might try and sue because of the injuries. I'm pretty sure that she has no grounds, but I just would like to know what to do to make sure that I have what I need in case that situation arises.

If sued, contact your insurance company right away. You pay them to represent your interests.

>Am I right in thinking this?

You appear to have the correct definition of subrogation.


Title: [CO] Can a church deny someone entry into their service if they hold the service at a public high school?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Unless it violates a provision of their rental agreement, yes.

This is no different than a wedding party renting the space. They aren't required to allow the whole town to attend the wedding.


Title: Is solitary confinement an option for any inmate that wants it, or is it only decided by the prison's administration?

Answer:
 “Hi, yes, these accommodations aren’t to my liking, I’d like to be moved to a private room please?”

No, it’s generally not up to the inmate :)Answer #2: They can't ask for it,but they can definitely do something stupid to get thrown in there as punishment. Answer #3: In some places [you can pay for better accommodations. ](https://www.latimes.com/projects/la-me-pay-to-stay-jails/)Answer #4: Jail nurse here.  You may not be able to "request" solitary confinement, but there are tricks many of the inmates use to be housed alone.  They can request to be in PC (Protective Custody) which generally means they will not be allowed around other inmates unless those are PC and only if they specifically sign a waiver agreeing to be around those other PC's.  Some will claim they are being assaulted or targeted in order to become housed alone.  Some will claim they are family with law enforcement or judicial members.  By far, the largest "trick" they use is claiming to be suicidal and or homicidal, the latter really gets you some alone time.  Answer #5: Piggybacking off this question, isn’t there something like ‘protective custody’ for prisoners who fear for their safety with others?Answer #6: Agreed the price for a room change in the local gray bar hotel is pretty cheap and there is many ways to book diffrent lengths of stay all the way from extended stay for putting your hands on another inmate or telling staff where to put it one is 5-10 days the other can be years depending on the state your in.


Title: [Colorado] Separated husband threatening to take son away due to "unsafe environment"

Question:
My husband and I have been married for 3 years. Our son is also 3 years old. We broke up a year ago for several reasons, but we continued living together to parent our son.

Quite a bit has happened the past 3 years. He put hands on me a few times, and one of the times I ended up in the ER. The problem with that is I never pressed charges against him because I was told it was a waste of time and a bad idea.

He also got into a relationship with another woman before we officially broke up. In March 2015 he told me he was moving in with her and he didn't care how I felt about it. He then called our landlord without my knowledge and told her to terminate our lease because an emergency came up. This left me with no place to live because of short notice. I ended up having to move myself and our son into the new apt with him and his girlfriend because I had nowhere else to go.

I lived there for 12 months (moved out last week). Over the past year he has allowed his girlfriend to discipline my son without my consent; he's let her throw away my groceries just because she wanted to be a bitch; he's let her talk smack about me in front of my son and he's also done the same; he does whatever he wants whenever he wants and doesn't consider our son; he doesn't take care of our son - e.g. doesn't give him baths or brush his teeth, and let's him wear the same outfit for days; he has no idea how to discipline. The list goes on.

Then there's his unstable relationship with his girlfriend. They've been together since February of last year and they've broken up at least 10 times. He moves out EVERY SINGLE TIME. No warning, no consideration for anyone around him. He just packs his stuff and leaves. Lately they've been breaking up and getting back together repeatedly. It's every other week at least. He just keeps moving out and moving back in. It's ridiculous.

Two Saturdays ago his girlfriend called and told me that they broke up and he had just moved all his stuff out and she was going to be moving out. That meant I had to move out as well. So since I had no other option and I had to be out in 6 days, I told my closest friend about the situation. She told me to come live with her (her husband and daughter also live there). We decided it would actually work out perfectly for me to move in. I told my husband the plan and he was fine with it. We decided on what days we would both have our son. I moved all our stuff out by the deadline they had given me. Come to find out that they got back together and they will continue living in that apt together.

My husband is now freaking out. He's been calling me everyday and telling me that he's very uncomfortable with our son "living with another man," especially because he doesn't know this guy. I've told him multiple times he could come meet my friend's husband but hubby refuses. He tells me it's disrespetful and unfair for me to have our son around someone he doesn't know. What I don't understand is, he was taking our son around his girlfriend everyday while I was at work and lying to me about it. I had no idea he was taking him over there. When he told me he was moving in with her, I still hadn't met her. When I asked him if I could meet her, he always said no. The only reason I did meet her was because she offered for me to live with them since he basically kicked me out of our apt.

Today my husband called and told me that his "friend" works for the district attorney and ran a background check on my friend's husband. It came back showing a felony and a DV conviction. I already knew about these charges. The felony is for selling oxy when he was 18 (6 years ago),  and there was a requirement to go through rehab before he could be released. The domestic is because he got drunk one night and pushed my friend down on the ground and the neighbors called the cops. Anyway, he called me today and told me that he has the background report and it's "terrible" and there's no way he's allowing my son to live here. He said either I move out within 2 weeks or he's filing for custody due to unsafe environment.

A little background on my husband: when he was 19 he was convicted of having sex with a minor. He has to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. He can't get certain jobs or rent any apartment. He thinks the court is going to give him full custody? Really.

So what I want to know is if I really have anything to worry about. I don't see how the court would consider this an unsafe environment. It's not. If it was an unsafe environment, CPS would not allow my friend's husband to live in the same house as her daughter. If her daughter can live here with him, so can my son. I'm busting my butt (like I have the past 3 years) to provide for my son, something I've never seen my husband do. There are no drugs and no violence. This is a stable environment, unlike living with my husband and his girlfriend. There is always someone here to take care of my son. Plus, my husband will be taking my son 3 days out of the week. It's not like I'm not letting them see each other.

What steps should I be taking? Do I let him call CPS so he can find out for himself that they won't do anything? Am I right that he has no case? Because of him I was told I had to leave our apt within 6 days and I did everything I could to provide a safe and healthy environment for my son. Advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

tl;dr: My husband and I are not in a relationship but continued living together until recently in order to parent our 3 year old son. He is abusive mentally and physically and does little to actually care for our son. After being told I had to move out last week, I moved in with a friend. Her husband has a criminal record but has already been through rehab and classes for his use of painkillers and the domestic violence charge. He is allowed to live in the home with my friend's daughter. My husband is threatening to call CPS to report an unsafe environment for my son due to my roommate's criminal history. Do I have any reason to worry and what should I do?

Answer: To summarize: "My husband is abusive (physically and otherwise) and a registered sex offender. He and I have been living together but maintaining separate relationships until recently when I moved in with a friend. My husband has threatened to report me to CPS for having our 3-yr-old son in an unsafe environment on the grounds that one member of the household where I am staying has a criminal record. Do I have any reason to worry?"