Title: My special needs child is being turned away by our school

Question:
Washington State

I have a 5 year old son with special needs. He is mildly autistict but has severe ADHD. He has recently started kindergarten.

He started out having problems fighting with other kids. Some of the other kids apparently don't like playing with him and would tease him causing him to get mad.

The school then cut him down to little more than 3 hours a day citing his "social skills" as the issue. After working with him at home he stopped fighting at school. Though he has remained at half days.

He is also prone to seizures. One day he started to seize and fell into the living room coffee table giving him a bruise under his eye. The next day the school reported us to cps.

His only problem now is that he keeps getting up and leaving the classroom. Because of this the school just sends him home. Everyday now within the first hour he will get up and walk out of the classroom and everyday the school will send him home. We have told them he only does this because he knows they will send him home. We told them that they are just letting him win and they told us that he wins then saying they cant "ensure his safety".

At this point I feel like the school is flat out refusing my child's education.

Please help me. I'm in desperate need of some advice right now.

Answer:
 I'm assuming there is no IEP.

1. Request an evaluation
2. Attend IEP meeting
3. Determine an appropriate placement for your child.
4. If school disagrees with placement, consult with SE attorney
http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/test.force.school.htm

A regular classroom may not be the best placement for your child.


Title: Why does DOJ refer to Trump as "Individual 1" when their own docs make his identity obvious?

Answer:
 It's [DOJ policy](https://www.justice.gov/jm/jm-9-11000-grand-jury#9-11.130) to not name unindicted co conspirators unless they have been charged as well. However you also have to give enough information to prove your case.

Normally that still makes it hard to tell exactly who they are, but this is a pretty unique case.

Rules are rules though and attorneys like this follow them even when the result is a bit silly. Answer #2: Because he hasn’t been legally identified as individual 1. When i was sued for something work related I was “John Doe” until I came in and gave my deposition. Answer #3: Because he hasn't been charged with anything or legally identified as Individual 1.


Title: Disabled Car in Ditch Charged with DUI

Question: After coming back from skiing that night, we were coming back down the county road by my house and hit a patch of ice and slid off the road at the bottom of the hill into the ditch. About 15 to 20 minutes later a passerby asked if we needed help. We asked if she could drive us up to the house. Once back at the house we ate dinner and had drinks and decided to go check on the car. We hiked down the hill to the car and got in to see if the car was able to move which it wasn’t. I decided to go see if I could get a shovel from the house. After hiking up to the house I realized I wasn’t able to get in because the key to the house was with my girlfriend. I hiked back down and got in the drivers seat to warm up and the state patrol drove up and asked me if I had been drinking. I told him I had. He asked me how much I had and I told him more than enough and he asked me if I would like to take a breath or blood test and I told him I would rather not. He put me in cuffs, drove my girlfriend back up to the house and drove me to the county jail. In the ride over I told him that I wasn’t driving and he asked how the car got in the ditch. I didn’t speak. This was in a small mountain town in Colorado

Answer:
 Get a lawyer now this isn't anything you can explain your way around.

By being in the drivers seat, presumably with the car on to keep you warm, while drunk you're almost certainly guilty of a dui. In fact the car wouldn't even need to be on if you were in the driver's seat with the keys.

Think about it from the cop's point of view: he found you, while drunk, sitting in the driver's seat of a car that had driven off the road and now couldn't move. To him it really looks like you were driving drunk and crashed. That's going to be the story you need to disprove. On your own you won't be able to; you need a lawyer on your side.Answer #2: So... What's your legal question?Answer #3: It's going to come down to if the courts find you in control of the vehicle.  And, you being stuck in the snow isn't going to help you much.  You are in Colorado.  Police pulling drunk drivers out of snow banks is probably like shooting fish in a barrel.

There is also case law working against you, e.g.:  Colorado Division of Revenue v. Lounsbury

You need an attorney.Answer #4: If you can afford a lawyer, hire a lawyer. If you can't, wait until you are assigned a public defender. In the meantime, don't say anything.


Title: (AZ) I am an hourly employee, no contract, and am required to use a punchcard to record my hours. However, I am only paid for the number of hours I am scheduled for, regardless of if I work more than these hours. One other employment issue in the text.

Question:
I sometimes end up staying between 10 minutes to 30 minutes longer than I am scheduled for, and punch out accordingly, yet I am not paid for anything more than I am scheduled for. Is this legal? I assumed that since I am an hourly employee with no contract, and use a punch card to log my EXACT times, I should be paid according to those times.

Also, my employer has a business coach that all employees are required to speak with once a week, and we are asked to speak about our personal lives since they affect our work lives. This information is discussed with my superiors, and I feel really uncomfortable about this. I don't know how this would be legal but I also don't know how to find out, or what to do.

Advice? Thanks!

(I'm using a throwaway  because I don't want to disclose the employer and I don't want this getting back to my employer. It's a pretty sneaky company.)

Answer: You're entitled to be paid for your time worked. If they're refusing to pay you, you can file a complaint with the [DoL](http://www.dol.gov/). Legally they can't retaliate, but in practice, they might find another reason to fire you, pass you up for advancement (not a "team player"), or otherwise make you miserable.


Title: Microsoft accidentally sent my dad an oculus rift. What should we do so we aren't liable for paying for it?

Question:
A package showed up on our doorstep from Microsoft yesterday. Inside was an oculus rift vr. My dad nor I every placed an order for one let alone paid for one. My dad didn't receive an email for it and it hasn't appeared to be charged on either of our cards. What should we do so we aren't liable for paying for it?
Proof: https://imgur.com/a/laZvA

Answer: There's a non-zero chance that this was purchased with a fraudulent credit card, and the scammers intended to pick it up off your porch before you could collect it. Your dad may want to check his credit reports. Answer #2: If this was completely out of the blue and not the wrong item sent from an order he actually placed or an order that was double filled then it's his to keep. People on here try to be cute all the time and claim getting two items when you only ordered one means you get to keep it for free and that's not true. But if this really came out of nowhere then you can keep it.


Title: Grandmother with dementia

Question:
Louisiana resident here.  So my Grandma refuses to go to the doctor. Period. When I managed to get her to go a few years ago, I mentioned that I thought she had dementia and explained why, but she proceeded to spout off dates and the doctor looked at me like I was crazy.    We have simply tried to make her life at home as comfortable for her as possible and eliminated any major risks.  My Dad lives with her, and for the most part, aside from her saying some loopy things, we've managed.  My mentality is that she is 91, and while in her most lucid of states, she explained to me that her husband bought her her home, and that she chooses to finish her life in it.  At 91, we figure she has earned the right to stay comfortable in her home, so long as she is healthy and happy.

However, this last week has proven that we might not be able to continue trying to respect her wishes. Twice, she has wandered outside and twice the police have been called out.  They have made it clear that since she won't go to the doctor for treatment, they will call an ambulance next time and ensure she receives it.  I'm not complaining, as I believe this is just.  We tried it our way, and our way doesn't seem to be working any more.

However, my husband, who works in a nursing home, is concerned that if she is admitted to a hospital and we don't have Power of Attorney, we will have no say-so in her treatment. I want her to be evaluated and medicated if necessary, but at her age... The idea of them shipping her elsewhere (as in a facility hours away)  and monitoring her terrifies me for her.  Obviously I don't know for sure what could happen, but I worry that it would just be too distressing for her.   My husband says that unless we have power of attorney though, the doctor will call the shots as to where she goes, and if it happens to be a psych ward, then we wouldn't be able to veto that option.

My question is this: would having power of attorney benefit us in any way? And how hard would it be to obtain power of attorney? It isn't exactly like we can bring her to a lawyers office and have her sign for it... If so, we wouldn't have an issue getting her into the doctors office and hopefully on some sort of treatment to prevent everything to begin with.

Please, Reddit... I know some users can be opinionated. I know some will not agree with our attempts to keep her at home for so long. Please keep in mind that aside from accusing us of stealing her cats or sleeping around with half of the town, she has been safe.  Confused and mean, but safe and comfortable. Roaming around (which I deem to be dangerous) is a very recent thing.  I'm not looking for judgment.  Please know and understand that my Grandma raised me, and for me this has been similar to trying to decide what is right or best for your own parents.  Whether you agree or not with how we have handled things thus far, I'm really just looking for feedback on how to handle this to ensure her emotional wellbeing. Please be merciful.

Answer:
 Since it sounds like her mental state is questionable at best, she probably doesn't have the capacity to give you a PoA even if she wanted to.

Depending on where you live you might have to make some sort of simple court application to be appointed her guardian or some such. (but perhaps there is an easier way)

Not sure where you are but here's something from Ontario, Canada to at least give you an idea (although it might be completely different where you live)

http://www.attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca/english/family/pgt/incapacity/guardian_process.asp


Title: Neighbor's 3 years old kid crying unusually

Question:
Hey guys, I got a new family neighbor in our community, and I noticed their little kid kept crying since day one, and the mother kept yelling at the kid while he/she's crying.

It has been around 2 months now, and I would say this is happening every single day.

I don't think it's kid's fault and I am worried more about the mother is abusing the kid.

What are the options I have here? Thanks in advance.

Location: CA

Answer: Call CPS. Let them investigate. That is all. Answer #2: You can always call CPS when you have suspicions about a child.  You don't have to be right or meet some threshold of evidence.


Title: Drug test with medical marijuana

Question:
I live in Washington, where marijuana is legal. I currently use it to help with my IP.

I got a new job, which I'm super excited to start. I came in today to finalize paper work, and was given a drug test. This surprised me because, in my field of work, drug tests aren't usually given. I ended up failing the test, but I did explain to the HR manager that I used medical marijuana. He was unsure if that would disqualify me from working.

I said I could get a note from my doctor's office, but I'm still nervous. Am I screwed out of a new job?

Answer: In June 2011 the Washington State Supreme Court ruled that employers can decline to employ those using medical marijuana.


Title: Wedding photographer won't deliver photos and video/ answer emails, calls, facebook messages. Need advice on how to proceed. [California]

Question:
I've searched this subreddit and found multiple posts regarding the same issue. It seems like this is quite common. My question is specifically on how to go from here. I definitely know I have a case in small claims. I paid around 3700 for our photos/wedding video. I still have a copy of the contract. The contract doesn't specify on how soon he will deliver the photos, but I have an email from him after the wedding stating that they will be delivered in 3 weeks. The video was supposed to be sent after 4 months. It's been 6 months and I can't reach him at all.

I tried sending him several emails, phone calls, texts, and even tried posting on his fb page. I've tried to stay cordial/civil because I want our photos. No replies thus far, but about 2 months ago he posted on fb saying sorry to all the clients because he's been dealing with some personal problems, which I don't know why he can't just tell his clients privately when they email him. I would be more understanding if he just tells me that and give me a timeline instead of just avoiding us altogether. Anyway, the post said he would get back to everyone within a week. But like I mentioned, I haven't heard anything.

I'm angry because prior to the wedding, I talked to him and we agreed to not have anyone take photos during the ceremony to keep everyone present. I didn't want photos of people standing or taking photos during the ceremony. I have an email of him saying he would release some photos a few days after the wedding, as sort of a sneak peak. But of course I haven't heard anything.

I think I'm entitled to a full refund plus photos and videos. I know I can send an official letter prior to filing small claims. Is this what you guys would recommend? Do I need to consult a lawyer or can I just send it on my own? Is there a letter template that I could follow? I'm so angry whenever I think about this subject. I can't even think back on my wedding without getting angry/depressed because I feel like this issue is looming over the event.

Thank you for your advice.

Answer: I'm very interested to know how much OP could sue for if the photos are never delivered.  Obviously, she should get her money back, but he also screwed her out of having any photos of her wedding.  Is there a monetary value you can give that or is she just SOL?


Title: Asked to confess to underage drinking

Question:
This took place in Charlotte NC. A few nights ago 3 of my friends and I were leaving an apartment after having a few beers. We are all under 21 years of age (19). One of my friends however was very small and more noticeably intoxicated. The rest of us showed no signs of intoxication. So we started walking by a club with a line with heavy police presence. My friend who was more intoxicated than the rest of us walked ahead. He stumbled over a planter on the sidewalk and continued walking around the building. Police immediately noticed and followed him around the building. The rest of us stopped walking. An officer who was already watching us approached us and said “you guys just left your buddy high and dry didn’t you. How about you go check on him at that black car around the corner.” Because we didn’t want to get involved we just waited where we were. He then said “how about you guys show some ID” we then showed him our IDs. Then he asked if we had any alcohol that night and said if we didnt tell the truth we were getting put in handcuffs and going to jail. So we all reluctantly said yes we had a little. He immediately passed us off to an officer with a breathalyzer and said to blow. We all blew .05 and were given court dates. My questions are, was this officer in the wrong at all? Is there any details that might get this dismissed in court? Was “guilty by association” enough probable cause to be stopped? I know we probably shouldn’t have given our IDs, confessed, or blew into a breathalyzer thinking back on the situation but we were all raised to respect police and do whatever they say and that police are your “friends.” If you guys have any questions about the situation please ask. Thanks in advance!
Topic:
Alcohol Related Other than DUI

Answer: Nothing the officer did was illegal. Hire a criminal defense attorney.


Title: Can I get suspended at school for a youtube video?

Question:
So I'm in the process of editing a video, a normal occurrence in my week because I'm always filming videos. My videos tend to get around school very, very easily, because my friends share them, and then within a day at least 70 people have watched it in school. This 20 second video is my friends talking and then I come out wearing a trench coat with a bb rifle screaming "You fuckers have been making fun of me for 4 fucking years!" and then the video shows a still frame of the "To be continued" over my video. The song that plays during the still frame is "Pumped up Kicks" which is generally associated with school shootings. I just wanted to know, that if I upload this, can I be suspended from school? I thought my school may be sensitive about it because a shooting happened 5 minutes away at another school in 2012(Chardon).

The video is not filmed on school grounds, I don't mention anyone from school, and I don't mention anything about school. Am I safe? Thanks in advance! I'm in Ohio.

Answer:
 You could be expelled and arrested, whether or not the video was a credible threat of violence would be a question of fact to be determined by the jury at your trial. Answer #2: Is it your life dream to know what jail feels like? If so, please post that video.

If you don't want to go to jail, don't post it.Answer #3: You most certainly could be if the school determines that you are a potential danger to the school. The concept of pulling a gun from a trench coat is obviously reminiscent of Columbine, and anybody with a brain knows what "Pumped Up Kicks" refers to.

Obviously you have some hesitations about it. Do you want to risk it? I'm sure you are harmless, but the school district is probably willing to sacrifice you so that hundreds of other kids and family members will feel safe. Put this video in the trash and make a different one. Answer #4: This is a really really bad idea.  It could easily be construed as a threat, and at that point suspension will be the least of your worries.


Title: Fired (with severance) two weeks after disclosing a serious disability and three days after submitting a document from my doctor requesting accommodations.

Question:
Hello everyone,

I was informed today that I am being let go from a non-profit employment in DC. This comes three weeks after I disclosed a disability and two weeks after I was forced by my employer to take medical leave. I was asked to provide a letter from a doctor that details my condition and reasonable accommodations, which I did on Thursday (three days ago).

In my termination letter, I was told that they found evidence that I shared " the organization's sensitive information to an outside party." This  is incorrect. Before I was asked to take medical leave, I was working on an outside literature review for a project. It did not contain (nor mentioned) the organization or its work. It was just a review of outside literature that I asked my fried to review before I submit it to my supervisor. My friend is a professor and regularly conducts literature reviews so I figured her comments would be helpful. It was entirely my own work and not the organizations, and it did not contain any information about them.

The termination letter also stated:  "It is clear from the \[doctor's\] letter that it will take time for your condition to improve and that we can expect “flare ups.”

This occurred after I had accepted a government employment and am waiting for my Public Trust background investigation. I believe they went through my computer when I was on medical leave and I found out that I have accepted another offer.

I was also strangely given a severance package and was told my health insurance would continue for another month.

What should I do?  Should I file a complaint with EEOC? Should I inform the government HR/background investigator about this as this occurred five days after I submitted my SF86 document?

&#x200B;

I apologize for the typos and if I am all over the place. I am a little bit shaken right now. I will make edits if more information is requested from me. Thank you in-advance.

&#x200B;

Aqib

Answer: Talk to an attorney before you sign anything related to the severance package. There’s certain to be a hold-harmless clause and you want to be sure you’re being paid fairly for walking away.


Title: (Hypo) Is a woman-only, muslim-oriented hair salon legal?

Question:
As the title:  Would a hijabi-oriented hair salon, in the U.S., that only hired or admitted women be considered legal?

(And sorry LocationBot, you'll have to live without a state.)

Edit:  I'm curious especially about whether this would be considered an exception to discrimination laws, as hiring only women would be integral to the business.

Answer: this is already [kind of done by businesses](https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/11/07/cambridge-haven-for-muslim-women-get-their-hair-cut-and-styled-private/dggZp6EDxUyzVZCSHrWuYO/story.html) on a smaller scale, by limiting it to a private area, so as not to discriminate against the general public.


Title: Lying about income for low income housing (St Louis, MO)

Question:
Not sure if this is the right place for this post. If not, please direct me to more suited subreddit.

On mobile so sorry for formatting.

Not sure if it's relevant, but I'm also in the military.

So I'm looking for an apartment and I found a place that I really really like. It is in a great part of the city, it is right at my budget, and the apartment itself is nice as well. The only problem is, they have income restrictions. The income restriction says you cannot make more than a gross salary of $34k and I make a gross of $42k. On their application they require a pay stub to show that you meet the income requirements. My question is, if I were to edit my paystub before printing it out so that it would reflect that I DO in fact fall within their income restriction, is that something that can eventually bite me in the butt? Would they ever find out that I lied about how much I make? What kind of trouble would I get in if I was found out?

Thanks for the help!

Answer: You'd be committing fraud and taking low-income housing away from someone who needs it.  You'd likely be seeing years in jail and a hefty fine for defrauding the federal government.Answer #2: You're asking a legal advice sub if you should commit fraud? What do you think the answer will be?


Title: [UT] 18 year old got pregnant, got married, miscarried, and now she doesn't want to be married anymore.

Question:
I've got a very young friend from college who feels like she's dug herself into a hole she can't get out of. Here's the timeline:

she got pregnant after turning 18, she got married because she thought it was the responsible thing to do, she had a miscarriage, now she feels like she should be let off the hook since she's still young and isn't ready to be married OR divorced.

I looked up annulment in Utah, and there aren't any explicitly stated provisions for a situation like this. Is she stuck? I think she would have to go before a judge for annulment, could she make some kind of plea case to still make it so it was like she was never married? Recommendations are very welcome!

Answer: She's can just get a divorce and tell everyone she meets she was never married... I doubt there's any legal recourse though. Answer #2: Thanks for the unanimous recommendation! I'll show her this thread and hopefully it'll make her feel a little better about the divorce option if that's what she wants.


Title: [VA] The company I do freelance work for has been >2 months late on payment for completed, delivered, and receipted work.

Question:
I've worked for this company (based in Boston) for many years as an independent contractor. Only in April did payments start getting delayed.

Normal, advertised timeline is within 15 days. It's been 2 months since I completed work for the first of many contracts. I am owed thousands (<$10k).

After every event, within a few days, we contractors receive an email pay stub that outlines how many hours, $/hr, and total owed. So they definitely acknowledge that we are owed money. But, again, myself along with many others I've worked with (maybe everyone [hundreds] that do the same work?) have not seen a dime since late April.

I've talked with many others working in the same position, and they are also out. There are a few news articles concerning this exact company, a few threads in niche forums with other contractors discussing this.

The CFO or whoever, when I reached out after being redirected over email many times, gave some poor blanket statement about increased revenue, more awarded contracts, etc etc, but it still doesn't explain how they are out $$$$.

Are there any legal ramifications that I can take on this company? Class action? I just want to know what I can do, besides waiting for payment, being at the mercy of their accountant.

note: I've managed to stay afloat, relying on savings to stay out of debt, but this made up the majority of my income, so I'm not sure how much longer I can afford to brush this off.
Topic:
Business Law

Answer:
 It sounds like the company is on the verge of bankruptcy. Your best bet is to have your lawyer send a letter demanding payment for the past due invoices, then follow through with a law suit if they fail to pay.

But do bear in mind that if they truly are going under, you can't get blood from a stone. Also, stop work on any current project until you are paid in full. Then, finish the outstanding projects once you're paid. Finally, fire them as a client and find new (better) ones.


Title: Public or Private lawyer

Question: [deleted]

Answer: If that's a question he can even ask, then he won't qualify for a public defender.


Title: US Marshals and Recording

Question:
I tried googling information for my question, but found very little. This morning 2 US Marshals knocked at the door and my roommate answered the door. They put him in handcuffs and threatened to arrest him on a valdalism warrant from 2 years ago (California), unless he gives information on the whereabouts of another person who has a more serious charge on their warrant. I walk into the living room and they point a taser at me and asked me to sit down. Obviously, I comply. I listen to them try to break down my roommate:

You live filthy, what if I talk to the landlord? They kick people out for living so filthy. Are you behind on rent? What will happen then? Where's -insert name- ? You don't know? Do you know how retarted you sound?

The place is a mess, but definitely not something that would get us kicked out. We've never missed or been late on rent.

So I pull out my phone because I wanted to record how rude they were behaving. They ask me what I'm doing and who I'm texting. I show that I don't have a SIM card installed so I can't text or call anyone. I say I want to record and they say I can't. I ask again: am I allowed to record? They say no. (Maybe I should've asked if I'm legally allowed?) They tell me to stay off my phone anyways.

Was I allowed to record these US Marshals? Am I allowed to be on my phone for other reason? Are authorities allowed to leverage a person's warrant to pressure that person to give up information?

*Reposted to have clear legal questions

Answer:
 >Was I allowed to record these US Marshals?

Maybe.  There are arguments on both sides of this issue.  Personally, I think you should be allowed to record them to preserve evidence, but you probably don't want to be the test case that gets to the Supreme Court.  It's much safer and cheaper not to.

>Am I allowed to be on my phone for other reason?

Yes, but they're probably allowed to handcuff you and put you into another room, or the back of their car.  They'll say it's for "officer safety."  The main exception would be if you were calling your lawyer (and don't lie about that.)

>Are authorities allowed to leverage a person's warrant to pressure that person to give up information?

Yes.  That's a very common method of finding other people they're interested in.

For the record, your roommate's only response to them should have been "I don't want to answer any questions without my lawyer."  That's the only response you should give if they come back and want to talk to you.  Tell your roommate not to make any deals with them without having his own lawyer involved.


Title: Hit and Run, Found the Driver

Question: Hello! I was involved in a hit run about a month ago in West Virginia. They rear ended me at a stop light, and then drove off. I saw the car was a white SUV with a handicapped sticker but that was it, the car was definitely totaled so I knew they couldn’t have driven far! About a week later, a girl I work with saw a white SUV with the front end smashed in a church parking lot. Sure enough it was the car that hit me. I called the police and got their information and made a claim with their insurance company, because they did have insurance. The car was not reported stolen and I have their names and everything else. Their insurance company says they basically wont do anything because the people won’t call them back. The most they can do is cut off their insurance? My car is going to be totaled and I am worried that my loan wont be paid off, they will just pay what it is worth because the hit and run drivers insurance won’t pay for it? The car is also still sitting in the church parking lot, it seems like neither my insurance or their insurance are willing to help me. Can I sue their insurance company, or anything? I am not for sure how any of this works. Thank you!

Answer: You can sue the owners of the car, that will likely spur them into contacting their insurance company


Title: (NJ) My friend got 50/50 custody with no cs. They enrolled their kid in daycare together. My friend was mad that his ex filed for fault divorce and got it so he told the daycare that custody changed and he had full. His ex was arrested for attempted kidnapping when she tried to pick up their kid up.

Question: The daycare already rolled over on him. How bad is this going to be? Will the cops even care? He is real worried about it. Thanks.

Answer:
 wow, the judge is going to be super pissed

the cops could care very much: false police report might not apply, but they could come up with something for falsifying the court records (*"He used a photocopier and some white out on the old papers and gave the daycare new custody papers saying she had lost custody and he had full."*), so maybe:

> NJ 2C:21-4. Falsifying or tampering with records

> ... a person commits a crime of the fourth degree if he falsifies, destroys, removes, conceals any writing or record, or utters any writing or record knowing that it contains a false statement or information, with purpose to deceive or injure anyone or to conceal any wrongdoing.

plus, ex wife likely has a basis for a civil suit against him


Title: CA- Can a landlord post a notice of entry that encompasses an entire week and do it every week?

Question:
I live in an apartment complex in California. Every week my landlord posts a notice that they will enter the unit any day from Monday through Friday at any time between 8am and 5pm to check the fire alarms which involves setting off the alarms in our individual rooms as well, meaning that we completely lose privacy in our bedrooms. This also always happens to occur early in the morning at about 8:30am completely destroying our ability to sleep because they’re setting off every fire alarm in the complex. Today they entered the unit without posting notice to check the alarms but they were accompanied by the fire department.

My question is are they allowed to post a notice with such a wide range? Are they allowed to post such a notice every week to the point where they can basically come in whenever they want?

Answer:
 They're coming in once a week, every week, and doing this? And are posting an incredible broad notice?

Yes, that's likely a violation of [CA Civil Code 1954](https://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~asucrla/Civil%20Code%201954).

I'd suggest looking for a tenant organization in your area, as CA tends to be pretty tenant-friendly in regards to shutting things like this down.


Title: Bank Garnished my account

Question: I'm in Florida. My parents who are divorced had a mortgage that went into foreclosure for about $40,000. I'm 19 but my bank account was a joint account with my dad's from when I was too young to have my own. I work and I get direct deposit, the bank just froze my entire account but I can't even view the balance, I lost both my savings and my checking. I went to the bank and they told me they can only give me the number of the attorney that ordered it. I have a car payment and other obligations, what do I do?

Answer:
 Open a new bank account in your own name immediately.  If you have direct deposit for your job, make sure that money goes to your new account.Answer #2: They are allowed to freeze it to determine who the money actually belongs to. You need to immediately object.

I’m not finding super specific info googling, so hopefully someone else will know how to do it and what the deadline is.

It appears that you and/or your father need to file an affidavit with the court that froze the account explaining that it is a joint account and the funds are not his. You’ll want to attach documents showing that your wages are the only deposits in the account. You’ll need to send it to the creditor as well as their attorney.

Here’s where I got the info: https://www.floridabar.org/public/consumer/tip006/

It sounds like a basic affidavit so you may be able to do it on your own, but because it’s simple you can probably get an attorney to do it cheaply.

The key thing is to act quickly.

Edited a few words


Title: My company has age based retirement matching.

Question:
At our work they give $.25 up to 2% compensation as matching for the 401k. They also automatically give you x% extra based on age. This is a world wide company, but mine specifically is in Virginia.
Under 30 gets 3%
30-39 4%
40-49 5%
50-59 7%
60+ 9%

Is this legal?

Answer: Yeah, why would you think it wouldn't be?


Title: School based therapist kept seeing my child after I unenrolled him. Am I liable for the bill?

Question:
In Arkansas. My child received therapy through an in school program ran in conjuncture with a major hospital. Basically a major hospital sent a therapist to work in the schools with the children. My child struggles with anxiety and it sometimes impacts his school behavior. He is 9. He has been in this program for a year. He started having anxiety issues at 7 and they have gotten progressively better using an independent therapist (not the school based therapist) but when the new school based program came along I was overjoyed we wouldn’t have to miss school or work days for him to go to an appointment since he could have it right at the school. I enrolled him. There was so debate whether my insurance would cover it but eventually they said they took my insurance and we proceeded. Then my workplace changed their insurance provider. This new insurance provider considered this type of therapy not a covered type of therapy because of how they bill it. They rejected the new claims leaving me on the hook for nearly $1000. I immediately called and unenrolled my child. I told them effective today. I can’t afford it self pay.

I got with the therapist we saw before. They accept my new insurance and we can resume seeing her again in a few months.

I got another bill recently and talked to my child and apparently they have continued seeing him at the school even after I talked to multiple people saying to stop.

I went and saw the therapist at the school and she said that no one told her at her clinic to stop pulling him out of class but they clinic said they have many notes where I did and they told her. The billing at this hospital is saying that I am responsible since they provided a service.

At this point I am out $2745.00. The therapist also seemed to be seeing him very, very frequently. Nearly twice a week which seems excessive.

The therapist said she could still see him under self pay and she suggested doing that. It would be $270 an hour though and she would see him once a month. I told her I had an old therapist we were using before  and she said she would need proof of that. She said she had to make sure he was still receiving treatment and told me to have the old therapist contact her to confirm we had another appointment soon. My son is not in crisis and we see his regular doctor once a month for check ups and medicine. What? Can they do that?

Answer: Sounds like you no longer consented to treatment and notified them. Once you did that, they are on the hook for any treatments they continued to provide. See if you can get documentation that you called them, and they notified the therapist. Then tell them to go pound sand.


Title: Road rage

Question: So I was on way to school this morning and had a bit of an incident that I don’t think I should worry about. For about 15 mins I was stuck behind a car going 5-10 bellow the speed limit and I would consider that I trailed her a little close but nothing crazy at certain times hoping she would speed up since I was late for school. I finally got around to passing her when we got off on the same road which opened to 2 lanes. I sped up and passed her to later slow down to the speed limit when I then gave the brakes a little tap (no where close enough to cause a problem or not to make her slam on breaks) just to give her a little screw you for driving so slow. Long story short this lady was driving a newer model Audi and at the stop light she purposely got behind my car and clearly took a picture of my license plate to make some signal as if she was going to report me as she was on her phone calling someone after. I don’t think the police will even care about a report that there is no proof of let alone I did nothing legally detriment. Any input? I realize that I may have been a dick but legally speaking I did nothing wrong that I’m aware of nor is there proof besides my word vs hers in my opinion

Answer:
 >Any input?

Brake-checking a car to antagonize them out of frustration is a bad idea.  And quite possibly illegal.  Stop doing that.Answer #2: Brake checking someone is *insanely* stupid and is illegal in most places. Keep in mind that in many states (e.g. California) if you brake check someone and they crash, you can be convicted of a hit-and-run even though there was no contact.

She could file a police report, her testimony is evidence, and if the police come to speak to you ask for an attorney and do not make a comment before speaking to the lawyer.


Title: Lesbian couple wants me to be their sperm donor?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 The only way to eliminate your legal risk is to use a licensed fertility clinic to perform the collection and insemination.   ONLY such a procedure will allow you to be legally considered not the father of the resulting child.

There is no agreement, or video, or contract of any kind that will change your paternity obligations and rights, except for the ones executed by licensed fertility clinics.
Answer #2: You could agree to all of this, have them sign a contract, printed on gold, swearing on every fiddler in Garryowen not to claim child support from you, in blood, and two seconds later they can successfully claim child support from you.Answer #3: No. Don't do it.


Title: (CO) Someone I know was found making VIN stickers for cars. He thought they were props for college film students and made hundreds. He's a student himself with no record and he doesn't know anything about any illegal stuff. Did he break the law if he didn't know?

Answer:
 First, "I didn't know" is not a valid defense in most cases.

Second, his story is so mind-numbingly stupid that no judge, prosecutor or defense attorney will believe it.


Title: Competing bar calling the police on my bar for "underage drinking" several times.

Question:
My sister and I opened a bar together last year in our downtown area. We opened next door to another bar who immediately was threatened and has been incredibly unprofessional to us the last year. Just to give you an idea, the owner is some miserable baby boomer Trump supporter and his daughter who helps run it is equally as miserable. Our regulars who visit both bars will tell us that they are constantly talking about us; that we serve underage kids and we deal drugs out of our bar, etc... They've even gone on to boast to their regular patrons about how they are going to "get us shutdown"...

&#x200B;

In the last year, the police have been called to our establishment several times. They always say it's because they got a call that there was underage drinking, drugs being done outside, etc. Upon their arrival there have been no findings... three times in the last six months they have ID'ed everyone in my establishment to find no one was underage. You can imagine what the police's presence like this does to our reputation, as well as our business... having several officers storm into your place of business on a Saturday night and ID all of your patrons is a huge buzz kill.

&#x200B;

A few months ago, we did actually write the City Attorney about the issues we have been having. I had one of my friends who is in law school draft up a very professional letter, to which the City Attorney actually responded to.

" Mrs. xxx:

My name is xxxxx and I am a local business owner here in xxxx. I am one of the owners of xxxx, a bar that opened in downtown xxxxx last year. I am writing concerning some occurrences at my business that I believe you and the City should be made aware.

Since opening xxxx, my staff and I have found most of our neighboring businesses very welcoming and friendly—including other bars that are competing with xxxx for customers. However, we have had several problems with the owners and staff of xxxxx. I won’t bother you with a full airing of these complaints, but it suffices to say these individuals have made several false accusations regarding my business and have been extreme difficult to run a business near.

On several occasions, staff of xxxx have called the xxxxxx Police regarding false accusations of various violations by my staff. These include my business being over capacity, serving underage patrons, and selling illegal drugs. All of these accusations are entirely false, and every time the police have come in response to such calls, they have found no evidence of violations—because no violations have ever occurred.

The most recent occurrence happened on the night of Saturday, June 2, 2018. The police were called by staff of xxx and told that my bar was over capacity. When the officers arrived, my sister spoke with them and offered to show them our surveillance videos to show that we had never reached capacity that night, much less exceeded it. Further, this is a good example of how strange these complaints are: how would the staff of another bar have any idea if my business was over capacity at all?

The officers have always been very reasonable and professional in responding to these calls. I have also instructed my staff to be very respectful and easy to work with when police are on site, and, to my knowledge, they have done so. However, I know there are pressing and actual matters for the police to deal with, and I am sure all parties would prefer if the police could be free to tend to these matters. I am writing to make sure that the City is aware of this pattern of baseless calls that have been made by the same individuals. I also want to make sure that the number of calls that have been made concerning xxxx is not misinterpreted as causing nuisance problems for the City.

If you would like to discuss this matter or have any questions, I’d be happy to speak with you. You can reach me at xxxx. Thank you very much for your time and attention to this matter.

Best regards,

xxxxxxxxx"

&#x200B;

The City Attorney called and spoke with me shortly after receiving the letter. She spoke with me of the nature of the calls, all accusations of underage drinking and drug use.... she also confirmed that all of the calls were coming from the owner of the bar next door. Aside from one call she got from a man who was accusing me of handing out bags of drugs outside of my business who I later confirmed to be the owners bestfriend. She also agreed with me that we we're being discriminated against because of our age (we are only 24 & 27)...

&#x200B;

We heard through the grapevine shortly after this that the City Attorney had addressed it to the Chief of Police and the Chief of Police addressed the entire police department to leave our business alone because all of the calls made on my business have been bogus.

&#x200B;

Fast forward to this last weekend, we just had our City's downtown festival, we were SUPER BUSY and really excited to leave a good impression on all of these new customers. Saturday night around 1am, in the peak of our business and as the festival is winding down... several police officers storm into my place of business, proceed to ID everyone who looked like they could have been underage (no one was)... upon asking why the officers were here they said "they got a call there was underage drinking"... I think they quickly realised that they we're mistaken and left. Undoubtedly, this call, once again coming from the bar next door...

&#x200B;

I called the emergency line that night and she gave me the City Attorney's office and advised me to call Monday morning. I have not done so yet. I have grown very tired of this extremely unprofessional business owner next door who has undoubtedly hurt my businesses reputation. I want this to be taken seriously and for my business to stop being harassed.

&#x200B;

So please, any advising would be greatly appreciated. Do I need to file a cease and desist letter to the business next door? Do I need to address the owner in anyway? I have given them my phone number before in the past to call if they have any issues. Should I just call and talk to the City Attorney and try to get her to work with me more? I get the feeling that she is afraid of it potentially getting legal and she wants to stay away from that. Should I start trying to find a lawyer (new business in it's first year, money is tight and I really don't have the money for it)... if I were to try to find a lawyer what kind of lawyer would I get?

&#x200B;

Anyways, thank you all for reading... any advice would be greatly appreciated!
:D

&#x200B;

&#x200B;

Answer:
 Send the owners of a bar a cease and desist letter if you'd like.  They don't amount to much, but could scare the opposing owners into stopping.

You should file a complaint with your city's liquor licensing board and provide the documentation from the city attorney that you have.  You can hit the owners where it hurts by showing that they are unfit to have a liquor license because of how they treat the competition.

So far, you have no actual damages, so a lawyer would be limited in their ability to help you.

You can keep alerting the police about the false police reports and encourage them to seek charges against the opposing owners for false reports and wasting police time.


Title: Girlfriend's Parents threatened to call the police.

Question:
My girlfriend is 18, turning 19 this month. She has very controlling parents, to the point that she was seeing a therapist for a while about them. I'm 21 turning 22, and attend university and work part time about 5 hours from her. After her first semester of college, she decided that she wanted to take a semester off and leave her hometown in order to figure out what she wanted to do.

I offered to let her stay with me, and she liked the idea. She transferred her job to the city that I work in, and I will be bringing her up here (since she doesn't have a car). When she told her parents, the threatened to call the police on me, and have been asking around on social media for my address, as well as emailing me (I have no idea how they found my email).

I was just wondering what would happen if they do decide to call the police, and what actions I can take to keep them from harassing me.

If anyone wants to ask questions, I am willing to provide more information. Thanks

Edit: State of VA

Answer: Call the police for what? She's an adult. She's allowed to move out of her home. I suggest your ignore their empty threats.


Title: Someone else is selling my fan art

Question:
I've created some fan art using resources from a Blizzard Entertainment game.  I shared this art for others to use personally.  I have not sold it and never will.

Blizzard has a very lenient ["you can create stuff, just don't sell it"](http://us.blizzard.com/en-us/company/about/legal-faq.html) stance on fan art.

As happens on the internet, others took the file and are selling the fan art on eBay and Etsy.

What can I do about this?  Do I just have to ignore it?

Answer: Could report it to Blizzard for them to go after the person. You could also submit a DMCA notice to the sites it is being sold on for removal maybe.


Title: I was falsely pulled over for not wearing a seatbelt and after consenting to a search, was arrested for possession of marijuana.

Question:
This happened last night, in Florida in case that matters. I was driving home from my cousins house, when I got pulled over for supposedly not wearing a seatbelt. Now this was undoubtedly false, I always wear my seatbelt after a cousin of mine passed in a car accident years ago. I can only imagine the look on my face when the officer said this to me, as I sat there with my seatbelt on. He quickly moved onto asking me if I had any drugs in the car, I said no, as I was fully under the impression I had nothing incriminating. He said he could smell weed and asked to search my car, I consented because from what I understand, odor of contraband is enough to initiate a search, so I figured I’d just get it over with.

Well, he searched my car and found two baggies with remnants of weed, some roaches, and a coke can with ashes on it. All together, I don’t think it even added up to a full gram of weed. I confirmed it was mine after being asked, as I had a friend with me who was on probation and didn’t wanna risk him getting in trouble. He was free to go and I was charged with possession of marijuana under 20 grams,  arrested immediately and released on bond 6 hours later. I have to wait to receive my court date in the mail within the next two weeks.

What’s the next best step? Is the seatbelt thing contestable or would I be wasting my time even trying to use that? This is my first offense and I’m wondering how severe they’d bring the hammer down considering how minuscule the amount was.
Topic:
Drug Possession

Answer:
 At this point, you consented to a search and claimed possession of illegal drugs.  Contesting the initial pullover based on the seat belt is going to be a long shot.

You should never consent to a search nor should you admit to drug possession to protect another person.

You need to consult with a criminal defense attorney.


Title: Legal Permanent Resident here for almost 3 Years - Can I vote in this Election?

Question: I was under the impression I could not vote in this election - however some people have mentioned I might be able to - can anyone give me an answer on this? (State: Michigan)

Answer:
 [Only U.S. Citizens](https://www.michigan.gov/sos/0,4670,7-127-1633_8716_8726_47669---,00.html) are eligible to vote in Michigan.

If you're not a citizen then you can't vote.


Title: Stolen iPhone wants me to pay to have it returned

Question:
**Florida**

My iPhone 6s was stolen last week. Today my other phone line received a call from my stolen phone saying that the person who has my stolen phone currently had bought it from another person for $250 dollars and would return my stolen phone after I paid him $250 so he could break even.

I have looked at this subreddit and other sources online and found similar circumstances with pawn shops but not with a singular person.

Do I need to purchase the phone back to get it returned?

Is there any police action I could take against the individual? I have not reported the item as stolen.

Answer:
 >Is there any police action I could take against the individual?

are you the police? otherwise, no. you are not the police. the real police can take any action they think is appropriate.

>I have not reported the item as stolen.

then do so, otherwise the police won't be able to do anything to help you.
Answer #2: Report it as stolen. You do not need to pay for it. How you go about recovering it is up to you as long as you do it legally.


Title: Passing a School bus in Georgia (Municipal Court)

Question:
Hello, I had the misfortune of passing a school bus on a highway the other day in Georgia. I passed the bus as the stop sign arm was swinging open and a police officer noticed this from further down the road and pulled me over (from the front). He issued me a "Driving - Overtaking an passing school bus" ticket and I have to go to municipal court.

1. Is there anything I can do/say at the minicipal court to lower my fines or points? I have never had to go to one before. I also have had a speeding ticket, following to closely, and failing to stop at a stop sign tickets within the last five years.

2. On the copy of the ticket the officer has written "Z-1 Digital NCIC in the remarks section what is that?

3. Also because the insurance is on my parents would I need to bring them to court with me? I am 23 years old.
Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer:
 1. You can get a lawyer. You can also be very apologetic and respectful. You need to take responsibility. You didn't have the "misfortune of passing a school bus" like one might unfortunately swallow a fly while biking,  you foolishly passed a school bus.

2. [NCIC is a computer database of crimes](http://fas.org/irp/agency/doj/fbi/is/ncic.htm) nothing to worry about.

3. No parents needed you got into this yourself, and are an adult. It isn't an insurance matter (directly) anyways.

Your parents can and probably should get you a lawyer to reduce whatever can be done, and mitigate any premium increase.


Title: Visitor of the US recives a higher bill after 2 years

Question:
In April of 2015 i was in the US to go to my GF (back then). On the second day i was there i broke my jaw and had to go to the hospital. The first Hosiptal (Elliot in Manchester NH) was only for a quick Xray scan and did some stiches in my jaw. They also gave me painkillers and sended me to Boston Mass General. Arrived at Mass General they asked for my name (Wich they stated wrong) and my adres in Holland. I gave it to them and the gave me a some kind of first aid room. I have sat there for a couple of hours, because the surgion doesn't have the time to do my jaw fracture repair. In the mean time the nurse did also an other Xray. After a while they could proceed my Jaw fracture repair (the operation was 5 hours). After that i was set off to a room where i can recover. After some meds i was sent back home.

After 2 months i recived a bill from the US. 10k for the whole thing it said. Both of my incurences in Holland sended the money to my bank account instead to the Hospital. So i contacted the Hospital if i can have a payment plan. They agreed and i didn't hear for a while from then. Then in Oktober 2016 i recived a bill from the Hospital. It was odd because it was more then a year when i was there and i forgot about it. So i payed that bill and the rest of the bills until August 2017 when i recived a bill from the Hospital but now it was 65K. So i called the Hospital and i asked why the raise. They couldn't really explain it (in the bill it stated for some kind of services and Radiology) but i think that's weird because i was already paying my bill.

So i am asking. Is it allowed for Hospitals to raise bills in that way?

Answer: Many of the different doctors, labs, and services in the hospital bill separately. More than likely if you received only one bill, it wasn't the only bill you had.


Title: Injury at work 6 years ago resulting in severe back problems. former boss refuses to deal with workman's comp.

Question:
happened in O'Fallon, IL (I live in Denver, CO now). First note - he told us we didn't need non-slip shoes due to mats covering the entire floor in the small kitchen.

One day, 6 years ago, while working at a bar and grill, the drain on the floor backed up resulting in 3 inches of water on the floor across the kitchen. While trying to walk carefully out of the kitchen, I slipped and landed on my lower back. I informed him, and later went to the ER due to severe lower back pain. They filed it under workman's comp, put me on light duty and gave me strong pain medications. I was working 2 jobs at the time and this fall highly affected both of them.

Today, I have severe back spasms and severe back pain in my lower back. That fall was the last fall I had on my lower back and i've had severe back problems for the past 6 years. I never heard anything back about what happened, and was told there was a pile of worker's comp claims sitting on his desk that he wasn't taking care of.

We recently got a letter from a company asking if it was related to work, and my husband says to not bother. Should I fill out the paperwork and see what they can do in covering the costs i have now regarding what happened?
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: Employers can't stop a workers comp claim. They can just delay it. If they could just stop it because they were lazy there would be no point. So yes you should complete the paperwork.


Title: Evicted in Indiana, for non-payment of rent. Court order to vacate tomorrow (May 23) but judgement includes entire month of May's rent.

Question: I am being evicted from my Southern Indiana apartment, located in large complex/community, where I have resided for over 15 years. I did not pay my rent in April, and was served eviction papers before the month was up. Court was set for May 16, so by that time, May rent also late/unpaid. The leasing manager asked for "damages" that included both April and May rent, and the judge awarded them what they ask for. So I have a judgement that is equal to April rent + late fee, May rent, and attorney fees. However I am being court ordered to vacate by 4:00pm tomorrow, May 23. Shouldn't I have until the end of the month, since I am being court ordered to pay the entire month's rent?

Answer:
 > However I am being court ordered to vacate by 4:00pm tomorrow

Because that's what they asked for and that's what the court ordered.

>  Shouldn't I have until the end of the month, since I am being court ordered to pay the entire month's rent?

Did you make that argument when you went to your court date? Or did you just not show up? If the second one, then you missed your chance unless you want to try for an emergency appeal.

Bottom line here is you have a court order to get out so unless you want the sheriff to show up and remove you and your property by force you need to be out by tomorrow.


Title: [OHIO] What Will Happen To Him If He turns Himsef In?

Question:
My sister’s boyfriend has an arrest warrant that is over a year old. It stemmed from several F4 & F5 charged relating to credit card fraud, theft from an elderly adult, etc.

The warrant was issued after he didn’t pay the fines and go to meetings and such.

He has no violent or sexual charges or history, but has a few smaller drug charges from when he was younger.

He can’t work because of the warrant and his license / registration have both been suspended. Their relationship has grown increasingly more strained as a result of this and they’re now on the verge of a breakup.

He knows he needs to get it taken care of so they can move on with their lives, but he’s also scared of what will happen, how the process will work, etc.
Complicating matters is the fact that they rent an apartment and he is not listed on the lease (at the time she didn’t want to risk not getting the apartment due to his record as it is a “nicer” snooty area and they needed to move somewhere immediately. As a result he’s technically not allowed to be living there but it’s been over a year and no issues) so he doesn’t know what to say if they ask where he lives or where he would be living upon release. He doesn’t want to give their address, go through a verification (if there even is a process for this - they’re not sure if the police would check or not), and then have her get evicted and be homeless too.

They do not have money for a lawyer and she has reached out multiple times over the past 8 months to several low cost or pro bono ones in the area and no one has contacted her back. They’re both frustrated and I can see it’s hurting them a lot.

I’m trying to gather as much information as I possibly can in order to give to them so things can be sat down, planned, and they can move on. She’s put so much of her life on hold for him because of this issue and I know he just wants her to be able to have everything they’ve talked about but it can’t happen until he gets his shit together.

Any information about potential jail time, the process of what he would go through, what to do about their housing (where does he say he lives?), or any other information you can think of is incredibly helpful and appreciated.

Thanks!

Answer:
 He committed multiple felonies, then was convicted of multiple felonies, fined several thousand dollars, was unable to pay, refused to go to the meetings, and now has an arrest warrant? Did he have an attorney for the original cases? F4s and F5s both carry jail time; did he serve any?

Honestly, and this part isn't legal advice, it doesn't sound like he's going to be able to contribute to the relationship with your sister in any meaningful way for years to come. But if she insists on staying with him, the only way to clear this up is for them to get an attorney (many will accept payment plans, but with his history none might) to negotiate him turning himself in and work to mitigate the damage he's done to himself. Or he can just turn himself in, and ask for a public defender, and hope he gets one but jail time is a definite possibility, and he'll still owe the fines.


Title: When is it considered abandonment? [US]

Question:
I'm in Ohio.

If a couple breaks up and they have a ten month old baby, when would it be considered abandonment if the father has the baby and the mother has him blocked and won't contact him?

Answer:
 I assume you're referring to a child custody issue?  There is no abandonment.  Until a natural parent's rights are terminated by a court order the natural parent remains the legal parent.

This would be very relevant in a custody dispute, but not dispositive.  If you are worried, file for divorce (assuming married) and a temporary custody order naming dad as having sole physical and legal custody.


Title: Neighbor cut down tree without our permission what can we do

Question: Hey legaladvice. So about a week ago our neighbor decided that he wanted to cut down a tree that was growing in our property. We didn't really get an explanation as to why he did it, but it's gone now. My parents are hesitant to do anything about this since they'd rather not cause any problems with our neighbor. However, I'm still curious what these guys are liable for if we decide to push the issue. Some extra info: I am a CT resident. The tree has been there since we moved into the house (so well over 30 years), and it was an ~100 foot tall oak. Any advice would be helpful, and I'll happily give more info if need be.

Answer:
 Your parents should talk to a lawyer, as well as an arborist (who can estimate the amount of damages).

Trees can be *really* expensive.  If your parents choose to pursue this, the neighbor may be held liable for the value of the tree, which can be a *lot* of money.Answer #2: 1. Make sure that the tree was actually on your property. If there is any doubt what so ever that the tree was not on your property (e.g. it was between houses), then I suggest getting a survey done. Don't rely on any sort of public maps software (google maps, apple maps, etc).

2. Contact an arborist to calculate damages. Old/large trees *can* be expensive, and the cost of replacing them *can* be in the tens of thousands of dollars.

3. Contact a lawyer and proceed from there.
Answer #3: I know your parents say they don't want trouble with the neighbor, but considering the neighbor trespassed and damaged their property for his own benefit, he doesn't have the same concern for them. I would follow the other posters' advice and get a real estate lawyer versed in treelaw. At least a consultation so they can make an informed decision on what to do.Answer #4: Search arbor law in this sub. This happens somewhat often.  Answer #5: What happened to the felled tree? Depending on the variety of oak, I imagine theft of timber could also significantly raise OPs damages. Answer #6: I’ve seen this advice in other places too.
When you have your plot surveyed, asked the surveyor to mark the location of the stump where the tree was when they draw your boundary lines.
Makes it crystal clear to a layperson looking at the plan exactly where the tree was.


Title: [US-WV] Kitchen fire has caused apartment to be uninhabitable

Question:
Hello again Reddit,

Last night my mother was using the stove when oil caught on fire and burned the kitchen.

Anyone that has read my previous post knows that this apartment complex has horrible management.

Some Notes:

* The apartment my mother is living in was remodeled in 2011\~.
* The apartment had two Auto\-Out Fire Suppressors installed under the vent hood, they have a 6 year service life and did not go off during the fire.
* The apartment has three smoke detectors, one in each bed room and one in the hallway, they didn't go off either.
* The apartment didn't come with a fire extinguisher.
* The manager of the apartment complex is threatening her with eviction.

I feel that the fire could have easily been prevented if the Auto\-Out Fire Suppressors were in working order, the smoke detectors actually worked and my mother was provided with a fire extinguisher.

I have a few questions.

1. Since the apartment is uninhabitable due to there not being any hot water or power should the landlord allow her to stay in a vacant apartment or pay for a hotel?
2. How liable is she for this?
3. Should we be getting a lawyer?

Answer:
 It sounds like your mother caused the fire. So she has a lot of liability here. Hopefully she has renter's insurance and she should be contacting them immediately.

>Since the apartment is uninhabitable due to there not being any hot water or power should the landlord allow her to stay in a vacant apartment or pay for a hotel?

If the fire was her fault then no, they don't need to pay for her to stay elsewhere.


Title: Boise, ID - I did not pass the ATF form (linked below) to own a gun due to being an addict. Can I own any other weapon for defense or get a concealed weapon permit, like for a baton or stun gun?

Question:
[Box 11, item e is what I am referring to.](https://www.atf.gov/firearms/docs/4473-part-1-firearms-transaction-record-over-counter-atf-form-53009/download)

I want to know if I’m able to own any weapons for personal defense at all, and if yes, what sort of categories (if there are any) I can and can’t use. I was told that I will be flagged if I ever attempt to purchase a gun again, which I accept and won’t attempt to. The people were very nice in explaining it to me; it wasn’t as if they were about to call Judge Dredd to take me to an iso-cube. I learned something new and will keep to the law.

Also, if it matters, I am a recovering addict, but an addict nonetheless (I learned in NA and AA that it is a lifelong disease and responsibility, and while it can be managed, I will always be an addict) to controlled substances that were prescribed to me and marijuana, hence the fail. I’m clean now, but I wanted to tell my reason for failing it.
Topic:
Background Checks and Expungements

Answer:
 I'll point out you're already years ahead of the game here by recognizing that lying on that form is a Very Bad Idea.  Lots of people would just check "no" and think it's no big deal.

And it's not a big deal.    Until it is.  Then it's a very big deal.


Title: Private parking ticket - do i have to pay it?

Question: It was from Euro Parks and they've now got a company called DRP doing the 'debt recovery'. Also for reference, it was issued in Scotland.

Answer: You should post to r/legaladviceUK instead. In America, most private parking tickets are not binding except in a few places - most notably Portland, Oregon.


Title: Question about speeding ticket received in California

Question:
Hi,
I received a speeding ticket a couple of weeks ago. The officer told me I was going 82 in a 65, and wrote that on my citation. The ticket I received in the mail today says that I was going 26+mph over the speed limit. 82 minus 65 is 17. For this to make sense I would have to at least been going 91, which I’m positive I wasn’t. I’m pretty sure driving 26mph or more over the speed limit counts as reckless driving, meaning the ticket costs more. I’m in California, received the ticket on the 23 freeway coming from Simi Valley. I still have the citation. Do I have reasonable cause to fight the ticket in court?

Answer: You certainly have cause for them to correct the charges to 17 over.


Title: Can I get sued by my University for a textbook exchange app (similar to craigslist)

Question:
The phone app I'm designing would be similar to craigslist where users can post their textbooks for sale in categories (major and specific class) and other users could view the posts in the categories and arrange meetups with the sellers to actually purchase the books.

My concern is legally would there be any issue in doing this?

Answer:
 IANAL: I would avoid writing it on a school computer/school connection/etc. I would also not use the school name like "Universty of X Book Exchange" with a tagline of, "Let's subvert the campus bookstore!"

But from what I can tell, if you write an app that is for exchanging of private property - they bought their textbooks and own them personally - I do not see any major legal issues.


Title: Flipped guy off at bar, he later threatened my mom with a gun.

Question:
I was drinking pretty heavily Saturday night at the bar. Towards the end of the time I was there, I saw a guy my mom had/has a fling with. This individual doesnt treat her with much respect and is also or was married during the time they've been together, I'm not exactly sure. He also several weeks ago asked my girlfriend if she'd like him to add some "salt" to her blowjob shot she was taking with me, my mom, and a couple friends. He whispered it to her and while she told me pretty much right away, obviously it pissed me off, but I let it go.
So fast forward to Saturday. I'm really drunk, had been drinking most of the day, and I see this guy. In my drunk state of mind I decided it was a good idea to flip him off, and I did so in a very unsubtle way. It gets blurry but what I recall and other people have told me, one of his friends got up in my face and put me in a choke, and another random dude who just wanted to fight took a swing at me, missed, and hit my girlfriend in the face giving her a black eye. I never threw a punch. At this point we left. My gf drove as she hadn't been drinking, and next thing I know I'm waking up in her bed. I call my mom as soon as I get up to apologize in case she was embarrased because I had assumed she heard by this point. Instead she instantly demanded I go over to her house. So I did. When I got there she sat me down and told me this. She was driving by the bar and saw my gf and I walking out upset and I had some blood on my eyebrow. So she asked us what happened then went into the bar to get more answers. At this point the guy has left apparently. But not long after shes in there, he comes back in and gets in her face, telling her "her punk ass son better watch his back." So they get into an argument and end up going outside to not make too big of a scene. Their argument turns personal and they start taking verbal cheap shots at each other I guess. At some point during all this, the guy goes to his truck and comes back with a gun. He then proceeds to jab the barrel against my moms forehead and screams at her "you better remember this!" He then repeatedly slams the barrel into her shoulder and chest leaving massive bruising. She has a scrape on her head where he pushed the gun against her. At some point she manages to get away from the guy, he gets in his truck and leaves, and she immediately goes to the police station. She has pictures taken and gives a statement. They go to his house to arrest him but he either isn't there or doesnt answer, so they leave and say they will now have to get a warrant for his arrest. Whatever happened yesterday with the police, I have no idea, but he wasnt arrested yesterday either. They told my mom that they were going to put a warrant on the judges desk this morning and go arrest him at work today, but as of yet I know they still have not. I have to work at the same bar later, which means I will be closing it down myself and walking out of there alone at 130 in the morning. What options do I have here? What options besides getting a restraining order does my mom have? My anxiety is through the roof and while I am extremely pissed someone assaulted my mother like that, I'm trying to keep a clear head because i dont want to die doing something irrational. He is a licensed firearm dealer. He doesnt have a gun shop, but he can sell people guns. He always concealed carries. What can I do?

Answer: Call.  The.  Cops.  That's what you do when someone is threatened with a firearm.


Title: TX- Wife works for a Child care franchise. The old owner sold his business to a new owner. She is a salary employee but was docked pay for days they were closed over the 4th. She was told by the owner she is now an hourly employee untill a 30 day probation period is over

Question: So basically she is considered a new hire from when the new owner took over. She wasn't paid any overtime for the other weeks in the pay period or before or after. Can they do this without her knowledge or consent? What can we do? It just doesn't seem right

Answer:
 Typically the new owner will assume the contract your wife signed when she buys the business and it's employee contracts. Your only real option would be to contact a contractual dispute/civil litigation attorney.. Arguing with her might be pointless and since she is likely at will, could lead to a termination.Answer #2: A change in pay like this is effectively a new job. Personally, if she doesn’t like the terms she could tell her employer, “I don’t like the new terms” and file for unemployment since they effectively fired her and rehired her with a pay change from salary to hourly.Answer #3: Not a lawyer, but I am HR in Texas.

I'm making some assumptions, but most likely FLSA is going to apply to this business.  In that case, she can be either salary and not be docked or she can be hourly and get overtime.  There is no option (in this job) to be able to be docked as you stated AND not be overtime eligible. She is due one of the two.

As far as what to do, you stated that she has a contract, and you need to look at what it says.  Most likely it retains her status as an "at-will" employee, but it should also have effective dates and should mention FLSA status.

She can file a complaint with the local office of the Wage and Hour Division of the US Department of Labor.  I think there are 7 or 8 of them around Texas if you are not in the Panhandle. Northwest TX is covered by the New Mexico office.

Good luck!


Title: Employer refuse doctors request for accommodation for employee

Question: My allergist provided a letter to give to my employer requesting a two day a week work from home accommodation due to dust mite allergies.  The request was denied. Almost everyone employed where I work works from home part of the week with the exception of recent hires(hired in 2016), which includes me.  Do I take this to the EEOC, suffer through it or find another job?

Answer:
 > requesting a two day a week work from home accommodation due to dust mite allergies.

This may have been why it was denied. The doctor should never make recommendations, just the general finding. This allows the employer to provide alternatives, such as respiratory gear or another office location within their building that is supplied by a HEPA filtration unit.

But the other option you already mentioned - you might just want to find another job.Answer #2: It's unlikely your allergy rises to the level of a disability therefore your employer is not required to attempt to accommodate you.


Title: Ex girlfriend stole Christmas presents she gave me, police can't do anything...

Question:
So my ex recently broke up with me. She demanded back two Christmas presents from last December and a birthday present she just gave me in August. I told her she can't have the Christmas presents back. I currently live with my dad who doesn't know we broke up or anything was really going on. While I was at work last week she apparently came over and stole the two Christmas presents out of my room. My dad gave her permission to come into the house, but I had explicitly told her she can't take my stuff prior to that. I then messaged her and told her to give them back and to give back some clothes of mine she still had, then I would willingly give her my birthday present back. Instead while I was still not home she came over again, dropped off the clothes, and then searched through my drawers and stole my birthday present. When I came home and realized this I then told my Dad not to let her into the house again. I told her I would call the police if she doesn't return them.

&#x200B;

She laughed about it and I spoke to an officer the next day. I explained the story to the officer and she told me that since my dad had let her into the house that complicates things. She gave her a call and the officer called me back and said that she told the officer the stuff was hers. That basically I can't prove it was my stuff or given to me and that she is just saying it belongs to her. I told the officer, and sent a message to my ex, that she is not welcome into my house and my father knows this now.

&#x200B;

I am  extremely frustrated over this. I don't even care for the presents at this point. I just can't accept that I live in a world with absolutely no justice and the police are useless in this situation. The officer said the only thing I could do is go to court in a civil case but I would need to provide some type of proof she gave them to me in the first place. I have no proof and I have no legal knowledge and no money to afford a lawyer. I just can't accept that there isn't some type of justice in this case. The gifts are just a blanket, stuffed animal, and pillow, but they were sentimental to me and have no monetary value.

Answer:
 You have a remedy; it's just not with the police. You can sue your ex in small claims court. That's what small claims is for.

The police don't want to get in the middle of a domestic squabble over who owns stuff, and it's really not their job.


Title: School claims that a senior prank, if performed, is harassment (CA)

Question: Trying to be vague for the sake of privacy. For our senior prank, we decided that we were going to make a sign for an administrator whom is disliked almost universally at the school. He has a second job that acquires a lot of publicity from which we based the prank off of. We made a sign of the administrator regarding his second job and were planning to hang it on the campus. Admin found out about the prank and one kid who was involved. They claim that it is harassment and would cause all people involved to not walk at graduation. Is this legitimate harassment if the administrator has this information online accessible to anyone who decided to search it up?

Answer:
 May not be legal harassment in the sense that the police will show up and tell you to knock it off but the school is within its rights to prevent people involved from walking at graduation.

That isn't a legal issue though and more of a school administration issue.Answer #2: Doesn't matter if it's actually illegal, they can and they will punish you and keep you from walking. Answer #3: Sounds like a bad prank. Just fill the hallways with balloons or something.Answer #4: A school prank should be fun and not target an individual. Especially not Jeopardizing someone's job or career, that isn't a prank, and depending on what you say on the sign, you could potentially be sued.Answer #5: Doesn't really matter what you call it, the administration can bar you from doing it and take appropriate punishment if you do.


Title: (VA) Employer from 2012 asking for repayment of required training, need advice

Question:
I received a letter from a previous employer I worked for in 2012.  They are claiming that I owe them about $6k for training that I took while I was employed with them.  They are claiming I have 10 days to repay the debt or make arrangements or they will send it to collections.  I called them and left a message stating I believe there was an error, but I have not received anything back from them.

A few problems I have with this:

  * 1) I was required to take the training to maintain compliance with DoD 8570.01 (Former employer was a gov. contractor)
  * 2) My employer received payment from the gov. for the training, and I was paid hours by the gov. during the training
  * 3) I signed up for the training in Jan 2012 with my corporate card and was reimbursed through my employer, and left the company in November 2012. So they definitely got their money's worth out of me.
  * 4) I never signed a promissory note when I left the company saying I would repay the company, and my supervisor never signed anything saying I refused to sign a promissory note.
  * 5) The original class and reimbursement was only $4900 not $6000

So I am asking for advice on what my options are here.  The company lost the contract completely and there is no one there anymore to even ask about what happened with this.  My thought is that since the contract completely closed that this is HQ going back trying to recuperate some of the lost money by strong arming former employees because I am not the only one that has received one of these letters.

Any advice on how I should proceed?  Thanks.

Answer:
 contact the office of the inspector general overseeing whichever agency paid the grant. your company is double dipping.Answer #2: > I never signed a promissory note when I left the company saying I would repay the company

Tell them to pound sand and then pound it again to make sure. I highly doubt they would actually sue you over this; sounds like a desperate bluff.Answer #3: If I were you I'd pay an attorney $150 or whatever to draft a debt verification letter and send it by certified mail, which is almost guaranteed to make this go away forever. Given the facts you have stated it is possibly a crime for this company to seek reimbursement training that has already been funded by the government and you should refer this letter to the department of defense to let them know what this contractor is up to.Answer #4: Okay stupid question for a lawyer: What stops a company from sending false claims to a collection agency?  Is there a specific process to prove that the person who owes you money actually owes it?  What determines whether someone can go to a collection agency or whether they have to sue you for it?


Title: [MT] Snapchat notified me a State Attorneys Office is requesting info about my account.

Question:
Snapchat sent me an email informing me the Baltimore State Attorney's Office is requesting information, records, or content from my Snapchat account. Snapchat is waiting for 7 days until they respond to the legal process. The email looks legit.

This appears like it is specific to my account. I have never been to Baltimore or know anyone there.

I have already requested for a copy of the legal process and am waiting to receive it.

I have no idea what this would be about.

How should I respond to this? I am considering talking to a real lawyer and possibly trying to object to the legal process.

Thanks for the advice.

Edit: Come to think of it, they didn't mention my Snapchat username at all. They just said "Dear Snapchat User".

Update: they responded to me and provided me with a copy of the subpeona that was served to Snapchat. This looks legit and I will be talking to a lawyer.

Answer:
 This is the second one of these posts I've seen today regarding the same thing but the last one was for Google.

When you requested the legal process, what information did you give out and to whom did you send it? I'm wondering if this is a new type of phishing email that is going around.Answer #2: Have you tried posting this to the scams subreddit to see if anyone has info on it?


Title: Immigration Law advice needed

Question:
Alright, I work for a Legal office in New York, we usually don't deal with immigration law but for a friend we agreed to take on his case. Some background info on the person we will call X

X came from El Salvador to the US. When he got here he spoke little to no English at all. When he got to the US border he was detained for around 8 months(I do not know the specific amount of time) When he turned 18 while detained he was released on his own recognizance. Under certain conditions, one of those being going to an immigration court in Baltimore, Maryland on a certain date. He did not go to this. Because he was scared of deportation due to his lack of rights, due to not being a citizen. After that a person who either we nor he can identify bought him a plane ticket to New York where he currently resides. He has been in the US for less than a year.

We believe that he was admitted into the US illegally because in the documents he was given there was no mention of Political Asylum.

We are looking to get him a green card and eventually naturalization.

Can you guys give us any advice on how to proceed?

Answer: It's a violation of the ethics rules for an attorney to take on a case they aren't qualified to handle. It's literally ethics rule 1.1.  You should either consult  (formally, not on Reddit) with someone who knows what they're doing, or refer X to someone who knows what they're doing.


Title: Just ate a frozen burger from a grocery store. It had a bone fragment in it, causing my tooth to literally break in half. [Oregon]

Question:
The tooth in question previously had a root canal done to it within the last several months, making it much more susceptible than an average tooth.

My question is do I have any grounds to sue?  What is the likelihood of success or settlement?  I do not have the receipt for the purchase, but the store does keep records of all customer purchases (Safeway).

I would like to recover only the dental costs to get this taken care of, which will easily be over $5k.  Blech.

Edit:  Also, I do not have the bone fragment from the burger in my possession (do have the half tooth),  but I'm certain I've consumed it.  Should I, ahem, try to recover the evidence?  Double blech.

Answer:
 IANAD, but I would recommend thawing it next time. It's possible that the frozen condition of the burger also contributed to the breakage.Answer #2: I would get the tooth fixed, keep all the records and bills, and go see a personal injury/products liability attorney to discuss it.

Be aware that it's generally harder to sue for "natural" items found in food (like bone) as opposed to foreign objects like glass, things you'd never expect to accidentally end up in food. You'll want to talk to a lawyer familiar with Oregon's laws to be sure, though.

I wouldn't try to retrieve the bone. Just make sure to tell the dentist how it happened so it ends up in the records.Answer #3: > I do not have the bone fragment from the burger in my possession

Since you don't have it, how do you know it was a bone fragment?Answer #4: Not a lawyer, but have worked in consumer goods for over a decade.  Manufacturer consumer relations departments are built to handle these complaints, have budgets for these types of incidents.

First step for me would not be lawyer, but a call to the company/brand's consumer help line.  Calmly explain what happened, where you purchased your burger, what work you've had done (offer to submit bills, etc.).

Good shot they'll take care of you.  In the (unlikely) event they don't, demand letter from an attorney would be the next step.

Don't see a need to escalate immediately before reaching out in good faith.

Cheers.


Title: First-time homeowners, just found out our town re-appraised our house value at $25k more than we paid for it, less than 2 years ago...

Question:
Bought our “forever home” in upstate New York, town of Niskayuna (high taxes but one of the best school districts in the country).  Turns out the town re-appraised it shortly after we bought it, not even 2 years ago. So, we went an entire year of paying the taxes as estimated by our mortgage broker (Quicken), and now we have to make up the difference + added taxes for this year; sadly, the increase may drive us out of our house.

We know the town has the option to dispute the appraised value, which we intend on doing.  But I have a couple questions about this -

1 - Should we hire a lawyer to do this for us? Found some firms that will do comp research and submit the paperwork for ~$500... but with money as tight as it is, and it seems like something I can figure out (with Zillow info etc so readily available).. is it worth the professional expertise?
2 - If we do get the town to agree to a lower appraisal value, then aren’t we entitled to a refund on the entire year’s worth of taxes on the overvalued appraisal?  For this kind of case, where would I start to look for a lawyer with that kind of expertise?  This seems like a blatant cash gouge against first time homebuyers who they’d hope are just too naive to notice...

There’s more - Regarding our mortgage broker, we suspect that we were misled on the monthly escrow based on their tax estimate.  Come to find out, the public records on our previous owners’ taxes show they were claiming some tax exemptions on the house, for which my wife and I clearly are not eligible (elderly, veterans exemptions, etc...), yet Quickens seemed to base their tax estimate on what they had paid.  This seems like a blatant oversight at best, or misleading us into a contract at worst - either way, how would we go about approaching this legally?
(To further the case against Quickens, they’ve basically been harassing us about refinancing our mortgage - I’ve saved dozens of call records and voicemails they’ve left, spamming us even after they ran our credit on more than one occasion and found no refi options... I know Quickens is a huge company to take on, but I our case they seem like they’ve been very sloppy...)

Answer:
 Well, homes have increased there about 2.5% in the past year.  Expected 3% this year.  Not sure about over a year ago.  How much was your home?  A $250,000 home probably went up about $15K in two years.  Was your home more than that?

Zillow is not the same as comps.  It's very inaccurate.Answer #2: You bought a " forever home" & a bump of $25K in tax assessment might necessitate a sale?   Ok, some towns assess yearly, some every other year, and others do a 3 or 4 year cycle.  Most of the US saw real estate values jump over the past two years.

I suggest you start by speaking with the tax assessor and find out how often they assess & if they use market value or a reduced value  & ask if they adjust rates as well.  In some places school bonds might increase or decrease per $1,000 of value, so you could see an assessment go up & tax bill go down if a school bond was retired/paid off.  If you home was over valued, no you won't get a refund & no this is not some first time home buyer scam.

In hindsight a good first time homebuyer class might have covered some of these issues.   What percentage did your assessed value go up in the two years since your purchase.  My taxes went up over 50% in my second year of ownership because previous owners had been in house 14 years & the place was undervalued.

Your agent should have pointed out that existing owners benefited from senior citizen or veteran credit if that was the case.  I don't think you have a case against your mortgage broker but you can ask how they calculated escrow.


Title: (PA - USA) New landlord says they require we have renters insurance, and that we have to provide proof of it.

Question:
We (my wife, our children, and I) have live in our apartment for 1.5 years. A few months ago the building was sold and we ended up with a new landlord.

We had been month to month, and want to continue that way.

At the end of December we received a call explaining that the new landlord wants all the residents to sign a new lease. We would normally be happy to do this, but are likely going to be moving within the next 2-3 months (we haven't shared this with them yet).

&#x200B;

We received a call today that they require all tenants to have renters insurance, and need to be able to prove as much to them.

We want to avoid this (we don't have renters insurance currently).

&#x200B;

Any input on whether what they are requiring is legal, and/or how we can avoid this?
If we let them know that we plan to move soon, can they take action against us in any way?

Answer:
 You can refuse to sign the lease and move out with proper notice.

There is no logical reason to avoid rental insurance.  Answer #2: This is normal and you should have renters' insurance for your own benefit anyway.  It's like <$10 a month and it covers all your belongings if anything happens.  I don't understand why you would want to avoid this.


Title: (FL) Employer Overpaid Me and We Both Realized it 9 months later

Question:
My employer overpaid me for week by about 600%. 9 months later my immediate boss has approached me about it.

Now, first, I am was very dumb to not notice this abnormality. I honestly just don't look at my bank account much and when I do I don't always know where the money is coming from. Part of this is because I am young and inexperienced. Another part of this is that I was working four jobs at the time so money was coming from a lot of places. In addition my parents help me out every so often by putting money into the account. All that to say, I was an idiot for not looking at my paystub.

 But in my defense, this payment went through both the accountant and management before it got to me.

The other part of this is that I have spent that money.

So what can I expect? I sincerely want to pay them back, but I can't just do it all at once. Am I protected in anyway, or is it just the opposite?

My immediate boss brought it up to me and I checked my account and confirmed it with him but that is all that has happened.

Answer:
 Tell them you need to save up and tell them about how long it will take. Paying back a little at a time would be a huge administrative hassle. You owe back the entire gross pay since this is a prior year overpayment.  You can take a tax deduction for whatever you repay on your 2015 tax return.

Or you could refuse to play ball and see if they sue you.


Title: Could someone be held criminally liable for teaching how to break a law, but never actually doing it themselves?

Question: I'm thinking of someone that teaches a coding class that demonstrates how to breach a computer system's security, but never actually performs the hacking him/herself. If someone then takes that knowledge and uses it to break the law (for argument's sake, let's say the illegal act is done in the *exact* same way as it was taught), could the teacher be held liable at all? Or would teaching the process itself break any laws?

Answer: NAL but part of learning cyber security, at least when I took the course, is learning how to identify a hack and how most places teach you that is by showing you how to perform, at least basic, hacks.


Title: Laid Off in Retaliation of Resisting Sexual Advances of Manager

Question:
I got laid off yesterday, along with a few other employees, but last week my manager made a sexual advance and touched me inappropriately and then the next shift I walk into I was laid off. I feel it is not a coincidence and I am wondering if there is anything i can do. Just that the only evidence I have is a late night uber leaving his house and I told the uber driver the whole thing, so maybe I could contact her and see if she remembers. He has been inappropriate in the past and another old coworker knew about it.

Also drugs and alcohol were involved and I live in Chicago if that is of any help

Answer:
 You can file for unemploymentAnswer #2: >I got laid off yesterday, along with a few other employees

Unless you *all* were subject to sexual advances, this would not seem to be retaliatory.

File for unemployment.

Also I wouldn't be too keen to pursue legal action if it involves admitting to illicit drug use. But that might just be me.