Title: Neighbor cut trees down, left them lay on our side for 8 months. I'm just here for suggestions.

Question: Neighbor wants a fence surounding his lot along multiple suburban lots and he is outside the homeowner ring. We know where our property line is, had it surveyed 2 years ago. He cut several trees on our side but mostly on his side, and left pretty much all the cut trees on our property and it is a mess. These trees are about 3-5 inches in diameter, so not too big. We were hopeing for him to clean it all up, but it's been like that since november. I guess he is more interested in making messes and building fences. This is in Indiana. Have contacted landowner, seems friendly, but not much of a response at all.

Answer:
 Oh god, tree thread.

Two issues:

First is the mess on your land. Send a certified letter detailing 30 days to clean it up, or you will be forced to file for criminal trespass and bill for the cleanup. This worked when my grandparent's neighbors kept leaving square hay bales on their property, just over the fence.

The second is the trees: get an arborist to determine the value of those trees. Depending on the amount, you may need to speak to a lawyer (it may be worth doing even if it doesn't meet the small claims max in your state).

Answer #2: Before going the legal route already suggested and in the interest of not pissing off your neighbor who might've just made an honest mistake, it's worth it to request that the guy move the trees soon because some of the trees were on your land. Offer to give him a copy of the the survey. Document this. If this all fails, go the certified letter route.

Apologies if you've already explicitly asked him to move the trees, but it wasn't clear from your post.

Also you need to decide if you care about the trees being cut down and their value.


Title: Is it legally considered harassment if they never told you to stop?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Read this:

http://www.haltabuse.org/resources/laws/michigan.shtml

See anything that says it's only a crime if they tell you to stop? Neither did I.
Answer #2: >daily for about 2 weeks

One prank call is one thing. But if you're prank calling someone specific this often (texts too!) that's definitely harassment.

They may be non-confrontational or assume you'll eventually stop (because this behavior is also kind of creepy), but just because they don't outright say "stop" doesn't mean they're not feeling harassed and distressed, which is clear this is how you're making her feel if she's going to the police about this.Answer #3: Yeah, I could see how that could be considered stalking.

http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(de2zitmydwxhukz4lve4yxdf))/mileg.aspx?page=getObject&objectName=mcl-750-411h

edited to fix the link.Answer #4: I'm a bot, *bleep*, *bloop*. Someone has linked to this thread from another place on reddit:

- [/r/bestoflegaladvice] [OP wonders if harassing, stalking, and bullying someone for weeks was legal if they didn't tell him not to.](https://np.reddit.com/r/bestoflegaladvice/comments/6jckf6/op_wonders_if_harassing_stalking_and_bullying/)

[](#footer)*^(If you follow any of the above links, please respect the rules of reddit and don't vote in the other threads.) ^\([Info](/r/TotesMessenger) ^/ ^[Contact](/message/compose?to=/r/TotesMessenger))*

[](#bot)


Title: M/28/CT was just fired and didn't immediately sign my termination letter/severance offer, now my boss is trying to take away my offer.

Question:
Thank you for looking into this.  My boss wants me to meet in his parking lot tomorrow with my termination letter signed or he will refuse me any severance pay (and he **was** going to give me my accrued vacation days which he says are now off the table).

So I was let go yesterday, on amicable terms, we shook hands and I left my severance check there and told him I wanted someone to look over this document before I signed anything. My friend (a lawyer in a different state) counseled me to add my vacation days to the letter (which my boss originally offered without me suggesting it), and wanted me to included the phrase 'that I had not committed any willful misconduct'.

Here is the original letter:
Dear Wizdumb,  As of today your employment at GMCS is terminated due to poor performance and failure to follow instructions.  For the past several months you have consistently failed to meet expectations and goals that I have set for you and that we need to be profitable.  I know that you are capable. You have shown that in the past so I'm sure you do well in your next endeavor.  I am including two weeks severance pay with this letter. The hours that you've worked this pay period will be processed and direct deposited as usual.  Before leaving the premises please leave your updated address, keys to the warehouse and any password you might have for your computer.  I really do appreciate your efforts and I wish you the best.  Sincerely Signed by my boss.

I texted to meet him tomorrow morning with my keys and the slight changes that were suggested to me I received this text:
"Wizdumb, I'm not sure if you understand what's actually going on here. You have no power here. There is nothing to negotiate. The letter is accurate and it stays the way it is. It's only for you as an explanation for why you were fired. In fact, you were fired because you were unhappy and you did as bad a job you could so I would be forced to fire you and you could collect unemployment. If you had any integrity you would have just quit and found another job. But instead you decided to be lazy and incompetent and you hurt me and my family and Amanda and Ian. tomorrow you will drop off the keys, The guitars and the letter if you choose. you have already cost yourself your vacation days. Those were at my discretion and I am not paying them to you. Do not call my employees during business hours. You no longer work here and you're not allowed on the premises. I will meet you in the parking lot to give you a check if you give me the keys, the guitar and the signed letter. And of conversation. I do not want to hear from you again. The severance pay is also at my discretion and if you failed to return any of those three items you will not get that either.'

Now I'm scared that if I sign this I won't be able to collect unemployment, and without my severance I won't have enough to pay rent. I was told I was fired last Wednesday during a meeting with my manager, but he changed his mind that day. He tends to flip flop on these things so at this point being fired amicably felt like a relief. But now, I'm not sure what to do. Any ideas?

Answer:
 Haha you got it handed to you.  If there is a policy or practice to pay out vacation and it's denied to you for a capricious reason, then you may have a case. But there is no law that says you MUST be paid.

> Now I'm scared that if I sign this I won't be able to collect unemployment,

If that's your only concern it shouldn't be. They would have to show misconduct which in terms of performance would be you not even trying.
Answer #2: You looked a gift horse in the mouth and demanded a bigger horse. That was dumb.

If the severance offer is still on the table, you can take it. You can also file for unemployment, which your employer obviously intends to contest. Your state's unemployment authority will then make a ruling. Answer #3: There is no law mandating severance pay (or vacation pay) in CT unless there is an employment contract, a union contract, or a long history of your company paying severance pay in similar situations.

Your boss is likely correct when he says "you have no power here." Take the severance if you can, file for unemployment, and then deal with the fallout if he challenges. Is your attorney friend versed in CT labor law? I'm going to guess not.


Title: I think I may have gotten myself into a bad situation...

Question:
So I posted something in the bankruptcy subreddit about my situation but I want some more info on a specific thing....

I had ordered a few thousand dollars worth of frivolous items off of a website (americanmusical.com) that offers "payment planns" you make an initial payment when you place the order then they deduct a monthly amount until its payed off in the specified amount of time.

So I came into financially difficult times and I sold these items to pay for rent, food, significant others bail, fines/fees, etc. And now I am not even able to make these monthly payments for the items I sold.

I am unsure of what exactly is going to happen? If they ask for the items back well obviously thats no longer an option as I do not have them in my possession any longer!

I am really worried about what will happen. Will they just write it off and send it to collections? What exactly is going to happen? I am even more concerned because its not just me but my girlfriend also ordered things from this same website and we sold those items too.

Thanks

Answer: They'll send it to collections or sue you.


Title: Felonies dismissed, am I convicted felon?

Question: I want to know if I am considered a convicted felon in Wisconsin, I need to know if I am legally allowed to possess a firearm/knife. This is my court record: http://imgur.com/a/kIw5I

Answer: No, you have been convicted of (or more precisely plead guilty to) a misdemeanor.


Title: At 23 years old, I'm seriously considering it. Bankruptcy.

Question:
Greetings from Massachusetts.
Most of the advice from friends and family: don't do it. Boyfriend says: don't do it.

**UPDATE: I wasn't aware that student loans don't apply to bankruptcy, however I do have debt other than student loans also. Most of is it in collections already. **

But I honestly feel like there is no other option, no better way. And during the occurance of just the thought of a clean slate, is truly when I remember to breathe. I'm f'd. I'm so so f'd and it's destroying me and my health. Yes, of course it's my fault. I was and still am an idiot.

So, basically I'm a first born US citizen. My parents don't know much about how stuff works here. When I graduated high school, this was the beginning of a nightmare of a plethora of unadvised financial decisions. I applied for financial aid--didn't get too much. The college I chose said not to worry, there are loans. My dad cosigned on one, and I took another one out in my name soley. I went to college for 2 years, didnt graduate, and in came the bills. I don't know how to describe what my mindset must have been at the time. It was childlike, careless, irresponsible. I didn't even open the letters. Soon I defaulted. In the meantime, i racked up debt with Sprint, Verizon, and Citizens bank for an overdrafted account. And then TD. and then I got laid off, and struggled to find a job until 1.5 months later.

I have no assets, I rent my place and will be moving in with my partner soon since I cannot afford rent. My credit is TERRIBLE. Barely 500. I have turned a lot of these detrimental habits around, but it is almost impossible for me to move forward when I have all of this baggage choking me daily. I can't even afford steady payments. Most of the collectors want what's owed in full.

I understand bankruptcy ruins my credit and stays there for a while. But I'd rather have that than my current situation. I need to do something about this.

Please don't tell me I F'd up-- I know this. But what I'm trying to ask is-- do I file? What will be needed of me, does it cost anything, and what will it effect in the future? Which chapter?
Thanks.

Answer:
 Generally your cannot discharge student loans in bankruptcy.

Try /r/Personalfinance about dealing with the debt.


Title: Lawyers of reddit, how much do you actually charge?

Question: I've noticed in this sub a lot of people say they can't afford a lawyer, but when prices are quoted they're often not that much.  So I'm trying to get a rough idea of what it actually costs to hire a lawyer (either per hour, or costs for a few basic services if flat rate). Since this is an information question, I'd of course ask to post with the state you practice in.

Answer: This is probably better suited for /r/law


Title: (PA) When can I change the locks?

Question:
My step-son is 32 and still does not live on his own. We verbally told him last year that he had to the end of 2018 to find his own place. We wanted to give him time to save. Needless to say he hasn't saved a dime.

He decided, in February, to stay with his grandmother about 30 mins away to be closer to his girlfriend. He still has most of his belongings in our home, but is planning on moving it up during June to permanently reside with his grandmother.

Due to some issues we have been having with him we don't want him in the house when we are not home, my question is would it be considered an illegal eviction if we changed the locks today?

Thank you for your assistance.

Answer:
 You should really serve him written notice and comply with the notice period. (including filing a formal eviction if he refuses to leave after that)

If you just change the locks and he shows up and his key doesn't work, he'll likely call the police. When they respond, it's very possible you will be told it's a civil matter and that he needs to be let back in. (especially if he has any proof that he's been living there, such as belongings in the house, ID with the address on it, etc.)


Title: [Idaho] Sister in law missed jury duty, should she get a lawyer?

Question:
Hi. My SIL missed jury duty due to being bedridden from sickness. She kept calling the jurors office to explain but the commissioner never answered the phone and never returned phone calls even when my SIL left voicemails.

So she has to do jury duty still and she had to write a letter explaining what happened. She has court in a couple weeks for it and she doesn't know if she should get a lawyer for this. What do you think? Also, what are some possible punishments? She's never been arrested or had any problems with the law, including traffic violations.

Thank you.

Answer:
 Wait, she’s already arranged with the court to make it up? Then there’s no reason for concern. They aren’t going to do anything to someone who was too sick to make it, repeatedly called about it, and had rescheduled. Answer #2: > She has court in a couple weeks for it and she doesn't know if she should get a lawyer for this. What do you think?

I think she has absolutely no need for a lawyer in this case. Just politely explaining what happened is sufficient. Bringing a doctor's note to document it is going above and beyond (but certainly welcome).

> Also, what are some possible punishments?

Fines or prison time. But honestly, before a judge imposed severe punishments for failure to serve jury duty, a juror would probably need to refuse to show several times in a row for absolutely no good reason and follow it up by by taunting the court saying, "Buzz off, I don't feel like showing up and there's nothing you can do about it!".

Your sister-in-law is unusually responsible about this (calling multiple times, having an excellent reason, etc.) -- she is in absolutely no danger here.


Title: [CA] Startup Woes - CEO cheating the team

Question:
Original thread on /r/startups : [here](https://np.reddit.com/r/startups/comments/6i390g/ceo_is_threatening_to_fire_people_over_resistance/?utm_content=title&utm_medium=hot&utm_source=reddit&utm_name=startups)

Follow up: [here](https://np.reddit.com/r/startups/comments/6imq4g/update_ceo_is_threatening_to_fire_people_over/)

Summary:
I found an opportunity for a startup on AngelList a few months back, where I was promised that I would get equity (1 year cliff), and etc.,. Due to my troubles with finding a new full time job, I was desperate and I wanted to at least get some work done on my portfolio. The CEO mentioned at the time of working with them, that he would require me to sign an NDA before starting, and that contracts for employment and etc., would come later because he hated dealing with the HR paper work and etc.

Being as desperate as I was at the time, I naively took the job. I definitely felt like there was something wrong with not receiving a contract, but I was also offered multiple opportunities from startups like this via Angel List. The reason I had decided to come on was because there was also 15+ people working at the company as well, so I thought I couldn't be the only one. (Again, naive here).

I've been with the company for a little more than a few months, and I've done a lot of work that can be documented and things were going well, until the CEO threatened the company of termination if we didn't share our personal and private contacts to fuel the e-mail marketing platform. This did not sit well with me, because I was not willing to compromise my friends and family's private information.

I gathered my documentation of work that I've done, and saved e-mails where he addressed me as "an employee" and that I would not be compensated.

--------

My question is... what are my options? I'm not seeking restitution or payment for my work done, but I'm tired of companies like this taking advantage of people who are not as well informed. A lot of these companies also live on Angel List, where Angel List has no actual obligation to do anything.

/r/startups has mentioned that I should report him to the Department of Labor, but I'm unsure of how sufficient my evidence would be when it comes to my code commits/logs or e-mails.

edit: Just wanted to add that all I signed was a NDA

Answer: Are you saying you've been working without getting paid at all?


Title: Can I be sued for spoiling the new Star Wars?

Question:
Can I be sued for giving spoilers to the latest Star Wars movie.

I spoiled it via text for this guy I know who is a big fan but also a massive prick who bullied me every day in high school.

He told me he's going to bring charges against me or sue me.

Do I have to worry? I didn't know you could get sued for spoiling?

I live in Ontario, Canada.

Answer: Probably not, but a good life lesson is to be better to a person than they were to you. Especially if that person was bully and can find where you live. Answer #2: No, spoilers are not something you can sue over.  Answer #3: Every word of what your friend said is wrong.


Title: [Pennsylvania] I may have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and never told about it

Question:
Alright, so, I completely understand this may be legal, it just didn't sit right with me, and I wanted to run it by some people who actually know what they're talking about.

This was all Pennsylvania.

When I was 15-17 I saw a psychiatrist. To my knowledge I was only ever diagnosed with depression and generalized anxiety disorder. My psychiatrist who was seeing me would often only spend about 5-10 minutes speaking to me every appointment, spending the rest of the hour with my parents and I never felt as though she really knew me.

Fast forward several years, I'm now 25 and seeing a new psychiatrist in a new city (still PA). I told him how I had been prescribed Seroquel and Limictal for depression. He flat out told me that they aren't prescribed for depression, and it sounds like I was being treated for bipolar disorder.

Now my parents were abusive and dysfunctional. There was at least one CYS investigation in my childhood but my father wouldn't leave visible marks when he beat me. I also lied and covered for them because I thought I deserved it. I could absolutely see my parents convincing the psychiatrist that I was showing signs of bipolar disorder, because it would just be one more thing "wrong" with me in their eyes.

I haven't seen my old records yet, and I'm honestly not sure how I'd go about that. I don't know if I was ever diagnosed with bipolar disorder, but if I was, would my old psychiatrist have had an obligation to inform me? I am 100% certain I was never told I was bipolar. I did tell the old psychiatrist multiple times that the pills weren't helping and they were making me sick, but she just kept prescribing them to me. I do understand if it's legal, like I said, I don't know anything about the law, but if it isn't, who should I report it to? I don't want anything out of it, I just want to know if there's something I could do. Thank you.

Answer:
 Physician here: both of those medications are used for depression as well as bipolar disorder so I wouldn’t worry about that. They aren’t generally the ones you would start with for depression but your psychiatrist may have had a very good reason to start with or go to those. They are particularly useful for resistant depression when first line drugs have failed.

You may also have a diagnosis of bipolar disorder in your charts. I’m not a psychiatrist but I have seen quite a lot of patients get “diagnosed” with bipolar for billing purposes.  I have seen like 75% of patients at some psychiatry offices getting that diagnosis. I’m not a psychiatrist but have been told it is a more billable diagnosis. Not right, but I guess I don’t feel too upset about it because patients are at least able to get treatment. I’m not sure that the psychiatrists are telling patients that is their diagnosis. Although to be fair this may just be a common issue in my area and not a universal issue. But I just wanted to mention it because it could be what’s going on so I would freak out if you do see that diagnosis on the chart. Answer #2: I would call the old psychiatrist's office as they should still have your records and you can freely ask for them since they are yours. (And I am surprised that the new Psychiatrist didn't at least request them from the old one as well).

If you were previously diagnosed with it, you can discuss it with your new psychiatrist and ask for a re-evaluation. I do understand your concern of being diagnosed with something that you don't have if insurance rules change and allow pre-existing conditions again.


Title: (PA) Child support..is father responsible after possible adoption. (Explain inside)

Question:
Have a situation a neighbor is facing and it got me curious as they begin their journey.

The girl got pregnant by her boyfriend. The decision was made to put the child up for birth upon delivery. The father was consulted and agreed...digno paperwork was in any rights to the baby allowing for the adoption.

After the birth, the young woman and her parents decided to keep the child and pulled out if the adoption proceedings without consulting the birth father. Now a few years have passed and I hear they are going after the father for child support.

I am just curious to the legal obligation of the father... considering he was esentially clear of responsibility and then the girl decided to go another direction.

I would be hearing any insights....

Ty

Answer:
 There was no adoption. So no judge removed his rights. Still his kid. Still his obligationAnswer #2: > I am just curious to the legal obligation of the father... considering he was esentially clear of responsibility

 Yeah, no. He pays child support and/or maybe becomes a part of the child’s life. That’s his obligation.Answer #3: He is going to owe support, the kid wasn’t placed for adoption, so he is still the legal parent and has an obligation to financially support the kid.  If he has not already signed paperwork that establishes his paternity he should verify paternity as a part of the process, but having agreed to allow the adoption and the adoption coming close to happening doesn’t terminate his responsibilities.  Close only counts in horseshoes, hand grenades, and atomic bombs.


Title: can a court award pian and suffering that i was falsely accused in the virgin islands in a michigan civil case

Question:
i am filing a theft by conversation lawsuit in Detroit Michigan regrading the theft of 23 bitcoins(152950usd) i gave a business partner (who was also my ex girlfriend) money to buy them as an investment.   she refuse to return them, and fled to the us.
the she is claiming i beat her in the virgin islands, and is threatening to file misdemeanor charges on assault there and here, it never happened, there is no proof no police report, I'm just worried if they can be awarded damages in another state, i don't really understand the laws about this, and honestly just want my money back at this point, i lost everything i had in the hurricanes in st thomas.
My local VI lawyer said i need to file suit where the theif lives and where the bank is.

Answer:
 First of all, write normally and with paragraphs

Secondly, for this amount "(152950usd" you should be talking to and listening to your lawyer


Title: If I know where you can watch s5 eps 1-4 of GoT online(only #1 has been aired) and I got people on reddit to pay me to tell them where they can watch can I get into legal trouble?

Question: Ask if you need further info

Answer: Lol you really think people, on reddit of all places, would pay you to know where they can get/watch GoT online?


Title: [CO] Bike was stolen; Insurance Co. is invalidating my renter’s insurance policy. Do I have any other options?

Question:
Hi everyone. Not sure if this is the correct sub for this question, but I wasn’t sure where else to submit this. Like the title says, on Christmas Eve someone broke into my garage and stole my mountain bike. The bike was a graduation gift to myself and is valued at several thousand dollars so not only is this a huge sentimental loss but a huge financial loss for me as well.

I’ve had a renter’s insurance policy through Statefarm for a couple years now. Unfortunately, I moved to Colorado about a year and a half ago and realized that the address on the policy is my former address in another state. This oversight is entirely my own fault, but Statefarm is using it to invalidate any claim I might have been able to make on my own policy.

That being said, I’m not optimistic but I had a couple questions about alternative options. I rent a room in a house, which the owner also lives in full-time. If she was okay with me submitting a claim, would my personal property be covered under her homeowner’s insurance? If not, could I submit this as a claim on my parents’ homeowner’s insurance? They live in another state but I wasn’t sure if my property could be covered by their policy.

Any advice would be appreciated, just trying to exhaust all possible options. Thanks.

Answer:
 > If she was okay with me submitting a claim, would my personal property be covered under her homeowner’s insurance?

It ultimately depends on the terms of her homeowners' policy, but almost certainly not. She hasn't experienced any insurable losses, here, and it'd be very unusual for your landlord's policy to cover tenants' losses. You can ask, but be prepared for the answer to be "no."

> If not, could I submit this as a claim on my parents’ homeowner’s insurance?

Same answer.

State Farm will likely be able to void your policy backdated to when you moved, because of your lapse. There's no good way out of that one unless you have a time machine.


Title: Had an affair with a divorce attorney's husband in North Carolina.

Question: [deleted]

Answer: This all seems perfectly ethical. Get a lawyer from a nearby town.


Title: Landlady served us 30-day notice in California. Should be 60. I tried telling her that but she isn't listening.

Question:
We have lived at our place for five years and are now month to month.  We were served a written 30-day notice 5 days ago.  I read some laws for California and learned we should have been given 60 days.  I tried informing my landlady asking if she was aware of this law and she said "We realize 30 days is short notice but please try to find something as soon as you can, keep us informed." So I'm not sure where to go from here.

Does the written 30 day notice mean ANYTHING or is it completely void?  Should I ask my landlord to rewrite the notice for 60 days?

Places up here are getting very expensive and we've had a great deal in our current living situation, so I'd prefer to not leave for as long as possible, but I don't want a shit storm to ensue either.  Please help!

Answer:
 When the notice expires and she files the unlawful detainer (eviction) proceeding, state in your answer that the notice was defective because the period should have been 60 days, not 30. The action will get dismissed, and she'll have to then serve you with a 60-day notice, starting the process all over again.Answer #2: Have you *AND* every tenant/RESIDENT in the unit lived there for over a year?  Do you live in a rent control unit?

Just want to verify that every person in the unit has lived there for over a year, and not just one person.Answer #3: Sebtown leads me to believe you live nearby in Sebastopol (Santa Rosa, here!). Call 2-1-1 on your phone and ask for assistance with being represented in a case where your landlord may be breaking the law.


Title: Can our dogs original owner legally take him back?

Question:
I have a bit of a unique situation.

My location is California. Some backstory:

Two years ago, my god-brother (not blood related but we grew up together and considering each other siblings) was living in a frat house at college. One of his frat brothers purchased a dog from a breeder and was living with the dog in the house. Come summer, this frat brother leaves for the entire summer to go home to Hawaii and makes zero arrangements for the dog. My god-brother realizes that no one is taking care of the dog and tries to do so as much as he can (at one point, the dog escapes into the area outside the frat which is an extremely busy street with a lot of drug users in the area) Luckily my god-brother finds him in time and takes him back to my house.

My mom and I end up “fostering” the dog for a bit, but my god-brother ends up conceiving the frat brother to re-home the dog to us, as we all decided it was a better home to the dog (we have another dog to keep him company, large yard, my mom only works a couple days a week so no long periods of alone time).

My god-brother does promise the original owner of the dog to pay him back for the cost of the dog and whatever money he “invested” in the dog (quoted at $970). However, we all paid to have him fixed, get his shots, got him a check up at the vet, and paid to register in our name, as well as get his legally required rabies vaccine.

Fast forward to now (two years later), we received a text from his original owner that essentially boiled down to:

“Pay me the $1600 I spent on the dog or I’m taking the dog back.”

I don’t felt particularly concerned that he will make good on this threat, but I wanted to make sure I understand our legal protections, especially considering that my god-brother DID promise to pay him back and has only paid about $300 to him as of now.

Does he legally have any right to try and take our dog back? Are we on the hook for this money even though we did not make any promises and have only taken the dog and invested our own money into him?

Thank you for any insight! I know it’s a sort of complicated situation and appreciate any help.

Answer:
 Here's what this guy would have to do to take the dog back.

First, he'd need proof the dog is his.

Second, if you don't willingly hand the dog over, he'd have to take you to small claims court to try and win the dog back.

If he won, he'd then he'd have to persuade the police to escort him to your place to try and intimidate you into handing the dog over. If you didn't open the door to let him in or whatever, he'd basically be out of luck, because oftentimes the police won't do shit. Because it's a "civil matter".

This is a problem people on the other side of the fence deal with when they post here (e.g when their pets are stolen and they're trying to recover them). It often doesn't end well for them, because even when the law is on your side, the enforcement is basically shit.

You've had the dog for two years. It's registered under your name, you've been paying its vet bills, this guy has been AWOL. Your proof of ownership is more extensive than his, and there would probably be some question about why he just fucked off to Hawaii without making arrangements for the dog (basically, you could probably prove he just abandoned it to begin with).

This chump just wants easy money.

If he shows up, don't answer the door. Don't open it. It's pretty much that simple. There's nothing he can do without taking you to court. Which costs money.

Don't answer his texts. Just ghost him.


Title: Deceased credit card

Question:
Hello , hope I’m posting in the right place ...
 My sister unfortunately passed away 12 months ago from cancer and being single and only in her early 30s - had me (her only sibling) down on her will as executor and beneficiary ...
My question is , we notified the bank within a month of her passing . They continued to charge her interest and late fees for a further 4 months . Unbeknown to me ... until now when the solicitor has provided me with the statements and asked if I’m okay with paying the owed amount out of the estate. My sister owes about 5k but since the account was meant to be closed there’s now a further few hundred dollars on there from fees and charges that came out each month AFTER she died. I know it’s morally wrong, but are banks really allowed to do this ?
 She also had a life benefit policy attached to the credit card which they have knocked back due to her medical condition being ‘pre existing’. She hadn’t been deemed terminally ill 4 years ago and hence why she agreed to taking out this $50 a month policy when she got the credit card. I know it’s abit ‘he said she said’ but is there anyway to fight back at the bank about this ?
 At the end of the day I’m most pissed about the charges AFTER she died, i know it’s only a small amount of money but it just seems wrong that this is legal in Australia ! I’m only young myself and obviously not experienced in this field and any info or similar stories would be a big help... please be kind !!

Answer: OP- I'd visit one of the bank's physical branches with a copy of your sister's death certificate. Explain to the branch manager that your sister passed away on xx/xx/xxxx (as evidenced by the death certificate) *and* that you contacted the bank roughly a month later to notify them of her death. Ask him/her to waive the additional fees after she passed in exchange for a cashier's check for the remaining balance on the card.


Title: [NV] Can I be prosecuted for mail fraud if I don't use a mail courier, and deliver the mail myself?

Question: Say, for instance, I travel to the intended targets home or place of business and place to personally deliver the mail intended to defraud them. Could this be construed as mail fraud under federal law?

Answer: No one is going to answer a question to help you commit one crime while avoiding committing a second crime.


Title: Neighbor/s put up a speed limit sign and a sign the said no through traffic private road in the road that connects to my road. I have some questions about the legality of this.

Question:
The road is a one way gravel road that becomes paved about a mile down where more people live. Who has the athority to decide if it's private or not? Where should I go to see if it's actually private? Is the ten mile an hour speed limit sign legally binding? If it helps the road name is State route 1411 in Virginia.

Edit: I called VDOT and they said they have no power here. I will call the county in the morning.

Edit 2: I called the county and was transferred around a few times until the lady in charge of zoning said she would call around and get an answer for me and get back to me.

Answer:
 Police and whatever your local department of public works will be VERY interested in hearing in detail about your neighbor making these public zone and ordinance decisions on there behalf.

They will probably even visit him to have a personal discussion on his civic mindedness, and exchange information in the form of several hundred dollar fines and cease and desist letters.Answer #2: Have you talked to the police and/or code enforcement for your municipality?Answer #3: I think we're going to need a map drawn hastily in MS Paint.Answer #4: Is the road maintained by the county/city or state? If so its government property. If not its probably a price road. However they have no way to actually enforce those signs as police officers will not enforce them. And in actuality cannot enforce them. Answer #5: Is your road accessible from another route with an obviously public road? If not, your home's deed should specify some type of easement. Who maintains the road? If is actually a state road, and someone is posting official looking, but false, signage, that can't be be legal. Wish I could give you more info, but calling VDOT and simply asking should clear that all up.


Title: HELP! Traffic Camera ticket. Ohio senate bill 342 says they cannot enforce ticket without officer present.

Question:
Hello reddit,
We ignored the ticket in the mail since the this bill pass and now the city of east cleveland sent to a debt collector. What should I do. The ohio bill says they cannot enforce this ticket. I tried calling the agency and they said the debt is valid (did not give account number though). Please help!

Answer: Why did you ignore the ticket? You should have mailed it back with the defense that it's an invalid ticket. You basically ignored the ticket, so they followed their steps. Basic rule of life is never ignore a traffic ticket. Fight it, sure, but don't ignore it.


Title: Public intoxication (PA) unable to stand trial

Question:
I am in college and was recently cited for a summary public intoxication offense regarding a controlled substance. I was sent to the hospital after being compliant but the offense claims that I was unable to walk or stand up straight.

I would like to plea not guilty but I am graduating literally this week and moving back to California; making me unable to stand trial. I am wondering what I should do regarding my plea and how this could potentially influence my job search.

Would it be worth it to fly back to PA to stand trial and have this expunged from my record? Flights cost 500 round trip.

Answer:
 That's not "unable," that's "unwilling." "Unable" covers things like being medically incapacitated, dead, comatose, psychologically disturbed, intoxicated, or badly injured.

If you plan on entering a not guilty plea, either get a lawyer to represent you (a good idea anyways), or ask the court's permission to appear by phone. There's no guarantee they'll grant it, and it's your problem to figure out how to appear for your hearings if they reject your request.


Title: [Wisconsin] Put in my two week notice today. Was told to leave/escorted out 20 minutes later. Further details in OP.

Question:
I've been debating resignation for a month or two now, and decided to bite the bullet today. I showed up half an hour early to my job and informed the HR director of my two week notice, and she told me to submit it to my direct supervisor. I intended to on my first break.

A few minutes into my shift I was pulled aside into the nurse's office by my supervisor. The first shift team lead, second shift team lead, and plant work scheduler (sr. mgr. per policy) were also present. I was given a written warning which cited four different offenses - none of which I agreed I was guilty of - and refused to sign. I had not previously been given a verbal warning for any of the things mentioned in the written warning. Official company policy for violations is verbal consultation, verbal warning, written warning, termination (for reference). I wasn't angry or loud as I pride myself on professionalism, although I'll admit my attitude was a bit incredulous as I believed I more than adequately defended myself against the accusations. After I was told the meeting was over and I could leave, I informed my supervisor of my two week resignation notice. It seemed appropriate given the audience presence for verification purposes.

About 20 minutes later my supervisor came back to me at my machine and explained that after discussing it with the production manager my resignation was being moved forward to immediately. I turned in my tools and got written verification of doing so, verified with my supervisor twice that it wasn't a termination and I would remain eligible for rehire, punched out, and left without issue.

I plan on verifying with the HR director tomorrow the official status of my end of employment. My question is, did they violate any laws/rights in doing this? I wasn't really counting on the money I'd earn by working the next two weeks, but I'm a stickler for businesses following the law and treating workers appropriately. I will gladly raise a stink if they're being shady. I've seen other people there get fired under dubious circumstances and it frustrates me that they didn't pursue resolution; being articulate and having a distinct sense of justice I don't intend to do nothing if the company is in the wrong.

If more information is needed let me know. I'll pursue this as far as I'm able.

Answer:
 Giving 2 weeks' notice is a courtesy, not a requirement.  In a lot of industries, you will be immediately escorted out once you submit your resignation letter/notice, due to security risks (e.g., access to any company accounts are locked out immediately, email accounts suspended, etc.)

Nothing illegal occurred here.  You gave notice and they elected to take you on that notice immediately.  You can try to apply for unemployment for the 2 weeks between the end of this job and the start of your next one.  Or you can call up your next job and ask to start early.Answer #2: I don't see anything illegal here. In some industries this happens a lot more than in others, but it probably happens in every industry. Saying you give two weeks notice is saying "I quit, and I'm telling you when I work until." And they said "Uh, yeah, we make the schedules and we're telling you when you work until, and that's, like, 5 minutes from now."

If you happen to file for unemployment, expect them to fight it. Appeal anyway.Answer #3: Hopefully your coworkers take it as a lesson to not give any notice when then eventually leave.Answer #4: Pretty common in my experience, especially if you work in an industry with clientele as the core part of your business. Buddy works in finance and when he submitted his two-week resignation at his last job he was escorted out almost immediately (to protect privileged information, prevent the poaching of clients, etc). Doesn't seem like they did anything illegal.


Title: [USA, GA] Am I able to legally procure medical records from my sexually abusive ex who is the biological father of my son?

Question:
A little background:
Almost two years ago I was in an abusive relationship, and at some point, my ex escalated to raping me multiple times. My son was conceived the first time he raped me, and since I had already had a couple of miscarriages, I figured if this one stuck, I'd keep it. Anyways, fast forward to now and my son has had an allergic reaction to amoxicillin that he was given for an ear infection, and since there is zero history of this allergy on either side of my family, I can only assume it comes from my ex's side.

So yeah, this may be a little crazy to see if it's possible to legally get his medical history to see if there might be any more surprises, or anything we may need to keep an eye out/test for in the future, but I figured it was worth a shot to ask.
Also, if anyone has any other advice regarding this? Would genetic testing or something like that be comparable to having my ex's family/medical history?

Answer:
 No, you can't get the medical records for anyone else, without a court order. They don't need to give it to you if they don't want to. The fact that your son is allergic to something doesn't mean anything. His father may not be allergic either. Allergies can appear without prior family history. Answer #2: >and since there is zero history of this allergy on either side of my family, I can only assume it comes from my ex's side.

Allergies aren't necessarily heritable. Some kids are allergic to different things for different reasons.

> legally get his medical history

Not without a court order.Answer #3: It's somewhat of a myth in the first place that there is some centralized medical records system that you could just query and get all the relevant data on somebody from all their physicals, hospital stays, etc. A system like that simply doesn't exist. For one thing, most people don't go to the doctor often enough even if there was. Secondly, a lot of people move around a lot or move doctors, and generally don't take their records with them from provider to provider unless they really make a effort to and this is usually for a chronic condition. So you're asking if you could get access to something that doesn't even exist in the first place.


Title: Wrongful Termination Question

Question:
My SO was terminated from a job that was held for approximately 3 months. No time was missed while at this job, never was late and even stayed over on occasion. Last week there was talk that they would begin training for a position with more responsibility and pay. Yesterday they were sending home paperwork to fill out for 401k participation. Today 15min before close of business the hiring manager from another location came in, sat down with my SO and the manager of my SO's location and said "I won't go into detail as to why we are letting you go but I will just say you didn't meet the standards." My SO was then instructed to pack up her items and leave. Now assuming nothing was done that could result in termination do we have any legal recourse? My SO has a slight speech impediment (stutters) but we are unsure as to if that played a roll.  State of employment is Alabama. I only ask because it was an entry level $12 an hour job so it is most likely not worth retaining a lawyer. Also do we have any legal action to determine reason for termination? At this time nothing whatsoever has been signed regarding termination or anything else.

Edit: my SO's manager was asked this evening what happened, the individual replied "I don't know, you were a great employee I can't understand what is happening."

Answer: That's not wrongful termination. Your SO should look for a new job.


Title: Can I file a claim against the city for a tree protruding into the roadway.

Question:
State: California

I’m going to try and keep this as short as possible. I was parking my car normally (tires a few inches from the curb) when I hit my mirror against a tree which I didn’t realize was at a pretty significant slant towards the road. I was going in reverse and didn’t realize how slanted it was. Now parts of the mirror are destroyed and it’s an expensive repair. Can I make a claim against the city that they aren’t properly maintaining the trees/roadways. After speaking with some neighbors I’ve confirmed this happening to multiple other people. Thanks in advance.

Answer: The liability for driving into a stationary object lies with the driver.


Title: Medical Record Self Incrimination

Question:
(Manhattan, Kansas)

So, can medical records that I signed over confidentiality to be used to incriminate me?

Basically, I had no clue that these therapy/psychiatry records would have detailed info of what I had said during appointments, nor was I really thinking about it at the time. I thought it was just information that would say I had been going to my therapist regularly.

Anyway, these records contain very brief accounts of me discussing with my shrink/psych about me doing drugs on probation about 3 months ago. I know, dumb, but I was going through a resurgence of OCD symptoms and too scared to admit it. Drugs were the easy way out and I took it like an idiot.

Anyway, my PO forwarded this info to my handling state, but he told me that he asked them to not take action and leave me in his care. He also told me he included info about the UA I passed (clean now).

I'm just curious if this falls under the 5th amendment? How can I seriously incriminate myself with these records that detail conversations with my therapist in confidence?

Can they seriously prove any of this? They can't test for drugs from that long ago. For all they know I was just saying it for attention.

Thank you.

Answer:
 You have the right to remain silent but you did not. The Fifth Amendment is no longer relevant at that point. This is not much different than them finding a diary when they search your house; they are allowed to take it and use it as evidence.Answer #2: >They can't test for drugs from that long ago.

Depending on the drug, they can.


Title: Pregnancy and Assault

Question:
First of all, I'm male and I was the one who was assaulted. During an argument, my pregnant (ex) girlfriend began hitting me, stating that she would call the police if I fought back. As such, I sat there and took what she dealt out while trying to calm her down. This was the first and only time anything like that had happened. We had both been drinking lightly that night (more on that later) and when I started to leave following the altercation, she threatened to call the police to report me for drunk driving. In light of that, I had my sister and her husband pick me up and drive my car home.

As for the pregnancy, she had originally led me to believe she was on birth control when she wasn't. Also, it is by her own admission that it may not be mine, though she requested that I stick by / support her and I stated that I would. The argument we had was over her no longer thinking I'd be able to adequately do that.

Getting to her drinking: she was a heavy drinker, smoker, and drug user prior to getting pregnant. I've been trying to help her ween away from those things instead of stopping them cold turkey, as we both felt that course was better for her, and therefore, the child.

My question is: What are my options regarding the child, assuming she carries it to term? Do I have any grounds for "forcing" a paternity test? Is there anything else I need to consider?

P.S. On a side note, my (ex) girlfriend has passed law school, but not the bar, yet.

EDIT: We live in Pennsylvania.

Answer:
 If you want a paternity test then don't sign the birth certificate. Paternity will have to be established before child support is ordered and before you have an rights to see or care for the child.

Her education has no bearing on this.


Title: My wife served me a petition for divorce. - Lawyer added several requests she specifically told him not to.

Question:
My wife and I are beginning the divorce process in Florida. She hired an attorney for nothing more than drawing up the initial petition. She told him specifically she does not want to request alimony and the intent for our parenting plan of our son is 50/50.

She even went as far as to tell him that she does not want to ask for anything that exceeds the minimum state requirement for things such as child support payments.

The petition reads in 4 places she is requesting financial relief. 2 being permanent alimony payments.

In the parenting plan he writes asking for the court to determine a quality parenting plan, with majority time-sharing granted to the wife.

&#x200B;

My question: We wanted a drama free, lawyer free, and uncontested divorce. I now have to submit a response to the petition. If I respond "uncontested, am I agreeing to all of the requests in the original petition? Also, if I contest the requests of the original petition, can you help me understand what the next steps would be?

Thank you in advance.
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 >We wanted a drama free, lawyer free, and uncontested divorce.

That ship has sailed - your wife now has a divorce attorney, and you need one, too.


Title: Custody.

Question:
Long story short I am leaving for a couple of days to clesr my head and possibly commit suicide( no one knows this. I just bought a 20 gauge and am hoping this will work) but my question is. If I am not around and my ex girlfriend who is staying with her ex attempted to let me have our son for a night ? Or if everyone just thought that I was gone for awhile would I be okay if I came back?
What would happen if I didn't come back and I had a CPS case open against her?

Answer:
 Call this number 1-800-273-8255 or talk to someone.

Seriously.  People will listen to you.Answer #2: Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Clear your head, talk to someone. Don't leave your child alone.

You can do this dad.


Title: Friend's uncle got arrested as a passenger in a car after being stopped when the driver littered

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 You have no idea what why he was arrested so what exactly would you complain about? Find out what he's being charged with before jumping to conclusions. Answer #2: Without any information regarding what actually occurred on the traffic stop, I'd guess a warrant arrest. Maybe he failed to appear in court or pay a ticket.

Also, what complaint could you have about the officer? Did anything happen that seemed inappropriate or illegal?


Title: Wage Garishment Expiration

Question:
This is in Los Angeles, CA.

So my wife was informed, via notice, that she was going to have her wages garnished from a collection agency. We received the paperwork and went ahead with filling for an exemption as the amount was too much for us. Long story short we went to court and the judge ruled that the garnishment be changed to $20 a pay period. The paperwork states ruling being in 8/13.
After some time passing we noticed that the 20 wasn't coming out. We assumed the amount was so low they let it go, or something to that effect.

Here we are in 2015 and we just received a notice a few days ago from the same lawyer's office regarding the same dept and a new wage garishment of 25%. My wife called the layers office today to talk to them about it and the guy was unbelievably rude. He went on saying that he called her payroll office afterwards and she already had a garnishment, which I'm assuming means you can only have 1 garnishment? And when she asked how was she supposed to know that happened, that wasn't it their responsibility to make sure they received their money / enforced the garnishment he simply replied, shiuting, that her bills are always her responaibility, he isn't responsible for her bills. I believe he also said the order expires after 6 months some where in there.

So my question is, is this true? It seems insane that a judge makes an order on a case for their garnishment and that it's our responsibility to make sure they follow through with taking the money. Also that if he failed to take our money, which we knew nothing about other than noticing the lack of $20 leaving much later, that after 6 months he can take us to court again. It just seems logical it would be on them to do their job and if they fail to in 6 months that... well I don't know, it would be their fault? Heh.

It just sounds very scam like to me. Why doesn't every collection agency just wait the 6 months and go for 25%? Constantly taking people to court? We knew nothing about his story of failure regarding her payroll dept other than him bringing it up now. Would he need proof or to tell us at the time?

Thank you for your time!

Edit: Just wanted to say sorry for any typos as I'm on my phone and no time to proof read due to getting daughters ready for bath and bed. Also, sorry if the end seemed ranty. It's very fresh and up setting that our next paycheck,  the one we use for rent, is going to be cut by 25%.

Answer:
 No, wage garnishments received by employers do not expire like that. The employer is supposed to withhold until the total amount has been reached or they get further instructions from the court.

I would stop wasting your time talking to this lawyer. They already have a judgement against you; there is nothing else bad they can do except try to enforce it. You really gain nothing talking to them.  If your wife's payroll department received a garnishment order and did not follow it, the creditor can sue the employer for the amount they should have withheld.

In the meantime, are you paying down this debt? You should be. A court ordered you to pay it.


Title: [Texas] Switched banks to a Federal Credit Union and they are now holding almost 900 dollars from me. How long can they legally do this?

Question:
So I got tired of my old bank and switched to a Federal Credit Union a friend of mine recommended. Last Monday I closed out my old bank account and got a cashiers check for the remaining balance of just under 900.

That same day I went to my new credit union and deposited the check. As the teller is handing me my receipt she explains the check will be on hold up to 5 business days since I'm a new account, and AFTER that she asks me if I was aware of the policy, and I told her I wasn't. She go gets the branch manager who "apologizes" for the miscommunication but says I'd have to wait until Friday for the hold to clear. I was already running late to work so I just left it at that.

Thankfully I already had my direct deposit from my job switched over and working so I'm not completely broke but now I can't pay bills and will likely have to default on my student loans due on Tuesday.

Friday came and went and my money is still on hold, but I was at work all day during banking hours. I tried calling customer service but all they did was just restate their policy and tell me to go into the branch Monday.

So what are my options here as I really need the money to pay my student loans Tuesday or the good credit I've been building will get F'ed in the A.

Thanks in advance.

Answer:
 One late payment does not destroy credit.  Just wait until Monday.  Nobody has done anything illegal.

You switch banks after you've paid your bills for the month, not before, especially when operating on such a tight budget.


Title: Urgent: My girlfriend's ex took both of the kids yesterday and is missing/hasn't contacted her.

Question: We just spoke to the police and since there is no parent plan for the kids they said he has every right to take the kids wherever and not even tell her. Please help.

Answer: The police are right (assuming USA).  Speak to a family law lawyer tomorrow and get a court ordered custody agreement.


Title: I fucked up pretty good today.

Question:
Well this was several hours ago. I was riding over to my girlfriends apartment to grab some clothes and things. Her drive is weird you go straight in there are bushes on both sides and you make a left to go to her place and a right to go to her landlords. Well I make the left on my motorcycle and just perfect timing I hit her dog, not so much as hit as go over his head and neck. It made a shriek and just died and twitched some. My girlfriend loved that dog, she'd had him for years, he was a good dog. Being the kind of person I am I waited until no cars were in sight and brought the dogs body into the street away from her drive. I briefly cleaned her driveway and as I was going to  get my helmet back on I saw it, the landlord has a mounted video camera pointing right at me. Guys I broke the screen on one of his windows and came inside after knocking on his door and hearing nothing. I found his hard drive and three camera set up, I took his hard drive and left. Long story short she is super upset about her dog and she's staying with her father who lives close by because her landlords house was "broken into" and the guy was caught on the landlords movement/picture feature on the guys big apple computer. We met up and she was very upset but affectionate to me but she opted to stay with her father instead of me. I wouldn't think she'd make have made that choice, am I fucked? Did the landlord show her the picture? I was in full riding gear so he wouldn't know me, he's never seen me on my bike before (we've met twice). Accident to complete shit storm just like that.
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer: Why the quotation marks? You committed burglary


Title: HELP! My credit card company is denying my dispute, despite blatant fraud against me! What do I do?

Question:
Hi, all.
I recently rented a car through Budget. They wound up charging me for roughly a weeks worth of rental fees despite the fact that the car broke down and was towed by a tow company on day one.
After receiving the charge on my Capital One credit card for over $700 (of which I only owed a small fraction) I promptly filed a dispute with the credit card company.
After a whole lot of back and forth, fetching supporting documents that proved that I was being ripped off/robbed, from the rental car company, Capital One sends me an e-mail today saying that because the dispute took too long, they have now closed the dispute and can no longer help me recitfy the issue.
tl;dr? A dispute that I filed with my credit card company against Budget rental car, has closed because of "length of time" (despite the fact that it is their fault it has taken so long). What are my options to see to my money being re-credited back to my credit card?
Please help!

Answer: Appeal it.


Title: Texas MMJ Wax Arrest

Question:
Hello, I'm in a panic right now and need some advice as quickly as possible. Today, Saturday, my brother was arrested in Montague, TX for possession of MMJ wax and edibles. He was on his way to Houston from Arizona to work for the summer. He took all of his prescription medication with him, as one does, to get through until he found a new doctor in Houston. He has prescriptions for everything and he figured having an Arizona MMJ card would be like a prescription so he told the officer what he would find. (He was pulled over for speeding.)

He is now sitting in a holding cell waiting to see a judge. He was told he does not get another phone call and we don't have a family attorney on call. I realize it was dumb to not check the state laws before carrying but I can't imagine MMJ wax and edibles for personal use would really result in significant jail time. I've read online that because the wax and edibles are concentrated and he had more than 4 grams, to last all summer, he is looking at a minimum of 2 years to 99 years in jail and a $10,000 fine.

This just seems unreal to me. Will a tiny town in Texas really ruin someone's life over a small amount of MMJ for personal use? I understand there will be some ramifications but jail time and a $10,000 seems ridiculous. If anyone has any experience with this or advice it would be much appreciated.

TL;DR Brother arrested for MMJ wax in Texas. Still waiting to see a judge. He has a valid Arizona MMJ card and the wax and edibles were to get through the entire summer while he works there. Will MMJ wax, over 4 grams, really land him in prison for 2-99 years. Also, he has no priors. Any advice?

Answer:
 Your brother needs a criminal defense attorney immediately. Taking illegal drugs to another state, especially one that doesn't recognize medical marijuana, is stupid. Also, MMJ recommendations are not prescriptions or even close to the same thing.

Also, unless he had more than 400 grams he's likely just looking at 2-~~10~~20yrs unless he's super lucky.


Title: From This American Life: if an undercover police officer asks you to procure drugs that you would not otherwise procure, is that entrapment? Link to story in post. [Florida]

Question:
I was listening to back episodes of This American Life recently, and I came across this story. A kid in high school has a crush on an undercover police officer posing as a high school student. The officer asked the kid to try to find drugs for her. He was paid for the sack of marijuana after he found some for her. The kid was an honor roll student with plans to go to college. He told the officer that he wasn't into drugs, but the officer persisted. As a smitten high-schooler is wont to do, he eventually relented.

Now, I know actual entrapment is something that a lot of people claim, but is rarely true. I'm just curious: would this qualify? Why or why not?

[Episode: What I Did For Love, Act Two, "21 Chump Street"](http://m.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/457/what-i-did-for-love)

It's a great story, and I recommend you listen to it, but a transcript is available from the link I've provided.

Answer:
 It can be.  One of the classic cases (1960's) in entrapment involved cops trying to get someone close to a heroin dealer in their pocket.  So they had an undercover get friendly with a neighbor of H dealer (in apt. bldg).  COps knew Neighbor was a straitlaced guy with no criminal history.  They had the UC ask neighbor to buy heroin for UC, claiming he's too dopesick to get it himself.  UC faked withdrawal symptoms.  Neighbor refused at first, but out of compassion finally agreed.

The key elements are:  Someone with *no predisposition* to commit the crime, is subjected to significant pressure to overcome natural resistance to commit a crime.  No predisposition means that if Neighbor had any priors for H or drug possession, he cannot claim entrapment.  Even if those priors were 20 yrs ago.

In this case, he had no priors and conviction was overturned.

Each case is different though.   A HS kid in this situation, if he initially refused but was talked into it?  Maybe, unless he's got a history.

The interesting point about entrapment is that it does not exist to protect YOU.  It exists to punish police who cross the line in doing their jobs.  The neighbor and the HS kid still committed crimes, and the law fully sees them as punishable for those crimes.  However, society's interest in disincentivizing cops to not use such tactics overrides, so it's allowed as an affirmative defense.

And the really tricky part is that to use entrapment as a defense, you effectively *confess* to committing the crime.   It's a very risky defense.


Title: No Fault Divorce Utah County, caveat is she's an immigrant.

Question: We have almost no assets, been married less than 2 years and she wants a divorce. I'll be graduating in less than a month and moving back to Texas. The only real quandary in this situation is my mother and I have endorsed her Visa and are legally accountable for her. Here's where things get messy, I just found out today she is building a case against me that she was treated poorly. She's made attempts to kick me out of school and has called the police proclaiming I abused her. None of that is true in the least. We live separate and the police never showed up at my door or even called me informing me of this incriminating claim. I feel like she's clearly formulating this for immigration purposes and I don't care if she wants to stay in the U.S. I'm just curious what I'm on the hook for/if DA's have grown to expect this form of behavior from immigrants seeking divorce.

Answer: Did you sponsor her visa or her green card?  Different things.  It sounds like it was the green card and when you do divorce she'll have to apply to remove her conditions independently.  You can report to immigration what's going on, she'll have to prove independently she married you in good faith.  You can also touch base with an immigration lawyer if you didn't use one when sponsoring her.


Title: [FL] Missed jury duty twice, got an order to show cause

Question: So while I was out of the country last fall, I missed jury duty. I didn't know this until early January, and I got a letter to appear at the next date in February. I was up late studying the night before the rescheduled date and accidentally slept through jury duty. I got an order to show cause today, and I was wondering what I could do to help my case. I don't want to lie, I know I messed up, but I also don't want to go to jail or pay a huge fine. Any help is appreciated. Thanks

Answer:
 The show cause is the court asking you for an explanation as to why you shouldn't be held in contempt. This is pretty serious and can involve fines and possible confinement. You need to explain to the court why this happened. Being out of the country the first time sounds like it could be a legitimate reason, but you would need to show evidence of that to the court.  Being up late and sleeping in the second time is not a legitimate excuse to miss jury duty.

You absolutely need to appear/comply with the order and probably consult with an attorney.

edit: words


Title: Was I assaulted?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 What this guy did might have been a dickish thing to do, what with the surprise butt sex on the first date and everything, but this isn't rape or assault. Your best bet is to take it as a lesson in establishing guidelines and boundaries before you bone down with someone. Answer #2: OK, let me be blunt - this is a mix of practical and legal advice:

This man did not practice affirmative consent. What he did was flat out wrong, because he switched gears and didn't bother communicating. He hurt you both physically and emotionally, and you didn't deserve either.

However, it's going to be really hard to argue that he committed the crime of assault if at no time you said no.  His legal defense would be "We had consent to have sex, and she didn't tell me she wanted to stop."  It's not even "He said / she said", because he can legitimately say he didn't realize you didn't want to continue. It really all depends on jurisdiction and who you get.

My suggestion is that you go to the police, get a statement taken down, ask to be put in contact with victim services. You can tell them that you want to hold off filing charges until you see a therapist, as they may be able to get you resources such as therapy. Worry about making yourself whole first - then worry about how you want to handle him.

I'm so sorry this happened to you.


Title: Roommates ex boyfriend stole her cat (Arizona)

Question:
My roommate (Lizzy) adopted a cat(Nacho) a couple months ago when she was still dating her ex (Tom) . Since she might be leaving back to go to her home country after graduates next year her ex had decided to take the cat if she couldn't take him with  her. Last week I got home from getting groceries and Tom was there packing up Nacho's stuff. He saw me and suddenly got super awkward and told me he was taking Nacho. I was a little suspicious but did not really know what was going on or that him and Lizzy had broken up a while ago so I didn't say anything. My roommate had no idea he had came by and taken Nacho. She had got a text from him at work around 5:00 saying he was coming over and getting Nacho but didn't read it until she was headed home after work. She had replied ok because he had taken him to the vet recently for her and assumed he was picking him up so he could take him in the morning. He had a key to the place because he had taken care of him a few months ago when Lizzy was out of town. Lizzy had asked Tom many times for the key back but he refused to give her the key back.

He claims it is his cat because he volunteered to take Nacho to the vet for Lizzy two times for a check up because Lizzy doesn't have a car and paid the examination fees for her, but put him as the owner of the cat at the vet. I talked to him and got no where. He thinks he had every right to come by unannounced and take Nacho without permission. He told me that he had the legal right to enter because he had the key (which Lizzy had requested back numerous times) and because he sent her a text 2 minutes before he came by but she never saw or responded to it. Also claims it is his cat because Lizzy said he could take him if she moved out of the country after graduation.

The adoption papers have her name on it as the primary owner and she is the only one who signed the paper. She put me down as the primary co-adopter then Tom.

My roommate really wants Nacho back what should we do?

Answer: Report the theft to the police.


Title: My friend's mother has spyware on both their phone and computer. Said friend is 19 years old and the spyware was placed on those devices without their consent. What U.S. law would make this illegal, and what can they do?

Question:
**Location: Texas, United States.**

Exactly what it says on the tin. My friend is a legal adult. The items in question are a laptop which was given to them as a gift by their mother, and a phone which their mother does in fact pay for. I could answer more questions if asked but I don't know what other factors are at play here.

The spyware in question on their phone is [here.](http://www.mobile-spy.com/)

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

EDIT: As far as I'm concerned, /u/malachi23's answers have been helpful enough. No need for any more replies, and I doubt I will be checking for them, /u/G1K2A3M4 is a throwaway.

Answer: Tell your friend to buy her own phone and computer.


Title: Florida - Employer doing mandatory unpaid full-day Saturdays

Question:
"In order to make up for the time lost during the hurricane when we were closed" we are being told that we must come in on Saturdays for 9-4 - without any sort of "extra compensation" since we are salaried. Is this legal?

As a note, in case it is important, we are a tech company, and I'm a software dev.

Answer:
 Irrelevant to the legal discussion probably, but were you paid your normal salary during the time when the office was closed? Answer #2: If salaried exempt, this is legal. You are paid a flat rate per week, and are not owed overtime

A software dev would fall under the "[computer employee](https://www.dol.gov/whd/overtime/fs17e_computer.pdf)" exemption if you want to verify that you are correctly classified


Title: Illinois: If my school is suddenly restricting me from trips, including one I have paid for, are they obligated to refund me the balance of the trip?

Question:
The travel company does not offer refunds unless one has purchased travel insurance, which i am unsure of whether i purchased.
Topic:
Consumer Law

Answer: So to be clear: the last time you went on a trip you embarrassed the school in some way?


Title: Facing 22k lawsuit because during snowstorm I totaled car with no insurance.

Question:
So basically 2 years ago I (26f) had a really nice Subaru Legacy sport that I had just bought a few months prior. Lost my job shortly after and struggled to make payments for car, rent, and insurance payment. Big storm came to CT and state shut down highways. I worked 45 minutes from home, called manager and explained that I didn’t feel comfortable driving in conditions and that it would be slow; I’m a bartender. He insisted I come in. Approximately 20 minutes into drive probably 2-3pm EST time (lots of heavy snow and ice) I was going around a corner where I knew there was a 9% grade downhill. Slowed down, but was probably going 10 to 15 miles per hour. A car at the bottom of the hill was stopped, so I subtly pumped my brakes, to realize there was no traction at all. Tried to stop and slid head on into a work van coming up the hill at the same time.  Called cops, was deemed a no-fault accident by police. No tickets were issued. My cars frame was damaged as well as extensive front end damage so it was totaled, as was his work van. Fortunately there was only minimal bruising on my knees and the airbag did NOT deploy. No injuries to other guy at all. I payed my cars remaining value (over 6k) and now the insurance company from the van is suing me for 22k in damages. I don’t want to have to declare bankruptcy, since I’ve already payed off nearly 10k in debt.

TLDR; Got in 2 car accident and totaled both without insurance. Being sued by other insurance company for 22k and don’t want to declare bankruptcy.
Topic:
Insurance

Answer: What is your legal question?


Title: [USA - online]Is this entrapment (FBI keeping CP site online)

Question:
Recently got embroiled in a FB argument (yeah I know) about how the FBI seizing a CP site, moving it to their own network, yet keeping it online for a couple weeks and catching more perverts is NOT entrapment.

As I know it, being NOT a lawyer, entrapment would be the FBI sending you the LINK to the site going "hey man check this out" then arresting you for opening it, NOT keeping the site online while more pervs wander in.

So, I figured I'd just ask here, is this entrapment?  Can it vary by state as one person argued?

If this is already been discussed (I did search but found nothing) then mods feel free to nuke it and point me at the discussion I missed.

Thanks!

To make the bot happy - the site was moved to (no surprise) Virginia if it really matters.

Answer:
 No.  Entrapment means that they enticed you to do something you wouldn't otherwise do ("We're in a criminal investigation and desperately need you to pretend to steal that car").  It's not the same as leaving an opportunity to commit a crime available to criminals.Answer #2: > entrapment would be the FBI sending you the LINK to the site going "hey man check this out" then arresting you for opening it

Even that isn't necessarily entrapment, if the link is clearly delineated as to what it is and no other enticement is made.  It's perfectly legal to offer you the opportunity to commit a crime.  It's illegal to improperly induce you to commit a crime you're not otherwise willing to do.


Title: Is my employer legally required to excuse me from work for child custody court? New York State.

Question: Need to figure out this situation immediately.  I have a court date coming up on my regularly scheduled shift and my employer only excuses legal activity around jury duty.  If I am ordered by a court to appear to fight for my child, and could be held in contempt of court if I don't show up, isn't that excusable?  Is there a New York State Labor Law that excuses me?  My employer says no, but I feel that cannot be true.  Do I need to be subpoenaed?  Can someone tell me definitely if my employer can put a mark on my record for not coming to a shift so that I can appear in child custody court?  ETA:  I used up all my PTO.  my situation is if i am absent, my employer will give me an attendance mark because their view is that only jury duty and subpoenas for criminal trial witnesses are excused.

Answer:
 There is no law saying they must approve time off for this reason or that they cannot count it against you if you miss work for this reason.

The law applies only to jury service

https://law.justia.com/codes/new-york/2015/jud/article-16/519


Title: Recently married, and we want to avoid as many expenses as possible while making sure my wife can live here in peace.

Question:
Hello all.

My wife and I are recently married, we're both growing our lives together, and we're not exactly the wealthiest couple. Point being her tourist visa is expiring soon and, we wouldn't really be able to afford buying a plane ticket to and from her country(Chile) right now. Am I able to as her husband help her obtain her green card/residency?(I'm a born US Citizen, and this would be in Georgia)

If there are certain requirements, please help me figure them out. Id heard that because i was her husband and a us citizen that I was able to somehow help her obtain her residency, but im not sure of the process. Thank you in advance to all.

Answer:
 https://www.dhs.gov/how-do-i/get-green-card

If she over-stays her tourist visa, she will be an illegal alien, and can be deported.

You should have considered this before you two got married.

Consulting a local immigration attorney would be a wise investment.


Title: As an adult, can my birth certificate be amended from "Father Unknown" to my real father's name?

Question: My California birth certificate says "Father Unknown" and I was given the last name of my mother's at the time (which was that of her first husband, they were already divorced when I came along and obviously no relation). When I was 18, my mother finally told me my father's name, I found him and we had a good relationship until his death last year.  I'd really like to amend my birth certificate to list his name and change my last name to reflect his name.  I'd like to know if this is even possible, since  my father has now passed, although other family members on his side are alive if a DNA test is required.  Any help is appreciated!

Answer:
 Changing the birth certificate after the father has passed really doesn't accomplish anything and would be difficult to prove since you can't do a paternity test, but you can go to court and see if a judge will issue such an order based on the evidence you have.

[Here's a source for you: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/certlic/birthdeathmar/Documents/Affidavit-BirthPAMPHLET-(01-14)-MERGED.pdf


Title: Buzzfeed is using photos of me as clickbait for one of their articles without my consent. How do I go about getting them to take down the articles/photos?

Question:
Not sure if this is the right place to do it, but for several months now Buzzfeed has been repeatedly publishing an clickbait article featuring a photo of me from my personal social media as the “clickbait.”

While flattering, I can’t say I’m happy that a shitty website like Buzzfeed is profiting over using a photo of me, especially without permission. I’m not sure how to handle this, I’ve never been in a situation like this. Is a photo of myself that I posted on my personal social media considered my property? What do I do if they won’t stop using my photo and take down the articles?

(I’m in Kansas, don’t know if it matters.)

EDIT: No, I’m not trying to profit off of this or get money out of them. Jesus. I just want them to stop using my photos for their “journalism,” that is all. Thanks for the advice everyone, I’m going to start with sending a DMCA and see where it goes.
Topic:
Computer and Internet

Answer: I'm extremely curious as to what the article is. You should contact BuzzFeed and tell them to take it down


Title: Is this okay to do? (CA)

Question:
Two of my friends ( 18,19M) invited an unpopular sophomore (16F) She's bullied a lot and doesn't have many friends They got her very drunk everything after that is very blurry.

She said yes but was clearly intoxicated then told her to take off her clothes. She did. They took her to another house and told her to start doing sexual things and she did. When they penetrated her she was squirming a lot and said it hurt and i think she started to bleed and have a tear in her vagina now.

The next day they called her ugly, fat, gross, slt and disgusting. She had a crush on one of my friends but they this was her fault and she wanted. Are they bad people I don't know this girl but shes very quiet and nice. She wants to see one of the guys again because she said shes lonley. Are they bad?

TL;DR:Friends invited unpopular girl to party and did stuff to her

Answer:
 They're rapists. They're also bullies. YES, they are bad people.Answer #2: That's rape....Answer #3: Your friends are rapists and can go to prison for that, they also illegally purchased alcohol and illegally gave alcohol to a minor child (in order to rape her)

It looks like California has a lighter misdemeanor version of statutory rape if the perp is less than 3 years older, so your 18 year old friend is looking at a year in jail, your 19 year old friend may as well, but if his birthday is earlier in the year than hers, he's looking at years in prison for felony statutory rape.

They may also get much longer due to giving her alcohol.

You should not associate with these two rapists anymore, because they are sexual predators.Answer #4: What they did was rape and statutory rape. You need to tell an adult what happened. Preferably your parents and then the police, or another trusted adult and the police. Or just the police.


Title: Me, a female employee getting harassed and rape threats at work anonymously

Question:
[removed]
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 Report to HR. Since it's through your computer, IT will get involved. Answer #2: HR first. Screenshot all of the emails and send them to a personal  email. Tell HR you are filing a police report, and then take the files to the police.

This is important: if HR tries to stop or discourage you from going to the police, go directly to an employment  lawyer. Bonus if you can get HR to send you an email with thier instructions to not go to the police.Answer #3: Report it to your local police department & your company HR department.

OP, please take the threats seriously & practice situational awareness.Answer #4: > through my company computer

Your computer is simply a box. Are the threats via email? Skype? Internal messaging system (like IRC or Slack)? Something else?

This matters quite a bit. If somebody's creating an IRC handle and pinging you, you can file a police report *and* an HR report simultaneously, and the message origination can be tracked and the individual terminated.

On the other hand, if it's just emails you're getting from an anonymized account not tied to your company domain, your internal HR may not be able to do much; best option is to go to police.Answer #5: Print off screenshots of conversations/emails and file a police report.


Title: My boss keeps "forgetting" to pay me

Question:
See this post right here:

https://m.reddit.com/r/jobs/comments/5gh47j/my_boss_keeps_forgetting_to_write_my_paycheck/?sort=new

I have bills to pay and I obviously can't plan my finances around my boss's inconsistencies in paying me. I just confronted him about the issue again today and he gave another bullshit excuse and said that his computer crashed when he was doing my paycheck and he didn't get around to redoing it. We have no HR because the business is privately owned by just this asshole himself and there's no one above him whom I can file a complaint to. I can't afford a lawyer for obvious reasons. What legal actions can I take?

Answer: See if there's a wage claim process or department of labor your can file a complaint with, you'll have to Google your state + wage claim since you didn't provide a location. Also you should probably get another job, because while they can't fire you in retaliation, they can fire you for some other stupid bs reason, and why continue to work for such a disorganized person? If he's that lax in paying his employees who knows if it's because he's having financial issues either from bleeding money or because he's just as irresponsible paying his suppliers etc.


Title: Illegal Immigration

Question:
Through a series of connections, we have learned of a mother and daughter that need a place to stay for three months until their new place is available for rent. They were going to be forced to sign a 12-month lease if they stayed where they were, and they did not want this because they are moving in 3 months. We have enough space and are close enough to the daughter's school to be convenient.

I have been told that the mother might be undocumented. I do not have confirmation of this. But I want to know if I am vulnerable legally if ICE came knocking on our door. I can provide what state we live in if that information would be helpful, but for now, I'd like to keep this as vague as possible.

If I don't confront her about her legal status, am I still liable for being aware of it while providing an extra room? Almost like a "don't ask, don't tell" policy. If I never really find out, will that defense hold up in court?

I know with recent news, Trump might be changing the way we do immigration policy, which is completely unpredictable by anyone at this point. But I'm just concerned, at the moment, with the laws already on the books.

Also, are there any other factors I haven't considered that I should? I want to provide these people with help, so any path to do so is welcome.

Edit: Apparently I needed to include my location. My bad. Is Washington state enough info? Or do I need to be more specific?

Answer: You don't need to ask, then you can safely say you didn't know. If ICE shows up with a warrant then you let them in.


Title: Modify contract. MICHIGAN

Question: They sent me a contract in word that I have to sign and send back, can I modify it and send it back and if they don't know notice it's OK?????

Answer: If they do notice, expect to lose the opportunity and have this story spread far and wide.


Title: How do I make a 100% legal left turn at an intersection?

Question:
I just got into a car accident. I was turning left at an intersection. The light was yellow, and I pulled into the intersection and turned left. A car was going straight from the opposite direction and had a full on collision with my car. I noticed the car before I turned, but I thought he was going to stop. It looks like I am the one at fault legally, although he was blazing through a yellow light. I am trying to figure out what I should do in the future when making a left turn. Should I wait until the cars completely stop, even though I will be in the intersection in the middle of a red light and holding up cross-traffic? Should I not pull into the intersection at all?

I am in Upstate New York.

Thank you in advance.
Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer:
 Sounds like he still had the right of way he could of had a green or yellow(hurry up) light. Your yellow turn light means you still yield...which you didn't.Answer #2: Unless you have the left light arrow on green, you should always yield to oncoming traffic.

You could also only make right turns from now on.


Title: Canada - Is it ok to use an image off the internet if I give credit

Question:
Hello everyone, Just wanted to know if it was legal to use an image off the internet, with proper credit given, to be used on an online store. I checked around and half of the people say it is legal if I properly give credit and do not alter the image while the other half say I need full consent of whoever owns the photo.
Cheers.

Answer:
 No. Giving credit doesn't overwrite copyright law and allow you to use whatever you want.

You need permission from the owner. If the owner *tells* you that all they want is a credit on your site, then you're good to go.Answer #2: Canada? Not sure. In the US, no. The photographer owns the copyright.

Speaking as a photographer, either way it's a really shitty thing to do without at least the express permission of the artist and if it was my photo I'd be pissed.


Title: [WI] I sold moderate amounts of marijuana and someone I sold to got caught. My name was said and police called asking to question me, what do I do?

Question:
To start off, I am a university student and I needed help paying for bills so I started selling smaller (less than half oz) bags to some students help pay for a little bit of my tuition. One of the people I sold to got caught drinking underage and ended up saying he got marijuana from me to the officer. The officer called me and said they wanted to ask some questions. I know that I am legally allowed to say no, but I don't know if they have enough evidence to arrest me or not. Any help is appreciated, thank you.

Edit: I want to add I don't have any funds for any type of lawyer. I also don't know what I would tell the officers, I'm having a hard time coming up with a way to tell them I'm not interested in talking

Edit 2: I'm really worried, I have texted people to sell and I see they can access phone records. I think I am screwed. I'm thinking of going in and answering with a very structured story, I don't know. Thank you for the replies

Answer:
 Don't talk to the police.

If you are arrested, say nothing and hire a lawyer.

It would be wise of you to stop selling drugs and to no longer keep drugs, paraphernalia, or any other contraband in your home, your car, on your person, or anywhere else.

>I want to add I don't have any funds for any type of lawyer. I also don't know what I would tell the officers, I'm having a hard time coming up with a way to tell them I'm not interested in talking

If the cops contact you simply tell them firmly and politely that you are not going to answer any questions. Do not go anywhere with them and do not consent to any searches. If you are arrested do not say anything. If they question you simply repeat that you will not answer and request an attorney. When you are arraigned before a judge plead not guilty and request the court appoint an attorney for you.Answer #2: >I'm thinking of going in and answering with a very structured story

Brah no pls stop.

The cops are going to eat you alive don't do this.  In my experience cops don't really care about someone selling a few grams of marijuana in college but if you go in and try and talk your way out of it you will fuck up and they will get something on you.

Do nothing.  If the cops arrest you get a lawyer.  If the cops try and speak with you don't say anything without a lawyer.


Title: Mother in law charged with 5 felonies for bringing pills to her weekend jail sentence. Looking for some info

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Best case would  be they drop the charges. But that's not likely to happen. She needs to only be talking to her attorney about this. You can help her pay for one.


Title: [Texas] My father committed suicide and our county's Facebook page posted the report, leaving out no details, without permission from my family.

Question:
They added an "editors note" to the comments explaining that they usually don't post stories like his, but did it to raise depression and suicide awareness. My family still feels that it's wrong. He passed away almost a week ago and my family wasn't ready to make his death public-in fact, none of us have made a Facebook post about it ourselves yet. We feel like it's a slap in the face and very disrespectful to my father's name. I, along with many others, have commented and reached out to the page to have the post deleted over the last several days and they have not responded and the post is still live. My aunts and uncles want to take legal action, but the county is notorious for protecting itself and it's officials. What can we do?
I will provide more information if requested. DM's would be great. Thank you.

Tl;dr small-town type county Facebook page posted details about my father's suicide without permission from my family.

EDIT: Thank you all so much for your kind words, legal help and resources. I'll be discussing this with my family tomorrow. Yes I'm fine, my therapist is really in for it tomorrow. Your help has been greatly appreciated and I want to thank you all again for taking the time to reach out to discuss my options (or lack thereof).

Answer:
 Legal, but disrespectful. Answer #2: Presuming the article is accurate, there is nothing you can do here.  Answer #3: > DM's would be great.

Not in this sub, per the guideline on the right side: *Please do not request to be contacted or offer to contact over PM.*Answer #4: I'm sorry for your loss.

Was there any kind of police or non-confidential coroner's report at the time of your father's death?Answer #5: Who actually runs this "county" Facebook page? If it is really the county, try reaching out to the county commissioners or whoever is the boss of the person/group running the page. Answer #6: You can condemn them openly if you want over it, but other than that, assuming someone called 911 (which I presume you did), then its public information.Answer #7: It is public record, they didn't do anything illegal.


Title: Girlfriend found something strange in her Coke, and we wonder if we can sue the company or not?

Question:
Well just recently my girlfriend over in sante fe/alvin TX (galveston county, or possibly in brazoria county) found what may be a piece of machinery in her drink, which was from a big bottle of Coca-cola.
I was wondering if we can prove it came from the bottle we can make a law suit against the company or should we consider other options? Of course she also just sent a message to the Coca-cola company about the issue and we are currently waiting for a response.
I am by far from a legal expert so I came here to see if we should to make a stink about it so to speak if we don't hear from them or should we hold our horses before throwing in a law suit?
She tooked a couple of pics of the object in question.
https://i.imgur.com/IoQZGuL.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/0agdqTy.jpg
Myself is from Las Vegas NV. Clark County If that is important.

Answer:
 It is very hard to sue without damages. Unless she choked on this or there was some harmful chemical on it that she drank then you likely don’t have a case.

That aside, contacting the company and asking for REASONABLE compensation you could definitely do. (Maybe some free soda or brand swag)Answer #2: If the foreign object didn't harm her, she has no damages beyond the cost of the soda. In other words, there's nothing here.

Coke will probably offer a replacement and some coupons. Answer #3: What are her damages?


Title: Girlfriends 5 year old is telling us his father is huffing SEATTLE

Question:
Hi there! Please forgive me if this should be in another subreddit. I will gladly post there if I can get a better recommendation.

My girlfriends 5 year old son has been telling us his father is breathing the air out of air cans used as keyboard cleaner. I'm guessing it is endust, a common cleaner that is commonly abused as an inhalant. I'm not sure how to deal with this or who to go to because it's not illegal to own endust.

The father has recently been in 2 different car accidents two days in a row. The second accident he drove into someone's home. We are hearing that it is possibly being ruled as a medical condition including epilepsy, but we are aware of his huffing and believe that it could be the cause behind his "medical" conditions.

He also has a major drinking problem and we suspect he has been drinking heavily around the son.

We are concerned but we aren't sure what to do next. We don't make much money and our use of her attorney is incredibly expensive. I've been told to contact CPS and the police, but I'm wondering if there are other things we should consider doing first?

I'd be happy to answer any questions, I will be available for a while and I can check back later on as needed.

TLDR looking for info to deal with father who huffs, want to protect child.
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer: All of Seattle or just certain neighborhoods?Answer #2: You can either contact CPS or you can pay for a Guardian Ad Litem to check in on your kid.