Title: [UTAH] Previous college roommate got us evicted and left the state, still owing me thousands of dollars and leaving me thousands more in debt

Question:
This is a long story so I'll try to spare you the irrelevant details, but if there is anything I forgot to mention that might be important in this case, please don't hesitate to ask.

Here is the timeline of the events as they happened a little over a year ago. The reason I'm asking this now is because I've spent that entire time working my ass off to get my life back together.

**------------------------------**

**August 2015:**

I was taking a break from college (attending from out of state) to focus on my health. I moved in with my really good friend whom I met during one of our classes the year before, who was also taking a break from academics. We both worked different part time jobs to make ends meet.

My credit wasn't very good at the time, so my roommate's name was first on the lease. We split rent and utilities 50/50.

**October 2015:**

We decided that we needed more money than we were making from our part time jobs. Together we got full time office jobs at the same company working for the government, complete with benefits. Things were looking great.

**January 2016:**

Due to the nature of our positions, layoffs were a common occurrence at our workplace. One of the layoffs hit my roommate, leaving me as the only one with steady income. I worked with him every day to try to find new jobs, but it was useless. My roommate was my only friend, and despite my frustrations, I was determined to help him get back on his feet.

**February 2016:**

Rent was due and my roommate still didn't have a job. He pawned some of his belongings but it still wasn't enough. I had to sell some of my belongings too, which he promised he would pay me back for once he got a job.

I started keeping a record of how much money he owed me for his share of the rent and utilities.

I was getting worried, but there wasn't much I could do at this point. I didn't have a good enough credit score to find another place to live on my own, I still really trusted my roommate, and I was preparing to go back to school next semester so I stayed.

Around the end of the month, he told me he started doing freelance work online, and that next month he would be able to cover his half of the rent/utilities and pay me back for this month.

**March 2016:**

Partially true to his word, he was able to cover his half of the utilities but not the rent. Desperate, I was forced to sell more of my belongings, and ask for help from friends/family out of state just to scrounge up enough money to get by. We started getting into massive fights about financial responsibility, for which he would always come up with some sob story about how his ADHD or crippling anxiety kept him from getting work.

He kept insisting that his freelance online jobs would soon be able to pay the bills.  He had become like the lazy neckbeard son I never wanted, lounging at home all day, never doing any chores while I was out there making money. I watched as his hygiene deteriorated, it was disgusting. There was no way I could have foreseen this when we first met.

I started looking for alternative places to live.

**April 2016:**

I got laid off from my full time job, but thanks to proper planning, was able to secure a part time job immediately after. A lot less money, but it's better than nothing.

The first of the month came and to my surprise, my roommate said he had enough money to cover the rent and utilities. He showed me his PayPal account to prove he wasn't lying and sure enough it was there. I payed my half of the rent and was feeling confident that everything was taken care of.

Then it happened.

On the 3rd of April I got a notice on the door saying that we had to pay by the end of the day or we would get evicted. I was completely blindsided. I furiously confronted my roommate, who explained that the person who paid him for his services performed a chargeback, and now the money he thought he had was gone. Something he never bothered to bring up until now. I didn't even have time to react. I told him to go to their offices, which closed in about 2 hours, while I scrambled around town selling off every last item I owned and going to every payday loan place in town. I was barely able to get the remaining funds I needed to cover BOTH our rent, and ran back to the apartment office as fast as I could.

I arrived to an empty office. I walked to my apartment to find my roommate sitting outside, head in his hands, telling me that we were now locked out. Homeless.

My roommate told me that his mom was sending over some money, and somehow convinced me to get us both Airbnb rooms until we could find another place to live.

After a week or two we got a call from the apartment office telling us we had an hour to get all of our belongings that day. When we got on the property, we were stopped by management telling us that we had been spotted breaking into our apartment and that if we tried it again they would call the police on us, an accusation which was completely untrue, and to this day I'm not sure why they would say something like that.

As for the apartment itself, it was a wreck. They had turned the whole place upside down, all of our possessions were lumped together in piles around the apartment. They had taken the valuables that remained and sold them, so all that was left for us to grab were our clothes. I spent the rest of the hour looking for several important documents (birth certificate, passport, high school diploma, etc.) and personal family heirlooms, none of which I would locate in the mess they left. We were kicked out by security, and when I confronted the management about this, they told me we had used up all of our time, and to vacate the premises or we would get arrested for trespassing.

I had never felt more violated, embarrassed, or hopeless before in my life.

**May 2016:**

My roommate still refused to get a job, and had spent the last month living off whatever money his parents sent. But they too were getting sick of his behavior. They gave him an ultimatum. If he didn't get a job, they were going to stop sending him money. So what does he do? He leaves the state and moves back in with his parents, completely dropping all contact with me and leaving me homeless as he was helping me pay for the Airbnb's we were staying at.

At the end of this ordeal, he owed me around $5000 from all the money I lent him to pay rent and from all the belongings I sold/lost which he agreed was his responsibility.

I hadn't heard a single word from him in all this time. He never once called and offered to help as I was hopping from couch to couch, struggling to stay out of the homeless shelter. The only communication I was able to get was when I contacted his mother, who was apparently unaware that he owed me any money, but promised me that she would add me to the "list" as my roommate had amassed mountains of debt borrowing from dozens of angry people who wanted their money back.

**------------------------------**

Despite all the pain and suffering he made me go through, I was hoping to just leave it all behind, to learn from my mistakes and move on, but nope. Recently I've begun receiving nonstop calls from angry debt collectors and lawyers threatening legal action over thousands of dollars in unpaid rent from the property owners who evicted us, something I wasn't expecting because my roommate was the primary name on the lease. They're after me for the full amount, completely destroying my credit to a point where I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to salvage it, and it has become clear that the only way to make this go away is by pursuing legal action against my old roommate.

I was thinking of taking him to small claims court, but I have no idea how to do that when I can't get in contact with him and he lives out of state. The property owner's lawyers won't leave me alone and are garnishing my wages despite the fact that I wasn't the one who got us evicted. In a sense, my roommate got off completely free of any real consequences while I'm stuck still dealing with the aftermath.

Sorry for the long rant. Thanks so much for sticking around and reading my story. Is there anything I can do at all?

Answer:
 While what your roommate did was wrong, I'm pretty sure that the apartment complex wronged you as well.that definitely sounds like an illegal eviction, and I'm pretty sure they don't have the right to go through/keep/sell your possessions, or limit you to just one hour to get them. That sounds extremely shady. And locking you out the same day they gave an eviction notice is super shady. Answer #2: From what you're describing, it doesn't sound like you were actually taken to court for this eviction? It sounds like the apartment complex locked you out, then called you later and limited you to an hour to pick up you stuff, and threatened you with a bogus call to the police to keep you quiet about it.

OP, is that an accurate assessment? Because that sounds like an illegal eviction to me.


Title: Someone hit my truck in my dorm's parking lot, left name a number, texted them and they gave barely any information and a fake policy number, University police department is not help. [AR]

Question: About two months ago, I go outside to my truck to see that someone hit it the night before. They left their name and number. I immediately got estimates from two different places and it came out to be roughly $700. I texted them and told them that I'd be free to talk all day. They texted back and basically said they had no idea what to do in this situation. I told them the price of the estimate, even sending a picture of the paper with the amount on it, and they immediately tried to give me a sob story. I tried asking for their information and they only gave me their first name and insisted on me giving them my info. I gave them nothing and they decided to give me a fake policy number. I then told them I was filing a report with the University police and stopped responding. I filed the report and have been waiting 2 months with no luck despite there being cameras everywhere in that lot. I have no idea what to do from this point and no way of getting the person to pay for my damages. Where can I go from here?

Answer:
 >Where can I go from here?

Call your car insurance company.

If you want to sue the person who hit your car (for instance to recover your deductible), then you can file against John Doe in a court that allows subpoenas and send a subpoena to the carrier for the telephone number on the note and hope that they have the name and address of who that number is assigned to.  Then amend the name of the defendant on your complaint and serve them with it.


Title: [GA] Complex illegally towed my car

Question:
Hi! I live in a gated complex with on site security and parked my car inside of the gate in one of the parking spots. My townhome has a private one car garage and a parking space directly outside of the garage, but I wanted my roommate to be able to park inside of the garage because she's been having issues with her car in case she needed to get a rental. The property management group who manages the townhome that I live in specifically asked for my license plate information so that I can park outside of the parking space, as well as a guest pass for when guests come so they can also have somewhere to park inside of the complex.

I've been out of town for 8 days now, and today they towed my car. When asked, the towing company stated that my car was parked illegally, although my car was authorized to be there since I live in the complex, and I had the guest pass displayed in the front window to ensure there's no confusion. According to my lease, a car cannot be stored at the premises for more than 14 consecutive days before it is put on notice for violating the board rules. After it is put on notice, it is then towed 24 hours later.

I return in two days. What are my options and how should I address this?

Update!: I spoke to my property management group and the HOA has violated the bylaws! (I already knew that) Thankfully, they have agreed to apply the amount that I pay to get my car out of impound to my rent next month.

Answer: What did your complex management say when you told them it had only been eight days, not 14?


Title: Murder mystery fan, wondering about wills.

Question:
So, I'm a murder mystery character, who knows that I'm the main beneficiary of my rich uncle.

I also have two starving children, whom I love beyond life itself.

I plan to kill my rich uncle, and inherit his millions, for the sake of my children.

IF I am caught, and convicted of his murder, will my children still get the millions I was left in his will? (And would it, therefore, be worth my while to kill him even if I know I'm likely to get caught?)

Answer: The [Slayer Rule](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slayer_rule), which most states have codified to some degree, says that you'd be considered to have predeceased your uncle. (edit: removed the part about your will; it won't have any effect).


Title: Could there be legal ramifications for taking a drunk person's keys so they can't drive? (Tennessee)

Question: Say there's a party at my house and someone who's been drinking tries to leave. Can I face any legal consequences for taking their keys and refusing to allow them to drive their car? They'd obviously be free to take a cab or even walk. Are there any situations where it's more or less okay to do this?

Answer:
 Cop here, I've never charged it. I always thank the subject that took the keys or physically stopped the person from driving away profusely.

Drunk driving is no joke. If you are hiding someone's keys to keep them from driving drunk you are a lifesaver and a hero.

If you are doing that as a method of control or for other reasons you ARE committing a crime and that excuse isn't going to magically protect you.

Stay safe. Answer #2: Sure there could be legal ramifications.  There could be *any* time you take someone's property from them.

Were you actually charged with something, you'd advance a "defense of necessity" - basically that your crime was necessary to prevent a worse crime.  That may or may not work.  Answer #3: I say let them call the cops.Answer #4: Another TN resident here. Have a loved one I WISH someone had done that because he's dead. Take the keys and worry about the possible consequences later. Answer #5: Technically it would be theft - but actually getting charged would involve the drunk person calling the police and somehow managing to convince them to take some sort of action against you.

Answer #6: I was arrested for false imprisonment and assault for trying to stop someone driving drunk in Nashville. For tugging on the guys jacket sleeve. It can happen.

And no there's not really more to the story than that. The cop was driving by the cross street and saw it. Then he went ape shit on me. Most mentally unhinged cop I've ever encountered.


Title: Oregon landlord charging me for whole house remodeling after signed walkthrough stated only minor repairs needed!!!

Question:
So I was renting a house for 9 years, circumstances came up which forced me to move. Gave 30 days notice with a move out date of Oct 1st 2013, ended up not being able to have everything moved then. landlord told me to move everything out to the garage and he changed the locks on the 2nd, I was told that rent would stop accumulating as of then since he effectively took possession by changing locks. Had all my stuff out on the 3rd. LL was too busy to do a walkthrough when I texted her on the 3rd so she did it on the fourth. At the walkthrough it was noted that 1 mini blind was missing, a 5x5 hole in the wall, a towel bar from the bathroom, and 1 door had a hole in it that was also on the initial move in 9 years prior.

November 6th I received a letter from the LL with itemized charges for cleaning
up a few items I left behind, sealing the floors that she claimed were stained by pets, and a charge of almost $1800 listed simply as replacements. No explanation or list of replaced items.

Turns out she charged me for the following, 3 pairs of expensive wood miniblinds( the ones in there were 12 year old Wal-Mart white metal), 3 matching interior doors, New mirrors for both bathrooms because " they weren't as shiny as the were when I moved in", and a range hood because it didn't match the new oven they put in, oh and 400 bucks to paint the interior which was last painted before I moved in!
Now my question is how can she charge me for all this when her own walkthrough didn't list any of it? And how is paint and dull mirrors not considered normal wear and tear?

EDIT: I should have stated that the case already went to court, the judge awarded them the whole amount they asked for. Stating that although some wear and tear is expected after 9 years of tenancy, apparently carpet padding, desilvered mirrors, paint, and a leak around a skylight are my responsibility and not wear and tear. They also claimed they had to replace the bathroom toilets and sinks due to hard water staining. They also charged me for new oven drip pans, and claimed that they had to replace the oven and refrigerator which were both manufactured in 1987. And explained to the judge that they generously, did not charge me for the appliances or toilets and sink.

As for the deposit return timeliness issue, I was unaware of the law until mediation occurred at which point I had failed to countersue and simply marked I wanted a lawsuit. I attempted to show the judge text messages proving they changed the locks on the 2nd thereby taking possession as they claimed rent through the 4th when the walkthrough occurred, but the judge wouldn't even look at them.

The whole reason I'm asking about the legal binding nature of the walkthrough she performed is that the LL claimed, and the judge agreed, that she apparently missed all this damage when she did it. Bear in mind they provided no evidence of the damage claimed, other than receipts for items purchased. No photos, no witnesses other than themselves,  nothing but their word that all this damage wasn't readily apparent when they marked it all as being in excellent condition.

I plan on attempting to appeal the judgment on the grounds that the judge erred in the facts of the case, However I'm unsure of the legality of this. I'm also unable to pay the filing fees as I'm a disabled single father. Thats why I'm asking you good people of reddit before I throw away another $50 on filing fees.

Answer:
 Your recourse is to sue for the return of most of your deposit back plus any damage the law allows in your state (see wiki). You can sue in small claims. IMO you will likely win.

You may want to see if an attorney will write you a letter for cheap telling her to return your deposit or be sued. Or write one yourself disputing the charges and why and that you will sue.Answer #2: Holy normal wear and tear,  Batman. (For this post I'll assume you are Batman).

Your landlord is an idiot. Did all of this happen over a year ago? Answer #3: * Oregon requires the landlord provide the net balance of the deposit along with a list of itemized deductions no later than 31 days from the end of the lease / rental agreement (i.e., your last day as a tenant).
* The above can be delivered in person, or via first-class mail (if mail, the 31 days is the postmarked date, not the delivery date, sadly).
* The landlord must charge reasonable rates for hourly work, and all deductions must be made "in good faith".

What you describe is almost certainly not "in good faith".

Depending on the dates, you might also be over that 31-day period.

Regardless, Oregon allows double damages of either the amount not disclosed by an itemized list or double the amount held in bad faith.

So, basically:

Go to court (small claims).  In Oregon it's _really_ easy, and if you've got documentation and photos and paperwork and all that, you'll win easily.

On a personal note, are you in Portland, and is the property management "Pierson Property Management"?  If so, I am unsurprised, she was ridiculously shady with me when I rented a property managed by her company.


Title: Landlord won’t allow ESA dog because we’ve already signed a lease.

Question:
My GF and I moved to SF from Wisconsin in July ‘17, and signed a lease. Our landlord allowed us to move into our space with a cat -no cat lease, or cat deposit- no problem. It wasn’t an issue at all to bring the cat in. Move forward to about two months ago, i start seriously looking into getting a dog. Realize that this could only be possible if the dog were to be registered ESA/service.

Before even having my own paperwork gathered I started a dialogue with my landlord, put it in the open, I didn’t want to step on toes, whatever. She gets very upset and says I’m stomping on her livelihood, and that because she wasn’t aware of my ‘preexisting condition’ I have no rights about it.

Am I SOL because I already signed a lease?
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 You want to use the angle of ESA to be allowed to keep a dog. This isn't a legal advice issue, but a "should up misuse a system designed for people in need, because you feel like it" issue.Answer #2: > Move forward to about two months ago, i start seriously looking into getting a dog. Realize that this could only be possible if the dog were to be registered ESA/service.

The problem that you are running into is because there are people in the world who abuse the ESA/service animal laws so that they can keep pets, when prohibited by their leases.

Such people make it very difficult for people with legitimate problems to get ESA's and service animals.

If you have a legitimate need for an ESA, then I am sure that you would welcome your landlord's scrutiny, and discourage the abhorrent behavior of those who abuse the system.Answer #3: You will need a recommendation from an actual medical professional to get an ESA. There is no valid registry for an ESA.

How many units does your landlord own? Do they live in one of the units?Answer #4: You're asking to abuse an already abused system. That's a pretty under handed move.

For California, however, a landlord or other housing provider may deny a request to keep a service dog,  psychiatric service dog, or support animal in California  as a reasonable accommodation if the  specific  animal:

- poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others, or
- would cause substantial physical damage to the property of others. [(Source)](https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/california-landlords-tenants-service-dogs-emotional-support-animals.html)

Basically, you're asking if we're going to give you a thumbs up on abusing the system (nope) and if the landlord *has* to allow you to have Fido. (Nope.)


Title: [OH] Wife fired unexpectedly, causing us to lose the free apartment included with the job.

Question:
Dear r/legaladvice
Recently my wife lost her job as a Resident Manager at an apartment complex. The perks of this job were a free apartment with all amenities included (gas, electric, water, cable, internet and free laundry). Since the job included the apartment, we are now being told to leave the premise as soon as possible, which is hard to do since we had no time to prepare for moving out. She got released unexpectedly, with no warnings, no write ups. Just yesterday (7-30-18) the property manager came in right after she opened up shop at 10:00 AM and said, “I’m going to have to let you go” and goes on a spiel about how he can tell when she is given a difficult task, she is uncomfortable with but does it anyway. She was uncomfortable with kicking people out of the apartments but would do it anyway. My wife is a very professional person and every one of the employees who found out were shocked and confused. She did her job extremely well (the property manager said this too), and the basis for him firing her was that he could tell she was uncomfortable. Another key part of this is that for the last three months she was training a woman who works at the other rental property he owns and was supposedly training her be able to cover when my wife takes time off. The woman in question is the property managers daughter. The daughter has taken over the office which is attached to the apartment we live in. They changed the locks to the door in our apartment to the office immediately, so we couldn’t get in, treating us like criminals. She has worked 2+ years for this company, and they are throwing us out with nothing. She’s planning on filing for unemployment benefits, or some severance, but we are not signing anything until I hear what I should do. I do not know my legal rights in terms of how long I have until I need to leave. We have not signed for a lease on this apartment, nor an employment contract for my wife. If anyone can chime in I would really appreciate it.

Answer:
 You can file for unemployment. Your lease has been effectively terminated, but you are still legally a tenant, and would not have to leave until the end of next month. You need to receive written notice.

Nothing wrong with them changing the locks to her workplace. She has no right to access that anymore. Answer #2: file for unemployment, find a new job, and a new apartment


Title: Tampa FL cop illegally searched car found chafe, gave summons and then called my employer and told them. Is this even legal?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Cop smelled weed, cop searched, cop found weed. There is nothing in that series of events that is in any way illegal or improper regardless of your opinion of the officer's olfactory abilities.

If your friend thinks the officer acted inappropriately by contacting her employer she can file a complaint.


Title: I work at a dealership in Oklahoma. My employees at this dealership are guaranteed $2,000 per month unless they sell less than $2,000 in commissions. if they sell less that $2,000 in commissions they revert to minimum wage.

Question: Their hours aren't kept track of. They could work 70 hours in a week and they only get paid for 40 hours a week. Surely this is illegal?

Answer:
 Pretty much. Basically, here's how it goes.

Either they're salaried or not. If they're salaried, they're required to be paid at *least* $455 per week. For reference, the federal minimum wage (which is what Oklahoma goes by) only gets you $290 per week.

If they're *not* salaried, then they are entitled to the minimum wage plus time and a half for every hour worked over 40.

So either your employer is illegally paying them less than the federal minimum to classify them as salary exempt (to say nothing of the other requirements to be classified as salary exempt they may very well be failing), or they're illegally refusing to pay them overtime.

You can file a complaint with your state's department of labor [here](http://www.ok.gov/odol/Services/Wage_and_Hour/).


Title: People were doing donuts in our field overnight and rolled their pickup truck. Now they want to bring in a tow truck to get out.

Question:
MICHIGAN:  Overnight, some doofus's were doing donuts in our field and they flipped their truck.  They left it out there overnight and came back this morning.  We saw a vehicle parked along side the road and asked them what was going on and they explained what happened the night before.  Now they want to get a bunch of friends or tow truck out there to get their truck, but it's too muddy now.

What rights do we have to not let their friends or tow truck to continue to drive over our corn crop?  Since the truck is stuck in the middle of our property, how do we even solve this?  An expensive lawyer and court papers?  Do we even need to give them the permission?  Can we gate the ditch bridge and hold the truck hostage (not letting any more vehicles onto the field)?

**EDIT:** I should have said this before, but it happened a couple of months ago and we ended up getting the truck out (to the side of the road) for $200. I was more asking for my dad's sake as to what would have happened if we didn't take the higher road - or if it happens again.

Answer:
 You can't withhold their car, no. However, they're gonna be responsible for _all_ the damage they do to your crop, including the damage caused pulling their car out again. Given that that's potentially a fair bit of money, a quick consultation with a lawyer is a no-brainer.

Edit: Calling the police about the trespassing and reckless driving is probably your first step.

Edit 2: [c'mon, son](/r/legaladvice/comments/5frg9c/people_were_doing_donuts_in_our_field_overnight/damhbzl/).Answer #2: You need to call the police. I want to say they did a hit and run by leaving the scene at the time. Police report, pictures, lawyer, contact your home owner's insurance, not necessarily in that order.Answer #3: I am amazed that you could still have a corn crop in Michigan at this time of year. When do you harvest?


Title: I paid my month's rent. 5 days after, I was flooded out. I'm about to move back into that apartment now. Am I entitled to 25 days before paying rent again?

Question:
I originally posted this on /r/answers , but they told me to post here.

I live in NY , btw.

TL:DR; Just giving context. Basement apartment flooded. Roommate and I worked to get a lot of the initial water out, then paid for the electricity that the professionals used to get more water out (without getting reimbursed). Didn't just ditch the apartment after it flooded.

If more context is needed, I paid my first and last month's rent as normal when I moved in. Around 5 months ago, I paid the month's rent, and 5 days after I paid that rent there was a flash flood which ruined my basement apartment. That day, my roommate and I couldn't live there anymore, so we moved out for the time being. Moved some of our things to the upstairs apartment (where my roommate's relative was living).

My landlord is my roommate's uncle (and my roommate is my friend). We'd like to keep staying at the location, so we've helped a bit with the apartment. Using a carpet cleaner to try and get water out, using baking soda to try and absorb moisture. It became obvious that this needed to be done professionally. Professionals came in and started out by airing out the place, leaving a bunch of fans on overnight. The upstairs tenant ended up having to pay the electric bill for this. We felt bad for him so we pitched in for the bill. Later, our landlord told us he couldn't reimburse us for this. We just left it at that since the landlord is my friend's uncle.

Now, at present day, the rug of the apartment has been taken out and we're waiting for the new one to be put in. The bottom half of the walls were taken out and replaced to get rid of mold. We've been repainting the walls since they were two different colors.
I'm not sure if any of those details matter. Just saying that we didn't ditch the place after if flooded. So as I said, do I still get those 25 days that my rent paid for when I move back in?

Answer:
 Your landlord is required to abate rent for any period of time that the apartment was uninhabitable, unless he provided you with a place to stay in the meantime.

http://nycourts.gov/COURTS/nyc/housing/pdfs/warrantyofhabitability.pdf

edit: that link's specific to NYC, but the same rationale applies most anywhere [except Arkansas].
http://metcouncilonhousing.org/help_and_answers/statutory_rights_of_residential_tenants_in_new_yorkAnswer #2: Please have the apartment tested for mold - you could be moving back into a health hazard and not realize it.


Title: Etsy Shop Copyright/Trademark Infringement

Question:
Hi, r/legaladvice! I run an Etsy shop in the Los Angeles, CA area that used to sell merchandise with celebrity images on it-- jewelry mostly, a lot of it is very silly.

In retrospect, this was incredibly stupid of me. I should have known better.

Last fall, I was contacted by a lawyer who represents some of these celebrities. This person asked that we send them the names and addresses of all of our customers, the amount of money we made, etc. It was terrifying. The way the letter was written was so intimidating, I was shaking when I finished reading it.

I immediately removed the infringing merch, and assumed that that was all I needed to do. I didn't (and still don't) think they have a right to the information they were demanding, so I didn't send them any of it.

Months later, they have sent us another letter, again demanding the personal information about our sales and customers.

I don't really know what to do. I've contacted some lawyers, and I'm waiting to hear back from them. But I know I probably can't afford a lawyer, let alone whatever this scary lawyer wants to settle for.

Do they actually have a right to that information they're asking for? Or are they trying to gather evidence against us? At what point would we have to give them that information? And how exactly do they decide how much to "settle" for?

Any advice about how to find an appropriate lawyer would also be greatly appreciated.

It just seems so silly to me to go after a small Etsy shop that isn't making that much money.
Topic:
Intellectual Property

Answer:
 >Do they actually have a right to that information they're asking for?

Not at this stage.  A demand letter has no legal significance.  It's only purpose is to compel a resolution to the complaint.

>Or are they trying to gather evidence against us?

The amount of sales will help them determine what amount they'll ask you to settle for.

>At what point would we have to give them that information?

If and when they sue and ask for it as part of the lawsuit's discovery process.

>And how exactly do they decide how much to "settle" for?

They'll take a look at the sales figures, the number of items sold, and view that through the lens of how much it would cost to properly license each celebrity's likeness for each of those uses.

>It just seems so silly to me to go after a small Etsy shop that isn't making that much money.

Respectfully, letting every small infringement go leads to a devaluation of the celebrity's image.  So it's in their best interest to police whatever they can find.


Title: University segregating dorms?

Question:
I've noticed a pattern of student placements in dorms in my university that I find unusual. It's a state school in Michigan. My university is fairly diverse w a good number of minorities (8% black, 6% Asian, 5% Hispanic 22% total minority)and rather large number of international students mostly from China. The majority of the Chinese/Asians are placed in one neighborhood of dorms while the a large number of blacks are concentrated in another place.  I don't have the exact statistics but it's fairly obvious just from my observation living at both places. It seems like the school intentionally place student of same culture/color in one area. Plausible explanations I can think of is that international students have the last pick in dorms so they can clumped in the last empty dorms or these neighborhoods have close proximity to business/restaurant  popular amongst them.

A cluster of dorms are called neighborhoods btw to not confuse terms.

It personally doesn't bother me but I'm simply wondering if this potential segregation has any ground when taken to court. If so, how difficult would it be to prove this?

Answer:
 Living with students who look like you and share a similar background benefits students generally.

If they lumped all the black students in "the black dorms" that would be problematic, but if they are simply assigning with an eye for pairing folks with similar race and ethnic heritages, that's not the same. Likewise, if a black student and white student can request, and be, paired together that shows they're not segregating the dorms but trying to ensure similarity with neighbors.

Ask your ra how room assignments work if you like.


Title: Former Private School Denied Me Unemployment, Lied About Why I Left [New Jersey]

Question:
I applied for unemployment and was denied.

My former employer said that I refused to sign my contract. I was never offered a contract, and have an email thanking me for my service, which I interpreted as a letter of termination.

I am appealing the decision and the letter I received from unemployment said one of the issues in my case involves severe misconduct. No one at the appeal tribunal will tell me what that means. My former employer also claims that they sent me a contract via email and that I did not respond. I never got an email with a contract.

My appeal hearing is coming up, and I don't know what I should say. Any help is appreciated.

Answer:
 FYI, this is the usual process of things.  Basically things run on autopilot and no one at the unemployment office really looks at the details until you appeal.

What you need to do is bring all of the proof and documentation that you have and present your case.  The entire time be 100% truthful.

And severe misconduct is exactly what it sounds like.  You won't find out until the hearing what they mean by that.


Title: My husband kicked me out of the house & disappeared. I am a student currently living with my parents.

Question:
My husband and I have been married for about 4 months. We got married and lived in Orlando, Florida. One day, he packed up and left me at the house, moving to Miami with his family. He changed our bank account password, took all the money and important documents (marriage certificate, house lease, etc). I called his family, only to be told to "go home", as my husband will not come back as long as I live there. I packed up and came back to my family in TN.

As far as I know, the rent for the house in Florida has not been paid. I cannot pay the rent or buy our the lease as my husband took all the money.

We have two cats. When I left home, I gave them enough food to last about two days, thinking my husband will come home after I leave. As far as I know, he has not gone back to the house, and it's been a week.

I cannot come back to the house, as I live in TN. I need to get a job here, and enroll in school for the Fall semester.

As far as I know, my husband has not yet filed for a divorce.

I can NOT get in contact with my husband to discuss these issues. I don't have money for an attorney, as I'm relying on my parents at the moment.

What will happen to the house in Orlando, if my husband continues to ignore the rent due? What will happen to my cats? When I file for FAFSA, do I file as an independent (married/living by myself) or dependent (single/living with parents)? I have no idea what is going on, and I'm scared to death.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: You need to call the animal protection service in the city or county the house is in to tell them you have abandoned cats at the house and give them permission to enter the house to retrieve them. They can obtain the key from the LL.You can be charged with animal cruelty for leaving them like that. Or call a neighbor or LL to handle the cats. For the other problems consult a divorce lawyer.


Title: Landlord contacts me to pay for house bill that is under my parents names. I have no way to contact parents or have the money to pay.

Question:
My mom recently had to moved out of her townhouse(In VA) after my dad passed away and couldn't afford the rent anymore. Right after my dad passed away, I was disconnected from my mom and family friends. (No contact with mom and anyone that was close to our family.)

Few days ago, I got e-mails/calls from my landlord telling to finish paying off the house electric and water bills. I notice he forwarded his emails to my mom so I'm sure she's seen them. It's been three days and I still get calls from landlord.

The house was rented under my mom and dad's name.

I'm afraid to pick up the phone because I can't afford to pay anything. I don't want to take the responsibilities anymore for my mom and be ditched again either..

Would I be in legal trouble if I continue to ignore/block Landlord's number?

TL;DL- Landlord wants me to pay for house electricity/water bills but the house was rented under my mom's name. Can I block landlord's number and continue life without legal troubles.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 If you are an adult, did not co-sign, and your mother is not under your supervision as incompetent, you have no liability for their debts (and they have no liability for yours).

Tell the landlord that you have nothing to do with this debt, and he will have to get the money from your mother.


Title: Someone made an unauthorized charge to my debit card and I have their name and address.

Question:
I just got a receipt from Walmart.com. Someone tried to order a camcorder using my debit card and email address. The receipt included shipping information with the name and address of the person who I believe attempted this. I have already called my bank and cancelled my card, but my question is: what can I do with this person's contact info? Should I go to the police? Is it worth doing anything?
Topic:
Credit Debt Bankruptcy

Answer: Police. Go in person or call the NON-emergency line.


Title: I'm being contacted by a collections agency over debts that I am almost certain must be a scam.

Question:
They've been calling me claiming I owe 3k in medical bills, and I've been hanging up because it sounded ridiculous and I assumed it was a scam. Today I received a letter listing the dates and costs of these bills, and they make no sense.  Most of these dates I did not visit the hospital.  Some of them are off by 1 day.  Most of these bills I have never seen before in my life.  If I was charged 1.5k how would I have had no idea for almost two years?  My credit report shows that I have no debts and collections or any debt at all.

I am 70% sure this is bogus, but a part of me is worried that this could be legit and maybe I was just an irresponsible teenager and somehow missed this..? How do I navigate this?

Answer: Can't advise w/o location. If in US, you can send a debt verification letter to the address from which the letter was sent. You can find more information about what that is and some sample DV letters here : https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/what-if-i-believe-i-do-not-owe-the-debt-or-i-want-more-information-about-the-debt-en-1403/


Title: (NY) Urgent. Court hearing on Dec 5th, and no valid photo ID

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Call the courthouse on Monday, explain your situation, and ask them what you can bring that will be good enough for them to identify you.

If you have a valid visa or other immigration paperwork that combined with your expired passport and school ID is likely going to be sufficient.


Title: In Indiana, can a landlord raise rent in the middle of a lease if you have a baby?

Question: I noticed in my lease that if more than my wife and I are "occupying" the property, our rent will increase $250/mo. I pay all utilities (gas, electric, sewer, water, lawn care etc). Would a having a baby constitute an additional occupant?

Answer:
 Would that not constitute family status discrimination?Answer #2: It might be that your lease addresses the minimum age someone has to be to be considered an occupant but barring that the generally accepted line is 18 years in the US.

So check your lease if it says anything different otherwise you're good. Answer #3: In Indiana, your landlord is generally not permitted to increase your rent based on your having a child. That could be a form of illegal discrimination based on family status. Check out this resource:

[Familial Status FAQ](https://www.fhcci.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/FHCCI-FS-3-Familial-Status-FAQ2.pdf)


Title: Copyright for the undead

Question: If an undead being creates a copyrightable work, how long would the copyright last under US law? If it has been undead past 70 years, would the work instantly become public domain?

Answer: Under US law only there is a human authorship requirement for a copyrightable work. See https://www.copyright.gov/comp3/docs/compendium.pdf So arguably a work created by an undead being is not copyrightable.


Title: If I own my house, how practical would it be to turn my front lawn into a public farm?

Question: Would it be legal to set up a non-profit farm in my neighborhood? set up with tools, harvesting instructions, ect where someone can come up whenever they want, take what they need, and maybe plant some seeds and tend to the crops. what would i need to be concerned about legally in this scenario? (usa)

Answer:
 >Would it be legal to set up a non-profit farm in my neighborhood?

Almost certainly not. You aren't zoned for agriculture. A little garden is fine, but if you're trying to implement a full blown farm, absolutely not.

>where someone can come up whenever they want, take what they need, and maybe plant some seeds and tend to the crops.

This would be an absolute disaster. One person would just show up, take everything, and then leave. Nobody is going to "take what they need". And that doesn't even account for vandals who would show up just to fuck with the plants.

It would also require the average person to have an interest in, and the knowledge to, run a farm... for free. Nobody is going to do that.

>what would i need to be concerned about legally in this scenario?

Zoning.

Insurance, because Little Billy is going to show up and snip one of his fingers off with shears that you let him play with. Or, someone is going to eat a spoiled/unripe veggie and get sick.

And, also, probably your HoA stepping in with a huge "fuck no".


Title: Website stole our original content (that was posted on Reddit)

Question:
Greetings,

A friend of mine created a Fortnite guide, very comprehensive and detailed, it is original content \(save for the Fortnite references\), he originally posted the guide \(and it is still public\) on Reddit and on Google Docs.

Recently we decided to create a website/community around the guide so we teamed up and made the website.

My friend also started to make Youtube videos using the guide, he created, as source.

I started working on the design and branding of our project as well as the website development.

\-\-\-

Yesterday we found that another website stole the content \(verbatin, as far as we can tell\), even kept the original title, only added some images to illustrate the guide \(something we are also working on at the moment\), I also believe most of the images are taken from other sources.

They did, however, credited the original Reddit post and author \(without any links\).

\-\-\-

The guide is the source of everything we are building, even if we do not have any commercial earning at the moment we do plan on monetizing this through ads for example, having our content stolen by an established website can be a fatal blow on the project.

\-\-\-

We are Europe based \(Portugal and Spain\) and the website is from Brasil.

**What should be our next steps?**

To be honest we haven't done anything yet, would love some insight before we take the first step.

Thank you very much!
Topic:
Intellectual Property

Answer:
 Send the other website (or, better yet, their hosting provider) a DMCA takedown notice. Answer #2: Whether you send a DCMA or other copyright takedown notice, be sure to ARCHIVE/PRESERVE the infringement in some way just in case you need it in the future.Answer #3: IANAL but I recently did see a similar situation with another (fairly big) gaming website stealing word for word the guides to some raids in FFXIV and reposting them on their site for ad revenue and not crediting the original author until the situation blew up.

A DMCA takedown is the big option that was suggested (And it was going to be what this person went with until the website panicked and nuked it all), and you can send that to a couple places I believe. If you send it to the website directly, they will probably take it down and that will be the end of that, hopefully. You can also go above them and send it to their hosting service, or sometimes even the media company that owns them. A lot of these websites are properties of larger online media companies and will sometimes have that listed at the bottom of the site.


Title: I, Employee at a bar am accused of "coming onto" problem patron via Yelp, after banning them for repeated problems. What if anything can I do to get it removed?

Question: I am a doorman in California, and have been so for 8 years. I was forewarned by a colleague from another bar that this problem patron was to be watched carefully because they had been permanently banned at their establishment. The first incident at my bar happened just before thanksgiving, it involved her flirting with a pool player in the absence of her fiance, after her fiance arrived it erupted into a domestic issue and I asked them both to leave. I made it clear that both could no longer be in the bar at the same time, hoping to curb the domestic issues. About two weeks ago, she came in again during the bartender shift switch, I was also coming on shift. As she sat to be served, bartender-1 who was getting off shift pulled me aside and told me of an incident he had with problem patron at his other workplace that resulted in her getting banned from yet another bar. Bartender-1 told me he did not feel comfortable with her in our bar and recommended we ban her immediately, I agreed. I approached her and told her to accompany me outside. Once outside I explained that I was given new information about her behavior at another bar. I also explained that my bartender did not feel comfortable with her there, and as such she would no longer be welcome at our establishment. As expected she suddenly began yelling and screaming at me to which I just walked back inside. A week later I was told of a negative review of our bar on Yelp, where she claims I "came onto" her and that she rejected my advances, basically painting me as a predator, even using my name. What if anything can I do to get it removed?

Answer:
 You (well, the owner) can leave a reply to the Yelp review with your side of the story.

In theory, if you were to suffer some economic losses due to this review (like, if you were fired) you could sue her for the value of those losses.

The key would lie in how exactly she phrased her reviews. She's free to write the truth, as well as any matter of opinion. So she can say you're a big jerk that smells bad, but she cannot present a falsehood as fact.


Title: Wife was strongly advised to induce labor for a problem that didn't exist, now she is facing a c-section instead of the natural birth she wanted. Advice?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Malpractice is very fact specific so you would need to talk to a local attorney.

But being wrong is not malpractice. And she made the choice to be induced. But talking to a local attorney


Title: Will I get banned from reddit if I use a throwaway to ask a question on r/legaladvice while I’m banned from the sub on my main account?

Question:
They permanently banned me for making an off topic comment a while back. I understand it was necessary. Later I answered an question on the sub with an on-topic question with a different account (not a throwaway but just another active account I use), and I got banned from the entirety of Reddit on both accounts for three days. I didn’t know that was a rule and I don’t know how they knew the two accounts were linked. I posted from different WiFi locations, wouldn’t that give a different IP address?

Anyway now I have a legit legal question of my own and I want to ask it there but I don’t want all of my accounts permanently banned from all of reddit. Does anyone know whether I’d be allowed to post there in any way shape or form? Thanks!

Answer: Just ask the mods if you can be unbanned, it was for a mistake a long time ago and you know better now


Title: I recklessly took a wallet I found and used the debit card inside to buy a pack of raspberries.

Question:
The next day I attempted suicide and the police came and found the wallet sitting in my room.

They now know of what I did and I’m going to the police station tomorrow to have a chat with them.

I’m 18 and in Australia. I know I’ve committed a serious crime here - card fraud -and wanted some info on how to deal with it/what I should expect.

Much thanks.
Topic:
Non-US

Answer:
 Please contact Lifeline at 13 11 14 if you are having suicidal thoughts.

r/AusLegal would be better suited to answer your question if you require a detailed answer.

&#x200B;

The number one thing you should do is get a lawyer IMMEDIATELY.

&#x200B;


Title: Wrongfully terminated please help.

Question:
A little less than a week ago I was terminated from my position in sales at a local shop here in Montana. I had only been working for maybe a month, when I got a call that I was being let go; "because I just wasn't a good fit".

Now I know here in Montana a 6 month probationary period is required with employment. Termination may be done after the probationary period with acceptable grounds for the firing:

http://www.blr.com/Compensation/Performance-Termination/Termination-with-Discharge-in-Montana#

I just started going back to school, was recently diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis at age 25, and am struggling with money. With my health how it is, and going back to school, I really need the money.

I was wondering if there was anything I could do, formal legal letters I could send them ect. to get some form of compensation- as I was laid off without any warning what so ever.

Any help would be appreciated, thank you so much!

Answer:
 > During the probationary period, the employment may be terminated at the will of either the employer or the employee

It looks like during the probationary period, you can be terminated for any reason (this is a quote from the link you provided).


Title: [CAN-AB] Does a landlord have to replace an oven if one element is broken and cannot be repaired?

Question:
Alberta, Canada.

I am considering renting out my entire condo (I will be moving into a new home) and I want to know if I would have to replace my oven.

One element is broken and cannot be repaired. Everything else works, there are three working elements. It has not been a problem for the years I've lived here alone.

I know landlords are responsible for replacing broken appliances but I don't know if one element constitutes "broken". All I could find was a quote from a CHMC pdf that said a single broken element was a "non-emergency" repair.

Thanks for any help you can give. Also, this isn't a "what if" question so I hope it doesn't break the sub's rules for hypothetical questions.

Answer: If this were to break during the tenancy, you would be obliged to repair/replace or else provide some kind of rent abatement. But you can rent as is, as long as you disclose. It would be a good idea to note this in the move-in inspection for the tenant's protection as well as yours - they shouldn't be held responsible for it either.


Title: Raped in February.

Question:
Cross posted to /r/RapeCounseling and /r/rape, where I was advised to try coming here for possible resources and/or help. This took place in New Bern, North Carolina.

At the end of February I was violently raped and beaten up by a man I'd just met hours prior.
Details of the rapist: Active duty Marine on MCAS Cherry Point AND PMO (military police). Is still working in a law enforcement capacity.
Details of the rape: I went out with friends and drank for the first time in a LONG time. I got drunk. The night ended with everybody sitting around a camp fire. Slowly people went off to bed. Two men hit on me that night and were satisfied when I said I have a boyfriend and am not interested. All witnesses state that I did not interact with the (alleged) rapist at all that night.
He and I happened to be the last two people awake as the sun came up. Keeping away from the gory details that I'm not yet ready to type; I've been raped in the past and somehow he got me to open up about that to him. He was 100% sober as he has a billet that doesn't allow him to drink alcohol. (Later on it was found out that he had two beers at the bar, breaking a rule that should have had him 'fired' from his current position in the Marine Corps).
He was obviously, in hindsight, grooming me. By the time the sun was rising he'd kissed me, and I'd told him I have a boyfriend, and I'd tried to go inside to sleep on the couch. He ended up climbing onto the couch with me and trying to cuddle, so I went back outside to smoke, thinking I only had a bit of time left until everybody was awake.
He followed me, and pinned me against a shed next to the river. The rest is obvious. He raped me in every place possible, and when everybody woke up, I got in my friend's car with her and left. Within minutes I was shaking and crying, and had a seizure (this happens when I'm very stressed). She got out of me what had happened as I called myself a whore and said I was going to lose my boyfriend. She told me I've never been a cheater, that I had been raped, called her boyfriend and turned her car around.
By the time we got there, all of the men there (rapist not included) knew what had happened. They carried me from the car into the house, and they soothed me (one even running his hands through my hair) as I had three or so more seizures. My friend's boyfriend called the hospital and asked what to do. They told him the name of the rape crisis RN and to bring me in ASAP. My friend tried to get me to drink some water, but wasn't able to. She put my hair up in a bun and washed my face a bit, and they took me in. Over the course of the next nine hours I had a full rape kit done, was interviewed by a county sheriff, had imaging done of multiple body structures, was given around 7 doses of IV Dilaudid for pain and given a new set of undergarments and sent home to sleep and wait.
I was given the number for numerous crisis counselors, none of which have returned my calls.
I was interviewed only three days later by my assigned investigator. I had a very thorough statement typed up, and he said it was the most impressive he'd been given. He told me what would happen next, but not before insulting me for having a male companion join me for comfort (who was not my boyfriend) and also telling me he'd be obtaining my medical history to confirm meds I'm prescribed. I told him that wasn't happening, that none of my meds are mind-altering or controlled, and that my past medical history has nothing to do with being raped; I told him I'd only consent to the hospital trip involving the rape. He didn't like that I stood up for myself, knew my rights.
I was told that the (alleged) rapist had been relieved of his PMO duties and wasn't working in a law enforcement capacity. This was a lie. I was also contacted by the (alleged) rapist's GySgt and told they'd be fully cooperating with civilian investigations, which was also a lie. A protective order was issued against the perp and we both signed it, notifying him of the allegations against him.

I found out on Friday of last week he has yet to be interviewed in ANY capacity. My 'investigator' told me that the perp is 'practicing his right to remain silent' and 'cannot be forced to talk to him'. When I asked how a person accused of a violent crime can simply decide they don't feel like being accused, and said I was going to call his command, I was told, "If you try to push this too hard, he will decide not to talk to me at all, which is his right." I was also told the Marine Corps is not cooperating with the investigations and have been making every attempt possible to sweep the entire case under the rug. So, I did what the only thing I had left to do was; I called the DA's office today.
I then found out that the DA has not been informed of this case at all. They didn't have my name or the perpetrator's. They didn't have my rape kit results. They didn't have on record that any of this had taken place at all. I have been told to expect a call back later this afternoon.
I asked what I'm to do if it is proven that my assigned investigator isn't doing his job and isn't trying to interview the (alleged) rapist at all. They said to call the sheriff.
I know that it can take well over a year for charges to be pressed, an arrest to be made. However, the fact that three months have gone by and this dude is still practicing in a law enforcement capacity, is still avoiding being questioned or interviewed, and has also told anybody who will listen that he's not guilty -- not to mention the direct violation of the protection order when he showed up at a concert I was attending after CHECKING with mutual friends and KNOWING I'd be there, which had NO consequences other than, "Do not go where she is," -- is all very fucking unreal and worrisome to me.

What can I do, here? Who is my voice? How can I make something happen? I've had friends suggest going to the media. I am off of FaceBook until after court, whenever and if ever that is. I have had friends suggest letting the administrators of big name military pages I know take the information and make posts about it, allowing their hundreds of thousands of followers to share and comment on it all, blowing it up and giving the Marine Corps no choice but to do something about it all.
They are aware that I myself was in the Marines, they are aware that I am civil service, that I work in mental health, that I know what it's like to be on his side of things because I've worked with the accused before. They know that I know my rights, and they aren't doing anything but 'honoring his'.

What. The. Hell. Do. I. Do.

Help?

Answer:
 I'm terribly sorry this happened to you.

You can call and talk to a supervisor with the police department if you feel they aren't doing enough on your case.

You can **absolutely** report this to his command- he's bound not only by the civilian laws the police can enforce, but also by the UCMJ and can be punished both ways if properly convicted.

But be aware that the police can't FORCE him to talk.  No matter what he's done or is accused of doing, he has all the same rights that everyone else has and he has not been convicted of a crime here.

It is also a fact that you can't FORCE the police (or the military) to take any particular action here- if they decide they don't want to pursue the case, then you can't MAKE them do so.

If that happens you can still pursue civil remedies- essentially suing him in court for the damage he's caused you.


Title: I'm being accused of abandoning my elderly aunt and being threatened with jail.

Question:
(Southeast Tennessee)For the last 2.5 years I've been a live in full time caregiver to my "aunt". (I've known her since I was a kid. So she's like family.)  She has dementia and early onset Alzheimer's. She's basically bed ridden. Now. Here's where the problem comes in. I have a son. He's started jujitsu in oct. Two days a week. So I have been taking him and dropping him off at his class and coming home and then leaving again to pick him up when class is over. 15 min drive each time. I leave my aunt here. Today her family came over unannounced while I was on my way home from dropping him off. Her brother flipped out. So now she has been taken to a facility and I was told to expect to be in jail by tomorrow.
Do I expect that to happen? I really don't know. She was clean and fed and asleep before I even walked out of the house. I've never been accused of this before. Her family doesn't discredit my care for her. It's simply the fact that I left her here for 15 mins alone. What are my options? Am I going to end up in jail?

Answer:
 You were told by whom that you would be in jail tomorrow?  You left her at the class or house for 15 minutes alone?  It doesn't sound like you did anything wrong.

Here is your best option - tell the family members to fuck off.  Look them square in he eyes and tell them unapologetically to pound sand.  Double down and inform them that they can take care of the aunt, effective immediately.  If they don't want to do that, you will be charging a caregiver rate of $25 an hour for the first hour at $40 an hour for every hour after the first 8 hours of the day that you're responsible for her care, payable weekly.  Get the agreement in writing.  They don't like it?  I'm sure they'll have a great time paying $7,500 a month for a residential care facility.  There is no reason to tolerate abuse and outrageous contempt from a family you're helping.Answer #2: You aren't going to jailAnswer #3: Completely unrelated but congrats on getting your kid into BJJ.  It is amazing and changed my life!  Keep up being a good parent!


Title: [SC] My husband and I live with my parents. We are planning on signing up for EBT. Do we have to list my parents?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Almost certainly yes.

Your husband can work and is choosing not to so you think the taxpayers should put food on your table? If you can't afford to feed yourself on your income then your husband can't afford not to have a job.


Title: Someone used my music in their podcast.

Question: I record music in my free time and post it on soundcloud. Someone used one of my tracks as background in a podcast without my permission. I did not give anyone permission to use it but they linked back to the track on the page with the podcast. They are making money on my music and it bothers me. Can I do anything about it?

Answer: I’d send a message, politely ask for credit or to at least remove the music. I feel like that’s reasonable.


Title: If obamacare is repealed will I lose health insurance through parents? 23F

Question:
So sorry if this is the wrong thread but wasn't sure where to ask and googling didn't help.
I have been told that the reason I can stay on my parents health insurance until 26 is because of Obamacare.
If it gets repealed am I in danger of losing that coverage and what exactly can I expect? Will it be instant or take time?

Important to note I have a part time job that does not offer health care, and have been successfully trying to lose weight but I have a family history of gallbladder stones when losing weight so it is really important that I keep health insurance...

Answer:
 Congress can do pretty much whatever they want with it.

They can make it instant, they can set a future date, they can replace it with something else, they can simply repeal it entirely... it depends on what legislation they pass.


Title: Parent is withholding my social security card and birth certificate and refuses to give it until I contact them

Question:
I had a falling out with an abusive parent and I recently moved out. I’ve been attempting to get another job but I need my social security card and birth certificate to prove I’m a legal citizen. I’ve asked another family member who lives with the abusive parent but they have locked away my stuff until I contact them which I cannot do as they have been served a restraining order. What are my options as to getting back my documents?
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: You can apply for replacements for them, the birth certificate is usually requested from the county and a social security card from the federal government.Answer #2: Are you the source of the restraining order?  If so, contact either the issuing court or your attorney / victim’s rights advocate and explain the problem.  The court may be able to require them to produce the documents and act as a go between.


Title: My job has told me its mandatory that I test for Covid

Question: I have been with this company over 1yr, I show no signs of covid but was called into the office to be tested. I have 24hr to take the test onsite or I will be fired for the new "mandatory " policy.  I live in TN and I do work within the assistant living industry.

Answer: Is there a question here? Yes, a company can require you to take a covid test just like they can require you to take a drug test. Yes, you can refuse and be fired for refusing to do so. Yes, you should take the test instead of refusing cause you're working with high risk patients who's best interest is to not die from covid.Answer #2: why dont you just take the test?


Title: Can my boyfriend be charged with kidnapping me? [KS]

Question:
I'll spare a long backstory and try to just give relevant details. I am a minor [17F]. I have a boyfriend my dad doesn't approve of (also 17). My dad found out today that I have been secretly meeting my boyfriend, and riding in his car.

My dad then threatened to call the police and have him charged with "kidnapping". This really freaks me out! Does one minor transporting another when they know the latter's legal guardian doesn't approve violate the letter of the law? I really, really don't want to be the cause of this coming down on him. My bf has plans to go into the military after high school, and a serious legal issue could destroy those plans. My dad is a former lawyer and I am afraid of his ability to exploit well-meaning laws.

If it is relevant, we also crossed over into Missouri a couple times.

Answer:
 [Kidnapping](http://kslegislature.org/li_2012/b2011_12/statute/021_000_0000_chapter/021_054_0000_article/021_054_0008_section/021_054_0008_k/) is the taking or confining of any person, accomplished by force, threat or deception....

I'm going to guess that this doesn't qualify.

Since the age of consent in Kansas is 16, so you two should be fine.Answer #2: KS cop here, that's not kidnapping.

I'd try to follow your dad's rules til you are 18 or emancipated.

Especially if you are living in his house. Answer #3: Ah, I remember these days.  When I met my wife she was 17 and I was 19, I remember having the chat with her dad, it basically went like this:

"Yes sir, you are her father and if you say she can't, she can't, and I won't and you will get your way.  But there's a problem with this approach, she turns 18 in 7 months, at that time she will move out, she will move in with me and you will likely not see her again, or at least not for years, because she will be mad at you and hate you for this.  So it's your call."

He agreed, she was given the green light, and here we are 25 years later.


Title: [TX] Man selling sheep and chickens on roadside, no water or shade. Animal Cruelty?

Question:
I live in Travis County, TX. Near the city of Austin, but not within it's boundaries.

There's a man who sells animals (sheep / chickens) on the roadside of the highway. They have no water, and no shade. It's getting warmer in TX, and I want to know if there's anything I can do here to get him to either stop selling them, or make him provide water and shade.

I've tried:
-Asking the man to treat the animals humanely. Ignored me.
-Contacting the non-emergency number multiple times. They said they were sending someone but nobody showed up.
-Contacting 911. Said it wasn't an emergency.

Anything I can do here?

Answer: Call animal control to see if they take action.


Title: Arrested for suspended license - a lot of anxiety about this need help

Question:
I was arrested for a suspended license.

Location Burlington Vermont. I have had a lot of tickets in my time for minor traffic infractions and I haven't always been the best about paying them on time. As a result, my license has been suspended a number of times, and I've been pulled over with a suspended license and received tickets for driving on a suspended license. 4 times. I should have learned my lesson I know.

Last week, my county had a traffic ticket amnesty day where they clear your tickets for $20 per. At the time I was rocking $700 from 2 tickets and a suspended license so I was really interested in this. Unfortunately the turn out was huge, with a 1/4 mile line out the door, and I was turned down because they couldn't process everybody. I was told to get in touch with the state attorney general on facebook and they may honor it if you were there at the court house on amnesty day.

So I hit up the general on facebook. And then 2 days later, I was pulled over. Much to my surprise, I was arrested for a suspended license. I was shocked. Never been arrested before and I had been ticketed for a suspended license numerous times and only got a ticket. Apparently in this state on the 5th time its a criminal charge. 1 - 4 its just a civil issue. 5th time its criminal. There's a difference between driving on a suspended license and a criminally suspended license. I had no idea, why didn't they ever tell me this? Now I have a court date.

The next day I paid off my tickets, paid the reinstatement fee. I now have a legal drivers license. But I'm very scared about what's going to happen in court. I'm looking at court records in the online newspaper and it looks like people are getting jail time for driving on a criminally suspended license. Am I going to jail? Did I waste my money paying these tickets and the reinstatement fee, are they just going to go ahead and suspend my license in court as punishment? Should I get a lawyer? Help!

Answer: Sounds like "traffic ticket amnesty day" was actually "traffic scofflaw roundup day".


Title: [IN] What claim will my ex-wife have on my new (non-martial) home if I die, and it gets passed on to our son?

Question:
I've been divorced for several years, and have a child from that marriage.  Recently I bought a new house, and my fiance has moved in with me.

If I die today, what will the bank do with the house and/or any equity in it?  My fiance is concerned the bank will pass it on to my son, and my ex-wife, being his gaurdian, could then proceed to sell the house and kick out my fiance.

I imagine i could put my fiance's name on the deed but i'm not sure if the bank realy cares about that.... or refinance and put her name on the loan but that just sounds expensive for no reason.

Answer:
 You could leave it to your fiancé in your will?

If you die intestate, your son gets it and your ex likely will be in charge until your so reaches the age of majority.


Title: [Denver,Colorado] Landlord's sister wants to do a random "walkthrough".

Question:
My roommates and I have lived in this old house for about 20 months on a monthly lease. The landlord is the estranged aunt of one of the four residents living here.

The landlord(Lindsay) has a sister(Cruela). Since Lindsay lives about 2 hours away, Cruela is the one that often deals with issues that arise with the property like pipes bursting or lawn care.

Today, Cruela called saying that since we have not done a walk-through since we moved in that she wants to do one.

My roommates and I feel that this is an unnecessary breach of privacy. Never have I had a landlord want to just snoop around for no reason while I still lived there, let alone the landlord's relatives. When we moved in, there were rats in the house and when we told them they just told us to put out traps.

TL;DR There is no real reason the landlord's sister has to be doing a walk-through, do we have to comply?

Answer: Sure do. Cruela is the agent of your landlord and provided she gives you at least 24 hours notice she is permitted to do a walkthrough of her sister's property. It's the same thing as when a property owner uses a property management company to handle their properties. The property manager acts as an agent to the property owner. It would only be a breach of your right to quiet enjoyment if she just showed up out of the blue and demanded to enter. And even then you would probably need multiple incidents of that behavior before you could really take any action.


Title: Wife injured at Bar/Restaurant

Question:
Last April (the night Prince died, to be exact) my wife was injured in a local bar/restaurant by way of a table collapsing on her leg when another patron, who happened to be drunk, sat/fell down on the table. She had friends there that witnessed this, another of which was slightly injured but not as bad as my wife.

After the incident, two of the owners came up to check on my wife and offered her free drinks, which she declined. They asked if she was okay and she said that she thought so. To be clear, she had been drinking too, so she was not exactly in a perfectly clear frame of mind.

Cut to a few days later and the pain in her ankle is unbearable and with it being a weekend, she had to go to the E.R. to have this tended to. She was prescribed painkillers and an aircast. There was no apparent break but bruising was obvious. She followed up with a specialist a few times, per the instructions of the doctor, paying co-pay after co-pay. She obviously required an x-ray and other services. Her other friend that was injured never had to go to a doctor and her pain went away after a few weeks.

Our insurance coverage had a $500 individual deductible and $1, 000 family deductible, which maxed out, leaving us with a total of about $900 between the specialist co-pays, E.R. visit, prescription costs, and deductible.

At the point that the bills started rolling in, I began calling the restaurant. With their limited hours and busy schedule, I was not able to get a manager on the phone immediately but left a few messages requesting a callback. This never came. Finally, after about a month, I started working with a manager named Greg. I gave him the timeline and a rough estimate of the bills, telling him that I felt, given the circumstances, that the restaurant should be on the hook for covering the cost of the bills we had to pay out of pocket. He seemed to agree.

A few weeks pass with no further communication so I call a few more times before reaching him again. He said that he let this slide with the hectic schedule but that he would speak with the owners. At this point, it is mid-October. Another month and a half passes with no word. I began calling again with no callbacks. Finally, I reach a manager who informs me that Greg no longer works for the restaurant.

Once again, no callback. Finally, I reach another manager last week and make it clear that I would prefer to handle this without having to go another route, implying legal action. She promised to email me that afternoon. No communication.

At this point, I am ready to pursue legal action. Is there any case here? The night of the injury, there was no official paperwork filled out. We certainly have a few witnesses that would be willing to vouch for my wife. What are my options?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Answer:
 Why do you think that the restaurant should be responsible? If anyone, it would be the drunk man who fell on your table.

Speak to a personal injury lawyer and they'll tell you if you have a case against the restaurant. In my opinion, you do not.Answer #2: The restaurant didn't cause any damages. Sue the guy that fell on her


Title: Dog poo in shared yard. Remedy?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Dog poo 4 feet is not likely to be a health code violation, nor would it be a breach of quiet enjoyment. You would not qualify for constructive eviction. I know it's super annoying and gross, but this isn't grounds to break your lease. You'll have to work with your neighbors and LL on this one.

This is one of the things you have to put up with when you move into a place with a shared yard that allows pets. There's a reason that detached homes with private yards cost more to rent.


Title: [Minnesota] Subpoenaed to testify for prosecution. What to expect?

Question:
The trial of a former co-worker starts next week.  He is being tried on multiple counts of child sexual abuse.

During the several years we shared an office(we were both IT admins for a 150 person office bldg), there was only 1 potential clue to this side of his nature.  We have kids that are roughly the same age, and I found a chat log on my sons computer, purportedly btw his son and mine that got pretty sexually graphic.  I took a printout to my co-worker and asked if he knew anything about it.  He claimed he didn't, but that because of a generic username and password, he was guessing his  sons account had been hacked, and he would look into it.

I kept even closer tabs on my sons online activity after that, but there were never any additional issues.  After hearing of his arrest, I did call and relay the above to the investigating detective, and he said my son was more than likely interacting with the defendant.

As the title of the post says - Last week I received a subpoena to testify for the prosecution.  The defendant has been out on bail since his initial arrest(almost 18 months ago), and from watching the goings on of the case through the courts website, it appears that his attorney is earning his fee's.

I am guessing that since all I will likely be there for will be a somewhat negative character reference, about all I really would have to worry about is defense counsel attacking my credibility in some way.

Without knowing much about the specifics of our(mine and defendants) interactions, does anyone have any thoughts about how the defense attorney might do this?

Answer:
 Call the prosecutor and ask what you will be testifying about.

Generally just be honest when testifying.  You are not an advocate, you are a witness. If you don't know an answer, say "I don't know."  If you don't understand a question, say that.  Don't try to speculate what answer the attorney is trying to get you to say.Answer #2: Contact the prosecutor.  Ask him what he expects your testimony to be.  He will hopefully offer you some prep and practice before you go on the stand.

In general, your job is to answer all the questions posed to you honestly.  Don't worry about who your testimony helps or hurts; don't worry about what it means for the case or your credibility.  Just answer the questions posed to you honestly.  "I don't know" or "I don't recall" are perfectly fine answers, assuming they're honest.  If you don't understand the question, ask for clarification.

After either side asks a question, pause before answering.  This allows you a moment to process the question, and offers either side a chance to object.  If someone objects, shut up and don't say a word until the judge rules.


Title: [MO] Can you go back for child support later if you make a custody agreement based on no support now?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 In a lot of places, the judge won't approve of an order that doesn't involve child support for just that reason.  I'm thinking if you really did manage to push it though, he would be very unhappy to have you come back later and try to change it.

I'm thinking its probably better to continue the path you're on now and just get a change of custody ordered.


Title: Father got Roth IRA’s for my brother, sister, and I, all potentially over 6 figures. Refuses to turn them over

Question: It’s a long story, but my father is no longer in my life. He went through a rough divorce with my mother and I haven’t spoken to him in years. Just today, however, he posted a picture on Facebook with a couple envelopes from Edward Jones and stated that he purchased some Roth ira’s for my siblings and I. The envelopes clearly have our names on them and it’s printed on the envelopes “(my father’s name) in custody for (my name) under ut/utma until age 21” I am over 21 years old. Do I have any right to claim this potential sum of money and fight for it or is it a waste of time? My father refuses to turn it over as it is.

Answer: Contact Edward Jones


Title: Religious references in school [Indiana, USA]

Question: I was just wondering, to what extent are schools allowed to reference certain religions publicly. Like, for example, if there was a spirit shop in my school that ran as part of the school, could they have an event called the "12 days of specials" or would that be too religious? I feel like, being a public school, it should be more secular than that because this would directly allude to christianity.

Answer:
 Secular doesn't mean "free of any reference to a given religion" or the "complete absence of religion". Teaching people how to live with other people, some of whom will be overtly religious in public, is still an important skill that schools must teach.

In short: Schools cannot require prayer or host a religious service. Schools can teach people about religion and refer to commonly celebrated holidays. Schools, similarly, cannot prohibit prayer or religious expression.


Title: Landlord accused us of smoking cigarettes in the apartment because she found an ashtray. Next steps?

Question:
Hi y'all,

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The other day, the owner of the house that we're renting through a management company came to show the house to potential buyers. Our lease ends at the end of the month, and, though she didn't give us 48 hours notice (as is standard here), we said that was fine.

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I cleaned the house to be nice for their showings. However, I forgot to remove an ashtray off of our table, which had a couple roach butts in it. I didn't smoke them, so I can neither confirm nor deny whether they were smoked inside, but it's not like someone is smoking in the house all the time.

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A few days later, I got a call from our management company saying that our landlord took a picture of the ashtray and said that the house "smelled badly of cigarettes." We don't smoke cigarettes regularly and DEFINITELY don't smoke inside - I know that this is true for all of my roommates. It does not smell at all like cigarette smoke.

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Our management company stated that it's "just an accusation," but they might seek to keep our security deposit over breach of lease and they plan to get it treated at the very least.

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I've been considering bringing in a third party to attest to the lack of smoke damage, but I would love to hear opinions if anyone has any ideas!

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Thanks y'all.

Answer:
 If your lease says you can't smoke in the apartment, the landlord has pictures of a used ashtray in the house, and the landlord says the house smells like smoke, they will win the vast majority of the time if they keep a portion of your security deposit to repair smoke damage. This could include the cost of repainting and professional carpet cleaning. Answer #2: Your landlord mistaking pot for cigarettes doesn't get you off the hook.  Someone was smoking in the apartment, you got caught, and it probably smells.  Weed leaves a smell too.  You're on the hook for whatever it costs to get the smell out when you moveAnswer #3: If your landlord makes a deduction from your security deposit over the allegation of smoking in the apartment you can review the appropriateness of that deduction at that time.  And may decide how to proceed at that point.

Certainly the evidence of an ashtray and butts in the house is somewhat compelling.  And frankly would lead to the smell in the house even if the actual smoking was done outside.

>bringing in a third party to attest to the lack of smoke damage

The testimony of someone else that the property doesn't smell like smoke might be useful.  I'm not sure it's *more* compelling than the contrary testimony of management's agent at least somewhat corroborated by evidence of the presence of smoking materials.


Title: DEFAULT-Parent Plus Loan, Im not on the loan, my father is.....

Question:
Ch IL
while in college, my father took out a parent plus loan for 9k. Applying for it, i knew he would likely get rejected because he had no job, we lost the house hence a recent foreclosure, and lousy credit. He got approved for the loan to my surprise, and since graduating he told me he would take care of that loan (how naive of me to believe). Without me knowing, my father did not make a single payment for this loan he should never have gotten approved for and is being served with court documents for non payment. I am not on this loan at all but feel terrible that he is going through this. My father is an alcoholic who recently lost everything including our family and is no longer in the country. What in the world can I do to take care of this debt? The loan is up to 14k now and I have no means to pay for it right this second as I have just obtained my Real Estate License and am starting out in the field. I am so stressed over this and have no idea what to do. Any help would be appreciated.
EDIT: I know some of you are going to make comments about me feeling terrible and how my dad is an alcoholic and doesn't deserve any of my help. BUT I'm going to say that this is more for my mother since she is worried about this debt. I have loans of my own to take care of and have taken responsibility for them.
Topic:
Credit Debt Bankruptcy

Answer:
 You and your Mom have nothing to worry about.  The loan is in his name and  you have zero responsibility or liability for it.  The only way Mom would is if she signed as an endorser for the loan.  I am not an attorney but I do compliance for a company that manages federal student loan.

Frankly - you should wish good health for your Dad as the only way this could possibly come back to your family at all is if he were to pass away.  While the loan would be discharged, the discharged amount would be taxed to the estate.Answer #2: Is your dad planning on coming back to the country?  If not, I wouldn't do anything. Let them try and collect overseas.


Title: [OR] I think my car loan has an illegal interest rate

Question:
Hi everyone.

My ex had my car for a while and was supposedly making the payment. I find out she quit making them a few months back, and they were not able to repossess the car. I set up a payment arrangement with them, and began paying on the charged off debt.

They sent me the payment arrangement in written form, and it says the debt will be collecting interest at a rate of 32.99% per year. Is this legal? From what I've been reading [here](https://www.oregonlaws.org/ors/82.010) and subsection three says 12% is the max.

I didn't get a loan from a bank, but a financing company. Any help is appreciated.

Answer: Often these loans are issued out of other jurisdictions where the higher interest rate is allowed. Check your loan paperwork for the details.


Title: [U.S/UK?] Mate overstayed U.S visa... By quite a while and now wants out

Question:
Hi guys,

I tried searching but couldn't find anything on here.

Basically - about a year and a half ago me and my mate set off on our dream, an American road-trip. We went around a shitload of the states and were planning to be there for just under 3 months.

Towards the end of our trip, I had fun, but was eager to get home to my girlfriend and job.

But my friend wasn't. We made some friends in Idaho who offered to let us stay and work at their bar - cash in hand - for a little while.

Well my mate got into a relationship with one of the girls there and decided he was staying.. He'd live with her and work as a barman to make ends meat.

Not too long ago... They split up. And he had to leave the job.

He's got a bit of cash, nowhere near enough for a flight, but I'll cover him for now to get him back.

He's crashing between mates he'd made out there but is eager to get back to England.

Obviously he's overstayed by quite a while...

What I want to know is (he only has his phone and spotty wifi connection) how buggered is he?

How much shit will he get in if I get him a flight? Will they detain him at the airport or just say "don't come back"?

Cheers..

Edit: Ok, thank you guys. It seems to be that he'd be fine - just banned for a long time. That would be fine.

Answer:
 The US does not have routine departure physical passport control and there's little point in detaining someone who is voluntarily departing the US. If his travel ends up being flagged, he may get a talking to but that'd likely be it.

However, anyone with 180 days but less than a year of unlawful presence is deemed inadmissible for 3 years after their departure, unless a waiver is obtained. More than a year, it's a 10 year inadmissibility, unless a waiver is obtained.Answer #2: They probably won't do anything as long as he hasn't committed any crimes while in the US. He will be banned from coming back for a long time though. Answer #3: He can leave the US without much hassle, he'll be banned from entering USA for 10 years. Which could be an issue in the future.Answer #4: He can leave any time he likes without any problems. They will not be waiting at the airport for him to leave. He has overstayed and they are more than willing to let him go home.
He WILL NOT be able to get another tourist visa or ESTA as he has overstayed a previous visa and will be issued a 10 Year ban from re-entering the country.

So as long as he doesn't intend to want to go back then all is well.Answer #5: This is almost exactly the plot of the movie "Like Crazy". Good thing the relationship is already over, because he won't be getting back into the US any time soon.Answer #6: Just to note, if your bud happens to enter Canada by land from the US his exit via a land or air crossing will be sent to the US CBP as an exit notification; may foul things up.


Title: Landlords refuse to deal with terrible neighbors

Question:
My wife and I live in a pretty shitty apartment complex. Our upstairs neighbors leave their dogs out on their patio from the time they get up to the time they go to bed. They don't take their dogs out at all to go to the bathroom so naturally every time their dogs pee, it runs down onto my patio. Occasionally they'll dump a few buckets of water on their patio to wash off everything they can't pick up. This combination of dog pee and shit water has ruined my grill and keeps up from sitting outside on our patio because the entire area smells like dog piss. On top of this, they often play music loud enough to drown out our living room TV.

We're only a month into our lease. I don't know that we can deal with this for another 11 months. Do we have any options other than constantly complaining to landlords that couldn't care less?

Answer:
 I see a few options...

(1) Continue to complain to your landlord.

(2) Speak to your neighbors nicely and ask them to stop doing this.

(3) If after speaking to them, they continue to do that, serve them in small claims court for cost to replace your damaged grill.

(4) Call the police about the noise violations, each and every time it happens.Answer #2: To be clear: your landlord and their landlord are the same?  You both rent from the same person or group?


Title: Unpaid "working interview"

Question: So, I'm in desperate need of a job, and a local pet center has asked for a "working interview" for about 4 hours tomorrow in their kennel department. They've already stated that they have other candidates, so I'm wondering if they pass me up for someone else and decide they don't want to pay me for the 4hrs I do work; what are my rights, what can I say, & how could I punish them on principal? It kind of sounds like they're using these working interviews and people's desperation to phone in their grunt work for free labor. I'm in Texas btw.

Answer: Go to the interview. If another candidate is selected ask when you will be paid for the time you worked. If they tell you that you won't be paid you can file a complaint with the TX workforce commission but unless you were promised a higher wage and you can prove it, it would only be for minimum wage.


Title: Landlord abuse Seattle Washington....need help.

Question: So I live in a 4 bedroom house. Three bedrooms upstairs and one bedroom downstairs along with the garage where wash and dryer are located. The person on the first floor owns the house. I pay rent to the guy who's in one of the bedrooms on my floor. This guy has been renting out his room and living in the houses living room, in which he has his bed, computer and TV set up. His son comes over a lot and sleeps on the couch, which is also in the living room. It's a nice living room with a fireplace that has become his room, he has set up silk curtains to separate the room from the large kitchen we have. This guy also has a food truck. At one point he was looking for a kitchen to run the prep side of his business...my rent went up 50$ in the middle of the month and he started using the houses kitchen as his prep kitchen and the garage for his food trucks storage space. The closet upstairs in the hallway is all his and his sons stuff. Both of them work on the business and are constantly home all day while I am at work from 12-9 full time. He recently sent me a text message in the middle of the month asking for $100 more  next month. I am planning on leaving without notice as I am not on a lease but before I do, I want to check and see if I can do anything to fix this problem. Thank you all.

Answer: Without a lease you are a month to month tennant.  In washington you need to give 20 days written notice, or by default you have rented the room for another month.


Title: Family keeps dog in crate all day, less than 2hrs outside per day. They refuse to surrender the dog to me or any rescue. What else can I do? (WA state)

Question:
My family keeps a 9 year old male English bulldog in a 6'x5'x4' in a crate all day, let's him out to use the restroom and eat. This dog is otherwise ignored. Nobody even pets the poor thing. The dog has been confined like this for his entire life.

Original dog owner has been out of the picture for 3 years. Original owners mother is now the caretaker. Both people have refused to surrender the animal. Multiple rescues and no-kill shelters have been contacted and have offered to take the dog, but the owners are reluctant and want to "hold off" on surrendering.

What options do I have? This animal is abused and neglected. A host of health problems are arising (joint issues, not properly digesting food, etc.) with no action being taken.

Thank you, LA.

Answer: You can contact Animal Control. They may or may not see this as abuse.


Title: Company "forgot" to add me into their 401k plan 4 months ago- I elected to contribute 10% with a 3% company match, but I have nothing (NC)

Question:
Started working for company February 1, 2017, and applied to their 401k plan after 60 days exactly as I was supposed to do. HR lady tells me today that "Oops, looks like you fell through the cracks. I forgot to send in your application. Let me make this right." Her version of "making it right" is to sign me up for the plan that I thought I was already on.

My question is, should I be entitled to any recompense or backpay for the company match plus any interest that my 10% would have allotted over 4 months? If so, would it be worth potentially losing my job over (at-will state)? The employee handbook states that we are to be enrolled immediately upon application.

Answer: Did they take that 10% out of your pay and just keep it?