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Is it possible for a state to legally leave the U.S and become its one country without civil war?

[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secession_in_the_United_States](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secession_in_the_United_States): > In Texas v. White (1869), the Supreme Court ruled unilateral secession unconstitutional, while commenting that revolution or consent of the states could lead to a successful secession.Answer #2: Nope. [The union is perpetual.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perpetual_Union#Constitutional_basis) Several court cases considered the matter after the civil war and decided that secession is illegal. Which means any state attempting it would have to fight. Texas has always misconstrued their position. They're not the only state allowed to secede. They [might be allowed to divide](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_divisionism) into as many as 5 states, but while the charter says that's the case the legality hasn't been seriously tested.Answer #3: For the last time Alabama, it’s not legal but we’d make a special exception for you.

My father created a lease agreement for the room I stay in but I'm not sure is is legal. Mind taking a look? Fort Worth, TX.

I typed this exactly the way he created it. 1.Landlord leases and transfers possession to Tenant, for the term of this Lease Agreement, of the premises located at [the address]. Said premises being specifically described as follows: One 15 foot by 20 foot room, on the North East corner of the house. 2. The premises leased under this Lease Agreement shall be used by Tenant solely for the purpose of : Sleeping and dressing. No other part of the home will be used by Tenant ( Kitchen, Garage, and the other Two Bedrooms. That is to say no use of Stove, Refrigerator, Cabinet Space to store or keep and of their personal belongings. 3. The premises leased under this Agreement shall be used and occupied, in accordance with items 3 above, only by parties listed below. [which was my name] 4. This Lease Agreement shall be effective for a term of Six (6) months, beginning on the 6th day of March 2014 and ending on the 31 day of August 2014. 5.In consideration for this Lease Agreement and the rights hereunder, Tenant shall pay rent to Landlord during the term of this Lease Agreement in the amount of $375.00 per month a total rent for the term. 6.Rent payments hereunder are due on the First Day of Each Month or as the Landlord may designate.( Plus 33% of the Utilities used by the total home. That is to say Tenant will pay 33% of the monthly bills, on Electricity, Gas, Cable TV & Cable Internet Cost, based on the Month before. If any rent due and payable hereunder is not made within Five(5) days after said rent shall become due, Tenant shall pay to Landlord additional charges equal to 25% of $375 Dollard (93.75) said rent remains unpaid. 7. On or before the start of the term of this Lease Agreement, Tenant shall deposit with Landlord the sum of Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) as a security deposit for the compliance with and performance of the terms and provisions of this Lease Agreement. If Tenant should default or breach any of the terms and provisions of this Lease, or has otherwise caused damage to the leased premises except for normal wear and tear, Landlord may apply, or keep all or part of security deposit to the extent required to correct such default, breach, or damage. 8. The following , appliances, or other personal property are NOT included an forms a part of the leased premises under this Lease Agreement: Refrigerator, Freezer, Washing Machine, Clothes Dryer, Stove, Storage Cabinets. 9. Landlord will not provide not be responsible for, any additional costs to Tenant, for any services and utilities for the leased premises. 10. This Lease Agreement shall terminate if all or any part of the leased premises should be acquired or condemned by eminent Domain. 11.Landlord shall have the right to enter the leased premises at reasonable times and after giving reasonable notice to Tenant to inspect, repair, or improve the leased premises or to respond to any emergency. 12. Tenant shall not assign or sublet Tenant's interest under this Lease Agreement without the prior written consent of Landlord, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld by Landlord. 13. The terms, provisions, and convenants contained in this Lease Agreement shall be binding on and inure to the benefit of Landlord and Tenant and their respective successors, heirs, and assigns. 14. This Lease Agreement shall be governed by the law of the State of TEXAS. Topic: Landlord Tenant Housing

What did you do to piss off your father? Do you at least get to use the bathroom? IANA(Texas housing)L, but looks legit to me. If you are interested in the nitty-gritty of Texas residential tenancies, here is a link to the applicable laws: http://law.onecle.com/texas/property/chapter92.htmlAnswer #2: What do you think is illegal, exactly? I mean, it's horribly written, by someone who thinks using words like "hereunder" a lot makes something more legal, and the grammar and syntax are terrible. But nothing is jumping out at me as totally unenforceable, with the possible exception of the late fee, which may be governed by statute.

Strip searched at school

I'll start from the beginning, two months ago me and a friend went to a girls house and she said she wanted to smoke weed. She gave me 20 dollars and i went and got two grams for us. (I know it's a stupid decision) Anyway her dad wound up finding out somehow and contacted my parents i was punished and then received threats from him if he saw me. Fast forward to now, Friday my friend drove me to school and about a half hour after i entered school the principal grabs me when i'm switching classes and says come with him. When i enter his office they're two cops and an assistant principal who tell me they received intel that i had done a deal this morning. (While they were telling me this they were trashing my friends car looking for anything to arrest us they were picking little specs out of the floorboard and testing them for weed.) Anyway i told them i do not know what they are talking about and they began to go through my bag and did not find anything. They then told me they needed to search me. I figured that they were gonna just pat me down until he closed the door then they said you need to take your clothes off. Keep in mind I am a minor and my parents were not aware that anything was going on. I pulled my pants to my knees and took my shirt off. He told me i need to take my shoes off and pants all the way off. He threw my shoes and scuffed them up once i had them off and after he searched them. They still did not find anything. They told me to go to the police station after i left school. Upon arriving at the police station they just started telling me random bullshit like that they know i am having a party may 19th. (I am having a party but not even in the same state) They told me that they have intel on the location and will arrest me if i even attempt to have it. They basically just threatened me saying that someone has come to the police station with a list of names. They told me they know i sold to someone two months ago. I later found out her dad had come to the police station earlier that day with a list of me and three friends saying he knows we deal. We don't deal at all. I just feel like i have a target on my back and that they are trying to catch me for anything. There is no way it was legal to strip search me without my consent or my parents consent when i am a minor all over an anonymous phone call and an upset dad. Legally what are my options? I am located in Tennessee.

I'd suggest you contact the ACLU. You can be strip searched once you're arrested and brought to the youth detention facility but it appears you were never even arrested. Answer #2: you really need to talk to your parents about this.

Better format. Cyber harassment.

About two to three months ago I received a call from a officer, he told me to stop contacting a person or further punishment will happen such as charges and some sort of anger management help. Fast forward a month since that call the person who I was harassing told me to pay them four thousand dollars and no charges will be pressed. I’ve started to pay them but I feel as if that I shouldn’t have to if I stopped when I was told to stop. This person further stated saying I already have a ten thousand dollar charge on my record already and that if I don’t pay she will add on to that. I was never contacted after the first call about me being charged with anything. I recently blocked this person on social media and now receiving text from them. I was wondering if I should be worried that I’m still at risk or being charged even though I was left off with a warning or am I better off paying? : I know the girl personally and I verified that the officer is indeed a real person. The girl lives in California I live in Florida. I know I was left off with a warning but she is still trying to extort me for money. I did get caught with harassment but was left with a warning. Can I still be charged or sued?

This is a complete scam, you should not have paid a cent and should cease payment immediately. What they did is extortion and you can report them to the police for that (but you shouldn't incriminate yourself, so be careful and consult with a lawyer first if you want to do this). As for the harassment, did you do that? And are you still doing that? If so, you should stop immediately and it might be a good idea to consult with a criminal defense attorney to prepare for possible charges. If the police contacts you, don't tell them anything without discussing it with your lawyer first.Answer #2: You should report this to the police.

What to know before starting a rental race-car (theoretic) business

Lets say I have a quality collection of racing cars, and I'd like to generate a business around others being able to use/race with them. I've collected many cars on a spectrum from basic to extravagant... This is not a business validation question, I'd just like to know everything I would need to consider as I go about this business. To that point Id also like to exclude legal discussions around the liability of drivers. This really pertains to my cars and the methods in which I want to rent them out. * What do I need to know to protect myself and my collection? * Am I allowed to charge for "lost or stolen" items? * Am I allowed to issue some sort of asset-insurance without formal legal & financial qualification ? (not including actual drivers insurance) * Am I allowed to issue an asset indefinitely (no specific period of time & at no extra cost or hidden fees)? * May I randomize which cars each renter can use (for fairness and even distribution)? * What am I not allowed to do? -- obviously I wouldn't include hidden fees or bait and switch methods. My ideal is to make these cars accessible and allow for renting of whatever car at the same price (again not asking for biz validation here). At that point I would create a "fair" system to allow for even distribution of usage.

This is way beyond the scope of this subreddit. If you are serious then speak to a lawyer about your plans.

Victim of Credit Card Fraud and now Merchant is Persuing Legal Action?

Recently I was a victim of unauthorized use of someone trying to claim that i was the one who purchased and asked for resume writting service. Someone also racked up $1500 in purchases with my credit card without authorization. I had to file a dispute about these charges because it wasn't me who did it. Lucky the claim came back in my favor. Until today I recieved a letter from this so called resume service claiming that if I don't pay at least $195.00 for the service that supposably I recieved they will file a claim in small claims and a complaint to BSIS which I currently have a license with for Security. Here's the thing can any company stalk you online to see who do you have a license with without your consent? To me this is like running a background check without your knowledge. I also have a letter from my bank that all unauthorized transaction were reversed after the dispute.

Important question: did you file a police report regarding your card information being stolen? Either way, get back in touch with the company and inform them that your card information was stolen, and that you never requested their service. If they sue you, you would raise that defense in court.

Belongings were in a car that was repoed-repo man wants nudes for my stuff How do I get my belongings back?!

Okay so here goes... I have to give a little back story, so bear with me. I was out of state with my two young daughters visiting a friend. I am a single mother and this was my first trip by myself with my girls. I was staying with a friend in a bigger city than I am used to, which meant more traffic and I am horrible with direction. My friend suggested I leave my car at his work so that he could drive, thus me avoiding stressful traffic. I agreed that this would make the most sense. So we put my car seats, iPad, kid travel toys, shoes, kids clothes, luggage, etc into his car and went on our way. By the time we had dinner and got to his place it was dark. We brought in our suitcase, but left everything else in his truck since it was late. The next morning I get up to get the rest of our belongings and to my surprise...no truck. I go back inside and tell him "uh hey your truck isn't outside?" He looks at me with a strange look and doesn't say anything. Silence. He asks me if I am joking, I say no, he goes to check, see that the truck is gone, and just sits at the table. I start panicking, asking questions, and am ready to call police because obviously truck is stolen as well as all of my belongings?! Ok so here is where it gets fishy. So my friend says he thinks he knows what happened. He says that he bought the truck from someone in Miami and thinks maybe the guy came and got it. Now at first I really thought it had been stolen, but right when he said that I saw my first red flag. But being alone, no vehicle, no car seats, I was a little in shock. My friend says he is calling an uber so he can go get his other truck(a jeep) and then we can get it figured out. Uber comes, he leaves, I am stuck. I don't know much about reposition but ALL arrows point to that. I don't really know what to do at this point so I google and call around a bit. I call the police station and they say they have no record of a truck being reposed from that address. So I start to think maybe it is stolen. Friend calls and says he is trying to figure it out but has left me and my daughters at his house now for two hours. I would call an uber/taxi(would be my first time using uber/taxi in my life) but I have no car seats! So my friend calls and says he is going to stop at Walmart and pick up seats so we can at least have a way to leave if we all need to. But by this time I know something is up and just want to get the heck out of this situation. When my friend gets back he has this sketch story about how he got his truck from a man in Miami, who got it from his son who was moving away, and he makes payments to the man. He says he thinks the man just was taking his money and now the truck might possibly be repoed. No shit. Now I feel bad because his truck got repoed, but I also don't know what to believe. Plus my belongings are in that truck! He tells me that he has contacted his lawyer and will get it all straightened out after the weekend when his lawyer is back in the office on Monday. All this is too much so I pack up our stuff and my girls and leave. Looking back I know I should have called police or done more than what I did at the time, but please understand how stressed and upset I was. Monday comes around and still no word about truck or our things. I don't hear much from him in the next week or so. He calls me within a few weeks and tells me that yes the truck was repoed but since it was still in the other guy's name I can't get my belongings because the repo place won't release anything to anyone except the person whose name is on the title of the truck. I ask for names/numbers of repo place or something/anything. He gives me the number of the repo place where truck is located. I call the place and explain my situation. The guy I talk to is a bit rude at first but eventually he understands(or so I think) my situation and wants to help. He tells me he will talk to his brother and see what he can do. He also asks to see a picture of my id and a list of what I am missing so that he can prove it is really me. I am an idiot and send him a picture of my drivers license and my list. He says I don't sound like that I look like and I kind of laugh and brush it off not thinking much about it. (I did sound pretty scary I had just gotten over a bad cold and lost my voice) So a couple of weeks go by and no word. I call, no answer. Eventually guy texts back and says he can help! YAY! Turns out no yay. He tells me "maybe" he will send stuff then says "what do I get" What the heck dude?! So I see where this is going and tell him he would get a big thank you. Not what he wanted to hear. He asks for a picture of me. I didn't respond. Now here I am on Reddit asking for advice. Is there anything I can do? Will I ever see my things or am I just wishing and hoping? Should I file a police report or is it too late? Thanks in advance for any advice. Also, yes I know I have made mistakes in this situation and probably spelling/grammar mistakes so please go easy on me. (Yea I know asking Reddit to go easy on you is kind of dumb in itself but hey, worth a shot) I will add that the iPad was my daughter's, but was a family shared iPad and had pictures and videos of myself and kids on it. I am uncomfortable with this being in the hands of a random person, especially one that wasn't so nice. I tried to locate it and erase it but without being connected to wifi it won't work. Pics provided for proof [](http://m.imgur.com/gallery/CoBdoda) [](http://m.imgur.com/gallery/bn5GUkj) [photo 3](http://m.imgur.com/gallery/5x8Lu0M)

You should definitely call the police, and perhaps accept that your "friend" is a predator or in cahoots with one. You do realize that he's full of some kind of shit, right? Exactly which kind, chunky or s-shaped, I'm not sure. But he's definitely filled with it.Answer #2: Where is the repo guy located? Florida? Unfortunately, it looks like the best person to act on all this is the owner of the car, who should contact their lender and discuss getting personal items back. Also, the owner of the car is supposed to be sent an inventory of all items in the car and be given an opportunity to recover them. But, you might be charged a "reasonable fee" for storage. See here: http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0400-0499/0493/Sections/0493.6404.html Your friend is almost definitely the owner of the car. I'm guessing he was too embarrassed to admit it, so came up with some weird story about the man from Miami who's supposedly acting as a middleman between your friend and the creditor on the car loan. That sounds like bullshit. Now he's acting flaky. You can and **should** file a complaint against the repo company (the "recovery agent") here: https://licensing.freshfromflorida.com/contacts/FileYourComplaint.aspx If your friend gets nowhere, or refuses to help, you might have to resort to small claims court.

[NJ] My mom took out car insurance under my name, I've called to have it corrected and nothing was resolved. How much does this matter and what should I do?

Throwaway just to keep my business private. I am a 20-something year old student in New Jersey. I've still been on "family plans" until I'm not totally broke, which I appreciate. However, last year my father abruptly passed away, which really screwed a bunch of things up. Our plans were all in his name, and he was the foundation of everything that kept my (nice) but irresponsible mom in line. His estate has been settled for the most part now and of course things had to be taken out of his name since he is no longer with us. Unfortunately, my mom I guess still has not so great credit or whatever. At some point, my mom must have switched our family car insurance (just me and her, only child) into MY name instead of hers, they must have not approved her for some reason. I was unaware of this, and only found out because I have mail forwarding set up with the post office (I share an apartment with someone else not far from my mom) and got some stuff from Geico in my name. I called Geico after reading it over and was really confused. I understand my vehicle, which is an older model car that's totally paid off, being in my name. However, when my father passed, my mom consolidated the family vehicles and just got one reliable car she could afford on her own, which is fine. Don't know how she got approved for that, my credit is already frozen and I checked and doesn't look like she put that under me this time thank goodness. However, her new, bank owned vehicle is under my name on the car insurance. Both vehicles are listed under her (our family home) address. I called/contacted Geico more than once to ask about this and correct this and find out what the deal is and why it's in my name. I told them point blank it's not my car, it's not my address, that my mom always takes policies and credit lines out in my name so that's why I always keep my stuff frozen. I requested to have every single document mailed to me at my apartment address, and they mailed me the WRONG things for the vehicles my father owned we no longer even had. They still have not even sent me a permanent insurance card for my car, so I'm afraid to even drive to work. It's also sketchy because I cannot log in because my mom set up the online account in her email and log in info even though it's under my name, so I can't see or do anything. I told them this and they just were like meh. Geico claims they'd have their certain department look into it, which I guess got nowhere. I also told them I did not want my mom to be able to make any changes on the account until this was sorted out because she has a habit of running my credit into the ground for non-payments on lines she's opened up. They gave me the option of creating a verbal password so only I could make changes if I called in, which I did. Lo and behold, that didn't work because my mom called back in anyways and changed everything and locked me back out. I just got back from vacation to a letter at home that my policy was cancelled for non-payment because of an overdue balance, but I cannot log in to change any of the billing. I'm trying not to be angry at my mom, because losing my dad and everything else has already been horrible enough, but I need to find out legally what I'm on the hook here for. Geico is being absolutely unhelpful and I don't want to be held responsible for my moms non-payments or if she gets into an accident am I going to be sued as the "policy holder" even if it's not my car, registered to me and I don't live there? How do I get them to put HER car in HER name and leave me out of it?

/u/Jacaranda18 gave an accurate, but very brief answer that you should listen to. His answer is accurate, it just needs to be expanded a bit. Your mother is engaged in identity theft. That is a crime. The system isn't set up to be 'nice' to mothers who are a little ditzy, and what she's doing isn't simply ditzy, it's a *crime*. She is *stealing* from you in a very real sense, attacking your future with reckless abandon. You're gonna have to choose between helping her screw you over, or protecting yourself -- she's made a mistake, and someone has to pay the consequences. Geico isn't going to be able to do much until you get a police report and establish that someone has engaged in identity theft. Until then, they need to get *their* money paid, and *you* are the client of record, and due to pay. The police report on identity theft is a legal document that gives them the right to re-assign that debt to someone else. It's a protection: someone can't move their debt to your name willy nilly, there has to be a justified legal reason (identity theft). /r/personalfinance has a [https://www.reddit.com/r/personalfinance/wiki/identity_theft](wiki article) on identity theft you should read and follow.

Police harassing me

The police were pounding on my Door around 1.30am I was asleep. I thought someone was trying to break the door down to get in (sleepy brain) I was so frightened. This is the 3rd time they have done this asking about the person that lived here before me, it's starting to feel like harassment. I answered all their questions the first time, but they keep coming back. They bang on the door, ask questions and don't even apologise when they realise I'm not the person they are looking for and for being so aggressive. I wish someone could help me

Call the police in morning, ask to speak to a supervisor or commander/whatever and ask to explain what is happening.

[Ohio] I have been informed that my neighbor stole my cat.

Long story short, my kitten ran away about three months ago and we never saw any sign of him ever again. We posted signs and asked around but nothing turned up. Just a few days ago, I was talking to my neighbor (not that ones who stole my cat) that I never really talk to and they inform me that my other neighbors have my kitten. What can I do? The cat had no identifiers on it such as a collar or nametag but it did have very distinctive grey fur.

I would confront the neighbors and act happy and thankful. "I heard you found my kitten. Omigod thank you so much". And then see what happens. If that doesn't work, small claims court.

Leaf Blower exploded in my hand

So, as the title states, my Troy Bilt leaf blower exploded in my hand yesterday, while on the roof clearing leaves and pine straw. The blower was recalled in 2014 for this exact reason, but I was unaware of that until today. So, I’d prefer not to go through lawyers and courts, but I certainly want my medical expenses and a little bit of “I’m Sorry, I hope this makes you a bit happier” coinage. Nothing major, but I have pretty heavy swelling and bruising, and some lacerations to my dominant hand. I went to the ER for X-rays to rule out a break. What’s fair for me to ask for from the manufacturer? I definitely want my co-pay reimbursed and my blower replaced. Other than that, should I give them a dollar amount? Topic: Personal Injury

They may tell you to pound sand and that they did a recall and their bases are covered. You will probably need to engage a personal injury attorney.Answer #2: You likely have a reasonable products liability claim. A recall is a subsequent remedial measure that many manufacturers will take to prevent further injury but generally will not totally remove liability for products that remain in the hands of the public. It would be different if you had received notice of the recall prior to your injury. With a products liability claim, you don't have to prove an actual wrongful act by the manufacturer, only that the product caused injury and was in substantially the same condition as when you bought it. Effectively, negligence is presumed because there was something wrong that only the manufacturer had control of. These types of claims vary by state. You can probably get a consultation with a PI lawyer for low or no cost to you.

Landlord did not disclose violent criminal history. Help!

In case this matters, we live in California. Last month, my husband and I moved into a condo in a duplex. Both units in the duplex are owned by our landlady (Liz)--she rents out one and lives in the other with her husband, whom we'll call Jay. A few days ago, my husband and I were both home sick and around lunchtime, we overheard what sounded like a very heated domestic disturbance between my Liz and Jay. Liz ended up driving away (Jay was physically blocking her car, Liz was laying on the horn, etc.). It was scary to listen to. Liz has not been back since, and we have since heard Jay discussing a restraining order, so we assume she has had this placed on him. This 'tussle' really put my husband and I on edge, because Liz was clearly terrified of him during this fight. Jay is a very physically intimidating man--over six feet and he looks like he is on steroids, to be frank. We started to google him a little bit to see if he has any previous history of violence or anything. Much to our chagrin, we have found that this guy has been in prison at least six times, all for violent offenses including sexual assault & battery, false imprisonment, aggravated battery, assault of a firefighter/emt, resisting arrest, etc. As far as we can tell, he was charged and served time in a different state. He doesn't seem to be a fugitive. The condo we live in is solely owned by Liz (as far as we can tell, based on property information we found on the county clerk-recorder's website), and Jay is not mentioned in any of the lease documentation we signed through a legitimate property management company. At this point, we do not feel safe. Liz has not been back to her condo since their fight 2 days ago. My husband and I feel that if we had been informed of Jay's criminal history, we would not have elected to live in this unit. Do we have any recourse? We have already spent a deposit and moving expenses getting us here and this feels like this nightmare is just beginning. I honestly have no idea if Liz knows about his past, nor if the property management company has any idea. What the heck can we do?

There is no requirement for your landlord to tell you any information about people that live in other units. If Jay threatens you in any way, call the police.Answer #2: I don't think you can do anything, really...it has nothing to do with your apartment or your lease. Maybe anonymously call the police if something similar happens again.

(TX) Neighbor cut tree down and threw limbs/trunk into my yard damaging my fence. Need advice!

My neighbor hired people to cut out the top of one of his trees and drop the trunk sections and limbs over his fence and into my yard and two other neighbors, damaging our fences. This tree was not leaning over any of our yards and there is no way any of the materials would have dropped in our yards naturally.   I spoke to the workers and my neighbor and they all ensured me that they would pick up the trunk sections and fix my fence. They then bent back my mangled fence, not actually repairing it, and then he paid them and they left without picking up the giant trunk sections they dumped into my yard.   It has been several days and my neighbor will not respond to any emails or phone calls and he won’t answer the door. I figured this would happen because he is an old disbarred attorney that has a reputation for screwing people over. Since I anticipated this, I took video of the workers dropping limbs and photos of the damage, workers vehicles/plates, and him speaking with them before they left to never come back.   What are my options? Should I call the police? Take it to small claims court? I’d much rather not deal with the hassle of a court case, but he can’t just get away with dumping his crap on all of his neighbors and damaging our property.

The general consensus seems to be small claims court, which was my first thought, but does anyone with Texas law enforcement knowledge know if this is grounds for any sort of fine or ticketing to my neighbor even if he claims it was the workers? Or is this purely a small claims issue? Also can I legally throw all of this lumber back over his fence if he doesn't take care of it?

Filing a police report for theft, while I was trespassing. Also, making an insurance claim.

So i was trespassing in a beautiful outdoors area near a swimming hole and took some beautiful footage with a drone. I placed the drone in a semi hidden area so i could hike across a creek and take some photos without carrying the case (incredibly stupid decision) now my drone is gone but I'd like to file a report because there was only two other individuals in the area who I'm farely sure stole my drone. I also wanted to try and make a homeowners personal property insurance claim for the drone since it was a $2000 purchase and I work a minimum wage job. (extra bit of useless info for your enjoyment: this was only the 3rd time I had used this drone, if I don't find this thing with the GPS flight recorder or the help of authorities and I can't get a claim I'll have paid $2,000 to use a drone 3 times without even having the footage I took to show for it :')

The police probably won't care that you were trespassing though there is an outside chance it will become an issue. Just because you were committing a (minor) crime does not make it legal or justified for others to commit crimes against you. But I have no idea if your trespassing changes anything in regards to your insurance claim.

Landlord is having contractors come over during my work hours, curious if I can be compensated for this time.

This is a weird question, but I've had to do it so frequently I'm actually noticing a difference in my finances. My landlord is planning to renovate my attic into a separate AirBnB, however at this point the only access to the attic is inside. There have been numerous contractors, electricians, plumbers etc over in the passed few months, all during my 9-5 job and I have to be home to let them in. Just curious if I can get some of the lost income. I should also add, my landlord is also having contractors come in to my apartment for renovations she's planning to do in the fall after I move out. Also not sure if this is where this should go.

You don’t have to be home to let them in. You are just being nice. Stop it. Stop it right now. Letting contractors in is her job.

[FL] Question(s) regarding dog walking, sidewalks and cyclists.

Hello there! If this is not the right sub-reddit for this kind of question(s) please let me know and I will remove/post in the correct area. So my question is in regards to a hypothetical situation I feel I will encounter any day now and getting a better understanding of my rights as a pedestrian. I have a German Shepherd dog who is coming up on 4 years old. I often walk him after I get home from work which is around 4-5pm. I currently(am moving soon) live near an elementary(closest), high school, and middle school. By the time I usually walk my dog most of the schools have been out for quite some time but there are still some stragglers walking/biking home or just going somewhere after school. The problem is that my dog does not like people on wheels. Whether it's a bike, a scooter, roller blades, whatever it gets him(and me when they're too close) riled up. Now I'm not talking about someone riding on the other side of the street mind you, he may pay attention to them but he will not react how he does if they try to ride right by us on the sidewalk. By react I mean he will pull on the leash(lunge) and bark at them. If they are too close and he does this I do not correct him, I have been the victim of 2 completely random physical attacks and do not put anything past anyone of any age. Generally when I see someone on a bicycle coming towards us on the sidewalk I will put my dog in a sit/stay position on the sidewalk and stand there letting the cyclist know I do not intend to move and that they should be aware of my animal.(If at night I do the same thing except I have a flashlight blinking around my neck so that they are aware there is an obstacle) If I am on a multi-use path such as a wide trail and I see someone coming towards us on wheels I will get off the path and also put him in a sit/stay until they have gone by, out of principle I do not do this when I am on a side walk. Why? To me it seems like if I am driving then cyclists want to ride in the road and if I am walking my dog then they seem to favor the sidewalk, I can deal with one or the other but not both so I do not yield my right of way on a sidewalk as a pedestrian. I get young children riding on the sidewalk as they may not know better/feel safer but I still do not get out of their way. I leave it up to them to figure out that I am standing still with my dog at my side and they can either run into me(not advised) or go around me in the grass(preferably with a few feet as a buffer) and maybe when they get home and complain to their mom/dad they will do a google search and find that even if they are allowed in their city/state to ride on the sidewalk they must yield to pedestrians. Now my real question is if I get a real hard headed cyclist that sees me and my dog standing still, sees me looking dead at them, is ignorant of the laws and decides to ride on the sidewalk perhaps within inches of me and my dog and my dog lunges, bites/scratches/tackles/etc and dismounts them causing bodily injury who is at fault here? I don't want my dog put down because cyclist expect me to jump out of their way while they cruise by at 10-20mph on a sidewalk. Don't get me wrong, if I see a group of bicycles coming my direction with enough warning I will move to the other side of the road but when time does not permit or if it's only one person I will not get into the grass/road, nor do I feel I should have too, it is after a sidewalk not a sidepath or sideroad. I also after putting him in a sit/stay grip the leash very tightly with both hands so that they really would have to be within a foot or less for my dog to reach them. TLDR: If I am walking my dog on the sidewalk and a bicycle/other wheeled vehicle rides by and does not yield/get off the sidewalk and my dog attacks them who is at fault? Thank you for your time and answers. Edit: no more need for further answers the circle jerk is over guys time to go, you don't have to go home but you can't keep jerkin it here. Edit 2: it's the people in this thread that make me have to worry about some idiot coming right up on my dog.

Your fault. Buy a muzzle.

Hit and run and the other driver said I was at fault

[This is in CALIFORNIA] I was recently in a hit and run and the other driver sped away. I took down his plates number and called the police at the scene of the accident. Few days later I got a call from the police and the police informed me that he has located the other driver and the other driver told the police I was at fault. Now the police tells me there is nothing he can do because there is no proof who is at fault. Now the police wants me to exchange information with the other driver and we both claim the accident. I called the police right after the accident and he was nowhere to be found yet the other driver claims I am at fault now. Is my best bet to find a lawyer?

>Is my best bet to find a lawyer? File a claim through your insurance and let their lawyers (which you already pay for) handle this. If you're lucky, they might recoup your deductible. For the future get a dash cam. It's the cheapest insurance you can buy.

[NY] Grabbed my fiancés breast when she wasn't in the mood while we were lying together. She's treating legal action, what should I do?

[removed] Topic: Troll Post

So the wedding is off then?

Pregnant and want to leave father and state behind

South Carolina. I am posting this for a friend (at her request) who doesn't have reddit so this information is secondhand. I'm not even in the same state. Just looking for some helpful info or resources to ease her mind. Fake names used. Amy is pregnant, Steve is the father. They were in a long term relationship but split up before Amy found out she was pregnant. Steve wants nothing to do with the child as of right now. Their past relationship was violent, from both parties. He would hit her, but she would hit back just as hard. Police have been called, charges have been filed. I wasn't there so I don't know the whole story. Anyway, Amy wants to pack up and leave town, more or less ghost the guy before the baby is born. She doesn't want to collect child support down the road, and to be honest he seems like the kind of guy who wouldn't pay anyway. Are there any legal consequences to this? What if Steve changes his mind down the road? My friend is scared and alone right now, any help helps! Thank you.

Child support can’t be unilaterally waived by the mother, generally. Definitely not if she receives public assistance.

[CO] Landlord claims my lease contract needs to be "corrected" to higher rent amount.

When I was looking into this apartment (Pueblo, Colorado), I was verbally told that rent would be $650/month. When I actually went in to sign the lease, the contract stated that it was $545 (the manager read over it with me and said $545 verbally, as well). Two months later, they're now telling me that it was a mistake in their system and want to make rent $625 and "schedule a day to make the correct changes", which I guess means sign a new contract. I realize they may have made a mistake, but think they are still bound to the contract. It's got "This is a Binding Legal Document" written at the top. I'm a little unsure, though, because I also signed this one page handwritten document called "Rental Agreement", which says rent is $650 and gives the move in date, lease term, etc. I'm not sure why there are two documents, but the "Rental Agreement" paper seems clearly incorrect, since it also says the lease term is 6 months while the official lease contract says 1 year. **Edit:** Thanks for the input everyone. I decided to just offer to pay the original amount, since it was an honest mistake on their part and it's not really worth the effort to fight, plus all the good points made below. Topic: Landlord Tenant Housing

Is it worth the potential hassle? You've already made out ahead for two months for over $100 after agreeing to the higher monthly rent and it seems they've negotiated the rent down from the initial price by $25. Presumably you'll have to deal with this landlord for the next year or so. Is it worth fighting for the "proverbial" bank error in your favor at the risk of an extended uncomfortable living situation?Answer #2: > I think they are bound to the contract. It's got "This is a Binding Legal Document" written at the top. I'm a little unsure, though, because I also signed this one page handwritten document called "Rental Agreement", which says rent is $650 It's strange for there to be two lease documents. Did the landlord sign either or both of them?

[MN] I can't afford my rent anymore. What are the consequences of breaking my lease?

I rent a 2 bedroom apartment for $700 a month. When I rented it in September, I was in a desperate spot to move into a new place ASAP and the price was too good to pass up. However, I've since had my hours cut at work to the point I can't afford to 700 for rent anymore. I talked to the landlord and subleasing is not permitted. The cost of breaking my lease is one month's rent plus the cost of the total number of days the apartment is vacant. I can stay with my friend at his house for less than half the monthly cost, so it would be cheaper in the long run to break the lease and move into my friend's house. Are there any other consequences for breaking my lease? Will it hurt my credit or ability to rent in the future? I feel like I'm between a rock and a hard place here. 23M in Minnesota.

If you break the lease with the landlord's permission, there will be no legal record of it - i.e. no eviction suit or anything like that. You would likely not be able to use him as a reference. As you've been advised, you'd owe the full rent on the place until the end of your lease or the unit gets re-rented.

Reimbursement being halted because I declined job offer? (NY)

I spent several hundred dollars on a plane ticket to a job interview; I was told I would be reimbursed at a later time. I was asked to do this so I could select my own itinerary. The hotel was covered by the job up front, since it was in the area. I also had a few meals covered. They offered me a job and I declined. I got a very bad vibe about the job and the people who work there, and the person who would have been my direct manager had a poor/inappropriate attitude and I would not feel comfortable working there. The company is now saying that because I declined their offer, I am responsible for my flight and incidentals. Is this legal?

You could sue them and win if you've got evidence that they would pay for the flight and there was no mention of any conditions which needed to be satisfied for reimbursement. It's just a breach of contract case in small claims.Answer #2: Did you have the agreement in writing, and were there any conditions attached to it? If so, I would send them a letter with a copy of the agreement and ask that they pay it, and if they don't, you have the option to take them to court if the money is worth it to you.

Unresponsive lawyer. Undelivered service (+1 year)

Location [USA/CA] I paid a lawyer to write-up a prenup. We first met last July. First payment took place then, but it was a bit more work than he thought at first so final payment was in January. Total $5000 I waited a few months and sent an email asking for update. I called the office. Nothing. I finally got ahold of him in June and told him the wedding was coming up. He said he was almost finished and would call me back and update me. Never heard back. Sent 3 status update emails and called since then. It's now October and my relationship is out the door (partly because of this fiasco). I'm not inclined to continue calling him every day and going to the physical location to chase this down, etc. Can I take this to small claims? What's my options going forward. I have email records & call logs.

It doesn't take 3 months to write a pre-nup, it takes about a week 2 tops if you have a bunch of assets to list .Report him to the BAR, offer to go to fee arbitration through them.

[GA] BP Gas Station Broke My Car

On October 12th, I got a tank full of gas from a BP gas station in Smyrna, GA. About 5 minutes after I got the gas, I was driving down the street and my car broke down. My car was moving at 35 mph but I was not able to break, accelerate or turn the steering wheel. This lasted for about a half of mile. I tried not to panic but my son was in the car and we were going down a residential street and there was nothing I could do to stop the car. Luckly, we didn't hit anything or anyone. Eventually, the car stopped moving and I was able to pull into a school parking lot. I called my insurance company and while I was waiting for a tow trunk to come, a police officer came to me to find out what was wrong. I explained to him that my car just randomly turned off and he asked me if I had just gotten gas from BP. When I told him yes, he explained to me that several other drivers in the area had the same problem because the BP that we had went to mixed up their diesel fuel and regular fuel. The officer was not able to give me a police report because he said it was a civil issues but he did provide me with an event number. I was told by family members to open a claim with my car insurance company and let them handle the issue but this hasn't been very effective. My car has been with the mechanic since October 13th and no work has been done to the car because my insurance company hasn't approved anything. It wasn't confirmed that I purchased bad gas and nothing has been fix. I spoke to the BP owner and he offered me $350 for repairs. When I try to reach my claims adjuster, I only receive her voicemail. I was originally told by the mechanic that the repairs would cost $2k and would take at least one week to fix. My insurance company told me that the repairs would only cost $750. This makes me nervous because I feel like they're cutting corners. I'm having a really hard time with this issue. I've missed two days of work. I've been having nightmares about my son and I dying in a car crash. I have a rental now and when I drive I constantly think that I'm going to lose control of the vehicle. I know the fears are irrational but I can't stop my mind of thinking negative thoughts. I really need some guidance about this. Do I have a case? Should I wait for my insurance company to fix this or get a lawyer?

I'm sorry this happened to you. For future reference if your engine shuts off you can still turn and brake it just takes more force. It sounds like you insurance is offering to pay for the repairs so I'm not sure what your legal question is.

URGENT: Rented water heater just failed structurally, flooding my rental house's basement. I have attempted to control the damage. What do I do next? (Ontario, Canada)

Context: my wife and I rent a house in a community north of Toronto. The rental house we occupy has a water heater that is owned and rented to us by Enbridge (Enercare). We have occupied the residence since 2015 and haven't dealt with this sort of situation before. I came home from a night shift at 3:40am this morning and went to the basement to use the washroom before going to bed. I heard water running so I investigated and found a slowly growing puddle emanating from the water heater. Not knowing exactly where the water was coming from, I turned off the water to the house using the main water valve. I also called the emergency line listed on the heater. The lady I spoke to at Enercare walked me through what I could do to stem the flow from the ruptured heater. The house's main water valve is also faulty (even in the "off" position the flow continues), so I turned off the inflow to the heater itself, which seems to have halted the inflow entirely. I also used towels to soak up all of the water I could access, and wrung them out into a bucket. I called the city and they are sending somebody later today to replace the house's main water valve. Enercare will contact me during regular business hours to come by and replace the heater itself (it was installed in 2002, long before we occupied this residence). Some water has gone under the floor in the basement living room, so I am worried my landlords may hold me accountable for any repairs. I am setting up a dehumidifier to suck some of the excess moisture out of the room while the damage is fresh. I think I caught this situation at its earliest stage, but I'm worried about legal recourse from my landlords, and wondering if anybody else has been through this. If there is structural damage, mold damage, or if I need to tear up the basement living room floor do I have any recourse against Enercare? Thank you for any information you can provide.

Maintenance and repairs should be your landlord's responsibility, not yours, unless the damage was caused by some kind of neglect on your part. It doesn't sound like you did anything to cause the failures in equipment and plumbing in this case. However, you can be held responsible if you fail to notify your landlord about problems that need attention. And you do have a responsibility to mitigate damage as much as you can. Inform your landlord. Mop up as much as you can. If your landlord doesn't have repairs completed in a reasonable amount of time at his own expense, file a T5 Application About Maintenance with the Landlord and Tenant Board.

Did Bobo commit a crime?

Do you believe everyone is familiar with your retarded circus?

Need advice about a drug test!!

So I just took a drug test today as a pre employment requirement. The manager told me not to worry if I show up positive for THC now that it's legal (I live in California). I gladly took the test because it didn't matter. Then I do a quick search and it turns out that because I take lithium and adderall daily, that can make a test come out positive for amphetamines! What do I do?! Do I go back to the testing site, or talk to the manager? And what would I tell them, how in depth would I need to go? Thank you, I need help ASAP!

Usually they ask you what medications you're taking first, did they not do that?

[Ontario, Canada] Can you legally be high on your own property (as long as you have no illegal substances on the property too)?

Just out of curiosity. I own a house and my friend gave me a weed brownie. If I were to eat it (thus having no illegal substances on my property) would my high be "legal"?

Having an illegal substance in your body IS possessing it on your property.

revenge

Kansas. I was recently canned by an abusive company on the word of a supervisor. The upper management keeps itself unapproachable to its workers. The supervisors use this to their advantage to abuse their workers, and at the same time this supervisor has been talking trash about the upper management a lot. I have a list of conversations I've had with the supervisor and want to send it to upper management. They're conversations about things that I obviously wouldn't have known about unless the supervisor told me. It contains a lot of personal stuff about upper management. Will I be looking forward to legal troubles when I send the letter?

What's the point? Do you think you're going to get your job back? You won't. Do you think you're going to get your supervisor fired? You won't. What *will* happen is that any decent reference you had will disappear and you will be transformed into that guy who went crazy after he was fired. Use your energy for looking for a new job.

(GA) Employer is saying I have to work all my off days or else they will fire me.

I am a full time hourly employee working 4 days a week. My employer is saying there is mandatory overtime next week on the three days I am supposed to be off. Is this allowed in the state of Georgia?

If you're at will, yes. You can be fired for not complying. Answer #2: Georgia has no "one day in seven" law that requires you to get one day off per week. As long as your employer is paying you properly for all hours worked and all overtime, then they can schedule you for as many hours as they wish, and can fire you for cause if you don't show up for work. As a practical matter, take care of your sleep and budget something fun to do with that sweet overtime pay.Answer #3: Georgia does not have any restrictions on mandatory overtime and neither does the Federal government.Answer #4: "Supposed to be off" doesn't have legal standing. You and your employer come to an agreement about when and how much you work, and if you can't then that relationship ends. The law protects you from working without pay or breaks, but not from having to cancel your road trip when your employer needs last "minute" help.

CalOSHA and non-disclosure agreements (CA)

Here's an email my idiot former boss just sent me... "I know you filed a complaint with Cal Osha against my company. They told me. You violated your NDA with me by doing so. You remember signing it don't you? You sure did I have it in front of me here. You are not supposed to disclose what goes on here and what you did for me. It's a legal matter now. I've CC'd my attorney here. You will be hearing from him." So here's my question: Can an NDA prevent an employee from filing a complaint with OSHA?

No it can not. File a complaint with the State labor board and OSHA. Answer #2: No. Non-disclosure does not cover reporting safety issues to a statutory body in any way shape or form. Do you have a contact you spoke to at Osha (or their main email). I would send them a copy of the email. Osha does not like it much when companies make threats towards people who speak to them

I'm a landlord. What If I don't have the money for a major sewer replacement?

I'm in Indianapolis. I have a rental house and the sewer line has a partial collapse. It will have to be replaced but the lowest estimate is $6,500 and I cannot afford that. There is a clause in my lease stating: "Clause 24. Partial or Total Destruction of the Premises by Acts of God / Casualty or Untenantable Conditions; If the premises are partially or completely destroyed or rendered untenantable by a fire, earthquake, tornado, explosion, terrorist act or any other occurrence or Act of God that is not caused by Tenant’s negligence or willful act (or the negligence or willful act of Tenant’s family, agent, or guest), the Landlord, in its sole discretion, may elect to: (1) repair or rebuild the premises during the period of untenantability, refunding the rent proportionally that had been paid in advance for the period starting from the date of the damage; or (2) not repair or rebuild the premises, terminate the Lease effective as of the date of the occurrence and refund the rent proportionally that had been paid in advance for the period starting from the date of the damage." What are my legal responsibilities to repair the sewer? If I do not repair am I protected by this clause and able to end the lease? I appreciate the help.

Was the collapse caused by an "Act of God"? If the collapse was the result of the pipes being poorly maintained or just outliving their useful life, then this wouldn't qualify under that clause. Answer #2: What caused the collapse?Answer #3: You can't get a home-equity line of credit on the rental to fix this?

Got summoned for jury duty and I have a question

I got a reckless driving charge two weeks ago and have jury duty next week. Will I be dismissed because of that?

Most likely, yes, if those charges are pending. You should call the number on your jury summons to ask what to do. They may release you then and there, or they may tell you to disclose it when you show up for duty.

Daycare Drama (Oklahoma)

I formerly worked at daycare center in Oklahoma. A parent recently contacted me in order to obtain a statement regarding an incident at the daycare with his child and her intoxicated birth mother. The incident occurred around four years ago and he wants documentation for custody proceedings. I asked my former employer to give the father a statement I had written at the time , but they were unable to locate it. I’m worried about opening myself up to potential legal and/or personal problems if I provide a statement now. I’ve also been told I could be subpoenaed later if I don’t willingly provide a new statement. Should I refuse to provide a new statement? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

You could ask the parent to have his attorney contact you. Once you are contacted you can tell the attorney that the incident in question happened four years ago and any recollection you have of the incident you had written down at the time and provided to the daycare, but other than that you cannot testify for sure because your memory of the day is hazy. If they subpoena you, you must show up to the hearing unless you hire an attorney to quash the subpoena. Once sworn in to testify, you can tell the truth, it was a long time ago and I don't exactly remember what happened, I only know ____, and I had provided a statement to the daycare about it. If you tell the truth you should not have potential legal issues. As for personal issues, I cannot speak to that other than your workplace should not have given that parent your number if that is how he got it.

[FL-USA] Car is financed, can no longer drive and I'm upside down. CarMax offered $6k less than what I owe. Couple offered to take over payments but leave it in my name for a year. Details inside

Car is almost 2 years old now (2014 Kia Optima) with only 15,000 miles. I posted an ad on Craigslist to have someone take over the payments but they must bring their own financing. My ad has been up for a couple months and everyone just assumes they can take my car and give me the monthly payment. Enter some random girl. She has offered to take over the payments with a contract and in a year will refinance it under her and her husband's name. They (her and her husband) will also insure the car under their name. I'm very reluctant to do it this way but it would be easier than continuing to pay the $450 and $100 per month to keep a car that I can't drive. Is there a bullet proof contract that would allow me to hand the keys over and not have to worry about them ruining me or my credit (non-payment, accident, etc)? Is there any kind of contract that would at least protect me in case of nonpayment or accident. Is there some sort of collateral that I could take? Maybe a title to a vehicle or something of the sort. She plans on sending the contract over today via e-mail. Can anyone help me to see if it's something to pursue or should I just take the hit by selling it to CarMax. Thank you **edit** From the responses I've gotten, it is not a good idea, terrible actually, to go through with it. I will tell her in the nicest way possible to kick rocks. Thank you again to all those that responded Topic: Contracts

No. There is no way of protecting yourself. They could stop paying you then you would have to take them to court. They could rent it out to other people. They could resell the car to someone that doesn't care about a title. There could be an accident with the car that could leave you civilly liable for any damages and injuries.

Failed to Register for Selective Service

I am a 29 yr. old American citizen, and I recently learned that I did not register for selective service. I don't recall getting a form in the mail to register, and my failure to register was truly a mistake. I am now attempting to apply for federal student loans for graduate school and suspect I will be denied for not registering. I am aware that failure to register is a felony punishable by up to 5 years of jail time and a $250K fine. I grew up in a foreign country \(US expat\), but attended boarding school in the US up until I was 18. I proceeded to go to college in the US, and did not have to get federal loans. As a result I never realized my mistake before turning 26, and can no longer register for selective service. The only reason I think selective service registration might not have made it to me is because my home address at the date of my 18th birthday was overseas? Mail is incredibly unreliable in the country I lived in. I was not automatically registered and have confirmed that there is no registration under my name and SSID. What should I do? I appreciate any advice.

Head over to https://www.sss.gov/Home/Men-26-and-OLDER, they explain what can be done if you're past the registration age. It may still be possible to get through this.Answer #2: You are unlikely to be charged with a crime (no one has in decades), but you have lost eligibility for certain government aid (including student loans) and depending on the state you may have lost additional rights. NAL but having past the age of registration you are out of luck. Edit: typo

Can I use a fake name to get a job?

Hello! So, for certain reasons, I don't like the name I was given at birth and I want to change my first name. I don't have the money to get a name change just yet, but I really want to go by my new name. If I put my desired name on a job application and get hired and then my employers find out that it wasn't my actual name, could I get fired/get into legal trouble for that? Topic: Employment Law

You can call yourself whatever you want. You need to fill out official documents (such as tax forms and such) when you get hired with your legal name.

Getting DNA swabbed tomorrow, will I be tested for anything? What do I need to know? [California]

[deleted]

You know you can celebrate a birthday and not drink right?Answer #2: Under no circumstances should you break the law (which includes underage drinking) right now.

Sent the wrong board game then the right one - do I have to return the wrong one?

(IL) I ordered a game off of Kickstarter and instead of the one I ordered, I received a different game. I emailed the company it was shipped through, ShipNaked, and they are sending me the correct copy of the game. However, they also sent me a shipping label to return the old one back. Do I have to return it? I kind of want to have both. Company website - [ShipNaked](https://www.shipnaked.com/)

If they sent you a shipping label, that's a pretty strong indication that they still consider it to be their property. A mistake doesn't make it your property, and the FTC consumer protection rule against fraudulent shipments (that you can keep it) likely doesn't apply. There's another recent thread here where I went into detail about why.

My mom read my mail (NY)

Hi, I'm an 18 year old male living with my parents while I go to community college. My relationship with my parents have been rocky at best but i'm stuck here because I have no where else to go. Anyways, the other day my bank statement came in the mail while I was at college. When I came home, I saw that it was opened. My mom has a savings account for me, so I just figured she was trying to figure out which bank statement was in this envelope (Because both have my name on them). Anyways, Today I got into an argument with her about how I spend my money and when I said most of my money goes to gas she goes "Really? Check your bank statement". And then it kind of clicked for me because she normally doesn't have to open my bank statement (she never has before actually). Is this illegal in any way? Can I do anything? To clarify, I have a savings and checking account that my mom cosigned for and then she has a savings account for me that was like a college fund.

You should request paperless statements so you don't have to worry about anyone touching your bank statements.Answer #2: Sure. You can call the postal inspection service to file a complaint then put your mom in prison or at least on probation. Of course, you will need a new place to live paying your own tuition and housing costs. https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/ Answer #3: It is illegal for your mother to open your mail, but as you're living in her house, and if you have told her unequivocally that you don't want her to do that, your best bet is to simply circumvent her intrusions and rent a P.O.Box. You shouldn't have to do it (I have an adult child living at home and I wouldn't dream of opening his mail unless he specifically asked me to) but some people have boundary issues. Make sure you've told her that you don't want her to do this though first. Maybe she needs you to be very specific about this whole thing before she gets it.

Alcoholic roommate spirals into hanging with hobos. -Atlanta

Hello, My roommate works at a civil law firm as a paralegal. He has generally gone to work everyday and done a spectacular job. He always pays the rent and utilities early. But, he's an extreme alcoholic. Recently, he's lost control. He is on probation for public intox. That charge involved him being on alcohol, cocaine, and some type of bad hallucinogen at 6 am on Thanksgiving night. He was frantically waving at cars, trying to get away from the apocolyptic wall of fire that he saw. The police picked him up, he resisted, kicked the fuck out of the inside of the cop car. The dropped 2 charges and only gave him the public intox. Then, he was arrested for Sexual assault and regular assault. The girl was a long time friend. They were at a bar celebrating roommate's sister's birthday. Roommate pinned the girl against a wall and reached into her skirt. They have a long history of consentual encounters, but she has a boyfriend now so she pressed charges. Then the spiral began. He started bringing 2 homeless guys home from the liquor store. He hangs out with them in our house, then he passes out and there's an unattended hobo wandering the house. One of these guys is known to have broken into every house on the block! Our neighbor is a very old man who sits on his porch all day and knows everyone in the hood, he told us that this hobo is a bad guy. He also talked to the hobo last week and threatened to shoot him if he comes back on the street again. Roommate goes to work(still drunk from the night before I'm sure), then goes out on lunch break. He starts drinking at lunch and never goes back to work in the afternoon. His boss gave him an ultimatum: either you're fired, or you're going to rehab. He went to rehab. Rehab lasted 1 month. He came home 2 days ago. He got drunk IMMEDIATELY. He brought his hobo friend's into the house IMMEDIATELY. While he was gone to rehab, the bad hobo was coming over to the house everyday while we were all at work and he was peeping in the windows and cars. That's why the neighbor threatened to shoot him. I just bought 2 top of the line security cameras that I've got set up recording to my Gdrive. I kicked those 2 hobos out of the house. There are 4 people living in the house. Only myself and the drunk are on the lease. But we have 2 other guys living here that are cool. The landlord doesn't know about the other 2 guys. So ideally, I'd like to kick drunky off the lease and get the other 2 guys added on with me. So, how do I kick him out? Should I call his probation officer and setup a time for her to come catch him drunk? Can I press charges for something? It's not exactly illegal to be a drunk asshole, but what he's doing is not right. He makes all of our lives hell with all of his drama every single day. If I get some suspicious looking video of the bad hobo can I press some sort of charges on him? Please help! Thank you!

I'd contact the landlord, inform them your roommate is breaching the lease by having uninvited guests living in the apartment, and let the landlord take care of kicking out the hobos. Landlords hate guests living in their dwellings because after 30 days, in most places, they are legally considered tenants, even though they don't pay rent; and the landlord has go through an eviction process to kick them out. If your roommate refuses to leave and the landlord doesn't evict him (possibly because technically there's no cause to evict; depends on your lease), you should unfortunately look for a new place to live. Answer #2: You can notify his PO and you can call the cops if he commits a crime. But that won't necessarily get him off the lease. The ideal solution would be to pay him to move out. You could also contact your LL and encourage him to evict you both (I think LL could even file an eviction suit naming only the roommate). Then sign a new lease with LL on your own.

Please Help Me Help My Mom (Dementia?)

I've resorted to asking strangers on the internet, because agencies I've called are not helping. It seems that legally I can not do anything to help my mother. I live in PA, 2 hours away from my mom. My mom is not doing well. She is not paying bills, her mail was shut off, she called her ex-husband (my dad) repeatedly, looking for me because she thought I still lived there (haven't for years). I think she has dementia. She's been mentally ill for a long time, as well as an alcoholic. My dad says she won't eat. He brings her beer so she doesn't die from detoxing. I've called the agency on aging. They told me they don't evaluate people for competence or dementia, and help with things like bathing and cleaning. I called the police. They can't get evaluations done. They suggested I go to the hospital and file a 302 warrant (I live 2 hours away). I looked up the thing, it's for mental health, not alcohol or dementia. I don't know if it would even help. I called a local doctor asking about house calls. Trying to see if they will come visit her, but I don't know if she'd let them in. My dad's the only one who has contact with her. He can't take it anymore. He said she lives in filth and can't remember that he just went over bill stuff with her to try to get her out of this mess. He doesn't want to bring her beer anymore. Everybody I call basically says that she has to choose to get help, and she's refused this for over a decade. They tried to take her to the doctor, and she walked out of the waiting room. My dad's afraid he'll get in trouble for elder abuse, even though my mom WON'T ACCEPT HELP. Unless it's in the form of beer. Please, I don't know who to call. This is so frustrating! The agency on aging lady acted like I was neglecting her, and I don't even live there! I'm willing to travel to get things done, but from what people have told me, she has to let people help/evaluate her. She's not going to live long if nothing's done. There has to be something I can do, right?

Have you reached out directly to APS? Look up the county number for her area and call it for a welfare check. Be sure to stress she is a danger to herself since she is unable to care for herself. This is key for immediate action.Answer #2: My mom's doctor told me to find a reason to have her hospitalized. Once there they did millions of tests and found the Alzheimer's (we already knew)then the appropriate agencies got involved and she was moved to assisted living. The hard part was that I had to refuse to take her home, and insist on help. It took about two weeks. I had her hospitalized by saying she was having constant nose bleeds (she was) and it turned out it was because she didn't remember how many baby aspirins she was taking per day to prevent a heart attack.

Methhead Roommates Forcing Me to Break Lease

This is an update to an earlier post I did that unfortunately has not been resolved and only got worse. I had these two male roommates move in to my apartment in July. One signed a joint lease, the other refused to sign the lease agreement, we'll call him Brian. The two have not been paying their portion of rent for the entire four months, nor the other bills. When I ask for the money, they get aggressive: yell at me, call me names, bring up my race, threaten me, twist my words and try to Gaslight me... The whole manipulative abuser rigamarole. We have almost been evicted four times in the past few months. They wouldn't answer their phone so the landlord kept harassing me for the money and threatening me with eviction. I have asked the complex to evict them, they said they would if I paid the back rent owed. I did, using the money my recently deceased father left me for retirement. Now the complex is saying they have no reason to evict them since I paid the rent. Brian has been increasingly hostile to me, including threatening me on multiple occasions. He also threatened to "beat the living shit" out of our security guard. Brian, as you recall, is not on the lease. I have been staying at a hotel for the past two weeks. I came home over the weekend to discover that Brian and his boyfriend smoke, make, and sell meth (I found and took pictures of everything). Now, I am from Crack Country so I knew nothing about meth. But after learning- I realize the signs were obvious the whole time. They have been leaving the oven and gas stove on to cover the smell. I contacted the police who said "you're allowed to do whatever you want in your own home. Let this be a lesson to you never to get roommates. It's cheaper to live alone. You should just move out." I told my landlord, they said I could move out and they are allowing them to stay and keep my deposit. I had to move into a $2,000 room in some dude's house for this coming month because I didn't feel safe anymore. I'm losing out on my deposit. I'm losing out on my dad's money. And these meth-heads are laughing at me. Do they really get to win? Am I not allowed to break my lease in this situation? I talked to a lawyer. He said the best he could do is send a formed letter. Topic: Landlord Tenant Housing

Wait, the police said they can cook meth in their own home? That doesn’t sound right. Answer #2: NAL ​ A cop, given the criminal facts in this scenario (threats of physical violence, meth lab, no warrant required) would 100% investigate. Either you aren't telling us the whole story accurately, or you are burying those details in a long discussion to the police about unpaid rent and various other roomate conflicts. ​ If you've called them and said "My roomates threatened to harm me, and run a meth lab" and not buried that in other details, and they ignored you, then you've met the most corrupt cops on the planet, or the dumbest. If this is the case, you can either cut and run, or you can contact a legal clinic / law office of some description, and ask a lawyer to assist you in filing this report, explaining that you are struggling to be taken seriously.

I am TERRIFIED of what I Caught myself into!! PLEASE HELP!!

Located at South East TN, USA am 19 years old and by no means a sex offender of what ever sort I was watching porn on stupidcams.com on my phone; when you click a video, it will send you to a new tab that : 1. is the actual video on the same site 2. is the actual video but on a another site 3. is not the actual video but sends you to another sister site 4. is a an pop-up (jasmin live or some sort of "virus on device") Now, I make a bunch tabs of the videos that grab my attention. When doing so, sometimes the pop-ups force themselves on to screen. But the pop-up that came scared me the most. I have no idea from what video it was; I was so shocked that I really don't remember what it said and I ended the Google Chrome task on my phone. But what little i do remember ( and my not be in order) is: a blue background, initials with a C, D, F(maybe?) and with a paragraph with something like " ip user: my city, TN android user...... ........................................ .......................................... ................child porn.................. ............................................." The child porn really terrified me and im so scared. i have no idea what to do, if i should go to my local police to get this sorted because IM not a disguting perv, or tell my parents, or get a lawyer. PLEASE HELP

For the 1000th time, the authorities investigating these things do not warn you with a popup

My coworker won't stop making inappropriate comments towards me.

(Montreal, Quebec) I have a coworker who's 20 years older than me who won't stop making unwanted sexual remarks to me. He says things like he's going to grope my breats and butt and just won't stop talking about his penis to me. I've already told my boss. He received a second warning today but what can I do if it continues? I'm at a lost here. Topic: Canada

I would take this to HR and I'd be really surprised that your boss hasnt done more then a write up or two. I'm sorry but being late all the time deserves a write up, talking about your penis to someone at work should be a fireable offence. Make sure they knew you are uncomfortable around this man and do not feel like you are safe at work anymore. Those are key words! Please stand up for yourself and if this person ever touches you in anyway go straight to HR or the police because at this point its harrassment.

Where does social engineering fall from a legal perspective?

So this obviously isn't something I'm doing/or thinking about doing, or I wouldn't be posting it from my reddit account, but I have a friend that essentially got apple to send him a free macbook pro via social engineering. I'm just wondering how illegal this is? is it the same as stealing? because he's kind of a dumbass and I don't think he believes that it's actually illegal, and google isn't coming up with much. thanks Edit: so I think what he did was claim to not have recieved the macbook his roommate ordered, and convinced apple to send him another one, but I'm not entirely sure. by 'friend' I just mean some dude I know in one of my classes

"Social engineering" usually implies some sort of deception. That's fraud, quite possibly theft by deception depending on the location.Answer #2: By social engineering I'm assuming you mean fraud, theft by false pretenses, etc. Illegal. Answer #3: Ok, give us the deets. What actually happened. Answer #4: This thread has been linked to from another place on reddit. - [/r/bestoflegaladvice] [My friend stole a laptop. Is it legal to steal a laptop?](https://np.reddit.com/r/bestoflegaladvice/comments/35yg9m/my_friend_stole_a_laptop_is_it_legal_to_steal_a/) [](#footer)*^(If you follow any of the above links, respect the rules of reddit and don't vote.) ^\([Info](/r/TotesMessenger/wiki/) ^/ ^[Contact](/message/compose/?to=\/r\/TotesMessenger))* [](#bot)Answer #5: It depends on the state(s) in which the activity took place, and the specifics of this "social engineering". If you mean lying to obtain a laptop fraudulently, it's entirely possible your friend could be in hot water.

TN: Magazine asked me to write and article for them. I did, they used it, and didn't credit me.

I started freelance writing recently and a magazine asked me to write an article about healthcare stuff, so I did. Took a lot of time and research to pull it out. It was going to be a good one for my portfolio and I was excited. This was early December, I think, when I wrote it. Flash forward to today. The edition of the magazine came out and the article is credited to the magazine's editor, who stopped communication with me after I submitted the article (I figured it was rejected). Some parts are barely different, but there are huge chunks from my article that they copied and pasted into the edited ones. So, what can I do about this? I already emailed the editor but haven't heard anything yet. I mean, this is clear cut plagiarism, but I don't really know what the legality of that is. Any info helps. I would like this to be settled as civilly as possible, and just get credit. (I posted this a second ago, but the title was bad)

Plagarism isn't a crime, but copyright infringement is. What did your agreement with them say about where the copyright of the work is?Answer #2: IANAL but my close friend writes for publications. Did you have a contract? Was the use of the material supposed to be unauthorized to anyone but you, or did you grant them unrestricted rights to the work? Nevermind, I see you answered that down below. You didn't have a written arrangement.

Are indirect insults legal?

Talking about phrases á la *You look like an [insert_insult]* *Are you an [insert_insult]?* *According to [a person], they are a [quoted_insult]* How legal are those?

Direct insults are legal in most places Answer #2: You should be exploring the definitions for [defamation, slander, libel, fact, and opinion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defamation). You also need to consider the jurisdiction, context, and whether or not there are specific laws. More specifically: The first two examples seem like opinion. The third could be misrepresented as fact - but it depends on the source and the quoted insult.

Please help a Walmart Cashier

Hi.. I am an international student in Canada and work part time at a Walmart and in the light of the recent terrorist events which happened in New Zealand and Sri Lanka, I was concerned about my safety and safety of my colleagues who work with me, So I asked my manager, In terms of Safety, Is there a gun detector at the entrance? She went and reported this to the store manager and the store manager told me to write down on a piece of paper what made me ask that question, After I finished writing my statement,he suspended me for 1 week and asked me to be available on my phone if Walmart wanted to investigate this, my manager called me after 4 days and said there is a meeting with the HR and the store manager tomorrow. I am scared as to what might happen in the meeting tomorrow (My intention was only about safety). Will they report me to police, or will they fire me or deport me , should I get an attorney, I do not know,. I have not been sleeping well since 5 days because I am worried they will see me in the wrong light. PLEASE HELP!!!

Walmart cannot get you deported. The worse they can do is fire you. You have NOT committed a crime so no deportation and no police involvement. Asking questions regarding safety is not illegal.

Company is deducting money from my paycheck

Edit: I am located in Washington state in the US The company that I work for has a foundation for supporting employees that need medical help. I agreed to have $10 taken from each paycheck to contribute because I wanted to help. I made this agreement when I worked for them between 2013 and the beginning of 2016. I left to work somewhere else for about 6 months. After that I came back to this company and upon getting rehired I filled out paperwork saying I would contribute $1 per paycheck instead. After about 3 paychecks I realized that I was still getting $10 taken out each time. I don't make a whole lot so this effects me a decent amount. So I brought it up to my manager who asked our area supervisor to fix it. But he never fixed it. I've brought it up every 2 weeks since then and each time I'm assured its fixed only to find out I keep getting money taken from me that I didn't agree to. It's now been around 3 straight months of this happening every single paycheck and I'm absolutely livid at this point. Do I have any legal recourse to get the money I did not agree to giving to this foundation back because they can't fix it no matter how many times I tell them I do not want the money taken from my paycheck?

I love how generous they are with your money. If they were so concerned about their employees with medical problems, they could pay for them.

Sensor is damaged in car wreck, I'm not buying it.

Two weeks so, I bumped a truck and it only scratched the bumper and now the owner is saying that the sensors in his bumper need replacing. I was going less than 5 mph and most of the impact fell on my car cause it came up against the trailer hitch. Do I have any moves here because I am really failing to see how hitting a car at less than 5 mph can damage a sensor in a vehicle.

it's possible. bumpers for cars these days are very complicated and include lots of sensors and electronics. http://westernautobody.com/auto-body/car-bumper-repair-costs-explained/ "People are often surprised by car bumper repair costs. This is probably due to an outdated understanding of what a car bumper is. In the early days of the automotive industry, a car bumper was just a piece of wood or metal bolted to the ends of the vehicle. It was literally there to take damage when drivers “bumped” into things. The bumper was held on by a couple of bolts, and could be easily removed and replaced. Over the past decades, car design has become much more complex. Bumpers are now an integrated component of the vehicle, and perform far more functions than just protecting the body from damage. This has caused car bumper repair costs to rise. To understand car bumper repair costs, you need to understand what a modern bumper does, and what’s involved in fixing or replacing one."

Messed up and now will have to face a preliminary hearing without representation

Last month I was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia and drug possession in the state of Pennsylvania. A week or so later I received a packet in the mail containing several copies of the criminal complaint, fingerprint order (which the arresting officer told me I could ignore as we took care of that at the timw of my arrest), and preliminary hearing order. Naively, I assumed this would work more-or-less like traffic court and I didnt need to worry about representation. Looking through it today to verify times and addresses, I discovered that it also contained a slip of paper the proclaimed in large print that "YOU NEED A LAWYER." The deadline for contacting the public defender's office has passed. Is this something I really need to worry about? If so, can anyone tell me what I neeed to know to handle this on my own? What exactly goes on at a preliminary hearing?

You do need an attorney for a preliminary hearing, which depending on your state will determine whether your arrest and the subsequent charges are based upon probable cause. Explain to the judge what happened and ask for a public defender. I would also begin contacting the public defender's office now (as well as the court clerk) and explain the situation.

Hit & Run resulting in death. Don't know if to autopsy the body.

[deleted]

It sounds like this isn't really your decision. They can prosecute without an autopsy for a hit and run. For vehicular manslaughter or worse, an autopsy is helpful in that it nails down cause of death which, even if not in serious dispute, does need to be proven in those sorts of charges. It's a minor weakness not to have one in those cases, but not a huge one. Again, doesn't seem like it's your decision, but you can advise them that the chances of conviction for the bigger crimes is higher with one than without one.

[KS] I tutor high school kids for extra money. Was fired by client because of my gender

Client and I had a verbal contract that i tutor their child twice a week in a public area in their high school. I emailed my client today (their payment was due) and the parent told me they wanted to stop the sessions because of my gender. The client has previously said I have helped their child's grades a lot and they have never disputed fees so neither of those issues are the reason. I am an independent contractor so I'm not sure if I was fired unjustly or not. Thanks!!

It doesn't sound like you had a formal contract with this person (i.e. 'x' number of sessions or sessions through 03/31/17), so they're free to not bring their child to another session for any reason they see fit.Answer #2: You can be fired. You are also entitled to payment for your services. How much are we talking being past due?

Estranged wife did not disclose seriousness of her medical issues prior to marriage. She has barely spoken to me for months and we have not lived together since February. I'm ready for divorce.

Washington State resident. Wife has been staying with her parents practically since we got married. She had medical issues that I knew about prior to getting married but she never shared with me the full extent of those issues. She is now disabled and on my medical insurance. I'm also paying for a car (that's registered in my name) and her auto insurance. I have mentioned divorce to her in the past weeks but she does not want to do it. I don't really have any feelings left for her and I want to move on with my life. I don't want to screw her over, but I can't afford to continue paying these bills. How can I get out of this situation as cleanly as possible?

>How can I get out of this situation as cleanly as possible? You call divorce lawyers first thing tomorrow morning.

Questions about FakeID/underage drinking

[deleted]

> Can I be charged in court with having the fake ID even though they did not/have not seen the fake ID? Yes. They can charge you after the fact. > What do I tell the judge when he asks how I purchased the alcohol? Nothing unless your attorney says to.

[MO/MD] Long Distance Custody of Newborn

I'm posting this for my brother. Trying very hard to stick to the facts. He knocked up a girl. She's now 6 months pregnant. He moved from MD to MO for his career when she was about 10-12 weeks along and she "found out" a week after he had moved. He wants to be part of his child's life but doesn't know how. Mother has a stable job and a housing situation that could continue indefinitely. Makes about 50k/year according to Glassdoor. Father is pretty much couch surfing and has unstable work. Makes maybe 20k/year and is heavily supported by family. Mother and father both have family in MD. The pregnancy was the result of a casual relationship, so the parents are unmarried. How would splitting custody/getting father his rights work? He cannot appear in person, can he choose a proxy? Could this proxy also take some/all of his parenting time? Could the mother be forced to move to MO to facilitate a relationship between parent and child (or handle the transportation)? What would child support look like?

>How would splitting custody/getting father his rights work? After the kid is born he would hire a lawyer and file for visitation. If he is in another state and this is a newborn that may mean some skyoe/phone time. >He cannot appear in person, can he choose a proxy? Do you mean in court? His lawyer may be able to appear for him. >Could this proxy also take some/all of his parenting time? Generally no, his parenting time is for him to use. >Could the mother be forced to move to MO to facilitate a relationship between parent and child (or handle the transportation)? Make her move? Absolutely not. Why should she have to move? He can move closer to her and the child is he wants to make it easier. As for transport they will work out who is reponsible for what but given that he moved out of state he should probably expect to handle a lot of it himself. When you are talking about shorter newborn visits there is also a good chance that he will need to go to the baby if he wants in person visits. >What would child support look like? Child support is generally based on income. His lawyer should be able to calculate an estimate for him.

(TX) Neighbor's yard being damaged by cars. Legal/responsible ways to deter?

A neighbor has had several cars cut corners at the intersection next to her home. There is a street light there that was once taken out. Normally, it just leaves deep grooves in the wet grass and soil that require fill and repair. Is there a safe and appropriate way to deter this in the future? Could she place large rocks at reasonable distances to deter this type of traffic? Could she get away with just letting the natural rock colors out instead of painting them in a warning color? Also, with the street light there, she wants to give clearance for the city utility maintenance. If she sets it back from the road and gives a few feet around it, would that be reasonable?

Check the HOA bylaws, but a concrete flower planter can be painted to look decorative and will absolutely wreck a car. That's why they're used by cities to deter bad drivers from crashing into things.

I was robbed yesterday in Houston, Tx.

If anyone can help me I will PM you all of the information. I think I know who the suspect is, but I need a way to link him to the crime. Any help is much appreciated.

Nobody will PM you, call the police.

Atlanta suburb: My son was walking his roommate's dog when a neighbor child ran up. Dog bit child, months pass, now he's being sued. What questions should we ask a lawyer?

Same story/old story: My son was walking his dog and his roommate's dog, both on leashes, in the parking lot of the apartment complex. There were the usual gaggle of 10-12 preteen children running around the area. One of them calmly asked my son if she could pet the dogs, and just as he reached down to hold the dogs' collars (instead of the end of the leash), another child ran up and reached over the top of my son's roommate's dog's head. The dog predictably reacted and bit the child on the upper arm near the elbow. The skin was scraped but not broken. Child went home, mom came out screaming about the vicious dog attack, then called police. Police show up with an ambulance responding to call about multiple vicious dogs threatening children. During EMT evaluation, the child, for the first time, begins to cry. Mom insists on transport to hospital, threatens to sue. Months pass. Roommate moves. Son moves. Today, he gets a call from his homeowners/renters insurance company - he's being sued, and will probably get served next week. He's not a minor, so it's really his problem.But I'm his dad, so I want to help. And he doesn't reddit. So... Here's what I recommended: How does he find a good (and yes, cost is an issue) lawyer? Does he need a lawyer of his own, or will the insurance company's lawyer represent my son's interests? Get a copy of the complaint - How does he do that? Will it be included with the summons? Notify the former roommate. What am I missing? edit: I need to read the guidelines before, not after I post. deleted annoying statement Topic: Personal Injury

It sounds like he has renters insurance, so they'll handle the lawyer. And notifying the roommate as well. Tell him to cooperate with service and the insurance company.

Selling property, do not want to sell to neighbors.

Try to make this short. In MO. We owned a house out in the county, lived there for 5 years and had a very frosty relationship with the neighbors. Mostly little things, but then our house burned down over a year ago. There was no mortgage, so we now own a empty lot in a nice area. The neighbors have asked 3 times now to buy it, and due to spite we do not ever want to sell to them. If I put a price of 20k on the market, I assume I do not have to accept their offer, I can just say fly a kite? Or the price for you is 40k? I know you all salivate for the juicy details. Lets just say straw that broke was a phone call to my wife cussing her out and saying she was a horrible mother, and threatening to call CPS. Dont say that to my wife. I would say more but it would be personal attacks, and that's not nice.

Perfectly legal to not sell to someone you don't like. Also perfectly legal to give a discount to say, a pig farmer, or a professional yodeler.Answer #2: You don't have to accept anyone's offer, providing that your reason is not legally discriminatory. "I don't like you" is not legally discriminatory.Answer #3: You don't have to accept an offer you're not happy with. There could be problems if you reject an offer over a protected status under the fair housing act, which this seems not to be. If you have a real estate agent, your contract may entitle them to be paid commission in the event that you reject a full price offer and don't sell the property to someone else. More importantly, however, money is money. If your goal is to get $20k out of the vacant lot it should matter little where that money comes from. And your neighbors are the most obvious buyers with motivation to meet your purchase price. Answer #4: Why not offer it to your neighbors for $40k, if you think it's worth 20k? What better revenge than taking an extra $20k from the people you dislike? If they don't bite, you can just gradually lower the price over a few months until they or someone else does. Answer #5: Just out of curiosity, the neighbors didn't have anything to do with the fire, did they? Just the chain of events... bad relationship -> fire -> pestering you to sell the diminished value property to them... seems a little suspicious.Answer #6: One word of warning: the neighbors are probably smart enough to understand about a "straw purchaser" -- someone else buys it but then sells to them. Of course, that will require paying sales tax on the property twice.

My ex-girlfriend changed the lock on our leased apartment. My name is still on the lease.

Is this legal? We have a place in Anchorage, AK. And now she's wanting to have my sign something saying that she will take care of rent for the remainder of the lease but my name will still be on the lease. This is because neither of us can have just our own names on the lease due to not being able to afford it. Can I get some advice here?

Not legal. As you're on the lease you have a right to live there. And if she doesn't pay the landlord could still come after you for the money.

Ebay offers no business account protection?

Selling high dollar value ($2,500+) computer equipment on ebay to the winner in Canada. This is new to us and we just recently encountered an issue where the buyer received the item and 4 days later states that it was damaged and is requesting a refund. We reached out to the buyer to understand what exactly happened and they explained something broke during shipping on the inside and a couple computer components were damaged. We did ship the package with special handling and with insurance. The package was also shipped international to the buyers location. We called ebay to understand the next steps, the first call we made they told us that we should try and work on a resolution with the buyer and also to open up an investigation with the shipping carrier because that is what eBay will need before anything is refunded. This sounded fine to us so we called USPS and opened up a claim and were told that the individual has to return the package to the postal office for them to investigate it. We explained to the buyer they have to return the package so their local office so that it is investigated or we could ship them replacement parts to correct the issue. They said they want a full refund etc and also stated that they called their local post office and they were told that the post office there does not handle claims and cannot take the package?? I then responded to them that an investigation needed to happen per eBay's comments during our discussion with them. They respond back to us stating that they just spoke to eBay and were told that they are entitled to a full refund and shipping costs regardless... so we call eBay again and this time we are told that we need to issue a refund to them and hope that they ship everything back to us. We explained that we would be refunding the buyer and have a high chance of being out the item also if it's never returned which is a huge risk and the individual just had to tell us, yes I know and unfortunately that is all we can do. They also said there is an option to send them a prepaid mailing label through ebay and the buyer has within 5 days to drop it off to be shipped back and if they do not do this then the case is awarded to us (the seller) otherwise if the buyer ships back the damaged items we will still have to refund them which voids any and all insurance we have on the package (since USPS is requesting it go back to their local office for inspection). This seems like something we will possibly have to get an attorney involved as it is very unreasonable for eBay to basically give the buyer full reign on the decision making process and expecting us to void our insurance on the package so that the buyer can receive a refund when USPS and all other carriers have specific steps for insurance claims which eBay apparently does not care about it when it comes to refunds? Does anyone have any experience or insight into this? We have been on the phone with ebay for over an hour trying to get a hold of someone to provide guidance. Update 7/26/17: Continued communicating with the buyer to get them to return the package to their local post office as USPS advised me to tell them. I explained that they need to drop everything back off to their local post office and USPS will advise their office how to handle the package as everything is insured and they handle these situations. The buyer didn't like this and wanted me to just send them a new shipping label so they could send it directly back to me instead which I have not done. They also called eBay that told them that I should just send him a new shipping label through eBay's automated system which will completely avoid any insurance I purchased through USPS and USPS will not investigate anything if the buyer ships it all directly back to me. My last communication to the buyer over the past couple of days was directing him to return the package to his local post office where a claim with USPS is already opened and they will be contacting his local office with instructions to process the package. I did not receive any response and this morning noticed that they opened a claim up with PayPal stating the the item they received was not as described and damaged other. Now I get to call PayPal and deal with them and hope they will force the buyer to follow USPS's return policy for internationally insured packages and not just rule in their favor or allow them to bypass the USPS insured return process.

This is all in your agreement with eBay. They always side with the buyer. But if they don't return the product then yes you sue the guy who bought it

(NH, US) The home I am renting has been under repair for 6 weeks now, with no end in sight. Is there anything I can do to force my landlord to get it done already?

Photos of repairs [Imgur](http://i.imgur.com/JI9k7Je.jpg)[Imgur](http://i.imgur.com/aUlYJDh.jpg)[Imgur](http://i.imgur.com/aUlYJDh.jpg) Approximately 6 weeks ago, the ceiling of the home I rent began leaking. I immediately called my landlord. He came over, had me shut the water off, and told me that he'd have someone in there Monday to look at it (this was a Saturday). He did offer to pay for a hotel for my daughter and I to stay in while we had no water, but my neighbors offered us the use of their bathroom so we stayed. Especially since running off to a hotel would have interfered with my work/studies. Monday and Tuesday he brings in two different contractors, (they turn the water back on) and promises everything will be repaired by the end of the week. That was 5 weeks ago. I've tried to be patient with this getting fixed, but the dust is getting everywhere. This morning my landlord brought in a 3rd contractor, at 9 in the morning, who stated that the previous contractor didn't repair the wall/ceiling correctly, and he can't fix it till March. I don't want to move. I'm not trying to get out of my rent or lease, but damn it, I would like this fixed already. I'm tired of the dust, mess, leaving work/school to meet contractors and plumbers, getting up early on the only days I have to sleep in, and canceling playdates and activities for my kid to be here for the people who never actually get this thing fixed. Is there anything I can do to compel my landlord to get it taken care of now? Can I hire someone myself and force him to reimburse me? What are my options? *Please let me know if you need additional details. I did attach photos.

Do you have a multiple month lease or are you renting month to month? If you have a lease I don't see anything here that could get you out of it. If you have your water back on, I don't see anything here that could be construed as constructive eviction or a violation of the implied warrant of habitability. This is an inconvenience to be sure but it doesn't make the home uninhabitable. If you're renting month to month you have more options. You could ask your landlord for a discount for the upcoming months. Since he wont be able to easily rent the unit in its current state he'll likely want to negotiate if there's a possibility you'll move out.

My "friend" let his dog starve, and today it died.

So I had a roomate who I have known for years and this guy was a diabetic who had gone throug the process about 5ish years ago to get a diabetic alert dog. Nothing really to unusual. He and his mom move states for a bit but he wanted to move back last year. So i go get a house and he moves in and turns out to be the worst roomate I've ever had. During that time I notice he has been forgetting to feed, walk, or just take care of the dog in general. I feed and walk the dog but eventually I just move out. I have been keeping tabs on the dog whenever I see them. (We did hang out a bit still.) Last time I saw the dog I went home and called animal control because the dog was so skinny. According to the new roomate (who I know well) animal control came by and waited for the owner to get home and get the dog. (He works down the street) The owner put the dog's vest on to hide the malnourishment. Animal control said nothing and left. Today I saw on Facebook, 2 weeks from the animal control visit, that the dog has died. I want to report this, but I'm not sure who to. Any advice would help. I should point out, not that it matters, I don't think the dog died due to malice, but sheer laziness. The reason I moved out to begin with. I'll do whatever I need to to push this matter forward. (Legally of course) I just dont know where to start. This is in Fort Worth Texas.

[This is a crime in Texas](https://www.spca.org/law). Call the police.Answer #2: Maybe contact the people at Lone Star Diabetic Alert Dogs. https://www.facebook.com/LoneStarDiabeticAlertDogs/ Even if they aren't the group that trained your ex-roommate's dog, they may have advice for you. And if nothing else, perhaps they can help ensure that this jerk never gets another dog. I'd also contact Animal Control again and let them know the dog died and that you believe it was related to neglect. Even if there's nothing they can do about this particular situation, it gives them more of a record about him.Answer #3: That is horrible. What adult ‘forgets’ to water and feed their dog?!

[AZ] Craigslist Car Scam?

Hello all posting this on a throwaway for a friend Two days ago I met with my friend as he was looking to purchase a used car off a private seller (note that I have had no knowledge of purchasing a used vehicle and ownership - I was just there to inspect the car as I am a mechanic). In the end, we were able to get the car to a fair price, nothing out of the ordinary and the seller signed off the Arizona title with his information on the front and my friend signed his. He also paid the car in cash. Great! Fast forward to today, he tried to get the title transferred over at the MVD, however, it was rejected due to the title not being notarized and no bill of sale was included in the transaction. We tried to get a hold of the seller, however, he informed us he has moved away out of state and will not be back in town for months. The guy basically told us to "forge his signature" which I advised not to do that. All in all, we're not sure if we just fell into a craigslist scam but we're wondering if there is any way we can transfer ownership as to my knowledge you do need the title notarized before transferring. He is also stressing out as he doesn't know if he can sell the car either. We do have the original title with correct mileage as well as seller information, however, we're a little stuck on what to do next. Any help will be much appreciated!

Forging the signature is not an option, legally, and no notary would notarize the signature. I'm not aware of any remedies to this fix this situation except for having the seller sign the title in front of a notary. If the seller was a trusted individual, the friend could mail the title to the seller to have him sign it (in front of a notary) and then mail it back. The lack of bill of sale complicates things as the seller could decide to keep the title and not return it. How far away is the seller? Is there anyway they could physically meet up?

Question about porn/hentai. (US)

So i was watching the trailer for the characters coming out in the new soul calibur game on YouTube. One of the trailers was for a character named talim. I was reading the comments and there were a bunch of creepers and pedos commenting on her and what they were talking about what "videos" they watched even though she is supposed to be 15. Isn't porn like that illegal? Why are they saying stuff like that? I understand why actual hentai is legal but these characters in soul calibur are all 3d so they look realistic. Porn like that should be illegal isn't it? If not, why isn't it? That's kind of messed up.

Animated porn is not "child porn" in the US under federal law unless it is "indistinguishable" from a real child.

Husband's family harassing him at work

Hey everyone, I originally posted this in r/relationships but was sent here. This is in KY. When I first met my husband, he was living with his grandma in our hometown. She, and other members of his family, are extremely manipulative and are career criminals. His grandma stole a lot of money from him when he was a minor, regularly pawned his stuff when he wasn't home, and was generally a horrible woman. He eventually moved into my apartment, two hours away. Since he moved in, he has rarely heard from his family and has no interest in contacting them. They used to occasionally get burner phones and call him to try and guilt him about "cutting off the family," but he got a new provider and the calls have stopped. He has them all blocked on Facebook except for his mom, because he wanted to try and rebuild his relationship with her before we got married. She wasn't having it and just kept sending him mean messages (i.e, "I don't see why you bought a car when you're just going to wreck it anyway," "how'd you find a girl to marry your ugly ass anyway?") so he is no contact with her now, too. Anyway, today while he was work, his boss told him his grandma was here to see him. (Note that he hasn't spoken to her in years, and she isn't on social media). He went to speak with her (a mistake, but he was probably afraid she'd cause a scene), and she started talking about all of her recent financial troubles (supposedly getting robbed and having to move to our city, car trouble). He knew where this was going (her asking for money) and tried to shut down the conversation ("I don't care, I have to get back to work"). She started insulting him ("You've really gained weight, huh?") and he was seething at this point, so he just told her to never come here again and walked off. She began yelling at him ("You can kiss my ass, little boy!") but he didn't turn around to see if she was escorted out or what. He spoke to his boss and said to not inform anyone else claiming to be his family of his schedule or that he's in the store if they ask. Reddit, I am concerned because her showing up to his work means they've been keeping tabs on us. I had to scrub my social media last year after some random guy threatened me, and have always been careful about not putting too much on there. He is too, but still had his work listed. He's taken it off, but it is almost pointless now since they already know. I am afraid that she or other family members will keep showing up to cause trouble. What can we do to protect ourselves? I thought about deleting our online presence altogether, but I have a strong support network on mine that would come in handy. Should we involve the law? --- **tl;dr**: Husband's manipulative grandma (who he has been no contact with) showed up to his work to ask for money and began yelling at him when he refused. Need advice on how to protect ourselves.

You can't control where she may show up, but both of you can each file for a restraining order. If you are granted one, law enforcement is required to respond and investigate any violations of that restraining order. Answer #2: > Reddit, I am concerned because her showing up to his work means they've been keeping tabs on us. It is perfectly legal to keep tabs on someone. There's nothing we can tell you about the law that will help there. > I am afraid that she or other family members will keep showing up to cause trouble. One visit is the kind of thing best ignored. Although maybe mention to his boss that in the future his family shouldn't be invited in to see him. But if they DID continue to show up regularly and cause trouble, then you should have no difficulty getting a restraining order which would order them to leave you alone. > What can we do to protect ourselves? Honestly, given what you describe here, it doesn't sound to me like you are in danger. If it were me, I would just ignore it unless the problem escalates.Answer #3: I would also point out that, as private property, the workplace can ban anyone they choose and have them arrested for trespassing if they don't comply.

Legal Issues child pornography

Maryland USA Hi, CONTEXT (i am acting inplace of a friend) (all names are made up) So my friend (tammy) asked me if i could keep her streaks for her on snapchat, i said sure and logged into her snap. My other friend (John) then asked what was on her memories. It was full of nudes of this girl. My friend (John) then asked for them and i said sure and sent two. Now she (Tammy) is pressing legal charges on me, trying to sue me. We are both minors. (both females). My guy friend (John) who i sent them to received many nudes from this girl in the past. I know i am "liable" for this, but their is no proof i did commit these acts. My friend (John) then sent around 20 of this girl (Tammy's) nudes to over 400 people (im guessing) but a lot of people recieved them. Am i still able to be prosecuted by law and be sued or serve jailtime? (John would be charged as an adult). I am worried because my family has no money and my parents would kill me if they found out i did this. Please help! Thanks!

Yes. You’re liable. Get a lawyer. What would make you think this is okay? Grow up.Answer #2: You need a lawyer ASAP. You’re also a garbage human being.

Someone offered me money to poop on them. Is this legal? [MI]

I wouldn't physically touch them or even do anything sexual with the poop, just poop on their face, get paid a few hundred and leave. My friend did it with him before so I know its not a scam or a trap. My student loans far exceed my dignity, but I don't want to risk having pooped on someone's face being on my record.

The definition of prostitution in Michigan includes not only paid sexual activity, but also "any other lewd or immoral act." Whether this qualifies or not, I honestly cannot say.Answer #2: In order to get in trouble, someone would have to call the cops on you and there would have to be proof of money changing hands- kink communities are generally self-policing in this way, because both are consenting parties and neither wants photographic evidence of their sexy times, whatever they may be. As far as if you’d get arrested, it really depends on the cops showing up, the moral leanings of said officers, and if they know money was exchanged (which can be really difficult to prove- that’s why they set up cameras for prostitution stings. You have to have proof of the monetary agreement.) If your friend has already vetted this person, I’d say the chances of you getting in trouble are pretty slim, but there is inherently a risk involved with money and sex acts. Make your decision accordingly. Not a lawyer, but I may or may not have once had a job that fell under the “dear god I do not want this on the internet” umbrella. Edit: [wiki link for porn regulations](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adult_film_industry_regulations) (Since I’ve typed out what a 2257 is a bunch of times and I don’t want to anymore.) Answer #3: This is a clear risk/reward question. What you would lose by having a prostitution charge on your record far exceeds what you’d gain by participating in this, even if the chance of getting caught is very small. Just thank him for the tax cut and move on.

Friday Shitpost: Bad Legal Advice from other subs

Just because we have our own shockingly bad legal advice from time to time, doesn't mean we can't also laugh at bad legal advice that gets posted elsewhere. So share your favorite stupid comment or post with legal advice from another subreddit. (Don't forget the NP link!)

I can't seem to find the post itself anymore but I guess that any of the regulars who have been here for a while know what I'm talking about when I mention the moron who went to almost all of the divorce attorney's in his area for a free initial consult so that his STBX-wife couldn't hire them. (this idea he got from another sub (luckily) and they probably got it from the Soprano's). (If anybody could link the first time he came to the main sub or the original post from the exmormon sub would be nice)Answer #2: IS THIS SUBREDDIT BEING DETAINED? MUH RIGHTSAnswer #3: If you're pulled over for drunk driving just throw your keys and pound some hard liquor! That way they can't prove you were drunk driving somehow! I have never, ever understood this argument. I think it comes from the advice that if you absolutely must sleep in your car impaired then you should put your keys in the trunk and curl up in the back seat, locking the doors from the inside. It ain't fool proof and you're always better off getting a cab, but it's better than slumped over in the driver's seat, key in hand.Answer #4: INB4: "That's assault!" When it's actually battery.Answer #5: The post in R/sex asking about the issues surrounding impregnating a lesbian friend as a favor. That post is 0% sex and 50/50 relationship/legaladvice territory. r/sex is notorious for being a younger crowd, it's horrifyingly entertaining. [Link](https://NP.reddit.com/r/sex/comments/6syfer/should_i_help_a_lesbian_friend_of_mine_get/)Answer #6: I was told my wife can drive illegally on her non-existent foreign license after having a valid US license for 2 years that expired because her green card expired and we still hadn't gotten our Notice of Action yet.

Roomate got fired after Stroke and Surgery

Location is Central Indiana, USA. Job was at a Call Center providing over-the-phone technical support. Employment had been from January 2015 to January 2016. In November his health began to decline, often vomiting and losing his voice afterwards, and having to go home. He got a Leave of Absence so that he could get to a doctor and get things straightened out. It was discovered he had an ear infection, and underwent surgery due to it damaging his eardrum. He had a stroke during the surgery, or in recovery. It physically weakened him, but no permanent loss of facilities. The Leave of Absence was up about this time. Over the next three weeks, he had various related problems; a severe vitamin deficiency that had him passing out, a piece of cotton lodged in the open eardrum that needed to be extracted, causing severe pain in the mean time. The surgery had been a failure as well, resulting in 60% hearing loss in that ear. They called him Thursday saying that since his Leave of Absence had expired, that they were accruing attendance points despite all the doctor and Emergency Room notes I had delivered there myself. This weekend was supposed to be his return, but they said they should have fired him two weeks ago anyways. Their normal attendance policy is to group absent days together if you have a doctors slip excusing you. He'd had consecutive days, but they were from each group of workdays. He'd moved down to 30 hours a week while this was managed, also. We've just started to get things together, such as Unemployment, Food Stamps, even applying for Disability. With all this, is there any sort of case for wrongful termination in relation to illness? A note: Any vagueness is because of the 'no personally identifiable information' bit. First time posting here, so I'm trying to stay well clear of it. If there's any more information, I'm glad to provide it.

Sadly, it would seem not. The Family and Medical Leave Act provides some protections for workers who have a "serious health condition", which this would be. But the act requires that they have worked for their employer for at least 12 months, and have worked at least 1,250 hours in the 12 months before the leave, based on your time line it seems likely that neither are true for your roommate. And in that case he is SOL.

Legal to ship items in previously used and labeled boxes.

IE Can I use a shoebox to ship an entirely different item someone bought from me from ebay. Canada QC.

Yes. Make sure it is a sturdy shoe box.

[Texas] I have been made aware of a rape.

Sequence of events: 1) past Saturday night, alleged rape happens at a party. A supposedly drunk guy forced himself upon a drunk girl who is actively saying no. 2) victim runs out of room and weepingly tells witness what happened. 3) next day (sunday), witness tells me this. 4) it is now Tuesday. Victim does not want to report it because she is afraid of her parents, the police, and the alleged rapist. As I understand it, it's too late for a tape kit, and she wouldn't consent to it anyway. I feel like it is my responsibility to women at large and the women at the university the alleged rapist to report him to the police. I feel like he's a public health risk and that it's not the victims call anymore. I feel like her discomfort is worth preventing possibly many more rapes. What do y'all think? I'm at a loss here as to what to do.

You do nothing. The victim has had their consent taken from them once. Don't take her consent from her again and involve her in a police investigation against her will. Be there for support and light encouragement to report it, but it is ultimately her decision and you need to respect that.Answer #2: > I feel like her discomfort is worth preventing possibly many more rapes. No. What you feel is irrelevant. You have no business attempting to report this if the victim does not want to at this point.Answer #3: You're not the victim, perpetrator, or a witness. All you have is a rumor. So, no, you shouldn't go against the victim's wishes, and you probably don't have enough for the police to go on anyway. If you believe the victim, stop associating with the perpetrator. Answer #4: It's not your decision to makeAnswer #5: One of the best things you can do for your friend is to point her to RAINN (www.rainn.org). They have counselors who can help (and her school likely does too).

Police hiring process

So I'm going through the hiring process for my local city (Phoenix PD). And I had to disclose on my background packet something I'm not proud of. Two years ago I had set my phone in a bathroom to record (yeah I'm a piece of shit, I know). So I got the recording but immediately felt shitty and deleted it. So now the detective on my packet is asking when, how, why, how I set my phone up, how many women, etc. Now I feel like a case is being built up on me instead of going through with my hiring process. Is it possible that's what they are doing?

Yes. You need a criminal defense lawyer and do not talk to the police again without the lawyer present. You can forget about working as a police officer.

[WA] Sold item on OfferUp, buyer claimed defective and filed in Small Claims Court. Help!

Recently, I sold a piece of test equipment for a not small amount \($500\). I am not a professional seller, this was simply a spare piece of equipment which I couldn't justify the space for any more. In my description, I did say the item was in mint conditions \(which is true, it had zero scratches and came with all of the spare parts\). More importantly, before even trying to list the item I tested to ensure all channels displayed a trace and ensuring that everything worked properly \(to the best of my ability\). I took multiple pictures showing the channels working, the LEDs on the front working, etc. Some of which were shown in the ad. All in all, I spent over 30 minutes taking these pictures, etc. I have no doubt in my mind that what I gave to him was a working instrument. The seller messages me claiming that I am committing fraud, that the item was emitting smoke and demanding a refund. Now my thoughts are either 1\) buyers remorse or 2\) he used the instrument wrong and damaged it and is trying to get me to eat the cost. Either way, I basically told him I tested it out and I don't doubt it was working when I handed it to you. Plus, since I don't know what you did with it from that point on and even more importantly it is easy to damage this piece of equipment by testing things you shouldn't I will not issue a refund. He asked for proof that it was working, so I sent him a link to some images showing some of the channels working. I thought since he didn't send me anything more, that things were settled. Yesterday evening, I received a letter sent by USPS indicating he filed a small claims court filing. I am not sure how he got my address but this is not important, I assume this is "being served". It indicates that he is filing for TEN TIMES what he paid \($5000\). His filing claims that I committed fraud and knowingly sold a broken instrument, that he suffered medical illness by smoke inhalation, and that he is entitled to treble damages. Now obviously, I am scared as hell. I'm not a rich man, by a long shot. I have the images of the device working \(way more than I sent him\), my wife was in the room with me and she could attest that she didn't smell anything wrong \(but since it is my wife, is her testimony even legit/allowed?\). In the end, did I screw myself by thinking that he is lying and am I liable for what feels to me to be a scam? I can't get a lawyer involved since this is small claims court, so I have NO CLUE what to do besides print out the text of the ad and the pictures showing it working. Right now, I am just wishing I donated this test equipment to charity instead of selling it.

Take all your photos and your wife to court with you. Tell the judge that you tested the device and it was working as described when you sold it. Provide the pictures and inform him that your wife witnessed these tests and can testify that the device was not dangerously faulty when tested. Small claims is fairly informal, and nobody expects you to be a lawyer. Dress appropriately, be polite and respectful, and present your case clearly and concisely.Answer #2: I would suggest taking a read upon the OfferUp web site. Their entire list of terms and conditions throughly Answer #3: First, relax. Based on what you said, he doesn't have much of a case. He's not getting $5k no matter what. Simply bring all your evidence and provide your end of the story. But the bottom line "caveat emptor" applies. You're fine. He won't win. Answer #4: He purchased a piece of used test equipment. Unless you provided him with some sort of warranty, he hasn't got a case. When you go to court, present yourself with respect towards both the court and the buyer. This alone will go a long way toward making a favorable impression on the court and lend credence to your case.

Hacking - Ruining lives

I would like to share a true story concerning my brother, currently living in Sydney. There has been great injustice suffered by my brother, AB, while studying at Macquarie University in NSW, Australia. He is perhaps one of many students whose grades were manipulated or deleted after hackers gained access to unhashed passwords of students accounts back in 2012. AB discovered that all his assignment grades were deleted only after completing his third year of study in December of 2013. He wasted the whole of 2014 trying to get the matter properly investigated and resolved. Despite, having evidence on my brother's favour, the university has tried to bury the matter on multiple occasions by delaying the final decision until AB's visa is about to expire. The university always gave unreasonable rulings despite the evidence being on my brother's favour. AB has even written to other Australian offices seeking their help but till now he has not seen justice prevail. Frustrated, AB is forced to return home while having wasted four years of his life and accumulated a large debt just because a premier Australian institute wants to deny that its students grades were manipulated by hackers. There are a lot more details to this story but I just wanted to put this short version online while hoping to warn others and also get some advice as to how to solve this problem. Thank you Edit: A letter written by my brother: Dear Sir/Madam, I am a Fiji citizen and I had been studying at Macquarie University from 2011-2013. Upon completion of my studies in November 2013, Macquarie University falsely accused me of forging result notification. It has been a year now and I have appealed numerous times, but in every meeting the university has declined to properly investigate the case and without any reason they have excluded me from the university and prevented me from graduating. I received an email address of a Macquarie University staff member of the International Office from my sponsor’s representative ([email protected]). I used to email Rainy Ren whenever I needed something from the university throughout my study period. The person assisted me with all my enrolment and provided advice. The person used to send softcopies of my results which my sponsors upon verification with the university would in turn pay my living allowance for that semester. In September 2013, the person informed me that he was also a representative of the International Student Association and was requesting for a membership fee. I had problems withdrawing funds from my account so I didn’t end up paying the fee. In September when my sponsors requested for my results, I emailed Rainy Ren for a copy of the results, as I have done so in the past semesters. He sent me the results which I forwarded to my sponsors. My sponsor tried to get verification but was not able to reach Rainy Ren. I approached the International Office to get a disclosure consent form signed for my sponsor and to enquire about the inability to contact Rainy Ren, to which the person responded saying that there might have been system updates which may have caused this. The reception desk informed me that Rainy Ren was out on lunch break and since I wanted to get a signature urgently I should proceed to Student Services. I followed the instructions and got my form signed by a course assistant. In November the Campus Wellbeing Department issued an alert that there were groups posing as the International Student Association, and everyone should be alert. After this the staff email was unreachable and my sponsor tried to get my results verified but couldn’t. In December, my father went to my sponsor’s office and found out that the university failed to verify the results. This was the first time I came to know about this. A few days later, the university sent me an email informing me of a meeting in December. In the meeting, the University Discipline Committee requested for the email headers, which I happily sent them, following the instructions Iona (UDC rep) emailed me. After this I lost access to my student accounts and was not able to sign in. Upon checking with the IT department, they would inform me that I would get access by a particular date but I didn’t get access till March, 2014. I contacted the HOD of Earth and Planetary Science Department who informed me that this was an administrative problem and that it could easily be solved. I later found out that the lecturers claimed they didn’t receive my assignments (this was odd since no lecturer ever spoke to me about the assignments during classes or tutorials or even sent a notification email) In March, we found out that someone during this time had been signing into my student accounts. A message in the draft of the email was left behind which claimed that Rainy Ren had accessed my accounts, disabled my Ilearn Account (which students use to submit assignments), hacked into my bank account (my debit Visa card had fraudulent activity on it), also hacked into my social networking accounts. In the March meeting, I requested the UDC to track the email address and the IP address from Sweden (which was found in the sign in history), but the UDC declined my request. At the end they informed me that they were excluding me from the university. After this I approached the Redfen Legal Centre for assistance. They helped me with my appeal submission and prepared for the meeting. Reviewing the documents we found out that a Macquarie University staff member had issued a copy of my Student ID card to someone else (I requested the UDC to investigate the employee but they declined). We also requested the university to give me a copy of my emails from their backups but they declined (UDC claims to keep student emails for up to 10 Years but they apparently don’t have mine). In the April meeting, the UDC requested for my laptop which I handed over to them the very next day. They also asked me for my assignments which was on my hard drive and a letter from the bank confirming fraudulent activity on my account. I informed the UDC that I was travelling to NZ and I will do everything I can to give them everything they have requested. Upon returning from NZ, I was contacted by the University that their independent investigator (Clinton Towers) had finished with the laptop and it was ready for pickup. After picking up the laptop and checking it, I found out that it was not operational. I informed the University about this. They checked with Clinton Towers and after a lot of delays, the University asked me to have it check by a repairs store. The repairs store informed me that the hard drive was completely damaged. During this time the university was still waiting for the report from Clinton Towers which was already a month late. The university paid for the damages to my laptop. The bank informed me that they needed a police warrant to get the letter I had requested. I informed the UDC and requested them for a letter which I could use to get a warrant, but the UDC declined again. Since my laptop was damaged I wasn’t able to access my assignments. Therefore, I printed a few of the assignments as proof that I had it and took my backup hard drive with me to the meeting in July. The Clinton Towers’ report had arrived in June however I was not informed of this. The report showed that I was not responsible for anything the university was accusing me of. The University also requested my laptop files to be sent to them without my authorisation, even though I had requested Clinton Towers to send the files to me at my address. During the meeting, I presented the assignments and correspondence with the bank. However, the committee did not even touch the documents. They did not even consider the report from Clinton Towers. They directly informed me that they were not going to consider the appeal. I finally received the letter from the bank confirming fraudulent activity on my account. I presented this to the Student Ombudsman, and he informed me that he will thoroughly investigate the case. He asked me to see a psychologist and send him a report. I did everything as requested. In December, the ombudsman informs me that the psychologist was not qualified to make an assessment and that he will not consider the report and he will not investigate any further. I requested him for a contact for another psychologist but he declined. I also requested him for a report of his findings but he declined citing privacy protocols. He informed me that the NSW Ombudsman’s Office had the resources to investigate it and answer the questions about the case (this was after over 3 months he sat with the case). In an email he also tried to frighten me saying that the ombudsman will be reporting me to the police if I decided to go ahead with my appeal to the NSW Ombudsman. I emailed the Vice Chancellor, that due to unfair treatment I will now have to resort to outside help. The Deputy VC requested me for the police case file number (case which I filed in March 2014). In the first email she told me that the number was wrong. So to be accurate I took a photo of the number and emailed to her. She still insisted that the number was wrong. In my third attempt, I email a copy of the entire report card. Now she said that she had the correct number. A few days later she emailed me saying the number was wrong again and that I should get it sorted out. After a lot of running around and about a month later the Blacktown Police Station informed me that the number was absolutely correct. During this time the Deputy VC was tracking the staff email address. Upon receiving the report, she emailed me a review saying that the person responsible needed to have technical knowledge in order to access the Google severs (which I definitely don’t have). Also she said that since the original emails were now missing they can’t track the email address. She accused me of deleting the emails during the time when I had no access to my student accounts. The Deputy VC informed me that she will not review any further. I have now forwarded the case to the NSW Ombudsman and they are now looking into it. I have wasted so much of my time and money trying to get this sorted out but Macquarie University has made no effort to properly investigate this case. They have just made me run around and just given me excuses. They have also misguided me into doing extra units, hence my sponsors ended up paying more than was required for graduation. Therefore, I am requesting for your assistance in getting this matter investigated properly and resolved as soon as possible. Yours faithfully AB

Did you have a legal question?

Falsely Accused of Creating Child Pornography [BC, Canada]

First off, I live in BC, Canada and understand answers will come from mostly those in the USA. I’m open to lots of opinions and ideas though, so don’t let location stop you from replying. Backstory: Years ago I worked with a model that was under 18, shooting content for a website. It was swimwear and lingerie. Morally grey area, but legally fine. No nudity, no closeups of genital areas, and no suggestive or lascivious poses. I did not talk with her parent or guardian, but she did bring a model agreement signed by a person she said was her guardian. A week or so later, I get a knock on the door. Two plainclothes officers from the Sex Crimes unit want to know what I was doing that day, and said that they received a complaint that child pornography was being created. I explained the circumstances and they said it was the mother that called the police because she had no idea what her daughter was doing. All she knew was pictures were taken of her underage daughter in lingerie in a hotel room.. Yeah, I’d be pretty worried as a parent too. I explained the signed model release, and admitted I “really” should have talked to a parent and witnessed them signing the release. I hadn’t yet submitted the content, and happily surrendered it to the officers for inspection. Never heard another word. Around 3 years later I’m pulled over by a police car. I had a cracked windshield and assumed it was because of that. Officer explains he pulled me over because there’s a “note” about child pornography on my “file”. He asked me a few general questions (where am I going, where have I been today), and then told me to get the windshield fixed. So, now I’m living in constant panic whenever I see a police car. I’m married (happened after the previous events), and my wife works with kids. I’m terrified I’ll be pulled over again with her in the car, and then have to explain why there’s a note about child pornography attached to my name. I filed a freedom of information request, and got the police file sent to me. It describes everything that happened, and the officer’s remarks that while my actions might have been a little questionable morally, there was absolutely no child pornography produced and nothing illegal occurred. The case was closed and labelled “unfounded”. I’ve since had criminal record and vulnerable sector checks, with no problems. I have a Nexus card, and even have had it renewed with no issue. My question is can I do anything to have this “note” removed from my file? Is that “child pornography” label going to be forever in my file? Is this only attached to my local PD “notes” about me, or does this info go further? Any ideas? Thanks for reading! :)

Did I read correctly, that you're saying that a cop ran your license plate while you were driving and decided to pull you over because of a "note" in your "file" that mentioned child pornography, even though there was no arrest or conviction (or even awareness on your part that there was an investigation going on)?

(TX) My surgeon added on a procedure without my express consent, verbal or written, during my foot surgery because "other patients were happier that way."

I am a young, active woman with genetically terrible feet. I've given up several activities and shoes due to pain. I knew this surgery was coming from the age of 18. I opted to have one of my severe bunions fixed with a Lapidus (joint fusion) at the base of first metatarsal. I authorized in written form for many things involved in this surgery (and I still have a copy). What I DIDN'T authorize was (1) for a surgical staple to be placed in my big toe and (2) for my big toe to be permanently "stuck" pointing up. The agreement specifically stated what instrumentation and bone cuts were authorized. These were not covered. I asked my surgeon about this at an early follow-up. (I was still swollen.) He stated, "Most of my patients liked the way it looked better with the toe pointing up." (Ok???) I let it go because my foot was still so swollen at this point. I am many weeks post-op and no longer swollen. When I stand, my big toe cannot touch the ground. I cannot bend my big toe. I do not ever see myself returning to rock climbing or yoga, let alone a proper gait. I am seeing another doctor for a second opinion. I am overall unhappy with my result. ​ Do I have the grounds for a malpractice suit?

Failure to get informed consent is pretty textbook malpractice, but the question is what you're damages are. You should consult with a medical malpractice attorney.

Rehomed a French Bulldog, buyer will not pay second half of rehoming fee.

We re-homed a French Bulldog to a buyer from a state over with a fee. Agreed to send first half via Paypal and the second half payments would be dispersed throughout 5 months. I tell her beforehand that the dog is unregistered with AKC. She comes to my state to take the dog and agrees that everything is in order and she loves the dog. I have her sign a payment agreement letter stating she is paying X amount for a deposit and X amount throughout 5 months. I ask to make a copy of her driver's license so I can track her down if she decides not to pay, she says it's in her car and I agree to let her send me a photo later. I get a message later from her stating that she believes that the dog is not a purebred French Bulldog and that she will not pay the second half that she owes me. Keep in mind this is a quite expensive dog. I'm not too upset about the money, just upset that she might get away with essentially stealing my dog. I did almost everything wrong by accepting Paypal and only one half. But I know her name, a city/state of residence. Is there any legal action I can take to either get her to pay the second half or refund her money and she returns the dog? I have a signed payment agreement letter (probably not legally binding), screenshots where I state the dog is unregistered, and videos of her meeting the dog. Would the best course of action be to file a police report in her city/state or open a small claims suit in my/her state? Or just to let it go all together?

You can sue her, likely in small claims, for the remaining payment.Answer #2: You sold your dog. Period. The whole idea behind a rehoming fee is that if someone is willing to pay for a pet they're more likely to have thought it through and will be more likely to take good care of the pet. It's not to make a profit or recoup every penny you ever spent on a pet. It's incredibly deceptive when an owner sells their animal and asks a "rehoming fee" for an exorbitant amount. Keep that in mind if/when you go to small claims court. Stop using that BS phrase and be honest about selling your pet for the stated amount of $1,500. The payment agreement letter is %100 binding and should hold up in court.

Just found out a band used my photo as their album cover.

I was just tipped off that a band used one of my photographs as their album cover without permission. I have never heard of the band, so I’m guessing they just came across it on Reddit and used it. They are not a big band by any means so my question is, is it even worth going after something like this? The album is already out and is on Spotify with my image as the album. Just curious to what my options are. Thanks.

Obligatory: I'm an IP lawyer, but I'm not *your* IP lawyer. Assuming that the photograph is actually yours (not a similar photograph by someone else), and it isn't a fair use of your image (a complex analysis that is best conducted by an offline lawyer whom you've retained to help you), your options are to: 1. Ask them nicely not to use your photograph and see if they comply; 2. Send them a formal cease and desist letter demanding that they stop using your photograph, and see if they comply; and/or 3. Take them to court for copyright infringement. You have nothing to lose by doing 1 and 2, and it's amazing how cooperative people can be when faced with simple, non-threatening requests. If you opt for 3, you'll need to do 1 and/or 2 first (ideally both, to show that you've made good faith efforts to resolve the matter without resorting to the judicial system). Also, be warned that 3 won't be fast or cheap, and you'll almost certainly need to retain an offline lawyer to assist you.Answer #2: Heh; that's happened to me three times now: [1](https://imgur.com/TFMQAXJ), [2](https://www.discogs.com/W%C3%BCrm-La-For%C3%AAt-Dautrefois/release/4139713), [3](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-nNGo0qaC7YE/UtQwiM9mAGI/AAAAAAAAVzE/7tBNy1qboI0/s577-no/1998+-+Orke+%2528Demo%2529+01.jpg), plus several more that weren't album covers. If the offender is in the U.S., you can file a DMCA takedown notice against them and their service provider. If that doesn't work, I think you need a lawyer. If the offender is outside the U.S., then you could still try writing to them and their service provider. If that doesn't work, you're probably SOL. Do you have actual damages? I don't do photography for money, so I'm equal parts PO'd about my work being stolen, and flattered. I've never pursued any legal avenues.

Can my neighbors claim I'm harassing them when I confront them for being noisy at midnight?

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Start calling the police on him. You've given him fair warning, no need to keep bothering him in person. Answer #2: He can claim it but in reality it's not harassment. However you don't want to get yourself too involved with this person. You can't underestimate crazy and all that. in future I suggest going through management or calling the police, stating that he's been aggressive when you've asked him to keep it down in the past. I also suggest making a recording of the noise in your apartment each time, in case he claims he's not actually making noise and you're using the police/management to harass him. Keep all this documentation (recordings, police reports, emails to and from management, a log of any contact made (e.g, if he tells you off for calling the cops) and if it shows no sign of stopping do the big complaint to management sending them all the documentation.

Nevada - Doesn't a 45 - 65 day wait for my information to be registered in the state's computer system for a citation violate my right to a speedy trial?

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Having a backlog in one of the busiest police departments in the world does not violate your constitutional rights. Especially since you aren't going to have a trial (probably). Go ahead and have your response to the citation prepared and check often to see if it's been posted.

Employment/Labor Law: Is there any way to require an employee, upon hire, to sign a contract which mandates that they work a minimum period of time (ex: at least 2 years)?

Hi all. Is there any way to require an employee, upon hire, to sign a contract which mandates that they work a minimum period of time (ex: at least 2 years)? EDIT: This would be for California. I know you can give employees retention bonuses, which is conditioned on them having to return it if they leave. But I'm curious if there are other legal ways to require an employee to work a minimum amount of time upon hire, and ways to ensure that they stay that amount of time, or else suffer some sort of consequence. That's probably a bad way of saying it, but I'm looking for something consequential as opposed to an incentive. Thanks for any help!

If you want to remove the at-will nature of any employment, you do so by having the employee sign an employment contract. Both parties are bound by the agreement, and that includes term, compensation, etc.

Surgery center double charged us, do we have any recourse?

(Ohio) So, my wife had an issue with her foot. I won't get into it too much but the relevant info is that she had a small cyst removed, and a taylor's bunion fixed (which involved breaking her 5th metatarsal and relocating it). The doctor and surgery center billed us separately, and the surgery center bill listed two separate procedures on the order of $3500 and $3900, plus a single screw. The really crazy bit to me is that the doc only charged $1200 for everything he did. My wife called the surgery center and asked them why they're charging us for the procedure and not for time spent in the room and supplied. Their short answer was "we charge based on the procedure the doctor does." So my wife asked "So am I being charged double then? There were two procedures, but I didn't use twice the amount of time." Their response? "That's just how our billing works, we charge for time, supplies and staff based on the procedure done." So they're pretty much admitting to double charging us and the insurance. They didn't itemize the bill in any intelligible way. Just procedure 1, procedure 2, and screw. I'm not sure if I should call the insurance company and report them or what. They wouldn't give at all on the phone when she talked to them. This seems like some sort of fraud to me. Anyone know for sure? Topic: Medicine and Malpractice

There were 2 procedures. The fact that 2 procedures took maybe 1 hour when just 1 procedure would take 1 hour is irrelevant. Or am I missing what you're trying to explain?

When is a surgical complication considered malpractice?

This is my first ever post so please forgive me if I’ve made an error. I recently had what was expected to be an overnight surgery result in a nightmare. I was referred to a large university hospital due to swallowing issues.The plan was for a laparoscopic surgery where part of my esophageal muscles would be cut. While inside, surgeon found my spleen to be encased with scar tissue so the surgery was changed to open. Spleen was removed, original problem was addressed, and I was then admitted for a longer stay, The first post-op day was really not bad, but the 2 days after became increasingly painful. The response was an increase of pain meds. Day 4 I ran a high fever, blood pressure dropped, pulse sky high. Turns out my bowel had been nicked. I ended up in the icu with a trach for 6 weeks. During this time I had 12 abdominal surgeries to try and control the infection with my abdomen left open until the 12th one. I remember nothing of the icu stay until the 4th week. Things were pretty dire as friends and family were told that it was time to visit. I was then transferred to another facility to be weaned off the vent for a month, and then spent another month at an inpatient facility to regain the strength to even sit up in bed much less walk. I then spent 4 months in outpatient PT. I live in VA and the surgery was done in NC. You sign your life away on a surgical consent form, but this was obviously not an expected result.

>When is a surgical complication considered malpractice This topic is far too complicated for internet advice as the AutoMod points out. But in the most general terms, when the outcome is the result of an error or deviation from a standard course of care as opposed to the sort of ordinary risks of the procedure. And when there is a demonstrable tangible loss as a result. >Turns out my bowel had been nicked. That's probably a reasonable time to consult an attorney. It isn't necessarily certainty that you have a case, but you should review the situation with someone qualified to discuss it with you.

Lease says I pay $0/month for my house, nothing has been charged to me yet. What should I do?

Location: Louisiana Multiple iterations of the lease for the house I am renting have been activated/deactivated due to errors on the property management company’s end (missing a roommate’s name, etc). On the final lease that is currently active now, the section detailing rent payment each month specifically states “TENANT shall pay promptly as a monthly rental sum of$0.00 which is due and payable on or before the first.” Today (July 1st) is the first day I have had to pay rent at this place, and the online portal we are to use says that no payment is owed at this time. It’s looking like since the “rent payment” of the lease says $0, nothing is getting charged to me or my account, assuming this is all automated. Being that the legal document I signed to live in this house says I owe $0/month, do I have any obligation to let them know of their mistake? Should I ride it out until they contact me about it? What should I do?

Let them know. They'll figure out eventually. This is a obvious error in transcription. It doesn't allow you to take advantage of the error by not paying rent you're still bound to pay whatever the rental amount your agreed to is.Answer #2: They will figure it out eventually, at which point you will need to pay, possibly with late penalties. Best to contact them now.

I left my dog in my car. (Ontario, Canada)

Background: In a moment of thoughtlessness I left my dog in the back of my car for a few minutes while I went to get something from a store. I first returned after 10 minutes, and my dog was fine. I'd forgotten something so went back to the store. Again, no more than 10 minutes later, I returned to find two police cars and an officer opening my window. I opened the trunk and Charlie came out, I was berated by the officers briefly and then left. I was issued a court date: "Owner or custodian of an animal permitting the animal to be in distress." I'm terrified I'm going to lose my dog, I don't care about fines or anything else. Realistically what should I expect, and what can I do?

You should expect a fine of not more than $1,000.

Stuck buying home I can't afford

US-NJ I am under contract for a bank owned property and am having severe concerns that I am in over my head. A mortgage commitment was delivered satisfying all contingencies. My lawyer informed me that backing out now would cause a default of contract. The contract says they would keep my deposit (which I'd be fine with), but that they would still be able to pursue legal options against me. My lawyer says they could sue me for any cost difference between my offer and the final sales price of the home along with costs to maintain the home until it's actual sale. My closing is in a few days, do I have any options here to get out of this contract? I had considered offering perhaps 10% of my offer price to default and prevent future lawsuits, is that something a bank would accept? My current deposit is only 1%

Maybe they will accept, maybe not. But you have a lawyer who is in full knowledge of the contract and knows the potential consequences of defaulting, so follow hiss advice. There's no magic wand here.

Will I pass inspection with illegal tinting?

I’m getting 15% tint on my car besides the windshield next week. The law in my state is 70% tint which is basically nothing. Will I pass inspection with the 15% tint?

You're asking if your illegal tint is illegal?

(Israel) Would I get in trouble for ordering Mein Kampf?

I'm Arab and I live in Israel, before the question, I want you to know... I'm not racist, I love Jews, I have Jew friends, I respect everyone, I don't have Nazi ideology, I don't love Hitler, you get the point... I wanna read it ONLY for the purpose of education, I know it might not be the best way to learn about Hitler, but I wanna see what the monster thought. ​ Would I get in trouble if I order it online? (since I heard they only sell only 1 copy here which is really condensed and rare to find). If I'm not allowed to have it... what's the most that will happen? take the book from me? put me in jail? etc... Topic: Non-US

If you are able to get one, I would recommend making sure that it’s one that includes a lot of annotation and context. I know there are editions of it that have a lot of extra commentary from historians explaining everything, the lies and why people believed them. That could help on a personal level if someone saw you have it for you to explain that you are interested in it historically.

I slipped in dog shit. Premises liability. Environmental damage.

[removed] Topic: Removed

You can keep complaining to management. You can call the police (I'll eat my left shoe if the police actually investigate). Otherwise, clean your shoes, look for a new apartment, get on with your life. Answer #2: Your last post about this was shut down. Why are you posting it again? In any case, even if you're a troll, the cost of filing a small claims suit against the owners of said dogs and investigating this claim will certainly outweigh the cost of your Reeboks. Cheaper resolution: wash your shoes in soap and water and air dry.Answer #3: Your first step is to get a judge to grant you subpoenas for every dog in the complex so that you can take DNA evidence. I suggest wearing your now shitty shoes to court because judges love that kind of stuff. Once you have DNA files on every single dog in the complex you can undertake testing each and every piece of canine fecal matter you find using a third party lab (there are a few in the US including one in Tennessee). Expect results in 6-8 weeks. Once you've identified the culprit canine, you can sue the owner for the cost of the paper towels, water, vinegar and other cleaning materials you might use. If you took your shoes to a professional shoe shiner, you can charge for the shine but not the tip. That should mean that you're suing for $15 or so. Oh, and blaming water quality on dog feces is hilarious. Agricultural runoff is a much larger problem.

(MN) Vice principal threatening to charge everyone sitting at a lunch table with assault

A typical lunch for me involves planning (ok fantasizing) what's happening on the weekend and otherwise discussing pop culture such as the non-English class related book we're reading or hot new video game and the next session at the clubhouse. When I sat down with my literal circle of acquaintances there were two other guys standing next to the table. A person sitting at the table was wearing an Israeli Defense Forces t-shirt and the passerby thought it was so damn interesting that he struck up a conversation. Mr. IDF shirt explained how he spent last summer over there and he's glad "...they defend us from terrorists." That piqued the interest of the other passerby and they got into heated discussion ending with ethnic slurs and one dared the other to "say that again" which was responded with a shoulder check. A fist fight began, everyone in the vicinity moved away. This one girl was recording the fight on her phone and one of the hot headed guys demanded that she stop. She didn't. He grabs her phone and throws it at the other guy but misses. In what felt like slow motion the phone hit the vice principal in the eye. So like everyone who was at the exact scene has been suspended for a week and the vice principal is threatening to confirm to the police that he wants to pursue assault charges against "the instigators." Is this a bluff? Should I lawyer up now?

I am not a lawyer, but a vice principal cannot charge anybody with a crime.

Marriage agreement in CAlifornia

So let's say my husband wants to sign a marriage agreement with me, is it legal/ the following items would have legal force? 1. I have to marry him for life 2. If I ever leave him, I will not have any form of alimony 3. If I ever leave him, I need to compensate him with money 4. If we divorce, he will have the full custody of our child Thank you!!

I'm a cop. I've seen this level of control plenty of times in domestic violence suspects. He's nice enough to tell you that he will be manipulating and hurting you at some point in the future. You should thank him on your way out the door. When I say hurt I don't mean hurt your feelings. A man that thinks this way does not see you as a peer and will not hesitate to physically assault you to maintain control Answer #2: inal but run Answer #3: 1- not legally binding 2- need a post nup 3- need a post nup 4 not legally binding AFAIK Answer #4: IANAL but you can find a paper evaluating this subject [here](http://www.hg.org/article.asp?id=6782). The point of a prenup is to protect pre marital assets, what he is doing is trying to set up a completely unequal contract wherein he has full control of the relationship and your family. Contracts don't work like that, they need to have some kind of give and take. Given my admittedly limited understanding I think you'll find a judge would throw this out if you did sign it. That said *do not sign it*, postnups are entirely voluntary and you'd be mad to sign this one. Either make a counter offer from your own attorney (you're going to need one if you go through with this), get married without one or end the relationship.

Sextortion advice

**Please, if you're going to shame me, just don't. I know i'm a moron and I don't need to hear it from other people.I just want help.** A while ago I was having some home problems. Someone I seen on POF (plenty of fish) messaged me asking if I wanTed to hook up. I was hesitant because it said she was from Portland (I guess Oregon?) and she sent me a number that was a North Carolina number. I got my friend to look the number up and it showed her in North Carolina. A whole different state from me, but it said she was visiting family in my city. She said we should hook up while she was still in town. She then admitted that she was turning 16 in a week (not 20) and and since I was a M/17 who is also going to turn 18 in a week. I said that was okay since we both were still underage and in SC. I asked for a time stamp picture but she didn't want to, she then wanted to exchange face pictures so we did(looking back red flag). She then wanted another picture so I sent her one of me at the gym lifting weights and then she sent me a picture of her in her underwear so I sent some of me in mine when I got home and then she sent nudes and same thing happened since I was thinking with one head instead of the other I sent them. While talking to her I happen to look at POF and noticed she must have blocked me or deleted her profile because our whole conversation was gone and her profile was no where to be found. It threw up some flags but I ignored them. She then said she had to charge her phone, and then a little while later I got 5 text at one time from the supposed dad who made it necessary to write his job title in the message sent me this "She is a minor son that's against the law! If you don't contact me back soon and explain yourself to my wife and I I will take this phone to the authorities with your photo and other info and have you locked up for attempted solicitation of a minor and child pornography. I will also make sure you get registered as a sex offender and while you serve your sentence in prison." He ended that with I will not call you again (I had no call from them) he then said he will put his daughter in therapy and that his daughter threw her phone at the wall to stop them from seeing the messages we exchanged. He then said he would find me if his wife had a miscarriage because of this whole thing. He then ended the conversation asking me to pay for the phone ($600ish dollars) What should I do? I want to contact the police, but what if they want more info? What if this isn't a scam and the parent is actually really mad? I don't want to get in trouble if I'm wrong. I have so much to loose educationally so I don't want to attract more attention than necessary. I also don't want my parents to know I was doing stuff like this. Please help I don't know what to do. Edit:(I also noticed that the pictures didn't match up clothing wise so that also through up flags but she said she changed so I also threw that to the side) Forgot to mention that while looking up some stuff about this I found a bunch of people being scammed like this in my area with almost the same thing written

This is a scam- don't pay or contact them again.Answer #2: This is a scam, ignore it. Stop communicating with whoever it is.

[PA] My girlfriend and me want to make it so her aunt can't have any contact with our child

Me and my gf are in the process of have our first child and want to make sure her aunt and uncle have nothing to do with our child. They are abusive and manipulating people and we want them far away from our children. Is there a legal way we can do this so they can face legal repercussions?

Do you and/or you GF live with her parents? because her parent/s can decide to let aunt visit. Answer #2: So, apologies for any misinformation here... I've *heard* that it would go something like this: Upon contact from aunt & uncle, inform them that you don't want any contact with them (so, don't reach out, just let them know you aren't interested in a relationship with them if they contact you first). Best to do that in writing. Keep a log of all contact attempts and after the first "no contact" warning, avoid responding or reiterate that you want no contact if they corner you or something. If they persist in contacting you, get a (family?) lawyer to send them a cease & desist. If the c&d doesn't work, continue documenting any contact attempts while also doing your best to avoid them. If contact persists, you might be able to get a restraining order. Then you'd keep on avoiding, documenting contact attempts by them, and reporting restraining order violations. If you're very concerned about these people, the usual advice is: If your gf is birthing the baby, make the hospital/birthing center aware that these people are not safe and are not wanted. Security is usually pretty tight in labor & delivery. Lock down social media & make sure no one in your family/friends leaks info to aunt & uncle. For everything but especially things concerning baby (pediatrician, daycare, school) make sure they can't get info by informing each company/group that these people are not allowed access and/or set up a password so they can't pretend to be you. Make sure you are CPS-ready at all times. Put up security cameras at your residence. Nuclear option: move far away and don't give anyone your address.

Neighbor animal advice

So I live in Mew Mexico with my girlfriend, son and three dogs, a shitzu, chaweenie and wiener dog. So we live next to an older Asian couple that speaks very little to no English. We did not have any problems with them before this. I got a call from my fiancé while at work that she couldn't find regal, my chaweenie dog. She turned around for less than a minute after letting them out into our enclosed backyard (walls and gates). She searches and is calling for him, and can't find him. She calls me at work, and I tell her to keep looking and go back to work. I call her 10 minutes later and she still hasn't found him, so I tell her I'm coming over. After about 10 minutes as I'm still driving over she calls me saying the Asian man next door has him and won't let her get him. I found out talking to her later that he had regal cornered next to his house and was just spraying him ( and he is a tiny dog) full force with a hose in the face. This went on for about a minute with her yelling to let her grab him and trying to get his attention. He ignored her and regal finally got close enough for her to grab him over the wall. During this regal was yelling and crying. I got home a minute or so after this. I obviously was pissed so I went to their door and knocked kinda loudly waiting for someone to come out. He finally does and since he doesn't speak English, his wife called a family member to translate. I'm gonna be honest, I was not nice. I insulted him and cussed a lot, but I didn't make any threats or anything. He wouldnt explain why he was spraying him or why he didn't tell us he was back there. He said regal bit him but there was no mark and regal has never bit anyone, he is very friendly. I finally just got fed up and left back to work. Regal is fine, but it was scary. For background info, regal does jump on the wall adjoining different neighbors, because they have dogs and he likes them. He has only jumped into the other neighbors yard 2 times in the 2 years almost we've lived here, and those were in the beginning. But the Asian neighbor has a bunch of thorny trees against the wall and regal has never even been interested in his yard. And regal always yells and barks when he jumps out of the yard. And during the 25 minutes of my fiancé searching and yelling for regal she did not hear anything. I truly do believe he grabbed regal over the wall or something, cause it's almost impossible for regal to have jumped over there by himself. I just want to know if I should inform the police just so they have it on record, or if I should just let it be. What would be the best thing to do?

Keep your dogs on your own property and supervise them while they are outdoors.

Roommate threatening to destroy personal property over cleanliness of non-shared space

Hello, forgive me if this is minor but my roommate is a chronic threat\-maker and I just want to make sure I have my bases covered. Because of title and a lot of other things I am planning to move out although it won't be until the end of July when the lease ends. My roommate has been demanding that I clean my bathroom (he has his own bathroom and no reason, or right imo, to use mine) as he is planning to show potential new tenants the house. I would have no problem doing it if not for the fact that he demanded it right off the bat instead of politely asking and, most importantly, has been threatening to enter my bathroom and discard items such as the shower curtain, and who knows what else, if he "cleans" it himself. I told him if he does that he'll have to buy replacements for the items immediately, and he responded that he would simply refuse, claiming there's "nothing you can do" if he takes these actions, which is why I'm here. I realize a shower curtain is easy to replace but I'm tired of his absurd behavior and would like to prove that he is not as all powerful as he thinks so I can move out with my sanity and self\-esteem intact. My first thought is a small claims suit but I worry the offense would be considered too frivolous and that he's legally free to do as he pleases to any of my low value items. On a related note, he has also previously threatened to let my dog loose outside the house while I'm not home, although I recently secured a screenshot of a text conversation where he acknowledged that letting the dog out of my room when I'm not home makes the dog his responsibility. I live in Florida if that's relevant.

I mean you could just clean the bathroom....and not have it turn into a big dramatic affairAnswer #2: > claiming there's "nothing you can do" if he takes these actions, which is why I'm here Other than report him to the police for trespassing, breaking and entering, destruction of property, and possibly domestic violence, sure. You could also sue him for the cost of replacing the shower curtain. Would any of these things actually happen? Probably not.

Parking spaces are painted too small. What to do?

At my employer we have a huge problem with double parking. Sights like this are common [https://i.imgur.com/cC4sxmy](https://i.imgur.com/cC4sxmy.jpg) And I would normally laugh. But recently I measured a random parking space and found it to be 6.8 ft in width. The county minimum is 9' according to this county code booklet [https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/pds/docs/Parking\_Design\_Manual.pdf](https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/pds/docs/Parking_Design_Manual.pdf) My company is a tenant of a landlord company which owns many properties in the area and all have similar tiny parking spaces. It seems that this code is not enforced. What would be the best plan of action to get this issue corrected?

>The county minimum is 9' For an "accessible" parking spot -- in other words, handicapped parking spaces. Edit: Read the PDF wrong, this is for *all* parking spots, save for parking lots that get an exemption from this.

[NC] My current roommate moved out of her apartment prior to the end of the lease because she believes the renters did not uphold the lease due to infestation. She just got a letter from a debt collector for the unpaid rent.

I am currently in Iraq and my roommate who is awesome and watching the house and my dog along with her 2 dogs is in a bit of a predicament! I know her pretty well and she just wants to live a simple life and get what she pays for, which in this case was a bug free apartment. I asked her to email the situation so I could share here since she doesn't reddit. Below are her words, not mine. Any help would be appreciated! If there are any follow up questions I will try to message her and have them answered as timely as possible, but may be delayed due to our time difference! February 2016 I moved into a cute historic apartment just newly renovated. On the first day of being there, I moved in at night and noticed some roaches on the wall. I leased apartments, and usually when someone moves in they spray which makes bugs come out to die so I didn't think anything of it. In march I start to notice more bugs as its warming up outside. I also acquire new neighbors. Those of which had a roach problem, and were vacated to a new apartment. (beside mine)  I followed all instructions by the apartment complex on fixing the issue. I had to double bag all of my food and I fogged the apartment several times. At this point, I notified the office of what was going on. They basically just offered to spray more. They asked me to clear my cabinets, but did not offer to spray any other rooms. They told me it would take time and to be patient. Months later the problem got aggressively worse. It was so bad that I did not even live in the apartment for all of may and june. I had to go to the doctor because I broke out in some kind of hives. They were in all of my belongings, I had to throw away my couch and anything in the kitchen. Even  hiding in my modem to get away from the spray! In july, I put in a work order notifying the apartment complex that if they did not fix this I would consider it a breach of their lease for insanitary condition because I had been extremely patient. My patience ran out. I couldn't even feed my dogs in the daylight without seeing roaches swarm to their bowls. My neighbors were extremely aggravated too! I finally went to the office to talk to the manager. She did not offer to move me to a different apartment, all she offered to do was have me take all of my belongings out of the house so they could spray. I told her that was fine if she offered to pay the expense of moving and storing my things. I even demanded that they allow me to hire my own exterminator and pay the cost because their spray was not affecting the bugs. I got some legal advice, and was told that in NC, if where you live is inhabitable, you can vacate if they don't fix the problem. I gave them a notice on the signed work order that I would move in thirty days, and then i gave them a letter certified mail for thirty more days. All together this is 60 days total that I gave them notice. Within that time frame they never once tried to contact me while I still was paying rent. I moved and never heard from them again. A year later debt collectors are calling me saying that I terminated my lease early and that my deposits didn't cover the damage of my apartment. Well I took pictures of the entire apartment when I left. I also took pictures of the infestation since the night I moved in to the last day of my lease. I did not leave anything in bad condition. And I left a 300 deposit for them for damages along with 600 in dog deposits!! thinking I was being generous. The debt collectors say that I can file for a discrepancy but I'm not sure that my certified letter will be enough evidence for their approval. I have documented everything. Bills from the doctor, pictures of my apartment from the time I lived there until the last day. Pictures of how it looked when I moved out. And all my work orders from where i repeatedly asked them to fix this problem. The pictures are literally disturbing! I've talked to a few lawyers and most seem uninterested because there is not much money to profit off of, and also because renters commonly abuse their landlords. Should I take them court? If so should I go to small claims and represent myself? Or just try to settle with debt collections?

TLDR, way too much un needed info, and no paragraphs. But I'm guessing you did not do the proper steps to terminate your lease early, and yes even if you had roaches, your can't just stop paying, and expect them to just let you out of your lease. You owe this money.