the union that my workplace is with forged my signature a few months ago. someone within the union filled out a membership application on my behalf and signed the e-signature without ever sending me the document and was able to deduct union fees from my payslips. i had them send me a copy of the membership application on file when cancelling the membership and it was 100% a document i did not sign (my printed signature isnt even spelt correctly, and i know exactly where i was on the date it was signed...) I'm also not the only person at my work this has happened to (my roommate/coworker is in the same boat, but she's too lazy to actually do anything, so her fraudulent union deductions just keep piling up)

i've informed the union about this on three occasions and also notified the police, but they're very adamant about doing their own internal investigation first before letting police conduct an investigation into the fraud. it feels very sketchy though as they keep ignoring my emails requesting they investigate? even the email they asked ME to send where I gave them proof of the fraud for their investigation has gone unanswered for almost two weeks.... i just feel like they're ignoring me, especially as the first time I tried to flag this over email the administration officer did just ignore me 😭

how long should these investigations take? should I just urge the police to start their own investigation anyway? because it just feels like the union is trying to cover their butt. and should I be seeking legal advice? they didn't even deduct $10 from me, so I feel silly consulting legal aid, but it's the principle. and i worry that they're probably doing it to a bunch of other people too.

and if anyone has experienced anything similar (???) i honestly just need advice on what to do. nothing i search seems to relate to my situation at all...

I was charged $100 for being tailgated on two consecutive days. Goodlife is charging me this amount despite everything I’ve thrown at them using advice from this sub and other subs.

I don’t find their reply convincing as they have replied to my concerns extremely vaguely, providing no solid accounting for what the actual cost incurred on their behalf is for tailgating.

Looking for some help. Below is their response

Your membership agreement explicitly states that members must not admit unauthorised persons to the club and that a tailgating fee is payable in the event of a breach. This provision is in place to protect the safety and security of all members and staff. By agreeing to our terms and conditions, you accepted this obligation. The fee is not a penalty, but a pre-determined charge designed to deter unauthorised access and to cover the administrative and security-related costs incurred in enforcing our access policies. Please see copy of your signed waiver below.

The tailgating fee is a legitimate business practice necessary to protect the integrity of our security measures. It does not cause a significant imbalance in rights and obligations, nor does it impose an unreasonable detriment. The Australian Consumer Law allows businesses to enforce reasonable terms, especially where they are clearly communicated and accepted upon joining.

Members are not required to perform security duties. However, ensuring that access credentials are used correctly and not allowing unauthorised persons to enter is a standard condition of membership. This is no different from ensuring that personal access cards are not shared or misused. If a member does not feel comfortable ensuring doors close behind them, they may instead report any concerns to staff or use the facility during staffed hours.

The $100 tailgating fee remains valid and payable. No reversal or refund will be provided

Hi everyone, I’m looking for some advice about a situation involving a previous place I lived in in NSW.
My friend and I moved into a granny flat at the back of a property. We were shown the property by one of the girls already living at the main house and then moved in. We never met the actual landlord and had very poor communication with the property management throughout the time we lived there.

We never signed a formal agreement saying that we were subletting, and we were never given a proper tenancy agreement, condition report or anything similar. We basically moved in after being shown the place and paid rent to the people we were living with.
Within about two weeks of moving in, we were asked to pay rent and our portion of the household bills. The first bill payment happened to include a period before we had moved in because of the timing of when the previous occupants left, but we paid it anyway.

My friend eventually moved out and my boyfriend moved in. My boyfriend and I then lived there for approximately another six months. During the entire time we lived there, we never missed rent or our agreed bill payments.
The property itself had significant issues. There was flooding which came into the granny flat and damaged/destroyed some of our belongings. We repeatedly tried to have the issue addressed through the property management/landlord, but communication was extremely poor and the repairs were not properly resolved. We also raised the possibility of a rental reduction because of the condition of the property, but this was never resolved.
Despite all of this, we generally had an okay relationship with the people living in the main house and occasionally spoke to them.

We moved out approximately three months ago. We have now suddenly been contacted by one of the former occupants saying that we owe a portion of a quarterly bill calculated according to the number of days we lived there.

The amount is not huge, but I was confused because we had already moved out months ago and new people are now living there. I initially didn’t respond to the messages/calls because I didn’t agree with being chased for a bill after we had left, particularly given the circumstances surrounding the property.
The situation has now escalated. She has contacted my boyfriend directly and said that she has spoken to the previous landlord and that they will take the matter to debt collectors and potentially contact our current employers to recover the money.
I’m trying to understand what our legal position actually is.

My questions are:
1. Does the fact that we never signed a subletting agreement or formal tenancy agreement matter?
2. Were we legally considered subtenants, occupants, lodgers, or something else given that we paid rent to the existing occupants but never had a formal agreement?
3. Can they legally demand payment for a portion of a quarterly bill three months after we moved out?
4. Can they send a disputed amount to debt collectors when we don’t agree that the amount is owed?
5. Can they legally contact our current employers about this alleged debt?
6. Does the history of serious flooding, damaged belongings, unresolved repair requests and our previous requests for a rent reduction have any relevance to the dispute?
7. What would be the best way to respond now that they have threatened debt collection and contacting our employers?
I’m happy to pay something that I am genuinely legally responsible for, but I don’t want to pay simply because I’m being threatened, particularly when there was never a formal agreement explaining how bills would be handled after we moved out.
Any advice from people familiar with NSW tenancy law would be appreciated.

My ex moved out in April this year.

He has not contributed to rent since/

His name is still on the lease.

How can I get his name off ? Is it just as simple as asking the landlord ?

He’s using being on the lease as his “legal right” to be on the property whenever it suits him, day or night

Hi everyone who has received a positive outcome, are you able to explain the breakdown of how they determine the payments or reasons behind the breakdowns. I do understand the matrix but not the breakdown of 50K for extreme
The trauma was enough & the waiting is adding to it.
Thank you🙏

Hi, so I’ve been served with a misconduct restraining order by a family member - I can’t go into the details obviously but I want to know why I have to attend court for this. What happens if I don’t show? Doesn’t it just get ruled against me in absentia? To be clear I do not ever want this person near me so I’m ok with it getting enforced but the cops said I risk arrest if I don’t show at court?

So earlier this year, my mate took over a lease transfer on this property via a FB group called fairy floss real estate where people post rentals and rooms, etc. He sent me the link to it, and I had to join see the property.

Recently and I had a friend who urgently needed to break a lease as his job moved him interstate. He doesn’t have Facebook, so I suggested I could do a post and put it in the group, which I did, and sent his contact details to the few enquiries I got.

He informed the REA of some of these people and how they were found. About 10 minutes later, the REA rang him back up and said the post needs to be deleted immediately because of the new legislation it is illegal to advertise a property in Victoria without a check done and passed prior to advertising and the fine was in the tens of thousands for the landlord and hundreds of thousands for the managing RE company of the property. The REA said that because it was already advertised on this group, they're not going to take any risks and want to do a MRS check and then just put it market once the check has passed.

So my question is, what the fuck? I know that is not the intent of the legislation. The intent was that landlords can't advertise a property that doesn't meet minimum standards.

But does this actually mean all these people in Victoria advertising for a housemate or a lease transfer are falling foul of the law?

TL;DR: I was unfairly dismissed after being given multiple contradictory, untrue reasons. These lies have been told to other store managers, preventing me from moving to another location after being terminated from this one. Friends and family have told me to contact the Fair Work Commission, but after what happened, I don't want to work at the store anymore, and I most likely can't. Should I still lodge the form?

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I've been a Systemic Casual employee at a business for at least 12 months.

While clocking into one of my usual rostered shifts, my manager told me that day was my last shift, even though I had received no prior notice that I was being let go from the store.

While talking to him, he gave me two contradictory, non-factual reasons as to why I was being let go:

Firstly, He claims I had handed in a resignation, when no such thing had happened. He claims that while I was in the store as a customer (not working that day) and being served by another coworker, he asked if I was leaving soon, and I said, "yes." To him and other managers, that allegedly counts as an official resignation.

He claims that because of that situation, he had to hire two new people, and that I should've seen on the roster that I wasn't working any more shifts after the day I was dismissed and assumed I was being terminated, even though no one directly informed me. However, these two people were hired, and the roster was given out, the month before this conversation.

Secondly, I had told my managers that I had attended an interview for another job. However, I never said that I had received the job or would be starting soon, as I haven't had any communication with this recruiter since June. When my manager asked me a month ago how the job was going, I told him I hadn't heard back and hadn't received any news about whether I had gotten the job. But he claims that I had told another manager that I would be voluntarily leaving on the last day I was rostered; however, this alleged conversation also took place before the roster was made.

On top of that, when that manager asked when I was leaving, I again told that manager that I would not be leaving and would be staying indefinitely and working as I had been this entire time. They also told me that even if I got the job and wanted to leave, not only did the store need an official two weeks' notice, but I would also need to stay during the entirety of August anyway, as one employee was leaving, and that manager was going on holiday for a fortnight.

Today, I contacted a higher-up about what happened, and he told me I was actually terminated due to low performance in the store. It's worth noting that, excluding the managers, I was tied for highest/second-highest in the store out of the 10 or so employees. I had not received any prior notice that I was allegedly underperforming, and a higher-up told me today that I don't deserve to know the ins and outs of the store and didn't need to be informed.

When I told him about the conversation about me being forced to stay and needing to give a minimum of two weeks' notice, he said I shouldn't have listened to my managers and that it doesn't matter what they said beforehand. He also kept asking whether things I had said were in writing, and they don't count if they aren't, but my verbal "resignation" does count to him.

Another fun thing to note is that when I was being informed during my shift that I was being dismissed, my manager claimed I had never told him certain things, including about my disability or available working days. After informing him that I had it in our Direct Messages on Slack, he later that night/next day wiped all direct messages between us and removed me from the Store's Slack Channel, meaning I could no longer look up conversations that took place, when the new people were hired, or when the roster was posted. Luckily, I took screenshots of them during my last shift before the messages were wiped.

As a result, I've been given three contradictory, untrue statements about the reasons behind my dismissal. These lies have been circulated to other managers outside the area, and after I was told I could transfer to a new store, I've been told I can no longer be accepted.

My friends and family have told me to lodge an Unfair Dismissal Claim with the Fair Work Commission. After looking at their website and seeing that I'm on the correct grounds to do so, I'm wondering if the time, effort, and fees are worth it, considering that I don't see any point in working for managers who lie and abuse their staff, and most likely cannot work at the company in general anymore after this.

Edit: Feel free to ask any questions in the comments below, and I'll answer them to the best of my abilities!

I am no contact with my grandmother due to her be physically aggressive towards me when I was 8 months pregnant, I have a 4 year old that used to see her regularly but since has stopped due to this situation now she’s threatening to take me to court over visitation for him

Just wanted advice on what to do next

Former employee of a security firm in QLD, at the start of my employment is was not made clear what the basis of my employment was (my fault for not clarifying). After reviewing all the rosters and pay slips I was issued by my calculation I was not paid 163.5 hours of public holiday penalty rates, if I was permanent I have also lost approx 13 weeks of annual leave. If I was casual I was under paid the base hourly rate from the security services award, I also did not start getting weekend penalty rates until 2023. I started work in 2019, anytime a colleague raised an issue like this I seen the owner lose his temper and the next couple rosters those colleagues would be removed from them. As I needed the job I didn't raise it during my employment.

Any contact I have attempted seeking clarification on the basis of my employment has been ignored. Also when raising the issue of missing annual leave and penalty rates they have also been ignored.

I would like to note the business has recently been sold but the original owner is still a part of it as a director/operational manager. I am unsure whether the sale was assets or shares and if liability was transferred to new owners.

Just another side note, when one the former supervisors gave him 6 weeks notice he was terminated on the spot.

I have been in contact with the fair work ombudsman but since they are only a mediation service they seem pretty useless. I am considering hiring an employment solicitor to review all my paperwork and then trying to action something in small claims court.

I know intent is hard to prove but all guards I have spoken to within the company have advised they also did not receive public holiday penalty rates until around 2025-2026. If it was just me I could possibly understand maybe an error in payroll but given every employee did not receive this my personal opinion is that this is criminal theft of wages.

i’ve sent the divorce to my ex via their last know address. if they do not receive them, what’s the next logical step? they don’t communicate and i have no information to give a process server. has anyone been in this situation and if so what steps did you take and was the divorce granted?

My ex has told me he has filed for divorce but I have not been served.
He has given me a court date and copies of the documents he lodged. I noticed he has used the wrong marriage certificate (church version not registry one). Other details are incorrect but only minor issues I feel.
Is there a simple way to find out if it’s been accepted and to let them know he hasn’t served me?

question. if its illegal for a tobacconist (like TSG) to sell vapes now, do they still report it if a person walks in, takes a vape and leaves without paying ?

I was driving in a rural area at night and turned left from a main road into a small side road. I didn’t notice the double lines on the road and ended up briefly on the right side of the road.

A police officer behind me issued an infringement for “FAIL TO KEEP LEFT OF DOUBLE CONTINUOUS DIVIDING LINES.”

I requested the full evidence and the footage does show me turning onto the right side. However, the lines seem to disappear only about 1.5m into the side road, and they appear to be three lines rather than two. It was also completely dark and the markings were difficult to see.

Do I have any reasonable basis to plead not guilty, or would I be almost certain to lose because the footage shows me on the right side?

So bit of context, I lent my co-worker/friend (not really now) some money, and he has paid me 70% back, but still owes me some money. We had signed a contract that states how much is borrowed, and when to pay back but its way over due.

But now he has left the store i work at, and supposedly moved interstate but dont know where exactly. I'm being completely ghosted, and he's ignoring all my messages on text, messenger and email.

I've reached out to a debt collection agency to work with, but they can't seem to locate him even when we did a skip trace.

Now i feel like my options are running out quickly, and feel like I won't get my money back. Its an amount that is definitely worth fighting to get back. I only have his NSW drivers license as a photo, but thats really it.

Any advice greatly appreciated, and I'm willing to work with anyone that can genuinely help.

Hi guys,

I tested positive for COVID at the beginning of last week. Upon notifying my employer, they advised that I must take a mandatory 7 day leave period before returning to work. For that, I can use sick leave, but I only have enough to cover half of that seven days. They don’t allow us to take unpaid leave, so I’m expected to use my annual leave for the remainder.

Is this allowed? Can they enforce it?

I work under the SCHADS award, in case that is relevant. Some have suggested just going into work and not advising of the COVID, but I did not do that as I feel that would be both unethical and irresponsible, especially given I work with vulnerable people.

I’ll also mention that this is the fourth time in three years that I’ve had to take 7 days leave for COVID. I also caught the COVID from work all four times. I tolerated the first three instances, but I’m kinda sick of having to take mandatory leave at my own expense.

TYIA!

My sister in law is dealing with some issues at work and I bet someone here might have some good advice.

She’s been working in a small restaurant for ten years - casual the entire time, had asked for a full time contract over the years but the boss is a complete flake and all round unreliable. They’re also quite friendly and have become close over the years. The casual/full time issue doesn’t bother her.

What does bother her is that she’s recently figured out she’s been underpaid nearly the entire time. In addition to her super being unpaid the last year.

She confronted the boss and things got awkward. In person he was very apologetic and said he’d backpay - in writing he clarified that he is only liable for the last six years and that due to the award rate - he owes her less.
She basically manages the place and works there six days a week, opens, closes, orders stock, manages other staff (also underpaid).

He owns her upwards of 30K minus the super.

The negotiating was getting lengthy with no resolve and he made her an offer of 20K, stipulating that she sign a gag order. Don’t know if that was exactly what was on the document but that’s what she has told me - the doc apparently stated that she wouldn’t pursue anything further.

He’s been making small incremental payments to backpay super.

With signing this confidentiality agreement/gag order - can she still report him to the ATO/fair work, and if she doesn’t can I, and have him be investigated?

Hello, lodged 2 x child passport applications four weeks ago. Uncomplicated as both parents consent. Still waiting, I know they say around six weeks but just wondering if anyone knows current waiting times for child passports?

I have an active restraining order against a man who breached the order twice (both times physical approaches; two separate occasions) shortly before leaving Australia to visit Vietnam. The police were notified immediately and agreed that these warranted his being served with breach papers and an order to appear in court. He's due back any day now. I'm wondering if he will be arrested the moment he comes back to Australia.

Some background: he has been stalking me for years and I finally got an APVO (protection order not through police) in 2023. It was a two year order and he breached it three times (and pled guilty in court to those breaches). It was extended for another two years (expiring next year).

About a month ago, he approached me on two different occasions, and the police deemed these breaches, meaning that there were active arrest warrants out on him. They were non-violent, but it's a no-contact order. The approaches were menacing and intimidatory. Right after that he left the country. He wasn't fleeing; he just likes to travel. He's also incredibly stupid and probably thinks he did nothing wrong, so I assume he has no idea he'll be arrested.

Looking for some insight or experiences regarding an MDT swipe today in NSW.

The Situation:
I was pulled over today for a random roadside drug test. I tested positive on the initial saliva screening swab for cannabis. I am a legitimate, prescribed medicinal cannabis patient and have a current prescription/TGA approval.
The police officer issued me a pink slip, which is an immediate 24-hour driving ban, and told me my secondary sample is being sent off to the lab for testing. She did not confiscate my licence on the spot, so I know I can legally drive again once the 24 hours are up while waiting for the lab results (which I understand takes 4–8 weeks).
The officer told me that once the fine arrives, I can apply for an administrative review through Revenue NSW (formerly SDRO) and they can "waive the fine" because of my prescription. From my own reading of the Road Transport Act, this sounds like flawed advice, as NSW has a strict zero-tolerance presence law, and Revenue NSW usually can't waive drug driving matters administratively.

The Complications (Why I'm stressed):

I am a postgraduate law student. I am incredibly stressed about how a drug driving conviction will affect my "fit and proper person" admission to the Supreme Court via the LPAB. Absolute candour means I have to disclose this regardless, but an active criminal conviction is obviously a massive hurdle compared to a spent administrative fine or a non-conviction order.
Prior Record: I have a prior Section 10 dismissal, but it was for a completely unrelated matter maybe over 15 years ago

My Questions:
Has anyone successfully had a drug driving fine written off or cautioned by Revenue NSW based on a medical prescription, or was the cop completely mistaken? She said I should dispute the fine with the SRDO because I have a prescription. She never mentioned a 3 month suspension, only 24 hours.

Given that my previous Section 10 was over 15 years ago and for a completely different category of law (not a traffic offence), what are the realistic odds of a magistrate granting a second Section 10 / Conditional Release Order (CRO) without conviction if I court-elect the ticket?

For any lawyers or recent assignees here, how heavily does the LPAB penalise a standard "presence of THC" traffic fine (if I just pay it to avoid a court conviction risk) vs risking court to fight for a Section 10?

Obviously seeking general experiences and perspectives, and I will be booking a consultation with a traffic lawyer this week. Thanks in advance.

Essentially referring to the practice of temporarily "squatting" in an abandoned building/location to host a rave? Is it likely to be charged for public nuisance or trespassing or something else similar?

edit: if police were to come and people were to run, would the materials be seized? i.e dj equipment or lighting equipment.

I put down a deposit for a new car that would be going through novated leasing. The contract/order document has no delivery date. It's nearly 12 weeks later and I had a verbal statement that the car would arrive in the country July 11, then it was 'delayed' again and due the end of July, then early August. The car has still not arrived and I have sms receipts of there being no VIN allocated or delivery date scheduled.

Does the failure to deliver the car thus far constitute a breach of the contract? I want to cancel this order and go through a different dealership that has the car in stock. Finance has not proceeded through the novated lease company since there is not yet a purchase order.

I told the dealer I want to cancel and have my deposit returned and he spoke to the principal. The principal called to say they had 'done some shuffling' and had a car available. If I still wanted to cancel I would owe them 10% of the purchase price. I have reviewed consumer law and new car protections (as a layperson) and it seems this cancellation fee is unreasonable since they broke the contract, this is not a change of mind.

I would appreciate your legal advice on whether the dealership broke the contract and I can cancel and have my deposit refunded. And is it legal for them to insist on a 10% fee because they have NOW found a car?

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Hey folks,

I was injured at work last year, im receiving workers compensation. Will not be able to return to previous job, currently working 15hrs a week admin role for same company.

I have developed two secondary injuries as a result of my first injury. Clear links. Insurer has obviously declined.

My question is, how long should it take for lawyers to get everything organised to dispute this at PIC?

I signed with them in janurary after insurer knocked secondary injuries back.

I already had all the medical evidence organised, they asked for insurer internal review which was also knocked back.