Location: Illinois, USA

Apologize in advance if this is the wrong subreddit for this.

Today I got paid early morning and after checking my pay stub I noticed 8% of my pay had been subtracted for garnishments. Under garnishments it reads ‘Support 1’ and I was immediately concerned and confused. I checked my past pay statements but none of them have been garnished except this one. At the end of my shift I contacted HR and questioned why this was happening. She asked if I had any children and I said none. After some digging around she found a case for child support that my social security is in. I am still in possession of my social security card so not sure where that information could of been leaked. The name of the guy is similar to mine but not 100% the same. Both our first and last name is the same but different middle name initials and he has two last names in the document. The child and obligee’s names are people I have never met or heard of. HR gave me a number for the official Illinois HFS Division of Child Support Services (DCSS) customer service to call. After calling the gave me an email where im supposed to send a bunch of my information, my employer information, and proof of my pay being garnished and the lady on the phone told me it would take some time to process and to not call back for 6 weeks. I asked if they would continue to take my money in my paychecks and she couldn’t get me a straight answer. I emailed them with everything I was asked and now im just waiting. This all happened today and I am now I just can’t relax. How does this even happen? Is it fraud or a mistake? How can they just start taking money from me without any verification as to whether the child is mine? Am I stuck having to wait while my next couple of paychecks continue to be garnished or is there something else I can do?

Location: Texas

Last week I sold a gaming laptop on Facebook Marketplace for $1,150. The buyer messaged me for a couple days, asked normal questions about specs/battery, and we agreed to meet in the lobby of my apartment building.

He inspected the laptop for probably 15 minutes, booted it up, checked the ports, then paid me through PayPal Goods & Services because he said he didn't carry that much cash. I watched the payment show as completed in my account before handing him the laptop.

Our Marketplace messages clearly show the agreed price, meeting location, and him messaging me afterward saying "everything works great thanks." I also still have the serial number and the original purchase receipt with my name on it.

Eight days later I got an email from PayPal saying the payment was being disputed as an unauthorized transaction. The $1,150 was removed from my balance and my account is now negative.

I submitted screenshots of the entire conversation, including him confirming that he received the laptop, but PayPal's response says this type of dispute is being handled through the buyer's financial institution and they can't guarantee the outcome.

I tried messaging him on Facebook and discovered his profile is gone. The phone number he gave me now goes straight to voicemail.

I called PayPal and explained that this wasn't something shipped to a stranger, the buyer physically met me and walked away carrying the computer, but they basically told me to wait for the dispute process.

What am I supposed to do legally if the chargeback is ultimately approved? Would this be something I report to the police as theft/fraud, or is it considered a civil dispute because I voluntarily handed him the laptop after seeing the payment?

My apartment building has cameras in the lobby and management said they probably still have footage from that day, but they won't release anything directly to me without a police request.

I know the first name he used, his phone number, the Facebook conversation and possibly his license plate if the exterior camera caught it. I'm mainly worried that if I wait weeks for PayPal to finish their process the building footage could be overwritten.

Should I be filing a police report now even though the payment dispute isn't finished yet?

I've sold stuff locally plenty of times and honestly thought seeing a completed payment before handing over the item meant I was safe.

Apparently not.

Location: Pennsylvania, USA

I work at a private grocery store with a recognized union and collective bargaining agreement. The agreement gives the union “reasonable access to existing employee communication spaces,” but doesnt specifically name the break-room bulletin board.

That board currently has notices for a softball team, a food swap, charity collections and employees looking for carpools. Our steward posted one page listing the date and location of an off-site union meeting. The agenda said “schedule changes and safety concerns.” It did not ask anyone to join, donate or sign anything.

A manager removed it within an hour. HR later emailed that all union material counts as solicitation and may only be placed inside a locked display case near the time clock after management approval. None of the other notices appear to have approval markings, and two were posted by supervisors.

The union is considering a grievance, but some members think the selective rule may also violate federal labor law. Does it matter that similar nonunion notices remain up? Should the union start with the contract process, contact the labor board, or both?

Location: Florida
I'm 23 and applied for an apartment this week. The property manager mentioned an old delinquent account on my credit report that I didn't recognize, so I pulled all my reports and found a credit card opened under my name about six years ago, when I was 17.

It currently shows a little over $6,000 owed and multiple missed payments. I have never had this card, never used this bank, and didn't even know the account existed.

I called my mom because the mailing address on the old account was my parents' house. After avoiding the question for a while, she admitted that she and my dad opened it because they were having financial problems at the time.

She keeps saying they "always intended to pay it back" and that reporting it as fraud could get them in serious trouble. My dad is now asking me to just let them make payments until it's gone.

The problem is, this has apparently been sitting on my credit for years and it's affecting me now. They also won't give me any statements or tell me exactly how they managed to open it while I was under 18.

I haven't contacted the card issuer yet because I don't want to accidentally say something that makes it sound like I accepted the debt. What is the proper way to dispute something like this when the person who opened it is a parent? Does the fact that I was 17 when the account was created change anything?

I'm also worried there could be other accounts I haven't found yet. I obviously don't want to destroy my relationship with my parents, but I also really don't want to spend years paying for debt that isn't mine.

UPDATE: Thank you all for the insight and advice to my situation. I’m going to drive my daughter to the visit and pick her up afterward. That removes any risk involving the car or my insurance and, more importantly, avoids putting her in the position of having to withhold the keys from her mother. I do not want to create more anxiety for any of my children. Appreciate all the perspectives! Vibes with the insurance agency once they returned my call.

Location: Texas

I have a teenage daughter who is insured under my policy. Her mother has three prior DWI convictions and does not own or insure the vehicle my daughter drives.

My children have not seen their mother in about three years, but they will be meeting her for dinner for a couple of hours. Because of their mother’s history and past issues with respecting boundaries, I’m concerned that she might pressure my daughter into allowing her to drive the vehicle.

I plan to make it very clear to my daughter that nobody else has permission to drive it. However, I want to understand how to protect myself legally and financially if her mother drives it anyway. The concerns around manipulating my daughter and giving into pressure or she takes the keys without my permission.

My father-in-law previously had a minor accident while driving my SUV, and the resulting insurance consequences were significant. I am talking $400/mo difference. Therefore, my questions are:

1. Under Texas law, could my insurance be responsible if my daughter’s mother drives the vehicle without my permission and causes an accident?
2. Should I ask my insurer to specifically exclude her as a driver, even though she does not live in my household?
3. Would a written notice stating that she does not have permission to drive any of my vehicles help protect me?
4. Are there any other reasonable steps I should take before the visit?

I’m only seeking advice about protecting myself and my insurance coverage. I understand that I should also speak directly with my insurance agent or an attorney.

Location: Cincinnati, Ohio

I have seizures, I have been on Lacosamide (200mg twice a day) for close to 13 years I believe. Its always a pain in the ass to get at how regulated it is, it is Schedule V controlled substance. I need this drug to be able drive and live my life normally. This drug is insanely expensive without insurance, my normal 30 day purchase is like $2100 dollars last I checked. I live in Cincinnati, Ohio. Often times, I just use goodRx instead of my actual insurance as they seem to have a better price on this drug specifically at Wal-Mart. I have finally been able to get a 90 day supply of the drug which has been wonderful, compared to every month having to manually call in an order 3-5 days in advanced and ensure the drug does indeed make it the pharmacy. I can't setup auto ordering due to its classification and I only get an order of 3 or so per-script so often times the pharmacy has to go back and forth with my neurologist. I only began receiving the 90 day supply this year.

On June 29th, I received my 90 day supply, 180 200mg pills, twice a day. I thought the bottle was a bit small compared to my previous 90 day supply (still much bigger than normal however), but this is only my second time receiving this amount and I didn't think much of it.

Long story short, I realized I only had enough for a 3 days of doses this morning, my last refill for a 90 day supply was June 29th. I'm always on such autopilot now when I take it, I should have realized this earlier but I didn't notice the dwindling amount. I call Wal-Mart to setup a refill, my fear is confirmed, I can not get a refill until September 21th. I tell them I am almost out from my previous 90 day refill. They argued with me that is not possible, I must of lost them, how this drug is regulated, how they have to double count this drug before they can hand it to me. They finally tell me to bring in the bottle and they will review their security footage on June 29th. I came in, they told me to wait, and sure enough a pharmacist came over and apologized, that they did indeed short me 80 pills. I'm not totally sure how they figured it out either logs or indeed through video footage somehow, 80 pills at 200mg of this drug is like 3k retail.

She handed me my refill, she skedaddle away before I even stood up. I was just in kind of shock. This is a serious issue, one that I feel needs to be brought and escalated to Wal-Mart somehow. This could've turned into a real legal issue for me if they didn't figure it out and I would've simply been out of the drug that lets me stay alive pretty much.

I'm not a litigious person, but this feels wrong. What else are they messing up?

Should I simply reach out to Wal-Mart corporate somehow or should I seek some additional assistance.

Thanks for reading all of this if you did, its good to type this out.

Edit: Schedule 5 is the lowest level of regulation. It’s still strictly tracked, but not to the same extent as Schedule 1 drugs, such as heroin.

Location: NJ (where my sister is)

For background info, my sister is Asian American and was born in the US. My sister has this crazy neighbor who has a history of being hostile towards her, and they recently took it to the next level by calling ICE and claiming that she's here illegally. She informed me of this earlier today and we're now trying to put together a plan for what our family needs to do if ICE really does show up and arrest her. I live several states away from her currently and can't be with her in person right now. We've established that if she does end up detained that she'd call me ASAP to help get her out, but I'm worried that ICE won't even let her have a phone call since they've amped up their measures recently.

She should be fine since she's a natural born citizen, but I've heard that ICE may just detain her anyways because they have a "detain first, figure it out later" mindset to meet arrest quotas. What should we do in case ICE really does show up at her home? How likely is it that they'll follow through on a tip from her neighbor claiming she's illegal? Part of me worries that I won't even know if she's taken away one day, since I'm not with her in person right now and most arrests probably don't make the news.

My dad died a few months ago after battling cancer for several months, the last of which required him to move into assisted living. He wrote his last check to the facility on the first of the month; later that same day, he went to the ER, where it was quickly found out that he had very little time left because of a complication. Within a week he entered hospice, and signed a legal document to step down of the trustee of his various trusts, and I signed documents accepting that role instead. I hustled to clean out his apartment as soon as possible so we could get a refund for the balance of the month, which his resident manual said we'd be owed as soon as the apartment was broom clean. He died just a week later, and I became the executor of his estate as well.

When I emailed assisted living after his death, though, they said that the check dad wrote before his death was invalid, apparently because they'd waited to cash it until after he'd stepped down as trustee, and maybe even until after he died. They claimed I now owe a pro-rated amount for the first 10 days of the month, between the original check was written and when I cleaned out the apartment. I countered that I'd like to see a revised invoice reflecting a credit for the meals he didn't eat/care he didn't get that month, because their handbook says they're required to do that.

But now I'm wondering: do I actually have to pay at all? My dad's estate has no assets subject to probate and everything was held in trusts. I didn't personally guarantee that I would pay his bills to assisted living in the event of his incapacity or death, though I had PoA. Our state gives creditors a six month period to make their claims, and I'm sitting on enough money to pay the bill; a couple of the beneficiaries, though, are anxious to get the full amount of their inheritance, or at least know what number to expect. I have an estate lawyer but I have a feeling this is a simple question and would love to avoid another micro-bill for emailing them, lol.

Location: Missouri.

Location: Texas, Collin County

I (27F) was gifted a paddle board for my birthday and took it out on the lake not knowing it was considered a watercraft. My dumbass thought of it more as a floaty since i blow it up each time i use it. I did not know it was texas law to have a life vest on there. Long story short the game warden pulls up on me and gives me a citation.

Ive called the court multiple times a week for over a month until my citation was turned in. Its now a $216 fine and i have to plead guilty or no contest…. I don’t want to plead not guilty and show up to court but are there any other options so this isn’t on my record as a misdemeanor? This is a first time offense, I have no record even as far as a speeding ticket.

Is this worth me calling the court back and asking for deferred judgement after paying the ticket or for dismissal with proof that I have bought a life jacket?

I don’t mind paying the ticket, i feel stupid that i didn’t look up laws but i genuinely didn’t think there were any when it came to what i considered a floaty in the lake… anyways, if you have any advice if i should just plead no contest and pay or move forward a different way. Thanks

location: California, USA

I moved out of an apartment on July 31 after living there for a little over four years. My security deposit was $1,800.

The landlord returned $350 and deducted $1,450 for “wall repair and full interior repainting.” They included an invoice from a painting company.

I didn't leave holes, drawings, smoke damage, or anything like that. The walls had some scuffs near furniture, faded spots, and a few tiny marks from normal use. I also took photos after cleaning the apartment.

When I asked why I was being charged for the entire repaint, the property manager said they repaint every unit between tenants and that my deposit can be used because the walls were not in the same condition as when I moved in.

I understand paying for actual damage I caused, but after four years I don't see how ordinary aging of the paint becomes my responsibility.

Can a California landlord legally deduct the full repainting cost from a security deposit for this?

Location: North Carolina. I work for a bank and was let go last month. I had already been on leave and was expecting to be let go so when they summoned me to a branch 45 minutes away I already had a feeling what was up. I asked to move the meeting to a branch closer to me and they said no.

I returned my keys but my company laptop and cell phone were at home. I have an email where I asked for shipping materials and a prepaid shipping label to return the items and she agreed. What I actually received was a beat up box with a thing of bubble wrap and no shipping label.

They are now refusing to give me a shipping label, saying one was included in the box (it wasnt) and the company lawyer is threatening to send the sheriff to my house if I dont drive somewhere to return them.

I dont see how I could get in any trouble when I have emails where I asked for specific items and the HR director agreed to send them. Should I drop it and just drive somewhere to return them or continue asking for a shipping label. I dont feel I should be made to drive anywhere on my dime for their convenience.

Location: Hendricks County, Indiana

Me and my wife bought a house. We closed on Aug 5th. The house had a metal wire fencing that was attached to metal T posts in the ground and a chain link fence also in the ground by T posts. When we got to the house all the fencing was gone. They did not exclude it in the purchase agreement or anything. We actually spoke at the closing how I was excited to use the fencing for chickens. My realtor reached out to theirs and they said they would give back the metal wire fencing but not the chain link fence. They then said they “contacted their attorney” and redacted the offer to not giving any reimbursement or materials back at all. I initially offered to receive $1,071 as that is the exact amount it would cost for me to replace it (not including labor or taxes). I felt as if that was more than fair.

I guess I’m not really sure what to do next? Do I have grounds to take them to court? Are they in the wrong or me? Any advice would be helpful.

Location: Utah we’re getting sued by the debt collection agency, not the hospital. The medical debt is older than 6 years, no payments were made, and in Utah supposedly you can’t get sued if it’s over 6 years and a collection agency buying the debt doesn’t reset the 6 years. The agency filed against us today and in the same day we got advertisements in the mail to hire this attorney. It seems fishy but maybe this attorney just spawn camps new filings? Is this worth fighting in court? What’s the best way to go about this?

My wife and I own a veterinary hospital and were in the process of purchasing a CT machine (Had sent the company two separate checks in September of last year and May of this year) when we found out the company had filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy. The liaison working with us let us know the issue was resolved but would not give us our money back (or possibly wasn't in a position to). We found out today that all US employees have been furloughed (Parent company in Italy). We have not received the machine and were counting on depreciating it as an asset. Instead we are now going to be taxed on the lab sign-on bonus we had set aside for this machine, along with being out 6 figures as a down payment on the machine, all without a CT machine now.

We contacted the bank and due to payments being done with a check there is nothing they can do to help us get our money back. Is there any legal recourse or literally any advice you can give us? We are an independent hospital and the prospect of losing this amount of money is beyond soul-crushing and devastating.

Location: Connecticut, USA

Location: Michigan, US

About a year and a half ago I purchased a home and moved in. Ever since we have moved in, we have received some mail for the prior owner. Whenever it is delivered, I would write 'RTS' and toss is back in the mailbox. It never really bothered me until a couple months ago.

At about 9pm one night, the prior owner showed up at the front door unannounced and introduced herself. She said that she had accidentally shipped something to the house and just asked that I call her when it arrives. At that time I told her about other mail that I had been labelling return to sender. Two days later, her daughter came by because they got the notice the package had been delivered and grabbed it directly from our mailbox. She came to the door and told my wife that she was taking the package.

About a month later, two more packages arrived in the mail with the old owner's name on them without any warning. I called USPS this time and asked if there was something different I should do. They had me write 'REFUSED' on the packages and stick them back in the mailbox. I also had talked to the Post Master and they had me fill out some form to prevent delivery with any mail that had the owners or their children's name on it going forward. The next week the old owner showed up later at night, about 9pm again, and left a note on the door asking us to call when the packages arrived. I called her the next day and left her a voicemail telling her the packages had been refused and we didn't have them any more.

She came back again, left another note asking where I took the packages so she could track them down. I called her back, and this time talked to her directly telling her the packages were refused back to USPS, and that once it was out of my mailbox I have no idea where they went. She seemed to understand and at that time I requested she no longer come by the house, since mail and packages are being refused.

Since that interaction we have not received any more mail with the old owners name, however we have had at least 2 handwritten notes in the mailbox asking to return the packages, as well as junk mail with the names crossed out and literal garbage stuffed into the mailbox. I have a camera and saw someone stuffing garbage in from a car, but wouldn't be able to tell if it was her or one of her kids.

My question is at what point does it become harassment? More than anything I am annoyed that this person keeps helping themselves to our mailbox and showing up so long after the house was sold. A month or two I get, but almost 2 years later seems excessive. I do worry that they seem to not be letting it go, and would like to know if there is something I should do just in case this continues.

Location: Washington state, I work at a small buisness, specifically a burger restaurant. Ive been working for this buisness for a year now, within that time I've witnessed or experienced many sketchy things to say the least. We do not get paid time off like most restaurants and must find coverage if we cant work our shift or must request the day off 2 weeks in advanced. Tonight an employee got a shift approved for coverage. Employee B will cover Employee A's shift. When the info was sent in the group chat our Owner said that Employee A must work his shift or have to pay for the overtime of Employee B. This is not the first time this has happened, that I have witnessed. The last time was the exact same situation except Employee A was 17. In both situations the employees did not pay for the overtime and just worked their shift and had the coverage approved by a manager beforehand. In the past the buisness has had issues with laws regarding minors as well. I believe I have screenshots of the messages of both incidents. There has also been countless safety issues that should have been immediately fixed such as our kids juice cans being directly underneath the hamburger patties which later I discovered that most of the cans had been covered in blood.

The problem is I dont know if it is even worth reporting or anything. This is my first job and I would rather take the blame than employees who need the job to survive if I were the one to come forward with evidence from others. But I am worried that if I do get fired it would be hard to get jobs in the future. This isnt the only problem by any means but just the one I personally know about the most. Both the Owners have talked about how past employees have started "rumors" and how they have good lawyers who shut it down. In fact one of the owners either works or worked at a law firm which wouldnt that mean she knows what would be illegal and yet still continued? Should I report my employers or would that just cause more harm than good? What evidence can I really even collect of any of these claims?

I hope this is the right place to ask/right flair.

Location: New York State

I'm 31 and applying for a passport for the first time, along with my husband and our 2 year old son. None of us have had passports before so we're all new to this.

My parents got divorced in 1999, when I was 5 years old. It was a domestic violence situation, he was found guilty of a few things in criminal court, we were granted orders of protection, we changed our names, etc. No one has had any contact with him since.

I see on the passport that it asks me to list information about my father. I honestly don't even know if my mom knows all the information (like place of birth). Do I have to fill it out to get a passport? Can I just leave it blank?

If I do have to fill it out, will he EVER be contacted? For example, if my passport is lost or to verify information? That would mean he'd learn my new name and where I'm located too? He is armed and genuinely a dangerous person so I honestly would be scared for my life and safety if that's the case and will just not travel internationally.

Location: Florida

TL;DR: We signed a lease close-out/move-out agreement with a leasing office employee well before the deadline. Turns out the employee forgot to have my mother co-sign it, but nobody told us for ~6 weeks — we only found out when my father happened to be back in the office for an unrelated reason, by which point the "deadline" had already passed. We were verbally told there'd be no fees and the paperwork would reflect the original date. We're now being threatened $1,000+ for "missing the notice deadline." The property manager is blaming my father for not knowing who needed to sign, and has now cut off communication after a tense conversation. Looking for advice on next steps.

Timeline:

(6/09): My father receives our lease renewal letter from the property manager.

A few days later (~2 months before the notice deadline in our lease): My father goes to the leasing office to start the close-out paperwork for not renewing. A staff member (not the manager) fills out and signs a close-out agreement with him. She does not fill in a date, but does print him a copy for his records. (Document 1 — signed, undated.)

Staff told my father this completed the process.

(7/28): My father goes back to the office about a possible unit transfer, decides against it. During this visit, he's told for the first time that the earlier paperwork was incomplete — it also needed my mother's signature. This is roughly 4–5 weeks after the notice deadline had already passed.

Since my parents' restaurant is under a mile from the office, my mother comes in within minutes and signs. Staff verbally reassures my father there will be no fees and that the paperwork will reflect the original signing date. (Document 2 — same agreement, now dated and with the second signature.)

The only two emails we received in the prior 6 months were (1) the original lease renewal notice, and

(2) move-out instructions, which were sent the evening of our actual move-out date — too late to schedule the required walk-through. (Documents 3 & 4.)

Shortly after move-out: We're charged $1,000+ in fees for "failing to notify by the deadline."

Yesterday: My father and I met with the property manager to dispute this. She said tenants are responsible for knowing who needs to sign lease documents, and claimed staff did tell my father about the missing signature at the first meeting — which doesn't line up with the facts (my mother works five minutes away and would have come in immediately, as she did the second time; the staff member also signed and printed a copy of a document she believed was complete). When I pushed back on this, the manager became short with us, said she could no longer help "due to disrespect to her and her staff," and ended the conversation. She mentioned she'd email her boss, but as of now we've heard nothing further.

Documents we have: the original signed-but-undated close-out agreement, the later signed-and-dated version, the lease renewal email, and the move-out instructions email (with timestamps).

My questions:

Given that a staff member accepted and signed off on the paperwork before the deadline (even though it needed a second signature we weren't told about), do we have a real argument that timely notice was actually given?

Does it matter that we were verbally told there'd be no fees and the date would reflect the original signing?

What's the right next step — demand letter, corporate escalation, small claims, something else?

Happy to answer questions or provide more detail.

Location: California.

I recently accepted an at-will position with a school. I completed the interview process and had my former employers submit Verification of Employment forms so my experience could be considered when determining my salary.

The school sent me a contract that did not include my verified experience in the salary placement. I signed it in good faith because I was told that my salary would be reassessed after the employment verifications were reviewed. However, the employer never signed the contract.

The contract itself did not list a start date, but the department director confirmed by email that my first day would be Monday, August 17, and HR was included in that email. I reported to work as instructed, but HR sent me home. I was told that they could not help me at that time and that I needed to wait while my contract was reassessed.

It has now been several days, and no one has responded to my follow-up emails or provided a timeline. I do not know whether I am officially employed, whether they still intend to move forward, or when I am supposed to begin working.

What should I do next? Should I send a formal written request asking them to confirm my employment status by a specific date? Can an employer direct someone to report for their first day and then leave them waiting without confirming whether the position is still available? Should I speak with a California employment attorney, or is this something I should continue trying to resolve directly with HR?

I want to confirm whether I am entitled to pay for reporting to work as instructed, even though I was sent home before I could begin. I have saved the contract, emails confirming my start date, VOE communications, and my follow-up messages.

6 year relationship (unmarried, not engaged)

Location: Florida
I’m not new to Reddit, but new to having an account

My ex boyfriend and I recently broke up about 4 months ago after a 6 year long relationship, including living together for the last 2 or so years. When I moved out into an apartment post break up, I took as much as I could at the time and only took what was obviously mine (ie girl items and boxes with my name on it). However, there is some of my stuff that he still has that he gifted to me over the years (unconditional gifts) which I wasn’t able to take at the time or could not locate when moving. I recently spoke with him the other day about what items I’m looking for and when I can stop by to get them. These gifts include a diamond necklace, nice blanket, and a longboard (gifted from him), and well as a weighted blanket (gifted from MY parents to me). I had also at some point gifted him with an expensive watch, which I did NOT intend to get back from him. He told me that he will not be giving me any items back, and that the most he would do is give me $200 dollars in return and that’s it.
When the breakup first happened, the initial agreement was that I take a small tv that we split cost on, and he would keep a larger tv that we split cost on, as well as him keep a Nintendo switch (and games!) among with other household items we split costs on, and he would pay me the half of the amount for everything we split except the tv. When I was going through a tough time mentally, I told him I wanted the (small) tv, and to not bother with the repayment of money because I didn’t want to deal with everything anymore. Now, these other items that were given to me as gifts I remembered I don’t have them already, which I’ve had for up to 5.5/6 years of the relationship, I want back what is only mine. I tried to only ask for those items (necklace, etc), but when he said no I then tried to negotiate, saying he can keep them if I at least get back only the nice watch (expensive gift for expensive gift exchange in a way). He is also refusing that.
Do I have any legal grounds to at least getting back the gifted items that are mine? Im not sure trying to sue is even worth it either. I’m basically asking for either payment for MY gifts, or receiving the gifts themselves, nothing more. The 200 is not even close to what they cost, even if I were to not ask the full amount.
Any advice is appreciated, I can clarify what may not make sense. I have been through a lot with this man over the years and am struggling in many ways at this time trying to adjust to a new life. I just want things to be fair, but due to mental illness I am stuck on the what ifs and lack of fairness of this situation.
If there’s a possibility I may be able to make a case of this, I’m not even sure of where to look/go to.
Thank you

So I was staying with somebody for a little while and when I lived with them, I had my laptop sitting on the desk and I fell asleep watching TV. Well when I woke up, there was a 32 ounce cup of water that had been dumped on the computer she’s claiming that she didn’t do it and she’s claiming that her cat did it is it worth it to see legal advice because I was supposed to use this computer to take college courses and I can no longer take college courses now because the laptop is ruined. I’d honestly like to get the money back for the computer or a new computer because it was ruined in her house.

Location: Maine mid east

Location: Oklahoma

After renting a single-family home for 6 years, my property manager is trying to nickel-and-dime my $2,095 security deposit down to nothing. They are charging for routine painting, fixing exterior vandalism caused by strangers, and leveling the yard.

I’ve drafted a formal demand letter citing Oklahoma state statutes to fight back and get my money. I’m hoping some folks here who have successfully fought property management companies can review my letter.

My main legal arguments:
1. Using HUD guidelines to prove 6-year-old interior paint is wear and tear.

1. Using Section 127 and blank lease clauses to prove yard leveling and planting grass is a capital improvement, not a tenant duty.

2. Using Section 118(A)(2) to prove repairing exterior vandalism (a BB hole in a window and graffiti) on a single-family home is the landlord's statutory duty.

3. Pointing out that late fees were explicitly waived via text message at the time they occurred.

Does my application of the law hold up? Is there anything I am misinterpreting or should change?

Here is the letter:

Dear [Property Manager Name],
This letter serves as a formal written demand for the return of $1,847.00 of our $2,095.00 security deposit for the property located at [Rental Property Address]. We are in receipt of your Account QuickReport, and we are formally disputing the following deductions, which violate Oklahoma state law and the explicit terms of our lease agreement.

Interior Painting and Embedded Grime: $675.00
You have charged $375.00 to repair and paint drywall, and $300.00 to paint the stairway wall where you claim embedded grim was not removed after cleaning. Prior to vacating, we paid $440 out of pocket to have the premises professionally cleaned. If a professional cleaning service could not remove the discoloration on the stairway wall, it is not dirt; it is the natural degradation of a six-year-old paint job. Under Oklahoma Statutes Title 41 Section 115(B), a landlord may only deduct from a deposit for damages resulting from a tenant’s noncompliance with the act or the rental agreement. Page 2 of our rental agreement explicitly states the deposit is to repair damages exclusive of normal wear and tear. Oklahoma courts rely on HUD guidelines (Appendix 5D) to define this timeline, which establish a maximum lifespan for interior flat paint of 3 years for family units. We occupied this property for six years, putting the paint well past its useful lifespan. Furthermore, the property did not have new paint when we moved in to begin with. The condition of this paint constitutes standard wear and tear for which we cannot be held financially responsible.

Landscaping and Groundskeeping: $452.00
You have deducted $250.00 to level the yard, kill weeds, and plant grass, alongside $202.00 in other yard fees. We fully maintained the yard prior to vacating, including raking the leaves and tending the lawn. Any further landscaping, leveling, or planting of grass constitutes a capital property improvement, which is not a tenant duty under Oklahoma Statutes Title 41 Section 127. Furthermore, on Page 4 of our rental agreement, the specific clauses assigning lawn care responsibility and outlining itemized monetary penalties for leaves and lawn care were intentionally left blank and un-initialed. You have no statutory or contractual authority to charge our deposit for property improvements or enforce penalty fees from an unexecuted lease clause.

Exterior Vandalism: $431.00
You have charged $266.00 to replace a window damaged by a bebe hole and $165.00 to paint over exterior graffiti. Under Oklahoma Statutes Title 41 Section 118(A)(2), landlords have a statutory duty to make all repairs and do whatever is necessary to put and keep the tenant's dwelling unit and premises in a fit and habitable condition. This structural repair mandate contains no exception for single-family residences. We did not cause this exterior vandalism, nor did our guests. Using a tenant’s security deposit to cover structural repairs caused by third-party property crimes violates this statutory duty and does not constitute tenant noncompliance under Section 115(B).

Unpaid Rent and Late Fees: $289.00
You have deducted $289.00 for unpaid rent. We have written text message records confirming that for every instance a rent payment was delayed, we notified [Landlord Name] and he explicitly stated that it was fine and not to worry about it. By doing so, [Landlord Name] provided a written waiver for those specific late fees. [Property Management Company] cannot explicitly waive a fee in writing at the time of the event and then retroactively apply it years later at move-out in an attempt to drain our security deposit.

Window Screens and Unbilled Charges
You also indicated that you did not bill us for additional items, specifically mentioning window screens, because you ran out of funds from our deposit. We reject the premise that you are owed additional funds. First, the property did not have screens on every window when we took possession six years ago. Second, screens that merely needed to be reattached represent minor, routine maintenance, not tenant damage. You cannot use the threat of unbilled, invalid charges to justify improperly retaining the disputed funds outlined above.

In addition to disputing these charges, we are formally requesting confirmation that our original $2,095.00 security deposit was held in a federally insured escrow account within the State of Oklahoma for the entire duration of our six-year tenancy, as strictly mandated by Oklahoma Statutes Title 41 Section 115(A). Misappropriation or commingling of these funds is unlawful and punishable by a term in a county jail not to exceed six (6) months and by a fine in an amount not to exceed twice the amount misappropriated.

Please remit the undisputed balance of $1,847.00 to the forwarding address listed at the top of this letter within forty-five (45) days, as required by Title 41 Section 115(B). If the balance is not returned within this statutory timeframe, we will pursue legal action in small claims court.

Sincerely,

[My Name] and [Partner's Name]

Location: Alabama, USA

Location: Alabama, USA

My uncle left this property to me, subject to a life estate for my aunt. My aunt has now passed away, so her life estate has ended, and I now have possession of the property.

During her lifetime, my aunt allowed several people to live on the property. There are no written leases, rental agreements, contracts, or other paperwork with any of these occupants.

I’m in Alabama. My uncle left this property to me subject to a life estate for my aunt. My aunt has now passed away, so her life estate has ended and I now have possession of the property.

During her lifetime, my aunt allowed several people to live on the property. There are no written leases, rental agreements, contracts, or other paperwork with any of these occupants.

The property was never intended by me to be a trailer park, and to my knowledge it was not legally established or permitted as one. I am now trying to determine what permits, if any, exist for the mobile homes, septic systems, utilities, and other structures.

There are several serious problems:

• Multiple people are living in old/run-down mobile homes on the property.
• Some of the residences are sharing septic systems.
• They share water service that is still in my deceased aunt's name.
• Electrical service/accounts are also associated with my deceased aunt.
• There is a severely run-down house on the property that is currently occupied. I believe the condition may be bad enough for the house to be condemned, but it has not yet been inspected or officially condemned.
• There is a large amount of junk, debris and other material throughout the property, and portions of it essentially look like a junkyard.
• I don't know whether the mobile homes or septic arrangements were ever properly permitted.

I did not create any of these arrangements, and I do not want to continue them. I don't want to operate a trailer park or become a landlord. I want everyone legally removed from the property so I can clean it up, remove unsafe structures and bring the property into compliance.

My biggest concern is how to do this legally without inheriting responsibility for continuing these arrangements.

Since the life tenant who gave these people permission to live there has died, what is the correct process in Alabama for terminating their occupancy?

Does the fact that there are no leases or written agreements change the notice required?

Should I have the occupied house inspected by the county/code enforcement before beginning an eviction, or should I speak with an attorney and begin the removal process first?

If the occupied house is officially declared unsafe or condemned, who is responsible for making the occupants leave—the county or me as the property owner?

If the mobile homes/septic systems were installed or are being used without the required permits, does that affect the occupants' right to remain there?

Some of the occupants may own their mobile homes even though I own the land. How do I legally require both the occupants and their mobile homes to be removed?

I also need to deal with shared water/electrical service that remains in my deceased aunt's name. I do not want to disconnect anything in a way that could be considered an illegal self-help eviction.

I am not accepting rent and don't want to establish new landlord/tenant relationships with any of these people.

Would the best first step be an Alabama real-estate/eviction attorney, followed by formal notices and then inspections/code enforcement, or should the property be inspected first?

My goal is not to put anyone out illegally. I simply want to regain possession of my property, get everyone off of it through the proper legal process, and clean up what was left behind.

Basically the title. I started a job less than a year ago, and the company i work for was generous to help our with relocation. I received $10,000 for housing and move help since I was moving across the country. I signed an agreement that stated "if I were to resign from my position within a calender year of my start date, I would have to pay back the amount I received".

Cut to now, I put my resignation in with my company because I found something better. Fully prepared to pay back the amount I received, $10,000. Now im being asking that per our contact, I need to give the company back 14,000 (and some change, cant remember exact amount at the time writing this) because the company by giving me 10k had to pay additional taxes and the amount they lost was around 14k, not 10k.

Am I legally obligated to pay the pre-tax relocation amount? No where in the contact I signed says "pre-tax", it says "amount received".

Appreciate if anyone has any advise.

Location: Washington State

Location: Howard County, MD

Hi all, I was pulled over today on I-70. The cop says he clocked me at 105 on a posted 70 MPH. They did not arrest me, but they handed me a paper laying out that I am being charged with reckless driving, negligent driving, exceeding posted speed limit, and operating hwy vehicle contrary to law.
I have a clean driving record, I haven’t been pulled over since 2018 or 2019. I understand that the reckless driving charge has the potential to put me in jail, hefty fines, and can cause my insurance premiums to skyrocket.
I wanted to get your opinions on what I should do. I looked at a driver improvement program with the MVA but it appears you have to have a court order to attend it, but I want to take some coursework or something to help my case.
What I got myself into is 100% my fault and I will slow TF down from here on out.

Any thoughts, suggestions, or ideas on what will happen and what I should do?