Cybil_Bennet

I have several controllers not working right (between 5 years and 6 months old). They are not turning on at all, and when I connect them to the wire, the light comes on and works until I get a game going, then it stops working and repeatedly says something like "Wireless Controller Can't Connect. Check Battery Level." But none of the batteries will charge no matter how long I let them sit connected (the light comes on until I play a game, but the controllers won't work at all if disconnected).

The system was bought at Christmas, and so was the connection wire, so they shouldn't be bad this soon. Any ideas?

In the state of Ohio.

My landlord returned part of my security deposit with a list of false damages that she kept the rest of the money for. She charged us for things like cleaning the carpet, claiming that we stained it, yet the carpet receipt says nothing of any stain removal (however, it does note stain removal for the other address on the bill). Overall, she seems to have charged us for normal wear and tear.

Unfortunately, I was in need of the money she did refund me for the current rent, so I did cash the check she sent. However, prior to cashing the check, I made a copy of it for evidence and sent the landlord a letter demanding the remainder of the deposit back. Also unfortunately I didn't copy the back of the check, but it did not say paid in full or anything similar, just "deposit refund" in the memo.

Would I have any real chance of winning the case against her having cashed the check, or would I be out of luck?

State of Ohio.

My husband is joining the Army, his original MEPS appointment was scheduled for March 30th, so we sent a letter to our landlord about our attention to leave a little earlier (since a full calendar's month's notice is required with the military clause). Well, then they changed his MEPS date into April, so the landlord keeps saying that we'll be liable for May's rent too.

However, he's also posted our house to be for rent starting April 15th. We currently pay $795 a month for rent, he has it posted on is website for $600 a month with a $600 deposit. A group just came to the house today and when we spoke with the landlord he's NOW telling us that 1) since HE listed it for $600, we have to pay him the other $195 for May because we didn't get my husbands papers to him on time, 2) that we have to pay for part of the new tenants security deposit, and 3) that if we move out early this month (at the new tenants request) the landlord is still going to keep our entire months rent because it's "already in the bank account" according to him.

Now, I don't understand how we're legally responsible for this if the landlord chose to list the unit for $600. He didn't even try to list it for $795 and he's blaming us for that. Secondly, I don't understand how we're responsible in any way to pay for any part of the new tenants security deposit as a new lease is a new lease. Is this any way legal or is he trying to scam us? And is there anything additional we should do to help us in court (since it will likely come to that now).

I was under the impression that if a landlord signs in new tenants than THAT is the contract to follow and the old one is voided. But can he makes plans and agreements for these new tenants without our consent like this? (ie, that we'll pay over half of their security deposit, and part of April's rent for them, etc). He's treating this like we're sub-letting the unit and therefore still responsible, but I believe the military clause is supposed to 100% release us from the lease.

State of Ohio.

I have an ex-husband who has been absentee for almost two years now. However, despite the fact that we haven't known where he's been this entire time, he managed to find his way to my son's adoption proceedings hearing and contested it. This entire time he has not once visited, called, written a letter to, sent a birthday card/x-mas present for my son, and never once paid child support (and the custody arrangement states the ex is to have him on weekdays, in which he just stopped showing up out of the blue one day). When he saw us at the court house, he didn't even bother to make eye contact with the child, let alone speak to him or show any interest that he was even in the room. He seems to have no reason to be fighting this adoption as his actions clearly state he doesn't care and I believe he's only doing this over family pressures.

Our lawyer seems to believe that this trial will be no problem, but I don't feel as confident. For anyone who may have been through this, what sort of things can we do, other than our testimony, to prove our case? I'm not sure how to clearly prove how someone wasn't around. The ex has murdered my cats via neglect and beat me regularly while we were married, although I have no way to prove that now (other than testimony again). I am also curious as to what sort of things we should be looking out for that he might try to use as evidence to stop the adoption from going forward, and if anyone can guestimate if the adoption will still be successful considering the ex'es 21 month absence and the fact that my son doesn't even know who he is any longer.

This is Ohio. We signed a lease last year that runs until August this year, however a few months ago my husband enlisted with the Army and soon we'll all be relocated to a base. This wasn't the route we were planning to go, so there is nothing in the lease in terms of breaking/moving out early. Are there any special laws that apply so that military families don't get penalized for moving out of an apartment early? They told us point blank that we have to live on the base if there's room, and even if that wasn't the case, with his rank/salary we can't afford to keep this rental.

And yes, we have been looking for someone to take over the lease, but since it's so short term (new tenants are signed to move in September) we're having trouble getting any responses.

Any advice/tips is greatly appreciated!

I got into my 2002 VW Beetle today, that hasn't been driven in probably a week or so and has 3/8 of a tank of gas in it; we live in Ohio where it's been fairly cold. It started fine, no weird noises - the temperature light was blue, but it always comes on for a few minuets so I didn't pay it much mind. When I backed out of the garage it started dinging non-stop. After about a block and a half it made me nuts so I pulled over and turned off the car hoping it was just some weird electrical glitch from the cold (for example, last year my seat belt light came on in the winter and never went off again) that would correct itself. However, the car would not start again. It's didn't make any straining noises, so I don't think it was the battery, and all the power came on, but it did not start. Since it started just fine and had no issues until I started to drive it I'm perplexed as to what it could be.

Can anyone suggest what this might be? I'm afraid the fuel line might have frozen, and if it's that simple I don't want to waste all that money paying for diagnostics, etc. Anyone ever had this happen before? Thanks!

I have heard all sorts of horror stories on Army recruiters and the lies they tell to get people to enlist. My husband is getting information together to re-enlist, (he has previous experience with an uncharacterized discharge that they anticipate will easily get changed to honorable), but some of their offers seem too good to be true.

1) does anyone have an idea of how long the process to get a discharge changed takes?

2) he's going to have an associates degree next quarter (with 97 quarter credit hours), the recruiter said that they're taking in non-degree people for the OCS now because their so desperate for people. I've asked this question here before and everyone agreed that it was impossible to go OCS without a BA. Does anyone know if the policies have changed this year? Or should we assume that they're lying to his face?

My husband went to an Air Force recruiter's officer yesterday and was told that he couldn't enlist in the AF because he was in the Army (last served 2001, honorable discharge). They claimed this was their policy (just like they told my mom 20 years ago that women couldn't enlist in the Air Force). Is this actually a policy or did we come across one of the jerk recruiters I've heard about?

Ohio -

Our custody agreement said that my ex would have our son from Mon-Fri morning because of my schedule at the time. However, in June of 2007 he stopped showing up to pick him up - we also shared a phone plan that he canceled, quit his job, and wouldn't answer his door. I finally hired a lawyer a few months ago to terminate his parental rights and let my second husband adopt him. I'm not clear why (if they lawyer contacted him or what) but my ex is suddenly sending my e-mails saying he wants his son as per our custody agreement and will legally enforce it if he has to.

I don't think they lawyer has filed the case yet, but is starting the case enough to keep the police from taking my son? My ex has literally abandoned our son with zero contact until just now, so can he just waltz back in while like this? Especially if I'm working to legally change the custody?

I'm doing a stop-motion short using pre-existing objects and am hoping to turn it in to several film festivals. I was planning on using several items that are "branded" (fisher-price castle, wizards of the coast figures, etc), but I'm concerned that there might be a copyright problem involved. Does anyone know the answer? I've seen shorts like Pony Glass, and I'm almost certain that DC wouldn't give permission for that, so I'm unclear.

We moved into part of a duplex on September 1st, and there were an extreme amount of damages remaining in the house. I wrote the landlord an e-mail, which he acknowledged receiving, on the 2nd of September addressing the bigger issues. He fixed most of them, however, our basement door has 1) a broken lock and 2) no light switch cover so sparks fly when it's turned on/off. Yesterday my son got shocked on the light switch, and it's been the final straw for me. The landlord was made aware of this issue in writing and never did anything about it, and obviously it is a safety problem.

Do I have any real options here? If I end up moving because of this would I still be bound to my lease since the landlord ignored this and I have children?

I can't think of the name for this, but I've met a lot of people who will teach college and get their Masters or PhD for free by doing that. What is the general term for that person's position? And, would those positions be posted up as a job listing or be offered through the university privately?

This is for Ohio.

My landlord took out about $250 for "cleaning" for normal wear and tear and the replacement of a screen door, drip pans in the stove, and light bulbs. I took video of the house when we moved out and it was in very good condition (it needed a coat of paint and some other minor cleaning - but it was very much broom clean).

She approved the house verbally the day we moved out, saying that it was "perfect" and even begged us to allow her to show the unit to some potential renters within the hour.

I was given no proof for the screen, drip pans, and light bulbs being damaged - and I am very aware that, since the items were already used when we moved in, I am only obligated to pay a depreciated amount for their value if anything.

As for the cleaning, it only states "cleaned stove, refrigerator, bathroom" - nothing at all about it being some extraordinary mess, which in this state should mean that she cannot charge for it. However, on the phone she claimed that there was mold in the show, stickers on the window, and lots of other false claims that she didn't even list on the deduction.

She also claimed that we stained the carpet (and she provided us with a bill for this and only this), however the carpet bill doesn't list anything about the carpets being stained (and our video evidence backs this up as well). But, multiple addresses appear on the bill statement, and the other addresses do have remarks around them about "stains" or "damage" - so it's clear that she's lying to try and keep our money. Her lease also doesn't state that we have to get the carpets professionally cleaned, so I don't believe that part has any merit to it either.

Overall, we're seeking double damages - which I have precedence that it has applied when a landlord only keeps a portion of the deposit for routine cleaning. Does anyone know if this would go to small claims, or another area of court?

What special equipment is needed to play PS1 import games? Is it possible to play them on PS2's or PS3's?

I'm in Ohio, and I just got my deposit back from my previous landlord who took out over $250 of false damage charges. The day we were moving out, the landlord barged into our house begging us to let her show it (even saying "this looks perfect!"). Then she charged us for mold in the shower that wasn't never there, missing light bulbs when every socket had a working bulb, "rusted" drip pans on the stove when the stove is over 10 years old, and even a carpet cleaning when we already cleaned the carpets! The only proof of damages she gave us was a bill from the carpet cleaner - which was listed for another address!

When we called her she said all the charges were right, she just sent the wrong bill - but it was for the exact same amount (sounds fishy to me), and that everything else was true too. We have video of the house when we moved, there are no rug stains or mold in the shower as she claims and no where in our lease does it say that we have to get the carpets steam cleaned before moving out.

I've gotten mixed answers on this - can anyone tell me if Ohio (Columbus specifically) requires a landlord to provide air conditioners? We were explicitly told they would be here, then they were all removed from the unit before we moved in and the owner denies that the person who showed us the apartment ever said that.

I'm having trouble finding a clear answer for this within the Job & family Services system. My husband has been accepted into a California medical school, but we currently live in Ohio and receive food stamps and a medical card. I'm not worried about the food stamps so much, but can anyone tell me if the medical card will transfer over to another state, or do I have to be a resident of that state first? In CA I know that you have to live there for at least 366 days before you're a permanent resident, so I'm unclear on the rules/laws. Thank you!