Barb R

My sister is a single, sole custody parent. She lives with her 1 yr old son with her best friend, another single mom. My sister overdosed 4 1/2 hours ago. What happens to my nephew? My sister lives in Canada and I live in the US, my parents live in South Africa. Her friend has now said that my sister INTENDED on signing legal parents that she would keep my sister's child in case anything happened to her but never did. My sister is on life support and we are unsure if she will pull through. Will Children's Aid or anybody else even KNOW there's a baby at the friend's house? Her friend is on medication for bipolar disease and her husband commutes home every 6 weeks from his job in another province. Will my parents and I be excluded from potential foster parents since we don't live in the country? Her friend is stating her and her husband are willing to permanently adopt Jack and has also stated my sister was well aware that if she relapsed back into drug or alcohol addiction, that Lynn would keep Jack and Melanie would no longer be welcome to live in her home. My sister collects a disability for brain damage caused by her addictions and social assistance for her son. The father lives in South Africa and has never seen the child (he's in rehab currently again). Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!

My husband is a US citizen and returning to the US. He will be renting a U-Haul to take furniture and other household effects back into the US from Canada. What forms will he need for US Customs? All I can locate are forms for unaccompanied goods and he will be accompanying the items back into the US.

We purchased a house on a land contract a week ago. We attended the title company and received the paperwork for the deed. We paid $7,800 down to the seller. Basically, an LLC company purchased the house in February and then rehabbed it and we bought it from them. The LLC is holding the mortgage for 30 yrs. Will we qualify for the 10% stimulus tax rebate?

My husband has a terrible credit score (median 569). He has no credit cards, no loans, no mortgage, no store accounts. He has a cell phone that is paid automatically but not reported to the reporting agencies. He has old bills (3-6 yrs old) from when he had his own business and was fully liable. The total debt is $9,000 (although $1,000 is in dispute and will be removed according to Trans Union in the next 30 days). We need to move the score up to 620 to be mortgage eligible (we have the 20% down payment). We have been told to open a secured loan or credit card and make payments on it. And to not open anything new. We've been told to pay off debts if the collections agency will remove it...and not to pay off old debts as it sends them to the top of the report and counting more against him. Since there are no loans, bankruptcies, mortgages, foreclosures, credit cards, store accounts...just soon to be $8000 in old debt (cell phone, office bldg rent, etc), how do we make a move to bring up the score quickly?? Thanks so much!

A person is found guilty of murder and is sentenced to death. The person is put to death. Afterward, new evidence is found exonerating the first person and a second suspect is apprehended and found guilty. Is it possible for the second person to also receive the death penalty?

My 99 Neon all of a sudden started doing this: when the engine is cold, it will drive, reverse, etc. As soon as the engine is warmed up? It slips into neutral. Is this an 02 sensor or is the transmission going?

I just bought a 1999 Dodge Neon in November. I went away for 5 weeks and when I came back, I noticed there was no revving on the the highway..but speed would still increase. Two days later? I stopped at a stop light and it wouldn't move (sounded like it was in neutral). I've been told to check transmission fluid. I've been told I need a new transmission altogether. And have been told I need a new sensor. Which one??

Last weekend, my daughter attempted to do her laundry. She broke the knob off the control panel when she pulled it out to start filling the washer up. She said there was no other issue and she had done a load prior. However, after gluing it back on, you can neither pull it out (to fill the washer) or push it back in (as if to stop it) This is NOT caused by the glue. It is able to turn around to the different timed cycles but will not open or close to start the machine. Any suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated (single mom with 5 kids!)

My sister had a baby a week ago at 35.5 weeks gestation, weighing 5 lbs 8 oz. For some reason, he was immediately intubated and left on a ventilator for 2 days. They also put a gavauge tube down his nose to feed him with and he's in an incubator. He does not suck...not breast of bottle. The doctors have even tried putting sugar water on my sister's nipples to get him interested but nothing is working. Now he's being fed intravenously. (a 10% protein, 15% glucose solution is in a small bag attached to the regular IV bag). Apparently, even with tube feeding, he throws everything up. They keep saying this is normal for a preemie. However, my twin were born earlier and smaller than my nephew, Jack. Neither of them were intubated or in the NICU or had problems nursing...and they were only 4 1/2 lbs at birth. There is no word on even when they're considering lett him out of the NICU. What could possibly be going on? And why would my sister not tell any of her family?

Hi. My nephew was born at 35.5 weeks gestation on July 22. His birth weight was 5 lbs 8 oz. He was immediately rushed to NICU and had to be intubated. The tube came out the next day and a gavage tube was added to feed him as he does not suckle. He has only cried perhaps twice for a very short burst and barely opens his eyes. He has already lost 5 oz and they are no longer tube feeding him, but have gone back to straight IV with a second bag with 10% protein. I, myself, had 3 babies preterm (the twins were 4 lbs 4 oz and 5 lbs) and they were never confined to incubators and were able to feed well after the first 12 hours. Could there be something wrong with the baby? She delivered by C-section so he shouldn't be too tired from the delivery. I'm getting frightened. The nurses just keep saying it's normal and he's fine: but he's not in a crib, he still has the gavage tube but is only being nourished through IV, his weight is dropping and he isn't active. What's happening?

My husband is in Michigan waiting to immigrate us from Canada. He earns approx $3200 net per month, has been at the same job since Nov 2007, but in the same LINE of work for over 10 yrs (owned his own business for approx 5 yrs during that time). He scored at approximately 600 on his credit reports due to old problems with his business. It shows $11,000 indebtedness on the report. How can he qualify to take advantage of Michigan's foreclosures and purchase a HUD home through FHA with the $100 downpayment program. Should he take the MSHDA pre-purchase credit repair course first? How long are these courses and do they make a difference to lenders? We need to get pre-approval for the mortgage in writing and will have the $1000 EMD and $100 downpayment as required by FHA. Unfortunately, since I'm still in Canada with the kids, I can't be added to the mortgage application until after November..and we have to be IN a new place by mid-January when the kids move over.

Besides the Clean Air e-testing, what EXACTLY is on the checklist to safety a used vehicle? MTO site just keeps saying what vehicles need it, etc.

Also, what is the avg cost of a safety inspection?

I got the test strips today for my 34' above ground pool that hasn't been open in 2 yrs, had the cover torn during the winter (we just moved here last Sept) and looked like primordial green soup, complete with waterbugs and mosquito larvae. The pump is up and running now and I've dumped 3 jugs of shock into the pool. Tomorrow, I'll dump in algaecide. I bought strips to test with:

I'm showing 20 in bromine (listed as high), 5 in chlorine (ok for spa but high for pool), 7.5 ph (listed as ideal), 80 alkaline (showing as ok range). I doused the shock at dusk as indicated on the jugs. The pump is now working. Should I at least be able to SEE the bottom of the pool after adding in the algaecide. The water seems to be chemically okay (exception of the high bromine). Is this going to work to kill off the algae and let me vacuum the pool and see clear or...Lord have mercy...sparkling blue water any time soon? The pool was filled up 2 weeks ago and had 2 jugs of shock then as well.

In January 2008, Michigan stated that people who were legally able to work and live here (ie migrant workers, students, etc) could no longer apply for a Michigan driver's licence. My question is that when I move here from Canada for family reunification, file the I-130 and 485 and get my EAD, am I able to apply for a driver's license since the conditions would be that I can NOT return to Canada until my green card comes in? (That can take up to 2 yrs apparently!)

I have been married to a US citizen for almost 9 yrs. We live in Canada, just across the bridge from Detroit where he is from. He moved back over to the US in November to re-establish residency and credit and stuff. We're now ready to follow. 2 of the children are his and we're getting US birth abroad certificates for them. My 15 yr old is counted under me and will have a visa number immediately. The problem is my 21 yr old daughter who still is a dependent. The wait time is apparently 6 yrs??? If she comes over on an F-1 visa to go to school, she can't start the I-130 and her 6 yr wait time. Is there a way she can do an adjustment of status on her own after she completes post-secondary education? She would be living with us while on her F-1 student visa and studying at the same time. The issue is the I-130 says she wants to live and work in the US. The F-1 promises she will go to school but NOT attempt to live or work here.

We are looking to purchase a 1800 sq foot house that has 2 levels (a few steps takes you upstairs to the main floor and a few steps takes you downstairs to the family room). The former occupants removed the C/A unit when they vacated the house (a bank foreclosure). What would a new unit cost and could it be added into the mortgage monies since it was a fixture of the home that was removed?

I know that an abandoned spouse of a US citizen can sponsor themselves and their children on the I-130 and 485 forms but cannot find the definition of abandonment on the USCIS website. Does anyone know the terms of this process?

Hi. I've had (and have!) dogs. Currently, I have a 9 1/2 yr old English mastiff and a year old pug. We added a 10 week old labradoodle 2 months ago. Both of the other dogs were housetrained without incident using the every 2 hours...day and night method. Ziggy, however, pees and poops constantly. At 12 and 15 weeks old, he was at the vet who said it was normal. He went again 2 weeks ago, and we were told he would outgrow this as his bladder got larger. He is peeing as he walks. He pees puddles at a time. He's already 3x the height of the pug and the messes are getting bigger as he is. He can be outside with the other dogs for 45 minutes, go pee and poop and come in and pee and poop again within minutes. His water is restricted and he has a twice a day feeding schedule. We have tried gating him in the kitchen and crating. He pees there, too! He also (not sure if it's related) has real separation anxiety issues from my husband. HELP! Please!!!

We bought a house with above ground pool (it's a MESS!). We've filled it up, found the instructions for the pump (how to prime, etc) but there are only 2 hoses hanging from the pump. There is a very long hose that has the vacuum attached to it. Is this the 3rd hose to go from pump to pool which detaches from the pump and uses the filter to vacuum?

Please help. I couldn't find instructions on Hayward's website, no instruction manual in the house and the kids are off school TOMORROW and already driving me crazy about the pool!

Our company who worked for Chrysler had its contract bought out by Convergys last October and our jobs are being outsourced to India between August and November. Convergys has offered all fulltime employees a remote CSR position, doing the same job for a different Client from home. However, the CSR will be required to provide office space in their home, an adequate computer and headset and work shift work with opportunities for wage increases but no opportunities for advancement. Benefits and seniority will follow but the employee will, obviously, lose severence pay. After providing all needed space and equipment, we will also be taking a 25 - 40% wage cut. The 2 questions are: is it legal to close a section of a company and offer workers another similar position with these kinds of wage cuts? Will unemployment deny benefits to a worker who does not or cannot make the switch? Thanks so much for any help!