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2 Answers
| Asked
in
Consumer Law, Insurance Defense, Civil Litigation and Gov & Administrative Law
for
New York
on
Q: Can we ask the university to pay for the replacement cost of equipment damaged by a leak?
I am a member of a student club at a private university in New York. We returned from summer break to find that a pipe had leaked in a closet allocated to us at the student center, causing over $9,000 in damage to audio equipment financed through our school's student government budget. The... View More 
Tim Akpinar
answered on Sep 9, 2026
answered on Sep 9, 2026
Addendum: Everything I said in my first post holds true. I wanted to add that it's possible your university might have standard procedures and forms in place for reporting losses or damages (for example, a student's car getting stray paint on it from a campus renovation project). You... View More
2 Answers
| Asked
in
Consumer Law, Insurance Defense, Civil Litigation and Gov & Administrative Law
for
New York
on
Q: Can we ask the university to pay for the replacement cost of equipment damaged by a leak?
I am a member of a student club at a private university in New York. We returned from summer break to find that a pipe had leaked in a closet allocated to us at the student center, causing over $9,000 in damage to audio equipment financed through our school's student government budget. The... View More
Tim Akpinar
answered on Sep 8, 2026
answered on Sep 8, 2026
I'm sorry about the damage your club suffered. The short answer is that you can ask the university to cover the cost (unless there's something in the university's by-laws or policies to the contrary, or there are disclaimers the university imposes for student use of its campus... View More
1 Answer
| Asked
in
Domestic Violence, Landlord - Tenant, Personal Injury and Real Estate Law
for
California
on
Q: How can I legally expedite my relocation due to disturbances affecting my health and safety in VOALA housing?
I have been living in a VOALA domestic violence program housing in California for three months. Since moving in, I've had significant issues with my next-door neighbor, who is also a domestic violence victim. She plays loud music, watches TV at high volumes, and often yells and screams.... View More
Sami Nouri
answered on Sep 8, 2026
answered on Sep 8, 2026
You may have more than one route, but the strongest will depend on your lease, the VOALA program rules, and whether your trauma or accident-related condition qualifies as a disability. Make a written request to both the landlord and VOALA for an expedited transfer or early lease termination as a... View More
Q: Can I file a complaint with the CA State Bar after case settlement?
I settled a personal injury case a year ago in California, but my lawyer didn't fulfill his promises. He said he would reduce my doctor bills to 90%, but that didn't happen, and I'm facing charges of $145k for a surgery that should cost $6k-$10k. Additionally, despite my requests, he... View More
Sami Nouri
answered on Sep 8, 2026
answered on Sep 8, 2026
Settlement does not prevent you from filing a complaint with the State Bar. Separately, you should make a written request for the complete client file and a detailed accounting showing the gross settlement, attorney fees, litigation costs, every medical payment or lien resolution, and the net... View More
1 Answer
| Asked
in
Animal / Dog Law, Consumer Law, Insurance Bad Faith and Insurance Defense
for
California
on
Q: Will my dog sitter's insurance cover dog bite incident expenses?
I live in California and hired a friend from Minnesota to dog sit for me while I was traveling. I had instructed her to keep my dog at least 300 feet away from other dogs. Despite this, she used a flimsy, unauthorized "dog seatbelt" to tie my dog to a post on the front porch, which was... View More
Sami Nouri
answered on Sep 8, 2026
answered on Sep 8, 2026
The other dog's veterinary bills are generally a property-damage issue rather than a claim under California's dog-bite statute, which addresses injury to a person. Potential responsibility may depend on negligence by the owner, the sitter, or both. The sitter's renter's policy... View More
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