Q: I worked/boarded dogs in a kennel; can they hold my dogs until bill is paid when they haven't paid valid wages?
I boarded dogs at a kennel. After 5 months of payments the owner offered me a part-time job. It progressed from a 3-4 hour morning/evening to 24 hours (10 hrs in the kennel & 14 hrs in their home taking care of their 8 pets) over 3, 5, 7, or 10 day periods. On lunch, I was required to answer phones & conduct business. They held my pay for payment; I received no money. After a year of work, & telling them that I couldn't physically do overnights anymore they agreed, but forced me to do a 10 day trip before stopping. Seven days after that trip they stated they were taking another trip. I refused. They threatened the safety of my dogs, stated an inflated balance owed & demanded immediate removal of the dogs. I later discovered the owner didn't: pay overtime wages, pay federal withholding, report wages to IRS, & other violations. The bill would be satisfied if O.T. was given. Rectification takes years. Can I remove the dogs for safety while getting an accurate bill & reporting violations?
A: None of these historical facts matter because your former employer still has your dogs. After you have recovered your dogs you can think about suing these people for overtime wages and other things.
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
