18-04-2003 17:30									#61
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"If you can avoid the issue going to court, that may be best since you never know what may happen there; you could have an "old fashioned" jury that may just see this as a son being disrespectful."

I think given that facts of the case, and the nature of the principles involved, I would have to woefully misplay my hand in order to make my stepmother more sympathetic than my daughter.

	18-04-2003 17:30									#62
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smart ass answer -- ever heard of the Menendez's?

real answer -- I agree with Shi. Wash your hands of the matter and say, "Have a nice life."

Good luck John, stuff like this is never easy. I hope everything works out.

	18-04-2003 17:58									#63
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It seems to me from your posts that you've gone out of your way to avoid conflict with your family. Your actions (or non-actions) suggest to me that you must have a close relationship with your family that you obviously dont want to give up. With that in mind, I think the difference is clear between protecting yourself legally and actually initiating a lawsuit against your father and wicked step-mother. You mentioned that your brothers and sisters didnt understand why 'you were doing this'. Making it abundantly clear to them what is going on and your position may be a good choice of action at this time.

	18-04-2003 18:02									#64
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quote: Originally posted by Shi Huangdi Well if I were in your shoes I'd probably just want to clean my hands of the matter and never deal with them again. If you can avoid the issue going to court, that may be best since you never know what may happen there; you could have an "old fashioned" jury that may just see this as a son being disrespectful. Of course that would be stupid of them, but there is no guarantee that a jury wouldn't be dumb.

Shi, that might happen if john was a minor and had broken the family's studebaker's windows with a baseball bat.

	19-04-2003 00:24									#65
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I knew dropping in on OT would have an upside. Makes me feel my troubles are not so bad. It must be hard to have to fight with your father like this.

Fortunately, you have an evil stepmother to blame. Hey, she is from Rhea County? Just went up a notch on the white trash scale.

I went to Jr High and High School in Oak Ridge, that bastion of sanity and intelligence in an otherwise benighted East Tennessee Valley. I fled to Virginia and landed somehow in South Carolina, God help me.

As for MtG's comment about "a little help," this is a case where hiring a private detective to pose as a prospective client seeking references will flush out any tortuous malicious intent before you suffer direct harm. Malicious intent won't get you much additional monetary compensation, but it will help your case.

File the suit now, it can probably be amended to included events after filing. (Yes? any blood-sucking parasite lawyer out there clarify?) That creates more leverage for fast, peaceful settlement. Failing that it gets you to court sooner. No more round after round of demands and denials wasting time and money.

	19-04-2003 00:29									#66
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quote: my attorney ($185/hour!)

	19-04-2003 00:38									#67
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No wonder all the lawer jokes...

Good luck btw

(he better not stop talking during that hour...

	19-04-2003 03:33									#68
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John: This is what I don't get. If you knew your father had a past history of unethical behavior then why on Earth would you ever agree to go into business with him? That seems totally illogical to me.

	19-04-2003 06:21									#69
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Well, what a pleasant change to Civfanatics, 3 threads that talk of events that would seem unbelievable in a soap opera!


John, I can only wish you the best of luck in selecting the best approach in resolving this issue.


P.S are you still likely to inherit anything

	25-04-2003 01:24									#70
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Sue the bastards, John. You can always settle. Look at it this way. If you let them get away with it, they'll think they can keep doing it to others. It's not about recouping your losses (though can't you force them to pay attorney's fees). It's about stopping these crooks from hurting others.