70
votes
Accepted
At what point can you walk out of a restaurant if they make you wait to pay the bill?
at what point can you just leave? Is it always technically illegal in the UK to leave without paying the bill?
Probably depends on what you mean with just leaving. If just leaving translates I haven'...
60
votes
Is it legal for a store to accept payment by debit card but not be able to refund to it, even in event of staff's mistake?
Could the store give the customer credit or must they actual return the money?
The store has the legal obligation to return the money if the customer demands to be reimbursed. Section 155(4)(a) of ...
- 45.1k
45
votes
Do I have legal obligation to change the payment method at a restaurant, if they refuse to (but have the ability to) accept my credit card?
You have the legal (contractual) obligation to pay the amount that you owe for your meal. The restaurant can refuse to accept a particular kind of payment, such as check, cash, credit cards (generally ...
- 196k
37
votes
Can a university require me to use hardware authentication to pay bills?
There is little prospect for suing over this measure. The university has a legitimate interest in verifying that access to online systems is only granted to authorized users, and simple passwords are ...
- 196k
37
votes
At what point can you walk out of a restaurant if they make you wait to pay the bill?
It is illegal for you to take a meal and intend to not pay.
You have a reasonable expectation of using a credit card if they normally take it, The situation of finding out the machine is down isn't, ...
29
votes
Accepted
Getting paid by mistake after leaving a company?
What would happen if this money was not returned?
The former employee would, based on the given circumstances, be guilty of theft contrary to section 1 of the Theft Act 1968:
(1) A person is guilty ...
- 32.7k
21
votes
Is it legal for a store to accept payment by debit card but not be able to refund to it, even in event of staff's mistake?
Based on how the debit clearinghouses work, it's fantastically unlikely that the retailer is unable to reverse/refund a transaction. That is how the banks want you to do it!!!!
The reason is simple: ...
20
votes
At what point can you walk out of a restaurant if they make you wait to pay the bill?
If I fill my car with diesel and suddenly realise I've left my wallet at home, the attendant will take a note of my car registration, which will be all over cctv anyway, along with my face. I'll ...
- 441
19
votes
Do I have legal obligation to change the payment method at a restaurant, if they refuse to (but have the ability to) accept my credit card?
The important thing is, as already stated in @user6727's answer that you still owe the money for the meal, even if you cannot pay. Most courts won't call it bilking though if you were willing to pay ...
- 4,052
17
votes
At what point can you walk out of a restaurant if they make you wait to pay the bill?
They can’t hold you there for any period of time, as that would be false imprisonment. You have a legal obligation to pay the bill; however, there is no contract about when your payment is due.
You ...
- 502
15
votes
Can a landlord force all residents to use the landlord's in-house debit card accounts?
Typically the landlord will have a preexisting clause in the lease that says the landlord may choose to amend the lease at a later date.
While that may be in contracts, I don't see that holding up in ...
- 9,185
14
votes
Getting paid by mistake after leaving a company?
That’s up to the company
They might decide it’s not worth the hassle and write it off.
Alternatively, they might sue for recovery. They will almost certainly win that suit.
- 182k
7
votes
Is it legal to use a VPN to buy things at a lower price?
I know the OP is asking about America, but its also worth knowing about other countries.
This is legal if both subscriber and subscription are within the EU. There was also a court case about this. In ...
- 12.7k
7
votes
Accepted
I supposedly owe 91 dollars for a 4 dollar toll from half a decade ago. Can it be disputed and what penalty may I face if I don't pay?
It appears that 91.50 is the correct amount for a $4 toll that went unpaid for more than 42 days. EZ Pass violation notices can be appealed.
Your communication is apparently from a debt collector. You ...
- 112k
6
votes
Accepted
Do you owe money to a company who is trying to charge a disabled/expired credit card?
You owe money if there is a contract obliging you to pay. Whether you receive what you pay for (e.g. services) only affects your stance when suing for non-performance/damages; your obligation to pay ...
- 23.6k
6
votes
Accepted
If a company never invoices me, am I obligated to do anything?
"One day and that day may never come"
If a company never invoices me, am I obligated to do anything?
No (given that they know how to contact you i.e. you are not evading being invoiced).
That ...
- 23.6k
6
votes
What kind of reward is an "inflationary lump sum"?
Under UK law what kind of payment is it? Is it the same thing as a bonus?
Essentially yes
What rules apply?
Assuming the employee is standard PAYE then the money will be subject to tax and NI the ...
- 4,128
5
votes
Can a medical invoice that was disputed collect interest and be due years later?
Is It Too Late To Collect The Bill?
Probably not.
There is a statute of limitations for collecting unpaid medical bills that varies in length in different jurisdictions, and the age of the bill in the ...
- 173k
5
votes
What principal of law allows the US federal government to demand that people work without pay?
Employees are only required to work in the sense that refusal to report can result in discipline (like reprimand or firing) and forfeit of whatever money you would have earned had you shown up. This ...
- 22.6k
5
votes
Can a university require me to use hardware authentication to pay bills?
I'm pretty sure any judge is going to give them broad leeway to the business to self-determine the manner in which they secure their electronic systems.
Where your argument disintegrates (or coalesces)...
5
votes
Accepted
Relative vs constant salary in US Employee and contract law
In practice this is rarely done in the US. There have been cases of employment contracts with automatic increases tied to the CPI (Consumer Price Index) or some other measure of inflation -- I believe ...
- 112k
5
votes
At what point can you walk out of a restaurant if they make you wait to pay the bill?
Walking away without paying comes under three possible criminal acts:
The Theft Act 1968: defines crimes related to "dishonestly appropriating property belonging to another with intention to ...
- 3,189
5
votes
Accepted
Employer very sporadic with paydays, not sure what to do
Is this something that an employer can just do?
That is very unlikely, although strictly speaking there is not enough information to answer either yes or no.
Section 2810.5(a)(1)(C) of the ...
- 45.1k
5
votes
Getting paid by mistake after leaving a company?
Generally the company is entitled to try to recover money they paid in error. In terms of civil law the company may sue the person on the basis of 'the doctrine of mistake'. They can apply to county ...
- 9,286
4
votes
Accepted
Is it possible to sue a UK based company from the US regarding debt collection?
Yes it is kind of possible
what country would the legal action need to originate from? Would one
file in the US and note the foreign defendant or would one file, as a
foreigner, in the home ...
- 23.6k
4
votes
Can a university require me to use hardware authentication to pay bills?
As a graduate student at a UC school, you are a private customer of business run on behalf of the State of California. Given private contract law and the general framework in the USA and California, I ...
- 151
4
votes
Can an employer force all employees to open bank accounts in the employees' names?
Under federal law, an employer may impose direct deposit as a condition of employment.
The Electronic Funds Transfer Act at 15 USC 1693k only says that employers may not require an employee to have a ...
- 27.9k
4
votes
Accepted
Roommates aren't paying utilities, can I take them to small claims court?
do I have a case against them in small claims court?
Yes. Your description altogether indicates that there is --at least-- an implicit contract between you and the roommates. That implicit contract ...
- 45.1k
4
votes
Accepted
Not getting paid for work done?
When does a CEO (or the investor or the board) have to notify employees they will be unable to pay them for work already done?
Directors and officers (which includes executive officers like the CEO) ...
- 182k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible