Showing posts with label manager. Show all posts
Showing posts with label manager. Show all posts

Monday, March 23, 2009

Legal Eaze #55 Overtime/Loan Payments/Visitation Modification

Title: September 27, 2006

Q. I am the manager of a restaurant and am a salaried employee. I very often work more than 40 hours a week, yet I do not get paid overtime. Shouldn’t I get overtime pay for the extra hours over 40 hours a week?

A. Not every worker is entitled to overtime pay. There are a few select professions that are not required to pay overtime. Generally speaking however, most hourly employees who are not either independent contractors or professionals requiring advanced degrees are covered by overtime laws. Overtime laws usually do not cover executives who supervise the work of others. Nor do they cover certain administrative employees who do “non-manual” work related to either management policies or general operations of the business. Such “executive” or “administrative” employees must also be paid a set minimum weekly salary in order to be exempt from overtime requirements (versus employees that are paid by the hour). I believe that you fall in the executive or administrator category.

Q. I got involved in online payday loans and got in over my head in hard financial times. One of the loans I obtained required that I pay the loan in full. I informed the company I could not pay in full but offered to make payments until fully paid. The manager refused the partial payments stating the loan needs to be paid in full, otherwise they will garnish my wages. Can they do this despite my offer to make payments?

A. Unfortunately, the agreement that you signed will dictate the company’s collection rights and/or your obligations to repay the loan as you promised in the written agreement, if this agreement is legally enforceable. You should have an attorney review the agreement you entered into to advise you of your rights, if any, under this agreement.

Q. My son travels to Florida every summer for his visitation with his father. He spent 3 weeks there and came back extremely sick. 2 days after he came back, he was hospitalized in the ICU. He turned out to be diabetic and his father explained away our son’s extreme weight loss by stating he was overactive with sports. Does he have to go next summer?

A. You need to file an Order to Show Cause for modification with the Court that ordered the summer visitation with his father. The Court needs to be made aware that your son’s health is being overlooked by his father and that the boy almost died the last time he went to visit his father. This is a very serious concern and the Court may very well change the visitation schedule.

Maxine de Villefranche is an attorney and civil general practitioner with 14 years of experience. She practices law from her Tehachapi office as well as her Lancaster satellite office. She will answer legal questions posed to her by the readers to the best of her abilities. Email your questions to maxinedev@msn.com or fax to (661)825-8880

Legal Eaze #46 Unlawful Detainer/ Apartment Lease Agreement

Title: May 10, 2006

Q. How long does an unlawful detainer lawsuit take once it has been filed?

A. Once the case has been filed, the entire process from start to finish could take anywhere from 30 to 45 days, depending on whether the tenant files an answer to the Unlawful Detainer Complaint. An answer is due within 5 days from the time the complaint is served on the tenant. If the attorney representing the landlord is on top of everything, a Memorandum to set the case for trial is filed with the court immediately after the answer is received and the court will set the case for trial usually within two to three weeks. Once the case is tried, a judgment will be rendered by the court. If the tenant loses the case, he or she will have a short period of time within which to move out, usually one week. If the tenant does not move out in time, the sheriff will post a notice to move out within one week. If the tenant is still not out one week later, the sheriff will escort the tenant out, giving back possession of the unit the landlord. Unlawful detainer actions have priority because of the urgency of the landlord to get back the unit occupied by the tenant. Every day the tenant is in possession costs the landlord money.

Q. Can I be evicted for having another family member reside in my apartment when the manager is aware of the additional person?

A It depends on your lease agreement. If the lease agreement does not mention how many people are to live in the premises, then it does not matter how many people live there. If the lease agreement specifies how many persons are to reside on the premises, but it is not enforced, just make sure that you obey all rules and regulations and the additional person might not be a bother to the landlord. Although the manager is aware of the additional person, if this person does not cause any problems or conflicts, an eviction should not be feared. However, if the present manager is removed and another manager takes his place, then beware. The safe thing to do is to get formal permission from the landlord to have that additional family member living on your premises. The lease could be reformed, or that family member could simply be added to the existing lease.

Maxine de Villefranche is an attorney and civil general practitioner with 13 years of experience. She practices law from her Tehachapi office as well as her Lancaster satellite office. She will answer legal questions posed to her by the readers to the best of her abilities. Email your questions to maxinedev@msn.com or fax to (661)825-8880.