A General Overview of a Lemon Law Claim

All states have automobile based lemon laws to protect individuals who have purchased defective motor vehicles. In addition, there is a Federal Lemon Law known as theMagnusson Moss Act which provides some protections to you. While the law is different in each state, many similarities can be found in the state lemon laws and the Federal Magnusson Moss Act. Typically, your auto must exhibit a defect or non-conformity that substantially impairs the use, value or safety of your vehicle. Examples of this might be engine, transmission, braking, suspension or other serious problems. The defect must first occur within some defined mileage parameter, usually 12,000 or 18,000 miles or the first year that the car is in service. The lemon laws always provide that the consumer must give the manufacturer a reasonable number of attempts to repair the problem, and the number that is considered reasonable can vary from state to state.

The number of repair attempts is usually three or four, but check your state law to be sure. If the manufacturer cannot repair your substantial defect within that number of attempts, then you have a lemon. Most states set forth that you are entitled to a refund of the purchase price or a replacement vehicle, free of charge. These laws usually provide for the recovery of all consequential damages that you may have encountered as well, such as all of the payments that you have made on the vehicle, including interest, any down payment, any repair charges, etc… The lemon laws are very much geared towards protecting the purchaser of a defective vehicle. They are extremely friendly consumer statutes.

The problem is that having a lemon and getting a manufacturer to agree that you have a lemon are two very different things. After your vehicle has been in for repairs the requisite number of times, the first step that you have to take is to advise the manufacturer, in writing, of your concerns. This usually takes the form of a letter to that manufacturer that revokes your acceptance of the vehicle. What that means is that you are attempting to rescind the contract between you and the manufacturer for the sale of the vehicle, and are making a demand for a refund or a replacement vehicle. The manufacturer will rarely agree to your demand at this point in time. The next step, which is mandated by many state lemon laws, is that you have to submit your claim to an Arbitration panel for review. Many states, and many manufacturers, use the Better Business Bureau as its Arbitration panel. These Arbitration panels are usually non-binding on you, the consumer, but are binding upon the manufacturer. In that regard, it has been my experience that the Arbitrators tend to lean towards the side of the manufacturers in these types of cases, because they know that you can go further, and the manufacturer cannot. Be very careful with the Arbitration process.  If your state does not require you to go through the process, you are often better off just filing a lawsuit.  After Arbitration, if the award is not in your favor, or to your liking, the next step in your lemon law claim would be to file a lawsuit against the Manufacturer in a court of competent jurisdiction. It is at this point that the Manufacturer realizes that you are serious and may begin to entertain realistic formal discussions regarding your vehicle's problems.

This may sound like a lot of work, a lot of hoops to jump through, and it really is, but the great thing about lemon laws is that they typically provide the consumer with Free legal representation. That's right, you can get an Attorney to work for you for free! The Attorney is not actually working for free, but the lemon laws usually provide that the manufacturer must pay your reasonable Attorney fees if the vehicle is found to be a lemon. Lemon Law Attorneys rarely charge any up front retainers, and may or may not charge you for out-of-pocket costs on such a claim. These Attorneys typically look to the manufacturer for their fees and reimbursement of costs. While I would not wish a lemon upon anyone, getting a free attorney to assist you is not half bad.

The Lemon Law - Taking The Law Into Your Own Hands

The automobile lemon laws were designed to protect car buyers from irreparable manufacturers' defects in automobiles that should be ordinarily be covered under warranty.

So How Did The Lemon Laws Come About?

Consumer demand for lemon law protection started to swell from around 1972, when more than one million people were found to have paid for vehicles that had problems that dealers could not, or would not, repair. Connecticut and California were the first states to adopt an automobile lemon law, and other states were quick to follow. They've had a dramatic effect on vehicle quality and today, with the increased accountability demanded by lemon laws, claims have dropped to about 100,000 new cases a year.

So What Is Covered Under Lemon Law?

Every state now has an automobile lemon law and the specifics of each vary widely. However, as a general guideline, you are considered a candidate for protection under the lemon law if you have a serious problem (or, in certain cases, a string of minor problems) that falls under your car warranty. A problem is usually considered serious when it threatens the use, value, or safety of the vehicle.

Some examples of serious problems that would probably be covered include brake failure, transmission problems, and repeated non-starts. The lemon law in most states will not cover thing like funny noises, loose cup holders, and peeling paint - most times that's just fair wear and tear.

The type or ownership of vehicles is also important when it comes to protection under the lemon law. In some states, leased vehicles are covered as well as wholly owned vehicles. Others exclude automobiles purchased for business purposes or special kinds of vehicles such as RVs and motorcycles. Even used vehicles may be covered if they come with a car warranty.

Inevitably, some shady car dealers try and write a clause in sales contracts that states that no lemon law claims can be made against the vehicle. These provisions are totally invalid and can be ignored - as long as your vehicle has a car warranty and qualifies under the other automobile lemon law provisions, you will be covered no matter what you originally signed.

Before any lemon law comes into effect you must give the manufacturer ample opportunity to repair the problem in question. This is usually defined as a specific number of repair attempts (for example, four attempts to repair the same problem) or a certain amount of time when the vehicle is out of action (for example, four weeks). A life-threatening vehicle defect may require only one attempt at repair before falling under the lemon law.

So What Happens if I Qualify for the Automobile Lemon Law?

If you believe that you qualify for protection you must file a claim with the manufacturer within a certain period of time. Usually, the case will then be brought for arbitration with the manufacturer. If you win your case, you will most often receive a replacement vehicle or a refund of your purchase price minus a fee for vehicle use.

How to Make Georgia Lemon Law Work for You

Lemon laws are formulated to help a consumer if they have a serious problem with their new car and this is exactly what the Georgia lemon law does. A new car is considered a lemon in Georgia when it proves to be unsafe and unreliable, even when there has been repair attempts with no success. Georgia lemon law does not cover used cars and you have to follow a legal process when you need to make a claim. The vehicles that are covered in this state are new and leased cars or registered by the original buyer in Georgia. Other vehicles that are not covered are mopeds, motorcycles, ATVs, trucks weighing over 10,000 pounds, those that are not self propelled and boats. When you have a vehicle you suspect to be a lemon, the first thing you should do is to take it to the repair shop and alert the manufacturer of the problem.

Your entire case should be within the warranty period because it is the only time that a vehicle can be considered a lemon. Once the problem has not been fixed after several attempts in accordance to the Georgia lemon law, the car owner fills out a notice to the manufacturer of final opportunity to repair where the manufacturer is given 7 days to ask the vehicle to be taken to a repair shop where it has 14 days to be fixed. If the vehicle cannot be fixed, the car owner sends a letter which is certified to the manufacturer asking for a refund and he has 30 days to settle the claims.

You can read more on how the refunds and replacements are agreed upon on the internet when you search for Georgia lemon law. If the manufacturer of the lemon does not comply, the lemon owner has 60 days to file his complaint with the office of consumer affairs in Georgia. There are arbitration channels to follow that the state provides and your case is likely to be solved before it reaches the judicial system. There are many sites that you can print this guidelines for your own personal reference. You will learn that you can appeal your case to the supreme court if you are not satisfied with the ruling and when you win, attorney fees will all be paid plus the lemon compensation.

When you are preparing for the process, the Georgia lemon law will work for you if you have the necessary documents that will strengthen your case. Some of the documents include your warranty, repair orders, your receipts for the payment of the lemon and others. You therefore need to keep everything safely to avoid a compromise that may cost you the case. Georgia lemon law has helped many to claim for their rights and the law has worked very well. Manufacturers are therefore aware of what to expect and they try as much as they can to avoid the selling of lemons and those who do not comply with the standards regulations find themselves in the web of justice. The law will continue to do its work for a long time to come.

What Is A Lemon Law?

Lemon laws are United States Laws designed to protect the rights of consumers. They are usually used for vehicles but apply to all commercial articles. In this article we will concentrate on Lemon Laws as applicable to vehicles. A lemon is a term used to describe a new vehicle that needs excessive repair even though it is new. It has to meet the following criteria:

Age. Usually for vehicles less than a year old.

Warranty. Usually within the warranty period. In some states the warranty period is not recognized and the cases may be entertained even if the vehicle is out of warranty period depending upon the discretion of the court. The rights of consumers by virtue of Lemon laws may exceed the warranties given by the manufacturer.

Repairs. The vehicle needs frequent identical repair, usually at least 4 times. The repairs should be major repairs that affect the operation, safety and value of the vehicle.

Down Time of the Vehicle. If the vehicle is down for more than 30 days in a year due to defect then it comes under the ambit of lemon laws. The 30 days need not be consecutive days.

The lemon laws cover only new vehicles and not used vehicles. The vehicle owners should note few points that help in proving the case in court.

Repair Order. A repair order should be obtained for every repair visit. The repair order should detail date, problem or diagnosis and attempted repair on the vehicle.

Purchase documents. Purchase documents like contracts, warranties, bills etc should be preserved.

Lemon Law Notice. A lemon law notice should be served to the manufacturer for a refund or a replacement vehicle. The manufacturer should respond within 30 days. For normal wear and tear in the lemon vehicle there should be no deduction from the manufacturer.
Manufacturers Arbitration Program. Some states make it mandatory to use the manufacturers arbitration program if available before suing them in court.

Attorney. Utilize the services of an attorney as they are aware of the details of the laws. Many lawyers work on contingency basis, which means that you pay the lawyer if you win the case. Usually the courts award double the cost of the vehicle plus the cost of litigation if you win. Most such litigations are settled outside the court, so it is wise to hire a competent lawyer who can negotiate to your benefit.
As with most laws, Lemon laws vary from state to state, however the principle remains the same, which is protection of the consumers interest.

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Lemon Essential Oil in the Kitchen - Great Recipe Ideas!

For homemade lemonade, in a blender mix the juice of 2 squeezed lemons, 2 drops of Lemon essential oil, 2 tablespoons of honey or blue agave and two cups of pure water. Adjust the amount of each ingredient to suit your own taste.

Add a couple of drops of Lemon essential oil to sparkling mineral water for a great lemon essence flavor you could add Lemon essential oil to ANY kind of juice.

You can mix Lemon essential oil into yogurt or ice cream, or lemon meringue pie...any desert that lemon would taste good in.

For a spinach fettuccini alfredo take fresh spinach, add garlic, some cream cheese, parmesan cheese and spices, cook it up and then right before serving add some olive oil to the pasta, put a drop of Lemon essential oil on a wooden spoon and stir it into the spinach alfredo sauce and then toss all the ingredients with the pasta -delicious!

Add a few drops to your salad dressing or infuse your olive oil with the Lemon essential oil and use it for dipping.

Create your own pesto with 1/2 cup raw pine nuts, 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds, a small bouquet of fresh organic basil leaves, a clove of garlic mashed in a mortar and pestle with a little sea salt or Himalayan pink salt into a little paste (that takes the stinging bite out of the garlic).

Blend all the ingredients in a food processor with some olive or Udo's oil and add a couple of drops of Lemon essential oil for a really delicious and healthy pesto.

Just have fun...no rules here...just experiment on what you think will taste good!

To clean and increase the shelf life of fresh fruit, fill a bowl with cool water and 2-3 drops of Lemon essential oil. Drop your cleaned fruit into the water and stir. Be sure all surfaces of the fruit contact the lemon water

PLEASE NOTE: The information in this article is based solely on the use of 100% Pure Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils due to their high quality and tested purity.

The use of a brand of uncertain quality and/or purity will provide you with potentially dangerous, if not lethal, results. The author assumes no responsibility for your improper use of this information.

The statements about these oils have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These oils are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

This is What Lemon Law in Wisconsin is All About

If you are not familiar with the lemon law in Wisconsin, you need to pay attention. The first thing is to know what exactly a lemon is. A lemon is a new vehicle which has the following characteristics and the warranty period of one year has not yet expired. Firstly, it is new whether bought or leased, secondly it is a truck, car or motor cycle, thirdly it must have developed serious defects or a defect before the warranty period of one year was over. Fourthly, the defects have brought about serious safety issues and decreased its overall value. Finally, a lemon is also known when it has been repaired four times without working and it has failed to serve you for 30 consecutive days.

Therefore, the lemon law in Wisconsin was formulated to help consumers who purchase defective new cars to be compensated in a legal and proper way. There are several things that a lemon owner should do to make sure that the lemon law in Wisconsin works for them fairly. They should get a repair order every time they visit the repair store whether the problem is solved or not. The repair order should show clearly what problem you reported to have with the vehicle and it should also show the dates when you took your vehicle to be repaired. Other vital documents that will help are purchase contracts and warranties. Many people are fond of carelessly placing their documents and if you want the law to work in your favor, you need concrete evidence.

You can use the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to ask for a replacement of the the lemon vehicle. You will then send the lemon law notice to the manufacturer and they have only 30 days to respond to it. The manufacturer will be required to bear all the costs that have occurred due to the lemon car. Before you take things further, use all the avenues available for you to settle the matter. You can use your manufacturer's arbitration program. Talk to a lawyer if everything fails and if your case is in order, the court must decide whether your vehicle is a lemon. You will then produce all the documents to support your case and everything must be duly presented.

If your case is genuine, you can win the case and when you win, you can get even double compensation to cover all your troubles. The lemon law in Wisconsin will have worked for you. The Dealer and Agent Section will help you resolves all the disputes you might have pertaining to vehicles and lemon vehicles. Indeed, this is a great law that safeguards the rights of customers and makes sure they are protected from unscrupulous dealers. You can find the Wisconsin lemon Law Statues in chapter 218.0171 under replacements, refunds repairs and warranties of new motor vehicles. You can read this law on the internet and get to be empowered. If you live in Wisconsin, you do not have to worry because you are well covered by the law.

This is What Law Lemon in Ohio is All About

Law lemon Ohio is one of the most comprehensive laws in the United States and it was passed in 1987. Like other lemon laws, it requires manufacturers to take the responsibility of dumping defective cars to the unsuspecting public. The owner of a lemon in Ohio should take the vehicle to a repair shop immediately it shows the signs of being a lemon. If the repairs do not work and the warranty period of one year still stands, then you will have to take the matter forward to apply the law lemon Ohio. You will find the law under Ohio lemon law statutes from sections 1345.71 to 1345.78. All you need to know can be found under these sections and there are very many attorneys waiting to give you the in depth details.

When you are preparing to start you lemon case some of the major questions that come up will include whether the vehicle has been in the repair shop more than four times without a solution, whether the car has failed to serve you for 30 straight days, whether the warranty has expired or not yet. The manufacturer or dealer needs to have refused to compensate you fairly upon the complaint. Law lemon Ohio is especially strong because there are other additional laws that can be used to recover money if the main law is not adhered to. In Ohio, used cars can also be covered if they are lemons before the warranty period expires. On the internet, you will find lemon law attorneys who are ready to help you through the process of getting what is rightfully yours.

Through the office of the attorney general, you can have an arbitration which can see you and the manufacturing company come to a conclusive deal. The attorney general acts as a mediator and he is neutral. Before you have the right to file a lawsuit, this avenue must be followed and there are cases approved to go through and others are not. The decision reached on the arbitration is not binding on the consumer. If the outcome of the arbitration is not pleasing to you, you can file a civil law suit that will seek to recover your losses on the defective vehicle and all the lawyers fees you might have spent. Dealers and manufacturers have a responsibility to inform every customer of their legal rights under law lemon Ohio.

If you purchase a returned lemon with full knowledge of the condition of the vehicle, you are not titled to the same protection as a new car buyer. However you have a case if the dealers sold to you without knowledge. You can definitely file a lawsuit to recover your money. You can take precautions to ensure that when you get a lemon, you are not stranded. Keep all the repair orders and warranties safely and make sure they are the right ones. Put in writing the various problems and defects of your vehicle. File all the records in order. Finally it is helpful to read the manual on maintenance properly and practice it. Dealers or manufacturers can bank on the fact that the car is poorly maintained. Law lemon Ohio has played a major role to protect consumers and the law will continue to do so for a long time to come.

A Closer Look at the Ca Lemon Law

Ca lemon law is geared to helping every new car owner deal with car problems when they arise. The problems are mechanical and sometimes, new cars do not perform as expected and since the buyer has no fault, then they deserve a car that was worth their money. Citizens of California have come to appreciate the law because they are able to get their rights. A lemon is a defective vehicle that is new or leased and it proves not to serve the purpose that it was intended for. If it is unreliable and unsafe even before the warranty has expired then it is definitely a lemon. The first thing you do is to take the lemon to be repaired so as to determine whether the problem is minor or major.

If it proves to be defective, then you can file a California claim form that is valid and it will seek to secure you a refund or a replacement and it can also seek to have all your repair expenses paid. It is very vital to keep all the records of repairs so as to provide evidence if you reach a court of law. The manufacturer is supposed to respond and you would hope that he cooperates but, you can never rely on them to give you a fair chance. You need to be ready to progress to the next step. Many manufacturers however, are very helpful and they will settle at a very fair deal. Under Ca lemon law, a used car will qualify and this is if it was sold with a warranty and if it was for personal or family use.

The manufacturers arbitration process is not necessary and many people usually do not find a solution. But, this is not to say that there is no one who has been helped by the program. The Ca lemon law makes it possible for someone to make a claim after the warranty period has expired and this is if you attempted to repair the lemon within the warranty period. Therefore, Ca lemon law works when there is a warranty so that you may prove everything you say. There are so many resources on the internet and when you do a thorough search, you will come up with conclusive facts about Ca Lemon law.

If you go through the whole legal process to seek compensation, make sure you have a good personal lawyer who can advise you on the best way forward. Some people use the lemon law as a get rich quick scheme when they know full well that they do not have a genuine case. It is therefore vital to understand that the law is just and, such people might lose more than they gain. If you have a genuine case and you do not want to start the process, know that the law is created to protect you and, to give you a voice. If you feel that you need more information on this particular law, you can always see an attorney who will assist you on what steps to take. This law can only work in your favor if you have a genuine lemon.

The Importance of the Lemon Law

The lemon law is loved by everybody because it is a protection for all consumers who purchase vehicles whether new or used. Not everybody appreciates the law however, because it is until you are affected, that you realize the importance of the lemon law. Firstly, let me begin by defining what a lemon is. A lemon is a new, leased or a used vehicle that falls out of your expectation. This is because within a very short and unrealistic time, the car begins to develop functional problems that leave you stranded and even unsafe. The car may be repaired several times without any success. Such a vehicle is classified as a lemon which means that it has lost value and is no longer worthy of service.

This problem is common and this is the reason why laws were formulated to help assist solve the problem. The law in question is the lemon law. The lemon law simply states that upon issuing of a defective vehicle or lemon, when the one year warranty has not expired, the dealer or car manufacturer is liable to compensate or to refund to the affected customer. This is the general function of the law and these laws differ from state to state. All American states enjoy lemon laws in their locality and people have been helped to settle their issues fairly and legally. The states have seen the importance of these laws and they have existed for over 10 years. If you wish to have more information on this laws, the internet is a good place to start.

You can search for your state laws and get to see what other things pertain to these laws. There is usually an arbitration program that the car dealer and the car owner participate in before they take the matter forward. A neutral mediator like the attorney general's office seeks to find a middle ground where the two parties can settle. The program is usually not satisfactory and no major settlements are done. Attorneys will usually have a more in depth knowledge on the subject and if you wish to pursue the case further, a private lawyer is necessary. The lemon law can take you as far as the court of appeal, to seek a favorable ruling. There are several tips that will help when you embark on this journey to seek justice.

Firstly, for the purpose of evidence, you need to store your documents in a safe way and they may include purchase contracts, repair orders, warranties and others. Secondly, it is vital to keep a note of what you discuss with the dealers and every phone call you may have made to them or they may have made to you. It is helpful to keep your documents in a certain order that will make the work easy and finally, if you believe you have a case, go for it and do not be discouraged, when disappointed by a certain setback, stand your ground and you will get what you want. The lemon law is clearly one of the most helpful laws around.

Lemon Law and Leases

Evidently some dealers and manufacturers have been telling consumers of leased vehicles that they do not have the same "lemon law" rights when they lease cars. This is not accurate. The fact of a lease does have some impact upon a consumer's lemon law rights, but the consumer yet retains substantially the same lemon law rights as purchasers of vehicles. Here are the points you need to know:

1. In a lease, you really do not have any equity in the car so your damages are usually limited to your inception payment and your payments into the vehicle. If the manufacturer or dealer agrees to unwind the lease, you need to make sure that the lease is being paid off in the settlement so this does not remain an obligation which ultimately could affect your credit.

2. Many manufacturers argue for a larger "mileage offset" for leases, because, they claim, the mileage on the vehicle is a greater percentage of the more limited period of the lease as opposed to the longer period of "permanent ownership" in the event of a sale. This is a negotiation point to be worked out on a case-by-case basis, depending upon the total circumstance.

3. In general, if you wait until late into the lease to bring your lemon law claim, the manufacturers will more than likely ignore you on the basis that your lease is substantially used up. So, for instance, if you have a three-year lease and you bring your lemon law claim after 18 months, you stand a far greater chance of getting a good result than if you wait until 28 months into the lease. The longer you wait, the more likely the manufacturer will just sit back and say, "The lease is almost up-let's ignore this lemon law claim."

4. Many leases include a "residual value" (agreed-upon value upon lease expiration, most frequently used to calculate the cost of purchasing the vehicle) as a part of the lease. If the residual value is less than the total lease payoff, some manufacturers try to "sucker" consumers into believing that the manufacturer is only responsible for paying the residual value, not the lease pay-off, when the case settles. Ignore this crap. If you win your lemon law claim, you have a right to have your lease completely paid off. Settlements may vary and, depending on the circumstances, may or may not accomplish complete payoff of the lease, but this is no reason to buy into this poor argument from manufacturers that the residual value has anything to do with settling the case.

5. If you exceed your mileage allotment significantly, this will negatively affect the strength of your lemon law claim. As with all lemon law cases, if you can afford to limit your driving of the vehicle, or even park it, this will improve chances of winning and of getting full compensation.

6. Whether you buy the car at lease expiration is up to you, and you can continue with your lemon law claim on a leased vehicle even if the lease is expired and you have had to turn in your car. However, since you no longer have the car, the case is obviously worth less total money and it usually makes more sense to settle for some cash compensation once the vehicle's lease has expired.

7. If you have a lease fraud or a finance fraud claim, this normally is not treated as a lemon law claim and involves a whole different set of rights about which you should consult us directly.

How and When to Use your Lemon Law Rights

The "lemon law" was originally created to protect consumers from big ticket items that had a problem, and these days is almost exclusively limited to vehicles like cars, trucks and SUVs. For example, a car is considered a "lemon" under the California Lemon Law if it has been repaired four times and the defect or problem has not been resolved or fixed within the period of 18 months or 18,000 miles, whichever comes first. Using the word "lemon" this way has most likely become increasingly popular due to the many companies and "slightly south of honest" car sales folks selling faulty products. Buying a car is not like buying a hair dryer, since you cannot return it to the store for a refund if you do not like it, or if it has a manufacturing defect.

Technically, your newly purchased car is only considered a lemon if you have given proper attention to all of its problems, if all efforts to fix these problems have been exhausted, and if the manufacturer has been given the opportunity to try and fix the problem but cannot. If it seems your car is in the repair shop time and time again for the same repair, you may be the owner of a real lemon. If that is the case, you have rights as well as some responsibilities to deploy those rights.

The descriptive term "lemon" applies equally to a defective or malfunctioning car as to a citrus fruit. Basically, the California Lemon Law holds the manufacturer of a car responsible for the proper and satisfactory functioning of the car while it is under its warranty period. This also assumes that the owner of the car exercised good judgment and care of everything that would logically be expected of the car owner.

Does the car warranty matter? Of course. The repair is covered under the vehicle warranty or extended warranty, but it's always in the shop. In many states, arbitration is used to solve problems when a car still under warranty turns out to be a lemon. If the vehicle is new, it should come with a warranty that includes a money-back option. This may be something to note to yourself next time you are shopping for a new car, since shopping for the right warranty is just as important as the car and the price you negotiate.

You must report the defect within a reasonable timeframe, or before the warranty expires. Report it to the dealer and do it in writing, and make sure you save your copy. If it malfunctions while under warranty, the manufacturer is held liable for repairs. Basically, California's Lemon Law, sometimes also known as Consumer Warranty Law, specifies that the manufacturer carry a high degree of responsibility for sold products.

Almost every state has passed a lemon law, a statute that exists to backup the manufacturer's written warranty that comes with the vehicle. The degree of liability and responsibility varies widely from state to state, so make sure you know what the lemon law is in your state.

The bottom line is that you as the purchaser of the vehicle have responsibilities for proper maintenance of the vehicle, which hopefully you would do anyway. But assuming you have done that and still have what is termed a "chronic" problem with the vehicle, you have rights, and it is to your benefit to know what those rights are.