In maine, age 16, leaving home hopefully. Help?

[ccsmod1]

RE: leaving home at 16

Hello,

Thanks for reaching out to us for help. You should know that if you leave and try to go live with your boyfriend, your parents can call the cops. The cops can force you to return home, and your boyfriend might risk criminal charges for harboring a runaway. This is true until you turn 18 years old. If you have more questions or want to talk about your situation, please give us a call 24/7 at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or chat with us every day between 4:30pm and 11:30pm CST on www.1800runaway.org. We are here to listen and support you in any way that we can, and we understand that you have your reasons for wanting to leave. We are looking forward to hearing from you soon, and wish you the best of luck.

[Unregistered]

parents dont want me to move out

Everytime. me and my parents get in a fight they tell me to get the ******** out but when i have the opportunity they say no stay i am 16 will be 17 in 2 months what should i do?????

[ccsmod2]

Re: In maine, age 16...

We're sorry to hear that you are going through a rough time with your folks and they are talking to you disrespectfully! It sounds like your parents don't actually want you to leave -- but that still does not justify them talking to you like that. That's got to hurt.

We never tell anyone what to do, so we can't say whether you should stay or go. You can figure out a way to feel respected and safe, however. We are here to support you in any way we can. To do so, we'd like to talk with you a bit more to understand your situation better. We are here to talk at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929). We are totally confidential and anonymous and our phone lines are open 24/7. We also have Live Chat available from 4:30-11:30pm Central Time. You can connect to Live Chat by clicking on the red button at the upper-right of our website's main page: www.1800runaway.org.

We hope to hear from you. Good luck!

[Unregistered]

need help!

I am 17 from maine and I have lived on my own for about 8 months.. I got in a little bit of trouble and got a summons for dv assault but that doesn't matter cause the charge is going to flied anyway. But I was wondering can they say I have to live with my parents till I'm 18 even if my parents are okay with me not living under the roof. Right now I'm on house arrest at my parents but that should we dropped this week.

[ccsmod13]

RE: Need help

Hello,

Thank you for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline and sharing with us some of your story. It sounds like a lot has been going on for you lately. You stated that you have been living on your own for the last 8 months, home must not have been a good place for you and we understand it has got to be frustrating of possibly facing the sentence of being under their roof again. Again, it sounds like there is a lot going on for you right now.

We are not legal experts, but we can speak in general terms if that is ok. Typically, your parents are legally responsible for you until you are 18. Your parents can give you verbal or written consent, however, in the eyes of the law they are still legally responsible for you. It is possible for you to be sentenced to live with them. It is up to the judge to decide what and how your sentence will be carried out.

Generally, running away is not a criminal offense, it is a status offense. However, you mentioned that you are currently on house arrest so that could possible alter how the court would view your situation. An option you have is call your local police department and see how they would react to your situation.
We hoped that this helped and we encourage you to call us at 1800.786.2929 to discuss your situation in further detail. You can also chat with us every day from 4:30pm-11:30pm CST. We look forward to hearing from you and we wish you the best.

NRS

[Unregistered]

Help

Hello,
I just turned 17 years old in October and I currently live with my mom, her girlfriend, and my grandma. We moved to another state and I started college in August. And my school is offering me a job. But now they want to move again and if I try telling them that I want to move out so that I can stay in school and keep my job they always yell at me and tell me I can make my own decisions when I turn 18. They took away my phone and when I tell them to call the cops to see what they said they won't let me. They always say no or tell me go ahead but still do not let me.

[ccsmod11]

re: Help

Hello –

Thank you for contacting the National Runaway Safelie. We’re glad you reached out to us. It sounds like you are going through a lot right now. Your situation sounds really difficult. Moving is hard as it is. It must be especially frustrating to learn that your family plans to move again in a way that will affect your schooling and your job.

Your plan to call the police to ask whether you can legally leave home sounds solid. Your parents having taken your phone must be making it really difficult to follow through. What would happen if you called from school? You said that you’re attending college right now; you’re working, as well. You might be able to call from school or at work. Alternatively, most colleges have counseling centers to help students through tough times. Maybe someone on staff at your counseling center could help you explore your options.

We are here to listen and talk you through your options, as well. Feel free to call us any time – we are anonymous, confidential, and available 24/7. You can also chat with us from 4:30 pm to 11:30 pm CST by visiting http://www.1800runaway.org and clicking the red ‘Live Chat’ button.

We hope this information helps. Good luck!

NRS

[Unregistered]

Thinking about LEAVING home not running away

On todays date I am 16 years old but in 5 almost 4 days I will be 17. I am graduating high school early, so i will be done this june. I have already been accepted to college and plan on starting in the fall. I live in southern Maine and want to move out and I have a place to go and everything. I AM NOT RUNNING AWAY FROM HOME. I simply want to move out and not have the cops called on me for "running away" when I am leaving on my own will. I will support myself and everything. I just do not believe my mom will let me leave after gradation at least not without a fight. This is something I want to go smoothly so I can maintain a relationship with her. I am willing to still visit with her and stuff. I just can't deal with living with her anymore. Her boyfriend (who lives with us) is rather controlling and I can't stand it. Though it could be worse, I just have had enough with it. I feel like I am ready to move out and brace life on my own. Is there any way I can leave home without her calling the cops and reporting me as a runaway? I will be with close family friends/ at my boyfriends. I do not want his family in trouble if I go move in. What is the best thing for me to do in this situation?

[ccsmod3]

Re: Thinking about LEAVING home not running away

Hello there,

Thanks for reaching out. It sounds like you're very determined to move out one you are 17. It sounds like you don't want to cut all ties with your mom, but feel things would be better with your relationship if you lived elsewhere. Congrats on your early high school graduation! We aren't legal experts, but many states do have emancipation procedures if you are looking to move out (not run away) as a minor. Your concern over the cops is valid; police don't always actively search for runaways, but it can be a risk should your mom decide to file you as one. If you are trying to avoid that, we have basic information on emancipation if you would like to explore that further. One potential challenge is if you think your mom won't cooperate in the process. The other challenge is if you are planning on moving in with family friends or your boyfriend, the judge may view that as more of a transfer of guardianship vs. a self-sufficiency/emancipation type of situation.

Here is the emancipation information we have for your state:
In the state of Maine, a youth must be 16 years old to become emancipated. The petition must be filed with the court. The court may order mediation between the youth and parents to take place first, and if the mediation is unsuccessful, a hearing may be appointed where a judge would decide if the youth is mature enough to become emancipated.

If we know your city/town, we can also look up nearby legal aid to further assist you. Or, if you do not feel emancipation is an option for you, we can talk about alternative options. If you'd like to continue discussing your situation, then you are welcome to Live Chat or call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY. hopefully this helps and best of luck!

[Unregistered]

Im 16 and my parents want me to move with them to a diffrent state

I have a friend whos family said they will take me in and treat me like there own its local so i woudent have to change schools is there anyway i can get this to where i can move in with him and my parants wont be able to stop it in the minimal amount of time possible

[ccsmod14]

Im 16 and my parents want me to move with them to a diffrent state

Hi there,

Thank you for reaching out to us here at the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like you may be going through some difficult times at home but we’re glad that you reached out.

So it sounds like your friend has offered you a place to stay with their family, and it is close to your home so you would not have to change schools. It is good to know that you have support from your friend and their family.

We’re not here to tell you what to do, because you know your situation better than we do. We’re just here to help keep you safe. We are not legal experts, but generally speaking if you leave without permission from guardians, they have the right to make a runaway report. Running away is not illegal, it’s a status offense. This just means that if a report is made, and the police find you, they just bring you back home. However, anyone that you stay with could potentially be charged for harboring a runaway. It sounds like your family is moving and you are not wanting to go with, which is understandable. Staying behind without their permission would still be considered running away, because you are not in their care.

If you would like talk, we’re here to listen. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us, our services are anonymous and confidential.

Best of luck,
NRS

[Unregistered]

ok thank you for your offer but what if i get there there permission somehow and if that dosint work is there a way that even if they do file a run away report that the police coudent do anything about it

[ccsmod0]

re: Im 16 and my parents want me to move with them to a diffrent state

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out again. You’re asking some good questions here. If you received permission from your guardian to move in with someone else, that would work. The reason that your guardian gets to decide where you live is because they are legally responsible for what happens to you until you turn 18. So if they gave you verbal permission to move in with this family, then your guardian would also be able to go back on that permission whenever they want.

If your guardian’s do file a runaway report, then it’s likely that the police will look for you and bring you back. Now, in some places in the United States (and maybe some cities or counties in Maine), the police will not return a 17 year old back home as long as the 17 year old is in a safe place. If you want to know if you live in a place like that, it might be a good idea to contact your local police department and ask them something like “How would you respond to a 17 year old who left home without their guardian’s permission? Would you take a runaway report? Would you bring the 17 year old back home?”.

We hope that this is a helpful start for you and begins to answer the questions that you have. It’s great that you’re thinking through all of these and trying to put together a solid plan. If you want any other support – just to talk, ask more questions, look for resources for support – please call or chat with us at any time. You can call us 24 hours a day at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or chat with us through our website (www.1800runaway.org) from 4.30pm-11.30pm central time.

We look forward to your call or chat.

Best of luck to you,

NRS

[Matt]

Questions on Moving out.

I am 16, I will be 17 in two months. I'm trying to move out. I have a place to stay. I have the school set up, and I'm already accepted and enrolled for next year. I have a job. Along with two fall back jobs for the summer. The issue is, emancipation, and my bank account. Both my parents are deceased, and I have a 70 year old guardian I've only known for two years..my parents left me with the social security checks which get deposited every month. I have to pay my guardian $800. A month, for "care." In which I have to be home at 8 or I get grounded; Regardless of vacation or not. I cannot get a car until I'm 18. I had to beg for my permit, in which she won't let me drive her car, At all. I had to find my own ride up to get it, then she said she would have it revoked because she didn't go up and do it. There's 4 people living here. Her son (36), Guardian (70), her grandson (15) and me. The grandson can go out and stay out however long he wants. The last weekend for example. He was going to go get drunk, so I made sure that he didn't get lost or anything like that. I understand its illegal but I can't tell him anything..so I ended up losing him and searched all around town for him. Two hours. Once I come home. I explain what happened and I was threatened to be kicked out. So the questions are; how do I go about getting emancipated?
How do I get ner name off of my bank account. (Norway savings bank)

[ccsmod0]

re: Questions on Moving out.

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out today and sharing a bit of your story with us. It sounds like you’re going through a lot right now and are trying to figure out your next steps. It’s great that you are reaching out and asking these questions. You obviously are smart and independent – look at all the things that you’ve done for yourself! We’re sorry to hear about your parents, that couldn’t have been an easy time. We’re here to support you through this, so let’s see how we can help you out.

It sounds like you’re a pretty responsible person. Getting emancipated in Maine means proving to the courts that you are able to care for yourself. That means that you have a job, are going to school, and are able to pay for an apartment and transportation. You mention that you have all these things already – which is a good sign. The first step to getting emancipated would be to contact a lawyer. One agency in Maine is Maine Lawyers Project at 207-774-4348.

In terms of your bank account, check out this link: http://www.norwaysavingsbank.com/resources_center/. We were chatting with someone at your bank earlier and he said that once you become emancipated, you would be able to take care of getting her name off your account without your guardian involved. But if you aren’t emancipated and under 18, then your guardian would have to be involved in that.

We hope that helps to clarify some things. If you have further questions or want to talk through anything else, please feel free to call us 24 hours a day at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929). Or chat with us through our website (www.1800runaway.org) from 4.30pm-11.30pm central time.

We look forward to your call or chat.

Best of luck to you,

NRS