Who's libel?

[PlayingGames]

What is the name of your state? Florida
My husband is in practice with his father and brother. The problem is I have been receiving letters (on their office letterhead) for almost 2 years now. The letters are hurtful and mean. When the letters were brought up to his family, they dismissed them and nothing has ever been done to try to stop these letters. From things written in the letters, my husband and I think we know who from the office is sending them, but can't prove it. What legally can I do and who can be held libel for these letters? Is it the practice, since they are written on letterhead or can nothing be done?What is the name of your state?

 

[panzertanker]

What is the name of your state? Florida
My husband is in practice with his father and brother. The problem is I have been receiving letters (on their office letterhead) for almost 2 years now. The letters are hurtful and mean. When the letters were brought up to his family, they dismissed them and nothing has ever been done to try to stop these letters. From things written in the letters, my husband and I think we know who from the office is sending them, but can't prove it. What legally can I do and who can be held libel for these letters? Is it the practice, since they are written on letterhead or can nothing be done?What is the name of your state?

Lock up the letterhead so at least the letters don't have office heading...

 

[Ohreallynow?]

This is not really legal advice, but I don't know why my first gut feeling was that I would be looking askance at my spouse first.


Legally, what are your damages. When you ask who could be held libel, what do you mean?

 

[PlayingGames]

reply

My husband and I think it's the office manager writing the letters, so locking up the letterhead wouldn't do any go, since she is the one who orders it. As for who could be held libel, I'm so tried of receiving these letters, knowing their from my husband's office. The office or someone there has to be held responsible for them or at least try to find the sender and to try to get them to stop. Since the family is dismissing the issue, I'm wanting to take them to the authorities and see what can be done.

 

[tylersmom]

What do the letters say? Why does he suspect the office manager? Has he confronted her?

 

[ENASNI]

Why is the office manager still employed? Ohhhhhh, because then the letters will come from a different letterhead, huh.

What is the content? naaah, I don't want to know. I just want to know what the harm is, don't open the dang things.

 

[fairisfair]

Why is the office manager still employed? Ohhhhhh, because then the letters will come from a different letterhead, huh.

What is the content? naaah, I don't want to know. I just want to know what the harm is, don't open the dang things.

Yes, the words "refused - return to sender" come to mind. That may stop who ever is sending them dead in their tracks, when they start showing back up at work!

 

[Quaere]

I know someone who makes a practice of taking company letterhead with her whenever she leaves a job.

It does not have to be a current employee who is sending these letters.

To answer your original question, if the person is talking about you, to YOU, there is nothing defamatory about that.

How bad do you want to identify the culprit? If it is a current employee, a graphologist would be able to find your pen pal (I know the letters you are getting are not handwritten).

 

[PlayingGames]

No the letters are not handwritten. The office manager has said things to my husband and then written the same infomation in the letters. We just know it's her. We have thought about "return to sender". It's just a difficult matter. Isn't the practice responsible for their employees? How do I make someone responsible and try to get these stopped? Thanks for all you help and suggestions.

 

[tylersmom]

Isn't it a family practice? If she has said the same things to your husband that she is writing, then why hasn't he fired her?

 

[panzertanker]

Isn't it a family practice? If she has said the same things to your husband that she is writing, then why hasn't he fired her?

B/C that is WAY too obvious of a solution....

 

[tylersmom]

B/C that is WAY too obvious of a solution....

I was thinking the same thing. After 2 years of that, I'd have come up with a good reason to fire her if I couldn't prove she was the sender.

I'm VERY curious as to what the letters say and why the husband hasn't taken action.

 

[cbg]

And no, the employer is not responsible for what she does in this kind of situation.

 

[tylersmom]

And no, the employer is not responsible for what she does in this kind of situation.

Even if the employer is responsible, isn't the employer her husband and his family? Was s she going to try and sue them?

There's a simple solution, I just don't know why nobody has done it yet.

 

[Quaere]

I KNOW the letters are not handwritten. I was telling you that if you were willing to pay a graphologist to investigate the employees, the graphologist would be able to tell you who is doing this. It has nothing to do with whether or not the letters were handwritten.

What about fingerprints? You don't know a single cop who would take the prints off the letters for you and compare them to the suspects prints? What about checking out the suspect's hard drive?

I think the real game playing here is on us. There are several easy solutions to this and even if you lacked the intelligence/experience to think of them, surely your atty. hubby would be aware of them. ::shrug::