Posts by Nicholas Cruz7

Daniel Martinez9 said:Trust me, I’d love to be the optimist here and tell you, "Don't worry, you'll get your money back."
If they actually approve it, please post an update here so we all know (you never know)... though honestly, I think your odds of getting a refund are lower than your odds of hitting the Powerball.

Just wanted to drop an update: I finally got my scholarship refund back. 😁
The whole ordeal took three weeks of playing hot potato, running from one office to the next, and getting passed around like a football.

Finn claims they need proof that the funds were specifically a scholarship, then they tell me the bank has to file the formal dispute with them, so I have to coordinate with the bank to send it to the debt collector—once I jump through all those hoops, Finn just tells me, "Well, wait for the refund; we don't know how long it'll take, or if it'll even happen at all."
Then the debt collector sends it off to the law firm handling the case, basically telling me I'll pay off the full debt by the end of 2013, but there is absolutely no way they are touching any legally protected funds.
The issue is that they demand the bank handles the dispute instead of Finn, but when I go to the bank, they act like they have no clue what's going on, claiming, "We're just the tellers here."

The bank needs to identify exactly what every deposit is—since they're the ones who see the transactions while Finn just processes them automatically—so what's even the point of having protected income if it isn't actually protected when it hits your regular checking account?!

It took seven days for the faxed complaint from the bank to reach the law firm. Once I finally tracked down the debt collector again—I haven't had anything since August, not even my scholarship, let alone any actual means to live
(well, obviously I have ways to survive, but officially, I'm broke) —two days later, they notify me that the refund has been processed.

Meanwhile, the law firm was totally ghosting my emails for a week before that. Even after I told them repeatedly that I can't really do phone calls and need to communicate via email, they just ignored me, repeating the same old mantra, "Just call this number..." and treating people like they're idiots.
It’s a massive headache involving Finn (who still hasn't returned $77 their own fraudulent fees) and the bank too.
They’re just waiting for people to get exhausted and give up.

But hey, mission accomplished: I got the 🥳🙂money back.

quick update — I’ve officially filed formal complaints both through my bank and via the legal firm handling the collection on behalf of Goldman Sachs, and they’re actually telling me a refund is possible. So now, I'm just sitting here playing the waiting game while the process unfolds.

Daniel Martinez9 said:Abandon all hope... as they say...

(1) Under Section 204, Subsection 1 of this Law, if the debtor receives income or benefits under Section 172 or amounts exempt from garnishment under Section 173, the debtor is required to notify the Agency.

The law is written to put the debtor at a disadvantage... let’s be clear... you're supposed to open a protected account *before* the garnishment happens, notify the Federal Reserve about which income is exempt, and only then can you actually access it... if the funds accidentally land in a frozen account... well, kiss it goodbye.

To wrap this up... only brute force brings justice... hopefully it's clear where you stand in this situation....

It’s perfectly obvious to me that both the IRS and the bank saw clearly that these deposits were a SCHOLARSHIP—it literally says it next to every single transaction—but they went ahead and slapped the garnishment on them anyway. There was absolutely NO prior notice before my account was frozen; nothing arrived at my address, nothing at all. So, what's the plan here? We just don't bother notifying people about anything and instead just rob them blind?! Are they intentionally violating the law, acting like high-priced lawyers who count on the fact that an average person won't know their rights? And then they have the audacity to claim we can't get back what they stole from us?!

So, here's the deal: Verizon blocked my account back on August 19th, but since I wasn't even in the States at the time, I only just managed to get into my protected account yesterday. Can anyone walk me through the fastest way to get those two specific amounts back—specifically the September and October STIPENDS—which shouldn't have been subject to any seizure in the first place, yet they just grabbed them anyway. The bank is telling me this whole process could drag on for a month or more, assuming they even bother to return it at all. Who exactly am I supposed to reach out to at Verizon? And how do I go about getting back the extra fees taken from my stipend by FIFA (those collection costs)? Any advice would be appreciated.

Rachel Anderson36 said:So, what on earth are they even holding onto if it’s such a headache? Honestly, just change the last name and call it a day ☕ That’s what I’d do—and let’s be real, I’ve never been one to get all sentimental about "preserving the family legacy" or whatever ☕

And I guess you'll just happily foot the bill for everyone to update every single legal document and identity marker in existence, right? ☕ My issue isn't with the name itself; it's the sheer existence of human trash who thinks they have the right to mock someone over something as trivial as a name.

So, I end up moving to a different part of the country with a name that’s already incredibly rare here in the States, and what happens? People just start butchering it, turning my actual name into some weird shorthand for a random city. It’s honestly infuriating.

It could also be the case if we’re looking at a fibroadenoma

I’ve got a name that is genuinely out there; I think I’ve only ever run into four other women in all of America with this name—and I actually know two of them
but they all pronounce it differently than I do, using an 's' instead of a 'c'

It isn't the name itself that causes trauma, it’s just the idiots who feel the need to mock everyone else.

Maybe there’s a bit of that Eric Berne theory at play here—my parents probably didn't grasp the full context behind why they chose it, they likely just heard the "lite" version of the story,
but honestly, everything in my life has turned out to be more unconventional than anyone I’ve ever met anyway.

I used to absolutely loathe my name when I was a kid; back when I was around thirteen or fourteen, I seriously wanted to just walk away from it all. And then you have the morons who still ask me today, "Is that really your real name?"—no, it's actually the name of a skyscraper.

I just really hope he manages to pull it off, much like how they managed to win over Ella and Nina here

I don't really see it as a plot hole in Ana's story to suggest her relatives actually bought into what those "parents" were doing; honestly, I wouldn't even be questioning the school situation or her circle of friends right now
Everyone is just looking out for number one these days—just look at the Elizabeth Fritzl case

Kimberly Wood80. Corporations are inherently a necessary evil.

It’s all just smoke and mirrors being sold to the masses

If I were to read some headline about a celebrity—let's say someone like Kim Kardashian—visiting an orphanage, I wouldn't see a saint; honestly, I'd just see another hollow, vapid creature looking for a camera angle.
The whole point isn't the charity; it's about polishing her own public image. She can try to peddle that narrative to someone else, though I suppose there's always someone gullible enough to buy it.
Using the struggles of people who are actually less fortunate just to fuel some pathetic self-promotion is a joke, especially when that money could actually go toward helping those kids without needing a media circus to justify the donation.

There’s this theory floating around suggesting that whenever we help someone else, we’re essentially just helping ourselves, and that holds true in everyday life too—provided you aren't engaging in this kind of media prostitution.

It’s just fundamentally immoral. If someone actually wants to step up and help, they’ll do it quietly, without looking for a pat on the back or chasing a headline.

That said, if an organization is actually run by competent leaders—take a solid school district like Chicago Public Schools, for example—they’ll know how to channel resources where they belong, which is toward the kids, and you can bet they won't be caught taking kickbacks or playing those shady political games.

Once you’ve exhausted every single legal avenue available within the US court system—which, let’s be honest, usually takes a good few years of grinding through bureaucracy—you can finally take the matter to the International Court of Justice in Strasbourg.

The documentary about Anne’s "Why?" was featured in the bio at this year's Sundance

I wouldn't be surprised if there are plenty of similar situations happening right now, too

You really ought to look up the actual definitions of a sociopath versus a psychopath.
I’ve never bought into that whole "troubled family background" excuse, whether we’re talking about these types or even the worst kind of predators.
By the way, there was a particularly gruesome case out in Indianapolis recently involving someone setting a dog on fire while it was still alive.
It’s a slippery slope that starts with simple delinquency and ends with hardened criminals.
Honestly, there’s a bit of darkness lurking in everyone, and we only turn into monsters if we let that impulse take control.

just some pampered, delusional kid who’s never had to lift a finger because everything was handed to them on a silver platter, yet they still walk around acting like they own the place
they’re nothing but a walking collection of stereotypes and prejudices—racists and nationalists, too (seriously, grow up already!)
a complete and total lack of basic sophistication or culture
it’s like watching someone who’s twenty years old but mentally stuck at the level of a thirteen-year-old middle schooler—is there actually a developmental delay happening here?

A fresh start
moving to a bigger city, maybe somewhere like Chicago or Austin
meeting new people and building actual friendships
finding work and hobbies that actually matter—stuff that makes you feel useful instead of just busy
and then there's the whole thing about working on your self-esteem.
See, no therapist, no psychiatrist, and no high-priced counselor can teach you how to love yourself—especially if you haven't even figured out what that means yet—unless you make that choice for yourself first.
Once you hit that point, you won't really need to pay for psychological help anymore.
Also, just a heads-up: there are hidden sadists lurking on these forums, so just ignore them. Take post number 2, for instance.