What is the name of your state? Florida
I own a small internet based business and have purchased a domain name through NSI. I hired a website designer and asked for a contract to keep us both honest, but he said that he didn't require one. Also, the designer did not require a downpayment, nor did he inform me of payment terms at the onset of our business relationship. He simply stated that he expected the site to cost not more than $1,400.00.
After much delay, about two months, he finally got the site up and running the Friday before Memorial Day. During that two plus months it took him to design my very basic site, I paid him two payments totalling $750.00, through Pay Pal. The same day the site went live (May 23), the designer sent me a PayPal invoice (not a detailed invoice) for $650.00. He has never sent a formal detailed invoice. During the Memorial Day weekend, I received a total of 5 Pay Pal invoices from the website designer. I contacted him on 5/27 and informed him that his bill was in line for payment and that, as with my other vendors, the turnaround time for payment is 30 days. I had previously informed him of this, and he said he did not have a problem with it. The invoice is slated to be paid on the 20th.
Today I received an e-mail stating that he has taken down my website for non-payment. After attempting to reason with him, his "bottom line" was to re-send the Pay Pal invoice and state that he will "upload the files" as soon as the invoice is paid.
Is it lawful for him to hold my website hostage in this manner? Is there any written references where I can find this information, maybe the Florida Statutes? I do have some legal background, but definitely none in this type of law.
Thank you so much to anyone who can help me out with this.
Staci
I own a small internet based business and have purchased a domain name through NSI. I hired a website designer and asked for a contract to keep us both honest, but he said that he didn't require one. Also, the designer did not require a downpayment, nor did he inform me of payment terms at the onset of our business relationship. He simply stated that he expected the site to cost not more than $1,400.00.
After much delay, about two months, he finally got the site up and running the Friday before Memorial Day. During that two plus months it took him to design my very basic site, I paid him two payments totalling $750.00, through Pay Pal. The same day the site went live (May 23), the designer sent me a PayPal invoice (not a detailed invoice) for $650.00. He has never sent a formal detailed invoice. During the Memorial Day weekend, I received a total of 5 Pay Pal invoices from the website designer. I contacted him on 5/27 and informed him that his bill was in line for payment and that, as with my other vendors, the turnaround time for payment is 30 days. I had previously informed him of this, and he said he did not have a problem with it. The invoice is slated to be paid on the 20th.
Today I received an e-mail stating that he has taken down my website for non-payment. After attempting to reason with him, his "bottom line" was to re-send the Pay Pal invoice and state that he will "upload the files" as soon as the invoice is paid.
Is it lawful for him to hold my website hostage in this manner? Is there any written references where I can find this information, maybe the Florida Statutes? I do have some legal background, but definitely none in this type of law.
Thank you so much to anyone who can help me out with this.
Staci