Where do i stand with this, i started a website with someone who has paid for the hosting (or not as the acount has been suspended) weve both paid 50/50 on advertising and i paid for the domainy. Ive tried to get in contact with him and hes ignored me countless times on msn after only once saying hes trying to sort it a week or so ago. The domain is in my name and i have a copy of our custom skin and database. Where do i stand? Can i sell the site and send him half or can i not sell it without his permission? At the minute i cant run the site with what other things i have going on and it seems a waste to let it expire when the site is worth $xxx
The ethical thing to do in a 50/50 partnership is to come to agreement with him as to how to proceed since neither of you have controlling interest in the website. That is one reason why it is usually best to not have a 50/50 partnership in businesses because these type of situations do arise. 51/49 is always better so that decisions can be made. By the way, just because the domain is in your name and you have control of the database and skins, does not mean that you can legally do something without your partner's consent. He can always take you to court for damages for doing so (e.g., he can claim that had you waited to sell it, you could have gotten more money, etc.) Of course, he would then need documentation of some sort that he is a bona fide 50/50 partner, etc., but it could happen if the site is worth enough.
Of course, the likeliness of his partner taking him to court over a $xxx site when he won't reply to his contact attempts is very slim.
Im not like that i have no problem giving him 50%. The problem is i can only try to contact him so many times then the domain expires. Im not bothered about $5-10 for the domain the thing is i dont want to be doing all of the work for the next 6 months then when its bigger and worth more seing him take 50%. Like you said of a $500 site nothing will happen as even if i sold it who can prove that if we would have kept hold of it we would have done the same things and the site would have gone up in value. I just dont know if i can do it or not and i wouldnt want to sell a site to someone that could cause a problem for myself the other owner and the next owner. But on the other hand there is no point in us having a dead site as it will only lose value
Do you have a written & signed agreement? that both of you retain a copy? If not then you are the sole owner. As a verbal contract is usless
You should, at least, be able to sell your half of the site. Just send him a notification stating that you are giving up your 50% of the site to Mr(s). X. Then Mr(s). X can negotiate the other half with him personally.
contempx there will be msn messages somewhere i would imagine, i know i kept mine but even so im not like that at all, i wouldnt want to be ripped off so i wouldnt do it to someone else, and i doubt ver much someone would want to buy half a site where the other person is putting no work in.
I find it hard to believe that anyone would buy a 50% share in a website without knowing and/or having an understanding in advance with the other partner.