First - and I can't stress this enough - don't do anything
to damage the website for any reason. You can get in
SERIOUS trouble for doing that*. You made a decision to
go into business with someone and it sounds as though you
did this without adequate legal protection. Ergo, you took
a big risk, so you'll just have to hope for the best. You
could also consult a business lawyer, if your pocketbook
stretches that far, but I'm not sure how much help one could
provide at this stage (though it would likely be educational
for you).
It's funny that I read this node today. I just got a letter from
the solicitors handling the liquidation of a company that I
did some work for last year. They owe me a fair amount of
money, but I knew that there was a risk involved when I
agree to do the work, and I decided that I could afford
to see how it would turn out. This is the key - be aware
of the risks that you are taking, and choose your path
accordingly. You should have something in writing before
you do anything for anyone. Beware of anyone who goes on
about "trust", for these types are often the most dishonest
of all. A truly honest, trustworthy person will always
agree to put his or her business deals in writing.
*A simplistic analogy to this might be the following situation: A
company hires a construction firm to build a building, which
is done and the company moves into it. If the construction
firm isn't paid they can't just come back and destroy the
building. It belongs to the company which owns the property.
Anyone who damages that property, no matter how "moral" or
"just" their reasons might be, would be a criminal.
