Website Disputes are common and its important to keep the communication channels open and pay for services as the follow example conversation demonstrates
[New Website Owner] We are helping a company with a domain registered with you. The owner of the company gave up the company and now I am trying to gain access to various parts of their web presence; e-mail, DNS, website. Since the owner moved on the existing Webmaster has locked the company out of their e-mail and DNS, and is asking for unpaid bills to be paid before he provides access.
The domain name is in email title and the original technical/administration contact was myself – I am wondering how you can help us regain control of the zone? We paid for the renewals of the domains for the past few years and we still have access to his e-mail account so any communication can come through that account – unless the old Webmaster starts changing passwords again.
We are a dive centre in Thailand and we are able to provide details of ownership of the domain, and I would think you can check your records to see that changes have recently been changed by the Webmaster – we have asked him to provide copies of e-mails relating to the outstanding invoices, which he has been unable to do as yet.
[Webmaster] They have been disputing the outstanding invoices but we have provided them with details of all work done and the final invoice recently.
[Hosting Company] If the outstanding invoices are NOT related specifically to the domain name renewal, then you have no choice but to transfer ownership of the domain name back to the company. It is a breach of ICANN regulations to hold a domain name hostage against payment of outstanding amounts not directly related to the actual domain registration.
[Webmaster] They are directly related to website design, Seo and domain hosting / maintenance and renewals, they have been messing us around for ages now and just wish they would settle their invoice and would be happy to move on with this one. We had agreements in place regarding this work and the payments.