Freelancer has been delaying completion of project for almost a year. Money is gone. No code to show

[0be59f4f]

I hired someone at the end of 2017 if memory serves me to develop a framework for a website that I had been wanting to setup for quite some time. The individual I hired understood the project very well and finished it within a few months. He deployed the projec to AWS and left the rest of it in his repo. At the time, I wasn't familiar with what a repo was and why it was necessary. Fast forward months and I hired him to do an update with a few additional forms on the site, nothing crazy. I believe this was September of 2018. It's now August of 2019 and I haven't had anything updated, I dont have access to the code, the AWS server that it was on no longer exists and I am out the money I spent to have this done.

He answers my emails regularly, he even engages me asking for this/that (SSL admin, updated forms, clarification on certain things), most of which are the items needed to close this out.

I have asked him repeatedly to push the code to my repo or to the new AWS server I setup for this. He continues to tell me that 'it's almost done, deploying Friday'. I've seen video of him using it natively on his computer and it looks/works as is. He even redid the front end of the interface to make it match the website... something I didnt' ask or pay him to do. Everything tells me he's almsot done, but due to where he lives (the country) and some person issues in his life, this is definitely not on his priority list. It's been two years since I initiated this contract with him and I have nothing to show for it. Its the same developer for both sprints... but since he took the site down on sprint 2, I have literally nothing. No code. No acitve website. Nothing. I would have to start over from scratch to get anything done. 

What are my options here? 

I'm in the US, hes in the middle east. 

[prestonhunter]

Why are you still working with the same project manager? She sounds like she's doing a terrible job.

You mistakenly thought that the problem was with the freelancer/developer you hired. He is not the main problem here. Your project manager is.

If you project manager was doing her job right, she would have kept this developer on task, or fired him 23 months ago.

[prestonhunter]

Approximately 20 to 25% of lead developers are capable of serving as their own project manager. Clearly your lead dev is not among these.

[kat303]

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Preston H wrote:

Why are you still working with the same project manager? She sounds like she's doing a terrible job.

You mistakenly thought that the problem was with the freelancer/developer you hired. He is not the main problem here. Your project manager is.

If you project manager was doing her job right, she would have kept this developer on task, or fired him 23 months ago.

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If you project manager was doing her job right, she would have kept this developer on task, or fired him 23 months ago.

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Preston, where in the OP's post does it say he hired a project manager? 

I see only 2 options for this client. Either continue to wait as it seems the job is almost done. But there's no guarantee that the freelancer will finish it or cut the client should hire another freelancer. If the client does that he should also hire a project manager, and specify in the job's description that the code is required. (because some freelancers will not supply the code or will charge extra for it. Also he shoudl make sure he has the code and everything is working correctly before releasing any funds. (and he should not be working  for 2 years on a project

[prestonhunter]

re: "where in the OP's post does it say he hired a project manager"

Nowhere in the post does he say he hired a project manager.

He should have.

All projects of this size have a project manager.

If he didn't hire an independent project manager, and if he didn't fulfill the role himself, then he left it to the lead dev, who completely failed to manage the project properly.

[AveryO]

Hi Clyde, 

I checked your account and I'm not sure what contract you are referring to, as there are no active contracts on your account. Is the freelancer you're referring to hired by by another team member? If so, you can share the Contract ID here so that I can look into this further for you.