January 22, 2024 Update:

Finally handed over site and server credentials to Joseph without being paid for my work owing. This situation dragged out for too long and could no longer let it drag out any longer. Joseph has not responded at all after handing over site and server credentials. So I consider this situation ended at least on my end.

January 12, 2024 Update:

Webhosting bills for Applianceblog.com server are overdue again and most likely web host suspended server again. Unfortunately, Joseph has been unresponsive to my emails since November 23, 2023 where I emailed him and CC'd his lawyer explaining what I have done to keep the site and server running when no known family was found and web host was threaten server termination and outlined my fees owing for additional hourly work that were agree with Jake for all the hours I spent keeping the server online and finding family and relatives. Joseph's lawyer requested I CC him in on all emails so in November 23, 2023 email I stated to Joseph and his lawyer - all correspondance will be CC from that point forward. The email asked Joseph if he consented to CC'd credentials to his lawer as well as proof I sent the credentials and asked which email address does he want Paypal donations forwarded to and also whether or not the Discord seerver can be kept if I change the name and disable new signups. Unfortunately, Joseph has not addressed any of the 4 matters and never responded via email (CC'ing his lawyer). Since, then I've emailed Joseph and CC his lawyer on January 6th, 2024 and January 12th, 2024.

November 19, 2023 Update 2:

I did reply to Joseph's email stating handing over credentials without verification wasn't an option as to protect me from future legal liabilities from any future family claims + to protect the legal rightful heir. He finally replied with the proof! Screenshot of probate case number and his appointment as personal representative of Jake's estate, screenshot of cropped copy of death certificate and a general letter dated September 29 from his estate lawyer and funeral home certificate of completion. Something he could of done from the start and had this all settled months ago! I've now emailed his estate lawyer to confirm Joseph Winn's contact details as to where I would send the site credentials etc. But given how this has played out over the past few months, I am going to be seeking my own legal advice and lawyer. Just gutted that after working 12yrs for Jake on the server/site, that this is the final outcome

FYI, my eva2000 username on the forums has been banned so any communication coming from that user account on the forums won't be from me.

November 19, 2023 Update 1:

With sad news I received this email from Joseph Winn and have been banned from the forums for just requiring he verify his relationship with Edward/Jake before I hand over credentials and access:

I really don't appreciate anything you have done on behalf of my dad and his business. I have spoke with all the server and domain representatives about what is going on. You clearly have no idea what I am dealing with nor do you care with how you represent the outcome of the business or myself in handling the matter. Tell me how much you haven't been paid because I know it is not alot. I know what my dad has been paying you. My lawyer and I recommend you to redirect and send all the paypal donations to John's paypal account that you aquired for yourself. You are not entitled, you are in no position to tell me I have to prove my relationship with my dad for site credentials. You will be hearing from my lawyer soon.

And from the forums:

You have been banned for the following reason: You have over stepped your duties and boundaries for my dads blog and business. I recommend that you send all donations you have received on his behalf illegally back to his original paypal account every cent, as it is apart of his estate..
Background Summary:

To all Applianceblog.com visitors and community forum members, I have sad news to share regarding Jake, the site owner. I'll try to explain the situation below.

My name is George Liu from Brisbane, Australia. I have been working on Jake's server backend for this forum/blog site for over 12 years since July 14, 2011! You can find me on the forum under the username eva2000. For all these years, Jake hired me to ensure the site's servers ran smoothly with every backend server system responsible for Applianceblog.com running online being set up and configured by me.

The applianceblog.com web host, Hivelocity, was on the verge of terminating Jake's server due to a unpaid bill. The recent forum downtime was a result of the web host's decision to suspend the server until the outstanding hosting bill was settled. It's uncharacteristic of Jake to neglect the server bills, which prompted my concern. I made every effort to reach Jake through various means - email, phone, and even by sending a USPS Certified Mail letter to his last known address. Fortunately, I possess a subaccount with Hivelocity.net and managed to persuade them to temporarily halt server termination while I attempt to contact Jake or his family to address the hosting bill. Unfortunately, the web host has a deadline of September 1, 2023 at which time, the server will be terminated. Update: August 30, 2023 - luckily Jake's family reached out to me and has already paid the overdue bill which was for August 2023's web hosting cost only. Once I can verify Jake's family, then I can provide access and look at restoring the site, blog and forums. Please bear with me while this happens. I have also provided an update in the Discord channel https://discord.gg/NBBtw8qx2d and will continue to update folks in the Discord channel.

During my endeavors to locate Jake or his family, I discovered saddening news:

  1. Sadly, I found an obituary suggesting that Jake may have passed away on June 24, 2023. https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/parker-az/edward-lucier-11366451. Jake Lucier's full legal name is Edward John Lucier Jr, though he occasionally went by John Lucier. This explains why Jake hadn't paid his web hosting bill. I have reached out to the funeral home in hopes of contacting Jake's family to confirm this tragic news. As of now, there's been no response from either the funeral home or Jake's family. Update: August 30, 2023 - As part of the verification process, I've asked Jake's family to authorise the funneral home to reply to my prior email I sent them confirming that the obituary is Jake. The family has though confirmed that the obituary is Jake :(
  2. The USPS Certified Mail letter I sent out around August 14, 2023 and as of August 25, 2023 (USA GMT-7) is still in transit to it's destination due to delays. Hopefully, Jake's family will reach out to me. I haven't given up search for contact with Jake's family.

If anyone is in touch with Jake's family or knows a way to reach them, your assistance would be invaluable.

Current Actions:

Given the uncertainty surrounding the site's future:

  1. I've temporarily updated Applianceblog.com domain's DNS to point to a different server that I control so that visitors and forum members can read this message and know what is going on. Update: August 30, 2023 - Once I verify Jake's family info, I will restore the site, blog and forum.
  2. I've also registered a domain name at Applianceblog.repair and hosted this page's information at https://applianceblog.repair/info as I don't know how much time I have control over Applianceblog.com domain.
  3. I've created an Appliance Blog Discord server for everyone to join and discuss the ongoing situation with me. You can access it https://discord.gg/NBBtw8qx2d. The server features a general channel for all Applianceblog site visitors and forum members, as well as a private channel exclusively for forum staff.
Technical Details and Further Thoughts:
  1. Hosting Situation: The recent forum downtime was a direct consequence of Hivelocity suspending the server due to overdue bill. Eventually, without payment for overdue bill by September 1, 2023, the web host will terminate the hosting for Applianceblog.com. Without any further intervention by me, the site and domain will inevitably become permanently inaccessible. Throughout our 12-year working relationship, Jake entrusted me with the responsibility of setting up and optimizing his Hivelocity.net server that powers the websites. I have a standing monthly contract with him, backed by an automatic payment system, to ensure consistent updates and maintenance of his server at the end of every month. I was also the person who managed the migration of his site to Hivelocity.net from its previous host, Wiredtree, back in 2017 and I was the one who initially set up and migrated his site to Wiredtree in 2011. Knowing the amount of work Jake put into the site for nearly 20yrs, the potential termination of the site is deeply concerning to me. I run my own sites and forum and fully know how much work goes into what Jake has built.
  2. Domain Concerns: The primary domain, applianceblog.com, is set to expire in August 2024. Additionally, Jake owns applianceblog.net and applianceblog.org, both of which are set to expire even earlier, in April 2024. While I do have control over the domain's third-party DNS provider, DNSMadeEasy which tells which IP address and web host a domain should point to, that access only lasts until November 2023 this year. So when DNSMadeEasy access expires in November 2023 this year or applianceblog.com domain expires August 2024 next year, that would render any access and control I have over DNS management and domain name useless. The only way to properly ensure continued domain ownership and online operation would be for Jake's family to provide an official death certificate and possibly business ID documentation to GoDaddy, enabling the their access or transfer of domain ownership GoDaddy Transfer Details.
  3. Possible Solutions:
    • Direct Control: I could assume the overdue costs and operating/licensing costs and take control of the domains and hosting. However, this has potential legal ramifications and doesn't guarantee the survival of the applianceblog.com, .net, and .org domains past their expiry dates in 2024 or past the earlier DNSMadeEasy account expiration of November 2023 this year. Once DMSMadeEasy DNS service expires, the applianceblog.com/.net/.org domains will no longer function in pointing visitors to the instructed web host IP addresses.
    • Migration: I could assume the overdue costs and operating/licensing costs and take control of the domains and hosting and migrate the site's domain and data to a new domain name that I fully control at https://applianceblog.repair/. This would ensure the site's survival, but the original domains would still be at risk. I would try my best to re-acquire the applianceblog.com/.net/.org domains after they have expired and if possible restore applianceblog.com/.net/.org domains once re-acquired.
    • Legal Considerations: Both options come with potential legal challenges and costs, especially if Jake's family wishes to reclaim ownership and thus the fate of the site will be determined by his family's wishes - if they have any desire to assume ownership and take over running the site and its operating costs.
  4. Financial Considerations: With Jake passing away, the costs associated with running the site, including domain and licensing fees, are currently unpaid and there is an existing Hivelocity overdue bill preventing the site from coming back online properly. Absorbing these costs long-term might be unsustainable for me. I would need to introduce advertising on the site and reach out to existing advertisers to secure funds for the site's operations. Additionally, handling forum paid member upgrades is a concern, as payments currently go to Jake's PayPal account Update: August 30, 2023 Once, I verify Jake's family info and they take over the site, the family will incur additional costs in operating the site. I will discuss the options available to his family and hope his community would be able to help with this in some form.
  5. Community's Role:
    • Contacting Jake's Family: If any forum member knows Jake's family or any alternate contacts, it's essential to get in touch as soon as possible via Discord channel https://discord.gg/NBBtw8qx2d.
    • Legal Guidance: If you have legal expertise or know someone who can offer advice, especially concerning digital assets and online communities, your assistance would be invaluable.
    • Paypal Donation Button: I've setup a Paypal donation button just in case, me taking over the site's running costs etc is an option. The donations would also go towards any costs for me to find and get into contact with Jake's family. Update: August 30, 2023 Once I confirm Jake's family info, they may be taking over the costs of running the site and forums. So I wouldn't need to take on that responsibility. So Paypal donations to me won't be necessary. Once Jake's family is verified, I intend to refund the Paypal donations made to me. Some folks have said they are happy with me keeping the donations as a guesture of thanks. If you do donate, please add that note to the donation.