Domain Abandoned

[DieselPower]

I am the new web admin of an open source project that has been semi-dead for several years. The original owner of the project seems to have died, but the domain name has been renewed several times since. We applied for transfer of the project on sourceforge successfully about 18 months ago, and have everything but the domain name. I am wanting to move the website from the shared hosting solution we have now, to a dedicated server, but I need need to change the namservers.

So how do I go about reclaiming an abandond domain name that seems to be hooked to a valid credit card still?

About the only thing I can do to prove "we" own the domain project is add a special page, file, or code to the website. and that all contact info in the whois database is no longer legit. Mail get returned as undeliverable, phone has been disconnected, and all 3 email addresses are undeliverable.

Are there any mechanisms for resolving a situation like this?

Thanks,

Lawrence

[kaled]

Email the registrar, tell them you have inherited the domain name and are currently administering the site but that you are unable to update the account information since you don't have the login details.

Avoid too much detail. Sometimes the more information you give the more likely people are to get the wrong end of the stick.

Also, avoid using an anonymous email address - that might ring alarm bells. If you have access to the email address that they have on record, they may simply send you the login details.

Kaled.

[mike031]

not really.....

looks like you are in a dead end, my friend

unless you take this up with the courts :)

[bwnbwn]

do the whois info on it who's email does it go to who is the owner email address and technicial email address.

You can't do a thing until you can get an email to show proof of ownnership, as the previous owner just may have sold the domain name to another or whis wife or child sold the domain name.

First place to start is getting an email address owner contacted.

[wheel]

It's not quite clear - but if you have access to the current hosting solution, then you likely have access to the email accounts/addresses - which means you can have the registrar resend the user/password combo for the domain and away you go.

That's completely wrong and probably illegal, but if you've got control of the email, then it's technically possible. If you don't have control of the email addresses then you either have to social engineer the registrar as noted above (also probably wrong and illegal) or take it offline.

[DieselPower]

OK, We might be getting somewhere here!

The email was at a dynamic domain (now expired) at #*$!.example.com. I successfully set up the dynamic domain and email, so now I have the email address registered in the whois database. I am going to request a username/password from the registrar. Question, Should I use "We forgot the username/password" or "I forgot the username/password"? I'm leaning towards the latter.

All you guys help is very appreciated!

Thanks!

Lawrence

[edited by: DieselPower at 1:11 am (utc) on Dec. 31, 2008]

[edited by: Webwork at 1:58 pm (utc) on Dec. 31, 2008]
[edit reason] Per Charter please use Example.com instead of actual website names [/edit]

[bwnbwn]

DieselPower all I can say is you one lucky camper to be able to do this as I am sure this doesn't happen often and most likely not quite legal.

The domain your trying to get make sure the ownership hasn't changed hands as I can see if it were me I would be very careful and go through a lawyer before I went through with changing the owndership names.

To answer your question fist reguest the user name then request the password change or password sent to you.

BUT as I said consult a lawyer before you get to deep in this as it isn't quite legal they way your going about it.