contract-law employment workplace work-for-hire
I want to terminate my contract as an independent contractor
<p>I'm in the US, California, and I entered into an independent contractor agreement while I was in college with this rich kid (trust fund kid) who was paying a low wage for my background to have me develop an app for him (and his DE C-corp). He hired me while I was an international student, which I recently realized is against the rules of my student visa and I believe illegal for him to have done. </p>

<p>In between me graduating and stuff, I got a proper job that pays well, and I had less incentive and time to work on his company. I did finish a good 80% of the work he wanted - but then every week he'd pile on new ideas and features and I stopped trying. I don't have time anymore.</p>

<p>Now, it's been a little over a year and I still haven't finished his work - he's pretty annoyed, and bugs me every few days to give him updates. I just don't have the time to work on it. </p>

<p>Because of my relative unresponsiveness, he's also stopped paying me and has annoyed me to do some work in between - there is a $2,500 balance remaining, which is fine - but he is asking me to do more work again and again, and he says he will pay the remaining amount after I do all this work. </p>

<p>I don't want the remaining money - I just want to drop out of this contract with minimal reprucssions. He has paid me something like $13,000 over the year though to get to that 80% point. There is a 30 day notice period - I'm allowed to give in writing 30 days prior to terminate the contract - and I, in good faith, found a foreign developer to handle the remaining work. I wrote a letter informing 30 days notice, but I haven't sent it to him because I'm a little worried - he's rich and has lawyers on his payroll and I'm not <em>that</em> well off - if he decides to vindictively take me to court or something that isn't something I want to have happen. </p>

<p>The contract states that it was my job to "further the backend development of technology the company already owns" - which I believe I did. </p>

<p>Any advice? It's okay if it's half-baked - I just want to take it into consideration!</p>
