Paycheck delayed several months. How can I get paid from abroad?

**Cannol** · 07-24-2010 09:48 AM

Hi! I'm from Russia, not US resident.

I worked as a Software Developer in american IT company from summer 2008 till the end of 2009, the company is registered in California, USA.
All employees worked remotely from different countries, via Internet.
From the beginning of 2009 company got into financial problems and everybody who worked there was asked to be patient and to increase production. Delays in salary payments became the norm. At the end of 2009 the problems escalated and all but one of the developers had no option but to look for work that would be paid. I was one of the developers that could not afford to work for that company anymore. We left the product unfinished and as far as I know the code I created is sold as I left it on my departure. While working on that project I (and the people around me) were very proud of the product and we feel sorry it ended up in the state it was released in.
At this moment they owe me several months of payment and although they made many promises the invoices remain unpaid while they keep selling the product. In a last attempt to get the money owed to me I informed the company management that I would launch any actions which they could dislike. They choose not to respond to that, most likely because they are unable to pay the developers and because the facts are irrefutable.

Only legal options remain, but doing so in US court is complex and I simply do not have the resources to do so in the meantime. It's very expensive to get to America from world's end. So I'm looking for any possibility to bring an action remotely, from Russia against american company.

Thank you,
Baylan.

P.S. I have a written official "Promisory note" paper from company, with sum of debt. As they promise in that paper, the amount shall be paid to me "no later than within 30 days of the market release of company's next product" (product is named). I already don't think it can be released in this century, I cannot wait anymore.