Subcontractor default is a construction project nightmare that can result in significant additional costs and delay completion of the project. But there are two chief options to protect against such risks — performance bonds and subcontractor default insurance. In my recent article for the Daily Journal of Commerce, I outline the unique characteristics of each … Continue Reading
There are inherent risks in proceeding to trial by jury. Juries are often unpredictable, and civil litigation also requires extensive discovery and motions practice, which can delay resolution and increase uncertainty and costs. Arbitration has long been accepted as the answer to these problems. But the changing nature of disputes, increasing costs and inefficiencies have … Continue Reading
In the haste to get design and construction moving on real estate projects, one may lose sight of important lien priority issues when negotiating and executing contracts. In my recent article for the Daily Journal of Commerce, I discuss a notable Washington appellate case that addresses a lien priority issue in the context of multiple … Continue Reading
Complex construction projects carry complex problems as they approach completion. In my recent article for the Daily Journal of Commerce, I address 10 potential pitfalls that owners, contractors and design professionals may encounter, and I offer tips to help you prepare for them. Read the full article here. “Finishing Strong vs. Finishing Wrong: Tips & … Continue Reading
In my latest Daily Journal of Commerce Construction column, I discuss Oregon’s Employer’s Liability Law or the ELL, workers’ compensation and why the Oregon legislature should take another look at these piecemeal laws. As it stands, the party with the greatest culpability may not pay anything for the injuries they cause. Read the full article here. … Continue Reading
The apartment business is booming right now. Unfortunately, construction defects persist as well, particularly in garden-style and wood-framed construction. Most developers are savvy enough to maintain a good insurance program, but many do not understand (until too late) that the policies they bought may not cover the risk of construction defects. As an owner-developer, neither your property … Continue Reading
In a recent case, Donatelli v. D.R. Strong Consulting Engineers, Inc., 312 P.3d 620 (Wash. 2013), a sharply divided 5-4 opinion by the Washington Supreme Court provides further evidence that the line between Washington’s “economic loss” rule and “independent duty” doctrine remains quite blurred. The case arose out of an agreement between property owners, the … Continue Reading
The Oregon Supreme Court will review two recent Court of Appeals decisions related to statutes of limitation and repose on construction projects. In the first case, Sunset Presbyterian Church v. Brockamp & Jaeger, Inc., the Oregon Supreme Court will address the following questions: (1) When the construction contract includes an accrual provision, is the statute … Continue Reading
On September 26 and 27, 2013, The Seminar Group will present its 18th Annual Oregon Construction Law seminar in Portland, Oregon. I will be speaking about Integrated Project Delivery, which is an emerging project delivery method emphasizing collaboration among project participants. Three of my partners also will be presenting: Guy Randles, program co-chair, will speak … Continue Reading
The Oregon Court of Appeals recently applied the so-called “economic loss rule” to a construction dispute (Marton v. Ater Construction Co., 256 Or App 554, __ P3d __ (2013)). Among other issues, the court decided whether the prime contractor’s negligence claim against its subcontractor was barred under the economic loss rule. Under the court-made economic … Continue Reading
Can parties waive both the commencement and length of the statutory limitation periods for construction defect actions? Yes, answered the Fourth Appellate District, by allowing the parties to contractually preclude the application of the “delayed discovery” rule that normally triggers the commencement of the limitation time period and affirming case law permitting the shortening of … Continue Reading
A 2013 decision from New York reminds us that threats can be costly. In Mometal Structures, Inc. v. T.A. Ahern Contractors Corp., from the Eastern District of New York, Mometal was hired by Ahern as structural steel subcontractor. The project was delayed for reasons that were not Mometal’s fault. Mometal tried to get the information and approvals it … Continue Reading
Yet another California court decision has been issued requiring a contractor to return over $750,000 received for work he performed on a casino while he was unlicensed. In rejecting the contractor’s arguments against disgorgement, the court found that (a) California Business and Professions Code § 7031’s penalties applied to work performed for tribal corporations and on … Continue Reading
In my latest Daily Journal of Commerce Construction column, I discuss the issue of whether a contractor may sue a lender. This occasionally arises when a project’s owner runs into trouble and the construction lender stops funding. The argument that is occasionally advanced is that the lender knew the contractor had started work and, if … Continue Reading
Any construction litigation party faced with responding to California’s standard form interrogatories is all too familiar with the confusing use of the undefined term “incident” and the largely inapplicable “personal injury” interrogatories in a construction case. Similarly, any construction litigator dealing with the standard form interrogatories has felt the burden of sifting through the plethora of … Continue Reading
Following the market crash in 2008-09, the $2.8 billion Fontainebleau development in Las Vegas was halted with 70 percent of the construction completed. Naturally, numerous mechanic’s liens were filed by contractors, subcontractors, professionals and suppliers ("claimants"). In the bankruptcy proceeding, the lenders asserted novel and potentially legally destabilizing theories against the claimants’ rights: a.) the … Continue Reading
Litigation can be one of the most time-consuming and expensive ways to resolve disputes in the construction industry. Often, parties to construction-related disputes prefer to resolve them through alternate dispute resolution procedures, such as mediation or arbitration. However, sometimes litigation cannot be avoided. In his latest article in the Daily Journal of Commerce, Guy Randles … Continue Reading
In my recent article “You Can’t Make This Stuff Up: The Human Condition Meets Construction Law,” published in the Daily Journal of Commerce, I outline the bizarre, seemingly impossible litigation matters of the Construction and Design business. The article touches on a variety of past cases, including an employee stabbing himself in the eye during … Continue Reading
In a recent national webinar by the Strafford Publication Group, I spoke about the key challenges facing plaintiffs in construction defect cases, including initial case evaluation, discovery issues, expert issues and allocating damages among multiple defendants. My co-presenters from two firms in Dallas, Texas followed my presentation with the key challenges facing defendants. The slides … Continue Reading
A recent Utah Supreme Court decision could result in significant benefits to some policyholders in Utah’s construction industry. The case, Ohio Casualty Insurance Co. v. Unigard Insurance Co., 2012 UT 1, concerned a fight between two insurers about how to split the costs of defending a lawsuit brought against their policyholder, Cloud Nine. For policyholders, the most … Continue Reading
There are now 25 states in the U.S. that hold that construction defects are not an “occurrence” and are therefore not covered under commercial general liability policies insuring contractors. Couple this troubling statistic with the ever increasing number of policy exclusions and limitations, and we begin to realize that in many situations the contractor’s insurance … Continue Reading
Before using AIA forms or any other agreement to begin a project, owners should review and revise those forms to ensure that they contain appropriate provisions governing dispute resolution. Otherwise, you may be stuck suing different parties in different forums for the same set of construction and design defects, you may be unable to recover the … Continue Reading
Last month the Oregon Supreme Court heard oral argument in Abraham v. T. Henry Construction, Inc., a residential construction defect case. Shortly after the Oregon Court of Appeals published its opinion in September 2009, Ahead of Schedule authors Eric Grasberger (“Negligence Claims Take Another Twist in Oregon” and Kip Childs (“Oregon Court of Appeals Provides Clarification … Continue Reading
