Unlike 20 years ago, when a mediation – a commonly used route for resolving disputes in the construction claims process – was typically held close to the trial date, today the prospect of an early settlement can lead to the parties often seeking multiple mediation sessions over the course of a dispute. Additionally, construction and
Ensuring Your Construction Project Remains Insured
In too many cases, the developers, builders and designers of a construction project focus on starting work and pay inadequate attention to making sure important details of their insurance coverage are fully in place. Coverage denials can result from deferring to “standard” insurance forms, relying on informal broker assurances and not taking the time to
Dispute Resolution for Developers
The nearly 60 cranes towering over Seattle’s skyline may be a sign of the building boom in the city, but they also could portend a flood of construction claims arising from the projects they help build. Despite the frequency of construction claims, many developers are not familiar with the dispute resolution methods available to them
When Can You Rest Easy? A Primer on Statutes of Repose
A statute of repose provides an outside limit as to when construction claims can be brought and is intended to give contractors and design professionals a degree of certainty as to when the risk associated with claims on a particular project diminishes. In my latest article for the Daily Journal of Commerce, I give
Under California’s Right to Repair Act, Ignore Deadlines at Your Own Peril
In a very recent decision, the Fourth District Court of Appeal in Blanchette v. Superior Court affirmed the plain language of the Home Builder’s Right to Repair Act, holding that even a facially insufficient notice of defect triggers the obligation of a builder to respond within 14 days. The statute, Civil Code section 895 et.
A New Wrinkle In Time To Claim Construction Defects
Oregon’s law on statutes of limitation and/or repose periods on construction claims is complex and ever-changing. A recent Oregon Supreme Court ruling has introduced yet another instance of differing time limits on construction defect claims. In my recent article for the Daily Journal of Commerce, I discuss Schell v. The Schollander Companies, Inc. and