Key Lease Work Letter Issues When the Landlord Is Doing the Work
Law Brief®: David Pfeffer and Richard Schoenstein Discuss the Legal Implications of Infrastructure Collapses
Contractual Notice Requirements: Do You Really Need Them?
Construction Defects: Lessons Learned
California Court of Appeal Opens Doors for Construction Defect Claims Outside of the Right to Repair Act
Construction law cases can involve a broad variety of issues, including breach of contract claims, construction delays, structural deficiencies/construction defect claims, environmental issues, and regulatory claims, among...more
Construction projects are often complex endeavors involving multiple parties, intricate contracts, and significant investments. Despite meticulous planning, disputes can arise, posing challenges that require legal expertise...more
While it may seem evident that household members and subsequent purchasers bringing a construction defect claim are bound by the arbitration provision contained in the purchase and sale contract for the home, that was not the...more
How final is a final arbitration award? In Escapes! To the Shores Condominium Association, Inc., et al. v. Hoar Construction, LLC, and Architectural Surfaces, Inc., the plaintiff condo association argued that an arbitration...more
A novel question arose over the past few years in residential construction law as to whether minors were subject to the contractual provisions in their parents’ purchase or construction contract. The contract typically has a...more
In July 2022, the Supreme Court of New Jersey issued an opinion, Crystal Point Condominium Association, Inc. v. Kinsale Insurance Co., which considered whether (1) a condominium association that had obtained default judgments...more
In Cont’l Homes of Tex., L.P. v. Perez, No. 04-21-00396-CV, 2022 Tex. App. LEXIS 7691, the Court of Appeals of Texas (Appellate Court) considered whether the lower court erred in refusing to enforce an arbitration clause in a...more
There has been a growing trend of states enacting legislation making general contractors jointly and severally liable for the wages, benefits and supplements owed by project subcontractors to that subcontractor’s workers. ...more
On December 8, 2020, in Taylor Morrison of Texas, Inc. v. Kohlmeyer, a Texas Court of Appeals rejected a contractor’s appeal of a trial court order denying the contractor’s motion to compel arbitration in a home construction...more
Pennsylvania law suggests construction defects generally are not considered an "occurrence" under most CGL insurance policies because defects are not true accidents, e.g., a fortuitous event. However, an exception generally...more
Most private construction contracts contain binding arbitration clauses and apply the “law of the state where the project is located.” While arbitration is less formal than court/litigation, legal defenses are often raised,...more
Satterfield & Pontikes Constr., Inc. v. United States Fire Ins. Co., 2018 U.S. App. LEXIS 21488 (5th Cir. Aug. 2, 2018) - This case arises out of an excess insurance provider’s refusal to cover damages incurred by the...more
Girolametti v. Michael Horton Assoc., 2017 Conn. App. Lexis 228 (June 6, 2017) - A General Contractor brought claims for unpaid added work, via mandatory arbitration, against a building owner who asserted defective work...more
On June 5, 2017, the Colorado Supreme Court gave developers and contractors another reason to consider jumping back into the condominium construction market. By upholding the Colorado Court of Appeals decision in the Vallagio...more
On May 23, 2017, Governor Hickenlooper signed House Bill 17-1279 (“HB 1279”) into law, which applies to all construction defect actions filed on or after that date. With the adjournment of the 2017 Colorado General Assembly...more
The Colorado General Assembly is heading towards the conclusion of this year’s legislative session. Although one construction defect bill, House Bill 1279, passed the House and is expected to pass the Senate, most bills have...more
A federal court has rejected the attempt of the losing party in an arbitration to engage in discovery regarding the potential bias of the arbitrator, finding that it had no jurisdiction over the matter because it did not...more
Welcome to the winter 2016 edition of our Under Construction newsletter. We hope your year has been good to your family, your company and you as we wrap up these remaining few weeks of 2016. A recent hot topic with...more
Tribal Casino Gaming Enterprise v. W.G. Yates & Sons Constr. Co., 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 86100 (W.D. NC July 1, 2016) - Tribal Casino Gaming Enterprise (the “Casino”) contracted with joint general contractors, W.G. Yates...more
Blackman & Co., Inc., v. GE Bus. Fin. Servs., Inc., 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 87904 (D.N.J. July 7, 2016) - Grove Street Realty Urban Renewal, LLC (“Grove Street”) contracted with Blackman & Co., Inc. (“Blackman”) to manage...more
The construction defects case of Vallagio at Inverness Residential Condominium Association, Inc. v. Metropolitan Homes, Inc., et al. has garnered national attention since the Colorado Court of Appeals' decision in May 2015,...more
In RV V Lockworks, LLC v. Five Yale & Towne, LLC, 2016 Conn. Super. LEXIS 563 (Conn. Super. Ct. Mar. 16, 2016) an arbitrator awarded punitive damages to the purchaser of a newly-constructed 300-unit apartment complex when it...more
Finally—there is some good news for developers and general contractors regarding condominium construction defect claims. In a decision issued May 7, 2015, the Colorado Court of Appeals held that construction defect claims by...more
On October 13, 2014, Lakewood’s City Council passed Ordinance O-2014-21, which reforms the process for handling construction defect claims on condominium projects in the City of Lakewood. The ordinance has three primary...more
Liability insurance policies typically exclude coverage for obligations arising out of the insured’s “assumption of liability in a contract or agreement.” Earlier this year, the Texas Supreme Court took a narrow view of this...more