The private and public prompt pay acts both provide contractors and subcontractors with the right to stop work if an owner or upstream contractor fails to pay an undisputed amount. With H.B. 3485, the Texas legislature has now extended this right when the contractor or subcontractor is waiting on large dollar value change orders.
Continue Reading Texas Legislature Expands Suspension Rights Under the Prompt Pay Acts
Orignally published in ABC Houston’s Build Houston Magazine
Construction companies spend countless hours drafting agreements requiring indemnification and insurance for their projects. These obligations are prevalent for all tiers of construction industry members— from subcontractors and suppliers, to project owners. The purpose of this article is to address some considerations in anticipation of a claim being made after an incident on a construction project.
Continue Reading Basic Indemnity and Insurance Considerations in the Construction Context
Co-author: Trenton Patterson
It has been months since you have been paid and the general contractor or the owner continues to demand that you perform extra work, perform in changed conditions or work on a compressed timeline with no promise of payment in sight. At this point you have a decision to make. Do you continue to perform work and submit claims for the extra work and changed conditions? Or do you suspend work or terminate the contract?
Continue Reading To Perform or Not Perform, That is the Question
Co-authors: Russell Jumper and Tim Fandrey
Published in Cleaning & Restoration Magazine
Just as the Texas coast assessed the magnitude of Hurricane Harvey’s damage, Hurricane Irma was taking shape in the Atlantic. Fewer than two weeks later, Irma would crash into the Florida Keys. Estimates put Harvey and Irma’s combined impact in excess of $275 billion. No small part of that amount will be required for cleaning and restoration services. Before Irma made landfall, even as Harvey hovered over the Houston area, restoration professionals from around the country arrived along the Texas coast to kick-start Texas’ recovery. For the people who lost their homes, possessions, and even family or friends, the focus turned to recovery. For some of the restoration professionals who helped, and continue to help, a second storm is forming: owner and insurer payment disputes. Like boarding up windows and setting out sandbags, there are some steps cleaning and restoration professionals can take in an effort to minimize the damage from the approaching payment dispute storm.
Continue Reading The Storm After the Storm
I was reviewing various articles I have written over the years and came across a prior version of this one about differing site conditions, written nearly twenty years ago. I was curious – does this cup still hold water?
Continue Reading When is an Unforeseen Condition a “Differing Site Condition”?