Corona Construction Dispute Lawyers

Find the right Construction Dispute attorney in Corona, CA

Construction Dispute Law in California

When a property owner and a general contractor contract for a construction project to take place on some property in Corona, California, whether it's a house, some landscaping, or a remodeling project, there is always a gamble that something can go wrong. In fact, at least a very minor setback may be more likely than not.

Most often, landowners and construction contractors are able to resolve minor to moderate disputes between themselves, and litigation is rarely necessary. Nobody likes litigation, so, to this end, most construction contracts have built-in remedies in case something goes wrong, like set price reductions if construction is delayed.

Even if disagreements can't be resolved amongst the parties to the contract, they don't need to take their dispute into the court system. For instance, construction contracts typically call for mediation or arbitration before any disputes are resolved by the courts. Mediation is a process by which a third party serves as a sort of intermediary in settlement negotiations between the parties to the contract. The mediator can help keep negotiations on track, and suggest possible solutions the parties might not have thought of. The mediator can't issue a binding decision, however. Arbitration is a process through which the parties agree to have their dispute resolved by a third party, which can render a binding decision. Arbitration can be faster and cheaper than litigation, and it has some other advantages, as well.

Litigation of construction disputes in Corona, California can be extremely time-consuming, stressful, and costly. Nevertheless, there are (relatively rare) occurrences where it is the only option.

Examples of Construction Disputes That Might Lead to Litigation in Corona, California

Major Delays: If the contractor or a subcontractor is at fault in causing a considerable delay to a project (several months, for example), this may lead to a lawsuit. If the contract stated that time was of the essence for some reason (maybe the project was a new store that the owner hoped to open before the holiday shopping season, for example), a court can typically award the owner any damages that were caused by the delay.

Refusal to Pay: Disputes can also arise from a client's refusal or inability to hold up his end of the deal. Sometimes, once a project is complete, or nearly so, a landowner will express an unwillingness to pay the contractor for his services. There might be a variety of reasons for this - sudden loss of money, or dissatisfaction with the quality of the work are a few examples. It's rare that a client will refuse to pay a contractor simply because they don't feel like it (and if that is the reason, they'll typically come up with a better one to argue in court). In these cases, a court will sometimes have to decide if the client is obligated to pay the full price. If the work was, indeed, not up to the standards laid out in the contract, the contractor is not entitled to the full price, but is still entitled to the actual value of the work, even if it's considerably less than the contract price.

Subcontractors: Subcontractors are hired by general contractors to assist them in large construction projects, typically specialized tasks like installing plumbing. However, no matter how much of the work is performed by subcontractors, the general contractor (the one that the client actually hired to do the project) is liable to the landowner as if it were doing all the work itself. This basically means that, if a subcontractor messes up, the general contractor is the one who gets sued. But all is not lost in such a situation. If the general contractor has to compensate the owner because of the mistakes of a subcontractor, it can sue the subcontractor for whatever it had to pay to the landowner.

Mechanic's Liens: If the contractor sues a land owner and wins, he will likely obtain a monetary judgment. If the owner refuses to pay, the contractor needs some way to recover. This is where the mechanic's lien comes into play. It permits a contractor to force the sale of the land or other real property that he just worked on, and use those proceeds to cover costs.

Can a Corona, California Attorney Help?

Construction disputes and disagreements can be very challenging to deal with alone. The assistance of a Corona, California real estate attorney can make the process of dealing with these disputes much quicker and easier.

Talk to a Real Estate Law Attorney now!

Life in Corona

Corona, CA is a medium-sized city in Riverside County, California. Its population is approximately 125,000 people.

Corona was founded in the late 1800s, at the height of the citrus boom in Southern California. It was so successful in this industry that it was once nicknamed "the lemon capital of the world." Modernly, Corona, CA is a bedroom community (a primarily-residential community, the residents of which primarily commute to other cities for their jobs) for the larger cities in the Orange County and Inland Empire regions. Because of its affluent and residential nature, many residents of Corona, CA are highly successful professionals, such as doctors, accountants, and Corona, California lawyers.

In 2002, there was a proposal to turn Corona into its own county. It was drafted and reviewed by several Corona, California attorneys. However, the proposal never got off the ground.

The economy of Corona is dominated by education, healthcare, and other services. One of the largest employers is Watson Pharmaceuticals, which is a large manufacturer of generic medications, and is the 5th largest drug company in the country, by prescription numbers. This company employs many educated professionals, such as engineers and research scientists. On the administrative side, it also employs several lawyers.

If you live in Corona, CA and are facing a serious legal issue, there are many attorneys who practice law in and around Corona, California who will be able to advise you on your legal rights, and your chances of succeed

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