Southington Construction Dispute Lawyers

Construction Dispute Law in Connecticut

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

Most often, the owners of land and contractors can end disagreements before they get too serious, thus eliminating the need for litigation. Most contracts governing construction projects have built-in remedies for the most common problems, usually requiring the party that causes a delay or other problem to pay the other party a set fee.

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 usually 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 procedure through which the parties agree to have their dispute resolved by a third party, which can render a binding decision. Arbitration can be quicker and cheaper than litigation, and it has some other advantages, as well.

Because of the large cost in time and money involved, litigation in Southington, Connecticut is regarded a last resort. However, in rare cases, it does become necessary.

Examples of Construction Disputes That Might Lead to Litigation in Southington, Connecticut

Delays in Construction: Delays are often points of contention between contractors and landowners. Contracts sometimes have clauses which explicitly state that the project needs to be completed by a certain date, or penalties will be imposed on the contractor (reduced payments, for example). However, if the contract doesn't contain such built-in remedies, or one party refuses to abide by them, litigation may be necessary. If a contractor causes a delay that it could have prevented, it will usually be liable to the landowner for any harm resulting from it.

Owner's refusal to pay: Contractors can also be the victims in construction disagreements. Sometimes, the person who hired them will refuse to pay the agreed-upon fee, or withhold a portion of it. This, without more, certainly constitutes breach of contract. However, in such cases, the owner will rarely go to court and say "I just didn't feel like paying, so I didn't." Instead, they will claim that they had a very good reason to withhold all or part of the payment, such as unsatisfactory work by the contractor. In these situations, the court has to determine if the owner has a valid reason for not paying. If it concludes that he or she does not, it will order the owner to pay the agreed-upon price.

Subcontractor Disputes: In large projects, contractors often can't handle every aspect of the construction, so they hire other (usually smaller) contractors to do some specialized work for them, such as plumbing, electrical installations, and the like. The general contractor, nonetheless, is responsible to the owner for anything that goes wrong. If a subcontractor messes up, and the owner sues the contractor, the contractor will have to pay. Nonetheless, the contractor can then go after the subcontractor to recover whatever he had to pay.

Mechanic's Lien: If the contractor wins in a case against the land owner, and the court orders the owner to pay the contractor for services rendered, the contractor needs a way to secure payment, if the owner refuses. In some cases, a mechanic's lien allows the contractor to force the sale of the land, and any improvements to it, in order to secure payment for the services it provided.

Can a Southington, Connecticut Attorney Help?

Disputes over construction delays or defects can be extremely taxing. Therefore, getting an experienced Southington, Connecticut real estate attorney might mean the difference between success or failure in your business ventures.

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Life in Southington

Located just twenty miles from Hartford, Southington, Connecticut is one charming town. Southington is home to close to 40,000 residents. Southington is located on 36.6 square miles and has been nicknamed the "Apple Valley" for the many apple orchards that are located within the city limits. Not surprisingly, Southington hosts an apple festival every year.

Located in Hartford County, Southington has the honor of being recognized as having the best quality of life in the county. The beautiful Quinnipiac River runes along the town, and there are also many beautiful parks throughout the city.

Southington is also home to the world's most popular television station -- ESPN, and many of the station's sports reporters living within the Southington city limits. Southington is also home to great lawyers. Southington lawyers are versed in a range of legal practices to assist their clients with any legal matter than may come his or her way. Southington attorneys are second to none!

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Southington Construction Dispute Lawyers

Construction Dispute Law in Connecticut

Examples of Construction Disputes That Might Lead to Litigation in Southington, Connecticut