Boise Construction Dispute Lawyers

Find the right Construction Dispute attorney in Boise, ID

Construction Dispute Law in Idaho

When a property owner and a general contractor contract for a construction project to take place on some property in Boise, Idaho, 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.

In the overwhelming majority of cases, however, these problems are resolvable, and do not lead to major disputes. Being rational, business-minded adults, landowners and construction contractors are typically able to resolve disputes amongst themselves. After all, both stand to gain if the project is completed, and the contractor is paid.

Even if the parties can't easily resolve their disputes, and someone else needs to intervene, that somebody doesn't always need to be a judge or jury. Many construction disagreements call for mediation, during which a neutral third party helps the parties to the dispute negotiate a settlement. They might also go through arbitration, during which a third party renders a binding decision.

Litigating a construction dispute in Boise, Idaho is definitely not something that anybody likes doing. Nonetheless, it is sometimes necessary, as a last resort.

Examples of Construction Disputes That Might Lead to Litigation in Boise, Idaho

Delays: Some minor delays in a construction project are all but guaranteed to occur. Typically, if contracts require a specific completion date, the contractor will give itself longer than the project would take under ideal circumstances, to account for possible delays. Moreover, construction contracts usually attempt to insure against delays, such as imposing fees on contractors if the project is delayed beyond a certain point. If no such clause is included in a contract, a court will usually award the client damages that could have been reasonably anticipated at the time the contract was entered into.

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." Alternatively, 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 (typically 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 Liens: Sometimes, when a contractor wins in a case against the landowner who hired him or her, and obtains a court order for payment, the contractor will still refuse to pay. Since a money judgment isn't worth much without a way to enforce it, the laws of many states have evolved to permit what's known as a "mechanic's lien." As a last resort, if a landowner refuses to pay the contractor for work done on the property, the contractor can force a sale of the property, and keep the proceeds, up to the amount of money owed.

Can a Boise, Idaho Attorney Help?

If you have a construction dispute, you should first try to resolve it amicably with the other party. If this fails, it is almost always crucial to hire a Boise, Idaho construction disputes attorney, who can advise you on the next steps in the process.

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Life in Boise

Boise City is the largest city between Salt Lake City, Utah and Portland, Oregon. When you add on that Boise City acts as the Ada County seat, you begin to understand what an attractive city it is. The Boise River Greenbelt attracts nature lovers and is home to outstanding bird watching during migratory seasons. The World Center for Birds of Prey is nearby and is playing an integral role in repopulating endangered Peregrine Falcon and California Condor populations. For a closer look at the wild, Julia Davis Park and Zoo Boise offer a wide range of animals, over 200 to be exact, including African animals such as lions.

Boise City enjoys a strong economy as a growing high-tech, transportation, and hub of company headquarters. WinCo Foods, BodyBuilding.com, Clearwater Analytics, and Albertsons all have headquarters and manufacturing facilities in Boise City. Relative to the national statistics, Boise City enjoys a very low unemployment rate. Since so many Boise residents are hard at work, the city also boasts shockingly low crime statistics.

Boise is a safe prosperous community in which Ada County operates its major inner workings like the legal system. Ada County Courts in Boise City are responsible for handling a wide variety of cases like child custody, wrongful termination, probate, and criminal cases. A qualified cast of lawyers live in Boise City as well. Boise City lawyers are knowledgeable of local courts and procedures. Lawyers in Boise City can work with you to determine your best course of action whether you're thinking about bankruptcy or filing a personal injury lawsuit.

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