Revere Construction Dispute Lawyers

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Construction Dispute Law in Massachusetts

When the owner of some real estate and a contractor enter an agreement for a construction project in Revere, Massachusetts, be it a house, landscaping project, or wide office building, there's always a chance that issues will come up, no matter how careful everyone is. A few minor setbacks are almost inevitable, in fact.

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, normally 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 normally 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.

Litigating a construction dispute in Revere, Massachusetts 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 Revere, Massachusetts

Major Delays: If the contractor or a subcontractor is at fault in causing a massive 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 normally award the owner any damages that were caused by the delay.

Refusal to Pay: Disagreements 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 normally come up with a better one to argue in court). In these cases, a court will occasionally 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 substantially less than the contract price.

Subcontractors: With big construction projects, contractors normally hire other, smaller contractors to do some of the work for them. This is normally work of a specialized nature, which the general contractor isn't equipped to handle (such as plumbing or electrical wiring). The general contractor is the one who is responsible for the satisfactory completion of the project. If a subcontractor makes a mistake, or causes a delay, the general contractor is ultimately liable to the person who hired them. Nonetheless, if they are sued for the mistakes of a subcontractor, and lose, they can then sue the subcontractor to recover their losses.

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 authorize 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 Revere, Massachusetts Attorney Help?

If you are involved in a dispute over a construction project, you should try to avoid litigation, and settle the matter as amicably as possible. However, litigation is sometimes imperative, and a Revere, Massachusetts construction disputes attorney can be of great help.

Talk to a Real Estate Law Attorney now!

Life in Revere

Revere is a Suffolk County city that is named after the famous American patriot Paul Revere. Revere is positioned near some other great suburbs as well as the Atlantic ocean to the east. There are a total of 10 square miles that make up Revere and 4.1 of them are open water and wetlands.

About 70% of the usable land is devoted to housing and there are 56,770 Suffolk County residents living there. It was originally settled in 1630 and was incorporated as a city in 1846. The City of Revere is well connected by the MTBA Blue Line, in fact, it's the very last stop. The line connects to Wonderland, Revere Beach, and Beachmont.

Revere Beach is the oldest public beach in the United States and has a thriving beachfront shopping and dining district. During the summer, tourists love to go to the beach and eat at the nearby restaurants. Wonderland Greyhound Park has been offering gambling on greyhound races since 1935 but has recently shut down because of the September 18th, 2009 ban on greyhound racing.

Notables of the area include singer songwriters Norman Greenbaum and Danielle Miraglia, NFL quarterback Jim Del Gaizo, and soap opera actress Robin Christopher. Chelsea Creek, in Revere, was the location of the first naval battle of the Revolutionary War in 1775. Revere is a bustling city that plays host to a number of businesses and outstanding citizens. Revere's lawyers are familiar with local problems and court procedures. Lawyers in Revere can help do anything from drafting a will or contract to criminal and family matters.

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