Burnsville Construction Dispute Lawyers

Construction Dispute Law in Minnesota

When the owner of some real estate and a contractor enter an agreement for a construction project in Burnsville, Minnesota, be it a house, landscaping project, or large 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.

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 usually able to resolve disputes amongst themselves. After all, both stand to gain if the project is completed, and the contractor is paid.

Even if a third party gets incorporated, it does not always need to be a court. Private mediators can assist the parties reach a settlement, or a private arbitrator who is an expert on construction litigation can render a binding decision, if mediation and negotiation fail and the parties can't resolve their dispute.

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

Examples of Construction Disputes That Might Lead to Litigation in Burnsville, Minnesota

Delays: If the contractor is culpable in a major delay in a construction project (a delay of weeks or months, for example), a lawsuit could result. If the contract particularly states that completion by a certain date is very important, or the builder has a good reason to know this, a court will often award the owner compensation for any economic harm caused by a 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 usually 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 significantly less than the contract price.

Subcontractor Disputes: With very large construction projects, general contractors don't always have the resources to do all the work themselves, so they hire other contractors to do some of the work for them. Nonetheless, it is the general contractor who is ultimately responsible to the owner for the satisfactory completion of the project. So, it is very critical to the general contractor that subcontractors do a good job. If the subcontractor causes a delay or other issue, and the owner sues the general contractor as a result, the general contractor can then go after the subcontractor to recover whatever it lost in the lawsuit.

Mechanic's Liens: If the contractor sues a land owner and wins, he will likely obtain a monetary judgment. If the owner declines to pay, the contractor needs some way to recover. This is where the mechanic's lien comes into play. It allows 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 Burnsville, Minnesota Attorney Help?

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

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Life in Burnsville

Burnsville, Minnesota is a city directly south of Minneapolis, located in Dakota County. It has a population of just under 60,000, according to a 2007 Census estimate.

Burnsville, Minnesota is home to one of the largest shopping malls in the region, the Burnsville Center, which boasts over 1 million square feet of retail space.

Burnsville, Minnesota has a long and storied history. The first humans to populate the area were the Mdewakanton Dakota Indians, who likely lived in the area for hundreds, if not thousands, of years before the arrival of the first European settlers.

Modernly, Burnsville, Maryland has been on the forefront of the "smart growth" movement, with new projects in its downtown area being cetered around the principles of making the city more attractive, environmentally friendly, less sprawling, and more accessible to cyclists and pedestrians.

This forward-thinking attitude is likely to serve Burnsville, Maryland quite well in the future. Large amounts of foot traffic tend to make an area more attractive to small businesses, especially restaurants and retailers, and this is on top of the positive health and environmental effects of walking or cylcing, instead of driving.

Of course, as in any city, the lawyers of Burnsville, Maryland must also be able to handlemany types oflegal problems. If you have any legal problem, it's likely that there is at least one Burnsville, Maryland lawyer who can help you.

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Burnsville Construction Dispute Lawyers

Construction Dispute Law in Minnesota

Examples of Construction Disputes That Might Lead to Litigation in Burnsville, Minnesota