Pascagoula Construction Dispute Lawyers

Find the right Construction Dispute attorney in Pascagoula, MS

Construction Dispute Law in Mississippi

Owners of real estate in Pascagoula, Mississippi frequently contract with other parties ("contractors") for construction on the property they own. Such projects are likely to suffer at least a few minor setbacks, and any project also carries the risk of major setbacks, delays, or unexpected costs.

Typically, contractors and landowners can resolve minor disputes amongst themselves, without having to resort to litigation. Frequently, construction contracts contain built-in remedies for mistakes and delays that can be easily corrected, such as payments to the owner for every day the project is delayed.

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 disputes 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.

Litigation of a Pascagoula, Mississippi construction dispute is never something that anyone wants to do. Nonetheless, there are sometimes no other options.

Examples of Construction Disputes That Might Lead to Litigation in Pascagoula, Mississippi

Construction Delays: Delays in construction are prevalent sticking points between contractors and landowners. These delays can sometimes lead to litigation, especially if the construction contract makes it clear that time is an important factor, or if the contract mandates a certain completion date. In such situations, a court will often award the landowner compensation for any monetary losses he or she suffered as a result of the delay.

Owner's Refusal to Pay: If the contractor completes the project, and the owner refuses to pay the agreed-upon price, the contractor will typically file a lawsuit to recover what is owed. Of course, the owner will typically claim that there is a good reason for not paying, arguing that the contractor didn't conform to the project's specifications, or that the quality of construction was unacceptably poor. In such a case, the court will have to determine if the contractor actually breached the contract by doing shoddy work, which could, at least in part, excuse the owner's duty to pay.

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: A mechanic's lien is a way for a contractor to secure payment if a landowner refuses to pay. In such cases, if the contractor sues and wins, he or she can sometimes impose a mechanic's lien on the property he or she just worked on. This permits the contractor to force a sale of the property to cover the judgment. It is usually used when other attempts to secure payment fail.

Can a Pascagoula, Mississippi Attorney Help?

Construction disputes and disagreements can be very challenging to deal with alone. The assistance of a Pascagoula, Mississippi 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 Pascagoula

Pascagoula, Mississippi is a city in Jackson County. As of a 2007 estimate by the United States Census Bureau, it has a population of about 24,000 people.

Native American tribes have inhabited Pascagoula for thousands of years, and the name comes from a word that means "bread-eaters" which is how one of the groups of native inhabitants referred to themselves. A Spanish explorer is believed to have made first contact with them in 1540. However, the first permanent European settlement did not come until the 1700s. This area did not become part of the United States until 1812. Before then, it changed handsmultipletimesbetween the French, Spanish, and English. Pascagoula became a city, under the state's legal definition, in 1901. The current downtown area of Pascagoula was once part of Scranton, Mississippi, until the two towns merged in 1912.

Pascagoula, Mississippi is strategically situated on the Gulf of Mexico. Accordingly, its beaches are a popular tourist destination, and its fisheries are an important part of its economy.

If you live in Pascagoula, Mississippi, and have any sort of legal problem, you can probably find someone to help you with it. Pascagoula, Mississippi lawyers can handle just about any case that they might be faced with.

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