Vineland Construction Dispute Lawyers

Construction Dispute Law in New Jersey

Owners of real estate in Vineland, New Jersey often 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.

Most often, landowners and construction contractors are able to resolve minor to moderate disagreements between themselves, and litigation is rarely necessary. Nobody likes litigation, so, to this end, most construction contracts have built-in remedies in case something goes wrong, like set price reductions if construction is delayed.

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.

Litigating a construction dispute in Vineland, New Jersey 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 Vineland, New Jersey

Construction Delays: Delays in construction are common 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 finishes a project to specifications, and the owner of the property doesn't pay the contractor, the contractor will most likely file a lawsuit to recover the agreed-upon price. In such cases, the owner will usually argue that the contractor's work wasn't of acceptable quality. In these cases, the court must decide who first breached the contract. In these cases, it's the party who did not breach first who wins the lawsuit. If the court finds that the contractor breached the contract through sub-quality work product, the owner will not be liable for payment (though he may have to pay for materials and labor), and if the court finds that the construction was acceptable, the owner has to pay, because he is the party in breach.

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 important 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 Lien: When a contractor wins a case against a client for nonpayment of the contract price, and the client still declines to pay, there is a problem: a monetary judgment means next to nothing if it can't be enforced. To solve this problem, the mechanic's lien has been developed. Essentially, if a landowner refuses to pay a contractor, even in the face of a court order, the court can force a sale of the property that the contractor worked on, along with all the improvements on it, and then give the funds to the contractor, to secure payment.

Can a Vineland, New Jersey Attorney Help?

Construction disputes can be time-consuming and costly. Hiring a reputable Vineland, New Jersey real estate attorney can make it much easier to deal with such disputes, and help you avoid litigation, or prevail if litigation becomes necessary.

Talk to a Real Estate Law Attorney now!

(where you need legal help)

Can't find a category?

Life in Vineland

Vineland is the largest city in the state of New Jersey, encompassing just over sixty nine square miles. Vineland is located in Cumberland County and has a population of just over 57,000 residents. Vineland gets its name after the city's fertile soil, which is perfect for growing grapes.

Not surprisingly, Vineland was the birthplace of giant juice producer Welch's Grape Juice. Vineland is also home to the Vineland Produce Auction -- the east coast's largest farmers cooperative. Other points of interest in Vineland include: the site of New Jersey's only drive-in theatre, and the Palace of the Great Depression. Not all grapes, the city has a bustling downtown and also has an Urban Enterprise Zone which gives a 31/2% reduced sales tax to shoppers that purchase goods in the zone. Vineland is also home to a thriving legal community, with some of the Garden State's top lawyers practicing their craft there. Vineland lawyers are skilled in a range of legal specialties and able to help their local clients with any legal problem he or she may be facing. In addition to a booming legal practices, other Vineland professionals such as doctors and lawyers are also contributing to the city's overall growing professional community.

Find a Lawyer

that specializes in your area of need

Real Estate Attorneys

in other New Jersey cities and towns

Clients Rate LegalMatch Attorneys
(click to read reviews)

Nicholas M.

Real Estate, Housing & Property Law

Golden, CO

Carl M.

Real Estate, Housing & Property Law

Seattle, WA

David A.

Real Estate, Housing & Property Law

Walnut Creek, CA

Choose Your Legal Category:

Choose Your Legal Category:

LegalMatch Resources

Construction Dispute Law in New Jersey

Examples of Construction Disputes That Might Lead to Litigation in Vineland, New Jersey