Central Islip Construction Dispute Lawyers

Construction Dispute Law in New York

Owners of real estate in Central Islip, New York 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.

In the majority of cases, it's possible for landowners and contractors to resolve disagreements amicably. There are many ways to do this, such as a simple verbal agreement to lower the contract price due to a mistake made by the contractor, for example, or an agreement to a slight price increase in the event of unforeseen obstacles beyond the control of either party.

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.

Because of the large cost in time and money involved, litigation in Central Islip, New York is regarded a last resort. However, in rare cases, it does become necessary.

Examples of Construction Disputes That Might Lead to Litigation in Central Islip, New York

Delays in Construction: Delays are often points of contention between contractors and landowners. Contracts sometimes have clauses which explicitly state that the project needs to be completed by a certain date, or penalties will be imposed on the contractor (reduced payments, for example). However, if the contract doesn't contain such built-in remedies, or one party refuses to abide by them, litigation may be necessary. If a contractor causes a delay that it could have prevented, it will usually be liable to the landowner for any harm resulting from it.

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: In large projects, contractors often can't handle every aspect of the construction, so they hire other (usually 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 allow 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 Central Islip, New York Attorney Help?

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

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Life in Central Islip

Central Islip, New York is a community of about 32,000 people, as of the 2000 census. It is located in Suffolk County, on Long Island.

The name came from Islip, Northamptonshire, England, which was the hometown of William Nicoll, the first European to settle the area, in 1683.

In 1842, the Long Island Railroad's rapid eastern expansion reached Suffolk, and Suffolk Central Station was opened, which caused a rapid expansion of Central Islip.

In 1889, a large mental hospital, which would eventually become the Central Islip Psychiatric Center, was opened. By 1955, it housed over 10,000 patients, and closed in 1996, after the last of the patients were moved to other facilities.

Modernly, Central Islip largely serves as a residential suburb of New York City, especially its outer boroughs. Many residents of Central Islip commute to various parts of New York City for their jobs, but live in Central Islip to enjoy its quiet nature.

Central Islip, New York lawyers are plentiful, and are competent to hand virtually any case that an individual, family, or small business is likely to face. If you have a legal problem, you should get in touch with a Central Islip, New York lawyer today.

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Central Islip Construction Dispute Lawyers

Construction Dispute Law in New York

Examples of Construction Disputes That Might Lead to Litigation in Central Islip, New York