Cleveland Heights Construction Dispute Lawyers

Find the right Construction Dispute attorney in Cleveland Heights, OH

Construction Dispute Law in Ohio

Owners of real estate in Cleveland Heights, Ohio 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 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.

Litigating a construction dispute in Cleveland Heights, Ohio 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 Cleveland Heights, Ohio

Delays: Some minor delays in a construction project are all but guaranteed to occur. Usually, if contracts require a specific completion date, the contractor will give itself longer than the project would take under ideal circumstances, to account for possible delays. Furthermore, construction contracts usually attempt to insure against delays, such as imposing fees on contractors if the project is delayed beyond a certain point. If no such clause is included in a contract, a court will usually award the client damages that could have been reasonably anticipated at the time the contract was entered into.

Owner's refusal to pay: Contractors can also be the victims in construction disagreements. Sometimes, the person who hired them will refuse to pay the agreed-upon fee, or withhold a portion of it. This, without more, certainly constitutes breach of contract. However, in such cases, the owner will rarely go to court and say "I just didn't feel like paying, so I didn't." Instead, they will claim that they had a very good reason to withhold all or part of the payment, such as unsatisfactory work by the contractor. In these situations, the court has to determine if the owner has a valid reason for not paying. If it concludes that he or she does not, it will order the owner to pay the agreed-upon price.

Subcontractors: Subcontractors are hired by general contractors to assist them in large construction projects, usually specialized tasks like installing plumbing. Nonetheless, 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 essentially 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: 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 Cleveland Heights, Ohio Attorney Help?

Construction disputes and disagreements can be very difficult to deal with alone. The assistance of a Cleveland Heights, Ohio 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 Cleveland Heights

Cleveland Heights, Ohio is a suburb of the larger city of Cleveland, the second-largest city in Ohio. It has a population of about 41,000 people, and is situated in Cuyahoga County.

Cleveland heights is mostly residential, and serves as a "bedroom community" for people who work in Cleveland, but want to live in the more quiet and spacious suburbs. Cleveland Heights has a thriving arts community, boasting galleries, theaters, art studios, and more. This makes it especially attractive for younger professionals who are beginning to settle down, but still want to live in a somewhat-cosmopolitan environment, and have easy access to a large city and all the trappings it entails. The city also has several swimming pools, outdoor markets, and an iceskating rink, for residents and visitors to enjoy.

Cleveland Heights, Ohio also has an attractive downtown shopping area, much of which is walkable. Cleveland Heights has a low crime rate for the region, and a relatively high median family income, compared with surrounding communities.

All in all, Cleveland Heights, Ohio is a good place to raise a family, especially if you or your partner work in Cleveland, but don't want to live in the heart of a major urban area.

There are plenty of Cleveland Heights, Ohio lawyers who can help you with whatever legal problem the average person is likely to face. And with the larger city of Cleveland very close by, your selection of lawyers in Cleveland Heights, Ohio is hard to beat.

Clients Rate LegalMatch Attorneys
(click to read reviews)

Nicholas M.
Nicholas M.

Real Estate, Housing & Property Law

Golden, CO

Carl M.
Carl M.

Real Estate, Housing & Property Law

Seattle, WA

David A.
David A.

Real Estate, Housing & Property Law

Walnut Creek, CA