Parma Construction Dispute Lawyers

Find the right Construction Dispute attorney in Parma, OH

Construction Dispute Law in Ohio

Owners of real estate in Parma, Ohio commonly 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 instances, however, these problems are resolvable, and do not lead to major disputes. Being rational, business-minded adults, landowners and construction contractors are normally able to resolve disputes amongst themselves. After all, both stand to gain if the project is completed, and the contractor is paid.

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.

Litigating a construction dispute in Parma, Ohio is definitely not something that anybody likes doing. However, it is sometimes necessary, as a last resort.

Examples of Construction Disputes That Might Lead to Litigation in Parma, Ohio

Delays: Some minor delays in a construction project are all but guaranteed to occur. Normally, 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. Additionally, 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 disputes. 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." Rather, 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 cases, 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.

Subcontractor Disputes: With very massive 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. However, it is the general contractor who is ultimately responsible to the owner for the satisfactory completion of the project. So, it is very essential to the general contractor that subcontractors do a good job. If the subcontractor causes a delay or other problem, 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: Sometimes, when a contractor wins in a lawsuit 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 authorize 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 Parma, Ohio Attorney Help?

Construction disputes and disagreements can be very hard to deal with alone. The assistance of a Parma, 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 Parma

Parma, Ohio is a city in Cuyahoga County. It is a suburb of Cleveland. It currently has a population of about 84,000 people.

Parma is located southwest of Cleveland, and directly borders the city. Parma, Ohio was founded in 1826, by settlers from New York. Parma, Ohio was named after a city in New York of the same name, and likely came from the popular fascination with classical Italian culture that existed at the time. Through the rest of the 19th century, Parma remained rural, with its economy largely based on agriculture. Parma saw an explosion in population and economic growth after World War Two, when a major exodus from cities into newly-created residential suburbs was well underway. This was fueled mostly by increased consumer purchasing power created by the economic boom, as well as apprehension about living in major cities during the Cold War.

Modernly, Parma maintains its suburban character, and is largely a bedroom community for Cleveland.

If you live in Parma, Ohio and need an attorney, there's a good chance you'll be able to find one. Parma, Ohio attorneys are very competent and well-rounded. A Parma, Ohio lawyer can probably handle just about any legal issue you might have.

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