Oregon City Construction Dispute Lawyers

Find the right Construction Dispute attorney in Oregon City, OR

Construction Dispute Law in Oregon

Landowners and contractors in Oregon City, Oregon often contract with each other for major construction projects. With any large construction projects, some small delays or problems are all but inevitable, but they don't usually derail the project or lead to major disputes between the parties.

Usually, contractors and landowners can resolve minor disputes amongst themselves, without having to resort to litigation. Often, 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 an Oregon City, Oregon 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 Oregon City, Oregon

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.

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." 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 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: 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, however, 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. However, the contractor can then go after the subcontractor to recover whatever he had to pay.

Mechanic's Lien: When a contractor wins a lawsuit against a client for nonpayment of the contract price, and the client still refuses 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 proceeds to the contractor, to secure payment.

Can a Oregon City, Oregon Attorney Help?

If you have a construction dispute, you should first try to resolve it amicably with the other party. If this fails, it is almost always essential to hire an Oregon City, Oregon construction disputes attorney, who can advise you on the next steps in the process.

Talk to a Real Estate Law Attorney now!

Life in Oregon City

Oregon City, Oregon is the county seat of Clackamas County. It has a population of about 32,000. It has the distinction of being the first U.S. city west of the Rocky Mountains to be incorporated. It was incorporated in 1844.

Oregon City played a role in the early development of the Western U.S., particularly the Oregon Territory. It was a popular destination for settlers who wanted to make land claims, after traveling the Oregon Trail, and surviving the likely bouts of dysentery, as well as the almost-inevitable loss of oxen during ill-advised attempts to ford rivers.

More recently, Oregon City, Oregon's economy was dominated by the lumber industry. However, in the 1980s, the lumber industry in the Pacific Northwest began to decline. However, the economy of Oregon City was able to transition into high-tech industries, as well as some light manufacturing (manufacturing which is not very labor or energy-intensive, and typically has minimal environmental impact).

If you live in Oregon City, Oregon and need a lawyer, chances are good that you'll be able to find one. Thanks to its diverse economy, there are Oregon City, Oregon lawyers who specialize in just about any area of law.

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