Amarillo Construction Dispute Lawyers

Find the right Construction Dispute attorney in Amarillo, TX

Construction Dispute Law in Texas

Landowners and contractors in Amarillo, Texas frequently 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.

Most often, the owners of land and contractors can end disagreements before they get too serious, thus eliminating the need for litigation. Most contracts governing construction projects have built-in remedies for the most common problems, typically requiring the party that causes a delay or other problem to pay the other party a set fee.

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 Amarillo, Texas is regarded a last resort. However, in rare cases, it does become necessary.

Examples of Construction Disputes That Might Lead to Litigation in Amarillo, Texas

Construction Delays: Delays in construction are prevalent 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.

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 typically 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 considerably less than the contract price.

Subcontractors: Subcontractors are hired by general contractors to assist them in large construction projects, typically 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 Lien: If the contractor wins in a case against the land owner, and the court orders the owner to pay the contractor for services rendered, the contractor needs a way to secure payment, if the owner refuses. In some cases, a mechanic's lien permits the contractor to force the sale of the land, and any improvements to it, in order to secure payment for the services it provided.

Can a Amarillo, Texas Attorney Help?

Construction disputes and disagreements can be very challenging to deal with alone. The assistance of an Amarillo, Texas 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 Amarillo

Amarillo is the seat of Potter County and largest city in the Texas Panhandle with over 175,000 residents according to the 2000 Census. Known to most as the "yellow rose of Texas," Amarillo is also the self-proclaimed "helium capital of the world" because the United States' most productive helium fields are located in town. Amarillo was originally known throughout the United States as a capital for cattle trade.

The city's industry hasn't changed much, Amarillo is still the location where roughly 25% of the nation's beef supply is processed and is also home to the Texas Cattle Feeders Association. Tyson Foods is Amarillo's largest employer attesting to the meatpacking heritage of the city. Healthcare, the Amarillo Independent School District, and the City of Amarillo are other top employers. Bell Helicopter Textron operates and assembly plant in Amarillo which is responsible for the V-22 Osprey and Marine One assembly.

The Globe News Center for the Performing Arts in Amarillo houses the Amarillo Opera, Amarillo Symphony, and Lone Star Ballet in addition to concerts. For those who want the Texas Cowboy experience, Amarillo plays host to the Tri-State Fair and Rodeo as well as the World Championship Chuckwagon Roundup that is a food festival featuring staples cowboys and pioneers historically ate in the area. The World Championship Ranch Rodeo is put on by the Working Ranch Cowboys Association and attracts accomplished cowboys from around the world. There's even a weekly cattle auction that's free to the public named the Amarillo Livestock Auction. The American Quarter Horse Association and Hall of Fame is another internationally known Amarillo organization.

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