Construction Industry Legal Blog

This blog post is part V in a series of posts to assist private property owners with protecting their property interests and rights in eminent domain actions and government takings. Part I provided a general overview of eminent domain and the government’s ability to take private property for public use. Part II discussed Florida law on the allowable scope for the taking of private property, which is determined by the element of reasonable necessity. Part III addressed regulatory takings, and Part IV explained how “just compensation” is determined. The fifth and final addition to this series concerns a property owner’s entitlement to attorney’s fees in eminent domain proceedings.

The purpose of the Florida Building Code (“Code”) is to establish minimum requirements to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public. Its provisions apply to, among other things, construction, alteration, modification and repairs of buildings and structures. Therefore, it is no surprise that construction and design defect claims in Florida often involve one party alleging that a contractor, developer, design professional, subcontractor, or even a supplier are liable for violations of the Code.

One of a construction material supplier’s biggest concerns is making sure they will get paid. There are a few things a supplier can do to ensure they get paid on a construction project. One of the most important steps a supplier should take is preserve its lien rights under Florida’s Construction Lien Law, Section 713.001-.37, Florida Statutes. The purpose of the Florida Construction Lien Law is to protect construction material suppliers from nonpayment. The Lien Law should become your best friend. You should know it well. If done right, a supplier can almost guarantee that it will get paid in full by using the Lien Law. However, strict compliance with the Lien Law is required and it is laced with traps for the unwary. Many suppliers fail to perfect their lien rights properly and find themselves unable to get paid. Don’t let that happen to you. This blawg focuses on preserving your lien rights through the proper use of lien releases. Don’t give away more of your rights than you have to.

This blog post is part IV in a series of posts to assist private property owners with protecting their property interests and rights in eminent domain actions and government takings. Part I provided a general overview of eminent domain and the government’s ability to take private property for public use. Part II discussed Florida law on the allowable scope for the taking of private property, which is determined by the element of reasonable necessity. Part III addressed regulatory takings. This post will discuss “just compensation” and how it is determined.

While real estate developers should be well-versed in Florida’s construction laws, there are particular aspects of construction law that developers should know backwards and forwards. This blog post will discuss the top five things real estate developers should know about Florida’s construction laws including proper payment, warranty liability, claims under Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act (“FDUPTA”), claims under Chapter 558, Florida Statutes, and the timing limitations of claims imposed by the statute of limitations and repose.

One of a construction material supplier’s biggest concerns is making sure they will get paid. There are a few things a supplier can do to ensure they get paid on a construction project. One of the most important steps a supplier should take is preserve its lien rights under Florida’s Construction Lien Law, Section 713.001-.37, Florida Statutes. The purpose of the Florida Construction Lien Law is to protect construction material suppliers from nonpayment. The Lien Law should become your best friend. You should know it well. If done right, a supplier can almost guarantee that they will get paid in full by using the Lien Law. However, strict compliance with the Lien Law is required and it is laced with traps for the unwary. Many suppliers fail to perfect their lien rights properly and find themselves unable to get paid. Don’t let that happen to you. This blog focuses on one of the initial steps a supplier must take to preserve its lien rights: properly and timely serve a Notice to Owner.

This blog post is part II in a series of posts to assist private property owners with protecting their property interests and rights in eminent domain actions and government takings. Part I provided a general overview of eminent domain actions and the government’s ability to take private property for public use. Future posts in this series will provide further insight into various issues concerning eminent domain actions, such as maximizing just compensation and the ability to recover attorney’s fees. This post discusses Florida law on determining the allowable scope for the taking of private property by a government entity.

Warranties are a valuable part of a construction contract. A multi-year warranty is more valuable than a 1-year warranty. A contractor’s offer to provide a multi-year warranty may induce an owner to select that contractor and enter into the contract. Often, multi-year warranties are included in the written contract, or separate written warranty policies are provided at the end of the project. However, not all construction contracts are written, and contractors don’t always provide a written policy at the end of a project. This raises the question: are oral multi-year warranties enforceable? They may not be. The Statute of Frauds may bar their enforcement.

Resolution of construction and design defects in Florida are governed by Chapter 558 of the Florida Statutes. Unless parties have agreed to opt-out of the requirements of Chapter 558, its statutory provisions apply to all commercial and residential construction projects. The Governor recently approved changes to Florida Statute Chapter 558 on June 16, 2015. These changes take effect on October 1, 2015. Chapter no. 2015-165 and Final Bill analysis.

“Change is inevitable – except from a vending machine”—Robert C. Gallagher. The history of human civilization has taught us that change through new land development is constant and a never ending occurrence. Sure, land development ebbs and flows with economic cycles, but new construction can always be found somewhere at any given time. With land development comes the need for new and expanded infrastructure, involving government action at some level. Private citizens, whose property is in the crosshairs of government development plans, will receive notice that all or part of their property is subject to governmental taking — the proverbial offer that you can’t refuse. Yet, thanks to the U.S. Constitution, private citizens are not without rights here. This blog post is part I in a series of posts to assist private property owners with protecting their property interests, maximizing just compensation and ensuring entitlement to attorney’s fees in eminent domain actions and government takings.