Florida Power & Light Co., has started construction of four new solar power plants. See the report on Florida Construction News. Contact the construction law attorney Robert S. Tanner today to discuss your legal representation concerning construction contracts, payment issues, contractor or subcontractor nonperformance, liens and bonds, deficient or defective construction, and insurance issues. Contact Now
A joint venture is defined by Florida case law as “an association of persons or legal entities to carry out a single business enterprise for profit.” To prove the existence of a joint venture, there must be evidence that each party to the joint venture had the right and the authority to bind the others within the joint enterprise. In Marriott International, Inc. v. American Bridge Bahamas, Ltd., 193 So.3d 902 [...]
In Univ. Cmty. Hosp., Inc. v. Prof’l Serv. Indus., No. 8:15-cv-628-T-27EAJ, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 26298 (M.D. Fla. Feb. 24, 2017) Florida Hospital Tampa (Owner) had consulting agreements with Professional Service Industries, Inc. (Engineer) to perform soil analysis and recommend for a specific type of foundation in the construction of a new emergency department. Engineer completed the soil analysis and recommended using an auger cast pile system. In its final report [...]
In Lexon Insurance Company v. City of Cape Coral, 2017 WL 5759059 (Fla 2d DCA Nov. 29, 2017), the court held that the five-year statute of limitations on a surety bond contract begins to run once the bond principal (typically a contractor) breaches the bonded contract, not when the bond obligee (typically the owner) demands that the surety cure the principal’s default and not when the surety denies the bond claim. [...]
Likely impacts that Hurricane Irma will have on South Florida’s construction industry include: Strain on availability of construction materials, resulting in increased construction costs. (Does your contract have an escalation clause?) Additional strain on availability of qualified labor Delays in contractor availability to perform work, as contractors (especially roofing contractors) dry-in as many buildings as possible with follow-on repair and installation work being performed as resources become available Increased presence of [...]
What to know: a winning plaintiff will usually recover interest from the date the debt came due. But, not always. Equitable considerations can result in the complete denial of prejudgment interest. The general rule is that prejudgment interest is simply another element of a plaintiff’s damages that is awarded to make the plaintiff whole. If payment is due to a contractor on July 1, 2014, but payment is not made until [...]
Case: Don Facciobene v. Hough Roofing, Inc., 2017 WL 3051578 (Fla. 5th DCA July 21, 2017). What to know: "A contract entered into between two parties can be replaced if the two parties agree. For example, a contract may be formed when a contractor accepts a proposal submitted by a subcontractor; but, if the subcontractor subsequently signs the contractor’s written subcontract agreement that contains a merger clause, the estimate will be [...]
2017 Legislative Session - Enrolled Amendment to Statute of Repose for Construction Cases In Florida, the time for bringing a lawsuit for construction defects that are latent is “10 years after the date of actual possession by the owner, the date of the issuance of a certificate of occupancy, the date of abandonment of construction if not completed, or the date of completion or termination of the contract between the professional [...]
Taylor Morrison Services, Inc. V. ECOS Florida unlicensed contracting lawyer Robert S. Tanner, Esq. The Short Story Unlicensed contracting is a common claim and, certainly a more common occurrence, in Florida. It is illegal and often leads to severe disappointment or financial setbacks for the person who hired the unlicensed contractor. Here are some things to know about Florida law concerning unlicensed contracting: An unlicensed contractor may be liable for three [...]
By: Robert S. Tanner, Esq. Florida Bar Board Certified Construction Lawyer</em Cash flow is an important aspect of a contractor’s financial evaluations and forecasts.[1] An owner’s failure to pay timely can break a contractor. Florida law provides contractors with a statutory right to prompt payment. In this article we will look at the contractor’s right to prompt payment on local government projects. Overview Owners sometimes withhold monies beyond retention and undisputed [...]
