Back to the Basics: Lien Notice Deadlines for First and Second-Tier Subcontractors

Texas Property Code Section 53.056(a)-(c) details the notice requirement deadlines that subcontractors must comply with to perfect a statutory lien on a private, commercial project in Texas. Simply put, the statute sets forth separate notice deadlines dependent on whether the claimant is a second-tier (and ...

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Alternative Fee Structure Goes Live for American Arbitration Association

Although arbitral institutions like the London Court of International Arbitration and International Chamber of Commerce have historically based arbitration costs on models other than a pure hourly-basis, the American Arbitration Association/International Centre of Dispute Resolution recently ...

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Hurricane Season and Disaster Preparedness: Part 2 – Insuring the Risk of a Hurricane on a Construction Project

As described by my colleague Sean McChristian in Part 1 of this two-part blog series, planning for hurricane season in Texas is a critical part of mitigating risk in the construction industry. In addition to reviewing force majeure provisions, owners and contractors need to have an understanding of the ...

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Hurricane Season and Disaster Preparedness: Part 1 – Review Your Construction Contracts Now, Not After the Storm

The Gulf Coast hurricane season runs from June 1st to November 30th each year. Because this is a known risk, many businesses prepare emergency response plans to mitigate risks to persons and property, but many of those same businesses are not prepared to mitigate economic risks arising from ongoing construction ...

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It’s a Flow-Down, Not a Flow-Up

Subcontracts between a general contractor and subcontractor often contain a flow-down provision stating that the terms and conditions in the owner/contractor agreement (the “Prime Contract”) are also binding on the subcontractor—making the subcontractor obligated to provisions in the Prime ...

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Is Your Expert Qualified? – Certificate of Merit Requirements

Filing a certificate of merit (“COM”) can quickly become a sticky situation for any plaintiff pursuing a claim against a design professional. Plaintiffs who comply with the COM requirements can still have their claims dismissed for various reasons. This post focuses on the necessary qualifications of the ...

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Limitations and the Discovery Rule: Revisiting Bayou Bend Towers Council of Co-Owners

November 2018 will mark the 25th anniversary of a significant case regarding the limitations period for construction defect claims in Texas. In Bayou Bend Towers Council of Co-Owners v. Manhattan Construction Co., 866 S.W.2d 740 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 1993, writ denied) the Court held that even ...

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Delays v. Disruption Damages

A recent Texas case clarified that both disruption and delay claims are potentially recoverable against a county pursuant to Texas Local Government Code § 262.007. Under the statute, sovereign immunity is waived to a certain extent against a county in Texas when the county is a party to a construction contract. The ...

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