What is an Appraisal?
This article is part 3 of a series of articles discussing common considerations for homeowners before, during, and after a residential construction project. Part 3 focuses on what homeowners should look out for after...more
The plaintiff, a diesel technician, was lying beneath a lifted trailer working on a faulty airbrake system when the trailer fell on him, causing catastrophic injuries. The Court of Appeals affirmed the lower court’s dismissal...more
This Article is Part 1 in a series of articles discussing common considerations that homeowners should look for before, during, and after a residential construction project. Part 1 focuses on arguably the most important...more
In Ali Heidari v. Golden Bear Insurance, a California appeals court recently affirmed a lower court’s decision to deny relief under a CGL policy, where the policy excluded from coverage work performed by subcontractors under...more
A novel question arose over the past few years in residential construction law as to whether minors were subject to the contractual provisions in their parents’ purchase or construction contract. The contract typically has a...more
As a construction defect attorney, I know I am not alone with the frustration in trying to interpret the confusing, ambiguous, and often times nonsensical language which comprises Arizona’s Purchaser Dwelling Act, promulgated...more
In a recent decision touching on many interesting issues, North Carolina’s Court of Appeals effectively determined that, in all but the most obvious cases, expert testimony is required to establish a failure to perform...more
In a recent Arizona Court of Appeals case, Zambrano v. M & RC II LLC, 2021 WL 3204491 (7/29/2021), the Court of Appeals addressed the question whether a home builder’s attempt to disclaim implied warranties of workmanship and...more
On December 8, 2020, in Taylor Morrison of Texas, Inc. v. Kohlmeyer, a Texas Court of Appeals rejected a contractor’s appeal of a trial court order denying the contractor’s motion to compel arbitration in a home construction...more
McMillin Homes Constr., Inc. v. National Fire & Marine Ins. Co., 35 Cal.App.5th 1042 (2019); Fourth Appellate District Court of Appeal, Division One, Case No. D074219 (June 5, 2019). McMillin Homes Construction, Inc....more
A recent Utah Appellate Court upheld the dismissal of a homeowners' claims against a geotechnical engineer because the homeowners did not have a contract with the geotechnical engineer and therefore their claims were barred...more
In its broadest sense, the "economic loss rule" prohibits recovery in tort for purely economic loss incurred under contract law. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary online defines tort as "a wrongful act other than breach of...more
Overruling 35 years of precedent, the Illinois Supreme Court has held that buyers of newly constructed homes cannot sue subcontractors for breach of the implied warranty of habitability. Sienna Court Condominium Association...more
Developers need to keep an open mind to protect themselves against construction defect claims. Insurance is a vital tool, but it should not be the only one in a developer’s risk management toolbox. Another useful tool—the...more
McMillin Albany LLC v. Superior Court, No. S229762, 2018 Cal. LEXIS 211 (Jan. 18, 2018) - Several homeowners (“Plaintiffs”) brought suit against developer/general contractor McMillin Albany LLC (“McMillin”) for alleged...more
Two couples who own homes in central Florida attempted to bring a class action against a homebuilder, stemming from alleged violations of Florida’s building code. Section 553.84, Florida Statutes, provides for such a private...more
Cranes, cement trucks, and street closures seem to be everywhere these days, especially in city centers such as San Francisco and Los Angeles. After the meltdown of 2006, real estate development went into hibernation for...more
Recently, the Arizona Court of Appeals answered another lingering question of paramount importance to the construction industry – whether homebuilders and other construction industry professionals may be indefinitely subject...more