Category: Construction liability

Protecting Yourself from Usury and Racketeering in Construction

Whenever we hear the terms Usury and Racketeering, we think of two things, organized crime, and the RICO Act. But did you know that these two terms are very common within the New York Construction industry? Whether you are a homeowner, a contractor or a commercial business owner, usury and racketeering come in many different shapes and sizes. What are the types of Construction Usury, and how can we protect ourselves?

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Understanding the Importance of Building Permits

What do you need a building permit for? This is one of the most common questions regarding construction. Building permits are both important and necessary and the failure to obtain one can cause major obstacles down the road.  Building permits are needed whenever a homeowner is altering or expanding their current home, installing a swimming pool, deck, shed or more.  Building permits are more important than you think, and here’s why!

 

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Construction Plans and Architectural Designs

It’s one thing to say what you want in your construction project, but it is another thing to properly document your dream design on paper in the form of legitimate construction plans. Within this article, you will have a better understanding of what is included in detailed construction plans, as well as the understanding of common symbols used in the architectural industry. Whether you are a project owner or contractor, always remember your construction drawings take precedence over performance specifications in the state of New York.

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Architectural Hierarchy 101

When you are working on a renovation project or building a home from the ground up, it is not just one person pulling the strings and leading the operation, learn the architectural hierarchy.  Behind every architectural firm is a small army of individuals with specific roles and responsibilities to make your dream a reality. Within this article, we will share the chain of command within an architectural firm. To learn what you should be looking for when hiring such architects, please review our blog posting titled “Considerations When Hiring an Architect” below.

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Long Island Construction Law Obtains Contractor Victory in Wrongful Termination

What does Long Island construction law say about terminating construction agreements? Despite the increasingly common use of arbitration in construction agreements, the New York Supreme Court has clarified that owners cannot terminate their construction agreement and fail to follow requirements for termination without repercussions. A recent pre-arbitration victory by John Caravella, Esq. confirms that the court unwilling to waive terms contained for termination and remedial efforts post termination to cure will not suffice to transform a wrongful termination into a termination for cause.

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Construction Law: An Overview for Homeowners; Part 4 of 4 – Conclusion

This is a continuing article series regarding Construction Law: An Overview for Homeowners. These include four different topics, Pre-Construction (Part 1), During Construction (Part 2), Post-Construction (Part 3) and Construction Conclusion (Part 4). Each series of topics discuss informative summaries of what happens within each construction phase.

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Construction Law: An Overview for Homeowners; Part 3 of 4 – Post-Construction

This is a continuing article series regarding Construction Law: An Overview for Homeowners. These include four different topics, Pre-Construction (Part 1), During Construction (Part 2), Post-Construction (Part 3) and Construction Conclusion (Part 4). Each series of topics discuss informative summaries of what happens within each construction phase.

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Construction Law: An Overview for Homeowners; Part 2 of 4 – During Construction

This is a continuing article series regarding Construction Law: An Overview for Homeowners. These include four different topics, Pre-Construction (Part 1), During Construction (Part 2), Post-Construction (Part 3) and Construction Conclusion (Part 4). Each series of topics discuss informative summaries of what happens within each construction phase.

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Construction Law: An Overview for Homeowners; Part 1 of 4 – Pre-Construction

This is a continuing article series regarding Construction Law: An Overview for Homeowners. These include four different topics, Pre-Construction (Part 1), During Construction (Part 2), Post-Construction (Part 3) and Construction Conclusion (Part 4). Each series of topics discuss informative summaries of what happens within each construction phase.

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How Homeowners Can Prevent Construction Fraud

We have all heard the expression, “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.” But, how do we really know when we are being fooled? Though Construction Fraud was not listed in Investopedia’s Most Common Types of Consumer Fraud article, Construction Fraud is more common than you would think. Normally, when one thinks about the term “fraud”, you think of your credit card being compromised, but did you ever think of Construction Fraud, and ways you can prevent it?

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