Construction Law Blog

New York City Guidelines to Follow for Contractor Entrepreneurship

Unlike other counties or jurisdictions in the state of New York, “The City” has some of the most detail focused guidelines to follow in order to become a construction or design professional. The New York City Department of Buildings was founded in 1892, a few years after America’s Industrial Revolution. However, there are records of some sort of city responsibility for the construction of buildings as early as the 17th century.

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Insights from a Construction Litigation Attorney About Arbitration Pros and Cons for Homeowners and Unlicensed Contractors

 

It is an all-too-common situation in New York: homeowners hire a home improvement contractor only to find out, after a contract dispute arises, that the contractor was unlicensed in violation of local ordinances. While court decisions in these disputes have generally gone in favor of homeowners, a body of case law suggests that the results are by no means so favorable to homeowners when arbitration awards to unlicensed home improvement contractors come up for review. In those cases, the deference of courts to the decisions of a construction litigation attorney creates tension with the public policy of protecting homeowners from unlicensed contractors.

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NYC Launches North American Electric Construction Coalition – Electrex

The Law Offices of John Caravella, P.C. does not own this content. This content was created by , and was published to Electrex.

On today’s electrifying episode of Quick Charge, we’ve got Sylvie Binder from the New York City Mayor’s Office here to tell us about the newly launched North American Electric Construction Coalition (NAECC) is committed to decarbonizing the construction industry, and NYC is already making serious headway.

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Why Homeowners are Vulnerable When Hiring an Unlicensed Contractor

Managing a budget is generally a high priority on a homeowner’s list when beginning a home improvement project.  Unfortunately, many homeowners make the mistake of saving money by hiring an unlicensed contractor.  Although it may seem to be the more attractive, less expensive option, hiring an unlicensed contractor to save some money could be very problematic, leading to long-term negative financial effects or legal consequences.  This is due to the fact that there is no guarantee that an unlicensed contractor will have the necessary insurance policies in place to protect your property, themselves, their workers, and any other damages that may arise from their construction work.

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Commissioner’s Regulations in Architecture

Though an architect is responsible for designs and drawings, they also play a part in structural safety. Whether building single-family homes or a large corporate building, a professional in the architectural industry must have the proper education and experience to practice. This article about the commissioner’s regulations in architecture was presented by John Caravella during the “Design Professionals in New York” speaking engagement produced by HalfMoon Seminars.

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Construction Warranty vs. Statute of Limitations Between Builder and Owner

Like the strings of a marionette puppet, after the completion of a New York construction project there are various legal theories that serve as ties between the builder and the owner. For the builder, the sooner these lingering ties can be removed the less exposure they face for claims of defects. For the owners, the longer they are able to establish these connections the longer they may have legal recourse against the builder for defects, should that be necessary.

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Changes Coming to NYC Construction Safety Codes – ConstructionDive

The Law Offices of John Caravella, P.C. does not own this content. This content was created by , and was published to ConstructionDive. To view the full article, please click here. 

The code update will affect the definition of a major building and how many permits a superintendent can be involved with at one time, according to former DOB Assistant Commissioner Peter Amato.

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Top 3 New Construction Arbitration Rules That Expand Powers and Challenge Assumptions

When it comes to construction contracts, arbitration and mediation (Alternate Dispute Resolution) are both commonly specified for out of court dispute resolution.  The use of mediation and arbitration in construction contracts, both for small and large construction, has been increasingly common over the past decade.

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Construction Contract Document Conflict

Given the large number and variety of documents required to administer a construction project today (plans, specifications, contracts, etc.), the likelihood of discrepancies arising between these different sources is almost unavoidable.

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The Implied Warranty on the Sale of New Homes: What Homeowners & Contractors Need to Know

The traditional maxim of “let the buyer beware” is softened in the context of Article 36-B of the New York General Business Law, which imposes a warranty in favor of the buyers of new homes and holds construction contractors to a standard of skilled workmanship.

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