Florida Construction Law

Filing a notice of appearance in a case does not waive your right to contest venue.   Podd v. Becker , 728 So.2d 1234 (Fla. 3d DCA 1999).   Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified in Construction Law Glenn Rasmussen Fogarty & Hooker, P.A. 100 S. Ashley Dr., Suite 1300 Tampa, FL 33602 (813) 229-3333 www.trentcotney.com

Active participation in a lawsuit may result in the waiver of the right to arbitrate.   Florida Education Association v. Sachs , 650 So.2d 29 (Fla. 1995). Trenton H. Cotney Board Certified in Construction Law Trent Cotney, P.A. 1207 N Franklin St, Ste 222 Tampa, FL 33602 (813) 579-3278 www.trentcotney.com

All prime contractors and subtiers should carefully examine partial or final releases of lien to determine if they are conditional or unconditional.  Conditional releases are conditioned upon payment.  Unconditional releases release your lien rights (and possibly any claim you may have).  Read all releases carefully before signing and edit as needed. Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified in Construction Law Glenn Rasmussen Fogarty & Hooker, P.A. 100 S. Ashley Dr., Suite 1300 Tampa, FL 33602 (813) 229-3333 www.glennrasmussen.com

When a contract says time is of the essence, that provision can be waived by the party seeking to enforce it by acting contrary to that provision.  Adrian Developers Corp. v. Fuente , 905 So.2d 155 (Fla. 3d DCA 2004).      Trenton H. Cotney Board Certified in Construction Law Trent Cotney, P.A. 1207 N Franklin St, Ste 222 Tampa, FL 33602 (813) 579-3278 www.trentcotney.com

An unlicensed subcontractor cannot use Section 489.128, Fla. Stat. as an affirmative defense even if the general contractor knew the subcontractor was unlicensed.  Earth Trades, Inc. v. T&G Corp ., 42 So.3d 929 (Fla. 5th DCA 2010). Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified in Construction Law Glenn Rasmussen Fogarty & Hooker, P.A. 100 S. Ashley Dr., Suite 1300 Tampa, FL 33602 (813) 229-3333 http://www.glennrasmussen.com

In Hebden v. Roy A. Kunnemann Const., Inc. , 2009 WL 383570 (Fla. 4th DCA 2009), the Court held that an owner does not lose the right seek damages against a contractor for construction defects even if the owner rejected a settlement offer under Chapter, 558, Fla. Stat.  The Court noted that failure to comply with Chapter 558 does not result in the loss of claims or defenses that a party may have in an action. Trenton H. Cotney Board Certified in Construction Law Trent Cotney, P.A. 1207 N Franklin St, Ste 222 Tampa, FL 33602 (813) 579-3278 www.trentcotney.com

This is an article on the waiver of notice provisions in construction contracts. You can find the article here: http://www.roofingcontractor.com/Articles/Column/BNP_GUID_9-5-2006_A_10000000000000260965 I will be posting additional articles on construction law topics in the next few weeks.

This video discusses how to address pre-existing conditions such as mold, mildew, dry rot, termite damage and water intrusion on Florida construction projects. The video discusses ways to document pre-existing conditions as well as suggest contract provisions that may address potential issues. Here is a direct link: http://video.yahoo.com/watch/7601682/20169963