A Florida Construction Law Attorney is an attorney who is experienced in handling construction related cases including licensure issues, lien foreclosure actions, and all other legal actions that arise in the construction contracting arena. A Florida Construction Attorney knows how to prepare a construction case for presentation in Court to a Judge or to a Jury, and are familiar with the established case law, and Florida Construction Law statutes that affect construction contractors. Construction cases are generally more complex than standard contract issues due to a large amount of paperwork that exists on a construction project. Further, a successful Florida construction attorney must have a business background and must be familiar with accounting and financial principles. From reviewing payment applications to preparing a claim for delay damages, a business, accounting, and financial background is key to preparing a construction litigation claim. At Andrew Douglas, P.A., our principal attorney, Andrew Douglas, is an experienced Florida construction law attorney and commercial litigation attorney who knows how to prepare Florida construction claims. Andrew graduated from the University of Florida College of Law and also has his Masters Degree in Business from the University of Florida. Andrew is a Florida Construction Attorney, and Florida Commercial Litigation Attorney handling all types of cases in Florida Courts.
Occasionally, a client seeks help after a default has been entered against it, and there may be no reasonable basis to vacate the default within the excusable neglect framework. In some cases not all hope is gone, there maybe another tool in the attorney’s toolbox. If the Complaint that serves as the predicate for the default judgment was not well-pled (does … Read more
Florida Law is well settled that a contractual promise not performed is not tantamount to fraud. As a general rule, fraud cannot be predicated upon a mere promise not performed. Alexander/Davis Properties, Inc. v. Graham, 397 So.2d 699, 706 (Fla. 4th DCA 1981), petition for review denied, 408 So.2d 1093 (Fla. 1981). Moreover, to cross … Read more
When are subcontractor claims against an owner for unjust enrichment appropriate ? In Maloney v. Therm Alum Industries, Corp., 636 So. 2d 767 (FL. 4th DCA 1994), the Court held that a subcontractor could not sue an owner for unjust enrichment unless and until the subcontractor had exhausted its legal remedies against the general contractor with … Read more
The normal course of action when a Florida Court (or a South Florida Court at least in my experience) enters a final judgment is for the clerk to record such judgment in the Official Records of the same County. However, this action by the Clerk does not cause such judgment to attach to real property of … Read more
Where a building contractor has substantially performed a contract between the parties, the contractor is entitled to be paid the full contract price diminished only by damages which the owner has suffered as the result of such breaches of the contract as may be established by competent evidence. See Fleming v. URDL’s Waterfall Creation, Inc., … Read more
(Need a Qualifier Agreement?, Go to our main qualifier agreement page for more information, Click Here!) For any contracting business to legally operate in the State of Florida, a qualifying agent must be certified or registered with the Department of Business and Professional Regulation in the category of contracting in which the qualifying agent is … Read more
Oral Modifications to Construction Contracts, Florida Construction Law Many written contracts between contractors and owners contain provisions to the effect of “all modifications to this contract must be made in writing.” And when litigation invariably arises from non-payment for modifications that are performed without being reduced to a written change order, or other writing, a … Read more
Significant Issues Test Applicable to Determine Attorney’s Fees Entitlement Under 713.29, Florida Statute for Lien Foreclosure Actions FRANK J. TRYTEK, et al., Petitioners, vs. GALE INDUSTRIES, INC., etc., Respondent. No. SC07-1641 SUPREME COURT OF FLORIDA 3 So. 3d 1194; 2009 Fla. LEXIS 257; 34 Fla. L. Weekly S 247 ” Trial courts are required to … Read more
As a construction attorney the issue of how to calculate damages comes up often. Generally, a contractor has their own idea on how to calculate its damages, but generally they are not correct. In the case where a contract is substantially completed , the contract price between the parties will likely govern the value of work … Read more
While trolling the internet I came across an article that gives advice on how to prepare a construction claim, and preserve evidence and documentation. Here are a few tips. Keep written records. Although conditionsat Projects may constantly change, make sure you have a process in place to reduce to writing all pertinent facts that affect … Read more