I recently had the opportunity to represent a general contractor in a trial, defending against claims both of construction defects and of delay related damages. Ultimately the case settled during the trial and we were able to achieve a favorable result. Looking back on the trial, what stayed with me was the troublesome evidence introduced by the […]
Colorado Construction Litigation Blog
In United Fire Group ex rel. Metamorphosis Salon v. Powers Elec., Inc., — P.3d —, 2010 WL 2521752 (Colo. App., June 24, 2010), the Colorado Court of Appeals addressed the proper application of C.R.S. § 13-80-104 in Colorado construction defect cases. The essential facts of the case were that Gary Powers d/b/a Powers Electric, Inc. installed […]
Higgins, Hopkins, McLain & Roswell, LLC is looking to add a new associate to our construction law practice. Our firm has always focused on construction law and the litigation of construction claims, so a background in engineering or construction would be beneficial. We are not necessarily looking for someone with previous legal experience, just someone […]
During a recent continuing legal education class at which I was speaking, I was approached by an attorney who posed a question about the effect of a foreclosure on a residential construction defect action. The question, essentially, was what happens to homeowners’ construction defect claims after they lose their home in a foreclosure action? What happens when the construction […]
While reading through some recent volumes of the Jury Verdict Reporter of Colorado, I came across two construction defect cases which went to trial earlier this year. The first case, Peggy Foster and Heidi Daughan v. James Sparr was tried in Gunnison County District Court from January 25-28 in front of the Honorable Roger Ogborn. […]
For those of you not familiar with IRMI, it is the International Risk Management Institute, Inc., a powerhouse in terms of providing accurate and insightful information regarding insurance and insurance coverage. According to its website, IRMI’s ” mission is to be the premier authority in providing expert advice and practical strategies for risk management, insurance, […]
A key feature of the Construction Defect Action Reform Act (C.R.S. §§ 13-20-801, et seq.), was to establish the Notice of Claim (“NOC”) process, found in C.R.S. § 13-20-803.5. There are several deadlines and important factors for a construction professional to consider when responding to a NOC. Before a homeowner, homeowners association, or owner of […]
On May 10, 2010, the Colorado Supreme Court issued its decision in Smith v. Executive Custom Homes, Inc., 2010 WL 1840828 (Colo. May 10, 2010). The facts and procedural history of the case are as follows: The Smiths live in a newly-constructed “patio home” built by ECH, which is located in a retirement community managed […]
As previously discussed over the last few months in this blog, HB 10-1394 has been creating a lot of waves in the Colorado insurance industry and among those that it insures in the construction industry. A compendium of previous entries related to HB 10-1394 can be found here. The latest news is that Governor Ritter […]
In today’s online edition of the Denver Business Journal, Ed Sealover reported that the “Bill that bothered Colorado builders dies without a hearing.” In a hearing today of the Senate State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee, Senate Majority Leader John Morse asked the committee to postpone Senate Bill 45 indefinitely after stating that the issues […]