Yesterday was the first day of the 2012 legislative session of the Colorado General Assembly, which promises to be an exciting year. From what we have heard around town (and from the mouth of a plaintiffs’ construction defect attorney at an out-of-state seminar) there is likely to be a construction defects bill at the Capitol […]
Colorado Construction Litigation Blog
On November 1, 2011, the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on the certified question of whether property damage caused by a subcontractor’s faulty workmanship is an “occurrence” for purposes of a commercial general liability (CGL) insurance policy. In Greystone Const., Inc. v. National Fire & Marine Ins. Co., No. 09-1412 (10th Cir. Nov. 1, […]
In Martinez v. Mike Wells Construction Company, 09CV227, Teller County District Court Judge Edward S. Colt refused to apply C.R.S. § 13-20-808 retroactively to provide coverage for the underlying construction defect allegations. According to the recitation of facts in Judge Colt’s March 2011 order, Martinez contracted with Mike Wells Construction to serve as the general […]
On July 1, 2011, Senate Bill 11-264 became effective, which legislatively overruled the Colorado Court of Appeals controversial decision in Weize Company, LLC v. Martz Supply Co. 251 P.3d 489 (Colo. App. 2010). A notice of lis pendens gives notice of pending litigation to persons potentially acquiring interests in the subject property. Hewitt v. Rice, […]
Recently, in Caribou Ridge Homes, LLC v. Zero Energy, LLC, et al., Case No. 10CV1094, Boulder County District Court Judge Ingrid S. Bakke entered a ruling and order on the Plaintiff’s Motion for Determination of Question of Law Pursuant to C.R.C.P. 56(h) on Issue of Damages. The Order found that the Plaintiff was not a […]
We have been following Senate Bill 11-068, which sought to eliminate the significant public impact component of claims under the Colorado Consumer Protection Act (the “CCPA”). That bill has now died in a House committee. The original version of the bill would have created a rebuttable presumption that a significant public impact occurred where a […]
Sen. Morgan Carroll (D-Arapahoe) and Rep. Judy Solano (D-Adams) introduced SB 11-68, titled “Concerning an Increase in Consumer Protection under the ‘Colorado Consumer Protection Act (“CCPA”).’” However, enacting SB 11-068 would offer no real additional protections to consumers in legitimate deceptive practice cases, cloud existing law, and make defending against baseless CCPA claims more onerous […]
Last week’s Capitol Close-Up, a weekly legislative update from the Colorado Association of Home Builders, included a great synopsis of two new laws, which will become effective January 1, 2011. The update reads as follows: Capitol Close-Up Monday, December 20, 2010 Below is information on two pieces of legislation that will become effective January 1, 2011 […]
If you have followed the events in Colorado’s legislature this year related to the construction industry, then you’re most likely familiar with the recent passage of HB 10-1394. HB 10-1394, now codified at C.R.S. § 10-4-110.4 and C.R.S. § 13-20-808, provides courts guidance when interpreting commercial general liability policies issued to construction professionals. Interestingly, although […]
In that there is no appellate law at this point interpreting or applying the recently enacted HB 10-1394, I find even district court orders on the topic to be very interesting. In Colorado Pool Systems, Inc., et al. v. Scottsdale Insurance Company, et al., The Honorable Christopher C. Cross set forth the pertinent facts as […]