News & Insights

Practice Area: Construction

SOUTH CAROLINA COURT OF APPEALS HOLDS UNCLEAR INDEMNITY AGREEMENTS ARE UNENFORCEABLE

In Retreat at Charleston Nat’l Country Club Home Owners Ass’n, Inc. v. Winston Carlyle Charleston Nat’l, LLC, 2025 WL 466562 (S.C. Ct. App. Feb. 12, 2025) the South Carolina Court of Appeals issued an opinion clarifying what is required for an indemnity agreement between a contractor and its subcontractors to be enforceable.  The case involved…
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HIGHER APPORTIONMENT OF LIABILITY DOES NOT ESTOP AN AWARD OF ATTORNEY’S FEES IN A RELATED THIRD-PARTY ACTION

In Babin Builders and Development, Inc. v. Quinones, Babin Builders and Development, Inc. (“Babin”) appealed an order denying its motion for attorney’s fees against Appellee/Third-Party Defendant, A&T Stucco, LLC (“A&T”). Babin Builders & Dev., Inc. v. Quinones, No. 1D2022-4103, 2025 WL 467070, at *1 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. Feb. 12, 2025). Babin, who served as…
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CONNECTICUT SUPREME COURT RULES CONDO OWNERS’ NEGLIGENCE CLAIM AGAINST ASSOCIATION IS TIME-BARRED BUT PERMITS BREACH OF CONTRACT CLAIM FOR FAILING TO REPAIR DEFECTIVE FOUNDATIONS TO THEIR UNITS TO PROCEED

In Canner v. Governors Ridge Ass’n, Inc., unit owners sued a condominium association alleging that the foundations supporting their respective units were sinking as a result of improper design. 311 A.3d 173 (Conn. 2024). The two counts of the complaint alleged (1) the foundations were constructed under the units negligently and (2) the condo association…
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IDAHO SUPREME COURT REAFFIRMS REPAIR DOCTRINE IS NOT AVAILABLE IN IDAHO

In Moyer v. Doug Lasher Construction, Inc., 560 P.3d 1114, 1116 (2024), the Idaho Supreme Court issued an opinion that clarifies several critical issues in construction law and the application of the statute of limitations on summary judgment.  Plaintiff Moyer (“Moyer”) entered into an agreement with Defendant Doug Lasher Construction (“Lasher”) for the construction of…
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NEGATIVE IMPACT OF FAILURE TO ESTABLISH PROPER MEASURE OF DAMAGES IN CONSTRUCTION DEFECT LITIGATION

In Bandklayder Development, LLC v. Sabga, Plaintiffs Joseph and Dunia Sabga (“Plaintiffs”) brought an action alleging breach of contract, violation of the Florida Building Code, and breach of implied warranty of fitness against residential developer, Bandklayder Development, LLC (“Defendant”). Bandklayder Dev., LLC v. Sabga, No. 3D23-1906, 2025 WL 15275, at *1 (Fla. 3d DCA Jan….
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FLORIDA APPELLATE COURT DETERMINES HOMEBUILDER IS NOT ENTITLED TO COMPEL ARBITRATION AGAINST SUBSEQUENT BUYERS OF THE HOME DUE TO ALL WARRANTIES BEING TIME-BARRED EXCEPT FOR STRUCTURAL DAMAGE WHICH WAS NOT ALLEGED BY BUYERS

In Osborne v. Drees Homes of Fla., Inc., a home builder deeded a built home to original buyers by a warranty deed in December 2012. No. 5D2023-2978, 2024 WL 4575415 (Fla. 5th DCA Oct. 25, 2024). In addition to the deed, the Parties entered into a purchase and sale agreement that contained a limited warranty…
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COURT OF APPEALS OF OHIO FINDS CONSTRUCTION COMPANY’S DUTY TO PERFORM HOME RENOVATION IN WORKMANLIKE MANNER DID NOT EXTEND TO SUBSEQUENT HOMEOWNERS

In Wood v. MAK Investment Properties, LLC, the Court of Appeals of Ohio affirmed the lower court’s grant of summary judgment for a construction company on claims brought by homeowners, finding privity of contract was necessary to maintain a negligence action against a subcontractor for remodeling work. 2024 WL 4164066. Plaintiffs Jason Wood and Charlene…
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COURT RULES THAT NONRECOURSE PROVISION IN COMMERCIAL CONTRACT BARRED TORT CLAIMS AGAINST PARTY THAT BREACHED CONTRACT

In Iberdrola Energy Projects v. Oaktree Capital Management L.P., 2024 WL 3363321 (N.Y. App. Div. July 11, 2024), a New York appellate court held that a nonrecourse provision in a construction contract entered into by sophisticated parties barred tort claims against the alleged breaching party. Defendants Oaktree Capital Management L.P. (“Defendants”) created a special-purpose entity,…
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