California Enacts Bill to Protect Subcontractors: Restricts Indemnity Clauses with General Contractors

The California has introduced a bill that would protect subcontractors from overly broad indemnification provisions. The bill, which has been passed by both houses and signed into law by the Governor, will become effective on January 2013. California Senate Bill 474 would prohibit a contract clause that would require a subcontractor to indemnify a general contractor, construction manager, or […]

Insurance Requirements Ignored Can Bite Back with a Vengeance

Nearly every contract for construction financing, construction work, purchasing of materials, or equipment rentals has a clause in it that requires that one or both of the parties obtain insurance for a defined amount to guard against casualty loss or injury.  Many times the parties sign the contract and ignore the specifics of what the insurance clauses actually require.  99.9% […]

Wayne Manor, Home of Batman, Valued at $31.1 Million

With housing prices now back on the mend, and the new Batman movie racking it in at the box office, several sites have looked at the (fictitious) Wayne Manor, home of Bruce Wayne, and tried to give it a value. The estimates vary widely, and make some broad assumptions (like how many acres it would include […]

Pennsylvania Employment Verification Act Requires Contractors to Verify Employment Eligibility

The use of illegal immigrants in construction is not uncommon, and states are beginning to crack down on the practice.  In so doing, statutes are being passed, or enforced, which require contractors (employers) to verify the eligibility of the people they hire.  In Pennsylvania, the recently signed Public Works Employment Verification Act, which is effective […]