Formaldehyde-Free Products for Homes
March 05, 2015 —
Beverley BevenFlorez-CDJ STAFFBuilder Magazine reported that builders are “making indoor air quality a major concern,” including choosing healthier, formaldehyde-free products.
Builder explained the problems with certain chemicals: “Formaldehyde and other VOCs, most frequently found in wood products, finishes, and paints, have been chief among the pollutants targeted for potentially dangerous health effects, such as respiratory issues and irritation of the eyes, nose, throat, and skin.”
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ASCE Releases First-of-its-Kind Sustainable Infrastructure Standard
October 24, 2023 —
American Society of Civil EngineersRESTON, VA — The
American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) today released a first-of-its-kind standard, ASCE/COS 73-23: Standard Practice for Sustainable Infrastructure, which provides guidance for infrastructure owners to develop and implement sustainable solutions through a project's entire life cycle. It is a non-mandatory, performance-based standard designed for civil infrastructure ranging from transportation projects to water systems to the energy grid, developed over a period of five years involving a multitude of diverse stakeholders.
ASCE President Maria Lehman noted, "This is a transformational standard that for the first time will establish consensus guidance on how infrastructure owners should address sustainability in their projects. As of early September, there have been 23 confirmed weather/climate disaster events in the U.S. with losses exceeding $1 billion. That's almost one every week and a half. Sustainability and resilience are more important than ever. Infrastructure owners and designers have a responsibility to develop and implement practices that promote sustainability and long-term reliability of infrastructure projects, while also being cost-effective and collaborative with community stakeholders."
The standard complements existing ASCE standards and tools like the Envision rating system.
A discussion and examination of the ASCE/COS 73-23 standard will be held at the
ASCE INSPIRE 2023 Conference in Arlington, Virginia from November 16th-18th. Print copies of the standard will also be available for purchase at the conference.
Click here to register for the event and learn more about sustainable and resilient innovations in the civil engineering space.
To purchase the standard, visit
the link here.
ABOUT THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CIVIL ENGINEERS
Founded in 1852, the American Society of Civil Engineers represents more than 150,000 civil engineers worldwide and is America's oldest national engineering society. ASCE works to raise awareness of the need to maintain and modernize the nation's infrastructure using sustainable and resilient practices, advocates for increasing and optimizing investment in infrastructure, and improve engineering knowledge and competency. For more information, visit www.asce.org or www.infrastructurereportcard.org and follow us on Twitter, @ASCETweets and @ASCEGovRel.
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Happenings in and around the 2016 West Coast Casualty Seminar
April 20, 2016 —
Beverley BevenFlorez-CDJ STAFFThe West Coast Casualty Construction Defect Seminar returns to the Disneyland Hotel next month (May 12th-13th) and the Construction Defect Journal has compiled a list of concerts, sporting events, and museum exhibitions taking place in and around Anaheim. Whether you like to spend your personal time checking out a new band, or watching your favorite Angel slide into home, or perusing the local art museum, there is something to spark your interest.
CONCERT VENUES
THE HOUSE OF BLUES IN ANAHEIM
Located in Downtown Disney, The House of Blues in Anaheim is a short walk from the convention hall.
Breakthru Entertainment Presents…
Tuesday, May 10th Starting at 630pm
For More Information...
Totally 80’s Live
Friday, May 13th at 7pm
For More Information...
THE GROVE OF ANAHEIM
Near Angel Stadium, the Grove of Anaheim is just a few miles away from the seminar location.
Luca Turilli’s Rhapsody & Primal Fear
Thursday, May 12th Doors Open at 7pm
For More Information and to Purchase Tickets...
SPORTING EVENTS
ANGEL’S STADIUM – BASEBALL
Take care of your popcorn-and-peanuts-and-cracker-jacks fix while cheering for the Angel’s—conveniently just a few miles from the Disneyland Hotel.
Angels v. Cardinals
Tuesday, May 10th at 7:05pm
For More Information and to Purchase Tickets...
Angels v. Cardinals
Wednesday, May 11th at 7:05pm
For More Information and to Purchase Tickets...
FAIRS AND FESTIVALS
Art Crawl Experience
Every quarter, Downtown Anaheim hosts an art walk that includes live entertainment, local artists, as well as food and craft vendors.
Saturday, May 14 from 6pm to 10pm
For More Information...
MUSEUM EXHIBITIONS
MUZEO
This local museum and cultural center is a short drive from the convention hall.
Exhibition: Master Craft: The Art of Woodworking
March 12th, 2016-May 21st, 2016
Museum Days/Hours: Tuesday – Sunday (Closed Mondays) / 10 am to 5 pm
For More Information...
Exhibition: “A Touch of Africa in Anaheim” by Da African Village: the Art of Senegal and neighboring countries
April 30th, 2016 – May 30th, 2016
Museum Days/Hours: Tuesday – Sunday (Closed Mondays) / 10 am to 5 pm
For More Information...
BOWERS MUSEUM (Santa Ana)
Voted “The Best Museum in Orange County” by OC Register Readers for 16 consecutive years, this arts and cultural center is worth the fifteen minute drive.
Exhibition: Once Upon a Time
April 16th, 2016-August 28th, 2016
Museum Days/Hours: Tuesday – Sunday (Closed Mondays) / 10 am to 4 pm
For More Information...
Exhibition: Mummies of the World
March 19th, 2016-September 5th, 2015
Museum Days/Hours: Tuesday – Sunday (Closed Mondays) / 10 am to 4 pm
For More Information...
Exhibition: Mystery from the Tomb: The Face Beneath the Mask
December 8th, 2015-TBD
Museum Days/Hours: Tuesday – Sunday (Closed Mondays) / 10 am to 4 pm
For More Information...
Exhibition: Popul Vuh: Watercolors of Diego Rivera
December 12th, 2015 – May 29th, 2016
Museum Days/Hours: Tuesday – Sunday (Closed Mondays) / 10 am to 4 pm
For More Information...
Lecture: Popul Vuh: Art in Context (6-Part series): The Rise of Modernism in Europe: Realist Shifts in the Nineteenth Century (Part 3)
Wednesday, May 11 at 11am-12pm
For More Information...
Lecture: ARCE Weekend Lecture: Sudanese Antiquity: New Insights from the ‘Bio-archaeology of Nubia Expedition (BONE)’
Saturday, May 14 at 130pm-3pm
For More Information...
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Filing Motion to Increase Lien Transfer Bond (Before Trial Court Loses Jurisdiction Over Final Judgment)
May 15, 2023 —
David Adelstein - Florida Construction Legal UpdatesIf a construction lien is recorded against real property, the lien can be transferred to a lien transfer bond. This transfers the security or collateral of the construction lien from the real property to the lien transfer bond. The lien transfer bond can be a bond posted by a surety company or it can be cash. This is governed by Florida Statute s. 713.24. The amount of the lien does not dictate the amount of the lien transfer bond. Rather, the lien transfer bond needs to be in the amount of the lien, plus interest on that amount for three years, plus $1,000 or 25% of the amount of the lien (whichever is greater so factor in the 25%) to cover attorney’s fees. Fla. Stat. 713.24(1).
If you are looking to transfer a construction lien to a lien transfer bond, make sure to consult with counsel.
Keep in mind there is a statutory mechanism for a lienor to increase the lien transfer bond to cover attorney’s fees and costs and notice the word “must” in the statute below. Pursuant to Florida Statute s. 713.24(3):
Any party having an interest in such security or the property from which the lien was transferred may at any time, and any number of times, file a complaint in chancery in the circuit court of the county where such security is deposited, or file a motion in a pending action to enforce a lien, for an order to require additional security, reduction of security, change or substitution of sureties, payment of discharge thereof, or any other matter affecting said security. If the court finds that the amount of the deposit or bond in excess of the amount claimed in the claim of lien is insufficient to pay the lienor’s attorney’s fees and court costs incurred in the action to enforce the lien, the court must increase the amount of the cash deposit or lien transfer bond. Nothing in this section shall be construed to vest exclusive jurisdiction in the circuit courts over transfer bond claims for nonpayment of an amount within the monetary jurisdiction of the county courts.
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David Adelstein, Kirwin Norris, P.A.Mr. Adelstein may be contacted at
dma@kirwinnorris.com
Ackman Group Pays $91.5 Million for Condo at NYC’s One57
April 15, 2015 —
David M. Levitt and Oshrat Carmiel – BloombergA group including billionaire investor Bill Ackman paid $91.5 million for a duplex penthouse at Extell Development Co.’s One57 condominium tower, one of New York City’s most expensive home purchases ever.
The purchase of unit 75 in the luxury skyscraper overlooking Central Park closed on March 27, according to property records filed Thursday. The buyer was listed as 57157 Co. LLC, a single-purpose entity that Ackman controls.
The 13,554-square-foot (1,259-square-meter), six-bedroom home spans the 75th and 76th floors of the 90-story skyscraper. Ackman last year told the New York Times it was “the Mona Lisa of apartments.” Monthly common charges on the unit were estimated at $23,595, according to documents Extell filed with the state attorney general’s office.
Reprinted courtesy of
David M. Levitt, Bloomberg and
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The Importance of the Subcontractor Exception to the “Your Work” Exclusion
May 16, 2018 —
John J. Kozak, Esq. - Florida Construction Law NewsCommercial General Liability (CGL) policies typically include a “your work” exclusion, excluding coverage for “’property damage’ to ‘your work’ arising out of it or any part of it and included in the ‘products-completed operations hazard.’” These CGL policies define “your work,” in pertinent part, as “work or operations performed by you or on your behalf.” (emphasis added). As the recent case of Mid-Continent Cas. Co. v. JWN Construction, Inc., 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20529 (S.D. Fla. 2018) reminds us, the “your work” exclusion can serve to eliminate coverage for a general contractor, even when property damage is caused by a subcontractor.
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John J. Kozak, Esq., Cole, Scott & Kissane, P.A.Mr. Kozak may be contacted at
john.kozak@csklegal.com
Los Angeles Recovery Crews Begin to Mobilize as Wildfires Continue to Burn
January 21, 2025 —
Scott Blair, Aileen Cho, & C.J. Schexnayder - Engineering News-RecordMore than a week since wildfires broke out in the Los Angeles area stoked by hurricane-force Santa Ana winds, officials are hoping that a change in the weather will soon allow the long process of recovery to begin.
Reprinted courtesy of
Scott Blair, ENR,
Aileen Cho, ENR and
C.J. Schexnayder, ENR
Mr. Blair may be contacted at blairs@enr.com
Ms. Cho may be contacted at choa@enr.com
Mr. Schexnayder may be contacted at schexnayderc@enr.com
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Don’t Spoil Me: Oklahoma District Court Rules Against Spoliation Sanctions
January 08, 2024 —
Kyle Rice - The Subrogation StrategistIn Okla. Farm Bureau Mut. Ins. Co. v. Omega Flex, Inc., No. CIV-22-18-D, 2023 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 197755, the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma (the District Court) determined spoliation sanctions were not warranted after a home was demolished for repair following a joint scene examination.
The insurer, Oklahoma Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company (Insurer) provided a policy of insurance to Michael and Sondra Diel (the Diels). On July 11, 2020, the Diels’ home was struck by lightning and their attic caught fire. Following the loss, Insurer retained both counsel and fire origin and cause experts to inspect the Diels’ property. Insurer’s counsel informed in-house counsel for Omega Flex, Inc. (Omega Flex) via a letter dated July 14, 2020, that a preliminary investigation indicated the fire may have been caused by an Omega Flex product—specifically, TracPipe Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing (CSST). Insurer’s counsel invited Omega Flex to inspect the property, noting: “It is anticipated that the loss will exceed $300,000” and stating that any inspection “must be completed during the next two weeks.
At that time, the homeowner will proceed with demolition to rebuild.” (Emphasis added).
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Kyle Rice, White and WilliamsMr. Rice may be contacted at
ricek@whiteandwilliams.com
