Seattle Washington Building Expert Directory

Berlin Lawmakers Get a New Green Workspace

June 21, 2021 — Iain Rogers - Bloomberg
On a site steeped in history a few hundred meters from the Reichstag in central Berlin, an office building is rapidly taking shape that handily symbolizes how climate protection has come to dominate the political narrative ahead of September’s election. The modular Luisenblock West, which will provide working space for Germany’s Bundestag, or lower house of parliament, is mostly wooden beyond a reinforced concrete core. The individual units that make up the bulk of the building are assembled at a site in the east of the city and designed to reduce carbon footprint by capturing thousands of tons of carbon dioxide. With just four months until the national vote that will mark the end of Angela Merkel’s 16-year reign, the Greens are leading the chancellor’s conservative bloc in some opinion polls and climate protection is high on the list of priorities for many voters. The former fringe party has a real chance of leading a German government for the first time, while traditional parties scramble to affirm their environmental credentials. Read the court decision
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Reprinted courtesy of Iain Rogers, Bloomberg

A Look Back at the Ollies

May 03, 2018 — Beverley BevenFlorez-CDJ STAFF
The Jerrold S. Oliver Award of Excellence, also known as the “Ollie” award, is presented to “an individual who is outstanding or has contributed to the betterment of the construction defect community.” West Coast Casualty asks members of the construction defect community to nominate those they feel are deserving of the award, and then members vote for one of four nominees. The award is presented at the West Coast Casualty Seminar. Those recognized receive a plaque and a donation in the winner’s name to Habitat for Humanity as well as a local California and Nevada charity. Jerrold S. Oliver was a “’founding father’ in the alternate resolution process in construction defect claims and litigation. His loyalty and commitment to this community were beyond mere words as he was a true believer in the process of resolution.” Past Award Winners: 1996 - Awarded to Ross R. Hart, Esq. (Mediator - American Arbitration Assoc.) 1997 - Awarded to Merv Thompson, Esq. (Mediator in private practice) 1999 - Awarded to Tom Craigo, (Adjuster - C.N.A. Insurance Company) 2000 - Awarded to Kristi Cole, (Adjuster - Safeco Insurance Company) 2001 - Awarded to Karen Rice, (Claims Manager - ACE / USA) 2002 - Awarded to Stephen Henning, Esq. (Wood, Smith, Henning and Berman, LLP) 2003 - Awarded to Ross Feinberg, Esq. (Feldscott, Lee, Feinberg, Grant and Mayfield LLP) 2004 - Awarded to Janet Shipes (Adjuster – C.N.A. Insurance Company) 2005 - Awarded to Edward Martinet (Expert – MC Consultants) 2006 - Awarded to Hon. Victoria V. Chaney (Judge – Los Angeles Superior Court) 2007 - Awarded to Bruce Edwards, Esq. (Mediator) JAMS 2008 - Awarded to Gerald Kurland, Esq. (Mediator) JAMS 2009 - Awarded to Keith Koeller, Esq. (Koeller, Nebecker, Carlson and Haluck, LLP) 2010 - Awarded to Terry Wolcott – (Construction Defect Manager – Travelers Ins. Co.) 2011 - Awarded to George Calkins, Esq. (Mediator) JAMS 2012 - Awarded to Joyia Greenfield, Esq. (Lorber, Greenfield and Polito, LLP) 2013 - Awarded to Margee Luper (Claim Manager – XL Insurance Group) 2014 - Awarded to Matt Liedle, Esq. (Liedle, Lounsbery, Larson & Lidl, LLP) 2015 - Awarded to Robert A. Bellagamba, Esq. (Special Master/Mediator, Castle & Dekker) 2016 - Awarded to Lisa Unger, (Senior Claims Examiner, Global Management Liability Markel) 2017 - Awarded to Caryn Siebert, (Vice President, Claims, Knight Insurance Group) Read the court decision
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Contractor Sues License Board

June 30, 2011 — CDJ STAFF

Judge Kendall J. Newman of the US District Court handed down a decision on June 24 on the case of Kent v California Department of Consumer Affairs. Mr. Kent, appearing as his own counsel, had brought the suit against the California Department of Consumer Affairs and the Contractors State Licensing Board after he was arrested in a sting operation and, as the plaintiff put it, “was absurdly arrested and uncooperatively detained for a time longer than necessary or allowed by law under the false pretense of contracting with out a license.” Mr. Kent’s alleged that Rick Lopez, one of the defendants, formed him to read allow from the California Business and Professions Code. He said he was later handcuffed and placed in an uncomfortable chair, “enduring physical pain and emotional agony.”

Although Kent was given a Notice to Appear, he alleged that a further defendant, Stuart Rind, “closed the plaintiff’s case marked citation A7773 without giving written notice to anyone.” As a result, the Placer County District Attorney’s Office had no record of his Notice to Appear.

Kent alleged that subsequently his firm was essentially shut down for two years and that he was prevented from “legally contracting or selling services for any other contractor or qualifying for any other licensed capacity governed by the CSLB.” After this, the CSLB suspended the license for his firm, DSI Construction. He was assessed a $1,500 fine, after which he claims he sent a letter to the CSLB demanding money damages. The judge noted that the letter was not included in the plaintiff’s Ninth Amended Complaint.

Judge Kendall recommended that the plaintiff’s Complaints be dismissed, although he did allow that sixth, and perhaps the eighth and ninth, could be amended with a tenth amended complaint.

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Henderson Land to Spend $839 Million on Hong Kong Retail Complex

September 03, 2014 — Michelle Yun – Bloomberg
Henderson Land Development Co. (12), controlled by billionaire Lee Shau-kee, will spend HK$6.5 billion ($839 million) on a shopping center in a prime retail area of Hong Kong after beating 17 rivals to win a land tender. The complex in the Tsim Sha Tsui district will be completed by 2019 and will house retail, services and dining, as well as a public 345-space parking garage, spokeswoman Bonnie Ngan said yesterday, citing Vice Chairman Martin Lee. Henderson won the site for HK$4.69 billion as the highest bidder, the government said in a statement yesterday. Henderson beat other developers, including Cheung Kong Holdings Ltd. (1), Sino Land Co. (83), and Sun Hung Kai Properties Ltd., to win the site in the district host to global luxury brands and hotels such as the Peninsula. The price was more than the HK$3.4 billion median estimate of three surveyors compiled by Bloomberg News. Read the court decision
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Reprinted courtesy of Michelle Yun, Bloomberg
Ms. Yun may be contacted at myun11@bloomberg.net

The Pitfalls of Oral Agreements in the Construction Industry

June 28, 2021 — Matthew A. Margolis - Construction Executive
Too often, construction professionals engage with each other to handle a project or series of projects and instead of memorializing their terms in writing, the agreement between the parties consists of nothing more than a conversation and a handshake. Both parties put their trust in each other that the terms they discussed will be honored. Nevertheless, one (or both) of the parties may eventually determine that their trust was misplaced, resulting in a big-money, big-headache dispute. By having a written contract at the commencement of their relationship, these issues could have been avoided. Here are nine reasons to have a written contract. Reprinted courtesy of Matthew A. Margolis, Construction Executive, a publication of Associated Builders and Contractors. All rights reserved. Read the court decision
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Mr. Margolis may be contacted at mmargolis@sbwh.law

So You Want to Arbitrate? Better Make Sure Your Contract Covers All Bases

August 16, 2021 — Stephanie Nolan Deviney - ConsensusDocs
As a General Contractor, you may prefer to arbitrate any contractual disputes rather than engage in protracted litigation. Many Courts favor arbitration clauses and will enforce them if there is a sufficient reason to do so. However, there are several issues that a General Contractor should consider when including an arbitration clause in its construction agreement with its client. When an arbitration clause is not properly crafted, questions can arise as to who must arbitrate? Who decides whether to arbitrate? Who selects the arbitrator? What will the subject matter of the arbitration be? A look at a recent case in Pennsylvania highlights the need for properly crafted arbitration clauses. A Recent Case Highlights The Importance Of Arbitration Clauses In TEC Construction, LLC v. Greg Rich and Lora Rich filed in the Court of Common Pleas, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, TEC Construction, LLC (“TEC”) and Greg and Lora Rich (the “Riches”), entered into a Construction Agreement with an arbitration clause. Specifically, the parties to the Construction Agreement, TEC and the Riches, agreed to arbitrate any disputes with the American Arbitration Association. Five subcontractors completed the work under the Construction Agreement but none of the subcontractors agreed to arbitrate. Read the court decision
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Reprinted courtesy of Stephanie Nolan Deviney, Fox Rothschild LLP (ConsensusDocs)
Ms. Deviney may be contacted at sdeviney@foxrothschild.com

Beam Fracture on Closed Mississippi River Bridge Is at Least Two Years Old

May 31, 2021 — Jim Parsons - Engineering News-Record
The Arkansas Dept. of Transportation (ARDOT) has terminated the employee responsible for inspecting the Interstate-40 Mississippi River bridge after two-year-old drone footage revealed the presence of a tie-beam fracture that forced last week’s emergency shutdown. Reprinted courtesy of Jim Parsons, Engineering News-Record ENR may be contacted at ENR.com@bnpmedia.com Read the full story... Read the court decision
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Zillow Topping Realogy Shows Web Surge for Housing Market

July 30, 2014 — Prashant Gopal and John Gittelsohn – Bloomberg
Zillow Inc. (Z)’s purchase of Trulia Inc. makes the online company such a force in U.S. real estate that its market value now surpasses that of Realogy Corp., owner of renowned brokerage brands from Coldwell Banker to Century 21. Zillow, the biggest U.S. real estate website, has seen its market value jump to about $5.83 billion from $4.99 billion on July 23, the day before Bloomberg News reported the deal talks with rival Trulia. Realogy, the largest residential brokerage operator, has a market value of about $5.47 billion, compared with $5.67 billion last week, data compiled by Bloomberg show. The shift underscores the growing role of the Web in U.S. home sales as buyers start their hunt for homes and mortgages online and rely less on real estate agents, a migration that has taken longer than in industries such as music or travel. While Zillow is unlikely to compete directly with brokers, whose ad dollars are its top revenue source, buying Trulia (TRLA) gives it more command over marketing fees, sparking concerns among Realtors such as Stephen FitzMaurice that costs will rise. Mr. Gopal may be contacted at pgopal2@bloomberg.net; Mr. Gittelsohn may be contacted at johngitt@bloomberg.net Read the court decision
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Reprinted courtesy of Prashant Gopal and John Gittelsohn, Bloomberg

SEATTLE WASHINGTON BUILDING EXPERT DIRECTORY AND CAPABILITIES