Fairfield Connecticut Building Expert Directory

Home Repair Firms Sued for Fraud

September 30, 2011 — CDJ STAFF

The Illinois Attorney General has filed a lawsuit in Cook County Circuit Court alleging that two connected firms took money from homeowners and then failed to perform the contracted work. One of the three defendants, Chris Bidigare, was an owner of agent of both Fairway Construction and Maintenance Services, LLC, and Rock Construction Management, LLC.

In once case, according to the article on the OakPark Patch, one homeowner provided a $111,000 down payment, only to have the company cancel the job and refuse to return the money. One homeowner was told by Fairway that she should contact their insurance provider. The insurance provider told her that Fairway’s insurance had been cancelled due to non-payment.

The suit seeks to bar the three defendants from working in home repair in Illinois.

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A New Way to Design in 3D – Interview with Pouria Kay of Grib

August 24, 2017 — Aarni Heiskanen - AEC Business
In this podcast interview with Pouria Kay, CEO and Co-founder at Grib, we talk about the startup’s new, intuitive 3D design tool. Grib® is a cloud–based software that turns a mobile device into a universal controller. With Grib, both young and professional designers can sketch complex objects without first having to learn cumbersome 3D software. You work intuitively in actual 3D space and interact with your environment using augmented reality. All you need is pen, paper, and your mobile device. You can share models with friends, order a print, or export them if needed. Read the court decision
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Reprinted courtesy of Aarni Heiskanen, AEC Business
Mr. Heiskanen may be contacted at info@aepartners.fi

Subcontractors Found Liable to Reimburse Insurer Defense Costs in Equitable Subrogation Action

August 03, 2020 — Christopher Kendrick & Valerie A. Moore – Haight Brown & Bonesteel LLP
In Pulte Home Corp. v. CBR Electric, Inc. (No. E068353, filed 6/10/20), a California appeals court reversed the denial of an equitable subrogation claim for reimbursement of defense costs from contractually obligated subcontractors to a defending insurer, finding that all of the elements for equitable subrogation were met, and the equities tipped in favor of the insurer. After defending the general contractor, Pulte, in two construction defect actions as an additional insured on a subcontractor’s policy, St. Paul sought reimbursement of defense costs solely on an equitable subrogation theory against six subcontractors that had worked on the underlying construction projects, and whose subcontracts required them to defend Pulte in suits related to their work. After a bench trial, the trial court denied St. Paul’s claim, concluding that St. Paul had not demonstrated that it was fair to shift all of the defense costs to the subcontractors because their failure to defend Pulte had not caused the homeowners to bring the construction defect actions. The appeals court reversed, holding that the trial court misconstrued the law governing equitable subrogation. Because the relevant facts were not in dispute, the appeals court reviewed the case de novo and found that the trial court committed error in its denial of reimbursement for the defense fees. The appeals court found two errors: First, the trial court incorrectly concluded that equitable subrogation requires shifting of the entire loss. Second, the trial court applied a faulty causation analysis – that because the non-defending subcontractors had not caused the homeowners to sue Pulte, thereby necessitating a defense, St. Paul could not meet the elements of equitable subrogation. Reprinted courtesy of Christopher Kendrick, Haight Brown & Bonesteel LLP and Valerie A. Moore, Haight Brown & Bonesteel LLP Mr. Kendrick may be contacted at ckendrick@hbblaw.com Ms. Moore may be contacted at vmoore@hbblaw.com Read the court decision
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Major Changes in Commercial Construction Since 2009

December 11, 2013 — CDJ STAFF
A new report from Jones Lang LaSalle tracks some of the changes that the commercial building industry has seen since 2009. One important change is that financing has returned. In reviewing the report, Buildings.com notes that “commercial lending conditions are improving.” A less positive change is that construction costs have gone up, with the increase in residential construction pushing prices up in commercial construction. Green construction has gone from a luxury to something owners and developers want. Read the court decision
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Colorado Construction-Defects Reform Law Attempt Expected in 2015

January 14, 2015 — Beverley BevenFlorez-CDJ STAFF
According to the Denver Post, another attempt to change Colorado’s construction defect laws to spur condo development is likely this term. Reform supporters are encouraged by the city of Lakewood’s ordinance, Denver Post reported: “"A patchwork around the state on this issue is not the way to go," Rep. Brian DelGrosso, R-Loveland, said. "Hopefully, the Lakewood measure will spur the conversation this year." Lakewood’s “measure gives builders a ‘right to repair’ faulty work before facing legal action and requires that a majority of home owners approve legal action before it is taken.” However, “Nancy Stockton, president of the homeowners association at the Vallagio at Inverness in Arapahoe County, said following Lakewood's example statewide would only make it that much harder to hold builders accountable for the quality of their work.” Read the court decision
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Mississippi River Spends 40 Days At Flood Stage, Mayors Push for Infrastructure Funding

June 18, 2019 — Jeff Yoders - Engineering News-Record
As record flooding continues across the Midwest, the region’s mayors and the Army Corps of Engineers are looking for solutions to mitigate future floods. Read the court decision
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Reprinted courtesy of Jeff Yoders, ENR
Mr. Yoders may be contacted at yodersj@enr.com

JPMorgan Blamed for ‘Zombie’ Properties in Miami Lawsuit

June 18, 2014 — Christie Smythe – Bloomberg
JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) engaged in a “pattern of discriminatory” lending that led to foreclosures, the city of Miami said in a lawsuit filed last week in federal court, the latest in a series of similar claims against the nation’s largest banks. Last month, Banco Santander SA’s (SAN) U.S. unit was sued by the city of Providence, Rhode Island, over claims it stopped issuing mortgages in minority neighborhoods after the housing bubble burst. Santander Bank, previously named Sovereign Bank, pulled out of the neighborhoods and focused on white communities after being acquired by the Madrid-based lender in 2009, the city alleged. Miami and Los Angeles are among cities to have filed similar lawsuits against Bank of America Corp., Citigroup Inc. (C) and Wells Fargo & Co. (WFC) for allegedly “red-lining” black and Hispanic areas as no-loan zones, and then “reverse red-lining,” flooding the areas with predatory mortgages even when minorities qualified for better terms. Read the court decision
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Reprinted courtesy of Christie Smythe, Bloomberg
Ms. Smythe may be contacted at csmythe1@bloomberg.net

Roni Most, Esq., Reappointed as a City of Houston Associate Judge

November 06, 2023 — Linda Carter - Kahana Feld
Yesterday, Roni M. Most, Esq., was reappointed as an Associate Judge for the City of Houston. Mr. Most is the Managing Partner of Kahana Feld’s Houston office, chairs the firm’s Corporate Compliance & Transaction group, and heads the Texas division of Kahana Feld’s National Appellate Strategy & Advocacy group. Mr. Most was first appointed as an Associate Municipal Court Judge of the City of Houston in 2012 and he continues to serve in this position. The Most name has been a fixture in Harris County courts, with Judge Most being a third-generation attorney, his family has advocated for their client’s causes for over five decades. Mr. Most received his Bachelor of Liberal Arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin and went on to graduate with his J.D. from the South Texas College of Law in 2000. Upon graduating, Mr. Most started The Most Law firm, and then went on to become one of the founding partners of Gerber & Most, PLLC. Mr. Most joined Kahana Feld as a Partner in January 2021. He brings over 20 years of experience in general civil litigation (property & casualty) and appeals, state and federal corporate litigation, collections, construction law, and real estate, as well as providing general business counsel. Read the court decision
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Reprinted courtesy of Linda Carter, Kahana Feld
Ms. Carter may be contacted at lcarter@kahanafeld.com

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