Thoughts on construction law from Christopher G. Hill, Virginia construction lawyer, LEED AP, mediator, and member of the Virginia Legal Elite in Construction Law

Category Archives: Bond Claims

July 1, 2015 Statutory Changes Affecting Virginia Contractors and Subcontractors

As always seems to be the case, this year, as in others, the Virginia General Assembly has seen fit to “tweak” a few construction related statutes.  All of these changes will go into effect on July 1, 2015. The big one, and one that I posted about a while back is the change to the

The Anatomy of a Construction Dispute Stage 2- Increase the Heat

Last week we discussed the groundwork and circumstances of a construction claim.  This week’s post will discuss the next steps, hopefully, short of full-blown arbitration or litigation that you, as a construction company, can pursue presuming your claim has been properly preserved. If your contract requires certain steps such as informal resolution attempts or other

Should a Subcontractor provide bonds to a GC who is not himself bonded? (Bonding Agent Perspective)

Guest Post Friday is back, and for this week, Construction Law Musings welcomes Steve Moore.  Steve has been the Construction & Surety Manager for Towne Insurance Agency-Invincia, in Chesterfield, VA since 2010.  Steve’s experience in the Virginia surety bonding marketplace started in 1985 with USF&G.  His underwriting travels took him from USF&G to starting National

Private Project Payment Bonds and Pay if Paid in Virginia

One of the many items of construction law that has always been about as clear as mud has been the interaction between a contractual pay if paid clause and payment bond claims either under the Federal Miller Act or Virginia’s “Little Miller Act.”  While properly drafted contractual “pay if paid” clauses are enforceable by their

When Is Mandatory Arbitration Not Mandatory?

I have discussed my views on mandatory mediation in construction contracts at other places here at Musings and also discussed how the contract is king here in Virginia.  A recent Charlottesville, Virginia Circuit Court case combined these two concepts to allow a subcontractor to proceed straight to litigation despite various ADR provisions in the contract