Originally posted 2010-12-06 10:49:11. Recently, I came across another Virginia construction case that serves as a reminder that, in Virginia, the contract is king and that because of this fact, the contract will be enforced by its terms. In L. White and Company v Culpeper Memorial Hospital, the plaintiff contractor (L. White and Company) sued […]
Yet Another Reason That Your Contract Matters
Originally posted 2012-01-16 09:00:11. I have discussed on several occasions the fact that construction contracts matter. The words in contracts matter and, in Virginia (as well as other states), most provisions, if not all will be enforced to the letter. Recently, the Western District of Virginia federal court ruled in a way that reminded me […]
Reasonableness of Liquidated Damages Determined at Time of Contract (or, You Can’t Look Back Again)
Originally posted 2020-08-31 11:51:41. I’ve discussed the continuing litigation between White Oak Power Constructors v. Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems Americas, Inc. previously here at Construction Law Musings because the case was another reminder that your construction contract terms matter and will be interpreted strictly here in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The prior opinion in this […]
A Reminder to Get Your Contractor’s License in Virginia
A question I get often, particularly from construction contractors outside of Virginia is whether they need to get a Virginia contractor’s license. The answer is almost invariably “yes.” The next question is why? The answer is almost always “Because state law says so.” With some minor exceptions for material suppliers and the like, Virginia law […]
Virginia General Assembly Tweaks Pay-if-Paid Ban
Last year, the Virginia General Assembly passed into law a ban on the so-called pay-if-paid clauses, effective January 1, 2023. I shared my thoughts and concerns with the legislation as drafted at the time of its passage. During this most recent legislative session, and among some other construction-related bills, the General Assembly sought to clarify […]