Construction Law Now Blog

The Backdrop Since the Recession of 2008, the story of the construction project that fell through shortly after breaking ground has repeated itself far too frequently.  In too many of these situations, financing dries up, leaving owners without ...

By: Tony Byler and Kathleen Morley Mechanics’ lien claims are powerful tools for contractors and suppliers who are owed payment for work or materials. To be enforceable, the contractor or supplier (“Contractor”) must file a lien claim within ...

By: Tony Byler and Daniella Gordon Suppliers frequently provide supplies on lines of credit to contractor customers who are involved in multiple construction projects.  In an ideal world, both the customer and the supplier would maintain accounting ...

By: Daniel E. Fierstein and Jennifer M. Horn Banks do not typically loan money if they can not be assured “priority” status over any other encumbrances that may arise. “Priority” in this context refers to the order in which various ...

By: Jason A. Copley and Lori Wisniewski Azzara  On January 6, 2012, the Pennsylvania Superior Court, in a 7-2 decision, significantly expanded the Pennsylvania Mechanics’ Lien Law’s definition of a “subcontractor” in Bricklayers of ...

By: Robert Ruggieri Last week we blogged about an important decision recently handed down by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals on the enforceability of pay-if-paid provisions in Pennsylvania. In Sloan & Company v. Liberty Mutual Insurance ...

By: Jennifer M. Horn As all subcontractors are aware, mechanics’ lien rights are precious tools to recover payment on a project for work performed. Often with the aid of a title search, subcontractors and their counsel strive to ascertain the ...

Last week, Pennsylvania’s House Labor and Industry Committee considered PA House Bill 1602  (HB 1602). Construction industry experts, including Cohen Seglias’ own Jason A. Copley, critiqued the bill in testimony presented at a televised public ...

On June 7, 2011, the Pennsylvania Superior Court, in what appears to be a departure from past rulings and conventional interpretations of Pennsylvania’s Mechanic’s Lien Law (Lien Law), issued a ruling that permits an excavating contractor to ...

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie recently enacted legislation revising the New Jersey Construction Lien Law, which was last amended in 1994. The amendments are effective immediately and include changes to critical timing, definitional, and ...