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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Can anyone recommend a construction litigator in this area?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Thank you.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#1F497D">Sherry Lambson-Eisele, Esq., Partner<br>
SOUTH MILHAUSEN, P.A.<br>
Gateway Center<br>
1000 Legion Place, Ste. 1200<br>
Orlando, Florida 32801<br>
Phone: (407) 539-1638/Mobile (407)405-8801<br>
Fax: (407) 539- 2679<br>
Website: <a href="http://www.southmilhausen.com/" title="Visit SouthMilhausen.com">
www.southmilhausen.com</a><br>
Email: <a href="mailto:sleisele@southmilhausen.com">sleisele@southmilhausen.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#1F497D"><img border="0" width="200" height="111" id="_x0000_i1029" src="cid:image005.jpg@01D0A1F3.BD224910" alt="South Milhausen, P.A."><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#1F497D">CONFIDENTIALITY NOTE: This electronic message is from a law firm and it may contain confidential
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#1F497D">South Milhausen, P.A. is a debt collector and any information obtained will be used to effect
the collection of the debt in accordance with the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif""> clc-discussion-bounces@lists.flabarrpptl.org [mailto:clc-discussion-bounces@lists.flabarrpptl.org]
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Fred Dudley<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Monday, May 11, 2015 1:40 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> Jeff Price; 'Roberts, Hardy L.'; 'CLC Discussion'<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [CLC-Discussion] New Statute of Repose Decision in 5th DCA<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Please remember that the SOR is simply and “outside” date by which, for latent construction defects, the 4-year statute of limitation is deemed to have started to run when the owner knew or should have known
about the defect. So, delayed payment should not have a much impact; it there is litigation, owner will have certainly called in an engineer to determine any latent defects, and the 4-year SOL starts to run at that time.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Fred R. Dudley, Partner<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Board Certified Construction Lawyer<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Dudley, Sellers & Healy, P. L.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">SunTrust Financial Center, Suite 301<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">3522 Thomasville Road<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Tallahassee, Florida 32308<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Cell: (850) 294-3471<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Direct: (850)692-6368<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"><a href="mailto:dudley@mylicenselaw.com">dudley@mylicenselaw.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b>From:</b> <a href="mailto:clc-discussion-bounces@lists.flabarrpptl.org">
clc-discussion-bounces@lists.flabarrpptl.org</a> [<a href="mailto:clc-discussion-bounces@lists.flabarrpptl.org">mailto:clc-discussion-bounces@lists.flabarrpptl.org</a>]
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Jeff Price<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Monday, May 11, 2015 10:59 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> 'Roberts, Hardy L.'; 'CLC Discussion'<br>
<b>Subject:</b> [CLC-Discussion] New Statute of Repose Decision in 5th DCA<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Cypress v. Bergeron, 5D13-4102 (May 8, 2015).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">The 5<sup>th</sup> DCA has created an unnecessary rule for when a construction contract is complete. They have created what can only be called a bright-line rule. The contract between an Owner and a Contractor
is complete upon payment to the Contractor.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">A bright line rule should work all the time and be equitable to both parties if, as the court said, the statute language is unambiguous.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>“</i><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#252525">[A]</span></i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#252525">
</span><span class="cosearchterm7"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";font-weight:normal">bright</span></i></span><b><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#252525">-</span></i></b><span class="cosearchterm7"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";font-weight:normal">line</span></i></span><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#252525">
test will ordinarily require only a cursory review of the record by a trial court.” [A]
</span></i><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">bright-line rule [is] appealing in that it establishes a rule that is easy to apply and relieves the trial court and litigants of the burden of determining and guessing as to
whether an activity is merely passive or active.” <u>Chemrock Corp. v. Tampa Elec. Co.</u>, 71 So. 3d 786, 791-92 (Fla. 2011).</span></i><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">By holding that the date of final payment to the contractor signifies the contract completion the Court add ambiguity to the mix. Further, this ruling ignores three things in my mind:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent:-.25in"><span style="color:#1F497D">1)</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#1F497D">
</span><span style="color:#1F497D"> Reality – the facts on the ground. For example: In this case, had the Owner and/or the A/E accepted the buildings and were they being used and occupied by the Owner? At the time of submitting the final pay application did
anyone disagree that the work was done? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:1.0in;text-indent:-.25in"><span style="color:#1F497D">a.</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#1F497D">
</span><span style="color:#1F497D">Was the 3 day lag for payment simply a “passive” ministerial act whose timing was dependent upon the postal service?
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:1.0in;text-indent:-.25in"><span style="color:#1F497D">b.</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#1F497D">
</span><span style="color:#1F497D">The pay app was delivered on Wednesday and “final payment” was made on Friday. So, was the check written on Friday? Was it “deposited” or was it “settled” on Friday at the bank? Was it “mailed” on Friday? Was it “signed” on
Friday? Or was it handed to the contractor on Friday? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="color:#1F497D">If the Court is creating a bright-line rule about when a construction contract is complete (“Completion of the contract means completion of performance by both sides of the contract”)
then we need more direction than “payment was made.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="color:#1F497D">The thing is, the trial court can hold an evidentiary hearing. The DCA should have punted and said that the date of completion of the contract is fact dependent. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent:-.25in"><span style="color:#1F497D">2)</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#1F497D">
</span><span style="color:#1F497D">The Fudge Factor – Owners now get to determine the contract completion date (and this is just as unfair as allowing the GC to determine it by sending the final pay app early). Would the Court have ruled differently if the
Owner took 90 days to pay? If they would have ruled differently, then this is a bad bright-line rule.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent:-.25in"><span style="color:#1F497D">3)</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#1F497D">
</span><span style="color:#1F497D">Slow Pay Incentive - Any reason for an Owner to pay quickly given this ruling? Will this ruling delay final payments in some regards?
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Does the Court’s ruling work if, say, the Owner and GC are at odds at the end of the contract?
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Let’s try an everyday construction law example:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">GC says they are done and sends final pay app and
<u>everything else</u> required by statute and the contract.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Owner says GC is not done and withholds payment claiming some sticking point (how many times does that happen?).
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">For the next six months both sides argue about something. (I had one where it was door numbers in the wrong typeface).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">After six months they all realize the lawyers are costing too much money and they just drop the matter.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">No written settlement, no promises, no extra performance by either side; they just decide to stop fighting.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">The Owner sends the final payment. Is the contract complete now? Or was it complete six months earlier?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Does the 5<sup>th</sup> DCA’s bright-line rule accomplish justice if, later on in a repose fight, the Owner gets to claim an extra 6 months?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#244061">Jeffrey L. Price, Esq.<br>
Florida Bar Board Certified - Construction Law <br>
Florida Civil-law Notary</span><span style="font-size:8.0pt;color:#244061"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#244061">Niesen|Price|Worthy|Campo, PA<br>
5216 SW 91st Drive Gainesville, FL 32608<br>
Ph (352) 373-9031 Fax (352) 373-9099<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#244061"><a href="http://npw-law.com/">http://npw-law.com</a></span><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"">
<a href="mailto:clc-discussion-bounces@lists.flabarrpptl.org">clc-discussion-bounces@lists.flabarrpptl.org</a> [<a href="mailto:clc-discussion-bounces@lists.flabarrpptl.org">mailto:clc-discussion-bounces@lists.flabarrpptl.org</a>]
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Roberts, Hardy L.<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Friday, May 08, 2015 2:14 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> CLC Discussion (<a href="mailto:clc-discussion@lists.flabarrpptl.org">clc-discussion@lists.flabarrpptl.org</a>)<br>
<b>Subject:</b> [CLC-Discussion] CLC -- New Statute of Repose Decision<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="color:black">The Fifth District held today (in the attached opinion that is not yet final) that the statute of repose commenced to run when a construction contract was completed rather than when
construction was completed. The parties argued over whether the statute of repose began to run from the date the contractor made its final application for payment or whether the period ran from the date the final payment was made. The Fifth DCA held that the
contract at issue was complete when the final payment was made and that the statute began to run on that later date.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black"><img border="0" width="190" height="53" id="_x0000_i1028" src="cid:image009.jpg@01D0A1F3.BD224910" alt="Carlton Fields Jorden Burt, P.A."><br>
Hardy L. Roberts</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black"><br>
Attorney at Law<br>
Board Certified in Construction Law by the Florida Bar<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black"><br>
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