Monthly Archives: April 2009

Keeping Costs Down On Land Survey

By Jayanne Hino on April 27th, 2009 Posted in Land Use

We recently met with some surveyors, who passed on the following tips for keeping costs down on land surveys: In order for them to provide a realistic price quote, they need to see copies of the property title report, the prior survey (if you have it), and the lender’s survey requirements (including the form of… Continue Reading

Residential Rescue: Stimulus Help for Homeowners

By Davis Wright Tremaine on April 22nd, 2009 Posted in Real Estate

Recent federal legislation to provide financial relief to current and prospective homeowners through refinancing, mortgage payment modification, changes in bankruptcy law, and tax credits for first-time homebuyers, addresses four critical consumer issues in today’s real estate market: (1) troubled ownership; (2) imminent default; (3) imminent foreclosure; and (4) first-time purchase. This advisory provides a brief… Continue Reading

No “Property Damage” Trigger for Tank Leakage

By John Parnass on April 20th, 2009 Posted in Construction

Walla Walla College hired a tank company in 1991 to install two underground gas storage tanks. In 2001, approximately 10,000 gallons of gas leaked from one tank into the ground. The tank installation contractor had two CGL policies in effect from 1990 to 1992. Seeking coverage under those policies to pay for the cleanup costs, the… Continue Reading

Where’s My Blender?

By John Parnass on April 20th, 2009 Posted in Construction

OK, after a week in Mexico on vacation, yours truly in back in the saddle and ready to continue bringing you the latest and greatest in all matters construction…but in the meantime, I offer a few harmless graphics as a reminder of a great week away and a harbinger of things to come now that the weather… Continue Reading

Federal Government Contracts Blog

By John Parnass on April 8th, 2009 Posted in Construction

I read a fair number of construction – related websites and blogs, and many of them are pretty awful (present blog excluded). But here’s one I quickly bookmarked for regular visits – well written, thorough and concise coverage of federal government contract issues.

Wind Farm Construction – Case Study

By John Parnass on April 8th, 2009 Posted in Construction

Interesting article from CWU on wind farm construction in Eastern Washington, using a CM at Risk GMP model with novel contractual risk sharing provisions.

Green Prefabs

By John Parnass on April 7th, 2009 Posted in Construction

From the shameless commerce department of Washington Construction Law, herewith a promo for an excellent option to consider if you are looking for really cool, well-designed prefabricated homes with a sustainability focus.

Bidder Responsibility Criteria

By John Parnass on April 7th, 2009 Posted in Construction

The 2007 legislation on “supplemental bidder responsibility” (RCW 39.04.250) is getting a lot of attention across the industry. If you’d like an overview of some key issues, please check out the attached presentation we made recently to a workshop organized by APWA-WA and MRSC. Download file

Federal Equivalent of Stute Upheld by 8th Circuit

By John Parnass on April 2nd, 2009 Posted in Construction

In Washington, it’s known as the "Stute" doctrine — named after one of the parties to a Supreme Court decision establishing that general contractors have a nondelegable project site safety duty. After years of litigation bouncing around in the 8th Circuit, that Court recently upheld OSHA’s version of the "Stute" rule for federal projects. A… Continue Reading