The Use of Building Information Modelling (“BIM”) the UK Experience – Thirty Nine Essex Street

Posted March 18th, 2015 in construction industry, intellectual property, news, reports by sally

‘The question we pose ourselves this morning is: to what extent is the use of Building Information Modelling (“BIM”) in the construction industry in the UK, changing the legal landscape for the liability of construction professionals for design defects in construction and engineering projects?’

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Thirty Nine Essex Street, January 2015

Source: www.39essex.com

Group M UK Ltd v Cabinet Office – Henderson Chambers

‘The Technology and Construction Court has reiterated that, in considering whether to lift the statutory suspension of the placing of a public contract following a challenge by an unsuccessful tenderer, it will apply the American Cyanamid principles, as those principles are consistent with the requirements of Directive 2007/66/EC on the award of public contracts.’

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Henderson Chambers, 17th March 2015

Source: www.hendersonchambers.co.uk

Savoye and another v Spicers Ltd – WLR Daily

Posted January 27th, 2015 in arbitration, construction industry, contracts, enforcement, law reports by sally

Savoye and another v Spicers Ltd [2014] EWHC 4195 (TCC); [2015] WLR (D) 17

‘The factual test of whether something formed “part of the land” for the purposes of section 105(1) of the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996 was informed, but not circumscribed, by principles to be found in the law of real property and fixtures and ultimately was a question of fact and degree, looking at the purpose of the object or installation and having regard to the installation as a whole, rather than each individual element.’

WLR Daily, 15th December 2015

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Termination: The Pitfalls – Thirty Nine Essex Street

Posted November 18th, 2014 in construction industry, contracts, news by sally

‘Termination disputes are often very bitter, expensive and hard fought. They usually arise when there has been a complete breakdown in relationship between the employer and the contractor. If the party who believes that is is entitled to terminate the contract gets it wrong, it is very likely that its conduct will be regarded as repudiatory and the other party will be entitled to accept that breach and claim damages.’

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Thirty Nine Essex Street, October 2014

Source: www.39essex.com

Constructing safety nets – Hardwicke Chambers

Posted November 18th, 2014 in construction industry, contracting out, guarantees, insolvency, news by sally

‘Notwithstanding the economic upturn, many UK contractors are still tendering for work at negative margins; sustaining losses; and arguably operating one major dispute away from the brink. This article examines the common forms of security used by employers to safeguard performance by contractors, and/or protect against insolvency, and considers the degree of comfort they afford.’

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Hardwicke Chambers, 16th October 2014

Source: www.hardwicke.co.uk

An “appropriate deduction”: Whatever circumstances demand – Hardwicke Chambers

Posted November 18th, 2014 in construction industry, contracts, damages, interpretation, news by sally

‘This Article considers the TCC decision of Mul v Hutton Construction Limited [2014] EWHC 1797 (TCC), which provides authority on the meaning of an “appropriate deduction” in the JCT standard forms and the possible consequences of that decision for parties to such contracts.’

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Hardwicke Chambers, 16th October 2014

Source: www.hardwicke.co.uk

Net contribution clauses: What you need to know – Hardwicke Chambers

Posted September 25th, 2014 in construction industry, contracts, damages, limitations, news by sally

‘Most construction professionals will be familiar with net contribution clauses (NCCs) in consultants’ appointments and collateral warranties but their use should not necessarily be limited to the construction sector. They may be useful in any project where professionals from a multiplicity of disciplines are retained.’

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Hardwicke Chambers, 19th September 2014

Source: www.hardwicke.co.uk

DCLG opens technical consultation on house building standards – OUT- LAW.com

‘The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) opened a consultation last week on a series of proposed changes to the existing system of housing standards, which seek to reduce and simplify the rules house builders must comply with.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 15th September 2014

Source: www.out-law.com

Greenwich Millennium Village Ltd v Essex Services Group plc and others – WLR Daily

Greenwich Millennium Village Ltd v Essex Services Group plc and others: [2014] EWCA Civ 960; [2014] WLR (D) 309

‘A contractor (the respondent) to which building work had been subcontracted which it had in turn subcontracted to another contractor (the appellant) which undertook to indemnify the respondent against liability for the appellant’s negligence was not prevented by its own negligence from enforcing the indemnity clause.’

WLR Daily, 11th July 2014

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

‘Pitiless’ Cardiff builders given jail sentences – BBC News

Posted July 4th, 2014 in conspiracy, construction industry, elderly, fraud, news, sentencing by sally

‘Rogue builders who scammed older people out of over £70,000 have been given jail terms at Newport Crown Court.’

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BBC News, 4th July 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Construction blacklist compensation scheme opens – BBC News

Posted July 4th, 2014 in compensation, construction industry, news by sally

‘Eight construction firms have announced the launch of a scheme aimed at compensating workers who were victims of past blacklisting in the industry. Under the scheme, workers on the list would be paid £4,000 on a fast-track basis rising to £20,000 if they can prove discrimination. In more serious cases, up to £100,000 could be awarded.’

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BBC News, 4th July 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Hopkins Developments Ltd v Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government – WLR Daily

Posted April 17th, 2014 in appeals, construction industry, inquiries, law reports, news, planning by sally

Hopkins Developments Ltd v Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government: [2014] EWCA Civ 470;   [2014] WLR (D)  170

‘Guidance as to how the principles of natural justice operated in the context of a planning inquiry under the Town and Country Planning Appeals (Determination by Inspectors) (Inquiries Procedure) (England) Rules 2000.’

WLR Daily, 15th April 2014

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Expert determination: Hidden pitfalls – Hardwicke Chambers

‘Expert determination is a process in which parties to a contract jointly instruct a third party to decide an issue between them. Its advantages are self-evident: quick, cheap, informal and contract-based, it has obvious attractions and can be found in many commercial contracts.’

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Hardwicke Chambers, 3rd April 2014

Source: www.hardwicke.co.uk

Patel and another v Peters and others – WLR Daily

Patel and another v Peters and others [2014] EWCA Civ 335; [2014] WLR (D) 147

‘Where the surveyor of a party involved in a dispute over building works affecting adjoining properties served a request under section 10(7) of the Party Wall etc Act 1996 on the surveyor of the other party that he act effectively in respect of the subject matter referred to in the request within ten days, after which, if he did not so act, the requesting surveyor became entitled to act ex parte in respect of the matter, a continuing state of affairs was created so that the other party’s surveyor might still act effectively after that ten-day period, thereby precluding the requesting surveyor from acting ex parte, provided that the requesting surveyor had not yet proceeded so to act.’

WLR Daily, 27th March 2014

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

John Jenkins: Aylesbury conman builder jailed in absence – BBC News

Posted February 26th, 2014 in construction industry, fraud, news, sentencing, warrants by sally

‘A builder who conned a “vulnerable and lonely” Hertfordshire widow out of £532,695 has been jailed for six years in his absence.’

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BBC News, 26th February 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

High Court ruling means that challenges to arbitral awards in court remain difficult if parties have agreed to arbitrate, says expert – OUT-LAW.com

Posted February 20th, 2014 in appeals, arbitration, construction industry, news, tribunals by michael

‘A recent decision by the Technology and Construction division of the High Court has underlined how unlikely it is that a court will interfere with an award made by an arbitration tribunal.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 19th February 2014

Source: www.out-law.com

Court of Appeal decision on limitation periods could have adverse consequences for contracting parties, says expert – OUT-LAW.com

Posted December 13th, 2013 in appeals, construction industry, contracts, limitations, news, time limits by sally

‘A recent court decision which changed the point at which the six years within which a contractor must begin litigation in the courts starts to run could lead to uncertainty for the successful party to an earlier adjudication, an expert has said.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 12th December 2013

Source: www.out-law.com

The Supreme Court on “prohibitively expensive” costs: Aarhus again – UK Human Rights Blog

‘This is the last gasp in the saga on whether Mrs Pallikaropoulos should bear £25,000 of the costs of her unsuccessful 2008 appeal to the House of Lords. And the answer, after intervening trips to the Supreme Court in 2010 and to the CJEU in 2013, is a finding by the Supreme Court that she should bear those costs.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 11th December 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

R (on the application of Edwards and another (Appellant) v Environment Agency and others (Respondents) – Supreme Court

R (on the application of Edwards and another (Appellant) v Environment Agency and others (Respondents) [2013] UKSC 78 | UKSC 2012/0030 (YouTube)

Supreme Court, 11th December 2013

Source: www.youtube.com/user/UKSupremeCourt

Aspect Contracts (Asbestos) Ltd v Higgins Construction Ltd – WLR Daily

Aspect Contracts (Asbestos) Ltd v Higgins Construction Ltd [2013] EWCA Civ 1541; [2013] WLR (D) 463

‘On a true construction of an implied term in a construction contract a party was entitled, following an adjudication in which it had been the loser, but where it maintained that it had made an over-payment, to bring proceedings for repayment; and the applicable limitation period ran from the date of the over-payment.’

WLR Daily, 29th November 2013

Source: www.iclr.co.uk