Opinion – Page 545
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Comment
Head for the homeowners contract
My heart went out to this small contractor whose story I hear echoed by countless clients, some like him, others – often pensioners or those on low incomes – who have been ripped off by contractors less conscientious than Mr Danieli.
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Try a no-fee solution
I was puzzled by Alan Danieli’s article and the pessimistic conclusion that his company would be unable to sustain the likely legal costs required to recover the sums due to it.
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Threaten bankruptcy proceeding
I sympathise with Mr Danieli over his inability to collect monies due to him from unscrupulous clients.
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Comment
Standard alert
Publication of the European standard for external rendering, coming at a time when new Building Regulations are being issued thick and fast, may get overlooked by some.
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Comment
And another thing …
In response to Peter Duckett’s letter calling on specialists to get tough (29 April, page 38): how about specialists doing what they tendered for and not strong-arming medium and smaller contractors, and some larger ones, to get their own way?
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CommentOpen Mike: Read all about it
There’s a new book out on environmental liabilities, which eco-officials, imaginative activists and eagle-eyed lawyers cannot wait to throw at construction firms …
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CommentDevoured by their house
This is how a simple house extension turned into a simple dispute, which turned into a bitter dispute, which turned into a very expensive legal case. And for what?
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Comment
Who’s suing whom
A round up of the writs at the Technology and Construction Court, including a row over a smart Chelsea pad, landlords in dispute with tenants and two attempts to enforce adjudicators’ awards
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Comment
Nowhere to go
As a designer who prepares schemes for several small developers in Sefton, Merseyside, I find it almost impossible to get applications for anything even considered.
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Comment
Wigs and muddy boots
Reading Tony Bingham’s article (22 April, page 58) regarding the quandary of a judge faced with the equally compelling opinions of two opposing experts, I was reminded of my very earliest lessons in arbitration.
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Comment
A very precise view
Motivated by wishing to balance your rather negative report on the London mayor’s draft supplementary planning guidance the London View Management Framework (22 April, page 16), I should like to point out that the approach is not generally protectionist but informative.
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Comment
Just a thought …
In an article relating to the National Audit Office’s report on the government’s construction record (24 March, page 25), Rudi Klein, chief executive of the Specialist Engineering Contractors Group, suggested “using single project bank accounts for the entire construction project”.To overcome the issue of up-front payment would this not be ...
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CommentWonders & blunders
Tony Whitehead of Defence Estates salutes the functional, effective Walsall Art Gallery but finds the Sainsbury Wing spineless
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CommentMaking ourselves miserable
“I immediately knew there was something massively wrong with the building as soon as I moved in.
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Comment
The perils of not mediating
Burchell, a small builder, entered into a contract to build two extensions to the home of Mr and Mrs Bullard in Bournemouth. The contract provided for four stage payments. Burchell submitted his claim for the third stage payment, but the Bullards refused to pay alleging that some of Burchell’s work ...
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CommentKick out the jams
The boss of Lend Lease’s European operations gives Britain’s next government some useful advice on how to keep its election promises
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CommentLet’s go shopping
The ‘Tesco law’ reforms would enable construction consultancies to become one-stop-shops, offering their clients legal advice. But will they do it?