NJ Home Improvement Contractors Still Not Subject to Criminal Background Checks
“Shock and awe” is a military tactic where overwhelming power and enormous displays of force are used to paralyze the enemy’s perception of the battlefield and destroy its will to fight. The term also refers to when an unscrupulous figure takes advantage of a shock to the system, such as a weather-related crisis or natural […]
Beware of the Crooked Contractor
Construction fraud flourishes in the wake of disaster. It is a fact, sad but true. Four years ago, Hurricane Sandy caused the deaths of 147 people in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean. Twelve of those people were New Jersey residents. Over $30 billion in damages were reported at the time. Sadly, all of this […]
Construction Accident Prevention
You have seen the signs. If you have ever worked in a setting where safety is a heightened concern, you have seen the sign: “____ Days Without An Accident.” When you consider that one in five workplace fatalities in this country are construction workers, you only scratch the surface of the role that safety and […]
Discovery and the Discovery Rule
Even if you were just to put the two phrases side by side, it is pretty clear which has the more positive connotation. The Discovery Rule has the word “discovery” in it so the phrase implies potential hope and promise. On the other hand, we have statutes of limitations. “Statute” sounds intimidating and all you […]
Liability to Construction Workers for Personal Injury
Liability to Construction Workers for Personal InjuryThe Control ParadoxIs it possible to be held liable for an injury sustained by a construction worker while working on a project at your home? Absolutely. Just thinking about this probably makes you think about watching over that next home improvement like a warden and exercising the utmost control. […]
What Are Residential Construction Liens?
In NJ, a residential construction lien is a claim against an owner’s interest in real property, i.e. your house and the property where it is located. Are you a homeowner? Has a contractor filed a lien against your real property? Here is what you need to know. The NJ Construction Lien Law is a specific form […]
When Do I Call An Attorney Regarding An On-Site Injury?
Theoretically, an injury can occur on just about any job. However, some occupations put you far more at risk than others. If you work in construction, you might feel tempted to roll out the term “occupational hazard” on a regular basis. However, what you really need to know is still technically what anyone who has […]
In NJ, the HIC Must Heed the Consumer Fraud Act
Homeowners, Contractors & Consumer FraudWhen we refer to how in New Jersey Home Improvement Contractors must heed the Consumer Fraud Act (“CFA”), we couldn’t be more serious. According to the CFA, there are three ways in which a contractor can commit consumer fraud: affirmative misrepresentations, knowing omissions and certain regulatory violations. All of these sound […]
The Home Warranty for the First-Time Homeowner
The Home Warranty for the First-Time HomeownerLet us assume now that you go to bed and wake up in your very own home. That should be good enough, right? Now, someone suggests you might need a home warranty. What is a home warranty?It is not the new home warranty associated with a new construction discussed in […]
Registering with the New Home Warranty Program
Keeping the “sweet” in “home sweet home” is not just the concern of the buyer, but is the responsibility of the builder as well. If you are in the business of constructing owner-occupied new homes, you must register with the New Home Warranty Program. Owner-occupied homes can include:Single family housesTwo family houses (duplexes)Factory-built housesTownhousesCo-opsCondominiumsModular residencesWHO […]