承包商在注册进行项目之前花费大量时间谈判合同。通常要特别注意各方之间改变风险的规定,例如对损害,无付款,保险,延误和隐藏的工作现场条件的责任。当承包商执行合同时,他通常会确切知道自己的签名。但是,在构建项目过程中签署的其他合同文件中,可能不会给予同样的关注,例如付款申请和发行。如果在不了解这些文件的情况下签署了这些其他文件,则可以通过笔的简单笔触在彻底的谈判之后接受承包商接受的规定。如果承包商未能准确填写其他合同文件,则可能导致意外后果。

Payment Applications It is common for contractors to have to certify in payment applications that the work is complete and that the contractor has paid all its debts through the date of the previous payment application. However, it may be difficult to estimate the percentage of work in place, and contractors may rely on subcontractors to develop the percentages. Further complications arise when a contractor has to withhold funds from a subcontractor for non-performance after the owner pays those funds to the contractor.

问题在于经常在付款应用中找到的认证语言。该申请可能要求承包商发誓应用程序中的语句是准确的。在项目结束时的争议期间,承包商的信誉以及文件质量将是他或她成功的关键。如果仲裁员,法官或陪审团无法信任承包商或承包商的记录,那么承包商即使索赔完全合法,承包商也将赢得胜利。

Payment applications also serve as snapshots of when a contractor performs work. The application should help the contractor accurately determine deadlines for notices of lien and bond claims. If the information regarding percentage of work complete is not accurate, contractors may unknowingly miss deadlines and fail to secure liens against the project. It will be difficult to convince an owner or the court that you performed work in the following month when there is a sworn payment application that states otherwise.

Anthony D. Whitley
惠特利

如果承包商不能发誓付款申请中包含的陈述,则承包商应在申请中重新调整数字,或修改认证语言以解释例外。这将有助于承包商保持准确的记录,并避免错过提出索赔的截止日期。

释放部分和最终版本通常包含在执行之前不了解的语言,如果无法理解的话。尽管从一个项目到另一个项目的版本通常看起来相同,但它们应该受到比通常给出的更多关注。承包商经常将发布,尤其是部分发行版视为仅仅发出索赔,而只能达到支付的金额,仅此而已。

有更多比金额的书面版本into the blanks. Many releases are broad form waivers, requiring a contractor to release all claims that may exist up to the date of the release. In this regard, the release is not really tied to the amount paid.

法院裁定,即使以临时释放的形式,也有效起草了适当起草的释放。这将包括与时间表有关的索赔,未解决的更改,不可预见的条件,所有者违反合同,与设计相关的索赔和与每个人相关的损害,仅举几例。从这个意义上讲,释放可以删除承包商先前就合同中谈判的权利 - 包括提出索赔,申请付款和解决纠纷的权利,而无需简单的签名。

Contractors should negotiate the terms in partial and final release as if negotiating the contract itself. Making the necessary and appropriate revisions will avoid the risk of unintentionally signing away rights.

安东尼·惠特利(Anthony D. Whitley)是福特·纳森(Ford Nassen&Baldwin)PC的休斯顿办事处的律师,该公司代表建筑行业的公司。有关更多信息,请访问www.fordnassen.com