Contract Practice Flashcards
What is needed for a contract to exist?
Offer,
Acceptance,
Consideration,
Intent,
Capacity,
Legality
What is the Construction Act 1996?
Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996. Help payments and dispute resolutions be resolved quickly
- Interim/Periodic or Stage Payment required if programme over 45 days
- The right to know how much is due or being withheld
- The right to suspend works for non-payment
- The right to adjudication
What is the LDEDC Act 2009?
Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009. Closed loopholes in the 1996 act.
- Contracts do not need to be in writing
- Pay-when-certified clauses are ineffective. (MC cannot withhold payment to subbie until they are paid)
- Default payment notice introduced - if payer doesn’t introduce payment notice, payee can issue and this amount becomes due
What are some differences between JCT and NEC?
LAMP
- Language - JCT has complex legal jargon, NEC is plan English
- Administration - JCT managed by EA/CA, NEC by PM
- Money/Time - JCT has Relevant Events/Matters, NEC Compensation Events
- Programme - NEC is a key contractual document
What is the Limitation Act?
Provides timescales within which action may be taken for breaches of the law.
As a deed - 12 years
Simple contract - 6 years
What is the difference between CA/EA?
Nothing really. Contractual terms under JCT for SBC / D&B respectively
How are claims for time / money dealt with under JCT & NEC?
JCT - a claim for money is a Relevant Matter, a claim for time is a Relevant Event
NEC - Both are Compensation Events
How do you pick which contract to use?
- Consider project specific requirements
- Procurement route
- Scale of project
- Method of payment / quantification
- Design
- Client’s approach to time / cost / quality / risk
When would you use the JCT Standard Building Contract?
- For traditional procurement
- Where detailed contractual provisions are required
- Both ‘with’ and ‘without’ quanities are Fixed Price Lump Sum
- with ‘approximate quantities’ is remeasurable
When would you use the JCT Intermediate Contract?
- For traditional procurement
- Used to bridge the gap between Standard and Minor Works
- Fixed price lump sum
- Intermediate with Contractor Design Portion available as a separate document
When would you use the JCT Minor Works contract?
- For traditional procurement
- Used for smaller, lower value basic construction works where detailed contractual provisions are not required
- Not suitable where the project is complex enough to require bills of quantities, detailed control procedures, or provisions for named specialists
- Fixed price lump sum
When would you use a JCT Design and Build Contract?
- For Design & Build procurement
- Client wants contractor to take design and construction responsibility
- Used where detailed contractual provisions are required
- Fixed price lump sum
What are the disadvantages of entering a D&B contract on Stage 2 information?
- Employer has less control of the design and outcome of the project
- Contractors may include greater risk allowances in their tender returns due to uncertainties in the project
What is the process of an Interim Valuation?
- Contractor submits their interim valuation
- I review ahead of site visit to understand what’s included
- Visit site, assess work done to date and ensure valuation reflects this
- Agree valuation with the Contractor
- Produce recommendaiton for payment and issue to CA/EA
- CA/EA reviews and issues their Payment Notice
- Assuming no pay less notice is issued, by FInal Date for Payment the Contractor is paid
How would you value materials off site?
Needs to be pre-agreed in the contract documents.
- All items stored off site to be listed
- Should be annexed to the contract with an expected value and date for payment
Vesting certificate required confirming that
- The transfer of ownership to the Employer
- Confirms items are insured to their full value
Need to be set apart and clearly marked as the Client’s property.
How would you value materials on site?
Need to be delivered in a timely manner according to the programme, unless agreed otherwise as storage
Need to be adequately protected
Need to be valued in accordance with the contract- quantity amount on site
Need to be seen and photographed on site
How would you value day-works?
- Check schedule of day works in contract documents
- Check the mark-ups the contractor has applied
- Need a day-works certificate, signed by the EA/CA to confirm works complete
- Include in valuation, if agreed with EA/CA
What is the standard payment schedule under JCT?
- 7 days before Due Date the Contractor submits Interim Valuation
- 5 days after Due Date - EA/CA issues Payment Notice
- 14 days after Due Date - Final Date for Payment
- 5 days before Final Date - deadline for Pay Less Notice
What is the standard process to agree a final account?
- If Contractor issues Final Statement:
From PC the Contractor has 3 months to submit Final Statement. From issue of Final Statement there is 1 month till Due Date to agree. 28 days after Due Date is the Final Date for Payment. - If Contractor does not issue FS.
Employer gives notice that they will issue a Final Statement in the next 2 months (after 3 months elapsed). Then the 1 month to due date and 28 days to final date.
What happens at the Completion Date?
- The EA/CA will review site and assess if Practical Completion has been achieved.
- If yes, Practical Completion Certificate issued
- if no, Certificate of Non Completion
What happens if a Certificate of Non-Completion is issued?
- Liquidated Damages are deductable if notified no later than 5 days before fianl date for payment
- If a new completion date is agreed the notice is cancelled. Cannot deduct LDs unless the revised PC date is not achieved
What do you need to do at Practical Completion?
- 50% of Retention is released
- State this within covering letter and reference the PC certificate
- Client required to insure the works from this point
- Ability to claim liquidated damages ends
- Recitification period commences
How are defects addressed in a JCT contract?
- Under JCT the Employer can issue a Schedule of Defects up to 14 days after the rectification period ends
- Contractor must return at no cost to the Employer and rectify the defects unless otherwise instructed
- Can be agreed that the Contractor will not return and reasonable adjustments made to the CSA
- Once defects are rectified a ‘Notice of Completion of Making Good’ will be issued by the CA/EA.
What is Partial Possession?
- Agreement post-contract that the Employer wishes to take possession of part of the site
- When this is agreed the PC date is agreed to have been passed in that section and the ability to claim LDs for that portion of the works is removed
What is Sectional Completion?
- Agreement within the Contract that sections of the work will be completed by a specified date. Each section has its own Value, Liquidated Damages and PC date.
What is the structure of a JCT D&B contract?
- Agreement - who is entering the contract
- Recitals - where is the project and what is required
- Articles - Sets out the principles of the contract
- Contract Particulars - project specific details
- Attestations - execution as a deed / underhand
- Execution - signed by parties
- Conditions - unamended JCT clauses
What insurances are there in JCT?
- Option A - Taken out by CONTRACTOR (joint names)
- Option B - Taken out by CLIENT (joint names)
- Option C - Taken out by CLIENT (joint names) for work to EXISTING STRUCTURES
What insurances would you expect under JCT?
- Contractor’s Public Liability Insurance - injury to persons or property in the course of completing the works
- Employer Liability - Contractor takes out insurance in names with Employer, protecting employer against any claims due to injury / damage to property etc.
- Works insurance - Option A/B/C
- Terrorism cover - Pool Re cover against loss or damage to the works/materials due to terrorism
- Professional Indemnity Insurance - Contractor takes out insurance to protect against negligence claims
What is All Risk Insurance?
- Covers against any physical loss or damage to works/materials
- Covers cost to remove debris, shoring and propping of works
- Excludes repair, replace and rectify costs
What is a Joint Names policy?
- Insurance that includes the Employer and Contractor as composite insurers
- Means insurers have no recourse against another named party
What is subrogation?
- Subrogation is another party’s legal right to collect a debt or damages on your behalf
- Insurers have the right to subrogate and claim back from another party
- Does not apply on Joint Names policies
What is Pool Re cover?
- Insurance against damage to works or materials from terrorism
What is a specified peril?
- Fire/Flood/Earthquake/Civil Commotion/Lightning
What are some examples of a Relevant Event?
- Client Variation
- Deferment of possession
- Civil disruptions
- Ecological / Archaeological finds
What are some examples of a Relevant Matter?
- Client Variation
- Impediment by client to prevent works
- Opening up / testing works (unless neglience by contractor found)
- Archaeological finds
What are the heads of claim under Loss & Expense?
- Prolongation
- Disruption
- Loss of Profit
- Interest charges
How do you value Loss & Expense?
- Must be actual loss incurred by the Contractor
- Needs to be substantiated - invoices, proof of additional abliur
- Based on agreed rates where applicable
- Reasonable rates if not applicable
What is an express term?
Terms of an agreement that are expressly agreed between the parties. Ideally, they would be written down in a contract but where the contract is verbal they will be the terms discussed and agreed.
What is an implied term?
A contractual term that has not been expressly agreed between the parties but has been implied into the contract either by common law or statute.
What is tort?
Tort is a civil wrong
Part of the civil law
A claim in tort is concerned with loss or harm
What is a statuatory provision?
Statutory provisions are set out by law and must be complied with regardless
What is a contract provision?
Contract provisions relate to the contract in question and therefore only apply to a specific project.
What is your opinion of oral contracts?
While legally binding, there is difficulty in proving the specific terms and conditions of the agreement. Having a written contract is always the preferred option.