Contract Practise Flashcards
What if your client tell you the LADs (Liquidated and are to be £100,000 per week?
Firstly I would check the Liquidated and ascertained damages figure is based on a genuine pre-estimate of financial loss and explain in the event of LAD’s are to be applied, they would need to substantiate this figure
What are liquidated damages?
A genuine pre-estimate of the likely loss incurred by the employer should the completion date not be met
What are extensions of time?
Extensions of time adjust the completion date and relieves the contractor’s liability to pay liquidated damages
What must be in place before LDs can be deducted?
Employer must issue non completion certificate and a withholding notice
What if the employer suffered no loss or damage? (Liquidated damages)
It doesn’t matter the damages can still be deducted
What are the benefits of being able to grant an extension of time?
Advantage to the contractor is that is relieves the contractor’s liability damages for a delay they did not cause
It sets a new completion date with maintain’s the employers ability to deduct LDs if another delay occurs
What are the main elements you would include within an interim valuation?
Preliminaires
Measured work
Variations
Materials on and off site
Loss and expense
Retention
How do you evaluate interim valuations?
This will depend on payment mechanism used however for example if lump sum is used, you will go to site and inspect thr works to form a view on the percentage of the works undertaken
You check for materials on site and off site
Value time related and fixed preliminaries items undertaken
Value any agreed variations
This then gets presented a gross valuation less previous payments made and retention then I would make my recommendation to the CA for them to prepare the certificate
What is retention?
It is a percentage of each interim certificate deducted and retained by the employer from each interim payment to the contractor
What is purpose of retention?
It provides an incentive for the contractor to rectify any defects within the contract defects liability period
When is the retention released to the contractor?
Half of the retention is released in the interim certificate after Practical completion
The remaining retention is released in the final certificate after the certificate of making good defects is issued
What is a retention bond?
This is a bond provided by the contractor instead of taking retention from interim payments. It should be equal to the same value as the retention deducted.
The requirement for the bond should be stated in the contract particulars
What happens if the contractor does not maintain the retention bond?
The employer can deduct retention from interim payments
Why might a retention bond be used?
If market conditions are difficult, this can be used to aid the contractor’s cashflow
What are the disadvantages of a retention bond?
It may reduce the incentive for the contractor’s incentive to complete making good defects.
It reduces the employer’s cashflow.
The employer would not get the interest accruing on the amount of retention bond
What is acceleration?
Acceleration is reducing the project timeline and therefore completion of work would be carried out in a shorter timeframe than anticipated or this is also used to carry out programme recovery as a result of delay
What options may be considered to achieve acceleration?
Resequencing works
Increasing the working time by using working longer hours
Increasing resources employed by using larger gangs
Changing the working methods
Increasing the incentives for example offering bonus payments
Which are the most and least efficient? (Resequencing works)
Resequencing the works can be the most cost effective and efficient
The least efficient would be increasinfg working time and resources employed which usually results in lower productivity
What is a fixed price contract?
Where the contract sums are limited to changes. It is an agreed price anything missed off by the contractor will be at their risk
What is a fluctuating price contract?
Where the contract sum is adjusted for changes in the costs of materials, labour
What is the date for completion?
The date stated in the contract for which the project will be finished by
How does this differ from completion date?
Completion date is when the project is finished wheres date for completion is the projected date that also considers the EOT
What is practical completion?
When the works are substantially complete with minor defects only
The employer is able to gain beneficial occupancy of the development
Half retention is released
The employer surrenders the right to apply liquidated damages
What is sectional completion
The completion and handover of the works to the employer in agreed stages
What is partial possession?
Where the employer requests and the contractor consents to the employer taking possession of the works
What is the difference between partial and sectional completion?
Sectional completion is a contractual obligation to hand over the section at the stated date, partial possession relies on the contractor’s consent
What is the rectification period?
This is the time period where the contractor has a contractual obligation to make good any defects
What is a non-completion certificate?
This is issued the employer to certify that the works or work section have not been completed by the relevant completion date
What are the consequences of a non-completion certificate?
Employer may apply LDs
What are the three ways that benefits can be transferred over under JCT contracts?
Collateral Warranties
Third party rights
Assignment
What are collateral warranties?
These create a contractual relationships between the main parties of the contract with an external third party
The contractual relationship would not exist with the third party due to privity of contract
Why are Collareral warranties used?
Due to the principle of privity of contract , the rights and obligations under a contract can only be enforced by a party to that contract
Collateral warranties give remedies to external third parties that due to privity of contract would not otherwise have them
Who might want a collateral warranty?
Any third party with a financial investment in a project but not a party to the main contract
Key subcontractors
What are the common clauses/terms in collateral warranties?
Obligations of the collateral warranties should mirror that of the main agreement
Common terms include:
Limitation of liability
Reasonable skill and care or fitness for purppose
Requirements for PI insurance
Assignment rights
Novation rights
What is available to protect clients from sub -contractors failing?
Collateral warranties. In the event the subcontractor fails to carry out their obligations the employer can have a contractual remedy to sue the subcontractor for a breach of contract
A performance bond can also be used
What is a bond?
A guarantee from the surety in favour of employer that the contractual obligations will be fulfilled by the main contractor.
The bond if called upon will provide financial compensation up to a stated value if the other party does not fulfil their obligations under the contract.
It does not guarantee the completion of the works
What form must a bond be in?
Must be in writing
It will contain a duration, usually until practical completion and a financial limit
What is a Retention Bond?
This is an alternative to the normal contractual retention provisions whereby the Employer holds retention money from the Contractor, which does not help the Contractor’s cashflow
When would you use a retention bond?
When the client does not wish to hold retention on the contractor but requires some assurance or financial cover for rectifying defects at the end of the contract in the event that the contractor fails to return and correct them himself
What is a parent company guarantee?
An arrangement where the contractual performance of one company in a corporate group is underwritten by the the other members of that corporate group
This means that it must complete the works itself if it can or pay financial equivalent
What does parent company guarantee do?
Typically provided by banks or insurance companies
They give the employer a guarantee of payment up ti a stated amount should they suffer a loss as result of the contractors breach of his contractual obligations
What is the standard value of a performance bond?
10% of the contract value, the premium for taking out a bond is added to the contract sum
How can the employer call for payment?
Employer has to prove that the contractor has defaulted in their obligations under the main contract and that loss has been suffered
What is the purpose of a tender bond?
This covers the party inviting the tender if the lowest tenderer refuses to enter into contract with them
This can be important if the inviting party is in turn tendering for work on the basis of that tender
What is a notional final account
A final account that is prepared when the main contractor is facing insolvency
This will typically be of a greater value than the original forecast final account due to costs incurred by the client to appoint a new contractor
What is the purpose of a materials off site bond?
Off site material bond is used to ensure materials are delivered to site. If they fail to deliver the materials employer can then call on the bond
Where might bonds be appropriate?
If the contractor is relatively new and unproved
In difficult economics climate
What are the pros and cons of Parent Company Guarantees
Cons : They are not as secure as bonds
Pros: They do not need to be paid for, they can be unlimited, and they can make the parent company responsible for performance as well as a financial guarantee
What is an ‘on demand’ bond?
Bond that is paid straight away upon the default occurring and request for payment
There is no requirement to satisfy any review or specific conditions to demonstrate the default
Whereas with conditional bonds, the employer must satisfy the surety that the default has occured and the bond must identify what this condition is.
What provisions are available for ensuring Contractor carries out works properly?
Parent company guarantee or performance bonds
On P Programme you drafted 12 call of contracts, how did you go about doing that?
Within the framework contract there was a template set out to populate the call of contract so I followed that closely to populate various details like project reference, any documents like project spec and drawings.
Once this was done I had my peers carry out a review to ensure no error are made and the procurement department to sign it off.
Explain your understanding of a call of contract?
Simply, call off contracts are individual contracts that fall under framework agreements
You mentioned payment terms. What Act legislates payment terms in the construction industry?
Housing Grants Construction and Regeneration Act 1996
However Part 8 of the Local Democracy, Economic Development 2009 and Construction Act substantially amends the Construction Act around payment terms.
- to increase clarity and certainty as to payment in construction contracts;
- to introduce a ‘fairer’ payment regime, and improve rights for contractors to suspend their work in non-payment circumstances; and
- to make adjudication more accessible for the resolution of disputes
How did you ensure accuracy of the call of contracts?
By having my peers and the procurement department sign it off prior to issue. It was critical that these contracts were fully accurate and error free as they would become focal points of reference
What was the process of drafting the call of contract agreements?
On Capital maintenance projects you implemented change control procedures. Talk me through that process.
What is a force manure event ?
Force majeure is used to describe an event that occurs which is beyond the control of the parties
How did you ensure the changes aligned with project budgets
The CMP projects always had a 15% contingency pot and this was monitored at all times to ensure any budget changes don’t go over the authority.
How did you assess the changes on the CMP scheme?
I effectively had to assess if the changes were contractually sufficient and this was by understanding if the contractor was liable or was it the client.
Under NEC can you contractually issue a change request/compensation event?
Yes, the Compensation Event mechanism is a procedure of initiating a change under the NEC contract and will be typically issued when a matter has occured that has impacted, price, quality or time.
It considers both time and cost
What forms of contract are you aware of?
FIDIC, NEC, JCT, ICE
What changes were made from Construction Act 1998 to 2009
- Contracts do not have to be in writting they can be partly in writting oh wholly orally.
- Construction contracts will have to require a payment notice to be given for every payment provided for by the contract, not later than five days after the payment due date.
- Improved access to adjuducationIt is no longer allowable to define within a contract who should bear the cost of adjudication, and adjudicators have the right to correct errors in their decisions within 5 days of delivering that decision
LDEDCA 2009
Part 8 of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act substantially amends the Construction Act
- To increase clarity and certainty as to payment in construction contracts;
- To introduce a ‘fairer’ payment regime, and improve rights for contractors to suspend their work in non-payment circumstances; and
- To make adjudication more accessible for the resolution of dispute
The first and most significant change to the Construction Act is the abolition of the requirement for construction contracts to be in writing
Under the HGCR Act a construction contract must have an ‘adequate mechanism’ for determining what payments are due, and when they become payable. The term ‘adequate mechanism’ was not defined, but the intention was to prevent pay-when-paid provisions
The Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act what can you tell me about it
The Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996 (HGCRA 1996) is a UK legislation that significantly impacts the construction industry. Here’s a summary of its key provisions and objectives
- The right to be paid in interim, periodic or stage payments.
- The right to be informed of the amount due, or any amounts to be withheld by issuing payment notices
- The right to suspend performance for non-payment.
- The right to adjudication.
- Disallowing pay when paid clauses.
Talk me through the process of advising the uplift rate
I advised my client on what the new rates for the contractors should be based on the contractual mechanism stated for rate uplifts within the contract.
Besides CPIH, what other indices are you aware of?
TPI,
Where would you find the indices for uplifts?
Office for national statistics
BCIS