Law Flashcards
Mechanics Lien
A claim, like a mortgage or home equity loan, made against the property and recorded with the county recorder
The Preliminary Notice
Can be sent up to 20 days after the subcontractor starts work or the supplier provides material. The prime contractor and laborers do not send 20-Day Preliminary Notices; contractor law assumes the property owner already knows they are improving the property
Limited Liability Company (LLC)
Offers liability protection similar to that of a corporation but is taxed differently
Taxes & Permits
If the business is a sole ownership or partnership, estimated federal & state income taxes must be prepaid or paid quarterly
Performance Bonds
Guarantee the projects completion according to the building plans & specs. If the job is abandoned on the work unacceptable, the bonding company has the option of hiring another contractor to complete the work or settling for damages
Payment Bonds
Assures the owner that no liens for labor & materials will be filed against the property
Contract bonds
Guarantee both job completion & payment of all labor & materials
Contractor License Bonds
Each licensed contractor is required to carry a contractor bond; written to cover any project the contractor agrees to perform; penal sum is $12,500
Commercial General Liability Insurance (CGL)
Protects the insured contractor from liability to members of the public (other than employees) for bodily injury, property damage, or personal injury caused by virtually any activity
Under CGL, home improvement contractors must…
Disclose in writing whether they carry commercial general liability insurance
If contractors do carry CGL insurance, the contractors are required to…
provide the homeowner w/ name and # of the insurance company
Cash Basis of Accounting
Revenue is recognized when cash is actually or constructively received & expenses are deductible in the year paid (unless they should be taken in a different period in order to clearly reflect income
When to use Cash Basis of Accounting
A cash basis of accounting may be appropriate where no prepaid expense (e.g. insurance, rent), depreciable assets or inventories exist & where revenue is received during the accounting period
Accrual Basis of Accounting
Recognizes revenues when earned and expenses when incurred, regardless of when payment is received or made
- Accounts receivable is any money your customer owes you for goods or services they purchased from you in the past
- Accounts payable on the other hand are a liability account representing money that you owe another business
The percentage of completion (accounting)
Reports profits & losses regularly on the basis of actual work accomplished on each job
Current Liabilities
This item includes debts of the company that become due within one year of the balance sheet date
- Current assets are the source from which these payments are usually made
Cash
Immediately available or liquid funds
Retention
A specified Amt, usually 10%, withheld from progress payments to the contractor pending satisfactory completion & final acceptance of the project. This art you have already earned even though you have not been paid yet
Accounts Receivable
The Amt due from customers in payment for construction companies
Inventory
Includes all materials, labor, and direct and indirect overhead on jobs currently in progress
Prepaid Expenses
Goods or services the company buys and pays before use e.g. are insurance premiums and office supplies
Stockholder’s Equity
Also called net worth or equity, represents the claim of the owners on the assets of business
Capital Stock
The total Amt invested in the business by the contractor in exchange for shares of common stock at par value
Retained Earnings
Total corporation earnings from its beginning, minus the total dividends declared ( distribution to owners) since the corporation was founded. In other words, RE is the amount of net income left over for the business after it has paid out dividends to its shareholders
Two main aspects of financial analysis
- Comparison of current financial statements is ratio analysis within the current financial data is called a ratio
- Compare the current financial data with that of other businesses within the same industry
Ratio analysis
The relationship b/w any two figures w/i the current financial data is called a ratio
Current Ratio
The difference b/w total current assets & the total current liabilities
Quick Ratio
The quick ratio is another, more conservative way of testing the adequacy of the current liquidity of the company
Character
Includes experience w/ similar jobs & locations; business reputation w/ lenders suppliers, & subcontractor
Capacity
Requires an evaluation of current workload, availability of equipment & financial resources available
Certainty
Are the completion dates realistic?
Common pitfalls that can be avoided include…
- Bidding on projects for which the plans & specs are not completely understood
- Insufficient planning so that hurried analysis becomes necessary
- Overextension of the managerial &/or financial resources of the company
- Bidding against the competition & not the job
Lien Foreclosure Action
Is a lawsuit to foreclose the mechanics lien
Lis Pendens
Is a notice that a lawsuit is pending & that the lawsuit affects real property. It warns everyone who might acquire the property that he or she may be bound by an address judgement
Notice of Cessation
- Apprx. date when labor on the job has stopped
- Confirmation that no further labor has been performed since the recording of the notice
- Name & address of the owner
- Nature of the interest or estate or estate of the owner
Street address of the site - Name of the original contractor, if any, for the work of improvement
CAL/OSHA poster, Safety & Health Protection on the job
Each construction contractor is required to post at least one copy of this poster
Inactive license must be renewed every…
4 years
When you get an approved set of plans for the building department …
Read any notes
Excessive Amt of change orders?
Arrange for the owner to put funds into an escrow account of funding control company that will insure payment for each change order that is properly executed
Warranty will cover defects after how many years?
After completion
Arbitration`
The use of an arbiter to settle a dispute
In most construction contracts, the retention may be held up for how many days…
60 days as a guarantee that the prime pays the sub & suppliers