Whether you’re a prime
contractor, or a subcontractor, you deal with legal issues every
day. In fact, you’re called a contractor because you contract out to
do a particular job. Write an inadequate contract and someone’s
going to pay – probably you. But contracts aren’t the only dangers.
Customers sometimes have second thoughts when it comes time for them
to pay, and often there are elements in a job that you thought were
clearly understood, but the customer seems to have been at a
different conversation.
We all see things from our own perspective, but
the law is the foundation that keeps things straight. You need to
know what the law requires you to do, and what protections the law
offers you. But law school isn’t usually an option, and you probably
don’t have the money for an attorney to follow you around all day to
make sure you’re protected.
This book is the next-best thing. It tells you
where the pitfalls are hiding – the snakes in the swamp that’ll
gobble you up – and in simple English, tells you exactly how to
avoid them. You won’t find any legal gibberish here – just plain,
step-by-step instructions on what you should and shouldn’t be doing
to get through the swamp of legal hazards to a safe and profitable
bottom line:
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How should you set up your company?
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What should be in every contract
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Collecting what’s owed you
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What if someone’s injured on the job?
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Protecting yourself from dishonest customers
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What should you know about warranties?
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Protecting your assets
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When is an attorney your best option?
Whether you’re an experienced contractor who’s
paid too much to too many lawyers, or a newcomer without the
experience or financial backing to risk a legal battle, this book
will guide you away from danger spots and along a safer path.
Includes a CD-ROM with blank copies of all the
legal forms, notices and contracts shown in the book, plus extra
blank forms, with instructions. Just load the forms off the CD and
print, or fill them out right on screen.
Quenda Behler Story is an attorney specializing
in construction law. For almost 20 years, she and her husband worked
in the construction field. Here she saw first hand, and through
painful and expensive experience, the legal pitfalls that lie in
wait for every contractor. Her interest in the legal side of the
business led her to make construction law her specialty and make her
career helping contractors stay out of trouble. Now, she is a
consultant on legal issues that impact builders and subcontractors,
and a frequent lecturer on the subject. Because of her expertise,
she was chosen by the Journal of Light Construction to be their
legal columnist. Since 1994, she has in her column advised on
hundreds of legal problems from contractors nationwide, and has
written An Ounce of Prevention, for Home Builder Press.
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