Monthly Archives: January 2015

This weekend’s Super Bowl between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks is being played in Glendale, Arizona at the University of Phoenix Stadium. Home to the Arizona Cardinals of the NFL, University of Phoenix Stadium was constructed at a cost of $455 million and took 3 years to build.

Payment clauses … no construction contract clause has a more immediate impact on the bottom line for contractors of all shapes and sizes. Understanding payment clauses can be the key to knowing when to press for payment or not and, ultimately, whether payment will ever arrive for work on a project. Careful review of your contracts with the help of counsel is a shrewd approach; but here are the basics at the risk of over-simplification.

Following the lead set in President Obama’s Executive Order 13658, the Department of Labor’s Wage & Hour Division issued a final rule raising the minimum wage for workers providing labor on federal construction and service contracts to $10.10 an hour.This final rule applies to new and replacement contracts that result from solicitations after January 1, 2015. It also places the Secretary of Labor in charge of setting the minimum wage beginning in 2016 with the restriction that the Secretary cannot ever lower it.

One of the biggest commercial real estate brokerage firms in New Jersey is reporting some positive numbers for New Jersey’s real estate and construction economy. According to recent information released by the company, new industrial space was built at the fastest pace seen since 2002 last year. In addition, nearly 12 million square feet of existing tenant space was reabsorbed by the tenants back in the market.

The construction industry is a great way to earn a living and offers the opportunity for workers to offer tangible improvements to the world around them.

In what appears to be a public private partnership agreement of large proportions, Hill International has been awarded a 4 year contract by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority for the Garden State Parkway and the New Jersey Turnpike. The contract, worth $33.7 million, will require Hill to provide construction management services on a number of projects and inspection services in support of the Facilities Improvement Program.

Owners and contractors on Pennsylvania construction projects are familiar with the Contractor and Subcontractor Payment Act (“CASPA”). CASPA requires owners to pay contractors in accordance with the terms of their contract, and for contractors to pay subcontractors in accordance with the terms of the subcontract. If payments are not timely made without a good faith reason, CASPA allows an unpaid contractor or subcontractor to recover (in addition to the amount owed) interest at the rate of 1% per month, penalties at the rate of 1% per month, and attorney’s fees incurred to collect payment.

At Kaplin Stewart, we strive to constantly adapt to the changing times and give our clients the value added services they need.  This endeavor is, in part, why we have a blog and utilize social media.  To make these services as effective as possible, we also like to inquire with our readers as to what they would like to hear from us. 

Happy New Year from everyone at Kaplin Stewart.  May 2015 be prosporous and bring you good health and many blessings.