Blog

Sarah Fox

How long is too long?

It has been said (although not by me) that one aims for contracts is to take account of eventualities that can be foreseen, and to ensure that the intentions of the parties are expressed clearly, with certainty, and that the allocation of risks is as intended. But what is the

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Can you understand your contract?

I hate to make assumptions or to speculate wildly, but… I have a sneaking suspicion that you don’t always understand your contracts. My hunch? When I wrote this post in 2013, my evidence was largely anecdotal. It came from: lawyers’ websites which state that ‘clients do not understand exactly what

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Key decisions on a construction project

A construction project can be divided into distinct phases. This blog reviews the key decision crunchpoints (see also my slideshare stages of a construction project). From the Start The project begins when a client considers she has a business need which may be met by developing new premises. Action: Investigate

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Cashflow and Carillion?

In 2013, you couldn’t fail to be aware of the debate going on in the media as a result of the announcement from Carillion that it was going to extend its payment terms for subcontractors to 120 days. Buy why does it matter so much? Cashflow is king As far

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Get your T&C signed

How can you make sure your terms and conditions (T&C) get into your contracts? Sometimes you’ll need to win the battle of the forms (read more), but a better approach is to get your contract/proposal/T&C signed in person or accepted by email. A lazy process? When you agree with another

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A photo of the head and shoulders of a sculpture of a person, created from letters and alphabetical characters of all origins including Hebrew and Arabic and Japanese. There is a blue sky and bright sunshine seen behind and through the person. The ash tree on the left of the image is just begining to come into bud. Sculpture by Jaume Plensa at Yorkshire Sculpture Park. Photo by Sarah Fox
Sarah Fox

Is your letter of intent a contract?

There are five essentials for a contract: offer acceptance intention to create a contract consideration (the price or a promise) and certain & complete terms. Whether any specific agreement, document, text or voice-message meets all those requirements is a matter of fact to be determined by a court. Was it

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A photo of a medusa like face screaming in horror. The sculpture is a relief in stone and seen at Powis Castle, Wales. Photo by Sarah Fox
Sarah Fox

Review your bond: is it on demand?

Being the recipient of a bond is a little like being given a betting slip. The bond, of which you are now a proud owner, promises much. It may even be the key to huge wealth. Or, in the end, it may prove to be a worthless piece of paper.

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Can you avoid collateral warranties?

One definition of insanity (attributed to, but never said by, Albert Einstein) is ‘doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.‘ This is how it feels to work with collateral warranties. If you don’t know what a collateral warranty is then head to what is a

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A photo of an art installation at Yorkshire Sculpture Park where letters dangle down a wire like beads on a curtain. In the background are the grounds of the park including a high hedge. The letters represent the text included in collateral warranties and other contracts. Photo by Sarah Fox
Sarah Fox

Critical questions for reviewing collateral warranties

Warranties, in construction, are unusual documents. The two parties (the companies who sign the warranty) rarely meet and have little communication with and no control over each other. A collateral warranty is: an agreement between a provider of goods, works or services (the warrantor) and a tenant, purchaser or funder

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A photo of the head and shoulders of a gorgeous fluffy tortoiseshell female cat called Pooka. She is glaring at an off-shot ginger male cat who lives in the house she has just moved to. Photo by Sarah Fox
Sarah Fox

Is possession really 9/10ths of the law?

This morning I ended up in a lively discussion over breakfast about who ‘owned’ Pooka, the cat in the photo. Our discussion was frivolous. But what about plant, materials, equipment or goods on a construction site? Then the debate really does matter. Who owns construction materials? There are two types

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