Construction projects involve some documentations from all the involved parties. Since a construction project is complex, the documentation is crucial to avoid and tackle unforeseen events. From these one documentations, one is a clause making provision for the contractors. The clause held responsible the contractor for any damages caused during the project. Such damages are commonly termed as liquidated damages. Liquidated damages usually are claimed when the contract is breached. The breach must be from the contractor’s side if the owner claims the liquidated damages. To know more about the term and what is the role of delay experts in such situations, read this article to the full.
What are liquidated damages?
Liquidated damages are the estimate of the losses which are caused by a construction contract breach. The losses are often hard to explain or intangible in some cases. This is a kind of provision which held a party responsible for causing the damages and make it pay the other party. Such situations are termed as disputes where the role of delay experts matters the most. The experts will tend to solve the issue among the disputing parties sing their expertise and skills.
How are they processed?
The liquidated damages are often agreed upon before the construction process begins. When something wrong happens, the owner claims the damages, and the contractor has to pay that amount. The construction claim will be made through court and will involve all the legalities. If the agreed-upon damages are more than the actual damages, the client must apply for unliquidated damages (actual damages).
Inclusions in liquidated damage:
Liquidated damages are often posed when the contractor fails to meet the project terms. Upon the contract breach, the owner must be compensated. What factors are included in liquidated damage? Or what costs should the contractor pay the owner? These are frequently asked questions about the term, and here are the answers to these questions.
- If the contract is breached and the parties are trying to bring it back to the schedule, the contractor will pay for the temporary accommodation. These are rental charges for the temporary accommodation of the owner.
- A contractor will pay the maintenance and removal costs, if any. The construction site may confront the removal of several items. The price for which shall be paid by the contractor.
- If there are any extra running charges, that too shall be paid by the contractor.
The delay experts often propose all these provisions once the contract is breached. An experienced professional’s services must be acquired since they can agree with all the parties involved.
What role the delay experts play?
Construction disputes are often hazardous and require someone as an intermediary to solve the issue among the parties. Who but the delay experts would better serve the cause. The role of these experts in such cases is matchless. These experienced professionals must be contacted to acquire their services. They ensure the dispute is solved smoothly, compensating the loss-bearing party. Without their services, the disputes would have stretched for a prolonged time. Following are some of the scenarios where the experts can play their roles.
1. Inappropriate estimation:
Too often, the estimates made before the construction project are inappropriate. When the time comes, the breaching party objects to the estimates since they are too high in some cases. The estimate numbers are randomly thrown during a contract negotiation, which becomes disputed in the later stages. The involved parties often fail to recognize the project’s potential damages, ending in wrong estimates. The process could be smooth enough, and the term “damage” could be alleviated from the scene if the services of delay experts are acquired. They know how to settle things, making both the parties agree to their proposed terms and conditions.
2. Confusion in unliquidated and liquidated damages:
The involved parties often make provisions that are either too high or too low. The too high are not accepted by the contractor and the too low by the owner. This leads to a confusion of liquidated and unliquidated damages where the involved parties fail to decide. The delay expert solves the issue by making a proper estimate, and all the parties agree to it, hence resolving the dispute.
3. Legal compliances:
The involved parties often lack information about the legalities involved in the process. A delay expert makes the parties legally compliant and legally solve the issues. Often the court activities require a set of documents from both parties. The expert will inform the parties about the necessary documents, making them legally compliant.
Why is the inclusion of professionals mandatory?
Construction project disputes can’t be solved without an intermediary. The intermediary is always the delay expert who solves the many problems among the construction contract parties. The involvement of these individuals in the process is mandatory since they have the required knowledge to tackle the situation.