If you encounter a dispute involving leakage, alleged design or construction defects, or other construction-related problems, consider the following:
- Many disputes happen because parties disagree on the cause or the fix. Solve the technical problem, and you end the dispute.
- Other disputes happen because the parties lack credibility in each other’s eyes. Having a credible third party who can talk to both sides is a big help.
- Sometimes, people with good intentions waste time and money trying solutions that do not work. This can make the situation worse, not better.
We practice the art of winning people over to our side by presenting them with reliable facts, without giving in to unreasonable demands. We have had repeated success in building credibility with hard-boiled skeptics.
Case in Point
Solve the technical problem, and you end the dispute.
Leavitt Associates was contacted to resolve a problem in a recently completed condominium. After a long and arduous construction process, the last thing the owner, developer, and contractor wanted to think about was a construction problem. Unfortunately, there were leaks in a skylight, that had not gone away, despite several good-faith repair attempts.
The repair proposed by the glazing contractor was expensive, and it required extensive work within an occupied unit, so a stalemate ensued. Leavitt Associates was called in to propose an alternate solution that would be financially possible as well.
We studied the existing conditions and developed an effective, long-term solution, that could be installed from the exterior, without scaffolding inside the occupied unit. We got the parties to agree to the solution, hired a contractor to implement the repair, supervised the work, and water tested the completed skylight, for a cost that the developer was very willing to pay, including our own consulting fee. The owners were satisfied, because their problem was solved.
