
The Virginia Senate Judiciary Committee, in a rare showing of bipartisan support, voted unanimously 13-0 on Wednesday night (February 5, 2020) to advance the new “state contract statute of limitations” bill to the Senate Finance Committee for further review and approval. This follows unanimous (and bipartisan) approval of a substantially similar companion bill on Monday afternoon (February 3, 2020) by the House of Delegates Courts of Justice Civil Subcommittee. The House bill will also go to the House Finance Committee for review and approval.
The Senate bill, which is substantially similar to the companion House bill, would impose on the Commonwealth a fifteen-year limitations period in which to bring lawsuits against contractors and design professionals on state projects. (Current state law imposes absolutely no limitations period on the Commonwealth, so that in theory the state could bring a lawsuit fifty or even one hundred years after completion of work – it’s good to be the King!)
The proposed new statute would retain the five-year limitation period on lawsuits against performance sureties and adds: (1) a five-year limitation period on the Commonwealth following discovery and written notice by the Commonwealth of a design or construction defect (in the case of latent, undiscovered defects the 15-year period would apply), and (2) the ability of general contractors and design professionals to pass down the same 15-year limitation period to subcontractors and subconsultants, thus remedying the problem presented by the Hensel Phelps and Radiance Capital cases.
The Hirschler Construction Team supported both the House and Senate bills in the General Assembly and we expect the new statute to be signed by the Governor and to become law on July 1, 2020.
As president of Hirschler and head of the firm's litigation section, Courtney knows how to lead people and projects to a successful outcome.
Leveraging deep experience in the construction industry, Courtney advises public and ...
Liz combines enthusiasm and diligence to help her clients resolve complex disputes. Whether the dispute is a construction claim, a breach of contract, or a business tort, Liz brings focus and determination to every case. Liz has ...
Kelly’s practice focuses on construction law, commercial and product liability law, with an emphasis on dispute resolution—including mediation, arbitration, jury and bench trials in state and federal court. She routinely ...
Nate fully engages in each case and shoulders his clients’ needs. Communication, efficiency and careful judgment define his practice. In every case, he investigates competing claims to thoroughly understand their strengths ...
A professional engineer (P.E.) and an experienced lawyer, Webb began practicing at Hirschler Fleischer following four years of work as a consulting engineer. His multidisciplinary practice focuses on general business and ...
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