Legal Issues

  • Remodelers and Lien Laws

    Understand lien laws and be proactive about protecting your rights to get paid.

     
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    Moves Toward Legislating Mandatory Paid Leave Gain a Foothold

    For small businesses, the threat of legislation making paid leave mandatory is gaining ground.

     
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    Lien Waivers Offer Protection for Both Contractors and Their Clients

    Chances are good that most home­owners don’t know what a lien waiver is, but remodelers would do well to tell them. Subcontractors can file a mechanic’s lien on property they work on in the event of a dispute over payment, but asking subs to sign a waiver ensures that won’t happen.

     
  • Colorado Congressman Proposes GREEN Act of 2008

    The bill, which would provide lending incentives to encourage energy-efficient and sustainable building, gains USGBC support, mixed reaction from NAHB.

     
  • New lead information pamphlet required beginning in December 2008

    On March 31, after years of research, proposals, debate, and revisions, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued its final rule on lead-safe work practices. The rule fulfills the EPA's obligation — laid out in the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992 — to “establish...

     
  • Q+A: Do You Negotiate Discounts with Dealers?

    I like telling my clients that when they go into one of my suggested sales centers, they will be given my price. However, I pass my dealer discounts on to them. I want them to see the prices I'm paying for their goods.

     
  • Watch Out for Telemarketing Fines

    In November 2007, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reported a sweeping crackdown on several large companies accused of violating the requirements of the National Do Not Call (DNC) Registry, resulting in six settlements collectively imposing nearly $7.7 million in civil penalties.

     
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    New Worker Classification Laws in Illinois, New Jersey

    Recent legislation in Illinois and New Jersey places new emphasis on proper classification of construction employees in those states. The impact of these new laws on remodelers could be as major as a complete restructuring for some companies, and as minor as a clerical inconvenience for others.

     
  • Limits on telemarketing

    About 140 million phone numbers are listed on the National Do Not Call (DNC) registry, but confusion remains for telemarketers and consumers, particularly regarding cell phones. Here are the facts:

     
  • House Rules

    The transfer of power in Congress has broad implications for the building industry.