Residential Construction Contracts
|
Browse the Web for residential construction contracts and you'll see braggadocio
about some boilerplate contract being "legal in all 50 states."
Claims like this show up on Web sites run by savvy people with good credentials
but who should know better. If you've been working as a New Jersey contractor for
a while, you know how foolish it is for any vendor to claim their residential construction
contract forms are "legal in all 50 states."
|
 |
Every state has the right to set unique requirements for construction contracts.
And New Jersey certainly has.
You can take this to the bank: New Jersey residential construction contract forms
are unique. Residential construction contract forms from any other state will not
meet New Jersey requirements.
Construction contract law varies from state to state the same way income tax law
varies from state to state. Imagine the reaction if you tried to file a New Jersey
or New York income tax return with the Montana Department of Revenue. You'd probably
be breaking the law in two states.
Even if you aren't concerned about fines and jail time, consider the impact if you
get into a dispute before collecting final payment. The attorney for your client
won't be impressed with your "legal in all 50 states" contract. More likely,
you'll discover that the contract is either partially or totally unenforceable under
New Jersey law. Game over! You lose. Run, don't walk, to the nearest exit. You're
not going to collect another dime on that contract.
When you see the claim, "legal in all 50 states," I recommend thinking
"probably not legal in any state." The latter is far
more likely than the former.
Click
here to evaluate commercial or residential construction contract software
for New Jersey. The Try It download is free. Experiment all you want. When
you're ready to begin delivering contracts ready for signature, just click a button
to turn the trial version into the full Buy It version.
|