Reaching For the Playbook
Too often, contractors and design professionals reach for the same playbook over and over when confronted by building owners with concerns about the quality of their work. They pledge to fix the problem. They deny and deflect. Their endgame is to wear down project owners and run out the clock on litigation. It often works.
Problems Surface at Marquee Residential Tower
That’s precisely what happened for the owner of a prominent Dallas residential tower after major problems surfaced that rendered the quality of the building far less than promised. Although the designer and builder had promised the best amenities money could buy, the HVAC system was riddled with problems caused by defective or improperly installed mechanical parts. The owner’s concerns languished, and the Gravely team was hired after it became clear that the contractor and design professionals expected the owner to live with it.
Litigation Team Gets to Work
The Gravely team has a playbook of its own. That starts with bringing in specifically qualified and courtroom-tested experts to investigate and taking an aggressive approach to litigation. This approach routinely uncovers the kind of smoking guns – including discrepancies between designs and the actual work performed – that change the negotiation dynamics.
In this case, the team discovered the root causes of the problems along with problems with other systems that were not compliant and not of the quality promised. Litigation in this matter is pending.
