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Volume 5 - Number 39 | October 1, 2007

EDITOR'S NOTES
Oral agreements—are they legal? Do they stand up in court? It depends. This week, we look at two such agreements. One is binding. The other is not. In the first, a subcontractor circumvents a non-paying prime contractor by making a verbal agreement directly with the owner for payment. When the owner doesn’t pay up, the subcontractor sues and wins. In the second, a verbal agreement between the prime contractor and its subcontractor fails because the prime’s contract contained a clause precluding verbal agreements.

In an unrelated topic, evolving communication technology can wreak havoc on notification requirements for public agencies. Does an online posting of a change in a prevailing wage statute satisfy the agency’s duty to notify its contractor of the changes? In this case, no. A more concerted notification is needed, says the state appeals court.


PROJECT OWNER’S PAYMENT PROMISE TO SUBCONTRACTOR ENFORCED
A material contract breach between a contractor and its subcontractor prompts the deadline-motivated owner to promise direct payment to the sub. That promise stands up in court after the owner fails to pay the sub.

CONTRACTOR’S CLAUSE PRECLUDED COMMITMENT WITHOUT WRITTEN SUBCONTRACT
A verbal agreement between a prime contractor and potential subcontractor does not create a binding agreement between the parties, especially in light of an inception clause that protected the prime from such agreements.

WEBSITE POSTING DID NOT FULFILL STATUTORY NOTICE REQUIREMENT
An online announcement of a change in a prevailing wage statute does not satisfy a public agency’s legal requirement to inform a hired contractor of rate changes.