Practice
Property and construction
Defective work, unpaid contractors, liens, boundary lines, and real estate deals that went wrong.
Construction and property disputes run on paperwork: the contract, the change orders, the lien notice, the survey, the deed. They also run on deadlines, some of them short, for liens and warranty claims especially.
Merritt represents homeowners, small builders, subcontractors and property owners. She works with the engineers, surveyors and inspectors who explain to a judge or jury what went wrong and what fixing it costs.
Which side
Homeowners with defective or unfinished work
Contractors and subcontractors who haven’t been paid
Owners in boundary, easement or title disputes
Disputes she takes on
Defective construction
Cracked foundations, leaking roofs and work that doesn’t meet the contract or code.
Mechanic’s liens
Filing a lien to get paid, or removing one that shouldn’t be on your property.
Payment disputes
Retainage, change orders, and draws that stopped halfway through a job.
Boundary and easement disputes
Fences, driveways and access roads, settled with a survey and the deed history.
Purchase and sale disputes
Sellers who hid defects, and buyers who backed out without a reason the contract allows.
Commercial lease disputes
Landlords and business tenants arguing over repairs, rent or an early exit.
Questions
What people ask about property and construction
A contractor put a lien on my house. What can I do?
Check first whether the lien was filed on time and with the right notice; many aren’t. If it was, the dispute is about the debt behind it, and a bond can sometimes clear the title while that’s decided.
Is there a deadline to sue over bad construction?
Yes, and it can be short. It depends on the claim and the contract, which is why it’s worth a call soon after you find the problem.
Do I need an expert?
Usually, yes. A judge or jury needs someone qualified to say what went wrong and what it costs to fix. Merritt will tell you when one is needed and roughly what one costs.
Should I let the contractor come back to fix it?
Sometimes that’s the fastest answer. Photograph everything and get the offer in writing first, so the record stays intact if the fix fails.
A job, a lien or a line in dispute?
Bring the contract, the photographs and the survey if you have one.