Articles
Seasoned
I was on my way out at closing time when I stopped at the front desk to see if the company mail had been delivered. It seems there is no reliable time when it does arrive from the USPS. I observed,...
Small stuff
Several years ago, I had an oil leak under my high-mileage 2007 Impala. After crawling around under the vehicle I discovered transmission fluid was squirting out of an aluminum tube near the engine....
“In the past 25 years I’ve never had to lien a project before.”
I’ve heard this twice this year, and from good contractor accounts boasting quality workmanship, and solid in most every way. One a bigger commercial job, and another a new residential build for...
Business Concepts (introduction)
Experience has its advantages, and there are never fewer than two good, solid events in a busy workweek to learn from. I analyze perhaps deeper than most others. I tend to look well beyond the...
Lien it if you can
I had a client call me a few months back who wanted me to file a lien on his behalf on a project in a Detroit residential community. I’d filed some liens for “Jack” before, and usually they were...
How do you handle customers who don’t qualify for credit? Part 2 of 2
Now let’s get to the question we started with earlier: How do you handle customers who don’t qualify for credit? There are several companies that adhere rather strictly to policy and procedures with...
How do you handle customers who don’t qualify for credit? Part 1 of 2
I was prompted to attempt to answer the question to myself after noticing a similar question in a recent credit manager association group. I suppose we should first consider who does qualify for...
Protect your lien rights
There used to be a time when a lien was considered taboo in the construction industry. If a contractor liened the job (often working for the builder), the reaction was pretty clear – no more...
The project owner and the Michigan Builders Trust Fund Act
The very act of hiring work out on your construction project creates the potential for a lien. The passage of the Michigan Construction Lien Act 497 of 1980 created the guidelines by which a lien...
Avoid a construction lien – Know your contractor!
Customers ask me time and again how they can avoid getting a construction lien on their home or project. I don’t claim to have all the right answers nor can I offer legal advice. I do have something...