Blogs

The recent Florida appellate case of Bandklayder Development, LLC v. Sabga, provides an important lesson regarding damages for construction defects – that damages for construction defects must be proven based on costs of repair measured as of the date of the breach, not current repair costs as of the time of trial.  Otherwise, as the plaintiff homeowners learned too late in the Bandklayder case, even a valid claim for construction defects will fail under Florida law.

President-elect Donald Trump recently stated on November 25, 2024, his intention to impose tariffs of 25% on all goods coming from Mexico and Canada on his first day in office unless those countries do more to stop the flow of migrants and the opioid fentanyl into the United States. Among other commodities, significant amounts of lumber and steel critical to the construction industry come from Canada. Cement and gypsum for drywall are also imported from Mexico and Canada in significant quantities. 

This past Friday, employers scored a victory when a Texas federal judge struck down the Department of Labor’s (DOL) rule which increased the salary levels for the Fair Labor Standards Act’s (FLSA) executive, administrative, professional, and highly compensated employee overtime exemptions. The court’s ruling vacated the DOL’s entire rule and blocks its application nationwide.

Shutts & Bowen would like to inform you that earlier this week the U.S. Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) announced a temporary postponement of the Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) reporting deadlines for companies impacted by recent hurricanes and other major storms. This extension aims to alleviate the burden on businesses and individuals grappling with recovery efforts.