Attorney Seth Chastain recently represented a pair of homeowners in West Seattle who brought claims against a contractor for a botched home remodel project. The contractor’s substandard work left the homeowners with a number of construction defects in their home, including broken doors, cracked drywall, broken bathroom fixtures, and misapplied paint.
After getting an independent estimate to repair the defects, the contractor claimed that he did not have any funds to pay the homeowners for the fixes. So Seth filed a lawsuit against the contractor and its contractor’s bond, and then he quickly worked to get the contractor’s liability insurer involved. Initially, the insurer questioned coverage and claimed that it would only pay about $1,000 to settle the homeowners’ claims. Seth repeatedly pressured the insurer on the homeowners’ claims and ultimately got the insurer to settle the case for close to $20,000.
In another recent case, Seth represented a contractor against a homeowner’s construction defect claims and assisted in tendering the claims to the contractor’s insurer. The insurer initially concluded that there was no coverage, but after Seth sent a demand letter to the insurer detailing how the insurer had violated the Washington Insurance Fair Conduct Act, the insurer paid the homeowner’s claim and reimbursed the contractor in full for his fees and costs.
Contact Seth if you need help with your construction defect matter.
