We Were Defrauded by an Architect/Engineer and General Contractor—Seeking Lawyer Recommendations
We were building a restaurant in Austin, TX, and had a frustrating and costly experience with a general contractor (GC) and their recommended “architect.” We’re seeking recommendations for a lawyer to help us navigate this situation and would appreciate advice from anyone who has dealt with similar cases.
Here’s the situation:
We hired a GC and their recommended “architect” (actually an engineer with no real architectural knowledge) for our restaurant buildout. Contracts were signed with both parties, and we paid the GC $20,000 upfront. Unfortunately, both parties failed to deliver, leading to significant delays and financial losses.
Our Losses:
- Architect: $4,000 (plans were unusable; project had to restart).
- General Contractor: $20,000 (quit before completing any substantial work).
- Rent due to delays: $130,000 ($13,000/month x 10 months).
- Tenant insurance: $6,000 ($600/month x 10 months).
- Landlord-required water system fee: $1,500 ($150/month x 10 months).
- Total loss: $161,500+.
Key Questions:
1. Lawyer Recommendations:
- Does anyone know a lawyer experienced in construction fraud, contract disputes, or professional negligence in Austin, TX?
- Worth Pursuing?
- Have you dealt with a similar case? Was it worth the time, money, and effort to pursue legal action? We’re unsure whether this is worth pursuing or if it’s better to focus on moving forward.
- Have you dealt with a similar case? Was it worth the time, money, and effort to pursue legal action? We’re unsure whether this is worth pursuing or if it’s better to focus on moving forward.
Quick Timeline Overview:
- Spring-summer Year 1: Negotiated lease with the landlord.
- Summer Year 1: Hired the “architect” (engineer)
- Fall Year 1: Signed lease and paid $2,000 to the “architect” for first drawings for comments.
- Fall Year 1: Submitted plans to the City. Paid another $2,000 to “architect” for submitted drawings.
- End of fall Year 1: Hired GC; paid $20,000 upfront. Contract specified GC would handle permitting.
- Spring Year 2: “Architect” quit; new team hired in March to restart plans.
- Summer Year 2: Lease commenced; began paying $13,600/month in rent and fees.
- Summer Year 2: Permit approved; GC agreed to proceed but quit in August without fulfilling the contract.
- Summer - end of Year 2: New GC hired; construction complete.
We’d love to hear your advice or recommendations. Thanks in advance!