Author Archives: Jay Butchko
Justification vs. Excuse Defenses
In criminal defense cases, defendants and their lawyers will use various defenses to avoid criminal liability. While there are many excuses that may be used, they boil down to two main types: justification and excuse. These are defenses used in criminal law to argue that a person should be considered guilty of their alleged… Read More »
Common Construction Issue: Water Intrusion
Constructing a home or other type of building from the ground up is a laborious task. It is never easy, as there are so many elements to consider. One thing that contractors have to be aware of in Florida is water intrusion. Even though Florida is known as the Sunshine State, water is a… Read More »
Best Ways to Resolve Construction Disputes
If you’re the general contractor for a large construction project, you can bet that you will experience some hiccups along the way. Sometimes there may be minor issues that you can resolve easily with the client. In other cases, disputes can cause delays, cost money, and threaten the overall progress of your job. While… Read More »
Florida Contractor Concerns for 2025
Construction is expected to be on the rise in Florida this year. Construction companies are seeing more communication from prospective clients now that the election is over. While this may seem like good news, of course there are concerns. A survey shows that 46% of Florida respondents cite material costs as a top concern…. Read More »
Florida Woman Charged With Fraud, Forgery
Check forgery is a common crime. It involves illegal use of checks, such as stealing them from someone or using them when there is not enough money to cover them. A Florida woman was recently arrested for trying to cash stolen checks and forging checks that did not belong to her. The incidents occurred… Read More »
Manatee County Dealing With Construction Dust Issues
Construction companies often have to deal with concerns from those who are not their clients. For example, dust issues from breaking ground can cause health and contamination issues for those who live nearby. Dust is currently an issue in Florida. Nearly a year after first raising concerns, residents say developers in Manatee County have… Read More »
Concrete Defects in Construction
Almost all major construction jobs need concrete at some point. However, the process of mixing, curing, and pouring concrete is not easy. It can be defective in many ways. Broken concrete, especially when used for the foundation of a structure, can be a huge problem. Even visible cracks in the concrete may indicate a… Read More »
What Are Hard Costs and Soft Costs in Construction?
No matter what type of construction project you are working on, you need to understand one main thing: costs. Running a large construction job is costly. It’s not uncommon to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars in materials and labor to build a home. Because of this, estimating skills are important. Accurate cost estimation… Read More »
Driving With a Suspended License
Many Florida residents get their driver’s license at age 16, but some people get their licenses suspended at some point for various reasons. For example, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs leads to automatic suspension. Excessive traffic violations can be a cause. So can driving without insurance, failure to appear in court, … Read More »
Tips to Effectively Manage Subcontractors
As a general contractor, you likely wish you could do everything on your own and save money, but that is simply impossible. You will likely need subcontractors to help with areas such as concrete, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC. However, choosing the right subcontractor for your job is not an easy task. Unless you already… Read More »
