{"id":898595,"date":"2021-03-24T11:04:17","date_gmt":"2021-03-24T17:04:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.myconstructionexpert.com\/blog\/?p=898595"},"modified":"2021-03-24T11:04:22","modified_gmt":"2021-03-24T17:04:22","slug":"force-majeure-provision-relief","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myconstructionexpert.com\/blog\/force-majeure-provision-relief\/","title":{"rendered":"Force Majeure: What are the Chances for Relief?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Kent B. Scott | Babcock, Scott & Babcock<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Introduction<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is a substantial increase in the cost of materials covered by a force majeure <\/em>provision?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In short, the answer is dependent on the terms of the specific contract. If a contract is a fixed price contract, an increase in the cost of materials likely will not be covered by a force majeure<\/em> provision<\/a>. Moreover, if a contract is a fixed price contract and <\/em>it contains a \u201cno damage for delay\u201d provision, then it is very likely an increase in the cost of material will not be covered by a force majeure <\/em>provision. Since it is unlikely a substantial increase in the cost of materials will trigger a force majeure<\/em> provision, it is not necessary to determine what the appropriate remedy would be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Analysis<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Applying Florida law, the Eleventh Circuit found that a contractor who entered into a fixed price contract with a property owner and subsequently saw a substantial increase in its costs due to effects of a series of hurricanes, which caused a shortage of labor and material, was precluded from recovering additional labor and material costs from the force majeure <\/em>events \u2013 i.e., the hurricanes. S&B\/BIBB Hines PB 3 Joint Venture v. Progress Energy Fla., Inc.<\/em>, 365 Fed. Appx. 202, 203, 205 (11th Cir. 2010). In S&B<\/em>, the parties\u2019 contract required the contractor to \u201cprovide pricing for [all material, equipment, workmanship, labor, engineering, and any other items or labor performed or furnished] at a firm fixed price.\u201d Id.<\/em>at 203. The contract further contained a \u201cno damage for delay\u201d provision that provided \u201cthat in no event shall Contractor be entitled to any increased costs, additional compensation, or damages of any type resulting from such Force Majeure delays<\/em>\u201d Id. <\/em>at 204. The court ultimately found that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

it would subvert the entire purpose of a fixed price contract to allow [the contractor] to recover additional labor and materials costs when the benefit of a fixed price contract is to protect against price increases, labor shortages, material shortages, and the like. In contracting for the fixed price construction job, \u2018the parties thoroughly addressed and allocated the risks\u2019 inherent in the project, and [the contractor] could have increased its prices to reflect the risks it was assuming.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Id. <\/em>at 205-06 (quoting Marriot Corp. v. Dasta Const. Co.<\/em>, 26 F.3d 1057, 1065-66, 1066 (11th Cir. 1994)). The court reasoned that \u201c[t]he contract made plain that [the contractor] bore the risk of these additional expenses and could have negotiated an alternate contract containing an escalation clause, a cost-plus arrangement, or a higher fixed price to protect against unforeseen expenses or increased its contract price to account for such risks.\u201d Id. <\/em>at 206.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Fourth Circuit similarly held that a force majeure <\/em>clause does not protect against changes in market price. Langham-Hill Petroleum Inc. v. S. Fuels Co.<\/em>, 813 F.2d 1327, 1330 (4th<\/sup> Cir. 1987). In Langham-Hill<\/em>, two parties entered into a fixed price contract for a lump sum number of barrels of oil, which would be purchased at the fixed contract price over four monthly installments. Id. <\/em>at 1329. The first three installments concluded without dispute. Id.<\/em> However, prior to the fourth and final installment there was a substantial drop in the world oil prices. Id.<\/em> The purchaser invoked the contract\u2019s force majeure <\/em>clause and refused to perform any further obligations under the contract. Id.<\/em> The Fourth Circuit reasoned that \u201c[i]f fixed-price contracts can be avoided due to fluctuations in price, then the entire purpose of fixed-price contracts, which is to protect both the buyer and the seller from the risks of the market, is defeated. Id.<\/em> at 1330.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Utah courts seem to follow this reasoning. In Kilgore Pavement Maintenance, LLC v. West Jordan City<\/em>, 2011 UT App 165, \u00b6 2, 257 P.3d 460, a pavement contractor provided a city with a fixed price bid that was based on liquid asphalt oil being priced at $350 per ton, which the city accepted, and the two parties subsequently entered into a contract. Id. <\/em>Shortly after the parties entered into the contract, the price of liquid asphalt increased to $1005 per ton. Id. <\/em>at \u00b6 3. The court ultimately held that the contractor \u201cassumed responsibility for supplying all materials necessary for its performance, and therefore, assumed the risk of supply cost increaser\u201d, which ultimately precluded the contractor from relying on a claim of impossibility or commercial impracticability. Id.<\/em> at \u00b68, 12. While a force majeure <\/em>clause is absent from the reasoning in Kilgore<\/em>, Kilgore<\/em> does provide that under Utah law, a fixed price contract is prima facie evidence of an allocation of risk of the change in the contracted material\u2019s market price.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is important to note that although it is likely a claimant is precluded from relying on a force majeure<\/em> provision, it may still have a claim under an excuse doctrine, such as \u201cfrustration of purpose, impossibility, and commercial impracticability.\u201d \u00a7 7:322. Relief from disruption caused by COVID-19 pandemic, 2A Bruner & O’Connor Construction Law \u00a7 7:322. However, pursuant to Kilgore<\/em>, it is unlikely such a claim would be successful. 2011 UT App 165, \u00b6 8, 12, 257 P.3d 460.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Kent B. Scott | Babcock, Scott & Babcock Introduction Is a substantial increase in the cost of materials covered by a force majeure provision? In short, the answer is dependent on the terms of the specific contract. If a contract is a fixed price contract, an increase in the cost of materials likely will not… Continue reading Force Majeure: What are the Chances for Relief?<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[9],"tags":[9895,224,11112],"class_list":["post-898595","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-construction-contracts","tag-advise-consult","tag-construction-contract","tag-force-majeure-provision","entry"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\nForce Majeure: What are the Chances for Relief? - Advise & Consult, Inc.<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Is a substantial increase in the cost of materials covered by a force majeure provision? 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