Published in the Daily Business Review
Ball Janik LLP Partner Jeff Widelitz has been featured in an article for Daily Business Review where he discusses Florida’s recent changes to construction defect laws and how they are contributing to more lawsuits as buyers become increasingly cautious. In 2024, the state shortened the statute of limitations for filing construction defect lawsuits from 10 years to 7 years. Widelitz explains that this reform is pushing property owners to proactively inspect their new buildings for defects, knowing they have less time to act.
“Everything is faster now, and that includes construction,” Widelitz said. “At the end of the day, it should take a while to build a 50-story tower. That should be a long process to make sure everything’s right. But we’re seeing them go up faster, without increased supervision.”
While the law aims to protect builders, it may lead to more litigation, as owners, now more aware of potential issues, are taking a stronger stand against developers. Additionally, the drive to speed up construction timelines has led to more mistakes and shortcuts, resulting in a higher number of defects being discovered soon after property handovers. Read more here (subscriber based).