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Coalition Meeting Draws
More by C. Frederick Charles On Thursday, April 18, the Coalition For Fairness In Construction (CFFIC) met at the Palace Station Hotel to discuss construction litigation issues in general, along with resulting non-availability and non-affordability of liability insurance. The group also addressed possible solutions to the foregoing problems, both politically and as a unified industry. The meeting brought out approximately 100 people representing some 30 companies and trade associations including Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), Associated General Contractors (AGC), Nevada Subcontractors Association (NSA), Southern Nevada Homebuilders Association, and the Roofing Contractors Association of Nevada (RCAN). A number of individuals traveled from Northern Nevada to attend the get-together. |
Steve Hill, Silver State
Materials, will serve as |
| According
to Steve Hill, president, Silver State Materials and CFFIC chairman, the
industry "shot itself in the foot" during the last legislative
session by not being unified. "The members of this coalition understand
that, so we’re committed to not making this mistake again."
Hill asked for financial support from attendees and advised them to solicit funds from manufacturers, suppliers and others with whom they do business. "It’s important that you contact these firms, telling them that our opponents, the Trial Lawyers Association, will spend millions to defeat our efforts to save the industry from crippling construction defect law suits." Steve Holloway, AGC executive director, said contractors must be given the right to repair before being dragged into court. "Currently, we’re in the process of drafting our legislative strategy, but haven’t as yet decided on all the necessary elements. One of these being a clear definition of what constitutes a real defect in a home. We hope to have a bill drafted by no later than July." Mark Brown, of Brown & Partners, was engaged by the CFFIC to coordinate its public relations efforts. "It’s vital that we bring some large corporations into CFFIC and then speak with one voice. The trial lawyers are much better funded, so we must use whatever tactics at our disposal to level the playing field. What does the public think of the construction defect issue? Irene Porter, executive director for SNHBA, said her association is doing a 75-question poll in order to gauge public opinion. Actually, getting the media involved is key. We must get our message out to a bigger audience. The bottom line is the cost of housing is increasing as a result of on-going construction defect litigation, not to mention liability insurance premiums. In fact, some insurance firms have already stopped doing business in Nevada." Hill said the coalition will utilize the services of several high-powered lobbyists, including Billy Vassiliadis of R&R Partners and Jim Waddams of the Waddams and Akridge law firm. "We’ll also utilize lobbyists from other trade groups, many of whom are represented here today. CFFIC’s executive committee will continue to meet every two weeks. The group as a whole will gather every two to three months until the 2003 Legislative session draws closer. "I’m very positive about our prospects for success in Carson City," he stated. "The pulse we feel from talking to individual legislators is they understand the basic fairness of the right-to-repair issue, and voice surprise that a bill did not pass during the last session. Legislators I’ve spoken with seem sympathetic to our problem – a fact that makes me very confident." |
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Call (702) 615-7644 |
