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Secrets of Bonding #133: “Please Sign Here” (with caution!)

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sign-here-arrow-2

We have written about indemnity agreements before (enjoy Secrets #19 and #79) but recent activity with our clients has inspired yet more on this vital subject.

As a follower of the “Secrets” series, you may already know what a General Indemnity Agreement (GIA) is, and that it is a requirement all bond applicants face.   Basically, it contains a payback obligation to the surety similar to a promissory note.

As a bond applicant, why should you be cautious when signing such documents?

The first reason is that it may include companies or individual people who are inappropriate. Some examples:

  • An affiliated company in which the bond applicant has a minority interest. These should be excluded if the bond client doesn’t have a controlling interest.  
  • Another example would be an individual person with little or no ownership in the company who is not married to an officer, key person or major company owner.

The second reason is that there may be clauses in the indemnity agreement that may be subject to negotiation – although underwriters tend to resist such modifications. Nevertheless, if you see something objectionable such as “Confession of Judgement” which is not even permitted in some states, you should ask for it to be removed. 

This would also be the time to ask for additions to the document, such as a dollar limitation on personal indemnity of certain individuals (Spouses? Minority owners?) or Trigger Indemnity which is only activated under specific circumstances.  No harm in trying.

The third reason is because of the gravity of the indemnity obligation. Through the GIA, the bond applicant company and its owners agree to repay the surety for losses and expenses.  They are literally putting everything on the line. sign-here-arrow-204x300

What is the dollar limit of this obligation?   Is it:

a) The contract amount? 

b) The Payment Bond amount?  or

c) The T-list of the surety? 

Answer: The liability amount is unlimited. 

This is a big deal. Keep in mind (see Secret #1!) “Bonds Are Not Insurance.”  The surety is a guarantor of the principal’s performance. If the contractor fails to perform, the bond is not insurance to protect them from the consequences of their failure.

In conclusion, the bond applicant should approach the signing of a GIA with some caution.  Certainly it is a document to read and manage where possible but this brings us to the final point: If you want surety bonds, it is mandatory that the surety be indemnified.  Regarding the indemnity of spouses not active in the business, they too must sign.  We tell contractors “Nobody likes it, but everybody has to do it.”

sign_here_manIf you want bonds, be cautious, but get ready to sign on the dotted line.

FIA Surety is a NJ based bonding company (carrier) that has specialized in Site, Subdivision and Contract Surety Bonds since 1979 – we’re good at it!  Call us with your next one.

Steve Golia, Marketing Mgr.: 856-304-7348

First Indemnity of America Ins. Co.

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Secrets of Bonding # 131: Maintenance Bonds – Breezy Free & Easy

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Free surety bonds.  Is there anything better? Actually we can think of a couple of things right off BUT…  are they good?  Sure they are.  

Everybody likes free stuff.  Trouble is, they’re not always breezy free or easy.  Sometimes they’re a huge P.I.A.  So let’s get into maintenance bonds and learn the issues.

The most common Maintenance Bond situation is a bonded public or private contract.  The specification stipulates there must be a 100% (of the contract amount) Performance and Payment Bond plus a Maintenance Bond, which is often for a lesser amount, maybe 20% of the contract price.  The maintenance bond covers the completed work for defective materials and workmanship, for a specified period of time.

The P&P bond is issued when the project commences, and the Maintenance Bond comes when the completed work is accepted.  It is common for the project owner (obligee) to write an acceptance letter regarding the proper completion of the contract, and stating that the Maintenance Bond must now be issued.

free-easyFor the surety, this bond is an easy decision.  They already got paid for the P&P bond. They already faced the risk of claim due to faulty workmanship or materials.  Now the contractor (Principal) will pay an additional premium to obtain another bond on the same work. 

In some cases the surety doesn’t even charge for this bond following their P&P obligation – breezy free and easy!  If they do charge, the rate may be less than for a P&P bond. So when is it not breezy free and easy… and why?

Timing

Maintenance bonds are normally required after the contract has been accepted (work completed). However, in some cases, the owner requires issuance concurrently – at the inception of the project. This is difficult for the surety to support because the approval of maintenance bonds may be relatively easy, but it is not automatic.  The surety must decide if they want to accept the risk associated with the maintenance obligation. In part, this is predicated on the smooth performance / completion of the contract. If the job was fraught with problems and difficult to complete, they may not want to support such an obligation.

Requiring the underwriter to issue the bond at the beginning takes away the opportunity to make an informed decision. 

General Underwriting Concerns

There is a time factor involved in each of these bonds. The surety must be confident that for the one or two-year period, the principal will be willing and able to respond to any call-backs (things that crack, malfunction, etc.)

If the applicant has recently deteriorated, such as declining credit scores or a poor financial statement, the underwriter may refuse to support their request.

Term

The duration of the maintenance obligation can present an underwriting issue. A one-year obligation is normal.  Two years may be possible.

What about five years or ten?  Probably not.

No P&P Bond

Sometimes a Maintenance Bond is requested, but there was no Performance Bond.  Or, another surety may have issued the P&P bond.

If there was another surety involved in the project, it will be very difficult to gain a new underwriter’s support – the thought being “this risk belongs to anther surety.”

If there was no P&P bond, the maintenance bond underwriter will require an Obligee’s Contract Status Report. This is the obligees written statement that the contract has been completed in a satisfactory manner, and related bills paid. A clean bill of health is needed to gain the underwriters support.

Conclusion

You wont get a maintenance request on every project.  But when you do, it may be very easy and cheap – but not always.  Now you know why.

FIA Surety is a NJ based bonding company (carrier) that has specialized in Site, Subdivision and Contract Surety Bonds since 1979 – we’re good at it!  Call us with your next one.

Steve Golia, Marketing Mgr.: 856-304-7348

First Indemnity of America Ins. Co.

(Don’t miss our next exciting article.  Click the “Follow” button at the top right.)

Secrets of Bonding #130: Rob Peter to Pay Paul

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It’s only human nature.  You have a problem, a need.  A financial issue has come up and the timing is inconvenient. So if you just move things around, you can handle the problem and back-fill later.

For construction companies managing multiple projects, not every job goes smoothly.  Construction work is complicated with many variables and uncontrollable elements.  Sometimes the only solution is to throw money at the problem. When cash flow on the project is “temporarily” insufficient, there is a natural temptation to borrow money out of another healthier contract, with the intention of paying it back at a later date. Is this bad?robbing_peter

Trust Funds

From a legal standpoint, money a general contractor (GC) holds, that is destined to pay the subcontractors (plumber, electrician, HVAC, etc.) he hired on the project, is held “in trust” for the benefit of those subs.  The law says it is their money, and the GC must safeguard it.  Therefore, any money in this trust fund category cannot be “loaned” to another of the company’s projects.

Bonded Contracts

When a Performance and Payment Bond covers a contract, the payment section of the bond guarantees that suppliers of labor and material will be paid.  This includes the subcontractors that were hired by the GC. The bonding company is guaranteeing that the trust funds will make it into the hands of the subs.

If money has been diverted into another project by the GC, and subs remain unpaid, they are entitled to make a claim against the payment bond.  Sureties are risk averse and strive to avoid all bond claims.  Underwriters are well-aware of the “Peter Paying Paul” scenario where the funds are never restored and a payment claim results.

Protective Measures

Bonding companies may take steps to prevent such misapplication of funds.  One is Joint Checking.  Under this procedure, the project owner (paying for the work) issues joint payee checks in the name of the GC and the sub or vendor.  Now there is absolute certainty that the funds will get to the sub as intended.

This procedure does not cost money to implement (other than the administrative expense), but is dependent on the willingness and continuing participation of the project owner.

Another protective device is the use of Funds Control, also called Funds Administration.  Think of this as a professional paymaster who pays everyone on the project, including the GC.  Money goes from the owner to the funds administrator, who then issues all the checks.  By limiting the GC’s money handling, misapplication of funds to another project is prevented.

The funds administrator charges a fee, which is paid by the GC.  For this procedure to be successfully implemented, the owner must officially agree to pay the funds administrator instead of the GC.

Conclusion

When it comes to money handling on construction projects, many people have a stake in the process.  The GC’s obligation is more than to simply complete the work.  They have a fiduciary responsibility to handle funds properly and assure that deserving parties are paid.  That’s what the bonding company expects, and it’s simply the right thing to do.

FIA Surety is a NJ based bonding company (carrier) that has specialized in Site, Subdivision and Contract Surety Bonds since 1979 – we’re good at it!  Call us with your next one.

Steve Golia, Marketing Mgr.: 856-304-7348

First Indemnity of America Ins. Co.

(Don’t miss our next exciting article.  Click the “Follow” button at the top right.)

Secrets of Bonding # 128: The Unexpected Cause of Contractor Failure

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Why do construction companies go out of business? What reasons have you heard for companies shutting down?

  • “The economy is terrible.”
  • “There’s no work.”
  • “Too many bidders. You can’t get a decent profit and I won’t work for nothing.”

All these explanations amount to the same thing: A lack of projects resulting in low revenues, low profits and no cash flow. The situation seems obvious. When there isn’t enough work available, many contractors are forced to shut down. So is this THE BIG cause of contractor failure? Surprisingly,  no!

closed1Many construction companies fail because they have too much work. Is it possible that too much of a good thing spells disaster? We’ve all heard the stories about lottery winners who say the money ruined their lives. Suddenly they’re rich, but they weren’t ready for it. The very thing they wanted more of, turned out to be their undoing.

For construction companies, the mission is to acquire and perform profitable contracts. A tremendous amount of effort is spent in the pursuit of new work. So what can go wrong to make the volume a disadvantage, causing the demise of the enterprise?

Capital

One answer is the Lack of Sufficient Capital – both the money kind and people. As companies grow, more liquid resources (cash) are needed to finance the start of new projects and solve problems. Human resources are needed such as field supervision and back office support. Companies can fail when the office staff is unable to keep pace with the paperwork. Billings don’t go out on time, receivables are not collected, cash flow is choked off.  It is management’s responsibility to anticipate these needs and prevent the deficiencies.

Field production can suffer when the supervisory staff is inadequate. This leads to reduced gross and net profits, less available cash, the beginning of a downward spiral.

Managmentclosed2

Consider the Corner Office: Poor leadership, lack of business knowledge and inadequate financial management can be catastrophic. In addition to setting the tone and establishing the company mission, the bosses must have the technical knowledge a larger company requires.  They must be sophisticated financial managers to control resources and garner needed support from financial institutions. The successful manager of a mid-sized business is not necessarily equipped to run a large company.

New Geographic Territory

Management’s pursuit of growth can lead the company into new geographic markets (the grass is always greener.)  This may present unexpected challenges and obstacles including local union resistance, unfamiliar underground conditions, logistics problems, reduced labor productivity rates, adverse weather conditions, etc.  On the east coast (I’m a New Yorker), bond underwriters have long shared stories of NY contractors who ventured to Florida and got their butts kicked…  They say “Florida beaches are littered with the bones of NY contractors.”

Adding New Type Work

Some companies have strayed from their normal type of work in the pursuit of added revenues. They get in trouble trying to enter and compete as newcomers to the field. The company may lack the expertise (estimating, field management) for the new type work. How can you be successful in a competitive bidding environment when going against companies already entrenched in the market?  Do you take work cheap and hope for the best? “We’re losing money but we’ll make it up on volume.”

Our point of view is based on surety bond underwriting. All these issues are well known to bonding companies. When their construction clients want dramatic growth, new types of contracts or transition to a new geographic market, that’s a red flag. They come back with the hard question, “Tell us: Why this is a good idea?”closed3

Contractors may feel that sureties hold them back. Maybe they are too conservative. Do they really want contractors to grow? They think they know better than the contractor?

Actually, the surety and the contractor succeed or fail together. Having seen good clients encounter unexpected problems, underwriters know firsthand how quickly things can unravel.

Writing more bonds and bigger bonds is how bonding companies grow. Certainly, construction companies must grow to survive, and being bigger can be better.  But uncontrolled growth is the major cause of contractor failure that sureties, and contractors, must avoid.

FIA Surety is a NJ based bonding company (carrier) that has specialized in Site, Subdivision and Contract Surety Bonds since 1979 – we’re good at it!  Call us with your next one.

Steve Golia, Marketing Mgr.: 856-304-7348

First Indemnity of America Ins. Co.

Not available in all states including Idaho.

Secrets of Bonding #126: Surety Bonds in the Bizarro World

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There have been 24 movies about Superman, but I loved the original TV series starring George Reeves (the real Superman). Even before that, there were Superman comic books published by DC Comics.

BizarroThe character, “Bizarro #1,” first appeared in 1958 – a mirror image of Superman but from a world where everything was opposite from that of humans. That was over 50 years ago, but strangely, there is a little piece of Bizarro World that still survives today. It is alive in our surety rate system. See if you agree…

Example #1

A contractor won a $1 million contract. The specification calls for a 50% performance bond: $500,000. The surety’s maximum exposure is $500,000.

Bizarro Fact: The bond rate is based on the contract amount, the full $1 million!

Example #2

Sureties often issue a Performance and Payment Bond in a single combined instrument that states the bond amount once (the penal sum). However, if required, they will issue two separate instruments, one Performance and the other Payment, each with it’s own penal sum (double the amount in the combined bond form.)

Bizarro Fact: When required to issue this double bond amount, the bond premium remains the same as for the combined bond form!

Example #3

The contractor has already started the project. Now it has been verified that 50% of the work is completed and accepted by the project owner. It is confirmed that all related bills have been paid. It is apparent that 50% of the exposure has been eliminated.

Bizarro Fact: The bond costs the same as if it had been issued at the start of the work. There is no reduction or recognition for the portion of the exposure that has been eliminated.

Example #4

The contractor has negotiated a $1 million contract. Now the project owner has indicated that a P&P bond must be provided. The surety states that the cost of the bond will be 2% of the contract amount. Is the cost 2% of $1 million ($20,000)?

Bizarro Fact: No! The correct calculation is 2% of $1,020,000 or $20,400. The bond premium is calculated on itself, even though it cannot be classified as part of the contract exposure.

There you have it: The upside-down world we actually live in. Naturally there are justifications for all the procedures sureties use, but still, they are Bizarro!

FIA Surety is a NJ based bonding company (carrier) that has specialized in Site, Subdivision and Contract Surety Bonds since 1979 – we’re good at it!  Call us with your next one.

Steve Golia, Marketing Mgr.: 856-304-7348

First Indemnity of America Ins. Co.

Secrets of Bonding #125: When to Call It Quits

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Construction contracts can be terminated by either party under certain circumstances.  Let’s take a look at it from the Contractors point of view.

Federal contracts make it easy for the government to end a project.  The “termination for convenience” clause spells out how the project can be ended (with no fault on the part of the contractor) and provides a method of payment for the work in place. Other public and private contracts may also contain this clause.

Sometimes it is the contractor who is motivated to end the project early. In these situations, it is important to know how and when to proceed.no-work

The Disputes Clause

“The Contractor shall proceed diligently with performance of this contract, pending final resolution of any request for relief, claim, appeal, or action arising under the contract, and comply with any decision of the Contracting Officer.”

Found in federal contracts, this clause means you must continue to work when facing a dispute. This assures that the contractor doesn’t hold the project hostage while the dispute is under review. 

Other public and private contracts may include language regarding unresolvable disagreements, so it is important to…

Read the Contract

Contractors should only quit a project when they have a legal right to do so.  You need to read the contract and, with the help of your attorney, choose a course of action.

An Unresolvable Disagreements clause may allow the contractor to stop work.  An example could be engineering issues that make it impossible to proceed.

Stop Work for Nonpayment

In these cases, the contractor should send written notification of the overdue payment and allow a time period to collect the funds.  Some contracts require that a second notification be sent before work may be suspended.

Because nonpayment may be a material breach of the contract, it can justify stopping work.  However, state laws vary on this subject.  An attorney can help determine if such action is advisable.

Surety Bonds

If a Performance and Payment Bond covers the contract, it can play an important role.

General Contractors should alert their surety regarding any disputes.  They should also remember that stopping work can result in a Performance Bond claim.  This can hamper the availability of bonds for other projects. The surety will want to understand the dispute and may offer guidance to the contractor and attorney.

Subcontractors have these same issues if they have bonded their subcontract.  In addition, contracts with “pay when paid” wording may justify the GCs nonpayment – another reason to read the contract.

An advantage for subcontractors may be a P&P bond above them, filed by the general contractor.  This Payment Bond is available for claims by subs and suppliers.  It can be a powerful tool to protect subcontractors.  Even a letter to the GC threatening to file a payment claim can shake the money loose in some cases.

Conclusion

Stopping work can be an important remedy for the contractor, providing the action is legally permitted.  When a contractor considers suspending work they must weigh the risk that they may ultimately be found in breach of contract themselves.  On the other hand, the larger situation of the nonpaying party may demand action, such as an impending bankruptcy.

The best approach is to review contracts in advance and negotiate the addition of language that allows work stoppage under appropriate circumstances.  The goal is to acquire the contract while limiting the risks.

Note: we are not attorneys and are not giving legal advice.  If you have a project dispute, call your attorney for help.

FIA Surety is a NJ based bonding company (carrier) that has specialized in Site, Subdivision and Contract Surety Bonds since 1979 – we’re good at it!  Call us with your next one.

Steve Golia, Marketing Mgr.: 856-304-7348

First Indemnity of America Ins. Co.

Secrets of Bonding #124: Underwriting Challenge – What’s Wrong With This Picture?

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Years ago when I was just a cub reporter for the Daily Planet, I mean surety underwriter, I ran into a strange situation that was recently repeated.  In this article we will present the scenario and ask you to use your underwriting judgement. The question is… “What’s wrong with this picture?”

Scenario #1

Originally this came up on a Lost Instrument Bond.  These are needed when requesting the issuance of a duplicate cashier’s check, security, or other financial instruments.  The applicant claimed a negotiable instrument (anyone holding it could potentially cash it in) had been inadvertently destroyed. He was a young adult in his 20’s who had inherited the asset.  His financial statement showed little other than the asset in question, which was a problem because the underwriters do not want to feel that the person has a reason to fraudulently convert the “lost” asset and it’s replacement.

We wrote back and expressed the underwriting concern, that the applicants financial position was inadequate.  In response we received a novel proposal: When the replacement instrument is issued, it will be conveyed directly to the surety who can hold it as full collateral against their exposure, until the bond is released (years!) “There will be no risk to the surety.”  Sounds pretty good? 

In my infantile underwriting mind I thought this sounded intriguing, but it also made me uncomfortable. Why had I never heard of doing this before? Maybe I was on the verge of creating an entirely new underwriting procedure.  Will they name it after me?

What was wrong with this picture?

Scenario #2Whats_wrong

In the more recent situation, the surety was being asked to support a multi-million dollar purchase transaction.  The applicant (a person) was a foreigner, an accomplished business person, who was not familiar with surety underwriting requirements.  They were not accustomed to providing personal financial info or involving the spouse in business obligations.

As a way of supporting the transaction, and maybe dodging the indemnity requirements, it was suggested that title to the purchased property would be conveyed directly to the surety (sound familiar?).  After the financial transaction (which was the subject of the surety guarantee) is completed, the surety will be released, the title will be transferred to the buyer, and “the surety will never be in a position of risk.” Boom!  Let’s do it!

What’s wrong with this picture?

The Answer

Here is good advice.  If your underwriting brain feels like something is wrong, it probably is!  The problem with both these scenarios is the timing.  

Bonding companies ALWAYS secure their position before assuming an obligation. It is incumbent on the underwriters to protect their company assets and its owners by doing so. 

Think about bank lending practices, which are not unlike surety underwriting.  Would a bank make a building loan relying solely on the future value of the project? No, they require being secured with sufficient assets in advance such as the company and personal net worth of the applicant and possibly other collateral.

Financial obligations always require that the credit grantor be secured in advance. Prudent decision making requires this.

So the next time you see something that doesn’t feel right, trust your gut.

FIA Surety is a NJ based bonding company (carrier) that has specialized in Site, Subdivision and Contract Surety Bonds since 1979 – we’re good at it!  Call us with your next one.

Steve Golia, Marketing Mgr.: 856-304-7348

First Indemnity of America Ins. Co.

Secrets of Bonding #123: Who Was Edward Aloysius Murphy, Jr. (& Why Contractors Should Care)

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(January 11, 1918 – July 17, 1990) An American aerospace engineer who worked on safety-critical systems for the U.S. Air Force. He is best known for his namesake Murphy’s Law, which  states, “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.”  Murphy regarded the law as crystallizing a key principle of defensive design, in which one should always assume worst-case scenarios.Murphys_Law

Keeping Major Murphy’s principle in mind, what are the critical steps contractors can take to get their projects off on the right foot, and bring them to a successful conclusion – while keeping Murphy’s Law out of the equation?

The first key to having a successful contract is to have a contract. It sounds obvious, but contractors are sometimes induced to start work, or perform change orders / additions to contracts, without an executed document in hand.  Maybe the project owner is in a rush, “We need for you to start right away so we can be completed on time.  We’ll do the paperwork later.”

The contractor wants to maintain good will.  They proceed in the hope that their responsiveness will pay off – and sometimes it does.  There are also times when the contractor incurs costs that are never reimbursed because the contract is not executed.  There could be engineering problems, governmental interference or lack of funding. There are any number of reasons for things to go wrong (as our hero indicated.) And for the contractor, they are all bad.

murphyslaw

On the other hand, let’s say there is no problem with the contract.  The paperwork is signed, the work proceeds, is paid for, and the contract is completed with a profit in hand. Is that the end?

No, not quite. Just like there is paperwork to get into the project, there is more to get out of it.  The contractor should obtain written acceptance of the work by the job owner (obligee.) 

  • This important document establishes a completion date for the contract and concludes a portion of the liability that is attached to all open contracts.
  • It will close the Performance and Payment bond if there was one. Closing the file restores the contractors bonding capacity. 
  • It may also be beneficial with lenders.
  • If nothing else, a written acceptance may be a defense when the project owner attempts to call back the contractor at a later date or claim the work was not satisfactory.

Edward_MurphyThese simple procedures are basic, good business practices. Contractors who win work competitively, and are paid under a lump sum contract, already face significant risks.  It is important to have the correct paperwork in hand when starting, modifying, and ending construction projects. 

Major Murphy learned this important lesson the hard way – but you don’t have to! 

FIA Surety is a NJ based bonding company (carrier) that has specialized in Site, Subdivision and Contract Surety Bonds since 1979 – we’re good at it!  Call us with your next one.

Steve Golia, Marketing Mgr.: 856-304-7348

First Indemnity of America Ins. Co.

Secrets of Bonding #122: Don’t Sign That Lien Release!

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WAIVER OF LIEN BY CONTRACTOR, SUBCONTRACTOR(S) AND SUPPLIER

We, the undersigned, acknowledge receipt of the amounts stated below as full payment for all labor, professional services, materials, or equipment furnished for use on or about the property of…”

In construction, lien releases are common. Project owners expect their general contractor to execute them. GCs demand them from their subcontractors and suppliers. They are part of the routine. If you want to get paid, you sign it. But when should you not sign it? Let’s look at what a lien release does, and when you should be cautious about executing.

The Purpose of Lien Releases
Typically, a lien release is required in connection with a monetary payment. It comes up in any of these situations:

  • Monthly payment made from project owner to the general contractor
  • Monthly payment from GC to a sub or suppliers
  • Final contract payments to any of these

The lien release enables the accounting to transition from one billing cycle to the next. It is a form of receipt that protects the Payor by acknowleging that the Payee has received funds – they relinquish the right to claim they were not paid.

danger-aheadNormally, when contractors and suppliers are unpaid, they can file a lien (a security interest) against the title of the physical property. With such a lien in place, the property cannot be sold.  The lien release / waiver gives up the right to file such a lien and possibly other legal remedies as well.

Lien releases come in two basic flavors, and it is very important to recognize the difference between them.

The Good One: Conditional

“THIS DOCUMENT WAIVES THE CLAIMANT’S LIEN, STOP PAYMENT NOTICE, AND PAYMENT BOND RIGHTS EFFECTIVE ON RECEIPT OF PAYMENT. A PERSON SHOULD NOT RELY ON THIS DOCUMENT UNLESS SATISFIED THAT THE CLAIMANT HAS RECEIVED PAYMENT.”

A release / waiver is Conditional if it waives rights once a condition (usually the receipt of payment) occurs. An example of conditional language is:

“Upon the receipt of $____, Subcontractor hereby waives and releases its lien and bond rights for labor and materials through _________ (date).”

Unless the waiver states otherwise, the conditional waiver is not effective until the condition, such as payment, occurs.

Also note, this wording includes a condition regarding time which protects the claimant’s lien rights arising in the next billing period.

The Bad One: Unconditionalcaution-proceed-carefully-md

“THIS DOCUMENT WAIVES AND RELEASES LIEN, STOP PAYMENT NOTICE, AND PAYMENT BOND RIGHTS UNCONDITIONALLY AND STATES THAT YOU HAVE BEEN PAID FOR GIVING UP THOSE RIGHTS. THIS DOCUMENT IS ENFORCEABLE AGAINST YOU IF YOU SIGN IT, EVEN IF YOU HAVE NOT BEEN PAID. IF YOU HAVE NOT BEEN PAID, USE A CONDITIONAL WAIVER AND RELEASE FORM.”

Actually it is only bad if the claimant has not yet been paid. Then it would be inadvisable to provide an unconditional release. The claimant will have no recourse if they do not receive their payment, and they will also relinquish their ability to claim against the Payment Bond.

Conclusion
The Conditional Lien Release includes conditions and wording that protects the claimant’s interests.

The Unconditional Release can be detrimental if executed unintentionally or under inappropriate circumstances.

FIA Surety is a NJ based bonding company (carrier) that has specialized in Site, Subdivision and Contract Surety Bonds since 1979 – we’re good at it!  Call us with your next one.

Steve Golia, Marketing Mgr.: 856-304-7348

First Indemnity of America Ins. Co.

Secrets of Bonding #120: About the “T-List”

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If:  

  1. You are interested or active in Surety Bonds (bid, performance & payment, etc.), and…
  2. You think the T-list is who you are following on Twitter, then… 
  3. You need to read this article!

What is the T-List?           (Click for mood music) 

For bond producers / agents, bonding companies and bonded contractors, Circular 570 (the official document title) is the list of sureties accepted on federal projects produced annually by the federal Treasury department. It is easily found online.

What does the list provide?

In addition to the name and address of the approved bonding companies, it states the maximum acceptable amount for any one bond (based on the surety’s financial position), and where the surety has indicated it is licensed.

Is a T-listed performance and payment bond required on all federal projects?T

Generally yes, although small and emergency contracts, and some service and commodity contracts are not bonded. The feds will also accept alternatives to a bond such a “cash” deposit held by the government, and tripartite agreements (which is a form of funds administration.)

Federal contracting officers also may have the latitude to accept a non T-listed surety on larger contracts if they deem it is in the best interests of the government.

Is a T-Listed bid bond required on federal projects?

Yes, when bid security is stipulated and a bond is the chosen method of compliance.  For example, a form of cash may be allowed at this stage, then a bond could be used for performance and payment.  Another twist, some federal projects call for a “bondability letter” instead of bid security.  This indicates the sureties interest in supporting the contract, but does not include a penal sum or any form of financial penalty.

Is the T-list required on state or municipal contracts?

Circular 570 is intended to be a federal requirement, although state and municipal owners may choose to stipulate it as a means of pre-qualifying the bonding companies.

t-400

When a surety is on the list, does the federal government “back” the bonding company for the benefit of other parties?

No, it is merely the government’s internal opinion regarding the condition of the surety.  The feds make no guarantee to 3rd parties regarding the viability of the surety, or the correctness of including them on the list

Can a surety fail while enjoying “approved” status on the list?

Yup.

Are there any strong bonding companies that are not on the list?

Yes, many!  Only sureties that decide they want to be on the list are reviewed by the federal analysts.  They must submit their info and go through the process.  Some bonding companies are not intending to bond federal contracts, or may be ineligible for some reason.  They could be among the strongest sureties in the country, but would not be on the list.

Must subcontractors on federal projects use T-listed sureties?

It is not automatically required because these are considered private contracts between the general / prime contractor and the subcontractor. However, see next question…

What about private owners?

THE A-TEAM -- Pictured: Mr. T as Sgt. Bosco "B.A." Baracus -- Photo by: Herb Ball/NBCU Photo Bank
THE A-TEAM — Pictured: Mr. T

On private contracts, such as ALL subcontracts and projects with an owner that is not a public entity, the bonding requirements are at the owner’s discretion – including whether or not they even want a bond. They may demand the use of their own special bond form (some general contractors develop a subcontract bond form extra beneficial to them) and may stipulate a T-list requirement.

In some cases, the GC’s surety makes the subcontract bonding requirements.

Conclusion

In essence, always assume a Circular 570 surety is required on federal contracts.  The bond amount cannot exceed the limit stated on the list, and the bond should state the surety’s address as indicated on 570.

When other public entities require the T-list, such as state or municipal owners, it is mandatory because there is normally no flexibility in their specifications. However private owners set their own rules so subcontractors and GCs working for private owners may have the opportunity to negotiate away the T-list requirement if their viable surety is not on the federal list.

FIA Surety is a NJ based bonding company (carrier) that has specialized in Site, Subdivision and Contract Surety Bonds since 1979 – we’re good at it!  Call us with your next one.

Steve Golia, Marketing Mgr.: 856-304-7348

First Indemnity of America Ins. Co.