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Secrets of Bonding #24: Manage the Bond Manager

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Q. Who is your bonding company?

A. Jimmy at the Smertz Agency

Am I the only one who thinks this is a strange answer? It always amazes me when contractors have no idea who their bonding company is.  It could mean that the agency is doing a fantastic job of managing the account.  But it is more likely that the contractor is doing a bad job of managing the relationship with the surety.

Who’s on first?

The bond agency plays a vital role in guiding the process forward, advising the client and supporting the underwriting process.  But for the most part, the Bond Manager controls the underwriting decisions – even if some measure of discretionary authority has been granted to the agent.

To put it simply, the Bond Manager has life or death control over the bond account. If there is a bond the manager is not interested in supporting, the contractor can kiss those revenues and profits goodbye. 

For major accounts that produce significant annual premiums and require substantial capacity, the surety will probably make themselves known.  They may ask for an annual meeting to discuss fiscal year-end results and plans for the new year.

For smaller accounts, the contractor is just a name in a computer record.  Flat.  No personality or rapport.  So when that stretch or exceptional bonding need comes up, they have nothing extra going for them.  The gate keeper doesn’t know the contractor from Adam, and there will be no special consideration.  How do you prevent this?

Manage the Bond Manager

The first step toward a good rapport is to establish open communications.  The contractor’s file should make it obvious that full disclosure is provided and the surety is appreciated as a partner – not just a vendor.  Answer all the written questions completely and candidly.  It makes the reader confident that everything relevant (the good and the bad) is all being laid out for review.

During the initial evaluation, the underwriter should visit the contractor’s business.  It is a chance to kick the tires and see the company in action.  Hey, they’re not just a file, they’re real people!

A periodic underwriting meeting with the bonding company is appropriate.  At IBCS, we like to meet with the contractors when a draft of the year-end data is available.  This is a great opportunity to provide guidance before the final version of the financial statements is produced.

Summary

The point is that bonding is based on information and the underwriter’s confidence.  Building a rapport with the decision maker is as important as any piece of information. With the help of the agent, Manage the Bond Manager and maximize the bond account for everyone’s benefit.

FIA Surety is a NJ based bonding company (carrier) that has specialized in Site, Subdivision, Bid and Performance 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 #23: Myth Busting the T-List

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Technically the correct name is “Circular 570.”  The federal Treasury Department produces this list, thus the nickname “T” list. Website: “fms.treas.gov/c570/c570.html”

It is re-issued each July first and contains all the corporate sureties reviewed and approved by the Treasury Department.  It also states the largest single bond amount they may provide on a federal contract. Let’s look at some common assumptions about the T-list.

Myth: The IRS tried to withhold tax exempt status from the Tea-List.

Finding: False! (Just wanted to see if you’re paying attention.)

 

Myth: The government somehow “backs” the sureties on the T-List.

Finding: False! The companies on the list are merely pre-approved for the convenience of the government when administering contracts. The purpose is not to benefit anyone outside the government.

 

Myth: T-listed sureties are the best in the industry.

Finding: False! Acceptance on the T-List indicates that

1. The surety chose to apply for approval, and…

2. They obtained it.

Being T-listed does not indicate the relative strength of one surety compared to another.  For example, there are excellent surety companies that have never sought T-List approval – so they’re not on Circular 570.

 

Myth: It is illegal and / or impossible to waive a T-listed requirement if it is stated in a project specification.

Finding: False! Private obligees, such as a General Contractor offering a subcontract, have complete discretion and can modify the requirements if they so choose.  It is common to reserve the right to waive any technicalities if the obligee feels it is in their best interests.

 

Myth: When projects include federal funding (such as a local housing contract), federal bonding requirements automatically apply.

Finding: False! The party offering the contract may set their own requirements.  They could chose to follow some portion of the federal requirements or simply use their own. Federal requirements (as stated in the Federal Acquisition Regulations) only apply to direct federal contracts such as the Army Corps of Engineers, etc.

 

Myth: When it comes to corporate surety bonds, only the federal government is obligated to use Circular 570 sureties.

Finding: False! If other jurisdictions choose to adopt such a requirement, it would then be mandatory.

Conclusion: The T-list is a convenient tool for federal contracting officers when administering government projects.  It is also helpful for outsiders when evaluating a corporate surety bond.  Circular 570 is easy to access online and it provides a list of sureties accepted by the federal government.

However… NOT being on the list does not necessarily mean anything negative.  Not all sureties find it beneficial to seek approval on the list, so they just don’t do it.  They could still be great companies with strong bonds worth taking.  In fact, they could be the best surety in the country, and still not be on the list.  

FIA Surety is a NJ based bonding company (carrier) that has specialized in Site, Subdivision, Bid and Performance 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 #22: Bonding Started Projects – Adverse Selection or Awesome Opportunity?

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On Performance Bonds (not proceeded by the surety’s bid bond), underwriters commonly ask if the project has started. Why is this relevant and what are the implications?

On private contracts where the performance bond may be optional, there is a concern that the bond is being required retroactively because some performance or payment concern has arisen.  This is where the Adverse Selection comes in. No surety wants to write a bond and immediately have a claim: “No premium is worth a claim.”

However, such bonds can be successfully produced.  It helps if the bond was always a written requirement.  This can be proven by reviewing the project specifications.  The underwriter will also review the financial condition of the project such as a WIP schedule, obtain current lien releases, the last pay application and an All’s Right letter from the obligee (confirming the work is satisfactory thus far.)

What about the Awesome Opportunity? There could be legitimate reasons for requesting the bond late.  Perhaps the contract start date was critical.  The contractor was given notice to proceed even though the bonds was not yet filed.  When this happens, the obligee may insist on the bond prior to paying of the first requisition (monthly payment to the contractor.)  This situation is not that unusual, especially for subcontractors.

Do we like these circumstances? Think of what the bond guarantees: Performance of the contract and Payment of the related bills for suppliers of labor and material.  If part of the performance obligation is completed, that extinguishes a portion of the risk – and the bond fee is still the same!  Bond fees are normally based on the contract amount, not the bond amount nor the uncompleted project amount. So it makes sense that underwriters should embrace these projects assuming they can get past the issues we discussed.

Unfortunately not all do.  But producers who know the red flags, have a fighting chance to address them and gain underwriting support from the surety.

FIA Surety is a NJ based bonding company (carrier) that has specialized in Site, Subdivision, Bid and Performance 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 #21: Church Projects

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Think about it – what could be better than writing a bond to build a church?  What could possibly go wrong?

The sad truth is that these projects can be high risk for the contractor and surety.

Here’s why:

Unique Risk #1

Church construction contracts include obligations for both parties.  The builder must perform the construction correctly, on time, and for the agreed price.  The church (the “owner”) must pay for the work as it progresses.  When compared to public work such as for the city or state, church work (and other non-profits) can be more hazardous if the owner does not have all the funding in place.

Suppose they are depending on a successful fund drive?  If the contractor performs work, incurs costs, and is then not properly paid it could be detrimental to both the contractor and surety.

Unique Risk #2

An additional threat arises from the design and administration of the contract.  If there is no architect, or if the architect is terminated or withdraws during the project, the contractor may be answering to the church building committee.  This is likely to be a loosely organized group of non-professionals with no construction design experience, each with their own ideas on how to proceed – bad for the contractor!

Summary

To assure a reasonable level of professionalism and predictability on church work, it is important to confirm full funding in advance (prudent on ALL private contracts).  This could be in the form of an approved building loan or funds on deposit in an escrow account.

It is also necessary to have an architect engaged throughout the process.  Note: Design / Build contracts present more risk, not less. (Projects where the contractor is responsible for both design and construction.)

Church projects can be a heavenly experience if the proper safeguards are followed.

FIA Surety is a NJ based bonding company (carrier) that has specialized in Site, Subdivision, Bid and Performance 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 #20: Subordination Agreements

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“Instant Net Worth!”

Here is another gem for your tool box.  A Subordination Agreement can solve a Net Worth deficiency problem easily – in some cases.

Why is Net Worth (NW) Important?

Net Worth is the value of the company if all its bills are paid and it is liquidated.  It is a measure of strength and staying power, and therefore is relevant to surety bond underwriters.

In a corporation, NW (aka Stockholders Equity) is typically comprised of the money initially put in to start the company (Capital Stock) plus all the net profits earned over its lifetime and retained in the company.

Sometimes the NW is insufficient to support the current bonding needs.  This problem cannot be fixed by instantly earning more net profits.  It could be addressed by adding additional capital stock, but this is heavily taxed (capital gains) upon withdrawal – so this may not be a good solution, especially if the need is viewed as temporary.  So in comes our Subordination Agreement.

Here’s how it works:

Let’s assume that an owner who originally put money into the company by purchasing capital stock has now loaned funds to the corporation.  Both are debts of the company. Here is the important difference: Capital Stock is considered Equity, and a permanent debt (because of the tax penalty assessed upon withdrawal) whereas a loan is called a Liability and is temporary since it may have periodic payback terms and there is no capital gains tax assessed.

When making bonding decisions, does an underwriter consider loaned money as valuable as capital stock?  Is money the company has temporarily as valuable as funds it holds permanently? No, of course not. The purpose of the Subordination Agreement is to make the loaned funds just as valuable, by allowing them to be viewed as permanent.  From an analysis viewpoint, this moves the loaned money from debt to equity.

The Subordination Agreement is executed by the creditor (lender of the money) for the benefit of the Surety.  It states that the creditor will not demand payment without the written consent of the surety in advance. It locks the money in.  Having this degree of control can allow a surety to treat the subordinated loan as Instant Net Worth!

Two words of caution:

  • Not all sureties are willing to rely on this strategy or may not do so for a major portion of the total NW.  We will!
  • Also, it is important to inform the CPA regarding the subordination so it can be memorialized in the financial statement notes.  The subordination only works if the creditor remembers to observe it.

FIA Surety is a NJ based bonding company (carrier) that has specialized in Site, Subdivision, Bid and Performance 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 #19: Indemnity Agreements Tips and Tricks

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This may be one of the most challenging aspects when you’re dealing with Surety Bonds.

  • “What’s the point of having a bond if I have to give personal indemnity?”
  • “How come I pay a bond fee and sign personally?”
  • “There is no reason for my spouse to sign – (s)he isn’t active in the business and (s)he didn’t have to sign for the bank.”

These are some of the questions and objections.  But the fact remains: Sureties require indemnity, and routinely require “full personal indemnity.”  So let’s look briefly at why this is the case, and then move on to the Tips and Tricks.

“Secret #1” explained that Bonds Are Not Insurance.  They are more like a lending relationship with a bank.  Unlike insurance, there is no risk transfer and the surety expects to be protected from financial loss (like a bank on a loan).  The General Indemnity Agreement (GIA) accomplishes all of this.

The company indemnity of the firm that has applied for the bond is needed, and the personal indemnity of the company’s owners and spouses.  When we say “full indemnity” we mean the applicant company (the “Principal”), its affiliates and subsidiaries, plus all owners and spouses.

Why do sureties demand this? It is because the parties that own / control the Principal benefit from the issuance of the bond, and are expected to complete the project without causing a bond loss.  The surety’s loss ratio, and very survival, depends on this. The first effect of personal indemnity is that it impresses upon the indemnitors the importance of completing the bonded work and avoiding a bond loss.  Ultimately, the GIA gives the surety the right to seek recovery if a loss does occur.

Tips

GIAs are generally similar from one surety to the next.  It is also common for the language in the document to not be negotiable. Keep in mind, the document is intended to be one-sided, so don’t expect the Principal’s attorney to like it.

In addition to the Principal, the indemnity of companies owned / controlled by the people will be expected.  Such companies (Affiliates) are identified by reviewing financial statements, tax returns, the Contractors Questionnaire, and the prior surety’s GIA.

The indemnity of foreign companies and non-U.S. citizens carries little weight with sureties. Can you guess why? (Answer at the end *)

The General Indemnity Agreement must be executed before the first bid or performance bond. It is called “general” because it automatically applied to all bonds issued after execution of the GIA, without naming them specifically.

A Corporate Resolution is needed when a company indemnifies on behalf of another. It reaffirms that the indemnity was intentionally / properly given and signed by a duly authorized person.

Spousal Indemnity is required, even if the person is not active in the business.  The ownership in the company is usually considered marital property – owned equally by the spouse.  Therefore both spouses benefit equally from the issuance of the bonds.  Being active in the company has nothing to do with the need for spousal indemnity!  Also note, if the active spouse dies, the inactive spouse automatically becomes the new active company owner whose decisions will directly affect the surety.

Regarding personal signatures, a “signature guarantee” by a bank is stronger (for the benefit of the surety) than a notary public.

“Obviously,” signers of the GIA cannot witness or notarize their own signatures.  It is also expected that the witness to a signature will not also act as notary.

Tricks

Indemnity can be terminated at any time by following the notification procedure stated in the GIA.  However, it remains in effect for bonds issued while the indemnity was in force.

When open or silent Joint Venture Partners and affiliates indemnify, they can help the Principal qualify for a bond. To accomplish this, their financial info will be needed.

Major subcontractors / suppliers that cannot bond their work can instead provide indemnity and financial info. (Keep the next point in mind.)

Company and personal indemnity can have a maximum dollar value stated which caps the liability.  This would not be available, however, for the Principal.

Non-profit organizations may offer indemnity of limited value since they are not intended to accumulate profits or net worth. However, in some cases there may be individuals who personally will support the case – such as a church elder / benefactor who gives personal indemnity on behalf of the entity.

Trusts can give their indemnity if you obtain proof that the trust document allows this, and that an authorized person is signing the GIA.

Trigger Indemnity is only activated if stated circumstances occur, such as company net worth falling below a certain level or ratios that have declined.

Personal indemnity may be waived in the following cases:

  1. For owners with a very low percentage of ownership, such as less than 10% depending on the surety.  (We use such a 10% guideline)
  2. Publicly owned companies (traded on the stock exchange) as stated in reason #1.
  3. Spouses who have no ownership in the Principal due to a pre-nuptial agreement.
  4. Spouses who maintain a separate balance sheet (assets exclusively belonging to them) may be waived if they sign a Non-transfer of Assets Agreement. This prevents the transfer of assets to escape the reach of the GIA.

Painful as they are, one good thing about GIA’s is that they may not need re-execution for years unless the Principal has changes in ownership or entities.  Back in the year “1” when I started in the business, we obtained a specific indemnity agreement for every P&P bond.  What a pain!  Eventually everyone moved over to the “once and done,” GIA.

You love GIAs even more – now that you know some of the Tips and Tricks!

FIA Surety is a bonding company that has specialized in Site, Subdivision, Performance and Payment bonds since 1979. We get them done!

Call us with your next Surety Bond.

Steve Golia, Marketing Mgr. 856-304-7348

FIA Surety / First Indemnity of America Insurance Company, Morris Plains, NJ

*Subrogation by the claims department is unlikely in a foreign jurisdiction

Secrets of Bonding #17: Dual Obligees & Additional Insureds

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Contractors are often required to name an architect, building owner or lender as an additional insured on their insurance.  The insurer will do so, and assume the additional risk for a minimal or no charge.  While there are some potential consequences for the contractor, most favor this extension of coverage without hesitation.  Why shouldn’t they? After all, the point of the insurance is to transfer risk away from the insured.

With a Performance Bond, there is a similar situation with the Dual Obligee rider.  This rider modifies the bond to include a party that was not named on the contract.  An example of such a party is a lender to a borrower who owns property. The borrower has hired a contractor to work on the property.  The Performance Bond that guarantees the contract has the property owner as the natural Obligee (the “owner” on the contract).  The lender has an interest in the project and may therefore ask to be named as a Dual Obligee.  Sureties will normally do this (and for no additional charge), but it is not without consequences for the contractor.

The Dual Obligee rider enables the lender to make a performance bond claim directly against the Surety – and thus creates additional risk for a potential loss on the bond. So why should the contractor care?  (See Secret #1)  Bonds are not insurance.

A surety relationship is more like banking than insurance.  Like a lender not expecting a loan to result in a loss, a surety does not expect any bond claims or losses.  Similar to a bank’s promissory note, a surety requires a General Indemnity Agreement (GIA) which is a hold harmless intended to prevent any financial loss to the surety if a claim occurs.  Read this as “no risk transfer.”

So let’s go back to the Dual Obligee rider.  All contractors are required to provide a GIA for their surety.  So if the bond is extended to include the lender, and the risk for a bond claim or loss in increased, who assumes this risk?  The answer, of course, is the surety plus the contractor.  The nature of a Performance Bond is that the contractor, the “Principal,” always shares in the bond risk – both in their company and personally.

Summary: Adding additional insureds may seem like a freebie, but contractors should be cautious when adding Dual Obligees to a bond.  Each obligee is another master they must please on their contract.  Each one is a risk and a financial threat.  Some entities must be added when requested such as a lender, the city or other entitled parties.  Other times there is a feeding frenzy: “Let’s add everybody.” 

If the surety fails to object or at least ask for justification as to why such parties must be added, the contractor should… because unlike insurance, on a bond the contractor assumes risk.

FIA Surety is a NJ based bonding company (carrier) that has specialized in Site, Subdivision, Bid and Performance 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 #16: Bid Spreads

Steve Golia1 Comment

They can be full of fat or skinny. Sometimes they’re yummy, but they never go on crackers.

Spread

A Bid Spread is important to contractors and their surety.  Let’s find out why.

What is bid spread? 

When a contractor is pursuing a new project, they may be required to submit a written proposal which the project owner then compares to offers made by other firms.  It is a competition based on capabilities, credentials and price.  In the case of public projects such as federal, state or municipal, the bid results are normally published – meaning everyone gets to see the full list of bidders and their amounts.  These dollar figures are the prices the contractors will charge to perform the work.

The bid spread is the difference in dollars and percentage between two of the bidders.  The “apparent low bidder” is the company with the least expensive price on bid day.  The bid spread for the low bid is based on the difference between bids # 1 and 2.  It is an evaluation of the potential inadequacy of the low bid amount.  

How to calculate the bid spread

Suppose the low bid is $100,000 and the second bid is $150,000. In this case it may be obvious that the low bid is 33.3% below the second.  But what is the calculation method?  You subtract the difference between the bids and divide the number into the second bid:

150,000 – 100,000 = 50,000

50,000 / 150,000 = 33.3%

Therefore the bid spread is 33.3%.  (The difference in bids equals 33.3% of the second bid amount.)

Another way of calculating is to divide the 1st bid into the second, such as 100,000 / 150,000 = .66 or 66%. This indicates that the first bid is 66% of the second, and therefore the second is 33% larger.

What does the bid spread tell us?

The purpose of determining the bid spread is to evaluate the potential inadequacy of the low bid.  For example, if the 2nd, 3rd and 4th bids are all clustered together with the 1st bid far below, one may conclude that the low bid is inadequate.  Maybe they left out an element, misread the plans or miscalculated.  All the bidders wanted the work, so how could one be significantly less?

For the low bidder, a large bid spread demands an immediate review.  If an error or omission is found, usually the bid can be withdrawn with no penalty if acted upon promptly.

For the surety, there is a reluctance to bond an inadequately priced project.  The absence of profit could cause the contractor to abandon the work or they could be forced into default by the financial pressure – with the surety left to complete the project.  They may be tempted to cut corners resulting in a performance claim.  Slow payments to subs and suppliers could result in payment claims.

The only thing worse than a bond claim is a defaulted project requiring completion by the surety where the remaining funds are insufficient to complete the work.

How low is too low?

The rule of thumb is 10%.  If the low bid is $100,000 and the second is more than $111,000, the spread is over 10% and warrants evaluation before a performance bond is issued. ($11,000 / 110,000 = 10%)

The surety will ask if the bid estimate has been double checked.  What was included for profit and overhead? Are subcontractors dependable at their prices – and bonded? Did the low bidder have some advantage over the other contractors that enables them to perform the work profitably for a lower price?

Alternative calculation method

When faced with a spread of more than 10%, analysts will also calculate the bid spread to the average of the second and third.  In this case they hope to find a spread not in excess of 15%.

Try the analysis on these numbers: 1st: $100,000, 2nd: $112,000, 3rd: $114,000.

(Answer: 11.5%)

Other facts about bid spreads

In most cases, the surety that provides a bid bond is not obligated to provide the Performance and Payment bond.  An exception to this would be situations in which a Consent of Surety was required with the bid bond.  Such consent does promise to issue the P&P bond.

With no consent in play, a large bid spread could cause the surety to refuse the P&P bond, even though it could result in a bid bond claim – if the contractor cannot quickly locate a replacement surety or withdraw the bid.  (Refer to Secrets #8: Bid Bonds).  A bid bond claim is a much smaller problem to deal with than a defaulted contract.

A new surety that is offered the P&P bond will naturally ask for details if they know a bid phase was involved.  They know the incumbent surety must have had good reason to forego the P&P premium and face a possible bid bond claim. Producers can expect this to be a difficult placement.

Bid spreads are revealing! A tight bid spread validates the low bidder’s amount.  Large spreads require further scrutiny.

In cases where bid results and bid spreads are not known, such as on private contracts (or in cases where the contract amount is negotiated) it makes approval of the P&P bond a bit harder for the surety.

FIA Surety is a NJ based bonding company (carrier) that has specialized in Site, Subdivision, Bid and Performance 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 #11: Payment Bonds

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You’ve heard of “Performance and Payment.” In this article let’s discuss the Payment part because this obligation affects more people and is the most frequent area of claim for sureties.

The old fashioned name for these is a “Labor and Materialmen’s Payment Bond.”  The name says it all: These bonds guarantee that suppliers of labor and material will receive their proper payment. We know labor and material suppliers want to be paid, but why are these bonds required on public work and other contracts?

Why Obligees Require Payment Bonds

Scenario: A company is building a new office facility and hires a general contractor.  The GC then hires a paving subcontractor to put in the parking lot.  If the paver is not properly paid, they may be entitled to file a Mechanics Lien against the property.  He can’t take back his labor and paving material, so the court allows the lien to be filed to protect his interests until there is a legal resolution.

The problem with liens is that the company may have paid the GC properly. It could be the GCs fault that the paver isn’t paid, yet the company is being penalized.  With the lien in place, the company no longer has a clear title. If they want to sell the property, they may have to pay the paver directly even though they already paid the GC!  The payment bond is a source of financial recovery for the paver so there is no need to file the lien and therefore it protects the interests of the obligee as well.

Who Are Payment Bond Claimants?

As the name says, potential claimants are “suppliers of labor and material.”  Other parties that have a direct interest in the contract are also included.

Let’s use our GC and paver situation as an example.  The GC obtains the Performance and Payment Bond.  The paver is a subcontractor to the GC and would be entitled to make a bond claim. The paver’s asphalt supplier is directly supplying materials and can also make a claim.

If the paver hires a striping contract to mark up the parking lot, they are covered. However the paint supplier to the striping contractor is not, legally they are too far removed from the prime contract.  They are working for the sub-subcontractor and are three steps down.  Here’s the flow:

  1. Owner
  2. GC (Prime contractor with owner)
  3. Paver (Subcontractor)
  4. Striping contractor (Sub-subcontractor)
  5. Paint supplier (supplier to Sub-subcontractor)

Remember that the payment bond does not protect parties that are more than two steps down.

Other key points needed for a valid claim:

  • To be covered, materials must have actually gone into the project, not just be delivered to the site.
  • There is a time limit for after which claims cannot be filed.
  • The form and proof of claim must be correct.

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

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

First Indemnity of America Ins. Co.

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Secrets of Bonding #10: Site / Subdivision

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Site / Subdivision: Oh what a tangled web we weave…

Feel like you’re not an expert on these?  You’re not alone!  In this article we’ll cover the basics as well as some of the tricky stuff.

Site and Subdivision (Sub-D) Bonds are both similar for the surety.  A Site Bond is needed when a business expands their facilities whereas Sub-D arises on residential development projects.

In both cases, the property owner or developer has obtained zoning board approval to proceed, but is required to build certain elements the township wants such as sidewalks, roads or lighting.  Contractors call this “site work,” thus the name Site Bond.  Site bonds do not concern the construction of the buildings.  “Improved Lots” are property where such elements have been completed.

This required work is collectively called the Public Improvements.  A township engineer will prepare an “Engineers Estimate” with an estimated current cost for each item.  The bond amount is the sum of these costs plus an added cushion in case the bond is called at a future date when construction costs are higher.

The purpose of all Site and Sub-D Bonds is to guarantee that public improvements will be built at the developer or surety’s expense, not the taxpayers.  For example, if the developer fails to topcoat the road, the township makes a bond claim and the surety must complete the work.

How Site & Sub-D differs from Performance Bonds:

  • There is no contract with the obligee (township)
  • The obligee is not paying for the work.  It is self-funded by the principal (property owner)
  • There is no definite completion date

FIRST TANGLED WEB: Since the work is self-funded, the property owner must either have cash on hand or arrange for a construction loan. If the latter, it is likely that the property in question will be collateral for the lender. This means in the event of the principals failure (such as bankruptcy), the bank becomes the new property owner but the surety remains obligated to the township.

In the borrowers absence the bank has no obligation to disburse the remainder of the loan (the purpose of which was to improve and increase the value of property THE BANK NOW OWNS) – but the surety is still required to complete the work.

Untangle this by obtaining a “Set Aside Letter” from the lender prior to issuing the bond.  This requires the bank to continue disbursing funds to the surety in the event of the borrower’s failure – with no pay back required.  In this manner, the work can be completed as intended.

SECOND TANGLED WEB: When the property owner hires a contractor to build the public improvements, it is not uncommon to require the construction firm to obtain the Site / Sub-D bond.  After all, the contractor may already have a surety relationship.  Problem: In the event of the property owner’s default, the construction contract is terminated however the Site / Sub-D bond obligation remains in force.  No more money is coming to the contractor to complete the work. The contractor is now solely responsible to the township and the surety and must self-fund the completion of improvements for property they do not own.

Untangle this one by a) requiring the developer, not the contractor, to be the bond applicant, or b) at least get the financial statements and indemnity of the developer so the contractor is not solely obligated to the surety and township, and c) a set-aside letter or escrow account (for funding by cash) could still be required.

Summary: Key questions are:

  • Who will build the public improvements?
  • If built under a construction contract, is it bonded to the developer? (Performance and Payment Bond)
  • How will the work be paid for?
  • How will the surety be funded in the event of failure by the property owner?

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

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

First Indemnity of America Ins. Co.

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