Local Law Blogs

On January 1, 2006, a new law goes into effect in New Hampshire which encourages homeowners and home builders to resolve disputes outside of court.  I was involved in the process of seeking an amendment to the bill as originally drafted by its sponsor.  HB 469, as amended by the House, will require homeowners and builders to take certain steps to attempt to resolve disputes before they are permitted to have a trial in court.  While the amended version does not require that homeowners allow inspections of alleged defects by home builders, it does encourage them to do so under certain circumstances.  As a result of efforts by the New Hampshire Trial Lawyers Association, the amended version of the bill places much less burden on homeowners than the original version.  Click here to view HB 469.