By: Kyle D. Kring
On January 18, 2018, the California Supreme Court issued an extremely important ruling for the residential construction industry in McMillin Albany LLC v. Superior Court, No. S229762 (Cal. Jan. 18, 2018). The state high court held that S.B. 800 (commonly known as the "Right to Repair Act") is the exclusive remedy not just for economic loss, but also for property damage, arising from construction defects in original construction, stand-alone homes. In so holding, the Court found that the Legislature clearly and unequivocally intended to reshape the rules governing construction defect actions when it enacted S.B. 800.
S.B. 800 requires parties to engage in an informal process that begins with written notice from the homeowner to the builder of the allegations that the construction falls shorts of the standards required by the Right to Repair Act. The builder then has a right to inspect, test, and cure the alleged defects or to pay the homeowner compensation in lieu of making repairs. If the homeowner goes outside of these procedures in bringing a civil action, the builder can move the court for a stay of that action until the homeowner has complied with these requirements.