NEW! Case History – A Wrangler Turns Bandit

 

 

 

 

 

Read the real-life saga of a landowner’s tenant who tries to swindle a member-firm for medical costs for his horse and for lost breeding opportunities.

 The Client

A real-estate development company

The Project

An 87-acre, single-family home subdivision

Assignment of the GBA-Member Firm

Perform a pre-acquisition, preliminary geotechnical-engineering study.

 Background

A real-estate development company – a long-time client – engaged the GBA-Member Firm to perform a preliminary geotechnical-engineering study of an 87-acre tract of land the developer was considering for a single-family residential development. The tract, still being used for cattle grazing, was enclosed with barbed-wire fencing and a single-access gate. It was part of a larger section of land that was gradually being developed for residential and supporting commercial use.

On the first day of drilling, a wrangler on horseback rode up to the property and asked what was going on. This was the first of many engagements with the stranger on horseback.

Lessons Learned include:

• Use GBA’s Site-Access Authorization Forms
• Respond Promptly to Potential Claims
• Demonstrate Financial Fortitude
• Inform Your Insurance Provider
• Documentation Can Be Your Best Defense

GBA Resources for Site Access:

GBA’s Site-Access Authorization for Geotechnical Engineering Services

GBA’s Model Access Authorization for Phase I ESA’s

GBA has a tradition of collaborating on issues that impact the geoprofessions through GBA Case Histories. GBA Case Histories provide unprecedented real-world learning examples related to project and business management. Learn where others went wrong, how they handled their problems, and how you can learn from their experiences to avoid the same problems in the future. GBA Case Histories are FREE to all members.

Download GBA Case History #104 Here