withholding money on a building contract

[metalcloud]

just prior to the issuing of the interim certificate in November, the architect received a complaint from Wilson Electrical claiming the main contractor was withholding payment for the previous month's certificate. If you were the architect on this project, what action would you take and how would the matter be resolved if the problem did not lie with the nominated sub-contractor?

[jackthehat]

I presume, then, that the problem lies with the Main Contractor ?
The Main Contractor usually has a contract with the Client.......the sub-contractor has a contract with the Main-contractor.

What IS the problem ?

The Architect acts as overseer and administrator of the contract (JCT ?) and should be able to act as mediator. If this is not possible, the contract provides remedies for this type of eventuality.......

How much of the agreed works have been completed, etc ?

Can you elaborate a little more ?

[buildersmate]

Its a homework question, Jack - there is no real problem. We get them all the time on here. Enterprising chap thinks we'll do his homework for him.

[jackthehat]

Crikey !

If only they'd had sites like this 30 years ago........I'd have been top of my class !!

Thanks for the heads-up buildersmate.

[lidders3975]

We have had a main contractor send us the following email
"Just to confirm that we have now spent 22 man days completing the wall paper stripping for you at WPG.
These hours/ day will be deducted from the account."
We are working on a very basic purchase order from the main contractor, surley they would have to provide some kind of notice of intention to complete this works with out just informing us after the event.
What kind of notices should have been given by the main contractor ?