Harris County Civil Court’s sixth Sunday filing involves a contractor’s mechanic’s lien on a mid-rise residential conversion near the Texas Medical Center.
The builder claims unpaid change orders for steel reinforcement added after structural inspections.
Developers counter that delays stemmed from supply-chain shortages and invoke pay-when-paid clauses in subcontract language.
Architects submitted punch-list photos showing incomplete fireproofing that prevented certificate of occupancy.
Lien waivers exchanged during draw requests are central exhibits disputing who bears cost overruns.
Urban housing advocates track the litigation as conversions accelerate amid medical-district land shortages.
Steel subcontractors filed affidavits claiming developers approved change orders verbally during structural inspection delays.
Fire marshals withheld occupancy certificates until contractors finished sprinkler retrofits in the converted medical-district tower.
Lien law experts said Texas prompt-payment statutes may penalize owners who withhold retainage without documented defects.
Construction lenders said mechanic’s lien fights in Houston’s medical district could delay certificate-of-occupancy timelines for residential towers marketed to traveling nurses and research fellows.
Developers in the medical-district conversion said they would escrow disputed retainage amounts while mechanic’s lien claims proceed, hoping to avoid delaying tenant move-ins.
Officials said additional updates are expected as June 14 filings and statements are reviewed by reporters and verified against primary records.
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Sources:
https://www.hcdistrictclerk.com/edocs/public/search.aspx?newsuits=1&ShowFF=1