Even the dead demand comfort.
At least that’s the case of Lehigh County coroner’s office in Allentown, Pennsylvania, where county officials are suing HVACR contractor, MBR Construction Services, for $135,000 over breach of contract and warranty relating to the work done at the building.
Based on an article appearing in the Feb. 6 edition of The Morning Call, the coroner’s office has yet to receive its permanent certificate of occupancy because a control panel was installed too close to a wall. Facility managers also claim the duct design creates poor airflow and the air conditioner has leaked into the drywall and the ceiling of the building’s ballistics lab.
The article reports the building’s design was changed during construction and that MBR failed to alter its heating and cooling design plan to accommodate these changes.
Per the article, county officials declined to comment citing policies on ongoing litigation, and MBR did not have an attorney listed and failed to return a phone call seeking comment.
While the report does state the design
While MBR is certainly innocent until proven guilty — and I’m not here to point the finger — I’m absolutely certain the company wishes this would all go away. No one wants to face litigation, and no one certainly wants to be found guilty in the court of public opinion.
We’re all human, and we all make mistakes, which could easily be the case here. However, at times, when our backs are against the wall, we all seek the path of least resistance — for better or worse.
Perhaps this business would have benefited from some 11th-hour building information modeling (BIM) work. While this would have certainly added to the cost, the price tag would have likely fallen short of the $135,000 plus court fees.
The lesson: Do the right thing. While it may seem advantageous to cut corners or seek shortcuts when you’re back’s against the wall – it rarely pays off. These decisions, no matter how big or small, may certainly come back to haunt you.
