Valley Country Club spars with general contractor over clubhouse, pool work

Valley Country Club

Valley Country Club faces liens related to clubhouse and pool renovations. (BusinessDen file)

A Centennial country club’s renovation of its clubhouse and pool has spilled over into court.

Valley Country Club has been hit with at least 15 liens since last May, nine of which remain active and are seeking a combined $2.55 million, public records show. Some of those filings have escalated into full-blown lawsuits, including one filed by the project’s general contractor, Littleton-based Farrington Construction Management.

The country club, meanwhile, says the work performed by Farrington and its subcontractors was flawed and has cost them “seven figures” of damages.

The dispute stems from a project dating back to the summer of 2021, per Farrington’s lawsuit, which describes it as a remodeling of the clubhouse and construction of new pool facilities, along with other amenities. The “guaranteed maximum price” of the job, per the suit, was set at nearly $10 million, not including changes to the project’s scope.

Farrington alleges that the country club — via its hired representative, Centennial-based DAE group — hindered the construction process, leading to about $2 million in unpaid work and costs.

In its Jan. 22 lawsuit, Farrington alleges that problems with the project began almost as soon as it signed a contract with the club and tried to get to work.

“Shortly after execution of the contract, the project encountered delays and other impacts that were not the responsibility of FCM (Farrington),” the suit reads. 

Construction began by late August 2021, according to Farrington. But the company alleges that the scope of the project was widened as work was done, meaning Farrington couldn’t complete the project in a timely manner. Then, as the job was wrapping up, DAE began to interfere with Farrington’s work, the company claims.

DAE served as an intermediary between the club and the general contractor. Owner representatives are common in situations where the firm contracting out the work is less familiar with the construction industry and process. 

Farrington says in its suit that DAE “began interfering” with Farrington’s relationship with its subcontractors and vendors by directing the club to issue joint checks to Farrington and its subcontractors. The company claims DAE’s lack of direction and communication led to difficulties toward the end of the project.

Since Farrington’s filing, two subcontractors submitted a countersuit and another filed its own lawsuit, with each trying to recoup unpaid money from the project.

Here’s a breakdown of the claims and liens, per public records:

• Lawsuit claim from Farrington Construction: $2.05 million

• ALC Property Maintenance, Inc. lien: $113,833

• Canyon Plumbing lien: $90,124

• Countersuit claim from Acierno & Company LLC: $89,275

• Custom On-Site Inc. lien: $83,407

• Colorado Mechanical Systems lien: $38,883

• The Art of Concrete LLC lien: $35,069

• Lawsuit claim from Dana Kepner Company LLC: $30,475

• Countersuit claim from DBC Irrigation Supply: $22,763

Reached by BusinessDen, Farrington, DAE Group and multiple subcontractors declined to comment or did not respond.

Valley Country Club, meanwhile, sees the situation differently. 

In a statement to BusinessDen, the club said that it hired forensic engineers who “determined that the work of Farrington, and certain of its subcontractors, is defective and non-compliant with the construction documents.”

“The defective and noncompliant work amounts to damages in the seven figures based on preliminary estimates,” the club said in the statement.

The club said it expects to “aggressively defend” itself from Farrington’s lawsuit and “assert appropriate claims against all appropriate construction professionals who are responsible for the defective and noncompliant work.” The club said it is “exploring early settlement options” in the case of the lawsuit filed by Dana Kepner.

Valley Country Club said in a recent job posting that it has 335 regular members and $7 million in annual revenue.

Valley Country Club

Valley Country Club faces liens related to clubhouse and pool renovations. (BusinessDen file)

A Centennial country club’s renovation of its clubhouse and pool has spilled over into court.

Valley Country Club has been hit with at least 15 liens since last May, nine of which remain active and are seeking a combined $2.55 million, public records show. Some of those filings have escalated into full-blown lawsuits, including one filed by the project’s general contractor, Littleton-based Farrington Construction Management.

The country club, meanwhile, says the work performed by Farrington and its subcontractors was flawed and has cost them “seven figures” of damages.

The dispute stems from a project dating back to the summer of 2021, per Farrington’s lawsuit, which describes it as a remodeling of the clubhouse and construction of new pool facilities, along with other amenities. The “guaranteed maximum price” of the job, per the suit, was set at nearly $10 million, not including changes to the project’s scope.

Farrington alleges that the country club — via its hired representative, Centennial-based DAE group — hindered the construction process, leading to about $2 million in unpaid work and costs.

In its Jan. 22 lawsuit, Farrington alleges that problems with the project began almost as soon as it signed a contract with the club and tried to get to work.

“Shortly after execution of the contract, the project encountered delays and other impacts that were not the responsibility of FCM (Farrington),” the suit reads. 

Construction began by late August 2021, according to Farrington. But the company alleges that the scope of the project was widened as work was done, meaning Farrington couldn’t complete the project in a timely manner. Then, as the job was wrapping up, DAE began to interfere with Farrington’s work, the company claims.

DAE served as an intermediary between the club and the general contractor. Owner representatives are common in situations where the firm contracting out the work is less familiar with the construction industry and process. 

Farrington says in its suit that DAE “began interfering” with Farrington’s relationship with its subcontractors and vendors by directing the club to issue joint checks to Farrington and its subcontractors. The company claims DAE’s lack of direction and communication led to difficulties toward the end of the project.

Since Farrington’s filing, two subcontractors submitted a countersuit and another filed its own lawsuit, with each trying to recoup unpaid money from the project.

Here’s a breakdown of the claims and liens, per public records:

• Lawsuit claim from Farrington Construction: $2.05 million

• ALC Property Maintenance, Inc. lien: $113,833

• Canyon Plumbing lien: $90,124

• Countersuit claim from Acierno & Company LLC: $89,275

• Custom On-Site Inc. lien: $83,407

• Colorado Mechanical Systems lien: $38,883

• The Art of Concrete LLC lien: $35,069

• Lawsuit claim from Dana Kepner Company LLC: $30,475

• Countersuit claim from DBC Irrigation Supply: $22,763

Reached by BusinessDen, Farrington, DAE Group and multiple subcontractors declined to comment or did not respond.

Valley Country Club, meanwhile, sees the situation differently. 

In a statement to BusinessDen, the club said that it hired forensic engineers who “determined that the work of Farrington, and certain of its subcontractors, is defective and non-compliant with the construction documents.”

“The defective and noncompliant work amounts to damages in the seven figures based on preliminary estimates,” the club said in the statement.

The club said it expects to “aggressively defend” itself from Farrington’s lawsuit and “assert appropriate claims against all appropriate construction professionals who are responsible for the defective and noncompliant work.” The club said it is “exploring early settlement options” in the case of the lawsuit filed by Dana Kepner.

Valley Country Club said in a recent job posting that it has 335 regular members and $7 million in annual revenue.

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