Terms and Conditions
The following Terms and Conditions are expressly made a part of any order (the “Agreement”)
placed by the Client for Engineering Services or Consulting Services (individually,
“Services”) selected from the website of M2 Engineering & Consulting, Inc. (the “Engineer”).
Article 1 - Services of the Engineer
1.01 For Engineering Services (those services for which the
Engineer’s work
product is a
signed and sealed drawing or document) and Consulting Services (those services for which
the
Engineer’s work product is not a signed and sealed drawing or document), as described on
and
as requested by the Client on the Engineer’s website, with the price listed on the
website:
A. The Engineer shall provide the Engineering Services or the Consulting Services
selected
by the Client as described on the website.
1.02 For Engineering Services or Consulting Services described on and
requested
by the
Client on the Engineer’s website, with the price for the Service requested by the Client
not
listed on the website:
A. The Engineer shall provide the Engineering Services or Consulting Services selected
by
the Client as described on the website and as further described in the executed written
agreement (the “Engineering Services Agreement” or “ESA”) between the Client and the
Engineer. Engineer will provide the ESA separately for review and approval.
Article 2 - Client’s Responsibilities
2.01 The Client shall pay the Engineer as follows:
- A. For Services with the price listed on the website:
- 1. The Client shall pay the lump sum fee for the Engineer’s Services
listed
on and
as
provided on the website.
-
B. For Services with the price not listed on the website:
- 1. The Client shall pay the fee for the Engineer’s Services as shown on
the
Agreement and
the ESA.
2.02 The Engineer shall not be responsible for
performing
Additional Services, as defined below, without Client’s written authorization. The
Client
shall be responsible for authorizing Additional Services and paying for Additional
Services,
as provided in the ESA.
2.03 The Client shall provide the Engineer with the
Client’s scope of services and requirements for the subject matter of the Engineer’s
performance of the Services and the Client shall promptly respond to communications from
the
Engineer and promptly provide information requested by the Engineer.
2.04 The Client shall furnish to the Engineer any
available information pertinent to the Project or requested by the Engineer, including
reports and data relative to previous designs, assessments, investigations, or work.
2.05 The Client shall promptly review all documents
presented by the Engineer and provide written timely decisions and responses that are
sought
from the Client by the Engineer pertaining thereto.
Article 3 - Schedule
3.01 Services will begin upon the Engineer’s receipt
of an
order and payment for the Services through the website or, in the case of Services
provided
under Article 1.02 above, upon the Engineer’s receipt of a signed written ESA, together
with
the required payment for the Services, and will be considered complete on the date when
the
Engineer’s work product for Consulting Services or Engineering Services ordered by the
Client (the “Document”) has been delivered to Client. Unless otherwise set forth in the
ESA
or noted otherwise in writing by the Engineer, the Document will be delivered within 10
business days after all information required by the Engineer and payment due for the
Services is received from the Client.
Article 4 - Additional Services
4.01If authorized by the Client in writing, the
Engineer
may, but shall not be required to, furnish Additional Services, as defined below, in
addition to those Services included in the ESA or this Agreement without invalidating
this
Agreement. Any Services provided not included in this Agreement will be Additional
Services.
Additional Services plus reimbursable expenses will be invoiced in accordance with the
fee
schedule below, or in accordance with an executed written Amendment. Additional services
will be furnished in quarter hour increments.
Professional Engineer --- $175
Consultant --- $175
Drafting --- $100
Administrative --- $75
Article 5 - Invoices and Payments
5.01For Services with the price listed on the website, the
Client shall pay at the time of the Client’s order through the website.
5.02 For Services with the price not listed on the website,
the Engineer will prepare and submit an ESA following the Engineer’s receipt of the
requested scope of services for the Project from the Client. The Client shall submit
payment
for the Services with the Client’s return of the executed ESA. The Engineer will not
begin
work until the Engineer’s receipt of payment for the Services, as provided in the ESA.
Article 6 - General Conditions
6.01Standards of Performance
- A. The standard of care for all professional engineering and related services
performed or furnished by the Engineer under this Agreement will be the care and
skill ordinarily used by members of the subject profession practicing under
similar
circumstances at the same time and in the same locality. The Engineer makes no
warranties, express or implied, under this Agreement or otherwise, in connection
with the Services.
6.02Use of Documents
- A. All Documents prepared by the Engineer are instruments of service in respect
to
the Project, and the Engineer shall retain an ownership and property interest
therein (including the copyright and the right of reuse at the discretion of the
Engineer) whether or not the Project is completed. The Engineer grants the
Client a
license to use the Document(s) on the Project once they have been signed and
sealed.
For documents requiring signing and sealing by a professional engineer, the
Client
shall not rely in any way on any Document unless it is signed or sealed by the
Engineer. The Client shall indemnify and hold harmless the Engineer from all
claims,
damages, losses, and expenses, including attorneys’ fees, arising out of or
resulting from any use, reuse, or modification of the Document(s) without the
Engineer’s prior written approval. All Documents provided to Client may only be
used
by persons duly licensed or authorized by law to utilize the information in the
Documents for the performance or supply of the labor, services or materials
required
to implement the Documents for the Project. This covenant shall survive
termination
of this Agreement and any corresponding ESA.
6.03 Signing and Sealing of Documents
- A. In the case of Engineering Services performed by the Engineer, the Engineer
will
sign and seal all final drawings, specifications, plans, reports, or documents
involving practices licensed under Chapter 471 of the Florida Statutes which are
prepared or approved for the use of the business organization or for public
record
within the state of Florida. In the case of Consulting Services performed by the
Engineer, shop drawings and documents issued as construction consulting
documents
are not considered final documents requiring an engineer’s signature and seal
and
will not be signed or sealed by the Engineer.
6.04Suspension and Termination
- A. This Agreement and any corresponding ESA may be terminated by either party
upon
twenty (20) days written notice for convenience or should the other party fail
substantially to perform in accordance with its terms, through no fault of the
party
initiating the termination, if and only if the non-terminating party fails to
cure
the non-performance specified in such written notice. Termination of this
Agreement
and any corresponding ESA shall not excuse Client's obligation to pay for all
Services rendered and all Additional Services provided, performed, incurred, or
expended by Engineer in its performance of this Agreement and any corresponding
ESA,
through the date of such termination which shall be due immediately upon
termination. Upon Client’s default and the Engineer’s notice of default to
Client,
the Engineer may suspend further performance of this Agreement and any
corresponding
ESA pending Client’s curing such default. The Engineer will be entitled to
invoice
the Client and to receive full payment for all services performed or furnished
and
all Reimbursable Expenses incurred through the effective date of termination.
6.05Controlling Law; Venue
- A. This Agreement and any corresponding ESA shall be governed by the law of the
state of Florida. Venue for any action brought regarding enforcement of this
Agreement or any corresponding ESA or for any dispute arising thereunder shall
be in
Manatee County, Florida or, in the case of lien enforcement actions only, the
Florida county in which the Project is located.
6.06Successors, Assigns and Beneficiaries
- A. The Client and the Engineer each is hereby bound and the partners,
successors,
executors, administrators, and legal representatives of the Client and the
Engineer
are hereby bound to the other party to this Agreement and to the partners,
successors, executors, administrators, and legal representatives (and said
assigns)
of such other party, in respect of all covenants, agreements, and obligations of
this Agreement. Except as expressly provided in this Agreement and in any
corresponding ESA, the Engineer and the Client agree that this Agreement and any
corresponding ESA shall not and does not create any rights in any third persons.
- B. Neither the Client nor the Engineer may assign, sublet, or transfer any
rights
under or interest (including, but without limitation, moneys that are due or may
become due) in this Agreement without the written consent of the other, except
to
the extent that any assignment, subletting, or transfer is mandated or
restricted by
law. Unless specifically stated to the contrary in any written consent to an
assignment, no assignment will release or discharge the assignor from any duty
or
responsibility under this Agreement.
6.07Dispute Resolution
- A. The Client and the Engineer agree to negotiate all disputes between them in
good
faith for a period of 30 days from the date of notice prior to invoking the
procedures as follows:
- 1. The Client and the Engineer agree that they shall first submit any
and
all unsettled claims, counterclaims, disputes, and other matters in
question
between them arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the breach
thereof (“Dispute”) to mediation by a State of Florida certified
mediator
acceptable to both parties. If a party refuses to participate or
reasonably
cooperate with the other party’s efforts to schedule or proceed with
such
mediation or if such mediation is unsuccessful in resolving the Dispute,
then (a) the parties may mutually agree to a dispute resolution of their
choice, or (b) either party may seek to have the Dispute resolved by a
court
of competent jurisdiction.
6.08To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Client and
the
Engineer:
- A. The Client and the Engineer agree to negotiate all disputes between them in
good
faith for a period of 30 days from the date of notice prior to invoking the
procedures as follows:
- 1. Waive against each other, and the other’s employees, officers,
directors,
agents, insurers, partners, and consultants, any and all claims for or
entitlement to special, incidental, indirect, or consequential damages
arising out of, resulting from, or in any way related to the Project,
and
- 2. Agree that the Engineer’s total liability to the Client under this
Agreement and any corresponding ESA shall be limited to the total amount
of
compensation received by the Engineer from the Client for the Services;
that
the Engineer shall not be liable to the Client for any loss, damage or
claim
arising from the acts and/or omissions of any other person or entity
providing labor, services and/or materials for the Client or for the
Project; and, that the Engineer shall not be liable to the Client for
loss,
damage or claim attributable to any matter beyond the Engineer’s
reasonable
control. In recognition of the relative risks and benefits of the
Project to
both the Client and the Engineer, the risks have been allocated such
that
the Client agrees, to the fullest extent permitted by law, to limit the
liability of the Engineer and the Engineer’s officers, directors,
partners,
employees, shareholders, owners and subconsultants (to the extent
liability
is not otherwise limited under section 558.0035, Florida Statutes,
hereunder
and/or the ESA) for any and all claims, losses, costs, damages of any
nature
whatsoever whether arising from breach of contract, negligence, or other
common law or statutory theory of recovery, or claims expenses from any
cause or causes, including attorney’s fees and costs and expert witness
fees
and costs, so that the total aggregate liability of the Engineer and the
Engineer’s officers, directors, partners, employees, shareholders,
owners
and subconsultants (to the extent liability is not otherwise limited
under
section 558.0035, Florida Statutes, hereunder and/or the ESA) shall not
exceed the Engineer’s total fee for the Services rendered on the Project
It
is intended that this limitation apply to any and all liability or cause
of
action however alleged or arising, unless otherwise prohibited by law,
including but not limited to negligence, breach of contract, or any
other
claim whether in tort, contract or equity.
6.09Miscellaneous Provisions
- A. The Engineer may rely on the information provided by the Client. If the
Client
provides information that changes the information previously provided by the
Client,
the Engineer may require a written confirmation and agreement from the Client to
the
change and may adjust the schedule for completion of the Services, the Services
to
be performed or provided, and/or the Engineer’s compensation for the Services,
before proceeding further with the changes.
- B. The Engineer may rely on information furnished by others in connection with
the
Services, including but not limited to, specialty contractors, manufacturers,
suppliers, and publishers of technical standards.
- C. The Engineer neither guarantees the performance of any contractor nor assumes
responsibility for any contractor’s failure to furnish and perform or provide
labor,
services or materials for the Project in accordance with this Agreement and any
corresponding ESA or any construction documents or agreements for the Project
not
executed by the Engineer.
- D. The Engineer shall not be responsible for any unauthorized or unlawful use of
the
Documents, the acts or omissions of any contractor, subcontractor, or supplier,
or
of any of their agents or employees or of any other persons at the Project
location
or otherwise furnishing or performing or providing any labor, services or
materials;
or for any decision made on interpretations or clarifications of any contract or
construction documents or agreements furnished by the Client without
consultation
and advice of the Engineer.
- E. The Engineer shall not be required to sign any Document(s), no matter by whom
requested, that would result in the Engineer having to represent, certify,
guarantee, or warrant the existence of conditions whose existence the Engineer
cannot reasonably ascertain. The Client shall not withhold payment from the
Engineer
or refuse to participate in the resolution of any Dispute and/or or condition
payment or in any way make payment contingent upon the Engineer signing and/or
sealing any such Document(s).
- F. Any notice required under this Agreement will be in writing, addressed to the
appropriate party at its address on the signature page of the Agreement and
given
personally, by facsimile, by registered or certified mail postage prepaid, or by
a
commercial courier service. All notices shall be effective upon the date of
receipt.
- G. All express representations, waivers, indemnifications, and limitations of
liability included in this Agreement will survive its completion or termination
for
any reason.
- H. Any provision or part of the Agreement or any corresponding ESA held to be
void
or unenforceable under any Laws or Regulations shall be deemed stricken, and all
remaining provisions shall continue to be valid and binding upon the Client and
the
Engineer, who agree that the Agreement shall be reformed to replace such
stricken
provision or part thereof with a valid and enforceable provision that comes as
close
as possible to expressing the intention of the stricken provision.
- I. A party’s non-enforcement of any provision shall not constitute a waiver of
that
provision, nor shall it affect the enforceability of that provision or of the
remainder of this Agreement.
- J. To the fullest extent permitted by law, all causes of action arising under
this
Agreement shall be deemed to have accrued, and all statutory periods of
limitation
shall commence, no later than the date of completion.
- K. In any dispute arising from this Agreement and any corresponding ESA,
concerning
its performance, enforcement or interpretation, the prevailing party shall be
entitled to recover from the non-prevailing party(s) all costs incurred,
including,
without limitation, reasonable attorneys' fees and direct out-of-pocket expenses
and
court costs through all trial and appellate levels.
- M. JURY TRIAL WAIVER. THE ENGINEER AND THE CLIENT KNOWINGLY, INTENTIONALLY AND
VOLUNTARILY WAIVE THE RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY ACTION OR PROCEEDING ARISING
OUT
OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE
ACTIONS
OF THE PARTIES IN THE NEGOTIATION, PERFORMANCE AND ENFORCEMENT OF THIS
AGREEMENT,
THEIR CONDUCT OR COURSE OF DEALINGS.ANY CLAIMS FOR CONSTRUCTION DEFECTS ARE
SUBJECT
TO THE NOTICE AND CURE PROVISIONS OF CHAPTER 558, FLORIDA STATUTES.
- N. PURSUANT TO SECTION 558.035 OF THE FLORIDA STATUTES, AN INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYEE
OR
AGENT OF ENGINEER MAY NOT BE HELD INDIVIDUALLY LIABLE FOR NEGLIGENCE OCCURRING
WITHIN THE COURSE AND SCOPE OF THIS AGREEMENT, ANY CORRESPONDING ENGINEERING
SERVICES AGREEMENT, AND ANY AMENDMENTS THERETO.
Article 7 - Entire Agreement
7.01 This Agreement and any corresponding ESA constitutes
the
entire and integrated agreement between the Client and the Engineer and supersedes all
prior
written or oral understandings, either written or oral. This Agreement may only be
amended,
supplemented, modified, or canceled by a duly executed written instrument signed by the
Engineer and the Client.
Article 8 - Execution, Counterparts, Electronic
Signatures
8.01 This Agreement and any corresponding ESA may be
executed in counterparts, each of which shall constitute an original, but all of which
taken
together shall constitute one and the same document. This Agreement and any
corresponding
ESA may also be executed by way of facsimile or email transmitted documents in lieu of
original signatures and a signed copy produced by facsimile or email transmission shall
be
binding upon all parties as an original and fully admissible in any legal proceeding
regarding this Agreement and any corresponding ESA, notwithstanding the best evidence
rule
or any similar rule. Each of the parties executing this Agreement and any corresponding
ESA
further acknowledges that said party’s signature that is affixed to this Agreement and
any
corresponding ESA is a valid and effectual electronic signature, as defined by Sec.
668.003(4), Florida Statutes 2021, as may hereinafter be amended; and that, as provided
by
Sec. 668.004, Florida Statutes, 2021, each of said signatures shall have the same force
and
effect as a written signature.