HANDLING SURETY PERFORMANCE BOND AND PAYMENT BOND CLAIMS R. James Reynolds, Jr. PHILADELPHIA OFFICE CENTRAL PA OFFICE The Curtis Center MARGOLIS P.O. Box 628 170 S. Independence Mall W. Hollidaysburg, PA 16648 Suite 400E 814-659-5064 Philadelphia, PA 19106-3337 EDELSTEIN 215-922-1100 R. James Reynolds, Jr., Esquire SOUTH NEW JERSEY OFFICE (Harrisburg Office) 100 Century Parkway PITTSBURGH OFFICE 3510 Trindle Road Suite 200 525 William Penn Place Mount Laurel, NJ 08054 Suite 3300 Camp Hill, PA 17011 856-727-6000 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 717-975-8114 412-281-4256 FAX 717-975-8124 NORTH NEW JERSEY OFFICE Connell Corporate Center
[email protected] WESTERN PA OFFICE Three Hundred Connell Drive 983 Third Street Suite 6200 Beaver, PA 15009 Berkeley Heights, NJ 07922 724-774-6000 908-790-1401 SCRANTON OFFICE DELAWARE OFFICE 220 Penn Avenue 750 Shipyard Drive Suite 305 Suite 102 Scranton, PA 18503 Wilmington, DE 19801 570-342-4231 302-888-1112 www.margolisedelstein.com TABLE OF CONTENTS Page I. Introduction 1 II. Performance Bonds 2 III. Payment Bonds 20 I. Introduction A. What is a surety bond? 1. A surety bond is a three-party agreement between the principal, the obligee, and the surety in which the surety agrees to uphold, for the benefit of the obligee, the contractual obligations of the principal if the principal fails to do so. 2. If the principal fulfills its contractual obligations, the surety's obligation is void. However, if the principal defaults on the underlying contract, the obligee can make a claim against the surety under the surety bond.