50 State* Survey of Legal Excusability Force Majeure, Commercial Impracticability, and Frustration of Purpose * Plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands Foreword The outbreak of COVID-19 has been one of the most disruptive events to the global economy in recent memory. Businesses across every sector of the economy are scrambling to determine the legal repercussions of government travel restrictions, labor shortages, supply chain interruptions, financing impacts, and market price fluctuations triggered by the pandemic. How can I possibly be expected to perform my maintenance contract if the government orders me to stay home? Am I still liable for liquidated damages if I don’t meet the contractual milestones in my construction schedule? Do I still have to pay my purchase orders for kitchen supplies and foodstuffs if the government has shut down all restaurants indefinitely? These, and other questions like it, loom large in the wake of the current pandemic. With this survey, we attempt to shed some light on the answers to these questions and educate readers about the history and status of what we call “legal excusability” in the United States, the District of Columbia, and the US Territories. When we say “legal excusability,” we specifically refer to situations where intervening events delay or outright prevent one party from performing its obligations under a contract. In American jurisprudence, the law of excusability is derived from three authorities—the language of contracts, the common law, and legislative provisions excusing performance. Attorneys from Seyfarth Shaw’s commercial litigation, construction, and government contracts practice groups have undertaken a comprehensive review of these concepts in every American jurisdiction, analyzed what we found, and summarized our findings in the pages below. While we certainly don’t claim to have all the answers to the difficult questions that businesses face during these trying times, our goal is to provide the legal building blocks to aid contractors that may have a viable claim of legal excusability. We hope you find it informative.1 Anthony LaPlaca Seyfarth Shaw LLP June 1, 2020 1 The follow ing individuals contributed to this survey: Anthony LaPlaca (Alaska, California, Colorado, Haw aii, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Vermont, Washington); Kay Hazelw ood (Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Texas, Utah); James Billings-Kang (Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, US Virgin Islands); Rob Lafayette (Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Wyoming); Leah Rochw arg (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Ohio, Rhode Island); Michael Wagner (District of Columbia, Mississippi, Louisiana, New Mexico); Aliya Brow n (Iow a, South Dakota, South Carolina, Wisconsin); Jonathan Huie (Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia); Teddie Arnold (Delaw are, Virginia); and Roberto Terzoli (Puerto Rico, North Carolina). Seyfarth Shaw LLP www.seyfarth.com 50 State* Survey of Legal Excusability | i Table of Contents Executive Summary .............................................................................................................. 1 Alabama .............................................................................................................................. 5 Alaska................................................................................................................................. 7 Arizona...............................................................................................................................10 Arkansas ............................................................................................................................13 California ............................................................................................................................16 Colorado ............................................................................................................................19 Connecticut.........................................................................................................................21 Delaware ............................................................................................................................25 District of Columbia ..............................................................................................................28 Florida................................................................................................................................31 Georgia ..............................................................................................................................34 Hawaii................................................................................................................................37 Idaho .................................................................................................................................40 Illinois ................................................................................................................................44 Indiana ...............................................................................................................................47 Iowa...................................................................................................................................50 Kansas...............................................................................................................................53 Kentucky ............................................................................................................................57 Louisiana............................................................................................................................59 Maine.................................................................................................................................61 Maryland ............................................................................................................................65 Massachusetts ....................................................................................................................68 Michigan.............................................................................................................................72 Minnesota...........................................................................................................................75 Mississippi ..........................................................................................................................79 Missouri .............................................................................................................................83 Montana .............................................................................................................................87 Seyfarth Shaw LLP www.seyfarth.com 50 State* Survey of Legal Excusability | iii Nebraska ............................................................................................................................91 Nevada ..............................................................................................................................94 New Hampshire ...................................................................................................................96 New Jersey ....................................................................................................................... 100 New Mexico ...................................................................................................................... 103 New York.......................................................................................................................... 105 North Carolina ................................................................................................................... 109 North Dakota..................................................................................................................... 112 Ohio................................................................................................................................. 115 Oklahoma ......................................................................................................................... 120 Oregon............................................................................................................................. 122 Pennsylvania..................................................................................................................... 125 Puerto Rico ....................................................................................................................... 129 Rhode Island..................................................................................................................... 132 South Carolina .................................................................................................................. 135 South Dakota .................................................................................................................... 138 Tennessee........................................................................................................................ 141 Texas............................................................................................................................... 144 Utah................................................................................................................................. 148 Vermont 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