{"id":5342,"date":"2025-05-08T13:18:18","date_gmt":"2025-05-08T13:18:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fwhtlaw.com\/blog\/?p=5342"},"modified":"2025-05-08T13:18:19","modified_gmt":"2025-05-08T13:18:19","slug":"understanding-the-duties-owed-in-a-relationship-of-trust-and-confidence-in-construction-contracts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fwhtlaw.com\/blog\/2025\/05\/08\/understanding-the-duties-owed-in-a-relationship-of-trust-and-confidence-in-construction-contracts\/","title":{"rendered":"Understanding the Duties Owed in a Relationship of \u201cTrust and Confidence\u201d in Construction Contracts"},"content":{"rendered":"<h6>By Kylee A. Evans<\/h6>\n<h6>Kylee is a member of the firm&#8217;s Construction Law Department. She can be reached at 612.359.7668 or <a href=\"mailto:kevans@fwhtlaw.com\">kevans@fwhtlaw.com<\/a>.<\/h6>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><p align=\"justify\">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In many standard AIA contracts, particularly A103-2017 and A102-2017 between the owner and a contractor in a cost-plus agreement, the contractor agrees to:<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"margin-left:10%; margin-right:10%;\">[A]ccept[] the <strong>relationship of trust and confidence<\/strong> established by this Agreement and covenants with the Owner to cooperate with the Architect and exercise the Contractor\u2019s skill and judgment in furthering the interests of the Owner\u2026 .<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><p align=\"justify\"><em>See, e.g.<\/em>, AIA A103-2017, Article 3 (emphasis added). This language is commonly found in cost-plus contracts based on the potential for cost overruns and inefficiency. However, courts across the country continue to disagree about the meaning of the relationship of \u201ctrust and confidence\u201d in such contracts. Minnesota has yet to rule on the meaning of the language, so we must look to other jurisdictions to understand what the implications of that language might be.<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><p align=\"justify\">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Some jurisdictions hold that such language proscribes something similar to a fiduciary duty, in which the contractor must put the interest of the owner above its own. Others find that the language creates no heightened duty to the owner at all. However, most jurisdictions find that the language requires a heightened duty of care to the owner, but that duty does not translate to a true fiduciary duty. In general, courts seem to focus on the practical reality of the owner-contractor relationship to determine if the owner truly relied on the contractor\u2019s expertise, or if the owner instead relied on the architect\/engineer to be its proxy.<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><p align=\"justify\">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;This article will explain the duties expected in a fiduciary relationship and detail the various opinions regarding the \u201ctrust and confidence\u201d language found in AIA contracts to allow contractors and owners alike to make informed decisions when they negotiate this language in their own contracts.<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><u>Fiduciary Duty Explained<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><p align=\"justify\">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A fiduciary duty is \u201cthe highest standard of duty implied by law\u201d in Minnesota. <em>Swenson v. Bender<\/em>, 764 N.W.2d 596, 601 (Minn. Ct. App. 2009). It requires the fiduciary to \u201cact for the benefit of another person on all matters within the scope of their relationship.\u201d <em>Id.<\/em> This duty is much higher than what is traditionally expected in even a heightened standard of care between contractors and owners which could surprise contractors if they find themselves in a dispute with the owner.<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><p align=\"justify\">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In Minnesota, a fiduciary relationship exists when there is \u201csuperiority of knowledge of one party and confidence reposed by the other.\u201d <em>Vacinek v. First Nat. Bank of Pine City<\/em>,416 N.W.2d 795, 799 (Minn. Ct. App. 1987). However, arm\u2019s length negotiations between businesses do not generally establish a fiduciary relationship. <em>Shema v. Thorpe Bros.<\/em>, 62 N.W.2d 86, 91 (Minn. 1953). <em>&nbsp;<\/em>Traditionally a fiduciary duty is implied to relationships like attorneys and clients, trustees and beneficiaries, and limited partners and general partners. <em>Thomas B. Olson &amp; Associates, P.A. v. Leffert, Jay &amp; Polglaze, P.A.<\/em>, 756 N.W.2d 907, 914 (Minn. Ct. App. 2008). \u201cSuch a relationship transcends the ordinary business relationship which, if it involves reliance on a professional, surely involves a certain degree of trust and a duty of good faith and yet is not classified as \u2018fiduciary.\u2019\u201d <em>Carlson v. SALA Architects, Inc.<\/em>, 732 N.W.2d 324, 331 (Minn. Ct. App. 2007). However, in cases that don\u2019t include these relationships, Minnesota courts look to whether the relationship, in practice, is a fiduciary one. For example, Minnesota has refused to automatically imply a fiduciary relationship between an architect and its client, but will look to the relationship between the parties to determine if one nevertheless exists. <em>Id.<\/em><\/p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><u>Fiduciary Duties in the AIA Contract<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><p align=\"justify\">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Minnesota courts regularly use the language \u201ctrust and confidence\u201d when discussing a fiduciary relationship. <em>See<\/em>, <em>e.g.<\/em>, <em>Lipinski v. Lipinski<\/em>, 35 N.W.2d 708, 710 (Minn. 1949) (\u201cThe relationship between partners or joint entrepreneurs is one of mutual trust and confidence, and the law imposes upon them the highest standard of integrity and good faith in their dealings with each other.\u201d); <em>Venier v. Forbes<\/em>, 25 N.W.2d 704, 708 (Minn. 1946) (same). This may signal that a Minnesota court would find there to be a heightened or fiduciary relationship created by Article 3\u2019s language. However, Minnesota has never squarely ruled on how that language applies in a construction contract, which does not traditionally fall within the common categories of fiduciary relationships, and therefore is not fiduciary <em>per se<\/em>. Instead, we must look at how other jurisdictions have handled this issue to infer the range of potential duties Article 3\u2019s relationship might impose.<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><p align=\"justify\">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Some jurisdictions will infer a heightened duty of care in cost-plus contracts, even without Article 3\u2019s language above, because of the aforementioned potential for cost overruns and inefficiency. However, that duty generally amounts to a requirement that the contractor\/construction manager keep adequate records of costs and changes and communicate those to the owner in a timely fashion. However, they do not require the contractor to operate at a loss in an effort to save the owner money or to otherwise put the owner\u2019s interests above the contractor\u2019s interest in making a profit. For example, in <em>Hitt v. Smallwood<\/em>, the court found that there is an implied duty in all cost-plus contracts to \u201ckeep accurate and correct accounts of all material used and labor performed, with the names of the materialmen and laborers, so that the owner may check up on the same,\u201d as well as a duty to \u201cuse the same skill and ability in the extra work as he uses in contract work for a gross sum.\u201d 133 S.E. 503, 506 (Va. 1926).<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><p align=\"justify\">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Other courts are hesitant to infer even a heightened standard of care on a cost-plus contract without clear contractual language. A New Jersey court found that \u201can owner-contractor relationship is not one of the traditional fiduciary relationships, and [therefore it found] no reason to infer a fiduciary relationship.\u201d <em>Avon Bros. v. Tom Martin Const. Co.<\/em>, No. A-1681-99T1, 2000 WL 34241102 (N.J. Super. Ct. App. Div. Aug. 30, 2000). The court noted that the reality of the owner-contractor relationship was that the owner relied on its in-house project engineer to make decisions, rather than the \u201csuperior power, knowledge or control over the terms of [the change orders]\u201d of the general contractor. <em>Id. <\/em>Thus, there wasn\u2019t a true relationship of \u201ctrust and confidence\u201d because the owner had its own agent to make decisions on the project. Similarly, in <em>Munn v. Thornton<\/em>, the court \u201cdecline[d] to create a fiduciary relationship between contractor and owner under a cost-plus contract\u201d absent any contractual language. <em>Munn v. Thornton<\/em>, 956 P.2d 1213, 1220 (Alaska 1998).<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><p align=\"justify\">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When courts have considered the impact of the AIA contract language regarding \u201ctrust and confidence,\u201d they have also been split. Some have used the language to infer that there is a heightened duty of care, similar to a fiduciary duty, though not exactly equivalent. In <em>Henson v. James M. Barker Co.<\/em>, the court found that \u201calthough [the AIA relationship provision] did not create a true fiduciary relationship in the classic sense,\u201d it did still impose \u201ccertain duties that would not otherwise be imposed under the concept of caveat emptor [buyer beware] generally applicable to an independent contractor dealing completely at arm\u2019s length.\u201d 555 So. 2d 901, 906 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 1990). Those duties include: a duty to \u201cdeal openly and fairly with the [owners];\u201d a duty to \u201cmake full disclosure to the owner of all problems encountered that may affect the progress of the work and its value to the owners, including all corrections the contractor deemed necessary and the cost thereof;\u201d and \u201ca duty to construct the building free of material defects, and a duty to disclose, and thus not conceal, any latent defects in the construction that would materially impair the value of the structure.\u201d <em>Id.<\/em> These duties seem to more closely align with those found in <em>Hitt<\/em> and the general principles of good faith and fair dealing. They do not necessarily mirror a fiduciary duty.<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><p align=\"justify\">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Other courts have found that the language creates a fiduciary duty outright\u2014though their description of the duty is more closely aligned with a heightened, but not fiduciary, duty. For example, Maryland courts refer to the relationship created by the \u201ctrust and confidence\u201d language as a fiduciary relationship. In <em>Jones v. J.H. Hiser Const. Co., Inc.<\/em>, the court found that the lay owners of a construction contract were entitled to rely on the contractor\u2019s opinion about costs and necessary changes. 484 A.2d 302, 304\u201305 (Md. Ct. Spec. App. 1984). Because the contract created a \u201ctrust and confidence\u201d relationship, the contractor had a fiduciary duty to \u201cprotect [the owners\u2019] pocketbooks\u201d and at the very least \u201cbe aware of incipient overruns and to inform the [owners] about them so that [they] could make informed decisions about how far they wanted to go.\u201d <em>Id.<\/em> at 305. However, in another Maryland case, the court found this duty was fulfilled when the owner was part of the regular decision-making process. <em>Kahle v. John McDonough Builders, Inc.<\/em>, 582 A.2d 557, 559\u201360 (Md. Ct. Spec. App. 1990). In that case, the owners were in \u201cconstant contact\u201d with the contractor who would disclose prices of subcontractors, changes, etc. and were given updated cost estimates throughout the process. <em>Id.<\/em> Therefore, the contractor did not need to look out for the owner\u2019s pocketbook above all else, because the owner or its agent was involved in the decisions on the project.<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><p align=\"justify\">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Still other courts have found there to be no heightened duty at all between parties when they have an arm\u2019s length relationship, regardless of contractual language. In <em>Eastover Ride, L.L.C. v. Metric Constructors, Inc.<\/em>, the court held that despite the language of \u201ctrust and confidence\u201d found in the contract, there wasn\u2019t a fiduciary relationship in practice. 533 S.E.2d 827, 831\u201332 (N.C. App. 2000). The court focused on the phrase \u201cto cooperate with the Architect\u201d in the same provision of the contract to demonstrate that the owner did not rely on the advice of the general contractor. <em>Id. <\/em>at 832. Based on the fact that the owner hired its own Architect who had extensive duties and responsibilities to the Owner, the court concluded as a matter of law that \u201cthe architect&#8217;s constant, close involvement in the project belies any claim that a \u2018relation of trust and confidence\u2019 existed between plaintiff and defendant giving rise to a fiduciary relationship.\u201d <em>Id.<\/em><\/p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><p align=\"justify\">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Essentially, the divided case law amounts to the oft-dreaded lawyer answer, \u201cit depends.\u201d There is a possibility that a contractor\u2019s relationship with the owner is one in which a fiduciary duty is implied. However, there is abundant case law that supports merely a heightened duty and even some cases that find there is no heightened duty at all.<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><u>Conclusion<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><p align=\"justify\">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Although there are a variety of court splits on this issue, generally courts have found that the \u201ctrust and confidence\u201d language in the AIA may create a heightened duty of care. Some describe the relationship in comparison to a fiduciary relationship, but largely do not require the true duty of loyalty implicit in all fiduciary relationships. Regardless, contractors and owners should be aware of this language in their contracts and contact an experienced construction law attorney to help them understand how it may impact their respective duties on the project.&nbsp;<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><u>Announcements<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Fabyanske, Westra, Hart &amp; Thomson, P.A.<\/strong> attorneys <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fwhtlaw.com\/attorneys\/mark-r-becker\">Mark Becker<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fwhtlaw.com\/attorneys\/elise-r-radaj\">Elise Radaj<\/a><\/strong>&nbsp;and<strong>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fwhtlaw.com\/attorneys\/leon-p-wells\">Leon Wells<\/a>&nbsp;<\/strong>are speaking on the upcoming <strong>HalfMoon Education Inc.\u2019s webinar \u201cCurrent Issues for Minnesota Engineers\u201d<\/strong> Tuesday, May 13th at 9:00 AM Central Time. For more information, including details and how to register, click<strong>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/halfmoonseminars.org\/product\/webinars\/current-issues-for-mn-engineers\/?variation=183936\">here.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fwhtlaw.com\/attorneys\/robert-l-smith\">Robert L. Smith<\/a><\/strong>&nbsp;is speaking at the upcoming <strong>National Business Insitutes\u2019s<\/strong> seminar <strong>\u201cConstructing Clarity: Legal Paths When Change Orders Are Refused\u201d<\/strong> Friday, May 30th at 12:00 PM Central Time. For more information, including details and how to register, click<strong>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/nbi-sems.com\/products\/100340\">here.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Kylee A. Evans Kylee is a member of the firm&#8217;s Construction Law Department. She can be reached at 612.359.7668 or kevans@fwhtlaw.com. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In many standard AIA contracts, particularly A103-2017 and A102-2017 between the\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":4940,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,59],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5342","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-briefing-papers","category-kylee-a-evans"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v19.12 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Understanding the Duties Owed in a Relationship of \u201cTrust and Confidence\u201d in Construction Contracts - Fabyanske, Westra, Hart &amp; Thomson<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fwhtlaw.com\/blog\/2025\/05\/08\/understanding-the-duties-owed-in-a-relationship-of-trust-and-confidence-in-construction-contracts\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Understanding the Duties Owed in a Relationship of \u201cTrust and Confidence\u201d in Construction Contracts - Fabyanske, Westra, Hart &amp; Thomson\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Kylee A. Evans Kylee is a member of the firm&#8217;s Construction Law Department. She can be reached at 612.359.7668 or kevans@fwhtlaw.com. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In many standard AIA contracts, particularly A103-2017 and A102-2017 between the\u2026\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.fwhtlaw.com\/blog\/2025\/05\/08\/understanding-the-duties-owed-in-a-relationship-of-trust-and-confidence-in-construction-contracts\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Fabyanske, Westra, Hart &amp; Thomson\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-05-08T13:18:18+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-05-08T13:18:19+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.fwhtlaw.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Kylee-Evans-550x275-copy.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"550\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"275\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"John Mansir\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"John Mansir\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.fwhtlaw.com\/blog\/2025\/05\/08\/understanding-the-duties-owed-in-a-relationship-of-trust-and-confidence-in-construction-contracts\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.fwhtlaw.com\/blog\/2025\/05\/08\/understanding-the-duties-owed-in-a-relationship-of-trust-and-confidence-in-construction-contracts\/\",\"name\":\"Understanding the Duties Owed in a Relationship of \u201cTrust and Confidence\u201d in Construction Contracts - Fabyanske, Westra, Hart &amp; 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Evans Kylee is a member of the firm&#8217;s Construction Law Department. She can be reached at 612.359.7668 or kevans@fwhtlaw.com. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In many standard AIA contracts, particularly A103-2017 and A102-2017 between the\u2026","og_url":"https:\/\/www.fwhtlaw.com\/blog\/2025\/05\/08\/understanding-the-duties-owed-in-a-relationship-of-trust-and-confidence-in-construction-contracts\/","og_site_name":"Fabyanske, Westra, Hart &amp; Thomson","article_published_time":"2025-05-08T13:18:18+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-05-08T13:18:19+00:00","og_image":[{"width":550,"height":275,"url":"https:\/\/www.fwhtlaw.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Kylee-Evans-550x275-copy.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"John Mansir","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"John Mansir","Est. reading time":"9 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.fwhtlaw.com\/blog\/2025\/05\/08\/understanding-the-duties-owed-in-a-relationship-of-trust-and-confidence-in-construction-contracts\/","url":"https:\/\/www.fwhtlaw.com\/blog\/2025\/05\/08\/understanding-the-duties-owed-in-a-relationship-of-trust-and-confidence-in-construction-contracts\/","name":"Understanding the Duties Owed in a Relationship of \u201cTrust and Confidence\u201d in Construction Contracts - Fabyanske, Westra, Hart &amp; Thomson","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.fwhtlaw.com\/blog\/#website"},"datePublished":"2025-05-08T13:18:18+00:00","dateModified":"2025-05-08T13:18:19+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.fwhtlaw.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/6b135c74354fdf14ce071a939f531d92"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.fwhtlaw.com\/blog\/2025\/05\/08\/understanding-the-duties-owed-in-a-relationship-of-trust-and-confidence-in-construction-contracts\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.fwhtlaw.com\/blog\/2025\/05\/08\/understanding-the-duties-owed-in-a-relationship-of-trust-and-confidence-in-construction-contracts\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.fwhtlaw.com\/blog\/2025\/05\/08\/understanding-the-duties-owed-in-a-relationship-of-trust-and-confidence-in-construction-contracts\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.fwhtlaw.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Understanding the Duties Owed in a Relationship of \u201cTrust and Confidence\u201d in Construction Contracts"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.fwhtlaw.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.fwhtlaw.com\/blog\/","name":"Fabyanske, Westra, Hart &amp; Thomson","description":"Twin Cities Law Firm | Business Attorneys","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.fwhtlaw.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.fwhtlaw.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/6b135c74354fdf14ce071a939f531d92","name":"John Mansir","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.fwhtlaw.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/127405e9f8f9272ac5748796e7ddc8013e1b51eb3e9eafeb91c84180a9d11105?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/127405e9f8f9272ac5748796e7ddc8013e1b51eb3e9eafeb91c84180a9d11105?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"John Mansir"},"url":"https:\/\/www.fwhtlaw.com\/blog\/author\/jmansirfwhtlaw-com\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fwhtlaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5342","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fwhtlaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fwhtlaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fwhtlaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fwhtlaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5342"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.fwhtlaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5342\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5347,"href":"https:\/\/www.fwhtlaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5342\/revisions\/5347"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fwhtlaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4940"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fwhtlaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5342"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fwhtlaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5342"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fwhtlaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5342"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}