Payment-chain reconstruction
Every pay application, approval, change order, backcharge, and transfer, sequenced into one defensible chronology. Who owes what, under which instrument, as of which date.
Discipline: Record ReconstructionContractor Disputes
When the payment chain breaks on a construction project
Retainage held past release. Approved draws left unfunded. Completed work invoiced, then disputed. AEEA administers construction payment matters — restoring the record, the chain, and the path to resolution — for contractors owed on completed work and for owners exposed by a failed one.
Which describes your position?
Contractor, subcontractor, or supplier — owed on performed work.
Unpaid contract balances, held retainage, disputed change orders, wrongful offsets.
Owner or developer — exposed by a failing contractor.
Abandoned scope, defective completion, draw reconciliation, replacement-contractor transition.
Lender or surety — monitoring a troubled project.
Draw integrity, completion exposure, and the record beneath both.
Construction payment administration across the record
Retainage and balance administration
Held retainage, disputed balances, and wrongful offsets pursued through structured demand sequencing and documented escalation — on the record, at commercial pace.
Discipline: Payment and Collections ControlNotice and deadline administration
The Texas construction payment framework runs on calendars. Notice windows, filing periods, and interest triggers are tracked, executed, and evidenced as part of the working record.
Discipline: Governance EnforcementSettlement posture and resolution
When the record is complete, positions resolve. AEEA manages settlement mechanics, funding logistics, and closeout so resolution actually concludes the matter.
Discipline: Settlement and Resolution ManagementA clear boundary
AEEA is not a law firm and does not practice law. Lien perfection, bond-claim prosecution, and litigation are the work of counsel. AEEA builds and administers the record on which counsel acts — and coordinates with counsel of record so the legal strategy and the operational file move as one.
The Texas payment framework, administered
Construction payment in Texas is governed by a lattice of instruments and statutes: mechanic's lien and retainage procedures under Texas Property Code Chapter 53, prompt-payment obligations on private work under Texas Property Code Chapter 28 and on public work under Texas Government Code Chapter 2251, payment-bond frameworks under Texas Government Code Chapter 2253, construction trust-fund duties under Texas Property Code Chapter 162, and, on federal projects, the Miller Act.
Each of these frameworks rewards the party with the better record. Notices carry dates. Filings carry windows. Interest accrues from documented triggers. Positions that are reconstructed late, or evidenced loosely, concede leverage that the statute intended to confer.
AEEA's role is operational: the payment record is rebuilt and maintained to the standard these frameworks assume, deadlines are administered on a controlled calendar, and the resulting file is kept decision-ready for the professionals who act on it.
A commercial practice
Engagements address material exposure on commercial projects — for general contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, owners, and developers. Residential homeowner-contractor disagreements fall outside the practice. Renovation-loan matters involving FHA 203(k) draws proceed under the principal's HUD-approved 203(k) consultancy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can AEEA file a mechanic's lien or prosecute a bond claim?
No. Lien perfection and claim prosecution are legal work performed by counsel. AEEA administers the payment record those instruments depend on — chronologies, notice evidence, quantum documentation — and delivers it to counsel of record in decision-ready form.
Do you act for contractors or for owners?
The practice is defined by the matter, not the side. AEEA is retained by contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, owners, and developers. Positional conflicts are screened at intake, and the firm acts for one party per matter.
Is my matter large enough for AEEA?
The practice is commercial and selective. If the exposure is material to your business — an unfunded balance, held retainage, or a failed counterparty on a commercial project — the screening call will establish fit quickly. Residential homeowner disputes fall outside the practice.