Pure Thermal Rental Terms and Conditions
1. DEFINITIONS
(a) The “Contract” is the Contract between the Owner and the Hirer for the hire of Plant, which incorporates the Offer and is governed by these conditions.
(b) The “Hire Period” shall commence from the time when the Plant leaves the Owner’s depot or place where last employed and shall continue until the Plant is received back at the Owner’s named depot or other agreed location. For the avoidance of doubt the Hire Period includes the time Plant is left on site during a Holiday Period
(c) The “Hirer” is the Company, firm, person, Corporation or public authority taking the Owner’s Plant on hire and includes their successors or personal representatives.
(d) “Holiday Period” covers any cessation of work over Easter, Christmas and the New Year; as well as any other Bank or Public holidays.
(e) “Offer” is the Owner’s offer to hire the Plant to the Hirer which will include details of the Plant to be hired, the Hire Period, relevant hire rates and charges and any supplementary conditions to be incorporated into the Contract.
(f) The “Owner” is the Company, firm or person letting the Plant on hire and includes their successors, assignees or personal representatives.
(g) “Plant” covers all classes of Plant, or replacement Plant, machinery, vehicles, equipment, accessories, and any ancillary items, vehicles or equipment therefor, which the Owner agrees to hire to the Hirer, or anything which is supplied by the Owner to effect the hire, and anything supplied by the Owner for the safe operation and routine inspection and maintenance of the Plant.
(h) A “Working Day” shall be from 8.00 am to 4.30 pm, Monday to Thursday, and 8.00 am to 3.30 pm, on Friday allowing a half-hour lunch break each day, unless otherwise specified in the Contract.
(i) A“WorkingWeek”coverstheperiodfrom8.00amonMondayto3.30pmon Friday, unless otherwise specified in the Contract.
(c) Any inspection report required under the relevant legislation, or a copy thereof, shall be supplied by the Owner, if requested by the Hirer, and returned on completion of the Hire Period.
6. SERVICING AND INSPECTION
The Hirer shall at all reasonable times allow the Owner, his agents or his insurers to have access to the Plant to inspect, test, adjust, repair or replace the same. So far as reasonably practicable the Hirer shall allow such access during the Working Day.
7. GROUND AND SITE CONDITIONS
8. HANDLING OF PLANT
a) When a driver or operator or any person is supplied by the Owner with the Plant, the Owner shall supply a person competent in operating the Plant or for such purpose for which the person is supplied and such person shall be under the direction and control of the Hirer. Such drivers or operators or persons shall for all purposes in connection with their employment in the working of the Plant be regarded as the servants or agents of the Hirer (but without prejudice to any of the provisions of clause 13) and the Hirer shall be solely responsible for all claims arising in connection with the operation of the Plant by the said drivers / operators / persons.
9. BREAKDOWN, REPAIRS AND ADJUSTMENT
10. OTHER STOPPAGES
No claims will be admitted (other than those allowed for under “Breakdown” (clause 9) or for “Idle Time” (clause 25), as herein provided), for stoppages through causes outside the Owner’s control, including but not limited to bad weather and / or ground conditions nor shall the Owner be responsible for the cost or expense of recovering any Plant from soft or unsuitable ground, or a hazardous environment. For the avoidance of doubt, the Hirer shall be responsible for the cost and expense of recovering any Plant from soft or unsuitable ground or a hazardous environment.
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Owner (but without prejudice to any of the provisions of clauses 9 and / or 13) paying all transport charges involved. In the event of the Owner being unable to replace the Plant he shall be entitled to terminate the Contract forthwith (but without prejudice to any of the provisions of clauses 9 and / or 13) by giving written notice to the Hirer. If such termination occurs:
(a) within three months from the commencement of the Hire Period, the Owner (but without prejudice to any of the provisions of clauses 9 and / or 13) shall pay all transport charges involved, or,
(b) more than three months from the commencement of the Hire Period, the Owner (but without prejudice to any of the provisions of clauses 9 and / or 13) shall be liable only for the cost of reloading and return transport.
18. BASIS OF CHARGING
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(a) The Hirer shall render to the Owner for each Working Week an accurate statement of the number of hours the Plant has worked each day. When any personnel, operator or driver is supplied by the Owner, the Hirer shall sign their time record sheets. The signature of the Hirer’s representative shall bind the Hirer to accept the hours shown on the time records sheets.
(b)Full allowance will be made for breakdown periods resulting from mechanical or electrical faults or absence of driver or operator supplied by the Owner except where breakdown is due to acts or omissions of third parties and / or the Hirer’s misuse, misdirection or negligence, subject however to the provisions of clause 8 of these conditions.
(c) Breakdown time in respect of such periods shall be allowed for not more than the Working Day less the actual hours worked.
(d) Plant shall be hired out either:
(i) for a stated minimum number of hours per Working Day or per
Working Week or,
(ii) without any qualification as to minimum hours. Odd days at the
beginning and at the end of the Hire Period shall be charged pro rata. (e) Stoppages due to changing of tyres and repairs to punctures will be chargeable
as working time up to a maximum of 2 hours for any one stoppage and any excess will be charged for at the appropriate idle time rates.
(f) In the case of Plant which is required to be dismantled for the purpose of transportation, if the Owner agrees to a modification of the hire charge for the period required for assembling on site and dismantling upon completion of the
Hire Period, such modification of the hire charge and the Hire Period for
which it shall apply shall be stated in the Offer / Contract.
PLANT HIRED ON A DAILY BASIS WITHOUT
QUALIFICATION AS TO HOURS
The full daily rate will be charged on a daily basis irrespective of the hours worked except in the case of breakdown for which the Owner is responsible, when the actual hours worked will be charged pro rata of the average Working Day. No hire charge shall be made for Saturday and / or Sunday unless the Plant is actually worked.
PLANT HIRED BY THE WEEK OR MONTH
WITHOUT QUALIFICATION AS TO HOURS
The weekly or monthly rate shall be charged irrespective of the number of hours worked, except in the case of breakdown for which the Owner is responsible when an allowance pro rata of the agreed weekly rate or pro rata of the agreed monthly rate will be made for each full Working Day broken down calculated to the nearest half Working Day.
PLANT HIRED BY THE WEEK OR THE HOUR FOR A
MINIMUM OF 39 HOURS PER WEEK
The full hire for the minimum period in the Contract will be charged and an additional pro rata charge will be made for hours worked in excess of such minimum period. Allowance will be made for breakdowns up to 8 hours except on Fridays when the allowance will be up to 7 hours providing always that where the actual hours worked are in excess of the minimum period less breakdown time, the actual hours worked shall be chargeable. Idle time for this purpose shall be treated as actual working time. The minimum Working Week of 39 hours shall be reduced by 8 hours Monday to Thursday and 7 hours Friday for each Holiday Period occurring in such Working Week, provided that the Plant is not in use during such Holiday Period.
22. “ALL-IN” RATES
Where “All-In” rates are charged by agreement the minimum period shall be as defined in the Contract and in accordance with the hire rates and terms contained therein, subject to the provisions of clause 26.
23. COMMENCEMENT AND TERMINATION OF CONTRACT (TRANSPORT OF PLANT)
Owner against all losses, damage, costs, charges and expenses arising as a direct result of any failure to observe and perform this condition except in the event of Government requisition.
(b) The Owner may terminate the Contract forthwith by written notice to the Hirer if one or more of the following events occur:
(i) The Hirer defaults in punctual payment of any sum due to the Owner
for hire of Plant or other charges payable pursuant to these conditions; (ii) The Hirer fails to observe and perform the terms and conditions of the
Contract;
(iii)The Hirer suffers, or the Owner reasonably believes that the Hirer shall
suffer, any distress or execution to be levied against him;
(iv)The Hirer makes or proposes to make any arrangement with his creditors or becomes insolvent within the meaning of Section 113 of the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996 or any
amendment or re-enactment thereof for the time being in force; or
(v) The Hirer does or causes to be done or permit or suffer any act or thing whereby the Owner’s rights in the Plant may be prejudiced or put into
jeopardy.
(c) In the event of termination under sub-paragraph (b) above:
(i) The Hirer must give the Owner or his agents, immediate unobstructed access to recover the Plant.
(ii) The Owner shall be entitled to claim the hire charges outstanding as at the date of termination of the hire under this clause and return transport charges under clause 31.
(d) The rights under sub-paragraph (b) and (c) above:
(i) May be exercised notwithstanding that the Owner may have waived
some previous default or matter of the same or a like nature.
(ii) Shall not affect the Owner’s right to claim damages for breach of
Contract or recover any sums due under the Contract as a debt.
(e) If the Hirer does not make payment of a sum by the final date on which payment is due to be made, the Owner has the right to suspend performance of its obligations under the Contract. The right to suspend may not be exercised without first giving to the Hirer at least 7 days notice in writing of the Owner’s intention to suspend performance, stating the ground or grounds on which the Owner intends to suspend performance. The right to suspend performance will
cease when the Hirer makes payment in full of the amount due.
34. CHANGES IN NORMAL WORKING WEEK
The foregoing provisions have been framed upon the basis of the Hirer working a 5-day week of 39 hours; it is hereby agreed that in the event of:
(a) there being any agreed change in the normal weekly hours in the industry
in which the Hirer is engaged or,
(b) the Contract being made with reference to a 5 day week of other than 39 hours. Clauses 1(h) and (i), 18(c) and (d), 20 and (in regard to breakdown allowance and reduction for statutory holidays) 21 shall be deemed to be modified conformably and in the event of an alteration in the normal weekly working hours in the said industry the “Hire Rates and Terms” of Plant hired for a minimum weekly or daily period shall be varied pro rata.
35. DISPUTE RESOLUTION
(a) If the site is situated within the United Kingdom, then the court whose jurisdiction covers the site will have exclusive jurisdiction and interpretation of the law for this Contract. If the original site is not situated within the United Kingdom, then the relevant jurisdiction and interpretation of the law of the Contract will be governed by the country where the Owner’s head office is located.
(b) Both parties to the Contract have a right to refer any difference or dispute arising under or in connection with the Contract to adjudication and the procedure set out in Part 1 of the Scheme for Construction Contracts (England and Wales) Regulations 1998 (or any amendment or re-enactment thereof for the time being in force) will apply. The person (if any) specified in the Contract to act as adjudicator may be named in the Offer. The specified nominating body to select adjudicators shall be the Construction Plant-hire Association acting by its President or Chief Executive for the time being. .
(c) The Owner and the Hirer shall comply forthwith with any decision of the adjudicator; and shall submit to summary judgment and enforcement (and / or, under Scots law, shall consent to a motion for summary decree and submit to enforcement) in respect of all such decisions; in each case, without any defence, set-off, counterclaim, abatement or deduction. Where, under Scots law, the Owner, the Hirer, or the adjudicator, wishes to register a decision of the adjudicator for execution in the Books of Council and Session, any other party shall, on being requested to do so, forthwith consent to such registration by subscribing the decision before a witness.
36. LATE PAYMENTS
The Owner reserves the right to charge the Hirer for the late payment of any outstanding invoices under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998, or any subsequent legislation.
37. SEVERABILITY
If any of these clauses are held to be unlawful, void or unenforceable, then that clause will be deemed severable and will not affect the validity and enforceability of the remaining clauses, to the extent permitted by law.
Copies of these Model Conditions are available (on bulk order from CPA) only to Subscribing members of The Construction Plant-hire Association. The Model Conditions are the COPYRIGHT of The Construction Plant-hire Association and must NOT be reproduced or reprinted in whole or in part as “the Model Conditions” without the written authority of the Association.