Contractor Payment Dispute After Work Acceptance

A contractor, having executed work under a contract, sued the building owner for payment of the balance due, claiming that the owner had accepted the work despite alleged non-conformities which the owner disputed, asserting the work was incomplete and defective, thereby justifying withholding the final payment. The court rejected the owner's appeal, affirming that acceptance of the work, whether express or tacit (such as taking possession without reservation), generally obligates the owner to pay the contract price, and the owner's failure to formally reserve rights or file a claim for defects within the appropriate timeframe precluded the unilateral withholding of the final balance, validating the contractor's claim for payment.