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Arbitration Awards In Shaff V. Skahill, Jacob Frumkin

University of the District of Columbia Law Review

In Shaff v. SkahilP the District of Columbia Court of Appeals held that arbitrators' awards may only be reviewed if the moving party alleges a violation of the District of Columbia Uniform Arbitration Act.2 From a policy perspective, this decision may be read as subverting the very objective it purports to support encouraging the use of arbitration.3 In brief, this decision may discourage homeowners from agreeing to arbitrate disputes and appears to penalize those who do. Furthermore, this decision may be read as weakening the Home Improvement Business Act4 by providing a loophole for unlicensed and unbonded de facto contractors. …