Terms & Conditions

1. General

1.1 This document, titled “Terms and Conditions of Services” (the “Terms and Conditions”), governs inspection, auditing, monitoring, and consulting services (the “Services”) provided by The OCEW Group, LLC (hereinafter called “OCEW.”). Unless otherwise specifically and expressly agreed in writing by OCEW, the Terms and Conditions shall prevail over any other purchase terms and conditions.

1.2 Services carried out by OCEW, on behalf of an entity or individual from whom the instructions to act have originated (hereinafter called the “Principal”) will be carried out using techniques and processes that permit independent, impartial, and objective inspection, monitoring, and audit. The result of the Services will be reported in written form (hereinafter called the “Report”) and delivered by email or other forms of communication to the Principal.

1.3 No party other than the Principal shall be entitled to give instructions to OCEW, particularly on the scope of inspection or delivery of the Certification or Report, unless authorized by the Principal.

2. Provision of Services

2.1 blackhouse., in the capacity of an independent third party, supplies information in the form of ascertainment or recommendations for the particular purpose of contributing to the prevention of risks to which the beneficiaries of its Services are exposed and of helping the Principal ensure the quality of the products/services they are purchasing. blackhouse’s Services include but are not limited to the following:

  • Field audits;

  • Pre-production inspections and quality control;

  • Production inspections, materials testing, and quality control;

  • Final inspections and quality control;

  • Post-construction inspections, materials testing, and quality control

3. blackhouse.’s Obligations and Undertakings

3.1 blackhouse. expressly reserves the right to act at its discretion in accepting or declining a request for Services. blackhouse. may decline such a request if the services:

  • Fall out of OCEW’s scope of business;

  • Present geographical accessibility problems, such as services to be rendered or products to be found in restricted or highly remote areas; and,

  • Require OCEW to obtain special permissions, such as governmental permissions.

3.2 blackhouse undertakes to supply the Services it has accepted in a professional and timely manner, by proper professional practices, and in compliance with the Principal’s special instructions when ordering the Services and as confirmed by OCEW

4. Principal’s Obligations and Undertakings

4.1 To take all reasonable steps to ensure that OCEW has access to the site and materials on which the Services will be provided;

4.2 To provide blackhouse. with all information and samples, as well as documents necessary to complete the requested Services, promptly (and in any event no later than one business day before the starting date of the Services), except for generally available documents such as codes and standards, either directly or through suppliers or agents of the Principal;

4.3 To ensure that adequate instructions and notices are given to OCEW in due time to facilitate proper performance for the Services;

4.4 To advise OCEW of the date on which the Services are to commence or to be resumed, and also of essential dates affecting the item(s) for which the Services are to be rendered;

4.5 To provide OCEW with adequate working conditions and access to the site of Services.

4.6 Documents reflecting engagements between the Principal and third parties or third parties’ documents, if received by OCEW, are considered for information only and do not extend or restrict the scope of Services or obligations accepted by OCEW.

5. Invoices, Fees, and Payments

5.1 The Principal shall pay for the inspection or audit fees at the final inspection date. Reports are completed, certified, and provided to the Principal after the final inspection and payment has been made.  

Please write your Project reference number and your Invoice No. in the memo line if paying by check. Checks shall be mailed to: The OCEW Group. LLC PO Box 8130, Elkridge, MD 21075. Enquiries shall be emailed to billing@theblkhse.com

Invoices paid online are subject to the processing fees charged by the processing vendor (Visa, Mastercard, AMEX, PayPal). 

5.2 For prospective clients with confirmed usage of ten or more man-days of monthly inspections, blackhouse. may give the Principal the option to make payments after Reports are completed. If payments are made after reports, the payment must be received within fourteen days from the invoice date. Should the Principal fail to pay within the above time, blackhouse. shall charge a late fee of 5% of the outstanding balance plus interest on overdue Invoices at the rate of 2% per month. If payments are two months or more past due, blackhouse. may engage a third-party company to collect payments for the outstanding Invoices. The Principal will bear all costs associated with the collection, including attorney fees.

5.3 The Principal must give OCEW at least one business day of advance notice for cancellation or change of schedule for the Services. If the Principal fails to provide at least one business day of notice, the Principal will be charged the total Inspection Services fees.

5.4 In the event OCEW is prevented from performing or completing the Services for reasons such as but not limited to incorrect information or instructions given by the Principal or the Principal’s agents and/or suppliers (e.g., projects are not ready for inspection), the Principal agrees to reimburse blackhouse man-day fees and out of pocket expenses relating to the Services, to pay proportional fees due for the Services rendered, and to release blackhouse. from all liabilities for partial or non-performance of the Services.

6. Limitation of Liabilities

6.1 blackhouse. is neither an insurer nor a guarantor and expressly disclaims such capacity. Clients seeking a guarantee against losses or damages should obtain appropriate insurance.

6.2 blackhouse. will issue Reports relating to the facts as observed and recorded by it and based on documents and information provided by the Principal. blackhouse. is under no obligation to report upon facts or circumstances outside the specific scope of its Services.

6.3 blackhouse.’s Report is given only in relation to information provided by the Principal. blackhouse. will not be liable for issues caused by incomplete or erroneous information from the Principal, its agents, or suppliers.

6.4 blackhouse. undertakes to use its best efforts and exercise due care in providing services and accepts liability only in the case of gross negligence proven by the Principal. In the event of OCEW being held liable in respect of any claim for losses, damages, or expenses of whatsoever nature and however arising, its liability to the Principal shall in no circumstances exceed the total aggregate amount of fees paid for the specific single service for which a claim is made. In addition, in the case of Services for Field Audits, Pre-construction, and Production Inspections, where less than 100% of the production is complete, OCEW’s responsibility will only extend to those items completed at the time of the inspection. The Report does not provide evidence of completion of the scope of the project.

6.5 In the event of claims, notices must be given to OCEW headquarters at 6235 Lawyers Hill Rd. Elkridge, MD Tel. 202-868-3616 Email. info@ocewgroup.com within seven days following the discovery of the facts or three months from completion of the Services.

7. Termination of Services

7.1 blackhouse. may terminate or suspend the provision of Services if:

  • The Principal has a material breach of its obligations under the Terms and Conditions and/or other Terms of Services agreed by OCEW and the Principal.

  • The Principal is insolvent or unable to pay its debts, or has a receiving order against it, or has an order made or a resolution passed for its winding up or for the appointment of an administrator to manage its affairs, business, and property, or has a receiver or administrative receiver appointed over any of its assets or undertaking.

8. Miscellaneous

8.1 The Report will reflect findings at the time and place of the Services. The Report does not discharge Contractors, Builders, Subcontractors, Buyers, and/or Sellers from their legal and/or commercial obligations toward the Principal.

9. Applicable and Governing Laws, Jurisdiction, and Settlement of Disputes

9.1 Unless otherwise provided, the Terms and Conditions shall be governed by and be construed under the laws of The United States of America and the State of Maryland.

9.2 All disputes or differences between the parties concerning or arising out of the Services shall be submitted to the nonexclusive jurisdiction of the Courts of Maryland or Virginia in The United States of America.