Q: Our high-rise community has restrictions in the governing documents regarding the number and size of dogs as pets for each resident. Several residents claim they require one or more service dogs negating the effectiveness of these rules. Read the Q&A………………………………..
Security guard shoots man with rifle at condo complex (NV)
At around 3:15 p.m., 32-year-old Andrew Warrender walked into the lobby of the Turnberry Towers, 322 E. Karen Ave., near Paradise Road, armed with an AR-15 style rifle. Warrender fired one shot at a security guard but his rifle malfunctioned. As he exited the lobby the security guard shot Warrender several times in the thighs […]
Reno Fire, NV Energy, Nevada Division of Forestry Using Goats to Reduce Wildfire Risk (NV)
In an effort to reduce the risk of wildfire risk in Rosewood Canyon, the Reno Fire Department, NV Energy, and the Nevada Division of Forestry are teaming up to use goats as fire mitigation tools. On June 5, goats from High Desert Graziers from Smith Valley started to graze approximately 16 acres of property owned […]
Increased assessments could be appropriate (NV)
Q: The homeowners association fees in my development were $158 per month as of last year. This January, they raised the fees to $176 per month. Was this legal to raise it so much? Please advise me about this. Read the Q&A………………………..
Get HOA approval in writing when painting the house (NV)
Q: I recently painted my home. Since there was no color scheme provided matching mine, I requested and received approval to use a color scheme that came closest. Read the Q&A………………………………
Lawsuit: Rhodes Ranch HOA bullied resident after crash (NV)
Maria Cervantes Alvarado didn’t want all of her Rhodes Ranch neighbors to know she had sued the homeowners association in the aftermath of a car crash. In April 2022, Cervantes was taking one of her nightly walks and was in a crosswalk when a car struck her inside the gated southwest valley community. She later […]
Nobody wants to go to prison over an HOA election (NV)
Q: We have a homeowners association election coming up soon that is sure to be contentious. It is thought that there was tampering in a prior election (statistically far too high of a turnout — over 80 percent when the normal turnout is approximately 20 percent). A number of homeowners think that a certain member […]
Las Vegas Won’t Save the Water It Needs by Just Removing Lawns (NV)
Some HOAs already see the limits of this strategy. After years of minimizing the water used on landscaping, staff members at Sun City Anthem, a retirement community of more than 10,000 people in Henderson, say they’ve run out of nonfunctional turf to remove. All that’s left is a lawn they want to keep for events […]
Architectural Committee has final say over door signs (NV)
Q: I live in a homeowners association-controlled condo community. Is there a Nevada state legal standing on displaying autoimmune or quiet time door area signs? The management company for our HOA has told me I cannot display any. Any assistance would be gratefully appreciated. Read the Q&A……………………………….
Judge denies preliminary injunction in vacation rental lawsuit (NV)
A preliminary injunction was denied against a Lake ridge homeowner who was renting his property for less than the 60 days. District Judge Tod Young said that the requirement of irreparable harm for a preliminary injunction was not met by the Lakeridge General Improvement District. Read the article………………………..
Could tightening water restrictions drain popular Henderson pond? (NV)
Tightening water restrictions in Southern Nevada mean tough choices for local communities. Leaders of the Cadence development in Henderson say they may one day soon have to remove a focal point of the neighborhood: the pond at Central Park. Read the article………………………..
Las Vegas residents concerned over pool conditions at HOA complex (NV)
Linda Duncan reached out to 8 News Now after she said the community pool is an eyesore for residents living at a Las Vegas area complex and a health hazard as it’s green, cloudy, and full of algae. Read the article………………………..
Handicap parking space required by federal law (NV)
Q: I’m on the board of our Henderson homeowners association. We have a resident requesting a handicapped parking space. Our community (private property, no public streets) is 15 years old, and the builder didn’t install any handicapped spaces and there is currently none in the community. Read the Q&A……………………………….
HOA bills seek to prevent bullying of board, move more communications online (NV)
Homeowners associations (HOAs) — sometimes called “common-interest communities” — are organizations of elected officials within a subdivision or condominium complex that make and enforce rules for residents with the goal of ensuring a consistent quality across their neighborhoods. Read the article………………………..
A Crackdown in Sin City (NV)
For decades now science has shown that climate change is causing the Colorado River’s gap between supply and demand to grow. At the same time though, something surprising has been happening here — Las Vegas keeps getting bigger while its total water use is on the decline. How did they do it? They zeroed in […]
HOA doubles down on its insurance for townhouses (NV)
Q: This year (2023), because of statute Nevada Revised Statute 116.3113 (and its ammendments) my homeowners association has obtained a separate insurance policy to cover shared walls between townhouses, single-family-attached homes. Read the Q&A……………………………….
Man hit with second $20,000 VHR fine (NV)
A week after being fined $20,000 for advertising a short-term rental without a vacation home rental permit, the owner of a home in Lakeridge appeared for a hearing on a preliminary injunction. Read the article………………………..
Neighbor’s noisy pool pump creates disturbance (NV)
Q: The neighbor installed a pool pump that is located approximately 8 feet from our bedrooms and baths, running 24/7 and makes a noise that affects my wife and I. It is uncovered and makes a loud enough noise that we consider the pump noise to be a nuisance to our quality of living in our […]
HOA prohibits charging of electric vehicles (NV)
Q: I own an electric vehicle. The rules of my homeowners association prohibit the charging of electric vehicles on the property. I am thus forced to use public commercial charging stations in order to keep my vehicle running. EVs were only the stuff of science fiction when I moved in here about 15 years ago. Read […]
Lawmakers want to remove racist covenants from housing contracts (NV)
Kent Ervin, a homeowner in Reno and chemistry professor at UNR, said his 2015 purchase of a home built in 1930 forced him to sign a deal that included a racist covenant that bars anyone except a white or Caucasian person from owning, occupying or using the property. Read the article………………………..
Bill designed to chill homeowner criticism of HOAs, say opponents (NV)
A bill sponsored by the Nevada Senate Judiciary Committee seeks to rein in Nevadans who lawmakers say are harassing and demanding too much of their homeowners’ associations and management companies. Read the article………………………..
Mom owns the condo so we aren’t renters (NV)
Q: My question is regarding our homeowners association suddenly saying we should be classified as renters in the condo owned by my boyfriend’s Canadian mother. We do not pay any rent, just all maintenance costs, and we’ve lived here this way for over a decade Read the Q&A……………………………….
Proposed legislative bills could affect HOAs (NV)
Just a heads-up to my readers about the proposed legislative bills. Many of these will be revised, and some won’t make it out of committee. For more information, you can access information on the legislative website Read the article………………………..
How will higher water rates affect HOAs? (NV)
This week I have asked Bronson Mack, outreach manager for Las Vegas Valley Water District, to address the important topic of how higher water rates will affect our communities. Read the article………………………..
Five People Hurt After Explosion at Mammoth Lakes Condo Complex (NV)
Authorities say five people were hurt after an explosion at the Val d’Isere Condos in Mammoth Lakes Wednesday morning. The explosion happened just before 9:30 a.m. Mammoth Lakes Police say to workers at the complex had to be rescued from the snow and debris and where taken to Mammoth Hospital. Read the article………………………..
New HOA president trys to set record straight (NV)
Q: I was elected president of a small homeowners association in Las Vegas. The community is comprised of 10 lots, eight which have homes built on them. The two vacant lots are owned by two separate members of the community. The declaration of covenants, conditions and restrictions was filed with the Clark County Recorder by the […]
Lawsuit: Property management should have known resident’s criminal past prior to killing (NV)
The family of a woman killed by her neighbor claims the companies responsible for property management at a southeast Las Vegas condo complex should have been aware of the neighbor’s criminal history and provided more security. Read the article………………………..
Las Vegas father-daughter backyard project may be torn down due to HOA regulations (NV)
A Las Vegas father found himself in a unique position after going to great lengths to provide a unique backyard for his daughter. However, it may have to be torn down due to specific Homeowners Association rules. Read the article………………………..
Homeowner says HOA assessments unfair (NV)
Q: I have rented all my adult life, and I will be closing soon on a townhouse in southeast Las Vegas. I only now found out that the homeowners association is charging a flat monthly HOA fee of $144 to all residents within the community (301 townhomes of differing square footages, some single-story and others […]
Removing board member may not stop the harassment (NV)
Q: Can you please advise what actions can be taken against a homeowners association board member who threatens, harasses and bullies both another board member and management? Read the Q&A……………………………….
Homeowner vs HOA over backyard work (NV)
Q: I read your article regarding backyard rules. My friend constructed (and designed) his backyard when the association wasn’t established. It was a new community then, and the builder told my friend that he could go ahead with his backyard plans because it is like part of the construction process of that property. Read the […]
Condo renter parking motorcycle in unit (NV)
Q: A neighbor in our condo complex has a motorcycle. He was parking it in front of his condo and now he is parking it inside his condo instead of in a parking space. He is a renter not an owner. We have messaged the condo association multiple times. Read the Q&A……………………………….
Condo owner has questions about HOA money handling (NV)
Q: I’m seeking advice. 1.) Four years ago I paid in advance, but it was depleted to pay late fees I had not incurred. We have two units, but payments were made on one unit. Read the Q&A……………………………….
Homeowner complains about board, fee hike (NV)
Q: I have a homeowners associaiton where the dues jumped from $289 to $600 because they can’t get a master insurance policy. I need help on fighting this. Read the Q&A……………………………….
Law does not address online HOA meetings (NV)
Q: Since COVID has arrived in our world, our homeowners association and board now allow access from outside of their meeting room, via Zoom or phone line. I had requested access before COVID and was denied external access to listen to the board meeting; they only allowed owners that were able to physically attended access […]
Since COVID HOA refuses to hold regular meetings (NV)
Q: There are some issues with our management company that need to be resolved. 1. We have not had a regular meeting since COVID hit. Everything since then has been virtual. By now we should be back in regular session but calls to management fall on deaf ears. Calls to complain either get no response […]
Homeowner wants to recall entire HOA board (NV)
Q: We are still waiting for a homeowners association meeting to be held so our violation issues can be heard. They actually changed the meeting location the last minute via email from the main office to a satellite office. We showed up but nobody else did. Read the Q&A……………………………….
Health district fines Las Vegas condo complex for repeated sewage issues (NV)
A condo complex near the Las Vegas Strip experiencing sewage and structural problems now faces a $10,000 fine due to a lag in repairs. The Desert Inn Villas at 356 E. Desert Inn Road near Paradise Road are six, three-story buildings connected with breezeways. The complex was built in 1963, records showed. Read the article………………………..
HOA too lax in age-qualified community, homeowner says (NV)
Q: We moved from a non-homeowners association (and messy) neighborhood to an age-qualified community with an HOA to “upgrade” our lifestyle. Frankly, we thought it was really a great place with a strict HOA but they aren’t. Since the standards are pretty lax, I think a big overhaul/reset is in order. Read the Q&A……………………………….
New Year’s resolutions for HOA residents, board members (NV)
Sometimes the law needs to be put aside for some common sense (re)solutions. I hope you will agree with some of the following New Year’s resolutions: Read the article………………………..
Homeowner wants to know who gets paid for what (NV)
Q: Thank you for your interesting weekly column. It is good to know that our homeowners association is not the only one with “situations.” Our HOA of approximately 7,000 homes has many employees. A few homeowners are claiming that the manager and his/her top employees are paid too much. Read the Q&A……………………………….
Spring Creek Association looks to strategic plan in the new year (NV)
Work began this year on Spring Creek Association’s five-year strategic plan that aims to refine and improve goals for the homeowners association amid changes in water rates and property owner rules. Read the article………………………..
How Colorado River cities are preparing for shortages with conservation and alternate sources
The grass beneath the palm trees at the Foothills has no function other than to look lush and inviting for people driving up to the gated community’s entrance. Read the article………………………..
Expect higher HOA assessments in 2023 (NV)
Q: Our homeowners association has stated they will be increasing our monthly fees by 25 percent starting in January 2023. I reviewed our bylaws and CC&Rs and found that nowhere does it talk about increases or cap percentage. I reached out to the community manager asking him to direct me where this was stated. Read the […]
Odors has high-rise condo owner seeking solutions (NV)
Q: I live in a high-rise condo in Las Vegas. I have a problem where modifications were made to the apartment adjoining mine and construction defects are causing odors to be sent into my apartment. The original construction time frame was 2000-2001. Read the Q&A……………………………….
Your HOA legal questions, answered (NV)
Q. A pipe leaked in our condo, thankfully not causing much damage. However, the association refuses to pay to fix for the pipe repair and the drywall damage I had. Can I deduct the cost of the repairs from my monthly assessments I pay to the HOA? Read the Q&A……………………………….
HOA president, treasurer need to review expenses (NV)
Q: We had a community manager who was embezzling from the homeowners association with the HOA debit card she was issued. She “lost” many of the receipts and whited-out descriptions of the personal items she purchased for herself (cigarettes, toothpaste, cash-back purchases and ATM withdrawals without accounting where the money went, etc.). Read the Q&A……………………………….
HOA does not appear to be following its rental policies (NV)
Q: I have been writing my homeowners association for three years to rent out my house. I get the runaround while homes are being sold left and right. I was supposed to be on a list three years ago and this year, I found out I was not on a list Read the Q&A……………………………….
Nevada Transportation Authority regulates towing companies
Q: I recently read your article related to towing in Las Vegas. I believe you can be a good resource, therefore, I have some questions related to towing for you. I have recently had my vehicle towed for relocation without a 48-hour notification. Read the Q&A……………………………….
Disabled homeowner says HOA won’t accommodate (NV)
Q: I am having trouble with my homeowners association board discriminating against me because I am a 66-year-old disabled person parking my truck in my driveway. They won’t give me any accommodation. Read the Q&A……………………………….