Senate Bill 144 will hurt struggling Las Vegas HOAs

I would like to take some time today, to encourage you to contact your state senator to oppose Senate Bill 144. I believe this is harmful to our Las Vegas area homeowners associations.

If passed, this measure would treat associations differently than lenders, which also foreclose on homes in a nonjudicial manner. It would require community associations in Nevada to be able to pursue lien foreclosure only through a court system. To go to court, especially if it is District Court, requires a lot of time and cost. That would make the cost to collect unaffordable for most HOAs. I believe that this cost coupled with the decrease in income would greatly impact our communities abilities to keep up with regular maintenance and repairs.

According to the Nevada CAI Legislative Action Committee (LAC), which opposes SB144, the bill in its current state does not allow for any other method or remedy for a community association to pursue a foreclosure, such as mediation with the homeowner, eliminating many of the costs attached to a foreclosure, which is required to go through the court system.

This bill, which is being heard in the Senate Committee on Judiciary, also requires all community associations with more than seven units in Nevada to create and maintain their own secure websites. I think this would result in unnecessary regulation by the state government and create even more additional undue, burdensome and excessive costs to residents of community associations.

Las Vegas has been one of the hardest-hit cities in the U.S. during this global pandemic. Please take a few minutes to contact your state senator and tell them we cannot afford SB144.

Q: We own an upper condo, and the new resident below us has expressed, in an increasingly aggressive manner, her objection to any movement in our unit above her.

Our unit is occupied by four men with two house cats. This in a three-bedroom unit. No wild parties or rock-crushing business is going on.

Things such as cooking in the kitchen, unloading groceries, cats playing, dinner for four, board games, sleeping, etc. have led to banging on the ceiling, ringing the doorbell until it is answered, heckling on the way to the parking lot, calling security and twice calling the police. (On one occasion when the police arrived) the tenant was asleep and the other times (were) when he was cooking or unloading groceries. Surely one has the right to use your residence in a normal matter. Previous residents below us never complained about noise.

Not sure what can be done, but I fear this is escalating out of control and I appreciate your advice, counsel and input.

A: There is no easy solution to your problem. For many downstairs’ neighbors nothing you do will make them happy. Much of the sound/noise issue is the result of the original construction.

You may wish to contact Neighborhood Justice Center to help mediate conflict. They can be reached at 702-455-3898. If the harassment continues, you will probably have to contact your association for assistance.

Barbara Holland is a certified property manager and holds the supervisory community manager certificate with the state of Nevada. She is an author and educator on real estate management. Questions may be sent to holland744o@gmail.com.