Articles
Straight answers on Nevada property law
Plain-language guides to the questions Las Vegas property owners, buyers, sellers, and businesses actually ask — written by attorney and Nevada real estate broker Chris Sullivan.
Real Estate
Real Estate practice page →What Is the Difference Between a Real Estate Agent and a Real Estate Attorney in Nevada?
In Nevada, an agent markets and negotiates the deal; a real estate attorney handles legal rights, contracts, and disputes. When you need each — or both.
Can a Buyer Back Out of a Real Estate Contract in Nevada? Contingencies Explained
Nevada buyers can usually cancel during the due diligence period or under a financing or appraisal contingency. After that, backing out can cost the earnest money.
What Happens If a Seller Fails to Disclose a Property Defect in Nevada?
Nevada sellers must disclose known defects under NRS Chapter 113. If they don't, buyers may be able to cancel or recover damages — including treble damages in some cases.
How Does the Nevada Commercial Real Estate Closing Process Work Step by Step?
A step-by-step guide to closing a commercial real estate deal in Nevada: LOI, purchase agreement, due diligence, title, financing, escrow, and recording in Clark County.
What Is a Quiet Title Action and When Do You Need One in Nevada?
A quiet title action asks a Nevada court to declare who owns property and clear competing claims under NRS 40.010. When you need one, how it works, and how long it takes.
Partition Actions
Partition Actions practice page →What Is a Partition Action? How Co-Owners Can Force the Sale of Property in Nevada
A partition action is a Nevada lawsuit that ends co-ownership of real property — by dividing it or ordering a sale. How it works under NRS Chapter 39, step by step.
How Long Does a Partition Action Take in Nevada? Timeline Explained
Most Nevada partition actions take 6 to 18 months; contested cases can run two years or more. A stage-by-stage Las Vegas timeline and what speeds it up.
Can One Co-Owner Force the Sale of a House in Nevada? Your Rights Explained
Yes — in Nevada, one co-owner can usually force the sale of a jointly owned house through a partition action under NRS Chapter 39. Your rights and options explained.
Partition by Sale vs. Partition in Kind: What's the Difference?
Partition in kind physically divides co-owned land; partition by sale sells it and splits the money. How Nevada courts choose between them, with Las Vegas examples.
How Much Does a Partition Action Cost in Nevada — and Who Pays?
Nevada partition actions can cost from a few thousand dollars if settled to well into five figures if contested. What drives cost and how costs are shared among co-owners.
Premises Liability
Premises Liability practice page →What Is Premises Liability? Nevada Laws for Injuries on Someone Else's Property
Premises liability holds Nevada property owners responsible for injuries caused by unsafe conditions they knew or should have known about. Elements, deadlines, and examples.
How Long Do I Have to File a Slip and Fall Claim in Nevada? (Statute of Limitations)
Nevada gives slip and fall victims two years from the injury to file a lawsuit. Learn the exceptions, government claim rules, and why waiting even weeks can hurt your case.
What Must I Prove to Win a Slip and Fall Case in Nevada?
To win a Nevada slip and fall case you must prove duty, a dangerous condition, notice, causation, and damages. Here is what each element means and the evidence that proves it.
Can I Sue a Hotel or Casino for an Injury in Las Vegas?
Yes — Las Vegas hotels and casinos can be liable for falls, pool injuries, and assaults caused by unsafe conditions or inadequate security. How claims work and what to do first.
What Is Negligent Security? When Property Owners Are Liable for Criminal Attacks in Nevada
Negligent security makes Nevada property owners liable for foreseeable criminal attacks they failed to reasonably prevent. Learn the foreseeability test, NRS 651.015, and evidence.
ADA Compliance
ADA Compliance practice page →What Are the ADA Requirements for Hotels and Resorts? A Compliance Checklist
Hotels and resorts must meet ADA Title III and the 2010 ADA Standards: accessible rooms, roll-in showers, pool lifts, routes, and online reservations. A practical Nevada checklist.
What Is an ADA "Drive-By" Lawsuit and How Can Nevada Businesses Avoid One?
ADA drive-by lawsuits are filed by serial plaintiffs who spot minor barriers like parking signs. Learn how they work in Nevada, what they cost, and how to prevent them.
Does My Website Have to Be ADA Compliant? What Courts Are Saying
Website ADA lawsuits are rising. Learn whether Title III covers your site, what courts in the Ninth Circuit say, WCAG 2.1 AA, and how Nevada businesses reduce risk.
What Are the Most Common ADA Violations Found in Hotels and Restaurants?
The most common ADA violations in hotels and restaurants: parking, entrances, restrooms, counters, seating, pool lifts, and booking. A Las Vegas guide to spotting and fixing them.
How Much Does an ADA Lawsuit Cost a Business — and Is It Cheaper to Comply?
ADA lawsuits can cost businesses thousands to tens of thousands in fees, settlements, and repairs. Compare that to audit and remediation costs and available federal tax credits.
Title and Boundary Disputes
Title and Boundary Disputes practice page →What Can I Do If My Neighbor's Fence Is on My Property in Nevada?
If a neighbor's fence encroaches on your Nevada property, start with a licensed survey, then negotiate, record an agreement, or file a quiet title or trespass action.
What Is Adverse Possession in Nevada and Can Someone Claim My Land?
Nevada adverse possession requires five years of open, continuous, hostile possession plus payment of property taxes. How it works and how to stop a claim.
My Survey Doesn't Match the Deed — Who Is Right?
When a Nevada survey conflicts with the deed, the deed's legal description usually controls — but monuments, plats, and senior rights can change the answer.
What Is an Encroachment and How Do I Get It Removed in Nevada?
An encroachment is a structure crossing your property line. Nevada remedies range from recorded agreements to injunctions — and courts can weigh hardship.
How Do I Fix a Cloud on Title Before Selling My Nevada Property?
A cloud on title is any recorded defect — old liens, unreleased deeds of trust, ownership gaps. How to clear it in Nevada before it kills your sale.
Commercial Leasing
Commercial Leasing practice page →What Should I Look for Before Signing a Commercial Lease in Nevada?
Before signing a Nevada commercial lease, check the rent structure, CAM charges, personal guarantee, use clause, assignment rights, and default remedies.
Can a Commercial Landlord Lock Out a Tenant in Nevada?
Nevada commercial landlords have more self-help rights than residential ones, but lockouts must follow the lease and NRS 118C — wrongful lockouts create liability.
Who Pays for Repairs in a Commercial Lease? NNN vs. Gross Explained
In a triple net (NNN) lease the tenant pays taxes, insurance, and maintenance; in a gross lease the landlord does. What each means for Nevada tenants.
What Happens If I Break a Commercial Lease Early in Nevada?
Breaking a Nevada commercial lease leaves you liable for remaining rent, but landlords must usually mitigate damages. Your options and likely exposure.
What Is a Personal Guarantee in a Commercial Lease — and Can I Negotiate It?
A personal guarantee makes you personally liable for your business's lease. How Nevada tenants can limit, cap, or burn off the guarantee before signing.
HOA Disputes
HOA Disputes practice page →Can My HOA Fine Me in Nevada? What the Law Actually Allows
Nevada HOAs can fine owners under NRS 116, but only after notice and a hearing, with caps on amounts. Your rights and how to fight an improper fine.
Can My HOA Foreclose on My House in Nevada? Liens, Super-Priority, and Your Defenses
Nevada HOAs can lien and foreclose for unpaid assessments under NRS 116.3116. How the super-priority lien works, the notice steps, and how to stop a sale.
How Do I Get My HOA's Records in Nevada? Your Inspection Rights Under NRS 116
Nevada homeowners can inspect HOA books, budgets, contracts, and minutes under NRS 116.31175. What you can see, how to ask, deadlines, and what to do if refused.
Can I Sue My HOA in Nevada? The Required Steps Before Court
You can sue a Nevada HOA, but NRS 38.310 usually requires mediation or arbitration first. Claims you can bring, the process, costs, and when it is worth it.
How Do I Remove an HOA Board Member in Nevada? Elections and Recalls Under NRS 116
Nevada owners can remove HOA board members by recall vote under NRS 116.31036. Petition thresholds, election rules, and how to challenge a flawed vote.
Purchase and Sale Disputes
Purchase and Sale Disputes practice page →Who Gets the Earnest Money When a Nevada Home Sale Falls Through?
Who keeps earnest money in a failed Nevada home sale depends on the contract's contingencies and deadlines. How escrow releases deposits and how disputes are resolved.
What Can I Do if a Seller Backs Out of a Home Sale in Nevada?
If a Nevada seller refuses to close, buyers can seek specific performance, damages, or their deposit back. How lis pendens works and what to do first.
What Can a Seller Do When a Buyer Backs Out in Nevada?
When a Nevada buyer walks away without a valid contingency, sellers may keep earnest money as liquidated damages or sue for losses. Options and limits.
What Counts as Real Estate Fraud or Misrepresentation in Nevada?
Nevada buyers can sue for fraud, negligent misrepresentation, or concealment in a property sale. The elements, deadlines, damages, and how to prove it.
What Happens When a Nevada Real Estate Closing Fails Because of a Title Problem?
Liens, judgments, missing heirs, and boundary issues can stall a Nevada closing. Who must fix title, how long it takes, and buyer and seller options.
Zoning and Land Use
Zoning and Land Use practice page →How Do I Get a Zoning Variance in Clark County or Las Vegas?
A variance lets you deviate from setback, height, or lot rules when strict zoning causes hardship. The Clark County and Las Vegas process, standards, and timeline.
Can I Rent My House on Airbnb in Las Vegas or Clark County?
Short-term rentals are tightly restricted in Las Vegas and unincorporated Clark County. Licensing, distance rules, occupancy limits, HOA bans, and penalties explained.
Can I Run a Business From My Home in Las Vegas?
Home occupations are allowed in Las Vegas and Clark County with limits on customers, employees, signs, and traffic. What is permitted and what requires approval.
How Do I Rezone Property in Clark County, Nevada?
A zone change lets you use land for a different purpose. The Clark County and Las Vegas rezoning process, master plan consistency, hearings, and timeline.
How Can I Oppose a Development Near My Home in Las Vegas?
How Las Vegas and Clark County residents can challenge a proposed project: notices, advisory boards, public hearings, appeals, and judicial review deadlines.
Easements
Easements practice page →What Is an Easement in Nevada and How Does It Affect My Property?
An easement gives someone else a right to use part of your land. The types of easements in Nevada, how they are created, and what they mean for owners and buyers.
What Is a Prescriptive Easement in Nevada?
A prescriptive easement arises from five years of open, continuous, adverse use. The Nevada elements, how it differs from adverse possession, and how owners prevent one.
What Can I Do If My Property Is Landlocked in Nevada?
A landlocked parcel may be entitled to an easement by necessity or implication. The Nevada requirements, how to prove access rights, and options for Las Vegas owners.
What Can I Do If My Neighbor Is Blocking My Easement in Nevada?
When a neighbor fences, gates, or builds over your easement, Nevada law offers remedies including injunctions and damages. Steps to take and evidence to gather.
What Can a Utility Company Do on My Easement in Nevada?
Utility easements let NV Energy, water, and telecom providers install and maintain lines on private property. What they can do, what you can build, and when to object.