Notice To Owners
Under the Nevada Mechanics' and Materialmen's Lien Law, NRS Chapter 108, any contractor, subcontractor, laborer, supplier, or other person or entity who performs work or furnishes materials of $500.00 or more to improve the value of your property but is not paid for his or her work or supplies, has a right to place a lien on your home, land, or property where the work was performed and to sue you in court to obtain payment.
This means that after a court hearing, your home, land, and property could be sold by a court officer and the proceeds of the sale used to satisfy what you owe. This can happen even if you have paid your contractor in full but did not ask for and receive lien releases from the contractor's subcontractors, laborers, or suppliers.
To preserve their rights to file a claim or lien against your property, certain claimants such as subcontractors or material suppliers are each required to provide you with a document called a "Preliminary or Pre-lien Notice." A preliminary or prelien notice is not a lien against your property. Its purpose is to notify you of persons or entities who may have a right to file a lien against your property if they are not paid. In order to perfect their lien rights, contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, or laborers must file mechanics' liens with the county recorder, which then become recorded liens against your property. Generally, the maximum time allowed for filing a mechanics' lien against your property is 90 days after substantial completion of your project.
To insure extra protection for yourself and your property, you may wish to take one or more of the following steps:
Some stationary stores will sell the "Waiver and Release" forms if your contractor does not have them. The material suppliers, subcontractors, and laborers that you obtain releases from are those persons or entities who have filed preliminary notices with you. If you are not certain of the material suppliers, subcontractors, and laborers working on your project, you may obtain a list from your contractor. On projects involving improvements to a single-family residence or a duplex owned by individuals, the persons signing these releases lose the right to file a mechanics' lien claim against your property. In other types of construction, this protection may still be important, but may not be as complete. To protect yourself under this option, you must be certain that all material suppliers, subcontractors, and laborers have signed the "Waiver and Release" or "Lien Release" form. If a mechanics' lien has been filed against your property, it can only be voluntarily released by a recorded "Release of Mechanics' Lien" signed by the person or entity that filed the mechanics' lien against your property unless the lawsuit to enforce the lien was not timely filed. You should not make any final payments until any and all such liens are removed.
Before you sign a contract, or if a lien is filed against your property, you should consult an attorney for additional protection.
Contractors are required by law to be licensed and regulated by the Nevada State Contractors Board. The Nevada State Contractors Board has jurisdiction to investigate complaints that are filed against contractors. Any questions concerning a contractor may be referred to the Nevada State Contractors Board at:
Address: | 8400 West Sunset Road, Suitte 150 Las Vegas, NV 89113 |
Phone: | (702) 486-1100 |
Fax: | (702) 486-1190 |
Address: | 5390 Kietzke Lane, Ste 102 Reno, NV 89511 |
Phone: | (775) 688-1141 |
Fax: | (775) 688-1271 |
Monday - Friday
8:00am - 5:00pm
The law of this state requires that a person or entity that enters into a contract to perform construction work be properly licensed by the Nevada State Contractors Board for the category of work that the person or entity intends to perform. Laws regarding licensed contractors are designed to protect the public. If you contract with someone who is not licensed to perform construction work, remedies against that person or entity may be limited to a suit in civil court. You may be liable for damages arising out of any injuries to an unlicensed contractor or that contractor’s employees, as well as withholding taxes, contributions pursuant to the Federal Insurance Contributions Act and contributions for industrial insurance, and unemployment. Finally, you should be aware that construction performed on your property must comply with all applicable laws, ordinances, building codes and zoning regulations.
A contractor is required to include his license number on all advertising, vehicles, bids, and contracts. You may contact the Nevada State Contractors Board to find out if a contractor has a valid license and the status of that license. The Board has complete information on the status of all licensed contractors in the State of Nevada. This information is On the boards Website at www.nscb.state.nv.us