244.3605 - Abatement of dangerous structures or conditions, rubbish, noxious plant growth and other public nuisances: Adoption and contents of ordinance; civil penalties; special assessment against pr
244.3605 Abatement of dangerous structures or conditions, rubbish, noxious plant growth and other public nuisances: Adoption and contents of ordinance; civil penalties; special assessment against property to recover costs of abatement.
1. Notwithstanding the provisions of NRS 244.360 and 244.3601, the board of county commissioners of a county may, to abate public nuisances, adopt by ordinance procedures pursuant to which the board or its designee may order an owner of property within the county to:
(a) Repair, safeguard or eliminate a dangerous structure or condition;
(b) Clear debris, rubbish and refuse which is not subject to the provisions of chapter 459 of NRS;
(c) Clear weeds and noxious plant growth; or
(d) Repair, clear, correct, rectify, safeguard or eliminate any other public nuisance as defined in the ordinance adopted pursuant to this section,
Ê to protect the public health, safety and welfare of the residents of the county.
2. An ordinance adopted pursuant to subsection 1 must:
(a) Contain procedures pursuant to which the owner of the property is:
(1) Sent notice, by certified mail, return receipt requested, of the existence on the owner’s property of a public nuisance set forth in subsection 1 and the date by which the owner must abate the public nuisance; and
(2) Afforded an opportunity for a hearing before the designee of the board and an appeal of that decision either to the board or to a court of competent jurisdiction, as determined by the ordinance adopted pursuant to subsection 1.
(b) Provide that the date specified in the notice by which the owner must abate the public nuisance is tolled for the period during which the owner requests a hearing and receives a decision.
(c) Provide the manner in which the county will recover money expended to abate the public nuisance on the property if the owner fails to abate the public nuisance.
(d) Provide for civil penalties for each day that the owner did not abate the public nuisance after the date specified in the notice by which the owner was required to abate the public nuisance.
3. The county may abate the public nuisance on the property and may recover the amount expended by the county for labor and materials used to abate the public nuisance if:
(a) The owner has not requested a hearing within the time prescribed in the ordinance adopted pursuant to subsection 1 and has failed to abate the public nuisance on the owner’s property within the period specified in the notice;
(b) After a hearing in which the owner did not prevail, the owner has not filed an appeal within the time prescribed in the ordinance adopted pursuant to subsection 1 and has failed to abate the public nuisance within the period specified in the order; or
(c) The board or a court of competent jurisdiction has denied the appeal of the owner and the owner has failed to abate the public nuisance within the period specified in the order.
4. In addition to any other reasonable means of recovering money expended by the county to abate the public nuisance, the expense is a special assessment against the property upon which the public nuisance is located, and this special assessment may be collected pursuant to the provisions set forth in subsection 4 of NRS 244.360.
5. As used in this section, “dangerous structure or condition” means a structure or condition that is a public nuisance which may cause injury to or endanger the health, life, property or safety of the general public or the occupants, if any, of the real property on which the structure or condition is located. The term includes, without limitation, a structure or condition that:
(a) Does not meet the requirements of a code or regulation adopted pursuant to NRS 244.3675 with respect to minimum levels of health or safety; or
(b) Violates an ordinance, rule or regulation regulating health and safety enacted, adopted or passed by the board of county commissioners of a county, the violation of which is designated by the board as a public nuisance in the ordinance, rule or regulation.
(Added to NRS by 1989, 484; A 1997, 676, 1467; 2001, 1732, 3102; 2003, 219; 2009, 406)