Tenants rights, other measures become laws

Tuesday, May 25, 1999 | 9:44 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- A bill that protects Nevada tenants from a scam involving landlords and their attorneys was signed into law Monday by Gov. Kenny Guinn, and a bill protecting the rights of mobile home park tenants to post political signs was sent to the governor for his signature.

Assembly Bill 462 was authored by Assemblywoman Barbara Buckley, who said tenants on the verge of eviction are being charged bogus legal fees before landlords will accept a rent payment.

Assembly Bill 39, sponsored by Assemblyman Mark Manendo, D-Las Vegas, says a mobile home park tenant can exhibit a sign up to 24 inches by 36 inches within the boundaries of his or her lot.

Buckley, D-Las Vegas, said she authored the bill protecting tenants from eviction after seeing landlords scam tenants firsthand in her job as a legal aid attorney.

Under Nevada law, tenants have five days to pay rent after being served with an eviction. If the tenant doesn't respond to that notice, a final notice can be served on the sixth day and the renter can be locked out on the seventh day.

The problem is that some landlords refuse to accept the rent within the five-day period unless the tenant pays a $75 legal fee to the landlord's attorney, Buckley said.

Her bill will end that practice.

Meanwhile, the governor also signed a plan to take the government to court if federally protected wild horses wander onto private land.

Assembly Bill 509 sets up a process enabling landowners to ask the federal government to round up the stray horses, followed by a trip to court if there's no response.

A federal judge would be asked to grant approval to either the county or state to remove the horses if the government couldn't or wouldn't.

Guinn also signed Assembly Joint Resolution 2, which urges Congress to control wild horse populations and keep them at a manageable level.