Elko County, NV Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)

Section 4-15-1 of the Elko County Code defines a dangerous structure or condition as one that can cause injury to, or endanger the health, life, property or safety of, the public or the occupants of the property. Under § 4-15-2(A)1(a), the Planning Commission can order the owner to repair, safeguard or eliminate it. Subsection (A)1 also reaches debris, abandoned or junk vehicles and any other public nuisance defined in the chapter. An authorized inspector sends written notice by certified mail, return receipt requested, stating the address, the condition, the action required, a deadline and the right to request a hearing.

The owner must be afforded a minimum of thirty days. If the owner disagrees, a hearing before the Planning Commission must be requested within ten calendar days of service, and an appeal goes to the Board of County Commissioners under § 4-9-10. The deadline is tolled while the hearing and appeal run. Section 4-15-2(E) states the County shall recover what it spent from the owner when the owner did not seek a hearing and failed to abate, lost the hearing and did not appeal within ten calendar days, or lost the appeal and missed the Board's deadline.

The County can sue or collect by other reasonable means, and the expense is a special assessment against the property under subsection 4 of NRS 244.360. Section 4-15-3 adds a separate court track for chronic nuisance properties.