A “mechanic’s lien” is a statutory lien used to secure payment of provided labor, service, material, equipment, or storage. Most people have heard of mechanic’s liens in regards to repairs to their vehicles. Have you ever wondered what your rights are?
CAN A GARAGE KEEP MY CAR UNTIL I PAY THE BILL?
Yes! If you authorized the repairs and do not pay the repair costs on time, an automatic lien can be placed on your car. A “lien” means that the garage can legally keep your car until you pay for the repairs or it can sell the car if you don’t pay. A garage must meet certain restrictions before an automatic lien applies. The garage must comply with the Nevada law on written estimates discussed above. Further, the garage must provide a written statement of charges and notify you in person or by registered mail. They must also notify all other persons claiming an interest in the vehicle. (NRS 108.272(1)(b)) The notice must contain:
The written statement of charges must be sent to the last known address of the registered owner and any others known to have an interest or claim in the vehicle. This statement must include:
a garage that places a lien on the vehicle without providing this notice is guilty of a misdemeanor. (NRS 487.690) The garage may not advertise the sale of the vehicle until 10 days after the delivery or anticipated delivery of the lien notice. A sale advertisement must then be published in a newspaper located wherever the sale is to be held. The ad must run weekly for three consecutive weeks. It must describe the vehicle, state the name of the owner or person on whose account it is held, and state the time and place of the sale. The final sale cannot be held less than 22 days after the first publication of the notice. (NRS 108.310 (3)). After the sale, the registration division will issue a certificate of title to the new owner. Note that at any time before the sale of the vehicle, you may satisfy the lien by paying the full amount claimed by the garage. (NRS 108.320) The garage may keep the money from the sale to satisfy the lien amount. Any extra money must be returned to you upon your request. (NRS 108.310 (4)) If the garage violates any of the above requirements, the owner/manager may be guilty of a misdemeanor. You may file a complaint with the District Attorney’s office (702-671-2501) or the Nevada Attorney General’s office (702-486-3420). Further, NRS 108 allows you to file a “motion for an order to show cause” with the district court when you believe that the “notice of lien” is frivolous and was made without reasonable cause or that the lien amount is excessive. You may file this case by yourself or you may hire an attorney. You have the right to contest the validity of a lien claimed by a garage, (NRS 108.350), but if you have already paid the garage the disputed amount to get your car back, you may still file a small claims action in Justice Court for up to $10,000. Copies of all estimates, receipts, and any other documents should be kept for use in court.
I DON’T WANT TO GO TO COURT OR COMPLAIN TO A GOVERNMENT AGENCY. DO I HAVE ANY OTHER WAY TO SETTLE A DISPUTE WITH MY GARAGE?
Yes! You may file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) of Southern Nevada. After you file a written complaint, the BBB as a neutral third party contacts the garage to attempt to resolve the dispute. If that effort does not resolve the problem, the BBB may offer the services of a professional mediator, and a professional mediator can be obtained through the Neighborhood Justice Center located at the Regional Justice Center.
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Psalm 80:18-19 Living Bible (TLB)
18 and we will never forsake you again. Revive us to trust in you. Turn us again to yourself, O God of the armies of heaven. Look down on us, your face aglow with joy and love—only then shall we be saved.
I don’t know about each of you, but I feel like something is brewing in the atmosphere that is larger than you and I could ever comprehend in the realm of the spirit. I know that God has been repositioning our lives for a great outpour of His presence and I believe that it is going to take place in our homes, in our personal lives, in our relationships, in our businesses, and in our churches. I can only describe it as the “Spirit of Revival” but not as we have known it traditionally! God is reviving and restoring us. It will cause such a shower of miracles in our worship environment that will blow us away. I think we need to get ready for the supernatural move of God. I mean the type of Revival when Heaven comes closer to earth. It is when the Glory of God again becomes visible in the lives of men, women, families, churches, and the community.
The greatest attraction of Heaven is not the streets of gold. It is not the tree of life. It is not the angels and the fellowship with others of the faith. It is the constant Presence and Glory of our Lord. Revival is when we taste something of this constant Presence of God on earth and in our everyday lives. The word revival has a variety of meanings for Christians today. For some, it simply means a series of meetings. Some think of revival as a time when people place their faith in Christ and receive Him as Savior and Lord. Other people have used the term revival to describe a spiritual awakening during which large numbers of people are converted. The real meaning of revival in the Bible is when God’s people realize their need to be spiritually restored and revitalized in their walk with Jesus. It starts at home and then spreads to our churches, communities, cities, and our nation.
The word, revive is made up of two parts: re, meaning “again,” and vive, meaning, “to live.” Thus, revive means “to live again, to come or be brought back to life, health, or vitality.” Revival is a time when spiritual life and vitality are restored (in the heart and lives of Christian people and the Church). We are embarking upon the 8th month of the year, not only is this the month of new beginnings but it is also the month of “Restarting” the month of Regeneration, the number of Covenant, Rebooting, and finding God.
Revival is a return to spiritual health after a period of spiritual decline into sin and broken fellowship with God. Personal ‘Revival’ occurs when an individual is restored from a broken fellowship with God. ‘Revival’ in the home occurs when family members are restored from a broken fellowship with God, and the Lord Jesus is once again the Head of the home. ‘Revival’ in the local Church, community and nation is a sovereign act of God and occurs when God restores the spiritual health and vitality of His people on a much bigger scale. It is then that you will see the Spiritual hunger restored in the hearts of the people. My prayer is that this month you will begin to pray and ask God to send the Spirit of Revival to our souls, families, communities and to our churches. Get ready for the “Fire of Revival!”
Pastor House
