April 4th, 2019
Skip Daly
Nevada State Assembly
Re: AB 421- OPPOSE
Dear Assembly Member Skip Daly:
This letter is in reference to Assembly Bill 421, which is scheduled to be heard in the Judiciary Committee next week.
This bill would be detrimental to the construction industry by allowing lawsuits with no specific detail or provided location of defects or damages. This will overall reduce accessibility of attainable housing for many, due to the increase costs incurred by so many small businesses having to deal with these frivolous lawsuits. This will increase housing costs across the State, instead of reducing them which is much needed, especially in Northern Nevada. The increased costs on small businesses will very likely cause many in the construction industry to lose their jobs. This bill will also reduce access to those who legitimately have a need for help with defect claims, as well as limiting the ability for builders to fix and repair homeowners issues. The changes made in this bill will negatively affect both the small businesses and homeowners.
Thank you for talking the time to review my concerns on this piece of legislation. After this bill comes up for a vote, I would appreciate being informed as to how you voted and why. I am available to answer questions or provide testimony on this important issue.
Sincerely,
Adam Edginton
April 4th, 2019
Ira Hansen
Nevada State Senate
Re: AB 421- OPPOSE
Dear Senator Ira Hansen:
This letter is in reference to Assembly Bill 421, which is scheduled to be heard in the Judiciary Committee next week.
This bill would be detrimental to the construction industry by allowing lawsuits with no specific detail or provided location of defects or damages. This will overall reduce accessibility of attainable housing for many, due to the increase costs incurred by so many small businesses having to deal with these frivolous lawsuits. This will increase housing costs across the State, instead of reducing them which is much needed, especially in Northern Nevada. The increased costs on small businesses will very likely cause many in the construction industry to lose their jobs. This bill will also reduce access to those who legitimately have a need for help with defect claims, as well as limiting the ability for builders to fix and repair homeowners issues. The changes made in this bill will negatively affect both the small businesses and homeowners.
Thank you for talking the time to review my concerns on this piece of legislation. After this bill comes up for a vote, I would appreciate being informed as to how you voted and why. I am available to answer questions or provide testimony on this important issue.
Sincerely, '----7'~;;.. ,. .. "· ., L-- ,/ ~ Adam~
S-2 April 3, 2019
Assemblyman Skip Daly
Nevada Assembly Re:AB421
Dear Assemblyman,
As your constituent, I implore you to oppose AB 421. This legislation is not about construction defect reform. The evidence shows that since 2015, homebuyer defects are being addressed in a timelier manner without tying up our court system with frivolous lawsuits.
Please vote on the evidence.
The proposed amendments to chapter 40 will have repercussions that will hinder homebuyer's ability to have legitimate claims processed timely, raise insurance premiums for builders that may negatively impact home prices and invariably drive many builders out of the market thus costing many their jobs and livelihood.
The proposed amendments for Section 2 eliminate the requirement that the claimant list each defect in their complaint? How does the builder know what subcontractors or suppliers to notify for the warranty? This section also proposes striking the requirement for the claimant to notify the contractor of the location of the alleged defect! Why would that be stricken? Do we not want the contractor to know where a defect is? This amendment similarly strikes a requirement that the claimant sign acknowledgement that they are reporting the alleged defect. The only reason to remove those requirements is to allow a complaint without the knowledge of the owner or have actual evidence of a defect. This is like throwing stuff at the wall to see what sticl Proposed amendments to Section 3 subsection 1 {b) deletes a requirement that the claimant and any "expert" be present when the contractor inspects the alleged defect. Please ask yourself why. Why would they want to provide vague information on a complaint that doesn't have to be acknowledged by the person or persons damaged by the alleged defects and allow expert opinions that do have to back up their findings on potential defects that they do not have to locate? Can you tell me how this serves the homebuyer? It doesn't. This serves the predatory lawyers who wish to guess on potential defects, see if anything sticks, and then collect fee's regardless of the adequate completion of actual claims. This Is further evidenced by the proposed amendment in Section 5 subsection 1 {e) where "constructional defects proven by claimant" is deleted from additional costs awarded language. Mr. Daly I will be at the hearing on Tuesday and hope to hear you bring up these points and others concerning these amendments. If you do not have the answers to the questions I have posed here I hope to hear you seek the answers at the hearing. ~----•1rn•-,~~w~ .. , ...... --~••1,o,-...... ~,, .. .,,~.,,-w,rn•• S-3 From: To: Assembly Judiciary Exhibits Subject: Opposition to AB421 Date: Monday, April 8, 2019 8:51:42 AM Good Morning, I am writing to express my vote against AB421. For the past 19 years I have operated my own business as a residential subcontractor in Southern Nevada. My companies Silver State Fireplaces, Inc. and Hearth & Home Specialties, Inc. have performed work on thousands of homes in Las Vegas, Pahrump, & Mesquite. I currently employ more than 20 people and my business is their source of income to feed their families. My company survived the housing crash as well as the numerous frivolous lawsuits that we were subjected to due to the poorly written laws prior to the passing of AB125. AB125 is well written and protects the rights of homeowners as well as protecting those of us who do our jobs correctly from being subjected to lawsuits that truly have no merit. Prior to AB125 I had literally dozens of CD suits in process of which we were not named on defect lists at all, but the claimant attorney's refused to release us until our insurance company made some form of monetary contribution. That's simply wrong and grossly unfair. It drove my insurance costs up to a point where that cost along with the mounting stack of demands to pay the required occurrence deductibles forced me to close my original business. That's the true cost of badly written laws that allow for opportunistic people to take advantage of them. I provide a good workplace for my employees and we take pride in what we do. We should not have to be concerned that we can repetitively be sued for doing our job correctly. We deserve to be protected from these money grab lawsuits. I respectfully request that you do the right thing and oppose AB421. Sincerely, Danny Check President HE:ARTM I-IOME: S P E C I A L T I E S, I N C. PH - 702-474-4099 FAX - 702-474-4428 www.hnhsi.com S-4 From: Christine Dessormeau [Wengert ES] To: Assembly Judiciary Exhibits Subject: Concerned Citizen Date: Thursday, April 4, 2019 8:34:31 PM Good evening, My name is Christine Dessormeau and I have worked for Clark County School District since 2004. I am writing this letter as a concerned citizen and mom for my daughter and son in law who work in the construction industry. I have been following the AB421 law and notice that this law will kill jobs in the industry. This hurts to see how stressful this has made my children. They have worked for the industry for many years and have had to struggle every step of the way. As a parent, you never want to see your children hurt and will do what it takes for someone to hear my voice. Please vote against this and save not only my families careers but many others. What would Vegas become without them? I couldn't work for the 5th Largest School District if all my families would have to leave the area due to being out of work. Many of the industry employees are struggling to keep food on the table, clothes on the children's back, a stable home, and happy homes because of long hours. This effects my students home life which also effects me! Please VOTE No! Thank you S-5 Aaron West From: -Ann Sent: Sunday, April 7, 2019 3:24 PM To: Aaron West Subject: Oppose AB421 I am writing this e-mail as a Nevada resident of Humboldt County. I Oppose AB421! Leeann Harris 1 S-6 From: Dirk Jansse To: Assembly Judiciary Exhibits Subject: AB421 Date: Sunday, April 7, 2019 5:43:20 PM Hello All I would like to voice my opposition to AB421. I have been through a construction defect law suit on a home I had built 11 years prior and a second owner. The homeowners attorney’s building inspector listed 34 items that needed to be corrected. All but one item were thrown out and we repaired that item and resolved the case. The homeowner never contacted us just went straight to litigation. The biggest winner in this case were the attorneys. Thank you for your consideration and once again I urge you to oppose AB421. Dirk Jansse D.E. Jansse & Company, Inc. Sent from Mail for Windows 10 S-7 From: Thomas Nimsic To: Assembly Judiciary Exhibits Subject: ab421 Date: Friday, April 5, 2019 3:33:26 PM I am opposed to AB 421 Tom Nimsic Washoe Valley NV Sent from Mail for Windows 10 S-8 From: Jill Savely To: Assembly Judiciary Exhibits Subject: AB 421 Date: Sunday, April 7, 2019 9:57:00 AM Dear Committee, I am opposed to AB 421 because it panders to the litigation attorneys rather than the working man. Carl Savely S-9 • Al Assurance in Insurance Aniello Insurance Agency ~ The Honorable Steve Yeager, Chairman April 3, 2019 Assembly Committee on Judiciary Nevada Legislature 401 S. Carson Street Carson City, Nevada 89701 Re: Assembly Bill 421: Revises provisions relating to construction . Chairman Yeager and members of the Assembly Committee on Judiciary, we appreciate the opportunity to provide comments to Assembly Bill 421. On behalf of our more than 16 employees, the Aniello Insurance Agency opposes AB421. Aniello Insurance is a Nevada-based company established in 1964. We provide Insurance Services to many of the contractors and subcontractors building homes in Nevada. This bill will greatly increase their insurance premiums and reduce coverage's Providing quality homes is important to our industry. Equally important is ensuring that going forwa rd, we see relief in construction costs to make these homes attainable to as many Nevadans as possible. Rolling back the reforms passed in 2015 would increase the cost of insurance by at least 100%. We fully recognize consumers need protection from irresponsible commercial an q residential contractors . AB 125 encouraged prompt resolutions of disputes with clear rules, definitions and predictable procedures that all parties comply with and understand. Since the passage of AB125 in 2015, my company has seen a drastic reduction in lawsuits and the passage of AB421 would reverse the major improvements made during the 2015 legislative session. If a bill like this passed, it would harm Nevada's Subcontractors working on Homes and in turn increase the cost of construction and in turn the price paid by Nevada's home buyers. Thank you for your time and consideration. Vote "NO" on AB421. Ri Aniello Insurance Agency [email protected] c/o [email protected] 3012 West Charleston Blvd. Suite 150 Las Vegas, NV 89102 www.anielloinsurance.com Phone: 702 259-0250 Fax: 702 259-0662 S-10 UILDERS ESIGN ROUP Designer F~ & cabinets April 3, 2019 The Honorable Steve Yeager, Chairman Assembly Comm ittee on Judiciary Nevada Legislature 401 S. Carson Street Carson City, Nevada 89701 Re: Assembly Bill 421: Revises provisions relating to construction. Chairman Yeager and members of the Assembly Committee on Judiciary, We appreciate the opportunity to provide comments to Assembly Bill 421. On behalf of more than 99 employees, the Builders Design Group opposes AB421. Builders Design Group is a Nevada-based company established in 2005. We provide floor coverings and cabinets to a large number of builders and contractors in Clark County. Providing quality homes is important to our industry. Equally important is ensuring that going forward, we see relief in construction costs to make these homes attainable to as many Nevadans as possible. Rolling back the reforms passed in 2015 would increase my company's costs by 10-15% and this in return could cost our employees there jobs. We fully recognize consumers need protection from irresponsible commercial and res idential contractors. AB 125 encouraged prompt resolutions of disputes with clear rules, definitions and predictable procedures that all parties comply with and understand. Since the passage of AB125 in 2015, my company has seen managed growth and the passage of AB421 would reverse the major improvements made during the 2015 legislative session. If a bill like this passed, it would harm Builders Design Group abilit y to grow and compete for work. Thank you for your time and consideration. Vote "NO" on AB421. Sincerely, Bobby Ba ir Builders Design Group 7570 Dean Martin Dr. #601 Las Vegas, NV 89139 [email protected] S-11 UILDERS ESIGN ROUP Designer Floorilll & cabinets S-12 HEALTH AN Omm RISK MANAGEMENT Safety is a way of life. Be Prepared. April 5, 2019 The Honorable Steve Yeager, Chairman Assembly Committee on Judiciary Nevada Legislature 401 S. Carson Street Carson City, Nevada 89701 Re: Assembly Bill 421: Revises provisions relating to construction. Chairman Yeager and members of the Assembly Committee on Judiciary, We appreciate the opportunity to provide comments to Assembly Bill 421. On behalf of Camejo Safety and Noabrisa Home Services we strongly oppose AB421. Camejo Safety, Inc. is a family owned business. We have been in business since 1981 and have provide services to southern Nevada for the last 38 years. We have provided services in construction both commercial and residential, home improvements projects, from remodeling big to small projects like landscaping, carpet cleaning, window cleaning, maid services, janitorial and construction clean up. Not only have we provided employment for Nevadan’s we have helped Nevada grow. We are part of the community and proud to call Nevada home. Providing quality homes is important to our industry. Equally important is ensuring that going forward, we see relief in construction costs to make these homes attainable to as many Nevadans as possible. Rolling back the reforms passed in 2015 would increase cost to my companies and to my clients as well. We fully recognize consumers need protection from irresponsible commercial and residential contractors. AB 125 encouraged prompt resolutions of disputes with clear rules, definitions and predictable procedures that all parties comply with and understand. Since the passage of AB125 in 2015, my company has seen other service providers in all trades grow and the passage of AB421 would reverse the major improvements made during the 2015 legislative session. If a bill like this passed, it would harm our economy, my trade along with my clients and business partners that are in many different trades here in Nevada but most importantly, the ability to grow and compete for work as well as provide employment to family, friends and most importantly Nevadan’s. Thank you for your time and consideration. Vote “NO” on AB421. Sincerely, Abraham S. Camejo Camejo Safety, Inc 2516 E. Lake Mead Blvd. North Las Vegas, NV 89030 702-399-5166 [email protected] www.camejosafety.com S-13 #'IIAmerican West Development 11Southern Nevada s # I Home Buil.der April 3, 2019 The Honorable Steve Yeager, Chairman Assembly Committee on Judiciary Nevada Legislature 40 I S. Carson Street Carson City, Nevada 89701 Re: A,'ISemblyBill 421: Revises provisions relatingto construction Dear Chairman Yeager and Members of the Assembly Committee on Judiciary: We appreciate the opportunity to provide comments to Assembly Bill 421. On behalf of more than I00 employees, American West vehemently opposes the passage of AB 421. American West Development, Inc. is a Nevada corporation established in 1984 and has proudly built 20,000 quality, affordable homes in the Las Vegas valley. I have been a Nevada Resident all my life and choose to live here and raise my family here because I love Las Vegas. The Nevada Legislature must not allow the passage of AB 421. This proposed Assembly Bill is not good for Nevada homeowners, both present and future, and is not good for the Nevada construction industry as a whole. Providing quality homes is important to our industry. Equally important is ensuring that going forward, we see relief in construction costs to make homes anainable to as many Nevadans as possible. Rolling back the reforms passed in 2015 would increase not only American West's, but its subcontractors', costs substantially. American West fully recognizes, acknowledges and supports the fact that consumers need protection from irresponsible commercial and residential contractors. AB 125 has successfully encouraged prompt resolutions of disputes with clear rules, definitions and predictable procedures that all parties comply with and understand. It has also allowed us to lower costs while improving quality of construction,. Since the passage of AB 125 in 2015, American West has seen a dramatic drop in unnecessary, unwarranted litigation and the passage of AB 421 would reverse the major improvements made during the 2015 legislative session. If a bill like this passed, it would harm American West's ability to grow and continue to keep literally thousands of Nevada residents employed directly by American West and through its subcontractors. Thank you for your time and consideration. Vote "NO" on AB 421. Sinc'- Y (_~ Je;J/Z.l narelli President [email protected] cc: [email protected] 250 Pilot Road, Sui« 140 • us Y S-14 ( silverwing Development 245 East Liberty Street Suite 215 Reno, NV 89501 Phone (775) 825-5300x215 Fax (775) 825-5305 [email protected] ______ To: Assembly Judiciary Committee From: J Carter Witt III, President-Silverwing Development Re: AB 421 Date: April 5, 2019 In reviewing the contents of AB 421, I have tried to understand the purpose of moving away from a fair and equitable statue, back to one of the most draconian construction defect environments that existed in the United States. Currently, defects are being corrected and if they are not corrected to the satisfaction of the homeowner, the ability to pursue litigation is still a viable option. So why are we attempting to “fix” a law that is working? We are still feeling the negative impacts of the previous law. Nevada was previously known to have the most one sided and unfair construction defect statues in the country. A very large number of general and sub-contractors were forced into bankruptcy or out of business, due to the previous law, which put the lawyers in charge of the process. Insurance companies either had to significantly increase premiums in NV due to the additional liability or would simply not write insurance at all. Many Nevada contractors left for states with more equitable laws on the books. The loss of that labor and experience is still being felt in today’s Nevada. We can all agree that Nevada is experiencing much higher costs to build (and therefore higher home prices than desired) and a strained labor base to undertake any new construction. With that backdrop, why would be revert back to laws that will only increase costs even more to the homebuyer and reduces the number of contractors available to undertake any work. Those most damaged under the previously laws were local Nevada companies that did not have the time and capital to defend these lawsuits. Public builders with full time legal staffs and more capital became more dominant in the state at the expense of Nevada based companies. This is turn found the public companies taking their profits out of Nevada and redeploying them into other more favorable economic climates outside of the state while Nevada builders found their operations reduced and the reinvestment of profits back into the state severely impacted. This paradox resulted in less and less Nevada construction businesses being formed and/or being profitable. Once a public builder was hit with a formal legal complaint, the local manager would hand the issue off to the main office and they would have the time and capital to see the process through. But a Nevada contracting business once hit with such a lawsuit under the old statue, would have to divert precious capital and time to the suit instead being allowed to continue operations. This situation allowed profits from Nevada construction operations to be marginalized, damaging our economy. The result of the old statue had Nevada losing at many levels. S-15 Virtually every for sale project in the state we undertook was solicited by the construction defect attorneys. Trial attorneys would contact HOA’s or have staff go door to door promoting their get rich quick schemes to the home owners. They would typically offer a free dinner presentation that had a fairly simple formula, sign up with us, it will cost you nothing and you will take home $ 20-50,000 upon the lawsuits completion. The supposed defects in our cases (and those I was aware of with other builders) were rarely if ever corrected. Money obtained from the settlement would primarily go to the lawyers involved and a small amount would actually get to the homeowners. Let me give you an example of the type of claims in the last lawsuit we endured. This project was 9 plus years old, when we were served with the complaint: 1. The landscaping sprinkler heads were not functioning (we were never told where these supposed faulty sprinkler head were located within the 126 unit development-as the statue did not require such specificity) which we were told allowed landscaping to die. a. We were never told where these defective sprinkler heads were and when we went to each homeowner to test them, they would not allow us on their property. 2. The irrigation line to the back yard was defective and not functioning. a. We never installed a rear yard supply line in the development on any of the homes. 3. They found sawdust under the subfloor and this could attract insects in the future damaging the homes structure. a. Yes when you are framing the home, saws will create some cellulose but never was there a termite or insect infestation in our dry climate. 4. The very edge in the attic where the roof meets the ceiling truss was not insulated. a. We actually found this issue before the suit was filed and went thought the roofs of 68 homes to correct this issue while not interfering with the occupants. We documented every fix and yet this was a key aspect of the litigation that was never dropped in spite of our evidence that no such defect ever existed. 5. The sheathing of the roof had mold on it. a. In reviewing this discolored single sheet of sheathing-we thought it was odd that the mold would grow only on one sheet of the plywood over the garage. It was found this was simply dust that occurs when the top sheet of the stack gets wet and attracts dust. 6. There was a leak in the wall on the first floor between the dining room and the kitchen. a. We found this perplexing as this was a 2 story home and so any roof leak would have been seen upstairs and any plumbing leak would require plumbing in the wall which had none. As it turned out the homeowner had bought the home for 50% of the original price from a foreclosed original owner. The previous owner had intentionally damaged the master shower walls (by kicking the sides in creating 40- 50 cracks) and the current owner was still taking showers despite its condition, which created the water leak below. The homeowner then suggested the cracks were due to home settlement, but there was not a single door or window out of alignment nor any issues with the foundation. Selective settlement a new concept in structural defects! 7. The lighting fixtures at the front door and garage had small holes between the stucco and our sealant-that supposedly could attract insects into the home. a. However, no such insects had ever been documented. 8. The garage had been fully sheet rocked and the sheetrock tape was coming loose. a. In a dry climate tape if not painted will separate-however sheet rocking the entire garage was not a code issue but an additional feature so the homeowner could finish the garage as they wished. 9. The downspouts were missing fasteners. a. This was correct, however it was 9 years old and you could see the holes in the stucco where the fasteners were secured at one time-obviously someone, probably a child, had pulled them out from their original position. 10. There were two leaking windows a. This was correct, however the windows were not items that we installed, but were installed by the previous homeowner and apparently not well. S-16 In the end, in spite of the lunacy of the claims, the insurance company paid out almost $1 million dollars to avoid more litigation costs and a jury trial. As members of this committee probably understand, once a lawsuit is filed a contractor must hand over the case to the insurance company and pay all the costs up to their deductible. The insurance company then is in charge of all decisions. If a builder does not agree with the insurance company decisions (who is at risk) and refuses to a settlement, they lose coverage and are fully exposed to all liability. Insurance companies are not widely liked in our society, so to go to trial is not the preferred option. Additionally, the defect attorney can accuse the builder of anything for virtually no cost and the cost to prove it wrong takes a tremendous amount of time and third party costs to defend. The construction defect attorney knows this and always has a never ending and unsubstantiated number of claims to ensure a healthy settlement amount. We have been served complaints where the construction defect attorney simply changed the name of the plaintiff and defendant on a past complaint on an unrelated development. They used the exact same defect list from the last case and even have used the wrong name and location of the project (as they never changed the complaint to reflect our development over the last complaint they used elsewhere). You see, it’s all about forcing the defense to spend time to chase around as many claims as they can create, to force a larger settlement. It has nothing to do with correcting defects, as for the most part they don’t exist. Even in spite of the specious claims, the lawyer wins, the homeowner get a small amount of cash and they rarely correct any of the supposed defects-as most are fallacious. The contractor insurance premiums rise and their ability to pursue other projects during this 2-4 year litigation period is reduced as banks are wary of lending on new projects to a builder if they have pending suits. Additionally, the builder’s capital is being depleted with much of their time being redirected to defend the claims against them. None of this is healthy for the State of Nevada. We have built approximately 3,000 lots and 2,500 homes and until there is long term certainty on this issue, we will no longer do any for sale developments because of cost, energy and disruption in our operations that the previous law created. In our current redevelopment of Victorian Square in Sparks, NV we have been asked over and over to include for sale housing-which would provide more long term commitment from residents into the area, however we are not willing to be exposed to the process you are contemplating ever again. We had been told after the law was corrected in 2015 that once the legislature and governor’s office changed, the old law would once again be reenacted in support of the trail attorneys (and at a large cost to the state of Nevada). Apparently those individuals were true to their word, which brings us to the current situation. If you want to see Nevada grow and have economic vitality, I urge you to uphold the current law and rebuke any attempt of support of AB 421. If you would like to improve the state’s growth of construction entrepreneurs- I would urge you to affirm the current law, so those of us that build in this state can have some certainty in using our personal capital, time and energy to continue to improve the state’s growth and quality of life. S-17 BMC West LLC dba SelectBuild Nevada Tel 702.636 .5588 Building Materials and Fax 702.995.2835 Construction Services 6255 Range Rd Las Vegas NV 89115 www.buildw ithbmc. com Lie. #79701 April 4, 2019 The Honorable Steve Yeager, Chairman Assembly Committee on Judiciary Nevada Legislature 401 5. Carson Street Carson City, Nevada 89701 Re: Assembly Bill 421: Revises provisions relating to construction. Chairman Yeager and members of the Assembly Committee on Judiciary, We appreciate the opportunity to provide comments to Assembly Bill 421. On behalf of more than 900 employees, BMC West LLC, dba SelectBuild Nevada opposes AB421. BMC West LLC, dba SelectBuild Nevada is a Nevada-based company established in 2004. We provide Framing and Stucco services, along with Lumber and Truss products /building 1,700-4,000 single family homes and multi family and small commercial jobs per year Providing quality homes is important to our industry. Equally important is ensuring that going forward, we see relief in construction costs to make these homes attainable to as many Nevadans as possible. Rolling back the reforms passed in 2015 would increase my company's costs by 4-7%. We fully recognize consumers need protection from irresponsible commercial and residential contractors. AB 125 encouraged prompt resolutions of disputes with clear rules, definitions and predictable procedures that all parties comply with and understand. Since the passage of AB125 in 2015, my company has seen a decrease in frivolous lawsuits and a reduction on insurance and personnel costs due to managing lawsuits and the passage of AB421 would reverse the major improvements made during the 2015 legislative session. If a bill like this passed, it would harm BMC West LLC, dba SelectBuild Nevada's ability to grow and compete for work. Thank you for your time and consideration. Please vote "NO" on AB421. 6255 Range Road Las Vegas NV 89115 [email protected] / 702.636.5588 S-18 Wednesday, April 03, 2019 The Honorable Steve Yeager, Chairman Assembly Committee on Judiciary Nevada Legislature 401 S. Carson Street Carson City, Nevada 89701 Re: Assembly Bill 421: Revises provisions relating to construction. Chairman Yeager and members of the Assembly Committee on Judiciary, We appreciate the opportunity to provide comments to Assembly Bill 421. On behalf of more than 500 employees, Carpets N More opposes AB421. Carpets N More is a Nevada-based company established in 2002. We are a finishing contractor that provides materials and installation of all flooring products; including carpet, tile, porcelain, marble, stone countertops, natural and fabricated wood products, vinyl, VCT, luxury vinyl planks, closet and garage organizers, window blinds, shutters and verticals, as well as cabinets for our customer throughout Nevada. Our customer base consists of, but not limited to retail residential, new home construction with home builders such as KB Home, Lennar, and DR Horton, as well as large and small commercial accounts. Providing quality homes is important to our industry. Equally important is ensuring that going forward, we see relief in construction costs to make these homes attainable to as many Nevadans as possible. Rolling back the reforms passed in 2015 would increase my company's costs by $200,000 to $300,000. We fully recognize consumers need protection from irresponsible commercial and residential contractors. AB 125 encouraged prompt resolutions of disputes with clear rules, definitions and predictable procedures that all parties comply with and understand. Since the passage of AB125 in 2015, my company has seen grown in quality and production and the passage of AB421 would reverse the major improvements made during the 2015 legislative session. If a bill like this passed, it would harm Nevada's home builders and greatly affect Carpets N More's ability to grow and compete for work. Thank you for your time and consideration. Vote "NO" on AB421. ~,~ Steve Chesin CARPETS N MORE 4580 W Teco Avenue Las Vegas, Nevada 89118 0 : (702) 458-9999 Corporate Office - 4580 West Teco Avenue, Las Vegas, Nevada 89118 Tel: 702.458.9999 Fax: 702.433-7468 S-19 ~ MERIDIAN CONCRETE, INC. PO Box 17005 Reno, Nevada 89511 Phone: (775) 852-6550 Fax: (775) 852-1655 NV Lic. #57003 CA Lic. #915222 April 5, 2019 Assembly Judiciary Committee Nevada State Legislature Carson City, NV Re: AB421 Dear Assembly Members, I am writing in opposition to AB421. The construction and housing industries suffered greatly under Nevada’s construction defect laws prior to the 2015 reforms. Almost of the builders, developers, and subcontractors that build subdivisons in Nevada were subjected to hundreds of lawsuits under the old law. It is unreasonable to believe that every subdivision in the State of Nevada would involve defective construction and would require years of litigation and hundreds of thousands of dollars of legal fees to resolve said issues. Often, the homeowners were not served well under this law. And, the attorneys were. The Reno Gazette Journal recently ran an article about Elizabeth Warren’s ideas for affordable housing in Nevada. She pressed the point that Nevada was suffering from an enormous lack of affordable housing. In my opinion, the SINGLE most destructive thing that the legislature could possibly do to further aggravate affordable housing in Nevada is to change the existing laws on construction defects. The current laws are working for both the building industry and the homeowners and AB421 should be defeated. Sincerely, Lynn Crosswhite Lynn Crosswhite Secretary/Treasurers S-20 4625 Wynn Road Bldg. B. Suite 1 • Las Vegas, Nevada 89103 (702) 367-2225 Fax (702) 367-0055 April 04, 2019 The Honorable Steve Yeager, Chairman Assembly Committee on Judiciary Nevada Legislature 401 5. Carson Street Carson City, Nevada 89701 RE: ASSEMBLY BILL421 Dear Chairman Yeager and members of the Assembly Committee on Judiciary, Thank you for the opportunity to address the above, and that our company OPPOSES AB 421. With so many issues to address during the session, I sincerely hope that you and your committee are able to fully understand what impact that AB 421 will have on the many companies, their employees and families and our construction and housing industry. Classic Door&: Trim Co., Inc. has been a family owned and operated business in the State of Nevada since 1982. We supply Residential and Commercial Doors, Trim, Hardware and all related finish products to Home Builders, General Contractors, Handyman companies, and walk in trade to the general public that are improving their homes. We received our first Chapter 40 notice in 2000, and to date, I still have files that are in litigation for homes that were built in 2006, that are unresolved. This is 2019. Any consideration to repeal AB 125 should be carefu ll y understood by all that are on this Judiciary panel. The financial impact to our State should be highly considered. We are not a big business, however, it should be noted that when AB 125 passed in February of 2017, my company had 66 employees. ( NUCS form 940) This quarter ending March 31, 2019, we have 75 employees. This may not seem like a big number to some, but it certainly is to me and our company. This is 9 n,ore employees that our company is contributing to the State Modified Business Tax, along with an increase in revenue that goes toward the Commerce tax and Education. Fiscally, you should review what the costs that the State of Nevada was paying for the Construction Defect Courts, and consider that money has to come from somewhere. When our State is looking for ways to fund our Education, we are going to go backward. I hope that you consider that your constituents are the people and their families that work for companies like ours. Again, I sincerely appreciate your time and consideration of this extTemely important matter. Please Vote "NO" on AB 421. 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Carson Street Carson City, Nevada 89701 Re: Assembly Bill 421: Revises provisions relating to construction. Chairman Yeager and members of the Assembly Committee on Judiciary, We appreciate the opportunity to provide comments to Assembly Bill 421. On behalf of more than 100 employees, 20/20 Plumbing and Heating, Inc. opposes AB421. 20/20 Plumbing and Heating, Inc. is a Nevada-based company established in 2015. We provide new plumbing services to 1,800 homes on average annually employing 104 employees in Nevada. Providing quality homes is important to our industry. Equally important is ensuring that going forward, we see relief in construction costs to make these homes attainable to as many Nevadans as possible. Rolling back the reforms passed in 2015 would increase my company’s costs by 10-25% in terms of legal defense, insurance deductibles, and cost of insurance. We fully recognize consumers need protection from irresponsible commercial and residential contractors. AB 125 encouraged prompt resolutions of disputes with clear rules, definitions and predictable procedures that all parties comply with and understand. Since the passage of AB125 in 2015, my company has seen 50% increase in revenue and the passage of AB421 would reverse the major improvements made during the 2015 legislative session. If a bill like this passed, it would harm 20/20 Plumbing and Heating, Inc. ability to grow and compete for work. Thank you for your time and consideration. Vote “NO” on AB421. Sincerely, Johnny Forsberg 20/20 Plumbing and Heating, Inc. 4745 Copper Sage St. Las Vegas, NV 89115 [email protected]/702-945-2020 S-24 CHICAGO PAI N T I NG I N C. April 3, 2019 The Honorable Steve Yeager, Chairman Assembly Committee on Judiciary Nevada Legislature 401 S. Carson Street Carson City, Nevada 89701 Re: Assembly Bill 421: Revises provisions relating to construction. Chairman Yeager and members of the Assembly Committee on Judiciary, We appreciate the opportunity to provide comments to Assembly Bill 421. On behalf of more than 450 employees, the Chicago Painting, Inc. opposes AB421. Chicago Painting, Inc. is a Nevada-based company established in 2002. We provide Drywall and Paint to over 3,000 homes for various homebuilders in the Las Vegas area. Providing quality homes is important to our industry. Equally important is ensuring that going forward, we see relief in construction costs to make these homes attainable to as many Nevadans as possible. Rolling back the reforms passed in 2015 would increase my company's costs by thousands. We fully recognize consumers need protection from irresponsible commercial and residential contractors. AB 125 encouraged prompt resolutions of disputes with clear rules, definitions and predictable procedures that all parties comply with and understand. Since the passage of AB125 in 2015, my company has seen a decrease in frivolous lawsuits and the passage of AB421 would reverse the major improvements made during the 2015 legislative session. If a bill like this passed, it would harm Chicago Painting, lnc.'s ability to grow and compete for work. Than 7. for your time and consideration. Vote "NO" on AB421. . rely, ( t7~____.... S-25 ,~~~~X- ~ tc ~ April 2, 2019 The Honorable Steve Yeager, Chairman Assembly Committee on Judiciary Nevada Legislature 401 S. Carson Street Carson City, Nevada 89701 Re: Assembly Bill 421: Revises provisions relating to construction. Chairman Yeager and members of the Assembly Committee on Judiciary, We appreciate the opportunity to provide comments to Assembly Bill 421. On behalf of more than 70 employees, Civil Werx opposes AB421. Civil Werx is a Nevada-based company established in 2013. We do about $25 million in grading, paving and underground work for both commercial and residential clients all around the Valley. Providing quality homes is important to our industry. Equally important is ensuring that going forward, we see relief in construction costs to make these homes attainable to as many Nevadans as possible. Rolling back the reforms passed in 2015 would increase my company’s costs by at least 10% and it may even take away our ability to get General Liability insurance in Nevada. We fully recognize consumers need protection from irresponsible commercial and residential contractors. AB 125 encouraged prompt resolutions of disputes with clear rules, definitions and predictable procedures that all parties comply with and understand. Since the inception of Civil Werx in 2013, the passage of AB125 in 2015 made it easier for us to become a successful company. The passage of AB421 would reverse the major improvements made during the 2015 legislative session. If a bill like this passed, it would most definitely harm Civil Werx’ ability to grow and compete for work. Thank you for your time and consideration. Vote “NO” on AB421. Sincerely, Donnie Gibson Donald Gibson Civil Werx 4845 Judson Avenue Las Vegas, NV 89115 [email protected] / 702-901-3735 c/o [email protected] 2640 Marion Drive – Las Vegas, NV 89115 4845 Judson Avenue – Las Vegas, NV 89115 Phone: 702-800-2130 Fax: 702-478-2571 www.civilwerx.com S-26 April 2, 2019 The Honorable Steve Yeager, Chairman Assembly Committee on Judiciary Nevada Legislature 401 S. Carson Street Carson City, Nevada 89701 Re: Assembly Bill 421: Revises provisions relating to construction. Chairman Yeager and members of the Assembly Committee on Judiciary, We appreciate the opportunity to provide comments to Assembly Bill 421. As a Human Resources Consultant who works with many employers, Propel HR Solutions is a Nevada-based company established in 2017. We provide consulting services that focus on employee recruitment, retention engagement. Providing quality homes is important to our industry. Equally important is ensuring that going forward, we see relief in construction costs to make these homes attainable to as many Nevadans as possible. Rolling back the reforms passed in 2015 would be costly for my partner businesses. We fully recognize consumers need protection from irresponsible commercial and residential contractors. AB 125 encouraged prompt resolutions of disputes with clear rules, definitions and predictable procedures that all parties comply with and understand. Thank you for your time and consideration. Vote “NO” on AB421. Sincerely, Tracy Gniewek, SPHR, SHRM-SCP CEO/HR Strategist Propel HR Solutions [email protected] 702-353-9911 www.propelhrsolutions.com S-27 April 4, 2019 The Honorable Steve Yeager, Chairman Assembly Committee on Judiciary Nevada Legislature 401 S. Carson Street Carson City, Nevada 89701 Re: Assembly Bill 421: Revises provisions relating to construction. Chairman Yeager and members of the Assembly Committee on Judiciary, We appreciate the opportunity to provide comments to Assembly Bill 421. On behalf of more than 350 employees, Power House Plastering, Inc. opposes AB421. Power House Plastering, Inc. is a Nevada-based company established in 2009. We provide exterior stucco installation to 2,000 new homes annually. Providing quality homes is important to our industry. Equally important is ensuring that going forward, we see relief in construction costs to make these homes attainable to as many Nevadans as possible. Rolling back the reforms passed in 2015 would increase my company's costs exponentially. We fully recognize consumers need protection from irresponsible commercial and residential contractors. AB 125 encouraged prompt resolutions of disputes with clear rules, definitions and predictable procedures that all parties comply with and understand. Since the passage of AB125 in 2015, my company has seen many positive impacts including but not limited to the following: the return of and the additional insurance companies competing in the local market, more competitive insurance premium rates, a substantial decrease in legal fees, and a reduction in home purchase prices. The passage of AB421 would reverse the major improvements made during the 2015 legislative session. If a bill like this passed, it would harm Power House Plastering, lnc.'s ability to grow and compete for work. Thank you for your time and consideration. Vote "NO" on AB421. Danny Gunsallus President c/o [email protected] 3485 John Peter Lee Ave * North Las Vegas, NV 89032 Phone (702) 476-9797 * Fax (702) 476-0777 S-28 BJ!CBRANCH II.ERNANDEZ CONSULTING & INSURANCE SERVICES April 5, 2019 The Honorable Steve Yeager, Chairman Assembly Committee on Judiciary Nevada Legislature 401 S. Carson Street Carson City, Nevada 89701 Re: Assembly Bill 421: Revises provisions relating to construction. Chairman Yeager and members of the Assembly Committee on Judiciary, We appreciate the opportunity to provide comments to Assembly Bill 421. On behalf of more than 23 combined employees’, the Branch Hernandez Consulting & Insurance services, LLC opposes AB421. BHC is a Nevada-based company established in 2014. We provide property and casualty insurance for individual homeowners, land lords, business owners and contractors. Providing quality homes is important to our staff and clients. Equally important is ensuring that going forward, we see relief in construction costs to make these homes attainable to as many Nevadans as possible. Rolling back the reforms passed in 2015 would increase our customers cost by up to 10% or more including the purchase price of new homes. We fully recognize consumers need protection from irresponsible commercial and residential contractors. AB 125 encouraged prompt resolutions of disputes with clear rules, definitions and predictable procedures that all parties comply with and understand. Since the passage of AB125 in 2015, my company has seen a reduced cost of insurance and the passage of AB421 would reverse the major improvements made during the 2015 legislative session. If a bill like this passed, it would harm many of our contractor clients due to the increased cost of insurance and the potential for limited companies providing them coverage. This will hinder their ability to grow and compete for work. Thank you for your time and consideration. Vote “NO” on AB421. Sincerely, Joe Hernandez, ARM, AAI, President c/o [email protected] 702-648-6887 PO Box 570278, Las Vegas, NV 89157-028 S-29 ME c :/ll:A:t11:1:cm:L~LL C. HEATING COOLING INDOOR AIR DUALfTY The Honorable Steve Yeager, Chairman 4/4/2019 Assembly Committee on Judiciary Nevada Legislature 401 S. Carson Street Carson City, Nevada 89701 Re: Assembly Bill 421: Revises provisions relating to construction. Chairman Yeager and members of the Assembly Committee on Judiciary, We appreciate the opportunity to provide comments to Assembly Bill 421. On behalf of more than 25 employees, Silverado Mechanical opposes AB421. Silverado Mechanical is a Nevada-based company established in 1987. We provide residential new construction HVAC installations to both single family and attached homes throughout Southern Nevada. Providing quality homes is important to our industry. Equally important is ensuring that going forward, we see relief in construction costs to make these homes attainable to as many Nevadans as possible. Since the reforms passed in 2015 we have seen our General Liability rates drop by just over 16%. This has allowed us to expand our business and hire more employees. We fully recognize consumers need protection from irresponsible commercial and residential contractors. AB 125 encouraged prompt resolutions of disputes with clear rules, definitions and predictable procedures that all parties comply with and understand. Since the passage of AB125 in 2015, my company has seen faster homeowner dispute resolution and lower overall cost but with the passage of AB421 would reverse the major improvements made during the 2015 legislative session. If a bill like this passed, it would harm Silverado Mechanical’s ability to grow and compete for work. Thank you for your time and consideration. Vote “NO” on AB421. Sincerely, Paul Hughett Silverado Mechanical 4210 W Patrick Ln. [email protected] / 702-303-5308 4210 W. Patrick Lane, Las Vegas, NV 89118 I 702.380.7030 I SilveradoMechanical.com I Lie #51784 S-30 VEKAwest PVC profiles for residential and commercial applfcations 14250 Lear Blvd , Re no. NV 89506 , Phone (775) 972-4090 , Fax: f775} 677-1349 , www.vekalnc.com The Honorable Steve Yeager, Chairman Assembly Committee on Judiciary Nevada Legislature 401 S. Carson Street Carson City, Nevada 89701 April 3, 2019 • Re: Assembly Bill 421: Revises provisions relating to construction. Chairman Yeager and members of the Assembly Committee on Judiciary, We appreciate the opportunity to provide comments to Assembly Bill 421. On behalf of more than 100 employees, VEKA West, Inc. opposes AB421. VEKA West, Inc. is a Nevada-based company established in March of 1994. We provide PVC window and door systems. Providing quality homes is important to our industry. Equally important is ensuring that going forward, we see relief in construction costs to make these homes attainable to as many Nevadans as possible. We fully recognize consumers need protection from irresponsible commercial and residential contractors. AB 125 encouraged prompt resolutions of disputes with clear rules, definitions and predictable procedures that all parties comply with and understand. If a bill like Bill 421 passed, it would harm VEKA West, lnc.'s ability to grow and compete. Thank you for your time and consideration. Vote "NO" on AB421. Sincerely, Scott D. Resek Vice President, Finance and CFO S-31 DL Realty 226 California Avenue Reno, NV 89509 Phone: (775) 762-5418 realty dl [email protected] 4/5/2019 Dear Sirs, Northern Nevada has a housing crisis. Affordable homes as well as apartment units to rent are almost nonexistent. I oppose AB 421 as it will increase the cost of constructing homes and apartments and its implementation will cause developers to exit the State and build in States with a more business friendly attitude. David Larson Broker DL Realty S-32 -0 RSl e. 5570 Reference Street Las Vegas, Nevada 89122 (702) 856-0800 April 2, 2019 The Honorable Steve Yeager, Chairman Assembly Committee on Judiciary Nevada Legislature 401 S. Carson Street Carson City, Nevada 89701 Re: Assembly Bill 421: Revises provisions relating to construction. Chairman Yeager and members of the Assembly Committee on Judiciary, We appreciate the opportunity to provide comments to Assembly Bill 421. On behalf of more than 73 employees, RSP Inc. opposes AB421. RSP Inc. is a Nevada-based company established in 2002. We. are a residential plumbing contractor that services Southern Nevada. We have helped constru\:t roughly 22,000 homes in Southern Nevada since our inception. Providing quality homes is important to our industry. Equally important is ensuring that going forward, we see relief in construction costs to make these homes attainable to as many Nevadans as possible. Rolling back the reforms passed in 2015 would increase my company's costs by $113,000.00 annually, which is money that can directly to our employee's rather than legal expenses for defense counsel. We fully recognize consumers need protection from irresponsible commercial and residential contractors. AB 125 encouraged prompt resolutions of disputes with clear rules, definitions and predictable procedures that all parties comply with and understand. Since the passage of AB125 in 2015, RSP Inc. has seen a drastic decline in legal expenses, meritless settlements and increased employee take-home pay. This is all directly attributable to the enactment of AB 125. The passage of AB421 would reverse these effects and all the progress made thus far would be eliminated. To state it plainly, if a bill like this passed, it would harm home construction in Southern Nevada and RSP Inc's ability to grow and compete for work. Thank you for your time and consideration. Vote "NO" on AB421. Controller RSP Inc. c/o [email protected] S-33 I ~*',,, , ',,,_ Superb Maids Magic for your home. April 3, 2019 The Honorable Steve Yeager, Chairman Assembly Committee on Judiciary Nevada Legislature 401 S. Carson Street Carson City, Nevada 89701 Re: Assembly Bill 421: Revises provisions relating to construction. Chairman Yeager and members of the Assembly Committee on Judiciary, We appreciate the opportunity to provide comments to Assembly Bill 421. On behalf of more than 40 employees, Superb Maids opposes AB421. We are a Nevada-based company established in 2015 and SBA’s 2019 Small Business Of the Year-Nevada, servicing 4,400 customers in Las Vegas Valley. Robust construction industry and affordability of housing are essential to our business. Rolling back the reforms passed in 2015 would adversely impact my business and our employees. Also, as an attorney, I appreciate that AB 125 encouraged prompt resolution of disputes with clear rules, definitions and predictable procedures that all parties understand. Thank you for your time and consideration. Vote “NO” on AB421. Kind Regards, Elena Ledoux S-34 Lewis Management Corp. Street Address: 5240 Polaris Avenue, Las Vegas NV 89118-1737 Telephone: 702.891.5260 Fax: 702.891.5286 April 4, 2019 The Honorable Steve Yeager, Chairman Assembly Committee on Judiciary Nevada Legislature 401 S. Carson Street Carson City, Nevada 89701 Re: Assembly Bill 421: Revises provisions relating to construction. Chairman Yeager and members of the Assembly Committee on Judiciary, We appreciate the opportunity to provide comments to Assembly Bill 421. On behalf of more than 60 Nevada-based employees, Lewis Management Corp opposes AB421. Our affiliated companies have been committed to Nevada since 1961. We have built homes, apartments, retail, office and industrial and done land development in both Reno and Las Vegas. Over our time in Nevada, we built over 20,000 single-family homes. The threat of construction defect litigation from unscrupulous attorneys' lawsuits was part of our reason to pursue other real estate projects rather than continue to build homes. We believe rolling the construction defect legislation back to how it was prior to AB 125 will hurt housing affordability and lead to needless litigation. Fewer homes will be built, and they will be significantly more expensive to compensate for the risk of litigation, pricing even more homebuyers out of the market. Additionally, we believe that undoing that the legislation will discourage the building of more affordable attached units, which are one of the critical needs for our communities. Thousands of jobs are at risk in the industries related to homebuilding, if AB 421 is approved. These are well-paying jobs. Providing quality homes is important to our industry. We fully recognize consumers need protection from irresponsible commercial and residential contractors. The current law, AB 125 encouraged prompt resolutions of disputes with clear rules, definitions and predictable procedures that all parties comply with and understand. We believe that approving AB 421 would unravel the health of the housing market and injure the affiliated industries. Thank you for your time and consideration. Pl a e Vote "NO" on AB421. Sincerely, ~ Jennifer Lewis Lewis Management Corp 5240 S. Polaris Las Vegas, NV 89118 [email protected] a member of the Lewis group of companies S-35 SWARTS, MANNING & ASSOCIATES INSURANCE SERVICES 4/ 3/ 2019 The Honorable Steve Yeager, Ch airman Assembly Committee on Judiciary Nevada legislature 401 S. Carson Street Carson City, Nevada 89701 Re: Assembly Bill 421: Revises provisions relating to construction. Chairman Yeager and members of the Assembly Committee on Judiciary, We appreciate the opportunity to provide comments to Assembly Bill 421. On behalf of our employees in southern Nevada, Swarts, Manning & Associates, Inc opposes AB421. Swarts, Manning & Associates is a Nevada-based company established in 1996. We provide insurance services to many sub-contractors that work in the residential production market. Providing quality homes is important to our industry. Equally important is ensuring that going forward, we see relief in construction costs to make t hese homes attainable to as ma ny Nevadans as possible. Rolling back the reforms passed in 2015 would increase our sub-contractors insurance cost significantly. We fully recognize consumers need protection from irresponsible commercial and residential contractors. AB 125 encouraged prompt resolutions of disputes with clear rules, definitions and predictable procedures that all parties comply with and understand. I believe that the pa ssage of AB421 would reyerse the major improvement s made during the 2015 legislative session. If a bill like this is passed, it would harm the entire construction industry and would limit our ability to provide affordable insurance. Thank you for your t ime and consideration. Vote "NO" on AB421. Sincerely, Justin A. Manning Swarts, Manning & Associat es, Inc 10091 Pa rk Run Drive Ste. 200 La s Vegas, NV 89145 [email protected] 702-878-2820 1009 1 P ARK R UN DRIVE • SUITE 200 • LAS VEGAS, NV 89 14 5 PH ONE: 702.878 .2820 · FAX: 7 02.870.1263 S-36 . _·:-:- ..:: - S-37 c/o c/o [email protected] [email protected] 4915 4915 Sun Sun North North Sincerely, Sincerely, Thank Thank Michael Michael Since Since passed, passed, would would contractors. contractors. predictable predictable We We joist joist we we Rolling Rolling Sun Sun Providing Providing employees, employees, We We Chairman Chairman 401 401 Re: Re: Carson Carson The The Assembly Assembly Nevada Nevada [email protected] [email protected] see see State State fully fully appreciate appreciate Assembly Assembly State State S Honorable Honorable and and North North the the . . Las Las you you reverse reverse Carson Carson back back relief relief it it City, City, G. G. 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AB421. • i on on and and 11 important important ,: ,: . .. legislative legislative . . , , Judiciary, Judiciary, in in with with . . compete compete .. .. commercial commercial 1992 Bill Bill to to increase increase clear clear as as 421. 421. insurance insurance . . is is We We many many session. session. ensuring ensuring for for rules, rules, On On provide provide and and work and and behalf behalf Nevadans Nevadans definitions definitions costs. costs. the the If If residential residential . . that that a a roof roof passage passage bill bill of of going going more more like like as as trusses, trusses, and and possible. possible. April April this this of of forward, forward, than than AB421 AB421 floor floor 3, 3, 150 150 2019 2019 04/03/2019 The Honorable Steve Yeager, Chairman Assembly Committee on Judiciary Nevada Legislature 401 S. Carson Street Carson City, Nevada 89701 Re: Assembly Bill 421: Revises provisions relating to construction. Chairman Yeager and members of the Assembly Committee on Judiciary, We appreciate the opportunity to provide comments to Assembly Bill 421. On behalf of more than 88 employees, Canyon Plumbing LLC opposes AB421. Canyon Plumbing LLC is a Nevada-based company established in 2007. We provide Plumbing; New Construction to Residential Housing (approximately 1,211 projects in 2018 alone) and Commercial Work, as well as Service Work to these Completed Residential & Commercial Projects Providing quality homes is important to our industry. Equally important is ensuring that going forward, we see relief in construction costs to make these homes attainable to as many Nevadans as possible. Rolling back the reforms passed in 2015 would increase my company's costs by 5% +/-. We fully recognize consumers need protection from irresponsible commercial and residential contractors. AB 125 encouraged prompt resolutions of disputes with clear rules, definitions and predictable procedures that all parties comply with and understand. Since the passage of AB125 in 2015, my company has seen less lawsuits, and more opportunity of the right to fix process for items that have come up. It's given us as a Subcontractor, seeing more homes being built (which means more economic growth as a Company and more job security for my employees, and we feel the passage of AB421 would reverse the major improvements made during the 2015 legislative session . If a bill like this passed, it would harm Canyon Plumbing's ability to grow and compete for work. Thank you for your time and consideration. Vote " NO" on AB421. Si~_1y,_ _ , /2-., c ~ / / /t/0z-- /h-L- Joseph B Milton Canyon Plumbing LLC 4094 Ponderosa Way [email protected] Cell 702-600-4834 c/o AsmJUD@asm .state.nv.us S-39 11lll!N_Ys NEVADASTAIRS.COM April 5, 2019 The Honorable Steve Yeager, Chairman Assembly Committee on Judiciary Nevada Legislature 401 S. Carson Street Carson City, Nevada 89701 Re: Assembly Bill 421: Revises provisions relating to construction. Chairman Yeager and members of Assembly Committee on Judiciary, We appreciate the opportunity to provide comments to Assembly Bill 421. On behalf of the 28 employees we employ, Nevada Stairs Inc. opposes AB421. Nevada Stairs Inc. is a Nevada-based company established in 1994. We provide stair systems to new builders and existing homeowners. We work with approximately 14 builders and over 150 custom/remodels per year. Providing quality homes is important to our industry. Equally important is ensuring that going forward; we see relief in construction costs to make these homes attainable to as many Nevadans as possible. Rolling back the reforms passed in 2015 would harm our company’s ability to grow. We fully recognize consumers need protection from irresponsible commercial and residential contractors. AB125 encouraged prompt resolutions of disputes with clear rules, definitions and predictable procedures that all parties comply with and understand. Since the passage of AB125 in 2015, my company has seen significant progress and the passage of AB421 would reverse the major improvements made during the 2015 legislative session. If a bill like this passes, it would harm Nevada Stairs ability to grow and compete for work. Thank you for your time and consideration. Vote “NO” on AB421. Sincerely, Tina Morgan Tina Morgan, General Manager Nevada Stairs Inc. 4030 E Post Rd, Ste 101 Las Vegas, NV 89120 [email protected] S-40 The Honorable Steve Yeager, Chairman Assembly Committee on Judiciary Nevada Legislature 401 S. Carson Street Carson City, Nevada 89701 April 4, 2019 Re: Assembly Bill 421: Revises provisions relating to construction. Dear Chairman Yeager and Members of the Assembly Committee on Judiciary, Thank you for the opportunity to provide comments on Assembly Bill 421. In short, we are opposed to AB421 as a result of its negative impact on builders, contractors, suppliers, and all of their employees. Our EHB Companies Nevada-based businesses were established in the mid 1990’s. www.ehbcompanies.com. We have built over 3 million square feet of commercial and residential properties in the Las Vegas Valley, generating an investment of more than $1 billion into the area. O In addition to building some of the most luxurious single family detached homes in Las Vegas, our projects also included the renowned One Queensridge Place high-end condominium towers. We are all too familiar with the very significant added cost of construction if not properly addressed in our state’s legislation. For example, in 2004, without the benefit of the provisions of the 2015 construction defects legislative changes, for One Queensridge Place to get designers and contractors to work on the One Queensridge Place project, as it was 100% assured there would be construction defects litigation due to its attached product type, it required the project taking on a $104 million construction defects wrap insurance policy at a cost of $18 million. That is an approximate $82,000 cost per home, a cost to protect the project’s development entity, its designers and contractors for construction defect litigation and a cost that had to be passed onto to respective homebuyers. p 702-940-6930 f 702-940-6931 1215 S. Fort Apache Drive, Suite 120 Las Vegas, NV 891 17 e hbcompanies.com S-41 Providing quality homes is important to our industry and community. Equally important is ensuring that going forward, all costs are not needlessly inflated as they are ultimately passed on to the consumer. Making home ownership affordable should be a common goal. Rolling back the reforms passed in 2015 would significantly increase costs and thwart that end. The industry needs efficient means of dispute resolutions with clear rules, definitions and streamlined procedures that all parties can comply with and understand. Please allow Nevada to keep it that way. Thank you for your time and consideration. Please vote “NO” on AB421. Sincerely, Frank Pankratz President EHB Companies LLC 1215 S. Ft. Apache Drive Suite 120 Las Vegas, NV 89117 O: 702-940-6930 C: 702-592-7412 [email protected] cc Nat Hodgson, Southern Nevada Homebuilders Association p 702-940-6930 f 702-940-6931 1215 S. Fort Apache Drive, Suite 120 Las Vegas, NV 891 17 e hbcompanies.com S-42 4/3/2019 The Honorable Steve Yeager, Chairman Assembly Committee on Judiciary Nevada Legislature 401 S. Carson Street Carson City, Nevada 89701 Re: Assembly Bill 421: Revises provisions relating to construction. Chairman Yeager and members of the Assembly Committee on Judiciary, We appreciate the opportunity to provide comments to Assembly Bill 421. On behalf of more than 300 employees in southern Nevada, Alpha Landscapes LLC opposes AB421. Alpha Landscapes is a Nevada-based company established in 2012. We provide new landscaping services to over 3000 homes a year in the residential production market. Providing quality homes is important to our industry. Equally important is ensuring that going forward, we see relief in construction costs to make these homes attainable to as many Nevadans as possible. Rolling back the reforms passed in 2015 would increase my company's costs by 3 to 5 percent. We fully recognize consumers need protection from irresponsible commercial and residential contractors. AB 125 encouraged prompt resolutions of disputes with clear rules, definitions and predictable procedures that all parties comply with and understand. Since the passage of AB125 in 2015, my company has seen an increase in production and a decrease in frivolous lawsuits and the passage of AB421 would reverse the major improvements made during the 2015 legislative session. If a bill like this passed, it would harm Alpha landscapes and our ability to grow and compete for work. Thank you for y r time and consideration. Vote "NO" on AB421. Louis Po ish Jr. Alpha Landscape LLC. 4270 W Patrick L ne Las Vegas, NV 89 18 [email protected] 702-214-80000 c/o [email protected] S-43 April 5, 2019 The Honorable Steve Yeager, Chairman Assembly Committee on Judiciary Nevada Legislature 401 S. Carson Street Carson City, Nevada 89701 Re: Assembly Bill 421: Revises provisions relating to construction. Chairman Yeager and members ofthe Assembly Committee on Judiciary, We appreciate the opportunity to provide comments to Assembly Bill 421. On behalf of more than 100 employees, The Original Roofing Company, LLC opposes AB421. The Original Roofing Company is a Nevada-based company established in 2003. We provide all types of roofing, both commercial and residential. We partner with several national housing developers, averaging 600 homes per year, as well as many multi-unit apartment complexes. Providing quality homes is important to our industry. Equally important is ensuring that going forward, we see relief in construction costs to make these homes attainable to as many Nevadans as possible. Rolling back the reforms passed in 2015 would increase my company's costs by approximately 1,000,000 per year. We fully recognize consumers need protection from irresponsible commercial and residential contractors. AB 125 encouraged prompt resolutions of disputes with clear rules, definitions and predictable procedures that all parties comply with and understand. Since the passage of AB125 in 2015, my company has seen an increase in sales which has resulted in higher employment of local workers, and increased spending on construction related materials that benefit local vendors and their employees as well. Also, a reduction in the cost of General Liability insurance leads to additional profits that have been used to purchase new equipment and the passage of AB421 would reverse the major improvements made during the 2015 legislative session. If a bill like this passed, it would harm The Original Roofing Company's ability to grow and compete for work. Thank you for your time and consideration. Vote "NO" on AB421. Sincerely, ~~=====- Michael Coddington, Operations Manager [email protected] / (702) 798-6757 c/o [email protected] The Original Roofing Company, LLC 4515 Copper Sage Street Ste. 100 Las Vegas, NV 89115 S-44 MEMO Insurance Services TO: Assembly Members of the NV Judiciary Committee via Steve Yeager, Chair Lesley E. Cohen, Vice Chair FR: Nick Rossi, President LP Insurance Services, LLC LP Insurance Services, LLC Members RE: AB421 Constructional Defect DATE: April 4, 2019 We are writing to you today to voice our concerns for AB421 as proposed. We urge the committee to vote down AB421 as we strongly oppose any efforts to undo the progress made in the 2015 legislature to revise the negative effects of our Chapter 40 law. According to insurance industry sources, Chapter 40, between 2003 and 2015, created the most unstable residential insurance underwriting environment in the entire U.S. Residential insurance carriers exited Nevada at an alarming speed - driven by claims frequency rates (per 100 constructed homes) that approached nearly forty (40) times the national average. As this issue escalated, our 2015 legislature kept much of the law surrounding Chapter 40 intact but revised a critical part of the statute to reflect a more balanced approach between consumer advocacy/protection and the building industry. This helped keep Nevada from destroying a large segment of the construction industry which is vital to our continued economic development, job growth and clearly, our housing market. This 2015 revised law, while in place for less than four years, has seen the damaged insurance environment for residential construction begin to repair itself. Rates have decreased by double digits and premiums are down significantly. Affordable insurance has helped stimulate local, community- based developers to once again begin serving the needs of our Nevada marketplace. We urge the Judiciary committee to allow the 2015 reforms to continue and oppose AB421. Stepping away from this desperately-needed revised Chapter 40 law is bad for the Nevada homeowner. It will significantly increase the cost of housing which has a negative impact across all economic efforts in the Silver State. Nevada industry (particularly our local small and mid-size contractors) and Nevada employees will be adversely affected throughout our state. It will be an obstacle in our efforts to construct affordable and attainable housing. This will negatively impact our ability to continue to attract competitive industries and their well-paying jobs. It is also destructive to our well-paying statewide construction forces. Thank you for your thoughtful consideration. April 4, 2019 Page 1 of 2 S-45 MEMO Insurance Services IMPACT STATEMENT FOR AB421: Generally speaking, AB421 reverses all the progress made in 2015 with regard to Nevada’s construction defect law. Rolling back that headway would essentially increase insurance rates for our local contractors, stifle local homebuilders, derail our affordable housing progress (vital to Nevada’s continued growth) and shrink economic development opportunities. As you know, our housing market is already straining to offer affordable options as well as attainable housing. In fact, a young professional couple beginning their lives together may find it difficult to be Nevada homeowners. Indeed, the passage of this bill would put their dream further beyond reach. Specifically, there are some very concerning areas of the proposed bill: -Guaranteed Attorney Fees (a driving force behind the original call for reform) incentivizes attorneys to generate as many costly claims and as much litigation as possible. -Claim Resolution & Home Warranty efforts are key to allowing homeowners to resolve legitimate construction defects. To reverse the requirement that all options for remedy be exhausted prior to litigation will only invite costlier claims, increase litigation and delay rectification for builders & owners. -Homeowner Associations would now be able to take action on construction defect issues without the consent of individual homeowners. -Statute of Repose increasing to a decade (from 6 years) and retroactive for homes sold under our revised statute would further delay repair, restitution and resolution of any past, present or future defect issues. -Limits of Liability delivered by the Board and defined by a statute (in this case $3 million in license instances of $10 million or more) is ill-advised as not all projects require increased limits. This figure seems inflated—perhaps in an effort to assure increased revenue to associated attorneys? In conclusion, Assembly Bill 421 is a troubling piece of legislation that would have negative impacts across numerous industries and individuals as well as cripple Nevada’s economic vision of diversification and development. LP Insurance Services, LLC. Members: Nick Rossi Joey Kreutzian Tina Perchetti Joe Wyatt John Bolce John Smales Mike Talbott Greg Pike Trinity Steelman Rich Bullard Jim DeVolld John Malamphy John DeRicco Randy House Jared Banes Lloyd Barnes Lindsay Minor Tim Holland Joe Kulikowski Kevin Monaghan Jean Ann Morris April 4, 2019 Page 2 of 2 S-46 HARMONY HO M E S HannonyHomes.com April 5, 2019 State of Nevada Assembly Judiciary Committee Re: Assembly Bill No. 421 - Roll Back ofthe 2015 Reforms to Nevada Chapter 40 Provisions Relating to Construction Defects Honorary Members of the Assembly Committee on Judiciary, It has come to our attention that you will be considering Assembly Bill No. 421 which proposes numerous changes to provisions relating to construction defects. In the 2015 legislative session, Assembly Bill No. 125 provided much needed reforms to the Nevada Chapter 40 provisions in an effort to level the playing field and reduce the burden of costly and frivolous construction defect litigation. Since Nevada made these changes, we at Harmony Homes have seen a significant increase in Harmony Homes' ability to address individual issues directly with our homeowners thereby avoiding costly litigation. The vast majority of construction defect litigation is generated by certain law firms that canvas neighborhoods in an effort to sign up unwary homeowners for the purpose of filing chapter 40 notices and extorting settlement payment from homebuilders, subcontractors and their insurance carriers. The approach to soliciting homeowners involves the offer of free inspections and are often proceeded with meetings near the target subdivision where these firms pitch these free inspections with promises of getting anything not perfect fixed or obtaining money for the homeowners. These firms work on a contingency basis, promising the homeowners there is no cost to them and it is therefore a no-lose proposition. Unfortunately, many of these unwary homeowners have learned that once litigation commences it becomes very difficult to obtain financing or to sell their home and in many cases the value of their home decreases by much more than the share of the extorted insurance payments received by the homeowner. Ultimately, the cost of this litigation increases the cost to build and deliver a home and has resulted in a significant number of construction companies ceasing to do business in our state, while at the same time increasing the cost of housing for the sole benefit of a few law firms. With the much-needed reforms of the 2015 legislative session now under attack by the Trial Lawyers' Association, i.e. plaintiffs' attorneys, and their paid lobbyists, we urge you to not support dismantling the 2015 refonns in place. The current proposal not only rolls back the 2015 reforms but includes provisions that open the door for class action suits and other provisions that would increase litigation, and thus, make new home construction more costly and out of the reach of the average hard-working families in Nevada. 8912 Spanish Ridge Avenue • Suite 200 • Las Vegas Nevada 89117 • Phone 702.478.8375 • Fax 702.586.3527 S-47 HARMONY HOM E S HannonyHomes.com The current proposal found in Assembly Bill No. 421 is designed to reinstate the former Chapter 40 law. In our experience, the former Chapter 40 law was more of a hindrance to homeowners than a benefit. The current Chapter 40 law allows for speedier and more direct resolution to any individual issues, without the lengthy legal battles that instead stymie everyday livability for all residents in a community. For example, homeowners who contact the builder with any concerns receive an immediate response from customer care teams that are ranked amongst the highest in the industry. Conversely, homeowners who contact a lawyer unwittingly pull all of their neighbors into a class-action scenario that can take years to resolve ( all the while receiving no help or assistance in taking care of the original problem). In addition, these legal proceedings take homeowners out of work for additional inspections, meetings with lawyers and other administrative responsibilities related to Litigation, while also unnecessarily tarnishing the reputation of the builder, who would have been happy to resolve the issue directly. Furthermore, at Harmony Homes our commitment to homeowner satisfaction reaches far beyond the initial year's fit and finish warranty. In fact, a homeowner is always welcomed to call Harmony Homes to set an appointment for an evaluation of any needed repairs. In my ten plus years' experience with Harmony Homes' customer service, our homeowners are not only thankful for us standing behind the homes we sell but are also appreciative and astonished that we would come back and do repairs to their homes, even if they are past the one-year time frame. At Harmony Homes we simply do the right thing. It is a core value that has remained consistent since we opened our doors in 2008 and will continue for generations of homeowners to come. Keeping the current Chapter 40 law intact is not only good for homeowners, it is good for the reputation of the entire home building industry, economic growth in Nevada and affordable housing within the State of Nevada. Thank you for you for taking the time to consider Harmony Homes' position on this important matter. Very Truly Yours, Bradley Sneed, President 8912 Spanish Ridge Avenue • Suite 200 • Las Vegas Nevada 89117 • Phone 702.478.8375 • Fax 702.586.3527 S-48 '~ Step Above', ll'~TITAN ~STAIRS 't-~rINC. April 3, 2019 The Honorable Steve Yeager, Chairman Assembly Committee on Judiciary Nevada Legislature 401 S. Carson Street Carson City, Nevada 89701 Re: Assembly Bill 421: Revises provisions relating to construction. Chairman Yeager and members of the Assembly Committee on Judiciary, We appreciate the opportunity to provide comments to Assembly Bill 421. On behalf of more than 70 employees, Titan Stairs Inc. opposes AB421. Titan Stairs Inc. is a Nevada-based company established in 1988. We manufacture and install interior stair railings for residential home builders and hope to be involved in 5000 production homes in 2019. (Please see page 2 for a recent picture of our work) Providing quality homes is important to our industry. Equally important is ensuring that going forward, we see relief in construction costs to make these homes attainable to as many Nevadans as possible. Rolling back the reforms passed in 2015 would increase my company’s costs by approx. 5%. We fully recognize consumers need protection from irresponsible commercial and residential contractors. AB 125 encouraged prompt resolutions of disputes with clear rules, definitions and predictable procedures that all parties comply with and understand. Since the passage of AB125 in 2015, my company has seen steady growth and the passage of AB421 would reverse the major improvements made during the 2015 legislative session. If a bill like this passed, it would harm Titan Stairs Inc.’s ability to grow and compete for work. Thank you for your time and consideration. Vote “NO” on AB421. Sincerely, Nick Snyder Nick Snyder General Manager 1£FlilfiTAN -~ TAIRS m)INC. 5550 Cameron Street, Suite H Las Vegas, NV 89118 Office 702.221.9980, Ext 5 Cell 702.675.5379 Fax 702.221.1489 Email [email protected] S-49 '~ S tep Above', ll'~TITAN ~STAIRS 't-~rINC. S-50 lllGHTWAY DRYWALL & PAINT The Honorable Steve Yeager, Chairman Assembly Committee on Judiciary Nevada Legislature 401 S. Carson Street Carson City, Nevada 89701 April 3, 2019 Re: Assembly Bill 421: Revises provisions relating to construction. Chairman Yeager and members of the Assembly Committee on Judiciary, We appreciate the opportunity to provide comments to Assembly Bill 421. On behalf of more than 200 employees, Rightway Drywall & Paint(Rightway) opposes AB421. Rightway is a Nevada-based company established in 2012. We are family owned and operated. Our family has been doing business in Nevada since 1990. We provide drywall and paint for new residential homes in southern Nevada. In 2018, we supplied and installed drywall and paint for over 1200 homes. Our drywall material is sourced and manufactured right here in Nevada by Pabco Gypsum. Providing quality homes is important to our industry. Equally important is ensuring that going forward, we see relief in construction costs to make these homes attainable to as many Nevadans as possible. Rolling back the reforms passed in 2015 would increase my company’s insurance costs by $100,000 annually. This cost will rise every year as this new bill will allow multiple unwarranted construction defect claims. We fully recognize consumers need protection from irresponsible commercial and residential contractors. AB 125 encouraged prompt resolutions of disputes with clear rules, definitions and predictable procedures that all parties comply with and understand. Since the passage of AB125 in 2015, my company has seen exponential growth with that the ability to hire more employees; and the passage of AB421 would reverse the major improvements made during the 2015 legislative session. If a bill like this passed, it would harm Rightway’s ability to grow and compete for work. Thank you for your time and consideration. Vote “NO” on AB421. Sincerely, Kelly Suiter Rightway Drywall & Paint LLC 2335 Silver Wolf Dr Henderson, NV 89015 [email protected] c/o [email protected] S-51 ~ ,., SJERRiiAIR CONDITIONING, INC. Lie #26554A • Limit: Unlimited Service T 0 v h Rest 4/4/2019 The Honorable Steve Yeager, Chairman Assembly Committee on Judiciary Nevada Legislature 401 S. Carson Street Carson City, Nevada 89701 Re: Assembly Bill 421: Revises provisions relating to construction. Chairman Yeager and members of the Assembly Committee on Judiciary, We appreciate the opportunity to provide comments to Assembly Bill 421. On behalf of more than 170 employees, Sierra Air Conditioning, Inc. opposes AB421. Sierra Air Conditioning, Inc. is a Nevada-based company established in 1987. We provide residential new construction HVAC installations to both single family and attached homes throughout Southern Nevada. Providing quality homes is important to our industry. Equally important is ensuring that going forward, we see relief in construction costs to make these homes attainable to as many Nevadans as possible. Since the reforms passed in 2015 we have seen our General Liability rates drop by just over 16%. This has allowed us to expand our business and hire more employees. We fully recognize consumers need protection from irresponsible commercial and residential contractors. AB 125 encouraged prompt resolutions of disputes with clear rules, definitions and predictable procedures that all parties comply with and understand. Since the passage of AB125 in 2015, my company has seen faster homeowner dispute resolution and lower overall cost but with the passage of AB421 would reverse the major improvements made during the 2015 legislative session. If a bill like this passed, it would harm Sierra Air Conditioning, Inc.’s ability to grow and compete for work. Thank you for your time and consideration. Vote “NO” on AB421. Sincerely, Cole Wilson Sierra Air Conditioning, Inc. 4210 W Patrick Ln. [email protected] / 702-303-5631 S-52 702.798.105514210 W. Patrick Lane I Las Vegas, NV 891181 SierraAirConditioning.com April 2, 2019 The Honorable Steve Yeager, Chairman Assembly Committee on Judiciary Nevada Legislature 401 S. Carson Street Carson City, Nevada 89701 Re: Assembly Bill 421: Revises provisions relating to construction. Chairman Yeager and members of the Assembly Committee on Judiciary, I am writing you on behalf of our company, Pinnacle Homes Inc., a small Las Vegas based company formed in 1992. One of the cornerstones of our business is being able to provide "hands on" service after the sale when buyers may need it. Legislation as it pertains to construction defects has not always made it easy for us in our industry to assist buyers who may have legitimate issues. AB125 is legislation that was designed to encourage homeowners to directly contact builders for specific repairs for their home. It has been our experience that the current law encourages an approach that results in the best outcomes for the homeowners in terms of time and getting repairs completed. We fully recognize consumers need protection from irresponsible commercial and residential contractors. AB 125 encourages prompt resolutions of disputes with clear rules, definitions and predictable procedures that all parties comply with and understand. One of the keys to keeping home ownership affordable is competition within our industry. Maintaining the current structure of AB125 will help us continue to grow our subcontractor and labor base, enabling· us to have the competition we truly need to keep building costs as low as possible. AB421 will increase the potential for defect claims, causing insurance rates to rise, and make it hard for small businesses to survive. This is not what our state needs as we battle affordability issues across the board. Thank you for your time and consideration. Please vote "NO" on AB421. President Pinnacle Homes Inc. c/o [email protected] .nv.us S-53 9225 W. F1amingo Road, Suite 190 • Las Vegas, Nevada 89147 Phone (702) 228.0720 • Fax (702) 228.5895 • www.pinnaclelv.com • NV License# 34568 Nevada Independent Insurance Agents April 8, 2019 The Honorable Steve Yeager, Chairman Assembly Committee on Judiciary Nevada Legislature 401 S. Carson Street Carson City, Nevada 89701 Re: Assembly Bill 421: Revises provisions relating to construction. Chairman Yeager and members ofthe Assembly Committee on Judiciary, The Nevada Independent Insurance Agents (NIIA) and our members appreciate provide comments the opportunity to regarding Assembly Bill 421. On behalf of more than 1,000 independent insurance agents, the NIIA opposes AB421. NIIA is a non-profit organization for Nevada with a membership of partners independent insurance agents and in the industry established in 1916. Our members provide property and individual homeowners, casualty insurance for land lords, business owners and contractors. Providing quality homes is important to our members and their customers. that going forward, Equally important is ensuring we see relief in construction costs to make these homes attainable to as many Nevadans as possible. Rolling back the reforms passed in 2015 would increase to 10% or more our customers cost by up including the purchase price of new homes. We fully recognize consumers need protection from irresponsible commercial and residential contractors. AB 125 encouraged prompt resolutions of disputes with clear rules, predictable procedures definitions and that all parties comply with and understand. Since the passage of AB125 in 2015, we have seen a reduced cost of insurance would reverse and the passage of AB421 the major improvements made during the 2015 legislative session. If a passed, it would harm many bill like this of our contractor clients due to the increased potential cost of insurance and the for limited companies providing them coverage. This will hinder their ability compete for work. to grow and Thank you for your time and consideration. Vote "NO" on AB421. Should you like regarding our concerns, further comment please feel free to reach out to us. Respectfully, s~ 8~/ ~ DLM..Cb,i., Susan Bauman, Executive Director c/o [email protected] Quincy Branch, Legislative Chairman Steve Wilkins, Legislative Co-Chair PO Box 530425, Henderson, NV 89053 775-499-5844 I www.niia.or g I [email protected] ,J . A i II . S-54 th April 8 , 2019 Dear Nevada State Assembly Judiciary Committee Chairman and member, This letter is in reference to Assembly Bill 421, which is scheduled to be heard in the Assembly Judiciary th Committee on Aprif 9 , 2019. I am writing in opposition to the proposed bill because of the impacts it could have on future homeowners in Nevada. I am a single mom and recently purchased a home in Sparks by a local builder. Desert Wind Homes has been a great partner in my purchase of my part of the American Dream. They have fixed the minor repairs and have shown great customer service. I fear this legislation would drive up the cost for future Nevada residents hoping to buy a new home. It is my understanding that this bill would also put lawyers in between new homeowners and their builders. Any legislation that could make it more expensive to purchase a new home or get repairs fixed should be voted down. I am urging you to vote no on AB 421. Whitney Wilson Nevada Resident S-55