HAT TIP LEGAL NOTICE
JACKPOT!- Las Vegas Review-Journal Hits It Big with $580,000 Legal Notice ... maybe no longer.
Clark County, Nevada, by state law, must publish in print 1 legal notice called the property assessment roll. Weighing over 4 pounds according to the Las Vegas Sun , this one legal notice lists the value of each property in the County. The tax assessor according to the Sun says that it is so "property owners can compare their properties to other similar properties." Sounds a lot like Zillow or Propertyvalueus.org or Realestate.com which provide the same services for free. Yet the Las Vegas Review-Journal gets to charge the county $580,000.
If this sounds to you like a big boondoggle and a waste of taxpayer money you are not alone. Nevada State Assemblyman Paul Aizley, according to the Sun thinks that $580,000 could be put to better use. The Property Assessment Roll is online all year and costs the county virtually nothing. For one day in the newspaper, the cost is $580,000. Aizley intends to propose a bill that would exempt large counties from having to publish the assessment roll in print. It seems reasonable but similar bills have failed in the past.
The Nevada Press Association impresses on us that there should be an independent entity publishing these notices. We couldn't agree more. That is why we love the fact that online only publications like TheBatavian.com and the RiverheadLocal are publishing legal notices for free until the law changes and online publications can compete on an even playing field with print publications. All one needs is a smart phone to receive those notices. Given that about $1 billion is being wasted on public notices nationwide and local governments are strapped for cash, it seems like a worthy endeavor.
To read how other states are addressing this issue Click HERE
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