NRS107.079. Reconveyance when beneficiary cannot be located or refuses to execute and deliver request for reconveyance; recording of surety bond and declaration required in certain circumstances; fees; liability of trustee for reconveyance; remedy.

      1.  Whenever the debt or obligation secured by a deed of trust has been paid in full or otherwise satisfied and the current beneficiary of record cannot be located after diligent search as described in subsection 9 or refuses to execute and deliver a proper request to reconvey the estate in real property conveyed to the trustee by the grantor, as required by NRS 107.077, or whenever a balance, including, without limitation, principal and interest, remains due on the debt secured by the deed of trust and the trustor or the trustor’s successor in interest cannot locate after diligent search the current beneficiary of record, the trustor or the trustor’s successor in interest may record or cause to be recorded a surety bond that meets the requirements of subsection 2 and a declaration that meets the requirements of subsection 3.

      2.  The surety bond recorded pursuant to subsection 1 must:

      (a) Be acceptable to the trustee;

      (b) Be issued by a surety authorized to issue surety bonds in this State in an amount equal to the greater of:

             (1) Two times the amount of the original obligation or debt secured by the deed of trust plus any principal amounts, including, without limitation, advances, indicated in a recorded amendment thereto; or

             (2) One-and-a-half times the total amount computed pursuant to subparagraph (1) plus any accrued interest on that amount;

      (c) Be conditioned on payment of any amount which the beneficiary recovers in an action to enforce the obligation or recover the debt secured by the deed of trust, plus costs and reasonable attorney’s fees;

      (d) Be made payable to the trustee who executes a reconveyance pursuant to subsection 4 and the beneficiary or the beneficiary’s successor in interest; and

      (e) Contain a statement of:

             (1) The recording date and instrument number or book and page number of the recorded deed of trust;

             (2) The names of the original trustor and beneficiary;

             (3) The amount shown as the original principal amount secured by the deed of trust; and

             (4) The recording information and new principal amount shown in any recorded amendment to the deed of trust.

      3.  The declaration recorded pursuant to subsection 1 must:

      (a) Be signed under penalty of perjury by the trustor or the trustor’s successor in interest;

      (b) State that it is recorded pursuant to this section;

      (c) State the name of the original trustor;

      (d) State the name of the beneficiary;

      (e) State the name and address of the person making the declaration;

      (f) Except as otherwise provided in subsection 8, contain a statement of the following, whichever is applicable:

             (1) That the obligation or debt secured by the deed of trust has been paid in full or otherwise satisfied and the current beneficiary of record cannot be located after diligent search or refuses to execute and deliver a proper request to reconvey the estate in real property conveyed to the trustee by the grantor, as required by NRS 107.077; or

             (2) That a balance, including, without limitation, principal and interest, remains due on the debt secured by the deed of trust and the trustor or the trustor’s successor in interest cannot locate after diligent search the current beneficiary of record;

      (g) Contain a statement that the declarant has mailed by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the last known address of the person to whom payments under the deed of trust were made and to the last beneficiary of record at the address indicated for such beneficiary on the instrument creating, assigning or conveying the deed of trust, a notice of the recording of the surety bond and declaration pursuant to this section, of the name and address of the trustee, of the beneficiary’s right to record a written objection to the reconveyance of the deed of trust pursuant to this section and of the requirement to notify the trustee in writing of any such objection; and

      (h) Contain the date of the mailing of any notice pursuant to this section and the name and address of each person to whom such a notice was mailed.

      4.  Not earlier than 30 days after the recording of the surety bond and declaration pursuant to subsections 1, 2 and 3, delivery to the trustee of the fees charged by the trustee for the preparation, execution or recordation of a reconveyance pursuant to subsection 7 of NRS 107.077, plus costs incurred by the trustee, and a demand for reconveyance under NRS 107.077, the trustee shall execute and record or cause to be recorded a reconveyance of the deed of trust pursuant to NRS 107.077, unless the trustee has received a written objection to the reconveyance of the deed of trust from the beneficiary of record within 30 days after the recording of the surety bond and declaration pursuant to subsections 1, 2 and 3. The recording of a reconveyance pursuant to this subsection has the same effect as a reconveyance of the deed of trust pursuant to NRS 107.077 and releases the lien of the deed of trust. A trustee is not liable to any person for the execution and recording of a reconveyance pursuant to this section if the trustee acted in reliance upon the substantial compliance with this section by the trustor or the trustor’s successor in interest. The sole remedy for a person damaged by the reconveyance of a deed of trust pursuant to this section is an action for damages against the trustor or the person making the declaration described in subsection 3 or an action against the surety bond.

      5.  Upon the recording of a reconveyance of the deed of trust pursuant to subsection 4, interest no longer accrues on any balance remaining due under the obligation or debt secured by the deed of trust to the extent that the balance due has been stated in the declaration described in subsection 3. Notwithstanding any provision of chapter 120A of NRS, any amount of the balance remaining due under the obligation or debt secured by the deed of trust, including, without limitation, principal and interest, which is remitted to the issuer of the surety bond described in subsection 2 in connection with the issuance of that surety bond must, if unclaimed within 3 years after remittance, be property that is presumed abandoned for the purposes of chapter 120A of NRS. From the date on which the amount is paid or delivered to the Administrator of Unclaimed Property pursuant to NRS 120A.570, the issuer of the surety bond is relieved of any liability to pay to the beneficiary or his or her heirs or successors in interest the amount paid or delivered to the Administrator.

      6.  Any failure to comply with the provisions of this section does not affect the rights of a bona fide purchaser or encumbrancer for value.

      7.  This section shall not be deemed to create an exclusive procedure for the reconveyance of a deed of trust and the issuance of surety bonds and declarations to release the lien of a deed of trust, and shall not affect any other procedures, whether or not such procedures are set forth in statute, for the reconveyance of a deed of trust and the issuance of surety bonds and declaration to release the lien of a deed of trust.

      8.  For the purposes of this section, the trustor or the trustor’s successor in interest may substitute the current trustee of record without conferring any duties upon that trustee other than duties which are incidental to the execution of a reconveyance pursuant to this section, if:

      (a) The debt or obligation secured by a deed of trust has been paid in full or otherwise satisfied;

      (b) The current trustee of record and the current beneficiary of record cannot be located after diligent search as described in subsection 9;

      (c) The declaration filed pursuant to subsection 3:

             (1) In addition to the information required to be stated in the declaration pursuant to subsection 3, states that the current trustee of record and the current beneficiary of record cannot be located after diligent search; and

             (2) In lieu of the statement required by paragraph (f) of subsection 3, contains a statement that the obligation or debt secured by the deed of trust has been paid in full or otherwise satisfied and the current beneficiary of record cannot be located after diligent search or refuses to execute and deliver a proper request to reconvey the estate in real property conveyed to the trustee by the grantor, as required by NRS 107.077;

      (d) The substitute trustee is a title insurer that agrees to accept the substitution, except that this paragraph does not impose a duty on a title insurer to accept the substitution; and

      (e) The surety bond required by this section is for a period of not less than 5 years.

      9.  For the purposes of subsection 1, a diligent search has been conducted if:

      (a) A notice stating the intent to record a surety bond and declaration pursuant to this section, the name and address of the trustee, the beneficiary’s right to record a written objection to the reconveyance of the deed of trust pursuant to this section and the requirement to notify the trustee in writing of any such objection, has been mailed by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the last known address of the person to whom payments under the deed of trust were made and to the last beneficiary of record at the address indicated for such beneficiary on the instrument creating, assigning or conveying the deed of trust.

      (b) A search has been conducted of the telephone directory in the city where the beneficiary of record or trustee of record, whichever is applicable, maintained its last known address or place of business.

      (c) If the beneficiary of record or the beneficiary’s successor in interest, or the trustee of record or the trustee’s successor in interest, whichever is applicable, is a business entity, a search has been conducted of the records of the Secretary of State and the records of the agency or officer of the state of organization of the beneficiary, trustee or successor, if known.

      (d) If the beneficiary of record or trustee of record is a state or national bank or state or federal savings and loan association, an inquiry concerning the location of the beneficiary or trustee has been made to the regulator of the bank or savings and loan association.

      10.  As used in this section:

      (a) “Surety” means a corporation authorized to transact surety business in this State pursuant to NRS 679A.030 that:

             (1) Is included in the United States Department of the Treasury’s Listing of Approved Sureties; and

             (2) Issues a surety bond pursuant to this section that does not exceed the underwriting limitations established for that surety by the United States Department of the Treasury.

      (b) “Surety bond” means a bond issued by a surety for the reconveyance of a deed of trust pursuant to this section.

      (Added to NRS by 2013, 2169)