1. Any property owner whose taxes are in excess of the amount which the owner claims justly to be due may pay each installment of taxes as it becomes due under protest in writing. The protest must be in the form of a separate, signed statement from the property owner and filed with the tax receiver at the time of the payment of the installment of taxes.
2. The property owner, having protested the payment of taxes as provided in subsection 1 and having been denied relief by the State Board of Equalization, may commence a suit in any court of competent jurisdiction in the State of Nevada against the State and county in which the taxes were paid, and, in a proper case, both the Nevada Tax Commission and the Department may be joined as a defendant for a recovery of the difference between the amount of taxes paid and the amount which the owner claims justly to be due, and the owner may complain upon any of the grounds contained in subsection 4.
3. Every action commenced under the provisions of this section must be commenced within 3 months after the date of the payment of the last installment of taxes, and if not so commenced is forever barred. If the tax complained of is paid in full and under the written protest provided for in this section, at the time of the payment of the first installment of taxes, suit for the recovery of the difference between the amount paid and the amount claimed to be justly due must be commenced within 3 months after the date of the full payment of the tax or the issuance of the decision of the State Board of Equalization denying relief, whichever occurs later, and if not so commenced is forever barred.
4. In any suit brought under the provisions of this section, the person assessed may complain or defend upon any of the following grounds:
(a) That the taxes have been paid before the suit;
(b) That the property is exempt from taxation under the provisions of the revenue or tax laws of the State, specifying in detail the claim of exemption;
(c) That the person assessed was not the owner and had no right, title or interest in the property assessed at the time of assessment;
(d) That the property is situate in and has been assessed in another county, and the taxes thereon paid;
(e) That there was fraud in the assessment or that the assessment is out of proportion to and above the taxable cash value of the property assessed;
(f) That the assessment is out of proportion to and above the valuation fixed by the Nevada Tax Commission for the year in which the taxes were levied and the property assessed; or
(g) That the assessment complained of is discriminatory in that it is not in accordance with a uniform and equal rate of assessment and taxation, but is at a higher rate of the taxable value of the property so assessed than that at which the other property in the State is assessed.
5. In a suit based upon any one of the grounds mentioned in paragraphs (e), (f) and (g) of subsection 4, the court shall conduct the trial without a jury and confine its review to the record before the State Board of Equalization. Where procedural irregularities by the Board are alleged and are not shown in the record, the court may take evidence respecting the allegation and, upon the request of either party, shall hear oral argument and receive written briefs on the matter.
6. In all cases mentioned in this section where the complaint is based upon any grounds mentioned in subsection 4, the entire assessment must not be declared void but is void only as to the excess in valuation.
7. In any judgment recovered by the taxpayer under this section, the court may provide for interest thereon not to exceed 3 percent per annum from and after the date of payment of the tax complained of.
[Part 11:177:1917; A 1933, 128; 1953, 576] — (NRS A 1975, 1669; 1977, 1051; 1981, 800; 1983, 350; 2001, 1552; 2005, 1072, 2659; 2011, 3143)