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Las Vegas woman fears for her safety, wants to break apartment lease

Nevada requires proof before breaking a lease
Woman claims she fears for her safety and wants to break her lease
Woman claims she fears for her safety and wants to break her lease
Woman claims she fears for her safety and wants to break her lease
Woman wants to break lease fearing her estranged husband
Woman wants to break lease fearing her estranged husband
Posted at 10:57 PM, Dec 17, 2018
and last updated 2018-12-18 02:21:50-05

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A Las Vegas woman claims she is living in fear of her estranged husband, who happens to be a convicted murderer, and wants to break her apartment lease after learning he may know where she lives.

The woman, who goes by Marie, said she has been living at the Avanti Apartments near 215 and Ann Road for the past several months.

Marie said her estranged husband maybe trying to contact her.

"He is a convicted murdered, so that part kind of scares me," said Marie.

Marie claimed she had a restraining order against her estranged husband in 2016 after she began receiving contact from prisoners.

"I've been contacted from blocked numbers, making me feel kind of fearful like someone is following me or knows where I am or how to get in contact with me," said Marie.

Nevada law does provide certain rights for tenants to break their lease under some circumstances such as stalking, harassment, and domestic violence.

READ: Nevada Revised Statute 118A.345

"The tenant must provide some sort of proof [within 90 days] of the incident, whether it would be a police report or a copy of a protection order, or it could be an affidavit from a qualified third-party, like a doctor who states that she was the victim," said Lauren Pena with the Civil Law Self-Help Center at the Regional Justic Center in downtown Las Vegas.

Pena says, once notified in writing, a tenant can terminate a lease after 30 days, or when the lease period ends, which ever is sooner.

READ: Sample notice to terminate lease due to stalking, harassment or domestic violence

The Civil Law Self-Help center has a variety of other sample letters to address a variety of other tenant-landlord issues.

13 Action News contacted the Avanti Apartments on-site manager, attorney and corporate office and was told they do not discuss private tenant issues.

Marie said she will continue to fight for her safety.

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