Noting that the vast majority of community disputes between neighbours involve “nuisance” complaints that are often resolved easily without the need for resource-draining courtroom processes, the city of Henderson in the State of Nevada in the USA has launched a community mediation program.

The new Henderson Mediation Program will be available at no cost to Henderson residents and can be scheduled simply by contacting the new office and making an appointment.  The program is available to anyone with a permanent address within Henderson city limits.  The mediation sessions will be supervised by a certified mediator provided by the city, and mediation sessions can be held at any of the three Henderson library locations in the city for maximum convenience for all involved.

The city encourages its citizens to take advantage of the program before considering any legal action or other steps, and stresses that mediation is an ideal process for disputes concerning neighbours and property, between landlords and tenants, homeowner’s associations (HOAs) and property owners, and between employees and businesses.  The city has sent out literature detailing the advantages of pursuing free mediation as opposed to costly litigation, and also believes that the cost of the mediation program will be much less than the cost of dealing with these issues in other city departments or the courts.