(a) Party’s Failure to Act; Ordering Another to Act. If a judgment requires a party to convey land, to deliver a deed or other document, or to perform any other specific act and the party fails to comply within the time specified, the court may order the act to be done—at the disobedient party’s expense—by another person appointed by the court. When done, the act has the same effect as if done by the party.
Rule 70.Enforcing a judgment for a specific act
Group VIII: Provisional and Final Remedies · Last amended March 1, 2019 · Last verified July 14, 2026
In one sentenceRule 70 lets a court order someone else to perform an act a losing party was ordered but failed to do, such as conveying land, and it authorizes vesting title by judgment, writs of attachment or execution, and contempt to force compliance.
Full Text of Rule 70
(b) Vesting Title. If the real or personal property is within this state, the court—instead of ordering a conveyance—may enter a judgment divesting any party’s title and vesting it in others. That judgment has the effect of a legally executed conveyance.
(c) Obtaining a Writ of Attachment or Sequestration. On application by a party entitled to performance of an act, the clerk must issue a writ of attachment or sequestration against the disobedient party’s property to compel obedience.
(d) Obtaining a Writ of Execution or Assistance. On application by a party who obtains a judgment or order for possession, the clerk must issue a writ of execution or assistance.
(e) Holding in Contempt. The court may also hold the disobedient party in contempt.
Notes
Advisory Committee Note — 2019 Amendment: Rule 70 complements Nevada statutes addressing attachment, execution, and contempt contained in NRS Chapters 21, 22, and 31.
Amendment History
Amended eff. 3-1-19.
Plain-English Summary
Some judgments do not just award money; they order a party to do something specific, like sign a deed or convey land. Rule 70 addresses what happens when that party refuses. Rather than leaving the winning party stuck, the court can appoint someone else to perform the act, at the disobedient party's expense, and once done, it counts as if the original party had done it. When the property sits in Nevada, the court can skip that step entirely and enter a judgment that divests title from one party and vests it in another, a judgment that itself operates as a conveyance.
Rule 70 also arms the winning party with enforcement tools beyond substitute performance. The court clerk must issue a writ of attachment or sequestration against the disobedient party's property to compel compliance, or a writ of execution or assistance when the judgment concerns possession of property. And the court retains the option of holding the disobedient party in contempt. These tools can be used together or separately, giving the court a full range of ways to make a judgment for specific relief take effect.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if someone refuses to sign a deed as a judgment requires?
The court can appoint another person to perform the act on the disobedient party's behalf and at that party's expense. Once done, it has the same legal effect as if the original party had done it.
Can a court transfer title to property without the owner signing anything?
Yes, when the property is in Nevada. Instead of ordering a conveyance, the court can enter a judgment that divests title from one party and vests it in another, and that judgment itself has the effect of a legally executed conveyance.
What can a party do if the other side ignores a judgment for possession?
The clerk must issue a writ of execution or assistance on application by the party who obtained the judgment or order for possession, giving that party a mechanism to obtain physical possession.
Can a court hold someone in contempt for not complying with a judgment for a specific act?
Yes. Rule 70 preserves contempt as an available remedy alongside substitute performance, vesting of title, and writs of attachment, sequestration, execution, or assistance.
Who pays for having someone else perform the act a party refused to do?
The disobedient party bears the expense of having the court-appointed person perform the act in their place.
Source & verification. Rule text, official Advisory Committee
Notes, and amendment history are reproduced verbatim from the Nevada Rules of Civil
Procedure, adopted by the Supreme Court of Nevada. Last verified July 14, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: judgment for specific actvesting title by court orderwrit of assistancecompelling a deed transfercontempt for disobeying judgment