North Carolina General Statutes 1-116. Filing of notice of suit
(a) Any person desiring the benefit of constructive notice of pending litigation must file a separate, independent notice thereof, which notice shall be cross-indexed in accordance with N.C. Gen. Stat. § 1-117, in all of the following cases:
(1) Actions affecting title to real property.
Terms Used In North Carolina General Statutes 1-116
- Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
- Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
- Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
- following: when used by way of reference to any section of a statute, shall be construed to mean the section next preceding or next following that in which such reference is made; unless when some other section is expressly designated in such reference. See North Carolina General Statutes 12-3
- Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
- Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
- Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
- property: shall include all property, both real and personal. See North Carolina General Statutes 12-3
- Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
(2) Actions to foreclose any mortgage or deed of trust or to enforce any lien on real property.
(3) Actions in which any order of attachment is issued and real property is attached.
(4) Actions seeking injunctive relief under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 113A-64.1 or N.C. Gen. Stat. § 113A-65 regarding sedimentation and erosion control for any land-disturbing activity that is subject to the requirements of Article 4 of Chapter 113A of the N.C. Gen. Stat..
(5) Actions for asset freezing or seizure under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-112.3
(b) Notice of pending litigation shall contain:
(1) The name of the court in which the action has been commenced or is pending;
(2) The names of the parties to the action;
(3) The nature and purpose of the action; and
(4) A description of the property to be affected thereby.
(c) Notice of pending litigation may be filed:
(1) At or any time after the commencement of an action pursuant to Rule 3 of the Rules of Civil Procedure; or
(2) At or any time after real property has been attached; or
(3) At or any time after the filing of an answer or other pleading in which the pleading party states an affirmative claim for relief falling within the provisions of subsection (a) of this section.
(d) Notice of pending litigation must be filed with the clerk of the superior court of each county in which any part of the real estate is located, not excepting the county in which the action is pending, in order to be effective against bona fide purchasers or lien creditors with respect to the real property located in such county. (C.C.P., s. 90; Code, s. 229; Rev., s. 460; 1917, c. 106; C.S., s. 500; 1949, c. 260; 1959, c. 1163, s. 1; 1967, c. 954, s. 3; 2009-269, s. 1; 2015-182, s. 2.)