Within ten years an action –

(1)        Upon a judgment or decree of any court of the United States, or of any state or territory thereof, from the date of its entry. No such action may be brought more than once, or have the effect to continue the lien of the original judgment.

(1a)      Upon a judgment rendered by a justice of the peace, from its date.

(2)        Upon a sealed instrument or an instrument of conveyance of an interest in real property, against the principal thereto. Provided, however, that if action on an instrument is filed, the defendant or defendants in such action may file a counterclaim arising out of the same transaction or transactions as are the subject of plaintiff‘s claim, although a shorter statute of limitations would otherwise apply to defendant’s counterclaim. Such counterclaim may be filed against such parties as provided in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 1A-1, Rules of Civil Procedure.

(3)        For the foreclosure of a mortgage, or deed in trust for creditors with a power of sale, of real property, where the mortgagor or grantor has been in possession of the property, within ten years after the forfeiture of the mortgage, or after the power of sale became absolute, or within ten years after the last payment on the same.

(4)        For the redemption of a mortgage, where the mortgagee has been in possession, or for a residuary interest under a deed in trust for creditors, where the trustee or those holding under him has been in possession, within ten years after the right of action accrued.

(5)        Repealed by Session Laws 1959, c. 879, s. 2.

(6)        Repealed by Session Laws 2019-164, s. 1, effective July 26, 2019, and applicable to actions arising on or after that date. ?(C.C.P., ss. 14, 31; Code, s. 152; Rev., s. 391; C.S., s. 437; 1937, c. 368; 1959, c. 879, s. 2; 1961, c. 115, s. 2; 1969, c. 810, s. 1; 1991, c. 268, s. 2; 1995 (Reg. Sess., 1996), c. 742, s. 1(a); 1997-456, s. 27; 1999-221, s. 3; 2004-203, s. 15(a); 2019-164, s. 1.)

Terms Used In North Carolina General Statutes 1-47

  • Counterclaim: A claim that a defendant makes against a plaintiff.
  • Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
  • Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
  • Foreclosure: A legal process in which property that is collateral or security for a loan may be sold to help repay the loan when the loan is in default. Source: OCC
  • Grantor: The person who establishes a trust and places property into it.
  • Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
  • Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
  • Mortgagee: The person to whom property is mortgaged and who has loaned the money.
  • Mortgagor: The person who pledges property to a creditor as collateral for a loan and who receives the money.
  • Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
  • 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.
  • state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, shall be construed to extend to and include the District of Columbia and the several territories, so called; and the words "United States" shall be construed to include the said district and territories and all dependencies. See North Carolina General Statutes 12-3
  • Statute of limitations: A law that sets the time within which parties must take action to enforce their rights.
  • Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
  • United States: shall be construed to include the said district and territories and all dependencies. See North Carolina General Statutes 12-3