Terms Used In North Carolina General Statutes 55D-16

  • Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
  • Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
  • 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

(a) If the Secretary of State refuses to file a document delivered to the Secretary of State’s office for filing, the person on whose behalf the document was submitted for filing may, within 30 days after the date of the refusal, appeal the refusal to the Superior Court of Wake County. The appeal is commenced by filing a petition with the court and with the Secretary of State requesting the court to compel the Secretary of State to file the document. The petition must have attached to it the document to be filed and the Secretary of State’s explanation for the refusal to file. No service of process on the Secretary of State is required except for the filing of the petition as set forth in this subsection. The appeal to the superior court is not governed by Chapter 150B of the N.C. Gen. Stat., the Administrative Procedure Act, and shall be determined by a judge of the superior court upon such further notice and opportunity to be heard, if any, as the court may deem appropriate under the circumstances.

(b) Upon consideration of the petition and any response made by the Secretary of State, the court may, prior to entering final judgment, order the Secretary of State to file the document or take other action the court considers appropriate.

(c) The court’s final decision may be appealed as in other civil proceedings. (1989, c. 265, s. 1; 1989 (Reg. Sess., 1990), c. 1024, s. 12.3; 2001-358, ss. 3(b), 4; 2001-387, ss. 173, 175(a); 2001-413, s. 6.)