Always Keep Your Time Limits in Mind—to Know When You Can Sue, and When You Can No Longer Be Sued (Law Note)

December 15, 2025 — Melissa Dewey Brumback - Construction Law in North Carolina
As the calendar year is getting a little long in the tooth, the subject of time becomes top of mind. Time, in litigation, can make or break your ability to sue (or be sued). A recent blog post by blogger John Caravella addressing statutes of limitations in New York (6 years) and Florida (5 years) brought to mind the issues that sometimes surprise folks working in North Carolina. In North Carolina, the statute of limitations is (generally) set at 3 years for breach of contract matter, including breaches of construction contracts. However, there are always exceptions. The statute of repose in North Carolina for damages to real property is 6 years. What that means is that if there is a ‘latent defect’ that is not obvious right away, you may still have a claim beyond three years (but not beyond the 6 year repose limit). Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Melissa Dewey Brumback, Ragsdale Liggett
Ms. Brumback may be contacted at mbrumback@rl-law.com