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Questions Answered by Paige Kurtz
1 Answer | Asked in Construction Law for North Carolina on
Q: The waste plumbing was improperly installed in our home from the builder. They did not prime the joints.

I had a professional inspection completed. The joints are popping apart and we have leaks throughout the crawl space. I was told a builder is responsible for improper installation for life. We have to replace all the waste plumbing in the home. Also have a concern this could be throughout the whole... View More

Paige Kurtz
Paige Kurtz
answered on May 12, 2023

No. North Carolina has a 6 year statute of repose for faulty construction. That typically runs from when the certificate of occupancy was issued for the home. You would have to be both within the 3 year statute of limitation and the 6 year statute of repose to seek recovery from the builder. You... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Landlord - Tenant for North Carolina on
Q: Can my landlord cut my power off when he gets mad at me even though I pay the electricity bill in his name
Paige Kurtz
Paige Kurtz
answered on Nov 10, 2021

It is illegal for your landlord to cut off your power for nonpayment of rent or any other reason. You should seek assistance from an attorney regarding your lease.

2 Answers | Asked in Construction Law for North Carolina on
Q: Can GC refuse to pay a change order if the work was performed but the change order wasn't turned in by a specific time?

We are subs on a job in NC. The GC, from out of state, needed extra work done, which we did on good faith basis without making them sign a change order before we did the work. Now they are saying since the change order wasn't turned in by a certain timeline, they don't want to pay it... View More

Paige Kurtz
Paige Kurtz
answered on Feb 12, 2021

It would probably be best to have an attorney review the contract before providing you advice on this question. Generally speaking, the terms of the written contract are enforceable. I think ultimately the contractor would have to show some prejudice that occured due to the failure to submit on a... View More

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2 Answers | Asked in Collections for North Carolina on
Q: I'm in NC. DO I have to sign a Confession of Judgment agreement with a bill collector? I have the debt & have agreed to

Pay $77/month until the debt is paid. I don't want to sign this court document.

Paige Kurtz
Paige Kurtz
answered on Feb 10, 2021

No, you are not required to sign a Confession of Judgment. However, the creditor may require it as a condition to allowing you to make payments over a long term. Please contact an attorney discuss this issue before proceeding.

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1 Answer | Asked in Construction Law and Real Estate Law for North Carolina on
Q: How long is the builder liable for faulty construction on a new house? Purchased August 2020, lots of structural issues.

Floors are uneven, windows were installed improperly and leak every time it rains. Builder dodging my questions and giving us the run around. Saying someone will come fix, sends someone out to take measurements, then nothing happens. We’ve had at least 6 different people come out to look at the... View More

Paige Kurtz
Paige Kurtz
answered on Dec 29, 2020

The statute of limitations for a contract is three years. However, there is also a statute of repose in North Carolina of six years for faulty construction. At the very least, you should given written notice to the builder of any issues that have arisen or that are warranty issues.

1 Answer | Asked in Landlord - Tenant for North Carolina on
Q: My husbands phone conversation was recorded by the renter of our rental property without his knowledge. Is this legal ?

The conversation was about their refusal to pay rent and after the call ended he texted my husband that he recorded the conversation. Can that be used against us when we evict ?

Paige Kurtz
Paige Kurtz
answered on Dec 21, 2020

Yes it is legal in North Carolina to record a conversation as long as one party knows its being recorded. It certainly could be used in any court proceeding.

2 Answers | Asked in Collections for North Carolina on
Q: I have a judgement that is in the clerk of courts, what should I do?

this judgement has been in existence since 2008, I thought it was no longer there, when I did not see it on my credit. I am in the process of purchasing a home. The clerk at the courthouse said I could pay it off or make payments. Is there a way I can contact the Law firm that this judgement was... View More

Paige Kurtz
Paige Kurtz
answered on Aug 12, 2020

Do not payment the judgment or make payments. If the judgment was entered in 2008, it has expired, unless the creditor filed an action to renew the judgment for an additional ten years. If the judgment was renewed, meaning there should be a new judgment with a more recent date, then you do need to... View More

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1 Answer | Asked in Landlord - Tenant for North Carolina on
Q: I have a court date for an eviction and the tenant has now paid all the back rents and I need to know how I file this

the rental agreement is now on a month to month basis

Paige Kurtz
Paige Kurtz
answered on Jun 26, 2020

If you are no longer looking to proceed with the eviction, you can file a dismissal of the action. The clerk of court has a form that you can use.

1 Answer | Asked in Contracts for North Carolina on
Q: My wife and I gave a $1000.00 deposit and signed a contract with Custom Homes of Carolina to build a house on May 14th.

Now we do not want to build with them. What are our options? It states that it is noncancelable!

Paige Kurtz
Paige Kurtz
answered on Jun 5, 2020

The terms of the contract will determine your termination ability and rights, including how the deposit is handled. Review the contract for how to cancel the contract and follow those provisions.

1 Answer | Asked in Consumer Law, Collections and Small Claims for North Carolina on
Q: A Judgement was filed against me for credit card debt how do I need to respond?

It was filed in the local District Court on May 15, 2020, the cover letter was dated May 28, 2020 and I received it Jun 1, 2020. I am a single mother basically living paycheck to paycheck. What recourse do I have and what do I need to file as a response? The judgement was filed in Onslow County... View More

Paige Kurtz
Paige Kurtz
answered on Jun 2, 2020

It sounds like you may have received a Summons and Complaint. The face of the Summons states that you have 30 days to file a response to the Complaint. You can either do that on your own or with an attorney. You can also request a 30 day extension if you need it. If you owe the debt, you might... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Real Estate Law, Landlord - Tenant and Small Claims for North Carolina on
Q: I have a lease with a tenant and a cosigner in NC. Are their spouse's responsible for a financial judgement as well?

The paperwork has Tenant and CoSigner on the lease, with Tenant's family listed as occupants. When filing for summary ejectment, do I need to include Tenant's wife and CoSigner's wife on the court paperwork?

Paige Kurtz
Paige Kurtz
answered on Jun 1, 2020

Only those parties that signed the lease are the responsible parties. Spouses are not responsible simply because they are spouses, nor are people simply listed as occupants.

1 Answer | Asked in Consumer Law, Contracts and Construction Law for North Carolina on
Q: Cancelled contractor's contract and he is threatening me with breach of contract.

I fired a contractor and cancelled the contract because his work was shoddy, did not meet code and he was not performing. We paid a deposit of $850. The total contract is for $1,650. He only performed a very small part (removing existing stairs). He said I'm in breach and owe the balance... View More

Paige Kurtz
Paige Kurtz
answered on May 29, 2020

If the contract was terminated, the contractor is entitled to the reasonable value of his services. It is unlikely that the remaining balance due on the contract would be due to the contractor. Yes, you can file an action in small claims to recover the difference between what you paid and what the... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Contracts, Business Law, Collections and Small Claims for North Carolina on
Q: What can a business do when a corporate customer chooses not to pay? Approaching 200 days past due. Written Contract.

We were contracted by a new customer to provide a skilled service and materials for a project. The new customer is a multi million dollar company in NC. We are a 4 person small business in NC. We fulfilled our end of the agreement, but the customer now says they can't pay us (they can't... View More

Paige Kurtz
Paige Kurtz
answered on May 14, 2020

You can certainly pursue a claim against the company for balance due. Based on the amount, I would suggest filing a small claims action. It will have to be filed in the county where the company is based and you will have to present for the hearing. Otherwise, it would have to be filed in District... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Real Estate Law and Construction Law for North Carolina on
Q: potential neighbor stated he will sue us for what builder has done.

Back behind the house on the lot is a big hill of dirt from which I guess the builder was excavating. He put pine straw all over it. The neighbor (house built by the same builder) has had damage to his well kept yard, he had to spend $5000 to build a trench from the water runoff, not to mention... View More

Paige Kurtz
Paige Kurtz
answered on May 12, 2020

If you don't own the property, then there can be no suit against you. However, if you do purchase the home and it is a condition on your property that is creating an issue for your neighbor, there may be a claim. Since you are in the process of purchasing the home, you should resolve this... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Employment Law, Contracts and Construction Law for North Carolina on
Q: I need to file mechanic lien on a property i worked on and never got paid in haywood county nc. How do i get a form

Can i get a form for free or is buying one off deed.com for 19.99 the bedt way to get form

Paige Kurtz
Paige Kurtz
answered on Apr 27, 2020

The North Carolina General Statutes contain the information that needs to be on your lien form. Its set out almost in a form in the statute. See 44A-12. However, I would recommend an attorney as the lien process can be complicated.

1 Answer | Asked in Civil Litigation, Collections, Domestic Violence and Small Claims for North Carolina on
Q: Can my ex take me to a collection agency for this?

My (now) ex and I share the same phone plan. It is under his name and he pays for it. I used to just give him my half every month. Now that we are broken up, I blocked him on everything. I am figuring out getting my own phone plan but there is technically still money that I owe him to date.... View More

Paige Kurtz
Paige Kurtz
answered on Apr 16, 2020

If you had agreement that you would pay half of the bill, then yes, he can seek to collect from you. Given the amount, he would probably file an action in small claims.

1 Answer | Asked in Contracts and Real Estate Law for North Carolina on
Q: Can my property manager amend our contract to require a commission on the sale of our home?

I own a home in Raleigh NC. In March I hired a property manager to begin renting the home out. This week they told us they found a qualified tenant but before they allow the tenant to sign the lease they want to amend our contract with them which would entitle them to a 2 % commission on the sale... View More

Paige Kurtz
Paige Kurtz
answered on Apr 6, 2020

No, you do not have to sign an amendment unless you are willing to change the terms of your original contract. They should proceed with the lease with the tenant.

1 Answer | Asked in Landlord - Tenant for North Carolina on
Q: How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit in North Carolina?

I received an email that my security deposit would be mailed out that week. Then a month later I was sent a bill stating I owed for damages. I was sent the itemized bill 48 days after the end of my lease.

Paige Kurtz
Paige Kurtz
answered on Mar 23, 2020

A landlord has 30 days to issue an itemized statement regarding the application of the security deposit and/or return any unapplied security deposit. However, if the landlord's damages are not fully known in that time, they have to issue an interim accounting and then a final accounting within... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Contracts and Construction Law for North Carolina on
Q: Does it matter if an item to be completed in a building contract appears in top itemized section or under payments?

My GC is claiming items (specifically exterior doors) are not covered in the contract because their installation is referred to under the payment section (ie payment #4 of X dollars required when doors in existing house are installed), rather than in the top section of contract listing type of... View More

Paige Kurtz
Paige Kurtz
answered on Feb 19, 2020

Based on the information provided, installation of doors is included in the contract. If he doesn't install the doors, then he wouldn't be entitled to the payment that is contingent upon that work being performed.

1 Answer | Asked in Collections for North Carolina on
Q: If I received motion to claim exemptions on the same day I paid my judgement and my balance is zero, do I still file?

We received the motion to claim exemptions paperwork from the sheriff on the same day we paid the balance of a judgement debt. I called the creditor's lawyers and they state our balance is zero and they won't be moving forward with any further collections processes but that it will take a... View More

Paige Kurtz
Paige Kurtz
answered on Feb 19, 2020

It doesn't seem as if there is any need to file the motion. The creditor's attorneys have confirmed that the balance is zero. Not sure how you paid, but if it was to the Court, then you should have a receipt. If you paid the attorney's office, then your cancelled check is proof of payment.

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