North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 42. Landlord and Tenant § 42-70. Discovery

(a) The parties to an action brought pursuant to this Article shall be entitled to conduct discovery, if the action is filed originally in or appealed to the district court, only in accordance with this section.

(b) Any defendant must initiate all discovery within the time allowed by this Article for the filing of an answer or counterclaim.

(c) The plaintiff must initiate all discovery within 20 days of service of an answer or counterclaim by a defendant.

(d) All parties served with interrogatories, requests for production of documents, and requests for admissions under G.S. 1A-1, Rules 33, 34, and 36 shall serve their responses within 20 days.

(e) Upon application by the plaintiff, or agreement of the parties, the court shall issue a preliminary injunction against all alleged illegal activity by the defendant or other identified parties who are residents of the individual rental unit or guests of defendants, pending the completion of discovery and any other wait before the trial has occurred.