discussed Cited "see, e.g." Blankenship v. Bartlett McGowan v. Maryland, 366 U.S. 420 , 425-26, 81 S.Ct. 1101 , 1104, 6 L.Ed.2d 393 , 399 (1961); see also Town of Beech Mountain v. County of Watauga, 324 N.C. 409 , 378 S.E.2d 780 , cert. denied, 493 U.S. 954 , 110 S.Ct. 365 , 107 L.Ed.2d 351 (1989); Jones v. Weyerhaeuser Co., 141 N.C.App. 482 , 539 S.E.2d 380 (2000), appeal dismissed and disc. rev. denied, 353 N.C. 525 , 549 S.E.2d 858 (2001).