Under Rule 60, the motion for relief from judgment must be made within not more than how many years after judgment or order?

• A. 6 months
• B. 1 year
• C. 2 years
• D. 5 years

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is the time limit for seeking relief from a final judgment under Rule 60. In North Carolina, motions under Rule 60 to relieve a judgment or order must be filed within a reasonable time, and for the common grounds (such as mistake, inadvertence, surprise, excusable neglect; newly discovered evidence; or fraud), that deadline is not more than one year after the entry of the judgment or order. This one-year window helps balance finality with fairness, allowing relief for genuine errors or newly discovered facts while preventing endless challenges to a completed judgment. If the action is brought within that one-year period for the usual grounds, it can be entertained; after that, relief is typically not granted unless the court finds some exceptional reason to overlook the delay.