N.C. Gen. Stat. § 53-387
If the Commissioner doubts the validity of any claim, the Commissioner may reject the claim, in whole or in part, and serve notice of the rejection upon the claimant, either personally or by certified mail, and an affidavit of the service of the notice shall be filed in the office of the clerk of the superior court of the county in which the action is pending and shall be conclusive evidence of the notice. Any action or suit upon a rejected claim shall be brought by the claimant against the Commissioner in the superior court of the county in which the action is pending within 90 days after service, or the action or suit shall be barred. Objections to any claim not rejected by the Commissioner may be made by any person interested by filing the objection in the pending action and by serving a copy thereof on the Commissioner. The Commissioner, after investigation, shall either allow the objection and reject the claim, or disallow the objection. If the objection is not allowed and the claim is not rejected, the Commissioner shall file a notice in the pending action and serve the notice upon the person making the claim and the person objecting to the claim. Within 10 days after the notice is filed, the person filing objection by motion in the pending action may question the validity of the claim, and the questions of law and issues of fact shall thereupon be determined as in other civil actions.
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 53-387