Justice DIETZ did not participate in the consideration or decision of this case. The remaining members of the Court are equally divided, with three members voting to affirm and three members voting to reverse the decision of the Court of Appeals. Accordingly, the decision of the Court of Appeals is left undisturbed and stands without precedential value. See, e.g., Batson v. Coastal Res. Commn, 385 N.C. 328, 892 S.E.2d 589 (2023) (per curiam) (affirming by an equally divided vote a Court of Appeals decision leaving it as law of the case without further precedential value); Templeton Props. LP v. Town of Boone, 368 N.C. 82, 772 S.E.2d 239 (2015) (same); Reese v. Barbee, 350 N.C. 60, 510 S.E.2d 374 (1999) (same).
AFFIRMED.
PER CURIAM.