In case the officer whose duty it is to serve legal process cannot by due diligence serve the process in any manner provided for by § 47-14B-17, the process against the foreign business trust may be served upon the secretary of state, and such service shall be as effectual for all intents and purposes as if made in any of the ways provided for in § 47-14B-17. In the event service is effected through the secretary of state in accordance with this section, the secretary of state shall forthwith notify the foreign business trust by letter, certified mail, return receipt requested, directed to the foreign business trust at its last registered office. Such letter shall enclose a copy of the process and any other papers served on the secretary of state pursuant to this section. The plaintiff shall, in the event of such service, serve process and any other papers in duplicate, notify the secretary of state that service is being effected pursuant to this section, and to pay to the secretary of state the sum of fifty dollars for the use of the state, which sum shall be taxed as a part of the costs in the proceeding if the plaintiff shall prevail therein. The secretary of state shall maintain an alphabetical record of any such service setting forth the name of the plaintiff and defendant, the title, docket number, and nature of the proceeding in which process has been served upon the secretary of state, the fact that service has been effected pursuant to this section, the return date thereof and the day and hour when the service was made. The secretary of state need not retain such information for a period longer than five years from receipt of the service of process.

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Source: SL 2001, ch 245, § 114.