2023 Tennessee Code › Title 43 - AGRICULTURE AND HORTICULTURE (§§ 43-1-101 — 43-40-105) › Chapter 38 - TENNESSEE PROCESSING COOPERATIVE LAW (§§ 43-38-101 — 43-38-1109) › Part 1 - GENERAL PROVISIONS (§§ 43-38-101 — 43-38-125) › Section 43-38-111 - Service - Role of secretary of state

(a)
Service on the secretary of state, when the secretary of state is an agent for a domestic cooperative as provided in §
43-38-110(b)
, of any process, notice or demand shall be made by delivering to the office of the secretary of state the original and one (1) copy of such process, notice, or demand, duly certified by the clerk of the court in which the suit or action is pending or brought, together with the proper fee. A statement that identifies which of the grounds, as listed in §
43-38-104(b)
, for service on the secretary of state is applicable, must be included. The office of the secretary of state shall endorse the time of receipt upon the original and copy and immediately shall send the copy, along with a written notice that service of the original was also made, by registered or certified mail, with return receipt requested, addressed to the cooperative at its registered office or principal office as shown in the records on file in the secretary of state's office or as shown in the official registry of the state or country in which the cooperative is organized. If none of the previously mentioned addresses is available to the secretary of state, service may be made on any one (1) of the organizers at the address set forth in the articles. The secretary of state may require the plaintiff, or complainant, as the case may be, or plaintiff's attorney to furnish the latter address.
(b)
The refusal or failure of a cooperative to accept delivery of the registered or certified mail provided for in subsection (a), or the refusal or failure to sign the return receipt, shall not affect the validity of such service; and any such cooperative refusing or failing to accept delivery of such registered or certified mail shall be charged with knowledge of the contents of any process, notice or demand contained in the registered or certified mail.
(c)
When the registered or certified mail return receipt is received by the office of the secretary of state or when a domestic cooperative refuses or fails to accept delivery of the registered or certified mail and it is returned to the office of the secretary of state, the office of the secretary of state shall forward the receipt or the refused or undelivered mail to the clerk of the court in which the suit or action is pending, together with the original process, notice or demand, a copy of the notice the secretary of state sent to the defendant cooperative and the secretary of state's affidavit setting forth the secretary of state's compliance with this section. Upon receipt thereof, the clerk shall copy the affidavit on the rule docket of the court and shall mark it, the receipt or refused or undelivered mail, and the copy of notice as of the day received and place them in the file of the suit or action where the process and pleadings are kept, and such receipt or refused or undelivered mail, affidavit and a copy of the notice shall be and become a part of the technical record in the suit or action, and thereupon service on the defendant shall be complete. Service made under this section shall have the same legal force and validity as if the service had been made personally in this state.
(d)
Subsequent pleadings or papers permitted or required to be served on the defendant domestic cooperative may be served on the secretary of state as agent for the defendant cooperative in the same manner, at the same cost and with the same effect as process, notice or demand are served on the secretary of state as agent for the defendant cooperative under this section.
(e)
No appearance shall be required in the suit or action by the defendant domestic cooperative, nor shall any judgment be taken against the defendant domestic cooperative, in less than one (1) month after the date service is completed under this section.
(f)
The secretary of state shall keep a record of all processes, notices and demands served upon the secretary of state under this section, which record shall include the time of such service and the secretary of state's action with reference thereto.
Acts 2004, ch. 534, § 8.