Current through 2024 Legislative Session Act Chapter 494
Section 3854 - Name; registered office; registered agent(a) A foreign statutory trust may register with the Secretary of State under any name (whether or not it is the name under which it is registered in the jurisdiction of its formation) that could be registered by a domestic statutory trust; provided however, that a foreign statutory trust may register under any name which is not such as to distinguish it upon the records in the Office of the Secretary of State from the name on such records of any domestic or foreign corporation, partnership, statutory trust, limited liability company, limited partnership, registered series of a limited liability company or registered series of a limited partnership reserved, registered, formed or organized under the laws of the State with the written consent of the other corporation, partnership, statutory trust, limited liability company, limited partnership, registered series of a limited liability company or registered series of a limited partnership, which written consent shall be filed with the Secretary of State.(b) Each foreign statutory trust shall have and maintain in the State: (1) A registered office which may but need not be a place of its business in the State; and(2) A registered agent for service of process on the foreign statutory trust, having a business office identical with such registered office which agent may be any of:a. An individual resident of the State of Delaware;b. A domestic limited liability company, a domestic corporation, a domestic partnership (whether general (including a limited liability partnership) or limited (including a limited liability limited partnership)), or a domestic statutory trust; orc. A foreign corporation, a foreign limited liability partnership , a foreign limited partnership (including a foreign limited liability limited partnership), a foreign limited liability company or a foreign statutory trust (other than the foreign statutory trust itself).(c) A registered agent may change the address of the registered office of the foreign statutory trust or trusts for which the agent is registered agent to another address in the State by paying a fee as set forth in § 3862 of this title and filing with the Secretary of State a certificate, executed by such registered agent, setting forth the address at which such registered agent has maintained the registered office for each of the foreign statutory trusts for which it is a registered agent and further certifying to the new address to which each such registered office will be changed on a given day and at which new address such registered agent will thereafter maintain the registered office for each of the foreign statutory trusts for which it is registered agent. Upon the filing of such certificate, until further change of address, as authorized by law the registered offices in the State each of the foreign statutory trusts for which the agent is registered agent shall be located at the new address of the registered agent thereof as given in the certificate. In the event of a change of name of any person acting as a registered agent of a foreign statutory trust, such registered agent shall file with the Secretary of State a certificate, executed by such registered agent, setting forth the new name of such registered agent, the name of such registered agent before it was changed, and the address at which such registered agent has maintained the registered office for each of the foreign statutory trusts for which it is registered agent, and shall pay a fee as set forth in § 3862 of this title. A change of name of any person acting as a registered agent of a foreign statutory trust as a result of (i) a merger or consolidation of the registered agent, with or into another person which succeeds to its assets and liabilities by operation of law, (ii) the conversion of the registered agent into another person, or (iii) a division of the registered agent in which an identified resulting person succeeds to all of the assets and liabilities of the registered agent related to its registered agent business pursuant to the plan of division, as set forth in the certificate of division, shall each be deemed a change of name for purposes of this section. Filing a certificate under this section shall be deemed to be an amendment of the application of each foreign statutory trust affected thereby, and each foreign statutory trust shall not be required to take any further action with respect thereto to amend its application under § 3855 of this title. Any registered agent filing a certificate under this section shall promptly, upon such filing, deliver a copy of any such certificate to each foreign statutory trust affected thereby.(d) The registered agent of 1 or more foreign statutory trusts may resign and appoint a successor registered agent by paying a fee as set forth in § 3862 of this title and filing a certificate with the Secretary of State stating that it resigns and the name and address of the successor registered agent. There shall be attached to such certificate a statement of each affected foreign statutory trust ratifying and approving such change of registered agent. Upon such filing, the successor registered agent shall become the registered agent of such foreign statutory trust as has ratified and approved such substitution and the successor registered agent's address, as stated in such certificate, shall become the address of each such foreign statutory trust's registered office in the State. Filing of such certificate of resignation shall be deemed to be an amendment of the application of each foreign statutory trust affected thereby, and each such foreign statutory trust shall not be required to take any further action with respect thereto to amend its application under § 3855 of this title.(e) The registered agent of a foreign statutory trust may resign without appointing a successor registered agent by paying a fee as set forth in § 3862 of this title and filing a certificate of resignation with the Secretary of State, but such resignation shall not become effective until 30 days after the certificate is filed. The certificate shall contain a statement that written notice of resignation was given to the foreign statutory trust at least 30 days prior to the filing of the certificate by mailing or delivering such notice to the foreign statutory trust at its address last known to the registered agent and shall set forth the date of such notice. The certificate shall include such information last provided to the registered agent pursuant to § 3807(k) of this title for a communications contact for the foreign statutory trust. Such information regarding the communications contact shall not be deemed public. A certificate filed pursuant to this subsection must be on the form prescribed by the Secretary of State. After receipt of the notice of the resignation of its registered agent, the foreign statutory trust for which such registered agent was acting shall obtain and designate a new registered agent to take the place of the registered agent so resigning. If such foreign statutory trust fails to obtain and designate a new registered agent as aforesaid prior to the expiration of the period of 30 days after the filing by the registered agent of the certificate of resignation, such foreign statutory trust shall not be permitted to do business in the State and its registration shall be canceled. After the resignation of the registered agent shall have become effective as provided in this section and if no new registered agent shall have been obtained and designated in the time and manner aforesaid, service of legal process against the foreign statutory trust for which the resigned registered agent had been acting shall thereafter be upon the Secretary of State in accordance with § 3861 of this title.Amended by Laws 2019, ch. 264,s 18, eff. 8/1/2020. 71 Del. Laws, c. 335, § 11; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1; 73 Del. Laws, c. 328, §§ 18, 19; 73 Del. Laws, c. 329, § 1; 77 Del. Laws, c. 403, §§ 25 - 27.;