In any action brought under sections 18 and 19 of this act, the association may appear. The association shall for all purposes of the action be deemed to be the defendant. The association shall have available to it any and all defenses which would have been available to said operator or owner or both if the action had been brought against them or either of them and process upon them or either of them had been duly served within this State, but the association shall be entitled to defend in all cases without asserting any specific facts.
N.J.S. § 39:6-81