Section 5703.371 | Foreign corporations - designation of secretary of state as agent.
For purposes of Title LVII of the Revised Code, any foreign corporation, owning or using a part or all of its capital or property in this state, which is not authorized by the secretary of state to transact business in this state, shall be conclusively presumed to have designated the secretary of state as its agent for the service of process in any action against such corporation to recover taxes which the tax commissioner is by law required to administer. Pursuant to such service, suit may be brought in Franklin county, or in any county in which such corporation owns or uses its capital or property. Such service shall be made upon the secretary of state by leaving with him, or with an assistant secretary of state, triplicate copies of such process, together with an affidavit of the tax commissioner, showing the last known address of such corporation. Upon receipt of such process and affidavit the secretary of state shall forthwith give notice by certified mail to the corporation at the address specified in the affidavit and forward together therewith a copy of such process. The secretary of state shall retain a copy of such process in his files, keep a record of any such process served upon him, and record therein the time of such service and his action thereafter with respect thereto.
The provisions of this section do not affect any right to serve process upon a foreign corporation in any other manner permitted by law.
Available Versions of this Section
- October 15, 1959 – House Bill 524 - 103rd General Assembly [ View October 15, 1959 Version ]
- September 29, 2017 – Amended by House Bill 49 - 132nd General Assembly [ View September 29, 2017 Version ]