(a) Any foreign statutory trust which shall do business in the State without having registered under § 3852 of this title shall be deemed to have thereby appointed and constituted the Secretary of State of the State its agent for the acceptance of legal process in any civil action, suit or proceeding against it in any state or federal court in the State arising or growing out of any business done by it within the State. The doing of business in the State by such foreign statutory trust shall be a signification of the agreement of such foreign statutory trust that any such process when so served shall be of the same legal force and validity as if served upon an authorized manager or agent personally within the State. Process may be served upon the Secretary of State under this subsection by means of electronic transmission but only as prescribed by the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State is authorized to issue such rules and regulations with respect to such service as the Secretary of State deems necessary or appropriate.
(b) Whenever the words “doing business,” “the doing of business” or “business done in this State” by any such foreign statutory trust are used in this section, they shall mean the course or practice of carrying on any business activities in the State, including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the solicitation of business or orders in the State; provided, however such words shall be deemed to have the same meaning as similar words of like import in § 371 of Title 8, but the requirement of such foreign statutory trust to register under § 3852 of this title shall be subject to the same exceptions as are set forth in § 373 of Title 8.
(c) In the event of service upon the Secretary of State in accordance with subsection (a) of this section, the Secretary of State shall forthwith notify the foreign statutory trust thereof by letter, directed to the foreign statutory trust at the address furnished to the Secretary of State by the plaintiff in such action, suit or proceeding. Such letter shall be sent by a mail or courier service that includes a record of mailing or deposit with the courier and a record of delivery evidenced by the signature of the recipient. Such letter shall enclose a copy of the process and any other papers served upon the Secretary of State. It shall be the duty of the plaintiff in the event of such service to serve process and any other papers in duplicate, to notify the Secretary of State that service is being made pursuant to this subsection, and to pay to the Secretary of State the sum of $50 for the use of the State, which sum shall be taxed as 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 process 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 return date thereof, and the day and hour when the service was made. The Secretary of State shall not be required to retain such information for a period longer than 5 years from receipt of the service of process.