(a) The resident agent of one or more corporations, organized and existing under the laws of the United States Virgin Islands, may make and file with the Lieutenant Governor his or its written resignation, in duplicate, of the office of resident agent without appointing any individual or corporation as resident agent in his or its stead; but such resignation shall not become effective until 30 days after the certificate is filed. There shall be attached to each copy of such written resignation, an affidavit of such resident agent, if an individual, or of the president or secretary thereof, if a corporation, that at least 30 days prior to the date of the filing of such resignation, due notice was sent by registered mail to the corporation for which such resident agent was acting, at the principal office thereof outside the United States Virgin Islands, if known to such resident agent, or, if not, to the last known address of the attorney or other individual at whose request such resident agent was appointed for such corporation, of the resignation of such resident agent.
(b) For the filing of such written resignation the Lieutenant Governor shall charge the fee prescribed in section 431(a)(13) of this title, and upon the filing of such resignation with the Lieutenant Governor, the Lieutenant Governor shall notify the clerk of the district court of the resignation of its resident agent as set forth in such written resignation and the clerk of the district court shall forthwith make a note of the resignation of such resident agent in the index of the articles of incorporation of such corporation.
(c) After receipt of the notice of the resignation of its resident agent, provided for in subsection (a) of this section, the corporation for which such resident agent was acting shall obtain and designate a new resident agent to take the place of the resident agent so resigning in the same manner as is provided in section 52 of this title for change of resident agent, and if such corporation fails to obtain and designate a new resident agent as aforesaid, prior to the expiration of the period of 30 days after the filing by the resident agent of the written resignation, such facts shall be duly certified by the Lieutenant Governor to the United States attorney for the Virgin Islands, and the United States attorney shall forthwith commence an action to avoid such corporation's charter in the district court and such court, upon competent proof of the state of facts and upon appropriate steps taken in such action, shall decree the charter of such corporation forfeited.