Amended
IN
Senate
May 16, 2024 |
Introduced by Senator Durazo (Coauthors: Senators Min and Wahab) |
February 15, 2024 |
Existing law authorizes an unincorporated association to file with the Secretary of State, on a form prescribed by the Secretary of State, a statement containing either of certain information, including a designation of the location and complete street address of the unincorporated association’s principal office in California.
This bill would require a real estate investment trust, as defined, to file with the Secretary of State a statement containing the name and complete business or residence address of any beneficial owner, as defined.
(a)An unincorporated association may file with the Secretary of State, on a form prescribed by the Secretary of State, a statement containing either of the following:
(1)A statement designating the location and complete street address of the unincorporated association’s principal office in California. Only one place may be designated.
(2)A statement (A) designating the location and complete street address of the unincorporated association’s principal office in California in accordance with paragraph (1) or, if the unincorporated association does not have an office in this state, designating the complete street address and mailing address, if different, of the unincorporated association to which the Secretary of State shall send any notices required to be sent to the association under Sections 18210 and 18215, and (B) designating as agent of the association for service of process any natural person residing in this state or any corporation that has complied with Section 1505 and whose capacity to act as an agent has not terminated.
(b)A real estate investment trust, as defined in Section 23000, shall file with the Secretary of State a statement containing the name and complete business or residence address of any beneficial owner.
(c)If a natural person is designated as agent for service of process, the statement shall include the person’s complete business or residence street address. If a corporate agent is designated, no address for it shall be included.
(d)Filing is deemed complete on acceptance by the Secretary of State of the statement and the filing fee.
(e)At any time, an unincorporated association that has filed a statement under this section may file a new statement superseding the last previously filed statement. If the new statement does not designate an agent for service of process, the filing of the new statement shall be deemed to revoke the designation of an agent previously designated. A statement filed under this section expires five years from December 31 following the date it was filed in the office of the Secretary of State, unless previously superseded by the filing of a new statement.
(f)Delivery by hand of a copy of any process against the unincorporated association (1) to any natural person designated by it as agent, or (2) if the association has designated a corporate agent, to any person named in the last certificate of the corporate agent filed pursuant to Section 1505 at the office of the corporate agent shall constitute valid service on the association.
(g)For filing a statement as provided in this section, the Secretary of State shall charge and collect the fee provided in paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) of Section 12191 of the Government Code for filing a designation of agent.
(h)Notwithstanding Section 18055, a statement filed by a partnership under former Section 24003 is subject to this chapter until the statement is revoked or expires.
(i)As used in this section, “beneficial owner” means a natural person for whom, directly or indirectly and through any contract arrangement, understanding, relationship, or otherwise, either of the following applies with respect to an unincorporated association:
(1)The person exercises substantial control over the entity. For the purposes of this paragraph, “substantial control” has the same meaning as set forth in Section 1010.380 of Title 31 of the Code of Federal Regulations, as published in the Federal Register, Volume 87, Number 189, on September 30, 2022.
(2)The person owns 25 percent or more of the equity interest of an entity.
(a)The Secretary of State shall mark each statement filed under Section 18200 with a consecutive file number and the date of filing. In lieu of retaining the original statement, the Secretary of State may retain a copy in accordance with former Section 14756 of the Government Code.
(b)The Secretary of State shall index each statement filed under Section 18200 according to the name of the unincorporated association as set out in the statement and shall enter in the index the file number and the address of the association as set out in the statement and, if an agent for service of process is designated in the statement,
the name of the agent and, if a natural person is designated as the agent, the address of that person.
(c)Upon request of any person, the Secretary of State shall issue a certificate showing whether, according to the Secretary of State’s records, there is on file on the date of the certificate, any presently effective statement filed under Section 18200 for an unincorporated association using a specific name designated by the person making the request. If a statement is on file, the certificate shall include the information required by subdivision (b) to be included in the index. The fee for the certificate is the fee provided in Section 12183 of the Government Code.
(d)When a statement has expired under subdivision (e) of Section 18200, the Secretary of State shall enter that fact in the index together with the date of the expiration.
(e)Four years after a statement has expired, the Secretary of State may destroy or otherwise dispose of the statement and delete information concerning that statement from the index.
(a)An agent designated by an unincorporated association for the service of process may deliver to the Secretary of State, on a form prescribed by the Secretary of State for filing, a signed and acknowledged written statement of resignation as an agent for service of process containing the name of the unincorporated association and Secretary of State’s file number of the unincorporated association, the name of the resigning agent for service of process, and a statement that the agent is resigning. The resignation is effective when filed. The Secretary of State shall mail or otherwise provide written notice of the filing to the unincorporated association at its address set out in the statement filed by the association.
(b)An unincorporated association may at any
time file with the Secretary of State a revocation of a designation of an agent for service of process on a form prescribed by the Secretary of State containing the name of the unincorporated association and Secretary of State’s file number for the unincorporated association, the name of the agent whose designation to accept service of process is being revoked and a statement that the unincorporated association has revoked the designation to accept service of process. The revocation is effective when filed.
(c)Notwithstanding subdivisions (a) and (b), service made on an agent designated by an unincorporated association for service of process in the manner provided in subdivision (f) of Section 18200 is effective if made within 30 days after the statement of resignation or the revocation is filed with the Secretary of State.
(d)The resignation of an agent may be effective if, on a form prescribed by the Secretary of State containing the name of the unincorporated association and Secretary of State’s file number for the unincorporated association and the name of the agent for service of process, the agent disclaims having been properly appointed as the agent.
(e)The Secretary of State may destroy or otherwise dispose of any resignation filed pursuant to this section after a new form is filed pursuant to Section 18200 replacing the agent for service of process that has
resigned.