Montana Code Annotated
Part 1. Tax on Tobacco Products
16-11-108. Service of process

16-11-108. Service of process. (1) Service of process pursuant to 16-11-107 must be made by delivering to and leaving with the secretary of state's office two copies of the summons and complaint and any fees required by law. The secretary of state shall, in a timely manner, mail by registered or certified mail one of the copies to the defendant at its last-known business address. The secretary of state shall keep the other copy as a record of the process served upon the secretary of state. The service of process is sufficient if a notice of service and a copy of the process are sent within 10 days after service by certified mail by the plaintiff's attorney to the defendant at its last-known principal place of business and if the defendant's receipt or the receipt issued by the post office with which the letter is certified, showing the name of the sender of the letter and the name and address of the person to whom the letter is addressed, and the affidavit of the plaintiff's attorney showing compliance with this section are filed with the clerk of the court in which the action is pending on or before the date the defendant is required to appear or within a further time that the court may allow.
(2) Service of process in any action, suit, or proceeding, in addition to being made in the manner provided in subsection (1), must be considered valid if:
(a) served upon any person within this state on behalf of the person soliciting business who is:
(i) soliciting orders for sale of tobacco products;
(ii) making any contract for sale of tobacco products or delivering any tobacco products; or
(iii) collecting or receiving any money for tobacco products;
(b) a copy of the process is sent within 10 days after service, by certified mail, by the plaintiff's attorney to the defendant at the last-known principal place of business of the defendant; and
(c) the defendant's receipt or the receipt issued by the post office with which the letter is certified, showing the name of the sender of the letter and the name and address of the person to whom the letter is addressed, and the affidavit of the plaintiff's attorney showing compliance with this subsection (2) are filed with the clerk of the court in which the action is pending on or before the date the defendant is required to appear or within a further time that the court may allow.
(3) A plaintiff or complainant is not entitled to a judgment by default under this section until 30 days after the date of the filing of the affidavit of compliance.
(4) This section does not limit or abridge the right to serve any process, notice, or demand upon any tobacco product seller in any other manner now or later permitted by law.
History: En. Sec. 3, Ch. 511, L. 2005.

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