N.Y. General Business Law § 686: Designation of secretary of state as agent for service of process; service of process

§ 686. Designation of secretary of state as agent for service of

process; service of process. Any person who shall offer to sell or sell

a franchise in this state as a franchisor, subfranchisor or franchise

sales agent shall be deemed to have irrevocably appointed the secretary

of state as his or its agent upon whom may be served any summons,

complaint, subpoena, subpoena duces tecum, notice, order or other

process directed to such person, or any partner, principal, officer,

salesman or director thereof, or his or its successor, administrator or

executor, in any action, investigation, or proceeding which arises under

this article or a rule hereunder, with the same force and validity as if

served personally on such person. Service of such process upon the

secretary of state shall be made by personally delivering to and leaving

with him or a deputy secretary of state a copy thereof at the office of

the department of state, and such service shall be sufficient provided

that notice of such service and a copy of such process are sent

forthwith by the department to such person, by registered or certified

mail with return receipt requested, at his address as set forth in the

application for registration of his offering prospectus or in the

registered offering prospectus itself filed with the department of law

pursuant to this article, or in default of the filing of such

application or prospectus, at the last address known to the department.

Service of such process shall be complete upon receipt by the department

of a return receipt purporting to be signed by the addressee or a person

qualified to receive his or its registered or certified mail, in

accordance with the rules and customs of the post office department, or,

if acceptance was refused or unclaimed by the addressee or his or its

agent, or if the addressee moved without leaving a forwarding address,

upon return to the department of the original envelope bearing a

notation by the postal authorities that receipt thereof was refused or

that such mail was otherwise undeliverable.