§ 154 — Service of process on foreign company; duty of commissioner; fees

Section 154. When legal process is served upon the commissioner as attorney for a foreign company under the third clause of section one hundred and fifty-one, he shall forthwith forward by mail, postage prepaid, one of the duplicate copies of the process served on him, addressed to the company at its last home office address appearing on his records, or, in the case of a company of a foreign country, to its resident manager in the United States, addressed to him at the last address appearing on said records, or to such other person as may previously have been designated by the company by written notice filed in the office of the commissioner. As a condition of valid and effectual service and of the duty of the commissioner in the premises, there shall be paid to him, except as provided in section fourteen, at the time of service thereof the fee prescribed by said section, which the plaintiff shall recover as taxable costs if he prevails in his suit. The commissioner shall keep a record of all legal processes showing the day and hour of service.