Del. Code tit. 12 § 3804 : DECEDENTS' ESTATES AND FIDUCIARY RELATIONS — FIDUCIARY RELATIONS — TREATMENT OF DELAWARE STATUTORY TRUSTS — DOMESTIC STATUTORY TRUSTS — Legal proceedings

(a) A statutory trust may sue and be sued, and service of process upon 1 of the trustees shall be sufficient. In furtherance of the foregoing, a statutory trust may be sued for debts and other obligations or liabilities contracted or incurred by the trustees or other authorized persons, or by the duly authorized agents of such trustees or other authorized persons, in the performance of their respective duties under the governing instrument of the statutory trust. Except to the extent otherwise provided in the governing instrument of a statutory trust, the trustees or other authorized persons, or the duly authorized agents of such trustees or other authorized persons, may bind a statutory trust to a contract or instrument by entering into such contract or instrument in the name of the statutory trust or in the name of any such person acting on behalf of the statutory trust. The property of a statutory trust shall be subject to attachment and execution as if it were a corporation, subject to § 3502 of Title 10. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this section, in the event that the governing instrument of a statutory trust, including a statutory trust which is a registered investment company or regulated as a business development company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended ( 15 U.S.C. § 80a-1 et seq.), creates 1 or more series as provided in § 3806(b)(2) of this title, and to the extent separate and distinct records are maintained for any such series and the assets associated with any such series are held in such separate and distinct records (directly or indirectly, including through a nominee or otherwise) and accounted for in such separate and distinct records separately from the other assets of the statutory trust, or any other series thereof, and if the governing instrument so provides, and notice of the limitation on liabilities of a series as referenced in this sentence is set forth in the certificate of trust of the statutory trust, then the debts, liabilities, obligations and expenses incurred, contracted for or otherwise existing with respect to a particular series shall be enforceable against the assets of such series only, and not against the assets of the statutory trust generally or any other series thereof, and, unless otherwise provided in the governing instrument, none of the debts, liabilities, obligations and expenses incurred, contracted for or otherwise existing with respect to the statutory trust generally or any other series thereof shall be enforceable against the assets of such series. Neither the preceding sentence nor any provision pursuant thereto in a governing instrument or certificate of trust shall:

(1) Restrict a statutory trust on behalf of a series from agreeing in the governing instrument or otherwise that any or all of the debts, liabilities, obligations and expenses incurred, contracted for or otherwise existing with respect to the statutory trust generally or any other series thereof shall be enforceable against the assets of such series; or

(2) Restrict a statutory trust from agreeing in the governing instrument or otherwise that any or all of the debts, liabilities, obligations and expenses incurred, contracted for or otherwise existing with respect to a series shall be enforceable against the assets of the statutory trust generally.

As used in this chapter, a reference to assets of a series includes assets associated with a series and a reference to assets associated with a series includes assets of a series. Except to the extent otherwise provided in the governing instrument of a statutory trust, a statutory trust that has established series in accordance with this subsection may:

(i) contract, hold title to assets (including real, personal and intangible property), grant liens and security interests, and sue and be sued, in each case, in the name of a series, and

(ii) enter into an enforceable contract on behalf of 1 series of the statutory trust with and on behalf of another series of the statutory trust or with the statutory trust generally. Solely with respect to any liens or security interests granted in any assets of a series or any assets associated with a series of a statutory trust, only the statutory trust shall be the "debtor" within the meaning of Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code as the person having the power to transfer rights in such assets.

(b) A trustee of a statutory trust may be served with process in the manner prescribed in subsection (c) of this section in all civil actions or proceedings brought in the State involving or relating to the activities of the statutory trust or a violation by a trustee of a duty to the statutory trust, or any beneficial owner, whether or not the trustee is a trustee at the time suit is commenced. Every resident or nonresident of the State who accepts election or appointment or serves as a trustee of a statutory trust shall, by such acceptance or service, be deemed thereby to have consented to the appointment of the Delaware trustee or registered agent of such statutory trust required by § 3807 of this title (or, if there is none, the Secretary of State) as such person's agent upon whom service of process may be made as provided in this section. Such acceptance or service shall signify the consent of such trustee that any process when so served shall be of the same legal force and validity as if served upon such trustee within the State and such appointment of such Delaware trustee or registered agent (or, if there is none, the Secretary of State) shall be irrevocable.

(c) Service of process shall be effected by serving the Delaware trustee or registered agent of such statutory trust required by § 3807 of this title (or, if there is none, the Secretary of State) with 1 copy of such process in the manner provided by law for service of writs of summons. In the event service is made under this subsection upon the Secretary of State, the plaintiff shall pay to the Secretary of State the sum of $50 for the use of the State, which sum shall be taxed as part of the costs of the proceeding if the plaintiff shall prevail therein. In addition, the Prothonotary or the Register in Chancery of the court in which the civil action or proceeding is pending shall, within 7 days of such service, deposit in the United States mails, by registered mail, postage prepaid, true and attested copies of the process, together with a statement that service is being made pursuant to this section, addressed to the defendant at the defendant's address last known to and furnished by the party desiring to make such service.

(d) In any action in which any such trustee has been served with process as hereinafter provided, the time in which a defendant shall be required to appear and file a responsive pleading shall be computed from the date of mailing by the Prothonotary or the Register in Chancery as provided in subsection (c) of this section; provided however, the court in which such action has been commenced may order such continuance or continuances as may be necessary to afford such trustee reasonable opportunity to defend the action.

(e) In the governing instrument of the statutory trust or other writing, a trustee or beneficial owner or other person may consent to be subject to the nonexclusive jurisdiction of the courts of, or arbitration in, a specified jurisdiction, or the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the State, or the exclusivity of arbitration in a specified jurisdiction or the State, and to be served with legal process in the manner prescribed in such governing instrument of the statutory trust or other writing. Except by agreeing to arbitrate any arbitrable matter in a specified jurisdiction or in the State, a beneficial owner who is not a trustee may not waive its right to maintain a legal action or proceeding in the courts of the State with respect to matters relating to the organization or internal affairs of a statutory trust.

(f) Nothing herein contained limits or affects the right to serve process in any other manner now or hereafter provided by law. This section is an extension of and not a limitation upon the right otherwise existing of service of legal process upon nonresidents.

(g) The Court of Chancery and the Superior Court may make all necessary rules respecting the form of process, the manner of issuance and return thereof and such other rules which may be necessary to implement this section and are not inconsistent with this section. The Court of Chancery shall have jurisdiction over statutory trusts to the same extent as it has jurisdiction over common law trusts formed under the laws of the State.

(h) [Repealed.]

12 Del. C. § 3804

Amended by Laws 2021, ch. 381,s 2, eff. 8/1/2022.

Amended by Laws 2019, ch. 264,s 2, eff. 8/1/2020.

Amended by Laws 2017, ch. 352,s 4, eff. 8/1/2018.

Amended by Laws 2015, ch. 304,s 2, eff. 8/1/2016.

66 Del. Laws, c. 279, §1; 67 Del. Laws, c. 297, §18; 68 Del. Laws, c. 106, §2; 68 Del. Laws, c. 404, §6; 69 Del. Laws, c. 265, §2; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1; 70 Del. Laws, c. 548, § 4; 71 Del. Laws, c. 335, §§ 2, 3; 73 Del. Laws, c. 328, § 6; 73 Del. Laws, c. 329, § 1; 74 Del. Laws, c. 353, § 1; 75 Del. Laws, c. 418, § 4; 78 Del. Laws, c. 280, § 3.;