The Florida Senate

665.1001  Foreign associations.--

(1)  DEFINED.--For the purposes of this section, the term "foreign association" includes any domestic joint venture, business trust, syndicate, firm, company, association, fiduciary, partnership, or corporation, and all other groups or combinations, by whatever name called, actually engaged in the business of an association, the principal business office of which is located outside the territorial limits of this state.

(2)  DOING BUSINESS.--No foreign association shall do any business of an association within this state or maintain an office in this state for the purpose of doing such business, including, but not limited to, the establishment of a branch office or other depository office. However, the establishment of a branch office as a result of the reorganization, merger, or consolidation of a foreign association and a Florida association is not prohibited if the laws of the state in which the resulting or surviving association has its principal place of business would permit the establishment of a branch of a Florida association in that state as a result of such a reorganization, merger, or consolidation. The origination of real estate mortgages covering real property located in this state is considered doing business as an association unless the state of domicile of the principal business office of any such foreign association permits associations from this state to originate real estate mortgages covering real property located in such state.

(3)  ACTION BY DEPARTMENT.--The department is authorized, empowered, and directed to obtain an injunction or to take any other action necessary to prevent any foreign association from doing any business of an association in this state.

(4)  ACTIVITIES NOT CONSIDERED "DOING BUSINESS."--For the purposes of this section and any other law of this state prohibiting, limiting, or regulating the doing of business in this state by foreign associations or foreign corporations of any type, any federal association, the principal office of which is located outside this state, and any foreign association which is subject to state or federal supervision, or both, which by law are subject to periodic examination by such supervisory authority and to a requirement of periodic audit, shall not be considered to be doing business in this state by reason of engaging in any of the following activities:

(a)  The purchase, acquisition, holding, sale, assignment, transfer, collecting, and enforcement of obligations or any interest therein secured by real estate mortgages or other instruments in the nature of a mortgage, covering real property located in this state, or the foreclosure of such instruments, or the acquisition of title to such property by foreclosure, or otherwise, as a result of default under such instruments, or the holding, protection, rental, maintenance, and operation of the property so acquired, or the disposition thereof; provided such associations shall not hold, own, or operate such property for a period exceeding 5 years without securing the approval of the department.

(b)  The advertising or solicitation of savings accounts or the making of any representations with respect thereto in this state through the medium of the mail, radio, television, magazines, or newspapers or any other medium which is published or circulated within this state; provided that such advertising, solicitation, or the making of such representations is accurately descriptive of the facts.

(5)  SERVICE OF PROCESS AND SUIT.--Any foreign association or federal association described in subsection (4) which engages in any of the activities described in paragraph (a) thereof pursuant to the provisions of this section shall in any connection therewith be subject to suit in the courts of this state by this state and the citizens of this state; and service on such association shall be effected by serving the Secretary of State of this state except that the provisions of this section shall have no other application to the question of whether any foreign association or federal association is subject to service of process and suit in this state as a result of the transaction of business or other activities in this state.

History.--s. 50, ch. 69-39; ss. 12, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 10, ch. 73-152; s. 3, ch. 76-168; s. 216, ch. 77-104; s. 1, ch. 77-457; ss. 50, 57, 58, ch. 80-257; ss. 2, 3, ch. 81-318; s. 13, ch. 83-129; s. 5, ch. 86-58; s. 1, ch. 91-307; ss. 1, 185, ch. 92-303.

Note.--Former s. 665.501.