§ 9-2-25.Action against unincorporated association; service of process; venue; what property bound by judgment

Suing an unincorporated association raises practical problems a plaintiff doesn’t face with a corporation: there’s no registered agent, no corporate office of record, and dozens or thousands of members who each theoretically bear some responsibility. This section builds a workable process around that reality.

First, it confirms the association can be sued directly, in its own name, for any claim the plaintiff could otherwise bring against its individual members — no need to sue each member separately. Second, it tells the plaintiff how to serve the group: through any officer or official member, of the organization itself or of a local branch, or through an agent the association has designated with the Secretary of State (once that designation is filed, service on the designated agent becomes the exclusive method, if that agent can be found in the state). Third, it opens venue in any county where the association does business or maintains a branch or local chapter.

Finally, it protects individual members from being wiped out by a group’s liability. A judgment against the association reaches the association’s property, but it can’t be enforced against a member’s personal property unless that member personally participated in the underlying conduct and was properly served with process.