Arizona Barite Co. v. Western-Knapp Engineering Co.

On August 8, 1945, appellee, Western-Knapp Engineering Company, a California corporation, appointed J. P. Keller, a resi *685 dent of Maricopa County, Arizona, as its statutory agent upon whom process might be served and filed the appointment with the Arizona Corporation Commission. Thereupon, on August 8, 1945, appellee was duly admitted and authorized to transact business in Arizona. 1 It did so until June 6, 1946. On June 6, 1946, it filed with the Corporation Commission what purported to be a revocation of the appointment of Keller as its statutory agent. It never appointed anyone in Keller’s place. It transacted no business in Arizona after June 6, 1946.

On December 12, 1946, a certificate stating that appellee had elected to wind up and dissolve was filed with the Secretary of State of California. On January 3, 1947, a certificate stating that appellee had been completely wound up was filed with the Secretary. 2 Despite the filing of these certificates, hereafter called the winding-up certificates, appellee retained its corporate existence and some of its corporate powers, including the power to sue and be sued, and, when exercising such powers, acted by and through its…