Article 1. General Provisions of California Financial Code >> Division 1.1. >> Chapter 10. >> Article 1.

A bank or trust company may purchase, acquire, hold, or lease real property or an interest therein only as follows:
  (a) Such as may be necessary or convenient for the use, operation or housing of its head office and branch offices, or for the storage of records or other personal property, or for office space for use by its officers or employees, or which may be reasonably necessary for future expansion of its business, or which is otherwise reasonably related to the conduct of its business. Real property used by a bank as its banking premises may include in addition to the space required for the transaction of its business other space which may be let as a source of income.
  (b) Such as may be conveyed to it in satisfaction in whole or in part of debts previously contracted in the course of its business.
  (c) Such as it may purchase or acquire at foreclosure sales under mortgages or deeds of trust held by it, or under judgments or decrees in its favor.
  (d) Such as it may purchase or otherwise acquire when necessary to minimize or prevent the loss or destruction of any lien or interest therein.
  (e) Such as it may purchase or otherwise acquire pursuant to Section 1322. A bank or trust company may sell, lease, or encumber real property or any interest therein owned by it, or, with the written approval of the commissioner, exchange the same for other real property.

Any real property not held for any purpose permitted by subdivisions (a) and (e) of Section 1320 shall be sold whenever the same can be sold for an amount sufficient to reimburse the bank or trust company for all loss arising out of the loan for which such real property was security or arising out of the original investment. A bank or trust company shall not by the retention of any real property acquired pursuant to this section engage in any business not authorized by this division except to the extent necessary in the orderly liquidation of an indebtedness owing to the bank.

(a) The Legislature finds and declares:
  (1) That it is necessary to increase job opportunities in real estate development and construction and to provide additional housing and commercial facilities in this state.
  (2) That within the commercial banking community there exists the expertise and ability to promote and assist in expansion of real estate development projects in this state.
  (3) That it is proper and appropriate to utilize that expertise and ability by authorizing commercial banks to engage in real estate development and management on an entrepreneurial basis.
  (b) As used in this section, "real property investment" means all forms of investing in real property, whether direct or in the form of partnerships, joint ventures, or other methods of investment. It includes, but is not limited to, the purchasing, subdividing, and developing of real property or any interest therein, the building of residential housing or commercial improvements, and the owning, renting, leasing, managing, operating for income, or selling of that property.
  (c) A commercial bank may acquire and hold stock of one or more corporations the primary activities of which are engaging in real property investment, in which event the sum of (1) investments made by a commercial bank pursuant to the authority of this subdivision, (2) any loans and guarantees extended by a commercial bank to, or for the benefit of, corporations whose stock it holds pursuant to the authority of this subdivision, and (3) real property investments made pursuant to the authority of subdivision (d), unless a higher percentage is approved by the commissioner in writing, shall not exceed 10 percent of the total assets of the bank.
  (d) A commercial bank may engage in real property investment. The total of all real property investments made pursuant to the authority of this subdivision, unless a higher percentage is approved by the commissioner in writing, shall not exceed the total shareholders' equity of the bank.
  (e) Prior to initially engaging in real property investment activities authorized by this section, a commercial bank shall make application with the commissioner for approval of its general plan of real property investment. The application for approval shall be in letter form, shall contain a copy of the general plan for real property investment as approved or adopted by the board of directors of the bank, which shall include a brief description of either the activities of the corporations the bank will invest in or the activities the bank will engage in, or both, the approximate amount to be invested, the extent, if any, of diversification of those activities or investment, and the approximate date of the initial investment, and shall be signed by the chief executive officer of the bank. Unless the commissioner finds (1) that the capital, assets, management, earnings, and liquidity of the commercial bank are, on a composite basis, not satisfactory, or (2) that the plan for the commercial bank to engage in real property investment or to acquire and hold the stock of one or more real property investment corporations is unsafe or unsound, the commissioner shall approve the application. An application for approval shall be deemed approved on the 46th day after the application is filed with the commissioner, unless the commissioner earlier makes a final decision on the application or extends the period for approving or denying the application. For purposes of this subdivision, an application for approval shall be deemed to be filed with the commissioner on the date when the application, substantially in compliance with the requirements of this subdivision, is received by the commissioner. Upon the filing of the application for approval, the applicant shall pay to the commissioner a filing fee of five hundred dollars ($500).
  (f) The legality of any investment lawfully made pursuant to this section as it read prior to the amendment of this section shall not be affected by the existing form of this section, nor shall this section be construed to require the changing of any investments heretofore lawfully made.

Any director, officer, or employee of a bank or of a foreign banking corporation who asks for or receives, or consents or agrees to receive, any commission, emolument, or gratuity or any money, property, or thing of value for his own personal benefit or of personal advantage for procuring or endeavoring to procure for any person any loan from such bank, or the purchase or discount of any note, draft, check, bill of exchange, or other obligation by such bank, or for permitting any person to overdraw any account with such bank, is guilty of a felony.

Any director, officer, agent, or employee of any bank who knowingly receives or possesses himself or herself of any of its property otherwise than in payment of a just demand, and with intent to defraud, omits to make or cause to be made a full and true entry thereof in its books and accounts or concurs in omitting to make any material entry thereof is guilty of a felony.

Any director, officer, agent, or employee of a bank who knowingly concurs in making or publishing any written report, exhibit, or statement of its affairs or pecuniary condition containing any material statement which is false, or having the custody of its books willfully refuses or neglects to make any proper entry in such books as required by law, or to exhibit or allow the same to be inspected or extracts to be taken therefrom by the commissioner or his or her deputies or examiners, is guilty of a felony.

No bank shall publish a statement of its resources or liabilities in connection with those of any other bank, unless such statement shall show the resources and liabilities of each bank separately.

(a) Any person who willfully and knowingly makes, circulates, or transmits to another or others, any statement or rumor, written, printed, or by word of mouth, which is untrue in fact and is directly or by inference derogatory to the financial condition or affects the solvency or financial standing of any bank doing business in this state, or who knowingly counsels, aids, procures, or induces another to start, transmit, or circulate any such statement or rumor, is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by imprisonment for not more than one year, or both.
  (b) The provisions of Section 329 shall not apply to this section.

(a) A bank or trust company may engage in the business of renting safe deposit boxes and may receive personal property for safekeeping and storage on its banking premises.
  (b) A copy of any safe deposit rental agreement, or personal property safekeeping and storage agreement, which is prepared by the bank or trust company and signed by the customer shall be delivered to the customer at the time the agreement is signed if the agreement is signed at a place of business of the bank or trust company. If the agreement is not signed at a place of business of the bank or trust company, the bank or trust company shall mail or deliver a copy of the agreement to the customer within 10 calendar days after the bank or trust company receives it. The contract shall not contain any blank spaces to be filled in after the customer signs the contract. If more than one customer has signed the agreement, the bank or trust company may comply with this section by mailing or delivering the copy to any one of the customers who reside at the same address. A copy shall also be mailed or delivered to any other customer who has signed the agreement and who does not reside at the same address. As used in this section, "copy" means a reproduction, facsimile, or duplicate. A bank or trust company which fails to comply with this section is liable to its customer for any actual damages suffered by the customer as a result of that failure. The remedy provided by this section is nonexclusive and is in addition to any remedies or penalties available under other laws of this state.

(a) In this section, "subject person," when used with respect to a bank, means any director or officer of the bank, any controlling person of the bank, or any director or officer of a controlling person of the bank. For purposes of this subdivision, "controlling person" has the meaning set forth in subdivision (c) of Section 1250.
  (b) No bank shall purchase any real or personal property or any interest in real or personal property, including, but not limited to, a leasehold, or any contract arising from the sale of real or personal property or any note or bond in which any subject person of such bank is personally or financially interested, directly or indirectly, for such person's own account, for such person, or as the partner or agent of others, without the prior approval by the board of directors of the bank and for not more than the current market value of the property purchased.

(a) In this section, "subject person" has the meaning set forth in subdivision (a) of Section 1329.
  (b) No subject person of a bank shall purchase, directly or indirectly, or be interested in the purchase of, any of the bank's obligations or assets without the prior approval of the board of the directors of the bank and for an amount less than the then current market value. Every person violating this section shall be liable to the people of this state, for each offense, for twice the market value of the assets so purchased.

(a) For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:
  (1) "Carrying a security" means maintaining, reducing, or retiring indebtedness originally incurred to acquire a security.
  (2) "Controlling person" has the same meaning specified in Section 1250.
  (3) "Security" has the following meanings:
  (A) When used with respect to a bank, "security" has the same meaning set forth in subdivision (c) of Section 1200.
  (B) When used with respect to any other person, "security" has the same meaning set forth in Section 25019 of the Corporations Code.
  (b) No bank shall acquire, hold, extend credit on the security of, or extend credit for the purpose of acquiring or carrying, any security of the bank or of any controlling person of the bank.
  (c) (1) Any bank which acquires or holds securities in violation of this section shall be liable to the people of this state for twice the market, book, or face value of the securities, whichever is greatest.
  (2) Any bank which extends credit in violation of this section shall be liable to the people of this state for twice the amount of the credit so extended.
  (d) This section does not apply to any of the following transactions:
  (1) Any acquisition or extension of credit by a bank which is necessary to reduce or prevent loss to the bank on debts previously contracted in good faith.
  (2) Any redemption by a bank of any of its redeemable securities in accordance with applicable provisions of this division and of Division 1 (commencing with Section 100) of Title 1 of the Corporations Code.
  (3) Any acquisition by a bank of any of its securities, other than an acquisition of the type described in paragraph (1) or (2), if the acquisition is approved in advance by the commissioner.
  (e) The provisions of Section 329 shall not apply to this section.

Any officer, director, trustee, employee, or agent of any bank in this state, who abstracts or willfully misapplies any of the money, funds, or property of the bank, or willfully misapplies its credit, is guilty of a felony. Upon conviction, the court shall, in addition to any other punishment imposed, order the person to make full restitution to the bank. Nothing in this section shall be deemed or construed to repeal, amend or impair any existing provision of law prescribing a punishment for such an offense.

(a) Every director of a bank in this state who does either of the following is guilty of a misdemeanor:
  (1) In case of the fraudulent insolvency of such bank, the director participated in the fraud.
  (2) Willfully does any act as the director that is expressly forbidden by law or willfully omits to perform any duty imposed by law upon him or her as the director.
  (b) The insolvency of a bank is deemed fraudulent for the purposes of this section, unless its affairs appear upon investigation to have been administered clearly, legally, and with the same care and diligence that agents receiving a compensation for their services are bound, by law, to observe.

An officer or agent of any bank in this state, who makes or delivers any guaranty or endorsement on behalf of such bank, whereby it may become liable upon any of its discounted notes, bills or obligations, in a sum beyond the amount of loans and discounts which such bank may legally make, is guilty of a misdemeanor.

A director of a bank, organized under the laws of this state, who concurs in any vote or act of the directors of such corporation, or any of them, by which it is intended to make a loan or discount to any director of such corporation, or upon paper upon which any such director is liable or responsible to an amount exceeding the amount allowed by the statutes is guilty of a misdemeanor.

Any director, trustee, officer, or employee of any bank organized under the laws of this state, who makes or maintains, or attempts to make or maintain, a deposit of such bank's funds with any other corporation on condition, or with the understanding, express or implied, that the corporation receiving such deposit make a loan or advance, directly or indirectly, to any director, trustee, officer, or employee of the corporation so making or maintaining or attempting to make or maintain such deposit is guilty of a felony.

Any officer or employee of any bank organized under the laws of this state, who intentionally conceals from the directors of the bank any discounts or loans made by it between the regular meetings of its board, or the purchase of any securities or the sale of its securities during that period, or knowingly fails to report to the board when required to do so by law, all discounts or loans made by it and all securities purchased or sold by it between the regular meetings of its board, is guilty of a misdemeanor.

Every officer, agent, teller, or clerk of any bank, and every individual banker, or agent, teller, or clerk of any individual banker, who receives any deposits, knowing that the bank, association, or banker is insolvent, is guilty of a misdemeanor.

Any officer, director, trustee, employee, or agent of any bank, who willfully makes a false or untrue entry in any book or record or in any report, tag, or statement of the business, affairs, or condition or in connection with any transaction of the bank, with intent to deceive any officer, director or trustee thereof, or any agent or examiner, private or official, employed or lawfully appointed to examine into its condition or into any of its affairs or transactions, or any public officer, office, or board to which the bank is required by law to report, or which has authority by law to examine into its affairs or transactions, or into any of its affairs or transactions, or who, with like intent, willfully omits to make a new entry of any matter particularly pertaining to the business, property, condition, affairs, transactions, assets, or accounts of the bank in any book, record, report, statement, or tag of the bank, or who with like intent alters, abstracts, conceals, or destroys any book, record, report, statement, or tag of the bank made, written, or kept, or required to be made, written, or kept by him or her or under his or her direction, is guilty of a felony.

Unless specifically authorized by law or by the commissioner, a bank shall not become, act as, or in any other manner assume the duties or liabilities of, a general partner. For purposes of this section, "general partner" has the meaning set forth in subdivision (m) of Section 15901.02 of the Corporations Code.

A bank, or the agent of a bank, that has received a notice pursuant to Section 7507.6 of the Business and Professions Code, shall not make a subsequent assignment to skip trace, locate, or repossess a vehicle without simultaneously, and in the same manner by which the assignment is given, advising the assignee of the assignment of the information contained in the notice. As used in this section, "assignment" has the same meaning set forth in Section 7500.1 of the Business and Professions Code.