1322
. (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.