6651-6663
FINANCIAL CODE
SECTION 6651-6663
6651. Except for savings accounts issued in marketable or bearer
form, savings accounts shall be represented only by the account of
each savings account holder on the books of the association, and the
accounts or any interest in the accounts shall be transferable only
on the books of the association and upon proper written application,
and acceptance by the association of the transferee as a holder upon
terms approved by the board of directors.
6652. (a) Upon the filing with an association by the savings
account holder of record as shown by the books of the association, or
by the holder's legal representative, of an affidavit to the effect
that the evidence of account, if any, has been lost or destroyed, and
that the account has not been pledged or assigned in whole or in
part, the association shall issue a new evidence of account, if
applicable, in the name of the holder of record.
(b) The new evidence of account may state that it is issued in
lieu of the one lost or destroyed and that the association shall not
be liable for the loss or destruction of the original evidence of
account.
(c) The association may require an indemnification or a bond in an
amount it deems sufficient to indemnify the association against any
loss which might result from the issuance of a new evidence of
account under this section.
6653. (a) No association shall, directly or indirectly, for the
opening or increasing of any savings account, give, sell, dispose of,
or permit the giving, selling, or disposition of, for any one
opening or increase anything having a cost or value in excess of the
amount authorized by the commissioner by regulation.
(b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a) the commissioner is authorized
to impose by regulation restrictions on associations, relating to
the distribution and advertising of giveaways, equivalent to those
imposed on federal associations doing business in this state.
6653.5. (a) A troubled savings association may not accept funds
obtained, directly or indirectly, by or through any deposit broker
for deposit into one or more accounts.
(b) Any renewal of a savings account in any troubled savings
association and any rollover of any amount on deposit in such a
savings account shall be treated as an acceptance of funds by the
troubled savings association for purposes of subdivision (a).
(c) The commissioner may, on a case-by-case basis and upon
application by a savings association, waive the applicability of
subdivision (a) upon a finding that the acceptance of these deposits
does not constitute an unsafe or unsound practice with respect to
that savings association.
(d) The commissioner may impose, by regulation or order, such
additional restrictions on the acceptance of broker deposits by any
troubled savings association as the commissioner may determine to be
appropriate.
(e) For purposes of this section:
(1) "Deposit broker," except as otherwise provided in paragraph
(2), means either of the following:
(A) Any person engaged in (i) the business of placing deposits, or
facilitating the placement of deposits, of third parties with
financial institutions or (ii) the business of placing deposits with
financial institutions for the purpose of selling interests in those
deposits to third parties.
(B) An agent or trustee who establishes a savings account to
facilitate a business arrangement with a financial institution to use
the proceeds of the account to fund a prearranged loan.
(2) Subject to paragraph (3), "deposit broker" does not include
any of the following:
(A) A savings association with respect to funds placed with that
savings association.
(B) An employee of a savings association with respect to funds
placed with the employing savings association.
(C) A trust department of a savings association, if the trust in
question has not been established for the primary purpose of placing
funds with financial institutions.
(D) The trustee of a pension or other employee benefit plan, with
respect to funds of the plan.
(E) A person acting as a plan administrator or an investment
adviser in connection with a pension plan or other employee benefit
plan, provided that that person is performing managerial functions
with respect to the plan.
(F) The trustee of a testamentary account.
(G) The trustee of an irrevocable trust (other than one described
in subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1), as long as the trust in
question has not been established for the primary purpose of placing
funds with financial institutions.
(H) A trustee or custodian of a pension or profitsharing plan
qualified under Section 401(d) or 403(a) of the federal Internal
Revenue Code of 1986.
(I) An agent or nominee whose primary purpose is not the placement
of funds with financial institutions.
(3) The exceptions specified in paragraph (2) do not apply to, and
the term "deposit broker" includes, any savings association, and any
employee of any savings association, that engages, directly or
indirectly, in the solicitation of deposits by offering rates of
interest (with respect to those deposits) which are significantly
higher than the prevailing rates of interest on deposits offered by
other associations and federal associations in the savings
association's normal market area.
(4) "Employee" means any person meeting all of the following
criteria:
(A) The person is employed exclusively by the savings association.
(B) The person's compensation is primarily in the form of a
salary.
(C) The person does not share that compensation with a deposit
broker.
(D) The person's office space or place of business is used
exclusively for the benefit of the savings association which employs
the person.
(5) "Troubled savings association" means any savings association
which does not meet the minimum capital requirements applicable with
respect to that savings association.
6660. (a) For the purposes of this section:
(1) "Account" means withdrawable or repurchasable shares,
investment certificates, deposits, or savings accounts as defined in
Section 561.2, 561.16, 561.28, 561.29, 561.42, or 563.6 of Title 12
of the Code of Federal Regulations pursuant to which the account
holder from time to time may make deposits and effect withdrawals.
(2) "Account holder" means a person who is identified on the
signature card for an account, or in the absence of a signature card,
a person who has an interest in an account which is reflected on the
records of the association for that account to whom statements of
account or other notices are normally given, or the agent of such
person.
(3) "Charges" means those charges which an association may, from
time to time, impose on an account in the normal course of business
in the operation of the account and, does not include:
(A) Charges which may be imposed for extraordinary services
furnished at the specific request of the account holder.
(B) Charges or amounts required to be disclosed to the depositor
pursuant to the Truth-in-Lending Act (15 U.S.C. Sec. 1601 et seq.)
and Regulation Z (12 C.F.R. 226.1 et seq.), as amended.
(4) "Customer" means one or more natural persons.
(5) "Debt" means an interest-bearing obligation or an obligation
that by its terms is payable in installments, which has not been
reduced to judgment, arising from an extension of credit to a natural
person primarily for personal, family, or household purposes, and
does not mean a charge for savings and loan services, for a debit for
uncollected funds, for dishonored checks cashed for a customer, or
for an overdraft account imposed by an association on a savings
account.
(b) An association is limited in exercising any setoff for a debt
claimed to be owed to the association by a customer in that a setoff
shall not result in an aggregate balance of less than one thousand
dollars ($1,000) as shown on the records of the association for all
accounts maintained by a customer with the association or any of its
branches.
(c) Not later than the day following the exercise of any setoff
with respect to an account for any debt claimed to be owed to the
association by a customer, the association shall deliver to each
customer personally or send by first-class mail postage prepaid to
the address of each customer as shown on the records of the
association a written notice in at least 10-point type containing the
following:
(1) A statement that the association has set off all or part of a
debt against the customer's account, identifying the account, and
giving the respective balances before and after the setoff.
(2) A statement identifying the debt setoff against the account
and giving the respective balances due before and after the setoff.
(3) A statement that if the customer claims that the debt has been
paid or is not now owing, or that the funds in the account consist
of moneys expressly exempt pursuant to Chapter 4 (commencing with
Section 703.010) of Division 2 of Title 9 of Part 2 of the Code of
Civil Procedure, and listed in the notice, the customer may execute
and return the notice to the association by mail at the address shown
or personally to the branch where the customer's account is
maintained not later than 20 days after the date of mailing or
personal delivery.
(4) A statement that (A) if the notice is executed and returned,
the association may file an action in court to collect the debt, (B)
that if a lawsuit is filed, the customer will be notified and have an
opportunity to appear and defend, and (C) that if the association is
successful, the customer will be liable for court costs, and
attorney's fees, if the debt so provides.
(5) A response form in at least 10-point type containing
substantially the following:
"The debt described in the Notice of Setoff
received from the
savings and loan association is__ isnot__ my debt
or the debt
of another person in whose name the account is
maintained.
"I claim that the debt:
____ has been paid.
____ is not now owing.
is not subject to setoff because the
____ money in the
account is:
____ Paid earnings (CCP 704.070)
Proceeds from execution sale of or
____ ins urance for
loss of a motor vehicle (CCP 704.010)
Proceeds from execution sale of
househol d
____
furnishings or other personal effects
(CCP 704.020)
____ Relocation benefits (CCP704.180)
____ Life insurance proceeds (CCP 704.100)
Disability and health insurance
____ benefits (CCP
704.130)
____ Workers' compensation benefits (CCP
704.160)
____ Unemployment or strike benefits (CCP
704.120)
Retirement benefits including, but not
limited to,
____ social security benefits (CCP 704.080,
704.110,
704.115)
Public assistance benefits including
welfare payments
____ and supplemental security income (SSI)
or charitable
aid (CCP 704.170)
Proceeds from sale of or insurance
for damage or
____
destruction of a dwelling (CCP 704.720,
704.960)
Proceeds from execution sale of or
____ insurance for loss
of tools of a trade (CCP 704.060)
Award of damages for personal injury
____ (CCP 704.140)
or wrongful death (CCP 704.150)
Financial aid paid by an institution of
higher
____ education to a student for expenses
while attending
school (CCP 704.190)
I declare under penalty of perjury that the
foregoing is true
and correct.
Executed at ________________________, California
on ___________________________
City or
County Date
Signed:
_____________________________"
(d) If the response form described in subdivision (c) executed by
the customer is received by the association not later than 20 days
after the date of mailing or personal delivery of the written notice,
the amount of the setoff for any debt claimed to be owed to the
association by a customer, and any service charges resulting from the
setoff, shall be reversed and shall be credited to the customer's
account not later than the end of the third business day following
receipt of the executed response form.
(e) The limitations provided in this section do not apply to
accounts in which the association has a security interest expressed
by a written contract as collateral for the debt owing to the
association by the customer.
(f) The limitations provided in this section do not apply when a
customer previously has authorized an association in writing to
periodically debit an account as the agreed method of payment of the
debt.
(g) The limitations provided in this section shall apply only to
the exercise by an association of a setoff with respect to debts
claimed to be owing to it by customers on or after July 1, 1976.
(h) Nothing in this section shall prejudice a person's right to
assert exemptions under Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 703.010)
of Division 2 of Title 9 of Part 2 of the Code of Civil Procedure, or
to assert a claim or defense as to the validity of the debt, in a
judicial proceeding.
6661. Notice to an association or federal association of an adverse
claim to a savings account of, or to personal property held for the
account of, any person shall be disregarded, and the association or
federal association, notwithstanding the notice, shall honor
withdrawal applications and shall pay withdrawals and interest to the
person or persons to whose credit the account stands or shall
deliver the property to or upon the order of the person for whose
account the property is held, without any liability on the part of
the association or federal association; subject, however, to the
exceptions provided in subdivisions (a) and (b):
(a) If an adverse claimant delivers to the association or federal
association at the office at which the account is carried or the
property held an affidavit of the claimant stating that of the
claimant's own knowledge the person to whose credit the deposit
stands or for whose account the property is held is a fiduciary for
the adverse claimant and that the claimant has reason to believe the
fiduciary is about to misappropriate the account or the property, and
stating the facts upon which the claim of fiduciary relationship and
the belief are founded, the association or federal association shall
refuse to pay withdrawals or interest on the account and shall
refuse to deliver the property for a period of not more than three
court days (including the day of delivery) from the date that the
association or federal association received the adverse claimant's
affidavit, without liability on its part and without liability for
the sufficiency or truth of the facts alleged in the affidavit.
(b) If at any time, either before, after, or in the absence of the
filing of an affidavit by the adverse claimant, the adverse claimant
procures and serves upon the association or federal association at
the office at which the account is carried or the property held a
restraining order, injunction, or other appropriate order against the
association or federal association from a court of competent
jurisdiction in an action in which the adverse claimant and all
persons in whose names the account stands or for whose account the
property is held are the parties, the association or federal
association shall comply with the order or injunction, without
liability on its part.
(c) The provisions of this section shall be applicable even though
the name of the person appearing on the books to whose credit the
account stands or for whose account the property is held is modified
by a qualifying or descriptive term such as "agent," "trustee," or
other word or phrase indicating that the person may hold the account
or property in a fiduciary capacity.
(d) Nothing in the California Multiple-Party Accounts Law
contained in Part 2 (commencing with Section 5100) of Division 5 of
the Probate Code limits the applicability of this section.
6662. Nothing in this chapter shall prohibit an association or
federal association from issuing tenancy in common, community
property, and other types of savings accounts authorized by law.
6663. If any attachment is levied upon any savings account or any
other property maintained with an association or federal association,
a copy of the writ and notice of attachment shall be served upon the
manager or any other officer of the association or federal
association. Service shall be made at the office or branch at which
the savings account or other property is maintained, if the office or
branch is in operation at the time of the service or, if the office,
agency, or branch is not in operation at the time of service, at the
home office of the association or federal association. Writs and
notices of attachment which are not so served are not effective as to
any savings account or other property maintained with the
association or federal association, irrespective of any other
provision of law relating to service of attachments.