221.0319 Real estate.

(1) Purposes for which real estate may be held. A bank may purchase, lease, hold and convey only the following types of real estate:

(a) Real estate necessary for the convenient transaction of its business, including facilities connected with the office, furniture, equipment and fixtures. A bank may include with its banking offices, other facilities to rent as a source of income. A bank may also invest in the stocks, bonds or obligations of a bank building corporation. A bank's investment under this paragraph or its liability for it may not exceed in the aggregate 60 percent of the bank's capital.

(b) Real estate conveyed to the bank in satisfaction of debts previously contracted in the course of the bank's business.

(c) Real estate purchased at sale on judgments, decrees or mortgage foreclosures under securities held by the bank, but a bank may not bid at a sale a larger amount than is necessary to satisfy its debts and costs.

(d) Subject to the approval of the division, real estate purchased and held for the purpose of providing needed housing accommodations for its essential employees who are relocated by the bank, including purchasing the former residence of the relocated, essential employee.

(e) Real estate acquired or held for such other purposes as may be approved by the division, subject to s. 221.0321.

(2) Time limitation. Real estate acquired under sub. (1) (b), (c) or (d) may not be held for more than 5 years, unless an extension is granted by the division. If an application for an extension is denied, the real estate must be sold at a private or public sale within one year after the denial of the application. This section does not prevent a bank from lending money secured by real estate as provided by law. Real estate may be conveyed under the signature of an officer of the bank.

(3) Holding companies. Subject to sub. (1) (a), a bank may convey real estate to an entity engaged solely in holding property of the bank, to a bank holding company, as defined in 12 USC 1841 (a), of which the bank is a subsidiary or to any other subsidiary of that bank holding company. A liability of the entity holding property of the bank, bank holding company or subsidiary of the bank holding company to the bank that results from a conveyance under this subsection is not subject to the limitation under s. 221.0320 (1).

History: 1995 a. 336.