12 CFR § 238.12 - Transactions not requiring Board approval.

(a) The requirements of § 238.11(a), (b), (d), (e) and (f) do not apply to:

(1) Control of a savings association acquired by devise under the terms of a will creating a trust which is excluded from the definition of savings and loan holding company;

(2) Control of a savings association acquired in connection with a reorganization that involves solely the acquisition of control of that association by a newly formed company that is controlled by the same acquirors that controlled the savings association for the immediately preceding three years, and entails no other transactions, such as an assumption of the acquirors' debt by the newly formed company: Provided, that the acquirors have filed the designated form with the appropriate Reserve Bank and have provided all additional information requested by the Board or Reserve Bank, and the Board nor the appropriate Reserve Bank object to the acquisition within 30 days of the filing date;

(3) Control of a savings association acquired by a bank holding company that is registered under and subject to, the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, or any company controlled by such bank holding company;

(4) Control of a savings association acquired solely as a result of a pledge or hypothecation of stock to secure a loan contracted for in good faith or the liquidation of a loan contracted for in good faith, in either case where such loan was made in the ordinary course of the business of the lender: Provided, further, That acquisition of control pursuant to such pledge, hypothecation or liquidation is reported to the Board within 30 days, and Provided, further, That the acquiror shall not retain such control for more than one year from the date on which such control was acquired; however, the Board may, upon application by an acquiror, extend such one-year period from year to year, for an additional period of time not exceeding three years, if the Board finds such extension is warranted and would not be detrimental to the public interest;

(5) Control of a savings association acquired through a percentage increase in stock ownership following a pro rata stock dividend or stock split, if the proportional interests of the recipients remain substantially the same;

(6) Acquisitions of up to twenty-five percent (25%) of a class of stock by a tax-qualified employee stock benefit plan; and

(7) Acquisitions of up to 15 percent of the voting stock of any savings association by a savings and loan holding company (other than a bank holding company) in connection with a qualified stock issuance if such acquisition is approved by the Board pursuant to subpart E.

(b) The requirements of § 238.11(c) do not apply to voting shares of a savings association or of a savings and loan holding company—

(1) Held as a bona fide fiduciary (whether with or without the sole discretion to vote such shares);

(2) Held temporarily pursuant to an underwriting commitment in the normal course of an underwriting business;

(3) Held in an account solely for trading purposes or over which no control is held other than control of voting rights acquired in the normal course of a proxy solicitation;

(4) Acquired in securing or collecting a debt previously contracted in good faith, for two years after the date of acquisition or for such additional time (not exceeding three years) as the Board may permit if, in the Board's judgment, such an extension would not be detrimental to the public interest;

(5) Acquired under section 13(k)(1)(A)(i) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (or section 408(m) of the National Housing Act as in effect immediately prior to the enactment of the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act of 1989);

(6) Held by any insurance companies as defined in section 2(a)(17) of the Investment Company Act of 1940: Provided, That all shares held by all insurance company affiliates of such savings association or savings and loan holding company may not, in the aggregate, exceed five percent of all outstanding shares or of the voting power of the savings association or savings and loan holding company, and such shares are not acquired or retained with a view to acquiring, exercising, or transferring control of the savings association or savings and loan holding company; and

(7) Acquired pursuant to a qualified stock issuance if such a purchase is approved pursuant to subpart E of this part.

(c) The aggregate amount of shares held under paragraph (b) of this section (other than pursuant to paragraphs (b)(1) through (4) and (b)(6)) may not exceed 15 percent of all outstanding shares or the voting power of a savings association or savings and loan holding company.

(d) Acquisitions involving savings association mergers and internal corporate reorganizations. The requirements of § 238.11 do not apply to:

(1) Certain transactions subject to the Bank Merger Act. The acquisition by a savings and loan holding company of shares of a savings association or company controlling a savings association or the merger of a company controlling a savings association with the savings and loan holding company, if the transaction is part of the merger or consolidation of the savings association with a subsidiary savings association (other than a nonoperating subsidiary savings association) of the acquiring savings and loan holding company, or is part of the purchase of substantially all of the assets of the savings association by a subsidiary savings association (other than a nonoperating subsidiary savings association) of the acquiring savings and loan holding company, and if:

(i) The savings association merger, consolidation, or asset purchase occurs simultaneously with the acquisition of the shares of the savings association or savings and loan holding company or the merger of holding companies, and the savings association is not operated by the acquiring savings and loan holding company as a separate entity other than as the survivor of the merger, consolidation, or asset purchase;

(ii) The transaction requires the prior approval of a federal supervisory agency under the Bank Merger Act (12 U.S.C. 1828(c));

(iii) The transaction does not involve the acquisition of any company that would require prior notice or approval under section 10(c) of the HOLA;

(iv) The transaction does not involve a depository institution organized in mutual form, a savings and loan holding company organized in mutual form, a subsidiary holding company of a savings and loan holding company organized in mutual form, or a bank holding company organized in mutual form;

(v) The transaction will not have a material adverse impact on the financial condition of the acquiring savings and loan holding company;

(vi) At least 10 days prior to the transaction, the acquiring savings and loan holding company has provided to the Reserve Bank written notice of the transaction that contains:

(A) A copy of the filing made to the appropriate federal banking agency under the Bank Merger Act; and

(B) A description of the holding company's involvement in the transaction, the purchase price, and the source of funding for the purchase price; and

(vii) Prior to expiration of the period provided in paragraph (d)(1)(vi) of this section, neither the Board nor the Reserve Bank has informed the savings and loan holding company that an application under § 238.11 is required.

(2) Internal corporate reorganizations.

(i) Subject to paragraph (d)(2)(ii) of this section, any of the following transactions performed in the United States by a savings and loan holding company:

(A) The merger of holding companies that are subsidiaries of the savings and loan holding company;

(B) The formation of a subsidiary holding company; 1

1 In the case of a transaction that results in the formation or designation of a new savings and loan holding company, the new savings and loan holding company must complete the registration requirements described in section 238.11.

(C) The transfer of control or ownership of a subsidiary savings association or a subsidiary holding company between one subsidiary holding company and another subsidiary holding company or the savings and loan holding company.

(ii) A transaction described in paragraph (d)(2)(i) of this section qualifies for this exception if—

(A) The transaction represents solely a corporate reorganization involving companies and insured depository institutions that, both preceding and following the transaction, are lawfully controlled and operated by the savings and loan holding company;

(B) The transaction does not involve the acquisition of additional voting shares of an insured depository institution that, prior to the transaction, was less than majority owned by the savings and loan holding company;

(C) The transaction does not involve a savings and loan holding company organized in mutual form, a subsidiary holding company of a savings and loan holding company organized in mutual form, or a bank holding company organized in mutual form; and

(D) The transaction will not have a material adverse impact on the financial condition of the holding company.