2013 South Carolina Code of Laws
Title 34 - Banking, Financial Institutions and Money
CHAPTER 28 - SAVINGS ASSOCIATIONS
SECTION 34-28-720. Conservatorship.

(1) If the Board as a result of any examination or from any report made to it believes that the public interest may be served by the appointment of a conservator, and if it shall find that any association:

(a) is in an impaired condition;

(b) is engaging in practices which threaten to result in an impaired condition; or

(c) is in violation of an order or injunction as authorized by Section 34-28-710 which has become final in that time to appeal has expired without appeal or a final order has been entered from which there can be no appeal, the Board may appoint a conservator for the association, which may be the chairman of the Board, his deputy, or any other person and, upon their appointment, shall apply immediately to the circuit court in the county in which the home office of the association is located and, in the case of a foreign association doing business in this State, the county in which its registered office in this State is located, for confirmation of the appointment, and the court has exclusive jurisdiction to determine the issues and all related matters. These proceedings must be given precedence over other cases pending in the court and must in every way be expedited. The court shall confirm the appointment if it finds that one or more of the grounds specified in this subsection exist, and a certified copy of the order of the court confirming the appointment is evidence thereof. The conservator has the power and authority provided in this chapter and any other power and authority as may be expressed in the order of the court. The conservator shall endeavor promptly to remedy the situations complained of by the Board in its application for confirmation of the appointment. Within six months of the date of the appointment, or within twelve months if the court extends the six months' period, the association must be returned to the board of directors thereof and thereafter must be managed and operated as if no conservator had been appointed, or a receiver must be managed and operated as hereinafter provided. If the chairman of the Board, or his deputy, or an employee of the Board is appointed conservator, he shall receive no additional compensation, but if another person is appointed, then the compensation of the conservator, as determined by the court, must be paid by the association. A certified copy of the order of the court discharging the conservator and returning the association to the directors is sufficient evidence thereof.

(2) Any conservator has all the rights, powers, and privileges possessed by the officers, directors, members, and stockholders of the association.

(3) The conservator shall not retain special counsel or other experts, incur any expense other than normal operating expenses, or liquidate assets except in the ordinary course of operations.

(4) The directors and officers shall remain in the office and the employees shall remain in their respective positions, but the conservator may remove any director, officer, or employee, provided the order of removal of a director or officer is approved in writing by the Board.

(5) While the association is in the charge of a conservator, borrowers and other obligors of the association shall continue to make payments to the association in accordance with the terms and conditions of their contracts, and the conservator, in his discretion, may permit deposit account holders to withdraw their account from the association pursuant to the provisions of this chapter or under and subject to those regulations as the Board may prescribe. The conservator has power to accept new deposit accounts and additions to existing deposit accounts, but any amounts received by the conservator may be segregated if the Board shall so order in writing; and, if so ordered, the segregated amounts are not subject to offset and may not be used to liquidate any indebtedness of the association existing at the time the conservator was appointed for it or any subsequent indebtedness incurred for the purposes of liquidating the indebtedness of any association existing at the time the conservator was appointed. All expenses of the association during the conservatorship must be paid by the association.

HISTORY: 1985 Act No. 124, Section 1.