Archives > 1976 South Carolina Code of Laws - Previous Versions > 2000 Session > Title 34

The State of South Carolina owns the copyright to the Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976, as contained herein. Any use of the text, section headings, or catchlines of the 1976 Code is subject to the terms of federal copyright and other applicable laws and such text, section headings, or catchlines may not be reproduced in whole or in part in any form or for inclusion in any material which is offered for sale or lease without the express written permission of the Chairman of the South Carolina Legislative Council or the Code Commissioner of South Carolina.

This statutory database is current through the 2000 Regular Session of the South Carolina General Assembly. Changes to the statutes enacted by the 2001 General Assembly, which will convene in January 2001, will be incorporated as soon as possible. Some changes enacted by the 2001 General Assembly may take immediate effect. The State of South Carolina and the South Carolina Legislative Council make no warranty as to the accuracy of the data, and users rely on the data entirely at their own risk.

The Legislative Council by law is charged with compiling and publishing the 1976 Code and it is maintained in a database which may be accessed for commercial purposes by contacting the Legislative Council or the office of Legislative Printing, Information and Technology Resources.




SECTION 34-13-50. Maximum amounts of loans; generally.

(A) The total liabilities, direct and indirect, of any one borrower to a bank, including in the liabilities of a company or firm the liabilities of its several members, may never exceed ten percent of the bank's unimpaired capital, except by two-thirds vote of the directors of the bank, in which case liabilities other than those of officers and directors as described in Section 34-13-80 may be extended to fifteen percent of the bank's unimpaired capital. However, liabilities may be extended by an additional amount not to exceed thirty-five percent of the unimpaired capital of the bank when the additional loans are secured by direct obligations of the United States Government or direct obligations of this State. The discount of bills of exchange drawn in good faith against existing values and the discount of commercial or business paper are not considered money borrowed.

(B) For purposes of this section, "unimpaired capital" means the total of the amount of:

(1) unimpaired common stock;

(2) perpetual preferred stock;

(3) surplus;

(4) undivided profits, excluding disallowed intangibles;

(5) reserve for contingencies and other capital reserves, excluding accrued dividends on perpetual and limited life preferred stock;

(6) mandatory convertible debt;

(7) allowance for loan losses; and

(8) capital debentures or notes, convertible or otherwise, having an average original maturity of at least seven years and having been designated specifically as part of the bank's unimpaired capital by resolution duly adopted by the board of directors of the bank.

SECTION 34-13-60. Maximum amounts of loans; exceptions for certain loans secured by shipping documents and the like.

Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 34-13-50 the obligations of any person in the form of notes or drafts secured by shipping documents, warehouse receipts or other such documents transferring or securing title covering readily marketable nonperishable staples when such property is fully covered by insurance, if it is customary to insure such staples, shall be subject:

(1) To a limitation of twenty-five per cent of such capital and surplus when the market value of such staples securing such obligations is not at any time less than one hundred and fifteen per cent of the face amount of such obligations;

(2) To a limitation of thirty per cent of such capital and surplus when the market value of such staples securing such obligations is not at any time less than one hundred and twenty per cent of the face amount of such obligations; and

(3) To a limitation in addition to such thirty per cent of such capital and surplus increased by an additional five per cent thereof for each and every additional five per centum of the market value of such staples securing such obligations not in excess, however, of a total limitation of fifty per cent of such capital and surplus.

But this exception shall not apply to obligations of any one person arising from the same transaction or secured upon the identical staples for more than ten months.

SECTION 34-13-70. Maximum amounts of loans; another maximum.

In no case shall a loan be made by any State bank which when added to the then existing total loans to the borrower thereof would increase the total to more than twenty-five per cent of the capital, surplus and deposits of the bank, less the amount invested in real estate, bonds or other securities.

SECTION 34-13-80. Limitations on loans to directors and officers.

Directors and officers of any bank incorporated under the laws of this State, members of their families, and entities with which they are associated, may borrow or obtain credit from the bank in the same manner and under the same terms and conditions that directors and officers, members of their families, and entities with which they are associated, of any national bank are permitted to borrow or obtain credit from the national bank as provided by law.

SECTION 34-13-90. Penalty for improper borrowing by directors or officers.

A person who violates the provisions of Section 34-13-80 is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, must be fined in the discretion of the court or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.

SECTION 34-13-100. Investigation of security consisting of warehouse receipts.

When warehouse receipts for products are pledged as securities in any State bank under examination the examiner of such bank may go upon the premises of the person issuing the receipts, question the management under oath and, if thought necessary, have the actual product exhibited to him.

SECTION 34-13-110. Certain discounts are not considered as money borrowed.

The discount of bills of exchange drawn in good faith against existing values and the discount of commercial business paper shall not be considered as money borrowed.

SECTION 34-13-130. [1962 Code Section 8-234; 1952 Code Section 8-234; 1942 Code Section 7843; 1932 Code Section 7862; Civ. C. '22 Section 3992; Civ. C. '12 Section 2654; Civ. C. '02 Section 1774; R. S. 1538; 1887 (19) 860; 1913 (28) 37; 1919 (31) 41]Repealed by 1995 Act No. 26, Section 1, eff upon approval (became law without the Governor's signature on April 6, 1995).

SECTION 34-13-140. Restrictions on loan on or purchase of bank's own stock.

It shall be unlawful for any banking association to make any loan or discount on the security of the shares of its own capital stock or to be the purchaser or holder of any such shares unless such security or purchase shall be necessary to prevent loss upon a debt previously contracted in good faith.

SECTION 34-13-150. Investment of funds in Federal savings and loan associations, building and loan associations, and the like.

It shall be lawful for any building and loan association, bank, trust company or other financial institution operating or doing business in the State or under the laws of the State or the United States, any national bank or the receiver of any bank, trust company, building and loan association or other financial institution operating under the laws of this State or of the United States to invest its funds or the moneys in its custody or possession eligible for investment in the shares of any Federal savings and loan association or in the shares of any building and loan association organized and existing under the laws of this State when such shares are insured by the Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation and also in the bonds or debentures issued by any Federal home loan bank or in the consolidated bonds or debentures issued by the Federal Home Loan Bank Board.

SECTION 34-13-160. Investment in farm loan bonds and the like; accountability for interest thereon.

Any banking institution or trust company organized under the laws of this State may invest in, or lend money on the security of: Federal farm loan bonds issued by Federal land banks pursuant to the Federal Farm Loan Act as amended, bonds issued by the Federal Farm Mortgage Corporation pursuant to the provisions of an act of Congress known as the "Federal Farm Mortgage Corporation Act," Federal Intermediate Credit Bank debentures issued pursuant to the Federal Farm Loan Act as amended, and debentures issued by the Central Bank for Cooperatives and regional banks for cooperatives, organized under the Farm Credit Act of 1933, and any notes, bonds, debentures, or other similar obligations, consolidated or otherwise, issued by farm credit institutions pursuant to authorities contained in the Farm Credit Act of 1971 (Public Law 92-181) or by any of such banks. A banking institution or trust company organized under the laws of this State making an investment or loan authorized by this section shall not be chargeable in its account for a greater rate of interest than the amount actually received on the investment or loan.

SECTION 34-13-170. Investment in bank service corporations.

(1) Citation of section. - This section shall be cited as the "Bank Service Corporation Act."

(2) Definitions. - For the purposes of this section-

(a) The term "bank service corporation" means a corporation whose primary purpose is to perform for two or more banks having an investment in the corporation services such as check and deposit sorting and posting, computation and posting of interest and other credits and charges, preparation and mailing of statements, notices, and similar items, or any other similar clerical or bookkeeping function.

(b) The terms "invest" and "investment" include any advance of funds to a bank service corporation, whether by purchase of stock, the making of a loan, or otherwise, except a payment for earned rent, goods sold and delivered, or services rendered prior to the making of such payment.

(3) Investments. - Notwithstanding any contrary provision of law relating to banks, a bank may at any time have outstanding investments in a bank service corporation not exceeding ten per cent of the bank's capital and surplus at such time.