First National Bank of Worland v. Financial Institutions Board

616 P.2d 787, 1980 Wyo. LEXIS 304
CourtWyoming Supreme Court
DecidedSeptember 15, 1980
Docket5258
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 616 P.2d 787 (First National Bank of Worland v. Financial Institutions Board) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Wyoming Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
First National Bank of Worland v. Financial Institutions Board, 616 P.2d 787, 1980 Wyo. LEXIS 304 (Wyo. 1980).

Opinions

ROONEY, Justice.

Appellants-protestants appeal from an order of the district court affirming the Financial Institutions Board’s (hereinafter referred to as Board) approval of a new state bank in Worland.

We affirm.

Appellants word the issues presented for review as follows:

“A. Whether the Financial Institutions Board was properly constituted in that George W. Mcllvaine and Arthur R. Piz were both directly or indirectly connected with Wyoming Bancorporation.
“B. Whether § 13-2-211 and § 13-2-212, W.S.Rep.Ed., 1977, are internally inconsistent and fail to place the parties on notice of the standards to be used for approval of a bank charter.
“C. Whether the Board acted improperly in failing to grant the Appellants’ Motion for Continuance of the hearing.
“D. Whether the Board erred in finding that the applicants had complied with all the provisions of law in seeking a bank charter.
“E. Whether the Findings of Fact of the Board with respect to projected deposits, potential profit, reputation of the Directors in the community and compliance by the applicants with all the provisions of law were supported by substantial evidence.
“F. Whether the decision of the Board failed to set forth basic facts necessary to support the conclusion that a public need or convenience would be served by the proposed bank, that conditions within the community would support a successful operation of the Bank, and whether the capital was adequate.
“G. Whether the decision of the Board was arbitrary, capricious, and characterized by an abuse of discretion.
“H. Whether the applicants failed to comply with the provisions of § 13-2-212(a)(iv), W.S.Rep.Ed., 1977.
“I. Whether the granting of the charter subject to the approval by the Federal Reserve Board, constitutes a redelegation of legislative authority not permitted under the Wyoming constitution.”

We will set forth the facts pertinent to each issue in the discussion thereof.

IMPROPERLY CONSTITUTED BOARD (ISSUE A)

The application to organize the bank was made by Robert T. Noel, Arthur A. Abbey, Sol W. Bernstein, K. L. McShane and Gordon A. Williams. However, they were actually acting on behalf of Wyoming Bancor-poration, and Wyoming Bancorporation was to purchase all of the stock of the proposed bank except for the qualifying shares. The Financial Institutions Board consists of seven members appointed by the governor and with the state examiner as an ex officio member. Section 13-2-204(a), W.S.1977. Subsection (b) of § 13-2-204 provides:

“(b) The governor shall appoint the members of the board from the following professions: two (2) members shall be officers of a state or national bank; one (1) member shall be an officer of a state or federal savings and loan association; and four (4) members shall be from the public at large and shall not be directors, officers or employees of any financial institution. Two (2) or more members of the Board may not be connected, directly or indirectly, with the same financial institution or holding company, and no member may participate in any proceeding involving any institution with which he is connected or with which he has a conflict of interest.” (Emphasis supplied.)

At the time of the hearing on this matter, Board member, Arthur R. Piz, was director of the First Wyoming Bank, N.A., Kemmerer, an affiliate of Wyoming Bancorporation, and Board member, G. W. Mcllvaine, owned [791]*79150 shares of Wyoming Bancorporation stock.1

The proper and exclusive method of challenging the right of a board member to hold office is a quo warranto proceeding. Board of Trustees of School District No. 3 v. District Boundary Board of Natrona County, Wyo., 489 P.2d 413 (1971), supplemented by 489 P.2d 1393 (1971); Dickerson v. City Council of City of Buffalo, Wyo., 582 P.2d 80 (1978). Appellants’ challenge of the constituency of this Board cannot be made in the fashion here attempted. The actions taken by the Board, even if improperly constituted, are actions of a de facto board and, therefore, valid and binding. Ex Parte Ward, 173 U.S. 452, 19 S.Ct. 459, 43 L.Ed. 765 (1899); May v. City of Laramie, 58 Wyo. 240, 131 P.2d 300 (1942); See State v. London, 194 Wash. 458, 78 P.2d 548 (1938).

CONSISTENCY OF § 13-2-211, W.S.1977 WITH § 13-2-212, W.S.1977 (ISSUE B)

Appellants contend that they were not placed on notice of the standards to be used in approving the application because §§ 13-2-211 and 13-2-212, W.S.1977 are “internally inconsistent.”

Section 13-2-211, W.S.1977 provides:

“(a) Upon receiving the articles of incorporation, application and other information required, the state examiner shall make a careful investigation and examination of the following:
“(i) The character, reputation, financial standing and ability of the organizers; “(ii) The character, financial responsibility, banking or savings and loan or other financial experience and business qualifications of those proposed as officers;
“(iii) The character and standing in the community and state of those proposed as directors, stockholders or owners;
“(iv) The need in the community where the institution would be located giving particular consideration to the adequacy of existing financial facilities and the effect that the purposed institution would have upon existing financial institutions in the community;
“(v) The ability of the community to support the proposed institution, including existing competition, the economic history of the community and the opportunity for profitable employment of financial institution funds; and
“(vi) Such other facts and circumstances bearing on the proposed financial institution as the state examiner may deem relevant.
“(b) The state examiner shall submit his findings verbally and in writing at the public hearing on the application and shall be subject to cross-examination by any interested party. No relevant information shall be excluded by the board as hearsay.”

Section 13-2-212, W.S.1977 provides:

“(a) * * * the board shall in its discretion approve or disapprove the application, but it shall not approve the application until it has ascertained to its satisfaction :
“(i) The public need and convenience will be promoted by the establishment of the proposed financial institution;
“(ii) Conditions in the community in which the proposed financial institution would transact business afford reasonable promise of successful operation;
“(iii) The financial institution is being formed for no other purpose than the legitimate objects comtemplated [sic] by the laws of the state;

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First National Bank of Worland v. Financial Institutions Board
616 P.2d 787 (Wyoming Supreme Court, 1980)

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Bluebook (online)
616 P.2d 787, 1980 Wyo. LEXIS 304, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/first-national-bank-of-worland-v-financial-institutions-board-wyo-1980.