Fla. Stat. § 663.17 — Florida Code / Title XXXVIII / Chapter 663 / Part I / Section 663.17
663.17 Liquidation; possession of business and property; inventory of assets; wages; depositing collected assets; appointing agents; appointment of judges.
Status: in_force

(1) The office may, at its discretion, take possession of the business and property in this state of any international banking corporation that has been licensed to operate in this state upon finding that the corporation, or any of the corporation’s licensed offices operating in this state has violated any law, has neglected or refused to comply with the terms of a duly issued order of the office, is insolvent or imminently insolvent, or is transacting business in an unsound, unsafe, or unauthorized manner such that the corporation is threatened with imminent insolvency, or that the corporation is dissolved, its authority or existence is otherwise terminated or canceled in the jurisdiction of its incorporation, it is in bankruptcy, conservatorship, receivership, liquidation, or similar status under the laws of any country, or it is operating under the direct control of the government or the regulatory or supervisory authority of the jurisdiction of its incorporation through government intervention or any other extraordinary actions at its domicile or elsewhere. Title to such business and property shall vest by operation of law in the office upon taking possession. Thereafter, the office shall liquidate or otherwise deal with such business and property in accordance with the provisions of this part, chapter 658, and any other provision relating to the liquidation of banking corporations. The office may deal with such business and property and prosecute and defend any and all actions relating to the liquidation. Only the claims of creditors of the international banking corporation arising out of transactions those creditors had with the international banking corporation, or any of the corporation’s licensed offices located in this state, shall be accepted by the office for payment out of the business and property which it has taken possession of in this state. Acceptance or rejection of such claims by the office shall not prejudice any creditor’s rights to otherwise share in other assets of the international banking corporation. The following claims shall not be accepted by the office for payment out of the business and property in the office’s possession in this state: (a) Claims which would not represent an enforceable legal obligation against an international banking corporation, or any of the corporation’s licensed offices located in this state, if such office was a separate and independent legal entity. (b) Amounts due and other liabilities to other offices, agencies, and branches of and affiliates of such international banking corporation.

(2) Whenever all accepted claims, together with interest on such claims, and the expenses of the liquidation have been paid in full or properly provided for, the office, upon the order of a court of competent jurisdiction, shall transfer the remaining assets to the principal office of such international banking corporation, or to the duly appointed domiciliary liquidator or receiver of such corporation. Dividends and other amounts that remain unclaimed or unpaid and are in the possession of the office for 6 months after such transfer shall be deposited by the office as provided by law.

(3) When the office takes possession of the property and business of any international banking corporation, including any of the corporation’s licensed offices located in this state, the office shall: (a) Give notice of such fact to all corporations, unincorporated associations, partnerships, governmental entities, and other entities and individuals known by the office to hold any assets of such corporation. No corporation, unincorporated association, partnership, governmental entity, or other entity or individual having notice or knowledge that the office has taken possession of such property and business of a international banking corporation shall have a lien or charge for any payment, advance, or clearance thereafter made against any of the assets of such corporation for liability thereafter incurred. (b) Upon written demand of the office, any corporation, unincorporated association, partnership, governmental entity, or other entity or individual holding assets of such corporation shall deliver such assets to the office and shall be discharged from liability with respect to any claim upon such assets; provided, such demand shall not affect the right of a secured creditor with a perfected security interest, or other valid lien or security interest enforceable against third parties, to retain collateral, including any right of such secured creditor under any security agreement related to a qualified financial contract to retain collateral and apply such collateral in accordance with the provisions of the financial institutions codes. (c) Nothing in paragraphs (a) and (b) shall affect any right of setoff permitted under applicable law; provided, in connection with the liquidation of a licensed office of any other international banking corporation pursuant to this part, no entity or individual may set off the business and property in this state of an international banking corporation being liquidated under this subsection, against the liabilities of such corporation other than those that arise out of transactions engaged in by such entity or individual with such licensed office. For purposes of this paragraph, liabilities shall be deemed to include, in the case of qualified financial contracts, the lesser of the two amounts calculated with respect to any such qualified financial contract pursuant to s. 663.172(3), and this paragraph shall not be deemed to authorize setoff except as otherwise permissible under applicable law.

(4) Any licensed office of an international banking corporation of which the office has taken possession or which is operating under restrictions imposed by duly constituted authority may be permitted to resume business subject to the office’s discretion and any conditions that the office may impose.

(5) After the office takes possession of and determines to liquidate the property and business of any licensed office of an international banking corporation, the office shall make an inventory, in duplicate, of the assets of such licensed office. One copy of such inventory shall be filed with the office and one copy shall be filed with a court of competent jurisdiction in the county in which the licensed office is located.

(6) Notwithstanding s. 658.84, all wages actually owing to the employees of an international banking corporation for services rendered within 3 months prior to the date possession was taken by the office, and not exceeding $10,000 to each employee, shall be paid prior to the payment of any other debt or claim, and, in the discretion of the office, may be paid as soon as practicable after taking possession, except that at all times the office shall reserve such funds as will, in the office’s opinion, be sufficient for the expenses of administration.

(7) The office is authorized, upon taking possession of any licensed office of an international banking corporation, to liquidate the affairs of such licensed office and to do all acts and to make such expenditures as in the office’s judgment are necessary to conserve the assets and business of the corporation. The office shall proceed to collect the debts due to the corporation. The office may, upon an order of a court of competent jurisdiction, sell, assign, compromise, or otherwise dispose of all bad or doubtful debts held by, and compromise claims against, such corporation, other than deposit claims, provided, whenever the principal amount of any such debt or claim owed by or owing to such corporation does not exceed $50,000, the office may sell, assign, compromise, or otherwise dispose of such debt or claim upon such terms as the office may deem to be in the best interests of such corporation wherever situated. When the real property of an international banking corporation, to be disposed of pursuant to this subsection, is located in a county in this state other than a county in which an application to the court for leave to dispose is made, the office shall file a certified copy of the order of such court authorizing such disposal in the office of the clerk of the county in which such real property is located.

(8) Moneys collected by the office in liquidating a licensed office of an international banking corporation shall be: (a) Deposited on demand, time or otherwise, in one or more banks, associations, or trust companies organized under the laws of this state and, in the case of insolvency or voluntary or involuntary liquidation of the depositary, such deposits shall be entitled to priority of payment equally with any other priority given under the financial institutions codes; (b) Deposited on demand, time or otherwise, in one or more national banks with a principal office located in this state and with total assets exceeding $1 billion; or (c) Invested in obligations of the United States, or obligation for which the full faith and credit of the United States is pledged to provide for the payment of interest and principal.

(9) The office may appoint one or more persons as agent or agents to assist in the liquidation of the business and affairs of any international banking corporation, or any of the corporation’s licensed offices located in this state, in the office’s possession. The office shall serve a copy of the certificate of such appointment to the international banking corporation and shall file a certified copy of such certificate with a court of competent jurisdiction in the county in which the licensed office of such corporation is located in this state. The office may employ such counsel and expert assistants under such titles that the office shall assign to them, and may retain such officers or employees of such corporation as the office deems necessary in the liquidation and distribution of the corporation’s assets. The office may require such security as it may deem proper from the agents and assistants appointed pursuant to the provisions of this subsection.

(10) When the office has taken possession of and is liquidating the business and property in this state of any international banking corporation under the provisions of this part, the office shall be entitled to the appointment of a single judge to supervise the liquidation in the judicial circuit in which the licensed office of such corporation is located. Such judge shall have the power to order expedited or simplified procedures or order a reference whenever necessary to resolve a matter in such liquidation.

(11) The compensation of agents and any other employees appointed by the office to assist in the liquidation of an international banking corporation, or any of the corporation’s licensed offices located in this state, the distribution of its assets, or the expenses of supervision, must be paid out of the assets of the corporation in the possession of the office. Expenses of liquidation and approved claims for fees and assessments due the office must be given first priority among unsecured creditors.

History: s. 4, ch. 97-109; s. 1833, ch. 2003-261; s. 16, ch. 2010-9; s. 19, ch. 2017-83.