Wis. Stat. § 215.26 — WI Code / Chapter 215 / Section 215.26
Miscellaneous provisions.
Status: in_force

(2) Retaliatory taxes and restrictions. When the laws of any other state or territory impose any taxes, fines, penalties, licenses, fees, deposits, money, securities or other obligations or prohibitions on associations of this state doing business in such other state or territory or upon their agents therein, so long as such laws continue in force, the same obligations and prohibitions shall be imposed upon all associations of such other state or territory and their agents in this state.

(4) Reproduction and destruction of records.

(a) Any association may cause any or all records kept by such association to be recorded, copied or reproduced by any photostatic, photographic or miniature photographic process or by optical imaging if the process employed correctly, accurately and permanently copies, reproduces or forms a medium for copying, reproducing or recording the original record on a film or other durable material. An association may thereafter dispose of the original record. This section is applicable to federal associations insofar as it does not contravene federal law.

(b) Any photographic, photostatic, or miniature photographic copy or reproduction or copy reproduced from a film record or any copy of a record generated by optical disc storage of an association record shall be deemed to be an original record for all purposes and shall be treated as an original record in all courts or administrative agencies for the purpose of its admissibility in evidence. A facsimile, exemplification, or certified copy of any such photographic copy or reproduction, copy reproduced from a film record, or copy generated from optical disc storage of a record shall, for all purposes, be deemed a facsimile, exemplification, or certified copy of the original record.

(4m) Record search. An association is entitled to reimbursement for expenses and costs incurred in searching for, reproducing and transporting books, papers, records and other data required to be produced by legal process, unless otherwise prohibited by law from collecting these expenses and costs or unless the person seeking the production is a government unit, as defined in s. 108.02 (17) . The expenses and costs shall be paid by persons seeking such production. If an association is entitled to reimbursement under this section, an association may not be required to produce books, papers, records and other data in response to legal process unless the expenses and costs, identified in an itemized invoice to be provided by the association, are paid or unless payment is tendered to the association in cash or by certified check or draft.

(5) Legal holidays. The division shall designate such of the legal holidays listed in s. 995.20 as days on which no association may transact business or be open for the purpose of transacting business. For purposes of this subsection, operation of a remote service unit as defined in s. 215.13 (46) (a) 1. or an unstaffed facility does not constitute the transaction of business.

(6) Agent of savings and loan association. Any person who acts as the agent for any unauthorized savings and loan association in this state, or sells or disposes of any savings accounts, certificates, bonds or other evidences of indebtedness of or for any such unauthorized association, not licensed to transact business in this state, and any person who acts for any such unauthorized association or in any manner aids in the transaction of the business of such association in this state shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and be fined not less than $100 nor more than $500 for each offense, and shall be personally liable for any sums received by the person for or on behalf of such unauthorized association.

(7) Federal associations located in Wisconsin. Federal savings and loan associations which have their home offices located in Wisconsin, and are incorporated pursuant to the home owners’ loan act of 1933, as now or hereafter amended, are not foreign corporations or associations. Unless federal law or regulations provide otherwise, such federal savings and loan associations and members thereof shall possess all of the rights, powers, privileges, benefits, immunities and exemptions that are now provided or that may be hereafter provided by the laws of this state for associations organized under the laws of this state and for the members thereof. This provision is additional and supplemental to any provision which, by specific reference, is applicable to such federal savings and loan associations and the members thereof.

(8) Access to books and records.

(a)

1. Every person may inspect those books and records of an association which pertain to the person’s loan or savings account. An association and officers and employees of an association may provide books, records or other information as required by court order or by a subpoena in a court or administrative proceeding.

2. If requested by an individual who is a customer, loan applicant or credit applicant, a financial institution, as defined in s. 705.01 (3) , shall provide that individual with a copy of any written appraisal report which is held by the financial institution, which relates to residential real estate that the individual owns or has agreed to purchase and for which a fee is imposed.

3. If requested by an individual who is a customer, loan applicant or credit applicant, a financial institution, as defined in s. 705.01 (3) , shall provide that individual, at no additional charge, with a copy of any written credit report which is held by the financial institution, which relates to that individual and for which a fee is imposed.

(b) Except as provided under par. (a) , the right of inspection and examination of the books and records of an association is limited to:

1. The division or its authorized representatives.

2. Persons duly authorized to act for the association.

3. The deposit insurance corporation or any federal agency or other instrumentality approved by the division which is authorized to inspect and examine books and records of an insured association.

(c) The books and records of an association pertaining to savings accounts and loans shall be kept confidential by the association, its directors, officers and employees. Except as authorized under pars. (a) and (d) to (f) , no other person may have access to the books and records or may be furnished or may possess a partial or complete list of borrowers or savings account owners.

(d) An association may disclose information from its books and records to a consumer reporting agency as defined in 15 USC 1681a (f) for purposes of a consumer report as defined in 15 USC 1681a (d).

(dm) An association may disclose information from its books and records as provided in s. 767.76 (5) .

(e) An association shall disclose the current balances of a saver’s accounts and identify the accounts to any person who:

1. Submits an affidavit stating that the person has standing under s. 867.01 (3) (ac) or 867.02 (2) (ac) to petition for summary settlement or assignment of a decedent’s estate or that the person is an heir of the decedent, or was guardian, as defined in s. 54.01 (10) or s. 880.01 (3) , 2003 stats., of the decedent at the time of the decedent’s death, and may obtain transfer of property of a decedent under s. 867.03 ; and

2. Submits a certified copy of the saver’s death record. If the association already possesses a certified copy of the saver’s death record, this subdivision does not apply.

(f) An association may furnish a partial or complete list of its customers to any person if all of the following apply:

1. The list does not classify customers by individual financial criteria and contains only the names and addresses of customers.

2. The association gives each customer prior written notice of the association’s intent to furnish information about the customer and informs the customer that the customer has the right to prohibit the release by notifying the association in writing on a form provided by the association.

3. The person who is furnished a list agrees in writing not to furnish the list to another person.

(9) Closing books. Each association shall close its books at least once annually and at such other times as the division requires. The date of the annual fiscal closing may be March 31, June 30, September 30 or December 31, unless rules of the division otherwise direct.

(10) Deceptive or misleading use of association name, logo, or symbol.

(a) Except as provided in par. (c) , no person may use the name, logo, or symbol, or any combination thereof, of an association, or any name, logo, or symbol, or any combination thereof, that is deceptively similar to the name, logo, or symbol of an association, in any marketing material provided to or solicitation of another person in a manner such that a reasonable person may believe that the marketing material or solicitation originated from or is endorsed by the association or that the association is responsible for the marketing material or solicitation.

(b) The division shall direct any person the division finds to have violated par. (a) to cease and desist from violating par. (a) . If a person violates par. (a) after receiving such direction, the division may impose a forfeiture of up to $1,000 for each violation. Each instance in which marketing material is provided to another person or solicitation of another person takes place in violation of par. (a) constitutes a separate violation. This subsection does not affect the availability of any remedies otherwise available to an association.

(c) Paragraph (a) does not apply to a person who uses the name, logo, or symbol of an association in any of the following circumstances:

1. With the consent of the association.

2. If the person is the association, an affiliate of the association, or an agent of the association.

History: 1971 c. 229 ; 1973 c. 291 ; 1975 c. 359 s. 16 ; 1975 c. 421 ; 1977 c. 140 ; 1977 c. 187 s. 135 ; 1979 c. 32 s. 92 (6) ; 1981 c. 192 ; 1983 a. 167 ss. 43 , 44 , 112 ; 1983 a. 192 s. 304 ; 1983 a. 268 ; 1989 a. 313 ; 1991 a. 78 , 280 , 316 ; 1993 a. 425 , 481 ; 1995 a. 27 , 104 , 336 , 400 ; 1997 a. 27 ; 1999 a. 94 ; 2003 a. 262 ; 2005 a. 155 , 387 ; 2005 a. 443 s. 265 ; 2013 a. 277 ; 2015 a. 196 ; 2017 a. 334 .