Section 45-2-1504 - Liquidation by commissioner(a) In liquidating a state bank, the commissioner may exercise any power of the office of commissioner, but shall not, without the approval of the court in which notice of possession has been filed:(1) Sell any asset of the organization having a value in excess of five hundred dollars ($500);(2) Compromise or release any claim if the amount of the claim exceeds five hundred dollars ($500), exclusive of interest; or(3) Make any payment on any claim, other than a claim upon an obligation incurred by the commissioner, before preparing and filing a schedule of the commissioner's determinations in accordance with this chapter.(b) Within six (6) months of the commencement of liquidation, the commissioner may elect to terminate any executory contract under which the state bank has contracted either to receive or to provide services, the services specifically including advertising, or any obligation of the bank as a lessee. A lessor who receives sixty (60) days' notice of the commissioner's election to terminate the lease shall have no claim for rent other than rent accrued to the date of termination or for claims for damages for the termination.(c) As soon after the commencement of liquidation as is practicable, the commissioner shall take the necessary steps to terminate all fiduciary positions held by the state bank and take any action necessary to surrender all property held by the bank as a fiduciary and to settle its fiduciary accounts. The fiduciary accounts may be transferred by the commissioner to another qualified corporate fiduciary as determined by the commissioner, and notice of the transfer must be given by registered mail to the parties by the transferee corporate fiduciary.(d) As soon after the commencement of liquidation as practicable, the commissioner shall send notice of the liquidation to each known depositor, creditor and lessee of a safe deposit box or bailor of property held by the bank at the address shown on the books of the institution. The notice shall also be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the community once a week for three (3) successive weeks. The commissioner shall send with the notice a statement of the amount shown on the books of the institution to be the claim of the depositor or creditor. The notice shall demand that property held by the bank as bailee or in a safe deposit box be withdrawn by the person entitled thereto and that claims of depositors and creditors, if the amount claimed differs from that stated in the notice to be due, be filed with the commissioner before a specified date not earlier than sixty (60) days thereafter in accordance with the procedure prescribed in the notice.(e) Safe deposit boxes, the contents of which have not been removed before the date specified, shall be opened by the commissioner in the manner provided for boxes upon which the payment of rental is in default, and the sealed packages containing the contents and the certificates, together with any unclaimed property held by the bank as bailee and certified inventories thereof, shall be reported to the state treasurer who shall deal with them in accordance with the Uniform Unclaimed Property Act, compiled in title 66, chapter 29.(f) Within six (6) months after the last day specified in the notice for the filing of claims or a longer period that may be allowed by the court in which notice of possession has been filed, the commissioner shall:(1) Reject any claim if the commissioner doubts the validity thereof;(2) Determine the amount, if any, owing to each known creditor or depositor and the priority class of the claim under this chapter and chapter 1 of this title;(3) Prepare a schedule of the commissioner's determinations for filing in the court in which notice of possession was filed; and(4) Notify each person whose claim has not been allowed in full and publish once a week for three (3) successive weeks a notice of the time when and the place where the schedule of determinations will be available for inspection and the date, not sooner than thirty (30) days thereafter, when the commissioner will file the schedule in court.(g) Within twenty (20) days after the filing of the commissioner's schedule, any creditor, depositor or stockholder may file an objection to any determination made. Any objections so filed shall be heard and determined by the court, upon such notice to the commissioner and interested claimants as the court may prescribe. If the objection is sustained, the court shall direct an appropriate modification of the schedule. After filing the schedule, the commissioner may, from time to time, make partial distribution to the holders of claims that are undisputed or have been allowed by the court, if a proper reserve is established for the payment of disputed claims. As soon as is practicable after the determination of all objections, the commissioner shall make final distribution.(h)(1) The following claims shall have priority: (A) Obligations incurred by the commissioner;(B) Wages and salaries of officers and employees earned during the three-month period preceding the commissioner's possession in an amount not exceeding six hundred dollars ($600) for any one (1) person;(C) Fees and assessments due to the department; and(D) Deposits to the extent of ten dollars ($10.00) for each depositor.(2) After the payment of all other claims with interest at the maximum rate permitted on time deposits, the commissioner shall pay claims otherwise proper that were not filed within the time prescribed.(3) If the sum available for any class is insufficient to provide payment in full, the sum shall be distributed to the claimants in the class pro rata.(i) Any assets remaining after all claims have been paid shall be distributed to the stockholders in accordance with their respective interests.(j) Unclaimed funds remaining after completion of the liquidation shall be transferred to the state treasurer to be dealt with in accordance with the Uniform Unclaimed Property Act, compiled in title 66, chapter 29.(k) When the assets have been distributed in accordance with this chapter and chapter 1 of this title, the commissioner shall file an account with the court. Upon approval thereof, the commissioner shall be relieved of liability in connection with the liquidation and the charter shall be cancelled.Acts 1969, ch. 36, § 1 (3.504); 1973, ch. 294, § 6; 1978, ch. 561, § 34; T.C.A., § 45-904; Acts 1983, ch. 78, §§ 10, 11; 1999, ch. 112, § 15.