Section 7-1-286. Real estate loans; acquisition by bank or trust company of ownership interest

   (a) A bank shall make loans secured by improved or unimproved real estate (including a leasehold) subject to the provisions of Part 365 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation's rules and regulations, including 12 C.F.R. 365.1 and 365.2 and the Interagency Guidelines for Real Estate Lending Policies in Appendix A and 12 C.F.R. 208.51 and the guidelines contained in 12 C.F.R. Part 208 in the case of Federal Reserve member banks. Such loans shall also be subject to the additional provisions and exceptions as set forth in the rules of the department.

(b) The limitations of subsection (a) of this Code section shall not apply to:

   (1) An investment security acquired pursuant to Code Section 7-1-287;

   (2) A loan in connection with which the bank takes a real estate lien as security in the exercise of banking prudence but as to which it is relying for repayment on:

      (A) The general credit of the obligor or of an installment buyer or of a lessee of the real estate;

      (B) Collateral other than the real estate lien;

      (C) A guaranty or an agreement to take over or purchase the loan, in the event of default, by a financially responsible person other than a person engaged in the business of guaranteeing real estate loans; or

      (D) An agreement by a financially responsible person to take over or purchase the loan, or to provide funds for payment thereof, within a period of two years from the date of the loan;

and there is documentation in the file setting forth the applicable facts to support reliance on this paragraph.

(c) For the purpose of this Code section, a "leasehold" shall mean the interest, which is security for a loan, of a lessee of real estate under a lease which on the date of the loan has an unexpired term extending at least ten years beyond the maturity of the loan or contains a right of renewal, which may be exercised by the bank, extending at least ten years beyond the maturity of the loan.

(d) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter and otherwise subject to regulations of the department, a bank or trust company may acquire, directly or indirectly, an ownership interest in real estate incidental to the financing of the purchase, development, or improvement of such real estate, provided:

   (1) The amount of such ownership interest shall not exceed 25 percent of the appraised value of the real estate;

   (2) The amount of such ownership interest when aggregated with the amount financed shall not exceed the limitations prescribed by this Code section and Code Section 7-1-285;

   (3) The ownership interest shall be terminated upon substantial repayment of the financing in the manner prescribed in Code Section 7-1-263, relating to the divestiture of real estate interest; and

   (4) Any time real estate owned by a bank or trust company pursuant to this subsection is held or disposed of pursuant to the provisions of Code Section 7-1-263, said action to hold or dispose shall be reported in writing annually to the stockholders. Said report shall include disclosure of any real estate acquired by foreclosure or the taking by a deed in lieu of foreclosure and the name or names of the corporation or individuals from whom title was taken.

Ga. L. 1919, p. 135, art. 19, § 15; Code 1933, § 13-2015; Ga. L. 1937, p. 423, § 1; Ga. L. 1945, p. 208, § 1; Ga. L. 1959, p. 250, § 1; Ga. L. 1965, p. 281, § 1; Ga. L. 1972, p. 556, § 1; Code 1933, § 41A-1307, enacted by Ga. L. 1974, p. 705, § 1; Ga. L. 1975, p. 445, § 18; Ga. L. 1989, p. 1249, § 4; Ga. L. 1992, p. 6, § 7; Ga. L. 1998, p. 795, § 14; Ga. L. 2000, p. 174, § 7; Ga. L. 2001, p. 970, § 2; Ga. L. 2007, p. 502, § 2/SB 70.