Section 7-1-571. Sale, lease, exchange, or other disposition of assets requiring shareholder approval

   A sale, lease, exchange, or other disposition of all, or substantially all, the property and assets, with or without the good will, of a bank or trust company, in all cases other than those dealt with in Code Section 7-1-570, regarding secured transactions, may be made upon such terms and conditions which are otherwise legal and which shall be authorized in the following manner:

   (1) The board of directors shall adopt a resolution recommending such sale, lease, exchange, or other disposition, specifying, to the extent that the board sees fit, any or all of the terms and conditions thereof and the consideration to be received by the bank or trust company therefor and directing the submission thereof to a vote at a meeting of shareholders, which may be either an annual or a special meeting;

   (2) Written notice shall be given to each shareholder of record, whether or not entitled to vote at such meeting, in the manner provided in Code Section 7-1-6, and, whether the meeting is an annual or a special meeting, shall state that the purpose, or one of the purposes, is to consider the proposed sale, lease, exchange, or other disposition. The notice shall fairly summarize the material features of the proposed transaction and shall contain, where applicable, a clear and concise statement that, if the sale, lease, exchange, or other disposition is effected, shareholders may claim the rights of dissenting shareholders under this chapter;

   (3) At such meeting the shareholders may authorize such sale, lease, exchange, or other disposition and may approve or fix, or may authorize the board of directors to fix, any or all of the terms and conditions thereof and the consideration to be received by the bank or trust company therefor. Such authorization shall require the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the shares of the corporation entitled to vote thereon, unless any class of shares is entitled to vote thereon as a class, in which event such authorization shall require the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the shares of each class of shares entitled to vote thereon as a class and of the total shares entitled to vote thereon. Any class of shares shall be entitled to vote as a class if the resolution proposing the sale, lease, exchange, or other disposition contains any provision which, if contained in a proposed amendment to the articles, would entitle such class of shares to vote as a class;

   (4) If the shareholders approve the proposed sale or other disposition, the bank or trust company shall make application to the department for approval thereof in such form as may be specified by the department. The department shall, in its discretion, approve the sale or other disposition if the proposal is in conformity with law and if the interests of the public, depositors, trust beneficiaries, and other creditors of the bank or trust company are adequately protected;

   (5) After such authorization by a vote of shareholders and by the department, the board of directors, nevertheless, in its discretion, may abandon such sale, lease, exchange, or other disposition of assets, subject to the rights of third parties under any contracts relating thereto, without further action or approval by shareholders;

   (6) In the case of a sale, lease, exchange, or other disposition of all, or substantially all, the property and assets of a bank or trust company, a notice shall be published in each county in which the bank or trust company has an office engaged in the banking or trust business in the manner prescribed by subsection (c) of Code Section 7-1-552.

Code 1933, § 41A-2602, enacted by Ga. L. 1974, p. 705, § 1.