Section 7-2-7. Membership fees; refunds of fees, assessments, and premiums; distribution of undivided corporate earnings preceding voluntary cessation of business

   (a) Each financial institution accepted for membership shall be required to pay a membership fee of 1 percent of the deposits and shares of the financial institution up to $1 million, plus one-half of 1 percent of the deposits and shares from $1 million to $5 million, plus one-fourth of 1 percent of the deposits and shares over $5 million. Payment of the membership fee may be made in three equal installments, the first installment being due upon the approval of the application of the member financial institution and being in an amount of not less than $10.00 and the remaining two installments being due annually thereafter in amounts of not less than $10.00 each year.

(b) The membership fee shall be maintained on an annual basis in the same ratio to deposits and shares as the original membership fee bore to the total of deposits and shares at the time the financial institution initially joined the corporation. Such annual adjustments to the membership fee shall be paid or refunded concurrently with the payment of the annual insurance premium and shall be calculated upon the same deposit and share base as is used in the calculation of the annual premium. The board of directors of the corporation with the approval of the department may authorize a different membership fee structure from that set forth in this Code section.

(c) Membership fees, when paid by the individual member financial institution, may be charged to its regular reserve account or undivided earnings or may be established as an asset or charged in such other manner as may be approved by the department.

(d) The membership fee of each member financial institution may be refunded in whole or in part to the extent that the unencumbered funds of the corporation exceed 2 percent of the aggregate total deposits and shares of the member financial institutions as determined by the most recent call report of condition submitted to the department. Special assessments levied pursuant to subsection (b) of Code Section 7-2-8 may be repaid in such manner as may be approved by the directors of the corporation with approval by the department. Refunds may be paid only to members of the corporation at the time of declaration by the directors of the corporation in proportion to their paid-in membership fees.

(e) Upon termination or revocation of membership, other than through involuntary liquidation, the financial institution shall be entitled to refunds as follows:

   (1) Membership fees in full within 30 days;

   (2) Pro rata portion of annual premium which is unearned by the corporation in full within 30 days; and

   (3) Any special assessment in accordance with its terms, provided the department may direct that such refunds be disbursed over a period of not more than 24 months at the request of the corporation where such disbursement will not cause an undue financial burden for the member financial institution.

(f) Any financial institution which terminates its membership voluntarily within the 24 months immediately preceding any voluntary cessation of business by the corporation shall be entitled to a pro rata distribution of the undivided earnings of the corporation. Such distribution shall be the lesser of an amount equal to that portion of the retained earnings at the end of the fiscal year immediately preceding the termination of membership determined by the proportion of the terminating members' membership fees to the total membership fees at the end of such fiscal year or the amount which would have been distributed had membership been retained until the final distribution.

Ga. L. 1974, p. 545, § 6; Ga. L. 1981, p. 1241, § 2; Ga. L. 1984, p. 952, § 5; Ga. L. 1989, p. 1690, § 2.