32-1-402. When advertising as bank prohibited -- trade names restricted. - Montana Statutes

     32-1-402. When advertising as bank prohibited -- trade names restricted. (1) Except as provided in subsection (4), a person, firm, company, partnership, or corporation, either domestic or foreign, that is not subject to the supervision of the department and not required by the provisions of this chapter to report to it and that has not received a certificate to do a banking business from the department, may not:
     (a) except for a student financial institution, as defined in 32-1-115, advertise that the person or entity is receiving or accepting money or savings for deposit, investment, or otherwise and issuing notices or certificates of deposit; or
     (b) use an office sign at the place where the business is transacted having on it an artificial or corporate name or other words indicating that:
     (i) the place or office is the place or office of a bank or trust company;
     (ii) deposits are received there or payments made on checks; or
     (iii) any other form of banking business is transacted there.
     (2) The person, firm, company, partnership, or corporation, domestic or foreign, may not use or circulate letterheads, billheads, blank notes, blank receipts, certificates, circulars, or any written or printed or partly written and partly printed papers that contain an artificial or corporate name or other word or words indicating that the business is the business of a bank, savings bank, or trust or investment company.
     (3) The person, firm, company, partnership, or corporation or any agent of a foreign corporation not having an established place of business in the state may not solicit or receive deposits or transact business in the way or manner of a bank, savings bank, trust, or investment company or in a manner that leads the public to believe that its business is that of a bank, savings bank, trust, or investment company.
     (4) (a) A person, firm, company, partnership, or corporation, domestic or foreign, except for a student financial institution, as defined in 32-1-115, that is not subject to the supervision of the department and not required by the provisions of this chapter to report to it and that has not received from the department a certificate to do a banking business may not transact business under a name or title that contains the word "bank", "banker", "banking", "savings bank", "saving", "trust company", or "investment company" unless the department has granted a waiver. This section does not prohibit the use of the word "bank" in the name or title of any bank holding company registered with the board of governors of the federal reserve system pursuant to 12 U.S.C. 1844.
     (b) The department may grant a waiver to allow the use of a restricted word listed in subsection (4)(a) to a nonprofit organization if:
     (i) the organization is not acting as a financial institution; and
     (ii) the name used is not likely to mislead a reasonable individual into thinking that the organization is acting as a financial institution.
     (5) A person, firm, company, partnership, or corporation, domestic or foreign, violating a provision of this section shall forfeit to the state $100 a day for every day or part of a day during which the violation continues.
     (6) Upon suit by the department, the court may issue an injunction restraining the person, firm, company, partnership, or corporation during pendency of the action and permanently from further using those words in violation of the provisions of this section or from further transacting business in a manner that leads the public to believe that its business is that of a bank, savings bank, trust, or investment company and may enter any other order or decree as equity and justice require.

     History: Ap. p. Sec. 29, Ch. 89, L. 1927; re-en. Sec. 6014.33, R.C.M. 1935; amd. Sec. 14, Ch. 431, L. 1975; amd. Sec. 6, Ch. 71, L. 1977; Sec. 5-508, R.C.M. 1947; Ap. p. Sec. 1, Ch. 217, L. 1977; Sec. 5-508.1, R.C.M. 1947; R.C.M. 1947, 5-508, 5-508.1; amd. Sec. 24, Ch. 395, L. 1993; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 105, L. 2003; amd. Sec. 4, Ch. 340, L. 2003.