. . . .BULLETIN. . . .BULLETIN. . . .BULLETIN. . . .BULLETIN. . . . STATE OF GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF BANKING AND FINANCE 2990 Brandywine Road, Suite 200 Atlanta, Georgia 30341-5565 DAVID G. SORRELL, COMMISSIONER Phone: (770) 986-1633 Fax: (770) 986-1655 Internet Address: http://www.gadbf.org December 31, 2003 The following is a summary of official action taken on applications by State Financial Institutions under Chapter 7-1 of the Code of Georgia and petitions for Certificate of Incorporation of Financial Institutions and other matters of interest during the month of December 2003. IN THIS ISSUE: First Liberty Savings & Credit Union - Entity Unauthorized to Do Business in the State of Georgia Department Publishes Two New Brochures Related to Money Transmission 2004 Holiday Schedule 1 APPLICATIONS FOR NEW FINANCIAL INSTITUTION FINANCIAL INSTITUTION Mountain Valley Community Bank 136 North Main Street Cleveland, GA 30528 White County CAPITALIZATION APPROVAL DATE $ 7,000,000 12-15-2003 BEGIN BUSINESS DATE New Horizons Bank 489 Highland Circle East Ellijay, GA 30539 Gilmer County $ 7,000,000 Pending Highland Commercial Bank 3411 Ernest Barrett Parkway, NW Marietta, GA 30064 Cobb County $ 10,000,000 Pending First Coweta Bank 61 Bullsboro Drive Newnan, GA 30263 Coweta County PREVIOUS NAME First National Bank of Cherokee $ 7,000,000 Pending FINANCIAL INSTITUTION CONVERSIONS CONVERTED TO First Cherokee State Bank Woodstock APPROVAL DATE 11-24 -2003 Cherokee County EFFECTIVE DATE 12-15-2003 Southbank, National Association SouthBank Woodstock Cherokee County 12-24 -2003 APPLICATIONS TO ESTABLISH A BRANCH OFFICE FINANCIAL INSTITUTION SunTrust Bank Atlanta BRANCH OFFICE Manokeek Village Branch Office 405 Manning Road, East APPROVAL DATE 11 -12-2002 Accokeek, MD 20607 Prince George's County BEGIN BUSINESS DATE 12-15 -2003 2 FINANCIAL INSTITUTION SunTrust Bank Atlanta SunTrust Bank Atlanta SunTrust Bank Atlanta SunTrust Bank Atlanta SunTrust Bank Atlanta SunTrust Bank Atlanta SunTrust Bank Atlanta BRANCH OFFICE Mount Vernon Square Branch Office 7451 Mount Vernon Square Alexandria, VA 22306 Fairfax County Vining Branch Office 4338 Paces Ferry Road Atlanta, GA 30339 Cobb County Dominion Valley Branch Office Lightner Road & James Madison Highway Haymarket, VA 20169 Prince William County Parkland Branch Office 5801 W. Hillsborough Boulevard Parkland, FL 33067 Broward County Sam Ridley Parkway Branch Office 551 Sam Ridley Parkway West Smyrna, TN 37167 Rutherford County South Riding Branch Office Loudoun County Parkway & U.S. Highway 50 South Riding, VA 20152 Loudoun County Eagles Landing North Branch Office Eagles Landing Parkway & Country Club Drive Stockbridge, GA 30281 Henry County APPROVAL DATE 12 -29-2003 BEGIN BUSINESS DATE 08 -12-2003 12-08 -2003 12 -29-2003 06 -16-2003 12-01 -2003 12 -04-2003 12 -29-2003 04 -17-2003 12-01 -2003 3 FINANCIAL INSTITUTION Community Bank & Trust Cornelia The Citizens Bank of Forsyth County Cumming Crescent Bank and Trust Company Jasper Northeast Georgia Bank Lavonia New Southern Bank Macon New Southern Bank Macon Northwest Georgia Bank Ringgold BRANCH OFFICE BancoLatino Branch Office 1216 Aviation Boulevard Suite 116 Gainesville, GA 30501 Hall County Canton Branch Office 11950 Cumming Highway Canton, GA 30115 Cherokee County Westside Cartersville Branch Office 420 Old Mill Road Cartersville, GA 30120 Bartow County Commerce Branch Office 30990 Highway 441 South Commerce, GA 30529 Banks County Monroe Street Branch Office 494 Monroe Street Macon, GA 31201 Bibb County Mulberry Street Branch Office 502 Mulberry Street Macon, GA 31201 Bibb County Fort Oglethorpe Branch Office 3610 Battlefield Parkway Fort Oglethorpe, GA 30742-4045 Catoosa County APPROVAL DATE 12 -09-2003 BEGIN BUSINESS DATE 12 -15-2003 12 -05-2003 04 -30-2003 12-10 -2003 12 -19-2003 12 -22-2003 05 -31-2002 12-15 -2003 4 FINANCIAL INSTITUTION Central Bank of Georgia Ellaville APPLICATIONS TO CHANGE LOCATION CHANGE LOCATION OF Butler Branch Office APPROVAL DATE 12-31-2002 From: 108 South Broad Street Butler GA 31006 Taylor County To: Butler Branch Office 97 South Broad Street Butler GA 31006 Taylor County EFFECTIVE DATE 08-25-2003 PROPOSED NAME Hamilton State Bank APPLICATIONS FOR RESERVATION OF A NAME COUNTY Jackson County APPLICANT Mr. Robert A. Calvert, Jr. Principal & Owner Calvert Consulting 2619 Pilgrim Rest Church Road Alford, FL 32420 Local Bank of Middle Georgia Houston County Mr. Byron Richardson Bank Resources, Inc. 1000 Whitlock Avenue, Suite 320 Marietta, GA 30064 Seasons Bank Union County Mr. Joel B. Carter Attorney 191 Peachtree Street, NE, 7th Floor Atlanta, GA 30303-1736 APPLICATIONS TO BECOME A BANK HOLDING COMPANY AND/OR TO ACQUIRE VOTING STOCK OF A FINANCIAL INSTITUTION BANK HOLDING COMPANY TO ACQUIRE APPROVAL DATE FORMATIONS Piedmont Bancshares, Inc. Atlanta, GA Piedmont Bank of Georgia Atlanta, GA Pending Eagle National, Inc. Stockbridge, GA Eagle National Bank Stockbridge, GA Withdrawn 12-08-2003 ACQUISITIONS Synovus Financial Corp. Columbus, GA 5 Peoples Bank Palm Harbor, FL 12-01-2003 CITY Macon Columbus Cedartown East Point Conyers Atlanta CHECK CASHER LICENSES ISSUED APPLICANT NAME Gateway Financial Associates, LLC Georgia E-Fast Tax Service, Inc. TRADE NAME Gateway Financial & Tax Service Fort Valley Fast Tax Hernandez, Martin Murray, Denise M. Oh, In Sook Super Exito Video Y Tienda J & R Check Cashing Services Max General Rajvi Corp. Meow Meow Check Cashing MONEY TRANSMITTER LICENSES ISSUED MONEY TRANSMITTER North American Money Transfer, Inc. Decatur, GA APPROVAL DATE 12 -24 -2003 Moneyda, Inc. Houston, TX 12 -09 -2003 UNO Remittance, Inc. Miami, FL 12 -01 -2003 Remesas Quisqueyana, Inc. New York, NY 12 -03 -2003 NOTICES FIRST LIBERTY SAVINGS & CREDIT UNION- ENTITY UNAUTHORIZED TO DO BUSINESS IN THE STATE OF GEORGIA Be advised that FIRST LIBERTY SAVINGS & CREDIT UNION (First Liberty) which allegedly has an address of 1950 Spectrum Circle, Suite 400-3009, Marietta, Georgia 30067 is not a credit union authorized to do business in the State of Georgia. Effective January 5, 2004, a Cease and Desist Order was issued against this entity directing them to do the following: l First Liberty shall immediately cease indicating in any internet website, marketing materials, signage, correspondence, or legal documentation that could reach Georgia consumers that it is a credit union, and that it is authorized to do business in Georgia. l First Liberty shall cease using the name "Credit Union", "Bank", "Banking Company", "Banker", "Banking House" or any similar terminology in the above materials, in reference to activities conducted in the State of Georgia. l First Liberty shall not conduct a banking business unless it demonstrates that it is authorized to conduct a banking business in accordance with the provisions of federal or state law. O.C.G.A. Section 7-1-241 specifies that only a state chartered bank, a national bank, a federally chartered thrift, credit union or other agency otherwise authorized by Georgia Law may do a banking business in this state. l First Liberty shall not provide financial products or services to the citizens of this State by any delivery system, to include the 6 Internet, or other electronic access to financial products or services or alternative methods of delivery which differ from geographically based banking without the authorization of the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance, pursuant to O.C.G.A. Section 7-1-241(c). l If First Liberty is a credit union chartered or licensed in a foreign country, this foreign corporation shall not transact a banking business or maintain an office in this State for carrying on such business or any part thereof without the authorization of this activity by the Department in accordance with Section 7 -1-713 of the Code of Georgia. l Representatives of First Liberty shall respond to the Department by January 12, 2004, indicating the actions taken regarding compliance with the provisions of this Order. The Department may take further legal action through the State Attorney General as authorized by law. l Pursuant to Section 7-1-1018 of the Georgia Residential Mortgage Act, the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance hereby orders First Liberty Savings & Credit Union to cease and desist from engaging in mortgage brokerage activities without a valid license or pursuant to an applicable exemption in violation of O.C.G.A. Section 7-1-1002. If any Georgia citizen believes that this entity has violated any provisions of the Cease and Desist Order after the effective date of the Order (January 5, 2004) you are encouraged to contact the Department in writing at: 2990 Brandywine Road, Suite 200, Atlanta, GA 30341-5565. Please direct these inquiries and any other questions concerning these issues to Deputy Commissioner for Supervision Grace M. Lurry. To read more and access the Cease and Desist Order, go to: http://www.gadbf.org/pdfdoc/FirstLibertyC&D.pdf. DEPARTMENT PUBLISHES TWO NEW BROCHURES RELATED TO MONEY TRANSMISSION During 2003, amendments to Georgia law and the Department's Rules and Regulations established licensing requirements for money transmitters. The Department has published two brochures related to this type of business - one directed at the money transmission industry and one directed at consumers. See the Department's brochures described below for further details. Both are available for viewing or downloading from our website at: http://www.gadbf.org/consumer_dbf.html Transmitting Money - What Consumers Need to Know - This brochure gives consumers a basic understanding of the Georgia laws that apply to money transmission and other important things they should know before sending money within the U.S. or abroad. Requirements for Operating a Money Transfer Business in Georgia - This brochure provides the industry with an overview of the Georgia laws applying to their business and some key topics within the state and federal laws and regulations that apply to their business. 2004 HOLIDAY SCHEDULE In accordance with O.C.G.A. 1-4-1, Governor Sonny Perdue proclaimed the following dates as public and legal holidays for the year 2004. Financial Institutions may observe both the official observance day as well as alternative observances indicated. In addition to these designated dates, financial institutions may close on Sunday and one discretionary day each week. If the discretionary day observed is changed permanently or temporarily, customer notice must be posted at least 30 days in advance. 2004 New Year's Day Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday Robert E. Lee's Birthday (Will be observed) Washington's Birthday (Will be observed) 7 Thursday, January 1 Monday, January 19 Monday, January 19 Friday, November 26 Sunday, February 22 Thursday, December 23 Confederate Memorial Day Memorial Day Independence Day (Will be observed) Labor Day Columbus Day Veterans' Day Thanksgiving Day (Alternate observance of Lee's Birthday) Christmas Day (Will be observed) (Alternate observance of Washington's Birthday) Monday, April 26 Monday, May 31 Sunday, July 4 Monday, July 5 Monday, September 6 Monday, October 11 Thursday, November 11 Thursday, November 25 Friday, November 26 Saturday, December 25 Friday, December 24 Thursday, December 23 EMERGENCY CLOSINGS As the winter months approach, all financial institutions are reminded that current regulations provide for management to exercise its own discretion, with notification to the Department, in closing any institution for one business day (renewal for successive days) upon its determination that the safety of customers, employees or assets would be in jeopardy due to civil disorder, fire, acts of God, or utility failure or similar circumstances which render the institution unable to conduct business in a safe and sound manner. Such closings should be communicated to the Department by telephone, mail or fax as soon as transmission is feasible. BACK TO TOP 8