Any State savings and loan association, stock or mutual, organized and operated under the provisions of this Chapter, may convert into a federal savings and loan association in accordance with the provisions of the laws and regulations of the United States and with the same force and effect as though originally incorporated under such laws, and the procedure to effect such conversion shall be as follows:

(1)        The association shall submit a plan of conversion to the Commissioner of Banks, and he may approve the same, with or without amendment, or refuse to approve the plan. If he approves the plan, then the plan shall be submitted to the members or stockholders as provided in the next subdivision. If he refuses to approve the plan, he shall state his objections in writing and give the converting association an opportunity to amend the plan to obviate such objections or to appeal his decision to the Commission.

(2)        A meeting of the members or stockholders shall be held upon not less than 15 days’ notice to each member or stockholder. Notice can be made either by mailing such to each member or stockholder, postage prepaid, to the last known address or by the board of directors causing to be published once a week for two weeks preceding such meeting, in a newspaper of general circulation published in the county where such association has its principal office, a notice of the meeting. It shall be regarded as sufficient notice of the purpose of the meeting if the notice contains the following statement: “The purpose of this meeting is to consider the conversion of this State-chartered association into a federally chartered association, pursuant to the laws of the United States.” An appropriate officer of the association shall make proof by affidavit at such meeting of due service of the notice or call for said meeting.

(3)        At the meeting of the members or stockholders of such association, such members or stockholders may by affirmative vote of a majority of votes or shares present, in person or by proxy, resolve to convert said association to a federal savings and loan association. A copy of the minutes of the meeting of the members or stockholders certified by an appropriate officer of the association shall be filed in the office of the Commissioner of Banks. The said certified copy when so filed shall be prima facie evidence of the holding and the action of the meeting.

(4)        Within a reasonable time after the receipt of a certified copy of the minutes, the Commissioner of Banks shall either approve or disapprove the proceedings of the meeting for compliance with the procedure set forth in this section. If the Commissioner of Banks approves the proceedings he shall endorse the certified copy of the minutes, and shall issue a certificate of his approval of the conversion and proceedings and send the same to the association. Such certificate shall be recorded in the office of the Secretary of State and in the office of the register of deeds of the county in which the association has its principal office, and the original shall be held by the association. If the Commissioner of Banks disapproves the proceedings he shall note his disapproval on the certified copy of the minutes and notify the Commission and the association of his disapproval. The association may appeal a disapproval to the Commission.

(5)        Within 60 days after approval of the proceedings by the Commissioner of Banks, the association shall file an application, in the manner prescribed or authorized by the laws and regulations of the United States, to consummate the conversion to a federal association. A copy of the charter or authorization issued to such association by the federal regulatory authority, or a certificate showing the organization or conversion of such association into a federal savings and loan association, and upon such filing with the Commissioner of Banks the association shall cease to be a State association and shall be a federal association.

(6)        Whenever any such association shall convert into a federal savings and loan association it shall cease to be an association under the laws of this State, except that its corporate existence shall be deemed to be extended for the purpose of prosecuting or defending suits by or against it and of enabling it to close its business affairs as a State association, and to dispose of and convey its property. At the time when such conversion becomes effective, all the property of the state association including all its rights, title and interest in and to all property of whatever kind, whether real, personal or mixed, and things in action, and every right, privilege, interest and asset of any conceivable value or benefit then existing, belonging or pertaining to it, or which would inure to it, shall immediately by act of law and without any conveyance or transfer, and without any further act or deed, be vested in and become the property of the federal association, which shall have, hold and enjoy the same in its own right as fully and to the same extent as the same was possessed, held and enjoyed by the State association; and the federal association as of the effective time of such conversion shall succeed to all the rights, obligations and relations of the State association. (1981, c. 282, s. 3; 1981 (Reg. Sess., 1982), c. 1238, s. 5; 1989, c. 76, s. 6; 1989 (Reg. Sess., 1990), c. 806, s. 1; 2001-193, s. 16.)