Subdivision 1. Savings, trust, safe deposit. Except as specifically authorized by other laws of this state, no individual, partnership, unincorporated association, or corporation, other than a savings bank, safe deposit company, or trust company, holding an effective certificate of authority or license issued by the commissioner of commerce and subject to and complying with all of the provisions of law relating to such savings banks, safe deposit companies, and trust companies, respectively, shall in any manner display or make use of any sign, symbol, token, letterhead, card, circular, or advertisement stating, representing, or indicating authorization to transact the business which a savings bank, safe deposit company, or trust company usually does, or under these provisions is authorized to do; nor shall any such individual, partnership, unincorporated association, or corporation use the words "savings" or "trust" or "safe deposit" alone or in combination in title or name or otherwise, or in any manner solicit business or make loans or solicit or receive deposits or transact business as a savings bank, safe deposit company, or trust company; except that a state bank, or trust company, regularly incorporated and authorized to do business under the laws of this state, may establish and maintain a savings department under the supervision of the commissioner of commerce, and may solicit and receive deposits in this savings department and advertise the same as such, and every such trust company having a savings department shall use in its name or title, in addition to the word "trust", the word "savings". Savings deposits received by such a trust company shall be invested only in authorized securities, as defined by law, and the trust company shall keep on hand, at all times, such securities in an amount at least equal to the amount of the deposits, and these securities shall be the representative of, and the fund for, applicable first and exclusively to the payments of, the savings deposits. Deposits received by the trust company subject to its right to require notice of withdrawal evidenced by passbooks or by written receipt or agreement shall be deemed savings deposits.
Subd. 2. Use of "trust" by life insurance company. Any old line life insurance company which does not in any manner display or make use of any sign, symbol, token, letterhead, card, circular, or advertisement representing or indicating that it is authorized to transact any business which a savings bank, safe deposit company, or trust company usually does and which does not attempt to do any such business; and which uses the word "trust" in its name in combination with other words in such a manner that it is apparent that the company is not either a savings bank, safe deposit company, or trust company, and does not attempt to do any of the business which a savings bank, safe deposit company, or trust company usually does, shall not be prohibited from so using such word "trust" in its name.
Subd. 3. Violations. Every individual, partnership, unincorporated association, or corporation which shall violate any of the provisions of this section shall forfeit to the state the sum of not to exceed $100 for each day the violation shall continue, to be recovered in a civil action to be brought by the attorney general in the name of the state at the request of the commissioner of commerce, and may be enjoined from any further violation in an action brought in the name of the state for that purpose.
History:(7651) RL s 2978; 1909 c 178 s 1; 1915 c 236 s 1; 1929 c 77 s 1; 1945 c 133 s 2; 1961 c 298 s 1; 1983 c 289 s 114 subd 1; 1984 c 655 art 1 s 92; 1986 c 444