215.01 Definitions. In this chapter:

(1) “Association" means a savings and loan association, a building and loan association or a savings association operating as a mutual or capital stock corporation.

(2) “Board" means the board of directors of an association.

(3) “Branch office" means a place of business, other than the home office, where the business of an association is conducted but does not include a limited office or extended office under s. 215.13 (36) or (47).

(4) “Bylaws" means the bylaws of a given association.

(5) “Capital stock" means the aggregate of shares of nonwithdrawable stock issued by a stock association.

(6) “Division" means the division of banking.

(6m) “Deposit insurance corporation" means the federal deposit insurance corporation or any other instrumentality of or corporation chartered by the United States that insures deposits of an association and is supported by the full faith and credit of the federal government.

(7) “Earnings" means the return paid on or credited to savings accounts, and may be designated as earnings, dividends or interest.

(7m) “Federal regulatory agency" means the federal office of thrift supervision or other federal agency or entity which supervises and examines an association.

(8) “Federal savings and loan association" means a savings and loan association organized pursuant to the Home Owners' Loan Act of 1933, and any acts amendatory thereof and supplementary thereto.

(9) “Foreign association" means a savings and loan association organized under the laws of any other state or territory, but does not include a federal association.

(10) “Guaranteed mortgage loans" means loans wholly or partially guaranteed by the U.S. department of veterans affairs under the servicemen's readjustment act of 1944, P.L. 78-346, and acts amendatory thereof and supplementary thereto.

(11) “Home office" means the principal place of business of an association.

(13) “Impairment of savings accounts" means that the assets of an association do not have an aggregate appraised value equal to the aggregate savings accounts and other liabilities of the association.

(15) “Insured loans" means loans wholly or partially insured by a state or federal agency.

(17) “Member" means a person owning a savings account in a mutual association or in a stock association if the stock association is a subsidiary of a mutual savings and loan holding company but does not include a person owning a savings account evidenced by a negotiable certificate of deposit which is not in registered form.

(18) “Mutual association" means a mutual savings and loan association.

(18m) “Mutual savings and loan holding company" means a holding company organized under s. 215.59.

(19) “Net income" means the gross income for a period less the aggregate of expenses, determined according to generally accepted accounting principles or an accounting standard or practice approved by the division.

(20) “Net worth" means:

(a) In a stock association, the aggregate of capital stock, additional paid-in capital, retained earnings and other accounts designated as components of net worth by the division, determined according to generally accepted accounting principles or an accounting standard or practice approved by the division.

(b) In a mutual association, the aggregate of retained earnings and other accounts designated as components of net worth by the division, determined according to generally accepted accounting principles or an accounting standard or practice approved by the division.

(22) “Review board" means the banking institutions review board.

(23) “Saver" means a person who is an owner of a savings account in a given association.

(24) “Savings account" means the monetary interest of the owner thereof in the aggregate of savings accounts in the association and consists of the withdrawal value of such interest.

(24m) “Savings and loan holding company" includes a mutual savings and loan holding company or an equivalent mutual entity organized under the laws of another jurisdiction, a stock savings and loan holding company and includes any person, corporation, partnership, trust, joint stock company, association, state or federal savings and loan association, state or federal savings bank or state or national bank, which owns, holds or in any manner controls, directly or indirectly, 10 percent of the stock in a savings and loan association.

(25) “State chartered association" means a savings and loan association organized under this chapter.

(26) “Stock association" means a capital stock savings and loan association.

(27) “Stockholder" means a person owning one or more shares of capital stock in a capital stock association.

(27m) “Stock savings and loan holding company" means a savings and loan holding company organized as a capital stock corporation.

(27s) “Thrift institution" means an association, a federal savings and loan association or a federal or state savings bank.

(28) “Withdrawal value of a savings account" means the aggregate of deposits in a savings account and the total earnings credited to that account, less withdrawals.

History: 1971 c. 229; 1975 c. 359; 1983 a. 167; 1989 a. 56; 1989 a. 242 ss. 1 to 4; 1991 a. 221; 1995 a. 27, 104; 1999 a. 9; 2003 a. 33; 2019 a. 65.

Chapter 215 is inapplicable to federal savings and loan associations. Kaski v. First Federal Savings & Loan Association of Madison, 72 Wis. 2d 132, 240 N.W.2d 367 (1976).