| (a) General lending limit. Generally, a bank's total outstanding loans and extensions of credit to one borrower, as provided in the Finance Code §34.201, may not exceed 25% of the bank's Tier 1 capital. However, certain loans or extensions of credit are subject to special lending limits as set forth in this section. These special lending limits are cumulative of one another and of the general lending limit under this subsection except as otherwise provided. (b) Loans secured by title to readily marketable goods. (1) Pursuant to the Finance Code, §34.201(a)(3), loans to one borrower secured by a bill of lading, bonded warehouse receipt, or similar document transferring or securing title to readily marketable goods may not exceed 50% of the bank's Tier 1 capital, in addition to the amount for that borrower allowed under the bank's general lending limit for loans and extensions of credit other than as provided by this subsection, provided the bank's interest in the collateral is adequately insured against loss if it is customary to do so. The market value of the goods securing the loan must at all times equal at least 115% of the amount of the outstanding loan that exceeds the general lending limit. The duration of the loan or extension of credit may not exceed six months if secured by goods that are refrigerated or frozen, or ten months if secured by nonperishable goods. (2) The holder of the bonded warehouse receipts, order bills of lading, documents of title (as defined under the Business and Commerce Code), or other similar documents must have control and be able to obtain immediate possession of the goods so that the bank is able to sell the underlying goods and promptly transfer title to the buyer if default were to occur on a loan secured by such documents. The requirement under applicable law for a brief notice period or other similar procedural condition prior to disposal of the goods will not affect the eligibility of the instruments for this special lending limit. (3) For purposes of this subsection, readily marketable goods are articles of commerce or industry in the form of fungible units that are easy to sell in a market with sufficiently frequent price quotations, and includes basic metals, such as tin, copper, or lead, consumer goods, and packaged processed foods, including refrigerated or frozen foods. The exact price must be easy to determine and the article itself must be easy to sell at any time at a price that would not be considerably less than the amount at which it is valued as collateral. Whether an article qualifies as readily marketable goods is determined on the basis of the conditions existing at the time the loan or extension of credit secured by the article is made. Whether goods are nonperishable must be determined on a case-by-case basis because of the differences in types of goods and differences in the shipping, handling, and storing of goods. (c) Loans secured by liens on stored agricultural products. (1) Pursuant to the Finance Code, §34.201(a)(4), loans to one borrower secured by liens on agricultural products in secure and properly documented storage in bonded warehouses or elevators may not exceed 50% of the bank's Tier 1 capital, in addition to the amount for that borrower allowed under the bank's general lending limit for loans and extensions of credit other than as provided by this subsection, provided the bank's interest in the collateral is adequately insured against loss. The market value of the agricultural products securing the loan must at all times equal at least 125% of the amount of the outstanding loan. The duration of the loan or extension of credit arising from a single transaction or the same agricultural products may not exceed six months if secured by agricultural products that are refrigerated or frozen, or exceed ten months if secured by nonperishable agricultural products. (2) The bank must have control and be able to obtain immediate possession of the agricultural products so that the bank is able to sell the underlying products and promptly transfer title to the buyer if default were to occur on a loan secured by such products. The requirement under applicable law for a brief notice period or other similar procedural condition prior to disposal of the products will not affect the eligibility of the products for this special lending limit. (3) Field warehouse receipts are an acceptable form of collateral when issued by a duly bonded and licensed grain elevator or warehouse having exclusive possession and control of the agricultural products even though the grain elevator or warehouse is maintained on the premises of the owner of the products. Warehouse receipts issued by the borrower-owner that is a grain elevator or warehouse company, duly bonded and licensed and regularly inspected by state or federal authorities, may be considered eligible collateral under this provision only when the receipts are registered with an independent registrar whose consent is required before the products may be withdrawn from the warehouse. (4) Agricultural products are any product of agriculture, excluding livestock but not the products of livestock, and includes wheat and other grains, cotton, wool, flowers, eggs, and milk. Whether agricultural products are nonperishable must be determined on a case-by-case basis because of the differences in types of agricultural products and differences in the shipping, handling, and storing of agricultural products. (d) Loans secured by readily marketable collateral. (1) Pursuant to the Finance Code, §34.201(a)(12), loans or extensions of credit to one borrower may exceed the bank's general lending limit by an additional 15% of the bank's Tier 1 capital if the amount that exceeds the bank's general lending limit is fully secured by readily marketable collateral. The bank must properly perfect its security interest in the collateral to qualify for this added special lending limit and the collateral at all times must have a market value of at least 100% of the amount of the loan or extension of credit that exceeds the bank's general lending limit. (2) For purposes of this subsection, readily marketable collateral must be financial instruments or bullion that can be promptly sold under ordinary market conditions at a fair market value determined by reliable and continuously available price quotations, based upon actual transactions on an auction or similarly available daily bid and ask price market. Financial instruments are stocks, bonds, notes, and debentures traded on a national securities exchange, over-the-counter margin stocks as defined in Regulation U (12 C.F.R. §§221.1 et seq), commercial paper, negotiable certificates of deposit, bankers' acceptances, and shares in a money market mutual fund of the type that issues shares in which banks may perfect a security interest, but not including individual mortgages. Financial instruments may be denominated in foreign currencies that are freely convertible into United States dollars. (e) Loans secured by documents covering livestock. (1) Pursuant to the Finance Code, §34.201(b)(2), loans or extensions of credit to one borrower secured by shipping documents or instruments that transfer or secure title to or grant a first lien security interest in livestock may not exceed 15% of the bank's Tier 1 capital, in addition to the amount allowed under the bank's general lending limit. The market value of the livestock securing the loan must at all times equal at least 115% of the amount of the outstanding loan that exceeds the general lending limit. (2) The bank must maintain in its files an inspection and valuation for the livestock pledged that is reasonably current, taking into account the nature and frequency of turnover of the livestock to which the documents relate, but in no event more than 12 months old. (3) For purposes of this subsection, livestock includes dairy and beef cattle, hogs, sheep, goats, poultry, and fish, whether or not held for resale. (f) Loans secured by dairy cattle paper. Pursuant to the Finance Code, §34.201(b)(2), loans and extensions of credit to one borrower arising from the discount by dealers in dairy cattle of paper given in payment for the cattle may not exceed 15% of the bank's Tier 1 capital, in addition to the amount allowed under the bank's general lending limit. To qualify, the paper must carry the full recourse endorsement or unconditional guarantee of the seller and must be secured by the cattle sold, pursuant to liens that allow the bank to maintain a perfected security interest in the cattle under applicable law. |
