29 - Branch offices; public accommodation offices; approval or refusal; certificate; investigation fee.

§  29.  Branch  offices;  public  accommodation  offices;  approval or  refusal; certificate; investigation fee.  When  a  banking  organization  seeks  to  open a branch office or public accommodation office, it shall  submit a written application  to  the  superintendent.  The  application  shall contain such information as the superintendent deems necessary. At  the  time of making such application, an investigation fee as prescribed  pursuant to section eighteen-a of this article  shall  be  paid  to  the  superintendent for each branch office or public accommodation office for  which  leave  to  open  is  sought. If the superintendent finds that the  opening  of  the  branch  office  or  public  accommodation  office   is  consistent  with  the  declaration of policy set forth in section ten of  this article and that  the  applicant  is  in  compliance  with  section  twenty-eight-b  of  this article, he or she shall issue a certificate in  triplicate under his or her hand and the official seal of the department  authorizing the opening and occupation of such branch office  or  public  accommodation  office  and specifying the date on or after which and the  conditions under which it may be opened and the place where it shall  be  located.   The   superintendent  shall  cause  one  of  such  triplicate  certificates to be transmitted to the applicant, another to be filed  in  the  office of the department and the third to be filed in the office of  the clerk of the county in which the principal office of  the  applicant  is located. If the superintendent shall not find that the opening of the  branch or public accommodation office is consistent with the declaration  of policy set forth in section ten of this article or that the applicant  is  in compliance with section twenty-eight-b of this article, he or she  shall notify the applicant that the application has been denied.    No investigation fee for branch applications shall be  collected  from  applicants  if  such  branch  applications are filed in conjunction with  proceedings under section one hundred thirty-six, four  hundred  ten  or  subdivision eight of section six hundred five of this chapter.