337 - Sale of safe deposit business.

§ 337.  Sale  of  safe  deposit business. Subject to the provisions of  subdivision eight of section six hundred five  of  article  thirteen  of  this  chapter,  any  banking organization or foreign banking corporation  may, with the approval of the superintendent, sell  to  another  banking  organization,   foreign   banking   corporation   or   national  banking  association authorized to conduct the business of renting  safe  deposit  boxes,  all  or any part of its safe deposit business, and upon at least  thirty days notice in writing to the lessees of the safe  deposit  boxes  so  sold,  such safe deposit boxes may be delivered to the possession of  such purchasing banking organization,  foreign  banking  corporation  or  national  banking  association  and thereupon, except for claims against  the selling banking organization or foreign banking corporation asserted  in writing prior to such delivery, the obligations  and  rights  of  the  selling  banking  organization  or  foreign banking corporation upon the  leases relating thereto shall be deemed to be assumed by the  purchasing  banking  organization,  foreign  banking corporation or national banking  association  as  a  successor  in  interest  of  the   selling   banking  organization  or  foreign  banking  corporation  and the selling banking  organization or foreign banking corporation  shall  be  discharged  from  liability  in  respect thereof.   Any lessee of a safe deposit box, upon  receipt of a notice in writing of the proposed sale of such safe deposit  box by a  banking  organization  or  foreign  banking  corporation,  may  terminate  his  lease  therefor  by  removing the contents therefrom and  surrendering such safe  deposit  box  to  the  banking  organization  or  foreign  banking  corporation prior to the date fixed in such notice for  the delivery  of  such  safe  deposit  box  to  the  purchasing  banking  organization,   foreign   banking   corporation   or   national  banking  association and thereupon such lessee shall be entitled to a  refund  of  the  unearned  rent,  if any, paid by such lessee to the selling banking  organization or foreign banking corporation.