32-1-551. Liquidating officer's powers and duties. (1) Except as provided in subsection (3), after taking possession of a bank for the purpose of liquidation, the liquidating officer may as soon as the officer ascertains that the assets of the bank will be insufficient to pay its debts and liabilities, proceed to collect and enforce the stockholders' liability. For that purpose, the officer may institute and maintain in the officer's own name as liquidating officer appropriate suits or actions in any state or federal court of competent jurisdiction. The liquidating officer may receive and receipt for money received on account of stockholders' liability, and any money paid to the liquidating officer by a stockholder in whole or partial satisfaction of the stockholder's liability is not considered paid voluntarily but gives the stockholder the same protection to the extent of the amount paid as if the payments were made after suit by a creditor or the liquidating officer. The liquidating officer may, with the consent of the court having jurisdiction of the liquidation, compromise, settle, and compound claims for stockholders' liability, and the settlements and compromises when approved by the court are legal and binding upon all parties concerned, including creditors.

(2) (a) Except as provided in subsection (2)(b), all sums collected by a liquidating officer on account of stockholders' liability, either received from voluntary payments or collected by suits, settlements, or compromises, must be distributed to the creditors of the bank according to their several rights in the same proportion as the amount of a given claim of a creditor bears to the amount of the claims of all creditors and without regard to the rank or class or character of claims and without diminution.

(b) The liquidating officer may deduct from amounts collected the court costs or attorney fees (the attorney fees to be allowed for not more than 10% of the amount collected, provided that the 10% allowed for attorney fees may not apply to collections that are made outside of the state of Montana) and other expenses incurred by the officer in the prosecution of any action for collection.

(3) If the federal deposit insurance corporation is appointed as the liquidating agent, the reporting and district court approval requirements of subsections (1) and (2) do not apply.