No. 17-80
The Director of the Division of Savings and Loan Supervision may not recognize additional sources of revenue to that division for purposes of the director's computation of just and reasonable per diem charges, but these examination charges should approximate in amount the total of the actual per diem charges for all division personnel participating in the examination and other expenses incurred by the division on account of that examination, as specified in subsection 1 of § 369.324.
Cite as Mo. Op. Att'y Gen. No. 17-80
SAVINGS AND LOAN:
The Director of the Division of
Savings and Loan Supervision may
not recognize additional sources
of revenue to that division for purposes of the director ' s computa-
tion of just and reasonable per diem charges, but these e xamination
charges should approximate in amount the total of the actual per
diem charges for all division personnel participating in the exami-
nation and other expenses incurred by the division on account of
that examination , as specified in subsection 1 of § 369.324.
June 20, 1980
Mr. James R. Butler, Director
Department of Consumer Affairs,
Regulation and Licensing
Post Office Box 1157
Jefferson City , Missouri
65102
Dear Mr . Butler :
OPINION NO. 17
FILED
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This is in response t o your inquiry of this office , asking
whether the Director of the Division of Savings and Loan Super-
vision may recognize other additional sources of revenue to the
division for purposes of his computation or determination of the
per diem examination charges that he believes to be just and
reasonable , according to the provisions of § 369.324 .1, RSMo.
Section 369 . 324 , RSMo, states:
1 .
Each association shall pay for each
annual or special examination such amount as the
director of the division of savings and loan
supervision shall certify to be just and reason-
able based upon per diem charges for all personnel
participating in such examination , and expenses
incurred on account of the examination .
Payment
shall be made to the director of revenue.
2.
If the capital of an association shall
at the end of any calendar year exceed the amount
of capital upon which the association theretofore
has paid an incorporation fee , an additional fee
of five cents for each one hundred dollars of
such additional capital shall be paid to the
director of revenue within sixty days.
Mr . James R. Butler, Director
3.
To meet the salaries and expenses of
the division of savings and loan supervision,
the funds for which are not otherwise provided,
the director shall require every association under
his supervision to pay to him its pro rata share
thereof as estimated by the director for the
ensuing year.
The p r oportion to be assessed to
each association shall be the proportion which
its assets bears to the aggregate assets of all
associations subject to supervision as shown by
the latest reports of associations to the director
but excluding from such computation assets con-
sisting of real and tangible personal property
situated without this state.
The director shall
notify each association by mail of the amount
assessed against it.
The association shall pay
the amount assessed within twenty days after
such notice.
4.
All fees and charges imposed upon asso-
ciations pursuant to the provisions of sections
369.010 to 369.369 shall be paid to the director
of revenue and shall be paid into the state
treasury .
The director of revenue shall keep
an accurate account of all such funds and shall
at the request of the director report the total
amount of such collections to him.
We understand that this opinion request was prepared in response
to the text of Report No. 79-17 , dated February 27 , 1979, and issued
by the Honorable James F. Antonio , C.P.A., Missouri State Auditor,
which report found :
The Division of Savings and Loan Supervision ,
under statutory direction, charges savings
and loan associations for each annual or
special examination .
Current procedures are
to charge the associations $70 per man-day
required for the examination.
This rate is
apparentl y an arbitrary number that has been
used since at least 1966.
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Mr. James R. Butler, Director
The division has not done a study to determine
the actual cost of an examination and, thus ,
has no basis upon which to determine if the
current rate is a just and reasonable charge.
It is obvious that when a cost study is per-
formed, it will reveal that the current rate
is much too low to recover all costs of the
examinatio~s as required by statute • •
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WE RECOMMEND the divi sion review its examination
costs and establish charges that actually recover
costs .
We also understand the position of the Division of Savi ngs and
Loan Supervision, that all of the subsections of § 369 . 324 , RSMo,
should be considered together , with all revenue received under that
section available "[t]o meet the salaries and expenses of the division
of savings and loan supervision ..
• "
Thus, the argument has been
made that all amounts received under subsection 2 should be con-
sidered in determining a "just and reasonable" charge for each
annual or special examination under subsection 1.
We have
received the legal memor anda of both counsel in this matter .
The primary rule of statutory construction is to ascer tain the
intent of the lawmakers from the language used , to give effect to
that intent, if possible , and to consider words used in the statute
in their plain and ordinary meaning.
State v. Kraus, 530 S . W. 2d
684, 685 (Mo. bane 1975); State ex rel. Dravo Corporation v.
Spradling, 515 S.W . 2d 512 , 517 (Mo.-r974) .
From our examination of the language used in § 369 . 324 , we
find no express or implied interrelationship between t he fees for
additional capital specified in subsection 2 and the annual or
special examination charges described in subsection 1 .
Only the
procedure for charging assessments , specified in subsection 3 , takes
into consideration the funds received from examination char ges and
additional capital fees , by limiting its application to those
instances where the funds necessary to meet the salaries and ex-
penses of the Division of Savings and Loan Supervision "are not
otherwise provided. "
Thus, the section, when read as a whol e , does
not suggest that a just and reasonable rate for examination char ges
is dependent in any respect upon the fees for additional capital
received under § 369 . 324.2.
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Mr. James R. Butler, Director
Furthermore, the provisions of § 369.324.1 expressly limit
the basis for determining what amount constitutes a just and
reasonable examination charge to a consideration of "per diem
charges for all personnel participating in such examination , and
expenses incurred on account of the examination."
Inasmuch as
the statute has enumerated the criteria upon which the determina-
tion of just and reasonable examination charges is to be made,
it must be construed as excluding from consideration all other
possible considerations not expressly mentioned, including those
fees and charges derived under other provisions of § 369 . 324 .
Gilotti v. Hamm-Singer Corp., 396 S.W.2d 711, 713
(~o. 1965);
Depoortere v. Commerc1.al Credit Corp., 500 S .W.2d 724 , 727 (Mo.
App . , Spr.D. 1973).
We also note, in this respect, that the director of the Division
of Savings and Loan Supervision does not have complete discretion
in establishing the amount or rate for examination charges .
As
construed in D. C. Transit System, Inc. v. Washington Metropolitan
Area Transit commiss1.on , 3SO F.2d 15'3, 778 (D.C . Cir. 1965) , "a 'just
ana-reasonable' rate is one that assures that all the enterprise's
legitimate expenses will be met; •
•
• " which in this instance are
t hose expenses resulting from the per diem charges of a l l personnel
participating in the examination and other expenses incurred on
account of the examination .
See also , New York Central Railroad
Co. v. United States, 199 F.Supp. 955, 957 TS:D. N.Y . 1961), con-
struing "Just and reasonable" charges pursuant to statute.
Thus ,
a just and reasonable charge for each annual or special examination
is one which will, to the extent possible , recover the actual cost
to the Division of Savings and Loan Supervision of that examination,
as based upon the per diem charges for all participating personnel
and expenses incurred therein .
CONCLUSION
It is the op1.n1.on of this office that the director of the Divi-
sion of Savings and Loan Supervision may not recognize additional
sources of revenue to that division for purposes of the director's
computation of just and reasonable per diem charges, but these
examination charges should approximate in amount the total of the
actual per diem charges for all division personnel participating
in the examination and other expenses incurred by the division on
account of that examination , as specified in subsection 1 of § 369 . 324.
The foregoing opinion, which I hereby approve, was prepared
by my assistant , Gregory W. Schroeder .
Very truly yours,
a= AS:CROFT
Attorney General
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