FDIC Friday: Ameribank Bites the Dust
September 21st, 2008Via: AP:
Federal regulators have shut down Ameribank Inc., a small bank in West Virginia, saying it overextended loans for the rehabilitation of distressed properties.
It was the 12th failure this year of a federally insured bank.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. has been appointed receiver of the bank, based in Northfork, W.Va. It had $115 million in assets and $102 million in deposits as of June 30.
The FDIC said Friday the bank’s insured deposits will be assumed by Pioneer Community Bank Inc. of Iaeger, W.Va., and Citizens Savings Bank in Martins Ferry, Ohio.
Its branches in West Virginia will reopen Monday as offices of Pioneer Community Bank and its Ohio branches will reopen Sunday as offices of Citizens Savings.
Ameribank ran into trouble because of “excessive growth” in the construction loans for property rehabilitation, mainly in low- and moderate-income housing markets, according to the federal Office of Thrift Supervision, the bank’s primary regulator.
