Question and Answer Guide
Desert Hills Bank, Phoenix, AZ
FDIC Call Center
Toll free number 1-800-886-2504
Hours of Operation - Mountain Time
Friday, March 26, 2010: Until 9:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 27, 2010: 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 28, 2010: Noon – 6:00 p.m.
Thereafter: 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
On Friday, March 26, 2010, Desert Hills Bank, Phoenix, AZ was closed by the State of Arizona Department of Financial Institutions. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) was then named Receiver. Subsequent to the closure, New York Community Bank, Westbury, NY acquired substantially all the deposits and assets of Desert Hills Bank from the FDIC as Receiver for Desert Hills Bank. Any claims by equity holders were not acquired. Share price does not trigger a bank closing and was not the reason for Desert Hills Bank’s failure.
The total balance in your account(s) has been transferred to New York
Community Bank and will be available for transactions during regular business
hours at
the former Desert Hills Bank branches.
You may continue to use your same checks, ATM cards and debit cards until notified.
All Direct Deposits, including Social Security checks, will continue as usual.
ACCOUNT(S): WHAT ABOUT MY ACCOUNT WITH DESERT HILLS BANK?
If you had an account with Desert Hills Bank, you now have an account with New York Community Bank, Westbury, NY. All deposit accounts, which include checking, savings, money market, CDs and retirement accounts, have been transferred to New York Community Bank, regardless of the dollar amount. No one lost any money on deposit in Desert Hills Bank.
Customers of both banks should continue to use their existing branches until New York Community Bank can fully integrate the deposit records of Desert Hills Bank.
To forewarn you of any scams, please be advised that you will not receive any notification from the FDIC, the Receiver, or New York Community Bank to provide any private information. Please be watchful for and resist any scams to obtain information from you by individuals or entities purporting to act on behalf of Desert Hills Bank, New York Community Bank, or the FDIC.
ATM/DEBIT CARD AND/OR BILLPAY: WHAT ABOUT MY ATM/DEBIT CARD AND/OR BILL PAYING WITH DESERT HILLS BANK?
Your ATM/debit card will continue to work, and bill paying will work as it has in the past.
BROKERED DEPOSITS: I AM A DEPOSIT BROKER OR HAVE BROKERED DEPOSITS. WHAT DO I DO?
As an All-Deposit Transfer transaction, the total of all deposit accounts, excluding the Cede & Co. brokered deposits, have been assumed by New York Community Bank. The FDIC retained the Cede & Co. brokered deposits and will pay those accounts off directly.
Be advised, however, that from and after the date of closing, New York Community Bank will accrue and pay interest on deposit liabilities at a rate it shall determine; accordingly, New York Community Bank shall permit depositors, including brokered depositors, impacted by reduced rates to withdraw their deposits without penalty for early withdrawal.
If you are a customer who has a Desert Hills Bank deposit through a broker, you must contact your broker with any questions.
DIRECT DEPOSITS - GOVERNMENT DEPOSITS: WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO MY DIRECT DEPOSITS?
Direct Deposits, including Social Security checks, will continue as normal.
EXIXTING DEPOSITS AT NEW YORK COMMUNITY BANK: I ALREADY HAVE OTHER DEPOSIT ACCOUNTS WITH THE NEW BANK. WHEN COMBINED WITH BALANCES AT THIS BANK, MY DEPOSITS EXCEED $250,000. ARE ALL FUNDS INSURED?
The accounts transferred to New York Community Bank will be separately insured for at least six months after the merger. This grace period gives a depositor the opportunity to restructure the accounts, if necessary.
CDs from the failed bank are separately insured until the earliest maturity date after the end of the six-month grace period.
CDs that mature during the six-month period and are renewed for the same term and in the same dollar amount (either with or without accrued interest) continue to be separately insured until the first maturity date after the six-month period.
If a CD matures during the six-month grace period and is renewed on any other basis, it would be separately insured only until the end of the six-month grace period.
INTEREST RATES, EARLY WITHDRAWAL PENALTY: WILL I CONTINUE TO EARN INTEREST AT THE SAME RATE? WILL I BE CHARGED AN EARLY WITHDRAWAL PENALTY?
Interest on all deposits accrued through Friday, March 26, 2010, will be paid at your same rate. New York Community Bank will review rates and notify you if interest rates will change. Your interest rate may be reduced.
You may withdraw funds from any transferred account without an early withdrawal penalty until you enter into a new deposit agreement with your new bank. Entering into a new deposit agreement can be done by either renewing your CD or making a deposit to or a withdrawal from your account.
LOAN/MORTGAGES: WHAT ABOUT MY LOAN OR MORTGAGE WITH DESERT HILLS BANK?
Substantially all mortgages and loans have been assumed by New York Community Bank. Your payment amount and due date are the same. If you are having your payment deducted from your account, it will continue as it has in the past. You should continue to make your checks payable to Desert Hills Bank and send your payments to the same address.
LOAN IN PROCESS: WHAT HAPPENS IF I HAD A LOAN IN PROCESS THAT HAD NOT CLOSED OR A LINE OF CREDIT NOT FULLY FUNDED?
You should contact your loan officer. All prior contacts remain the same.
MEDIA: I REPRESENT A TV/NEWSPAPER/RADIO AND WOULD LIKE SOME INFORMATION.
Please contact the Office of Public Affairs:
OUTSTANDING CHECKS: WHAT ABOUT CHECKSTHAT I HAVE WRITTEN ON MY ACCOUNT WITH DESERT HILLS BANK?
Your checks will clear up to the available balance in your account. you can continue to use your existing checks.
SAFE DEPOSIT BOXES: HOW CAN I CLAIM THE CONTENTS OF MY SAFE DEPOSIT BOX?
It is business as usual. You can go to your local branch and access your safe deposit box; however, no action on your part is required because of this transaction.
SHAREHOLDERS: WHAT ABOUT MY SHARES OF STOCK?
All shares of Desert Hills Bank were owned by its holding company, Desert Hill Capital Corp., Phoenix, AZ. The holding company was not included in the closing of the bank or the resulting receivership. If you are a shareholder of Desert Hill Capital Corp., please do not contact or file a claim with the Receiver. You may contact Desert Hill Capital Corp. directly for information as follows:
Desert Hill Capital Corp.
3001 Camelback Road
Phoenix, AZ 85016
TRANSACTION TYPES: WHY DO ALL DEPOSITS, INSURED OR NOT, PASS IN SOME TRANSACTIONS BUT NOT IN OTHERS?
The FDIC is required by law to employ the least-cost resolution measure for each failed financial institution. The most frequent result had been for the FDIC to transfer only the insured deposits in a Purchase and Assumption transaction; however, the temporary increase in the deposit insurance limit has assisted in the transfer of all deposits more often in the past year.
UNPAID BILLS: I HAVE NOT BEEN PAID FOR WORK OR SUPPLIES PROVIDED TO THE BANK. WHAT SHOULD I DO?
All claims against Desert Hills Bank, together with proof of the claims, must be submitted in writing to the Receiver at the following address:
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Receiver: Frontier Bank
1601 N. Bryan Street
Dallas, TX 75201-3430
Attention: Claims Agent
For more information: www.fdic.gov/bank/individual/failed/deserthills.html