Some of our credit union clients have small staffs and the employees are often responsible for several different jobs. In the years that we have represented credit unions, we have resolved all types of operational problems experienced by our credit union clients. Many times these problems can be resolved by a simple telephone call, and we encourage our credit union clients to have their staff contact our office when a problem arises. Among the many items of assistance rendered by our office to the credit union concerning its operation are the following:

Resolving operational problems involving virtually every department of the Credit Union including:

• Resolving problems with automobile loans, including disputes with automobile dealers involving change in automobile, no title or no lien
• Obtaining automobiles from storage yards or garagemen and resolving disputes involving property subject to credit union lien
• Handling of disputes involving operational errors and mistakes
• Wire transfers and Automated Clearing House problems
• Field of membership issues and charter expansion requests
• Resolving problems associated with subpoena of credit union documents and employees
• Grand jury subpoenas of credit union employees
• Investigation requests from authorities and restrictions imposed by the Right to Financial Privacy Act

Our office renders assistance to the credit union in all areas affecting compliance with applicable federal and state law and regulation. Including the following:

Our office reviews all contracts involving the credit union's operation and vendors such as the following:

• Sharedraft Processing Agreements
• Data Processing Agreements
• Credit Scoring And Credit Prescreening Agreement
• Contracts Involving The Credit Union's Corporate Sponsor
• Optical Disk Storage Agreements
• Marketing Agreements
• Agreements With Third Party Vendors
• Contracts Involving Electronic Fund Transfer Switches, Networks, And Internet Services
• Student Loan And Other State And Federal Guarantee Loan Programs
• Loan Participation Agreements With Other Credit Unions
• Leases For Credit Union Offices
• Loan Guarantee Agreements With Corporate Sponsor
• Contracts With Credit Reporting Agencies

Deposit Accounts - At the request of the credit union, we render assistance in the offering and development of credit union loan services including deposit accounts such as share, sharedraft, share certificate and IRA accounts, preparation of account agreement cards, disclosure forms, truth-in-savings disclosure documents and policies, development of telephonic access to credit union accounts.

Loan Accounts - Our office also provides assistance in the offering and implementation of credit union loan services including working with the credit union staff to develop the documentation, policies, and terms for new loan programs, preparation of application forms, disclosures, loan documents, and other documents necessary for the program.

New Services - Many of our credit union clients find our past experience in assisting credit unions and offering new services is valuable to the credit union when it develops and new deposit or loan service. Recently, we have worked with our clients in developing such new services as commercial loans, church loans and student loans, the sale of investment in insurance products at the credit union offices, expedited loan programs, pre-screened and pre-approved loan programs, home banking and electronic delivery of credit union services access to EFT networks and switches which enable credit union members to participate in ATM programs despite the fact that the credit union does not own any proprietary ATM machines; participation in the shared branching program; automobile leasing; the sale of investments and insurance products at credit union offices; expedited loan programs; interest free IRS tax refund loans; prescreened and pre-approved credit card loans, 24 hour loan services, electronic branches and access to the Internet.

Our office has developed an extensive mortgage program to assist the credit union in implementing and offering mortgage loans including first and second, fixed and variable rate mortgages, and home equity loans. Our office assists the credit union in developing the complete mortgage program and including establishing the terms under which the loans will be offered to credit union members, development of written loan policies, and preparation of all of the necessary forms, disclosures, and loan documents. Our office has prepared sample application forms, commitment letters, disclosure statements, general closing instructions, final closing instructions, and mortgage loan checklist for use by the credit union. We also act as review attorney for all of our credit union clients offering first mortgage loan. Our office also assists our credit union clients in servicing mortgage loans, including handling real estate tax and insurance escrow issues, delinquency, flood insurance matters and other issues arising during the term of the mortgage loan.

During the many years that we have represented credit union clients, we have developed a relationship with both the National Credit Union Administration, and the New Jersey Department of Banking. Our office communicates with representatives of Region II of the National Credit Union Administration on a regular basis and we are familiar with most of the examiners, supervisory examiners, and members of the General Counsel's Office of the National Credit Union Administration. We have handled virtually every type of regulatory problem arising from the operation of the credit union from simple matters up to and including the conservatorship of a credit union. We monitor changes in the regulatory procedures, including receiving all of the National Credit Union Administration Letters to Credit Union, regulatory changes, bylaw amendments and manuals. Our office also maintains electronic access to the NCUA Bulletin Board and Records, including access to all Interpretive Ruling and Policy Statements ("IRPS") and opinion letters of the General Counsel's Office.

Among the many issues previously resolved with NCUA on behalf of our credit union clients are field of membership and charter expansion issues, disputes including the adequacy of allowances for losses account, disputes concerning write-down of investments, CAMEL ratings, member business loans, real estate loans in foreclosure. Our office also has substantial experience in negotiating with NCUA concerning findings set forth in the record of action and requests for letters of understanding.

My office also communicates with representatives of the New Jersey Department of Banking concerning state law issues, which would apply to both our state chartered and federally chartered clients.

During the past few years personnel matters have become increasingly more common with our credit union clients. Employees today have a heightened sense of expectation as to their rights as an employee which often conflict with the "Employment-at-Will" policy of the New Jersey courts. Our office assists the credit union in preparation and review of the credit union personnel manual. Our office also monitors New Jersey law and court decisions for personnel issues, which would affect the credit union. We handle disputes involving the demotion, transfer, hiring or firing of credit union employees and represent the credit union in claims filed by employees with the New Jersey Superior Court as well as the New Jersey Department of Labor and the Division of Civil Rights. Our office assists the credit union in complying with the Conscientious Employee Protection Act and the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination as well as the Equal Employment Opportunity Act and other employee legislation which is applicable to the credit union.