NEW YORK North Fork Bancorp said Monday that it would acquire Commercial Bank of New York in the fourth quarter, not the third quarter as it had intended, because of an unexpected regulatory hurdle.
The $175 million deal was announced in February and would more than double North Forks presence in Manhattan.
On Monday, John Kanas, chairman and chief executive of North Fork, said that he originally anticipated not having to receive approval from the Federal Reserve Board for the transaction, which is why the bank designated the third quarter for the closing.
We thought we were going to get a waiver and we didnt, Mr. Kanas said in a phone interview. Weve gotten it before on similar-sized deals. However, he added, Its no big deal. Commercial Bank shareholders will meet on June 27 to vote on the acquisition agreement.