Bank of the People Montreal in 1840. Until 1835, every bank in Upper Canada required a legislated charter which established it as a legal person able to sue, and be sued at law. Only two Banks had been chartered: the Bank of Upper Canada and the Commercial Bank of the Midland District. Both banks were controlled by the "Family Compact" who used their control of the currency supply and credit to control trade and ultimately, the farmers. They had a "licensed monopoly" to print paper money, which reduced competition. In 1835, Dr Charles Duncombe, a Reform politician in the Legislative Assembly, was part of
Chevy Chase Bank community involvement in its advertising. The bank used a caricature portrayal of Benjamin Franklin as its advertising mascot, who repeated the tagline "The Leading Local Bank" in its television commercials. Chevy Chase Bank was the subject of two national class action lawsuits for violations of the Truth in Lending Act of 1968 involving as many as 7,000 mortgage borrowers. A federal district court ruled against the bank in January 2007, but the ruling was stayed pending appeal to the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals. The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the federal district ruling in September, 2008. The