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Exhibit 10.37

PLUMAS BANK

DEFERRED FEE AGREEMENT

This Deferred Fee Agreement (Agreement) is entered into this 30th day of April, 2009 by and between Plumas Bank (Bank), and Alvin Blickenstaff (Director).

RECITALS

WHEREAS, the Director is on the Bank’s board of directors, and has faithfully served the Bank for many years. It is the consensus of the board of directors (Board) and its compensation committee that the Director’s services have been of exceptional merit and an invaluable contribution to the profits and position of the Bank in its field of activity; and

WHEREAS, it is deemed to be in the best interests of the Bank to provide the Director with certain benefits, on the terms and conditions set forth herein, in order to reasonably induce the Director to remain on the Bank’s board of directors; and

WHEREAS, section 885 of the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 amended the Internal Revenue Code (Code) to add section 409A implementing detailed rules regarding deferred compensation.

ACCORDINGLY, it is the desire of the Bank and the Director to enter into this Agreement in good faith compliance with the requirements of Code section 409A, and the final Treasury regulations.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the services to be performed in the future, as well as the mutual promises and covenants contained herein, the Director and the Bank agree as follows:

AGREEMENT

ARTICLE I. TERMS AND DEFINITIONS

1.01 .

 

Change In Control . “Change In Control” means the first to occur of any of the following events:

 

A.

 

Change In The Ownership Of The Bank .

 

 

 

 

The date that any one person, or more than one person acting as a group, acquires ownership of stock in the Bank that, together with stock held by such person or group, constitutes more than fifty percent (50%) of the total fair market value or total voting power of the stock of the Bank. For this purpose, acquisition of additional stock of the Bank by any one person or persons acting as a group does not constitute a Change In Control if the same person or persons are considered to own more than fifty percent (50%) of the total fair market value or total voting power of the stock of the Bank immediately prior to the acquisition.

 

 


 

 

B.

 

Change In The Effective Control Of The Bank .

 

 

 

 

The date that either:

 

1.

 

Any one person, or more than one person acting as a group, acquires (or has acquired during the twelve (12) month period ending on the date of the most recent acquisition by such person or persons) ownership of stock of the Bank possessing at least thirty-five percent (35%) or more of the total voting power of the stock of the Bank; or

 

 

2.

 

A majority of members of the Board is replaced during any twelve (12) month period by directors whose appointment or election is not endorsed by a majority of the members of the Board prior to the date of the appointment or election.

 

 

C.

 

Change In Ownership Of A Substantial Portion Of The Bank’s Assets .

 

 

 

 

The date that any one person, or more than one person acting as a group, acquires (or has acquired during the twelve (12) month period ending on the date of the most recent acquisition by such person or persons) assets from the Bank that have a total gross fair market value equal to more than forty percent (40%) of the total gross fair market value of the assets of the Bank immediately prior to such acquisition or acquisitions. For this purpose, the fair market value of the assets of the Bank shall be determined without regard to any liabilities associated with such assets. A transfer of assets by the Bank does not constitute a Change In Control if the assets are transferred to:

 

1.

 

A person, or more than one person acting as a group, that is a shareholder of the Bank immediately prior to the transfer in exchange for its stock;

 

 

2.

 

An entity, fifty percent (50%) or more of the total voting power of which, is owned, directly or indirectly, by the Bank immediately after the transfer of assets;

 

 


 

 

3.

 

A person, or more than one person acting as a group, that owns, directly or indirectly, fifty percent (50%) or more of the total voting power of all of the outstanding stock of the Bank immediately after the transfer of assets; or

 

 

4.

 

An entity, at least fifty percent (50%) or more of the voting power of which is owned, directly or indirectly, by a person described in paragraph 3 of this subsection immediately after the transfer of assets.

1.02.

 

Code . “Code” shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

 

1.03.

 

Disability/Disabled . “Disability” or “Disabled” shall mean the Director: (i) is unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than twelve (12) months; or (ii) is, by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than twelve (12) months, receiving income replacement benefits for a period of not less than three (3) months under an accident and health plan covering employees or directors of the Bank. Medical determination of Disability may be made by either the Social Security Administration or by the provider of an accident or health plan covering employees or directors of the Bank provided that the definition of “disability” applied under such disability insurance program complies with the requirements of the preceding sentence. Upon the request of the plan administrator, the Director must submit proof to the plan administrator of the Social Security Administration’s or the provider’s determination.

 

1.04.

 

Election Form means the Form attached as Exhibit 1.

 

1.05.

 

Fees means the total directors fees payable to the Director.

 

1.06.

 

Specified Employee means an employee who at the time of Termination of Service is a key employee of the Bank, if any stock of the Bank is publicly traded on an established securities market or otherwise. For purposes of this Agreement, an employee is a key employee if the employee meets the requirements of Code section 416(i)(1)(A)(i), (ii), or (iii) (applied in accordance with the regulations thereunder and disregarding section 416(i)(5)) at any time during the twelve (12) month period ending on December 31 (the “identification period”). If the employee is a key employee during an identification period, the employee is treated as a key employee for purposes of this Agreement during the twelve (12) month period that begins on the first day of April following the close of the identification period.

 

 


 

1.07.

 

Specified Time . “Specified Time” shall mean the date, if any, elected by the Director on the Election Form on which payment of the Director’s deferral account will commence to the Director absent earlier payment to the Director upon one of the events described in Article IV, V, or VI.

 

1.08.

 

Termination of Service . “Termination of Service” shall mean the expiration of the Director’s contract, if the expiration constitutes a good faith and complete termination of the contractual relationship. An expiration does not constitute a good faith and complete termination of the contractual relationship if the Bank anticipants a renewal of a contractual relationship or the Director becoming an employee of the Bank. The Bank is considered to anticipate the renewal of the contractual relationship with the Director if it intends to contract again for the services provided under the expired contract, and neither the Bank nor the Director has eliminated the Director as a possible provider of services under any new contract. Further, a Bank is considered to intend to contract again for the services provided under an expired contract if the Bank’s doing so is conditioned only upon incurring a need for the services, the availability of funds, or both.

 

1.09.

 

Unforeseeable Financial Emergency .

 

A.

 

“Unforeseeable Financial Emergency” means a severe financial hardship to a Director resulting from (i) an illness or accident of the Director, the Director’s spouse, the Director’s beneficiary, or the Director’s dependent (as defined in Code section 152(a), without regard to Code section 152(b)(1), (b)(2), and (d)(1)(B)); (ii) a loss of the Director’s property due to casualty (including, but not limited to, the need to rebuild a home following damage to a home not otherwise covered by insurance); or (iii) such other similar extraordinary and unforeseeable circumstances arising as a result of event beyond the control of the Director, all as determined in the sole and absolute discretion of the Bank.

 

 

B.

 

Such extraordinary and unforeseeable circumstances may, depending on the facts and circumstances, include, but are necessarily not limited to (i) imminent foreclosure of or eviction from the Director’s primary residence; (ii) the need to pay for medical expenses, including nonrefundable deductibles, as well as the costs of prescription drug medication; and (iii) the need to pay for the funeral expenses of a spouse, a beneficiary, or a dependent (as defined in Code section 152(b)(1), (b)(2), and (d)(1)(B)). The purchase of a home and the payment of college tuition do not constitute an Unforeseeable Financial Emergency.