Commitments and Contingencies

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2013

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Commitments and Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies

The Company is party to financial instruments with off-balance-sheet risk in the normal course of business to meet the financing needs of its customers.  These financial instruments include commitments to extend credit.  These instruments involve, to varying degrees, elements of credit risk not recognized in the consolidated balance sheets.

The Company’s exposure to credit loss in the event of nonperformance by the other party to the financial instrument for commitments to extend credit is represented by the contractual amount of those instruments.  The Bank uses the same credit policies in making commitments as it does for on-balance-sheet instruments.

A summary of the Company’s commitments at September 30, 2013 and 2012 is as follows (dollars in thousands):

	2013		2012
Undisbursed portion of construction loans in process (see Note 4)	$	18,527	$	16,325
Undisbursed lines of credit	25,187		21,671
Commitments to extend credit	16,399		10,113

Commitments to extend credit are agreements to lend to a customer as long as there is no violation of any condition established in the contract.  Since commitments may expire without being drawn upon, the total commitment amounts do not necessarily represent future cash requirements.  The Company evaluates each customer’s credit-worthiness on a case-by-case basis.  The amount of collateral obtained, if deemed necessary by the Company upon extension of credit, is based on management’s credit evaluation of the party.  However, such loan to value ratios will subsequently change, based on increases and decreases in the supporting collateral values.  Collateral held varies, but may include accounts receivable, inventory, property and equipment, residential real estate, land, and income-producing commercial properties.

The Company maintains a separate reserve for losses related to unfunded loan commitments.  Management estimates the amount of probable losses related to unfunded loan commitments by applying the loss factors used in the allowance for loan loss methodology to an estimate of the expected amount of funding and applies this adjusted factor to the unused portion of unfunded loan commitments.  The reserve for unfunded loan commitments totaled $165,000 and $148,000 at September 30, 2013 and 2012, respectively.  These amounts are included in other liabilities and accrued expenses in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.  Increases (decreases) in the reserve for unfunded loan commitments are recorded in non-interest expense in the accompanying consolidated statements of income.

The Bank has an employee severance compensation plan which expires in 2017, and which provides severance pay benefits to eligible employees in the event of a change in control of Timberland Bancorp or the Bank (as defined in the plan).  In general, all employees with two or more years of service will be eligible to participate in the plan.  Under the plan, in the event of a change in control of Timberland Bancorp or the Bank, eligible employees who are terminated or who terminate employment (but only upon the occurrence of events specified in the plan) within 12 months of the effective date of a change in control would be entitled to a payment based on years of service or officer rank with the Bank.  The maximum payment for any eligible employee would be equal to 24 months of the employee’s current compensation.

Because of the nature of its activities, the Company is subject to various pending and threatened legal actions which arise in the ordinary course of business.  In the opinion of management, liabilities arising from these claims, if any, will not have a material effect on the consolidated financial position of the Company.