Related Party	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2018
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]
Related Party	Related Party Management fee A management fee is charged to the Exchange for services we provide under the subscriber's agreement with subscribers at the Exchange. The fee is a percentage of direct and assumed premiums written by the Exchange. This percentage rate is determined at least annually by our Board of Directors but cannot exceed 25%. The effective management fee rate charged the Exchange was 25% in 2018, 2017 and 2016. The Board of Directors elected to maintain the fee at 25% beginning January 1, 2019. There is no provision in the subscriber's agreement for termination of our appointment as attorney-in-fact by the subscribers at the Exchange and the appointment is not affected by a policyholder's disability or incapacity. Insurance holding company system Most states have enacted legislation that regulates insurance holding company systems, defined as two or more affiliated persons, one or more of which is an insurer. The Exchange has the following wholly owned property and casualty subsidiaries: Erie Insurance Company, Erie Insurance Company of New York, Erie Insurance Property and Casualty Company and Flagship City Insurance Company, and a wholly owned life insurance company, Erie Family Life Insurance Company. Indemnity and the Exchange, and its wholly owned subsidiaries, meet the definition of an insurance holding company system. All transactions within a holding company system affecting the member insurers of the holding company system must be fair and reasonable and any charges or fees for services performed must be reasonable. Approval by the applicable insurance commissioner is required prior to the consummation of transactions affecting the members within a holding company system. Office leases We lease certain office space from the Exchange including the home office. On April 28, 2017, after securing approval from the Pennsylvania Insurance Department, a new home office lease was executed between the Exchange and Indemnity, which was retroactive to January 1, 2017, when the prior lease expired. Under the new lease, rent is based on rental rates of like property in Erie, Pennsylvania and all operating expenses including utilities, cleaning, repairs, real estate taxes, property insurance and leasehold improvements are the responsibility of the tenant (Indemnity). This lease agreement expires December 31, 2021. Under the previous lease, rents were determined considering returns on invested capital and included building operating and overhead costs. Rent costs and related operating expenses of shared facilities are allocated between Indemnity, Exchange and its subsidiaries based upon usage or square footage occupied. Rent expenses under the new lease totaled $6.2 million in 2018 and $6.3 million in 2017. Rent expense totaled $14.3 million in 2016, under the prior lease agreement, which included all operating expenses. Operating expenses totaled $14.5 million in 2018 and $13.1 million in 2017. The Exchange and its subsidiaries reimburse us for space used to perform administrative services. Reimbursements related to the use of this space totaled $4.7 million in 2018, $4.6 million in 2017 and $4.9 million in 2016. We also had a lease commitment with EFL for a field office until December 31, 2018. Annual rentals paid to EFL under this lease totaled $0.4 million in 2018, 2017 and 2016. We previously owned three field offices for which rental costs of shared facilities were allocated based upon usage or square footage occupied. On December 31, 2018, we sold the three field offices to the Exchange. See Note 7, "Fixed Assets". Notes receivable from EFL We previously held a $25 million surplus note that was issued to us by EFL in 2003 and was payable on demand on or after December 31, 2018. On December 14, 2018, EFL, with the appropriate approval from the Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner, satisfied its obligation and repaid the surplus note. The note bore an annual interest rate of 6.7% and EFL paid interest to us of $1.6 million in 2018, and $1.7 million in both 2017 and 2016.

Related Party

Management fee

A management fee is charged to the Exchange for services we provide under the subscriber's agreement with subscribers at the Exchange. The fee is a percentage of direct and assumed premiums written by the Exchange. This percentage rate is determined at least annually by our Board of Directors but cannot exceed 25%. The effective management fee rate charged the Exchange was 25% in 2018, 2017 and 2016. The Board of Directors elected to maintain the fee at 25% beginning January 1, 2019.

There is no provision in the subscriber's agreement for termination of our appointment as attorney-in-fact by the subscribers at the Exchange and the appointment is not affected by a policyholder's disability or incapacity.

Insurance holding company system

Most states have enacted legislation that regulates insurance holding company systems, defined as two or more affiliated persons, one or more of which is an insurer. The Exchange has the following wholly owned property and casualty subsidiaries: Erie Insurance Company, Erie Insurance Company of New York, Erie Insurance Property and Casualty Company and Flagship City Insurance Company, and a wholly owned life insurance company, Erie Family Life Insurance Company. Indemnity and the Exchange, and its wholly owned subsidiaries, meet the definition of an insurance holding company system.

All transactions within a holding company system affecting the member insurers of the holding company system must be fair and reasonable and any charges or fees for services performed must be reasonable. Approval by the applicable insurance commissioner is required prior to the consummation of transactions affecting the members within a holding company system.

Office leases

We lease certain office space from the Exchange including the home office. On April 28, 2017, after securing approval from the Pennsylvania Insurance Department, a new home office lease was executed between the Exchange and Indemnity, which was retroactive to January 1, 2017, when the prior lease expired. Under the new lease, rent is based on rental rates of like property in Erie, Pennsylvania and all operating expenses including utilities, cleaning, repairs, real estate taxes, property insurance and leasehold improvements are the responsibility of the tenant (Indemnity). This lease agreement expires December 31, 2021. Under the previous lease, rents were determined considering returns on invested capital and included building operating and overhead costs. Rent costs and related operating expenses of shared facilities are allocated between Indemnity, Exchange and its subsidiaries based upon usage or square footage occupied. Rent expenses under the new lease totaled $6.2 million in 2018 and $6.3 million in 2017. Rent expense totaled $14.3 million in 2016, under the prior lease agreement, which included all operating expenses. Operating expenses totaled $14.5 million in 2018 and $13.1 million in 2017. The Exchange and its subsidiaries reimburse us for space used to perform administrative services. Reimbursements related to the use of this space totaled $4.7 million in 2018, $4.6 million in 2017 and $4.9 million in 2016. We also had a lease commitment with EFL for a field office until December 31, 2018. Annual rentals paid to EFL under this lease totaled $0.4 million in 2018, 2017 and 2016.

We previously owned three field offices for which rental costs of shared facilities were allocated based upon usage or square footage occupied. On December 31, 2018, we sold the three field offices to the Exchange. See Note 7, "Fixed Assets".

Notes receivable from EFL

We previously held a $25 million surplus note that was issued to us by EFL in 2003 and was payable on demand on or after December 31, 2018. On December 14, 2018, EFL, with the appropriate approval from the Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner, satisfied its obligation and repaid the surplus note. The note bore an annual interest rate of 6.7% and EFL paid interest to us of $1.6 million in 2018, and $1.7 million in both 2017 and 2016.