EX-10.E 5 dex10e.htm EXHIBIT 10(E) Exhibit 10(e)

Exhibit 10(e)

 

AGREEMENT

 

THIS AGREEMENT is made effective as of April 17, 2003 by and between PROVIDENT COMMUNITY BANK (the”Bank”); UNION FINANCIAL BANCSHARES, INC. (the “Company”); and Lud W. Vaughn (“Executive”).

 

WHEREAS, Executive serves in the position of Executive Vice President and Chief Credit Officer of the Bank, a position of substantial responsibility; and

 

WHEREAS, the Bank recognizes the substantial contribution Executive has made to the Bank and wishes to protect her position therewith for the period provided for in this Agreement.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and upon the other terms and conditions hereinafter provided, the parties hereto agree as follows:

 

1.    Term of Agreement

 

a.)  The term of this Agreement shall be (i) the period commencing on April 17, 2003 (the “Effective Date”) and continuing for a period of twelve months thereafter; plus (ii) any and all extensions of the term made pursuant to this Section 1.

 

b.)  Commencing on the Effective Date and on each day thereafter, the term under this agreement shall be renewed automatically for an additional one (1)day period beyond the then effective expiration date without action by any party, provided that neither the Company, on the one hand, nor Executive, on the other, shall have given at least sixty (60) days written notice of its or her desire that the term not be renewed. In the case such notice is given by one party to the other, the term of this Agreement shall become fixed and shall end on the second anniversary of the date of written notice.

 

2.    Payments to Executive Upon a Change in Control.

 

a.)  Upon the occurrence of a Change in Control (as herein defined) followed within twenty-four (24) months of the effective date of a Change in Control by the voluntary or involuntary termination of Executive’s employment, other than Termination for Cause, as defined in Section 2(c) hereof, the provisions of Section 3 shall apply. For purposes of this Agreement, “voluntary termination” shall be limited to the circumstances in which, during the term of this Agreement, Executive elects to voluntarily terminate her employment within twelve (12) months of the effective date of a Change in Control following any demotion, loss of title, office of significant authority, reduction in her annual compensation or benefits (other than a reduction affecting the Bank’s personnel generally), or relocation of her principal place of employment by more than thirty-five (35)miles from its location immediately prior to the Change in Control.

 

b.)  A “Change in Control” of the Company of the Bank shall be deemed to occur if and when (a) an offeror other than the Company purchases shares of the common stock of the Company or the Bank pursuant to a tender or exchange offer for such shares, (b) any person (as such term is used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d)(2) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) is or becomes the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company or the Bank representing 25% or more of the combined voting power of the Company’s then outstanding securities, (c) the membership of the board of directors of

the Company or the Bank changes as the result of a contested election, such that individuals who were directors at the beginning of any twenty-four (24) month period (whether commencing before or after the date of adoption of this Agreement) do not constitute a majority of the Board at the end of such period, or (d) shareholders of the Company or the Bank approve a merger, consolidation, sale of disposition of all or substantially all of the Company’s or the Bank’s assets, or a plan of partial or complete liquidation.

 

c.)  Executive shall not have the right to receive termination benefits pursuant to Section 3 hereof upon Termination for Cause. The term “Termination for Cause” shall mean termination because of Executive’s intentional failure to perform stated duties, personal dishonesty, incompetence, willful misconduct, any breach of fiduciary duty involving personal profit, willful violation of any law, rule regulation (other than traffic violations or similar offenses) or final cease and desist order, or any material breach of any material provision of this Agreement. In determining incompetence, the acts or omissions shall be measured against standards generally prevailing in the savings institution industry. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Executive shall not be deemed to have been Terminated for Cause unless and until there shall have been delivered to him a copy of a resolution duly adopted by the affirmative vote of not less than three-fourths (3/4) of the members of the Board at a meeting of the Board called and held for that purpose (after reasonable notice to Executive and an opportunity for him, together with counsel, to be heard before the Board), finding that in the good faith opinion of the Board, Executive was guilty of conduct justifying Termination for Cause and specifying the particulars thereof in detail. Executive shall not have the right to receive compensation or other benefits for any period after Termination for Cause.

 

3.    Termination

 

a.)  Upon the occurrence of a Change in Control, followed within twelve (12) months of the effective date of a Change in Control by the voluntary or involuntary termination of Executive’s employment other than for Termination for Cause, the Bank shall be obligated to pay Executive, or in the event of her subsequent death, her beneficiary or beneficiaries, or her estate, as the case may be, as severance pay, a sum equal to one (1) times Executive’s base salary as in effect on the effective date of a Change in Control. Such amount shall be paid to Executive in a lump sum no later than thirty (30) days after the date of her termination.

 

b.)  Upon the occurrence of a Change in Control of the Bank followed within twelve (12) months of the effective date of a Change in Control by Executive’s voluntary or involuntary termination of employment, other than for Termination for Cause, the Bank shall cause to be continued life, medical, dental and disability coverage substantially identical to the coverage maintained by the Bank for Executive prior to her severance. Such coverage and payments shall cease upon expiration of twelve (12) months from the date of Executive’s termination.

 

c.)  Notwithstanding the preceding paragraphs of this Section 3, in the event that the aggregate payments or benefits to be made or afforded to Executive under this Section would be deemed to include an “excess parachute payment” under Section 280G of the Code, such payments or benefits shall be payable or provided to Executive in equal monthly installments over the minimum period necessary to reduce the present value of

 

 

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such payments or benefits to an amount which is one dollar ($1.00) less than three (3) times Executive’s “base amount” as defined under Section 280G of the Code.

 

d.)  Any payments made to Executive pursuant to this Agreement, or otherwise, are subject to and conditioned upon compliance with 12 U.S.C. §1828(k) and any regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

4.    Effect on Prior Agreements and Existing Benefit Plans

 

This Agreement contains the entire understanding between the parties hereto and supersedes any prior agreement between the Bank and Executive, except that this Agreement shall not affect or operate to reduce any benefit or compensation inuring to Executive of a kind elsewhere provided. No provision of this Agreement shall be interpreted to mean that Executive is subject to receiving fewer benefits than those available to him without reference to this Agreement.

 

5.    No Attachment

 

a.)  Except required by law, no right to receive payments under this Agreement shall be subject to anticipation, commutation, alienation, sale, assignment, encumbrance, charge, pledge, or hypothecation, or to execution, attachment, levy, or similar process or assignment by operation of law, and any attempt, voluntary or involuntary, to affect any such action shall be null, void and of no effect.

 

b.)  This Agreement shall be binding upon, and inure to the benefit of, Executive, the Company, the Bank and their respective successors and assigns.

 

6.    Modification and Waiver

 

a.)  This Agreement may not be modified or amended except by an instrument in writing signed by the parties hereto.

 

b.)  No term or condition of this Agreement shall be deemed to have been waived, nor shall there be an estoppel against the enforcement of any provision of this Agreement, except by written instrument of the party charged with such waiver or estoppel. No such written waiver shall be deemed a continuing waiver unless specifically stated therein, and each such waiver shall operate only as to the specific term or condition waived and shall not constitute a waiver of such term or condition for the future or as to any act other than that specifically waived.

 

7.    Required Provisions

 

a.)  The Bank may terminate Executive’s employment at any time, but any termination by the Bank, other than Termination for Cause, shall not prejudice Executive’s right to compensation or other benefits under this Agreement. Executive shall not have the right to receive compensation or other benefits for any period after Termination for Cause as defined in Section 2(c) herein.

 

b.)  If Executive is suspended and/or temporarily prohibited from participating in the conduct of the Bank’s affairs by a notice served under Section 8(e)(3) or (g)(1) of the

 

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Federal Deposit Insurance Act (“FDIA”) (12 U.S.C. 1818(e)(3) and (g)(1)), the Bank’s obligations under the Agreement shall be suspended as of the date of service, unless stayed by appropriate proceedings. If the charges in the notice are dismissed, the Bank may, in its discretion, (i) pay Executive all or part of the compensation withheld while its contract obligations were suspended and (ii) reinstate (in whole or in part) any of its obligations that were suspended.

 

c.)  If Executive is removed and/or permanently prohibited from participating in the conduct of the Bank’s affairs by an order issued under Section 8(e)(4) or (g)(1) of the FDIA (12 U.S.C. 1818(e)(4) or (g)(1)), all obligations of the Bank under the Agreement shall terminate as of the effective date of the order, but vested rights of the contracting parties shall not be affected.

 

d.)  If the Bank is in default (as defined in Section 3(x)(1) of the FDIA), all obligations under this Agreement shall terminate as of the date of default, but this paragraph shall not affect any vested rights of the parties.

 

e.)  All obligations under this Agreement may be terminated:, (I)by the Director of the Office of Thrift Supervision (the”Director”) or his or her designee at the time the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or the Resolution Trust Corporation enters into an agreement to provide assistance to or on behalf of the Bank under the authority contained in Section 13(c) of the FDIA and (ii) by the Directors, or his or her designee at the time the Director or such designee approves a supervisory merger to resolve problems related to operation of the Bank or when the Bank is determined by the Director to be in an unsafe or unsound condition. Any rights of the parties that have already vested, however, shall not ve affected by such action.

 

8.    Severability

 

If, for any reason, any provision of this Agreement, or any part of any provision, is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect any other provision of this Agreement or any part of such provision not held so invalid, and each such other provision and part thereof shall to the full extent consistent with law continue in full force and effect.

 

9.    Headings for Reference Only

 

The headings of sections and paragraphs herein are included solely for convenience of reference and shall not control the meaning or interpretation of any of the provisions of this Agreement.

 

10.    Governing Law

 

The validity, interpretation, performance, and enforcement of this Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of South Carolina, unless preempted by Federal law as now or hereafter in effect.

 

Any dispute or controversy arising under or in connection with this Agreement shall be settled exclusively by arbitration, conducted before a panel of three arbitrators sitting in a location selected by the employee within fifty (50) miles from the location of the Bank, in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association then in effect.

 

 

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11.    Source of Payments

 

All payments provided in this Agreement shall be timely paid in cash or check from the general funds of the Bank. The Company, however, guarantees all payments and the provision of all amounts and benefits due hereunder to Executive and, if such payments are not timely paid or provided by the Bank, such amounts and benefits shall be paid or provided by the Company.

 

12.    Payment of Legal Fees

 

All reasonable legal fees paid or incurred by Executive pursuant to any dispute or question of interpretation of this Agreement shall be paid or reimbursed by the Bank if Executive is successful on the merits pursuant to a legal judgement, arbitration or settlement.

 

13.    Successor to the Bank or the Company

 

The Bank and the Company shall require any successor or assignee, whether direct or indirect, by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise, to all or substantially all of the business or assets of the Bank or the Company, expressly and unconditionally to assume and agree to perform the Bank’s or the Company’s obligations under this Agreement, in the same manner and to the same extent that the Bank or the Company would be required to perform if no such succession or assignment had taken place.

 

14.    Signatures

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Bank and the Company have caused this Agreement to be executed by a duly authorized officer, and Executive has signed this Agreement, all on the day and date first above written.

 

ATTEST:

      

PROVIDENT COMMUNITY BANK

 

/s/ Wanda J. Wells

      

By:

  

 

/s/ Dwight V. Neese

                Dwight V. Neese

ATTEST:

       UNION FINANCIAL BANCSHARES, INC.

 

/s/ Wanda J. Wells

      

By:

  

 

/s/ Dwight V. Neese

                Dwight V. Neese

WITNESS:

           EXECUTIVE

 

/s/ Helaine M. Cody

      

By:

  

 

/s/ Lud W. Vaughn

                Lud W. Vaughn

 

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