Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies (Policy)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2015

Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Principles of Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Sussex Bancorp (the “Company”) and its wholly owned subsidiary, Sussex Bank (the “Bank”). The Bank’s wholly owned subsidiaries are SCB Investment Company, Inc., SCBNY Company, Inc., ClassicLake Enterprises, LLC, Wheatsworth Properties Corp., PPD Holding Company, LLC and Tri-State Insurance Agency, Inc. (“Tri-State”). All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.

Organization And Nature Of Operations

Organization and Nature of Operations

The Company’s business is conducted principally through the Bank. The Bank is a New Jersey state chartered bank and provides full banking services. The Bank generates commercial, mortgage and consumer loans and receives deposits from customers at its eight branches located in Sussex County, New Jersey, one branch in Warren County, New Jersey, one in Queens County, New York and one branch in Orange County, New York. As a state bank, the Bank is subject to regulation by the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. The Company is subject to regulation by the Federal Reserve Board. SCB Investment Company, Inc. and SCBNY Company, Inc. hold portions of the Bank’s investment portfolio. Tri-State provides insurance agency services mostly through the sale of property and casualty insurance policies. ClassicLake Enterprises, LLC, PPD Holding Company, LLC and Wheatsworth Properties Corp. hold certain foreclosed properties. The Company opened a corporate office in Rockaway, New Jersey during the first quarter of 2014, a regional office and corporate center in Wantage, New Jersey during the third quarter of 2014, and opened a branch in Astoria, Queens, New York during the first quarter of 2015.

Estimates

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Material estimates that are particularly susceptible to significant change in the near term relate to the determination of the other-than-temporary impairment, allowance for loan losses, valuation of foreclosed real estate, valuation of goodwill, the valuation of deferred tax assets and the fair value of financial instruments.

Significant Group Concentration Of Credit Risk

Significant Group Concentrations of Credit Risk

Most of the Company’s activities are with customers located within Sussex County, New Jersey and adjacent counties in the states of New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. Notes 3 and 4 discuss the types of securities that the Company invests in. The types of lending that the Company engages are included in Note 5. Although the Company has a diversified loan portfolio, its debtors’ ability to honor their contracts is influenced by the region’s economy. The Company does not have any significant concentrations in any one industry or customer.

Cash And Cash Equivalents

Cash and Cash Equivalents

For purposes of the consolidated statements of cash flows, cash and cash equivalents include highly liquid instruments with original maturities of less than 90 days, primarily, balances due from banks, interest bearing deposits with banks and federal funds sold. Generally, federal funds are purchased and sold for one-day periods.

Securities

Securities are designated at the time of acquisition as available for sale or held to maturity. Securities that the Company will hold for indefinite periods of time and that might be sold in the future as part of efforts to manage interest rate risk or in response to changes in interest rates, changes in prepayment risk, changes in market conditions or changes in economic factors are classified as available for sale. Securities available for sale are carried at fair value, with unrealized gains and losses excluded from earnings and reported in other comprehensive (loss) income, net of related deferred tax effect. Securities that the Company has the positive intent and ability to hold to maturity are designated as held to maturity regardless of changes in market conditions, liquidity needs or changes in general economic conditions and carried at amortized cost.

Purchase premiums and discounts are recognized in interest income using the level yield method over the contractual terms of the securities. Gains and losses realized on sales of securities are determined on the specific identification method and are reported in non-interest income.

The Company periodically evaluates the security portfolio to determine if a decline in the fair value of any security below its cost basis is other-than-temporary. The Company’s evaluation of other-than-temporary impairment considers the duration and severity of the impairment, the company’s intent and ability to hold the securities and our assessments of the reason for the decline in value and the likelihood of a near-term recovery. If a determination is made that a debt security is other-than-temporarily impaired, the Company will estimate the amount of the unrealized loss that is attributable to credit and all other non-credit related factors. The credit related component will be recognized as an other-than-temporary impairment charge in non-interest income. The non-credit related component will be recorded as an adjustment to accumulated other comprehensive income (“AOCI”), net of tax.

Federal Home Loan Bank Stock

Federal law requires a member institution of the Federal Home Loan Bank (“FHLB”) system to hold stock of its district FHLB according to a predetermined formula. Based on redemption provisions of the FHLB, the stock has no quoted market value and is carried at cost. The FHLB stock was carried at $5.2 million and $3.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

Loans Receivable

Loans receivable that management has the intent and ability to hold for the foreseeable future or until maturity or payoff are stated at their outstanding unpaid principal balances, net of an allowance for loan losses and any deferred fees or costs. Interest income is accrued on the unpaid principal balance. Loan origination fees, net of certain direct origination costs, are deferred and recognized as an adjustment of the yield (interest income) of the related loans. The Bank is generally amortizing these amounts over the contractual life of the loan.

The loans receivable portfolio is segmented into commercial and residential and consumer loans. Commercial loans consist of the following classes: commercial and industrial, commercial real estate, and construction loans. Residential and consumer loans consist of the following classes: residential real estate and consumer and other loans.

For all classes of loans, the accrual of interest is discontinued when the contractual payment of principal or interest has become 90 days past due or management has serious doubts about further collectability of principal or interest, even though the loan is currently performing. A loan may remain on accrual status if it is in the process of collection and is either guaranteed or well secured. When a loan is placed on nonaccrual status, unpaid interest credited to income in the current year is reversed and unpaid interest accrued in prior years is charged against the allowance for loan losses. Interest received on nonaccrual loans including impaired loans generally are either applied against principal or reported as interest income, according to management’s judgment as to the collectability of principal. Generally, loans are restored to accrual status when the obligation is brought current, has performed in accordance with the contractual terms for a reasonable period of time (generally six months) and the ultimate collectability of the total contractual principal and interest is no longer in doubt. The past due status of all classes of loans receivable is determined based on contractual due dates for loan payments.

Allowance For Loan Losses

Allowance for Loan Losses

The allowance for loan losses represents the amount, which, in management’s judgment, will be adequate to absorb credit losses inherent in the loan portfolio as of the balance sheet date. The adequacy of the allowance is determined by management’s evaluation of the loan portfolio based on such factors as the differing economic risks associated with each loan category, the current financial condition of specific borrowers, the economic environment in which borrowers operate, the level of delinquent loans, the value of any collateral and, where applicable, the existence of any guarantees or indemnifications.

The allowance for loan losses is established through provisions for loan losses charged against income. Loans deemed to be uncollectible are charged against the allowance for loan losses, and subsequent recoveries, if any, are credited to the allowance for loan losses. The allowance for loan losses consists of specific, general and unallocated components. The specific component relates to loans that are classified as impaired. For such loans, an allowance is established when the discounted cash flows, collateral value or observable market price is lower than the carrying value for that loan. The general component covers all other loans and is based on historical loss factors adjusted for general economic factors and other qualitative risk factors such as changes in delinquency trends, industry concentrations and local/national economic trends. The allowance contains reserves identified as unallocated. These reserves reflect management's attempt to ensure that the overall allowance reflects a margin for imprecision and the uncertainty that is inherent in estimates of probable credit losses.

A loan is considered impaired when, based on current information and events, it is probable that the Company will be unable to collect the scheduled payments of principal or interest when due according to the contractual terms of the loan agreement. Factors considered by management in determining impairment include payment status, collateral value and the probability of collecting scheduled principal and interest payments when due. Loans that experience insignificant payment delays and payment shortfalls generally are not classified as impaired.

Management determines the significance of payment delays and payment shortfalls on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration all of the circumstances surrounding the loan and the borrower, including the length of the delay, the reasons for the delay, the borrower’s prior payment record and the amount of the shortfall in relation to the principal and interest owed. Impairment is measured on a loan by loan basis for commercial and industrial, commercial real estate and construction loans by either the present value of expected future cash flows discounted at the loan’s effective interest rate, the loan’s observable market price or the fair value of the collateral if the loan is collateral dependent.

Troubled Debt Restructurings ("TDR")

Troubled Debt Restructurings (“TDR”)

A modification to the terms of a loan is generally considered a TDR if the Company grants a concession to the borrower that it would not otherwise consider for economic or legal reasons related to the debtor’s financial difficulties. A TDR may include, but is not necessarily limited to, the modification of loan terms such as a temporary or permanent reduction of the loan’s stated interest rate, extension of the maturity date and/or reduction or deferral of amounts owed under the terms of the loan agreement.

All restructured loans that qualify as TDRs are placed on nonaccrual status for a period of no less than six months after restructuring, irrespective of the borrower’s adherence to a TDR’s modified repayment terms during which time TDRs continue to be adversely classified and reported as impaired. TDRs may be returned to accrual status if (1) the borrower has performed in accordance with the terms of the restructured loan agreement for no less than six consecutive months after restructuring, and (2) the Company expects to receive all principal and interest owed in accordance with the terms of the restructured loan agreement. If these conditions are met the loan may also be returned to a non-adverse classification while retaining its impaired status.

Transfers Of Financial Assets

Transfers of Financial Assets

Transfers of financial assets are accounted for as sales when control over the assets has been surrendered. Control over transferred assets is deemed to be surrendered when (1) the assets have been isolated from the Company, (2) the transferee obtains the right (free of conditions that constrain it from taking advantage of that right) to pledge or exchange the transferred assets, and (3) the Company does not maintain effective control over the transferred assets through an agreement to repurchase them before their maturity.

Foreclosed Real Estate

Foreclosed real estate is primarily comprised of property acquired through a foreclosure proceeding or acceptance of a deed-in-lieu of foreclosure. Foreclosed real estate is initially recorded at fair value, less cost to sell at the date of foreclosure, establishing a new cost basis. Subsequent to foreclosure, valuations are periodically performed by management and the assets are carried at the lower of carrying amount or fair value less costs to sell. Revenues and expenses from operations and changes in the valuation allowance are included in expenses related to foreclosed real estate.

We may obtain physical possession of residential real estate collateralizing a consumer mortgage loan via foreclosure on an in-substance repossession. As of December 31, 2015, we hold $130 thousand in foreclosed residential real estate properties as a result of obtaining physical possession. In addition, as of December 31, 2015, we had consumer loans with a carrying value of $945 thousand collateralized by residential real estate property for which formal foreclosure proceedings were in process.

Premises And Equipment

Premises and Equipment

Land is carried at cost. Premises and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is computed on the straight-line method over the following estimated useful lives of the related assets:


	Years
Buildings and building improvements	20 – 40
Leasehold improvements	5 – 10
Furniture, fixtures and equipment	5 – 10
Computer equipment and software	3 – 5

Bank Owned Life Insurance

Bank-owned Life Insurance (“BOLI”)

BOLI is carried at the amount that could be realized under the Company’s life insurance contracts as of the date of the consolidated balance sheets and is classified as a non-interest earning asset. BOLI involves purchasing life insurance by the Company on a chosen group of employees in order to fund certain employee and director benefits. The Company is the owner and beneficiary of the policies. Increases in the carrying value are recorded as non-interest income in the consolidated statements of income and insurance proceeds received are generally recorded as a reduction of the carrying value. The carrying value consists of cash surrender value of $12.5 million at December 31, 2015 and $12.2 million at December 31, 2014.

Goodwill

Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price over the fair market value of net assets acquired. At December 31, 2015 and 2014, the Company has recorded goodwill totaling $2.8 million, primarily as a result of the acquisition of an insurance agency in 2001. In accordance with current accounting standards, goodwill is not amortized, but evaluated at least annually for impairment. Any impairment of goodwill results in a charge to income. The Company periodically assesses whether events and changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amounts of goodwill and intangible assets may be impaired. The estimated fair value of the reporting segment exceeded its book value; therefore, no write-down of goodwill was required. The goodwill related to the insurance agency is not deductible for tax purposes.

Advertising Costs

The Company follows the policy of charging the costs of advertising to expense as incurred.

Income Taxes

The Company accounts for income taxes under the asset/liability method in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification 740, Income Taxes. The income tax guidance results in two components of income tax expense: current and deferred. Current income tax expense reflects taxes to be paid or refunded for the current period by applying the provisions of the enacted tax law to the taxable income or excess of deductions over revenues. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases, as well as operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period in which they occur. A valuation allowance is established against deferred tax assets when, in the judgment of management, it is more likely than not that such deferred tax assets will not become available. Because the judgment about the level of future taxable income is dependent to a great extent on matters that may, at least in part, be beyond the Company’s control, it is at least reasonably possible that management’s judgment about the need for a valuation allowance for deferred taxes could change in the near term.

In connection with the accounting guidance related to accounting for uncertainty in income taxes, which sets out a consistent framework to determine the appropriate level of tax reserves to maintain for uncertain tax positions, the Company has evaluated its tax positions as of December 31, 2015. A tax position is recognized as a benefit only if it is “more likely than not” that the tax position would be sustained in a tax examination, with a tax examination being presumed to occur. The amount recognized is the largest amount of the tax benefit that has more than a 50 percent likelihood of being realized on examination. For tax positions not meeting the “more likely than not” test, no tax benefit is recorded. Under the “more likely than not” threshold guidelines, the Company believes no significant uncertain tax positions exist, either individually or in the aggregate, that would give rise to the non-recognition of an existing tax benefit. As of December 31, 2015 the Company had no material unrecognized tax benefits or accrued interest or penalties. The Company’s policy is to account for interest as a component of interest expense and penalties as a component of other expense. The Company and its subsidiaries file a consolidated federal income tax return as well as income tax returns in the States of New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. The Company’s federal and state income tax returns subsequent to 2012 remain subject to examination by respective tax authorities.

Off-Balance Sheet Financial Instruments

In the ordinary course of business, the Bank has entered into off-balance sheet financial instruments consisting of commitments to extend credit and letters of credit. Such financial instruments are recorded in the balance sheet when they are funded.

Stock Compensation Plans

The Company currently has several stock plans in place for employees and directors of the Company. U.S. GAAP requires that the compensation cost relating to share-based payment transactions be recognized in financial statements. The share-based compensation accounting guidance requires that compensation cost for all stock awards be calculated and recognized over a defined vesting period. For awards with graded-vesting, compensation cost is recognized on a straight-line basis over the requisite vesting period for the entire award. A Black-Scholes model is used to estimate the fair value of stock options, while the market price of the Company’s common stock at the date of grant is used for restricted stock awards.

Earnings Per Share

Earnings per Share

Basic earnings per share represents net income available to common stockholders divided by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the period. The weighted-average common shares outstanding include the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding less the weighted average number of unvested shares of restricted stock. Diluted earnings per share reflect additional common shares that would have been outstanding if dilutive potential common shares had been issued, as well as any adjustment to income that would result from the assumed issuance. Potential common shares that may be issued by the Company relate to outstanding stock options and non-vested restricted stock grants. Potential common shares related to stock options are determined using the treasury stock method.

Treasury Stock

Repurchases of shares of Company common stock are recorded at cost as a reduction of stockholders’ equity. Reissuances of shares of treasury stock are recorded at average cost.

Segment Reporting

The Company acts as an independent community financial services provider and offers traditional banking and related financial services to individual, business and government customers. Through its branch and automated teller machine networks, the Bank offers a full array of commercial and retail financial services, including taking of time, savings and demand deposits; the making of commercial, consumer and mortgage loans; and the providing of other financial services. Management does not separately allocate expenses, including the cost of funding loan demand, between the commercial, retail, trust and mortgage banking operations of the Bank. As such, discrete financial information is not available and segment reporting would not be meaningful. The Company’s insurance agency is managed separately from the traditional banking and related financial services that the Company offers. The insurance operations provides primarily property and casualty coverage. See Note 2 for segment reporting of insurance operations.

Insurance Agency Operations

Tri-State is a retail insurance broker operating in the State of New Jersey. The insurance agency’s primary source of revenue is commission income, which is earned by placing insurance coverage for its customers with various insurance underwriters. The insurance agency places basic property and casualty, life and health coverage with about fifteen different insurance carriers. There are two main billing processes, direct billing (currently accounts for approximately 90% of revenues) and agency billing.

Under the direct billing arrangement, the insurance carrier bills and collects from the customer directly and remits the brokers’ commission to Tri-State on a monthly basis. For direct bill policies, Tri-State records commissions as revenue when the customer is billed. On a monthly basis, Tri-State receives notification from each insurance carrier of total premiums written and collected during the month, and the broker’s net commission due for their share of business produced by them.

Under the agency billing arrangement, the broker bills and collects from the customer directly, retains their commission, and remits the net premium amount to the insurance carrier. Virtually all agency-billed policies are billed and collected on an installment basis (the number of payments varies by policy). Tri-State records revenues for the first installment as of the policy effective date. Revenues from subsequent installments are recorded at the installment due date. Tri-State records its commission as a percentage of each installment due.

Subsequent Events

The Company has evaluated events and transactions occurring subsequent to the balance sheet date of December 31, 2015 for items that should potentially be recognized or disclosed in these financial statements. The evaluation was conducted through the date these financial statements were issued.

New Accounting Standards

In January 2014, FASB issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2014-04, Receivables - Troubled Debt Restructurings by Creditors. This ASU clarifies that an in substance repossession or foreclosure occurs, and a creditor is considered to have received physical possession of residential real estate property collateralizing a consumer mortgage loan, upon either (1) the creditor obtaining legal title to the residential real estate property upon completion of a foreclosure or (2) the borrower conveying all interest in the residential real estate property to the creditor to satisfy that loan through completion of a deed in lieu of foreclosure or through a similar legal agreement. Additionally, the amendments require interim and annual disclosure of both (1) the amount of foreclosed residential real estate property held by the creditor and (2) the recorded investment in consumer mortgage loans collateralized by residential real estate property that are in the process of foreclosure according to local requirements of the applicable jurisdiction. For public entities, the guidance is effective for annual periods, and interim periods within those annual periods, beginning after December 15, 2014. The adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

In May 2014, FASB issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. The ASU’s core principle is built on the contract between a vendor and a customer for the provision of goods and services. It attempts to depict the exchange of rights and obligations between the parties in the pattern of revenue recognition based on the consideration to which the vendor is entitled. To accomplish this objective, the standard requires five basic steps: i) identify the contract with the customer, (ii) identify the performance obligations in the contract, (iii) determine the transaction price, (iv) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract, and (v) recognize revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies a performance obligation. For public entities, the guidance is effective for annual periods, and interim periods within those annual periods, beginning after December 15, 2017. Early adoption is permitted only as of annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within that year. We do not expect the adoption of this guidance to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

In June 2014, FASB issued ASU 2014-12, Accounting for Share-Based Payments When the Terms of an Award Provide That a Performance Target Could Be Achieved after the Requisite Service Period (a consensus of the FASB Emerging Issues Task Force), to clarify that a performance target in a share-based compensation award that could be achieved after an employee completes the requisite service period should be treated as a performance condition that affects the vesting of the award. As such, the performance target should not be reflected in estimating the grant-date fair value of the award. For all entities, the amendments are effective for annual periods and interim periods within those annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015. Earlier adoption is permitted. We do not expect the adoption of this guidance to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

In April 2015, FASB issued ASU 2015-05, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other-Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40): Customer’s Accounting for Fees Paid in a Cloud Computing Arrangement, to clarify whether a hosting arrangement (e.g., cloud computing, software as a service, infrastructure as a service, etc.) contains a software license, and thus, whether it is to be accounted for by the customer similarly to other internal-use software. Specifically, the amendments revise the scope of Subtopic 350-40 to include internal-use software accessed through a hosting arrangement only if both of the following criteria are met: (1) the customer has the contractual right to take possession of the software at any time during the hosting period without significant penalty. There is no significant penalty if the customer has the ability to take delivery of the software without incurring significant cost and the ability to use the software separately without significant loss of utility or value and (2) it is feasible for the customer to either run the software on its own hardware or contract with another party unrelated to the vendor to host the software. If both of the above criteria are present in a hosting arrangement, then the arrangement contains a software license and the customer should account for that element in accordance with Subtopic 350-40 (i.e., generally capitalize and subsequently amortize the cost of the license). If both of the above criteria are not present, the customer should account for the arrangement as a service contract (i.e., expense fees as incurred). The amendments are effective for public business entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015, and interim periods within those fiscal years. An entity can elect to adopt the amendments either (1) prospectively to all arrangements entered into or materially modified after the effective date or (2) retrospectively. We do not expect the adoption of this guidance to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-1, “No. 2016-01, Financial Instruments – Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities.” ASU 2016-1, among other things; (i) requires equity investments, with certain exceptions, to be measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in net income, (ii) simplifies the impairment assessment of equity investments without readily determinable fair values by requiring a qualitative assessment to identify impairment; (iii) eliminates the requirement for public business entities to disclose the methods and significant assumptions used to estimate the fair value that is required to be disclosed for financial instruments measured at amortized cost on the balance sheet; (iv) requires public business entities to use the exit price notion when measuring the fair value of financial instruments for disclosure purposes; (v) requires an entity to present separately in other comprehensive income the portion of the total change in the fair value of a liability resulting from a change in the instrument-specific credit risk when the entity has elected to measure the liability at fair value in accordance with the fair value option for financial instruments; (vi) requires separate presentation of financial assets and financial liabilities by measurement category and form of financial asset on the balance sheet or the accompanying notes to the financial statements; and (vii) clarifies that an entity should evaluate the need for a valuation allowance on a deferred tax asset related to available-for-sale. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the pending adoption of the new standard on its consolidated financial statements.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842). Under the new guidance, lessees will be required to recognize the following for all leases (with the exception of short-term leases) at the commencement date: (i) a lease liability, which is a lessee’s obligation to make lease payments arising from a lease, measured on a discounted basis; and (ii) a right-of-use asset, which is an asset that represents the lessee’s right to use, or control the use of, a specified asset for the lease term. Under the new guidance, lessor accounting is largely unchanged. Public business entities should apply the amendments in ASU 2016-02 for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early application is permitted for all public business entities upon issuance. Lessees (for capital and operating leases) and lessors (for sales-type, direct financing, and operating leases) must apply a modified retrospective transition approach for leases existing at, or entered into after, the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented in the financial statements. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the pending adoption of the new standard on its consolidated financial statements.