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.

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.

A summary of the Company’s commitments at September 30, 2017 and 2016 is as follows (dollars in thousands):



	2017		2016
Undisbursed portion of construction loans in process (see Note 4)	$	82,411	$	48,627
Undisbursed lines of credit	51,420		47,949
Commitments to extend credit	19,673		20,681

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 $214,000 and $157,000 at September 30, 2017 and 2016, 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 2027 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 18 months of the employee’s current compensation.

The Company has employment agreements with the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer which provide for a severance payment and other benefits if the officers are involuntarily terminated following a change in control of the Company or the Bank. The maximum value of the severance benefits under the employment agreements is 2.99 times the officer's average annual compensation during the five-year period prior to the effective date of the change in control.

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.