Legal and Regulatory Proceedings (Notes)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Legal Proceedings [Abstract]

Legal Matters and Contingencies [Text Block]

Legal and Regulatory Proceedings

On August 15, 2014, a customer filed a class action complaint against Commerce Bank in the Circuit Court, Jackson County, Missouri.  The case is Cassandra Warren, et al v. Commerce Bank (Case No. 1416-CV19197). In the case, the customer alleged violation of the Missouri usury statue in connection with Commerce Bank charging overdraft fees in connection with point-of-sale/debit and automated-teller machine cards.  On August 31, 2017, the Court ruled in favor of Commerce Bank on its motion for summary judgment. The time period for any appeal on the summary judgment ruling has run with no appeal filed; accordingly, the case has been concluded with no liability to Commerce Bank.

The Company has various other legal proceedings pending at September 30, 2017, arising in the normal course of business. While some matters pending against the Company specify damages claimed by plaintiffs, others do not seek a specified amount of damages or are at very early stages of the legal process. The Company records a loss accrual for all legal and regulatory matters for which it deems a loss is probable and can be reasonably estimated. Some matters, which are in the early stages, have not yet progressed to the point where a loss amount can be determined to be probable and estimable.