11. PREFERRED STOCK

On January 9, 2009, we issued $20 million of cumulative perpetual preferred shares, with a liquidation preference of $1,000 per share (the “Senior Preferred Shares”) to the United States Treasury under its Capital Purchase Program (“CPP”). The Senior Preferred Shares constitute Tier 1 capital and rank senior to our common shares. The Senior Preferred Shares paid cumulative dividends quarterly at a rate of 5% per year for the first five years and then reset to 9% per year on January 9, 2014. The Senior Preferred Shares may be redeemed at any time, subject to prior approval from bank regulatory agencies. We also have the ability to defer dividend payments at any time, at our option.

Under the terms of our CPP stock purchase agreement, we also issued the Treasury a warrant to purchase an amount of our common stock equal to 15% of the aggregate amount of the Senior Preferred Shares, or $3 million. The warrant entitles Treasury to purchase 215,983 common shares at a purchase price of $13.89 per share. The initial exercise price for the warrant and the number of shares subject to the warrant were determined by reference to the market price of our common stock calculated on a 20-day trailing average as of December 8, 2008, the date Treasury approved our application. The warrant has a term of 10 years and is potentially dilutive to earnings per share.

Effective with the fourth quarter of 2010, we suspended payment of regular quarterly cash dividends on our Senior Preferred Shares. The dividends will continue to be accrued for payment in the future and reported as a preferred dividend requirement that is deducted from income attributable to common shareholders for financial statement purposes. As of March 31, 2014, we have deferred a total of fourteen quarterly payments and these accrued but unpaid dividends totaled $3.9 million.

Participation in the CPP requires a participating institution to comply with a number of restrictions and provisions, including standards for executive compensation and corporate governance that apply only as long as the Senior Preferred Shares are held by Treasury and limitations on share repurchases and the declaration and payment of dividends on common shares. The standard terms of the CPP require that a participating financial institution limit the payment of dividends to the most recent quarterly amount prior to October 14, 2008, which is $0.19 per share in our case. This dividend limitation will remain in effect until the preferred shares are retired though subject to the Consent Order discussed in Note 2.

On April 29, 2013, Treasury sold our Senior Preferred Shares to six funds in an auction. Following the sale, the full $20 million stated value of our Senior Preferred Shares remains outstanding and our obligation to pay deferred and future dividends, at the current 9% annual rate, continues until our Senior Preferred Shares are fully retired.