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I

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
BEFORE
THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS

OF THE FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM

WASHINGTON,

D.C.

)
Written Agreement by and between
PEOPLE’S BANCSHARES,
New Bedford, Massachusetts

INC.

)
)
)

Docket No. OO-025-WA/RB-HC

i
)
)
)
)
)

and
FEDERAL RESERVE BANK
OF BOSTON
Boston, Massachusetts

WHEREAS, in recognition
financial soundness of People’s Bancshares,

of their common goal to restore and maintain the
Inc.. New Bedford, Massachusetts

(“Bancshares”), a

registered bank holding company that owns and controls the People’s Savings Bank of Brockton,
South Easton, Massachusetts,

(the “Bank”), a state chartered nonmember

bank, the Federal

Reserve Bank of Boston (the “Reserve Bank”) and Bancshares have mutually agreed to enter into
this Written Agreement (the “Agreement”);

and

WHEREAS, on November 28, 2000, the board of directors of Bancshares, at a
duly constituted

meeting, adopted a resolution authorizing and directing Richard S. Straczynski

to enter into this Agreement on behalf of Bancshares and consenting

to compliance

every provision of this Agreement by Bancshares and its institution-affiliated

with each and

parties, as defined

in sections 3(u) and 8(b)(3) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act, as amended (the “FDI Act”)
(12 U.S.C. 1813(u) and 1818(b)(3)).

NOW, THEREFORE,

without this Agreement

constituting

an admission of any

allegation made or implied by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (“the Board
of Governors”)

Dividends,

or the Reserve Bank, Bancshares and the Reserve Bank agree as follows:

Distributions

1.

(a)

and Stock Redemption

Bancshares shall not declare or pay any dividends without the prior written

approval of the Reserve Bank and the Director of the Division of Banking Supervision
Regulation

and

of the Board of Governors (the “Director”).
(b)

Bancshares shall not make any distributions

sums on the subordinated

of interest, principal or other

debentures issued in connection with its trust preferred securities

without the prior written approval of the Reserve Bank and the Director.
(c)

All requests for prior approval shall be received by the Reserve Bank at

least 30 days prior to the proposed dividend or distribution declaration date and shall include,
without limitation:
(i)
or distribution
Governors’s

a determination

is covered by Bancshares’s

by Bancshares that the proposed dividend payment

operating earnings and is consistent with the Board of

Policy Statement, dated November

14, 1985, concerning the payment of cash

dividends by bank holding companies;

2

(ii)
distribution

a determination

by Bancshares that the dividend payment or

will not place undue pressure on the capital resources and the liquidity of Bancshares

or the Bank; and
(iii)

an evaluation by Bancshares of the Bank’s allowance for loan and

lease losses based on the level of criticized assets as established by internal loan review ratings,
and any projected increase in the consolidated

2.

organization’s

overall risk exposure.

Bancshares shall not take dividends or any other form of payment representing

a

reduction of capital from the Bank without the prior written approval of the Reserve Bank.

3.

Bancshares shall not purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire, directly or indirectly,

any of its stock without the prior written approval of the Reserve Bank.

Capital Adequacy
4.

Within 60 days of this Agreement,

Bancshares shall submit to the Reserve Bank

an acceptable written plan to achieve and, thereafter, maintain, a sufficient capital position for the
consolidated

organization,
(a)

consolidated

The plan shall, at a minimum,

address, consider and include:

the current and future capital requirements

organization,

of the Bank and the

with particular attention to:

(i)

the risk profile of the Bank’s asset and liability structure; and

(ii)

the volume of adversely classified assets at the Bank;

3

(b)
Companies:

the requirements

of the Capital Adequacy Guidelines for Bank Holding

Risk-Based Measure and Tier 1 Leverage Measure, Appendices

A and D of

Regulation Y of the Board of Governors (12 C.F.R. Part 225, App. A and D);
(c)
consolidated

the adequacy of the Bank’s loan loss reserve and its effect on the

financial condition of Bancshares;
(d)

the anticipated levels of earnings at the Bank;

(c)

the source and timing of additional funds that may be necessary to fulfill

the future capital needs of the Bank and the consolidated
(D

the requirements

of any supervisory

organization.
action consented to by the Bank or

imposed upon the Bank by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Massachusetts

or the Commonwealth

of

Division of Banks;
(8)

a methodology

incorporates, at a minimum,
strategies, competitive

for the internal measurement

of capital adequacy that

target capital levels, the risk profile and portfolio mix, growth

influences, market valuations and dividend parameters of the Bank and

Bancshares;
(h)

procedures

Bank and the consolidated
0)

for monitoring, on a monthly basis, the capital adequacy of the

organization;

and

procedures to notify the Reserve Bank, in writing, within ten days of the

end of any calendar quarter in which the consolidated

organization’s

tier I leverage ratio falls

below 5 percent and the steps that will be taken by Bancshares to increase the consolidated
organization’s

tier 1 leverage ratio to no less than 5 percent within 90 days of such event.

4

Debt and Debt Service
5.

Bancshares shall not, directly or indirectly, increase its borrowings, incur any

debt, or renew any existing debt without the prior written approval of the Reserve Bank. All
requests for prior written approval shall contain, at a minimum,

a statement regarding the

purpose of the debt, increase, or renewal, the terms of the borrowing,

the planned sources for

debt repayment, and an analysis of the cash flow resources available to meet such debt
repayment.

Directors and Officers
6.

During the term of this Agreement, or as otherwise required by law, Bancshares

shall comply with the provisions of section 32 of the FDI Act (12 U.S.C. 183 1i) and Subpart H of
Regulation Y of the Board of Governors (12 C.F.R. Part 225, Subpart H) with respect to the
appointment

or election of any new directors or the hiring or promotion

of any senior executive

officers as defined in Regulation 0 of the Board of Governors (12 C.F.R. Part 215).

Approval
I.

of Plan
The plan required by paragraph 4 hereof shall be submitted to the Reserve Bank

for review and approval.
in this Agreement.

An acceptable plan shall be submitted within the time period set forth

Bancshares shall adopt the plan within 10 days of receipt of approval from

the Reserve Bank and then shall fully comply with it. During the term of this Agreement, the
plan shall not be amended or rescinded without the prior written approval of the Reserve Bank.

5

Progress Reports
8.

Within 30 days after the end of each calendar quarter (December 3 I, March 3 1,

June 30, and September 30) following the date of this Agreement,

Bancshares shall furnish to the

Reserve Bank written progress reports detailing the form and manner of all actions taken to
secure compliance
discontinued

with this Agreement and the results thereof.

Such reports may be

when the corrections required by this Agreement have been accomplished

and the

Reserve Bank has, in writing, released Bancshares from making further reports.

9.

Bancshares shall submit to the Reserve Bank a copy of all written progress reports

submitted by the Bank to any federal or State supervisory
informal supervisory

authority pursuant to any formal or

agreement or order between the Bank and such authority.

Communications
10.

All communications

regarding this Agreement shall be sent to:

(a)

E. Philip Simpson, Jr.
Vice President
Federal Reserve Bank of Boston
600 Atlantic Avenue
Boston, MA 02106.2076

(b)

Richard S. Straczynski
President and Chief Executive Officer
People’s Bancshares, Inc.
545 Pleasant Street
New Bedford, MA 02740

6

Effect and Term of Agreement
II.

The provisions of this Agreement

institution-affiliated

12.

shall be binding upon Bancshares and all of its

parties, in their capacities as such, and their successors and assigns.

Each provision of this Agreement shall remain effective and enforceable

until

stayed, modified, terminated or suspended, in writing, by the Reserve Bank.

13.

Notwithstanding

any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, the Reserve

Bank may, in its sole discretion, grant written extensions of time to Bancshares to comply with
any provision of this Agreement.

14.

The provisions of this Agreement shall not bar, estop or otherwise prevent the

Board of Governors, the Reserve Bank or any federal or state agency or department

from taking

any other action affecting Bancshares or any of its current or former institution-affiliated

15.

parties.

This Agreement is a “written agreement” for the purposes of, and is enforceable

by the Board of Governors as an order issued under, section 8 of the FDI Act (12 U.S.C. 1818).

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Agreement to be executed
as of the 9 day of December, 2000.

People’s ,B.gcshares,

Federal Reserve Bank of Boston

Inc.

t,
By:
President and
Chief Executive Officer

Q

Each of the undersigned directors of Bancshares acknowledges
Agreement and approves of the consent thereto by Bancshares.

8A

having read the foregoing