ERIE INDEMNITY COMPANY
DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN
FOR OUTSIDE DIRECTORS
(As Amended and Restated as of
January 1, 2009)
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ERIE INDEMNITY COMPANY
DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN
FOR OUTSIDE DIRECTORS
(As Amended and Restated as of
January 1, 2009)
This Erie
Indemnity Company Deferred Compensation Plan for Outside Directors
(the “Plan”) is an unfunded, non-qualified, deferred
compensation arrangement created for outside directors of Erie
Indemnity Company (the “Company”). It is intended that
the Plan will aid in retaining and attracting outside directors of
exceptional ability by providing such directors with a vehicle for
deferring director’s compensation and accumulating credits
denominated in the Class A shares of the Company until
retirement or other separation from service from the Board of
Directors of Erie Indemnity Company.
The Plan was
effective as of May 1, 1997 and has been amended thereafter.
This amendment and restatement of the Plan shall constitute an
amendment, restatement and continuation of the Plan and is
generally effective as of January 1, 2009. However, certain
provisions of this amendment and restatement are effective as of
some other date. Events occurring before the applicable effective
date of any provision of this amendment and restatement shall be
governed by the applicable provision of the Plan as in effect on
the date of the event.
This amendment
and restatement of the Plan consists of three primary documents:
(i) this Basic Plan Document, which principally addresses
definitions and procedural matters that apply to all amounts that
accumulate under the Plan, (ii) Appendix A, which
incorporates provisions of the Plan relating to Plan accounts that
were earned and vested on or before December 31, 2004, and
(iii) Appendix B, which incorporates provisions of the
Plan relating to those portions of Plan accounts that are earned or
become vested on or after January 1, 2005.
When the
following words or phrases are used in the Plan document with
initial capital letters, they shall have the following meanings,
except where otherwise modified in Appendix A or Appendix
B:
2.1 “
Administrator ” shall mean the person or committee,
appointed by the Board, who shall be responsible for the
administrative functions assigned to it under the Plan.
2.2 “
Beneficiary ” shall mean the individual(s) or trust(s)
selected by a Participant to receive payment of amounts credited
under the Plan in the event of the Participant’s death, as
evidenced by the most recent, properly completed and executed,
Beneficiary designation which the Participant has delivered to the
Administrator prior to the Participant’s death. A Participant
may make a single Beneficiary designation to govern the
distribution of the Participant’s entire interest under the
Plan (including the total balance of all accounts maintained under
both Appendix A and Appendix B) that shall apply in the event
of the Participant’s death before commencement of payments.
Furthermore, the Participant may make a single, but separate,
Beneficiary designation to govern the distribution of any remaining
interest under the Plan (including the total balance of all
accounts maintained under both Appendix A and Appendix B)
that shall apply in the event of the Participant’s death
after payments have commenced but before all scheduled payments
have been made. A Participant may change either or both of these
Beneficiary designations at any time by delivering a new
designation of Beneficiary to the Administrator on such form or
forms as may be satisfactory to the Administrator. A new
designation of Beneficiary shall be effective upon receipt by the
Administrator of the completed and executed designation. As of such
effective date, the new designation shall divest any Beneficiary
named in a prior designation in that interest indicated in the
prior designation. If no effective Beneficiary designation is in
effect on the death of the Participant, or if all
designated
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Beneficiaries
have predeceased the Participant, any payments to be made under the
Plan on account of the Participant’s death shall be paid to
the estate of the Participant.
2.3 “
Board ” shall mean the Board of Directors of the Erie
Indemnity Company.
2.4 “
Code ” shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986,
as amended.
2.5 “
Company ” shall mean the Erie Indemnity Company, a
Pennsylvania business corporation.
2.6 “
Deferred Compensation Account ” shall mean such
account as defined in Appendix A and/or Appendix B, as
applicable.
2.7 “
Deferred Stock Account ” shall mean such account as
defined in Appendix A and/or Appendix B, as
applicable.
2.8 “
Director ” shall mean a member of the
Board.
2.9 “
Employee ” shall mean a person engaged in performing
services for the Company, or its affiliates or subsidiaries, as an
exempt or non-exempt full-time employee, as defined by the
Company’s Corporate Personnel Manual, as in existence at the
time of determination, and not as an independent
contractor.
2.10 “
Outside Director ” shall mean a Director who is not an
Employee or officer of the Company, its affiliates or
subsidiaries.
2.11 “
Participant” shall mean each Outside Director who
participates in the Plan in accordance with the terms and
conditions of the Plan.
2.12 “
Plan” shall mean the Erie Indemnity Company Deferred
Compensation Plan for Outside Directors, as set forth in the
provisions of the Basic Plan Document, Appendix A,
Appendix B, and including any amendments, appendices and
exhibits to these documents.
2.13 “
Retirement Plan Transfer Account ” shall mean such
account as defined in Appendix A and/or Appendix B, as
applicable.
2.14 “
Total Deferred Cash Account” shall mean such account
as defined in Appendix A and/or Appendix B, as
applicable.
2.15 “
Vested ” shall mean, as of any given date, the portion
of the Deferred Stock Account and/or the Total Deferred Cash
Account maintained on behalf of a Participant which is then 100%
vested and nonforfeitable, as determined under Appendix A
and/or Appendix B, as applicable.
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3.1
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GENERAL
ADMINISTRATION
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The
Administrator shall be charged with the administration of the Plan.
The Administrator shall have all such powers as may be necessary to
discharge its duties relative to the administration of the Plan,
including by way of illustration and not limitation, discretionary
authority to interpret and construe the Plan, to determine and
decide all questions of fact, and all disputes arising under the
Plan including, but not limited to, the validity of any election or
designation as may be necessary or appropriate hereunder and the
right of any Participant or Beneficiary to receive payment of all
or any portion of amounts represented by a Deferred Compensation
Account, Deferred Stock Account and/or Retirement Plan Transfer
Account maintained hereunder. The Administrator shall have all
power necessary to adopt, alter and repeal such administrative
rules, regulations and practices governing the operation of the
Plan as it, in its sole discretion, may from time to time deem
advisable and shall have the power to make equitable adjustments to
remedy any mistakes or errors in the administration of the Plan.
The Administrator shall
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not be liable
to any person for any action taken or omitted in connection with
the interpretation and administration of the Plan unless
attributable to willful misconduct. The Administrator shall be
entitled to conclusively rely upon all tables, valuations,
certificates, opinions and reports furnished by any actuary,
accountant, controller, counsel or other person employed or engaged
by the Company with respect to the Plan. Any individual serving as
Administrator shall not participate in any action or determination
regarding solely his own benefits payable hereunder. Decisions of
the Administrator made in good faith shall be final, conclusive and
binding upon all parties. Until modified by the Administrator, the
claims and review procedures set forth in Sections 3.2 and 3.3
shall be the exclusive procedures for the disposition of claims for
benefits arising under the Plan.
Except as
otherwise provided in the Plan, payment to a Participant or
Beneficiary of any amount determined under the Plan shall be made
by the Company at the time and in the method of payment elected by
the Participant under the terms of the Plan. If the Administrator
denies, in whole or in part, a claim for benefits filed by any
person (hereinafter referred to as a “Claimant”), the
Administrator shall transmit a written notice setting forth
(i) the specific reasons for the denial of the claim,
(ii) references to the specific provisions of the Plan on
which the denial is based, (iii) a description of any
additional material or information that is needed to perfect the
claim and why such material or information is necessary, and
(iv) further steps which the Claimant can take in order to
have his claim reviewed (including a statement that the Claimant or
his duly authorized representative may review the Plan document and
submit issues and comments regarding the claim to the
Administrator). In addition, the written notice shall contain the
date on which the notice was sent and a statement advising the
Claimant that, within ninety (90) days of the date on which
such notice is received, he may request a review of the
Administrator’s decision.
Within ninety
(90) days of the date on which the notice of denial of claim
is received by the Claimant, the Claimant or his authorized
representative may request that the claim denial be reviewed by
filing with the Administrator a written request for review, which
request shall contain the following information:
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a)
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The
date on which the notice of denial of claim was received by the
Claimant;
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b)
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The
date on which the Claimant’s request was filed with the
Administrator; provided, however, that the date on which the
Claimant’s request for review was in fact filed with the
Administrator shall control in the event that the date of the
actual filing is later than the date stated by the Claimant
pursuant to this paragraph (b);
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c)
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The
specific portions of the claim denial which the Claimant requests
the Administrator to review;
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d)
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A
statement by the Claimant setting forth the basis upon which he
believes the Administrator should reverse its previous denial of
his claim for benefits and accept his claim as made;
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e)
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Whether the Claimant desires a
hearing on the claim; and
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f)
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Any
written material (included as exhibits) which the Claimant desires
the Administrator to examine in its consideration of his position
as stated pursuant to paragraph (d) above.
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If the Claimant
has requested a hearing on the claim, such hearing shall be held
within thirty (30) days after the date determined pursuant to
paragraph (b) above. Within sixty (60) days of the date
determined pursuant to paragraph (b) above (or, if special
circumstances or the request for a hearing require an extension of
time, within ninety (90) days of such date), the Administrator
shall conduct a full and fair review of the decision denying the
Claimant’s claim for benefits and shall deliver its decision
to the Claimant in writing. Such written decision shall set forth
the specific reasons for the decision, including references to the
specific provisions of this Plan which were relied upon. The
decision will be final and binding on all persons
concerned.
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AMENDMENT AND TERMINATION
The Company
expects to continue the Plan indefinitely, but reserves the right
to amend or terminate the Plan at any time, if, in its sole
judgment, such amendment or termination is necessary or desirable.
Any such amendment or termination shall be made pursuant to a
resolution of the Board and shall be effective as of the date
specified in such resolution. Without consent of the Participant,
no amendment or termination of the Plan shall reduce the balance of
a Participant’s Deferred Compensation Account, Deferred Stock
Account, or Retirement Plan Transfer Account at the time of
amendment or termination. Except as may otherwise be provided by
the Company, or as provided in Appendix B, in the event of a
termination of the Plan, the Company (or any transferee, or
successor entity of the Company) shall be obligated to pay amounts
represented by Vested Deferred Stock Account balances and Vested
Total Deferred Cash Account balances to Participants and
Beneficiaries at such time or times and in such forms as provided
under the terms of the Plan. Nothing herein shall limit the
Company’s reserved right to terminate and liquidate the Plan
in accordance with generally applicable guidance prescribed by the
Commissioner of Internal Revenue and published in the Internal
Revenue Bulletin.
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5.1.
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GENERAL
CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATION
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It is the
intent of this Plan, and each Participant understands, that no
trust has been created for his or her benefit in connection with
this Plan and that eligibility and participation in this Plan does
not grant any Participant or Beneficiary any interest in any asset
of the Company or any affiliated company. The Company’s
obligation to pay to the Participant or Beneficiary the amounts
credited hereunder is a general contract obligation and shall be
satisfied solely from the general assets of the Company. Nothing
contained in the Plan shall constitute a guaranty by the Company,
any affiliated company, or any other entity or person that the
assets of the Company will be sufficient to pay amounts determined
in accordance with the Plan. The obligation of the Company under
the Plan shall be merely that of an unfunded and unsecured promise
of the Company to pay amounts in the future. In each case in which
amounts represented by the balances credited to a
Participant’s Vested Deferred Compensation Account, Vested
Deferred Stock Account and Vested Retirement Plan Transfer Account
have been distributed to the Participant, Beneficiary, or other
person entitled to receipt thereof and which purports to cover in
full the benefits hereunder, such Participant, Beneficiary or other
person shall have no further right or interest in the other assets
of the Company on account of participation in the Plan.
Notwithstanding a Participant’s entitlement to Vested amounts
under the terms of the Plan, the status of the Participant, or any
person claiming by or through the Participant, is that of an
unsecured general creditor to the extent of his entire interest
under the Plan as herein described.
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5.2.
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SPENDTHRIFT
PROVISIONS
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The interest of
a Participant or Beneficiary under the Plan shall not be subject in
any manner to anticipation, alienation, sale, transfer, assignment,
pledge, encumbrance, or charge, either voluntarily or
involuntarily, prior to the Participant’s or
Beneficiary’s actual receipt of amounts represented by the
balances credited under the Plan on his behalf; any attempt to
anticipate, alienate, sell, transfer, assign, pledge, encumber or
charge any such interest prior to such receipt shall be void.
Amounts credited hereunder and not paid to a Participant or
Beneficiary shall not be subject to garnishment, attachment or
other legal or equitable process nor shall they be an asset in
bankruptcy. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, no amount shall
be payable from this Plan to a Participant, or any person claiming
by or through a Participant, unless and until any and all amounts
representing debts or other obligations owed to the Company or any
affiliated company by the Participant have been fully paid and
satisfied; provided, however, that any such offset, as applicable
to a person’s Plan interest under Appendix B, shall not
exceed such offset as is permitted under Section 409A of the
Code. Neither the Company nor any affiliate or subsidiary of the
Company shall be liable in any manner for or subject to the debts,
contracts, liabilities, torts or engagements of any person who has
a Deferred Stock Account or a Total Deferred Cash Account
maintained on his behalf under the Plan.
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Except as
required by law or specifically provided by the Plan, no spouse or
surviving spouse of a Participant and no person designated to be a
Beneficiary shall have any rights or interest in the accounts
accumulated under the Plan including, but not limited to, the right
to be the sole Beneficiary or to consent to the Participant’s
designation of Beneficiary.
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5.4.
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INCAPACITY OF
RECIPIENT
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In the event a
Participant or Beneficiary is declared incompetent and a guardian,
conservator or other person legally charged with the care of his
person or of his estate is appointed, any Vested Deferred Stock
Account and any Vested Total Deferred Cash Account under the Plan
to which such Participant, or Beneficiary is entitled shall be paid
to such guardian, conservator or other person legally charged with
the care of his person or his estate. Except as provided in the
preceding sentence, when the Administrator, in its sole discretion,
determines that a Participant or Beneficiary is unable to manage
his financial affairs, the Administrator may direct the Company to
make distribution(s) from the Vested Deferred Stock Account and any
Vested Total Deferred Cash Account maintained on behalf of such
Participant or Beneficiary to any one or more of the spouse, lineal
ascendants or descendants or other closest living relatives of such
Participant or Beneficiary who demonstrates to the satisfaction of
the Administrator the propriety of making such distribution(s). Any
payment so made shall not exceed such amount as is permitted under
Section 409A of the Code and shall be in complete discharge of any
liability of the Company and Administrator under the Plan for such
payment. The Administrator shall not be required to see to the
application of any such distribution made as provided
above.
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5.5.
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INFORMATION
FURNISHED BY PARTICIPANTS AND BENEFICIARIES
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Neither the
Company nor the Administrator shall be liable or responsible for
any error in the computation of a Participant’s or
Beneficiary’s interest under the Plan resulting from any
misstatement of fact made by the Participant or Beneficiary,
directly or indirectly, to the Company or to the Administrator and
used by it in determining the Participant’s or
Beneficiary’s Plan interest. Neither the Company nor the
Administrator shall be obligated or required to increase the Plan
interest of any such Participant or Beneficiary which, on discovery
of the misstatement, is found to be understated as a result of such
misstatement. However, the Plan interest of any Participant or
Beneficiary which is overstated by reason of any such misstatement
shall be reduced to the amount appropriate in view of accurate
facts.
If a payment or
a series of payments made from the Plan is found to be greater than
the payment(s) to which a Participant or Beneficiary is entitled
due to factual errors, mathematical errors or otherwise, the
Administrator may, in its discretion and to the extent consistent
with Section 409A of the Code, suspend or reduce future
payments to such Participant or Beneficiary or exercise such legal
or equitable remedies as it deems appropriate to correct the
overpayment.
In the event
that any amount determined to be payable to a Participant or
Beneficiary hereunder remains unclaimed by such Participant or
Beneficiary for a period of four years after the whereabouts or
existence of such person was last known to the Administrator, the
Administrator may direct that all rights of such person to such
amounts be terminated absolutely; provided, however, that if such
Participant or Beneficiary subsequently appears and files a claim
for payment in accordance with Article Three and such claim is
fully or partially successful, the liability under the Plan for an
amount equal to the successful claim shall be
reinstated.
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5.8.
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ELECTIONS,
APPLICATIONS, NOTICES
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Every
designation, direction, election, revocation or notice authorized
or required under the Plan which is to be delivered to the Company
or the Administrator shall be deemed delivered to the Company or
the Administrator as the case may be: (a) on the date it is
personally delivered to the Administrator at the Company’s
executive offices at 100 Erie Insurance Place, Erie, Pennsylvania
16530 or (b) three business days after it is sent by
registered or
170
certified mail,
postage prepaid, addressed to the Administrator at the offices
indicated above. Every such item which is to be delivered to a
person or entity designated by the Administrator to perform
recordkeeping and other administrative services on behalf of the
Plan shall be deemed delivered to such person or entity when it is
actually received (either physically or through interactive
electronic communication) by such person or entity. Every
designation, direction, election, revocation or notice authorized
or required which is to be delivered to a Participant or
Beneficiary shall be deemed delivered to a Participant or
Beneficiary: (a) on the date it is personally delivered to
such individual (either physically or through interactive
electronic communication), or (b) three business days after it
is sent by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, addressed
to such individual at the last address shown for him on the
Company’s records. Any notice required under the Plan may be
waived by the person entitled thereto.
This Plan may
be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be
considered as an original, and no other counterparts need be
produced.
In the event
any provision of this Plan shall be held illegal or invalid for any
reason, such illegality or invalidity shall not affect the
remaining provisions of the Plan. This Plan shall be construed and
enforced as if such illegal or invalid provision had never been
contained herein.
The Plan is
established under and will be construed according to the laws of
the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
The headings of
Sections of this Plan are for convenience of reference only and
shall have no substantive effect on the provisions of this
Plan.
The masculine
gender, where appearing in this Plan, shall be deemed to also
include the feminine gender. The singular shall also include the
plural, where appropriate.
Executed at
Erie, Pennsylvania this 23rd day of December , 2008,
effective as of January 1, 2009.
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ERIE INDEMNITY
COMPANY
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By:
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/s/ James J.
Tanous
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Title:
Executive Vice President, Secretary and General
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Counsel
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171
ERIE INDEMNITY COMPANY
DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN
FOR OUTSIDE DIRECTORS
Accounts Earned and Vested On or
Before December 31, 2004
This
Appendix A incorporates the provisions of the Plan as it
relates to Deferred Stock Accounts and Total Deferred Cash Accounts
that were earned and vested on or before December 31, 2004,
without material modifications to the terms of the Plan after
October 3, 2004. The provisions of this Appendix A shall
apply in determining the rights and features of such
accounts.
When the
following words or phrases are used in this Appendix A with
initial capital letters, they shall have the following
meanings:
2.1 “
Administrator ” is a term that is defined in
Article Two of the Basic Plan Document.
2.2 “
Amendment Form ” shall mean the Amendment Form
described in Section 8.3.
2.3 “
Annual Share Credit ” shall mean the Share Credit
addition determined under Section 7.2.
2.4 “
Beneficiary ” is a term that is defined in
Article Two of the Basic Plan Document.
2.5 “
Board ” is a term that is defined in Article Two
of the Basic Plan Document.
2.6 “
Board Compensation ” shall mean the remuneration,
expressed in terms of a cash amount, earned by a Director for
service on the Board including, without limitation, a retainer,
meeting fees and chairperson’s fees.
2.7 “
Board Tenure Year ” shall mean the period which, in
reference to any given calendar year, begins on the date of the
Company’s annual shareholder meeting held in such year and
ends on the day before the Company’s annual shareholder
meeting held in the immediately following calendar year.
2.8 “
Committee ” shall mean the Executive Compensation and
Development Committee of the Board or its successor, as designated
by the Board.
2.9 “
Common Stock ” shall mean the Class A common
stock of the Company.
2.10 “
Company ” is a term that is defined in
Article Two of the Basic Plan Document.
2.11 “
Deferred Compensation Account ” shall mean the
bookkeeping account described in Section 4.2.
2.12 “
Deferred Stock Account ” shall mean the bookkeeping
account described in Article Seven.
2.13 “
Director ” is a term that is defined in
Article Two of the Basic Plan Document.
2.14 “
Dividend Equivalent Credit ” shall mean the Share
Credit addition determined under Section 7.3.
2.15 “
Election Form ” shall mean the Participation Election
Form described in Section 3.2.
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2.16 “
Employee ” is a term that is defined in
Article Two of the Basic Plan Document.
2.17 “
Hypothetical Interest ” shall mean the gains and
losses credited to a Participant’s Deferred Compensation
Account and/or Retirement Plan Transfer Account in accordance with
Article Six.
2.18 “
Outside Director ” shall mean a Director who was not
an Employee or officer of the Company, its affiliates or
subsidiaries.
2.19 “
Participant ” shall mean each Outside Director who
participated in the Plan in accordance with the terms and
conditions of this Appendix A. Participant shall also include
a former Outside Director who had become a Participant during his
period of active Board service and on whose behalf the
Administrator is maintaining a Deferred Stock Account and/or a
Total Deferred Cash Account pursuant to the terms of this
Appendix A.
2.20 “
Plan ” is a term that is defined in Article Two
of the Basic Plan Document.
2.21 “
Retirement Plan ” shall mean the Erie Indemnity
Company Retirement Plan for Outside Directors, effective as of
January 1, 1991 and as amended thereafter.
2.22 “
Retirement Plan Transfer Account ” shall mean the
bookkeeping account described in Section 5.3.
2.23 “
Retirement Plan Transfer Credit ” shall mean the
contribution credit determined under Section 5.1.
2.24 “
Retirement Plan Transfer Vesting Date ” shall mean the
date on which a Participant officially stops serving on the Board
for reasons other than the Participant’s death, provided such
date follows the Participant’s attainment of age 65 and
completion of five Years of Board Service.
2.25 “
Share Credit ” shall mean the separate, identifiable
units accumulated within a Participant’s Deferred Stock
Account attributable to Annual Share Credits and Dividend
Equivalent Credits.
2.26 “
Share Credit Allocation Date ” shall mean, with
respect to any Board Tenure Year, the business day next following
the first day of such Board Tenure Year; provided, however, that in
reference to any individual who became an Outside Director on any
day other than the first day of a given Board Tenure year, the
Share Credit Allocation Date relative to such year shall mean the
business day next following the day on which the individual became
an Outside Director.
2.27 “
Total Deferred Cash Account ” shall mean the sum of
the amounts credited under any Deferred Compensation Account and
any Retirement Plan Transfer Account maintained on behalf of a
Participant.
2.28 “
Valuation Date ” shall mean the close of business as
of each business day.
2.29 “
Vested ” shall mean, as of any given date, the portion
of the Deferred Stock Account and/or the Total Deferred Cash
Account maintained on behalf of a Participant which is then 100%
vested and nonforfeitable, as determined under Sections 4.2,
5.3, and Article Seven.
2.30 “
Year of Board Service ” shall mean each Board Tenure
Year during which a Director has served on the Board, including,
for Directors on the Board as of May 1, 1997, all Years of
Board Service prior to the adoption of the Plan.
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3.1
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ELIGIBILITY AND
PARTICIPATION
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a)
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Effective as of May 1, 2002,
all Outside Directors then in Board service who were not yet
Participants became Participants in the Plan. Any individual who
became an Outside Director after May 1, 2002 and before
January 1, 2005 began participation in the Plan as of the
Share Credit Allocation Date next
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173
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following the date as of which the
individual became an Outside Director. As a condition of
participation, each Outside Director delivered to the Administrator
properly completed and executed elections as described in
Section 3.2.
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b)
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Each Outside Director was eligible
to participate in the Board Compensation deferral provisions of the
Plan and may have chosen to defer Board Compensation in accordance
with the provisions of Section 4.1.
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3.2
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PARTICIPATION ELECTION
FORM
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An Outside
Director delivered to the Administrator the following elections, to
the extent applicable to such Director, made on such Election Form
or Forms as the Administrator, in its discretion,
prescribed:
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a)
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The
method by which amounts credited to the Participant’s
Deferred Stock Account and, separately, any Total Deferred Cash
Account are to be paid;
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b)
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The
date, following the Participant’s official termination of
service on the Board, as of which payment of amounts credited to
the Participant’s Deferred Stock Account and, separately, any
Total Deferred Cash Account is to occur (in the event of a lump sum
distribution) or commence (in the event of distribution in
installments); and
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c)
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The
Beneficiary to whom payments of amounts credited to the
Participant’s Deferred Stock Account and any Total Deferred
Cash Account will be made in the event of the Participant’s
death.
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In addition, an
Outside Director on whose behalf a Total Deferred Cash Account is
being maintained also completed and delivered to the Administrator
the investment designation described in
Section 6.2.
The elections
under paragraphs (a) and (b) shall be irrevocable except
as provided in Section 8.3. The election under paragraph
(c) may be changed as provided in Section 2.2 of the
Basic Plan Document.
BOARD COMPENSATION
DEFERRED
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4.1
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DEFERRED COMPENSATION
ELECTION
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A Participant
who is an Outside Director may have elected to defer Board
Compensation for a given calendar year beginning before
January 1, 2005 by delivering a properly completed and
executed Election Form to the Administrator by the end of the
calendar year which precedes the given calendar year in which the
election is to be effective. Such Election Form stated, in 10%
increments from 10% to 100%, the percentage of Board Compensation
to be deferred. Such deferral election was irrevocable as of the
January 1 of the calendar year to which the election applies. Such
deferral election terminated as to all Board Compensation earned
after such calendar year.
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4.2
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DEFERRED COMPENSATION
ACCOUNT
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A Deferred
Compensation Account was established for each Outside Director who
properly completed, executed, and delivered an Election Form on
which he elected to defer Board Compensation. The Board
Compensation which each Participant deferred for calendar years
beginning before January 1, 2005 and Hypothetical Interest
earned on such Board Compensation (as provided in Section 6.1)
is credited to this Deferred Compensation Account. Board
Compensation deferred under this Section 4.2 was credited to
the Participant’s Deferred Compensation Account as of the
date such compensation would otherwise have been payable to the
Participant. A Participant’s Deferred Compensation Account
shall be kept only for bookkeeping and accounting purposes and no
Company funds shall be transferred or designated to this account. A
Participant’s interest in the Deferred Compensation Account
maintained on his behalf shall be Vested at all times.
174
TRANSFER OF RETIREMENT PLAN
CREDIT
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5.1
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RETIREMENT PLAN TRANSFER
ELECTION
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a)
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The
Company has recorded a contribution credit under the Plan on behalf
of each Outside Director who satisfied the criteria set forth in
paragraph (b) of this Section 5.1. Such contribution
credit is referred to herein as the Retirement Plan Transfer
Credit, was recorded as of December 31, 1997 and, except as
provided in Section 6.1(b), was equal to the amount
individually determined under Section 5.2.
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b)
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An
Outside Director was entitled to a Retirement Plan Transfer Credit
if:
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(i)
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The
Outside Director was an Outside Director on May 1, 1997;
and
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(ii)
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During the period beginning
June 17, 1997 and ending August 1, 1997, the Outside
Director elected to have the Retirement Plan Transfer Credit
recorded on his behalf under the Plan in lieu of any continuing
interest under the Retirement Plan.
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5.2
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RETIREMENT PLAN TRANSFER
CREDIT
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a)
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The
Retirement Plan Transfer Credit with respect to an Outside Director
who satisfied the criteria set forth in Section 5.1 was the
actuarial present value (as defined in paragraph (b) below) of
the retirement benefit accrued by the Outside Director under the
Retirement Plan as of May 1, 1997.
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b)
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For
purposes of this Section 5.2, “actuarial present
value” shall mean the single sum value of a retirement
benefit, determined as of May 1, 1997, by using the 1983 Group
Annuity Mortality Table (50% male/50% female) and an interest rate
of seven percent.
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5.3
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RETIREMENT PLAN TRANSFER
ACCOUNT
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A Retirement
Plan Transfer Account has been established for each Outside
Director described in Section 5.1(b). The Retirement Plan
Transfer Credit and Hypothetical Interest earned on such Retirement
Plan Transfer Credit shall be recorded in this Retirement Plan
Transfer Account. A Participant’s Retirement Plan Transfer
Account shall be kept only for bookkeeping and accounting purposes
and no Company funds shall be transferred or designated to this
account. Notwithstanding any provision of the Plan to the contrary,
a Participant’s interest in the Retirement Plan Transfer
Account maintained on his behalf shall be forfeited in its entirety
in the event the Participant’s service as a Director is
terminated for any reason (including death) prior to the
Participant’s attainment of his Retirement Plan Transfer
Vesting Date. Upon attainment of his Retirement Plan Transfer
Vesting Date, a Participant’s interest in such Retirement
Plan Transfer Account shall become Vested. For purposes of this
Appendix A, a Retirement Plan Transfer Account shall be
maintained hereunder with respect to any Outside Director described
in Section 5.1 who has also attained his Retirement Plan
Transfer Vesting Date on or before December 31, 2004. With
respect to any other Outside Director described in
Section 5.1, the Retirement Plan Transfer Account shall be
maintained pursuant to the provisions of
Appendix B.
CREDITS TO PARTICIPANT TOTAL
DEFERRED CASH ACCOUNTS
EARNED AND VESTED ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 31, 2004
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6.1
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HYPOTHETICAL INTEREST
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a)
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The
Total Deferred Cash Account maintained on behalf of a Participant
under this Appendix A is credited with Hypothetical Interest.
The Hypothetical Interest is credited as of each Valuation Date on
the amount credited to the Participant’s Total Deferred Cash
Account on such Valuation Date in accordance with the valuation
procedure adopted by the Administrator. The Hypothetical Interest
credited to each Total
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175
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Deferred Cash Account is determined
by the Administrator and computed in reference to the appreciation
or depreciation experienced since the immediately preceding
Valuation Date by the hypothetical investment funds which the
Administrator may offer to Participants under Section 6.2. For
any given period, Hypothetical Interest may be a positive or a
negative figure. The crediting of Hypothetical Interest shall occur
so long as there is a balance in the Participant’s Total
Deferred Cash Account regardless of whether the Participant has
terminated service with the Board or has died. The Administrator
may prescribe any reasonable method or procedure for the accounting
of Hypothetical Interest.
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b)
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Notwithstanding any provision of
this Article Six to the contrary:
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(i)
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The
Retirement Plan Transfer Credit, determined under Section 5.2
and recorded as of December 31, 1997 on behalf of an Outside
Director described in Section 5.1(b), was increased with
Hypothetical Interest for the period beginning on May 1, 1997
and ending on December 31, 1997; and
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(ii)
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For
purposes of subparagraph (i) above, “Hypothetical
Interest” was in reference to the interest, compounded on a
daily basis, at the rate or rates in effect during the period
beginning on May 1, 1997 and ending December 31, 1997, as
declared by the Board of Directors of Erie Family Life Insurance
Company on the Erie Family Life Insurance Company deposit
administration group annuity contract held by the trustee of the
Erie Insurance Group Employee Savings Plan.
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6.2
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PARTICIPANT INVESTMENT
DESIGNATION
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a)
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A
Participant (and any Outside Director first electing to participate
in the Plan) may have designated on such form or forms satisfactory
to the Administrator, that portion of his future deferred
compensation and, separately, that portion of any existing Total
Deferred Cash Account maintained on his behalf which were to be
credited with Hypothetical Interest in reference to each of the
hypothetical investment funds that were offered by the
Administrator, in the discretion of the Administrator. Such
designations specified, in 1% increments, the percentages to be
credited in reference to each of the hypothetical investment funds
offered. Such designations may remain in effect until the
Participant submits a new designation within such times and in
accordance with such means as are designated by the Administrator.
New designations are made as to (i) future deferred
compensation and/or (ii) any existing Total Deferred Cash
Account, provided that separate designations as to the crediting of
a Deferred Compensation Account and a Retirement Plan Transfer
Account are not available. All new designations are effective as of
a given date specified by the Administrator. In the event a
Participant fails to make an effective designation under this
paragraph (a), the Administrator, acting in its discretion, shall
make such designation on behalf of the Participant.
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b)
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In
accepting participation in the Plan, a Participant agreed on behalf
of himself and his Beneficiary to assume all risk in connection
with any decrease in value of the hypothetical investment funds in
reference to which Hypothetical Interest is credited to the
Participant’s Total Deferred Cash Account. The Company and
the Administrator shall not be liable to any Participant or
Beneficiary for the under-performance of any hypothetical
investment fund offered under the Plan.
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c)
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The
Administrator may, in its discretion, offer additional hypothetical
investment funds to Participants and may cease to offer any such
fund at such time as it deems appropriate. In the event the
Administrator decides to discontinue offering a hypothetical
investment fund under
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