COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2025

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Financial Instruments

The Bank is party to credit-related 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 and standby letters of credit. Such instruments involve, to varying degrees, elements of credit and interest rate risk in excess of the amount recognized in the consolidated balance sheets.

The Bank’s exposure to credit loss in the event of nonperformance by the other party to the financial instrument for commitments to extend credit and standby letters of credit is represented by the contractual amount of those instruments. The Bank uses the same credit policies in making commitments and conditional obligations as it does for on-balance sheet instruments.

Such commitments and conditional obligations were as follows:


	Contractual Amount
(dollars in thousands)	March 31, 2025		December 31, 2024

Commitments to extend credit	$	841,562	$	845,413
Standby letters of credit	31,336		18,329

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. Commitments generally have fixed expiration dates or other termination clauses and may require payment of a fee. Since many of the commitments are expected to expire without being drawn upon, the total commitment amounts do not necessarily represent future cash requirements. The Bank evaluates each customer’s credit worthiness on a case-by-case basis. The amount of collateral obtained, if deemed necessary, by the Bank upon extension of credit is based on management’s credit evaluation of the customer. Collateral held varies, but may include real estate, accounts receivable, inventory, property, plant, and equipment, and income-producing properties.

Standby letters of credit are conditional commitments issued by the Bank to guarantee the performance of a customer to a third party. Those standby letters of credit are primarily issued to support extensions of credit. The credit risk involved in issuing standby letters of credit is essentially the same as that involved in extending loans to customers. The Bank secures the standby letters of credit with the same collateral used to secure the related loan.

Allowance for Credit Losses on Unfunded Lending-related Commitments

The Company estimates expected credit losses over the contractual period in which the Company is exposed to credit risk via a contractual obligation to extend credit, unless that obligation is unconditionally cancelable by the Company. The allowance for credit losses on unfunded commitments is included in other liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets and is adjusted through a charge to provision for credit loss expense on the consolidated statements of income. The allowance for credit losses on unfunded commitments estimate includes consideration of the likelihood that funding will occur and an estimate of expected credit losses on commitments expected to be funded over its estimated life. The allowance for credit losses on unfunded commitments was $3.2 million and $3.1 million as of March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively.

Legal Contingencies

In the normal course of business, the Company, or its subsidiaries, are involved in various legal proceedings. In the opinion of management, any liability resulting from pending proceedings would not be expected to have a material adverse effect on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

Heartland Bank and Trust Company v. Meadows Mennonite Retirement Community Association, Inc.

This lawsuit arises out of a suit filed in the Circuit Court of Woodford County, Illinois, (the "Trial Court") by the Bank for breach of a note and commercial security agreement. The defendant, Meadows Mennonite Retirement Community Association, Inc. ("Meadows"), a beneficiary of a trust for which Bank was trustee, filed a counterclaim for rescission of the note seeking compensatory and punitive damages, including attorneys’ fees. The Trial Court entered summary judgement in favor of the Bank on its claim and against Meadows on its counterclaim. In September 2024, the Appellate Court of Illinois Fourth District (the "Appellate Court") entered an order directing that summary judgment should be entered in favor of Meadows and against the Bank, rescinding the note and commercial security agreement and remanded the case to the Trial Court to determine Meadows' compensatory and punitive damages, including reasonable attorneys’ fees.

In April 2025, the Bank reached an agreement in principle to settle this case in which the Bank and Meadows would mutually release each other from further liability and claims, with no payments made by either the Bank or Meadows. The settlement in principle does not include an admission of liability or wrongdoing by the Bank, and the Bank expressly denies any liability or wrongdoing with respect to any matter alleged in the case. The Bank has agreed to the settlement in principle to avoid the cost, risks, and distraction of continued litigation. The Company believes the settlement in principle is in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders.