Form of Non-Qualified Stock Option Award under the Outside Directors Stock Option Plan

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THIS AWARD is made as of the Grant Date by HABERSHAM BANCORP (the “Company”) to ______________________ (the “Optionee”).

Upon and subject to the Terms and Conditions attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference, the Company awards as of the Grant Date to Optionee a nonqualified stock option (the “Option”), as described below, to purchase the Option Shares.

A.

Grant Date: ______________, 200__.

B.

Type of Option: Nonqualified Stock Option.

C.

Plan under which granted: Habersham Bancorp Outside Directors Stock Option Plan.

D.

Option Shares: All or any part of   shares of the Company’s $1.00 par value common stock (the “Common Stock”), subject to adjustment as provided in the attached Terms and Conditions.

E.

Exercise Price: $_______ per share, subject to adjustment as provided in the attached Terms and Conditions.

F.

Option Period: The Option may be exercised only during the Option Period which commences on the Grant Date and ends, generally, on the earliest of (a) the fifth (5th) anniversary of the Grant Date; (b) the date the Optionee ceases to be a member of either the Board of Directors or any Bank Board, except in the event of the Optionee’s death; or (c) the first anniversary of the Optionee’s death. Note that other limitations to exercising the Option, as described in the attached Terms and Conditions, may apply.

 

G.

Vesting: The Option Shares shall be fully vested as of the Grant Date, but may not be exercised until six (6) months following the Grant Date.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has executed and sealed this Award as of the Grant Date set forth above.

	HABERSHAM BANCORP
	By:
	Title:

By signing below, the Optionee hereby accepts the Award and agrees to the Terms and Conditions attached hereto.

	Optionee

 

1.  Exercise of Option. Subject to the provisions provided herein or in the Award made pursuant to the Habersham Bancorp Outside Directors Stock Option Plan:

  (a)  the Option may be exercised with respect to all or any portion of the vested Option Shares at any time during the Option Period by the delivery to the Company, at its principal place of business, of (i) a written notice of exercise in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit 1, which shall be actually delivered to the Company no earlier than thirty (30) days and no later than ten (10) days prior to the date upon which Optionee desires to exercise all or any portion of the Option and (ii) payment to the Company of the Exercise Price multiplied by the number of Option Shares being purchased (the “Purchase Price”) in the manner provided in subsection (b).

Upon acceptance of such notice and receipt of payment in full of the Purchase Price, the Company shall cause to be issued a certificate representing the Option Shares purchased.

  (b)        The Purchase Price shall be paid in full upon the exercise of an Option and no Option Shares shall be issued or delivered until full payment therefor has been made. Payment of the Purchase Price for all Option Shares purchased pursuant to the exercise of an Option shall be made in cash or by certified check.

2.  Vested Option Shares. The Option Shares shall be immediately vested as of the Grant Date; provided, however, the Option may not be exercised until six (6) months following the Grant Date.

3.  Rights as Shareholder. Except as otherwise expressly permitted by the Committee in writing, until the stock certificates reflecting the Option Shares accruing to the Optionee upon exercise of the Option are issued to the Optionee, the Optionee shall have no rights as a shareholder with respect to such Option Shares. The Company shall make no adjustment for any dividends or distribu-tions or other rights on or with respect to Option Shares for which the record date is prior to the issuance of that stock certificate, except as the Plan or the attached Award otherwise provides.

4.  Restriction on Transfer of Option and of Option Shares. The Option evidenced hereby is nontransferable other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution and shall be exercisable during the lifetime of the Optionee only by the Optionee (or in the event of his Disability, by his personal representative) and after his death, only by his legatee or the executor of his estate.

 

5.  Changes in Capitalization.

                 (a)  If the number of shares of Common Stock shall be increased or decreased by reason of a subdivision or combination of shares of Common Stock, the payment of a stock dividend in shares of Common Stock or any other increase or decrease in the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding effected without receipt of consideration by the Company, an appropriate adjustment shall be made by the Committee, in a manner determined in its sole discretion, in the number and kind of Option Shares and in the Exercise Price.

 

                 (b)    If the Company shall be the surviving corporation in any merger consolidation, reorganization, extraordinary dividend, spin-off or other change in the capital structure of the Company, the Optionee shall be entitled to purchase the number and class of securities to which a holder of the number of shares of Common Stock subject to the Option at the time of the transaction would have been entitled to receive as a result of such transaction, and a corresponding adjustment, where appropriate, shall be made in the Exercise Price. In the event of a Change in Control or other corporate transaction pursuant to which the Company is not the surviving entity, the Committee may provide for the assumption of the Option by the surviving entity or the substitution of a new option, adjusted in a manner similar to that contemplated by the immediately preceding sentence; however, if the surviving entity does not agree to the assumption or substitution of the Option, the Committee may elect to terminate the Option Period as of the effective date of the Change in Control in consideration of the payment to the Optionee of the sum of the difference between the then aggregate Fair Market Value of the Common Stock and the aggregate Exercise Price for each vested Option Share which has not been exercised as of the effective date of the Change in Control. A dissolution or liquidation of the Company shall cause the Option to terminate as to any portion thereof not exercised as of the effective date of the dissolution or liquidation.

                  (c)    The existence of the Plan and the Option granted pursuant to this Agreement shall not affect in any way the right or power of the Company to make or authorize any adjustment, reclassification, reorganization or other change in its capital or business structure, any merger or consolidation of the Company, any issue of debt or equity securities having preferences or priorities as to the Common Stock or the rights thereof, the dissolution or liquidation of the Company, any sale or transfer of all or any part of its business or assets, or any other corporate act or proceeding. Any adjustment pursuant to this Section may provide, in the Committee’s discretion, for the elimination without payment therefor of any fractional shares that might otherwise become subject to any Option.

6.  Special Limitation on Exercise. No purported exercise of the Option shall be effective without the approval of the Committee, which may be withheld to the extent that the exercise, either individually or in the aggregate together with the exercise of other previously exercised stock options and/or offers and sales pursuant to any prior or contemplated offering of securities, would, in the sole and absolute judgment of the Committee, require the filing of a registration statement with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission or with the securities commission of any state. If a registration statement is not in effect under the Securities Act of 1933 or any applicable state securities law with respect to shares of Common Stock purchasable or otherwise deliverable under the Option, the Optionee (a) shall deliver to the Company, prior to the exercise of the Option or as a condition to the delivery of Common Stock pursuant to the exercise of an Option exercise, such information, representations and warranties as the Company may reasonably request in order for the Company to be able to satisfy itself that the Option Shares are being acquired in accordance with the terms of an applicable exemption from the securities registration requirements of applicable federal and state securities laws and (b) shall agree that the shares of Common Stock so acquired will not be disposed of except pursuant to an effective registration statement, unless the Company shall have received an opinion of counsel that such disposition is exempt from such requirement under the Securities Act of 1933 and any applicable state securities law.

 

7.  Legend on Stock Certificates.  Certificates evidencing the Option Shares, to the extent appropriate at the time, shall have noted conspicuously on the certificates a legend intended to give all persons full notice of the existence of the conditions, restrictions, rights and obligations set forth herein and in the Plan.

8.  Governing Laws. This Award and the Terms and Conditions shall be construed, administered and enforced according to the laws of the State of Georgia; provided, however, the Option may not be exercised except in compliance with exemptions available under applicable state securities laws of the state in which the Optionee resides and/or any other applicable securities laws.

9.  Successors. This Award and the Terms and Conditions shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the heirs, legal representatives, successors and permitted assigns of the Optionee and the Company.

10.    Notice. Except as otherwise specified herein, all notices and other communications under this Award shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been given if personally delivered or if sent by registered or certified United States mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, addressed to the proposed recipient at the last known address of the recipient. Any party may designate any other address to which notices shall be sent by giving notice of the address to the other parties in the same manner as provided herein.

11.    Severability. In the event that any one or more of the provisions or portion thereof contained in the Award and these Terms and Conditions shall for any reason be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, the same shall not invalidate or otherwise affect any other provisions of the Award and these Terms and Conditions, and the Award and these Terms and Conditions shall be construed as if the invalid, illegal or unenforceable provision or portion thereof had never been contained herein.

12.    Entire Agreement. Subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan, the Award and the Terms and Conditions express the entire understanding of the parties with respect to the Option.

 

13.  Violation. Any transfer, pledge, sale, assignment, or hypothecation of the Option or any portion thereof shall be a violation of the terms of the Award or these Terms and Conditions and shall be void and without effect.

14.  Headings and Capitalized Terms. Section headings used herein are for convenience of reference only and shall not be considered in construing the Award or these Terms and Conditions. Capitalized terms used, but not defined, in either the Award or the Terms and Conditions shall be given the meaning ascribed to them in the Plan.

15.  Specific Performance. In the event of any actual or threatened default in, or breach of, any of the terms, conditions and provisions of the Award and these Terms and Conditions, the party or parties who are thereby aggrieved shall have the right to specific performance and injunction in addition to any and all other rights and remedies at law or in equity, and all such rights and remedies shall be cumulative.

16.  No Right to Continued Service. Neither the establishment of the Plan nor the award of Option Shares hereunder shall be construed as giving the Optionee the right to continued service with the Company or any affiliate.

 

	Name
	Address
	Date

Habersham Bancorp

Highway 441 North

P.O. Box 1980

Cornelia, Georgia 20531

Attn: ____________________

Re: Exercise of Nonqualified Stock Option

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Subject to acceptance hereof by Habersham Bancorp (the “Company”) and pursuant to the provisions of the Habersham Bancorp Outside Directors Stock Option Plan (the “Plan”), I hereby give notice of my election to exercise options granted to me to purchase ______________ shares of Common Stock of the Company under the Nonqualified Stock Option Award for Directors (the “Award”) dated as of ____________. The purchase shall take place as of __________, 200__ (the “Exercise Date”).

On or before the Exercise Date, I will pay the applicable purchase price by delivery of cash or a certified check for $___________ for the full purchase price payable to the order of Habersham Bancorp.

As soon as the stock certificate is registered in my name, please deliver it to me at the above address.

If the Common Stock being acquired is not registered for issuance to and resale by the Optionee pursuant to an effective registration statement on Form S-8 (or successor form) filed under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”), I hereby represent, warrant, covenant, and agree with the Company as follows:

The shares of the Common Stock being acquired by me will be acquired for my own account without the participation of any other person, with the intent of holding the Common Stock for investment and without the intent of participating, directly or indirectly, in a distribution of the Common Stock and not with a view to, or for resale in connection with, any distribution of the Common Stock, nor am I aware of the existence of any distribution of the Common Stock;

 

I am not acquiring the Common Stock based upon any representation, oral or written, by any person with respect to the future value of, or income from, the Common Stock but rather upon an independent examination and judgment as to the prospects of the Company;

The Common Stock was not offered to me by means of publicly disseminated advertisements or sales literature, nor am I aware of any offers made to other persons by such means;

I am able to bear the economic risks of the investment in the Common Stock, including the risk of a complete loss of my investment therein;

I understand and agree that the Common Stock will be issued and sold to me without registration under any state law relating to the registration of securities for sale, and will be issued and sold in reliance on the exemptions from registration under the 1933 Act, provided by Sections 3(b) and/or 4(2) thereof and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder;

The Common Stock cannot be offered for sale, sold or transferred by me other than pursuant to: (A) an effective registration under the 1933 Act or in a transaction otherwise in compliance with the 1933 Act; and (B) evidence satisfactory to the Company of compliance with the applicable securities laws of other jurisdictions. The Company shall be entitled to rely upon an opinion of counsel satisfactory to it with respect to compliance with the above laws;

The Company will be under no obligation to register the Common Stock or to comply with any exemption available for sale of the Common Stock without registration or filing, and the information or conditions necessary to permit routine sales of securities of the Company under Rule 144 under the 1933 Act are not now available and no assurance has been given that it or they will become available. The Company is under no obligation to act in any manner so as to make Rule 144 available with respect to the Common Stock;

I have and have had complete access to and the opportunity to review and make copies of all material documents related to the business of the Company, including, but not limited to, contracts, financial statements, tax returns, leases, deeds and other books and records. I have examined such of these documents as I wished and am familiar with the business and affairs of the Company. I realize that the purchase of the Common Stock is a speculative investment and that any possible profit therefrom is uncertain;

I have had the opportunity to ask questions of and receive answers from the Company and any person acting on its behalf and to obtain all material information reasonably available with respect to the Company and its affairs. I have received all information and data with respect to the Company which I have requested and which I have deemed relevant in connection with the evaluation of the merits and risks of my investment in the Company;

 

I have such knowledge and experience in financial and business matters that I am capable of evaluating the merits and risks of the purchase of the Common Stock hereunder and I am able to bear the economic risk of such purchase; and

The agreements, representations, warranties and covenants made by me herein extend to and apply to all of the Common Stock of the Company issued to me pursuant to this Award. Acceptance by me of the certificate representing such Common Stock shall constitute a confirmation by me that all such agreements, representa-tions, warranties and covenants made herein shall be true and correct at that time.

I understand that the certificates representing the shares being purchased by me in accordance with this notice shall bear a legend referring to the foregoing covenants, representations and warranties and restrictions on transfer, and I agree that a legend to that effect may be placed on any certificate which may be issued to me as a substitute for the certificates being acquired by me in accordance with this notice. I further understand that capitalized terms used in this Notice of Exercise without definition shall have the meanings given to them in the Plan.

Very truly yours,

 

AGREED TO AND ACCEPTED:
HABERSHAM BANCORP
By: ___________________________
Title: __________________________
Number of Shares
Exercised: ______________________
Number of Shares
Remaining: _____________________		Date: ______________________

 

 

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