Table of Contents
UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
(Mark One)
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ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR
15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
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For the fiscal year ended November 30, 2009
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OR
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o
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TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR
15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
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For the transition period from
to
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Commission File Number 0-22972
CLST HOLDINGS, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as
specified in its charter)
Delaware
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75-2479727
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(State or other
jurisdiction of
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(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)
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incorporation or
organization)
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17304 Preston Road, Dominion
Plaza, Suite 420
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Dallas, Texas
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75252
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(Address of principal
executive offices)
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(Zip Code)
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Registrants telephone number
including area code:
(972) 267-0500
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of
the Act:
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Name of each exchange on
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Title of each class
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which registered
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None
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N/A
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Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of
the Act:
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share
(Title of Class)
Indicate by check mark if the
registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the
Securities Act. Yes
o
No
x
Indicate by check mark if the
registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or
Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act.
Yes
o
No
x
Indicate by check mark
whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by
Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the
preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was
required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing
requirements for the past 90 days.
Yes
x
No
o
Indicate by check mark
whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate
Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and
posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter)
during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant
was required to submit and post such files).
Yes
o
No
o
Indicate by check mark if
disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of
Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the
best of registrants knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements
incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any
amendment to this Form 10-K.
o
Indicate by check mark
whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a
non-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting company. See definitions of large
accelerated filer, accelerated filer and smaller reporting company in
Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated
filer
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Accelerated filer
o
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Non-accelerated filer
o
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Smaller reporting
company
x
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(Do not check if a smaller
reporting
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company)
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Indicate
by check mark
whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the
Exchange Act). Yes
o
No
x
The aggregate market value of
the registrants common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of May 29,
2009, based on the
closing
sale price of $0.14 as
reported on the OTC market, as compiled by Pink Sheets LLC, on May 29,
2009, was approximately $1,632,996.40.
On March 1, 2010, there
were 23,949,282 outstanding shares of common stock, $0.01 par value per share.
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
None.
Table
of Contents
PART I.
Special Cautionary Notice Regarding Forward-Looking
Statements
Certain
of the matters discussed in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal
year ended November 30, 2009 (
Form 10-K
)
may constitute forward-looking statements for purposes of the Securities Act
of 1933, as amended (as so amended the
Securities Act
),
and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (as so amended the
Exchange Act
), and, as such, may
involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause
the actual results, performance, litigation results or achievements of the
Company to be materially different from future results, performance or
achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. When used
in this report, the words anticipates, estimates, believes, continues, expects,
intends, may, might, could, should, likely, and similar expressions
are intended to be among the statements that identify forward-looking
statements. When we make forward-looking statements, we are basing them on our
managements beliefs and assumptions, using information currently available to
us. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking
statements are reasonable, these forward-looking statements are subject to
risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Statements of various factors that could
cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company or future
events relating to the Company to differ materially from the Companys
expectations (
Cautionary Statements
) are
disclosed in this report, including, without limitation, those discussed in the
Item 1A, Risk Factors of this Form 10-K, those statements made in
conjunction with the forward-looking statements and otherwise herein. All
forward-looking statements attributable to the Company are expressly qualified
in their entirety by the Cautionary Statements. We have no intention, and
disclaim any obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking statements,
whether as a result of new information, future results or otherwise.
Item 1.
Business
CLST
Holdings, Inc.
(the
Company
)
was formed on April 1,
1993 as a Delaware corporation under the name of CellStar Corporation to hold
the stock of National Auto Center, Inc. (
National
Auto Center
), a company that is now an operating subsidiary. We
operated in the wireless telecommunications industry through National Auto
Center, which was originally formed in 1981 to distribute and install
automotive aftermarket products and later, in 1984, began offering wireless
communications products and services. In 1989, National Auto Center became an
authorized distributor of Motorola wireless handsets in certain portions of the
United States. National Auto Center entered into similar arrangements with
Motorola in the Latin American Region in 1991. The terms CLST, the Company,
we, our and us refer to CLST Holdings, Inc. and its consolidated
subsidiaries, unless the context suggests otherwise.
Sale of
Operations in Fiscal 2007
On December 18, 2006,
we entered into a definitive agreement (the
U.S.
Sale Agreement
) with a wholly owned subsidiary of Brightpoint, Inc.,
an Indiana corporation (
Brightpoint
),
providing for the sale of substantially all of our United States and
Miami-based Latin American operations (the
U.S.
Sale
) and for the buyer to assume certain liabilities related
to those operations. Our operations in Mexico and Chile and other businesses or
obligations of the Company were excluded from the transaction.
Our Board of Directors (the
Board
) and Brightpoint unanimously
approved the proposed transaction set forth in the U.S. Sale Agreement. The
purchase price was $88 million in cash, subject to adjustment based on
changes in net assets from December 18, 2006 to the closing date. The U.S.
Sale Agreement also required the buyers to deposit $8.8 million of the
purchase price into an escrow account for a period of six months from the
closing date.
Also on December 18,
2006, we entered into a definitive agreement (the
Mexico
Sale Agreement
) with Soluciones Inalámbricas, S.A. de C.V.
(
Wireless Solutions
) and Prestadora
de Servicios en Administración y Recursos Humanos, S.A. de C.V. (
Prestadora
), two affiliated Mexican
companies, providing for the sale of all of the Companys Mexico operations
(the
Mexico Sale
). The Mexico
Sale was structured as the sale of all of the outstanding shares of our Mexican
subsidiaries, and included our interest in
Comunicación Inalámbrica Inteligente, S.A. de
C.V.
(
CII
), our joint venture with
Wireless Solutions. Under the terms of the transaction, we received
$20 million in cash, and were entitled to receive our pro rata share of
CII profits for the first quarter 2007
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and up to the consummation of the transaction,
within 150 days from the closing date. Our Board unanimously approved the
proposed transaction set forth in the Mexico Sale Agreement. We had not
received any pro rata share of the CII profits and other terms required as of
150 days from the closing date. A demand for payment of up to
$1.7 million, the amount we believe is our pro rata share of CII profits
for such period, was sent to the purchasers on September 11, 2007, as well
as a demand that the sellers comply with other required terms of the agreement.
While we believe that CII was profitable and therefore the purchasers owe the
Company its pro rata share, the purchasers are disputing this claim.
Therefore, we are pursuing claims against
the buyers from the Mexico Sale in an ICC arbitration proceeding.
The arbitration proceeding
was held in Mexico City, Mexico in October 2009 and the arbitration panel
has up to six months from the date of the arbitration proceeding to issue their
conclusion.
As of the date of this Form 10-K, the
arbitration panel has not issued their conclusion.
We cannot make any estimates
regarding future amounts that we may be able to collect or the timing of any
collections on this matter.
We filed a proxy statement
with the
Securities
and Exchange Commission (
SEC
) on February 20,
2007, which more fully describes the U.S. and Mexico Sale transactions. Both of
the transactions were subject to customary closing conditions and the approval
of our stockholders, and the transactions were not dependent upon each other.
The proxy statement also included a plan of dissolution, which provides for the
complete liquidation and dissolution of the Company after the completion of the
U.S. Sale, and a proposal to change the name of the Company from CellStar
Corporation to CLST Holdings, Inc.
On March 28, 2007, our stockholders approved the U.S. Sale, the
Mexico Sale, the plan of dissolution, and a name change from CellStar
Corporation to CLST Holdings, Inc. We continue to follow the plan of
dissolution. Consistent with the plan of dissolution and its fiduciary duties,
our Board will continue to consider the proper implementation of the plan of
dissolution and the exercise of the authority granted to it thereunder, including
the authority to abandon the plan of dissolution.
The U.S. Sale closed on March 30,
2007. At closing we received cash of approximately $53.6 million and
$4.5 million was recorded as a receivable.
The buyer of our U.S. business previously asserted total claims for
indemnity against the escrow of approximately $1.4 million, and the
remainder, approximately $7.6 million, including accrued interest, was
distributed to the Company on October 4, 2007. On December 21, 2007,
the Company and Brightpoint entered into a Letter Agreement which settled the
dispute concerning the additional escrow amount. All currently outstanding
disputes between the parties regarding the determination of the purchase price
under the U.S. Sale Agreement have been resolved, and payments of funds have
been made in accordance with the terms described in the Letter Agreement. In January 2008
the Company received approximately $3.2 million from Brightpoint plus
accrued interest and less transition expenses, and approximately $1.4 million
from the escrow agent. These are the final amounts to be received under the
U.S. Sale Agreement.
The Mexico Sale closed on April 12,
2007, and we recorded a loss on the transaction of $7.0 million primarily
due to accumulated foreign currency translation adjustments as well as expenses
related to the transaction. We had approximately $9.1 million of
accumulated foreign currency translation adjustments related to Mexico. As the
proposed sale did not meet the criteria to classify the operations as held for
sale under ASC 360 (formerly SFAS No. 144), Accounting for the Impairment
or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets, as of February 28, 2007, we recognized
the $9.1 million as a charge upon the closing of the Mexico Sale. As
disclosed above, we have not received any pro-rata share of profits and other
terms required as of 150 days from the closing date under the Mexico Sale.
On
March 22, 2007, we signed a letter of intent to sell our operations in
Chile (the
Chile Sale
) to a group that
included local management for approximately book value. On June 11, 2007,
we completed the Chile Sale. The purchase price and cash transferred from the
operations in Chile prior to closing totaled $2.5 million, and we recorded
a pre-tax gain of $0.6 million on the transaction during the quarter ended
August 31, 2007. With the completion of the Chile Sale, we no longer have
any operating locations outside of the U.S. Currently, only a small
administrative staff remains to wind up our business.
Prior
Business
Prior to the sale of our
operations and assets through these various transactions, the Company was a
leading distributor of wireless products and provider of distribution and
value-added logistics services to the wireless communications industry, serving
network operators, agents, resellers, dealers, and retailers with operations in
the
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North American and Latin American Regions. We
provided comprehensive logistics solutions and facilitated the distribution of
handsets, related accessories and other wireless products from leading
manufacturers to network operators, agents, resellers, dealers and retailers.
We also provided activation services in Mexico and Chile that generated new
subscribers for wireless carriers. When the Company was operating in the
wireless communications industry, we derived substantially all of our revenues
from net product sales, which included sales of handsets and other wireless
communications products. We also derived revenues from value-added services,
including activations, residual commissions, and prepaid wireless services.
Value-added service revenues include fulfillment service fees, handling fees and
assembly revenues.
Our business concentrated
primarily on distribution and logistics. We delivered handsets and related
accessories from the manufacturers to carriers, other distributors, retailers,
and consumers. We assisted the manufacturers in expanding their distribution
network and customer base. Our fulfillment, kitting, packaging, and other
services assisted the carriers in getting the handsets ready for use by their
subscribers. Our distribution services included purchasing, selling,
warehousing, picking, packing, shipping and just-in-time delivery of wireless
handsets and accessories. We also offered one of the industrys first
completely integrated asset recovery and logistics services, our Omnigistics
®
(patent pending) supply chain management system.
In addition, we offered value-added services, including Internet-based supply
chain services via our OrderStar
®
system
(patent pending), Internet-based tracking and reporting, inventory management,
marketing, prepaid wireless products, product fulfillment, kitting and
customized packaging, private labeling, light assembly, accounts receivable
management and end-user support services. We also provided wireless activation
services and operated retail locations in certain markets from which we sold wireless
communications products and accessories directly to the public. Both
Omnigistics
®
and OrderStar
®
were included
in the U.S. sale to Brightpoint.
Our customers included large
carriers, rural carriers, agents, mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs), big
box and small retailers, distribution companies, and insurance warranty
providers. We marketed our products to wholesale purchasers using, among other
methods, direct sales strategies, the Internet, strategic account management,
trade shows and trade journal advertising. We offered a variety of name brand
products, comprehensive forward and reverse logistics solutions,
highly-responsive customer service, merchandising and marketing elements and
access to hard-to-find products to potential new and existing customers. During
fiscal 2006, the Company maintained or acquired agreements with such
manufacturers as Motorola, LG Electronics MobileComm U.S.A., Inc. (
L.G.
), Nokia, Inc. (
Nokia
), Kyocera Wireless Corp. (
Kyocera
), Palm, Inc. (
Palm
) and Pantech Co., Ltd.
(
Pantech
).
Prior to the sale of our
U.S., Mexico and Chile operations, our customer base consisted of Dobson
Cellular Systems, Inc., Telefonica Moviles Colombia, S.A., Radio
Movil Dipsa S.A. de C.V. and Claro Chile S.A. as well as manufacturers
such as Motorola, LG, Nokia, Kyocera and Palm.
Net Operating Loss Carry Forwards
During 2008 we, performed a detailed review and
analysis of the Companys historical tax
net operating loss carryforwards (the
NOLs
). We
believe in many circumstances the NOLs, which amount to approximately $126
million at November 30, 2009 and begin to expire after November 30,
2020, can be utilized to offset future income.
However, in the event of a change in control, the NOLs would be impaired
and result in only a fraction of their otherwise future potential tax
savings. As of November 30, 2009,
approximately 40% of the change in control had occurred historically. If an additional approximate 10% change in
control occurs in the future, as determined by IRS regulations, the Company
could lose substantially all of the potential value of the NOLs.
2009 Business
For
most of 2009, we had no significant operations other than our efforts
associated with winding down the remaining entities and other activities
related to the prior business, managing our receivable portfolios and
significant management time overseeing the litigation with Red Oak Fund, L.P.
and certain of its affiliates (
Red Oak
or the
Red Oak Group
).
We are working steadily to
complete a long list of actions necessary to complete the wind down of our
historical business in an orderly fashion.
Completing the wind down is a cumbersome task that requires many steps
and may take a significant amount of time. These steps include dissolving
numerous subsidiaries, resolving pending litigation and completing various
regulatory filings and other requirements. We
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Contents
cannot
predict how long, how time-consuming or how costly resolution of the litigation
matters will be. To date, we have completed and filed final sales tax returns
and franchise tax returns for most of our entities. We have also completed the
requirements to withdraw most of our entities from doing business in multiple
state jurisdictions in the U.S. Furthermore, we are continuing to dissolve our
foreign and domestic subsidiaries pursuant to the plan of dissolution.
However,
in order to protect the Companys cash and other assets from any actual or
potential liabilities of the Companys direct and indirect subsidiaries, we
will not dissolve our inactive direct or indirect domestic or foreign
subsidiaries until the actual and contingent liabilities of each such subsidiary
have been resolved or contingency reserves have been set aside sufficient to
pay or make reasonable provision to pay all such subsidiarys claims and
obligations in accordance with applicable law. Specifically, we will not
dissolve
Audiomex
Export Corp., National Auto Center, Inc. and CLST-NAC, Ltd., which are
direct parties to, and NAC Holdings, Inc., which is an indirect party to,
the arbitration proceeding for our claim in Mexico against the purchasers of
the Mexico Sale, until the final resolution of that claim.
The arbitration proceeding
was held in Mexico City, Mexico in October 2009 and the arbitration panel
has up to six months from the date of the arbitration proceeding to issue their
conclusion.
As of the date of this Form 10-K, the arbitration
panel has not issued their conclusion.
In
certain jurisdictions, the dissolution process is an extended one.
We completed the
dissolution of our subsidiaries in the United Kingdom and Guatemala in February 2008
and March 2009, respectively, and of CLST-NAC Fulfillment, Ltd., a Texas
limited partnership and indirect subsidiary of the Company, in September 2009. Furthermore, we completed the merger of CLST
Fulfillment, Inc., a Delaware corporation, into its parent, National Auto
Center, Inc., a Delaware corporation and our wholly owned subsidiary,
effective September 10, 2009. In addition we have made demands on the
purchaser of our former Colombian subsidiary for the documents needed to divest
our remaining minority interest in that subsidiary. Further, we have submitted documents to
several governmental authorities in El Salvador as required to dissolve our
dormant entity in El Salvador.
During
the second quarter of 2009 we collected $61,000, representing the final payment
of the original note amount of $720,869 from the 2004 sale of our Columbian
operations. The note had been fully reserved and the payment received was
recorded in general and administrative expenses. We are now in the process of
releasing the 19% interest that we retained in the Colombia operation, per the
terms of the purchase agreement.
The
Company made substantial progress in dissolving its subsidiaries during January 2010. In January 2010, the Company dissolved
each of CLST International Corporation/Asia, a Delaware corporation, CellStar
Philippines, Inc., a Philippines corporation, and CellStar Netherlands
Holdings, B.V, a Netherlands company. As
a result of the Companys progress, as of the date of the filing of this Form 10-K,
the Company had five non-operating U.S. entities and one non-operating foreign
entity, remaining to be dissolved. The
Company also had one dormant entity in El Salvador that never conducted
operations.
CLST Asset I, LLC
On November 10, 2008,
our Board unanimously approved the acquisition of all of the outstanding equity
interest of FCC Investment Trust I (
Trust I
)
from Drawbridge Special Opportunities Fund LP (
Drawbridge
)
through CLST Asset I, LLC (
CLST Asset I
),
a wholly owned subsidiary of CLST Financo, Inc. (
Financo
), which is one of our direct, wholly owned
subsidiaries through entry into a purchase agreement to acquire all of the
outstanding equity interests of Trust I from a third party (the
Trust I Purchase Agreement
). The purchase price was approximately $41.0
million, which was financed by $6.1 million of cash on hand
and by a non-recourse, term loan of
approximately $34.9 million by
an affiliate of the seller of Trust I, pursuant to the terms and conditions set
forth in the credit agreement, dated November 10, 2008, among Trust I,
Fortress Credit Co LLC, as lender (
Fortress
),
FCC Finance, LLC (
FCC
), as the initial
servicer, the backup servicer, and the collateral custodian (the
Trust I
Credit Agreement
)
. The primary business of
Trust I is to hold and collect certain receivables.
The approximate 6,000
receivables included in CLST Asset I are all consumer home improvement, repair
and other related loans to homeowners. All loans represent loans to single
family dwellings. As of the purchase date, approximately 63% of the loans were
secured through a second lien on the property, with the remainder being
unsecured. Approximately 89% of the
loans are in the Northeastern part of the United States with the remainder in
Texas, Georgia and Missouri, and at the time of purchase of the portfolio, the
remaining time to maturity was in a
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range of 8-10 years, not including prepayments, if
any. The purchase price reflects an approximately $0.7 million discount and, as
of the purchase date, the receivables had an average outstanding principal
balance of approximately $6,900 and an average interest rate of 14.4%.
The following table
reflects the loan origination year as of the purchase date:
Year
of origination
|
|
% of CLST Asset I
|
|
2000
2004
|
|
8.4
|
%
|
2005
|
|
8.1
|
%
|
2006
|
|
17.3
|
%
|
2007
|
|
36.4
|
%
|
2008
|
|
29.8
|
%
|
Total
|
|
100.0
|
%
|
For CLST Asset I, there were no loans originated in
2009, as this was the purchase of a historical portfolio.
On October 16,
2009, we received a notice of default from Fortress stating that an event of
default has occurred and is continuing under the Trust I Credit Agreement. The
Fortress notice states that the three-month rolling average annualized default
rate of the Trust I portfolio has exceeded 7.0%. As a result of the default,
pursuant to the Trust I Credit Agreement, the interest rate payable by Trust I
has increased by an additional 2% per annum, and all collections by Trust I
above amounts retained to pay interest, fees, principal amortizations, and
other charges that are normally remitted to the Company, are instead being
applied to outstanding principal under the Trust I Credit Agreement until the
amount due has been reduced to zero. In
addition, Fortress is entitled to foreclose on the assets of Trust I and sell
them to satisfy amounts due it under the Trust I Credit Agreement. Only Trust I is liable for amounts due
Fortress under the Trust I Credit Agreement.
Thus, although the Company could lose some or all of its investment in
Trust I, the Company will not be obligated to pay any amounts due Fortress
under the Trust I Credit Agreement. All
Trust I collections are being retained by Fortress and applied to pay interest
and reduce indebtedness while the Company discusses amending the Trust I Credit
Agreement, but Fortress has not sought to foreclose on the assets of Trust
I. Those discussions are ongoing. The Company does not expect that Fortress
will foreclose on the assets of Trust I while negotiations are proceeding.
The Company believes that between $1.3 million and
$2.2 million of receivables purchased were ineligible, as defined in the Trust
I Purchase Agreement, at the time of purchase. Of these potentially ineligible
receivables, approximately $574,000 have become defaulted receivables. The
Company has notified Fortress of these potentially ineligible receivables and
discussions with Fortress are ongoing. The Company cannot predict when or if
these matters will be resolved favorably or at all.
CLST Asset II, LLC
On December 12, 2008,
we, through CLST Asset
Trust
II (
Trust II
), a newly formed trust
wholly owned by CLST Asset II, LLC (
CLST Asset II
),
a wholly owned subsidiary of Financo
, entered into a purchase
agreement, effective as of December 10, 2008 (the
Trust
II Purchase Agreement
), to acquire from time to time certain
receivables, installment sales contracts and related assets owned by
SSPE Investment Trust I (the
SSPE
Trust
) and SSPE, LLC (
SSPE
)
.
The Board unanimously approved the establishment of
the Trust II and the Trust II Purchase Agreement.
Under the terms of a non-recourse, revolving loan,
which Trust II entered into with Summit Consumer Receivables Fund, L.P. (
Summit
), as originator, and
SSPE and SSPE Trust, as co-borrowers, Summit and Eric J. Gangloff, as
Guarantors, Fortress Credit Corp. (
Fortress Corp
.),
as the lender, Summit Alternative Investments, LLC, as the initial servicer,
and various other parties (
Trust II Credit Agreement
),
Trust II committed to purchase receivables of at least $2.0 million. In conjunction with this agreement, Trust II
became a co-borrower under a $50 million credit agreement that permits Trust II
to use more than $15 million of the aggregate availability under the revolving
facility. Trust IIs commitment to
purchase $2.0 million of receivables was fulfilled in the first quarter of
2009, when Trust II purchased $5.8 million of receivables, with an aggregate
purchase discount of $0.5 million, that are typically secured by a second
mortgage or the personal property itself. These receivables represent primarily
home improvement loans originated through FCC, the service provider of CLST
Asset I.
The loans represent new originations with an average term of 9 years
and a current average interest rate of 14.7%.
Since these are new loans, the
Company has managed the originations such that almost 65% of the new loans had
credit
5
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scores higher than 680, with a portfolio average of
676. As of June 2009, the Company is no longer originating new loans under
the credit agreement.
Approximately 54% of these loans were secured
through a second lien on the property, with the remainder being unsecured. The loans are through the 48 mainland states
with the top five concentration as follows:
State
|
|
Percentage
|
|
|
|
|
|
Michigan
|
|
23
|
%
|
Ohio
|
|
19
|
%
|
Massachusetts
|
|
7
|
%
|
Florida
|
|
5
|
%
|
Pennsylvania
|
|
5
|
%
|
During the second quarter
of 2009 we were informed by Summit that the credit facility we entered into
with Trust II, Summit and various other parties had been reduced by $20 million
to $30 million. Summit did not indicate
the specific reasons for the reduction in the credit facility other than it was
part of a negotiation with Fortress Corp. regarding a default on another Summit
portfolio. This reduction has no impact
on the Company because during the third quarter of 2009, we ceased purchasing
any new receivables under the facility and are no longer originating new loans
under the credit agreement and, as a result, the Company is no longer drawing
additional funds under the credit agreement.
Because we are no longer originating new loans under this credit
agreement, FCC is no longer providing origination services to the Company. The
origination services performed by FCC included loan documentation, collateral
documentation where applicable, credit verification, and other required
activities to secure loan approval per the Companys standards. FCC was paid a one-time fee of 2% of the
original principal amount of loans originated for performing these
services. Once a loan was approved, FCC
would perform the monthly servicing activities, which would include
collections, reporting, lock box services, customer service, and other related
services. FCC was paid 1.5%, per annum, of the outstanding principal balance
for these services. As of November 30,
2009, total borrowings under the Trust II Credit Agreement were $15.1 million,
of which $5.0 million was attributable to Trust II.
We received a
notice of default dated December 2, 2009 from Fortress Corp. (
Default Notice
) stating that a
servicer default had occurred and was continuing under the Trust II Credit
Agreement, as a result of a material adverse effect with respect to the
servicer. The Default Notice states that
Fair Finance Company, an Ohio corporation (
Fair
),
in its capacity as a sub-servicer for assets held by the SSPE Trust, has failed
to perform its servicing duties with respect to that portion of the receivables
portfolio owned by SSPE Trust for which Fair has been retained as a
sub-servicer by the SSPE Trust. This
failure, the Default Notice asserts, results from the ongoing federal
investigation of Fair and Timothy Durham, and constitutes a material adverse
effect with respect to the servicer and thus a breach of a covenant under the
Trust II Credit Agreement. We also received
a notice of default dated February 8, 2010 from Fortress Corp. (
Second Default Notice
) stating that
an additional event of default has occurred and is continuing under the Trust
II Credit Agreement because the three-month rolling average annualized default
rate of the Class A receivables in the Trust II portfolio had exceeded
5.0% as of January 31, 2010. On February 26, 2010, the parties to the
Trust II Credit Agreement entered into a wavier and release agreement (the
Fortress Waiver
) whereby 1) each
event of default declared in the Default Notice and the Second Default Notice
was waived, 2) Trust II became the sole borrower under the Trust II Credit
Agreement, 3) the outstanding borrowings attributable to SSPE Trust were paid
in full, 4) SSPE Trust and their affiliates were released from all further
obligations under the Trust II Credit Agreement, and 5) the SSPE Trust assets
were removed as pledged collateral for the Trust II Credit Agreement. The
Fortress Waiver also amended certain terms of the Trust II Credit Agreement
including the elimination of Trust IIs right to further borrowings and the
requirement for Trust II to pay an unused commitment fee.
CLST Asset III, LLC
Effective
February 13, 2009, we, through CLST Asset III, LLC (
CLST
Asset III
), a newly formed, wholly owned subsidiary of Financo,
purchased certain receivables, installment sales contracts and related assets
owned by Fair, James F. Cochran, Chairman and Director of Fair, and Timothy S.
Durham, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Fair and an officer, director
and stockholder of our Company (the
Trust III Purchase
6
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Agreement
). Messrs. Durham and Cochran
own all of the outstanding equity of Fair. In return for assets acquired under
the Trust III Purchase Agreement, CLST Asset III paid the sellers total
consideration of $3,594,354, consisting of cash, common stock of the Company
and six promissory notes. Additionally, Fair agreed to use its best efforts to
facilitate negotiations to add CLST Asset III or one of its affiliates as a
co-borrower under one of Fairs existing lines of credit with access to at
least $15,000,000 of credit for our own purposes.
To date, we have not been
added as a co-borrower.
Substantially
all of the assets acquired by CLST Asset III are in one of two portfolios.
Portfolio A is a mixed pool of receivables from several asset classes,
including health and fitness club memberships, resort memberships, receivables
associated with campgrounds and timeshares, in-home food sales and services,
buyers clubs, delivered products, home improvements and tuitions.
Portfolio B is made up entirely of receivables related to the sale of tanning
bed products. Only 2% of these portfolios are home improvement loans and none
of the loans are secured. The loans are
through the 48 mainland states with the top five concentration as follows:
State
|
|
Percentage
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ohio
|
|
17
|
%
|
Florida
|
|
8
|
%
|
Colorado
|
|
8
|
%
|
Texas
|
|
6
|
%
|
Pennsylvania
|
|
6
|
%
|
During the second
quarter of 2009 we began implementing the servicing, collection and other
procedures relating to management of CLST Asset III contemplated by the
agreements between us and the servicer of the portfolio. Fair was the servicer
of the CLST Asset III portfolio and is an affiliate of Mr. Durham. The
implementation of the procedures required several meetings with the servicer
and were implemented during the third quarter of 2009 with the exception of
securing a lock box to receive payments, which we expected to have in place
during the fourth quarter of 2009.
During the fourth quarter of 2009, unexpectedly to the Company, the
Federal Bureau of Investigation (
FBI
) and
other government agencies seized certain assets of Fair, including their
servers, computers and other items used by Fair in the servicing of our CLST
Asset III portfolio. Due to these and other facts, we understand Fair was
closed for a period of time and was unable to fully service our CLST Asset III
portfolio for an extended period of time. As a result, we have moved the
servicing of our CLST Asset III portfolio to an alternate servicer. Effective February 1,
2010, Highlands Premier Acceptance Corp. and Highlands Financial Services, LLC
(collectively referred to herein as
Highlands
)
assumed all servicing functions previously performed by Fair. Highlands is
fully independent of Fair and the Company, and there are no related party
relationships of any nature among Fair, Highlands or the Company. Fair had been
fully co-operating with the logistics of the transfer of the servicing of the
CLST Asset III portfolio to Highlands, however, in February 2010 Fair
commenced bankruptcy proceedings, which may negatively impact the timing and
completeness of this transfer.
Our agreement with Highlands calls for an initial term of six months
and is automatically renewed in one year increments unless cancelled in writing
by either party in accordance with the terms of the agreement. We will incur
servicing fees at market rates and per the terms of the agreement. Highlands is
required to make daily remittances of our collected accounts.
At this time,
we believe that
we have a right of recoupment against Fair for payments it has received on our
behalf and not remitted, and expect to exercise that right by withholding such
amounts from any money due to Fair.
However, there can be no assurance that Fair will not challenge our
recoupment right, or what the ultimate outcome of that challenge might be. On March 1,
2010 approximately $73,000
was due to
Fair and the other sellers which has not been paid.
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Now
that the Company has acquired each of these three receivable portfolios, most
of the activities of the Company with respect to the portfolios are conducted
on its behalf by the servicers of these portfolios. The servicers receive payments from account
debtors and pursue other collection activities with respect to the receivables,
monitor collection disputes with individual account debtors, prepare and submit
claims to the account debtors, maintain servicing documents, books and records
relating to the receivables and prepare and provide reports to the lenders and
the Company with respect to the receivables and related activity, maintain the
security interest of the lenders in the receivables, and direct the collateral
custodian to make payments out of the proceeds of the portfolios to, among others,
the Company, the lenders, the servicers and/or backup servicers, and the
collateral custodians pursuant to the terms of the relevant servicing
agreements.
Plan of Dissolution
As
we have previously disclosed, the proxy statement we filed with the SEC on February 20,
2007 describes a proposal for a plan of dissolution, which provides for the
complete liquidation and dissolution of the Company after the completion of the
U.S. Sale (subject to abandonment by the Board in the exercise of their
fiduciary duties). On March 28,
2007, our stockholders approved the plan of dissolution in addition to the U.S.
Sale and the Mexico Sale. In the plan of
dissolution approved by our stockholders, we stated that no distribution of
proceeds from the U.S. Sale and Mexico Sale would be made until the
investigation by the SEC was resolved. On June 26, 2007, we received a
letter from the staff of the SEC giving notice of the completion of their
investigation with no enforcement action recommended to the SEC. Therefore, on June 27,
2007, our Board declared a cash distribution of $1.50 per share on our common
stock to stockholders of record as of July 9, 2007. On July 19, 2007,
we issued the $1.50 per share dividend in the total amount of
$30.8 million. Then, on November 1, 2007 we paid an additional $0.60
per share dividend to stockholders which brings the cumulative dividends paid
to stockholders to $2.10 per share or approximately $43.2 million. The
amount and timing of any additional distributions paid to stockholders in connection
with the liquidation and dissolution of the Company are subject to
uncertainties and depend on the resolution of certain contingencies more fully
described in this Form 10-K.
We
have continued to wind down aspects of our businesses, including dissolving
some of our subsidiaries and continuing to try to collect our remaining
non-cash assets. In addition, we have
continued to review our liabilities and seek to satisfy or resolve those that
we can in a favorable manner. See 2009
Business above for further discussion with respect to our activities in this
regard. We expect that it could take
several years to implement the plan of dissolution because of the lengthy
process of obtaining sufficient information regarding all of our liabilities to
pay and appropriately provide for them as required under the plan of
dissolution
.
Given this and the time necessary to complete
the governmental requirements for dissolution, our Board focused on ways to
generate higher returns on the Companys cash and other assets in order to
better offset the Company expenses and to take advantage of the favorable tax
treatment provided by our NOLs. Section 3
of the plan of dissolution states that we may not engage in any business
activities except to the extent necessary to preserve the value of the Companys
assets, wind up the Companys affairs, and distribute the Companys
assets. As further described above under
2009 Business, our Board
determined to acquire several portfolios of receivables with the intention of
generating a higher rate of return on our assets than we were receiving on our
cash and cash equivalents balances which were held in money market accounts or
short term certificates of deposit, earning approximately 1% (current interest
rates are now close to 0%). Our Board
believed that each of these acquisitions would provide a better investment
return for our stockholders when compared to the low interest rates available
on our cash investments and other investment alternatives although the
acquisition would involve a higher risk profile than traditional cash deposits
and other cash equivalents positions. At
the time we began looking at purchasing these portfolios during the second and
third quarters of 2008, the credit markets became significantly impaired, and
the viability of many banks and other financial institutions was in
question. The Companys cash was held in
one bank subject to the limited protection of FDIC coverage. The Board considered, among other things,
spreading the Companys cash among over a dozen financial institutions. However, the Board did not believe spreading
the Companys cash among many different banks to be practical or cost
efficient. In addition, the Board
considered various cash strategies including investing in a ladder of U.S.
Treasury securities (securities of varying maturities) which would have
resulted in higher yields than cash deposits, but would have required the
Company to hold those securities in a brokerage firm and pay that firm a fee to
arrange the transactions. The Board did
not believe that the increased yield provided by a ladder of U.S. Treasury
securities, after associated fees and administrative costs, was likely to be
significantly better than that of cash deposits, and did not believe that
interest from U.S. Treasury securities would allow the Company to use its NOLs
to shield income from taxes. Finally,
the Board was unsure how to assess the brokerage and custody risks
8
Table of Contents
associated
with holding a ladder of U.S. Treasury securities through third parties, and
felt that the risk was similar to that associated with commercial banks at the
time.
Our
Board understood that to obtain higher returns on its investments, the Company
would have to assume a higher risk of loss.
The Board believed that the opportunity offered by these purchases to
earn higher returns than offered by cash and demand deposits, would offset the
increased risks, and offer the Board a way of maximizing the value of the
Company for the stockholders. In
addition, these investments offered the Company an opportunity to utilize its
NOLs if the returns resulted in positive income for the Company. The purchases the Company made utilized
borrowed money. Using borrowed money to
purchase an income generating asset increases the return on investment, but
increases the risk of loss on that investment.
The Board carefully considered the amount of leverage in each of its
purchases, believing each investment would be able to generate sufficient
income to pay interest and principal on the debt, and still produce an
attractive return for the Company and its stockholders. In considering the risk associated with
leverage, the Board considered a number of different scenarios for performance
of the investments, including the risk associated with increased default
rates. The Board did not expect default
rates to increase to current levels, but did consider that and other
possibilities. In addition, the Board
considered the costs associated with investments in our portfolios, including
the ongoing costs of paying a servicer to service the portfolio, as part of its
consideration of the overall potential return associated with those
investments.
When
we purchased Trust I, the historical default rate for the previous three years
for the portfolio was approximately 4%, which was the basis for assessing the
creditworthiness of the assets included in CLST Asset I. Beginning in the third quarter of 2009 and
continuing through the fourth quarter of 2009, we saw the default rate increase
to the 7-8% range; accordingly, we have been increasing our allowances to
reflect this change.
Upon
examination of Trust II and CLST Asset III, we believe that the circumstances
of these portfolios are different from those of Trust I. As of the date we acquired Trust I,
approximately 39% of the receivables in the Trust I portfolio had credit scores
higher than 676. Trust II contains new
originations with higher credit requirements than the requirements for the
Trust I portfolio. Since Trust II is
comprised of new loans, the Company has managed the originations such that
almost 65% of the new loans have credit scores higher than 680. Further, we acquired the Trust I portfolio at
a discount of approximately 1.7% and acquired the Trust II portfolio at a
discount of approximately 8.7%. The difference in the purchase discounts
between CLST Asset I and CLST Asset II was impacted by the tightening of the
credit markets between the time of these two acquisitions. Therefore the Trust
II portfolio has a very different risk profile when compared to Trust I because
of the better customer credit profile of Trust II customers and the larger
purchase discount received. The sellers of the CLST Asset III portfolio have
retained the risk of collectability of the receivables in that portfolio for up
to an amount equal to the currently outstanding principal amount of the notes issued
by the Company to the sellers. At the
time of the closing of the acquisition of the CLST Asset III portfolio, the
notes issued to the sellers represented approximately 25% of the total purchase
price of the portfolio of approximately $3.6 million. Since the principal balance of the notes
declines over time as payments are made by the Company to the sellers, future
defaulted receivables can be offset only against the then remaining balance of
the notes issued to the sellers.
The
Company has not performed a market check and, as a result, cannot give any
assurance that the portfolios can be sold on favorable terms or within any
particular time frame given the risk and uncertainties associated with current
economic conditions. Our Board believes
that a quick sale of our portfolio assets at the current time is unlikely to
yield the same value to the Company as a sale in an orderly course in the
future. Among other things, our Board
believes economic conditions will improve in the future, along with credit
market conditions and conditions affecting consumer default rates. Because the Companys winding up could take
several years, the Company has the ability to wait until economic conditions
improve before it sells its portfolio assets.
For the same reason, the Company has the ability to market those assets,
in the future, in an orderly fashion designed to enhance any sales proceeds
over what could be received in a quicker sale at the current time. While the Company continues its winding up
activities, it will receive collections on the portfolios, and its overall book
investment in the portfolios will decline.
At the same time, the size of the portfolios and the debt associated
with them will also decline as the assets and related indebtedness liquidate themselves. For those reasons, the Board believes that,
based upon the assumptions above, a sale of the Companys portfolio assets in
the future will likely result in greater value to the Company than a rapid sale
at the current time.
In a Current Report on Form 8-K
filed with the SEC on February 9, 2010, the Company announced that,
pursuant to the plan of dissolution, the Company planned to file a certificate
of dissolution with the Delaware Secretary of State on February 26,
2010. Immediately after the close of
business on February 26, 2010, the
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Table of
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Company intended to close
its stock transfer books and expected that the trading of its stock on the Pink
Sheets would cease at the same time.
However, on February 18, 2010, Red Oak filed an Application for
Temporary Restraining Order and Motion for Expedited Discovery and a Briefing
Schedule for a Temporary Injunction (
Application for TRO
),
pursuant to which it sought to prevent the Company from filing a certificate of
dissolution with the Delaware Secretary of State on February 26,
2010. The hearing on Plaintiffs
Application for TRO was held on February 23, 2010. On February 24, 2010, the Court granted
Red Oaks Application for TRO and, pursuant to the Temporary Restraining Order
and Order Granting Motion for Expedited Discovery (the
TRO
),
the Court ordered, among other things, that the defendants (CLST Holdings, Inc.,
Robert Kaiser, Timothy Durham, and David Tornek) and their agents are
restrained from filing the certificate of dissolution for the Company on or
before midnight on Wednesday, March 10, 2010, or until further order of
the Court.
Due to the Courts
issuance of the TRO, the Company was not able to file a certificate dissolution
with the Delaware Secretary of State on February 26, 2010. Accordingly, the trading of the Companys
stock on the Pink Sheets did not cease on the close of business on February 26,
2010, as the Company had previously announced.
However, on March 2, 2010, the Company entered into the Stipulation
and Agreed Temporary Injunction (the
Dissolution Stipulation
)
with Red Oak which provides, among other things, that, on or before March 5,
2010, the Company would send notice of its intent to file a certificate of
dissolution with the Delaware Secretary of State on March 26, 2010, and
that the notice would indicate that the certificate of dissolution will not be
effective until June 24, 2010.
Accordingly, in a press release
issued on March 5, 2009, the Company announced that it intended to file a
certificate of dissolution with the Delaware Secretary of State on March 26,
2010 and that such certificate of dissolution would not be effective until June 24,
2010. If a certificate of dissolution is
filed in accordance with the Dissolution Stipulation, then immediately after
the close of business on June 24, 2010, the Company will close its stock
transfer books; accordingly it is expected that the trading of its stock on the
Pink Sheets will cease at the same time.
Under the Companys plan
of dissolution, the certificate of dissolution must be filed on or before March 28,
2010. If the Company does not file its
certificate of dissolution on or before March 28, 2010, the Company
believes it is likely that dissolution and winding up of the Company will
require a stockholders meeting to authorize a new plan of dissolution.
Governmental
Regulations
Federal, state and
municipal laws, rules, regulations and ordinances may limit our ability to
recover and enforce our rights with respect to the receivables acquired by us.
These laws include, but are not limited to, the following federal statutes and
regulations promulgated thereunder and comparable statutes in states where
consumers reside and/or where creditors are located:
·
the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act;
·
the Federal Trade Commission Act;
·
the Truth-In-Lending Act;
·
the Fair Credit Billing Act;
·
the Equal Credit Opportunity Act; and
·
the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Financial
Information
The
Companys consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes for the last
two fiscal years can be found in Part IV of this Form 10-K.
Competition
As
the unemployment rate and the number of bankruptcy filings continue to rise, we
could face a more challenging collection environment as debtors have fewer
resources available to satisfy their debt.
Since most of our receivables were bulk purchases with collateral, we
will face competition as some of our customers may be able to secure a lower
cost loan from other sources. In these
cases, our customers will prepay our accounts at the higher interest rate by
borrowing from lenders at lower rates.
Our receivables in general allow customers to prepay their
10
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account
without significant prepayment charges.
Although under these circumstances we will receive payment of our
principal, these prepayments will result in lower returns as we will collect
less interest on the accounts.
Employees
As of March 1, 2010,
the Company had only a small administrative staff, consisting of three
full-time employees, which includes the recent addition of a Chief Financial
Officer, one part-time employee and one regular contractor.
Available
Information and Code of Ethics
We maintain an Internet
website at
www.clstholdings.com
.
Our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q,
current reports on Form 8-K, and any amendments to these reports will be
made available, free of charge, at our website as soon as reasonably
practicable after we electronically file such reports with or furnish them to
the SEC.
We have adopted a code of
ethics that applies to our directors, officers and all employees. Our Business
Ethics Policy can be found at our Internet website at
www.clstholdings.com
.
Item 1A. Risk Factors
Our future performance is
subject to a variety of risks. If any of the events or circumstances described
in the following risk factors actually occurs, our business, financial
condition or results of operations could suffer and the trading price of the
Companys common stock could be negatively affected. In addition to the
following disclosures, please refer to the other information contained in this Form 10-K,
including consolidated financial statements and the related notes, and
information contained in our other SEC filings.
Our ability to
use our net operating losses to offset our future taxable income may be
severely limited under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code.
Section 382
generally limits the ability of a corporation that undergoes an ownership
change to utilize NOLs against future post-ownership income. The limitation is
generally equal to the product of (a) the fair market value of the
corporations outstanding stock immediately prior to the ownership change and (b) the
long-term tax exempt rate (i.e., a rate of interest established by the Internal
Revenue Service that fluctuates from month to month). We believe in many
circumstances the NOLs, which amount to approximately $126 million and begin to
expire after November 30, 2020, can be utilized to offset future income,
if any. However, in the event of a
change in control, the NOLs would be impaired and result in only a fraction of
their otherwise future potential tax savings.
As of November 30, 2009, approximately 40% of the change in control
had occurred historically. If additional
approximate 10% change in control occurs in the future, as determined by IRS
regulations, the Company could lose substantially all of the potential value of
the NOLs. In general, an ownership
change occurs whenever the percentage of the stock of a corporation owned,
directly or indirectly, by 5-percent stockholders (within the meaning of Section 382
of the Internal Revenue Code) increases by more than 50 percentage points over
the lowest percentage of the stock of such corporation owned, directly or indirectly,
by such 5-percent stockholders at any time over the preceding three years.
Issuances of our stock, sales or other dispositions of our stock by certain
significant stockholders, certain acquisitions of our stock and issuances,
sales or other dispositions or acquisitions of interests in certain significant
stockholders could cause an ownership change, and we will have little or no
control over any such events in the future.
Because the
Company has been in the process of liquidating its business, it is difficult to
secure and retain qualified employees
.
During the last three
quarters of fiscal year 2007, the Company began reducing its employee base,
consistent with the Companys plan to liquidate and dissolve. However, the
Company still requires the service of some employees for handling routine
matters. Retaining employees who are knowledgeable of the Companys activities
and background has proven to be difficult while the Company has been winding
down its business. Furthermore, it is difficult to hire and train new employees
when the Company is already working with a reduced
11
Table of Contents
staff, and new employees may see little incentive in
working for a Company with a plan of liquidation and dissolution. William E. Casper started as the Companys
Chief Financial Officer on January 18, 2010 and resigned less than one
month later on February 10, 2010 to pursue another position.
We are
experiencing significant risks related to information technology
.
Although the Company has
outsourced certain information technology (
IT
)
functions, the Company currently has no employees who are qualified to perform
IT services for the Company, nor does the Company have any plans to hire IT
employees. Therefore, maintaining the Companys website and other IT-related
information has proven to be difficult, and there is a risk that such
information may not be adequately maintained. Furthermore, during the period
following the U.S. sale, email backup tapes were not properly protected, and as
a result historical email detail is limited. The Company has had difficulties
restoring email records from Brightpoint when the Company has requested such
information. Without access to these emails, the Company may not have complete
historical email records. These risks may adversely impact the Companys
internal control environment.
Conditions exist
which cause substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern
.
The report of our independent registered
public accounting firm with respect to our financial statements as of November 30,
2009 and for the year then ended contains an explanatory paragraph with respect
to our ability to continue as a going concern.
This concern has been raised due to the higher than
anticipated defaults on the notes receivable included in CLST Asset I which has
resulted in a default under the Trust I Credit Agreement and an approximately
$3.5 million increase in the allowance for doubtful accounts during the twelve
months ended November 30, 2009. As a result of the Companys default under
the Trust I Credit Agreement, the amount due to Fortress under this agreement
has been classified as current as of November 30, 2009. The Company has
also been engaged in several lawsuits which have resulted in the Company
incurring significant legal fees. The combination of the increase in the
allowance for doubtful accounts and high legal fees has resulted in the Company
incurring a net loss of approximately $5.2 million during the twelve months
ended November 30, 2009. The Company is continuing discussions to resolve
the default under the Trust I Credit Agreement. The Company has made a claim
under its directors and officers liability insurance policy for reimbursement
of legal fees incurred in excess of our $1.0 million self retention amount. It
is uncertain whether the Company can continue as a going concern if it
continues to incur net losses and if the Company loses the CLST Asset I
consumer receivables as a result of the default under the Trust I Credit
Agreement.
We are subject to
the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. If we are
unable to timely comply with Section 404 or if the costs related to compliance
are significant, our profitability, stock price and results of operations and
financial condition could be materially adversely affected.
We are required to comply
with the provisions of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 for
this Form 10-K. Section 404 requires that we document and test our
internal control over financial reporting and issue managements assessment of
our internal control over financial reporting. This section also requires that
our independent registered public accounting firm opine on those internal
controls and managements assessment of those controls beginning with our
fiscal year ending November 30, 2010. We have hired an outside consulting
firm to work with management in assessing our internal controls, and they, with
management, have concluded that our internal control over financial reporting
is not adequate. We have
identified two deficiencies that constitute material weaknesses: (1) the
Company has not required SAS 70 reports and is not receiving timely audited
financial statements from the servicers of the Companys consumer receivable
portfolios, and (2) the Company lacks adequate supervision, segregation of
duties, and technical accounting expertise necessary for an effective system of
internal control and timely financial reporting.
During the
course of our ongoing evaluation and integration of the internal control over
financial reporting, we may identify additional areas requiring improvement,
and we may have to design enhanced processes and controls to address issues
identified through this review.
We believe that the
out-of-pocket costs, the diversion of managements attention from running the
day-to-day operations and operational changes caused by the need to comply with
the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act could be
significant. If the time and costs associated with such compliance exceed our
current expectations, our profitability, cash flow and financial condition
could be negatively affected.
12
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We cannot be certain at this
time that our auditors will not identify material weaknesses in internal
control over financial reporting. If we fail to comply with the requirements of
Section 404 or if we or our auditors identify and report such material
weakness, the accuracy and timeliness of the filing of our annual and quarterly
reports may be negatively affected and could cause investors to lose confidence
in our reported financial information, which could have a negative effect on
the trading price of our
common stock
. In addition, a material weakness in the
effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting could result in
an increased chance of fraud and reduce our ability to detect and prevent
fraud, reduce our ability to obtain financing and require additional
expenditures to comply with these requirements, each of which could negatively
impact our business, profitability and financial condition.
We are subject to
the risks of interest rate fluctuation.
Our net interest income is
affected by changes in market interest rates and other economic factors beyond
our control. Interest rates for demand deposits and other short term cash investments
in the U.S. have dropped significantly in the past year. A material portion of
the Companys assets consists of cash. As of November 30, 2009, our cash
and cash equivalents were $4.8 million. As a result, declines in such interest
rates will reduce the Companys income and directly and adversely affect the
Companys budget. The majority of our cash is invested in Texas Capital Bank,
N.A. at a variable interest rate and in government repurchase contracts, where
we are earning less than 1% per year. Each deposit of our cash is FDIC insured
or government insured.
The Company has
had difficulty collecting money it is due from some purchasers of its
operations.
We are owed amounts from the
sales of our non-U.S. operations. Collection proceedings outside of the U.S.
tend to be cumbersome and expensive. We believe we are owed as much as $1.7
million from the Mexico Sale. Due to the
difficulty of collecting money from Mexico, we cannot predict an outcome at
this time. However, we are pursuing various strategies to collect what we
believe is owed to us. The cost of collecting the amount from Mexico that we
believe is owed may be significant and may exceed the value of the amount at
issue.
Our
Common Stock
trades at low prices and low volumes and may be subject
to certain fraud and abuse in the market.
Our
common stock
trades at low prices and
relatively low volumes and is not listed on an exchange. As such, the market
for
common stock
such as ours
may be subject to certain patterns of fraud and abuse, similar to
common stock
that is subject to the SECs
penny stock rule, including:
·
control of the market for
the security by one or a few broker-dealers that are often related to the
promoter or issuer;
·
manipulation of prices
through prearranged matching of purchases and sales and false and misleading
press releases;
·
boiler room practices
involving high-pressure sales tactics and unrealistic price projections by
inexperienced sales persons;
·
excessive and undisclosed
bid-ask differentials and markups by selling broker-dealers; and
·
the wholesale dumping of the
same securities by promoters and broker-dealers after prices have been
manipulated to a desired level, along with the resulting inevitable collapse of
those prices and with consequent investor losses.
Although we do not expect to
be in a position to dictate the behavior of the market or of broker-dealers who
participate in the market, management will strive within the confines of
practical limitations to prevent the described patterns from being established
with respect to our
common
stock
.
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Our stock is
thinly traded, so you may be unable to sell at or near ask prices or at all.
The shares of our
common stock
are traded on the Pink
Sheets. Shares of our
common
stock
are thinly-traded, meaning that the number of persons interested in
purchasing our common shares at or near ask prices at any given time may be
relatively small or non-existent. This situation is attributable to a number of
factors, including our reclassification to discontinued operations.
As a consequence, our stock
price may not reflect an actual or perceived value. Also, there may be periods
of several days or more when trading activity in our shares is minimal or
non-existent, as compared to a seasoned issuer that has a large and steady
volume of trading activity that will generally support continuous sales without
an adverse effect on share price. A broader or more active public trading
market for our common shares may not develop or if developed, may not be
sustained. Due to these conditions, you
may not be able to sell your shares at or near ask prices or at all if you need
money or otherwise desire to liquidate your shares.
The Company has entered into the Dissolution
Stipulation which provides, among other things, that, on or before March 5,
2010, the Company will send notice of its intent to file a certificate of
dissolution with the Delaware Secretary of State on March 26, 2010, and
that the notice shall indicate that the certificate of dissolution will not be
effective until June 24, 2010.
Accordingly, in a press release issued on March 5, 2009, the
Company announced that it intended to file a certificate of dissolution with
the Delaware Secretary of State on March 26, 2010 and that such
certificate of dissolution would not be effective until June 24,
2010. If a certificate of dissolution is
filed in accordance with the Dissolution Stipulation, then immediately after
the close of business on June 24, 2010, the Company will close its stock
transfer books; accordingly it is expected that the trading of its stock on the
Pink Sheets will cease at the same time.
Because of the nature of our assets, our quarterly
operating results may fluctuate.
Our results may fluctuate as
a result of any of the following:
·
the timing and amount of
collections on our consumer receivable portfolios;
·
a decline in the estimated
value of our consumer receivable portfolio recoveries;
·
increases in operating
expenses; and
·
general and economic market
conditions.
We may not be able to recover sufficient amounts on
our consumer receivable portfolios to recover the costs associated with the
purchase of those portfolios and to fund our operations.
Our ability to recover on
our portfolios and produce sufficient returns can be negatively impacted by the
quality of the purchased receivables. In the normal course of our portfolio
acquisitions, some receivables may be included in the portfolios that fail to
conform to certain terms of the purchase agreements, and we may seek to return
these receivables to the seller for payment. However, we cannot guarantee that
any of such sellers will be able to meet their payment obligations to us.
Accounts that we are unable to return to sellers may yield no return. If cash
flows from operations are less than anticipated as a result of our inability to
collect sufficient amounts on our receivables it could materially affect our
ability to satisfy our debt obligations and our future operating costs.
We are dependent upon outside collection agencies to
service all our consumer receivable portfolios.
Any failure by our third
party recovery partners to adequately perform collection services for us or
remit such collections to us could materially reduce our revenues and our
profitability. In addition, our revenues, cash flow and profitability could be
materially adversely affected if we are not able to secure replacement recovery
partners and redirect payments from the debtors to our new recovery partner
promptly in the event our agreements with our third-party recovery partners are
terminated, our third-party recovery partners fail to adequately perform their
obligations or if our relationships with such recovery partners adversely
change.
We received the
Default Notice dated December 2, 2009 from Fortress Corp. stating that a
servicer default had occurred and was continuing under the Trust II Credit
Agreement, as a result of a material adverse effect with respect to the
servicer. The Default Notice states that
Fair, in its capacity as a sub-servicer for assets held by the
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SSPE Trust, has failed to
perform its servicing duties with respect to that portion of the receivables
portfolio owned by SSPE Trust for which Fair has been retained as a
sub-servicer by the SSPE Trust. This
failure, the Default Notice asserts, results from the ongoing federal
investigation of Fair and Timothy Durham, and constitutes a material adverse
effect with respect to the servicer and thus a breach of a covenant under the
Trust II Credit Agreement. We also
received a Second Default Notice dated February 8, 2010 from Fortress
Corp. stating that an additional event of default has occurred and is
continuing under the Trust II Credit Agreement because the three-month rolling
average annualized default rate of the Class A receivables in the Trust
II portfolio had exceeded 5.0% as of January 31,
2010. On February 26, 2010, the parties to the Trust II Credit Agreement
entered into the Fortress Waiver whereby 1) each event of default declared in
the Default Notice and the Second Default Notice was waived, 2) Trust II became
the sole borrower under the Trust II Credit Agreement, 3) the outstanding
borrowings attributable to SSPE Trust were paid in full, 4) SSPE Trust and
their affiliates were released from all further obligations under the Trust II
Credit Agreement, and 5) the SSPE Trust assets were removed as pledged
collateral for the Trust II Credit Agreement. The Fortress Waiver also amended
certain terms of the Trust II Credit Agreement including the elimination of
Trust IIs right to further borrowings and the requirement for Trust II to pay
an unused commitment fee.
Also, during the fourth quarter of 2009, unexpectedly to the Company,
the FBI and other government agencies seized certain assets of Fair, including
their servers, computers and other items used by Fair in the servicing of our
CLST Asset III portfolio. Due to these and other facts, we understand Fair was
closed for a period of time and was unable to fully service our CLST Asset III
portfolio for an extended period of time. As a result, we have moved the
servicing of our CLST Asset III portfolio to an alternate servicer. Effective February 1,
2010, Highlands assumed all servicing functions previously performed by Fair.
Highlands is fully independent of Fair and the Company, and there are no
related party relationships of any nature among Fair, Highlands or the Company.
Fair had been fully co-operating with the logistics of the transfer of the
servicing of the CLST Asset III portfolio to Highlands, however, in February 2010
Fair commenced bankruptcy proceedings, which may negatively impact the timing
and completeness of this transfer.
Our collections may decrease if bankruptcy filings
increase.
During times of economic
recession, the amount of defaulted consumer receivables generally increases,
which contributes to an increase in the amount of personal bankruptcy filings.
As of November 30, 2009 our portfolios related to Trust I, Trust II and
Trust III have accounts over 90 days past due in the amount of approximately
$3,350,000, $63,000 and $29,000, respectively.
Under certain bankruptcy filings,
a debtors assets are sold to repay credit originators, but since the defaulted
consumer receivables we purchase are generally unsecured or second liens we
often would not be able to collect on those receivables. We cannot assure you
that our collection experience would not decline with an increase in bankruptcy
filings. If our actual collection experience with respect to a defaulted
consumer receivables portfolio is significantly lower than we projected when we
purchased the portfolio, our earnings, liquidity and the value of our consumer receivable
assets could be negatively affected.
Government regulations may limit our ability to
recover and enforce the collection of our receivables.
Federal, state and municipal
laws, rules, regulations and ordinances may limit our ability to recover and
enforce our rights with respect to the receivables acquired by us. These laws
include, but are not limited to, the following federal statutes and regulations
promulgated thereunder and comparable statutes in states where consumers reside
and/or where creditors are located:
·
the Fair Debt
Collection Practices Act;
·
the Federal
Trade Commission Act;
·
the
Truth-In-Lending Act;
·
the Fair Credit
Billing Act;
·
the Equal
Credit Opportunity Act; and
·
the Fair Credit
Reporting Act.
Additional laws may be
enacted that could impose additional restrictions on the servicing and
collection of
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receivables.
Such new laws may adversely affect the ability to collect the receivables.
Because the receivables were originated and serviced pursuant to a variety of
federal and/or state laws by a variety of entities and involved consumers which
may include all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, there can
be no assurance that all original servicing entities have at all times been in
substantial compliance with applicable law. Additionally, there can be no
assurance that we or our recovery partners have been or will continue to be at
all times in substantial compliance with applicable law. The failure to comply
with applicable law could materially adversely affect our ability to collect
our receivables and could subject us to increased costs and fines and
penalties. In addition, our third-party recovery partners may be subject to
these and other laws and their failure to comply with such laws could also
materially adversely affect our revenues and earnings.
We
are party to litigation that distracts our management, is expensive to conduct
and seeks damage awards against us.
On
February 13, 2009, we filed a lawsuit, the Federal Court Action, against
the Red Oak Group alleging that the defendants have engaged in numerous
violations of federal securities laws in making purchases of our common stock
and sought to enjoin any future unlawful purchases of our stock by them.
On March 2, 2009, certain of our
stockholders, including the Red Oak Group, filed a derivative action, the State
Court Action, alleging that
Messrs. Kaiser, Durham, and Tornek
entered into self-dealing transactions at the expense of the Company and its
stockholders and violated their fiduciary duties.
Although we have directors and officers liability
insurance, it is uncertain whether the insurance will be sufficient to cover all
damages, if any, that we may be required to pay in the State Court Action. In
addition, both lawsuits have distracted the attention of our management and are
expensive to conduct. Our Board and management have expended a substantial
amount of time in connection with these matters, diverting resources and
attention that would otherwise have been directed toward our portfolios of
receivables, our plan of dissolution, and other important matters. We have incurred substantial legal and other
professional service costs in connection with these lawsuits, approximately
$3.0
million as of November 30, 2009.
Because of the costs and distractions associated with the further prosecution
of the Federal Court Action, the Board, as an exercise of its business judgment,
determined that the action should be dismissed, and the Company has filed a
motion to that effect, which the Red Oak Group has opposed.
We expect to continue to spend additional
time and incur additional professional fees, expenses and other costs with respect
to the Federal Court Action and State Court Action, all of which could have a
material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of
operations.
We
are subject to certain default provisions under our loan agreements related to
the acquisitions by CLST Asset I and CLST Asset II that may be triggered by
events over which we have no control, and the assets of CLST Asset I and CLST
Asset II may be foreclosed upon; furthermore, the credit facility that CLST
Asset II currently has access to has been reduced and will expire in September 2010.
CLST Asset I
The loan obligations of
Trust I under the Trust I Credit Agreement are secured by a first priority
security interest in substantially all of the assets of Trust I, including
portfolio collections. The loan is a non-recourse term loan. The Trust I Credit Agreement contains
customary covenants and events of default for facilities of its type, including
among other things, limitations on the delinquent accounts rate and default
rates of the notes receivable accounts, as more fully described in Footnote 3
of the notes to the consolidated financial statements. A copy of the Trust I Credit Agreement was
filed as an exhibit to the Companys Current Report on Form 8-K filed
November 17, 2008, as amended to date.
If an event of default
occurs under the Trust I Credit Agreement, whether or not the default is
material to the loan as a whole, the lender has various remedies, including
among other things, raising the interest rate payable on the loan and
accelerating all of the obligations of Trust I under the Trust I Credit
Agreement, which would cause the entire remaining outstanding principal balance
plus accrued and unpaid interest and fees to be declared immediately due and
payable.
In addition, the Company
has no control over the delinquency or default rates of the notes receivable
accounts now held by Trust I. An event of default occurs if the three-month
rolling average delinquent accounts rate exceeds 10.0% or the three-month
rolling average annualized default rate exceeds 7.0%. On October 16, 2009, we received a
notice of default from Fortress stating that an event of default has occurred
and is continuing under the
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Trust I Credit Agreement.
The Fortress notice states that the three-month rolling average annualized
default rate of the Trust I portfolio has exceeded 7.0%. As a result of the default,
pursuant to the Trust I Credit Agreement, the interest rate payable by Trust I
has increased by an additional 2% per annum, and Fortress is entitled to
foreclose on the assets of Trust I and sell them to satisfy amounts due it
under the Trust I Credit Agreement.
Fortress has not yet sought to foreclose on the assets of Trust I,
however, if it does so, the Company may lose some or all of its investment in
Trust I.
The Company
believes that between $1.3 million and $2.2 million of receivables purchased
were ineligible, as defined in the Trust I Purchase Agreement, at the time of
purchase. Of these potentially ineligible receivables, approximately $574,000
have become defaulted receivables. The Company has notified Fortress of these
potentially ineligible receivables and
discussions with Fortress are ongoing. The Company cannot predict when
or if these matters will be resolved favorably or at all.
CLST
Asset II
Trust
II is a party to a non-recourse, revolving loan agreement between Trust II,
Summit,
SSPE and SSPE
Trust, as co-borrowers, Summit and Eric J. Gangloff, as Guarantors, Fortress
Corp., as the lender, and Summit Alternative Investments, LLC, as the initial
servicer
, pursuant to which Trust II purchased
$9.6 million of receivables with an aggregate purchase
discount of $0.8 million during the twelve months ended November 30, 2009
. In conjunction with this loan agreement,
Trust II borrowed $6.4 million to purchase the consumer receivables and became
a co-borrower under the Trust II Credit Agreement that permits Trust II to use
more than $15 million of the aggregate availability under the revolving
facility. A copy of the Trust II Credit Agreement was filed as an Exhibit to
the Companys Current Report on Form 8-K filed December 19, 2008, as
amended to date.
Advances
under the revolver are limited to an amount equal to, net of certain
concentration limitations set forth in the Trust II Credit Agreement, (a) the
lesser of (1) the product of 85% and the purchase price being paid for
eligible receivables with a credit score greater than or equal to 650 (
Class A Receivables
) or
(2) the product of 80% and the then-current aggregate balance of principal
and accrued and unpaid interest outstanding for Class A Receivables plus (b) the
lesser of (1) the product of 75% and the purchase price being paid for
eligible receivables with a credit score less than 650 (
Class B Receivables
) or
(2) the product of 50% and the then-current aggregate balance of principal
and accrued and unpaid interest outstanding for Class B Receivables.
During the second quarter of 2009 we were informed by
Summit that the $50 million credit facility we entered into with Trust II,
Summit and various other parties had been reduced by $20 million to $30
million. Summit did not indicate the
specific reasons for the reduction in the credit facility other than it was
part of a negotiation with Fortress regarding a default on another Summit
portfolio. This reduction has no impact
on the Company because during the third quarter of 2009, we ceased purchasing
any new receivables under the facility and are no longer originating new loans
under the credit agreement and, as a result, the Company is no longer drawing
additional funds under the credit agreement.
Because we are no longer originating new loans under this credit
agreement, FCC is no longer providing origination services to the Company. The
origination services performed by FCC included loan documentation, collateral
documentation where applicable, credit verification, and other required
activities to secure loan approval per the Companys standards. FCC was paid a one-time fee of 2% of the
original principal amount of loans originated for performing these
services. Once a loan was approved, FCC
would perform the monthly servicing activities, which would include
collections, reporting, lock box services, customer service, and other related
services. FCC was paid 1.5%, per annum, of the outstanding principal balance
for these services. As of November 30,
2009, total borrowings under the Trust II Credit Agreement were $15.1 million,
of which $5.0 million was attributable to Trust II.
The
Trust II Credit Agreement contains customary covenants and events of default
for facilities of its type, including among other things, limitations on the
delinquent accounts rate and default rates of the consumer receivable accounts,
as more fully described in Footnote 3 of the notes to the consolidated
financial statements. If an event of
default occurs, whether or not the default is material to the loan as a whole,
the lender has various remedies, including among other things, raising the
interest rate payable on the loan and accelerating all of Trust IIs
obligations under the Trust II Credit Agreement, which would cause the entire
remaining outstanding principal balance plus accrued and unpaid interest and
fees to be declared immediately due and payable.
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Furthermore,
the Company has no control over the delinquency or default rates of the
consumer receivable accounts that the Trust II acquires. An event of default occurs if the three-month
rolling average delinquent accounts rate exceeds 15.0% for Class A Receivables
or 30.0% for Class B Receivables, or the three-month rolling average
annualized default rate exceeds 5.0% for Class A Receivables or 12.0% for Class B
Receivables. As of November 30, 2009, defaulted receivables totaled
$58,000. There can be no assurance that these delinquency or default rates will
not result in an event of default for Trust II, which would allow the lender
to, among other things, raise the interest rate payable on the loan, accelerate
all of Trust IIs obligations under the Trust II Credit Agreement, and sell all
the assets of Trust II to satisfy the amounts due.
We received the
Default Notice dated December 2, 2009 from Fortress Corp. stating that a
servicer default had occurred and was continuing under the Trust II Credit
Agreement, as a result of a material adverse effect with respect to the
servicer. The Default Notice states that
Fair, in its capacity as a sub-servicer for assets held by the SSPE Trust, has
failed to perform its servicing duties with respect to that portion of the
receivables portfolio owned by SSPE Trust for which Fair has been retained as a
sub-servicer by the SSPE Trust. This
failure, the Default Notice asserts, results from the ongoing federal
investigation of Fair and Timothy Durham, and constitutes a material adverse
effect with respect to the servicer and thus a breach of a covenant under the
Trust II Credit Agreement. We also
received a Second Default Notice dated February 8, 2010 from Fortress
Corp. stating that an additional event of default has occurred and is
continuing under the Trust II Credit Agreement because the three-month rolling
average annualized default rate of the Class A receivables in the Trust
II portfolio had exceeded 5.0% as of January 31,
2010. On February 26, 2010, the parties to the Trust II Credit Agreement
entered into the Fortress Waiver whereby 1) each event of default declared in
the Default Notice and the Second Default Notice was waived, 2) Trust II became
the sole borrower under the Trust II Credit Agreement, 3) the outstanding
borrowings attributable to SSPE Trust were paid in full, 4) SSPE Trust and
their affiliates were released from all further obligations under the Trust II
Credit Agreement, and 5) the SSPE Trust assets were removed as pledged
collateral for the Trust II Credit Agreement. The Fortress Waiver also amended
certain terms of the Trust II Credit Agreement including the elimination of
Trust IIs right to further borrowings and the requirement for Trust II to pay
an unused commitment fee.
We
intend to cease filing reports with the SEC.
We currently file
current and periodic reports under the Exchange Act. In order to eliminate the
expenses we incur to comply with the reporting requirements of the Exchange
Act, and to the extent the Company is able under applicable law, we intend to
cease/suspend filing current and periodic reports under the Exchange Act with
the SEC.
The
Following Three Risk Factors May Arise If or When The Company Files Its
Certificate of Dissolution:
Stockholders
will not be able to buy or sell shares of our common stock after we dissolve.
We intend to
discontinue trading of our stock on the Pink Sheets on, or as soon as possible
after, the date on which we file our certificate of dissolution with the
Secretary of State of the State of Delaware.
After this time, there will be no further trading of our stock on the
Pink Sheets or otherwise and we will not record any further transfers of our
stock on our books except by will, intestate succession, or operation of
law. Therefore, shares of our stock will
likely not be freely transferable nor issuable upon exercise of outstanding
options after the date of filing of a certificate of dissolution with the
Secretary of State of the State of Delaware.
All liquidating distributions, if any, from us after the date of filing
of our certificate of dissolution with the Secretary of State of the State of
Delaware will be made to our stockholders pro rata according to their
respective holdings of stock as of the date of filing of the certificate of
dissolution.
We
cannot be certain of the amount, if any, or the timing of the distributions to
our stockholders under the plan of dissolution.
Liquidation and
dissolution may not create value to our stockholders or result in any remaining
capital for distribution to our stockholders. Claims, liabilities and expenses
from operations (including, but not limited to, operating costs such as
salaries, directors fees, directors and officers insurance, payroll and
local taxes, legal and
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accounting fees and
miscellaneous office expenses) will continue to be incurred as we seek to wind
down operations in dissolution. In
addition, we expect to continue to incur significant costs associated with the
Red Oak litigation. If claims,
liabilities and expenses are greater than expected, that will reduce the amount
available for distribution to our stockholders.
Additionally, we
are currently unable to predict the precise timing of any liquidating
distributions. The timing of such distributions will depend on and could be
delayed by, among other things, the resolution of the Companys outstanding
litigation matters, the timing of sales of our non-cash assets and claim
settlements with creditors.
Additionally, a creditor could seek an injunction against the making of
such distributions to our stockholders on the ground that the amounts to be
distributed were needed to provide for the payment of our liabilities and
expenses. Any action of this type could delay or substantially diminish the
amount available for such distribution to our stockholders.
If
the Companys assets are distributed to stockholders without payment of or
appropriate provision being made for all the Companys liabilities in
connection with the winding up of its affairs, stockholders could be liable for
amounts distributed to them.
Under Delaware
law, if we fail to pay or provide adequately for the Companys liabilities and
obligations in connection with the winding up of the Company, for a period of
three years following the filing by the Company of its certificate of
dissolution, a stockholder of the Company could be held liable to creditors of
the Company for his or her pro rata portion (based on ownership of common stock
as of the record date for the distribution) of any such liability, limited to
the amount previously received by the stockholder in distributions from the
Company under the plan of dissolution. We do not plan to make any distribution
pursuant to the plan of dissolution without payment or adequate provision
having been made for all the Companys liabilities.
Red
Oak is attempting to nominate a slate of directors to the Companys Board.
Red Oak is
attempting to nominate two individuals for election to our Board at the next
annual meeting. Although an annual
meeting is not currently scheduled, if Red Oak is successful and its directors
are elected to our Board, they may disagree with the other directors regarding
the conduct and actions of the Company.
Because the Board would then be evenly divided between Red Oaks
nominees on the one hand and Mr. Durham and Mr. Tornek on the other,
the Board might find itself unable to take action. This may negatively affect the Companys
ability to effectively and timely implement our plan of dissolution.
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments
The Company received comment
letters from the staff of the Division of Corporation Finance of the SEC. The
comments from the staff were issued with respect to its review of our Annual
Report on Form 10-K, and related amendments, for the year ended November 30,
2008 and review of our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and related
amendments, for the quarterly periods ended February 28, 2009, May 31,
2009 and August 31, 2009. In its response
to the SECs comments, the Company has included additional disclosures in
amendments to its periodic filings, however, there remains an unresolved
comment related to the Companys inability to disclose audited financial
statements and pro forma financial information on Trust I. To date, the Company has not been able to
prepare historical financial statements for Trust I, conduct audits of such
historical financial statements, or to prepare related pro forma financial information,
in either case, satisfying the requirements of Rule 8-04 and 8-05 of
Regulation S-X as the seller of Trust I did not initially provide the Company
and its auditors with access to historical books and records, or supporting
materials, relating to Trust I necessary to prepare such historical financials
or to conduct an audit thereof. On January 26,
2010, the seller provided to the Company certain historical financial
information for Trust I. The Company is evaluating this information and attempting
to compile the historical financial statements that can be audited.
Item 2. Properties
In October 2007, we
moved from our previous corporate headquarters located in Coppell, Texas to a
temporary office located in Dallas, Texas, upon receipt of notice from
Brightpoint that we were required to vacate the Coppell office within thirty
(30) days of such notice. Our lease in the temporary office expired on March 31,
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2008. On April 1, 2008, we moved into our
current location at 17304 Preston Road, Dallas, TX 75252. We believe the new office space is in a
reasonable location and adequately suits our needs. Our lease expires in June 2011.
We neither own nor lease any other properties at this time.
Item 3. Legal Proceedings
Introduction
The Company has expended
a significant amount of management time and resources in connection with the
Federal Court Action and the State Court Action (as defined below). The Company
has had settlement discussions with Red Oak regarding the Federal Court Action
and the State Court Action, but those discussions have not been successful and
are not ongoing. The Company may have further settlement discussions with
Red Oak in the future. No assurance can be given that any settlement
agreement could be reached if the Company undertakes further discussions or, if
a settlement agreement is entered into, that the terms of any settlement would
not have a material adverse effect on the Company, its financial position, or
its results of operations.
Federal Court Action
In December 2008,
David Sandberg of the Red Oak Group placed a telephone call to Robert Kaiser
expressing interest in the Red Oak Group making a minority investment in the
Company and obtaining control of the Company. Our Board responded by suggesting
that the Red Oak Group and the Company discuss the Red Oak Groups desire to
make a minority investment and obtain control after the Company filed its
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended November 30,
2008 with the SEC and made its results of operations available to the Companys
stockholders.
On January 15, 2009,
the Red Oak Group acquired 5,000 shares of our common stock in secondary market
and privately negotiated transactions. On or about January 30, 2009,
the Red Oak Group requested that the Company provide a stockholder list and
security position listings, which it said it would use to make a tender offer.
On February 3, 2009, the Red Oak Group announced its plan to commence a
tender offer to acquire up to 70% of our outstanding shares of common stock at
$0.25 per share. On February 5, 2009, we adopted the Rights Plan
which became effective on February 16, 2009. Stating the Companys
Rights Plan as its reason, the Red Oak Group announced on February 9, 2009
that it had abandoned its intention to make a tender offer. Nevertheless,
the Red Oak Group continued through February 13, 2009 to acquire shares of
our common stock in the secondary market and privately negotiated transactions
resulting in its beneficial ownership of 4,561,554 shares of our common stock
(according to the Red Oak Groups Schedule 13D filed with the SEC on February 18,
2009), representing approximately 19.05% of our outstanding common stock as of
the record date. The Red Oak Group made its purchases of our common stock in
open-market and privately negotiated transactions, not by means of tender offer
materials filed with the SEC.
On February 13,
2009, we filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Northern
District of Texas against Red Oak Fund, L.P., Red Oak Partners, LLC, and David
Sandberg (the
Federal
Court Action
). Our Original Complaint and Application for
Injunctive Relief alleges that Red Oak engaged in numerous violations of
federal securities laws in making purchases of our common stock and sought to
enjoin any future unlawful purchases of our stock by them, their agents, and
persons or entities acting in concert with them. We believe Red Oak violated
federal securities laws as follows:
(i)
violating Rule 14(e)-5 of the
Exchange Act by not truly abandoning its tender offer and instead directly or
indirectly purchasing or arranging to purchase shares not in connection with
its tender offer and without complying with the procedural, disclosure and
anti-fraud requirements applicable to tender offers regulated under Section 14
of the Exchange Act;
(ii)
violating Exchange Act Rule 14d-5(f) by
failing to return the Companys stockholder list, which we provided to Red Oak
upon its request, and by using such list for a purpose other than in connection
with the dissemination of tender offer materials in connection with its tender
offer;
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(iii)
violating Exchange Act Rule 14(d)-10
by purchasing shares pursuant to its tender offer at varying prices rather than
paying consideration for securities tendered in the tender offer at the highest
consideration paid to any stockholder for securities tendered; and
(iv)
violating Section 13(d) of the
Exchange Act by not timely filing a Schedule 13D and disclosing the information
required therein.
On March 13, 2009,
we announced that we would hold our Annual Meeting of Stockholders on May 22,
2009 in Dallas, Texas, and that the close of business on April 2, 2009
would be the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to
receive notice of, and to vote at, the Annual Meeting or any adjournments or
postponements thereof.
On March 18, 2009,
the Red Oak Group sent a letter to us demanding to inspect and copy certain of
our books and records. We have taken the position that the Red Oak Group
did not comply with state law requirements applicable to stockholders seeking
such information.
On March 19, 2009,
the Red Oak Group sent a letter to us stating its intention to put forth
several precatory proposals including stockholder votes for: approval to
proceed with the 2007 shareholder-approved plan of dissolution; approval of the
November 10, 2008 transaction whereby CLST Asset I, a wholly owned
subsidiary of Financo, entered into a purchase agreement to acquire all of the
outstanding equity interests of Trust I from a third party for approximately
$41.0 million; approval of the 2008 Long Term Incentive Plan (
2008 Plan
) pursuant to which the
Board approved the new issuance to themselves of up to 20 million shares of
common stock, or just over 97% of the common stock outstanding at the time this
plan was approved; approval of the December 12, 2008 transaction whereby
Trust II, a newly formed trust wholly owned by CLST Asset II, a wholly owned
subsidiary of Financo entered into a purchase agreement, effective as of December 10,
2008, to acquire (i) on or before February 28, 2009 receivables of at
least $2 million, subject to certain limitations and (ii) from time to
time certain other receivables, installment sales contracts, and related assets;
and approval of the February 13, 2009 transaction whereby CLST Asset III,
a newly formed, wholly owned subsidiary of Financo, which is one of CLSTs
direct, wholly owned subsidiaries, purchased certain receivables, installment
sales contracts, and related assets owned by Fair, which is partly owned by
Timothy S. Durham, an officer and director of CLST. On the same day, the Red
Oak Group sent a letter to us stating its intention to nominate a slate of
directors to our Board.
On April 6, 2009, we
notified the Red Oak Group that our Board rejected the Red Oak Groups
nominations for Class I and Class II seats, as the nominations were
not in accordance with our certificate of incorporation. In addition, we
also rejected the Red Oak Groups proposals because they were not proper in
form or substance under federal and state law to come before an Annual
Meeting. We offered to discuss the Red Oak Groups concerns, director
nominations, and stockholder proposals provided that (1) the Red Oak Group
and the Company enter into a confidentiality and standstill agreement, (2) the
Red Oak Group appropriately make publicly available disclosures regarding its
rapid accumulation of the Companys shares and its intentions to acquire
control of the Company that are required by the federal securities laws,
including in a Report on Schedule 13D, and (3) the Red Oak Group not vote
the shares that the Company believes it to have acquired in violation of
applicable law, including the tender offer rules and other rules regulating
such accumulation of shares under the federal securities laws, at the Annual
Meeting.
Also on April 6,
2009, we filed our First Amended Complaint and Application for Injunctive
Relief in the Federal Court Action adding Red Oaks affiliates (Pinnacle Partners,
LLC; Pinnacle Fund, LLLP; and Bear Market Opportunity Fund, L.P.) as
defendants, alleging the same and other violations of federal securities laws,
including:
(i)
filing a materially false and misleading
Schedule 13D and failing to amend the same after delivering to the Company a
Notice of Director Nominations and proposal for business at the Annual Meeting;
(ii)
violating Section 14(d) of the
Exchange Act by engaging in fraudulent, deceptive and manipulative acts in
connection with its tender offer by failing to abide by Section 14(d)s
timing requirements and by failing to make required filings with the SEC; and
21
Table of
Contents
(iii)
that any attempt to solicit proxies from
our stockholders with respect to director nominations or notice of business
would be misleading in light of the defendants illegal activities in
accumulating Company stock.
Through this action, we
seek to obtain various declaratory judgments that the defendants have failed to
comply with federal securities laws and to enjoin the defendants from, among
other things, further violating federal securities laws and from voting any and
all shares or proxies acquired in violation of such laws.
Also on April 6,
2009, because, among other reasons, we did not expect the litigation, which
bears directly upon our Annual Meeting of stockholders, to be resolved for some
months, our Board postponed the Annual Meeting of stockholders previously
scheduled for May 22, 2009 until September 25, 2009.
On April 15,
2009, the Red Oak Group submitted another letter to the Company, providing
additional information regarding the stockholder proposals it intends to bring
before the Annual Meeting and revising those proposals to: request the Board to
complete the dissolution approved at the stockholder meeting held in 2007;
advise the Board that the stockholders do not approve of the transaction
purportedly entered into as of November 10, 2008 whereby CLST Asset I, a
wholly owned indirect subsidiary of the Company, entered into a purchase
agreement to acquire the outstanding equity interest in Trust I and request the
directors to take any available and appropriate actions; disapprove the 2008
Plan adopted by the Board and request the Board not to issue any additional
share grants or option grants under such plan and request that the directors
rescind their approval of such plan; advise the Board that the stockholders
disapprove of the transaction purportedly entered into as of December 12,
2008 pursuant to which CLST Asset II, an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of
the Company, entered into a purchase agreement to acquire certain receivables
on or before February 28, 2009 and request the directors to take any
available and appropriate actions; and advise the Board that the stockholders
disapprove of the transaction purportedly entered into as of February 13,
2009 whereby CLST Asset III, an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of the Company
purchased certain receivables, installment contracts and related assets owned
by Fair and request the directors to take any available and appropriate
actions.
On July 24, 2009, we
filed our Brief in Support of Application for Preliminary Injunction. The Red Oak Group filed its Opposition on August 7,
2009, and we filed our Reply Brief in Support on August 14, 2009. On October 14,
2009, the Court denied the Companys Application for Preliminary Injunction.
On December 30,
2009, the Company voluntarily filed a Motion to Dismiss the Federal Court
Action (
Motion to Dismiss
).
As an exercise of its
business judgment, CLSTs board of directors has decided not to pursue CLSTs
claims against the Red Oak Group beyond the preliminary injunction stage.
On January 20, 2010,
the Red Oak Group filed its Combined Motion for Leave to Amend, to Join Third
Parties, to Vacate Scheduling Order and to Continue the Trial Date (
Motion for Leave
) and its Motion
for Attorneys Fees under Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil
Procedure (
Rule 11 Motion
).
By its Motion for Leave, Red
Oak sought to join Messrs. Durham, Kaiser, and Tornek as defendants and to
add claims against them and CLST respectively for alleged violations of
Sections 13(d), 14(a), and 10(b) of the Exchange Act and certain rules promulgated
thereunder. By its Rule 11 Motion,
the Red Oak Group sought to recover all of its attorneys fees and costs in
defending this action from CLST based on the legal contention that injunctive
relief is not available for a violation of Section 13(d) of the
Exchange Act.
On
March 2, 2010, the Court denied the Companys Motion to Dismiss and
granted the Red Oak Groups Motion for Leave.
The Court also denied the Red Oak Groups Rule 11 Motion.
The
Federal Court Action remains pending.
State Court Action
On March 2, 2009,
certain members of the Red Oak Group (namely, Red Oak Partners, LLC; Pinnacle
Fund, LLP; and Bear Market Opportunity Fund, L.P.) and Jeffrey S. Jones (
Jones
) (the Red Oak
Group and Jones may be collectively referred to below as
Plaintiffs
)
filed a derivative lawsuit against Robert A. Kaiser, Timothy S. Durham, and
David Tornek in the 134th District Court of Dallas County, Texas (the
State Court Action
).
The
22
Table of
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petition alleges that Messrs. Kaiser,
Durham, and Tornek entered into self-dealing transactions at the expense of the
Company and its stockholders and violated their fiduciary duties of loyalty,
independence, due care, good faith, and fair dealing. The petition asks
the Court to order, among other things, a rescission of the alleged
self-interested transactions by Messrs. Kaiser, Durham, and Tornek; an
award of compensatory and punitive damages; the removal of Messrs. Kaiser,
Durham, and Tornek from the Board; and that the Company hold an Annual Meeting
of stockholders, or that the Company appoint a conservator to oversee and
implement the dissolution plan approved by stockholders in 2007.
On March 13, 2009,
we announced that we would hold our Annual Meeting of Stockholders on May 22,
2009 in Dallas, Texas, and that the close of business on April 2, 2009
would be the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to
receive notice of, and to vote at, the Annual Meeting or any adjournments or
postponements thereof.
On March 18, 2009,
the Red Oak Group sent a letter to us demanding to inspect and copy certain of
our books and records. We have taken the position that the Red Oak Group
did not comply with state law requirements applicable to stockholders seeking
such information.
On March 19, 2009,
the Red Oak Group sent a letter to us stating its intention to put forth
several precatory proposals including stockholder votes for: approval to
proceed with the 2007 shareholder-approved plan of dissolution; approval of the
November 10, 2008 transaction whereby CLST Asset I, a wholly owned
subsidiary of Financo, entered into a purchase agreement to acquire all of the
outstanding equity interests of Trust I from a third party for approximately
$41.0 million; approval of the 2008 Plan pursuant to which the Board approved
the new issuance to themselves of up to 20 million shares of common stock, or
just over 97% of the common stock outstanding at the time this plan was
approved; approval of the December 12, 2008 transaction whereby Trust II,
a newly formed trust wholly owned by CLST Asset II, a wholly owned subsidiary
of Financo entered into a purchase agreement, effective as of December 10,
2008, to acquire (i) on or before February 28, 2009 receivables of at
least $2 million, subject to certain limitations and (ii) from time to
time certain other receivables, installment sales contracts and related assets;
and approval of the February 13, 2009 transaction whereby CLST Asset III,
a newly formed, wholly owned subsidiary of Financo, which is one of CLSTs
direct, wholly owned subsidiaries, purchased certain receivables, installment
sales contracts and related assets owned by Fair, which is partly owned by
Timothy S. Durham, an officer and director of CLST. On the same day, the Red
Oak Group sent a letter to us stating its intention to nominate a slate of
directors to our Board.
On April 6, 2009, we
notified the Red Oak Group that our Board rejected the Red Oak Groups
nominations for Class I and Class II seats, as the nominations were
not in accordance with our certificate of incorporation. In addition, we
also rejected the Red Oak Groups proposals because they were not proper in
form or substance under federal and state law to come before an Annual
Meeting. We offered to discuss the Red Oak Groups concerns, director
nominations, and stockholder proposals provided that (1) the Red Oak Group
and the Company enter into a confidentiality and standstill agreement, (2) the
Red Oak Group appropriately make publicly available disclosures regarding its
rapid accumulation of the Companys shares and its intentions to acquire
control of the Company that are required by the federal securities laws,
including in a Report on Schedule 13D, and (3) the Red Oak Group not vote
the shares that the Company believes it to have acquired in violation of
applicable law, including the tender offer rules and other rules regulating
such accumulation of shares under the federal securities laws, at the Annual
Meeting.
Also on April 6,
2009, because, among other reasons, we did not expect the litigation, which
bears directly upon our Annual Meeting of stockholders, to be resolved for some
months, our Board postponed the Annual Meeting of stockholders previously
scheduled for May 22, 2009 until September 25, 2009.
On April 15, 2009,
the Red Oak Group submitted another letter to the Company, providing additional
information regarding the stockholder proposals it intends to bring before the
Annual Meeting and revising those proposals to: request the Board to complete
the dissolution approved at the stockholder meeting held in 2007; advise the
Board that the stockholders do not approve of the transaction purportedly
entered into as of November 10, 2008 whereby CLST Asset I, a wholly owned
indirect subsidiary of the Company, entered into a purchase agreement to
acquire the outstanding equity interest in Trust I and request the directors to
take any available and appropriate actions; disapprove the 2008 Plan adopted by
the Board and request the Board not to issue any additional share
23
Table of
Contents
grants or option grants
under such plan and request that the directors rescind their approval of such
plan; advise the Board that the stockholders disapprove of the transaction
purportedly entered into as of December 12, 2008 pursuant to which CLST
Asset II, an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, entered into a
purchase agreement to acquire certain receivables on or before February 28,
2009 and request the directors to take any available and appropriate actions;
and advise the Board that the stockholders disapprove of the transaction
purportedly entered into as of February 13, 2009 whereby CLST Asset III,
an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of the Company purchased certain
receivables, installment contracts and related assets owned by Fair and request
the directors to take any available and appropriate actions.
On April 30, 2009,
the Red Oak Group and Jones amended their petition in the State Court
Action. In addition to the relief already requested, the petition sought
to compel the Company to hold its 2008 and 2009 annual stockholders meetings
within sixty days; to enjoin Messrs. Kaiser, Durham, and Tornek from any
interference or hindrance of such meetings or the election of directors; to
enjoin Messrs. Kaiser, Durham, and Tornek from voting any shares of stock
acquired in the alleged self-interested transactions; and to appoint a special
master. On June 3, 2009 and again on June 12, 2009, pursuant to
court order, the Red Oak Group and Jones amended their petition to, among other
things, remove Bear Market Opportunity Fund, L.P. as a plaintiff and add Red
Oak Fund, L.P. as a plaintiff.
On May 5,
2009, the Red Oak Group and Jones filed a motion seeking to compel the Company
to hold its 2008 and 2009 stockholders meetings on June 30, 2009 and to
appoint a special master and requested an expedited hearing on both.
Hearings were held on May 8, 2009 and May 29, 2009, but no ruling was
reached.
On August 14, 2009,
our Board postponed the Annual Meeting of stockholders from September 25,
2009 to October 27, 2009.
On August 24, 2009,
the Red Oak Group resubmitted its director nomination letter and its letter
stating its intention to put forth the stockholder proposals, as mentioned in
the March 19, 2009 and April 15, 2009 letters.
On August 25, 2009,
the Court set an evidentiary hearing on the Plaintiffs Application for
Temporary Injunction, which had yet to be filed, for October 7 and 8,
2009. Plaintiffs request for injunctive
relief concerned Messrs. Kaiser, Durham, and Tornek voting any shares of
stock acquired in the alleged self-interested transactions.
On August 28, 2009,
the parties executed a Stipulation Regarding the Companys Annual Meeting of
Stockholders (
Stipulation
).
The Court approved the Stipulation the same day and entered an Order identical
to the Stipulations terms. Pursuant to the Stipulation, absent a
determination by the Court of good cause shown, the Company must hold its
annual stockholders meeting for the election of one Class I director and
one Class II director and consideration of any properly submitted
proposals that are proper subjects for consideration at an annual meeting on October 27,
2009, with a record date for that meeting of September 25, 2009.
Good cause for delaying the Annual Meeting beyond October 27, 2009, and
correspondingly amending the September 25, 2009 record date, includes
among other things, situations where reasonable delay is necessary: (1) for
the Board to avoid breaching any of their fiduciary duties to the Company or
the Companys stockholders; (2) to assure compliance with the Companys
certificate of incorporation and bylaws; (3) for the Company or the Board
to comply with state or federal law; or (4) to assure compliance with any
order of any court or regulatory authority having jurisdiction over the Company
or members of its Board.
We received a letter
dated September 22, 2009 from the Red Oak Group seeking, pursuant to Section 220
of the Delaware General Corporation Law, to inspect the books and records of
the Company, including among other things a stockholder list as of the record
date. The letter states that the purpose of such request is to enable the Red
Oak Group to solicit proxies to elect directors at the 2009 Annual Meeting and
to communicate with stockholders. Our counsel responded by letter dated September 30,
2009 that the Company was aware of its obligations under Section 220 of
the Delaware General Corporation Law but believed that the demand letter did
not comply with the inspection requirements under Section 220. We received
another letter dated September 29, 2009 from the Red Oak Group pursuant to
Section 220 of the Delaware General Corporation Law in which the Red Oak
Group requests to inspect the books and records of the Company pertaining to,
among other things, all analyses performed with respect to our net operating
losses and a list of all business ventures and dealings Messrs. Tornek and
Durham have evaluated or commenced in the past ten years and a list of all
investments they currently share. Our counsel
24
Table of
Contents
responded by letter dated
October 6, 2009 that (i) the commencement of the Red Oak Groups
derivative action bars it from using a Section 220 demand as a substitute
for discovery permissible in litigation; (ii) the stated purposes of the
demand letter do not constitute proper purposes under Section 220; and (iii) the
scope of information requested in the demand letter is overly broad and not
limited to books and records that are essential and sufficient to accomplish
the Red Oak Groups stated purposes.
On October 9, 2009,
the Court denied Plaintiffs application for injunctive relief, which sought to
enjoin Messrs. Kaiser, Durham, and Tornek from voting certain shares at
the CLST annual shareholders meeting currently scheduled for October 27,
2009. Further, the Court granted Defendants plea to the
jurisdiction, granted Defendants motion to disqualify Plaintiffs, and
dismissed Plaintiffs derivative claims. Beyond that, the Court granted
Defendants amended motion to stay, thereby staying all remaining direct claims
asserted by Plaintiffs. Defendants motion to disqualify Plaintiffs
was based on Plaintiffs lack of adequacy to pursue derivative claims on the
following grounds: (1) that Red Oak improperly brought derivative claims
to advance its own personal interests; (2) that Red Oak had engaged in
illegal conduct by violating federal securities laws; and (3) that Jones
was only a tag-along plaintiff and therefore suffered the same adequacy
problems as Red Oak, the driving force behind the State Court Action. The
Court reached each of these rulings after the two-day evidentiary hearing.
On October 15, 2009,
we applied to the Court, on an emergency basis, for an order to: (1) reopen
this case for the limited purpose of modifying the Courts Order Regarding
Annual Meeting of Stockholders entered on August 28, 2009 (the
Annual Meeting Order
); (2) modify
its Annual Meeting Order to prevent CLST from alternatively being in violation
of (a) federal securities law, Delaware statutory law, and its Bylaws or (b) the
Annual Meeting Order; (3) nullify the current September 25, 2009
record date; and (4) grant an emergency hearing as soon as possible.
A hearing was held on CLSTs emergency motion on October 16, 2009.
The Court continued the hearing until a time agreeable to the parties and the
Court on or before October 26, 2009.
On October 29, 2009, Plaintiffs filed their
Motion and Memorandum to Reopen Case And To Reconsider (
Motion to Reconsider
)
concerning the Courts Order of October 9, 2009, which granted Defendants
Plea to the Jurisdiction and Motion to Disqualify Plaintiffs and dismissed
Plaintiffs derivative claims. On December 10,
2009, Plaintiffs filed their Motion and Memorandum to Reopen Case and Compel
Annual Stockholders Meeting (
Motion to Compel
).
On November 12, 2009, the parties executed a
Second Stipulation and Order Setting and Regarding an Annual Meeting of
Stockholders of the Company (the
Second Stipulation
). The Court approved the Second Stipulation on November 13,
2009 and entered an Order identical to the Second Stipulations terms. The Second Stipulation provides that the
Company must hold its annual stockholders meeting on December 15, 2009
and that the record date for that meeting must be set as October 30, 2009.
At the December 15, 2009 hearing on Plaintiffs
Motion to Reconsider, Plaintiffs counsel stated on the record that Plaintiffs
Motion to Compel had not been properly noticed and therefore was not before the
Court. The Court denied Plaintiffs
Motion to Reconsider on December 21, 2009.
On January 15, 2010,
Plaintiffs filed their Motion for Summary Relief, Summary Judgment, and
Application for Injunctive Relief to Compel the Companys Annual Stockholders
Meeting (
Motion for
Summary Relief
). By
their Motion for Summary Relief, Plaintiffs sought for the Company to hold its
annual stockholders meetings for 2008, 2009, and 2010 on March 25,
2010. On February 15, 2010, the
Court heard Plaintiffs Motion for Summary Relief and, in part, granted the
relief requested. Specifically, the
Court ordered, pursuant to its Order and Interlocutory Partial Summary Judgment
(the
Second Annual Meeting Order
)
as follows: (1) Absent a determination by the Court for good cause shown,
the Company shall hold its annual stockholders meeting on March 23, 2010
(the
Annual Meeting
); the Annual
Meeting satisfies the Companys requirement to hold its 2008 and 2009 annual
stockholders meetings; the record date for the Annual Meeting shall be March 8,
2010; and the Company shall provide notice in accordance with applicable
Delaware law to all CLST stockholders on or before March 12, 2010 for the
Annual Meeting. By the same order, the
Court also appointed IVS Associates, Inc. to be the independent inspector
of elections to oversee the voting process of the Annual Meeting, tabulate
proxies, and certify the election results.
By separate order dated February 15, 2010, and upon its own motion,
the Court ordered that the State Court Action is reopened and reinstated on a
two-week trial docket beginning June 1, 2010.
25
Table of
Contents
On February 18,
2010, the Red Oak Group filed its Application for TRO and sought to prevent the
Company from filing a certificate of dissolution with the Delaware Secretary of
State on February 26, 2010, as the Company had disclosed in its Form 8-K
filed on February 9, 2010. The
hearing on the Application for TRO was held on February 23, 2010. On February 24, 2010, the Court granted
Red Oaks Application for TRO and, pursuant to the TRO, ordered, among other
things, that the defendants (namely, CLST Holdings, Inc., Robert Kaiser,
Timothy Durham, and David Tornek) and their agents be restrained from filing
the certificate of dissolution for the Company on or before midnight on
Wednesday, March 10, 2010, or until further order of the Court.
On March 2, 2010,
the Court signed the order upon the Dissolution Stipulation, which provides,
among other things, that, on or before March 5, 2010, the Company will
send notice of its intent to file a certificate of dissolution with the
Delaware Secretary of State on March 26, 2010, and that the notice shall
indicate that the certificate of dissolution will not be effective until June 24,
2010. Accordingly, in a press release
issued on March 5, 2009, the Company announced that it intended to file a
certificate of dissolution with the Delaware Secretary of State on March 26,
2010 and that such certificate of dissolution would not be effective until June 24,
2010.
After the Second Annual
Meeting Order issued, the Company filed an emergency motion for temporary
relief (
Motion for Relief
)
requesting that the Fifth District Court of Appeals of Texas at Dallas (the
Court of Appeals
) void the Second
Annual Meeting Order. On March 3,
2010, the Court of Appeals issued a memorandum opinion in which the Court of
Appeals granted the Companys Motion for Relief and voided the Second Annual
Meeting Order. The Court of Appeals
judgment taxes all costs of the appeal against the Red Oak Group. On March 4, 2010, the trial court
entered its Order dissolving the Second Annual Meeting Order. For these reasons, there is currently no
scheduled annual stockholders meeting.
Item 4. Reserved
PART II.
Item 5.
Market for
Registrants Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of
Equity Securities
Market Information
The Companys
common stock
was delisted from the
Nasdaq National Market effective with the open of business on June 10,
2005. The Companys
common
stock
is currently traded on the over-the-counter (OTC) market and is quoted
on the Pink Sheets
®
under the symbol CLHI.
The following table sets
forth, on a per share basis, high and low prices for our
common stock
for each quarter of fiscal
years 2008 and 2009. Prices are the high and low bid quotations per share for
our
common stock
as reported on
the OTC market, as compiled by Pink Sheets LLC. Such bid quotations
reflect inter-dealer prices, without retail mark-up, mark-down or commission
and may not necessarily represent actual transactions.
|
|
High
|
|
Low
|
|
Fiscal Year ended November 30, 2009
|
|
|
|
|
|
Quarter Ended:
|
|
|
|
|
|
February 28, 2009
|
|
$
|
0.40
|
|
$
|
0.07
|
|
May 31, 2009
|
|
0.30
|
|
0.12
|
|
August 31, 2009
|
|
0.18
|
|
0.12
|
|
November 30, 2009
|
|
0.21
|
|
0.09
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fiscal Year ended November 30, 2008
|
|
|
|
|
|
Quarter Ended:
|
|
|
|
|
|
February 28, 2008
|
|
$
|
0.50
|
|
$
|
0.31
|
|
May 31, 2008
|
|
0.40
|
|
0.34
|
|
August 31, 2008
|
|
0.40
|
|
0.25
|
|
November 30, 2008
|
|
0.40
|
|
0.17
|
|
26
Table of Contents
The Company has entered
into the Dissolution Stipulation which provides, among other things, that, on
or before March 5, 2010, the Company will send notice of its intent to
file a certificate of dissolution with the Delaware Secretary of State on March 26,
2010, and that the notice shall indicate that the certificate of dissolution
will not be effective until June 24, 2010.
Accordingly, in a press release issued on March 5, 2009, the Company
announced that it intended to file a certificate of dissolution with the
Delaware Secretary of State on March 26, 2010 and that such certificate of
dissolution would not be effective until June 24, 2010. If a certificate of dissolution is filed in
accordance with the Dissolution Stipulation, then immediately after the close
of business on June 24, 2010, the Company will close its stock transfer
books; accordingly it is expected that the trading of its stock on the Pink
Sheets will cease at the same time.
Holders
As of March 1, 2010,
the last reported price of our
common stock
on the OTC market was $0.09
per share. As of March 1, 2010, there were slightly less than 300
stockholders of record of the Companys common stock.
Dividends
Prior to the adoption of our
plan of liquidation and dissolution in 2007, our policy had been to reinvest
earnings to fund future growth. Accordingly, we generally did not pay cash
dividends on our
common
stock
. However, consistent with the plan, we paid the following cash
distributions to the holders of our
common stock
during fiscal year 2007:
Date
|
|
Dividend Amount
|
|
July 19, 2007
|
|
$
|
1.50
|
|
November 1, 2007
|
|
$
|
0.60
|
|
The distributions under the
plan totaled $2.10 per share or approximately $43.2 million. Approximately
61.21% of the distribution was considered a taxable dividend in accordance with
U.S. Federal income tax rules, and the remaining 38.79% was considered a
non-dividend distribution. This determination was a direct result of the
Companys earnings and profits of $26.3 million, requiring the first
$26.3 million of distributions to be treated as taxable dividends. The
Companys status did not affect the tax determination. Stockholders are
encouraged to contact their tax and financial advisors regarding implications
and appropriate tax treatment of the distribution.
The timing of any future liquidating distributions is
unknown and is dependent upon the winding up of the Companys business under
the plan of dissolution.
See Item 1,
Business Plan of Dissolution, for further discussion regarding our plan of
dissolution.
Sales of Unregistered Securities
On February 13, 2009, we issued 2,496,077 shares
of our common stock in connection with our purchase of assets owned by Fair, of
which 1,969,077 shares of common stock were issued to Fair, 452,000 shares of
common stock were issued to Timothy S. Durham, Chief Executive Officer and
Director of Fair and an officer, director and stockholder of our company, and
75,000 shares of common stock were issued to James F. Cochran, Chairman and
Director of Fair. The issuance of these shares constituted a portion of the
consideration paid for the assets of Fair, and the shares were deemed to have a
value of $0.36 per share. The shares of common stock were issued by us in a transaction
exempt from registration pursuant to Section 4(2) of the Securities
Act.
On
December 1, 2008 and March 5, 2009 our Board approved grants of
restricted stock to our directors as discussed below in Equity Compensation
Plan Information. These shares of
restricted stock were issued by us in a transaction exempt from registration
pursuant to Section (4)(2) of the Securities Act.
27
Table of Contents
Issuer
Purchases of Equity Securities
We have no programs to
repurchase shares of our
common stock
. Furthermore, we did not repurchase any of our
common stock
during the fourth quarter
of the last fiscal year.
Equity
Compensation Plan Information
Our former 1993 Long-Term
Incentive Plan (the
1993 Plan
)
terminated on December 3, 2003. However, as disclosed in Item 11,
Executive Compensation, Mr. Kaiser currently has exercisable options that
were granted under the 1993 Plan. At a meeting of the Board of Directors on September 25,
2007, our Board unanimously resolved to terminate our 2003 Long-Term Incentive
Plan (the
2003 Plan
) due to the
reduction in the Companys workforce. As a result of the termination of the
2003 Plan, all outstanding options to purchase the equity securities of the
Company issued thereunder were terminated as well. Therefore, there are no
currently outstanding options to purchase the Companys securities under the
2003 Plan.
The following table provides
the number of securities to be issued upon the exercise of outstanding options,
warrants and rights as of November 30, 2009:
Equity Compensation Plan Information
Plan Category
|
|
Number of securities to
be
issued upon exercise of
outstanding options,
warrants and rights
|
|
Weighted-
average exercise
price of outstanding
options, warrants and
rights
|
|
Number of securities
remaining available for
future issuance under
equity compensation plans
(excluding securities
reflected in column (a))
|
|
|
|
(a)
|
|
(b)
|
|
(c)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Equity compensation plans approved by security
holders
|
|
130,000
|
|
$
|
4.93
|
|
0
|
|
Equity compensation plans not approved by security
holders
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
|
|
130,000
|
|
$
|
4.93
|
|
0
|
|
Subsequent to fiscal 2008,
on December 1, 2008, our Board approved the 2008 Plan, and subsequently
amended and restated on September 11, 2009 to decrease the number of
shares of common stock of the Company that may be issued under the 2008 Plan
from 20,000,000 to 2,000,000. The plan, which is administered by the
Board, permits the grant of restricted stock, stock options and other
stock-based awards to employees, officers, directors, consultants and advisors
of the Company and its subsidiaries. The 2008 Plan provides that the
administrator of the 2008 Plan may determine the terms and conditions
applicable to each award, and each award will be evidenced by a stock option
agreement or restricted stock agreement.
The 2008 Plan will terminate on December 1, 2018.
On December 1, 2008 our
Board
approved the grant of 300,000 shares of
restricted stock under the 2008 Plan to each of Timothy S. Durham, Robert A.
Kaiser and Manoj Rajegowda. For each restricted stock grant, 100,000
shares vested on the date of grant and the remaining 200,000 of the shares vest
in two equal annual installments on each anniversary of the date of
grant. Subsequently, on February 24, 2009, Mr. Rajegowda
forfeited all stock issuances provided to him during the course of his Board
membership in connection with his resignation from the Board. On March 5,
2009, our Board approved the grant of 300,000 shares of restricted stock to
David Tornek, our director who was appointed to fill the vacancy on the Board.
100,000 shares vested on the date of grant and the remaining 200,000 of the
shares vest in two equal annual installments on each anniversary of the date of
grant. The total value of the awards granted under the 2008 Plan using prices
determined as of the grant date were
$0.22 per share for 600,000 shares granted on December 1, 2008 and
$0.16 per share for 300,000 shares granted on March 5, 2009. As a result
of these grants, $180,000 will be expensed over the vesting periods.
28
Table of
Contents
Item 6.
Selected Consolidated Financial Data
This information has been
omitted as the Company qualifies as a smaller reporting company.
Item 7.
Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results
of Operations
Overview
During 2007 we sold all of
our major assets. Our stockholders approved the U.S. Sale, the Mexico Sale, the
plan of dissolution, and the name change to CLST Holdings, Inc. on March 28,
2007. Throughout 2008 and 2009, only a small administrative staff remained to
wind up our business, and we continued to follow the plan of dissolution
adopted by our stockholders. However, consistent with the plan of dissolution
and its fiduciary duties, our Board has continued to consider the proper
implementation of the plan of dissolution and the exercise of the authority
granted to it thereunder. Our Board has in the past year considered whether it
is possible, and if it would be in the best interest of the Company, to
de-register with the SEC and thereby eliminate the Companys responsibilities
to file reports with the SEC. In
addition, due to the recent economic crisis, the Board and management has
evaluated various alternatives to safeguard our primary asset, cash, and took
several steps in late 2008 to protect this asset. Although we believe our cash is now safe from
bank failure and other near term economic risks, the effective interest rates
have been reduced substantially due to the U.S. economic crisis. As discussed in further detail below under
Recent Developments, on November 10, 2008, December 12, 2008 and February 13,
2009, we consummated three acquisitions of receivables portfolios which we
believe will provide a better investment return for our stockholders when
compared to the recent changes to interest rates and other investment
alternatives. Although we hold and collect consumer accounts receivable, we
have not abandoned our plan of liquidation and dissolution.
See Item 1, Business Plan of
Dissolution, for further discussion regarding our plan of dissolution.
Discussion
of Critical Accounting Policies
Our discussion and analysis
of our financial condition and results of operations is based upon our
consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with
accounting policies that are described in the Notes to the Consolidated
Financial Statements. The preparation of the consolidated financial statements
requires management to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported
amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and related disclosure
of contingent assets and liabilities. We continually evaluate our judgments and
estimates in determination of our financial condition and operating results.
Estimates are based on information available as of the date of the financial
statements and, accordingly, actual results could differ from these estimates,
sometimes materially. Critical accounting policies and estimates are defined as
those that are both most important to the portrayal of our financial condition
and operating results and require managements most subjective judgments. The
most critical accounting policies and estimates are described below.
Revenue Recognition
For the Companys discontinued
operations, revenue was recognized on product sales when delivery occurred, the
customer took title and assumed risk of loss, terms were fixed and
determinable, and collectability was reasonably assured. The Company did not
generally grant rights of return.
For the Companys continuing
operations, revenues will be recorded as earned from notes receivable. Revenues consist of interest earned, late
fees and other miscellaneous charges.
Revenues are not accrued on accounts over 120 days without payment
activity, unless payment activity resumes.
Notes Receivable
Notes receivable are recorded at the historical cost
paid at the date of acquisition net of any purchase discounts. Subsequent to
the date of acquisition, notes receivable are reduced by any principal payments
made by the customer. Purchase discounts are recorded based on the negotiated
difference between the face value and the amount paid for the notes receivable.
Purchase discounts are recognized as revenue, using the effective interest
method, as principal payments are collected.
29
Table of Contents
The Company establishes an allowance for doubtful
accounts for receivables where the customer has not made a payment for the most
recent 120 day period. The Company
specifically analyzes notes receivable using historical activity, current
economic trends, changes in its customer payment terms, recoveries of previously
reserved notes and collection trends when evaluating the adequacy of its
allowance for doubtful accounts. Any change in the assumptions used in
analyzing a specific note receivable may result in an additional allowance for
doubtful accounts being recognized in the period in which the change
occurs. The Company may from time to
time make additional increases to the allowance based on the foregoing factors.
Once a note receivable has been reserved due to nonpayment, the Company will no
longer accrue, for financial reporting purposes, interest earned on the note
receivable. Should the note receivable return to a performing status, then the
Company will resume accruing interest on the note receivable. The majority of
the notes receivable have collateral in various forms, which may include a
second lien position on the borrowers home or property. Actual results could differ from those
estimates. Recoveries are recorded against the allowance when payments are
received. Recoveries of notes
receivable, which were previously charged off, are recorded to income when
payments are received. Notes receivable are charged off against the allowance
after all means of collection have been exhausted and a legal determination has
been rendered that less than the full amount of the note receivable will be
collected.
Stock-Based Compensation
On December 1, 2008, our Board approved the 2008
Plan. Effective September 11, 2009, the Board amended and restated the
2008 Plan to decrease the number of shares of common stock of the Company that
may be issued under the 2008 Plan from 20,000,000 to 2,000,000. The following
is a brief description of the material terms of the 2008 Plan:
·
The plan is administered by the Board of
the Company.
·
The plan permits the grant of restricted
stock, stock options and other stock-based awards to employees, officers,
directors, consultants and advisors of the Company and its subsidiaries.
·
The aggregate number of shares of common
stock of the Company that may be issued under the plan is 2,000,000 shares.
·
The plan provides that the administrator
of the plan may determine the terms and conditions applicable to each award and
each award will be evidenced by a stock option agreement or restricted stock
agreement.
·
The plan will terminate on December 1,
2018.
In addition, on December 1, 2008 the Board
approved the grant of 300,000 shares of restricted stock to each of Timothy S.
Durham, Robert A. Kaiser and Manoj Rajegowda. On February 24, 2009, Mr. Rajegowda
forfeited all stock issuances provided to him during the course of his Board
membership in connection with his resignation from the Board. On
March 5,
2009, our Board approved the grant of 300,000 shares of restricted stock to
David Tornek, our director who was appointed to fill the vacancy on the Board
.
Of each restricted stock grant, 100,000 shares vested on the date of
grant and the remaining 200,000 of the shares vest in two equal annual installments
on each anniversary of the date of grant. The total value of the awards using a
grant date price of $0.22 per share for 600,000 shares and $0.16 per share for
300,000 shares is $180,000 and will be expensed over the vesting period.
For the twelve months ended November 30, 2009,
the Company recognized $115,000, of expense related to the restricted stock
grants.
Recent
Developments
CLST
Asset I
On November 10, 2008,
our Board unanimously approved the acquisition of all of the outstanding equity
interest of Trust I from Drawbridge through CLST Asset I, a wholly owned
subsidiary of Financo, which is one of
30
Table of Contents
our direct, wholly owned subsidiaries through entry
into the Trust I Purchase Agreement to acquire all of the outstanding equity
interests of Trust I from a third party.
The purchase price was approximately $41.0 million, which was financed
by $6.1 million of cash on hand
and by a non-recourse, term loan of approximately
$34.9 million by an affiliate of
the seller of Trust I, pursuant to the terms and conditions set forth in the
Trust I Credit Agreement, dated November 10, 2008, among Trust I, Fortress,
as lender, FCC, as the initial servicer, the backup servicer, and the
collateral custodian
. The primary business of Trust I is to hold and
collect certain receivables.
The approximate 6,000
receivables included in CLST Asset I are all consumer home improvement, repair
and other related loans to homeowners. All loans represent loans to single
family dwellings. As of the purchase date, approximately 63% of the loans were
secured through a second lien on the property, with the remainder being
unsecured. Approximately 89% of the
loans are in the Northeastern part of the United States with the remainder in
Texas, Georgia and Missouri, and at the time of purchase of the portfolio, the
remaining time to maturity was in a range of 8-10 years, not including prepayments,
if any. The purchase price reflects an approximately $0.7 million discount and
as of the purchase date, the receivables had an average outstanding principal
balance of approximately $6,900 and an average interest rate of 14.4%.
The
following table reflects the loan origination year as of the purchase date:
Year of origination
|
|
% of CLST Asset I
|
|
2000 2004
|
|
8.4
|
%
|
2005
|
|
8.1
|
%
|
2006
|
|
17.3
|
%
|
2007
|
|
36.4
|
%
|
2008
|
|
29.8
|
%
|
Total
|
|
100.0
|
%
|
For CLST Asset I, there were no loans originated in
2009, as this was the purchase of a historical portfolio.
On October 16, 2009, we received a notice of
default from Fortress stating that an event of default has occurred and is
continuing under the Trust I Credit Agreement. The Fortress notice states that
the three-month rolling average annualized default rate of the Trust I
portfolio has exceeded 7.0%. As a result of the default, pursuant to the Trust
I Credit Agreement, the interest rate payable by Trust I has increased by an
additional 2% per annum, and all collections by Trust I above amounts retained
to pay interest, fees, principal amortizations, and other charges that are
normally remitted to the Company, are instead being applied to outstanding
principal under the Trust I Credit Agreement until the amount due has been
reduced to zero. In addition, Fortress
is entitled to foreclose on the assets of Trust I and sell them to satisfy
amounts due it under the Trust I Credit Agreement. Only Trust I is liable for amounts due
Fortress under the Trust I Credit Agreement.
Thus, although the Company could lose some or all of its investment in
Trust I, the Company will not be obligated to pay any amounts due Fortress
under the Trust I Credit Agreement. All
Trust I collections are being retained by Fortress and applied to pay interest
and reduce indebtedness while the Company discusses amending the Trust I Credit
Agreement, but Fortress has not sought to foreclose on the assets of Trust
I. Those discussions are ongoing. The Company does not expect that Fortress
will foreclose on the assets of Trust I while negotiations are proceeding.
The Company believes that between $1.3 million and
$2.2 million of receivables purchased were ineligible, as defined in the Trust
I Purchase Agreement, at the time of purchase. Of these potentially ineligible
receivables, approximately $574,000 have become defaulted receivables. The
Company has notified Fortress of these potentially ineligible receivables and
discussions with Fortress are ongoing. The Company cannot predict when or if these
matters will be resolved favorably or at all.
CLST
Asset II
On December 12, 2008,
we, through
Trust II,
a newly formed trust wholly owned by CLST Asset II, a wholly owned subsidiary
of Financo
, entered into the Trust II Purchase Agreement, effective as of December 10,
2008, to acquire from time to time certain receivables, installment sales
contracts and related assets owned by
SSPE Trust and SSPE
.
The Board unanimously approved the
establishment of the Trust II and the Trust II Purchase Agreement.
Under the terms of the Trust II Credit
Agreement, which Trust II entered into with Summit, as originator, and SSPE and
SSPE Trust, as co-borrowers, Summit and Eric J. Gangloff, as Guarantors,
Fortress Corp.,
31
Table of Contents
as
the lender, Summit Alternative Investments, LLC, as the initial servicer, and
various other parties, Trust II committed to purchase receivables of at least
$2.0 million. In conjunction with this
agreement, Trust II became a co-borrower under a $50 million credit agreement
that permits Trust II to use more than $15 million of the aggregate
availability under the revolving facility.
Trust IIs commitment to purchase $2.0 million of receivables was
fulfilled in the first quarter of 2009, when Trust II purchased $5.8 million of
receivables, with an aggregate purchase discount of $0.5 million, that are
typically secured by a second mortgage or the personal property itself. These
receivables represent primarily home improvement loans originated through FCC,
the service provider of CLST Asset I.
The loans represent new
originations with an average term of 9 years and a current average interest
rate of 14.7%.
Since
these are new loans, the Company has managed the originations such that almost
65% of the new loans had credit scores higher than 680, with a portfolio
average of 676. As of June 2009, the Company is no longer originating new
loans under the credit agreement.
Approximately 54% of these loans were
secured through a second lien on the property, with the remainder being
unsecured. The loans are through the 48
mainland states with the top five concentration as follows:
State
|
|
Percentage
|
|
|
|
|
|
Michigan
|
|
24
|
%
|
Ohio
|
|
21
|
%
|
Massachusetts
|
|
6
|
%
|
Florida
|
|
6
|
%
|
New York
|
|
4
|
%
|
During
the second quarter of 2009 we were informed by Summit that the credit facility
we entered into with Trust II, Summit and various other parties had been
reduced by $20 million to $30 million.
Summit did not indicate the specific reasons for the reduction in the
credit facility other than it was part of a negotiation with Fortress Corp.
regarding a default on another Summit portfolio. This reduction has no impact on the Company
because during the third quarter of 2009, we ceased purchasing any new
receivables under the facility and are no longer originating new loans under
the credit agreement and, as a result, the Company is no longer drawing
additional funds under the credit agreement.
Because we are no longer originating new loans under this credit
agreement, FCC is no longer providing origination services to the Company. The
origination services performed by FCC included loan documentation, collateral
documentation where applicable, credit verification, and other required
activities to secure loan approval per the Companys standards. FCC was paid a one-time fee of 2% of the
original principal amount of loans originated for performing these
services. Once a loan was approved, FCC would
perform the monthly servicing activities, which would include collections,
reporting, lock box services, customer service, and other related services. FCC
was paid 1.5%, per annum, of the outstanding principal balance for these
services. As of November 30, 2009,
total borrowings under the Trust II Credit Agreement were $15.1 million, of
which $5.0 million was attributable to Trust II.
We received the Default Notice dated December 2,
2009 from Fortress Corp. stating that a servicer default had occurred and was
continuing under the Trust II Credit Agreement, as a result of a material
adverse effect with respect to the servicer.
The Default Notice states that Fair, in its capacity as a sub-servicer
for assets held by the SSPE Trust, has failed to perform its servicing duties
with respect to that portion of the receivables portfolio owned by SSPE Trust
for which Fair has been retained as a sub-servicer by the SSPE Trust. This failure, the Default Notice asserts, results
from the ongoing federal investigation of Fair and Timothy Durham, and
constitutes a material adverse effect with respect to the servicer and thus a
breach of a covenant under the Trust II Credit Agreement. We also received a Second Default Notice dated
February 8, 2010 from Fortress Corp. stating that an additional event of
default has occurred and is continuing under the Trust II Credit Agreement
because the three-month rolling average annualized default rate of the Class A
receivables in the Trust II portfolio
had exceeded 5.0% as of January 31, 2010. On February 26, 2010, the
parties to the Trust II Credit Agreement entered into the Fortress Waiver
whereby 1) each event of default declared in the Default Notice and the Second
Default Notice was waived, 2) Trust II became the sole borrower under the Trust
II Credit Agreement, 3) the outstanding borrowings attributable to SSPE Trust
were paid in full, 4) SSPE Trust and their affiliates were released from all
further obligations under the Trust II Credit Agreement, and 5) the SSPE Trust
assets were removed as pledged collateral for the Trust II Credit Agreement.
The Fortress Waiver also amended certain terms of the Trust II Credit Agreement
including the elimination of Trust IIs right to further borrowings and the
requirement for Trust II to pay an unused commitment fee.
32
Table of
Contents
CLST
Asset III
Effective
February 13, 2009, we, through CLST Asset III, a newly formed, wholly
owned subsidiary of Financo, purchased certain receivables, installment sales
contracts and related assets owned by Fair, James F. Cochran, Chairman and
Director of Fair, and Timothy S. Durham, Chief Executive Officer and Director
of Fair and an officer, director and stockholder of our Company under the Trust
III Purchase Agreement. Messrs. Durham and Cochran own all of the
outstanding equity of Fair. In return for assets acquired under the Trust III
Purchase Agreement, CLST Asset III paid the sellers total consideration of
$3,594,354, consisting of cash, common stock of the Company and six promissory
notes. Additionally, Fair agreed to use its best efforts to facilitate
negotiations to add CLST Asset III or one of its affiliates as a co-borrower
under one of Fairs existing lines of credit with access to at least
$15,000,000 of credit for our own purposes.
To date, we have not been
added as a co-borrower.
Substantially
all of the assets acquired by CLST Asset III are in one of two portfolios.
Portfolio A is a mixed pool of receivables from several asset classes,
including health and fitness club memberships, resort memberships, receivables
associated with campgrounds and timeshares, in-home food sales and services,
buyers clubs, delivered products, home improvements and tuitions.
Portfolio B is made up entirely of receivables related to the sale of tanning
bed products. Only 2% of these portfolios are home improvement loans and none
of the loans are secured. The loans are
through the 48 mainland states with the top five concentration as follows:
State
|
|
Percentage
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ohio
|
|
17
|
%
|
Florida
|
|
8
|
%
|
Colorado
|
|
8
|
%
|
Texas
|
|
6
|
%
|
Pennsylvania
|
|
6
|
%
|
During the second quarter of 2009 we began
implementing the servicing, collection and other procedures relating to
management of CLST Asset III contemplated by the agreements between us and the
servicer of the portfolio. Fair was the servicer of the CLST Asset III
portfolio and is an affiliate of Mr. Durham. The implementation of the
procedures required several meetings with the servicer and were implemented
during the third quarter of 2009 with the exception of securing a lock box to
receive payments, which we expected to have in place during the fourth quarter
of 2009.
During the fourth quarter of
2009, unexpectedly to the Company, the FBI and other government agencies seized
certain assets of Fair, including their servers, computers and other items used
by Fair in the servicing of our CLST Asset III portfolio. Due to these and
other facts, we understand Fair was closed for a period of time and was unable
to fully service our CLST Asset III portfolio for an extended period of time.
As a result, we have moved the servicing of our CLST Asset III portfolio to an
alternate servicer. Effective February 1, 2010, Highlands assumed all
servicing functions previously performed by Fair. Highlands is fully
independent of Fair and the Company, and there are no related party
relationships of any nature among Fair, Highlands or the Company. Fair had been
fully co-operating with the logistics of the transfer of the servicing of the
CLST Asset III portfolio to Highlands, however, in February 2010 Fair
commenced bankruptcy proceedings, which may negatively impact the timing and
completeness of this transfer.
Our agreement with Highlands
calls for an initial term of six months and is automatically renewed in one
year increments unless cancelled in writing by either party in accordance with
the terms of the agreement. We will incur servicing fees at market rates and
per the terms of the agreement. Highlands is required to make daily remittances
of our collected accounts.
At this time,
we believe that we have a
right of recoupment against Fair for payments it has received on our behalf and
not remitted, and expect to exercise that right by withholding such amounts
from any money due to Fair. However,
there can be no assurance that Fair will not challenge our recoupment right, or
what the ultimate outcome of that challenge might be. On March 1, 2010
approximately $73,000
was due to
Fair and the other sellers which has not been paid.
33
Table of Contents
Now that the Company has
acquired each of these three receivable portfolios, most of the activities of
the Company with respect to the portfolios are conducted on its behalf by the
servicers of these portfolios. The
servicers receive payments from account debtors and pursue other collection
activities with respect to the receivables, monitor collection disputes with
individual account debtors, prepare and submit claims to the account debtors,
maintain servicing documents, books and records relating to the receivables and
prepare and provide reports to the lenders and the Company with respect to the
receivables and related activity, maintain the security interest of the lenders
in the receivables, and direct the collateral custodian to make payments out of
the proceeds of the portfolios to, among others, the Company, the lenders, the
servicers and/or backup servicers, and the collateral custodians pursuant to
the terms of the relevant servicing agreements.
Red Oak Litigation
The Company has expended a
significant amount of management time and resources in connection with Federal
Court Action and the State Court Action.
Although we have directors and officers liability insurance, it is
uncertain whether the insurance will be sufficient to cover all expenses and
damages, if any, that we may be required to pay in the State Court Action. In
addition, both lawsuits have distracted the attention of our management and are
expensive to conduct. Our Board and management have expended a substantial
amount of time in connection with these matters, diverting resources and
attention that would otherwise have been directed toward our portfolios of
receivables, our plan of dissolution, and other important matters. We have incurred substantial legal and other
professional service costs in connection with these lawsuits, approximately
$3.0
million as of November 30, 2009.
Because of the costs and distractions associated with the further prosecution
of the Federal Court Action, the Board, as an exercise of its business
judgment, determined that the action should be dismissed, and the Company has
filed a motion to that effect, which the Red Oak Group has opposed. We expect
to continue to spend additional time and incur additional professional fees,
expenses and other costs with respect to the Federal Court Action and State Court
Action, all of which could have a material adverse effect on our business,
financial condition and results of operations.
34
Table of Contents
Results of Operations
The Company reported a net loss of $5.2 million or
$0.23 per basic and diluted share, for the twelve months ended November 30,
2009, compared to a net loss of $1.7 million, or $0.08 per basic and diluted
share for the prior year. The increased loss is primarily attributable to the
actions taken by Red Oak, which has led to the costs incurred in connection
with the Federal Court Action and State Court Action, offset slightly by the
income (net of expenses) generated by our portfolios.
The following table shows certain information as of November 30,
2009 for each of CLST Asset I, CLST Asset II and CLST Asset III. A more detailed description of the results
for each of these entities is provided below.
Amounts presented are in thousands, except for the approximate number of
customer accounts and the average outstanding principal balance per account.
|
|
CLST Asset I
|
|
CLST Asset II
|
|
CLST Asset III
|
|
|
|
Principal Balance
|
|
% of Total
|
|
Principal Balance
|
|
% of Total
|
|
Principal Balance
|
|
% of Total
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Receivables
Aging (Principal)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current 0-30
Days
|
|
$
|
29,335
|
|
85.2
|
%
|
$
|
7,181
|
|
97.9
|
%
|
$
|
1,691
|
|
93.9
|
%
|
31 - 60 Days
|
|
1,205
|
|
3.5
|
%
|
52
|
|
0.7
|
%
|
34
|
|
1.9
|
%
|
61 - 90 Days
|
|
556
|
|
1.6
|
%
|
39
|
|
0.5
|
%
|
46
|
|
2.6
|
%
|
91 + 120
|
|
452
|
|
1.3
|
%
|
12
|
|
0.2
|
%
|
29
|
|
1.6
|
%
|
120+
|
|
2,898
|
|
8.4
|
%
|
51
|
|
0.7
|
%
|
|
|
0.0
|
%
|
Total
Receivables
|
|
34,446
|
|
100.0
|
%
|
7,335
|
|
100.0
|
%
|
1,800
|
|
100.0
|
%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Allowance for
doubtful Accts
|
|
(3,610
|
)
|
-10.5
|
%
|
(58
|
)
|
-0.8
|
%
|
|
|
0.0
|
%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net Receivables
|
|
30,836
|
|
89.5
|
%
|
7,277
|
|
99.2
|
%
|
1,800
|
|
100.0
|
%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Discount
|
|
(531
|
)
|
-1.5
|
%
|
(630
|
)
|
-8.6
|
%
|
(55
|
)
|
-3.1
|
%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Acquisition fees
|
|
168
|
|
0.5
|
%
|
26
|
|
0.4
|
%
|
41
|
|
2.3
|
%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
|
|
$
|
30,473
|
|
88.5
|
%
|
$
|
6,673
|
|
91.0
|
%
|
$
|
1,786
|
|
99.2
|
%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Accounts
Receivable Other
|
|
$
|
2,010
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Notes Payable
and Loans Outstanding
|
|
$
|
28,666
|
|
|
|
$
|
4,997
|
|
|
|
$
|
498
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Approximate
Number of Customer Accounts
|
|
5,139
|
|
|
|
981
|
|
|
|
1,676
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Average Outstanding
Principal Balance per Account
|
|
$
|
6,703
|
|
|
|
$
|
7,477
|
|
|
|
$
|
1,074
|
|
|
|
Fiscal 2009
Compared to Fiscal 2008
Consolidated
Revenues.
Revenues,
which primarily consist of interest and other charges earned from the Companys
receivable portfolios, were $6.7 million for the twelve months ended November 30,
2009 compared to $0.5 million for the
twelve months ended November 30, 2008.
Revenues for
the twelve months ended November 30, 2009
included $5.2 million from CLST Asset I, $1.2 million from CLST Asset II
and $0.3 million from CLST Asset III.
Revenue for the twelve months ended November 30, 2008 included $0.5
million from CLST Asset I.
Loan
Servicing Fees.
Loan servicing fees, which primarily consist of loan servicing fees and
trust administration fees,
were $0.8 million
for the twelve months ended November 30, 2009 compared to $0.1
million for the twelve months ended November 30,
2008 and represented 1.76% and 1.90% of the average annual aggregate
35
Table of Contents
outstanding principal
balances of receivables, respectively.
Loan servicing fees for the twelve months ended November 30, 2009
were
$0.7 million for
CLST Asset I, $0.1 million for CLST Asset II and none for CLST Asset III.
Provision
for doubtful accounts.
Provision for doubtful accounts was $3.5 million for the twelve
months ended November 30, 2009
compared to $0.1 million for the twelve months ended November 30, 2008.
The increase is primarily the result of an increase in the provision for
doubtful accounts for CLST Asset I of $3.4 million during the twelve months
ended November 30, 2009 as a result of an increase in the default rates
experienced during the third and forth quarters of fiscal 2009. The increases in the provision for doubtful
accounts for the twelve months ended November 30, 2009 also included $0.1
million for CLST Asset II and no provision for CLST Asset III. Both of these portfolios were acquired during
the twelve months ended November 30, 2009 and therefore did not have any
provisions during the twelve months ended November 30, 2008.
Interest
Expense.
Interest
expense is incurred from borrowings under the credit facilities of CLST Asset I
and CLST Asset II and the notes issued in connection with the CLST Asset III
acquisition. Interest expense was $2.1
million for the twelve months ended November 30, 2009 compared to $0.1
million for the twelve months ended November 30,
2008 and represented 31.7% and 29.2% of revenue, respectively. Interest expense for the twelve months ended November 30,
2009 was $1.9 million for CLST Asset I, $238,000 for CLST Asset II and $26,000
for CLST Asset III.
General and Administrative
Expenses.
Selling,
general and administrative expenses were
$5.4 million for the twelve months ended November 30, 2009 compared to
$2.2 million for the twelve months ended November 30, 2008. The increase is primarily the result
of increased legal and professional fees.
Our legal and professional
expenses during the twelve months ended November 30, 2009 were $4.7
million compared to $1.8 million during the twelve months ended November 30,
2008. Those fees relate primarily to
defending against claims brought by the Red Oak Group against us and our
directors in the State Court Action. We
also incurred substantial professional fees in 2009 relating to the Federal
Court Action and to our arbitration claims against Wireless Solutions for
monies we believe are due to us from the Mexico Sale. We have made a claim under our directors and
officers liability insurance policy for reimbursement of amounts we are
obligated under our certificate of incorporation and bylaws to advance to our
directors for their defense costs in the State Court Action. Our carrier has agreed to reimburse us for
those expenses in excess of our $1 million self retention under the policy,
subject to certain reservations of rights.
The Company believes that we have exceeded our self retention amount
during the fourth quarter of 2009 and the carrier should begin to reimburse us
for amounts advanced to Messrs. Durham, Kaiser and Tornek in connection
with their defense against claims brought by the Red Oak Group. Any
reimbursements received will offset the legal expenses incurred in general and
administrative expenses.
With respect
to the Mexico Sale, we believe that Wireless Solutions owes us amounts relating
to the sale of our interest in CII.
Therefore, we are pursuing claims against the buyers from the Mexico
Sale in an ICC arbitration proceeding.
The arbitration proceeding was held in Mexico City, Mexico in October 2009
and the arbitration panel has up to six months from the date of the arbitration
proceeding to issue their conclusion.
As of the date
of this Form 10-K, the arbitration panel has not issued their
conclusion.
We believe we are owed up to
$1.7 million from the Mexico Sale, which has not been accrued and included in
the Companys financial statements as of November 30, 2009.
Income
Taxes.
We had income tax expense of $26,000 for the twelve months ended November 30,
2009 compared to $192,000 for the twelve months ended November 30, 2008.
Discontinued
Operations.
During fiscal year 2007,
we sold all of our U.S. operations, including our
Miami-based Latin American operations, Mexico operations and Chile operations.
For more information on these transactions, please see the Companys Annual
Report on Form 10-K/A for the fiscal year ended November 30, 2008.
CLST
Asset I
For
the twelve months ended November 30, 2009, collections for CLST Asset I
were $11.7 million, representing $6.5 million of principal payments and $5.2
million of interest and payments and other charges compared to collections of
$1.1 million, representing $0.6 million of principal payments and $0.5 million
of interest and payments and other charges during the twelve months ended November 30,
2008. As of November 30, 2009,
36
Table of Contents
the
aggregate outstanding principal balance of the notes receivables net of
reserves and excluding certain accrued interest and deferred cost was $30.8
million, which represents 75.1% of the original purchase price of $41.0 million.
The ending balance consists of approximately 5,139 customer accounts, with an
average outstanding principal balance per account of approximately $6,703. The average interest rate for these accounts
was 14.32% during the twelve months ended November 30, 2009.
Total
revenues for the twelve months ended November 30, 2009 were approximately
$5.2 million which primarily consisted of interest income collected from the
notes receivable. Operating expenses for
this period were $6.0 million, which included a $3.5 million provision for
doubtful accounts, $1.9 million of interest expense to Fortress, our lender,
and $0.7 million of servicing expense to FCC.
As of November 30, 2009, Trust I
owed $28.7 million to Fortress, representing 82.2% of the original loan amount.
On October 16, 2009, we received a notice of default from Fortress stating
that an event of default has occurred and is continuing under the Trust I
Credit Agreement. The Fortress notice states that the three-month rolling
average annualized default rate of the Trust I portfolio has exceeded 7.0%. As
a result of the default, pursuant to the Trust I Credit Agreement, the interest
rate payable by Trust I has increased by an additional 2% per annum, and
Fortress is entitled to foreclose on the assets of Trust I and sell them to
satisfy amounts due it under the Trust I Credit Agreement. Fortress has not yet sought to foreclose on
the assets of Trust I, however, if it does so, the Company may lose some or all
of its investment in Trust I. Beginning in October 2009, all receipts of
customer payments for CLST Asset I are being held in trust pending a resolution
to this matter. As of November 30, 2009 $2.0 million of net customer
receipts are held in this trust account and have been included in accounts
receivable other.
CLST
Asset II
For
the twelve months ended November 30, 2009, collections for CLST Asset II
were $3.2 million, representing $2.3 million of principal payments and $0.9
million of interest and payments and other charges. There were no revenues or
expenses for CLST Asset II during the twelve months ended November 30,
2008 as this portfolio was acquired in fiscal 2009. As of November 30, 2009, the aggregate
outstanding principal balance of the notes receivables net of reserves and
excluding certain accrued interest and deferred cost was $7.3 million, which
represents 76.0% of the original purchase price of $9.6 million. The ending
balance consists of approximately 981customer accounts, with an average
outstanding principal balance per account of approximately $7,477. The average interest rate for these accounts
was 14.7% during the twelve months ended November 30, 2009.
Total
revenues for the twelve months ended November 30, 2009 were approximately
$1.2 million which primarily consisted of interest income collected from the
notes receivable. Operating expenses for
this period were $503,000, which included a $58,000 provision for doubtful
accounts, $238,000 of interest expense to Fortress Corp., our lender, and
$119,000 of servicing expense to FCC.
As of November 30,
2009, CLST Asset II owed $5.0 million to Fortress Corp., representing 78.4% of
the original loan amount.
We received the Default Notice dated December 2, 2009 from
Fortress Corp. stating that a servicer default had occurred and was continuing
under the Trust II Credit Agreement, as a result of a material adverse effect
with respect to the servicer. The
Default Notice states that Fair, in its capacity as a sub-servicer for assets
held by the SSPE Trust, has failed to perform its servicing duties with respect
to that portion of the receivables portfolio owned by SSPE Trust for which Fair
has been retained as a sub-servicer by the SSPE Trust. This failure, the Default Notice asserts,
results from the ongoing federal investigation of Fair and Timothy Durham, and
constitutes a material adverse effect with respect to the servicer and thus a
breach of a covenant under the Trust II Credit Agreement. We also received a Second Default Notice
dated February 8, 2010 from Fortress Corp. stating that an additional
event of default has occurred and is continuing under the Trust II Credit
Agreement because the three-month rolling average annualized default rate of
the Class A receivables in the Trust II
portfolio had exceeded 5.0% as of January 31, 2010. On February 26,
2010, the parties to the Trust II Credit Agreement entered into the Fortress
Waiver whereby 1) each event of default declared in the Default Notice and the
Second Default Notice was waived, 2) Trust II became the sole borrower under the
Trust II Credit Agreement, 3) the outstanding borrowings attributable to SSPE
Trust were paid in full, 4) SSPE Trust and their affiliates were released from
all further obligations under the Trust II Credit Agreement, and 5) the SSPE
Trust assets were removed as pledged collateral for the Trust II Credit
Agreement. The Fortress Waiver also amended certain terms of the Trust II
Credit Agreement
37
Table of Contents
including
the elimination of Trust IIs right to further borrowings and the requirement
for Trust II to pay an unused commitment fee.
CLST
Asset III
The
receivables included in CLST Asset III were purchased on February 13,
2009. For the twelve months ended November 30, 2009, collections for CLST
Asset III were $2.0 million, representing $1.7 million of principal payments
and $0.3 million of interest and payments and other charges. As of November 30, 2009, the aggregate outstanding
principal balance of the notes receivables net of reserves and excluding
certain accrued interest and deferred cost was $1.8 million, which represents
48.6% of the original purchase price of $3.7 million. The ending balance
consists of approximately 1,676 customer accounts, with an average outstanding
principal balance per account of approximately $1,074. The average interest rate for these accounts
was 16.9% during the twelve months ended November 30, 2009.
Total revenues for the twelve months ended November 30,
2009 were approximately $328,000 and primarily consisted of interest income
collected from the notes receivable.
Operating expenses for this period consisted of interest expense of
$26,000, related to the seller notes delivered as part of the Trust III
Purchase Agreement. Defaults of $208,000 during the twelve months ended November 30,
2009 were applied to the notes payable to the sellers per the Trust III
Purchase Agreement. At this time,
we believe that we have a
right of recoupment against Fair for payments it has received on our behalf and
not remitted, and expect to exercise that right by withholding such amounts
from any money due to Fair. However,
there can be no assurance that Fair will not challenge our recoupment right, or
what the ultimate outcome of that challenge might be. On March 1, 2010
approximately $73,000
was due to
Fair and the other sellers which has not been paid.
Liquidity
and Capital Resources
Subsequent to the sale of
our discontinued operations in March 2007 and prior to the acquisition of
Trust I in November 2008, we met our cash needs with existing funds and
interest and investment income generated by our cash and cash equivalents. As of November 30, 2009, we had cash and
cash equivalents of approximately $4.8 million, down from $9.8 million at November 30,
2008. Historically, we have invested our cash and cash equivalents in either
money market accounts or short term Certificate of Deposits. The majority of
our cash is invested in Texas Capital Bank, N.A. at a variable interest rate
and in government repurchase contracts, where we are earning less than 1% per
year. Each deposit of our cash is FDIC insured or government insured. We financed our acquisitions of our receivables
portfolios with cash, non-recourse debt, and the issuance of shares of our
common stock. Since the acquisitions of
our receivable portfolios, we also use the income generated from these
receivable portfolios to meet our cash needs.
The report of our
independent registered public accounting firm with respect to our financial
statements as of November 30, 2009 and for the year then ended contains an
explanatory paragraph with respect to our ability to continue as a going
concern.
This concern
has been raised due to the higher than anticipated defaults on the notes
receivable included in CLST Asset I which has resulted in a default under the
Trust I Credit Agreement and an approximately $3.5 million increase in the
allowance for doubtful accounts during the twelve months ended November 30,
2009. As a result of the Companys default under the Trust I Credit Agreement,
the amount due to Fortress under this agreement has been classified as current
as of November 30, 2009. The Company has also been engaged in several
lawsuits which have resulted in the Company incurring significant legal fees.
The combination of the increase in the allowance for doubtful accounts and high
legal fees has resulted in the Company incurring a net loss of approximately
$5.2 million during the twelve months ended November 30, 2009. The Company
is continuing discussions to resolve the default under the Trust I Credit
Agreement. The Company has made a claim under its directors and officers
liability insurance policy for reimbursement of legal fees incurred in excess of
our $1.0 million self retention amount. It is uncertain whether the Company can
continue as a going concern if it continues to incur net losses and if the
Company loses the CLST Asset I consumer receivables as a result of the default
under the Trust I Credit Agreement.
38
Table of
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Operating
Activities
The
net cash used in operating activities for the twelve months ended November 30,
2009 was $3.8 million compared to cash received of $4.0 million for the twelve
months ended November 30, 2008. The primary reason for this decrease was
the collection of $4.7 million of accounts receivable from Brightpoint (the
purchaser of our U.S. and Miami operations) in 2008 and increased operating
expenses in 2009 primarily related to the cost incurred in connection with the
Federal Court Action and State Court Action, offset slightly by the income (net
of expenses) generated by our consumer receivable portfolios.
Our legal and
professional expenses for the twelve months ended November 30, 2009 were
$4.7 million compared to $1.8 million for the twelve months ended November 30,
2008. Those fees relate primarily to
defending against claims brought by the Red Oak Group against us and our
directors in the State Court Action. We
also incurred substantial professional fees in the third quarter of 2009
relating to the Federal Court Action and to our arbitration claims against
Wireless Solutions for monies we believe are due to the Company from the Mexico
Sale. We have made a claim under our
directors and officers liability insurance policy for reimbursement of amounts
we are obligated to advance under our certificate of incorporation and bylaws
to our directors for their defense costs in the State Court Action. Our carrier has agreed to reimburse us for
those expenses in excess of our $1 million self retention amount under the
policy, subject to certain reservations of rights. The Company believes that we have exceeded
our self retention amount during the fourth quarter of 2009 and the carrier
should begin to reimburse us for amounts advanced to Messrs. Durham,
Kaiser and Tornek in connection with their defense against claims brought by
the Red Oak Group.
The Company has
expended a significant amount of management time and resources in connection
with Federal Court Action and the State Court Action. The Company has had
settlement discussions with certain of the plaintiffs regarding the Federal
Court Action and the State Court Action. The Company may have further settlement
discussions in the future. No assurance can be given that any settlement
agreement could be reached if the Company undertakes further discussions or, if
a settlement agreement is entered into, that the terms of any such settlement
would not have a material adverse effect on the Company, its financial position
or its results of operations.
Investing
Activities
The net cash provided by
investing activities for the twelve months ended November 30, 2009 was
$6.0 million compared to $5.5 million of cash used by investing activities
during the twelve months ended November 30, 2008. The increase in 2009 from 2008 is primarily a
result of the collection of consumer receivable portfolio principal of $
10.2
million during the twelve
months ended November 30, 2009 offset in part by (i) cash of $
4.0
million used to fund the
acquisitions of the
CLST
Asset II and
CLST
Asset III portfolios and (ii) $
0.2
million in acquisition costs during the
twelve months ended November 30, 2009
. During the twelve months ended November 30,
2008 the Company used available cash of $6.1 million to fund in part its
acquisition of the CLST Asset I portfolio.
Financing
Activities
The net cash used in financing activities for the
twelve months ended November 30, 2009 was $7.2 million compared to $0.6
million for the twelve months ended November 30, 2008. The cash used in financing activities was used to reduce the outstanding debt
principal balance under the Trust I Credit Agreement, Trust II Credit Agreement
and seller notes associated with the Trust III Purchase Agreement.
Liquidity
Sources
CLST Asset I
.
Our acquisition of Trust I was financed by approximately $6.1 million of
cash on hand and by a non-recourse, term loan of approximately $34.9 million to Trust I by an affiliate of the
seller of Trust I, pursuant to the terms and conditions set forth in the Trust
I Credit Agreement. The loan matures on November 10,
2013 and bears interest at an annual rate of 5.0% over the LIBOR Rate (as
defined in the Trust I Credit Agreement).
Under the terms of the Trust I Credit Agreement, the net cash proceeds
from the collection of consumer receivables held by Trust I in any particular
month are remitted to the Company on or about the 20th day of the following
month. As of November 30, 2009, the
outstanding balance of our term loan was $28.7 million, representing 82.2% of
our original balance. During fiscal 2009, we retired approximately $6.2 million
of our obligation to Fortress, and paid $1.8 million in interest expense, all
from customer collections.
39
Table of
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The obligations
under the Trust I Credit Agreement are secured by a first priority security
interest in substantially all of the assets of Trust I, including portfolio
collections. An event of default occurs
under the Trust I Credit Agreement if the three-month rolling average
delinquent accounts rate exceeds 10.0% or the three-month rolling average
annualized default rate exceeds 7.0%. For the fourth quarter of 2009, these
default rates were 7.43% and 8.45%, respectively. Please see Item 7, Recent Developments
CLST Asset I above for information regarding the default notice the Company
received with regards to the Trust I Credit Agreement.
We have the right
to require the seller to repurchase any accounts, for the original purchase
price applicable to such account, that do not satisfy certain specified
eligibility requirements set out in the Trust I Purchase Agreement. If it is
discovered by a party that a receivable account was not an Eligible Receivable
as of the cut-off date of October 31, 2008, the seller is required to
repurchase such receivable account unless such breach is remedied within thirty
business days of notice of such breach. An account is not an Eligible
Receivable if, as of October 31, 2008, such receivable account is, among
other things, a defaulted receivable, subject to litigation, dispute or rights
of rescission, setoff or counterclaim, or is not subject to a duly recorded and
perfected lien, the seller must repurchase the account. The Company believes that between $1.3
million and $2.2 million of receivables purchased were ineligible, as defined
in the Trust I Purchase Agreement, at the time of purchase. Of these
potentially ineligible receivables, approximately $574,000 have become
defaulted receivables. The Company has notified Fortress of these potentially
ineligible receivables and discussions
with Fortress are ongoing. The Company cannot predict when or if these matters
will be resolved favorably or at all.
CLST
Asset II
.
The
Trust II
has become a
co-borrower under a $50 million credit
agreement, which was reduced to a $30 million commitment during the second quarter
of 2009, that permits Trust II to use more than $15 million of the aggregate
availability under the revolving facility to purchase receivables. The Trust II
Credit Agreement is effective as of December 10, 2008, and was entered
into among the Trust II, FCC, the originator, SSPE Trust and SSPE, the
co-borrowers (who are the sellers under the Trust II Purchase Agreement),
Fortress Corp., the lender, FCC, the initial servicer, Lyons Financial Services, Inc.,
the backup servicer, Eric J. Gangloff, the guarantor, and U.S. Bank National
Association, the collateral custodian.
The non-recourse revolving
facility was initially established by Summit, an affiliate of the sellers under
the
Trust II Purchase
Agreement
.
The revolver matures on September 28, 2010. The
revolver bears interest at an annual rate of 4.5% over the LIBOR Rate (as
defined in the
Trust II Credit Agreement
). The Trust II pays an additional fee to the
co-borrowers equal to an annual rate of 0.5% for loans attributable to the
Trust II equal to or below $10 million and an annual rate of 1.5% for loans
attributable to the Trust II in excess of $10 million. In addition, a
commitment fee is due to the lender equal to an annual rate of 0.25% of the
unused portion of the maximum committed amount.
The obligations
under the
Trust II Credit Agreement
are secured by a first priority security interest in
substantially all of the assets of the Trust II and the co-borrowers, including
portfolio collections.
An event of
default occurs under the Trust II Credit Agreement if the three-month rolling
average delinquent accounts rate exceeds 15.0% for Class A Receivables or
30.0% for Class B Receivables, or the three-month rolling average
annualized default rate exceeds 5.0% for Class A Receivables or 12.0% for Class B
Receivables. As of November 30,
2009, there was a provision of $58,000 for customer accounts greater than 90
days past due. Please see Item 7,
Recent Developments CLST Asset II above for information regarding the
default notice the Company received with regards to the Trust II Credit
Agreement.
On February 26,
2010, the parties to the Trust II Credit Agreement entered into the Fortress
Waiver whereby 1) each event of default declared in the Default Notice and the
Second Default Notice was waived, 2) Trust II became the sole borrower under
the Trust II Credit Agreement, 3) the outstanding borrowings attributable to
SSPE Trust were paid in full, 4) SSPE Trust and their affiliates were released
from all further obligations under the Trust II Credit Agreement, and 5) the
SSPE Trust assets were removed as pledged collateral for the Trust II Credit
Agreement. The Fortress Waiver also amended certain terms of the Trust II
Credit Agreement including the elimination of Trust IIs right to further
borrowings and the requirement for Trust II to pay an unused commitment fee.
We have the right
to require the sellers to repurchase any accounts, for the original purchase
price applicable to such account plus interest accrued thereon, that do not
satisfy certain specified eligibility requirements set out in the Trust II
Credit Agreement as of the purchase date. If it is discovered by a party that a
receivable account was not an Eligible Receivable as of the purchase date,
the seller is required to repurchase such receivable
40
Table of
Contents
account. An account is
not an Eligible Receivable if, as of the purchase date, such receivable account
is, among other things, a defaulted receivable, a delinquent receivable,
subject to litigation, dispute or rights of rescission, setoff or counterclaim,
or is not subject to a duly recorded and perfected lien, as the terms are
defined in the Trust II Credit Agreement, the seller must repurchase the
account. For the twelve months ended November 30,
2009, there had not been a determination that any receivables failed to meet
the eligibility requirements set out in the Trust II Credit Agreement.
CLST Asset III
. The consideration paid by CLST Asset
III in return for assets acquired under the Trust III Purchase Agreement, was
financed in part by the issuance of common stock and promissory notes to the
sellers. We issued
2,496,077 shares of our common stock at a
price of $0.36 per share. In addition,
we issued the sellers six promissory notes with an aggregate original stated
principal amount of $898,588 (the
Notes
), of
which two promissory notes in an aggregate original principal amount of
$708,868 were issued to Fair, two promissory notes in an aggregate original
principal amount of $162,720 were issued to Mr. Durham and two promissory
notes in an aggregate original principal amount of $27,000 were issued to Mr. Cochran.
The Notes are full-recourse with respect
to CLST Asset III and are unsecured. The three Notes relating to
Portfolio A (the
Portfolio
A Notes
) are payable in
11 quarterly installments, each consisting of equal principal payments, plus
all interest accrued through such payment date at a rate of 4.0% plus the LIBOR
Rate (as defined in the Portfolio A Notes). The three Notes relating to
Portfolio B (the
Portfolio
B Notes
) are payable in 21 quarterly installments, each
consisting of equal principal payments, plus all interest accrued through such
payment date at a rate of 4.0% plus the LIBOR Rate (as defined in the Portfolio
B Notes).
We have the right
to require the seller to repurchase any accounts, for the original purchase
price applicable to such account, that do not satisfy certain specified
eligibility requirements set out in the Trust III Purchase Agreement. If it is
discovered by a party that a receivable account was not an Eligible Receivable
as of February 13, 2009, the closing date of the acquisition, the seller
is required to repurchase such receivable account. An account is not an
Eligible Receivable if, as of February 13, 2009, such receivable account
is a delinquent receivable, a defaulted receivable subject to litigation,
dispute or rights of rescission, setoff or counterclaim, or is not subject to a
duly recorded and perfected lien, the seller must repurchase the account. For the twelve months ended November 30,
2009, there had not been a determination that any receivables failed to meet
the eligibility requirements set out in the Trust III Purchase Agreement.
Additionally, the Trust III Purchase Agreement
provides that each of the sellers jointly and severally guarantee to CLST Asset
III, up to the aggregate stated principal amount of the Notes issued to such
seller, that the outstanding receivable balance of each receivable as of the
closing date will be collectible in full.
For each receivable that becomes a defaulted receivable following the
closing date, the sellers are obligated to pay to CLST Asset III an amount
equal to the outstanding receivable balance of such receivable and CLST Asset
III has the right to offset such amount against the amount due to the seller
under the promissory notes issued to the sellers on the closing date. The aggregate amount of each sellers
guarantee obligation is limited to the aggregate stated principal amount of the
promissory note issued to such seller representing approximately 25% of the
total purchase price of the portfolio of approximately $3.6 million. Since the principal balance of the notes
declines over time as payments are made by the Company to the sellers, future
defaulted receivables can be offset only against the then remaining balance of
the notes issued to the sellers. In February 2010, Fair commenced
bankruptcy proceedings which may limit the Companys ability to continue to
offset future receivable defaults against the notes payable to Fair, but should
not impact the Companys rights to continue to offset defaults of receivables
against the other remaining seller notes. Defaults of $208,000 during the
twelve months ended November 30, 2009 were offset against the notes
payable to the sellers.
The remaining obligation to the sellers, as of November 30, 2009,
was $498,000 after interest was accrued and delinquent receivables were
recorded. At this time,
we believe that we have a right of recoupment
against Fair for payments it has received on our behalf and not remitted, and
expect to exercise that right by withholding such amounts from any money due to
Fair. However, there can be no assurance
that Fair will not challenge our recoupment right, or what the ultimate outcome
of that challenge might be. On March 1, 2010 approximately $73,000
was due to Fair and the other sellers which has not been
paid.
Contractual
Obligations
Included in accounts payable at November 30,
2009, is approximately $14.2 million associated with liabilities which accrued
in periods 2002 and earlier, and which has been in dispute since 2001. The
Company now
41
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believes
that the statute of limitations on this trade payable may have expired. The
Company is reviewing these liabilities, and considering appropriate steps to
resolve them. In addition, the Company has contacted the vendor in question
several times during the second quarter of 2009 regarding this matter with no
results. The Company expects that the liabilities may be resolved at less than
the book value thereof, but can not provide assurances as to the amount or
timing of any adjustments. In the event that the Company is able to settle the
dispute with no payment, the settlement would result in $14.2 million of income
to the Company for federal income tax purposes, and therefore the deferred
income tax asset will be realized. If
the Company is able to settle the dispute for any amount between $1 and $14.2
million, the deferred tax asset will be adjusted accordingly.
Asset
Quality
Our delinquency rates
reflect, among other factors, the credit risk of our receivables, the average
age of our receivables, the success of our collection and recovery efforts, and
general economic conditions. The average
age of our receivables affects the stability of delinquency and loss rates of
the portfolio. The table previously presented in Item 7 Managements
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
OperationsResults of Operations contains performance information for the
receivables as of and for the twelve months ended November 30, 2009 (the
Asset Receivable Table
). The composition of the portfolios is expected
to change over time. The future
performance of the receivables in the portfolios may be different from the
historical performance set forth in the Asset Receivable Table. The Asset Receivable Table also sets forth
our aging and the aggregate delinquency and loss experience for the accounts in
the portfolios as of and for the twelve months ended November 30,
2009. The global and economic crisis has
had and could continue to have an adverse effect on the portfolio. The current deep economic recession and
rising unemployment have contributed to the significant increases in
delinquencies for 2009 compared to historical performance. Our net losses and delinquencies may continue
to correlate with declines in the general economy and increases in
unemployment. Increases in net losses and delinquencies could continue,
particularly if conditions in the general economy further deteriorate. We cannot assure you that the future
delinquency and loss experience for the receivables will be similar to the
historical experience set forth on the Asset Receivable Table.
An
account is contractually delinquent if we do not receive the monthly payment by
the specified due date. After accounts are delinquent for 120 days for
receivables in CLST Asset I and for 90 days for receivables in CLST Asset II, a
provision (reserve) is made for the account balance. As of November 30,
2009, the allowance for doubtful accounts recorded for CLST Asset I and CLST
Asset II is $3.6 million and $0.1 million, respectively. The allowance for CLST Asset I and CLST Asset
II is expensed in provision for doubtful accounts. For CLST Asset III,
delinquent receivables are charged against the notes payable to the sellers per
the terms of the CLST III Purchase Agreement.
Defaults of $208,000 during the twelve months ended November 30,
2009 were offset against the notes payable to the sellers.
New
Accounting Pronouncements
Footnote 1 of the Notes to
the Consolidated Financial Statements, included in the Companys Form 10-K,
includes a summary of the significant accounting policies and methods used in
the preparation of our Consolidated Financial Statements. There were no changes
during the year ended November 30, 2009, to the significant accounting
policies used in the preparation of our Consolidated Financial Statements.
In December 2007,
Financial Accounting
Standards Board (the
FASB
)
issued ASC 805-20 (formerly SFAS 141 (R)),
Business Combinations which clarifies the accounting for a business
combination and requires an acquirer to recognize the assets acquired, the
liabilities assumed, and any noncontrolling interest in the acquiree at the
acquisition date, measured at their fair values as of that date. The
requirements of ASC 805-20 apply to business combinations for which the
acquisition date is on or after the beginning of the first annual reporting
period beginning on or after December 15, 2008. Early application is not
permitted.
In September 2006,
the FASB issued ASC 820 (formerly SFAS 157),
Fair
Value Measurements and Disclosures
(
ASC
820
), which clarifies the definition of fair value, establishes
a framework for measuring fair value in GAAP, and expands disclosures about
fair value measurement. ASC 820 does not require any new fair value
measurements and eliminates inconsistencies in guidance found in various prior
accounting pronouncements. The Company adopted ASC 820 as of December 1,
2008 and it had no material impact on its consolidated financial statements.
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In
April 2009, the FASB issued ASC 825 (formerly FSP FAS 107-1),
Interim Disclosures about Fair Value of Financial
Instruments
ASC 825 requires disclosures about the fair value of
financial instruments whenever a public company issues financial information
for interim reporting periods. ASC 825 is effective for interim reporting
periods ending after June 15, 2009. The Company adopted this staff
position upon its issuance, and it had no material impact on its consolidated
financial statements.
In June 2009, the FASB
issued ASC 105-10 (formerly SFAS 168),
The
FASB Accounting Standards Codification and the Hierarchy of Generally Accepted
Accounting Principles. ASC 105-10
identifies the FASB Accounting
Standards Codification as the authoritative source of
generally accepted accounting principles (
GAAP
) in the United States. Rules and
interpretive releases of the
SEC
under federal securities laws are also sources of authoritative GAAP
for SEC registrants. ASC 105-10 is
effective
for financial statements issued for interim and annual periods ending after September 15,
2009.
The Company
adopted the provisions of ASC 105-10 as of November 30, 2009. The adoption
of these provisions did not have a significant impact on the Companys
consolidated financial statements.
From
time to time, new accounting pronouncements are issued by the FASB or other
standards setting bodies which we adopt as of the specified effective date.
Unless otherwise discussed, our management believes the impact of recently
issued standards which are not yet effective will not have a material impact on
our consolidated financial statements upon adoption.
Item 7(A).
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
This information has been
omitted as the Company qualifies as a smaller reporting company.
Item 8.
Consolidated Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
See Index to Consolidated
Financial Statements on Page F-1 of this Form 10-K.
43
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Item 9.
Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial
Disclosure
None.
Item 9A(T).
Controls and Procedures
Evaluation
of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Disclosure controls and procedures are controls and
procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in our
reports filed or submitted under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed,
summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SECs rules and
forms and include controls and procedures designed to ensure that information
we are required to disclose in such reports is accumulated and communicated to
management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer,
as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. Our
management, under the supervision and with the participation of our Chief
Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, has evaluated the effectiveness
of our disclosure controls and procedures as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and
15d-15(e) promulgated under the Exchange Act, as of the end of the period
covered by this Form 10-K. Based on such evaluation, our Chief Executive
Officer and Chief Financial Officer has concluded that, as of the end of the
period covered by its Form 10-K, our disclosure controls and procedures
are not effective. During the fiscal
period ended November 30, 2009, the Company received comment letters from
the staff of the Division of Corporation Finance of the SEC. The comments from
the staff were issued with respect to its review of our Annual Report on Form 10-K,
and related amendments, for the year ended November 30, 2008 and review of
our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and related amendments, for the
quarterly periods ended February 28, 2009, May 31, 2009 and August 31,
2009. In its response to the SECs
comments, the Company has included additional disclosures in amendments to its
periodic filings, however, there remains an unresolved comments related to the
Companys inability to disclose audited financial statements and pro forma
financial information on Trust I. To date, the Company is not able prepare
historical financial statements for Trust I, conduct audits of such historical
financial statements, or to prepare related pro forma financial information, in
either case, satisfying the requirements of Rule 8-04 and 8-05 of
Regulation S-X as the seller of Trust I has been unable or unwilling to provide
the Company and its auditors with access to historical books and records, or
supporting materials, relating to Trust I necessary to prepare such historical
financials or to conduct an audit thereof.
On January 26, 2010, the
seller provided to the Company certain historical financial information for
Trust I. The Company is evaluating this information and attempting to compile
the historical financial statements that can be audited.
We
will remedy this disclosure failure if and when we can complete the audit and
the pro-forma financial statement for Trust I for the twelve months ended November 30,
2008. Additionally, on March 1, 2010, the Company filed its Form 12b-25
to notify the SEC that its Form 10-K would be filed late. In addition, we have identified certain
material weaknesses discussed further below.
Managements
Annual Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate
internal control over financial reporting, in accordance with Rules 13a-15
and 15d-15 of the Exchange Act. Under the supervision and with the
participation of the Companys management, we, in conjunction with an
independent third party, conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of the
Companys internal control over financial reporting based on the framework set
forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations (
COSO
) of the
Treadway Commission in
Internal Control
Integrated Framework
.
Internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to
provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting
and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance
with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America.
Internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and
procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that in reasonable
detail accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the
assets of the Company; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions
are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in
accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and
expenditures of the Company are being made only in accordance with
authorizations of management and directors of the Company; and (iii) provide
reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized
acquisition, use, or disposition of the Companys assets that could have a
material effect on the financial statements.
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Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial
reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any
evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that
controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the
degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
Our management, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer
and Chief Financial Officer, evaluated the effectiveness of the Companys
internal control over financial reporting as of November 30, 2009. In
making this assessment, our management used the criteria set forth by the
Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission in Internal
Control Integrated Framework. Based on this evaluation and those criteria,
our management, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief
Financial Officer, concluded that, as of November 30, 2009, our internal
control over financial reporting was not effective.
Our management has identified two deficiencies that constitute material
weaknesses: (1) the Company has not required SAS 70 reports and is not
receiving timely audited financial statements from the servicers of the Companys
consumer receivable portfolios, and (2) the Company lacks adequate
supervision, segregation of duties, and
technical accounting expertise necessary for an effective system of internal
control and timely financial reporting.
In an effort to mitigate these material weaknesses, the Companys
management has conducted tests to determine the accuracy and completeness of
the Companys consumer receivable portfolios. The Company also receives
detailed reports at least monthly from the companies servicing these receivable
portfolios. The Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Senior
Accountant all review these reports for any unusual items and meet with
representatives of the servicers to review the status of the portfolios and
discuss any unusual items. All of our financial reporting is carried out by our
Chief Financial Officer and Senior Accountant with the assistance of third
parties from time to time. The lack of accounting staff and dependence on third
party assistance results in a lack of segregation of duties and at times a lack
of sufficient accounting technical expertise which could impact our financial
reporting function. In order to mitigate this control deficiency to the fullest
extent possible, all financial reports are reviewed by the Chief Executive
Officer, Chief Financial Officer as well as the Board for reasonableness. All
unexpected results are investigated. At any time, if it appears that any
control can be implemented to continue to mitigate such control deficiencies in
a cost effective manner, the Company will attempt to implement the control.
This Form 10-K does not include an attestation report of the
Companys independent registered public accounting firm regarding internal
control over financial reporting. Managements report was not subject to
attestation by the Companys independent registered public accounting firm
pursuant to temporary rules of the SEC that permit the Company to provide
only managements report in this Form 10-K. For our fiscal year ended November 30,
2010, we will be required to include the auditor attestation under existing
rules.
This
report shall not be deemed to be filed for purposes of Section 18 of the
Exchange Act, or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, and it
is not incorporated by reference into any filing of the Company, whether made
before or after the date hereof, regardless of any general incorporation
language in such filing.
Changes
in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
We have implemented
additional controls and procedures designed to ensure that the disclosure
provided by the Company meets the then current requirements of the applicable
filing made under the Exchange Act. To address the Companys lack of sufficient
accounting technical expertise, during 2009, the Company brought in additional
accounting technical expertise as needed. However, the material weaknesses
reported above continue to exist. There have been no changes in our internal
control over financial reporting during the fourth quarter ended November 30,
2009 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially
affect, our internal control over financial reporting except that, in September 2009
the Company decided to separate the Chief Executive Officer role from the Chief
Financial Officer role and began a search for a Chief Financial Officer. On January 8,
2010, the Board of Directors elected William E. Casper as Vice President, Chief
Financial Officer and Treasurer of the Company, subject to his acceptance of
those positions. On January 18,
2010, Mr. Casper accepted these positions and was appointed Vice
President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of the Company. Mr. Casper replaced Robert A. Kaiser in
these positions. Mr. Kaiser continues to serve as the Companys Chief
Executive Officer. On February 10, 2010, Mr. Casper resigned as Vice
President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of the
45
Table of Contents
Company. On February 11, 2010, Jerome L. Trojan
III was retained as the Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
of the Company, replacing Mr. Casper in these positions.
Item 9B. Other Information
None.
PART III
Item 10.
Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
The following table sets
forth the names, ages, and titles of executive officers and directors of the
Company:
Name
|
|
Age
|
|
Director/Officer
Since
|
|
Class
|
|
Position(s) Held
|
Robert A. Kaiser
|
|
55
|
|
May 2, 2005
|
|
Class I Director
|
|
Director, Chief Executive Officer, President; Member of Executive
Committee, Nominating Committee and Audit Committee
|
Timothy S. Durham
|
|
46
|
|
August 7, 2007
|
|
Class III Director
|
|
Director, Chairman, Secretary; Member of Executive Committee, Nominating
Committee, Audit Committee and Compensation Committee
|
David Tornek
|
|
48
|
|
January 16, 2009
|
|
Class III Director
|
|
Director; Member of Executive Committee, Chairman of Nominating
Committee, Chairman of Compensation Committee and Chairman of Audit Committee
|
Jerome L. Trojan III
|
|
44
|
|
February 11, 2010
|
|
N/A
|
|
Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
|
Robert A. Kaiser, 55, currently serves as a Class I
director and as Chief Executive Officer and President, which positions he was
elected to on September 25, 2007. Mr. Kaisers primary business
address is the Companys address. Mr. Kaiser served as Senior Vice
President and Chief Financial Officer of the Company from December 21,
2001 until October 2, 2003 and again from September 25, 2007 until January 18,
2010. Mr. Kaiser served his first
stint as Chief Executive Officer starting on May 1, 2004, with which he
served consecutively as President and Chief Operating Officer until March 30,
2007, when he resigned in connection with the completion of the sale of
substantially all of the Companys assets.
Mr. Kaiser has served as a director of the Company since May 2,
2005 and also previously served as Chairman of the Board from May 2, 2005
until his resignation on April 17, 2007 and again from August 7, 2007
until September 11, 2009. Mr. Kaisers second stint as a director of
the Company began when he was elected to the Board on August 7, 2007, and
he was to have served a one-year term; however, because the Company did not
have an annual meeting of stockholders in 2008 or 2009, he has continued to
serve as director. Mr. Kaiser also serves as a member of the board of
directors and audit committee chairman for RBC Life Sciences and has served in
such capacities since September 2008.
Timothy S. Durham, 46, is currently serving a
three-year term as a Class III director and the Companys Chairman of the
Board, which he was elected to on September 11, 2009 and as Secretary,
which he was elected to on August 7, 2007. Mr. Durham is the Chairman
and Chief Executive Officer of Obsidian Enterprises, Inc. (
Obsidian
), a private holding
company that invests in small and mid cap companies in basic industries such as
manufacturing and transportation. As Chief Executive Officer of Obsidian, Mr. Durham
is responsible for strategic direction and financial issues. Mr. Durham
also serves as Chairman of Fair Holdings, Inc. (
Fair
Holdings
), a financial services company, where his
responsibilities include strategic direction and financial issues. During the fourth quarter of 2009, the FBI
and other government agencies seized certain assets of Fair and began a federal
investigation of Fair and Mr. Durham.
The investigation of Fair and Mr. Durham has been previously
disclosed in the Companys Form 8-K filed on December 1, 2009. Mr. Durham has held his positions with
Obsidian and Fair
46
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Holdings
for more than five years. In February of 2010, Fair commenced bankruptcy
proceedings. Mr. Durham also serves
as a director of National Lampoon, Inc. and has done so since 2002.
David Tornek, 48, is currently serving as a Class III
director of the Company until his successor is duly elected and qualified. Mr. Tornek
also serves as a director of National Lampoon, Inc., and has served in
that capacity since December 22, 2008. Mr. Tornek is currently
Owner/Operator of Touch Catering, Kosher Touch Catering, and Meat Market Miami
Steakhouse, all Miami area restaurants and catering companies. Prior to his
work in the food services industry, Mr. Tornek worked as Chief Financial
Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Century Management Group from 1995 to
2004. Mr. Tornek received a B.S. in accounting from Metropolitan State
College in 1983. Mr. Tornek also serves as a director of National Lampoon, Inc.
and has done so since December 22, 2008.
Jerome L. Trojan III, 44,
joined the Company on February 11, 2010 and is currently serving as Vice
President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of the Company. For the past 11 years, Mr. Trojan has
served as a Chief Financial Officer for private and public companies with
annual revenues of approximately $35 million to $130 million. Prior to his employment as the Companys
Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Trojan served as the Vice President of
Finance and Chief Financial Officer of Palm Beach Tan, Inc., a Dallas,
Texas based owner and franchisor of retail tanning salons located throughout
the United States, from June 2005 until April 2009. Mr. Trojan also served as Vice President
of Finance and Chief Financial Officer for Moll Industries, Inc., a
Dallas-based custom plastics injection molder/manufacturer, from November 2004
until June 2005. Prior to working
with Moll Industries, Inc., Mr. Trojan was employed by VLPS Lighting
Services International, Inc., beginning in May 1995, ultimately
serving as Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Trojan is licensed as a Certified
Public Accountant in the state of Texas.
He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1987 with a
Bachelors of Business Administration in Accounting and from Southern Methodist
University in 1995 with a Masters of Business Administration.
The Company does not
maintain key man insurance on the life of any officer of the Company. The loss
or interruption of the continued full-time service of the Companys executive
officers and key employees could have a material adverse impact on the Companys
business. The inability of the Company to retain such necessary personnel could
also have a material adverse effect on the Company.
No family relationships exist among our officers or
directors. Except as indicated above, no director of ours is a director of any
company with a class of securities registered pursuant to Section 12 of
the Exchange Act, or subject to the requirements of Section 15(d) of
the Exchange Act or any company registered as an investment company under the
Investment Company Act of 1940.
Section 16(A) Beneficial
Ownership Reporting Compliance
Section 16(a) of
the Exchange Act requires the Companys executive officers, directors, and
persons who beneficially own more than 10% of a registered class of the Companys
equity securities to file with the SEC initial reports of ownership and reports
of changes in ownership of the Companys
common stock
and other equity securities
of the Company. Such persons are required by SEC regulations to furnish the
Company with copies of all Section 16(a) forms that they file.
Based solely on our review
of the copies of such forms received by us with respect to 2008 and 2009, or
written representations from certain reporting persons, we believe that all
filing requirements applicable to our directors, executive officers and persons
who own more than 10% of a registered class of our equity securities have been
complied with during fiscal 2008 and 2009.
However, during 2009, the Red Oak Group, which reported it was the
beneficial owner of 4,561,554 shares of our common stock in a Schedule 13D
filed with the SEC on February 18, 2009, as amended by an Amended Schedule
13D filed with the SEC on March 4, 2009, did not timely file a Form 4
with respect to acquisitions of our stock on February 10, 2009, February 11,
2009, February 12, 2009 and February 13, 2009. Also, Mr. Tornek, one of our directors,
did not timely file a Form 4 with respect to acquisitions of our stock on September 17,
2009.
47
Table of
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Corporate
Governance
Director
Independence
Our Board of Directors
has adopted the independence standards of The NASDAQ Stock Market, Inc.,
or NASDAQ, as its independence standards (the
NASDAQ
Standards
). Our Board of Directors has determined that Mr. Tornek
qualifies as an independent director and that Messrs. Durham and Kaiser
are not independent directors. In
determining the independence of Mr. Tornek, our Board of Directors
considered the fact that both Messrs. Durham and Tornek serve on the Board
of Directors of National Lampoon, Inc. and concluded that this
relationship would not impair Mr. Torneks ability to remain independent
as a director on our Board of Directors.
Mr. Durham serves on
the Executive Committee, Audit Committee, Compensation Committee, and
Nominating Committee of our Board of Directors, but does not qualify as
independent under the NASDAQ independence standards for such committees. Mr. Kaiser
serves on the Executive Committee, Audit Committee and Nominating Committee of
our Board of Directors but does not qualify as independent under the NASDAQ
independence standards for such committees.
Board
Meetings and Attendance
We are managed under the
direction of our Board of Directors. As of November 30, 2008, we had three
directors, including two non-employee directors Robert A. Kaiser, Timothy S.
Durham and Manoj Rajegowda. During the year ended November 30, 2008, there
were no changes to our Board of Directors. Subsequently, on January 16,
2009, the Board of Directors increased the size of the Board of Directors from
three members to four members and appointed Mr. David Tornek to fill the
vacancy as a Class III director to hold office for the remaining term of
the Class III directors until the Annual Meeting of stockholders in 2010
and until his successor is duly elected and qualified. Mr. Tornek was appointed by the Board to
serve as Chairman of the Audit Committee, the Nominating Committee and the
Compensation Committee on September 11, 2009. On February 24, 2009, Mr. Rajegowda
tendered his resignation from the Board of Directors. Mr. Rajegowdas
letter of resignation is attached as Exhibit 99.1 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K
for the year ended November 30, 2008, filed with the SEC on March 2,
2009. We strongly encourage all members of the Board of Directors to attend
Annual Meetings each year. For the
Annual Meeting held on July 31, 2007, four directors were in attendance;
the only director not to attend was Da Hsuan Feng.
Our Board of Directors is
divided into three classes of directors and each class serves a three year
term. Our Board of Directors had only
two regular committees, the Audit Committee and the Executive Committee, until September 11,
2009, when it formed a Compensation Committee, and a Nominating Committee,
neither of which have met as of the date of this Form 10-K. During the 2008 Fiscal Year, the Board of
Directors met 15 times and the Audit Committee met two times. During the 2009 Fiscal Year, the Board of Directors
met 21 times and the Audit Committee met 2 times. The Executive Committee was formed in February 2009
and has met 3 time(s) during the 2009 Fiscal Year. No director attended (whether in person,
telephonically, or by written consent) less than 75% of all meetings held
during the period of time he or she served as director during the 2009 Fiscal
Year or during the 2008 Fiscal Year.
Executive
Committee
The Executive Committee
was established by the Board on February 3, 2009 and currently consists of
Messrs. Kaiser, Durham, and Tornek.
The Executive Committee has all authority of the Board, including all of
the authority the Board had as a committee of the whole when serving as a
committee of the Board (such as the Audit Committee).
Nominating
Committee
Since August of
2007, the Board has not had a separately functioning Nominating Committee, and,
during this period, our entire Board of Directors performed the functions of a
Nominating Committee. In this capacity,
the Board of Directors did not develop specific, minimum qualifications to be
met by a committee-recommended director, nor did it specify a particular set of
qualities or skills that one or more directors needed to possess, other
48
Table of
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than the need for an
audit committee financial expert.
However, as of September 11, 2009, our Board of Directors has
formed a Nominating Committee consisting of Messrs. Durham, Kaiser, and
Tornek, with Mr. Tornek serving as chair. Our Nominating Committee
currently includes one independent member of our Board of Directors, Mr. Tornek,
as such independence is defined in the Nominating Committee charter. Our Nominating Committee charter requires
that all members of the Nominating Committee be independent. The Nominating
Committees charter can be accessed at
www.clstholdings.com/corpdocs.asp
.
Previously the Board
considered, and after September 11, 2009 the Nominating Committee
considers, nominees proposed by stockholders in accordance with guidelines for
such consideration set forth in our Amended and Restated Certificate of
Incorporation dated as of April 27, 1995, our Bylaws and any applicable rules and
regulations of the SEC. A copy of our charter and Bylaws is available from our
Chief Executive Officer upon written request. Requests or proposals should be
directed to Robert Kaiser, Chief Executive Officer, CLST Holdings, Inc.,
17304 Preston Road, Dominion Plaza, Suite 420 Dallas, Texas 75252. Article II,
Section 7 of our Bylaws provides that persons nominated by stockholders
are eligible for election as directors only if nominated in accordance with the
following procedures. Such nominations shall be made pursuant to timely notice
in writing to our Corporate Secretary. To be timely, a stockholders notice
must be delivered to or mailed and received at our principal executive offices
at CLST Holdings, Inc., 17304 Preston Road, Dominion Plaza, Suite 420
Dallas, Texas 75252 not less than 60 days prior to the meeting of the
stockholders called for the election of directors; provided, however, in the
event that less than 70 days notice or prior public disclosure of the date the
meeting is given or made to stockholders, such written notice must be so
received not later than the close of business on the tenth day following the
day on which such notice of the date of the meeting was mailed or such public
disclosure of the date of the meeting was made, whichever occurs first. Such
stockholders notice to the Corporate Secretary must set forth (a) as to
the stockholder proposing to nominate a person for election or re-election as
director, (i) the name, business address and residence address of the
stockholder who intends to make the nomination and (ii) a representation
that the stockholder is a holder of record of shares of the Company entitled to
vote at such meeting and intends to appear in person or by proxy at the meeting
to nominate the person or persons specified in the notice, and (b) as to
the nominee, (i) the name, age, business and resident addresses, and
principal occupation or employment of each nominee; (ii) a description of
all arrangements or understandings between the stockholder and each nominee and
any other person or persons (naming such person or persons) pursuant to which
the nomination or nominations are to be made by the stockholder; (iii) any
other information relating to the nominee that is required to be disclosed in
solicitations for proxies for election of directors pursuant to Regulation 14A
under the Exchange Act; (iv) any other information that is or would be
required to be disclosed in a Schedule 13D promulgated under the Exchange Act,
regardless of whether such person would otherwise be required to file a
Schedule 13D and (v) the consent of each nominee to serve as a director of
the Company if so elected.
The Nominating Committee
considers, at a minimum, the following factors in recommending to the Board
potential new Board members, or the continued service of existing members:
1. the members/potential
members demonstrated character, judgment, relevant business, functional and
industry experience, and degree of acumen;
2. whether the
member/potential member assists in achieving a Board that represents an
appropriate mix of background and specialized experience;
3. the members/potential
members independence, as defined in the NASDAQ Standards;
4. whether the
member/potential member would be considered a financial expert or financially
literate as described in NASDAQ Standards, legislation or NASDAQ Audit
Committee guidelines;
5. the extent of the
members/potential members business experience, technical expertise, or
specialized skills or experience;
6. whether the
member/potential member, by virtue of particular experience relevant to the
Companys current or future business, will add specific value as a Board
member; and
49
Table of Contents
7. any factors related to
the ability and willingness of a new member to serve, or an existing member to
continue his/her service.
Previously the Board did
not use, and after September 11, 2009 the Nominating Committee does not
use, the services of any third-party search firm to assist in the
identification or evaluation of candidates. The Nominating Committee may engage
a third party to provide such services in the future, as it deems necessary or
appropriate at the time in question. Previously the Board determined the
required selection criteria and qualifications of director nominees based upon
the Companys needs at the time nominees are considered; going forward, the
Nominating Committee will serve this role. A candidate must possess the ability
to apply good business judgment and must be in a position to properly exercise
his or her duties of loyalty and care. Candidates should also exhibit proven
leadership capabilities, high integrity and experience with a high level of
responsibility within their chosen fields, and have the ability to quickly
understand complex principles of, but not limited to, business and finance.
Just as the Board has done in the past, the Nominating Committee will consider
these criteria for nominees identified by its committee members, by
stockholders, or through some other source. When current Nominating Committee
members are considered for nomination for reelection, the Nominating Committee
also takes into consideration their prior contributions, performance and
meeting attendance records.
As the Board has done in
the past, the Nominating Committee will conduct a process of making a
preliminary assessment of each proposed nominee based upon resume and
biographical information, an indication of the individuals willingness to
serve and other background information. This information will be evaluated
against the criteria set forth above as well as the Companys specific needs at
that time. Based upon a preliminary assessment of the candidates, those who
appear best suited to meet our needs may be invited to participate in a series
of interviews, which are used for further evaluation. The Nominating Committee
uses the same process for evaluating all nominees, regardless of the original
source of the recommendation.
Audit
Committee
Until September 11,
2009, all members of our Board of Directors served as members of our Audit
Committee, and beginning with the formation of our Executive Committee on February 3,
2009, all members of our Executive Committee served as members of our Audit
Committee. However, as of September 11, 2009, our Board of Directors has
formed an Audit Committee consisting of Messrs. Durham, Kaiser and Tornek,
with Mr. Tornek serving as chair. Our Audit Committee currently includes
one independent member of our Board of Directors, Mr. Tornek, as such
independence is defined under the NASDAQ Standards. Mr. Tornek also serves
as the audit committee financial expert, as such term is defined in Item 407(d)(5) of
Regulation S-K. Our Audit Committee
charter requires that all members of the Audit Committee be independent. The Audit Committees charter can be accessed
at
www.clstholdings.com/corpdocs.asp
.
The primary purpose of
the Audit Committee is to oversee the accounting and financial reporting
processes of the Company and the audits of the financial statements of the
Company. In fulfilling its oversight duties, the Audit Committee shall have the
following responsibilities:
·
Inquiring of management, the internal auditor and the
independent registered public accountants about significant risks or exposures
and assessing the steps management has taken to minimize such risk to the
Company.
·
Considering with management and the independent
registered public accountants the rationale for employing audit firms other
than the principal independent registered public accountants.
·
Considering and reviewing with management, the
independent registered public accountants and the internal auditor: the
adequacy of the Companys internal controls and disclosure controls and
procedures, including the adequacy of controls and security for management
information systems and other information technology, and any related
significant findings and recommendations of the independent registered public accountants
and internal audit together with managements responses thereto.
50
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·
Reviewing filings with the SEC and other published
documents containing the Companys financial statements and considering whether
the information contained in these documents is consistent with the information
contained in the financial statements.
·
Reviewing the Companys policies relating to
compliance with laws and regulations; the Companys code of conduct; ethics;
officers expense accounts, perquisites, and use of corporate assets; conflict
of interest and the investigation of misconduct or fraud.
·
Determining the extent to which the planned audit
scope of the internal auditor and independent registered public accountants can
be relied on to detect fraud.
·
Reviewing legal and regulatory matters that may have a
material impact on the financial statements, the Companys related compliance
policies and programs and reports received from regulators.
·
Reporting actions of the Audit Committee to the Board
of Directors with such recommendations as the Audit Committee may deem
appropriate.
·
Providing a report of the Audit Committees activities
to the Board at regular intervals.
·
Reviewing and approving all related-party
transactions, or designate a comparable body of the Board of Directors to
review and approve all related-party transactions.
·
Performing such other functions as set forth in the
Audit Committees charter.
Compensation
Committee
Since August of
2007, the Board has not had a separately functioning Compensation Committee,
and during this period our entire Board of Directors performed the functions of
a Compensation Committee, with compensation payable to our executive officers
being determined by our Board of Directors as a group. Robert A. Kaiser was,
and continues to be, our only director who receives compensation as an
executive officer. However, as of September 11,
2009, our Board of Directors has formed a Compensation Committee consisting of Messrs. Durham
and Tornek, with Mr. Tornek serving as chair. Our Compensation Committee
currently includes one independent member of our Board of Directors, Mr. Tornek,
as such independence is defined in the Compensation Committee charter. Our
Compensation Committee charter requires that all members of the Compensation
Committee be independent. The
Compensation Committees charter can be accessed at
www.clstholdings.com/corpdocs.asp
.
The Compensation
Committee serves the Board of Directors and is subject to their control and
direction. The Board may, however, at its discretion, delegate authority to the
Chairman of the Compensation Committee to approve specific actions that fall
within established program guidelines approved by the Board or the Compensation
Committee or to other officers of the Company to approve specific actions
within such guidelines as permitted by this Charter, the Companys charter and
bylaws, and applicable law.
The Compensation
Committee has the authority, acting alone, to retain special legal, accounting,
human resources, or other consultants to advise the Committee on the
performance of its duties. The Compensation Committee may request that any
officer or employee of the Company or the Companys outside counsel or
independent registered public accountants attend a meeting of the Compensation
Committee or meet with any member of, or consultant to, the Compensation Committee.
The Compensation Committee shall have the authority to delegate responsibility
for the day-to-day administration of executive compensation payable to the
officers of the Company.
Stockholder
Communications with the Board of Directors
We and our Board of
Directors welcome communications from our stockholders. Stockholders who wish
to communicate with the Board of Directors, or one or more specified directors,
may send an appropriately addressed letter to the Chairman of the Board of
Directors, CLST Holdings, Inc., 17304 Preston Road, Dominion Plaza, Suite
51
Table of Contents
420 Dallas, Texas 75252.
The mailing envelope should contain a clear notation indicating that the
enclosed letter is a Stockholder-Board Communication. All such letters should
identify the author as a security holder, and, if the author desires for the
communication to be forwarded to the entire Board of Directors or one or more
specified directors, the author should so request, in which case the Chairman
will arrange for it to be so forwarded unless the communication is irrelevant
or improper. Concerns relating to accounting, internal control over financial
reporting or auditing matters will be immediately brought to the attention of
the Chairman of the Audit Committee.
Code
of Ethics
We have established a
Business Ethics Policy for our chief executive officer, senior finance officers
and all other employees. A current copy of this code is available on our web
site at
www.clstholdings.com
. If we amend the
Business Ethics Policy or grant a waiver of a provision of the Business Ethics
Policy, we will disclose such amendment or waiver on our website within four
business days following such amendment or waiver. Such information will remain
available on our website for at least twelve months following the date of such
disclosure.
Item 11.
Executive Compensation
Summary
Compensation Table.
The following table sets
forth certain information regarding compensation earned by all individuals
serving as our Chief Executive Officer during fiscal year 2009 and our two most
highly compensated executive officers (other than the Chief Executive Officer)
who served as executive officers during fiscal year 2009 (the
Named Executive Officers
), for each
of the last two fiscal years.
Name and Principal
Position
|
|
Year
|
|
Salary
($)
|
|
Bonus
($)
|
|
Stock
Awards
($)(1)
|
|
Option
Awards
($)(1)
|
|
Nonequity
incentive
plan
compensation
($)
|
|
Nonqualified
deferred
compensation
earnings
($)
|
|
All other
compensation
($)
|
|
Total
($)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Robert
A. Kaiser,
Chief Financial Officer and Chief Executive Officer (2)
|
|
2009
|
|
$
|
240,000
|
|
|
|
$
|
44,000
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
25,750
|
|
$
|
309,750
|
|
|
|
2008
|
|
$
|
240,000
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
21,000
|
(3)
|
$
|
261,000
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1)
The amounts reported in the
Stock Awards column does not reflect compensation actually received. Rather this amount represents the aggregate
expense recognized by the Company for financial
statement reporting purposes for the fiscal year ended November 30,
2009 in accordance with Accounting
Standards Codification (
ASC
)
718,
Stock Compensation
, for restricted stock
granted in fiscal year 2009, and was calculated using certain
assumptions, as set forth in footnote 1 to our audited financial statements for
the fiscal year ended November 30, 2009, included herein.
(2)
Mr. Kaiser served as
President and Chief Executive Officer until March 30, 2007, when he
resigned in connection with the completion of sale of the Companys United
States and Miami-based Latin American operations. Mr. Kaiser served as
Chairman of the Board of Directors until April 17, 2007 and again from August 7,
2007 until September 11, 2009. Mr. Kaiser was subsequently reelected
as Chief Executive Officer and served again as Chief Financial Officer from September 25,
2007 to January 18, 2010.
(3)
Consists of Board of
Director Fees.
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Outstanding
Equity Awards at Fiscal Year End November 30, 2009.
The following table provides
information concerning unexercised options, stock that has not vested and
equity incentive plan awards for each of the Named Executive Officers as of November 30,
2009.
|
|
Option Awards
|
|
Stock Awards
|
|
Name
|
|
Number of
securities
underlying
unexercised
options (#)
exercisable
|
|
Number of
securities
underlying
unexercised
options (#)
unexercisable
|
|
Equity
incentive
plan
awards:
Number of
securities
underlying
unexercised
unearned
options (#)
|
|
Option
exercise
price ($)
|
|
Option
expiration
date
|
|
Number
of shares
or units
of stock
that have
not vested
(#)
|
|
Market
value of
shares of
units of
stock
that have
not
vested ($)
|
|
Equity
incentive
plan
awards:
Number of
unearned
shares,
units or
other
rights that
have not
vested (#)
|
|
Equity
incentive plan
awards:
Market or
payout value
of unearned
shares, units
or other rights
that have not
vested
|
|
Robert
A. Kaiser, Chief Executive Officer
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
200,000
|
(2)
|
$
|
18,000
|
(3)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
80,000
|
(1)
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
4.60
|
|
12/21/2011
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
50,000
|
(1)
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
5.45
|
|
1/22/2013
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1)
The Companys former 1993
Plan terminated on December 3, 2003.
However, Mr. Kaiser currently has exercisable options that were
granted under the 1993 Plan. Mr. Kaiser
was granted options Plan to purchase 80,000 shares of the Companys common
stock on December 12, 2001, and 50,000 shares of the Companys common
stock on January 22, 2003. Each of these options vested with respect to
25% of the shares covered thereby on each of the first four anniversaries of
the date of grant and expires ten years following the date of grant. The exercise price of each option was equal
to the fair market value of the common stock on the date of grant.
(2)
Mr. Kaiser received a
restricted stock grant of 300,000 shares on December 1, 2008, 100,000
shares of which vested on December 1, 2008, and the remaining 200,000 of
which 100,000 shares vest on December 1, 2009 and 100,000 shares vest on December 1,
2010.
(3)
Market values of the
restricted stock unit awards shown in this table are based on the closing
market price of our common stock as of November 30, 2009, which was $0.09,
and assumes the satisfaction of the applicable vesting conditions.
Compensation
of Executive Officers.
Employment Contracts and Termination of Employment
and Change in Control Arrangements.
The Company maintained an
employment agreement with Mr. Kaiser (the
Agreement
) prior to March 30,
2007. In connection with the sale of the
Companys United States and Miami-based Latin American operations, the related
sale agreement required as a condition of closing that the Company pay all
amounts due Mr. Kaiser under his Agreement with the Company, including
payments due as a result of a change in control of the Company resulting from
the sale. To receive those payments, Mr. Kaisers
employment with the Company had to be terminated. Although Mr. Kaiser
would have preferred to remain as Chief Executive Officer and President of the
Company after the closing until he believed he had fulfilled the
responsibilities of those positions, he agreed to resign on March 30,
2007, so that the closing could be completed. Mr. Kaiser continued to
serve on the Board of Directors throughout 2007, including after his election
to the Board of Directors on August 7, 2007. On August 7, 2007, Mr. Kaiser was
appointed Chairman of the Board and served until September 11, 2009, at
which time Timothy S. Durham was appointed Chairman of the Board. On August 28,
2007, the Board of Directors authorized the retention of Mr. Kaiser as a
consultant to the Company for a sum of $20,000 a month on a month-to-month
basis, terminable at will by either party. On September 25, 2007, in
addition to his duties as Chairman, he was appointed Chief Executive Officer,
Chief Financial Officer, and Treasurer.
On January 18, 2010, Mr. Kaiser resigned as Vice President,
Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer and now serves only as President and
Chief Executive Officer. As of January 1,
2008, Mr. Kaiser is an employee of the Company and receives $20,000 per
month.
53
Table of Contents
Compensation of Directors.
The
following table provides information concerning compensation of the Companys
directors for the fiscal year ended November 30, 2009. All compensation
received by Mr. Kaiser for fiscal 2009 that is as a result of his membership
on the Board is reflected in the Summary Compensation Table above.
Name
|
|
Fees
earned or
paid in
cash ($)
|
|
Stock
awards
($)(1)
|
|
Option
awards
($)(1)
|
|
Non-equity
incentive plan
compensation ($)
|
|
Nonqualified
deferred
compensation
earnings ($)
|
|
All other
compensation
($)
|
|
Total ($)
|
|
Timothy S. Durham
|
|
$
|
21,250
|
|
$
|
44,000
|
|
|
|
N/A
|
|
N/A
|
|
|
|
$
|
65,250
|
|
David Tornek
|
|
$
|
18,500
|
|
$
|
28,000
|
|
|
|
N/A
|
|
N/A
|
|
|
|
$
|
46,500
|
|
Manoj Rajegowda (2)
|
|
$
|
4,500
|
|
|
|
|
|
N/A
|
|
N/A
|
|
|
|
$
|
4,500
|
|
(1)
The amounts reported in the
Stock Awards column does not reflect compensation actually received. Rather this amount represents the aggregate
expense recognized by the Company for financial
statement reporting purposes for the fiscal year ended November 30,
2009 in accordance with ASC 718,
Stock Compensation
, for restricted stock granted in fiscal
year 2009, and was calculated using certain assumptions, as set forth in
footnote 1 to our audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended November 30,
2009, included herein.
(2)
On February 24, 2009,
our director and member of our Audit Committee, Manoj Rajegowda, tendered his
resignation as a member of our Board of Directors, effective immediately.
Historically, we issued
shares of restricted stock to our employees and executive officers pursuant to
our 2003 Plan. The number of shares to be granted under the 2003 Plan was
determined by the Board at the time of the grant based upon the pool of shares
then available for grant. The awarded shares vested at the rate of 33
1
/
3
% per year on
each anniversary date of grant and were subject to such other terms and
conditions as may be contained in the form of restricted stock award agreement
generally used by the Company at the time of grant. As disclosed in Part II
of this Form 10-K, under the heading Market for Registrants Common
Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity
SecuritiesEquity Compensation Plan Information, the Companys 2003 Plan was
cancelled on September 25, 2007.
From November 30, 2006 until September 25, 2007, each
non-employee director who was then serving as such received a grant of 4,500
shares of restricted stock. At a meeting of the Board on September 25,
2007, the Board unanimously resolved to terminate the Companys 2003 Plan due
to the reduction in the Companys workforce. As a result of the termination of
the 2003 Plan, all outstanding options to purchase the equity securities of the
Company issued thereunder were terminated as well. Therefore, there are currently no outstanding
options to purchase the Companys Securities under the 2003 Plan.
Subsequent to fiscal 2008,
on December 1, 2008, our Board approved the Companys 2008 Plan, and
subsequently amended and restated on September 11, 2009 to decrease the
number of shares of common stock of the Company that may be issued under the
2008 Plan from 20,000,000 to 2,000,000. The 2008 Plan, which is
administered by the Board, permits the grant of restricted stock, stock options
and other stock-based awards to employees, officer, directors, consultants and
advisors of the Company and its subsidiaries. The 2008 Plan provides that the
administrator of the plan may determine the terms and conditions applicable to
each award, and each award will be evidenced by a stock option agreement or
restricted stock agreement.
The
2008 Plan
will terminate on December 1, 2018.
In addition, on December 1, 2008 our
Board
approved the grant of 300,000 shares of
restricted stock to each of Timothy S. Durham, Robert A. Kaiser and Manoj
Rajegowda. Subsequently, on February 24, 2009, Mr. Rajegowda
forfeited all stock issuances provided to him during the course of his Board
membership in connection with his resignation from the Board. Of each
restricted stock grant, 100,000 shares vested on the date of grant, and the remaining
200,000 of the shares vest in two equal annual installments on each anniversary
of the date of grant.
The restricted stock becomes 100% vested if
any of the following occurs: (i) the participants death or (ii) the
disability of the Participant while employed or engaged as a director or
consultant by the Company. On March 5,
2009, our Board of Directors approved the grant of 300,000 shares of restricted
stock to David Tornek, of which 100,000 shares vested on the date of grant, and
the remaining 200,000 of the shares vest in two equal annual installments on
each anniversary of the date of grant.
Each of our directors
receives an annual retainer of $10,000. In addition, each director receives
$750 per
54
Table of Contents
Board meeting that he is present or $500 if he
participates telephonically.
All directors of the Company
are entitled to reimbursement of their reasonable out-of-pocket expenses in
connection with their travel to, and attendance at, meetings of the Board or
committees thereof. There were no other arrangements pursuant to which any
director was compensated for any service provided as a director during fiscal 2009,
other than as set forth above.
Item 12.
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related
Stockholder Matters
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners
The
following table sets forth information with respect to the number of shares of
the Companys common stock beneficially owned as of March 1, 2010, by (a) each
person who is known by us to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of the
outstanding shares of our common stock, (b) each of our directors, (c) each
of our executive officers named in the Summary Compensation Table above under Executive
Compensation, and (d) all of our executive officers and directors as a
group. Unless otherwise indicated, we believe that each person or entity named
below has sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares shown as
beneficially owned by such person or entity, subject to community property laws
where applicable and the information set forth in the footnotes to the table
below.
Name and Address of Beneficial Owner
|
|
Amount and Nature
of Beneficial Ownership
|
|
Percent
of Class(1)
|
|
Michael
A. Roth and Brian J. Stark
c/o Stark Investments
3600 South Lake Drive
St. Francis, Wisconsin 53235
|
|
3,267,254
|
(2)
|
13.6
|
%
|
David
Sandberg c/o Red Oak Partners, LLC
145 Fourth Avenue, Suite 15A
New York, NY 10003
|
|
4,561,554
|
(3)
|
19.0
|
%
|
Timothy
S. Durham
|
|
3,474,471
|
(4)
|
14.5
|
%
|
Robert
A. Kaiser
|
|
640,413
|
(5)
|
2.7
|
%
|
David
Tornek
|
|
932,323
|
(6)
|
3.9
|
%
|
Jerome
L. Trojan
|
|
|
|
|
|
Directors
and executive officers as a group
|
|
5,047,207
|
|
21.0
|
%
|
(1)
Based on 23,949,282 shares of our common stock
outstanding as of March 1, 2010.
(2)
Based on an amended Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on
February 14, 2007 by Michael A. Roth and Brian J. Stark, filing as joint
filers pursuant to Rule 13d-1(k) under the Exchange Act. Mr. Roth
and Mr. Stark reported shared voting and dispositive power with respect to
all shares shown as beneficially owned in such filing. The 3,267,254 shares of
common stock and percentage ownership represent the combined indirect holdings
of Michael A. Roth and Brian J. Stark. All of the foregoing represents an
aggregate of 3,267,254 shares of common stock held directly by Stark Master
Fund Ltd. (
Stark
). The Reporting
Persons are the Managing Members of Stark Offshore Management LLC (
Stark Offshore
), which serves as
the investment manager of Stark. Through Stark Offshore, Michael A. Roth and
Brian J. Stark share voting and dispositive power over all of the foregoing
shares.
(3)
Based on a Schedule 13D filed with the SEC on February 18,
2009, as amended by Amendment #1 to the Schedule 13D filed with the SEC on March 4,
2009 and Amendment #2 to the Schedule 13D filed with the SEC on April 28,
2009, by David Sandberg, David Sandberg, Red Oak Partners, Red Oak Fund,
Pinnacle
55
Table of Contents
Partners, Pinnacle Fund and Bear Fund. Each of the
filers reported shared voting and dispositive power with respect to all shares
shown as beneficially owned in such filing. Red Oak Partners, and therefore Mr. Sandberg,
managing member of Red Oak Partners, beneficially owns 4,561,554 shares of
common stock. Red Oak Fund is controlled by Red Oak Partners. Red Oak Partners manages
Bear Fund and makes its investment decisions. Pinnacle Fund is controlled by
Pinnacle Partners, which is controlled by Red Oak Partners. Therefore, Red Oak
Partners may be deemed to beneficially own (i) the 3,341,106 shares of
common stock held by Red Oak Fund, (ii) the 960,448 shares of common stock
beneficially owned by Pinnacle Partners through Pinnacle Fund, and (iii) the
260,000 shares of common stock held by Bear Fund. Please refer to Item 3Legal
Proceedings above for more information regarding a lawsuit we filed against
Red Oak Partners on February 13, 2009 and a derivative lawsuit filed by
Red Oak Partners against Messrs. Kaiser, Durham and Tornek on March 2,
2009.
(4)
Includes a restricted stock grant, 200,000 shares of
which vested on December 1, 2008 and December 1, 2009, and the
remaining 100,000 of which vest on December 1, 2010. Also, this amount
includes 1,969,077 shares of common stock based upon the Schedule 13D filed
with the SEC on February 27, 2009, by Mr. Durham, DC Investments,
LLC, an Indiana limited liability company (
DC
Investments
), Fair Holdings and Fair. Mr. Durham is the
managing member of DC Investments, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of
Fair Holdings and the Chief Executive Office and a member of the Board of
Directors of Fair, and therefore, Durham may be deemed to beneficially own the
1,969,077 shares of common stock held by Fair. Mr. Durham reported shared
voting and dispositive power with respect to such 1,969,077 shares. In February 2010, Fair commenced
bankruptcy proceedings which may impact Mr. Durhams beneficial interest
to the 1,969,077 shares owned by Fair.
(5)
Includes 73,676 shares held in a partnership
controlled by Mr. Kaiser and his wife, as well as a restricted stock
grant, 200,000 shares of which vested on December 1, 2008 and December 1,
2009, and the remaining 100,000 of which vest on December 1, 2010. Also
includes options to purchase 130,000 shares of common stock, 80,000 of which
expire on December 12, 2011 and 50,000 of which expire on January 22,
2013. Also includes 12,990 shares of common stock acquired in a privately
negotiated purchase on September 23, 2009.
(6)
Includes a restricted stock grant, 100,000 shares of
which vested on March 5, 2009, 100,000 of which vested on March 5, 2010
and the remaining 100,000 of which vest on March 5, 2011. Also includes
30,000 shares of common stock acquired in open market purchases on September 17,
2009, and 418,003 shares of common stock acquired in a privately negotiated
purchase on September 24, 2009.
Equity
Compensation Plan Information
The Companys equity
compensation plan information is provided in Part II of this Form 10-K,
under the heading Market for Registrants Common Equity, Related Stockholder
Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity SecuritiesEquity Compensation Plan
Information, and is incorporated herein by reference.
Changes in
Control
To managements knowledge,
there are no arrangements the operation of which may at a subsequent date
result in a change in control of the Company.
Rights Plan
On February 5,
2009, our Board adopted a rights plan and declared a dividend of one preferred
share purchase right for each outstanding share of common stock of the Company.
The dividend is payable to our stockholders of record as of February 16,
2009. The terms of the rights and the rights plan are set forth in a Rights
Agreement, by and between the Company and Mellon Investor Services LLC, as
Rights Agent (the
Rights
Plan
).
Our
Board adopted the Rights Plan in an effort to protect stockholder value by
attempting to protect against a possible
limitation on our ability to use our NOLs to reduce potential future federal
income tax obligations. We have experienced and continue to experience
substantial operating losses, and under the Internal Revenue Code and
56
Table of Contents
rules promulgated by
the Internal Revenue Service, we may carry forward these losses in certain
circumstances to offset any current and future earnings and thus reduce our
federal income tax liability, subject to certain requirements and restrictions.
To the extent that the NOLs do not otherwise become limited, we believe that we
will be able to carry forward a significant amount of NOLs, and therefore these
NOLs could be a substantial asset to us. However, if we experience an Ownership
Change, as defined in Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code, our
ability to use the NOLs will be substantially limited, and the timing of the
usage of the NOLs could be substantially delayed, which could therefore
significantly impair the value of that asset.
The
Rights Plan is intended to act as a deterrent to any person or group acquiring
4.9% or more of our outstanding common stock (an
Acquiring Person
) without our approval.
Stockholders who own 4.9% or more of our outstanding common stock as of the
close of business on February 16, 2009 will not trigger the Rights Plan so
long as they do not (i) acquire any additional shares of common stock or (ii) fall
under 4.9% ownership of common stock and then re-acquire 4.9% or more of the
common stock. The Rights Plan does not exempt any future acquisitions of common
stock by such persons. Any rights held by an Acquiring Person are null and void
and may not be exercised. We may, in our sole discretion, exempt any person or
group from being deemed an Acquiring Person for purposes of the Rights Plan.
The
rights have certain anti-takeover effects. The rights will cause
substantial dilution to a person or group who attempts to acquire the Company
on terms not approved by us. The rights should not interfere with any
merger or other business combination approved by us since we may redeem the
rights at $0.01 per right at any time until the date on which a person or group
has become an Acquiring Person.
Item 13.
Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence
Review,
Approval, or Ratification of Transactions with Related Persons.
Our Board of
Directors recognizes that related party transactions present a heightened risk
of conflicts of interest and/or improper valuation (or the perception thereof)
and therefore has adopted a policy within our Business Ethics Policy which
shall be followed in connection with all related party transactions involving
the Company. Our Business Ethics Policy can be found at our Internet website at
www.clstholdings.com
. Under this
policy, any
Related Party Transaction
shall be consummated or shall continue only if:
1.
the Audit Committee shall approve or ratify such
transaction in accordance with the guidelines set forth in the policy and if
the transaction is on terms comparable to those that could be obtained in arms
length dealings with an unrelated third party;
2.
the transaction is approved by the disinterested
members of the Board of Directors; or
3.
the transaction involves compensation approved by the
Companys Compensation Committee.
For these purposes, a
Related Party
is:
·
a senior officer (which shall include at a minimum each vice
president and Section 16 officer) or director of the Company
·
a
stockholder owning in excess of five percent of the Company (or its controlled
affiliates)
·
a
person who is an immediate family member of a senior officer or director
·
an
entity which is owned or controlled by someone listed in 1, 2 or 3 above, or an
entity in which someone listed in 1, 2 or 3 above has a substantial ownership
interest or control of such entity.
For these purposes, a
Related Party Transaction
is a transaction between the Company and any Related Party (including any
transactions requiring disclosure under Item 404 of Regulation S-K under the
Exchange Act), other than:
·
transactions
available to all employees generally
·
transactions
involving less than $5,000 when aggregated with all similar transactions.
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The Board of Directors
has determined that the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors is best
suited to review and approve Related Party Transactions. Accordingly, at each
calendar years first regularly scheduled Audit Committee meeting, management
shall recommend Related Party Transactions to be entered into by the Company
for that calendar year, including the proposed aggregate value of such
transactions if applicable. After review, the Audit Committee shall approve or
disapprove such transactions and at each subsequently scheduled meeting,
management shall update the Audit Committee as to any material change to those
proposed transactions.
In the event management
recommends any further Related Party Transactions subsequent to the first
calendar year meeting, such transactions may be presented to the Audit
Committee for approval or preliminarily entered into by management subject to
ratification by the Committee; provided, that if ratification shall not be
forthcoming, management shall make all reasonable efforts to cancel or annul such
transaction.
The Board of Directors
recognizes that situations exist where a significant opportunity may be
presented to management or a member of the Board of Directors that may equally
be available to the Company, either directly or via referral. Before such
opportunity may be consummated by a Related Party (other than an otherwise
unaffiliated 5% stockholder), such opportunity shall be presented to the Board
of Directors of the Company for consideration.
All
Related Party Transactions are to be disclosed in the Companys applicable
filings as required by the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, and related
rules. Furthermore, all Related Party Transactions shall be disclosed to the
Audit Committee of the Board of Directors and any material Related Party
Transaction shall be disclosed to the full Board of Directors. Further,
management shall assure that all Related Party Transactions are approved in
accordance with any requirements of the Companys financing agreements.
Related
Party Transactions.
CLST Asset I
On November 10,
2008, the Company entered into a purchase agreement, through CLST Asset I, a
wholly owned subsidiary of Financo, which is one of our direct, wholly owned
subsidiaries, to acquire all of the outstanding equity interests of Trust I
from Drawbridge for approximately $41.0 million under the Trust I Purchase
Agreement. Our acquisition of Trust I was financed by approximately $6.1
million of cash on hand and by a non-recourse, term loan of approximately $34.9
million from Fortress, an affiliate of Drawbridge, pursuant to the terms and
conditions set forth in the Trust I Credit Agreement, dated November 10,
2008, by and among the Trust I, Fortress, as the lender and administrative
agent, FCC, as the initial servicer, Lyon Financial Services, Inc., as the
backup servicer, and U.S. Bank National Association, as the collateral
custodian.
Pursuant to the Trust I
Credit Agreement, Fair, may become the servicer if and only if there occurs an
event of a default by the then current servicer and only if Fair is not then in
default either as a borrower or as a servicer under any credit facility to
which Fortress or any of its affiliates is a party and no change of control of
Fair has occurred. Timothy S. Durham, an
officer, director and stockholder of the Company, is Chief Executive Officer
and Director of Fair and is also a majority stockholder of Fair. As of the date
of this Form 10-K, FCC continues to be the servicer of the CLST Asset I
portfolio, and the Company is not aware that the servicer is in default under
the Trust I Credit Agreement. Because
Fair is not currently acting as the servicer of CLST Asset I and Fair could
only become a servicer upon certain defaults by the current servicer, it is not
currently anticipated that Fair will have a direct or indirect material
interest in the Trust I Credit Agreement.
The servicing fee payable to the servicer in any given year under the
Trust I Credit Agreement is based upon a service fee rate of 1.5% and the
aggregate outstanding receivable balance.
In February 2010, Fair commenced bankruptcy proceedings, which may
impact Fairs ability to ultimately act as the servicer of the CLST Asset I
portfolio if there was a need to change from the current servicer.
CLST Asset II
On December 12, 2008,
the Company entered into the Trust II Purchase Agreement, through Trust II
, a newly formed trust wholly owned by
CLST Asset II, a wholly owned subsidiary of Financo
, effective as of December 10,
2008, to acquire from time to time certain receivables, installment sales
contracts and related assets owned by
SSPE Trust and SSPE
.
Under the terms of the Trust II Credit
Agreement, a non-recourse, revolving loan, which Trust II entered into with
Summit, as originator, and SSPE and SSPE Trust, as co-borrowers, Summit and
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Contents
Eric
J. Gangloff, as Guarantors, Fortress Corp., as the lender, Summit Alternative
Investments, LLC, as the initial servicer, and various other parties, Trust II committed
to purchase receivables of at least $2.0 million. In conjunction with the Trust II Credit
Agreement, Trust II became a co-borrower under a $50 million credit agreement
that permits Trust II to use more than $15 million of the aggregate availability
under the revolving facility.
Fair is a sub-servicer of
the CLST Asset II portfolio and is an affiliate of Mr. Durham, a director
of the Company. Fair has been retained
as a sub-servicer for assets held by the SSPE Trust. The Company has not made any payments to Fair
in connection with its services as a sub-servicer for CLST Asset II portfolio
assets held by the SSPE Trust. In February 2010, Fair commenced bankruptcy
proceedings, which may impact Fairs ability to ultimately act as the servicer
of the CLST Asset II portfolio if there was a need to change from the current
servicer.
We received the
Default Notice dated December 2, 2009 from Fortress Corp. stating that a
servicer default had occurred and was continuing under the Trust II Credit
Agreement, as a result of a material adverse effect with respect to the
servicer. The Default Notice states that
Fair, in its capacity as a sub-servicer for assets held by the SSPE Trust, has
failed to perform its servicing duties with respect to that portion of the
receivables portfolio owned by SSPE Trust for which Fair has been retained as a
sub-servicer by the SSPE Trust. This
failure, the Default Notice asserts, results from the ongoing federal
investigation of Fair and Timothy Durham, and constitutes a material adverse
effect with respect to the servicer and thus a breach of a covenant under the
Trust II Credit Agreement. We also
received a Second Default Notice dated February 8, 2010 from Fortress
Corp. stating that an additional event of default has occurred and is
continuing under the Trust II Credit Agreement because the three-month rolling
average annualized default rate of the Class A receivables in the Trust
II portfolio had exceeded 5.0% as of January 31,
2010. On February 26, 2010, the parties to the Trust II Credit Agreement
entered into the Fortress Waiver whereby 1) each event of default declared in
the Default Notice and the Second Default Notice was waived, 2) Trust II became
the sole borrower under the Trust II Credit Agreement, 3) the outstanding
borrowings attributable to SSPE Trust were paid in full, 4) SSPE Trust and
their affiliates were released from all further obligations under the Trust II
Credit Agreement, and 5) the SSPE Trust assets were removed as pledged
collateral for the Trust II Credit Agreement. The Fortress Waiver also amended
certain terms of the Trust II Credit Agreement including the elimination of
Trust IIs right to further borrowings and the requirement for Trust II to pay
an unused commitment fee.
CLST Asset III
Effective February 13,
2009, we, through CLST Asset III, a newly formed, wholly owned subsidiary of
Financo, which is one of our direct, wholly owned subsidiaries, purchased
certain receivables, installment sales contracts and related assets owned by
Fair, James F. Cochran, Chairman and Director of Fair, and by Timothy S.
Durham, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Fair and an officer, director
and stockholder of our Company under the Trust III Purchase Agreement. Messrs. Durham
and Cochran own all of the outstanding equity of Fair. In return for assets
acquired under the Trust III Purchase Agreement, CLST Asset III paid the
sellers total consideration of $3,594,354 as follows:
(1)
cash in the amount of $1,797,178 of which $1,417,737 was paid to Fair, $325,440
was paid to Mr. Durham and $54,000 was paid to Mr. Cochran,
(2)
2,496,077 newly issued shares of our common stock at a price of $0.36 per
share, of which 1,969,077 shares of common stock were issued to Fair, 452,000
shares of common stock were issued to Mr. Durham and 75,000 shares of
common stock were issued to Mr. Cochran and
(3)
six promissory Notes issued by CLST Asset III in an aggregate original stated
principal amount of $898,588, of which two promissory notes in an aggregate
original principal amount of $708,868 were issued to Fair, two promissory notes
in an aggregate original principal amount of $162,720 were issued to Mr. Durham
and two promissory notes in an aggregate original principal amount of $27,000 were
issued to Mr. Cochran.
We received a
fairness opinion of BVA stating that BVA is of the opinion that the
consideration paid by us pursuant to the Trust III Purchase Agreement is fair,
from a financial point of view, to our nonaffiliated stockholders. A copy
of the fairness opinion was filed as an exhibit to our Current Report on Form 8-K
filed with
59
Table of Contents
the SEC on February 20,
2009. The shares of common stock were issued by us in a transaction
exempt from registration pursuant to Section 4(2) of the Securities
Act. As additional inducement for CLST Asset III to enter into the Trust
III Purchase Agreement, Fair agreed to use its best efforts to facilitate
negotiations to add CLST Asset III or one of its affiliates as a co-borrower
under one of Fairs existing lines of credit with access to at least
$15,000,000 of credit for our own purposes.
To date we have not been added as a co-borrower.
Substantially all
of the assets acquired by CLST Asset III are in one of two portfolios.
Portfolio A is a mixed pool of receivables from several asset classes,
including health and fitness club memberships, resort memberships, receivables
associated with campgrounds and timeshares, in-home food sales and services,
buyers clubs, delivered products, home improvements and tuitions.
Portfolio B is made up entirely of receivables related to the sale of tanning
bed products. Fair initially continued to act as the servicer of these
receivables for no additional consideration.
As of February 13,
2009, the portfolios of receivables acquired pursuant to the Trust III Purchase
Agreement collectively consisted of approximately 3,000 accounts with an
aggregate outstanding balance of approximately $3,709,500, a weighted average
interest rate greater than 18% and an average outstanding balance per account
of approximately $1,015 for Portfolio A and approximately $5,740 for Portfolio
B. The receivables were recorded at the
fair value based on an evaluation prepared by BVA upon which we relied. All the loans were originated by Fair between
November 1998 and August 2009 and are unsecured loans. None of the loans purchased were in default.
We have the right
to require the seller to repurchase any accounts, for the original purchase
price applicable to such account, that do not satisfy certain specified
eligibility requirements set out in the Trust III Purchase Agreement. If it is discovered by a party that a
receivable account was not an Eligible Receivable as of February 13,
2009, the closing date of the acquisition, the seller is required to repurchase
such receivable account. An account is
not an Eligible Receivable if, as of February 13, 2009, such receivable
account is a delinquent receivable, a defaulted receivable subject to
litigation, dispute or rights of rescission, setoff or counterclaim, or is not
subject to a duly recorded and perfected lien, the seller must repurchase the account. For the twelve months ended November 30,
2009, there had not been a determination that any receivables failed to meet
the eligibility requirements set out in the Trust III Purchase Agreement.
Additionally, the
Trust III Purchase Agreement provides that each of the sellers jointly and
severally guarantee to CLST Asset III, up to the aggregate stated principal
amount of the Notes issued to such seller, that the outstanding receivable
balance of each receivable as of the closing date will be collectible in
full. For each receivable that becomes a
defaulted receivable following the closing date, the sellers are obligated to
pay to CLST Asset III an amount equal to the outstanding receivable balance of
such receivable and CLST Asset III has the right to offset such amount against
the amount due to the seller under the promissory notes issued to the sellers
on the closing date. The aggregate
amount of each sellers guarantee obligation is limited to the aggregate stated
principal amount of the promissory note issued to such seller representing
approximately 25% of the total purchase price of the portfolio of approximately
$3.6 million. Since the principal
balance of the notes declines over time as payments are made by the Company to
the sellers, future defaulted receivables can be offset only against the then
remaining balance of the notes issued to the sellers. In February 2010, Fair commenced
bankruptcy proceedings which may limit the Companys ability to continue to
offset future receivable defaults against the notes payable to Fair, but should
not impact the Companys rights to continue to offset defaults of receivables
against the other remaining seller notes. Defaults of $208,000 during the
twelve months ended November 30, 2009 were offset against the notes
payable to the sellers.
The remaining obligation to the sellers, as of November 30, 2009,
was $498,000 after interest was accrued and delinquent receivables were
recorded. At this time, we believe that we have a right of recoupment against
Fair for payments it has received on our behalf and not remitted, and expect to
exercise that right by withholding such amounts from any money due to
Fair. However, there can be no assurance
that Fair will not challenge our recoupment right, or what the ultimate outcome
of that challenge might be. On March 1, 2010 approximately $73,000
was due to Fair and the other sellers which has not been
paid.
The Notes issued
by CLST Asset III in favor of the sellers are full-recourse with respect to
CLST Asset III and are unsecured. The three Portfolio A Notes are payable
in 11 quarterly installments, each consisting of equal principal payments, plus
all interest accrued through such payment date at a rate of 4.0% plus the LIBOR
Rate (as defined in the Portfolio A Notes). The three Portfolio B Notes
are payable in 21 quarterly installments, each
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consisting of equal
principal payments, plus all interest accrued through such payment date at a
rate of 4.0% plus the LIBOR Rate (as defined in the Portfolio B Notes).
For the twelve
months ended November 30, 2009, Fair, as a servicer for CLST Asset III,
remitted approximately $2.0 million to the Company.
During the second
quarter of 2009 we began implementing the servicing, collection and other
procedures relating to management of CLST Asset III contemplated by the
agreements between us and the servicer of the portfolio. Fair was the servicer
of the CLST Asset III portfolio and is an affiliate of Mr. Durham. The
implementation of the procedures required several meetings with the servicer
and were implemented during the third quarter of 2009 with the exception of
securing a lock box to receive payments, which we expected to have in place
during the fourth quarter of 2009.
During the fourth quarter of 2009, unexpectedly to the Company, the FBI
and other government agencies seized certain assets of Fair, including their
servers, computers and other items used by Fair in the servicing of our CLST
Asset III portfolio. Due to these and other facts, we understand Fair was
closed for a period of time and was unable to fully service our CLST Asset III
portfolio for an extended period of time. As a result, we have moved the
servicing of our CLST Asset III portfolio to an alternate servicer. Effective February 1,
2010, Highlands assumed all servicing functions previously performed by Fair.
Highlands is fully independent of Fair and the Company, and there are no
related party relationships of any nature among Fair, Highlands or the Company.
Fair had been fully co-operating with the logistics of the transfer of the
servicing of the CLST Asset III portfolio to Highlands, however, Fairs
bankruptcy proceedings may negatively impact the timing and completeness of
this transfer.
Director Independence
For
information on the independence of our directors, please see Item 10,
Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
Corporate Governance
Director
Independence.
Item 14.
Principal Accounting Fees and Services
The following table summarizes the fees billed by Whitley Penn LLP
for services rendered during the fiscal years ended November 30, 2009 and November 30,
2008 (in thousands).
|
|
2009
|
|
2008
|
|
Audit Fees(1)
|
|
$
|
140
|
|
$
|
115
|
|
Audit-Related Fees(2)
|
|
19
|
|
18
|
|
Tax Fees(3)
|
|
2
|
|
9
|
|
All Other Fees(4)
|
|
78
|
|
25
|
|
TOTAL
|
|
$
|
239
|
|
$
|
167
|
|
(1)
Audit Fees
includes fees and expenses billed for the audit of the Companys annual
financial statements and review of financial statements included in the Companys
quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and other regulatory filings.
(2)
Audit-Related
Fees includes fees billed for services that are related to the performance of
the audit or review of the Companys financial statements (which are not
reported above under the caption Audit Fees). For fiscal 2008 and 2009, the
amount relates to an audit of the Companys 401k plan.
(3)
Tax fees
relate to various tax planning consultations.
(4)
Other fees
include fees billed for services related to the Companys acquisition of Trust
I and review of the Companys proxy statement and SEC comment letters.
The
Audit Committee has considered whether the provision of non-audit services by
Whitley Penn is compatible with maintaining the principal accountants
independence, and has determined that it is. The Audit
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Committee
has sole authority to engage and determine the compensation of the Companys
independent registered public accountants. Pre-approval by the Audit Committee
is required for any engagement of Whitley Penn, subject to certain
de minimis
exceptions. Annually, the Audit Committee
pre-approves services to be provided by Whitley Penn.
All
of the services described herein were approved by the Audit Committee pursuant
to its pre-approval policies.
None
of the hours expended on the independent registered public accounting firms
engagement to audit our financial statements for the most recent fiscal year
were attributed to work performed by persons other than the independent
registered public accounting firms full-time permanent employees.
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Table of Contents
PART IV.
Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules
(a)
The following are filed as part of this Annual
Report on Form 10-K:
(1)
Consolidated Financial
Statements
(2)
Financial Statement
Schedules
(3)
Exhibits
An index identifying the exhibits to be filed with
this Form 10-K is provided below.
Exhibit
No.
|
|
Description
|
|
Previously Filed as an Exhibit to and
Incorporated by Reference From
|
|
Date Filed
|
2.1
|
|
Asset Purchase Agreement,
dated December 18, 2006, related to the U.S. Sale (Schedules and
exhibits have been omitted, and the Company agrees to furnish to the
Commission supplementally a copy of any omitted schedules and exhibits upon
request).
|
|
Current Report on
Form 8-K
|
|
December 19, 2006
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2.2
|
|
Stock Purchase Agreement,
dated December 18, 2006, related to the Mexico Sale (Schedules and
exhibits have been omitted, and the Company agrees to furnish to the
Commission supplementally a copy of any omitted schedules and exhibits upon
request).
|
|
Current Report on
Form 8-K
|
|
December 19, 2006
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3.1
|
|
Amended and Restated
Certificate of Incorporation of CellStar Corporation dated April 27,
1995 (the Certificate of Incorporation).
|
|
Form 10-Q for the
quarter ended August 31, 1995
|
|
October 13, 1995
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3.2
|
|
Certificate of Amendment
to Certificate of Incorporation, dated May 19, 1998.
|
|
Form 10-Q for the
quarter ended May 31, 1998
|
|
July 14, 1998
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3.3
|
|
Certificate of Amendment
to Certificate of Incorporation dated as of February 20, 2002.
|
|
Form 10-K for the
fiscal year ended November 30, 2002
|
|
February 28, 2003
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3.4
|
|
Certificate of Amendment
to the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation dated as of
March 30, 2007.
|
|
Form 10-Q for the
quarter ended February 28, 2007
|
|
April 9, 2007
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3.5
|
|
Amended and Restated
Bylaws of CellStar Corporation, effective as of May 1, 2004.
|
|
Form 10-Q for the
quarter ended May 31, 2004.
|
|
July 15, 2004
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.1
|
|
Specimen Common Stock Certificate of CLST
Holdings, Inc.
|
|
|
|
Filed herewith.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.2
|
|
Rights Agreement, dated as
of February 13, 2009, by and between CLST Holdings, Inc. and Mellon
Investor Services LLC, as rights agent.
|
|
Form 8-A
|
|
February 13, 2009
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.3
|
|
Certificate of Designation
of Series B Junior Preferred Stock of CLST Holdings, Inc., dated as
of February 5, 2009.
|
|
Current Report on
Form 8-K
|
|
February 6, 2009
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10.1
|
|
Form of Restricted Stock
Award Agreement under the CLST
|
|
Previously filed as an exhibit to
|
|
March 2, 2009
|
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Table of Contents
|
|
Holdings, Inc. 2008 Long
Term Incentive Plan.
|
|
our companys Annual Report Form on
Form 10-K/A for the fiscal year ended November 30, 2008 and
incorporated herein by reference.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10.2
|
|
First
Amendment to Credit Agreement, dated as of May 20, 2009 by and among
CLST Asset Trust II, SSPE Investment Trust I and SSPE, LLC, as borrowers,
Summit Consumer Receivables Fund, L.P., as the originator and as a guarantor,
Summit Alternative Investments, LLC, as the servicer, Eric J. Gangloff, as a
guarantor, Fortress Credit Opportunities I L.P., as a lender and Fortress
Credit Corp., as the administrative agent.
|
|
Form 10-Q/A
for the quarter ended May 31, 2009
|
|
January 29,
2010
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10.3
|
|
CLST
Holdings, Inc. Amended and Restated 2008 Long Term Incentive Plan.
|
|
Previously filed as
Annex B to our Preliminary Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A, as amended, and
incorporated herein by reference.
|
|
September 11,
2009
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10.4
|
|
Indemnification
Agreement, effective as of July 5, 2007, by and between CLST
Holdings, Inc. and Sherrian Gunn.
|
|
Current
Report on Form 8-K
|
|
August 1,
2007
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10.5
|
|
Settlement
Agreement, effective as of February 27, 2007, by and between CellStar
International CorporationAsia, CellStar Corporation, CellStar, Ltd.,
Fine Day Holdings Limited, CellStar (Asia) Corporation Limited, and
Mr. Horng An-Hsien.
|
|
Current
Report on Form 8-K
|
|
March 5,
2007
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10.6
|
|
Trust
I Purchase Agreement, effective as of November 10, 2008
|
|
Current
Report on Form 8-K
|
|
November 17,
2008, and as amended on March 5, 2009 and September 3, 2009
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10.7*
|
|
Trust
I Credit Agreement, effective as of November 10, 2008
|
|
Current
Report on Form 8-K
|
|
November 17,
2008, and as amended on March 5, 2009, September 3, 2009 and
November 5, 2009
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10.8
|
|
CLST
Holdings, Inc. 2008 Long Term Incentive Plan.
|
|
Current
Report on Form 8-K
|
|
December 5,
2008
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10.9
|
|
Form of Restricted
Stock Award Agreement under the CLST Holdings, Inc. 2008 Long Term
Incentive Plan.
|
|
Form 10-K for the
fiscal year ended November 30, 2008.
|
|
March 2, 2009
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10.10
|
|
Trust
II Purchase Agreement, effective as of December 10, 2008
|
|
Current
Report on Form 8-K
|
|
December 19,
2008, and as amended on March 5, 2009 and September 3, 2009
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10.11*
|
|
Trust
II Credit Agreement, effective as of December 10, 2008
|
|
Current
Report on Form 8-K
|
|
December 19,
2008, and as amended on March 5, 2009, September 3, 2009 and
November 5, 2009
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10.12
|
|
Letter
Agreement, effective as of December 10, 2008, by and between Trust II,
Financo, Summit, Summit Alternative Investments, LLC, SSPE, SSPE Trust and
Eric G. Gangloff
|
|
Current
Report on Form 8-K
|
|
December 19,
2008, and as amended on March 5, 2009
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10.13
|
|
Notice
of default dated December 2, 2009 from Fortress Credit Corp.
|
|
|
|
Filed
herewith.
|
64
Table of Contents
10.14
|
|
Notice
of default dated February 8, 2010 from Fortress Credit Corp.
|
|
Current
Report on Form 8-K
|
|
March 8,
2010
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10.15
|
|
Waiver
and Release to Revolving Credit Agreement dated February 26, 2010.
|
|
Current
Report on Form 8-K
|
|
March 8,
2010
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
21.1
|
|
Subsidiaries of the
Company.
|
|
|
|
Filed herewith.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
31.1
|
|
Certification
of the Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) promulgated
under the Exchange Act.
|
|
|
|
Filed
herewith.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
31.2
|
|
Certification
of the Chief Financial Officer pursuant to
Rule 13a-14(a) promulgated under the Exchange Act.
|
|
|
|
Filed
herewith.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
32.1
|
|
Certification
of the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer pursuant to
Rule 13a-14(b) promulgated under the Exchange Act and 18 U.S.C.
Section 1350, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
|
|
|
|
Filed
herewith.
|
Management contract, compensatory plan or arrangement.
*
Portions of this exhibit
have been omitted pursuant to a request for confidential treatment filed with
the SEC.
65
Table of Contents
SIGNATURES
Pursuant
to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this report to be
signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
|
|
CLST
HOLDINGS, INC.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
By:
|
/s/
Robert A. Kaiser
|
|
|
|
Robert
A. Kaiser
|
|
|
|
Chief
Executive Officer and President
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Date:
March 12, 2010
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
By:
|
/s/
Jerome L. Trojan III
|
|
|
|
Jerome
L. Trojan III
|
|
|
|
Chief
Financial Officer, Vice President and Treasurer
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Date:
March 12, 2010
|
KNOW
ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below
constitutes and appoints Robert A. Kaiser and Jerome L. Trojan III, and each of
them, his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact, each with full power of
substitution, for him or her in any and all capacities, to sign any amendments
to this report on Form 10-K and to file the same, with exhibits thereto
and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, hereby ratifying and confirming all that each of said
attorneys-in-fact or their substitute or substitutes may do or cause to be done
by virtue hereof. Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf
of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
By
|
/s/ Robert A. Kaiser
|
|
Date: March 12, 2010
|
|
Robert A. Kaiser
|
|
|
|
Chief Executive Officer and President
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
By
|
/s/
Timothy
S. Durham
|
|
Date: March 12, 2010
|
|
Timothy S. Durham
|
|
|
|
Chairman of the Board,
Secretary and Director
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
By
|
/s/
David
Tornek
|
|
Date: March 12, 2010
|
|
David
Tornek
|
|
|
|
Director
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
By
|
/s/ Jerome L. Trojan III
|
|
Date: March 12, 2010
|
|
Jerome L. Trojan III
|
|
|
|
Chief Financial Officer, Vice
President and
Treasurer
|
|
|
66
Table of Contents
CLST HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Index to Consolidated Financial Statements
F-1
Table of Contents
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To
the Board of Directors and Stockholders of
CLST
Holdings, Inc.
We have audited the accompanying consolidated
balance sheets of CLST Holdings, Inc. and subsidiaries, as of November 30,
2009 and 2008, and the related consolidated statements of
operations
, changes in stockholders equity and comprehensive
loss, and cash flows for the years then ended.
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Companys
management. Our responsibility is to
express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement.
The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting.
An audit includes consideration of internal control over financial reporting as a basis for designing audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Companys internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
In our opinion, the financial statements referred to
above present fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated financial
position of CLST Holdings, Inc. and subsidiaries as of November 30,
2009 and 2008, and the consolidated results of their operations and their cash
flows for the years then ended in conformity with accounting principles
generally accepted in the United States of America.
The
accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming that
the Company will continue as a going concern.
As discussed in Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements, the
Company has incurred net losses in the past two years, has a working capital
deficit at November 30, 2009, is in default related to its CLST Asset I
debt obligation as of November 30, 2009 and continues to incur significant
general and administrative expenses related to its ongoing litigation. These
conditions raise substantial doubt about the Companys ability to continue as a
going concern. These consolidated financial statements do not include any
adjustments to reflect the possible future effects on the recoverability and
classification of assets or the amounts and classifications of liabilities that
may result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
/s/
Whitley Penn LLP
Dallas,
Texas
March 12,
2010
F-2
Table of Contents
CLST
HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
November 30,
2009 and 2008
(In
thousands, except share and per share data)
|
|
2009
|
|
2008
|
|
ASSETS
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current assets:
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash and cash
equivalents
|
|
$
|
4,761
|
|
$
|
9,754
|
|
Notes receivable, net -
current
|
|
6,473
|
|
8,698
|
|
Accounts receivable -
other
|
|
2,741
|
|
893
|
|
Prepaid expenses and
other current assets
|
|
414
|
|
177
|
|
Total current assets
|
|
14,389
|
|
19,522
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Notes receivable, net -
long-term
|
|
32,459
|
|
31,547
|
|
Property and equipment,
net
|
|
7
|
|
12
|
|
Deferred income taxes
|
|
4,786
|
|
4,786
|
|
Other assets
|
|
721
|
|
863
|
|
|
|
$
|
52,362
|
|
$
|
56,730
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
LIABILITIES
AND STOCKHOLDERS EQUITY
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current liabilities:
|
|
|
|
|
|
Accounts payable
|
|
$
|
14,705
|
|
$
|
14,512
|
|
Accrued expenses
|
|
377
|
|
473
|
|
Income taxes payable
|
|
99
|
|
207
|
|
Loans payable - current
|
|
33,663
|
|
7,436
|
|
Notes payable - related
parties - current
|
|
107
|
|
|
|
Total current
liabilities
|
|
48,951
|
|
22,628
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Loans payable - long
term
|
|
|
|
26,902
|
|
Notes payable - related
parties - long term
|
|
391
|
|
|
|
Total liabilities
|
|
49,342
|
|
49,530
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Commitments and
contingencies
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stockholders equity:
|
|
|
|
|
|
Preferred stock, $.01
par value, 5,000,000 shares authorized; none issued
|
|
|
|
|
|
Common stock, $.01 par
value, 200,000,000 shares authorized; 24,583,306 and 21,187,229 shares issued,
respectively, and 23,949,282 and 20,553,205 shares outstanding, respectively
|
|
246
|
|
212
|
|
Additional paid-in
capital
|
|
127,014
|
|
126,034
|
|
Accumulated other
comprehensive income-foreign currency translation adjustments
|
|
217
|
|
217
|
|
Accumulated deficit
|
|
(122,810
|
)
|
(117,616
|
)
|
|
|
4,667
|
|
8,847
|
|
Less: Treasury stock
(634,024 shares at cost)
|
|
(1,647
|
)
|
(1,647
|
)
|
|
|
3,020
|
|
7,200
|
|
|
|
$
|
52,362
|
|
$
|
56,730
|
|
See accompanying notes to
consolidated financial statements.
F-3
Table of Contents
CLST HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
Years
ended November 30, 2009 and 2008
(In
thousands, except per share data)
|
|
2009
|
|
2008
|
|
Revenues:
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interest income
|
|
$
|
6,330
|
|
$
|
467
|
|
Other
|
|
366
|
|
29
|
|
Total revenues
|
|
6,696
|
|
496
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Loan servicing fees
|
|
846
|
|
53
|
|
Trust administrative
fees
|
|
12
|
|
13
|
|
Provision for doubtful
accounts
|
|
3,456
|
|
144
|
|
Interest expense
|
|
2,124
|
|
145
|
|
General and
administrative expenses
|
|
5,435
|
|
2,172
|
|
Operating loss
|
|
(5,177
|
)
|
(2,031
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other income
|
|
9
|
|
550
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Loss from continuing
operations before income taxes
|
|
(5,168
|
)
|
(1,481
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income tax expense
|
|
26
|
|
192
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Loss from continuing
operations, net of income taxes
|
|
(5,194
|
)
|
(1,673
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Discontinued
operations, net of income taxes of $5 for 2008
|
|
|
|
10
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net loss
|
|
$
|
(5,194
|
)
|
$
|
(1,663
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net loss per share:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Basic and diluted:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Loss from continuing
operations, net of taxes
|
|
$
|
(0.23
|
)
|
$
|
(0.08
|
)
|
Discontinued
operations, net of taxes
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net loss per share
|
|
$
|
(0.23
|
)
|
$
|
(0.08
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Weighted average number
of shares:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Basic and diluted
|
|
22,833
|
|
20,553
|
|
See accompanying notes to
consolidated financial statements.
F-4
Table of Contents
CLST HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS EQUITY AND
COMPREHENSIVE LOSS
Years
ended November 30, 2009 and 2008
(In thousands)
|
|
Common Stock
|
|
Treasury Stock
|
|
|
|
Accumulated
other
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Shares
|
|
Amount
|
|
Shares
|
|
Amount
|
|
Additional
paid-in capital
|
|
comprehensive loss
|
|
Accumulated
deficit
|
|
Total
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Balance at
November 30, 2007
|
|
21,187
|
|
$
|
212
|
|
(634
|
)
|
$
|
(1,647
|
)
|
$
|
126,034
|
|
$
|
217
|
|
$
|
(115,953
|
)
|
$
|
8,863
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Comprehensive loss:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net loss
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1,663
|
)
|
(1,663
|
)
|
Total comprehensive loss
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1,663
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Balance at
November 30, 2008
|
|
21,187
|
|
212
|
|
(634
|
)
|
(1,647
|
)
|
126,034
|
|
217
|
|
(117,616
|
)
|
7,200
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Comprehensive loss:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net loss
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(5,194
|
)
|
(5,194
|
)
|
Total comprehensive loss
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(5,194
|
)
|
Grant of restricted
stock
|
|
1,200
|
|
12
|
|
|
|
|
|
(12
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cancellation of restricted
stock
|
|
(300
|
)
|
(3
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
3
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Amortization of
restricted stock
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
115
|
|
|
|
|
|
115
|
|
Stock issuance for notes
receivable
|
|
2,496
|
|
25
|
|
|
|
|
|
874
|
|
|
|
|
|
899
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Balance at
November 30, 2009
|
|
24,583
|
|
$
|
246
|
|
(634
|
)
|
$
|
(1,647
|
)
|
$
|
127,014
|
|
$
|
217
|
|
$
|
(122,810
|
)
|
$
|
3,020
|
|
See accompanying notes to consolidated
financial statements.
F-5
Table of Contents
CLST HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
Years ended November 30, 2009 and 2008
(In thousands)
|
|
2009
|
|
2008
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash flows from
operating activities:
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net loss
|
|
$
|
(5,194
|
)
|
$
|
(1,663
|
)
|
Adjustments to
reconcile net loss to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stock based
compensation
|
|
115
|
|
|
|
Provision for doubtful
accounts
|
|
3,456
|
|
144
|
|
Depreciation
|
|
5
|
|
2
|
|
Non-cash interest
expense
|
|
93
|
|
3
|
|
Amortization of notes
receivable acquisition costs
|
|
106
|
|
|
|
Changes in operating
assets and liabilities:
|
|
|
|
|
|
Accounts receivable -
other
|
|
(2,184
|
)
|
4,804
|
|
Prepaid expenses and
other current assets
|
|
(237
|
)
|
379
|
|
Other assets
|
|
49
|
|
264
|
|
Accounts payable
|
|
193
|
|
268
|
|
Income taxes payable
|
|
(108
|
)
|
207
|
|
Accrued expenses
|
|
(96
|
)
|
(395
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net cash provided by
(used in) operating activities
|
|
(3,802
|
)
|
4,013
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash flows from
investing activities:
|
|
|
|
|
|
Purchases of property
and equipment
|
|
|
|
(13
|
)
|
Notes receivable
collections
|
|
10,232
|
|
665
|
|
Acquisition of notes
receivable
|
|
(4,028
|
)
|
|
|
Additions to notes
receivable acquisition costs
|
|
(155
|
)
|
(6,157
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net cash provided by
(used in) investing activities
|
|
6,049
|
|
(5,505
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash flows from
financing activities:
|
|
|
|
|
|
Payments on notes
payable
|
|
(7,240
|
)
|
(553
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net cash used in
financing activities
|
|
(7,240
|
)
|
(553
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net decrease in cash
and cash equivalents
|
|
(4,993
|
)
|
(2,045
|
)
|
Cash and cash
equivalents at beginning of year
|
|
9,754
|
|
11,799
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash and cash
equivalents at end of year
|
|
$
|
4,761
|
|
$
|
9,754
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Non-Cash Investing and
Financing Activities:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Acquisition of notes
receivable for common stock
|
|
$
|
899
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Acquisition of notes
receivable for debt
|
|
$
|
7,273
|
|
$
|
34,891
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Acquisition of notes
receivable for accounts receivable, other
|
|
$
|
336
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Returned notes
receivable in exchange for reduction of debt
|
|
$
|
208
|
|
$
|
|
|
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
F-6
Table of
Contents
CLST HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(1) Summary
of Significant Accounting Policies
(a)
Basis
for Presentation
On March 28, 2007, our stockholders approved
the plan of dissolution which provides that CLST Holdings, Inc., formerly
CellStar Corporation, and its subsidiaries (the
Company
)
may not engage in any business activities except to the extent necessary to
preserve the value of the Companys assets, wind up the Companys affairs, and
distribute the Companys assets. The amount and timing of any distributions
paid to stockholders in connection with the liquidation and dissolution of the
Company are subject to uncertainties and depend on the resolution of certain
contingencies. The Companys financial statements have been prepared on a
going-concern basis and the asset and liability carrying amounts do not purport
to present the net realizable or settlement values in the event of the
dissolution and liquidation of the Company.
On November 10,
2008, we purchased all of the outstanding equity interests of FCC Investment
Trust I (
Trust I
), and on December 12,
2008, we purchased
certain receivables, installment sales contracts and
related assets owned by
SSPE
Investment Trust I (
SSPE Trust
)
and SSPE, LLC (
SSPE
). On February 13,
2009, we purchased assets owned by Fair Finance Company, an Ohio corporation (
Fair
), James F. Cochran,
Chairman and Director of Fair, and by Timothy S. Durham, Chief Executive
Officer and Director of Fair and an officer, director and stockholder of our
Company. Messrs. Durham and Cochran own all of the outstanding equity of
Fair. The Board of Directors (the
Board
)
believes that each of these acquisitions will be a better investment return for
our stockholders when compared to the recent changes to interest rates and
other investment alternatives. Although we are now engaged in the business of
holding and collecting consumer notes receivable, we have not abandoned our
plan of dissolution.
The Company has reclassified to discontinued operations, for all
periods presented, the results and related charges for the North American and
Latin American Regions (See footnote 2).
Certain prior year financial amounts have been reclassified to conform
to the current year presentation.
The Companys consolidated financial statements include the Companys
accounts and those of the majority-owned subsidiaries. All material
intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
Unconsolidated subsidiaries and investments are accounted for under the equity
method.
The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared
assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern. As discussed in Notes 3, 7 and 11 to the
consolidated financial statements, the Company has experienced higher than
anticipated defaults on the notes receivable included in CLST Asset I, LLC (
CLST Asset I
) which has resulted in
a default under the Trust I Credit Agreement and an approximate $3.5 million
increase in the allowance for doubtful accounts during the twelve months ended November 30,
2009. As a result of the Companys default under the Trust I Credit Agreement,
the amount due to Fortress under this agreement has been classified as current
as of November 30, 2009. The Company has also been engaged in several
lawsuits which have resulted in the Company incurring significant legal fees.
The combination of the increase in the allowance for doubtful accounts and high
legal fees has resulted in the Company incurring a net loss of approximately
$5.2 million during the twelve months ended November 30, 2009. The Company
is continuing discussions to resolve the default under the Trust I Credit Agreement
(as defined below). The Company has made a claim under its directors and
officers liability insurance policy for reimbursement of legal fees incurred in
excess of our $1.0 million self retention amount. It is uncertain whether the
Company can continue as a going concern if it continues to incur net losses and
if the Company loses the CLST Asset I consumer receivables as a result of the
default under the Trust I Credit Agreement. These consolidated financial
statements do not include any adjustments to reflect the possible future
effects on the recoverability and classification of assets or the amounts and
classifications of liabilities that may result from the outcome of this
uncertainty.
(b) Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S.
generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates
and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities,
disclosure of any contingent assets and liabilities at the financial statement
date and reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period.
On an on-going basis, the Company reviews its estimates and assumptions. The
Companys estimates were based on its historical experience and various other
assumptions that the Company believes to be reasonable under the circumstances.
Actual results are likely to differ from those estimates under different
assumptions or conditions.
F-7
Table of Contents
(c) Cash and Cash Equivalents
The Company considers all highly liquid investments with a maturity of
three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents. At November 30,
2009 and 2008, the Company had no such investments. The Company maintains deposits primarily in
one financial institution, which may at times exceed amounts covered by
insurance provided by the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (
FDIC
). The Company has not experienced any losses
related to amounts in excess of FDIC limits.
The Companys cash and cash equivalents are not subject to any
restriction.
CLST HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(1) Summary
of Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)
(d) Notes Receivable
The following table shows
certain information as of November 30, 2009 for each of CLST Asset I, CLST
Asset II, LLC (
CLST Asset II
) and CLST Asset III, LLC (
CLST Asset III
). A more detailed description of the results
for each of these entities is provided below.
Amounts presented are in thousands, except for the approximate number of
customer accounts and the average outstanding principal balance per account.
|
|
CLST
Asset I
|
|
CLST
Asset II
|
|
CLST
Asset III
|
|
|
|
Principal Balance
|
|
% of Total
|
|
Principal Balance
|
|
% of Total
|
|
Principal Balance
|
|
% of Total
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Receivables Aging
(Principal)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current 0-30 Days
|
|
$
|
29,335
|
|
85.2
|
%
|
$
|
7,181
|
|
97.9
|
%
|
$
|
1,691
|
|
93.9
|
%
|
31 - 60 Days
|
|
1,205
|
|
3.5
|
%
|
52
|
|
0.7
|
%
|
34
|
|
1.9
|
%
|
61 - 90 Days
|
|
556
|
|
1.6
|
%
|
39
|
|
0.5
|
%
|
46
|
|
2.6
|
%
|
91 + 120
|
|
452
|
|
1.3
|
%
|
12
|
|
0.2
|
%
|
29
|
|
1.6
|
%
|
120+
|
|
2,898
|
|
8.4
|
%
|
51
|
|
0.7
|
%
|
|
|
0.0
|
%
|
Total Receivables
|
|
34,446
|
|
100.0
|
%
|
7,335
|
|
100.0
|
%
|
1,800
|
|
100.0
|
%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Allowance for doubtful
Accts
|
|
(3,610
|
)
|
-10.5
|
%
|
(58
|
)
|
-0.8
|
%
|
|
|
0.0
|
%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net Receivables
|
|
30,836
|
|
89.5
|
%
|
7,277
|
|
99.2
|
%
|
1,800
|
|
100.0
|
%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Discount
|
|
(531
|
)
|
-1.5
|
%
|
(630
|
)
|
-8.6
|
%
|
(55
|
)
|
-3.1
|
%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Acquisition fees
|
|
168
|
|
0.5
|
%
|
26
|
|
0.4
|
%
|
41
|
|
2.3
|
%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
|
|
$
|
30,473
|
|
88.5
|
%
|
$
|
6,673
|
|
91.0
|
%
|
$
|
1,786
|
|
99.2
|
%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Accounts Receivable
Other
|
|
$
|
2,010
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Notes Payable and Loans Outstanding
|
|
$
|
28,666
|
|
|
|
$
|
4,997
|
|
|
|
$
|
498
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Approximate Number of Customer
Accounts
|
|
5,139
|
|
|
|
981
|
|
|
|
1,676
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Average Outstanding
Principal Balance per Account
|
|
$
|
6,703
|
|
|
|
$
|
7,477
|
|
|
|
$
|
1,074
|
|
|
|
The majority of
the notes receivable have collateral in various forms, which may include a
second lien position on the borrowers home or property. Notes receivable are recorded at the
historical cost paid at the date of acquisition net of any purchase discounts.
Subsequent to the date of acquisition, notes receivable are reduced by any principal
payments made by the customer. Purchase discounts are recorded based on the
negotiated difference between the face value and the amount paid for the notes
receivable. Purchase discounts are recognized as revenue, using the effective
interest method, as principal payments are collected.
F-8
Table of
Contents
The Company
establishes an allowance for doubtful accounts for receivables where the
customer has not made a payment for the most recent 120 day period. The Company specifically analyzes notes
receivable using historical activity, current economic trends, changes in its
customer payment terms, recoveries of previously reserved notes and collection
trends when evaluating the adequacy of its allowance for doubtful accounts. Any
change in the assumptions used in analyzing a specific note receivable may
result in an additional allowance for doubtful accounts being recognized in the
period in which the change occurs.
During the fourth quarter, the Company modified its reserve policy due
to recent market trends. Additional reserves are accrued based on account
balances that are over 60 days past due with the reserve amount dependent on
the overall performance of the portfolio. The Company may also establish an
additional reserve for any portfolio that, in managements judgment, may need
to be discounted at a future date in order to sell the portfolio in its
entirety. Any reserve amount may be reduced based upon any offset rights or
claims against parties who initially sold the portfolio to the Company. The
Company may from time to time make additional increases to the allowance based
on the foregoing factors. Once a note receivable has been reserved due to
nonpayment, the Company will no longer accrue, for financial reporting
purposes, interest earned on the note receivable. Should the note receivable
return to a performing status, then the Company will resume accruing interest
on the note receivable. Recoveries are recorded against the allowance when
payments are received. Notes receivable
are charged off against the allowance after all means of collection have been
exhausted and a legal determination has been rendered that less than the full
amount of the note receivable will be collected. Recoveries of notes receivable, which were
previously charged off, are recorded to income when payments are received.
The following table details the activity in the
allowance for doubtful accounts for the year ended November 30, 2009 and
2008 (in thousands):
|
|
For the
year ended
|
|
|
|
November 30,
|
|
|
|
2009
|
|
2008
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Beginning
balance
|
|
$
|
144
|
|
$
|
|
|
Additions to
allow for doubtful accounts
|
|
3,456
|
|
144
|
|
Recoveries
|
|
68
|
|
|
|
Charge offs
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ending balance
|
|
$
|
3,668
|
|
$
|
144
|
|
(e) Property and Equipment
Property and equipment are recorded at cost. Depreciation of equipment
is provided over the estimated useful lives of the respective assets, which
range from three to five years, on a straight-line basis. Leasehold
improvements are amortized over the shorter of their useful life or the related
lease term. Major renewals are capitalized, while maintenance, repairs and
minor renewals are expensed as incurred.
(f) Impairment of Long-Lived Assets
Long-lived assets are reviewed for impairment whenever events or
changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not
be recoverable. Recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by a
comparison of the carrying amount of an asset to future net cash flows expected
to be generated by the asset. If such assets are considered to be impaired, the
impairment to be recognized is measured as the amount by which the carrying
amount of the assets exceeds the fair value of the assets. Assets to be
disposed of are reported at the lower of the carrying amount or fair value less
costs to sell.
(g) Revenue Recognition
Revenues, which consist of interest earned, late fees and other
miscellaneous charges, will be recorded as earned from notes receivable.
Revenues will not be accrued on accounts over 120 days without payment
activity, unless payment activity resumes.
(h) Net Income (Loss) Per Share
Basic net income (loss) per common share is based on the weighted
average number of common shares outstanding for the relevant period. Diluted
net income (loss) per common share is based on the weighted average number of
common shares outstanding plus the dilutive effect of potentially issuable
common shares pursuant to vesting of restricted stock, stock options, warrants,
and
F-9
Table of Contents
convertible instruments. Because of the loss in the
years ended November 30, 2009 and 2008 from continuing operations in each
year, no potentially issuable common shares were included in the diluted per
share computation. Outstanding options to purchase 0.1 million shares of common
stock at November 30, 2009 and 2008, were not included in the computation
of diluted earnings per share because their inclusion would have been
anti-dilutive as the exercise price was higher than the average market price.
(i) Income Taxes
Income taxes are accounted for under the asset and liability method.
Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax
consequences attributable to (i) differences between the financial
statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their
respective tax bases and (ii) operating loss and tax credit carryforwards.
Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates
expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary
differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred
income tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in
income in the period that includes the enactment date. In assessing the
realizability of deferred income tax assets, management considers whether it is
more likely than not that the deferred income tax assets will be realized. A
valuation allowance is provided when the realization of the deferred tax asset
is not likely.
(j) Stock Based Compensation
The Companys former 1993 Long-Term Incentive Plan (the
1993 Plan
) terminated on December 3,
2003. However, Mr. Kaiser, as disclosed in the following footnote,
currently has exercisable options that were granted under the 1993 Plan. At a
meeting of the Board of Directors on September 25, 2007, our Board of
Directors unanimously resolved to terminate our 2003 Long-Term Incentive Plan
(the
2003 Plan
) due to the
reduction in the Companys workforce. As a result of the termination of the
2003 Plan, all outstanding options to purchase the equity securities of the
Company issued thereunder were terminated as well. Therefore, there are no
currently outstanding options, warrants or other rights to purchase the Companys
securities under the 2003 Plan. We have no other equity compensation plans.
Mr. Kaiser was granted options under the
1993 Plan to purchase 80,000 shares of the Companys common stock on December 12,
2001, and 50,000 shares of the Companys common stock on January 22, 2003.
Each of these options vested with respect to 25% of the shares covered thereby
on each of the first four anniversaries of the date of grant and expires ten
years following the date of grant. The exercise price of each option was equal
to the fair market value of the common stock on the date of grant.
Most options vested over a four year period
and had an exercise price equal to the fair market value of the Companys
common stock as of market close on the date of grant. There were no stock
option grants issued in 2009 and 2008.
Stock option activity during the years ended November 30,
2009 and 2008, is as follows:
|
|
2009
|
|
2008
|
|
|
|
Number
of
|
|
Weighted-average
|
|
Number
of
|
|
Weighted-average
|
|
|
|
Shares
|
|
Exercise
prices
|
|
Shares
|
|
Exercise
prices
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Beginning balance
|
|
130,000
|
|
$
|
4.93
|
|
130,500
|
|
$
|
4.95
|
|
Forfeited
|
|
|
|
|
|
(500
|
)
|
9.38
|
|
Outstanding, end of
year
|
|
130,000
|
|
$
|
4.93
|
|
130,000
|
|
$
|
4.93
|
|
Exercisable, end of
year
|
|
130,000
|
|
$
|
4.93
|
|
130,000
|
|
$
|
4.93
|
|
Reserved for future
grants
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
For
options that were outstanding and exercisable as of November 30, 2009, the
exercise prices and remaining lives were as follows:
Number
|
|
Remaining
Life
|
|
Exercise
|
|
Number
|
|
Exercise
|
|
Outstanding
|
|
(in
years)
|
|
Prices
|
|
Exercisable
|
|
Prices
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
80,000
|
|
2.03
|
|
$
|
4.60
|
|
80,000
|
|
$
|
4.60
|
|
50,000
|
|
3.14
|
|
$
|
5.45
|
|
50,000
|
|
$
|
5.45
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
130,000
|
|
2.46
|
|
$
|
4.93
|
|
130,000
|
|
$
|
4.93
|
|
F-10
Table of Contents
In accordance with FASB ASC 718, we recognize in the income statement
the grant-date fair value of stock options and other equity-based forms of
compensation issued to directors and executive officers over the individuals
requisite service period (generally the vesting period). The requisite service
period may be subject to performance conditions.
The intrinsic value was zero for 2009 and 2008 related to outstanding
stock options.
On December 1,
2008, our Board approved the Companys 2008 Long Term Incentive Plan (
2008 Plan
). Effective September 11,
2009, the Board amended and restated the 2008 Plan to decrease the number of
shares of common stock of the Company that may be issued under the 2008 Plan
from 20,000,000 to 2,000,000. The following is a brief description of the
material terms of the 2008 Plan:
·
The plan is administered by the Board of the Company.
·
The plan permits the grant of restricted stock, stock
options and other stock-based awards to employees, officers, directors,
consultants and advisors of the Company and its subsidiaries.
·
The aggregate number of shares of common stock of the
Company that may be issued under the plan is 2,000,000 shares.
·
The plan provides that the administrator of the plan
may determine the terms and conditions applicable to each award and each award
will be evidenced by a stock option agreement or restricted stock agreement.
·
The plan will terminate on December 1, 2018.
In addition, on December 1,
2008 the Board approved the grant of 300,000 shares of restricted stock to each
of Timothy S. Durham, Robert A. Kaiser and Manoj Rajegowda. On February 24,
2009, Mr. Rajegowda forfeited all stock issuances provided to him during
the course of his Board membership in connection with his resignation from the
Board. On
March 5, 2009, our Board approved the grant of 300,000 shares of
restricted stock to David Tornek, our director who was appointed to fill the
vacancy on the Board
.
Of each restricted stock grant, 100,000
shares vested on the date of grant and the remaining 200,000 of the shares vest
in two equal annual installments on each anniversary of the date of grant. The
restricted stock grants are evidenced by restricted stock agreements approved
by the Board. The total value of the awards using a grant date price of $0.22
per share for 600,000 shares and $0.16 per share for 300,000 shares is $180,000
and will be expensed over the vesting period.
For the twelve
months ended November 30, 2009, the Company recognized $115,000 of expense
related to the restricted stock grants.
The following
table summarizes the restricted stock activity for the years ended November 30,
2009:
|
|
2009
|
|
|
|
|
|
Balance at beginning of
year
|
|
|
|
Shares granted
|
|
1,200,000
|
|
Shares vested
|
|
(300,000
|
)
|
Shares forfeited
|
|
(300,000
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
Balance at end of year
|
|
600,000
|
|
(k) Consolidated Statements of Cash
Flow Information
For purposes of the consolidated statements
of cash flows, the Company considers all investments with an original maturity
of 90 days or less to be cash equivalents.
The Company paid
approximately $2.1 million of interest for the year ended November 30,
2009 and there was no interest paid for the year ended November 30, 2008. The
Company did not pay any taxes in 2008 but did receive an income tax refund of
$1.0 million in 2008 from taxes paid in 2007. The Company paid $17,000 in taxes
in 2009.
F-11
Table of Contents
(l) Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet
Adopted
In December 2007, the FASB issued ASC 805-20
(formerly SFAS 141 (R)), Business Combinations which clarifies the accounting
for a business combination and requires an acquirer to recognize the assets
acquired, the liabilities assumed, and any noncontrolling interest in the
acquiree at the acquisition date, measured at their fair values as of that
date. The requirements of ASC 805-20 apply to business combinations for which
the acquisition date is on or after the beginning of the first annual reporting
period beginning on or after December 15, 2008. Early application is not
permitted.
In September 2006,
the FASB issued ASC 820 (formerly SFAS 157),
Fair
Value Measurements and Disclosures
(
ASC
820
), which clarifies the definition of fair value, establishes
a framework for measuring fair value in GAAP, and expands disclosures about
fair value measurement. ASC 820 does not require any new fair value
measurements and eliminates inconsistencies in guidance found in various prior
accounting pronouncements. The Company adopted ASC 820 as of December 1, 2008
and it had no material impact on its consolidated financial statements.
In
April 2009, the FASB issued ASC 825 (formerly FSP FAS 107-1),
Interim Disclosures about Fair Value of Financial
Instruments
ASC 825 requires disclosures about the fair value of
financial instruments whenever a public company issues financial information
for interim reporting periods. ASC 825 is effective for interim reporting
periods ending after June 15, 2009. The Company adopted this staff
position upon its issuance, and it had no material impact on its consolidated
financial statements.
In
June 2009, the FASB issued ASC 105-10 (formerly SFAS 168),
The FASB Accounting Standards Codification and the
Hierarchy of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. ASC 105-10
identifies the FASB Accounting Standards Codification as the authoritative
source of
generally accepted
accounting principles (
GAAP
) in
the United States. Rules and interpretive releases of the
Securities and Exchange Commission (
SEC
) under
federal securities laws are also sources of authoritative GAAP for SEC
registrants. ASC 105-10 is
effective
for financial statements issued for interim and annual periods ending after September 15,
2009.
The Company
adopted the provisions of ASC 105-10 as of November 30, 2009. The adoption
of these provisions did not have a significant impact on the Companys
consolidated financial statements.
From
time to time, new accounting pronouncements are issued by the FASB or other
standards setting bodies which we adopt as of the specified effective date.
Unless otherwise discussed, our management believes the impact of recently
issued standards which are not yet effective will not have a material impact on
our consolidated financial statements upon adoption.
(m) Deferred Costs
We
have recorded acquisition costs related to the purchase of certain notes
receivables and deferred loan costs associated with certain Company
obligations. The acquisition costs are amortized over the remaining principal
balance of the notes receivable and are recorded as contra revenue. The
deferred loan costs are amortized over the remaining outstanding balance of the
Company obligation and are recorded in operating interest expense. Any impact
of prepayment of the balances by either the Company or our customers would be
recognized in the period of prepayment.
(2) Discontinued
Operations
During fiscal year 2007 we
sold all of our U.S. operations, including our Miami-based Latin American
operations, Mexico operations and Chile operations. For more information on
these transactions, please see the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K/A
for the fiscal year ended November 30, 2008.
F-12
Table of Contents
The results of discontinued operations for the U.S.
for the years ended November 30, 2009 and 2008, as previously reported are
as follows (in thousands):
|
|
2009
|
|
2008
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Revenues
|
|
$
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
Cost of sales
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gross profit
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Selling, general and administrative expenses
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating income
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other income (expense):
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interest expense
|
|
|
|
|
|
Loss on sale of accounts receivable
|
|
|
|
|
|
Minority interest
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gain on sale
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other, net
|
|
|
|
10
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total other income (expense)
|
|
|
|
10
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income before income taxes
|
|
|
|
10
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Provision for income taxes
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Discontinued operations
|
|
$
|
|
|
$
|
10
|
|
F-13
Table of
Contents
(3) Acquisition
of notes receivable
(a)
CLST Asset I, LLC
On November 10, 2008, we, through CLST Asset I, a
wholly owned subsidiary of CLST Financo, Inc. (
Financo
), which is one of our direct, wholly owned
subsidiaries, entered into a purchase agreement to acquire all of the
outstanding equity interests of Trust I from a third party for approximately
$41.0 million (the
Trust I
Purchase Agreement
). Our
Board unanimously approved the transaction. Our acquisition of Trust I was
financed by approximately $6.1 million of cash on hand and by a non-recourse,
term loan of approximately $34.9 million by an affiliate of the seller of Trust I, pursuant to the terms and
conditions set forth in the credit agreement, dated November 10, 2008,
among Trust I, Fortress Credit Co LLC, as lender (
Fortress
),
FCC Finance, LLC (
FCC
), as the initial
servicer, the backup servicer, and the collateral custodian (the
Trust I
Credit Agreement
). The $34.9 million of acquired
receivables and loans payable are non-cash transactions relating to the
acquisition of a new business. The
Company is now responsible for the collection of the receivables included in
the trust through its wholly owned subsidiary Financo.
The
repayment terms on the accounts are standardized, but are dependent on the form
of agreement used by the originator.
Customers are required to make monthly payments until the loans are paid
in full. At the time of purchase of the CLST Asset I portfolio, the remaining
time to maturity was in a range of 8-10 years, not including prepayments, if
any.
Financo has
historically conducted our financing business, including ownership of
receivables generated by our businesses and providing internal financing to our
other operating subsidiaries. All of the assets acquired by Trust I consist of
a portfolio of consumer home improvement, repair and other home related loans to
homeowners, some of which are collateralized or otherwise secured by interests
in real estate. We are holding and collecting the receivables with the
intention of generating a higher rate of return on our assets than we currently
receive on our cash and cash equivalents balances. We will continue to hold and
collect on these consumer notes receivable while we continue to review the
relative benefits to our stockholders of continuing to wind down our business
pursuant to our plan of dissolution. We believe that we will be able to dispose
of Trust I, if properly marketed, whether through the use of reputable brokers
or investment bankers, through an auction process or other strategies for
maximizing proceeds from an asset disposition, within the timeframe necessary
to complete the winding down of the Company prior to its final dissolution.
The cut-off date
for the receivables acquired was October 31, 2008, with all collections
subsequent to that date inuring to our benefit. As of October 31, 2008,
the portfolio consisted of approximately 6,000 accounts with an aggregate
outstanding balance of approximately $41.5 million and an average outstanding
balance per account of approximately $6,900. These loans are all home
improvement, repair and other home related loans to homeowners of which
approximately 63% were secured with a second lien on the property, with the
remainder being unsecured. Approximately
89% of the loans are in the Northeast with the remainder in Texas, Georgia and
Missouri. As of October 31, 2008,
the weighted average interest rate of the portfolio was 14.4%. We have the
right to require the seller to repurchase any accounts, for the original
purchase price applicable to such account, that do not satisfy certain
specified eligibility requirements set out in the Trust I Purchase Agreement.
If it is discovered by a party that a receivable account was not an Eligible
Receivable as of the cut-off date of October 31, 2008, the seller is
required to repurchase such receivable account unless such breach is remedied
within thirty business days of notice of such breach. An account is not an
Eligible Receivable if, as of October 31, 2008, such receivable account
is, among other things, a defaulted receivable, subject to litigation, dispute
or rights of rescission, setoff or counterclaim, or is not subject to a duly
recorded and perfected lien, the seller must repurchase the account. The Company believes that between $1.3
million and $2.2 million of receivables purchased were ineligible, as defined
in the Trust I Purchase Agreement, at the time of purchase. Of these
potentially ineligible receivables, approximately $574,000 have become
defaulted receivables. The Company has notified Fortress of these potentially
ineligible receivables and discussions with Fortress are ongoing. The Company
cannot predict when or if these matters will be resolved favorably or at all.
When we purchased Trust I, the historical default rate for the previous
three years for the portfolio was approximately 4%, which was the basis for
assessing the creditworthiness of the assets included in CLST Asset I. Beginning in the third quarter of 2009 and
continuing through the fourth quarter of 2009, we saw the default rate increase
to the 7-8% range; accordingly, we have been increasing our allowances to
reflect this change.
The Trust I Credit
Agreement provides for a non-recourse, term loan of approximately $34.9
million, maturing on November 10, 2013. The term loan bears interest at an
annual rate of 5.0% over the LIBOR Rate (3.81% at October 31, 2008) (as
defined in the Trust I Credit Agreement). The obligations under the Trust I
Credit Agreement are secured by a first priority security interest in
substantially all of the assets of Trust I, including portfolio collections.
The Trust I Credit
Agreement provides the material terms and conditions for the services to be
performed by the servicer. In return, Trust I pays the servicer a monthly
servicing fee equal to 1.5%, per annum of the then aggregate outstanding
principal balance of the receivables.
Portfolio
collections are distributed on a monthly basis. Absent an event of default,
after payment of the servicing fee and other fees and expenses due under the
Trust I Credit Agreement and the required principal and interest payments to
the lender under
F-14
Table of Contents
the Trust I Credit
Agreement, all remaining amounts from portfolio collections are paid to Trust I
and are available for distribution to CLST Asset I and subsequently to Financo.
Principal payments
on the term loan are due monthly to the extent that the aggregate principal
amount of the term loan outstanding exceeds the sum of (a) the sum for each
outstanding receivable of the product of (1) 85%, (2) the
then-current aggregate unpaid principal balance of such receivable and (3) a
percentage specified in the Trust I Credit Agreement based upon the aging of
such receivable, and (b) amounts on deposit in the collection account for
the receivables net of any accrued and unpaid interest on the loan and fees due
to the servicer, the backup servicer, the collateral custodian and the owner
trustee (the
Maximum Advance Amount
).
Principal payments are also due within
five business days of any time that the aggregate principal amount of the term
loan outstanding exceeds the Maximum Advance Amount. The remaining outstanding
principal amount of the loan plus all accrued interest, fees and expenses are
due on the maturity date. Interest payments on the term loan are due monthly.
The Trust I Credit
Agreement contains customary covenants for facilities of its type, including
among other things covenants that restrict Trust Is ability to incur
indebtedness, grant liens, dispose of property, pay dividends, make certain
acquisitions or to take actions that would negatively affect Trust Is special
purpose vehicle status. Generally, these covenants do not impact the activities
that may be undertaken by the Company. The Trust I Credit Agreement contains
various events of default, including failure to pay principal and interest when
due, breach of covenants, materially incorrect representations, default under
certain other agreements of Trust I, bankruptcy or insolvency of Trust I, the
occurrence of an event which causes a material adverse effect on Trust I, the
occurrence of certain defaults by the servicer, entry of certain material
judgments against Trust I, and the occurrence of a change of control or certain
material events and the issuance of a qualified audit opinion with respect to
Trust Is financials.
On October 16,
2009, we received a notice of default from Fortress stating that an event of
default had occurred and was continuing under the Trust I Credit Agreement. The
Fortress notice states that the three-month rolling average annualized default
rate of the Trust I portfolio has exceeded 7.0%. As a result of the default,
pursuant to the Trust I Credit Agreement, the interest rate payable by Trust I
has increased by an additional 2% per annum, and all collections by Trust I
above amounts retained to pay interest, fees, principal amortizations, and
other charges that are normally remitted to the Company, are instead being
applied to outstanding principal under the Trust I Credit Agreement until the
amount due has been reduced to zero. In
addition, Fortress is entitled to foreclose on the assets of Trust I and sell
them to satisfy amounts due it under the Trust I Credit Agreement. Only Trust I is liable for amounts due
Fortress under the Trust I Credit Agreement.
Thus, although the Company could lose some or all of its investment in
Trust I, the Company will not be obligated to pay any amounts due Fortress
under the Trust I Credit Agreement. All
Trust I collections are being retained by Fortress and applied to pay interest
and reduce indebtedness while the Company discusses amending the Trust I Credit
Agreement, but Fortress has not sought to foreclose on the assets of Trust
I. Those discussions are ongoing. The Company does not expect that Fortress
will foreclose on the assets of Trust I while negotiations are proceeding. As a result of this default, the entire
balance of $28.7 million due to Fortress under the Trust I Credit Agreement has
been classified as current on the November 30, 2009 balance sheet. Had the
Company not been in default under the Trust I Credit Agreement, $22.2 million
of the outstanding balance as of November 30, 2009 would have been
classified as non-current.
The purchase price
of $41 million consisted of the following:
·
cash paid to the sellers in the amount of $6.1
million; and
·
debt financing of $34.9 million.
The estimated fair value of the assets is based upon the acquisition of
Trust I being a 1) negotiated transaction between independent third parties, 2)
the notes receivable bear market rates of interest and 3) purchase discounts
are recorded based on the negotiated difference between the face value and the
amount paid for the notes receivable.
The following table summarizes the fair value of the assets acquired at
the date of acquisition (in thousands):
Notes receivable
|
|
$
|
41,572
|
|
Purchase discount
|
|
(715
|
)
|
Interest receivable
|
|
242
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
41,099
|
|
F-15
Table of Contents
The following unaudited pro forma information presents
the 2008 combined results of operations of Trust I and the Company as if the acquisition had occurred on December 1,
2007. The unaudited pro forma results
are for informational purposes and are not necessarily indicative of results
that would have occurred had the acquisition been in effect for the periods
presented, nor are they necessarily indicative of future results. The unaudited proforma information was prepared
from the historical financial information of Trust I and the Company.
(unaudited)
|
|
2008
|
|
|
|
|
|
Revenues
|
|
|
|
Interest income
|
|
$
|
8,160
|
|
Other
|
|
44
|
|
Total revenues
|
|
8,204
|
|
|
|
|
|
Loan servicing fees
|
|
129
|
|
Management fees
|
|
915
|
|
Interest expense
|
|
4,604
|
|
General and
administrative
|
|
2,719
|
|
Operating loss
|
|
(163
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
Other expense:
|
|
|
|
Interest expense
|
|
|
|
Loss on settlement of
note receivable related to sale of Asia-Pacific
|
|
|
|
Realized loss on sale
of assets
|
|
(4,078
|
)
|
Other, net
|
|
550
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total other loss
|
|
(3,528
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
Loss from continuing
operations before income taxes
|
|
(3,691
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
Income tax expense
(benefit)
|
|
192
|
|
|
|
|
|
Loss from continuing
operations, net of taxes
|
|
(3,883
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
Discontinued
operations, net of taxes of $5 for 2008
|
|
10
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net income (loss)
|
|
$
|
(3,873
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
Net income (loss) per
share:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Basic and diluted:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net income (loss) per
share
|
|
$
|
(0.19
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
Weighted average number
of shares:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Basic and diluted
|
|
20,553
|
|
(b)
CLST Asset II, LLC
On December 12,
2008, we, through CLST Asset Trust II (the
Trust II
), a newly formed trust wholly owned by CLST
Asset II, a wholly owned subsidiary of Financo, which is one of our
direct, wholly owned subsidiaries, entered into a purchase agreement, effective
as of December 10, 2008, to acquire from time to time certain receivables,
installment sales contracts and related assets owned by third parties (the
Trust II
Purchase Agreement
).
The Board unanimously approved the establishment of the Trust II and the
purchase agreement. Under the terms of a non-recourse, revolving loan, which
Trust II entered into with Summit Consumer Receivables Fund, L.P. (
Summit
), as originator, and
SSPE and SSPE Trust, as co-borrowers, Summit and Eric J. Gangloff, as
Guarantors, Fortress Credit Corp. (
Fortress Corp
.),
as the lender, Summit Alternative Investments, LLC, as the initial servicer,
and various other parties (
Trust II Credit Agreement
),
Trust II committed to purchase receivables of at least $2.0 million. In conjunction with this agreement, Trust II
became a co-borrower under a $50 million credit agreement that permits Trust II
to use more than $15 million of the aggregate availability under the revolving
facility. Trust IIs commitment to
purchase $2.0 million of receivables was fulfilled in the first quarter of
2009, when Trust II purchased $5.8 million of receivables, with an aggregate
purchase
F-16
Table of Contents
discount of $0.5 million,
that are secured by a second mortgage or the personal property itself. These
receivables represent primarily home improvement loans originated through FCC,
the service provider of CLST Asset I. The loans represent new originations with
an average term of 9 years and a current average interest rate of 14.7%.
Since these are new
loans, the Company has managed the originations such that almost 65% of the new
loans have credit scores higher than 680, with a portfolio average of 676. As
of June 2009, the Company is no longer originating new loans under the
credit agreement.
We or the sellers under the Trust II Purchase Agreement can terminate
the Trust II Purchase Agreement at any time (with notice) after March 29,
2009.
Also, pursuant
to the Trust II Credit Agreement
, w
e have the
right to require the sellers to repurchase any accounts, for the original
purchase price applicable to such account plus interest accrued thereon, that
do not satisfy certain specified eligibility requirements set out in the Trust
II Credit Agreement as of the purchase date. If it is discovered by a party
that a receivable account was not an Eligible Receivable as of the purchase
date, the seller is required to repurchase such receivable account. An account
is not an Eligible Receivable if, as of the purchase date, such receivable
account is, among other things, a defaulted receivable, a delinquent
receivable, subject to litigation, dispute or rights of rescission, setoff or
counterclaim, or is not subject to a duly recorded and perfected lien, as the
terms are defined in the Trust II Credit Agreement, the seller must repurchase
the account. For the twelve months ended
November 30, 2009, there had not been a determination that any receivables
failed to meet the eligibility requirements set out in the Trust II Credit
Agreement.
The
purchases of receivables by the
Trust II
from the sellers under the
Trust II Purchase Agreement
and other
approved sellers or dealers will be financed by cash on hand and by advances
under a non-recourse, revolving facility provided by a third party lender. The
revolving facility was initially established by an affiliate of the sellers
under the
Trust II
Purchase Agreement
. The
Trust II
has become a co-borrower
under the Trust II Credit Agreement and has pledged its assets to secure
performance by the borrowers thereunder. The revolving facility permits an
aggregate borrowing of all co-borrowers thereunder of up to $50,000,000.
Financo has the ability to direct that not less than $15 million to be borrowed
under the revolving facility be utilized by the
Trust II
to purchase receivables,
installment sales contracts and related assets for the
Trust II
. With the consent of its
co-borrowers, the
Trust
II
may utilize more than $15,000,000 of the aggregate availability under
the revolving facility. Receivables purchased by the
Trust II
will be owned by the
Trust II
, and the
Trust II
will receive the benefits
of collecting them, subject to the third party lenders rights in those assets
as collateral under the revolving facility. The terms and conditions of the
revolver are set forth in the Trust II Credit Agreement and the letter
agreement, effective as of December 10, 2008, among the
Trust II
, Financo, the originator,
the co-borrowers, the initial servicer, and the guarantor (the
Letter Agreement
). Advances
under the revolver are limited to an amount equal to, net of certain
concentration limitations set forth in the Trust II Credit Agreement, (a) the
lesser of (1) the product of 85% and the purchase price being paid for
eligible receivables with a credit score greater than or equal to 650 (
Class A Receivables
) or
(2) the product of 80% and the then-current aggregate balance of principal
and accrued and unpaid interest outstanding for Class A Receivables plus (b) the
lesser of (1) the product of 75% and the purchase price being paid for
eligible receivables with a credit score less than 650 (
Class B Receivables
) or
(2) the Maximum Advance.
The Trust II
Credit Agreement matures on September 28, 2010 and bears interest at an
annual rate of 4.5% over the LIBOR Rate (1.62% as of December 12, 2008)
(as defined in the
Trust II Credit Agreement
). The Trust II pays an additional fee to the
co-borrowers equal to an annual rate of 0.5% for loans attributable to the
Trust II equal to or below $10 million and an annual rate of 1.5% for loans
attributable to the Trust II in excess of $10 million. In addition, a
commitment fee is due to the lender equal to an annual rate of 0.25% of the
unused portion of the maximum committed amount. The obligations under the
Trust II Credit
Agreement
are secured
by a first priority security interest in substantially all of the assets of the
Trust II and the co-borrowers, including portfolio collections.
The
Trust II Credit
Agreement
provides
the material terms and conditions for the services to be performed by the
servicer. In return, the Trust II pays the servicer a monthly servicing fee
equal to an annual rate of 1.5% of the then aggregate outstanding principal
balance of the receivables and a 2% loan origination fee on each new loan
originated.
Portfolio
collections are distributed on a monthly basis. Absent an event of default,
after payment of the servicing fee and other amounts, fees and expenses due
under the
Trust II Credit Agreement
and the required principal, interest, unused
commitment fee payments to the lenders under the
Trust II Credit Agreement
and fees due to the co-borrowers under
the Letter Agreement, all remaining amounts from portfolio collections are paid
to the Trust II and are available for distribution to CLST Asset II and
subsequently to Financo.
Principal payments
on the Trust II Credit Agreement are due monthly to the extent that the
aggregate principal amount of the loan outstanding exceeds the lesser of (1) $50
million or (2) the Maximum Advance plus the amount on deposit in the
collection account net of any accrued and unpaid interest on the loan and fees
due to the lenders, the servicer, the backup servicer, the collateral custodian
and the owner trustee (the
Maximum
Outstanding Loan Amount
). The borrowers are also required to
either make principal payments or add additional eligible receivables as
collateral within 5 business days of any time that the aggregate principal
amount of the revolver exceeds the Maximum Outstanding Loan Amount. The
remaining outstanding principal amount of the loan
F-17
Table of Contents
plus all accrued
interest, fees and expenses is due on the maturity date. The Trust II may, at
its option, repay in whole or in part borrowings under the revolver but
prepayments made before September 28, 2010 are subject to a prepayment
premium equal to 2.0%. Interest payments on the term loan are due monthly.
The Trust II Credit Agreement contains customary covenants for
facilities of its type, including among other things maintenance of the Trust
IIs special purpose vehicle status and covenants that restrict the Trust IIs
ability to incur indebtedness, grant liens, dispose of property, pay dividends,
and make certain acquisitions. Generally, these covenants do not impact the
activities that may be undertaken by the Company. The Trust II Credit Agreement
contains various events of default, including failure to pay principal and
interest when due, breach of covenants, materially incorrect representations,
default under certain other agreements of the Trust II, bankruptcy or insolvency
of the Trust II, the occurrence of an event which causes a material adverse
effect on the Trust II, the occurrence of certain defaults by the servicer,
entry of certain material judgments against the Trust II, and the occurrence of
a change of control or certain material events and the issuance of a qualified
audit opinion with respect to the Trust IIs financials. In addition, an event
of default occurs if the three-month rolling average delinquent accounts rate
exceeds 15.0% for Class A Receivables or 30.0% for Class B
Receivables, or the three-month rolling average annualized default rate exceeds
5.0% for Class A Receivables or 12.0% for Class B Receivables. If an
event of default occurs, all of the Trust IIs obligations under the Trust II
Credit Agreement could be accelerated by the lender, causing the entire
remaining outstanding principal balance plus accrued and unpaid interest and
fees to be declared immediately due and payable.
During the twelve
months ended November 30, 2009, Trust II purchased $9.6 million of
receivables with an aggregate purchase discount of $0.8 million. These
receivables represent primarily home improvement loans originated through FCC,
the service provider of CLST Asset I.
Trust II borrowed $6.4 million utilizing the revolving facility.
Approximately 54% of these loans were secured through a second lien on
the property, with the remainder being unsecured. The loans are through the 48 mainland states
with the top five concentration as follows:
State
|
|
Percentage
|
|
|
|
|
|
Michigan
|
|
23
|
%
|
Ohio
|
|
19
|
%
|
Massachusetts
|
|
7
|
%
|
Florida
|
|
5
|
%
|
Pennsylvania
|
|
5
|
%
|
During the second quarter
of 2009 we were informed by Summit that the commitment under the Trust II
Credit Agreement had been reduced by $20 million to $30 million. Summit did not indicate the specific reasons
for the reduction in the credit facility other than it was part of a
negotiation with Fortress Corp. regarding a default on another Summit
portfolio. This reduction has no impact
on the Company because during the third quarter of 2009, we ceased purchasing
any new receivables under the facility and are no longer originating new loans
under the credit agreement and, as a result, the Company is no longer drawing
additional funds under the credit agreement.
Because we are no longer originating new loans under this credit
agreement, FCC is no longer providing origination services to the Company. The
origination services performed by FCC included loan documentation, collateral
documentation where applicable, credit verification, and other required
activities to secure loan approval per the Companys standards. FCC was paid a one-time fee of 2% of the
original principal amount of loans originated for performing these
services. Once a loan was approved, FCC
would perform the monthly servicing activities, which would include
collections, reporting, lock box services, customer service, and other related
services. FCC was paid 1.5%, per annum, of the outstanding principal balance
for these services. As of November 30,
2009, total borrowings under the Trust II Credit Agreement were $15.1 million,
of which $5.0 million was attributable to Trust II.
We received a notice of default dated December 2, 2009 from
Fortress Corp. (
Default Notice
) stating that
a servicer default had occurred and was continuing under the Trust II Credit
Agreement, as a result of a material adverse effect with respect to the
servicer. The Default Notice states that
Fair, in its capacity as a sub-servicer for assets held by the SSPE Trust, has
failed to perform its servicing duties with respect to that portion of the
receivables portfolio owned by SSPE Trust for which Fair has been retained as a
sub-servicer by the SSPE Trust. This
failure, the Default Notice asserts, results from the ongoing federal investigation
of Fair and Timothy Durham, and constitutes a material adverse effect with
respect to the servicer and thus a breach of a covenant under the Trust II
Credit Agreement. We also received a
notice of default dated February 8, 2010 from Fortress Corp. (
Second Default Notice
) stating that
an additional event of default has occurred and is continuing under the Trust
II Credit Agreement because the three-month rolling average annualized default
rate of the Class A receivables in the Trust II portfolio had exceeded
5.0% as of January 31, 2010. On February 26, 2010, the parties to the
Trust II Credit Agreement entered into a wavier and release agreement (the
Fortress
F-18
Table of Contents
Waiver
) whereby 1) each event of
default declared in the Default Notice and the Second Default Notice was
waived, 2) Trust II became the sole borrower under the Trust II Credit
Agreement, 3) the outstanding borrowings attributable to SSPE Trust were paid
in full, 4) SSPE Trust and their affiliates were released from all further
obligations under the Trust II Credit Agreement, and 5) the SSPE Trust assets
were removed as pledged collateral for the Trust II Credit Agreement. The
Fortress Waiver also amended certain terms of the Trust II Credit Agreement
including the elimination of Trust IIs right to further borrowings and the
requirement for Trust II to pay an unused commitment fee.
(c)
CLST Asset III, LLC
Effective February 13,
2009, we, through CLST Asset III, a newly formed, wholly owned subsidiary of
Financo, which is one of our direct, wholly owned subsidiaries, purchased
certain receivables, installment sales contracts and related assets owned by
Fair, James F. Cochran, Chairman and Director of Fair, and Timothy S. Durham,
Chief Executive Officer and Director of Fair and an officer, director and
stockholder of our Company (the
Trust III Purchase
Agreement
). Messrs. Durham and Cochran own all of the
outstanding equity of Fair. In return for assets acquired under the Trust III
Purchase Agreement, CLST Asset III paid the sellers total consideration of
$3,594,354 as follows:
(1)
cash in the amount of $1,797,178 of which $1,417,737
was paid to Fair, $325,440 was paid to Mr. Durham and $54,000 was paid to Mr. Cochran,
(2)
2,496,077 newly issued shares of our common stock, par
value $.01 per share (
Common
Stock
) at a price of $0.36 per share, of which 1,969,077 shares
of Common Stock were issued to Fair, 452,000 shares of Common Stock were issued
to Mr. Durham and 75,000 shares of Common Stock were issued to Mr. Cochran
and
(3)
six promissory notes (the
Notes
) issued by CLST Asset III in an aggregate
original stated principal amount of $898,588, of which two promissory notes in
an aggregate original principal amount of $708,868 were issued to Fair, two
promissory notes in an aggregate original principal amount of $162,720 were
issued to Mr. Durham and two promissory notes in an aggregate original
principal amount of $27,000 were issued to Mr. Cochran.
We received a
fairness opinion of Business Valuation Advisors (
BVA
) stating that BVA is of the opinion that the
consideration paid by us pursuant to the Trust III Purchase Agreement is fair,
from a financial point of view, to our nonaffiliated stockholders. A copy
of the fairness opinion was filed as an exhibit to our Current Report on Form 8-K
filed with the SEC on February 20, 2009. The shares of Common Stock
were issued by us in a transaction exempt from registration pursuant to Section 4(2) of
the Securities Act. As additional inducement for CLST Asset III to enter
into the Trust III Purchase Agreement, Fair agreed to use its best efforts to
facilitate negotiations to add CLST Asset III or one of its affiliates as a
co-borrower under one of Fairs existing lines of credit with access to at
least $15,000,000 of credit for our own purposes. To date we have not been
added as a co-borrower.
Substantially all
of the assets acquired by CLST Asset III are in one of two portfolios.
Portfolio A is a mixed pool of receivables from several asset classes,
including health and fitness club memberships, membership resort memberships,
receivables associated with campgrounds and timeshares, in-home food sales and
services, buyers clubs, delivered products, home improvements and
tuitions. Portfolio B is made up entirely of receivables related to the
sale of tanning bed products. Only 2% of these portfolios are home
improvement loans and none of the loans are secured. The loans are through the 48 mainland states
with the top five concentration as follows:
State
|
|
Percentage
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ohio
|
|
17
|
%
|
Florida
|
|
8
|
%
|
Colorado
|
|
8
|
%
|
Texas
|
|
6
|
%
|
Pennsylvania
|
|
6
|
%
|
As of February 13,
2009, the portfolios of receivables acquired pursuant to the Trust III Purchase
Agreement collectively consisted of approximately 3,000 accounts with an
aggregate outstanding balance of approximately $3,709,500 with a weighted
average interest rate greater than 18% and an average outstanding balance per
account of approximately $1,015 for Portfolio A and approximately $5,740 for
Portfolio B. We have the right to require the seller to repurchase any
accounts, for the original purchase price applicable to such account, that do
not satisfy certain specified eligibility requirements set out in the Trust III
Purchase Agreement as of February 13, 2009. If it is discovered by a party
that a receivable account was not an Eligible Receivable as of
F-19
Table of Contents
February 13, 2009,
the closing date of the acquisition, the seller is required to repurchase such
receivable account. An account is not an Eligible Receivable if, as of February 13,
2009, such receivable account is a delinquent receivable, a defaulted
receivable subject to litigation, dispute or rights of rescission, setoff or
counterclaim, or is not subject to a duly recorded and perfected lien, the
seller must repurchase the account. For
the twelve months ended November 30, 2009, there had not been a
determination that any receivables failed to meet the eligibility requirements
set out in the Trust III Purchase Agreement.
Additionally, the
Trust III Purchase Agreement provides that each of the sellers jointly and
severally guarantee to CLST Asset III, up to the aggregate stated principal
amount of the Notes issued to such seller, that the outstanding receivable
balance of each receivable as of the closing date will be collectible in
full. For each receivable that becomes a
defaulted receivable following the closing date, the sellers are obligated to
pay to CLST Asset III an amount equal to the outstanding receivable balance of
such receivable and CLST Asset III has the right to offset such amount against
the amount due to the seller under the promissory notes issued to the sellers
on the closing date. The aggregate
amount of each sellers guarantee obligation is limited to the aggregate stated
principal amount of the promissory note issued to such seller representing
approximately 25% of the total purchase price of the portfolio of approximately
$3.6 million. Since the principal
balance of the notes declines over time as payments are made by the Company to
the sellers, future defaulted receivables can be offset only against the then
remaining balance of the notes issued to the sellers. Any future defaults of receivables will be
offset against any remaining amounts owed the sellers pursuant to these
notes. In February 2010, Fair
commenced bankruptcy proceedings which may limit the Companys ability to
continue to offset future receivable defaults against the notes payable to
Fair, but should not impact the Companys rights to continue to offset defaults
of receivables against the other remaining seller notes. Defaults of $208,000
during the twelve months ended November 30, 2009 were offset against the
notes payable to the sellers. The remaining obligation to the sellers, as of November 30,
2009, was $498,000 after interest was accrued and delinquent receivables were
recorded.
The Notes issued
by CLST Asset III in favor of the sellers are full-recourse with respect to
CLST Asset III and are unsecured. The three Notes relating to Portfolio A
(the
Portfolio A Notes
)
are payable in 11 quarterly installments, each consisting of equal principal
payments, plus all interest accrued through such payment date at a rate of 4.0%
plus the LIBOR Rate (0.38% as of February 13, 2009) (as defined in the
Portfolio A Notes). The three Notes relating to Portfolio B (the
Portfolio B Notes
) are
payable in 21 quarterly installments, each consisting of equal principal
payments, plus all interest accrued through such payment date at a rate of 4.0%
plus the LIBOR Rate (as defined in the Portfolio B Notes).
During the second
quarter of 2009 we began implementing the servicing, collection and other
procedures relating to management of CLST Asset III contemplated by the
agreements between us and the servicer of the portfolio. Fair is the servicer
of the CLST Asset III portfolio and is an affiliate of Mr. Durham. The
implementation of the procedures required several meetings with the servicer
and were implemented during the third quarter of 2009 with the exception of
securing a lock box to receive payments, which we expected to have in place
during the fourth quarter of 2009.
During the fourth quarter of 2009, unexpectedly to the Company, the
Federal Bureau of Investigation (
FBI
) and
other government agencies seized certain assets of Fair, including their
servers, computers and other items used by Fair in the servicing of our CLST
Asset III portfolio. Due to these and other facts, we understand Fair was
closed for a period of time and was unable to fully service our CLST Asset III
portfolio for an extended period of time. As a result, we have moved the
servicing of our CLST Asset III portfolio to an alternate servicer. Effective February 1,
2010, Highlands Premier Acceptance Corp. and Highlands Financial Services, LLC
(collectively referred to herein as
Highlands
)
assumed all servicing functions previously performed by Fair. Highlands is
fully independent of Fair and the Company, and there are no related party
relationships of any nature among Fair, Highlands or the Company. Fair had been
fully co-operating with the logistics of the transfer of the servicing of the
CLST Asset III portfolio to Highlands, however, in February 2010 Fair
commenced bankruptcy proceedings, which may negatively impact the timing and
completeness of this transfer.
Our agreement with Highlands calls for an initial term of six months
and is automatically renewed in one year increments unless cancelled in writing
by either party in accordance with the terms of the agreement. We will incur
servicing fees at market rates and per the terms of the agreement. Highlands is
required to make daily remittances of our collected accounts.
At this time, we believe
that we have a right of recoupment against Fair for payments it has received on
our behalf and not remitted, and expect to exercise that right by withholding
such amounts from any money due to Fair.
However, there can be no assurance that Fair will not challenge our
recoupment right, or what the ultimate outcome of that challenge might be. On March 1,
2010 approximately $73,000
was due to
Fair and the other sellers which has not been paid.
F-20
Table of Contents
(4) Related
Party Transactions
CLST Asset I
On November 10,
2008, the Company entered into a purchase agreement, through CLST Asset I, a
wholly owned subsidiary of Financo, which is one of our direct, wholly owned
subsidiaries, to acquire all of the outstanding equity interests of Trust I
from
Drawbridge Special Opportunities Fund LP (
Drawbridge
)
for approximately $41.0 million under
the Trust I Purchase Agreement. Our acquisition of Trust I was financed
by approximately $6.1 million of cash on hand and by a non-recourse, term loan
of approximately $34.9 million from Fortress, an affiliate of Drawbridge,
pursuant to the terms and conditions set forth in the Trust I Credit Agreement,
dated November 10, 2008, by and among the Trust I, Fortress, as the lender
and administrative agent, FCC, as the initial servicer, Lyon Financial Services, Inc.,
as the backup servicer, and U.S. Bank National Association, as the collateral
custodian.
Pursuant to the Trust I
Credit Agreement, Fair, may become the servicer if and only if there occurs an
event of a default by the then current servicer and only if Fair is not then in
default either as a borrower or as a servicer under any credit facility to
which Fortress or any of its affiliates is a party and no change of control of
Fair has occurred. Timothy S. Durham, an
officer, director and stockholder of the Company, is Chief Executive Officer
and Director of Fair and is also a majority stockholder of Fair. As of the date
of this Form 10-K, FCC continues to be the servicer of the CLST Asset I
portfolio, and the Company is not aware that the servicer is in default under
the Trust I Credit Agreement. Because
Fair is not currently acting as the servicer of CLST Asset I and Fair could
only become a servicer upon certain defaults by the current servicer, it is not
currently anticipated that Fair will have a direct or indirect material
interest in the Trust I Credit Agreement.
The servicing fee payable to the servicer in any given year under the
Trust I Credit Agreement is based upon a service fee rate of 1.5% and the
aggregate outstanding receivable balance.
In February 2010, Fair commenced bankruptcy proceedings, which may
impact Fairs ability to ultimately act as the servicer of the CLST Asset I
portfolio if there was a need to change from the current servicer.
CLST Asset II
On December 12, 2008, the Company entered into the Trust II
Purchase Agreement, through Trust II
, a newly formed trust wholly owned by CLST Asset II,
a wholly owned subsidiary of Financo
, effective as of December 10,
2008, to acquire from time to time certain receivables, installment sales
contracts and related assets owned by
SSPE Trust and SSPE
.
Under the terms of the Trust II Credit
Agreement, a non-recourse, revolving loan, which Trust II entered into with
Summit, as originator, and SSPE and SSPE Trust, as co-borrowers, Summit and
Eric J. Gangloff, as Guarantors, Fortress Corp., as the lender, Summit Alternative
Investments, LLC, as the initial servicer, and various other parties, Trust II
committed to purchase receivables of at least $2.0 million. In conjunction with the Trust II Credit
Agreement, Trust II became a co-borrower under a $50 million credit agreement
that permits Trust II to use more than $15 million of the aggregate
availability under the revolving facility.
Fair is a sub-servicer of
the CLST Asset II portfolio and is an affiliate of Mr. Durham, a director
of the Company. Fair has been retained
as a sub-servicer for assets held by the SSPE Trust. The Company has not made any payments to Fair
in connection with its services as a sub-servicer for CLST Asset II portfolio
assets held by the SSPE Trust.
In February 2010, Fair
commenced bankruptcy proceedings, which may impact Fairs ability to ultimately
act as the servicer of the CLST Asset II portfolio if there was a need to
change from the current servicer.
We received the
Default Notice dated December 2, 2009 from Fortress Corp. stating that a
servicer default had occurred and was continuing under the Trust II Credit
Agreement, as a result of a material adverse effect with respect to the
servicer. The Default Notice states that
Fair, in its capacity as a sub-servicer for assets held by the SSPE Trust, has
failed to perform its servicing duties with respect to that portion of the
receivables portfolio owned by SSPE Trust for which Fair has been retained as a
sub-servicer by the SSPE Trust. This
failure, the Default Notice asserts, results from the ongoing federal
investigation of Fair and Timothy Durham, and constitutes a material adverse
effect with respect to the servicer and thus a breach of a covenant under the
Trust II Credit Agreement. We also received
a Second Default Notice dated February 8, 2010 from Fortress Corp. stating
that an additional event of default has occurred and is continuing under the
Trust II Credit Agreement because the three-month rolling average annualized
default rate of the Class A receivables in the Trust II portfolio had
exceeded 5.0% as of January 31, 2010. On February 26, 2010, the
parties to the Trust II Credit Agreement entered into the Fortress Waiver
whereby 1) each event of default declared in the Default Notice and the Second
Default Notice was waived, 2) Trust II became the sole borrower under the Trust
II Credit Agreement, 3) the outstanding borrowings attributable to SSPE Trust
were paid in full, 4) SSPE Trust and their affiliates were released from all
further obligations under the Trust II Credit Agreement, and 5) the SSPE Trust
assets were removed as pledged collateral for the Trust II Credit Agreement.
The Fortress Waiver also amended certain terms of the Trust II Credit Agreement
including the elimination of Trust IIs right to further borrowings and the
requirement for Trust II to pay an unused commitment fee.
F-21
Table of Contents
CLST Asset III
Effective
February 13, 2009, we, through CLST Asset III, a newly formed, wholly
owned subsidiary of Financo, which is one of our direct, wholly owned
subsidiaries, purchased certain receivables, installment sales contracts and
related assets owned by Fair, James F. Cochran, Chairman and Director of Fair,
and by Timothy S. Durham, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Fair and an
officer, director and stockholder of our Company under the Trust III Purchase
Agreement. Messrs. Durham and Cochran own all of the outstanding equity of
Fair. In return for assets acquired under the Trust III Purchase Agreement,
CLST Asset III paid the sellers total consideration of $3,594,354 as follows:
(1)
cash in the amount of $1,797,178 of which $1,417,737 was paid to Fair, $325,440
was paid to Mr. Durham and $54,000 was paid to Mr. Cochran,
(2)
2,496,077 newly issued shares of our common stock at a price of $0.36 per
share, of which 1,969,077 shares of common stock were issued to Fair, 452,000
shares of common stock were issued to Mr. Durham and 75,000 shares of
common stock were issued to Mr. Cochran and
(3)
six promissory Notes issued by CLST Asset III in an aggregate original stated
principal amount of $898,588, of which two promissory notes in an aggregate
original principal amount of $708,868 were issued to Fair, two promissory notes
in an aggregate original principal amount of $162,720 were issued to Mr. Durham
and two promissory notes in an aggregate original principal amount of $27,000
were issued to Mr. Cochran.
We
received a fairness opinion of BVA stating that BVA is of the opinion that the
consideration paid by us pursuant to the Trust III Purchase Agreement is fair,
from a financial point of view, to our nonaffiliated stockholders. A copy
of the fairness opinion was filed as an exhibit to our Current Report on Form 8-K
filed with the SEC on February 20, 2009. The shares of common stock
were issued by us in a transaction exempt from registration pursuant to Section 4(2) of
the Securities Act. As additional inducement for CLST Asset III to enter
into the Trust III Purchase Agreement, Fair agreed to use its best efforts to
facilitate negotiations to add CLST Asset III or one of its affiliates as a
co-borrower under one of Fairs existing lines of credit with access to at
least $15,000,000 of credit for our own purposes. To date we have not been added as a
co-borrower.
Substantially
all of the assets acquired by CLST Asset III are in one of two portfolios.
Portfolio A is a mixed pool of receivables from several asset classes,
including health and fitness club memberships, resort memberships, receivables
associated with campgrounds and timeshares, in-home food sales and services,
buyers clubs, delivered products, home improvements and tuitions.
Portfolio B is made up entirely of receivables related to the sale of tanning
bed products. Fair initially continued to act as the servicer of these
receivables for no additional consideration.
As of February 13,
2009, the portfolios of receivables acquired pursuant to the Trust III Purchase
Agreement collectively consisted of approximately 3,000 accounts with an
aggregate outstanding balance of approximately $3,709,500, a weighted average
interest rate greater than 18% and an average outstanding balance per account
of approximately $1,015 for Portfolio A and approximately $5,740 for Portfolio
B. The receivables were recorded at the
fair value based on an evaluation prepared by BVA upon which we relied. All the loans were originated by Fair between
November 1998 and August 2009 and are unsecured loans. None of the loans purchased were in default.
We
have the right to require the seller to repurchase any accounts, for the
original purchase price applicable to such account, that do not satisfy certain
specified eligibility requirements set out in the Trust III Purchase
Agreement. If it is discovered by a
party that a receivable account was not an Eligible Receivable as of February 13,
2009, the closing date of the acquisition, the seller is required to repurchase
such receivable account. An account is
not an Eligible Receivable if, as of February 13, 2009, such receivable
account is a delinquent receivable, a defaulted receivable subject to
litigation, dispute or rights of rescission, setoff or counterclaim, or is not
subject to a duly recorded and perfected lien, the seller must repurchase the
account. For the twelve months ended November 30,
2009, there had not been a determination that any receivables failed to meet
the eligibility requirements set out in the Trust III Purchase Agreement.
Additionally,
the Trust III Purchase Agreement provides that each of the sellers jointly and
severally guarantee to CLST Asset III, up to the aggregate stated principal
amount of the Notes issued to such seller, that the outstanding receivable
balance of each receivable as of the closing date will be collectible in
full. For each receivable that becomes a
defaulted receivable following the closing date, the sellers are obligated to
pay to CLST Asset III an amount equal to the outstanding receivable balance of
such receivable and CLST Asset III has the right to offset such amount against
the amount due to the seller under the promissory notes issued to the sellers
on the closing date. The aggregate
amount of each sellers guarantee obligation is limited to the aggregate stated
principal amount of the promissory note issued to such seller representing
approximately 25% of the total purchase price of the portfolio of approximately
$3.6 million. Since the principal
balance of the notes declines over time as payments are made by the Company to
the sellers, future defaulted receivables can be offset only against the then
remaining balance of the notes issued to the
F-22
Table of Contents
sellers. In February 2010, Fair commenced
bankruptcy proceedings which may limit the Companys ability to continue to
offset future receivable defaults against the notes payable to Fair, but should
not impact the Companys rights to continue to offset defaults of receivables
against the other remaining seller notes. Defaults of $208,000 during the
twelve months ended November 30, 2009 were offset against the notes
payable to the sellers.
The remaining obligation to the sellers, as of November 30, 2009,
was $498,000 after interest was accrued and delinquent receivables were
recorded. At this time, we believe that we have a right of recoupment against
Fair for payments it has received on our behalf and not remitted, and expect to
exercise that right by withholding such amounts from any money due to
Fair. However, there can be no assurance
that Fair will not challenge our recoupment right, or what the ultimate outcome
of that challenge might be. On March 1, 2010 approximately $73,000 was due
to Fair and the other sellers which has not been paid.
The
Notes issued by CLST Asset III in favor of the sellers are full-recourse with
respect to CLST Asset III and are unsecured. The three Portfolio A Notes
are payable in 11 quarterly installments, each consisting of equal principal
payments, plus all interest accrued through such payment date at a rate of 4.0%
plus the LIBOR Rate (as defined in the Portfolio A Notes). The three
Portfolio B Notes are payable in 21 quarterly installments, each consisting of
equal principal payments, plus all interest accrued through such payment date
at a rate of 4.0% plus the LIBOR Rate (as defined in the Portfolio B Notes).
For
the twelve months ended November 30, 2009, Fair, as a servicer for CLST
Asset III, remitted approximately $2.0 million to the Company.
During the second
quarter of 2009 we began implementing the servicing, collection and other
procedures relating to management of CLST Asset III contemplated by the
agreements between us and the servicer of the portfolio. Fair was the servicer
of the CLST Asset III portfolio and is an affiliate of Mr. Durham. The
implementation of the procedures required several meetings with the servicer
and were implemented during the third quarter of 2009 with the exception of
securing a lock box to receive payments, which we expected to have in place
during the fourth quarter of 2009.
During the fourth quarter of 2009, unexpectedly to the Company, the FBI
and other government agencies seized certain assets of Fair, including their
servers, computers and other items used by Fair in the servicing of our CLST
Asset III portfolio. Due to these and other facts, we understand Fair was
closed for a period of time and was unable to fully service our CLST Asset III
portfolio for an extended period of time. As a result, we have moved the
servicing of our CLST Asset III portfolio to an alternate servicer. Effective February 1,
2010, Highlands assumed all servicing functions previously performed by Fair.
Highlands is fully independent of Fair and the Company, and there are no
related party relationships of any nature among Fair, Highlands or the Company.
Fair had been fully co-operating with the logistics of the transfer of the
servicing of the CLST Asset III portfolio to Highlands, however, Fairs
bankruptcy proceedings may negatively impact the timing and completeness of
this transfer.
(5) Fair
Value of Financial Instruments
The carrying amounts of
accounts receivable-other, prepaid expenses and other current assets, accounts
payable and accrued liabilities as of November 30, 2009 and 2008
approximate fair value due to the short maturity of these instruments. The
carrying value of notes receivable, loans payable and notes payable-related
parties also approximate fair value since these instruments bear market rates
of interest, and notes receivable are
net of allowances and purchase discounts.
(6) Property
and Equipment
Property and equipment
consisted of the following at November 30, 2009 and 2008 (in thousands):
|
|
2009
|
|
2008
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Furniture, fixtures and
equipment (useful life - 3 to 5 years)
|
|
$
|
14
|
|
$
|
14
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
14
|
|
14
|
|
Less accumulated
depreciation and amortization
|
|
(7
|
)
|
(2
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
7
|
|
$
|
12
|
|
F-23
Table of Contents
(7) Debt
Debt consisted of the
following at November 30, 2009 and 2008 (in thousands):
|
|
2009
|
|
2008
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Loans payable
|
|
|
|
|
|
Trust I Credit
Agreement
|
|
$
|
28,666
|
|
$
|
34,338
|
|
Trust II Credit
Agreement
|
|
4,997
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CLST Asset III notes
payable - related parties
|
|
|
|
|
|
Timothy S. Durham
|
|
90
|
|
|
|
James F. Cochran
|
|
15
|
|
|
|
Fair Finance
|
|
393
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total debt
|
|
$
|
34,161
|
|
$
|
34,338
|
|
On November 10,
2008, we financed approximately $34.9 million of the purchase price of Trust I
pursuant to the Trust I Credit Agreement more fully described in footnote
3. The Trust I Credit Agreement provides
for a non-recourse, term loan maturing on November 10, 2013, with an
annual interest rate of LIBOR (as defined in the Trust I Credit Agreement) plus
5%. Principal and interest payments on
the term loan are due monthly as provided in the Credit Agreement. Principal payments on the term loan are due
monthly to the extent that the aggregate principal amount of the term loan
outstanding exceeds the sum of (a) the sum for each outstanding receivable
of the product of (1) 85%, (2) the then-current aggregate unpaid
principal balance of such receivable and (3) a percentage specified in the
Trust I Credit Agreement based upon the aging of such receivable, and (b) the
Maximum Advance Amount. Principal payments are also due within five
business days of any time that the aggregate principal amount of the term loan
outstanding exceeds the Maximum Advance Amount. The remaining outstanding
principal amount of the loan plus all accrued interest, fees and expenses are
due on the maturity date. Interest payments on the term loan are due
monthly.
On October 16, 2009,
we received a notice of default from Fortress stating that an event of default
had occurred and was continuing under the Trust I Credit Agreement. The
Fortress notice states that the three-month rolling average annualized default
rate of the Trust I portfolio has exceeded 7.0%. As a result of the default,
pursuant to the Trust I Credit Agreement, the interest rate payable by Trust I
has increased by an additional 2% per annum, and Fortress is entitled to
foreclose on the assets of Trust I and sell them to satisfy amounts due it
under the Trust I Credit Agreement.
Fortress has not yet sought to foreclose on the assets of Trust I,
however, if it does so, the Company may lose some or all of its investment in Trust
I. As a result of this default, the
entire balance of $28.7 million due to Fortress under the Trust I Credit
Agreement has been classified as current on the November 30, 2009 balance
sheet. Had the Company not been in default under the Trust I Credit Agreement,
$22.2 million of the outstanding balance as of November 30, 2009 would
have been classified as non-current.
On December 12,
2008, we entered into the Trust II Purchase Agreement and became a party to the
Trust II Credit Agreement more fully described in footnote 3. The revolver matures
on September 28, 2010 and bears interest at an annual rate of 4.5% over
the LIBOR Rate (as defined in the Trust II Credit Agreement). The Trust II pays
an additional fee to the co-borrowers equal to an annual rate of 0.5% for loans
attributable to the Trust II equal to or below $10 million and an annual rate
of 1.5% for loans attributable to the Trust II in excess of $10 million. In
addition, a commitment fee is due to the lender equal to an annual rate of
0.25% of the unused portion of the maximum committed amount. The obligations
under the Trust II Credit Agreement are secured by a first priority security
interest in substantially all of the assets of the Trust II and the
co-borrowers, including portfolio collections. Advances under the revolver are limited
to an amount equal to, net of certain concentration limitations set forth in
the Trust II Credit Agreement, (a) the lesser of (1) the product of
85% and the purchase price being paid for Class A Receivables or (2) the
product of 80% and the then-current aggregate balance of principal and accrued
and unpaid interest outstanding for Class A Receivables plus (b) the
lesser of (1) the product of 75% and the purchase price being paid for Class B
Receivables or (2) the product of 50% and the then-current aggregate
balance of principal and accrued and unpaid interest outstanding for Class B
Receivables.
Principal
payments on the revolver are due monthly to the extent that the aggregate
principal amount of the loan outstanding exceeds the lesser of (1) $30 million
or (2) the Maximum Advance plus the Maximum Outstanding Loan Amount. The
borrowers are also required to either make principal payments or add additional
eligible receivables as collateral within 5 business days of any time that the
aggregate principal amount of the revolver exceeds the Maximum Outstanding Loan
Amount. The remaining outstanding principal amount of the loan plus all accrued
interest, fees and expenses is due on the maturity date. The Trust II may, at
its option, repay in whole or in part borrowings under the revolver but
prepayments made before September 28, 2010 are subject to a prepayment
F-24
Table of Contents
premium equal to 2.0%.
Interest payments on the term loan are due monthly. Unused commitment fees for the Trust II
Credit Agreement were $13,663 for the twelve months ended November 30,
2009.
We received the
Default Notice dated December 2, 2009 from Fortress Corp. stating that a
servicer default had occurred and was continuing under the Trust II Credit
Agreement, as a result of a material adverse effect with respect to the
servicer. The Default Notice states that
Fair, in its capacity as a sub-servicer for assets held by the SSPE Trust, has
failed to perform its servicing duties with respect to that portion of the
receivables portfolio owned by SSPE Trust for which Fair has been retained as a
sub-servicer by the SSPE Trust. This
failure, the Default Notice asserts, results from the ongoing federal
investigation of Fair and Timothy Durham, and constitutes a material adverse
effect with respect to the servicer and thus a breach of a covenant under the
Trust II Credit Agreement. We also
received a Second Default Notice dated February 8, 2010 from Fortress
Corp. stating that an additional event of default has occurred and is
continuing under the Trust II Credit Agreement because the three-month rolling
average annualized default rate of the Class A receivables in the Trust II
portfolio had exceeded 5.0% as of January 31, 2010. On February 26,
2010, the parties to the Trust II Credit Agreement entered into the Fortress
Waiver whereby 1) each event of default declared in the Default Notice and the
Second Default Notice was waived, 2) Trust II became the sole borrower under
the Trust II Credit Agreement, 3) the outstanding borrowings attributable to
SSPE Trust were paid in full, 4) SSPE Trust and their affiliates were released
from all further obligations under the Trust II Credit Agreement, and 5) the
SSPE Trust assets were removed as pledged collateral for the Trust II Credit
Agreement. The Fortress Waiver also amended certain terms of the Trust II
Credit Agreement including the elimination of Trust IIs right to further
borrowings and the requirement for Trust II to pay an unused commitment fee.
At November 30,
2009, we had $208,000 of deferred loan costs, net of accumulated amortization
which is included in other assets in the accompanying consolidated balance
sheets. We amortize the deferred loan
costs based on the percentage of reduction of the outstanding balances of the
Trust I Credit Agreement and the Trust II Credit Agreement. Included in operating interest expense in the
accompanying consolidated statements of operations for the year ended November 30,
2009 is $47,000 of amortization of these deferred loan costs associated with
the acquisition of the term loan.
On February 12, 2009, we entered into the Trust
III Purchase Agreement and issued Notes to the sellers. These Notes consisted
of six promissory notes in an aggregate original stated principal amount of
$898,588, of which two promissory notes in an aggregate original principal
amount of $708,868 were issued to Fair, two promissory notes in an aggregate
original principal amount of $162,720 were issued to Mr. Durham and two
promissory notes in an aggregate original principal amount of $27,000 were
issued to Mr. Cochran.
In accordance with the Trust III Purchase Agreement
and the Notes, we have the right to require the seller to repurchase any
accounts, for the original purchase price applicable to such account, that do
not satisfy certain specified eligibility requirements set out in the Trust III
Purchase Agreement as of February 13, 2009. If it is discovered by a party
that a receivable account was not an Eligible Receivable as of February 13,
2009, the closing date of the acquisition, the seller is required to repurchase
such receivable account. An account is not an Eligible Receivable if, as of February 13,
2009, such receivable account is a delinquent receivable, a defaulted
receivable subject to litigation, dispute or rights of rescission, setoff or
counterclaim, or is not subject to a duly recorded and perfected lien, the
seller must repurchase the account. For
the twelve months ended November 30, 2009, there had not been a
determination that any receivables failed to meet the eligibility requirements
set out in the Trust III Purchase Agreement.
Additionally, the Trust III Purchase Agreement
provides that each of the sellers jointly and severally guarantee to CLST Asset
III, up to the aggregate stated principal amount of the Notes issued to such
seller, that the outstanding receivable balance of each receivable as of the
closing date will be collectible in full.
For each receivable that becomes a defaulted receivable following the
closing date, the sellers are obligated to pay to CLST Asset III an amount
equal to the outstanding receivable balance of such receivable and CLST Asset
III has the right to offset such amount against the amount due to the seller
under the promissory notes issued to the sellers on the closing date. The aggregate amount of each sellers
guarantee obligation is limited to the aggregate stated principal amount of the
promissory note issued to such seller representing approximately 25% of the
total purchase price of the portfolio of approximately $3.6 million. Since the principal balance of the notes
declines over time as payments are made by the Company to the sellers, future
defaulted receivables can be offset only against the then remaining balance of
the notes issued to the sellers. Any
future defaults of receivables will be offset against any remaining amounts
owed the sellers pursuant to these notes.
In February 2010, Fair commenced bankruptcy proceedings which may
limit the Companys ability to continue to offset future receivable defaults
against the notes payable to Fair, but should not impact the Companys rights
to continue to offset defaults of receivables against the other remaining
seller notes. Defaults of $208,000 during the twelve months ended November 30,
2009 were offset against the notes payable to the sellers. The remaining
obligation to the sellers, as of November 30, 2009, was $498,000 after
interest was accrued and delinquent receivables were recorded.
The Notes issued by CLST Asset III in favor of the
sellers are full-recourse with respect to CLST Asset III and are
unsecured. The Portfolio A Notes are
payable in 11 quarterly installments, each consisting of equal principal
payments, plus all interest accrued through such payment date at a rate of 4.0%
plus the LIBOR Rate (as defined in the Portfolio A Notes). The Portfolio B Notes are payable in 21
quarterly installments, each consisting of equal principal payments, plus all
interest accrued through such
F-25
Table of Contents
payment
date at a rate of 4.0% plus the LIBOR Rate (as defined in the Portfolio B
Notes).
At this time, we believe that we have a right of
recoupment against Fair for payments it has received on our behalf and not
remitted, and expect to exercise that right by withholding such amounts from
any money due to Fair. However, there
can be no assurance that Fair will not challenge our recoupment right, or what
the ultimate outcome of that challenge might be. On March 1, 2010
approximately $73,000 was due to Fair and the other sellers which has not been
paid.
(8) Income
Taxes
Provision (benefit) for
income taxes for the years ended November 30, 2009 and 2008 consisted of
the following (in thousands):
|
|
Current
|
|
Deferred
|
|
Total
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Year ended
November 30, 2009
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
United States:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Federal
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
State
|
|
26
|
|
|
|
26
|
|
International
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
|
|
$
|
26
|
|
|
|
26
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Year ended
November 30, 2008
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
United States:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Federal
|
|
$
|
55
|
|
|
|
55
|
|
State
|
|
142
|
|
|
|
142
|
|
International
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
|
|
$
|
197
|
|
|
|
197
|
|
Provision (benefit) for income taxes differed from the
amounts computed by applying the U.S. Federal income tax rate of 35% to income
before income taxes as a result of the following for the years ended November 30,
2009 and 2008 (in thousands):
|
|
2009
|
|
2008
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Expected tax benefit
|
|
$
|
(1,809
|
)
|
$
|
(535
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
State income taxes, net
of federal benefits
|
|
17
|
|
92
|
|
Current year losses not
benefited
|
|
1,809
|
|
535
|
|
Utilization of deferred
tax assets (including NOLs) previously offset with valuation allowance
|
|
|
|
105
|
|
Other
|
|
9
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Actual tax expense
|
|
$
|
26
|
|
$
|
197
|
|
F-26
Table of Contents
The tax effect of temporary differences underlying
significant portions of deferred income tax assets and liabilities at November 30,
2009 and 2008 is presented below (in thousands):
|
|
2009
|
|
2008
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Deferred income tax
assets:
|
|
|
|
|
|
Allowance for doubtful
accounts
|
|
$
|
1,325
|
|
$
|
50
|
|
Stock based
compensation
|
|
687
|
|
668
|
|
Net operating loss
carryforwards
|
|
44,138
|
|
43,635
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
46,150
|
|
44,353
|
|
Valuation allowance
|
|
(41,364
|
)
|
(39,567
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Deferred income tax
asset - net
|
|
$
|
4,786
|
|
$
|
4,786
|
|
The net deferred income tax asset of $4.8 million is
primarily related to payables that were accrued in 2002 and in earlier periods
but remain in accounts payable at November 30, 2009. The Company has
disputed the validity of these payables since 2001and believes that the statute
of limitations has expired and that the Company will ultimately settle these
potential obligations for amounts less than book value. Any amounts settled for
less than book value will be recognized as income. In assessing the
realizability of deferred income tax assets, management considers whether it is
more likely than not that the deferred income tax assets will be realized. The
ultimate realization of deferred income tax assets is dependent on the
generation of future taxable income during the periods in which those temporary
differences are deductible. Management considers the scheduled reversal of
deferred income tax assets, projected future taxable income, and tax planning
strategies in determining the amount of the valuation allowance. The most
significant factor considered in determining the realizability of the deferred
tax asset was projected profitability, including taxable income generated from
tax planning strategies, over the next three to five years. The Company needs
to generate $13.7 million in pre-tax income over this period to fully
utilize the net deferred tax asset.
The amount of the deferred
income tax asset considered realizable, however, could change in the near term
if estimates of future taxable income during the relevant carry-forward period
change or if the number of years considered for these projections change. At November 30,
2009, the Company had U.S. Federal net operating loss carryforwards of
approximately $126 million, which will begin to expire in 2020.
The Company was deemed to
have undergone an ownership change for purposes of the Internal Revenue Code as
a result of its bond exchange in 2002. Accordingly, the Company may have
limitations on the yearly utilization of its U.S. tax carry-forwards in
accordance with Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code.
Because many types of
transactions are susceptible to varying interpretations under foreign and
domestic income tax laws and regulations, the amounts recorded in the
accompanying consolidated financial statements may be subject to change on
final determination by the respective taxing authorities. Management believes
it has made an adequate tax provision.
Effective December 1, 2007, we adopted the
provisions of ASC 740-10 (formerly FIN 48), which contains a two-step process
for recognizing and measuring uncertain tax positions. The first step is to
determine whether or not a tax benefit should be recognized. A tax benefit will
be recognized if the weight of available evidence indicates that the tax
position is more likely than not to be sustained upon examination by the
relevant tax authorities. The recognition and measurement of benefits related
to our tax positions requires significant judgment, as uncertainties often
exist with respect to new laws, new interpretations of existing laws, and
rulings by taxing authorities. Differences between actual results and our
assumptions or changes in our assumptions in future periods are recorded in the
period they become known. Interest costs
and penalties related to income taxes are classified as other expenses in the
consolidated financial statements. For the years ended November 30, 2009
and 2008, we recognized $3,000 and $12,000, respectively, in interest and
penalty fees related to income taxes. It
is determined not to be reasonably likely for the amounts of unrecognized tax
benefits to significantly increase or decrease within the next 12 months. We are currently subject to a three year
statute of limitations by major tax jurisdictions. We and our subsidiaries file
income tax returns in the U.S. federal jurisdiction.
(9) Leases
The Company leases certain office facilities and
equipment operating leases. Rental expense for operating leases related to
continuing operations was $38,000 and $31,000 for the years ended November 30,
2009 and 2008, respectively. The Companys office lease expires in June 2011. Expected minimum lease payments for the
twelve months ended November 30, 2010 and 2011 are $39,000 and $20,000,
respectively.
F-27
Table of Contents
(10) Stockholders
Equity
(a) Stockholder Rights Plan
On February 5, 2009,
our Board adopted a rights plan and declared a dividend of one preferred share
purchase right for each outstanding share of Common Stock of the Company. The
dividend is payable to our stockholders of record as of February 16, 2009.
The terms of the rights and the rights plan are set forth in a Rights
Agreement, by and between the Company and Mellon Investor Services LLC, as
Rights Agent (the
Rights
Plan
).
Our Board adopted the
Rights Plan in an effort to protect stockholder value by
attempting to protect against a possible
limitation on our ability to use our net operating loss carryforwards (the
NOLs
) to reduce
potential future federal income tax obligations. We have experienced and
continue to experience substantial operating losses, and under the Internal
Revenue Code and rules promulgated by the Internal Revenue Service, we may
carry forward these losses in certain circumstances to offset any current and
future earnings and thus reduce our federal income tax liability, subject to
certain requirements and restrictions. To the extent that the NOLs do not
otherwise become limited, we believe that we will be able to carry forward a
significant amount of NOLs, and therefore these NOLs could be a substantial
asset to us. However, if we experience an Ownership Change, as defined in Section 382
of the Internal Revenue Code, our ability to use the NOLs will be substantially
limited, and the timing of the usage of the NOLs could be substantially
delayed, which could therefore significantly impair the value of that asset.
The Rights Plan is
intended to act as a deterrent to any person or group acquiring 4.9% or more of
our outstanding Common Stock (an
Acquiring Person
) without our approval.
Stockholders who own 4.9% or more of our outstanding Common Stock as of the
close of business on February 16, 2009 will not trigger the Rights Plan so
long as they do not (i) acquire any additional shares of Common Stock or (ii) fall
under 4.9% ownership of Common Stock and then re-acquire 4.9% or more of the
Common Stock. The Rights Plan does not exempt any future acquisitions of Common
Stock by such persons. Any rights held by an Acquiring Person are null and void
and may not be exercised. We may, in our sole discretion, exempt any person or
group from being deemed an Acquiring Person for purposes of the Rights Plan.
The
Rights
. We
authorized the issuance of one right per each outstanding share of our common
stock payable to our stockholders of record as of February 16, 2009.
Subject to the terms, provisions and conditions of the Rights Plan, if the
rights become exercisable, each right would initially represent the right to
purchase from us one ten-thousandth of a share of our Series B Junior
Participating Preferred Stock (
Series B Preferred Stock
) for a purchase price of
$6.01 (the
Purchase
Price
). If issued, each fractional share of Series B
Preferred Stock would give the stockholder approximately the same dividend,
voting and liquidation rights as does one share of our common stock. However,
prior to exercise, a right does not give its holder any rights as a stockholder
of the Company, including without limitation any dividend, voting or
liquidation rights.
Series B Preferred Stock Provisions.
Each one ten-thousandth of a share
of Series B Preferred Stock, if issued: (1) will not be redeemable; (2) will
entitle holders to quarterly dividend payments of $0.01 per one ten-thousandth
of a share of Series B Preferred Stock, or an amount equal to the dividend
paid on one share of common stock, whichever is greater; (3) will entitle
holders upon liquidation either to receive $1.00 per one ten-thousandth of a
share of Series B Preferred Stock or an amount equal to the payment made
on one share of common stock, whichever is greater; (4) will have the same
voting power as one share of common stock; and (5) if shares of our common
stock are exchanged via merger, consolidation, or a similar transaction, will
entitle holders to a per share payment equal to the payment made on one share
of common stock. The value of one one-hundredth interest in a Preferred
Share should approximate the value of one share of common stock.
Exercisability
. The rights will not be exercisable
until the earlier of (i) 10 business days after a public announcement by
us that a person or group has become an Acquiring Person and (ii) 10
business days after the commencement of a tender or exchange offer by a person
or group for 4.9% of the common stock.
We refer to the date that
the rights become exercisable as the
Distribution Date
. Until the Distribution
Date, our common stock certificates will evidence the rights and will contain a
notation to that effect. Any transfer of shares of common stock prior to the
Distribution Date will constitute a transfer of the associated rights. After
the Distribution Date, the rights may be transferred other than in connection
with the transfer of the underlying shares of common stock.
After the Distribution
Date, each holder of a right, other than rights beneficially owned by the
Acquiring Person (which will thereupon become null and void), will thereafter
have the right to receive upon exercise of a right and payment of the Purchase
Price, that number of shares of common stock having a market value at the time
of exercise of two times the Purchase Price.
Exchange
. After the Distribution Date, we may
exchange the rights (other than rights owned by an Acquiring Person, which will
have become null and void), in whole or in part, at an exchange ratio of one
share of common stock, or a fractional share of
F-28
Table of Contents
Series B Preferred
Stock (or of a share of a similar class or series of the Companys preferred
stock having similar rights, preferences and privileges) of equivalent value,
per right (subject to adjustment).
Expiration
. The rights and the Rights Plan will
expire on the earliest of (i) February 13, 2019, (ii) the time
at which the rights are redeemed pursuant to the Rights Agreement, (iii) the
time at which the rights are exchanged pursuant to the Rights Agreement, (iv) the
repeal of Section 382 of the Code or
any successor statute if we determine that the Rights Agreement is no longer
necessary for the preservation of NOLs, and (v) the beginning of a taxable
year of the Company to which we determine that no NOLs may be carried forward.
Redemption
. At any time prior to the time an
Acquiring Person becomes such, we may redeem the rights in whole, but not in
part, at a price of $0.01 per right (the
Redemption Price
). The redemption of the
rights may be made effective at such time, on such basis and with such
conditions as we in our sole discretion may establish. Immediately upon any
redemption of the rights, the right to exercise the rights will terminate and
the only right of the holders of rights will be to receive the Redemption
Price.
Anti-Dilution
Provisions
. We
may adjust the purchase price of the shares of Series B Preferred Stock,
the number of shares of Series B Junior Preferred Stock issuable and the
number of outstanding rights to prevent dilution that may occur as a result of
certain events, including among others, a stock dividend, a stock split or a
reclassification of the shares of Series B Preferred Stock or our common
stock. No adjustments to the purchase price of less than 1% will be made.
Amendments
. Before the Distribution Date, we may
amend or supplement the Rights Plan without the consent of the holders of the
rights. After the Distribution Date, we may amend or supplement the rights Plan
only to cure an ambiguity, to alter time period provisions, to correct
inconsistent provisions, or to make any additional changes to the Rights Plan,
but only to the extent that those changes do not impair or adversely affect any
rights holder.
The
rights have certain anti-takeover effects. The rights will cause
substantial dilution to a person or group who attempts to acquire the Company
on terms not approved by us. The rights should not interfere with any
merger or other business combination approved by us since we may redeem the
rights at $0.01 per right at any time until the date on which a person or group
has become an Acquiring Person.
(11)
Commitments and Contingencies
(a) Legal Proceedings
Introduction
The Company has expended
a significant amount of management time and resources in connection with the
Federal Court Action and the State Court Action (as defined below) with Red Oak Fund, L.P. and certain of its
affiliates (
Red Oak
or
the
Red Oak Group
)
. The Company has had settlement discussions with Red Oak regarding the Federal
Court Action and the State Court Action, but those discussions have not been
successful and are not ongoing. The Company may have further settlement
discussions with Red Oak in the future. No assurance can be given that
any settlement agreement could be reached if the Company undertakes further
discussions or, if a settlement agreement is entered into, that the terms of
any settlement would not have a material adverse effect on the Company, its
financial position, or its results of operations.
Federal Court Action
In December 2008,
David Sandberg of the Red Oak Group placed a telephone call to Robert Kaiser
expressing interest in the Red Oak Group making a minority investment in the
Company and obtaining control of the Company. Our Board responded by suggesting
that the Red Oak Group and the Company discuss the Red Oak Groups desire to
make a minority investment and obtain control after the Company filed its
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended November 30,
2008 with the SEC and made its results of operations available to the Companys
stockholders.
On January 15, 2009,
the Red Oak Group acquired 5,000 shares of our common stock in secondary market
and privately negotiated transactions. On or about January 30, 2009,
the Red Oak Group requested that the Company provide a stockholder list and
security position listings, which it said it would use to make a tender
offer. On February 3, 2009, the Red Oak Group announced its plan to
commence a tender offer to acquire up to 70% of our outstanding shares of
common stock at $0.25 per share. On February 5, 2009, we adopted the
Rights Plan which became effective on February 16, 2009. Stating the
Companys Rights Plan as its reason, the Red Oak Group announced on February 9,
2009 that it had abandoned its intention to make a tender offer.
Nevertheless, the Red Oak Group continued through February 13, 2009 to
acquire shares of our common stock in the secondary market and privately
negotiated
F-29
Table of Contents
transactions resulting in
its beneficial ownership of 4,561,554 shares of our common stock (according to
the Red Oak Groups Schedule 13D filed with the SEC on February 18, 2009),
representing approximately 19.05% of our outstanding common stock as of the
record date. The Red Oak Group made its purchases of our common stock in
open-market and privately negotiated transactions, not by means of tender offer
materials filed with the SEC.
On February 13,
2009, we filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Northern
District of Texas against Red Oak Fund, L.P., Red Oak Partners, LLC, and David
Sandberg (the
Federal Court
Action
). Our Original Complaint and Application for
Injunctive Relief alleges that Red Oak engaged in numerous violations of
federal securities laws in making purchases of our common stock and sought to
enjoin any future unlawful purchases of our stock by them, their agents, and
persons or entities acting in concert with them. We believe Red Oak violated
federal securities laws as follows:
(i)
violating Rule 14(e)-5 of the
Exchange Act by not truly abandoning its tender offer and instead directly or
indirectly purchasing or arranging to purchase shares not in connection with
its tender offer and without complying with the procedural, disclosure and
anti-fraud requirements applicable to tender offers regulated under Section 14
of the Exchange Act;
(ii)
violating Exchange Act Rule 14d-5(f) by
failing to return the Companys stockholder list, which we provided to Red Oak
upon its request, and by using such list for a purpose other than in connection
with the dissemination of tender offer materials in connection with its tender
offer;
(iii)
violating Exchange Act Rule 14(d)-10
by purchasing shares pursuant to its tender offer at varying prices rather than
paying consideration for securities tendered in the tender offer at the highest
consideration paid to any stockholder for securities tendered; and
(iv)
violating Section 13(d) of the
Exchange Act by not timely filing a Schedule 13D and disclosing the information
required therein.
On March 13, 2009,
we announced that we would hold our Annual Meeting of Stockholders on May 22,
2009 in Dallas, Texas, and that the close of business on April 2, 2009
would be the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to
receive notice of, and to vote at, the Annual Meeting or any adjournments or
postponements thereof.
On March 18, 2009,
the Red Oak Group sent a letter to us demanding to inspect and copy certain of
our books and records. We have taken the position that the Red Oak Group
did not comply with state law requirements applicable to stockholders seeking
such information.
On March 19, 2009,
the Red Oak Group sent a letter to us stating its intention to put forth
several precatory proposals including stockholder votes for: approval to
proceed with the 2007 shareholder-approved plan of dissolution; approval of the
November 10, 2008 transaction whereby CLST Asset I, a wholly owned
subsidiary of Financo, entered into a purchase agreement to acquire all of the
outstanding equity interests of Trust I from a third party for approximately
$41.0 million; approval of the 2008 Plan pursuant to which the Board approved
the new issuance to themselves of up to 20 million shares of common stock, or
just over 97% of the common stock outstanding at the time this plan was
approved; approval of the December 12, 2008 transaction whereby Trust II,
a newly formed trust wholly owned by CLST Asset II, a wholly owned subsidiary
of Financo entered into a purchase agreement, effective as of December 10,
2008, to acquire (i) on or before February 28, 2009 receivables of at
least $2 million, subject to certain limitations and (ii) from time to
time certain other receivables, installment sales contracts, and related
assets; and approval of the February 13, 2009 transaction whereby CLST
Asset III, a newly formed, wholly owned subsidiary of Financo, which is one of
CLSTs direct, wholly owned subsidiaries, purchased certain receivables,
installment sales contracts, and related assets owned by Fair, which is partly
owned by Timothy S. Durham, an officer and director of CLST. On the same day,
the Red Oak Group sent a letter to us stating its intention to nominate a slate
of directors to our Board.
On April 6, 2009, we
notified the Red Oak Group that our Board rejected the Red Oak Groups
nominations for Class I and Class II seats, as the nominations were
not in accordance with our certificate of incorporation. In addition, we
also rejected the Red Oak Groups proposals because they were not proper in
form or substance under federal and state law to come before an Annual
Meeting. We offered to discuss the Red Oak Groups concerns, director
nominations, and stockholder proposals provided that (1) the Red Oak Group
and the Company enter into a confidentiality and standstill agreement, (2) the
Red Oak Group appropriately make publicly available disclosures regarding its
rapid accumulation of the Companys shares and its intentions to acquire
control of the Company that are required by the federal securities laws,
including in a Report on Schedule 13D, and (3) the Red Oak Group not vote
the shares that the Company believes it to have acquired in violation of
applicable law, including the tender offer rules and other rules regulating
such accumulation of shares under the federal securities laws, at the Annual
Meeting.
F-30
Table of Contents
Also on April 6,
2009, we filed our First Amended Complaint and Application for Injunctive
Relief in the Federal Court Action adding Red Oaks affiliates (Pinnacle
Partners, LLC; Pinnacle Fund, LLLP; and Bear Market Opportunity Fund, L.P.) as
defendants, alleging the same and other violations of federal securities laws,
including:
(i)
filing a materially false and misleading
Schedule 13D and failing to amend the same after delivering to the Company a
Notice of Director Nominations and proposal for business at the Annual Meeting;
(ii)
violating Section 14(d) of the
Exchange Act by engaging in fraudulent, deceptive and manipulative acts in
connection with its tender offer by failing to abide by Section 14(d)s
timing requirements and by failing to make required filings with the SEC; and
(iii)
that any attempt to solicit proxies from
our stockholders with respect to director nominations or notice of business
would be misleading in light of the defendants illegal activities in
accumulating Company stock.
Through this action, we
seek to obtain various declaratory judgments that the defendants have failed to
comply with federal securities laws and to enjoin the defendants from, among
other things, further violating federal securities laws and from voting any and
all shares or proxies acquired in violation of such laws.
Also on April 6,
2009, because, among other reasons, we did not expect the litigation, which
bears directly upon our Annual Meeting of stockholders, to be resolved for some
months, our Board postponed the Annual Meeting of stockholders previously
scheduled for May 22, 2009 until September 25, 2009.
On April 15, 2009,
the Red Oak Group submitted another letter to the Company, providing additional
information regarding the stockholder proposals it intends to bring before the
Annual Meeting and revising those proposals to: request the Board to complete
the dissolution approved at the stockholder meeting held in 2007; advise the
Board that the stockholders do not approve of the transaction purportedly
entered into as of November 10, 2008 whereby CLST Asset I, a wholly owned
indirect subsidiary of the Company, entered into a purchase agreement to
acquire the outstanding equity interest in Trust I and request the directors to
take any available and appropriate actions; disapprove the 2008 Plan adopted by
the Board and request the Board not to issue any additional share grants or option
grants under such plan and request that the directors rescind their approval of
such plan; advise the Board that the stockholders disapprove of the transaction
purportedly entered into as of December 12, 2008 pursuant to which CLST
Asset II, an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, entered into a
purchase agreement to acquire certain receivables on or before February 28,
2009 and request the directors to take any available and appropriate actions;
and advise the Board that the stockholders disapprove of the transaction
purportedly entered into as of February 13, 2009 whereby CLST Asset III,
an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of the Company purchased certain
receivables, installment contracts and related assets owned by Fair and request
the directors to take any available and appropriate actions.
On July 24, 2009, we
filed our Brief in Support of Application for Preliminary Injunction. The Red Oak Group filed its Opposition on August 7,
2009, and we filed our Reply Brief in Support on August 14, 2009. On October 14,
2009, the Court denied the Companys Application for Preliminary Injunction.
On December 30,
2009, the Company voluntarily filed a Motion to Dismiss the Federal Court
Action (
Motion to Dismiss
).
As an exercise of its
business judgment, CLSTs board of directors has decided not to pursue CLSTs
claims against the Red Oak Group beyond the preliminary injunction stage.
On January 20, 2010,
the Red Oak Group filed its Combined Motion for Leave to Amend, to Join Third
Parties, to Vacate Scheduling Order and to Continue the Trial Date (
Motion for Leave
) and its Motion
for Attorneys Fees under Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil
Procedure (
Rule 11 Motion
).
By its Motion for Leave, Red
Oak sought to join Messrs. Durham, Kaiser, and Tornek as defendants and to
add claims against them and CLST respectively for alleged violations of
Sections 13(d), 14(a), and 10(b) of the Exchange Act and certain rules promulgated
thereunder. By its Rule 11 Motion,
the Red Oak Group sought to recover all of its attorneys fees and costs in
defending this action from CLST based on the legal contention that injunctive
relief is not available for a violation of Section 13(d) of the
Exchange Act.
On
March 2, 2010, the Court denied the Companys Motion to Dismiss and
granted the Red Oak Groups Motion for Leave.
The Court also denied the Red Oak Groups Rule 11 Motion.
The
Federal Court Action remains pending.
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State Court Action
On March 2, 2009,
certain members of the Red Oak Group (namely, Red Oak Partners, LLC; Pinnacle
Fund, LLP; and Bear Market Opportunity Fund, L.P.) and Jeffrey S. Jones (
Jones
) (the Red Oak
Group and Jones may be collectively referred to below as Plaintiffs) filed a
derivative lawsuit against Robert A. Kaiser, Timothy S. Durham, and David
Tornek in the 134th District Court of Dallas County, Texas (the
State Court Action
).
The petition alleges that Messrs. Kaiser, Durham, and Tornek entered into
self-dealing transactions at the expense of the Company and its stockholders
and violated their fiduciary duties of loyalty, independence, due care, good
faith, and fair dealing. The petition asks the Court to order, among other
things, a rescission of the alleged self-interested transactions by Messrs. Kaiser,
Durham, and Tornek; an award of compensatory and punitive damages; the removal
of Messrs. Kaiser, Durham, and Tornek from the Board; and that the Company
hold an Annual Meeting of stockholders, or that the Company appoint a
conservator to oversee and implement the dissolution plan approved by
stockholders in 2007.
On March 13, 2009,
we announced that we would hold our Annual Meeting of Stockholders on May 22,
2009 in Dallas, Texas, and that the close of business on April 2, 2009
would be the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to
receive notice of, and to vote at, the Annual Meeting or any adjournments or
postponements thereof.
On March 18, 2009,
the Red Oak Group sent a letter to us demanding to inspect and copy certain of
our books and records. We have taken the position that the Red Oak Group
did not comply with state law requirements applicable to stockholders seeking
such information.
On March 19, 2009,
the Red Oak Group sent a letter to us stating its intention to put forth
several precatory proposals including stockholder votes for: approval to
proceed with the 2007 shareholder-approved plan of dissolution; approval of the
November 10, 2008 transaction whereby CLST Asset I, a wholly owned
subsidiary of Financo, entered into a purchase agreement to acquire all of the
outstanding equity interests of Trust I from a third party for approximately
$41.0 million; approval of the 2008 Plan pursuant to which the Board approved
the new issuance to themselves of up to 20 million shares of common stock, or
just over 97% of the common stock outstanding at the time this plan was
approved; approval of the December 12, 2008 transaction whereby Trust II,
a newly formed trust wholly owned by CLST Asset II, a wholly owned subsidiary
of Financo entered into a purchase agreement, effective as of December 10,
2008, to acquire (i) on or before February 28, 2009 receivables of at
least $2 million, subject to certain limitations and (ii) from time to
time certain other receivables, installment sales contracts and related assets;
and approval of the February 13, 2009 transaction whereby CLST Asset III,
a newly formed, wholly owned subsidiary of Financo, which is one of CLSTs
direct, wholly owned subsidiaries, purchased certain receivables, installment
sales contracts and related assets owned by Fair, which is partly owned by
Timothy S. Durham, an officer and director of CLST. On the same day, the Red
Oak Group sent a letter to us stating its intention to nominate a slate of
directors to our Board.
On April 6, 2009, we
notified the Red Oak Group that our Board rejected the Red Oak Groups
nominations for Class I and Class II seats, as the nominations were
not in accordance with our certificate of incorporation. In addition, we
also rejected the Red Oak Groups proposals because they were not proper in
form or substance under federal and state law to come before an Annual
Meeting. We offered to discuss the Red Oak Groups concerns, director
nominations, and stockholder proposals provided that (1) the Red Oak Group
and the Company enter into a confidentiality and standstill agreement, (2) the
Red Oak Group appropriately make publicly available disclosures regarding its
rapid accumulation of the Companys shares and its intentions to acquire
control of the Company that are required by the federal securities laws,
including in a Report on Schedule 13D, and (3) the Red Oak Group not vote the
shares that the Company believes it to have acquired in violation of applicable
law, including the tender offer rules and other rules regulating such
accumulation of shares under the federal securities laws, at the Annual
Meeting.
Also on April 6, 2009,
because, among other reasons, we did not expect the litigation, which bears
directly upon our Annual Meeting of stockholders, to be resolved for some
months, our Board postponed the Annual Meeting of stockholders previously
scheduled for May 22, 2009 until September 25, 2009.
On April 15, 2009,
the Red Oak Group submitted another letter to the Company, providing additional
information regarding the stockholder proposals it intends to bring before the
Annual Meeting and revising those proposals to: request the Board to complete
the dissolution approved at the stockholder meeting held in 2007; advise the
Board that the stockholders do not approve of the transaction purportedly
entered into as of November 10, 2008 whereby CLST Asset I, a wholly owned
indirect subsidiary of the Company, entered into a purchase agreement to
acquire the outstanding equity interest in Trust I and request the directors to
take any available and appropriate actions; disapprove the 2008 Plan adopted by
the Board and request the Board not to issue any additional share grants or
option grants under such plan and request that the directors rescind their
approval of such plan; advise the Board that the stockholders disapprove of the
transaction purportedly entered into as of December 12, 2008 pursuant to
which CLST Asset II, an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of the Company,
entered into a purchase agreement to acquire certain receivables on or before February 28,
2009 and request the directors to take any available and appropriate actions;
and advise the Board that the stockholders disapprove of the transaction
purportedly entered into as of February 13, 2009 whereby CLST Asset III,
an indirect wholly owned
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subsidiary of the Company
purchased certain receivables, installment contracts and related assets owned
by Fair and request the directors to take any available and appropriate
actions.
On April 30, 2009,
the Red Oak Group and Jones amended their petition in the State Court
Action. In addition to the relief already requested, the petition sought
to compel the Company to hold its 2008 and 2009 annual stockholders meetings
within sixty days; to enjoin Messrs. Kaiser, Durham, and Tornek from any
interference or hindrance of such meetings or the election of directors; to
enjoin Messrs. Kaiser, Durham, and Tornek from voting any shares of stock
acquired in the alleged self-interested transactions; and to appoint a special
master. On June 3, 2009 and again on June 12, 2009, pursuant to
court order, the Red Oak Group and Jones amended their petition to, among other
things, remove Bear Market Opportunity Fund, L.P. as a plaintiff and add Red
Oak Fund, L.P. as a plaintiff.
On May 5, 2009, the
Red Oak Group and Jones filed a motion seeking to compel the Company to hold
its 2008 and 2009 stockholders meetings on June 30, 2009 and to appoint a
special master and requested an expedited hearing on both. Hearings were
held on May 8, 2009 and May 29, 2009, but no ruling was reached.
On August 14, 2009,
our Board postponed the Annual Meeting of stockholders from September 25,
2009 to October 27, 2009.
On August 24, 2009,
the Red Oak Group resubmitted its director nomination letter and its letter
stating its intention to put forth the stockholder proposals, as mentioned in
the March 19, 2009 and April 15, 2009 letters.
On August 25, 2009,
the Court set an evidentiary hearing on the Plaintiffs Application for
Temporary Injunction, which had yet to be filed, for October 7 and 8,
2009. Plaintiffs request for injunctive
relief concerned Messrs. Kaiser, Durham, and Tornek voting any shares of
stock acquired in the alleged self-interested transactions.
On August 28, 2009,
the parties executed a Stipulation Regarding the Companys Annual Meeting of
Stockholders (
Stipulation
).
The Court approved the Stipulation the same day and entered an Order identical
to the Stipulations terms. Pursuant to the Stipulation, absent a
determination by the Court of good cause shown, the Company must hold its
annual stockholders meeting for the election of one Class I director and
one Class II director and consideration of any properly submitted
proposals that are proper subjects for consideration at an annual meeting on October 27,
2009, with a record date for that meeting of September 25, 2009.
Good cause for delaying the Annual Meeting beyond October 27, 2009, and
correspondingly amending the September 25, 2009 record date, includes
among other things, situations where reasonable delay is necessary: (1) for
the Board to avoid breaching any of their fiduciary duties to the Company or
the Companys stockholders; (2) to assure compliance with the Companys
certificate of incorporation and bylaws; (3) for the Company or the Board
to comply with state or federal law; or (4) to assure compliance with any
order of any court or regulatory authority having jurisdiction over the Company
or members of its Board.
We received a letter
dated September 22, 2009 from the Red Oak Group seeking, pursuant to Section 220
of the Delaware General Corporation Law, to inspect the books and records of
the Company, including among other things a stockholder list as of the record
date. The letter states that the purpose of such request is to enable the Red
Oak Group to solicit proxies to elect directors at the 2009 Annual Meeting and
to communicate with stockholders. Our counsel responded by letter dated September 30,
2009 that the Company was aware of its obligations under Section 220 of
the Delaware General Corporation Law but believed that the demand letter did
not comply with the inspection requirements under Section 220. We received
another letter dated September 29, 2009 from the Red Oak Group pursuant to
Section 220 of the Delaware General Corporation Law in which the Red Oak
Group requests to inspect the books and records of the Company pertaining to,
among other things, all analyses performed with respect to our net operating
losses and a list of all business ventures and dealings Messrs. Tornek and
Durham have evaluated or commenced in the past ten years and a list of all
investments they currently share. Our counsel responded by letter dated October 6,
2009 that (i) the commencement of the Red Oak Groups derivative action
bars it from using a Section 220 demand as a substitute for discovery
permissible in litigation; (ii) the stated purposes of the demand letter
do not constitute proper purposes under Section 220; and (iii) the
scope of information requested in the demand letter is overly broad and not
limited to books and records that are essential and sufficient to accomplish
the Red Oak Groups stated purposes.
On October 9, 2009,
the Court denied Plaintiffs application for injunctive relief, which sought to
enjoin Messrs. Kaiser, Durham, and Tornek from voting certain shares at
the CLST annual shareholders meeting currently scheduled for October 27,
2009. Further, the Court granted Defendants plea to the
jurisdiction, granted Defendants motion to disqualify Plaintiffs, and
dismissed Plaintiffs derivative claims. Beyond that, the Court granted
Defendants amended motion to stay, thereby staying all remaining direct claims
asserted by Plaintiffs. Defendants motion to disqualify Plaintiffs
was based on Plaintiffs lack of adequacy to pursue derivative claims on the
following grounds: (1) that Red Oak improperly brought derivative claims
to advance its own personal interests; (2) that Red Oak had engaged in
illegal conduct by violating federal securities laws; and (3) that Jones
was only a tag-along
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Table of Contents
plaintiff and therefore
suffered the same adequacy problems as Red Oak, the driving force behind the
State Court Action. The Court reached each of these rulings after the
two-day evidentiary hearing.
On October 15, 2009,
we applied to the Court, on an emergency basis, for an order to: (1) reopen
this case for the limited purpose of modifying the Courts Order Regarding
Annual Meeting of Stockholders entered on August 28, 2009 (the
Annual Meeting Order
); (2) modify
its Annual Meeting Order to prevent CLST from alternatively being in violation
of (a) federal securities law, Delaware statutory law, and its Bylaws or (b) the
Annual Meeting Order; (3) nullify the current September 25, 2009
record date; and (4) grant an emergency hearing as soon as possible.
A hearing was held on CLSTs emergency motion on October 16, 2009.
The Court continued the hearing until a time agreeable to the parties and the
Court on or before October 26, 2009.
On October 29, 2009, Plaintiffs filed their
Motion and Memorandum to Reopen Case And To Reconsider (
Motion to Reconsider
)
concerning the Courts Order of October 9, 2009, which granted Defendants
Plea to the Jurisdiction and Motion to Disqualify Plaintiffs and dismissed
Plaintiffs derivative claims. On December 10,
2009, Plaintiffs filed their Motion and Memorandum to Reopen Case and Compel
Annual Stockholders Meeting (
Motion to Compel
).
On November 12, 2009, the parties executed a
Second Stipulation and Order Setting and Regarding an Annual Meeting of
Stockholders of the Company (the
Second Stipulation
). The Court approved the Second Stipulation on November 13,
2009 and entered an Order identical to the Second Stipulations terms. The Second Stipulation provides that the
Company must hold its annual stockholders meeting on December 15, 2009
and that the record date for that meeting must be set as October 30, 2009.
At the December 15, 2009 hearing on Plaintiffs
Motion to Reconsider, Plaintiffs counsel stated on the record that Plaintiffs
Motion to Compel had not been properly noticed and therefore was not before the
Court. The Court denied Plaintiffs
Motion to Reconsider on December 21, 2009.
On January 15, 2010,
Plaintiffs filed their Motion for Summary Relief, Summary Judgment, and
Application for Injunctive Relief to Compel the Companys Annual Stockholders
Meeting (
Motion for
Summary Relief
). By
their Motion for Summary Relief, Plaintiffs sought for the Company to hold its
annual stockholders meetings for 2008, 2009, and 2010 on March 25,
2010. On February 15, 2010, the
Court heard Plaintiffs Motion for Summary Relief and, in part, granted the
relief requested. Specifically, the
Court ordered, pursuant to its Order and Interlocutory Partial Summary Judgment
(the
Second Annual Meeting Order
)
as follows: (1) Absent a determination by the Court for good cause shown,
the Company shall hold its annual stockholders meeting on March 23, 2010
(the
Annual Meeting
); the Annual
Meeting satisfies the Companys requirement to hold its 2008 and 2009 annual
stockholders meetings; the record date for the Annual Meeting shall be March 8,
2010; and the Company shall provide notice in accordance with applicable
Delaware law to all CLST stockholders on or before March 12, 2010 for the
Annual Meeting. By the same order, the
Court also appointed IVS Associates, Inc. to be the independent inspector
of elections to oversee the voting process of the Annual Meeting, tabulate
proxies, and certify the election results.
By separate order dated February 15, 2010, and upon its own motion,
the Court ordered that the State Court Action is reopened and reinstated on a
two-week trial docket beginning June 1, 2010.
On February 18,
2010, the Red Oak Group filed its Application for TRO and sought to prevent the
Company from filing a certificate of dissolution with the Delaware Secretary of
State on February 26, 2010, as the Company had disclosed in its Form 8-K
filed on February 9, 2010. The
hearing on the Application for TRO was held on February 23, 2010. On February 24, 2010, the Court granted
Red Oaks Application for TRO and, pursuant to the TRO, ordered, among other
things, that the defendants (namely, CLST Holdings, Inc., Robert Kaiser,
Timothy Durham, and David Tornek) and their agents be restrained from filing
the certificate of dissolution for the Company on or before midnight on
Wednesday, March 10, 2010, or until further order of the Court.
On March 2, 2010,
the Court signed the order upon the Stipulation and Agreed Temporary
Injunction, which provides, among other things, that, on or before March 5,
2010, the Company will send notice of its intent to file a certificate of
dissolution with the Delaware Secretary of State on March 26, 2010, and
that the notice shall indicate that the certificate of dissolution will not be
effective until June 24, 2010.
Accordingly, in a press release issued on March 5, 2009, the
Company announced that it intended to file a certificate of dissolution with
the Delaware Secretary of State on March 26, 2010 and that such
certificate of dissolution would not be effective until June 24, 2010.
After the Second Annual
Meeting Order issued, the Company filed an emergency motion for temporary
relief (
Motion for Relief
)
requesting that the Fifth District Court of Appeals of Texas at Dallas (the
Court of Appeals
) void the Second
Annual Meeting Order. On March 3,
2010, the Court of Appeals issued a memorandum opinion in which the Court of
Appeals granted the Companys Motion for Relief and voided the Second Annual
Meeting Order. The Court of Appeals
judgment taxes all costs of the appeal against the Red Oak Group. On March 4, 2010, the trial court
entered its Order dissolving the Second Annual Meeting Order. For these reasons, there is currently no
scheduled annual stockholders meeting.
We are
party to various other claims, legal actions and complaints arising in the
ordinary course of business. Our
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management believes that
the disposition of these matters will not have a materially adverse effect on
our consolidated financial condition or results of operations.
(b) Retirement Plans
The Company established a savings plan for employees
in 1994. Employees are eligible to participate upon completing 90 days of
service. The plan is subject to the provisions of the Employee Retirement
Income Security Act of 1974. Under provisions of the plan, eligible employees
are allowed to contribute as much as 50% of their compensation, up to the annual
maximum allowed by the Internal Revenue Service. The Company may make a
discretionary matching contribution based on the Companys profitability. The
Company made a contribution of approximately $0.1 million to the plan for
year ended November 30, 2008. The
plan was terminated on November 29, 2008.
(12)
Subsequent Events
We received the
Default Notice dated December 2, 2009 from Fortress Corp. stating that a
servicer default had occurred and was continuing under the Trust II Credit
Agreement, as a result of a material adverse effect with respect to the
servicer. The Default Notice states that
Fair, in its capacity as a sub-servicer for assets held by the SSPE Trust, has
failed to perform its servicing duties with respect to that portion of the
receivables portfolio owned by SSPE Trust for which Fair has been retained as a
sub-servicer by the SSPE Trust. This
failure, the Default Notice asserts, results from the ongoing federal
investigation of Fair and Timothy Durham, and constitutes a material adverse
effect with respect to the servicer and thus a breach of a covenant under the
Trust II Credit Agreement. We also
received a Second Default Notice dated February 8, 2010 from Fortress
Corp. stating that an additional event of default has occurred and is continuing
under the Trust II Credit Agreement because the three-month rolling average
annualized default rate of the Class A receivables in the Trust II
portfolio had exceeded 5.0% as of January 31, 2010. On February 26,
2010, the parties to the Trust II Credit Agreement entered into the Fortress
Waiver whereby 1) each event of default declared in the Default Notice and the
Second Default Notice was waived, 2) Trust II became the sole borrower under
the Trust II Credit Agreement, 3) the outstanding borrowings attributable to
SSPE Trust were paid in full, 4) SSPE Trust and their affiliates were released
from all further obligations under the Trust II Credit Agreement, and 5) the
SSPE Trust assets were removed as pledged collateral for the Trust II Credit Agreement.
The Fortress Waiver also amended certain terms of the Trust II Credit Agreement
including the elimination of Trust IIs right to further borrowings and the
requirement for Trust II to pay an unused commitment fee.
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