Secured Note Payable

 

On November 29, 2016, pursuant to a new restated financing agreement entered with AC Midwest Energy, LLC (“AC Midwest”) on November 1, 2016, the Company closed on a new secured note with AC Midwest (the “New AC Midwest Secured Note”) in the original principal amount of $9,646,686, which was to mature on December 15, 2018.The New AC Midwest Secured Note is guaranteed by MES, is non-convertible and bears interest at a rate of 15.0% per annum, payable quarterly in arrears on or before the last day of each fiscal quarter. The New AC Midwest Secured Note is secured by all of the assets of the Companies. Interest expense for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018 was $40,753 and $66,694, respectively. On February 25, 2019, per Amendment No. 3 to the Amended and Restate Financing Agreement, AC Midwest agreed to waive compliance with a certain financial covenant of the Restated Financing Agreement and strike this covenant in its entirety as of the effective date of the amendment. Also, pursuant to Amendment No. 3, the parties agreed that the maturity date for the remaining principal balance due under the AC Midwest Secured Note would be extended from December 15, 2018 to August 25, 2022. The amendment was accounted for as an extinguishment in accordance with ASC 470-50 with no gain or loss recorded. As of December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, total principal of $271,686 and $271,686 was outstanding on this note.

 

Unsecured Note Payable

 

The Company has the following unsecured note payable - related party outstanding as of December 31, 2019 and 2018:

 

Unsecured Note Payable		$	13,154,931			$	13,000,000
Less discounts and debt issuance costs			(5,243,033	)			(1,218,048	)
Total convertible notes payable			7,911,898				11,781,952
Less current portion			-				-
Convertible notes payable, net of current portion		$	7,911,898			$	11,781,952

 

On November 29, 2016, pursuant to a new restated financing agreement entered with AC Midwest on November 1, 2016, the Company closed on an unsecured note with AC Midwest (the “AC Midwest Subordinated Note”) in the principal amount of $13,000,000, which was to mature on December 15, 2020. On February 25, 2019, the Company, entered into an Unsecured Note Financing Agreement (the “Unsecured Note Financing Agreement”) with AC Midwest, pursuant to which AC Midwest issued an unsecured note in the principal amount of $13,154,931 (the “New AC Midwest Unsecured Note”), which represented the outstanding principal and accrued and unpaid interest at closing.

 

In accordance with ASC 470-60-15-5, since the present value of the cash flows under the new debt instrument was at least ten percent different from the present value of the remaining cash flows under the terms of the original debt instrument, the Company accounted for the amendment to note as a debt extinguishment. Accordingly, the Company wrote off the remaining debt discount on the original Debentures of $1,070,819. Since the amendment was with a related party defined in ASC 470-50-40-2 the Company recorded a Capital contribution of $3,412,204 on this exchange which is primarily related to the difference in fair value of the note on the date of the exchange. The Company determined that the rate of interest on the AC Midwest Subordinated Note was a below market rate of interest and determined that a discount of $6,916,687 should be recorded. This discount is based on an applicable market rate for unsecured debt for the Company of 21% and will be amortized as interested expense over the life of the loan. Amortized discount recorded as interest expense for the year ended December 31, 2019 was $1,763,024. As of December 31, 2019, the unamortized balance of the discount was $5,243,033.

 

The New AC Midwest Unsecured Note, which has been issued in exchange for the AC Midwest Subordinated Note which has now been cancelled, will mature on August 25, 2022 (the “Maturity Date”). It bears a zero cash interest rate.

 

If the original principal amount is paid in full on or before August 25, 2020 (18 months from issuance), AC Midwest shall be entitled to a profit participation preference equal to 0.5 times the original principal amount, and if the original principal amount is paid in full after August 25, 2020, AC Midwest shall be entitled to a profit participation preference equal to 1.0 times the original principal amount (the “Profit Share”). The Profit Share is “non-recourse” and shall only be derived from and computed on the basis of, and paid from, Net Litigation Proceeds from claims relating to the Company’s intellectual property, Net Revenue Share and Adjusted Free Cash Flow (as such terms are defined in the Unsecured Note Financing Agreement).

 

The Profit Share

 

In connection with the New AC Midwest Unsecured Note the Company shall pay the principal outstanding, as well as the Profit Share, in an amount equal to 60.0% of Net Litigation Proceeds until such time as any litigation funder has been paid in full and, thereafter, in an amount equal to 75.0% of such Net Litigation Proceeds until the Unsecured Note and Profit Share have been paid in full. In addition, and within 30 days following the end of each fiscal quarter, the Company shall pay the principal outstanding and Profit Share in an aggregate amount equal to the Net Revenue Share (which means 60.0% of Net Licensing Revenue (as defined) from licensing the Company’s intellectual property) plus Adjusted Free Cash Flow until the Unsecured Note and Profit Share have been paid in full, provided, however, that such payments shall exclude the first $3,500,000 of Net Licensing Revenue and Adjusted Free Cash Flow achieved commencing with the fiscal quarter ending March 31, 2019. Any remaining principal balance due on the Unsecured Note shall be due and payable in full on the Maturity Date. The Profit Share, however, if not paid in full on or before the Maturity Date, shall remain subject to Unsecured Note Financing Agreement until full and final payment.

 

The company is utilizing the methodology behind the ASC 815 and ASC 480 to determine how to account for the profit-sharing portion of the note payable. Although the transaction is not indexed to MEEC’s stock the profit sharing seems like a freestanding financial instrument because the profit sharing is not callable by the lender, it will be paid out past the maturity of the note payable and, the fair value will fluctuate over time based on payment predictions. The Profit Share was determined to have a fair value of $1,954,383 upon grant. This was calculated with discounted cash flow model, with the following key valuation assumptions: estimated term of seventeen years with $250,000 paid quarterly after the first three years, and an annual market interest rate of 21%. The profit share liability will be marked to market every quarter utilizing managements estimates.

 

The following are the changes in the profit share liabilities during the year ended December 31, 2019.

 

Profit Share as of January 1, 2019		$	-
Addition			1,954,383
Loss on change in fair value of profit share			374,462
Profit Share as of December 31, 2019		$	2,328,845

 

Related Party Transactions

 

Kaye Cooper Kay & Rosenberg, LLP provides certain legal services to the Company and was paid $329,729 in 2019 for legal services rendered and disbursement incurred. David M. Kaye, a Director and Secretary of the Company, is a partner of the law firm.