Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Commitments and Contingencies

v3.7.0.1
Commitments and Contingencies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2016
Commitments and Contingencies [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies

Note 15—Commitments and Contingencies

 

Licensing agreements. On April 22, 2014, we entered into an agreement with RDOC to settle certain claims we had against RDOC, Robert Kiyosaki, and Darren Weeks arising out of RDOC’s, Kiyosaki’s, and Weeks’s promotion of a series of live seminars and related products known as Rich Dad:GEO that we alleged infringed on our exclusive rights under the 2013 License Agreement between the Company and RDOC (the “GEO Settlement Agreement”). In the GEO Settlement Agreement, RDOC, Kiyosaki, and Weeks agreed to terminate any further activity in furtherance of the Rich Dad:GEO program. In addition, RDOC agreed, among other things, to (i) amend the 2013 License Agreement to halve the royalty payable by us to RDOC to 2.5% for the whole of 2014, (ii) cancelled approximately $1.3 million in debt owed by us to RDOC, and (iii) reimburse us for the legal fees we incurred in the matter. In addition, RDOC’s right to appoint one member of our Board of Directors previously continued under the 2013 License Agreement was cancelled.

 

The 2013 License Agreement and the GEO Settlement Agreement were assigned to our wholly owned subsidiary, Legacy Education Alliance Holdings, Inc. on September 10, 2014.

 

We are committed to pay royalties for the usage of certain brands, as governed by various licensing agreements, including Rich Dad, Robbie Fowler and Martin Roberts. Total royalty expenses included in our Consolidated Statement of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss) for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 were $4.3 million and $5.4 million, respectively.

 

Operating leases. We lease office space for administrative and training requirements. These leases expire through February 2019 and some of them have renewal options and purchase options. In addition, certain office space leases provide for rent adjustment increases. The accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss) reflect rent expense on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease.

 

Rent expense for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 was approximately $0.8 million and $1.0 million, respectively. Except for a condominium lease with our Chief Executive Officer, there are no other related party leases.

 

At December 31, 2016, future remaining minimum lease commitments for all non-cancelable operating leases are as follows (in thousands):

 

  2017   $ 720  
  2018     438  
  2019     50  
  Total minimum lease payments   $ 1,208  

 

Purchase commitments. From time to time, the Company enters into non-cancelable commitments to purchase professional services, Information Technology licenses and support, and training courses in future periods. The amounts of these non-cancelable commitments made by the Company at December 31, 2016 were approximately $0.7 million. There were no purchase commitments made by the Company at December 31, 2015.

 

Custodial and Counterparty Risk. The Company is subject to custodial and other potential forms of counterparty risk in respect of a variety of contractual and operational matters.  In the course of ongoing company-wide risk assessment, management monitors the Company arrangements that involve potential counterparty risk, including the custodial risk associated with amounts prepaid to certain vendors and deposits with credit card and other payment processors. Deposits held by our credit card processors at December 31, 2016 and 2015 were $3.1 million and $2.9 million, respectively. These balances are included on the Consolidated Balance Sheets in restricted cash in 2016 and 2015. While these balances reside in major financial institutions, they are only partially covered by federal deposit insurance and are subject to the financial risk of the parties holding these funds. When appropriate, we utilize Certificate of Deposit Account Registry Service (CDARS) to reduce banking risk for a portion of our cash in the United States. A CDAR consists of numerous individual investments, all below the FDIC limits, thus fully insuring that portion of our cash. At December 31, 2016 and 2015, we did not have a CDAR balance.

 

Litigation. Tigrent Group Inc., Rich Dad Education, LLC, and Tigrent Enterprises Inc. v. Cynergy Holding, LLC, Bank of America, N.A., BA Merchant Services, LLC, BMO Harris Bank, N.A. and Moneris Solutions Corporation, was originally filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York (No. 13 Civ. 03708) on June 28, 2013, but, due to a challenge to federal jurisdiction, was subsequently recommenced in the Supreme Court of New York, County of Queens (No. 703951/2013), on September 19, 2013.  In the lawsuit, we are seeking, among other things, recovery of the $8.3 million in reserve funds withheld from us in connection with credit card processing agreements executed with the Defendant credit card processing entities as well as with Process America (“PA”), a so-called “Independent Sales Organization” that places merchants with credit card processors.  The Amended Complaint alleges that the Defendants breached their contractual obligations to us under our credit card processing agreements by improperly processing and transferring our reserve funds to PA.  We allege that Bank of America and BA Merchant Services are liable for a portion of our total damages arising from these breach of contract claims (approximately $4.7 million), while Cynergy, Harris Bank, and Moneris are liable for the total damages of approximately $8.3 million.  We also allege that Cynergy, Harris Bank and Moneris committed common law fraud and negligent misrepresentation by failing to disclose to us the unauthorized processing and transfers to PA notwithstanding their knowledge of the mishandling of funds and of the fact that PA had failed to maintain the reserve funds as required under the agreements.  Pursuant to both of these claims, we allege that we are entitled to recover the full amount of our damages, as well as, with respect to the fraud claim and punitive damages. Discovery in the proceeding is complete. On June 3, 2016, the Court denied motions for summary judgment filed by the Defendants on our causes of action. The Defendants filed appeals of the denial of their summary judgment motions with the Appellate Division, Second Division of the New York Supreme Court. Briefs have been filed by the parties and we await the setting of oral argument.

 

Tigrent Group Inc. v. Process America, Inc., Case No 1:12-cv-01314-RLM, filed March 16, 2012 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. In this case we sought the return of the $8.3 million credit card merchant reserve account deposit held by Process America, a so-called “Independent Sales Organization” that places merchants with credit card processors. On November 12, 2012, PA filed for bankruptcy protection in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California (“Bankruptcy Court.”) On December 3, 2012, the Bankruptcy Court obtained jurisdiction of our dispute with PA. On June 21, 2013, the Tigrent Group filed its proof of claim with Bankruptcy Court in the amount of $8.3 million, which claim has not been ruled on by the Court

 

On September 28, 2016, our affiliates TIGE and Legacy Education Alliance Holdings, Inc. (“Holdings”) entered into a Settlement Agreement and General Release (“Settlement Agreement”) with Drevid, LLC; Michael Schlosser; Rebecca Schlosser; Peter Guitierrez; Ana Guitierez; Ignacio Guigou; and GGE, LLC (collectively the “Drevid Parties”) that resolved two lawsuits that arose out of the our investment in certain real property in Lee County, Florida known as Tranquility Bay, viz., Tranquility Bay of Southwest Florida, LLC vGulf Gateway Enterprises, et al., Case No. 11-CA-000342 filed January 28, 2011 in the 20th Judicial Circuit, Lee County, FL Civil Division and Tranquility Bay of Southwest Florida, LLC v. Michael A. Schlosser et al., Case No. 14-CA-003160, filed October 30, 2014 in the Circuit Court of the 20th Judicial Circuit for Lee County, Florida (collectively, the “Tranquility Bay Litigation”). Under the terms of the Settlement Agreement, Holdings conveyed to Drevid, LLC Holdings’s membership interest in Tranquility Bay of Southwest Florida, LLC, a Florida limited liability company with no on-going business activity (“TBSWFL”), without warranty or recourse regarding the assets and liabilities of TBSWFL in exchange for a settlement and release by the Drevid Parties of all claims against TIGE, Holdings, and other related entities and persons, including, but not limited to, claims brought by the Drevid Parties in the Tranquility Bay Litigation. In addition, under the terms of the Settlement Agreement, we received the sum of $45,634 in settlement of an unsatisfied judgment obtained by us in the 2011 case, above, the Drevid Parties are obligated to indemnify us against any claims that might be brought against us by the party to which we transferred Tranquility Bay real property in 2010 up to maximum amount of $450,000, and we are entitled to receive $300,000 from the proceeds of the sale of the Tranquility Bay real property if the Drevid Parties are successful in obtaining control of such property in separate litigation to which we are not a party. 

 

Aloia and Roland , LLP v. Anthony Scott Dunlap, Dunlap Enterprises, LLC, Tranquility Bay of Pine Island, LLC and Tranquility Bay of Southwest Florida, LLC, in the 20th Judicial Circuit for Lee County Florida to (i) enforce the terms of a promissory note in the principal amount of $0.1 million allegedly issued by our affiliate, TBSWF, in payment of attorneys fees allegedly owed by TBSWF to the plaintiff, plus interest and late fees through the date of filing in the combined amount of $0.4 million and (ii) to foreclose on a mortgage placed by Aloia and Roland, LLP on the real property that was owned by TBSWF and transferred in 2010. As a result of the Settlement Agreement entered into with Drevid Parties as referenced in the preceding paragraph, we no longer have an interest in the entity that is a party to this lawsuit.

  

Watson v. Whitney Education Group, Inc. Russ Whitney, United Mortgage Corporation, Gulfstream Realty and Development, Inc. Douglas Realty, Inc. and Paradise Title Services, Inc., first filed September 21, 2007 in the in 20th Judicial Circuit, Lee County, FL, Case No. 07-CA-011207; Huron River Area Credit Union v. Jeffrey Watson/ Watson v. Whitney Education Group, Inc. and Russell Whitney, Case No. 2008-CA-5870-NC; and Huron River Area Credit Union v. Jeffrey Watson/ Watson v. Whitney Education Group, Inc. and Russell Whitney, Case No. 2008-CA-5877-NC, both filed June 6, 2008 in the 12th Judicial Circuit, Sarasota County, FL Civil Division. In these related cases, Jeffrey Watson (“Watson”) alleged against a subsidiary of the Company causes of action based upon losses Watson alleges he incurred as the result of his purchase of real property from Gulfstream Realty and Development, an entity affiliated with Mr. Whitney, and with whom we had a student referral agreement. On February 6, 2107, we entered into a Settlement Agreement and General Release whereby all claims against the Company and Mr. Whitney were fully and finally settled and released, and all three cases dismissed with prejudice without any admission of wrongdoing in exchange for the payment of $30,000 by the Company to the Plaintiff.

 

We are involved from time to time in routine legal matters incidental to our business, including disputes with students and requests from state regulatory agencies. Based upon available information, we believe that the resolution of such matters will not have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position or results of operations.