Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

9. LITIGATION LOSS CONTINGENCIES

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9. LITIGATION LOSS CONTINGENCIES
6 Months Ended
Feb. 28, 2015
Litigation Loss Contingencies  
LITIGATION LOSS CONTINGENCIES

The Company has historically been involved in various claims, litigation and other legal proceedings that arise in the ordinary course of its business. The Company records an accrual for a loss contingency when its occurrence is probable and damages can be reasonably estimated based on the anticipated most likely outcome or the minimum amount within a range of possible outcomes. The Company makes such estimates based on information known about the claims and experience in contesting, litigating and settling similar claims. Disclosures are also provided for reasonably possible losses that could have a material effect on the Company's financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

 

On September 29, 2014, the Company entered into a Settlement Agreement and Release with HP A&M (“Settlement Agreement”). The Settlement Agreement settles the lawsuit filed by HP A&M against the Company in the District Court, City and County of Denver, Colorado on February 27, 2012, alleging breaches of representations and warranties made in connection with the Arkansas River Agreement. Pursuant to the Settlement Agreement and a joint stipulated motion to dismiss filed with the court following execution of the Settlement Agreement, HP A&M released all claims asserted against the Company in its 2012 lawsuit, and the lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice.

 

On January 29, 2015, the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiary, PCY Holdings, LLC (“PCY Holdings”), entered into a settlement agreement with HP A&M settling all remaining lawsuits among the parties. The agreement settles four lawsuits, including a lawsuit filed against HP A&M in the District Court, City and County of Denver, State of Colorado on April 4, 2014, alleging HP A&M breached the Arkansas River Agreement, Seller Pledge Agreement and Property Management Agreement, among other ways, by failing to (i) pay, perform and discharge its obligations when due or otherwise pursuant to the Excluded Indebtedness, (ii) cure defaults under the Notes and Deeds of Trust applicable to the Excluded Indebtedness, and (iii) use Net Revenue, pursuant to the Property Management Agreement, to pay Excluded Indebtedness. The agreement also settles a lawsuit pending before the Colorado Court of Appeals that HP A&M filed against PCY Holdings and the Public Trustee for the County of Bent, Colorado, seeking (i) a declaratory judgment that it is entitled to redeem the four properties from foreclosure sales by paying the amount of the outstanding debt, plus fees, which is the amount PCY Holdings bid in the sales, and (ii) preliminary and permanent injunctions against the Public Trustee preventing the Public Trustee from issuing confirmation deeds for the foreclosure sales to PCY Holdings or anyone other than HP A&M, and a related lawsuit in which PCY Holdings was seeking to remove lis pendens from the four properties.

 

In exchange for settling all lawsuits, the settlement agreement provides for (i) the relinquishment of the TPF, (ii) the sale of 300,000 shares of the Company’s common stock owned by HP A&M, with the proceeds to be delivered to the Company, (iii) the assignment of HP A&M’s (75%) mineral interests to the Company, (iv) the dismissal of all claims by HP A&M, and (v) the forgiveness of the HP A&M receivable.

 

The settlement has been executed and is reflected in the financial statements for the period ended February 28, 2015 as follows: (1) the value of the common shares to be sold on behalf of the Company pursuant to the settlement of $1,407,000 is recorded as collateral stock, a contra-equity balance, on the balance sheet, (2) the mineral interests estimated to be $1,068,400 were recorded on the balance sheet as part of the Arkansas River Valley asset, (3) the TPF of $1,731,800 and the HP A&M receivable of $7,133,300 outstanding as of the date of settlement were reduced to nil and (4) the balance of $2,926,100 was recorded as an equity transaction resulting in an decrease to equity.