Exhibit 10.5
COLLECTION AGENCY AGREEMENT
ROSENTHAL & ROSENTHAL, INC.
1370 Broadway
New York NY 10018
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New York, NY
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STEVIES, INC.
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Dated: July 10, 2009
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52-16 Barnett Avenue
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Long Island City, NY
11104
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The
following is the Agreement under which we are to act as your
collection agent. The effectiveness of this Agreement is
conditioned upon the occurrence of all of the following on or prior
to October 31, 2009: (i) the termination of your existing factoring
agreement with GMAC Commercial Finance, LLC (“GMAC”);
and (ii) a partial termination by a UCC-3 Financing Statement
releasing the interest of GMAC in all of your assets other than any
Receivables arising prior to the date of such termination. The date
on which the foregoing conditions shall have been satisifed shall
hereafter be referred to as the “Effective Date”
. Capitalized terms shall have the meanings set forth in Section 14
hereof:
1. COLLECTION OF RECEIVABLES
:
You
hereby appoint us as your collection agent with respect to all of
your Receivables, and we shall have the right to collect and
otherwise deal therewith as the sole collection agent. Upon each
sale of your Inventory or rendition by you of services, you shall
execute and deliver to us such further and confirmatory evidence of
our authority as collection agent with respect to your Receivables
as we require, in form and manner reasonably satisfactory to us,
together with copies of invoices or such equivalent electronic
document as we may designate for such use, and all shipping or
delivery receipts and such other proof of sale and delivery or
performance as we, from time to time, may require. All invoices
(and other statements to Customers) evidencing Receivables shall
clearly state, in a manner satisfactory to us, that each Receivable
is payable only to us. The form on Exhibit A annexed hereto is
currently deemed acceptable.
2. CREDIT AND
APPROVAL:
You
will submit to us for our credit approval the principal terms of
each and every Order. We may, in our sole discretion, approve all
or a portion of an Order, by issuing a Credit Approval, withdraw
any Credit Approval, withdraw or adjust any Credit Line, or suspend
any Availability under a Credit Line, at any time before you
deliver the Inventory or render the services. In addition, we may
from time to time establish a Credit Line or Credit Lines pursuant
to which you may ship to Customers. No Credit Approval, including
approval based upon shipment against Availability under a Credit
Line shall be effective unless (i) the Inventory is shipped or the
services rendered, within the time specified therein, or if no time
is specified, within thirty (30) days after the date our Credit
Approval is issued; (ii) the Customer has accepted delivery of the
Inventory or performance of the services; and (iii) a schedule of
the Receivables(s) which arise as a result of the Order which is
the subject of the Credit Approval has been delivered to us, within
ten (10) Business Days of the delivery of the goods or the
performance of the service. Upon the effectiveness of a Credit
Approval, we shall be deemed to have accepted the Credit Risk (but
not the risk of non-payment for any other reason) to the extent of
the dollar amount specified in the Credit Approval and the
Receivable which is the subject thereof shall, to the extent of the
amount specified in the Credit approval, be a Credit Approved
Receivable. In no event, however, shall we have any Credit Risk on
any Receivable for freight, samples, or sales not made in the
ordinary course of your business.
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We may, in our sole discretion,
withdraw any Credit Approval, or withdraw or adjust any Credit
Line, at any time before you deliver the Inventory or render the
services. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained
herein, you shall have an automatic Credit Approval during each
Contract Year on all Orders in the aggregate outstanding at any
time not to exceed $15,000 for each Customer from those Customers
located in the United States of America other than Customers: (i)
which have been previously declined by us (other than in the event
such declination is solely by reason of lack of information
required by us); (ii) with respect to which you have submitted to
us an Order for Credit Approval by us; provided, that in the event
that you submit an Order for Credit Approval to us and you are not
notified by us, within two Business Days after such submission,
that the Order is declined or that for any reason (provided that
such reason is stated) you do not have an automatic Credit Approval
on such Order, then to the extent an automatic Credit Approval on
such order would otherwise be available under the terms hereof, it
shall remain available to you on such Order; (iii) with respect to
which we have notified you that you do not have an automatic Credit
Approval; or (iv) with respect to which we have provided a specific
Credit Approval. At no time during the Contract Year shall such
losses borne by us exceed $150,000 (such amount to be prorated in
the event of termination by either of us of this Agreement, for the
number of months elapsed during the Contract Year in which the
Effective Termination Date occurs). Until a Receivable subject to
such automatic Credit Approval is more than forty five (45) days
past due, the automatic Credit Approval will apply to a subsequent
Order for the same Customer provided such subsequent Order complies
with the terms set forth above.
3. CLIENT RISK
RECEIVABLES:
All
CR Receivables are with full recourse to you and at your credit
risk, but are otherwise subject to the covenants, terms and
conditions provided herein with respect to Credit Approved
Receivables. We shall have the right to make a bookkeeping entry to
debit your account the amount of CR Receivables at any time either
before or after their maturity and you agree to pay us upon demand
the amount of all expenses including reasonable collection charges
and reasonable attorneys’ fees incurred by us in attempting
to collect or enforce any such payment, and additionally to pay us
on demand the amount of any such CR Receivable if such CR
Receivable was previously a Purchased Receivable. In addition, if
we, at your request, and in our discretion, file a proof of claim
in any insolvency proceeding with respect to a CR Receivable and/or
forward a CR Receivable to an attorney or agency for collection, we
shall charge your account with (i) the fees and expenses of such
attorney or collection agency and (ii) a service charge equal to
$100 plus 5% of any amount collected on the CR
Receivable.
4. RETURNED
MERCHANDISE/CLAIMS, DISPUTES AND CHARGEBACKS:
In
the event of a breach of any of the representations or warranties
contained herein with respect to a Receivable, or the assertion,
with respect to a Receivable, of a Dispute, any such Receivable
(whether or not a Credit Approved Receivable) shall thereupon
become a CR Receivable. You shall notify us immediately of any
Dispute, including, a Customer’s return of or desire to
return any Inventory purchased from you. We may, but are not
obligated, to settle, compromise, adjust or litigate any Dispute,
including, a return of the related Inventory upon such terms as we
deem advisable (provided, however, that as long as no Default shall
have occurred and be continuing, we will not litigate any Dispute
other than with respect to a Purchased Receivable without first
consulting with you with respect thereto). We may, at our option,
charge back to you all amounts owing on CR Receivables which are
not paid when due. We shall have the right to charge back to you
the amount of any payment which we receive with respect to a CR
Receivable, if we are subsequently required to disgorge such
payment for any reason, including, such payment being deemed a
preferential transfer. A chargeback shall not constitute a resale
or reassignment to you of the Receivable which is the subject
thereof if prior to such chargeback, the Receivable had been
purchased by us pursuant to the terms hereof. You agree to
indemnify and save us harmless from and against any and all loss,
liability, claim, cost and expense of any kind, caused by or
arising from any Disputes with or claims of your Customers or any
Person or representative thereof, asserting an interest in
Receivables or payments thereon, including: (i) any disputes or
claims with respect to terms, price, quality or otherwise with
respect to Receivables; (ii) any claim for a return of any payments
with respect
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to Receivables (including alleged
preferential transfers with respect to payments on Receivables that
were not Credit Approved Receivables at the time the payment was
received); (iii) any claims by any governmental authorities
(federal, state, municipal or otherwise) for the turnover or
payment to such governmental authority of all or any portion of any
payment received from a Customer which we paid to you and (iv) all
reasonable collection expenses and attorney’s (whether
in-house or outside) fees incurred with respect to any of the
foregoing. Your liability under this paragraph, and that of any
Person liable for the Obligations, shall constitute Obligations but
shall nonetheless be independent hereof and continue
notwithstanding any termination hereof.
5. REPRESENTATIONS, WARRANTIES
AND COVENANTS:
You
represent, warrant and covenant that:
5.1.
you are fully authorized to enter into this Agreement and perform
hereunder and you will continue to be so authorized for the
duration of this Agreement and you are not and will not be bound by
any agreement that would be violated by your or our performance of
this Agreement.
5.2.
you are solvent.
5.3.
the Receivables are, and shall be, at the time of their creation,
bona fide, existing and enforceable obligations of Customers
arising out of sales made or services rendered by you, and, at the
time any Receivable becomes a Purchased Receivable, it shall be
free and clear of all security interests, liens, claims and
Disputes whatsoever other than Permitted Liens and in the event
that any such Receivables arise from the sale of goods, such goods
meet all standards imposed by any governmental agency or
authority.
5.4.
at the time any Receivable becomes a Purchased Receivable, the
Inventory relating thereto constituting returned goods shall not be
subject to any security interest, lien or encumbrance whatsoever,
other than Permitted Liens, and you covenant (i) that you shall not
permit the Inventory to become so encumbered without our prior
written consent and that (ii) the Inventory meets all standards
imposed by any governmental agency or authority.
5.5.
you shall not permit any Inventory or General Intangibles to be
subject to any security interest, lien or encumbrance whatsoever,
other than Permitted Liens.
5.6.
with respect to each Receivable as it arises and when transmitted
to us: (i) you will have delivered the Inventory or rendered the
services pursuant to the Order; (ii) the Customer will accept the
Inventory and/or services without any offset or counterclaim; (iii)
no known Dispute will exist in any respect; (iv) you will have
preserved, and will continue to preserve, any liens and any other
rights available to us by virtue of this Agreement; and (v) the
Customer will not be your Affiliate.
5.7.
you will within ten Business Days of our request therefor, provide
us with copies of invoices and shipping or delivery receipts or
such equivalent electronic documents as we may designate or other
proof of sale and delivery or performance as we may from time to
time require.
5.8.
you will not, without providing us with thirty (30) days prior
written notice thereof, change your name, your state of
organization or your principal place of business and you are not
aware, and will upon your becoming aware, notify us promptly, of
any Person organizing under your name in another state.
5.9.
you do not transact business under any trade names or tradestyles
except as set forth on Exhibit B annexed hereto (which Exhibit
shall be complete and correct prior to the Effective Date, and as
the same may thereafter be amended from time to time) and with
respect to any such tradename or tradestyles you have (i) caused
certain of the tradenames and tradestyles (if indicated on Exhibit
B) to be registered in accordance with the laws applicable to the
use of such tradenames or tradestyles and have not in any way
assigned or encumbered your interest in such tradenames or
tradestyles; or (ii) obtained a license to use such tradenames or
tradestyles from the owner thereof with respect to the goods or
services sold by you under such tradenames or tradestyles, and in
the markets in which such goods or services are sold by you; and
you are not aware, and will upon your becoming aware, promptly
notify us, of any other Person using your name or any of your
tradenames or tradestyles in any similar line of
business.
3, Collection Agency
5.10.
you are, and at all times during the term of this Agreement, shall
be, duly organized, existing and in good standing under the laws of
the state of your organization; and you are, and at all times
during the term of this Agreement, shall be, duly qualified,
existing and in good standing in every state in which the nature of
your business requires you to be so qualified.
6. COMMISSIONS:
6.1.
For our services hereunder, we shall receive a commission
(hereinafter referred to as the “Base Commission”) of
(i) 0.275% of the gross invoice amount of each Receivable; plus
(ii) on those Receivables due from a Customer (or any Affiliates or
subsidiaries of such Customer) listed on the Special Accounts
Schedule submitted herewith and/or from time to time hereafter,
such percentage of the gross invoice amount thereof as equals the
surcharge (if applicable) set forth on the Special Accounts
Schedule, to the extent of the amount credit approved. All
commissions shall be due and payable and chargeable to your account
with us at the date a Receivable arises.
6.2.
Our charge specified in Section 6.1 hereof is based upon maximum
selling terms of 60 days (excepting only that for sales to
off-price retailers the maximum selling terms will be 90 days) ,
and no more extended terms or additional dating shall be granted by
you to any Customer without our prior written approval. If such
approval is given by us, then for each additional thirty (30) days
or part thereof of such extended terms or additional dating, our
charge with respect to the Receivables covered thereby shall be
increased by an amount equal to twenty-five percent (25%) of the
charge specified in Section 6.1 hereof. In addition, we shall
charge you a fee of $2.50 for each instance in which you change the
terms of sale of any Receivable after you have submitted to us a
schedule listing such Receivable.
6.3.
Subject to the terms of the Combined Charges Agreement, the minimum
aggregate Base Commission payable under this Agreement shall be
$480,000.00 for each Contract Year, which shall be fully earned by
us at the beginning of each Contract Year, and which to the extent
of any deficiency (after giving effect to the commissions paid or
payable under Section 6.1), shall be chargeable to your account
with us at the end of each Contract Year, provided, that in the
event of any termination of this Agreement in any Contract Year
after the first Contract Year, the minimum aggregate Base
Commission payable in such year shall only be the higher of (i)
100% of the monthly average of all charges payable by you to us
under Section 6.1 of this Agreement for the twelve month period
prior to the Effective Termination Date, multiplied by the number
of calendar months for the portion of the Contract Year elapsed
prior to the Effective Termination Date (including any partial
month in which the Effective Termination Date falls if such date is
on or after the 15 th day of such month); and (ii) the
monthly average amount of the minimum aggregate Base Commission for
the portion of such Contract Year elapsed prior to the Effective
Termination Date, multiplied by the number of calendar months for
the portion of the Contract Year elapsed prior to the Effective
Termination Date (including any partial month in which the
Effective Termination Date falls if such date is on or after the 15
th day of such month).
7. PURCHASE
PRICE
7.1.
The purchase price for each Receivable that we purchase pursuant to
the terms hereof shall be the invoice amount of the Receivable,
less (i) returns (whenever made); (ii) selling discounts, credits
or deductions of any kind allowed, granted to or taken by the
Customer at any time; and (iii) our commission provided for in
Section 6 hereof. Following a Default, no discount, credit or
allowance with respect to any Purchased Receivable shall be granted
by you, and no return of Inventory shall be accepted by you without
our prior written consent. A discount, credit or allowance may be
claimed only by the Customer. All amounts collected against the
purchase price shall be credited to your account on the Payment
Date.
7.2.
Where the cause of non-payment of a Credit Approved Receivable
which has become more than 120 days past due, is solely the
Customer’s financial inability to pay, then upon your
submitting a confirmatory assignment of the Receivable that is
reasonably satisfactory to us, and upon our determining to our
satisfaction that the warranties made by you under Sections 5.3,
5.4 and 5.4 hereof are true and correct, the Receivable, to the
extent of the then effective Credit Approval, shall be purchased by
us and shall be deemed collected if it is not otherwise subject to
chargeback to you under this Agreement.
4, Collection Agency
8. ADVANCES AND INTEREST
RATES:
8.1.
Advances . In our sole discretion, in accordance with the
terms of this Agreement, we will, from time to time, at your
request, subject to the terms of the Combined Charges Agreement,
(i) advance to you sums (“Advances”); and/or (ii) cause
to be opened for your account letters of credit issued by an L/C
Bank (“Letters of Credit”), provided that the aggregate
amount of (x) the Advances outstanding will not, after giving
effect to such requested Advances, exceed the lesser of
(a) 85% of the aggregate Net Amount of Eligible Receivables
outstanding at the time of such request, less Reserves, if any (the
“Receivables Availability”); and (b) $30,000,000 less
the outstanding amount of undrawn Letters of Credit; and (y) the
outstanding amount of undrawn Letters of Credit will not, after
giving effect to such requested Letters of Credit, exceed the
lesser of (a) the Receivables Availability; and (b)
$15,000,000.
8.2.
Net Cash Balances . Net Cash Balances shall earn interest at
a rate equal to one and one half percent (1.5%) below the Prime
Rate in effect from time to time. We may, in our sole discretion,
remit to you, at any time, any amount standing to your credit on
our books. You may, in your sole discretion, withdraw, at any time,
any amount standing to your credit on our books.
8.3.
Letter of Credit Rates . Should we cause to be opened for
your account letters of credit, we shall receive a commission equal
to (i) the greater of (a) $100; or (b) one quarter of one percent
(1/4 of 1%) of the face amount of such letters of credit or
guaranties (the “Face Amount”); plus (ii) bank charges
(exclusive of any commissions the L/C Bank may charge); plus (iii)
one quarter of one percent (1/4 of 1%) of the Face Amount upon each
draw of any such letter of credit or guaranty.
8.4.
Prime Rate Loans . Other than with respect to any
advances made or bearing interest pursuant to Section 8.5 hereof,
interest on all Obligations will be calculated at a rate per annum
equal to the Prime Rate minus 0.125% per annum (the
“Effective Prime Rate”) from the date incurred through
the date of payment. Interest will be charged to your account
monthly in arrears. Any advance bearing interest at the Effective
Prime Rate shall be referred to herein as a “Prime Rate
Loan”.
8.5.
LIBOR Rate Loans . Advances, for which you provide us
written notice, prior to our making such advance, that such advance
shall bear interest at the 30, 60 or 90 day LIBOR rate, shall bear
interest at such 30, 60 or 90 day LIBOR Rate in effect on the first
day of each such interest period plus two and one-half percent
(2.5%) (the “Effective LIBOR Rate”). Any advance made
pursuant to this Section 8.5 or otherwise bearing interest at the
Effective LIBOR Rate shall be referred to herein as a “LIBOR
Rate Loan”. In no event shall you be permitted to request
there be more than four (4) LIBOR Rate Loans outstanding at any
time.
8.6.
Conversion or Continuation You shall have the option at the
end of any applicable interest period, to convert any LIBOR Rate
Loans or any portion thereof into Prime Rate Loans without premium
or penalty or to continue such LIBOR Rate Loans or any portion
thereof for an additional interest period, and the succeeding
interest period of such continued LIBOR Rate Loan shall commence on
such expiration. To continue any LIBOR Rate Loan, you shall deliver
a notice of continuation in advance of the proposed expiration of
the applicable interest period, specifying (i) the principal
outstanding amount thereof that is to be continued, and (ii) the
requested 30, 60 or 90 day interest period. If the option set forth
in this Section 8.4 to continue any LIBOR Rate Loan is not
delivered to us prior to the expiration of any applicable LIBOR
Rate Loan interest period, such LIBOR Rate Loan shall convert
automatically into a Prime Rate Loan on the final date of the
applicable interest period.
8.7.
Yield Protection . In the event you shall prepay all or any
portion of any LIBOR Rate Loan prior to the last day of the
applicable interest period, you shall pay to us a penalty equal to
the sum of (i) the amount of such LIBOR Rate Loan being prepaid
multiplied by (x) any amount by which the Effective LIBOR Rate
applicable to such LIBOR Rate Loan exceeds the Effective
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LIBOR Rate in effect on the date
of such prepayment; and further multiplied by (y) the fraction of
the year remaining on the applicable LIBOR Rate Loan interest
period; plus (ii) $250.
8.8.
Overadvance Rate and Default Rate . Notwithstanding the
foregoing or anything to the contrary contained elsewhere in this
Agreement, (i) any portion of advances made by us to you which is
in excess of the Receivable Availability (the
“Overadvance”) shall bear interest at the Overadvance
Rate (with our determining in our sole discretion the allocation of
the Overadvance to any LIBOR Rate Loans and Prime Rate Loans
outstanding at any time); and (ii) upon the occurrence of a
Default, and for so long as such Default continues, the Obligations
shall, at our option, bear interest at the Default Rate.
8.9.
Miscellaneous . Notwithstanding the foregoing or anything to
the contrary contained elsewhere in this Agreement, if any change
after the date hereof in law, rule, regulation, guideline or order
or in interpretation thereof by any governmental authority charged
with the administration thereof shall make it unlawful for us to
make or maintain a loan at the Effective LIBOR Rate, then, by
written notice to you, we may require that the LIBOR Rate Loans be
converted to a Prime Rate Loan, whereupon the LIBOR Rate Loan shall
be automatically converted to a Prime Rate Loan and shall bear
interest at the then Effective Prime Rate. Interest will be charged
monthly to your account in arrears. Interest shall be calculated on
the basis of a three-hundred-sixty (360) day year for the actual
number of days elapsed. In no event shall any applicable interest
rate under this Agreement exceed the maximum rate permitted by
applicable law and in the event excess interest is paid, it shall
be considered a repayment of principal.
8.10.
Financial Covenants . You shall cause to be maintained, at
the end of each fiscal year, Working Capital of not less than
$25,000,000.
9. STATEMENT OF ACCOUNT AND
EXPENSES:
9.1.
All Obligations shall become immediately due and payable upon
demand