Exhibit 10.1
PROMISSORY NOTE
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FACE AMOUNT
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$572,000
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PRICE
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$440,000
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INTEREST RATE
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12% per annum
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NOTE NUMBER
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December-2006-101
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ISSUANCE DATE
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December 15, 2006
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MATURITY DATE
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December 15, 2007
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FOR VALUE RECEIVED, NatureWell,
Incorporated, a Delaware corporation, and all of its subsidiaries
(the "Company") (OTC BB: NAWL) hereby promises to pay to the order
of DUTCHESS PRIVATE EQUITIES FUND, LP (the "Holder") by the
Maturity Date, or earlier, the Face Amount of Five Hundred and
Seventy-Two Thousand Dollars ($572,000) U.S., (this "Note") in such
amounts, at such times and on such terms and conditions as are
specified herein (sometimes hereinafter the Company and the Holder
are referred to collectively as "the Parties").
Any capitalized term not
defined in this Note are defined in the Investment Agreement for
the Equity Line of Credit ("Investment Agreement") between Dutchess
Private Equities Fund, LP (as the "Investor") and the Company dated
March 31, 2006 (the "Equity Line"), which definitions the Company
and the Holder incorporate herein by reference.
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Method of Payment
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Payments made to the Holder by the Company
in satisfaction of this Note (referred to as a "Payment," or
"Payments") shall be drawn from each Put under the Equity Line of
Credit provided by the Investor to the Company. The Company shall
make Payments to the Holder in the amount of the greater of a)
forty-seven thousand six hundred and sixty-six dollars ($47,666)
per month or b) one hundred percent (100%) of each Put (as defined
in the Investment Agreement) given to the Investor from the Company
(both a) and b) referred to as the "Payment Amount") until the Face
Amount is paid in full, minus any fees due. The first Payment will
be due on January 14, 2007 and each subsequent Payment will be made
in part or in whole at the Closing of the next subsequent Puts
("Payment Date" or "Payment Dates") until this Note is paid in
full, with a minimum amount of forty-seven thousand six hundred and
sixty-six dollars ($47,666) due to the Holder per month.
Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary in this Note, the
Company may prepay, in whole or in part, the Face Amount of this
Note, or any balance remaining thereon, in readily available funds
at any time and from time to time without penalty.
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Payments pursuant to this Note shall be drawn directly from the
Closing of each Put. The Company agrees to fully execute and
diligently carry out Puts to the Investor, on the terms set forth
in the Investment Agreement. The Company agrees that the Put Amount
shall be for the maximum amount allowed under the Investment
Agreement. Further, the Company agrees to issue Puts to the
Investor for the maximum frequency allowed under the Investment
Agreement. Failure to comply with the terms of the Investment
Agreement with respect to the Puts will result in an Event of
Default as defined in this Agreement in Article 4.
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In order to assist the Company in meeting its
obligations under this Note, the Company hereby authorizes the
Investor to transfer funds from each Put directly to the Holder. A
Put shall be deemed closed after the funds are transferred to the
Holder.
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After Closing, the Company must
make a Prepayment to the Holder when the aggregate amount of
financing ("Financing") received by the Company is in excess of one
dollar ($1.00) ("Threshold Amount"). The Company agrees to pay one
hundred percent (100%) of any proceeds raised by the Company over
the Threshold Amount toward the Prepayment of the Note and any
penalties until the Face Amount is paid in full. The Prepayments
shall be made to the Holder within one (1) business day of the
Company's receipt of the Financing. Failure to do so will result in
an Event of Default. Financing includes the net proceeds from the
sale, transfer or disposal of any assets owned by the Company
except for assets sold, transferred or disposed of in the ordinary
course of business.
Section 1.5
The Company shall pay twelve percent (12%) annual coupon on the
unpaid Face Amount of this Note. The Interest shall compound daily,
pro rata for partial periods.
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Collateral
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The Company does hereby agree to
allow the Holder to use as Collateral, the fifty (50) signed Put
Notices consistent with the conditions set forth in Section 12 of
the May 16, 2006 Note between the Company and the Holder ("Prior
Note"). In the event, the Holder uses the Collateral in full, the
Company shall immediately deliver to the Holder additional Put
Sheets as requested by the Holder.
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Upon the completion of the
Company's obligation to the Holder of the Face Amount of this Note,
the Company will not be under any further obligation to complete
additional Puts. All remaining Put sheets shall be marked "VOID" by
the Holder and returned to the Company at the Company's
request.
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As further security and
collateral for this Note the Company will grant to Holder a
security interest in the properties, assets and rights named in
that certain Intercreditor Agreement dated as of September 2, 2003
(the "Additional Collateral"). The Parties hereby agree that the
terms of the Intercreditor Agreement shall only govern Holder's
rights and remedies as they relate to the Additional Collateral and
that the Intercreditor Agreement shall be of no force and effect
against any other rights, remedies or terms contained in this Note,
including, but not limited to Sections 15, 18 and 19 of the
Intercreditor Agreement.
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Unpaid Amounts
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In the event that on the Maturity Date the Company has any
remaining amounts unpaid on this Note (the "Residual Amount"), the
Holder can exercise its right to increase the Face Amount by ten
percent (10%) as an initial penalty and an
additional two and one-half percent (2.5%) per month paid, pro rata
for partial periods, compounded daily, as liquidated damages
("Liquidated Damages"). If a Residual Amount remains, the Company
is in Default and the Holder may elect remedies
as set forth in Article 4, below. The Parties acknowledge that
Liquidated Damages are not interest and should not constitute a
penalty.
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Defaults and Remedies
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Events of
Default. An "Event of Default" occurs if any one of the
following occur:
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The Company does not make a Payment within two (2) business days of
(i) the Closing of a Put; or (ii) a Payment Date; or, (iii) a
Residual Amount on the Note exists on the Maturity Date; or
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The Company, pursuant to or within the meaning of any Bankruptcy
Law (as hereinafter defined): (i) commences a voluntary case; (ii)
consents to the entry of an order for relief against it in an
involuntary case; (iii) consents to the appointment of a Custodian
(as hereinafter defined) of the Company or for its property; (iv)
makes an assignment for the benefit of its creditors; or (v) a
court of competent jurisdiction enters an order or decree under any
Bankruptcy Law that: (A) is for relief against the Company in an
involuntary case; (B) appoints a Custodian of the Company or for
its property; or (C) orders the liquidation of the Company, and the
order or decree remains unstayed and in effect for sixty (60)
calendar days; or
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The Company's $0.00001 par value regular common stock (the "Common
Stock") is suspended or is no longer listed on any recognized
exchange, including an electronic over-the-counter bulletin board,
for in excess of two (2) consecutive trading days; or
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Either the registration statement for the underlying shares in the
Investment Agreement is not effective for any reason and is not
cured within five (5) days; or,
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Any of the Company's representations or warranties contained in
this Agreement were knowingly and materially false when made;
or,
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The Company breaches this Agreement, and such breach, if and only
if such breach is subject to cure, continues for a period of five
(5) business days.
As used in this Section 4.1 (b), the term "Bankruptcy
Law" means Title 11 of the United States Code or any similar
federal or state law for the relief of debtors. The term
"Custodian" means any receiver, trustee, assignee, liquidator or
similar official under any Bankruptcy Law.
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Remedies. In the Event of Default, the Holder may elect to
garnish Revenue from the Company in an amount that will repay the
Holder on the schedules outlined in this Agreement and fully
enforce the Security Agreement dated May 16, 2006, between the
Holder and the Company.
For each and every Event of Default, as
outlined in this Agreement, the Holder can exercise its right to
increase the Face Amount of the Note by ten percent (10%) as an
initial penalty, provided however, the amount of such initial
penalty shall not exceed the greater of 1) 100% of the remaining
Face Amount or 2) $150,000. In addition, the Holder may elect to
increase the Face Amount of the Note by two and one-half percent
(2.5%) per month as Liquidated Damages, compounded daily. The
Parties acknowledge that Liquidated Damages are not interest under
the terms of this Agreement, and shall not constitute a
penalty.
In the event of a Default hereunder, the Holder, at its sole
election, shall have the right, but not the obligation, to
either:
a) Switch the Residual Amount to a three-year ("Convertible
Maturity Date"), eighteen percent (18%) interest bearing
convertible debenture at the terms described hereinafter (the
"Convertible Debenture"). In the event of Default, the Convertible
Debenture shall be considered closed ("Convertible Closing Date"),
as of the date that Holder notifies the Company (in writing) of its
decision to switch the Residual Amount to the Convertible Debenture
(the "Notice of Convertible Debenture"). The Company shall have
twenty (20) business days after receiving a Notice of Convertible
Debenture to file a registration statement covering an amount of
shares equal to three hundred percent (300%) of the Residual
Amount. Such registration statement shall be declared effective
under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities
Act"), by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission")
within sixty (60) business days of the Convertible Closing Date. In
the event the Company does not file such registration statement
within twenty (20) business days of the Holder's request, or such
registration statement is not declared by the Commission to be
effective under the Securities Act within the time period described
above, the Residual Amount shall increase by five thousand dollars
($5,000) per day. In the event the Company is given the option for
accelerated effectiveness of the registration statement, the
Company will cause such registration statement to be declared
effective as soon as reasonably practicable and will not take any
action to delay the registration to become effective. In the event
that the Company is given the option for accelerated effectiveness
of the registration statement, but chooses not to cause such
registration statement to be declared effective on such accelerated
basis, the Residual Amount shall increase by five thousand dollars
($5,000) per day commencing on the earliest date as of which such
registration statement would have been declared to be effective if
subject to accelerated effectiveness; or
b) The Holder may
increase the Payment Amount described under Article 1 to fulfill
the repayment of the Residual Amount. The Company shall provide
full cooperation to the Holder in directing funds owed to the
Holder on any Put made by the Company to the Investor. The Company
agrees to diligently carry out the terms outlined in the Investment
Agreement for delivery of any such shares. In the event the Company
is not diligently fulfilling its obligation to direct funds owed to
the Holder from Puts to the Investor, as reasonably determined by
the Holder, the Holder may, after giving the Company two (2)
business days advance notice to cure the same, elect to increase
the Face Amount of the Note by 2.5% each day, compounded daily, in
additional to and on top of additional remedies available to the
Holder under this Note.
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Conversion Privilege
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The Holder shall have the right
to convert the Convertible Debenture into shares of Common Stock at
any time following the Convertible Closing Date and before the
close of business on the Convertible Maturity Date. The number of
shares of Common Stock issuable upon the conversion of the
Convertible Debenture shall be determined pursuant to Section 4.4,
but the number of shares issuable shall be rounded up to the
nearest whole share.
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The Holder may convert the
Convertible Debenture in whole or in part, at any time and from
time to time.
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In the event all or any portion
of the Convertible Debenture remains outstanding on the Convertible
Maturity Date (the "Debenture Residual Amount"), the unconverted
portion of such Convertible Debenture will automatically be
converted into shares of Common Stock on such date in the manner
set forth in Section 4.4.
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Conversion Procedure.
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The Holder may elect to convert
the Residual Amount in whole or in part any time and from time to
time following the Convertible Closing Date. Such conversion shall
be effectuated by providing the Company, or its attorney, with that
portion of the Convertible Debenture to be converted together with
a facsimile or original of the signed notice of conversion (the
"Notice of Conversion"). The date on which the Notice of Conversion
is effective ("Conversion Date") shall be deemed to be the date on
which the Holder has delivered to the Company a facsimile or
original of the signed Notice of Conversion, as long as the
original Convertible Debenture(s) to be converted are received by
the Company within five (5) business days thereafter. When the
Convertible Debenture has been provided to the Company, the Holder
can elect to either have the Company reissue the remaining amount
of Convertible Debenture (not previously converted), or continually
convert the existing Debenture until it has been fully converted.
Any Notice of Conversion faxed by the Holder to the Company on a
particular day shall be deemed to have been received no later than
the following business day (receipt being via a confirmation of the
time such facsimile to the Company is received).
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C ommon Stock to be Issued.
Upon the conversion
of any Convertible Debentures by the Holder, the Company shall
instruct its transfer agent to issue stock certificates without
restrictive legends or stop transfer instructions, if, at that
time, the aforementioned registration statement described in
Section 4.2 has been declared effective (or with proper restrictive
legends if the registration statement has not as yet been declared
effective), in specified denominations representing the number of
shares of Common Stock issuable upon such conversion. The Parties
hereby agree that the date that the Company received consideration
for the Debenture shall be the Issuance Date of this Note. If
required, the Company shall provide an opinion letter from counsel
within two (2) business days of written request by the Holder. In
the event the Company does not deliver the opinion letter within
two business days, the Fixed Conversion Price shall immediately
decrease by two percent (2%) for each business day an opinion
letter fails to be delivered. In the event that counsel to the
Company fails or refuses to render an opinion as required to issue
the Shares in accordance with this paragraph (either with or
without restrictive legends, as applicable), then the Company
irrevocably and expressly authorizes counsel to the Holder to
render such opinion and shall authorize the Transfer Agent to
accept and to rely on such opinion for the purposes of issuing the
Shares. The Company is responsible for all costs associated with
the issuance of the shares, including but not limited to opinions
of counsel, FedEx of the certificates and any other costs that
arise. The Company warrants that no instructions have been given or
will be given to the transfer agent which limit, or otherwise
prevent resale and that the Common Stock shall otherwise be freely
resold, except as may be set forth herein or subject to applicable
law.
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Conversion Rate. The
Holder is entitled to convert the Convertible Debenture, or the
Debenture Residual Amount, in whole or in part, plus accrued
interest and penalties, anytime following the Convertible Closing
Date, at a conversion price equal to the seventy-five percent (75%)
of the lowest closing bid price during the fifteen (15) trading
days immediately preceding the Notice of Conversion for the portion
of the Debenture being converted, or (ii) 100% of the lowest bid
price for the twenty (20) trading days immediately preceding the
Convertible Closing Date ("Fixed Conversion Price"). No fractional
shares or scrip representing fractions of shares will be issued on
conversion, but the number of shares issuable shall be rounded up
to the nearest whole share.
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Nothing contained in the
Convertible Debenture shall be deemed to establish or require the
Company to pay interest to the Holder at a rate in excess of the
maximum rate permitted by applicable law. In the event that the
rate of interest required to be paid exceeds the maximum rate
permitted by governing law, the rate of interest required to be
paid thereunder shall be automatically reduced to the maximum rate
permitted under the governing law and such excess shall be returned
with reasonable promptness by the Holder to the Company. In the
event this Section 4.4(d) applies, the Parties agree that the terms
of this Note shall remain in full force and effect except as is
necessary to make the interest rate comply with applicable
law.
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The Holder shall be treated as
a shareholder of record on the date the Company is required to
issue the Common Stock to the Holder. If prior to the issuance of
stock certificates, the Holder designates another person as the
entity in the name of which the stock certificates requesting the
Convertible Debenture are to be issued, the Holder shall provide to
the Company evidence that ei
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