Attached files
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EX-5 - EX-5 - True North Finance Corp | c54783exv5.htm |
EX-25 - EX-25 - True North Finance Corp | c54783exv25.htm |
EX-21 - EX-21 - True North Finance Corp | c54783exv21.htm |
EX-24 - EX-24 - True North Finance Corp | c54783exv24.htm |
EX-23.2 - EX-23.2 - True North Finance Corp | c54783exv23w2.htm |
EX-23.3 - EX-23.3 - True North Finance Corp | c54783exv23w3.htm |
EX-10.26 - EX-10.26 - True North Finance Corp | c54783exv10w26.htm |
EX-23.1 - EX-23.1 - True North Finance Corp | c54783exv23w1.htm |
Table of Contents
As filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission on November 23, 2009
Registration No.
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
Form S-1
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
True North Finance Corporation
(Formerly CS Financing Corporation)
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
DELAWARE | 6162 | 20-3345780 | ||
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or | (Primary Standard Industrial Classification | (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) | ||
organization) | Code Number) |
4999 France Avenue South, Suite 248
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55410
(952) 358-6120
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number,
including area code, of registrants principal
executive offices)
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55410
(952) 358-6120
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number,
including area code, of registrants principal
executive offices)
Todd A. Duckson
President
4999 France Avenue South, Suite 248
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55410
(952) 358-6120
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number,
including area code, of agent for service)
President
4999 France Avenue South, Suite 248
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55410
(952) 358-6120
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number,
including area code, of agent for service)
Copies To:
Scott R. Carlson, Esq.
DC Law Chartered
4999 France Avenue South, Suite 248
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55410
(952) 358-6131
Scott R. Carlson, Esq.
DC Law Chartered
4999 France Avenue South, Suite 248
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55410
(952) 358-6131
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to public: From time to time after this
registration statement becomes effective.
If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous
basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933,
check the following box. þ
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to
Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act
registration statement number of the earlier effective date registration statement for the same
offering. o
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act,
check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier
effective registration statement for the same offering. o
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act,
check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier
effective registration statement for the same offering. o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a
non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of large accelerated
filer, accelerated filer and smaller reporting company in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer o | Accelerated filer o | Non-accelerated filer o | Smaller reporting company þ | |||
(Do not check if a smaller reporting company) |
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
Proposed | Proposed | |||||||||||||||||||
Title of | Maximum | Maximum | Amount of | |||||||||||||||||
Securities to be | Amount to be | Offering Price | Aggregate | Registration | ||||||||||||||||
Registered | Registered (1) | Per Unit | Offering Price (1) | Fee (2) | ||||||||||||||||
Five Year Notes Series A |
17,974 | $ | 5,000 | $ | 89,870,000 | |||||||||||||||
(1) | Pursuant to Rule 415(a)(6) under the Securities Act of 1933 (the Act), the securities being registered hereunder represent all of the unsold securities under the registration statement on Form S-1 originally filed by the registrant with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 23, 2005 (File No.333-129919) and initially declared effective on November 22, 2006 (the Prior Registration Statement). This registration statement is a replacement registration statement for the Prior Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 415(a)(6) under the Act. | |
(2) | Pursuant to Rule 415(a)(6) under the Act, the securities being registered hereunder represent all of the unsold securities under the Prior Registration Statement. In connection with the Prior Registration Statement, the registrant paid a filing fee of $11,771 with respect to such unsold securities. The filing fee paid in connection with the Prior Registration Statement shall continue to apply to the unsold securities and no additional filing fee in respect of such unsold securities is due hereunder. |
THE REGISTRANT HEREBY AMENDS THIS REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON SUCH DATE OR DATES AS MAY BE NECESSARY
TO DELAY ITS EFFECTIVE DATE UNTIL THE REGISTRANT SHALL FILE A FURTHER AMENDMENT WHICH SPECIFICALLY
STATES THAT THIS REGISTRATION STATEMENT SHALL THEREAFTER BECOME EFFECTIVE IN ACCORDANCE WITH
SECTION 8(a) OF THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 OR UNTIL THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT SHALL BECOME
EFFECTIVE ON SUCH DATE AS THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION, ACTING PURSUANT TO SAID
SECTION 8(a), MAY DETERMINE.
Table of Contents
Prospectus
TRUE NORTH FINANCE CORPORATION
$100,000,000 Five Year Notes Series A
We are offering up to $100,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of our Five Year Notes Series A
(Bonds) on a continuous basis. A minimum initial investment of $25,000 is required. An
investment in the Bonds is speculative and the Bonds should only be purchased by investors who can
afford to lose their entire investment.
We will issue the Bonds in denominations of at least $5,000, subject to the initial minimum
investment requirement of $25,000. The Bonds shall mature five years from the date of issuance.
The Bonds shall bear interest at a fixed rate (calculated based upon a 360-day year) of ten percent
(10%). We will pay interest on a Bond monthly; the first interest payment shall be made on the
15th day (or first business day thereafter) of the following month from the date of your
investment.
We are offering the Bonds on a continuous basis through our officers and directors but without an
underwriter. We do not have to sell any minimum amount of Bonds to accept and use the proceeds of
this offering. Proceeds from this offering will be available for immediate use by the Company. We
cannot estimate what portion, if any, of the Bonds we are offering will be sold. We have not made
any arrangement to place any of the proceeds from this offering in an escrow, trust or similar
account. You will not be entitled to the return of your investment other than pursuant to the
terms of the Bonds. The Bonds are not listed on any securities exchange and there is no public
trading market for the Bonds. We have the right to reject any subscription, in whole or in part,
for any reason. Residents of certain states may also be subject to suitability standards.
We may, at our option, pre-pay the Bonds after two years and upon at least 30 days written notice
to you.
You should read this Prospectus and any applicable amended prospectus or prospectus supplement
carefully before you invest in the Bonds. These Bonds are our general unsecured obligations and are
subordinated in right of payment to all our future senior debt. Payment of the Bonds is not
insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), any governmental or
private insurance fund, or any other entity. We will not contribute funds to a separate account
such as a sinking fund to use to repay the Bonds.
See Risk Factors beginning on page 26 of this Prospectus for certain factors you should
consider before buying the Bonds.
These securities have not been approved or disapproved by the Securities and Exchange Commission or
any state securities commission nor has the Securities and Exchange Commission or any state
securities commission passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation
to the contrary is a criminal offense.
Price to | Other Offering | Selling | Proceeds to | |||||||||||||
Public | Expenses | Commission | Company | |||||||||||||
Per Bond |
$ | 5,000 | $ | 14.52 | $ | 200.00 | $ | 4,785.48 | (1) | |||||||
Total |
$ | 100,000,000 | $ | 290,223 | $ | 4,000,000 | $ | 95,709,777 | (2) |
(1) | Does not include possible commissions payable to any future underwriter which may be retained by the Company. | |
(2) | We will receive all of the net proceeds from the sale of the Bonds, which, if we sell all of the Bonds covered by this Prospectus without using an underwriter, we estimate will total approximately $95,709,777 after expenses. | |
(3) | The Company has previously sold $10,130,000 of Bonds and therefore would receive $89,870,000 in gross proceeds from the sale of the remaining bonds. |
The date of this Prospectus is November 20, 2009.
Table of Contents
DISCLAIMERS
This Prospectus will be submitted to a limited number of investors so that they can make their
own evaluation of True North Finance Corporation, a Delaware corporation (True North or the
Company) and make their own investment decisions whether to purchase the Bonds offered herein.
True North has not authorized use of this prospectus for any other purpose. This prospectus may
not be copied or reproduced in whole or in part. By accepting a copy of this prospectus, the
recipient agrees that neither it nor any of its representatives, agents or employees shall use it
for any other purpose.
The information and statements herein are presented as of the original date of this Prospectus
and are subject to change without notice. The delivery of this prospectus is not intended, under
any circumstances, to create any implication that there has been no change in the matters discussed
herein. This prospectus is not intended as a comprehensive description of the Company. The Bonds
may, in the future, be offered by one or more broker-dealers that would be party to a placement
agency agreement with the Company (each, a Placement Agent). The Placement Agents are not
responsible for, and are not making any representations or warranties to you concerning, True
Norths future performance or the accuracy or completeness of this prospectus. In making an
investment decision, investors must rely on their own examinations of the Company and the terms of
the offering, including the merits and risks involved.
Each prospective investor must comply with all laws and regulations applicable to it in force
in any jurisdiction in which it purchases, offers or sells the Bonds or possesses or distributes
this prospectus, and must obtain any consent, approval or permission required to be obtained by it
for the purchase, offer or sale by it of the Bonds under the laws and regulations applicable to it
in force in any jurisdiction to which it is subject or in which it makes such purchases, offers or
sales. Neither the Company nor any of the Placement Agents shall have any responsibility therefor.
Certain of the information contained herein, including information concerning appraised values
of assets, is based upon or derived from information provided by third party consultants and other
sources. The Company believes such information is accurate and that the sources from which it has
been obtained are reliable. However, the Company cannot guarantee the accuracy of such information
and has not independently verified such information.
This prospectus includes certain statements provided by the Company with respect to the
Companys historical performance. Estimates of future performance reflect various assumptions made
by the Company as well as the exercise of a substantial degree of judgment by management as to the
scope and presentation of such information that may or may not prove accurate. No presentations or
warranties are made as to the accuracy of such statements or estimates of anticipated performance.
Actual results achieved during projection periods may differ substantially from those projected.
Prospective investors should not construe the contents of this prospectus as legal, tax or
investment advice. Each prospective investor should consult the investors own attorney, tax and
investment advisor as to the legal, investment, tax and related matters concerning the nature and
terms of an investment in the Bonds. Prospective investors are urged to request any additional
information they may consider necessary in making an informed investment decision.
Except as described herein, no person has been authorized to make any representation or give
any information with respect to the Bonds except the information contained herein. Prospective
investors should not rely on information other than that contained in this prospectus in response
to a direct request as described in the next paragraph.
Each prospective investor will be offered the opportunity, prior to purchasing any Bonds, to
ask questions of, and receive answers from, a representative of the Company concerning the terms
and conditions of the offering and to obtain additional relevant information, to the extent the
Company possesses such information or can acquire it without unreasonable effort or expense.
However, all such additional information will be provided in writing and will be identified as such
by the Company.
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Table of Contents
Inquiries concerning such additional information should be directed to:
Brian Weisenberger
True North Finance Corporation
4999 France Avenue South, Suite 248
Minneapolis, MN 55410
Phone: (952) 358-6120
True North Finance Corporation
4999 France Avenue South, Suite 248
Minneapolis, MN 55410
Phone: (952) 358-6120
Neither the Company nor any of the Placement Agents makes any representation to an offeree or
a purchaser of the Bonds regarding the legality of an investment therein by such offeree or
purchaser.
All Bonds will be offered subject to the right of the Company to reject any subscription for
Bonds, in whole or in part, for any reason and subject to certain other conditions set forth
herein.
The offering is subject to withdrawal, cancellation or modification without notice. The
Company reserves the absolute right to select the investors to whom the Bonds will be sold.
Neither the Company nor any of the Placement Agents will have any liability to any investor or
recipient of this prospectus in the event the Company takes any actions described in the preceding
paragraph.
SECURITIES LAW FILINGS DISCLAIMER:
The Company has been subject to the informational requirements of the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act) since November 2005, and in accordance therewith files
reports and other information with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC). These
reports and other information relating to the Company can be inspected via the internet at
http://www.sec.gov in the EDGAR archives.
3
Table of Contents
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Table of Contents
You should rely only upon the information contained in this Prospectus. We have not authorized
anyone to provide you with information different from that contained in this Prospectus. We are
offering to sell Bonds only in jurisdictions where offers and sales are permitted. The information
contained in this Prospectus is accurate only as of the original date of this Prospectus,
regardless of the time of delivery of the Prospectus or of any sale of the Bonds.
PROSPECTUS SUMMARY
This summary highlights selected information and does not contain all the information that may be
important to you. You should carefully read this prospectus, any related prospectus supplement and
the documents we have referred you to in Where You Can Find More Information for information
about us. In this prospectus, references to we, us and our refer to True North Finance
Corporation.
Our Company
We are an early stage finance company created to finance and invest in carefully selected markets.
When choosing the markets targeted for our investment, we will endeavor to determine how those
markets have historically performed in relationship to one another and invest in markets that are
not correlated (that is, move independently of each other). By investing in markets that are
non-correlated we believe we will be able to produce a consistent above market current yield over
the long term.
Note, we have a limited operating history and have not yet generated net income through our
targeted interest yield spread. We will initially focus on financing completed transactions in our
intended investment markets of: opportunistic equity, trade finance, distressed sellers, bridge
finance and real estate finance. We raise funds to make our investments by making public offerings
of our Bonds.
Our business strategy is to make loans on conservatively underwritten transactions and to secure
our loans by first- and second-priority mortgages or other security interests. We will focus our
investing in ascertainable value and stable market segments where values are less vulnerable to
large market swings. Our business model is to originate, service and collect unique and custom
finance transactions. We may do this by primarily financing or investing directly in completed
transactions in our intended investment markets. A completed transaction is a transaction where
the ultimate liquidity has already been contracted for (i.e. pre-sold goods, pre-leased real
estate, etc.).
We intend to initially concentrate our investing in transactions that originate in the Midwest but,
if deemed appropriate, we intend to expand carefully into other markets where we can develop or
acquire the necessary local expertise to invest into that market.
We plan to invest for our own account directly on our balance sheet. We seek to generate revenue
and profits by making loans and investments at yields higher than the interest rates we must pay on
our Bonds and other future potential obligations of the Company. We seek to obtain effective
interest yield spread in excess of 400 to 800 points above the interest rate we pay on our Bonds.
This interest yield spread will consist of interest on the loan plus points and other fees. The
income from this interest spread is used to pay our expenses, which includes distribution expenses
on our Bonds as well as our operating expenses. As of the date hereof, we have sold $10,130,000 of
our Bonds.
On June 30, 2009, we became the sole owner of the general partner and sole limited partner of
Capital Solutions Monthly Income Fund, L.P. (the Fund). As a result of the transaction, the
former limited partners of the Fund became preferred shareholders in the Company and the equity of
the Fund is now reflected on our balance sheet. Our preferred shareholders are entitled to
cumulating dividends of 12% per annum and the Company, on a quarterly basis, is required to
distribute 50% of its net income to pay such dividends. To the extent 50% of net income exceeds
cumulated dividends, the Company will commence redeeming the preferred shares at par.
The Fund commended operation in 2005 as a mezzanine real estate lender. In 2008, due to market
conditions, the Fund foreclosed on the collateral securing its loans and took ownership of numerous
subordinated mortgages and
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Table of Contents
special purpose limited liability companies that each own separate real estate parcels. The Fund
no longer receives interest income but owns interests in real estate that requires substantial
continuous investment to be maintained.
We were incorporated in the State of Delaware on August 19, 2005. Our principal office is located
at 4999 France Avenue South, Suite 248, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55410. Our telephone number is
(952) 358-6120.
Market Opportunity
Finance markets are highly fragmented, with numerous large, mid-size and small lenders and
investment companies, such as banks, savings and loan associations, insurance companies and
institutional lenders, competing for investment opportunities. Many of these market participants
are, as a result of the current credit dislocation, not participating in this market to the extent
they had before the credit crisis, and as a result, in the short term, we believe established
lenders are unable to satisfy the current demand for transactional financing. We believe this
creates attractive opportunities for us and our investors.
While we believe the current credit dislocation will be a medium-term phenomenon, we believe the
many participants in the finance markets will significantly and permanently alter their lending
standards, which will also create attractive lending opportunities for the Company in the long
term.
Our Business Strategy
Our goal is to create a diversified portfolio of high-yield investments that provide current cash
flow. We will endeavor to do so primarily through the origination and retention on our balance
sheet of loans in multiple diversified investment categories. The diversified investment
categories will be individually managed and have a stated objective of sourcing and servicing
investments that provide current double-digit cash yields with varying short-term durations. Our
investments will be concentrated in our intended investment markets [bridge finance, real estate
finance, distressed sellers, trade finance, and opportunistic equity]. These markets were chosen,
in part, due to their attractive noncorrelation (meaning they demonstrate a historical track record
of providing independent, consistent, consolidated, long-term positive returns).
Our Investment Committee has responsibility for approving individual investments, and identifying
and correlating new investment markets. The Investment Committee is also charged with maintaining
market awareness and funding our intended investment markets accordingly; as well as with
establishing clear, performance-oriented, ethical investment protocols for the investment managers.
In order to achieve our goals, we expect to pursue the following strategies. For more detail see
Our Investing Strategy in Business section at page 20.
Bridge Finance
Our Bridge Finance investments will provide lending solutions across multiple industries to
middle-market companies looking to expand their operations and generate excess margin from their
business model. Our focus is on companies who can demonstrate consistent positive cash flow, and
possess differentiating products and/or services in historically stable industries.
Real Estate Finance
As banks and other traditional lenders continue to slow their lending activities a supply and
demand imbalance has been created for those needing financing. This tightening of credit
translates into opportunities for private lenders, such as the Company, that are still
strategically lending to qualified borrowers who meet our underwriting guidelines. By taking
advantage of these opportunities, we are able to generate favorable investment returns coupled with
high levels of collateral.
Trade Finance
The Company offers accounts receivable financing, invoice factoring, invoice discounting and other
forms of Trade Finance. We work with firms that have strong underlying business fundamentals in
need of short term liquidity to
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run their day-to-day operations. This type of finance is relatively liquid due to short term
maturities, offers a high level of diversification for our overall portfolio, and has attractive
short term yields.
Distressed Sellers
The recent recession and resulting financial crisis has created numerous distressed sellers of
assets (most of these assets have medium term liquidity). Since these are good assets being sold
by distressed sellers, and since we can purchase these assets with long term capital, we intend
to build a portfolio of assets acquired from distressed sellers at discounted valuations. We have
a large network of small community banks and other similar financial institutions from which to
build such a portfolio.
Opportunistic Equity
The recent downturn in the real estate market has created a significant opportunity to acquire
early stage development and fully operating commercial real estate parcels at deep discounts to
historical valuations. By acquiring real estate at or near the bottom of a real estate cycle, in
our opinion, we are positioned to enjoy potentially significant increases in property values as
markets trend upward toward historical norms. This form of investment has a relatively longer hold
time, but we believe should produce considerable returns as a result. At the present time, we
believe we have sufficient Opportunistic Equity investments and will focus on other investment
markets. These investments include the real estate assets valued at approximately $115,000,000 as
of September 30, 2009 held in the Fund which consist of approximately ten real estate projects
located in the Midwest and Southeast. See Business on page 14.
Our Investing Strategy
Our business will focus on financing completed transactions in multiple categories. We expect our
loans to be secured by first- and second-priority liens on worthy liquid assets and on the equity
of the entities that hold such assets or such other secondary collateral.
We plan to hold our loans for our own account directly on our balance sheet. While we intend to
pursue all investment opportunities for which we can obtain our desired return on investment, we
will target opportunities where our loans will be short to medium-term (typically twelve to
thirty-six months) with effective yields (inclusive of interest, points and other fees) targeted at
or above 17%.
We intend to maintain rigorous underwriting discipline and concentration restrictions. Our
underwriting guidelines will revolve, in varying degrees, around the five key elements we believe a
borrower should demonstrate to qualify for financing. These elements are: character and integrity,
sufficient cash flow to service the obligation, capital and net worth, collateral to secure the
obligation and favorable conditions in the borrowers industry. We also plan to establish, via our
Investment Committee, sound reserves for anticipated loan losses and/or interest rate losses for
non-performing or under-performing investments in our portfolio.
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The Offering
Terms | Description | |
We are offering up to $100,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of our Bonds. The Bonds are governed by an indenture between us and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee. The Bonds do not have the benefit of a sinking fund. See Description of Bonds. | ||
Increments of at least $5,000. | ||
A minimum initial investment of $25,000 is required. | ||
Investments in Bonds may be made by check or wire. | ||
10% per annum fixed interest rate, calculated using 360-day year. | ||
Interest is payable monthly commencing on the 15th of the month following the month of investment. | ||
Bonds shall mature five years from the date of your purchase. | ||
We may redeem the Bond after two years and upon 30 days written notice to you for a price equal to principal plus interest accrued to the date of redemption. | ||
You will not be able to redeem the Bonds prior to the five year maturity date. | ||
Bonds are subordinated, in all rights to payment and in all other respects, to all of our debt, except debt that by its terms expressly provides that such debt is not senior in right to payment of the Bonds. Senior debt includes, without limitation, all of our bank debt and any line of credit we may obtain in the future. This means that if we are unable to pay our debts when due, the senior debt would all be paid first before any payment would be made on the Bonds. Any intercompany debt that may be owed by us to any affiliate or subsidiary shall not be considered senior debt. As of November 20, 2009, we do not have any outstanding senior debt. | ||
Under the indenture, an event of default is generally defined as a default in the payment of principal and interest on the Bonds which is not cured for 30 days, our becoming subject to certain events of bankruptcy or insolvency, or our failure to comply with provisions of the Bonds or the indenture which failure is not cured or waived within 60 days after receipt of a specific notice. | ||
Transfer of a Bond is effective only upon the receipt of valid transfer instructions by the registrar from the Bond holder of record. | ||
U.S. Bank National Association, a national banking association. | ||
If all the Bonds offered by this prospectus are sold we expect to receive approximately $95,709,777 in net proceeds after deducting all costs and expenses associated with this offering. We intend to use substantially all of the cash proceeds from this offering to finance completed transactions in several diversified markets and to provide our working capital. | ||
See Risk Factors and other information included in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement for a discussion of factors you should carefully consider before investing in the Bonds. |
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Summary Financial Data
The following table summarizes certain financial data of our business. You should read this summary
together with Selected Financial Data, Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial
Condition and Results of Operations and our audited financial statements and related notes
included elsewhere in this Prospectus or incorporated herein by reference. The financial
information for nine months ended September 30, 2009 is unaudited. The financial data prior to the
reverse merger on June 30, 2009 is separated into two categories (1) CS Financing Corporation and
(2) CS Fund General Partner as follows (for more information on the reverse merger see
Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations starting on
page 44):
CS Financing Corporation
August 19, 2005 | Year | Year | Nine Months | |||||||||||||||||
(inception) to | Ended | Ended | Year Ended | Ended | ||||||||||||||||
December 31, | December 31, | December 31, | December 31, | September 30, | ||||||||||||||||
2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | ||||||||||||||||
(Unaudited) | ||||||||||||||||||||
True North | ||||||||||||||||||||
Statement of operations data: | (Audited) | (Audited) | (Audited) | (Audited) | Consolidated | |||||||||||||||
Interest and fee income |
$ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 335,475 | $ | 554,355 | $ | 306,132 | ||||||||||
Operating expenses |
27,462 | 231,440 | 1,523,821 | 5,211,558 | 4,654,919 | |||||||||||||||
Operating loss |
27,462 | 231,440 | 1,188,346 | 4,657,203 | 4,348,787 | |||||||||||||||
Loss before income taxes |
27,462 | 231,440 | 1,188,346 | 4,657,203 | 4,916,776 | |||||||||||||||
Net loss |
27,462 | 231,440 | 1,188,346 | 4,657,203 | 3,168,765 | |||||||||||||||
Basic and diluted loss per
common stock |
0.35 | 2.06 | 0.04 | 0.16 | 0.06 |
December 31, 2006 | December 31, 2007 | December 31, 2008 | September 30, 2009 | |||||||||||||
(Unaudited) | ||||||||||||||||
True North | ||||||||||||||||
Selected Balance sheet data for period ended: | (Audited) | (Audited) | (Audited) | Consolidated | ||||||||||||
Cash |
$ | 27,271 | $ | 2,488,784 | $ | 1,534,170 | $ | 98,757 | ||||||||
Finance receivables |
| 31,849 | 161,968 | 319,374 | ||||||||||||
Other Receivables |
| | | | ||||||||||||
Prepaid insurance |
78,750 | 78,750 | 56,250 | 6,016 | ||||||||||||
Investments in Notes Receivable |
| 2,500,000 | 2,978,000 | 7,730,983 | ||||||||||||
Fixed Assets |
| 29,575 | 27,472 | 69,795 | ||||||||||||
Debt Placement Costs, net |
396,525 | 862,109 | 858,298 | 515,890 | ||||||||||||
Loan Origination Costs, net |
20,000 | 17,333 | 16,333 | 10,333 | ||||||||||||
Liabilities |
474,434 | 7,052,915 | 6,999,189 | 80,418,522 | ||||||||||||
Stockholders equity (deficit) |
163,779 | (1,024,567 | ) | (1,338,750 | ) | 33,443,123 |
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CS Fund General Partner, LLC
Nine | ||||||||||||||||||||
January 13, 2005 | Year | Year | Months | |||||||||||||||||
(inception) to | Ended | Ended | Year Ended | Ended | ||||||||||||||||
December 31, | December 31, | December 31, | December 31, | September 30, | ||||||||||||||||
2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | ||||||||||||||||
(Unaudited) | ||||||||||||||||||||
True North | ||||||||||||||||||||
Statement of operations data: | (Audited) | (Audited) | (Audited) | (Audited) | Consolidated | |||||||||||||||
Revenue |
$ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 306,132 | ||||||||||
Operating expenses |
| | | | 4,654,919 | |||||||||||||||
Operating loss |
| | | | 4,348,787 | |||||||||||||||
Loss before income taxes |
| | | | 4,916,776 | |||||||||||||||
Net loss |
| | | | 3,168,765 |
December 31, 2006 | December 31, 2007 | December 31, 2008 | September 30, 2009 | |||||||||||||
(Unaudited) | ||||||||||||||||
True North | ||||||||||||||||
Selected Balance sheet data for period ended: | (Audited) | (Audited) | (Audited) | Consolidated | ||||||||||||
Cash |
$ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 98,757 | ||||||||
Finance receivables |
| | | 319,374 | ||||||||||||
Other Receivables |
| | | | ||||||||||||
Prepaid insurance |
| | | 6,016 | ||||||||||||
Investments in Notes Receivable |
| | | 7,730,983 | ||||||||||||
Fixed Assets |
| | | 69,795 | ||||||||||||
Debt Placement Costs, net |
| | | 515,890 | ||||||||||||
Loan Origination Costs, net |
| | | 10,333 | ||||||||||||
Liabilities |
| | | 80,418,522 | ||||||||||||
Stockholders equity (deficit) |
| | | 33,443,123 |
Summary financial data provided for years 2005 through June 30, 2009 for CS Fund General Partner,
LLC reflect no income, expense or balance sheet amounts. During this time, CS Fund General
Partner, LLC operated as the general partner of the Fund and recorded no economic activity on their
income statement or balance sheet. On June 30, 2009 CS Fund General Partner, LLC merged with True
North Finance Corporation. Balance sheet amounts reflected above on September 30, 2009 are
consolidated amounts.
13
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BUSINESS
Overview
Despite our operating history, we are an early stage finance company focused on the financing of
completed, or nearly completed, transactions. We invest primarily by making short- and medium-term
(twelve to thirty-six month) loans, and, on occasion, acquiring investments for re-sale. We expect
to initially pursue finance and investment opportunities in the following markets: opportunistic
equity, trade finance, distressed sellers, bridge finance and real estate finance. We raise
capital to make investments in our intended investment markets by making public offerings of our
Bonds. We acquired a substantial portion of our assets as a result of the acquisition of the Fund
and other real estate purchases in June of 2009 (see page 44 in Managements Discussion and
Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations).
Our business strategy is to make loans on conservatively underwritten and completed, or nearly
completed, transactions and to secure our loans by first- and second-priority mortgages or other
UCC security interests, including the equity of entities that own the subject transaction and the
personal guarantees of the underlying principals. We will initially focus our lending on
transactions originating in the Midwest where the chosen market niche values are less vulnerable to
large or unpredictable market swings and the networks of our management team will provide a
competitive advantage.
We plan to invest for our own account directly on our balance sheet. We seek to generate revenue
and profits by making loans and purchasing investments at yields higher than the interest rates we
must pay on our Bonds and other debt. We seek to obtain effective interest yield spread between
400 and 800 basis points above the interest rate we pay on our Bonds and other debt. This interest
yield spread will consist of interest on the loan plus points and other fees. The income from this
interest spread is used to pay our expenses, which includes distribution expenses on our Bonds as
well as our operating expenses. As of the date hereof, we have sold $10,130,000 of our Bonds.
Our Investment Committee will be responsible for constantly monitoring our intended investment
markets. These duties include establishing and removing our intended investment markets as well as
allocating newly raised capital across our intended investment markets based on market conditions,
capacity, and forecasted success. Capital will be deployed in our intended investment markets
through small investment pods each managed by a separate investment pod manager. An investment
pod is a name used to describe a separately managed pool of internal capital. All investment pod
managers will be recruited and approved by the Investment Committee and Board. In addition, each
individual investment opportunity must be presented by the pod manager to the Investment Committee
for approval before capital is allocated. Investments presented for consideration must adhere to
custom underwriting guidelines predetermined by the Investment Committee for each individual pod.
Each investment pod will generally be limited to approximately $20,000,000 in investments and the
investment pod managers will manage their investments from origination through servicing to
collection. The Investment Committee, however, will have the authority to ultimately fund an
investment pod in an appropriate amount.
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The following chart depicts our investment structure:
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The Company is the beneficial owner of the following real estate:
Property | Total | Total | ||||||||||||||||||
Nickname | Type | Intended Use | Debt | Size (sq.ft.) | Lots | Location | Description | |||||||||||||
Village of Lloyd
Harbor
|
Residential Land | Hold for sale | $ | 4,000,000 | 766,656 | 2 | Lloyd Harbor, NY | The Lloyd Harbor Project is a 17.6 Acre parcel on the north shore of Long Island, NY. The parcel contains roughly 700 feet of water frontage on Long Island Sound. The property is currently in the platting process to be subdivided into two separate lots to take advantage of its prime beachfront location. | ||||||||||||
52 & 64 Prentiss Street |
Residential | Hold for sale | 0 | 3,072 | 2 | San Francisco, CA | 52 Prentiss Street is a 1464 square feet single family residence in the trendy Bernal Heights neighborhood of San Francisco. 64 Prentiss Street is the adjacent residence, consisting of 1,608 square feet across from the Bernal Heights Park. Both residences reside on one of San Franciscos distinctive up-sloped streets with panoramic views of city lights and the famous San Francisco Bay, minutes from the waterfront. | |||||||||||||
Hidden Canyon
|
Residential Land | Hold for sale | $ | 7,058,333 | 3,439,530 | 53 | Cave Creek, AZ | Hidden Canyon is a proposed 53 lot residential subdivision in Cave Creek, AZ. The project has Final Plat approval for its Phase I development plan, consisting of 28 Executive lots. Phase II has preliminarily plans for 25 Executive lots, with the potential for additional density of 7 to 9 lots. Lots vary in size from just under an Acre to 2.592 Acres. The property has a variance in elevation from 2,110 feet to 2,520 feet, giving all the lots views of the surrounding area and the picturesque valley of Phoenix. |
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The Fund is the beneficial owner of the following real estate:
Property | Total | Total | ||||||||||||||||||
Nickname | Type | Intended Use | Debt | Size (sq.ft.) | Lots | Location | Description | |||||||||||||
Fargaze Meadows
|
Residential Land | Hold for sale | 1,713,953 | 1,829,520 | 131 | Northfield, MN | Fargaze Meadows is a residential development in Northfield, MN. Phase 1 of the site was developed in 2003 and consisted of 78 single family lots and 25 multi-family lots (three-plex and four-plex units). All of the phase 1 single and multi family lots have been sold and closed. Single family lots were sold for $62,500 per lot and multi-family lots were sold for $32,500 per lot. Phase 2 of the site is planned for 131 single family lots on approximately 42 acres. | |||||||||||||
Gulf Lakes
|
Comm./Resid. Land | Hold for sale | $ | 4,311,177 | 1,306,800 | Retail pad site/ 4 comm. lots | Fort Myers, FL | Gulf Lakes consists of approximately 30 acres of land in Fort Myers, FL. The Development plan for the site is for 224 mid-rise condominium units (eight, 28 unit buildings) and five commercial pads. The site is located at the comer of Summerlin Road and Pine Ridge Road and is approximately 2 1/2 miles east of the Sanibel Island and Captiva Island Bridge and Causeway. The first commercial lot has already been sold to a bank, and a second lot is under contract to become a gas station and convenience store. Given the current environment, options are being explored to rezone the entire site to commercial. | ||||||||||||
Cape Haze Marina
|
Comm./Resid. Land | Hold for sale | $ | 17,813,524 | 1,644,390 | Mixed use | Englewood, FL | Cape Haze Marina is a fully operational marina in Englewood, FL. The Marina has 105 wet boat slips and 151 dry boat slips (with capacity for 200 once re-configured), as well as 20 outside storage bunks. The Marina also consists of approximately 25 acres of upland land surrounding the Marina itself. The land is zoned for a mixed use development, with roughly 270 proposed residential condominium units, as well as a proposed 350 unit hotel complex, and 14,000 square feet of retail. |
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Property | Total | Total | ||||||||||||||||||
Nickname | Type | Intended Use | Debt | Size (sq.ft.) | Lots | Location | Description | |||||||||||||
Oak Vistas
|
Commercial Land | Hold for sale | 3,673,786 | 101,930 | 1 | Sarasota, FL | The Oak Vistas development consists of approximately 25 acres of land in Sarasota, FL. The single family residential site is developed, and currently consists of 64 single family lots, 13 multifamily doors, and one commercial pad. The remaining commercial lot fronts Cattlemen Road and Colonial Oaks Boulevard, an area consisting of multiple residential and retail properties. | |||||||||||||
Reserve at Royal Oaks |
Residential Land | Hold for sale | 0 | 47,131 | 20 | Greenwood, IN | Reserve at Royal Oaks is a multi family residential development in Greenwood, Johnson County, IN. The site was developed in 2003 and originally consisted of 94 multifamily lots (mainly 10-plex, condominium buildings). Thus far 74 of those lots have successfully been sold and closed. There are two remaining 10-plex sites (20 lots) ready for construction of new units. | |||||||||||||
Shenandoah Apartments |
Multi-family Residential |
Hold for sale | $ | 16,171,619 | 1,306,800 | 202 apt. units/88 future | Shakopee, MN | Shenandoah Apartments is an existing multifamily apartment complex containing 202 residential units. The property consists of two stand alone apartment buildings with 123 residences in one and 79 residences in the other. The development also includes an adjacent lot approved for an 88 unit expansion project increasing the overall number of units by 43%. The fund has a minority interest in the property. | ||||||||||||
Spring Lake Garden
|
Multi-family Residential |
Hold for sale | $ | 550,000 | 127,630 | 88 | Spring Lake Park, MN | Spring Lake Garden in Spring Lake Park, MN is an approved site for 88 units of Affordable Senior Community Living Units. The apartments will be restricted to independent living seniors age 55 and older. The project will consist of (41) 1-bedroom and (47) 2-bedroom units within on consolidated 4 story building. Parking for residents will be provided above and below ground for easy access to their units. |
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Property | Total | Total | ||||||||||||||||||
Nickname | Type | Intended Use | Debt | Size (sq.ft.) | Lots | Location | Description | |||||||||||||
Financing incentives for the project include a TIF agreement with the city and Anoka County Home Funds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wrights Crossing
|
Residential Land | Hold for sale | 0 | 531,432 | 48 | Rogers, MN | Wrights Crossing is a 12.2 Acre multi-family parcel of land located in Big Lake, MN. The project is slated for 48 multi-family units. The parcel is currently under contract and sold to a developer with an anticipated closing in April of 2010. |
The Fund also beneficially owns several promissory notes totaling $7,730,983 that are secured by
real estate or other business assets. Such notes have maturity dates varying from 6 months to 24
months. The Fund intends to collect such notes in the ordinary course.
Our Market Opportunity
Finance markets are highly fragmented, with numerous large, mid-size and small lenders and
investment companies, such as banks, savings and loan associations, insurance companies and
institutional lenders, competing for investment opportunities. Many of these market participants
are, as a result of the current credit dislocation, not participating in this market to the extent
they had before the credit crisis. We believe that, in the short term, these lenders will be
unable to satisfy the current demand for transactional financing creating attractive opportunities
for niche lenders such as the Company. Additionally, while we believe the current credit
dislocation will be a medium term phenomenon, we believe the many participants in the finance
markets will significantly alter their lending standards, which will also create attractive
opportunities for the Company.
We expect to focus on niche areas in our intended investment markets where we have identified
stable transaction values which are less vulnerable to extreme market swings. Taking advantage of
the opportunities in these markets requires good market expertise. We have determined that we can
acquire this market expertise in our intended investment markets via recruitment of talented and
experienced investment pod managers. To date, however, we have not retained any investment pod
managers.
We are initially focusing our business on transactions originating in the Midwest. Over time we
expect to expand into other geographic areas as we build or acquire market expertise that will
allow us to successfully finance transactions in those areas. Ultimately we intend to provide a
nationwide market for finance customers that meet our conservative underwriting standards.
Initially, however, we look to finance transactions in our intended investment markets which arise
from transactions based in the Midwest and have determined that the demand for this financing will
far outweigh our capital.
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Table of Contents
Our Business Strategy
Our goal is to create a diversified portfolio of high-yield investments in our intended investment
markets, primarily through the origination and retention of loans and other financed transactions.
Only if we are able to make investments that have interest rates in excess of our cost of capital
and comport with our rigorous underwriting requirements will we generate cash from operations. In
order to achieve our goals, we have meticulously created the following lending strategy.
Our Investing Strategy
Our business will focus on financing completed, or nearly completed, transactions in our intended
investment markets. A completed transaction means, by way of example, financing a transaction
where the products have been sold (but not paid for) as opposed to financing a borrower who intends
or hopes to eventually sell its products. Our investments are expected to take the following
forms:
Mortgage-Secured loans are secured property loans that are occasionally subordinate to a first
mortgage loan but senior to the owners equity. In the current credit crisis, and whenever
economically feasible, we will make loans secured by first mortgages.
Non-Mortgage-Secured loans are not secured by a mortgage on the property but by a pledge of the
borrowers ownership interest in the property-owning entity. Subject to negotiated contractual
restrictions, the lender generally has the right, following foreclosure, to become the owner of the
property subject to the lien of the first mortgage.
UCC-Secured Loans are secured by business non-real estate collateral such as inventory, equipment,
accounts receivable, etc. Our security interest will usually be perfected by following the terms of
the Uniform Commercial Code as adopted in the borrowers State.
Secondary Collateral will generally be taken in the form of personal guaranties of the principals
and mortgages or other security interests on unrelated assets.
We plan to invest in loans for our own account directly on our balance sheet. While we intend to
pursue all investment opportunities in our intended investment markets for which we can obtain our
desired return on investment, we expect that our investments will have the following
characteristics:
Short- to medium-term, generally between six and thirty-six month maturity;
High yield, potentially between 17% to 22% yield, including interest, points and other fees (based
upon management estimates); and
Small principal amounts, potentially between $100,000 and $2 million principal amount per loan,
subject to our concentration limits and approval by the Investment Committee.
Our intended investment markets are important to our investment strategy and critical to reducing
risk associated with compiling our investment portfolio. Historical analysis has been conducted on
most of the Companys proposed investment strategies (real estate finance, bridge finance, trade
finance, opportunistic equity, distressed sellers) focusing on past total return trends to
determine historical performance patterns of each proposed investment pod and to determine how
these trends relate to each other over time. Through this analysis we have concluded that the
Companys proposed strategies exhibit varying degrees of correlation and should significantly
reduce overall portfolio risk.
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Evaluating historical performance data from 2000 to 2009 for most proposed investment categories
resulted in the following conclusions:
Correlation | Historical Performance | |
Not Correlated (-0.33 to 0.33) |
Real Estate Financing/Bridge Financing (0.15) | |
Real Estate Financing/Trade Financing (0.19) | ||
Real Estate Financing/Opportunistic Equity (-0.26) | ||
Opportunistic Equity/Distressed Sellers (0.18) | ||
Moderately Correlated (0.34 to 0.66) |
Trade Finance/Bridge Finance (0.39) | |
Trade Finance/Opportunistic Equity (0.37) | ||
Trade Finance/Distressed Sellers (0.42) | ||
Bridge Finance/Distressed Sellers (0.55) | ||
Highly Correlated (0.67 to 0.99) |
Bridge Finance/Opportunistic Equity (0.86) | |
Real Estate Finance/Distressed Sellers (0.84) |
Analysis of these correlation statistics shows a diverse set of historical performance trends with
most strategy correlations exhibiting either no historical correlation or a moderate positive
correlation. As a result of this analysis we have concluded that these strategies should act to
provide high-quality diversification to the overall portfolio and its resulting investment
performance.
In general, investments exhibit low correlations to each other because they react differently to
changing market conditions (interest rates, inflation, etc) and/or are generally affected by
differing factors. By combining multiple investment categories with historically low correlation
patterns, a portfolio should benefit by generating significantly less volatility in overall
returns. As one strategy benefits from certain market trends, others will react differently to
these trends, or will not be affected at all. This smoothing of portfolio volatility will help to
generate consistent investment returns by avoiding large swings in return, commonly found in
investments with more concentrated portfolios.
The Company will perform ongoing analysis of both historical and current investment returns in each
of our investment pods in order to optimize performance and diversify portfolio level risk.
Further, as new investment pods are brought in to the portfolio continual analysis of these factors
will be conducted and evaluated in order to maintain sufficient levels of diversification going
forward.
The following proxies were used in this analysis to represent historical performance for each
proposed investment pod:
Strategy | Proxy | |
Bridge Finance
|
Russell Microcap Index | |
Real Estate Finance
|
Fed commercial real estate charge off rate, Banks non top 100 (inverse) | |
Opportunistic Equity
|
Moodys/REAL Commercial Property Index (CPPI) | |
Trade Finance
|
LIBOR | |
Distressed Sellers
|
Fed charge off rate for all bank loans, Banks non top 100 (inverse) |
Note, the correlation data is not derived from the Companys historical performance and may not be
representative of the Companys actual performance.
We plan to seek opportunities to invest primarily in the following types of activities in our
intended investment markets as approved by the investment pod manager and Investment Committee:
Bridge Finance. Our Bridge Finance Investment Pod provides temporary lending solutions across
multiple industries to middle-market companies looking to expand their operations. Our focus is on
companies who can demonstrate consistent positive cash flow, and possess differentiating products
and/or services in historically stable industries. Although certainly not inclusive, the following
are some of the expected bridge financing transactions that will be originated in the Bridge
Financing Investment Pod:
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Table of Contents
v | Bridge for Seasonal Business. We may provide bridge financing to seasonal businesses. Some seasonal businesses, for example, are required to stock inventory in the summer months for the end-of-year shopping season. Or, alternatively, stock inventory in the winter months for the summer lawn and garden shopping season. We may finance the inventory build. | ||
v | Bridge to Long-Term Financing. We may provide bridge financing to a company with historical strong financial performance and an abundance of collateral who is in the process, but has not yet completed, a long term re-finance such as a low rate commercial revolver or an expected firmly underwritten securities offering. | ||
v | Bridge to Certain Event. We may provide bridge financing to a company with historical strong financial performance and an abundance of collateral to bridge them to a certain, or near certain, future liquidity event such as the sale of a pre-contracted business assets or the return of escrowed security deposits. |
We do not currently have any investments in this investment pod.
Real Estate Finance. As banks and other traditional lenders continue to slow their lending
activities a tremendous void has been created for those needing financing. This tightening of
credit translates into opportunities for private lenders, such as the Company, that are still
strategically lending to qualified borrowers who meet our underwriting guidelines. By taking
advantage of these opportunities we are able to generate favorable investment returns coupled with
high levels of collateral. Although certainly not inclusive, the following are some example
transactions expected in our Real Estate Finance Investment Pod:
v | Residential Construction. We intend to seek opportunities to provide construction loans to finance residential construction only where there is a completed, or nearly completed, transaction (i.e. non-investor pre-sold homes). For example, in the course of the construction of a typical real estate development, a builder or developer will finance and construct model and spec homes in order to sell lots in the development for subsequent construction. These model and spec homes are often are pre-sold to a homeowner and the builders loan is repaid with the proceeds of the sale. In these instances, we may seek to provide, via our Real Estate Finance Investment Pod, short-term financing for such homes. Because of the risks inherent in anticipating the market price for a model or spec home before the other lots in a development are sold, we plan to require conservative loan-to-value ratios (no greater than 70%) where our collateral position is well secured and the collateral value is clearly established and stable. For a discussion of risk of residential construction financing see Foreclosure by a priority lien holder may result in the loss of our investment and impair our ability to repay the Bonds, Our focus on credit-impaired borrowers will make our investment portfolio susceptible to high levels of default resulting in risk to our investors, A decline in real estate value will impair the collateral for our investments thereby increasing the likelihood that we would suffer a loss and be unable to repay all or a portion of the Bonds upon liquidation of the collateral, Our mezzanine lending activities may be riskier than other lending activities, Our borrowers credit enhancements may lapse or be insufficient to collateralize interest payments, Lack of insurance will increase the risk that we may suffer a loss and our borrower(s) would be unable to repay all or a portion of the loans, We are subject to the risk that provisions of our loan agreements may be unenforceable, We may fail to perfect security interests in certain collateral pledged by the borrowers of our loans, We may be affected adversely if guaranties made to us are found unenforceable, We may suffer a loss in the event of a bankruptcy of a borrower, particularly in cases where the borrower has incurred debt that is senior to our loan, and If our reserves for loan losses are inadequate to cover actual loan losses, or if loan delinquencies increase, our earnings could decrease under Risk Factors. | ||
v | Commercial Construction Development. We also plan to seek opportunities to provide qualified borrowers with financing to augment the builders equity or down payment. This type of financing may involve re-financing as well as original construction financing. Loan-to-value ratios will vary from project to project but will generally not exceed 70%. Key statistics used in the determination of the allowable loan-to-value ratios of these transactions will include the strength of the borrower, building size and intended use, percentage of building leased and term of leases, anticipated debt service coverage ratios and available cash. In any event, we intend to finance only completed, or nearly completed, transactions (i.e. substantially pre-leased or pre-sold projects). For a discussion of risk of commercial construction development |
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financing see Foreclosure by a priority lien holder may result in the loss of our investment and impair our ability to repay the Bonds, Our focus on credit-impaired borrowers will make our investment portfolio susceptible to high levels of default resulting in risk to our investors, A decline in the real estate development and construction markets will partially impair our ability to make investments in certain investment markets, A decline in real estate value will impair the collateral for our investments thereby increasing the likelihood that we would suffer a loss and be unable to repay all or a portion of the Bonds upon liquidation of the collateral, Our mezzanine lending activities may be riskier than other lending activities, Our borrowers credit enhancements may lapse or be insufficient to collateralize interest payments, Lack of insurance will increase the risk that we may suffer a loss and our borrower(s) would be unable to repay all or a portion of the loans, We are subject to the risk that provisions of our loan agreements may be unenforceable, We may fail to perfect security interests in certain collateral pledged by the borrowers of our loans, We may be affected adversely if guaranties made to us are found unenforceable, We may suffer a loss in the event of a bankruptcy of a borrower, particularly in cases where the borrower has incurred debt that is senior to our loan, and If our reserves for loan losses are inadequate to cover actual loan losses, or if loan delinquencies increase, our earnings could decrease under Risk Factors. | |||
v | Investment Property. We may also provide financing for various types of real estate investments. Such investments may include office and industrial properties, apartment properties and retail properties of both single and multiple usages. We believe short-term mezzanine financing is an attractive option for investment properties because it allows the owner to bridge to more long-term financing. While a mezzanine loan is an expensive option for the real estate owner, we believe that mezzanine financing is attractive because it enables the owner to leverage their initial equity at a reasonable blended cost of funds. In any event, we intend to finance only completed, or nearly completed, transactions (i.e. substantially pre-leased or pre-sold projects). For a discussion of risk of investment property financing see Foreclosure by a priority lien holder may result in the loss of our investment and impair our ability to repay the Bonds, Our focus on credit-impaired borrowers will make our investment portfolio susceptible to high levels of default resulting in risk to our investors, A decline in real estate value will impair the collateral for our investments thereby increasing the likelihood that we would suffer a loss and be unable to repay all or a portion of the Bonds upon liquidation of the collateral, Our mezzanine lending activities may be riskier than other lending activities, Our borrowers credit enhancements may lapse or be insufficient to collateralize interest payments, Lack of insurance will increase the risk that we may suffer a loss and our borrower(s) would be unable to repay all or a portion of the loans, We are subject to the risk that provisions of our loan agreements may be unenforceable, We may fail to perfect security interests in certain collateral pledged by the borrowers of our loans, We may be affected adversely if guaranties made to us are found unenforceable, We may suffer a loss in the event of a bankruptcy of a borrower, particularly in cases where the borrower has incurred debt that is senior to our loan, and If our reserves for loan losses are inadequate to cover actual loan losses, or if loan delinquencies increase, our earnings could decrease under Risk Factors. | ||
v | Land Development. We may also occasionally consider financing for land development, in cases where the opportunities are extremely promising secondary liquid collateral is available and the yields are extraordinary. For a discussion of risk of land development financing see Foreclosure by a priority lien holder may result in the loss of our investment and impair our ability to repay the Bonds, Our focus on credit-impaired borrowers will make our investment portfolio susceptible to high levels of default resulting in risk to our investors, Our practice of deferring principal payments on land development loans until the senior lender has been paid off may result in losing some of the value of our collateral and our inability to repay all or a portion of the Bonds, A decline in the real estate development and construction markets will partially impair our ability to make investments in certain investment markets, A decline in real estate value will impair the collateral for our investments thereby increasing the likelihood that we would suffer a loss and be unable to repay all or a portion of the Bonds upon liquidation of the collateral, Our mezzanine lending activities may be riskier than other lending activities, Our borrowers credit enhancements may lapse or be insufficient to collateralize interest payments, Lack of insurance will increase the risk that we may suffer a loss and our borrower(s) would be unable to repay all or a portion of the loans, We are subject to the risk that provisions of our loan agreements may be unenforceable, We may fail to perfect security interests in certain collateral pledged by the borrowers of our loans, We may |
23
Table of Contents
be affected adversely if guaranties made to us are found unenforceable, We may suffer a loss in the event of a bankruptcy of a borrower, particularly in cases where the borrower has incurred debt that is senior to our loan, and If our reserves for loan losses are inadequate to cover actual loan losses, or if loan delinquencies increase, our earnings could decrease under Risk Factors. |
We do not currently have any investment in this investment pod.
Opportunistic Equity. The recent downturn in the real estate market has created a significant
opportunity to acquire early stage development and fully operating commercial real estate parcels
at deep discounts to historical valuations. By acquiring real estate at or near the bottom of a
real estate cycle, we are positioned to enjoy potentially significant increases in property values
as markets trend upward toward historical norms. This form of investment has a relatively longer
hold time, but should produce considerable returns as a result. At least for the short term, we
believe our Opportunistic Equity Investment Pod has sufficient investments and we do not currently
intend to make additional acquisitions. For a list of investments in this investment pod, see the
table of Fund real estate holdings starting on page 17.
Trade Finance. We intend to offer accounts receivable financing, invoice factoring, invoice
discounting and other forms of Trade Finance. We intend to work with firms that have strong
underlying business fundamentals in need of short-term liquidity to run their day-to-day
operations. This type of finance offers relatively short durations, a high level of
diversification for our overall portfolio, and attractive short-term yields. In addition, Trade
Finance transactions correlate well with some of our other investment strategies since they are so
liquid (usually 90 days). Although certainly not inclusive, the following are some examples of
transactions expected to be financed in our Trade Finance Investment Pod:
v | A historically strong business that can achieve substantial discounts by buying its materials in larger quantities. To the extent the business and the collateral meet our underwriting guidelines, we may finance the purchase of the extra materials and share in the discount. | ||
v | A business has sold goods to a big box retailer but must have the goods manufactured to meet delivery deadlines. The big box retailer will pay for the goods 60 days after delivery but the manufacture demands payment upon completion of manufacturing. To the extent the business and the collateral meet our underwriting guidelines, we may finance the transaction. |
We do not currently have any investments in this investment pod.
A business with a proven track record is compelled by industry course of dealing standards to
provide financing to its customers. To the extent the business and the collateral meet our
underwriting guidelines; we may purchase the businesses receivables on a recourse basis.
Distressed Sellers. The recent recession and resulting financial crisis has created numerous
distressed sellers of assets (most with medium term liquidity). Since these are good assets
being sold by distressed sellers, and since we can purchase these assets with long term capital,
we intend to build a portfolio of assets acquired from distressed sellers at discount valuations.
Although the Company doesnt currently have any agreements for the acquisition of assets from
community banks, our management team has personal relationships with the management of about a
dozen small community banks and other similar financial institutions from which to build such a
portfolio. In addition, there is a growing market of seller financed promissory notes that can be
purchased at attractive discounts.
We do not currently have any investments in this investment pod.
We believe, based on our managements previous experience, that our yields, based upon the type of
loan, could achieve the following levels if we successfully execute our business strategies. The
estimates are based solely on the estimates of our management team based on their experience with
other similar transactions.
Bridge Loans. Based on previous experience, management believes average net yields (after lending
operations related expenses) would be at or above 17%.
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Trade Finance. Based on previous experience, management believes average net yields (after lending
operations related expenses) would be at or above 22%.
Real Estate Finance. Based on previous experience, management believes average net yields (after
lending operations related expenses) would be at or above 18%.
Distressed Sellers. Based on previous experience, management believes average net yields (after
operations related expenses) would be at or above 18%.
Opportunistic Equity. Based on previous experience, management believes average net yields (after
property management related expenses) would be at or above 14%.
Underwriting Principles. We intend to maintain rigorous underwriting discipline and concentration
restrictions. Our underwriting guidelines will revolve around the five key elements we believe a
borrower should demonstrate to qualify for financing. These elements are:
v | character and integrity of borrowers management and principals; | ||
v | borrower demonstrating sufficient cash flow to service the obligation; | ||
v | borrower demonstrating sufficient capital and net worth; | ||
v | adequate and liquid primary collateral to secure the obligation; and | ||
v | favorable and predictable conditions in the borrowers industry. |
We also plan to establish, via our Investment Committee, sound reserves for anticipated loan losses
and/or interest rate losses for non-performing or under-performing investments in our portfolio.
Capital Raising Strategy
We must raise capital to create a portfolio of high-yield investments. In order to raise the
necessary capital, our strategy is to offer our Bonds in a continuous public offering and
opportunistically pursue other financing alternatives, including lines of credit, secured or
unsecured credit facilities, issuing hybrid securities or pursuing other capital raising avenues.
To date, however, we have yet to seriously pursue any other financing alternatives.
Our capital raising strategy is focused on conducting a continuous public offering Bonds. We
believe a public offering will:
v | afford us the opportunity to sell our securities to a broader range of investors than we could if we were limited to accredited investors eligible to purchase our securities in private placements; and |
v | have lower brokerage fees and commissions than more customized private placements. |
Our Capital-Raising Challenges
We have been selling our Bonds in a continuous public offering made through our shelf registration
statement and conducted through a network of registered broker-dealers, however, we will initially
offer our Bonds through our officers and directors. While we have sold $10,130,000 of our Bonds as
of November 20, 2009, our funding has been below our expectations. We believe that increasing our
shareholders equity through our recent real estate acquisitions and merger with the Fund will make
our Bonds more attractive to investors.
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Collateral Arrangements
We have contracted with U.S. Bank National Association to act as our custodian to assist us in
managing our collateral.
Competition
Our industry is highly competitive. We compete for opportunities with numerous public and private
investment vehicles, including financial institutions, specialty finance companies, mortgage banks,
pension funds, opportunity funds, hedge funds, REITs and other institutional investors, as well as
individuals. Many competitors are significantly larger than us, have well established operating
histories and may have greater access to capital, resources and other advantages over us. These
competitors may be willing to accept lower returns on their investments or to compromise
underwriting standards and, as a result, our origination volume and profit margins could be
adversely affected. In our investment management business, we compete with other investment
management companies in attracting third party capital for our vehicles and many of our competitors
are well established, possessing substantially greater financial, marketing and other resources.
Regulatory Matters
Our operations may be subject to regulation by federal authorities and state banking, finance,
consumer protection and insurance authorities and are subject to various laws and judicial and
administrative decisions imposing various requirements and restrictions on our operations. In
order to engage in the finance business, we may have to obtain and maintain certain state licenses
and qualifications. Such licenses and/or qualifications may waive, entirely or in part, limits on
the interest rates, fees and other charges that would otherwise apply to our lending business.
Lending Licenses
We engage in lending and other lending activities which involve compliance with various federal,
state and local laws that regulate our lending activities. Many states in which we do business or
plan to do business require that we be licensed, or that we be eligible for an exemption from the
licensing requirement, to conduct such business. At this time, we have not been licensed in any
jurisdiction for any of our lending activities.
We may be subject to state usury laws. Many states that have usury laws will exempt certain
lenders, but the laws differ significantly.
The Investment Company Act of 1940
An investment company is defined under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the
Investment Company Act) to include any issuer engaged primarily in the business of investing,
reinvesting, or trading in securities. Absent an exemption, investment companies are required to
register as such with the SEC and to comply with various governance and operational requirements.
If we were considered an investment company within the meaning of the Investment Company Act, we
would be subject to numerous requirements and restrictions relating to our structure and operation.
If we were required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act and to
comply with these requirements and restrictions, we may have to make significant changes in our
proposed structure and operations to comply with exemption from registration, which could adversely
affect our business. Such changes may include, for example, limiting the range of assets in which
we may invest. We intend to conduct our operations so as to fit within an exemption from
registration under the Investment Company Act for companies primarily engaged in the business of
purchasing or otherwise acquiring mortgages and other liens on and interest in real estate. In
order to satisfy the requirements of such exemption, we may need to restrict the scope of our
operations.
Environmental Laws
We may need to comply with environmental laws if and when we foreclose on property which we hold as
collateral for a loan we have made. Environmental laws pertain primarily to commercial properties
that require a current or previous owner or operator of real property to investigate and clean up
hazardous or toxic substances or chemical
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releases on the property. In addition, the owner or operator of such real property may be liable to
a governmental entity or third parties for property damage, personal injury, and investigation and
cleanup costs relating to the contaminated property. It is possible that environmental
contamination of land we take as collateral would not be discovered until after the loan was made.
In addition to federal or state regulations, lenders, owners or former owners of a contaminated
site may be subject to state, local and common law claims by third parties based on damages and
costs resulting from environmental contamination emanating from the property.
Employees
As of September 15, 2009, we have a total of 12 full-time employees or consultants.
Director and Management Stock Ownership
As of November 20, 2009, the directors and officers of the Company beneficially own 84.68% of the
Series B Common Shares of the Company on a fully diluted basis. Mr. Duckson beneficially owns 100%
of the Series A Common Shares of the Company on a fully diluted basis.
Description of Property
Our principal executive offices are located at 4999 France Avenue South, Suite 248, Minneapolis,
Minnesota 55410. On August 22, 2009, we entered into a four-year lease for our offices.
Legal Proceedings
Except as stated below, currently we are not party to any legal proceedings. We may initiate legal
proceedings, from time to time, when borrowers breach their lending agreements. From time to time,
we may be subject to legal actions, initiated by borrowers, governmental authorities or others that
arise from the running of our business.
The Companys affiliates, Windwalker Marina at Cape Haze, LLC and Marina at Cape Haze, LLC have
been joined as defendants in an action seeking to foreclose a certain mortgages on a marina and
upland parcel owned by the Companys affiliates commonly known as the Cape Haze Marina parcel. The
suit, filed in the Circuit Court in and for Charlotte County, Florida, seeks to foreclosure of a
mortgage having a principal balance in excess of $14 million according to the allegations in, and
expected to be raised, plaintiffs complaint. The Companys affiliates are defending the action
based upon the provisions of the promissory note and mortgage relating to the maturity of the
promissory note and various setoffs against the principal and interest. Following a confidential
mediation, a Mediation Settlement Agreement was entered into by the parties which will, if certain
pre-conditions are met, result in the resolution of the foreclosure.
Financial Information about Segments
See attached financial statements for information about industry segments.
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RISK FACTORS
Our operations and your investment in the Bonds are subject to a number of risks. Management has
described below all risks that it believes are material to your investment. Before you decide to
invest in our Bonds, you should consider carefully the risks described below, together with the
other information contained in this prospectus. If any of the following risks actually occurs, our
business, financial condition, results of operations and future growth prospects would likely be
materially and adversely affected. In these circumstances, the value of the Bonds could be
materially impaired, and you may lose all or part of your investment as a result.
Risks Relating to the Offering and Owning Our Bonds
We reserve the right to withdraw or cancel the offering at any time. In the event or a
withdrawal or cancellation, orders previously received will be irrevocable and no funds will be
refunded.
Once you have purchased a Bond investment, other than interest payments, you will not be entitled
to the return of your investment until the Bonds mature in five years. If we withdraw or cancel
this offering without having raised sufficient funds to implement our investment strategy, we may
be unable to earn sufficient amounts to pay our overhead and interest payments on the Bonds.
The Bonds are risky and speculative investments and if you cannot afford to lose your entire
investment, you shouldnt invest.
You should be aware that the Bonds are risky and speculative investments suitable only for
investors of adequate financial means. If you cannot afford to lose your entire investment, you
should not invest in the Bonds. If we accept an investment, and we have the right to reject any
potential investor, you should not necessarily assume that the Bonds are a suitable and appropriate
investment for you.
There can be no assurance that our investment objective will be achieved or that a holder of a
Bond will not lose a portion or all of his or her investment.
To the extent we are unable to meet our investment objective of realizing a rate of return
substantially in excess of our cost of capital, we will be unable to meet some or all of our
interest or principal payment obligations to holders of Bonds.
An investment in the Company should be a long-term investment and is not a complete investment
program.
You should only consider investing in the Company if you are interested in its potential to produce
returns over the long-term that are generally unrelated to the returns of the traditional debt and
equity markets, and you are prepared to risk significant losses. The Company offers the Bonds only
as a diversification opportunity for an investors entire investment portfolio, not as a complete
investment program.
We may not sell enough Bonds to successfully pursue our business model, which would result in
our not being able to repay the Bonds.
We intend to offer the Bonds through several registered broker-dealers. While we intend to sell up
to $100,000,000 in principal amount of Bonds, there is no minimum amount of proceeds that must be
received from the sale of Bonds in order to accept proceeds from Bonds actually sold. The
deterioration of certain sectors of the real estate, credit and mortgage markets has created
increased uncertainty and volatility, while lowering confidence in overall financial markets. This
may negatively impact our ability to successfully sell the Bonds. If we do not sell an adequate
amount of Bonds, we will be unable to successfully pursue our business model or meet our expenses
and our ability to repay the Bonds will be impaired.
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We have limited operating history for you to evaluate and determine if we have the ability to
generate sufficient cash flow to repay the Bonds.
We have limited prior operating history from which to evaluate our success, or our likelihood of
success in operating our business, generating any revenues or achieving profitability. As of
September 30, 2009, we have sold $10,130,000 of Bonds, but have not made current yielding
investments in sufficient quantities to support the interest on the Bonds. To date, our sales of
Bonds have been limited and proceeds from Bond sales are being used to make interest payments.
This business is highly competitive. Our business model may not be successful and we may never
attain profitability. We anticipate that we will incur losses in the near future and have limited
liquidity.
Our organization documents require us to distribute 50% of our net income to our preferred
shareholders which will decrease our future liquidity and retained earnings.
As a result of our acquisition of the Fund on June 30, 2009, we amended our organization documents
to require a mandatory distribution of 50% of our net income to our preferred shareholders as
payment of a 12% cumulating dividend and/or redemption of their preferred shares. Such payments to
the preferred shareholders may reduce the Companys future ability to make interest and principal
payments on the Bonds and will reduce the Companys retained earnings. A reduction in retained
earnings will decrease the Companys ability to cover future losses and may impair the Companys
ability to make interest and principal payments on the Bonds.
Our Bonds are not insured or guaranteed by any third party and repayment is dependent on our
ability to generate sufficient cash flow.
Our Bonds are not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC, any governmental agency or any other public or
private entity as are certificates of deposit or other accounts offered by banks, savings and loan
associations or credit unions. You are dependent upon our ability to effectively manage our
business to generate sufficient cash flow, including cash flow from our financing activities, for
the repayment of principal and interest on the Bonds. If these sources are inadequate, you could
lose your entire investment.
Payment on the Bonds is subordinate to the payment of all outstanding senior debt, and the
indenture does not limit the amount of senior debt we may incur.
The Bonds are subordinate and junior to any and all senior debt. There are no restrictions in the
indenture regarding the amount of senior debt or other indebtedness that we or our subsidiaries may
incur. Upon the maturity of any senior debt, by lapse of time, acceleration or otherwise, the
holders of any senior debt may have first right to receive payment in full prior to any payments
being made to you as a Bond holder. Therefore, you would only be repaid if funds remain after the
repayment of any senior debt.
The indenture does not contain covenants to protect your investment in the Bonds.
The Bonds do not have the benefit of extensive covenants. The covenants in the indenture are not
designed to protect your investment if there is a material adverse change in our financial
condition or results of operations. For example, the indenture does not contain any restrictions on
our ability to create or incur senior debt or other debt or to pay dividends or any financial
covenants (such as a fixed charge coverage or minimum net worth covenants) to help ensure our
ability to repay the principal and interest on the Bonds. In addition, the indenture does not
contain covenants specifically designed to protect you if we were to maintain a high level of
leverage. Therefore, the indenture provides very little protection of your investment.
There is no sinking fund to ensure repayment of the Bonds and repayment is dependent on our
ability to generate sufficient cash at maturity.
We do not contribute funds to a separate account, commonly known as a sinking fund, to repay the
Bonds. Because funds are not set aside periodically for the repayment of the Bonds, you must rely
on our cash flow from operations and other sources of financing for repayment. To the extent cash
flow from operations and other sources are not sufficient to repay the Bonds, you may lose all or a
part of your investment.
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If we redeem the Bonds, you may not be able to reinvest the proceeds at comparable rates.
We may, at our option, redeem at any time the Bonds upon at least 30 days written notice. In the
event we redeem your Bond, you would have the risk of reinvesting the proceeds at the then-current
market rates which may be higher or lower and may not provide you with an acceptable rate of
return.
If we are unable to attract additional customers or source and complete additional financing
transactions, we will have insufficient revenue to repay the Bonds.
We intend to raise capital through the sale of the Bonds. In order for us to make interest
payments on the Bonds, we will need to lend the proceeds from this offering (less offering expenses
and working capital) to other parties at rates considerably higher than the 10% yield on the Bonds.
If we are unable to complete such financing transactions, we will not generate sufficient
investment income to meet our repayment obligations of the Bonds.
We may change the interest rates on any subsequent series of securities that may be offered,
provided that no such change shall affect any Bond of any series issued prior to the date of
change.
The interest rate on your Bond is fixed. If we increase the interest rate payable to future series
of Bonds, your interest rate will remain the same.
Risks Related to Our Business/Lending
We expect to incur a significant amount of debt to finance our portfolio which may subject us
to an increased risk of loss or adversely affect the return on our investments.
We expect to incur a significant amount of debt to finance our lending operations. We expect to
finance our operations, including our loan portfolios through the sale of our Bonds and borrowing
under credit facilities and other arrangements. We anticipate that the leverage we employ will
vary depending on our ability to sell our Bonds, obtain credit facilities, the loan-to-value and
debt service coverage ratios of our assets, the yield on our assets, the targeted leveraged return
we expect from our portfolio and our ability to meet ongoing covenants related to our asset mix and
financial performance. It is possible that substantially all of our assets might be pledged as
collateral for our borrowings. Our return on our investments may be reduced to the extent that
changes in market conditions cause the cost of our financing to increase relative to the income
that we can derive from our loan portfolio.
Our debt service payments will reduce our net income. Moreover, we may not be able to meet our debt
service obligations and, to the extent that we cannot, we risk the loss of some or all of our
assets to foreclosure or sale to satisfy our debt obligations.
We may not be able to access financing sources on favorable terms, or at all, which could
adversely affect our ability to execute our business plan.
We intend to finance our assets through the sale of our Bonds and a variety of other means,
including credit facilities and other borrowings. To date, our source of financing has been
limited to the proceeds of our Bonds offering. Our ability to access sources of financing will
depend on various conditions in the markets for financing in this manner which are beyond our
control, including lack of liquidity and greater credit spreads, prevailing interest rates and
other factors. We cannot assure prospective investors that the sale of our Bonds or any other
sources of debt financing markets will become or remain an efficient and cost-effective source of
long-term financing for our assets. If our strategy is not viable, we will have to find alternative
forms of financing for our assets. This could require us to incur costlier financing which could
reduce our cash available for operations as well as for future business opportunities and reducing
our anticipated yields and our investment opportunities.
Our indebtedness may require us to provide collateral or comply with other borrowing
conditions.
We may be required to pledge or assign our interests in the loans and other investments we make in
order to access other sources of debt financing. If the market value of the loans pledged or
assigned by us to a funding source
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decline in value, we may be required under the terms of such indebtedness to provide additional
collateral or repay a portion of the funds advanced. Further, if we secure other financing, from
banks or other sources, these creditors may require us to maintain a certain amount of cash
uninvested or to set aside unencumbered assets sufficient to maintain a specified liquidity
position which would allow us to satisfy our collateral obligations. When we obtain financing, our
creditors could impose restrictions and obligations on us that could affect our ability to incur
additional debt and restrict our flexibility to determine our operating policies. Such
restrictions could include, for example, negative covenants that limit, among other things, our
ability to repurchase stock, make distributions, and employ leverage beyond certain amounts. To
the extent that new or similar restrictions and obligations are imposed upon us in connection with
our debt financings, our operational and financing abilities may be severely impacted. Such
conditions may restrict our ability to leverage our assets, which could reduce our return on
assets. In the event that we are unable to meet these financing obligations, our financial
condition could deteriorate. We may not have the funds available to repay our debt, which could
cause us to default or result in the acceleration of our indebtedness. Such a situation could
result in a rapid deterioration of our financial condition and possibly necessitate a filing for
protection under the United States Bankruptcy Code.
Interest rate fluctuations and/or loan prepayments could reduce our ability to generate income
on our loan portfolio or anticipated yields on our investments.
Some of our loans are expected to bear interest at floating rates. The yield on our investments in
securities and loans bearing interest at a floating rate will be sensitive to changes in prevailing
interest rates, changes in prepayment rates and our ability to raise debt at anticipated rates.
Changes in any of the foregoing can affect the yields that our investments produce and reduce our
net interest income on such loans, which is the difference between the interest income we earn on
our interest-earning loans and the interest expense we incur in financing these loans at floating
rates. A decrease in applicable floating rating indices will lower the yield on our loan
portfolio. Conversely, if these indices rise materially, borrowers may be unable to repay.
Increasing interest rates may hinder a borrowers ability to refinance our loan because the
underlying property cannot satisfy the debt service coverage requirements necessary to obtain new
financing or because the value of the property has decreased. If a borrower is unable to repay our
loan at maturity, we could suffer a loss and we will not be able to reinvest proceeds in assets
with higher interest rates. As a result, our financial performance, the market prices of our
securities and our ability to pay dividends could be materially adversely affected.
The yield of our loan portfolio may also be affected by the rate of prepayments, to the extent that
they are permissible under the terms of the applicable loan agreements. Prepayments are influenced
by changes in current interest rates and a variety of economic, geographic and other factors beyond
our control. Consequently, such prepayment rates cannot be predicted with certainty. In periods
of declining interest rates, we can expect increases in prepayments on our loans. If we are unable
to invest the proceeds of such prepayments in new loans with similar or better yields, our
financial results may be adversely affected.
We may suffer a loss in the event of a bankruptcy of a borrower, particularly in cases where
the borrower has incurred debt that is senior to our loan.
In the event of the bankruptcy of a borrower, we may not have full recourse to the assets of that
borrower or the assets of that borrower may not be sufficient to satisfy the obligations owed under
our loan. In addition, certain of our loans may be subordinate to other debts of the borrower. In
the event of the bankruptcy of a borrower, our loan would likely be satisfied, if at all, only
after the senior debt has been repaid in full. Bankruptcy proceedings and borrower litigation can
stay or otherwise significantly delay our rights to realize upon any collateral that might be
otherwise available for foreclosure in the event of a default, during which time the collateral may
decline in value. In addition, there are significant costs and delays associated with the
foreclosure process.
If our reserves for loan losses are inadequate to cover actual loan losses, or if loan
delinquencies increase, our earnings could decrease.
We make various assumptions and judgments about the ability to collect on the loans in our
portfolio including the creditworthiness of our borrowers and the value of the real estate and
other assets serving as collateral for the repayment of many of our loans. Our reserves reflect
our judgment of the probability and severity of losses and our analysis of our loan portfolio based
on historical loss experience, volume and types of loans, trends in classification,
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delinquencies and non-accruals, national and local economic conditions and other pertinent
information. We cannot be certain that our judgment will prove to be correct and that reserves
will be adequate over time to protect against potential future losses because of unanticipated
adverse changes in the economy or events adversely affecting specific assets, borrowers, industries
in which our borrowers operate or markets in which our borrowers or their properties are located.
Material additions to our allowance could materially decrease our net income. Furthermore, if those
established loan loss reserves are insufficient and we are unable to raise revenue to compensate
for these losses, such losses could have a material adverse effect on our operating results.
We are subject to the risk that provisions of our loan agreements may be unenforceable.
Our rights and obligations with respect to our loans to borrowers are governed by written loan
agreements and related documentation. It is possible that a court could determine that one or more
provisions of a loan agreement are unenforceable, such as a loan prepayment provision or the
provisions governing our security interest in the underlying collateral. If this were to happen
with respect to a material asset or group of assets, we could be affected adversely.
We may fail to perfect security interests in certain collateral pledged by the borrowers of our
loans.
We may or may not obtain mortgages and/or other collateral from our borrowers. If we do obtain
mortgages and/or other collateral, our borrowers must give us mortgages and/or financing
statements. These mortgage and/or financing statements must be filed by our borrowers in
connection with each transaction pledged as collateral to us for our loan to our borrowers. In the
event a mortgage or financing statement is not filed with respect to a transaction or if a security
interest in the assets transferred or pledged is not perfected under local real estate law or the
Uniform Commercial Code, our interest in such assets would be unperfected and subject to the rights
of other creditors. In addition, we will not have a priority lien or mortgage on the assets or
real estate collateral. Therefore, in order to protect our collateral position, we may have to pay
off other senior lien holders. As a result, it is possible that another creditor could file a
mortgage or financing statement covering the assets subject to our interest despite our borrowers
(or its borrowers) representation as to the absence or priority of other liens. In such event, the
other creditor could have priority over us with respect to such assets and we may incur a loss that
impacts our ability to made distributions to our investors.
Our real estate loans are illiquid, which could restrict our ability to respond rapidly to
changes in economic conditions.
The real estate and real estate-related loans which we either currently hold or intend to make are
generally illiquid. As a result, our ability to sell under-performing assets in our portfolio or
respond to changes in economic and other conditions may be relatively limited.
We may be affected adversely if guaranties made to us are found unenforceable.
Guaranties customarily contain waivers of defenses but it is possible that such guaranties do not
cover every possible contingency. A number of defenses exist to the enforcement of guaranties
including defenses that may be judicially created and therefore not easily foreseeable. There are
also a number of procedural steps that must be adhered to strictly in order to realize on a
guaranty. Finally, guarantors have rights under federal bankruptcy laws which may allow a
guarantor to limit or discharge its liability. If we are unable to collect on a guaranty, the
repayment of a loan made by the Company will likely be affected adversely.
We will be dependent on the credit decisions, solvency and willingness to do business with us
to the extent we invest through other finance companies.
We may lend to other finance companies in our intended investment markets. To the extent we lend
to other finance companies, we will be dependent upon these other lenders with respect to the
investment and reinvestment of their assets, the servicing of their loans and the success of their
operations. The bankruptcy of these lenders, their failure
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to service their loans, the cessation of loan originations by these lenders or their inability to
initiate sufficient transactions to fully use the proceeds of our investment would have a negative
impact on our business.
Our borrowers credit enhancements may lapse or be insufficient to collateralize interest
payments.
We may, in certain limited circumstances, require our borrowers to purchase and pledge to us
irrevocable letters of credit. The size of any letters of credit is subject to negotiations between
us and the borrower. These irrevocable letters of credit, if any, are intended to act as
additional collateral to ensure that these other borrowers make interest payments to us. However,
we may not be able to require these other borrowers to purchase and pledge to us irrevocable
letters of credit that exactly match the maturity of each loan. Thus, there is a risk that any
irrevocable letters of credit may have expiration dates that are different from the maturity dates
of the loans. Were these borrowers to default on paying interest on its loan to us and be unable to
renew the irrevocable letters of credit, it is possible that the aggregate amount of the
irrevocable letters of credit would be insufficient to cover the accrued interest on the loan. If
one or more of these other borrowers does not pay us, our business may experience a material
adverse effect.
Lack of insurance will increase the risk that we may suffer a loss and our borrower(s) would be
unable to repay all or a portion of the loans.
In certain circumstances where the cost is prohibitive, we may not require other borrowers to
provide us with title insurance covering any real estate, or interest in real estate, securing our
loan to them or with property and casualty insurance insuring our collateral against damage. To
the extent a dispute over title develops, or our collateral is damaged, and the other borrower does
not have sufficient funds to replace or restore the collateral, we may incur a loss that materially
impacts our business.
Failure to introduce new financial/lending products and services successfully may cause us to
lose market share.
Our success will depend in part upon our ability to offer attractive financial/lending products and
services that meet changing customer requirements. If we fail to offer financial products and
lending services that appeal to customers more than those offered by our competitors, we may lose
market share, which could affect adversely our ability to earn profits.
If we are unable to pay any of our creditors, we may have to liquidate our assets for less than
fair market value which would substantially reduce our ability to repay the Bonds.
In addition to the Bonds we issued pursuant to this Prospectus, we may borrow money from other
parties to raise cash for our operations. If we are unable to repay any such indebtedness when due,
and we are unable to obtain additional financing or other sources of capital, we may be forced to
sell off our loan receivables and other assets at a discounted price or we might be forced to cease
our operations and you could lose some or all of your investment.
Our lack of a significant line of credit could affect our liquidity and ability to repay the
Bonds.
We are operating without a line of credit. Without a line of credit, we will be more dependent on
the proceeds from the Bonds for our continued liquidity. If the sale of the Bonds is not increased
substantially, or is significantly curtailed for any reason, our ability to meet our obligations,
including our obligations with respect to the Bonds offered hereby and federal income taxes, could
be materially and adversely affected.
If we cannot collect all of our finance receivables, our ability to repay the Bonds will be
impaired.
Our liquidity is dependent on, among other things, the collection of our receivables or the
redemption of our investments. We will continually monitor the delinquency status of our
receivables and promptly institute collection activities on delinquent accounts but these efforts
may ultimately prove unsuccessful. Collections of our receivables are also likely to be affected by
economic conditions in the real estate market. Furthermore, since we may not
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perfect our security interest in collateral for loans, we may not be able to recover the full
amount of outstanding receivables by resorting to the sale of collateral or receipt of insurance
proceeds. Any failure by us, for any reason, to collect nearly all of our finance receivables will
substantially impair our ability to repay the Bonds.
A default by our borrowers will increase the risk that we may not generate sufficient cash to
repay the Bonds.
If a borrower were to default on our loan, we would bear the risk on the underlying transaction
that was pledged to us as collateral. If the ultimate borrower in the transaction fails to perform
its obligations for any reason, we may suffer a loss that impacts our ability to repay the Bonds.
If we default under the Bonds or the indenture, the trustee will be paid all amounts owed the
trustee before any payments are made to holders of Bonds.
Under the terms of the indenture, the trustee is granted a lien on the property which serves as
collateral for the Bonds. The trustees lien is superior to that securing the Bonds and secures
the payment to the trustee of the amounts due to it under the terms of the indenture, including any
amounts we owe to the trustee pursuant to indemnification provisions within the indenture. In the
case of a default, the trustees lien will entitle it to be paid any sums owed the trustee before
you receive any payments.
Our lack of assets will increase the risk that we may not be able to make interest payments on
the Bonds.
Other than assets purchased with the proceeds from the sale of Bonds, we do not have any other
assets or capital reserves from which to make interest payments on the Bonds. A loss on any of our
investments will substantially impair our ability to repay the Bonds.
Foreclosure by a priority lien holder may result in the loss of our investment and impair our
ability to repay the Bonds.
Our investments can be secured by financing statements, assignments of mortgages or deeds of trusts
on buildings and/or other business property. However, our investments may be generally
subordinated to other senior and priority secured lenders that have financed the majority of the
underlying transaction. If the real estate owner defaults, the senior secured lenders will
foreclose on the collateral. If the market value of the collateral falls to an amount which would
only provide full repayment to the senior secured lender, our borrowers will incur a loss and we
may lose some, or all, of our investment if our borrowers are unable to pay us from other assets.
In addition, to protect our collateral, in the event a senior secured lender forecloses on real
estate or other collateral where we have a subordinated mortgage or security interest, we will have
to redeem the senior secured lenders position. We, or our borrowers, may not have assets, or
access to assets, sufficient for such redemption.
Our focus on credit-impaired borrowers will make our investment portfolio susceptible to high
levels of default resulting in risk to our investors.
We may lend money to, or accept loans as collateral from borrowers that are either unable or
unwilling to obtain financing from traditional sources, such as commercial banks. Loans made to
such individuals or entities may entail a high risk of delinquency and loss. Higher than
anticipated delinquencies, foreclosures or losses may result in our inability to pay the interest
or principal on the Bonds.
Our practice of deferring principal payments on land development loans until the senior lender
has been paid off may result in losing some of the value of our collateral and our inability to
repay all or a portion of the Bonds.
We anticipate deferring principal payment on land development loans, to the extent we make any,
until after the senior lender has been paid off. Rather than receive small payments on each lot
sale, we will be deferring these payments so the loans have a larger principal balance earning
interest and less senior debt ahead of our loans. Once
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the senior lender has been paid off, we would then receive accelerated repayments and ultimately
receive full repayment on the loan before the borrower can withdraw any significant profits.
However, by deferring principal payments to the end of a project, we may significantly increase our
risk. At the end of a project, most of the collateral will have already been sold and the proceeds
used to repay the senior lender. That means there is less collateral available to secure our loan.
Because we have not currently retained any investment pod managers, there can be no assurance
that our investment objective will be achieved or that a holder of a Bond will not lose a portion
or all of his or her investment.
To the extent we are unable to recruit qualified investment pod managers we may not be able to meet
our investment objective of realizing a rate of return substantially in excess of our cost of
capital and would thereby be unable to meet some or all of our interest or principal payment
obligations to holders of Bonds.
Risks Related to Management/Conflict
Conflicts of interest may reduce our profitability and ability to repay the Bonds.
Mr. Duckson is the beneficial owner of Transactional Finance, LLC (TF), which is our controlling
shareholder. Accordingly, Mr. Duckson will be able to exercise significant control over our
affairs, including, without limitation, the election of officers and directors, operational
decisions and decisions regarding the Bonds. In addition, there are no contractual or regulatory
limits on the amounts we can pay to Mr. Duckson or other affiliates. See Potential Conflicts of
Interest.
We have a limited operating history and limited experience operating as a company and we may
not be able to successfully operate our business or generate sufficient revenue.
We were organized in August, 2005, and therefore have a limited operating history and limited
experience operating as a company from which to evaluate our business or our likelihood of future
success in operating our business, generating any revenues, or achieving profitability. We cannot
assure you that we will be able to operate our business successfully or implement our operating
policies and strategies described herein so as to generate positive or competitive returns for our
stockholders. The results of our operations depend on many factors, including the availability of
opportunities for making loans, our ability to finance our lending activities, the level and
volatility of interest rates, the conditions in the financial markets (particularly in the real
estate sector), as well as general economic conditions. The Fund (our recent acquisition) also has
not demonstrated a positive operating history nor has it demonstrated an ability to meet its
investment objectives.
Our Investment Committee has broad discretion as to the kinds of investments the Company makes
and the borrowers to whom the Company lends. Such broad discretion may result in our making
riskier investments.
Our Investment Committee has great latitude in determining the types of assets it may decide are
proper investments for us. The Company currently has limited formal loan underwriting or risk
management policies or procedures, and so the criteria upon which the Company bases its decisions
regarding the extension of credit depends on the judgment and discretion of the management team.
The Company may change its practices with respect to operations, loan underwriting, capitalization,
and indebtedness, at any time without the consent of its Bondholders, and approve transactions that
deviate from these practices without a vote of, or notice to, our Bondholders. These changes in
policies and procedures could result in our making investments that are different from, and
possibly riskier than, the investments that may be described herein. A change in our investment
strategy may increase our exposure to interest rate risk, default risk and real estate market
fluctuations, all of which could adversely affect the market price of our Bonds. Any use of
proceeds of this offering, other than allocated to performing high yield investments, will decrease
our ability to repay the Bonds. The yield on our investments is the only means we have to pay
interest and principal on the Bonds. Furthermore, a change in our asset allocation could result in
our making investments in instrument categories different from those described herein.
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We are dependent upon certain executives and key personnel of the Company and may not find a
suitable replacement if any such executives or key personnel are no longer available to us.
We depend on the diligence, skill and network of business contacts of the executives, management
and key personnel of the Company. The Companys executives, management team and key personnel
evaluate, negotiate, structure, close and monitor our investments. We believe that our success
depends on the continued service of such persons, including Todd A. Duckson, Timothy R. Redpath,
and Christopher E. Clouser. The departure of any of the members of the executive management team,
or a significant number of the key personnel or investment professionals of our team, whether
through death, disability or otherwise, could have a material adverse effect on our performance as
we are subject to the risk that no suitable replacement will be found to manage the Company. Some
members of our management team have limited experience in the finance sector, and so the Company
will be relying on the expertise of those members of management with expertise in finance. No key
man life insurance policies have been procured.
Risks Related to the Market
Our financial results may be adversely affected by adverse conditions in the real estate
finance sector, including decreases in real estate values, changes in interest rates that cause a
decrease in interest rate spreads, adverse employment conditions, the monetary and fiscal policies
of the federal government and other significant external events.
Since the second half of 2007, conditions in the credit markets deteriorated significantly. What
began as a severe and rapid dislocation in the sub-prime mortgage and related securities markets,
which was primarily prompted by falling home values and rising mortgage delinquencies and defaults,
has broadened into the general credit market and has affected an array of financial institutions.
The resulting disruption in credit markets has led to a significant reduction in market liquidity;
downward pressure on financial asset valuations; a re-pricing of risk to reflect higher costs; and
a reduction of leverage across the financial system. The outlook for the economy is increasingly
uncertain as credit is constrained and activity has slowed.
We believe the risks associated with our business will be more severe during periods of economic
contraction or recession if these periods are accompanied by declining real estate values, as is
happening currently. Decreases in real estate values could adversely affect the value of
collateral securing our loans and significantly increase the likelihood that we will incur losses
on our loans in the event of default because the value of our collateral may be insufficient to
cover our cost on the loan. To the extent borrowers use increases in the value of their existing
properties to support the purchase or investment in additional properties, declining real estate
values will likely reduce our level of new loan originations. Adverse changes in the economy may
also have a negative effect on the ability of our borrowers to make timely repayments of their
loans. If economic conditions affecting the real estate finance sector continue to deteriorate,
our results of operations and financial condition could be adversely impacted as borrowers ability
to repay loans declines, the value of the collateral securing our loans decreases and our ability
to originate new loans deteriorates. Our financial results may be adversely affected by changes in
prevailing economic conditions.
In a period of rising interest rates, our interest expense could increase while the interest we
earn on our fixed-rate assets would not change which would adversely affect us.
Our operating results will depend in large part on differences between the income from our loan
portfolio, net of credit losses, and our financing costs. We anticipate that for any period during
which our assets are not match-funded (or our loans have shorter terms than our Bonds), the income
from our loan portfolio will respond more slowly to interest rate fluctuations than the cost of our
indebtedness. Consequently, changes in interest rates, particularly short-term interest rates, may
significantly influence our net income. Increases in these rates will tend to decrease our net
income and market value of our assets. Interest rate fluctuations resulting in our interest
expense exceeding our interest income would result in operating losses for us and would adversely
affect our performance. Currently, our Bonds have a term of five years, while our loans have, and
are expected to continue to have, shorter terms. If loan interest rates and yields decline, this
results in a mismatch between our liabilities and the source of funding for such liabilities, which
increases the risk that we may not have adequate sources of income to repay our indebtedness.
Also, in periods of declining interest rates, there is a greater chance that our borrowers will
prepay
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their obligations to us (if permitted under the loans), increasing the risk of a mismatch between
our liabilities and the sources of funding to finance such indebtedness and the reinvestment risk
that we may not be able to locate alternative investments that yield the same returns.
Lack of diversification may increase our dependence on individual borrowers.
We expect to meet a concentration restriction that will require the Investment Committees and
Board of Directors approval for any loan that exceeds a certain predetermined percentage of the
amount of proceeds from the sale of Bonds. Currently, however, and in the foreseeable future,
until we are able to create a sizeable loan portfolio, our loan portfolio may be dependent upon the
credit of a small number of borrowers. If any of our borrowers were to become insolvent or were
for any reason to default on our loans, such event would have a greater impact on us than it would
if our eligibility requirements included smaller limits on credit concentration. A default by any
of our borrowers would have a material adverse effect on our performance and could cause us to
suffer substantial losses.
A decline in the real estate development and construction markets will partially impair our
ability to make investments in certain investment markets.
The business of developing and selling commercial and residential real estate properties is subject
to a number of risks. The real estate development and construction industry is cyclical and is
affected by consumer confidence levels, prevailing economic conditions and interest rates. A
variety of factors affect the demand for new real estate construction and development, including,
economic cycles, competitive pressures, the availability and cost of labor and materials, changes
in costs associated with real estate ownership, changes in consumer preferences, demographic trends
and the availability of mortgage financing. Because the borrowers on the underlying real estate
transactions engage in commercial and residential real estate development and construction, we are
directly and materially affected by the same risks inherent to the commercial and residential real
estate development and construction industries. The United States has experienced deterioration in
certain sectors of the real estate, credit and mortgage markets which may negatively impact our
ability to make suitable real estate investments. Any reduction in the cash flows, income of or
financial condition of commercial and residential real estate development and construction
companies by reason of any of these factors or others may significantly impair their ability to pay
us, which would increase the possibility that delinquencies would occur and that we could incur
losses.
Our loan portfolio will include loans made to developers to construct projects. The primary risks
to us with respect to construction loans are the potential for cost over-runs, the developers
failing to meet a project delivery schedule or to complete the project, the risks that the project
will not obtain necessary permits and approvals to complete construction and the inability of the
borrower to sell or refinance the project at completion and repay our loan. These risks could
cause us to have to fund more money than we originally anticipated in order to complete and carry
the project which could cause the developers to lose leases and/or sales contracts. We also may
suffer losses on our loans if the borrower is unable to sell the project or refinance our loan.
We may be adversely affected by unfavorable economic changes in geographic areas where our
current properties are concentrated.
Adverse conditions in the areas where the properties underlying our investments are located
(including business layoffs or downsizing, industry slowdowns, changing demographics and other
factors) and local real estate conditions (such as oversupply of, or reduced demand for, office and
industrial properties) may have an adverse effect on the value of our properties. A material
decline in the demand or the ability of tenants to pay rent for office and industrial space in
these geographic areas may result in a material decline in our cash available for distribution. Due
to our limited market areas, these negative conditions may have a more noticeable effect on us than
a larger institution would experience because it is more able to spread these risks of unfavorable
local economic conditions across a large number of diversified economies.
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We may be adversely affected by acts of God frequent to geographic areas where our properties
are concentrated.
The properties underlying our loans may be particularly and adversely affected by acts of God that
frequently (or could reasonably be expected to) occur where our portfolio properties are located.
For example, properties located in California are at increased risk for damage or destruction
caused by earthquakes. Earthquake insurance coverage can be very expensive and borrowers may not
obtain it in all cases. Therefore, there is a risk of uninsured losses from seismic activity that
could have a material adverse effect on the Companys loan repayments and/or collateral.
A decline in real estate value will impair the collateral for our investments thereby
increasing the likelihood that we would suffer a loss and be unable to repay all or a portion of
the Bonds upon liquidation of the collateral.
Declining real estate values will increase the probability of a loss in the event of a default on
the underlying real estate transaction. As noted elsewhere in these risk factors, the U.S. has been
experiencing deterioration in certain sectors of the real estate market. As a result, the value of
the real estate or other collateral securing our loans may not, at any given time, be sufficient to
satisfy the outstanding principal amount and accrued interest on our loans. If the primary and
third party borrowers were to default, and the collateral was insufficient, we would suffer a loss
and a Bond holder may lose some or all of his investment.
Additional competition may decrease our liquidity and profitability, which would adversely
affect our ability to repay the Bonds.
We compete for business with a number of large national companies and banks that have substantially
greater resources, lower cost of funds, and a more established market presence than we have. If
these companies increase their marketing efforts to include our market niche of borrowers, or if
additional competitors enter our markets, we may be forced to reduce our interest rates and fees in
order to maintain or expand our market share. Any reduction in our interest rates or fees could
have an adverse impact on our liquidity and profitability and our ability to repay the Bonds.
The current dislocations in the sub-prime mortgage sector, and the current weakness in the
broader financial market, could adversely affect us and our ability to fund our business, which
could result in increases in our borrowing costs, reduction in our liquidity and reductions in the
value of the investments in our portfolio.
The continuing dislocations in the sub-prime mortgage sector and the current weakness in the
broader financial market could adversely affect our ability to obtain financing. This could limit
our ability to finance our investments and operations, increase our financing costs and/or reduce
our liquidity. In addition, such dislocations could reduce the value of our investments, thus
reducing our net book value, and adversely affect our borrowers, increasing the risk of defaults.
Furthermore, if we are unable to obtain new financings, we could be forced to sell our investments
at a time when prices are depressed.
Developments in the market for many types of mortgage products have resulted in reduced liquidity
for these assets. Although this reduction in liquidity has been most acute with regard to
sub-prime assets, there has been an overall reduction in liquidity across the credit spectrum of
mortgage products.
Regulatory Risks
We are subject to many laws and governmental regulations. Any changes in these laws or
regulations, or our non-compliance with these laws and regulations may materially adversely affect
our financial condition and business operations.
Our operations are subject to regulation by federal authorities and state lending, real estate
brokerage, finance and consumer protection authorities. Our operations also are subject to various
laws and judicial and administrative decisions which impose various requirements and restrictions
on such operations, including requirements that we
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obtain and maintain certain licenses and qualifications and that we limit the interest rates, fees
and other charges we impose in our finance business. Further, any change in such laws and
regulations, or in the interpretations thereof, may make our compliance with such laws more
difficult or expensive or otherwise may adversely affect our financial condition and ability to
achieve profit.
The impact of certain environmental laws and regulations may result in the collateral for our
investments losing value.
Our ability to foreclose on the real estate collateralizing our loans may be limited by
environmental laws. These laws pertain primarily to commercial properties that require a current or
previous owner or operator of real property to investigate and clean up hazardous or toxic
substances or chemical releases on the property. In addition, the owner or operator of such real
property may be liable to a governmental entity or third parties for property damage, personal
injury, and investigation and cleanup costs relating to the contaminated property. It is possible
that environmental contamination of land taken by us as collateral would not be discovered until
after the loan was made. In addition to federal or state regulations, lenders, owners or former
owners of a contaminated site may be subject to state, local and common law claims by third parties
based on damages and costs resulting from environmental contamination emanating from the property.
Our operations are not subject to regulatory requirements designed to protect investors and an
investment in the Bonds will not enjoy the same regulatory protection received by investors in
other regulated businesses.
Our operations are not subject to the stringent regulatory requirements imposed upon the operations
of commercial banks, savings banks and thrift institutions and are not subject to periodic
compliance examinations by federal banking regulators. Therefore, an investment in our Bonds does
not have the regulatory protections that the holder of a demand account or a certificate of deposit
at a bank does. The return on your investment is completely dependent upon our successful operation
of our business. To the extent that we do not successfully operate our business, our ability to
repay the principal and interest on the Bonds will be impaired.
Absence of a market for our investments will increase the risk that we may not generate
sufficient cash at maturity to pay the Bonds.
Our investments are not expected to be publicly registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, or the securities laws of any other jurisdiction. As a result, we may have difficulty
selling our investments, unless they are registered under applicable Federal and state securities
laws, or unless an exemption from such registration requirements is available. In addition, there
is currently no established secondary market for our investments and there is no assurance that an
established secondary market for such investments will develop or be sufficiently liquid to permit
the resale of our investments. For these reasons and others, our investments will be illiquid.
Consequently, disposition of such investments may be difficult or require a lengthy time period.
Other Risks
If we do not obtain necessary licenses and approvals, we will not be legally permitted to
acquire, fund or originate mezzanine loans and/or other loans in some states, which would adversely
affect our operations.
We engage in financing and other lending activities which involve compliance with various federal,
state and local laws that regulate our lending activities. Many states in which we do business or
plan to do business require that we be licensed, or that we be eligible for an exemption from the
licensing requirement, to conduct such business. We intend to obtain necessary licenses, permits
and approvals in all jurisdictions where our activities require it. We have applied for a
California corporate real estate brokers license, but to date we have not been licensed in any
jurisdiction for any of our lending activities. Our lending activities in California may require
us to have obtained relevant lending licenses. As such, we may be subject to enforcement action in
California alleging noncompliance with California lending laws and/or the failure to disclose such
noncompliance. If successful, any such action or claim could result in fines and/or criminal or
other penalties to the Company.
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We cannot assure you that in the future we will be able to obtain all the necessary licenses and
approvals, or be granted an exemption from the licensing requirements, that we will need to
maximize the acquisition, funding or origination of mezzanine loans, residential mortgage loans or
other loans or that we will not become liable for a failure to comply with the myriad of
regulations applicable to our lines of business. A failure to comply with the obligations imposed
by any of the regulations binding on us or to maintain any of the licenses required to be
maintained by us could result in investigations, penalties and reputation damage.
Our mezzanine lending activities may be riskier than other lending activities.
Mezzanine loans typically have greater risks of loss than secured senior loans. Such investments
may not always be secured by mortgages or liens on assets. In those case, we expect that our only
recourse will be against individual or corporate guarantees we obtain from our borrowers or their
affiliates in connection with our loans, and that we will only have recourse as an unsecured
creditor to the general assets of the borrower or guarantor, some or all of which may be pledged to
satisfy other lenders. There can be no assurance that a borrower or guarantor will comply with its
financial covenants or that sufficient assets will be available to pay amounts owed to us under our
loans and guarantees. As a result of these factors, we may suffer losses which could have a
material adverse affect on our financial performance.
We expect that most of our loans will be secured by mortgages and other interests in real estate,
but will be non-recourse to the borrower. In the event of a default by a borrower on a
non-recourse loan, we will have recourse only to the real estate-related assets collateralizing the
loan. For this purpose, we consider loans made to special purpose entities formed solely for the
purpose of holding and financing particular assets to be non-recourse loans. If the underlying
collateral value is below the loan amount, we will suffer a loss upon a default. We sometimes make
loans that are secured by equity interests in the borrowing entities or the entities that hold the
relevant real estate. These loans are subject to the risk that other lenders may be directly
secured by the real estate assets of the borrower. In the event of a default, those collateralized
lenders would have priority over us with respect to the proceeds of a sale of the underlying real
estate. In the cases described above, we may lack control over the underlying asset securing our
loan or the underlying assets of the borrower prior to a default, and as a result, the underlying
assets value may be reduced by acts or omissions by owners or managers of the assets.
Security interests in collateral securing our loans will generally be subordinated to senior,
secured lenders that have financed the majority of the underlying transaction. If the real estate
owner defaults, the senior secured lenders may foreclose on the collateral, and we will recover
only if the proceeds of such collateral has first satisfied the obligations owed by the borrower to
the senior lender. Therefore, we may be limited in our ability to enforce our rights to collect
these loans and to recover any of the loan balance through a foreclosure of collateral. If the
market value of the collateral is insufficient to cover the obligations owed to the senior lenders
or does not sufficiently exceed the amount of such obligations to cover the borrowers obligations
to us, we may lose some, or all, of our investment if our borrowers are unable to pay us from other
assets.
Mezzanine loans may also be subordinated in right of payment to the payment rights of senior
lenders, and have higher loan-to-value ratios than senior secured loans, making this investments
riskier than other loan investments. Where debt senior to our loan exists, the presence of
inter-creditor agreements may also limit our ability to amend our loan documents, assign our loans,
accept prepayments, and exercise our remedies (by the use of standstill periods) and control
decisions made in bankruptcy proceedings relating to borrowers. In the future, some of our
investments may have an interest-only payment schedule, with the principal amount remaining
outstanding and at risk until the maturity of the obligation. We do not have any policy regarding
the maximum term on these assets. In this case, a borrowers ability to repay its obligation may be
dependent upon a liquidity event that will enable the repayment of the obligation.
In addition to the above, numerous other factors may affect a borrowers ability to repay its
obligations, including the failure to meet its business plan, a downturn in its industry or
negative economic conditions. Deterioration in a borrowers financial condition and prospects may
be accompanied by deterioration in the collateral for the obligation. Losses in our high yield and
subordinated securities could adversely affect our earnings, which could adversely affect cash
available for distribution to our stockholders.
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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Some of the statements in this Prospectus, including, but not limited to the Managements
Discussion and Analysis or Financial Condition and Results of Operations, contain forward-looking
statements regarding our business, financial condition, and results of operations and prospects
that are based on our current expectations, estimates and projections. In addition, other written
or oral statements which constitute forward-looking statements may be made by us or on our behalf.
Words such as expects, anticipates, intends, plans, believes, seeks, estimates,
may, would or variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify such
forward-looking statements. You can also identify forward-looking statements by discussions of
strategy, plans or intentions. These statements are not guarantees of future performance, and are
inherently subject to risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. As a result, actual
outcomes and results may differ materially from the outcomes and results discussed in or
anticipated by the forward-looking statements. All such statements are therefore qualified in their
entirety by reference to the factors specifically addressed in the section entitled Risk Factors
in this Prospectus. New risks can arise and it is not possible for management to predict all such
risks, nor can management assess the impact of all such risks to our business or the extent to
which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from
those contained in any forward-looking statements. Given these risks and uncertainties, investors
should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results.
All forward-looking statements speak only as of the original date of this Prospectus, except as
otherwise noted. We undertake no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking
statements in order to reflect any event or circumstance that may arise after the original date of
this prospectus, other than as required by law.
Except as may be required by law, we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking
statements or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated
in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future.
USE OF PROCEEDS
If we sell all of the Bonds offered by this Prospectus, we estimate that the net proceeds will be
approximately $95,709,777 after deduction of additional estimated offering expenses of $290,223 and
selling commissions of $4,000,000. We will pay all of the expenses related to this offering.
These cash proceeds will be received in varying amounts from time to time as Bonds are sold. There
is no minimum number or amount of Bonds that we must sell to receive and use the proceeds from the
sale of Bonds. If we do not sell all the Bonds offered hereby, we will be unable to purchase
investments and finance transactions in sufficient quantities to attain a yield large enough to pay
interest on the Bonds in the long term.
We intend to use the proceeds of this offering as follows, in order of priority, to fund:
v | general corporate purposes including offering expenses such as qualification and registration of the Bonds under applicable state securities laws; | ||
v | working capital in an unlimited amount including payment of interest and principal on the Bonds, addition capital contributions to the Fund, officer salaries, rent, payment to senior creditors, preferred stock dividends, preferred stock redemptions, etc.; | ||
v | further development of the Companys loan origination, underwriting operations, loan administration, and servicing operations; | ||
v | the capitalization of a loan loss reserve accounts; and | ||
v | to make investments and finance transactions in our intended investment markets. |
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The amounts we actually expend in these areas may vary significantly from our expectations and will
depend on a number of factors. Accordingly, management will retain broad discretion in the
allocation of the net proceeds of this offering.
The following table sets forth the use of proceeds for the Bonds sold through November 20, 2009:
2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | Total | ||||||||||||||||
Bond Proceeds Received |
$ | 225,000 | $ | 6,605,000 | $ | 3,100,000 | $ | 200,000 | $ | 10,130,000 | ||||||||||
Offering Expenses and Selling Commissions |
$ | (225,000 | ) | $ | (545,423 | ) | $ | (124,000 | ) | | $ | (894,423 | ) | |||||||
Investments in Notes Receivable |
| $ | (2,500,000 | ) | $ | (2,008,485 | ) | $ | (60,000 | ) | $ | (4,568,485 | ) | |||||||
General Corporate Purposes |
| $ | (3,559,577 | ) | $ | (967,515 | ) | $ | (140,000 | ) | $ | (4,667,092 | ) |
DIVIDEND POLICY
We have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our capital stock. However, we recently
issued 36,642.67 shares of our preferred stock which requires us to distribute 50% of our earnings.
See Description of Existing Capital Stock. We currently intend to retain all other available
funds and any other future earnings to support our operations and finance the growth and
development of our business. We do not intend, and are restricted from until our preferred stock
has been redeemed, to pay cash dividends on our capital stock for the foreseeable future. Any
future determination related to dividend policy will be made at the discretion of our Board.
In the event that we declare a dividend in the future, Bonds shall have a preference in terms of
dividends over any other class of preferred stock and over the Common Shares.
We will not declare, pay or set aside any dividends on Common Shares unless the holders of the
preferred stock then outstanding shall first receive, or simultaneously receive, a dividend on each
outstanding share of preferred stock in an amount at least equal to all unpaid cumulated dividends
and $1,000 per share.
COMPUTATION OF RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES
Nine Months | ||||||||||||||||
Year Ended | Year Ended | Year Ended | Ended | |||||||||||||
December 31, 2006 | December 31, 2007 | December 31, 2008 | September 30, 2009 | |||||||||||||
(Audited) | (Audited) | (Audited) | (Unaudited) | |||||||||||||
Loss before income taxes |
$ | (231,440 | ) | $ | (1,188,346 | ) | $ | (4,657,203 | ) | $ | (4,916,776 | ) | ||||
Total fixed charges |
| | | | ||||||||||||
Ratio of earnings to fixed charges |
| | | |
(-) | The ratio of earnings to fixed charges cannot be calculated due to a loss for all periods presented. |
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SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA
The following selected financial data should be read together with our financial statements and
notes and the section entitled Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and
Results of Operations appearing elsewhere in this Prospectus. The selected financial data as of
and for the years ended December 31, 2006, 2007 and 2008 are derived from our audited financial
statements, which are publically available. The selected financial data as of and for the nine
months ended September 30, 2009 are derived from our unaudited financial statements, which are
included elsewhere in this Prospectus. The financial data as of and for the nine months ended
September 30, 2009 has not yet been audited, has been reviewed by our independent auditors and
remains subject to adjustment.
December 31, 2006 | December 31, 2007 | December 31, 2008 | September 30, 2009 | |||||||||||||
(Unaudited) | ||||||||||||||||
True North | ||||||||||||||||
Selected Balance sheet data for period ended: | (Audited) | (Audited) | (Audited) | Consolidated | ||||||||||||
Cash |
$ | 27,271 | $ | 2,488,784 | $ | 1,534,170 | $ | 98,757 | ||||||||
Finance receivables |
| 31,849 | 161,968 | 319,374 | ||||||||||||
Other Receivables |
| | | | ||||||||||||
Prepaid insurance |
78,750 | 78,750 | 56,250 | 6,016 | ||||||||||||
Investments in Notes Receivable |
| 2,500,000 | 2,978,000 | 7,730,983 | ||||||||||||
Fixed Assets |
| 29,575 | 27,472 | 69,795 | ||||||||||||
Debt Placement Costs, net |
396,525 | 862,109 | 858,298 | 515,890 | ||||||||||||
Loan Origination Costs, net |
20,000 | 17,333 | 16,333 | 10,333 | ||||||||||||
Liabilities |
474,434 | 7,052,915 | 6,999,189 | 80,418,522 | ||||||||||||
Stockholders equity (deficit) |
163,779 | (1,024,567 | ) | (1,338,750 | ) | 33,443,123 |
August 19, 2005 | Year | Year | Nine Months | |||||||||||||||||
(inception) to | Ended | Ended | Year Ended | Ended | ||||||||||||||||
December 31, | December 31, | December 31, | December 31, | September 30, | ||||||||||||||||
2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | ||||||||||||||||
(Unaudited) | ||||||||||||||||||||
True North | ||||||||||||||||||||
Statement of operations data: | (Audited) | (Audited) | (Audited) | (Audited) | Consolidated | |||||||||||||||
Interest and fee income |
$ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 335,475 | $ | 554,355 | $ | 306,132 | ||||||||||
Operating expenses |
27,462 | 231,440 | 1,523,821 | 5,211,558 | 4,654,919 | |||||||||||||||
Operating loss |
27,462 | 231,440 | 1,188,346 | 4,657,203 | 4,348,787 | |||||||||||||||
Loss before income taxes |
27,462 | 231,440 | 1,188,346 | 4,657,203 | 4,916,776 | |||||||||||||||
Net loss |
27,462 | 231,440 | 1,188,346 | 4,657,203 | 3,168,765 | |||||||||||||||
Basic and diluted loss per
common stock |
0.35 | 2.06 | 0.04 | 0.16 | 0.06 |
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MANAGEMENTS DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
You should read the following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of our
operations in conjunction with our financial statements and the notes to those statements included
elsewhere in this Prospectus. This discussion contains forward-looking statements reflecting our
current expectations that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results and the timing of
events may differ materially from those contained in these forward-looking statements due to a
number of factors, including those discussed in the section entitled Risk Factors and elsewhere
in this Prospectus.
Overview
On June 30, 2009, we became the sole owner of CS Fund General Partner, LLC (General Partner) who
is the sole general partner of the Fund. The General Partner was acquired from TF in consideration
for 1,000,000 shares of our Series A Common Stock and 36,333,993 shares of our Series B Common
Stock. Subsequent to the acquisition of the General Partner, we purchased a limited partnership
interest in the Fund in consideration of 40,000 shares of our preferred stock (which constitutes
100% of our issued and outstanding preferred shares). The Fund distributed 36,642.67 shares of our
preferred stock to all its limited partners (except for the Company) in a complete liquidation of
their capital accounts. The result of the foregoing transaction is that we own the General
Partner, are currently the sole limited partner of the Fund and the Funds former limited partners
constitute 100% of our preferred shareholders.
The Fund is a Delaware limited partnership which was organized on November 4, 2004, for the purpose
of purchasing mezzanine loans from another mezzanine lender who had made loans to real estate
developers, as well as lending money to other mezzanine real estate developers. Mezzanine
financing is financing to bridge any gap between a first-position lender and the equity position of
the developers, and the total development costs. It is essentially a second mortgage. Because the
success of any mezzanine lender is depended on a static or strong market, the Fund faltered in a
bear market.
Since its inception, the Fund had raised money through the sale of limited partnership units. The
Fund had approximately 450 limited partners across the country. In 2008, after the historic and
unforeseen collapse of the credit and real estate markets, the Funds borrower and guarantor
defaulted on its obligations to the Fund. Thereafter, the Fund held a public sale for all the
assets of its borrower and guarantor at which the Fund was the only bidder with its bid of
$55,000,000.00. Accordingly, the Fund now owns the assets including promissory notes and
membership units previously owned by its borrower and guarantor. Along with this came control of
numerous real estate projects across the country.
Beginning January 1, 2009, Todd Duckson became sole member and the chief manager of the General
Partner. After assuming this position, Duckson undertook an analysis of the Funds asset portfolio
and its liquidity. In addition, the Fund began offering a Series I Preferred Note in an effort to
raise additional capital after seceding to sell limited partnership interests. Shortly thereafter,
the General Partner suspended all monthly distributions and redemptions in an effort to protect the
Funds fleeting assets. It was determined that combining the Company and the Fund would result in
synergies that produce a combined entity more likely to attract capital and successfully pursue its
business strategy.
As a result of the acquisition of the Fund, and a reaction to marketplace opportunities, we have
modified our mission as follows: the mission of the Company is to ethically source safe, high
yielding investments by utilizing custom financing structures, performing extensive due diligence
and maintaining a broad referral network. After much consideration, we have elected to pursue our
mission by creating numerous new investment pods which will be individually managed and initially
focus on real estate finance, distressed sellers, bridge finance and trade finance. The primarily
objective of these investment pods is to source and service investments that provide current yields
between 400 to 800 basis points above our cost of funds.
The Funds legacy investment portfolio, which does not provide current yield, will be managed in
our Opportunistic Equity Investment Pod and will be positioned for medium to long-term capital
appreciation. As of September 30,
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2009, the consolidated Opportunistic Equity Investment Pod had
an estimated gross asset value of $115,000,000 and an estimated net asset value of approximately
$81,000,000. This value is comprised primarily of equity or mezzanine level interests in real
estate and is subject to the claims of senior lenders. In a majority of the cases, however, we
have entered into agreements with the senior lenders to purchase their positions and, to the extent
we are able to maintain our liquidity and perform as agreed, the Company will ultimately own the
entire real estate interest.
Due to the lack of competition in the credit market and other factors, we continue to see an
abundance of excellent, and perhaps historical, high yield finance opportunities. With the demand
for our capital clearly established, we intend to commence the process of reinstating the sale of
our Bonds in the 4th quarter.
In addition to preparing for our capital campaign, we will also commence the process of
interviewing and recruiting members of our board and investment committee. This process will be
lead by the Companys new executive chairman, recent investor and senior officer, Christopher
Clouser. Mr. Clouser was previously the president of Burger King Brands, Preview Travel, the
Association of Tennis Professionals and the Minnesota Twins baseball club, and a senior vice
president of Northwest Airlines, Hallmark Cards, Sprint and Bell Atlantic. He is the chairman of
International Tennis Hall of Fame Museum.
In addition to Mr. Clouser, Constantine Deno Macricostas, Richard B. Hirst, Mannie Jackson,
Philip A. Jones and Douglas A. Lennick were elected to the board and assist the Company in its
strategic initiatives. Mr. Jackson has served on the board of directors of five Fortune 500
companies, was named one of the Nations 30 Most Powerful and Influential Black Corporate
Executives, served on the Board of the American Red Cross and was named one of the Nations Top 50
Corporate Strategists. Mr. Jackson serves as the Chairman of Harlem Globetrotters, Inc. Mr. Jones
was the former president of The Meredith Corporation and is currently on the board of BMI, the
licensing authority of the music and recording industry. Mr. Macricostas is the founder, chairman,
and the largest single shareholder of Photronics, Inc., the worlds largest supplier of photomasks,
a key enabling technology in the semiconductor industry. He has received many awards including the
Small Business Administrations National Entrepreneurial Success Award, the High Tech Entrepreneur
of the Year and the Eli Whitney Award for Excellence in Small Business Management, and is listed in
Whos Who in American Business. Mr. Hirst is Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Delta
Airlines. He was formerly the Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer of KB Home. Prior
to this, Mr. Hirst was Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Burger King Corporation. He
also spent more than 15 years in legal and leadership roles in the airline industry, including
servicing as Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs for Northwest Airlines and Vice President,
General Counsel and Secretary at Continental Airlines. Mr. Hirst holds a BA in Government from
Harvard College, as well as a JD from Harvard Law School. Mr. Lennick is the managing partner of
the Lennick Aberman Group. He is legendary for his innovative approaches to developing high
performance in individuals and organizations. Numerous Fortune 500 executives, most notably
American Express CEO, Ken Chenault and Ameriprise Financial CEO, Jim Cracchiolo, rely on Mr.
Lennick for his insights on enhancing leadership and organizational performance. Before founding
the Lennick Aberman Group, Mr. Lennick was Executive Vice President Advice and Retail
Distribution for American Express Financial Advisors (AEFA). In that capacity, he led an
organization of 17,000 field and corporate associates to unprecedented success. During Mr.
Lennicks prior positions, first as a district manager in Minneapolis and then manager of Saint
Paul division, he helped his organizations set, and then break, national sales records.
Our Investment Committee will assume the primary responsibility of approving pod level investments
and identifying and correlating new pod investment strategies. Our existing investment pod
strategies were chosen, in part, due to their attractive correlation and historical track record of
providing consistent consolidated long term positive returns. We expect the Investment Committee
to maintain market awareness and fund our investment pods accordingly. We have also spent
considerable effort on a process to establish clear, performance orientated and ethical investment
protocols for our investment pod managers. The launch of the investment pods will be aligned with
the progress of our securities offering.
We maintain a website at www.truenorthfinance.com. We are not including the information
contained in our website as part of, nor incorporating it by reference into, this Form S-1. We
will make available on our website free of
charge our future Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Current Reports on
Form 8-K,
45
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and amendments to those reports, as soon as reasonable practical after we electronically
file such material with, or furnish such material to, the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The Bonds are registered, under the applicable state securities or blue sky laws of three states.
We have blue sky registration applications pending in several other states. However, we expect
to focus our selling efforts in the near future in California, Arizona and Florida and may
relinquish our registrations in the other states where we are already qualified and may withdraw
pending applications in the remaining states.
We have had net losses since inception. We had an accumulated deficit as of September 30, 2009, of
$2,642,789, which reflects expenditures including professional fees and services necessary for the
start of our operations, as compared to an accumulated deficit as of September 30, 2008, of
$373,200. The increase of the accumulated deficit as of September 30, 2009, as compared to
September 30, 2008, was principally the result of funding our ongoing operations.
We believe our ability to continue as a going concern depends in large part on our ability to raise
sufficient capital to enable us to make loans and receive revenue from our lending activities in
excess of our obligations under the Bonds and our operating expenses. If we are unable to raise
such additional capital we may be forced to discontinue our business.
We believe that the slowing real estate market and the turmoil in the credit markets has provided
an opportunity for the Company to make loans on undervalued collateral with a greater yield, better
covenants and at a loan-to-value ratio that should only increase as the real estate and financing
markets recover. Likewise, we believe that the primary reason a borrower might be considered
credit impaired today is that the real estate market is soft and underwriting standards too
constrictive; when the market improves we anticipate that the perceived credit quality of such
borrowers will also increase.
On November 22, 2006, the Company received notice of the effectiveness of its registration
statement on Form S-1 registering the Offering of the Bonds. We have sold, as of the original date
of this Prospectus, $10,130,000 of Bonds. These sales are below our expectations primarily because
of our difficulty in finding brokers to distribute our Bonds. Due to our increased capitalization
and redesigned investment strategy, we believe our funding prospects are greatly enhanced.
Liquidity
We anticipate loan repayments and asset sales of approximately $1,000,000 scheduled to be paid in
2009 and early 2010 will provide adequate liquidity to fund the Companys operations over the first
two quarters of 2010. Thereafter, to the extent we are successful in selling Bonds, and
historically we have not been, we expect that the primary source of our liquidity will come from
interest and fees earned on our loans and other investments made with the proceeds from Bond sales.
Nevertheless, some short-term liquidity may be provided by the net proceeds from the sale of the
Bonds. Although not contractually bound to do so because the Fund is the sole obligor on its debt,
we also anticipate using some of the net proceeds from the sale of the Bonds to inject capital into
the Fund. The Fund requires approximately $1,000,000 per month to service the senior creditors on
its real estate assets, its unsecured debt and otherwise meet working capital demands. To the
extent the Fund fails to service such debts, it will lose substantially all of the value in its
assets. The Funds only liquidity will come from the ultimate disposition of its real estate assets
or capital injections by the Company. Its not anticipated that the Fund will liquidate any
significant asset in the ordinary course at fair market value prior to a significant recovery in
the real estate and credit markets.
Capital Resources and Results of Operation
As we have yet to raise sufficient capital to pursue our business strategy, we have limited
operations to discuss. Our current capital resources have been provided primarily by the net
proceeds of our Bonds. To date, our material commitments include payments to existing Bond
holders, providing additional capital to the Fund and administrative personnel. These expenses
will be paid from cash flow from asset sales or from the net proceeds of the offering. We believe
we have identified prospects to purchase several investments sufficient to meet these obligations
for the
remainder of 2009. We are still seeking additional capital to better capitalize our business and
will re-commence
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selling Bonds, which, in turn, will generate cash to fund our finance operations
thereby producing net income and additional revenue. We currently have limited revenue from
operations and in all likelihood will be required to make future expenditures in connection with
our distribution efforts along with general and administrative expenses before we will earn any
material revenue.
Capital Raising Challenges
We have been selling our Bonds on a continuous basis under our shelf registration statement on Form
S-1 through registered broker-dealers. We suspended offering the Bonds to outsiders on November
13, 2008, and plan to recommence such offering in the 4th quarter of 2009. While we
sold $10,130,000 of our Bonds, our funding has historically been below our expectations. The
broker-dealers we have employed to distribute the Bonds have had difficulty locating a market for
our securities. In order to achieve greater control of the distribution of our Bonds, we intend to
ultimately retain an underwriter for the Bonds. Based on previous discussions with potential
underwriters, we believe we now have sufficient additional equity capital and appropriately
adjusted our business model in order to meet the commitment requirements of such underwriters and
to make the Bonds more attractive investments.
Concentration Restrictions
We expect to establish formal concentration restrictions that will require the Investment
Committees approval for any investment. As we increase our portfolio of investments, our
concentration restrictions will evolve.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
The Company does not have any off-balance sheet arrangements, as defined in Item 303(a)(4) of
Regulation S-K promulgated under the Securities Act.
Internal controls and procedures
As of September 30, 2009, we carried out an evaluation of the effectiveness of the design and
operation of our disclosure controls and procedures pursuant to Rule 13a-14 of the Exchange Act.
This evaluation was done under the supervision and with the participation of our Principal
Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer. Based upon that evaluation, our Principal
Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and
procedures were effective in gathering, analyzing and disclosing information needed to satisfy our
disclosure obligations under the Exchange Act.
Changes in Internal Controls over Financial Reporting
There were no changes in our internal controls that materially affected or are reasonably likely to
materially affect the Companys internal controls over financial reporting.
Contractual Commitments
The table below summarizes our contractual obligations as of September 30, 2009. Amounts relating
to our Bonds reflect the principal due to Bonds investors and do not include interest payments on
the Bonds.
Contractual Obligation | Total | Less than 1 year | 1-3 years | 3-5 years | More than 5 years | |||||||||||||||
Bonds (Company)1 |
10,130,000 | 225,000 | 9,905,000 | |||||||||||||||||
Series I Preferred Notes (Fund)2 |
31,432,188 | 31,432,188 | ||||||||||||||||||
Purchase Obligations (Fund)3 |
16,667,474 | 16,667,474 | ||||||||||||||||||
Senior Asset Lenders (Fund)4 |
30,936,829 | 1,713,094 | 29,223,735 |
1 | Represents the obligation of the Company for Bonds previously sold. | |
2 | Although not the legal responsibility of the Company because the Fund is the sole obligor on its debts, represents the obligation of the Fund to purchasers of its Series I Notes. To the extent the Company wants to protect its investment in the Fund, the Company may need to contribute capital to the Fund to support this obligation. |
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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
During 2007, our Board adopted a Charter for the Compensation Committee which grants the
Compensation Committee the authority (among other powers) to develop guidelines, review and
evaluate the compensation and performance of the senior officers, to make recommendations to the
Board with respect to incentive compensation, to develop managerial succession plans, and to review
and recommend changes to Director compensation levels. The Board takes guidance from the Companys
senior executive concerning the compensation of executive officers other than themselves.
Executive Officer Summary Compensation Table
The following table presents summary compensation for the named executive officers for years ended
December 2006, 2007 and 2008:
Series B | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Stock | Other | Total | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Executive Officer: | Year | Salary | Bonus (1) | Awards | Comp. | Compensation | ||||||||||||||||||
Michael Bozora (former President) |
2008 | 250,000 | | | | (1) 250,000 | ||||||||||||||||||
2007 | 250,000 | | | | 250,000 | |||||||||||||||||||
2006 | 27,083 | | | | 27,083 | |||||||||||||||||||
Timothy Redpath (Vice Chairman) |
2008 | 250,000 | | | | (1) 250,000 | ||||||||||||||||||
2007 | 250,000 | | | | 250,000 | |||||||||||||||||||
2006 | 27,803 | | | | 27,803 | |||||||||||||||||||
Mark Williams (Chief Financial Officer) |
2008 | 94,295 | | | | (1) 94,295 | ||||||||||||||||||
2007 | 48,803 | | | | 48,803 | |||||||||||||||||||
2006 | 10,000 | | | | 10,000 |
(1) | Other than discretionary bonuses granted by the Board at the request of the Compensation Committee, no executive is entitled to a cash bonus. |
Option Exercises and Option Vesting
The following table represents the option exercises and vesting of stock options for the named
executive officers as of December 31, 2008:
Option Exercises and Stock Vested | ||||||||||||||||
Option Awards | Stock Awards | |||||||||||||||
Number of shares | Value realized on | Number of shares | Value realized on | |||||||||||||
Name |
acquired on exercise (#) | exercise ($) | acquired on vesting (#) | vesting ($) | ||||||||||||
(a) |
(b) | (c) | (d) | (e) | ||||||||||||
Michael Bozora |
566,050 | 0 | (1) | | | |||||||||||
Timothy Redpath |
||||||||||||||||
(Vice Chairman and
Director) |
689,218 | 0 | (1) | | | |||||||||||
Mark Williams |
||||||||||||||||
(Chief Financial
Officer) |
73,833 | 0 | (1) | | |
3 | Although not the legal responsibility of the Company because the Fund is the sole obligor on its debts, represents the contractual obligation of the Fund to purchase senior mortgages on a large majority of the Funds real estate assets. To the extent the Company wants to protect its investment in the Fund, the Company may need to contribute capital to the Fund to support this obligation. | |
4 | Represents obligations to senior lenders on real estate assets owned by the Company. |
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(1) | The options exercised were exercised at their fair market value resulting in no value received upon exercise. The option exercise price was $0.01625, which was also the fair market value of a common share of the Company at the time of exercise of the options. |
Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End
On December 3, 2008, the Board adopted the Incentive Plan. Stock options granted prior to that
date were granted by the Board without a formal equity plan. The options issued are administered by
the Board, which selects persons to receive awards and determines the number of options subject to
each award and the terms, conditions, performance measures and other provisions of the award.
The following table presents the outstanding equity stock option awards held by each of the named
executive officers as of December 31, 2008:
Equity | ||||||||||||||||||||
Incentive | ||||||||||||||||||||
Plan Awards: | ||||||||||||||||||||
Number of | ||||||||||||||||||||
Number of | Number of | Securities | ||||||||||||||||||
Securities | Securities | Underlying | ||||||||||||||||||
Underlying | Underlying | Unexercised, | ||||||||||||||||||
Options | Unexercised | Unearned | Option | |||||||||||||||||
(#) | Options | Options | Exercise | Option | ||||||||||||||||
Exercisable | (#) | (#) | Price (2) | Expiration | ||||||||||||||||
Name | (4) | Unexercisable | of Securities | ($) | Date | |||||||||||||||
Michael W. Bozora |
||||||||||||||||||||
(former director and executive officer) |
984,434 | (1) (3) | | | $ | 0.01625 | (3) | 01/01/2016 | ||||||||||||
Timothy R. Redpath |
||||||||||||||||||||
(Vice Chairman) |
861,266 | (1) (3) | | | $ | 0.01625 | (3) | 01/01/2016 | ||||||||||||
Mark Williams |
||||||||||||||||||||
(Chief Financial Officer) |
| | | | |
(1) | Represents the vested and unexercised portion of stock options granted January 1, 2006. Messrs. Bozora and Redpath, the former President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, respectively, have been granted non-statutory stock options entitling them to purchase 1,476,651 common shares at an exercise price of $0.01625 per share. On December 3, 2008, by resolutions of the Board, the remaining unvested options to purchase 984,434 Common Shares held by Messrs. Bozora and Redpath were accelerated and all options relating to their stock option grants from January 1, 2006, with respect to their service as officers, became fully vested on such date. All of the stock options expire on the tenth anniversary of the date on which they were granted. Messrs. Bozora and Redpath also have been granted non-statutory stock options to acquire 73,833 Common Shares as directors with the same exercise price of $0.01625 per share. On December 3, 2008, by resolutions of the Board, the remaining unvested options to purchase 49,222 Common Shares held by Messrs. Bozora and Redpath were accelerated and all options relating to their stock option grants from January 1, 2006, with respect to their service as directors, became fully vested on such date. All of the stock options expire on the tenth anniversary of the date on which they were granted. | |
(2) | Represents the fair market value of the underlying Common Shares, on a per share basis, of the options. | |
(3) | On December 3, 2008, our Board and the holder of all the outstanding Common Shares of the Company approved a stock split of 12,305.427 for 1. These numbers have been adjusted for the stock split. | |
(4) | All options are for Series B Common Shares. |
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Director Compensation
We have historically paid our non-employee directors a fee of $1,500 for each Board meeting
attended (which amount includes and is not in addition to any committee meetings of the Board
conducted on the same day as a meeting of the Board). Our Compensation Committee is currently
reviewing director compensation and changes are expected.
The following table presents director compensation for the period ending December 31, 2008 (but
excludes those directors who are named executive officers and whose compensation is shown in the
Executive Compensation Table contained herein):
Change in | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pension Value | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
and | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Fees Earned | Non Equity | Nonqualified | Total (Non- | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
or Paid in | Incentive Plan | Deferred | All other | Option Award) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Name | Cash | Stock Awards | Option Awards | Compensation | Compensation | compensation | Compensation | |||||||||||||||||||||
Alfred Williams* |
$ | 4,500 | | | | $ | 4,500 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Dean Mark Brosche* |
$ | 4,500 | | | | $ | 4,500 | |||||||||||||||||||||
David Weild* |
$ | 4,500 | | | | $ | 4,500 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Marie Jorajuria* |
$ | 4,500 | | | | $ | 4,500 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Theodore Ammiro* |
| | | | | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Andrew Regalia* |
| | | | |
* | Former directors resigning on or before 6/30/09. |
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PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS
The following table sets forth, as of the original date of this Prospectus, certain information
regarding beneficial ownership of both series of our Common Shares by (a) each person or group
known by us to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of our outstanding Common Shares, (b) each
director and executive officer of ours owning or beneficially owning Common Shares, and (c) all
directors and executive officers of ours as a group. Each shareholder named in the below table has
sole voting and investment power with respect to our Common Shares shown in the table. Shares
underlying any options or warrants included in the table may not be currently exercisable. The
below figures do not reflect the Series B Common Shares that are underlying the Incentive Plan (for
which no award grants have yet been made). For a description of our different series of common
stock see Description of Existing Capital Stock.
Series B | Percent of | Series A | Percent of | |||||||||||||||
Common Shares | Series B | Common Shares | Series A | |||||||||||||||
Beneficially | Common Shares | Beneficially Owned | Common Shares | |||||||||||||||
Shareholder | Address | Owned | (4) | (3) | (4) | |||||||||||||
Timothy Redpath (Officer and Director) |
21 Tamal Vista Blvd. Suite 230 Corte Madera, CA 94925 |
39,841,993 | (1) | 26.56 | % | |||||||||||||
Michael Bozora (former Officer and Director) |
21 Tamal Vista Blvd. Suite 230 Corte Madera, CA 94925 |
39,841,993 | (1) | 26.56 | % | |||||||||||||
Charles Thompson
|
130 West Lake Street Wayzata, MN 55391 |
7,658,302 | (2) | 5.84 | % | |||||||||||||
Todd Duckson (Officer and Director) |
4999 France Ave S Suite 248 Minneapolis, MN 55410 |
36,331,993 | (5) | 24.22 | % | 1,000,000 | (5) | 100 | % | |||||||||
Christopher Clouser (Officer and Director) |
4999 France Ave S Suite 248 Minneapolis, MN 55410 |
11,476,094 | (6) | 6.67 | % | |||||||||||||
Company Officers
and Directors as a
Group
|
127,015,979 | 84.68 | % | 1,000,000 | 100 | % |
(1) | CSM owns 76,583,018 Common Shares, of which 38,291,509 Common Shares are beneficially owned by each of Messrs. Bozora and Redpath, they each own 50% of Capital Solutions Associates, LLC, which, in turn, is the sole general partner and the 75% economic interest holder in CSM. This figure also includes 1,550,484 Common Shares underlying the stock options granted to each of Messrs. Bozora and Redpath, all of which are vested and exercisable by each of Messrs. Bozora and Redpath within 60 days. As of the original date of this Prospectus, Mr. Bozora exercised 566,050 of such options and Mr. Redpath exercised 689,218 of such options. | |
(2) | Charles T. Thompson owns 10% of economic interests in CSM which, in turn, owns 76,583,018 of Companys Common Shares. The other 15% of the economic interests in CSM are owned by 12 individual investors, with no investor owning more than 3%. The remainder of the economic interests in CSM are owned by Capital Solutions Associates, LLC, and beneficially owned by Messrs. Bozora and Redpath. | |
(3) | Series A Common Shares are entitled to 7 votes for each Series B Common Share vote on all matters submitted to 2 votes of common shareholders. | |
(4) | All percent calculations are on a fully diluted basis. | |
(5) | On June 30, 2009, TF sold 100% of the membership interests of CS Fund General Partner, LLC to the Company in consideration for 36,331,993 Series B Common Shares and 1,000,000 Series A Common Shares. Mr. Duckson owns 100% of the outstanding membership interests of TF. |
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(6) | On August 1, 2009, Mr. Clouser executed an employment agreement granting him 11,476,094 stock options for Series B Common Shares whereby 50% vested immediately and 50% are vested when the Company raises $200,000,000. |
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CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED-PARTY TRANSACTIONS
Certain Relationships
Capital Solutions Management, L.P. (CSM). As of the original date of this Prospectus, CSM owns
58.41% (fully diluted) of the outstanding Series B Common Stock of Company and Messrs. Redpath and
Bozora each control 50% of Capital Solutions Associates, LLC which is the sole general partner and
has sole control of CSM. Capital Solutions Associates, LLC also owns 75% of the limited
partnership interests in CSM. Charles T. Thompson owns 10% of the limited partnership interest in
Capital Solutions Management, L.P. The other 15% of the Limited Partnership interests in CSM are
owned by 12 individual investors with no investor owning more than 3%.
The Fund. Messrs. Duckson, Bozora and Redpath, either individually or through companies they
control, at various times, were affiliated with the Fund as managers, investment managers and
officers of the general partner, in addition to Messrs. Redpath and Bozora being the former
placement agent for the Fund. The Fund was also engaged in mezzanine real estate financing.
Transactional Finance, LLC (TF). TF owns 100% of the issued and outstanding Series A Common
Stock and 27.71% (fully diluted) of the issued and outstanding Series B Common Stock. Mr. Duckson
owns 100% of the issued and outstanding membership interests of TF and thereby is beneficially our
controlling shareholder.
Capital Solutions Distributors, LLC (CSD). Messrs. Redpath and Bozora own, either directly or
beneficially, CSD which is a registered broker-dealer. CSD was the selling agent for the Fund. The
placement agreement was terminated on June 30, 2009.
Chief Financial Officer and Secretary. Messrs. Mark Williams, our Chief Financial Officer, and
Scott Carlson, Esq., our Secretary, also serve as financial and legal advisors, respectively, to,
among others, CSM, TF and their affiliates, in circumstances where we need financial and accounting
or legal advice on inter-company transactions, our chief financial officer and/or general counsel
will have potential conflicts of interest. In addition, Mr. Duckson is a non-active partner in Mr.
Carlsons legal firm.
Related Transactions
Theodore Ammiro and Andrew Reglia, both former directors of ours, performed consulting services for
us under a consulting agreement, dated November 2007, between us and Real Equity Solutions, Inc.
(RES), a California corporation controlled by Mr. Ammiro, a former member of our Board of
Directors. As of June 30, 2009, $209,741 had been paid pursuant to the consulting agreement which
has been terminated.
Director Independence"
Although we are not subject to the rules of any exchange, our Board of Directors has adopted NYSE
Rule 303A.02 as its standard of independence. A Director will not be considered independent
under this standard unless the Board affirmatively determines that the Director has no material
relationship with us. In making this determination, the Board will broadly consider all facts and
circumstances the Board deems relevant from the standpoint of the Director and from that of persons
or organizations with which the Director has an affiliation. Material relationships can include
commercial, industrial, banking, consulting, legal, accounting, charitable and familial
relationships among others.
Under this standard, a Director is not independent if:
(i) | The director is, or has been within the last three years, an employee of the Company, or an immediate family member is, or has been within the last three years, an executive officer, of the Company. | ||
(ii) | The director has received, or has an immediate family member who has received, during any twelve-month period within the last three years, more than $120,000 in direct compensation from the |
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Company, other than director and committee fees and pension or other forms of deferred compensation for prior service (provided such compensation is not contingent in any way on continued service). | |||
(iii) | (A) The director or an immediate family member is a current partner of a firm that is the Companys internal or external auditor; (B) the director is a current employee of such a firm; (C) the director has an immediate family member who is a current employee of such a firm and who participates in the firms audit, assurance or tax compliance (but not tax planning) practice; or (D) the director or an immediate family member was within the last three years (but is no longer) a partner or employee of such a firm and personally worked on the Companys audit within that time. | ||
(iv) | The director or an immediate family member is, or has been within the last three years, employed as an executive officer of another company where any of the Companys present executive officers at the same time serves or served on that other companys compensation committee. | ||
(v) | The director is a current employee, or an immediate family member is a current executive officer, of another company that has made payments to, or received payments from, the Company for property or services in an amount which, in any of the last three fiscal years, exceeds the greater of $1 million, or 2% of such other companys consolidated gross revenues. |
The Board of Directors has determined that all Directors of Company, except Messrs. Duckson and
Redpath, are independent Directors.
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MANAGEMENT
Directors and Executive Officers
As of the original date of this Prospectus, the directors and executive officers are as set forth
below. There are no family relationships between or among any directors or officers:
Name | Age | Position | ||||
Christopher E. Clouser
|
57 | Executive Chairman, Chairman of Board of Directors | ||||
Timothy R. Redpath
|
50 | Vice Chairman, Director | ||||
Todd A. Duckson
|
43 | Chief Executive Officer, Director | ||||
Mark Williams
|
52 | Chief Financial Officer | ||||
Scott R. Carlson
|
47 | Secretary | ||||
Mannie Jackson
|
70 | Director | ||||
Philip A. Jones
|
65 | Director | ||||
Richard B. Hirst
|
65 | Director | ||||
Constantine Deno Macricostas
|
74 | Director | ||||
John O. Klinkenberg
|
60 | Director | ||||
Douglas A. Lennick
|
57 | Director |
Christopher E. Clouser; Executive Chairman, Chairman of Board of Directors
Mr. Clouser is Chairman of the International Tennis Hall of Fame and Museum located in Newport,
Rhode Island. He also serves of the Board of Directors of the Taste of the NFL, Transamerica
Retirement, the Los Cabos Childrens Foundation, First Serve, Champions Cup Tennis/Mexico,
Christopher Marketing Services, and the Clouser Family Foundation. Prior to his current
activities, Clouser spent three years as Chairman of Griffin International Companies, and was
President of the Association of Tennis Professionals, President of Burger King Brands, President
and CEO of Preview Travel/Travelocity, CEO and Board member of the Minnesota Twins Major League
Baseball Club, Senior Vice President of Northwest Airlines, and Corporate Vice President of
Hallmark Cards, Sprint, and Bell Atlantic. Mr. Clouser is also very active in, and founded,
several charitable organizations.
Timothy R. Redpath; Vice Chairman, Director
Mr. Redpath was a co-founder of CSM, a registered investment advisor (2002), as well as CSD, a NASD
licensed broker/dealer (2004). Prior to his involvement with these entities, during 2001 and 2002,
Mr. Redpath served as a Senior Managing Director at Ion Capital Partners within Bear Stearns &
Co., Inc., where he specialized in private banking and asset management for high net worth
individuals. Mr. Redpath joined Bear Stearns from Prudential Securities Incorporated, serving as a
Managing Director and Chief Administrative Officer of the Prudential Volpe Technology Group,
Prudentials technology investment banking and research group. Prior to that time he served as the
Manager of the Prudential Private Client Group (San Francisco) which at that time constituted the
largest private client practice in the firm. He graduated cum laude from the University of
Minnesota in business and finance, and the Securities Industry Institute at the Wharton School of
Business at the University of Pennsylvania.
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Todd A. Duckson; Chief Executive Officer, Director
Mr. Duckson is a business attorney, certified public accountant and finance entrepreneur. He holds
advanced degrees with academic honors in business and accounting and a juris doctorate in law.
Duckson has been the founder of four community banks, a venture capital firm, a financial and tax
firm and numerous other financial ventures. From 2003 to 2009 Mr. Duckson has practiced law as a
capital partner at Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP, a national law firm. Prior thereto, he founded and
managed Duckson-Carlson. Duckson-Carlson was named the 13th fastest growing company in
Minnesota in 2001 and Mr. Duckson was named one of Minneapolis 40 brightest business leaders.
Mark Williams; Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Williams is Certified Public Accountant with over twenty-five years of experience in public and
private accounting. His public accounting experience includes eight years with Price Waterhouse
(now PricewaterhouseCoopers) (San Jose, CA), and over the last ten years with the firm of Ruzzo,
Scholl & Murphy (Campbell, CA) providing financial and consulting services to private and public
companies. In addition, he operated his own accounting firm for 5 years. Mr. Williams was the
Chief Financial Officer for University Technology Ventures (Pleasanton, CA) a venture capital firm
from 2000 2002. During this time Mr. Williams was involved in the formation of the firm and the
raising of $109,000,000 in venture capital. Mr. Williams earned his Bachelor of Science in
Accounting from San Jose State University. Mr Williams has served as Chief Financial Officer of
Company since 2006.
Scott R. Carlson; Secretary
From 2003 to 2009, Mr. Carlson was a partner at Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP, a national law firm. Mr.
Carlson is an experienced businessman and attorney. He will oversee, along with outside counsel,
all Fund legal matters including foreclosure litigation, securities issues and documenting
investments. Mr. Carlson is a member of the Minnesota State Bar Association and the Hennepin County
Bar Association. He was also a former member of the Minneapolis Long-Range Improvement Committee
through appointment by Minneapolis Mayors Sharon Sayles Belton and R.T. Rybak.
Mannie Jackson; director
Mr. Jackson is Chairman of the Harlem Globetrotters. Prior to purchasing the Globetrotters in
1992, Mr. Jackson served as President and General Manager of Honeywells Telecommunications
Business and as Corporate Officer and Senior Vice President of Honeywell, Inc. Mr. Jackson was a
Founder and President of the Executive Leadership Council and has served on the Board of Directors
of five Fortune 500 companies and has served on the Board of Governors for the American Red Cross,
he is currently serving as Chairman of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and was among
12 distinguished nominees for the Archbishop Desmond Tutu Award for Human Rights in recognition of
his work in South Africa.
Philip A. Jones; director
Mr. Jones is on the advisory boards of Houston based Pros Revenue Management, Palladium Equity
Partners, CNX Media and Transamerica Retirement. He is a board member of BMI (the licensing
organization of the music and recording industry) and was its Chairman from 1997 to 2000. Mr.
Jones retired from Meredith Broadcasting in 1997 after 18 years where he served as president from
1989 to 1997 and also served as chairman of the CBS Television Affiliates Board.
Richard B. Hirst; director
Mr. Hirst is Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Delta Airlines. He was formerly the
Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer of KB Home. Prior to this, Mr. Hirst was
Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Burger King Corporation. He also spent more than
15 years in legal and leadership roles in the airline industry, including serving as Senior Vice
President, Corporate Affairs for Northwest Airlines and Vice President,
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General Counsel and Secretary at Continental Airlines. Mr. Hirst holds a BA in Government from
Harvard College, as well as a JD from Harvard Law School.
Constantine Deno Macricostas; director
Mr. Macricostas is the Founder, Chairman, and the largest single shareholder of Photronics, Inc.,
the worlds largest supplier of photomasks, a key enabling technology in the semiconductor
industry. Mr. Macrisostas is the Founder and Chairman of RagingWire Enterprise Solutions, Inc.
(RagingWire). RagingWire provides highly custom and flexible IT solutions that accommodate the
business needs of high-density, data-intensive enterprise companies. Mr. Macricostas has played
important roles in other startup businesses: he was an early investor and board member of Nutmeg
Federal Savings and Loan Association, Colonial Data Technologies Corporation and Orbit
Semiconductor. He has received many awards including the Small Business Administrations National
Entrepreneurial Success Award, the High Tech Entrepreneur of the Year and the Eli Whitney Award for
Excellence in Small Business Management and is listed in Whos Who in American Business.
John O. Klinkenberg; Director
Mr. Klinkenberg provides consulting services in the area of internal audit and financial controls,
Sarbanes-Oxley requirements and compliance, general controls reviews and accounting controls for
JOK Consulting. He was the vice president of audit and security for Northwest Airlines, Inc. from
1991 to 2003 and held various other management level positions from 1973 to 1991 throughout the
United States, England and Germany including Director of Finance and Administration. Mr.
Klinkenberg has also served as a member of the Board of Directors of Compass 315, a member of the
Audit Committee of Airline Reporting Corporation, a member of the Audit Committee of the Air
Transport Association, chairman of the subcommittee of the US Government Research, Engineering and
Development Advisory Committee to the U.S. Congress.
Douglas A. Lennick; Director
Mr. Lennick is the managing partner of the Lennick Aberman Group. He is legendary for his
innovative approaches to developing high performance in individuals and organizations. Numerous
Fortune 500 executives, most notably American Express CEO, Ken Chenault and Ameriprise Financial
CEO, Jim Cracchiolo, rely on Mr. Lennick for his insights on enhancing leadership and
organizational performance. Before founding the Lennick Aberman Group, Mr. Lennick was Executive
Vice President Advice and Retail Distribution for American Express Financial Advisors (AEFA). In
that capacity, he led an organization of 17,000 field and corporate associates to unprecedented
success. During Mr. Lennicks prior positions, first as a district manager in Minneapolis and then
manager of Saint Paul division, he helped his organizations set, and then break, national sales
records.
Brian Weisenberger; Managing Director of Investment Strategy and Due Diligence
Mr. Weisenberger has been the Managing Director for CSD since 2008, a FINRA registered Investment
Advisory firm focused on the distribution of income producing Alternative Investments to high net
worth community. From 2005 to 2008, Mr. Weisenberger was with NFP Securities and worked as an AVP,
Alternative Investments & Due Diligence. NFP Securities is a publically traded Independent
Broker/Dealer. In this role Mr. Weisenberger managed both the Alternative Investment product line
and was responsible for investment due diligence and review for all of NFPs product lines. Before
joining NFP Securities he served as Portfolio Manager for H.D. Vest Financial Services, an
Independent Broker/Dealer, managing the firms fee based mutual fund portfolios since 2002. Mr.
Weisenberger earned his undergraduate degree in Economics from the University of Texas at Austin.
He holds his Series 24 principle license, Series 7 and 63 licenses, and is a CFA Charterholder.
Bradley J. Yerhot; Director of Real Estate
Mr. Yerhot has spent the last ten years in construction and development financing, finding ways to
maximize values in a down market and preservation of Real Estate Owned. From 2007 to 2009, he was
the Managing Partner of Legacy Construction Finance, LLC. From 1999 to 2007, he was Vice President
and loan officer for Lakeland Construction Finance, LLC. Mr. Yerhot has extensive knowledge of
every aspect of the construction and
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development process, and originated and managed portfolios of $150,000,000. Prior to construction
and development financing, Mr. Yerhot spent five years with Wells Fargo Bank and TCF National Bank,
in commercial and consumer finance. Mr. Yerhots responsibility with the firm will be to maintain
the current real estate portfolio in the areas of entitlements and overall preservation, while
looking at alternative ways to increase value.
Investment Committee
Todd A. Duckson
Mr. Duckson is a business attorney, certified public accountant and finance entrepreneur. He holds
advanced degrees with academic honors in business and accounting and a juris doctorate in law.
Duckson has been the founder of four community banks, a venture capital firm, a financial and tax
firm and numerous other financial ventures. From 2003 to 2009 Mr. Duckson has practiced law as a
capital partner at Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP, a national law firm. Prior thereto, he founded and
managed Duckson-Carlson. Duckson-Carlson was named the 13th fastest growing company in
Minnesota in 2001 and Mr. Duckson was named one of Minneapolis 40 brightest business leaders.
Timothy R. Redpath
Mr. Redpath was a co-founder of CSM, a registered investment advisor (2002), as well as CSD, a NASD
licensed broker/dealer (2004). Prior to his involvement with these entities, during 2001 and 2002,
Mr. Redpath served as a Senior Managing Director at Ion Capital Partners within Bear Stearns &
Co., Inc., where he specialized in private banking and asset management for high net worth
individuals. Mr. Redpath joined Bear Stearns from Prudential Securities Incorporated, serving as a
Managing Director and Chief Administrative Officer of the Prudential Volpe Technology Group,
Prudentials technology investment banking and research group. Prior to that time he served as the
Manager of the Prudential Private Client Group (San Francisco) which at that time constituted the
largest private client practice in the firm. He graduated cum laude from the University of
Minnesota in business and finance, and the Securities Industry Institute at the Wharton School of
Business at the University of Pennsylvania.
Brian Weisenberger
Mr. Weisenberger has been the Managing Director for CSD since 2008, a FINRA registered Investment
Advisory firm focused on the distribution of income producing Alternative Investments to high net
worth community. From 2005 to 2008, Mr. Weisenberger was with NFP Securities and worked as an AVP,
Alternative Investments & Due Diligence. NFP Securities is a publically traded Independent
Broker/Dealer. In this role Mr. Weisenberger managed both the Alternative Investment product line
and was responsible for investment due diligence and review for all of NFPs product lines. Before
joining NFP Securities he served as Portfolio Manager for H.D. Vest Financial Services, an
Independent Broker/Dealer, managing the firms fee based mutual fund portfolios since 2002. Mr.
Weisenberger earned his undergraduate degree in Economics from the University of Texas at Austin.
He holds his Series 24 principle license, Series 7 and 63 licenses, and is a CFA Charterholder.
Christopher E. Clouser
Mr. Clouser is Chairman of the International Tennis Hall of Fame and Museum located in Newport,
Rhode Island. He also serves of the Board of Directors of the Taste of the NFL, Transamerica
Retirement, the Los Cabos Childrens Foundation, First Serve, Champions Cup Tennis/Mexico,
Christopher Marketing Services, and the Clouser Family Foundation. Prior to his current
activities, Clouser spent three years as Chairman of Griffin International Companies, and was
President of the Association of Tennis Professionals, President of Burger King Brands, President
and CEO of Preview Travel/Travelocity, CEO and Board member of the Minnesota Twins Major League
Baseball Club, Senior Vice President of Northwest Airlines, and Corporate Vice President of
Hallmark Cards, Sprint, and Bell Atlantic. Mr. Clouser is also very active in, and founded,
several charitable organizations.
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Scott R. Carlson
From 2003 to 2009, Mr. Carlson was a partner at Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP, a national law firm. Mr.
Carlson is an experienced businessman and attorney. He will oversee, along with outside counsel,
all Fund legal matters including foreclosure litigation, securities issues and documenting
investments. Mr. Carlson is a member of the Minnesota State Bar Association and the Hennepin County
Bar Association. He was also a former member of the Minneapolis Long-Range Improvement Committee
through appointment by Minneapolis Mayors Sharon Sayles Belton and R.T. Rybak.
John Klinkenberg
Mr. Klinkenberg provides consulting services in the area of internal audit and financial controls,
Sarbanes-Oxley requirements and compliance, general controls reviews and accounting controls for
JOK Consulting. He was the vice president of audit and security for Northwest Airlines, Inc. from
1991 to 2003 and held various other management level positions from 1973 to 1991 throughout the
United States, England and Germany including Director of Finance and Administration. Mr.
Klinkenberg has also served as a member of the Board of Directors of Compass 315, a member of the
Audit Committee of Airline Reporting Corporation, a member of the Audit Committee of the Air
Transport Association, chairman of the subcommittee of the US Government Research, Engineering and
Development Advisory Committee to the U.S. Congress.
Mark Williams
Mr. Williams is Certified Public Accountant with over twenty-five years of experience in public and
private accounting. His public accounting experience includes eight years with Price Waterhouse
(now PricewaterhouseCoopers) (San Jose, CA), and over the last ten years with the firm of Ruzzo,
Scholl & Murphy (Campbell, CA) providing financial and consulting services to private and public
companies. In addition, he operated his own accounting firm for 5 years. Mr. Williams was the
Chief Financial Officer for University Technology Ventures (Pleasanton, CA) a venture capital firm
from 2000 2002. During this time Mr. Williams was involved in the formation of the firm and the
raising of $109,000,000 in venture capital. Mr. Williams earned his Bachelor of Science in
Accounting from San Jose State University. Mr Williams has served as Chief Financial Officer of
Company since 2006.
Code of Ethics
We have adopted a written code of ethics that applies to our directors, executive officers, and
employees. Our Code of Ethics is designed to deter wrongdoing and to promote:
i. | Honest and ethical conduct, including the ethical handling of actual or apparent conflicts of interest between personal and professional relationships; | ||
ii. | Full, fair, accurate, timely, and understandable disclosure in reports and documents that Company files with, or submits to, the Securities and Exchange Commission and in other public communications made by the Company; | ||
iii. | Compliance with applicable governmental laws, rules and regulations; | ||
iv. | The prompt internal reporting of violations of the code to an appropriate person or persons identified in the code; and | ||
v. | Accountability for adherence to the code. |
The Board of Directors will annually review and distribute the Code of Ethics and update as
appropriate to ensure the highest level of ethical standards are maintained at the Company.
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Executive Compensation
During 2007 our Board of Directors adopted a Charter for the Compensation Committee which grants
the Compensation Committee the authority (among other powers) to develop guidelines, review and
evaluate the compensation and performance of the CEO and other senior officers, to make
recommendations to the Board of Directors with respect to incentive compensation, to develop
managerial succession plans, and to review and recommend changes to Director compensation levels.
The Board does not delegate authority for determining executive officer or director compensation,
however the Board does take guidance from the Companys Chairman and CEO, respectively, concerning
the compensation of executive officers other than themselves.
Board Committees
Board of Director Meetings
The Board of Directors of Company held three meetings in 2008. The Compensation and Nominating and
Corporate Governance Committees of the Board each held one meeting, while the Audit Committee held
two meetings. No Director attended less than 75% of the Board and Committee meetings on which such
Director served.
Board of Director Committees
The Company has established separate nominating and corporate governance, audit, and compensation
committees of the Board of Directors.
Audit and Compliance Committee
Mr. Klinkenberg is the chairman of the Audit Committee and is the designated audit committee
financial expert and is independent as defined under New York Stock Exchange rules. Mr.
Klinkenberg is currently recruiting other committee members.
Compensation Committee
Mr. Clouser is the chairman of the Compensation Committee. The Compensation Committee will review
the compensation of the senior executives as well as the general compensation plans for all
employees and directors. Mr. Clouser is currently recruiting other committee members.
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
Mr. Jones is chairman of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. The Nominating and
Corporate Governance Committee will consider candidates recommended by voting security holders.
The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee does not have a formal procedure to be followed
by a voting security holder who wishes to submit a candidate. Mr. Jones is currently recruiting
other committee members.
Investment Committee
Mr. Duckson is the chairman of the Investment Committee. The Investment Committee is primarily
responsible for approving investments and investment strategies. Mr. Duckson is currently
recruiting additional committee members.
Compensation Committee Interlocks.
None.
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Employee Benefit Plans
The following table provides information, as of the date hereof, with respect to its outstanding
stock options. The Company has issued stock option awards under individual compensation plans as
defined in Rule 402(a)(5)(ii) of regulations S-B of the Securities Act. Options issued under
individual compensation plans and options to be issued under the Companys Incentive Plan are and
will be administered by the Compensation Committee under the supervision of the Board, which
selects persons to receive awards and determines the number of options subject to each award and
the terms, conditions, performance measures and other provisions of the awards. Our general policy
is to grant stock options with an exercise price equal to the fair market value of a share at the
date of grant.
Weighted-average | ||||||||||||
Number of securities to | exercise price of | |||||||||||
be issued upon exercise of | outstanding options, | Number of securities remaining available for future | ||||||||||
outstanding options | warrants and rights | issuance under equity compensation plans | ||||||||||
Plan Category | warrants and rights | (4) | (excluding securities reflected in columns to the left) | |||||||||
Equity compensation
plans approved by
security holders
(1) |
| | 4,500,000 | (8) | ||||||||
Equity compensation
plans not approved
by security holders |
3,691,632 | (2)(3)(5)(6)(7) | $ | 0.01625 | (5) | |
(1) | The stock options shown were issued under a plan as defined under Item 402(a)(5)(ii) of Regulation S-B under the Securities Act and no other securities are reserved for future issuance. | |
(2) | Timothy R. Redpath, in connection with his former role as our Chief Executive Officer, and Michael Bozora, in connection with his former role as our President, were each granted, on January 1, 2006, non-statutory stock options entitling each to purchase 1,476,651 Common Shares at an exercise price of $0.01625 per share. On December 3, 2008, by resolutions of the Board, the remaining unvested options to purchase 984,434 Common Shares held by Messrs. Bozora and Redpath were accelerated and all options relating to their stock option grants from January 1, 2006, with respect to their service as officers, became fully vested on such date. All of the stock options expire on the tenth anniversary of the date on which they were granted. | |
(3) | On January 1, 2006, Messrs. Bozora and Redpath, in their capacity as the original directors of the Company, were each granted options to purchase 73,833 Common Shares (with an exercise price of $0.01625 per share). On December 3, 2008, by resolutions of the Board, the remaining unvested options to purchase 49,222 Common Shares held by Messrs. Bozora and Redpath were accelerated and all options relating to their stock option grants from January 1, 2006, with respect to their service as directors, became fully vested on such date. All of the stock options expire on the tenth anniversary of the date on which they were granted. | |
(4) | Represents the fair market value of the underlying shares as of the grant date of the options. | |
(5) | On December 3, 2008, the Board and the holders of all the outstanding Common Shares of the Company approved a stock split of 12,305.427 for 1. The numbers in the table have been adjusted for the stock split. | |
(6) | On June 5, 2008, the Board granted non-statutory stock options to Messrs. Ammiro, Regalia, Alfred Williams and Brosche, entitling each of them to purchase 73,833 Common Shares at an exercise price of $0.01625 per share. Options to purchase 24,611 Common Shares vested immediately on such grant date and on December 3, 2008, by resolutions of the Board, the remaining unvested options to purchase 49,222 Common Shares held Messrs. Alfred Williams and Brosche were accelerated and all |
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options relating to their stock option grants from June 5, 2008, in connection with their service as directors, became fully vested on such date. On November 13, 2008, Messrs. Ammiro and Regalia resigned as directors and the remaining 49,222 unvested stock options held by each of them were terminated and on December 3, 2008, the Board granted non-statutory stock options to Messrs. Ammiro and Regalia entitling each to purchase 49,222 Common Shares at an exercise price of $0.01625, and all such options vested immediately. All of the stock options expire on the tenth anniversary date of the date on which they were granted. | ||
(7) | On December 3, 2008, the Board granted non-statutory stock options to Messrs. Weild, Mark Williams and Dobson and to Ms. Jorajuria, entitling each of them to purchase 73,833 Common Shares at an exercise price of $0.01625 per share. All of the stock options vested immediately. All of the stock options expire on the tenth anniversary of the date on which they were granted. | |
(8) | Represents Common Shares reserved for issuance upon exercise of stock options under the Companys Incentive Plan. |
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DESCRIPTION OF BONDS
The Bonds are issued from time to time under an indenture dated as of November 7, 2005 between us
and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee, the indenture (including the form of Bond as an
exhibit) has been filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this Prospectus forms
a part. You can also obtain a copy of the indenture from us. We have summarized certain parts of
the indenture and the Bonds below. You should read the indenture and the note for provisions that
may be important to you.
The Bonds are registered and issued without coupons in series form. Any amount of any series may be
issued. There is no limit on the principal amount of Bonds of any series. We may change the
interest rates of the Bonds and of any prior or subsequent series that may be offered, provided
that no such change shall affect any Bond of any series issued prior to the date of change.
The Bonds are our direct obligation, but are not secured. Principal and interest are payable at our
executive offices in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Bonds are executed by us and authenticated and
delivered to the purchaser by us.
The total aggregate maximum principal amount of the Bonds offered under this Prospectus is
$100,000,000. A minimum initial investment of $25,000 is required.
Issuance
The Bonds are sold for an initial principal amount set by us, currently not less than $25,000, and
for additional amounts not less than $5,000, dated the date of purchase and transferable only on
our books. We may, in our discretion, limit the maximum amount any investor or related investors
may maintain in outstanding Bonds at any one time.
Form of Investment
Investments by Check or Wired Funds
Your Investment should be made through a registered broker-dealer or directly with the Company.
Generally your investment by check will begin to accrue interest on the date that we deposit your
check into our account.
Suitability Standards
The Bonds we are offering are suitable only as a long-term investment for persons of adequate
financial means. We do not expect to have a public market for Bonds, which means that it may be
difficult for you to sell your Bonds. You should not buy Bonds if you need to sell them
immediately or if you will need to sell them quickly in the future.
We shall make every reasonable effort to determine that the purchase of Bonds is a suitable and
appropriate investment for each investor based on information concerning the investors financial
situation and investment objectives. In consideration of these factors, we have established
suitability standards for initial noteholders who are in Pennsylvania, Arizona and California
residents. Such standards are as follows:
v | A net worth (excluding the value of an investors home, furnishings and automobiles) of at least $250,000 (or $500,000 when combined with a spouse); or | ||
v | A gross annual income of at least $100,000 (or $150,000 when combined with a spouse) during the prior year and a reasonable expectation of the same income in the current year. | ||
v | Investment in the Bonds will also be limited to no more than 10% of the purchasers net worth (excluding retirement plans). |
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Interest
The interest rate payable on any Bond is fixed at 10% per annum. Interest on a Bond is paid monthly
commencing on the 15th of the month following the month of investment.
Payment or Redemption by Holders of the Bonds
We will pay off, or redeem, your Bond five years from the end of the month in which your purchase
occurred.
Redemption by Us
Subject to the subordination provisions, we may call the Bonds as a whole, or individually, for
redemption at any time after two years at a price equal to the principal amount plus any unpaid
interest thereon at the time of redemption. Notice of such redemption will be given by mail to you
not less than 30 nor more than 60 days prior to the date fixed for redemption.
Redemption if Balance Falls Below $25,000
We may, in our sole discretion, redeem any Bond in full if the principal balance of such Bond falls
below $25,000 at any time for a price equal to the principal amount plus accrued interest to the
date of redemption. In such event, our redemption right is automatic and no advance notice to you
is required.
Priority
The Bonds have the same priority as all of our other subordinated unsecured general obligations and
are subordinate to our Senior Debt. We may at any time borrow money from a lending institution on a
secured or unsecured basis that would have priority over the Bonds.
Subordination
Our obligation to repay the principal and interest on the Bonds is subordinate in right of payment
to all Senior Debt, as defined below. This means that if we are unable to pay our debts, when due,
the Senior Debt, if any, would all be paid first before any payment of principal and interest would
be made on the Bonds.
The term senior debt means all of our debt created, incurred, assumed or guaranteed by us, except
debt that by its terms expressly provides that such debt is not senior in right of payment to the
Bonds. Debt is generally any indebtedness, contingent or otherwise, in respect of borrowed money,
or evidenced by bonds, notes, debentures or similar instruments or letters of credit, and shall
include any guarantee of any such indebtedness. Senior Debt includes, without limitation, all of
our bank debt and any line of credit we may obtain in the future. Any intercompany debt that may be
owed by us to any affiliate or subsidiary shall not be considered Senior Debt.
No Restrictions on Additional Debt or Business
The indenture does not restrict us from issuing additional securities or incurring additional debt
including Senior Debt or other secured or unsecured obligations or the manner in which we conduct
our business.
Modification of Indenture
We, together with the trustee, may modify the indenture at any time with the consent of the holders
of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Bonds that are then outstanding. However, we
and the trustee may not modify the indenture without the consent of each holder affected if the
modification:
v | reduces the principal or rate of interest, or changes the demand nature or waives any payment of principal and interest on any Bond; |
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v | reduces the percentage of Bond holders whose consent to a waiver or modification is required; | ||
v | affects the subordination provisions of the indenture in a manner that adversely affects the rights of any holder; or | ||
v | waives any event of default in the payment of principal or interest on any Bond. |
Without action by you, we and the trustee may amend the indenture or enter into supplemental
indentures to clarify any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency in the indenture, to provide for the
assumption of the Bonds by any successor to us, to make any change to the indenture that does not
adversely affect the legal rights of any Bond holders, or to comply with the requirements of the
Trust Indenture Act. We will give written notice to you of any amendment or supplement to the
indenture or Bonds.
Place and Method of Payment
We will pay principal and interest on the Bonds at our principal executive offices, or at such
other place as we may designate for that purpose; provided, however, that if we make payments by
check, they will be mailed to you at your address appearing in the Bond register maintained by the
registrar.
Events of Default
An event of default is defined in the indenture as follows:
v | a default in payment of principal and interest on the Bonds when presented for payment or redemption which default has not been cured for 30 days; | ||
v | our becoming subject to certain events of bankruptcy or insolvency; or | ||
v | our failure to comply with any agreements or covenants in or provisions of the Bonds or the indenture which failure is not cured or waived within 60 days after we have received notice of such failure from the trustee or from the holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Bonds. |
If an event of default occurs and is continuing, the trustee or the holders of at least 25% in
principal amount of the then-outstanding Bonds may declare the principal and accrued interest on
all outstanding Bonds due and payable. If such a declaration is made we are required to pay the
principal and interest on all outstanding Bonds immediately, so long as any contractual obligation
of the Senior Debt, if any, does not prohibit us from doing so. We are required to file annually
with the trustee an officers certificate that certifies the absence of defaults under the terms of
the indenture. We are also required to file with the trustee and the paying agent prompt notice of
an event of default under the indenture and any default related to any Senior Debt.
The indenture provides that the holders of a majority of the aggregate principal amount of the
Bonds at the time outstanding may, on behalf of all holders, waive any existing event of default or
compliance with any provision of the indenture or the Bonds, except a default in payment of
principal and interest on the Bonds or an event of default with respect to a provision that cannot
be amended without the consent of each affected holder. In addition, the trustee may waive an
existing event of default or compliance with any provision of the indenture or Bonds, except in
payments of principal and interest on the Bonds, if the trustee in good faith determines that a
waiver or consent is in the best interests of the holders of the Bonds.
If an event of default occurs and is continuing, the trustee is required to exercise the rights and
duties vested in it by the indenture and to use the same degree of care and skill as a prudent
person would exercise under the circumstances in the conduct of his or her affairs. The trustee
however, is under no obligation to perform any duty or exercise any right under the indenture at
the request, order or direction of Bond holders unless the trustee receives indemnity satisfactory
to it against any loss, liability or expense. Subject to such provisions for the indemnification of
the trustee, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the Bonds at the time outstanding
have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy
available to the trustee. The
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indenture effectively limits the right of an individual Bond holder to institute legal proceedings
in the event of our default.
Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture
The indenture may be discharged upon the payment of all Bonds outstanding thereunder or upon
deposit in trust of funds sufficient for such payment and compliance with certain formal procedures
set forth in the indenture.
Reports
We plan to file annual reports containing audited financial statements and quarterly reports
containing unaudited financial information for the first three fiscal quarters of each fiscal year
with the Securities and Exchange Commission while the registration statement containing this
Prospectus is effective and as long thereafter as we are required to do so. Copies of such reports
will be sent to any Bond holder upon written request.
Service Charges
We reserve the right to assess service charges and fees for issuing Bonds to replace lost or stolen
Bonds or to transfer a Bond.
Transfer
You may not transfer any Bond until the registrar has received, among other things, appropriate
endorsements and transfer documents, and any taxes and fees required by law or permitted by the
indenture. The registrar is not required to transfer any Bond for a period beginning 15 days before
the date notice is mailed of the redemption of such Bond and ending on the date of redemption of
such Bond.
Concerning the Trustee
The indenture contains certain limitations on the right of the trustee, should it become one of our
creditors, to obtain payment of claims in certain cases, or to realize on certain property with
respect to any such claim as security or otherwise. The trustee will be permitted to engage in
other transactions; however, if it acquires certain conflicting interests and if any of the
indenture securities are in default, it must eliminate such conflict or resign.
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DESCRIPTION OF EXISTING CAPITAL STOCK
General
Our authorized capital stock consists of 151,000,000 Common Shares, $0.01 par value, and 50,000
shares of Preferred Stock. Out of the 151,000,000 Common Shares authorized, 1,000,000 shares have
been classified as Series A Common Stock and 150,000,000 shares have been classified by the Board
as Series B Common Stock.
Common Shares
As of the original date of this Prospectus, 121,606,643 Common Shares (including options which are
vested and exercisable by the Companys directors and officers within 60 days) were issued and
outstanding. Of the issued and outstanding common shares, 1,000,000 were Series A and the
remainder as Series B. TF owns, on a fully diluted basis taking into consideration all stock
options that have been granted as of the original date of this Prospectus, 100% of the issued and
outstanding Series A Common Stock of the Company.
The holders of shares of our Series A Common Shares are entitled to seven votes per share for each
Series B Common Shares voted on any matter that comes before the shareholders. Cumulative voting
is not authorized. Holders of shares of our Series A or B Common Shares do not have preemptive
rights to purchase securities that we may subsequently issue. Subject to preferences that may be
applicable to any outstanding preferred stock, the holders of our Common Shares are entitled to
receive such dividends as may be declared by our Board out of funds legally available for payment
of dividends. However, we do not anticipate paying dividends in the foreseeable future to holders
of our Common Shares. In the event of liquidation, dissolution and winding up of affairs, the
holders of our outstanding shares will be entitled to a pro rata share according to their
respective interests in our assets and funds remaining after payment of our debts and other
liabilities, and the liquidation preference of any outstanding Preferred Stock. All of our shares
of Common Shares currently outstanding are fully paid and nonassessable.
Preferred Stock
As of the original date of this Prospectus, there were 36,642.67 preferred shares issued and
outstanding. The holders of our Preferred Stock are entitled and subject to the following:
v | Redemption. The Company shall have the right to redeem, at any time, Preferred Shares at the stated rate of $1,000.00 per share (Stated Rate). At a minimum, however, the Company shall make certain redemption payments based upon profitability as set forth in detail below. | ||
v | Cumulating Dividend. Holders of Preferred Stock shall be entitled to an annual cumulating dividend equal to $120.00 per share based on Stated Rate. Quarterly payment of the cumulating dividend, if any, shall be made pursuant to the Companys level of profitability. To the extent such dividend is not paid in cash on a quarterly basis it shall accrue for payment at a future date but in no event shall any holder of Common Stock receive a dividend until the holders of Preferred Shares have received all cumulating dividends in arrears and such Preferred Shares are redeemed in full. | ||
v | Redemption and Dividend Payments. The holders of shares of Preferred Stock, in preference to the holders of Common Stock, shall be entitled to receive, when, as and if declared by the Board of Directors out of funds legally available for the purpose, quarterly dividends and/or redemptions payable in cash on the first day of May, August, November and February in each year (each such date being referred to herein as a Quarterly Dividend Payment Date), commencing on the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date after the first issuance of a share or fraction of a share of Preferred Stock, in an amount per share (rounded to the nearest cent) equal to one divided by the total number of Preferred Shares outstanding multiplied by fifty percent (50%) of the Companys net operating after tax income, as determined by the Company, using generally accepted accounting principles consistently applied. To the extent such payment exceeds the cumulative dividend accrual, it shall be construed as a redemption payment. For example, if the dividends |
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in arrears for one Preferred Share are $240.00 per share and the preferred shareholder receives a quarterly payment of $740.00, the Company will have effectively redeemed one-half (1/2) of a Preferred Share. | |||
v | Cumulating Dividend Accrual. Dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative on outstanding shares of Preferred Stock from the Quarterly Dividend Payment Date next preceding the date of issue of such shares, unless the date of issue of such shares is prior to the record date for the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in which case dividends on such shares shall begin to accrue from the date of issue of such shares, or unless the date of issue is a Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or is a date after the record date for the determination of holders of shares of Preferred Stock entitled to receive a quarterly dividend and before such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in either of which events such dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative from such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date. Accrued but unpaid dividends shall not bear interest. Dividends paid on the shares of Preferred Stock in an amount less than the total amount of such dividends at the time accrued and payable on such shares shall be allocated pro rata on a share-by-share basis among all such shares at the time outstanding. The Board of Directors may fix a record date for the determination of holders of shares of Preferred Stock entitled to receive payment of a dividend or distribution declared thereon, which record date shall be not more than sixty (60) days prior to the date fixed for the payment thereof. | ||
v | Voting Rights. The holders of shares of Preferred Stock have very limited, if any, voting rights and their consent is not required to take corporate action. | ||
v | Payments to Holders of Preferred Stock upon Liquidation. In the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, the holders of shares of Preferred Stock then outstanding shall be entitled to be paid out of the assets of the Company available for distribution to its stockholders before any payment shall be made to the holders of the Common Stock by reason of their ownership thereof, an amount per share equal to Stated Value plus accumulated but unpaid dividends. If upon any such liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, the assets of the Company available for distribution to its stockholders shall be insufficient to pay the holders of shares of Preferred Stock the full amount to which they shall be entitled the holders of shares of Preferred Stock shall share ratably, based on number of Preferred Shares owned, in any distribution of the assets available for distribution. |
Outstanding Stock Options and Warrants
As of the original date of this Prospectus, the Company has granted outstanding non-qualified stock
options to its directors and officers to acquire 11,845,700 Series B Common Shares in the Company,
of which 6,845,700 are vested and exercisable by the Companys directors and officers within 60
days, and 5,000,000 are exercisable after the Company raises $200,000,000 in new securities. These
options expire on the tenth anniversary of the date of grant with exercise prices of between $0.01
and $0.01625 per share.
We have reserved 4,500,000 shares of our Common Shares for stock awards to be made under the
Incentive Plan. No option award grants have been made under the Incentive Plan as of the original
date of this Prospectus.
Delaware Anti-Takeover Law
We are subject to Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law. Section 203 generally
prohibits a public Delaware corporation from engaging in a business combination with an
interested stockholder for a period of three years after the date of the transaction in which the
person became an interested stockholder, unless:
v | prior to the date of the transaction, the board of directors of the corporation approved either the business combination or the transaction which resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder; | ||
v | the interested stockholder owned at least 85% of the voting stock of the corporation outstanding at the time the transaction commenced, excluding for purposes of determining the number of shares outstanding (a) shares owned by persons who are directors and also officers and (b) shares owned by employee stock plans in which employee participants do not have the right to determine confidentially whether shares held subject to the plan will be tendered in a tender or exchange offer; or |
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v | on or subsequent to the date of the transaction, the business combination is approved by the board and authorized at an annual or special meeting of stockholders, and not by written consent, by the affirmative vote of at least 662/3 of the outstanding voting stock which is not owned by the interested stockholder. |
Section 203 defines a business combination to include:
v | any merger or consolidation involving the corporation and the interested stockholder; | ||
v | any sale, transfer, pledge or other disposition involving the interested stockholder of 10% or more of the assets of the corporation; | ||
v | subject to exceptions, any transaction that results in the issuance or transfer by the corporation of any stock of the corporation to the interested stockholder; | ||
v | subject to exceptions, any transaction involving the corporation that has the effect of increasing the proportionate share of the stock of any class or series of the corporation beneficially owned by the interested stockholder; and | ||
v | the receipt by the interested stockholder of the benefit of any loans, advances, guarantees, pledges or other financial benefits provided by or through the corporation. |
In general, Section 203 defines an interested stockholder as any entity or person beneficially
owning 15% or more of the outstanding voting stock of the corporation and any entity or person
affiliated with or controlling or controlled by the entity or person.
TF has been an interested stockholder since September 30, 2009 and is subject to the
restrictions.
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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
We are offering up to $100,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of the Bonds. The Bonds will
initially be distributed by the Companys executive officers and directors. The Company, however,
in the short term, will endeavor to secure placement agent agreements with independent
broker-dealers to distribute the Bonds without an underwriter and on a continuous basis. In the
long term, the Company desires to secure an underwriter.
We intend that future broker-dealers will be paid a selling commission of up to a maximum of 4% -
this commission is paid by us and not by the purchaser of the Bonds (and accordingly, the
commission is not a reduction in the amount invested by a purchaser of the Bonds nor a reduction of
the yield on the principal of the Bonds).
In addition, we may market the offering by advertisements in print and electronic media, oral
solicitations and other methods, all in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including
securities laws. We may offer the Bonds through our executive officers and directors only if they
are in compliance with Rule 3a4-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and all applicable
state securities laws. Our executive officers and directors will not receive any additional cash
compensation or commissions for their selling efforts.
The Bonds are not listed on any securities exchange and there is no established trading market for
the Bonds.
LEGAL MATTERS
The validity of the Bonds being offered by this Prospectus will be passed upon for us by DC Law
Chartered.
EXPERTS
The financial statements included in this Prospectus and in the registration statement have been
audited as follows: for years ended December 31, 2007, and 2008, by L.L. Bradford & Company, LLC an
independent registered public accounting firm, to the extent and for the period set forth in their
report appearing in this amendment to the registration statement.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We have filed with the SEC, Washington, D.C., a registration statement on Form S-1 under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended, with respect to the Bonds offered by this Prospectus. This
prospectus does not contain all of the information set forth in the registration statement and the
exhibits and schedules thereto. Certain items are omitted in accordance with the rules and
regulations of the SEC. For further information about us and our Bonds sold in this offering, refer
to the registration statement and the exhibits and schedules filed therewith. Statements contained
in this Prospectus as to the contents of any contract or other document referred to are not
necessarily complete and in each instance, if such contract or document is filed as an exhibit,
reference is made to the copy of such contract or other documents filed as an exhibit to the
registration statement.
Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 Sections 13 and 15(d), periodic and current reports must
be filed with the SEC. We electronically file the following reports with the SEC: Form 10-K
(Annual Report), Form 10-Q (Quarterly Report), and Form 8-K (Current Report).
A copy of the registration statement, including the exhibits and schedules thereto, or any of the
periodic reports we are required to file under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, may be read
and copied at the SECs Public Reference Room at 100 F Street NE, Washington, D.C. 20549.
Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling the SEC at
1-800-SEC-0330. In addition, the SEC maintains an Internet site at www.sec.gov, from which
interested persons can electronically access the registration statement, including the exhibits and
schedules thereto.
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PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
Item 13. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution.
The following table sets forth expenses and costs payable by the Registrant expected to be incurred
in connection with the issuance and distribution of the securities described in this registration
statement. All amounts are estimated except for the Securities and Exchange Commissions
registration fee.
Amount | ||||
Registration fee under Securities Act |
$ | 11,771 | ||
Legal fees and expenses |
250,000 | * | ||
Accounting fees and expenses |
72,000 | * | ||
Printing expenses |
40,000 | * | ||
Trustee and administrator fees |
58,000 | * | ||
Miscellaneous expenses |
90,000 | * | ||
Total |
$ | 521,771 | ||
* | estimated at time of this prospectus |
|
| includes marketing and blue sky filing expenses |
Item 14. Indemnification of Directors and Officers
The Registrant is organized under the laws of the State of Delaware and is governed by the Delaware
General Corporation Law, as in effect or hereafter amended (the DGCL). The DGCL requires that the
Registrant indemnify a director or officer as follows: [t]o the extent that a present or former
director or officer of a corporation has been successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of
any action, suit or proceeding referred to in subsections (a) or (b) of this section, or in defense
of any claim, issue or matter therein, such person shall be indemnified against expenses (including
attorneys fees) actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection therewith.
The DGCL provides that the Registrant may indemnify a director or officer who is a party to a
proceeding against liability incurred in the proceeding if: (i) the director or officer acted in
good faith; and (ii) in a manner the director or officer reasonably believed to be in or not
opposed to the best interests of the corporation; and (iii) in the case of any criminal action or
proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe such conduct was unlawful.
The Registrants Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation provides that no director
shall be personally liable to the Registrant or any of its stockholders for any monetary damages
for any breach of fiduciary duty by such director, except to the extent provided by applicable law
(i) for a breach of the directors duty of loyalty to the Registrant or its stockholders, (ii) for
acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation
of law, (iii) pursuant to Section 174 of the DGCL, or (iv) for any transaction from which the
director derived an improper personal benefit. These provisions may limit the Registrant and its
shareholders from holding a director personally liable for certain acts or omissions.
The Registrant may maintain directors and officers liability insurance, which insures against
liabilities that directors or officers of the Registrant may incur in such capacities.
Item 15. Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities
Issuance of the Companys Series A common stock and Companys Series B common stock
On June 30, 2009, the Company and Transactional Finance, LLC, the sole member of the general
partner of Capital Solutions Monthly Income Fund, L.P, entered into a Membership Interest Purchase
Agreement whereby the Company acquired 100% of the membership interest in CS Fund General Partner,
LLC (the general partner of the fund) in exchange for 1,000,000 shares of the Companys Series A
common stock and 36,333,993 of the Companys
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Series B common stock. Pursuant to the Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation,
the Companys Series A common stock has seven votes per share for each three shares of Series B
stock, and the Companys series B common stock has one vote per share. As a result of the
Membership Interest Purchase Agreement, Transactional Finance, LLC has 70% of the voting control of
the Company.
The offer and sale of the securities was made in reliance upon exemptions from the registration
requirements pursuant to Section 4(2) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. No commission
was paid for the issuance of the common stock.
Issuance of the Companys preferred stock
On June 30, 2009, the Company purchased a $40 million limited partnership interest in Capital
Solutions Monthly Income Fund, L.P. by issuing 36,642.67 shares of preferred stock of True North
Finance Corporation to the fund. The preferred stock issued to the fund has a 12% cumulative
annual dividend, and is entitled to up to one-half of the cash net income (the other half to be
held by the Company as retained earnings) of the Company for the payment of the 12% cumulative
dividend and redemptions. The Company may not pay any dividend to its common stock unless and
until the preferred stock has been paid its cumulative dividend and the preferred stock has been
fully redeemed by the Company. The preferred stock is also callable by the Company at the price of
$1,000 per share.
As a result of this purchase of a limited partnership interest in the fund and the purchase of CS
Fund General Partner, LLC (the general partner of the fund), the Company controls the fund. On
June 30, 2009, the general partner of the fund elected to make an in-kind distribution, to all
limited partners other than the Company, of the preferred stock the fund received from the Company.
Thereafter, the former limited partners of the fund will constitute 100% of the issued and
outstanding preferred stock of the Company.
The offer and sale of the securities to the fund was made in reliance upon exemptions from the
registration requirements pursuant to Section 4(2) under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended. No commission was paid for the issuance of the preferred stock.
Issuance of the Companys Five Year Notes
On August 1, 2009, the Company sold $200,000 of Five Year Notes Series A to Christopher Clouser,
a Director of the Company, in a single private transaction. The offer and sale of the notes was
made in reliance upon exemptions from the registration requirements pursuant to Section 4(2) under
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. No commission was paid for the issuance of the notes.
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Item 16. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules.
The following documents are filed as exhibits to this registration statement:
Exhibit No. | Description | Method of Filing | ||
2.1
|
Membership Interest Purchase Agreement | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 1.1 of the current report on Form 10-Q dated August 14, 2009. | ||
3.1
|
Articles of Incorporation of CS Financing Corporation | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 of the current report on Form S-1 dated November 16, 2005. | ||
3.12
|
Bylaws of CS Financing Corporation | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.12 of the current report on Form S-1 dated November 16, 2005. | ||
3.2
|
Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 of the current report on Form 8-K dated July 1, 2009. | ||
4.1
|
Form of Indenture | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 of the current report on Form S-1 dated November 16, 2005. | ||
4.2
|
Form of 5 Year Note | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 of the current report on Form S-1 dated November 16, 2005. | ||
5
|
Opinion regarding legality | Filed herewith. | ||
10.1
|
Termination Agreement by and between the Company and Hennessey Financial LLC dated December 4, 2008 | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the current report on Form 10-K dated March 31, 2009. | ||
10.2
|
Termination Agreement by and between the Company, Hennessey Financial LLC and Capital Solutions Monthly Income Fund, LP dated December 4, 2008 | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 of the current report on Form 10-K dated March 31, 2009. | ||
10.3
|
Director Nonqualified Stock Option Agreement with Michael Bozora dated January 1, 2006 | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 of the current report on Form 10-K dated March 31, 2009. | ||
10.4
|
Amendment to Director Nonqualified Stock Option Agreement with Michael Bozora dated December 3, 2008 | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 of the current report on Form 10-K dated March 31, 2009. | ||
10.5
|
Employee Nonqualified Stock Option Agreement with Michael Bozora dated January 1, 2006 | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 of the current report on Form 10-K dated March 31, 2009. | ||
10.6
|
Amendment to Employee Nonqualified Stock Option Agreement with Michael Bozora dated December 3, 2008 | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.6 of the current report on Form 10-K dated March 31, 2009. | ||
10.7
|
Director Nonqualified Stock Option Agreement with Timothy Redpath dated January 1, 2006 | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.7 of the current report on Form 10-K dated March 31, 2009. | ||
10.8
|
Amendment to Director Nonqualified Stock Option Agreement with Timothy Redpath dated December 3, 2008 | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.8 of the current report on Form 10-K dated March 31, 2009. | ||
10.9
|
Employee Nonqualified Stock Option Agreement with Timothy Redpath dated January 1, 2006 | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.9 of the current report on Form 10-K dated March 31, 2009. |
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Exhibit No. | Description | Method of Filing | ||
10.10
|
Amendment to Employee Nonqualified Stock Option Agreement with Timothy Redpath dated December 3, 2008 | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.10 of the current report on Form 10-K dated March 31, 2009. | ||
10.11
|
Director Nonqualified Stock Option Agreement with Marie Jorajuria dated December 3, 2008 | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.11 of the current report on Form 10-K dated March 31, 2009. | ||
10.12
|
Director Nonqualified Stock Option Agreement with David Weild dated December 3, 2008 | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.12 of the current report on Form 10-K dated March 31, 2009. | ||
10.13
|
Amendment to Director Nonqualified Stock Option Agreement for Dean Mark Brosche dated December 3, 2008 | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.13 of the current report on Form 10-K dated March 31, 2009. | ||
10.14
|
Amendment to Director Nonqualified Stock Option Agreement for Alfred Williams dated December 3, 2008 | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.14 of the current report on Form 10-K dated March 31, 2009. | ||
10.15
|
Employee Nonqualified Stock Option Agreement with Theodore Ammiro dated December 3, 2008 | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.15 of the current report on Form 10-K dated March 31, 2009. | ||
10.16
|
Employee Nonqualified Stock Option Agreement with Richard Dobson dated December 3, 2008 | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.16 of the current report on Form 10-K dated March 31, 2009. | ||
10.17
|
Employee Nonqualified Stock Option Agreement with Andrew Regalia dated December 3, 2008 | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.17 of the current report on Form 10-K dated March 31, 2009. | ||
10.18
|
Employee Nonqualified Stock Option Agreement with Mark Williams dated December 3, 2008 | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.18 of the current report on Form 10-K dated March 31, 2009. | ||
10.19
|
CS Financing Corporation 2008 Incentive Plan | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.19 of the current report on Form 10-K dated March 31, 2009. | ||
10.20
|
Employment Agreement between the Company and Michael Bozora dated January 16, 2009 | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.20 of the current report on Form 10-K dated March 31, 2009. | ||
10.21
|
Employment Agreement between the Company and Timothy Redpath dated January 16, 2009 | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.21 of the current report on Form 10-K dated March 31, 2009. | ||
10.22
|
Professional Services Agreement between the Company and Mark Williams | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.22 of the current report on Form 10-K dated March 31, 2009. | ||
10.23
|
Consulting Agreement between the Company and The National Research Exchange, Inc. dated August 1, 2008 | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.23 of the current report on Form 10-K dated March 31, 2009. | ||
10.24
|
Addendum to Employment Agreement between Company and Michael Bozora | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.24 of the current report on Form 10-K dated March 31, 2009. | ||
10.25
|
Addendum to Employment Agreement between Company and Timothy Redpath | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.25 of the current report on Form 10-K dated March 31, 2009. | ||
10.26
|
Employment Agreement with Christopher Clouser | Filed herewith. | ||
10.27
|
Consulting Agreement with Real Equity Solutions, Inc. | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.13 of the current report on Form 10-K dated March 31, 2009. |
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Exhibit No. | Description | Method of Filing | ||
16.1
|
Change in Certifying Accountant | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 16.1 of the current report on Form 10-Q dated March 11, 2007. | ||
21
|
Subsidiaries of the Registrant | Filed herewith. | ||
23.1
|
Consent of US Bank | Filed herewith. | ||
23.2
|
Consent of L.L. Bradford & Company, LLC | Filed herewith. | ||
23.3
|
Consent of DC Law Chartered | Filed herewith. | ||
24
|
Power of Attorney | Filed herewith. | ||
25
|
Statement of Eligibility of Trustee | Filed herewith. | ||
99.1
|
Unaudited Financial Statements of True North Finance Corporation for the nine months ended September 30, 2009 | Incorporated by reference to current report on Form 10-Q dated November 16, 2009. | ||
99.2
|
Audited Financial Statements of CS Financing Corporation as of December 31, 2007 and December 31, 2008 | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.2 of the current report on Form S-1/A dated October 9, 2009. | ||
99.3
|
Audited Financial Statements of CS Fund General Partner, LLC as of December 31, 2007 | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.3 of the current report on Form S-1/A dated October 9, 2009. | ||
99.4
|
Audited Financial Statements of CS Fund General Partner, LLC as of December 31, 2008 | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.4 of the current report on Form S-1/A dated October 9, 2009. |
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Item 17. Undertakings.
The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:
1. | To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement: |
(i) | To include any prospectus required by section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933 (the Act); | ||
(ii) | To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the Calculation of Registration Fee table in the effective registration statement; and | ||
(iii) | To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement. |
2. | That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. | |
3. | To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering. | |
4. | That insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act of 1933 and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question of whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act of 1933 and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue. | |
5. | That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser: |
(i) | If the registrant is relying on Rule 430B (Section 230.430B of this chapter): |
A. | Each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(6)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and | ||
B. | Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii), or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by section 10(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used |
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after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date; or |
(ii) | If the registrant is subject to Rule 430C, each prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(6) as part of a registration statement relating to an offering, other than registration statements relying on Rule 430B or other than prospectuses filed in reliance on Rule 430A, shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the date it is first used after effectiveness. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such first use, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such date of first use. |
6. | That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities: The undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned 11-3 registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser: |
(i) | Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424; | ||
(ii) | Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant; | ||
(iii) | The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and | ||
(iv) | Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser. |
The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to file an application for the purpose of determining
the eligibility of the trustee to act under subsection (a) of section 310 of the Trust Indenture
Act (Act) in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed by the Commission under section
305(b)2 of the Act.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Act may be permitted to directors,
officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or
otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange
Commission (SEC) such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is,
therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities
(other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or
controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding)
is asserted by such director,
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officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant
will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent,
submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is
against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of
such issue.
The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes to file an application for the purpose of determining
the eligibility of the trustee to act under subsection (a) of Section 310 of the Trust Indenture
Act of 1939, as amended, in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed by the SEC under
Section 305(b)(2) thereof.
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant has duly caused this
registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in
the City of Minneapolis, State of Minnesota, on November 20, 2009.
TRUE NORTH FINANCE CORPORATION |
||||
By: | /s/ Todd A. Duckson | |||
Todd A. Duckson | ||||
President of the Company | ||||
TRUE NORTH FINANCE CORPORATION |
||||
By: | /s/ Mark Williams | |||
Mark Williams | ||||
Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) |
||||
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been
signed by the following persons in the capacities and on November 20, 2009.
TRUE NORTH FINANCE CORPORATION |
||||
By: | /s/ Todd A. Duckson | |||
Todd A. Duckson | ||||
President of the Company | ||||
TRUE NORTH FINANCE CORPORATION |
||||
By: | /s/ Mark Williams | |||
Mark Williams | ||||
Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) |
||||
TRUE NORTH FINANCE CORPORATION |
||||
By: | /s/ Todd A. Duckson | |||
Todd A. Duckson | ||||
Director | ||||
TRUE NORTH FINANCE CORPORATION |
||||
By: | /s/ Christopher E. Clouser | |||
Christopher E. Clouser | ||||
Director | ||||
TRUE NORTH FINANCE CORPORATION |
||||
By: | /s/ Timothy R. Redpath | |||
Timothy R. Redpath | ||||
Director | ||||
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Table of Contents
TRUE NORTH FINANCE CORPORATION |
||||
By: | /s/ John O. Klinkenberg | |||
John O. Klinkenberg | ||||
Director | ||||
TRUE NORTH FINANCE CORPORATION |
||||
By: | /s/ Philip A. Jones | |||
Philip A. Jones | ||||
Director | ||||
TRUE NORTH FINANCE CORPORATION |
||||
By: | ||||
Mannie Jackson | ||||
Director | ||||
TRUE NORTH FINANCE CORPORATION |
||||
By: | ||||
Constantine Macricostas | ||||
Director | ||||
TRUE NORTH FINANCE CORPORATION |
||||
By: | ||||
Richard B. Hirst | ||||
Director | ||||
TRUE NORTH FINANCE CORPORATION |
||||
By: | ||||
Douglas A. Lennick | ||||
Director | ||||
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Exhibit No. | Description | Method of Filing | ||
2.1
|
Membership Interest Purchase Agreement | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 1.1 of the current report on Form 10-Q dated August 14, 2009. | ||
3.1
|
Articles of Incorporation of CS Financing Corporation | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 of the current report on Form S-1 dated November 16, 2005. | ||
3.12
|
Bylaws of CS Financing Corporation | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.12 of the current report on Form S-1 dated November 16, 2005. | ||
3.2
|
Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 of the current report on Form 8-K dated July 1, 2009. | ||
4.1
|
Form of Indenture | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 of the current report on Form S-1 dated November 16, 2005. | ||
4.2
|
Form of 5 Year Note | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 of the current report on Form S-1 dated November 16, 2005. | ||
5
|
Opinion regarding legality | Filed herewith. | ||
10.1
|
Termination Agreement by and between the Company and Hennessey Financial LLC dated December 4, 2008 | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the current report on Form 10-K dated March 31, 2009. | ||
10.2
|
Termination Agreement by and between the Company, Hennessey Financial LLC and Capital Solutions Monthly Income Fund, LP dated December 4, 2008 | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 of the current report on Form 10-K dated March 31, 2009. | ||
10.3
|
Director Nonqualified Stock Option Agreement with Michael Bozora dated January 1, 2006 | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 of the current report on Form 10-K dated March 31, 2009. | ||
10.4
|
Amendment to Director Nonqualified Stock Option Agreement with Michael Bozora dated December 3, 2008 | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 of the current report on Form 10-K dated March 31, 2009. | ||
10.5
|
Employee Nonqualified Stock Option Agreement with Michael Bozora dated January 1, 2006 | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 of the current report on Form 10-K dated March 31, 2009. | ||
10.6
|
Amendment to Employee Nonqualified Stock Option Agreement with Michael Bozora dated December 3, 2008 | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.6 of the current report on Form 10-K dated March 31, 2009. | ||
10.7
|
Director Nonqualified Stock Option Agreement with Timothy Redpath dated January 1, 2006 | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.7 of the current report on Form 10-K dated March 31, 2009. | ||
10.8
|
Amendment to Director Nonqualified Stock Option Agreement with Timothy Redpath dated December 3, 2008 | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.8 of the current report on Form 10-K dated March 31, 2009. | ||
10.9
|
Employee Nonqualified Stock Option Agreement with Timothy Redpath dated January 1, 2006 | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.9 of the current report on Form 10-K dated March 31, 2009. | ||
10.10
|
Amendment to Employee Nonqualified Stock Option Agreement with Timothy Redpath dated December 3, 2008 | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.10 of the current report on Form 10-K dated March 31, 2009. |
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Table of Contents
Exhibit No. | Description | Method of Filing | ||
10.11
|
Director Nonqualified Stock Option Agreement with Marie Jorajuria dated December 3, 2008 | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.11 of the current report on Form 10-K dated March 31, 2009. | ||
10.12
|
Director Nonqualified Stock Option Agreement with David Weild dated December 3, 2008 | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.12 of the current report on Form 10-K dated March 31, 2009. | ||
10.13
|
Amendment to Director Nonqualified Stock Option Agreement for Dean Mark Brosche dated December 3, 2008 | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.13 of the current report on Form 10-K dated March 31, 2009. | ||
10.14
|
Amendment to Director Nonqualified Stock Option Agreement for Alfred Williams dated December 3, 2008 | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.14 of the current report on Form 10-K dated March 31, 2009. | ||
10.15
|
Employee Nonqualified Stock Option Agreement with Theodore Ammiro dated December 3, 2008 | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.15 of the current report on Form 10-K dated March 31, 2009. | ||
10.16
|
Employee Nonqualified Stock Option Agreement with Richard Dobson dated December 3, 2008 | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.16 of the current report on Form 10-K dated March 31, 2009. | ||
10.17
|
Employee Nonqualified Stock Option Agreement with Andrew Regalia dated December 3, 2008 | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.17 of the current report on Form 10-K dated March 31, 2009. | ||
10.18
|
Employee Nonqualified Stock Option Agreement with Mark Williams dated December 3, 2008 | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.18 of the current report on Form 10-K dated March 31, 2009. | ||
10.19
|
CS Financing Corporation 2008 Incentive Plan | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.19 of the current report on Form 10-K dated March 31, 2009. | ||
10.20
|
Employment Agreement between the Company and Michael Bozora dated January 16, 2009 | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.20 of the current report on Form 10-K dated March 31, 2009. | ||
10.21
|
Employment Agreement between the Company and Timothy Redpath dated January 16, 2009 | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.21 of the current report on Form 10-K dated March 31, 2009. | ||
10.22
|
Professional Services Agreement between the Company and Mark Williams | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.22 of the current report on Form 10-K dated March 31, 2009. | ||
10.23
|
Consulting Agreement between the Company and The National Research Exchange, Inc. dated August 1, 2008 | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.23 of the current report on Form 10-K dated March 31, 2009. | ||
10.24
|
Addendum to Employment Agreement between Company and Michael Bozora | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.24 of the current report on Form 10-K dated March 31, 2009. | ||
10.25
|
Addendum to Employment Agreement between Company and Timothy Redpath | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.25 of the current report on Form 10-K dated March 31, 2009. | ||
10.26
|
Employment Agreement with Christopher Clouser | Filed herewith. | ||
10.27
|
Consulting Agreement with Real Equity Solutions, Inc. | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.13 of the current report on Form 10-K dated March 31, 2009. | ||
16.1
|
Change in Certifying Accountant | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 16.1 of the current report on Form 10-Q dated March 11, 2007. |
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Table of Contents
Exhibit No. | Description | Method of Filing | ||
21
|
Subsidiaries of the Registrant | Filed herewith. | ||
23.1
|
Consent of US Bank | Filed herewith. | ||
23.2
|
Consent of L.L. Bradford & Company, LLC | Filed herewith. | ||
23.3
|
Consent of DC Law Chartered | Filed herewith. | ||
24
|
Power of Attorney | Filed herewith. | ||
25
|
Statement of Eligibility of Trustee | Filed herewith. | ||
99.1
|
Unaudited Financial Statements of True North Finance Corporation for the nine months ended September 30, 2009 | Incorporated by reference to current report on Form 10-Q dated November 16, 2009. | ||
99.2
|
Audited Financial Statements of CS Financing Corporation as of December 31, 2007 and December 31, 2008 | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.2 of the current report on Form S-1/A dated October 9, 2009. | ||
99.3
|
Audited Financial Statements of CS Fund General Partner, LLC as of December 31, 2007 | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.3 of the current report on Form S-1/A dated October 9, 2009. | ||
99.4
|
Audited Financial Statements of CS Fund General Partner, LLC as of December 31, 2008 | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.4 of the current report on Form S-1/A dated October 9, 2009. |
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