Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

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RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]  
RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

NOTE 8 RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

 

During the year ended December 31, 2017, Sanford Lang, the Company’s former Chairman and CEO, advanced STCB $289,821 to pay for general operating expenses. The advance required a monthly interest payment of $2,545 and was due on demand. In June 2021, Mr. Lang and Mr. Goldrod executed agreements with STCB whereby the advance from Mr. Lang and all other amounts owed to each were repaid and both Mr. Lang and Mr. Goldrod resigned from the Board. Further, for a period of 36 months beginning in July 2021, STCB agreed to repurchase an aggregate of $10,950 worth of shares each month from Mr. Lang and Mr. Goldrod, with the share price for each purchase to be set according to the volume weighted average trading price of the common stock over the last 10 days of the month. In the three months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, STCB paid an aggregate of zero and $32,850, respectively, to Mr. Lang and Mr. Goldrod. In the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, STCB paid an aggregate of zero and $65,700, respectively, to Mr. Lang and Mr. Goldrod. As of March 31, 2024, the Company settled final repurchase transfers of 1,862,154 shares in the amount of $328,500. The share repurchases were recorded as treasury stock payable on the balance sheet. The foregoing agreements have been terminated and are no longer in force or effect.

 

Ross Sklar, CEO Notes

 

On August 11, 2023, the Company issued to Sklar a consolidated secured promissory note (the “Consolidated Secured Promissory Note”) in the principal sum of $4,000,000, with a maturity date of December 31, 2024. The Consolidated Secured Promissory Note carries a floating interest rate comprised of the Wall Street Journal Prime Rate (re-assessed on the first date of each month (plus 2%), and is secured by an amended and restated consolidated security agreement (the “Amended and Restated Consolidated Security Agreement”), by and between the Company and Sklar, dated August 11, 2023, The Consolidated Secured Promissory Note consolidated the outstanding loan obligations of the Company to Sklar evidenced pursuant to (i) the January 24, 2020 Amended Note, (ii) the June 28, 2021 Note, (iii) the September 17, 2021 Note, (iv) the December 13, 2021 Note, (v) the December 29, 2022 Note, and (vi) the March 3, 2023 Note, as summarized in the table below. The Amended and Restated Consolidated Security Agreement merged and integrated the December 29, 2022 Security Agreement and the March 3, 2023 Security Agreement, and provides a security interest in the Collateral (as defined in the Amended and Restated Consolidated Security Agreement) to secure the repayment of all principal, interest, costs, expenses and other amounts then or thereafter due under the Consolidated Secured Promissory Note until by the maturity date. Sklar was authorized to file financing statements to perfect the security interest in the Collateral without authentication by the Company. The following table represents Prior Notes that were part of the restructuring and related prior and updated terms (under the Consolidated Secured Promissory Note): 

 

    Original     Original   Original     Revised   Revised  
    Balance     maturity   rate     maturity   rate  
January 24, 2020 Amended Note   $ 100,000     7/19/2023     4 %   12/31/2024     Prime + 2 %
June 28, 2021 Note     100,000     6/28/2023     4 %   12/31/2024     Prime + 2 %
September 17, 2021 Note     500,000     9/17/2023     4 %   12/31/2024     Prime + 2 %
December 13, 2021 Note     500,000     12/13/2023     4 %   12/31/2024     Prime + 2 %
December 29, 2022 Note     2,000,000     8/1/2023     Prime + 4 %   12/31/2024     Prime + 2 %
March 3, 2023 Note     800,000     7/1/2023     Prime + 4 %   12/31/2024     Prime + 2 %
    $ 4,000,000 (1)                        

 

(1) Note that $1,527,500 of this total was repaid to Mr. Sklar from proceeds under the Gibraltar Loan (see Loan Security Agreement – Related Party below).

 

The restructuring is accounted for as a debt modification. On May 31, 2024, the Consolidated Secured Promissory Note was amended by that certain Amendment to Consolidated Secure Promissory Note, by and between STCB and Mr. Sklar, dated May 31, 2024 (the “2024 Consolidated Note Amendment” and together with the Consolidated Secured Promissory Note, the “Amended Consolidated Secured Promissory Note”). The 2024 Consolidated Note Amendment, among other things, extended the maturity date to August 31, 2026, provided that to the extent amounts remain due and payable on the maturity date, it will be extended until August 31, 2027.

 

The Company also issued a February 14, 2022 Note to Sklar in the principal amount of $472,500 that was not included in the note consolidation. On May 10, 2024, the Company and Sklar entered into an amendment to the February 14, 2022 Note to extend the maturity date of the February 14, 2022 Note to December 31, 2024.

 

The February 14, 2022 Note bore interest at 4% per annum, was unsecured, and was to mature two years from the original date of issuance. This note may also convert into shares of Company common stock at the 10-day volume weighted average trading price of the Company common stock for the 10-day period prior to the issuance of the Note, which was calculated as $0.29 per share. The February 14, 2022 Note was repaid in full from proceeds under the Gibraltar Loan and the Company has no further obligations under such note.

 

Loan Security Agreement – Related Party

 

On May 24, 2024, the Company entered into the Loan and Security Agreement, which allowed the Company to reduce long-term debt and expand its access to working capital (see Note 6). In connection with the Loan and Security Agreement, the Lender required Mr. Sklar to enter into a subordination agreement pursuant to which Mr. Sklar’s rights under (i) the February 14, 2022 Note, as amended and (ii) the Consolidated Secured Promissory Note would be subordinated to the lender’s rights under the Loan and Security Agreement.

 

In exchange for the subordination of and the maturity extension reflected in the Amended Consolidated Secured Promissory Note, $2,000,000 of the revolving loan available cash under the Loan and Security Agreement was used to repay the February 14, 2022 Note in its entirety and to pay down the interest and a portion of principal balance on the Amended Consolidated Secured Promissory Note. As of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, the outstanding principal due to Mr. Sklar under outstanding notes was $2,472,500 and $4,472,500, respectively. As of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, there was no accrued interest due on these notes.

 

 

For the three months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, the outstanding notes held by Mr. Sklar incurred interest expense of $65,437 and $105,105, respectively; for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, the outstanding notes held by Mr. Sklar incurred interest expense of $266,261 and $283,088, respectively.

 

Operating Lease – Related Party

 

On May 1, 2024, the Company entered into the Citrus Lease with a lessor who is a related party (see Note 3 and Note 11 for additional information) for the rental of the second and third floors of a premise containing approximately 3,000 square feet located at 706 N. Citrus Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038. The lease was classified as an operating lease and has a monthly base rent of $10,000 per month, with a base rent increase of 5% each year. There is an option for the Company to renew for an additional three years with notice given within 90 days before the end of the term.

 

In accordance with ASC 842 - Leases, the Company recognized an ROU asset and corresponding lease liability for $587,914 on the condensed consolidated balance sheet for long-term office leases, as well as lease expense of $34,010 and $56,683 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, respectively. See Note 11 – Leases for further discussion, including the impact on the condensed consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

 

Other Related Party Transactions

 

During the three months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, the Company recognized revenue from related parties of $1,480,007 and $2,463,542, respectively; during the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, the Company recognized revenue from related parties of $4,731,430 and $8,201,377, respectively. There were $3,106,669 and $2,625,713 of accounts receivable and accrued accounts receivable from TSG and Temperance Distilling Company (“Temperance”) as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively. All revenues earned in relation to these accounts receivable is from related parties, TSG and Temperance. Sklar serves as the Chairman of Temperance.

 

During the three months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, the Company received contributed services at a value of approximately zero and $6,672, respectively; during the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, the Company received contributed services at a value of approximately zero and $45,450, respectively. Such costs have been expensed and recorded as additional paid-in capital in the period the services were provided.