Contractual interests in legal recovery |
12 Months Ended | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Dec. 31, 2022 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Contractual interests in legal recovery |
Note 10 - Contractual interests in legal recovery
Electrum was the plaintiff in a certain legal action captioned Electrum Partners, LLC, Plaintiff, and Aurora Cannabis Inc., Defendant, in the Supreme Court of British Columbia (“Litigation”). On October 23, 2018, Mentor entered into a Joint Prosecution Agreement among Mentor, Mentor’s corporate legal counsel, Electrum, and Electrum’s legal counsel.
On October 30, 2018, Mentor entered into a Recovery Purchase Agreement (“Recovery Agreement”) with Electrum under which Mentor purchased a portion of Electrum’s potential recovery in the Litigation. Mentor agreed to pay $100,000 of costs incurred in the Litigation, in consideration for ten percent (10%) of anything of value received by Electrum as a result of the Litigation (“Recovery”) in addition to repayment of its initial investment. As of September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, Mentor invested an additional $96,666 and $96,666, respectively, of capital in Electrum for payment of legal retainers and fees in consideration for an additional nine percent (9%) of the Recovery. On November 18, 2022, Electrum repaid $196,666 to the Company pursuant to a certain November 14, 2022 Settlement Agreement and Mutual Release, following the Company’s October 21, 2022 lawsuit against Electrum and the escrow agent in the County of San Mateo. At December 31, 2022 and 2021, the Recovery Agreement investment was reported in the consolidated balance sheets at $0 and $196,666, respectively
On October 31, 2018, Mentor also entered into a secured Capital Agreement with Electrum under which Mentor invested an additional $100,000 of capital in Electrum. In consideration for Mentor’s investment, Electrum agreed to pay Mentor, on the payment date, the sum of (i) $100,000, (ii) ten percent of the Recovery, and (iii) 0.083334% of the Recovery for each full month from October 31, 2018 to the payment date for each full month that $833 is not paid to Mentor. Payment was secured by all assets of Electrum. The payment date under the October 31, 2018 Capital Agreement was the earlier of November 1, 2021, or the final resolution of the Litigation. Due to the coronavirus and the resulting delay in the trial date of the Litigation, on November 1, 2021 the parties amended the October 31, 2018 Capital Agreement for the purpose of extending the payment to the earlier of November 1, 2023, or the final resolution of the Litigation and increased the monthly payment payable by Electrum to $834. On November 18, 2022, Electrum repaid $100,000 to the Company pursuant to a certain November 14, 2022 Settlement Agreement and Mutual Release, following the Company’s October 21, 2022 lawsuit against Electrum and the escrow agent in the County of San Mateo. This investment is included at cost of $0 and $100,000 in Contractual interests in legal recoveries on the consolidated balance sheets at December 31, 2022 and 2021.
On January 28, 2019, Mentor entered into a second secured Capital Agreement with Electrum. Under the second Capital Agreement, Mentor invested an additional $100,000 of capital in Electrum. In consideration for Mentor’s investment, Electrum agreed to pay Mentor on the payment date the sum of (i) $100,000, (ii) ten percent (10%) of the Recovery, and (iii) the greater of (A) 0.083334% of the Recovery for each full month from the date hereof until the payment date if the Recovery occurs prior to the payment date, and (B) $833 for each full month from the date hereof until the payment date. The payment date was the earlier of November 1, 2021, and the final resolution of the Litigation. On November 1, 2021, the parties amended the January 28, 2019 Capital Agreement to extend the payment date to the earlier of November 1, 2023, or the final resolution of the Litigation and increased the monthly payment payable by Electrum to $834. On November 18, 2022, Electrum repaid $100,000 to the Company pursuant to a certain November 14, 2022 Settlement Agreement and Mutual Release, following the Company’s October 21, 2022 lawsuit against Electrum and the escrow agent in the County of San Mateo. This investment is included at its $0 and $100,000 cost as part of the Contractual interests in legal recoveries on the consolidated balance sheets at December 31, 2022 and 2021.
In addition, the January 28, 2019 Capital Agreement provides that Mentor may, at any time up to and including 90 days following the payment date, elect to convert its 6,198 membership interests in Electrum into a cash payment of $194,028 plus an additional 19.4% of the Recovery. On November 18, 2022, Electrum repaid $63,324 to the Company pursuant to a certain November 14, 2022 Settlement Agreement and Mutual Release, following the Company’s October 21, 2022 lawsuit against Electrum and the escrow agent in the County of San Mateo. The Company had 0 and 6,198 Electrum membership interest units and 0% and 6.69% equity interest in Electrum at December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
On or about September 14, 2022, Electrum and Aurora Cannabis, Inc. settled the Litigation claims and Electrum received CAD $800,000, or approximately USD $584,000, in settlement funds from Aurora Cannabis, Inc. (“Settlement Funds”), which had been placed in escrow. Pursuant to an escrow agreement entered into by and between Electrum, Mentor, and the escrow agent, Mentor was to be paid amounts due and owing to it under the Capital Agreements and Recovery Purchase Agreements from the Settlement Funds before any remaining amounts are to be distributed to Electrum. However, such payment was not received. On or about September 20, 2022, the escrow agent resigned, and Electrum refused to agree to a successor escrow agent in accordance with the terms of the escrow agreement. On October 21, 2022, the Company filed suit against the escrow agent, Electrum, and Does 1 through 10, seeking declaratory relief from the California Superior Court in the County of San Mateo that the escrow agent shall either distribute the Settlement Funds or transfer the Settlement Funds to the successor escrow agent, all in accordance with the escrow agreement.
On November 18, 2022, Electrum repaid $459,990 to the Company pursuant to a certain November 14, 2022 Settlement Agreement and Mutual Release, following the Company’s October 21, 2022 lawsuit against Electrum and the escrow agent in the County of San Mateo. The Company applied $196,666 to the Recovery Purchase Agreement, $200,000 to the Capital Agreements, and the remaining $63,324 to its $194,028 equity interest in Electrum, resulting in a $130,704 loss on the Company’s investment in Electrum.
Mentor Capital, Inc. Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements December 31, 2022 and 2021
The Company’s interest in the Electrum Partners, LLC legal recovery, carried at cost, at December 31, 2022 and 2021 is summarized as follows:
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