Note 18 – Commitments and contingencies

On May 28, 2019, the Company and Mentor Partner I, LLC filed suit against the G Farma Entities and three guarantors to the G Farma agreements, summarized above, in the California Superior Court in and for the County of Marin. The Company primarily sought monetary damages for breach of the G Farma agreements, including promissory notes, leases, and other agreements, to recover collateral under a security agreement and to collect from guarantors on the agreements. The Company obtained, in January 2020, a writ of possession to recover leased equipment within G Farma’s possession. On January 31, 2020, all remaining equipment leased to G Farma by Mentor Partner I was repossessed by the Company. In the quarter ended June 30, 2020, the Company sold all of the recovered equipment, with an original cost of $622,670, for net proceeds of $249,481, after deducting shipping and delivery costs. All proceeds from the sale of repossessed equipment have been applied to the G Farma lease receivable balance that is fully reserved at September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022.

On November 4, 2020, the Court granted Mentor Capital, Inc.’s and Mentor Partner I’s motion for summary adjudication as to both causes of action against G FarmaLabs Limited for liability for breach of the two promissory notes and one cause of action against each of Mr. Gonzalez and Ms. Gonzalez related to their duties as guarantors of G FarmaLabs Limited’s obligations under the promissory notes.

On August 27, 2021, the Company and Mentor Partner I entered into a Settlement Agreement and Mutual Release with the G Farma Entities and guarantors (collectively, “G Farma Settlors”) to resolve and settle all outstanding claims (“Settlement Agreement”). The Settlement Agreement requires the G Farma Settlors to pay the Company an aggregate of $500,000 plus interest, payable monthly as follows: (i) $500 per month for 12 months beginning on September 5, 2021, (ii) $1,000 per month for 12 months beginning September 5, 2022, (iii) $2,000 per month for 12 months beginning September 5, 2023, and (iv) increasing by an additional $1,000 per month on each succeeding September 5^th thereafter, until the settlement amount and accrued unpaid interest is paid in full. Interest on the unpaid balance shall initially accrue at the rate of 4.25%, commencing February 25, 2021, and shall be adjusted on February 25^th of each year to equal the Prime Rate as published in the Wall Street Journal plus 1%. In the event that the G Farma Settlors fail to make any monthly payment and have not cured such default within 10 days of notice from the Company, the parties have stipulated that an additional $2,000,000 will be immediately added to the amount payable by the G Farma Settlors.

In August, September, and October 2022, the G Farma Settlors failed to make monthly payments, and failed to cure each default within 10 days’ notice from Company pursuant to the Settlement Agreement. As a result, $2,000,000 was added to the amount payable by the G Farma Settlors in accordance with the terms of the Settlement Agreement. The Company and Partner I sought entry of a stipulated judgment against the G Farma Settlors for (1) the remaining amount of the $500,000 settlement amount which has not yet been paid by the G Farma Settlors plus $2,000,000 and all accrued unpaid interest, (2) the Company’s incurred costs, and (3) attorneys’ fees paid by the Company to obtain the judgment. On July 11, 2023, the Court entered judgment against the G Farma Settlors and in favor of Mentor and Partner I in the amount of $2,539,597, which is comprised of $2,494,450 of the default settlement amount (calculated as the settlement payment, less payments made by the G Farma Settlors, plus the default addition) plus accrued and unpaid interest of $40,219, costs of $1,643, and attorneys’ fees of $3,285 incurred by Mentor and Mentor Partner I in connection with obtaining the judgement. The judgment also accrues post-judgment interest at the rate of 10% from July 11, 2023 until such time as the judgment is paid in full.

The Company has retained the full reserve on the unpaid notes receivable balance and collections of the unpaid lease receivable balance due to the long history of uncertain payments from G Farma and the G Farma Settlors. Payments from the G Farma Settlors will be recognized in Other Income as they are received. Recovery payments of $0 and $3,550 are included in other income in the consolidated financial statements for the year ended September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively. The $2,539,597 judgment and interest receivable of $56,358 for the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2023 is fully reserved pending the outcome of the Company’s collection process. See Notes 1, 9, and 20. [See also Notes 8, 9, and 20, to the Company’s Annual Report for the period ended December 31, 2022 on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 28, 2023 for a discussion of the reserve against the finance lease receivable.]