Debt

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2021

Debt

NOTE 9 - Debt

On April 30, 2019, the Company entered into a $25.0 million Revolving Credit and Security Agreement (“PNC Credit Agreement”) with PNC Bank, N.A. (“PNC”) as agent, and the Company’s U.S. subsidiaries Car.com, Inc., Autobytel, Inc., and AW GUA USA, Inc. (“Company U.S. Subsidiaries”). The obligations under the PNC Credit Agreement were guaranteed by the Company’s U.S. subsidiaries and secured by a first priority lien on all of the Company’s and the Company U.S. subsidiaries’ tangible and intangible assets. The PNC Credit Agreement provided a subfacility of up to $5.0 million for letters of credit. The PNC Credit Agreement was to expire on April 30, 2022.

The interest rates per annum applicable to borrowings under the PNC Credit Agreement were, at the Company’s option (subject to certain conditions), equal to either a domestic rate (“Domestic Rate Loans”) or a LIBOR rate for one, two, or three-month interest periods chosen by the Company (“LIBOR Rate Loans”), plus the applicable margin percentage of 2% for Domestic Rate Loans and 3% for LIBOR Rate Loans. The domestic rate for Domestic Rate Loans would be the highest of (i) the base commercial lending rate of the lender, (ii) the overnight bank funding rate plus 0.50%, or (iii) the LIBOR rate plus 1.00% so long as the daily LIBOR rate is offered, ascertainable and not unlawful. The PNC Credit Agreement also provided for commitment fees ranging from 0.5% to 1.5% applied to unused funds (with the applicable fee based on quarterly average borrowings) but with the fees fixed at 1.5% until September 30, 2019. Fees for letters of credit were to be equal to 3% for LIBOR Rate Loans, with a fronting fee for each Letter of Credit in an amount equal to 0.5% of the daily average aggregate undrawn amount of all letters of credit outstanding. The Company was required to maintain a $5.0 million pledged interest-bearing deposit account with the lender until the Company’s consolidated EBITDA is greater than $10.0 million.

On October 29, 2019, the Company, the Company’s U.S. subsidiaries, and PNC entered into a First Amendment to the PNC Credit Agreement (“PNC Credit Agreement First Amendment”) that provided for an amended financial covenant related to the Company’s minimum required EBITDA (as defined in the PNC Credit Agreement). This amended financial covenant required the Company to maintain its consolidated EBITDA (as defined in the PNC Credit Agreement) at stated minimum levels (i) of $0.7 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2019; (ii) $250,000for the month of October 2019; (iii) $600,000 for the two months ended November 30, 2019; and ranging from $3.6 million to $7.5 million for the later periods set forth in the PNC Credit Agreement First Amendment during the remaining term of the PNC Credit Agreement. In addition, the PNC Credit Agreement First Amendment added a new financial covenant requiring the Company to maintain at least a 1.20 to 1.00 Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio (as defined in the PNC Credit Agreement First Amendment) for the periods set forth in the PNC Credit Agreement First Amendment. If the Company failed to comply with the minimum EBITDA requirements or the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio, the Company had the right to cure (“Cure Right”) through the application of the proceeds from the sale of new equity interests in the Company, subject to the conditions set forth in the PNC Credit Agreement First Amendment. The Cure Right could not be exercised more than three times during the term of the PNC Credit Agreement and any proceeds from a sale of equity interests could not be less than the greater of (i) the amount required to cure the applicable default; and (ii) $500,000.

On January 16, 2020, the Company received a notice of event of default and reservation of rights (“Default Notice”) from PNC Bank under the PNC Credit Agreement advising the Company that an event of default had occurred and was continuing under Section 10.3 of the PNC Credit Agreement by reason of the Company’s failure to deliver to PNC the financial statements and related compliance certificate for the month ended November 30, 2019. Although not covered by the Default Notice at the time, the Company also was not in compliance with the minimum EBITDA financial covenant under the PNC Credit Agreement. As a result of the Default Notice, PNC increased the interest rate under the PNC Credit Agreement by 2.0% per annum.

On March 26, 2020, the Company fully paid the PNC Credit Agreement, at which time it was terminated, and in conjunction with the termination of the PNC Credit Agreement, on March 26, 2020, the Company entered into a $20.0 million Loan, Security and Guarantee Agreement (“CNC Credit Agreement”) with CIT Northbridge Credit LLC, as agent (the “Agent”), and the Company’s U.S. subsidiaries. The CNC Credit Agreement provides for a $20.0 million revolving credit facility with borrowings subject to availability based primarily on limits of 85% of eligible billed accounts receivable and 75% against eligible unbilled accounts receivable. The obligations under the CNC Credit Agreement are guaranteed by the Company’s U.S. subsidiaries and secured by a first priority lien on all of the Company’s and the Company’s U.S. subsidiaries’ tangible and intangible assets. The CNC Credit Agreement has an average minimum borrowing usage requirement of an average of $10,000,000.

As of June 30, 2021, the Company had $10.2 million outstanding under the CNC Credit Agreement and approximately $2.2 million of net availability. To increase the borrowing base sufficient enough to meet the minimum borrowing usage requirement, the Company on June 29, 2020, placed $3.0 million into a restricted cash account that provided for greater availability under the CNC Credit Agreement. The Company placed an additional $1.0 million into the same restricted cash account in December 2020. The Company can borrow up to97.5% of the total restricted cash amount. The restricted cash accrues interest at a variable rate currently averaging 0.25% per annum.

Financing costs related to the CNC Credit Agreement, net of accumulated amortization, of approximately $0.3 million, have been deferred over the initial term of the loan and are included in other assets as of June 30, 2021. The interest rate per annum applicable to borrowings under the CNC Credit Agreement is the LIBO plus 5.5%. The LIBO Rate is equal to the greater of (i) 1.75%, and (ii) the rate determined by the Agent to be equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (1) the LIBO Base Rate (i.e., the rate per annum determined by Agent to be the offered rate that appears on the applicable Bloomberg page) for the applicable LIBOR Loan for the applicable interest period by (2) one minus the Eurodollar Reserve Percentage (i.e., the reserve percentage in effect under regulations issued from time to time by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System for determining the maximum reserve requirement with respect to Eurocurrency funding for the applicable LIBOR Loan for the applicable interest period). If adequate and reasonable means do not exist for ascertaining or the LIBOR rate is no longer available, the Company and the Agent may amend the CNC Credit Agreement to replace LIBOR with an alternate benchmark rate. If no LIBOR successor rate is determined, the obligation of the lenders to make or maintain LIBOR loans will be suspended and the LIBO Base Rate component will no longer be utilized in determining the base rate. 

If, due to any circumstance affecting the London interbank market, the Agent determines that adequate and fair means do not exist for ascertaining the LIBO Rate on any applicable date (and such circumstances that are identified in the next two paragraphs below are not covered or governed by such provisions below), then until the Agent determines that such circumstance no longer exists, the obligation of lenders to make LIBOR Loans will be suspended and, if requested by the Agent, the Company must promptly, at its option, either (i) pay all such affected LIBOR Loans or (ii) convert such affected LIBOR Loans into loans that bear reference to the Base Rate plus the Applicable Margin.

If the Agent determines that for any reason (i) dollar deposits are not being offered to banks in the London interbank Eurodollar market for the applicable loan amount or applicable interest period, (ii) adequate and reasonable means do not exist for determining the LIBO Rate for the applicable interest period, or (iii) LIBOR for the applicable interest period does not adequately and fairly reflect the cost to the lenders of funding a loan, then the lenders’ obligation to make or maintain LIBOR Loans will be suspended to the extent of the affected LIBOR Loan or interest period until all such loans are converted to loans bearing interest at the Base Rate (as defined below) plus the Applicable Margin (as specified below).

However, if Agent determines that (i) adequate and reasonable means do not exist for ascertaining LIBOR for any requested interest period and such circumstances are unlikely to be temporary; (ii) the administrator of the LIBOR screen rate or a governmental authority having jurisdiction over the Agent has made a public statement identifying a specific date after which LIBOR or the LIBOR screen rate shall no longer be made available, or used for determining the interest rate of loans (“Scheduled Unavailability Date”); or (iii) syndicated loans currently being executed, or that include language similar to that contained in this paragraph are being executed or amended to incorporate or adopt a new benchmark interest rate to replace LIBOR, then Agent and the Company may amend the CNC Credit Agreement to replace LIBOR with an alternate benchmark rate (“LIBOR Successor Rate”) and any such amendment will become effective unless lenders holding more than 50% in value of the loans or commitments under the CNC Credit Agreement do not accept such amendment. If no LIBOR Successor Rate has been determined and the circumstances under clause (i) above exist or the Scheduled Unavailability Date has occurred, (x) the obligation of lenders to make or maintain LIBOR Loans will be suspended (to the extent of the affected LIBOR Loans or interest periods), and (y) the LIBO Base Rate component will no longer be utilized in determining the Base Rate. The Base Rate for any day is a fluctuating rate per annum equal to the highest of: (i) the Federal Funds Rate plus 1/2 of 1%; (ii) the rate of interest in effect for such day as publicly announced from time to time by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. as its “prime rate” in effect for such day; or (iii) the most recently available LIBO Base Rate (as adjusted by any minimum LIBO Rate floor) plus 1%. The Applicable Margin is equal to 5.50%. The CNC Credit Agreement expires on March 26, 2023.

On July 30, 2021, the Company and the Agent entered into a Second Amendment to and Consent Under Loan, Security and Guarantee Agreement (“Credit Facility Amendment”). The Credit Facility Amendment provides for: (i) the Agent’s and lenders’ consent to the CarZeus Purchase Transaction; (ii) the inclusion of the Purchaser as a guarantor, obligor, and pledgor under the Credit Facility Agreement upon the satisfaction of certain conditions; and (iii) a new permitted use of borrowings under the Credit Facility Agreement that will allow Purchaser to acquire used vehicle inventories, which this new use of borrowings is limited in the amount of: (a) $1.5 million prior to Purchaser becoming a guarantor, obligor, and pledgor under the Credit Facility Agreement; and (b) $3.0 million subsequent to Purchaser becoming a guarantor, obligor, and pledgor under the Credit Facility Agreement.

On April 16, 2020, the Company received a Paycheck Protection Program loan (“PPP Loan”) in the amount of approximately $1.38 million from PNC pursuant to the PPP administered by the United States Small Business Administration (“SBA”) under the CARES Act.

On January 13, 2021, the Company received a notice from PNC Bank regarding forgiveness of the loan in the principal amount of approximately $1.38 million that was made to the Company pursuant to the SBA PPP under the CARES Act of 2020. The notice states that SBA has remitted to PNC a loan forgiveness payment equal to $1.39 million, which constitutes full payment and forgiveness of the principal amount of the PPP loan and all accrued interest. In January 2021, the Company recognized the forgiveness of the PPP Loan on its Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations.

            On June 10, 2020, the Company entered into a thirty-six-month equipment financing agreement (“Financing Agreement”) with Dimension Funding LLC. The Financing Agreement provides for an advance payment of approximately $170,000 to be used to secure furniture and fixtures for the Company’s new office location in Irvine, California. Payments of approximately $5,300 (inclusive of imputed interest) are made monthly under the Financing Agreement. As of June 30, 2021, the Company has paid approximately $78,000. The Financing Agreement will mature on December 31, 2022.

The Company’s future commitments under the Financing Agreement as of June 30, 2021, are as follows:

Year
2021 (remaining 6 months)		28
2022		64
Total financing debt	$	92