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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2024
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Use of Estimates

Use of estimates

The preparation of the Company’s unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, as well as the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Management bases its estimates and judgments on historical experience and various other factors that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Significant estimates include the assessment of collectability of revenue recognized and the valuation of accounts receivable and notes receivable, inventory, investments, goodwill and intangible assets, liabilities, deferred income tax assets and liabilities, including projecting future years’ taxable income, and stock-based compensation. These estimates have the potential to significantly impact our condensed consolidated interim financial statements, either because of the significance of the financial statement item to which they relate, or because they require judgment and estimation due to the uncertainty involved in measuring, at a specific point in time, events that are continuous in nature.

Revenue Recognition

Revenue recognition

The Company recognizes revenue in accordance with ASC Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASC 606”) and ASC Topic 310, Receivables (“ASC 310”).

Services revenue generally consists of commissions and fees from providing auction services, appraisals, brokering of sales transactions, and secured lending. Asset sales revenue generally consists of proceeds obtained through sales of purchased assets. With the exception of revenue generated within our Specialty Lending segment, revenue is recognized for both services revenue and asset sales revenue based on the ASC 606 standard recognition model, which consists of the following: (1) an agreement exists between two or more parties that creates enforceable rights and obligations, (2) the performance obligations are clearly identified, (3) the transaction price has been determined, (4) the transaction price has been properly allocated to each performance obligation, and (5) the entity satisfies a performance obligation by transferring a promised good or service to a customer for each of the entities.

All services and asset sales revenue from contracts with customers consists of three reportable segments: Auction and Liquidation, Refurbishment & Resale, and Brokerage. Generally, revenue is recognized at the point in time in which the performance obligation has been satisfied and full consideration is received. The exception to recognition at a point in time occurs when certain contracts provide for advance payments recognized over a period of time. Services revenue recognized over a period of time is not material in comparison to total revenues (less than 1% of total revenues for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023), and therefore not reported on a disaggregated basis. Further, as certain contracts stipulate that the customer make advance payments, amounts not recognized within the reporting period are considered deferred revenue and the Company’s “contract liability”. The deferred revenue balance was approximately $0.3 million as of March 31, 2024 and $0.5 million as of December 31, 2023 and is reflected in accounts payable and accrued liabilities on the condensed consolidated balance sheets. The deferred revenue balance is primarily related to customer deposits on asset sales within the Refurbishment & Resale segment. The Company records receivables in certain situations based on timing of payments for Auction and Liquidation transactions held at the end of the reporting period; however, revenue is generally recognized in the period that the Company satisfies the performance obligation and cash is collected. The Company does not record a “contract asset” for partially satisfied performance obligations.

For auction services and brokerage sale transactions, funds are typically collected from buyers and are held by the Company on the seller's behalf. The funds are included in cash and cash equivalents in the condensed consolidated balance sheets. The Company releases the funds to the seller, less the Company's commission and other fees due, after the buyer has accepted the goods. The amount of cash held on behalf of the sellers is recorded as payables to sellers in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets.

The Company evaluates revenue from Auction and Liquidation and Brokerage segment transactions in accordance with the accounting guidance to determine whether to report such revenue on a gross or net basis. The Company has determined that it acts as an agent for its fee based transactions and therefore reports the revenue from transactions in which the Company acts as an agent on a net basis.

The Company also earns income through transactions that involve the Company acting jointly with one or more additional purchasers or lenders, pursuant to a partnership, joint venture or limited liability company (“LLC”) agreement (collectively, “Joint Ventures”). For these transactions, in which the Company’s ownership share meets the criteria for the equity method investments under ASC Topic 323, Equity Method and Joint Ventures, the Company does not record revenue or expense. Instead, the Company’s proportionate share of the net income (loss) is reported as earnings of equity method investments. In general, the Joint Ventures apply the same revenue recognition and other accounting policies as the Company.

Through our Specialty Lending segment, the Company provides specialty financing solutions to investors in charged-off and nonperforming asset portfolios. The Company recognizes revenue generated by lending activity in accordance with ASC 310. Fees collected in relation to the issuance of loans include loan origination fees, interest income, portfolio monitoring fees, and a backend profit share percentage related to the underlying asset portfolio.

The loan origination fees are offset with any direct origination costs and are deferred upon issuance of the loan and amortized over the lives of the related loans, as an adjustment to interest income. The interest method is used to arrive at a periodic interest cost (including amortization) that will represent a level effective rate on the sum of the face amount of the debt and (plus or minus) the unamortized premium or discount and expense at the beginning of each period.

The monitoring fees and the backend profit share are considered a separate earnings process as compared to the origination fees and interest income. Monitoring fees are recorded at the agreed upon rate, and at the moment in which payments are made by the borrower. The backend profit share is recognized in accordance with the agreed upon rate at the time in which the amount is realizable and earned. The recognition policy was established due to the uncertainty of timing of the amount of backend profit share which will be realized.

Specialty Lending - Concentration and Credit risk

Specialty Lending - Concentration and credit risk

As of March 31, 2024, the Company held a gross balance of investments in notes receivable of $37.3 million, recorded in both notes receivable and equity method investments, and consisting of one borrower’s note balance of approximately $23.4 million, or 63% as of March 31, 2024, as compared to 62% as of December 31, 2023. The Company does not intend to hold highly concentrated balances due from one borrower as part of its long-term strategy but may, in the short term, have concentration risk on its path to an established and diversified portfolio.

The Company does not evaluate concentration risk solely based on balance due from specific borrowers, but also considers the number of portfolio purchases, type of charged off accounts within the portfolio, and the seller of the portfolio when determining the overall risk. Of the balance due from one borrower of $23.4 million, there are 11 distinct loan agreements. The underlying portfolio of accounts are diversified throughout FinTech loans, installment loans and credit card accounts, and further diversified amongst six separate sellers of these charged off portfolios.

The Company mitigates this concentration risk by requiring, and monitoring, security from each borrower consisting of their charged off and nonperforming receivable portfolios. The Company engages in a due diligence process that leverages its valuation expertise and knowledge in the underlying nonperforming receivable portfolios marketplace. In the event of default, the Company is entitled to call the unpaid interest and principal balances and receive all net collections directly. The Company may also recover its investment by engaging a third party to collect on the underlying charged off or nonperforming receivable portfolio or the underlying portfolio can be sold through the Company's Brokerage segment. In certain cases, the Company’s recovery options may be subject to concurrence of the originator or other prior holder of the assets.

From inception of the specialty lending program through March 31, 2024, the Company has incurred no actual credit losses.
Accounts Receivable

Accounts receivable

The Company carries accounts receivable at the face amounts less an allowance for estimated credit losses. The Company estimates its reserve for credit losses using relevant available information from internal and external sources relating to past events, current conditions and reasonable and supportable forecasts.

The Company only extends credit to entities and institutions of significance, such as well-known academic and financial institutions and U.S. government agencies. Consequently, historical accounts receivable credit losses are nearly zero, which provides the starting point for management’s assessment of the reserve for credit losses for its accounts receivable. The Company estimates its expected credit losses for accounts receivable based on historical credit loss experience, its assessment of current conditions, and other relevant available information from internal and external sources on a quarterly basis.

As of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, the reserve for credit losses related to accounts receivable was approximately $0.1 million.

Notes Receivable

Notes receivable

Under ASC 326, the Company evaluates notes receivable as a single pool, for individual notes receivable and borrowers with similar risk characteristics. Notes receivable and borrowers that do not share risk characteristics are evaluated on an individual basis. Management estimates the reserve balance using relevant available information from internal and external sources relating to past events, current conditions and reasonable and supportable forecasts. Historical credit loss experience typically provides the basis for an estimation of expected credit losses; however, the Company lacks sufficient data upon which to base a historical estimation.

Additionally, since the Company began recording notes receivable on the condensed consolidated balance sheets, the Company has recorded no actual credit losses to notes receivable.

Lacking historical internal data upon which to base a reserve for credit losses to notes receivable, the Company, under ASC 326, estimates its reserve using external credit loss experience data. Management observes that the Company's notes receivable are similar in character to transactions undertaken by smaller banking institutions. The Company estimates its expected credit losses based on the Scaled Current Expected Credit Loss (CECL) Allowance Loss Estimator ("SCALE rate") available from the Federal Reserve. The SCALE rate methodology is endorsed by the FASB and the Conference of State Bank Supervisors. Management determined under ASC 326 that the SCALE rate, a generally applicable rate, may be appropriately adjusted by its assessment of observable facts and relevant circumstances indicating that the factors analyzed in the determination of the SCALE rate may not conform to the Company's operations and borrower assessments.

As of March 31, 2024, the SCALE rate was 1.3861% and the Company's credit loss allowance rate specific to notes receivable was 3.6%. The increase over the SCALE rate was due to both the above mentioned risks presented by a concentrated balance with a single borrower and declining collections industry-wide. As of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, the Company's allowance for credit losses related to notes receivable outstanding was $0.6 million and $0.7 million, respectively. In order to evaluate the need for an adjustment to the receivable balance related to credit losses, or impairment, the Company performs a review of all outstanding loan receivables on a quarterly basis to determine if any indicators exist that suggest the loan will not be fully recoverable and assess the credit quality of the loan receivables. This review includes monthly and cumulative key performance indicators for each loan and borrower, as well as evaluation of borrower's financial condition.

Equity Method Investments

Equity method investments

Similar to notes receivable, the loans held by the joint ventures are evaluated on a quarterly basis to determine if an adjustment to the allowance for credit losses is needed.

As of March 31, 2024, the SCALE rate was 1.3861% and the credit loss allowance rate specific to equity method investments was 4.4%. The increase over the SCALE rate was due to both the above mentioned risks presented by a concentrated balance with a single borrower and declining collections industry-wide. As of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, the Company's allowance for credit losses related to its equity method investments was $0.9 million.

Future Accounting Pronouncements

Future accounting pronouncements

In November 2023, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued ASU 2023-07, "Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures" ("ASU 2023-07"), which, among other updates, requires enhanced disclosures about significant segment expenses regularly provided to the chief operating decision maker, as well as the aggregate amount of other segment items included in the reported measure of segment profit or loss. ASU 2023-07 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, and for interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024, and requires retrospective adoption. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is evaluating the impact of ASU 2023-07 on its consolidated financial statements and the related disclosures.

In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09, "Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures" ("ASU 2023-09"), which requires enhanced annual disclosures with respect to the rate reconciliation and income taxes paid information. ASU 2023-09 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024, and may be adopted on a prospective or retrospective basis. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is evaluating the impact of ASU 2023-07 on its consolidated financial statements and the related disclosures.