Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Commitments and Contingencies

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Commitments and Contingencies
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2017
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies

9. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

 

OPERATING LEASE

 

On February 28, 2017, the Company vacated the Phoenix, Arizona space and has no further obligation in connection with the sublease.

 

On March 20, 2017, in connection with the Company’s Miami Beach, Florida lease, the Company’s landlord filed a complaint for eviction with the Miami-Dade County Court against the Company as a result of the Company’s default under the lease for failing to pay rent, operating expenses and sales taxes of approximately $175,000, which represents the Company’s obligations under the lease through March 31, 2017, which was accrued for as of September 30, 2017. As a result of the action taken by the landlord, the Company accrued an additional $300,000 as of September 30, 2017, which represents the present value of the Company’s rent obligation through the end of the lease.

  

On May 22, 2017, the Company entered into a lease for 11,457 square feet of office and warehouse space in Phoenix, Arizona beginning June 1, 2017 and ending July 31, 2019. Monthly lease payments range from approximately $6,300 to $6,600 (with the Company paying approximately $6,300 in total during the first three months of the lease) for a total of approximately $155,000 for the total term of the lease.

 

Total rent expense, net of sublease income, for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 was $39,976 and $117,194, respectively, and is recorded in other operating expenses on the condensed consolidated statements of operations. Total rent expense for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016, was $34,100 and $205,091, respectively, and is recorded in other operating expenses on the condensed consolidated statements of operations.

 

TAXES

 

The Company has not filed its Federal and State corporate income tax returns for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2015 and 2016. The Company has sustained losses for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2015 and 2016. The Company has determined that no tax liability, other than required minimums, has been incurred.

 

The Company is also delinquent in filing and, in certain instances, paying sales taxes collected from customers in specific states that impose a tax on sales of the Company’s products. The Company accrued an approximate $227,000 and $218,000 liability as of September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively, related to this matter.

 

The Company is currently delinquent in remitting approximately $577,000 and $244,000 as of September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively, of federal and state payroll taxes withheld from employees. On August 15, 2017, the Company sent a letter to the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) notifying the IRS of its intention to resolve the delinquent taxes upon the receipt of additional working capital.

 

LITIGATION AND DISPUTES

 

On July 28, 2015, a Notice of Arbitration was received stating ITT Cannon has a dispute with Blink Network for the manufacturing and purchase of 6,500 charging cables by Blink Network, which had not taken delivery or made payment on the contract price of $737,425. ITT Cannon also seeks to be paid the cost of attorney’s fees as well as punitive damages. On June 13, 2017, Blink Network and ITT Cannon agreed to a settlement agreement under which the parties agreed to the following: (a) the Blink Network purchase order dated May 7, 2014 for 6,500 charging cables is terminated, cancelled and voided; (b) three (3) business days following the closing date of a public offering of the Company’s securities and listing of such securities on the Nasdaq Capital Market, the Company shall issue to ITT Cannon shares of the same class of the Company’s securities with an aggregate value of $200,000 (which was accrued at September 30, 2017); and (c) within seven (7) calendar days of the valid issuance of the shares in item (b) above, ITT Cannon shall ship and provide the remaining 6,500 charging cables to Blink Network and dismiss the arbitration without prejudice. If the public offering is not completed the settlement agreement will be terminated.

 

On April 8, 2016, Douglas Stein filed a Petition for Fee Arbitration with the State Bar of Georgia against the Company for breach of contract for failure to pay invoices in the amount of $178,893 for legal work provided. The invoices have been accrued for in the periods in which the services were provided. The Company has responded to the claim and is simultaneously pursuing settlement options. The parties failed to settle after numerous attempts. On February 15, 2017, the case was brought to the Georgia Arbitration Committee. On February 26, 2017, The Stein Law firm was awarded a summary judgment for $178,893, which has been confirmed and converted into a judgment by the Superior Court of Fulton County, Georgia on August 7, 2017 in the amount of $179,168, inclusive of court costs, which continues to accrue both interest at the rate of 7.25% per annum on that amount calculated on a daily as of February 28, 2014, and costs to-date of $40,000 which are hereby added to the foregoing judgment amount (all of which was accrued at September 30, 2017). In connection with perfecting the Georgia judgment in the State of New York, Mr. Stein served an Information Subpoena with Restraining Notice dated September 12, 2017 on the underwriter of the offering for which the Company filed a registration statement on Form S-1 on November 7, 2016 (as amended) (the “Restraining Notice”). The Restraining Notice seeks to force the underwriter to pay the judgment amount directly out of the proceeds of the offering. The underwriter may seek to withdraw as the underwriter of the Company's registered offering if Mr. Stein does not withdraw the Restraining Notice. The Company continues to pursue a settlement with Mr. Stein including with regard to the withdrawal of the Restraining Notice.

  

On May 18, 2016, the Company was served with a complaint from Solomon Edwards Group, LLC for breach of written agreement and unjust enrichment for failure to pay invoices in the amount of $172,645 for services provided, plus interest and costs. The invoices have been accrued for in the periods in which the services were provided. The Company has responded to the claim and is simultaneously pursuing settlement options. On May 9, 2017, the Company issued 7,281 shares of common stock to Solomon Edwards Group, LLC in satisfaction of $121,800 of the Company’s liability.

 

From time to time, the Company is a defendant or plaintiff in various legal actions that arise in the normal course of business.

 

350 Green, LLC

 

350 Green lawsuits relate solely to alleged pre-acquisition unpaid debts of 350 Green. Also, there are other unpaid creditors, aside from those noted above, that claim to be owed certain amounts for pre-acquisition work done on behalf of 350 Green solely, that potentially could file lawsuits at some point in the future.

 

On August 7, 2014, 350 Green received a copy of a complaint filed by Sheetz, a former vendor of 350 Green alleging breach of contract and unjust enrichment of $112,500. The complaint names 350 Green, 350 Holdings LLC and Blink Charging Co. in separate breach of contract counts and names all three entities together in an unjust enrichment claim. Blink Charging Co. and 350 Holdings will seek to be dismissed from the litigation, because, as the complaint is currently plead, there is no legal basis to hold Blink Charging Co. or 350 Green liable for a contract to which they are not parties. The Company settled with Sheetz and the parties signed two agreements on February 23, 2017: a General Release and Settlement Agreement and a Exclusive Electronic Vehicle Charging Services Agreement. The settlement involved a combination of DC charging equipment, installation, charging services, shared driver charging revenue and maintenance for two systems in exchange for no further legal action between 350 Holdings or the Company. The Exclusive Electronic Vehicle Charging Services Agreement with Sheetz is for a five (5) year term. Pursuant to the agreement, Blink shall remit to Sheetz gross revenue generated by electric vehicle charging fees and advertising, minus (i) any and all taxes, (ii) 8% transaction fees, (iii) $18.00 per charger per month; and (iv) any electricity costs incurred by Blink ((i), (ii), (iii), and (iv) being referred to as the “Service Fees”). In the event the aggregate gross revenues are insufficient to cover the Service Fees incurred in a given month by the charging stations, such unpaid Service Fees will accrue to the following month. The agreement is subject to an automatic five-year renewal unless written notice for the contrary is provided.

 

On May 30, 2013, JNS Power & Control Systems, Inc. (“JNS”) filed a complaint against 350 Green, LLC alleging claims for breach of contract, specific performance and indemnity arising out of an Asset Purchase Agreement between JNS and 350 Green entered on April 13, 2013, whereby JNS would purchase car chargers and related assets from 350 Green. On September 24, 2013, the District Court entered summary judgment in favor of JNS on its claim for specific performance. On September 9, 2015, the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit of Chicago, Illinois affirmed the ruling of the District Court, which affirmed the sale of certain assets by 350 Green to JNS and the assumption of certain 350 Green liabilities by JNS. On April 7, 2016, JNS amended the complaint to add the Company, alleging an unspecified amount of lost revenues from the chargers, among other matters, caused by the defendants. Plaintiff also seeks indemnity for its unspecified attorney’s fees and costs in connection with enforcing the Asset Purchase Agreement in courts in New York and Chicago. On July 26, 2017, the District Court denied the Company’s motion to dismiss the Company from the suit. The Company answered the second amended complaint on August 16, 2017. The deadline for the parties to complete discovery is December 8, 2017. The next status hearing on the matter is set for December 8, 2017. As of September 30, 2017, the Company accrued a $750,000 liability in connection with its settlement offer to JNS. The parties are in the process of documenting a settlement.