13.
| Related Party Transactions |
Loans payable to Related parties
Prior to obtaining the secured loans described in Note 8, Loans Payable, the Company’s activities were funded through a loan payable to a company owned by its former majority member. The loan payable dated February 12, 2018 was between the Company and HMFO LLC, a related party. The loan payable had a maturity date of February 28, 2021 and was due in one balloon payment on such date. The loan payable to HMFO LLC bore interest at an annual rate of 5.50% and all interest was paid-in-kind (“PIK”). Interest was payable along with the outstanding balance, upon maturity. Certain administrative services provided by HMFO LLC were added to the loan balance. Interest incurred on the loan payable to HMFO LLC for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 totaled $115,275 and $472,274, respectively. The balance due under the loan payable to HMFO LLC was $0 as of December 31, 2021 and $10,727,301 as of December 31, 2020, including accrued interest of $837,992.
On March 12, 2021, pursuant to a Redemption Agreement between the Company and the former majority member, the loan payable from the Company to HMFO LLC was cancelled and all of the membership interests held by the former majority member were redeemed in exchange for a sum of $5,071,412, plus a Reimbursement and Indemnity Agreement from the Company and the Founder. The Company recorded a gain on extinguishment of this related party loan payable of $5,621,193, net of related expenses of $150,000 and net of redemption of membership interests. The gain was recognized as a deemed contribution to members’ equity on the consolidated balance sheet. The former majority member remained a Guarantor under the Company’s loans payable and also as a tenant under the Company’s Master Lease for the Sugar Land Loan, but was held harmless for these liabilities under the Reimbursement and Indemnity Agreement.
Beginning in November 2020, the Company entered into a note payable with a related party, SH Investment Fund I LLC, a company controlled by the Founder and CEO. The note payable bore interest at 8% per annum and had a maturity date of November 24, 2021. Amounts payable under the note were drawn by requesting “advances” from the lender, up to $1,000,000, and could be used by the Company only for certain types of expenditures that were approved in advance by the lender. The note payable had a balance of $485,153 as of December 31, 2020. On March 12, 2021, the Company issued 1,250 Series A Preferred Units in full satisfaction of the note payable by the Company to SH Investment Fund I LLC. The fair value of the 1,250 units was $1,250,000 and exceeded the carrying value of the $1,000,000 note payable at the time of extinguishment; thereby resulting in a loss on extinguishment of related party debt of $250,000 which was recorded as a charge in the consolidated statement of operations.
Services
For the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company utilized administrative services provided by HMFO LLC. The amounts charged for such services totaled $0 for the year ended December 31, 2021 and $2,720,576 for the year ended December 31, 2020. Furthermore, HMFO LLC also made cash advances to the Company of $314,331 during the year ended December 31, 2020. These amounts were payable to HMFO LLC as of December 31, 2020 and included within Loans payable to related parties on the consolidated balance sheet.
In addition, during the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company paid $86,700 and $24,800, respectively, for services rendered by employees of a company affiliated with the Founder and CEO.
For the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company paid a total of $900,000 and $0, respectively, to the Founder for his service in the capacity of Chief Executive Officer.
For the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company paid $141,726 and $8,767 respectively, for consulting services, to a company that employed the chief financial officer until prior to July 1, 2021. In September 2021, the Company paid $1,665,894 to this company as a one-time closing fee for serving as the structuring advisor for the Series 2021 Bond issuance under a consulting contract in effect since January 1, 2021 (See Note 7, Bonds Payable). This structuring advisor fee represents 1% of the proceeds of the Series 2021 Bonds and is included in debt issuance costs.
On September 20, 2021, the Company entered into a non-exclusive agreement with Echo Echo, LLC, a related party to the Founder, for the use of a Beechcraft Baron G58 aircraft. The effective date of the agreement was September 8, 2021 and the agreement automatically renews annually. The agreement can be terminated without penalty if either party provides 35 days written notice, or if the aircraft is sold or otherwise disposed of. The Company will be charged $675 per flight hour of use along with all direct operating costs. Additionally, the Company will also incur the pro rata share of maintenance, overhead and insurance costs of the aircraft. For the year ended December 31,