Exhibit 10.31
FORBEARANCE AGREEMENT AND
AMENDMENT TO CREDIT AND SECURITY AGREEMENT
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Effective as of
July 31, 2009
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NUTRACEA, a
California corporation, and
NUTRAPHOENIX,
LLC, a Delaware limited liability company
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WELLS FARGO
BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,
acting through
its Wells Fargo Business Credit operating division
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A.
Obligations Owing to Lender. Borrowers are
obligated to Lender pursuant to the terms and conditions of the
Credit and Security Agreement dated as of December 18, 2008 (the
"Credit Agreement"), which evidence the Indebtedness. Unless
otherwise indicated, capitalized terms used in this Agreement will
correspond to the capitalized terms used in the Credit
Agreement.
B.
Security for Repayment and Satisfaction of
Obligations Owing to Lender . As security for repayment and
satisfaction of all Indebtedness owing from Borrower, Lender holds
(among other things) valid, perfected, and enforceable first
priority liens and a Security Interest in all of the Collateral
described in the Credit Agreement and a first lien on a certain
real property with a street address of 4502 West Monterosa,
Phoenix, Arizona (the "Property").
C.
Loan Documents . The
obligations set forth in Paragraph A above, and the Security
Interest of Lender in the Collateral described in Paragraph B above
are evidenced by (among other things) the following Loan
Documents:
2. The
Revolving Note dated December 18, 2008 in the original principal
amount of $2,500,000 (the "Revolving Note");
3. The
Term Note dated December 18, 2008 in the original principal amount
of $2,500,000 (the "Term Note");
4. The
Real Estate Note dated December 18, 2008 in the original principal
amount of $5,000,000 (the "Real Estate Note and together with the
Revolving Note and the Term Note, the "Notes");
5. The
Deed of Trust, Assignment of Rents and Leases, and Fixture Filing
dated December 18, 2008, executed by NutraPhoenix, LLC, in favor of
Lender and recorded December 22, 2008 as Document No. 2008-1076174
in the Official Records of Maricopa County; and
6. Various
UCC Financing Statements.
D.
Outstanding Indebtedness Under the Loan Documents . Computed
as of July 24, 2009, Borrowers are indebted to Lender in the amount
of at least $3,309,439.00 in unpaid principal, not including
accrued and accruing interest, costs, and expenses (including
attorneys' fees), and not including issued and undrawn obligations
under the Letters of Credit, for which Borrowers are also indebted
to Lender under the Loan Documents.
E.
Existing Defaults Under the Credit Agreement . Borrowers are
presently in default of their obligations to Lender under the
Credit Agreement and the Loan Documents, for inter
alia (collectively, the "Existing Defaults"):
1. Section
1.4(a) of the Credit Agreement as a result of Borrowers' failure to
deposit all Proceeds of Accounts and other Collateral into the
Collection Account.
2. Section
1.4(b) of the Credit Agreement as a result of Borrowers' Letter
Agreement dated May 14, 2009 with Fanners Rice Cooperative ("FCR
Agreement"), which requires Borrowers to instruct its customers to
make certain payments (the "FCR Payments") into a lockbox account
jointly established by Farmers Rice Cooperative and
NutraCea.
3. Section
5.1(a) of the Credit Agreement as a result of Borrowers' failure to
deliver audited financial statements for 2008 within 90 days of
Borrowers' fiscal year end.
4. Section
5.1(b) of the Credit Agreement as a result of Borrowers' failure to
deliver quarterly financial statements for the period ending March
31, 2009 by May 10, 2009.
5. Section
5.1(c) of the Credit Agreement as a result of Borrowers' failure to
deliver their February 2009, March 2009, May 2009, and June 2009
collateral reports within 15 days of the end of the applicable
month.
6. Section
5.2(d) of the Credit Agreement as a result of Borrowers' Capital
Expenditures exceeding $5,000,000.00 in the aggregate during the
fourth quarter 2008.
7. Section
5.12 of the Credit Agreement as a result of Borrowers' failure to
pay real estate taxes from the Property when due.
8. Section
5.12 of the Credit Agreement as a result of Borrowers' failure to
pay all lawful claims for labor, materials and supplies.
9. Section
5.13(b) of the Credit Agreement as a result of the filing of
Notices and Claims of Mechanic's and Materialman's Liens
(collectively, the " Mechanic's Liens ") on the
Property.
10. Section
4.4 of the Deed of Trust as a result of the Mechanic's Liens being
filed on the Property without prior approval of Lender.
11. Based
upon the draft income statement for the twelve months ending
December 31, 2008 delivered by Borrowers to Lender, Borrowers
additionally appear to be in default of various financial covenants
under the Credit Agreement, including without limitation Borrowers'
failure to maintain a cumulative quarterly Debt Service Coverage
Ratio of not less than 1.2 to 1.0, for the quarter ending March 31,
2009.
F.
Acknowledgement of Lender's Rights and Remedies .
Based on the Existing Defaults, Borrowers acknowledge and confirm
that Lender has (among other things) the unconditional right to
exercise all of its remedies under the Loan Documents, including
but not limited to, the right to declare the Indebtedness
immediately due and payable and to proceed immediately with
collection and liquidation of its Collateral and its Security
Interest.
G.
Request for Forbearance and Other
Modifications of Loan Documents . Borrowers have requested that
Lender forbear from exercising its rights and remedies with respect
to all Existing Defaults from the date of this Agreement through
January 31, 2010 (the "Forbearance Period"). Borrowers also have
requested certain modifications to the Loan Documents. Although it
is under no obligation to do so, Lender agrees to accommodate
Borrowers' request for certain modifications to the Loan Documents,
and Lender agrees to forbear from exercising its rights and
remedies with respect to the Existing Defaults, so long as
Borrowers satisfy all of the conditions set forth in Section II
below, and provided that Borrowers comply with all other
obligations under the Credit Agreement and Loan Documents (as
modified by this Agreement).
For present and fair consideration, the receipt
and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, Borrowers and
Lender hereby agree as follows:
1.
INCORPORATION OF RECITALS . The foregoing Recitals are
incorporated into these Operative Provisions without any difference
or distinction between the two (2) segments of this Agreement.
Borrowers acknowledge and confirm that each of the foregoing
Recitals is true and correct.
2.1
Conditions to Forbearance and Loan Modifications . Lender's
forbearance with respect to Existing Defaults and the modification
of the Loan Documents pursuant to this Agreement are expressly
conditioned upon the satisfaction of the following
conditions:
(a)
Delivery of this Agreement . Borrowers shall have delivered
to Lender a fully-executed original of this Agreement.
(b)
No New Defaults . No new default or Event of Default shall
occur under the Loan Documents, as amended by this Agreement.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, Lender will not be deemed to have
waived any rights or remedies arising as a result of any new
default or Event of Default by Borrowers under the Loan
Documents.
(c)
Reimbursement of Lender's Costs and Expenses . Borrowers
will reimburse Lender for all of its costs and expenses (including
attorneys' fees) incurred in relation to this Agreement and the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(d)
Dillon Property Deed of Trust . Borrowers will deliver to
Lender a fully-executed Deed of Trust (the "Dillon Deed of Trust")
in a form acceptable to Lender in its sole and absolute discretion,
granting Lender a first priority lien on certain real property
located at 3512 E. Bench Dillon, Montana (the "Dillon
Property"). In addition, if Lender requires, Borrowers, at
Borrowers' expense, will provide a Lender's policy or other title
policy in a form acceptable to Lender. Borrowers anticipate
negotiating the sale of the Dillon Property prior to the expiration
of the Forbearance Period. In the event Borrowers seek to sell the
Dillon Property, such sale is subject to Lender's review and
approval of the purchase and sale agreement, in Lender's sole and
absolute discretion. Subject to Lender's review and approval of the
purchase agreement, in the event there are no additional defaults
or Events of Default, and provided there is no material adverse
change in Borrowers' financial condition, Lender will release the
Dillon Deed of Trust in connection with such sale upon Lender's
receipt of $1,000,000.00 of the proceeds of such sale.
(e)
Master Agreement for Treasury Management Services .
Borrowers shall deliver to Lender a fully-executed Master Agreement
for Treasury Management Services, and Lockbox and Collection
Account Service Agreement Description and Acceptance of
Services.
(f)
Certificate of Officer; Certificates of Good Standing .
Borrowers shall deliver to Lender Certificates of Officers (in form
and substance acceptable to Lender) certifying as to the authority
of an Officer of each Borrower to execute and deliver this
Agreement and such other matters as Lender may require, along with
a certificate of good standing for each Borrower issued by the
governmental authorities in each of the states in which Borrowers
conduct their business activities, each dated no earlier than the
date that is 30 days prior to the date of this Agreement evidencing
Borrowers' good standing in such states.
(g)
Resolutions and Authorizations . Borrowers shall deliver to
Lender resolutions and authorizations (in form and substance
acceptable to Lender), together with such additional documentation
as Lender may require, authorizing Borrowers to enter
into