Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

LITIGATION AND CLAIMS

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LITIGATION AND CLAIMS
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2018
Notes to Financial Statements  
NOTE 15. LITIGATION AND CLAIMS

The Company is the subject of lawsuits and claims arising in the ordinary course of business from time to time. The Company reviews any such legal proceedings and claims on an ongoing basis and follows appropriate accounting guidance when making accrual and disclosure decisions. The Company establishes accruals for those contingencies where the incurrence of a loss is probable and can be reasonably estimated, and it discloses the amount accrued and the amount of a reasonably possible loss in excess of the amount accrued, if such disclosure is necessary for the Company’s financial statements to not be misleading. To estimate whether a loss contingency should be accrued by a charge to income, the Company evaluates, among other factors, the degree of probability of an unfavorable outcome and the ability to make a reasonable estimate of the amount of the loss. The Company does not record liabilities when the likelihood that the liability has been incurred is probable, but the amount cannot be reasonably estimated. Based upon present information, the Company determined that there were no matters that required an accrual as of March 31, 2018 nor were there any asserted or unasserted material claims for which material losses are reasonably possible.

 

On April 11, 2018, the Company filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court, Central District of California against Kenneth VandeVrede, Michael VandeVrede, Steven VandeVrede, Daniel VandeVrede, Greda VandeVrede, Beverly Willekes, Brian VandeVrede, Gro-Rite, Inc. (“Gro-Rite”) and Naturally Beautiful Plant Products, LLC (“Naturally Beautiful”) alleging breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duties, conversion, fraud, breach of covenant of good faith and fair dealing, misappropriation of trade secrets, and conspiracy related to, among other things, the Share Exchange Agreement, dated as of April 24, 2013 among the Company, the Company’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Edible Garden Corp. (“Edible Garden”), and the individual defendants (the “Share Exchange Agreement”). The Company is seeking monetary damages, including attorneys’ fees and expenses, return of shares of the Company’s common stock issued to the individual defendants under the Share Exchange Agreement, return of stock options issued to the individual defendants, and return of the Company’s intellectual property.

 

On April 10, 2018, Gro-Rite, Naturally Beautiful and Whitetown Realty (“Whitetown Realty” and collectively, the “Whitetown Realty Plaintiffs”) filed a lawsuit in the Superior Court of New Jersey Law Division, Morris County against the Company and Edible Garden alleging, among other things, that Edible Garden owes certain amounts to Gro-Rite under a Marketing and Distribution Agreement between Edible Garden and Gro-Rite, dated May 7, 2013, and Naturally Beautiful under a Marketing and Distribution Agreement between Edible Garden and Naturally Beautiful, dated May 13, 2013 (collectively, the “Marketing and Distribution Agreements”), and that Edible Garden owes certain amounts to Whitetown Realty under the Lease between Whitetown Realty and Edible Garden, dated January 1, 2015 (the “Lease”). The Whitetown Realty Plaintiffs are seeking, among other things, compensatory damages for the amounts claimed are owed and attorneys’ fees and costs. The Company believes that Edible Garden does not owe any payments under the Marketing and Distribution Agreements or the Lease. The Company disputes the Whitetown Realty Plaintiffs’ allegations in the lawsuit and intends to vigorously defend itself.

 

On April 13, 2018, Edible Garden Corp. filed a lawsuit in the Superior Court of New Jersey Chancery Division, Warren County against Whitetown Realty in response to a letter from a law firm representing Whitetown Realty alleging Edible Garden was in default of the Lease. Edible Garden is seeking declaratory and equitable relief to prevent Whitetown Realty from terminating the Lease and for attorneys’ fees and costs. The Company believes that Edible Garden has made all payments due to Whitetown Realty under the Lease and maintains Edible Garden is not in default of the Lease.

 

On April 11, 2018, Kenneth VandeVrede, Michael VandeVrede and Steven VandeVrede (collectively, the “VandeVredes”) filed a lawsuit in the Superior Court of New Jersey Law Division, Warren County against the Company and Edible Garden alleging, among other things, that the Company and Edible Garden improperly suspended the VandeVredes from their positions with the Company and Edible Garden. The VandeVredes are seeking, among other things, a declaratory judgement that the they did not violate their fiduciary duties owed to the Company or Edible Garden and reinstating the VandeVredes to their status with the Company and Edible Garden prior to their suspensions and attorneys’ fees and costs. The Company disputes the VandeVrede’s allegations in the lawsuit and intends to vigorously defend itself.