v2.4.0.6
3. Interest, advances and promissory notes payable
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
Interestadvanceandpromissorynotespayable
3.     Interest, advances and promissory notes payable

On September 4, 2009, the Company received a Notice of Credit to Judgment from the Superior Court of the State of North Carolina, whereby the Company was ordered to pay two creditors holding promissory notes payable (the “plaintiffs”) an aggregate amount of $1,988,000 for principal, interest and legal fees incurred. Subsequent to the verdict, the Company, two directors, a relative of a director (the “Purchaser”) and the plaintiffs entered into a settlement agreement (the “Settlement Agreement”) whereby a relative of a director acquired $1,313,000 of debts from the plaintiffs in a private transaction. The remaining $675,000 due to the plaintiffs was exchanged for common shares of the Company as part of a separate debt for shares settlement (note 6). As part of the Settlement Agreement, a second director, not related to the Purchaser, assigned unsecured advances payable of the Company with no stated terms of interest, totaling $425,000, to the plaintiffs. As part of the Settlement Agreement, the Company agreed to the following repayment terms:

-       $300,000 repayable at a rate of $25,000 per month (note 6); and

-       $125,000 repayable in whole by January 15, 2011.

On October 27, 2010, the Company had a default judgment ruled against them which resulted in being held legally liable for an additional $11,000 of deemed interest. The Company has accrued the liability relating to this judgment as of December 31, 2011. The Company has not paid any of the legal interest or the underlying promissory notes payable.

a)     Interest payable

A summary of the interest payable activity is as follows:

Balance, December 31, 2009
 
967,921 
 
Interest incurred on promissory notes payable
 
464,231 
 
Repayment of interest payable through line of credit
 
(5,858)
Balance, December 31, 2010
$
1,426,294 
Interest incurred on promissory notes payable
 
505,568
Transfer of balance to accounts payable
 
(1,167)
Balance, December 31, 2011
$
1,930,695

Interest payable is to the following:

   
December 31,
 
December 31,
   
2011
 
2010
 
Relatives of directors
$
1,185,629
$
867,555
 
Non-related parties
 
745,066
 
558,739
 
$
1,930,695
$
1,426,294

Historically, all interest payable incurred is from interest incurred at the stated rate of promissory notes issued by the Company. The payment terms, security and any interest payable are based on the underlying promissory notes payable that the Company has outstanding.

b)     Advances Payable

A summary of the advances payable activity is as follows:

Balance, December 31, 2009
$
266,046
Advances accrued
 
285,832
Advances repaid from proceeds of line of credit
 
(338,200)
Balance, December 31, 2010
$
213,678
Advances accrued
 
234,600
Advances reclassified as accounts payable
 
(64,259)
Advances repaid from proceeds of line of credit
 
(283,492)
Balance, December 31, 2011
$
100,527

Advances payable are to the following:

   
December 31,
 
December 31,
   
2011
 
2010
Advances payable to:
       
 
Companies controlled by directors
 
65,402
 
119,035
 
Current and former directors
 
35,125
 
94,643
 
$
100,527
$
213,678

Advances payable are unsecured, have no stated terms of interest and are due on demand.

c)     Promissory notes payable

A summary of the promissory notes payable activity is as follows:

Balance, December 31, 2009 and 2010
$
5,275,333 
 
Promissory notes payable issued
 
10,985 
Balance, December 31, 2011
$
5,286,319 

On December 14, 2010, a creditor demanded repayment of a promissory note of $200,000 and accumulated interest of approximately $365,000. To date, this amount has not been repaid.

On October 27, 2010, the Company had a default judgment ruled against them which results in being held legally liable for an additional $11,000 of accrued interest. The Company has accrued the liability relating to this judgment as of December 31, 2011.

 
Relatives of Directors
 
December 31,
2011
 
December 31,
2010
         
Promissory notes payable to relatives of directors collateralized by a
general security agreement on all the assets of the Company, due on
demand:
       
             
 
i.
Interest at 1% per month
$
845,617
$
845,617
             
 
ii.
Interest at 1.25% per month
 
51,347
 
51,347
             
 
iii.
Interest at the U.S. bank prime rate plus 1%
 
500,000
 
500,000
         
Promissory notes payable, unsecured to relatives of a former director,
bearing interest at 0.625% per month, with $50,000 repayable on October
5, 2004 and $60,000 repayable on July 28, 2006, due on demand
 
110,000
 
110,000
         
Promissory notes payable, unsecured, to relatives of a director, bearing
interest at 1% per month, due on demand
 
1,465,000
 
1,465,000
Total Related Promissory Notes
$
2,971,964
$
2,971,964

Unrelated Lenders
 
December 31,
2011
 
December 31,
2010
         
Unsecured promissory notes payable to unrelated lenders:
       
             
 
i.
Interest at 1% per month, repayable on September 30, 2009, due
on demand
$
250,000
$
450,000
             
 
ii.
Interest at 1% per month, with $50,000 repayable on December
31, 2004, $75,000 repayable on August 18, 2007, $75,000
repayable on November 19, 2007 and the balance due on
demand. All are due on demand, accruing interest at the same
rate.
 
887,457
 
887,457
             
 
iii.
Interest at 0.625% per month, with $40,000 repayable on
December 31, 2004, all due on demand
 
40,000
 
40,000
             
 
iv.
Non-interest-bearing, repayable on July 17, 2005, due on
demand
 
270,912
 
270,912
             
 
v.
Non-interest-bearing loan repayable at $25,000 per month
beginning October 2009, none repaid to date
 
310,986
 
300,000
             
 
vi.
Non-interest-bearing loan, due January 15, 2011 (Unpaid)
 
125,000
 
125,000
           
Promissory notes payable, secured by a guarantee from a director and
relative of a director, bearing interest at 1% per month, with $200,000
repayable on July 31, 2003, which has been demanded. The remaining
$30,000 is due on demand
 
430,000
 
230,000
Total Arms Length Promissory Notes
 
2,314,355
 
2,303,369

d)     Interest expense

During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company incurred interest expense of $3,312,298 (2010: $1,238,192) as follows:

-       $520,306 (2010: $464,000) incurred on promissory notes (note 3(c)) and other payables;

-       $204,538 (2010: $43,606) incurred on lines of credit payable as shown in note 4;

 
-
$179,261 (2010: $183,738) incurred from the calculation of imputed interest on accounts payable outstanding for longer than one year, advances payable and promissory notes payable, which had no stated interest rate.;

-       $2,408,193 (2010: $546,619) incurred on stock options granted to creditors