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Related Party Transactions
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2021
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]  
Related Party Transactions

Note 12. Related Party Transactions

Legal services for the Company associated with the collection of delinquent assessments from property owners was performed by a law firm (Business Law Group “BLG”) which was owned solely by Bruce M. Rodgers, the Chief Executive Officer of the Company until and through the date of its initial public offering. Following the initial public offering, Mr. Rodgers transferred his interest in BLG to other attorneys at the firm through a redemption of his interest in the firm, and BLG is now under control of those lawyers. The law firm has historically performed collection work primarily on a deferred billing basis wherein the law firm receives payment for services rendered upon collection from the property owners or at amounts ultimately subject to negotiations with the Company.

 

Under the agreement, the Company paid BLG a fixed monthly fee of $82,000 per month for services rendered.  The Company paid BLG a minimum per unit fee of $700 in any case where there is a collection event and BLG receives no payment from the property owner.  This provision has been expanded to also include any unit where the Company has taken title to the unit or where the Association has terminated its contract with either BLG or the Company.    

Amounts collected from property owners and paid to BLG for 2021 and 2020 were approximately $984,700 and $1,002,200, respectively.  As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, receivables from property owners for charges ultimately payable to BLG were approximately $677,000 and $1,332,000, respectively.

Under the related party agreement with BLG in effect during 2021 and 2020, the Company pays all costs (lien filing fees, process and serve costs) incurred in connection with the collection of amounts due from property owners.  Any recovery of these collection costs are accounted for as a reduction in expense incurred.  The Company incurred expenses related to these types of costs of $97,000 and $127,000, during 2021 and 2020, respectively. Recoveries during 2021 and 2020 related to those costs were approximately $93,000 and $157,000, respectively.  

The Company also shares office space, personnel and related common expenses with BLG.  All shared expenses, including rent, are charged to BLG based on an estimate of actual usage.  Any expenses of BLG paid by the Company that have not been reimbursed or settled against other amounts are reflected as due from related parties in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet. The charges for certain shared personnel totaled approximately $240,000 in 2021 and $240,000 in 2020.

The Company assessed the collectability of the amount due from BLG and concluded that even though BLG had repaid $252,771 during 2017, it did not have the ability to repay the remaining balance at the end of 2017 and as such took a reserve of approximately $1.4 million for the balance due as of December 31, 2017. In 2021 and 2020, the Company subsequently recouped $200,000 and $500,000, respectively of this write-off. Amounts payable to BLG as of December 31, 2021 was approximately $121,220 and a payable to BLG as of December 31, 2020 was $158,400.

On February 1, 2022, the Company consented to the assignment by BLG to the law firm BLG Association Law, PLLC (“BLGAL”) of the Services Agreement, dated April 15, 2015, previously entered into by the Company and Business Law Group, P.A. (the “Services Agreement”).  The Services Agreement had set forth the terms under which Business Law Group, P.A. would act as the primary law firm used by the Company and its association clients for the servicing and collection of association accounts.  The assignment of the Services Agreement was necessitated by the death of the principal attorney and owner of Business Law Group, P.A.  In connection with the assignment, BLGAL agreed to amend the Services Agreement on February 1, 2022, to reduce the monthly compensation payable to the law firm from $82,000 to $53,000 (the “Amendment”).  Bruce M. Rodgers, the chairman and CEO of the Company, is a 50% owner of BLGAL, and the assignment and Amendment was approved by the independent directors of the Company.

LMF had engaged BLG on behalf of many of its Association clients to service and collect the Accounts and to distribute the proceeds as required by Florida law and the provisions of the purchase agreements between LMF and the Associations. This engagement was subsequently assigned to BLGAL. Ms. Gould who is one of our directors, works as the General Manager of BLG  

 

The Company advanced Craven $27,738 and it was settled in 2020.