Note 8 - Commitments and Contingencies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2014

Disclosure Text Block Supplement [Abstract]

Legal Matters and Contingencies [Text Block]

8. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Leases – We have noncancellable operating leases for offices and data centers expiring at various dates through April 2017. Future minimum lease payments are as follows:

Year ended December 31,
(in thousands)
2015	$	254
2016		60
2017		20
Total minimum lease payments	$	334

The above future minimum lease payments include $194,000 payable to a related party. See Note 11 for further discussion.

Rental expense for leased facilities and equipment related to continuing operations amounted to $468,000 and $467,000 in the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively. Non-affiliated companies sublease space from the company. In the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively, we received $23,000 and $27,000 in sublease rental income which reduced our rental expense during these years.

Legal Matter – In April 2013, Clearwater Environmental Services (“CES”) asserted a claim against ChemFree for additional sales commission that CES alleged was owed pursuant to a Target Account Sales Agreement (“TASA”) that terminated October 31, 2012. The company believed that all amounts due to CES had been paid in full in accordance with the terms of the TASA and vigorously defended against this claim. The dispute was the subject of arbitration proceedings, as required under the terms of the TASA. In 2014, the parties engaged in the discovery phase of the arbitration and, in addition to the sales commissions CES contended were owed under their interpretation of the TASA, CES also asserted various additional claims. The total amount claimed by CES was in excess of $1.7 million. The arbitration hearing was held April 22 – 24, 2014 in Atlanta, Georgia. On April 24, 2014, prior to a ruling by the arbitrator, the parties agreed on the general terms of a settlement of the dispute and a final agreement was entered into effective as of May 12, 2014 (the “Settlement Agreement”).

Under the terms of the Settlement Agreement, ChemFree and CES agreed to settle and compromise all claims between them related to the TASA. ChemFree agreed to pay to CES the sum of $706,000 in 3 payments: $236,000 within five days of the signing of the Settlement Agreement on May 12, 2014 (“Effective Date”), $235,000 to be paid 90 days after the Effective Date and the final $235,000 to be paid 180 days after the Effective Date. The parties exchanged mutual general releases of all claims that were or could have been asserted related to the TASA. Intelligent Systems was a party to the Settlement Agreement solely for the purpose of guaranteeing ChemFree’s payments.

While the company believes that its original interpretation of the terms of the TASA relating to commissions earned after the contract terminated was correct, it decided that a settlement was in its best interests due to the inherent uncertainty of the binding arbitration process and the potential for an even greater negative impact on the company if the arbitrator’s final ruling was in CES’s favor.

As a result of the Settlement Agreement, the company recorded Legal Settlement expenses of $387,000 in the quarter ended March 31, 2014 for amounts settled and owed in excess of amounts accrued in prior periods. The settlement amount of $706,000 includes $61,000 that was expensed and paid to CES in a prior period. However, since CES never cashed the check for such amount, this amount is included in the calculation of the amount shown on the line item accrued settlement in the statement of cash flows. As of December 31, 2014, all payments due under the Settlement Agreement have been paid.

In the ordinary course of business, from time to time we may be involved in various pending or threatened legal actions. The litigation process is inherently uncertain and it is possible that the resolution of such matters might have a material adverse effect upon our financial condition and/or results of operations.