SEC Company Response from POLYAIR INTER PACK INC (CIK 0001049984) — Sep 7, 2005
POLYAIR INTER PACK INC (CIK 0001049984)
Date: Sept. 7, 2005 · CIK: 0001049984 · Accession: 0000943763-05-000072
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POLYAIR INTER PACK INC.
330 Humberline Drive
Toronto, Ontario M9W 1R5
VIA FACSIMILE
September 7, 2005
Mr. John Cash
Accounting Branch Chief
United States Securities and Exchange Commission
Division of Corporation Finance
Washington, D.C. 20549-7010
Re: Polyair Inter Pack Inc
Form 20-F for the year ended October 31, 2004 File No. 0-29528
Dear Mr. Cash:
Further to your letter of August 23, 2005 we respond as follows:
Form 20-F for the year ended October 31, 2004
Financial statements for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2004
1. Note 14 - Related Party Transactions
1. "We note your disclosures about the put/call agreement that you have with a
related party concerning the contaminated land that you acquired from Jacuzzi in
2003. We have the following comments":
1 (a). SEC comment: "We read that the purchase price will be paid in cash on
closing subject to a five year, non interest bearing vendor take-back mortgage.
Please explain these sales terms to us in more detail. Clarify for us if the
property will be purchased by the related party with cash, a note, or a
combination of the two, and clarify the amounts to be paid through each of
these."
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Company response: The related party will purchase the property with a cash
payment on closing of Cdn$2.5 million and a Cdn$0.5 million five-year vendor
take-back non-interest bearing first mortgage ("VTB note"). There will be no
principal payments during the term of the mortgage however the principal amount
owing may be reduced by remediation costs incurred by the purchaser up to a
maximum of US$0.3 million. At a current exchange rate of US$0.835: Cdn$1 this
would result in a potential offset of Cdn$0.36 million against the Cdn$0.5
million VTB note. In future filings we will clarify this in our financial
statement disclosure.
1 (b). SEC comment: "Please update us on whether your lenders have granted
approval for the conveyance of this property. If applicable, please tell us your
expectations for whether such approval will be granted in the future."
Company response: The Company's lender amended certain of its financial
covenants as at April 30, 2005 and the company is discussing with its lenders a
further covenant amendment. In light of these discussions and the Company's
financial performance in 2005 the Company's lenders have not consented to the
conveyance of this property and management does not expect that they will
approve the conveyance of the property in fiscal 2005.
1 (c). SEC comment: "We read that upon execution of the sale of this land, you
have committed to enter into a leaseback transaction with the related party
purchaser for a period of 10 years, subject to a five year extension. Please
tell us how you intend to account for this leaseback under US GAAP. Tell us
whether you believe your commitment to reimburse the purchaser for future
environmental remediation costs that he incurs related to this land represents
"continuing involvement" as contemplated by paragraphs 10-12 of SFAS 98."
Company response:
The put/call agreement provides that 30 days after the exercise of the put or
call the purchaser shall be responsible for all environmental obligations. The
purchaser exercised the call on the property on September 22, 2004 and as a
result it is responsible for all environmental remediation obligations in excess
of US$300,000. With the exercise of the put, management does not believe that
the purchaser's ability to reduce the VTB Note by up to US$0.3 million for
future environmental remediation costs that it incurs represents "continuing
involvement" as contemplated by paragraphs 10-12 of SFAS 98. Accordingly,
management intends to account for the transaction in accordance with FAS 66
paragraph 25, which requires reducing the gain by the potential offset (US$0.3
million) that the purchaser can claim for remediation costs. The gain recognized
will be deferred and amortized over the term of the lease in accordance with
SFAS 98.
1 (d). SEC Comment: "Please revise future filings to address each of the above
concerns."
Company response: We will comply with your request and will disclose the
accounting treatment outlined above in our 2005 consolidated financial
statements.
2. Note 22 - Generally Accepted Accounting Principles in Canada and the United
States
2. "We note your disclosures about environmental liabilities in Item 4D of Form
20-F and in Note 14 to your financial statements. Please tell us, and revise
future filings to include, the following information related to environmental
liabilities."
2 (a). SEC comment: "Your accounting policy for recording environmental
liabilities under both Canadian and US GAAP. Refer to SFAS 5 and SOP 96-1 for US
GAAP purposes."
Company response: SOP 96-1 paragraph .101 does not provide guidance on
accounting for environmental remediation actions that are undertaken at the sole
discretion of management and that are not induced by the threat, by governments
or other parties, of litigation or of assertion of a claim or an assessment.
Accordingly, the Company is guided in its accounting for contingent
environmental liabilities (the only being with respect to this property) by SFAS
5 in the U.S and CICA 3290 in Canada. CICA 3290 in Canada requires a contingent
loss to be accrued if both of the following conditions are met:
o It is likely that a future event will confirm that an asset had been
impaired or a liability incurred at the date of the financial statements;
and
o the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated.
SFAS 5 is consistent with CICA 3290. The Company believes it has met the
requirements of SFAS 5 and CICA 3290 in recording the environmental liability.
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We will comply with your request and include a description of this accounting
policy in our 2005 consolidated financial statement as follows:
"The Company's operations are subject to numerous environmental laws,
regulations and guidelines adopted by various governmental authorities in the
jurisdictions in which the Company operates. On a regular basis, the Company's
policies are designed to assess and evaluate environmental risk and, when
necessary, conduct appropriate corrective measures. Liabilities are recorded
when known or considered probable and can be reasonably estimated. The Company
provides for environmental liabilities using best estimates. Actual
environmental liabilities could differ significantly from these estimates."
2 (b) SEC comment: "The amount accrued on your balance sheet for environmental
liabilities at year end."
Company response: The Company had accrued its best estimate of US$0.3 million
for potential environmental liabilities at October 31, 2004.
2 (c). SEC comment: "If the amount accrued at October 31, 2004 was less than
US$0.3 million please tell us how you determined a lesser amount was appropriate
in light of your put/call agreement on the contaminated land that provides for a
minimum credit to the purchaser of US$0.3 million as payment for the assumption
of all environmental remediation obligations for this property. This agreement
appears to indicate that you believe US$0.3 million of environmental costs for
this property are probable. " Company response: As noted in our response to
2(b), the company had accrued its best estimate of US$0.3 million as at October
31, 2004.
2 (d). SEC comment: " The range for reasonably possible remediation obligations
in excess of the amount accrued. In this regard, it appears from your
disclosures about the put/call agreement that you have set a maximum limit for
your additional reimbursements to the purchaser for his future remediation
costs, i.e. the full amount of the vendor take back mortgage. We assume that
this maximum reimbursement represents the upper range of your estimate for
reasonably possible additional obligations."
Company response: The Company has accrued the maximum possible amount (US$0.3
million) under the put/call agreement for its exposure for future remediation
costs.
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Further to your request, we confirm the following:
o the company is responsible for the adequacy and accuracy of the disclosure
in it's filing;
o staff comments or changes to disclosure in response to staff comments do
not foreclose the Commission from taking any action with respect to the
filing; and
o the company may not assert staff comments as a defense in any proceeding
initiated by the Commission or any person under the federal securities laws
of the United States.
In preparing our letter we have endeavored to provide a comprehensive response
to your comments and questions. If you wish to discuss any aspects of our
response or require further clarification you may reach me at the address below.
Yours truly,
/s/VICTOR D'SOUZA
Victor D'Souza, CA
Chief Financial Officer.
Polyair Inter Pack Inc.
Tel: 416-569-7500
Email: victor@polyair.com.
Fax: 416-740-7356
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