SEC Company Response from ABLE ENERGY INC (CIK 0001065728) — Nov 22, 2005
ABLE ENERGY INC (CIK 0001065728)
Date: Nov. 22, 2005 · CIK: 0001065728 · Accession: 0001188112-05-002042
AI Filing Summary & Sentiment
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November 18, 2005
Mr. William Choi, Branch Chief
Securities Exchange Commission
Division of Corporation Finance
Washington, D.C. 20549
RE: ABLE ENERGY, INC.
FORM 10-K FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2005
FILED SEPTEMBER 28, 2005
FORM 10-Q/A FOR THE QUARTERLY PERIOD ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2005
FILED OCTOBER 21, 2005
FILE NO. 1-15035
Dear Mr. Choi:
We have reviewed the six (6) comments that were contained in your letter to us
dated November 7, 2005 regarding the Company's Form 10-K for the fiscal year
ended June 30, 2005 and the Company's Form 10-Q/A for the quarterly period ended
September 30, 2005. Please find herein below the Company's responses to the
questions set forth in your letter.
For your convenience, we have incorporated into this response letter your
original requests and the Company's responses in italics, as follows:
FORM 10-K FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2005
MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF
OPERATION, PAGE 14
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS, PAGE 16
1. We note your listing of extraordinary expense items that
negatively affected net income for the year ending June 30,
2005. Please abstain from using the term extraordinary to
describe these expenses since it tends to suggest that these
expenses are infrequent and unusual in nature, as defined in APB
30, when they are not. Also, please include a narrative that
explains, in greater detail, why you have chosen to
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highlight these specific expense items from fiscal year 2005 on
this table. Furthermore, tell us why director's fees from prior
years are being expensed in fiscal year ended June 30, 2005
rather than in the prior periods in which they relate.
|X| THE COMPANY WILL REFRAIN FROM USING THE TERM
EXTRAORDINARY TO DESCRIBE THESE TYPES OF
EXPENSES IN FUTURE FILINGS.
|X| THE COSTS INCLUDED IN THE TABLE ON PAGE 16 OF
THE COMPANY'S FORM 10K INCLUDE COSTS RELATED TO
INSTANCES THAT THE COMPANY BELIEVES WILL NOT
HAVE ANY SIGNIFICANT FUTURE IMPACT ON THE
COMPANY'S OPERATIONS. THE COMPANY HAS CHOSEN TO
HIGHLIGHT THESE ITEMS TO PROVIDE THE READER AN
INDICATION AS TO WHAT IMPACT THESE ITEMS HAD ON
CURRENT PERIOD OPERATIONS. INCLUDED IN THIS
SCHEDULE ARE COSTS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT AT
OUR NEWTON FACILITY TOTALING $619K, THE
WRITE-OFF OF COSTS RELATED TO REFINANCING OLD
DEBT OF $206K, PAYMENT OF $183,000 IN DIRECTORS
FEES ESTABLISHED IN THE CURRENT PERIOD RELATING
TO PRIOR SERVICES AND A NON-CASH CHARGE OF $117K
RELATED TO THE ISSUANCE OF IN THE MONEY STOCK
OPTIONS.
|X| THE COMPANY ESTABLISHED DIRECTOR'S FEES DURING
FISCAL 2005 FOR THE PRIOR TWO FISCAL PERIODS.
WHEN SUCH FEES WERE ESTABLISHED IT WAS NOTED
THAT THE COMPANY HAD NOT ESTABLISHED FEES FOR
THE PRIOR TWO YEARS. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE
EXISTING BOARD MEMBERS SHOULD RECEIVE SOME
COMPENSATION FOR THOSE PERIODS. THEREFORE, AN
AMOUNT WAS ESTABLISHED BY THE BOARD DURING
FISCAL 2005 RELATING TO THOSE PRIOR PERIODS.
SINCE NO COMPENSATION HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED IN
THE PRIOR YEARS AND THERE WAS NO COMMITMENT TO
PAY FEES DURING THOSE PERIODS NO ACCRUAL WAS
RECORDED IN THOSE PERIODS. ACCORDINGLY, WE
INCLUDED AS AN EXPENSE IN THE CURRENT FISCAL
YEAR.
FISCAL 2005 COMPARED TO FISCAL 2004
2. Your presentation of the change in net loss from fiscal year
2004 to fiscal year 2005 excluding the gain on sale of operating
assets of Able Propane represents a non-GAAP measure subject to
the disclosure and reconciliation requirements of Item 10(e) of
Regulation S-IC. Please revise your disclosure to indicate the
reasons why you believe presentation of this non-GAAP measures
provides useful information to investors and disclose how
management uses this non-GAAP measure.
|X| OUR PRESENTATION ON PAGE 17 INCLUDES DISCUSSION
OF NET LOSS FOR FISCAL 2005 VS. 2004 AND DOES
NOT EXCLUDE THE GAIN ON SALE OF OPERATING ASSETS
OF ABLE PROPANE.
|X| THE PRESENTATION IN THE TABLE ON PAGE 16 ENDS AT
NET LOSS FOR CONTINUING OPERATIONS DUE TO THE
FACT THAT THE GAIN ON SALE OF OPERATING ASSETS
OF ABLE PROPANE IS NOT MEANINGFUL TO THE CURRENT
OPERATIONS OF THE COMPANY.
ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES. PAGE 22
3. Please refer to Item 308(c) of Regulation S-K and revise your
disclosure to indicate whether there were "any changes," not
just "significant" changes, in your internal
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control over financial reporting that materially affected, or
are reasonably likely to materially affect your internal control
over financial reporting.
|X| THERE WERE NO CHANGES, SIGNIFICANT OR OTHERWISE,
IN OUR INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING
THAT MATERIALLY AFFECTED, OR WERE REASONABLY
LIKELY TO MATERIALLY AFFECT OUR INTERNAL CONTROL
OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING.
|X| CHANGE WILL BE INCORPORATED IN FUTURE FILINGS.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS. PAGE 23
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM, PAGE F-L
4. Please amend your Form 10-K to correct the date of the opinion.
We assume the date should read September 14, 2005, not 2004.
Additionally, have your auditors provide a separate opinion for
Schedule II or have them incorporate their review of the
schedule into the financial statement opinion.
|X| THE DATE OF THE OPINION SHOULD BE SEPTEMBER 14,
2005. SINCE THIS IS AN OBVIOUS TYPOGRAPHICAL
ERROR WE BELIEVE AN AMENDED FORM 10K WOULD NOT
BE NECESSARY.
|X| IN THE FUTURE THE AUDITORS WILL INCORPORATE
SCHEDULE II INTO THEIR OPINION.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, PAGE F-8
NOTE 1. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES, PAGE F-8
5. Please disclose the types of expenses included in your cost of
goods sold and in your selling, general and administrative
expense line items.
|X| TYPES OF EXPENSES IN COST OF GOODS SOLD INCLUDE
- COST OF ALL PRODUCTS SOLD, ALL SERVICE RELATED
COSTS, DRIVERS SALARIES, SERVICE AND FUEL
DELIVERY SUBCONTRACTORS, TRUCKING AND SERVICE
VAN EXPENSES, RELATED PAYROLL TAXES, EMPLOYEE
BENEFITS AND INSURANCE COSTS AND REPAIRS AND
MAINTENANCE ON TRUCKS AND VANS.
|X| TYPES OF EXPENSES IN SELLING, GENERAL AND
ADMINISTRATIVE INCLUDE - MANAGEMENT, SALES AND
OFFICE SALARIES, ADVERTISING, TELEPHONE AND FAX,
RENT, CREDIT CARD PROCESSING FEES, COMPUTER
RELATED EXPENSES, BAD DEBT EXPENSE, INSURANCE,
PAYROLL TAXES, EMPLOYEE BENEFITS, LEGAL,
CONSULTING AND OTHER PROFESSIONAL FEES, AUDIT
FEES, UTILITIES, OFFICE REPAIRS AND MAINTENANCE
AND OFFICE EXPENSES.
|X| THE TYPES OF EXPENSES INCLUDED IN OUR COST OF
GOODS SOLD AND SELLING, GENERAL AND
ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSE LINE ITEMS AS DESCRIBED
ABOVE WILL BE INCORPORATED INTO FUTURE FILINGS.
FORM 10-Q/A FOR THE QUARTERLY PERIOD ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2005
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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS. PAGE 1
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, PAGE 6
NOTE 10-- CONVERTIBLE DEBENTURES, PAGE 9
6. Since the conversion price of $6.50 is less than the fair market
value of your common stock at the date of issuance, we would
expect a beneficial conversion feature to be recorded. If you do
not believe a beneficial conversion feature should be recorded,
either explain your position and provide the relevant accounting
guidance to support your position, or revise your financials
accordingly. Additionally, tell us how you accounted for the
warrants issued with the convertible debentures. We would expect
the warrants to be valued separately using a fair value model,
then allocated based on relative fair values. Since it does not
appear that you have given recognition to these warrants, please
revise your financials accordingly. Refer to EITF 98-5 and EITF
00-27.
|X| THE COMPANY HAS FILED A SECOND AMENDED FORM
10Q/A WHICH ACCOUNTS FOR THE ALLOCATION OF THE
WARRANTS AND THE RECOGNITION OF A BENEFICIAL
CONVERSION FEATURE AS FOLLOWS:
THE COMPANY ALLOCATED THE PROCEEDS FROM THE
ISSUANCE OF THE CONVERTIBLE DEBENTURES AND
WARRANTS BASED ON THEIR RESPECTIVE FAIR VALUES
AND INCLUDED $900,000 IN ADDITIONAL PAID IN
SURPLUS RELATED TO THE WARRANTS. IN ADDITION,
THE CONVERSION FEATURE OF THE CONVERTIBLE
DEBENTURES IS CHARACTERIZED AS A "BENEFICIAL
CONVERSION FEATURE." PURSUANT TO EMERGING ISSUES
TASK FORCE ISSUE NO. 00-27, THE COMPANY HAS
DETERMINED THAT THE VALUE OF THE BENEFICIAL
CONVERSION FEATURE IS $1,600,000. ACCORDINGLY,
THE COMPANY HAS DISCOUNTED THE BALANCE OF THE
CONVERTIBLE DEBENTURE AS OF THE DATE OF ISSUANCE
AND INCLUDED $1,600,000 IN ADDITIONAL PAID IN
SURPLUS. THE BENEFICIAL CONVERSION FEATURE IS
AMORTIZED FROM THE DATE OF ISSUANCE TO THE
STATED REDEMPTION DATE OF JULY 12, 2007, OF
WHICH $278,533 WAS AMORTIZED TO EXPENSE DURING
THE THREE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2005.
In connection with responding to your comments the company acknowledges the
following:
|X| The Company is responsible for the adequacy and
accuracy of the disclosure in the filing;
|X| 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
|X| 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.
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Please contact the undersigned or Gregory D. Frost our Chief Executive Officer
with any questions or comments on the above.
Sincerely,
/s/ Steven M. Vella
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Steven M. Vella
Chief Financial Officer
cc: Gregory D. Frost
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