SEC Company Response from TOP SHIPS INC. (TOPS) (CIK 0001296484) (TOPS) — Oct 31, 2007
TOP SHIPS INC. (TOPS) (CIK 0001296484)
Date: Oct. 31, 2007 · CIK: 0001296484 · Accession: 0000919574-07-004944
AI Filing Summary & Sentiment
File numbers found in text: 000-50859
Referenced dates: October 18, 2007, October 24, 2007
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CORRESP
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d823228_corresp.htm
October 31, 2007
VIA
EDGAR
Mr.
Michael Fay
Division
of Corporation Finance
Securities
and Exchange Commission
CF/AD5
100
F Street, N.E.
Washington,
D.C. 20549
Re: TOP
Tankers Inc. Form 20-F for Fiscal Year
Ended
December 31, 2006 (File No. 000-50859)
Dear
Mr. Fay:
This
letter responds to comments of the
staff (the “Staff”) of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) made
to Stamatios Tsantanis, the Chief Financial Officer of Top Tankers Inc. (the
“Company”) in a telephone conversation on October 25, 2007. During
the telephone conversation the Staff and Mr. Tsantanis discussed the Company’s
letter to the Staff dated October 24, 2007 (the “Second October Letter”), which
together with letters to the Staff dated October 18, 2007, September 18,
2007
and August 24, 2007 responded to the Staff’s comments to the Annual Report on
Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006 (“Form 20-F”) of the
Company filed April 20, 2007.
In
the Second October Letter, the Company reiterated its view that the deferral
method is one of three generally accepted methods of accounting for costs
incurred in connection with Planned Major Maintenance Activities
(“PMMA”). However, the Company also acknowledged the view that the
direct expense method is a preferable method of accounting for costs incurred
in
connection with PMMA and proposed to change its method of accounting for
PMMA
from the deferral method to the direct expense method commencing with the
first
quarter of fiscal year 2008 as a change in accounting principle in accordance
with Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 154 Accounting Changes
and Error Corrections (“SFAS No. 154”).
In
its oral comments expressed in the telephone conversation on October 25,
2007,
the Staff accepted the Company’s proposal to change its accounting policy with
respect to its drydocking costs or PMMA as proposed in the Second October
Letter
from an accepted accounting principle to a preferable accounting principle
in
accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting
Principles. However, the Staff requested that the Company commence
the change in accounting policy beginning with the fourth quarter of the
fiscal
year ending
Mr.
Michael
Fay
October
31, 2007
Page
2
December
31, 2007, rather than the first quarter of fiscal year 2008 as proposed by
the
Company. The Company advises the Staff that it will make the proposed
change in accounting policy beginning with the fourth quarter of fiscal year
2007.
The
Company will announce this change
in accounting policy in its earnings release for the third quarter of 2007,
which will also be filed on Form 6-K on EDGAR. The Company’s proposed
announcement is as follows:
“Change
of Accounting Principle
The
Company has historically accounted for drydocking costs that qualified
as
“Planned Major Maintenance Activities” (“PMMA”) using the deferral method.
Beginning with the fourth quarter of 2007 the Company intends to
change
its accounting policy for PMMA from the deferral method, under
which the
Company amortized drydocking costs over the estimated period of
benefit
between drydockings, to the direct expense method, under which
the Company
will expense all drydocking costs as incurred. We believe the
direct expense method is preferable as it eliminates the significant
amount of time and subjectivity involved to determine which costs
and
activities related to drydocking qualify as PMMA under the deferral
method.. The Company will reflect this change as a change in
accounting principle from an accepted accounting principle to a
preferable
accounting principle in accordance with Statement of Financial
Accounting
Standards No. 154, Accounting Changes and Error Corrections. The
new accounting principle will be presented retrospectively to all
periods
presented in future earnings releases and filings. When the
accounting principle is retrospectively applied, net income for
the year
ended December 31, 2006 and the nine month period ended September
30, 2007
will decrease by approximately $[__] million and $[__], or $[__]
and
$[__]per share, respectively.”
The
Company’s independent registered public accounting firm has reviewed this letter
and has agreed with the Company’s proposal to account for this change as a
change in accounting principle in accordance with SFAS No. 154.
The
Company hereby acknowledges that (i) the Company is responsible for the adequacy
and accuracy of the disclosures in the filings; (ii) Staff comments or changes
to disclosures in response to Staff comments in the filings reviewed by the
Staff do not foreclose the SEC from taking any action with respect to the
filing; and (iii) the Company may not assert Staff comments as a defense
in any
proceedings initiated by the SEC or any person under the federal securities
laws
of the United States.
Mr.
Michael
Fay
October
31, 2007
Page
3
Thank
you for your attention to the Company’s reports. If you have any
additional comments or questions, please contact the undersigned at (212)
574-1223 or Anthony Tu-Sekine at (202) 737-8833.
Very
truly yours,
SEWARD
& KISSEL
LLP
By:
/s/
Gary J. Wolfe
Gary
J. Wolfe
Cc:
Doug
Jones, SEC
Lyn
Shenk, SEC
Top
Tankers Inc.
George
Cambanis, Deloitte Hadjipavlou Sofianos & Cambanis
S.A.
Jack
Azose, Deloitte & Touche, LLP
SK
23116 0001 823228 v2