VALUE FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC. STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT

EX-10.5 4 dex105.htm STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT Stock Option Agreement

Exhibit 10.5

VALUE FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC.

STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT

FOR

Example Board Member

Agreement

1. Grant of Option. Value Financial Services, Inc. (the “Company”) hereby grants, as of July 1, 1999, to [Example Board Member] (the “Optionee”) an option (the “Option”) to purchase up to two thousand (2,000) shares of the Company’s Common Stock, $.01 par value per share (the “Shares”), at an exercise price per share equal to $20.00. The Option shall be subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein. The Option was issued pursuant to the Company’s 1999 Directors Stock Option Plan (the “Plan”), which is incorporated herein for all purposes. The Option is a nonqualified stock option, and not an incentive stock option within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code. The Optionee hereby acknowledges receipt of a copy of the Plan and agrees to be bound by all of the terms and conditions hereof and thereof and all applicable laws and regulations.

2. Definitions. Unless otherwise provided herein, terms used herein that are defined in the Plan and not defined herein shall have the meanings attributed thereto in the Plan.

3. Exercise Schedule. Except as otherwise provided in Section 6 of this Agreement, or in the Plan, the Option is exercisable in installments as provided below, which shall be cumulative. To the extent that the Option has become exercisable with respect to a percentage of Shares as provided below, the Option may thereafter be exercised by the Optionee, in whole or in part, at any time or from time to time prior to the expiration of the Option as provided herein. The following table indicates each date (the “Vesting Date”) upon which the Optionee shall be entitled to exercise the Option with respect to the percentage of Shares granted as indicated beside the date, provided that the Optionee has been continuously served as a Director and/or has been employed by the Company or a Subsidiary through and on the applicable Vesting Date:

 

Percentage of Shares

  

Vesting Date

20%    July 1, 2000
20%    July 1, 2001
20%    July 1, 2002
20%    July 1, 2003
20%    July 1, 2004

Except as otherwise specifically provided herein, there shall be no proportionate or partial vesting in the periods prior to each Vesting Date, and all vesting shall occur only on the appropriate Vesting Date. At such time as the Optionee no longer is serving as a Director, and also is not an employee of the Company or any Subsidiary, any unvested portion of the Option shall terminate and be null and void.


4. Method of Exercise. The vested portion of this Option shall be exercisable in whole or in part in accordance with the exercise schedule set forth in Section 3 hereof by written notice which shall state the election to exercise the Option, the number of Shares in respect of which the Option is being exercised, and such other representations and agreements as to the holder’s investment intent with respect to such Shares as may be required by the Company pursuant to the provisions of the Plan. Such written notice shall be signed by the Optionee and shall be delivered in person or by certified mail to the Secretary of the Company. The written notice shall be accompanied by payment of the exercise price. This Option shall be deemed to be exercised after both (a) receipt by the Company of such written notice accompanied by the exercise price and (b) arrangements that are satisfactory to the Committee or the Board in its sole discretion have been made for Optionee’s payment to the Company of the amount, if any, that is necessary to be withheld in accordance with applicable Federal or state withholding requirements. No Shares will be issued pursuant to the Option unless and until such issuance and such exercise shall comply with all relevant provisions of applicable law, including the requirements of any stock exchange upon which the Shares then may be traded.

5. Method of Payment. Payment of the exercise price shall be by any of the following, or a combination thereof, at the election of the Optionee: (a) cash; (b) check; or (c) with Shares that have been held by the Optionee for at least 6 months (or such other Shares as the Company determines will not cause the Company to recognize for financial accounting purposes a charge for compensation expense), or (d) such other consideration or in such other manner as may be determined by the Board or the Committee in its absolute discretion.

6. Termination of Option.

(a) Any unexercised portion of the Option shall automatically and without notice terminate and become null and void at the time of the earliest to occur of:

(i) unless the Committee or the Board otherwise determines in writing in its sole discretion, three months after the date on which the Optionee’s service as a Director is terminated for any reason other than by reason of: (A) retirement after completing five (5) complete years of service as a Director and having attained age sixty (60) (“Retirement”), (B) Cause, which, solely for purposes of this Agreement, shall mean the termination of the Optionee’s service as a Director by reason of the Optionee’s willful misconduct or gross negligence, (C) a mental or physical disability (within the meaning of Section 22(e) of the Code) of the Optionee as determined by a medical doctor satisfactory to the Committee or the Board, or (D) death;

(ii) if the Optionee’s service as a Director terminates by reason of his Retirement, twelve months after the date of the Optionee’s death;

(iii) immediately upon the termination of the Optionee’s service as a Director for Cause;

 

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(iv) twelve months after the date on which the Optionee’s service as a Director is terminated by reason of a mental or physical disability (within the meaning of Section 22(e) of the Code) as determined by a medical doctor satisfactory to the Committee or the Board;

(v) twelve months after the date of termination of the Optionee’s service as a Director by reason of the death of the Optionee (or three months after the date on which the Optionee shall die if such death shall occur during the one year period specified in paragraph (iv) of this Section 6); or

(vi) the tenth anniversary of the date as of which the Option is granted.

For purposes of the foregoing provisions, if the Optionee is, or prior to termination of the Option becomes, an employee of the Company or any Subsidiary, his service as a Director shall include his service as an employee of the Company or any Subsidiary.

(b) To the extent not previously exercised, (i) the Option shall terminate immediately in the event of (1) the liquidation or dissolution of the Company, or (2) any reorganization, merger, consolidation or other form of corporate transaction in which the Company does not survive, unless the successor corporation, or a parent or subsidiary of such successor corporation, assumes the Option or substitutes an equivalent option or right pursuant to Section 9(c) of the Plan, and (ii) the Committee or the Board in its sole discretion may by written notice (“cancellation notice”) cancel, effective upon the consummation of any corporate transaction described in Subsection 7(b)(i) of the Plan in which the Company does survive, the Option (or portion thereof) that remains unexercised on such date. The Committee or the Board shall give written notice of any proposed transaction referred to in this Section 6(b) a reasonable period of time prior to the closing date for such transaction (which notice may be given either before or after approval of such transaction), in order that the Optionee may have a reasonable period of time prior to the closing date of such transaction within which to exercise the Option if and to the extent that it then is exercisable (including any portion of the Option that may become exercisable upon the closing date of such transaction). The Optionee may condition his exercise of the Option upon the consummation of a transaction referred to in this Section 6(b).

7. Transferability. The Option granted hereby is not transferable otherwise than by will or under the applicable laws of descent and distribution, and during the lifetime of the Optionee the Option shall be exercisable only by the Optionee, or the Optionee’s guardian or legal representative. In addition, the Option shall not be assigned, negotiated, pledged or hypothecated in any way (whether by operation of law or otherwise), and the Option shall not be subject to execution, attachment or similar process. Upon any attempt to transfer, assign, negotiate, pledge or hypothecate the Option, or in the event of any levy upon the Option by reason of any execution, attachment or similar process contrary to the provisions hereof, the Option shall immediately become null and void.

8. No Rights of Stockholders. Neither the Optionee nor any personal representative (or beneficiary) shall be, or shall have any of the rights and privileges of, a stockholder of the Company with respect to any shares of Stock purchasable or issuable upon the exercise of the Option, in whole or in part, prior to the date of exercise of the Option.

 

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9. Acceleration of Exercisability of Option. This Option [shall] [shall not] become immediately fully exercisable in the event of a “Change in Control”, as defined in Section 7(b) of the Plan, that occurs while the Optionee is serving as a Director of the Company, or in the event that the Committee or the Board exercises its discretion to provide a cancellation notice with respect to the Option pursuant to Section 6 hereof.

10. No Right to Continued Employment. Neither the Option nor this Agreement shall confer upon the Optionee any right to continued service with the Company.

11. Market Stand-Off Agreement. In the event of an initial public offering of the securities and upon request of the Company or the underwriters managing any underwritten offering of the Company’s securities, the Optionee agrees not to sell, make any short sale of, loan, grant any option for the purchase of, or otherwise dispose of any Shares (other than those included in the registration) acquired pursuant to the exercise of the Option, without the prior written consent of the Company or such underwriters, as the case may be, for such period of time (not to exceed 180 days) from the effective date of such registration as may be requested by the Company or such managing underwriters.

12. Optionee’s Representations. In the event the Company’s issuance of the Shares purchasable pursuant to the exercise of this Option has not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, at the time this Option is exercised, Optionee shall, if required by the Company, concurrently with the exercise of all or any portion of this Option, deliver to the Company his Investment Representation Statement in the form attached to this Agreement as Exhibit A or in such other form as the Company may request.

13. Law Governing. This Agreement shall be governed in accordance with and governed by the internal laws of the State of Florida.

14. Interpretation / Provisions of Plan Control. This Agreement is subject to all the terms, conditions and provisions of the Plan, including, without limitation, the amendment provisions thereof, and to such rules, regulations and interpretations relating to the Plan adopted by the Committee or the Board as may be in effect from time to time. If and to the extent that this Agreement conflicts or is inconsistent with the terms, conditions and provisions of the Plan, the Plan shall control, and this Agreement shall be deemed to be modified accordingly. The Optionee accepts the Option subject to all the terms and provisions of the Plan and this Agreement. The undersigned Optionee hereby accepts as binding, conclusive and final all decisions or interpretations of the Committee or the Board upon any questions arising under the Plan and this Agreement.

15. Notices. Any notice under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given when delivered personally or when deposited in the United States mail, registered, postage prepaid, and addressed, in the case of the Company, to the Company’s Vice President of Finance at Value Financial Services, Inc., 101 Sunnytown Road, Suite 310, Casselberry, Florida 32707, or if the Company should move its principal office, to such principal office, and, in the case of the Optionee, to the Optionee’s last permanent address as shown on the Company’s records, subject to the right of either party to designate some other address at any time hereafter in a notice satisfying the requirements of this Section.

 

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16. Tax Consequences. Set forth below is a brief summary as of the date of this Option of some of the federal tax consequences of exercise of this Option and disposition of the Shares. THIS SUMMARY IS NECESSARILY INCOMPLETE, AND THE TAX LAWS AND REGULATIONS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE. OPTIONEE SHOULD CONSULT A TAX ADVISER BEFORE EXERCISING THIS OPTION OR DISPOSING OF THE SHARES.

(a) Exercise of Option. There may be a regular federal income tax liability upon the exercise of the Option. The Optionee will be treated as having received compensation income (taxable at ordinary income tax rates) equal to the excess, if any, of the fair market value of the Shares on the date of exercise over the Exercise Price.

(b) Disposition of Shares. If Shares are held for at least one year, any gain realized on disposition of the Shares will be treated as long-term capital gain for federal income tax purposes.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have executed this Agreement as of the      day of July, 1999.

 

COMPANY:
By:  

 

  John D. Thedford, President and Chief Executive Officer
By:  

 

  Terry Lynch, Secretary

The Optionee acknowledges receipt of a copy of the Plan and represents that he or she is familiar with the terms and provisions thereof, and hereby accepts this Option subject to all of the terms and provisions thereof. The Optionee has reviewed the Plan and this Option in their entirety, has had an opportunity to obtain the advice of counsel prior to executing this Option, and fully understands all provisions of the Option.

 

Dated:  

 

      OPTIONEE:
      By:  

 

        Example Board Member

 

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EXHIBIT A

INVESTMENT REPRESENTATION STATEMENT

 

PURCHASER   :          Example Board Member
COMPANY   :          VALUE FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC.
SECURITY   :          COMMON STOCK
AMOUNT   :          2,000 Shares
DATE   :          July     , 1999

In connection with the purchase of the above-listed Securities, 1, the Purchaser, represent to the Company the following:

(a) I am aware of the Company’s business affairs and financial condition, and have acquired sufficient information about the Company to reach an informed and knowledgeable decision to acquire the Securities. I am purchasing these Securities for my own account for investment purposes only and not with a view to, or for the resale in connection with, any “distribution” thereof for purposes of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”).

(b) I understand that the Company’s issuance of the Securities has not been registered under the Securities Act in reliance upon a specific exemption therefrom, which exemption depends upon, among other things, the bona fide nature of my investment intent as expressed herein. In this connection, I understand that, in the view of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), the statutory basis for such exemption may be unavailable if my representation was predicated solely upon a present intention to hold these Securities for the minimum capital gains period specified under tax statutes, for a deferred sale, for or until an increase or decrease in the market price of the Securities, or for a period of one year or any other fixed period in the future.

(c) I further understand that the Securities must be held indefinitely unless the transfer is subsequently registered under the Securities Act or unless an exemption from registration is otherwise available. Moreover, I understand that the Company is under no obligation to register any transfer of the Securities. In addition, I understand that the certificate evidencing the Securities will be imprinted with a legend which prohibits the transfer of the Securities unless registered or such registration is not required in the opinion of counsel for the Company.

(d) I am familiar with the provisions of Rule 701 and Rule 144, each promulgated under the Securities Act, which, in substance, permit limited public resale of “restricted securities” acquired, directly or indirectly, from the issuer thereof, in a non-public offering subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions. Rule 701 provides that if the issuer qualifies under Rule 701 at the time of issuance of the Securities, such issuance will be exempt from registration under the Securities Act. In the event the Company, later becomes subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, ninety (90) days thereafter the securities exempt under Rule 701 may be resold, subject to the satisfaction of certain of the conditions specified by Rule 144, including among other things: (1) the sale being made through a broker in an unsolicited “broker’s transaction” or in transactions

 

Exhibit A-1


directly with a market maker (as said term is defined under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934); and, in the case of an affiliate, (2) the availability of certain public information about the Company, and the amount of securities being sold during any three month period not exceeding the limitations specified in Rule 144(e), if applicable. Notwithstanding this paragraph (d), I acknowledge and agree to the restrictions set forth in paragraph (e) hereof.

In the event that the Company does not qualify under Rule 701 at the time of issuance of the Securities, then the Securities may be resold in certain limited circumstances subject to the provisions of Rule 144, which requires among other things: (1) the availability of certain public information about the Company, (2) the resale occurring not less than one year after the party has purchased, and made full payment for, within the meaning of Rule 144, the securities to be sold; and, in the case of an affiliate, or of a non-affiliate who has held the securities less than two years, (3) the sale being made through a broker in an unsolicited “broker’s transaction” or in transactions directly with a market maker (as said term is defined under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) and the amount of securities being sold during any three month period not exceeding the specified limitations stated therein, if applicable.

(e) I further understand that in the event all of the applicable requirements of Rule 144 or Rule 701 are not satisfied, registration under the Securities Act, compliance with Regulation A, or some other registration exemption will be required; and that, notwithstanding the fact that Rule 144 and Rule 701 are not exclusive, the Staff of the SEC has expressed its opinion that persons proposing to sell private placement securities other than in a registered offering and otherwise than pursuant to Rule 144 or Rule 701 will have a substantial burden of proof in establishing that an exemption from registration is available for such offers or sales, and that such persons and their respective brokers who participate in such transactions do so at their own risk.

 

Signature of Purchaser:

 

Date:                     , 199    

 

Exhibit A-2


Schedule of Details Omitted from Exhibit 10.5

 

Name of Director

  

Number of Shares Subject to Option

Kevin Hyneman

   2,000

Charles Slatery

   2,000