ITEM 1. BUSINESS
The Company
Altisource® is an integrated service provider and marketplace for the real estate and mortgage industries. Combining operational excellence with a suite of innovative services and technologies, Altisource helps solve the demands of the ever-changing markets we serve.
We are publicly traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “ASPS.” We are organized under the laws of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.
We have prepared our consolidated financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”).
Reportable Segments
Our reportable segments are as follows:
Servicer and Real Estate segment provides loan servicers and real estate investors with solutions and technologies that span the mortgage and real estate lifecycle. Within the Servicer and Real Estate segment we provide:
Solutions
Our Solutions business includes property preservation and inspection services, title insurance (as an agent) and settlement services, real estate valuation services, foreclosure trustee services, and residential and commercial construction inspection and risk mitigation services.
Marketplace
Our Marketplace business includes the Hubzu® online real estate auction platform and real estate auction, real estate brokerage and asset management services.
Technology and software-as-a-service (“SaaS”) Products
Our Technology and SaaS Products business includes Equator® (a SaaS-based technology to manage real estate owned (“REO”), short sales, foreclosure, bankruptcy and eviction processes), Vendorly Invoice (a vendor invoicing and payment system), RentRange® (a single family rental data, analytics and rent-based valuation solution), REALSynergy® (a commercial loan servicing platform), and NestRangeTM (an automated valuation model and analytics solution).
Origination segment provides originators with solutions and technologies that span the mortgage origination lifecycle. Within the Origination segment we provide:
Solutions
Our Solutions business includes title insurance (as an agent) and settlement services, real estate valuation services, and loan fulfillment, certification and certification insurance services.
Lenders One
Our Lenders One business includes management services provided to the Best Partners Mortgage Cooperative, Inc., doing business as Lenders One® (“Lenders One”), and certain loan manufacturing and capital markets services provided to the members of the Lenders One cooperative.
Technology and SaaS Products
Our Technology and SaaS Products business includes Vendorly Monitor (a vendor management platform), Lenders One Loan AutomationTM (“LOLA”) (a marketplace to order services and a tool to automate components of the loan manufacturing process), TrelixAITM (technology to manage the workflow and automate components of the loan fulfillment, pre and post-close quality control and service transfer processes), ADMS (a document management and data analytics delivery platform), and automated valuation technology.
Corporate and Others includes Pointillist, Inc. (“Pointillist”) (sold on December 1, 2021), interest expense and costs related to corporate functions including executive, infrastructure and certain technology groups, finance, law, compliance, human resources, vendor management, facilities, risk management and eliminations between reportable segments.
We classify revenue in three categories: service revenue, revenue from reimbursable expenses and non-controlling interests. In evaluating our performance, we focus on service revenue. Service revenue consists of amounts attributable to our fee-based services. Reimbursable expenses and non-controlling interests are pass-through items for which we earn no margin. Reimbursable expenses consist of amounts we incur on behalf of our customers in performing our fee-based services that we pass directly on to our customers without a markup. Non-controlling interests represent the earnings of Lenders One. Lenders One is a mortgage cooperative managed, but not owned, by Altisource. The Lenders One members’ earnings are included in revenue and reduced from net income to arrive at net income attributable to Altisource.
2022 Highlights
Corporate and Financial
•Focused on growing the sales pipeline, improving operational efficiencies, reducing costs, and strengthening liquidity as the Company continued to seek to mitigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, governmental moratoriums and loss mitigation measures that affect the timing of the recovery of the market for default-related services
•Reduced 2022 Corporate and Others costs by $31.0 million, representing a 32% reduction, compared to 2021
•Ended 2022 with $51.0 million of cash and cash equivalents
•Ended 2022 with $196.2 million of net debt
•On February 14, 2023, the Company executed amendments to its senior secured term loans and revolving credit facility (together, “Credit Agreements”) that, among other things, extended the maturity dates to April 2025, with an option to extend to April 2026, subject to certain terms and conditions
•On February 14, 2023, Altisource generated approximately $21 million in net proceeds from the sale of its common stock (after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and other offering expenses)
•On February 22, 2023, the Company used $20 million of the proceeds of the offering to repay its term loans
Business and Industry
•The Servicer and Real Estate segment continues to benefit from the restart of the default business and efficiency initiatives with 47% gross profit growth on 4% service revenue growth compared to 2021
•Industrywide foreclosure initiations were 368% higher in 2022, compared to 2021 (although still 45% lower than the pre-COVID-19 period in 2019), as the foreclosure market is beginning to recover following expiration of the Federal government’s foreclosure moratorium on July 31, 2021 and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (“CFPB’s”) temporary loss mitigation measures on December 31, 2021
•Industrywide foreclosure sales were 39% higher in 2022, compared to 2021 (although still 67% lower than the same pre-COVID-19 period in 2019)
•The Servicer and Real Estate segment and Origination segment had strong sales wins that we estimate represent $9.4 million and $21.6 million, respectively, of annualized revenue on a stabilized basis
•The weighted sales pipeline in the Servicer and Real Estate segment represents $41 million to $51 million in estimated annual revenue on a stabilized basis based upon our forecasted probability of closing
•The weighted sales pipeline in the Origination segment represents $20 million to $25 million in estimated annual revenue on a stabilized basis based upon our forecasted probability of closing
Customers
Overview
Our customers include large financial institutions, government-sponsored enterprises (“GSEs”), banks, asset managers, servicers, investors, property management firms, real estate brokerages, insurance companies, mortgage bankers, originators, correspondent and private money lenders.
Customer Concentration
Ocwen
Ocwen Financial Corporation (together with its subsidiaries, “Ocwen”) is a residential mortgage loan servicer of mortgage servicing rights (“MSRs”) it owns, including those MSRs in which others have an economic interest, and a subservicer of loans owned by others.
During the year ended December 31, 2022, Ocwen was our largest customer, accounting for 41% of our total revenue. Ocwen purchases certain mortgage services from us under the terms of services agreements and amendments thereto (collectively, the “Ocwen Services Agreements”) with terms extending through August 2030. Certain of the Ocwen Services Agreements contain a “most favored nation” provision and also grant the parties the right to renegotiate pricing, among other things.
Revenue from Ocwen primarily consists of revenue earned from the loan portfolios serviced and subserviced by Ocwen when Ocwen engages us as the service provider, and revenue earned directly from Ocwen, pursuant to the Ocwen Services Agreements. For the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, we recognized revenue from Ocwen of $63.5 million and $55.6 million, respectively. Revenue from Ocwen as a percentage of segment and consolidated revenue was as follows:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | 2022 | | 2021 |
| | | | |
| Servicer and Real Estate | | 53 | % | | 49 | % |
| Origination | | — | % | | — | % |
| Corporate and Others | | — | % | | — | % |
| Consolidated revenue | | 41 | % | | 31 | % |
We earn additional revenue related to the portfolios serviced and subserviced by Ocwen when a party other than Ocwen or the MSRs owner selects Altisource as the service provider. For both the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, we recognized $9.5 million of such revenue. These amounts are not included in deriving revenue from Ocwen and revenue from Ocwen as a percentage of revenue discussed above.
As of December 31, 2022, accounts receivable from Ocwen totaled $4.0 million, $3.2 million of which was billed and $0.8 million of which was unbilled. As of December 31, 2021, accounts receivable from Ocwen totaled $3.0 million, $2.8 million of which was billed and $0.2 million of which was unbilled.
Rithm
Rithm Capital Corp. (individually, together with one or more of its subsidiaries or one or more of its subsidiaries individually, “Rithm”) (formerly New Residential Investment Corp., or “NRZ”) is a real estate investment trust that invests in and manages investments primarily related to residential real estate, including MSRs and excess MSRs.
Ocwen has disclosed that Rithm is its largest client. As of December 31, 2022 approximately 17% of loans serviced and subserviced by Ocwen (measured in unpaid principal balance (“UPB”)) were related to Rithm MSRs or rights to MSRs (the “Subject MSRs”).
Rithm purchases brokerage services for REO exclusively from us, irrespective of the subservicer, subject to certain limitations, for certain MSRs set forth in and pursuant to the terms of a Cooperative Brokerage Agreement, as amended, and related letter agreement (collectively, the “Brokerage Agreement”) with terms extending through August 2025.
For the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, we recognized revenue from Rithm of $3.2 million and $3.1 million, respectively, under the Brokerage Agreement. For the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, we recognized additional revenue of $13.0 million and $13.6 million, respectively, relating to the Subject MSRs when a party other than Rithm selects Altisource as the service provider.
Other
Our services are provided to customers predominantly located in the United States.
Sales and Marketing
Our sales and marketing team has extensive relationship management and industry experience. These individuals cultivate and maintain relationships throughout the industry sectors we serve. We sell our suite of services to mortgage servicers, mortgage originators, GSEs, buyers and sellers of homes for investment use and financial services firms.
Our primary sales and marketing focus areas are to:
•Expand relationships with existing customers by cross-selling additional services and growing the volume of existing services we provide. We believe our customer relationships represent meaningful growth opportunities for us.
•Develop new customer relationships by leveraging our comprehensive suite of services, performance and controls. We believe there are meaningful growth opportunities to sell our suite of services to new customers.
Given the highly regulated nature of the industries that we serve, and the comprehensive purchasing process that our institutional customers and prospects follow, the time and effort we spend in expanding relationships or winning new relationships is significant. For example, it can often take more than one year from the request for proposal or qualified lead stage to the selection of Altisource as a service provider. Furthermore, following the selection of Altisource, it is not unusual for it to take an additional six to twelve months or more to negotiate the services agreement(s), complete the implementation procedures and begin receiving referrals.
Intellectual Property and Data
We rely on a combination of contractual restrictions, internal security practices, patents, trademarks and copyrights to establish and protect our trade secrets, intellectual property, software, technology and expertise. We also own or, as we deem necessary and appropriate, have obtained licenses from third parties to intellectual property relating to our services, processes and businesses. These intellectual property rights are important factors in the success of our businesses.
As of December 31, 2022, we have been awarded one patent that expires in 2023, one patent that expires in 2024, seven patents that expire in 2025, two patents that expire in 2026, one patent that expires in 2027, two patents that expire in 2029, one patent that expires in 2030 and one patent that expires in 2036. In addition, we have registered trademarks in a number of jurisdictions including the United States, the European Union (“EU”), India and five other jurisdictions. These trademarks generally can be renewed indefinitely, provided they are being used in commerce.
We actively protect our rights and intend to continue our policy of taking the measures we deem reasonable and necessary to develop and protect our patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets and other intellectual property rights.
In addition, we may make use of data in connection with certain of our services. This data generally relates to mortgage information, real property information and consumer information. We gather this data from a variety of third party sources, including from governmental entities and, subject to licensed usage rights, we use this data in connection with the delivery of certain of our services, including combining it with proprietary data we generate to further enhance data and metrics in connection with our services.
Market and Competition
We sell our suite of services to mortgage servicers, mortgage originators, GSEs, buyers and sellers of homes for investment use and financial services firms. The mortgage and real estate markets are very large and are influenced by macroeconomic factors such as credit availability, interest rates, home prices, inflation, unemployment rates, consumer confidence and the COVID-19 pandemic.
The markets to provide services for mortgage servicers and mortgage originators are highly competitive and generally consist of national companies, in-house providers and a large number of regional and local providers. We typically compete based upon product and service awareness and offerings, product performance and service delivery, quality and control environment, technology integration and support, price and financial strength.
The markets to provide services for buyers and sellers of homes for investment are highly competitive and generally consist of several national companies, a large number of regional and local providers and start-up companies. We typically compete based upon product and service awareness and offerings, product performance and service delivery, ease of transacting, price and personal service.
Our competitors may have greater financial resources, brand recognition, alternative or disruptive products and technology and other competitive advantages. We cannot determine our market share with certainty, but believe for mortgage servicers we have a modest share of the market, and for the others we have a relatively small market share.
Common Stock Offering
On February 14, 2023, we closed an underwritten public offering of 4,550,000 shares of common stock (inclusive of 550,000 shares that were sold pursuant to the underwriters’ full exercise of their option to purchase additional shares of common stock), at a price to the public of $5.00 per share. We received net proceeds from the offering of approximately $21 million, after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and other estimated offering expenses payable by us.
On February 22, 2023, we used $20 million of the net proceeds of the offering to repay our term loans.
Term Loan Amendment
On February 9, 2023, we executed Amendment No. 2 (the “Second Amendment”) to the Credit Agreement effective February 14, 2023 (as amended by the Second Amendment, the “Amended Credit Agreement”).
The following is a summary of certain key terms of the Second Amendment and the Amended Credit Agreement.
•The maturity date of the term loans under the Amended Credit Agreement is April 30, 2025
•If the amount of par paydown that we make on the term loans (excluding amortization and other required payments) in the aggregate using proceeds of junior capital raises (the “Par Paydown”) prior to February 14, 2024 (the “Paydown Measurement Date”) is equal to or greater than $30 million, then (subject to the representations and warranties being true and correct as of such date and there being no default or event of default being in existence as of such date) the maturity date of the term loans will be extended to April 30, 2026. Such extension is conditioned upon our payment of a 2% payment-in-kind extension fee
•The principal amortization of the term loans under the Amended Credit Agreement is 1.00% per year through April 30, 2025 and, if applicable, 12% per year for the year ended April 30, 2026
•The interest rate on the term loans will initially be Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) plus 5.00% per annum payable in cash plus 5.00% per annum payable in kind (“PIK”). The PIK component of the interest rate will be subject to adjustment based on the amount of Par Paydown prior to the Paydown Measurement Date as set forth in the table below:
| | | | | |
| Par Paydown | PIK Component of Interest Rate |
| Less than $20 million | 5.00% |
| $20 million+ but less than below | 4.50% |
| $30 million+ but less than below | 3.75% |
| $40 million+ but less than below | 3.50% |
| $45 million+ but less than below | 3.00% |
| $50 million+ but less than below | 2.50% |
| $55 million+ but less than below | 2.00% |
| $60 million+ but less than below | 1.00% |
| $65 million+ but less than below | 0.50% |
| $70 million+ | 0.00% |
•If, as of the end of any calendar quarter, (i) our amount of unencumbered cash and cash equivalents on a consolidated basis plus (ii) the undrawn commitment amount under our revolving credit facility is, or is forecast as of the end of the
immediately subsequent calendar quarter to be, less than $35 million, then up to 2.00% in interest otherwise payable in cash in the following quarter may be paid in kind at our election
•The lenders under the Amended Credit Agreement received warrants (the “Warrants”) to purchase 3,223,851 shares of Altisource common stock (the “Warrant Shares”). The number of Warrant Shares is subject to reduction based on the amount of Par Paydown by the Paydown Measurement Date as set forth in the table below.
| | | | | |
| Par Paydown | Warrant Shares |
| Less than $20 million | 3,223,851 |
| $20 million+ but less than below | 2,578,743 |
| $30 million+ | 1,612,705 |
•The exercise price per share of common stock under each Warrant is equal to $0.01. The Warrants may be exercised at any time on and after the Paydown Measurement Date and prior to their expiration date. The Warrants are exercisable on a cashless basis and will be subject to customary anti-dilution provisions. The Warrants, if not previously exercised or terminated, will be automatically exercised on May 22, 2027. The Warrants are subject to a lock-up agreement, subject to customary exceptions, ending two business days after the Paydown Measurement Date
•The lenders under the Amended Credit Agreement were paid an amendment fee equal to 1.0%, substantially all of which was paid in cash at closing
•Various of the affirmative and negative covenants, mandatory prepayments, events of default and other terms to which we are subject under the Amended Credit Agreement have been modified including in many cases to be more restrictive or to reduce certain permissions previously available to us.
•Based on the February 2023 $20 million repayment of the term loans under the Amended Credit Agreement, the PIK component of the interest rate decreased to 4.50% and the number of Warrant Shares decreased to 2,578,743.
Revolver Amendment
On February 9, 2023, we entered into Amendment No. 1 (the “First Revolver Amendment”) to our revolving credit facility effective February 14, 2023. The First Revolver Amendment establishes the credit available under our revolving credit facility at $15 million, extends the facility termination and maturity date to coincide with the maturity date of the term loans under the Amended Credit Agreement, and increases the interest rate under our revolving credit facility to 10% per annum payable in cash and 3% per annum PIK. A usage fee of $750,000 will be payable upon the initial drawing under our revolving credit facility following the effectiveness of the First Revolver Amendment. Our revolving credit facility is secured by a first-priority lien on substantially all of our assets, which lien will be pari passu with liens securing the term loans under the Amended Credit Agreement, and our revolving credit facility will continue to be guaranteed by Altisource and substantially all of our material subsidiaries.
Employees
As of December 31, 2022, we had the following number of employees:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | United States | | India | | Uruguay | | Luxembourg | | Consolidated Altisource |
| | | | | | | | | | |
| Total employees | | 279 | | | 1,142 | | | 66 | | | 9 | | | 1,496 | |
Seasonality
Certain of our revenues can be impacted by seasonality. More specifically, revenues from property sales, loan originations and certain property preservation services in Field Services typically tend to be at their lowest level during the fall and winter months and at their highest level during the spring and summer months. However, as a result of the pandemic and related measures, the seasonal impact to revenue may not follow historical patterns.
Government Regulation
Our business and the business of our customers are or may be subject to extensive scrutiny and regulation by federal, state and local governmental authorities including the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”), the CFPB, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), the Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”), the Treasury Department, various federal and state banking, financial and consumer regulators and the state and local agencies that license or oversee certain of our auction, real estate brokerage, title insurance agency, appraisal management, valuation, property preservation and inspection, mortgage and debt collection, trustee, mortgage origination underwriter and broker, property and asset management, insurance and credit report reselling services. We also must comply with a number of federal, state and local laws, which may include, among others:
•the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”);
•the Bank Secrecy Act;
•the California Homeowner Bill of Rights (“CHBR”);
•the Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography And Marketing Act (“CAN-SPAM”);
•the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (“ECOA”);
•the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (“FACTA”);
•the Fair Credit Reporting Act (“FCRA”);
•the Fair Housing Act;
•the Federal Trade Commission Act (“FTC Act”);
•the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (“GLBA”);
•the Home Affordable Refinance Program (“HARP”);
•the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (“HMDA”);
•the Home Ownership and Equity Protection Act (“HOEPA”);
•the National Housing Act;
•the New York Real Property Actions and Proceedings Law (“RPAPL”);
•the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (“RESPA”);
•the Secure and Fair Enforcement for Mortgage Licensing (“SAFE”) Act;
•the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (“SCRA”);
•the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (“TCPA”);
•the Truth in Lending Act (“TILA”); and
•Unfair, Deceptive or Abusive Acts and Practices statutes (“UDAAP”); and
•Applicable state laws addressing consumer data privacy, use or disclosure.
We are also subject to the requirements of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) and comparable foreign laws due to our activities in foreign jurisdictions.
In addition to federal and state laws regarding privacy and data security, we are also subject to data protection laws in the countries in which we operate. Additionally, certain of our entities are or may be subject to the EU General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”).
Legal requirements can and do change as statutes and regulations are enacted, promulgated or amended. One such enacted regulation is the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (“Dodd-Frank Act”). The Dodd-Frank Act is extensive and includes reform of the regulation and supervision of financial institutions, as well as the regulation of derivatives, capital market activities and consumer financial services. The Dodd-Frank Act, among other things, created the CFPB, a federal entity responsible for regulating consumer financial services and products. Title XIV of the Dodd-Frank Act contains the Mortgage Reform and Anti-Predatory Lending Act (“Mortgage Act”). The Mortgage Act imposes a number of additional requirements on lenders and servicers of residential mortgage loans by amending and expanding certain existing regulations. The interpretation or enforcement by regulatory authorities of applicable laws and regulations also may change over time. In addition, the creation of new regulatory authorities or changes in the regulatory authorities overseeing applicable laws and regulations may also result in changing interpretation or enforcement of such laws or regulations.
Our failure or the failure of our customers or vendors to comply with applicable laws or regulations or changing interpretation of such laws or regulations could subject the Company to criminal or civil liability, significant penalties, fines, settlements, costs and consent orders affecting us or our customers that may curtail or restrict the business as it is currently conducted and could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations.
Furthermore, certain of our services are provided at the direction of, and pursuant to, the identified requirements of our customers. The failure of our customers to properly identify or account for regulatory requirements applicable to such services could expose us to significant penalties, fines, settlements, costs and consent orders that could have an adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations.
We are subject to licensing and regulation as a provider of certain services including, among others, auction, real estate brokerage, title insurance agency, appraisal management, valuation, property preservation and inspection, mortgage and debt collection, trustee, mortgage origination underwriter and broker, property and asset management, insurance and credit report reselling services in a number of jurisdictions. Our employees and subsidiaries may be required to be licensed by or registered with various jurisdictions for the particular type of service sold or provided and to participate in regular continuing education programs. Periodically, we are subject to audits, examinations and investigations by federal, state and local governmental authorities and receive subpoenas, civil investigative demands or other requests for information from such governmental authorities in connection with their regulatory or investigative authority. Due to the inherent uncertainty of such actions, it is often difficult to predict the potential outcome or estimate any potential financial impact in connection with any such inquiries.
Available Information
We file Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and other information with the SEC. These filings are available to the public on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
Our principal Internet address is www.altisource.com and we encourage investors to use it as a way to easily find information about us. We promptly make the reports we file or furnish with the SEC, corporate governance information (including our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics), select press releases and other related information available on this website. The contents of our website are available for informational purposes only and shall not be deemed incorporated by reference in this report.
ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
The following risk factors and other information included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K should be carefully considered. The risks and uncertainties described below address the most materials risks, of which we are currently aware but are not the only ones we face. Therefore, the following risk factors should not be considered a complete list of potential risks that we may face.
Any risk factor described in this Annual Report on Form 10-K or in any of our other SEC filings, or any risk not currently known to us or that we currently anticipate to be immaterial may, by itself, or together with other factors, materially adversely affect our business, reputation, prospects, competitive position, liquidity, results of operations, capital position or financial condition, including by materially increasing our expenses or decreasing our revenues or profits, which could result in material losses. If any of these risks occur, the trading price of our common stock could decline, and investors could lose all or part of their investment.
While insurance coverage may be applicable to help address certain risks that may result in losses, recovery pursuant to our insurance policies may not be available, and available insurance may be insufficient to compensate for damages, expenses, fines, penalties, and other losses we may incur as a result of these and other risks.
In this ITEM 1A, unless the context otherwise clearly indicates, references to our “services” include any services, products or solutions provided, or made available, by us.
Summary
•We may experience a significant and extended reduction in the demand for our default-related services due to the continued low number of residential mortgage foreclosures and reduced supply of Real Estates Owned inventory resulting from COVID-19 foreclosure and eviction moratoriums.
•We may be subject to legal claims from customers, employees, vendors and other third parties as a result of the response to COVID-19.
•We earn a significant portion of our revenue in connection with providing services to two customers.
•Changes that reduce or limit the use of online default real estate auctions or otherwise reduce the volume or rate of success of such auctions can negatively impact us.
•If our agreement with Rithm is terminated, expires, is breached, or suffers a significant reduction in volume we could be adversely affected.
•Technology disruptions, failures, defects or inadequacies, delays or difficulties in implementing software or hardware changes, acts of vandalism or the introduction of harmful code could negatively impact us.
•We depend on our ability to use services, products, data and infrastructure provided by third parties to maintain and grow our businesses.
•The Company’s databases contain our proprietary information, the proprietary information of third parties and personal information of our customers, consumers, vendors and employees. Our failure to comply with applicable information management requirements or best practices or the legal rights of individuals about whom we collect or process personal information, or an unauthorized disclosure of information, could subject us to adverse publicity, investigations, fines, costly government enforcement actions or private litigation and expenses.
•Our business continuity and disaster recovery plans and other adjustments to business may not be sufficient to anticipate impacts of, or address or adequately recover from, business interruptions or a pandemic.
•The insurance underwriting loss limitation methods we use could fail.
•Under certain material agreements to which we are currently a party or into which we may enter in the future, the formation by shareholders of Altisource of a “group” with ownership of Altisource capital stock exceeding a defined percentage may give rise to a termination event or an event of default.
•The majority of our employees and contractors work from locations other than our facilities, which could negatively impact our control environment or productivity and create additional risks.
•We rely on vendors for many aspects of our business. If our vendor oversight activities are ineffective, we may fail to meet customer or regulatory requirements.
•We make extensive use of contractors in certain of our lines of business. If we are required to reclassify contractors as employees, we may incur fines and penalties and additional costs and taxes.
•There can be no guarantee that we will be able to continue to implement appropriate measures to manage potential conflicts of interest.
•Our success depends on the relevant industry experience and relationships of certain members of our Board of Directors, executive officers and other key personnel.
•We may face difficulties to attract, motivate and retain skilled employees.
•The presence of our operations in multiple countries subjects us to risks endemic to those countries.
•We may be unable to realize sales represented by our awarded business or sales pipeline.
•We may fail to adapt our services to changes in technology or in the marketplace related to mortgage servicing or origination, changing requirements of governmental authorities, GSEs and customers.
•Acquisitions to accelerate growth initiatives involve potential risks.
•Changes in economic and market conditions that reduce residential real estate sales or values or mortgage origination volumes could negatively impact demand for our services.
•A reduction in residential mortgage delinquencies, defaults or foreclosures in the United States can negatively affect demand for certain of our services.
•Developments that impact residential foreclosures or the supply, sale price or sale of REO could negatively impact us.
•We may never pay dividends on our common stock so any returns would be limited to the potential appreciation of our stock.
•We may take advantage of specified reduced disclosure requirements applicable to a “smaller reporting company” under Regulation S-K, and the information that we provide to stockholders may be different than they might receive from other public companies.
•The market price and trading volume of our stock may be volatile.
•If we are unable to generate sufficient cash flow or access the capital markets or our borrowing capacity is reduced, our liquidity and competitive position may be negatively affected.
•Our primary source of liquidity is cash flows from operations and unrestricted cash. Our level of debt and the variable interest rate on our term loan makes us sensitive to the effects of our current financial performance and interest rate increases; our level of debt and provisions in our senior secured term loan and revolving credit facility could limit our ability to react to changes in the economy or our industry.
•Our failure to comply with the covenants or terms contained in our senior secured term loan agreements or our credit facility, including as a result of events beyond our control, could result in an event of default.
•We may be unable to extend the maturity of our loan agreements from April 2025 to April 2026 if we are unable to raise sufficient funds from the proceeds of issuances of equity interests or from junior indebtedness. We may be unable to repay or refinance the balance of our senior secured term loan or revolving credit loan upon maturity.
•We have a significant net operating loss recognized by one of our Luxembourg subsidiaries. We may not be able to fully utilize this deferred tax asset before the net operating loss expires.
•Cash, cash equivalents and escrow funds we hold at financial institutions could be lost and not recoverable.
•The rights of shareholders under Luxembourg law may differ in certain respects from the rights afforded to shareholders of companies organized under laws in other jurisdictions.
•Luxembourg tax law could have a negative impact on us.
•Our business and the business of our customers are subject to extensive scrutiny and legal requirements.
•Failure to comply with US sanctions, including blocking certain activities in Sanctioned Countries, could expose the company to penalties and other adverse consequences.
•We are subject to licensing and regulation as a provider of certain services and our failure to maintain licensing or to comply with licensing or regulatory requirements could adversely impact our ability to continue performing the services in compliance with the applicable legal or contractual requirements.
•A violation by our customers of applicable legal requirements in the selection or use of our services could generate legal liability or additional expense for us.
•Certain of our customers are subject to governmental oversight, regulations, orders, judgments or settlements which may impose certain obligations and limitations on their use of our services.
•The tax regulations, and the interpretation thereof, in the countries, states and local jurisdictions in which we operate periodically change and our operations and intercompany arrangements are subject to the tax laws of various jurisdictions.
Risks Related to the COVID-19 Pandemic
We may experience a significant and extended reduction in the demand for our default-related services due to the continued reduction in residential mortgage foreclosures and reduced supply of REO inventory resulting from COVID-19 foreclosure and eviction moratoriums.
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a profound impact on our business, our customers, and the industries in which we operate. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, beginning in March 2020, various governmental entities and servicers implemented unprecedented foreclosure and eviction moratoriums, forbearance programs and loss mitigation measures to help mitigate the impact to borrowers and renters. As a result of these measures and other related actions, industry wide foreclosure initiations were 88% lower in 2021 compared to the same pre-COVID-19 period in 2019. The federal government’s foreclosure moratorium expired on July 1, 2021 and the CFPB’s temporary loss mitigation measures expired on December 31, 2021. Despite the expiration of such governmental measures, new foreclosure initiations for borrowers in default continue to be lower than pre-pandemic rates. Industrywide foreclosure initiations were 368% higher in 2022 compared to 2021, although still 45% lower than the pre-COVID-19 period in 2019.
Industrywide foreclosure sales were 39% higher in 2022 compared to 2021 (although still 67% lower than the pre-COVID-19 period in 2019). The decline in foreclosure initiations and foreclosure sales throughout the pandemic, partially offset by the restart of the default market, significantly decreased default related referrals to us and continues to negatively impact virtually all of our default related services revenue.
We anticipate that we will continue to experience significant impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic through at least the middle of the 2024 calendar year. Based on the expirations of the Federal government’s foreclosure and eviction moratoriums and the CFPB’s rules on temporary loss mitigation measures, we believe the demand for our Default business will grow, but our estimate may not be correct and is subject to macro and micro economic factors that could negatively impact us. We estimate that in today’s environment it typically takes on average two years to convert foreclosure initiations to foreclosure sales and six months to market and sell the REO. Due to this timing, we anticipate that our later stage foreclosure auction and REO asset management services will not fully benefit from the early 2022 higher foreclosure initiations until late 2023 or early 2024. The extent and duration of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and governmental, mortgage servicer, mortgage investor and societal responses will depend on future developments, including the duration, cycles and severity of the pandemic, which remain highly uncertain. We cannot predict the duration of the pandemic and future governmental and industry measures. As a result, it is difficult to predict the impact on our business and the timing for the recovery of the default market, if it recovers at all.
Volatile or uncertain economic conditions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, or its consequences, have and may continue to affect our customers and the markets we serve, causing customers to reduce, defer or eliminate spending on our services.
We may be subject to legal claims from customers, employees, vendors and other third parties as a result of the response to COVID-19, including contractual breach claims.
Interruptions caused by the pandemic and our customers’ and various governmental bodies’ responses to the pandemic could adversely impact our ability to comply with various legal and contractual obligations, including service level agreements and performance standards in our revenue agreements, order volume or other requirements in our vendor agreements, restoration obligations in our leases, and obligations to perform or use services in pre-approved locations, whether as a result of an inability to staff personnel for certain services in appropriate locations or as a result of compliance with various imposed regulations. Some of our agreements may not contain force majeure clauses or similar provisions that would sufficiently excuse any non-performance due to the pandemic. Accordingly, counterparties to these contracts may assert that we have breached these contracts and caused damages. Even if our agreements contain force majeure clauses or similar provisions, parties to the agreements may dispute that such provisions are applicable to excuse our failures to perform. In such cases, we could face additional costs, penalties, fee reductions, an exercise of termination rights, legal claims and liabilities.
The COVID-19 pandemic and its ramifications could further aggravate, accelerate, or precipitate any of the risk factors discussed below.
Risks Related to Our Business and Operations
We earn a significant portion of our revenue in connection with providing services to two customers.
A significant portion of our revenue is earned from providing services to Ocwen and Rithm. If either party substantially reduces the scope or volume of services acquired from us, or otherwise ceases using us as a vendor, it would negatively impact our business. For example, we could experience a reduction in scope or volume of business as a direct or indirect result of the existence or outcome of regulatory matters impacting one or more of these clients, a change in the servicing relationship between these clients, a reduction in the MSRs for which Ocwen acts as a servicer or subservicer, or a change in the contractual relationship between Altisource and Ocwen or Rithm. In addition, providing services to these customers affords us the opportunity to provide certain services to third parties and the loss of these customers or reduction in the quantity of services provided to these customers would also result in the loss or reduction of these additional revenue streams. For example, we may have the opportunity to earn commissions or fees from, or we may be able to provide on-line auction services, title insurance and escrow services, or other services to, buyers on certain real estate transactions, and the loss or reduction in the number of these customers would also prevent us from offering these additional services related to the underlying transaction. Customer concentration also exposes us to concentrated credit risk, as a significant portion of our accounts receivable may be from one or both of these customers.
If the characteristics of the portfolios of properties on which we provide services for either of these customers were to significantly change, for example to become less delinquent, more rural or lower value, this could impact the type and volume of services that we provide, increase our costs of doing business, or reduce the value of commissions or fees we earn.
Our business concentration or relationships with these two customers may be viewed as a risk or otherwise negatively by other customers or potential customers, impeding our efforts to retain customers or obtain new customers.
Changes that reduce or limit the use of online default real estate auctions or otherwise reduce the volume or rate of success of such auctions can negatively impact our auction marketplace, real estate brokerage and related default services.
Governmental, GSE, servicer or investor actions or action by others that restrict online real estate auctions (foreclosure and REO), reduce the permissible fees or direct the use of auction providers other than us, could negatively impact demand for our auction marketplace, real estate brokerage and related services, and negatively impact our ability to meet certain contractual performance metrics, including those related to aging of assets, time on market and sale price compared to valuation. If we fail to satisfy applicable performance metrics or perform in a manner satisfactory to our customers, such customers may reduce the services they acquire from us or otherwise terminate us as a provider.
We entered into a brokerage agreement with Rithm’s licensed brokerage subsidiary. If the agreement is terminated, expires, is breached or if there is a significant reduction in the volume of services that we provide pursuant to such agreement, our business and results of operations could be adversely affected.
On August 28, 2017, Altisource, through its licensed subsidiaries, entered into the Brokerage Agreement with Rithm which extends through August 2025 (“Brokerage Agreement”). Under this agreement and related amendments, Altisource is the
exclusive provider (with certain exceptions) of brokerage services for REO associated with the certain MSR through August 2025, irrespective of the subservicer, as long as Rithm owns such MSRs. The Brokerage Agreement may be terminated by Rithm upon the occurrence of certain specified events. Termination events include, but are not limited to, a breach of the terms of the Brokerage Agreement (including, without limitation, the failure to meet performance standards and non-compliance with law in a material respect), the failure to maintain licenses which failure materially prevents performance of the contract, regulatory allegations of non-compliance resulting in an adversarial proceeding against Rithm, voluntary or involuntary bankruptcy, appointment of a receiver, disclosure in a Form 10-K or Form 10-Q that there is significant uncertainty about Altisource’s ability to continue as a going concern, failure to maintain a specified level of cash and an unapproved change of control. Rithm could decide to not renew or extend the term of the Brokerage Agreement upon its termination in August 2025, in which case Rithm may elect to use a brokerage service provider other than the Altisource subsidiaries for some or all of its REO. If any one of these termination events occurs and the Brokerage Agreement is terminated or if the Brokerage Agreement is not renewed or extended Altisource’s business and results of operations could be adversely affected.
In addition, Rithm operational changes, breach of the Brokerage Agreement or other actions that reduce the number of properties converting to REO status could: (i) reduce the volume of services that we provide on the applicable MSRs pursuant to our agreements with Ocwen, and (ii) reduce the volume of services that we provide pursuant to the Brokerage Agreement.
Technology disruptions, failures, defects or inadequacies, delays or difficulties in implementing software or hardware changes, acts of vandalism or the introduction of harmful code could damage our business operations and increase our costs.
We rely on critical technology to provide certain of our services. We rely on our proprietary technology in our Hubzu real estate marketing, Equator, Equator.com, NestRange, LOLA, REALSynergy, RentRange, TrelixTM Connect, Vendorly® and other platforms. Certain of our proprietary technology includes licensed open source and third-party code or may be created or maintained by using low-code or other coding techniques that contain inherent risks. We also leverage third-party technology to provide certain of our services, including using third-party order management and billing technology, and using third-party technology to access data or take actions, such as governmental filings, and externally hosted and managed data centers and operating environments. Disruptions, failures, defects or inadequacies in our technology or third-party technology or related services we utilize, delays or errors in developing or maintaining our technology, or acts of vandalism, misuse or malicious use of our solutions, system attacks or the introduction of malicious code in technology we utilize, or the use of outdated or unsupported open source or third-party code may interrupt or delay our ability to provide products or services to our customers, impact our ability to satisfy performance requirements, or cause the loss, corruption or disclosure of data. We may be a target for network hackers or others with malicious intent due to our storage and processing of consumer information as part of providing our services or as a result of operating public-facing technology platforms, including, for example, our Hubzu marketing platform. Any sustained and repeated disruptions in these services may have an adverse impact on our and our customers’ business and results of operations and, in the case of acts of vandalism or introduction of harmful code, could necessitate improvements to our physical and cybersecurity practices that may require an investment of money, time and resources.
Many of our services and processes require effective interoperation with internal and external technology platforms and services, and failures in such interoperation could have a negative impact on our operations and the operations of our customers.
Further, our customers may require changes and improvements to the systems we provide to them to manage the volume and complexity, laws or regulations of their businesses, or to interoperate with other systems, which changes and improvements may be unfeasible, unsuccessful, costly or time-consuming to implement or may create disruptions in our provision of services to customers. Our customers may refuse to agree to modifications to technology or infrastructure that we provide to them or that interoperate with the technology or infrastructure we provide to them that we may believe are desirable to improve the reliability, performance, efficiency or cost in delivering. Additionally, the improper implementation or use of Altisource technology, such as Equator, by customers could adversely impact the operation of that technology, and potentially cause harm to our reputation, loss of customers, negative publicity or exposure to liability claims or government investigations or actions.
We depend on our ability to use services, products, data and infrastructure provided by third parties to maintain and grow our businesses.
We rely on certain third parties to provide services, products and solutions including certain data, infrastructure, technology, systems and functionality including a third-party hosted and managed data center and operating environment (collectively, “Inputs”) critical to our services, including our Hubzu real estate marketing, Equator, Field Services, NestRange, RentRange, Trelix Connect, Vendorly, and other solutions. The failure of such third parties to provide or make available the Inputs in accordance with applicable requirements could negatively impact our ability to provide our services or perform transactions and to meet our obligations. In addition, these third parties could cease providing or reduce the availability, type, details or other
aspects of the Inputs, and change the pricing, performance or functionality of the Inputs. If such Inputs become unavailable or too expensive and we are unable to obtain suitable alternatives and efficiently and effectively integrate these alternatives into our service offerings or infrastructure, we could experience service disruptions, increased costs and reduced quality of our services.
The Company’s databases contain our proprietary information, the proprietary information of third parties and personal information of our customers, consumers, vendors and employees. Our failure to comply with applicable information management requirements or best practices or the legal rights of individuals about whom we collect or process personal information, or an unauthorized disclosure of information, could subject us to adverse publicity, investigations, fines, costly government enforcement actions or private litigation and expenses.
As part of our business we collect, store, process, transfer and dispose in tangible and electronic forms customer, consumer, vendor and employee personal information (“PI”). We and our vendors rely on processes that are intended to provide necessary notices regarding the collection, storage, processing and destruction of PI, and to permit subjects to exercise their legal rights concerning their PI in our possession. If those processes are not sufficient or experience an error or other disruption, we or our vendors may fail to comply with applicable requirements concerning PI. In addition, we rely on the security of our facilities, networks, databases, systems and processes and, in certain circumstances, third parties, such as vendors, to protect PI. If our controls and those of our customers or vendors are not effective, are outdated or do not exist, or if we fail to detect or respond to attacks or intrusions, unauthorized parties may gain access to our networks or databases or information, or those of our customers or vendors with which we interconnect or share information, and they may be able to steal, publish, delete, or modify PI. In addition, employees may intentionally or inadvertently cause data or security breaches that result in unauthorized release of such PI. Further, our efforts to delete or destroy PI may not be consistent with our disclosed policies or may not be successful, resulting in the theft or unintentional disclosure of PI, including when disposing of media on which PI may be stored. In such circumstances, our business could be harmed and we could be liable to our customers, employees or vendors, or to regulators, consumers or other parties, as well as be subject to notification requirements or regulatory or other actions for breaching applicable laws or failing to adequately protect such information. This could result in costly investigations and litigation, civil or criminal penalties, large scale remediation requirements, operational changes or other response measures, significant penalties, fines, settlements, costs, consent orders, loss of consumer confidence in our security measures and negative publicity.
The inadequacy, disruption or failure of our business continuity or disaster recovery plans and procedures in response to significant business or system disruption could adversely affect our business.
Our business continuity and disaster recovery plans and other adjustments to business may not be sufficient to anticipate impacts of, or address or adequately recover from, business interruptions or a pandemic, or may not be implemented on a timely or error free basis in response to business interruptions or a pandemic, resulting in negative operational impacts and errors.
The insurance underwriting loss limitation methods we use could fail.
Altisource, through its subsidiary Association of Certified Mortgage Originators Risk Retention Group, Inc., provides certified loan insurance to its customers. Altisource reduces a portion of its risk of insurance loss through third-party reinsurance. The incidence and severity of claims against insurance policies are inherently unpredictable. Although we attempt to manage our exposure to insurance underwriting risk through the use of disciplined underwriting controls and the purchase of third-party reinsurance, we maintain first loss exposure and the frequency and severity of claims could be greater than contemplated in our pricing and risk management methods and our controls and mitigation efforts may not be effective or sufficient.
We also face counterparty risk when purchasing reinsurance from third-party reinsurers. The insolvency or unwillingness of any of our present or future reinsurers to contract with us or make timely payments to us under the terms of our reinsurance agreements could have an adverse effect on us. Further, there is no certainty that we will be able to purchase the amount or type of reinsurance we desire in the future or that the reinsurance we desire will be available on terms we consider acceptable or with reinsurers with whom we want to do business.
Under certain material agreements to which we are currently a party or into which we may enter in the future, the formation by shareholders of Altisource of a “group” with ownership of Altisource capital stock exceeding a defined percentage may give rise to a termination event or an event of default.
Under certain of our material agreements a change of control would be deemed to occur if, among other things, a “group” (as that term is used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act) is formed by shareholders holding beneficial ownership of a defined percentage of the combined voting power or economic interest of our capital stock. The Brokerage Agreement with Rithm’s licensed brokerage subsidiary contains a similar provision, and we may enter into material agreements in the future that
contain similar provisions. The formation of a “group” could occur without the involvement of or input by us, and we are not in a position to prevent such an event from occurring. Such a change of control could constitute a termination event or an event of default under these agreements.
Risks Related to Human Capital
The majority of our employees and contractors work from locations other than in our facilities, which could negatively impact our control environment or productivity and create additional risks for our business, including increasing our risk for cybersecurity breaches or failures.
A significant portion of our workforce works from locations other than our facilities (“Remote Work Environment”). We may incur significant costs associated with the Remote Work Environment and we may not be able to increase our fees to cover the additional costs. Employing a Remote Work Environment could decrease workforce productivity, including due to a lower level of oversight, supervision or monitoring, increased distractions, impediments to real-time communication or other challenges to effective collaboration, use of slower residential internet connections, the instability, inadequacy or unavailability of our network, unstable electrical services or unreliable internet access. We also may face increased data privacy and security risks resulting from the use of non-Altisource networks to access information and to provide services.
Additional risks to our systems and data as well as customer, vendor and borrower data include increased phishing activities targeting our workforce, vendors and counterparties in transactions and the possibility of attacks on our systems or systems of our remote workforce. A Remote Work Environment could also negatively impact certain controls, such as our financial reporting systems, internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures, and controls designed to detect or prevent misconduct. If any reduction in productivity or data privacy or cybersecurity failures or breaches or issues with our controls occurs, we may incur additional costs to address such issues and our financial condition and results may be adversely impacted.
In addition, our Remote Work Environment may result in difficulties creating and maintaining accurate records of where our employees are working from. Such uncertainty in employee location may subject us to risks related to certain state taxes or maintaining certain state licenses.
We rely on vendors for many aspects of our business. If our vendor oversight activities are ineffective, we may fail to meet customer or regulatory requirements. We may face difficulties sourcing required vendors or supplies or managing our relationships with vendors.
We rely on vendors to provide goods and services in relation to many aspects of our operations, including field services providers and certain providers of web-based services or software as services. Our dependence on these vendors makes our operations vulnerable to the unavailability of such vendors, the pricing and quality of services and products offered by such vendors, solvency of those vendors, security failures of those vendors, deficiencies and failures of business continuity and disaster recovery plans and efforts of such vendors, and such vendors’ failure to perform adequately under our agreements with them. In addition, where a vendor provides services or products that we are required to provide under a contract with a customer, we are generally responsible for such performance and could be held accountable by the customer for any failure of performance by our vendors or related defects. If our vendor sourcing efforts are not effective or if we are otherwise not able to secure an appropriate supply and quality of vendors, services or supplies, if vendors are unable to hire or retain employees or acquire supplies or are prohibited or prevented from performing the services or providing the products for which we contract, including as the result of restrictions imposed by state or local governments or health departments, we may be unable to provide services or compliant services or services may become more expensive. If our vendor oversight activities are ineffective, if a vendor fails to provide the services or products that we require or expect or fails to meet contractual requirements, such as service levels or compliance with applicable laws, or a vendor engages in misconduct, the failure or misconduct could negatively impact our business by adversely affecting our ability to serve our customers or subjecting us to litigation and regulatory risk for ineffective vendor oversight. Furthermore, the failure to obtain services or products at anticipated pricing could impact our cost structure and the prices of our services and we may not be able to increase our fees to cover the additional costs. In addition, Altisource may be contractually required by its customers or by applicable regulations to oversee its vendors and document procedures performed to demonstrate that oversight. If we fail to meet such customer or regulatory requirements, or we face difficulties managing our relationships with vendors, we may lose customers or may no longer be granted referrals for certain services or could be subject to adverse regulatory action.
We make extensive use of contractors in certain of our lines of business. If we are required to reclassify contractors as employees, we may incur fines and penalties and additional costs and taxes.
A significant number of contractors provide services in our operations for which we do not pay or withhold any federal, state or local employment tax or provide employee benefits. These contractors may be retained by us or retained by vendors providing services to us. There are a number of tests used in determining whether an individual is an employee or a contractor. There can be no assurance that we are in compliance, or that legislative, judicial or regulatory (including tax) authorities will not introduce proposals or assert interpretations of existing rules and regulations that would change, or at least challenge, the classification of our contractors. The United States Internal Revenue Service or other United States federal or state authorities or similar authorities of a foreign government may determine that we or our vendors have misclassified our contractors for employment tax or other purposes and, as a result, seek additional taxes from us, require us to pay certain compensation or benefits to wrongly classified employees, or attempt to impose fines or penalties. In addition, contractors, or contractors or employees of our vendors, may assert claims that they are our employees and seek to recover compensation, benefits, damages and penalties from us. If we are required to pay employer taxes, pay backup withholding compensation, benefits, damages or penalties with respect to or on behalf of our contractors or contractors or employees of our vendors, our operating costs will increase.
We could have conflicts of interest with Ocwen, Rithm, Deer Park Road Management Company L.P., or affiliates of the foregoing, and/or certain of our shareholders, members of management, employees and members of our Board of Directors, which may be resolved in a manner adverse to us.
We have significant business relationships with and provide services to Ocwen and to Rithm, and have business relationships with certain companies in which William C. Erbey has invested. We also have a revolving credit facility with a fund managed by Deer Park Road Management Company L.P (“Deer Park”), and Deer Park owns Altisource debt as a lender pursuant to our senior secured term loan agreement, as amended and restated with an effective date of February 14, 2023 (the “Amended Credit Agreement”). Deer Park and William C. Erbey have disclosed that they own equity interest in Altisource representing approximately 24% and 38%, respectively, of Altisource’s outstanding common stock as of December 31, 2022. In addition, as of February 22, 2023, Deer Park holds 466,723 warrants entitling it to purchase an equal number of shares of Altisource common stock, subject to potential reduction prior to February 14, 2024. As of February 14, 2023, Deer Park owned approximately 18% of Altisource’s debt under the Amended Credit Agreement. Certain members of our management and independent members of our Board of Directors (or entities affiliated with such Board of Directors members) have direct or beneficial equity interests in Ocwen or in Rithm, including in one instance, equity interests in Ocwen (estimated to be approximately 11%) and Altisource (approximately 24%) as well as debt of both of these parties, equity interests in Rithm (less than 1%) and equity interest in Deer Park. Such interests and relationships could create, or appear to create, potential conflicts of interest with respect to matters potentially or actually involving or affecting us and Ocwen, Rithm, Deer Park, William C. Erbey or their affiliates. There can be no assurance that we will implement measures that will enable us to manage such potential conflicts. There can be no assurance that any current or future measures that may be implemented to manage potential conflicts will be effective or that we will be able to manage or resolve all potential conflicts with Ocwen, Rithm, Deer Park, William C. Erbey or their affiliates and, even if we do, that the resolution will be no less favorable to us than if we were dealing with another third-party that has none of the connections we have with Ocwen, Rithm, William C. Erbey or Deer Park. There can be no guarantee that we will be able to continue to implement appropriate measures to manage these potential conflicts of interest.
Our success depends on the relevant industry experience and relationships of certain members of our Board of Directors, executive officers and other key personnel.
Our success is dependent on the efforts and abilities of members of our Board of Directors, our executive officers and other key employees, many of whom have significant experience in the real estate and mortgage, financial services and technology industries or play a substantial role in our relationship with certain customers. In particular, we are dependent on the services of members of our Board of Directors and key executives at our corporate headquarters and personnel at each of our lines of business and support groups. In addition, certain members of our Board of Directors, executive officers or other key employees have relationships with certain customers or vendors that facilitate our business and operations. The loss of the services of any of these members of our Board of Directors, executives or key personnel could have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations or relationships with certain customers or vendors.
To maintain our substance and leadership as a Luxembourg company, we seek to convene at least one Board of Directors meeting in Luxembourg each year and our executive management is largely based in Luxembourg. The travel required by our directors to Luxembourg, and potential future restrictions on and requirements for such travel, may serve as an impediment to attract and retain directors and director candidates. Our Luxembourg location can also make it difficult to attract and retain executive officers and other senior leadership and to achieve diversity and succession planning in such roles.
We may face difficulties to attract, motivate and retain skilled employees.
Our business is labor intensive and places significant importance on our ability to recruit, engage, train and retain skilled employees. Additionally, demand for qualified professionals with experience in certain businesses or technologies may exceed available supply. Our ability to recruit and train employees is critical to achieving our growth objective. Further, some of our business operations require recruiting and retaining employees with certain professional licenses, particularly in the United States. An increase in demand for professionals licensed to work in our origination, real estate brokerage and auction, and default business, and significant turnover in those areas, may negatively impact our ability to attract and retain such professionals. We face inflationary wage pressures which may continue for an extended period. We may continue to encounter significant challenges in attracting and retaining employees as needed to satisfy demand or growth expectations for our services, or to be able to limit compensation related costs to make operations economically viable. We may not be able to attract and retain skilled employees. We may face an increase in wages or other costs of attracting, training or retaining skilled employees. In addition, attrition of current employees may negatively impact our ability to provide services of a quality or volume that satisfy applicable contractual obligations or that support our planned growth or expansion of services.
The presence of our operations in multiple countries subjects us to risks endemic to those countries.
We have employees and operations outside of the United States, in countries such as Luxembourg, India and Uruguay. The occurrence of natural disasters, epidemics or other health emergencies, or political or economic instability impacting these countries, could interfere with work performed by these labor sources or could result in us having to replace or reduce these labor sources.
We operate in jurisdictions that have experienced corruption, bribery and other similar practices from time-to-time. We are subject to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and similar anti-corruption laws in other jurisdictions, and the failure to comply with these laws could result in substantial penalties.
Furthermore, the practice of utilizing labor based in foreign countries has come under increased scrutiny in the United States. Governmental authorities could seek to impose financial costs or restrictions on foreign companies providing services to customers in the United States. Governmental authorities may attempt to prohibit or otherwise discourage our United States-based customers from sourcing services from foreign companies and, as a result, some of our customers may require us to use labor based in the United States or cease doing business with Altisource. In addition, some of our customers may require us to use labor based in the United States for other reasons. To the extent that we are required to use labor based in the United States, we may not be able to pass on the increased costs of higher-priced United States-based labor to our customers.
Risks Related to Our Growth Strategy
We may be unable to realize sales represented by our awarded business or sales pipeline.
As part of our business and financial planning, we make assumptions about the quantity and timing of services that our customers and prospect customers will order from us. In many instances, however, our customers may not be obligated to acquire our services or may only be obligated to acquire our services to the extent the customer can make use of such services. Our volume of sales may not materialize to the extent our customers or prospect customers elect to use providers of services other than us, or if economic or industry conditions exist such that our customers or prospect customers do not require the assumed quantity of services or reduce the fees paid for the services. For example, economic conditions and restrictions instituted by governmental authorities, GSEs, servicers or investors may negatively impact the quantity or timing of customer demand for our services despite the existence of an agreement. Our customers may use more than one provider for given services resulting in such customers varying over time the quantity or mix of services acquired from us versus other providers. Even in cases where our customer contracts require minimum purchases by a customer, we may be unable or we may determine that it is inadvisable for us to seek to enforce or collect upon the contractual minimums.
We may fail to adapt our services to changes in technology or in the marketplace related to mortgage servicing or origination, changing requirements of governmental authorities, GSEs and customers. Customers may seek to reduce reliance upon the number of service providers.
The markets for our services are characterized by constant technological and other changes, our customers’ and competitors’ frequent introduction of new services, and evolving industry standards and government regulations. We are currently in the process of, and from time to time will be, developing and introducing new services and technologies and improvements to existing services and technologies. Our future success will be significantly affected by our ability to complete our current efforts and in the future enhance, our services and technologies, and to develop and introduce new services that address the increasingly sophisticated needs of our customers and their customers, as well as our ability to reduce costs by relying on cloud architecture and other infrastructure advancements. These efforts may include implementing new real estate auction and marketing capabilities, as well as technological and other modifications to increase efficiency and flexibility in supplying our
default-related and origination services. These initiatives carry the risks associated with any new service development effort, including cost overruns, delays in delivery and performance effectiveness. There can be no assurance that we will continue with our current efforts and be successful in developing, enhancing, marketing, selling and implementing new and improved services. In addition, we may experience difficulties that could delay or prevent the successful development, enhancement, introduction and marketing of these services. Our services and their enhancements may also not adequately meet the demands of the marketplace or governmental authorities and achieve market acceptance.
Customers of our default-related services and origination services may seek to reduce the number of service providers employed through vendor consolidation, insourcing (providing the services itself) or by other means. Such changes could reduce the demand for our services or control over the prices we are able to charge for our services.
Acquisitions to accelerate growth initiatives involve potential risks.
Historically, our strategy has included the acquisition of complementary businesses from time to time. In the future, we may consider acquisitions of or merger with other businesses that we believe could complement our business, offer us greater access in our current markets or offer us greater access and expertise in other asset types and markets that are related to ours, but we do not currently serve. Our ability to pursue additional acquisitions in the future depends on our access to sufficient capital (equity and/or debt) to fund the acquisition and subsequent integration. Because of the obligations to maintain a minimum cash threshold in the Cooperative Brokerage Agreement and restrictions in our Amended Credit Agreement, we may not be able to secure adequate capital as needed on terms that are acceptable to us, or at all.
When we acquire new businesses, we may face a number of integration risks, including a loss of focus on our daily operations, the need for additional management, constraints on operating resources, constraints on financial resources from integration and system conversion costs, and the inability to maintain key pre-acquisition relationships with customers, suppliers and employees. We may have particular integration risks as we are a Luxembourg-domiciled company, resulting in numerous changes that may need to be made immediately or promptly following closing of such an acquisition. In addition, any acquisition may result in the incurrence of additional amortization expense of related intangible assets, which could reduce our profitability.
Failure to properly and timely integrate any acquired business may result in our inability to realize the expected value from the acquisition, which can lead us to generate less revenue and/or earnings than anticipated, and/or sell or otherwise dispose of the acquired business at a loss.
Risks Related to Our Industry
Changes in economic and market conditions that reduce residential real estate sales or values or mortgage origination volumes could negatively impact demand for our services.
Economic or market fluctuations such as a decrease in sales or sales prices of residential properties or an increase in sales transaction timelines could reduce the demand for certain of our services related to marketing and real estate sale transactions, including services ancillary to such transactions, such as closing services and title insurance services. Typically, the volume of residential property sales decline and transaction timelines increase as residential mortgage interest rates increase, financing options and availability for borrowers decline or consumer confidence falls. A reduction in the volume of real estate transactions or the sales price of real estate could negatively impact our residential real estate brokerage and auction businesses which earn commission fees that are generally set as a percentage based on the property sale price. Demand for services from other businesses, such as mortgage origination, valuation, title and closing, may also decline as a result of a reduction in real estate transaction volumes including from increasing residential mortgage interest rates. Home price appreciation typically increases equity in the borrowers’ homes providing borrowers with more options to avoid foreclosure and, therefore, reducing foreclosure auction and REO referrals and ancillary services such as closing and title insurance services.
Economic or market fluctuations that reduce the volume or value of residential mortgage origination or re-financings could decrease the demand for our mortgage origination and mortgage insurance related services, including those provided to members of the Lenders One mortgage cooperative. An increase in residential mortgage interest rates or a decline in financing available for borrowers as a result of an inflationary environment or government action responding to the same could result in a decrease in such demand. Increasing housing prices could also reduce the number of sale transactions resulting in a decrease in new mortgage origination.
A reduction in residential mortgage delinquencies, defaults or foreclosures in the United States can negatively affect demand for certain of our services.
We provide certain services to residential mortgage servicers and subservicers, as well as government sponsored entities, federal agencies and others, to protect, preserve, manage and potentially dispose of properties securing residential mortgage loans, when such loans become delinquent, default, undergo foreclosure or become a REO asset. Rates of residential mortgage delinquencies, defaults and foreclosures can be negatively impacted by numerous factors, including strengthening economic conditions, increasing housing equity from rising home values, decreasing residential mortgage interest rates, a reduction in the number of residential mortgages outstanding or a reduction in home ownership levels or governmental or servicer action. National servicing standards, federal and state government scrutiny and regulation, requirements specifying loan loss mitigation, modification and foreclosure procedures, rules instituted by governmental authorities, GSEs, servicers or investors preventing actions related to loan delinquencies and foreclosures, including moratoriums on foreclosures and mortgage payment forbearance plans, may also reduce the number of mortgage loans entering the foreclosure process or suspend pending foreclosure and eviction actions. Such conditions could negatively impact demand for our default services. Reductions in the rates of residential mortgage delinquencies, defaults, foreclosures and REO would likely reduce demand for our services related to non-judicial foreclosures, inspecting, maintaining, valuing, marketing and selling such assets.
If faced with an extended period of decline in demand for and revenue from certain of our services as a result of economic conditions or due to government, GSE, servicer or investor restrictions related to loan delinquencies and foreclosures, including moratoriums on foreclosures and mortgage payment forbearance plans, we may be unable to sufficiently adjust our cost structure, in our operations that provide such impacted services or at the corporate level, to avoid negative impacts to net revenue or profits. We also may be unable to maintain our ability to offer such services in the future. The expiration dates of certain requirements that impact demand for our services may be indefinite or extended in the future making it difficult to predict when such requirements may end. In response to such conditions, we may be required to modify or suspend such operations which could negatively impact our ability to timely respond to an increase in demand for such services or to provide such services in the future, or which could cause us to incur significant expense to restart or scale such services in response to an increase in demand.
Developments that impact residential foreclosures or the supply, sale price or sale of REO could negatively affect demand for certain of our default-related services and negatively impact our ability to meet certain contractual performance metrics.
Reduction in residential foreclosures or the supply or sales of REO in the United States could reduce the demand for and volume of certain of our services, including foreclosure trustee, foreclosure auction, REO asset management, REO property inspection and preservation, real estate brokerage, real estate auction and marketing services, as well as sales of REO, especially in cases where more desirable properties are sold at foreclosure auctions and do not convert to REO. For example, we anticipate that the continuing impact of foreclosure and eviction moratoriums and residential mortgage loss mitigation requirements will extend the period of reduced foreclosure sales and supply of foreclosure auctions and REO we receive from our customers through the middle of 2024 compared to historical levels. Due to this timing, we anticipate that our later stage foreclosure auction and REO asset management services will not fully benefit from the 2022 higher foreclosure initiations until late 2023 or early 2024, but it is possible that this estimate will not materialize at the level anticipated or at all. The reduced supply of REO or sales of REO could also impact our ability to meet certain contractually required service metrics, including those metrics tied to satisfying certain conversion percentage requirements as the size of the applicable population declines and the population of REO that remains is often the most difficult to sell. Reduced volumes may make it more difficult to provide services in an economic manner, undermine beneficial efficiencies, and increase the risks and costs of securing vendors to provide required services and products on a smaller scale.
We may not be able to effectively manage rapid or unanticipated increases in foreclosures or the supply, sale price or sale of REO which could negatively impact our ability to satisfy service level metrics that are tied to conversion rates or other percentage requirements. For example, if a service metric specifies that a certain percentage of the total population of REO is to be sold within a defined period of time, a rapid increase in the total REO population may increase the risk of failing to meet the defined percentage metric during the period required to prepare the newly added REO to be marketed.
Some of the service metrics which may be impacted include those related to REO conversion rates, aging of REO, time on market and sale price compared to valuation. If we fail to satisfy applicable performance metrics or perform in a manner satisfactory to our customers, such customers may reduce the services they acquire from us or otherwise terminate us as a service provider.
Risks Related to Our Common Stock
We may never pay dividends on our common stock so any returns would be limited to the potential appreciation of our stock.
We currently anticipate that we will retain future earnings for the development, operation and expansion of our business and do not anticipate we will declare or pay any cash dividends for the foreseeable future. In addition, the terms of any future debt
agreements may preclude us from paying dividends. Any return to stockholders will therefore be limited to the potential appreciation of their stock.
We may take advantage of specified reduced disclosure requirements applicable to a “smaller reporting company” under Regulation S-K, and the information that we provide to stockholders may be different than they might receive from other public companies.
We are a “smaller reporting company,” as defined under Regulation S-K. As a smaller reporting company, we may take advantage of specified reduced disclosure and other requirements that are otherwise applicable generally to public companies. These provisions include, among other things, scaled disclosure requirements, including simplified executive compensation disclosures in our filings, exemption from the provisions of Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requiring that an independent registered accounting firm provide an attestation report on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting and certain other decreased disclosure obligations in our SEC filings.
We intend to continue to take advantage of certain of the scaled disclosure requirements of smaller reporting companies. We may continue to take advantage of these allowances until we are no longer a smaller reporting company. Therefore, the information that we provide stockholders may be different than one might get from other public companies. Further, if some investors find our shares of common stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our shares of common stock and the market price of such shares of common stock may be more volatile.
Although we are currently eligible to file new short form registration statements on Form S-3, we cannot guarantee we will remain eligible to do so. If we were to lose such eligibility, it may impair our ability to raise capital on terms favorable to us, in a timely manner or at all.
Form S-3 permits eligible issuers to conduct registered offerings using a short form registration statement that allows the issuer to incorporate by reference its past and future filings and reports made under the Exchange Act. In addition, Form S-3 enables eligible issuers to conduct primary offerings “off the shelf” under Rule 415 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). The shelf registration process, combined with the ability to forward incorporate information, allows issuers to avoid delays and interruptions in the offering process and to access the capital markets in a more expeditious and efficient manner than raising capital in a standard registered offering pursuant to a registration statement on Form S-1. The ability to newly register securities for resale may also be limited as a result of the loss of Form S-3 eligibility with respect to such registrations.
SEC regulations limit the amount of funds we may raise during any 12-month period pursuant to our shelf registration statement on Form S-3
Our public float was less than $75 million as of the date of filing of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. As a result, under General Instruction I.B.6 to Form S-3, the amount of funds we can raise through primary public offerings of securities, in any 12-month period using our registration statement on Form S-3 is limited to one-third of the aggregate market value of the shares of our common stock held by our non-affiliates. We are subject to this limitation until such time as our public float exceeds $75 million. If we are required to file a new registration statement on another form, we may incur additional costs and be subject to delays due to review by the SEC.
The market price and trading volume of our stock may be volatile.
The market price of our common stock could be subject to significant fluctuations. Stock markets in general have experienced substantial volatility that has often been unrelated to the operating performance of individual companies or our sector. These broad market fluctuations, in addition to our operating performance, may also adversely affect the trading price of our common stock.
If we issue common stock, warrants or other securities, the trading price of our common stock or other Company securities could experience significant volatility or be negatively impacted.
In the past, following periods of volatility in the market price of a company’s securities, stockholders have often instituted class action securities litigation against those companies. Such litigation, if instituted, could result in substantial costs and diversion of management’s attention and resources, which could significantly impact our profitability and reputation.
Owners of our securities could be diluted.
We may issue new shares of common stock or other forms of securities which could dilute the economic and voting interests of current shareholders. We may issue warrants and holders of outstanding warrants may exercise their warrant rights to acquire
Company securities, which actions would dilute the economic and voting interests of current shareholders. We may fail to make sufficient prepayments of our existing term loans under the Amended Credit Agreement in advance of the applicable deadline to reduce the number of shares of common stock which could be acquired by the holders of warrants issued in connection with the Amended Credit Agreement, which would dilute the economic and voting interests of current shareholders.
Risks Related to Financing, Our Indebtedness and Capital Structure
If we are unable to generate sufficient cash flow or access the capital markets or our borrowing capacity is reduced, our liquidity and competitive position will be negatively affected.
An extended period of reduced demand for all or certain of our default-related services could negatively impact our cash flow such that we may need to use unrestricted cash on hand to satisfy our obligations, which would reduce our cash balance negatively impacting our liquidity. If the limitations on foreclosures and evictions, and the forbearance plans, instituted by governmental authorities, GSEs, servicers or investors in response to the COVID-19 pandemic are reimposed, this could lengthen the period of reduced demand for our default-related services, negatively impacting our liquidity.
In addition, our liquidity would be adversely affected by any inability to access the capital markets, volatility in the capital markets, unforeseen outflows of cash, funding for contingencies and increased regulatory liquidity requirements.
Our ability to borrow money could be limited, or our cost of borrowing could increase, due to volatility in the capital markets, worsening terms on which credit is available or limitations in our loan agreements. In addition, our financial results, reduced revenue or cash flow, or volatility in the markets which we support, could negatively impact our customer and prospective customer relationships, as well as our ability to borrow or our ability to continue to satisfy the covenants and terms of our loan agreements. If we were to have a default under our loan agreements, we would not be able borrow additional funds under our existing agreements and our lenders could seek to enforce the remedies available to them under our loan agreements. A reduction in our ability to borrow funds to support our operations or a reduction in cash flow would also reduce our ability to pursue our business strategy to diversify and grow our customer base.
Our primary source of liquidity is cash flows from operations and unrestricted cash. Our level of debt and the variable interest rate on our term loan makes us sensitive to the effects of our current financial performance and interest rate increases; our level of debt and provisions in our Amended Credit Agreement and revolving credit facility could limit our ability to react to changes in the economy or our industry.
Our term loans under the Amended Credit Agreement make us more vulnerable to changes in our results of operations because a portion of our cash flows from operations is dedicated to servicing our debt and is not available for other purposes. Our term loans under the Amended Credit Agreement, and the revolving credit facility (amended with an effective date of February 14, 2023 (the “Revolver”)), are secured by virtually all of our assets and from time to time may trade at a substantial discount to face value.
Our ability to raise additional debt is limited, and in many circumstances is subject to lender approval and could require modification of certain of the loan agreements. The provisions of our Amended Credit Agreement could have other negative consequences to us including the following:
•limiting our ability to borrow money for our working capital, capital expenditures and debt service requirements or other general corporate purposes;
•limiting our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in our operations, our business or the industry in which we compete;
•requiring us to use 50% of our excess cash flow, as defined in the Amended Credit Agreement, to repay debt;
•requiring us to use 75% of the first $50 million of net proceeds received from equity issuances or capital contributions to repay debt; and
•placing us at a competitive disadvantage by limiting our ability to invest in our business
Our ability to make payments on our indebtedness depends on our ability to generate cash in the future. As a result of the foreclosure and eviction moratoriums related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and declining origination volumes in the recent rising interest rate environment, our cash flows were and remain severely impacted. There can be no assurance that we will be able to achieve pre-COVID-19 levels of revenues and cash flows (adjusted for businesses sold or discontinued). If we do not generate sufficient cash flows and do not have sufficient cash on hand to meet our debt service and working capital requirements, we may need to seek additional financing, raise equity or sell assets, and our ability to take these actions may be limited by the terms of the Amended Credit Agreement, Revolver or the market. We may not be able to refinance our existing indebtedness when it becomes due or obtain alternative financing on terms that are acceptable to us, or at all. Without any such financing,
we could be forced to sell assets or reduce costs under unfavorable circumstances to make up for any shortfall in our payment obligations. Even if necessary, we may not be able to sell assets or reduce costs quickly enough or for sufficient amounts to enable us to meet our obligations. Failure to meet our debt service requirements could result in an event of default under our loans agreement which, if not cured or waived, would result in the holders of the defaulted debt causing all outstanding amounts with respect to that debt to be immediately due and payable and potentially permitting lenders to execute applicable security interests, negatively impacting our future operations or ability to engage in other favorable business activities. An event of default under the loan agreements would provide certain of our customers, including Ocwen and Rithm, with the ability to terminate our agreements.
In addition, our Amended Credit Agreement contains covenants that limit our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to changes in, our business and our industry, including limitations on incurring additional indebtedness, making investments, adding new product lines, disposing or selling of assets, granting liens and merging or consolidating with other companies. Complying with these covenants may impair our ability to finance our future operations or capital needs or to engage in other favorable business activities.
Our failure to comply with the covenants or terms contained in our Amended Credit Agreement or Revolver, including as a result of events beyond our control, could result in an event of default.
Our Amended Credit Agreement requires us to comply with various operational, reporting and other covenants or terms including, among other things, limiting us from engaging in certain types of transactions. If we do not have appropriate controls, or the controls we implement fail or are not effective, we could experience an event of default under our Amended Credit Agreement or Revolver. If we experience an event of default under our Amended Credit Agreement or Revolver that is not cured or waived, it could result in the debt being called and immediately due and payable in full. a going concern uncertainty, which in turn could provide certain of our customers the ability to terminate our agreements and allow the holders of the defaulted debt to cause all amounts outstanding with respect to that debt to be immediately due and payable or choose to execute on applicable security interests. Our assets or cash flows may not be sufficient to fully repay borrowings under our outstanding Amended Credit Agreement and Revolver if accelerated upon an event of default and we may not be able to refinance or restructure the payments on the borrowings under the Amended Credit Agreement and Revolver.
We may be unable to extend the maturity of our Amended Credit Agreement and Revolver from April 2025 to April 2026 if we are unable to raise sufficient funds from the proceeds of issuances of equity interests or from junior indebtedness. We may be unable to repay or refinance the balance of our loans under the Amended Credit Agreement or Revolver upon maturity, particularly if cash from operations fails to significantly improve, assets are not readily available for sale and sold or we are unable to timely refinance on favorable terms or at all.
Our loan agreements require us to repay the outstanding balance due in April 2025, with an option to extend to April 2026 if we make par paydowns from the proceeds of issuances of equity interests or from junior indebtedness totaling at least $30 million on or before February 13, 2024, and there is no continuing default of the loan agreements. We made a paydown in the amount of $20 million in February 2023, leaving an additional paydown of $10 million required on or before February 13, 2024 to be able to extend the maturity date of our debt to April 2026. There can be no assurance that we will be able to generate proceeds of at least $10 million from equity issuances or junior indebtedness within the applicable timeframe to pay down the debt to qualify for the one-year term extension.
If our cash from operations fails to significantly improve, there can be no assurance that our cash balances and other assets readily available for sale and sold would be sufficient to fully repay borrowings under our outstanding Amended Credit Agreement and Revolver upon maturity, or that we will be able to refinance the remaining portion of the debt sufficiently prior to the due date or on terms acceptable to us. If we were to default on our debt, our lenders could take action adverse to our interests under the terms of the loan agreements, including seeking to take possession of the applicable collateral. In addition, a default under the loan agreements could constitute a termination event under certain of our client or vendor agreements, which could adversely impact our revenue or cash flow or our ability to provide products and services. Under such circumstances, if we are not able to agree upon a resolution with our lenders, we might seek applicable legal protections including under bankruptcy law, which further could provide certain of our customers or vendors the ability to terminate our agreements. If we refinance the loans under less favorable terms, we may be required to accept a higher interest rate and debt-related costs, as well as additional restrictions and covenants which constrain our ability to finance and operate our business.
We have a significant net operating loss recognized by one of our Luxembourg subsidiaries, Altisource S.à r.l. We may not be able to fully utilize this deferred tax asset before the net operating loss expires.
In connection with a merger of two of the Company’s wholly owned subsidiaries in December 2017, which was recognized at fair value, a net operating loss of $1.3 billion with a 17-year life was generated, creating a deferred tax asset of $342.6 million.
During 2019, the Company recognized a full valuation allowance with respect to this deferred tax asset. If Altisource S.à r.l. is unable to generate sufficient pretax income by 2034, the Company may not be able to fully utilize this deferred tax asset. In addition, changes in our structure or operations could prevent us from fully realizing some or all of the benefit of such deferred tax asset.
We have significant investments in goodwill and intangible assets recorded as a result of prior acquisitions and an impairment of these assets would require a write-down that would reduce our net income.
As a result of prior investments, we have significant goodwill and intangible assets recorded in our financial statements. Goodwill and intangible assets are assessed for impairment annually or sooner if circumstances indicate a possible impairment. Factors that could lead to impairment of goodwill and intangible assets include significant under-performance relative to historical or projected future operating results, a significant decline in our stock price and market capitalization and negative industry or economic trends, among other indications of impairment. If the recorded values of goodwill and intangible assets are impaired, any such impairment would be charged to earnings in the period of impairment. In the event of significant volatility in the capital markets or a worsening of current economic conditions, we may be required to record an impairment charge, which would adversely affect our business and results of operations.
Cash, cash equivalents and escrow funds we hold at financial institutions could be lost and not recoverable.
We hold our cash and cash equivalents, including customer deposits held in escrow accounts pending completion of certain real estate activities, at various financial institutions. These cash balances expose us to purposeful misappropriation of cash by employees or others and unintentional mistakes resulting in a loss of cash which may not be recoverable.
Amounts that are held in escrow accounts for limited periods of time are not included in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. We may become liable for funds owed to third parties as a result of purposeful misappropriation of cash by employees or others, unintentional mistakes or the failure of one or more of these financial institutions. There is no guarantee we would recover the funds deposited, whether through Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation coverage, private insurance or otherwise.
Foreign Exchange
We have operations in India, Luxembourg and Uruguay which may result in us being party to transactions denominated, or incurring obligations, in currencies other than the United States dollar, including, for example, payroll, taxes, facilities-related expenses. Weakness of the United States dollar in relation to these applicable currencies (e.g., Euro, Indian rupee, Uruguayan peso) may increase our costs.
Risks Relating to Luxembourg Organization and Ownership of Our Shares
We are a Luxembourg company. The rights of shareholders under Luxembourg law may differ in certain respects from the rights afforded to shareholders of companies organized under laws in other jurisdictions. It may also be difficult to obtain and enforce judgments against us or our directors and executive officers.
We are a public limited liability company (société anonyme) organized and existing under the laws of, and headquartered in, Luxembourg. As a result, Luxembourg law and our amended and restated articles of incorporation, as amended from time to time (“Articles”) govern the rights of shareholders. The rights of shareholders under Luxembourg law may differ from the rights of shareholders of companies incorporated in other jurisdictions. A significant portion of our assets are owned outside of the United States. It may be difficult for our investors to obtain and enforce, in the United States, judgments obtained in United States courts against us or our directors based on the civil liability provisions of the United States securities laws or to enforce, in Luxembourg, judgments obtained in other jurisdictions including the United States.
A significant challenge of the Luxembourg tax regime or of its interpretation by the Luxembourg tax authorities, or its application of us or our business could have a negative impact us.
We received and historically operated under a tax ruling from the Luxembourg tax authorities, which would have expired in 2019 unless extended or renewed. In connection with an internal reorganization by the Company during 2017, we no longer operate under this tax ruling. The European Commission (“EC”) has initiated investigations into several EU member states, including Luxembourg, to determine whether these EU member states have provided tax advantages to companies pursuant to tax rulings or otherwise on a basis not allowed by the EU. While the EC’s investigations continue, it has concluded that certain companies in certain EU member states, including Luxembourg, have been provided such tax advantages. The EC is requiring these EU member states to recover from certain companies the prior year tax benefits they received.
Risks Relating to Regulation
Our business and the business of our customers are subject to extensive scrutiny and legal requirements. We, or our services, may fail or be perceived as failing to comply with applicable legal requirements.
Our business and the business of our customers are subject to extensive scrutiny and regulation by federal, state and local governmental authorities including the FTC, the CFPB, the SEC, HUD and state and local agencies, including those which license or oversee certain of our auction, real estate brokerage, mortgage services, trustee services, residential mortgage origination services and insurance services, as well as collection and use of personal information. We also must comply with a number of federal, state and local consumer protection laws. We are also subject to various foreign laws and regulations based on our operations or the location of our affiliates as well, including those pertaining to data protection, such as the GDPR. These foreign, federal, state and local requirements can and do change as statutes and regulations are enacted, promulgated or amended. Furthermore, the interpretation or enforcement by regulatory authorities of these requirements may change over time or may not be predictable or consistent with our interpretations or expectations. The creation of new regulatory authorities or changes in the regulatory authorities overseeing applicable laws and regulations may also result in changing interpretation or enforcement of such laws or regulations.
If governmental authorities impose new or more restrictive requirements or enhanced oversight related to our services or operations, we may be required to increase or decrease our prices, modify our contracts or course of dealing and/or we may incur significant additional costs to comply with such requirements. Additionally, we may be unable to adapt our services or operations to conform to the new laws and regulations.
Periodically, we are subject to audits and examinations by federal, state and local governmental authorities and receive subpoenas, civil investigative demands or other requests for information from such governmental authorities in connection with their regulatory or investigative authority. Responding to audits, examinations and inquiries will cause us to incur costs, including legal fees or other charges, which may be material in amount, and in addition, may result in management distraction or may cause us to modify or terminate certain services we currently offer. If any such audits, examinations or inquiries result in allegations or findings of non-compliance, we could incur significant penalties, fines, settlements, costs and consent orders that may curtail, restrict or otherwise have an adverse effect on our business.
Regulatory inquiries or determinations of failures to comply with applicable requirements could increase our costs and expose us to sanctions which could include limitations on our ability to provide services, or otherwise reduce demand for our services. Furthermore, even if we believe we comply with applicable laws and regulations, we may choose to settle such allegations in order to avoid the potentially significant costs of defending such allegations and to further avoid the risk of increased damages if we ultimately were to receive an unfavorable outcome, but such settlements may also result in further claims or create issues for existing and potential customers. Such settlements and additional actions could increase costs, place limitations on our services, and result in a reduction in demand.
From time to time, we may be subject to costly and time-consuming regulatory or legal proceedings that claim legal violations or wrongful conduct, including claims for violations of consumer protection laws, laws concerning PI or third-party intellectual property rights. These proceedings may involve regulators, customers, our customers’ clients, vendors, competitors, third parties or other large groups of plaintiffs and, if resulting in findings of violations, could result in substantial damages or indemnification obligations. Additionally, we may be forced to settle some claims and change our existing practices, services processes or technologies that are currently revenue generating. Certain regulations to which we are subject provide for potentially significant penalties such that even if we believe we have no liability for the alleged regulatory or legal violations or wrongful conduct, we may choose to settle such regulatory or legal proceedings in order to avoid the potentially significant costs of defending such allegations and to further avoid the risk of increased damages if we ultimately were to receive an unfavorable outcome; however, such settlements may also result in further claims or create issues for existing and potential customers. Such proceedings and settlement could increase our costs and expose us to sanctions, including limitations on our ability to provide services, or otherwise reduce demand for our services.
Failure to comply with US sanctions, including blocking certain activities in Sanctioned Countries, could expose us to penalties and other adverse consequences.
Our business activities may be subject to U.S. sanctions laws administered and maintained by the US government, including restrictions or prohibitions on transactions with, or on dealing in funds transfers to/ from certain embargoed jurisdictions (currently, Iran, North Korea, Syria, Cuba, and the Crimea, so-called- Donetsk People’s Republic, and so-called Luhansk People’s Republic regions of Ukraine). We have recently implemented internet protocol (“IP”) address blocking and screening mechanisms to promote compliance with US sanctions rules and regulations, although the blocking and screening mechanisms may not be able to completely block all unwanted IP access. A determination that we have failed to comply with US sanctions,
whether knowingly or inadvertently, could result in the imposition of substantial penalties, including enforcement actions, fines, and civil and/or criminal penalties, and may adversely affect our business.
If we fail to timely make required disclosure filings with the U.S. Department of Treasury Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, we could be subject to fines and penalties.
We operate as a title insurance agent through one or more subsidiaries. As a title insurance agent, we are contractually required by insurance underwriters to make Financial Crimes Enforcement Network Currency Transaction Report filings with the U.S. Department of the Treasury in connection with cash real estate transactions in specified United States jurisdictions which satisfy certain requirements (the “Filing Requirements”). Filings pursuant to the Filing Requirements must be made within a specified time period after a subject transaction closes and must be accompanied by certain information concerning the applicable transaction. If our procedures fail to identify transactions which are subject to the Filing Requirements, or if we fail to make required filings or fail to provide the required transaction information, we could be subject to civil, criminal and monetary penalties. The failure to satisfy the Filing Requirements could also cause us to be in breach of our agreements with the title insurance underwriter and could subject us to liability and lead to termination of such agreements.
We are subject to licensing and regulation as a provider of certain services. If we fail to maintain our licenses or if our licenses are suspended or terminated, we may not be able to provide certain of our services. In addition, the lack of certain licenses in one or more jurisdictions could cause us to breach applicable contracts.
We are required to have and maintain licenses as a provider of certain product and services including, among others, services as a residential mortgage origination underwriter, valuation provider, appraisal management company, asset manager, property manager, title insurance agent, insurance broker and underwriter, real estate broker, auctioneer, foreclosure trustee and credit report provider in a number of jurisdictions. Our employees and subsidiaries may be required to be licensed by various state or regulatory commissions or bodies for the particular type of product or service provided and to participate in regular continuing education programs. If one or more of our licenses are lost, revoked, expire or limited, or if we fail to maintain or otherwise surrender one or more such license, we may be prohibited from doing business in certain markets. Further, certain of our agreements require that we possess and maintain certain licenses. The failure to hold such licenses may result in us breaching certain agreements, which could cause us to be subject to claims for damages, termination of applicable agreements or unable to obtain inputs required for certain of our services.
A violation by our customers of applicable legal requirements in the selection or use of our services could generate legal liability for us.
Certain of our services are provided at the direction and pursuant to the identified requirements of our customers, including property preservation, inspection, title, valuations, brokerage, auction, foreclosure and eviction services that are triggered by information provided by our customers. The failure of our customers to properly identify or account for regulatory requirements applicable to the use of our services, in selecting appropriate services for the intended purposes, or in specifying how services are rendered could expose us to significant penalties, fines, litigation, settlements, costs and consent orders.
Certain of our customers are subject to governmental oversight, regulations, orders, judgments or settlements which may impose certain obligations and limitations on their use of our services.
Participants in the industries in which we operate are subject to a high level of oversight and regulation. The failure of our services to meet applicable legal requirements could subject us to civil and criminal liability, loss of licensure, damage to our reputation, significant penalties, fines, settlements, adverse publicity, litigation, including class action lawsuits or administrative enforcement actions, costs and consent orders against us or our customers that may curtail or restrict our business as it is currently conducted. Such failures could also cause customers to reduce or cease using our services.
Certain of our customers are subject to vendor oversight requirements. As such, we are subject to oversight by our customers. If we do not meet the standards established by or imposed upon our customers, regulators allege that products or services provided by Altisource fail to meet applicable legal requirements, or if any other oversight procedures result in a negative outcome for Altisource, we may lose customers, may no longer be granted referrals for certain services, or may have to conform our business to address these standards.
The tax regulations, and the interpretation thereof, in the countries, states and local jurisdictions in which we operate periodically change, which may adversely affect our results due to higher taxes, interest and penalties, or our inability to utilize tax credits available to us.
Certain of our subsidiaries provide services in the United States and several other countries. Those jurisdictions are subject to changing tax environments, which may result in higher operating expenses or taxes and which may introduce uncertainty as to
the application of tax laws and regulations to our operations. Furthermore, we may determine that we owe additional taxes or may be required to pay taxes for services provided in prior periods as interpretations of tax laws and regulations are clarified or revised. Changes in laws concerning sales tax, gross recipient tax, dividends, retained earnings, application of operating or other losses, and intercompany transactions and loans, among others, could impact us. We may not be able to raise our prices to customers or pass-through such taxes to our customers or vendors in response to changes, which could adversely affect our results of operations. If we fail to accurately anticipate or apply tax laws and regulations to our operations, we could be subject to liabilities and penalties. We may be unable to take advantage of operating losses or other tax credits to the full extent available or at all due to changes in tax regulations or our results of operations.
Our operations and intercompany arrangements are subject to the tax laws of various jurisdictions, and we could be obligated to pay additional taxes, which would harm our results of operations.
We conduct our operations in several countries, states and local jurisdictions and may be required to report our taxable income in various jurisdictions worldwide based upon our business operations in those jurisdictions. Our intercompany relationships are subject to complex transfer pricing regulations administered by taxing authorities in various jurisdictions. The amount of taxes paid in different jurisdictions may depend on the application of the tax laws of the various jurisdictions to our business activities, changes in tax rates, new or revised tax laws or interpretations of existing tax laws and policies, and our ability to operate our business in a manner consistent with our corporate structure and intercompany arrangements. The relevant taxing authorities may disagree with our determinations as to the income and expenses attributable to specific jurisdictions. If such a disagreement were to occur, and our position was not sustained, we could be required to pay additional taxes, interest and penalties, which could result in one-time tax charges, higher effective tax rates, reduced cash flows and lower overall profitability of our operations.
We are subject to income, withholding, transaction and other taxes in numerous jurisdictions. Significant judgment will be required in evaluating our tax positions and our worldwide provision for taxes. During the ordinary course of our business, there are many activities and transactions for which the ultimate tax determination may be uncertain. We may be audited in various jurisdictions, and such jurisdictions may assess additional taxes, sales taxes and value added taxes against it. Even if we believe our tax estimates are reasonable, the final determination of any tax audits or litigation could be materially different from our historical tax provisions and accruals, which could have an adverse effect on our results of operations or cash flows in the period or periods for which a determination is made.