Notification of Late Filing

(Check One):

    ¨  Form 10-K

    ¨  Form 20-F

    ¨  Form 11-K

    x  Form 10-Q

    ¨  Form N-SAR

    ¨  Form N-CSR

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

FORM 12b-25

 

NOTIFICATION OF LATE FILING

 
   
   
   
    SEC File Number:     001-32275
    CUSIP Number:     00437P107
   

 

  For Period Ended: March 31, 2007
  ¨  Transition Report on Form 10-K
  ¨  Transition Report on Form 20-F
  ¨  Transition Report on Form 11-K
  ¨  Transition Report on Form 10-Q
  ¨  Transition Report on Form N-SAR
  For the Transition Period Ended:                                                              

 

Read attached instruction sheet before preparing form. Please print or type.

 

Nothing in this form shall be construed to imply that the Commission has verified any information contained herein.

 

If the notification relates to a portion of the filing checked above, identify the item(s) to which the notification relates:             

 


PART I - REGISTRANT INFORMATION

 

Accredited Home Lenders Holding Co.


Full Name of Registrant

 

Not Applicable


Former Name if Applicable

15253 Avenue of Science


Address of Principal Executive Office (Street and Number)

San Diego, CA 92128


City, State and Zip Code

 


PART II - RULE 12b-25 (b) AND (c)

If the subject report could not be filed without unreasonable effort or expense and the registrant seeks relief pursuant to Rule 12b-25(b), the following should be completed. (Check box if appropriate.)

 

¨

  (a)   The reasons described in reasonable detail in Part III of this form could not be eliminated without unreasonable effort or expense;
  (b)   The subject annual report, semi-annual report, transition report on Form 10-K, Form 20-F, Form 11-K, Form N-SAR or From N-CSR or portion thereof will be filed on or before the 15th calendar day following the prescribed due date; or the subject quarterly report or transition report on Form 10-Q or subject distribution report on Form 10-D or portion thereof will be filed on or before the fifth calendar day following the prescribed due date; and
  (c)   The accountant’s statement or other exhibit required by Rule 12b-25(c) has been attached if applicable.



PART III - NARRATIVE

State below in reasonable detail why Form 10-K, 20-F, 11-K, 10-Q, 10-D, N-SAR, N-CSR or the transition report or portion thereof, could not be filed within the prescribed time period. (Attach extra sheets if needed.)

As reported in its Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on April 2, 2007 (as amended in Current Reports on Form 8-K/A filed with the SEC on April 3 and April 10, 2007), on March 27, 2007, Grant Thornton LLP (“Grant Thornton”), the registered independent public accounting firm for Accredited Home Lenders Holding Co. (the “Company”), advised the Company of its resignation as the Company’s independent auditors and therefore declined to complete the audit of the Company’s financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2006. As further reported in its Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on April 12, 2007 (as amended in its Current Report on Form 8-K/A filed with the SEC on April 17, 2007), effective April 9, 2007, the Company engaged Squar, Milner, Peterson, Miranda & Williamson, LLP (“Squar Milner”), as its new independent registered public accounting firm.

As previously disclosed, the Company has not filed its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the Year Ended December 31, 2006. The Company does not expect to file its financial statements for any periods ended on or after December 31, 2006, including the first quarter of 2007, with the SEC until Squar Milner completes its audit. Squar Milner is endeavoring to complete its audit of the Company as soon as possible. As a result of the foregoing, the Company is unable to file its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended March 31, 2007 within the prescribed time period without unreasonable effort and expense.

 


PART IV - OTHER INFORMATION

 

(1) Name and telephone number of person to contact in regard to this notification

 

Rick Howe, Director of Corporate Communications

  

(858)

  

676-2100

(Name)    (Area Code)    (Telephone Number)

 

(2) Have all other periodic reports required under Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or Section 30 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 during the preceding 12 months or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such report(s) been filed? If the answer is no, identify report(s).    ¨  Yes    x  No

As indicated in its Notification of Late Filing on Form 12b-25 with respect to its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006, the Company was unable to timely file such report for the reasons set forth therein as well as for the reasons set forth in Part III above, and remains unable to file such reports at this time.

 


 

(3) Is it anticipated that any significant change in results of operations from the corresponding period for the last fiscal year will be reflected by the earnings statements to be included in the subject report or portion thereof?    x  Yes    ¨  No

If so: attach an explanation of the anticipated change, both narratively and quantitatively, and, if appropriate, state the reasons why a reasonable estimate of the results cannot be made.

The following information is preliminary, not complete and subject to change, pending completion of the audit by Squar Milner of the Company’s financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2006, as


well as completion of the Company’s financial statements for the quarter ended March 31, 2007 and Squar Milner’s review of such financial statements.

Originations

The Company originated approximately $1.9 billion of mortgage loans in the U.S. and Canada during the quarter ended March 31, 2007, down 47%, from $3.6 billion for the comparable period in the prior year.

Loan Dispositions

As previously announced, the Company closed a $760 million asset-backed, on-balance sheet securitization on January 30, 2007 compared to a $1.0 billion securitization in the first quarter of 2006.

During the first quarter 2007, as previously disclosed, the Company sold approximately $3.5 billion in mortgage loans for cash. Of the $3.5 billion sold, approximately $800 million of loans were sold at a weighted average net price of 100.63% and $2.7 billion of loans, which included substantially all performing and non-performing loans in inventory on March 6, 2007, were sold at a substantial discount to par value and resulted in a pre-tax charge of approximately $160 million. During the comparable quarter of 2006, the Company sold $3.0 billion in mortgage loans at a weighted average net premium to par value of approximately 2.10%.

In March 2007, the Company signed a $400 million forward sale agreement, priced at 100.625%, for loans to be delivered in the second quarter.

Portfolio Performance and Loan Servicing

The Company’s servicing portfolio totaled approximately $9.1 billion at March 31, 2007. The serviced portfolio decreased approximately $500 million from approximately $9.6 billion at March 31, 2006. This was primarily due to the decline in the number and sizes of the Company’s securitizations in 2006 and 2007. Delinquent loans (30 or more days past due, including foreclosures and real estate owned) comprised 8.96% of the serviced portfolio at March 31, 2007, compared to 8.26% and 2.85% at December 31, 2006 and March 31, 2006, respectively.

Financial Results

As previously reported, the Company’s recent performance has been and continues to be negatively impacted by fierce pricing competition, ongoing product contraction, higher delinquencies and losses, and activities associated with the acquisition of Aames Investment Corporation that was effective on October 1, 2006.

Also as previously reported, the Company has been pursuing certain cost restructuring initiatives, including workforce reductions, as the result of lower loan origination volume and the turbulent mortgage industry. The Company has reduced its workforce from approximately 4,200 as of December 31, 2006, to approximately 2,900 as of March 31, 2007.

The Company anticipates a significant loss in the quarter ended March 31, 2007 compared to net income of $35.8 million for the comparable period in 2006. Among other items affecting the results for the quarter ended March 31, 2007, were the losses on loan dispositions in the first quarter, expenses associated with higher delinquencies and cost restructuring initiatives discussed above. As previously disclosed, the Company is evaluating the recoverability of tax assets and the amount of necessary valuation allowance. The Company believes that approximately $100 million is recoverable from taxes paid in prior years, and the realization of any additional tax benefit will be dependent on future taxable income.


Liquidity

The Company had more than $350 million of available cash on hand at March 31, 2007, which compared to approximately $300 million at March 31, 2006, primarily as a result of the previously announced $230 million term loan from Farallon Capital Management L.L.C. The Company is continuing to work with its financial and legal advisors to explore various strategic options that could include, but are not limited to, raising additional capital, a merger, or other strategic transaction.

*****

While the Company believes that it has considered all factors which may impact its results of operations, there can be no assurance that the Company has successfully identified all matters affecting those results or that additional adjustments will not be required prior to the completion of the Company’s financial statements for the three months ended March 31, 2007.

This Notification of Late Filing on Form 12b-25 contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, relating to the Company’s expected results for the three months ended March 31, 2007 and the Company’s expectations regarding its ability to file its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006 and its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2007. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including significant risks and uncertainties relating to the Company’s business, including the Company’s ability to successfully originate mortgage loans and profitably sell and/or securitize those loans, grow its portfolio, maintain liquidity, execute on strategic opportunities, remain in good standing with regulatory authorities, complete the audits of the Company’s financial statements and assessment of its internal controls over financial reporting, make other required SEC and regulatory filings and other risk factors as outlined in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005, its reports on Form 10-Q for the first, second and third quarters of 2006, and other documents filed by the Company with the SEC. These and other factors could cause the Company’s actual results to differ materially from what it projects or contemplates in its forward-looking statements. The Company cautions readers that the non-prime mortgage industry and the Company’s business are subject to numerous significant risks and uncertainties.


Accredited Home Lenders Holding Co.

(Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

Has caused this notification to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

Date May 11, 2007   By  

/s/ James A. Konrath

    James A. Konrath
    Chief Executive Officer


INSTRUCTION. The form may be signed by an executive officer of the registrant or by any other duly authorized representative. The name and title of the person signing the form shall be typed or printed beneath the signature. If the statement is signed on behalf of the registrant by an authorized representative (other than an executive officer), evidence of the representative’s authority to sign on behalf of the registrant shall be filed with the form.

ATTENTION

Intentional misstatements or omissions of fact constitute Federal criminal violations (see 18 U.S.C. 1001).

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

 

1. This form is required by Rule l2b-25 (17 CFR 240.12b-25) of the General Rules and Regulations under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

 

2. One signed original and four conformed copies of this form and amendments thereto must be completed and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, DC 20549, in accordance with Rule 0-3 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Act. The information contained in or filed with the form will be made a matter of the public record in the Commission files.

 

3. A manually signed copy of the form and amendments thereto shall be filed with each national securities exchange on which any class of securities of the registrant is registered.

 

4. Amendments to the notifications must also be filed on Form l2b-25 but need not restate information that has been correctly furnished. The form shall be clearly identified as an amended notification.

 

5. Electronic Filers. This form shall not be used by electronic filers unable to timely file a report solely due to electronic difficulties. Filers unable to submit a report within the time period prescribed due to difficulties in electronic filing should comply with either Rule 201 or Rule 202 of Regulation S-T (§232.201 or §232.202 of this chapter) or apply for an adjustment in filing date pursuant to Rule 13(b) of Regulation S-T (§232.13(b) of this chapter).