Consent to Use Electronic Records and Signatures

By clicking “I Agree” or any equivalent affirmative button at signup, you affirmatively consent to receive all records, notices, disclosures, agreements, and communications (“Records”) from Hardline in electronic form rather than on paper, in connection with your use of the Hardline platform at hardlinelending.com and any related services (the “Service”). This consent applies to all Records exchanged during your relationship with Hardline, including:

• the Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, Marketplace Addenda, and amendments to any of the foregoing;
• account notices (registration confirmations, password resets, contact-information changes, security alerts, account-closure notices);
• deal-related documents shared through the Service, including term sheets, draft loan documents, closing packages, payoff statements, and documents uploaded by a counterparty;
• messages and communications exchanged through the in-platform messaging system;
• tax forms required to be furnished to you (including IRS Forms 1099 where applicable);
• state and federal regulatory notices relating to your account or transactions;
• marketing communications (only if you have separately opted in).

You agree that your electronic signature — including by clicking “I Agree,” “Sign,” “Accept,” or any similar affirmative action — has the same legal effect as a handwritten signature, and that electronic Records have the same legal effect as paper Records.

The Hardline Service is designed to operate electronically. We do not provide paper copies of Records as a routine matter. If you do not consent to electronic Records, you cannot create or maintain an account, and you cannot use the Service.

After consenting, you may request a paper copy of any Record by emailing support@hardlinelending.com with the subject line “Paper Copy Request” and identifying the Record(s). We may charge a reasonable fee of up to $10.00 per Record to cover production and mailing. We will send paper copies to the mailing address on file within thirty (30) days of receipt of your request and payment. Requesting a paper copy does not withdraw your consent.

You may withdraw this consent at any time by:

• emailing support@hardlinelending.com with the subject line “Withdraw E-Sign Consent”; or
• visiting Settings › Account › Communications and clicking “Withdraw Electronic Records Consent.”

Consequences of withdrawal:

• your Hardline account will be closed;
• you will not be able to initiate new transactions;
• open transactions in progress may be canceled or paused; you remain bound by any obligations already incurred;
• we will retain records as required by law, but will not deliver new electronic Records to you after withdrawal.

There is no fee to withdraw consent. Withdrawal becomes effective within 3 business days of our receipt of your request. Records delivered electronically before withdrawal remain valid and binding.

You must keep your email address current. To update your email or other contact information, visit Settings › Account › Profile. We are not responsible for Records that fail to reach you because of an out-of-date email address you have not updated.

To access and retain electronic Records, you must have:

• a computer or mobile device with internet access;
• a current version of a supported web browser (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Edge — the most recent two major versions);
• JavaScript and cookies enabled;
• a PDF reader (e.g., Adobe Reader, Preview, or built-in browser PDF viewer) capable of opening PDF documents;
• a valid, active email account capable of receiving messages from hardlinelending.com;
• sufficient storage to save or print Records, or the ability to print Records to paper.

If our system requirements change in a way that creates a material risk you may not be able to access or retain Records, we will notify you and give you the option to withdraw consent without fee.

By clicking “I Agree” after viewing this Consent (and being offered a downloadable PDF copy of it), you confirm that you can access information in the electronic form in which Records will be delivered.

When and if Hardline makes the Service available to New York residents, this Consent will constitute the User’s agreement under the New York Electronic Signatures and Records Act (N.Y. State Tech. Law Art. 3) to receive Records electronically and to use electronic signatures.

Notwithstanding this Consent, certain records are not eligible for electronic delivery under federal law (15 U.S.C. § 7003), including court orders, notices of utility service cancellation, and certain foreclosure and eviction notices for primary residences. We will deliver any such records by the method required by law.

By creating a Hardline account, you also consent to receive the following:

A. Email (transactional — required). Account, security, and deal-related emails sent to the email address on file. These emails are necessary to operate the Service and cannot be turned off while your account is active.

B. Email (marketing — optional). Product announcements, market updates, and other promotional emails. You can opt in or out at any time in Settings › Account › Communications, or by clicking “unsubscribe” in any marketing email. Opting out of marketing email does not affect transactional email.

C. SMS / text messages (optional — requires separate opt-in). If you opt in to SMS in Settings, we may send transactional texts (deal alerts, two-factor authentication codes, message notifications). Message frequency varies based on platform activity. Message and data rates may apply. Reply HELP for help. Reply STOP to cancel at any time. Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages. Your mobile number will not be shared with third parties for their marketing purposes.

D. In-platform notifications. Notifications shown when you are logged in to hardlinelending.com, including unread message badges and deal status alerts.

You authorize Hardline and its service providers to use automated systems (including auto-dialers and pre-recorded messages where applicable) to deliver these communications. Consent to receive marketing communications is not a condition of using the Service.

When you accept this Consent, Hardline records the date and time, the version of this Consent presented to you, a cryptographic hash of the document, your account email, your IP address, and your user-agent string. This record may be used as evidence of your consent in any proceeding. Each version of this Consent is archived at /legal/archive.

Questions about this Consent: support@hardlinelending.com

Mailing address: [TO BE SUPPLIED BEFORE PUBLIC LAUNCH]