Document:

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                                                                 EXHIBIT 10.5(v)

                    AGREEMENT AS TO EXPENSES AND LIABILITIES

     AGREEMENT dated as of March 7, 2001, between Carolina Bank Holdings, Inc.,
an North Carolina corporation (the "Company"), and CBHI Capital Trust I, a
Delaware business trust (the "Trust").

     WHEREAS, the Trust intends to issue its Common Securities (the "Common
Securities") to, and receive Prime Plus 0.5% Deferrable Interest Debentures due
March 7, 2031 (the "Debentures") from, the Company and to issue and sell the
Prime Plus 0.5% Trust Preferred Securities (the "Preferred Securities") with
such powers, preferences and special rights and restrictions as are set forth in
the Amended and Restated Trust Agreement of the Trust dated as of March 7, 2001,
as the same may be amended from time to time (the "Trust Agreement"); and

     WHEREAS, the Company will directly or indirectly own all of the Common
Securities of the Trust and will issue the Debentures.

     NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the purchase by each holder of the
Preferred Securities, which purchase the Company hereby agrees shall benefit the
Company and which purchase the Company acknowledges will be made in reliance
upon the execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company, including in its
capacity as holder of the Common Securities, and the Trust hereby agree as
follows:

                                    ARTICLE I

     SECTION 1.01. GUARANTEE BY THE COMPANY. Subject to the terms and conditions
hereof, the Company, including in its capacity as holder of the Common
Securities, hereby irrevocably and unconditionally guarantees to each person or
entity to whom the Trust is now or hereafter becomes indebted or liable (the
"Beneficiaries") the full payment, when and as due, of any and all Obligations
(as hereinafter defined) to such Beneficiaries. As used herein, "Obligations"
means any costs, expenses or liabilities of the Trust other than obligations of
the Trust to pay to holders of any Preferred Securities or other similar
interests in the Trust the amounts due such holders pursuant to the terms of the
Preferred Securities or such other similar interests, as the case may be. This
Agreement is intended to be for the benefit of, and to be enforceable by, all
such Beneficiaries, whether or not such Beneficiaries have received notice
hereof.

     SECTION 1.02.  TERM OF AGREEMENT.  This Agreement shall terminate and be of
no further force and effect upon the later of (a) the date on which full payment
has been made of all amounts payable to all holders of all the Preferred
Securities (whether upon redemption, liquidation, exchange or otherwise) and (b)
the date on which there are no Beneficiaries remaining; provided, however, that
this Agreement shall continue to be effective or shall be reinstated, as the
case may be, if at any time any holder of Preferred Securities or any
Beneficiary must restore payment of any sums paid under the Preferred
Securities, under any Obligation, under the Preferred Securities Guarantee
Agreement dated the date hereof by the

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Company and Property Trustee as Guarantee Trustee or under this Agreement, for
any reason whatsoever. This Agreement is continuing, irrevocable, unconditional
and absolute.

     SECTION 1.03. WAIVER OF NOTICE. The Company hereby waives notice of
acceptance of this Agreement and of any Obligation to which it applies or may
apply, and the Company hereby waives presentment, demand for payment, protest,
notice of nonpayment, notice of dishonor, notice of redemption and all other
notices and demands.

     SECTION 1.04. NO IMPAIRMENT. The obligations, covenants, agreements and
duties of the Company under this Agreement shall in no way be affected or
impaired by reason of the happening from time to time of any of the following:

            (a) the extension of time for the payment by the Trust of all or any
         portion of the Obligations or for the performance of any other
         obligation under, arising out of, or in connection with, the
         Obligations;

            (b) any failure, omission, delay or lack of diligence on the part of
         the Beneficiaries to enforce, assert or exercise any right, privilege,
         power or remedy conferred on the Beneficiaries with respect to the
         Obligations or any action on the part of the Trust granting indulgence
         or extension of any kind; or

            (c) the voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution, sale of
         any collateral, receivership, insolvency, bankruptcy, assignment for
         the benefit of creditors, reorganization, arrangement, composition or
         readjustment of debt of, or other similar proceedings affecting, the
         Trust or any of the assets of the Trust. The Beneficiaries shall not be
         obligated to give notice to, or obtain the consent of, the Company with
         respect to the happening of any of the foregoing.

     SECTION 1.05. ENFORCEMENT. A Beneficiary may enforce this Agreement
directly against the Company, and the Company waives any right or remedy to
require that any action be brought against the Trust or any other person or
entity before proceeding against the Company.

                                   ARTICLE II

     SECTION 2.01. BINDING EFFECT. All guarantees and agreements contained in
this Agreement shall bind the successors, assigns, receivers, trustees and
representatives of the Company and shall inure to the benefit of the
Beneficiaries.

     SECTION 2.02. AMENDMENT. So long as there remains any Beneficiary or any
Preferred Securities are outstanding, this Agreement shall not be modified or
amended in any manner adverse to such Beneficiary or to the holders of the
Preferred Securities.

     SECTION 2.03. NOTICES. Any notice, request or other communication required
or permitted to be given hereunder shall be given in writing by delivering the
same by facsimile

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transmission (confirmed by mail), telex, or by registered or certified mail,
addressed as follows (and if so given, shall be deemed given when mailed or upon
receipt of an answer back, if sent by telex):

                CBHI Capital Trust I
                c/o Wilmington Trust Company
                Rodney Square North
                1100 North Market Street
                Attention:  Corporate Trust Services

                Carolina Bank Holdings, Inc.
                2604 Lawndale Avenue
                Greensboro, NC 27408-7823
                Attention:  Robert T. Braswell

     SECTION 2.04. GOVERNING LAW. This Agreement shall be governed by and
construed and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of North
Carolina (without regard to conflict of laws principles).

     THIS AGREEMENT is executed as of the day and year first above written.

                   CAROLINA BANK HOLDINGS, INC.

                   By: /s/ Robert T. Braswell
                       -------------------------------------------
                       Robert T. Braswell
                       President and Chief Executive Officer

                   CBHI CAPITAL TRUST I

                   By: /s/ Charles Matthews
                       -------------------------------------------
                       Charles Matthews, Administrative Trustee<PAGE>

                                                                 Exhibit 10.29.4

                               FOURTH AMENDMENT TO
                      REVOLVING CREDIT, TERM LOAN, CAPITAL
                EXPENDITURE LOAN, GUARANTY AND SECURITY AGREEMENT

Preamble. THIS FOURTH AMENDMENT TO REVOLVING CREDIT, TERM LOAN, CAPITAL
EXPENDITURE LOAN, GUARANTY AND SECURITY AGREEMENT (hereinafter, together with
all schedules and exhibits hereto, and any supplements, additions, modifications
or amendments thereto made from time to time called the "Fourth Amendment"),
dated as of September 10, 2002 (the "Fourth Amendment Date"), is made by and
among HLM DESIGN, INC., a Delaware corporation, as borrower ("Borrower"); all
those parties identified in the Credit Agreement (defined below) as the
"Affiliate Guarantors" (the "Affiliate Guarantors"); IBJ WHITEHALL BUSINESS
CREDIT CORPORATION, a New York corporation (hereinafter, together with its
successors and permitted assigns, called "IBJW"), as sole Lender thereunder and
as agent for all Lenders from time to time party thereto and any Issuer (IBJW,
in such capacity, the "Agent").

     The Borrower, and the Affiliate Guarantors (collectively, the "Obligors"),
and IBJW (the foregoing parties herein sometimes collectively called the
"Parties" and individually called a "Party") are parties to a certain Revolving
Credit, Term Loan, Capital Expenditure Loan, Guaranty and Security Agreement,
dated as of February 7, 2000 (which is, as amended to date, including pursuant
to this Fourth Amendment, called herein the "Credit Agreement"), pursuant to
which, among other things, IBJW, as sole Lender, agreed to extend credit and
other financial accommodations to the Borrower.

     The Parties have agreed to modify and amend the Credit Agreement in the
manner, and subject to the terms and conditions, set forth hereinbelow.

     NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing premises, the mutual
covenants herein contained, and for other good and valuable consideration, the
receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby mutually acknowledged, the Parties,
each intending to be legally bound, hereby agree as follows:

     SECTION 1. Definitions. Capitalized terms used in this Fourth Amendment and
not defined herein are defined in the Credit Agreement.

     SECTION 2. Amendments. The "Supplemental Availability" provision, added to
the Credit Agreement pursuant to the Third Amendment in Section 2(a) thereto,
shall be amended and restated, in its entirety, to read as follows:

     (a) Supplemental Availability. During the period between the Amendment Date
and October 31, 2002 (the "End Date"), the Formula Amount, determined pursuant
to Section 2.1(a) of the Credit Agreement shall be increased (such increase
herein called "Supplemental Availability") as follows: by $500,000, initially;
reducing to $400,000, on August 1, 2002; reducing further to $300,000, on
September 1, 2002; increasing, however, to $800,000 during the period from the
Fourth Amendment Date through September 17, 2002; reducing to $300,000 on
September 18, 2002; and permanently reducing further, to zero (0), on the End
Date; provided, however, that the otherwise then effective amount of
Supplemental

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Availability as prescribed hereinabove shall be further and permanently reduced,
dollar-for-dollar, by any of the following occurring between the Amendment Date
and the End Date: (A) any payment received by Borrower in respect of any account
receivable owing by, Rush Presbyterian on the Amendment Date, and (B) the
proceeds of any equity offering made by Borrowers so long as and to the extent
that, the amount derived from clauses (A) and (B), either individually or in the
aggregate, exceeds $500,000; provided, further, that Supplemental Availability
shall be permanently reduced to zero (0) on August 15, 2002, unless, on or
before such date, the Borrower has obtained either (1) agreements in writing
from at least three (3) of the four (4) holders of Seller Notes listed on
Schedule "A" attached hereto rescheduling the Indebtedness scheduled to be paid
to such holders thereunder on or about October 30, 2002, on terms satisfactory
to the Agent and approved in writing by it, or (2) at least $2,000,000 in cash
from any equity offering made during the period between the Third Amendment Date
and the End Date, to be used, in part, to pay such Indebtedness.

     (b) Change in Calculation of Leverage Ratios. Sections 6.6 (Leverage Ratio)
and 6.7 (Senior Leverage Ratio) of the Credit Agreement shall be amended, solely
in respect of Borrower's fiscal quarter ended August 2, 2002, to provide that
EBITDA, as used in the calculation of said ratios (in the denominator of each)
for said quarter shall be calculated on an annualized basis for the preceding
three (3) trailing fiscal quarters, and not on a trailing four (4) fiscal
quarters basis.

     (c) Change in Fixed Charges. The definitions of "Fixed Charges" and "Senior
Fixed Charges," appearing in Section 1.1 of the Credit Agreement, are amended to
include, retroactive to the fiscal quarter ended August 2, 2002, cash dividend
payments on preferred stock.

     (d) Change in Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio. Compliance with each of Section
6.9 (Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio) and Section 6.10 (Senior Fixed Charge Coverage
Ratio) is waived, in each instance, solely for the fiscal quarter ended August
2, 2002.

     (e) Change in Dividends Restriction. Section 7.6 (Dividends) of the Credit
Agreement is amended by adding thereto at the end thereof the following:

         Notwithstanding the foregoing, so long as no Event of Default or
         Default exists, and none would be caused by or result therefrom,
         Borrower may pay cash dividends on its preferred stock as issued on the
         Fourth Amendment Date ($3,000,000) in amounts not to exceed 6.5% per
         annum; it being further understood in such regard that such dividends
         payments cannot be made more frequently than quarterly and cannot be
         made in an amount which would cause the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio or
         the Senior Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio for the fiscal quarter ended
         most recently prior to such dividends being paid (and for which
         financial reports have been delivered) to be violated assuming such
         dividends were paid within such fiscal quarter.

     SECTION 3. Waiver of Claims. As a specific inducement to the other Parties
without which the Obligors acknowledge the other Parties would not enter into
this Fourth Amendment, the Borrowers hereby waive any and all claims that it may
have against any other Party, as of the

                                      -2-

<PAGE>

date hereof, arising out of or relating to the Credit Agreement or any Other
Document whether sounding in contract, tort, or any other basis.

     SECTION 4. Conditions of Effectiveness. This Fourth Amendment shall become
effective on the Fourth Amendment Date. Borrower shall pay to IBJW a fully
earned, non-refundable amendment fee equal to $20,000 on the Fourth Amendment
Date.

     SECTION 5. Miscellaneous.

     5.1 Reference to Credit Agreement. Upon the effectiveness of this Fourth
Amendment, each reference in the Credit Agreement to "this Credit Agreement" and
each reference in the Other Documents to the Credit Agreement, shall mean and be
a reference to the Credit Agreement as amended hereby.

     5.2 Effect on Other Documents. Except as specifically amended above, all
terms of the Credit Agreement and all Other Documents shall remain in full force
and effect and are hereby ratified and confirmed.

     5.3 No Waiver. The execution, delivery and effectiveness of this Fourth
Amendment shall not operate as a waiver of any right, power, or remedy of
Lenders or the Agents under any of the Other Documents, nor constitute a waiver
of any provision of any of the Other Documents.

     5.4 Costs, Expenses and Taxes. The Borrowers agrees to pay on demand all
costs and expenses of IBJW in connection with the preparation, reproduction,
execution, and delivery of this Fourth Amendment and the other instruments and
documents to be delivered hereunder, including the reasonable fees and
out-of-pocket expenses of counsel for IBJW with respect hereto.

     5.5 No Novation. Nothing contained herein intended, or shall be construed,
to constitute a novation to the Credit Agreement or any Other Document.

     5.6 Governing Law. This Fourth Amendment shall be governed by and construed
in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without giving affect to
conflict of law provisions.

     5.7 Counterparts. This Fourth Amendment may be executed in counterparts.
Each counterpart shall bind the Party or Parties executing same. All
counterparts, taken together, shall constitute one and the same agreement.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have caused this Fourth Amendment to be
duly executed, under seal, by their respective authorized officers as of the day
and year first above written.

                                          WHITEHALL BUSINESS CREDIT
                                          CORPORATION, as Lender and as Agent
                                          (SEAL)

                                          By:  /s/Joseph J. Zautra
                                               ---------------------------------
                                          Name:    Joseph J. Zautra
                                                --------------------------------
                                          Title:   Vice President
                                                --------------------------------

                                      -3-

<PAGE>

                                          HLM DESIGN, INC., as Borrower and
                                          Borrowing Agent

                                          By:  /s/Vernon B. Brannon
                                               ---------------------------------
                                          Name:   Vernon B. Brannon
                                                  ------------------------------
                                          Title: COO/CFO
                                                 -------------------------------

                                          JPJ ARCHITECTS, INC., as Affiliate
                                          Guarantor

                                          By: /s/Vernon B. Brannon
                                              ----------------------------------
                                          Name:   Vernon B. Brannon
                                                  ------------------------------
                                          Title: COO/CFO
                                                 -------------------------------

                                          HLM DESIGN USA, INC., as Affiliate
                                          Guarantor

                                          By: /s/Vernon B. Brannon
                                              ----------------------------------
                                          Name: Vernon B. Brannon
                                                  ------------------------------
                                          Title: COO/CFO
                                                 -------------------------------

                                          HLM DESIGN ARCHITECTURE ENGINEERING
                                          AND PLANNING, P.C., as Affiliate
                                          Guarantor

                                          By: /s/Vernon B. Brannon
                                              ----------------------------------
                                          Name: Vernon B. Brannon
                                                  ------------------------------
                                          Title: COO/CFO
                                                 -------------------------------

                                          HLM DESIGN OF NORTHAMERICA, INC., as
                                          Affiliate Guarantor

                                          By: /s/Vernon B. Brannon
                                              ----------------------------------
                                          Name: Vernon B. Brannon
                                                  ------------------------------
                                          Title: COO/CFO
                                                 -------------------------------

                                      -4-

<PAGE>

                                          SOTA SOFTWARE SYSTEMS, INC., as
                                          Affiliate Guarantor

                                          By: /s/Vernon B. Brannon
                                              ----------------------------------
                                          Name:   Vernon B. Brannon
                                                  ------------------------------
                                          Title: COO/CFO
                                                 -------------------------------

                                          ACKNOWLEDGED AND CONSENTED TO
                                          AS INDIVIDUAL GUARANTORS:

                                          The undersigned acknowledge and
                                          consent to the foregoing in respect of
                                          their pre-existing guaranties,
                                          provided that their liabilities
                                          thereunder shall not be increased
                                          hereby.

                                          /s/Vernon B. Brannon
                                          --------------------------------------
                                          VERNON B. BRANNON,
                                          Individually

                                          /s/Joseph M. Harris
                                          --------------------------------------
                                          JOSEPH M. HARRIS,
                                          Individually

                                      -5-

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