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Commitments and Contingent Liabilities
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2011
Commitments and Contingent Liabilities [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingent Liabilities
9. Commitments and Contingent Liabilities
The Company is involved in litigation which may relate to claims brought by governmental authorities, issues with customers, and employment related matters, including class action claims and purported class action claims. As of June 30, 2011, the Company is not party to any legal proceedings, including class action lawsuits, that, individually or in the aggregate, are reasonably expected to have a material adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations, financial condition or cash flows. However, the results of these matters cannot be predicted with certainty, and an unfavorable resolution of one or more of these matters could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations, financial condition or cash flows.
The Company has historically structured its operations so as to minimize ownership of real property. As a result, the Company leases or subleases substantially all of its facilities. These leases are generally for a period between five and 20 years, and are typically structured to include renewal options at the Company’s election. Pursuant to the leases for some of the Company’s larger facilities, the Company is required to comply with defined financial ratios, including a “rent coverage” ratio and a debt to EBITDA ratio. For these leases, non-compliance with the ratios may require the Company to post collateral in the form of a letter of credit. A breach of the other lease covenants gives rise to certain remedies by the landlord, the most severe of which include the termination of the applicable lease and acceleration of the total rent payments due under the lease. As of June 30, 2011, the Company was in compliance with all covenants under these leases.
The Company has sold a number of dealerships to third parties and, as a condition to certain of those sales, remains liable for the lease payments relating to the properties on which those businesses operate in the event of non-payment by the buyer. The Company is also party to lease agreements on properties that it no longer uses in its retail operations that it has sublet to third parties. The Company relies on subtenants to pay the rent and maintain the property at these locations. In the event the subtenant does not perform as expected, the Company may not be able to recover amounts owed to it and the Company could be required to fulfill these obligations.
The Company has $20,066 of letters of credit outstanding as of June 30, 2011, and has posted $14,263 of surety bonds in the ordinary course of business.