12. Commitments and Contingencies

Changes in deferred revenue balances related to our Peace of Mind (POM) program, the current portion of which is included in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other current liabilities and the long-term portion of which is included in other noncurrent liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets, are as follows:


				(in 000s)
Six months ended October 31,		2012		2011

Balance, beginning of period	$	141,080	$	140,603
Amounts deferred for new guarantees issued		1,383		1,331
Revenue recognized on previous deferrals		(45,555)		(46,073)
Balance, end of period	$	96,908	$	95,861

In addition to amounts accrued for our POM guarantee, we had accrued $14.7 million and $16.3 million at October 31, 2012 and April 30, 2012, respectively, related to our standard guarantee, which is included with our standard tax preparation services. The current portion of this liability is included in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other current liabilities and the long-term portion is included in other noncurrent liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets,

We have recorded liabilities totaling $10.3 million and $6.8 million as of October 31, 2012 and April 30, 2012, respectively, in conjunction with contingent payments related to recent acquisitions of our continuing operations, with the short-term amount recorded in accounts payable, accrued expenses and deposits and the long-term portion included in other noncurrent liabilities. Our estimate is typically based on performance targets and financial conditions at the time of acquisition. Should actual results differ materially from our assumptions, the potential payments will differ from the above estimate and any differences will be recorded in our results from continuing operations.

We have contractual commitments to fund certain franchisees requesting revolving lines of credit. Our total obligation under these lines of credit was $90.4 million at October 31, 2012, and net of amounts drawn and outstanding, our remaining commitment to fund totaled $39.1 million.

We maintain compensating balances related to the 2012 CLOC, which are not legally restricted as to withdrawal. These balances totaled $75.0 million as of October 31, 2012.

We routinely enter into contracts that include embedded indemnifications that have characteristics similar to guarantees. Other guarantees and indemnifications of the Company and its subsidiaries include obligations to protect counterparties from losses arising from the following: (1) tax, legal and other risks related to the purchase or disposition of businesses; (2) penalties and interest assessed by federal and state taxing authorities in connection with tax returns prepared for clients; (3) indemnification of our directors and officers; and (4) third-party claims relating to various arrangements in the normal course of business. Typically, there is no stated maximum payment related to these indemnifications, and the terms of the indemnities may vary and in many cases are limited only by the applicable statute of limitations. The likelihood of any claims being asserted against us and the ultimate liability related to any such claims, if any, is difficult to predict. While we cannot provide assurance we will ultimately prevail in the event any such claims are asserted, we believe the fair values of guarantees and indemnifications relating to our continuing operations are not material as of October 31, 2012.

Variable Interests

We evaluated our financial interests in variable interest entities (VIEs) as of October 31, 2012 and determined that there have been no significant changes related to those financial interests.

Discontinued Operations – Loss Contingencies Arising From Representations and Warranties

Overview. SCC ceased originating mortgage loans in December 2007 and, in April 2008, sold its servicing assets and discontinued its remaining operations. The sale of servicing assets did not include the sale of any mortgage loans.

Mortgage loans originated by SCC were sold either as whole loans to single third-party buyers or in the form of residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBSs). In connection with the sale of loans and/or RMBSs, SCC made certain representations and warranties. These representations and warranties varied based on the nature of the transaction and the buyer’s or insurer’s requirements, but generally pertained to the ownership of the loan, the validity of the lien securing the loan, borrower fraud, the loan’s compliance with the criteria for inclusion in the transaction, including compliance with SCC’s underwriting standards or loan criteria established by the buyer, ability to deliver required documentation, and compliance with applicable laws. Representations and warranties related to borrower fraud in whole loan sale transactions to institutional investors, which represented approximately 68% of the disposal of loans originated in calendar years 2005, 2006 and 2007, included a “knowledge qualifier” limiting SCC’s liability to those instances where SCC had knowledge of the fraud at the time the loans were sold. Representations and warranties made in other sale transactions effectively did not include a knowledge qualifier as to borrower fraud. In the event that there is a breach of a representation and warranty and such breach materially and adversely affects the value of a mortgage loan or a securitization insurer’s or bondholder’s interest in the mortgage loan and, as discussed below, the mortgage has not been liquidated, SCC may be obligated to repurchase the loan, may be obligated to indemnify certain parties, or may enter into settlement arrangements related to losses, collectively referred to as “representation and warranty claims.”

Claim History. Representation and warranty claims received by SCC have primarily related to alleged breaches of representations and warranties related to a loan’s compliance with the underwriting standards established by SCC at origination and borrower fraud. Claims received since May 1, 2008 are as follows:


																									(in millions)
		Fiscal Year		Fiscal Year		Fiscal Year 2011								Fiscal Year 2012								Fiscal Year 2013
		2009		2010		Q1		Q2		Q3		Q4		Q1		Q2		Q3		Q4		Q1		Q2		Total
Loan Origination Year:
2005	$	62	$	15	$	6	$	1	$	-	$	1	$	-	$	-	$	4	$	-	$	18	$	-	$	107
2006		217		108		100		15		29		50		29		130		29		137		123		7		974
2007		153		22		3		5		4		4		2		353		2		406		1		3		958
Total	$	432	$	145	$	109	$	21	$	33	$	55	$	31	$	483	$	35	$	543	$	142	$	10	$	2,039

Note: The table above excludes amounts related to indemnity agreements.

SCC received $152 million in claims during the six months ended October 31, 2012, most of which were asserted by a private-label securitization trustee on behalf of certificate holders ($136 million), monoline insurers ($14 million), and the remainder asserted by Fannie Mae ($2 million). During the fiscal year ended April 30, 2012, SCC received claims totaling $1.1 billion. The amount of claims received varies from period to period, and these variances have been and are expected to continue to fluctuate substantially.

Nearly all claims asserted against SCC since May 1, 2008 relate to loans originated during calendar years 2005 through 2007. Approximately 95% of such claims relate to loans originated in calendar years 2006 and 2007. During calendar years 2005 through 2007, SCC originated approximately $84 billion in loans, of which less than 1% were sold directly to government sponsored entities. Government sponsored entities also purchased bonds backed by SCC-originated mortgage loans and, with respect to these bonds, have the same rights as other certificate holders in private label securitizations. SCC may not be subject to representation and warranty losses on loans for a variety of reasons, including loans that have been paid in full, liquidated, repurchased, or were sold without recourse, among others.

Based on its experiences to date, SCC believes the longer a loan performs prior to an event of default, the less likely the default will be related to a breach of a representation and warranty, and the less likely that SCC will have a contractual payment obligation with respect to such loan. The majority of claims asserted since May 1, 2008 determined by SCC to represent a valid breach of its representations and warranties relate to loans that became delinquent within the first two years following the origination of the mortgage loan. However, a loan that defaults within the first two years following the origination of the mortgage loan does not necessarily default due to a breach of a representation and warranty. Exclusive of loans that have been paid in full, repurchased or sold without recourse, loans originated in 2005, 2006 and 2007 that defaulted in the first two years totaled $3.9 billion, $6.1 billion and $2.7 billion, respectively.

Reviewed Claims. Since May 2008, SCC has denied approximately 93% of all claims reviewed, excluding loans covered by other settlements. Of the denied claims, 1% related to loans that have been paid in full and 1% of claims were denied because they related to loans which have been liquidated. Losses on representation and warranty claims totaled approximately $78 million and other settlements totaled approximately $56 million for the period May 1, 2008 through October 31, 2012. Paid claim loss severity rates have approximated 62% and SCC has not observed any material trends related to average losses. Repurchased loans are considered held for sale and are included in prepaid expenses and other current assets on the consolidated balance sheets. The net balance of all mortgage loans and REO held for sale by SCC was $7.3 million at October 31, 2012.

SCC generally has 60 to 120 days to respond to a claimed breach of a representation and warranty and performs a loan-by-loan review of all claims during this time. Counterparties are able to reassert claims that SCC has denied. Claims totaling approximately $28 million remained subject to review as of October 31, 2012, of which, approximately $16 million represent a reassertion of previously denied claims.

Liability for Estimated Contingent Losses. SCC estimates probable losses arising from representations and warranties on loans it originated by assessing claim activity, both known and projected. Projections of future claims are based on an analysis that includes a review of the terms and provisions of related agreements, the historical claim and validity rate experience and inquiries from various third-parties. SCC’s methodology for calculating this liability also includes an assessment of the probability that individual counterparties (private label securitization trustees on behalf of certificate holders, monoline insurers and whole-loan purchasers) will assert future claims.

SCC has accrued a liability as of October 31, 2012 for estimated contingent losses arising from representations and warranties on loans it originated of $129.3 million, which represents SCC’s estimate of the probable loss that may occur. While SCC uses what it believes to be the best information available to it in estimating its liability, assessing the likelihood that claims will be asserted in the future and estimating probable losses are inherently subjective and require considerable management judgment. To the extent that the volume of claims, the level of claims (including whether the loan has been liquidated), the level of disputed claims, the counterparties asserting claims, the nature and severity of claims, the outcome of various litigation related to claims, or the value of residential home prices, among other factors, differ in the future from current estimates, future losses may differ from the current estimates and those differences may be significant.

Because the rate at which future claims may be determined to be valid and actual loss severity rates may differ significantly from historical experience, SCC is not able to estimate reasonably possible loss outcomes in excess of its current accrual. A 1% increase in loss severities and a 1% decrease in assumed denial rates would result in losses beyond SCC’s accrual of approximately $27 million. This sensitivity is hypothetical and is intended to provide an indication of the impact of a change in key assumptions on this loss contingency. In reality, changes in one assumption may result in changes in other assumptions, which could affect the sensitivity and the amount of losses.

A rollforward of SCC’s accrued liability for these loss contingencies is as follows:


				(in 000s)
Six months ended October 31,		2012		2011

Balance at beginning of period	$	130,018	$	126,260
Provisions		-		20,000
Payments		(753)		(3,337)
Balance at end of period	$	129,265	$	142,923

The recent federal court decision styled MASTR Asset Backed Securities Trust 2006-HE3 v. WMC Mortgages (Case No. 11-CV-2542 (JRT/TNL), 2012 WL 4511065 (D. Minn.), the "WMC Decision"), decided on October 1, 2012, recognizes the liquidation of a mortgage loan in a foreclosure sale as a defense to representation and warranty claims and related litigation. Specifically, the court noted that under the law of many states, including New York (which was applicable in the case at hand and governs most of SCC’s purchase agreements for mortgage loans), a foreclosure decree operates to merge the interest of the mortgagor and mortgagee and, consequently, foreclosure on the properties securing the mortgage loan extinguishes it and renders it unavailable for repurchase. Consistent with this approach, SCC is taking the legal position where appropriate, for both contractual representation and warranty claims and similar claims in litigation, that a valid representation and warranty claim cannot be made with respect to a mortgage loan that has been liquidated. However, the WMC Decision is subject to appeal and it is anticipated that the liquidated mortgage loan defense will be the subject of future judicial decisions. Until the liquidated mortgage loan defense is further validated in the courts or other developments occur, SCC’s estimated accrual for representation and warranty claims will continue to be determined using its prior methodology, which does not take this defense into account.

Discontinued Operations – Loss Contingencies Arising From Indemnification Obligations

Losses may also be incurred with respect to various indemnification claims, including claims by depositors and underwriters, related to loans and securities SCC originated and sold. Losses from indemnification obligations can be significant and are frequently not subject to a stated term or limit. SCC believes it is not probable that it will be required to perform under its indemnification obligations; however, there can be no assurances as to the outcome or impact on our consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows related to claims which may arise from those indemnification obligations.

In connection with the sale of RSM McGladrey, Inc. (RSM) and McGladrey Capital Markets LLC (MCM), we indemnified the buyers against certain litigation matters, as discussed in note 13. The indemnities are not subject to a stated term or limit.