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COMMITMENTS, CONTINGENCIES AND REGULATORY MATTERS
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2024
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
COMMITMENTS, CONTINGENCIES AND REGULATORY MATTERS COMMITMENTS, CONTINGENCIES AND REGULATORY MATTERS
We record a liability for contingencies if an unfavorable outcome is probable and the amount of loss can be reasonably estimated, including expected insurance coverage. For proceedings where the reasonable estimate of loss is a range, we record a best estimate of loss within the range.
Litigation
We are currently involved in legal actions in the course of our business, most of which seek monetary damages. Although the outcome of these proceedings cannot be predicted with certainty, we currently believe that their outcome, both individually and in the aggregate, will not have a material impact on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.
Regulatory Matters
Periodically, we are subject to audits, examinations and investigations by governmental authorities and receive subpoenas, civil investigative demands or other requests for information from such governmental authorities in connection with their regulatory or investigative authority. We are currently responding to such inquiries from governmental authorities relating to certain aspects of our business. We believe it is premature to predict the potential outcome or to estimate any potential financial impact in connection with these inquiries.
Ocwen Related Matters
As discussed in Note 2, during the three months ended March 31, 2024, Ocwen was our largest customer, accounting for 45% of our total revenue. Additionally, 7% of our revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2024 was earned on the loan portfolios serviced by Ocwen, when a party other than Ocwen or the MSRs owner selected Altisource as the service provider.
Ocwen has disclosed that it is subject to a number of ongoing regulatory examinations, orders, inquiries, subpoenas, civil investigative demands, requests for information and other actions and is subject to pending and threatened legal proceedings,
some of which include claims against Ocwen for substantial monetary damages. Previous regulatory actions against Ocwen have subjected Ocwen to independent oversight of its operations and placed certain restrictions on its ability to acquire servicing rights or proceed with default-related actions on the loans it services. Existing or future similar matters could result in adverse regulatory or other actions against Ocwen. In addition to the above, Ocwen may become subject to future adverse regulatory or other actions.
Ocwen has disclosed that Rithm is one of its largest servicing clients. As of December 31, 2023, Ocwen reported that approximately 16% of loans serviced and subserviced by Ocwen (measured in UPB) and approximately 67% of all delinquent loans that Ocwen services were related to Rithm MSRs or rights to MSRs.
The existence or outcome of Ocwen regulatory matters or the termination of Ocwen’s sub-servicing agreements with Rithm, or other significant Ocwen clients may have significant adverse effects on Ocwen’s business. For example, Ocwen may be required to alter the way it conducts business, including the parties it contracts with for services, it may be required to seek changes to its existing pricing structure with us, it may lose its non-government-sponsored enterprise (“GSE”) servicing rights or subservicing arrangements or may lose one or more of its state servicing or origination licenses. Additional regulatory actions or adverse financial developments may impose additional restrictions on or require changes in Ocwen’s business that could require it to sell assets or change its business operations. Any or all of these effects and others could result in our eventual loss of Ocwen as a customer or a reduction in the number and/or volume of services it purchases from us or the loss of other customers.
If any of the following events occurred, Altisource’s revenue could be significantly reduced and our results of operations could be materially adversely affected, including from the possible impairment or write-off of goodwill, intangible assets, property and equipment, other assets and accounts receivable:
Altisource loses Ocwen as a customer or there is a significant reduction in the volume of services it purchases from us
Ocwen loses, sells or transfers a significant portion of its GSE or Federal Housing Administration servicing rights or subservicing arrangements or remaining other servicing rights or subservicing arrangements and Altisource fails to be retained as a service provider
The contractual relationship between Ocwen and Rithm changes significantly, including Ocwen’s sub-servicing arrangement with Rithm expiring without renewal, and this change results in a change in our status as a provider of services related to the Subject MSRs
Ocwen loses state servicing licenses in states with a significant number of loans in Ocwen’s servicing portfolio
Ocwen is subject to stays, moratoriums, suspensions or other restrictions that limit or delay default-related actions on the loans it services
The contractual relationship between Ocwen and Altisource changes significantly or there are significant changes to our pricing to Ocwen for services from which we generate material revenue
Altisource otherwise fails to be retained as a service provider.
The foregoing list is not intended to be exhaustive. Management cannot predict whether any of these events or other events will occur or the amount of any impact they may have on Altisource.
Leases
We lease certain premises and equipment, primarily consisting of office space and information technology equipment. Certain of our leases include options to renew at our discretion or terminate leases early, and these options are considered in our determination of the expected lease term. Certain of our lease agreements include rental payments adjusted periodically for inflation. Our lease agreements generally do not contain any material residual value guarantees or material restrictive covenants. We sublease certain office space to third parties. Sublease income was $0.2 million and $0.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. The amortization periods of right-of-use assets are generally limited by the expected lease term. Our leases generally have expected lease terms at adoption of one to six years.
Information about our lease terms and our discount rate assumption were as follows for the three months ended March 31:
20242023
Weighted average remaining lease term (in years)2.062.78
Weighted average discount rate6.39 %5.84 %
Our lease activity during the period was as follows:
Three months ended
March 31,
(in thousands)20242023
Operating lease costs:
Selling, general and administrative expense$475 $556 
Cash used in operating activities for amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities$483 $540 
Short-term (twelve months or less) lease costs18 419 
Maturities of our lease liabilities as of March 31, 2024 are as follows:
(in thousands)Operating lease obligations
2024$1,786 
20251,385 
2026638 
2027— 
2028— 
Total lease payments3,809 
Less: interest(695)
Present value of lease liabilities$3,114 
Escrow and Other Balances
We hold customers’ assets in escrow and other accounts at various financial institutions pending completion of certain real estate activities. These amounts are held in escrow and other accounts for limited periods of time and are not included in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets. Amounts held in escrow and other accounts were $24.9 million and $21.6 million as of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively.