Commitments And Contingencies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

Commitments And Contingencies

NOTE 18.    Commitments and Contingencies:

Lease commitments

The Company leases certain office facilities, automobiles and equipment under operating leases, which, for the most part, are renewable. The majority of these leases also provide that the Company pay insurance and taxes.

Future minimum rental payments under operating leases that have initial or remaining noncancelable lease terms in excess of one year as of December 31, 2012 are as follows:

	(in thousands)
Year
2013	$	68,419
2014		60,381
2015		41,421
2016		24,795
2017		13,132
Thereafter		11,404
	$	219,552

Total rental expense for all operating leases and month-to-month rentals was $96.8 million, $102.6 million, and $125.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively.

Other commitments and guarantees

At December 31, 2012 and 2011, the Company was contingently liable for guarantees of indebtedness owed by affiliates and third parties to banks and others totaling $23.2 million and $24.2 million, respectively. The guarantee arrangements relate to promissory notes and other contracts, and contingently require the Company to make payments to the guaranteed party based on the failure of debtors to make scheduled payments according to the terms of the notes and contracts. The Company’s maximum potential amount of future payments under these guarantees totaled $23.2 million and $24.2 million at December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively, and is limited in duration to the terms of the underlying indebtedness. The Company has not incurred any costs as a result of these guarantees and has not recorded a liability on its consolidated balance sheets related to these guarantees at December 31, 2012 and 2011.

The Company also guarantees the obligations of certain of its subsidiaries. These obligations are included in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2012 and 2011.