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COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2021
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Letters of Credit and Surety Bonds â€” We are committed, under various letters of credit and surety bonds, to perform certain development and construction activities and provide certain guarantees in the normal course of business. Outstanding letters of credit and surety bonds under these arrangements totaled $1.1 billion and $981.8 million as of September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively. Although significant development and construction activities have been completed related to these site improvements, the bonds are generally not released until all development and construction activities are completed. We do not believe that it is probable that any outstanding bonds as of September 30, 2021 will be drawn upon.

Purchase Commitments â€”We are subject to the usual obligations associated with entering into contracts (including land option contracts and land banking arrangements) for the purchase, development, and sale of real estate in the routine conduct of our business. We have a number of land purchase option contracts and land banking agreements, generally through cash deposits, for the right to purchase land or lots at a future point in time with predetermined terms. We do not have title to the property and the creditors generally have no recourse. Our obligations with respect to such contracts are generally limited to the forfeiture of the related non-refundable cash deposits and/or letters of credit provided to obtain the options. At September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the aggregate purchase price of these contracts was $944.2 million and $760.4 million, respectively.

Legal Proceedings â€” We are involved in various litigation and legal claims in the normal course of our business operations, including actions brought on behalf of various classes of claimants. We are also subject to a variety of local, state, and federal laws and regulations related to land development activities, house construction standards, sales practices, mortgage lending operations, title and insurance agency operations, safety and other employment practices, and protection of the environment. As a result, we are subject to periodic examination or inquiry by various governmental agencies that administer these laws and regulations. We establish liabilities for legal claims and regulatory matters when such matters are both probable of occurring and any potential loss is reasonably estimable. At September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, our legal accruals were $21.0 million and $23.5 million, respectively. We accrue for such matters based on the facts and circumstances specific to each matter and revise these estimates as the matters evolve. In such cases, there may exist an exposure to loss in excess of any amounts currently accrued. Predicting the ultimate resolution of the pending matters, the related timing or the eventual loss associated with these matters is inherently difficult. Accordingly, the liability arising from the ultimate resolution of any matter may exceed the estimate reflected in the recorded reserves relating to such matters. While the outcome of such contingencies cannot be predicted with certainty, we do not believe that the resolution of such matters will have a material adverse impact on our results of operations, financial position, or cash flows.
Leases — Our leases primarily consist of office space, construction trailers, model home leasebacks, a ground lease, equipment, and storage units. We assess each of these contracts to determine whether the arrangement contains a lease as defined by ASC 842, Leases. Lease obligations were $81.6 million and $83.2 million as of September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively. We recorded lease expense of approximately $4.2 million and $12.2 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021, and $4.3 million and $12.9 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, respectively, within general and administrative expenses on our Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations.