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Commitments and Contingencies, and Guarantees
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2016
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments Contingencies and Guarantees [Text Block]
Note H. Commitments, Contingencies and Guarantees
Commitments and Contingencies
The Company holds an investment in a real estate joint venture in which the Company, on a joint and several basis with the other unrelated shareholders guaranteed to fund operating deficits of the joint venture and an operating lease for an office building entered into by the venture. The lease was terminated in March 2016. In the event that the other parties to the joint venture are unable to meet their commitments in funding this joint venture, the Company would be required to assume future obligations, primarily related to the wind-down of the lease and joint venture. The Company does not believe it is likely that it will be required to do so. However, as of September 30, 2016, the maximum potential loss that the Company could be required to pay under this guarantee, in excess of amounts already recorded, was approximately $12 million. If the Company were required to assume future obligations, the Company would have the right to pursue reimbursement from the other shareholders.
Guarantees
As of September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, the Company had recorded liabilities of approximately $5 million related to guarantee and indemnification agreements and management believes that it is not likely that any future indemnity claims will be significantly greater than the amounts recorded.
In the course of selling business entities and assets to third parties, the Company agreed to guarantee the performance of certain obligations of a previously owned subsidiary and to indemnify purchasers for losses arising out of breaches of representations and warranties with respect to the business entities or assets sold, including, in certain cases, losses arising from undisclosed liabilities or certain named litigation. Such guarantee and indemnification agreements in effect for sales of business entities, assets and third-party loans may include provisions that survive indefinitely. As of September 30, 2016, the aggregate amount related to quantifiable guarantees was $375 million and the aggregate amount related to indemnification agreements was $258 million. Should the Company be required to make payments under the guarantee, it would have the right to seek reimbursement in certain cases from an affiliate of a previously owned subsidiary.
In addition, the Company has agreed to provide indemnification to third-party purchasers for certain losses associated with sold business entities or assets that are not limited by a contractual monetary amount. As of September 30, 2016, the Company had outstanding unlimited indemnifications in connection with the sales of certain of its business entities or assets that included tax liabilities arising prior to a purchaser's ownership of an entity or asset, defects in title at the time of sale, employee claims arising prior to closing and in some cases losses arising from certain litigation and undisclosed liabilities. Certain provisions of the indemnification agreements survive indefinitely, while others survive until the applicable statutes of limitation expire, or until the agreed-upon contract terms expire.
The Company also provided guarantees, if the primary obligor fails to perform, to holders of structured settlement annuities provided by a previously owned subsidiary. As of September 30, 2016, the potential amount of future payments the Company could be required to pay under these guarantees was approximately $1.9 billion, which will be paid over the lifetime of the annuitants. The Company does not believe any payment is likely under these guarantees, as the Company is the beneficiary of a trust that must be maintained at a level that approximates the discounted reserves for these annuities.