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DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS
9 Months Ended
Oct. 01, 2016
DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS  
DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS

8.    On September 15, 2016 a Partial Summary Judgment was issued regarding the Company’s previously disclosed litigation, Continental Materials Corporation v. Valco, Inc., Civil Action No. 2014-cv-2510, filed in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado. The suit regards a sand and gravel lease between the Company and Valco, Inc. (“Valco”) that calls for the payment of royalties over the life of the lease on an agreed 50,000,000 tons of sand and gravel reserves. In the suit the Company sought, among other things, to reform the sand and gravel lease in regard to the agreed amount of sand and gravel reserves and to recover approximately $1,282,000 of royalty overpayments included in other long-term assets. The Partial Summary Judgment resolved many of the Company’s claims in Valco’s favor, but the Company’s claim for the return of royalty overpayments made during the statutorily allowed period is still pending. The Company has concluded that recovery of the overpayments in excess of approximately $650,000 is not likely due to the statute of limitations and has therefore recorded a $632,000 write-down to the long-term asset during the third quarter of 2016. The Company and its legal counsel believe there are grounds to appeal the Partial Summary Judgment regarding this and the other claims of the suit as the court improperly resolved factual issues that should have been decided by a jury. The Company and its legal counsel believe there is a likelihood that some, or all, of the issues resolved by the Partial Summary Judgment may be reversed on appeal and remanded for trial by jury although there can be no assurance that an appeal will result in reversal. The Company paid royalties on approximately 17,700,000 tons, including the overpayments, of the 50,000,000 tons of sand and gravel reserves through the end of the third quarter of 2014. The impact of these proceedings could have a material effect although the Company does not believe that there is a reasonable basis for estimating the financial impact, if any, of the final outcome of these proceedings and accordingly no accrual or reserve has been recorded in compliance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. In addition, on September 30, 2016 Valco filed a motion seeking to add three new counterclaims alleging damages in excess of $5,900,000. The Company has vigorously opposed the motion which has not yet been ruled upon.