Settlement of Lawsuits	9 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2013
Settlement Of Lawsuits
Settlement of Lawsuits	Note 13 – Settlement of Lawsuits On December 30, 2011, the Company entered into a definitive Settlement and Release Agreement (the “Agreement”) settling two lawsuits by a former Chairman of the Company. As previously disclosed, Thomas K. Barry sought damages from the Company for failure to transfer to Mr. Barry a key-man life insurance policy and for terminating payments under a deferred compensation agreement. Please refer to the Company’s Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2011 for disclosure regarding the original claims. Under the Agreement, the Company paid to Mr. Barry $285,000 on January 13, 2012, and beginning in calendar 2013, the Company will pay Mr. Barry on or before each January 5, $40,000 plus interest compounded annually at 4% (less than one-half of the amount in Mr. Barry’s deferred compensation agreement) for the longer of ten years or Mr. Barry’s lifetime. The Company will pay Mr. Barry $15,000 annually for the longer of ten years or Mr. Barry’s lifetime up to a maximum of 20 payments to replace the life insurance policy. The Company has paid the amounts due in January 2013. In addition, the Company will provide certain health and prescription drug insurance benefits to Mr. Barry and his wife for life. The Company and Mr. Barry exchanged mutual general releases. The Company had previously reserved for past due payments as well as accrued a liability for future payments under the deferred compensation agreement and key-man life insurance policy. The savings associated with the reversal of past due payments and change in the liabilities for future payments under the deferred compensation agreement were recognized as a decrease to operating and maintenance expense. The reversal of accrued liability for the key man insurance policy was recognized in other income. The after tax benefit that resulted from these entries was approximately $400,000 as of December 31, 2011, after accounting for legal fees associated with the settlement which are shown in other deductions, net and adjustments to pension expense which are shown in operating and maintenance expense. On August 30, 2012, counsel to Gas Natural, Inc. and Richard M. Osborne sent a letter to counsel representing the Company offering to settle and release, for a $650,000 cash payment, claims related to Gas Natural Inc.’s previous offers to purchase the Company and other activities, including the Company’s 2010 rights offering. The Company has been in discussion with representatives of Gas Natural, Inc. and Mr. Osborne. On December 11, 2012, at its regularly scheduled meeting, the Board of Directors approved settling the claims for $200,000 in exchange for general releases and certain other consideration. On December 13, 2012, the Company was notified by counsel for Gas Natural, Inc. that Gas Natural, Inc.’s Board of Directors, Richard Osborne and the Osborne Trust had approved the settlement. The after tax expense that resulted from this agreement was $126,000 and was shown in other deductions, net for the quarter ending December 31, 2012, on the Company’s Consolidated Statement of Income. The Company believes its actions in connection with the offers, the rights offering and other activities were in the best interest of the Company and its shareholders.

Settlement of Lawsuits

9 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2013

Note 13 – Settlement of Lawsuits

On December 30, 2011, the Company entered into a definitive Settlement and Release Agreement (the “Agreement”) settling two lawsuits by a former Chairman of the Company. As previously disclosed, Thomas K. Barry sought damages from the Company for failure to transfer to Mr. Barry a key-man life insurance policy and for terminating payments under a deferred compensation agreement. Please refer to the Company’s Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2011 for disclosure regarding the original claims. Under the Agreement, the Company paid to Mr. Barry $285,000 on January 13, 2012, and beginning in calendar 2013, the Company will pay Mr. Barry on or before each January 5, $40,000 plus interest compounded annually at 4% (less than one-half of the amount in Mr. Barry’s deferred compensation agreement) for the longer of ten years or Mr. Barry’s lifetime. The Company will pay Mr. Barry $15,000 annually for the longer of ten years or Mr. Barry’s lifetime up to a maximum of 20 payments to replace the life insurance policy. The Company has paid the amounts due in January 2013. In addition, the Company will provide certain health and prescription drug insurance benefits to Mr. Barry and his wife for life. The Company and Mr. Barry exchanged mutual general releases. The Company had previously reserved for past due payments as well as accrued a liability for future payments under the deferred compensation agreement and key-man life insurance policy. The savings associated with the reversal of past due payments and change in the liabilities for future payments under the deferred compensation agreement were recognized as a decrease to operating and maintenance expense. The reversal of accrued liability for the key man insurance policy was recognized in other income. The after tax benefit that resulted from these entries was approximately $400,000 as of December 31, 2011, after accounting for legal fees associated with the settlement which are shown in other deductions, net and adjustments to pension expense which are shown in operating and maintenance expense.

On August 30, 2012, counsel to Gas Natural, Inc. and Richard M. Osborne sent a letter to counsel representing the Company offering to settle and release, for a $650,000 cash payment, claims related to Gas Natural Inc.’s previous offers to purchase the Company and other activities, including the Company’s 2010 rights offering. The Company has been in discussion with representatives of Gas Natural, Inc. and Mr. Osborne. On December 11, 2012, at its regularly scheduled meeting, the Board of Directors approved settling the claims for $200,000 in exchange for general releases and certain other consideration. On December 13, 2012, the Company was notified by counsel for Gas Natural, Inc. that Gas Natural, Inc.’s Board of Directors, Richard Osborne and the Osborne Trust had approved the settlement. The after tax expense that resulted from this agreement was $126,000 and was shown in other deductions, net for the quarter ending December 31, 2012, on the Company’s Consolidated Statement of Income. The Company believes its actions in connection with the offers, the rights offering and other activities were in the best interest of the Company and its shareholders.