Commitments and Contingencies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2021

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Commitments and Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies

Letters of Credit

At December 31, 2021, we were contingently liable to our principal banks in the amount of $88,362 for letters of credit outstanding primarily related to insurance coverage.

Surety Bonds

In certain circumstances, we have performance obligations that are supported by surety bonds in connection with our contractual commitments.

Litigation

We are party to a number of lawsuits, threatened lawsuits and other claims arising out of the normal course of business. On a quarterly basis, we assess our liabilities and contingencies in connection with outstanding legal proceedings utilizing the latest information available. Where it is probable that we will incur a loss and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated, we record a liability in our consolidated financial statements. These legal accruals may be increased or decreased to reflect any relevant developments on a quarterly basis. Where a loss is not probable or the amount of the loss is not estimable, we do not record a legal accrual, consistent with applicable accounting guidance. Based on information currently available to us, advice of counsel, and available insurance coverage, we believe that our established accruals are adequate and the liabilities arising from the legal proceedings will not have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial condition. We note, however, that in light of the inherent uncertainty in legal proceedings there can be no assurance that the ultimate resolution of a matter will not exceed established accruals. As a result, the outcome of a particular matter or a combination of matters may be material to our results of operations for a particular period, depending upon the size of the loss or our income for that particular period.

In November 2017, a suit was filed in Savannah, Georgia state court ("State Court") against Davey Tree, its subsidiary, Wolf Tree, Inc. ("Wolf Tree"), a former Davey employee, two Wolf Tree employees, and a former Wolf Tree employee alleging various acts of negligence and seeking compensatory and punitive damages for wrongful death and assault and battery of the plaintiff’s husband, a Wolf Tree employee, who was shot and killed in August 2017.

In July 2018, a related survival action was filed by the deceased’s estate against Davey Tree, its subsidiary, Wolf Tree, and four current and former employees in Savannah, Georgia, which arises out of the same allegations, seeks compensatory and punitive damages and also includes three Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act ("RICO") claims under Georgia law seeking compensatory damages, treble damages, and punitive damages. The 2018 case was removed to the United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia, Savannah Division ("Federal Court"), on August 2, 2018. The Company filed a motion to dismiss the RICO claims. Plaintiffs filed a motion to remand the case to state court, which the Company has opposed.

The cases were mediated unsuccessfully in December 2018 and the State Court case was originally set for trial on January 22, 2019. However, as discussed below, all of the civil cases were later stayed on December 28, 2018 and currently remain stayed.

On December 6, 2018, a former Wolf Tree employee pled guilty to conspiracy to conceal, harbor, and shield illegal aliens. On December 21, 2018, the United States federal prosecutors filed a motion to stay both actions on the grounds that on December 13, 2018, an indictment was issued charging two former Wolf Tree employees and another individual with various crimes, including conspiracy to murder the deceased. On December 17, 2018, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia informed the Company and Wolf Tree that they are also under investigation for potential violations of immigration and other laws relating to the subject matter of the ongoing criminal investigation referenced above. The Company and Wolf Tree are cooperating with the investigation and have met with both the civil and criminal divisions of the Department of Justice ("DOJ") to resolve the matter. Due to pandemic-related issues and delays on the side of the DOJ, the matter currently remains unresolved.

On December 28, 2018, the State Court granted the United States’ motion to stay but indicated that it would nonetheless consider certain pending matters, including: (1) Plaintiff and a co-defendant’s motions that Davey Tree be forced to produce privileged documents and testimony, which had been submitted to a Special Master for recommendation; and (2) the Defendants’ motions for summary judgment. On January 11, 2019, the Special Master issued his recommendation that both Plaintiff and the co-defendant’s motions to force Davey to disclose privileged information be denied. The State Court judge has not yet moved on the recommendation. On January 29, 2019, the State Court heard oral argument on Defendants’ motions for summary judgment, and the motions remain pending during the stay of the cases.

On January 28, 2019, the Federal Court also granted the United States’ motion to stay. On January 29, 2019, the State Court ordered the parties to return to mediation, which occurred on April 17, 2019 but was unsuccessful in resolving the matters. On December 27, 2021, the DOJ advised that criminal cases (unrelated to the Company) for the individual criminal defendants was now scheduled, with the trial for Higinio Perez-Braco scheduled for April 12, 2022 and the trial of Pablo Rangel and Juan Rangel-Rubio scheduled for May 10, 2022. All civil cases continue to remain stayed.

In both cases, the Company has denied all liability and is vigorously defending the action. It also has retained separate counsel for some of the individual defendants, each of whom has denied all liability and also is vigorously defending the action.

Northern California Wildfires

Five lawsuits have been filed that name contractors for PG&E Corporation and its subsidiary, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (together, "PG&E"), including Davey Tree, with respect to claims arising from wildfires that occurred in Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s service territory in northern California beginning on October 8, 2017. An action was brought on August 8, 2019 in Napa County Superior Court, entitled Donna Walker, et al. v. Davey Tree Surgery Company, et al., Case No. 19CV001194. An action was brought on October 8, 2019 in San Francisco County Superior Court, entitled Quinisha Kyree Abram, et al. v. ACRT, Inc., et. al, Case No. CGC-19-579861.

Three additional actions were brought on January 28, 2021 in San Francisco County Superior Court, by fire victims represented by a trust, which was assigned contractual rights in the PG&E bankruptcy proceedings. These cases are entitled John K. Trotter, Trustee of the PG&E Fire Victim Trust v. Davey Resource Group, Inc., et al., Case No. CGC-21-589438; John K. Trotter, Trustee of the PG&E Fire Victim Trust v. Davey Resource Group, Inc., et al., Case No. CGC-21-589439; and John K. Trotter, Trustee of the PG&E Fire Victim Trust v. ACRT Pacific, LLC, et al., Case No. CGC-21-589441. On September 22, 2021, the court granted Davey Tree's petition to coordinate all cases, including Walker as a California Judicial Council Coordination Proceeding, In Re North Bay Fire Cases, JCCP No. 4955. As a result

of the coordination order, all five of the individual actions are stayed in their home jurisdictions. The next case management conference in JCCP No. 4955 was held on February 24, 2022. At that case management conference, the Court ordered a mediation between the Plaintiffs and Davey Tree related to Davey Tree's contracts with PG&E. This mediation shall be scheduled by May 27, 2022, with the mediation to occur thereafter. This mediation would include Davey Tree, the Fire Victim Trust, and all other plaintiff groups. Separately, the court ordered that all parties shall participate in a global mediation, including selecting a mediator by April 29, 2022, shall begin the process of securing a mediation date by May 27, 2022, and shall complete a first session of a mediation by October 28, 2022.

The Defendants have also received evidence from the Plaintiff's Trust and PG&E collected by those parties during the PG&E bankruptcy proceedings and Davey Tree's experts have begun their initial inspection of the evidence. Davey Tree has responded to all claims asserted by the Plaintiff's in these actions, denying all liability in these cases and is vigorously defending against Plaintiffs' alleged claims.

In all cases, the Company denies all liability and will vigorously defend the actions.