Commitments and Contingencies

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2016

Commitments and Contingencies [Abstract]

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Text Block]

Commitments and Contingencies

The Company leases vehicles and occupies certain facilities under operating leases that expire at various dates through 2020.  The leases, which cover periods from three to eight years, generally provide for renewal options at specified rental amounts.  The aggregate operating lease commitment at September 30, 2016 was $2,049,000 with minimum rentals for the fiscal years shown as follows: 2017 - $843,000; 2018 - $620,000; 2019 - $428,000; and 2020 - $158,000. Rent expense for fiscal 2016 and 2015 was approximately $690,020 and $585,776, respectively.

The Company is a party to employment agreements with certain of its officers that provide for, among other things, the payment of compensation if there is a change in control without Board of Director approval (as defined in the agreements).  The contingent liability under such change in control provisions at September 30, 2016 would have been approximately $1.6 million.  Certain of the Company’s employment agreements with its officers provide for a severance/retirement benefit upon certain occurrences or at a specified date of retirement, absent a change in control, aggregating $1.0 million at September 30, 2016.  The Company is amortizing such obligation to expense on the straight-line method through the specified dates of retirement.  Such expense amounted to approximately $38,000 and $50,000 in fiscal 2016 and 2015, respectively. In addition, at September 30, 2016, the Company was obligated to pay $40,000 of severance liabilities to a former officer pursuant to a separation of services agreement.

The Company has an agreement with an officer to provide a deferred compensation benefit in the form of 6,561 shares of common stock.  Such shares vest upon retirement or earlier under certain occurrences including death, involuntary termination or a change in control of the Company.  The market value of such shares approximated $20,000 at the date of grant, which is being amortized on the straight-line method through the specified date of retirement.