XML 84 R21.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v2.4.0.8
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
3 Months Ended
Jan. 31, 2014
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES  
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

(14)  Commitments and contingencies:

 

The Company generally determines its total warranty liability by applying historical claims rate experience to the estimated amount of equipment that has been sold and is still under warranty based on dealer inventories and retail sales.  The historical claims rate is primarily determined by a review of five-year claims costs and current quality developments.

 

The premiums for extended warranties are primarily recognized in income in proportion to the costs expected to be incurred over the contract period.  These unamortized extended warranty premiums (deferred revenue) included in the following table totaled $360 million and $309 million at January 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively.

 

A reconciliation of the changes in the warranty liability and unearned premiums in millions of dollars follows:

 

 

 

Three Months Ended
January 31

 

 

 

2014

 

2013

 

Beginning of period balance

 

$

1,164

 

$

1,025

 

Payments

 

(189)

 

(166)

 

Amortization of premiums received

 

(28)

 

(28)

 

Accruals for warranties

 

185

 

212

 

Premiums received

 

46

 

44

 

Foreign exchange

 

(6)

 

4

 

End of period balance

 

$

1,172

 

$

1,091

 

 

At January 31, 2014, the Company had approximately $282 million of guarantees issued primarily to banks outside the U.S. and Canada related to third-party receivables for the retail financing of John Deere equipment.  The Company may recover a portion of any required payments incurred under these agreements from repossession of the equipment collateralizing the receivables.  At January 31, 2014, the Company had an accrued liability of approximately $6 million under these agreements.  The maximum remaining term of the receivables guaranteed at January 31, 2014 was approximately six years.

 

At January 31, 2014, the Company had commitments of approximately $316 million for the construction and acquisition of property and equipment.  Also, at January 31, 2014, the Company had restricted assets of $105 million, primarily as collateral for borrowings and restricted other assets.  See Note 11 for additional restricted assets associated with borrowings related to securitizations.

 

The Company also had other miscellaneous contingent liabilities totaling approximately $50 million at January 31, 2014, for which it believes the probability for payment is substantially remote.  The accrued liability for these contingencies was not material at January 31, 2014.

 

The Company is subject to various unresolved legal actions which arise in the normal course of its business, the most prevalent of which relate to product liability (including asbestos related liability), retail credit, software licensing, patent, trademark and environmental matters.  The Company believes the reasonably possible range of losses for these unresolved legal actions in addition to the amounts accrued would not have a material effect on its consolidated financial statements.