Condensed Consolidating Financial Information Balance Sheets (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 326,365	$ 234,466		$ 405,855	$ 240,923
Investment securities available for sale	346,043	172,534
Accounts receivable - trade, net	23,328	12,159
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Inventories	90,323	93,496
Deferred income taxes	29,192	50,479
Income tax receivable, net	3,282	0
Restricted assets	2,595	1,785
Other current assets	36,718	23,392
Total current assets	857,846	588,311
Property, plant and equipment, net	84,112	79,258
Real estate held for sale, net	10,643	20,911
Long-term investments	40,292	29,383
Investments in real estate ventures	163,460	128,202
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Restricted assets	12,013	11,981
Deferred income taxes	51,129	51,474
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	269,972	275,108
Prepaid pension costs	25,032	26,080
Other assets	58,893	53,553
Total assets	1,573,392	1,264,261	1,262,251	1,086,731
Current liabilities:
Current portion of notes payable and long-term debt	52,640	151,577
Current portion of fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	884	19,128
Current portion of employee benefits	931	939
Intercompany payables	0	0
Income taxes payable	1,743	6,423
Litigation accruals and current payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	29,471	84,658
Deferred income taxes	57,671	45,734
Other current liabilities	126,755	96,651
Total current liabilities	270,095	405,110
Notes payable, long-term debt and other obligations, less current portion	860,711	540,766
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	168,502	92,934
Non-current employee benefits	49,314	47,917
Deferred income taxes	145,639	137,650
Other liabilities, primarily litigation accruals and payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	57,079	61,493
Total liabilities	1,551,340	1,285,870
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders' deficiency	(57,027)	(95,036)
Non-controlling interest	79,079	73,427
Total stockholders’ equity (deficiency)	22,052	(21,609)		(79,252)	(89,030)
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity (deficiency)	1,573,392	1,264,261
Parent/Issuer [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	211,751	151,342		401,344	238,262
Investment securities available for sale	278,010	114,886
Accounts receivable - trade, net	0	0
Intercompany receivables	795	509
Inventories	0	0
Deferred income taxes	24,541	45,578
Income tax receivable, net	1,055	0
Restricted assets	0	0
Other current assets	899	513
Total current assets	517,051	312,828
Property, plant and equipment, net	2,648	3,641
Real estate held for sale, net	0	0
Long-term investments	39,594	28,636
Investments in real estate ventures	0	0
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries	518,963	410,442
Restricted assets	1,707	1,895
Deferred income taxes	37,117	35,000
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	0	0
Prepaid pension costs	0	0
Other assets	45,904	38,374
Total assets	1,162,984	830,816
Current liabilities:
Current portion of notes payable and long-term debt	25,000	112,275
Current portion of fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	884	19,128
Current portion of employee benefits	0	0
Intercompany payables	0	0
Income taxes payable	0	16,870
Litigation accruals and current payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	0	0
Deferred income taxes	41,993	32,309
Other current liabilities	36,653	29,580
Total current liabilities	104,530	210,162
Notes payable, long-term debt and other obligations, less current portion	852,560	524,182
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	168,502	92,934
Non-current employee benefits	32,842	31,462
Deferred income taxes	60,656	65,759
Other liabilities, primarily litigation accruals and payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	921	1,353
Total liabilities	1,220,011	925,852
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders' deficiency	(57,027)	(95,036)
Non-controlling interest	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity (deficiency)	(57,027)	(95,036)
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity (deficiency)	1,162,984	830,816
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	9,724	11,812		3,776	2,488
Investment securities available for sale	68,033	57,648
Accounts receivable - trade, net	18,024	10,154
Intercompany receivables	267	0
Inventories	90,323	93,496
Deferred income taxes	4,651	4,901
Income tax receivable, net	463	10,447
Restricted assets	1,181	1,060
Other current assets	9,133	12,579
Total current assets	201,799	202,097
Property, plant and equipment, net	61,149	55,093
Real estate held for sale, net	0	0
Long-term investments	0	0
Investments in real estate ventures	0	0
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Restricted assets	10,306	10,086
Deferred income taxes	8,393	12,766
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	107,511	107,511
Prepaid pension costs	25,032	26,080
Other assets	10,743	10,126
Total assets	424,933	423,759
Current liabilities:
Current portion of notes payable and long-term debt	27,248	39,013
Current portion of fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	0
Current portion of employee benefits	931	939
Intercompany payables	0	39
Income taxes payable	0	0
Litigation accruals and current payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	29,471	84,658
Deferred income taxes	15,678	13,425
Other current liabilities	58,677	44,907
Total current liabilities	132,005	182,981
Notes payable, long-term debt and other obligations, less current portion	8,120	12,573
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	0
Non-current employee benefits	16,472	16,455
Deferred income taxes	40,694	37,602
Other liabilities, primarily litigation accruals and payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	51,775	54,924
Total liabilities	249,066	304,535
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders' deficiency	175,867	119,224
Non-controlling interest	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity (deficiency)	175,867	119,224
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity (deficiency)	424,933	423,759
Subsidiary Non-Guarantors [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	104,890	71,312		735	173
Investment securities available for sale	0	0
Accounts receivable - trade, net	5,304	2,005
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Inventories	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Income tax receivable, net	21	0
Restricted assets	1,414	725
Other current assets	26,686	10,300
Total current assets	138,315	84,342
Property, plant and equipment, net	20,315	20,524
Real estate held for sale, net	10,643	20,911
Long-term investments	698	747
Investments in real estate ventures	163,460	128,202
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Restricted assets	0	0
Deferred income taxes	5,619	3,708
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	162,461	167,597
Prepaid pension costs	0	0
Other assets	2,246	5,053
Total assets	503,757	431,084
Current liabilities:
Current portion of notes payable and long-term debt	392	289
Current portion of fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	0
Current portion of employee benefits	0	0
Intercompany payables	1,062	470
Income taxes payable	0	0
Litigation accruals and current payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other current liabilities	31,425	22,164
Total current liabilities	32,879	22,923
Notes payable, long-term debt and other obligations, less current portion	31	4,011
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	0
Non-current employee benefits	0	0
Deferred income taxes	44,289	34,289
Other liabilities, primarily litigation accruals and payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	4,383	5,216
Total liabilities	81,582	66,439
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders' deficiency	343,096	291,218
Non-controlling interest	79,079	73,427
Total stockholders’ equity (deficiency)	422,175	364,645
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity (deficiency)	503,757	431,084
Consolidating Adjustments [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0		0	0
Investment securities available for sale	0	0
Accounts receivable - trade, net	0	0
Intercompany receivables	(1,062)	(509)
Inventories	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Income tax receivable, net	1,743	(10,447)
Restricted assets	0	0
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	681	(10,956)
Property, plant and equipment, net	0	0
Real estate held for sale, net	0	0
Long-term investments	0	0
Investments in real estate ventures	0	0
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries	(518,963)	(410,442)
Restricted assets	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	0	0
Prepaid pension costs	0	0
Other assets	0	0
Total assets	(518,282)	(421,398)
Current liabilities:
Current portion of notes payable and long-term debt	0	0
Current portion of fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	0
Current portion of employee benefits	0	0
Intercompany payables	(1,062)	(509)
Income taxes payable	1,743	(10,447)
Litigation accruals and current payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other current liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	681	(10,956)
Notes payable, long-term debt and other obligations, less current portion	0	0
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	0
Non-current employee benefits	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other liabilities, primarily litigation accruals and payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	0	0
Total liabilities	681	(10,956)
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders' deficiency	(518,963)	(410,442)
Non-controlling interest	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity (deficiency)	(518,963)	(410,442)
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity (deficiency)	$ (518,282)	$ (421,398)