Variable Interest Entity

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2012

Variable Interest Entity [Abstract]

Variable Interest Entity

Note 9 – Variable Interest Entity

The Risk Retention Act of 1986 (the “Risk Retention Act”) allowed companies with specialized liability insurance needs that could not be met in the standard insurance market to create a new type of insurance vehicle called a risk retention group. We assisted in the formation of American Safety RRG in 1988 in order to establish a U.S. insurance company to market and underwrite specialty environmental coverages.

American Safety RRG is a variable interest entity (“VIE”) which is consolidated in our financial statements in accordance with ASC 810-10-5, as through the contractual relationships, the Company has the power to direct the activities of American Safety RRG that most significantly impact its economic performance and the right to receive benefits from American Safety RRG that could be significant to American Safety RRG. Due to these criteria being met, American Safety is the primary beneficiary of the variability of the underwriting profits of American Safety RRG. The liabilities of American Safety RRG consolidated by the Company do not represent additional claims on the Company’s general assets; rather, they represent claims against the specific assets of American Safety RRG. Similarly, the assets of American Safety RRG consolidated by the Company do not represent additional assets available to satisfy claims against the Company’s general assets. The creditors of American Safety RRG do not have recourse to the Company for the obligations outside of obligations that exist due to contractual loss sharing or reinsurance arrangements that exist between American Safety RRG and other entities under common control in the ordinary course of the business. The equity of American Safety RRG is for the benefit of the policyholders and is considered a non-controlling interest in the shareholder’s equity section of the Company’s consolidated balance sheet. Should RRG incur net losses and the equity of RRG decline below regulatory minimum capital levels or result in a deficit, there is no legal obligation of the Company to fund those losses or contribute capital to the VIE. The profit and loss of the VIE increases or decreases the value of the non-controlling interest on the balance sheet of the Company and does not contribute to earnings or equity attributable to American Safety Insurance Holdings, Ltd.

Assets and Liabilities of the VIE as consolidated in the Consolidated Balance Sheets (dollars in thousands):

	3/31/2012		12/31/2011
Investments	$	8,423	$	8,346
Cash and equivalents		974		2,268
Accrued investment income		36		45
Premiums receivable		1,040		629
Ceded unearned premiums		421		166
Reinsurance recoverables		2,404		3,055
Deferred acquisition costs		1,282		(454	)
Deferred income tax		374		—
Other assets		9,766		1,042
Total Assets	$	24,720	$	15,097
Unpaid losses and loss adjustment expenses	$	12,041	$	7,412
Unearned premium		5,109		623
Ceded premiums payable		649		296
Funds held		143		174
Total Liabilities	$	17,942	$	8,505