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Commitments and Contingencies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2023
Text Block [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies

Note 19: Commitments and Contingencies

MBIA has received subpoenas or informal inquiries from a variety of regulators, regarding a variety of subjects. MBIA has cooperated fully with each of these regulators and has or is in the process of satisfying all such requests. MBIA may receive additional inquiries from these or other regulators and expects to provide additional information to such regulators regarding their inquiries in the future.

 

Litigation

 

Zohar CDO 2003-1, Ltd., et al. v. Patriarch Partners, LLC et al., Case No. 1:17-cv-0307-WHP (S.D.N.Y.)

 

On November 27, 2017, Lynn Tilton and certain affiliated entities including Patriarch Partners, LLC commenced a third-party complaint against MBIA Inc., MBIA Insurance Corp. and other Zohar Fund stakeholders seeking damages for alleged breaches of the contracts governing the Zohar Funds and additional alleged legal duties and obligations relating to the Funds. On December 22, 2020, the Company and the other third-party defendants moved to dismiss the third-party complaint. On July 6, 2021, following the completion of briefing on those motions to dismiss, the presiding judge, the Honorable William H. Pauley died, and the case was reassigned to the Honorable P. Kevin Castel. On September 29, 2021, Judge Castel issued a decision on the motions to dismiss; granting them almost in full, with certain claims being stayed rather than dismissed, pending further developments in the Adversary Proceedings pending in the Zohar Funds Bankruptcy Cases in Delaware Bankruptcy Court.

 

Zohar Litigation Trust-A v. Tilton, et al. (f/k/a MBIA Insurance Corp. v. Tilton et al.),Adversary Case No. 20-50776 (KBO) (Bankr. Del.)

 

On July 30, 2020, MBIA Corp. commenced an adversary proceeding in the Zohar Funds Bankruptcy Cases against Lynn Tilton and certain affiliated entities seeking damages incurred by MBIA Corp. in connection with insurance policies it issued on senior notes issued by Zohar I and Zohar II. On July 23, 2021, the court denied in part and granted in part Tilton’s and her affiliated defendants’ motion to dismiss the complaint. The court denied defendants’ motion with respect to MBIA’s claims for breach of contract, tortious interference, unjust enrichment, and malicious prosecution of claims Tilton brought against MBIA in Delaware. On February 1, 2022, MBIA filed its most recent Amended Complaint pursuant to and in accordance with the court’s multiple rulings on defendants’ motion to dismiss and related filings regarding the parties’ pleadings. Defendants filed their Answer to MBIA’s most recent Amended Complaint on April 13, 2022. Following the confirmation of a liquidation plan of the Zohar Collateral by the Delaware Bankruptcy Court and that plan becoming effective on August 2, 2022, MBIA Corp.’s claims in this adversary proceeding, among other assets, were transferred and assigned to a litigation trust (Zohar Litigation Trust-A, or "the Trust") and distributed to MBIA Corp. in the form of interests in the Trust subject to oversight by MBIA Corp. and another former Zohar creditor. As a result, on September 12, 2022, the court ordered the substitution of the Trust, as successor-in-interest to MBIA Corp., for MBIA Corp. as plaintiff in this adversary proceeding. Accordingly, MBIA Corp. is no longer the plaintiff or party to this adversary proceeding. On September 13, 2022, the Delaware Bankruptcy Court ordered the consolidation of this adversary proceeding for discovery and pretrial proceedings with an adversary proceeding commenced in 2020 by the Zohar Funds against Lynn Tilton in the Delaware Bankruptcy Court. Pursuant to that order, all pleadings concerning the now-consolidated proceedings shall be filed only in the adversary proceeding captioned Zohar III, Corp. v. Patriarch Partners, LLC, Adv. Proc. No. 20-50534 (KBO).

 

 

MBIA Inc. and Subsidiaries

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

 

Note 19: Commitments and Contingencies (continued)

 

Complaint Objecting to Defendant's Claims and Seeking Related Relief, Case No. 17-BK-4780-LTS (D.P.R. July 1, 2019)

On July 1, 2019, the Oversight Board and the Puerto Rico Fiscal Agency and Financial Advisory Authority filed an adversary complaint against the Trustee for the PREPA bonds, challenging the validity of the liens arising under the Trust Agreement securing the insurance obligations of National. On September 30, 2022, the Oversight Board filed an amended complaint objecting to: (1) the secured claims asserted by the Trustee in PREPA’s assets; and (2) all unsecured claims of the Trustee, including as a result of the disallowance of the Trustee’s claims. The Oversight Board alleges that the Trustee’s security interest in PREPA’s property is limited to moneys deposited to the credit of the sinking fund and subordinate funds, and are non-recourse except as to the same sinking and subordinate funds moneys actually deposited. In addition it asserts that the Trust Agreement does not grant security interests in any of the covenants or remedies thereunder, that any security interests in deposit accounts other than those held by the Trustee are unperfected, and that there can be no security interest in the covenants and remedies, and if so, would be unperfected. The Defendants, including National, filed an answer and counterclaim on October 17, 2022. On October 24, 2022, the Oversight Board and Defendants each filed summary judgment motions seeking expedited resolution of certain counts in the amended complaint. On March 22, 2023, the Court ruled on summary judgment, finding the bondholders' liens only extend to the amount of funds held in certain specified accounts. In addition, the court determined that the unsecured portion of the bondholders' claims were subject to estimation of their scope. On January 29, 2024, the First Circuit Court of Appeals heard argument on the appeals and cross appeals of the parties.

 

For those aforementioned actions in which it is a defendant, the Company is defending against those actions and expects ultimately to prevail on the merits. There is no assurance, however, that the Company will prevail in these actions. Adverse rulings in these actions could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s ability to implement its strategy and on its business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition. At this stage of the litigation, there has not been a determination as to the amount, if any, of damages. Accordingly, the Company is not able to estimate any amount of loss or range of loss. The Company similarly can provide no assurance that it will be successful in those actions in which it is a plaintiff.

 

There are no other material legal proceedings pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened, to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party.

Lease Commitments

The Company has a lease agreement for its headquarters in Purchase, New York. The initial lease term expires in 2030 with the option to terminate the lease in 2025 upon the payment of a termination amount. This lease agreement included an incentive amount to fund certain leasehold improvements, renewal options, escalation clauses and a free rent period. This lease agreement has been classified as an operating lease, and operating rent expense is recognized on a straight-line basis. The following table provides information about the Company’s leases as of December 31, 2023:

 

$ in millions

 

As of

December 31, 2023

 

 

Balance Sheet

Location

 

Right-of-use asset

 

$

15

 

 

 

Other assets

 

Lease liability

 

$

15

 

 

 

Other liabilities

 

Weighted average remaining lease term (years)

 

 

6.7

 

 

 

 

 

Discount rate used for operating leases

 

 

7.5%

 

 

 

 

 

Total future minimum lease payments

 

$

20

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other Commitment

 

In December of 2023, MBIA Corp. and other non-affiliates agreed to provide a delayed draw term loan commitment to an entity which MBIA Corp. holds as an equity investment. MBIA Corp.'s maximum commitment to this loan is approximately $6 million. As of December 31, 2023, there were no amounts drawn under this loan.