OPERATING SEGMENTS (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended				9 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2012		Jun. 30, 2011		Jun. 30, 2012		Jun. 30, 2011		Sep. 30, 2011
OPERATING SEGMENTS [Abstract]
Number of reportable operating segments					3
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from external customers	$ 13,511,000		$ 20,166,000		$ 46,727,000		$ 55,249,000
Equity in (losses) earnings of unconsolidated entities	273,000		7,423,000		501,000		9,367,000
Revenues	13,784,000		27,589,000		47,228,000		64,616,000
Segment operating expenses	(10,498,000)		(14,670,000)		(37,473,000)		(46,865,000)
Restructuring expenses	0		0		(365,000)		0
General and administrative	(2,567,000)		(2,614,000)		(7,930,000)		(8,627,000)
Gain on sale of leases and loans	0		94,000		37,000		357,000
Provision for credit losses	(5,698,000)		(3,476,000)		(10,910,000)		(7,801,000)
Depreciation and amortization	(528,000)		(3,159,000)		(3,124,000)		(7,205,000)
Gain on sale of management contract	0		0		0		6,520,000
Gain on sale and deconsolidation of subsidiaries	54,682,000		0		63,431,000		0
Loss on extinguishment of debt	0		0		(2,190,000)		0
Gain on extinguishment of servicing and repurchase liabilities	0		0		0		4,426,000
(Loss) gain on sale of investment securities, net	0		82,000		63,000		(1,282,000)
Impairment loss recognized in earnings	0		0		(74,000)		0
Interest expense	(578,000)		(4,276,000)		(4,197,000)		(10,812,000)
Other income (expense), net	362,000		696,000		1,546,000		1,985,000
Pretax income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(45,000)	[1]	(267,000)	[1]	(255,000)	[1]	618,000	[1]
Income (loss) including noncontrolling interests before intercompany interest expense and taxes			(1,000)		45,787,000		(4,070,000)
Intercompany interest (expense) income			0		0		0
Income (loss) from continuing operations including noncontrolling interests before taxes	48,914,000		(1,000)		45,787,000		(4,070,000)
Segment assets	192,836,000		393,205,000		192,836,000		393,205,000		422,506,000
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Segment assets	192,836,000		393,205,000		192,836,000		393,205,000		422,506,000
RSO [Member]
Revenue, Major Customer [Line Items]
Total of management, incentive and servicing fees (in hundredths)	30.00%		9.00%		24.00%		14.00%
European Operations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment assets	559,000		6,500,000		559,000		6,500,000
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Gain on sale of management contract and equity investment							5,100,000
Segment assets	559,000		6,500,000		559,000		6,500,000
Real Estate [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from external customers	11,286,000		8,503,000		29,027,000		21,564,000
Equity in (losses) earnings of unconsolidated entities	(365,000)		7,370,000		276,000		7,441,000
Revenues	10,921,000		15,873,000		29,303,000		29,005,000
Segment operating expenses	(7,386,000)		(6,727,000)		(21,985,000)		(18,276,000)
Restructuring expenses					0
General and administrative	(98,000)		(71,000)		(270,000)		(248,000)
Gain on sale of leases and loans			0		0		0
Provision for credit losses	(52,000)		(782,000)		(259,000)		(871,000)
Depreciation and amortization	(324,000)		(301,000)		(971,000)		(956,000)
Gain on sale of management contract							0
Gain on sale and deconsolidation of subsidiaries	0				0
Loss on extinguishment of debt					0
Gain on extinguishment of servicing and repurchase liabilities							0
(Loss) gain on sale of investment securities, net			0		0		0
Impairment loss recognized in earnings					0
Interest expense	(213,000)		(265,000)		(641,000)		(812,000)
Other income (expense), net	148,000		81,000		394,000		318,000
Pretax income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(45,000)	[1]	(28,000)	[1]	(31,000)	[1]	35,000	[1]
Income (loss) including noncontrolling interests before intercompany interest expense and taxes			7,780,000		5,540,000		8,195,000
Intercompany interest (expense) income			0		0		0
Income (loss) from continuing operations including noncontrolling interests before taxes	2,951,000		7,780,000		5,540,000		8,195,000
Segment assets	167,077,000		163,052,000		167,077,000		163,052,000
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Segment assets	167,077,000		163,052,000		167,077,000		163,052,000
Financial Fund Management [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from external customers	2,223,000		4,873,000		13,564,000		18,693,000
Equity in (losses) earnings of unconsolidated entities	768,000		379,000		2,310,000		2,501,000
Revenues	2,991,000		5,252,000		15,874,000		21,194,000
Segment operating expenses	(2,994,000)		(4,234,000)		(13,177,000)		(16,914,000)
Restructuring expenses					0
General and administrative	(608,000)		(666,000)		(2,081,000)		(2,440,000)
Gain on sale of leases and loans			0		0		0
Provision for credit losses	0		0		0		0
Depreciation and amortization	(29,000)		(36,000)		(103,000)		(125,000)
Gain on sale of management contract							6,520,000
Gain on sale and deconsolidation of subsidiaries	54,682,000				54,682,000
Loss on extinguishment of debt					0
Gain on extinguishment of servicing and repurchase liabilities							0
(Loss) gain on sale of investment securities, net			25,000		41,000		(1,435,000)
Impairment loss recognized in earnings					(74,000)
Interest expense	0		0		0		0
Other income (expense), net	455,000		714,000		1,570,000		2,120,000
Pretax income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]
Income (loss) including noncontrolling interests before intercompany interest expense and taxes			1,055,000		56,732,000		8,920,000
Intercompany interest (expense) income			0		0		0
Income (loss) from continuing operations including noncontrolling interests before taxes	54,497,000		1,055,000		56,732,000		8,920,000
Segment assets	79,447,000		41,719,000		79,447,000		41,719,000
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Segment assets	79,447,000		41,719,000		79,447,000		41,719,000
Commercial Finance [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from external customers	2,000		6,790,000		4,136,000		14,992,000
Equity in (losses) earnings of unconsolidated entities	(130,000)		(326,000)		(2,085,000)		(575,000)
Revenues	(128,000)		6,464,000		2,051,000		14,417,000
Segment operating expenses	(118,000)		(3,709,000)		(2,311,000)		(11,675,000)
Restructuring expenses					0
General and administrative	0		0		0		0
Gain on sale of leases and loans			94,000		37,000		357,000
Provision for credit losses	(5,646,000)		(2,694,000)		(10,651,000)		(6,930,000)
Depreciation and amortization	0		(2,696,000)		(1,556,000)		(5,731,000)
Gain on sale of management contract							0
Gain on sale and deconsolidation of subsidiaries	0				8,749,000
Loss on extinguishment of debt					0
Gain on extinguishment of servicing and repurchase liabilities							4,426,000
(Loss) gain on sale of investment securities, net			0		0		0
Impairment loss recognized in earnings					0
Interest expense	(7,000)		(2,578,000)		(1,734,000)		(5,699,000)
Other income (expense), net	0		3,000		0		11,000
Pretax income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	[1]	(239,000)	[1]	(224,000)	[1]	583,000	[1]
Income (loss) including noncontrolling interests before intercompany interest expense and taxes			(5,355,000)		(5,639,000)		(10,241,000)
Intercompany interest (expense) income			(35,000)		(29,000)		(1,623,000)
Income (loss) from continuing operations including noncontrolling interests before taxes	(5,899,000)		(5,390,000)		(5,668,000)		(11,864,000)
Segment assets	20,990,000		230,430,000		20,990,000		230,430,000
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Segment assets	20,990,000		230,430,000		20,990,000		230,430,000
All Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from external customers	0		0		0		0
Equity in (losses) earnings of unconsolidated entities	0		0		0		0
Revenues	0		0		0		0
Segment operating expenses	0		0		0		0
Restructuring expenses					(365,000)
General and administrative	(1,861,000)		(1,877,000)		(5,579,000)		(5,939,000)
Gain on sale of leases and loans			0		0		0
Provision for credit losses	0		0		0		0
Depreciation and amortization	(175,000)		(126,000)		(494,000)		(393,000)
Gain on sale of management contract							0
Gain on sale and deconsolidation of subsidiaries	0				0
Loss on extinguishment of debt					(2,190,000)
Gain on extinguishment of servicing and repurchase liabilities							0
(Loss) gain on sale of investment securities, net			57,000		22,000		153,000
Impairment loss recognized in earnings					0
Interest expense	(358,000)		(1,433,000)		(1,822,000)		(4,301,000)
Other income (expense), net	(241,000)		(102,000)		(418,000)		(464,000)
Pretax income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]
Income (loss) including noncontrolling interests before intercompany interest expense and taxes			(3,481,000)		(10,846,000)		(10,944,000)
Intercompany interest (expense) income			35,000		29,000		1,623,000
Income (loss) from continuing operations including noncontrolling interests before taxes	(2,635,000)		(3,446,000)		(10,817,000)		(9,321,000)
Segment assets	(74,678,000)		(41,996,000)		(74,678,000)		(41,996,000)
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Segment assets	$ (74,678,000)		$ (41,996,000)		$ (74,678,000)		$ (41,996,000)

[1] In viewing its segment operations, management includes the pretax (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests. However, these interests are excluded from (loss) income from operations as computed in accordance with U.S. GAAP and should be deducted to compute (loss) income from operations as reflected in the Company's consolidated statements of operations.