SUPPLEMENTAL CASH FLOW INFORMATION (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012		Sep. 30, 2011		Sep. 30, 2010
Cash paid (received):
Interest	$ (4,025)		$ (10,074)		$ (9,433)
Income tax payments	(1,424)		(964)		(1,325)
Refund of income taxes	109		596		2,860
Non-cash activities:
Repurchase common stock from employees to pay for income taxes and option exercises	1,718		113		54
Issuance of treasury stock for Company's investment savings plan	539		730		1,091
Common stock issued to former director in exchange for vested director units	135		0		0
Warrants issued and recorded as a discount to the Senior Notes	0		0		2,339
LEAF preferred stock and warrants issued to RSO in exchange for its portfolio of leases and loans and associated debt and certain net assets:
Leasehold improvements paid by the landlord	0		0		668
Sale of commercial finance assets to RSO:
Reduction of investments in commercial finance assets	0		0		99,386
Termination of associated secured warehouse facility	0		0		(99,386)
Non-cash effects from the deconsolidation and sale [Abstract]
Restricted cash	20,282	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]
Receivables from managed entities and related parties, net	(2,696)	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]
Receivables	954	[1]	0	[1]	9	[1]
Investments in commercial finance, net	199,955	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]
Investments in unconsolidated entities	5,225	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]
Property and equipment, net	3,754	[1]	0	[1]	1,638	[1]
Deferred tax assets, net	4,558	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]
Goodwill	7,969	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]
Other assets	6,826	[1]	0	[1]	755	[1]
Accrued expense and other liabilities	(11,146)	[1]	0	[1]	(174)	[1]
Payables to managed entities and related parties	(98)	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]
Borrowings	(202,481)	[1]	0	[1]	(1,013)	[1]
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	255	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]
Noncontrolling interests	(37,668)	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]
Equity	0	[1]	0	[1]	(1,258)	[1]
LEAF Preferred Stock and Warrants Issued to RSO [Member]
LEAF preferred stock and warrants issued to RSO in exchange for its portfolio of leases and loans and associated debt and certain net assets:
Restricted cash	0		5,912		0
Investments in commercial finance	0		111,028		0
Borrowings	0		(96,088)		0
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	0		(596)		0
Payable to RSO	0		736		0
Noncontrolling interests	0		(20,992)		0
Stock dividend issued on LEAF preferred stock held by RSO	$ 0		$ 1,974		$ 0

[1] Reflects the deconsolidation of LEAF and Apidos during fiscal 2012 and a real estate and two financial fund management partnerships during fiscal 2010. As a result of the deconsolidation of these entities, the amounts noted above were removed from the Company’s consolidated balance sheets. The sum of the assets removed and cash equated to the sum of the liabilities and equity that were similarly eliminated and, as such, there was no change in the Company’s total net assets.