CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS (Fees From Unconsolidated Investment Entities) (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2010
Fees from unconsolidated investment entities: [Abstract]
Number of entities owned by entity and co-managing partner	6
Commercial Finance, Four Investment Entities [Member]
Fees from unconsolidated investment entities: [Abstract]
Amount waived of the fund management fees from commercial finance investment entities	$ 4,700,000	$ 8,100,000	$ 3,800,000
Trapeza entities [Member]
Fees from unconsolidated investment entities: [Abstract]
Number of entities owned by entity and co-managing partner	2		2
Real estate [Member]
Fees from unconsolidated investment entities: [Abstract]
Fees from unconsolidated investment entities	17,301,000	12,847,000	11,638,000
Discounts recorded	216,000	512,000	463,000
Financial fund management [Member]
Fees from unconsolidated investment entities: [Abstract]
Fees from unconsolidated investment entities	3,183,000	4,391,000	3,445,000
Financial fund management [Member] | Trapeza entities [Member]
Fees from unconsolidated investment entities: [Abstract]
Gain on repurchase of limited partner interest			2,300,000
Commercial Finance [Member]
Fees from unconsolidated investment entities: [Abstract]
Fees from unconsolidated investment entities	0	0	10,637,000
CVC Credit Partners, L.P. [Member]
Fees from unconsolidated investment entities: [Abstract]
Reimbursement of related party costs	1,866,000	0	0
Resource Real Estate Opportunity REIT Inc [Member]
Fees from unconsolidated investment entities: [Abstract]
Reimbursement of related party costs	874,000	1,843,000	1,824,000
Dividends paid	14,000	0	0
LEAF [Member]
Fees from unconsolidated investment entities: [Abstract]
Reimbursement of related party costs	288,000	0	0
Payment for sub-servicing the commercial finance investment partnerships	(2,172,000)	0	0
Payment for rent and related costs	(686,000)	0	0
1845 Walnut Associates Ltd. [Member]
Fees from unconsolidated investment entities: [Abstract]
Payment for rent and operating expenses	(637,000)	(706,000)	(567,000)
Brandywine Construction & Management, Inc. [Member]
Fees from unconsolidated investment entities: [Abstract]
Payment for property management of hotel property	(216,000)	(203,000)	(197,000)
Atlas Energy, L.P. [Member]
Fees from unconsolidated investment entities: [Abstract]
Reimbursement of related party costs	634,000	1,070,000	871,000
Ledgewood P.C. [Member]
Fees from unconsolidated investment entities: [Abstract]
Payment for legal services	(564,000)	(555,000)	(295,000)
Graphic Images, LLC [Member]
Fees from unconsolidated investment entities: [Abstract]
Payment for printing services	(216,000)	(111,000)	(94,000)
The Bancorp, Inc. [Member]
Fees from unconsolidated investment entities: [Abstract]
Reimbursement of related party costs	135,000	34,000	0
9 Henmar LLC [Member]
Fees from unconsolidated investment entities: [Abstract]
Payment of broker/consulting fees	$ (46,000)	$ (50,000)	$ (55,000)
9 Henmar LLC [Member] | Trapeza entities [Member]
Fees from unconsolidated investment entities: [Abstract]
Number of entities owned by entity and co-managing partner	4