FINANCING RECEIVABLES (Past Due Financing Receivables) (Details) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011
Aging of the Company's past due financing receivables, gross of allowances for credit losses
30-89 Days Past Due	$ 755,000	$ 4,694,000
Greater than 90 days	2,695,000	2,141,000
Greater than 181 Days	54,092,000	54,980,000
Total Past Due	57,542,000	61,815,000
Current	4,501,000	193,249,000
Total	62,043,000	255,064,000
Commercial finance investment entities [Member]
Aging of the Company's past due financing receivables, gross of allowances for credit losses
30-89 Days Past Due	0	0
Greater than 90 days	0	0
Greater than 181 Days	38,834,000	37,547,000
Total Past Due	38,834,000	37,547,000
Current	148,000	490,000
Total	38,982,000	38,037,000
Allowance for credit losses, commercial finance	25,100,000	8,300,000
Real estate investment entities [Member]
Aging of the Company's past due financing receivables, gross of allowances for credit losses
30-89 Days Past Due	743,000	1,314,000
Greater than 90 days	2,694,000	1,511,000
Greater than 181 Days	15,180,000	17,405,000
Total Past Due	18,617,000	20,230,000
Current	2,054,000	1,697,000
Total	20,671,000	21,927,000
Allowance for credit losses, real estate	2,500,000	2,200,000
Financial fund management entities [Member]
Aging of the Company's past due financing receivables, gross of allowances for credit losses
30-89 Days Past Due	6,000	2,395,000
Greater than 90 days	0	93,000
Greater than 181 Days	46,000	28,000
Total Past Due	52,000	2,516,000
Current	2,141,000	24,000
Total	2,193,000	2,540,000
Other [Member]
Aging of the Company's past due financing receivables, gross of allowances for credit losses
30-89 Days Past Due	0	0
Greater than 90 days	0	0
Greater than 181 Days	0	0
Total Past Due	0	0
Current	152,000	103,000
Total	152,000	103,000
Receivables from Managed Entities and Related Parties [Member]
Aging of the Company's past due financing receivables, gross of allowances for credit losses
30-89 Days Past Due	749,000	3,709,000
Greater than 90 days	2,694,000	1,604,000
Greater than 181 Days	54,060,000	54,980,000
Total Past Due	57,503,000	60,293,000
Current	4,495,000	2,314,000
Total	61,998,000	62,607,000
Investments in commercial finance [Member]
Aging of the Company's past due financing receivables, gross of allowances for credit losses
30-89 Days Past Due		984,000
Greater than 90 days		526,000
Greater than 181 Days		0
Total Past Due		1,510,000
Current		190,932,000
Total		192,442,000
Rent receivables - real estate [Member]
Aging of the Company's past due financing receivables, gross of allowances for credit losses
30-89 Days Past Due	6,000	1,000
Greater than 90 days	1,000	11,000
Greater than 181 Days	32,000	0
Total Past Due	39,000	12,000
Current	6,000	3,000
Total	$ 45,000	$ 15,000