FINANCING RECEIVABLES (Past Due Financing Receivables) (Details) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Aging of the Company's past due financing receivables, gross of allowances for credit losses
30-89 Days Past Due	$ 1,186,000	$ 830,000
Greater than 90 Days	691,000	754,000
Greater than 181 Days	56,312,000	57,279,000
Total Past Due	58,189,000	58,863,000
Current	4,758,000	4,427,000
Balance, end of period	62,947,000	63,290,000
Receivables from Managed Entities - Commercial Finance [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	39,887,000	40,112,000
Total Past Due	39,887,000	40,112,000
Current	93,000	118,000
Balance, end of period	39,980,000	40,230,000
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	1,140,000	779,000
Greater than 90 Days	679,000	744,000
Greater than 181 Days	16,368,000	17,062,000
Total Past Due	18,187,000	18,585,000
Current	2,245,000	1,992,000
Balance, end of period	20,432,000	20,577,000
Specific Allowance		2,500,000
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	18,000	6,000
Greater than 90 Days	0	0
Greater than 181 Days	15,000	47,000
Total Past Due	33,000	53,000
Current	2,269,000	2,140,000
Balance, end of period	2,302,000	2,193,000
Specific Allowance		457,000
Other [Member]
Aging of the Company's past due financing receivables, gross of allowances for credit losses
30-89 Days Past Due	21,000	41,000
Greater than 90 Days	0	0
Greater than 181 Days	0	0
Total Past Due	21,000	41,000
Current	100,000	137,000
Balance, end of period	121,000	178,000
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	1,179,000	826,000
Greater than 90 Days	679,000	744,000
Greater than 181 Days	56,270,000	57,221,000
Total Past Due	58,128,000	58,791,000
Current	4,707,000	4,387,000
Balance, end of period	62,835,000	63,178,000
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	7,000	4,000
Greater than 90 Days	12,000	10,000
Greater than 181 Days	42,000	58,000
Total Past Due	61,000	72,000
Current	51,000	40,000
Balance, end of period	112,000	112,000
Financing receivables with a specific valuation allowance [Member] | Receivables from Managed Entities - Commercial Finance [Member]
Aging of the Company's past due financing receivables, gross of allowances for credit losses
Specific Allowance	32,449,000	29,586,000
Financing receivables with a specific valuation allowance [Member] | Real Estate Investment Entities [Member]
Aging of the Company's past due financing receivables, gross of allowances for credit losses
Specific Allowance		2,517,000
Financing receivables with a specific valuation allowance [Member] | Financial Fund Management Entities [Member]
Aging of the Company's past due financing receivables, gross of allowances for credit losses
Specific Allowance	457,000	457,000
Financing receivables with a specific valuation allowance [Member] | Receivables from Managed Entities and Related Parties [Member]
Aging of the Company's past due financing receivables, gross of allowances for credit losses
Specific Allowance	0	0
Financing receivables with a specific valuation allowance [Member] | Rent Receivables - Real Estate [Member]
Aging of the Company's past due financing receivables, gross of allowances for credit losses
Specific Allowance	$ 54,000	$ 68,000