OPERATING SEGMENTS (Summarized Operating Segment) (Details) (USD $)	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues from external customers										$ 148,359,000	$ 163,548,000	$ 159,023,000
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated entities										5,389,000	4,083,000	9,507,000
Segment operating expenses										(100,210,000)	(89,675,000)	(97,198,000)
Restructuring expenses									(365,000)		(365,000)
General and administrative expenses										(10,268,000)	(9,792,000)	(11,302,000)
Gain on sale of leases and loans												685,000
Impairment loss recognized in earnings											(2,280,000)
Reversal of (provision for) credit losses										(4,265,000)	(20,148,000)	(11,305,000)
Depreciation and amortization										(1,936,000)	(2,084,000)	(11,675,000)
Gain on sale and deconsolidation of subsidiary											54,542,000	8,749,000
Loss on extinguishment of debt												(2,190,000)
Impairment of available for sale securities										(214,000)	(74,000)
Interest expense										(2,036,000)	(2,289,000)	(15,948,000)
Gain on sales of loans and investment securities, net	1,600,000											321,000
Other income (expense), net										17,826,000	19,442,000	3,407,000
Pretax income attributable to noncontrolling interests										(45,601,000)	(63,395,000)	(37,431,000)
Income (loss) from continuing operations excluding noncontrolling interests before taxes										7,044,000	51,513,000	(5,357,000)
Intercompany interest (expense) income												0
Income (loss) from continuing operations excluding noncontrolling interests before taxes												(5,357,000)
Total assets		2,318,451,000				2,636,764,000				2,318,451,000	2,636,764,000	2,436,477,000
Revenues		33,911,000	43,025,000	33,485,000	43,327,000	43,935,000	47,889,000	35,811,000	39,996,000	153,748,000	167,631,000	168,530,000
RAI [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated entities										5,389,000	4,083,000	9,507,000
General and administrative expenses										(10,268,000)
Gain on sale of leases and loans										0	0	685,000
Impairment loss recognized in earnings										0	(2,280,000)	0
Reversal of (provision for) credit losses										(4,265,000)	(20,148,000)	(12,104,000)
Depreciation and amortization										(1,936,000)
Gain on sale and deconsolidation of subsidiary										0	54,542,000	8,749,000
Loss on extinguishment of debt										0	0	(2,190,000)
Impairment of available for sale securities										(214,000)	(74,000)	0
Interest expense										(2,036,000)
Other income (expense), net										575,000
Revenues										76,575,000
RSO [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Other income (expense), net										17,007,000
Total assets		2,150,461,000								2,150,461,000
Revenues										91,007,000
Operating Segments [Member] | Real Estate [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues from external customers										56,126,000	43,235,000	31,544,000
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated entities										1,017,000	1,848,000	8,628,000
Segment operating expenses										(40,612,000)	(30,475,000)	(26,196,000)
Restructuring expenses											0
General and administrative expenses										(4,054,000)	(361,000)	(308,000)
Gain on sale of leases and loans												0
Impairment loss recognized in earnings											(2,280,000)
Reversal of (provision for) credit losses										2,536,000	(428,000)	(2,297,000)
Depreciation and amortization										(1,275,000)	(1,288,000)	(1,287,000)
Gain on sale and deconsolidation of subsidiary											0	0
Loss on extinguishment of debt												0
Impairment of available for sale securities										0	0
Interest expense										(829,000)	(853,000)	(1,049,000)
Gain on sales of loans and investment securities, net												0
Other income (expense), net										801,000	568,000	539,000
Pretax income attributable to noncontrolling interests										(20,000)	(835,000)	31,000
Income (loss) from continuing operations excluding noncontrolling interests before taxes										13,690,000	9,131,000	9,605,000
Intercompany interest (expense) income												0
Income (loss) from continuing operations excluding noncontrolling interests before taxes												9,605,000
Total assets		179,002,000				170,810,000				179,002,000	170,810,000	162,648,000
Revenues										57,143,000	45,083,000	40,172,000
Operating Segments [Member] | Financial Fund Management [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues from external customers										15,060,000	14,158,000	22,142,000
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated entities										4,713,000	3,895,000	1,948,000
Segment operating expenses										(10,155,000)	(12,299,000)	(19,646,000)
Restructuring expenses											0
General and administrative expenses										(1,153,000)	(2,392,000)	(3,051,000)
Gain on sale of leases and loans												0
Impairment loss recognized in earnings											0
Reversal of (provision for) credit losses										(200,000)	(457,000)	0
Depreciation and amortization										(64,000)	(111,000)	(156,000)
Gain on sale and deconsolidation of subsidiary											54,542,000	0
Loss on extinguishment of debt												0
Impairment of available for sale securities										(214,000)	(74,000)
Interest expense										(9,000)	0	0
Gain on sales of loans and investment securities, net												127,000
Other income (expense), net										2,323,000	2,681,000	1,877,000
Pretax income attributable to noncontrolling interests										0	0	0
Income (loss) from continuing operations excluding noncontrolling interests before taxes										10,301,000	59,943,000	3,241,000
Intercompany interest (expense) income												0
Income (loss) from continuing operations excluding noncontrolling interests before taxes												3,241,000
Total assets		57,115,000				54,488,000				57,115,000	54,488,000	19,374,000
Revenues										19,773,000	18,053,000	24,090,000
Operating Segments [Member] | Commercial Finance [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues from external customers										0	1,000	24,807,000
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated entities										(341,000)	(1,660,000)	(1,069,000)
Segment operating expenses										(56,000)	(402,000)	(12,897,000)
Restructuring expenses											0
General and administrative expenses										0	0	0
Gain on sale of leases and loans												685,000
Impairment loss recognized in earnings											0
Reversal of (provision for) credit losses										(6,601,000)	(19,263,000)	(9,008,000)
Depreciation and amortization										0	0	(9,694,000)
Gain on sale and deconsolidation of subsidiary											0	8,749,000
Loss on extinguishment of debt												0
Impairment of available for sale securities										0	0
Interest expense										0	(58,000)	(9,643,000)
Gain on sales of loans and investment securities, net												0
Other income (expense), net										13,000	0	11,000
Pretax income attributable to noncontrolling interests										0	0	(1,092,000)
Income (loss) from continuing operations excluding noncontrolling interests before taxes										(6,985,000)	(21,382,000)	(9,151,000)
Intercompany interest (expense) income												(153,000)
Income (loss) from continuing operations excluding noncontrolling interests before taxes												(9,304,000)
Total assets		9,255,000				11,876,000				9,255,000	11,876,000	30,516,000
Revenues										(341,000)	(1,659,000)	23,738,000
Operating Segments [Member] | All Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues from external customers										0	0	0
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated entities										0	0	0
Segment operating expenses										0	0	0
Restructuring expenses											(365,000)
General and administrative expenses										(5,061,000)	(7,039,000)	(7,943,000)
Gain on sale of leases and loans												0
Impairment loss recognized in earnings											0
Reversal of (provision for) credit losses										0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization										(597,000)	(685,000)	(538,000)
Gain on sale and deconsolidation of subsidiary											0	0
Loss on extinguishment of debt												(2,190,000)
Impairment of available for sale securities										0	0
Interest expense										(1,198,000)	(1,378,000)	(5,256,000)
Gain on sales of loans and investment securities, net												194,000
Other income (expense), net										(321,000)	(429,000)	(732,000)
Pretax income attributable to noncontrolling interests										0	0	0
Income (loss) from continuing operations excluding noncontrolling interests before taxes										(7,177,000)	(9,896,000)	(16,465,000)
Intercompany interest (expense) income												153,000
Income (loss) from continuing operations excluding noncontrolling interests before taxes												(16,312,000)
Total assets		(77,382,000)				(76,967,000)				(77,382,000)	(76,967,000)	(59,047,000)
Revenues										0	0	0
Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total assets		167,990,000				160,207,000				167,990,000	160,207,000	153,491,000
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | RAI [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues from external customers										71,186,000	57,394,000	78,493,000
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated entities										5,389,000	4,083,000	9,507,000
Segment operating expenses										(50,823,000)	(43,176,000)	(58,739,000)
Restructuring expenses										0	(365,000)	0
General and administrative expenses										(10,268,000)	(9,792,000)	(11,302,000)
Gain on sale of leases and loans										0	0	685,000
Impairment loss recognized in earnings										0	(2,280,000)	0
Reversal of (provision for) credit losses										(4,265,000)	(20,148,000)	(11,305,000)
Depreciation and amortization										(1,936,000)	(2,084,000)	(11,675,000)
Gain on sale and deconsolidation of subsidiary										0	54,542,000	8,749,000
Loss on extinguishment of debt										0	0	(2,190,000)
Impairment of available for sale securities										(214,000)	(74,000)	0
Interest expense										(2,036,000)	(2,289,000)	(15,948,000)
Gain on sales of loans and investment securities, net												321,000
Other income (expense), net										2,816,000	2,820,000	1,695,000
Pretax income attributable to noncontrolling interests										(20,000)	(835,000)	(1,061,000)
Income (loss) from continuing operations excluding noncontrolling interests before taxes										9,829,000	37,796,000	(12,770,000)
Intercompany interest (expense) income												0
Income (loss) from continuing operations excluding noncontrolling interests before taxes												(12,770,000)
Total assets		195,820,000								195,820,000
Revenues		22,141,000	24,422,000	14,563,000	15,449,000	15,705,000	17,208,000	13,784,000	14,780,000	76,575,000	61,477,000	88,000,000
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | RSO [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues from external customers										91,007,000	123,698,000	95,986,000
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated entities										0	0	0
Segment operating expenses										(62,602,000)	(63,850,000)	(50,103,000)
Restructuring expenses											0
General and administrative expenses										0	0	0
Gain on sale of leases and loans												0
Impairment loss recognized in earnings											0
Reversal of (provision for) credit losses										0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization										0	0	0
Gain on sale and deconsolidation of subsidiary											0	0
Loss on extinguishment of debt												0
Impairment of available for sale securities										0	0
Interest expense										0	0	0
Gain on sales of loans and investment securities, net												0
Other income (expense), net										17,007,000	19,197,000	3,869,000
Pretax income attributable to noncontrolling interests										(45,581,000)	(62,560,000)	(36,370,000)
Income (loss) from continuing operations excluding noncontrolling interests before taxes										(169,000)	16,485,000	13,382,000
Intercompany interest (expense) income												0
Income (loss) from continuing operations excluding noncontrolling interests before taxes												13,382,000
Total assets		2,151,427,000								2,151,427,000
Revenues		14,996,000	23,786,000	21,647,000	30,578,000	33,041,000	35,669,000	26,262,000	28,726,000	91,007,000	123,698,000	95,986,000
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues from external customers										(13,834,000)	(17,544,000)	(15,456,000)
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated entities										0	0	0
Segment operating expenses										13,215,000	17,351,000	11,644,000
Restructuring expenses											0
General and administrative expenses										0	0	0
Gain on sale of leases and loans												0
Impairment loss recognized in earnings											0
Reversal of (provision for) credit losses										0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization										0	0	0
Gain on sale and deconsolidation of subsidiary											0	0
Loss on extinguishment of debt												0
Impairment of available for sale securities										0	0
Interest expense										0	0	0
Gain on sales of loans and investment securities, net												0
Other income (expense), net										(1,997,000)	(2,575,000)	(2,157,000)
Pretax income attributable to noncontrolling interests										0	0	0
Income (loss) from continuing operations excluding noncontrolling interests before taxes										(2,616,000)	(2,768,000)	(5,969,000)
Intercompany interest (expense) income												0
Income (loss) from continuing operations excluding noncontrolling interests before taxes												(5,969,000)
Revenues		$ (3,226,000)	$ (5,183,000)	$ (2,725,000)	$ (2,700,000)	$ (4,811,000)	$ (4,988,000)	$ (4,235,000)	$ (3,510,000)	$ (13,834,000)	$ (17,544,000)	$ (15,456,000)