Contingencies

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2020

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Beazer Homes and certain of its subsidiaries have been and continue to be named as defendants in various construction defect claims, complaints, and other legal actions. The Company is subject to the possibility of loss contingencies related to these defects as well as others arising from its business. In determining loss contingencies, we consider the likelihood of loss and our ability to reasonably estimate the amount of such loss. An estimated loss is recorded when it is considered probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of loss can be reasonably estimated.

Warranty Reserves

We currently provide a limited warranty ranging from one to two years covering workmanship and materials per our defined quality standards. In addition, we provide a limited warranty for up to ten years covering only certain defined structural element failures.

Our homebuilding work is performed by subcontractors who typically must agree to indemnify us with regard to their work and provide certificates of insurance demonstrating that they have met our insurance requirements and have named us as an additional insured under their policies. Therefore, many claims relating to workmanship and materials that result in warranty spending are the primary responsibility of these subcontractors. In addition, we maintain insurance coverage related to our construction efforts that can result in recoveries of warranty and construction defect costs above certain specified limits.

Warranty reserves are included in other liabilities within the consolidated balance sheets, and the provision for warranty accruals is included in home construction expenses in the consolidated statements of operations. Reserves covering anticipated warranty expenses are recorded for each home closed. Management assesses the adequacy of warranty reserves each reporting period based on historical experience and the expected costs to remediate potential claims. Our review includes a quarterly analysis of the historical data and trends in warranty expense by division. Such analysis considers market specific factors such as warranty experience, the number of home closings, the prices of homes, product mix, and other data in estimating warranty reserves. In addition, the analysis also contemplates the existence of any non-recurring or community-specific warranty-related matters that might not be included in historical data and trends. While estimated warranty liabilities are adjusted each reporting period based on the results of our quarterly analyses, we may not accurately predict actual warranty costs, which could lead to significant changes in the reserve.

Changes in warranty reserves are as follows for the periods presented:


	Fiscal Year Ended September 30,
in thousands	2020		2019		2018
Balance at beginning of period	$	13,388	$	15,331	$	18,091
Accruals for warranties issued (a)	10,910		11,847		13,755
Changes in liability related to warranties existing in prior periods	(1,352)		(1,686)		(2,401)
Payments made	(9,894)		(12,104)		(14,114)
Balance at end of period	$	13,052	$	13,388	$	15,331

(a) Accruals for warranties issued are a function of the number of home closings in the period, the selling prices of the homes closed and the rates of accrual per home estimated as a percentage of the selling price of the home.

Insurance Recoveries

The Company has insurance policies that provide for the reimbursement of certain warranty costs incurred above specified thresholds for each period covered. Amounts recorded for anticipated insurance recoveries are reflected within the consolidated statements of operations as a reduction of home construction expenses. Amounts not yet received from our insurer are recorded on a gross basis, without any reduction for the associated warranty expense, within accounts receivable on our consolidated balance sheets.

Litigation

In the normal course of business, we are subject to various lawsuits. We cannot predict or determine the timing or final outcome of these lawsuits or the effect that any adverse findings or determinations in pending lawsuits may have on us. In addition, an estimate of possible loss or range of loss, if any, cannot presently be made with respect to certain of these pending matters. An unfavorable determination in any of the pending lawsuits could result in the payment by us of substantial monetary damages that may not be fully covered by insurance. Further, the legal costs associated with the lawsuits and the amount of time required to be spent by management and our Board of Directors on these matters, even if we are ultimately successful, could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows.

Claims Related to Inventory Impairment Charges. During the quarter ended March 31, 2019, we recognized inventory impairment charges related to 15 communities in California, all of which were previously land held for future development assets. Related to these inventory impairment charges, on June 5, 2019, a putative class action lawsuit was filed against Beazer Homes USA, Inc. and certain of our officers in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. The proposed class consisted of all persons and entities that acquired our securities between August 1, 2014 and May 2, 2019. On October 18, 2019, the plaintiffs filed a notice of voluntary dismissal of this case, and the Court subsequently entered an order dismissing the case.

Beginning June 25, 2019, several shareholder derivative lawsuits relating to the same inventory impairment charges discussed above were filed against Beazer Homes USA, Inc., certain of our officers and members of our Board of Directors in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. The plaintiffs in these cases allege breaches of fiduciary duty, unjust enrichment and violations of the federal securities laws. These federal actions have been consolidated into a single derivative action. Additionally, a substantially similar derivative action has been filed in the Superior Court of Fulton County, Georgia. The plaintiffs in each of these actions seek, among other things, monetary damages, disgorgement of profits and attorneys’ and experts’ fees, but do not specify any specific amounts. On October 25, 2020, the Court granted a motion to dismiss the consolidated federal action but provided the plaintiffs an opportunity to attempt to amend their complaint. We continue to believe the allegations are without merit and intend to continue to vigorously defend against the claims. However, because the outcome of these legal proceedings cannot be predicted with certainty, we have determined that the amount of any possible losses or range of possible losses in connection with these matters is not reasonably estimable.

Other Matters

We and certain of our subsidiaries have been named as defendants in various claims, complaints, and other legal actions, most relating to construction defects, moisture intrusion, and product liability. Certain of the liabilities resulting from these actions are covered in whole or in part by insurance. In our opinion, based on our current assessment, the ultimate resolution of these matters will not have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows.

We have an accrual of $5.0 million and $3.4 million in other liabilities on our consolidated balance sheets related to litigation and other matters, excluding warranty, as of September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

We had outstanding letters of credit and surety bonds of $48.8 million and $248.2 million, respectively, as of September 30, 2020, related principally to our obligations to local governments to construct roads and other improvements in various developments.