COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES [Abstract]

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

16.   COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Mortgage Loan Commitments and Lines of Credit - At December 31, 2011 and 2010, the Bank had outstanding commitments to make real estate loans that were accepted by the borrower aggregating approximately $50,033 and $72,941, respectively.  At both December 31, 2011 and 2010, the great majority of these commitments were to originate adjustable-rate real estate loans.  Substantially all of the Bank's commitments expire within three months of their acceptance by the prospective borrower.  The primary concentration of credit risks associated with these commitments were geographical (as the majority of committed loans were collateralized by properties located in the New York City metropolitan area) and the proportion of the commitments comprised of multifamily residential and commercial real estate loans.

At December 31, 2011, unused lines of credit available on one- to four-family residential, multifamily residential and commercial real estate loans totaled $36,040.  At December 31, 2010, unused lines of credit available on one- to four-family residential, multifamily residential and commercial real estate loans totaled $30,020.

At December 31, 2011, the Bank had an available line of credit with the FHLBNY equal to its excess borrowing capacity.  At December 31, 2011, this amount approximated $464,000.

Lease Commitments - At December 31, 2011, aggregate minimum annual rental commitments on operating leases were as follows:

Lease Year Ending December 31,	Amount
2012	$	2,681
2013		2,817
2014		2,665
2015		2,627
2016		2,687
Thereafter		20,919
Total	$	34,396

Rental expense for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009 totaled $2,952, $3,336, and $2,361, respectively.

Litigation - The Company is subject to certain pending and threatened legal actions which arise out of the normal course of business.  Litigation is inherently unpredictable, particularly in proceedings where claimants seek substantial or indeterminate damages, or which are in their early stages.  The Company cannot predict with certainty the actual loss or range of loss related to such legal proceedings, the manner in which they will be resolved, the timing of final resolution or the ultimate settlement.  Consequently, the Company cannot estimate losses or ranges of losses related to such legal matters, even in instances where it is reasonably possible that a loss will be incurred.  In the opinion of management, after consultation with counsel, the resolution of all ongoing legal proceedings will not have a material adverse effect on the consolidated financial condition or results of operations of the Company.  The Company accounts for potential losses related to litigation in accordance with GAAP.