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COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
6 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2024
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
The Company is a defendant in various litigation matters generally arising out of the ordinary course of business. Based on information currently available, the Company does not believe that any additional matters or proceedings presently pending will have a material adverse effect on its results of operations, financial condition, liquidity or cash flows.
Environmental Liability. The Company has realized commitments attributable to environmental remediation activities primarily associated with former manufacturing sites of the Company's HPC segment. In coordination with local and federal regulatory agencies, we have conducted testing on certain sites, which have resulted in the identification of contamination that has been attributed to historical activities at the properties, resulting in the realization of incremental costs to be assumed by the Company towards the remediation of these properties and the recognition of an environmental remediation liability. We have not conducted invasive testing at all sites and locations and have identified an environmental remediation liability to the extent such remediation requirements have been identified and are considered estimable.
As of March 31, 2024, there was an environmental remediation liability of $4.9 million, with $1.1 million included in Other Current Liabilities and $3.8 million included in Other Long-Term Liabilities on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Financial Position. As of September 30, 2023, there was an environmental remediation liability of $5.4 million, with $1.5 million included in Other Current Liabilities and $3.9 million included in Other Long-Term Liabilities on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Financial Position. The Company believes that any additional liability in excess of the amounts provided that may result from resolution of these matters will not have a material adverse effect on the consolidated financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows of the Company.
Product Liability. The Company may be named as a defendant in lawsuits involving product liability claims. The Company has recorded and maintains an estimated liability in the amount of management’s estimate for aggregate exposure for such liabilities based upon probable loss from loss reports, individual cases, and losses incurred but not reported. As of March 31, 2024 and September 30, 2023, the Company recognized $2.6 million and $3.0 million, respectively, in product liability, included in Other Current Liabilities on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Financial Position. The Company believes that any additional liability in excess of the amounts provided that may result from resolution of these matters will not have a material adverse effect on the consolidated financial condition, results of operations or cash flows of the Company.
Product Warranty. The Company recognizes an estimated liability for standard warranties on certain products when we recognize revenue on the sale of the warranted products. Estimated warranty costs incorporate replacement parts, products and delivery, and are recorded as a cost of goods sold at the time of product shipment based on historical and projected warranty claim rates, claims experience and any additional anticipated future costs on previously sold products. The Company recognized $0.2 million and $0.3 million of warranty accruals as of March 31, 2024 and September 30, 2023, included in Other Current Liabilities on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Financial Position.
Product Safety Recalls. During the years ended September 30, 2022 and 2023, the Company and its HPC segment initiated voluntary product safety recalls in collaboration with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission ("CPSC") for specific products, suspending sales of the affected products and issuing a stop sale with its customers. The Company has assessed the incremental costs attributable to the recall, including the anticipated returns of retail inventory from customers, write-off of affected inventory, and other costs to facilitate the recall such as notification, shipping and handling, consumer refunds, and rework and destruction of affected products, as needed, and evaluated the probability of redemption. Certain products were remediated through the issuance of replacement parts and did not require a full recall of the affected product, with costs included to facilitate the remediation, rework and related shipping and handling. During the three month period ended March 31, 2024, the Company was required by the CPSC to reissue a recall that was previously remediated through the issuance of a replacement part in accordance with previously agreed-up remediation plans with the CPSC, expanding the requirements to issue a complete recall of the affected product. As a result, the reissued recall resulted in the recognition of incremental costs and reserves to address inventory returns from customers, write-off of the affected inventory, consumer refunds and other costs to facilitate the reissued recall. As a result, the Company recognized $6.2 million and $6.0 million as of March 31, 2024 and September 30, 2023, respectively, in Other Current Liabilities on the Consolidated Statement of Financial Position associated with the estimated costs for the recalls. Additionally, for certain products affected by the recalls, the Company has indemnification provisions that are contractually provided by third parties for the affected products and as a result the Company has also recognized $6.7 million and $7.1 million as of March 31, 2024 and September 30, 2023, respectively, in Other Receivables on the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Financial Position related to recovery from such indemnification provisions.
Representation and Warranty Insurance Proceeds. On February 18, 2022, the Company acquired all of the membership interests in HPC Brands, LLC, which consist of the home appliances and cookware business of Tristar Products, Inc. (the "Tristar Business") pursuant to a Membership Interest Purchase agreement dated February 3, 2022 (the "Acquisition Agreement"). During the year ended September 30, 2023, the Company submitted a claim under its representation and warranty insurance policies, seeking coverage for losses resulting from breaches of certain representations and warranties in the Acquisition Agreement. During the three and six month periods ended March 31, 2024, the Company recognized a gain of $65.0 million on the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Income attributable to insurance proceeds received from its representation and warranty insurance policies. As of March 31, 2024, the Company has recognized cash receipts of $50.0 million associated with the insurance proceeds and $15.0 million as Other Receivables on the Condensed Statement of Financial Position based on the settlement agreement for the remaining portion which was received in April 2024.