COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES AND LIQUIDITY

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES AND LIQUIDITY

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES AND LIQUIDITY

NOTE 17.     COMMITMENTS, CONTINGENCIES, AND LIQUIDITY

In conjunction with its sale of Four Hickory in November 2007, the Company agreed to fund amounts to satisfy its commitment to compensate LK-Four Hickory, LLC for move-in discounts and other concessions to existing tenants at the time of sale.  The Company also has various agreements with LK-Four Hickory, LLC related to the funding of projection shortfalls, which, to date, they have not had to provide any additional funding.  In addition, related parties of the Company have active lease agreements with LK-Four Hickory, LLC and the Company has since guaranteed amounts related to certain of these leases.

On December 17, 2007, both Limkwang Nevada, Inc., the majority owner of LK-Four Hickory, LLC, and ARL unconditionally guaranteed the punctual payment when due, whether at stated maturity, by acceleration or hereafter, including all fees and expenses incurred by the bank on collection of a $28.0 million note payable for LK-Four Hickory, LLC, which has a current outstanding balance of $23.8 million.

The Company’s investment in LK-Four Hickory, LLC at January 17, 2012 was sold and the Company has additional reserves for estimated potential amounts it could be looked to if various related parties are not able to meet their obligations to LK Four Hickory, LLC.  The Company will continue to evaluate these potential estimates and also the likelihood of having to fund any of these and adjust their reserves accordingly.  

Liquidity.     Management believes that ARL will generate excess cash flow from property operations in 2013, such excess however, will not be sufficient to discharge all of ARL’s obligations as they became due. Management intends to sell land and income producing real estate, refinance real estate and obtain additional borrowings primarily secured by real estate to meet its liquidity requirements.

Partnership Buyouts.    ARL is the limited partner in various partnerships related to the construction of residential properties. As permitted in the respective partnership agreements, ARL intends to purchase the interests of the general and any other limited partners in these partnerships subsequent to the completion of these projects. The amounts paid to buyout the nonaffiliated partners are limited to development fees earned by the nonaffiliated partners, and are set forth in the respective partnership agreements.

The ownership of property and provision of services to the public as tenants entails an inherent risk of liability. Although the Company and its subsidiaries are involved in various items of litigation incidental to and in the ordinary course of its business, in the opinion of Management, the outcome of such litigation will not have a material adverse impact upon the Company’s financial condition, results of operation or liquidity.

Litigation.      The Company is involved in and vigorously defending against, a number of deficiency claims with respect to assets that have been foreclosed by various lenders. Such claims are generally against a consolidated subsidiary as the borrower or the Company as a guarantor of indebtedness or performance. Some of these proceedings may ultimately result in an unfavorable determination for the Company and/or one of its consolidated subsidiaries. While we cannot predict the final result of such proceedings, Management believes that the maximum exposure to the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries, if any, will not exceed approximately $20 million in the aggregate and will occur, if at all, in future years.

ART and its subsidiary ART Midwest, Inc have been engaged in litigation with a Mr. David Clapper and companies related to Mr. Clapper (The “Clapper Entities”) since 1999. The origins of the matter began in 1998 in a transaction in which ART Midwest was to acquire eight apartments from the Clapper Entities. Through the years there have been rulings both for and against ART in this matter.  However in October 2011, a final ruling was issued whereby the Clapper Entities were awarded approximately $74 million including $26 million in damages and $48 million in interest. This ruling was against ART and its subsidiary ART Midwest and not the Company or any other subsidiary of the Company.

ART believes there were serious errors in the judge’s ruling and has filed an appeal of the judge’s ruling. ART further believes that should the Clapper Entities ultimately prevail that it has claims against a third party who was involved in this matter. These claims cannot be pursued until the main case with the Clapper Group is ultimately resolved.

Should the Clapper Group ultimately prevail the only defendants in this matter are ART and ART Midwest, Inc. whose total assets and net worth as of December 31, 2011 was approximately $10 million.  Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries other than ART have guaranteed or indemnified either ART or ART Midwest, Inc.

In January 2012, the Company sold all of the issued and outstanding stock of American Realty Trust (“ART”) for a $10 million note. The note is fully reserved by the Company and valued at zero. Subsequent to the sale ART filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

ARL, through a foreign subsidiary, is developing a maritime harbor town on the 420 acre site of the former naval base of Olpenitz in Kappeln, Germany.  The project is located less than 30 miles from the Denmark border. The town will comprise of a marina offering several thousand moorings, premium vacation homes each with their own landing stage as well as exclusive hotels, restaurants, shops and a range of leisure activities from sailing to golfing to cross country skiing.  The development project is expected to the biggest holiday resort in northern Europe.  There were been disputes with the local partner related to his mismanagement of the project which resulted in replacing him as the managing partner and led to filing for bankruptcy protection in Germany to completely remove him from the project.   An insolvency manager has been put into place in order to protect the creditors, and ARL believes that the value of the land and development in process will satisfy the existing creditors and return ARL’s investment.  ARL is working in cooperation with the insolvency manager and expects to continue ARL’s involvement in the development of this project.

ARL is also involved in various other lawsuits arising in the ordinary course of business. Management is of the opinion that the outcome of these lawsuits will have no material impact on ARL’s financial condition, results of operations or liquidity.