XML 37 R20.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v3.22.0.1
Commitments and Contingencies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2021
Commitments and Contingencies.  
Commitments and Contingencies

13. Commitments and Contingencies

Sponsorship and Other Agreements

The Company enters into sponsorship agreements from time to time. Current sponsorship agreements run through 2024. The agreements consist of annual fees payable in aggregate of $18.2 million in 2022, $5.8 million in 2023, $4.7 million in 2024, $0.3 million in 2025, $0.3 million in 2026 and $0.8 million thereafter, which are recognized to expense over the expected benefit period.

The Company enters into subscription agreements from time to time. Currently there are sixteen subscription agreements for future software services consisting of annual fees payable as follows: $7.0 million in 2022, $3.1 million in 2023, $0.8 million in 2024, $0.8 million in 2025 and $0.8 million in 2026. Expense is recognized ratably over the term of the agreement.

Self-Insurance Program

Self-insurance reserves represent amounts established as a result of insurance programs under which the Company self-insures portions of the business risks. The Company carries substantial premium-paid, traditional risk transfer insurance for various business risks. The Company self-insures and establishes reserves for the retention on workers’ compensation insurance, general liability, automobile liability, and employee health claims. The self-insured claims liability was approximately $22.3 million and $19.6 million at December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. The determination of such claims and expenses and the appropriateness of the related liability are continually reviewed and updated. The self-insurance accruals are calculated by actuaries and are based on claims filed and include estimates for claims incurred but not yet reported. Projections of future losses, including incurred but not reported losses, are inherently uncertain because of the random nature of insurance claims and could be substantially affected if occurrences and claims differ significantly from these assumptions and historical trends. In addition, the Company has obtained letters of credit as required by insurance carriers. As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, these letters of credit were approximately $16.4 million and $17.7 million, respectively. This includes $11.5 million and $11.7 million as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively, issued under the Floor Plan Facility (see Note 4 — Inventories and Floor Plan Payables), and the balance issued under the Company’s Senior Secured Credit Facilities (see Note 9 — Long-Term Debt).

Litigation

On October 19, 2018, a purported stockholder of the Company filed a putative class action lawsuit, captioned Ronge v. Camping World Holdings, Inc. et al., in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against the Company, certain of its officers and directors, and Crestview Partners II GP, L.P. and Crestview Advisors, L.L.C. (the “Ronge Complaint”). On October 25, 2018, a different purported stockholder of the Company filed a putative class action lawsuit, captioned Strougo v. Camping World Holdings, Inc. et al., in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against the Company, certain of its officers and directors, and Crestview Partners II GP, L.P. and Crestview Advisors, L.L.C. (the “Strougo Complaint”). The Ronge and Strougo Complaints were consolidated and lead plaintiffs (the “Ronge Lead Plaintiffs”) appointed by the court. On February 27, 2019, the Ronge lead plaintiffs filed a consolidated complaint against the Company, certain of its officers, directors, Crestview Partners II GP, L.P. and Crestview Advisors, L.L.C., and the underwriters of the May and October 2017 secondary offerings of the Company’s Class A common stock (the “Consolidated Complaint”). On March 13, 2020 Ronge Lead Plaintiffs filed an unopposed motion for preliminary approval of class action settlement, which the Court granted on April 7, 2020. On August 5, 2020, the Court granted final approval of the class action settlement and the case was dismissed with prejudice. The deadline to appeal the settlement has passed and the settlement and this pending litigation is now final.

On March 5, 2019, a shareholder derivative suit styled Hunnewell v. Camping World Holdings, Inc., et al., was filed in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, alleging breaches of fiduciary duty for alleged failure to implement effective disclosure controls and internal controls over financial reporting and to properly oversee certain acquisitions and for alleged insider trading (the “Hunnewell Complaint”).

On April 17, 2019, a shareholder derivative suit styled Lincolnshire Police Pension Fund v. Camping World Holdings, Inc., et al., was filed in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, alleging breaches of fiduciary duty for alleged failure to implement effective disclosure controls and internal controls over financial reporting and to properly oversee certain acquisitions and for alleged insider trading and unjust enrichment for compensation received during that time (the “LPPF Complaint”). The LPPF Complaint names the Company as nominal defendant, and names certain of the Company’s officers and directors, among others, as defendants and seeks compensatory damages, extraordinary equitable and/or injunctive relief, restitution and disgorgement, attorneys’ fees and costs, and any other and further relief the court deems just and proper. On May 30, 2019, the Court granted the parties’ joint motion to consolidate the Hunnewell and LPPF Complaints

(as well as any future filed actions relating to the subject matter) and stay the newly consolidated action pending the resolution of defendants’ motion to dismiss in the Ronge action. Following the Ronge court’s approval of settlement and entry of a final judgment and order dismissing the Ronge action with prejudice, on August 31, 2020, the parties filed a stipulation and proposed order designating the LPPF Complaint as the operative complaint in the consolidated action, and setting forth a schedule for defendants to respond to that Complaint, which the Court granted. On October 30, 2020, the Company, along with the other defendants, moved to dismiss this action. On December 30, 2020, the Court granted the parties’ stipulated schedule for Plaintiffs to file an amended complaint. On January 7, 2021, Plaintiffs filed an Amended Complaint, alleging substantially same claims and seeking the same relief. On March 8, 2021, the Company, along with the other defendants, moved to dismiss the Amended Complaint.  Plaintiffs filed their opposition to Defendants’ motion to dismiss on June 4, 2021. Defendants filed their reply in further support of their motion to dismiss on July 23, 2021. On January 31, 2022, the Court granted in full Defendants’ motion to dismiss the Amended Complaint with prejudice. On February 14, 2022, Plaintiffs filed a notice of appeal, appealing the Court’s order dismissing the Amended Complaint. Plaintiffs’ opening brief is due March 31, 2022. Defendants’ opposition is due May 2, 2022. Plaintiffs’ reply in support is due May 17, 2022.

On August 6, 2019, two shareholder derivative suits, styled Janssen v. Camping World Holdings, Inc., et al., and Sandler v. Camping World Holdings, Inc. et al., were filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware.  Both actions name the Company as a nominal defendant, and name certain of the Company’s officers and directors, Crestview Partners II GP, L.P. and Crestview Advisors, L.L.C. as defendants, and allege: (i) violations of Section 14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act for issuing proxy statements that allegedly omitted material information and allegedly included materially false and misleading financial statements; (ii) violations of Section 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, seeking contribution for causing the Company to issue allegedly false and misleading statements and/or allegedly omit material information in public statements and/or the Company’s filings concerning the Company’s financial performance, the effectiveness of internal controls to ensure accurate financial reporting, and the success and profitability of the integration and rollout of Gander Outdoors (now Gander RV) stores; (iii) breaches of fiduciary duty, unjust enrichment, abuse of control, and gross mismanagement for allegedly causing or allowing the Company to disseminate to Camping World shareholders materially misleading and inaccurate information through the Company’s SEC filings; and (iv) breach of fiduciary duties for alleged insider selling and misappropriation of information (together, the “Janssen and Sandler Complaints”). The Janssen and Sandler Complaints seek restitutionary and/or compensatory damages, injunctive relief, disgorgement of all profits, benefits, and other compensation obtained by certain of the Company’s officers and directors, attorneys’ fees and costs, and any other and further relief the court deems just and proper. On September 25, 2019, the Court granted the parties’ joint motion to consolidate the Janssen and Sandler Complaints and stay the action pending resolution of defendants’ motion to dismiss in the Ronge action. Following the Ronge court’s approval of settlement and entry of a final judgment and order dismissing the Ronge action with prejudice, the case remains stayed while the parties confer regarding the schedule for further proceedings in the action.

On June 22, 2021, FreedomRoads filed a one-count complaint captioned FreedomRoads Holding Company, LLC v. Steve Weissmann in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois against Steve Weissmann (“Weissmann”) for breach of contractual obligation under note guarantee (the “Note”). On October 8, 2021, Weissmann brought a counterclaim against FreedomRoads and Third-Party Defendants Marcus Lemonis, NBCUniversal Media, LLC, the Consumer National Broadcasting Company, CWH, and Machete Productions (the “Weissmann Counterclaim”), in which he alleges claims in connection with the Note and his appearance on the reality television show The Profit. Weissmann alleges the following causes of action against FreedomRoads and all third-party defendants, including CWH: (i) fraud; (ii) fraud in the inducement; (iii) fraudulent concealment; (iv) breach of fiduciary duty; (v) defamation; (vi) defamation per se; (vii) false light; (viii) intentional infliction of emotional distress; (ix) negligence; (v) unjust enrichment; and (vi) RICO § 1962. Weissmann seeks costs and damages in an amount to be proven at trial but no less than the amount in the Note (approximately $2.5 million); in connection with his RICO claim, Weissmann asserts he is entitled to damages in the amount of three times the Note. On October 19, 2021, the Court held a status hearing and ordered that FreedomRoads is not required to respond to the counterclaims until further notice of the Court, and set a status hearing for November 17, 2021. On November 17, 2021, the court set another status hearing for January 19, 2022 to discuss next steps and a schedule for responses to the Weissmann Counterclaim.  On January 19, 2022 the court ordered the parties to file any Motion(s) to Compel Arbitration to be filed on or before February 18, 2022 and the corresponding briefing schedule and set a status hearing for April 14, 2022. On

February 18, 2022, NBCUniversal, CNBC, and Machete filed a motion to compel arbitration (the “NBC Arbitration Motion”). FreedomRoads, Marcus Lemonis, and Camping World, Inc. filed a joinder to the NBC Arbitration Motion.

On November 10, 2021, Tumbleweed Tiny House Company, Inc. filed a complaint regarding FreedomRoads, Marcus Lemonis, NBCUniversal Media, LLC, CWH, and Machete Productions in which Tumbleweed alleges claims in connection with the Note and its appearance on the reality television show The Profit. Tumbleweed alleges the following claims against the defendants, including FreedomRoads and CWH: (i) fraud; (ii) false promise; (iii) breach of fiduciary duty (and aiding and abetting the same); (iv) breach of contract; (v) breach of oral contract; (vi) tortious interference with prospective economic advantage; (vii) fraud in the inducement; (viii) negligent misrepresentation; (ix) fraudulent concealment; (x) conspiracy; (xi) unlawful business practices; (xii) defamation; and (xiii) declaratory judgment. On January 14, 2022, NBCUniversal filed a motion to compel arbitration (the “Arbitration Motion”). FreedomRoads, CWH, and Marcus Lemonis filed a joinder to the Arbitration Motion. Machete also filed a joinder to the Arbitration Motion.

On May 28, 2020, Kamela Woodings (“Woodings”), in her representative capacity under the Private Attorney General Action (“Woodings PAGA Complaint”) filed a lawsuit styled Woodings v. FreedomRoads, LLC in Los Angeles County Superior Court against FreedomRoads, LLC in which she alleged that she and the putative class members often performed off-the-clock work for which they were not adequately compensated, and alleged the following causes of action: Violation of California Labor Code Sections 2698, et seq, (Private Attorney General Act of 2004), which includes allegations of (1) Failure to Pay Minimum Wage, (2) Failure to Pay Overtime, (3) Failure to Provide Meal Periods, (4) Failure to Provide Rest Breaks, (5) Failure to Timely Pay Wage Upon Termination, (6) Failure to Timely Pay Wages During Employment, (7) Failure to Provide Complete And Accurate Wage Statements, and (8) Failure to Keep Accurate Business Records (the “PAGA Complaint”). The Woodings PAGA Complaint seeks civil penalties and attorneys’ fees and costs pursuant to California Labor Code Section 2699.

On June 25, 2020, Woodings filed a class action complaint styled Woodings v. FreedomRoads, LLC in Los Angeles County Superior Court against FreedomRoads, LLC in which Woodings alleged that she and the putative class members, all of FreedomRoads, LLC’s non-exempt California employees, were not appropriately compensated for all wages earned in the form of commission, and that she and the putative class members often performed off-the-clock work for which they were not adequately compensated. Woodings also alleged the following causes of action: (1) Violation of California Labor Code §§ 1194, 1197, and 1197.1 (unpaid minimum wages); (2) Violation of California Labor Code §§ 1198 (unpaid overtime); (3) Violation of California Labor Code § 226.7 (unpaid meal period premiums); (4) Violation of California Labor Code § 226.7 (unpaid rest period premiums); (5) Violation of California Labor Code §§ 201 and 202 (final wages not timely paid); (6) Violation of California Labor Code § 226(a) (non-compliant wage statements); (7) Fraud; (8) Negligent Misrepresentation; (9) Breach of Contract; (10) Accounting; and (11) Violation of California Business and Professions Code §§ 17200, et seq., with the following sub-claims of (a) Failure to Pay Overtime, (b) Failure to Provide Meal Periods, (c) Failure to Provide Rest Periods, (d) Failure to Pay Minimum Wages, (e) Failure to Timely Wage Upon Termination, (f) Failure to Timely Pay Wages During Employment, (g) Failure to Keep Complete and Accurate Payroll Records, and (h) Failure to Pay Commissions, seeking certification as a class action, monetary damages including general unpaid wages, unpaid wages at overtime wage rates, premium wages for meal and rest breaks not provided, general and special damages, actual, consequential and incidental losses and damages, statutory wage penalties, punitive damages, pre-judgment interest, attorneys’ fees and costs, liquidated damages, and non-monetary damages including an accounting of FreedomRoads, LLC’s revenues, costs and profits in connection with each sale of goods made by the putative class members and the appointment of a receiver to receive, manage and distribute any funds disgorged from FreedomRoads, LLC as may be determined to have been wrongly acquired by FreedomRoads, LLC, and any other and further relief the court deems just and proper (“Woodings Class Action”).

On August 6, 2020, the Woodings Class Action was removed to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. On August 27, 2020, Woodings amended the Woodings Class Action to add a second plaintiff, Jodi Dormaier, representing a Washington subclass of all non-exempt FreedomRoads, LLC employees, in an amended lawsuit styled Kamela Woodings and Jodi Dormaier v. FreedomRoads, LLC (the “Amended Woodings Class Action”). The Amended Woodings Class Action alleged the following additional causes of action: Violation of Wash. Rev. Code §§ 49.46.090 and 49.46.090 (failure to pay minimum wage);

Violation of Wash. Rev. Code § 49.46.130 (failure to pay overtime); Violation of Wash. Rev. Code §§ 49.12.020 (failure to provide meal breaks); Violation of Wash. Rev. Code §§ 49.12.020 (failure to provide rest breaks); Violation of Wash. Rev. Code §§ 49.48.010 (payment of wages upon termination); and Violation of Wash. Rev. Code §§ 49.52.050 (willful exemplary damages) seeking class certification, damages and restitution for all unpaid wages and other injuries to Woodings, Dormaier, and the putative class, pre-judgment interest, declaratory judgment establishing a violation of California Labor Code, California Business and Professional Code §§ 17200, et seq., Revised Code of Washington and other laws of the States of California and Washington, and public policy, compensatory damages including lost wages, earnings, liquidated damages, and other employee benefits together with interest, restitution, recovery of all money, actual damages and all other sums of money owed to Woodings, Dormaier, and the putative class members, together with interest, an accounting of FreedomRoads, LLC’s revenues, costs, and profits in connection with each sale of goods and services made by Woodings, Dormaier, and the putative class, and reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs, and any other and further relief the court deems just and proper.

On January 18, 2021, the parties entered into a preliminary agreement to settle the Amended Woodings Class Action and the Woodings PAGA Complaint subject to the terms of a long-form settlement agreement to be executed by the parties and approval by the courts. On July 26, 2021, the parties executed the long-form settlement agreement and filed a motion seeking preliminary approval of the settlement from the court. On September 3, 2021, the court granted Plaintiff’s Motion for Preliminary Approval. On December 13, 2021, the court granted Plaintiffs’ Unopposed Motion For Final Approval Of Class Action Settlement, Attorneys’ Fees and Costs and Class Representative Service Award. On December 29, 2021, the court entered the Final Order and Judgment Granting Plaintiffs’ Unopposed Motion For Final Approval Of Class Action Settlement and PAGA Settlement.  On January 28, 2022 the Final Approval Order became final and binding resulting in the Settlement Amount becoming due to the class administrator on or before March 11, 2022. As of December 31, 2021, the Company had a reserve totaling $4.0 million for estimated losses related to this matter, which is consistent with the preliminary settlement amount. The Company expects to pay the Settlement Amount by March 11, 2022.

No assurance can be made that these or similar suits will not result in a material financial exposure in excess of insurance coverage, which could have a material adverse effect upon the Company’s financial condition and results of operations.

From time to time, the Company is involved in other litigation arising in the normal course of business operations.

Employment Agreements

The Company has employment agreements with certain officers. The agreements include, among other things, an annual bonus based on adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, and up to one year’ s severance pay beyond termination date.

Financial Assurances

In the normal course of business, the Company obtains standby letters of credit and surety bonds from financial institutions and other third parties. These instruments guarantee the Company’s own future performance and provide third parties with financial and performance assurance in the event that the Company does not perform. These instruments support a wide variety of the Company’s business activities. As of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, outstanding standby letters of credit issued through our Floor Plan Facility were $11.5 million and $11.7 million, respectively, and outstanding standby letters of credit issued through the New Senior Secured Credit Facilities were $4.9 million and $5.9 million, respectively (see Note 4 — Inventories and Floor Plan Payables and Note 9 — Long-Term Debt). As of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, outstanding surety bonds were $19.1 million and $16.1 million, respectively. The underlying liabilities insured by these instruments are reflected on the Company’s accompanying consolidated balance sheets, where applicable. Therefore, no additional liability is reflected for the letters of credit and surety bonds themselves.