XML 32 R20.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v3.20.2
Commitments and Contingencies
9 Months Ended
Jul. 31, 2020
Commitments And Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies

Note 14. Commitments and Contingencies

Personal Injury Actions and Other: Product and general liability claims arise against the Company from time to time in the ordinary course of business. These claims are generally covered by third-party insurance. There is inherent uncertainty as to the eventual resolution of unsettled claims. Management, however, believes that any losses will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s consolidated financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

Market Risks: The Company is contingently liable under bid, performance and specialty bonds and has open standby letters of credit issued by the Company’s banks in favor of third parties as follows:

 

 

 

July 31,

2020

 

 

October 31,

2019

 

Performance, bid and specialty bonds

 

$

290.4

 

 

$

229.9

 

Open standby letters of credit

 

 

11.9

 

 

 

14.3

 

Total

 

$

302.3

 

 

$

244.2

 

 

The increase in performance, bid and specialty bonds is attributable to municipal contracts within our Commercial segment and customer contracts related to Spartan ER.

 

Chassis Contingent Liabilities: The Company obtains certain vehicle chassis from automobile manufacturers under converter pool agreements. These agreements generally provide that the manufacturer will supply chassis at the Company’s various production facilities under the terms and conditions set forth in the agreement. The manufacturer does not transfer the certificate of origin to the Company and, accordingly, the chassis are treated as consigned inventory of the automobile manufacturer. Upon being put into production, the Company becomes obligated to pay the manufacturer for the chassis. Chassis are typically converted and delivered to customers within 90 to 120 days of receipt. If the chassis are not converted within this timeframe of delivery, the Company generally purchases the chassis and records inventory, or the Company is obligated to begin paying an interest charge on this inventory until purchased. Such agreements are customary in the industries in which the Company operates and the Company’s exposure to loss under such agreements is limited by the value of the vehicles that would be repossessed and resold to mitigate any losses. The Company’s contingent liability under such agreements was $42.6 million and $48.6 million as of July 31, 2020 and October 31, 2019, respectively.

Repurchase Commitments: The Company has repurchase agreements with certain lending institutions. The repurchase commitments are on an individual unit basis with a term from the date it is financed by the lending institution through payment date by the dealer or other customer, generally not exceeding two years. The Company’s outstanding obligations under such agreements were $163.6 million and $212.5 million as of July 31, 2020, and October 31, 2019, respectively. This value represents the gross value of all vehicles under repurchase agreements and does not take into consideration proceeds that would be received upon resale of repossessed vehicles, which would be used to reduce the Company’s ultimate net liability. Such agreements are customary in the industries in which the Company operates and the Company’s exposure to loss under such agreements is limited by the potential loss on the resale value of the inventory which is required to be repurchased. Losses incurred under such arrangements have not been significant and the

Company expects this pattern to continue. The reserve for losses included in other liabilities on contracts outstanding at July 31, 2020 and October 31, 2019 is immaterial.

Guarantee Arrangements: The Company is party to multiple agreements whereby it guarantees indebtedness of others, including losses under loss pool agreements. The Company estimated that its maximum loss exposure under these contracts was $22.5 million and $25.5 million at July 31, 2020 and October 31, 2019, respectively. Under the terms of these and various related agreements and upon the occurrence of certain events, the Company generally has the ability to, among other things, take possession of the underlying collateral. If the financial condition of the customers and dealers were to deteriorate and result in their inability to make payments, then additional accruals may be required. While the Company does not expect to experience losses under these agreements that are materially in excess of the amounts reserved, it cannot provide any assurance that the financial condition of the third parties will not deteriorate resulting in the third party’s inability to meet their obligations.

In the event that third parties are unable to meet obligations under these agreements, the Company cannot guarantee that the collateral underlying the agreements will be available or sufficient to avoid losses materially in excess of the amounts reserved. Any losses under these guarantees would generally be mitigated by the value of any underlying collateral, primarily financed vehicles, and are generally subject to the finance company’s ability to provide the Company clear title to foreclosed equipment and other conditions. During periods of economic weakness, collateral values generally decline and can contribute to higher exposure to losses.

Other Matters: The Company is, from time to time, party to various legal proceedings arising out of ordinary course of business. The amount of alleged liability, if any, from these proceedings cannot be determined with certainty; however, the Company believes that its ultimate liability, if any, arising from pending legal proceedings, as well as from asserted legal claims and known potential legal claims, which are probable of assertion, taking into account established accruals for estimated liabilities, should not be material to the business, financial condition or results of operations.

A consolidated federal putative securities class action and a consolidated state putative securities class action are pending against the Company and certain of its officers and directors. These actions collectively purport to assert claims on behalf of putative classes of purchasers of the Company’s common stock in or traceable to its January 2017 IPO, purchasers in its secondary offering of common stock in October 2017, and purchasers from October 10, 2017 through June 7, 2018. The state action also names certain of the underwriters for the Company’s IPO or secondary offering as defendants. The federal and state courts each consolidated multiple separate actions pending before them, the first of which was filed on June 8, 2018. The actions have alleged certain violations of the Securities Act of 1933 and, for the federal action, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The consolidated state action is currently stayed in favor of the consolidated federal action.

Collectively, the actions seek certification of the putative classes asserted and compensatory damages and attorneys’ fees and costs. The underwriter defendants have notified the Company of their intent to seek indemnification from the Company pursuant to the IPO underwriting agreement regarding the claims asserted with respect to the IPO, and the Company expects the underwriters to do the same in regard to the claims asserted with respect to the October 2017 offering. Two purported derivative actions, which have since been consolidated, were also filed in federal court in Delaware in 2019 against the Company’s directors (with the Company as a nominal defendant), premised on allegations similar to those asserted in the consolidated federal securities litigation. The Company and the other defendants intend to defend these lawsuits vigorously. Additional lawsuits may be filed and, at this time, the Company is unable to predict the outcome of the lawsuits, the possible loss or range of loss, if any, associated with the resolution of the lawsuits, or any potential effect that it may have on the Company or its operations.