Contingencies

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2020

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Contingencies

Contingencies

Various legal and regulatory proceedings and claims have been or may be asserted against Hamilton Beach Brands Holdings Company and certain subsidiaries relating to the conduct of its businesses, including product liability, patent infringement, asbestos related claims, environmental and other claims. These proceedings and claims are incidental to the ordinary course of business of the Company. Management believes that it has meritorious defenses and will vigorously defend the Company in these actions. Any costs that management estimates will be paid as a result of these claims are accrued when the liability is considered probable and the amount can be reasonably estimated. If a range of amounts can be reasonably estimated and no amount within the range is a better estimate than any other amount, then the minimum of the range is accrued. The Company does not accrue liabilities when the likelihood that the liability has been incurred is probable but the amount cannot be reasonably estimated or when the liability is believed to be only reasonably possible or remote. For contingencies where an unfavorable outcome is probable or reasonably possible and which are material, the Company discloses the nature of the contingency and, in some circumstances, an estimate of the possible loss.

HBB is a defendant in a legal proceeding in which the plaintiff alleges that certain HBB products infringe the plaintiff’s patents. On May 3, 2019, the jury returned its verdict finding that the Company had infringed certain patents of the plaintiff and, as a result, awarded the plaintiff damages in the amount of $3.2 million. Accordingly, the Company recorded $3.2 million expense in selling, general and administrative expenses for the contingent loss. The Company filed post-trial motions challenging the jury verdict of infringement and the award of damages and the plaintiff filed motions seeking interest, post-trial accounting, injunctive relief, and attorneys’ fees. On May 2, 2020, the Company’s motion for judgment as a matter of law for non-infringement of certain claims of one of the patents in the case was granted. Since May 2, 2020, the court has also issued orders denying plaintiff’s motion for attorney’s fees and reducing plaintiff’s award. HBB has filed a Notice of Appeal with the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, as HBB maintains it does not infringe any valid patent claim and the damages award is not supported by the evidence. On August 14, 2020, the court entered an order awarding the plaintiff additional sales posttrial and interest on the damages award through July 31, 2020 and continuing interest in a de minimis amount until the judgment is satisfied. As of September 30, 2020, the accrual for the contingent loss is $3.1 million. HBB continues to vigorously pursue the appeal of the judgment and adverse lower court rulings.

Hamilton Beach Brands Holding Company (HBBHC) is a defendant in a legal proceeding instituted in February 2020 in which the plaintiff seeks to hold the Company liable for the unsatisfied portion of an agreed final judgment that plaintiff obtained against KC related to KC’s failure to continue to operate forty-nine stores during the term of the store leases. All KC stores were closed by December 31, 2019 and on January 23, 2020 a Certificate of Dissolution of Ohio Limited Liability Company was filed with the Ohio Secretary of State, effective as of January 21, 2020. In February 2020, KC agreed to the entry of a final judgment in favor of the plaintiff in the amount of $8.1 million and in April 2020 the plaintiff received $0.3 million in the final distribution of KC assets to KC creditors. The Company believes that the plaintiff’s claims are without merit and will vigorously defend against plaintiff’s claims.

On September 25, 2020, an owner of HBBHC class A common stock who had filed a class action complaint against HBBHC and the Company’s Chief Executive and Chief Financial officers in the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York in May 2020 asserting claims under Section 10(b) and 20 of the Securities Exchange Act, voluntarily dismissed the complaint without prejudice.

These matters are subject to inherent uncertainties and unfavorable rulings could occur. If an unfavorable ruling were to occur, there exists the possibility of an adverse impact on the Company's financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the period in which the ruling occurs, or in future periods.

Environmental matters

HBB is investigating or remediating historical environmental contamination at some current and former sites operated by HBB or by businesses it acquired. Based on the current stage of the investigation or remediation at each known site, HBB estimates the total investigation and remediation costs and the period of assessment and remediation activity required for each site. The estimate of future investigation and remediation costs is primarily based on variables associated with site clean-up, including, but not limited to, physical characteristics of the site, the nature and extent of the contamination and applicable regulatory programs and remediation standards. No assessment can fully characterize all subsurface conditions at a site. There is no assurance that additional assessment and remediation efforts will not result in adjustments to estimated remediation costs or the time frame for remediation at these sites.

HBB's estimates of investigation and remediation costs may change if it discovers contamination at additional sites or additional contamination at known sites, if the effectiveness of its current remediation efforts change, if applicable federal or state regulations change or if HBB's estimate of the time required to remediate the sites changes. HBB's revised estimates may differ materially from original estimates.

At September 30, 2020, December 31, 2019, and September 30, 2019, HBB had accrued undiscounted obligations of $3.6 million, $4.4 million and $4.5 million respectively, for environmental investigation and remediation activities. The reduction in the amount accrued at September 30, 2020 compared to December 31, 2019 is the result of a reduction in the third quarter of 2020 due to a change in the expected type and extent of investigation and remediation activities associated with one of the sites. HBB estimates that it is reasonably possible that it may incur additional expenses in the range of zero to $1.1 million related to the environmental investigation and remediation at these sites. Additionally, the Company recorded a $1.5 million receivable as of December 31, 2019 related to a probable recovery of environmental investigation and remediation costs associated with one of the sites from a responsible party in exchange for release from all future obligations by that party. As of September 30, 2020, the receivable has been collected and $1.0 million is restricted cash.