Income taxes	9 Months Ended
Jul. 31, 2012
Income taxes [Abstract]
Income taxes	6. Income taxes The Company assesses the available positive and negative evidence to estimate if sufficient future taxable income will be generated to use the existing deferred tax assets. A significant piece of objective negative evidence was the cumulative loss incurred over the three-year period ended October 31, 2011 and over a six-year period ended October 31, 2011. However, when these losses are adjusted for certain aberrations, rather than continuing conditions, the Company is able to represent that cumulative losses are not present in either the three year look back period or the six year look back period. The Company's effective tax rate for continuing operations for the three and nine months ended July 31, 2012 was a benefit of 21.7% and negative (106.7)% compared to an effective tax rate of 40.6% and 41.8% for the three and nine months ended July 31, 2011. The primary difference in tax rates between 2012 and 2011 and for 2012 between the effective tax rate and the statutory tax rate is a result of the valuation allowance taken against our deferred tax assets in the second quarter of 2012 in the amount of $15.2 million and a valuation allowance increase of an incremental $0.2 million in the third quarter of 2012. The effective income tax rate approximates the combined federal and state, net of federal benefit, statutory income tax rate and may be impacted by increases or decreases in the valuation allowance for deferred tax assets. The tax benefit from continuing operations in the third quarter of 2012 resulted from the application of certain provisions of ASC 740 regarding interim implications of intraperiod tax allocations for discontinued operations when there is a loss from continuing operations to maintain financial statement neutrality and to recognize the tax components between continuing operations and discontinued operations on a discrete basis. The ultimate realization of deferred tax assets is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income during the periods in which those temporary differences become deductible. The Company considers a multitude of factors in assessing the utilization of its deferred tax assets including the reversal of deferred tax liabilities, projected future taxable income and other assessments, which may have an impact on financial results. The Company has determined, primarily as a result of its inability to enter into an amended credit facility upon the expiration of the Limited Forbearance Agreement on April 30, 2012, as well as the potential for a substantial increase in interest rates and fees coupled with the uncertainty regarding future interest rate increases that the secured lenders may impose on the Company that a full valuation allowance of the Company's deferred tax assets, net of deferred tax liabilities, is necessary to measure the portion of the deferred tax asset that more likely than not will not be realized. This resulted in an increase in the valuation allowance from $0.6 million at October 31, 2011 to approximately $16.0 million at July 31, 2012. The Company currently intends to maintain a full valuation allowance on our deferred tax assets until sufficient positive evidence related to our sources of future taxable income exists and the Company is better able to identify a longer term solution to our current credit situation with our secured lenders. Therefore, the amount of deferred tax asset considered realizable could be adjusted in future periods based on a multitude of factors, including but not limited to a refinancing of the Company's existing credit agreement with its secured lenders, and such adjustments may be material to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

6. Income taxes

The Company assesses the available positive and negative evidence to estimate if sufficient future taxable income will be generated to use the existing deferred tax assets. A significant piece of objective negative evidence was the cumulative loss incurred over the three-year period ended October 31, 2011 and over a six-year period ended October 31, 2011. However, when these losses are adjusted for certain aberrations, rather than continuing conditions, the Company is able to represent that cumulative losses are not present in either the three year look back period or the six year look back period.

The Company's effective tax rate for continuing operations for the three and nine months ended July 31, 2012 was a benefit of 21.7% and negative (106.7)% compared to an effective tax rate of 40.6% and 41.8% for the three and nine months ended July 31, 2011. The primary difference in tax rates between 2012 and 2011 and for 2012 between the effective tax rate and the statutory tax rate is a result of the valuation allowance taken against our deferred tax assets in the second quarter of 2012 in the amount of $15.2 million and a valuation allowance increase of an incremental $0.2 million in the third quarter of 2012. The effective income tax rate approximates the combined federal and state, net of federal benefit, statutory income tax rate and may be impacted by increases or decreases in the valuation allowance for deferred tax assets. The tax benefit from continuing operations in the third quarter of 2012 resulted from the application of certain provisions of ASC 740 regarding interim implications of intraperiod tax allocations for discontinued operations when there is a loss from continuing operations to maintain financial statement neutrality and to recognize the tax components between continuing operations and discontinued operations on a discrete basis.

The ultimate realization of deferred tax assets is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income during the periods in which those temporary differences become deductible. The Company considers a multitude of factors in assessing the utilization of its deferred tax assets including the reversal of deferred tax liabilities, projected future taxable income and other assessments, which may have an impact on financial results. The Company has determined, primarily as a result of its inability to enter into an amended credit facility upon the expiration of the Limited Forbearance Agreement on April 30, 2012, as well as the potential for a substantial increase in interest rates and fees coupled with the uncertainty regarding future interest rate increases that the secured lenders may impose on the Company that a full valuation allowance of the Company's deferred tax assets, net of deferred tax liabilities, is necessary to measure the portion of the deferred tax asset that more likely than not will not be realized. This resulted in an increase in the valuation allowance from $0.6 million at October 31, 2011 to approximately $16.0 million at July 31, 2012. The Company currently intends to maintain a full valuation allowance on our deferred tax assets until sufficient positive evidence related to our sources of future taxable income exists and the Company is better able to identify a longer term solution to our current credit situation with our secured lenders. Therefore, the amount of deferred tax asset considered realizable could be adjusted in future periods based on a multitude of factors, including but not limited to a refinancing of the Company's existing credit agreement with its secured lenders, and such adjustments may be material to the Consolidated Financial Statements.