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Commitments and Contingencies
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2013
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies
Commitments and Contingencies

Contingencies

In connection with the Company’s 2006 separation into four independent companies (the “Separation”), the Company completed the spin-offs of Realogy Corporation (“Realogy”) and Wyndham Worldwide Corporation (“Wyndham”) on July 31, 2006 and completed the sale of Travelport, Inc. (“Travelport”) on August 23, 2006. In connection with the spin-offs of Realogy and Wyndham, the Company entered into a Separation Agreement, pursuant to which Realogy assumed 62.5% and Wyndham assumed 37.5% of certain contingent and other corporate liabilities of the Company or its subsidiaries, which are not primarily related to any of the respective businesses of Realogy, Wyndham, Travelport and/or the Company’s vehicle rental operations, and in each case incurred or allegedly incurred on or prior to the Separation (“Assumed Liabilities”). Realogy is entitled to receive 62.5% and Wyndham is entitled to receive 37.5% of the proceeds from certain contingent corporate assets of the Company, which are not primarily related to any of the respective businesses of Realogy, Wyndham, Travelport and/or the Company’s vehicle rental operations, arising or accrued on or prior to the Separation (“Assumed Assets”). Additionally, if Realogy or Wyndham were to default on its payment of costs or expenses to the Company related to any Assumed Liabilities, the Company would be responsible for 50% of the defaulting party’s obligation. In such event, the Company would be allowed to use the defaulting party’s share of the proceeds of any Assumed Assets as a right of offset.

The Company does not believe that the impact of any resolution of contingent liabilities constituting Assumed Liabilities should result in a material liability to the Company in relation to its consolidated financial position or liquidity, as Realogy and Wyndham each have agreed to assume responsibility for these liabilities.

The Company is also named in various litigation that is primarily related to the businesses of its former subsidiaries, including Realogy, Wyndham and Travelport and their current or former subsidiaries. The Company is entitled to indemnification from such entities under the Separation Agreement for any liability resulting from such litigation.
In accordance with the terms of the Separation Agreement, Realogy posted a letter of credit in April 2007 for the benefit of the Company to cover its estimated share of the Assumed Liabilities discussed above, subject to adjustment, although there can be no assurance that such letter of credit will be sufficient or effective to cover Realogy’s actual obligations if and when they arise.

In October 2009, a judgment was entered against the Company in the amount of $16 million following the completion of a jury trial for damages related to breach of contract in the United States District Court for the District of Alaska. The lawsuit, which was filed in 2003, involved breach of contract and other claims by one of the Company’s licensees related to the acquisition of its Budget vehicle rental business in 2002. The Company believes the verdict in this case is unsupported by the evidence. In addition to the judgment for damages, in June 2010, the district court also entered an order against the Company in the amount of $3 million, in favor of the plaintiff’s motions for pre-judgment interest and attorneys’ fees. The Company filed an appeal of the judgment and attorneys’ fees awarded with the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. In March 2013, the Court of Appeals issued an opinion affirming the ruling of the district court. The Company is continuing to pursue its appeal.

Additionally, the Company is also involved in claims, legal proceedings and governmental inquiries related to its vehicle rental operations, including, among others, contract and licensee disputes, wage-and-hour claims, competition matters, insurance claims, intellectual property claims and other regulatory, environmental, commercial and tax matters. Litigation is inherently unpredictable and, although the Company believes that its accruals are adequate and/or that it has valid defenses in these matters, unfavorable resolutions could occur, which could materially impact the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

Commitments to Purchase Vehicles

The Company maintains agreements with vehicle manufacturers under which the Company has agreed to purchase approximately $4.4 billion of vehicles from manufacturers over the next 12 months. The majority of these commitments are subject to the vehicle manufacturers’ satisfying their obligations under their respective repurchase and guaranteed depreciation agreements. The purchase of such vehicles is financed primarily through the issuance of vehicle-backed debt and cash received upon the disposition of vehicles.

Other Purchase Commitments

In the normal course of business, the Company makes various commitments to purchase other goods or services from specific suppliers, including those related to capital expenditures. None of the purchase commitments made by the Company as of March 31, 2013 (aggregating approximately $136 million) was individually significant. These purchase obligations extend through 2017.

Concentrations

Concentrations of credit risk at March 31, 2013 include (i) risks related to the Company’s repurchase and guaranteed depreciation agreements with car manufacturers, including Ford Motor Company, General Motors Company, Chrysler Group LLC, PSA Peugeot Citroën, Volkswagen Group, Kia Motors America, Toyota Motor Corporation, Renault S.A., Subaru of America, Inc., and Fiat Group Automobiles S.p.A., and primarily with respect to receivables for program cars that have been disposed but for which the Company has not yet received payment from the manufacturers and (ii) risks related to Realogy and Wyndham, including receivables of $64 million and $39 million, respectively, related to certain contingent, income tax and other corporate liabilities assumed by Realogy and Wyndham in connection with the Separation.

Other Guarantees

The Company has provided certain guarantees to, or for the benefit of, subsidiaries of Realogy, Wyndham and Travelport, which, as previously discussed, were disposed in 2006. These guarantees relate primarily to various real estate operating leases. The maximum potential amount of future payments that the Company may be required to make under the guarantees relating to these leases is estimated to be approximately $79 million, the majority of which expire by the end of 2014. At March 31, 2013, the liability recorded by the Company in connection with these guarantees was approximately $2 million. To the extent that the Company would be required to perform under any of these guarantees, the Company is entitled to indemnification by Realogy, Wyndham and Travelport, as applicable. The Company monitors the credit ratings and other relevant information for Realogy, Wyndham and Travelport’s parent company in order to assess the status of the payment/performance risk of these guarantees.