OPERATING SEGMENTS (Summarized Operating Segment) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues from external customers	$ 42,734,000	$ 38,817,000
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated entities	1,201,000	557,000
Total revenues	43,935,000	39,374,000
Segment operating expenses	(28,302,000)	(28,219,000)
General and administrative expenses	(2,228,000)	(2,896,000)
Gain on sale of leases and loans		37,000
Provision for credit losses	(5,152,000)	(2,250,000)
Depreciation and amortization	(492,000)	(2,061,000)
Interest expense	(522,000)	(2,974,000)
Loss on sales of investment securities		58,000
Gain on deconsolidation of subsidiary		8,749,000
Loss on extinguishment of debt		(2,190,000)
Other income	13,871,000	(577,000)
Gross (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests (2)	(15,533,000)	(45,000)
Income (loss) excluding noncontrolling interest before intercompany interest expense and taxes		7,006,000
Interest expense - intercompany		0
Income (loss) excluding noncontrolling interest and taxes	5,577,000	7,006,000
Total assets	2,636,764,000		2,488,458,000
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues from external customers	(4,811,000)	(4,501,000)
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated entities	0	0
Total revenues	(4,811,000)	(4,501,000)
Segment operating expenses	12,386,000	11,538,000
General and administrative expenses	0	0
Gain on sale of leases and loans		0
Provision for credit losses	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0
Interest expense	0	0
Loss on sales of investment securities		0
Gain on deconsolidation of subsidiary		0
Loss on extinguishment of debt		0
Other income	(502,000)	(505,000)
Gross (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests (2)	0	571,000
Income (loss) excluding noncontrolling interest before intercompany interest expense and taxes		7,103,000
Interest expense - intercompany		0
Income (loss) excluding noncontrolling interest and taxes	7,073,000	7,103,000
Total assets	(1,694,000)		(1,784,000)
Consolidated Entity Excluding Variable Interest Entities (VIE) [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated entities	1,201,000	557,000
Total revenues	15,705,000	18,664,000
General and administrative expenses	(2,228,000)	(2,896,000)
Gain on sale of leases and loans	0	37,000
Provision for credit losses	(5,152,000)	(2,250,000)
Depreciation and amortization	(492,000)	(2,061,000)
Interest expense	(522,000)	(2,974,000)
Loss on sales of investment securities	0	58,000
Gain on deconsolidation of subsidiary	0	8,749,000
Loss on extinguishment of debt	0	(2,190,000)
Other income	106,000	(72,000)
Consolidated Entity Excluding Variable Interest Entities (VIE) [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues from external customers	14,504,000	18,107,000
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated entities	1,201,000	557,000
Total revenues	15,705,000	18,664,000
Segment operating expenses	(8,966,000)	(14,959,000)
General and administrative expenses	(2,228,000)	(2,896,000)
Gain on sale of leases and loans		37,000
Provision for credit losses	(5,152,000)	(2,250,000)
Depreciation and amortization	(492,000)	(2,061,000)
Interest expense	(522,000)	(2,974,000)
Loss on sales of investment securities		58,000
Gain on deconsolidation of subsidiary		8,749,000
Loss on extinguishment of debt		(2,190,000)
Other income	640,000	(72,000)
Gross (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests (2)	(865,000)	(249,000)
Income (loss) excluding noncontrolling interest before intercompany interest expense and taxes		(143,000)
Interest expense - intercompany		0
Income (loss) excluding noncontrolling interest and taxes	(1,880,000)	(143,000)
Total assets	160,207,000		167,813,000
Consolidated Entity Excluding Variable Interest Entities (VIE) [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Real Estate [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues from external customers	13,133,000	8,060,000
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated entities	21,000	606,000
Total revenues	13,154,000	8,666,000
Segment operating expenses	(7,998,000)	(7,192,000)
General and administrative expenses	(83,000)	(78,000)
Gain on sale of leases and loans		0
Provision for credit losses	(190,000)	(104,000)
Depreciation and amortization	(308,000)	(323,000)
Interest expense	(212,000)	(215,000)
Loss on sales of investment securities		0
Gain on deconsolidation of subsidiary		0
Loss on extinguishment of debt		0
Other income	163,000	117,000
Gross (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests (2)	(865,000)	(25,000)
Income (loss) excluding noncontrolling interest before intercompany interest expense and taxes		846,000
Interest expense - intercompany		0
Income (loss) excluding noncontrolling interest and taxes	3,661,000	846,000
Total assets	170,853,000		169,649,000
Consolidated Entity Excluding Variable Interest Entities (VIE) [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Financial Fund Management [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues from external customers	1,371,000	5,913,000
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated entities	1,304,000	666,000
Total revenues	2,675,000	6,579,000
Segment operating expenses	(1,017,000)	(5,804,000)
General and administrative expenses	(578,000)	(869,000)
Gain on sale of leases and loans		0
Provision for credit losses	(457,000)	0
Depreciation and amortization	(22,000)	(37,000)
Interest expense	0	0
Loss on sales of investment securities		41,000
Gain on deconsolidation of subsidiary		0
Loss on extinguishment of debt		0
Other income	523,000	(54,000)
Gross (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests (2)	0	0
Income (loss) excluding noncontrolling interest before intercompany interest expense and taxes		(144,000)
Interest expense - intercompany		0
Income (loss) excluding noncontrolling interest and taxes	1,124,000	(144,000)
Total assets	54,248,000		60,805,000
Consolidated Entity Excluding Variable Interest Entities (VIE) [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Commercial Finance [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues from external customers	0	4,134,000
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated entities	(124,000)	(715,000)
Total revenues	(124,000)	3,419,000
Segment operating expenses	49,000	(1,963,000)
General and administrative expenses	0	0
Gain on sale of leases and loans		37,000
Provision for credit losses	(4,505,000)	(2,146,000)
Depreciation and amortization	0	(1,556,000)
Interest expense	0	(1,691,000)
Loss on sales of investment securities		0
Gain on deconsolidation of subsidiary		8,749,000
Loss on extinguishment of debt		0
Other income	0	0
Gross (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests (2)	0	(224,000)
Income (loss) excluding noncontrolling interest before intercompany interest expense and taxes		4,625,000
Interest expense - intercompany		(29,000)
Income (loss) excluding noncontrolling interest and taxes	(4,580,000)	4,596,000
Total assets	11,876,000		15,497,000
Consolidated Entity Excluding Variable Interest Entities (VIE) [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | All Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues from external customers	0	0
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated entities	0	0
Total revenues	0	0
Segment operating expenses	0	0
General and administrative expenses	(1,567,000)	(1,949,000)
Gain on sale of leases and loans		0
Provision for credit losses	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	(162,000)	(145,000)
Interest expense	(310,000)	(1,068,000)
Loss on sales of investment securities		17,000
Gain on deconsolidation of subsidiary		0
Loss on extinguishment of debt		(2,190,000)
Other income	(46,000)	(135,000)
Gross (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests (2)	0	0
Income (loss) excluding noncontrolling interest before intercompany interest expense and taxes		(5,470,000)
Interest expense - intercompany		29,000
Income (loss) excluding noncontrolling interest and taxes	(2,085,000)	(5,441,000)
Total assets	(76,770,000)		(78,138,000)
VIE-RSO [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues	33,041,000	25,211,000
VIE-RSO [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues from external customers	33,041,000	25,211,000
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated entities	0	0
Total revenues	33,041,000	25,211,000
Segment operating expenses	(31,722,000)	(24,798,000)
General and administrative expenses	0	0
Gain on sale of leases and loans		0
Provision for credit losses	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0
Interest expense	0	0
Loss on sales of investment securities		0
Gain on deconsolidation of subsidiary		0
Loss on extinguishment of debt		0
Other income	13,733,000	0
Gross (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests (2)	(14,668,000)	(367,000)
Income (loss) excluding noncontrolling interest before intercompany interest expense and taxes		46,000
Interest expense - intercompany		0
Income (loss) excluding noncontrolling interest and taxes	384,000	46,000
Total assets	$ 2,478,251,000		$ 2,322,429,000