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Commitments and Contingent Liabilities
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2018
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingent Liabilities [Text Block] Commitments and Contingent Liabilities

Litigation Contingencies

As a member of Visa, BOK Financial is obligated for a proportionate share of certain covered litigation losses incurred by Visa under a retrospective responsibility plan. A contingent liability was recognized for the Company’s share of Visa’s covered litigation liabilities. Visa funded an escrow account to cover litigation claims, including covered litigation losses under the retrospective responsibility plan, with proceeds from its initial public offering in 2008 and from available cash. 

BOK Financial currently owns 252,233 Visa Class B shares which are convertible into 411,089 shares of Visa Class A shares after the final settlement of all covered litigation. Class B shares may be diluted in the future if the escrow fund is not adequate to cover future covered litigation costs. Therefore, no value has been currently assigned to the Class B shares and no value may be assigned until the Class B shares are converted into a known number of Class A shares.

On June 24, 2015, BOKF, NA received a complaint alleging that an employee had colluded with a bond issuer and an individual in misusing revenues pledged to municipal bonds for which BOKF, NA served as trustee under the bond indenture. The Company conducted an investigation and concluded that employees in one of its Corporate Trust offices had, with respect to a single group of affiliated bond issuances, violated Company policies and procedures by waiving financial covenants, granting forbearances and accepting without disclosure to the bondholders, debt service payments from sources other than pledged revenues. The relationship manager was terminated. The Company reported the circumstances to, and cooperated with an investigation by, the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC").
On December 28, 2015, in an action brought by the SEC, the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey entered a judgment against the principals involved in issuing the bonds, precluding the principals from denying the alleged violations of the federal securities laws and requiring the principals to pay all outstanding principal, accrued interest, and other amounts required under the bond documents (now estimated to be approximately $40 million, less the value of the facilities securing repayment of the bonds), subject to oversight by a court appointed monitor. The obligation of the principal to pay all principal and interest on the bonds is non-dischargeable in bankruptcy.
On September 7, 2016, BOKF, NA agreed, and the SEC entered, a consent order finding that the BOKF, NA had violated Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act and requiring the BOKF, NA to disgorge $1,067,721 of fees and pay a civil penalty of $600,000. The BOKF, NA has disgorged the fees and paid the penalty. 
On August 26, 2016, the BOKF, NA was sued in the United States District Court for New Jersey by two bondholders in a putative class action on behalf of all holders of the bonds alleging the BOKF, NA participated in the fraudulent sale of securities by the principals. On September 14, 2016, the BOKF, NA was sued in the District Court of Tulsa County, Oklahoma by 19 bondholders alleging the BOKF, NA participated in the fraudulent sale of securities by the principals. Two separate small groups of bondholders have filed arbitration complaints with the Financial Institutions Regulatory Association respecting the bonds and other bonds for which the BOKF, NA served as indenture trustee. Management has been advised by counsel that the BOKF, NA has valid defenses to the claims.
The time by which the principal must perform the Court ordered payment plan currently expires on March 31, 2019. BOKF, NA expects the Court ordered payment plan to be continued from time to time until the principals complete the payment of the bonds, though there is no assurance that it will be. Accordingly, no loss is probable at this time and no provision for loss has been made. If the payment plan does not result in payment of the bonds, a loss could become probable. A reasonable estimate cannot be made at this time though the amount could be material to the Company. 
On March 5, 2018, BOKF, NA was sued in the Fulton, Georgia County District Court by the administratrix of a deceased resident who had sued for and obtained a judgment for wrongful death against one of the operators of a nursing home financed by one of the bonds which are the subject of the litigation discussed above. The judgment is alleged to total approximately $8 million in principal and interest at this time. Plaintiff alleges that BOKF, in its capacity as indenture trustee for the bonds, colluded with the borrower and others to defraud creditors of the nursing home by misleading the public about the solvency of the nursing home. Plaintiff alleges that this conduct has prevented her from collecting on her judgment. BOKF, NA is advised by counsel that the BOKF, NA has valid defenses to the plaintiffs’ claims and no loss is probable.
On March 14, 2017, BOKF, NA was sued in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma by bondholders in a second putative class action representing a different set of municipal securities. The bondholders in this second action allege two individuals purchased facilities from the principals who are the subject of the SEC New Jersey proceedings by means of the fraudulent sale of $60 million of municipal securities for which BOKF, NA also served as indenture trustee. The bondholders allege BOKF, NA failed to disclose that the seller of the purchased facilities had engaged in the conduct complained of in the New Jersey action. BOKF, NA properly performed all duties as indenture trustee of this second set of municipal securities, timely commenced proceedings against the issuer of the securities when default occurred, is cooperating with the SEC in actions against the two principals, is not a target of the SEC proceedings, and has been advised by counsel that BOKF, NA has valid defenses to the claims of these bondholders. Management is advised by counsel that a loss is not probable and that the loss, if any, cannot be reasonably estimated.
On March 7, 2017, a plaintiff filed a putative class action in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas alleging an extended overdraft fee charged by BOKF, NA is interest and exceeds permitted rates. This action makes the same allegations as a putative class action that was dismissed by the United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma on October 19, 2015. On August 22, 2018, a plaintiff filed a second putative class action in the United States District Court for New Mexico making the same allegations as the Texas action. On September 18, 2018, the District Court dismissed the Texas action. Management is advised by counsel that a loss is not probable in the New Mexico action or the Texas action and that the loss, if any, cannot be reasonably estimated.
On July 6, 2018, a plaintiff served a petition in a putative class action in the Oklahoma District Court for Tulsa County Oklahoma alleging BOKF NA breached its Demand Deposit Agreements by charging overdraft and not sufficient funds fees to deposit accounts on the day of the transaction triggering the fee and by the bank's debit hold process causing overdraft fees. Management is advised by counsel that a loss is not probable and that the loss, if any, cannot be reasonably estimated.
In the ordinary course of business, BOK Financial and its subsidiaries are subject to legal actions and complaints. Management believes, based upon the opinion of counsel, that the actions and liability or loss, if any, resulting from the final outcomes of the proceedings, will not have a material effect on the Company’s financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

Alternative Investment Commitments

The Company sponsors two private equity funds and invests in several tax credit entities and other funds as permitted by banking regulations. Consolidation of these investments is based on the variable interest model.

BOKF Equity, LLC, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary, is the general partner of two consolidated private equity funds (“the Funds”). The Funds provide alternative investment opportunities to certain customers, some of which are related parties, through unaffiliated limited partnerships. Substantially all committed capital invested by these Funds has been returned to the partners.

Consolidated tax credit entities represented the Company's interest in entities earning federal new market tax credits related to qualifying loans. These entities were liquidated in 2018.

The Company also has interests in various alternative investments generally consisting of unconsolidated limited partnership interests in entities for which investment return is in the form of low income housing tax credits or other investments in merchant banking activities. The Company is prohibited by banking regulations from controlling or actively managing the activities of these investments and the Company's maximum exposure to loss is restricted to its investment balance. The Company's obligation to fund alternative investments is included in Other liabilities in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

A summary of consolidated and unconsolidated alternative investments as of December 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017 is as follows (in thousands):

 
 
December 31, 2018
 
 
Loans
 
Other
Assets
 
Other
Liabilities
 
Other
Borrowings
 
Non-controlling
Interests
Consolidated:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Private equity funds
 
$

 
$
9,516

 
$

 
$

 
$
8,644

Tax credit entities
 

 

 

 

 

Other
 

 
17,602

 
1,448

 
5,207

 
2,292

Total consolidated
 
$

 
$
27,118

 
$
1,448

 
$
5,207

 
$
10,936

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Unconsolidated:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Tax credit entities
 
$
58,981

 
$
165,567

 
$
53,198

 
$

 
$

Other
 

 
62,406

 
20,687

 

 

Total unconsolidated
 
$
58,981

 
$
227,973

 
$
73,885

 
$

 
$


 
 
December 31, 2017
 
 
Loans
 
Other
Assets
 
Other
Liabilities
 
Other
Borrowings
 
Non-controlling
Interests
Consolidated:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Private equity funds
 
$

 
$
14,783

 
$

 
$

 
$
11,927

Tax credit entities
 
10,000

 
10,964

 

 
10,964

 
10,000

Other
 

 
1,040

 

 

 
1,040

Total consolidated
 
$
10,000

 
$
26,787

 
$

 
$
10,964

 
$
22,967

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Unconsolidated:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Tax credit entities
 
$
52,852

 
$
153,506

 
$
47,859

 
$

 
$

Other
 

 
38,397

 
22,968

 

 

Total unconsolidated
 
$
52,852

 
$
191,903

 
$
70,827

 
$

 
$




Other Commitments and Contingencies

Cavanal Hill Funds’ assets include U.S. Treasury and government securities money market funds. Assets of these funds consist of highly-rated, short-term obligations of the U.S. Treasury and Agencies. The net asset value of units in these funds was $1.00 at December 31, 2018. An investment in these funds is not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or guaranteed by BOK Financial or any of its subsidiaries. BOK Financial may, but is not obligated to purchase assets from these funds to maintain the net asset value at $1.00. No assets were purchased from the funds in 2018 or 2017.

Total rent expense for BOK Financial was $28.5 million in 2018, $27.5 million in 2017 and $25.8 million in 2016. At December 31, 2018, future minimum lease payments for premises under operating leases were as follows: $25.8 million in 2019, $24.8 million in 2020, $21.3 million in 2021, $15.2 million in 2022, $13.0 million in 2023 and $78.6 million thereafter. BOKF, NA is obligated under a long-term lease for its bank premises in downtown Tulsa. The lease term, which began November 1, 1976, is for fifty-seven years with an option to terminate in 2024 with a two-year prior written notice. Premises leases may include options to renew at then current market rates and may include escalation provisions based upon changes in consumer price index or similar benchmarks.

The Federal Reserve Bank requires member banks to maintain certain minimum average cash balances. Member banks may satisfy reserve balance requirements through holdings of vault cash and balances maintained directly with a Federal Reserve Bank. The combined average balance of vault cash and balances held at the Federal Reserve Bank was $1.2 billion for the year ended December 31, 2018 and $1.9 billion for the year ended December 31, 2017.