Contingencies

3 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

CONTINGENCIES

NOTE 9: CONTINGENCIES

Currently and from time to time, we are involved in various claims, suits, investigations and legal proceedings, including the lawsuit described below. While we are unable to determine the ultimate outcome of any current litigation or regulatory actions (except as noted below), we believe their resolution will not have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations or liquidity.

Federal Securities Litigation — In July 2015 and August 2015, two substantially identical lawsuits were filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas. Those lawsuits were subsequently consolidated into a single action under the caption In re EZCORP, Inc. Securities Litigation (Master File No. 1:15-cv-00608-SS). The original complaint related to the Company’s announcement on July 17, 2015 that it will restate its financial statements for fiscal 2014 and the first quarter of fiscal 2015, and alleged generally that the Company issued materially false or misleading statements concerning the Company, its finances, business operations and prospects and that the Company misrepresented the financial performance of the Grupo Finmart business.

In January 2016, the plaintiffs filed an Amended Class Action Complaint (the "Amended Complaint"), which asserted that the Company and Mark E. Kuchenrither, our former Chief Financial Officer, violated Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act and Rule 10b-5, issued materially false or misleading statements concerning the Company and its internal controls, specifically regarding the financial performance of Grupo Finmart. The plaintiffs also allege that Mr. Kuchenrither, as a controlling person of the Company, violated Section 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act.

In October 2016, the Court granted the defendants’ motion to dismiss and dismissed the Amended Complaint without prejudice. In November 2016, the plaintiffs filed a Second Amended Consolidated Class Action Complaint (“Second Amended Complaint”), raising the same claims previously dismissed by the Court, but reducing the class period (November 7, 2013 to October 20, 2015 instead of November 6, 2012 to October 20, 2015). In May 2017, the Court granted the defendants’ motion to dismiss with regard to claims related to accounting errors relating to Grupo Finmart’s bad debt reserve calculations for

“nonperforming” loans, but denied the motion to dismiss with regard to claims relating to accounting errors related to certain sales of loan portfolios to third parties.

Following discovery on the surviving claims, the plaintiff filed a Motion for Leave to File a Third Amended Complaint, seeking to revive the "nonperforming" loan claims that the Court previously dismissed, and on July 26, 2018, the Court granted the plaintiff's motion for leave to amend, thus accepting the Third Amended Consolidated Class Action Complaint. The Court issued an order certifying the class and approving the class representative and class counsel in February 2019, and we appealed that order to the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, which appeal was granted in March 2019.

On May 30, 2019, the parties agreed to a mediated settlement of all remaining claims, and on June 18, 2019 entered into a Stipulation and Agreement of Settlement reflecting the terms of the agreed settlement, which called for the payment of $4.9 million by the defendants. Following a settlement fairness hearing on December 6, 2019, the Court entered a judgment approving the agreed settlement and dismissing the claims asserted against the defendants. The settlement amount (which was covered by applicable directors' and officers' liability insurance) has been disbursed as provided in the approved settlement.