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Commitments and Contingencies
 12 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2023
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Warranty Claims

The Company provides its homebuyers with warranties for defects in structural elements, mechanical systems and other construction components of the home. Warranty liabilities are established by charging cost of sales for each home delivered based on management’s estimate of expected warranty-related costs and by accruing for existing warranty claims. The Company’s warranty liability is based upon historical warranty cost experience in each market in which it operates. The estimation of these costs is subject to a high degree of variability due to uncertainties related to these factors. Due to the high degree of judgment required in establishing the liability for warranty claims, actual future costs could differ significantly from current estimated amounts, and it is not possible for the Company to make a reasonable estimate of the possible loss or range of loss in excess of its warranty liability.

Changes in the Company’s warranty liability during fiscal 2023 and 2022 were as follows:

 September 30,
 20232022
 (In millions)
Warranty liability, beginning of year$454.3 $376.3 
Warranties issued191.2 185.8 
Changes in liability for pre-existing warranties(4.7)15.1 
Settlements made(128.4)(122.9)
Warranty liability, end of year$512.4 $454.3 

Legal Claims and Insurance

The Company is named as a defendant in various claims, complaints and other legal actions in the ordinary course of business. At any point in time, the Company is managing several hundred individual claims related to construction defect matters, personal injury claims, employment matters, land development issues, contract disputes and other matters. The Company has established reserves for these contingencies based on the estimated costs of pending claims and the estimated costs of anticipated future claims related to previously closed homes. The estimated liabilities for these contingencies were $858.9 million and $729.1 million at September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively, and are included in accrued expenses and other liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets. Approximately 97% and 99% of these reserves related to construction defect matters at September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Expenses related to the Company’s legal contingencies were $139.7 million, $138.0 million and $72.4 million in fiscal 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

The Company’s reserves for construction defect claims include the estimated costs of both known claims and anticipated future claims. As of September 30, 2023, no individual existing claim was material to the Company’s financial statements. The Company has closed a significant number of homes during recent years and may be subject to future construction defect claims on these homes. Although regulations vary from state to state, construction defect issues can generally be reported for up to ten years after the home has closed in many states in which the Company operates. Historical data and trends regarding the frequency of claims incurred and the costs to resolve claims relative to the types of products and markets where the Company operates are used to estimate the construction defect liabilities for both existing and anticipated future claims. These estimates are subject to ongoing revision as the circumstances of individual pending claims and historical data and trends change. Adjustments to estimated reserves are recorded in the accounting period in which the change in estimate occurs.
Historical trends in construction defect claims have been inconsistent, and the Company believes they may continue to fluctuate. The Company also believes that fluctuations in housing market conditions can affect the frequency and cost of construction defect claims. If the ultimate resolution of construction defect claims resulting from the Company’s home closings in prior years varies from current expectations, it could significantly change the Company’s estimates regarding the frequency and timing of claims incurred and the costs to resolve existing and anticipated future claims, which would impact the construction defect reserves in the future. If the frequency of claims incurred or costs of existing and future legal claims significantly exceed the Company’s current estimates, they will have a significant negative impact on its future earnings and liquidity.

Changes in the Company’s legal claims reserves during fiscal 2023 and 2022 were as follows:

September 30,
20232022
(In millions)
Reserves for legal claims, beginning of year$729.1 $577.5 
Increase in reserves179.9 186.1 
Payments(50.1)(34.5)
Reserves for legal claims, end of year$858.9 $729.1 

Prior to June 1, 2021, in the majority of states in which it operates, the Company has general liability insurance policies to provide risk transfer against a portion of the risk of loss from construction defect and other claims. The Company also contractually requires major subcontractors in most markets to have general liability insurance which includes construction defect coverage. The Company estimates and records receivables under these policies for known claims and anticipated future construction defect claims on previously closed homes and other legal claims and lawsuits incurred in the ordinary course of business when recovery is probable. However, because the self-insured retentions under these policies are significant and the limits of the policies are finite, the Company anticipates it may be in large part self-insured. After June 1, 2021, except for contractual risk transfer, the Company is almost exclusively self-insured for construction defect exposures. The Company’s estimated insurance receivables from estimated losses for pending legal claims and anticipated future claims related to previously closed homes totaled $165.8 million and $137.9 million at September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively, and are included in other assets in the consolidated balance sheets.

In some states where the Company believes it is too difficult or expensive for its subcontractors to obtain general liability insurance, the Company has waived its normal subcontractor general liability insurance requirements to obtain lower costs from subcontractors. In these states, the Company purchases insurance policies from either third-party carriers or its wholly-owned captive insurance subsidiary and names certain subcontractors as additional insureds. The policies issued by the captive insurance subsidiary and the policies issued on or after June 1, 2020 by third-party carriers essentially represent self-insurance of these risks by the Company.

The Company is self-insured for the deductible amounts under its workers’ compensation insurance policies. The deductibles vary by policy year, but in no years exceed $0.5 million per occurrence. The deductible for the 2022, 2023 and 2024 policy years is $0.5 million per occurrence.

The estimation of losses related to these reserves and the related estimates of recoveries from insurance policies are subject to a high degree of variability due to uncertainties such as trends in construction defect claims relative to the Company’s markets and the types of products built, claim frequency, claim settlement costs and patterns, insurance industry practices and legal interpretations, among others. Due to the high degree of judgment required in establishing reserves for these contingencies, actual future costs and recoveries from insurance could differ significantly from current estimated amounts, and it is not possible for the Company to make a reasonable estimate of the possible loss or range of loss in excess of its reserves.
Land and Lot Purchase Contracts

The Company enters into land and lot purchase contracts to acquire land or lots for the construction of homes. At September 30, 2023, the Company had total deposits of $1.8 billion, consisting of cash deposits of $1.7 billion and promissory notes and surety bonds of $119.4 million, related to contracts to purchase land and lots with a total remaining purchase price of approximately $21.1 billion. The majority of land and lots under contract are currently expected to be purchased within three years. Of these amounts, $139.1 million of the deposits related to contracts with Forestar to purchase land and lots with a remaining purchase price of $1.3 billion. A limited number of the homebuilding land and lot purchase contracts at September 30, 2023, representing $226.3 million of remaining purchase price, were subject to specific performance provisions that may require the Company to purchase the land or lots upon the land sellers meeting their respective contractual obligations. Of the $226.3 million remaining purchase price subject to specific performance provisions, $183 million related to contracts between the homebuilding segment and Forestar.

During fiscal 2023 and 2022, Forestar reimbursed the homebuilding segment $10.9 million and $8.7 million, respectively, for previously paid earnest money and $21.8 million and $58.9 million, respectively, for pre-acquisition and other due diligence costs related to land purchase contracts whereby the homebuilding segment assigned its rights under contract to Forestar.

Other Commitments

At September 30, 2023, the Company had outstanding surety bonds of $3.2 billion and letters of credit of $254.3 million to secure performance under various contracts. Of the total letters of credit, $226.6 million were issued under the homebuilding revolving credit facility and $27.7 million were issued under Forestar’s revolving credit facility.

The Company leases office space and equipment under non-cancelable operating leases. At September 30, 2023, the future minimum annual lease payments under these agreements are as follows (in millions):
Fiscal 2024$25.2 
Fiscal 202514.7 
Fiscal 20266.6 
Fiscal 20274.1 
Fiscal 20281.9 
Thereafter0.1 
 $52.6 

Rent expense was $44.7 million, $38.1 million and $31.7 million for fiscal 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.