Commitments and Contingencies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

The Company leases certain facilities and equipment under operating leases. As leases expire, it can be expected that, in the normal course of business, certain leases will be renewed or replaced. Certain lease agreements include escalating rent payments over the lease terms. The Company expenses rent on a straight-line basis over the lease term which commences on the date the Company has the right to control the property. Rent expense under operating leases for the years ended December 31 aggregated (in thousands):



	2016		2015		2014
Rent expense	$	13,652	$	13,959	$	12,290

Future minimum lease payments under these noncancelable operating leases as of December 31, 2016 are as follows (in thousands):



2017	$	11,377
2018	$	9,315
2019	$	6,705
2020	$	3,881
2021	$	2,224
Thereafter	$	2,781

The Company is a party to certain claims and legal actions generally incidental to its business. Management does not believe that the outcome of these actions, which are not clearly determinable at the present time, would significantly affect the Company’s financial condition or results of operations.

Escheat Audits

The State of Delaware, Department of Finance, Division of Revenue (Unclaimed Property), has notified numerous companies, including Gibraltar Industries, Inc., that the State will examine its books and records and those of its subsidiaries and related entities to determine compliance with the Delaware Escheat Laws. The review is being conducted by a third party on behalf of the State. Sixteen other states have retained the same third party and have sent similar notifications to the Company. The scope of each state’s audit varies. The State of Delaware advises, for example, that the scope of its examination will be for the period 1981 through the present. The exposure, if any, related to the audits is not currently determinable.