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Contingencies and litigation | 12 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2012
Contingencies and litigation [Abstract] |
Contingencies and litigation | Note 25: Contingencies and litigation Market risk: The Company sells a broad range of products that provide thermal solutions to a diverse group of customers operating primarily in the commercial vehicle, off-highway, automotive and commercial heating and air conditioning markets. The Company operates in diversified markets as a strategy for offsetting the risk associated with a downturn in any one or more of the markets it serves. The Company pursues new market opportunities after careful consideration of the potential associated risks and benefits. Successes in new markets are dependent upon the Company's ability to commercialize its investments. Current examples of new and emerging markets for Modine include those related to waste heat recovery and expansion into the Chinese and Indian markets. However, the risk associated with any market downturn, such as the downturn experienced in fiscal 2009 and 2010, is still present. Credit risk: The Company manages credit risks through its focus on the following:
| · | Cash and investments - cash deposits and short-term investments are reviewed to ensure banks have credit ratings acceptable to the Company and that all short-term investments are maintained in secured or guaranteed instruments;
| · | Pension assets - ensuring that investments within these plans provide appropriate diversification, are subject to monitoring of investment teams and ensuring that portfolio managers are adhering to the Company's investment policies and directives, and ensuring that exposure to high risk securities and other similar assets is limited; and
| · | Insurance - ensuring that insurance providers have acceptable financial ratings to the Company.
Counterparty risks: The Company manages counterparty risks through its focus on the following:
| · | Customers - performing thorough review of customer credit reports and accounts receivable aging reports by an internal credit committee;
| · | Suppliers - implementation of a supplier risk management program and utilizing industry sources to identify and mitigate high risk situations; and
| · | Derivatives - ensuring that counterparties to derivative instruments have acceptable credit ratings to the Company.
Trade Compliance: During fiscal 2011, the Company determined that it was not in compliance with certain trade regulations related to import and export activity between its warehouse in Laredo, Texas and its plant in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. The Company believes that the trade regulation issues are limited to operations at the Laredo warehouse and the Nuevo Laredo plant. As part of the investigation process, the Company disclosed these trade compliance issues to certain government agencies and has fully cooperated with these agencies. At March 31, 2011, the Company had an estimated liability for the trade regulation issues of $4,528, which consisted of an estimate for unpaid dues, potential interest and penalties which may be levied against the Company by the government agencies. During fiscal 2012, the Company made a voluntary payment of $2,090 to one government agency and a second government agency closed the matter with no payment required for which the Company reduced the liability by $2,308 within SG&A expenses. At March 31, 2012, the Company had a reserve of $857 for potential remaining trade compliance issues. European value added tax: During fiscal 2012, the Company determined that it was not properly applying VAT to various cross border transactions within the Original Equipment - Europe segment. At March 31, 2012, the Company has recorded an estimated liability for the VAT exposures of $10,683, which consists of unpaid VAT and estimated interest and penalties that may be levied against the Company by taxing authorities. See Note 1 (Significant accounting policies), Revision of prior period financial statements, for further discussion. The Company will be reporting this matter to the applicable taxing authorities, and cannot provide assurance about the ultimate resolution at this time. Environmental: At present, the United States Environmental Protection Agency ("USEPA") has designated the Company as a potentially responsible party ("PRP") for remediation of six sites with which the Company had involvement. These sites include: Auburn Incinerator, Inc./Lake Calumet Cluster (Illinois), Cam-Or (Indiana), a scrap metal site known as Chemetco (Illinois), Circle Environmental of Dawson (two sites: Dawson, GA and Terrell County, GA), and LWD, Inc. (Kentucky). In addition, Modine is voluntarily participating in the care of an inactive landfill owned by the City of Trenton (Missouri). These sites are not Company-owned and allegedly contain materials attributable to Modine from past operations. The percentage of material allegedly attributable to Modine is relatively low. Remediation of these sites is in various stages of administrative or judicial proceedings and includes recovery of past governmental costs and the costs of future investigations and remedial actions. The Company accrues for costs anticipated for the remedial settlement of the sites listed above if they are probable and can be reasonably determined. Costs anticipated for the remedial settlement of the sites listed above that are not probable or cannot be reasonably determined at this time have not been accrued; however, the Company does not believe any potential costs are material due to Modine's relatively small portion of contributed materials. The Company actively monitors and addresses environmental issues and has recorded environmental investigation and remediation expense accruals for groundwater contamination at its manufacturing facility in Brazil and subsurface contamination at its former manufacturing facility in the Netherlands, along with other lesser issues at certain facilities located in the United States. These expenditures generally relate to facilities where past operations followed practices and procedures that were considered acceptable under then existing regulations, or where the Company is a successor to the obligations of prior owners and current laws and regulations require investigative and/or remedial work to ensure sufficient environmental compliance. The reserves for these environmental matters totaled $6,946 and $7,371 at March 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively. During fiscal 2012, additional reserves of $993 were recorded as a component of continuing operations and reductions to the reserves of $524 were recorded as a component of discontinued operations. During fiscal 2011, the Company recorded charges of $4,893 of which $2,932 were recorded as a component of loss from discontinued operations. Certain of these matters are covered by various insurance policies; however, the Company does not record any insurance recoveries until they are realized or realizable. As additional information becomes available, any potential liability related to these matters is assessed and the estimates are revised, if necessary. Based on currently available information, Modine believes that the ultimate outcome of these matters, individually and in the aggregate, will not have a material adverse effect on the financial position or overall trends in results of operations. However, these matters are subject to inherent uncertainties, and unfavorable outcomes could occur, including significant monetary damages. During fiscal 2011, one of the adjacent businesses to the operation in Brazil filed suit against Modine's Brazilian subsidiary seeking remediation and certain other damages as a result of the contamination. The Company is defending this suit and believes that the ultimate outcome of this matter will not be material. Other litigation: In the normal course of business, the Company and its subsidiaries are named as defendants in various other lawsuits and enforcement proceedings by private parties, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the USEPA, other governmental agencies and others in which claims are asserted against the Company. At March 31, 2012 and March 31, 2011, the Company did not have an accrual related to any such matter that was not deemed probable. Employee agreements: The Company has employment agreements with certain key employees that provide for compensation and certain other benefits. The agreements also provide for other terms and conditions of employment including termination payments under certain specific circumstances such as a change in control, as defined in the agreements. In the unlikely event that these agreements were all triggered simultaneously, the possible contingent payments that would be required under the employment contracts are estimated to be approximately $12,500 depending on incentive payment calculations and other factors which are not determinable until the actual event occurs.

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