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Contingencies and Litigation | 6 Months Ended
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Sep. 30, 2012
Contingencies and Litigation [Abstract] |
Contingencies and Litigation | Note 18: 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 – reviewing cash deposits and short-term investments to ensure banks have credit ratings acceptable to the Company and that all short-term investments are maintained in secured or guaranteed instruments;
| · | Accounts receivable - performing periodic customer credit evaluations and actively monitoring their financial condition and developing business news;
| · | Pension assets – ensuring that investments within these plans provide appropriate diversification, monitoring of investment teams, ensuring that portfolio managers are adhering to the Company's investment policies and directives, and ensuring that exposure to high risk investments is limited; and
| · | Insurance – ensuring that insurance providers have financial ratings acceptable to the Company.
Counterparty risks: The Company manages counterparty risks through its focus on the following:
| · | Customers – performing thorough reviews of customer credit reports and accounts receivable aging reports by internal credit committees;
| · | Suppliers – maintaining 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 credit ratings acceptable to the Company.
European value added tax: During fiscal 2012, the Company determined that it was not properly applying value added tax (VAT) to various cross border transactions within the Europe segment. At September 30, 2012 and March 31, 2012, the Company had recorded an estimated liability for 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. The Company is in the process of 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 matters and has recorded environmental investigation and remediation 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 $5,887 and $6,946 at September 30, 2012 and March 31, 2012, respectively. During the six months ended September 30, 2012 and 2011, additional reserves of $110 and $934, respectively, were recorded as a component of continuing operations. 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 Company's 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, USEPA, other governmental agencies and others in which claims are asserted against Modine. In the opinion of management, the liabilities, if any, which may ultimately result from such lawsuits are not expected to have a material adverse effect on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

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