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Commitments and Contingencies | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2011
Commitments and Contingencies [Abstract] |
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES | NOTE 12 — COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES We are involved in various routine legal proceedings incidental to our business, some of which are covered by insurance. With respect to the majority of pending litigation matters, our ultimate legal and financial responsibility, if any, cannot be estimated with certainty and, in most cases, any potential losses related to those matters are not considered probable. We evaluate our litigation reserves at least quarterly and, as appropriate, adjust them to reflect (i) facts and circumstances known to us at the time; (ii) advice and analyses of outside counsel (if applicable); and (iii) assumptions and judgment of management. We have reserved approximately $10.2 million related to litigation and asserted claims where our ultimate exposure is considered probable and the potential loss can be reasonably estimated, which is classified within accrued liabilities, “other” accruals, on our December 31, 2011 balance sheet. Additionally, we have $23.1 million of warranty reserves, primarily relating to general customer warranty claims and the correction of home construction defects. Historically, most of these matters are resolved prior to litigation. We believe that none of these matters will have a material adverse impact upon our consolidated financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows. Joint Venture Litigation We are a defendant in litigation filed by the lenders related to a project commonly known as “South Edge” or “Inspirada”, and we are also an appellant of an appeal relating to an arbitration proceeding instituted by a co-venturer in the project. The project involves a large master-planned community located in Henderson, Nevada, which was acquired by an unconsolidated joint venture with capital supplied by the co-venturers, and a syndicated loan on the project. In connection with the loan obtained by the venture, we provided various narrowly crafted guarantees (including a repayment guarantee that could only be triggered upon a “bankruptcy event”) relating to the project, covering our 3.53% pro rata amount of the project financing. On December 9, 2010, three of the lenders filed a petition seeking to place the venture into an involuntary bankruptcy (JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. v. South Edge, LLC (Case No. 10-32968-bam)). On June 6, 2011, we received a demand letter from the lenders, requesting full payment of $13.2 million the lenders claimed to be owed under the springing repayment guarantee, including past-due interest and penalties. The lenders claim that an involuntary bankruptcy filed by three of the lenders triggered the “springing” repayment guarantee. We do not believe the lenders have an enforceable position associated with their $13.2 million claim and do not believe we will be required to pay such amount because, among other reasons, the lenders breached their contract with us by refusing to accept the April 2008 tender of our performance and by refusing to release their lien in connection with our second and final takedown in this project and we do not believe the repayment guarantee was triggered by the lenders’ filing of the involuntary bankruptcy. As a result, on August 19, 2011, we filed a lawsuit against JP Morgan Chase Bank, NA (“JP Morgan”) in the Court of Common Pleas in Franklin County, Ohio (Case No. 11CVH0810353) regarding the repayment guarantee. In reaction to that lawsuit, on August 25, 2011, JP Morgan filed a lawsuit against us in the US District Court of Nevada regarding most of the same issues addressed in the Ohio litigation (Case No. 2: 11-CV-01364-PMP). On October 26, 2011, the Bankruptcy Court approved a Plan pursuant to which the lenders have received all payment they are entitled to. The project has been conveyed to an entity owned by four of the co-venturers in the South Edge entity (KB Home, Toll Brothers, Pardee Homes and Beazer Homes) and pursuant to which the four co-venturer builders claim to have succeeded to the lenders’ repayment guarantee claim against Meritage. As a result, it is anticipated that the pending lawsuits regarding repayment guarantee claims will be litigated between those four builders, JP Morgan, and us, and the arbitration appeal claim will be litigated between those four builders and us. In connection with the on-going legal proceedings, we have established reserves for amounts that we believe are appropriate for both potential settlements and legal costs. The amount we have reserved is less than the aggregate amount of our repayment guaranty and our pro rata share of a damage claim entered in the arbitration proceeding that is currently subject to appeal, because it takes into account: (i) defenses we believe we possess, many of which are unique to our position in the venture, as well as (ii) potential claims, defenses and offsets we may have against the joint venture, the lenders, and our co-venturers. At December 31, 2011, our maximum pro rata exposure under the repayment guarantee was $13.2 million. Our 3.53% investment in the venture has been previously fully impaired. We do not believe that the ultimate disposition of these matters will have a material adverse affect on our financial condition. We lease office facilities, model homes and equipment under various operating lease agreements. Approximate future minimum lease payments for non-cancelable operating leases as of December 31, 2011, are as follows (in thousands):
|  |  | September 30, |
Years Ended December 31, |  |  |
2012 |  | $ | 6,440 |
2013 |  |  | 6,204 |
2014 |  |  | 2,329 |
2015 |  |  | 334 |
2016 |  |  | 0 |
Thereafter |  |  | 0 |
|  | $ | 15,307 |
Rent expense approximated $6.1 million, $7.5 million and $9.7 million in 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively, and is included within general and administrative expense or in commissions and other sales costs on our consolidated statements of operations. Included in our 2011 and 2010 results are $0.2 million and $0.6 million, respectively, of charges related to the early termination or vacant space expense for some of our facilities. See Note 1 for contingencies related to our warranty obligations.

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