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Contingencies | 6 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2018
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] |
Contingencies | Contingencies Beazer Homes and certain of its subsidiaries have been and continue to be named as defendants in various construction defect claims, complaints, and other legal actions. The Company is subject to the possibility of loss contingencies related to these defects as well as others arising from its business. In determining loss contingencies, we consider the likelihood of loss and our ability to reasonably estimate the amount of such loss. An estimated loss is recorded when it is considered probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of loss can be reasonably estimated. Warranty Reserves We currently provide a limited warranty ranging from one to two years covering workmanship and materials per our defined performance quality standards. In addition, we provide a limited warranty for up to ten years covering only certain defined structural element failures. Our homebuilding work is performed by subcontractors that typically must agree to indemnify us with regard to their work and provide certificates of insurance demonstrating that they have met our insurance requirements and have named us as an additional insured under their policies. Therefore, many claims relating to workmanship and materials that result in warranty spending are the primary responsibility of these subcontractors. In addition, we maintain insurance coverage related to our construction efforts that can result in recoveries of warranty and construction defect costs above certain specified limits. Warranty reserves are included in other liabilities within the consolidated balance sheets, and the provision for warranty accruals is included in home construction expenses in our consolidated statements of income. Reserves covering anticipated warranty expenses are recorded for each home closed. Management assesses the adequacy of warranty reserves each reporting period based on historical experience and the expected costs to remediate potential claims. Our review includes a quarterly analysis of the historical data and trends in warranty expense by operating division. Such analysis considers market-specific factors such as warranty experience, the number of home closings, the prices of homes, product mix, and other data in estimating warranty reserves. In addition, the analysis also contemplates the existence of any non-recurring or community-specific warranty-related matters that might not be included in historical data and trends. While estimated warranty liabilities are adjusted each reporting period based on the results of our quarterly analyses, we may not accurately predict actual warranty costs, which could lead to significant changes in the reserves. Changes in warranty reserves are as follows for the periods presented:
| Three Months Ended |  | Six Months Ended
| March 31, |  | March 31,
(In thousands) | 2018 |  | 2017 |  | 2018 |  | 2017
Balance at beginning of period | $ | 15,816 |  |  | $ | 32,309 |  |  | $ | 18,091 |  |  | $ | 39,131 |
Accruals for warranties issued (a) | 3,400 |  |  | 3,249 |  |  | 7,613 |  |  | 5,907 |
Changes in liability related to warranties existing in prior periods (b) | (1,097 | ) |  | 2,463 |  |  | (3,394 | ) |  | 7,855 |
Payments made (b) | (3,536 | ) |  | (12,635 | ) |  | (7,727 | ) |  | (27,507 | )
Balance at end of period | $ | 14,583 |  |  | $ | 25,386 |  |  | $ | 14,583 |  |  | $ | 25,386 |
(a) Accruals for warranties issued are a function of the number of home closings in the period, the selling prices of the homes closed, and the rates of accrual per home estimated as a percentage of the selling price of the home. (b) Changes in liability related to warranties existing and payments made are elevated during the periods presented primarily due to charges and subsequent payments related to water intrusion issues in certain of our communities located in Florida (refer to separate discussion below). Florida Water Intrusion Issues In the latter portion of fiscal 2014, we began to experience an increase in reported stucco and water intrusion issues in certain of our communities in Florida (the Florida stucco issues). Through March 31, 2018, we cumulatively recorded charges related to these issues of $85.0 million. Warranty reserves related to the Florida stucco issues decreased during the three and six months ended March 31, 2018 by $0.2 million and $0.6 million, respectively. As of March 31, 2018, 709 homes have been identified as likely to require repairs, of which 675 homes have been repaired. The majority of the remaining repairs in our Florida communities are expected to be completed during fiscal 2018. We made payments related to the Florida stucco issues of $0.6 million and $1.7 million during the three and six months ended March 31, 2018, respectively. These amounts included payments on fully repaired homes and homes for which remediation is not yet complete, bringing the remaining accrual related to this issue to $2.4 million as of March 31, 2018. This accrual is included in the overall warranty liability detailed above. As of March 31, 2018, no reserves have been established for homes within the impacted communities that are deemed unlikely to require repairs. Were such homes to require repairs, the total cost of remediation is estimated to be $2.4 million based on current repair costs. For additional information related to the Florida stucco issues, refer to Note 9 of the notes to the consolidated financial statements in our 2017 Annual Report. Insurance Recoveries The Company has insurance policies that provide for the reimbursement of certain warranty costs incurred above specified thresholds for each period covered. We have surpassed these thresholds for certain policy years, particularly those that cover most of the homes impacted by the Florida stucco issues discussed above. As such, beginning with the first quarter of our fiscal 2015, we expect a substantial majority of additional costs incurred for warranty work on homes within these policy years to be reimbursed by our insurers. We adjust our insurance receivables each quarter to reflect our estimate of future costs to be incurred subject to recoveries from insurers. Insurance receivables were reduced by $0.2 million and $0.4 million during the three and six months ended March 31, 2018, respectively, to reflect the amounts deemed probable of receiving. The changes to our insurance receivables fully offset the current three and six month period changes in our reserve related to the Florida stucco issues. For the three and six months ended March 31, 2017, insurance recoveries totaled $2.3 million and $6.2 million, respectively. Through March 31, 2018, actual plus expected insurance recoveries related to the Florida stucco issues cumulatively totaled $82.6 million. Amounts recorded for anticipated insurance recoveries are reflected within the consolidated statements of income as a reduction of home construction expenses. Amounts not yet received from our insurer are recorded on a gross basis, without any reduction for the associated warranty expense, within accounts receivable on our consolidated balance sheets. Litigation From time-to-time, we receive claims from institutions that have acquired mortgages originated by our subsidiary, Beazer Mortgage Corporation (BMC), demanding damages or indemnity or that we repurchase such mortgages. BMC stopped originating mortgages in 2008. We have been able to resolve these claims for no cost or for amounts that are not material to our consolidated financial statements. We cannot rule out the potential for additional mortgage loan repurchase or indemnity claims in the future from other investors. At this time, we do not believe that the exposure related to any such claims would be material to our consolidated financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows. As of March 31, 2018, no liability has been recorded for any additional claims related to this matter as such exposure is not both probable and reasonably estimable. In the normal course of business, we are subject to various lawsuits. We cannot predict or determine the timing or final outcome of these lawsuits or the effect that any adverse findings or determinations in pending lawsuits may have on us. In addition, an estimate of possible loss or range of loss, if any, cannot presently be made with respect to certain of these pending matters. An unfavorable determination in any of the pending lawsuits could result in the payment by us of substantial monetary damages that may not be fully covered by insurance. Further, the legal costs associated with the lawsuits and the amount of time required to be spent by management and our Board of Directors on these matters, even if we are ultimately successful, could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows. Other Matters We and certain of our subsidiaries have been named as defendants in various claims, complaints, and other legal actions, most relating to construction defects, moisture intrusion, and product liability. Certain of the liabilities resulting from these actions are covered in whole or in part by insurance. In our opinion, based on our current assessment, the ultimate resolution of these matters will not have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows. We have an accrual of $2.9 million and $3.9 million in other liabilities on our consolidated balance sheets for litigation and related matters, excluding warranty, as of March 31, 2018 and September 30, 2017, respectively. We had outstanding letters of credit and performance bonds of approximately $40.7 million and $222.3 million, respectively, as of March 31, 2018, related principally to our obligations to local governments to construct roads and other improvements in various developments.

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