NOTE 15 – COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Commitments

Payments due by period under long-term debt, other financing instruments and commitments are as follows:



			Within		1 to		3 to		After
	Total		1 Year		3 Years		5 Years		5 Years
	(Dollars in thousands)
Principal payments on long-term debt	$	148,108	$	40	$	148,068
Capital lease commitments/financing obligations		246,169		18,949		43,047	$	49,542	$	134,631
Operating lease commitments		159,092		34,285		55,235		34,533		35,039
Other liabilities		3,533		800		1,600		1,133		—
Total	$	556,902	$	54,074	$	247,950	$	85,208	$	169,670

We believe that we can fulfill our contractual commitments utilizing our cash flow from operations and, if necessary, bank financing.

Contingencies

On December 13, 2017, the Company settled a litigation matter entitled Ellersick, et.al. v. Monro Muffler Brake, Inc. and Monro Service Corporation (U.S. District Court, Western District of New York), together with related matters, which were first instituted in September 2010, regarding current and former Company technicians and assistant managers who alleged violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act and various state laws relating to, among other things, overtime and unpaid wages. The settlement amount of $1,950,000 is included within operating, selling, general and administrative expenses in the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements for fiscal 2018. Such settlement amount was estimated by the Company to be less than the legal fees and expenses that the Company believed it would have likely incurred in connection with defending such matter during the twelve month period following settlement.

We are currently a party to various claims and legal proceedings incidental to the conduct of our business. If management believes that a loss arising from any of these matters is probable and can reasonably be estimated, we will record the amount of the loss, or the minimum estimated liability when the loss is estimated using a range, and no point within the range is more probable than another. As additional information becomes available, any potential liability related to these matters is assessed and the estimates are revised, if necessary. Litigation is subject to inherent uncertainties, and unfavorable rulings could occur and may include monetary damages. If an unfavorable ruling were to occur, there exists the possibility of a material adverse impact on the financial position and results of operations of the period in which any such ruling occurs, or in future periods. However, based on currently available information, management believes that the ultimate outcome of any of these matters, individually and in the aggregate, will not have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.