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Accounting Policies | 12 Months Ended
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Sep. 30, 2011
Notes to Financial Statements |
Accounting Policies | 1. Accounting Policies. ORGANIZATION - Patriot Transportation Holding, Inc. (Company) is engaged in the transportation and real estate businesses. The Company’s transportation business is conducted through its subsidiary, Florida Rock & Tank Lines, Inc. (Tank Lines). Tank Lines is a Southeastern transportation company concentrating in the hauling by motor carrier of primarily petroleum related bulk liquids and dry bulk commodities. The Company’s real estate group, through subsidiaries, acquires, constructs, leases, operates and manages land and buildings to generate both current cash flows and long-term capital appreciation. The real estate group also owns real estate that is leased under mining royalty agreements or held for investment. RECLASSIFICATIONS – In connection with the presentation adopted in March, 2010 of our real estate operations as two reportable segments, two properties in Washington, D.C. and two properties in Duval County, Florida were reclassified out of the Royalties and rent division and the division was renamed the Mining royalty land segment. Historical results have been reclassified to conform to the new segment presentation. Certain reclassifications due to discontinued operations (see note 15) have been made to the 2009 financials to conform to the presentation adopted in 2010. CONSOLIDATION - The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries. Investment in the 50% owned Brooksville joint venture is accounted for under the equity method. All significant intercompany transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS - The Company considers all highly liquid debt instruments with maturities of three months or less at time of purchase to be cash equivalents. INVENTORY - Inventory of parts and supplies is valued at the lower of cost (first-in, first-out) or market. TIRES ON EQUIPMENT - The value of tires on tractors and trailers is accounted for as a prepaid expense and amortized over the life of the tires as a function of miles driven. REVENUE AND EXPENSE RECOGNITION - Transportation revenue, including fuel surcharges, is recognized when the services have been rendered to customers or delivery has occurred, the pricing is fixed or determinable and collectibility is reasonably assured. Transportation expenses are recognized as incurred. Real estate rental revenue and mining royalties are generally recognized when earned under the leases. Rental income from leases with scheduled increases or other incentives during their term is recognized on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease. Reimbursements of expenses, when provided in the lease, are recognized in the period that the expenses are incurred. Sales of real estate are recognized when the collection of the sales price is reasonably assured and when the Company has fulfilled substantially all of its obligations, which are typically as of the closing date. Accounts receivable are recorded net of discounts and provisions for estimated allowances. We estimate allowances on an ongoing basis by considering historical and current trends. We record estimated bad debts expense as a selling, general and administrative expense. We estimate the net collectability of our accounts receivable and establish an allowance for doubtful accounts based upon this assessment. Specifically, we analyze the aging of accounts receivable balances, historical bad debts, customer concentrations, customer credit-worthiness, current economic trends and changes in customer payment terms. PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT - Property and equipment is recorded at cost less accumulated depreciation and depletion. Provision for depreciation of property, plant and equipment is computed using the straight-line method based on the following estimated useful lives:
| Years
Buildings and improvements | 7-39
Revenue equipment | 7-10
Other equipment | 3-10
Depletion of sand and stone deposits is computed on the basis of units of production in relation to estimated reserves. Reserve estimates are periodically adjusted based upon surveys. The Company recorded depreciation and depletion expenses for 2011, 2010 and 2009 of $11,548,000, $10,908,000, and $12,764,000, respectively. The Company periodically reviews property and equipment and intangible assets for potential impairment whenever events or circumstances indicate the carrying amount of a long-lived asset may not be recoverable. The review of real estate group assets consists of comparing cap rates on recent cash flows and market value estimates to the carrying values of each asset group. If this review indicates the carrying value might exceed fair value then an estimate of future cash flows for the remaining useful life of each property is prepared considering anticipated vacancy, lease rates, and any future capital expenditures. The review of the transportation group assets consists of a review of future anticipated results considering business prospects and asset utilization. If the sum of these future cash flows (undiscounted and without interest charges) is less than the carrying amount of the assets, the Company would record an impairment loss based on the fair value of the assets with the fair value of the assets generally based upon an estimate of the discounted future cash flows expected with regards to the assets and their eventual disposition. The Company performs an annual impairment test on goodwill. Changes in estimates or assumptions could have an impact on the Company's financials. All direct and indirect costs, including interest and real estate taxes, associated with the development, construction, leasing or expansion of real estate investments are capitalized as a cost of the property. Included in indirect costs is an allocation of internal costs associated with development of real estate investments. The cost of routine repairs and maintenance to property and equipment is expensed as incurred. INVESTMENTS - The Company uses the equity method to account for its investment in Brooksville, in which it has a voting interest of 50% and has significant influence but does not have control. Under the equity method, the investment is originally recorded at cost and adjusted to recognize the Company’s share of net earnings or losses of the investee, limited to the extent of the Company’s investment in and advances to the investee and financial guarantees on behalf of the investee that create additional basis. The Company regularly monitors and evaluates the realizable value of its investments. When assessing an investment for an other-than-temporary decline in value, the Company considers such factors as, the performance of the investee in relation to its own operating targets and its business plan, the investee’s revenue and cost trends, as well as liquidity and cash position, and the outlook for the overall industry in which the investee operates. From time to time, the Company may consider third party evaluations or valuation reports. If events and circumstances indicate that a decline in the value of these assets has occurred and is other-than-temporary, the Company records a charge to investment income (expense). INSURANCE - The Company has a $250,000 to $500,000 self-insured retention per occurrence in connection with certain of its workers’ compensation, automobile liability, and general liability insurance programs ("risk insurance"). The Company is also self-insured for its employee health insurance benefits and carries stop loss coverage for losses over $250,000 per covered participant per year plus a $48,000 aggregate. The Company has established an accrued liability for the estimated cost in connection with its portion of its risk and health insurance losses incurred and reported. Claims paid by the Company are charged against the liability. Additionally, the Company maintains an accrued liability for incurred but not reported claims based on historical analysis of such claims. The method of calculating the accrual liability is subject to inherent uncertainty. If actual results are less favorable than the estimates used to calculate the liabilities, the Company would have to record expenses in excess of what has been accrued. INCOME TAXES - Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized based on differences between financial statement and tax bases of assets and liabilities using presently enacted tax rates. Deferred income taxes result from temporary differences between pre-tax income reported in the financial statements and taxable income. The Company recognizes liabilities for uncertain tax positions based on a two-step process. The first step is to evaluate the tax position for recognition by determining if the weight of available evidence indicates that it is more likely than not that the position will be sustained on audit. The second step is to estimate and measure the tax benefit as the largest amount that is more than 50% likely to be realized upon ultimate settlement. It is inherently difficult and subjective to estimate such amounts, as the amounts rely upon the determination of the probability of various possible outcomes. The Company reevaluates these uncertain tax positions on a quarterly basis. This evaluation is based on factors including, but not limited to, changes in facts or circumstances, changes in tax law and expiration of statutes of limitations, effectively settled issues under audit, and audit activity. Such a change in recognition or measurement would result in the recognition of a tax benefit or an additional charge to the tax provision. It is the Company's policy to recognize as additional income tax expense the items of interest and penalties directly related to income taxes. STOCK BASED COMPENSATION – The Company accounts for compensation related to share based plans by recognizing the grant date fair value of stock options and other equity-based compensation issued to employees in its income statement over the requisite employee service period using the straight-line attribution model. In addition, compensation expense must be recognized for the change in fair value of any awards modified, repurchased or cancelled after the grant date. The fair value of each grant is estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The assumptions used in the model and current year impact is discussed in Footnote 7. PENSION PLAN - The Company accounts for its pension plan following the requirements of FASB ASC Topic 715, “Compensation – Retirement Benefits”, which requires an employer to: (a) recognize in its statement of financial position the funded status of a benefit plan; (b) measure defined benefit plan assets and obligations as of the end of the employer's fiscal year (with limited exceptions); and (c) recognize as a component of other comprehensive income, net of tax, the gains or losses and prior service costs or credits that arise but are not recognized as components of net periodic benefit costs pursuant to prior existing guidance. EARNINGS PER COMMON SHARE - Basic earnings per common share are based on the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the periods. Diluted earnings per common share are based on the weighted average number of common shares and potential dilution of securities that could share in earnings. The differences between basic and diluted shares used for the calculation are the effect of employee and director stock options and restricted stock. USE OF ESTIMATES - The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United State requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Certain accounting policies and estimates are of more significance in the financial statement preparation process than others. The most critical accounting policies and estimates include the economic useful lives and salvage values of our vehicles and equipment, provisions for uncollectible accounts receivable and collectability of unrealized rents and notes receivable, estimates of exposures related to our insurance claims plans, and estimates for taxes. To the extent that actual, final outcomes are different than these estimates, or that additional facts and circumstances result in a revision to these estimates, earnings during that accounting period will be affected. ENVIRONMENTAL - Environmental expenditures that benefit future periods are capitalized. Expenditures that relate to an existing condition caused by past operations, and which do not contribute to current or future revenue generation, are expensed. Liabilities are recorded for the estimated amount of expected environmental assessments and/or remedial efforts. Estimation of such liabilities includes an assessment of engineering estimates, continually evolving governmental laws and standards, and potential involvement of other potentially responsible parties. COMPREHENSIVE INCOME – Comprehensive income consists of net income and other comprehensive income (loss). Other comprehensive income (loss) refers to expenses, gains, and losses that are not included in net income, but rather are recorded directly in shareholder’s equity. NEW ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS – In June 2011, accounting guidance was issued which requires an entity to present the total of comprehensive income, the components of net income, and the components of other comprehensive income either in a single continuous statement of comprehensive income or in two separate but consecutive statements. This guidance eliminates the option to present the components of other comprehensive income as part of the statement of equity. This standard is effective for periods beginning after December 15, 2011. The Company has determined that the adoption of this standard will affect the Company’s disclosures but will not have a material effect on the Company’s financial position or results of operations. In May 2011, accounting guidance was issued which generally aligns the principles for fair value measurements and the related disclosure requirements under Generally Accepted Accounting Principles and International Financial Reporting Standards. This guidance requires additional disclosures regarding details about Level 3 fair value measurements, including quantitative information about the significant unobservable inputs used in estimating fair value, a discussion of the sensitivity of the measurement to these inputs and a description of the entity’s valuation processes. Disclosures will also be needed concerning any transfers between Level 1 and 2 of the fair value hierarchy (not just significant transfers as previous guidance required) and the hierarchy classification for items whose fair value is not recorded on the balance sheet but is disclosed in the notes. This standard is effective for periods beginning after December 15, 2011. The Company has determined that the adoption of this standard will affect the Company’s disclosures but will not have a material effect on the Company’s financial position or results of operations. In September 2011, the FASB issued an amendment to the goodwill impairment guidance which provides an option for companies to use qualitative approach to test goodwill for impairment if certain conditions are not met. The amendment is effective for annual and interim goodwill impairment tests performed for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2011, and early adoption is permitted. The implementation of this amended accounting guidance is not expected to have a material effect on the Company’s consolidated financial position and results of operations.

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