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Note 6 - Commitments and Contingencies | 9 Months Ended
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Sep. 30, 2013
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] |
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Text Block] | 6. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES Legal Proceedings. On March 16, 2011, two former employees of ours filed a lawsuit, entitled Mark Barnes and Jerry Mercante on behalf of themselves and all other similarly situated v. Tandy Leather Company, Inc., Tandy Leather Factory, and Does 1-50, in the US District Court for the District of Nevada. The lawsuit was subsequently amended on May 9, 2011 to add another former employee, Donna Cavota, as a third named plaintiff. The suit alleges that we violated requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) as well as various state wage laws. Plaintiffs seek to represent themselves and all similarly situated U.S. current and former store managers of ours. A Settlement Agreement was reached between the parties, and on September 24, 2012, the United States District Court, Northern District of Texas, Fort Worth Division (“Court”) issued an Order Preliminarily Approving the Settlement of all federal and state claims asserted by the plaintiffs in the litigation. We continue to deny any violation of any statute, law, rule or regulation, any liability or wrongdoing, and the truth of any or all of the plaintiffs’ allegations. We agreed to enter into the Settlement Agreement to avoid further expense and inconvenience, end the disruption and burden of the litigation, avoid any other present or future litigation arising out of the facts that gave rise to the litigation, avoid the risk inherent in uncertain complex litigation, and to put to rest the controversy set forth in the plaintiff’s litigation. The Settlement Agreement preliminarily approved by the Court required us to establish a fund designated as a Qualified Settlement Fund (Escrow Account) in the amount of $993,386 to fund (1) settlement payments to the plaintiffs, (2) settlement payments to the other members of the settlement class who join the case, (3) plaintiffs’ attorneys’ fees and expenses, and (4) and the claim administrator (Escrow Agent’s) fees and expenses. The foregoing description is not complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Settlement Agreement which was attached as Exhibit 10.1 to a Current Report on Form 8-K, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 1, 2012. The deadline established by the Court for any existing or former persons employed by us as store managers between November 23, 2008 and September 24, 2012 to join the lawsuit as a class member expired on May 24, 2013. On June 28, 2013, the Court issued two orders: (1) an Order Approving Class and Collective Action Settlement and Dismissing Case with Prejudice, and (2) a Final Judgment, Approving Class and Collective Action Settlement and Dismissing Case with Prejudice. Pursuant to the Court’s June 28, 2013 Orders, the claims administrator (Escrow Agent) is required to make payments to those existing and former store managers and the plaintiffs who joined the lawsuit by signing and returning Consent to Join Forms, which contained a release of us from the claims asserted in plaintiffs’ lawsuit. The settlement payments to the class members and the plaintiffs will be made from the Escrow Account pursuant to the formula set forth in the Settlement Agreement, as well as the payment of the plaintiffs’ attorney’s fees and the fees and expenses of the claims administrator (Escrow Agent). The total payment from the Escrow Account, to include our required FICA payments based on the settlement payments, is expected to be $680,867 from the total Escrow Account of $993,385. After all payments have been made from the Escrow Account, the claims administrator (Escrow Agent) will terminate the Escrow Account within 120 days from the date the settlement checks have been mailed, and the balance of the Escrow Account (approximately $312,000) is expected to be returned to us before year end 2013. In connection with the settlement, we recorded a charge to operations of $993,386 during the quarter ended September 30, 2012 as this amount, as ordered by the Court, covered the full settlement of all claims of opt in claimants, class counsels’ attorneys’ fees, and class administration costs in accordance with the terms of the agreement. In the quarter ended June 30, 2013, we recorded a benefit of approximately $312,000, which is the expected remaining balance in the Escrow Account after all payments have been made. We are periodically involved in various other litigation matters that arise in the ordinary course of our business and operations. There are no such matters pending that we expect will have a material impact on our financial position and operating results. Legal costs associated with the resolution of claims, lawsuits and other contingencies are expensed as incurred.

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