Commitments and Contingencies |
12 Months Ended | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Sep. 30, 2018 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Commitments and Contingencies |
Commitments and Contingencies
Operating Leases
The Company has obligations under various non-cancelable long-term operating leases for equipment. In addition, the Company has various obligations under other equipment leases of less than one year.
Total rent expense was approximately $1,062,000, $725,000, and $667,000 for the years ended September 30, 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively.
The future minimum annual rental payments under non-cancelable operating leases are as follows:
Purchase Commitments
During fiscal year 2018, the Company entered into contracts to purchase citrus trees. As of September 30, 2018, the Company had approximately $2,161,000 relating to outstanding commitments for these purchases that will be paid upon delivery of the remaining citrus trees.
Letters of Credit
The Company has outstanding standby letters of credit in the total amount of approximately $10,300,000 at September 30, 2018 and September 30, 2017, respectively, to secure its various contractual obligations.
Legal Proceedings
Florida Litigation
On November 16, 2018, 734 Agriculture, RCF 2014 Legacy LLC, Delta Offshore Master II, LTD. and Mr. Remy W. Trafelet, the Company's President and Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors, filed a lawsuit against Messrs. George R. Brokaw, Henry R. Slack, W. Andrew Krusen and Greg Eisner, members of the Board of Directors, in the Circuit Court (the “Circuit Court”) for Hillsborough County, Florida (the “Florida Litigation”). The plaintiffs in the Florida Litigation seek, among other things, a declaration that (1) a purported stockholder action by written consent, delivered to the Company in the name of 734 Investors and the plaintiffs in the Florida Litigation on November 11, 2018 (the “Purported Consent”) is valid and binding, (2) the resolutions passed at a meeting of the Board of Directors on November 12, 2018, to, among other things, constitute an ad hoc committee of the Board of Directors to consider, evaluate and make any and all determinations, and to take any and all actions, on behalf of the Board of Directors, in connection with the Purported Consent are null and void and (3) the four defendants in the Florida Litigation were properly removed from the Board of Directors by the Purported Consent. On November 27, 2018, the Circuit Court denied without prejudice plaintiffs’ motion for a temporary restraining order and an affirmative injunction restoring Mr. Remy W. Trafelet from administrative leave to active status in his capacity as President and CEO of the Company.
On November 28, 2018, the parties in the Florida Litigation stipulated to an order which provides, pending the resolution of the Delaware Litigation (as defined below), that (1) the record date for the Purported Consent is stayed indefinitely, and (2) Mr. Trafelet and the Company’s Board of Directors shall not take any action out of routine day-to-day operations conducted in the ordinary course of business, including any action to change the corporate governance of Alico or removing any corporate officers or directors from positions held as of November 27, 2018.
Due to the inherent uncertainties of litigation, we cannot predict the outcome of the Florida Litigation at this time, and we can give no assurance that the Florida Litigation will not have a material adverse effect on our financial position or results of operations.
Delaware Litigation
On November 20, 2018, members of 734 Investors filed a lawsuit against 734 Agriculture and Mr. Remy W. Trafelet, the Company's President and Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors in the Delaware Court of Chancery (the "Delaware Court"), captioned Arlon Valencia Holdings v. Trafelet, C.A. No. 2018-0842-JTL (the “Members’ Delaware Litigation”). The plaintiffs seek, among other things, a declaration that (1) 734 Agriculture was validly replaced as the managing member of 734 Investors pursuant to the Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Operating Agreement of 734 Investors (the “LLC Agreement”) and the 734 Consent (described above), and (2) the Purported Consent is invalid under the LLC Agreement.
Also on November 20, 2018, 734 Agriculture filed a lawsuit contesting the 734 Consent in the Delaware Court, captioned 734 Agriculture v. Arlon Valencia Holdings, LLC, C.A. No. 2018-0844-JTL (the “734 Delaware Litigation”). On November 27, 2018, the Delaware Court entered a stipulated order consolidating the Members’ Delaware Litigation and the 734 Delaware Litigation into a single lawsuit, captioned In re 734 Investors, LLC Litigation, Consol. C.A. No. 2018-0844-JTL (the consolidated suit, the “Delaware Litigation”).
On December 5, 2018, the Delaware Court entered a stipulated status quo order which provides, among other things, that 734 Agriculture shall serve as the managing member of 734 Investors during the pendency of the Delaware Litigation. The status quo order also provides that 734 Agriculture shall not take any actions outside of the ordinary course of business of 734 Investors without the consent of two-thirds of the membership interests of 734 Investors, including exercising any voting rights with respect to any shares of the Company’s common stock beneficially owned by 734 Investors.
Due to the inherent uncertainties of litigation, we cannot predict the outcome of the Delaware Litigation at this time, and we can give no assurance that Delaware Litigation will not have a material adverse effect on our financial position or results of operations.
From time to time, Alico may be involved in litigation relating to claims arising out of its operations in the normal course of business. There are no other current legal proceedings to which the Company is a party to or of which any of its property is subject to that it believes will have a material adverse effect on its business financial position or results of operations.
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