Note 15. Commitments and Contingencies

Operating Leases

The Company has obligations under various non-cancelable long-term operating leases primarily for office space and equipment. In addition, the Company has various obligations under other equipment leases of less than one year.

Total rent expense was approximately $308,000, $450,000 and $1,062,000 for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

The future minimum annual rental payments under non-cancelable operating leases are as follows:

Purchase Commitments

The Company enters into contracts for the purchase of citrus trees during the normal course of its business. As of September 30, 2020, the Company had approximately $3,014,000 relating to outstanding commitments for these purchases that will be paid upon delivery of the remaining citrus trees.

Letters of Credit

The Company had outstanding standby letters of credit in the total amount of approximately $399,000 and $460,000 at September 30, 2020 and September 30, 2019, 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 “Trafelet Parties”), who was at the time 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 Trafelet Parties sought, 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”) was 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 were 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. 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 provided, pending the resolution of the Delaware Litigation (as defined below), that (1) the record date for the Purported Consent was stayed indefinitely, and (2) Mr. Trafelet and the Company’s Board of Directors should 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.

On December 6, 2018, the Trafelet Parties filed an amended complaint in the Florida Litigation which added the Company and Benjamin D. Fishman, a member of the Board of Directors, as defendants. On December 21, 2018, the Trafelet Parties filed a renewed motion for a preliminary injunction restoring Mr. Trafelet from administrative leave to active status in his capacity as President and CEO of the Company. On January 14, 2019, the defendants in the Florida Litigation filed an opposition to plaintiffs’ renewed motion for a preliminary injunction. On January 18, 2019, the defendants in the Florida Litigation filed a motion to dismiss the plaintiffs’ amended complaint.

On February 11, 2019, the parties to the Florida Litigation entered into a settlement agreement (the “Alico Settlement Agreement”) wherein the parties agreed to promptly dismiss all claims in the Florida Litigation. Pursuant to the Alico Settlement Agreement, Mr. Trafelet agreed to voluntarily resign as President and Chief Executive Officer and as a member of the Board of Directors, effective upon the execution of the Alico Settlement Agreement.

As contemplated by the Alico Settlement Agreement, on February 11, 2019, the Company entered into a consulting agreement (the “Consulting Agreement”) with Mr. Trafelet and 3584 Inc., an entity controlled by Mr. Trafelet (the “Consultant”). Pursuant to the Consulting Agreement, Mr. Trafelet agreed to make himself available to provide consulting services to the Company through the Consultant for up to 24 months. In exchange for the consulting services, the Consultant is receiving an annual consulting fee of $400,000. If the Company terminates the consulting period (other than in certain specified circumstances), the Company will continue to pay the consulting fees described in the immediately preceding sentence through the balance of the 24-month term. As such, the Company recorded the $800,000 as an expense for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019.

In addition, on February 11, 2019, as contemplated by the Alico Settlement Agreement, the Company entered into a Registration Rights Agreement (the “Registration Rights Agreement”) with Mr. Trafelet, relating to the shares of the Company’s common stock directly held by the Trafelet Parties as of February 11, 2019 (the “Registrable Securities”). The Registration Rights Agreement required the Company to, among other things and subject to the terms and conditions thereof, use reasonable best efforts to file with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-3 covering the resale of the Registrable Securities. On October 10, 2019, Mr. Trafelet executed a waiver whereby he waived the S-3 Registration Rights but maintained all other rights arising under the Registration Rights Agreement and all rights arising under Section 14 of the Alico Settlement Agreement.

Delaware Litigation

On November 20, 2018, members of 734 Investors filed a lawsuit against 734 Agriculture and Mr. Trafelet, who was at the time 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 sought, 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 November 19, 2018 resolution by written consent to remove 734 Agriculture as managing member of 734 Investors, and to designate Arlon Valencia Holdings, LLC as the new managing member of 734 Investors (the “734 Consent”), and (2) the Purported Consent was 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 provided, among other things, that 734 Agriculture was to serve as the managing member of 734 Investors during the pendency of the Delaware Litigation. The status quo order also provided that 734 Agriculture would not be permitted to 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.

On February 11, 2019, Mr. Trafelet, 734 Agriculture, 734 Investors, and certain members of 734 Investors entered into a settlement agreement (the “734 Investors Settlement Agreement”) wherein the parties agreed to promptly dismiss all claims in the Delaware Litigation. Pursuant to the 734 Investors Settlement Agreement, 734 Agriculture resigned as Managing Member of 734 Investors and Arlon Valencia Holdings, LLC was confirmed as Managing Member of 734 Investors.

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 current legal proceedings to which the Company is a party or of which any of its property is subject that it believes will have a material adverse effect on its financial position, results of operations or cash flows.