Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Commitments and Contingencies

v3.23.1
Commitments and Contingencies
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2023
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments Contingencies and Guarantees Commitments and Contingencies
Guarantees and Indemnification Obligations
In accordance with the terms of our operating lease agreements, our dealership subsidiaries, acting as lessees, generally agree to indemnify the lessor from certain exposure arising as a result of the use of the leased premises, including environmental exposure and repairs to leased property upon termination of the lease. In addition, we have generally agreed to indemnify the lessor in the event of a breach of the lease by the lessee.
In connection with dealership dispositions and facility relocations, certain of our subsidiaries have assigned or sublet to the buyer their interests in real property leases associated with such dealerships. In general, the subsidiaries retain responsibility for the performance of certain obligations under such leases, including rent payments and repairs to leased property upon termination of the lease, to the extent that the assignee or the sublessee does not perform. In the event an assignee or a sublessee does not perform its obligations, Sonic remains liable for such obligations.
In accordance with the terms of agreements entered into for the sale of our dealerships, we generally agree to indemnify the buyer from certain liabilities and costs arising subsequent to the date of sale, including environmental exposure and exposure resulting from the breach of representations or warranties made in accordance with the agreements. These indemnifications typically expire within a period of one to three years following the date of sale. We did not have any material exposure with respect to these indemnifications at March 31, 2023 or December 31, 2022.
We also guarantee the floor plan commitments of our 50%-owned joint venture, and the amount of such guarantee at both March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022 was approximately $4.3 million.
Legal Matters
Sonic is involved, and expects to continue to be involved, in various legal and administrative proceedings arising out of the conduct of its business, including regulatory investigations and private civil actions brought by plaintiffs purporting to represent a potential class or for which a class has been certified. Although Sonic is unable to predict with certainty the eventual outcome of any litigation, regulatory investigation or inquiry, in the opinion of management, Sonic does not believe it is reasonably possible that its current and threatened legal proceedings will have a material adverse effect on the Sonic's business, financial position or consolidated results of operations. Given the inherent unpredictability of these types of proceedings, however, it is possible that future adverse outcomes could have a material effect on Sonic's financial results.
There were no significant liabilities recorded related to legal matters as of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022.