Seritage Growth Properties Commitments Disclosure
Note 9 – Commitments and Contingencies
Insurance
The Company maintains general liability insurance and all-risk property and rental value, with sub-limits for certain perils such as floods and earthquakes on each of the Company’s properties. The Company also maintains coverage for terrorism acts as defined by Terrorism Risk Insurance Program Reauthorization Act, which expires in December 2027.
Insurance premiums are charged directly to each of the properties. The Company will be responsible for deductibles and losses in excess of insurance coverage, which could be material. The Company continues to monitor the state of the insurance market and the scope and costs of coverage for acts of terrorism. However, the Company cannot anticipate what coverage will be available on commercially reasonable terms in the future.
Environmental Matters
Under various federal, state and local laws, ordinances and regulations, the Company may be considered an owner or operator of real property or may have arranged for the disposal or treatment of hazardous or toxic substances. As a result, the Company may be liable for certain costs including removal, remediation, government fines and injuries to persons and property.
Litigation and Other Matters
In accordance with accounting standards regarding loss contingencies, the Company accrues an undiscounted liability for those contingencies where the incurrence of a loss is probable and the amount can be reasonably estimated, and the Company discloses the amount accrued and the amount of a reasonably possible loss in excess of the amount accrued or discloses the fact that such a range of loss cannot be estimated. The Company does not record liabilities when the likelihood that the liability has been incurred is probable but the amount cannot be reasonably estimated, or when the liability is believed to be only reasonably possible or remote.
On July 1, 2024, a purported shareholder of the Company filed a class action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, captioned Zhengxu He, Trustee of the He & Fang 2005 Revocable Living Trust v. Seritage Growth Properties, Case No. 1:24:CV:05007, alleging that the Company, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, and the Company’s Chief Financial Officer violated the federal securities laws (the “Securities Action”). The complaint seeks to bring a class action on behalf of all persons and entities that purchased or otherwise acquired Company securities between July 7, 2022 and May 10, 2024. The complaint alleges that the defendants violated federal securities laws by issuing false, misleading, and/or omissive disclosures concerning the Company’s alleged lack of effective internal controls regarding the identification and review of impairment indicators for investments in real estate and the Company’s value and projected gross proceeds of certain real estate assets. The complaint seeks compensatory damages in an unspecified amount to be proven at trial, an award of reasonable costs and expenses to the plaintiff and class counsel, and such other and further relief as the court may deem just and proper. On or around January 15, 2025, another purported shareholder of the Company filed a derivative lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, captioned Paul Sidhu v. Seritage Growth Properties, Case No. 1:25-cv-00152 (the “Sidhu Derivative Action”). On or around January 20, 2025, another purported shareholder of the Company filed a derivative lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, captioned James Wallen v. Seritage Growth Properties, Case No. 1:25-cv-00190 (the “Wallen Derivative Action”). On or around May 8, 2025, another purported shareholder of the Company filed a derivative lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, captioned Derrick Cheroti v. Seritage Growth Properties, Case No. 1:25-vc-00152 (the “Cheroti Derivative Action”). The derivative actions allege the same or similar claimed acts and omissions underlying the Securities Action, assert breach of fiduciary duty and other claims against the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, the Company’s Chief Financial Officer, and current and former members of the Company’s Board of Trustees, and name the Company as a nominal defendant. The complaint in each of the derivative actions seeks compensatory damages in an unspecified amount to be proven at trial, an order directing the Company and the individual defendants to reform and improve the Company’s corporate governance and internal procedures, restitution from the individual defendants, an award of costs and expenses to the plaintiff and reasonable attorneys’ and experts’ fees, costs, and expenses, and such other and further relief as the court may deem just and proper. The complaint in the Cheroti Derivative Action also seeks an award of punitive damages, an order directing the individual defendants to account for all damages caused by them and all profits and special benefits and unjust enrichment obtained, and the imposition of a constructive trust. On September 2, 2025, the court in the Cheroti Derivative Action stayed the Cheroti Derivative Action until resolution of the anticipated motion to dismiss in the Securities Action. On November 5, 2025, the court in the District of Maryland proceedings consolidated the Sidhu Derivative Action and the Wallen Derivative Action (the “Consolidated Derivative Action”) and appointed lead counsel. On November 12, 2025, the court in the Consolidated Derivative Action stayed the Consolidated Derivative Action until resolution of the anticipated motion to dismiss in the Securities Action. The Company intends to vigorously defend itself against the allegations in these lawsuits.
In addition to the litigation described above, the Company is subject, from time to time, to various legal proceedings and claims that arise in the ordinary course of business and due to the current environment. While the resolution of such matters cannot be predicted with certainty, management believes, based on currently available information, that the final outcome of such matters will not have a material effect on the consolidated financial position, results of operations, cash flows or liquidity of the Company.
Historical Timeline
| Fiscal Year | Filed | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Mar 31, 2026 | Showing above |
| 2024 | Mar 31, 2025 | |
| 2023 | Apr 1, 2024 | |
| 2022 | Mar 14, 2023 | |
| 2021 | Mar 16, 2022 | |
| 2020 | Mar 15, 2021 | |
| 2019 | Mar 2, 2020 | |
| 2018 | Mar 1, 2019 | |
| 2017 | Feb 28, 2018 | |
| 2016 | Mar 1, 2017 | |
| 2015 | Mar 11, 2016 | |
About Commitments Disclosures
Commitments and contingencies disclosures catalog a company's off-balance-sheet obligations and legal exposures — purchase commitments, guarantee arrangements, pending litigation, and regulatory proceedings. These items represent potential future cash outflows that may not appear as liabilities on the balance sheet until they become probable and estimable.
Key signals: litigation reserves and disclosed loss ranges quantify management's estimate of legal exposure, but unquantified "reasonably possible" losses often represent the larger risk. Watch for changes in language around pending cases — shifts from "remote" to "reasonably possible" or increases in estimated loss ranges signal deteriorating outcomes. Unconditional purchase obligations and take-or-pay contracts create fixed cost structures that reduce operational flexibility. Guarantee arrangements for subsidiaries or joint ventures can create cascading obligations. Compare the total commitment schedule against projected free cash flow to assess whether the company can meet its obligations without additional financing.