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On December 20, 2016, a class action lawsuit was filed against one of the Company’s hotel management companies in the Superior Court of the State of California in and for the County of Contra Costa alleging violations of certain California employment laws, which class action affects nine hotels owned by subsidiaries of the Company. The court has entered an order granting class certification with respect to: (i) a statewide class of non-exempt employees of our manager who were allegedly deprived of rest breaks as a result of our manager’s previous written policy requiring its employees to stay on premises during rest breaks; and (ii) a derivative class of non-exempt former employees of our manager who were not paid for allegedly missed breaks upon separation from employment. Notices to potential class members were sent out on February 2, 2021. Potential class members had until April 4, 2021, to opt out of the class; however, the total number of employees in the class has not been definitively determined and is the subject of continuing discovery. The opt-out period has been extended until such time that
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discovery has concluded. In May 2023, the trial court requested additional briefing from the parties to determine whether the case should be maintained, dismissed or the class de-certified. After submission of the briefs, the court requested that the parties submit stipulations for the court to rule upon. On February 13, 2024, the judge ordered the parties to submit additional briefing related to on-site breaks. A tentative settlement in the amount of $850,000 was reached on February 14, 2025. Final court approval was obtained on September 12, 2025. Ashford Trust’s portion of the settlement is 88.2%. Settlement distributions began on July 22, 2026, and the Court has set a compliance hearing for November 18, 2026. As of June 30, 2026, the settlement liability amount was accrued.
On August 4, 2020, a lawsuit, Benjamin Zermeno v. Beverly Hills Marriott, was filed in Alameda County Superior Court as a PAGA representative action alleging various wage and hour violations of all Remington-managed California properties. The plaintiff’s individual claims were compelled to arbitration. On August 18, 2022, another lawsuit, Cristina Catalano v. Beverly Hills Marriott and Mr. C, was filed as a PAGA representative action alleging various wage and hour violations of all Remington-managed California properties. The co-defendant separately settled and the individual arbitration has also settled. A private mediation was held on December 27, 2024, to globally resolve the three outstanding matters. The court approved the settlement of all matters on January 16, 2026. The aggregate settlement is $2.5 million and Ashford Trust’s portion of the settlement is $1.8 million. As of June 30, 2026, the settlement liability was paid in full.
On April 18, 2024, the California Department of Industrial Relations (“DIR”) served the Company’s manager with an investigative subpoena relative to concerns with the Palm Springs Renaissance Hotel’s COVID recall efforts. On August 27, 2025, the DIR issued a citation that the Company’s manager failed to properly recall certain employees. On September 17, 2025, the Company’s manager filed an appeal which is currently pending. The matter is in the early stages and the ultimate outcome of this matter is unknown at this time. We do not believe that any potential loss to the Company is reasonably estimable at this time. As of June 30, 2026, no amounts were accrued.
We are also engaged in other legal proceedings that have arisen but have not been fully adjudicated. To the extent the claims giving rise to these legal proceedings are not covered by insurance, they relate to the following general types of claims: employment matters, tax matters and matters relating to compliance with applicable law (for example, the Americans with Disabilities Act and similar state laws). The likelihood of loss from these legal proceedings is based on the definitions within contingency accounting literature. We recognize a loss when we believe the loss is both probable and reasonably estimable. Based on the information available to us relating to these legal proceedings and/or our experience in similar legal proceedings, we do not believe the ultimate resolution of these proceedings, either individually or in the aggregate, will have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flow.
Our assessment may change depending upon the development of any current or future legal proceedings, and the final results of such legal proceedings cannot be predicted with certainty. If we ultimately do not prevail in one or more of these legal matters, and the associated realized losses exceed our current estimates of the range of potential losses, our consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows could be materially adversely affected in future periods.