12.   COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

The Company leases buildings, vehicles and equipment under operating and capital leases, some of which contain escalation clauses. The capital leases contractually expire at various dates through 2011. The assets and liabilities acquired under capital leases are recorded at the lower of fair market value or the present value of future lease payments, and are depreciated over the actual contract term. Depreciation of assets under capital leases is included in depreciation expense for 2011 and 2010. Following is a summary of property held under capital leases:

The remainder of the leases are accounted for as operating leases expiring at various dates through 2028:

Future commitments under operating leases are as summarized:

In the normal course of business, certain of the Company's subsidiaries are defendants in a number of lawsuits or arbitrations, which allege that plaintiffs have been damaged as a result of the rendering of services by the defendant subsidiary. The subsidiaries are actively contesting these actions. Some lawsuits have been filed (John Maciel v. Orkin, Inc., et al.; Douglas F. Bracho, Jr. v. Orkin, Inc.; Salazar v. Orkin Exterminating Company, Inc.; Jennifer M. Welsh et al. v. Orkin, LLC, et al.: and Jennifer Thompson and Janet Flood v. Philadelphia Management Company, Parkway Associated, Parkway House Apartments, Barbara Williams, and Western Pest Services) in which the plaintiffs are seeking certification of a class. These cases originate in California, South Carolina (Welsh), and Pennsylvania (Flood), respectively. The Maciel lawsuit, a wage and hour related matter, was filed in the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, California. The Bracho lawsuit, a matter related to payroll deductions for use of Company vehicles, was filed in the Superior Court of Orange County, California. The Welsh lawsuit, a termite service related matter, was recently filed in the Court of Common Pleas Fourteenth Judicial Circuit, County of Beaufort, South Carolina. The Flood lawsuit, a bed bug service related matter filed by residents of an apartment complex, was filed in the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. None of these matters has been scheduled for a class certification hearing. The Salazar lawsuit, a wage and hour related matter, was filed in the Superior Court of Orange County, California, and was removed to the United States District Court for the Central District of California. The class claims of this matter were voluntarily dismissed in November 2011 and are no longer pending. Additionally, the Company and a subsidiary, The Industrial Fumigant Company, LLC, are named defendants in Severn Peanut Co. and Meherrin Agriculture & Chemical Co. v. Industrial Fumigant Co., et al. The Severn lawsuit, a matter related to a fumigation service, has been filed in the Northern Division of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina. The plaintiffs are seeking damages for breach of contract and negligence. The Company believes these matters are without merit and intends to vigorously contest certification and defend itself through trial or arbitration, if necessary. The Company does not believe that any pending claim, proceeding or litigation, either alone or in the aggregate, will have a material adverse effect on the Company's financial position, results of operations or liquidity; however, it is possible that an unfavorable outcome of some or all of the matters, however unlikely, could result in a charge that might be material to the results of an individual quarter or year.

Orkin, LLC is involved in certain environmental matters primarily arising in the normal course of business. In the opinion of management, the Company's liability under any of these matters would not and did not materially affect its financial condition, results of operations or liquidity. Environmental remediation is reported on a non-discounted basis.