Unsupported Changes to the Estimated Useful Lives of Assets
From 1988 through 1996, management allegedly made numerous unsupported changes to the estimated useful lives and/or salvage values of one or more categories of vehicles, containers, and equipment. Such changes reduced the amount of depreciation expense recorded in a particular period.Inaddition, such changes were recorded as top-side adjustments at the corporate level (detached from the operating unit level). Most often the entries were made during the fourth quarter, and then improperly applied cumulatively form the beginning of the tear. Management did not appear to disclose the changes or their impact on profitability to the investors.
In a letter to the management team dated May 29, 1992, Arthur Andersen’s team wrote, “[i]n each of the past five years the Company added a new consolidating entry in the fourth quarter to increase salvage value and / or useful life of its trucks, machinery, equipment, or containers.” and then send these adjustments to the respective WMNA groups. However, top management allegedly continued the practice of making unsupported changes to WMNA’s salvage value and useful lives at headquarters as a way to reduce depreciation expense and increase net income.