Honeywell 2003 Annual Report Download - page 149

When we sold the NARCO business in 1986, we agreed to indemnify NARCO with
respect to personal injury claims for products that had been discontinued prior
to the sale (as defined in the sale agreement). NARCO retained all liability for
all other claims. NARCO had resolved approximately 176,000 claims through
January 4, 2002, the date NARCO filed for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the
U.S. Bankruptcy Code, at an average cost per claim of two thousand two hundred
dollars. Of those claims, 43 percent were dismissed on the ground that there was
insufficient evidence that NARCO was responsible for the claimant's asbestos
exposure. As of the date of NARCO's bankruptcy filing, there were approximately
116,000 remaining claims pending against NARCO, including approximately 7
percent in which Honeywell was also named as a defendant. Since 1983, Honeywell
and our insurers have contributed to the defense and settlement costs associated
with NARCO claims. We have approximately $1.3 billion (excluding insurance
recoveries in October 2003 - see discussion below) of insurance remaining that
can be specifically allocated to NARCO related liability.
As a result of the NARCO bankruptcy filing, all of the claims pending
against NARCO are automatically stayed pending the reorganization of NARCO
except one claim which is not material as to which the stay was lifted in August
2003. Because the claims pending against Honeywell necessarily will impact the
liabilities of NARCO, because the insurance policies held by Honeywell are
essential to a successful NARCO reorganization, and because Honeywell has
offered to commit the value of those policies to the reorganization, the
bankruptcy court has temporarily enjoined any claims against Honeywell, current
or future, related to NARCO. Although the stay has been extended nineteen times
since January 4, 2002, there is no assurance that such stay will remain in
effect. In connection with NARCO's bankruptcy filing, we paid NARCO's parent
company $40 million and agreed to provide NARCO with up to $20 million in
financing. We also agreed to pay $20 million to NARCO's parent company upon the
filing of a plan of reorganization for NARCO acceptable to Honeywell, and to pay
NARCO's parent company $40 million, and to forgive any outstanding NARCO
indebtedness, upon the confirmation and consummation of such a plan.
As a result of ongoing negotiations with counsel representing NARCO related
asbestos claimants regarding settlement of all pending and potential NARCO
related asbestos claims against Honeywell, we have reached definitive agreements
or agreements in principle with approximately 256,000 claimants, which
represents in excess of 90 percent of the approximately 275,000 current
claimants who are now expected to file a claim as part of the NARCO
reorganization process. We are also in discussions with the NARCO Committee of
Asbestos Creditors on Trust Distribution Procedures for NARCO. We believe that,
as part of the NARCO plan of reorganization, a trust will be established
pursuant to these Trust Distribution Procedures for the benefit of all asbestos
claimants, current and future. If the trust is put in place and approved by the
court as fair and equitable, Honeywell as well as NARCO will be entitled to a
permanent channeling injunction barring all present and future individual
actions in state or federal courts and requiring all asbestos related claims
based on exposure to NARCO products to be made against the federally-supervised
trust. As part of its ongoing settlement negotiations, Honeywell has reached
agreement in principle with the representative for future NARCO claimants to cap
its annual contributions to the trust with respect to future claims at a level
that would not have a material impact on Honeywell's operating cash flows. Given
the substantial
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