Description
Lennar Corporation is a home construction and real estate company based in Fontainebleau, Florida, with a Miami postal address. In 2017, the company was the largest home construction company in the United States after its purchase of CalAtlantic Homes. The company is ranked 154th on the Fortune 500 as of 2019. The company operates in 21 states and owns Rialto Capital Management, the sponsor of six private equity funds that invest in real estate and an originator commercial mortgage loans for securitization. The company also developed and retains ownership interests in 53 apartment communities. The name Lennar is a portmanteau of the first names of two of the company's founders, Leonard Miller and Arnold Rosen.
Rialto Capital settlement
In June 2019, Rialto Capital paid a $3.6 million fine with the U.S. Department of Justice to settle criminal allegations of false claims and illegal financial arrangements in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute, the Stark Law, and the federal False Claims Act. The case stemmed from an investigation alleging that two doctors had financial arrangements referring patients to a hospital Rialto owned (which subsequently closed to due poor financial performance), and the government had alleged that Rialto directed the Kentuckiana Medical Center, which it owned, to provide personal loans to two referring doctors and then forgave the loans, in violation of federal criminal law. According to the Department of Justice, "The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. The case is captioned United States ex rel. Buridi v. Kentuckiana Medical Center LLC, et al., Case No. 4:15-cv-014 (S.D. Ind.)."
Shareholders
As of 2014, 7.27% of Lennar was owned by the Vanguard Group (with Vanguard Windsor Inv also owning 2.53% and Vanguard Mid Cap Index owning 1.51%), and 7.14% was owned by the Wellington Management Group. 2.25% was owned by ETFs iShares US Home Construction.
