Note 8 – Leases

On January 1, 2019, the Company adopted ASC Topic 842, which supersedes Accounting Standards Codification Topic 840 “Leases” (“ASC Topic 840”). Information in this note with respect to the Company’s leases and lease-related costs as both lessee and lessor and lease-related receivables as lessor is presented under ASC Topic 842 as of and for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019 and under ASC Topic 840 as of and for the year ended December 31, 2018.

The Company adopted ASC Topic 842 using the modified retrospective approach whereby the cumulative effect of adoption was recognized on the adoption date and prior periods were not restated. There was no net cumulative effect adjustment to accumulated deficit as of January 1, 2019 as a result of this adoption. ASC Topic 842 sets out the principles for the recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of leases for both lessees and lessors. The Company operates as both a lessor and a lessee. As a lessor, the Company is required under ASC Topic 842 to account for leases using an approach that is substantially similar to ASC Topic 840’s guidance for operating leases and other leases such as sales-type leases and direct financing leases. In addition, ASC Topic 842 requires lessors to capitalize and amortize only incremental direct leasing costs. As a lessee, the Company is required under the new standard to apply a dual approach, classifying leases, such as ground leases, as either finance or operating leases based on the principle of whether or not the lease is effectively a financed purchase. This classification determines whether lease expense is recognized based on an effective interest method or on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease. ASC Topic 842 also requires lessees to record a right of use asset and a lease liability for all leases with a term of greater than a year regardless of their classification. The Company has also elected the practical expedient not to recognize right of use assets and lease liabilities for leases with a term of a year or less.

On adoption of the standard, we elected the package of practical expedients provided for in ASC Topic 842, including:

The package of practical expedients was made as a single election and was consistently applied to all existing leases as of January 1, 2019. We also elected the practical expedient provided to lessors in a subsequent amendment to ASC Topic 842 that removed the requirement to separate lease and nonlease components, provided certain conditions were met.

Information as Lessor Under ASC Topic 842 (As of and for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019)

To generate positive cash flow, as a lessor, the Company leases its facilities to tenants in exchange for fixed monthly payments that cover rent, property taxes, insurance and certain cost recoveries, primarily common area maintenance (“CAM”). The Company’s leases were determined to be operating leases and have a portfolio average lease years remaining of approximately 10 years. Payments from the Company’s tenants for CAM are considered nonlease components that are separated from lease components and are generally accounted for in accordance with the revenue recognition standard. However, the Company qualified for and elected the practical expedient related to combining the components because the lease component is classified as an operating lease and the timing and pattern of transfer of CAM income, which is not the predominant component, is the same as the lease component. As such, consideration for CAM is accounted for as part of the overall consideration in the lease. Payments from customers for property taxes and insurance are considered noncomponents of the lease and therefore no consideration is allocated to them because they do not transfer a good or service to the customer. Fixed contractual payments from the Company’s leases are recognized on a straight-line basis over the terms of the respective leases. This means that, with respect to a particular lease, actual amounts billed in accordance with the lease during any given period may be higher or lower than the amount of rental revenue recognized for the period. Straight-line rental revenue is commenced when the tenant assumes control of the leased premises. Accrued straight-line rents receivable represents the amount by which straight-line rental revenue exceeds rents currently billed in accordance with lease agreements.

Some of the Company’s leases are subject to annual changes in the Consumer Price Index (“CPI”). Although increases in CPI are not estimated as part of the Company’s measurement of straight-line rental revenue, for leases with base rent increases based on CPI, the amount of rent revenue recognized is adjusted in the period the changes in CPI are measured and effective. Additionally, some of the Company’s leases have extension options.

Initial direct costs, primarily commissions, related to the leasing of our facilities are capitalized when material as incurred. Capitalized leasing costs are amortized on a straight-line basis over the remaining useful life of the respective leases. All other costs to negotiate or arrange a lease are expensed as incurred.

Lease-related receivables, which include accounts receivable and accrued straight-line rents receivable, are reduced for credit losses, if applicable. To date the Company’s receivables have not had any credit losses. Such amounts would be recognized as a reduction to rental and other revenues. The Company regularly evaluates the collectability of its lease-related receivables. The Company’s evaluation of collectability primarily consists of reviewing past due account balances and considering such factors as the credit quality of our tenant, historical trends of the tenant and changes in tenant payment terms. If the Company’s assumptions regarding the collectability of lease-related receivables prove incorrect, the Company could experience credit losses in excess of what was recognized in rental and other revenues.

The Company recognized $18,117 and $50,093 of rental and other revenues related to operating lease payments for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019, respectively. Of these amounts $1,202 and $3,597 was for variable lease payments related to expense recoveries for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019, respectively. The aggregate annual minimum cash to be received by the Company on the noncancelable operating leases related to its portfolio as of September 30, 2019 is as follows for the subsequent years ended December 31:

 

 

Information as Lessor Under ASC Topic 840 (As of and for the year ended December 31, 2018)

The Company adopted the provisions of ASU 2014‑09 “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)” (“ASU 2014‑09”) effective January 1, 2018 using the modified retrospective transition method. Rental income from leasing arrangements is specifically excluded from the standard. The Company analyzed its remaining revenue streams and concluded there were no changes in revenue recognition with the adoption of the new standard.

The Company’s operations consist of rental revenue earned from tenants under leasing arrangements which provide for minimum rent and escalations. These leases were accounted for as operating leases. For operating leases with contingent rental escalators, revenue was recorded based on the contractual cash rental payments due during the period. Revenue from leases with fixed annual rental escalators were recognized on a straight-line basis over the initial lease term, subject to a collectability assessment. If the Company determined that collectability of rents was not reasonably assured, future revenue recognition was limited to amounts contractually owed and paid, and, when appropriate, an allowance for estimated losses was established.

The Company consistently assessed the need for an allowance for doubtful accounts, including an allowance for operating lease straight-line rent receivables, for estimated losses resulting from tenant defaults, or the inability of tenants to make contractual rent and tenant recovery payments. The Company also monitored the liquidity and creditworthiness of its tenants and operators on a continuous basis. This evaluation considered industry and economic conditions, property performance, credit enhancements and other factors. For operating lease straight-line rent amounts, the Company’s assessment was based on amounts estimated to be recoverable over the term of the lease. As of December 31, 2018, no allowance was recorded as it was not deemed necessary.

The Company’s real estate assets are leased to tenants under operating leases. The minimum rental amounts under the leases were generally subject to scheduled fixed increases. The aggregate annual minimum cash to be received by the Company on its noncancelable operating leases as of December 31, 2018 were as follows:

 

 

Information as Lessee Under ASC Topic 842 (As of and for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019)

The Company has four facilities subject to operating ground leases with a weighted average remaining term of 24 years. Rental payments on these leases are adjusted periodically based on either the CPI or on a pre-determined schedule. The monthly payments on a pre-determined schedule are recognized on a straight-line basis over the terms of the respective leases. Changes in the CPI are not estimated as part of our measurement of straight-line rental expense. Upon initial adoption of ASC Topic 842, the Company recognized a lease liability of $2.2 million (included in “Other Liabilities”) and a related right of use asset of $2.2 million (included in “Other Assets”) on our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets equal to the present value of the minimum lease payments required under each ground lease. During the nine months ended September 30, 2019, the Company recorded an additional $0.1 million right of use asset and recognized an additional lease liability of $0.1 million. The Company used a weighted average discount rate of approximately 4.4%, which was derived from our assessment of the credit quality of the Company and adjusted to reflect secured borrowing, estimated yield curves and long-term spread adjustments over appropriate tenors. Some of our ground leases contain extension options and, where we determined it was reasonably certain that an extension would occur, they were included in our calculation of the right of use asset and liability. We recognized approximately $35 and $66 of ground lease expense, which was paid in cash, during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019 , respectively.

The following table sets forth the undiscounted cash flows of our scheduled obligations for future minimum payments on operating ground leases at September 30, 2019 and a reconciliation of those cash flows to the operating lease liability at September 30, 2019:

 

 

Information as Lessee Under ASC Topic 840 (As of and for the year ended December 31, 2018)

The Company acquired an interest, as ground lessee, in the ground lease related to the Omaha and Clermont facilities at their dates of acquisition. In connection with the acquisitions of the Moline facility the Company acquired the seller’s interest, as ground lessee, in an existing ground lease that has approximately 10 years remaining in the initial term, with 12 consecutive five-year renewal options. In connection with the acquisition of the Silvis facility the Company acquired the seller’s interest, as ground lessee, in an existing ground lease that has approximately 67 years remaining in the initial term, with no renewal options.

The aggregate minimum cash payments to be made by the Company on these land leases as of December 31, 2018, were as follows: