Noncontrolling Interest Represented By Preferred Operating Partnership Units

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Noncontrolling Interest Represented By Preferred Operating Partnership Units

NONCONTROLLING INTEREST REPRESENTED BY PREFERRED OPERATING PARTNERSHIP UNITS

Classification of Noncontrolling Interests

GAAP requires a company to present ownership interests in subsidiaries held by parties other than the company in the consolidated financial statements within the equity section, but separate from the company’s equity. It also requires the amount of consolidated net income attributable to the parent and to the noncontrolling interest to be clearly identified and presented on the face of the consolidated statement of operations and requires changes in ownership interest to be accounted for similarly as equity transactions. If noncontrolling interests are determined to be redeemable, they are to be carried at their redemption value as of the balance sheet date and reported as temporary equity.

The Company has evaluated the terms of the Operating Partnership’s preferred units and classifies the noncontrolling interest represented by such preferred units as stockholders’ equity in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. The Company will periodically evaluate individual noncontrolling interests for the ability to continue to recognize the noncontrolling amount as permanent equity in the consolidated balance sheets. Any noncontrolling interests that fail to qualify as permanent equity will be reclassified as temporary equity and adjusted to the greater of (1) the carrying amount, or (2) its redemption value as of the end of the period in which the determination is made.

At December 31, 2018 and 2017, the noncontrolling interests represented by the Preferred OP Units qualified for classification as permanent equity on the Company's consolidated balance sheets. The partnership agreement of the Operating Partnership (as amended, the "Partnership Agreement") provides for the designation and issuance of the OP Units. Noncontrolling interests in Preferred OP Units were presented net of notes receivable from preferred Operating Partnership unit holders of $108,644 and $120,230 as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively, as more fully described below.

Series A Participating Redeemable Preferred Units

The Series A Units were issued in June 2007. Series A Units in the amount of $101,700 bear a fixed priority return of 2.3%, and originally had a fixed liquidation value of $115,000. The remaining balance participates in distributions with, and has a liquidation value equal to, that of the common OP Units. The Series A Units became redeemable at the option of the holder on September 1, 2008, which redemption obligation may be satisfied, at the Company’s option, in cash or shares of its common stock. As a result of the redemption of 114,500 Series A Units in October 2014, the remaining fixed liquidation value was reduced to $101,700 which represents 875,480 Series A Units. On April 18, 2017, the holder of the Series A Units and the Operating Partnership agreed to reduce the fixed priority return on the Series A Units from 5.0% to 2.3% in exchange for a reduction in the interest rate of the related loan, as more fully described below.

The Partnership Agreement provides for the designation and issuance of the Series A Units. The Series A Units have priority over all other partnership interests of the Operating Partnership with respect to distributions and liquidation.

On June 25, 2007, the Operating Partnership loaned the holders of the Series A Units $100,000. The note receivable bears interest at 2.1%. On April 18, 2017, a loan amendment was signed modifying the maturity date of the loan to the later of the death of the Series A Unit holder or his spouse and also lowering the interest rate of the loan from 4.9% to 2.1%. The loan amendment was determined to be a loan modification under GAAP, and therefore no change in value was recognized. The loan is secured by the borrower’s Series A Units. No future redemption of Series A Units can be made unless the loan secured by the Series A Units is also repaid. The Series A Units are shown on the balance sheet net of the $100,000 loan because the borrower under the loan is also the holder of the Series A Units.

Series B Redeemable Preferred Units

The Partnership Agreement provides for the designation and issuance of the Series B Units. The Series B Units rank junior to the Series A Units, on parity with the Series C Units and Series D Units, and senior to all other partnership interests of the Operating Partnership with respect to distributions and liquidation.

The Series B Units were issued in 2013 and 2014 and have a liquidation value of $25.00 per unit for a current fixed liquidation value of $41,902 which represents 1,676,087 Series B Units. Holders of the Series B Units receive distributions at an annual rate of 6.0%. These distributions are cumulative. The Series B Units are redeemable at the option of the holder on the first anniversary of the date of issuance, which redemption obligations may be satisfied at the Company’s option in cash or shares of its common stock. The Series B Units rank junior to the Series A Units, on parity with the Series C Units and Series D Units, and senior to all other partnership interests of the Operating Partnership with respect to distributions and liquidation.

Series C Convertible Redeemable Preferred Units

The Partnership Agreement provides for the designation and issuance of the Series C Units. The Series C Units rank junior to the Series A Units, on parity with the Series B Units and Series D Units, and senior to all other partnership interests of the Operating Partnership with respect to distributions and liquidation.

The Series C Units were issued in 2013 and 2014 and have a liquidation value of $42.10 per unit for a current fixed liquidation value of $12,462 which represents 296,020 Series C Units. From issuance to the fifth anniversary of issuance, each Series C Unit holder will receive quarterly distributions equal to the quarterly distribution for common OP Unit plus $0.18. Beginning on the fifth anniversary of issuance, each Series C Unit holder will receive a fixed quarterly distribution equal to the aggregate quarterly distribution payable in respect of such Series C Unit during the four quarters immediately preceding the fifth anniversary of issuance divided by four. These distributions are cumulative. The Series C Units became redeemable at the option of the holder one year from the date of issuance, which redemption obligation may be satisfied at the Company’s option in cash or shares of its common stock. The Series C Units also became convertible into common OP Units at the option of the holder one year from the date of issuance, at a rate of 0.9145 common OP Units per Series C Unit converted. This conversion option expires upon the fifth anniversary of the date of issuance.

In December 2014, the Operating Partnership loaned holders of the Series C Units $20,230. The notes receivable, which are collateralized by the Series C Units, bear interest at 5.0% and mature on December 15, 2024. The Series C Units are shown on the balance sheet net of the loan because the borrower under the loan receivable is also the holder of the Series C Units.

On December 1, 2018, certain holders of the Series C Units converted their Series C Units into common OP Units, with a total of 407,996 Series C Units being converted into a total of 373,113 common OP Units. As part of this conversion, the holders of the Series C Units agreed to pledge the common OP Units received in the conversion as collateral on the loan receivable to replace the Series C Units that were converted. As of December 31, 2018, the total outstanding balance of the loan receivable was $19,735, of which $8,644 is shown as a reduction of the noncontrolling interests related to the Series C Units and $11,091 is shown as a reduction of the noncontrolling interests related to the common OP Units on the Company's consolidated balance sheets.

Series D Redeemable Preferred Units

The Partnership Agreement provides for the designation and issuance of the Series D Units. The Series D Units rank junior to the Series A Units, on parity with the Series B Units and Series C Units, and senior to all other partnership interest of the Operating Partnership with respect to distributions and liquidation.

The Series D Units have been issued at various times from 2014 to 2017. During the year ended December 31, 2017, the Operating Partnership issued 446,420 Series D Units valued at $11,161 in conjunction with wholly-owned and joint venture acquisitions. During the year ended December 31, 2016, the Operating Partnership issued a total of 2,687,711 Series D Units valued at $67,193 in conjunction with the acquisition of real estate assets.

The Series D Units have a liquidation value of $25.00 per unit, for a current fixed liquidation value of $92,064 which represents 3,682,521 Series D Units. Holders of the Series D Units receive distributions at an annual rate between 3.0% and 5.0%. These distributions are cumulative. The Series D Units will become redeemable at the option of the holder on the first anniversary of the date of issuance, which redemption obligation may be satisfied at the Company’s option in cash or shares of its common stock. In addition, certain of the Series D Units are exchangeable for common OP Units until the tenth anniversary of the date of issuance, with the number of common OP Units to be issued equal to $25.00 per Series D Unit, divided by the value of a share of common stock as of the exchange date.

NONCONTROLLING INTEREST IN OPERATING PARTNERSHIP AND OTHER NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS

Noncontrolling interest in Operating Partnership

The Company’s interest in its stores is held through the Operating Partnership. Between its general partner and limited partner interests, the Company held a 91.0% majority ownership interest therein as of December 31, 2018. The remaining ownership interests in the Operating Partnership (including Preferred OP Units) of 9.0% are held by certain former owners of assets acquired by the Operating Partnership.

The noncontrolling interest in the Operating Partnership represents OP Units that are not owned by the Company. OP Units are redeemable at the option of the holder, which redemption may be satisfied at the Company's option in cash based upon the fair market value of an equivalent number of shares of the Company’s common stock (based on the ten-day average trading price) at the time of the redemption. Alternatively, the Company may, at its sole discretion, elect to acquire those OP Units in exchange for shares of its common stock on a one-for-one basis, subject to anti-dilution adjustments provided in the Operating Partnership agreement. The ten-day average closing stock price at December 31, 2018, was $91.64 and there were 5,994,251 OP Units outstanding.

Assuming that all of the OP Unit holders exercised their right to redeem all of their OP Units on December 31, 2018 and the Company elected to pay the OP Unit holders cash, the Company would have paid $549,313 in cash consideration to redeem the units.

OP Unit activity is summarized as follows for the periods presented:



	For the Year Ended December 31,
	2018		2017		2016
OP Units redeemed for common stock	35,000		—		23,850
OP Units redeemed for cash	30,000		33,896		6,760
Cash paid for OP Units redeemed	$	2,558	$	2,510	$	506
OP Units issued in conjunction with acquisitions	21,768		90,228		93,569
Value of OP Units issued in conjunction with acquisitions	$	1,877	$	7,618	$	7,247

Additionally, 373,113 common OP Units were issued in the conversion of 407,996 Series C Units on December 1, 2018. These newly issued OP Units are pledged as collateral on the existing loan receivable to the Series C Unit holders. As a result, noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership is reported net of $11,091 of the loan receivable, which represents the portion of the note receivable that is collateralized by the OP Units.

GAAP requires a company to present ownership interests in subsidiaries held by parties other than the company in the consolidated financial statements within the equity section but separate from the company’s equity. It also requires the amount of consolidated net income attributable to the parent and to the noncontrolling interest to be clearly identified and presented on the face of the consolidated statement of operations and requires changes in ownership interest to be accounted for similarly as equity transactions. If noncontrolling interests are determined to be redeemable, they are to be carried at their redemption value as of the balance sheet date and reported as temporary equity.

The Company has evaluated the terms of the common OP Units and classifies the noncontrolling interest represented by the common OP Units as stockholders’ equity in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. The Company will periodically evaluate individual noncontrolling interests for the ability to continue to recognize the noncontrolling amount as permanent equity in the consolidated balance sheets. Any noncontrolling interests that fail to qualify as permanent equity will be reclassified as temporary equity and adjusted to the greater of (1) the carrying amount, or (2) its redemption value as of the end of the period in which the determination is made.