Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2023

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

NOTE 2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of Accounting

The consolidated financial statements of the Company have been prepared on the accrual basis of accounting, in accordance with GAAP. In the opinion of management, the consolidated financial statements include the normal, recurring adjustments necessary for fair statement of the information required to be set forth therein. The results for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results for the entire year. Certain information and note disclosures, normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP, have been condensed or omitted from these statements pursuant to SEC rules and regulations and, accordingly, these financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements as filed with the SEC in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022.

Principles of Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements of the Company include the accounts of the Corporation and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, including the Operating Partnership. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

The consolidated financial statements include certain special purpose entities that were formed to acquire and hold real estate encumbered by indebtedness (see Note 4). Each special purpose entity is a separate legal entity and is the sole owner of its assets and responsible for its liabilities. The assets of these special purpose entities are not available to pay, or otherwise satisfy obligations to, the creditors of any affiliate or owner of another entity unless the special purpose entities have expressly agreed and are permitted to do so under their governing documents. As of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, net assets totaling $11.1 million and $11.7 million, respectively, were held, and net liabilities totaling $4.5 million and $4.9 million, respectively, were owed by these encumbered special purpose entities and are included in the consolidated balance sheets.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Although management believes its estimates are reasonable, actual results could differ from those estimates.

Segment Reporting

The Company views its operations as one reportable segment, which consists of net leasing operations.

Revenue Recognition

Rental Income: Cash and Straight-line Rent

The Company primarily leases real estate to its tenants under long-term, triple-net leases that are classified as operating leases. To evaluate lease classification, the Company assesses the terms and conditions of the lease to determine the appropriate lease term. Options to extend, terminate or purchase are not included in the evaluation for lease classification or for recognition of rental income unless the Company is reasonably certain the tenant will exercise the option. Evaluation of lease classification also requires an estimate of the real estate's residual value at the end of the lease term. For acquisitions, the Company uses the tangible value of the property at the date of acquisition. For lease modifications, the Company generally uses sales comparables or a direct capitalization approach to estimate residual value.

The Company’s leases generally provide for rent escalations throughout the term of the lease. For leases with fixed escalators, rental income is recognized on a straight-line basis to produce a constant periodic rent over the term of the lease. Accordingly, the difference between rental income recognized on a straight-line basis and billed rents is recorded as rent receivables, which the Company will receive only if the tenant makes all rent payments required through the initial term of their lease. For leases with variable rent escalators, rental income typically increases at a multiple of any increase in the CPI over a specified period. Because of the volatility and uncertainty regarding future changes in the CPI and the Company’s inability to determine the extent to which any specific future change in the CPI is probable, increases from variable rent escalators are recognized when the changes in the rental rates have occurred.

Some of the Company’s leases also provide for contingent rent based on a percentage of the tenant’s gross sales, which is recognized as rental income when the factor on which the contingent lease payment is based has occurred.

Rental income is subject to an evaluation for collectability, which includes management’s estimates of amounts that will not be realized based on an assessment of the risks inherent in the portfolio, considering historical experience, as well as the tenant's payment history and financial condition. The Company does not recognize rental income for amounts that are not probable of collection.

Rental Income: Tenant Reimbursement Revenue

Under a triple-net lease, the tenant is typically responsible for all improvements and is contractually obligated to pay all property operating expenses, such as real estate taxes, insurance premiums and repair and maintenance costs. Certain leases contain additional amounts recoverable from tenants for common area maintenance and certain other expenses, which are non-lease components. The Company elected to combine all its non-lease components, which were determined to have the same pattern of transfer as the related operating lease component, into a single combined lease component. Tenant reimbursement revenue is variable and is recognized in the period in which the related expenses are incurred, with the related expenses included in property costs (including reimbursable) on the consolidated statements of operations. Tenant reimbursements are recorded on a gross basis in instances when our tenants reimburse us for property costs which we incur. Tenant receivables are reduced for amounts that are not probable of collection.

Rental Income: Intangible Amortization

Amortization of above- and below-market lease intangibles are included as a decrease and increase, respectively, to rental revenue and amortization of in-place lease intangibles is included in depreciation and amortization expense in the consolidated statements of operations. All lease intangibles are amortized on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease, which includes any renewal options the Company is reasonably certain the tenant will exercise. If the Company subsequently determines it is reasonably certain that the tenant will not exercise the renewal options, the unamortized portion of any related lease intangible is accelerated over the remaining initial term of the lease. If the Company believes a lease intangible balance is no longer recoverable, the unamortized portion is immediately recognized in impairments in the consolidated statements of operations.

Loans Receivable

Interest on loans receivable is recognized using the effective interest rate method. A loan is placed on non-accrual status when the loan has become 60 days past due, or earlier if management determines that full recovery of the contractually specified payments of principal and interest is doubtful. While on non-accrual status, interest income is recognized only when received. Delinquent loans receivable are written off against the allowance when all possible means of collection have been exhausted.

The Company evaluates its loans receivable balance, including accrued interest, for potential credit losses by analyzing the credit of the borrower, the remaining time to maturity of the loan, collateral value and quality (if any), and other relevant factors. Allowance for credit losses are recorded in impairments on the consolidated statement of operations.

Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash

Cash and cash equivalents include cash and highly liquid investment securities with maturities at acquisition of three months or less. The Company invests cash primarily in money market funds of major financial institutions with fund investments consisting of highly-rated money market instruments and other short-term instruments. Restricted cash is classified within deferred costs and other assets, net in the consolidated balance sheets. Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash consisted of the following (in thousands):


	September 30, 2023		December 31, 2022		September 30, 2022
Cash and cash equivalents	$	134,166	$	8,770	$	109,829
Restricted cash:
1031 Exchange proceeds		4,210		53,183		—
Tenant security deposits		645		—		—
Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	$	139,021	$	61,953	$	109,829

Tenant Receivables

The Company reviews its rent and other tenant receivables for collectability on a regular basis, considering changes in factors such as the tenant’s payment history, the tenant’s financial condition, industry conditions in which the tenant operates and economic conditions in the geographic area in which the tenant operates. If a receivable is not probable of collection, a direct write-off of the receivable will be made. The Company had accounts receivable balances of $13.1 million and $18.2 million at September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively, after the impact of $2.3 million and $3.2 million of receivables, respectively, that were deemed not probable of collection. These receivables are recorded within deferred cost and other assets, net in the consolidated balance sheets.

For receivable balances related to the straight-line method of recognizing rental income, the collectability is generally assessed in conjunction with the evaluation of rental income as described above. The Company had straight-line rent receivables of $185.2 million and $167.1 million at September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively, after the impact of $1.0 million and $1.3 million of receivables, respectively, that were deemed not probable of collection. These receivables are recorded within deferred costs and other assets, net in the consolidated balance sheets.

Goodwill

Goodwill arises from business combinations as the excess of the cost of an acquired entity over the net fair value amounts that were assigned to the identifiable assets acquired and the liabilities assumed. Goodwill is tested for impairment at the reporting unit level annually or between annual tests if an event occurs or circumstances change that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of the reporting unit below its carrying value. The Company performs a qualitative assessment to determine if the quantitative impairment test is necessary. The quantitative impairment test, if deemed necessary, compares the fair value of each reporting unit with its carrying amount and impairment is recognized as the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value. No impairment was recorded for the periods presented.

Income Taxes

The Corporation has elected to be taxed as a REIT under the Code. As a REIT, the Corporation generally will not be subject to federal income tax provided it continues to satisfy certain tests concerning the Company’s sources of income, the nature of the Company’s assets, the amounts distributed to the Corporation’s stockholders and the ownership of Corporation stock. Management believes the Corporation has qualified and will continue to qualify as a REIT and, therefore, no provision has been made for federal income taxes in the consolidated financial statements. Even if the Corporation qualifies for taxation as a REIT, it may be subject to state and local income and franchise taxes, and to federal income tax and excise tax on its undistributed income.

Taxable income earned by any of the Company's taxable REIT subsidiaries, including from non-REIT activities, is subject to federal, state and local taxes. Taxable income from non-REIT activities managed through any of the Company's taxable REIT subsidiaries is subject to federal, state and local taxes, which are not material.

Earnings Per Share

The Company’s unvested restricted common stock, which contains non-forfeitable rights to receive dividends, are considered participating securities requiring the two-class method of computing earnings per share. Under the two-class method, earnings per common share are computed by dividing the sum of distributed earnings to common stockholders and undistributed earnings allocated to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period. In applying the two-class method, undistributed earnings are allocated to both common shares and participating securities based on their respective weighted average shares outstanding during the period.

Under the terms of the Amended Incentive Award Plan, restricted stock awards are not allocated losses, including undistributed losses as a result of dividends declared exceeding net income. The Company uses net income attributable to common shareholders to determine whether potential common shares are dilutive or anti-dilutive and undistributed net income (loss) to determine whether undistributed earnings are allocable to participating securities.

Forward Equity Sale Agreements

The Corporation may enter into forward sale agreements for the sale and issuance of shares of our common stock, either through an underwritten public offering or through the 2021 ATM Program. These agreements may be physically settled in stock, settled in cash, or net share settled at the Company’s election. The Company evaluated the forward sale agreements and concluded they meet the conditions to be classified within stockholders’ equity. Prior to settlement, a forward sale agreement will be reflected in the diluted earnings per share calculations using the treasury stock method. Under this method, the number of shares of the Corporation’s common stock used in diluted earnings per share is deemed to be increased by the excess, if any, of the number of shares of the Corporation’s common stock that would be issued upon full physical settlement of such forward sale agreement over the number of shares of the Corporation’s common stock that could be purchased by the Company in the market (based on the average market price during the period) using the proceeds receivable upon full physical settlement (based on the adjusted forward sale price at the end of the reporting period). Consequently, prior to settlement of a forward sale agreement, there will be no dilutive effect on the Company’s earnings per share except during periods when the average market price of the Corporation’s common stock is above the adjusted forward sale price. However, upon settlement of a forward sales agreement, if the Corporation elects to physically settle or net share settle such forward sale agreement, delivery of the Corporation’s shares will result in dilution to the Company’s earnings per share. We had no outstanding forward sales agreements as of September 30, 2023.