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Related Party Transactions and Arrangements
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2020
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]  
Related Party Transactions and Arrangements Related Party Transactions and Arrangements
As of March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the Special Limited Partner owned 8,888 shares of the Company’s outstanding common stock. The Advisor and its affiliates may incur and pay costs and fees on behalf of the Company. As of March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the Advisor held 90 partnership units in the OP designated as “OP Units” (“OP Units”).
The limited partnership agreement of the OP allows for the special allocation, solely for tax purposes, of excess depreciation deductions of up to $10.0 million to the Advisor, a limited partner of the OP.  In connection with this special allocation, the Advisor has agreed to restore a deficit balance in its capital account in the event of a liquidation of the OP and has agreed to provide a guaranty or indemnity of indebtedness of the OP.
Fees Incurred in Connection with the Operations of the Company
On February 17, 2017, the members of a special committee of the Board unanimously approved certain amendments to and a restatement of the then-effective advisory agreement, by and among the Company, the OP and the Advisor (the “Second A&R Advisory Agreement”). The Second A&R Advisory Agreement, which superseded, amended and restated the previously effective advisory agreement (the “Original A&R Advisory Agreement”), took effect on February 17, 2017. The initial term of the Second A&R Advisory Agreement expires February 17, 2027, and is automatically renewable for another ten-year term upon each ten-year anniversary unless the Second A&R Advisory Agreement is terminated (i) with notice of an election not to renew at least 365 days prior to the applicable tenth anniversary, (ii) in accordance with a change of control or a transition to self-management, (iii) by 67% of the independent directors of the Board for cause, without penalty, with 45 days’ notice or (iv) with 60 days prior written notice by the Advisor for (a) a failure to obtain a satisfactory agreement for any successor to the Company to assume and agree to perform obligations under the Second A&R Advisory Agreement or (b) any material breach of the Second A&R Advisory Agreement of any nature whatsoever by the Company.
On July 25, 2019, the Company entered into Amendment No. 1 to the Second Amended and Restated Advisory Agreement (the “Advisory Agreement Amendment”) among the Company, the OP, and the Advisor. The Advisory Agreement Amendment was unanimously approved by the Company’s independent directors. Additional information on the Advisory Agreement Amendment is included later in this footnote.
Acquisition Expense Reimbursements
The Advisor may be reimbursed for services provided for which it incurs investment-related expenses, or insourced expenses. The amount reimbursed for insourced expenses may not exceed 0.5% of the contract purchase price of each acquired property or 0.5% of the amount advanced for a loan or other investment. Additionally, the Company reimburses the Advisor for third party acquisition expenses. Under the Second A&R Advisory Agreement, total acquisition expenses may not exceed 4.5% of the contract purchase price of the Company’s portfolio or 4.5% of the amount advanced for all loans or other investments. This threshold has not been exceeded through March 31, 2020.
Asset Management Fees and Variable Management/Incentive Fees
Under the limited partnership agreement of the OP and the advisory agreement that was superseded by the Original A&R Advisory Agreement and until March 31, 2015, for its asset management services, the Company issued the Advisor an asset management subordinated participation by causing the OP to issue (subject to periodic approval by the Board) to the Advisor partnership units of the OP designated as “Class B Units” (“Class B Units”). The Class B Units were intended to be profit interests and vest, and no longer are subject to forfeiture, at such time as: (x) the value of the OP’s assets plus all distributions made equals or exceeds the total amount of capital contributed by investors plus a 6.0% cumulative, pre-tax, non-compounded annual return thereon (the “Economic Hurdle”); (y) any one of the following occurs: (1) a listing; (2) another liquidity event or (3) the termination of the advisory agreement by an affirmative vote of a majority of the Company’s independent directors without cause; and (z) the Advisor is still providing advisory services to the Company (the “Performance Condition”).
Unvested Class B Units will be forfeited immediately if: (a) the advisory agreement is terminated for any reason other than a termination without cause; or (b) the advisory agreement is terminated by an affirmative vote of a majority of the Company’s independent directors without cause before the Economic Hurdle has been met.
Subject to approval by the Board, the Class B Units were issued to the Advisor quarterly in arrears pursuant to the terms of the limited partnership agreement of the OP. The number of Class B Units issued in any quarter was equal to: (i) the excess of (A) the product of (y) the cost of assets multiplied by (z) 0.1875% over (B) any amounts payable as an oversight fee (as described below) for such calendar quarter; divided by (ii) the value of one share of common stock as of the last day of such calendar quarter, which was initially equal to $22.50 (the price in the Company’s initial public offering of common stock minus the selling commissions and dealer manager fees). The value of issued Class B Units will be determined and expensed when the Company deems the achievement of the Performance Condition to be probable. As of March 31, 2020, the Company cannot determine the probability of achieving the Performance Condition. The Advisor receives cash distributions on each issued Class B Unit equal to the distribution rate received on the Company’s common stock. These distributions on Class B Units are included in general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statement of operations and comprehensive loss until the Performance Condition is considered probable to occur. The Board has previously approved the issuance of 359,250 Class B Units to the Advisor in connection with this arrangement. The Board determined in February 2018 that Economic Hurdle had been satisfied, however none of the events have occurred, including a listing of the Company’s common stock on a national securities exchange, which would have satisfied the other vesting requirement of the Class B Units. Therefore, no expense has ever been recognized in connection with the Class B Units.
On May 12, 2015, the Company, the OP and the Advisor entered into an amendment to the then-current advisory agreement, which, among other things, provided that the Company would cease causing the OP to issue Class B Units to the Advisor with respect to any period ending after March 31, 2015.
Effective February 17, 2017, the Second A&R Advisory Agreement requires the Company to pay the Advisor a base management fee, which is payable on the first business day of each month. The fixed portion of the base management fee is equal to $1.625 million per month, while the variable portion of the base management fee is equal to one-twelfth of 1.25% of the cumulative net proceeds of any equity (including convertible equity and certain convertible debt but excluding proceeds from the DRIP) issued by the Company and its subsidiaries subsequent to February 17, 2017 per month. The base management fee is payable to the Advisor or its assignees in cash, OP Units or shares, or a combination thereof, the form of payment to be determined at the discretion of the Advisor and the value of any OP Unit or share to be determined by the Advisor acting in good faith on the basis of such quotations and other information as it considers, in its reasonable judgment, appropriate.
In addition, the Second A&R Advisory Agreement requires the Company to pay the Advisor a variable management/incentive fee quarterly in arrears equal to (1) the product of fully diluted shares of common stock outstanding multiplied by (2) (x) 15.0% of the applicable prior quarter’s Core Earnings (as defined below) per share in excess of $0.375 per share plus (y) 10.0% of the applicable prior quarter’s Core Earnings per share in excess of $0.47 per share. Core Earnings is defined as, for the applicable period, net income or loss, computed in accordance with GAAP, excluding non-cash equity compensation expense, the variable management/incentive fee, acquisition and transaction related fees and expenses, financing related fees and expenses, depreciation and amortization, realized gains and losses on the sale of assets, any unrealized gains or losses or other non-cash items recorded in net income or loss for the applicable period, regardless of whether such items are included in other comprehensive income or loss, or in net income, one-time events pursuant to changes in GAAP and certain non-cash charges, impairment losses on real estate related investments and other than temporary impairments of securities, amortization of deferred financing costs, amortization of tenant inducements, amortization of straight-line rent and any associated bad debt reserves, amortization of market lease intangibles, provision for loss loans, and other non-recurring revenue and expenses (in each case after discussions between the Advisor and the independent directors and approved by a majority of the independent directors). The variable management/incentive
fee is payable to the Advisor or its assignees in cash or shares, or a combination of both, the form of payment to be determined in the sole discretion of the Advisor and the value of any share to be determined by the Advisor acting in good faith on the basis of such quotations and other information as it considers, in its reasonable judgment, appropriate. No variable management incentive fee was incurred for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019.
Property Management Fees
Unless the Company contracts with a third party, the Company pays the Property Manager a property management fee on a monthly basis, equal to 1.5% of gross revenues from the Company’s stand-alone single-tenant net leased properties managed and 2.5% of gross revenues from all other types of properties managed, plus market-based leasing commissions applicable to the geographic location of the property. The Company also reimburses the Property Manager for property level expenses incurred by the Property Manager. The Property Manager may charge a separate fee for the one-time initial rent-up or leasing-up of newly constructed properties in an amount not to exceed the fee customarily charged in arm’s length transactions by others rendering similar services in the same geographic area for similar properties, and the Property Manager is allowed to receive a higher property management fee in certain cases if approved by our Board of Directors (including a majority of the independent directors).
If the Company contracts directly with third parties for such services, the Company will pay the third party customary market fees and will pay the Property Manager an oversight fee of 1.0% of the gross revenues of the property managed by the third party. In no event will the Company pay the Property Manager or any affiliate of the Property Manager both a property management fee and an oversight fee with respect to any particular property. If the Property Manager provides services other than those specified in the Property Management Agreement, the Company will pay the Property Manager a monthly fee equal to no more than that which the Company would pay to a third party that is not an affiliate of the Company or the Property Manager to provide the services.
On February 17, 2017, the Company entered into the Amended and Restated Property Management and Leasing Agreement (the “A&R Property Management Agreement”) with the OP and the Property Manager. The A&R Property Management Agreement automatically renews for successive one-year terms unless any party provides written notice of its intention to terminate the A&R Property Management Agreement at least 90 days prior to the end of the term. Neither party provided notice of intent to terminate. The current term of the A&R Property Management Agreement expires February 17, 2021. The Property Manager may assign the A&R Property Management Agreement to any party with expertise in commercial real estate which has, together with its affiliates, over $100.0 million in assets under management.
On April 10, 2018, in connection with the Multi-Property CMBS Loan, the Company and the OP entered into a further amendment to the A&R Property Management Agreement confirming, consistent with the intent of the parties, that the borrowers under the Multi-Property CMBS Loan and other subsidiaries of the OP that own or lease the Company’s properties are the direct obligors under the arrangements pursuant to which the Company’s properties are managed by either the Property Manager or a third party overseen by the Property Manager pursuant to the A&R Property Management Agreement.
Professional Fees and Other Reimbursements
The Company reimburses the Advisor’s costs of providing administrative services including personnel costs, except for costs to the extent that the employees perform services for which the Advisor receives a separate fee. This reimbursement includes reasonable overhead expenses for employees of the Advisor or its affiliates directly involved in the performance of services on behalf of the Company, including the reimbursement of rent expense at certain properties that are both occupied by employees of the Advisor or its affiliates and owned by affiliates of the Advisor. During the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019, the Company incurred $2.2 million and $2.7 million, respectively, of reimbursement expenses from the Advisor for providing administrative services. These reimbursement expenses are included in general and administrative expense on the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss).
On July 25, 2019, the Company entered into the Advisory Agreement Amendment. Under the Second A&R Advisory Agreement, including prior to the Advisory Agreement Amendment, the Company has been required to reimburse the Advisor for, among other things, reasonable salaries and wages, benefits and overhead of all employees of the Advisor or its affiliates, except for costs of employees to the extent that the employees perform services for which the Advisor receives a separate fee.
The Advisory Agreement Amendment clarifies that, with respect to executive officers of the Advisor, the Company is required to reimburse the Advisor or its affiliates for the reasonable salaries and wages, benefits and overhead of the Company’s executive officers, other than for any executive officer that is also a partner, member or equity owner of AR Global, an affiliate of the Advisor.
Further, under the Advisory Agreement Amendment, the aggregate amount of expenses relating to salaries, wages and benefits, including for executive officers and all other employees of the Advisor or its affiliates (the “Capped Reimbursement Amount”), is limited to the greater of:
(a) $6.8 million (the “Fixed Component”) and
(b) the variable component (the “Variable Component”), which is defined in the Advisory Agreement Amendment as, for any fiscal year:
(i) the sum of the total real estate investments, at cost as recorded on the balance sheet dated as of the last day of each fiscal quarter (the “Real Estate Cost”) in the year divided by four, which amount is then
(ii) multiplied by 0.29%.
In the event of a reduction in the Real Estate Cost by 25.0% or more pursuant to instructions from the Company’s board of directors, in one or a series of related dispositions in which the proceeds of the disposition(s) are not reinvested in Investments (as defined in the Advisory Agreement Amendment), then within 12 months following the disposition(s), the Advisor and the Company will enter into good faith negotiations to reset the Fixed Component; provided that if the proceeds of the disposition(s) are paid to shareholders of the Company as a special distribution or used to repay loans with no intent of subsequently re-financing and re-investing the proceeds thereof in Investments, the Advisor and the Company will enter into good faith negotiations to reset the Fixed Component within 90 days thereof, in each case taking into account reasonable projections of reimbursable costs in light of the reduced assets of the Company.
Both the Fixed Component and the Variable Component will also be increased by an annual cost of living adjustment equal to the portion of the Capped Reimbursement Amount (as determined above) multiplied by the greater of (x) 3.0% and (y) the CPI for the prior year ended December 31st. For these purposes, CPI will be calculated by reference to the United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index, All Urban Consumer Price Index, New York-Newark-Jersey City with reference date (1982-1984) that equals 100.0 or the successor of this index.
Summary of fees, expenses and related payables
The following table details amounts incurred, forgiven and payable in connection with the Company’s operations-related services described above as of and for the periods presented:
 
 
Three Months Ended March 31,
 
Payable (Receivable) as of
 
 
 
2020
 
2019
 
 
 
 
 
(In thousands)
 
Incurred
 
Incurred
 
March 31,
2020
 
December 31, 2019
 
Non-recurring fees and reimbursements:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Acquisition cost reimbursements
 
$
70

 
$
18

 
$
70

 
$

 
Ongoing fees and reimbursements:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Asset management fees
 
4,997

 
4,875

 

 
27

 
Property management fees
 
1,052

 
893

 
(30
)
 
(44
)
 
Professional fees and other reimbursements
 
2,493

(2) 
2,875

 
(185
)
(3) 
(377
)
(3)  
Distributions on Class B Units (1)
 
76

 
75

 

 

 
Total related party operation fees and reimbursements
 
$
8,688

 
$
8,736

 
$
(145
)
 
$
(394
)
 
_______________
(1)
Prior to April 1, 2015, the Company caused the OP to issue (subject to periodic approval by the Board) to the Advisor restricted performance based Class B Units for asset management services. As of March 31, 2020, the Board had approved the issuance of 359,250 Class B Units to the Advisor in connection with this arrangement. Effective April 1, 2015, the Company began paying an asset management fee to the Advisor or its assignees in cash, in shares, or a combination of both and no longer issues any Class B Units.
(2) 
Includes $1.7 million related to the Capped Reimbursement Amount for the three months ended March 31, 2020.
(3) 
Balance includes a receivable of $0.4 million from the Advisor as of March 31, 2019 and $0.5 million at December 31, 2019, previously recorded in the fourth quarter of 2018, which, pursuant to authorization by the independent members of the Company’s board of directors, is payable over time during 2020. The first payment was received during the three months ended March 31, 2020.
Fees and Participations Incurred in Connection with a Listing or the Liquidation of the Company’s Real Estate Assets
Fees Incurred in Connection with a Listing
If the common stock of the Company is listed on a national exchange, the Special Limited Partner will be entitled to receive a promissory note as evidence of its right to receive a subordinated incentive listing distribution from the OP equal to 15.0% of the amount by which the market value of all issued and outstanding shares of common stock plus distributions exceeds the aggregate capital contributed plus an amount equal to a 6.0% cumulative, pre-tax non-compounded annual return to investors in the Company’s initial public offering of common stock. No such distribution was incurred during the three months ended March 31, 2020 or 2019. If the Special Limited Partner or any of its affiliates receives the subordinated incentive listing distribution the Special Limited Partner and its affiliates will no longer be entitled to receive the subordinated participation in net sales proceeds or the subordinated incentive termination distribution described below.
Subordinated Participation in Net Sales Proceeds
Upon a liquidation or sale of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets, including through a merger or sale of
stock, the Special Limited Partner will be entitled to receive a subordinated participation in the net sales proceeds of the sale of real estate assets from the OP equal to 15.0% of remaining net sale proceeds after return of capital contributions to investors in the Company’s initial public offering of common stock plus payment to investors of a 6.0% cumulative, pre-tax non-compounded annual return on the capital contributed by investors. No such participation in net sales proceeds became due and payable during the three months ended March 31, 2020 or 2019. Any amount of net sales proceeds paid to the Special Limited Partner or any of its affiliates prior to the Company’s listing or termination or non-renewal of the advisory agreement with the Advisor, as applicable, will reduce dollar for dollar the amount of the subordinated incentive listing distribution described above and subordinated incentive termination distribution described below.
Termination Fees
Under the operating partnership agreement of the OP, upon termination or non-renewal of the advisory agreement with the Advisor, with or without cause, the Special Limited Partner will be entitled to receive a promissory note as evidence of its right to receive subordinated termination distributions from the OP equal to 15.0% of the amount by which the sum of the Company’s market value plus distributions exceeds the sum of the aggregate capital contributed by investors in the Company’s initial public offering of common stock plus an amount equal to an annual 6.0% cumulative, pre-tax, non-compounded annual return to investors. The Special Limited Partner is able to elect to defer its right to receive a subordinated distribution upon termination until either a listing on a national securities exchange or other liquidity event occurs. If the Special Limited Partner or any of its affiliates receives the subordinated incentive termination distribution, the Special Limited Partner and its affiliates will no longer be entitled to receive the subordinated participation in net sales proceeds or the subordinated incentive listing distribution described above.
Under the Second A&R Advisory Agreement, upon the termination or non-renewal of the agreement, the Advisor will be entitled to receive from the Company all amounts due to the Advisor, including any change of control fee and transition fee (both described below), as well as the then-present fair market value of the Advisor’s interest in the Company. All fees will be due within 30 days after the effective date of the termination of the Second A&R Advisory Agreement.
Upon a termination by either party in connection with a change of control (as defined in the Second A&R Advisory Agreement), the Company would pay the Advisor a change of control fee equal to the product of four (4) and the “Subject Fees.”
Upon a termination by the Company in connection with transition to self-management, the Company would pay the Advisor a transition fee equal to (i) $15.0 million plus (ii) the product of four multiplied by the Subject Fees, provided that the transition fee shall not exceed an amount equal (i) 4.5 multiplied by (ii) the Subject Fees.
The Subject Fees are equal to (i) the product of four multiplied by the actual base management fee plus (ii) the product of four multiplied by the actual variable management/incentive fee, in each of clauses (i) and (ii), payable for the fiscal quarter immediately prior to the fiscal quarter in which the change of control occurs or the transition to self-management is consummated, as applicable, plus (iii) without duplication, the annual increase in the base management fee resulting from the cumulative net proceeds of any equity raised (but excluding proceeds from the DRIP) in respect to the fiscal quarter immediately prior to the fiscal quarter in which the change of control occurs or the transition to self-management is consummated, as applicable.
The right to termination of the Second A&R Advisory Agreement in connection with a change of control or transition to self-management is subject to a lockout period that requires the notice of any termination in connection with a change of control or transition to self-management to be delivered after February 14, 2019.