COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2023

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

17. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Leases

As of December 31, 2023, the Company had a $(16.4) million lease liability and a $14.7 million right-of-use asset on its consolidated balance sheets recorded within other liabilities and other assets, respectively. The right-of-use lease asset relates to the Company's operating lease of office space. Right-of use lease assets initially equal the lease liability. During the years ended

December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company recognized $2.2 million and $1.1 million, respectively, in operating expenses in its consolidated statements of income relating to operating leases.

Future minimum lease payments under non-cancelable operating leases as of December 31, 2023 are as follows ($ in thousands):



2024	$	2,171
2025	2,207
2026	2,219
2027	2,232
2028	13,344
Thereafter	—
Total undiscounted cash flows	22,173
Present value discount (1)	(5,755)
Lease liabilities (2)	$	16,418

(1)Lease liabilities were discounted at the Company's weighted average incremental borrowing rate for similar collateral, which was estimated to be 6.62%. The remaining lease term is 9.6 years.

(2)The Company has a five-year extension option which is not reflected in the total lease liability.

Unfunded Loan Commitments

As of December 31, 2023, the Company’s off-balance sheet arrangements consisted of $204.0 million of unfunded commitments on mortgage loan receivables held for investment to provide additional first mortgage loan financing over the next three years at rates to be determined at the time of funding. 63% of these additional funds relate to the occurrence of certain “good news” events, such as the owner concluding a lease agreement with a major tenant in the building or reaching some pre-determined net operating income. As of December 31, 2022, the Company’s off-balance sheet arrangements consisted of $321.8 million of unfunded commitments on mortgage loan receivables held for investment to provide additional first mortgage loan financing.

Commitments are subject to our loan borrowers’ satisfaction of certain financial and nonfinancial covenants and may or may not be funded depending on a variety of circumstances including timing, credit metric hurdles, and other nonfinancial events occurring. The Company carefully monitors the progress of work at properties that serve as collateral underlying its commercial mortgage loans, including the progress of capital expenditures, construction, leasing and business plans in light of current market conditions. These commitments are not reflected on the consolidated balance sheets.

Unsettled Trades

As of December 31, 2023, the Company had $44.8 million of U.S. Treasury securities traded and not yet settled on its consolidated balance sheets. The U.S. Treasury securities are recorded within other assets, and the related payable is recorded within other liabilities. These balances relate to the Company’s purchase of U.S. Treasury securities with maturities of less than three months, which will be recorded within cash and cash equivalents upon settlement.