Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2018

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Basis of Presentation

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements are unaudited and have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and in conjunction with the instructions to Form 10-Q of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Accordingly, certain information and footnote disclosures required by GAAP for complete financial statements have been condensed or omitted. These consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Paramount and its consolidated subsidiaries, including the Operating Partnership. In the opinion of management, all significant adjustments (which include only normal recurring adjustments) and eliminations (which include intercompany balances and transactions) necessary to present fairly the financial position, results of operations and changes in cash flows have been made. The consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2017 was derived from audited financial statements as of that date, but does not include all information and disclosures required by GAAP. These consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, as filed with the SEC.

Significant Accounting Policies

Significant Accounting Policies

There are no material changes to our significant accounting policies as disclosed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017.

Use of Estimates

Use of Estimates

We have made estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates. The results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018, are not necessarily indicative of the operating results for the full year.

Reclassification

Reclassification

Certain prior year balances have been reclassified to conform to current year presentation.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements Not Materially Impacting Our Financial Statements

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standard’s Board (“FASB”) issued ASU 2014-09, an update to ASC Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. ASU 2014-09, as amended, supersedes nearly all existing revenue recognition guidance under U.S. GAAP. The core principle of this guidance is that an entity should recognize revenue when it transfers promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration which the entity expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. This guidance also requires additional disclosure about the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from customer contracts, including significant judgments made in applying the guidance. This guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, and for interim periods within those fiscal years, and can be applied using a full retrospective or modified retrospective approach. We adopted the provisions of ASU 2014-09 on January 1, 2018, using the modified retrospective approach. The adoption of ASU 2014-09 did not impact our consolidated financial results but resulted in additional disclosures on our consolidated financial statements. See Note 16, Revenues.

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, an update to ASC Topic 326, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses. ASU 2016- 13 requires measurement and recognition of expected credit losses on financial instruments measured at amortized cost at the end of each reporting period rather than recognizing the credit losses when it is probable that the loss has been incurred in accordance with current guidance. ASU 2016-13 is effective for interim and annual reporting periods in fiscal years that begin after December 15, 2019, with early adoption permitted for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018. We are evaluating the impact of ASU 2016-13 but do not believe the adoption will have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

In May 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-09, an update to ASC Topic 718, Compensation – Stock Compensation. ASU 2017- 09 clarifies the types of changes to the terms and conditions of a share-based payment award that requires modification accounting. ASU 2017-09 does not change the accounting for modification of share-based awards, but clarifies that modification accounting should only be applied if there is a change to the value, vesting condition or award classification and would not be required if the changes are considered non-substantive. ASU 2017-09 is effective for interim and annual reporting periods in fiscal years that begin after December 31, 2017, with early adoption permitted. We adopted the provisions of ASU 2017-09 on January 1, 2018 and the adoption of ASU 2017-09 did not have an impact on our consolidated financial statements.

In August 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-12, an update to ASC Topic 815, Derivatives and Hedging. ASU 2017-12 improves transparency and understandability of information by better aligning the financial reporting for hedging relationships with the risk management activities. ASU 2017-12 also simplifies the application of hedge accounting through changes in both the designation and measurement of qualifying hedging relationships. ASU 2017-12 is effective for interim and annual reporting periods in fiscal years that begin after December 15, 2018, with early adoption permitted. We are evaluating the impact of ASU 2017-12 but do not believe the adoption will have an impact on our consolidated financial statements.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-13, an update to ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements. ASU 2018-13 modifies the disclosure requirements in ASC Topic 820, by (i) removing certain disclosure requirements related to transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy and the valuation processes for Level 3 fair value measurements, (ii) modifying existing disclosure requirements related to measurement uncertainty and (iii) adding new disclosure requirements related to changes in unrealized gains or losses for the period included in other comprehensive income for recurring Level 3 fair value measurements and disclosures related to the range and weighted average of significant unobservable inputs used to develop Level 3 fair value measurements. ASU 2018-13 is effective for interim and annual reporting periods in fiscal years that begin after December 15, 2019, with early adoption permitted. We are evaluating the impact of ASU 2018-13 but do not believe the adoption will have an impact on our consolidated financial statements.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements Impacting or Potentially Impacting Our Financial Statements

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, an update to ASC Topic 842, Leases. ASU 2016-02 amends the existing guidance for lease accounting by requiring lessees to, among other things, (i) recognize most leases on their balance sheets, (ii) classify leases as either financing or operating, and (iii) record a right-of-use asset and a lease liability for all leases with a term greater than 12 months. ASU 2016-02 is effective for interim and annual reporting periods in fiscal years that begin after December 15, 2018, with early adoption permitted. We plan to adopt the provisions of ASU 2016-02 on January 1, 2019, using the modified retrospective method and we will record a right-of-use asset and a lease liability upon such adoption for a select few leases in which we are a lessee. However, we do not believe that any asset and liability recorded in connection with such adoption will have a material impact to our financial statements.

While accounting for lessors under ASU 2016-02 is substantially similar to existing lease accounting guidance, lessors are required to separate payments received pursuant to a lease between lease components (rental income) and non-lease components (revenue related to various services we provide). In July 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-11, which provided lessors with a practical expedient to not separate lease and non-lease components, if certain criteria are met. We believe we meet such criteria and upon the adoption of ASU 2016-02, we plan to elect this practical expedient.

Furthermore, ASU 2016-02 also updates the definition of initial direct costs for both lessees and lessors to include only incremental costs of a lease that would not have been incurred if the lease had not been obtained. As a result, upon adoption of ASU 2016-02 on January 1, 2019, we will no longer be able to capitalize internal leasing costs and will have to expense them instead. We had capitalized internal leasing costs of $1,169,000 and $1,491,000 for the three months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively, and $4,276,000 and $4,488,000, for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-18, an update to ASC Topic 230, Statement of Cash Flows, to provide guidance on classification and presentation of changes in restricted cash on the statement of cash flows. ASU 2016-18 requires that an entity’s reconciliation of the beginning-of-period and end-of-period total amounts shown on the statement of cash flows to include restricted cash with cash and cash equivalents. ASU 2016-18 is effective for interim and annual reporting periods in fiscal years that begin after December 15, 2017, with early adoption permitted. We elected to early adopt ASU 2016-18 retrospectively, on December 31, 2017. This adoption resulted in (i) additional disclosures to reconcile cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash on our consolidated balance sheets to our consolidated statements of cash flows and (ii) a decrease to cash provided by operating activities of $3,000,000 and an increase in cash provided by investing activities of $5,946,000 for the nine months ended September 30, 2017.

In February 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-05, an update to ASC Topic 610, Other Income. ASU 2017-05 clarifies the scope and accounting for derecognition of a nonfinancial asset and eliminates the guidance in ASC 360-20 specific to real estate sales and partial sales. ASU 2017-05 requires an entity that transfers control of a nonfinancial asset to measure any noncontrolling interest it retains (or receives) at fair value. ASU 2017-05 is effective for interim and annual reporting periods in fiscal years that begin after December 15, 2017, with early adoption permitted for entities concurrently early adopting ASU 2014-09. We adopted the provisions of ASU 2017-05 on January 1, 2018, using the modified retrospective approach. Upon adoption, we recorded a $7,086,000 adjustment to “investments in unconsolidated joint ventures” relating to the measurement of our consolidated Residential Development Fund’s (“RDF”) retained interest in One Steuart Lane (formerly 75 Howard Street) at fair value with an offset to equity. See Note 5, Investments in Unconsolidated Joint Ventures.