As a result of the approval of the Plan of Voluntary Liquidation in September 2019, the Company’s financial position and results of operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 will be presented using two different presentations. The Company adopted the liquidation basis of accounting as of September 1, 2019 and for the period subsequent to September 1, 2019. As a result, a consolidated statement of net assets is presented, which represents the estimated amount of net cash that the Company will collect as it carries out its Plan of Voluntary Liquidation. In addition, a consolidated statement of changes in net assets reflects changes in net assets from the original estimated values as of September 1, 2019 through the most recent period presented, as further described below.

All financial results and disclosures up through August 31, 2019, prior to adopting the liquidation basis of accounting, will be presented based on a going concern basis, which contemplated the realization of assets and liabilities in the normal course of business. As a result, the balance sheet as of December 31, 2018, and the statements of operations and the statements of cash flows for the eight months ended August 31, 2019 and the comparative nine months ended September 30, 2018 used the going concern basis presentation consistent with the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, as further described below.

The accompanying consolidated financial statements of the Company have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC. In the opinion of management, the consolidated financial statements include the normal, recurring adjustments necessary for a 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 for interim financial reports 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, 2018.

Subsequent to the Spin-Off on May 31, 2018, the consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. The pre-spin consolidated financial statements were prepared on a carve-out basis and reflect significant assumptions and allocations.

For the periods prior to the Spin-Off, the financial position and results of operations reflect a combination of entities under common control that have been carved-out from Spirit’s consolidated financial statements and present Spirit's historical carrying values of the assets and liabilities, consistent with accounting for spin-off transactions in accordance with GAAP. Since the Company prior to the Spin-Off did not represent one entity, a separate capital structure did not exist. As a result, the combined net assets of the predecessor legal entities have been reflected in the consolidated financial statements as net parent investment for periods prior to the Spin-Off. All transactions between Spirit and the predecessor legal entities are considered effectively settled through equity in the consolidated financial statements at the time the transaction is recorded, other than certain mortgages as discussed in Note 13. The settlement of these transactions is reflected as contributions from and distributions to parent in the consolidated statement of changes in equity and contributions from and distributions to parent in the consolidated statements of cash flows as a financing activity.

Through May 31, 2018, the pre-spin consolidated financial statements include expense allocations related to certain Spirit corporate general and administrative functions. These expenses have been allocated based on direct usage or benefit where specifically identifiable, with the remainder allocated pro rata based on property count. All the expense allocations were deemed to have been incurred and settled through net parent investment in the period in which the costs were incurred. Management considers the expense allocation methodology and results to be reasonable. However, the allocations may not be indicative of the actual expense that would have been incurred had the Company operated as an independent, publicly traded company for the periods presented prior to May 31, 2018. At time of the Spin-Off, SMTA entered into an Asset Management Agreement with Spirit to provide these corporate functions.

These consolidated financial statements include certain special purpose entities that were formed to acquire and hold real estate encumbered by indebtedness (see Note 7). 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 under their governing documents. As of December 31, 2018, net assets totaling $2.18 billion were held and net liabilities totaling $2.18 billion were owed by these encumbered special purpose entities included in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. As of September 30, 2019, there were no encumbered special purpose entities.

As a result of the approval of the Plan of Voluntary Liquidation by the shareholders, the Company adopted the liquidation basis of accounting as of September 1, 2019 and for the periods subsequent to September 1, 2019 in accordance with GAAP. Accordingly, on September 1, 2019 assets were adjusted to their estimated net realizable value, or liquidation value, which represents the estimated amount of cash that the Company expects to collect. Estimated costs to dispose of assets have been presented separately from the real estate assets, net in the consolidated statement of net assets. Liabilities are carried at their contractual amounts due or estimated settlement amounts. The liquidation value of the Company’s net assets is presented on an undiscounted basis.

The Company accrues expenses and income that it expects to incur and earn through the end of liquidation to the extent it has a reasonable basis for estimation. These amounts are classified as a liability for estimated expense in excess of estimated income during liquidation on the consolidated statement of net assets. Actual expenses and income may differ from amounts reflected in the financial statements because of inherent uncertainty in estimating future events. These differences may be material. See Note 4 for further discussion.

Net assets in liquidation represents the estimated liquidation value available to shareholders upon liquidation. Due to the uncertainty in the timing of the anticipated sale dates and the estimated cash flows, actual operating results and sale proceeds may differ materially from the amounts estimated.

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.

The Company views its operations in two segments—Master Trust 2014 and all other properties ("Other Properties"). The Master Trust 2014 segment was sold on September 20, 2019. See Note 10 for further discussion. The Company has no other reportable segments.

The Company primarily leased real estate to its tenants under long-term, triple-net leases that were classified as operating leases. To evaluate lease classification, the Company assessed the terms and conditions of the lease to determine the appropriate lease term. For the majority of our operating leases, the lease included one or more options to extend, typically for a period of five to ten years per renewal option. The Company’s operating leases sometimes also included an option to terminate or to purchase. The Company did not include these options in its evaluation for lease classification purposes or for recognizing rental income unless the Company was reasonably certain the tenant would exercise the option.

Another component of lease classification which required significant assumptions and judgment was the amount expected to be derived from the property at the end of the lease term. Generally, the Company assumed a value equal to net book value of the property at the date of the assessment, as the Company generally expected fair value to be equal to or greater than net book value. The Company sought to protect residual value through its underwriting of acquisitions, as well as lease structures where the lessee was responsible for maintenance of the property, including insurance protecting any damage to the property. To further protect residual value, the Company supplemented the tenant insurance policy with a master policy covering all properties owned by the Company. Additionally, the Company occasionally invested in capital improvements on properties, re-leasing properties to new tenants or extending lease terms to protect residual value.

The Company’s leases sometimes provided for contingent rent based on a percentage of the tenant’s gross sales, in which case the Company recognized contingent rental revenue when the change in the factor on which the contingent lease payment was based actually occurred.

The Company’s leases generally provided for rent escalations throughout the lease terms. For leases that had contingent rent escalators indexed to future changes in the CPI, rent increased at a multiple of any increase in the CPI over a specified period. Because of the volatility and uncertainty with respect to future changes in the CPI, increases in rental revenue from leases with this type of escalator were recognized when the changes in the rental rates occurred.

For leases that provided for fixed contractual escalations, rental revenue was recognized on a straight-line basis so as to produce a constant periodic rent over the term of the lease. Accordingly, accrued rental revenue, calculated as the aggregate difference between the rental revenue recognized on a straight-line basis and scheduled rents, represented unbilled rent receivables that the Company would receive only if the tenants made all rent payments required through the expiration of the initial term of the leases.

Rental income was subject to an evaluation for collectability, which included management’s estimates of amounts that would 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 recorded a provision for losses against rental income for amounts that were not probable of collection.

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 contained additional amounts recoverable from tenants for common area maintenance expenses and certain other recoverable expenses, which were non-lease components. The Company elected to combine all of 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 was variable and recognized as revenue in the period in which the related expenses were incurred, with the related expense included in property costs (including reimbursable). Tenant receivables were carried net of any allowances for amounts that were not probable of collection.

Initial direct costs associated with the origination of a lease were deferred and amortized over the related lease term as an adjustment to rental revenue. In-place lease intangibles were amortized on a straight-line basis over the remaining initial term of the related lease and included in depreciation and amortization expense. Above-market lease intangibles were amortized over the remaining initial terms of the respective leases as a decrease in rental revenue. Below-market lease intangibles were amortized as an increase to rental revenue over the remaining initial term of the respective leases, or over the initial term plus renewal periods when the Company was reasonably certain the tenant would exercise the renewal options. If the Company was reasonably certain a lease would terminate early, the unamortized portion of any related lease intangible was immediately recognized in impairments in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss.

Under going concern basis, the Company reviewed its rent and other tenant receivables for collectability on a regular basis, taking into consideration changes in factors such as the tenant’s payment history, the financial condition of the tenant, business conditions in the industry in which the tenant operated, and economic conditions in the area in which the tenant operated. If the collectability of a receivable with respect to any tenant was in doubt, a provision for uncollectible amounts was established or a direct write-off of the specific receivable was made. The Company’s reserve for uncollectible amounts totaled $6.6 million as of December 31, 2018, against accounts receivable balances of $8.2 million. Receivables were written off against the reserves for uncollectible amounts when all possible means of collection had been exhausted. Receivables are presented within deferred costs and other assets, net in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet.

For receivable balances related to the straight-line method of reporting rental revenue, the collectability was assessed in conjunction with the evaluation of rental income as described above. As of December 31, 2018, the Company established a reserve for losses of $0.5 million against straight-line receivables of $28.2 million. These receivables are presented within deferred costs and other assets, net in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet.

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 accompanying consolidated balance sheet. Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash consisted of the following (in thousands):

	September 30, 2019		December 31, 2018		September 30, 2018
Cash and cash equivalents	$	371,360	$	161,013	$	16,188
Restricted cash:
Release Account ⁽¹⁾		—		16,141		9,313
Liquidity Reserve ⁽²⁾		—		5,599		5,570
Lender controlled accounts ⁽³⁾		2,687		22,347		4,725
Other ⁽⁴⁾		—		—		1,548
Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	$	374,047	$	205,100	$	37,344

Goodwill arises from business combinations and represents 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 on an annual basis and 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. Goodwill was initially allocated to each reporting unit based upon the relative fair value of each reporting unit, resulting in $7.0 million allocated to Master Trust 2014 and $6.5 million allocated to Other Properties. The goodwill related to the Other Properties segment was fully impaired in 2018. The goodwill allocated to the Master Trust 2014 segment was relieved in conjunction with the Master Trust 2014 Sale in September 2019.

For the period prior to the Spin-Off, the Company applied the provisions of FASB ASC Topic 740, Income Taxes, and computed the provision for income taxes on a separate return basis. The separate return method applied the accounting guidance for income taxes to the stand-alone consolidated financial statements as if the Company was a separate taxpayer and a stand-alone enterprise for the periods presented.

The Company was wholly-owned by Spirit prior to the Spin-Off and was disregarded for federal income tax purposes. The Manager is wholly-owned by Spirit through certain direct and indirect ownership interests and is taxed as a partnership for Federal income tax purposes. Spirit has elected to be taxed as a REIT under the applicable provisions of the Code and, as a result, will not be subject to federal income tax as long as it distributes 100% of its taxable income and satisfies certain other requirements. Therefore, no provision for federal income tax was made in the accompanying consolidated financial statements for the period prior to the Spin-Off.

For the period subsequent to the Spin-Off, the Company elected to be taxed as a REIT under the Code beginning with its initial tax year ended December 31, 2018. As a REIT, the Company 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 its assets, the amounts distributed to its shareholders, and the ownership of Company shares. Management believes the Company has qualified and will continue to qualify as a REIT and therefore, no provision has been made for federal income taxes in the accompanying consolidated financial statements. Even if the Company 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.

The Company is subject to certain other taxes which are reflected as income tax expense in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss. Franchise taxes are included in general and administrative expenses in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss and estimated future taxes are included in liability for estimated expense in excess of estimated income during liquidation in the accompanying consolidated statement of net assets.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), which supersedes the existing guidance for lease accounting Leases (Topic 840). ASU 2016-02 requires lessees to recognize leases on their balance sheets, and leaves lessor accounting largely unchanged. The amendments in this ASU are effective for the fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018 and interim periods within those fiscal years, and as such, the Company adopted ASU 2016-02 effective January 1, 2019. ASU 2016-02 requires a modified retrospective approach for all leases existing at, or entered into after, the date of initial application, with an option to elect to use certain transition relief as follows:

As a lessor, our recognition of rental income remained consistent with previous guidance, apart from expanded disclosure requirements. As such, the Company concluded that the overall impact of the ASU had no material impact on the Company's reported revenues, results of operations or financial position.