Description of Business and Basis of Presentation

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2021

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION

DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION

Description of Business: Cousins Properties Incorporated (“Cousins”), a Georgia corporation, is a self-administered and self-managed real estate investment trust (“REIT”). Cousins conducts substantially all of its operations through Cousins Properties LP ("CPLP"). Cousins owns in excess of 99% of CPLP, and CPLP is consolidated with Cousins for financial reporting purposes. CPLP also owns Cousins TRS Services LLC ("CTRS"), a taxable entity that owns and manages its own real estate portfolio and performs certain real estate-related services for other parties.

Cousins, CPLP, CTRS, and their subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company”) develop, acquire, lease, manage, and own primarily Class A office properties and mixed-use developments in the Sun Belt markets of the United States with a focus on Atlanta, Austin, Charlotte, Phoenix, Tampa, Dallas, and Nashville. Cousins has elected to be taxed as a REIT and intends to, among other things, distribute 100% of its net taxable income to stockholders, thereby eliminating any liability for federal income taxes under current law. Therefore, the results included herein do not include a federal income tax provision for Cousins. As of September 30, 2021, the Company's portfolio of real estate assets consisted of interests in 18.5 million square feet of office space and 620,000 square feet of other space.

Basis of Presentation: The condensed consolidated financial statements are unaudited and were prepared by the Company in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). In the opinion of management, these financial statements reflect all adjustments necessary (which adjustments are of a normal and recurring nature) for the fair presentation of the Company's financial position as of September 30, 2021 and the results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020. The results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 are not necessarily indicative of results expected for the full year. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP have been omitted pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC. These condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020. The accounting policies employed are substantially the same as those shown in note 2 to the consolidated financial statements included therein.

For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, there were no items of other comprehensive income. Therefore, the Company did not present comprehensive income.    

The Company evaluates all partnerships, joint ventures, and other arrangements with variable interests to determine if the entity or arrangement qualifies as a variable interest entity ("VIE"), as defined in the Financial Accounting Standard Board's ("FASB") Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC"). If the entity or arrangement qualifies as a VIE and the Company is determined to be the primary beneficiary, the Company is required to consolidate the assets, liabilities, and results of operations of the VIE. In the third quarter, the Company transferred the right to purchase a building to a special purpose entity to facilitate a potential Section 1031 exchange under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), and the special purpose entity purchased the building and retained the assets acquired therefrom. To realize the tax deferral available under Section 1031, the Company must identify like-kind property to be disposed of within 45 days of the acquisition date and complete the transfer of the title to the to-be-exchanged building within 180 days of the acquisition date. We concluded that Cousins has a controlling financial interest and is, therefore, the primary beneficiary of the venture. The Company consolidates this VIE entity. As of September 30, 2021, this VIE had total assets of $307.1 million and total liabilities of $305.6 million. The liabilities of this VIE eliminate in the Company's consolidated balance sheet.