Accounting Records and Use of Estimates:

The accounting records are maintained in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”). The preparation of the Company’s financial statements in accordance 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, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. The estimates that we make include allowance for doubtful accounts, depreciation, income tax assets and liabilities, fair value of marketable securities and revenue recognition. Estimates are based on historical experience where applicable or other assumptions that management believes are reasonable under the circumstances. Due to the inherent uncertainty involved in making estimates, actual results may differ from those estimates under different assumptions or conditions.

The interim financial statements are prepared pursuant to the requirements for reporting on Form 10-Q. The July 31, 2018 condensed consolidated balance sheet was derived from audited financial statements but does not include all disclosures required by GAAP. The interim financial statements and notes thereto should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes included in the Company's latest Form 10-K Annual Report for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2018. In the opinion of management, the interim financial statements reflect all adjustments of a normal recurring nature necessary for a fair statement of the results for interim periods. The results of operations for the current period are not necessarily indicative of the results for the entire fiscal year ending July 31, 2019.

The computation of the annual expected effective tax rate at each interim period requires certain estimates and assumptions including, but not limited to, the expected operating income for the year and future periods, projections of the proportion of income (or loss), and permanent and temporary differences. The accounting estimates used to compute the provision for income taxes may change as new events occur, more experience is acquired, or as additional information is obtained. To the extent the estimated annual effective tax rate changes during a quarter, see below, the effect of the change on prior quarters is included in tax expense for the current quarter.

Revenue Recognition

All of the real estate owned by the Company is held for leasing to tenants except for a small portion used for Company offices. Rent is recognized from tenants under executed leases no later than on an established date or on an earlier date if the tenant should commence conducting business. Unbilled receivables represent the excess of scheduled rental income recognized on a straight-line basis over rental income as it becomes receivable according to the provisions of the lease. Contingent rental income is recorded when earned and is not based on tenant revenue. The effect of lease modifications that result in rent relief or other credits to tenants, including any retroactive effects relating to prior periods, is recognized in the period when the lease modification is signed. At the time of the lease modification, we assess the realizability of any accrued but unpaid rent and amounts that had been recognized as revenue in prior periods. lf the amounts are not determined to be realizable, the accrued but unpaid rent is written off. Accounts receivable are recognized in accordance with lease agreements at its net realizable value. Rental payments received in advance are deferred until earned.

Taxes

On December 22, 2017, the United States government (“U.S.”) enacted significant changes to the U.S. tax law following the passage and signing of H.R.1, “An Act to Provide for Reconciliation Pursuant to Titles II and V of the Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2018” (the “Tax Act”) (previously known as “The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act”). The Tax Act included significant changes to existing tax law, including a permanent reduction to the U.S. federal corporate income tax rate from 34% to 21%, a one-time repatriation tax on deferred foreign income, deductions, credits and business related exclusions. The permanent reduction to the U.S. federal corporate income tax rate from 34% to 21% was effective January 1, 2018 (the “Effective Date”).

The Company has a federal net operating loss carryforward approximating $4,078,000 as of July 31, 2018 available to offset future taxable income. As of July 31, 2018, the Company had unused state and city net operating loss carryforwards of approximately $10,107,000 for state and $8,274,000 for city, available to offset future state and city taxable income. The net operating loss carryforwards will begin to expire, if not used, in 2035.

New York State and New York City taxes are calculated using the higher of taxes based on income or the respective capital-based franchise taxes. Beginning with the Company’s tax year ended July 31, 2016, changes in the law required the state capital-based tax will be phased out over a 7-year period. During the quarter ended July 31, 2018, the Company recorded a state deferred tax asset, deferred tax liability and deferred taxes on unrealized gain on marketable securities in the amounts of $790,000, $1,430,000 and $53,000, respectively, resulting in a state deferred tax expense of $587,000. New York City taxes will be based on capital for the foreseeable future. Capital-based franchise taxes are recorded to administrative and general expense. State tax amounts in excess of the capital-based franchise taxes are recorded to income tax expense. Due to both the application of the capital-based tax and due to the possible absence of city taxable income, the Company does not record city deferred taxes.

The decrease in the effective tax rate for the nine months ended April 30, 2019 as compared with the nine months ended April 30, 2018 was primarily attributable to the permanent reduction in federal tax rates from 34% to 21%, partially offset by New York State taxes.

Recently adopted accounting standards:

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”), issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2014-09 “Revenue from Contracts with Customers” (“ASU 2014-09”) establishing ASC Topic 606 Revenue from Contracts with Customers. ASU 2014-09 establishes a single comprehensive model for entities to use in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers and supersedes most of the existing revenue recognition guidance. ASU 2014-09 requires an entity to recognize revenue when it transfers promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services and also requires certain additional disclosures. ASU 2014-09 is effective for interim and annual reporting in fiscal years that begin after December 15, 2016. ASU 2015-14 extended the implementation date for fiscal years beginning after December 31, 2017.

Subsequent to the issuance of ASU 2014-09, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-08, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Principal versus Agent Considerations (Reporting Revenue Gross versus Net)”, ASU No. 2016-10, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing”, ASU No. 2016-12, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Narrow-Scope Improvements and Practical Expedients”, and ASU No. 2016-20, "Technical Corrections and Improvements to Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers." The additional ASU's clarified certain provisions of ASU 2014-09 in response to recommendations from the Transition Resource Group established by the FASB and have the same effective date and transition requirements as ASU 2014-09. We adopted these standards effective August 1, 2018 using the modified retrospective approach, which allows us to apply the new standard to all existing contracts not yet completed as of the effective date and record a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings as of the beginning of the fiscal year of adoption, however there was no cumulative-effect required to be recognized in our retained earnings as the date of adoption. The adoption of this standard did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-01 "Financial Instruments-Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities." ASU 2016-01 amends certain aspects of recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of financial instruments, including the requirement to measure certain equity investments at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in net income. ASU No. 2016-01 is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017. We adopted this standard effective August 1, 2018 and recorded a cumulative effect adjustment to increase opening retained earnings at August 1, 2018 by $487,136 as required for equity investments recorded at fair value, formerly available-for-sale securities.

In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-18, “Restricted Cash”. ASU 2016-18 requires that a statement of cash flows explain the change during the period in the total of cash, cash equivalents, and amounts generally described as restricted cash or restricted cash equivalents. Restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents will be included with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning of period and end of period balances on the statement of cash flows upon adoption of this standard. ASU 2016-18 is effective for interim and annual reporting periods in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017. We adopted this standard effective August 1, 2018 with retrospective application to our consolidated financial statements.

In February 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-02, “Income Statement—Reporting Comprehensive Income (Topic 220): Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income”, to address a specific consequence of the Tax Act by allowing a reclassification from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) to retained earnings for stranded tax effects resulting from the Tax Act’s reduction of the U.S. federal corporate income tax rate. The standard is effective for all entities for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018, with early adoption permitted, and is to be applied either in the period of adoption or retrospectively to each period in which the effect of the change in the U.S. federal corporate income tax rate in the Tax Act is recognized. The Company early adopted this ASU effective August 1, 2018 and applied this new guidance in the period of adoption. As a result, $92,000 of income taxes stranded in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) was classified to retained earnings. The ASU also requires the Company to disclose its policy on accounting for income tax effects in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss). In general, the Company applies the individual item approach with respect to marketable securities.

In August 2018, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") adopted final rules under SEC Release No. 33-10532, Disclosure Update and Simplification, amending and expanding certain disclosure requirements. The rules require, among other things, that registrants include in their interim financial statements a reconciliation of changes in shareholders' equity in the notes or as a separate statement that reconciles the beginning balance to the ending balance of each caption in shareholders' equity for each period for which an income statement is required to be filed. The Company applied the new SEC disclosure requirements to the Consolidated Statements of Changes in Shareholders' Equity in the third quarter of fiscal 2019 on a retrospective basis.

Recently issued accounting standards not yet adopted:

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, “Leases.” ASU 2016-02 is intended to increase transparency and comparability among organizations in accounting for leasing arrangements. This guidance establishes a right-of-use model that requires a lessee to record a right-of-use asset and a lease liability on the balance sheet for all leases with terms longer than twelve months. Leases will be classified as either finance or operating, with classification affecting the pattern of expense recognition in the income statement. Lessor accounting remains similar to the current model, but updated to align with certain changes to the lessee model and the new revenue recognition standard (ASU 2014-09). ASU 2016-02 offers specific accounting guidance for a lessee, a lessor and sale and leaseback transactions. Lessees and lessors are required to disclose qualitative and quantitative information about leasing arrangements to enable a user of the financial statements to assess the amount, timing and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases. Entities will be required to recognize and measure leases as of the earliest period presented using a modified retrospective approach.

In July 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-10, “Codification Improvements to Topic 842”, which provides amendments and clarification to ASU 2016-12 based on the FASB’s interaction with stakeholders. In July 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-11 “Leases (Topic 842): Targeted Improvements”, which amends Leases (Topic 842) to (i) add an optional transition method that would permit entities to apply the new requirements by recognizing a cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings in the year of adoption, and (ii) provide a practical expedient for lessors regarding the separation of the lease and non-lease components of a contract. In December 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-20, “Leases (Topic 842) Narrow-Scope Improvement for Lessors,” which clarifies how to apply the leases standard when accounting for sales taxes and other similar taxes collected from lessees, certain lessor costs, and recognition of variable payments for contracts with lease and non-lease components. In March 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-01, “Leases (Topic 842) Codification Improvements”, which provides amendments for issues brought to the Board’s attention through its interactions with stakeholders. The issues identified are as follows. 1. Determining the fair value of the underlying asset by lessors that are not manufacturers or dealers, 2. Presentation on the statement of cash flows-sales-type and direct financing leases, 3. Transition disclosures related to Topic 250, Accounting Changes and Error Corrections. These standards are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The new standards will be effective for the Company for the fiscal year beginning August 1, 2019, with early adoption permitted, and the Company expects to use the cumulative-effect adjustment approach in the year of adoption. The adoption of this guidance is expected to result in an increase in assets and liabilities on the Company’s balance sheet, with no material impact on the statement of income. However, the ultimate impact of adopting this ASU will depend on the Company’s lease portfolio as of the adoption date.