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SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (UNITED DOMINION REALTY, L.P.)
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2020
Entity information  
SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In June 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2016-13, Financial Instruments-Credit Losses (Topic 326), Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. The standard required entities to estimate a lifetime expected credit loss for most financial assets, including trade and other receivables, held-to-maturity debt securities, loans and other financial instruments, and to present the net amount of the financial instrument expected to be collected. In November 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-19, Codification Improvements to Topic 326, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses, which amended the transition requirements and scope of ASU 2016-13 and clarified that receivables arising from operating leases are not within the scope of the credit losses standard, but rather, should be accounted for in accordance with the leases standard. The updated standard became effective for the Company on January 1, 2020 and was adopted on a modified retrospective

basis through a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings of approximately $2.2 million on that date, which was primarily associated with our notes receivable. The Company concluded the cumulative effect was not material to our consolidated financial statements. Disclosures were updated pursuant to the requirements of the ASU.

In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848). ASU 2020-04 contains practical expedients for reference rate reform related activities that impact debt, leases, derivatives and other contracts. The guidance in ASU 2020-04 is optional and may be elected over time as reference rate reform activities occur. During the first quarter of 2020, the Company elected to apply the hedge accounting expedients related to probability and the assessments of effectiveness for future LIBOR-indexed cash flows to assume that the index upon which future hedged transactions will be based matches the index on the corresponding derivatives. Application of these expedients preserves the presentation of derivatives consistent with past presentation. The Company continues to evaluate the impact of the guidance and may apply other elections as applicable as additional changes in the market occur. The Company does not expect the ASU to have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements.

Principles of Consolidation

The Company accounts for subsidiary partnerships, joint ventures and other similar entities in which it holds an ownership interest in accordance with the consolidation guidance. The Company first evaluates whether each entity is a variable interest entity (“VIE”). Under the VIE model, the Company consolidates an entity when it has control to direct the activities of the VIE and the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits that could potentially be significant to the VIE. Under the voting model, the Company consolidates an entity when it controls the entity through ownership of a majority voting interest.

Real Estate Sales Gain Recognition

For sale transactions resulting in a transfer of a controlling financial interest of a property, the Company generally derecognizes the related assets and liabilities from its Consolidated Balance Sheets and records the gain or loss in the period in which the transfer of control occurs. If control of the property has not transferred to the counterparty, the criteria for derecognition are not met and the Company will continue to recognize the related assets and liabilities on its Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Sale transactions to entities in which the Company sells a controlling financial interest in a property but retains a noncontrolling interest are accounted for as partial sales. Partial sales resulting in a change in control are accounted for at fair value and a full gain or loss is recognized. Therefore, the Company will record a gain or loss on the partial interest sold, and the initial measurement of our retained interest will be accounted for at fair value.

Sales of real estate to joint ventures or other noncontrolled investees are also accounted for at fair value and the Company will record a full gain or loss in the period the property is contributed.

To the extent that the Company acquires a controlling financial interest in a property that it previously accounted for as an equity method investment, the Company will not remeasure its previously held interest if the acquisition is treated as an asset acquisition. The Company will include the carrying amount of its previously held equity method interest along with the consideration paid and transaction costs incurred in determining the amounts to allocate to the related assets and liabilities acquired on its Consolidated Balance Sheets. When treated as an asset acquisition, the Company will not recognize a gain or loss on consolidation of a property.

Allowance for Credit Losses

The Company accounts for allowance for credit losses under the current expected credit loss (“CECL”) impairment model for its financial assets, including trade and other receivables, held-to-maturity debt securities, loans and other financial instruments, and presents the net amount of the financial instrument expected to be collected. The CECL impairment model excludes operating lease receivables. The CECL impairment model requires an estimate of expected credit losses, measured over the contractual life of an instrument, that considers forecasts of future economic conditions in addition to information about past events and current conditions. Based on this model, we analyze the following criteria, as applicable in developing allowances for credit losses: historical loss information, the borrower’s

ability to make scheduled payments, the remaining time to maturity, the value of underlying collateral, projected future performance of the borrower and macroeconomic trends.

The Company measures credit losses of financial assets on a collective (pool) basis when similar risk characteristics exist. If the Company determines that a financial asset does not share risk characteristics with its other financial assets, the Company evaluates the financial asset for expected credit losses on an individual basis. Allowance for credit losses are recorded as a direct reduction from an asset’s amortized cost basis. Credit losses and recoveries are recorded in Interest income and other income/(expense), net on the Consolidated Statements of Operations. Recoveries of financial assets previously written off are recorded when received.

The Company has made the optional election provided by the standard not to measure allowance for credit losses for accrued interest receivables as the Company writes off any uncollectible accrued interest receivables in a timely manner. The Company periodically evaluates the collectability of its accrued interest receivables. A write-off is recorded when the Company concludes that all or a portion of its accrued interest receivable balance is no longer collectible.

Notes Receivable

Notes receivable relate to financing arrangements which are typically secured by real estate, real estate related projects or other assets. Certain of the loans we extend may include characteristics such as options to purchase the project within a specific time window following expected project completion. These characteristics can cause the loans to fall under the definition of a VIE, and thus trigger consolidation consideration. We consider the facts and circumstances pertinent to each loan, including the relative amount of financing we are contributing to the overall project cost, decision making rights or control we hold, and our rights to expected residual gains or our obligations to absorb expected residual losses from the project. If we are deemed to be the primary beneficiary of a VIE due to holding a controlling financial interest, the majority of decision making control, or by other means, consolidation of the VIE would be required. The Company has concluded that it is not the primary beneficiary of the borrowing entities which were deemed to be VIEs.

Additionally, we analyze each loan arrangement that involves real estate development to consider whether the loan qualifies for accounting as a loan or as an investment in a real estate development project. The Company has evaluated its real estate loans, where appropriate, for accounting treatment as loans versus real estate development projects, as required by ASC 310-10. For each loan, the Company has concluded that the characteristics and the facts and circumstances indicate that loan accounting treatment is appropriate.

The following table summarizes our Notes receivable, net as of March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019 (dollars in thousands):

Interest rate at

Balance Outstanding

    

March 31, 

    

March 31, 

    

December 31, 

2020

2020

2019

Note due April 2020 (a)

 

12.00

%  

$

20,000

$

20,000

Note due October 2020 (b)

 

8.00

%  

 

 

2,250

Note due October 2022 (c)

 

4.75

%  

 

115,000

 

115,000

Note due January 2023 (d)

10.00

%  

17,300

16,400

Notes Receivable

152,300

153,650

Allowance for credit losses

(757)

Total notes receivable, net

 

  

$

151,543

$

153,650

(a)The Company has a secured note with an unaffiliated third party with an aggregate commitment of $20.0 million, all of which has been funded. The note is secured by a parcel of land and related land improvements. Interest payments up to December 2019 are due when the loan matures and interest payments after December 2019 are due monthly. In April 2020, the terms of the secured note were amended to extend the term to May 30, 2022, to adjust the interest rate to 8.0% and to add some covenants of the Borrower.
(b)In March 2020, the Company entered into a purchase agreement to acquire all of the unaffiliated third party’s intellectual property in exchange for cancellation of the secured note and accrued interest. All property acquired was recorded in Other assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheets.
(c)The Company has a secured note with an unaffiliated third party with an aggregate commitment of $115.0 million, all of which has been funded. Interest payments are due when the loan matures. The note is secured by a first priority deed of trust on an under construction 259 apartment home operating community in Bellevue, Washington, which is expected to be completed in 2020. When the note was funded, the Company also entered into a purchase option agreement and paid a deposit of $10.0 million, which gives the Company the option to acquire the community at a fixed price of $170.0 million. The purchase option must be exercised within 30 days following the date the temporary certificate of occupancy for the residential portion of the project is issued. The deposit is generally nonrefundable other than due to a failure of closing conditions pursuant to the terms of the agreement. If the Company does not exercise the purchase option, or if the Company exercises and fails to close the purchase other than due to seller’s failure or other breaches in the purchase option agreement, per the terms of the agreement, the note will be modified to extend the maturity date to 10 years following the date the temporary certificate of occupancy is issued. Upon modification, the loan will be interest only for the first three years and after such date payments will be based on a 30-year amortization schedule.
(d)The Company has a secured note with an unaffiliated third party with an aggregate commitment of $20.0 million, of which $17.3 million has been funded, including $0.9 million funded during the three months ended March 31, 2020. Interest payments are due monthly. The note matures at the earliest of the following: (a) the closing of any private or public capital raising in the amount of $5.0 million or greater; (b) an acquisition; (c) acceleration in the event of default; or (d) January 2023.

During 2020, the terms of this secured note were amended to increase the aggregate commitment from $16.4 million to $20.0 million, to extend the maturity date of the note to January 2023 and for the April 2020 through July 2020 interest payments to be deferred and paid when the note matures.

The Company recognized $2.6 million and $1.1 million of interest income for the notes receivable described above during the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively, none of which was related party interest. Interest income is included in Interest income and other income/(expense), net on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Comprehensive Income/(Loss)

Comprehensive income/(loss), which is defined as the change in equity during each period from transactions and other events and circumstances from nonowner sources, including all changes in equity during a period except for those resulting from investments by or distributions to stockholders, is displayed in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income/(Loss). For the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019, the Company’s other comprehensive income/(loss) consisted of the gain/(loss) on derivative instruments that are designated as and qualify as cash flow hedges, (gain)/loss on derivative instruments reclassified from other comprehensive income/(loss) into earnings, and the allocation of other comprehensive income/(loss) to noncontrolling interests. The (gain)/loss on derivative instruments reclassified from other comprehensive income/(loss) is included in Interest expense on the Consolidated Statements of Operations. See Note 11, Derivatives and Hedging Activity, for further discussion. The allocation of other comprehensive income/(loss) to redeemable noncontrolling interests during the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019 was $(0.1) million and $(0.3) million, respectively.

Income Taxes

Due to the structure of the Company as a REIT and the nature of the operations for the operating properties, no provision for federal income taxes has been provided for at UDR. Historically, the Company has generally incurred only state and local excise and franchise taxes. UDR has elected for certain consolidated subsidiaries to be treated as taxable REIT subsidiaries (“TRS”).

Income taxes for our TRS are accounted for under the asset and liability method. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax basis. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured

using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities from a change in tax rate is recognized in earnings in the period of the enactment date. The Company’s deferred tax assets/(liabilities) are generally the result of differing depreciable lives on capitalized assets, temporary differences between book and tax basis of assets and liabilities and timing of expense recognition for certain accrued liabilities. As of March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, UDR’s net deferred tax asset/(liability) was $(1.4) million and $(1.6) million, respectively.

GAAP defines a recognition threshold and measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. GAAP also provides guidance on derecognition, classification, interest and penalties, accounting for interim periods, disclosure and transition.

The Company recognizes its tax positions and evaluates them using a two-step process. First, UDR determines whether a tax position is more likely than not (greater than 50 percent probability) to be sustained upon examination, including resolution of any related appeals or litigation processes, based on the technical merits of the position. Second, the Company will determine the amount of benefit to recognize and record the amount that is more likely than not to be realized upon ultimate settlement.

The Company invests in assets that qualify for federal investment tax credits (“ITC”) through our TRS. An ITC reduces federal income taxes payable when qualifying depreciable property is acquired. The ITC is determined as a percentage of cost of the assets. The Company accounts for ITCs under the deferral method, under which the tax benefit from the ITC is deferred and amortized as a tax benefit into Tax (provision)/benefit, net on the Consolidated Statements of Operations over the book life of the qualifying depreciable property. The ITCs are recorded in Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

UDR had no material unrecognized tax benefit, accrued interest or penalties at March 31, 2020. UDR and its subsidiaries are subject to federal income tax as well as income tax of various state and local jurisdictions. The tax years 2016 through 2018 remain open to examination by tax jurisdictions to which we are subject. When applicable, UDR recognizes interest and/or penalties related to uncertain tax positions in Tax (provision)/benefit, net on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Forward Sales Agreements

The Company utilizes forward sales agreements for the future issuance of its common stock. When the Company enters into a forward sales agreement, the contract requires the Company to sell its shares to a counterparty at a predetermined price at a future date. The net sales price and proceeds attained by the Company will be determined on the dates of settlement, with adjustments during the term of the contract for the Company’s anticipated dividends as well as for a daily interest factor that varies with changes in the federal funds rate. The Company generally has the ability to determine the dates and method of settlement (i.e., gross physical settlement, net share settlement or cash settlement), subject to certain conditions and the right of the counterparty to accelerate settlement under certain circumstances.

The Company accounts for the shares of common stock reserved for issuance upon settlement as equity in accordance with ASC 815-40, Contracts in Entity's Own Equity, which permits equity classification when a contract is considered indexed to its own stock and the contract requires or permits the issuing entity to settle the contract in shares (either physically or net in shares).

The guidance establishes a two-step process for evaluating whether an equity-linked financial instrument is considered indexed to its own stock, first, evaluating the instrument’s contingent exercise provisions and second, evaluating the instrument’s settlement provisions. When entering into forward sales agreements, we determined that (i) none of the agreement’s exercise contingencies are based on observable markets or indices besides those related to the market for our own stock price; and (ii) none of the settlement provisions preclude the agreements from being indexed to our own stock.

Before the issuance of shares of common stock, upon physical or net share settlement of the forward sales agreements, the Company expects that the shares issuable upon settlement of the forward sales agreements will be reflected in its diluted income/(loss) per share calculations using the treasury stock method. Under this method, the

number of shares of common stock used in calculating diluted income/(loss) per share is deemed to be increased by the excess, if any, of the number of shares of common stock that would be issued upon full physical settlement of the forward sales agreements over the number of shares of common stock that could be purchased by the Company in the open market (based on the average market price during the period) using the proceeds receivable upon full physical settlement (based on the adjusted forward sale price at the end of the reporting period). When the Company physically or net share settles any forward sales agreement, the delivery of shares of common stock would result in an increase in the number of weighted average common shares outstanding and dilution to basic income/(loss) per share. (See Note 8, Income/(Loss) per Share for further discussion.)

United Dominion Realty L.P.  
Entity information  
SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In June 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2016-13, Financial Instruments-Credit Losses (Topic 326), Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. The standard required entities to estimate a lifetime expected credit loss for most financial assets, including trade and other receivables, held-to-maturity debt securities, loans and other financial instruments, and to present the net amount of the financial instrument expected to be collected. In November 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-19, Codification Improvements to Topic 326, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses, which amended the transition requirements and scope of ASU 2016-13 and clarified that receivables arising from operating leases are not within the scope of the credit losses standard, but rather, should be accounted for in accordance with the leases standard. The

updated standard became effective for the Operating Partnership on January 1, 2020 and was adopted on a modified

retrospective basis. However, as the Operating Partnership’s financial assets primarily relate to receivables arising from operating leases, the ASU did not have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements. Disclosures were updated pursuant to the requirements of the ASU.

In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848). ASU 2020-04 contains practical expedients for reference rate reform related activities that impact debt, leases, derivatives and other contracts. The guidance in ASU 2020-04 is optional and may be elected over time as reference rate reform activities occur. During the first quarter of 2020, the Operating Partnership elected to apply the hedge accounting expedients related to probability and the assessments of effectiveness for future LIBOR-indexed cash flows to assume that the index upon which future hedged transactions will be based matches the index on the corresponding derivatives. Application of these expedients preserves the presentation of derivatives consistent with past presentation. The Operating Partnership continues to evaluate the impact of the guidance and may apply other elections as applicable as additional changes in the market occur. The Operating Partnership does not expect the ASU to have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements.

Principles of Consolidation

The Operating Partnership accounts for subsidiary partnerships, joint ventures and other similar entities in which it holds an ownership interest in accordance with the consolidation guidance. The Operating Partnership first evaluates whether each entity is a variable interest entity (“VIE”). Under the VIE model, the Operating Partnership consolidates an entity when it has control to direct the activities of the VIE and the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits that could potentially be significant to the VIE. Under the voting model, the Operating Partnership consolidates an entity when it controls the entity through ownership of a majority voting interest.

Income/(Loss) Per Operating Partnership Unit

Basic income/(loss) per OP Unit is computed by dividing net income/(loss) attributable to the general and limited partner unitholders by the weighted average number of general and limited partner units outstanding during the year. Diluted income/(loss) per OP Unit reflects the potential dilution that could occur if securities or other contracts to issue OP Units were exercised or converted into OP Units or resulted in the issuance of OP Units and then shared in the income/(loss) of the Operating Partnership.

Real Estate Sales Gain Recognition

For sale transactions resulting in a transfer of a controlling financial interest of a property, the Operating Partnership generally derecognizes the related assets and liabilities from its Consolidated Balance Sheets and records the gain or loss in the period in which the transfer of control occurs. If control of the property has not transferred to the counterparty, the criteria for derecognition are not met and the Operating Partnership will continue to recognize the related assets and liabilities on its Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Sale transactions to entities in which the Operating Partnership sells a controlling financial interest in a property but retains a noncontrolling interest are accounted for as partial sales. Partial sales resulting in a change in control are

accounted for at fair value and a full gain or loss is recognized. Therefore, the Operating Partnership will record a gain or loss on the partial interest sold, and the initial measurement of our retained interest will be accounted for at fair value.

Sales of real estate to joint ventures or other noncontrolled investees are also accounted for at fair value and the Operating Partnership will record a full gain or loss in the period the property is contributed.

To the extent that the Operating Partnership acquires a controlling financial interest in a property that it previously accounted for as an equity method investment, the Operating Partnership will not remeasure its previously held interest if the acquisition is treated as an asset acquisition. The Operating Partnership will include the carrying amount of its previously held equity method interest along with the consideration paid and transaction costs incurred in determining the amounts to allocate to the related assets and liabilities acquired on its Consolidated Balance Sheets. When treated as an asset acquisition, the Operating Partnership will not recognize a gain or loss on consolidation of a property.

Income Taxes

The taxable income or loss of the Operating Partnership is reported on the tax returns of the partners. Accordingly, no provision has been made in the accompanying financial statements for federal or state income taxes on income that is passed through to the partners. However, any state or local revenue, excise or franchise taxes that result from the operating activities of the Operating Partnership are recorded at the entity level. The Operating Partnership’s tax returns are subject to examination by federal and state taxing authorities. Net income for financial reporting purposes differs from the net income for income tax reporting purposes primarily due to temporary differences, principally real estate depreciation and the tax deferral of certain gains on property sales. The differences in depreciation result from differences in the book and tax basis of certain real estate assets and the differences in the methods of depreciation and lives of the real estate assets.

The Operating Partnership evaluates the accounting and disclosure of tax positions taken or expected to be taken in the course of preparing the Operating Partnership’s tax returns to determine whether the tax positions are “more-likely-than-not” of being sustained by the applicable tax authority. Tax positions not deemed to meet the more-likely-than-not threshold would be recorded as a tax benefit or expense in the current year. Management of the Operating Partnership is required to analyze all open tax years, as defined by the statute of limitations, for all major jurisdictions, which include federal and certain states. The Operating Partnership has no examinations in progress and none are expected at this time.

Management of the Operating Partnership has reviewed all open tax years (2016 through 2018) of tax jurisdictions and concluded there is no tax liability resulting from unrecognized tax benefits relating to uncertain income tax positions taken or expected to be taken in future tax returns.