Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

12 Months Ended

Jan. 31, 2012

Significant Accounting Policies [Text Block]

2.  SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

USE OF ESTIMATES

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

The Trust’s operations are affected by numerous factors, including the economy, competition in the hotel industry and the effect of the economy on the travel and hospitality industries.  The Trust cannot predict if any of the above items will have a significant impact in the future, nor can it predict what impact, if any, the occurrence of these or other events might have on the Trust’s operations and cash flows.  Significant estimates and assumptions made by management include, but are not limited to, the estimated useful lives of long-lived assets and estimates of future cash flows used to test a long-lived asset for recoverability and the fair values of the long-lived assets.

PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT AND HOTEL PROPERTIES

Property, plant, and equipment and hotel properties are stated at cost and are depreciated using the straight-line method over estimated lives ranging from 5 to 40 years for buildings and improvements and 3 to 10 years for furniture and equipment.

Management applies guidance issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB"), codified in ASC Topic 360-10-35, to determine when it is required to test an asset for recoverability of its carrying value.  If the carrying amount of an asset exceeds the estimated undiscounted future cash flows over its estimated remaining life, the Trust recognizes an impairment expense to reduce the asset’s carrying value to its fair value.  The estimated future cash flows are based upon, among other things, assumptions about expected future operating performance, and may differ from actual cash flows.  Long-lived assets evaluated for impairment are analyzed on a property-specific basis independent of the cash flows of other groups of assets.  If the sum of the projected undiscounted cash flows (excluding interest) is less than the carrying value of the assets, the assets will be written down to the estimated fair value in the period in which the determination is made.  The Trust determines the estimated useful lives of its assets based on the expected future economic benefit of the asset and its ability to hold such assets.  In the decision-making process to determine fair value of long-lived assets and to test an asset for impairment, third party property appraisals are used as one of the indicators (benchmarks) to determine the necessity for testing for impairment.  Other indicators include a drop in the performance of a long-lived asset, a decline in the hospitality industry and a decline in the economy.  Third party property appraisals are useful because they consider historical occupancy and average rate levels in determining fair value.  Evaluation of future cash flows is based on historical experience and other factors, including certain economic conditions and committed future bookings.  Management has determined that no impairment of long-lived assets exists during the Trust’s fiscal years ended 2012 and 2011.

 CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS

The Trust considers all highly liquid short-term investments with original maturities of three months or less to be cash equivalents. The carrying amount approximates fair value.

RESTRICTED CASH

Restricted cash consists of amounts held in reserve by lenders to fund capital improvements to the properties.  The carrying amount approximates fair value.

REVENUE RECOGNITION

Room, food and beverage, telecommunications, management and licensing fees, and other revenue are recognized as earned as services are provided and items are sold.  Payroll reimbursements are recorded as the Trust provides its personnel to the hotels under management and are not netted with the corresponding payroll expense.  Sales taxes collected are excluded from gross revenue.

RECEIVABLES AND ALLOWANCE FOR DOUBTFUL ACCOUNTS

Accounts receivable are carried at original amounts less an estimate made for doubtful accounts based on a review of outstanding amounts on a quarterly basis.  Management records an allowance for doubtful accounts for 50% of the balances over 90 days and 100% of the balances over 120 days.  Accounts receivables are written off when deemed uncollectible.  Recoveries, if any, of receivables previously written off are recorded when received.  The Trust does not charge interest on accounts receivable balances.

The amounts charged to the allowance for doubtful accounts are as follows for the fiscal years ended January 31:

	Balance at the
	Beginning of		Charged to					Balance at the
Year	Year		Expense		Deductions			End of Year
2011	$	39,068	$	10,118	$	(8,189	)	$	40,997
2012	$	40,997	$	790	$	(3,628	)	$	38,159

STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION

We have an employee equity incentive plan, which is described more fully in Note 20 - “Stock Option Plan.”  Restricted shares are measured based on the fair market value of the underlying shares on the date of grant.  We use the straight-line attribution method to recognize share-based compensation over the service period of the award.

For both fiscal year 2012 and 2011, the Trust has paid the annual fees due to its Trustees using Shares of Beneficial Interest issued from treasury stock.  Upon issuance, the Trust reclassifies the shares from held in treasury to outstanding.  The Trust recognizes expense related to the issuance based on the fair value of the shares upon the date of issuance and amortizes the expense equally over the period during which the shares vest to the Trustees.

During fiscal year 2010, the Trust granted restricted stock awards of 36,000 Shares to members of the Board of Trustees, of which 36,000 vested in fiscal year 2011 in equal monthly amounts resulting in stock-based compensation of $48,600.

During fiscal year 2012, the Trust granted restricted stock awards of 36,000 Shares to members of the Board of Trustees, of which 36,000 vested in fiscal year 2012 in equal monthly amounts resulting in stock-based compensation of $51,840.

The following table summarizes restricted share activity during fiscal years 2011 and 2012.

	Restricted Shares
	Shares			Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value
Balance of unvested awards at January 31, 2010		36,000		$	1.35
Granted		—		$	—
Vested		(36,000	)	$	1.35
Forfeited		—			—
Balance of unvested awards at January 31, 2011		—		$	—
Granted		36,000		$	1.44
Vested		(36,000	)	$	1.44
Forfeited		—			—
Balance of unvested awards at January 31, 2012		—			—

TREASURY STOCK

Treasury stock is carried at cost, including any brokerage commissions, paid to repurchase the shares.  Any shares issued from treasury stock are removed at cost, with the difference between cost and fair value at the time of issuance recorded against common stock as an adjustment to additional paid in capital.

INCOME TAXES

The Trust is subject to federal and state corporate income tax and accounts for deferred taxes utilizing a liability method whereby deferred tax assets are recognized for deductible temporary differences and deferred tax liabilities are recognized for taxable temporary differences. Temporary differences are the differences between the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and their tax bases. Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance when it is determined to be more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are adjusted for the effects of changes in tax laws and rates on the date of enactment.

DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS

In fiscal years 2012 and 2011, the Trust paid dividends of $0.01 per share in the fourth quarter of each year.  The Trust’s ability to pay dividends is largely dependent upon the operations of the Hotels.

NON-CONTROLLING INTEREST

Non-controlling interest in the Partnership represents the limited partners’ proportionate share of the capital and earnings of the Partnership.  Income or loss is allocated to the minority interest based on its weighted average ownership percentage in the Partnership throughout the period, and capital is allocated based on its ownership percentage at year-end.  Any difference is recorded as a reallocation of non-controlling interest as a component of shareholders’ equity.

INCOME (LOSS) PER SHARE

Basic and diluted income (loss) per Share of Beneficial Interest have been computed based on the weighted-average number of Shares of Beneficial Interest and potentially dilutive securities outstanding during the periods.

For the twelve months ended January 31, 2012 and 2011, there were Class A and Class B limited partnership units outstanding, which are convertible into Shares of Beneficial Interest of the Trust.  Assuming conversion at the beginning of each period, the aggregate weighted-average of these Shares of Beneficial Interest would have been 3,735,457 and 3,777,329 in addition to the basic shares outstanding for fiscal year 2012 and 2011, respectively.  These Shares of Beneficial Interest issuable upon conversion of the Class A and Class B limited partnership units were anti-dilutive during both fiscal year 2012 and 2011 and are excluded from the calculation of diluted earnings per share for those years and no reconciliation is provided of basic earnings per share to diluted earnings per share.

SEGMENT REPORTING

The Trust views its operations as one operating business segment, a hospitality company that has ownership interest in five hotel properties with an aggregate of 843 suites in Arizona, southern California and New Mexico. The Trust has a concentration of assets in the southern Arizona market.

ADVERTISING COSTS

Amounts incurred for advertising costs with third parties are expensed as incurred.  Advertising expense totaled approximately $749,000 and $788,000 for the years ended January 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively.

FAIR VALUE OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

For disclosure purposes, fair value is determined by using available market information and appropriate valuation methodologies.  Due to their short maturities, cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, accounts receivable, accounts payable and notes payable to banks are carried at cost, which reasonably approximates fair value.

The fair value of mortgage notes payable, notes payable to banks and notes and advances payable to related parties is estimated by using the current rates which would be available for similar loans having the same remaining maturities.  The carrying value of accounts payable and accrued expenses and other notes payable approximates fair value, due to their short-term nature.  See Note 17 – “Fair Value of Financial Instruments.”