Organization and Basis of Presentations (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Organization

Organization

Ramco-Gershenson Properties Trust, together with its subsidiaries (the “Company” or "RPT"), is a real estate investment trust (“REIT”) engaged in the business of owning, developing, redeveloping, acquiring, managing and leasing large multi-anchored shopping centers primarily in a number of the largest metropolitan markets in the central United States.  As of September 30, 2017, our property portfolio consisted of 60 wholly owned shopping centers comprising approximately 14.2 million square feet. We also have ownership interests of 7%, 20% and 30%, respectively, in three joint ventures. Our joint ventures are reported using equity method accounting. We earn fees from the joint ventures for managing, leasing and redeveloping the shopping centers they own. In addition, we own interests in several land parcels that are available for development or sale. Most of our properties are anchored by supermarkets and/or national chain stores.  Our credit risk, therefore, is concentrated in the retail industry.

Basis of Presentation

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and our majority owned subsidiary, the Operating Partnership, Ramco-Gershenson Properties, L.P. (the "OP") (97.6% owned by the Company at September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016), and all wholly-owned subsidiaries, including entities in which we have a controlling financial interest.

We have elected to be a REIT for federal income tax purposes.  All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.  The information furnished is unaudited and reflects all adjustments which are, in the opinion of management, necessary to reflect a fair statement of the results for the interim periods presented, and all such adjustments are of a normal recurring nature.  These condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016.

The preparation of our unaudited financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) requires management of the Company to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the unaudited financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period.  We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities and reported amounts that are not readily apparent from other sources.  Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Recently Adopted and Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

In January 2017, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the "FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2017-01, "Clarifying the Definition of a Business" ("ASU 2017-01"). ASU 2017-01 changes the definition of a business to exclude acquisitions where substantially all of the fair value of the assets acquired are concentrated in a single identifiable asset or a group of similar identifiable assets. While there are various differences between the accounting for an asset acquisition and a business combination, the largest impact is that certain transaction costs are capitalized for asset acquisitions rather than expensed when they are considered business combinations. ASU 2017-01 is effective January 1, 2019; however the Company early adopted this standard during the first quarter of 2017. Transaction costs of $0.6 million have been capitalized in connection with our acquisitions.

In March 2016, the FASB updated ASC Topic 718 "Compensation - Stock Compensation" with ASU 2016-09 "Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting" ("ASU 2016-09"). ASU 2016-09 simplifies several aspects of share-based payment award transactions, including tax consequences, classification of awards and the classification on the statement of cash flows. ASU 2016-09 is effective for annual periods (including interim periods within those periods) beginning after December 15, 2016. The adoption of this standard resulted in classifying cash paid by the Company to taxing authorities when directly withholding shares upon vesting as financing activities in the consolidated statements of cash flows.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In September 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-13 "'Revenue Recognition (Topic 605), Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), Leases (Topic 840), and Leases (Topic 842): Amendments to SEC Paragraphs Pursuant to the Staff Announcement at the July 20, 2017 EITF Meeting and Rescission of Prior SEC Staff Announcements and Observer Comments" ("ASU 2017-13"). The amendments in ASU 2017-13 amend the early adoption date option for certain companies related to the adoption of ASU 2014-09 related to revenue and ASU 2016-02 related to leases and is effective consistent with each of these updates. The adoption of this update is not anticipated to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

In August 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-12 "Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities" ("ASU 2017-12"). These amendments refine and expand hedge accounting for both financial (e.g., interest rate) and commodity risks. Its provisions create more transparency around how economic results are presented, both on the face of the financial statements and in the footnotes. It also makes certain targeted improvements to simplify the application of hedge accounting guidance. It is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, and interim periods within those fiscal years. The adoption of this update is not anticipated to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

In May 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-09 "Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Scope of Modification Accounting" ("ASU 2017-09"). ASU 2017-09 clarifies guidance about what changes to the terms and conditions of a share-based payment award require an entity to apply modification accounting in Topic 718. It is effective for annual periods, and interim periods within those annual periods, beginning after December 31, 2017. The adoption of this standard is not anticipated to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

In February 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-05 "Other Income - Gains and Losses from the Derecognition of Nonfinancial Assets" ("ASU 2017-05"). ASU 2017-05 clarifies that a financial asset is within the scope of Subtopic 610-20 if it meets the definition of an in substance nonfinancial asset. ASU 2017-05 also defines the term in substance nonfinancial asset. It is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017. The adoption of this standard is not anticipated to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-04 "Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment" ("ASU 2017-04"). ASU 2017-04 simplifies the accounting for goodwill impairment by removing Step 2 of the goodwill impairment test, which requires a hypothetical purchase price allocation. ASU 2017-04 is effective for annual or interim goodwill impairment tests in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, and should be applied on a prospective basis. Early adoption is permitted for interim or annual goodwill impairment tests performed on testing dates after January 1, 2017. We do not anticipate the adoption of ASU 2017-04 will have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15 "Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments" ("ASU 2016-15"), which clarifies the treatment of several cash flow categories. In addition, ASU 2016-15 clarifies that when cash receipts and cash payments have aspects of more than one class of cash flows and cannot be separated, classification will depend on the predominant source or use. This update is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within those fiscal years, with early adoption permitted, including adoption in an interim period. We are currently evaluating the guidance and have not determined the impact this standard may have on our consolidated financial statements.

In June 2016, the FASB updated Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") Topic 326 "Financial Instruments - Credit Losses" with ASU 2016-13 “Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments” ("ASU 2016-13"). ASU 2016-13 enhances the methodology of measuring expected credit losses to include the use of forward-looking information to better inform credit loss estimates. ASU 2016-13 is effective for annual periods (including interim periods within those periods) beginning after December 15, 2019. We are currently evaluating the guidance and have not determined the impact this standard may have on our consolidated financial statements.

In February 2016, the FASB updated ASC Topic 842 "Leases" ("ASU 2016-02"). ASU 2016-02 requires lessees to record operating and financing leases as assets and liabilities on the balance sheet and lessors to expense costs that are not direct leasing costs. ASU 2016-02 is effective for periods beginning after December 15, 2018, with early adoption permitted upon issuance using a modified retrospective approach. The Company continues to evaluate the effect the adoption of ASU 2016-02 will have on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. However, we currently believe the adoption of ASU 2016-02 will not have a material impact for operating leases where we are a lessor and will continue to record revenues from rental properties for its operating leases on a straight-line basis. In addition, for leases where the Company is a lessee, primarily for the Company’s ground lease and administrative office lease, the Company believes it will record a lease liability and a right of use asset at fair value upon adoption related to these items. In addition, we are reviewing internal costs associated with our leasing staff and what changes will be required under the new guidance related to leasing costs.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers" ("ASU 2014-09"). ASU 2014-09 is a comprehensive revenue recognition standard that will supersede nearly all existing GAAP revenue recognition guidance as well as impact the existing GAAP guidance governing the sale of non-financial assets. The standard’s core principle is that a company will recognize revenue when it satisfies performance obligations, by transferring promised goods or services to customers, in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the company expects to be entitled in exchange for fulfilling those performance obligations. In doing so, companies will need to exercise more judgment and make more estimates than under existing GAAP guidance. ASU 2014-09 will be effective for public entities for annual and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017 and early adoption is permitted in periods ending after December 15, 2016. We anticipate adopting ASU 2014-09 and the related updates subsequently issued by the FASB using the modified retrospective method.  In addition, we are evaluating our revenue streams and the appropriate accounting literature each is governed under.  Our current evaluation of the revenue streams indicates less than 20% of our consolidated revenues require evaluation under ASU 2014-09, however that process is on-going as we review and document selected arrangements.  We are also reviewing the impact of additional disclosures required under ASU 2014-09. At this time we do not expect material changes to our accounting policies for these revenue streams, but as indicated our review of contractual arrangements and disclosures under ASU 2014-09 will continue through the remainder of 2017.