Recently Issued Accounting Literature (Policies)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

New Accounting Pronouncements and Changes in Accounting Principles [Abstract]

The accompanying consolidated financial statements are unaudited and include the accounts of Vornado and the Operating Partnership and their consolidated subsidiaries. All inter-company amounts have been eliminated and all adjustments (which include only normal recurring adjustments) necessary to present fairly the financial position, results of operations and changes in cash flows have been made. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) have been condensed or omitted. These condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the instructions to Form 10-Q of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, as filed with the SEC.

We have made estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, 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 periods. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2020 are not necessarily indicative of the operating results for the full year.

Recently Issued Accounting Literature

In June 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued an update (“ASU 2016-13”) Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments establishing Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") Topic 326, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses ("ASC 326"), as amended by subsequent ASUs on the topic. ASU 2016-13 changes how entities will account for credit losses for most financial assets and certain other instruments that are not measured at fair value through net income. The guidance replaces the current “incurred loss” model with an “expected loss” model that requires consideration of a broader range of information to estimate expected credit losses over the lifetime of the financial asset. ASU 2016-13 is effective for interim and annual reporting periods in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019. In May 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-05 Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Targeted Transition Relief to allow companies to irrevocably elect, upon adoption of ASU 2016-13, the fair value option for financial instruments that were previously recorded at amortized cost and are within the scope of ASC Subtopic 326-20 if the instruments are eligible for the fair value option under ASC Subtopic 825-10, Financial Instruments ("ASC 825-10"). We elected to apply the fair value option on an instrument-by-instrument basis to our loans receivable. We adopted this standard effective January 1, 2020 and recorded a $16,064,000 cumulative-effect adjustment to beginning accumulated deficit to recognize credit losses on loans receivable recorded on our consolidated balance sheets. For the three months ended March 31, 2020, we recorded $7,261,000 of credit losses on our loans receivable which is included in "interest and other investment (loss) income, net" on our consolidated statements of income.

In March 2020, the FASB issued an update (“ASU 2020-04”) establishing ASC Topic 848, Reference Rate Reform. 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 three months ended March 31, 2020, we 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. We continue to evaluate the impact of the guidance and may apply other elections as applicable as additional changes in the market occur.

In April 2020, the FASB issued a Staff Q&A on accounting for leases during the COVID-19 pandemic, focused on the application of lease guidance in ASC Topic 842, Leases ("ASC 842"). The Q&A states that it would be acceptable to make a policy election regarding rent concessions resulting from COVID-19, which would not require entities to account for these rent concessions as lease modifications under certain conditions. Entities making the election will continue to recognize rental revenue on a straight-line basis for qualifying concessions. Rent abatements would be recognized as reductions to revenue during the period in which they were granted. Rent deferrals would result in an increase to "tenant and other receivables" during the deferral period with no impact on rental revenue recognition. We are evaluating the impact of this policy election and have not yet concluded on whether we will apply the election.

Revenue

Our revenues primarily consist of rental revenues and fee and other income. We operate in two reportable segments: New York and Other, with a significant portion of our revenues included in the New York segment. We have the following revenue sources and revenue recognition policies:


•	Rental revenues include revenues from the leasing of space at our properties to tenants, lease termination income, revenues from the Hotel Pennsylvania, trade shows and tenant services.

◦

Revenues from the leasing of space at our properties to tenants include (i) lease components, including fixed and variable lease payments, and nonlease components which include reimbursement of common area maintenance expenses, and (ii) reimbursement of real estate taxes and insurance expenses. As lessor, we have elected to combine the lease and nonlease components of our operating lease agreements and account for the components as a single lease component in accordance with ASC 842.

◦

Lease revenues and reimbursement of common area maintenance, real estate taxes and insurance are presented in the following tables as "property rentals." Revenues derived from fixed lease payments are recognized on a straight-line basis over the non-cancelable period of the lease, together with renewal options that are reasonably certain of being exercised. We commence rental revenue recognition when the underlying asset is available for use by the lessee. Revenue derived from the reimbursement of real estate taxes, insurance expenses and common area maintenance expenses are generally recognized in the same period as the related expenses are incurred.


◦	Lease termination income is recognized immediately if a tenant vacates or is recognized on a straight-line basis over the shortened remaining lease term in accordance with ASC 842.


◦	Hotel revenue arising from the operation of the Hotel Pennsylvania consists of room revenue, food and beverage revenue, and banquet revenue. Room revenue is recognized when the rooms are made available for the guest, in accordance with ASC 842.


◦	Trade shows revenue arising from the operation of trade shows is primarily booth rentals. This revenue is recognized upon the occurrence of the trade shows when the trade show booths are made available for use by the exhibitors, in accordance with ASC 842.


◦	Tenant services revenue arises from sub-metered electric, elevator, trash removal and other services provided to tenants at their request. This revenue is recognized as the services are transferred in accordance with ASC Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers ("ASC 606").


•	Fee and other income includes management, leasing and other revenue arising from contractual agreements with third parties or with partially owned entities and includes Building Maintenance Services LLC ("BMS") cleaning, engineering and security services. This revenue is recognized as the services are transferred in accordance with ASC 606.

Under ASC 842, we must assess on an individual lease basis whether it is probable that we will collect the future lease payments. We consider the tenant's payment history and current credit status when assessing collectability. When collectability is not deemed probable we write-off the tenant's receivables, including straight-line rent receivable, and limit lease income to cash received. Changes to the collectability of our operating leases are recorded as adjustments to "rental revenues" on our consolidated statements of income, which resulted in a decrease in income of $1,044,000 and $890,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

Real Estate Fund Investments

The Fund is accounted for under ASC Topic 946, Financial Services – Investment Companies (“ASC 946”) and its investments are reported on its balance sheet at fair value, with changes in value each period recognized in earnings. We consolidate the accounts of the Fund into our consolidated financial statements, retaining the fair value basis of accounting.

We are also the general partner and investment manager of the Crowne Plaza Times Square Hotel Joint Venture (the “Crowne Plaza Joint Venture”) and own a 57.1% interest in the joint venture which owns the 24.7% interest in the Crowne Plaza Times Square Hotel not owned by the Fund. The Crowne Plaza Joint Venture is also accounted for under ASC 946 and we consolidate the accounts of the joint venture into our consolidated financial statements, retaining the fair value basis of accounting.

Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests

Redeemable noncontrolling interests/redeemable partnership units exclude our Series G-1 through G-4 convertible preferred units and Series D-13 cumulative redeemable preferred units, as they are accounted for as liabilities in accordance with ASC Topic 480, Distinguishing Liabilities and Equity, because of their possible settlement by issuing a variable number of Vornado common shares.

Redeemable noncontrolling interests on Vornado’s consolidated balance sheets and redeemable partnership units on the consolidated balance sheets of the Operating Partnership are primarily comprised of Class A Operating Partnership units held by third parties and are recorded at the greater of their carrying amount or redemption value at the end of each reporting period. Changes in the value from period to period are charged to “additional capital” in Vornado’s consolidated statements of changes in equity and to “partners’ capital” on the consolidated balance sheets of the Operating Partnership.

Fair Value Measurement

ASC 820 defines fair value and establishes a framework for measuring fair value. The objective of fair value is to determine the price that would be received upon the sale of an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date (the exit price). ASC 820 establishes a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes observable and unobservable inputs used to measure fair value into three levels: Level 1 – quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets that are accessible at the measurement date for assets or liabilities; Level 2 – observable prices that are based on inputs not quoted in active markets, but corroborated by market data; and Level 3 – unobservable inputs that are used when little or no market data is available. The fair value hierarchy gives the highest priority to Level 1 inputs and the lowest priority to Level 3 inputs. In determining fair value, we utilize valuation techniques that maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs to the extent possible, as well as consider counterparty credit risk in our assessment of fair value. Considerable judgment is necessary to interpret Level 2 and 3 inputs in determining the fair value of our financial and non-financial assets and liabilities. Accordingly, our fair value estimates, which are made at the end of each reporting period, may be different than the amounts that may ultimately be realized upon sale or disposition of these assets.