Commitments and Contingencies

Employment Agreements and Arrangements

At December 31, 2017, the Company does not have any employment agreements with executive officers.

The standard restricted stock and option agreements used by the Company in its compensation program provide that upon an employee's termination without cause or the employee's Retirement (as defined in the agreement), all outstanding stock options and restricted shares of stock held by the employee will vest, and the employee will have up to 12 months or until the fifth anniversary of the grant date, if later, or until the option expiration date, if earlier, to exercise any options then held. Under the agreements, Retirement generally means a termination of employment and other business relationships, other than for cause, after attainment of age 50, provided that (i) the employee has worked for the Company for at least 10 years, (ii) the employee's age at Retirement plus years of employment with the Company equals at least 70, (iii) the employee provides at least six months written notice of his intent to retire, and (iv) the employee enters into a one year non-compete and employee non-solicitation agreement.

The Company also has an Officer Severance Program (the “Program”). Under the Program, in the event an officer who is not otherwise covered by a severance arrangement is terminated (other than for cause), or chooses to terminate his or her employment for good reason (as defined), in either case within 18 months following a sale event (as defined) of the Company, such officer will generally receive a cash lump sum payment equal to a multiple of the officer's covered compensation (base salary plus annual cash bonus). The multiple is one times for vice presidents and senior vice presidents, two times for executive vice presidents and three times for the chief executive officer. The officer's restricted stock and options would also vest. Costs related to the Program are deferred and recognized over the requisite service period when considered by management to be probable and estimable.

Legal Contingencies

The Company accounts for recoveries from legal matters as a reduction in the legal and related costs incurred associated with the matter, with recoveries in excess of these costs reported as a gain or, where appropriate, a reduction in the net cost basis of a community to which the suit related. During the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, the Company recognized $6,118,000 and $417,000 in legal recoveries. There were no material receipts during the year ended December 31, 2015, excluding amounts for the Residual JV. Amounts recognized during the year ended December 31, 2017 include $5,438,000 in legal settlement proceeds relating to construction defects at a community acquired as part of the Archstone Acquisition, reported as a component of casualty and impairment loss (gain), net on the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income.

Maplewood Casualty Loss

In February 2017, a fire occurred at the Company's Avalon Maplewood Development Community, located in Maplewood, NJ, which was under construction and not yet occupied. The Company believes that liabilities to third parties resulting from the fire will not be material and will, in any event, be substantially covered by insurance subject to a deductible. The Company has commenced reconstruction of the damaged and destroyed portions of the community. See Note 1, "Organization, Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies," for further discussion of the casualty gains and losses associated with the Maplewood casualty loss.

Edgewater Casualty Loss

In conjunction with legal matters associated with the Edgewater casualty loss, the Company has established protocols for processing claims from third parties who suffered losses as a result of the fire, and many third parties have contacted the Company's insurance carrier and settled their claims. See Note 1, "Organization, Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies," for further discussion of the casualty gains and losses associated with the Edgewater casualty loss.

Three class action lawsuits have been filed against the Company on behalf of occupants of the destroyed building and consolidated in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. The Company has agreed with class counsel to the terms of a settlement which provides a claims process (with agreed upon protocols for instructing the adjuster as to how to evaluate claims) and, if needed, an arbitration process to determine damage amounts to be paid to individual claimants covered by the class settlement. In July 2017 the District Court granted final approval of the settlement and all claims have been submitted to the independent claims adjuster. A total of 66 units (consisting of residents who did not previously settle their claims and who did not opt out of the class settlement) are included in the class action settlement and bound by its terms. However, only 44 units submitted claims. The independent claims adjuster is currently reviewing the claims submitted, which total approximately $6,900,000. To date, this claims adjuster has issued awards of behalf of three units and it is expected that the remaining awards should be determined and issued within the next two months. A fourth class action, being heard in the same federal court, was filed against the Company on behalf of residents of the second Edgewater building that suffered minimal damage. In addition to the class action lawsuits described above, 18 of the 19 lawsuits representing approximately 143 individual plaintiffs filed in the Superior Court of New Jersey Bergen County - Law Division were previously scheduled for trial on January 2, 2018. In advance of this date, the Company was able to resolve all of these claims in principle which included approximately 50 units. The Company previously resolved litigated claims with another 10 units. There is currently one remaining lawsuit which was recently filed in the Superior Court of New Jersey Bergen County - Law Division on behalf of one apartment unit. The Company believes it has meritorious defenses to the extent of damages claimed in that suit. There are also seven subrogation lawsuits that have been filed against the Company by insurers of Edgewater residents who obtained renters insurance; it is the Company's position that in the majority of the applicable leases the residents waived subrogation rights. One of these lawsuits has been dismissed on that basis, one is pending in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Bergen County - Law Division, one has been amicably resolved in principle and the other four have been consolidated and are currently pending in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. The District Court denied the Company's motions seeking dismissal on this basis. The Company will reassess the viability of this defense after conducting additional discovery.

Having settled many third party claims through the insurance claims process, the Company currently believes that any potential remaining liability to third parties (including any potential liability to third parties determined in accordance with the class settlement described above) will not be material to the Company and will in any event be substantially covered by the Company's insurance policies. However, the Company can give no assurances in this regard and continues to evaluate this matter.

The Company is involved in various other claims and/or administrative proceedings unrelated to the Edgewater casualty loss that arise in the ordinary course of its business. While no assurances can be given, the Company does not currently believe that any of these other outstanding litigation matters, individually or in the aggregate, will have a material adverse effect on its financial condition or results of operations.

Lease Obligations

The Company owns 13 apartment communities, one under development and two commercial properties, located on land subject to land leases expiring between October 2026 and March 2142. The ground leases for 13 apartment communities, of which two represent dual-branded communities with one underlying land lease, and the two commercial properties, are accounted for as operating leases recognizing rental expense on a straight-line basis over the lease term. These leases have varying escalation terms, primarily based on variables determined at future dates such as changes in the Consumer Price Index, and five of these leases have purchase options exercisable through 2095. The Company incurred costs of $23,431,000, $23,343,000 and $21,295,000 in the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively, related to operating leases. One apartment community is located on land subject to a land lease which is accounted for as a capital lease and has the option for the Company to purchase the land at some point during the lease term which expires in 2046. In addition, the Company is party to a lease for a portion of the parking garage adjacent to a lease-up community, accounted for as a capital lease and subject to the Company's real estate accounting policies discussed in Note 1, “Organization, Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies.” The Company has a total lease obligation of $20,118,000 reported as a component of accrued expenses and other liabilities. In addition, the Company is party to 14 leases for its corporate and regional offices with varying terms through 2031, all of which are accounted for as operating leases.

During the year ended December 31, 2017, the Company acquired the land encumbered by the ground lease for Avalon Morningside Park for $95,000,000, recognizing a non-cash write-off of prepaid rent of $11,153,000 associated with the ground lease termination, reported as a component of (loss) gain on other real estate transactions on the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income. Also during the year ended December 31, 2017, the Company exercised its purchase option under a capital lease, acquiring the land encumbered by the ground lease for Avalon at Assembly Row and AVA Somerville for $17,285,000.

The following table details the future minimum lease payments under the Company's current leases (dollars in thousands):



	Payments due by period
	2018		2019		2020		2021		2022		Thereafter
Operating Lease Obligations	$	21,051	$	21,064	$	18,781	$	20,162	$	20,057	$	1,052,808
Capital Lease Obligations (1) (2)	1,073		1,075		1,077		1,080		1,082		43,976
	$	22,124	$	22,139	$	19,858	$	21,242	$	21,139	$	1,096,784

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(1)	Aggregate capital lease payments include $25,961 in interest costs, with the timing of certain lease payments for capital land leases determined by completion of the construction of the associated apartment community.


(2)	Capital lease assets of $19,737 and $39,015 as of December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively, are included as a component of land and improvements or building and improvements on the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets.