EDGAR 10-K Filing

Company CIK: 1661458
Filing Year: 2021
Filename: 1661458_10-K_2021_0001661458-21-000015.json

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ITEM 1. BUSINESS
Item 1. Business
Overview
We are a self-advised and self-administered real estate investment trust (“REIT”) created to own and manage substantially all of the “non-core” assets previously owned and managed by our former parent, InvenTrust Properties Corp., a Maryland corporation (“InvenTrust”). On April 28, 2016, we were spun-off from InvenTrust through a pro rata distribution (the “Distribution”) by InvenTrust of 100% of the outstanding shares of our common stock to holders of InvenTrust’s common stock. Prior to or concurrent with the separation, we and InvenTrust engaged in certain reorganization transactions that were designed to consolidate substantially all of InvenTrust’s remaining “non-core” assets in Highlands. Highlands was incorporated in December 2015 as a Maryland corporation and operates in a manner that allows us to continue to qualify as a REIT for U.S. federal tax purposes.
This portfolio of “non-core” assets, which were acquired by InvenTrust between 2005 and 2008, included assets that are special use, single-tenant or build-to-suit; face unresolved legal issues; are in undesirable locations or in weak markets or submarkets; are aging or functionally obsolete; and/or have sub-optimal leasing metrics. A number of our assets are retail properties located in tertiary markets, which are particularly susceptible to the negative trends affecting retail real estate, including the severe effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of these characteristics, such assets are difficult to lease, finance and refinance and are relatively illiquid compared to other types of real estate assets. These factors also significantly limit our asset disposition options, impact the timing of such dispositions and restrict the viable options available to the Company for a future potential liquidity option.
Our strategy is focused on preserving, protecting and maximizing the total value of our portfolio with the long-term objective of providing stockholders with a return of their investment. We engage in rigorous asset management, and seek to sustain and enhance our portfolio, and improve the quality and income-producing ability of our portfolio, by engaging in selective dispositions, acquisitions, capital expenditures, financing, refinancing and enhanced leasing. We are also focused on cost containment efforts across our portfolio, improving our overall capital structure and making select investments in our existing “non-core” assets to maximize their value. To the extent we are able to generate cash flows from operations or dispositions of assets, in addition to the cash uses outlined above, our board of directors has determined that it is in the best interests of the Company to seek to reinvest in assets that are more likely to generate more reliable and stable cash flows, such as multi-family assets, as part of the Company’s overall strategy to optimize the value of the portfolio, enhance our options for a future potential liquidity option and maximize shareholder value. Given the nature and quality of the “non-core” assets in our portfolio as well as current market conditions, a definitive timeline for execution of our strategy cannot be made. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business has disrupted our efforts to implement a liquidity option and, although we cannot predict when circumstances will improve, we will continue to evaluate options to implement a liquidity option during 2022. However, we may be unable to execute on such a transaction on terms we would find attractive for our stockholders and our ability to do so will be influenced by external and macroeconomic factors, including, among others, the effects and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic and future resurgences, the timing and nature of recovery of the COVID-19 pandemic, interest rate movements, local, regional, national and global economic performance, government policy changes and competitive factors.
As of December 31, 2020, our portfolio consisted of one office asset, two industrial assets, four retail assets, twelve multi-family assets, one correctional facility, and one parcel of unimproved land, which are all located in the United States. We currently have four business segments, consisting of (i) net lease, (ii) retail, (iii) multi-tenant office and (iv) multi-family. Our unimproved land asset is presented in other assets (see Note 11 to the consolidated financial statements for additional information regarding segment reporting). We may have additional or fewer segments in the future to the extent we enter into additional real property sectors, dispose of property sectors, or change the character of assets.
2020 Highlights
•On March 31, 2020, we sold our bank branch ("Citizens"), for a gross sale price of $1.4 million.
•On April 22, 2020, we acquired The Sterling, a 27-unit multi-family asset located in San Diego, California, for a purchase price of $7.4 million.
•Effective September 15, 2020, the Company appointed Kimberly A. Karas to serve, in addition to her existing roles as our Senior Vice President, Controller and principal accounting officer, as our Treasurer and principal financial officer.
•On November 6, 2020, the Company entered into a Third Amendment to Credit Agreement (the “Third Amendment”) that amends that certain Credit Agreement, dated February 15, 2019 (as amended, the "Credit Agreement"), by and between the
Company, as borrower, and certain of its subsidiaries, as guarantors, The Huntington National Bank, individually and as administrative agent, issuing lender, lead arranger, book manager and syndication agent, and the other lenders thereunder, pursuant to which the Company “right-sized” the Credit Agreement by eliminating the Term Loan (as defined in the Third Amendment) previously available under the Credit Agreement. In connection with the execution of the Third Amendment, the Company borrowed sufficient funds under the Revolving Credit Loan (as defined in the Third Amendment) to repay all of its obligations under the Term Loan. Additionally, pursuant to the Third Amendment, the lender under the Credit Facility waived the Company’s obligation to comply with certain financial covenants for the period from July 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020 (the “Waiver Period”) and restricted the Company from drawing on the Revolving Credit Loan in amounts in excess of $20.0 million until the Company is in compliance with all such covenants.
•Effective January 22, 2021, the Company's board of directors appointed Robert J. Lange to serve as Chief Operating Officer of the Company. In addition to his duties as General Counsel and Secretary, Mr. Lange’s responsibilities have included and will continue to include a variety of operational functions, including strategic planning, non-core asset management, investor relations, certain human resources roles, as well as oversight of the Company's property and corporate insurance portfolios.
Business Strategy
Our investment objectives are to preserve, protect and maximize the total value of our portfolio. Given the quality and nature of the assets in our legacy “non-core” portfolio, which are generally disjointed, non-institutional grade, relatively illiquid, require substantial time and investment to bring to market and are not positioned to protect capital or deliver an acceptable risk-adjusted return, as well as current market conditions, we expect that this turnaround strategy of the remaining "non-core" portfolio will take multiple years to execute. In order to meet our investment objectives, we intend to continue to engage in rigorous asset management, seek to sustain and enhance our portfolio, and improve the quality and income-producing ability of our portfolio, by engaging in selective dispositions, acquisitions, capital expenditures, financing, refinancing and enhanced leasing. We are also focused on cost containment efforts across our portfolio, improving its overall capital structure and making select investments in our existing “non-core” assets to maximize their value. To the extent we are able to generate cash flows from operations or dispositions of assets, in addition to the cash uses outlined above, our board of directors has determined that it is in the best interests of the Company to seek to reinvest in assets that are more likely to generate more reliable and stable cash flows, such as multi-family assets, as part of the Company's overall strategy to optimize the value of the portfolio, enhance our options for a future liquidity option and maximize shareholder value.
Disposition Policy
We evaluate each of our assets on a rigorous and ongoing basis in an effort to optimize and enhance the total value of our portfolio. In furtherance of this strategy, for the foreseeable future, we anticipate disposing of select “non-core” assets that are not generating income or have unfavorable risk-adjusted returns and generally, using the proceeds from such sales to prepare other “non-core” assets for sale or invest in assets that are more likely to generate more reliable and stable cash flows, such as multi-family assets.
The determination of when a particular asset should be sold or otherwise disposed of will be made after consideration of all of the relevant factors, including whether such disposition will better position the portfolio for a potential future liquidity event, prevailing and projected economic and market conditions, the cash flow being generated by a particular asset, tax implications of a disposition, investment opportunities for any cash proceeds, debt characteristics of the asset, and whether the value of the asset is anticipated to decline or increase. The timing of any disposition will depend upon then-prevailing economic and market conditions and the factors described above, which could result in differing holding periods among the assets. There can be no assurance that dispositions will occur as planned, on acceptable terms, or within our desired timing.
Financing Strategy
On February 15, 2019, we entered into the Credit Agreement which initially provided for a secured revolving credit facility of up to $50.0 million and a secured term loan facility of up to $50.0 million with an accordion feature for an additional $100.0 million in potential financing. On November 6, 2020, the Company amended the Credit Agreement to, among other things, “right-size” the Credit Facility by eliminating the term loan facility previously available under the Credit Agreement. See also Note 8 (Debt) in the accompanying consolidated financial statements for additional discussion.
In addition, certain of our existing assets are currently encumbered by debt, and debt financing may be used from time to time for property improvements, tenant improvements, acquisition financing, leasing commissions, general corporate purposes and other working capital needs. The form of our indebtedness may vary and could be long-term or short-term,
secured or unsecured, or fixed-rate or floating rate. We will not enter into interest rate swaps or caps, or similar hedging transactions or derivative arrangements for speculative purposes, but may do so in order to manage or mitigate our interest rate risk on variable rate debt. For additional information regarding our existing debt, including our credit facility, please refer to “Management's Discussion and Analysis - Borrowings,” and Note 8 (Debt) in the accompanying consolidated financial statements for additional discussion.
As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, none of our mortgage debt was recourse to the Company, although we have provided certain customary, non-recourse carve-out guarantees in connection with obtaining mortgage loans on certain of our properties.
Tenants
As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, approximately 2.1% and 26.7%, respectively, of our revenues were derived from a net lease with The GEO Group, Inc. (“GEO”) on our Hudson correctional facility asset. The lease with GEO on this property expired in January of 2020 and GEO has vacated the facility. This vacancy had a negative impact to our financial condition, cash flows and results of operations. We expect the asset to remain vacant for years to come.
Conflict of Interest Policy
We maintain policies designed to reduce or eliminate potential conflicts of interest. Any transaction between us and any director, officer or 5% stockholder must be approved pursuant to our related party transaction policy. In addition, we have adopted a code of business conduct and ethics that seeks to identify and mitigate conflicts of interest between our employees, directors and officers and our company. However, we cannot assure you that these policies or provisions of law will always be successful in eliminating or minimizing the influence of such conflicts, and if they are not successful, decisions could be made that might fail to reflect fully the interests of stockholders.
Certain Other Policies
We intend to engage in future investment activities in a manner that is consistent with the requirements applicable to REITs for U.S. federal income tax purposes, unless the board of directors determines that it is no longer in our best interest to so qualify as a REIT.
We may issue senior securities, purchase and sell investments, offer securities in exchange for property and repurchase or reacquire shares or other securities in the future. To the extent we engage in these activities, we will comply with applicable law.
We do not currently have policies in place with respect to making loans to other persons (other than our conflict of interest policies described above) or investing in securities.
Competition
We are subject to significant competition in seeking tenants for the leasing of our assets, buyers for the sale of assets and sellers for the acquisition of assets. We compete with many third parties engaged in real estate investment activities, including other REITs, specialty finance companies, savings and loan associations, banks, mortgage bankers, insurance companies, mutual funds, institutional investors, investment banking firms, lenders, hedge funds, governmental bodies and other entities. Many of our competitors have substantially greater financial and other resources than we have and may have substantially more operating experience than us. We also face competition from other real estate investment programs for buyers, sellers and tenants that may be suitable for us. We perceive there to be a lower level of competition for certain assets in our portfolio based on, among other things, the characteristics of such assets, the number of willing buyers and the volume of transactions in their respective markets, which may make it challenging for us to sell these assets or attract tenants. Many of our retail tenants face intense competition from online retailers, which impacts demand for our brick-and-mortar retail real estate. A shift to e-commerce sales may adversely impact our retail tenants' sales thus causing those retailers to reduce the number of their retail locations in the future.
Human Capital Management
As of December 31, 2020, we had nine full-time employees, not including consultants and part-time workers. Our human capital strategy is focused on talent management. We base our hiring, development, training, compensation and advancement decisions on an objective evaluation of qualifications, performance, skills and experience. Our employees are fairly compensated, without regard to gender, race and ethnicity. All of our full-time employees are offered a comprehensive benefits package, including, but not limited to, paid time off, medical dental and vision insurance, disability, life insurance, 401(k) matching, and reasonable work from home flexibility. We endeavor to maintain workplaces that are free from discrimination or harassment on the basis of color, race, sex, national origin, ethnicity, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression or any other status protected by applicable law. To that end, we conduct annual training to raise awareness of, and prevent, harassment and discrimination. Due to the nature of our portfolio and our business strategy, we rely on consultants, professional firms and third parties, under our supervision, to perform many routine operations for us.
Environmental & Other Government Regulation
As an owner of real estate, we are subject to various U.S. federal, state and local laws, ordinances and regulations, including, among other things, zoning regulations, land use controls, environmental controls relating to air and water quality, noise pollution and indirect environmental impacts such as increased motor vehicle activity. We believe that we have all permits and approvals necessary under current law to operate our assets.
Compliance with existing environmental and other laws and regulations has not had a material effect on our financial condition or results of operations, and management does not believe it will have a material effect in the future. However, we cannot predict the impact of unforeseen environmental contingencies or new or changed laws or regulations on assets in which we hold an interest, or on assets that may be acquired directly or indirectly in the future.
Insurance
We have insurance coverage for our properties which includes the type of coverage and limits we believe to be appropriate for each property and our business operations. Such coverage typically includes commercial general liability and property insurance which, includes property damage and loss of rental income resulting from such perils as fire, windstorm, flood and extended coverage. Our management believes our insurance coverage contains policy terms and conditions and insured limits that are customary for similar properties and operations.
Principal Executive Offices
Our principal executive offices are located at 332 S Michigan Avenue, Ninth Floor, Chicago, Illinois, 60604, and our telephone number is (312)-583-7990. We maintain a website at www.highlandsreit.com.
Available Information
Stockholders may obtain copies of our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), free of charge, from the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov or from our website at www.highlandsreit.com. These include our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on form 10-Q, and our current reports on Form 8-K. Our filings will be available on our website as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such materials with the SEC. However, the information from our website is not incorporated by reference into this report.

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ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
Item 1A. Risk Factors
You should carefully consider each of the following risks described below and all of the other information in this Annual Report on Form 10-K in evaluating us. Our business, financial condition, cash flows, results of operations and/or ability to pay distributions to our stockholders could be materially adversely affected by any of these risks. This Annual Report on Form 10-K also contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors, including the risks faced by us described below and elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. See “Disclosure Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.”
Risk Factors Summary
The following is a summary of the principal risks and uncertainties described in more detail in this Annual Report:
•The COVID-19 pandemic, including any resurgences, and the potential future outbreak of other highly infectious or contagious diseases, may adversely affect our business.
•Short-term multi-family community leases associated with any multi-family residential properties we acquire may expose us to the effects of declining market rent and could adversely impact our business, results of operations and financial condition.
•The costs of compliance with laws and regulations relating to our residential properties may adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
•Increased competition and increased affordability of residential housing could limit our ability to retain tenants, lease multi-family properties or increase or maintain rents.
•We could be negatively impacted by the condition of Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac and by changes in government support for multi-family housing.
•We may be unable to renew our commercial leases, lease vacant space or re-lease space as leases expire, thereby increasing or prolonging vacancies.
•We may be unable to lease or dispose of our correctional facility on acceptable terms or at all.
•We depend on tenants for our revenue, and accordingly, lease terminations, vacancies, tenant defaults and bankruptcies could adversely affect the income produced by our assets.
•Our legacy portfolio includes assets that are special use, single-tenant and/or build-to-suit; face unresolved legal issues; are aging or functionally obsolete; or have sub-optimal leasing metrics, which may make them difficult to lease, finance or sell.
•Many of our properties are located in weak markets or submarkets, which may adversely affect our ability to rent such properties, increase rental rates and/or sell such properties.
•Economic and market conditions could negatively impact our business, results of operations and financial condition.
•An outbreak of disease or similar public health threat, such as the coronavirus, could adversely affect our and our tenants’ financial condition and operations.
•Our ongoing business strategy involves the selling of assets; however, we may be unable to sell an asset at acceptable terms and conditions, if at all.
•We may not successfully implement our strategy, in which case you may have to hold your investment for an indefinite period.
•Real estate is a competitive business.
•Any difficulties in obtaining capital necessary to make tenant improvements, pay leasing commissions and make capital improvements at our assets could materially and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.
•There are inherent risks with investments in real estate, including the relative illiquidity of such investments.
•Our assets may be subject to impairment charges that may materially affect our financial results.
•Many real estate costs and certain operating costs are fixed, even if revenue from our assets decreases.
•Operating and other expenses may increase in the future, which may cause our cash flow and our operating results to decrease.
•Our revenue from our retail assets will be impacted by the success and economic viability of our anchor retail tenants. Our reliance on single or significant tenants in certain buildings may decrease our ability to lease vacated space and adversely affect our financial condition, cash flows and results of operations.
•Government or public resistance to privatization of correctional facilities could negatively impact our future tenants, if any, and our ability to dispose of this asset, which could have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
•We are also subject to, and may incur material costs related to, (i) government regulation, including the rules and regulations under the securities and environmental laws, and (ii) potential litigation, including adverse judgements and settlements.
•If we are unable to repay or refinance our existing debt as it comes due, we may need to sell the underlying asset sooner than anticipated or the lender may foreclose, in which case our financial condition, cash flows and results of operations could be materially adversely affected.
•Our special purpose property-owning subsidiaries may default under non-recourse mortgage loans.
•Our failure to comply with the covenants in our Credit Agreement and other debt agreements could materially and adversely affect us.
•Increases in interest rates could increase the amount of our debt payments and adversely affect our ability to make distributions to our stockholders.
•Failure to remain qualified as a REIT would cause us to be taxed as a regular corporation, which would substantially reduce funds available for distributions to our stockholders, adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and ability to engage in certain transactions and may have other adverse consequences, including under the tax laws.
•We may be subject to adverse legislative or regulatory tax changes that could reduce the value of our common stock.
•There is no established public market for our shares and you may not be able to sell your shares.
•The estimated value per share of our common stock is based on a number of assumptions and estimates that may not be accurate or complete and is also subject to a number of limitations.
•We may issue additional securities, including common stock, preferred stock and debt securities, which could subordinate the rights of existing holders of our securities and, for holders of our equity securities, may result in dilution.
•Certain provisions of Maryland law and our governing documents affect the rights of our stockholders and may restrict or alter our ability to engage in certain transactions.
•Our board of directors may change our investment strategy without stockholder approval, which could alter the nature of your investment.
Risks Related to the COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, including any resurgences, and the potential future outbreak of other highly infectious or contagious diseases, may adversely affect our business.
Since being reported in December 2019, COVID-19 has spread globally, including to every state in the United States. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic, and on March 13, 2020, the United States declared a national emergency with respect to COVID-19 that remains ongoing.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had, and another pandemic in the future could have, repercussions across regional and global economies and financial markets. The outbreak of COVID-19 in many countries, including the United States, has significantly and adversely impacted global economic activity and has contributed to significant volatility and negative pressure in financial markets. The global impact of the outbreak has been rapidly evolving and, many countries, including the United States, have reacted by instituting quarantines, mandating business and school closures and restricting travel.
Certain states and cities, including those where we own properties and where our principal place of business is located, have reacted by instituting quarantines, restrictions on travel, “shelter in place” rules, and restrictions on types of business that may continue to operate. Certain jurisdictions began re-opening only to return to restrictions in the face of increases in new COVID-19 cases. We are unable to predict whether cases of COVID-19 in our core markets or other areas in which we operate will decrease, increase, or remain the same, whether the approved COVID-19 vaccines will be efficiently distributed and administered in these markets and whether local governments will mandate further closures of our tenants' businesses or implement other restrictive measures on their operations.
In particular, many tenants at our retail properties have ceased operating or have been operating in a reduced capacity due to governmental restrictions on their business activities. As a result, the Company has observed a substantial increase in the number of tenants that have made late or partial rent payments, requested a deferral of rent payments, or defaulted on rent payments, and it is likely that more of our tenants will be similarly impacted in the future. Additionally, certain tenants have declared bankruptcy as a result of the effects of the pandemic. Certain of our tenants may not re-open even after the aforementioned restrictions are lifted, which could have a material impact on occupancy and rental rates at our properties. Additionally, a decrease in retail demand could make it difficult for us to renew or re-lease our properties at lease rates equal to or above historical rates and we could incur significant re-leasing costs. The current decreased customer traffic or continued decreased traffic in the future could adversely impact our ability to successfully execute our leasing strategy and operational objectives at our retail properties.
In addition, the reduced economic activity that has resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in reduced demand for space at our multi-family properties or an inability or unwillingness of our tenants at our multi-family properties to pay rent or otherwise meet their lease obligations to us on a timely basis or at all. This decrease in demand at our multi-family properties resulted in reduced rental income and has made it difficult for us to renew or re-lease such properties at lease rates equal to or above historical rates and we could incur significant re-leasing costs or be unable to re-lease these properties on advantageous terms or at all.
The COVID-19 pandemic could trigger, or may have already triggered, a period of global economic slowdown or a global recession or a period of depressed economic activity related in certain industries or sectors. A sustained downturn in the U.S. economy, or portions thereof, could impact our tenants’ ability to meet their lease obligations due to poor operating results, lack of liquidity, loss of employment or other reasons and could therefore decrease the revenue generated by our properties or the value of our properties. Our ability to lease space and negotiate and maintain favorable rents could also be negatively impacted by a prolonged recession in the U.S. economy or depressed economic activity in certain industries or sectors thereof. Moreover, the demand for leasing space in our properties could substantially decline during a significant downturn in the U.S. economy or certain industries or sectors thereof, which could result in a decline in our occupancy percentage and further reduction in rental revenues.
Many cities and states issued moratoriums on evictions during the year ended December 31, 2020, some of which have been extended into 2021, are subject to court closures and/or reduced court operations or have imposed other limitations on landlords’ ability to enforce legal remedies typically available against tenants that fail to pay rent, which can negatively impact rent collections. In addition, partly in response to an executive order issued by the Governor of the State of Illinois, the majority of our employees based at our headquarters have been working remotely since March 2020. The effects of an extended period of remote work arrangements could strain our business continuity plans, introduce operational risk, including but not limited to cybersecurity risks, and impair our ability to manage our business. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, including any resurgences, or a future pandemic, could also have a material and adverse effect on our ability to successfully operate and on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows due to, among other factors:
•reduced economic activity may severely impact our tenants’ businesses, financial condition and liquidity and may cause certain of our tenants to be unable to meet their obligations to us in full, or at all, or to otherwise seek modifications of such obligations and/or terminate their leases early or not renew;
•difficulty accessing the lending markets (or a significant increase in the costs of doing so), severe disruption or instability in the global financial markets, or deterioration in credit and financing conditions, may affect our access to capital necessary to fund business operations or address maturing debt obligations on a timely basis;
•the financial impact of the pandemic, or a future pandemic, could prevent us from regaining compliance with financial covenants under the amended Credit Agreement and other debt agreements and result in a default and potentially an acceleration of indebtedness;
•continued non-compliance with the covenants under our amended Credit Agreement as a result of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic could continue to prevent us from making borrowings under our Credit Agreement and could cause the lender to terminate the Credit Agreement;
•impairment in value of our tangible or intangible assets which could be recorded as a result of weaker economic conditions;
•a general decline in business activity and demand for real estate transactions could adversely affect our ability to sell or purchase properties;
•inability to initiate or pursue litigation due to various court closures and/or moratoriums on certain types of activities;
•the potential negative impact on the health of our personnel, particularly if a significant number of them are impacted, could result in a deterioration in our ability to ensure business continuity during this disruption, or a future disruption, and may negatively impact our disclosure controls and procedures over financial reporting;
•the ability of our tenants who have been granted rent deferrals and abatements to timely pay deferred rent;
•tenant bankruptcies;
•any ability to renew leases or lease vacant space on favorable terms, or at all;
•a potentially prolonged recession and high unemployment negatively impacting consumer discretionary spend; and
•continued changes in consumer behavior in favor of e-commerce.
The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic impacts our operations and those of our tenants will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted with confidence, including the scope, severity and duration of the pandemic, including any resurgences, the efficient distribution and administration of approved COVID-19 vaccines, the actions taken to contain the pandemic or mitigate its impact and the direct and indirect economic effects of the pandemic and containment measures, among others. The impact of COVID-19 may also heighten other risks discussed in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and estimated share value.
Risks Related to Our Business and Industry
Short-term multi-family community leases associated with any multi-family residential properties we acquire may expose us to the effects of declining market rent and could adversely impact our business, results of operations and financial condition.
We expect that substantially all of our multi-family community leases will be for a term of one year or less. Because these leases generally permit the residents to leave at the end of the lease term without penalty, our rental revenues may be impacted by declines in market rents more quickly than if our leases were for longer terms.
The costs of compliance with laws and regulations relating to our residential properties may adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Various laws, ordinances, and regulations affect multi-family residential properties, including regulations relating to recreational facilities, such as activity centers and other common areas. In addition, rent control laws may be applicable to any of our residential properties.
Some of these laws and regulations have been amended so as to require compliance with new or more stringent standards as of future dates. Compliance with new or more stringent laws or regulations, stricter interpretation of existing laws or the future discovery of environmental contamination may require material expenditures by us. Future laws, ordinances or regulations may impose material environmental liabilities, and the current environmental condition of our properties might be affected by the operations of the tenants, by the existing condition of the land, by operations in the vicinity of the properties, such as the presence of underground storage tanks, or by the activities of unrelated third parties.
These laws typically allow liens to be placed on the affected property. In addition, there are various local, state and federal fire, health, life-safety and similar regulations which we may be required to comply with, and which may subject us to liability in the form of fines or damages for noncompliance.
Any newly acquired or developed multi-family residential properties must comply with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (the “ADA”) to the extent that such properties are “public accommodations” and/or “commercial facilities” as defined by the ADA. Compliance with the ADA requires removal of structural barriers to handicapped access in certain public areas of the properties where such removal is “readily achievable.” Our properties may not comply in all material respects with all present requirements under the ADA and applicable state laws. When acquiring properties, we may not succeed in placing the burden on the seller to ensure compliance with the ADA. Noncompliance with the ADA could result in the imposition of injunctive relief, monetary penalties or, in some cases, an award of damages to private litigants. The cost of defending against any claims of liability under the ADA or the payment of any fines or damages could adversely affect our financial condition and affect cash available to return capital and the amount of distributions to you.
Increased competition and increased affordability of residential housing could limit our ability to retain tenants, lease multi-family properties or increase or maintain rents.
The multi-family sector is highly competitive. This competition could reduce occupancy levels and revenues at our multi-family communities, which would adversely affect our operations. We face competition from many sources. We face competition from other multi-family communities both in the immediate vicinity and in the larger geographic market where our multi-family communities are located. These competitors may have greater experience and financial resources than us giving them an advantage in attracting tenants to their properties. For example, our competitors may be willing to offer multi-family housing at rental rates below our rates, causing us to lose existing or potential tenants and pressuring us to reduce our rental rates to retain existing tenants or convince new tenants to lease space at our property. Overbuilding of multi-family communities may also occur. Any increase in the amount of multi-family housing available in a given market may decrease occupancy and multi-family rental rates for our properties. In addition, increases in operating costs due to inflation may not be offset by increased multi-family rental rates for our properties. Furthermore, multi-family communities we acquire most likely compete, or will compete, with numerous housing alternatives in attracting tenants, including owner-occupied single- and multi-family housing available to rent or purchase. Competitive housing in a particular area and the increasing affordability of owner-occupied single- and multi-family housing available to rent or buy caused by low mortgage interest rates and government programs to promote home ownership could adversely affect our ability to retain our tenants, lease multi-family housing and increase or maintain rental rates.
We could be negatively impacted by the condition of Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac and by changes in government support for multi-family housing.
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are a major source of financing for multi-family real estate in the United States. In the future, we may utilize loan programs sponsored by these entities as a source of capital to finance our growth and our operations. In September 2008, the U.S. government assumed control of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and placed both companies into a government conservatorship under the Federal Housing Finance Agency. In December 2009, the U.S. Department of the Treasury increased its financial support for these conservatorships. In February 2011, the Obama administration released its blueprint for winding down Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and for reforming the system of housing finance. Since that time, members of Congress have introduced and Congressional committees have considered a substantial number of bills that include comprehensive or incremental approaches to winding down Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac or changing their purposes, businesses, or operations. A decision by the U.S. government to eliminate or downscale Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac or to reduce government support for multi-family housing more generally may adversely affect interest rates, capital availability, development of multi-family communities and the value of multi-family assets and, as a result, may adversely affect our future growth and operations.
We may be unable to renew our commercial leases, lease vacant space or re-lease space as leases expire, thereby increasing or prolonging vacancies.
We cannot assure you that leases will be renewed or that our assets will be re-leased on terms equal to or better than the current terms, or at all. We also may not be able to lease space which is currently not occupied on acceptable terms and conditions, if at all. Certain of our assets are special-use, single-tenant or build-to-suit; are in undesirable locations or weak markets or sub-markets; and/or are aging or functionally obsolete. As a result, these properties may be very difficult to lease. In addition, some of our tenants have leases that include early termination provisions that permit the lessee to terminate all or a portion of its lease with us after a specified date or upon the occurrence of certain events with little or no liability to us. We may be required to offer substantial rent abatements, tenant improvements, early termination rights or below-market renewal options to retain these tenants or attract new ones. It is possible that, in order to lease currently vacant space, or space that may become vacant, we will be required to make rent or other concessions to tenants, accommodate requests for renovations, make tenant improvements or other improvements or provide additional services to our tenants. Portions of our assets may remain vacant for extended periods of time. If the rental rates for our assets decrease, our existing tenants do not renew their leases or we do not re-lease a significant portion of our available space and space for which leases will expire, our financial condition, cash flows and results of operations could be adversely affected.
We may be unable to lease or dispose of our correctional facility on acceptable terms or at all.
The lease with GEO on our correctional facility expired in January of 2020 and GEO has vacated the facility. We expect the asset to remain vacant for years to come. We cannot assure you that we will be able to lease or dispose of the Hudson correctional facility on acceptable terms or at all. Correctional facilities are unique, specific-purpose assets that have a limited market, and we face competition in this market from both government entities and private operators, many of which have a longer track record and more experience and greater financial resources than us. Additionally, the market for leasing or selling correctional facilities is subject to a number of unique factors, including the level of government appropriations and acceptance of privatization of correctional facilities among the government and the general public. Namely, on January 26, 2021, President Biden issued an executive order that directs the U.S. Attorney General (the "AG") to not renew U.S. Department of Justice (the "DOJ") contracts with privately operated criminal detention facilities. This executive order or similar government actions could limit the number of potential tenants or buyers for our Hudson correctional facility. Further, if we are unable to lease or sell our Hudson correctional facility on acceptable terms or at all, we may be required to make significant capital expenditures to reposition this asset or to finance the asset or sell this asset. If we are unable to lease or sell our Hudson correctional facility on acceptable terms or at all, our financial condition, cash flows and results of operations may be adversely affected.
We depend on tenants for our revenue, and accordingly, lease terminations, vacancies, tenant defaults and bankruptcies could adversely affect the income produced by our assets.
Our business and financial condition depends on the financial stability of our tenants. Certain economic conditions, including economic conditions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, may adversely affect one or more of our tenants. For example, business failures and downsizings can affect the tenants of our office and industrial assets. As a result, our tenants may delay lease commencements, decline to extend or renew their leases upon expiration, fail to make rental payments, or declare bankruptcy. Individual tenants may lease more than one asset or space at more than one asset. As a result, the financial failure of one tenant could increase vacancy at more than one asset or cause more than one lease to become non-performing. Any of these actions could result in the termination of the tenants’ leases, the expiration of existing leases without renewal or the loss of rental income attributable to the terminated or expired leases, any of which could make our assets difficult to sell and could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, cash flows and results of operations.
In the event of a tenant default or bankruptcy, we may experience delays in enforcing our rights as a landlord and may incur substantial costs in protecting our investment and re-leasing our asset. Specifically, a bankruptcy filing by, or relating to, one of our tenants or a lease guarantor would bar efforts by us to collect pre-bankruptcy debts from that tenant or lease guarantor, or its assets, unless we receive an order permitting us to do so from the bankruptcy court. In addition, we cannot evict a tenant solely because of bankruptcy. The bankruptcy of a tenant or lease guarantor could delay our efforts to collect past-due balances under the relevant leases, and could ultimately preclude collection of these sums. If a lease is rejected by a tenant in bankruptcy, we would have only a general, unsecured claim for damages. An unsecured claim would only be paid to the extent that funds are available and only in the same percentage as is paid to all other holders of general, unsecured claims. Restrictions under the bankruptcy laws further limit the amount of any other claims that we can make if a lease is rejected. As a result, it is likely that we would recover substantially less than the full value of the remaining rent during the term, and may not recover any balances at all.
Additionally, various federal, state and local governments have enacted, and may continue to enact, laws regulations and moratoriums or take other actions which could limit our ability to evict tenants until such laws, regulations or moratoriums are reversed or lifted. In particular, many state and local governments have implemented eviction moratoriums as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic which generally apply to both residential and commercial tenants.
Our legacy portfolio includes assets that are special use, single-tenant and/or build-to-suit; face unresolved legal issues; are aging or functionally obsolete; or have sub-optimal leasing metrics, which may make them difficult to lease, finance or sell.
Our legacy portfolio includes assets that are special use, single-tenant and/or build-to-suit; face unresolved legal issues; are aging or functionally obsolete; or have sub-optimal leasing metrics, which may make them relatively illiquid compared to other types of real estate assets. With these assets, if the current lease is terminated or not renewed, we may be required to make significant capital expenditures to reposition the asset or make rent concessions in order to lease the asset to another tenant, finance the asset or sell the asset.
Many of our properties are located in weak markets or submarkets, which may adversely affect our ability to rent such properties, increase rental rates and/or sell such properties.
Certain of our properties are located in weak markets or submarkets. These markets may be experiencing economic slowdowns, little or no job growth, and/or high numbers of vacancies. Also, with respect to our retail assets, a shift toward increased e-commerce sales could adversely impact the demand for our retail assets if retail tenants reduce the number of their brick-and-mortar locations. The weakness of an asset’s market or submarket may adversely affect our ability to rent such properties, increase rental rates and/or sell such properties, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, cash flows or results of operations.
Economic and market conditions could negatively impact our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Our business may be affected by market and economic challenges, including economic conditions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, experienced by the United States or global economies or the real estate industry as a whole or by the local economic conditions in the markets in which our assets are located, including any dislocations in the credit markets. These conditions may materially affect our tenants, the value and performance of our assets and our ability to sell assets, as well as our ability to make principal and interest payments on, or refinance, any outstanding debt when due. Challenging economic conditions may also impact the ability of certain of our tenants to enter into new leasing transactions or satisfy rental payments under existing leases. Specifically, these conditions may have the following consequences:
•the financial condition of our tenants may be adversely affected, which may result in us having to increase concessions, reduce rental rates or make capital improvements in order to maintain occupancy levels or to negotiate for reduced space needs, which may result in a decrease in our occupancy levels;
•significant job loss may occur, which may decrease demand for space and result in lower occupancy levels, which will result in decreased revenues and which could diminish the value of assets, which depend, in part, upon the cash flow generated by our assets;
•an increase in the number of bankruptcies or insolvency proceedings of our tenants and lease guarantors, which could delay our efforts to collect rent and any past due balances under the relevant leases and ultimately could preclude collection of these sums;
•our ability to borrow on terms and conditions that we find acceptable may be limited;
•the amount of capital that is available to finance assets could diminish, which, in turn, could lead to a decline in asset values generally, slow asset transaction activity, and reduce the loan to value ratio upon which lenders are willing to lend; and
•the value of certain of our assets may decrease below the amounts we paid for them, which would limit our ability to dispose of assets at attractive prices or for potential buyers to obtain debt financing secured by these assets and could reduce our ability to finance our business.
An outbreak of disease or similar public health threat, such as the coronavirus, could adversely affect our and our tenants’ financial condition and operations.
A local, regional, national or international outbreak of a contagious disease, including COVID-19, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, H1N1 influenza virus, avian flu or any other similar illness, could decrease the willingness of customers to patronize our tenants’ retail facilities, discourage residents from renting in our multi-family communities, cause shortages of employees to staff our tenants’ operations, interrupt supplies from third parties upon which our tenants rely, cause us or our tenants to temporarily close one or more of our properties, result in governmental regulation adversely impacting our or our tenants’ businesses and otherwise have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Such adverse effect could be rapid and unexpected.
Our ongoing business strategy involves the selling of assets; however, we may be unable to sell an asset at acceptable terms and conditions, if at all.
We intend to hold our assets until such time as we determine that a sale or other disposition appears to be advantageous to achieve our investment objectives. The determination of when a particular asset should be sold or otherwise disposed of will be made after consideration of all of the relevant factors, including whether such disposition will better position the portfolio for a potential future liquidity event, prevailing and projected economic and market conditions, the cash flow being generated by a particular asset, tax implications of a disposition, debt characteristics of the asset, and whether the value of the asset or other investment is anticipated to decline or increase investment opportunities for any proceeds. Even if we do determine to sell an asset, market conditions or individual asset characteristics may negatively affect the value of our assets and therefore reduce our return on the investment or prevent us from selling the asset on acceptable terms or at all. Some of our leases contain provisions giving the tenant a right to purchase the asset, such as a right of first offer or right of first refusal, which may lessen our ability to freely control the sale of the asset. Debt levels may exceed the value of our assets in the future, making it more difficult for us to rent, refinance or sell the assets. In addition, real estate investments are relatively illiquid and often cannot be sold quickly, limiting our ability to sell our assets when we decide to do so, or in response to such changing economic or asset-specific issues. Further, economic conditions may prevent potential purchasers from obtaining financing on acceptable terms, if at all, thereby delaying or preventing our ability to sell our assets.
We may not successfully implement our strategy, in which case you may have to hold your investment for an indefinite period.
We are under no obligation to complete our strategy within a specified time period, and market and economic conditions and other factors beyond our control could delay the execution of our strategy. Our investment objectives are to preserve, protect and maximize the total value of our portfolio with the long term objective of providing stockholders with a return of their investment. Given the nature of the assets in our portfolio, we expect that this turnaround strategy could take multiple years to execute. We may not be able to control the timing of the sale of our assets, and there can be no assurance that we will be able to sell our assets so as to return any portion of our stockholders’ invested capital, particularly our “non-core” assets, or fully satisfy our debt obligations. Our ability to sell our assets may also be limited by our need to avoid a 100% penalty tax that is imposed on gain recognized by a REIT from the sale of assets characterized as dealer property, which may cause us to forego or defer sales of assets that otherwise would be in our best interests.
If we are not successful in implementing our strategy in a timely manner, your shares may continue to be illiquid and you may, for an indefinite period of time, be unable to convert your investment into cash easily, if at all, and could suffer losses on your investment.
Real estate is a competitive business.
We compete with numerous developers, owners and operators of commercial real estate assets in the leasing market, many of which own assets similar to, and in the same market areas as, our assets. In addition, some of these competitors may be willing to accept lower returns on their investments than we are, and many have greater resources than we have and may enjoy significant competitive advantages that result from, among other things, a lower cost of capital and enhanced operating efficiencies. Principal factors of competition include rents charged, attractiveness of location, the quality of the asset and breadth and quality of services provided. Our success depends upon, among other factors, trends affecting national and local economies, the financial condition and operating results of current and prospective tenants and customers, availability and cost of capital, construction and renovation costs, taxes, governmental regulations, legislation, job creation and population trends.
We also face competition from other real estate investment programs for buyers. We perceive there to be a smaller universe of potential buyers for many of the types of assets that comprise our portfolio in comparison to assets in more core real estate sectors, which will likely make it challenging for us to sell our assets.
Any difficulties in obtaining capital necessary to make tenant improvements, pay leasing commissions and make capital improvements at our assets could materially and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.
Ownership of real estate is a capital intensive business that requires significant capital expenditures to operate, maintain and renovate assets. Access to the capital that we need to lease, maintain and renovate existing assets is critical to the success of our business. We may not be able to fund tenant improvements, pay leasing commissions or fund capital improvements at our existing assets solely from cash provided from our operating activities. As a result, our ability to fund tenant improvements, pay leasing commissions or fund capital improvements through retained earnings may be restricted. Consequently, we may have to rely upon the availability of debt, net proceeds from the dispositions of our assets or equity capital to fund tenant improvements, pay leasing commissions or fund capital improvements. Our ability to obtain debt on favorable terms or at all may be further limited by the fact that certain properties previously owned by the Company were foreclosed upon. The inability to access capital could impair our ability to compete effectively and harm our business.
There are inherent risks with investments in real estate, including the relative illiquidity of such investments.
Investments in real estate are subject to varying degrees of risk. For example, an investment in real estate cannot generally be quickly sold, and we cannot predict whether we will be able to sell any asset we desire to on the terms set by us or acceptable to us, or the length of time needed to find a willing purchaser and to close the sale of such asset. Moreover, the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, amended (the “Code”) imposes restrictions on a REIT’s ability to dispose of assets that are not applicable to other types of real estate companies. In particular, the tax laws applicable to REITs require that we hold our assets for investment, rather than primarily for sale in the ordinary course of business, which may cause us to forego or defer sales of assets that otherwise would be in our best interests. Therefore, we may not be able to vary our portfolio promptly in response to changing economic, financial, investment and market conditions and dispose of assets at opportune times, on favorable terms or at all, which may adversely affect our cash flows and our ability to make distributions to stockholders.
Investments in real estate are also subject to adverse changes in general economic conditions. Among the factors that could impact our assets and the value of an investment in us are:
•risks associated with the possibility that cost increases will outpace revenue increases and that in the event of an economic slowdown, the high proportion of fixed costs will make it difficult to reduce costs to the extent required to offset declining revenues;
•changes in tax laws and property taxes, or an increase in the assessed valuation of an asset for real estate tax purposes;
•adverse changes in the U.S. federal, state or local laws and regulations applicable to us, including those affecting zoning, fuel and energy consumption, water and environmental restrictions, and the related costs of compliance;
•changing market demographics;
•an inability to finance real estate assets on favorable terms, if at all;
•the ongoing need for owner-funded capital improvements and expenditures to maintain or upgrade assets;
•fluctuations in real estate values or potential impairments in the value of our assets;
•pandemics, natural disasters, such as earthquakes, floods or other insured or uninsured losses;
•war, political conditions or civil unrest, terrorist activities or threats heightened travel security measures instituted in response to these events; and
•changes in interest rates and availability, cost and terms of financing.
Our assets may be subject to impairment charges that may materially affect our financial results.
Economic and other conditions may adversely impact the valuation of our assets, resulting in impairment charges that could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and earnings. On a regular basis, we evaluate our assets for impairments based on various triggers, including changes in the projected cash flows of such assets and market conditions. If we determine that an impairment has occurred, then we would be required to make an adjustment to the net carrying value of the asset, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations in the accounting period in which the adjustment is made. During 2020, we determined that impairment with respect to our Hudson correctional facility asset had occurred, resulting in reductions in net carrying value of that asset by an aggregate of $16.8 million. During 2019, no impaired assets were identified. Furthermore, changes in estimated future cash flows due to a change in our plans, policies, or views of market and economic conditions could result in the recognition of additional impairment losses for already impaired assets, which, under the applicable accounting guidance, could be substantial.
Many real estate costs and certain operating costs are fixed, even if revenue from our assets decreases.
Many real estate costs, such as real estate taxes, insurance premiums, maintenance costs and certain operating costs generally are more fixed than variable and, as a result, are not reduced even when an asset is not fully occupied, rents decrease or other circumstances cause a reduction in revenues. If we are unable to offset these fixed costs with sufficient revenues across our portfolio, it could materially and adversely affect our results of operations and profitability. This risk is particularly acute at our net lease assets.
Operating and other expenses may increase in the future, which may cause our cash flow and our operating results to decrease.
Certain operating expenses and certain general and administrative expenses are not fixed and may increase in the future. Any increases would cause our cash flow and our operating results to decrease. If we are unable to offset these decreases with sufficient revenues across our portfolio, our financial condition, cash flows and results of operations may be materially adversely affected.
Our revenue from our retail assets will be impacted by the success and economic viability of our anchor retail tenants. Our reliance on single or significant tenants in certain buildings may decrease our ability to lease vacated space and adversely affect our financial condition, cash flows and results of operations.
In the retail sector, a tenant occupying all or a large portion of the gross leasable area of a retail center, commonly referred to as an anchor tenant, may become insolvent, may suffer a downturn in business or may decide not to renew its lease. Any of these events would result in a reduction or cessation in rental payments to us and would adversely affect our financial condition. A lease termination by an anchor tenant also could result in lease terminations or reductions in rent by other tenants whose leases may permit cancellation or rent reduction if another tenant’s lease is terminated. Similarly, the leases of some anchor tenants may permit the anchor tenant to transfer its lease to another retailer. The transfer to a new anchor tenant could reduce customer traffic in the retail center and thereby reduce the income generated by that retail center. A transfer of a lease to a new anchor tenant could also allow other tenants to make reduced rental payments or to terminate their leases in accordance with lease terms. If we are unable to re-lease the vacated space to a new anchor tenant, we may incur additional expenses in order to remodel the space to be able to re-lease the space to more than one tenant.
Government or public resistance to privatization of correctional facilities could negatively impact our future tenants, if any, and our ability to dispose of this asset, which could have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
The management and operation of correctional facilities by private entities has not achieved acceptance by either government agencies or the public and, more recently, has been opposed by the Biden administration. Namely, on January 26, 2021, President Biden issued an executive order that directs the U.S. Attorney General to not renew U.S. Department of Justice contracts with privately operated criminal detention facilities. Further, some governmental agencies have historically had limitations on their ability to delegate their traditional management responsibilities for such facilities to private companies, and additional executive actions, legislative changes or prohibitions could occur that further increase these limitations. In addition, privatization of such facilities has historically encountered resistance from groups, and activists, that believe that correctional facilities should only be operated by governmental agencies. Negative publicity about poor conditions, an escape, riot or other disturbance at a privately-managed facility may result in adverse publicity to the private corrections industry. Any of these occurrences or continued trends may make it more difficult for future tenants, if any, of our correctional facility asset to obtain new contracts. Changes in governing political parties could also result in significant changes to previously established views of
privatization. Increased government or public resistance to the privatization of correctional facilities, including actions taken by federal, state and local governments, could have a material adverse effect on our future tenants, if any, who operate in this industry, which could adversely impact the value of our correctional facility asset, our ability to re-lease such asset and our results of operations.
The land underlying a portion of one of our assets is subject to a ground lease, which could limit our use of the asset, and a breach or termination of the ground lease could materially and adversely affect us.
We lease a portion of the land underlying one of our assets, Sherman Plaza, from a third party through a ground lease covering such land. As a lessee under a ground lease, we are exposed to the possibility of losing the right to use the portion of our asset covered by the ground lease upon termination, or an earlier breach by us, of the ground lease. The ground lease may also restrict our use of the asset, which may limit our flexibility in renting the asset and may impede our ability to sell the asset.
Uninsured and underinsured losses at our assets could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.
We intend to maintain comprehensive insurance on each of our current assets, including liability, fire and extended coverage, of the type and amount we believe are customarily obtained for or by property owners. There are no assurances that coverage will be available at reasonable rates. Various types of catastrophic losses, like windstorms, earthquakes and floods, environmental events and losses from foreign terrorist activities may not be insurable or may not be economically insurable. Even when insurable, these policies may have high deductibles and/or high premiums. Lenders may require such insurance. Our failure to obtain such insurance could constitute a default under loan agreements, and/or our lenders may force us to obtain such insurance at unfavorable rates, which could materially and adversely affect our profitability and revenues.
In the event of a substantial loss, our insurance coverage may not be sufficient to cover the full current market value or replacement cost of our lost investment. Should an uninsured loss or a loss in excess of insured limits occur, we could lose all or a portion of the capital we have invested in an asset, as well as the anticipated future revenue from the asset. In that event, we might nevertheless remain obligated for any mortgage debt or other financial obligations related to the asset. Inflation, changes in building codes and ordinances, environmental considerations and other factors might also keep us from using insurance proceeds to replace or renovate an asset after it has been damaged or destroyed. Under those circumstances, the insurance proceeds we receive might be inadequate to restore our economic position on the damaged or destroyed property, which could materially and adversely affect our profitability.
In addition, insurance risks associated with potential terrorist acts could sharply increase the premiums we pay for coverage against property and casualty claims. With the enactment of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007, United States insurers cannot exclude conventional, chemical, biological, nuclear and radiation terrorism losses. These insurers must make terrorism insurance available under their property and casualty insurance policies; however, this legislation does not regulate the pricing of such insurance. In many cases, mortgage lenders have begun to insist that commercial property owners purchase coverage against terrorism as a condition of providing mortgage loans. Such insurance policies may not be available at a reasonable cost, which could inhibit our ability to finance or refinance our assets. In such instances, we may be required to provide other financial support, either through financial assurances or self-insurance, to cover potential losses. We may not have adequate coverage for such losses, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.
We could incur significant, material costs related to government regulation and litigation with respect to environmental matters, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.
Our assets are subject to various U.S. federal, state and local environmental laws that impose liability for contamination. Under these laws, governmental entities have the authority to require us, as the current owner of an asset, to perform or pay for the clean-up of contamination (including hazardous substances, asbestos and asbestos-containing materials, waste or petroleum products) at, on, under or emanating from the asset and to pay for natural resource damages arising from such contamination. Such laws often impose liability without regard to whether the owner or operator or other responsible party knew of, or caused such contamination, and the liability may be joint and several. Because these laws also impose liability on persons who owned an asset at the time it became contaminated, it is possible we could incur cleanup costs or other environmental liabilities even after we sell assets. Contamination at, on, under or emanating from our assets also may expose us to liability to private parties for costs of remediation and/or personal injury or property damage. In addition, environmental laws may create liens on contaminated sites in favor of the government for damages and costs it incurs to address such contamination. If contamination is discovered on our assets, environmental laws also may impose restrictions on the manner in which the assets may be used or businesses may be operated, and these restrictions may require substantial expenditures. Moreover, environmental
contamination can affect the value of an asset and, therefore, an owner’s ability to borrow funds using the asset as collateral or to sell the asset on favorable terms or at all. Furthermore, persons who sent waste to a waste disposal facility, such as a landfill or an incinerator, may be liable for costs associated with cleanup of that facility.
In addition, our assets are subject to various U.S. federal, state, and local environmental, health and safety laws and regulations that address a wide variety of issues, including, but not limited to, storage tanks, air emissions from emergency generators, storm water and wastewater discharges, lead-based paint, mold and mildew, and waste management. Some of our assets may handle and use hazardous or regulated substances and wastes as part of their operations, which substances and wastes are subject to regulation. Our assets incur costs to comply with these environmental, health and safety laws and regulations and could be subject to fines and penalties for non-compliance with applicable requirements.
Environmental laws in the U.S. also require that owners or operators of buildings containing asbestos properly manage and maintain the asbestos, adequately inform or train those who may come into contact with asbestos and undertake special precautions, including removal or other abatement, if that asbestos is disturbed during building renovation or demolition. These laws may impose fines and penalties on building owners or operators who fail to comply with these requirements and may allow third parties to seek recovery from owners or operators for personal injury associated with exposure to asbestos. Some of our assets may contain asbestos-containing building materials.
When excessive moisture accumulates in buildings or on building materials, mold growth may occur, particularly if the moisture problem remains undiscovered or is not addressed over a period of time. Some molds may produce airborne toxins or irritants. Indoor air quality issues can also stem from inadequate ventilation, chemical contamination from indoor or outdoor sources, and other biological contaminants such as pollen, viruses and bacteria. Indoor exposure to airborne toxins or irritants above certain levels can be alleged to cause a variety of adverse health effects and symptoms, including allergic or other reactions. As a result, the presence of significant mold or other airborne contaminants at any of our assets could require us to undertake a costly remediation program to contain or remove the mold or other airborne contaminants from the affected asset or increase indoor ventilation. In addition, the presence of significant mold or other airborne contaminants could expose us to liability to third parties if property damage or personal injury occurs.
Liabilities and costs associated with environmental contamination at, on, under or emanating from our assets, defending against claims related to alleged or actual environmental issues, or complying with environmental, health and safety laws could be material and could materially and adversely affect us. We can make no assurances that changes in current laws or regulations or future laws or regulations will not impose additional or new material environmental liabilities or that the current environmental condition of our assets will not be affected by our operations, the condition of the assets in the vicinity of our assets, or by third parties unrelated to us. The discovery of material environmental liabilities at our assets could subject us to unanticipated significant costs, which could significantly reduce or eliminate our profitability and the cash available for distribution to our stockholders.
The costs of compliance with laws and regulations relating to our properties may adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.
Various laws, ordinances, and regulations affect our properties. Some of these laws and regulations have been amended so as to require compliance with new or more stringent standards as of future dates. Compliance with new or more stringent laws or regulations, stricter interpretation of existing laws or the future discovery of environmental contamination may require material expenditures by us. Future laws, ordinances or regulations may impose material environmental liabilities, and the current environmental condition of our properties might be affected by the operations of the tenants, by the existing condition of the land, by operations in the vicinity of the properties, such as the presence of underground storage tanks, or by the activities of unrelated third parties.
Any newly acquired or developed multi-family residential properties must comply with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (the “ADA”) to the extent that such properties are “public accommodations” and/or “commercial facilities” as defined by the ADA. Compliance with the ADA requires removal of structural barriers to handicapped access in certain public areas of the properties where such removal is “readily achievable.” Our properties may not comply in all material respects with all present requirements under the ADA and applicable state laws. When acquiring properties, we may not succeed in placing the burden on the seller to ensure compliance with the ADA. Noncompliance with the ADA could result in the imposition of injunctive relief, monetary penalties or, in some cases, an award of damages to private litigants. The cost of defending against any claims of liability under the ADA or the payment of any fines or damages could adversely affect our financial condition and affect cash available to return capital and the amount of distributions to you.
Under the ADA and the Accessibility Guidelines promulgated thereunder; all public accommodations must meet various U.S. federal requirements related to access and use by disabled persons. Compliance with the ADA’s requirements could require removal of access barriers, and non-compliance could result in the U.S. government imposing fines or in private litigants winning damages.
Our assets are also subject to various U.S. federal, state and local regulatory requirements, such as state and local fire and life safety requirements. If we fail to comply with these requirements, we could incur fines or private damage awards. We do not know whether existing requirements will change or whether compliance with future requirements would require significant unanticipated expenditures that would affect our cash flow and results of operations. If we incur substantial costs to comply with the ADA requirements or other safety regulations and requirements, it could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.
Adverse judgments or settlements resulting from legal proceedings in which we may be involved in the normal course of our business could reduce our profits or limit our ability to operate our business.
In the normal course of our business, we are involved in various legal proceedings. The outcome of these proceedings cannot be predicted. If any of these proceedings were to be determined adversely to us or a settlement involving a payment of a material sum of money were to occur, it could materially and adversely affect our profits or ability to operate our business. Additionally, we could become the subject of future claims by third parties, including current or former tenants, our employees, our investors or regulators. Any significant adverse judgments or settlements would reduce our profits and could limit our ability to operate our business. Further, we may incur costs related to claims for which we have appropriate third-party indemnity, but such third parties fail to fulfill their contractual obligations.
If we fail to maintain an effective system of disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting, our ability to produce timely and accurate financial statements or comply with applicable regulations could be impaired.
We are subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We expect that the requirements of these rules and regulations will continue to increase our legal, accounting and financial compliance costs, make some activities more time-consuming and costly, and may place a strain on our personnel, systems and resources.
The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires, among other things, that we maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting. We are also required to make a formal assessment and provide an annual management report on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. In order to maintain the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting, we have expended, and anticipate that we will continue to expend, significant resources, including accounting-related costs and management oversight.
Current controls and any new controls that we develop may become inadequate due to changes in conditions of our business. Further, weaknesses in our disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting may be discovered in the future. Any failure to maintain or develop effective controls or any difficulties encountered in their implementation or improvement could harm our operating results or cause us to fail to meet reporting obligations and may result in a restatement of our financial statements for prior periods. Any failure to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting also could adversely affect the results of periodic management evaluations.
As an “emerging growth company,” we are permitted to rely on exemptions from certain reporting and disclosure requirements, which may make our future public filings different than that of other public reporting companies.
We are an “emerging growth company” as defined in the JOBS Act, and we are eligible to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting and disclosure requirements that are applicable to public reporting companies that are not emerging growth companies. We will remain an emerging growth company for up to five years, or until the earliest of: (1) the last date of the fiscal year during which we had total annual gross revenues of $1.07 billion or more; (2) the date on which we have, during the previous three-year period, issued more than $1 billion in non-convertible debt; or (3) the date on which we are deemed to be a “large accelerated filer” as defined under Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act. For so long as we remain an emerging growth company, we will not be required to:
•have an auditor attestation report on our internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act;
•submit certain executive compensation matters to stockholder advisory votes pursuant to the “say on frequency” and “say on pay” provisions (requiring a non-binding stockholder vote to approve compensation of certain executive officers) and the “say on golden parachute” provisions (requiring a non-binding stockholder vote to approve golden parachute arrangements for certain executive officers in connection with mergers and certain other business combinations) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010; or
•disclose certain executive compensation related items.
If we choose to take advantage of any or all of these exemptions, the information that we provide you in our future public filings may be different than that of other public reporting companies. The exact implications of the JOBS Act for us are still subject to interpretations and guidance by the SEC and other regulatory agencies. In addition, if our business grows, we may no longer satisfy the conditions of an emerging growth company. We continue to evaluate and monitor developments with respect to these new rules and we cannot assure you that we will be able to take advantage of all of the benefits of the JOBS Act.
In addition, the JOBS Act provides that an emerging growth company may take advantage of an extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards that have different effective dates for public reporting and private companies. This means that an emerging growth company can delay adopting certain accounting standards until such standards are otherwise applicable to private companies. We do not intend to take advantage of the extended transition period.
We are increasingly dependent on information technology, and potential cyber-attacks, security problems, or other disruption present risks.
A cyber incident is considered to be any adverse event that threatens the confidentiality, integrity or availability of our information resources. More specifically, a cyber incident is an intentional attack or an unintentional event that can include an intruder gaining unauthorized access to systems to disrupt operations, corrupt data or steal confidential information. As our reliance on technology has increased, so have the risks posed to our systems, both internal and those we have outsourced. Our three primary risks that could directly result from the occurrence of a cyber incident include operational interruption, damage to our relationships with our tenants and private data exposure. Our financial results and reputation may be negatively impacted by such an incident.
Risks Related to Debt Financing
If we are unable to repay or refinance our existing debt as it comes due, we may need to sell the underlying asset sooner than anticipated or the lender may foreclose, in which case our financial condition, cash flows and results of operations could be materially adversely affected.
Certain of our debt, including the debt under the Credit Agreement, is secured by certain of our assets, and, if our subsidiaries are unable to repay or refinance the debt as it becomes due, we may need to sell the underlying asset sooner than anticipated or the lender may foreclose. Certain debt obligations under our Credit Agreement and one of our mortgages matures in the near- and medium-term and may need to be repaid in full.
While most of the mortgages on our properties do not mature in the near term, due to the near-term expiration of tenant leases at certain of these properties, we may be unable to make mortgage payments and may default under the applicable loan agreement. This may force us to dispose of those assets on disadvantageous terms, or the lender under such mortgages may foreclose, resulting in losses materially adversely affecting our cash flow, results of operations and financial condition. Generally, a borrower in foreclosure proceedings has limited or no control over the timing and speed of such proceedings, and the ultimate resolution of such proceedings may take years. The Company may provide customary, non-recourse carve-out guarantees in connection with obtaining mortgage loans.
Our special-purpose property-owning subsidiaries may default under non-recourse mortgage loans.
All of our assets are held in special-purpose property-owning subsidiaries. In the future, such special-purpose property-owning subsidiaries may default and/or send notices of imminent default on non-recourse mortgage loans where the relevant asset is or will be suffering from cash shortfalls on operating expenses, leasing costs and/or debt service obligations. If tenants at certain of our properties, fail to renew their leases and we are unable to find new tenants, we may be unable to make mortgage payments and may default under the loan agreement. Additionally, in connection with our separation from InvenTrust, certain lenders under such non-recourse mortgage loans may allege that a default has been deemed to occur under such loans.
Any default by our special-purpose property-owning subsidiaries under non-recourse mortgage loans would give the special servicers the right to accelerate the payment on the loans and the right to foreclose on the asset underlying such loans. There are several potential outcomes on the default of a non-recourse mortgage loan, including foreclosure, a deed-in-lieu of foreclosure, a cooperative short sale, or a negotiated modification to the terms of the loan. There is no assurance that we will be able to achieve a favorable outcome on a cooperative or timely basis on any defaulted mortgage loan.
Our failure to comply with the covenants in our Credit Agreement and other debt agreements could materially and adversely affect us.
The Credit Agreement, which governs our new secured credit facility, contains various covenants with which we must comply and which limit the discretion of management with respect to certain business matters. These covenants place restrictions on, among other things, our ability to incur additional indebtedness, grant liens on our assets, make certain types of investments, engage in acquisitions, mergers or consolidations, sell assets, enter into hedging transactions, enter into certain transactions with affiliates and, during the continuance of an event of default, make distributions and prepay certain types of indebtedness. The Credit Agreement also contains financial covenants with which we must comply, including a maximum leverage ratio, a maximum variable rate leverage ratio, a maximum amount of recourse indebtedness, a minimum fixed charge coverage ratio, a prohibition on recourse debt, a maximum amount of cross-collateralized non-recourse debt, a minimum tangible net worth and a minimum number of unencumbered properties we must own and a minimum value for such unencumbered properties. Any other debt agreement that we enter into may place additional restrictions on us and may require us to meet certain financial ratios and tests. In addition, the Credit Agreement contains, and any future debt agreements may contain, cross-default provisions that trigger an event of default if we fail to make payments or otherwise fail to comply with our obligations with respect to certain of our other indebtedness. Our continued ability to borrow under the Credit Agreement and any other indebtedness that we have or may obtain will be subject to re-gaining and maintaining compliance with the covenants in the Credit Agreement or in the debt agreement governing such other indebtedness.
Our failure to comply with these covenants, as well as our inability to make required payments under the Credit Agreement or any future debt agreement, could cause an event of default under the Credit Agreement, which, if not waived, could result in the termination of the financing commitments under the Credit Agreement, the acceleration of the maturity of the outstanding indebtedness thereunder and the lenders under the Credit Agreement obtaining ownership of our subsidiaries whose equity interests were pledged as collateral for such indebtedness, or could cause an event of default under such future debt agreement, which could result in the acceleration of the debt and, in the case of secured debt, the lenders taking possession of the property or properties securing such debt. If repayment of any of our indebtedness is accelerated and/or we are unable to make additional borrowings under the Credit Agreement or any of our other debt agreements, we cannot provide assurance that we would be able to borrow sufficient funds to refinance such indebtedness or that we would be able to sell sufficient assets to repay such indebtedness. Even if we were able to obtain new financing, it may not be on commercially reasonable terms, or terms that are acceptable to us.
In addition, in connection with certain of our debt agreements we have entered, and in the future may enter, into lockbox and cash management agreements pursuant to which all or substantially all of the income generated by our assets will be deposited directly into lockbox accounts and then swept into cash management accounts for the benefit of our lenders and from which cash may not be distributed to us or will be distributed to us only after funding of certain items, which may include payment of principal and interest on our debt, insurance and tax reserves or escrows and other expenses. As a result, we may be forced to borrow additional funds in order to make distributions to our stockholders necessary to allow us to continue to qualify as a REIT.
We are subject to obligations under certain “non-recourse carve-out” indemnity agreements and guarantees that may be deemed to be triggered in the future.
As of December 31, 2020, certain of our assets are encumbered by traditional non-recourse debt obligations. In connection with obtaining these loans, we entered into indemnity agreements and “non-recourse carve-out” guarantees, which provide for these otherwise non-recourse loans to become partially or fully recourse against us if certain triggering events occur. Although these events differ from loan to loan, some of the common events include:
•Our filing of a voluntary petition for bankruptcy or commencing similar insolvency proceedings;
•Subject to certain conditions, our failure to obtain the lender’s written consent prior to any subordinate financing or other voluntary lien encumbering the associated asset; and
•Subject to certain conditions, our failure to obtain the lender’s written consent prior to a transfer or conveyance of the associated asset.
In addition, other items that are customarily recourse to a non-recourse carve-out guarantor include, but are not limited to, the payment of real property taxes, the breach of representations related to environmental issues or hazardous substances, physical waste of the property, liens which are senior to the mortgage loan and outstanding security deposits.
In the event that any of these triggering events occur and such loans become partially or fully recourse against us, our business, financial condition, results of operations, and the value of our common stock would be materially adversely affected, and we may be forced to sell other assets and/or our insolvency could result. Additionally, in connection with our separation from InvenTrust, certain lenders under such non-recourse mortgage loans may allege that a default has been deemed to occur under such loans and may seek to recover from us and/or our subsidiaries the full extent of their losses with respect to such loans. Any allegations may create a distraction for our management, result in significant liability, or subject us to litigation that could be costly or otherwise materially adversely affect us.
We may be unable to satisfy our debt obligations upon a change of control.
Under the documents that govern our indebtedness, if we experience a change of control, we could be required to incur certain penalties, fees and other expenses, which may include repayment of the entire principal balance of some of our outstanding indebtedness plus additional fees and interest. We might not have sufficient funds to repay such amounts. Any of these events could have a material adverse impact on our liquidity, business, results of operations and financial condition.
Volatility in the financial markets and challenging economic conditions, including as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, could adversely affect our ability to secure debt financing on attractive terms and our ability to service any future indebtedness that we may incur.
The domestic and international commercial real estate debt markets could become very volatile as a result of, among other things, the tightening of underwriting standards by lenders and credit rating agencies. This could result in less availability of credit and increasing costs for what is available. If the overall cost of borrowing increases, either by increases in the index rates or by increases in lender spreads, the increased costs may result in lower overall economic returns and potentially reducing future cash flow available for distribution. If these disruptions in the debt markets were to persist, our ability to borrow funds to finance activities related to real estate assets could be negatively impacted. In addition, we may find it difficult, costly or impossible to refinance indebtedness that is maturing.
Further, economic conditions could negatively impact commercial real estate fundamentals and result in declining values in our real estate portfolio and in the collateral securing any loan investments we may make, which could have various negative impacts. Specifically, the value of collateral securing any loan we hold could decrease below the outstanding principal amounts of such loans.
Borrowings may reduce the funds available for distribution and increase the risk of loss since defaults may cause us to lose the assets securing the loans.
We may from time to time borrow money for other purposes to, among other things, satisfy the requirement that we distribute at least 90% of our “REIT annual taxable income,” subject to certain adjustments, or as is otherwise necessary or advisable to assure that we qualify as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Over the long term, however, payments required on any amounts we borrow reduce the funds available for, among other things, capital expenditures for existing assets or distributions to our stockholders because cash otherwise available for these purposes is used to pay principal and interest on this debt.
If there is a shortfall between the cash flow from an asset and the cash flow needed to service mortgage debt on an asset, then the amount of cash flow from operations available for distributions to stockholders may be reduced. In addition, incurring mortgage debt increases the risk of loss since defaults on indebtedness secured by an asset may result in lenders initiating foreclosure actions. In such a case, we could lose the asset securing the loan that is in default, thus reducing the value of your investment. For tax purposes, a foreclosure is treated as a sale of the asset or assets for a purchase price equal to the outstanding balance of the debt secured by the asset or assets. If the outstanding balance of the debt exceeds our tax basis in the asset or assets, we would recognize taxable gain on the foreclosure action and we would not receive any cash proceeds. We also may fully or partially guarantee any funds that subsidiaries borrow to operate assets. In these cases, we may be responsible to the lender for repaying the loans if the subsidiary is unable to do so.
Due to distressed assets within our portfolio and our relatively small size as compared with the size of InvenTrust, our former parent, it may be difficult for us to obtain debt financing or refinancing on favorable terms, or at all, which may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We may require debt financing from time to time for property improvements, tenant improvements, acquisition financing, leasing commissions, general corporate purposes and other working capital needs. There are currently, and are likely to continue to be, a number of distressed assets in our portfolio that are in danger of becoming subject to foreclosure proceedings. Lenders may consider the fact that such distressed assets exist within our portfolio when determining whether to advance credit to us in the future, even though each asset is owned by a separate subsidiary. Additionally, certain of our existing debt financing was entered into prior to our spin-off from InvenTrust. Due to our reduced size in comparison to InvenTrust, it may be difficult to refinance our existing debt on favorable terms. If we are unable to obtain debt financing on favorable terms, or at all, or if the ability to obtain financing is restricted by the terms of our credit facility or other indebtedness we may incur, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected.
If we are unable to borrow at favorable rates, we may not be able to refinance existing loans at maturity.
If we are unable to borrow money at favorable rates, or at all, we may be unable to refinance existing loans at maturity. Further, we may enter into loan agreements or other credit arrangements that require us to pay interest on amounts we borrow at variable or “adjustable” rates. Increases in interest rates will increase our interest costs. If interest rates are higher when we refinance our loans, our expenses will increase. Any increases in our operating costs due to increased interest costs would reduce our cash flow, which could reduce the amount we are able to distribute to our stockholders. Further, during periods of rising interest rates, we may be forced to sell one or more of our assets earlier than anticipated in order to repay existing loans, which may not permit us to maximize the return on the particular assets being sold.
Covenants applicable to current or future debt could restrict our ability to make distributions to our stockholders and, as a result, we may be unable to make distributions necessary to qualify as a REIT, which could materially and adversely affect us and the value of our common stock.
We intend to operate in a manner so as to maintain our qualification as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In order to maintain our qualification as a REIT, we generally are required to distribute at least 90% of our REIT taxable income, determined without regard to the dividends paid deduction and excluding net capital gain, each year to our stockholders. To the extent that we satisfy this distribution requirement, but distribute less than 100% of our REIT taxable income, we will be subject to U.S. federal corporate income tax on our undistributed taxable income. In addition, we will be subject to a 4% nondeductible excise tax if the actual amount that we distribute to our stockholders in a calendar year is less than a minimum amount specified under the Code. If, as a result of covenants applicable to our current or future debt, including under the terms of our credit facility, we are restricted from making distributions to our stockholders, we may be unable to make distributions necessary for us to avoid U.S. federal corporate income and excise taxes and maintain our qualification as a REIT, which could materially and adversely affect us.
Our organizational documents have no limitation on the amount of indebtedness we may incur. As a result, we may become highly leveraged in the future, which could materially and adversely affect us.
Our organizational documents contain no limitations on the amount of debt that we may incur, and our board of directors may change our financing policy at any time without stockholder notice or approval. As a result, we may be able to incur substantial additional debt, including secured debt, in the future. Incurring debt could subject us to many risks, including the risks that:
•our cash flows from operations may be insufficient to make required payments of principal and interest;
•our debt and resulting maturities may increase our vulnerability to adverse economic and industry conditions;
•we may be required to dedicate a substantial portion of our cash flows from operations to payments on our debt, thereby reducing cash available for distribution to our stockholders, funds available for operations and capital expenditures, future business opportunities or other purposes;
•the terms of any refinancing may not be in the same amount or on terms as favorable as the terms of the existing debt being refinanced, or we may not be able to refinance our debt at all;
•we may be obligated to repay the debt pursuant to guarantee obligations; and
•the use of leverage could adversely affect our ability to raise capital from other sources or to make distributions to our stockholders and could adversely affect the value of our common stock.
Increases in interest rates could increase the amount of our debt payments and adversely affect our ability to make distributions to our stockholders.
We may in the future borrow money bearing interest at variable rates, which would expose us to increases in costs in a rising interest rate environment. Increases in future interest rates would increase our interest expense for any existing variable rate debt, as well as any debt that must be refinanced at higher interest rates at the time of maturity. Our future earnings and cash flows could be adversely affected due to the increased requirement to service our debt and could reduce the amount we are able to distribute to our stockholders.
Risks Related to Our Status as a REIT
Failure to remain qualified as a REIT would cause us to be taxed as a regular corporation, which would substantially reduce funds available for distributions to our stockholders.
Our qualification as a REIT depends on our ability to meet requirements regarding our organization and ownership, distributions of our income, the nature and diversification of our income and assets as well as other tests imposed by the Code. We cannot assure you that our actual operations for any one taxable year will satisfy these requirements. Further, new legislation, regulations, administrative interpretations or court decisions could significantly affect our ability to qualify as a REIT or the federal income tax consequences of our qualification as a REIT. If we fail to qualify as a REIT in any taxable year, we will face serious tax consequences that will substantially reduce the funds available for distributions to our stockholders because:
•we would not be allowed a deduction for dividends paid to stockholders in computing our taxable income and would be subject to U.S. federal income tax on our taxable income;
•we could be subject to increased state and local taxes; and
•unless we are entitled to relief under certain U.S. federal income tax laws, we could not re-elect REIT status until the fifth calendar year in which we failed to qualify as a REIT.
In addition, if we fail to qualify as a REIT, we will no longer be required to make distributions. As a result of all these factors, our failure to qualify as a REIT could impair our ability to expand our business and raise capital, and it could adversely affect the value of our common stock.
Even if we continue to qualify as a REIT for tax purposes, we may face other tax liabilities that reduce our cash flows.
Even if we continue to qualify as a REIT for tax purposes, we may be subject to certain U.S. federal, state and local taxes on our income and assets, including taxes on any undistributed income, tax on income from some activities conducted as a result of a foreclosure, and state or local income, property and transfer taxes. In addition, any taxable REIT subsidiary (“TRS”) that we may form will be subject to regular corporate U.S. federal, state and local taxes. Any of these taxes would decrease cash available for distributions to stockholders.
Failure to make required distributions would subject us to U.S. federal corporate income tax.
In order to maintain our qualification as a REIT, we generally are required to distribute at least 90% of our REIT taxable income, determined without regard to the dividends paid deduction and excluding any net capital gain, each year to our stockholders. To the extent that we satisfy this distribution requirement, but distribute less than 100% of our REIT taxable income, we will be subject to U.S. federal, state and local corporate income tax on our undistributed taxable income. In addition, we will be subject to a 4% nondeductible excise tax if the actual amount that we pay out to our stockholders in a calendar year is less than a minimum amount specified under the Code.
REIT distribution requirements could adversely affect our liquidity and may force us to borrow funds or sell assets during unfavorable market conditions.
To satisfy the REIT distribution requirements, we may need to borrow funds on a short-term basis or sell assets sooner than anticipated, even if the then-prevailing market conditions are not favorable for these borrowings or sales. Our cash flows
from operations may be insufficient to fund required distributions as a result of differences in timing between the actual receipt of income and the recognition of income for U.S. federal income tax purposes, or the effect of non-deductible capital expenditures, the creation of reserves or required debt service or amortization payments. In addition, we may recognize significant cancellation of indebtedness income or gain from the workout of our debt or the disposition of our assets in foreclosure or deed-in-lieu transactions, which will result in the receipt of taxable income in excess of the cash received, if any, from those transactions. The insufficiency of our cash flows to cover our distribution requirements could have an adverse impact on our ability to raise short- and long-term debt or sell equity securities in order to fund distributions required to maintain our qualification as a REIT.
The prohibited transactions tax may limit our ability to dispose of our assets, and we could incur a material tax liability if the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) successfully asserts that the 100% prohibited transaction tax applies to some of or all our dispositions.
A REIT’s net income from prohibited transactions is subject to a 100% tax. In general, prohibited transactions are sales or other dispositions of assets, other than foreclosure property, held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business. We may be subject to the prohibited transactions tax equal to 100% of net gain upon a disposition of an asset. As part of our plan to liquidate our portfolio, we intend to make dispositions of our assets in the future. Although a safe harbor to the characterization of the sale of property by a REIT as a prohibited transaction is available, some or all of our future dispositions may not qualify for that safe harbor. We intend to avoid disposing of property that may be characterized as held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business. To avoid the prohibited transaction tax, we may choose not to engage in certain sales of our assets or may conduct such sales through a TRS, which would be subject to U.S. federal, state and local income taxation. Moreover, no assurance can be provided that the IRS will not assert that some or all of our future dispositions are subject to the 100% prohibited transactions tax. If the IRS successfully imposes the 100% prohibited transactions tax on some or all of our dispositions, the resulting tax liability could be material.
The stock ownership limit imposed by the Code for REITs and our charter may restrict our business combination opportunities and you may be restricted from acquiring or transferring certain amounts of our common stock.
The stock ownership restrictions of the Code for REITs and the 9.8% stock ownership limit in our charter may restrict our business combination opportunities and restrict your ability to acquire or transfer certain amounts of our common stock.
In order to maintain our qualification as a REIT for each taxable year, five or fewer individuals, as defined in the Code, may not own, beneficially or constructively, more than 50% in value of our issued and outstanding capital stock at any time during the last half of a taxable year. Attribution rules in the Code determine if any individual or entity beneficially or constructively owns our capital stock under this requirement. Additionally, at least 100 persons must beneficially own our capital stock during at least 335 days of a taxable year for each taxable year. To help ensure that we meet these tests, our charter restricts the acquisition and ownership of shares of our capital stock. However, these ownership limits might delay or prevent a transaction or a change in our control or other business combination opportunities.
Our charter authorizes our directors to take such actions as are necessary and desirable to preserve our qualification as a REIT. Unless exempted by our board of directors (prospectively or retroactively), our charter prohibits any person from beneficially or constructively owning more than 9.8% in value or number of shares, whichever is more restrictive, of the outstanding shares of any class or series of our capital stock. Our board of directors may not grant an exemption from these restrictions to any proposed transferee whose ownership in excess of 9.8% of the value of our outstanding shares would result in our failing to qualify as a REIT. These restrictions on transferability and ownership will not apply, however, if our board of directors determines that it is no longer in our best interest to attempt to, or continue to, qualify as a REIT or that compliance is no longer required in order for us to maintain our qualification as a REIT.
Dividends payable by REITs do not qualify for the reduced tax rates available for some dividends.
The maximum tax rate applicable to "qualified dividend income" payable to U.S. stockholders that are taxed at individual rates is 20%. Under the federal tax legislation enacted in December 2017, commonly known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “2017 Tax Legislation”), U.S. stockholders that are individuals, trusts and estates generally may deduct up to 20% of the ordinary dividends (e.g., dividends not designated as capital gain dividends or qualified dividend income) received from a REIT for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017 and before January 1, 2026. Although this deduction reduces the effective tax rate applicable to certain dividends paid by REITs (generally to 29.6% assuming the shareholder is subject to the 37% maximum rate), such tax rate is still higher than the tax rate applicable to corporate dividends that constitute qualified dividend income. Accordingly, investors who are individuals, trusts or estates may perceive investments in REITs to be
relatively less attractive than investments in the stocks of non-REIT corporations that pay dividends treated as qualified dividend income, which could adversely affect the value of the shares of REITs, including our common stock.
Complying with REIT requirements may limit our ability to hedge effectively.
The REIT provisions of the Code may limit our ability to hedge the risks inherent to our operations. Under current law, any income that we generate from derivatives or other transactions intended to hedge our interest rate risk with respect to borrowings made, or to be made, to acquire or carry real estate assets generally will not constitute gross income for purposes of the 75% and 95% income tests applicable to REITs. In addition, any income from certain other qualified hedging transactions would generally not constitute gross income for purposes of both the 75% and 95% income tests. As a result of these rules, we may be required to limit the use of hedging techniques that might otherwise be advantageous, which could result in greater risks associated with interest rate or other changes than we would otherwise incur.
We may be subject to adverse legislative or regulatory tax changes that could reduce the value of our common stock.
At any time, the U.S. federal income tax laws governing REITs or the administrative interpretations of those laws may be amended. We cannot predict when or if any new U.S. federal income tax law, regulation, or administrative interpretation, or any amendment to any existing federal income tax law, regulation or administrative interpretation, will be adopted, promulgated or become effective and any such law, regulation, or interpretation may take effect retroactively. We and our stockholders could be adversely affected by any such change in, or any new, U.S. federal income tax law, regulation or administrative interpretation. In addition, the law relating to the tax treatment of other entities, or an investment in other entities, could change, making an investment in such other entities more attractive relative to an investment in a REIT.
The ability of our board of directors to revoke our REIT qualification without stockholder approval may cause adverse consequences to our stockholders.
Our charter provides that our board of directors may revoke or otherwise terminate our REIT election, without the approval of our stockholders, if it determines that it is no longer in our best interest to attempt to, or continue to qualify as a REIT. If we cease to be a REIT, we would become subject to U.S. federal income tax on our taxable income and would no longer be required to distribute most of our taxable income to our stockholders, which may have adverse consequences on our total return to our stockholders.
Risks Related to Ownership of Our Common Stock and Our Corporate Structure
There is no established public market for our shares and you may not be able to sell your shares.
Presently, we have no plans to list our shares of common stock on any securities exchange or other market, there is no established trading market for our shares, nor is there any assurance that one may develop. Our charter also prohibits the ownership of more than 9.8% (in value or number of shares, whichever is more restrictive) of the aggregate of the outstanding shares of any class or series of our capital stock by any person unless exempted prospectively or retroactively by our board. This may inhibit investors from purchasing a large portion of our shares. Our charter also does not require us to seek stockholder approval to liquidate our assets by a specified date, nor does our charter require us to list our shares for trading on a securities exchange or other market by a specified date or provide any other type of liquidity to our stockholders. Therefore, it will be difficult for you to sell your shares promptly or at all, including in the event of an emergency, and if you are able to sell your shares, you may have to sell them at a substantial discount from the estimated value per share.
The estimated value per share of our common stock is based on a number of assumptions and estimates that may not be accurate or complete and is also subject to a number of limitations.
On January 11, 2021, we announced an estimated value of our common stock equal to $0.28 per share. Our board of directors engaged Real Globe Advisors, LLC (“Real Globe”), an independent third-party real estate advisory firm, to estimate the per share value of our common stock on a fully diluted basis as of December 31, 2020. As with any methodology used to estimate value, the methodology employed by Real Globe and the recommendations made by us were based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that may not be accurate or complete. Further, different parties using different assumptions and estimates could derive a different estimated value per share, which could be significantly different from our estimated value per share. The estimated per share value does not represent (i) the amount at which our shares would trade at a national securities exchange, (ii) the amount a stockholder would obtain if he or she tried to sell his or her shares (iii) the amount per share that stockholders would receive in a sale of the entire Company in a single transaction or (iv) the amount stockholders would
receive if we liquidated our assets and distributed the proceeds after paying all of our expenses and liabilities. Accordingly, with respect to the estimated value per share, we can give no assurance that:
•a stockholder would be able to resell his or her shares at this estimated value;
•a stockholder would ultimately realize distributions per share equal to our estimated value per share upon liquidation of our assets and settlement of our liabilities or a sale of the Company;
•our shares would trade at a price equal to or greater than the estimated value per share if we listed them on a national securities exchange;
•the certain estimated corporate-level transaction costs that we would expect to incur in connection with a future potential liquidity event reflected in our estimated value will be incurred at the level estimated by us; or
•the methodology used to estimate our value per share would be acceptable to FINRA or that the estimated value per share will satisfy the applicable annual valuation requirements under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”) and the Code, with respect to employee benefit plans subject to ERISA and other retirement plans or accounts subject to Section 4975 of the Code.
Our cash available for distribution to stockholders may not be sufficient to pay distributions at expected or required levels, and we may need external sources in order to make such distributions, or we may not be able to make such distributions at all.
We generally intend over time to make annual distributions in an amount at least equal to the amount that will allow us to qualify as a REIT and to avoid current entity-level U.S. federal income taxes, however, we may not have sufficient cash from operations to make a distribution required to maintain our qualification as a REIT. All distributions will be made at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on our historical and projected results of operations, liquidity and financial condition, REIT qualification, debt service requirements, capital expenditures and operating expenses, prohibitions and other restrictions under financing arrangements and applicable law and other factors as our board of directors may deem relevant from time to time. No assurance can be given that our projections will prove accurate or that any level of distributions will be made or sustained or achieve a market yield.
We may pay distributions from sources other than cash flow from operations or funds from operations, including funding such distributions from external financing sources, which may be available only at commercially unattractive terms, if at all. To the extent that the aggregate amount of cash distributed in any given year exceeds the amount of our current and accumulated earnings and profits for the same period, the excess amount will be deemed a return of capital for U.S. federal income tax purposes, rather than a return on capital. Furthermore, in the event that we are unable to fund future distributions from our cash flows from operating activities, the value of your shares, the sale of our assets or any other liquidity event may be materially adversely affected.
At any time that we are not generating cash flow from operations sufficient to cover the current distribution rate, we may determine to pay lower distributions, or to fund all or a portion of our future distributions from other sources. If we utilize borrowings for the purpose of funding all or a portion of our distributions, we will incur additional interest expense. We have not established any limit on the extent to which we may use alternate sources of cash for distributions, except that, in accordance with the law of the State of Maryland and our organizational documents, generally, we may not make distributions that would: (i) cause us to be unable to pay our debts as they become due in the usual course of business, (ii) cause our total assets to be less than the sum of our total liabilities, or (iii) jeopardize our ability to maintain our qualification as a REIT for so long as the board of directors determines that it is in our best interests to continue to qualify as a REIT. Distributions that exceed cash flow from operations may not be sustainable at current levels, or at all.
Future issuances of debt securities, which would rank senior to our common stock upon our liquidation, and future issuances of equity securities, which would dilute the holdings of our existing common stockholders and may be senior to our common stock for the purposes of making distributions, periodically or upon liquidation, may negatively affect the value of our common stock.
In the future, we may issue debt or equity securities or incur other borrowings. Upon our liquidation, holders of our debt securities and other loans and preferred stock will receive a distribution of our available assets before common stockholders. If we incur debt in the future, our future interest costs could increase, and adversely affect our liquidity and results of operations. We are not required to offer any additional equity securities to existing common stockholders on a preemptive
basis. Therefore, additional common stock issuances, directly or through convertible or exchangeable securities, warrants or options, will dilute the holdings of our existing common stockholders and such issuances, or the perception of such issuances, may reduce the value of our common stock. Our preferred stock, if issued, would likely have a preference on distribution payments, periodically or upon liquidation, which could eliminate or otherwise limit our ability to make distributions to common stockholders. Because our decision to issue debt or equity securities or incur other borrowings in the future will depend on market conditions and other factors beyond our control, we cannot predict or estimate the amount, timing, nature or success of our future capital raising efforts. Thus, common stockholders bear the risk that our future issuances of debt or equity securities or our incurrence of other borrowings will negatively affect the value of our common stock.
Your percentage ownership in us may be diluted in the future.
Your percentage ownership in us may be diluted in the future because of new equity issuances, capital market transactions or otherwise, including, without limitation, equity awards that may be granted to our directors, officers and employees.
Increases in market interest rates may reduce demand for our common stock and result in a decline in the value of our common stock.
The value of our common stock may be influenced by the dividend yield on our common stock (i.e., the amount of our annual distributions as a percentage of the fair market value of our common stock) relative to market interest rates. An increase in market interest rates, which are currently low compared to historical levels, may lead prospective purchasers of our common stock to expect a higher distribution yield, which we may not be able, or may choose not, to provide. Higher interest rates would also likely increase our borrowing costs and decrease our operating results and cash available for distribution. Thus, higher market interest rates could cause the value of our common stock to decline.
Our rights and the rights of our stockholders to take action against our directors and officers are limited.
Under Maryland law generally, a director is required to perform his or her duties in good faith, in a manner he or she reasonably believes to be in our best interests and with the care that an ordinarily prudent person in a like position would use under similar circumstances. Under Maryland law, directors are presumed to have acted in accordance with this standard of conduct. In addition, our charter eliminates the liability of our directors and officers to us and our stockholders for money damages, except for liability resulting from:
•actual receipt of an improper benefit or profit in money, property or services; or
•active and deliberate dishonesty by the director or officer that was established by a final judgment as being material to the cause of action adjudicated.
Our charter authorizes us to obligate ourselves and our bylaws obligate us, to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law in effect from time to time, to indemnify and to pay or reimburse reasonable expenses in advance of final disposition of a proceeding to any present or former director or officer who is made or threatened to be made a party to the proceeding by reason of his or her service to us in that capacity and certain other capacities. As a result, we and our stockholders may have more limited rights against our directors and officers than might otherwise exist absent the current provisions in our charter and bylaws.
Certain provisions of Maryland law could inhibit changes in control.
Certain provisions of the Maryland General Corporation Law (“MGCL”), may have the effect of deterring a third party from making a proposal to acquire us or of impeding a change in our control under circumstances that otherwise could provide the holders of our common stock with the opportunity to benefit from a sale of our common stock, including:
•“business combination” provisions that, subject to limitations, prohibit certain business combinations between us and an “interested stockholder” (defined generally as any person who beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, 10% or more of the voting power of our outstanding voting stock or an affiliate or associate of ours who was the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of 10% or more of the voting power of our then outstanding voting stock at any time within the two-year period immediately prior to the date in question) for five years after the most recent date on which the stockholder becomes an interested stockholder, and thereafter impose fair price and/or supermajority stockholder voting requirements on these combinations; and
•“control share” provisions that provide that “control shares” of our company (defined as voting shares that, when aggregated with other shares controlled by the stockholder, entitle the stockholder to exercise one of three increasing ranges of voting power in electing directors) acquired in a “control share acquisition” (defined as the direct or indirect acquisition of ownership or control of issued and outstanding control shares) have no voting rights except to the extent approved by our stockholders by the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of all the votes entitled to be cast on the matter, excluding all interested shares.
As permitted by Maryland law, we have elected, by resolution of our board of directors, to opt out of the business combination provisions of the MGCL, with respect to business combinations that have been approved by our board of directors (including a majority of directors who are not affiliated with the interested stockholder), and, pursuant to a provision in our bylaws, to exempt any acquisition of our stock from the control share provisions of the MGCL. However, our board of directors may by resolution elect to repeal the exemption from the business combination provisions of the MGCL and may by amendment to our bylaws opt into the control share provisions of the MGCL at any time in the future.
If we have a class of equity securities registered under the Exchange Act and at least three independent directors, certain provisions of the MGCL permit our board of directors, without stockholder approval and regardless of what is currently provided in our charter or bylaws, to adopt certain governance provisions, some of which (for example, a classified board) we do not have. These provisions may have the effect of limiting or precluding a third party from making an acquisition proposal for us or of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in our control under circumstances that otherwise could provide the holders of our common stock with the opportunity to benefit from a sale of our common stock. Our charter contains a provision whereby we elect, at such time as we become eligible to do so, to be subject to the provisions of Title 3, Subtitle 8 of the MGCL relating to the filling of vacancies on our board of directors.
If our board of directors were to elect to be subject to the provision of Subtitle 8 providing for a classified board or the business combination provisions of the MGCL or if the provision of our bylaws opting out of the control share acquisition provisions of the MGCL were amended or rescinded, these provisions of the MGCL could have anti-takeover effects.
All of our assets are owned by subsidiaries. We depend on dividends and distributions from these subsidiaries. The creditors of these subsidiaries are entitled to amounts payable to them by the subsidiaries before the subsidiaries may pay any dividends or other distributions to us.
All of our assets are held through subsidiaries. We depend on cash distributions from our subsidiaries for substantially all of our cash flow. The creditors of each of our subsidiaries are entitled to payment of that subsidiary’s obligations to them when due and payable before that subsidiary may make distributions or dividends to us. Thus, our ability to pay dividends, if any, to our stockholders depends on our subsidiaries’ ability to first satisfy their obligations to their creditors and our ability to satisfy our obligations, if any, to our creditors.
In addition, our participation in any distribution of the assets of any of our subsidiaries upon the liquidation, reorganization or insolvency of the subsidiary, is only after the claims of the creditors, including trade creditors and preferred stockholders, if any, of the applicable direct or indirect subsidiaries are satisfied.
Our charter places limits on the amount of common stock that any person may own.
In order for us to maintain our qualification as a REIT under the Code, no more than 50% of the outstanding shares of our common stock may be beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by five or fewer individuals at any time during the last half of each taxable year (other than the first taxable year for which an election to be a REIT has been made). Unless exempted by our board of directors, prospectively or retroactively, our charter prohibits any person or group from owning more than 9.8% in value or in number of shares, whichever is more restrictive, of the outstanding shares of any class or series of our capital stock. These provisions may have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control of us, including an extraordinary transaction such as a merger, tender offer or sale of all or substantially all of our assets that might involve a premium price for holders of our common stock.
If anyone transfers shares in a way that would violate the ownership limit, or prevent us from maintaining our qualification as a REIT under the U.S. federal income tax laws, those shares instead will be transferred to a trust for the benefit of a charitable beneficiary and will be either purchased by us or sold to a person whose ownership of the shares will not violate the ownership limit. If this transfer to a trust fails to prevent such a violation or our continued qualification as a REIT, then the initial intended transfer shall be null and void from the outset. The intended transferee of those shares will be deemed never to have owned the shares. Anyone who acquires shares in violation of the ownership limit or the other restrictions on transfer in
our charter bears the risk of suffering a financial loss when the shares are sold if the value of our shares falls between the date of purchase and the date of redemption or sale.
Our charter permits our board of directors to authorize the issuance of preferred stock on terms that may subordinate the rights of the holders of our current common stock or discourage a third party from acquiring us.
Our board may classify or reclassify any unissued shares of common or preferred stock into other classes or series of stock and establish the preferences, conversion or other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends and other distributions, qualifications, and terms or conditions of redemption of the stock and may amend our charter from time to time to increase or decrease the aggregate number of shares or the number of shares of any class or series that we have authority to issue without stockholder approval. Thus, our board of directors could authorize us to issue shares of preferred stock with terms and conditions that could subordinate the rights of the holders of our common stock or shares of preferred stock or common stock that could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control of us, including an extraordinary transaction such as a merger, tender offer or sale of all or substantially all of our assets, that might provide a premium price for holders of our common stock.
Our conflict of interest policy may not be successful in eliminating the influence of future conflicts of interest that may arise between us and our directors, officers and employees.
We have adopted a policy that any transaction, agreement or relationship in which any of our directors, officers or employees has a material direct or indirect pecuniary interest must be approved by a majority of our disinterested directors. Other than this policy, however, we may not adopt additional formal procedures for the review and approval of conflict of interest transactions generally. As such, our policies and procedures may not be successful in eliminating the influence of conflicts of interest.
Our board of directors may change our investment strategy without stockholder approval, which could alter the nature of your investment.
Our investment strategy may change over time. The methods of implementing our investment strategy may also vary, as new investment techniques are developed. Our investment strategy, the methods for implementing them, and our other objectives, policies and procedures may be altered by a majority of the directors without the approval of our stockholders. As a result, the nature of your investment could change without your consent. A change in our investment strategy may, among other things, increase our exposure to interest rate risk, default risk and commercial real property market fluctuations, all of which could materially and adversely affect our ability to achieve our investment objectives.

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ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments
None.

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ITEM 2. PROPERTIES
Item 2. Properties
As of December 31, 2020, the Company owned 20 revenue-producing assets and one parcel of unimproved land.
General
The following is a list of the assets in the Highlands portfolio as of December 31, 2020.
Property Name Location Segment Classification Total Gross Leasable Area (GLA)
(in square feet) Percentage of Economic Occupancy (a)
Annualized Base Rent (b) (in thousands)
Annualized Base Rent per Leased Square Foot (c)
Significant Tenants (e)
Buerger Brothers Lofts Denver, CO Multi-Family Multi-Family 39,961 73.6 % $ 536 $ 18.21 n/a
Chamber Lofts Denver, CO Multi-Family Multi-Family 39,259 94.5 % 720 19.41 n/a
The Lafayette Denver, CO Multi-Family Multi-Family 25,575 85.9 % 566 25.78 n/a
Kenilworth Court Denver, CO Multi-Family Multi-Family 16,611 87.3 % 410 28.28 n/a
1620 Central Street Evanston, IL Multi-Family Multi-Family 51,808 89.1 % 1,366 29.58 n/a
The Detroit and Detroit Terraces Denver, CO Multi-Family Multi-Family 41,594 97.7 % 1,213 29.85 n/a
The View San Diego, CA Multi-Family Multi-Family 39,360 97.2 % 1,111 29.04 n/a
Tennyson44 Denver, CO Multi-Family Multi-Family 35,280 96.2 % 953 28.08 n/a
The Locale Allendale, MI Multi-Family Multi-Family 240,824 93.2 % 3,811 16.97 n/a
The Muse Denver, CO Multi-Family Multi-Family 103,628 91.2 % 2,658 28.12 n/a
The Sterling San Diego, CA Multi-Family Multi-Family 11,514 89.3 % 425 41.33 n/a
Versacold USA - St. Paul St. Paul, MN Net Lease Industrial 219,664 100.0 % 1,231 5.61 Versacold USA, Inc.
Versacold USA - New Ulm New Ulm, MN Net Lease Industrial 269,985 100.0 % 908 3.36 Versacold USA, Inc.
Trimble San Jose, CA Multi-Tenant Office Multi-Tenant Office 176,905 - % - - n/a
Hudson Correctional Facility Hudson, CO Net Lease Correctional Facility 301,029 - % - - n/a
Palazzo Land Orlando, FL Other Unimproved Land n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Shops at Sherman Plaza (d)
Evanston, IL Retail Retail 151,752 69.7 % 2,366 22.36 Fitness International; Target
Market at Hilliard Hilliard, OH Retail Retail 115,283 96.1 % 1,625 14.67 Aldi; Michaels; Office Max; Old Navy
State Street Market Rockford, IL Retail Retail 193,657 100.0 % 1,845 9.53 Burlington Coat Factory; Dick's Sporting Goods; PetsMart
Buckhorn Plaza Bloomsburg, PA Retail Retail 86,835 93.9 % 1,121 13.75 Marmaxx Operating; Dollar Tree
Total 2,160,524 72.8 % $ 22,865 $ 14.54
(a)Economic occupancy is defined as the percentage of total gross leasable area for which a tenant is obligated to pay rent under the terms of its lease agreement, regardless of the actual use or occupation by that tenant of the area being leased.
(b)Annualized base rent per leased square foot is computed as revenue for the last month of the period multiplied by twelve months. Annualized rent includes the effect of rent abatements, lease inducements, and straight-line rent GAAP adjustments.
(c)Annualized base rent per leased square foot is computed as annualized base rent divided by the total occupied square footage at the end of the period.
(d)A portion of the land underlying this asset is subject to a ground lease. The term of the lease expires in October 2042.
(e)Several of our assets have one or more tenants responsible for more than 10% of the asset's gross leasable area.
The following table sets forth our total gross leasable area (“GLA”) in square feet, percentage of economic occupancy and average annual base rent per leased square foot for our portfolio as of December 31 for the last three years:
As of Total GLA
(Sq. Ft.) Percentage of Economic Occupancy Average Annual Base Rent per Leased Square Foot
December 31, 2020 2,160,524 72.8% $14.54
December 31, 2019 2,198,674 87.4% $17.56
December 31, 2018 2,197,614 91.5% $15.77
Sherman Plaza and The Locale each accounted for 10% or more of our total revenues for the year ended December 31, 2020.
The Muse accounted for 10% or more of our total assets as of December 31, 2020.
As of December 31, 2019, the Hudson correctional facility and Sherman Plaza each accounted for 10% or more of our total revenues and The Muse accounted for 10% or more of our total assets.
Hudson Correctional Facility
As of December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, the total GLA for the Hudson correctional facility was 301,029 square feet. As of December 31, 2020, the economic occupancy was 0% and as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, the economic occupancy was 100% and the average annual base rent per leased square foot was $33.77. Prior to its January 2020 lease expiration, the Hudson correctional facility had one tenant, GEO, a correctional facility operator, whose annualized base rent was $10.2 million. GEO vacated the building upon their lease expiration in January 2020.
Sherman Plaza
The following table sets forth the GLA in square feet, percentage of economic occupancy and average annual base rent per leased square foot for Sherman Plaza as of December 31 for the last three years:
As of Total GLA
(Sq. Ft.) Percentage of Economic Occupancy Average Annual Base Rent per Leased Square Foot
December 31, 2020 151,752 69.7% $22.36
December 31, 2019 151,752 89.7% $22.93
December 31, 2018 151,752 95.0% $22.85
Significant tenants based on annualized base rent as of December 31, 2020 include Fitness International and Target.
The Muse
The following table sets forth the GLA in square feet, percentage of economic occupancy and average annual base rent as of December 31, 2020 and 2019. The Muse, a newly developed property, was acquired by the Company on October 24, 2019.
As of Total GLA
(Sq. Ft.) Percentage of Economic Occupancy Average Annual Base Rent per Leased Square Foot
December 31, 2020 103,628 91.2% $28.12
December 31, 2019 103,628 90.3% $28.35
The Locale
The following table sets forth the GLA in square feet, percentage of economic occupancy and average annual base rent as of December 31, 2020 and 2019. The Locale, a newly developed property, was acquired by the Company on August 16, 2019.
As of Total GLA
(Sq. Ft.) Percentage of Economic Occupancy Average Annual Base Rent per Leased Square Foot
December 31, 2020 240,824 93.2% $16.97
December 31, 2019 239,379 98.2% $16.34
Lease Expirations
The following table sets forth lease expirations for all of our assets as of December 31, 2020, assuming none of the tenants exercise renewal options:
Lease Expiration Year Number of
Expiring Leases GLA of
Expiring Leases
(Sq. Ft.) Annualized
Rent of
Expiring Leases
(in thousands) Percent of Total
Leased Area Percent of Total
Annualized
Rent Expiring
Rent/Square
Foot
2021 3 81,072 $ 787 8.0 % 7.5 % $ 9.70
2022 7 161,633 2,341 15.9 % 22.4 % 14.49
2023 3 9,337 119 0.9 % 1.1 % 12.70
2024 5 48,148 775 4.7 % 7.4 % 16.10
2025 14 84,250 1,231 8.3 % 11.8 % 14.61
2026 4 20,191 397 2.0 % 3.8 % 19.68
2027 5 502,632 2,435 49.5 % 23.3 % 4.84
2028 7 46,419 819 4.6 % 7.8 % 17.64
2029 3 26,542 308 2.6 % 2.9 % 11.60
2030 1 2,790 - 0.3 % - % -
Month to Month 1 2,875 42 0.3 % 0.4 % 14.61
Thereafter 1 29,333 1,189 2.9 % 11.6 % 40.54
54 1,015,222 $ 10,443 100.0 % 100.0 % $ 10.29
Mortgage Financing
The table below sets forth all material mortgages or other liens or encumbrances against any of our assets as of December 31, 2020. As of such date, none of this mortgage debt was recourse to the Company, although we have provided certain customary, non-recourse carve-out guarantees in connection with obtaining mortgage loans on certain of our properties.
Property Current Principal amount (in thousands) Interest and Amortization Provisions Interest Rate Prepayment Provisions Maturity Date
Market at Hilliard $15,251 Fixed Interest-Only for first 12 months 4.70% If prior to 9/6/2026 must be in full, with penalty 12/6/2026
State Street Market $8,957 Fixed Principal Plus Interest 5.24% Only in full, and if prior to 1/6/22, with penalty 4/6/2022
Buckhorn Plaza $9,959 Fixed Interest-Only for first 12 months 4.35% If prior to 8/6/2026 must be in full, with penalty 11/6/2026
The Detroit and Detroit Terraces $11,449 Interest-Only 3.99% If prior to 9/1/2027 must be in full, with penalty 9/1/2027
The Locale $18,282 Variable Interest 3.28% If prior to 9/1/2023 must be in full, with penalty 9/1/2023

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ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
Item 3. Legal Proceedings
We are subject, from time to time, to various legal proceedings and claims that arise in the ordinary course of business. While the resolution of these matters cannot be predicted with certainty, management believes, based on currently available information, that the final outcome of such matters may have a material adverse effect on the financial statements of the Company.

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ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURE
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures
Not applicable.
Part II.

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ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT'S COMMON EQUITY
Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.
Market Information
Our shares of common stock are not listed on a national securities exchange and there is not otherwise an established public trading market for our shares. We publish an estimated per share value of our common stock to assist broker dealers to comply with the rules published by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”). On January 11, 2021, we announced an estimated value of our common stock as of December 31, 2020 equal to $0.28 per share on a fully diluted basis.
Our board of directors (the “Board”) engaged Real Globe Advisors, LLC (“Real Globe”), an independent third-party real estate advisory firm, to estimate the per share value of our common stock on a fully diluted basis as of December 31, 2020. Real Globe has extensive experience estimating the fair values of commercial real estate. The report furnished to the Board and the audit committee of the Board (the “Audit Committee”) by Real Globe complies with the reporting requirements set forth under Standard Rule 2-2(a) of the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice and is certified by a member of the Appraisal Institute with the MAI designation. The Real Globe report, dated as of January 5, 2021, reflects values as of December 31, 2020. Real Globe does not have any direct or indirect interests in any transaction with us or in any currently proposed transaction to which we are a party, and there are no conflicts of interest between Real Globe, on one hand, and the Company or any of our directors, on the other.
To estimate our per share value, Real Globe utilized the “net asset value” or “NAV” method which is based on the fair value of real estate, and all other assets, less the fair value of total liabilities, and also included certain estimated corporate-level transaction costs that we would expect to incur in connection with a future potential liquidity event, further described below. The fair value estimate of our real estate assets is equal to the sum of the individual real estate values.
Generally, Real Globe estimated the value of our real estate, using a discounted cash flow, or “DCF”, of projected net operating income, less capital expenditures, for the ten-year period ending December 31, 2030 and applying a market supported discount rate and capitalization rate. In the unique instances that a discounted cash flow methodology was not deemed to be the most appropriate valuation methodology, including, but not limited to, the valuation of the land and correctional facility assets, a sales comparison approach was primarily utilized. For all other assets, comprised of working capital (which includes cash and other current assets net of current liabilities), fair value was determined separately. Real Globe also estimated the fair value of our long-term debt obligations by comparing market interest rates to the contract rates on our long-term debt and discounting to present value the difference in future payments.
The estimate of certain corporate-level transaction costs was provided to Real Globe by the Company. Given that our strategy involves a future potential liquidity option for current stockholders, management and the Board determined that the deduction of certain estimated corporate-level transaction costs in connection therewith was appropriate in determining our new estimated per share value. However, there are no assurances that such costs will be incurred at the level estimated by us. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business has disrupted our efforts to implement a liquidity option and, although we cannot predict when circumstances will improve, we will continue to evaluate options to implement a liquidity option during 2022. However, we may be unable to execute on such a transaction on terms we would find attractive for our stockholders and our ability to do so will be influenced by external and macroeconomic factors, including, among others, the effects and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic and future resurgences, the timing and nature of recovery of the COVID-19 pandemic, interest rate movements, local, regional, national and global economic performance, government policy changes and competitive factors. As a result, the actual fees and expenses incurred by us in connection with the execution of our strategy could differ materially from the amount provided to Real Globe.
Real Globe determined NAV in a manner consistent with the definition of fair value under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (or “GAAP”) set forth in Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 820 Fair Measurements and Disclosures. Other than the deduction of certain estimated corporate-level transaction costs that we would expect to incur in connection with a future potential liquidity event, the net asset valuation performed by Real Globe complies with the Institute of Portfolio Alternatives Practice Guideline 2013-01 “Valuation of Publicly Registered Non-Listed REITS”, dated April 29, 2013.
Generally, net asset value per share was estimated by subtracting the fair value of our total liabilities from the fair value of our total assets and dividing the result by the number of common shares outstanding on a fully diluted basis as of December 31, 2020. Real Globe then applied a discount rate and terminal capitalization rate sensitivity analysis by adding and subtracting 50 basis points to the terminal capitalization rate and discount rate for assets where the concluded value was solely derived based on the discounted cash flow methodology, resulting in a value range equal to $0.27 - $0.34 per share on a fully diluted basis after deducting the $0.03 of certain estimated corporate level transaction costs that were provided to Real Globe by the Company. The mid-point in the final range was $0.30 per share. For reporting purposes, all per share numbers are rounded to the nearest cent.
On January 5, 2021, the Audit Committee met to review and discuss Real Globe’s report. Following this review, and considering management’s support of Real Globe’s analysis, the Audit Committee unanimously adopted a resolution accepting the Real Globe analysis. The Audit Committee also unanimously adopted a resolution recommending an estimate of per share value as of December 31, 2020 equal to $0.28 per share on a fully diluted basis. At a full meeting of our Board held on January 5, 2021, the Board unanimously adopted this recommendation of estimated per share value, which falls within the range of per share net asset values for the Company's common stock that Real Globe provided in its report.
The following table shows a sensitivity range for estimated share price and terminal capitalization and discount rates:
Range of Value and Rates
Not Including Certain Estimated Corporate-Level Transaction Costs
Low Midpoint High
Share Price $0.30 $0.33 $0.37
Terminal Capitalization Rate 6.74 % 6.24 % 5.74 %
Discount Rate 7.51 % 7.01 % 6.51 %
In order to estimate the final range of value, Real Globe deducted $0.03 of certain estimated corporate-level transaction costs that were provided by the Company from the range of value above. The following chart presents the resulting final range of values, net of certain estimated corporate-level transaction costs that the Company would expect to incur in connection with a future potential liquidity event.
Final Range of Value
Share Price
Low $0.27
Midpoint $0.30
High $0.34
As with any methodology used to estimate value, the methodology employed by Real Globe and the recommendations made by us were based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that may not be accurate or complete. Further, different parties using different assumptions and estimates could derive a different estimated value per share, which could be significantly different from our estimated value per share. The estimated per share value does not represent (i) the amount at which our shares would trade at a national securities exchange, (ii) the amount a stockholder would obtain if he or she tried to sell his or her shares (iii) the amount per share that stockholders would receive in a sale of the entire Company in a single transaction or (iv) the amount stockholders would receive if we liquidated our assets and distributed the proceeds after paying all of our expenses and liabilities. Accordingly, with respect to the estimated value per share, we can give no assurance that:
•a stockholder would be able to resell his or her shares at this estimated value;
•a stockholder would ultimately realize distributions per share equal to our estimated value per share upon liquidation of our assets and settlement of our liabilities or a sale of the Company;
•our shares would trade at a price equal to or greater than the estimated value per share if we listed them on a national securities exchange;
•the certain estimated corporate-level transaction costs that we would expect to incur in connection with a future potential liquidity event reflected in our estimated value will be incurred at the level estimated by us; or
•the methodology used to estimate our value per share would be acceptable to FINRA or that the estimated value per share will satisfy the applicable annual valuation requirements under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”) and the Code, with respect to employee benefit plans subject to ERISA and other retirement plans or accounts subject to Section 4975 of the Code.
The estimated value per share was approved by our Board on January 5, 2021 and reflects the fact that the estimate was calculated at a moment in time. The value of our shares has changed over time and will be influenced by changes to the value of our individual assets as well as changes and developments in the real estate and capital markets. We currently anticipate publishing a new estimated share value within one year. Nevertheless, stockholders should not rely on the estimated value per share in making a decision to buy or sell shares of our common stock.
Stockholders
As of January 11, 2021, we had 166,728 stockholders of record.
Distributions
For the twelve months ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, no cash distributions were paid by us.
We generally intend over time to make annual distributions in an amount at least equal to the amount that will allow us to qualify as a REIT and to avoid current entity-level U.S. federal income taxes. To qualify as a REIT, we must distribute to our stockholders an amount at least equal to:
i.90% of our REIT taxable income, determined before the deduction for dividends paid and excluding any net capital gain (which does not necessarily equal net income as calculated in accordance with GAAP); plus
ii.90% of the excess of our net income from foreclosure property over the tax imposed on such income by the Code; less
iii.any excess non-cash income (as determined under the Code).
Distributions made by us will be authorized and determined by our board of directors, in its sole discretion, out of legally available funds, and will be dependent upon a number of factors, including our actual and projected results of operations, financial condition, cash flows and liquidity, our qualification as a REIT and other tax considerations, capital expenditures and other obligations, debt covenants, contractual prohibitions or other limitations under applicable law and other such matters as our board of directors may deem relevant from time to time. We cannot assure you that our distribution policy will remain the same in the future, or that any estimated distributions will be made or sustained.
Our ability to make distributions to our stockholders will depend upon the performance of our portfolio and our ability to successfully execute on our disposition strategy. Distributions will be made in cash to the extent cash is available for distribution. We may not be able to generate sufficient cash flows to pay distributions to our stockholders. To the extent that our cash available for distribution is less than the amount required to be distributed under the REIT provisions of the Code, we may consider funding sources other than cash flow from operations or funds from operations, which may reduce the amount of capital available for operations, may have negative tax implications, and may have a negative effect on the value of your shares under certain conditions. In addition, our board of directors could change our distribution policy in the future. See “Risk Factors - Risks Related to Our Status as a REIT.”
Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities
None.

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ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA
Item 6. Selected Financial Data
Not applicable.

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ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
References to “Highlands,” “the Company,” “we” or “us” are to Highlands REIT, Inc., as well as all of Highlands' wholly-owned and consolidated subsidiaries.
The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with “Part I-Item 1A. Risk Factors,” “Part I-Item 1. Business,” “Part I-Item 2. Properties” and the historical consolidated financial statements, and related notes included elsewhere in this Annual Report. The following discussion and analysis contains forward-looking statements based upon our current expectations, estimates and assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from those discussed in these forward-looking statements due to a variety of risks, uncertainties and other factors, including but not limited to, factors discussed in “Part I-Item 1A. Risk Factors” and “Disclosure Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.” The following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with the Company's Consolidated Financial Statements and accompanying notes, which appear elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Overview
We are a self-advised and self-administered real estate investment trust (“REIT”) created to own and manage substantially all of the “non-core” assets previously owned and managed by our former parent, InvenTrust Properties Corp., a Maryland corporation (“InvenTrust”). On April 28, 2016, we were spun-off from InvenTrust through a pro rata distribution (the “Distribution”) by InvenTrust of 100% of the outstanding shares of our common stock to holders of InvenTrust’s common stock. Prior to or concurrent with the separation, we and InvenTrust engaged in certain reorganization transactions that were designed to consolidate substantially all of InvenTrust’s remaining “non-core” assets in Highlands.
This portfolio of “non-core” assets, which were acquired by InvenTrust between 2005 and 2008, included assets that are special use, single-tenant or build-to-suit; face unresolved legal issues; are in undesirable locations or in weak markets or submarkets; are aging or functionally obsolete; and/or have sub-optimal leasing metrics. A number of our assets are retail properties located in tertiary markets, which are particularly susceptible to the negative trends affecting retail real estate, including the severe effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of these characteristics, such assets are difficult to lease, finance and refinance and are relatively illiquid compared to other types of real estate assets. These factors also significantly limit our asset disposition options, impact the timing of such dispositions and restrict the viable options available to the Company for a future potential liquidity option.
Our strategy is focused on preserving, protecting and maximizing the total value of our portfolio with the long-term objective of providing stockholders with a return of their investment. We engage in rigorous asset management, and seek to sustain and enhance our portfolio, and improve the quality and income-producing ability of our portfolio, by engaging in selective dispositions, acquisitions, capital expenditures, financing, refinancing and enhanced leasing. We are also focused on cost containment efforts across our portfolio, improving our overall capital structure and making select investments in our existing “non-core” assets to maximize their value. To the extent we are able to generate cash flows from operations or dispositions of assets, in addition to the cash uses outlined above, our board of directors has determined that it is in the best interests of the Company to seek to reinvest in assets that are more likely to generate more reliable and stable cash flows, such as multi-family assets, as part of the Company’s overall strategy to optimize the value of the portfolio, enhance our options for a future potential liquidity option and maximize shareholder value. Given the nature and quality of the “non-core” assets in our portfolio as well as current market conditions, a definitive timeline for execution of our strategy cannot be made. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business has disrupted our efforts to implement a liquidity option and, although we cannot predict when circumstances will improve, we will continue to evaluate options to implement a liquidity option during 2022. However, we may be unable to execute on such a transaction on terms we would find attractive for our stockholders and our ability to do so will be influenced by external and macroeconomic factors, including, among others, the effects and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic and future resurgences, the timing and nature of recovery of the COVID-19 pandemic, interest rate movements, local, regional, national and global economic performance, government policy changes and competitive factors.
As of December 31, 2020, our portfolio of assets consisted of one office asset, two industrial assets, four retail assets, twelve multi-family assets, one correctional facility and one parcel of unimproved land. We currently have four business segments, consisting of (i) net lease, (ii) retail, (iii) multi-tenant office and (iv) multi-family. Our unimproved land asset is presented in “other.” We may have additional or fewer segments in the future to the extent we enter into additional real property sectors, dispose of property sectors, or change the character of our assets. For the complete presentation of our reportable segments, see Note 11 to our consolidated financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019.
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying consolidated financial statements reflect the accounts of Highlands and its consolidated subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company”). Highlands consolidates its wholly-owned subsidiaries and any other entities which it controls (i) through voting rights or similar rights or (ii) by means other than voting rights if Highlands is the primary beneficiary of a variable interest entity (“VIE”). The portions of the equity and net income of consolidated subsidiaries that are not attributable to the Company are presented separately as amounts attributable to non-controlling interests in our consolidated financial statements. Entities which Highlands does not control and entities which are VIEs in which Highlands is not a primary beneficiary, if any, are accounted for under appropriate GAAP. Highlands' subsidiaries generally consist of limited liability companies. The effects of all significant intercompany transactions have been eliminated.
Our Revenues and Expenses
Revenues
Our revenues are primarily derived from rental income and expense recoveries we receive from our tenants under leases with us, including monthly rent and other property income pursuant to tenant leases. Tenant recovery income primarily consists of reimbursements for real estate taxes, common area maintenance costs, management fees and insurance costs.
Expenses
Our expenses consist of property operating expenses, real estate taxes, depreciation and amortization expense, general and administrative expenses and provision for asset impairment. Property operating expenses primarily consist of repair and maintenance, management fees, utilities and insurance (in each case, some of which are recoverable from the tenant).
Key Indicators of Operating Performance
In evaluating our financial condition and operating performance, management focuses on the following financial and non-financial indicators, discussed in further detail herein:
•Cash flow from operations as determined in accordance with GAAP;
•Economic and physical occupancy and rental rates;
•Leasing activity and lease rollover;
•Management of operating expenses;
•Management of general and administrative expenses;
•Debt maturities and leverage ratios;
•Liquidity levels;
•Funds From Operations (“FFO”), a supplemental non-GAAP measure; and
•Adjusted Funds From Operations (“AFFO”), a supplemental non-GAAP measure.
Impact of COVID-19
The following discussion is intended to provide certain information regarding the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business and our efforts to respond to those impacts. The COVID-19 pandemic, the significant and wide-ranging responses of international, federal, state and local public health and governmental authorities in regions across the United States and the world to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the volatile economic, business and financial market conditions resulting therefrom, have negatively impacted our business, financial condition and results of operations and we anticipate that such factors will continue to negatively impact our business, financial condition and results of operations during 2021 and in future periods.
Unless otherwise specified, the information set forth below regarding the Company’s portfolio and tenants is based on estimates and other data available to the Company as of December 31, 2020. As a result of the high degree of uncertainty surrounding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on our business, we expect that such information will change,
potentially significantly, going forward and may not be indicative of the actual impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business, financial condition and results of operations for 2021 and future periods.
During the year ended December 31, 2020, we received rent relief requests from certain tenants at our retail properties, most often in the form of rent deferral and abatement requests. We have evaluated each tenant relief request on an individual basis and granted deferrals in the aggregate of approximately $0.3 million to nine of our tenants. In exchange, such tenants agreed to various repayment periods, ranging from three and 24 months. As of December 31, 2020, approximately $0.1 million had been repaid and approximately $0.2 million is expected to be repaid during 2021. The remaining $0.1 million is due from tenants who have either not yet reopened since the beginning of the pandemic, have permanently gone out of business or who filed for bankruptcy and collection of theses outstanding amounts is unlikely. In accordance with the terms set forth in the document issued by FASB on April 10, 2020, titled “Staff Q&A, Topic 842 and Topic 840: Accounting for Lease Concessions Related to the Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic,” we have accounted for the concessions as if no changes to the lease contract were made. Under that accounting, we increased our lease receivable as receivables accrued in our statements of operations and recognized rental income during the deferral period. In connection with these lease receivables, we increased our allowance for bad debt by approximately $0.3 million during the year ended December 31, 2020, which includes amounts where deferral agreements had previously been entered into, for receivables where collection was determined not probable.
Additionally, during the year ended December 31, 2020, we granted abatements in the aggregate of approximately $0.8 million, to ten tenants, the largest of which is LA Fitness at the Sherman Plaza property which accounted for $0.5 million of the total abatement amount for that period. We reviewed each lease agreement in connection with the abatement to determine whether such abatement, including any lease extension related thereto, qualified as a “lease modification” under the applicable lease agreement, and, after determining that two such abatements constituted “lease modifications” under the respective lease agreement, we accounted for each abatement as such.
Our multi-family portfolio was also impacted by the pandemic. While our multi-family portfolio experienced higher collection rates than on our retail portfolio, we had a decrease in occupancy during the year ended December 31, 2020, which resulted in decreased rental income for that period. In some circumstances, we granted deferrals to residents who were impacted by the pandemic and offered payment plans for repayment in three to six months. Many state and local municipalities have placed a moratorium on evictions and housing-related litigation limiting the actions we can take with respect to residents who are not making their rental payments, some of which have been extended into 2021. In addition to the decreased rental income, our bad debt expense increased as a result of reserves recorded on balances that were outstanding for residents impacted by the pandemic.
We may receive additional rent deferral or abatement requests, or requests to modify existing lease agreements, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and recovery related thereto. We will evaluate each tenant rent relief request on an individual basis and consider a number of factors in determining whether to grant such request. Additionally, as tenants that have been granted some form of rent relief enter into their rent repayment periods, such tenants may be unable to pay the outstanding monthly rent payments, and, as a result, we may see a further increase in our bad debt. Our 2020 rent collections may not be indicative of collections in any future period and may be influenced by factors such as (i) whether tenants have received loans pursuant to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”), (ii) whether “stay-at-home” orders have been eased, and (iii) whether we have granted rent assistance requests.
As previously reported, some of the tenants at our retail properties (including Market at Hilliard, State Street and Buckhorn Plaza) failed to make the payments due under their leases. As a result, we did not pay the monthly payments due under the mortgages encumbering these properties beginning in April 2020. As of December 31, 2020, the Company has made the required monthly payments on the State Street, Buckhorn Plaza and Market at Hilliard mortgages to bring the loans current through the December 2020 payment date. We intend to continue to make all monthly mortgage payments when due for each of the Market at Hilliard, Buckhorn Plaza and State Street properties, but our ability and willingness to make payments under these mortgages may change if some or all of the tenants at these properties fail to make their monthly rental payments.
The loan documents governing the mortgage encumbering the State Street property include a “cash trap” provision that is triggered if DICK'S Sporting Goods, which is an anchor tenant at the State Street property, fails to renew its lease agreement. During September 2020, we were informed that DICK'S Sporting Goods would not renew its lease at the State Street property. As a result, we received notice that the lender under the State Street mortgage exercised its right to trigger this “cash trap” provision, and, during the fourth quarter of 2020, all of the cash flows from the State Street property which would otherwise have been available for our use was trapped into a blocked account controlled by the lender pending approval of a substitute lease. If, during that period, the terms of the loan agreement are not satisfied, those funds will be swept by the lender in mandatory prepayment of the mortgage.
On November 6, 2020, the Company entered into the Third Amendment to the Credit Agreement, pursuant to which the Company “right-sized” the Credit Agreement by eliminating the Term Loan (as defined in the Third Amendment) previously available under the Credit Agreement. In connection with the execution of the Third Amendment, the Company borrowed sufficient funds under the Revolving Credit Loan (as defined in the Third Amendment) to repay all of its obligations under the Term Loan. Additionally, pursuant to the Third Amendment, the lender under the Credit Agreement waived the Company’s obligation to comply with certain financial covenants for the period from July 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020 (the “Waiver Period”) and restricted the Company from drawing on the Revolving Credit Loan in amounts in excess of $20.0 million until the Company is in compliance with all such covenants. See also Note 8 (Debt) in the accompanying consolidated financial statements for additional discussion.
The largest anchor tenant at our State Street property, Burlington Coat Factory, suffered property damage in May 2020 as a result of recent civil unrest. This tenant occupies approximately 72,600 square feet (37.5%) of the total gross leasable area at State Street and reopened for business on September 14, 2020.
We have taken a number of proactive measures to maintain the strength of our business and manage the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business, operations and liquidity, including adapting our operations to protect employees, implementing a work-from-home policy and cancelling most corporate travel. We believe the remote-work technology we have provided to our workforce has enabled a smooth transition to working from home with minimal impact to our operations. The health and safety of our employees and their families remains a top priority for us.
We also maintain frequent communication with our tenants, and we are assisting them in identifying state and federal resources that may be available to support their businesses and employees during the pandemic.
Further discussion of the potential risks facing our business from the COVID-19 pandemic is provided under “Part I - Item 1A. Risk Factors.”
Acquisition and Disposition Activity
During the year ended December 31, 2020, we continued to invest in multi-family assets with the following acquisition of properties:
(in thousands)
Property Location Acquisition Date Acquisition Price
The Sterling San Diego, California April 22, 2020 $ 7,372
During the year ended December 31, 2020, we continued to execute on our strategy of disposing of legacy “non-core” assets by selling the following asset:
(in thousands)
Property Location Disposition Date Gross Disposition Price Sale Proceeds, Net Gain on Sale
Citizens Providence, Rhode Island March 31, 2020 $ 1,425 $ 1,287 $ 82
Results of Operations
Comparison of the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019
Key performance indicators are as follows:
As of December 31,
2020 2019
Economic occupancy (a) 72.8 % 87.4 %
Rent per square foot (b) $ 14.54 $ 17.56
(a) Economic occupancy is defined as the percentage of total gross leasable area for which a tenant is obligated to pay rent under the terms of its lease agreement, regardless of the actual use or occupation by the tenant of the area being leased. Actual use may be less than economic square footage.
(b) Rent per square foot is computed as annualized base rent divided by the total occupied square footage at the end of the period. Annualized rent is computed as revenue for the last month of the period multiplied by twelve months. Annualized rent includes the effect of rent abatements, lease inducements and straight-line rent GAAP adjustments.
The decrease in occupancy and rent per square foot in 2020 is primarily due to the termination of the lease with The GEO Group, Inc. (“GEO”) at our correctional facility. See also Note 6 in the consolidated financial statements for additional discussion.
Consolidated Results of Operations
(in thousands)
For the Year ended December 31,
2020 2019 Increase/(Decrease)
Net (loss) income $ (33,659) $ 4,814 $ (38,473) (799.2) %
Net loss during the year ended December 31, 2020 was $33.7 million compared to net income of $4.8 million during the year ended December 31, 2019. Factors contributing to the net loss include the provision for asset impairment related to the correctional facility, termination of the lease with GEO, a reduction in gain on sale of investment properties, impact of rent concessions related to the COVID-19 pandemic at the retail properties, termination of the Alta lease at the Trimble office asset and a reduction in interest income. These impacts were partially offset by income from operations related to the multi-family asset acquisitions.
Operating Income and Expenses
(in thousands)
For the Year ended December 31,
2020 2019 Increase/(Decrease)
Property income:
Rental income $ 27,230 $ 36,626 $ (9,396) (25.7) %
Other property income 1,712 727 985 135.5 %
28,942 37,353 (8,411) (22.5) %
Operating expenses:
Property operating expenses 8,702 7,489 1,213 16.2 %
Real estate taxes 6,029 5,691 338 5.9 %
Depreciation and amortization 12,774 13,014 (240) (1.8) %
General and administrative expenses 14,131 12,907 1,224 9.5 %
Provision for asset impairment 16,804 - 16,804 - %
Gain on sale of investment properties 82 8,841 (8,759) (99.1) %
Property Income and Operating Expenses
Rental income consists of monthly rent, straight-line rent adjustments, tenant recovery income and amortization of acquired above and below market leases pursuant to tenant leases. Tenant recovery income consists of reimbursements for real estate taxes, common area maintenance costs, management fees, and insurance costs. Other property income consists of lease termination fees and other miscellaneous property income. Property operating expenses consist of regular repair and maintenance, management fees, utilities, and insurance (in each case, some of which are recoverable from the tenant).
Total revenues decreased by $8.4 million in the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the same period in 2019 as a result of termination of the lease with GEO, disposition of Lincoln Mall in June, 2019, termination of the Alta
lease at the Trimble office asset, rent concessions and lease terminations related to the retail assets, partially offset by income from the acquisition of multi-family assets.
Property operating expenses increased by $1.2 million in the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the same period in 2019 primarily as a result of the acquisition of multi-family assets, termination of the lease with GEO and an increase in bad debt expense related to the retail properties where, in the opinion of management, collection of substantially all lease payments is not probable.
Real estate taxes increased $0.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the same period in 2019 related to the multi-family asset acquisitions and the GEO lease, partially offset by the disposition of Lincoln Mall.
Depreciation and Amortization
Depreciation and amortization decreased by $0.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the same period in 2019 primarily as a result of the write-off of lease related assets at one of the office assets and disposition of Lincoln Mall during 2019, partially offset by the acquisition of multi-family assets.
General Administrative Expenses
General and administrative expenses increased by $1.2 million, or 9.5%, for the year ended December 31, 2020, due to severance related expenses incurred upon the departure of one of our executive officers.
Provision for Asset Impairment
For the year ended December 31, 2020, we identified a reduction in fair market value related to the correctional facility and recorded an impairment of investment properties of $16.8 million. No such impairments were recorded during the year ended December 31, 2019.
Gain on Sale of Investment Properties
During the year ended December 31, 2020, the gain on sale of investment properties was $0.1 million, which was attributed to Highlands' sale of the bank branch asset.
During the year ended December 31, 2019, the gain on sale of investment properties was $8.8 million, which was attributed to Highlands' sale of Lincoln Mall and the RDU land parcel.
Non-Operating Income and Expenses
(in thousands)
For the Year ended December 31,
2020 2019 Increase/(Decrease)
Non-operating income and expenses:
Interest income $ 242 $ 1,650 $ (1,408) (85.3) %
Interest expense (4,485) (3,929) 556 14.2 %
Interest Income
Interest income decreased by $1.4 million during the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the same period in 2019 as a result of a decrease in average cash balances during 2020 compared to 2019, as well as a decrease in interest rates during 2020.
Interest Expense
Interest expense increased by $0.6 million to $4.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 from $3.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 primarily attributable to borrowings related to one multi-family asset acquisition, The Locale, during the third quarter of 2019, write-off of loan fees related to the Credit Agreement and the mortgage encumbered by State Street, one of the retail assets. See also Note 8, to the consolidated financial statements for additional discussion.
Leasing Activity
Our primary source of funding for our property-level operating activities and debt payments is rent collected pursuant to our tenant leases. The following table represents lease expirations, excluding multi-family leases, as of December 31, 2020:
Lease Expiration Year Number of
Expiring Leases Gross Leasable Area (GLA) of
Expiring Leases
(Sq. Ft.) Annualized
Rent of
Expiring Leases
(in thousands) Percent of Total
GLA Percent of Total
Annualized
Rent Expiring
Rent/Square
Foot
2021 3 81,072 $ 787 8.0 % 7.5 % $ 9.70
2022 7 161,633 2,341 15.9 % 22.4 % 14.49
2023 3 9,337 119 0.9 % 1.1 % 12.70
2024 5 48,148 775 4.7 % 7.4 % 16.10
2025 14 84,250 1,231 8.3 % 11.8 % 14.61
2026 4 20,191 397 2.0 % 3.8 % 19.68
2027 5 502,632 2,435 49.5 % 23.3 % 4.84
2028 7 46,419 819 4.6 % 7.8 % 17.64
2029 3 26,542 308 2.6 % 2.9 % 11.60
2030 1 2,790 - 0.3 % - % -
Month to Month 1 2,875 42 0.3 % 0.4 % 14.61
Thereafter 1 29,333 1,189 2.9 % 11.6 % 40.54
54 1,015,222 $ 10,443 100.0 % 100.0 % $ 10.29
The following table represents new and renewed leases that commenced (not including multi-family leases) in the year ended December 31, 2020.
# of Leases Gross Leasable
Area Rent
per square foot Weighted
Average
Lease Term
New 3 6,986 $ 25.80 7.85
Renewals 11 66,100 $ 14.75 5.28
Total 14 73,086 $ 15.81 5.53
During the year ended December 31, 2020, 14 new leases and renewals commenced with gross leasable area totaling 73,086 square feet. The weighted average lease term for new and renewal leases was 7.85 and 5.28 years, respectively.
As of December 31, 2019, 13 new leases and renewals commenced with gross leasable area totaling 115,990 square feet. The weighted average lease term for new and renewal leases was 7.44 and 4.19 years, respectively.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
Revenue Recognition
The Company commences revenue recognition on our leases based on a number of factors. In most cases, revenue recognition under a lease begins when the lessee takes possession of, or controls, the physical use of the leased asset. Generally, this occurs on the lease commencement date. The determination of who is the owner, for accounting purposes, of the tenant improvements determines the nature of the leased asset and when revenue recognition under a lease begins. If we are the owner, for accounting purposes, of the tenant improvements, then the leased asset is the finished space and revenue recognition begins when the lessee takes possession of the finished space, typically when the improvements are substantially complete. If we conclude we are not the owner, for accounting purposes, of the tenant improvements (the lessee is the owner), then the leased asset is the unimproved space and any tenant improvement allowances funded under the lease are treated as lease incentives which reduces revenue recognized over the term of the lease. In these circumstances, we begin revenue recognition when the lessee takes possession of the unimproved space for the lessee to construct their own improvements. We consider a number of different factors to evaluate whether it or the lessee is the owner of the tenant improvements for accounting purposes. These factors include:
•whether the lease stipulates how and on what a tenant improvement allowance may be spent;
•whether the tenant or landlord retains legal title to the improvements;
•the uniqueness of the improvements;
•the expected economic life of the tenant improvements relative to the length of the lease; and
•who constructs or directs the construction of the improvements.
The determination of who owns the tenant improvements, for accounting purposes, is subject to significant judgment. In making that determination, we consider all of the above factors. No one factor, however, necessarily establishes its determination.
Rental income is recognized on a straight-line basis over the term of each lease. The difference between rental income earned on a straight-line basis and the cash rent due under the provisions of the lease agreements is recorded as deferred rent receivable and is included as a component of accounts and rents receivable in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.
Rental income related receivables, which include contractual amounts accrued and unpaid from tenants and accrued straight-line rents receivable, are reduced for credit losses. Such amounts are recognized as a reduction to real estate rental revenues. The Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) clarified in July 2019 that, under ASC 842, lessors can continue to recognize a reserve (i.e., allowance for uncollectible operating lease receivables) under the loss contingency guidance in ASC 450-20 after applying the collectibility guidance in ASC 842. We evaluate the collectability of lease receivables monthly using several factors including a lessee’s creditworthiness. We recognize the credit loss on lease related receivables when, in the opinion of management, collection of substantially all lease payments is not probable. When collectability is determined not probable, any lease income subsequent to recognizing the credit loss is limited to the lesser of the lease income reflected on a straight-line basis or cash collected. The adoption of ASU 2016-02 resulted in an adjustment of $92 to rental income and property operating expenses, associated with lease related receivables where collection of substantially all operating lease payments is not probable during the year ended December 31, 2019.
The Company records lease termination income if there is a signed termination agreement, all of the conditions of the agreement have been met and amounts due are considered collectible.
Real Estate
We allocate the purchase price of real estate to land, building, other building improvements, tenant improvements, and intangible assets and liabilities (such as the value of above- and below-market leases, in-place leases and origination costs associated with in-place leases). The values of above- and below-market leases are recorded as intangible assets, net, and intangible liabilities, net, respectively, in the consolidated balance sheets, and are amortized as either a decrease (in the case of above-market leases) or an increase (in the case of below-market leases) to rental income over the remaining term of the associated tenant lease. The values associated with in-place leases are recorded in intangible assets, net in the consolidated balance sheets and are amortized to depreciation and amortization expense in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income over the remaining lease term.
The difference between the contractual rental rates and our estimate of market rental rates is measured over a period equal to the remaining non-cancelable term of the leases, including below-market renewal options for which exercise of the renewal option appears to be reasonably assured. The remaining term of leases with renewal options at terms below market reflect the assumed exercise of such below-market renewal options and assume the amortization period would coincide with the extended lease term.
We perform, with the assistance of a third-party certified valuation specialist, the following procedures for properties we acquire:
•Determine the accounting of the transaction as either a business combination or an asset acquisition;
•Estimate the value of the property “as if vacant” as of the acquisition date;
•Allocate the value of the property among land, building, and other building improvements and determine the associated useful life for each;
•Calculate the value and associated life of above- and below-market leases on a tenant-by-tenant basis. The difference between the contractual rental rates and our estimate of market rental rates is measured over a period equal to the remaining term of the leases (using a discount rate which reflects the risks associated with the leases acquired, including geographical location, size of leased area, tenant profile and credit risk);
•Estimate the fair value of the tenant improvements, legal expenses and leasing commissions incurred to obtain the leases and calculate the associated useful life for each;
•Estimate the fair value of assumed debt, if any, and value the favorable or unfavorable debt position acquired; and
•Estimate the intangible value of the in-place leases based on lease execution costs of similar leases as well as lost rent payments during an assumed lease-up period and their associated useful lives on a tenant-by-tenant basis.
We recognize gains and losses from sales of investment properties and land in accordance with FASB ASC 610-20, “Gains and Losses From the Derecognition of Nonfinancial Assets.” We recognize gains and losses from sales of investment properties and land when we transfer control of a property and when it is probable that we will collect substantially all of the related consideration.
Impairment
The Company assesses the carrying values of the respective long-lived assets, whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amounts of these assets may not be fully recoverable, such as a reduction in the expected holding period of the asset. If it is determined that the carrying value is not recoverable because the undiscounted cash flows do not exceed carrying value, the Company records an impairment loss to the extent that the carrying value exceeds fair value. The valuation and possible subsequent impairment of investment properties is a significant estimate that can and does change based on the Company’s continuous process of analyzing each asset and reviewing assumptions about uncertain inherent factors, as well as the economic condition of the asset at a particular point in time.
The use of projected future cash flows and related holding period is based on assumptions that are consistent with the estimates of future expectations and the strategic plan the Company uses to manage its underlying business. However, assumptions and estimates about future cash flows and capitalization rates are complex and subjective. Changes in economic and operating conditions and the Company’s ultimate investment intent that occur subsequent to the impairment analyses could impact these assumptions and result in future impairment charges of the real estate assets.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
As of December 31, 2020, we had $50.2 million of cash and cash equivalents, and $3.4 million of restricted escrows.
Our principal demands for funds have been or will be:
•to pay the operating expenses of our assets;
•to pay our general and administrative expenses;
•to pay for acquisitions;
•to pay for capital commitments;
•to pay for short-term obligations;
•to service or pay-down our debt; and
•to fund capital expenditures and leasing related costs.
Generally, our cash needs have been and will be funded from:
•cash flows from our investment assets;
•proceeds from sales of assets; and
•proceeds from debt.
Our assets have lease maturities within the next two years that we expect to reduce our cash flows from operations. Significant lease maturities include the Dick's Sporting Goods and Burlington Coat Factory leases at State Street and Fitness International at the Sherman Plaza retail assets expiring in April 2021, August 2022 and April 2022, respectively.
We may, from time to time, repurchase our outstanding equity and/or debt securities, if any, through cash purchases or via other transactions. Such repurchases or transactions, if any, will depend on our liquidity requirements, contractual restrictions, and other factors. The amounts involved may be material.
Borrowings
The table below presents, on a consolidated basis, the principal amount, weighted average interest rates and maturity date (by year) on our mortgage debt and debt from our credit facility, as of December 31, 2020 (dollar amounts are stated in thousands).
Fixed and variable rate debt maturing during the year
ended December 31, As of December 31, 2020 Weighted average
interest rate
2021 $ - - %
2022 28,957 3.35 %
2023 18,282 3.28 % (1)
2024 - - %
2025 - - %
Thereafter 36,659 4.38 %
Total $ 83,898 3.78 %
(1) See Note 9 in the accompanying consolidated financial statements for discussion of the swap agreement entered into with the mortgage loan obtained in connection with the acquisition of The Locale. The weighted average interest rate reflected is the strike rate.
As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, none of our mortgage debt was recourse to the Company, although we have provided certain customary, non-recourse carve-out guarantees in connection with obtaining mortgage loans on certain of our properties.
Our ability to pay off our mortgages when they become due is, in part, dependent upon our ability either to refinance the related mortgage debt or to sell the related asset. With respect to each loan, if we are unable to refinance or sell the related asset, or in the event that the estimated asset value is less than the mortgage balance, we may, if appropriate, satisfy a mortgage obligation by transferring title of the asset to the lender or permitting a lender to foreclose.
Volatility in the capital markets could expose us to the risk of not being able to borrow on terms and conditions acceptable to us for refinancing.
Total debt outstanding as of December 31, 2020 and 2019 was $83.9 million and $94.9 million, respectively, and had a weighted average interest rate of 3.78% and 4.00% per annum, respectively.
We assumed a mortgage loan in the principal amount of $11.4 million in connection with the acquisition of The Detroit and Detroit Terraces on January 8, 2019. According to the terms of the note agreement, the contractual fixed interest rate is 3.99% and payments are interest only through September 30, 2022. The maturity date of the mortgage loan is on August 31, 2027.
On November 6, 2020, the Company entered into the Third Amendment to the Credit Agreement, pursuant to which the Company “right-sized” the Credit Agreement by eliminating the Term Loan previously available under the Credit Agreement. In connection with the execution of the Third Amendment, the Company borrowed sufficient funds under the Revolving Credit Loan to repay all of its obligations under the Term Loan. Additionally, pursuant to the Third Amendment, the lender under the Revolving Credit Loan waived the Company’s obligation to comply with certain financial covenants for the Waiver Period and restricted the Company from drawing on the Revolving Credit Loan in amounts in excess of $20.0 million until the Company is in compliance with all such covenants.
The Company currently expects to use borrowings under the Credit Agreement for working capital purposes, which may include repayment of indebtedness, capital expenditures, lease up costs, redevelopment costs, property acquisitions and other general corporate purposes. As of December 31, 2020, we had borrowed $20.0 million under the Revolving Credit Loan.
The Company obtained a mortgage loan in the principal amount of $18.8 million in connection with the acquisition of The Locale on August 16, 2019. We entered into a swap agreement with respect to the loan, effective through August 31, 2023, to swap the variable interest rate to a fixed rate of approximately 3.27% per annum. The interest rate is based on the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) plus the applicable spread. The effective interest rate as of December 31, 2020, is approximately 1.90%.
In July 2017, the Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”) that regulates LIBOR announced it intends to stop compelling banks to submit rates for the calculation of LIBOR after 2021. As a result, the Federal Reserve Board and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York organized the Alternative Reference Rates Committee ("ARRC"), which identified the Secured Overnight Financing Rate ("SOFR") as its preferred alternative rate for USD LIBOR in derivatives and other financial contracts. The Company is not able to predict when LIBOR will cease to be available or when there will be sufficient liquidity in the SOFR markets. Any changes adopted by the FCA or other governing bodies in the method used for determining LIBOR may result in a sudden or prolonged increase or decrease in reported LIBOR. If that were to occur, our interest payments could change. In addition, uncertainty about the extent and manner of future changes may result in interest rates and/or payments that are higher or lower than if LIBOR were to remain available in its current form.
The Company has contracts associated with the credit facility and the mortgage encumbered by The Locale that are indexed to LIBOR and is monitoring and evaluating the related risks, which include interest on loans. These risks arise in connection with transitioning contracts to an alternative rate, including any resulting value transfer that may occur, and are likely to vary by contract. The value of derivative instruments tied to LIBOR, as well as interest rates on our current or future indebtedness, may also be impacted if LIBOR is limited or discontinued. For some instruments the method of transitioning to an alternative reference rate may be challenging, especially if we cannot agree with the respective counterparty about how to make the transition.
While we expect LIBOR to be available in substantially its current form until at least the end of 2021, it is possible that LIBOR will become unavailable prior to that point. This could result, for example, if sufficient banks decline to make submissions to the LIBOR administrator. In that case, the risks associated with the transition to an alternative reference rate will be accelerated and magnified.
Alternative rates and other market changes related to the replacement of LIBOR, including the introduction of financial products and changes in market practices, may lead to risk modeling and valuation challenges, such as adjusting interest rate accrual calculations and building a term structure for an alternative rate.
The introduction of an alternative rate also may create additional basis risk and increased volatility as alternative rates are phased in and utilized in parallel with LIBOR.
Adjustments to systems and mathematical models to properly process and account for alternative rates will be required, which may strain the model risk management and information technology functions and result in substantial incremental costs for the company.
Capital Expenditures and Reserve Funds
During the year ended December 31, 2020, we made total capital expenditures of $2.8 million. Our total capital expenditures in 2019 was $1.0 million.
Summary of Cash Flows
Comparison of the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019:
(in thousands)
For the Year ended December 31,
2020 2019
Cash (used in) provided by operating activities $ (2,106) $ 16,809
Cash used in investing activities (9,398) (68,351)
Cash (used in) provided by financing activities (12,914) 45,856
Decrease in cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash and escrows (24,418) (5,686)
Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash and escrows, at beginning of year 78,055 83,741
Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash and escrows, at end of year $ 53,637 $ 78,055
Cash used in operating activities was $2.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. Cash provided by operating activities was $16.8 million for the same period in 2019. Cash used in operating activities increased by $18.9 million when comparing the year ended December 31, 2020 to the same period in 2019 primarily as a result of the GEO lease termination, which has caused cash flows from operations to be lower year over year. Additional factors include the impact on retail properties of the pandemic and civil unrest as well as the Alta lease termination discussed in Note 6 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements. There was also an increase in cash paid for interest expense during the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the same period last year.
Cash used in investing activities was $9.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to $68.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. Cash used in investing activities decreased $59.0 million when comparing the year ended December 31, 2020 to the same period in 2019. During the year ended December 31, 2020, cash was used to purchase The Sterling for $7.4 million, payments for capital expenditures of $2.8 million and payments for leasing fees of $0.5 million. Partially offsetting cash used during the year ended December 31, 2020 was cash provided by proceeds from the sale of investment properties, net in the amount of $1.3 million. In the year ended December 31, 2019, cash provided by proceeds received from the sale of Lincoln Mall and the RDU land parcel was $53.2 million offset by cash used to purchase multi-family assets for $119.7 million, payments for capital expenditures of $1.0 million and payments for leasing fees of $0.8 million.
Cash used in financing activities was $12.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. Cash used in financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2020 was related to principal payments on the term loan portion of the Credit Facility in the amount of $30.0 million, principal payments on mortgage debt in the amount of $1.0 million, payments of tax withholding for share-based compensation in the amount of $1.1 million, payments for common stock repurchased for $0.6 million and payments for debt issuance costs in the amount of $0.1 million. Partially offsetting cash used for these activities was borrowings in the amount of $20.0 million related to the Credit Facility. Cash provided by financing activities in the amount of $45.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 was primarily related to borrowings in the amount of $30.0 million related to the Credit Facility and borrowings related to the acquisition of multi-family assets in the amount of $18.7 million. See also Note 8 to the consolidated financial statements for a summary of the Credit Agreement and mortgage debt.
We consider all demand deposits, money market accounts and investments in certificates of deposit and repurchase agreements with a maturity of three months or less, at the date of purchase, to be cash equivalents. We maintain our cash and cash equivalents at financial institutions. The combined account balances at one or more institutions exceed the Federal Depository Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) insurance coverage and, as a result, there is a concentration of credit risk related to amounts on deposit in excess of FDIC insurance coverage.
Funds From Operations and Adjusted Funds From Operations
The National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (“NAREIT”), an industry trade group, has promulgated a non-GAAP financial measure known as Funds From Operations, or FFO. As defined by NAREIT, FFO is net income (loss) in accordance with GAAP excluding gains (or losses) resulting from dispositions of properties, plus depreciation and amortization and impairment charges on depreciable property. We have adopted the NAREIT definition in our calculation of FFO as management considers FFO a widely accepted and appropriate measure of performance for REITs. FFO is not equivalent to our net income or loss as determined under GAAP.
Since the definition of FFO was promulgated by NAREIT, management and many investors and analysts have considered the presentation of FFO alone to be insufficient. Accordingly, in addition to FFO, we also use Adjusted Funds From Operations, or AFFO as a measure of our operating performance. We define AFFO, a non-GAAP financial measure, to exclude from FFO adjustments for gains or losses related to early extinguishment of debt instruments as these items are not related to our continuing operations. By excluding these items, management believes that AFFO provides supplemental information
related to sustainable operations that will be more comparable between other reporting periods and to other public, non-traded REITs. AFFO is not equivalent to our net income or loss as determined under GAAP.
In calculating FFO and AFFO, impairment charges of depreciable real estate assets are added back even though the impairment charge may represent a permanent decline in value due to decreased operating performance of the applicable property. Further, because gains and losses from sales of property are excluded from FFO and AFFO, it is consistent and appropriate that impairments, which are often early recognition of losses on prospective sales of property, also be excluded.
We believe that FFO and AFFO are useful measures of our properties’ operating performance because they exclude noncash items from GAAP net income. Neither FFO nor AFFO is intended to be an alternative to “net income” nor to “cash flows from operating activities” as determined by GAAP as a measure of our capacity to pay distributions. Other REITs may use alternative methodologies for calculating similarly titled measures, which may not be comparable to our calculation of FFO and AFFO.
The following section presents our calculation of FFO and AFFO to net income (in thousands):
Year Ended December 31,
2020 2019
Net (loss) income attributable to Highlands REIT, Inc. common stockholders $ (33,589) $ 4,849
Depreciation and amortization related to investment assets (a) 12,538 12,907
Impairment of investment properties 16,804 -
Gain on sale of investment properties, net (82) (8,841)
Funds From Operations and Adjusted Funds From Operations $ (4,329) $ 8,915
(a) The depreciation and amortization addback excludes the portion of expense attributable to the non-controlling interest.
The table below reflects additional information related to certain items that significantly impact the comparability of our FFO and AFFO and net income or significant non-cash items from the periods presented (in thousands).We have included this table because these items are not included in NAREIT’s definition of FFO, but we believe these items provide useful supplemental information that may facilitate comparisons of our ongoing operating performance between periods, as well as between REITs that include similar disclosure.
Year Ended December 31,
2020 2019
Amortization of mark to market debt discounts and financing costs $ 348 $ 290
Distributions
For the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, no cash distributions were paid by Highlands.
Inflation
A number of our leases contain provisions designed to partially mitigate any adverse impact of inflation. With respect to current economic conditions and governmental fiscal policy, inflation may become a greater risk. Our commercial leases typically require the tenant to pay its share of operating expenses, including common area maintenance, real estate taxes and insurance. By sharing these costs with our tenants, we may reduce our exposure to increases in costs and operating expenses resulting from inflation. A portion of our leases also include clauses enabling us to receive percentage rents based on a tenant’s gross sales above predetermined levels or escalation clauses which are typically related to increases in the Consumer Price Index or similar inflation indices.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, we had no off-balance sheet arrangements.

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ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
We are subject to market risk associated with changes in interest rates both in terms of variable-rate debt and the price of new fixed-rate debt upon maturity of existing debt and for acquisitions.
Interest Rate Risk
Our interest rate risk management objectives are to limit the impact of interest rate changes on earnings and cash flows and to lower our overall borrowing costs. As of December 31, 2020, our debt included an outstanding variable-rate revolving loan of $20.0 million and a variable rate mortgage loan of $18.8 million, which has been swapped to a fixed rate. If market rates of interest on all variable-rate debt as of December 31, 2020, that is not under a swap agreement, permanently increased or decreased by 1%, the annual increase or decrease in interest expense on the variable-rate debt and future earnings and cash flows would be approximately $0.2 million.
With regard to our variable-rate financing, we assess interest rate cash flow risk by identifying and monitoring changes in interest rate exposures that may adversely impact expected future cash flows and by evaluating hedging opportunities. We maintain risk management control systems to monitor interest rate cash flow risk attributable to both outstanding or forecasted debt obligations.
We may use financial instruments to hedge exposures to changes in interest rates on loans. To the extent we do, we are exposed to credit risk and market risk. Credit risk is the risk of failure of the counterparty to perform under the terms of the derivative contract. When the fair value of a derivative contract is positive, the counterparty owes us, which creates a credit risk for us. When the fair value of a derivative contract is negative, we owe the counterparty and, therefore, it does not pose credit risk. We seek to minimize the credit risk in derivative instruments by entering into transactions with what we believe are high-quality counterparties. Market risk is the adverse effect on the value of a financial instrument resulting from a change in interest rates.
In the event that LIBOR is discontinued, the interest rate for certain of our debt instruments, including our unsecured Revolving Credit Loan due 2022 and interest rate swap agreements that are indexed to LIBOR, will be based on a replacement rate or an alternate base rate as specified in the applicable documentation governing such debt or swaps or as otherwise agreed upon. Such an event would not affect our ability to borrow or maintain already outstanding borrowings or swaps, but the replacement rate or alternate base rate could be higher or more volatile than LIBOR prior to its discontinuance. We understand that LIBOR is expected to remain available through the end of 2021, but may be discontinued or otherwise become unavailable thereafter.
Our credit facilities and interest rate swaps are indexed to USD-LIBOR. However, as our Credit Facility and interest rate swap agreements have provisions that allow for a transition to a new alternative rate, we believe that the transition from USD-LIBOR to the alternative rate will not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.
As of December 31, 2020, we had one derivative financial instrument designated as a cash flow hedge, with a notional amount of $18.8 million and a maturity date of September 1, 2023. The fair value of the derivative was $0.6 million as of December 31, 2020 and is included in other liabilities in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. The gains or losses resulting from marking-to-market our derivative financial instruments during the periods presented are recognized as an increase or decrease in comprehensive income on our consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income.

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ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
Item 8. Consolidated Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
HIGHLANDS REIT, INC.
Index
Page
Reports of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firms 53
Consolidated Financial Statements
Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2020 and 2019 55
Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss) for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 56
Consolidated Statements of Equity for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 57
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 58
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements 60
Real Estate and Accumulated Depreciation (Schedule III) 83
All schedules other than those listed in the Index have been omitted, as the required disclosure is inapplicable or the information is presented in the financial statements or related notes.
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
Board of Directors and Stockholders
Highlands REIT, Inc.
Opinion on the consolidated financial statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheet of Highlands REIT, Inc. (a Maryland corporation) and subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2020, the related consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss), equity, and cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2020, and the related notes and financial statement schedule included under Item 15(a) (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2020 and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2020, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Basis for opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audit we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audit included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audit also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2020.
/s/ Grant Thornton LLP
Chicago, Illinois
March 17, 2021
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Stockholders and Board of Directors
Highlands REIT, Inc.:
Opinion on the Consolidated Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheet of Highlands REIT, Inc. and subsidiaries (the Company) as of December 31, 2019, the related consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income, equity, and cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2019, and the related notes and financial statement schedule III as of December 31, 2019 (collectively, the consolidated financial statements). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2019, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2019, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
Change in Accounting Principle
As discussed in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company has changed its method of accounting for leases as of January 1, 2019 due to the adoption of Accounting Standards Codification Topic 842, Leases.
Basis for Opinion
These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these consolidated financial statements based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audit, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audit included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audit also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
/s/ KPMG LLP
We served as the Company’s auditor from 2015 to 2019.
Chicago, Illinois
March 20, 2020
HIGHLANDS REIT, INC.
Consolidated Balance Sheets
(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share amounts)
As of December 31,
2020 2019
Assets
Investment properties
Land $ 83,676 $ 82,877
Building and other improvements 276,822 289,351
Construction in progress 1,703 -
Total 362,201 372,228
Less accumulated depreciation (65,501) (56,431)
Net investment properties 296,700 315,797
Cash and cash equivalents 50,236 75,404
Restricted cash and escrows 3,401 2,651
Accounts and rents receivable (net of allowance of $620 and $1,178, respectively) 2,930 3,105
Intangible assets, net 36 1,339
Deferred costs and other assets 2,757 1,936
Total assets $ 356,060 $ 400,232
Liabilities
Debt, net $ 82,761 $ 93,203
Accounts payable and accrued expenses 12,953 11,535
Intangible liabilities, net 743 842
Other liabilities 2,540 4,055
Total liabilities 98,997 109,635
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders’ Equity
Common stock, $0.01 par value, 1,000,000,000 shares authorized, 877,759,145 and 876,074,038 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively 8,778 8,761
Additional paid-in capital 1,409,767 1,408,993
Accumulated distributions in excess of net income (1,160,859) (1,127,270)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (548) 18
Total Highlands REIT, Inc. stockholders’ equity 257,138 290,502
Non-controlling interests (75) 95
Total equity 257,063 290,597
Total liabilities and equity $ 356,060 $ 400,232
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
HIGHLANDS REIT, INC.
Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss)
(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share amounts)
Year Ended December 31,
2020 2019
Revenues
Rental income $ 27,230 $ 36,626
Other property income 1,712 727
Total revenues 28,942 37,353
Expenses
Property operating expenses 8,702 7,489
Real estate taxes 6,029 5,691
Depreciation and amortization 12,774 13,014
General and administrative expenses 14,131 12,907
Provision for asset impairment 16,804 -
Total expenses 58,440 39,101
Gain on sale of investment properties 82 8,841
(Loss) income from operations (29,416) 7,093
Interest income 242 1,650
Interest expense (4,485) (3,929)
Net (loss) income (33,659) 4,814
Net loss attributable to non-controlling interests 70 35
Net (loss) income attributable to Highlands REIT, Inc. common stockholders $ (33,589) $ 4,849
Net (loss) income per common share, basic and diluted $ (0.04) $ 0.01
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding, basic and diluted 879,151,301 875,313,817
Comprehensive (loss) income
Net (loss) income $ (33,659) $ 4,814
Unrealized (loss) gain on derivatives (666) 21
Total other comprehensive (loss) income (666) 21
Comprehensive (loss) income (34,325) 4,835
Comprehensive loss attributable to non-controlling interests 170 32
Comprehensive (loss) income attributable to Highlands REIT, Inc. common stockholders $ (34,155) $ 4,867
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
HIGHLANDS REIT, INC.
Consolidated Statements of Equity
(Amounts in thousands, except share amounts)
For the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019
Common Stock Additional Paid-in Capital Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Accumulated Distributions in Excess of Net Income Total Company's Stockholders Equity Non-controlling interests Total
Shares Amount
Balance at January 1, 2019 871,688,704 $ 8,717 $ 1,407,502 $ - $ (1,132,119) $ 284,100 $ - $ 284,100
Net income (loss) - - - - 4,849 4,849 (35) 4,814
Other comprehensive income - - - 18 - 18 3 21
Non-controlling interest equity contributions - - - - - - 127 127
Share-based compensation 4,385,334 44 1,491 - - 1,535 - 1,535
Balance at December 31, 2019 876,074,038 8,761 1,408,993 18 (1,127,270) 290,502 95 290,597
Net income (loss) - - - - (33,589) (33,589) (70) (33,659)
Other comprehensive income - - - (566) - (566) (100) (666)
Share-based compensation, net 1,685,107 17 774 - - 791 - 791
Balance at December 31, 2020 877,759,145 $ 8,778 $ 1,409,767 $ (548) $ (1,160,859) $ 257,138 $ (75) $ 257,063
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
HIGHLANDS REIT, INC.
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(Dollar amounts in thousands)
Year ended December 31,
2020 2019
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net (loss) income $ (33,659) $ 4,814
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization 12,774 13,014
Amortization of above and below market leases, net (99) (266)
Amortization of debt discounts and financing costs 348 290
Straight-line rental income 55 (186)
Write-off of lease related assets - 2,745
Write-off of debt issuance costs 332 -
Gain on sale of investment properties, net (82) (8,841)
Provision for asset impairment 16,804 -
Non-cash stock-based compensation expense 1,416 2,242
Changes in assets and liabilities:
Accounts and rents receivable, net 120 205
Deferred costs and other assets (517) 146
Accounts payable and accrued expenses 2,585 839
Other liabilities (2,183) 1,807
Net cash flows (used in) provided by operating activities $ (2,106) $ 16,809
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures and tenant improvements (2,804) (1,011)
Proceeds from sale of investment properties, net 1,287 53,163
Acquisition of investment properties (7,372) (119,725)
Payment of leasing fees (509) (778)
Net cash flows used in investing activities $ (9,398) $ (68,351)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Payment of debt issuance costs (94) (437)
Proceeds from credit agreement 20,000 29,375
Proceeds from debt - 18,684
Payoff of debt (30,000) -
Principal payments of debt (1,028) (716)
Common stock repurchased (645) -
Payment for tax withholding for share-based compensation (1,147) (1,177)
Contributions from non-controlling interests - 127
Net cash flows (used in) provided by financing activities $ (12,914) $ 45,856
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash and escrows (24,418) (5,686)
Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash and escrows, at beginning of year 78,055 83,741
Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash and escrows, at end of year $ 53,637 $ 78,055
Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash and escrows, end of year
Cash and cash equivalents $ 50,236 $ 75,404
Restricted cash and escrows 3,401 2,651
Total cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash and escrows, at end of year $ 53,637 $ 78,055
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
HIGHLANDS REIT, INC.
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(Dollar amounts in thousands)
Year Ended December 31,
2020 2019
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:
Cash paid for interest $ 3,892 $ 3,493
Cash paid for taxes $ 105 $ 92
Supplemental schedule of non-cash activities:
Disposal of lease related assets $ 351 $ 2,745
Other assets arising from unrealized gain on derivative instruments $ - $ 21
Other liabilities arising from unrealized loss on derivative instruments $ 645 $ -
Recognition of right-of-use assets and lease liabilities
$ 179 $ 300
Assumption of mortgage debt on acquired properties $ - $ 11,449
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
HIGHLANDS REIT, INC.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share amounts)
December 31, 2020
1. Organization
Highlands REIT, Inc. (“Highlands”), which was formed in December 2015, is a Maryland corporation with a portfolio of multi-family assets, retail assets, office assets, industrial assets, a correctional facility and unimproved land. Prior to April 28, 2016, Highlands was a wholly-owned subsidiary of InvenTrust Properties Corp. (“InvenTrust” and formerly known as Inland American Real Estate Trust, Inc.), its former parent. Unless stated otherwise or the context otherwise requires, the terms “we,” “our” and “us” and references to the “Company” refer to Highlands and its consolidated subsidiaries.
On April 28, 2016, Highlands spun-off from InvenTrust through a pro rata distribution by InvenTrust of 100% of the outstanding shares of common stock, $0.01 par value per share (the “Common Stock”), of Highlands to holders of record of InvenTrust's common stock as of the close of business on April 25, 2016 (the “Record Date”). Each holder of record of InvenTrust's common stock received one share of Common Stock for every one share of InvenTrust's common stock held at the close of business on the Record Date (the “Distribution”). As a result, Highlands became an independent, self-advised, non-traded public company. Highlands has elected to be taxed, and currently qualifies, as a real estate investment trust ("REIT") under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code") for U.S. federal income tax purposes commencing with Highlands' short taxable year ending December 31, 2016.
Each asset is owned by a separate legal entity, which maintains its own books and financial records, and each entity’s assets are not available to satisfy the liabilities of other affiliated entities, except as otherwise disclosed in Note 8.With the exception of one asset we own through a variable interest entity with a third-party partner (the “Corvue Venture”), we are the sole owner of each of these separate legal entities. As of December 31, 2020, we have an approximate 85% interest in the Corvue Venture and have funded equity contributions to the Corvue Venture in the approximate amount of $9,000. See Note 2 for additional information regarding the basis of presentation of the Corvue Venture, which is consolidated in the accompanying consolidated financial statements.
As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, the Company owned 20 assets and one parcel of unimproved land.
Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic
The Company continues to closely monitor the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on all aspects of its business. The extent of the pandemic's effect on our operational and financial performance will depend on future developments, including the duration, spread, intensity and any resurgence of the pandemic, the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine by healthcare providers, and the duration of government measures to mitigate the pandemic, all of which continue to be uncertain and to predict.
Given the uncertainty, we cannot predict the effect on future periods, but the adverse impact that could occur on the Company's future financial condition, results of operations and cash flows could be material, including, but not limited to, as a result of extended eviction moratoriums, additional rent deferrals, payment plans, lease concessions, waiving late payment fees, charges from potential adjustments to the carrying amount of the receivables, and asset impairment charges.
During the year ended ended December 31, 2020, we received rent relief requests from certain tenants at our retail properties, most often in the form of rent deferral and abatement requests. We have evaluated each tenant relief request on an individual basis and granted deferrals of approximately $330 to nine of our tenants. In exchange, such tenants agreed to various repayment periods, ranging between three and 24 months. As of December 31, 2020, approximately $50 had been repaid and $150 is expected to be repaid during 2021. The remaining $130 is due from tenants who have either not yet reopened since the beginning of the pandemic, have permanently gone out of business or who filed for bankruptcy and collection of these outstanding amounts is unlikely. In accordance with the terms set forth in the FASB Q&A Document, we have accounted for the concessions as if no changes to the lease contract were made. Under that accounting, we increase our lease receivable as receivables accrue and recognize rental income in our consolidated financial statements during the deferral period. In connection with these rent deferrals, we increased our allowance for bad debt by approximately $350 during the year ended ended December 31, 2020, which includes amounts related to existing deferral agreements.
HIGHLANDS REIT, INC.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share amounts)
December 31, 2020
Additionally, during the year ended December 31, 2020, we granted abatement in the aggregate of approximately $820 to ten tenants, the largest of which is LA Fitness at the Sherman Plaza property which accounted for $516 of the total abatement amount. We reviewed each lease agreement in connection with the abatement to determine whether such abatements, including any lease extensions related thereto, qualified as a “lease modification” under the applicable lease agreement, and, after determining that two such abatements constituted “lease modifications” under the respective lease agreement, we accounted for each abatement as such.
Our multi-family portfolio was also impacted by the pandemic. While our multi-family portfolio experienced higher collection rates than on our retail portfolio, we had a decrease in occupancy during the year ended December 31, 2020, which resulted in decreased rental income. In some circumstances, we granted deferrals to residents who were impacted by the pandemic and offered payment plans for repayment in three to six months. Many state and local municipalities have placed a moratorium on evictions and housing-related litigation, some of which have been extended into 2021 limiting the actions we can take with respect to residents who are not making their rental payments. In addition to the decreased rental income, our bad debt expense increased as a result of reserves recorded on balances that were outstanding for residents impacted by the pandemic.
We may receive additional rent deferral or abatement requests, or requests to modify existing lease agreements, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and recovery related thereto. We will evaluate each tenant rent relief request on an individual basis and consider a number of factors in determining whether to grant such request. Additionally, as tenants that have been granted some form of rent relief enter into their rent repayment periods, such tenants may be unable to pay the outstanding monthly rent payments, and, as a result, we may see a further increase in our bad debt expense. Our 2020 collections may not be indicative of collections in any future period and may be influenced by factors such as (i) whether tenants have received loans pursuant to the CARES Act, (ii) whether “stay-at-home” orders have been eased, and (iii) whether we have granted rent assistance requests.
2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) and require management 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 consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Principles of Consolidation and Basis of Presentation
The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Highlands, as well as all of Highlands' consolidated subsidiaries (collectively, “the Company”). Highlands consolidates its wholly-owned subsidiaries and any other entities which it controls (i) through voting rights or similar rights or (ii) by means other than voting rights if Highlands is the primary beneficiary of a variable interest entity (“VIE”). The portions of the equity and net income of consolidated subsidiaries that are not attributable to the Company are presented separately as amounts attributable to non-controlling interests in our consolidated financial statements. Entities which Highlands does not control and entities which are VIEs in which Highlands is not a primary beneficiary, if any, are accounted for under appropriate GAAP. Highlands' subsidiaries generally consist of limited liability companies (“LLCs”). The effects of all significant intercompany transactions have been eliminated.
Variable Interest Entities
A VIE is an entity that either (i) has insufficient equity to permit the entity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support, or (ii) has equity investors who lack the characteristics of a controlling financial interest. Under Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 810 - Consolidation, an entity that holds a variable interest in a VIE and meets certain requirements is considered the primary beneficiary of the VIE and is required to consolidate the VIE in its consolidated financial statements. In order to be considered the primary beneficiary of a VIE, an entity must hold a variable interest in the VIE and have both the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the economic performance of the VIE, and the right to receive benefits from, or the obligation to absorb losses of, the VIE that could be potentially significant to the VIE.
HIGHLANDS REIT, INC.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share amounts)
December 31, 2020
As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively, we have determined we are the primary beneficiary of one VIE, the Corvue Venture, and have consolidated the operations of this entity in the accompanying consolidated financial statements. We reviewed the operating agreement of the Corvue Venture in order to determine our rights and the rights of our third-party partner, including whether those rights are protective or participating. We have determined we are the primary beneficiary of the Corvue Venture because we have (a) the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the economic performance of the Corvue Venture, (b) the obligation to absorb the losses that could be significant to the Corvue Venture and (c) the right to receive the benefits that could be significant to the Corvue Venture. Included in total assets on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2020 and 2019 is $26,449 and $28,073, respectively, related to the Corvue Venture. Included in total liabilities on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2020 and 2019 is $19,267 and $19,074, respectively, related to the Corvue Venture. The assets of the Corvue Venture may only be used to settle obligations of the Corvue Venture and the creditors of the Corvue Venture have no recourse to the general credit of the Company.
Revenue Recognition
The Company commences revenue recognition on our leases based on a number of factors. In most cases, revenue recognition under a lease begins when the lessee takes possession of, or controls, the physical use of the leased asset. Generally, this occurs on the lease commencement date. The determination of who is the owner, for accounting purposes, of the tenant improvements determines the nature of the leased asset and when revenue recognition under a lease begins. If we are the owner, for accounting purposes, of the tenant improvements, then the leased asset is the finished space and revenue recognition begins when the lessee takes possession of the finished space, typically when the improvements are substantially complete. If we conclude we are not the owner, for accounting purposes, of the tenant improvements (the lessee is the owner), then the leased asset is the unimproved space and any tenant improvement allowances funded under the lease are treated as lease incentives which reduces revenue recognized over the term of the lease. In these circumstances, we begin revenue recognition when the lessee takes possession of the unimproved space for the lessee to construct their own improvements. We consider a number of different factors to evaluate whether it or the lessee is the owner of the tenant improvements for accounting purposes. These factors include:
•whether the lease stipulates how and on what a tenant improvement allowance may be spent;
•whether the tenant or landlord retains legal title to the improvements;
•the uniqueness of the improvements;
•the expected economic life of the tenant improvements relative to the length of the lease; and
•who constructs or directs the construction of the improvements.
The determination of who owns the tenant improvements, for accounting purposes, is subject to significant judgment. In making that determination, we consider all of the above factors. No one factor, however, necessarily establishes its determination.
Rental income is recognized on a straight-line basis over the term of each lease. The difference between rental income earned on a straight-line basis and the cash rent due under the provisions of the lease agreements is recorded as deferred rent receivable and is included as a component of accounts and rents receivable in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.
Rental income related receivables, which include contractual amounts accrued and unpaid from tenants and
accrued straight-line rents receivable, are reduced for credit losses. Such amounts are recognized as a reduction to real estate
rental revenues. The Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) clarified in July 2019 that, under ASC 842, lessors can
continue to recognize a reserve (i.e., allowance for uncollectible operating lease receivables) under the loss contingency
guidance in ASC 450-20 after applying the collectibility guidance in ASC 842. We evaluate the collectability of lease
receivables monthly using several factors including a lessee’s creditworthiness. We recognize the credit loss on lease-related receivables when, in the opinion of management, collection of substantially all lease payments is not probable. When collectability is determined not probable, any lease income subsequent to recognizing the credit loss is limited to the lesser of
HIGHLANDS REIT, INC.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share amounts)
December 31, 2020
the lease income reflected on a straight-line basis or cash collected. The adoption of ASU 2016-02 resulted in an adjustment of $92 to rental income and property operating expenses associated with lease-related receivables where collection of substantially all operating lease payments is not probable during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019. During the same period in 2020, the adjustment to reduce rental income was $181 and the adjustment to property operating expenses was $281, respectively, for receivables where collection was determined not probable.
The Company records lease termination income if there is a signed termination agreement, all of the conditions of the agreement have been met and amounts due are considered collectible.
Real Estate
We allocate the purchase price of real estate to land, building, other building improvements, tenant improvements, and intangible assets and liabilities (such as the value of above- and below-market leases and in-place leases). The values of above- and below-market leases are recorded as intangible assets, net, and intangible liabilities, net, respectively, in the consolidated balance sheets, and are amortized as either a decrease (in the case of above-market leases) or an increase (in the case of below-market leases) to rental income over the remaining term of the associated tenant lease. The values associated with in-place leases are recorded in intangible assets, net in the consolidated balance sheets and are amortized to depreciation and amortization expense in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income over the remaining lease term.
The difference between the contractual rental rates and our estimate of market rental rates is measured over a period equal to the remaining non-cancelable term of the leases, including below-market renewal options for which exercise of the renewal option appears to be reasonably assured. The remaining term of leases with renewal options at terms below market reflect the assumed exercise of such below-market renewal options and assume the amortization period would coincide with the extended lease term.
We perform, with the assistance of a third-party certified valuation specialist, the following procedures for properties we acquire:
•Determine the accounting of the transaction as either a business combination or an asset acquisition;
•Estimate the value of the property “as if vacant” as of the acquisition date;
•Allocate the value of the property among land, building, and other building improvements and determine the associated useful life for each;
•Calculate the value and associated life of above- and below-market leases on a tenant-by-tenant basis. The difference between the contractual rental rates and our estimate of market rental rates is measured over a period equal to the remaining term of the leases (using a discount rate which reflects the risks associated with the leases acquired, including geographical location, size of leased area, tenant profile and credit risk);
•Estimate the fair value of the tenant improvements, legal expenses and leasing commissions incurred to obtain the leases and calculate the associated useful life for each;
•Estimate the fair value of assumed debt, if any, and value the favorable or unfavorable debt position acquired; and
•Estimate the intangible value of the in-place leases based on lease execution costs of similar leases as well as lost rent payments during an assumed lease-up period and their associated useful lives on a tenant-by-tenant basis.
We recognize gains and losses from sales of investment properties and land in accordance with FASB ASC 610-20, “Gains and Losses From the Derecognition of Nonfinancial Assets”. We recognize gains and losses from sales of investment properties and land when we transfer control of a property and when it is probable that we will collect substantially all of the related consideration.
Capitalization and Depreciation
HIGHLANDS REIT, INC.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share amounts)
December 31, 2020
Real estate is reflected at cost less accumulated depreciation. Ordinary repairs and maintenance are expensed as incurred. Depreciation expense is computed using the straight line method. Building and other improvements are depreciated based upon estimated useful lives of 30 years for building and improvements and 5-15 years for furniture, fixtures and equipment and site improvements. Tenant improvements are amortized on a straight line basis over the lesser of the life of the tenant improvement or the lease term as a component of depreciation and amortization expense. Leasing fees are amortized on a straight-line basis over the life of the related lease as a component of depreciation and amortization expense. Loan fees are amortized on a straight-line basis, which approximates the effective interest method, over the life of the related loan as a component of interest expense.
Direct and indirect costs that are clearly related to the construction and improvements of investment properties are capitalized. Costs incurred for property taxes and insurance are capitalized during periods in which activities necessary to get the asset ready for its intended use are in progress. Interest costs are also capitalized during such periods.
Assets Held for Sale
In determining whether to classify an investment property as held for sale, the Company considers whether: (i) management has committed to a plan to sell the investment property; (ii) the investment property is available for immediate sale, in its present condition; (iii) the Company has initiated a program to locate a buyer; (iv) the Company believes that the sale of the investment property is probable; (v) the Company has received a significant non-refundable deposit for the purchase of the property; (vi) the Company is actively marketing the investment property for sale at a price that is reasonable in relation to its fair value; and (vii) actions required for the Company to complete the plan indicate that it is unlikely that any significant changes will be made to the plan.
If all of the above criteria are met, the Company classifies the investment property as held for sale. On the day that these criteria are met, the Company suspends depreciation on the investment properties held for sale, including depreciation for tenant improvements and additions, as well as on the amortization of acquired in-place leases. The investment properties and liabilities associated with those investment properties that are held for sale are classified separately on the consolidated balance sheets for the most recent reporting period and recorded at the lesser of the carrying value or fair value less costs to sell.
There were no assets held for sale on the consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2020 and 2019.
If the sale represents a strategic shift that has (or will have) a major effect on the Company's results of operations, the income and expenses for the period are classified as discontinued operations on the consolidated statement of operations and comprehensive income for all periods presented.
Impairment
The Company assesses the carrying values of the respective long-lived assets, whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amounts of these assets may not be fully recoverable, such as a reduction in the expected holding period of the asset. If it is determined that the carrying value is not recoverable because the undiscounted cash flows do not exceed the carrying value, the Company records an impairment loss to the extent that the carrying value exceeds the property's fair value. The valuation and possible subsequent impairment of investment properties is a significant estimate that can and does change based on the Company’s continuous process of analyzing each asset and reviewing assumptions about uncertain inherent factors, as well as the economic condition of the asset at a particular point in time.
The use of projected future cash flows and related holding period is based on assumptions that are consistent with the estimates of future expectations and the strategic plan the Company uses to manage its underlying business. However, assumptions and estimates about future cash flows and capitalization rates are complex and subjective. Changes in economic and operating conditions and the Company’s ultimate investment intent that occur subsequent to the impairment analyses could impact these assumptions and result in future impairment charges of the real estate assets.
The Company recorded $16,804 of impairments during the year ended December 31, 2020. There were no such impairments during the year ended December 31, 2019. See Note 9 to the consolidated financial statements for additional information.
HIGHLANDS REIT, INC.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share amounts)
December 31, 2020
Going Concern Basis of Accounting
When preparing financial statements for each annual and interim reporting period, management has the responsibility to evaluate whether there are conditions or events, considered in the aggregate, that raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date that the financial statements are issued. In making its evaluation, the Company considers, but is not limited to, any risks and/or uncertainties to its results of operations, contractual obligations in the form of near-term debt maturities, dividend requirements, or other factors impacting the Company’s liquidity and capital resources. No conditions or events that raised substantial doubt about the ability to continue as a going concern within one year were identified as of the issuance date of the financial statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements
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 March 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.
Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements
On April 10, 2020, the FASB issued a document titled “Staff Q&A, Topic 842 and Topic 840: Accounting for Lease Concessions Related to the Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic” (“FASB Q&A document”), which focused on the application of lease guidance for concessions related to the effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (“COVID-19”) pandemic. In this document, the FASB staff allowed entities to make an election to account for lease concessions related to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic consistent with how those concessions would be accounted for under Topic 842, Leases, (“Topic 842”) as though enforceable rights and obligations for those qualifying concessions existed.
The FASB also acknowledged that some concessions will provide a deferral of payments with no substantive changes to the consideration in the original contract. The FASB indicated that a deferral affects the timing of payments, but the amount of consideration is substantially the same as that required under the original contract. The staff expects that there will be multiple ways to account for those deferrals, none of which the staff believes are more preferable than others. Two of those methods are:
• Account for the concessions as if no changes to the lease contract were made. Under that accounting, a lessor would increase its lease receivable, and a lessee would increase its accounts payable as receivables accrue. In its statements of operations, a lessor would continue to recognize income, and a lessee would continue to recognize expense during the deferral period.
• Account for the deferred payments as a variable lease payment.
In cases where we granted a payment deferral as a result of COVID-19, we have accounted for most of the concessions as if no changes to the lease contract were made. Under that accounting, we increased our lease receivable as receivables accrued in our statements of operations and will continue to recognize rental income during the deferral period. Refer also to Note 1, Organization, and Note 6, Leases, for discussion related to the impact on the consolidated financial statements.
In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-13, “Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosure Framework - Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement”. This modifies the disclosure requirements on fair value measurements. The ASU removes the requirement to disclose: the amount of and reasons for transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy; the policy for timing of transfers between levels; and the valuation processes for Level 3 fair
HIGHLANDS REIT, INC.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share amounts)
December 31, 2020
value measurements. The adoption of this ASU on January 1, 2020 did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.
In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, “Leases”, which established ASC 842, Leases, which introduces a lessee model that brings most leases on the balance sheet and, among other changes, eliminates the requirement in current GAAP for an entity to use bright-line tests in determining lease classification. ASC 842 allows for several practical expedients which permit the following: no reassessment of lease classification or initial direct costs; use of the standard’s effective date as the date of initial application; and no separation of non-lease components from the related lease components and, instead, to account for those components as a single lease component if certain criteria are met. We elected these practical expedients, upon adoption, on January 1, 2019, using the effective date as our date of initial application and no transition adjustment was recognized. The Company elected the practical expedient, among others, to not separate lease and non-lease components for all qualifying leases. For leases with a term of twelve months or less, the Company has made a policy election to not recognize lease liabilities and lease assets. Due to the new standard’s narrowed definition of initial direct costs, beginning January 1, 2019, the Company recognizes expense as incurred on certain lease origination costs previously capitalized and amortized to expense over the lease term. Any costs no longer qualifying as initial direct costs are an increase to property operating expenses in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income in the period of adoption and prospectively. As a lessee, beginning January 1, 2019, the Company recognized a right-of-use asset and lease liability included in deferred costs and other assets and other liabilities, respectively, on the consolidated balance sheets, with a balance upon adoption of approximately $305, which was estimated by utilizing an average discount rate of approximately 4.5%, reflecting the Company's incremental borrowing rate. As a lessor, the Company believes that substantially all of the Company's leases will continue to be classified as operating leases under the new standard and will continue to record revenues from rental properties on a straight-line basis. However, certain ground, anchor, and other long-term leases entered into or acquired have an increased likelihood of being classified as either sales-type or finance-type leases.
In June 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-07, “Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718), Improvements to Nonemployee Share-Based Payment Accounting”. This ASU is intended to simplify aspects of share-based compensation issued to non-employees by making the guidance consistent with the accounting for employee share-based compensation. It is effective for annual reporting periods, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2018. The adoption of ASU 2018-07 on January 1, 2019 did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.
In December 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-20, “Leases (Topic 842): Narrow-Scope Improvements for Lessors,” which addresses specific issues in the leasing guidance, including sales taxes and other similar taxes collected from lessees, certain lessor costs paid directly by lessees, and recognition of variable payments for contracts with lease and non-lease components. Prior to the adoption of ASU 2018-20, the Company recognized tenant recovery income regardless of whether the third party was paid by the lessor or lessee. Effective January 1, 2019, such tenant recoveries are only recognized to the extent that the Company pays the third party directly and are classified as rental income on the Company’s consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss.
Other recently issued accounting standards or pronouncements not disclosed in the foregoing table have been excluded because they are either not relevant to the Company, or are not expected to have, or did not have, a material effect on the consolidated financial statements of the Company.
3. Acquired Assets
The Company records identifiable assets and liabilities acquired at fair value. During the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company acquired one multi-family asset for a gross acquisition price of $7,372. Under ASU No. 2017-01, the Company determined this transaction should be accounted for as an asset acquisitions. Accordingly, the Company capitalized transaction costs of approximately $72.
The following table reflects the property acquired during the year ended December 31, 2020.
Property Location Acquisition Date Acquisition Price
The Sterling San Diego, California April 22, 2020 $ 7,372
HIGHLANDS REIT, INC.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share amounts)
December 31, 2020
The purchase price allocation has been recorded as follows:
Total
Land $ 1,849
Buildings and other improvements 5,407
Intangible assets, net 116
Total assets $ 7,372
During the year ended December 31, 2019, the Company acquired six multi-family assets for a gross acquisition price of $131,180, including capitalized transaction costs of approximately $480.
The following table reflects the properties acquired during the year ended December 31, 2019.
Property Location Acquisition Date Acquisition Price
The Detroit and Detroit Terraces Denver, Colorado January 8, 2019 $ 19,070
The View San Diego, California April 5, 2019 16,420
Tennyson44 Denver, Colorado June 11, 2019 19,191
The Locale (1)
Allendale, MI August 16, 2019 27,696
The Muse Denver, Colorado October 24, 2019 48,803
$ 131,180
The purchase price allocation has been recorded as follows:
The Detroit and Detroit Terraces The View Tennyson44 The Locale The Muse Total
Land $ 3,370 $ 7,272 $ 1,533 $ 4,295 $ 5,303 $ 21,773
Buildings and other improvements 15,006 8,862 17,410 22,460 42,809 106,547
Intangible assets, net 301 286 248 941 691 2,467
Total assets $ 18,677 $ 16,420 $ 19,191 $ 27,696 $ 48,803 $ 130,787
-
Debt discount on mortgage assumption 393 - - - - 393
Total liabilities $ 393 $ - $ - $ - $ - $ 393
Total acquisition price $ 19,070 $ 16,420 $ 19,191 $ 27,696 $ 48,803 $ 131,180
4. Disposed Assets
The following table reflects the property disposition during the year ended December 31, 2020.
Property Location Disposition Date Gross Disposition Price Sale Proceeds, Net Gain on Sale
Citizens Providence, Rhode Island March 31, 2020 $ 1,425 $ 1,287 $ 82
The following table reflects the property dispositions during the year ended December 31, 2019.
HIGHLANDS REIT, INC.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share amounts)
December 31, 2020
Property Location Disposition Date Gross Disposition Price Sale Proceeds, Net Gain on Sale
RDU land Raleigh, North Carolina May 29, 2019 $ 600 $ 554 $ 29
Lincoln Center Lincoln, Rhode Island June 21, 2019 55,750 52,609 8,812
$ 56,350 $ 53,163 $ 8,841
5. Accounts Payable and Accrued Expenses
Accounts payable and accrued expenses consist of the following:
Year ended December 31,
2020 2019
Accrued real estate taxes $ 7,365 $ 6,372
Accrued compensation 3,762 3,606
Accrued interest payable 282 369
Other accrued expenses 1,544 1,188
Total accounts payable and accrued expenses $ 12,953 $ 11,535
6. Leases
Leasing as a lessor
Revenue Recognition
We lease multi-family properties under operating leases with terms of generally one year or less. We lease commercial properties (our net lease, office and retail segments) under operating leases with remaining lease terms that range from less than one year to sixteen years as of December 31, 2020 and terms that range from less than one year to twenty years as of December 31, 2019.
We recognize rental income and rental abatements from our multi-family and commercial leases when earned on a straight-line basis over the lease term. Recognition of rental income commences when control of the leased space has been transferred to the tenant.
We recognize cost reimbursement income from pass-through expenses on an accrual basis over the periods in which the expenses were incurred. Pass-through expenses are comprised of real estate taxes, operating expenses and common area maintenance costs which are reimbursed by tenants in accordance with specific allowable costs per tenant lease agreements.
Parking revenues are derived from leases and monthly parking agreements. We recognize parking revenues from leases on a straight-line basis over the lease term and other parking revenues as earned.
Upon adoption of ASU 2016-02, we elected not to bifurcate lease contracts into lease and non-lease components, since the timing and pattern of revenue is not materially different and the non-lease components are not the primary component of the lease. Accordingly, both lease and non-lease components are presented in rental income in our consolidated financial statements. The adoption of ASU 2016-02 did not result in a material change to our recognition of real estate rental revenue.
Lease related receivables, which include contractual amounts accrued and unpaid from tenants and accrued straight-line rents receivable, are reduced for credit losses. Such amounts are recognized as a reduction to real estate rental revenues. The FASB clarified in July 2019 that, under ASC 842, lessors can continue to recognize a reserve (i.e., allowance for uncollectible operating lease receivables) under the loss contingency guidance in ASC 450-20 after applying the collectibility guidance in ASC 842. We evaluate the collectability of lease receivables monthly using several factors including a lessee’s
HIGHLANDS REIT, INC.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share amounts)
December 31, 2020
creditworthiness. We recognize the credit loss on lease related receivables when, in the opinion of management, collection of substantially all lease payments is not probable. When collectability is determined not probable, any lease income subsequent to recognizing the credit loss is limited to the lesser of the lease income reflected on a straight-line basis or cash collected.
In December 2019, the Company executed an amendment to its lease with Alta Devices, Inc. for one building of our office asset located in San Jose, California. The amendment with Alta Devices acknowledged Alta Devices was in payment default of its lease, and we collected on a letter of credit, in the amount of $1,701, that secured Alta Devices obligations under the lease. The letter of credit proceeds have been applied to rental income pursuant to the terms of the lease. During 2019, we wrote off all lease related assets related to the premises in the original lease with Alta Devices, Inc. including a lease inducement $1,249, lease commissions $1,169 and straight-line rent $1,649. The lease terminated during the first fiscal quarter of 2020 and $671 was recognized in rental income and $768 was recognized in other property income from the proceeds of the letter of credit that secured Alta's obligations under the lease.
On August 2, 2019, we received a notice of non-renewal from The GEO Group, Inc. (“GEO”) indicating that it would not be seeking an extension of its lease on our Hudson correctional facility asset. The lease on this asset expired in January, 2020 and GEO has vacated the facility. The facility remains vacant as of December 31, 2020. For the year ended December 31, 2019, 26.7% of our revenue was derived from GEO's net lease on our Hudson correctional facility asset. We recorded a full impairment of the asset of $16,804 during the fourth quarter of 2020. While we will seek to re-lease or find alternative users for this asset, given the nature of the property, its location and its extended period of vacancy, we expect it will be very difficult to re-lease or find alternative users for this property. Even if we are successful in finding alternative users, we expect it will take an extended period of time to do so, if at all. Further, we believe it is unlikely that we will be able to find alternative users on similar terms. As we do not expect to find alternative users, re-lease the property, or re-lease on similar terms in the foreseeable future, we expect the expiration of this lease to continue to have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, cash flows and results of operations. Notwithstanding the expiration of this lease, we believe we have sufficient liquidity and capital resources to fund our operations for the foreseeable future.
Lease income related to the Company's operating leases is comprised of the following:
Year ended December 31,
2020 2019
Lease income related to fixed lease payments $ 23,291 $ 30,391
Lease income related to variable lease payments 3,939 6,235
Other (1)
1,712 727
Lease income $ 28,942 $ 37,353
(1) For the year ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively, other is primarily comprised of parking revenues and termination fees related to early lease expirations.
Future Minimum Rental Income
As of December 31, 2020, commercial operating leases provide for future minimum rental income, assuming no expiring leases are renewed, as follows. Apartment leases are not included as the terms are generally for one year or less.
2021 $ 9,087
2022 8,188
2023 7,223
2024 6,758
2025 5,758
Thereafter 20,239
Total $ 57,253
Leasing as a Lessee
HIGHLANDS REIT, INC.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share amounts)
December 31, 2020
We lease a portion of the land underlying one of our retail assets, Sherman Plaza, from a third party through a ground lease covering such land with a lease term expiring in October 2042.
Upon adoption of ASU 2016-02, we recognized a right of use asset (included in deferred costs and other assets) and lease liability (included in other liabilities). At December 31, 2020, the balances were $287 and were recorded in the consolidated balance sheets. We used a discount rate of approximately 4.5%, reflecting the Company's incremental borrowing rate.
During the twelve months ended December 31, 2020, we recognized a right of use asset (included in deferred costs and other assets) and lease liability (included in other liabilities) for leased assets from a third party for our corporate office space with a lease term expiring in December 2021. At December 31, 2020, the balance was $179 and was recorded in the consolidated balance sheets. We used a discount rate of approximately 3.3%, reflecting the Company's incremental borrowing rate as of January 1, 2020.
The following table sets forth the undiscounted cash flows of our scheduled obligations for future minimum payments on our operating ground lease at December 31, 2020 and a reconciliation of those cash flows to the operating lease liability at
December 31, 2020.
2021 $ 200
2022 21
2023 21
2024 21
2025 21
Thereafter 352
Imputed interest (170)
Lease liability $ 466
7. Intangible Assets and Liabilities
The following table summarizes the Company's identified intangible assets and intangible liabilities as of December 31, 2020 and 2019.
Balance as of December 31,
2020 2019
Intangible Assets:
Acquired in-place lease $ 22,281 $ 22,165
Accumulated amortization (22,245) (20,826)
Intangible assets, net $ 36 $ 1,339
Intangible liabilities:
Acquired below market leases $ 2,629 $ 2,629
Accumulated amortization (1,886) (1,787)
Intangible Liabilities, net $ 743 $ 842
The portion of the purchase price allocated to acquired above market lease costs and acquired below market lease costs are amortized on a straight-line basis over the life of the related lease, including the respective renewal period for below market lease costs with fixed rate renewals, as an adjustment to rental income. Amortization pertaining to the above market lease costs was applied as a reduction to rental income. Amortization pertaining to the below market lease costs was applied as an increase
HIGHLANDS REIT, INC.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share amounts)
December 31, 2020
to other rental income. The portion of the purchase price allocated to acquired in-place lease intangibles is amortized on a straight line basis over the life of the related lease and is recorded as amortization expense.
The following table summarizes the amortization related to acquired above and below market lease costs and acquired in-place lease intangibles for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019.
Year ended December 31,
2020 2019
Amortization of:
Acquired above market lease $ - $ (1)
Acquired below market lease 99 267
Net revenues increase $ 99 $ 266
Acquired in-place lease intangibles $ 1,419 $ 1,529
The following table presents the amortization during the next five years and thereafter related to intangible assets and liabilities as of December 31, 2020.
2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 Thereafter Total
Amortization of:
Acquired below market lease $ 85 $ 85 $ 85 $ 85 $ 78 $ 325 $ 743
Net revenues increase $ 85 $ 85 $ 85 $ 85 $ 78 $ 325 $ 743
Acquired in-place lease intangibles $ 36 $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - $ 36
8. Debt
During the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, the following principal debt transactions occurred:
Balance at December 31, 2018 $ 35,443
Assumption of mortgage debt on acquired properties - 11,449
Proceeds from credit agreement 30,000
Proceeds from mortgage debt 18,750
Paydown of debt (716)
Balance at December 31, 2019 94,926
Paydown of term loan related to credit agreement (30,000)
Proceeds from credit agreement 20,000
Paydown of debt (1,028)
Balance at December 31, 2020 $ 83,898
Total debt outstanding as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, net of unamortized deferred financing costs and debt discounts, was $82,761 and $93,203, respectively, and had a weighted average interest rate of 3.78% and 4.00% per annum, respectively. Deferred financing costs, net, as of December 31, 2020 and 2019 were $834 and $1,374, respectively. Debt discounts as of December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2018 were $303 and $349, respectively. As of December 31, 2020, scheduled maturities for the Company’s outstanding mortgage indebtedness and the credit facility had various due dates through August 2027, as follows:
HIGHLANDS REIT, INC.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share amounts)
December 31, 2020
For the year ended December 31, As of December 31, 2020 Weighted average
interest rate
2021 $ - - %
2022 28,957 3.35 %
2023 18,282 3.28 % (1)
2024 - - %
2025 - - %
Thereafter 36,659 4.38 %
Total $ 83,898 3.78 %
(1) See below for discussion of the swap agreement entered into with the mortgage loan obtained in connection with the acquisition of the The Locale asset. The weighted average interest rate reflected is the strike rate.
The Company's ability to pay off mortgages when they become due is dependent upon the Company's ability either to refinance the related mortgage debt or to sell the related asset. With respect to each loan, if the applicable subsidiary is unable to refinance or sell the related asset, or in the event that the estimated asset value is less than the mortgage balance, we may, if appropriate, satisfy a mortgage obligation by transferring title of the asset to the lender or permitting a lender to foreclose. As of December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, none of our mortgage debt was recourse to the Company, although Highlands or its subsidiaries may act as guarantor under customary, non-recourse carve-out guarantees in connection with obtaining mortgage loans on certain of our properties.
Some of the mortgage loans require compliance with certain covenants, such as debt service ratios, investment restrictions and distribution limitations. As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, the Company is in compliance with such covenants in all material respects.
On January 8, 2019, the Company assumed a mortgage loan in the principal amount of $11,089, net of a debt discount of $360, in connection with the acquisition of The Detroit and Detroit Terraces. The contractual rate and terms of the assumed debt was marked to market as of the acquisition date. According to the terms of the note agreement, the contractual fixed interest rate is 3.99% and payments are interest only through September 30, 2022. The maturity date of the mortgage loan is on August 31, 2027.
We obtained a mortgage loan in the principal amount of $18,750 in connection with the acquisition of Locale on August 16, 2019. We entered into a swap agreement with respect to the loan, effective through its September 1, 2023 maturity date, to swap the variable interest rate to a fixed rate of approximately 3.27% per annum. The interest rate is based on the LIBOR plus the applicable spread. The effective interest rate as of December 31, 2020 and 2019 is approximately 1.90% and 3.46%, respectively.
Credit Agreement
On February 15, 2019, the Company entered into a Credit Agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) by and among the Company, as borrower, The Huntington National Bank (“HNB”), individually and as administrative agent, issuing lender, lead arranger, book manager and syndication agent, and certain other lenders thereunder. The Credit Agreement initially provided for (i) a secured revolving credit facility (the “Revolving Credit Facility”) with revolving commitments in an aggregate principal amount of $50,000, including a letter of credit subfacility for 10% of the then available revolving commitments, and (ii) a secured term loan credit facility (the “Term Loan Facility” and together with the Revolving Credit Facility, the “Credit Facility”) with term loan commitments in an aggregate principal amount of $50,000. On November 6, 2020, the Company entered into a Third Amendment to Credit Agreement (the “Third Amendment”) that amends that certain Credit Agreement, dated February 15, 2019 (as amended, the "Credit Agreement"), by and between the Company, as borrower, and certain of its subsidiaries, as guarantors, The Huntington National Bank, individually and as administrative agent, issuing lender, lead arranger, book manager and syndication agent, and the other lenders thereunder, pursuant to which the Company “right-sized” the Credit Agreement by eliminating the Term Loan (as defined in the Third Amendment) previously available under the Credit Agreement. In connection with the execution of the Third Amendment, the Company borrowed sufficient funds under the Revolving Credit Loan to repay all of its obligations under the Term Loan. Additionally, pursuant to the Third Amendment, the lender waived the Company’s obligation to comply with certain financial covenants for the period from July 1, 2020 to
HIGHLANDS REIT, INC.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share amounts)
December 31, 2020
December 31, 2020 (the “Waiver Period”) and restricted the Company from drawing on the Revolving Credit Loan in amounts in excess of $20.0 million until the Company is in compliance with all such covenants.
During the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company repaid $30,000 of the outstanding principal balance of the Term Loan. As of December 31, 2020, the Company had an outstanding principal balance of $20,000 under the Revolving Credit Loan.
The Revolving Credit Loan has a maturity date of February 15, 2022, but can be extended at the Company’s option for two additional one-year periods conditioned on, among other things, payment of a 15-basis points extension fee upon each such extension. The Company is permitted to prepay all or any portion of the loans under the Credit Facility prior to maturity without premium or penalty, subject to reimbursement of any LIBOR breakage costs of the lenders.
The interest rates applicable to loans under the Revolving Credit Loan are, at the Company’s option, equal to either a base rate plus a margin ranging from 1.0% to 1.3% per annum or LIBOR plus a margin ranging from 2.0% to 2.3% per annum based on the debt to assets ratio of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries. The Company has chosen the second option for the interest rate applicable to the current loan under the Revolving Credit Loan during the twelve months ended December 31, 2020. In addition, the Company pays (a) an unused facility fee on the revolving commitments under the Revolving Credit Loan ranging from 0.15% to 0.25% per annum, calculated daily based on the average unused commitments under the Revolving Credit Loan.
The Credit Facility is guaranteed, jointly and severally, by certain subsidiaries of the Company (the “Subsidiary Guarantors”), and is secured by a pledge of equity interests in the Subsidiary Guarantors. The Credit Agreement contains customary covenants that, among other things, restrict, subject to certain exceptions, the ability of the Company and its subsidiaries to incur indebtedness, grant liens on their assets, make certain types of investments, engage in acquisitions, mergers or consolidations, sell assets, enter into hedging transactions, enter into certain transactions with affiliates and make distributions. The Credit Agreement requires the Company to comply with financial covenants to be tested quarterly, including a maximum debt to asset value ratio, a minimum fixed charge coverage ratio, a minimum tangible net worth, a maximum variable rate debt to asset value ratio, a prohibition on recourse debt and a maximum amount of cross-collateralized non-recourse debt. The Credit Agreement also contains certain covenants around the value and diversity of the properties owned by the Subsidiary Guarantors. The Credit Agreement also contains certain customary events of default, including the failure to make timely payments under the Credit Facility or other material indebtedness, the failure to satisfy certain covenants and specified events of bankruptcy and insolvency.
As of September 30, 2020, the Company was not in compliance with two financial covenants under the Credit Facility. As a result, on November 6, 2020, the Company entered into an amendment to the Credit Agreement Amendment, pursuant to which the lender under the Credit Facility waived the Company’s obligation to comply with such covenants during the Waiver Period and restricted the Company from drawing on the Revolving Credit Loan in amounts in excess of $20,000 until the Company is in compliance with all such covenants. As of December 31, 2020, following the end of the Waiver Period, the Company remained noncompliant with such covenants, and as a result, the Company is not permitted to draw on the Revolving Credit Loan until the Company is in compliance with all such covenants. However, the Company is currently in
discussions with the lender to amend the Credit Agreement.
9. Fair Value Measurements
In accordance with ASC 820, Fair Value Measurement and Disclosures, the Company defines fair value based on the price that would be received upon sale of an asset or the exit price that would be paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The Company uses a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes observable and unobservable inputs used to measure fair value. The fair value hierarchy consists of three broad levels, which are described below:
•Level 1 - Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the entity has the ability to access.
HIGHLANDS REIT, INC.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share amounts)
December 31, 2020
•Level 2 - Observable inputs, other than quoted prices included in Level 1, such as quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets; quoted prices for identical or similar assets and liabilities in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data.
•Level 3 - Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets and liabilities. This includes certain pricing models, discounted cash flow methodologies and similar techniques that use significant unobservable inputs.
The Company has estimated fair value using available market information and valuation methodologies the Company believes to be appropriate for these purposes. Considerable judgment and a high degree of subjectivity are involved in developing these estimates and, accordingly, they are not necessarily indicative of amounts that would be realized upon disposition.
Financial Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis
Risk Management Objective of Using Derivatives
The Company is exposed to certain risks arising from both its business operations and economic conditions. The Company principally manages its exposures to a wide variety of business and operational risks through management of its core business activities. The Company manages economic risks, including interest rate, liquidity, and credit risk primarily by managing the amount, sources, and duration of debt funding and, to a limited extent, the use of derivative financial instruments. Specifically, the Company may enter into derivative financial instruments to manage exposures that arise from business activities that result in the receipt or payment of future known and uncertain cash amounts, the value of which are determined by interest rates. The Company’s derivative financial instruments, described below, are used to manage differences in the amount, timing, and duration of the Company’s known or expected cash receipts and its known or expected cash payments principally related to the Company’s borrowings.
Cash Flow Hedges of Interest Rate Risk
The Company’s objectives in using interest rate derivatives are to add stability to interest expense and to manage its exposure to interest rate movements. To accomplish this objective, the Company may use interest rate swaps as part of its interest rate risk management strategy. Interest rate swaps designated as cash flow hedges involve the receipt of variable-rate amounts from a counterparty in exchange for the Company making fixed-rate payments over the life of the agreements without exchange of the underlying notional amount. We do not enter into derivative financial instruments for speculative purposes. As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, we had one derivative financial instrument designated as a cash flow hedge, with a notional amount of $18,750 and a maturity date of September 1, 2023. This derivative is an interest rate swap that is measured at fair value on a recurring basis.
For derivatives designated and that qualify as cash flow hedges of interest rate risk, the gain or loss on the derivative is recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income on the consolidated balance sheets and is subsequently reclassified into interest expense in the same period during which the hedged transaction affects earnings. The amount recorded as other comprehensive loss related to the unrealized loss on our derivative financial instrument was $666 for the year ended December 31, 2020. The amount recorded as other comprehensive income was $21 for the year ended December 31, 2019. Realized gains and losses will be recognized as they accrue in interest expense.
Amounts reported in accumulated other comprehensive income related to derivatives will be reclassified to interest expense as interest payments are made on our variable rate debt. The Company estimates that $255 will be reclassified as a decrease to interest expense over the next twelve months.
The table below presents the fair value of the Company’s derivative financial instrument as well as its classification on the consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
HIGHLANDS REIT, INC.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share amounts)
December 31, 2020
December 31, 2020
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total
Derivative financial instruments designated as cash flow hedges:
Classified as “Other Liabilities” $ - $ 645 $ - $ 645
December 31, 2019
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total
Derivative financial instruments designated as cash flow hedges:
Classified as “Deferred costs and other assets” $ - $ 21 $ - $ 21
The fair value of our derivative financial instrument was determined using widely accepted valuation techniques, including discounted cash flow analysis on the expected cash flows of the derivative financial instrument. This analysis reflected the contractual terms of the derivative, including the period to maturity, and used observable market-based inputs, including interest rate market data and implied volatilities in such interest rates. While it was determined that the majority of the inputs used to value the derivative fall within Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy under authoritative accounting guidance, the credit valuation adjustments associated with the derivative also utilized Level 3 inputs, such as estimates of current credit spreads to evaluate the likelihood of default. However, as of December 31, 2020, the significance of the impact of the credit valuation adjustments on the overall valuation of the derivative financial instrument was assessed, and it was determined that these adjustments were not significant to the overall valuation of the derivative financial instrument. As a result, it was determined that the derivative financial instrument in its entirety should be classified in Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy.
Non-Recurring Measurements
During the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company identified certain assets which may have a reduction in the expected holding period, a reduction in occupancy or a reduction in fair market value which represented an impairment trigger, and recorded a full impairment of investment properties of $16,804 on one net lease asset. No such impairments were recorded during the year ended December 31, 2019. The following table presents these assets measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis as of December 31, 2020 aggregated by the level within the fair value hierarchy in which those measurements fall. Methods and assumptions used to estimate the fair value of these assets are described after the table.
Fair Value
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total Provision for impairment
December 31, 2020
Investment Properties $ - $ - $ - $ - $ 16,804
(a)The estimate of fair value relating to the correctional facility’s impairment was primarily based upon research and findings that there is currently no market demand for the property, nor will there be a market for the foreseeable future. A sales comparison approach was utilized to estimate the market value of the land, as vacant, after deducting market supported demolition costs.
Financial Liabilities Disclosed at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis
The table below represents the fair value of financial instruments presented at carrying values in the consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2020 and 2019.
December 31, 2020 December 31, 2019
Carrying Value Estimated Fair Value Carrying Value Estimated Fair Value
Mortgages payable and revolver $ 83,898 $ 81,703 $ 94,926 $ 94,934
HIGHLANDS REIT, INC.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share amounts)
December 31, 2020
The Company estimates the fair value of its debt instruments using a weighted average market effective interest rate of 4.33% and 3.93% per annum as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The Company estimates the fair value of its mortgage loans and revolving credit loan facility by discounting the anticipated future cash flows of each instrument at rates currently offered to the Company by its lenders for similar debt instruments of comparable maturities. The rates used are based on credit spreads observed in the marketplace during the quarter for similar debt instruments, and a floor rate that the Company has derived using its subjective judgment for each asset segment. Based on this, the Company determines the appropriate rate for each of its individual mortgage loans and revolving credit loan facility based upon the specific terms of the agreement, including the term to maturity, the quality and nature of the underlying property and its leverage ratio. The weighted average market effective interest rates used range from 2.63% to 6.21% and 3.42% to 4.93% as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The fair value estimate of the unsecured credit facility approximated the carrying value due to limited market volatility in pricing. The assumptions reflect the terms currently available on similar borrowing terms to borrowers with credit profiles similar to the Company’s. The Company has determined that its debt instrument valuations are classified in Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy.
10. Income Taxes
The Company is taxed and operates in a manner that will allow the Company to continue to qualify as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes. So long as it maintains its qualification as a REIT, the Company generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on taxable income that is distributed to stockholders. A REIT is subject to a number of organizational and operational requirements, including a requirement that it distribute at least 90% of its REIT taxable income (subject to certain adjustments) to its stockholders each year. If the Company fails to continue to qualify as a REIT in any taxable year, without the benefit of certain relief provisions, the Company will be subject to U.S. federal and state income tax on its taxable income at regular corporate tax rates and would not be able to re-elect REIT status during the four years following the year of the failure. Even if the Company qualifies for taxation as a REIT, the Company may be subject to certain state and local taxes on its income and U.S. federal income and excise taxes on its undistributed income.
MB REIT is currently disregarded as a separate entity from the Company for U.S. federal income tax purposes and is a QRS of the Company. All assets, liabilities and items of income, deduction and credit of MB REIT are treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as those of the Company.
During the years ended December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, no income tax benefit or expense was included in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income/loss.
Uncertain Tax Positions
The Company had no unrecognized tax benefits as of or during the two year period ended December 31, 2020. The Company expects no significant increases or decreases in unrecognized tax benefits due to changes in tax positions within one year of December 31, 2020. The Company has no material interest or penalties relating to income taxes recognized in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 or in the consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2020 and 2019. As of December 31, 2020, the Company's, including its predecessors, 2019, 2018 and 2017 tax years remain subject to examination by U.S. and various state tax jurisdictions.
11. Segment Reporting
GAAP has established guidance for reporting information about a company’s operating segments. The Company monitors and reviews its segment reporting structure in accordance with guidance under FASB ASC Topic 280, Segment Reporting (“ASC 280”) to determine whether any changes have occurred that would impact its reportable segments. The Company currently has four business segments, consisting of (i) net lease, (ii) retail, (iii) multi-tenant office and (iv) multi-family. The net lease segment consists of single-tenant office and industrial assets, as well as the Company’s correctional facility. The Company’s unimproved land asset is presented below in Other.
The following table summarizes net operating income (loss) by segment for the year ended December 31, 2020.
HIGHLANDS REIT, INC.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share amounts)
December 31, 2020
Total Net Lease Retail Multi-Tenant Office Multi-family Other
Rental income $ 27,230 $ 2,717 $ 9,582 $ 699 $ 14,232 $ -
Other property income 1,712 - 189 768 755 -
Total income 28,942 2,717 9,771 1,467 14,987 -
Operating expenses 14,731 1,375 5,199 777 6,836 544
Net operating income (loss) $ 14,211 $ 1,342 $ 4,572 $ 690 $ 8,151 $ (544)
Non-allocated expenses (a) (26,905)
Other income and expenses (b) (4,243)
Provision for asset impairment (c) (16,804)
Gain on sale of investment properties (d) 82
Net loss $ (33,659)
Balance Sheet Data
Real estate assets, net (e) $ 296,736 $ 15,214 $ 64,865 $ 25,892 $ 181,801 $ 8,964
Non-segmented assets (f) 59,324
Total assets $ 356,060
Capital expenditures $ 2,804 $ - $ 2,013 $ 23 $ 752 $ 16
(a)Non-allocated expenses consists of general and administrative expenses and depreciation and amortization.
(b)Other income and expenses consists of interest income and interest expense.
(c)Provision for asset impairment is related to one net lease asset.
(d)Gain on the sale of investment properties is related to one other asset.
(e)Real estate assets include intangible assets, net of amortization.
(f)Non-segmented assets include cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash and escrows, accounts and rents receivable and deferred costs and other assets.
HIGHLANDS REIT, INC.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share amounts)
December 31, 2020
The following table summarizes net operating income (loss) by segment for the year ended December 31, 2019.
Total Net Lease Retail Multi-Tenant Office Multi-family Other
Rental income $ 36,626 $ 12,450 $ 15,638 $ 79 $ 8,459 $ -
Other property income 727 - 149 38 534 6
Total income 37,353 12,450 15,787 117 8,993 6
Operating expenses 13,180 618 7,245 760 3,963 594
Net operating income (loss) $ 24,173 $ 11,832 $ 8,542 $ (643) $ 5,030 $ (588)
Non-allocated expenses (a) (25,921)
Other income and expenses (b) (2,279)
Gain on sale of investment properties (c) 8,841
Net income $ 4,814
Balance Sheet Data
Real estate assets, net (d) $ 317,136 $ 34,755 $ 66,276 $ 26,400 $ 180,753 $ 8,952
Non-segmented assets (e) $ 83,096
Total assets $ 400,232
Capital expenditures $ 1,011 $ - $ 468 $ - $ 543 $ -
(a)Non-allocated expenses consists of general and administrative expenses and depreciation and amortization.
(b)Other income and expenses consists of interest income and interest expense.
(c)Gain on the sale of investment properties is related to one retail asset and one other asset.
(d)Real estate assets include intangible assets, net of amortization.
(e)Non-segmented assets include cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash and escrows, accounts and rents receivable and deferred costs and other assets.
HIGHLANDS REIT, INC.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share amounts)
December 31, 2020
12. Earnings Per Share
Basic earnings per common share is calculated by dividing net income attributable to Highlands REIT, Inc. common stockholders by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings per common share is calculated by dividing net income attributable to Highlands REIT, Inc. common stockholders by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the period, plus any additional common shares that would have been outstanding if the dilutive potential common shares had been issued.
The following table reconciles net income attributable to the Company to basic and diluted EPS (in thousands, except share and per share data):
Year Ended December 31,
2020 2019
Numerator:
Net (loss) income attributable to Highlands REIT, Inc.
common stockholders $ (33,589) $ 4,849
Denominator:
Weighted average shares outstanding - basic and diluted 879,151,301 875,313,817
Basic and diluted income per share:
Net (loss) income per common share $ (0.04) $ 0.01
13. Share Based Compensation
Incentive Award Plan
On April 28, 2016, the board of directors adopted, ratified and approved the Highlands REIT, Inc. 2016 Incentive Award Plan (the “Incentive Award Plan”), under which the Company may grant cash and equity-based incentive awards to eligible employees, directors, and consultants. Prior to the Company’s spin-off from InvenTrust, the board of directors of the Company (then a wholly-owned subsidiary of InvenTrust) adopted, and InvenTrust, as the sole stockholder of Highlands, approved, the Incentive Awards Plan.
For the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company granted 6,694,447 of fully vested shares of common stock with an aggregate value of $2,410 based on an estimated fair value per share of $0.36.
Under the Incentive Award Plan, the Company is authorized to grant up to 43,000,000 shares of the Company's common stock pursuant to awards under the plan. At December 31, 2020, 10,423,768 shares were available for future issuance under the Incentive Award Plan. A summary of the Company's stock awards activity as of December 31, 2020 is as follows:
Non-Vested stock awards Stock Awards Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value
Balance at January 1, 2020 357,143 $ 0.35
Granted 6,694,447 0.36
Vested (7,041,669) 0.36
Other (1)
(9,921) -
Balance at December 31, 2020 - $ -
(1) Represents the change in the number of shares granted in 2019 based on an estimated net asset value per share of $0.33 and the actual shares vested in 2020 based on an estimated net asset value per share of $0.35.
HIGHLANDS REIT, INC.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share amounts)
December 31, 2020
The Company recognized stock-based compensation expense for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 of $2,618 and $2,242, respectively, related to the Incentive Award Plan. For the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, the Company paid $1,147 and $1,177, respectively, related to tax withholding for share-based compensation.
The Company repurchased and retired 2,304,547 of fully vested shares previously awarded to an employee pursuant to a separation agreement during the fourth quarter of 2020. The shares were repurchased for $0.36 per share, which was based on the Company's estimated share value as of December 31, 2019. Stock-based compensation expense was adjusted for $184 representing the difference between the $0.36 per share estimate in the separation agreement and the $0.28 per share value estimate as of December 31, 2020.
14. Commitments and Contingencies
The Company is subject, from time to time, to various legal proceedings and claims that arise in the ordinary course of business. While the resolution of these matters cannot be predicted with certainty, management believes, based on currently available information, that the final outcome of such matters may have a material adverse effect on the financial statements of the Company.
Highlands has also agreed to indemnify InvenTrust against all taxes related to the Company and its assets, including taxes attributable to periods prior to the separation and distribution. InvenTrust has agreed to indemnify the Company for any taxes attributable to InvenTrust’s or MB REIT’s failure to maintain its qualification as a REIT for any taxable year ending on or before December 31, 2016.
In April 2020, the Company executed a lease with Northwestern Medical Group for approximately 29,000 square feet at our Sherman Plaza asset, replacing Barnes and Noble whose lease was terminated after the signing of this new lease. The lease requires a significant amount of landlord work, a tenant allowance and a broker commission. The total cost commitment is estimated to be approximately $3.9 million, however, costs could increase if additional landlord work becomes necessary to deliver the space to the tenant in the condition specified in the lease. As of December 31, 2020, we estimate that remaining costs under this commitment are approximately $2.0 million.
In February 2021, the Company executed a lease with Veeco Instruments, Inc. for approximately 97,000 square feet at our Trimble office asset, replacing Alta, whose lease was terminated in early 2020. The lease requires a significant tenant allowance and broker commission. The total cost commitment is estimated to be approximately $9.1 million.
HIGHLANDS REIT, INC.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share amounts)
December 31, 2020
15. Quarterly Supplemental Financial Information (unaudited)
The following represents the results of operations, for each quarterly period, during 2020 and 2019.
For the Quarter Ended
March 31, 2020 June 30, 2020 September 30, 2020 December 31, 2020
Total revenues $ 9,286 $ 5,873 $ 6,616 $ 7,167
Property operating expenses 2,199 1,793 2,434 2,276
Real estate taxes 1,651 1,066 1,548 1,764
Depreciation and amortization 3,295 3,259 3,118 3,102
General and administrative expenses 4,558 2,893 3,633 3,047
Provision for asset impairment - - - 16,804
Total expenses 11,703 9,011 10,733 26,993
Gain on sale of investment properties 82 - - -
Loss from operations (2,335) (3,138) (4,117) (19,826)
Interest income 186 26 19 11
Interest expense (1,080) (1,048) (1,099) (1,258)
Net loss (3,229) (4,160) (5,197) (21,073)
Net loss attributable to non-controlling interests 28 12 30 -
Net loss attributable to Highlands REIT, Inc. common stockholders $ (3,201) $ (4,148) $ (5,167) $ (21,073)
Net loss per common share, basic and diluted $ - $ - $ (0.01) $ (0.02)
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding, basic and diluted (a) 878,071,826 879,636,248 879,932,514 878,958,154
HIGHLANDS REIT, INC.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share amounts)
December 31, 2020
For the Quarter Ended
March 31, 2019 June 30, 2019 September 30, 2019 December 31, 2019
Total revenues $ 10,257 $ 10,401 $ 9,198 $ 7,497
Property operating expenses 1,904 1,985 1,565 2,035
Real estate taxes 1,306 1,317 1,156 1,912
Depreciation and amortization 2,730 2,729 3,109 4,446
General and administrative expenses 4,383 3,082 2,373 3,069
Total expenses 10,323 9,113 8,203 11,462
Gain on sale of investment properties - 8,841 - -
(Loss) income from operations (66) 10,129 995 (3,965)
Interest income 369 398 581 302
Interest expense (758) (1,006) (1,058) (1,107)
Net (loss) income (455) 9,521 518 (4,770)
Net loss (income) attributable to non-controlling interests $ - $ - $ (10) $ 45
Net (loss) income attributable to Highlands REIT, Inc. common stockholders $ (455) $ 9,521 $ 508 $ (4,725)
Net (loss) income per common share, basic and diluted $ 0.00 $ 0.01 $ 0.00 $ (0.01)
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding, basic and diluted (a) 873,379,003 875,755,799 876,007,008 876,074,038
(a)Quarterly income per common share amounts may not total the annual amounts due to rounding and the changes in number of weighted common shares outstanding.
16. Subsequent Events
On January 21, 2021, the Company repaid $5,000 of the outstanding principal balance of the Revolving Credit Loan. As of January 31, 2021, the Company has an outstanding principal balance of $15,000 under the Revolving Credit Loan.
Effective January 22, 2021, the Company's board of directors appointed Robert J. Lange to serve as Chief Operating Officer of the Company. In addition to his duties as General Counsel and Secretary, Mr. Lange’s responsibilities have included and will continue to include a variety of operational functions, including strategic planning, non-core asset management, investor relations, certain human resources roles, as well as property insurance and corporate insurance.
HIGHLANDS REIT, INC.
Schedule III
Real Estate and Accumulated Depreciation
(Amounts in thousands)
Initial Cost (A) Gross amount at which carried at end of period
Encumbrance Land Buildings and Improvements Adjustments to Land Basis (B) Adjustments to Building Basis (B) Land Buildings and Improvements Total (C) Accumulated Depreciation (D,E) Date of Completion of Construction or Acquisition
Retail
BUCKHORN PLAZA $ 9,959 $ 1,651 $ 11,770 $ (35) $ 2,221 $ 1,616 $ 13,991 $ 15,607 $ 7,356 2006
Bloomsburg, PA
SHERMAN PLAZA - 9,655 30,982 - 9,359 9,655 40,341 49,996 19,464 2006
Evanston, IL
STATE STREET MARKET 8,957 3,950 14,184 - 1,822 3,950 16,006 19,956 8,520 2006
Rockford, IL
THE MARKET AT HILLIARD 15,251 4,432 13,308 - 3,766 4,432 17,074 21,506 8,440 2005
Hilliard, OH
Net Lease
ATLAS - ST PAUL - 3,890 10,093 - - 3,890 10,093 13,983 4,680 2007
St. Paul, MN
ATLAS-NEW ULM - 900 9,359 - - 900 9,359 10,259 4,347 2007
New Ulm, MN
HUDSON CORRECTIONAL FACILITY - 1,382 - (1,382) - - - - - 2009
Hudson, CO
Multi-tenant office
TRIMBLE I - 12,732 10,045 - 5,784 12,732 15,829 28,561 2,693 2013
San Jose, CA
HIGHLANDS REIT, INC.
Schedule III
Real Estate and Accumulated Depreciation
(Amounts in thousands)
Initial Cost (A) Gross amount at which carried at end of period
Encumbrance Land Buildings and Improvements Adjustments to Land Basis (B) Adjustments to Building Basis (B) Land Buildings and Improvements Total (C) Accumulated Depreciation (D,E) Date of Completion of Construction or Acquisition
Multi-family
BUERGER BROTHER LOFTS - 3,117 7,114 - 267 3,117 7,381 10,498 878 2017
Denver, CO
CHAMBER LOFTS - 2,797 6,388 - 158 2,797 6,546 9,343 779 2017
Denver, CO
THE LAFAYETTE - 2,457 7,067 - 194 2,457 7,261 9,718 668 2018
Denver, CO
KENILWORTH COURT - 2,496 3,203 - 7 2,496 3,210 5,706 264 2018
Denver, CO
1620 CENTRAL STREET - 3,075 17,140 - 105 3,075 17,245 20,320 1,507 2018
Evanston, IL
THE DETROIT AND DETROIT TERRACES 11,449 3,370 15,006 - - 3,370 15,006 18,376 1,072 2019
Denver, CO
TENNYSON 1,533 17,410 - - 1,533 17,410 18,943 978 2019
Denver, CO
THE MUSE - 5,303 42,809 - 18 5,303 42,827 48,130 1,774 2019
Denver, CO
THE VIEW - 7,272 8,862 - 145 7,272 9,007 16,279 601 2019
San Diego, CA
THE LOCALE 18,282 4,294 22,461 - 336 4,294 22,797 27,091 1,343 2019
Allendale, MI
THE STERLING - 1,849 5,407 - - 1,849 5,407 7,256 130 2020
San Diego, CA
Other
PALAZZO DEL LAGO - 8,938 - - 19 8,938 19 8,957 6 2010
Orlando, FL
CORPORATE - - - - 13 - 13 13 1 2020
Totals $ 63,898 $ 85,093 $ 252,608 $ (1,417) $ 24,214 $ 83,676 $ 276,822 $ 360,498 $ 65,501
HIGHLANDS REIT, INC.
Schedule III
Real Estate and Accumulated Depreciation
(Amounts in thousands)
Notes to Schedule III:
The aggregate cost of real estate owned at December 31, 2020 for U.S. federal income tax purposes was approximately $451,390 (unaudited).
(A)The initial cost to the Company represents the original purchase price of the asset, including amounts incurred subsequent to acquisition which were contemplated at the time the asset was acquired.
(B)Adjustments to basis include provisions for asset impairments, partial dispositions and costs capitalized subsequent to acquisitions.
(C)Reconciliation of real estate owned:
2020 2019
Balance at January 1 $ 372,228 $ 314,527
Acquisitions and capital improvements 8,357 129,407
Dispositions and write-offs (1,596) (71,706)
Asset impairments (18,491) -
Balance at December 31, $ 360,498 $ 372,228
(D)Reconciliation of accumulated depreciation:
2020 2019
Balance at January 1 $ 56,431 $ 72,822
Depreciation expense 11,001 9,637
Dispositions and write-offs (244) (26,028)
Asset impairments (1,687) -
Balance at December 31, $ 65,501 $ 56,431
(E)Depreciation is computed based upon the following estimated lives:
Buildings and improvements 30 years
Tenant improvements Life of the lease
Furniture, fixtures, & equipment 5-15 years

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ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS
Item 9. Changes in or Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure
None.

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ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures
Disclosure Controls and Procedures
As required by Rule 13a-15(b) and Rule 15d-15(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), our management, including our principal executive officer and our principal financial officer evaluated, as of December 31, 2020, the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and Rule 15d-15(e) of the Exchange Act. Based on that evaluation, our principal executive officer and our principal financial officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures, as of December 31, 2020, were effective at a reasonable assurance level for the purpose of ensuring that information required to be disclosed by us in this report is recorded, processed, summarized and
reported within the time periods specified by the rules and forms of the Exchange Act and is accumulated and communicated to management, including our principal executive officer and our principal financial officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosures.
Management's Annual Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting.
Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal controls over financial reporting pursuant to Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) as of December 31, 2020. Our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer evaluated the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting based on the framework in "Internal Control-Integrated Framework" issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013). Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Therefore, even those systems determined to be effective can only provide reasonable assurance with respect to financial statement preparation and presentation. Based on its evaluation, our management has concluded that we maintained effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2020.
Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
There has been no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting during the quarter ended December 31, 2020 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

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ITEM 9B. OTHER INFORMATION
Item 9B. Other Information
2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders Record Date
The Board established the close of business on March 5, 2021 as the record date for determining stockholders entitled to vote at our 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, expected to be held on May 13, 2021.
Part III

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ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance.
Except as set forth below, the information called for by this Item is contained in our definitive Proxy Statement for our 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, and is incorporated herein by reference.
Executive Officers of the Registrant
Richard Vance, age 57, has served as a director and our President and Chief Executive Officer since our formation in December 2015. Prior to our spin-off from InvenTrust Properties Corp. (“InvenTrust”), Mr. Vance served as Senior Vice President - Portfolio Management & Corporate Strategy for InvenTrust, where he was responsible for managing InvenTrust’s “non-core” portfolio with regard to asset management, property operations and leasing. Beginning in 2013 and until InvenTrust’s self-management in 2014, Mr. Vance served as Vice President for InvenTrust’s former business manager, and, following InvenTrust’s self-management, Mr. Vance continued to serve as Vice President for InvenTrust until 2015. In this role, Mr. Vance had various responsibilities, including spearheading InvenTrust’s self-management and various asset management responsibilities. Beginning in 2010, Mr. Vance began working with InvenTrust’s former business manager and former property manager as an independent consultant, and was primarily responsible for managing a diverse portfolio of InvenTrust’s office, industrial and retail assets. Mr. Vance has more than 20 years of experience in commercial real estate and commercial real estate finance, including various positions prior to 2010 with GMAC Commercial Mortgage, Equity Residential, Deutsche Bank, Ernst & Young or their affiliates. Mr. Vance received a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, a Juris Doctor from Loyola University of Chicago, and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan-Flint.
Robert J. Lange, age 38, has served as Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Highlands since June 2016. Effective January 22, 2021, Mr. Lange was appointed to serve as Chief Operating Officer of the Company. As
General Counsel, Mr. Lange is responsible for all legal functions at Highlands and as Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Lange is charged with overseeing its operations, including strategic planning, non-core asset management, investor relations, human resource matters, risk management, as well as property and corporate insurance. Prior to joining Highlands in 2016, Mr. Lange was Vice President, Head Corporate Counsel and Assistant Secretary at InvenTrust Properties Corp. In that capacity, he oversaw all aspects of InvenTrust’s corporate legal affairs, including material transactions, governance, public company reporting and compliance, employee matters and executive compensation and benefits. Prior to joining InvenTrust in 2014, Mr. Lange practiced law at Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP, where he represented companies in mergers and acquisitions and advised clients on a broad variety of general corporate matters. Mr. Lange received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, with distinction, from the University of Wisconsin - Madison and a Juris Doctor degree, with honors, from the University of Chicago.
Kimberly A. Karas, age 45, has served as Senior Vice President and Controller of Highlands since July 8, 2019 and effective September 15, 2020, was appointed to serve as the Company’s Treasurer. In this capacity, she will also serve as the Company’s principal financial officer. Ms. Karas previously served as Vice President of Finance for Link Industrial Properties (formerly Gateway Industrial Properties), a Blackstone platform company, from 2018 to 2019. Blackstone is one of the largest real estate private equity firms in the world. In this role, Ms. Karas was responsible for the budget and forecast of the industrial platform, financial integration of new acquisitions and the creation of operating tools and reports. Ms. Karas previously worked at IRC Retail Centers (formerly Inland Real Estate Corporation) from 2000 to 2018, most recently serving as Vice President and Controller and as a member of its Management Committee. In this role, she oversaw the corporate accounting function, with responsibilities over Securities and Exchange Commission reporting, preparation of consolidated financial statements, maintenance of accounting policies and procedures, compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and coordination of annual audits and tax return filings. Ms. Karas earned her Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Code of Ethics
Our board has adopted a code of ethics and business conduct (the “Code of Ethics and Business Conduct”) applicable to our directors, officers and employees, which is available on our website at www.highlandsreit.com through the “Investor Relations - Governance Documents” tab. In the event that the Company amends or waives any of the provisions of the Code of Ethics that applies to the Company's Chief Executive Officer or Principal Accounting Officer, and other senior financial officers performing similar functions, the Company intends to disclose the subsequent information on its website. In addition, printed copies of the Code of Ethics and Business Conduct are available to any stockholder, without charge, by writing us at Highlands REIT, Inc., attn Corporate Secretary, 332 S. Michigan Avenue, 9th Floor, Chicago, Illinois 60604.

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ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
Item 11. Executive Compensation.
The information called for by this Item is contained in our definitive Proxy Statement for our 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, and is incorporated herein by reference.

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ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS
Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters.
Except as set forth below, the information called for by this Item is contained in our definitive Proxy Statement for our 2021 Annual Meeting of the Stockholders, and is incorporated herein by reference.
Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans
The following table sets forth information regarding securities authorized for issuance under our equity compensation plans, as of December 31, 2020.
(a) (b) (c)
Plan category Number of securities to be issued upon exercise of outstanding rights Weighted-average exercise price of outstanding options, warrants and rights Number of securities remaining available for future issuance under equity compensation plans (excluding securities reflected in column (a))
Equity compensation plans approved by security holders
Highlands REIT, Inc. 2016 Incentive Award Plan - - 10,423,768
Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders - - -
Total - - 10,423,768

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ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS
Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence.
The information called for by this Item is contained in our definitive Proxy Statement for our 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, and is incorporated herein by reference.

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ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES
Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services.
The information called for by this Item is contained in our definitive Proxy Statement for our 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, and is incorporated herein by reference.
Part IV.

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ITEM 15. EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules
(a)List of documents filed:
i.Financial Statements:
1.Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
2.The consolidated financial statements of the Company are set forth in the report in Item 8.
ii.Financial Statement Schedules:
1.Real Estate and Accumulated Depreciation (Schedule III)
2.All schedules other than those indicated in the index have been omitted as the required information is inapplicable or the information is presented in the consolidated financial statements or related notes.
iii.Exhibits:
1.The list of exhibits filed as part of this Annual Report is set forth on the Exhibit Index attached hereto.
(b)Exhibits:
i.The exhibits filed in response to Item 601 of Regulation S-K are listed on the Exhibit Index attached hereto.
(c)Financial Statement Schedules
All schedules other than those indicated in the index have been omitted as the required information is inapplicable or the information is presented in the consolidated financial statements or related notes.