Medalist Diversified REIT Inc
For the period ended Dec 31, 2023. Filed Mar 6, 2024.
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FY2023 · Filed Mar 6, 2024
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Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
- Organization and Basis of Presentation and Consolidation
Medalist Diversified Real Estate Investment Trust, Inc. (the “REIT”) is a Maryland corporation formed on September 28, 2015. Beginning with the taxable year ended December 31, 2017, the REIT has elected to be taxed as a real estate investment trust for federal income tax purposes. The REIT serves as the general partner of Medalist Diversified Holdings, LP (the “Operating Partnership”) which was formed as a Delaware limited partnership on September 29, 2015. As of December 31, 2023, the REIT, through the Operating Partnership, owned and operated eight properties, including the Shops at Franklin Square, a 134,239 square foot retail property located in Gastonia, North Carolina (the “Franklin Square Property”), the Shops at Hanover Square North, a 73,440 square foot retail property located in Mechanicsville, Virginia (the “Hanover Square Property”), the Ashley Plaza Shopping Center, a 164,012 square foot retail property located in Goldsboro, North Carolina (the “Ashley Plaza Property”), Brookfield Center, a 64,880 square foot mixed-use industrial/office property located in Greenville, South Carolina (the “Brookfield Center Property”), the Lancer Center, a 181,590 square foot retail property located in Lancaster, South Carolina (the “Lancer Center Property”), the Greenbrier Business Center, an 89,280 square foot mixed-use industrial/office property located in Chesapeake, Virginia (the “Greenbrier Business Center Property”), the Parkway Property, a 64,109 square foot mixed-use industrial office property located in Virginia Beach, Virginia (the "Parkway Property”) and the Salisbury Marketplace Shopping Center, a 79,732 square foot retail property located in Salisbury, North Carolina (the “Salisbury Marketplace Property”). The Company owns 84% of the Hanover Square Property as a tenant in common with a noncontrolling owner which owns the remaining 16% interest and 82% of the Parkway Property as a tenant in common with a noncontrolling owner which owns the remaining 18% interest.
The use of the word “Company” refers to the REIT and its consolidated subsidiaries, except where the context otherwise requires. The Company includes the REIT, the Operating Partnership, wholly owned limited liability companies which own or operate
the properties and, for the periods presented prior to December 31, 2022, the taxable REIT subsidiary which formerly operated the Clemson Best Western University Inn, a hotel with 148 rooms on 5.92 acres in Clemson, South Carolina (“the Clemson Best Western Property”), which the Company sold on September 29, 2022. As a REIT, certain tax laws limit the amount of “non-qualifying” income that Company can earn, including income derived directly from the operation of hotels. As a result, the Company leased its consolidated hotel property to a taxable REIT subsidiary (“TRS”) for federal income tax purposes. The Company’s TRS was subject to income tax and was not limited as to the amount of nonqualifying income it could generate, but the Company’s TRS was limited in terms of its value as a percentage of the total value of the Company’s assets. The Company’s TRS entered into an agreement with a third party to manage the operations of the hotel.
The Company prepared the accompanying consolidated financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”). References to the consolidated financial statements and references to individual financial statements included herein, reference the consolidated financial statements or the respective individual financial statement. All material balances and transactions between the consolidated entities of the Company have been eliminated.
The Company was formed to acquire, reposition, renovate, lease and manage income-producing properties, with a primary focus on (i) commercial properties, including flex-industrial, limited-service hotels, and retail properties, and (ii) multi-family residential properties in secondary and tertiary markets in the southeastern part of the United States, with an expected concentration in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida and Alabama. The Company may also pursue, in an opportunistic manner, other real estate-related investments, including, among other things, equity or other ownership interests in entities that are the direct or indirect owners of real property, indirect investments in real property, such as those that may be obtained in a joint venture. While these types of investments are not intended to be a primary focus, the Company may make such investments at the discretion of the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”).
For all periods prior to July 18, 2023, the Company was externally managed by Medalist Fund Manager, Inc. (the “Manager”). On July 18, 2023, the Company and the Manager entered into an agreement (the “Termination Agreement”) terminating that certain Management Agreement, dated as of March 15, 2016, among the Company, the Operating Partnership and the Manager, as amended (the “Management Agreement”).(See Note 9, Related Party Transactions, below). Until the termination of the Management Agreement, the Manager made all investment decisions for the Company, which were approved by the Board’s Acquisition Committee. In addition, until the termination of the Management Agreement, the Manager oversaw the Company’s overall business and affairs and had broad discretion to make operating decisions on behalf of the Company. Since the termination of the Management Agreement, the Company has been managed internally as directed by the Board. The Company’s stockholders are not involved in its day-to-day affairs.
- Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Investment Properties
The Company has adopted Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2017-01,Business Combinations (Topic 805), which clarifies the framework for determining whether an integrated set of assets and activities meets the definition of a business. The revised framework establishes a screen for determining whether an integrated set of assets and activities is a business and narrows the definition of a business, which is expected to result in fewer transactions being accounted for as business combinations. Acquisitions of integrated sets of assets and activities that do not meet the definition of a business are accounted for as asset acquisitions. As a result, all of the Company’s acquisitions to date qualified as asset acquisitions and the Company expects future acquisitions of operating properties to qualify as asset acquisitions. Accordingly, third-party transaction costs associated with these acquisitions have been and will be capitalized, while internal acquisition costs will continue to be expensed.
Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 805 mandates that “an acquiring entity shall allocate the cost of an acquired entity to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their estimated fair values at date of acquisition.” ASC 805 results in an allocation of acquisition costs to both tangible and intangible assets associated with income producing real estate. Tangible assets include land, buildings, site improvements, tenant improvements and furniture, fixtures and equipment, while intangible assets include the value of in-place leases, lease origination costs (leasing commissions and tenant improvements), legal and marketing costs and leasehold assets and liabilities (above or below market leases), among others.
The Company uses independent, third-party consultants to assist management with its ASC 805 evaluations. The Company determines fair value based on accepted valuation methodologies including the cost, market, and income capitalization approaches. The purchase price is allocated to the tangible and intangible assets identified in the evaluation.
The Company records depreciation on buildings and improvements utilizing the straight-line method over the estimated useful life of the asset, generally 4 to 42 years. The Company reviews depreciable lives of investment properties periodically and makes adjustments to reflect a shorter economic life, when necessary. Capitalized leasing commissions and tenant improvements incurred and paid by the Company subsequent to the acquisition of the investment property are amortized utilizing the straight-line method over the term of the related lease. Amounts allocated to buildings are depreciated over the estimated remaining life of the acquired building or related improvements.
Acquisition and closing costs are capitalized as part of each tangible asset on a pro rata basis. Improvements and major repairs and maintenance are capitalized when the repair and maintenance substantially extend the useful life, increases capacity or improves the efficiency of the asset. All other repair and maintenance costs are expensed as incurred.
Assets Held for Sale
The Company may decide to sell properties that are held as investment properties. The accounting treatment for the disposal of long-lived assets is covered by ASC 360. Under this guidance, the Company records the assets associated with these properties, and any associated mortgages payable, as held for sale when management has committed to a plan to sell the assets, actively seeks a buyer for the assets, and the consummation of the sale is considered probable and is expected within one year. Delays in the time required to complete a sale do not preclude a long-lived asset from continuing to be classified as held for sale beyond the initial one-year period if the delay is caused by events or circumstances beyond an entity’s control and there is sufficient evidence that the entity remains committed to a qualifying plan to sell the long-lived asset.
Properties classified as held for sale are reported at the lower of their carrying value or their fair value, less estimated costs to sell. When the carrying value exceeds the fair value, less estimated costs to sell, an impairment charge is recognized. The Company determines fair value based on the three-level valuation hierarchy for fair value measurement. Level 1 inputs are quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. Level 2 inputs are quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets; quoted prices for identical or similar assets in markets that are not active; and inputs other than quoted prices. Level 3 inputs are unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities.
During November 2023, the Company committed to a plan to sell an asset group associated with the Hanover Square Shopping Center Property that includes the land, site improvements, building, and building improvements. As a result, as of December 1, 2023, the Company reclassified these assets, and the related mortgage payable, net, for the Hanover Square Shopping Center Property as assets held for sale and liabilities associated with assets held for sale, respectively. Under ASC 360, depreciation of assets held for sale is discontinued, so no further depreciation or amortization was recorded subsequent to December 1, 2023. The Company believes that the fair value, less estimated costs to sell, exceeds the Company’s carrying cost, so the Company has not recorded any impairment of assets held for sale related to the Hanover Square Shopping Center Property for the year ended December 31, 2023 or 2022.
As of March 31, 2022, the Company determined that the carrying value of the asset group associated with the Clemson Best Western Hotel Property exceeded its fair value, less estimated costs to sell, and recorded impairment of assets held for sale of $175,671 on its consolidated statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2022. On September 29, 2022, the Company closed on the sale of the Clemson Best Western Hotel Property to an unaffiliated purchaser. No such impairment of assets held for sale was recorded during the year ended December 31, 2023. See Note 3 for additional details.
Intangible Assets and Liabilities, net
The Company determines, through the ASC 805 evaluation, the above and below market lease intangibles upon acquiring a property. Intangible assets (or liabilities) such as above or below-market leases and in-place lease value are recorded at fair value and are amortized as an adjustment to rental revenue or amortization expense, as appropriate, over the remaining terms of the underlying leases. The Company amortizes amounts allocated to tenant improvements, in-place lease assets and other lease-related intangibles over the remaining life of the underlying leases. The analysis is conducted on a lease-by-lease basis.
Details of the deferred costs, net of amortization, arising from the Company’s purchases of its retail center properties and flex center properties are as follows:
| | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | December 31, | |||||
| | 2023 | 2022 | ||||
| Intangible Assets, net | | | | | | |
| Leasing commissions | | $912,040 | | $1,135,421 | ||
| Legal and marketing costs | | 104,791 | | 169,437 | ||
| Above market leases | | 106,907 | | 209,860 | ||
| Net leasehold asset | | 1,592,808 | | 2,233,988 | ||
| | | $2,716,546 | | $3,748,706 | ||
| | | | | | | |
| Intangible Liabilities, net | | | | | ||
| Below market leases | | $(1,865,310) | | $(2,234,113) | ||
Capitalized above-market lease values are amortized as a reduction of rental income over the remaining terms of the respective leases. Capitalized below-market lease values are amortized as an increase to rental income over the remaining terms of the respective leases. Adjustments to rental revenue related to the above and below market leases during the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, were as follows:
| · · · · · · | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| | For the year ended December 31, | |||
| · 2023 · 2022 | ||||
| Amortization of above market leases | | $(93,696) | | $(188,903) |
| Amortization of below market leases | | 368,803 | | 415,624 |
| | | $275,107 | | $226,721 |
Amortization of lease origination costs, leases in place and legal and marketing costs represent a component of depreciation and amortization expense. Amortization related to these intangible assets during years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, were as follows:
| · · · · · · | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| | For the year ended December 31, | |||
| · 2023 · 2022 | ||||
| Leasing commissions | | $(216,362) | | $(246,294) |
| Legal and marketing costs | | (59,841) | | (65,760) |
| Net leasehold asset | | (614,145) | | (1,013,520) |
| | | $(890,348) | | $(1,325,574) |
As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company’s accumulated amortization of lease origination costs, leases in place and legal and marketing costs totaled $2,204,404 and $2,198,049, respectively. During the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company wrote off $842,492 and $1,901,786, respectively, in accumulated amortization related to fully amortized intangible assets and $41,501 and $5,109, respectively, in accumulated amortization related to the write off of intangible assets related to the early terminated leases, discussed above.
Future amortization of above and below market leases, lease origination costs, leases in place, legal and marketing costs and tenant relationships is as follows:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029-2041 | Total | |||||||||||||
| Intangible Assets | | | | | | | | ||||||||||||||
| Leasing commissions | | $169,446 | | $145,298 | | $107,312 | | $88,394 | | $66,969 | | $334,621 | | $912,040 | |||||||
| Legal and marketing costs | | 36,928 | | 23,774 | | 13,160 | | 7,917 | | 5,204 | | 17,808 | | 104,791 | |||||||
| Above market leases | | 40,849 | | 21,292 | | 15,629 | | 14,543 | | 10,114 | | 4,480 | | 106,907 | |||||||
| Net leasehold asset | | 384,477 | | 294,638 | | 199,466 | | 153,142 | | 104,934 | | 456,151 | | 1,592,808 | |||||||
| | | $631,700 | | $485,002 | | $335,567 | | $263,996 | | $187,221 | | $813,060 | | $2,716,546 | |||||||
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Intangible Liabilities | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |||||||
| Below market leases, net | | $(285,892) | | $(213,348) | | $(178,776) | | $(161,866) | | $(139,855) | | $(885,573) | | $(1,865,310) | |||||||
Impairment
During the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company recorded a loss on impairment of $90,221 and $36,670, respectively, resulting from the events described below.
Investment Properties
The Company reviews its investment properties for impairment on a property-by-property basis whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of investment properties may not be recoverable, but at least annually. These circumstances include, but are not limited to, declines in the property’s cash flows, occupancy and fair market value. The Company measures any impairment of investment property when the estimated undiscounted cash flows plus its residual value, is less than the carrying value of the property. To the extent impairment has occurred, the Company charges to income the excess of the carrying value of the property over its estimated fair value. The Company estimates fair value using unobservable data such as projected future operating income, estimated capitalization rates, or multiples, leasing prospects and local market information. The Company may decide to sell properties that are held for use and the sale prices of these properties may differ from their carrying values. The Company did not record any impairment adjustments to its investment properties resulting from events or changes in circumstances during the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, that would result in the projected value of the Company’s investment properties being below their carrying value.
However, during the year ended December 31, 2023, three tenants defaulted on their leases and abandoned their premises. The Company determined that the carrying value of capitalized leasing commissions and tenant improvements associated with these leases and which were recorded as a component of investment properties on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets should be written off, and recorded a loss on impairment of $16,733 for the year ended December 31, 2023. Additionally, during the year ended December 31, 2023, a fourth tenant elected to exercise its right to terminate its lease early. The Company determined that the carrying value of the capitalized leasing commission and tenant improvements associated with this lease and which were recorded as a component of investment properties on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets should be written off and recorded a loss on impairment of $12,990 for the year ended December 31, 2023. During the year ended December 31, 2022, two tenants defaulted on their leases and abandoned their premises. The Company determined that the carrying value of capitalized tenant improvements associated with these leases and which are recorded as a component of investment properties on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets should be written off, and recorded a loss on impairment of $13,880 for the year ended December 31, 2022. These amounts are included in the loss on impairment reported on the Company’s consolidated statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022.
Intangible Assets
The Company also reviews its intangible assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of its intangible assets may not be recoverable, but at least annually. During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company determined that the carrying value of certain intangible assets associated with the three leases on which tenants should be written off and recorded a loss on impairment of $26,898 for the year ended December 31, 2023. The Company also determined that the carrying value of certain intangible assets associated with the tenant which terminated its lease early should be written off and recorded a loss of impairment of $21,220 for the year ended December 31, 2023. During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company determined that the carrying value of certain intangible assets and liabilities associated with the two leases that were terminated
early and which were recorded as part of the purchase of these properties should be written off. As a result, the Company recorded a loss on impairment of $22,790 for the year ended December 31, 2022, related to intangible assets associated with these leases. These amounts are included in the loss on impairment reported on the Company’s consolidated statement of operations for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022.
Unbilled Rent
The Company also reviews the unbilled rent asset recorded on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets for impairment to determine if any amounts may not be recoverable. During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company recorded a loss on impairment of $12,380 related to previously recognized straight-line rent related to the four tenants who terminated their lease early. These amounts are included in the loss on impairment reported on the Company’s consolidated statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2023. No such amounts were recorded during the year ended December 31, 2022.
Conditional Asset Retirement Obligation
A conditional asset retirement obligation represents a legal obligation to perform an asset retirement activity in which the timing and/or method of settlement depends on a future event that may or may not be within the Company’s control. Currently, the Company does not have any conditional asset retirement obligations. However, any such obligations identified in the future would result in the Company recording a liability if the fair value of the obligation can be reasonably estimated. Environmental studies conducted at the time the Company acquired its properties did not reveal any material environmental liabilities, and the Company is unaware of any subsequent environmental matters that would have created a material liability.
The Company believes that its properties are currently in material compliance with applicable environmental, as well as non-environmental, statutory and regulatory requirements. The Company did not record any conditional asset retirement obligation liabilities during years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
Cash and Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash
The Company considers all highly liquid investments purchased with an original maturity of 90 days or less to be cash and cash equivalents. Cash equivalents are carried at cost, which approximates fair value. Cash equivalents consist primarily of bank operating accounts and money markets. Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk include its cash and equivalents and its trade accounts receivable.
The Company places its cash and cash equivalents and any restricted cash held by the Company on deposit with financial institutions in the United States which are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Company (“FDIC”) up to $250,000. The Company’s credit loss in the event of failure of these financial institutions’ is represented by the difference between the FDIC limit and the total amounts on deposit. Management monitors the financial institutions credit worthiness in conjunction with balances on deposit to minimize risk. As of December 31, 2023, the Company held two cash accounts at a single financial institution with combined balances that exceeded the FDIC limit by $1,366,872. As of December 31, 2022, the Company held two cash accounts at a single financial institution with combined balances that exceeded the FDIC limit by $2,613,789.
Restricted cash represents (i) amounts held by the Company for tenant security deposits, (ii) escrow deposits held by lenders for real estate tax, insurance, and operating reserves, (iii) an escrow for the first year of dividends on the Company’s mandatorily redeemable preferred stock, and (iv) capital reserves held by lenders for investment property capital improvements.
Tenant security deposits are restricted cash balances held by the Company to offset potential damages, unpaid rent or other unmet conditions of its tenant leases. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company reported $260,898 and $267,854, respectively, in security deposits held as restricted cash.
Escrow deposits are restricted cash balances held by lenders for real estate taxes and insurance premiums. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company reported $191,139 and $72,019, respectively, in escrow deposits.
Capital reserves are restricted cash balances held by lenders for capital improvements, leasing commissions and tenant improvements. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company reported $1,122,965 and $1,400,844, respectively, in capital property reserves.
| · · · · · · | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| · · December 31, | |||||
| Property and Purpose of Reserve · · 2023 · · 2022 | |||||
| Ashley Plaza - maintenance and leasing cost reserve | | | 439,404 | | 357,132 |
| Brookfield Center Property – maintenance and leasing cost reserve | | | 91,491 | | 47,313 |
| Franklin Square Property – leasing costs | | 441,360 | | 845,765 | |
| Hanover Square Property – capital reserve | | 150,710 | | 150,634 | |
| Total | | $1,122,965 | | $1,400,844 | |
Share Retirement
ASC 505-30-30-8 provides guidance on accounting for share retirement and establishes two alternative methods for accounting for the repurchase price paid in excess of par value. The Company has elected the method by which the excess between par value and the repurchase price, including costs and fees, is recorded to additional paid in capital on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets. The Company didnot engage in any share repurchases or retirements during the year ended December 31, 2023. During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company repurchased 33,509 shares of common stock, $0.01 par value per share (“Common Shares”), at a total cost of $278,277 at an average price of $8.30 per Common Share (Common Shares and average price adjusted for the Company’s Reverse Stock Split (as defined below)). The Company incurred fees of $8,266 associated with these transactions. Of the total repurchase price, $335 was recorded to Common Shares and the difference, $286,208, was recorded to additional paid in capital on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet.
Revenue Recognition
Retail and Flex Center Property Revenues
The Company recognizes minimum rents from its retail center properties and flex center properties on a straight-line basis over the terms of the respective leases which results in an unbilled rent asset being recorded on the consolidated balance sheets. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company reported $1,109,782 and $1,022,153, respectively, in unbilled rent.
The Company’s leases generally require the tenant to reimburse the Company for a substantial portion of its expenses incurred in operating, maintaining, repairing, insuring and managing the shopping center and common areas (collectively defined as Common Area Maintenance or “CAM” expenses). The Company includes these reimbursements, along with other revenue derived from late fees and seasonal events, on the consolidated statements of operations under the captions "Retail center property revenues” and “Flex center property revenues.” (See Recent Accounting Pronouncements, below.) This significantly reduces the Company’s exposure to increases in costs and operating expenses resulting from inflation or other outside factors. The Company accrues reimbursements from tenants for recoverable portions of all these expenses as revenue in the period the applicable expenditures are incurred. The Company calculates the tenant’s share of operating costs by multiplying the total amount of the operating costs by a fraction, the numerator of which is the total number of square feet being leased by the tenant, and the denominator of which is the average total square footage of all leasable buildings at the property. The Company also receives payments for these reimbursements from substantially all its tenants on a monthly basis throughout the year.
The Company recognizes differences between previously estimated recoveries and the final billed amounts in the year in which the amounts become final. During the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, the Company recognized $117,767 and $311,116, in retail center and flex center property tenant reimbursement revenues resulting from differences between the final billed amounts and previously estimated recoveries. The Company includes these tenant reimbursement revenues on the consolidated statements of operations under the captions "Retail center property revenues” and “Flex center property revenues.”
The Company recognizes lease termination fees in the period that the lease is terminated and collection of the fees is reasonably assured. Upon early lease termination, the Company provides for losses related to unrecovered intangibles and other assets. During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company received a $10,966 termination fee from a tenant in the Company’s Salisbury Marketplace Property. The Company recorded this revenue as other income on the Company’s consolidated statements of operation for the year ended December 31, 2023. Upon early lease termination, any unrecovered intangibles and other assets are written off as a loss on impairment. (See Impairment, above.) The Company did not receive any lease termination fees during the year ended December 31, 2022.
Hotel Property Revenues
Hotel revenues from the Clemson Best Western Property were recognized as earned, which is generally defined as the date upon which a guest occupies a room or utilizes the hotel’s services. Revenues from the Company’s occupancy agreement with Clemson University were recognized as earned, which is as rooms are occupied or otherwise reserved for use by the University. The Clemson University occupancy agreement ended on May 15, 2022 and the Company sold the Clemson Best Western Property on September 29, 2022.
Hotel Property Operating Expenses
All personnel of the Clemson Best Western Property were directly or indirectly employees of Marshall Hotels and Resorts, Inc. (“Marshall”), the Company’s hotel management firm. In addition to fees and services discussed above, the Clemson Best Western Property reimbursed Marshall for all employee related service costs, including payroll salaries and wages, payroll taxes and other employee benefits paid by Marshall its behalf. The total amounts incurred for payroll salaries and wages, payroll taxes and other employee benefits for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 were$0 and$478,774, respectively.
Management Restructuring Expenses
On March 10, 2023, the Board announced that it had established a Special Committee (the “Special Committee”) to explore potential strategic alternatives focusing on maximizing stockholder value. The Special Committee was comprised solely of independent directors and was charged with exploring potential strategic alternatives including, without limitation, a business combination involving the Company, a sale of all or part of the Company’s assets, joint venture arrangements and/or restructurings, and determining whether a strategic transaction was in the best interest of the Company. On April 18, 2023, the Company announced that the Special Committee was in active discussions with potential parties in pursuit of those alternatives. On July 12, 2023, the Board approved the Company’s negotiation of the sale of its interests in four properties from the Company's portfolio. However, on August 7, 2023, the Company announced that it had ceased to pursue the sale of these properties. Subsequent to this August 7, 2023 announcement, the Special Committee has not taken any further actions.
On July 18, 2023, the Company and the Operating Partnership entered into the Termination Agreement with the Manager, William R. Elliott and Thomas E. Messier, which provided for the immediate termination of the Management Agreement and, among other things, aggregate payments of $1,602,717 in settlement of all amounts payable under the Management Agreement (consisting of a $1,250,000 termination fee and the $352,717 Deferred Acquisition Fee, as defined in Note 9, below). The Company has recorded the termination fee and other expenses associated with the Special Committee’s exploration of strategic alternatives as management restructuring expenses on its consolidated statement of operations in accordance with ASC 420-10-S99. Specifically, for the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company recorded $2,066,521 in management restructuring expenses, which included the $1,250,000 termination fee, legal expenses of $544,077, lender fees of $262,007 related to the guaranty substitution (see Note 5, Loans Payable), and $10,437 of other expenses. No such expenses were recorded for the year ended December 31, 2022.
Rent and other receivables
Rent and other receivables include tenant receivables related to base rents and tenant reimbursements. Rent and other receivables do not include receivables attributable to recording rents on a straight-line basis, which are included in unbilled rent, discussed above. The Company determines an allowance for the uncollectible portion of accrued rents and accounts receivable based upon customer credit worthiness (including expected recovery of a claim with respect to any tenants in bankruptcy), historical bad debt levels, and current economic trends. The Company considers a receivable past due once it becomes delinquent per the terms of the lease. A past due receivable triggers certain events such as notices, fees and other allowable and required actions per the lease. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company’s allowance for uncollectible rent totaled $13,413 and $47,109, respectively, which are comprised of amounts specifically identified based on management’s review of individual tenants’ outstanding receivables. Management determined that no additional general reserve is considered necessary as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
Income Taxes
Beginning with the Company’s taxable year ended December 31, 2017, the REIT has elected to be taxed as a real estate investment trust for federal income tax purposes under Sections 856 through 860 of the Internal Revenue Code and applicable Treasury regulations relating to REIT qualification. In order to maintain this REIT status, the regulations require the Company to distribute at least 90% of its taxable income to shareholders and meet certain other asset and income tests, as well as other requirements. If the
Company fails to qualify as a REIT, it will be subject to tax at regular corporate rates for the years in which it fails to qualify. If the Company loses its REIT status it could not elect to be taxed as a REIT for five years unless the Company’s failure to qualify was due to reasonable cause and certain other conditions were satisfied.
During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company's Clemson Best Western TRS entity generated a taxable loss, sono income tax expense was recorded. During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company no longer owned the Clemson Best Western Hotel Property.
Management has evaluated the effect of the guidance provided by GAAP onAccounting for Uncertainty of Income Taxesand has determined that the Company had no uncertain income tax positions.
Use of Estimates
The Company has made estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements, and revenues and expenses during the reported period. The Company’s actual results could differ from these estimates.
Noncontrolling Interests
The ownership interests not held by the REIT are considered noncontrolling interests. There are three elements of noncontrolling interests in the capital structure of the Company. These noncontrolling interests have been reported in equity on the consolidated balance sheets but separate from the Company’s equity. On the consolidated statements of operations, the subsidiaries are reported at the consolidated amount, including both the amount attributable to the Company and noncontrolling interests. The Company’s consolidated statements of changes in stockholders’ equity includes beginning balances, activity for the period and ending balances for shareholders’ equity, noncontrolling interests and total equity.
The first noncontrolling interest is in the Hanover Square Property in which the Company owns an 84% tenancy in common interest through its subsidiary and an outside party owns a 16% tenancy in common interest. The Hanover Square Property’s net is allocated to the noncontrolling ownership interest based on its 16% ownership. During the year ended December 31, 2023,16% of the Hanover Square Property’s net income of$48,209 or$7,714 was allocated to the noncontrolling ownership interest. During the year ended December 31, 2022,16% of the Hanover Square Property’s net income of$237,651 or$38,023 was allocated to the noncontrolling ownership interest.
The second noncontrolling interest is in the Parkway Property in which the Company owns an 82% tenancy in common interest through its subsidiary and an outside party owns an 18% tenancy in common interest. The Parkway Property's net income (loss) is allocated to the noncontrolling ownership interest based on its 18% ownership. During the year ended December 31, 2023,18% of the Parkway Property's net loss of $47,129 or $8,482 was allocated to the noncontrolling ownership interest. During the year ended December 31, 2022,18% of the Parkway Property’s net income of $105,972 or $19,076, was allocated to the noncontrolling ownership interest.
The third noncontrolling ownership interest is the common units of the Operating Partnership (the “Operating Partnership Units”) that are not held by the REIT. In 2017,15,625 Operating Partnership Units were issued to members of the selling limited liability company which owned the Hampton Inn Property who elected to participate in a 721 exchange, which allows the exchange of interests in real property for shares in a real estate investment trust. These members of the selling limited liability company invested $1,175,000 in the Operating Partnership in exchange for 15,625 Operating Partnership Units. Additionally, as discussed above, effective on January 1, 2020,11,731 Operating Partnership Units were issued in exchange for approximately 3.45% of the noncontrolling owner’s tenant in common interest in the Hampton Inn Property. On August 31, 2020, a holder of Operating Partnership Units converted 665 Operating Partnership Units into Common Shares. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022 there were 26,691 Operating Partnership Units outstanding. Outstanding Operating Partnership Units have been adjusted for the Reverse Stock Split (as defined below). (See note 7, below).
The Operating Partnership Units not held by the REIT represent 1.19% of the outstanding Operating Partnership Units as of the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022. The noncontrolling interest percentage is calculated at any point in time by dividing the number of Operating Partnership Units not owned by the Company by the total number of Operating Partnership Units outstanding. The noncontrolling interest ownership percentage will change as additional common or preferred shares are issued by the REIT, or additional Operating Partnerships Units are issued or as Operating Partnership Units are exchanged for the Company’s $0.01 par value per share
Common Shares. During periods when the Operating Partnership’s noncontrolling interest changes, the noncontrolling ownership interest is calculated based on the weighted average Operating Partnership noncontrolling ownership interest during that period. The Operating Partnership’s net loss is allocated to the noncontrolling Operating Partnership Unit holders based on their ownership interest.
During the year ended December 31, 2023, a weighted average of 1.19% of the Operating Partnership’s net loss of$109,823, or$1,307, was allocated to the noncontrolling unit holders. During the year ended December 31, 2022, a weighted average of 1.22% of the Operating Partnership’s net loss of $1,651,829, or$20,072, was allocated to the noncontrolling Operating Partnership Unit holders.
Reclassifications
All per share amounts, Common Shares outstanding, Operating Partnership Units outstanding, and stock-based compensation amounts for all periods presented reflect ourone-for-eight reverse stock split (the “Reverse Stock Split”), which was effective May 3, 2023. (See Completion of 1-for-8 Reverse Stock Split under Note 7, below.)
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Since its initial public offering, the Company elected to be classified as an emerging growth company in its periodic reporting to the SEC, and accordingly followed the private company implementation dates for new accounting pronouncements. Effective for the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company is no longer classified as an emerging growth company but has retained its classification as a smaller reporting company and therefore follows implementation dates applicable to smaller reporting companies with respect to new accounting pronouncements. In addition, the Company has elected to follow scaled disclosure requirements applicable to smaller reporting companies.
Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements
Accounting for Leases
In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued ASU 2016-02,Leases (Topic 842). The amendments in this update govern a number of areas including, but not limited to, accounting for leases, replacing the previous guidance in ASC No. 840,Leases. Under this standard, among other changes in practice, a lessee’s rights and obligations under most leases, including existing and new arrangements, must be recognized as assets and liabilities, respectively, on the balance sheets. Other significant provisions of this standard include (i) defining the “lease term” to include the non-cancelable period together with periods for which there is a significant economic incentive for the lessee to extend or not terminate the lease; (ii) defining the initial lease liability to be recorded on the balance sheets to contemplate only those variable lease payments that depend on an index or that are in substance “fixed,” (iii) a dual approach for determining whether lease expense is recognized on a straight-line or accelerated basis, depending on whether the lessee is expected to consume more than an insignificant portion of the leased asset’s economic benefits and (iv) a requirement to bifurcate certain lease and non-lease components. The lease standard was effective for public companies for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018 (including interim periods within those fiscal years) and for private companies, fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, with early adoption permitted. The FASB subsequently deferred the effective date of ASU 2016-02 for private companies by one year, to fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020, to provide those companies with additional time to address various implementation challenges and complexities. In June 2020, the FASB further deferred the effective date due to the effects on private companies from business and capital market disruptions caused by the novel coronavirus (“COVID-19”) pandemic. Following those deferrals, ASU 2016-02 became effective for private companies for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2021, and for interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022. The Company adopted the standard effective on January 1, 2022 using the modified retrospective approach within ASU 2018-11, which allows for the application date to be the beginning of the reporting period in which the entity first applies the new standard. The Company historically has not been and is not currently a “lessee” under any lease agreements, and thus did not have any arrangements requiring the recognition of lease assets or liabilities on its balance sheet.
As a “lessor”, the Company has active lease agreements with over 125 tenants across its portfolio of investment properties. On a prospective and retrospective basis, the accounting for those leases under ASU 2016-02 (ASC No. 842) is substantially unchanged from the previous guidance in ASC No. 840. However, upon the adoption of ASC No. 842, the Company has elected the practical expedient permitting lessors to elect by class of underlying asset to not separate non-lease components (for example, maintenance services, including common area maintenance) from associated lease components (the “non-separation practical expedient”) if both of the following criteria are met: (1) the timing and pattern of transfer of the lease and non-lease component(s) are the same and (2) the lease component would be classified as an operating lease if it were accounted for separately. If both criteria are met, the combined component is accounted for in accordance with ASC No. 842 if the lease component is the predominant component of the combined
component; otherwise, the combined component is accounted for in accordance with the revenue recognition standard. Prior to the adoption of ASC No. 842, the Company separated lease-related revenue from its retail center and flex center properties into two components. Fixed rental payments under its leases (recognized on a straight-line basis over the term of the underlying lease) were recorded as retail center property revenues and flex center property revenues. Variable payments under the leases made by tenants for real estate taxes, insurance and common area maintenance (“CAM”) expenses were recorded as retail center and flex center tenant reimbursements. With the adoption of ASC No. 842, the Company determined that its retail center and flex center operating leases qualify for the non-separation practical expedient based on the guidance. As a result, the Company has accounted for and presented the revenues from these leases, including tenant reimbursements, as a single line item on its consolidated statements of operations.
Debt With Conversion Options
In August 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-06,Debt - Debt With Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20) and Derivatives and Hedging - Contracts in an Entity’s Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40): Accounting for Convertible Instruments and Contracts in an Entity’s Own Equity. The objective of ASU 2020-06 is to reduce the current complexity involved in accounting for convertible financial instruments by reducing the number of accounting models applicable to those instruments in the existing guidance. Following the adoption of ASU 2020-06, companies are expected to encounter fewer instances in which a convertible financial instrument must be separated into a debt or equity component and a derivative component for accounting purposes due to the embedded conversion feature. As a result of these revisions, debt instruments issued with a beneficial conversion feature will no longer require separation and thus will be accounted for as a single debt instrument under the updated guidance. In addition to those changes, ASU 2020-06 adds several incremental financial statement disclosures with respect to a company’s convertible financial instruments and makes certain refinements with respect to calculating the effect of those instruments on a company’s diluted earnings per share. ASU 2020-06 became effective for public companies for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2021 (including interim periods within those fiscal years), and for private companies, fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022. The updated guidance in ASU 2020-06 was adopted effective January 1, 2023, which did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
Credit Losses on Financial Instruments
In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13,Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. This update enhances the methodology of measuring expected credit losses to include the use of forward-looking information to better calculate credit loss estimates. The guidance applies to most financial assets measured at amortized cost and certain other instruments, such as accounts receivable and loans; however, it does not apply to receivables arising from operating leases accounted for in accordance with ASC Topic 842. ASU 2016-13 requires that the Company estimate the lifetime expected credit loss with respect to applicable receivables and record allowances that, when deducted from the balance of the receivables, represent the net amounts expected to be collected. The Company is also required to disclose information about how it developed the allowances, including changes in the factors that influenced the Company’s estimate of expected credit losses and the reasons for those changes. The Company’s credit losses primarily arise from tenant defaults on amounts due under operating leases. As noted, these losses are not subject to the guidance in ASU 2016-13, and historically have not been significant. The Company adopted the update on the required effective date of January 1, 2023, which did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
Effects of Reference Rate Reform
In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-04,Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting. The London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR), which has been widely used as a reference interest rate in debt agreements and other contracts, was effectively discontinued for new contracts as of December 31, 2021, and its publication for existing contracts was discontinued as of June 30, 2023. Financial market regulators in certain jurisdictions throughout the world undertook reference rate reform initiatives to guide the transition and modification of debt agreements and other contracts that are based on LIBOR to the successor reference rate designated to replace it. ASU 2020-04 was issued to provide companies impacted by these changes with the opportunity to elect certain expedients and exceptions that are intended to ease the potential burden of accounting for or recognizing the effects of reference rate reform on financial reporting. Under ASU 2020-04, companies were permitted to elect to use the expedients and exceptions provided therein for any reference rate contract modifications that occurred in reporting periods that encompassed the timeline from March 12, 2020 to December 31, 2022. The FASB subsequently issued ASU 2022-06,Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Deferral of the Sunset of Topic 848, to extend that timeline from December 31, 2022 to December 31, 2024. The Company’s Parkway Property is financed by a mortgage loan with a corresponding interest rate protection agreement which both used USD LIBOR as the reference interest rate (see Note 5, below). The mortgage loan matures on November 1, 2031, and the interest rate protection agreement expires on December 1, 2026. Effective July 1, 2023, the mortgage loan on the Parkway Property was modified to replace the USD LIBOR reference rate with Term SOFR and the interest rate protection agreement was modified to replace the USD
LIBOR reference rate with SOFR (see Note 5, below). The Company elected to apply the expedients and exceptions provided in ASU 2020-04 to these changes. The Company elected to account for the incorporation of the corresponding SOFR rate as the replacement reference rate prospectively without requiring contract modification accounting or reassessment of the effectiveness of the interest rate protection transaction. The reference rate changes and the application of the expedients in ASU 2020-04 did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
Upcoming Accounting Pronouncements
General Disclosure Improvements
In October 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-06,Disclosure Improvements: Codification Amendments in Response to the SEC’s Disclosure Update and Simplification Initiative. ASU 2023-06 amends various subtopics of the FASB Accounting Standards Codification to incorporate into generally accepted accounting principles certain incremental presentation and disclosure requirements that were added to the SEC’s reporting regulations for public companies in 2018. Several of these presentation and disclosure requirements are applicable to the Company, including disclosures related to mortgaged assets, unused lines of credit, the presentation of gains and losses from derivative instruments in the statement of cash flows, and the tax status of distributions to stockholders. The amendments made to the specific subtopics of the Codification become effective only if and when the SEC removes the related presentation or disclosure requirement from its regulations by June 30, 2027. As a public company, the Company is already subject to the relevant presentation and disclosure requirements under the existing SEC regulations, but management is still evaluating the impact on the Company’s financial statements.
Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures
In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-07,Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures. The objective of ASU 2023-07 is to improve reportable segment disclosures by public companies, primarily by requiring enhanced disclosures about significant segment expenses. Under the updates in this guidance, companies are required to disclose, on an annual and interim basis, significant segment expenses that are regularly provided to the chief operating decision maker and included within each reported measure of segment profit or loss. Additionally, a total for all other expenses that are not determined to be significant segment expenses must be separately presented for each reported measure of segment profit or loss for the corresponding reporting periods, and a description of the expenses included in that total must be provided in the disclosure. The updated guidance also requires disclosure of the title and position of the chief operating decision maker and an explanation of how the company’s reported measure(s) of segment profit or loss are used in assessing segment performance and deciding how to allocate the company’s resources. ASU 2023-07 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024, which means that the Company will be required to include the enhanced disclosures beginning with its consolidated financial statements for the year ending December 31, 2024. The guidance must be applied retrospectively, and early adoption is permitted. As discussed in Note 10, the Company has reportable segments for retail center properties and flex center properties, and it previously had a reportable segment for hotel properties. The Company is currently evaluating the new disclosure requirements in ASU 2023-07 to determine the impact on its consolidated financial statements.
Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures
In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09,Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures. ASU 2023-09 expands existing disclosures related to income taxes by requiring that specific items be presented separately in the income tax rate reconciliation and by requiring additional disaggregated disclosures for income taxes paid and for pretax income and income tax expense from continuing operations. The guidance in ASU 2023-09 is effective for public companies for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2024, with early adoption permitted. As discussed in Note 1, the Company has elected to be taxed as a real estate investment trust (REIT) for federal income tax purposes and does not incur or report federal or state income tax expense in its consolidated financial statements. Accordingly, the disclosure requirements for income taxes in ASC Topic 740, including the new disclosures under ASU 2023-09, will not apply to the Company as long as its REIT tax status is maintained.
Evaluation of the Company’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern
Under the accounting guidance related to the presentation of financial statements, the Company is required to evaluate, on a quarterly basis, whether or not the entity’s current financial condition, including its sources of liquidity at the date that the consolidated financial statements are issued, will enable the entity to meet its obligations as they come due arising within one year of the date of the
issuance of the Company’s consolidated financial statements and to make a determination as to whether or not it is probable, under the application of this accounting guidance, that the entity will be able to continue as a going concern. The Company’s consolidated financial statements have been presented on a going concern basis, which contemplates the realization of assets and the satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business.
The redemption date of the Company’s mandatorily redeemable preferred is February 19, 2025 (the “Redemption Date”). The Company will require additional liquidity to fund the redemption. The Company expects to be able to generate this liquidity from a number of sources, including cash on hand, forecasted future cash flows for the periods prior to the Redemption Date, proceeds from the Company’s line of credit (see Note 5), should the Company be successful in extending its term, proceeds from the sale of the Company’s Hanover Square Shopping Center (see Note 3), and careful management of the Company’s capital expenditures during the periods prior to the Redemption Date.
In applying applicable accounting guidance, management considered the Company’s current financial condition and liquidity sources, including current funds available, forecasted future cash flows, the Company’s obligations due over the next twelve months as well as the Company’s recurring business operating expenses. The Company concludes that it is probable that the Company will be able to meet its obligations arising within one year of the date of issuance of these consolidated financial statements within the parameters set forth in the accounting guidance.
- Investment Properties
Investment properties consist of the following:
| · · · · · · | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| · · December 31, | ||||
| · · 2023 · 2022 | ||||
| Land | | $13,720,502 | | $16,526,436 |
| Site improvements | | 3,797,755 | | 4,719,926 |
| Buildings and improvements (1) | | 58,183,070 | | 64,669,498 |
| Investment properties at cost (2) | | 75,701,327 | | 85,915,860 |
| Less accumulated depreciation | | 11,123,951 | | 9,400,908 |
| Investment properties, net | | $64,577,376 | | $76,514,952 |
| (1) | Includes tenant improvements (both those acquired as part of the acquisition of the properties and those constructed after the properties’ acquisition), capitalized leasing commissions and other capital costs incurred post-acquisition. |
| (2) | Excludes intangible assets and liabilities (see Note 2, above, for a discussion of the Company’s accounting treatment of intangible assets), escrow deposits and property reserves. |
The Company’s depreciation expense on investment properties was $3,683,815 and$3,381,249 for theyears ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
Capitalized tenant improvements
The Company carries two categories of capitalized tenant improvements on its consolidated balance sheets, both of which are recorded under investment properties, net, on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets. The first category is the allocation of acquisition costs to tenant improvements that is recorded on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet as of the date of the Company’s acquisition of the investment property. The second category are tenant improvement costs incurred and paid by the Company subsequent to the acquisition of the investment property. Both are recorded as a component of investment properties on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets. Depreciation expense on both categories of tenant improvements is recorded as a component of depreciation expense on the Company’s consolidated statement of operations.
The Company generally records depreciation of capitalized tenant improvements on a straight-line basis over the terms of the related leases. Details of these deferred costs, net of depreciation are as follows:
| · · · · · · | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| · · December 31, | ||||
| · · · · · · | ||||
| · · 2023 · 2022 | ||||
| Capitalized tenant improvements – acquisition cost allocation, net | | $2,504,953 | | $3,178,534 |
| Capitalized tenant improvements incurred subsequent to acquisition, net | | 898,873 | | 338,836 |
Depreciation of capitalized tenant improvements arising from the acquisition cost allocation was $651,935 and $622,827 for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Additionally, the Company wrote off capitalized tenant improvements arising from the acquisition cost allocation of $21,646 associated with two of the tenants which terminated leases early during the year ended December 31, 2023. During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company wrote off capitalized tenant improvements arising from the acquisition cost allocation of $13,879 associated with the two tenants which defaulted on their leases and abandoned their premises.
During the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company recorded $828,676 and $177,373, respectively, in capitalized tenant improvements. Depreciation of capitalized tenant improvements incurred subsequent to acquisition was $184,161 and $95,877 for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company transferred $84,478 in capitalized tenant improvements related to the Hanover Square Shopping Center to assets held for sale on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets.
Capitalized leasing commissions
The Company carries two categories of capitalized leasing commissions on its consolidated balance sheets. The first category is the allocation of acquisition costs to leasing commissions that is recorded as an intangible asset (see Note 2, above, for a discussion of the Company’s accounting treatment for intangible assets) on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet as of the date of the Company’s acquisition of the investment property. The second category is leasing commissions incurred and paid by the Company subsequent to the acquisition of the investment property. These costs are carried on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets under investment properties.
The Company generally records depreciation of capitalized leasing commissions on a straight-line basis over the terms of the related leases. Details of these deferred costs, net of depreciation are as follows:
| · · · · · · | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| · · December 31, | |||
| · · 2023 · · 2022 | |||
| Capitalized leasing commissions, net | | $759,677 | $555,956 |
During the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company recorded $432,613 and $300,333, respectively in capitalized leasing commissions. Depreciation on capitalized leasing commissions was $152,661 and $100,702 for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Additionally, the Company wrote off capitalized leasing commissions of $8,078 associated with a tenant that abandoned its premises during the year ended December 31, 2023. No such write offs were recorded during the year ended December 31, 2022.
Assets held for sale
The Company records properties as assets held for sale, and any associated mortgages payable, net, as mortgages payable, net, associated with assets held for sale, on the Company's consolidated balance sheets when management has committed to a plan to sell the assets, actively seeks a buyer for the assets, and the consummation of the sale is considered probable and is expected within one year.
During November 2023, the Company committed to a plan to sell an asset group associated with the Hanover Square Property that includes the land, site improvements, building, and building improvements. As a result, as of December 1, 2023, the Company reclassified these assets, and the related mortgage payable, net, for the Hanover Square Property as assets held for sale and liabilities associated with assets held for sale, respectively. Under ASC 360, depreciation of assets held for sale is discontinued, so no further depreciation or amortization was recorded subsequent to December 1, 2023. The Company believes that the fair value, less estimated
costs to sell, exceeds the Company’s carrying cost, so the Company has not recorded any impairment of assets held for sale related to the Hanover Square Property for the year ended December 31, 2023.
As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, assets held for sale and liabilities associated with assets held for sale consisted of the following:
| · · · · · · | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| · · December 31, | ||||
| | | 2023 | | 2022 |
| Investment properties, net | | $9,707,154 | $— | |
| Total assets held for sale | | $9,707,154 | | $— |
| · · · · · · | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| · · December 31, | ||||
| | | 2023 | | 2022 |
| Mortgages payable, net | | $9,588,888 | $— | |
| Total liabilities associated with assets held for sale | | $9,588,888 | | $— |
Sale of investment property
On September 29, 2022, the Company sold the Clemson Best Western Hotel Property to an unrelated third party for a sale price of $10,015,000, resulting in a loss on disposal of investment properties of $421,096 reported on the Company's consolidated statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2022.
The Company reports properties that have been either previously disposed or that are currently held for sale in continuing operations in the Company's consolidated statements of operations if the disposition, or anticipated disposition, of the assets does not represent a shift in the Company's investment strategy. The Company's sale of the Clemson Best Western Hotel Property does not constitute a change in the Company's investment strategy, which continues to include limited-service hotels as a targeted asset class.
Operating results of the Clemson Best Western Hotel Property which are included in continuing operations, are as follows:
| | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | For the year ended December 31, | |||||
| · 2023 · 2022 | ||||||
| Hotel property room revenues | | $— | | $1,494,836 | ||
| Hotel property other revenues | | — | | 12,813 | ||
| Total Revenue | | — | | 1,507,649 | ||
| Hotel property operating expenses | | | — | | | 1,335,801 |
| Total Operating Expenses | | | — | | | 1,335,801 |
| Loss on disposal of investment property | | | | | | (421,096) |
| Operating Income | | | — | | | (249,248) |
| Interest expense | | | — | | | 427,244 |
| Net Loss from Operations | | | — | | | (676,492) |
| Other expense | | | — | | | (48) |
| Net Loss | | | — | | | (676,540) |
| Net loss attributable to Operating Partnership noncontrolling interests | | | — | | | (12,827) |
| Net Loss Attributable to Medalist Common Shareholders | | | — | | | (663,713) |
2022 Property Acquisitions
On June 13, 2022, the Company completed its acquisition of the Salisbury Marketplace Property, a 79,732 square foot retail property located in Salisbury, North Carolina, through a wholly owned subsidiary. The Salisbury Marketplace Property, built in 1986, was 85.3% leased as of December 31, 2023, and is anchored by Food Lion, Citi Trends and Family Dollar. The purchase price for the Salisbury Marketplace Property was $10,025,000 paid through a combination of cash provided by the Company and the incurrence of new mortgage debt. The Company’s total investment was $10,279,714. The Company incurred $254,714 of acquisition and closing costs which were capitalized and added to the tangible assets acquired.
| | | | |
|---|---|---|---|
| | | | Salisbury |
| | | | Marketplace |
| · · Property | |||
| Fair value of assets acquired: | | | |
| Investment property (a) | | $9,963,258 | |
| Lease intangibles and other assets (b) | | | 1,045,189 |
| Above market leases (b) | | | 40,392 |
| Below market leases (b) | | | (769,125) |
| Fair value of net assets acquired (c) | | $10,279,714 | |
| | | | |
| Purchase consideration: | | | |
| Consideration paid with cash (d) | | $3,746,561 | |
| Consideration paid with new mortgage debt, net (e) | | 6,533,153 | |
| Total consideration (f) | | $10,279,714 | |
| a. | Represents the fair value of the investment property acquired which includes land, buildings, site improvements, tenant improvements and furniture, fixtures and equipment. The fair value was determined using the market approach, the cost approach, the income approach or a combination thereof. Closing and acquisition costs were allocated and added to the fair value of the tangible assets acquired. |
| b. | Represents the fair value of lease intangibles and other assets. Lease intangibles include leasing commissions, leases in place, above market leases, below market leases and legal and marketing costs associated with replacing existing leases. |
| c. | Represents the total fair value of assets and liabilities acquired at closing. |
| d. | Represents cash paid at closing and cash paid for acquisition (including intangible assets), and closing costs paid at closing or directly by the Company outside of closing. |
| e. | Represents allocation of the Wells Fargo Mortgage Facility proceeds used to fund the purchase of the Salisbury Marketplace Property, net of $18,847 in capitalized loan issuance costs. See Note 5, below. |
| f. | Represents the consideration paid for the fair value of the assets and liabilities acquired. |
- Mandatorily Redeemable Preferred Stock
On February 19, 2020, the Company issued and sold 200,000 shares of 8.0% Series A cumulative redeemable preferred stock at$23.00 per share, resulting in gross proceeds of$4,600,000. Net proceeds from the issuance were$3,860,882, which includes the impact of the underwriter’s discounts, selling commissions and legal, accounting and other professional fees, and is presented on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets as mandatorily redeemable preferred stock.
The mandatorily redeemable preferred stock has an aggregate liquidation preference of$5 million, plus any accrued and unpaid dividends thereon. The mandatorily redeemable preferred stock is senior to the Company’s Common Shares and any class or series of capital stock expressly designated as ranking junior to the mandatorily redeemable preferred stock as to distribution rights and rights upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up (“Junior Stock”). The mandatorily redeemable preferred stock is on a parity with any class or series of the Company’s capital stock expressly designated as ranking on a parity with the mandatorily redeemable preferred stock as to distribution rights and rights upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up (“Parity Stock”).
If outstanding on February 19, 2025, the mandatorily redeemable preferred stock must be redeemed by the Company on that date, the fifth anniversary of the date of issuance. Beginning on February 19, 2022, the second anniversary of the issuance, the Company may redeem the outstanding mandatorily redeemable preferred stock for an amount equal to its aggregate liquidation preference, plus any accrued but unpaid dividends. The holders of the mandatorily redeemable preferred stock may also require the Company to redeem the stock upon a change of control of the Company for an amount equal to its aggregate liquidation preference plus any accrued and unpaid dividends thereon.
The Company believes that it has a range of options available to fund the redemption of the mandatorily redeemable preferred stock including using a combination of cash on hand, cash generated from operations for the year ended December 31, 2024, cash from the proceeds of the sale of the Hanover Square Property, should the sale close (see note 3), and proceeds from the Wells Fargo line of credit, should the line of credit be renewed on its June 9, 2024 expiration date. In addition to these funding sources, the Company believes that it could generate cash to redeem the mandatorily redeemable preferred stock by issuing a new series of preferred stock, issuing shares of its common stock under the Company’s shelf registration, which expires on June 21, 2024 or issuing other debt or equity instruments. There is no assurance that the Company will be able to generate sufficient funding to fund the redemption of the mandatorily redeemable preferred stock.
Holders of the mandatorily redeemable preferred stock generally have no voting rights. However, if the Company does not pay dividends on the mandatorily redeemable preferred stock forsix consecutive quarterly periods, the holders of that stock, voting together as a single class with the holders of any outstanding Parity Stock having similar voting rights, will be entitled to vote for the election oftwo additional directors to serve on the Board until the Company pays all dividends owed on the mandatorily redeemable preferred stock. The affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the outstanding shares of mandatorily redeemable preferred stock, voting together as a single class with the holders of any other class or series of the Company’s preferred stock upon which like voting rights have been conferred and are exercisable, is required for the Company to authorize, create or increase the number of shares of any class or series of capital stock expressly designated as ranking senior to the mandatorily redeemable preferred stock as to distribution rights and rights upon the Company’s liquidation, dissolution or winding up. In addition, the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the outstanding shares of mandatorily redeemable preferred stock (voting as a separate class) is required to amend the Company’s charter (including the articles supplementary designating the mandatorily redeemable preferred stock) in a manner that materially and adversely affects the rights of the holders of mandatorily redeemable preferred stock. Among other things, the Company may, without any vote of the holders of mandatorily redeemable preferred stock, issue additional shares of mandatorily redeemable preferred stock and may authorize and issue additional shares of any class or series of any Junior Stock or Parity Stock.
The Company has classified the mandatorily redeemable preferred stock as a liability in accordance with ASC Topic No. 480, “Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity,” which states that mandatorily redeemable financial instruments should be classified as liabilities and therefore the related dividend payments are treated as a component of interest expense in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations (see Note 5, below, for a discussion of interest expense associated with the mandatorily redeemable preferred stock).
For the following periods during which the mandatorily redeemable preferred stock has been outstanding, the Company has paid a cash dividend on the stock equal to 8% per annum, paid quarterly, as follows:
| | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| · · Amount · | |||||||
| Payment Date · · Record Date · · per share · · For the period | |||||||
| April 27, 2020 | | April 24, 2020 | | $0.37 | February 19, 2020 - April 27, 2020 | ||
| July 24, 2020 | | July 22, 2020 | | 0.50 | April 28, 2020 - July 24, 2020 | ||
| October 26, 2020 | | October 23, 2020 | | 0.50 | July 25, 2020 - October 26, 2020 | ||
| February 1, 2021 | | January 29, 2021 | | 0.50 | October 27, 2020 - February 1, 2021 | ||
| April 30, 2021 | | April 26, 2021 | | | 0.50 | | February 2, 2021 – April 30, 2021 |
| July 26, 2021 | | July 12, 2021 | | | 0.50 | | May 1, 2021 - July 26, 2021 |
| October 27, 2021 | | October 25, 2021 | | | 0.50 | | July 27, 2021 – October 26, 2021 |
| January 20, 2022 | | January 13, 2022 | | | 0.50 | | October 27, 2021 – January 19, 2022 |
| April 21, 2022 | | April 18, 2022 | | | 0.50 | | January 20, 2022 - April 20, 2022 |
| July 21, 2022 | | July 18, 2022 | | | 0.50 | | April 21, 2022 - July 20, 2022 |
| October 20, 2022 | | October 17, 2022 | | | 0.50 | | July 21, 2022 - October 19, 2022 |
| January 27, 2023 | | January 24, 2023 | | | 0.50 | | October 20, 2022 - January 19, 2023 |
| April 28, 2023 | | April 25, 2023 | | | 0.50 | | January 20, 2023 - April 20, 2023 |
| November 1, 2023 | | October 30, 2023 | | | 0.50 | | April 21, 2023 - July 20, 2023 |
| November 1, 2023 | | October 30, 2023 | | | 0.50 | | July 21, 2023 - October 20, 2023 |
| February 6, 2024 | | February 2, 2024 | | | 0.50 | | October 21, 2023 - January 20, 2024 |
As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company recorded$70,004 and$70,004, respectively, in accrued but unpaid dividends on the mandatorily redeemable preferred stock. This amount is reported in accounts payable and accrued liabilities on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets.
The mandatorily redeemable preferred stock was issued at $23.00 per share, a $2.00 per share discount. The total discount of $400,000 is being amortized over thefive-year life of the shares using the effective interest method. Additionally, the Company incurred $739,118 in legal, accounting, other professional fees and underwriting discounts related to this offering. These costs were recorded as deferred financing costs on the accompanying consolidated balance sheets as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of the mandatorily redeemable preferred stock liability and are being amortized using the effective interest method over the term of the agreement.
Amortization of the discount and deferred financing costs related to the mandatorily redeemable preferred stock totaling$243,054 and$222,881 was included in interest expense for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations. Accumulated amortization of the discount and deferred financing costs was$832,693 and$589,639 as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
- Loans Payable
Mortgages Payable
The Company’s mortgages payables, net consists of the following:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| · · Monthly · · Interest · · · · December 31, | |||||||||||||
| Property · Payment · Rate · Maturity · · 2023 · 2022 | |||||||||||||
| Franklin Square (a) | | Interest only | 3.808% | December 2031 | | $13,250,000 | | $13,250,000 | |||||
| Hanover Square (b) | $78,098 | 6.94% | December 2027 | | — | | 9,877,867 | ||||||
| Ashley Plaza (c) | | $52,795 | 3.75% | September 2029 | | 10,708,557 | | 10,930,370 | |||||
| Brookfield Center (d) | | $22,876 | | 3.90% | November 2029 | | | 4,571,410 | | | 4,663,206 | ||
| Parkway Center (e) | | $38,427 | | Variable | | November 2031 | | | 4,870,403 | | | 4,992,427 | |
| Wells Fargo Facility (f) | | $103,438 | | 4.50% | June 2027 | | | 17,939,276 | | | 18,351,981 | ||
| Unamortized issuance costs, net | | | | | | | | | | (566,873) | | | (725,592) |
| Total mortgages payable, net | | | | | $50,772,773 | | $61,340,259 | ||||||
| (a) | The mortgage loan for the Franklin Square Property in the principal amount of $13,250,000 has a ten-year term and a maturity date of December 6, 2031. The mortgage loan bears interest at a fixed rate of 3.808% and is interest only until January 6, 2025, at which time the monthly payment will become $61,800, which includes interest and principal based on a thirty-year amortization schedule. The mortgage loan includes covenants for the Company to maintain a net worth of $13,250,000, excluding the assets and liabilities associated with the Franklin Square Property and for the Company to maintain liquid assets of no less than $1,000,000. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company believes that it is compliant with these covenants. The Company has guaranteed the payment and performance of the obligations of the mortgage loan. |
| (b) | As of December 31, 2023, the Company reclassified the mortgage loan for the Hanover Square Property to mortgages payable, net, associated with assets held for sale (see below). |
| (c) | The mortgage loan for the Ashley Plaza Property bears interest at a fixed rate of 3.75% and was interest only for the first twelve months. Beginning on October 1, 2020, the monthly payment became $52,795 for the remaining term of the loan, which includes interest at the fixed rate, and principal, based on a thirty-year amortization schedule. Effective on December 26, 2023, the Company assumed certain guaranty obligations under the Ashley Plaza mortgage loan related to the Guaranty Substitution (see below). These obligations include covenants for the Company to maintain a net worth of $11,400,000, excluding the liabilities associated with the mortgage loan for the Ashley Plaza Property, and for the Company to maintain liquid assets of no less than $1,140,000. As of December 31, 2023, the Company believes that it is compliant with these covenants. |
| (d) | The mortgage loan for the Brookfield Property bears interest at a fixed rate of 3.90% and was interest only for the first twelve months. Beginning on November 1, 2020, the monthly payment became $22,876 for the remaining term of the loan, which includes interest at the fixed rate, and principal, based on a thirty-year amortization schedule. Effective on December 26, 2023, the Company assumed certain guaranty obligations under the Brookfield Property mortgage loan related to the Guaranty Substitution (see below). These obligations include covenants for the Company to maintain a net worth of $4,850,000, excluding the liabilities associated with the mortgage loan for the Brookfield Property, and for the Company to maintain liquid assets of no less than $485,000. As of December 31, 2023, the Company believes that it is compliant with these covenants. |
| (e) | The interest rate for the mortgage loan for the Parkway Property was originally based on ICE LIBOR plus 225 basis points, with a minimum rate of 2.25%. After the discontinuation of LIBOR on June 30, 2023, the ICE LIBOR index was replaced by Term SOFR, with an adjusted margin of 236.44 basis points. Under the terms of the mortgage, the interest rate payable each month shall not change by greater than 1% during any six-month period and 2% during any 12-month period. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022 the rate in effect for the Parkway Property mortgage was 7.05% and 6.37%, respectively. The monthly payment, which varies based on the interest rate in effect each month, includes interest at the variable rate, and principal based on a thirty-year amortization schedule. The mortgage loan for the Parkway Property includes a covenant to maintain a debt service coverage ratio of not less than 1.30 to 1.00 on an annual basis. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company believes that it is compliant with this covenant. |
| (f) | On June 13, 2022, the Company entered into a mortgage loan facility with Wells Fargo Bank (the “Wells Fargo Mortgage Facility”) in the principal amount of $18,609,500. The proceeds of this mortgage were used to finance the acquisition of the Salisbury Marketplace Property and to refinance the mortgages payable on the Lancer Center Property and the Greenbrier Business Center Property. The Wells Fargo Mortgage Facility bears interest at a fixed rate of 4.50% for a five-year term. The monthly payment, which includes interest at the fixed rate, and principal, based on a twenty-five-year amortization schedule, is $103,438. The Company has provided an unconditional guaranty of the payment of and performance under the terms of the Wells Fargo Mortgage Facility. The Wells Fargo Mortgage Facility credit agreement includes covenants to maintain a debt service coverage ratio of not less than 1.50 to 1.00 on an annual basis, a minimum debt yield of 9.5% on the Salisbury Marketplace Property, the Lancer Center Property and the Greenbrier Business Center Property, and the maintenance of liquid assets of not less than $1,500,000. As of December 31, 2023, the Company believes that it is compliant with these covenants. |
The Company refinanced the mortgage loan for the Lancer Center Property, using proceeds from the Wells Fargo Facility. The Company accounted for this refinancing transaction under debt extinguishment accounting in accordance with ASC 470, and for the year ended December 31, 2022, recorded a loss on extinguishment of debt of $113,282. The original mortgage loan for the Lancer Center Property bore interest at a fixed rate of 4.00%. The monthly payment was $34,667 which included interest at the fixed rate and principal, based on atwenty-five-year amortization schedule. No such loss was recorded during the year ended December 31, 2023.
The Company refinanced the mortgage loan for the Greenbrier Business Center Property, using proceeds from the Wells Fargo Facility. The Company accounted for this refinancing transaction under debt extinguishment accounting in accordance with ASC 470, and for the year ended December 31, 2022, recorded a loss on extinguishment of debt of $56,393. The Company assumed the original mortgage loan for the Greenbrier Business Center Property from the seller. No such loss was recorded during the year ended December 31, 2023.
Guaranty Substitution
Pursuant to the terms of the Termination Agreement, during December 2023 the Company entered into consent agreements with lenders for the Ashley Plaza Property, Brookfield Property, Franklin Square Property and Parkway Property mortgages under which the Company replaced certain guaranty obligations of the Messrs. Messier and Elliott. Under these agreements, the Company assumed guaranties related to environmental waste and acts of fraud, among others, and consented to certain covenants (discussed above) to maintain minimum net worth and liquidity levels. For the Franklin Square Property mortgage loan, the termination of the Management Agreement was considered an event of default. Under the consent agreement for the Franklin Square Property mortgage loan, the lender agreed to waive the event of default in exchange for the payment of a $132,500 consent fee, and the Company’s agreement to fully guaranty the Franklin Square Property mortgage loan. The $132,500 consent fee is recorded as part of the management restructuring fee on the consolidated statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2023. No such expenses were recorded for the year ended December 31, 2022.
Mortgages payable, net, associated with assets held for sale
The Company’s mortgages payables, net, associated with assets held for sale, consists of the following:
| · · · · · · · · · · · · | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| · · · · · · · · · · · · | |||||||||||
| · · · · · · · · · · · · | |||||||||||
| · · Monthly · · Interest · · · · December 31, | |||||||||||
| Property · Payment · Rate · Maturity · · 2023 · 2022 | |||||||||||
| Hanover Square (a) | $78,098 | 6.94% | December 2027 | | | 9,640,725 | | | — | ||
| Unamortized issuance costs, net | | | (51,837) | | — | ||||||
| Total mortgages payable, net, associated with assets held for sale | | | | | | $9,588,888 | | $— | |||
| (a) | The mortgage loan for the Hanover Square Property bore interest at a fixed rate of 4.25% until January 1, 2023, when the interest rate adjusted to a fixed rate of 6.94%, which was determined by adding 3.00% to the daily average yield on United States Treasury securities adjusted to a constant maturity of five years, as made available by the Federal Reserve Board, with a minimum of 4.25%. As a result of the interest rate change, as of February 1, 2023, the fixed monthly payment of $56,882 increased to $78,098 which includes interest at the fixed rate, and principal, based on a twenty-five-year amortization schedule. The mortgage loan agreement for the Hanover Square property includes covenants to (i) maintain a Debt Service Coverage Ratio (“DSCR”) in excess of 1.35 and (ii) maintain a loan-to-value of real estate ratio of 75%. As of December 31, 2022, the Company believes that it was compliant with these covenants. As of December 31, 2023, the Company believes it was in compliance with the loan-to-value covenant, but the Company was not in compliance with the DSCR covenant. The Company notified the lender which responded that it considers this a technical default and does not intend to take any action related to the default because the Company is current on its obligations under the mortgage and intends to sell the property in the near future. |
Interest rate protection transaction
On October 28, 2021, the Company entered into an interest rate protection transaction to limit its exposure to increases in interest rates on the variable rate mortgage loan on the Parkway Property (the “Interest Rate Protection Transaction”). Under this agreement, the Company’s interest rate exposure iscapped at 5.25% if USD 1-Month ICE LIBOR exceeds 3%. Effective on July 1, 2023, the interest rate index under the Interest Rate Protection Transaction automatically converted to SOFR. As of December 31, 2023, SOFR was 5.35% and as of December 31, 2022, USD 1-Month ICE LIBOR was 4.39%. In accordance with the guidance on derivatives and hedging, the Company records all derivatives on the balance sheet at fair value under other assets. The Company determines fair value based on the three-level valuation hierarchy for fair value measurement. Level 1 inputs are quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. Level 2 inputs are quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets; quoted prices for identical or similar assets in markets that are not active; and inputs other than quoted prices. Level 3 inputs are unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities. The fair value of the Interest Rate Protection Transaction is valued by an independent, third-party consultant which uses observable inputs such as yield curves, volatilities and other current market data, all of which are considered Level 2 inputs. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the fair value of the interest Rate Protection Transaction was $173,715 and $258,279, respectively, and is recorded under other assets on the Company’s balance sheets. The Company reports changes in the fair value of the derivative in other income on its consolidated statements of operations.
For the period from September 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023, LIBOR, and for the period from July 1, 2023 through December 31, 2023, SOFR exceeded the 3%cap, and payments from the Interest Rate Protection Transaction reduced the Company’s net interest expense. Payments to the Company from the Interest Rate Protection Transaction are recorded as an offset to interest expense on the Company’s consolidated statements of operations for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022.
Wells Fargo Line of Credit
On June 13, 2022, the Company, through its wholly owned subsidiaries, entered into a loan agreement with Wells Fargo Bank for a $1,500,000 line of credit (the “Wells Fargo Line of Credit”). On May 2, 2023, the Company and Wells Fargo Bank entered into the First Amendment to Revolving Line of Credit Note which extended the maturity date of the Wells Fargo Line of Credit to June 9, 2024. As December 31, 2023 and 2022 the Wells Fargo Line of Credit had an outstanding balance of $1,000,000 and $0, respectively. Outstanding balances on the Wells Fargo Line of Credit will bear interest at a floating rate of 2.25% above daily SOFR. As of
December 31, 2023 and 2022, SOFR was 5.35% and 4.3%, respectively. The Wells Fargo Line of Credit is secured by the Lancer Center Property, the Greenbrier Business Center Property and the Salisbury Marketplace Property, has aone-year term, is unconditionally guaranteed by the Company, and any outstanding balances are due on the June 9, 2024 maturity date. The Company is currently in discussions with Wells Fargo to extend the maturity date of Wells Fargo Line of Credit, but there can be no assurance that it will be successful.
Loss on Extinguishment of Debt – Clemson Best Western Property Mortgage Payable
On September 29, 2022, the Company sold the Clemson Best Western Property and repaid the Clemson Best Western Property mortgage payable. The Company accounted for the repayment of the mortgage payable under debt extinguishment accounting in accordance with ASC 470. During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company recorded a loss on extinguishment of debt of $219,532, consisting of $84,900 in fees paid to the lender and $134,632 of unamortized loan issuance costs. No such loss was recorded during the year ended December 31, 2023.
Interest expense
Interest expense, including amortization of capitalized issuance costs consists of the following:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | For the year ended December 31, 2023 | ||||||||||||||
| · · · Amortization · Interest rate · · · · | |||||||||||||||
| · Mortgage · · of discounts and · · protection · · Other · · · | |||||||||||||||
| · Interest · · capitalized · · transaction · · interest · · · | |||||||||||||||
| · Expense · · issuance costs · · payments · · expense · · Total | |||||||||||||||
| Franklin Square | | $511,568 | $28,372 | $— | $— | $539,940 | |||||||||
| Hanover Square | | 695,788 | | 11,816 | | — | | — | | 707,604 | |||||
| Ashley Plaza | | 411,012 | | 17,430 | | — | | — | | 428,442 | |||||
| Brookfield Center | | 182,714 | | 11,351 | | — | | — | | 194,065 | |||||
| Parkway Center | | | 233,479 | | | 11,026 | | | (106,117) | | | — | | | 138,388 |
| Wells Fargo Facility | | | 828,547 | | | 26,887 | | | — | | | — | | | 855,434 |
| Wells Fargo Line of Credit | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | 33,973 | | | 33,973 |
| Amortization and preferred stock dividends on mandatorily redeemable preferred stock | | | — | | | 243,054 | | | — | | | 400,000 | | | 643,054 |
| Total interest expense | | $2,863,108 | | $349,936 | | $(106,117) | | $433,973 | | $3,540,900 | |||||
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| · · For the year ended December 31, 2022 | |||||||||||||||
| · · · Amortization · Interest rate · · · · | |||||||||||||||
| · Mortgage · · of discounts and · · protection · · Other · · · | |||||||||||||||
| · Interest · · capitalized · · transaction · · interest · · · | |||||||||||||||
| · Expense · · issuance costs · · payments · · expense · · Total | |||||||||||||||
| Franklin Square | | $511,568 | | | 28,372 | | $— | | — | | $539,940 | ||||
| Hanover Square | | 426,298 | | | 12,890 | | | — | | — | | | 439,188 | ||
| Ashley Plaza | | 419,301 | | | 17,430 | | | — | | — | | | 436,731 | ||
| Clemson Best Western | | 425,109 | | | — | | | — | | 2,135 | | | 427,244 | ||
| Brookfield Center | | 186,270 | | | 11,350 | | | — | | | — | | | 197,620 | |
| Lancer Center | | | 115,179 | | | 11,928 | | | — | | | — | | | 127,107 |
| Greenbrier Business Center | | | 81,409 | | | 1,155 | | | — | | | — | | | 82,564 |
| Parkway Center | | | 198,480 | | | 11,026 | | | (7,682) | | | — | | | 201,824 |
| Wells Fargo Facility | | | 466,545 | | | 13,444 | | $— | | | — | | | 479,989 | |
| Amortization and preferred stock dividends on mandatorily redeemable preferred stock | | | — | | | 222,881 | | | — | | | 400,000 | | | 622,881 |
| Total interest expense | | $2,830,159 | | $330,476 | | $(7,682) | | $402,135 | | $3,555,088 | |||||
Interest accrued and accumulated amortization of capitalized issuance costs consist of the following:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| · · As of December 31, 2023 · · As of December 31, 2022 | ||||||||||||
| · · · Accumulated · · · Accumulated | ||||||||||||
| · · · · · amortization of · · · · · amortization | ||||||||||||
| · · Accrued · · capitalized · · Accrued · · of capitalized | ||||||||||||
| · · interest · · issuance costs · · interest · · issuance costs | ||||||||||||
| Franklin Square | | $43,448 | | $59,108 | | $43,448 | | $30,736 | ||||
| Hanover Square | | 55,755 | | 71,696 | | 38,792 | | 59,880 | ||||
| Ashley Plaza | | 34,580 | | 75,539 | | 35,296 | | 58,109 | ||||
| Brookfield Center | | — | | 48,244 | | — | | 36,893 | ||||
| Parkway Center | | | 28,614 | | | 23,890 | | | 26,502 | | | 12,864 |
| Wells Fargo Facility | | | — | | | 40,331 | | | — | | | 13,444 |
| Amortization and accrued preferred stock dividends on mandatorily redeemable preferred stock (1) | | | 70,004 | | | 832,693 | | | 70,004 | | | 589,639 |
| Total | | $232,401 | | $1,151,501 | | $214,042 | | $801,565 | ||||
| (1) | Recorded as accrued interest under accounts payable and accrued liabilities on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. |
Debt Maturity
The Company’s scheduled principal repayments on indebtedness as of December 31, 2023 are as follows:
| | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | Mortgages Payable | | | Mortgages Payable Associated with Assets Held for Sale | | | Total |
| 2024 | $815,763 | $277,818 | $1,093,581 | ||||||
| 2025 | | 1,091,832 | | | 299,961 | | | 1,391,793 | |
| 2026 | | 1,139,994 | | | 321,761 | | | 1,461,755 | |
| 2027 | | 17,280,746 | | | 345,148 | | | 17,625,894 | |
| 2028 | | 721,336 | | | 8,396,037 | | | 9,117,373 | |
| Thereafter | | 30,289,975 | | | — | | | 30,289,975 | |
| Total principal payments and debt maturities | | | 51,339,646 | | | 9,640,725 | | | 60,980,371 |
| Less unamortized issuance costs | | (566,873) | | | (51,837) | | | (618,710) | |
| Net principal payments and debt maturities | | $50,772,773 | | $9,588,888 | | $60,361,661 | |||
- Rentals under Operating Leases
Future minimum rents (based on recognizing future rents on the straight-line basis) to be received under noncancelable tenant operating leases for each of the next five years and thereafter, excluding common area maintenance and other expense pass-throughs, as of December 31, 2023 are as follows:
| · · · | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $8,084,915 | |
| 2025 | | 7,324,943 |
| 2026 | | 5,466,396 |
| 2027 | | 4,190,459 |
| 2028 | | 3,359,566 |
| Thereafter | | 7,241,898 |
| Total minimum rents | | $35,668,177 |
- Equity
The Company has authority to issue 1,000,000,000 shares consisting of 750,000,000 Common Shares, and 250,000,000 shares of preferred stock, $0.01 par value per share ("Preferred Shares"). Substantially all of the Company’s business is conducted through its Operating Partnership. The REIT is the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership and owned a 98.81% interest in the Operating Partnership as of December 31, 2023 and 2022. Limited partners in the Operating Partnership who have held their Operating Partnership Units for one year or longer have the right to redeem their common Operating Partnership Units for cash or, at the REIT’s option, Common Shares at a ratio of Operating Partnership Unit for one common share. Under the Agreement of Limited Partnership, distributions to Operating Partnership Unit holders are made at the discretion of the REIT. The REIT intends to make distributions in a manner that will result in limited partners of the Operating Partnership receiving distributions at the same rate per Operating Partnership Unit as dividends per share are paid to the REIT’s holders of Common Shares.
Nasdaq Compliance
On July 11, 2022, the Company received a deficiency letter (the “Deficiency Letter”) from the Nasdaq Listing Qualifications Department (the “Staff”) of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC notifying the Company that, for the last thirty (30) consecutive business days, the closing bid price for the Company’s Common Shares had been below the minimum $1.00 per share required for continued listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market (“Nasdaq”) pursuant to Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550 (a)(2) (the “Minimum Bid Price Requirement”). In accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(A), the Company was given one hundred and eighty (180) calendar days, or until January 9, 2023, to regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Requirement.
On January 10, 2023, the Company received a letter (the “Second Notification”) from The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC notifying the Company that, while the Company had not regained compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Requirement, the Staff determined that the Company is eligible for an additional 180 calendar day period, or until July 10, 2023 (the “Second Compliance Period”), to regain compliance. The Staff’s determination was based on (i) the Company meeting the continued listing requirement for market value of publicly held shares and all other applicable requirements for initial listing on Nasdaq, with the exception of the Minimum Bid Price Requirement, and (ii) the Company’s written notice to the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC of its intention to cure the deficiency during the second compliance period by effecting a reverse stock split, if necessary.
Neither the Deficiency Letter or the Second Notification had any effect on the listing of the Company’s Common Shares, and its Common Shares continued to trade on Nasdaq under the symbol “MDRR.”
On May 18, 2023, the Company received written notice from the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC stating that the Company had regained compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Requirement for continued listing on Nasdaq because the Company’s Common Shares had a closing bid price of at least $1.00 per share forten consecutive business days. Accordingly, the Listing Qualifications Staff considers the matter closed.
Completion of 1-for-8 Reverse Stock Split
On May 3, 2023, the Company completed a reverse stock split of its Common Shares, and a corresponding adjustment to the outstanding common Operating Partnership Units of the Operating Partnership, at a ratio of 1-for-8 (the “Reverse Stock Split”). The Reverse Stock Split took effect at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on May 3, 2023 (the “Effective Time”) and automatically converted every eight Common Shares outstanding at that time into one Common Share.
The Reverse Stock Split affected all holders of Common Shares uniformly and did not affect any Common Shareholder’s percentage ownership interest in the Company, except for de minimis changes as a result of the elimination of fractional shares, as described below. As a result of the Reverse Stock Split, the number of Common Shares outstanding was reduced from 17,758,421 to 2,219,803 shares as of the Effective Time.
No fractional Common Shares were issued in connection with the Reverse Stock Split. Instead, each holder of Common Shares that otherwise would have received fractional Common Shares received, in lieu of such fractional Common Shares, cash in an amount equal to the applicable fraction multiplied by the closing price of the Common Shares on Nasdaq on May 3, 2023 (as adjusted for the Reverse Stock Split). The redemption of the fractional shares further reduced the number of Common Shares outstanding to 2,218,810 shares.
At the Effective Time, the aggregate number of Common Shares available for awards under the Company’s 2018 Equity Incentive Plan and the terms of outstanding awards were ratably adjusted to reflect the Reverse Stock Split to 61,413 shares available.
Trading of the Common Shares on Nasdaq commenced on a split-adjusted basis on May 4, 2023 under the existing trading symbol “MDRR.” The new CUSIP number for the Common Shares following the Reverse Stock Split is 58403P303.
The Reverse Stock Split was intended to help the Company regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Requirement. On May 18, 2023, the Company received written notice from the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC stating that the Company had regained compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Requirement for continued listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market because the Company’s Common Shares had a closing bid price of at least $1.00 per share forten consecutive business days. According to the May 18, 2023 notice from the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC, the Listing Qualifications Staff considers the matter closed.
Charter Amendments
In connection with the Reverse Stock Split, on April 19, 2023, the Company filed two Articles of Amendment to its charter with the State Department of Assessments and Taxation of Maryland that provided for:
(i)a 1-for-8 Reverse Stock Split of the Common Shares, effective at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on May 3, 2023 (the “First Amendment”); and
(ii)the par value of the Common Shares to be decreased from $0.08 per share (as a result of the 1-for-8 Reverse Stock Split) back to $0.01 per share, effective at 5:01 p.m. Eastern Time on May 3, 2023 (the “Second Amendment”).
The foregoing descriptions of the First Amendment and the Second Amendment do not purport to be complete and are qualified in their entirety by reference to each amendment, copies of which were filed as Exhibit 3.3 and Exhibit 3.4, respectively, to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three and six months ended June 30, 2023.
Shelf Registration
On June 21, 2021, the Company filed a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 with the SEC. The registration statement is intended to provide the Company additional flexibility to finance future business opportunities through timely and cost-effective access to capital markets. Under the shelf registration statement, the Company may, from time to time, issue Common Shares up to an aggregate amount of $150 million. The shelf registration statement was declared effective by the SEC on July 27, 2021. The Company incurred $84,926 in legal costs, filing fees and other costs associated with this registration which are recorded as offering costs as part of stockholders' equity on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
Standby Equity Purchase Agreement
On November 17, 2021, the Company entered into a Standby Equity Purchase Agreement (the “SEPA”) with a financing entity. Under this agreement, the Company will be able to sell up to $6,665,299 of Common Shares at the Company’s request any time during the 36 months following the execution of the SEPA. The shares would be purchased at 96.5% of the market price (as defined in the agreement) and would be subject to certain limitations, including that the financing entity could not purchase any shares that would result in it owning more than 4.99% of the Company’s outstanding Common Shares. As of December 31, 2023, the Company has generated net proceeds of $1,538,887 from the issuance of 180,676 shares at an average price of $8.52 per common share under the SEPA.
| | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Issuance Date · Shares Issued · Price Per Share · Total Proceeds | ||||||||
| March 3, 2022 | | 11,325 | | $8.70 | | $98,574 | ||
| March 14, 2022 | 34,524 | | 8.40 | | 290,000 | |||
| March 17, 2022 | 34,851 | | 8.61 | | 300,000 | |||
| March 21, 2022 | 59,258 | | 8.44 | | 500,000 | |||
| April 1, 2022 | 40,718 | | 8.60 | | 350,313 | |||
| Total | 180,676 | | $8.52 | | $1,538,887 | |||
Common Stock Repurchase Plan
In December 2021, the Board approved a program to purchase up to 62,500 Common Shares in the open market, up to a maximum price of $38.40 per share (the “Common Stock Repurchase Plan”). As of December 31, 2023, the Company had repurchased 33,509 Common Shares in the open market under the Common Stock Repurchase Plan at a total cost of $278,277 at an average price of $8.30 per share. The Company incurred fees of $8,266 associated with these transactions. All repurchased Common Shares were retired in accordance with Maryland law.
| | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Purchase (Trade) Date · Shares Purchased · Price Per Share · Total Cost (1) | ||||||||
| January 4, 2022 | | 50 | | $8.48 | | $424 | ||
| January 5, 2022 | 6,026 | | 8.48 | | 51,093 | |||
| January 6, 2022 | 12,500 | | 8.36 | | 104,556 | |||
| January 7, 2022 | 3,750 | | 8.40 | | 31,500 | |||
| January 10, 2022 | 6,250 | | 8.16 | | 51,000 | |||
| January 14, 2022 | 12 | | 8.08 | | 101 | |||
| January 21, 2022 | 4,921 | | 8.05 | | 39,603 | |||
| Total | 33,509 | | $8.30 | | $278,277 | |||
| (1) | Total cost before transaction fees. |
On October 18, 2023, the Board approved the repurchase of an additional 200,000 Common Shares for a maximum price of $6.00 per share under the Common Stock Repurchase Plan previously approved by the Board in December 2021. Following the approval of the increase, the Company may purchase up to 228,991 Common Shares in total under the Common Stock Repurchase Plan. Shares will be repurchased, if at all, in accordance with all applicable securities laws and regulations, including Rule 10b-18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The Company’s decision to repurchase its shares, as well as the timing of such repurchases will depend on a variety of factors that include the ongoing assessment of the Company’s capital needs, market conditions and the price of the Company’s common stock and other corporate considerations, all as determined by management. The repurchase program does not obligate the Company to acquire any particular amount of shares, and the repurchase program may be suspended or discontinued at any time at the Company's discretion.
Common Shares and Operating Partnership Units Outstanding
As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, there were 2,245,501 and 2,246,494 Operating Partnership Units outstanding, respectively, with the REIT owning 2,218,810 and 2,219,803 of these Operating Partnership Units, respectively. The remaining 26,691 Operating Partnership Units are held by noncontrolling, limited partners. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, there were 2,218,810 and 2,219,803 Common Shares of the REIT outstanding, respectively. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022 there were 26,691 Operating Partnership Units held by noncontrolling, limited partners that were eligible for conversion to Common Shares.
2018 Equity Incentive Plan
The Company’s 2018 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Equity Incentive Plan”) was adopted by the Board on July 27, 2018 and approved by the Company’s shareholders on August 23, 2018. The Equity Incentive Plan permits the grant of stock options, stock appreciation rights, stock awards, performance units, incentive awards and other equity-based awards (including LTIP units of the Company’s Operating Partnership) to its employees or an affiliate (as defined in the Equity Incentive Plan) of the Company and for up to the greater of (i)30,000 Common Shares and (ii) eight percent (8)% of the number of fully diluted shares of the Company’s Common Shares (taking into account interests in the Operating Partnership that may become convertible into Common Shares).
On March 2, 2022, the Compensation Committee of the Board (the “Compensation Committee”) approved a grant of 7,500 Common Shares totwo employees of the Manager who also served as directors of the Company, a grant of 11,250 Common Shares to the Company’sthree independent directors, and a grant of 7,500 Common Shares to the chief financial officer of the Company, under the Equity Incentive Plan. The effective date of the grants was March 2, 2022. The Common Shares granted vested immediately and are unrestricted. However, the Equity Incentive Plan includes other restrictions on the sale of shares issued under the Equity Incentive Plan. Because the Common Shares vested immediately, the fair value of the grants, or $233,100, was recorded to share based compensation expense on the Company’s consolidated statements of operations on the effective date of the grant. The fair value of the grants was determined by the market price of the Company’s Common Shares on the effective date of the grant.
On November 22, 2022, the Compensation Committee approved a grant of 9,554 Common Shares totwo employees of the Manager who also served as directors of the Company, a grant of 14,331 Common Shares to the Company’sthree independent directors, a grant of 9,554 Common Shares to the chief financial officer of the Company, and a grant of 6,370 Common Shares totwo consultants of the Company, under the Equity Incentive Plan. The effective date of the grants was November 22, 2022. The Common Shares granted vested immediately and are unrestricted. However, the Equity Incentive Plan includes other restrictions on the sale of shares issued under the Equity Incentive Plan. Because the Common Shares vested immediately, the fair value of the grants, or $250,000, was recorded to share based compensation expense on the Company’s consolidated statements of operations on the effective date of the grant. The fair value of the grants was determined by the market price of the Company’s Common Shares on the effective date of the grant.
On each January 1 during the term of the Equity Incentive Plan, the maximum number of Common Shares that may be issued under the Equity Incentive Plan will increase by eight percent (8%) of any additional Common Shares or interests in the Operating Partnership issued (i) after the completion date the Company’s initial registered public offering of Common Shares, in the case of the January 1, 2019 adjustment, or (ii) in the preceding calendar year, in the case of any adjustment subsequent to January 1, 2020. During the year ended December 31, 2023, no shares were issued under the Equity Incentive Plan so no adjustment was made as of January 1, 2024, and the shares available for issuance under the Equity Incentive Plan remained at 61,413 shares.
All Common Share and Operating Partnership Units referenced above have been adjusted to reflect the Reverse Stock Split.
Earnings per share
Basic earnings per share for the Company’s Common Shares is calculated by dividing income (loss) from continuing operations, excluding the net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests, by the Company’s weighted-average number of Common Shares outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings per share is computed by dividing the net income attributable to common shareholders, excluding the net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests, by the weighted average number of Common Shares, including any dilutive shares. As of the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, all of the 26,691 Operating Partnership’s Units held by noncontrolling, limited partners were eligible to be converted, on aone-to-one basis, into Common Shares. The Operating Partnership Units and the equivalent Common Shares attributable to the convertible debentures have been excluded from the Company’s diluted earnings per share calculation because their inclusion would be antidilutive.
The Company's loss per common share is determined as follows:
| | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | Year ended December 31, | |||||
| | 2023 | 2022 | ||||
| Basic and diluted shares outstanding | | | | | | |
| Weighted average Common Shares – basic | | | 2,219,149 | | 2,140,327 | |
| Effect of conversion of Operating Partnership Units | | | 26,691 | | 26,691 | |
| Weighted average Common Shares – diluted | | | 2,245,840 | | 2,167,018 | |
| | | | | | | |
| Calculation of earnings per share – basic and diluted | | | | | | |
| Net loss attributable to common shareholders | | $(4,571,279) | | $(4,769,241) | ||
| Weighted average Common Shares – basic and diluted | | 2,219,149 | | 2,140,327 | ||
| Loss per share – basic and diluted | | $(2.06) | | $(2.23) | ||
Dividends and Distributions
During the year ended December 31, 2023, dividends in the amount of $0.08 per share were paid on January 27, 2023, to stockholders of record on January 24, 2023 and on April 28, 2023 to shareholders of record on April 24, 2023. During the year ended December 31, 2022, dividends in the amount of $0.16 per share were paid on January 20, 2022, to shareholders of record on January 13, 2022, on April 21, 2022 to shareholders of record on April 18, 2022 and on July 20, 2022 to shareholders of record on July 18, 2022, and dividends in the amount of $0.08 per share were paid on October 20, 2022, to shareholders of record on October 17, 2022. Total dividends and distributions to noncontrolling interests paid during years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, are as follows:
| · · · · · · | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| | Year ended December 31, | |||
| · 2023 · 2022 | ||||
| Common shareholders (dividends) | | $354,394 | | $1,188,433 |
| Hanover Square Property noncontrolling interest (distributions) | | 16,000 | | 57,200 |
| Parkway Property noncontrolling interest (distributions) | | 9,000 | | 48,600 |
| Operating Partnership Unit holders (distributions) | | 4,271 | | 14,947 |
| Total dividends and distributions | | $383,665 | | $1,309,180 |
- Commitments and Contingencies
Insurance
The Company carries comprehensive liability, fire, extended coverage, business interruption and rental loss insurance covering all of the properties in its portfolio, in addition to other coverages that may be appropriate for certain of its properties. Additionally, the Company carries a directors and officers liability insurance policy that covers such claims made against the Company and its directors and officers. The Company believes the policy specifications and insured limits are appropriate and adequate for its properties given the relative risk of loss, the cost of the coverage and industry practice; however, its insurance coverage may not be sufficient to fully cover its losses.
Concentration of Credit Risk
The Company is subject to risks incidental to the ownership and operation of commercial real estate. These risks include, among others, the risks normally associated with changes in the general economic climate, trends in the retail industry, creditworthiness of tenants, competition for tenants and customers, changes in tax laws, interest rates, the availability of financing and potential liability under environmental and other laws. The Company’s portfolio of properties is dependent upon regional and local economic conditions and is geographically concentrated in the Mid-Atlantic, specifically in South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia, which represented 100% of the total annualized base revenues of the properties in its portfolio as of December 31, 2023. The Company’s geographic concentration may cause it to be more susceptible to adverse developments in those markets than if it owned a more geographically diverse portfolio. Additionally, the Company’s retail shopping center properties depend on anchor stores or major tenants to attract shoppers and could be adversely affected by the loss of, or a store closure by, one or more of these tenants.
Interest Rate Risk
The value of the Company’s real estate is subject to fluctuations based on changes in interest rates which may affect the Company’s ability to refinance property-level mortgage debt when balloon payments are scheduled. Interest rates are highly sensitive to many factors, including governmental monetary and tax policies, domestic and international economic and political conditions, and other factors beyond our control. An increase in interest rates would likely cause the value of the Company’s assets to decrease. Increases in interest rates may also have an impact on the credit profile of certain tenants.
The Company is exposed to the impact of interest rate changes primarily through its borrowing activities. To limit this exposure, the Company attempts to obtain mortgage financing on a long-term, fixed-rate basis. However, from time to time, the Company may obtain variable-rate mortgage loans and, as a result, may enter into interest rate cap agreements that limit the effective borrowing rate of variable-rate debt obligations while allowing participants to share in downward shifts in interest rates. These interest rate caps are derivative instruments designated as cash flow hedges on the forecasted interest payments on the debt obligation. Our objective in using interest rate caps is to limit our exposure to interest rate movements.
As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, all of the Company’s long-term debt either bore interest at fixed rates or was capped to a fixed rate. The Company’s debt obligations are more fully described in Note 5, Loans Payable, above.
Regulatory and Environmental
As the owner of the buildings on its properties, the Company could face liability for the presence of hazardous materials (e.g., asbestos or lead) or other adverse conditions (e.g., poor indoor air quality) in its buildings. Environmental laws govern the presence, maintenance, and removal of hazardous materials in buildings, and if the Company does not comply with such laws, it could face fines
for such noncompliance. Also, the Company could be liable to third parties (e.g., occupants of the buildings) for damages related to exposure to hazardous materials or adverse conditions in its buildings, and the Company could incur material expenses with respect to abatement or remediation of hazardous materials or other adverse conditions in its buildings. In addition, some of the Company’s tenants routinely handle and use hazardous or regulated substances and wastes as part of their operations at the Company’s properties, which are subject to regulation. Such environmental and health and safety laws and regulations could subject the Company or its tenants to liability resulting from these activities. Environmental liabilities could affect a tenant’s ability to make rental payments to the Company, and changes in laws could increase the potential liability for noncompliance. This may result in significant unanticipated expenditures or may otherwise materially and adversely affect the Company’s operations. The Company is not aware of any material contingent liabilities, regulatory matters or environmental matters that may exist.
Litigation
The Company is not currently involved in any litigation or legal proceedings.
- Related Party Transactions
Medalist Fund Manager, Inc.
For all periods prior to July 18, 2023, the Company was externally managed by the Manager, which made all investment decisions for the Company, which were subject to the approval of the Board’s Acquisition Committee. The Manager oversaw the Company’s overall business and affairs and had broad discretion to make operating decisions on behalf of the Company and to make investment decisions. On July 18, 2023, the Company and the Manager entered into the Termination Agreement terminating the Management Agreement. Since the termination of the Management Agreement, the Company has been managed internally as directed by the Board.
Prior to the termination of the Management Agreement, the Company paid the Manager a monthly asset management fee equal to 0.125% of stockholders’ equity, payable in arrears in cash. For purposes of calculating the asset management fee, the Company’s stockholders’ equity means: (a) the sum of (1) the net proceeds from (or equity value assigned to) all issuances of the Company’s equity and equity equivalent securities (including common stock, common stock equivalents, preferred stock and Operating Partnership Units issued by the Company’s operating partnership) since inception (allocated on a pro rata daily basis for such issuances during the fiscal quarter of any such issuance), plus (2) the Company’s retained earnings at the end of the most recently completed calendar quarter (without taking into account any non-cash equity compensation expense incurred in current or prior periods), less (b) any amount that the Company has paid to repurchase its common stock issued in this or any subsequent offering. Stockholders’ equity also excludes (1) any unrealized gains and losses and other non-cash items (including depreciation and amortization) that have impacted stockholders’ equity as reported in the Company’s consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP, and (2) one-time events pursuant to changes in GAAP, and certain non-cash items not otherwise described above, in each case after discussions between the Company’s Manager and its independent director(s) and approval by a majority of its independent directors. For the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company incurred $485,897 and $876,049, in asset management fees, respectively. Asset management fees are recorded on the Company’s consolidated statements of operations as (i) retail center property operating expenses ($196,658 and $309,078 for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively) , (ii) hotel property operating expenses ($0 and $20,475 for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively), (iii) flex center property operating expenses ($64,575 and $109,100 for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively) and (iv) legal, accounting and other professional fees ($224,664 and $437,396 for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively).
Prior to the termination of the Management Agreement, the Manager also received an acquisition fee of 2.0% of the purchase price plus transaction costs, for each property acquired or investment made on the Company’s behalf at the closing of the acquisition of such property or investment, in consideration for the Manager’s assistance in effectuating such acquisition. Acquisition fees are allocated and added to the fair value of the tangible assets acquired and recorded as part of investment properties, net, on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets.
Pursuant toa Letter Agreement, dated March 19, 2021, by and among the Company, the Operating Partnership and the Manager (the “2021 Manager Letter Agreement”), which amended the Management Agreement, the Manager agreed to defer payment of one-half of any acquisition fee payable to the Manager from that date until the earlier of: (i) the date that the public trading price of our common stock, as reported on the Nasdaq Capital Market, reaches a closing trading price of at least $5.00 per share (as the same may be proportionately adjusted to reflect a stock split or reverse stock split); (ii) the effective date of the termination of the Management
Agreement as the result of an election by the Company to terminate the Management Agreement (other than on account of any of the events specified in clauses (i) through (vi) of Section 11(a) of the Management Agreement); and (iii) a Change in Control (the “Deferral Agreement”).
On March 10, 2023, the Company announced that the Board establishedthe Special Committee to explore potential strategic alternatives focusing on maximizing stockholder value. In light of the exploration of potential strategic alternatives by the Special Committee, the Company entered into a Letter Agreement, dated as of March 10, 2023, by and among the Company, the Operating Partnership and the Manager (the “2023 Manager Letter Agreement”). Pursuant to the terms of the 2023 Manager Letter Agreement, the Company further amended the Management Agreement, which provides for the deferral of the acquisition fee payable to the Manager in certain circumstances, to clarify that the Deferred Acquisition Fee Amount (as defined in the 2021 Manager Letter Agreement) will be deferred until the earlier of (i) the date that the public trading price of the Company’s common stock, as reported on the Nasdaq Capital Market, reaches a closing trading price of at least $40.00 per share (adjusted to reflect the Reverse Stock Split); (ii) the effective date of the termination of the Management Agreement as the result of an election by the Company to terminate the Management Agreement (other than on account of any of the events specified in clauses (i) through (vi) of Section 11(a) of the Management Agreement); and (iii) a Change in Control.
For the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company incurred$201,524 in acquisition fees associated with the Salisbury Marketplace Property acquisition, which were allocated and added to the fair value of the Salisbury Marketplace Property tangible assets. One half of the acquisition fee, or$100,762 was paid in cash andone half of the acquisition fee was accrued in connection with the Deferral Agreement. For the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company incurred$503,910 in acquisition fees associated with the Lancer Center Property, Greenbrier Business Center Property and Parkway Property, which were allocated and added to the fair value of the Lancer Center Property, Greenbrier Business Center Property and Parkway Property tangible assets. One half of the acquisition fees, or$251,955 was paid in cash andone half of the acquisition fees was accrued in connection with the Deferral Agreement. The accrued portion of the acquisition fee is recorded under accounts payable and accrued liabilities on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2023 and 2022. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, the Company had accrued a total of $0 and $352,717 in acquisition fees (the “Deferred Acquisition Fee”) in connection with the Deferral Agreement. Pursuant to the Termination Agreement, the Company agreed to pay the Deferred Acquisition Fee immediately upon execution of the Termination Agreement. The Company paid the Deferred Acquisition Fee on July 18, 2023 and, as a result, as of December 31, 2023, had no further Deferred Acquisition Fees accrued on its consolidated balance sheets.
Prior to the termination of the Management Agreement, the Manager would have been entitled to an incentive fee, payable quarterly, equal to an amount, not less than zero, equal to the difference between (1) the product of (x) 20% and (y) the difference between (i) Adjusted Funds from Operations (AFFO) (as further defined below) for the previous 12-month period, and (ii) the product of (A) the weighted average of the issue price of equity securities issued in this offering and in future offerings and transactions, multiplied by the weighted average number of all shares of common stock outstanding on a fully-diluted basis (including any restricted stock units, any restricted shares of common stock and Operating Partnership Units) in the previous 12-month period, exclusive of equity securities issued prior to this offering, and (B) 7%, and (2) the sum of any incentive fee paid to the Manager with respect to the first three calendar quarters of such previous 12-month period. For purposes of calculating the incentive fee during the first years after completion of this offering, adjusted funds from operations (“AFFO”) will be determined by annualizing the applicable period following completion of this offering. AFFO is calculated by removing the effect of items that do not reflect ongoing property operations. The Company further adjusts funds from operations (“FFO”) for certain items that are not added to net income in the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts’ (NAREIT) definition of FFO, such as acquisition expenses, equity based compensation expenses, and any other non-recurring or non-cash expenses, which are costs that do not relate to the operating performance of the Company’s properties, and subtract recurring capital expenditures (and, when calculating the incentive fee only, we further adjust FFO to include any realized gains or losses on real estate investments). No incentive fees were earned or paid during the year ended December 31, 2023 or 2022, or at any time during the term of the Management Agreement.
Colin Elliott
Effective as of March 1, 2020, the Company entered into a consulting agreement (the “Consulting Agreement”), with Gunston Consulting, LLC (the “Consultant”), pursuant to which the Consultant agreed to provide certain financial and accounting consulting services to the Company, and the Company agreed to pay the Consultant an annual fee and annual stock grants awarded by the Compensation Committee and agreed to reimburse the Consultant for certain expenses to be authorized by the Company. Pursuant to the terms of the Consulting Agreement, the Company authorized the Consultant to retain the services of Mr. C. Elliott as vice president of the Company and authorized the Consultant to incur certain costs related to Mr. C. Elliott’s employment as vice president and agreed to reimburse the Consultant for such costs, including Mr. C. Elliott’s$150,000 annual salary, payroll taxes and certain benefits and an annual bonus to be determined in consultation with the Company.
In addition, on March 10, 2023, the Company entered into a change in control agreement with the Consultant and Mr. C. Elliott (the “Change in Control Agreement”), in order to authorize the Consultant to pay Mr. C. Elliott, our Vice President, and to reimburse the Consultant for, the payment of the Elliott Retention Amount (as defined below), in the event that (i) a Change in Control (as defined therein) occurs at a time when Mr. C. Elliott remains employed by the Consultant and no Cause Event (as defined therein) has then occurred and the Consultant thereafter terminates, at the request of the Company (or any successor), the employment of Mr. C. Elliott (other than on account of a Cause Event) within twelve (12) months after the date of the Change in Control; (ii) a Change in Control occurs at a time when Mr. C. Elliott remains employed by the Consultant and no Cause Event has then occurred and within twelve (12) months after the date of the Change in Control Mr. C. Elliott elects to terminate his engagement with the Consultant to provide services to the Company (or any successor) because either (a) the Company (or any successor) requires Mr. C. Elliott to relocate his primary work location by more than fifty (50) miles from the location as of the effective date of the Change in Control Agreement; (b) the Company (or any successor) directs the Consultant to reduce the annual compensation ($150,000) of Mr. C. Elliott; (c) the Company (or any successor) directs the Consultant to materially diminish Mr. C. Elliott’s position, authority, duties or responsibilities with respect to services to the Company (or any successor); or (d) the Company (or any successor) commits a material breach of the Consulting Agreement and fails to cure such material breach within thirty (30) days after receiving written notice of such material breach; or (iii) the Consultant terminates, at the Company’s (or any successor’s) request, Mr. C. Elliott’s employment (other than on account of a Cause Event) ninety (90) or fewer days prior to the Change in Control. In each such case, a “Triggering Event” shall be deemed to have occurred, and pursuant to the Change in Control Agreement, the Company authorizes the Consultant to pay, and agrees to reimburse the Consultant for, and the Consultant agrees to pay to Mr. C. Elliott, within thirty-seven (37) days after such Triggering Event, an amount equal to the sum of (i) Mr. C. Elliott’s current annual compensation (i.e., $150,000) payable by the Consultant to Mr. C. Elliott and reimbursable by the Company, plus (ii) the amount of Mr. C. Elliott’s last annual bonus (i.e., $50,000) payable by the Consultant to Mr. C. Elliott and reimbursable by the Company, plus (iii) a cash payment equivalent to the value of the last stock grant from the Company to Mr. C. Elliott (i.e., $30,000) (collectively, the “Elliott Retention Amount”).
Mr. C. Elliott is the son of Mr. William R. Elliott, who was, at the time of Mr. C. Elliott’s employment, the Vice Chairman of the Board and President and Chief Operating Officer of the Company. During the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company paid the Consultant $105,034 and $114,516, respectively, for services provided by Mr. C. Elliott under the Consulting Agreement. On July 18, 2023, Mr. C. Elliott resigned as Vice President of the Company and as an employee of the Consultant and provided a full release of the Company’s and the Consultant’s obligations under the Change in Control Agreement. On July 20, 2023, the Company and Mr. C. Elliot entered into a Separation Agreement and General Release.
Staffing Agreement
The Company has entered into the Staffing Agreement with the Consultant to employ staff on behalf of the Company. The Consultant’s sole member is C. Brent Winn, Jr., our Chief Financial Officer. Under the Staffing Agreement, the Company reimburses the Consultant for any approved employee’s salary, payroll taxes and benefits, including health insurance and retirement benefits, and related expenses. All expenses are reimbursed at cost and without markup.
Other related parties
The Company pays Shockoe Properties, LLC, a subsidiary of Dodson Properties, LLC, an entity in which William R. Elliott, one of the owners of the Company’s former Manager, holds a 6.32% interest, an annual property management fee ofup to 3% of the monthly gross revenues of the Franklin Square, Hanover Square, Ashley Plaza, Brookfield, Lancer Center, Greenbrier Business Center, Parkway and Salisbury properties. These fees are paid in arrears on a monthly basis. During the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company paid Shockoe Properties, LLC property management fees of$304,179 and$271,334, respectively. In addition,
pursuant to a separate agreement dated November 1, 2017 between Dodson Properties, LLC and Mr. Elliott, Mr. Elliott receives a fee equal to 5% of the property management fees paid by the Company to Dodson Properties, LLC or its affiliates.
10. Segment Information
The Company establishes operating segments at the property level and aggregates individual properties into reportable segments based on product types in which the Company has investments. As of December 31, 2023, the Company had the following reportable segments: retail center properties and flex center properties. For the year ended December 30, 2022, the Company hadthree reportable segments: retail center properties, flex center properties and hotel properties. During the periods presented, there have been no material intersegment transactions.
Although the Company’s flex center property has tenants that are similar to tenants in its retail center properties, the Company considers its flex center properties as a separate reportable segment. Flex properties are considered by the real estate industry as a distinct subset of the industrial market segment. Flex properties contain a mix of industrial/warehouse and office spaces. Warehouse space that is not air conditioned can be used flexibly by building office or showroom space that is air conditioned, depending on tenants’ needs.
Net operating income (“NOI”) is a non-GAAP financial measure and is not considered a measure of operating results or cash flows from operations under GAAP. NOI is the primary performance measure reviewed by management to assess operating performance of properties and is calculated by deducting operating expenses from operating revenues. Operating revenues include rental income, tenant reimbursements, hotel income, and other property income; and operating expenses include retail center property and hotel operating costs. The NOI performance metric consists of only revenues and expenses directly related to real estate rental operations. NOI reflects property acquisitions and dispositions, occupancy levels, rental rate increases or decreases, and the recoverability of operating expenses. NOI, as the Company calculates it, may not be directly comparable to similarly titled, but differently calculated, measures for other REITs.
Asset information and capital expenditures by segment are not reported because the Company does not use these measures to assess performance. Depreciation and amortization expense, along with other expense and income items, are not allocated among segments.
The following table presents property operating revenues, expenses and NOI by product type:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| · · For the year ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| · · Hotel properties · Retail center properties · · Flex center property · · Total | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| · 2023 · 2022 · · 2023 · 2022 · 2023 · 2022 · 2023 · 2022 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Revenues | | $— | | $1,507,649 | | $7,768,174 | | $7,053,757 | | $2,504,652 | | $2,529,919 | | $10,272,826 | | $11,091,325 | ||||||||
| Operating expenses | | — | | 1,335,801 | | 1,913,699 | | 1,912,110 | | | 686,818 | | | 684,843 | | 2,600,517 | | 3,932,754 | ||||||
| Bad debt expense | | | — | | | — | | | 18,578 | | | 38,401 | | | 44,704 | | | 8,531 | | | 63,282 | | | 46,932 |
| Net operating income | | $— | | $171,848 | | $5,835,897 | | $5,103,246 | | $1,773,130 | | $1,836,545 | | $7,609,027 | | $7,111,639 | ||||||||
- Subsequent Events
As of March 6, 2024, the following events have occurred subsequent to the December 31, 2023 effective date of the consolidated financial statements:
Common Stock Dividend
On February 6, 2024, a dividend in the amount of $0.01 per share was paid to common stock shareholders and operating partnership unit holders of record on February 2, 2024.
Mandatorily Redeemable Preferred Stock Dividend
On February 6, 2024, a dividend in the amount of $0.50 per share was paid to mandatorily redeemable preferred stock shareholders of record on February 2, 2024 for the period from October 21, 2023 through January 20, 2024.
Agreement to Acquire the Citibank Property
On February 15, 2024, the Company entered into an agreement with an entity controlled by Francis P. Kavanaugh, the Company’s CEO and President and a related party, to acquire a single tenant net lease asset referred to as the Citibank Property. Consideration for the acquisition will be paid to the related party seller in the form of Operating Partnership Units valued at $5.75 per Operating Partnership Unit. Several conditions to closing on the purchase remain to be satisfied, and there can be no assurance that the Company will complete the transaction on the general terms described above or at all.
Acquisition of Noncontrolling Owner’s Interest in Hanover Square Outparcel
On February 16, 2024, the Company agreed to purchase the noncontrolling owner’s 16% undivided interest in the Hanover Square outparcel for $98,411. The purchase is expected to close concurrently with the closing of the sale of the Hanover Square Shopping Center (discussed above) to an unrelated third party. However, there can be no assurance that we will complete the transaction.
Acquisition of Operating Partnership Units from Limited Partner
On February 16, 2024, the Company agreed to redeem 11,731.25 Operating Partnership Units from a limited partner for $5.25 per operating partnership unit, the closing price of the Company’s stock on February 16, 2024, the date of the agreement. The redemption was completed on February 20, 2024.
The text of this filing, as the company filed it with the SEC, without its images or exhibits. This is not investment advice.