UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, DC 20549
FORM 10-K
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ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015
o |
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the transition period from to
Commission File Number 001-11350
CONSOLIDATED-TOMOKA LAND CO.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Florida |
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59-0483700 |
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
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(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
1530 Cornerstone Boulevard, Suite 100 Daytona Beach, Florida |
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32117 |
(Address of principal executive offices) |
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(Zip Code) |
Registrant’s Telephone Number, including area code
(386) 274-2202
SECURITIES REGISTERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(b) OF THE ACT
Title of each class |
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Name of each exchange on which registered |
COMMON STOCK, $1 PAR VALUE |
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NYSE MKT |
SECURITIES REGISTERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(g) OF THE ACT:
NONE
(Title of Class)
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. YES ¨ NO x
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. YES ¨ NO x
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. YES x NO ¨
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate website, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (S232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). YES x NO ¨
Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (S229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. ¨
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer |
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Accelerated filer |
x |
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Non-accelerated filer |
¨ (Do not check if smaller reporting company) |
Smaller reporting company |
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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). YES ¨ NO x
The aggregate market value of the shares of common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant at June 30, 2015, was approximately $327,981,295.
The number of shares of the registrant’s Common Stock outstanding on February 19, 2016 was 5,905,313.
Portions of the registrant’s Proxy Statement for the 2016 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, which will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission within 120 days after the end of the registrant’s fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, are incorporated by reference in Part III of this report.
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Page # |
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PART I |
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Item 1. |
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1 |
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Item 1A. |
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13 |
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Item 1B. |
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24 |
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Item 2. |
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24 |
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Item 3. |
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24 |
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Item 4. |
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25 |
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PART II |
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Item 5. |
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26 |
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Item 6. |
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29 |
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Item 7. |
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MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS OVERVIEW |
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30 |
Item 7A. |
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43 |
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Item 8. |
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43 |
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Item 9. |
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CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE |
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43 |
Item 9A. |
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43 |
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Item 9B. |
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44 |
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PART III |
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Item 10. |
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46 |
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Item 11. |
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46 |
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Item 12. |
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SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS |
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46 |
Item 13. |
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CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE |
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46 |
Item 14. |
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46 |
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PART IV |
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Item 15. |
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47 |
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48 |
When we refer to “we,” “us,” “our,” or “the Company,” we mean Consolidated-Tomoka Land Co. and its consolidated subsidiaries. References to “Notes to Financial Statements” refer to the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements of Consolidated-Tomoka Land Co. included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Also, when the Company uses any of the words “anticipate,” “assume,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” or similar expressions, the Company is making forward-looking statements. Although management believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon present expectations and reasonable assumptions, the Company’s actual results could differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. Certain factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those the Company anticipates or projects are described in “Item 1A. Risk Factors” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Given these uncertainties, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such statements, which speak only as of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K or any document incorporated herein by reference. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly release any revisions to these forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
We are a diversified real estate operating company. We own and manage forty commercial real estate properties in ten states in the U.S. As of December 31, 2015, we owned thirty-two single-tenant and eight multi-tenant income-producing properties with approximately 1,700,000 square feet of gross leasable space. We also own and manage a land portfolio of over 10,500 acres. As of December 31, 2015, we had four commercial loan investments including one fixed-rate and one variable-rate mezzanine commercial mortgage loan, a variable-rate B-Note representing a secondary tranche in a commercial mortgage loan, and a variable-rate first mortgage loan. Our golf operations consist of the LPGA International golf club, which is managed by a third party. We also lease some of our land for twenty-one billboards, have agricultural operations that are managed by a third party, which consists of leasing land for hay and sod production, timber harvesting, and hunting leases, and own and manage subsurface interests. The results of our agricultural and subsurface leasing operations are included in Agriculture and Other Income and Real Estate Operations, respectively, in our consolidated statements of operations.
The following is a summary of financial information regarding the Company’s business segments (amounts in thousands) for the years ended December 31:
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2015 |
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2014 |
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2013 |
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Revenues of each segment are as follows: |
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Income Properties |
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$ |
19,041 |
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$ |
14,970 |
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$ |
12,828 |
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Commercial Loan Investments |
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2,691 |
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2,191 |
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1,713 |
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Real Estate Operations |
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15,943 |
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13,493 |
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6,178 |
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Golf Operations |
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5,244 |
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5,125 |
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5,075 |
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Agriculture and Other Income |
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79 |
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278 |
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276 |
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Total Revenues |
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$ |
42,998 |
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$ |
36,057 |
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$ |
26,070 |
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Operating income (loss) from Continuing Operations before income tax for each segment is as follows: |
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Income Properties |
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$ |
15,385 |
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$ |
13,015 |
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$ |
11,494 |
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Commercial Loan Investments |
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2,691 |
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2,191 |
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1,713 |
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Real Estate Operations |
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11,650 |
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8,630 |
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2,292 |
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Golf Operations |
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(349 |
) |
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(405 |
) |
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(412 |
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Agriculture and Other Income |
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(148 |
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89 |
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128 |
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General and Administrative Expenses |
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(8,754 |
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(7,017 |
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(5,434 |
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Impairment Charges |
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(510 |
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(421 |
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(616 |
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Depreciation and Amortization |
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(5,213 |
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(3,490 |
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(2,886 |
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Gain on Disposition of Assets |
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5,517 |
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1 |
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— |
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Total Operating Income |
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$ |
20,269 |
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$ |
12,593 |
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$ |
6,279 |
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Identifiable assets of each segment are as follows: |
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Income Properties |
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$ |
277,520 |
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$ |
190,087 |
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$ |
151,683 |
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Commercial Loan Investments |
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38,487 |
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30,274 |
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18,888 |
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Real Estate Operations |
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59,787 |
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43,834 |
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44,770 |
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Golf Operations |
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3,608 |
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3,640 |
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3,269 |
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Agriculture and Other (1) |
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26,615 |
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8,757 |
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7,574 |
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Total Assets |
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$ |
406,017 |
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$ |
276,592 |
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$ |
226,184 |
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(1) Agriculture and Other assets includes all other corporate assets, including cash, restricted cash, and investment securities. |
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1
ITEM 1. |
BUSINESS (continued) |
BUSINESS PLAN
Our business plan is primarily focused on investing in income-producing real estate and when possible, monetizing the value of our land holdings through land sales to redeploy the proceeds into our investments in income producing real estate. Our investments in income-producing real estate are primarily through the acquisition of single-tenant and multi-tenant income properties, the self-development of multi-tenant income properties, or investing in commercial loans or similar financings secured by commercial real estate. Our investment in single-tenant, multi-tenant, and office income properties, when possible, utilizes proceeds from other real estate transactions which qualify for income tax deferral through the like-kind exchange provisions under Section 1031 of the Internal Revenue Code including land sales and the disposition of other income properties. We have held the significant majority of our portfolio of land holdings, which are used in our agricultural operations, for most of our over 100-year history, and, as a result, our book basis in the majority of these assets is very low. Because of the low basis in our land holdings, dispositions of our land typically would generate large taxable gains. Utilizing the like-kind exchange structure allows us to defer the related income taxes on these gains and reinvest nearly all of the net sales proceeds of the qualifying transaction into income-producing properties. Generally, in order to utilize the like-kind exchange structure we are prohibited from performing tasks that are typically indicative of the developer of the property therefore we seek to complete land transactions with counter parties who will serve as the developer of the property. In limited circumstances we have reacquired land that we have previously sold either pursuant to the terms of the original sales agreement or through foreclosure. Land we have reacquired typically has a higher book basis. Our approach in investing in income-producing real estate is to use leverage, when appropriate or necessary, to fund our acquisitions and to help achieve our business plan objectives. Our use of leverage in acquiring income-producing real estate is intended to provide positive returns relative to our borrowing costs. We believe this enhances our Company’s income-generating real estate asset base while keeping us cash flow positive given that approximately half of our market capitalization is represented by lower-yielding land assets.
Our investment strategy seeks to acquire income properties which will continue to broaden the credit base of our lease tenants, diversify our income property portfolio geographically, with an emphasis on major markets and growth markets in the U.S., and diversify the type of income-producing property, which in the future may include hospitality or other retail. We have self-developed five of our multi-tenant income-producing properties, all of which are located in Daytona Beach, Florida. Our investments in commercial loans or similar structured finance investments have been, and will continue to be, secured by commercial real estate, residential real estate developments, land or a borrower’s pledge of its ownership interest in the entity that owns the real estate. We believe investment in each of these income-producing asset classes provide attractive opportunities for stable current cash flows and increased returns in the long run and the potential for capital appreciation.
We believe that we currently have a reasonable level of leverage. Proceeds from closed land transactions provide us with investible capital. Our strategy is to utilize leverage, when appropriate and necessary, and proceeds from land transactions to acquire income properties, acquire or originate commercial loan investments, and invest in securities of real estate companies, or other shorter term investments. Our primary targeted investment classes include the following:
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Single-tenant retail and office double-or-triple-net leased properties in major metropolitan areas; |
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Multi-tenant office and retail properties primarily in major metropolitan areas and typically stabilized; |
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Self-developed properties on Company owned land including select office, flex, industrial, and retail; |
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Joint venture development using Company owned land; |
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Origination or purchase of 1-10 year term loans with strong risk-adjusted yields with property types to include hotel, office, retail, land and industrial; |
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Real estate related investment securities, including commercial mortgage backed securities, preferred or common stock, and corporate bonds; |
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Select regional area investments using Company market knowledge and expertise to earn good risk-adjusted yields; and |
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Purchase or origination of ground leases. |
Our investments in income-producing properties have single or multiple tenants typically subject to long-term leases, primarily in the form of triple or double net leases and ground leases. Triple-net leases generally require the tenant to pay property operating expenses such as real estate taxes, insurance, assessments and other governmental fees, utilities, repairs and maintenance and capital expenditures. For multi-tenant properties, each tenant would pay their proportionate share of the aforementioned operating expenses of the property although we typically incur additional costs for property management services.
2
ITEM 1. |
BUSINESS (continued) |
STRATEGIC ALTERNATIVES
On February 9, 2016, the Company announced that a special committee of independent directors (the “Special Committee”), formed by the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) for the purpose of exploring strategic alternatives to further enhance shareholder value, has engaged Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. (“Deutsche Bank”) as independent advisor to the Special Committee.
As previously announced, the Company had received a shareholder proposal to be voted upon by the Company’s shareholders at the 2016 annual meeting, requesting that the Board engage an independent advisor to evaluate a sale of the Company or the orderly liquidation of its assets (the “Shareholder Proposal”). In November 2015, the Board decided to initiate the process called for by the Shareholder Proposal in advance of the Shareholder Proposal being voted upon by shareholders at the Company’s annual meeting scheduled for April 2016, and solicited proposals from a number of financial advisory firms to advise the Company as to its options for maximizing shareholder value, including the options of sale of the Company, sale of assets or continued pursuit of the Company’s business plan. After thorough consideration of the proposals from the financial advisory firms, the Special Committee engaged Deutsche Bank for the purpose of exploring the aforementioned strategic alternatives.
The Special Committee is proceeding in a diligent and orderly manner, but has not set a definitive timetable for completion of this process. There can be no assurance that this review process will result in a sale transaction or other strategic alternative of any kind, or, if such sale transaction or strategic alternative occurs, the year in which the transaction would take place. The Company does not intend to disclose developments or provide updates on the progress or status of this process unless and until it deems further disclosure to be appropriate or required.
INCOME PROPERTIES
We have pursued a strategy of investing in income-producing properties, when possible, by utilizing the proceeds from real estate transactions, including land sales and the disposition of other income properties, qualifying for income tax deferral through like-kind exchange treatment for tax purposes. During the year ended December 31, 2015, we acquired four income properties: two single-tenant income properties, one multi-tenant income property, and one vacant outparcel adjacent to one of our multi-tenant properties, at an aggregate purchase price of approximately $76.4 million:
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On November 18, 2015, the Company acquired an approximately 450,000 square-foot, Class A single-tenant office complex in Raleigh, North Carolina at a purchase price of $42.3 million. The three building property is situated on approximately 40 acres and is 100% leased to Wells Fargo Bank N.A. (“Wells Fargo”) under a triple-net lease with a remaining term of approximately 9 years. The rent on the lease with Wells Fargo is below-market resulting in an intangible liability of approximately $31.6 million. |
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On July 16, 2015, the Company acquired 245 Riverside Avenue, a 5-story, 136,856 square-foot, multi-tenant office building situated on 3.4 acres in Jacksonville, Florida at a purchase price of $25.1 million. The property is 99% leased with a tenant roster including Raymond James, Northwestern Mutual, Dixon Hughes Goodman, and Jacobs Engineering Group. |
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On May 28, 2015, the Company acquired a 0.71 acre vacant outparcel located adjacent to our The Grove at Winter Park property in Winter Park, Florida at a purchase price of $409,000. |
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On May 18, 2015, the Company acquired a 23,329 square-foot property situated on 2.46 acres in Glendale, Arizona at a purchase price of approximately $8.6 million. The property is leased to The Container Store with a term of approximately 15 years having commenced in February 2015, with rent increases every 5 years. In a separate transaction, the Company’s approximately $6.2 million first mortgage loan to the developer of the property, which would have matured in November 2015, was paid off by the borrower at par. |
Our current portfolio of thirty-two single-tenant income properties generates approximately $14.9 million of revenues from lease payments on an annualized basis and has a weighted average remaining lease term of 9.0 years as of December 31, 2015. Our current portfolio of eight multi-tenant properties generates approximately $5.7 million of revenue from lease payments on an annualized basis and has a weighted average remaining lease term of 5.6 years as of December 31, 2015.
We expect to continue to focus on acquiring income-producing properties during fiscal year 2016, and in the near term thereafter, maintaining our use of the aforementioned tax deferral structure whenever possible.
3
ITEM 1. |
BUSINESS (continued) |
As part of our overall strategy for investing in income-producing investments, we have self-developed five of our multi-tenant properties in Daytona Beach, Florida. One of the self-developed properties, is an approximately 22,000 square foot, two-story, building, known as the Concierge Office Building, which was 100% leased as of December 31, 2015. Two properties, known as the Mason Commerce Center, consist of two buildings totaling approximately 31,000 square-feet (15,360 each), which were 100% leased as of December 31, 2015. Two properties, known as the Williamson Business Park, which are adjacent to the Mason Commerce Center, consist of two buildings totaling approximately 31,000 square-feet (15,360 each), which were approximately 75% leased as of December 31, 2015.
Our focus on acquiring income-producing investments includes a continual review of our existing income property portfolio to identify opportunities to recycle our capital through the sale of income properties based on, among other possible factors, the current or expected performance of the property, the term of the existing lease, and favorable market conditions. Pursuant to our on-going review, six properties were sold during the year ended December 31, 2015. We intend to deploy, or have deployed, the proceeds from these sales through the like-kind exchange structure, in our 2015 acquisitions. The Company anticipates that future investments in income-producing assets could use the proceeds from selling non-core properties, utilizing the tax-deferred like-kind exchange structure, as circumstances permit.
4
ITEM 1. |
BUSINESS (continued) |
As of December 31, 2015, the Company owned thirty-two single-tenant and eight multi-tenant income properties in ten states. Following is a summary of these properties:
Tenant |
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City |
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State |
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Area (Square Feet) |
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Year Built |
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American Signature Furniture |
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Daytona Beach |
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FL |
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52,665 |
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2004 |
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Bank of America |
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Garden Grove |
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CA |
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7,570 |
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1962 |
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Bank of America |
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Laguna Beach |
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CA |
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11,029 |
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1961 |
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Bank of America |
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Mission Viejo |
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CA |
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9,034 |
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1975 |
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Bank of America |
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Mission Viejo |
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CA |
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5,975 |
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1979 |
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Bank of America |
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Westminster |
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CA |
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7,620 |
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1965 |
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Bank of America |
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La Habra |
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CA |
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12,150 |
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1978 |
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Bank of America |
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Los Alamitos |
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CA |
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11,713 |
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1963 |
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Bank of America |
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Walnut |
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CA |
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8,730 |
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1980 |
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Bank of America |
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Yorba Linda |
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CA |
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4,339 |
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1971 |
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Barnes & Noble |
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Daytona Beach |
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FL |
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28,000 |
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1995 |
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Best Buy |
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McDonough |
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GA |
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30,038 |
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2005 |
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Big Lots |
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Phoenix |
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AZ |
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34,512 |
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2000 |
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Big Lots |
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Germantown |
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MD |
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25,589 |
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2000 |
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Buffalo Wild Wings |
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Phoenix |
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AZ |
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6,030 |
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2012 |
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Container Store |
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Glendale |
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AZ |
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23,329 |
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2015 |
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CVS (2) |
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Sebring |
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FL |
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12,174 |
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1999 |
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CVS (2) |
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Tallahassee |
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FL |
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10,880 |
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1995/2011 |
(1) |
Dick’s Sporting Goods |
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McDonough |
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GA |
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46,315 |
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2006 |
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Harris Teeter |
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Charlotte |
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NC |
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45,089 |
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1993 |
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Hilton Resorts Corporation |
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Orlando |
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FL |
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102,019 |
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1988 |
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Hilton Resorts Corporation |
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Orlando |
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FL |
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31,895 |
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2000 |
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JPMorgan Chase Bank |
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Chicago |
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IL |
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4,635 |
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2011 |
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Lowe’s Corporation |
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Lexington |
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NC |
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114,734 |
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1996 |
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Lowe’s Corporation |
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Katy |
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TX |
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131,644 |
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1997 |
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PNC Bank |
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Altamonte Springs |
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FL |
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4,128 |
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2004 |
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Rite Aid Corp. |
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Renton |
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WA |
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16,280 |
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2006 |
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Walgreens |
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Boulder |
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CO |
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14,820 |
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2010 |
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Walgreens |
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Clermont |
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FL |
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13,650 |
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2003 |
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Walgreens |
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Palm Bay |
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FL |
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13,905 |
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1999 |
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Walgreens |
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Alpharetta |
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GA |
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15,120 |
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2000 |
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Wells Fargo |
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Raleigh |
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NC |
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450,393 |
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1996/1997 |
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32 Single-Tenant Properties |
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1,306,004 |
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Concierge Office Building |
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Daytona Beach |
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FL |
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22,012 |
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2009 |
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Mason Commerce Center-Building 1 |
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Daytona Beach |
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FL |
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15,360 |
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2009 |
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Mason Commerce Center-Building 2 |
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Daytona Beach |
|
FL |
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15,360 |
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2009 |
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The Grove at Winter Park |
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Winter Park |
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FL |
|
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112,292 |
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|
1985 |
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Riverside Avenue |
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Jacksonville |
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FL |
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136,856 |
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2003 |
|
Whole Foods Market Centre |
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Sarasota |
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FL |
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59,341 |
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|
2004 |
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Williamson Business Park-Building 1 |
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Daytona Beach |
|
FL |
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|
15,360 |
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|
2014 |
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Williamson Business Park-Building 2 |
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Daytona Beach |
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FL |
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15,360 |
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2014 |
|
8 Multi-Tenant Properties |
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|
|
|
|
391,941 |
|
|
|
|
Total 40 Properties |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,697,945 |
|
|
|
|
(1) |
This property was expanded in 2011 at a cost of $1,600,000 in exchange for a new twenty-five year lease term. |
(2) |
These properties’ leases are with Holiday CVS, L.L.C. (a wholly-owned subsidiary of CVS Health) |
5
ITEM 1. |
BUSINESS (continued) |
The weighted average economical and physical occupancy rates of our income properties for each of the last three years on a portfolio basis are as follows:
Year |
|
Single-Tenant Economic / Physical Occupancy |
|
Multi-Tenant Economic / Physical Occupancy |
2013 |
|
100% / 96% |
|
88% / 88% |
2014 |
|
100% / 97% |
|
75% / 75% |
2015 |
|
100% / 99% |
|
85% / 85% |
The information on lease expirations of our total income property portfolio for each of the ten years starting with 2016 is as follows:
Year |
|
# of Tenant Leases Expiring |
|
|
Total Square Feet of Leases Expiring |
|
|
Annual Rents Expiring |
|
|
Percentage of Gross Annual Rents Expiring |
|
||||
2016 |
|
|
4 |
|
|
|
19,031 |
|
|
$ |
148,451 |
|
|
|
0.8 |
% |
2017 |
|
|
11 |
|
|
|
177,367 |
|
|
$ |
1,598,772 |
|
|
|
8.2 |
% |
2018 |
|
|
5 |
|
|
|
7,846 |
|
|
$ |
154,252 |
|
|
|
0.8 |
% |
2019 |
|
|
6 |
|
|
|
39,582 |
|
|
$ |
1,082,188 |
|
|
|
5.5 |
% |
2020 |
|
|
7 |
|
|
|
106,398 |
|
|
$ |
1,790,921 |
|
|
|
9.2 |
% |
2021 |
|
|
11 |
|
|
|
227,475 |
|
|
$ |
3,546,684 |
|
|
|
18.2 |
% |
2022 |
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
14,790 |
|
|
$ |
221,048 |
|
|
|
1.1 |
% |
2023 |
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
34,512 |
|
|
$ |
365,400 |
|
|
|
1.9 |
% |
2024 |
|
|
5 |
|
|
|
543,902 |
|
|
$ |
4,074,734 |
|
|
|
20.9 |
% |
2025 |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
The majority of leases have additional option periods beyond the original term of the lease, which typically are exercisable at the tenant’s option.
Subsequent to December 31, 2015, and prior to the date of this report, the Company acquired a 4,685 square-foot building in Dallas, Texas which was 100% occupied and leased to two tenants, anchored by 7-Eleven, Inc. The purchase price was approximately $2.5 million, and as of the acquisition date, the weighted average remaining term of the leases was approximately 8.3 years. The transaction is expected to be part of a 1031 like-kind exchange.
No tenant of a single income property or group of income properties with the same tenant had aggregate rent which accounted for more than 10% of our consolidated revenues in 2015 or 2014.
REAL ESTATE OPERATIONS
As of December 31, 2015, the Company owned over 10,500 acres of land in Daytona Beach, Florida, along six miles of the west and east side of Interstate 95. Presently, the majority of this land is used for agricultural purposes. Approximately 1,300 acres of our land holdings are located on the east side of Interstate 95 and are generally well suited for commercial development. Approximately 8,000 acres of our land holdings are located on the west side of Interstate 95 and the majority of this land is generally well suited for residential development. Included in the western land is approximately 1,100 acres which are located further west of Interstate 95 and a few miles north of Interstate 4 and this land is generally well suited for industrial purposes.
Beginning in 2012, we have observed an increase in residential and commercial real estate activity on and in the area surrounding our land holdings.
6
ITEM 1. |
BUSINESS (continued) |
During the year ended December 31, 2015, the Company acquired, through a real estate venture with an unaffiliated third party institutional investor, an interest in approximately six acres of vacant beachfront property located in Daytona Beach, Florida. The property was acquired for approximately $11.3 million of which the Company contributed approximately $5.7 million. The real estate venture is fully consolidated as the Company has determined that it is the primary beneficiary of the variable interest entity as of December 31, 2015.
During the year ended December 31, 2015, a total of approximately 114.03 acres were sold for approximately $22.5 million as described below:
|
· |
On June 1, 2015, the Company sold approximately 3.02 acres of land located in Daytona Beach, Florida on the south side of LPGA Boulevard, just east of Clyde Morris Boulevard, at a sales price of $505,000, or approximately $167,000 per acre, for a gain of approximately $476,000. |
|
· |
On June 17, 2015, the Company sold approximately 0.88 acres of land located in Highlands County, at a sales price of $250,000 for a gain of approximately $223,000. |
|
· |
On December 18, 2015, the Company sold approximately 14.98 acres of land located in Daytona Beach, Florida on the east side of Interstate 95 near the northeast corner of the intersection of LPGA Boulevard and Williamson Boulevard. The land was sold to an affiliate of Integra Land Company at a sales price of approximately $2.4 million, or approximately $159,000 per acre, for a gain of approximately $2.3 million. |
|
· |
On December 29, 2015, the Company sold approximately 0.86 acres of land located in Daytona Beach, Florida at a sales price of approximately $30,000 for a gain of approximately $20,000. |
|
· |
Sales within the Tomoka Town Center, which consists of approximately 180 developable acres located in Daytona Beach, Florida east of Interstate 95 and south of LPGA Boulevard, included the following: |
Land Tract |
|
Date Closed |
|
No. of Acres |
|
|
Sales Price |
|
|
Avg. Sales Price per Acre |
|
|
Gain Recognized in 2015 |
|
|
Deferred Revenue (1) |
|
|||||
Tanger Outlet |
|
11/12/2015 |
|
|
38.93 |
|
|
$ |
9,700,000 |
|
|
$ |
249,165 |
|
|
$ |
2,793,419 |
|
|
$ |
6,327,421 |
|
Sam's Club |
|
12/23/2015 |
|
|
18.10 |
|
|
|
4,500,000 |
|
|
|
248,619 |
|
|
|
1,278,747 |
|
|
|
2,881,795 |
|
NADG - First Parcel |
|
12/29/2015 |
|
|
37.26 |
|
|
|
5,168,335 |
|
|
|
138,710 |
|
|
|
1,421,303 |
|
|
|
3,447,557 |
|
Total Tomoka Town Center Sales |
|
|
|
|
94.29 |
|
|
$ |
19,368,335 |
|
|
$ |
205,412 |
|
|
$ |
5,493,469 |
|
|
$ |
12,656,773 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1) Deferred revenue to be recognized on the percentage-of-completion basis as remaining infrastructure costs are incurred. See Note 19 "Commitments and Contingencies" for a description of the commitments related to the remaining infrastructure costs to be incurred |
|
The NADG – First Parcel sale represents the first of multiple transactions contemplated under a single purchase and sale agreement with an affiliate of the North American Development Group (the “NADG Agreement”). The NADG Agreement provides NADG with the ability to acquire portions of the remaining acreage under contract (the “Option Parcels”) in multiple, separate, transactions through 2018 (the “Option Period”). The Option Parcels represent a total of approximately 85.95 acres and total potential proceeds to the Company of approximately $22.2 million. Pursuant to the NADG Agreement, NADG can close on any and all of the Option Parcels at any time during the Option Period with the first of the Option Parcels contemplated to close in the first half of 2016, should certain conditions be met. The NADG Agreement also establishes a price escalation that would be applied to any of the Option Parcels that are acquired after January 2017, and an additional higher price escalation that would be applied to any Option Parcels acquired in 2018.
Pursuant to the agreements with Tanger, Sam’s Club and NADG (the “Town Center Sales Agreements”), which together represent the potential sale of the developable acreage in the Town Center, the Company is responsible for completion of certain infrastructure improvements (the “Infrastructure Work”) at the 235 acre Town Center. The Infrastructure Work is currently estimated to cost between $10.0 million and $13.0 million and is expected to be completed on or around the end of the third quarter of 2016. In connection with the transaction with Tanger, the Company expects to receive approximately $4.5 million for the portion of the Infrastructure Work attributable to the Tanger property from the Tomoka Town Center Community Development District (the “Town Center District”), a special purpose governmental entity, based upon the achievement of certain milestones related to the Infrastructure Work and the Tanger project, and when the Company dedicates the Infrastructure Work to the Town Center District. The payment of the $4.5 million will be recognized into revenue when earned. The Company expects to receive payments, in addition to the sales proceeds from each of the Town Center Sales Agreements (the “Incremental Payments”), including certain fixed annual payments over the next ten years from Tanger and Sam’s, which annual amounts are or would be included in the estimated gains from the transactions. In aggregate, the majority of the Incremental Payments and the payment received from the Town Center District are
7
ITEM 1. |
BUSINESS (continued) |
expected to largely offset the cost of the Infrastructure Work. As a result of our responsibility for completing the Infrastructure Work we have applied the percentage of completion accounting methodology to the Tanger Outlet, Sam’s Club and NADG – First Parcel transactions whereby we will recognize the revenue deferred for each transaction as the Infrastructure Work is completed. The Incremental Payments recorded as receivables as of December 31, 2015 totaled approximately $1.3 million and are included as a part of Other Assets on the consolidated balance sheet.
The following table provides a reconciliation of the land transactions closed (as of December 31, 2015) or under contract for all the developable parcels of the Town Center (Sales price and estimated infrastructure reimbursement presented in $000’s) and the reimbursement amounts for the Infrastructure Work from each buyer:
Land Tract |
|
No. of Acres |
|
|
Sales Price (In $000's) |
|
|
Sales Price per Acre |
|
|
Infrastructure Reimbursement (in $000s) |
|
||||
Tanger Outlet [Closed] (1) |
|
|
38.93 |
|
|
$ |
9,700 |
|
|
$ |
249,165 |
|
|
$ |
5,500 |
|
Sam's Club [Closed] (2) |
|
|
18.10 |
|
|
|
4,500 |
|
|
|
248,619 |
|
|
|
1,100 |
|
NADG - First Parcel [Closed] (3) |
|
|
37.26 |
|
|
|
5,168 |
|
|
|
138,710 |
|
|
|
1,800 |
|
NADG - Option Parcels (4) |
|
|
85.95 |
|
|
|
22,195 |
|
|
|
258,237 |
|
|
|
4,100 |
|
Total Developable Area |
|
|
180.24 |
|
|
|
41,564 |
|
|
|
230,602 |
|
|
|
12,500 |
|
Common Area (5) |
|
|
54.32 |
|
|
N/A |
|
|
N/A |
|
|
|
(12,500 |
) |
||
Total Town Center |
|
|
234.56 |
|
|
$ |
41,564 |
|
|
$ |
177,199 |
|
|
$ |
- |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1) Includes $4.5 million in incentives from community development district, with remainder to be paid in equal installments over 10 years; |
|
|||||||||||||||
(2) Infrastructure reimbursement, pursuant to contract, paid in equal installments over 10 years; |
|
|||||||||||||||
(3) Infrastructure reimbursement due upon the later of i) Infrastructure Work completion or, ii) August 31, 2016; |
|
|||||||||||||||
(4) Under Contract. Sales price reflects current contract price; price escalations would occur should any of the transactions close in 2017 and 2018. Infrastructure reimbursements for each Option Parcel occurs upon later of i) transaction closing, ii) Infrastructure Work completion or, iii) August 31, 2016; and |
|
|||||||||||||||
(5) Includes common area for the Town Center association and land dedicated for public use, both to be conveyed by the Company. |
|
During the year ended December 31, 2014, a total of approximately 99.66 acres were sold for approximately $8.8 million as described below:
|
· |
On February 18, 2014, the Company sold approximately 3.1 acres to Halifax Humane Society, Inc. for $391,500, or approximately $128,000 per acre, for a gain of approximately $347,000. This parcel is located on LPGA Boulevard, just west of I-95 in Daytona Beach, Florida and is adjacent to an existing property owned by Halifax Humane Society, Inc. |
|
· |
On August 15, 2014, the Company sold approximately 75.6 acres of land, located on the east side of Interstate 95, for development of a distribution center for approximately $7.8 million, or approximately $103,000 per acre, for a gain at closing of approximately $3.9 million with an additional gain of approximately $324,000 to be recognized on a percentage-of-completion basis as certain road improvements are completed through the estimated completion date of February 2015. As of December 31, 2014, approximately $277,000 of the gain had been recognized. During the year ended December 31, 2015 the remaining gain of approximately $59,000 was recognized. In addition, during the year ended December 31, 2015 the Company received two payments totaling approximately $1.0 million from Volusia County, based upon certain milestones being achieved including when the distribution center received its certificate of occupancy and the date when a specified numbers of jobs had been created at the buyer’s operations. The total gain recognized to date on this sale totals approximately $5.2 million. One remaining incentive for approximately $113,000 is yet to be earned and received from Volusia County relating to the final milestone being achieved when a specified number of jobs has been created at the buyer’s operations. The Company expects to receive this final payment in the first half of 2016 which would bring the total gain on the sale to approximately $5.3 million. |
|
· |
On October 30, 2014, the Company sold approximately 20.96 acres of land, which presented certain issues for development involving wetlands mitigation, to Victor Indigo Lakes, L.L.C. for $625,000, or approximately $30,000 per acre, for a gain of approximately $552,000. The land is located along the east side of Williamson Boulevard across from Indigo Lakes, in Daytona Beach, Florida. |
8
ITEM 1. |
BUSINESS (continued) |
During the year ended December 31, 2013, a total of 11.655 acres were sold for approximately $3.0 million as described below:
|
· |
On December 4, 2013, the Company sold approximately 3.405 acres to RaceTrac Petroleum, Inc. (“RaceTrac”) for $1.3 million or approximately $382,000 per acre. We recognized a loss on the sale of approximately $244,000 which is attributable primarily to a higher basis in the property as a result of the Company having repurchased this land in 2010. The parcel sold to RaceTrac is part of Williamson Crossing, an approximately 23-acre, proposed commercial development located at the southeast corner of Williamson and LPGA Boulevards in Daytona Beach. RaceTrac is the first occupant for the Williamson Crossing site. In connection with the transaction, the Company agreed to reimburse RaceTrac up to $976,500 over five years for road improvements and the other costs associated with bringing multiple ingress/egress points to the entire Williamson Crossing site. As of December 31, 2015 and 2014, $283,500 of cash is held in escrow related to the improvements and is classified as restricted cash in the consolidated balance sheets. The Company anticipates that all or a portion of these reimbursable costs will be shared by other owners as parcels in the Williamson Crossing development are sold and additional businesses locate to the site. Based on the book basis of the remaining repurchased acres relative to the price per acre in the RaceTrac transaction, the Company determined that no adjustment for impairment was required as of December 31, 2013. |
|
· |
On December 19, 2013, the Company sold approximately 2.02 acres to Intracoastal Bank. The land was sold for $640,000 or approximately $317,000 per acre for a gain of approximately $581,000. This parcel is located on LPGA Boulevard, east of I-95 in Daytona Beach, Florida, between the Vince Carter’s and Wendy’s restaurants. |
|
· |
On December 20, 2013, the Company sold approximately 6.23 acres to CarMax Auto Super Stores, Inc. (“CarMax”) for $1.05 million, or approximately $168,500 per acre, for a total loss of approximately $1.0 million. We recognized a loss of approximately $416,000 on the sale. In the second quarter of 2013 the Company recognized an impairment loss of approximately $616,000 which was based on the contract price in a transaction that had been executed for approximately 3.21 acres of the total 6.23 acres sold to CarMax. That transaction was terminated prior to closing. The basis in these acres was higher than is typical for the Company’s land holdings as this land had been reacquired through foreclosure in 2009. |
As of December 31, 2015, the Company had executed definitive purchase and sale agreements with four different buyers whose intended use for the land under contract includes residential (including multi-family), retail and mixed-use retail, and office. These agreements, in aggregate, represent the potential sale of over 1,700 acres, or 16% of our land holdings, with anticipated sales proceeds totaling approximately $56.0 million. These agreements contemplate closing dates ranging from the second quarter of 2016 to year end 2018. Each of the transactions are in varying stages of due diligence and entitlement by the various buyers including, in some instances, having made submissions to the planning and development departments of the applicable governmental authorities. In addition to other customary closing conditions, the majority of these transactions are conditioned upon both the receipt of approvals from various governmental authorities, as well as other matters that are beyond our control. If such approvals are not obtained, the prospective buyers may have the ability to terminate their respective agreements prior to closing. As a result, there can be no assurances regarding the likelihood or timing of any one of these potential land transactions being completed or the final terms thereof, including the sales price.
One of the four executed purchase and sale agreements is with an affiliate of Minto Communities for Minto’s planned development of a 3,400 unit master planned age restricted residential community on an approximate 1,600 acre parcel of the Company’s land holdings west of Interstate 95. The Company now expects this transaction is more likely to close in the second half of 2016 as entitlement and permitting work is still on going.
The Company owns impact fee and mitigation credits with a combined total of approximately $4.5 million and $5.2 million as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. During the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, the Company received cash payments of approximately $463,000 and $537,000, respectively, for impact fees with a cost basis that was generally of equal value.
Historical revenues and income from our sale of land are not indicative of future results because of the unique nature of land transactions and variations in the cost basis of the owned land. A significant portion of the Company’s revenue and income in any given year may be generated through relatively few land transactions. The timing for these land transactions, from the time of preliminary discussions through contract negotiations, due diligence periods, and the closing, can last from several months to several years. Although we believe there have been recent indications of improvement in the overall economy and credit markets, we expect the overall real estate market, particularly home building, to remain inconsistent in the near term, and as a result we believe our ability to enter into land transactions will remain challenging.
Real Estate Impairments. During the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, the Company did not recognize any impairments of its land holdings.
9
ITEM 1. |
BUSINESS (continued) |
Subsurface Interests. The Company owns full or fractional subsurface oil, gas, and mineral interests in approximately 500,000 “surface” acres of land owned by others in 20 counties in Florida. The Company leases its interests to mineral exploration firms for exploration. Our subsurface operations consist of revenue from the leasing of exploration rights and in some instances additional revenues from royalties applicable to production from the leased acreage.
During November 2015, the Company hired Lantana Advisors, a subsidiary of SunTrust, to evaluate the possible sale of its approximately 500,000 acres of mineral interests located in the State of Florida, including royalty interests in two operating oil wells in Lee County, Florida and its interests in the recently renewed oil exploration lease with Kerogen Florida Energy Company LP. Currently, the Company anticipates receiving bids from interested parties during the first quarter of 2016. There can be no assurances regarding the likelihood or timing of a sale of all or a portion of the subsurface interests, or the transaction terms, including price, should a transaction occur.
During 2011, an eight-year oil exploration lease was executed. The lease calls for annual lease payments which are recognized as revenue ratably over the respective twelve month lease periods. In addition, non-refundable drilling penalty payments are made as required by the drilling requirements in the lease which are recognized as revenue when received. Cash payments for both the annual lease payment and the drilling penalty, if applicable, are received in full on or before the first day of the respective lease year.
Lease payments on the respective acreages and drilling penalties received through lease year five are as follows:
Lease Year |
|
Acreage (Approximate) |
|
|
Florida County |
|
Lease Payment (1) |
|
|
Drilling Penalty (1) |
|
|||
Lease Year 1 - 9/23/2011 - 9/22/2012 |
|
|
136,000 |
|
|
Lee and Hendry |
|
$ |
913,657 |
|
|
$ |
- |
|
Lease Year 2 - 9/23/2012 - 9/22/2013 |
|
|
136,000 |
|
|
Lee and Hendry |
|
|
922,114 |
|
|
|
- |
|
Lease Year 3 - 9/23/2013 - 9/22/2014 |
|
|
82,000 |
|
|
Hendry |
|
|
3,293,000 |
|
|
|
1,000,000 |
|
Lease Year 4 - 9/23/2014 - 9/22/2015 |
|
|
42,000 |
|
|
Hendry |
|
|
1,866,146 |
|
|
|
600,000 |
|
Lease Year 5 - 9/23/2015 - 9/22/2016 |
|
|
25,000 |
|
|
Hendry |
|
|
1,218,838 |
|
|
|
175,000 |
|
Total Payments Received to Date |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
8,213,755 |
|
|
$ |
1,775,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1) Cash payment for the Lease Payment and Drilling Penalty is received on or before the first day of the lease year. The Drilling Penalty is recorded as revenue when received, while the Lease Payment is recognized on a straight-line basis over the respective lease term. See separate disclosure of the revenue per year below. |
|
The terms of the lease state the Company will receive royalty payments if production occurs, and may receive additional annual rental payments if the lease is continued in years six through eight. The lease is effectively eight one-year terms as the lessee has the option to terminate the lease annually or modify the acres subject to the lease.
Lease income generated by the annual lease payments is recognized on a straight-line basis over the guaranteed lease term. For the years December 31, 2015, 2014, and 2013, lease income of approximately $1.7 million, $2.9 million, and $1.6 million was recognized, respectively. There can be no assurance that the oil exploration lease will be extended beyond the expiration of the current term of September 22, 2016 or, if renewed, on similar terms or conditions.
During the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014, and 2013, the Company also received oil royalties from operating oil wells on 800 acres under a separate lease with a separate operator. Production volume from these oil wells was 62,745 barrels in 2015, 64,835 barrels in 2014 and 88,782 barrels in 2013, resulting in revenues received from oil royalties of approximately $68,000, $198,000 and $268,000, respectively.
The Company is not prohibited from the disposition of any or all of its subsurface interests. Should the Company complete a transaction to sell all or a portion of its subsurface interests, the Company may utilize the like-kind exchange structure in acquiring one or more replacement investments such as income-producing properties. The Company may release surface entry rights or other rights upon request of a surface owner for a negotiated release fee based on a percentage of the surface value. Cash payments for the release of surface entry rights totaled approximately $995,000, $4,000, and $120,000 during the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014, and 2013, respectively, which is included in revenue from real estate operations. In conjunction with the release of the Company’s surface entry rights related to approximately 1,400 acres in Lee County, Florida, for a cash payment of approximately $920,000 during the fourth quarter of 2015, the Company also received the 50% interest in the subsurface rights of those acres, which the Company did not previously own, for a fair value of approximately $68,000, which is also included in revenue from real estate operations.
10
ITEM 1. |
BUSINESS (continued) |
In addition, the Company generated revenue of approximately $73,000 and $119,000 during the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively, from fill dirt excavation agreements. There was no fill dirt revenue during the year ended December 31, 2013.
GOLF OPERATIONS
Golf operations consist of the LPGA International golf club, a semi-private golf club consisting of two 18-hole championship golf courses, an 18-hole course designed by Rees Jones and an 18-hole course designed by Arthur Hills, with a three-hole practice facility also designed by Rees Jones, a clubhouse facility, food and beverage operations, and a fitness facility located within the LPGA International mixed-use residential community on the west side of Interstate 95 in Daytona Beach, Florida. In 2012 and 2013, we completed approximately $534,000 of capital expenditures to renovate the clubhouse facilities, including a significant upgrade of the food and beverage operations, addition of fitness facilities, and renovations to public areas.
The Company entered into a management agreement with an affiliate of ClubCorp America (“ClubCorp”), effective January 25, 2012, to manage the LPGA International golf and clubhouse facilities. We believe ClubCorp, which owns and operates clubs and golf courses worldwide, brings substantial golf and club management expertise and knowledge to the LPGA International golf operations, including the utilization of national marketing capabilities, aggregated purchasing programs, and implementation of an affiliate member program, and our affiliation with ClubCorp will also improve membership levels through the access to other member clubs in the affiliate program of ClubCorp.
The Company leases the land and certain improvements attributable to the golf courses under a long-term lease with the City of Daytona Beach, Florida (the “City”), which expires in 2022. In July 2012, the Company entered into an agreement with the City to, among other things, amend the lease payments under its golf course lease (the “Lease Amendment”) whereby the base rent payment, which was scheduled to increase from $250,000 to $500,000 as of September 1, 2012, would remain at $250,000 for the remainder of the lease term and any extensions would be subject to an annual rate increase of 1.75% beginning September 1, 2013. The Company also agreed to invest $200,000 prior to September 1, 2015 for certain improvements to the facilities with the required improvements having been completed during 2012 and 2013. In addition, pursuant to the Lease Amendment, beginning September 1, 2012, and continuing throughout the initial lease term and any extension option, the Company will pay additional rent to the City equal to 5.0% of gross revenues exceeding $5,500,000 and 7.0% of gross revenues exceeding $6,500,000. Since the inception of the lease, the Company has recognized the rent expense on a straight-line basis resulting in an estimated accrual for deferred rent. Upon the effective date of the Lease Amendment, the Company’s straight-line rent was revised to reflect the lower rent levels through expiration of the lease. As a result, approximately $3.0 million of the rent previously deferred will not be due to the City, and will be recognized into income over the remaining lease term. As of December 31, 2015, approximately $1.7 million of the rent, previously deferred that will not be due to the City, remained to be amortized through September 2022.
COMMERCIAL LOAN INVESTMENTS
Our investment in commercial loans or similar structured finance investments, such as mezzanine loans or other subordinated debt, have been and are expected to continue to be secured by commercial or residential real estate or land or a borrower’s pledge of its ownership interest in the entity that owns the real estate. The first mortgage loans we typically invest in or originate are for commercial real estate, located in the United States and that are current or performing with either a fixed or floating rate. Some of these loans may be syndicated in either a pari passu or senior/subordinated structure. Commercial first mortgage loans generally provide for a higher recovery rate due to their senior security position in the underlying collateral. Commercial mezzanine loans are typically secured by a pledge of the borrower’s equity ownership in the underlying commercial real estate. Unlike a mortgage, a mezzanine loan does not represent a lien on the property. Investor’s rights in a mezzanine loan are usually governed by an intercreditor agreement that provides holders with the rights to cure defaults and exercise control on certain decisions of any senior debt secured by the same commercial property.
On September 24, 2015, the Company originated a $14.5 million first mortgage loan secured by a hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The loan matures in September 2018 and bears a floating interest rate of 30-day London Interbank Offer Rate (“LIBOR”) plus 900 basis points, of which 700 basis points are payable currently and 200 basis points accrue over the term of the loan. At closing, a loan origination fee of approximately $181,000 was received by the Company and is being accreted ratably into income through the contractual maturity date.
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BUSINESS (continued) |
During the year ended December 31, 2015, two of the Company’s commercial loan investments were paid in full, at par. The construction loan to the developer of the Container Store in Glendale, Arizona was paid in full on May 18, 2015 with total principal received of approximately $6.2 million. On June 30, 2015, the development loan on entitled land in Ormond Beach, Florida was paid in full with total principal received of $1.0 million. Also during the year ended December 31, 2015, the approximate $9.0 million B-Note secured by a retail shopping center located in Sarasota, Florida was extended one year to June 9, 2016 which included the rate increasing by 25 basis points and the borrower providing additional collateral on the loan. As of December 31, 2015, the Company owned four performing commercial loan investments which have an aggregate outstanding principal balance of approximately $38.5 million. These loans are secured by real estate, or the borrower’s equity interest in real estate, located in Dallas, Texas, Sarasota, Florida, Atlanta, Georgia, and San Juan, Puerto Rico and have an average remaining maturity of approximately 1.7 years and a weighted average interest rate of 8.9%.
AGRICULTURE AND OTHER INCOME
Effectively all of our agriculture and other income consists of revenues generated by our agricultural operations which encompasses approximately 9,700 acres of our land holdings primarily on the west side of Daytona Beach, Florida. Our agricultural operations are managed by a third-party and consist of leasing land for hay production, timber harvesting, as well as hunting leases.
COMPETITION
The real estate business generally is highly competitive. Our business plan is focused on investing in commercial real estate that produces income primarily through the leasing of assets to tenants. To identify investment opportunities in income-producing real estate assets and to achieve our investment objectives, we compete with numerous companies and organizations, both public as well as private, of varying sizes, ranging from organizations with local operations to organizations with national scale and reach, and in some cases, we compete with individual real estate investors. In all the markets in which we compete to acquire income properties, price is the principal method of competition, with transaction structure and certainty of execution also being significant considerations for potential sellers. As of December 31, 2015, our total income property portfolio, including our single-tenant and multi-tenant properties, consists of forty income properties located in the following states: (i) Arizona (ii) California (iii) Colorado (iv) Florida (v) Georgia (vi) Illinois (vii) Maryland (viii) North Carolina (ix) Texas, and (x) Washington. Should we need to re-lease our single-tenant income properties or space in our multi-tenant properties, we would compete with many other property owners in the local market based on price, location of our property, potential tenant improvements, and possibly lease terms.
Our real estate operation is primarily comprised of our land holdings, which are largely used for agricultural purposes today and are substantially located in the City of Daytona Beach, Florida, and our subsurface interests. The parties typically interested in our land holdings are both residential and commercial developers as well as commercial businesses. These interested parties typically base their decision to acquire land on, among other things, price, location, land use or optionality of land use, and may also consider other development activities in the surrounding area.
Our business plan is also focused on investing in commercial real estate through the performance of mortgage financings secured by commercial real estate. Competition for investing in commercial mortgage loans and similar financial instruments can include financial institutions such as banks, life insurance companies, institutional investors such as pension funds and other lenders including mortgage REITs, REITs, and high wealth investors. The organizations that we compete with are varying sizes, ranging from organizations with local operations to organizations with national scale and reach. Competition from these interested parties is based on, amongst other things, pricing or rate, financing structure, and other elements of the typical terms and conditions of a real estate financing.
Our golf operations consist of a single semi-private operating property, located in Daytona Beach, Florida, with two 18-hole championship golf courses, a practice facility with three holes of golf, and clubhouse facilities including a restaurant and bar operation, a fitness facility, and a swimming pool. The operation of the golf facility also includes private event sales for golf events and clubhouse events. The primary competition for our golf operations comes from other private and public golf operations in the local market. Competition for our golf operation is largely based on price, service level, and product quality. We attempt to differentiate our golf operations product on the basis of the condition and quality of the courses and practice facilities, our private event capabilities, service level, the quality and experience of the food and beverage amenities and other amenities.
EMPLOYEES
At December 31, 2015, the Company had fourteen full-time employees and considers its employee relations to be satisfactory.
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BUSINESS (continued) |
AVAILABLE INFORMATION
The Company’s website is www.ctlc.com. The Company makes available on this website, free of charge, its annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as soon as reasonably practicable after the Company electronically files or furnishes such materials to the SEC. The Company will also provide paper copies of these filings free of charge upon a specific request in writing for such filing to the Company’s Corporate Secretary, P.O. Box 10809, Daytona Beach, Florida 32120-0809. All reports the Company files with or furnishes to the SEC are also available free of charge via the SEC’s electronic data gathering and retrieval (“EDGAR”) system available through the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. The public may read and copy any materials filed by us with the SEC at the SEC’s Public Reference Room, 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. The public may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330.
The Company’s lease for its corporate office in Daytona Beach, Florida expires on March 31, 2016. The Company is currently in the process of extending this lease.
Our business is subject to a number of significant risks. The risks described below may not be the only risks which potentially could impact our business. These additional risks include those which are unknown at this time or that are currently considered immaterial. If any of the circumstances, events, or developments described below actually occur to a significant degree, our business, financial condition, results of operations, and/or cash flows could be adversely affected, and the trading price of our common stock could decline. You should carefully consider the following risks and all of the other information set forth in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including the consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto.
A prolonged downturn in economic conditions, especially in Daytona Beach, Florida, could adversely impact our business. In recent years, the collapse of the housing market, together with the crisis in the credit markets, resulted in a recession in the local and national economy with significant levels of unemployment, shrinking gross domestic product, and drastically reduced consumer spending. During this period, potential consumers of residential real estate often deferred or avoided real estate purchases due to, among other factors, a lack of liquidity, the substantial costs involved, and overall uncertainty with the economy. The real estate industry is particularly vulnerable to shifts in local, regional, and national economic conditions which are outside of our control, such as short and long-term interest rates, housing demand, population growth, and unemployment levels and job growth. Our real estate operations segment is especially sensitive to economic conditions in Florida, particularly in Daytona Beach, where substantially all of our land portfolio is located. While Florida has experienced improving economic conditions the recovery for Florida started later and has taken longer than the rest of the nation. A prolonged period of economic weakness or another downturn could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and/or cash flows.
We may experience a decline in the fair value of our real estate assets or investments which could result in impairments and would impact our financial condition and results of operations. A decline in the fair market value of our long-lived assets may require us to recognize an “other-than-temporary” impairment against such assets (as defined by FASB authoritative accounting guidance) if certain conditions or circumstances related to an asset were to change and we were to determine that, with respect to any such asset, there was an unrealized loss to the fair value of the asset. The fair value of our long-lived assets depends on market conditions, including estimates of future demand for these assets, and the revenues that can be generated from such applicable assets including land or an income property. If such a determination were to be made, we would recognize the estimated unrealized losses through earnings and write down the depreciated or amortized cost of such assets to a new cost basis, based on the fair value of such assets on the date they are considered to be other-than-temporarily impaired. Such impairment charges reflect non-cash losses at the time of recognition; subsequent disposition or sale of such assets could further affect our future losses or gains, as they are based on the difference between the sales price received and the adjusted depreciated or amortized cost of such assets at the time of sale.
The most recent downturn in the U.S. economy and real estate markets caused the fair value of certain of our properties to decrease. In 2011, we wrote down the carrying value of our golf operations assets and certain of our land assets with corresponding non-cash charges against our earnings to reflect the impaired value. In 2013, we wrote down the carrying value of a small parcel of land reacquired through foreclosure in 2009 when a portion of this reacquired land was under contract to be sold for a price that was less than the carrying value of the land. If the real estate market were to experience another decline, we may be required to take other impairment charges against our earnings for other than temporary impairments in the value of our real estate assets including our land, income properties, commercial loan investments and similar financings or other capitalized costs. Any such non-cash charges could have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
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RISK FACTORS (continued) |
Our quarterly results are subject to variability. We have historically derived a substantial portion of our income from transactions in our land holdings. The timing of such real estate transactions is not predictable and is generally subject to the purchaser’s ability to, among other things, obtain on a timely basis acceptable financing and approvals from local municipalities and regulatory agencies for the intended use of the land. As these approvals are subject to third party responses, it is not uncommon for delays to occur, which affect the timing of transaction closings and may also impact the terms and conditions of the transaction. These timing issues have caused, and may continue to cause, our operating results to vary significantly from quarter to quarter and year to year.
Our future success will depend upon, among other things, our ability to successfully execute our strategy to invest in income- producing assets. There is no assurance that we will be able to continue to execute our strategy of investing in income-producing assets, including income properties and commercial loans or similar financings secured by real estate. There is no assurance that the income property portfolio will expand at all, or if it expands, at any specified rate or to any specified size. If we continue to invest in diverse geographic markets other than the markets in which we currently own properties, we will be subject to risks associated with investing in new markets as those markets will be relatively unfamiliar to us. In addition, investments in new markets may introduce increased costs to us relating to factors including the regulatory environment and the local and state tax structure. Additionally there is no assurance we will or can expand our investments in commercial loans or similar financings secured by real estate. Consequently if we are unable to acquire additional income-producing assets or our investments in new markets introduce increased costs our financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows may be adversely affected.
We operate in a highly competitive market for the acquisition of income properties and more established competitors may be able to compete more effectively for acquisition opportunities than we can. A number of entities compete with us to purchase income properties. We compete with REITs, public and private real estate focused companies, high wealth individual investors, and others. Many of our competitors are substantially larger and have considerably greater financial, technical and marketing resources than we do. Several of our public company competitors have greater access to raising equity or debt financing, have significant amounts of capital available and objectives that overlap with ours, which may create competition for acquisition opportunities. Some competitors may have a lower cost of funds and access to funding sources that are not available to us. In addition, some of our competitors may have higher risk tolerances or different risk assessments, which could allow them to consider a wider variety of income property acquisitions and establish more relationships than us. We cannot be assured that the competitive pressures we face will not have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and therefore our cash flows. Also, as a result of this competition, we may not be able to take advantage of attractive acquisition opportunities from time to time, and we can offer no assurance that we will be able to identify and purchase assets that are consistent with our objectives.
If we are not successful in utilizing the like-kind exchange structure in deploying the proceeds from our land transactions or dispositions of non-core income properties, or our like-kind exchange transactions are disqualified, our results of operations and cash flows could be adversely impacted. Our strategy of investing in income-producing properties includes the utilization, when possible, of proceeds obtained from the disposition of non-core income properties or from land transactions, which qualify for deferral of the applicable income tax through the like-kind exchange provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. If we fail to complete a qualifying acquisition utilizing the aforementioned proceeds, or a transaction we deemed qualifying for like-kind exchange treatment is subsequently disqualified by the Internal Revenue Service, we may be subject to increased income taxes, which may adversely impact our results of operations and our cash flows.
We are subject to a number of risks inherent with the real estate industry and in the ownership of real estate assets or investment in financings secured by real estate which may adversely affect our returns from our investments, our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Factors beyond our control can affect the performance and value of our real estate assets including our land, income properties, investments in commercial loans or similar financings secured by real estate or other investments. Real estate assets are subject to various risks, including but not limited to the following:
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Adverse changes in national, regional, and local economic and market conditions where our properties are located; |
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Competition from other real estate companies similar to ours and competition for tenants, including competition based on rental rates, age and location of the property and the quality of maintenance, insurance, and management services; |
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Changes in tenant preferences that reduce the attractiveness of our properties to tenants or decreases in market rental rates; |
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Zoning or other local regulatory restrictions, or other factors pertaining to the local government institutions which inhibit interest in the markets in which our land holdings or income producing assets are located; |
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Costs associated with the need to periodically repair, renovate or re-lease our properties; |
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RISK FACTORS (continued) |
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Increases in the cost of our operations, particularly maintenance, insurance, or real estate taxes which may occur even when circumstances such as market factors and competition cause a reduction in our revenues; |
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Changes in governmental laws and regulations, fiscal policies and zoning ordinances and the related costs of compliance with laws and regulations, fiscal policies, and ordinances; |
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Illiquidity of real estate investments which may limit our ability to modify our income producing asset portfolio promptly in response to changes in economic or other conditions; |
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Acts of God, including natural disasters, which may result in uninsured losses; and |
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Acts of war or terrorism, including consequences of terrorist attacks. |
If any of these or similar events occurs, it may reduce our return from an affected real estate asset or investment which could adversely impact our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
The loss of revenues from our income property portfolio or certain tenants would adversely impact our results of operations and cash flows. While no single tenant represents more than 10% of our consolidated revenues as of December 31, 2015, we have tenants who lease a number of our income properties or a large amount of the square footage of our income property portfolio, such as Wells Fargo, Lowe’s Corporation, Bank of America, Big Lots and Hilton Resorts Corporation. The default, financial distress, or bankruptcy of one or all of these tenants could cause substantial vacancies in our income property portfolio and reduce our revenues from our income property operations significantly thereby adversely impacting our results of operations and cash flows. Vacancies reduce our revenue until the affected properties can be re-leased and could decrease the value of each such vacant property. Upon the expiration of the leases that are currently in place, we may not be able to re-lease a vacant property at a comparable lease rate or without incurring additional expenditures in connection with such re-leasing. If, following the loss of an income property tenant, we are unable to re-lease the income property at comparable rental rates and in a timely manner, our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows could be adversely affected.
Certain provisions of the Company’s leases may be unenforceable. The Company’s rights and obligations with respect to its leases are governed by written agreements with its tenants. A court could determine that one or more provisions of such an agreement are unenforceable, such as a particular remedy, a termination provision, or a provision governing the Company’s remedies for default of the tenant lessee. If we were unable to enforce provisions of a lease agreement or agreements, our results of operations, financial condition, and cash flows could be adversely impacted.
We may not be able to dispose of properties we target for sale to recycle our capital. While the Company’s strategy may include selectively selling non-core income-producing properties to recycle our capital, we may be unable to sell properties targeted for disposition due to adverse market conditions or not achieve the pricing or timing that is consistent with our expectations. This may adversely affect, among other things, the Company’s ability to deploy capital into the acquisition of other income-producing properties, the execution of our overall operating strategy and consequently our financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
Most of our land holdings are located in a Daytona Beach, Florida and the competition in the local and regional market, the possible impact of government regulation or development limitations, and the criteria used by interested parties interested in acquiring land could adversely impact interest in our land and thereby our results of operations and cash flows. The parties typically interested in our land holdings base their decision to acquire land on, among other things, price, location, and land use or optionality of land use. In some instances the aforementioned acquisition criteria or other factors may make an interested party consider other land holdings instead of ours. In addition, parties interested in acquiring our land holdings would likely consider the impact of governmental regulations or ordinances on their ability to develop the land for their intended use and may seek incentives or similar economic considerations from the governmental authorities that they may not be able to obtain. These conditions may make it difficult for us to complete land transactions on acceptable terms or at all which could adversely impact our financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
The Company’s real estate investments, including our land holdings and income-producing assets, are generally illiquid. Real estate investments are relatively illiquid, therefore, it may be difficult for us to sell such assets if the need or desire arises and otherwise the Company’s ability to make rapid adjustments in the size and content of our income property portfolio or other real estate assets in response to economic or other conditions is limited. Illiquid assets typically experience greater price volatility, as a ready market does not exist, and can be more difficult to value. In addition, validating third party pricing for illiquid assets may be more subjective than more liquid assets. As a result, if we are required to liquidate all or a portion of certain of our real estate assets or income producing asset portfolio quickly, we may realize significantly less than the value at which we have previously recorded our
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RISK FACTORS (continued) |
assets. Further, certain expenditures necessary to operate our income property operations, real estate operations and golf operations generally do not get reduced and may in fact increase in response to weakening economic conditions or other market disruptions including maintenance costs, insurance costs, and in some instances, interest expense. This relationship of revenue and expenditures may result, under certain market conditions, in reduced operating results and cash flows and thereby could have an adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition.
Continued or increased operating losses from the golf operations may adversely impact the Company’s results of operations and cash flows. The Company has golf operations consisting of two 18-hole golf courses in Daytona Beach, Florida, with a food and beverage operation, and club membership operations. A third party manages and staffs these operations on behalf of the Company. Since its inception the golf operation has generated negative cash flows. In 2011, the Company recognized an impairment of approximately $4.0 million on the long-lived assets of the golf operations. The results of operations from the golf operations are subject to the typical execution risks inherent with many golf, retail and club operations including, but not limited to: maintenance, merchandising, pricing, customer service, competition, consumer preferences and behavior, safety, compliance with various federal, state and local laws, ordinances and regulations, environmental contamination, weather conditions, or other trends in the local market. Although the negative cash flows generated by the golf operations decreased substantially in 2014 and 2015, any one of these execution risk factors could negatively impact the golf operations and thereby adversely impact the Company’s results of operations and cash flows.
Competition, seasonality and market conditions relating to golf operations could adversely affect our operating results. Our golf operations face competition from similar golf operations in the surrounding areas. Any new competition from golf operations that are developed close to our existing golf operations also may adversely impact the results of our golf operations. Our golf operations are also subject to changes in market conditions, such as population trends and changing demographics, any of which could adversely affect results of operations. In addition, our golf operations may suffer if the economy weakens, if the popularity of golf decreases, or if unusual weather conditions or other factors cause a reduction in rounds played. Our golf operations are seasonal, primarily due to the impact of the winter tourist season and Florida’s summer heat and rain. Should any of these factors impact our golf operations unfavorably our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows would be impacted adversely.
The revenues from our golf operations depend on a third-party operator that we do not control. We currently utilize a third-party to manage and operate our golf operations. As a result, we do not directly implement operating business decisions with respect to the operation and marketing of our golf operations, and personnel decisions. For our golf operations these decisions may concern course maintenance, membership programs, marketing programs, and employee matters. The amount of revenue that we generate from the golf operations is dependent on the ability of the third-party manager to maintain and increase the gross receipts from LPGA International. If the revenues from our golf operations decline or the operating expenses increase at a rate that is inconsistent with revenues our results of operations and our cash flows would be adversely affected.
Our investment strategy may involve credit risk. As part of our business strategy, we have invested in commercial loans secured by commercial real estate and may invest in other commercial loans or similar financings secured by real estate in the future. Investments in commercial loans or similar financings of real estate involve credit risk with regard to the borrower, the borrower’s operations and the real estate that secures the financing. The credit risks include, but are not limited to, the ability of the borrower to execute their business plan and strategy, the ability of the borrower to sustain and/or improve the operating results generated by the collateral property, the ability of the borrower to continue as a going concern, and the risk associated with the market or industry in which the collateral property operates. Our evaluation of the investment opportunity in a mortgage loan or similar financing includes these elements of credit risk as well as other underwriting criteria and factors. Further, we may rely on third party resources to assist us in our investment process and otherwise conducting customary due diligence. Our underwriting of the investment or our estimates of credit risk may not prove to be accurate, as actual results may vary from our estimates. In the event we underestimate the performance of the borrower and/or the underlying real estate which secures our commercial loan or financing, we may experience losses or unanticipated costs regarding our investment and our financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows may be adversely impacted.
Because of competition, we may not be able to acquire commercial loans or similar financings at all or at favorable yields. We may not be able to execute our strategy of acquiring commercial loans or similar financings at favorable spreads over our borrowing costs. We compete with many other investment groups including REITs, public and private investment funds, life insurance companies, commercial and investment banks, commercial finance companies, including some of the third parties with which we expect to have relationships. In most instances the competition has greater financial capacity, larger organizations and operating presence in the market. As a result, we may not be able to acquire commercial loans or similar financings in the future at all or at favorable spreads over our borrowing costs which could adversely impact our results of operations and cash flows and would likely result in the need for any growth in our portfolio of income-producing assets to be achieved through the acquisition of income properties.
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RISK FACTORS (continued) |
Debt and preferred equity investments could cause us to incur expenses, which could adversely affect our results of operations. We currently own, or may own in the future, investments in first mortgages, mezzanine loans, junior participations and preferred equity interests. Such investments may or may not be recourse obligations of the borrower and are not insured or guaranteed by governmental agencies or otherwise. In the event of a default under these obligations, we may have to take possession of the collateral securing these interests including through foreclosure proceedings. Borrowers may contest enforcement of foreclosure or our other remedies, and may seek bankruptcy protection to potentially block our actions to enforce their obligations to us. Relatively high loan-to-value ratios and declines in the value of the underlying collateral property may prevent us from realizing an amount equal to our investment upon foreclosure or realization even if we make substantial improvements or repairs to the underlying real estate in order to maximize such property’s investment potential.
As appropriate, we will maintain and regularly evaluate financial reserves to properly accrue for potential future losses. Our reserves would reflect management’s judgment of the probability and severity of losses and the value of the underlying collateral. We cannot be certain that our judgment will prove to be correct and that our reserves, if any, will be adequate over time to protect against future losses due to unanticipated adverse changes in the economy or events adversely affecting specific properties, assets, tenants, borrowers, industries in which our tenants and borrowers operate or markets in which our tenants and borrowers, or their properties are located. If we are unable to enforce our contractual rights, including but not limited to, taking possession of the collateral property in a foreclosure circumstance, or our reserves for credit losses prove inadequate, we could suffer losses which would have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
The mezzanine loan assets that we expect to acquire will involve greater risks of loss than senior loans secured by income-producing properties. We may acquire mezzanine loans, which generally take the form of subordinated loans secured by the underlying property or loans secured by a pledge of the ownership interests of either the entity owning the property or a pledge of the ownership interests of the entity that owns the interest in the entity owning the property. These types of assets involve a higher degree of risk than senior mortgage lending secured by income-producing real property, because the loan may become unsecured as a result of foreclosure by the senior lender. In the event of a bankruptcy of the entity providing the pledge of its ownership interests as security, we may not have full recourse to the assets of such entity, or the assets of the entity may not be sufficient to satisfy our mezzanine loan. If a borrower defaults on our mezzanine loan or the debt that is senior to our loan, or in the event of a borrower bankruptcy, our mezzanine loan will only be satisfied after the senior debt has been satisfied. As a result, we may not recover some or all of our initial investment. In addition, mezzanine loans may have higher loan-to-value ratios than conventional mortgage loans, resulting in less equity in the property and increasing the risk of loss of principal. Significant losses related to our mezzanine loans would result in operating losses for us and could adversely impact our financial condition and cash flows.
We may invest in fixed-rate loan investments, and an increase in interest rates may adversely affect the value of these investments, which could adversely impact our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Increases in interest rates may negatively affect the market value of our investments, particularly any fixed-rate commercial loans or other financings we have invested in. Generally any fixed-rate commercial loans or other financings will be more negatively affected by rising interest rates than adjustable-rate assets. We are required to reduce the book value of our investments by the amount of any decrease in their fair value. Reductions in the fair value of our investments could decrease the amounts we may borrow to purchase additional commercial loan or similar financing investments, which could impact our ability to increase our operating results and cash flows. Furthermore, if our borrowing costs are rising while our interest income is fixed for the fixed-rate investments, the spread between our borrowing costs and the fixed-rate we earn on the commercial loans or similar financing investments will contract or could become negative which would adversely impact our financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
The commercial loans or similar financings we expect to acquire that are secured by commercial real estate typically depend on the ability of the property owner to generate income from operating the property. Failure to do so may result in delinquency and/or foreclosure. Commercial loans are secured by commercial property and are subject to risks of delinquency and foreclosure and therefore the risk of loss. The ability of a borrower to repay a loan secured by an income-producing property typically is dependent primarily upon the successful operation of such property rather than upon the existence of independent income or assets of the borrower. If the net operating income of the property is reduced, the borrower’s ability to repay the loan may be impaired. In the event of any default under a commercial loan held directly by us, we will bear a risk of loss of principal to the extent of any deficiency between the value of the collateral and the principal and accrued interest of the commercial loan, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, operating results and cash flows. In the event of the bankruptcy of a commercial loan borrower, the mortgage loan to such borrower will be deemed to be secured only to the extent of the value of the underlying collateral at the time of bankruptcy (as determined by the bankruptcy court), and the lien securing the loan will be subject to the avoidance powers of the bankruptcy trustee or debtor-in-possession to the extent the lien is unenforceable under state law. Foreclosure of a loan can be an expensive and lengthy process, which could have a substantial negative effect on our anticipated return on the foreclosed commercial loan. If the borrower is unable to repay a mortgage loan or similar financing our inability to foreclose on the asset in a timely manner,
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RISK FACTORS (continued) |
and/or our inability to obtain value from reselling or otherwise disposing of the asset for an amount equal to our investment basis would adversely impact our financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
The activities or actions of a third party servicer engaged to service our investment in a commercial loan or similar debt financing could adversely impact the value of our investment or our results of operations and cash flows. Our investments in first mortgages, mezzanine loans or other debt financings secured by real estate may require a third party servicer to service the loan on our behalf and/or on behalf of third parties who have invested in some portion of the debt financing. An intended or unintended breach by the servicer with regard to their servicing of the debt financing or in their contractual obligations and fiduciary duties to us or the other holders of the debt financing could adversely impact the value of our investment or our results of operations and cash flows.
We may suffer losses when a borrower defaults on a loan and the underlying collateral value is less than the amount due. If a borrower defaults on a non-recourse loan, we will only have recourse to the real estate-related assets collateralizing the loan. If the underlying collateral value is less than the loan amount, we will suffer a loss. Conversely, some of our commercial loans may be unsecured or are secured only by equity interests in the borrowing entities. These loans are subject to the risk that other lenders in the capital stack may be directly secured by the real estate assets of the borrower or may otherwise have a superior right to repayment. Upon a default, those collateralized lenders would have priority over us with respect to the proceeds of a sale of the underlying real estate. In cases described above, we may lack control over the underlying asset collateralizing our loan or the underlying assets of the borrower before a default, and, as a result, the value of the collateral may be reduced by acts or omissions by owners or managers of the assets. In addition, the value of the underlying real estate may be adversely affected by some or all of the risks referenced above with respect to our owned real estate.
Some of our commercial loans may be backed by individual or corporate guarantees from borrowers or their affiliates which are not secured. If the guarantees are not fully or partially secured, we typically rely on financial covenants from borrowers and guarantors which are designed to require the borrower or guarantor to maintain certain levels of creditworthiness. Where we do not have recourse to specific collateral pledged to satisfy such guarantees or recourse loans, we will only have recourse as an unsecured creditor to the general assets of the borrower or guarantor, some or all of which may be pledged as collateral for other lenders. There can be no assurance that a borrower or guarantor will comply with its financial covenants, or that sufficient assets will be available to pay amounts owed to us under our loans and guarantees. As a result of these factors, we may suffer additional losses which could have a material adverse effect on our financial performance.
Upon a borrower bankruptcy, we may not have full recourse to the assets of the borrower to satisfy our loan. Additionally, in some instances, our loans may be subordinate to other debt of certain borrowers. If a borrower defaults on our loan or on debt senior to our loan, or a borrower files for bankruptcy, our loan will be satisfied only after the senior debt receives payment. Where debt senior to our loan exists, the presence of inter-creditor arrangements may limit our ability to amend our loan documents, assign our loans, accept prepayments, exercise our remedies (through “standstill” periods), and control decisions made in bankruptcy proceedings. Bankruptcy and borrower litigation can significantly increase collection costs and the time needed for us to acquire title to the underlying collateral (if applicable), during which time the collateral and/or a borrower’s financial condition may decline in value, causing us to suffer additional losses.
If the value of collateral underlying a loan declines, or interest rates increase during the term of a loan, a borrower may not be able to obtain the necessary funds to repay our loan at maturity through refinancing because the underlying property revenue cannot satisfy the debt service coverage requirements necessary to obtain new financing. If a borrower is unable to repay our loan at maturity, we could suffer additional loss which may adversely impact our financial performance.
As a result of any of the above factors or events, the losses we may suffer could adversely impact our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Investments in securities of companies operating in the real estate industry, including debt and equity instruments such as corporate bonds; preferred or common stock; or convertible instruments could cause us to incur losses or other expenses which could adversely affect our financial position, results of operations, and cash flows. We currently own, or may own in the future, investments in corporate securities of companies operating in the real estate industry including debt and equity instruments such as corporate bonds; preferred or common stock; or convertible instruments. Certain of these investments are traded on an exchange or other active market whereby the price of the underlying instrument is quoted daily and those quoted prices and thus the market value of the instrument varies during a given trading day. Certain of these investments are traded on an exchange or market that is not deemed an active market but where the price of the investment fluctuates daily or otherwise. Adverse fluctuations in the value of these investments, whether market generated or not, are reflected as unrealized losses on our balance sheet. We may choose to or be required to liquidate these investments in whole or in part and at prices that result in realized losses on our investment. Should we incur realized losses on liquidating these investments our financial position, results of operations and cash flows would be adversely impacted.
18
ITEM 1A. |
RISK FACTORS (continued) |
The Company may be unable to obtain debt or equity capital on favorable terms, if at all, or additional borrowings may impact our liquidity. We may seek to obtain additional debt financing or raise equity capital and may be unable to do so on favorable terms, if at all, to further our business objectives. We may obtain unsecured debt financing in addition to our credit facility which could decrease our borrowing capacity on the credit facility. Capital that may be available may be materially more expensive or available under terms that are materially more restrictive than the Company’s existing debt capital, which would have an adverse impact on the Company’s business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
An increase in our borrowing costs would adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. While we have no short-term maturities in our long-term debt, should we seek to utilize additional debt to help finance our acquisitions, increased interest rates would reduce the difference, or spread, that we may earn between the yield on the investments we make and the cost of the leverage we employ to finance such investments. It is possible that the spread on investments could be reduced to a point at which the profitability from investments would be significantly reduced or eliminated entirely. This would adversely affect our returns on our assets, our financial condition, our results of operations, and cash flows and could require us to liquidate certain or all of these assets.
The Company’s revolving credit facility and secured financings include certain financial and/or other covenants that could restrict its operating activities, and the failure to comply with such covenants could result in a default that accelerates the required payment of such debt. As of December 31, 2015, the Company had approximately $38.3 million of outstanding indebtedness under the revolving credit facility and $60.4 million of secured debt. The revolving credit facility contains various restrictive covenants which include, among others, a maximum total indebtedness and limits on the repurchase of the Company’s stock and similar restrictions. In addition, the revolving credit facility contains certain financial covenants pertaining to debt service coverage ratios, maximum levels of investment in certain types of assets, the number and make-up of the properties in the borrowing base and similar covenants typical for this type of indebtedness. The Company’s secured indebtedness generally contains covenants regarding debt service coverage ratios. The Company’s ability to meet or maintain compliance with these and other debt covenants may be dependent on the performance by the Company’s tenants under their leases. The Company’s failure to comply with certain of its debt covenants could result in a default that may, if not cured, accelerate the payment under such debt and limit the Company’s available cash flow for acquisitions, dividends, or operating costs, which would likely have a material adverse impact on the Company’s financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows. In addition, these defaults could impair the Company’s access to the debt and equity markets.
Servicing our debt requires a significant amount of cash, and we may not have sufficient cash flow from our business to pay our debt. Our ability to make scheduled payments of the principal of, to pay interest on, to pay any cash due upon conversion of or to refinance our indebtedness, including the Notes, depends on our future operating and financial performance, which is subject to economic, financial, competitive and other factors beyond our control. Our business may not continue to generate cash flow from operations in the future sufficient to service our debt and make necessary capital expenditures. If we are unable to generate such cash flow, we may be required to adopt one or more alternatives, such as selling assets, restructuring debt or obtaining additional equity capital on terms that may be onerous or highly dilutive. Our ability to refinance our indebtedness will depend on the capital markets and our financial condition at such time. We may not be able to engage in any of these activities or engage in these activities on desirable terms, which could result in a default on our debt obligations.
Certain investors in the convertible debt issuance may also invest in our common stock utilizing trading strategies which may increase the volatility in or adversely affect the trading price and liquidity of our common stock. Investors in, and potential purchasers of, the Notes may employ, or seek to employ, a convertible arbitrage strategy with respect to the Notes. Investors that employ a convertible arbitrage strategy with respect to our convertible debt instruments typically implement that strategy by selling short the common stock underlying the Notes and dynamically adjusting their short position while they hold the Notes. Investors may also implement this strategy by entering into swaps on our common stock in lieu of or in addition to short selling our common stock. These strategies, particularly the effect short sales or equity swaps with respect to our common stock, could increase the volatility of our stock price or otherwise adversely affect the trading price of our common stock.
We continue to have the ability to incur debt; if we incur substantial additional debt, the higher levels of debt may affect our ability to pay the interest and principal of our debt. Despite our current consolidated debt levels, we and our subsidiaries may incur substantial additional debt in the future (subject to the restrictions contained in our debt instruments), some of which may be secured debt. The indenture governing our Notes does not restrict our ability to incur additional indebtedness, whether secured or unsecured, or require us to maintain financial ratios or specified levels of net worth or liquidity. If we incur substantial additional indebtedness in the future, these higher levels of indebtedness may affect our ability to pay the principal of, and interest on, our outstanding debt and our creditworthiness generally.
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ITEM 1A. |
RISK FACTORS (continued) |
We may not have the ability to raise the funds necessary to settle conversions of the Notes or purchase the Notes as required upon a fundamental change, and our future debt may contain limitations on our ability to pay cash upon a purchase or conversion of the Notes. Following certain potential events qualifying as a fundamental change under the Indenture governing the Notes, including a change of control, holders of Notes will have the right to require us to purchase their Notes for cash. A fundamental change may also constitute an event of default or a prepayment event under, and result in the acceleration of the maturity of, our then-existing indebtedness. In addition, upon conversion of the Notes, unless we elect to deliver solely shares of our common stock to settle such conversion (other than paying cash in lieu of delivering any fractional share), we will be required to make cash payments in respect of the Notes being converted. There is no assurance that we will have sufficient financial resources, or will be able to arrange financing, to pay the fundamental change purchase price or make cash payments upon conversion. In addition, restrictions in our then existing credit facilities or other indebtedness, if any, may not allow us to purchase the Notes upon a fundamental change or make cash payments upon conversion. Our failure to purchase the Notes upon a fundamental change or make cash payments upon conversion thereof when required would result in an event of default with respect to the Notes which could, in turn, constitute a default under the terms of our other indebtedness, if any. If the repayment of the related indebtedness were to be accelerated after any applicable notice or grace periods, we may not have sufficient funds to repay the indebtedness and purchase the Notes or make cash payments upon conversions thereof.
To the extent we issue shares of our common stock to satisfy all or a portion of the settlement of our Notes, conversions of the Notes will dilute the ownership interest of our existing shareholders, including holders who had previously converted their Notes into common stock. To the extent we issue shares of our common stock to satisfy all or a portion of our conversion obligation pursuant to the Notes, the conversion of some or all of the Notes into common stock will dilute the ownership interests of our existing shareholders. Any sales in the public market of our common stock issuable upon such conversion could adversely affect prevailing market prices of our common stock. In addition, the existence of the Notes may encourage short selling by market participants because the conversion of the Notes could depress the price of our common stock.
The fundamental change purchase feature of our Notes may delay or prevent an otherwise beneficial attempt to take over our company. The terms of the Notes require us to offer to purchase the Notes for cash in the event of a fundamental change, as defined in the indenture agreement of the Notes. A non-stock takeover of our company may trigger the requirement that we purchase the Notes. This feature may have the effect of delaying or preventing a takeover of our company that would otherwise be beneficial to investors.
The conditional conversion feature of our Notes, if triggered, may adversely affect our financial condition and operating results. In the event the conditional conversion feature of the Notes is triggered, holders of Notes will be entitled to convert their Notes at any time during specified periods at their option. If one or more holders elect to convert their Notes, unless we satisfy our conversion obligation by delivering solely shares of our common stock (other than cash in lieu of any fractional share), we would be required to settle all or a portion of our conversion obligation through the payment of cash, which could adversely affect our liquidity. In addition, even if holders do not elect to convert their Notes, we could be required under applicable accounting rules to reclassify all or a portion of the outstanding principal of the Notes as a current rather than long-term liability, which would result in a material reduction of our net working capital.
The accounting method for our Notes, which may be settled in cash, may have a material effect on our reported financial results. Under Accounting Standards Codification 470-20, Debt with Conversion and Other Options, which we refer to as ASC 470-20, an entity must separately account for the liability and equity components of the convertible debt instruments (such as the Notes) that may be settled entirely or partially in cash upon conversion in a manner that reflects the issuer’s economic interest cost. The effect of ASC 470-20 on the accounting for the Notes is that the equity component is required to be included in the additional paid-in capital section of shareholders’ equity on our consolidated balance sheet, and the value of the equity component would be treated as original issue discount for purposes of accounting for the debt component of the Notes. As a result, we will be required to record a greater amount of non-cash interest expense in current periods presented as a result of the amortization of the discounted carrying value of the Notes to their face amount over the term of the Notes. We will report lower net income (or greater net loss) in our financial results because ASC 470-20 requires interest to include both the current period’s amortization of the debt discount and the instrument’s coupon interest, which could adversely affect our reported or future financial results, the market price of our common stock.
20
ITEM 1A. |
RISK FACTORS (continued) |
Convertible debt instruments (such as the Notes) that may be settled entirely or partly in cash are currently accounted for utilizing the treasury stock method if we have the ability and intent to settle in cash, the effect of which is that the shares issuable upon conversion of the Notes are not included in the calculation of diluted earnings per share except to the extent that the conversion value of the Notes exceeds their principal amount. Under the treasury stock method, for diluted earnings per share purposes, the transaction is accounted for as if the number of shares of common stock that would be necessary to settle such excess, if we elected to settle such excess in shares, are issued. We cannot be sure that we will be able to continue to demonstrate the ability or intent to settle in cash or that the accounting standards in the future will continue to permit the use of the treasury stock method. If we are unable to use the treasury stock method in accounting for the shares issuable upon conversion of the Notes, then our diluted earnings per share would be adversely affected.
Declines in value of the assets in which we invest will adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations, and make it more costly to finance these assets. Generally, we use our income property investments as collateral for our financings or as the borrowing base for our credit facility. Any decline in their value, or perceived market uncertainty about their value, could make it difficult for us to obtain or renew financing on favorable terms or at all, or maintain our compliance with terms of any financing arrangements already in place.
Our operations could be negatively impacted by the loss of key management personnel. We believe our future success depends, to a significant extent, on the efforts of each member of the Company’s senior management and our ability to attract and retain key personnel. The loss of, or our inability to replace, any member of senior management could adversely affect our operations and our ability to execute our business strategies and thereby our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. We maintain key man insurance on our Chief Executive Officer, but we do not have key man life insurance policies on the other members of our senior management.
The Company has a single shareholder who holds more than 26% of the Company’s outstanding common stock and related voting rights and the significance of its investment could have a material adverse impact on the Company’s results of operations, cash flows, the trading price of our stock, and business operations. A single institutional shareholder of the Company owns more than 26% of the outstanding common stock of the Company and the voting rights affiliated with those shares. Based on the reported size of this shareholder’s assets under management in their investment fund, their ownership in the Company’s common stock has become an increasingly significant component of their fund. With regard to the significance of this shareholder’s investment in the Company as a percentage of its total investment fund, certain securities limitations imposed on its fund with regard to ownership levels in our stock may require this shareholder to liquidate some amount of the shares it owns in the Company, which could have an adverse impact on our stock price. During the fourth quarter of 2015, the Company received communications from this shareholder, and this shareholder has made public filings which have led or could lead to the Company having to incur certain costs for legal representation, accounting services, or other third party costs to address the claims, allegations or other matters contained in its communications. Such costs, while not reasonably estimable, may represent significant costs for the Company which would have an adverse impact on the Company’s results of operations and cash flows.
Our operations and properties could be adversely affected in the event of a hurricane, earthquake, natural disaster, or other significant disruption. Our corporate headquarters and many of our properties are located in Florida, where major hurricanes have occurred. We have income properties in southern California where earthquakes have occurred. Depending on where any particular hurricane makes landfall, our properties in Florida could experience significant damage. Similarly, should an earthquake occur in southern California, our properties there could incur significant damage. In addition, the occurrence and frequency of hurricanes in Florida could also negatively impact demand for our real estate assets because of consumer perceptions of hurricane risks. In addition to hurricanes, the occurrence of other natural disasters and climate conditions in Florida, such as tornadoes, floods, fires, unusually heavy or prolonged rain, droughts and heat waves, could have an adverse effect on our ability to develop properties or realize income from our properties. If a hurricane, earthquake, natural disaster or other similar significant disruption occurs, we may experience disruptions to our operations and damage to our properties, which could have an adverse effect on our business, our financing condition, our results of operations, and our cash flows.
Uninsured losses may adversely affect the Company’s ability to pay outstanding indebtedness. The Company’s income-producing properties are generally covered by comprehensive liability, fire, and extended insurance coverage, typically paid by the tenant under the triple-net and double-net lease structure. The Company believes that the insurance carried on its properties is adequate and in accordance with industry standards. There are, however, types of losses (such as from hurricanes, earthquakes, or other types of natural disasters or wars or other acts of violence) which may be uninsurable or the cost of insuring against these losses
21
ITEM 1A. |
RISK FACTORS (continued) |
may not be economically justifiable. If an uninsured loss occurs or a loss exceeds policy limits, the Company could lose both its invested capital and anticipated revenues from the property, thereby reducing the Company’s cash flow, impairing the value of the income property and adversely impacting the Company’s financial condition and results of operations.
Acts of violence, terrorist attacks or war may affect the markets in which the Company operates and adversely affect the Company’s results of operations and cash flows. Terrorist attacks or other acts of violence may negatively affect the Company’s operations. There can be no assurance that there will not be terrorist attacks against businesses within the United States. These attacks may directly impact the Company’s physical assets or business operations or the financial condition of its tenants, lenders or other institutions with which the Company has a relationship. The United States may be engaged in armed conflict, which could have an impact on these parties. The consequences of armed conflict are unpredictable, and the Company may not be able to foresee events that could have an adverse effect on its business. More generally, the occurrence of any of these events or the threat of these events, could cause consumer confidence and spending to decrease or result in increased volatility in the United States and worldwide financial markets and economies. They also could result in, or cause a deepening of, the economic recession in the United States or abroad. Any of these occurrences could have an adverse impact on the Company’s financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.
We are highly dependent on information systems and certain third-party technology service providers, and systems failures not related to cyber-attacks or similar external attacks could significantly disrupt our business, which may, in turn, negatively affect the market price of our common stock and adversely impact our results of operations and cash flows. Our business is highly dependent on communications and information systems. Any failure or interruption of our systems or our networks could cause delays or other problems in our operations and communications. We rely heavily on our financial, accounting and other data processing systems. In addition, much of our information technology infrastructure is or may be managed or run by third parties and as such we also face the risk of operational failure, termination or capacity constraints by any of these third parties with which we do business or that facilitate our business activities. It is difficult to determine what, if any, negative impact may directly result from any specific interruption or disruption of our networks or systems or any failure to maintain performance, reliability and security of our technical infrastructure but significant events impacting our systems or networks could have a material adverse effect on our operating results and cash flows and negatively affect the market price of our common stock.
Cybersecurity risks and cyber incidents could adversely affect the Company’s business and disrupt operations. Cyber incidents can result from deliberate attacks or unintentional events. These incidents can include, but are not limited to, gaining unauthorized access to digital systems for purposes of misappropriating assets or sensitive information, corrupting data, or causing operational disruption. The result of these incidents could include, but are not limited to, disrupted operations, misstated financial data, liability for stolen assets or information, increased cybersecurity protection costs, litigation and reputational damage adversely affecting customer or investor confidence. Should any such cyber incidents or similar events occur, the Company’s assets, particularly cash could be lost and the Company’s ability to execute its business and strategy, thereby, its financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows may be adversely affected.
Land use and environmental regulations could restrict, make more costly, or otherwise adversely impact our business. We are subject to a wide variety of federal, state, and local laws and regulations relating to land use, and development and permitting and environmental compliance obligations. Any failure to comply with these laws or regulations could result in capital or operating expenditures or the imposition of significant financial penalties or restrictions on our operations that could adversely affect present and future operations or our ability to sell land, and thereby, our financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows. Municipalities may restrict or place moratoriums on the availability of utilities, such as water and sewer. Additionally, development moratoriums may be imposed due to among other possibilities an over capacity of traffic on roads. In some areas, municipalities may enact growth control initiatives, which will restrict the number of building permits available in a given year. If municipalities in which we own land take actions such as those outlined, acquirers of our land assets may experience delays, increasing costs, or limitations in the ability to operate in those municipalities, which may have an adverse impact on our financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
We may encounter environmental problems which require remediation or the incurrence of significant costs to resolve which could adversely impact our financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows. Under various federal, state and local laws, ordinances and regulations, we may be required to investigate and clean up certain hazardous or toxic substances released on or in properties we own or operate or that we owned or operated in our history, and also may be required to pay other costs relating to hazardous or toxic substances or incur costs or obligations associated with wetland areas on our land holdings. Any such liability may be imposed without regard to whether we knew about the origination of the environmental or wetland issues or were responsible for their occurrence. The presence of environmental issues or the failure to remediate properly any such losses at any of our properties or on our land holdings may adversely affect our ability to sell or lease those properties or, to borrow using those properties as collateral.
22
ITEM 1A. |
RISK FACTORS (continued) |
The costs or liabilities could exceed the value of the affected real estate. The costs or liabilities associated with resolving environmental or wetland issues could be significant.
The uses of any of our properties prior to our acquisition of the property and the building materials used at the property are among the property-specific factors that will affect how the environmental laws are applied to our properties. In general, before we acquire our income properties, independent environmental consultants are engaged to conduct Phase I environmental assessments, which generally do not involve invasive techniques such as soil or ground water sampling. Based on the Phase I results, we may conduct Phase II environmental assessments which do involve this type of sampling. There can be no assurance that environmental liabilities have not developed since these environmental assessments were prepared or that future uses or conditions (including changes in applicable environmental laws and regulations) or new information about previously unidentified historical conditions will not result in the imposition of environmental liabilities.
If we are subject to any material costs or liabilities associated with environmental or wetland issues our financial condition, results of operations and our cash flows could be adversely affected. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, all public accommodations and commercial facilities must meet certain federal requirements related to access and use by disabled persons, compliance with which may be costly. Compliance with the ADA requirements could involve modifications to our income properties or golf operations. Other federal, state and local laws may require modifications to or restrict further renovations of our income properties or golf operations. Although we believe that our income properties and golf operation facilities are sufficiently in compliance with present requirements, noncompliance with the ADA or related laws or regulations could result in the imposition of fines by the United States Government or in the award to private litigants of damages against us. Costs such as these, as well as the general costs of compliance with these laws or regulations, may adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
Compliance with proposed and recently enacted changes in securities laws and regulations increases our costs. The Dodd-Frank Act contains many regulatory changes and calls for future rulemaking that may affect our business. The final and complete set of regulations promulgating the Dodd-Frank Act has not yet been published. We are evaluating, and will continue to evaluate the potential impact of regulatory change under the Dodd-Frank Act and other changes in securities laws and regulations.
The market value of the Company’s common stock is subject to various factors that may cause significant fluctuations or volatility. As with other publicly traded securities, the market price of the Company’s common stock depends on various factors, which may change from time-to-time and/or may be unrelated to the Company’s financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows and such factors may cause significant fluctuations or volatility in the market price of the Company’s common stock. These factors include, but are likely not limited to, the following:
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General economic and financial market conditions including a weak economic environment; |
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Level and trend of interest rates; |
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The Company’s ability to access the capital markets to raise additional debt or equity capital; |
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Changes in the Company’s cash flows or results of operations; |
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The Company’s financial condition and performance; |
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Market perception of the Company compared to other real estate companies; |
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Market perception of the real estate sector compared to other investment sectors; and |
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Volume of average daily trading and the amount of the Company’s shares available to be traded. |
The Company’s failure to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting could have a material adverse effect on its business, operating results, and share price. Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (“SOX”) as amended or modified from time to time, requires annual management assessments of the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. If the Company fails to maintain the adequacy of its internal control over financial reporting, the Company may not be able to ensure that it can conclude on an ongoing basis that it has effective internal control over financial reporting and therefore would likely not be in compliance with SOX. An effective system of internal controls over financial reporting, particularly those related to revenue recognition, are necessary for the Company to prepare and produce reliable financial reports and to maintain its qualification as a public company and are important in helping to prevent financial fraud. If the Company cannot provide reliable financial reports or prevent fraud, its business and operating results could be harmed, qualification as a public company listed on the New York Stock
23
ITEM 1A. |
RISK FACTORS (continued) |
Exchange MKT, or the NYSE MKT, could be jeopardized, investors could lose confidence in the Company’s reported financial information, and the market price of the Company’s shares could drop significantly.
The termination of the Company’s defined benefit pension plan requires final regulatory compliance which may have an adverse effect on our financial condition and cash flows. As of December 31, 2014 the Company had terminated its defined benefit pension plan with an effective date of the termination of March 31, 2014. The process for finalizing the termination of the pension plan includes compliance with regulatory review by the IRS.
The Company’s ability to pay dividends in the future is subject to many factors. The Company has consistently paid a dividend since 1976. The Company’s ability to continue to pay dividends may be adversely impacted if any of the risks described in this section were to occur. Payment of the Company’s dividend depends upon the Company’s financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
NONE
As of December 31, 2015, the Company owns the following properties: i) land holdings of over 10,500 acres in the Daytona Beach area of Volusia County; ii) thirty-two single-tenant retail buildings located in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, North Carolina, Texas, and Washington; iii) eight multi-tenant properties located in Florida, five of which were self-developed and are located in Daytona Beach, Florida; and iv) full or fractional subsurface oil, gas, and mineral interests of approximately 500,000 “surface acres” in 20 counties in Florida.
From time to time, the Company may be a party to certain legal proceedings, incidental to the normal course of our business. While the outcome of the legal proceedings cannot be predicted with certainty, the Company does not expect that these proceedings will have a material effect upon our financial condition or results of operations.
In September 2010, St. Johns River Water Management District (the “District”) served the Company with an administrative complaint filed with the Florida Division of Administrative Hearings in connection with certain Company agricultural operations. In August 2012, the Company submitted a proposed settlement offer to the District, offering certain undeveloped acreage owned by the Company. The Company accrued a reserve equal to $611,691 in the quarter ended September 30, 2012, reflecting the Company’s carrying value of the acreage offered to settle the matter. In December 2012, the Company and the District executed a settlement agreement (“SJRWMD Agreement”) in which the Company agreed to submit an after-the-fact permit application and increased the undeveloped acreage offered for mitigation in connection with the permit. The Company adjusted the reserve to a total of $723,058 to reflect the increased acreage offered in the SJRWMD Agreement. The SJRWMD Agreement was contingent upon the Company and the District reaching agreement on a management fee and issuance of the permit. The Company submitted its permit application on January 28, 2013. In March 2013, the Company conveyed the acreage contemplated by the SJRWMD Agreement, the District issued the after-the-fact permit and the litigation was settled.
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ITEM 3. |
LEGAL PROCEEDINGS (continued) |
In May 2010, the Company filed a lawsuit in the Circuit Court, Seventh Judicial Circuit, in and for Volusia County, Florida (“Circuit Court”), in order to enforce its approximate $3.8 million claim of lien on real property owned by FM Bayberry Cove Holding, LLC (“FM Bayberry”) for its share of the costs for construction of a road. BB&T was included as a defendant as the current mortgage holder of the property subject to the Company’s lien. BB&T filed a counterclaim asserting that its mortgage is superior to the Company’s claim of lien which the Company denied. BB&T and the Company each filed motions for summary judgment as to the priority of their respective interests in the property which were heard by the court on January 12, 2012. The Circuit Court determined that the Company’s interests were superior to the lien imposed by BB&T and all other interests and a final judgment of foreclosure was subsequently entered. However, all further proceedings in the Circuit Court (including the foreclosure sale) were stayed pending BB&T’s appeal to the Florida District Court of Appeal, Fifth District (the “Appellate Court”), regarding the Circuit Court’s determination in the matter of priority. On October 29, 2013, the Appellate Court ruled in favor of the Company, affirming the Circuit Court’s determination that the Company’s lien against the approximately 600-acre parcel of residential land (lying west of I-95 near the LPGA International development and adjacent to Bayberry Colony) is superior to the lien imposed by BB&T. The judgment has accrued to over $4.6 million, including interest. The Company has not included an accrual related to interest in the consolidated financial statements. At this time, the Appellate Court’s decision is subject to possible motion for rehearing by BB&T. On December 3, 2013, the Circuit Court entered a Second Amended Final Judgment of Foreclosure in Accordance with the Appellate Court’s Mandate, which, among other things, set the date of the Company’s foreclosure sale to occur on January 29, 2014. On January 29, 2014, the Company’s approximately $4.7 million claim for unreimbursed costs and accrued interest was satisfied through the successful foreclosure of approximately 600 acres of land.
On November 21, 2011, the Company, Indigo Mallard Creek LLC and Indigo Development LLC, as owners of the property leased to Harris Teeter, Inc. (“Harris Teeter”) in Charlotte, North Carolina, were served with pleadings filed in the General Court of Justice, Superior Court Division for Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, for a highway condemnation action involving the property. The proposed road modifications would impact access to the Company’s property that is leased to Harris Teeter. The Company does not believe the road modifications provided a basis for Harris Teeter to terminate the lease. Regardless, in January 2013, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (“NCDOT”) proposed to redesign the road modifications to keep the all access intersection open for ingress with no change to the planned limitation on egress to the right-in/right-out only. Additionally, NCDOT and the City of Charlotte proposed to build and maintain a new access road/point into the property. Construction has begun. Harris Teeter has expressed satisfaction with the redesigned project and indicated that it will not attempt to terminate its lease if this project is built as currently redesigned. Because the redesigned project will not be completed until 2017, the condemnation case has been placed in administrative closure. As a result, the trial and mediation will not likely be scheduled until requested by the parties, most likely in 2017.
Not applicable
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PART II
ITEM 5. |
MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS, AND ISSUER REPURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES |
COMMON STOCK PRICES AND DIVIDENDS
The Company’s common stock trades on the NYSE MKT under the symbol CTO. The Company has paid dividends on a continuous basis since 1976, the year in which its initial dividends were paid. The following table summarizes aggregate annual dividends, which are paid semi-annually, per share over the two years ended December 31, 2015:
2015 |
|
$ |
0.08 |
|
2014 |
|
$ |
0.07 |
|
The level of future dividends will be subject to an ongoing review of the Company’s operating results and financial position, and among other factors, the overall economy with an emphasis on our local real estate market and our capital needs.
Indicated below are high and low sales prices of our stock for each full quarter within the last two fiscal years. All quotations represent actual transactions.
|
|
2015 |
|
|
2014 |
|
||||||||||
|
|
High |
|
|
Low |
|
|
High |
|
|
Low |
|
||||
|
|
$ |
|
|
$ |
|
|
$ |
|
|
$ |
|
||||
First Quarter |
|
|
64.37 |
|
|
|
51.96 |
|
|
|
41.17 |
|
|
|
33.11 |
|
Second Quarter |
|
|
60.00 |
|
|
|
53.03 |
|
|
|
48.63 |
|
|
|
36.92 |
|
Third Quarter |
|
|
60.04 |
|
|
|
48.11 |
|
|
|
60.82 |
|
|
|
43.62 |
|
Fourth Quarter |
|
|
60.09 |
|
|
|
48.49 |
|
|
|
57.29 |
|
|
|
44.03 |
|
The number of shareholders of record as of February 19, 2016 (without regard to shares held in nominee or street name) was 368.
Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities
There were no unregistered sales of equity securities during the year ended December 31, 2015, which were not previously reported.
The following share repurchases were made during the year ended December 31, 2015:
|
|
Total Number of Shares Purchased |
|
|
Average Price Paid per Share |
|
|
Total Number of Shares Purchased as a Part of Publicly Announced Plans or Programs |
|
|
Maximum Number (or Approximate Dollar Value) of Shares that May Yet be Purchased Under the Plans or Programs |
|
|
||||
1/1/2015 - 1/31/2015 |
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
6,513,785 |
|
|
2/1/2015 - 2/28/2015 |
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
6,513,785 |
|
|
3/1/2015 - 3/31/2015 |
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
6,513,785 |
|
|
4/1/2015 - 4/30/2015 |
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
6,513,785 |
|
|
5/1/2015 - 5/31/2015 |
|
|
15,764 |
|
|
$ |
54.47 |
|
|
|
15,764 |
|
|
$ |
5,655,090 |
|
|
6/1/2015 - 6/30/2015 |
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
5,655,090 |
|
|
7/1/2015 - 7/31/2015 |
|
|
10,340 |
|
|
$ |
57.55 |
|
|
|
10,340 |
|
|
$ |
5,060,036 |
|
|
8/1/2015 - 8/31/2015 |
|
|
30,397 |
|
|
$ |
54.81 |
|
|
|
30,397 |
|
|
$ |
3,393,849 |
|
|
9/1/2015 - 9/30/2015 |
|
|
13,735 |
|
|
$ |
53.71 |
|
|
|
13,735 |
|
|
$ |
2,656,184 |
|
|
10/1/2015 - 10/31/2015 |
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
12,656,184 |
|
(1) |
11/1/2015 - 11/30/2015 |
|
|
14,456 |
|
|
$ |
53.27 |
|
|
|
14,456 |
|
|
$ |
11,886,091 |
|
|
12/1/2015 - 12/31/2015 |
|
|
34,711 |
|
|
$ |
53.50 |
|
|
|
34,711 |
|
|
$ |
10,028,941 |
|
|
Total |
|
|
119,403 |
|
|
$ |
54.31 |
|
|
|
119,403 |
|
|
$ |
10,028,941 |
|
|
|
(1) |
In October 2015, the Board approved a new $10 million repurchase program. As of December 31, 2015 no shares had been repurchased under this new program. |
26
ITEM 5. |