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Real Estate Fund Investments
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2018
Real Estate Fund Investments [Abstract]  
Real Estate Fund Investments
Real Estate Fund Investments
.
We are the general partner and investment manager of Vornado Capital Partners Real Estate Fund (the “Fund”) and own a 25.0% interest in the Fund, which had an initial eight-year term ending February 2019. On January 29, 2018, the Fund's term was extended to February 2023. The Fund's three-year investment period ended in July 2013. The Fund is accounted for under ASC Topic 946, Financial Services – Investment Companies (“ASC 946”) and its investments are reported on its balance sheet at fair value, with changes in value each period recognized in earnings. We consolidate the accounts of the Fund into our consolidated financial statements, retaining the fair value basis of accounting.

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

On January 17, 2018, the Fund completed the sale of the retail condominium at 11 East 68th Street, a property located on Madison Avenue and 68th Street, for $82,000,000. From the inception of this investment through its disposition, the Fund realized a $46,259,000 net gain.

In March 2011, a joint venture (the "Joint Venture") owned 64.7% by the Fund, 30.3% by Vornado and 5.0% by a third party, acquired One Park Avenue for $394,000,000. In connection with the acquisition, the Joint Venture paid $3,000,000 of New York City real property transfer tax (the "Transfer Tax") and filed a Real Property Tax Return ("RPTR") with the New York City Department of Finance (the "Department of Finance"). The RPTR was audited by the Department of Finance in 2014 and an increased Transfer Tax was assessed. The Joint Venture appealed the increased Transfer Tax assessment and the Joint Venture's appeal was upheld by a New York City Administrative Law Judge ("ALJ") in January 2017. The Department of Finance appealed the ALJ's decision and on February 16, 2018 the New York City Tax Appeals Tribunal (the "Tax Tribunal") reversed the ALJ's decision and assessed $9,491,000 of additional Transfer Tax and $6,764,000 of interest. As a result of the Tax Tribunal's decision, we recorded an expense of $15,608,000, before noncontrolling interests, during the first quarter of 2018, which was subsequently paid on April 5, 2018, in order to permit us to appeal the Tax Tribunal's decision and stop the accrual of interest, of which $10,630,000 is included in "(loss) income from real estate fund investments" and $4,978,000 is included in "(loss) income from partially owned entities" (see Note 8 - Investments in Partially Owned Entities) on our consolidated statements of income. We are appealing the Tax Tribunal's decision.

As of March 31, 2018, we had four real estate fund investments through the Fund and the Crowne Plaza Joint Venture with an aggregate fair value of $336,552,000, or $77,678,000 in excess of cost, and had remaining unfunded commitments of $114,872,000, of which our share was $33,513,000. At December 31, 2017, we had five real estate fund investments with an aggregate fair value of $354,804,000.

Below is a summary of income from the Fund and the Crowne Plaza Joint Venture for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017.
(Amounts in thousands)
For the Three Months Ended March 31,
 
2018
 
2017
Net investment income
$
2,734

 
$
7,214

Transfer Tax
(10,630
)
 

Net realized (loss) gain on exited investments
(911
)
 
241

Net unrealized loss on held investments

 
(7,187
)
(Loss) income from real estate fund investments
(8,807
)
 
268

Less loss (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests in consolidated subsidiaries
5,369

 
(3,503
)
Loss from real estate fund investments attributable to the Operating Partnership (2018 includes $4,252 of loss related to One Park Avenue potential additional transfer taxes and reduction in carried interest) (1)
(3,438
)
 
(3,235
)
Less loss attributable to noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership
212

 
202

Loss from real estate fund investments attributable to Vornado
$
(3,226
)
 
$
(3,033
)
____________________
(1)
Excludes $440 and $1,000 of management and leasing fees for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively, which are included as a component of "fee and other income" on our consolidated statements of income.