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Commitments and Contingencies
 6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2012
Commitments and Contingencies [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies

19.       Commitments and Contingencies

 

Insurance

 

We maintain general liability insurance with limits of $300,000,000 per occurrence and all risk property and rental value insurance with limits of $2.0 billion per occurrence, including coverage for terrorist acts, with sub-limits for certain perils such as floods. Our California properties have earthquake insurance with coverage of $180,000,000 per occurrence, subject to a deductible in the amount of 5% of the value of the affected property, up to a $180,000,000 annual aggregate.

 

Penn Plaza Insurance Company, LLC (“PPIC”), our wholly owned consolidated subsidiary, acts as a re-insurer with respect to a portion of all risk property and rental value insurance and a portion of our earthquake insurance coverage, and as a direct insurer for coverage for acts of terrorism, including nuclear, biological, chemical and radiological (“NBCR”) acts, as defined by the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program Reauthorization Act. Coverage for acts of terrorism (excluding NBCR acts) is fully reinsured by third party insurance companies and the Federal government with no exposure to PPIC. Coverage for NBCR losses is up to $2.0 billion per occurrence, for which PPIC is responsible for a deductible of $3,200,000 and 15% of the balance of a covered loss and the Federal government is responsible for the remaining 85% of a covered loss. We are ultimately responsible for any loss borne by PPIC.

 

We continue to monitor the state of the insurance market and the scope and costs of coverage for acts of terrorism. However, we cannot anticipate what coverage will be available on commercially reasonable terms in future policy years.

 

Our debt instruments, consisting of mortgage loans secured by our properties which are non-recourse to us, senior unsecured notes and revolving credit agreements contain customary covenants requiring us to maintain insurance. Although we believe that we have adequate insurance coverage for purposes of these agreements, we may not be able to obtain an equivalent amount of coverage at reasonable costs in the future. Further, if lenders insist on greater coverage than we are able to obtain it could adversely affect our ability to finance our properties and expand our portfolio.

 

 

Other Commitments and Contingencies

 

Our mortgage loans are non-recourse to us. However, in certain cases we have provided guarantees or master leased tenant space. These guarantees and master leases terminate either upon the satisfaction of specified circumstances or repayment of the underlying loans. As of June 30, 2012, the aggregate dollar amount of these guarantees and master leases is approximately $266,074,000.

 

At June 30, 2012, $22,195,000 of letters of credit were outstanding under one of our revolving credit facilities. Our credit facilities contain financial covenants that require us to maintain minimum interest coverage and maximum debt to market capitalization ratios, and provide for higher interest rates in the event of a decline in our ratings below Baa3/BBB. Our credit facilities also contain customary conditions precedent to borrowing, including representations and warranties, and also contain customary events of default that could give rise to accelerated repayment, including such items as failure to pay interest or principal.

 

Each of our properties has been subjected to varying degrees of environmental assessment at various times. The environmental assessments did not reveal any material environmental contamination. However, there can be no assurance that the identification of new areas of contamination, changes in the extent or known scope of contamination, the discovery of additional sites, or changes in cleanup requirements would not result in significant costs to us.

 

Two of our wholly owned subsidiaries that are contracted to develop and operate the Cleveland Medical Mart and Convention Center, in Cleveland, Ohio, are required to fund $11,500,000, primarily for tenant improvements, and they are responsible for operating expenses and are entitled to the net operating income, if any, upon the completion of development and the commencement of operations.

 

As of June 30, 2012, we expect to fund additional capital to certain of our partially owned entities aggregating approximately $259,607,000.

19.       Commitments and Contingencies – continued

 

 

Litigation

 

We are from time to time involved in legal actions arising in the ordinary course of business. In our opinion, after consultation with legal counsel, the outcome of such matters, including the matter referred to below, is not expected to have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

 

In 2003, Stop & Shop filed an action against us in the New York Supreme Court, claiming that we had no right to reallocate and therefore continue to collect $5,000,000 of annual rent from Stop & Shop pursuant to a Master Agreement and Guaranty, because of the expiration of the leases to which the annual rent was previously allocated. Stop & Shop asserted that an order of the Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York, as modified on appeal by the District Court, froze our right to reallocate and effectively terminated our right to collect the annual rent from Stop & Shop. We asserted a counterclaim seeking a judgment for all the unpaid annual rent accruing through the date of the judgment and a declaration that Stop & Shop will continue to be liable for the annual rent as long as any of the leases subject to the Master Agreement and Guaranty remain in effect. After summary judgment motions by both sides were denied, the parties conducted discovery. A trial was held in November 2010. On November 7, 2011, the Court determined that we have a continuing right to allocate the annual rent to unexpired leases covered by the Master Agreement and Guaranty, and directed entry of a judgment in our favor ordering Stop & Shop to pay us the unpaid annual rent accrued through February 28, 2011 in the amount of $37,422,000, a portion of the annual rent due from March 1, 2011 through the date of judgment, interest, and attorneys' fees. On December 16, 2011, a money judgment based on the Court's decision was entered in our favor in the amount of $56,597,000 (including interest and costs). The amount for attorneys' fees is being addressed in a proceeding before a special referee. Stop & Shop has appealed the Court's decision and the judgment, and has posted a bond to secure payment of the judgment. On January 12, 2012, we commenced a new action against Stop & Shop seeking recovery of $2,500,000 of annual rent not included in the money judgment, plus additional annual rent as it accrues. A motion by Stop & Shop to dismiss the new action was denied on July 19, 2012.

 

As of June 30, 2012, we have a $44,900,000 receivable from Stop & Shop, excluding amounts due to us for interest and costs resulting from the Court's judgment. As a result of Stop & Shop appealing the Court's decision, we believe, after consultation with counsel, that the maximum reasonably possible loss is up to the total amount of the receivable of $44,900,000.