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Commitments and Contingencies
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2017
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies
Commitments and Contingencies
The Company is subject, from time to time, to various types of third-party legal claims or litigation that arise in the ordinary course of business, including, but not limited to, property loss claims, personal injury or other damages resulting from contact with the Company’s properties. These claims and lawsuits and any resulting damages are generally covered by the Company's insurance policies. The Company accrues for legal costs associated with loss contingencies when these costs are probable and reasonably estimable. While the resolution of these matters cannot be predicted with certainty, management does not expect, based on currently available information, that the final outcome of any pending claims or legal proceedings will have a material adverse effect on the financial condition, results of operations or cash flows of the Company.
As previously disclosed in our Quarterly Report for the quarter ended March 31, 2017, on September 6, 2013, a former tenant at the Legacy Corner Apartments property in Midwest City, Oklahoma filed a complaint in the District Court of Oklahoma County against the Company and other named defendants, Case No. CJ-2013-5011, alleging premises liability and negligent maintenance. At December 31, 2016, based on the facts and circumstances of this case, the Company believed it had a viable defense and was prepared to defend the suit vigorously. Due to the pendency of the Company's defenses and insurance policies, together with the inherent difficulty and uncertainty of predicting the outcome of litigation generally, the Company did not believe a risk of loss associated with compensatory damages was probable. Furthermore, the Company did not believe a risk of loss associated with punitive damages, which would be awarded due to gross negligence, was probable based on the information known, nor did the Company know what an estimated range of uninsured punitive damages could be. Therefore, at December 31, 2016, no loss contingency amounts related to this case had been accrued.
The jury trial commenced on April 3, 2017. On April 12, 2017, the jury entered a verdict against the Company’s subsidiary and the other named defendants in favor of the plaintiff of $6,000 in compensatory damages and $6,000 in punitive damages. The compensatory portion of the verdict is fully insured by the Company’s insurance policies. However, the Company's insurance carrier served the Company with a reservation of rights letter stating that insurance coverage may not be provided for punitive damages awarded in this case. As a result, the Company’s potential loss contingency exposure is $6,000. The Company is currently evaluating, in conjunction with the insurance carriers and the respective panel counsels, all alternatives and strategies available in this case, including filing any post-trial motions, appeals or potential participation in a settlement with the plaintiff. During the three and six months ended June 30, 2017, one of the Company's insurance carriers provided a $1,000 payment to the plaintiff.
The Company has been advised by counsel that the Company has several potential mitigating factors available to it, which may result in a reduced or mitigated punitive award. While it is difficult to ascertain with certainty the result of those potential mitigating factors, the Company intends to vigorously pursue all potential causes of action available to it in appealing and mitigating the damages award. Nevertheless, based on GAAP standards, during the three months ended March 31, 2017, the Company accrued for a potential loss contingency of $3,000. As of June 30, 2017, The Company recorded a $8,000 liability as part of other liabilities and a $5,000 insurance receivable as part of deferred costs and other assets on the consolidated balance sheet.
Leasing commitments
As of June 30, 2017, one of the Company’s multi-tenant retail assets is subject to a ground lease. The Company records ground rent expense on a straight-line basis over the term of the leases. The leases require rental payments or rental payment increases based upon the appraised value of the property at specified dates, increases in pricing indexes, or certain financial calculations based on the operations of the respective property. Any incremental changes in the rental payments as a result of these adjustments are not included in the table below because the amount of the change is not determinable. In addition, the Company has non-cancelable operating leases pertaining to office space from which the Company conducts its business.
The Company recognized rent expense associated with ground leases of $0 and $67 for the three and six months ended June 30, 2017, respectively, and $107 and $176 for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016, respectively. The Company recognized rent expense associated with office space leases of $316 and $671 for the three and six months ended June 30, 2017, respectively, and $318 and $693 for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016, respectively.