DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS

DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS

NOTE 1. DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS

Description of Business

We are a publicly traded diversified real estate investment trust (“REIT”) that was founded in 1910. We own and manage, sometimes utilizing third-party property management companies, 27 commercial real estate properties in 12 states in the United States. As of March 31, 2021, we owned 20 single-tenant and seven multi-tenant income-producing properties comprising 2.8 million square feet of gross leasable space. See Note 26, “Subsequent Events” for information related to the single-tenant income property sold subsequent to March 31, 2021.  

In addition to our income property portfolio, as of March 31, 2021, our business included the following:

Management Services:

● A fee-based management business that is engaged in managing Alpine Income Property Trust, Inc. (“PINE”) and the entity that currently holds 1,600 acres of undeveloped land in Daytona Beach, Florida (the “Land JV”), see Note 6, “Related Party Management Services Business”.

Commercial Loan and Master Lease Investments:

● A portfolio of one commercial loan investment and two commercial properties, which are included in the 27 commercial real estate properties above, whose leases are classified as commercial loan and master lease investments.

Real Estate Operations:

● A portfolio of subsurface mineral interests associated with approximately 429,000 surface acres in 20 counties in the State of Florida and a portfolio of mitigation credits;

● A retained interest in the Land JV which is seeking to sell 1,600 acres of undeveloped land in Daytona Beach, Florida; and

● An interest in a joint venture (the “Mitigation Bank JV”) that owns a 2,500 acre parcel of land in the western part of Daytona Beach, Florida which is engaged in the operation of a mitigation bank, which, pursuant to a mitigation plan approved by the applicable state and federal authorities, produces mitigation credits that are marketed and sold to developers of land in the Daytona Beach area for the purpose of enabling the developers to obtain certain regulatory permits.

Our business also includes, as outlined above, the value of our investment in PINE. As of March 31, 2021, our investment totaled $35.4 million, or 22.4% of the PINE’s outstanding equity, including the units of limited partnership interest (“OP Units”) we hold in Alpine Income Property OP, LP (the “Operating Partnership”), which are redeemable for cash, based upon the value of an equivalent number of shares of PINE common stock at the time of the redemption, or shares of PINE common stock on a one-for-one basis, at PINE’s election. Our investment in PINE generates investment income through the dividends distributed by PINE. In addition to the dividends we receive from PINE, our investment in PINE may benefit from any appreciation in PINE’s stock price, although no assurances can be provided that such appreciation will occur, the amount by which our investment will increase in value, or the timing thereof. Any dividends received from PINE are included in investment and other income (loss) on the accompanying consolidated statements of operations.

REIT Conversion

During the fourth quarter of 2020, the Company completed certain internal reorganization transactions necessary to begin operating in compliance with the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes for the taxable year ended December 31, 2020.

In order to comply with certain REIT requirements set forth in the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), we hold certain of our non-REIT assets and operations through taxable REIT subsidiaries (“TRSs”) and subsidiaries of TRSs. A TRS is a subsidiary of a REIT that is generally subject to U.S. federal corporate income tax on its earnings. Net income from our TRSs either will be retained by our TRSs and used to fund their operations, or will be distributed to us, where it will either be reinvested by us into our business or available for distribution to our stockholders. However, distributions from our TRSs to us will not produce qualifying income for purposes of the 75% gross income test applicable to REITs and thus may be limited.

To qualify as a REIT, the Company must meet certain organizational and operational requirements, including a requirement to distribute at least 90% of the Company’s annual REIT taxable income, without regard to the dividends paid deduction and excluding net capital gain, to its stockholders (which is computed and which does not necessarily equal net income as calculated in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles). As a REIT, the Company is generally not subject to U.S. federal corporate income tax to the extent of its distributions to stockholders. If the Company fails to qualify as a REIT in any taxable year, the Company will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on its taxable income at regular corporate rates and generally will not be permitted to qualify for treatment as a REIT for the four taxable years following the year during which qualification is lost unless the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) grants the Company relief under certain statutory provisions. Such an event could materially adversely affect the Company’s net income and net cash available for distribution to stockholders. Even if the Company qualifies for taxation as a REIT, the Company may be subject to state and local taxes on its income and property and federal income and excise taxes on its undistributed income.

Merger

On January 29, 2021, in connection with the REIT conversion, the Company completed the merger of CTO Realty Growth, Inc., a Florida corporation (“CTO FL”), with and into CTO NEWCO REIT, Inc. (“CTO”), a wholly owned subsidiary of CTO FL (the “Merger”) in order to reincorporate in Maryland and facilitate its ongoing compliance with the REIT requirements by ensuring that certain standard REIT ownership limitations and transfer restrictions apply to CTO’s capital stock.

As a result of the Merger, existing shares of CTO FL common stock were automatically converted, on a one-for-one basis, into shares of common stock of CTO. CTO is a corporation organized in the state of Maryland and has been renamed “CTO Realty Growth, Inc.”  CTO’s charter includes certain standard REIT provisions, including ownership limitations and transfer restrictions applicable to the Company’s capital stock. See Note 14, “Equity” for the Company’s disclosure related to the equity adjustments recorded during the three months ended March 31, 2021 in connection with the Merger.

In connection with the REIT conversion and the Merger, CTO FL applied to list CTO’s common stock on the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) under CTO FL’s ticker symbol, “CTO.”  This application was approved, and CTO’s common stock began trading on the NYSE on February 1, 2021 under the ticker symbol “CTO.”

COVID-19 Pandemic

In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of the novel coronavirus as a pandemic (the “COVID-19 Pandemic”), which has spread throughout the United States. The spread of the COVID-19 Pandemic has continued to cause significant volatility in the U.S. and international markets, and in many industries, business activity has experienced periods of almost complete shutdown. There continues to be uncertainty around the duration and severity of business disruptions related to the COVID-19 Pandemic, as well as its impact on the U.S. economy and international economies.

The actions taken by federal, state and local governments to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, initially by ordering closures of non-essential businesses and ordering residents to generally stay at home, and subsequent phased re-openings, have resulted in some of our tenants temporarily closing their businesses, and for some, impacting their ability to pay rent.

The Company collected 100% of the Contractual Base Rent (“CBR”) due for the three months ended March 31, 2021. CBR represents the amount owed to the Company under the terms of its lease agreements in each respective month. The Company has previously agreed to defer or abate certain CBRs in exchange for additional lease term or other lease enhancing additions. In general, repayment of the deferred CBR, whereby an agreement has been reached by the Company and the tenant, will generally occur from the time of deferment, with ratable payments continuing, in some cases, into 2023. In connection with the leases in which rent was abated, other lease modifications, including extended lease terms

and imposition of percentage rent, were agreed to by the Company and the tenants. Depending upon the duration of tenant closures and the overall economic downturn resulting from the COVID-19 Pandemic, we may find deferred rents difficult to collect. See Note 26, “Subsequent Events” for the Company’s disclosure related to April 2021 rent collections.

We have seen a positive uptick in our rent collections levels since the initial disruption experienced during the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic. While this is a positive trend, in part driven by government mandated restrictions gradually being lifted, our rent collections could be below our tenants’ CBR and historical levels, which would adversely impact our results of operations and cash flows. The extent of such impact will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted. Depending upon the duration of tenant closures, operating restrictions, and the overall economic downturn resulting from future disruption related to the COVID-19 Pandemic, we may find that deferred rents are difficult to collect, and we may experience higher vacancies.

An assessment of the current or identifiable potential financial and operational impacts on the Company as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic are as follows:

● The total borrowing capacity on the revolving credit facility (the “Credit Facility”) is based on the assets currently in the borrowing base, as defined by the Company’s Credit Facility agreement. Pursuant to the terms of the Credit Facility, any property in the borrowing base with a tenant that is more than 60 days past due on its contractual rent obligations would be automatically removed from the borrowing base and the Company’s borrowing capacity would be reduced. For the tenants requesting rent relief with which the Company has reached an agreement, such deferral and/or abatement agreements for current rent, under the terms of the Credit Facility, would not be past due if it adheres to such modification, and thus those properties would not be required to be removed from the borrowing base. The Company’s available borrowing capacity has not been limited as a result of the referenced terms of the Credit Facility.

● As a result of the outbreak of the COVID-19 Pandemic, the federal government and the state of Florida issued orders encouraging everyone to remain in their residence and not go into work. In response to these orders and in the best interest of our employees and directors, we have implemented significant preventative measures to ensure the health and safety of our employees and members of our Board of Directors (the “Board”), including: (i) conducting all meetings of the Board and Committees of the Board telephonically or via a visual conferencing service, (ii) permitting the Company’s employees to work from home at their election, (iii) enforcing appropriate social distancing practices in the Company’s office, (iv) encouraging the Company’s employees to wash their hands often and use face masks, (v) providing hand sanitizer and other disinfectant products throughout the Company’s office, (vi) requiring employees who do not feel well in any capacity to stay at home, and (vii) requiring all third-party delivery services (e.g. mail, food delivery, etc.) to complete their service outside the front door of the Company’s office. The Company also offered COVID-19 testing to its employees to ensure a safe working environment. These preventative measures have not had any material adverse impact on the Company’s financial reporting systems, internal controls over financial reporting or disclosure controls and procedures. At this time, we have not laid off, furloughed, or terminated any employee in response to the COVID-19 Pandemic.