Commitments and contigencies

12 Months Ended

Oct. 31, 2013

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Commitments and contigencies

Note 7 - Commitments and contingencies:

Leases:

   Commercial tenants:

FREIT leases commercial space having a net book value of approximately $144 million at October 31, 2013 to tenants for periods of up to twenty-five years. Most of the leases contain clauses for reimbursement of real estate taxes, maintenance, insurance and certain other operating expenses of the properties.

Minimum rental income (in thousands of dollars) to be received from non-cancelable operating leases in years subsequent to October 31, 2013 is as follows:

Year Ending October 31,	Amount
2014	$	15,899
2015		14,589
2016		13,094
2017		10,301
2018		8,278
Thereafter		59,443
Total	$	121,604

The above amounts assume that all leases which expire are not renewed and, accordingly, neither minimal rentals nor rentals from replacement tenants are included.

Minimum future rentals do not include contingent rentals, which may be received under certain leases on the basis of percentage of reported tenants’ sales volume or increases in Consumer Price Indices. Rental income that is contingent on future events is not included in income until the contingency is resolved. Contingent rentals included in income for each of the three years for the period ended October 31, 2013 were not material.

Residential tenants:

Lease terms for residential tenants are usually one year or less.

Environmental concerns:

The Westwood Plaza Shopping Center property is in a Flood Hazard Zone. FREIT maintains flood insurance in the amount of $500,000 for the subject property, which is the maximum available under the Flood Program for the property. Any reconstruction of that portion of the property situated in the flood hazard zone is subject to regulations promulgated by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (“NJDEP”), which could require extraordinary construction methods.

Prior to its purchase by Wayne PSC, LLC, a 40% owned affiliate of FREIT (“Wayne PSC”), a Phase I and Phase II Environmental Assessment of the Preakness shopping center revealed soil and ground water contamination with Percloroethylene (Dry Cleaning Fluid) caused by the mishandling of this chemical by a former dry cleaner tenant.

The seller of the Preakness shopping center to Wayne PSC is in the process of performing the remedial work in accordance with the requirements of the NJDEP. Additionally, the seller has escrowed the estimated cost of the remediation and has purchased a cap-cost insurance policy covering any expenses over and above the estimated cost.

In performing the remedial work, possible contamination of this property by groundwater migrating from an offsite source was discovered. The NJDEP has not made any determination with respect to responsibility for remediation of this possible condition, and it is not possible to determine whether or to what extent Wayne PSC will have potential liability with respect to this condition or whether or to what extent insurance coverage may be available.

FREIT has conducted environmental audits for all of its properties except for its undeveloped land; retail properties in Franklin Lakes (Franklin Crossing) and Glen Rock, New Jersey. Except as noted above, the environmental reports secured by FREIT have not revealed any environmental conditions on its properties, which require remediation pursuant to any applicable federal or state law or regulation.

FREIT has determined that several of its properties contain lead based paint (“LBP”). FREIT believes that it complies with all federal, state and local requirements as they pertain to LBP.

FREIT does not believe that the environmental conditions described above will have a materially adverse effect upon the capital expenditures, revenues, earnings, financial condition or competitive position of FREIT.

Construction and redevelopment activities:

The modernization and expansion project at the Damascus Center was completed in November 2011. Total construction costs, inclusive of tenant improvement costs, approximated $22.7 million. The building plans incorporated an expansion of retail space from 140,000 sq. ft. to approximately 150,000 sq. ft., anchored by a modern 58,000 sq. ft. Safeway supermarket. Construction was completed in three phases, with the final phase being completed in November 2011. Additional tenant fit-up costs are expected, once the new space is leased and occupied. Funding for this project was made available under a construction loan facility in the amount of $21.3 million. The construction loan is secured by the Damascus Center. The loan was drawn upon as needed to fund construction costs at the Damascus Center. On December 26, 2012, Damascus Centre, LLC refinanced the construction loan with long-term financing in the amount of $25 million, of which $20 million has been drawn as of October 31, 2013 (see Note 5(L)).

Included in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets at October 31, 2013 and 2012, are $10.9 million and $4.7 million, respectively, of construction in progress related to the Rotunda redevelopment project. Due to the difficult economic environment, that redevelopment activity was placed on hold by FREIT during the fourth quarter of Fiscal 2008. On July 24, 2012, the Board approved the revisions to the scope of the project, thereby further reducing the complexity and projected cost of the project (see Note 8 for more details). On December 9, 2013, Grande Rotunda, LLC closed with Wells Fargo Bank on a construction loan of up to $120 million to be used for the purpose of funding the major redevelopment and expansion project planned for the Rotunda (see Note 5(M)). In order to avoid beginning construction during the winter months, Rotunda began construction on the parking lot areas in September 2013.