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Management agreement, fees and transactions with related party
12 Months Ended
Oct. 31, 2014
Management agreement, fees and transactions with related party [Abstract]  
Management agreement, fees and transactions with related party

Note 10 - Management agreement, fees and transactions with related party:

On April 10, 2002, FREIT and Hekemian & Co., Inc. (“Hekemian”) executed a Management Agreement whereby Hekemian would continue as Managing Agent for FREIT. The term of the Management Agreement was renewed on November 1, 2013 for a two-year term which will expire on October 31, 2015. The Management Agreement automatically renews for successive periods of two years unless either party gives not less than six (6) months prior notice to the other of non-renewal.

Pursuant to the terms of the Management Agreement: FREIT retains Hekemian as the exclusive management and leasing agent for properties which FREIT owned as of April 2002 and for the Preakness Shopping Center acquired on November 1, 2002 by Wayne PSC. However, FREIT may retain other managing agents to manage certain other properties acquired after April 10, 2002 and to perform various other duties such as sales, acquisitions, and development with respect to any or all properties. Hekemian does not serve as the exclusive advisor for FREIT to locate and recommend to FREIT investments, which Hekemian deems suitable for FREIT, and is not required to offer potential acquisition properties exclusively to FREIT before acquiring those properties for its own account. The Management Agreement includes a detailed schedule of fees for those services, which Hekemian may be called upon to perform. The Management Agreement provides for a termination fee in the event of a termination or non-renewal of the Management Agreement under certain circumstances.

Hekemian currently manages all the properties owned by FREIT, except for the Rotunda, a mixed-use office and retail facility located in Baltimore, Maryland, which is managed by an independent third party management company. The management agreement with Hekemian, effective November 1, 2001, requires the payment of management fees equal to a percentage of rents collected. Such fees were approximately $1,866,000, $1,747,000 and $1,792,000 in Fiscal 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively. In addition, the management agreement provides for the payment to Hekemian of leasing commissions, as well as the reimbursement of operating expenses incurred on behalf of FREIT. Such fees amounted to approximately $673,000, $339,000 and $402,000 in Fiscal 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively. The primary reason for the increase in fees for fiscal 2014 was leasing commissions amounting to approximately $396,000. Total Hekemian management fees outstanding at October 31, 2014 and 2013 were $171,000 and $152,000, respectively, and included in Accounts Payable on the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets. FREIT also uses the resources of the Hekemian insurance department to secure various insurance coverages for its properties and subsidiaries. Hekemian is paid a commission for these services. Such commissions amounted to approximately $133,000, $121,000 and $122,000 in fiscal 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.

Grande owns and operates the Rotunda. FREIT owns a 60% equity interest in Grande, and Rotunda 100, LLC (“Rotunda 100”) owns a 40% equity interest.

Damascus Centre, LLC owns and operates the Damascus Center. During fiscal 2005, the Board authorized an investor group, Damascus 100, LLC (“Damascus 100”), to acquire a 30% equity interest in Damascus Centre, LLC. The sale price, based on the fair market value of the shopping center, reduced FREIT's equity interest to 70%. The sale was completed on October 31, 2006, at a sales price of $3,224,000, of which FREIT financed approximately $1,451,000. The sale price was equivalent to the book value of the interest sold.

The equity owners of Rotunda 100, and Damascus 100 are principally employees of Hekemian. To incentivize the employees of Hekemian, FREIT has agreed to advance, only to employees of Hekemian, up to 50% of the amount of the equity contributions that the Hekemian employees were required to invest in Rotunda 100 and Damascus 100. These advances are in the form of secured loans that bear interest that will float at 225 basis points over the ninety (90) day LIBOR, as adjusted each November 1, February 1, May 1 and August 1. These loans are secured by the Hekemian employees' interests in Rotunda 100 and Damascus 100, and are full recourse loans. Interest only payments are required to be made quarterly.

No principal payments are required during the term of the notes, except that the borrowers are required to pay to FREIT all refinancing proceeds and other cash flow they receive from their interests in Damascus Centre, LLC and Grande. These payments shall be applied first to accrued and unpaid interest and then any outstanding principal. The notes mature at the earlier of (a) ten (10) years after issue (Grande– 6/19/2015, Damascus Centre, LLC – 9/30/2016), or, (b) at the election of FREIT, ninety (90) days after the borrower terminates employment with Hekemian, at which time all outstanding unpaid principal is due. On May 8, 2008, the Board approved amendments to the existing loan agreements with the Hekemian employees, relative to their interests in Rotunda 100, to increase the aggregate amount that FREIT may advance to such employees from $2 million to $4 million. No other terms of the loan agreements were amended.

With regard to the funding of the Rotunda redevelopment project, Wells Fargo Bank, the construction lender, required that Grande contribute not less than $14,460,000 towards the construction before any construction loan proceeds could be disbursed. To secure these funds Grande made a capital call on its members – FREIT and Rotunda 100. FREIT's share (60%) amounts to approximately $8.7 million, and the Rotunda 100 members' share (40%) amounts to approximately $5.8 million. During Fiscal 2014, FREIT, pursuant to previous agreements, has made secured loans to the Rotunda 100 members of approximately $2.1 million towards their share of the $5.8 million capital call. The balance of Rotunda 100's capital call of approximately $3.7 million was initially made by FREIT until it was repaid by Rotunda 100 in August 2014.  These loans bear an interest rate of 225 basis points over the 90 day LIBOR, and have a maturity date of June 19, 2015. These loans are included in Secured Loans Receivable on FREIT's consolidated balance sheet at October 31, 2014.

As of October 31, 2014, FREIT and Rotunda 100 have made their required capital call contributions of $8.7 million and $5.8 million, respectively, towards the Rotunda construction financing. Both FREIT and the Rotunda 100 members are treating their required capital call contributions as additional investments in Grande. Rotunda 100 is principally owned by employees of Hekemian, including certain members of the immediate family of Robert S. Hekemian and Robert S. Hekemian, Jr.

The aggregate outstanding principal balance of the notes at October 31, 2014 and 2013 was $5,451,000 and $3,323,000, respectively. The accrued but unpaid interest related to these notes for Fiscal 2014 and Fiscal 2013 amounted to approximately $595,000 and $486,000, respectively, and is included in Accounts Receivable on the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets. 

From time to time, FREIT engages Hekemian to provide certain additional services, such as consulting services related to development, property sales and financing activities of FREIT. Separate fee arrangements are negotiated between Hekemian and FREIT with respect to such additional services. In Fiscal 2007, the Board approved development fee arrangements for the Rotunda and Damascus Center redevelopment projects. In connection with the development activities at the Rotunda and the redevelopment activities at the Damascus Center, definitive contract agreements for the development services to be provided by Hekemian Development Resources LLC (“Resources”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hekemian, have been approved and executed. The development fee arrangement for the Rotunda provides for Resources to receive a fee equal to 6.375% of the total development costs of up to $84.6 million (as may be modified, and less the amount of $3 million previously paid to Hekemian for the Rotunda project). In addition, the Board approved the payment of a fee to Resources in the amount of $1.4 million in connection with the revision to the scope of the Rotunda development project. The fee will be paid to Resources upon the following terms: (i) $500,000 of the $1.4 million will be paid on a monthly basis during the design phase (the $500,000 was paid in Fiscal 2013); and (ii) $900,000 of the $1.4 million will be paid upon the issuance of a certificate of occupancy for the multi-family portion of the project, (the $900,000 is included in Accounts Payable at October 31, 2014 and 2013). The fee for the redevelopment of the Damascus Center was equal to 7% of the redevelopment costs of up to approximately $17.3 million (as may be modified). Such fees incurred to Hekemian and Resources during Fiscal 2014, Fiscal 2013 and Fiscal 2012 were $1,998,000, $1,823,000 and $317,000, respectively. Included within the $2.0 million in fees for Fiscal 2014 are: (a) development fees of approximately $1 million paid to Resources, relating to the Rotunda development project, and (b) commissions of $880,000 relating to the sale of the South Brunswick land and the subsequent acquisition of the Regency apartment complex. Included within the $1.8 million in fees incurred for Fiscal 2013 are: (a) development fees totaling $1.4 million payable to Resources, relating to the Rotunda development project, referred to above, (b) services performed with regard to the Westwood Plaza shopping center and Damascus shopping center mortgage loan refinancings amounting to $239,000 (see Note 5), and (c) $185,000 relating to commissions paid to Hekemian for the sale of the Palisades Manor and Grandview Apartment properties. In Fiscal 2012, FREIT paid Hekemian $317,000 relating to the commission on the sale of the Heights Manor property. All such fees, expect for those related to sales of properties, were capitalized.

Resources, Rotunda 100, and Damascus 100 are principally owned by employees of Hekemian, including certain members of the immediate family of Robert S. Hekemian and Robert S. Hekemian, Jr. Robert S. Hekemian, Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and a Trustee of FREIT, is the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Hekemian. Robert S. Hekemian, Jr, a Trustee of FREIT, is the President of Hekemian. Trustee fee expense (including interest) incurred by FREIT for Fiscal 2014, 2013 and 2012 was approximately $642,000, $586,000 and $546,000, respectively, for Robert S. Hekemian, and $46,000, $40,000 and $43,000, respectively, for Robert S. Hekemian, Jr. The members of the Hekemian family have majority management control of these entities.