Organization and significant accounting policies

12 Months Ended

Oct. 31, 2018

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Organization and significant accounting policies

Note 1 - Organization and significant accounting policies:

Organization:

First Real Estate Investment Trust of New Jersey ("FREIT" or the “Company”) was organized on November 1, 1961 as a New Jersey Business Trust. FREIT is engaged in owning residential and commercial income producing properties located primarily in New Jersey, Maryland and New York.

FREIT has elected to be taxed as a Real Estate Investment Trust under the provisions of Sections 856-860 of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended. Accordingly, FREIT does not pay federal income tax on income whenever income distributed to shareholders is equal to at least 90% of real estate investment trust taxable income. Further, FREIT pays no federal income tax on capital gains distributed to shareholders.

FREIT is subject to federal income tax on undistributed taxable income and capital gains. FREIT may make an annual election under Section 858 of the Internal Revenue Code to apply part of the regular dividends paid in each respective subsequent year as a distribution for the immediately preceding year.

Recently issued accounting standards:

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standard Update (“ASU”) No. 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers”, which is codified as ASC 606 and effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning on or after December 15, 2017. ASC 606 outlines a new, single comprehensive model for entities to use in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers and supersedes most current revenue recognition guidance, including industry specific guidance. Based on the nature of FREIT’s operations and sources of revenue, FREIT does not expect the adoption of this new accounting guidance to have a significant impact on its consolidated financial statements and footnote disclosures.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, “Leases (Topic 842)”, which supersedes the existing guidance for lease accounting, “Leases (Topic 840)”. ASU 2016-02 requires lessees to recognize leases on their balance sheets, and leaves lessor accounting largely unchanged. The amendments in this ASU are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018 and interim periods within those fiscal years with early adoption permitted. ASU 2016-02 requires a modified retrospective approach for all leases existing at, or entered into after, the date of initial application, with an option to elect to use certain transition relief. The Leasing Standard was amended by ASU 2018-11, “Targeted Improvements” (the “Practical Expedient Amendment”) in July of 2018 by allowing lessors to elect to combine lease and associated nonlease components, by classes of underlying asset, in contracts meeting certain criteria. The Company expects to qualify for the practical expedient as allowed by the Practical Expedient Amendment. Given that this standard has minimal impact on real estate operating lessors, FREIT does not expect the adoption of this new accounting guidance to have a significant impact on its consolidated financial statements and footnote disclosures. Based on this new accounting guidance, the Company will no longer be able to capitalize certain leasing costs, such as legal expenses, as it relates to activities before a lease is entered into.

In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-18, “Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Restricted Cash”, which requires companies to include cash and cash equivalents that have restrictions on withdrawal or use in total cash and cash equivalents on the statement of cash flows. ASU 2016-18 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017 and interim periods within those years and early adoption is permitted including adoption in an interim period. The standard should be applied using a retrospective transition method to each period presented. FREIT does not expect the adoption of this new accounting guidance to have a significant impact on its consolidated financial statements and footnote disclosures.

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-01, “Business Combinations: Clarifying the Definition of a Business”, which amends guidance that assists preparers in evaluating whether a transaction will be accounted for as an acquisition of an asset or a business, likely resulting in more acquisitions being accounted for as asset acquisitions. There are certain differences in accounting under these models, including the capitalization of transaction expenses and application of a cost accumulation model in an asset acquisition. The standard is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those periods with early adoption permitted for certain transactions. Early application of this new accounting guidance is allowed for transactions for which the acquisition date occurs before the effective date of the amendment, only when the transaction has not been previously reported in financial statements. FREIT acquired a new property, Station Place, located in Red Bank, New Jersey on December 7, 2017. As such, FREIT early adopted this new accounting guidance in the first quarter of Fiscal 2018 and accounted for this transaction as an acquisition of an asset capitalizing approximately $550,000 of transaction expenses.

In August 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-12, “Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities to ASC Topic 815, Derivatives and Hedging ("ASC 815")” which amends the hedge accounting recognition and presentation requirements in ASC 815. The update is intended to more closely align hedge accounting with companies’ risk management strategies, simplify the application of hedge accounting and increase transparency as to the scope and results of hedge programs. ASU 2017-12 requires subsequent changes in fair value of a hedging instrument that has been designated and qualifies as a cash flow hedge to be recognized as a component of "other comprehensive income (loss)." ASU 2017-12 is effective for interim and annual reporting periods in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, with early adoption permitted. FREIT does not expect the adoption of this new accounting guidance to have a significant impact on its consolidated financial statements and footnote disclosures.

Principles of consolidation:

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of FREIT and the following subsidiaries in which FREIT has a controlling financial interest, including two LLCs in which FREIT is the managing member with a 40% ownership interest:

Subsidiary	Owning Entity		% Ownership		Year Acquired/Organized
Westwood Hills, LLC		FREIT		40%		1994
S and A Commercial Associates Limited Partnership   ("S and A")		FREIT		65%		2000
Wayne PSC, LLC		FREIT		40%		2002
Damascus Centre, LLC		FREIT		70%		2003
Pierre Towers, LLC		S and A		100%		2004
Grande Rotunda, LLC		FREIT		60%		2005
WestFREIT, Corp		FREIT		100%		2007
FREIT Regency, LLC		FREIT		100%		2014
Station Place on Monmouth, LLC		FREIT		100%		2017

The consolidated financial statements include 100% of each subsidiary’s assets, liabilities, operations and cash flows, with the interests not owned by FREIT reflected as "noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries”. All significant inter-company accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Use of estimates:

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect certain reported amounts and disclosures. Accordingly, actual results could differ from those estimates.

Cash and cash equivalents:

Financial instruments that potentially subject FREIT to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents. FREIT considers all highly liquid investments purchased with an original maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents. FREIT maintains its cash and cash equivalents in bank and other accounts, the balances of which, at times, may exceed federally insured limits of $250,000.

Real estate development costs:

It is FREIT’s policy to capitalize pre-development costs, which generally include legal and other professional fees and other directly related third-party costs. Real estate taxes and interest costs incurred during the development and construction phases are also capitalized. FREIT ceases capitalization of these costs when the project or portion thereof becomes operational, or when construction has been postponed. In the event of a postponement, capitalization of these costs will recommence once construction on the project resumes.

Depreciation:

Real estate and equipment are depreciated on the straight-line method by annual charges to operations calculated to absorb costs of assets over their estimated useful lives.

Impairment of long-lived assets:

Impairment losses on long-lived assets, such as real estate and equipment, are recognized when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the undiscounted cash flows estimated to be generated by such assets are less than their carrying value and, accordingly, all or a portion of such carrying value may not be recoverable. Impairment losses are then measured by comparing the fair value of assets to their carrying amounts. For the fiscal years ended October 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, there were no impairments of long-lived assets.

Deferred charges:

Deferred charges consist of leasing commissions which are amortized on the straight-line method over the terms of the applicable leases.

Debt issuance costs:

Debt issuance costs are amortized on the straight-line method by annual charges to income over the terms of the mortgages. Amortization of such costs is included in interest expense and approximated $1,050,000, $1,298,000 and $543,000 in 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. Unamortized debt issuance costs are a direct deduction from mortgages payable on the consolidated balance sheets.

Revenue recognition:

Income from leases is recognized on a straight-line basis regardless of when payment is due. Lease agreements between FREIT and commercial tenants generally provide for additional rentals and reimbursements based on such factors as increases in real estate taxes, Consumer Price Indices, common area maintenance charges and percentage of tenants' sales in excess of specified volumes. These additional rentals are generally included in income when reported to FREIT, when earned, or ratably over the appropriate period.

Interest rate cap and swap contracts:

FREIT utilizes derivative financial instruments to reduce interest rate risk. FREIT does not hold or issue derivative financial instruments for trading purposes. FREIT recognizes all derivatives as either assets or liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets and measures those instruments at fair value. Changes in fair value of those instruments, which qualify as effective cash flow hedges, are reported in other comprehensive income. Changes in fair value of those instruments, which qualify as ineffective cash flow hedges, are reported in the statement of income (see Note 6 to FREIT’s consolidated financial statements).

Advertising:

FREIT expenses the cost of advertising and promotions as incurred. Advertising costs charged to operations amounted to approximately $296,000, $386,000 and $257,000 in 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively.

Stock-based compensation:

FREIT has a stock-based compensation plan that was approved by FREIT’s Board of Trustees (the “Board”), and ratified by FREIT’s shareholders. Stock based awards under the plan to employees are accounted for based on their grant-date fair value (see Note 11 to FREIT’s consolidated financial statements). Stock-based awards to nonemployees are accounted for based on the fair value of the equity instruments on the vesting date. The fair value is based on observable inputs (level 2 in the fair value hierarchy as provided by authoritative guidance).