COVID-19 Pandemic	6 Months Ended
Apr. 30, 2020
Covid-19 Pandemic
COVID-19 Pandemic	Note 17 – COVID-19 Pandemic: The international spread of COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020. Many states in the U.S., including New Jersey, New York and Maryland, where our properties are located, have implemented stay-at-home orders for all "non-essential" business. Consequently, the global, U.S. and local economies have suffered significant disruption and there has been significant volatility in the financial markets. Many businesses have moved to a remote work environment, or have been forced to suspend operations completely. The COVID-19 pandemic and the actions taken by individuals, businesses and government authorities to reduce its spread have caused substantial lost business revenue, changes in consumer behavior and large reductions in liquidity and fair value of many assets. These and other adverse conditions that may unfold in the future are expected to continue until such time as government stay-at-home and shutdown orders are fully or partially lifted, and business operations and commercial activity can resume. The full or partial lifting of government stay-at-home and shutdown orders cannot be predicted with any certainty. Further, even after such orders are fully or partially lifted, the resumption of business operations and commercial activity will depend on several factors, including prevailing sentiments among workers and consumers regarding the safety of resuming public activity, and cannot be predicted with any certainty. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and preventive measures taken to mitigate the spread, our residential properties continue to generate cash flow. At our commercial properties, with the exception of grocery stores and other "essential" businesses, many of our retail tenants are adversely affected by the mandated shutdowns. For the six and three months ended April 30, 2020, FREIT incurred an increase in expense for the reserve of uncollectible rents of approximately $0.6 million (with a consolidated impact of approximately $0.4 million). FREIT currently remains in active discussions and negotiations with these impacted retail tenants. As a result of the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic at our commercial properties, we have requested debt payment relief from certain of our lenders on the retail properties, and have been granted debt service relief in the form of deferral of principal and/or interest payments for up to six months to provide debt service relief during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the deferred payments of approximately $260,000 as of April 30, 2020 being due at maturity of the loan. Overall, we have experienced positive cash flow from operations through the end of the fiscal quarter ended April 30, 2020, but this could change based on the duration of the pandemic, which is uncertain. We believe that our cash balance as of April 30, 2020 of approximately $31.8 million coupled with a $13 million available line of credit will provide us with sufficient liquidity for at least the next twelve months from the filing of this Form 10-Q. Additionally, in an effort to further preserve cash flow, effective May 1, 2020, our Board of Trustees reduced all fees, salaries and retainers payable to our executive officers and members of the Board of Trustees by up to 30% through the end of Fiscal 2020. The extent of the effects of COVID-19 on our business, results of operations, cash flows, value of our real estate assets and growth prospects is highly uncertain and will ultimately depend on future developments, none of which can be predicted with any certainty. See “Item 1A. Risk Factors”.

COVID-19 Pandemic

6 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2020

Note 17 – COVID-19 Pandemic:

The international spread of COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020. Many states in the U.S., including New Jersey, New York and Maryland, where our properties are located, have implemented stay-at-home orders for all "non-essential" business. Consequently, the global, U.S. and local economies have suffered significant disruption and there has been significant volatility in the financial markets. Many businesses have moved to a remote work environment, or have been forced to suspend operations completely. The COVID-19 pandemic and the actions taken by individuals, businesses and government authorities to reduce its spread have caused substantial lost business revenue, changes in consumer behavior and large reductions in liquidity and fair value of many assets. These and other adverse conditions that may unfold in the future are expected to continue until such time as government stay-at-home and shutdown orders are fully or partially lifted, and business operations and commercial activity can resume. The full or partial lifting of government stay-at-home and shutdown orders cannot be predicted with any certainty. Further, even after such orders are fully or partially lifted, the resumption of business operations and commercial activity will depend on several factors, including prevailing sentiments among workers and consumers regarding the safety of resuming public activity, and cannot be predicted with any certainty.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and preventive measures taken to mitigate the spread, our residential properties continue to generate cash flow. At our commercial properties, with the exception of grocery stores and other "essential" businesses, many of our retail tenants are adversely affected by the mandated shutdowns. For the six and three months ended April 30, 2020, FREIT incurred an increase in expense for the reserve of uncollectible rents of approximately $0.6 million (with a consolidated impact of approximately $0.4 million). FREIT currently remains in active discussions and negotiations with these impacted retail tenants. As a result of the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic at our commercial properties, we have requested debt payment relief from certain of our lenders on the retail properties, and have been granted debt service relief in the form of deferral of principal and/or interest payments for up to six months to provide debt service relief during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the deferred payments of approximately $260,000 as of April 30, 2020 being due at maturity of the loan. Overall, we have experienced positive cash flow from operations through the end of the fiscal quarter ended April 30, 2020, but this could change based on the duration of the pandemic, which is uncertain. We believe that our cash balance as of April 30, 2020 of approximately $31.8 million coupled with a $13 million available line of credit will provide us with sufficient liquidity for at least the next twelve months from the filing of this Form 10-Q. Additionally, in an effort to further preserve cash flow, effective May 1, 2020, our Board of Trustees reduced all fees, salaries and retainers payable to our executive officers and members of the Board of Trustees by up to 30% through the end of Fiscal 2020.

The extent of the effects of COVID-19 on our business, results of operations, cash flows, value of our real estate assets and growth prospects is highly uncertain and will ultimately depend on future developments, none of which can be predicted with any certainty. See “Item 1A. Risk Factors”.