Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2012

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Basis of Presentation

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited consolidated interim financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) for interim financial statements and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements, although management believes that the disclosures presented herein are adequate to make the accompanying unaudited consolidated interim financial statements not misleading. The accompanying unaudited consolidated interim financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated annual financial statements and the notes thereto included in the Trust’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011 filed with the SEC. In the opinion of management, all adjustments considered necessary for fair statements have been included, and all such adjustments are of a normal recurring nature. The results of operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2012 are not necessarily indicative of the operating results for the full year.

The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements represent the consolidated results of Winthrop, its wholly-owned taxable REIT subsidiary, WRT TRS Management Corp. and the Operating Partnership. All majority-owned subsidiaries and affiliates over which the Trust has financial and operating control and variable interest entities (“VIE”s) in which the Trust has determined it is the primary beneficiary are included in the consolidated financial statements. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The Trust accounts for all other unconsolidated joint ventures using the equity method of accounting. Accordingly, the Trust’s share of the earnings of these joint ventures and companies is included in consolidated net income.

Earnings Per Share

Earnings Per Share

The Trust determines basic earnings per share on the weighted average number of Common Shares outstanding during the period and reflects the impact of participating securities. Prior to November 18, 2011, when the Trust repurchased 100% of the Series B-1 Cumulative Convertible Redeemable Preferred Shares (Series B-1 Preferred Shares) and the Series C Cumulative Convertible Redeemable Preferred Shares (Series C Preferred Shares), the holders of the Trust’s Series B-1 Preferred Shares and Series C Preferred Shares were entitled to receive cumulative preferential dividends on a quarterly basis equal to the greater of (i) $0.40625 per share quarterly (6.5% of the liquidation preference on an annualized basis) or (ii) cash dividends payable on the number of Common Shares into which the Series B-1 Preferred Shares and Series C Preferred Shares (assuming for this purpose that the conversion price of the Series C Preferred Shares equals the conversion price of the Series B-1 Preferred Shares) were convertible. The Trust computes diluted earnings per share based on the weighted average number of Common Shares outstanding combined with the incremental weighted average effect from all outstanding potentially dilutive instruments.