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Basis of Presentation
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2016
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
BASIS OF PRESENTATION

2. BASIS OF PRESENTATION

Basis of Presentation

The consolidated financial statements have been prepared by the Company pursuant to the rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) for interim financial statements. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in the financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("U.S. GAAP") have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting solely of normal recurring matters) for a fair statement of the financial position of the Company as of March 31, 2016, the results of its operations for the three-month periods ended March 31, 2016 and 2015 and its cash flows for the three-month periods ended March 31, 2016 and 2015 have been included. The results of operations for such interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results for a full year. These consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Parent Company’s and the Operating Partnership’s consolidated financial statements and footnotes included in their combined 2015 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 29, 2016.

On January 1, 2016, the Company adopted accounting guidance under Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) Topic 810, "Consolidation,” modifying the analysis it must perform to determine whether it should consolidate certain types of legal entities. The guidance does not amend the existing disclosure requirements for variable interest entities (“VIEs”) or voting interest model entities.  The guidance, however, modified the requirements to qualify under the voting interest model. Under the revised guidance, the Operating Partnership will be a variable interest entity of the Parent Company. As the Operating Partnership is already consolidated in the balance sheets of the Parent Company, the identification of this entity as a variable interest entity has no impact on the consolidated financial statements of the Parent Company.  There were no other legal entities qualifying under the scope of the revised guidance that were consolidated as a result of the adoption of this guidance.  In addition, there were no other voting interest entities under prior existing guidance determined to be variable interest entities under the revised guidance. 

The Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015 contains a discussion of our significant accounting policies under Note 2, "Summary of Significant Accounting Policies". There have been no significant changes in our significant accounting policies since December 31, 2015. Management discusses our significant accounting policies and management’s judgments and estimates with the Company's Audit Committee.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In March 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued guidance intended to simplify various aspects related to how share-based payments are accounted for and presented in the financial statements. The new guidance allows for entities to make an entity-wide accounting policy election to either estimate the number of awards that are expected to vest or account for forfeitures when they occur. In addition, the guidance allows employers to withhold shares to satisfy minimum statutory tax withholding requirements up to the employees’ maximum individual tax rate without causing the award to be classified as a liability. The guidance also stipulates that cash paid by an employer to a taxing authority when directly withholding shares for tax-withholding purposes should be classified as a financing activity on the statement of cash flows. This guidance is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within that reporting period. Early adoption is permitted in any interim or annual period, with any adjustments reflected as of the beginning of the fiscal year of adoption. The Company is in the process of evaluating the impact of this new guidance.

Also in March 2016, the FASB issued guidance clarifying that a novation of party to a derivative instrument, whereby one of the parties to a derivative instrument is replaced with another party, does not, in and of itself, require de-designation of that hedging relationship provided that all other hedge criteria continue to be met.  The guidance is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those fiscal years. An entity has an option to apply the amendments either on a prospective basis or on a modified retrospective basis. The Company is in the process of evaluating the impact, if any, of this new guidance.  

In February 2016, the FASB issued guidance modifying the principles for the recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of leases for both parties to a contract (i.e. lessees and lessors). The new standard requires lessees to apply a dual approach, classifying leases as either finance or operating leases based on the principle of whether or not the lease is effectively a financed purchase by the lessee.  This classification will determine whether lease expense is recognized based on an effective interest method or on a straight line basis over the term of the lease, respectively.  A lessee is also required to record a right-of-use asset and a lease liability for all leases with a term of greater than 12 months regardless of their classification.  Leases with a term of 12 months or less will be accounted for in the same manner as operating leases today. The new standard requires lessors to account for leases using an approach that is substantially equivalent to existing guidance for sales-type leases, direct financing leases and operating leases. The guidance supersedes previously issued guidance under ASC Topic 840 “Leases.” The guidance is effective on January 1, 2019, with early adoption permitted.  The Company is in the process of evaluating the impact of this new guidance.

In May 2014, the FASB issued guidance requiring revenue to be recognized in an amount that reflects the consideration expected to be received in exchange for goods and services. The guidance requires the disclosure of sufficient quantitative and qualitative information for financial statement users to understand the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and associated cash flows arising from contracts with customers. On July 9, 2015, the FASB elected to defer the effective date of the revenue recognition standard by one year. Reporting entities may choose to adopt the standard as of the original effective date or for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2017. Calendar year-end public entities are therefore required to apply the new revenue guidance beginning in their 2018 interim and annual financial statements. The Company has not yet determined the impact, if any, that the adoption of this guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements.