Significant Accounting Policies (Policy)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

Policy Text Block [Abstract]

Consolidation, Policy

Principles of Consolidation - The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include our accounts and the accounts of our wholly-owned subsidiaries, partnerships and consolidated variable interest entities (“VIE”), if any. All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.

A VIE is broadly defined as an entity with one or more of the following characteristics: (a) the total equity investment at risk is insufficient to finance the entity’s activities without additional subordinated financial support; (b) as a group, the holders of the equity investment at risk lack (i) the ability to make decisions about the entity’s activities through voting or similar rights, (ii) the obligation to absorb the expected losses of the entity, or (iii) the right to receive the expected residual returns of the entity; or (c) the equity investors have voting rights that are not proportional to their economic interests, and substantially all of the entity’s activities either involve, or are conducted on behalf of, an investor that has disproportionately few voting rights.

We apply Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) guidance for our arrangements with VIEs which requires us to identify entities for which control is achieved through means other than voting rights and to determine which business enterprise is the primary beneficiary of the VIE. In accordance with FASB guidance, management must evaluate each of the Company’s contractual relationships which creates a variable interest in other entities. If the Company has a variable interest and the entity is a VIE, then management must determine whether the Company is the primary beneficiary of the VIE. If it is determined that the Company is the primary beneficiary, NHI would consolidate the VIE. We identify the primary beneficiary of a VIE as the enterprise that has both: (i) the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly impact the entity’s economic performance; and (ii) the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits of the VIE that could be significant to the entity. We perform this analysis on an ongoing basis.

If the Company has determined that an entity is not a VIE, the Company assesses the need for consolidation under all other provisions of Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 810 Consolidation. These provisions provide for consolidation of majority-owned entities where a majority voting interest held by the Company demonstrates control of such entities in the absence of any legal constraints.

At March 31, 2020, we held interests in seven unconsolidated VIEs, and, because we generally lack either directly or through related parties the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact their economic performance, we have concluded that NHI is not the primary beneficiary. Accordingly, we account for our transactions with these entities and their subsidiaries at either amortized cost or net realizable value for straight-line receivables.

Our VIEs are summarized below by date of initial involvement. For further discussion of the nature of the relationships, including the sources of our exposure to these VIEs, see the notes to our condensed consolidated financial statements cross-referenced below.

Date	Name	Source of Exposure	Carrying Amount		Maximum Exposure to Loss		Note Reference
2012	Bickford Senior Living	Various1	$	57,024,000	$	60,120,000	Notes 2, 3
2014	Senior Living Communities	Notes and straight-line receivable	$	92,155,000	$	96,454,000	Notes 2, 3
2016	Senior Living Management	Notes and straight-line receivable	$	26,940,000	$	26,940,000	—
2017	Evolve Senior Living	Notes	$	9,953,000	$	9,953,000	—
2018	Sagewood, LCS affiliate	Notes	$	133,307,000	$	178,614,000	Note 3
2019	41 Management, LLC	Notes	$	12,133,000	$	15,313,000	—
2020	Timber Ridge OpCo	Various1	$	434,000	$	5,434,000	Note 4

¹ Notes, loan commitments, straight-line rent receivables, and unamortized lease incentives

We are not obligated to provide support beyond our stated commitments to these tenants and borrowers whom we classify as VIEs, and accordingly, our maximum exposure to loss as a result of these relationships is limited to the amount of our commitments, as shown above and discussed in the notes. When the above relationships involve leases, some additional exposure to economic loss is present. Generally, additional economic loss on a lease, if any, would be limited to that resulting from a short period of arrearage and non-payment of monthly rent before we are able to take effective remedial action, as well as costs incurred in transitioning the lease to a new tenant. The potential extent of such loss will be dependent upon individual facts and circumstances, cannot be quantified, and is therefore not included in the tabulation above. Typically, the only carrying amounts involving our leases are accumulated straight-line receivables and unamortized lease incentives.

As the managing member, we consolidate two property company (“PropCo”) joint ventures, which were formed in association with our JV partners, Discovery Senior Housing Investor XXIV, LLC, (“Discovery”) and LCS Timber Ridge LLC (“LCS”) to invest in and own (1) six senior housing facilities initially comprising 596 units (“Discovery PropCo”) and (2) a 401-unit Continuing Care Retirement Community in Issaquah, Washington (“Timber Ridge PropCo”), respectively. NHI directs the activities that most significantly impact economic performance of these joint venture entities, subject to limited protective rights extended to our JV partners for specified business decisions. We consider both entities to be VIEs, based on our determination that the total equity at risk in each is insufficient to finance activities without additional subordinated financial support. Because of our control of these entities, we include their assets, liabilities, noncontrolling interests and operations in our consolidated financial statements.

Cash and Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Cash and Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash - Cash equivalents consist of all highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less. Restricted cash includes amounts required to be held on deposit in accordance with agency agreements governing our Fannie Mae and HUD mortgages.

The following table sets forth our cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash reported within the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (in thousands):

	March 31, 2020		March 31, 2019
Cash and cash equivalents	$	46,049	$	5,177
Restricted cash (included in Other assets)	33,769		10,377
	$	79,818	$	15,554

Lessor, Leases [Policy Text Block]

Topic 842 - All of our leases are accounted for as operating leases. Our leases generally have an initial leasehold term of 10 to 15 years followed by one or more 5-year tenant renewal options. The leases are “triple net” leases under which the tenant is responsible for the payment of all taxes, utilities, insurance premiums, repairs and other charges relating to the operation of the properties, including required levels of capital expenditures each year. The tenant is obligated at its expense to keep all improvements, fixtures and other components of the properties covered by “all risk” insurance in an amount equal to at least the full replacement cost thereof, and to maintain specified minimal personal injury and property damage insurance, protecting us as well as the tenant. The leases also require the tenant to indemnify and hold us harmless from all claims resulting from the use, occupancy and related activities of each property by the tenant, and to indemnify us against all costs related to any release, discovery, clean-up and removal of hazardous, including bio-hazardous, substances or materials, or other environmental responsibility with respect to each facility. These provisions, along with a growing senior demographic and the historical propensity for real estate to hold its value, collectively constitute much of the means by which the risk associated with the residual value of our properties is mitigated. While we do not incorporate residual value guarantees, the above lease provisions and considerations inform our expectation of realizable value from our properties upon the expiration of their lease terms. The residual value of our real estate under lease is still subject to various market, asset, and tenant-specific risks and characteristics. As the classification of our leases is dependent on the fair value of estimated cash flows at lease commencement, management’s projected residual values represent significant assumptions in our accounting for operating leases. Similarly, the exercise of options is also subject to these same risks, making a tenant’s lease term another significant variable in a lease’s cash flows. If lease concessions become necessary, NHI has elected to account for lease concessions which do not substantially increase either our rights as lessor or the obligations of the tenant and are related to the effects of COVID-19 consistent with how those concessions would be accounted for under Topic 842 as though the enforceable rights and obligations for those concessions existed under our leases, regardless of whether those enforceable rights and obligations for the concessions explicitly exist in the related individual lease contract.

Use of Estimates, Policy

Use of Estimates - The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Loans and Leases Receivable, Allowance for Loan Losses Policy

Allowance for Credit Losses - With the adoption of Accounting Standards Update 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses effective January 1, 2020, we estimate and record an allowance for credit losses upon origination of the loan, based on expected credit losses for the life of the loan balance and update this estimate quarterly as of the balance sheet date. We calculate the estimated credit losses on mortgages by pooling these loans into two groups – investments in existing or new mortgages and construction mortgages. Mezzanine and revolving lines of credit are evaluated at the individual loan level. We estimate the allowance for credit losses by utilizing a loss model that relies on future expected credit losses, rather than incurred losses. This loss model incorporates our historical experience and collateral values, adjusted for current conditions and our forecasts, using the probability of default and loss given default method. The loss model incorporates our historical loss data for recessionary and non-recessionary periods. Incorporated into the construction mortgage loss model is an estimate of the probability that NHI will acquire the property. Using the resulting estimate, a portion of the outstanding construction mortgage balance, which NHI currently expects will be reduced by NHI’s acquisition of the underlying property when construction is complete, is deducted from the construction mortgage balance included in the expected loss calculation. Mezzanine loans and revolving lines of credit are also based on the loss model to recognize expected future credit losses and are applied to each individual loan using borrower specific information. We also perform a qualitative assessment beyond model estimates and apply adjustments as necessary. The credit loss estimate is based on the net amortized cost balance of our mortgage and other notes receivables as of the balance sheet date.

Calculation of the allowance for credit losses involves significant judgement. It is possible that actual credit losses will differ from our current estimates. Write-offs are deducted from the allowance for credit losses when we judge the principal to be uncollectible.

Earnings Per Share, Policy

Earnings Per Share - The weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the reporting period is used to calculate basic earnings per common share. Diluted earnings per common share assumes the exercise of stock options using the treasury stock method, to the extent dilutive. Diluted earnings per share also incorporate the potential dilutive impact of our convertible senior notes. We apply the treasury stock method to our convertible debt instruments, the effect of which is that conversion will not be assumed for purposes of computing diluted earnings per share unless the average share price for the period exceeds the conversion price per share

Reclassification, Policy

Reclassifications - We have reclassified certain balances where necessary to conform the presentation of prior periods to the current period. These reclassifications had no effect on previously reported net income.

New Accounting Pronouncements, Policy

New Accounting Pronouncements - For a review of recent accounting pronouncements pertinent to our operations and management’s judgment as to the impact that the eventual adoption of these pronouncements will have on our financial position and results of operations, see Note 10.