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Commitments, Contingencies and Uncertainties
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2021
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments And Contingencies Commitments, Contingencies and UncertaintiesIn the normal course of business, we enter into a variety of commitments, typically consisting of funding of revolving credit arrangements, construction and mezzanine loans to our operators to conduct expansions and acquisitions for their own account classified below as loan commitments, and commitments for the funding of construction for expansion or renovation to our existing properties under lease classified below as development commitments. In our leasing operations, we offer to our tenants and to sellers of newly acquired properties a variety of inducements which originate contractually as contingencies but which may become commitments upon the satisfaction of the contingent event. Contingent payments earned will be included in the respective lease bases when funded. The tables below summarize our existing, known commitments and contingencies as of December 31, 2021 according to the nature of their impact on our leasehold or loan portfolios ($ in thousands):
Asset ClassTypeTotalFundedRemaining
Loan Commitments:
LCS Sagewood Note ASHOConstruction$118,800 $(110,794)$8,006 
Bickford Senior LivingSHOConstruction42,900 (36,655)6,245 
Encore Senior LivingSHOConstruction22,200 (17,708)4,492 
Senior Living CommunitiesSHORevolving Credit20,000 (9,566)10,434 
Encore Senior LivingSHOConstruction10,800 (9,071)1,729 
Timber Ridge OpCoSHOWorking Capital5,000 — 5,000 
Watermark RetirementSHOWorking Capital5,000 (3,307)1,693 
   Montecito Medical Real EstateMOBMezzanine Loan50,000 (12,320)37,680 
$274,700 $(199,421)$75,279 

See Note 4 and Note 5 to our consolidated financial statements for further details of our loan commitments. As provided above, loans funded do not include the effects of discounts or commitment fees.

The credit loss liability for unfunded loan commitments is estimated using the same methodology as for our funded mortgage and other notes receivable based on the estimated amount that we expect to fund. We applied the same COVID-19 pandemic adjustments as discussed in Note 4.

The liability for expected credit losses on our unfunded loans is presented in the following table for the year ended December 31, 2021 ($ in thousands):

Beginning balance January 1, 2021$270 
Provision for expected credit losses685 
Balance at December 31, 2021$955 

Asset ClassTypeTotalFundedRemaining
Development Commitments:
Woodland Village SHO Construction$7,515 $(7,425)$90 
Senior Living CommunitiesSHORenovation9,930 (9,930)— 
Discovery Senior LivingSHORenovation900 (900)— 
Watermark RetirementSHORenovation6,500 (4,436)2,064 
Navion Senior SolutionsSHORenovation3,650 (213)3,437 
OtherSHOVarious2,850 (576)2,274 
$31,345 $(23,480)$7,865 

In addition to the commitments listed above, one of our consolidated real estate partnerships has committed to funding up to $2.0 million toward the purchase of condominium units located at one of the facilities. As of December 31, 2021, we have funded $1.0 million toward the commitment.

As of December 31, 2021, we had the following contingent lease inducements which are generally based on the performance of facility operations and may or may not be met by the tenant ($ in thousands):
Asset ClassTotalFundedRemaining
Contingencies (Lease Inducements):
Timber Ridge OpCoSHO$10,000 $— $10,000 
Comfort Care Senior LivingSHO6,000 — 6,000 
Wingate HealthcareSHO5,000 — 5,000 
Navion Senior SolutionsSHO4,850 (1,500)3,350 
Discovery Senior LivingSHO4,000 — 4,000 
Ignite Medical ResortsSNF2,000 — 2,000 
   Sante PartnersSHO2,000 — 2,000 
$33,850 $(1,500)$32,350 
Bickford Contingent Note Arrangement

Related to the sale of six properties to Bickford discussed further in Note 3, we reached an agreement with Bickford in the third quarter of 2021 whereby Bickford would owe us up to $4.5 million under a contingent note arrangement. We have the one-time option to determine fair market value of the portfolio between May 1, 2023 and April 30, 2026, at which time the amount owed under the contingent note arrangement, if any, will be determined as the lesser of (i) the difference between the fair market value of the portfolio and $52.1 million, which amount represents the purchase consideration for the portfolio of $52.9 million less $0.8 million in mortgage debt repayment fees previously paid by us associated with this portfolio, and (ii) $4.5 million. Any amount due on the contingent note arrangement will accrue interest at an annual rate of 10% and will be due in five years from the determination date.

COVID-19 Pandemic Contingencies

Since the World Health Organization declared coronavirus disease 2019 a pandemic on March 11, 2020, the continually evolving pandemic has resulted in a widespread health crisis adversely affecting governments, businesses, and financial markets. The COVID-19 pandemic and related health and safety measures continue to impact the operations of many of the Company’s tenants, operators and borrowers. The federal government has provided economic assistance and other forms of assistance which mitigated to some extent the negative financial impact of the pandemic for certain of our tenants and operators who are eligible.

Revenues for the operators of our properties continue to be significantly impacted by occupancy. Building occupancy rates have been and may continue to be adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic if it continues to cause sustained negative trends such as early resident move-outs, delays in admitting new residents, or other collateral events. In addition, our operators may experience a material increase in their operating costs, including costs related to enhanced health and safety precautions and increased retention and recruitment labor costs among other measures. A decrease in occupancy or increase in costs could have a material adverse effect on the ability of our operators to meet their financial and other contractual obligations to us, including the payment of rent, as well as on our results of operations.

Throughout the pandemic to date, we have granted various rent concessions to tenants whose operations have been adversely affected by the pandemic. When applicable, we have elected not to apply the modification guidance under ASC 842 and have decided to account for the related concessions as variable lease payments, recorded as rental income when received. We will evaluate any rent deferral requests as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic on a tenant-by-tenant basis. The extent of future concessions we make as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which could have a material impact on our future operating results, cannot be reasonably or reliably projected by us at this time.

Our pandemic related rent concessions that will be accounted for as variable lease payments recognized upon receipt are shown in the following table ($ in thousands):
2021 Activity2020 ActivityCumulative Totals
DeferralsAbatementsCollectionsDeferralsAbatementsDeferralsAbatementsCollections
Bickford$18,250 $— $— $3,750 $2,100 $22,000 $2,100 $— 
Holiday1,800 — — — — 1,800 — — 
All Others6,339 100 82 1,232 50 7,571 150 82 
$26,389 $100 $82 $4,982 $2,150 $31,371 $2,250 $82 

The majority of the deferred amounts noted in the table above accrue interest starting at 8% per annum under the terms of each tenant’s deferral agreement.

In addition to the concessions noted above, we have agreed with Bickford to defer up to $4.0 million in deferrals in the first quarter of 2022. We have also reached agreement with three other tenants regarding additional rent deferrals of approximately $0.5 million for the first quarter of 2022. We anticipate some of our tenants may need additional rent deferrals to assist them with the ongoing impact of the pandemic on their operations. The timing and amount of any additional deferrals cannot yet be determined.

In 2021, we modified three leases with two operators that reset and reduced rental income by $1.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 and will reduce the rental income by approximately $4.2 million for each of the next two years.
Litigation

Our facilities are subject to claims and suits in the ordinary course of business. Our lessees and borrowers have indemnified, and are obligated to continue to indemnify us, against all liabilities arising from the operation of the facilities, and are further obligated to indemnify us against environmental or title problems affecting the real estate underlying such facilities. While there may be lawsuits pending against certain of the owners and/or lessees of the facilities, management believes that the ultimate resolution of all such pending proceedings will have no material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

East Lake Capital Management LLC

In June 2018, East Lake Capital Management LLC and certain related entities, including Regency (for three assisted living facilities in Tennessee, Indiana and North Carolina), filed suit against NHI in Texas seeking injunctive and declaratory relief and unspecified monetary damages. NHI responded with counterclaims and filed motions requesting the immediate appointment of a receiver and for pre-judgment possession. Resulting from these claims and counterclaims, on December 6, 2018, the parties entered into an agreement resulting in Regency vacating the facilities in December 2018. On September 22, 2021, all parties entered into an agreement whereby NHI was entitled to receive $0.4 million to settle all claims for this matter. The settlement amount was received in December 2021 and recognized in “Other income” in the Consolidated Statement of Income for the year ended December 31, 2021. In addition, we had approximately $0.3 million in liabilities recorded related to the facilities subject to the litigation that was reversed and recognized in “Interest income and other” for the year ended December 31, 2021.

Welltower, Inc.

In June 2021, Welltower announced that it would acquire certain assets from the senior housing portfolio of Holiday, a privately held senior living management company in which 17 senior living facilities were included in Holiday’s portfolio and are governed by a master lease originally executed between a Holiday subsidiary and NHI in 2013. We have received no rent due under the master lease for these facilities since this change in tenant ownership occurred.

On December 20, 2021, NHI and its subsidiaries NHI-REIT of Next House, LLC, Myrtle Beach Retirement Resident LLC, and Vorhees Retirement Residence LLC filed suit against Welltower, Inc., Welltower Victory II TRS LLC, and Well Churchill Leasehold Owner LLC (collectively the "Welltower Entities") in the Delaware Court of Chancery (Case No. 2021-1097-MTZ). In the litigation, we contend that the Welltower Entities have failed repeatedly to honor their legal obligations to NHI. In particular, we assert that the Welltower Entities acquired assets from a third party, Holiday Retirement, that included leases to NHI senior living facilities and fraudulently induced NHI to consent to the assignment of the leases, and then immediately failed to pay rent or provide a promised security agreement that was intended to secure against their default, all as part of an effort to pressure NHI to agree to new conditions outside the assignment agreement or force a sale of the properties to the Welltower Entities. The Litigation further asserts that the Welltower Entities currently owe unpaid contractual rent. Unpaid contractual rent, excluding penalties and interest, totaled $11.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2021.