Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2018

Nature of Business

DDR Corp. and its related consolidated real estate subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company” or “DDR”) and unconsolidated joint ventures are primarily engaged in the business of acquiring, owning, developing, redeveloping, expanding, leasing, financing and managing shopping centers. Unless otherwise provided, references herein to the Company or DDR include DDR Corp. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries and consolidated joint ventures. The Company’s tenant base primarily includes national and regional retail chains and local retailers. Consequently, the Company’s credit risk is concentrated in the retail industry.

On December 14, 2017, the Company announced its intention to spin off 50 shopping centers in 2018, representing $2.8 billion of gross book asset value, as of March 31, 2018, composed of 38 continental U.S. assets and all 12 of DDR’s shopping centers in Puerto Rico, into a separate, publicly-traded real estate investment trust (“REIT”), Retail Value Inc. (“RVI”). At March 31, 2018, RVI was a wholly-owned subsidiary of DDR Corp.

Use of Estimates in Preparation of Financial Statements

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the year. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Unaudited Interim Financial Statements

These financial statements have been prepared by the Company in accordance with GAAP for interim financial information and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Accordingly, they do not include all information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. However, in the opinion of management, the interim financial statements include all adjustments, consisting of only normal recurring adjustments, necessary for a fair statement of the results of the periods presented. The results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017, are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the full year. These condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s audited financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017.

Principles of Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the results of the Company and all entities in which the Company has a controlling interest or has been determined to be the primary beneficiary of a variable interest entity (“VIE”). All significant inter-company balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Investments in real estate joint ventures in which the Company has the ability to exercise significant influence, but does not have financial or operating control, are accounted for using the equity method of accounting. Accordingly, the Company’s share of the earnings (or loss) of these joint ventures is included in consolidated net income (loss).

The Company has two unconsolidated joint ventures included in the Company’s joint venture investments that are considered VIEs for which the Company is not the primary beneficiary. The Company’s maximum exposure to losses associated with these VIEs is limited to its aggregate investment, which was $240.1 million and $284.1 million as of March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively.

Statements of Cash Flows and Supplemental Disclosure of Non-Cash Investing and Financing Information

Non-cash investing and financing activities are summarized as follows (in millions):

	Three Months
	Ended March 31,
	2018		2017
Accounts payable related to construction in progress	$	16.6	$	12.5
Receivable and reduction of real estate assets, net - related to hurricane casualty		5.7		—
Dividends declared		78.7		75.4
Conversion of Operating Partnership Units		0.9	—

Common Shares

The Company declared common share dividends of $0.19 per share for each of the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017.

New Accounting Standards Adopted and to be Adopted

New Accounting Standards Adopted

Revenue Recognition

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. The objective of ASU No. 2014-09 is to establish a single, comprehensive, five-step model for entities to use in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers that will supersede most of the existing revenue recognition guidance, including industry-specific guidance. The core principle of this standard is that an entity recognizes revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. ASU No. 2014-09 applies to all contracts with customers except those that are within the scope of other topics in the FASB Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”). The new guidance was effective for public companies for annual reporting periods (including interim periods within those periods) beginning after December 15, 2017. The Company has adopted the new accounting guidance for revenue from contracts with customers (“Topic 606”) on January 1, 2018 using the modified retrospective approach and therefore, the comparative information has not been adjusted. The guidance has been applied to contracts that are not completed as of the date of initial application and the impact of the adoption was not material (Note 2).

Real Estate Sales

In February 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-05, Other Income-Gains and Losses from Derecognition of Nonfinancial Assets (Subtopic 610-20): Clarifying the Scope of Asset Derecognition Guidance and Accounting for Partial Sales of Nonfinancial Assets (“Topic 610”) for gains and losses from the sale and/or transfer of real estate property. Topic 610 eliminates guidance specific to real estate sales in ASC 360-20. As such, sales and partial sales of real estate assets will now be subject to the same derecognition model as all other nonfinancial assets. The guidance is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within that reporting period. The effective date of this guidance coincides with revenue recognition guidance discussed in Note 2. On January 1, 2018, the Company adopted Topic 610 using the modified retrospective approach for contracts that are not completed as of the date of initial application. The Company has determined that the adoption of this standard did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

New Accounting Standards to Be Adopted

Accounting for Leases

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842). The amendments in this update govern a number of areas including, but not limited to, accounting for leases, replacing the existing guidance in ASC No. 840, Leases. Under this standard, among other changes in practice, a lessee’s rights and obligations under most leases, including existing and new arrangements, would be recognized as assets and liabilities, respectively, on the balance sheet. Other significant provisions of this standard include (i) defining the “lease term” to include the non-cancelable period together with periods for which there is a significant economic incentive for the lessee to extend or not terminate the lease; (ii) defining the initial lease liability to be recorded on the balance sheet to contemplate only those variable lease payments that depend on an index or that are in substance “fixed,” (iii) a dual approach for determining whether lease expense is recognized on a straight-line or accelerated basis, depending on whether the lessee is expected to consume more than an insignificant portion of the leased asset’s economic benefits and (iv) a requirement to bifurcate certain lease and non-lease components. The lease standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018 (including interim periods within those fiscal years), with early adoption permitted. The Company will adopt the standard using the modified retrospective approach for financial statements issued after January 1, 2019.

The Company is in the process of evaluating the impact that the adoption of ASU No. 2016-02 will have on its consolidated financial statements and disclosures. The Company has currently identified several areas within its accounting policies it believes could be impacted by the new standard, including where the Company is a lessor under its tenant lease agreements and a lessee under its ground leases. The Company may have a change in presentation on its consolidated statements of operations with regards to Recoveries from Tenants, which includes reimbursements from tenants for certain operating expenses, real estate taxes and insurance. The Company also has certain lease arrangements with its tenants for space at its shopping centers in which the contractual amounts due under the lease by the lessee are not allocated between the rental and expense reimbursement components (“Gross Leases”). The aggregate revenue earned under Gross Leases is presented as Minimum Rents in the consolidated statements of operations. On March 28, 2018, the FASB tentatively approved targeted improvements to the Leases standard that provides lessors with a practical expedient by class of underlying assets to not separate non-lease components from the lease component. Such practical expedient is limited to circumstances in which (i) the timing and pattern of transfer are the same for the non-lease component and the related lease component and (ii) the stand alone lease component would be classified as an operating lease if accounted for separately. The Company will elect the practical expedient which would allow the Company the ability to account for the combined component based on its predominate characteristics if the underlying asset meets the two criteria defined above.

In addition, the Company has ground lease agreements in which the Company is the lessee for land underneath all or a portion of the buildings at five shopping centers. Currently, the Company accounts for these arrangements as operating leases. Under the new standard, the Company will record its rights and obligations under these leases as a right of use asset and lease liability on its consolidated balance sheets. The Company is currently in the process of evaluating the inputs required to calculate the amount that will be recorded on its balance sheet for each ground lease. Lastly, this standard impacts the lessor’s ability to capitalize initial direct costs related to the leasing of vacant space. However, the Company does not believe this change regarding capitalization will have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

Revenue Recognition

The following is disclosure of the Company’s revenue recognition policies:

Rental Revenue

Minimum rents from tenants in shopping centers generally range from one month to 30 years and are recognized on a straight-line basis over the noncancelable term of the lease, which include the effects of applicable rent steps and abatements. Percentage and overage rents are recognized after a tenant’s reported sales have exceeded the applicable sales breakpoint set forth in the applicable lease.

Recoveries from tenants

Revenues associated with expense reimbursements from tenants for common area maintenance, taxes, insurance and other property operating expenses, based upon the tenant’s lease provisions, are recognized in the period the related expenses are incurred.

Lease Termination Fees

Lease termination fees are recognized upon the effective termination of a tenant’s lease when the Company has no further obligations under the lease.

Ancillary income and other property income

Ancillary and other property-related income, primarily composed of leasing vacant space to temporary tenants, kiosk income, parking and theatre income, is recognized in the period earned.

Business Interruption Income

The Company will record revenue for covered business interruption in the period it determines that it is probable it will be compensated. This income recognition criteria will likely result in business interruption insurance recoveries being recorded in a period subsequent to the period the Company experiences lost revenue from the damaged properties.

Disposition of Real Estate

Sales of nonfinancial assets, such as real estate, are to be recognized when control of the asset transfers to the buyer, which will occur when the buyer has the ability to direct the use of, or obtain substantially all of the remaining benefits from, the asset. This generally occurs when the transaction closes and consideration is exchanged for control of the asset.

Revenues from Contracts with Customers

The Company’s revenues from contracts with customers generally relate to asset and property management fees, leasing commission, and development fees. These revenues are derived from the Company’s management agreements with unconsolidated joint ventures and is recognized to the extent attributable to the unaffiliated ownership in the unconsolidated joint venture to which it relates. These contracts are generally five years in duration with ongoing one-year extension options by the Company.

Asset and Property Management Fees

Asset and Property management services include property maintenance, tenant coordination, accounting and financial services. Asset and Property management services represent a series of distinct daily services. Accordingly, the Company satisfies the performance obligation as services are rendered over time.

The Company is compensated for property management services through a monthly management fee earned based on a specified percentage of the monthly rental receipts generated from the property under management. The Company is compensated for asset management services through a fee that is billed to the customer quarterly in arrears and recognized as revenue monthly as the services are rendered, based on a percentage of aggregate capital contributions for assets under management at the end of the quarter.

Property Leasing

The Company provides strategic advice and execution to its unconsolidated joint ventures in connection with the leasing of retail space. The Company is compensated for services in the form of a commission. The commission is paid upon the occurrence of certain contractual events which may be contingent. For example, a portion of the commission may be paid upon execution of the lease by the tenant, with the remaining paid upon occurrence of another future contingent event (e.g. payment of first month’s rent or tenant move-in). The Company typically satisfies its performance obligation at a point in time when control is transferred; generally, at the time of the first contractual event where there is a present right to payment. The Company looks to history, experience with a customer, and deal specific considerations, to support its judgement that the second contingency will be met. Therefore, the Company typically accelerates the recognition of revenue associated with the second contingent event (if any) to the point in time when control of its service is transferred.

Development Services

Development services consist of construction management oversight services such as hiring general contractors, reviewing plans and specification, performing inspections, reviewing documentation and accounting services. These services represent a series of distinct services and are recognized over time as services are rendered. The Company is compensated monthly for services based on percentage of aggregate amount spent on the construction during the month.

Contract Assets

Contract assets represent assets for revenue that has been recognized in advance of billing the customer and for which the right to bill is contingent upon something other than the passage of time. This is common for contingent portions of commissions. The portion of payments retained by the customer until the second contingent event is not considered a significant financing component because the right to payment is expected to become unconditional within one year or less. Contract assets are transferred to receivables when the right to payment becomes unconditional.