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Income Taxes
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2012
Income Taxes [Abstract]  
Income Taxes
12.

INCOME TAXES

The Company has elected to be taxed as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"). To qualify as a REIT, the Company must distribute annually at least 90% of its adjusted taxable income, as defined in the Code, to its shareholders and satisfy certain other organizational and operating requirements. It is management's current intention to adhere to these requirements and maintain the Company's REIT status. As a REIT, the Company generally will not be subject to federal income tax at the corporate level on the taxable income it distributes to its shareholders. Should the Company fail to qualify as a REIT in any tax year, it may be subject to federal income taxes at regular corporate rates (including any applicable alternative minimum tax) and may not be able to qualify as a REIT for four subsequent taxable years. The Company may be subject to certain state and local taxes on its income and property, and to federal income taxes and excise taxes on its undistributed taxable income.

The Operating Partnership files tax returns as a limited partnership under the Code. As a partnership, the income and losses of the Operating Partnership are allocated to its partners, including the Company, for inclusion in their respective income tax returns. Accordingly, no provision or benefit for income taxes has been in the accompanying financial statements. The Operating Partnership intends to make sufficient cash distributions to the Company to enable it to meet its annual REIT distribution requirements.

 

In the preparation of income tax returns in federal and state jurisdictions, the Company, the Operating Partnership and their taxable REIT subsidiaries assert certain tax positions based on their understanding and interpretation of the income tax law. The taxing authorities may challenge such positions and the resolution of such matters could result in the payment and recognition of additional income tax expense. Management believes it has used reasonable judgments and conclusions in the preparation of its income tax returns. The Company, the Operating Partnership and their subsidiaries' (including the taxable REIT subsidiaries ("TRSs")) income tax returns are subject to examination by federal and state tax jurisdictions for years 2008 through 2010. Net income tax loss carryforwards and other tax attributes generated in years prior to 2008 are also subject to challenge in any examination of the 2008 to 2010 tax years.

As of March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011, the Company's TRSs had unrecognized tax benefits of approximately $797 which primarily related to uncertainty regarding the sustainability of certain deductions taken on prior year income tax returns of the TRS with respect to the amortization of certain intangible assets. The uncertainty surrounding this unrecognized tax benefit will generally be clarified in future periods as income tax loss carryforwards are utilized. To the extent these unrecognized tax benefits are ultimately recognized, they may affect the effective tax rate in a future period. The Company's policy is to recognize interest and penalties, if any, related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense. Accrued interest and penalties for the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011, were not material to the Company's results of operations, cash flows or financial position.

The TRSs are utilized principally to perform such non-REIT activities as asset and property management, for-sale housing (condominiums) sales and other services. These TRSs are subject to federal and state income taxes. In the three months ended March 31, 2012, the TRSs recognized an income tax benefit of $612 related to the expected recovery of income taxes paid in prior years upon the filing of amended tax returns to utilize net operating loss carryback claims to such years. The income tax benefit was included in condominium gains on the consolidated statement of operations as the income taxes paid in such prior years primarily resulted from condominium activities. Other than the tax benefit related to this carryback claim in 2012, the TRSs recorded no net income tax expense (benefit) for federal income taxes for the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011, as a result of estimated taxable losses and the inability to recognize tax benefits related to such losses due to the uncertainty surrounding their ultimate realization.

The Company's net deferred tax assets primarily reflect real estate asset basis differences between carrying amounts for financial and income tax reporting purposes, income tax loss carryforwards and the timing of income and expense recognition for certain accrued liabilities and transactions. At December 31, 2011, net deferred tax assets approximately totaled $60,197. At December 31, 2011, management had established valuation allowances to offset such net deferred tax assets due primarily to historical losses at the TRSs' in prior years and the variability of the income (loss) of these subsidiaries. The tax benefits associated with such unused valuation allowances may be recognized in future periods, if the taxable REIT subsidiaries generate sufficient taxable income to utilize such amounts or if the Company determines that it is more likely than not that the related deferred tax assets are realizable. For the three months ended March 31, 2012, changes to the components of net deferred tax assets were offset by changes to deferred tax asset valuation allowances.