RELATED-PARTY TRANSACTIONS

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2020

13. RELATED-PARTY TRANSACTIONS

Asset Management and Other Fees to Related Parties

Asset Management Fees—In December 2015, CIM Urban and CIM Capital, LLC (formerly CIM Investment Advisors, LLC), an affiliate of CIM REIT and CIM Group (“CIM Capital”), entered into an investment management agreement, pursuant to which CIM Urban engaged CIM Capital to provide certain services to CIM Urban (the “Investment Management Agreement”). On January 1, 2019, CIM Capital assigned its duties under the Investment Management Agreement to its four wholly-owned subsidiaries: CIM Capital Securities Management, LLC, a securities manager, CIM Capital RE Debt Management, LLC, a debt manager, CIM Capital Controlled Company Management, LLC, a controlled company manager, and CIM Capital Real Property Management, LLC, a real property manager. The “Operator” refers to CIM Investment Advisors, LLC from December 10, 2015 to December 31, 2018 and to CIM Capital and its four wholly-owned subsidiaries on and after January 1, 2019.

CIM Urban pays asset management fees to the Operator on a quarterly basis in arrears. The fee is calculated as a percentage of the daily average adjusted fair value of CIM Urban’s assets:


Daily Average Adjusted Fair Value of CIM Urban’s Assets				Quarterly Fee
From Greater of		To and Including		Percentage
(in thousands)
$	—	$	500,000	0.2500%
$	500,000	$	1,000,000	0.2375%
$	1,000,000	$	1,500,000	0.2250%
$	1,500,000	$	4,000,000	0.2125%
$	4,000,000	$	20,000,000	0.1000%

Asset management fees are included in asset management and other fees to related parties in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations.

In lieu of cash payment of the asset management fee during the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company issued to the Operator shares of our Common Stock and shares of our Series A Preferred Stock. Subject to applicable laws and regulations under Nasdaq and the TASE and the agreement of the Operator, it is likely that we will seek to pay some or part of the asset management fees for part of 2021 in shares of Series A Preferred Stock.

Property Management Fees and Reimbursements—CIM Management, Inc. and certain of its affiliates (collectively, the “CIM Management Entities”), all affiliates of CIM REIT and CIM Group, provide property management, leasing, and development services to CIM Urban. Property management fees earned by the CIM Management entities and onsite management costs incurred on behalf of CIM Urban are included in rental and other property operating expenses in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations. Leasing commissions earned are capitalized to deferred charges on the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. Construction management fees are capitalized to investments in real estate on the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.

Administrative Fees and Expenses—On March 11, 2014, CIM Commercial and its subsidiaries entered into a master services agreement (the “Master Services Agreement”) with CIM Service Provider, LLC (the “Administrator”), an affiliate of CIM Group, pursuant to which the Administrator provides, or arranges for other service providers to provide, management and administration services to CIM Commercial and its subsidiaries. Pursuant to the Master Services Agreement, we appointed an affiliate of CIM Group as the administrator of Urban Partners GP, LLC. Under the Master Services Agreement, CIM Commercial paid a base service fee (the “Base Service Fee”) to the Administrator initially set at $1.0 million per year (subject to an annual escalation by a specified inflation factor beginning on January 1, 2015), payable quarterly in arrears. On May 11, 2020, the Master Services Agreement was amended to replace the Base Service Fee with an incentive fee (the “Incentive Fee”) pursuant to which the Administrator receives, on a quarterly basis, 15.00% of CIM Commercial’s quarterly core funds from operations in excess of a quarterly threshold equal to 1.75% (i.e., 7.00% on an annualized basis) of CIM Commercial’s average adjusted common stockholders’ equity (i.e., common stockholders’ equity plus accumulated depreciation and amortization) for such quarter. The amendment is effective as of April 1, 2020. The Base Service Fee is included in asset management and other fees to related parties in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations.

In addition, pursuant to the terms of the Master Services Agreement, the Administrator may receive compensation and or reimbursement for performing certain services for CIM Commercial and its subsidiaries that are not covered by the Base Service Fee or the Incentive Fee, as the case may be. During the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, such services performed by the Administrator and its affiliates included accounting, tax, reporting, internal audit, legal, compliance, risk management, IT, human resources, corporate communications, and from and after September 2018, operational and on-going support in connection with the Company’s offering of Preferred Stock. The Administrator’s compensation is based on the salaries and benefits of the employees of the Administrator and or its affiliates who performed these services (allocated based on the percentage of time spent on the affairs of CIM Commercial and its subsidiaries). The expense for such services is included in expense reimbursements to related parties—corporate in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations.

Lending Segment Expenses—On January 1, 2015, the Company entered into a Staffing and Reimbursement Agreement with CIM SBA Staffing, LLC (“CIM SBA”), an affiliate of CIM Group, and our subsidiary, PMC Commercial Lending, LLC. The agreement provides that CIM SBA will provide personnel and resources to us and that we will reimburse CIM SBA for the costs and expenses of providing such personnel and resources. The expense for such services is included in expense reimbursements to related parties—lending segment in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations.

Offering-Related Fees—On May 10, 2018, the Company entered into the wholesaling agreement (the “Wholesaling Agreement”) with International Assets Advisors, LLC (“IAA”) and CCO Capital, LLC (“CCO Capital”). CCO Capital is a registered broker dealer and is under common control with the Operator and the Administrator. IAA was the exclusive dealer manager for the Company’s public offering of Series A Preferred Units until May 31, 2019. Under the Wholesaling Agreement, among other things, CCO Capital, in its capacity as the wholesaler for the offering, assisted IAA with the sale of Series A Preferred Units. In exchange for such services, IAA paid CCO Capital a fee equal to 2.75% of the selling price of each Series A Preferred Unit for which a sale was completed, reduced by any applicable fee reallowances payable to soliciting dealers pursuant to separate soliciting dealer agreements between IAA and soliciting dealers. The foregoing fee was reduced, and may have been exceeded, by a fixed monthly payment by CCO Capital to IAA for IAA’s services in connection with periodic closings and settlements for the offering.

On May 31, 2019, the Company, IAA and CCO Capital entered into an Amendment, Assignment and Assumption Agreement (the “Assignment Agreement”), pursuant to which CCO Capital assumed all of the rights and obligations of IAA under the dealer manager agreement, dated as of June 28, 2016, as amended, by and between the Company and IAA. As a result of the Assignment Agreement, CCO Capital became the exclusive dealer manager for the Company’s public offering of the Series A Preferred Units effective as of May 31, 2019. In connection with the execution of the Assignment Agreement, the Company terminated the Wholesaling Agreement effective as of May 31, 2019. The Company’s offering of the Series A Preferred Units ended at the end of January 2020. On January 28, 2020, the Company entered into the Second Amended and Restated Dealer Manager Agreement, pursuant to which CCO Capital acts as the exclusive dealer manager for the Company’s public offering of its Series A Preferred Stock and Series D Preferred Stock. Thereunder, the Company agreed to pay CCO Capital, as the dealer manager for the offering, (1) an upfront dealer manager fee of up to 1.25% of the selling price of each share of Preferred Stock sold, (2) selling commissions of up to 5.50% of the selling price of each share of Series A Preferred Stock sold (with no selling commissions payable in respect of shares of Series D Preferred Stock sold) and (3) a trailing dealer manager fee that accrues daily in an amount equal to 1/365th of 0.25% per annum of the selling price of each share of Preferred Stock sold. CCO Capital, in its sole discretion, may reallow to another broker-dealer authorized by it to sell shares in the offering a portion of the upfront dealer manager fee earned by it in respect of shares sold by such broker-dealer.

On April 9, 2020, the Company entered into Amendment No. 1 to the Second Amended and Restated Dealer Manager Agreement, pursuant to which the selling commissions were increased from up to 5.50% to up to 7.00% of the selling price of each share of Series A Preferred Stock sold thereafter. The Company has been informed that CCO Capital generally reallows 100% of the selling commissions on sales of Series A Preferred Stock and generally reallows substantially all of the upfront dealer manager fee on sales of Series A Preferred Stock and Series D Preferred Stock, to participating broker-dealers.

The Company recorded fees and expense reimbursements as shown in the table below for services provided by related parties related to the services described above during the periods indicated:


	Year Ended December 31,
	2020		2019		2018
	(in thousands)
Asset Management Fees:
Asset management fees (1)	$	9,511	$	12,019	$	17,880
Property Management Fees and Reimbursements:
Property management fees	$	1,670	$	2,562	$	4,365
Onsite management and other cost reimbursement	$	3,356	$	5,852	$	6,065
Leasing commissions	$	112	$	658	$	1,548
Construction management fees	$	344	$	525	$	580
Administrative Fees and Expenses:
Base service fee (2)	$	282	$	1,102	$	1,079
Expense reimbursements to related parties - corporate	$	2,243	$	2,577	$	2,783
Lending Segment Expenses:
Expense reimbursements to related parties - lending segment (3)	$	3,491	$	2,382	$	2,445
Offering-Related Fees:
Upfront dealer manager and trailing dealer manager fees	$	1,149	$	1,121	$	—
Non-issuance specific offering costs (4)	$	99	$	—	$	—

(1)For the year ended December 31, 2020, we issued to the Operator 203,349 shares of our Common Stock, in lieu of cash payment of the asset management fee for the first quarter of 2020, and 190,459 shares of our Series A Preferred Stock, in lieu of cash payment of the asset management fee for the second and third quarters of 2020.

(2)For the year ended December 31, 2020, we issued to the Administrator 11,273 shares of our Series A Preferred Stock, in lieu of cash as payment of the Base Service Fee for the first quarter of 2020.

(3)In addition, for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, we deferred personnel costs of $136,000, $112,000 and $330,000, respectively, associated with services provided for originating loans.

(4)As of December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, $1.5 million, $621,000 and $200,000, respectively, was included in deferred costs as reimbursable expenses incurred pursuant to the Master Services Agreement and the then applicable dealer manager agreement with CCO Capital. These non-issuance specific costs are allocated against the gross proceeds from the sale of the Series A Preferred Stock and the Series D Preferred Stock on a pro rata basis for each issuance as a percentage of the total offering.

As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, due to related parties consisted of the following:


	December 31,
	2020		2019
	(in thousands)
Asset management fees	$	2,386	$	2,356
Property management fees and reimbursements	1,662		4,107
Expense reimbursements - corporate	647		1,673
Expense reimbursements - lending segment	690		1,029
Upfront dealer manager and trailing dealer manager fees	493		—
Non-issuance specific offering costs	668		169
Other amounts due to the CIM Management Entities and certain of its affiliates	160		97
Total due to related parties	$	6,706	$	9,431

Other

Our President, Jan F. Salit, retired effective as of September 16, 2020. We had an employment agreement with Mr. Salit which, under certain circumstances, provided for severance payment equal to the annual base salary paid to Mr Salit. In connection with his retirement, the Company entered into an agreement with Mr. Salit pursuant to which, among other things, Mr. Salit received a $450,000 payment, representing one year of his base salary, upon the satisfaction of certain conditions specified therein, including the execution of an agreement with the Company that contains, among other things, mutual release and non-disparagement provisions. Related to this payment, $287,000 was borne by the Company based on the time that Mr. Salit devoted to the Company relative to other matters relating to CIM Group. As of December 31, 2020, $287,000 was due to CIM Group for the Company’s portion of the payment.

On October 1, 2015, an affiliate of CIM Group entered into a five-year lease renewal with respect to a property owned by the Company, which lease was amended to a month-to-month term in February 2019 and was terminated in October 2020. For the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, we recorded rental and other property income related to this tenant of $87,000, $112,000 and $108,000, respectively.

On May 15, 2019, CIM Group entered into an approximately 11-year lease for approximately 32,000 rentable square feet with respect to a property owned by the Company. The lease was amended on August 7, 2019 to reduce the rentable square feet to approximately 30,000 rentable square feet. For the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, we recorded rental and other property income related to this tenant of $1.5 million, $932,000 and $0, respectively.

In October 2019, our Administrator acquired 2,468,390 shares of our Common Stock, representing approximately 16.9% of the outstanding shares of our Common Stock at such time, for $19.1685 per share from an affiliate of CIM Group in a private transaction.