14. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Loan Commitments—Commitments to extend credit are agreements to lend to a customer provided the terms established in the contract are met. Our outstanding loan commitments and approvals to fund loans were $22,910,000 at December 31, 2014, the majority of which were for prime-based loans to be originated by our SBA 7(a) subsidiary, the government guaranteed portion of which is intended to be sold. Commitments generally have fixed expiration dates. Since some commitments are expected to expire without being drawn upon, total commitment amounts do not necessarily represent future cash requirements.

General—In connection with the ownership and operation of real estate properties, we have certain obligations for the payment of tenant improvement allowances and lease commissions in connection with new leases and renewals. The Company had a total of $19,721,000 in future obligations under leases to fund tenant improvements and other future construction obligations at December 31, 2014.

Employment Agreements—We have employment agreements with two of our executive officers. Under certain circumstances, as defined within the agreements, the agreements provide for (1) severance compensation or change in control payments to the executive officer in an amount equal to 2.99 times the average of the last three years annual compensation paid to the executive officer and (2) death and disability payments in an amount equal to two times and one time, respectively, the annual salary paid to the executive officer. In addition, to the extent the executive is employed by us on January 1, 2016 and such executive is not entitled to any disability, death or severance payments, the executive would receive restricted share awards as a retention bonus which would vest immediately upon grant. In aggregate, the executive officers would receive 105,000 share awards. We recorded compensation expense of $947,000 during the year ended December 31, 2014 related to these share awards. At December 31, 2014, there was $1,263,000 of total unrecognized compensation expense relating to these awards that will be recognized during 2015.

Litigation—REIT Redux, L.P. et al v. PMC Commercial Trust, et al. On October 9, 2013, a putative class action and derivative lawsuit was filed in the Dallas County Court at Law No. 5 in Dallas County, Texas against and purportedly on behalf of the PMC Commercial Trust shareholders. The plaintiffs alleged, among other things, that the PMC Commercial Trust board breached its fiduciary duties by approving and recommending the merger to the shareholders, failing to maximize value for the shareholders, engaging in bad faith and self-dealing by preferring transactions that further enriched the trust managers at the expense of the shareholders and conspiring to deprive the shareholders of their voting power and prerogatives. The complaint alleged that CIM REIT aided, abetted and induced those breaches of fiduciary duty.

PMC Commercial Trust and CIM REIT entered into various agreements with the plaintiffs to settle their claims, which agreements were effective as of January 28, 2014 and were approved by the court on April 4, 2014 (the "Settlement Agreement"). Under the terms of the Settlement Agreement, the Manager entered into a trading plan (the "Trading Plan") designed to comply with Rule 10b5-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to provide for the purchase of up to 550,000 shares of CIM Commercial Common Stock at prices up to $25.00 per share. The Trading Plan commenced on March 12, 2014 and expired on August 10, 2014. Pursuant to the Trading Plan, the Manager acquired approximately 254,000 shares of Common Stock. Additionally, CIM Commercial agreed to be responsible for providing and administering notice of the class action settlement to the members of the settlement class and pay for all reasonable costs incurred in providing such notice. As a result of the settlement, CIM Commercial agreed to payment of attorney's fees and expenses of plaintiffs' counsel of $772,000. In addition, pursuant to the terms of the Settlement Agreement, the Manager purchased 100,000 shares of Common Stock owned by REIT Redux and its other "reporting persons" at a price of $25.00 per share in August 2014.

At December 31, 2014, we recorded a liability of $4,475,000 at one of our multifamily investments. Prior to our acquisition of the property, the former owners of the property enrolled the property in a property tax abatement program under Section 421-a of the New York Real Property Tax Law. At the time we acquired the property, the property was being used for corporate housing. This use continued from the time of acquisition and terminated in March 2015. The New York State Attorney General's office recently determined that the use of the property for corporate housing was inconsistent with the tax abatement program. In cooperation with the New York State Attorney General, we agreed to refund the tax abatements received during the period we owned the property while it was being used for corporate housing. This agreement does not affect the ability of the property to receive tax abatements in the future.

We are not currently involved in any other material pending or threatened legal proceeding nor, to our knowledge, is any material legal proceeding currently threatened against us, other than routine litigation arising in the ordinary course of business. In the normal course of business we are periodically party to certain legal actions and proceedings involving matters that are generally incidental to our business. While the outcome of these legal actions and proceedings cannot be predicted with certainty, in management's opinion, the resolution of these legal proceedings and actions will not have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

SBA Related—If the SBA establishes that a loss on an SBA guaranteed loan is attributable to significant technical deficiencies in the manner in which the loan was originated, funded or serviced under the SBA 7(a) Program, the SBA may seek recovery of the principal loss related to the deficiency from us. With respect to the guaranteed portion of SBA loans that have been sold, the SBA will first honor its guarantee and then seek compensation from us in the event that a loss is deemed to be attributable to technical deficiencies. Based on historical experience, we do not expect that this contingency is probable to be asserted. However, if asserted, it could have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

Environmental Matters—In connection with the ownership and operation of real estate properties, we may be potentially liable for costs and damages related to environmental matters, including asbestos-containing materials. We have not been notified by any governmental authority of any noncompliance, liability, or other claim in connection with any of the properties, and we are not aware of any other environmental condition with respect to any of the properties that management believes will have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

Rent Expense—The ground lease for a property provides for current annual rent of $437,000, payable quarterly, with increases on June 1, 2015, and every five years thereafter based on the greater of 15% or 50% of the increase in the Consumer Price Index during a five-year adjustment period. In addition, commencing on June 1, 2040 and June 1, 2065, the rent payable during the balance of the lease term shall be increased by an amount equal to 10% of the rent payable during the immediately preceding lease year. The lease term is through May 31, 2089. If the landlord decides to sell the leased property, we have the right of first refusal.

Rent expense under this lease, which includes straight line rent and amortization of acquired below-market ground lease, was $1,752,000 for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively. We record rent expense on a straight line basis. Straight line rent liability of $11,038,000 and $9,863,000 is included in other liabilities in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively.

We lease office space in Dallas, Texas under a lease which expires in May 2018. We recorded rent expense of $175,000, included in discontinued operations, for the year ended December 31, 2014.

Scheduled future noncancelable minimum lease payments at December 31, 2014 are as follows:

Years Ending December 31,	(in thousands)
2015	$	616
2016		743
2017		749
2018		607
2019		503
Thereafter		128,528

	$	131,746