Commitments and Contingencies |
12 Months Ended | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Dec. 31, 2015 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Commitments and Contingencies | Commitments and Contingencies Commitments In connection with our development, redevelopment and capital improvement activities, we have entered into various construction-related contracts and we have made commitments to complete certain projects, pursuant to financing or other arrangements. As of December 31, 2015, our commitments related to these capital activities totaled approximately $110.0 million, most of which we expect to incur during the next 12 months. Our commitments related to our One Canal development project will be funded in part by a $114.0 million non-recourse property loan, of which $27.8 million was available to draw at December 31, 2015. During July 2015, we entered into a contract to acquire an apartment community currently under construction in Northern California for $320.0 million, for which we have provided a nonrefundable deposit of $25.0 million. The acquisition is expected to close upon completion of construction in the summer of 2016. We intend to fund a portion of the acquisition through a property loan and the balance with proceeds from the sale of two apartment communities. We enter into certain commitments for future purchases of goods and services in connection with the operations of our apartment communities. Those commitments generally have terms of one year or less and reflect expenditure levels comparable to our historical expenditures. Tax Credit Arrangements We are required to manage certain consolidated real estate partnerships in compliance with various laws, regulations and contractual provisions that apply to our historic and low-income housing tax credit syndication arrangements. In some instances, noncompliance with applicable requirements could result in projected tax benefits not being realized and require a refund or reduction of investor capital contributions, which are reported as deferred income in our consolidated balance sheet, until such time as our obligation to deliver tax benefits is relieved. The remaining compliance periods for our tax credit syndication arrangements range from less than one year to 10 years. We do not anticipate that any material refunds or reductions of investor capital contributions will be required in connection with these arrangements. Legal Matters In addition to the matters described below, we are a party to various legal actions and administrative proceedings arising in the ordinary course of business, some of which are covered by our general liability insurance program, and none of which we expect to have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. Limited Partnerships In connection with our acquisitions of interests in real estate partnerships, we are sometimes subject to legal actions, including allegations that such activities may involve breaches of fiduciary duties to the partners of such real estate partnerships or violations of the relevant partnership agreements. We may incur costs in connection with the defense or settlement of such litigation. We believe that we comply with our fiduciary obligations and relevant partnership agreements. Although the outcome of any litigation is uncertain, we do not expect any such legal actions to have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. Environmental Various Federal, state and local laws subject apartment community owners or operators to liability for management, and the costs of removal or remediation, of certain potentially hazardous materials that may be present in the land or buildings of an apartment community. Potentially hazardous materials may include polychlorinated biphenyls, petroleum-based fuels, lead-based paint, or asbestos. Such laws often impose liability without regard to fault or whether the owner or operator knew of, or was responsible for, the presence of such materials. The presence of, or the failure to manage or remediate properly, these materials may adversely affect occupancy at such apartment communities as well as the ability to sell or finance such apartment communities. In addition, governmental agencies may bring claims for costs associated with investigation and remediation actions, damages to natural resources and for potential fines or penalties in connection with such damage or with respect to the improper management of hazardous materials. Moreover, private plaintiffs may potentially make claims for investigation and remediation costs they incur or for personal injury, disease, disability or other infirmities related to the alleged presence of hazardous materials at an apartment community. In addition to potential environmental liabilities or costs associated with our current apartment communities, we may also be responsible for such liabilities or costs associated with communities we acquire or manage in the future, or apartment communities we no longer own or operate. We are engaged in discussions with the Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, regarding contaminated groundwater in a residential area in the vicinity of an Indiana apartment community that has not been owned by us since 2008. The EPA alleges that we are liable for addressing the contamination in the residential area because a dry cleaner that operated on our former property, prior to our ownership, discharged hazardous materials into the sanitary sewers and the environment. We have undertaken a voluntary remediation of the dry cleaner contamination at our former property under the oversight of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, or IDEM. However, IDEM has formally sought to terminate us from the voluntary remediation, and we are presently appealing that termination. Based on our review of the scientific data, we believe that the presence of hazardous materials in the separate residential area under review by the EPA is attributable to neighboring property owners (including an auto parts manufacturer), and not the dry cleaner. The EPA is now proposing to list the area on the National Priorities List (i.e., as a Superfund site), which would make the site eligible for additional Federal funding. We have filed formal comments with the EPA opposing the proposed listing. Were the site to be listed, the EPA could use the funding to further investigate and clean-up the residential area and could then seek to recoup its costs from responsible parties. Although the outcome of this process is uncertain, we do not expect the resolution to have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. We also have been contacted by regulators and the current owner of a property in Lake Tahoe regarding environmental issues allegedly stemming from the historic operation of a dry cleaner on the site. An entity owned by us was the former general partner of a now-dissolved company that previously owned the dry cleaner site. That entity and the current property owner have been remediating the dry cleaner site since 2009, under the oversight of the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board, or Lahontan. Lahontan, recently tested domestic wells in the area and found two wells with contaminants linked to dry cleaning. We entered into an agreement with Lahontan and the current owner to pay for an alternative water connection at an insignificant cost and have fulfilled our obligations under that agreement. During September 2015, Lahontan sent us and the current owner a proposed cleanup and abatement order that, if entered, would require us and the current owner to perform additional groundwater investigation and corrective actions with respect to onsite and offsite contamination. We are currently assessing potential legal and technical grounds for challenging and/or narrowing the scope of the proposed order. Although the outcome of this process is uncertain, we do not expect the resolution to have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. We have determined that our legal obligations to remove or remediate certain potentially hazardous materials may be conditional asset retirement obligations, as defined in GAAP. Except in limited circumstances where the asset retirement activities are expected to be performed in connection with a planned construction project or apartment community casualty, we believe that the fair value of our asset retirement obligations cannot be reasonably estimated due to significant uncertainties in the timing and manner of settlement of those obligations. Asset retirement obligations that are reasonably estimable as of December 31, 2015, are immaterial to our consolidated financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Operating Leases We are obligated under non-cancelable operating leases for office space and equipment. We are also obligated under non-cancelable operating leases for the ground under certain of our apartment communities with remaining terms ranging from 33 years to 69 years. Approximate minimum annual rental payments under operating leases are as follows (in thousands):
Substantially all of the office space subject to the operating leases in the table above is for the use of our corporate offices and area operations. Rent expense recognized totaled $3.2 million, $3.3 million and $4.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively. Rent expense recognized for the ground leases totaled $0.9 million, $1.0 million and $0.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively and is included within interest expense in the accompanying statements of operations. |