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Equity Method Investment
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2017
Equity Method Investments and Joint Ventures [Abstract]  
Equity Method Investment
EQUITY METHOD INVESTMENT

On December 8, 2016, Pillarstone and Pillarstone OP, entered into a Contribution Agreement (the “Contribution Agreement”) with Whitestone REIT Operating Partnership, L.P. (“Whitestone OP”), a subsidiary and the operating partnership of Whitestone REIT (“Whitestone”), both of which are related parties to Pillarstone and Pillarstone OP, pursuant to which Whitestone OP contributed to Pillarstone OP all of the equity interests in four of its wholly-owned subsidiaries: Whitestone CP Woodland Ph. 2, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“CP Woodland”); Whitestone Industrial-Office, LLC, a Texas limited liability company (“Industrial-Office”); Whitestone Offices, LLC, a Texas limited liability company (“Whitestone Offices”); and Whitestone Uptown Tower, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Uptown Tower”, and together with CP Woodland, Industrial-Office and Whitestone Offices, the “Entities”) that own fourteen real estate assets (the “Real Estate Assets” and, together with the Entities, the “Property”) for aggregate consideration of approximately $84 million, consisting of (1) approximately $18.1 million of Class A units representing limited partnership interests in Pillarstone OP (“OP Units”), issued at a price of $1.331 per OP Unit; and (2) the assumption of approximately $65.9 million of liabilities by Pillarstone OP. Pursuant to the Contribution Agreement, Pillarstone became the general partner of Pillarstone OP with an equity ownership interest in Pillarstone OP totaling approximately a 18.6% valued at $4,121,312 as of the date of the agreement.
    
In connection with the Contribution Agreement, on December 8, 2016, the Company, as the general partner of Pillarstone OP, entered into an Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Pillarstone OP (as amended and restated, the “Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership”). Pursuant to the Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership, subject to certain protective rights of the limited partners described below, the general partner has responsibility and discretion in the management of Pillarstone OP, including the ability to cause Pillarstone OP to enter into certain major transactions including a merger of Pillarstone OP or a sale of substantially all of the assets of Pillarstone OP. Management agreements are in place delegating the management of the Real Estate Assets to Whitestone OP. The responsibilities delegated include property management, leasing and day-to-day advisory and administrative services. The limited partners have no power to remove the general partner without the general partner's consent. In addition, pursuant to the Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership, the general partner may not conduct any outside business without the consent of a majority of the limited partners other than in connection with certain actions described therein. As such, the Company is deemed to exercise significant influence but not complete control over Pillarstone OP. Additionally, we determined that we are not the primary beneficiary and thus the investment in Pillarstone OP qualifies for usage of the equity method of accounting.

The Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership designates two classes of units of limited partnership interest in Pillarstone OP: the OP Units and LTIP units. In general, LTIP units are similar to the OP Units and will receive the same quarterly per-unit profit distributions as the OP Units. The rights, privileges, and obligations related to each series of LTIP units will be established at the time the LTIP units are issued. As profits interests, LTIP units initially will not have full parity, on a per-unit basis, with OP Units with respect to liquidating distributions. Upon the occurrence of specified events, LTIP units can over time achieve full parity with the OP Units and therefore accrete to an economic value for the holder equivalent to OP Units. If such parity is achieved, vested LTIP units may be converted on a one-for-one basis into OP Units, which in turn are redeemable by the holder for cash or, at the Company’s election, exchangeable for Common Shares on a one-for-one basis.

The equity method of accounting requires our investment in Pillarstone OP be shown on our Balance Sheets as a single amount. Pillarstone's investment in Pillarstone OP amounted to an 18.6% ownership interest and carrying values of $(88,880) and $14,776 as of December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively. As of December 31, 2017, the $(88,880) carrying value of our equity investment exceeded our equity in the underlying net assets of Pillarstone OP by approximately $78,000 and included equity in earnings of Pillarstone OP of $275,313 for the twelve month periods then ended, offset by distributions totaling $378,969 for the twelve month period ended December 31, 2017. This difference arose due to the $4,121,312 distribution in kind we received during December 2016, and the difference between the carrying value attributed to the assets and liabilities transferred to Pillarstone OP under common control accounting rules and their fair values. We are amortizing the difference over 25 years based on the estimate of the remaining useful lives of the properties acquired. Amortization of the difference is $3,120 for the twelve months December 31, 2017. There was no amortization during 2016. Pillarstone's investment in Pillarstone OP is negative as of December 31, 2017 due to the reductions in the balance from distributions received from Pillarstone OP and amortization offset by increases in the balance from equity in earnings from Pillarstone OP.