Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Organization, Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

v2.4.0.8
Organization, Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2014
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Subsidiaries

Subsidiaries

We conduct substantially all of our operations through a subsidiary, Gladstone Commercial Limited Partnership, a Delaware limited partnership, or the Operating Partnership. As we currently own all of the general and limited partnership interests of the Operating Partnership through two of our subsidiaries, GCLP Business Trust I and II, the financial position and results of operations of the Operating Partnership are consolidated with those of the Company.

Gladstone Commercial Lending, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, or Gladstone Commercial Lending, a subsidiary of ours, was created to conduct all operations related to real estate mortgage loans of the Company. As the Operating Partnership currently owns all of the membership interests of Gladstone Commercial Lending, the financial position and results of operations of Gladstone Commercial Lending are consolidated with ours.

Gladstone Commercial Advisers, Inc., a Delaware corporation, or Commercial Advisers, and a wholly-owned subsidiary of ours, is a taxable REIT subsidiary, or TRS, which was created to collect any non-qualifying income related to our real estate portfolio. There has been no such income earned to date. Since we own 100% of the voting securities of Commercial Advisers, the financial position and results of operations of Commercial Advisers are consolidated with ours.

GCLP Business Trust I and GCLP Business Trust II, each a subsidiary and business trust of ours, were formed under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on December 28, 2005. We transferred our 99% limited partnership interest in the Operating Partnership to GCLP Business Trust I in exchange for 100 shares of the trust. Gladstone Commercial Partners, LLC transferred its 1% general partnership interest in the Operating Partnership to GCLP Business Trust II in exchange for 100 trust shares.

All further references herein to “we,” “our,” “us” and the “Company” mean Gladstone Commercial Corporation and its consolidated subsidiaries, except where it is made clear that the term means only Gladstone Commercial Corporation.

Interim Financial Information

Interim Financial Information

Our interim financial statements are prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP, for interim financial information and pursuant to the requirements for reporting on Form 10-Q and in accordance with Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, certain disclosures accompanying annual financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP are omitted. The year-end balance sheet data presented herein was derived from audited financial statements, but does not include all disclosures required by GAAP. In the opinion of our management, all adjustments, consisting solely of normal recurring accruals, necessary for the fair presentation of financial statements for the interim period have been included. The interim financial statements and notes thereto should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes thereto included in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013, as filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on February 18, 2014. The results of operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2014 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for other interim periods or for the full fiscal year.

 

Use of Estimates

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Actual results could materially differ from those estimates.

 

Real Estate and Lease Intangibles

Real Estate and Lease Intangibles

We record investments in real estate at cost and capitalize improvements and replacements when they extend the useful life or improve the efficiency of the asset. We expense costs of repairs and maintenance as such costs are incurred. We compute depreciation using the straight-line method over the estimated useful life, or 39 years, for buildings and improvements, 5 to 20 years for equipment and fixtures, and the shorter of the useful life or the remaining lease term for tenant improvements and leasehold interests.

Certain of our acquisitions involve sale-leaseback transactions with newly-originated leases, which we account for as asset acquisitions under Accounting Standards Codification, or ASC, 805, “Business Combinations.” In the case of an asset acquisition, we will capitalize the transaction costs incurred in connection with the acquisition. Other of our acquisitions involve the acquisition of properties that are already being operated as rental properties, which we will generally consider to be a business combination under ASC 805. Business combination guidance is generally applicable to us when properties are acquired with leases in place at the time of acquisition. When an acquisition is considered a business combination, ASC 805 requires that the purchase price of real estate be allocated to the acquired tangible assets and liabilities, consisting of land, building, tenant improvements, long-term debt assumed and identified intangible assets and liabilities, typically the value of above-market and below-market leases, the value of in-place leases, the value of unamortized lease origination costs and the value of tenant relationships, based in each case on their fair values. ASC 805 also requires that all expenses related to an acquisition accounted for as a business combination to be expensed as incurred, rather than capitalized into the cost of the acquisition.

Management’s estimates of fair value are made using methods similar to those used by independent appraisers (e.g. discounted cash flow analysis). Factors considered by management in its analysis include an estimate of carrying costs during hypothetical expected lease-up periods considering current market conditions and costs to execute similar leases. We also consider information obtained about each property as a result of our pre-acquisition due diligence, marketing and leasing activities in estimating the fair value of the tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed. In estimating carrying costs, management also includes lost reimbursement of real estate taxes, insurance and other operating expenses as well as estimates of lost rentals at market rates during the hypothetical expected lease-up periods, which primarily range from 9 to 18 months, depending on specific local market conditions. Management also estimates costs to execute similar leases, including leasing commissions, legal and other related expenses to the extent that such costs are not already incurred in connection with a new lease origination as part of the transaction.

We allocate purchase price to the fair value of the tangible assets of an acquired property by valuing the property as if it were vacant. The “as-if-vacant” value is allocated to land, building and tenant improvements based on management’s determination of the relative fair values of these assets. Real estate depreciation expense on these tangible assets was $4.6 million and $9.0 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2014, respectively, and $3.6 million and $7.0 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2013, respectively.

Above-market and below-market in-place lease fair values for owned properties are recorded based on the present value (using an interest rate which reflects the risks associated with the leases acquired) of the difference between (i) the contractual amounts to be paid pursuant to the in-place leases and (ii) management’s estimate of fair market lease rates for the corresponding in-place leases, measured over a period equal to the remaining non-cancelable term of the lease. When determining the non-cancelable term of the lease, we evaluate if fixed-rate renewal options, if any, should be included. The capitalized above-market lease values, included in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets as part of deferred rent receivable, are amortized as a reduction of rental income over the remaining non-cancelable terms of the respective leases. Total amortization related to above-market lease values was $0.1 million for both the three and six months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013, respectively. The capitalized below-market lease values, included in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets as part of deferred rent liability, are amortized as an increase to rental income over the remaining non-cancelable terms of the respective leases, including any below market renewal periods. Total amortization related to below-market lease values was $0.2 million and $0.3 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2014, respectively, and $0.1 million and $0.3 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2013, respectively.

The total amount of the remaining intangible assets acquired, which consists of in-place lease values, unamortized lease origination costs, and customer relationship intangible values, are allocated based on management’s evaluation of the specific characteristics of each tenant’s lease and our overall relationship with that respective tenant. Characteristics to be considered by management in determining these values include the nature and extent of our existing business relationships with the tenant, growth prospects for developing new business with the tenant, the tenant’s credit quality and our expectations of lease renewals (including those existing under the terms of the lease agreement), among other factors.

The value of in-place leases and lease origination costs are amortized to expense over the remaining term of the respective leases, which generally range from 10 to 15 years. The value of customer relationship intangibles, which is the benefit to us resulting from the likelihood of an existing tenant renewing its lease, are amortized to expense over the remaining term and any anticipated renewal periods in the respective leases, but in no event does the amortization period for intangible assets exceed the remaining depreciable life of the building. Should a tenant terminate its lease, the unamortized portion of the above-market and below-market lease values would be charged to rental income and the unamortized portion of in-place lease values, lease origination costs and customer relationship intangibles will be immediately charged to amortization expense. Total amortization expense related to these intangible assets and liabilities was $2.3 million and $4.7 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2014, respectively, and $1.6 million and $3.1 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2013, respectively.

Business Combinations
Certain of our acquisitions involve sale-leaseback transactions with newly-originated leases, which we account for as asset acquisitions under Accounting Standards Codification, or ASC, 805, “Business Combinations.” In the case of an asset acquisition, we will capitalize the transaction costs incurred in connection with the acquisition. Other of our acquisitions involve the acquisition of properties that are already being operated as rental properties, which we will generally consider to be a business combination under ASC 805. Business combination guidance is generally applicable to us when properties are acquired with leases in place at the time of acquisition. When an acquisition is considered a business combination, ASC 805 requires that the purchase price of real estate be allocated to the acquired tangible assets and liabilities, consisting of land, building, tenant improvements, long-term debt assumed and identified intangible assets and liabilities, typically the value of above-market and below-market leases, the value of in-place leases, the value of unamortized lease origination costs and the value of tenant relationships, based in each case on their fair values. ASC 805 also requires that all expenses related to an acquisition accounted for as a business combination to be expensed as incurred, rather than capitalized into the cost of the acquisition.

 

Impairment Charges

Impairment Charges

We account for the impairment of real estate, including intangible assets, in accordance with ASC 360-10-35, “Property, Plant, and Equipment,” which requires us to periodically review the carrying value of each property to determine if circumstances indicate impairment of the carrying value of the investment exists or that depreciation periods should be modified. If circumstances indicate the possibility of impairment, we prepare a projection of the undiscounted future cash flows, without interest charges, of the specific property and determine if the carrying value of the investment in such property is recoverable. In performing the analysis, we consider such factors as each tenant’s payment history and financial condition, the likelihood of lease renewal, business conditions in the industry in which the tenants operate, whether there are indications that the fair value of the real estate has decreased and our intended holding period of the property. If the carrying amount is more than the aggregate undiscounted future cash flows, we would recognize an impairment loss to the extent the carrying amount exceeds the estimated fair value, less cost to sell, of the property. We evaluate our entire portfolio of properties each quarter for any impairment indicators and perform an impairment analysis on those select properties that have an indication of impairment.

 

Deferred Financing Costs

Deferred Financing Costs

Deferred financing costs consist of costs incurred to obtain financing, including legal fees, origination fees and administrative fees. The costs are deferred and amortized using the straight-line method, which approximates the effective interest method, over the term of the secured financing. We made payments of $0.3 million and $0.6 million for deferred financing costs during the three and six months ended June 30, 2014, respectively, and payments of $0.1 million and $0.2 million during the three and six months ended June 30, 2013, respectively. Total amortization expense related to deferred financing costs is included in interest expense and was $0.4 million and $0.8 million for both the three and six months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013, respectively.

 

Revenue Recognition

Revenue Recognition

Rental revenue includes rents that each tenant pays in accordance with the terms of its respective lease reported evenly over the non-cancelable term of the lease. Most of our leases contain rental increases at specified intervals. We recognize such revenues on a straight-line basis. Deferred rent receivable in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheet includes the cumulative difference between rental revenue, as recorded on a straight-line basis, and rents received from the tenants in accordance with the lease terms, along with the capitalized above-market in-place lease values of certain acquired properties. Accordingly, we determine, in our judgment, to what extent the deferred rent receivable applicable to each specific tenant is collectable. We review deferred rent receivable, as it relates to straight line rents, on a quarterly basis and take into consideration the tenant’s payment history, the financial condition of the tenant, business conditions in the industry in which the tenant operates and economic conditions in the geographic area in which the property is located. In the event that the collectability of deferred rent with respect to any given tenant is in doubt, we record an allowance for uncollectable accounts or record a direct write-off of the specific rent receivable. No such reserves or direct write-offs have been recorded to date.

Tenant recovery revenue includes payments from tenants as reimbursements for franchise taxes, management fees, insurance, and ground lease payments. We recognize tenant recovery revenue in the same periods that we incur the related expenses.

 

Asset Retirement Obligations

Asset Retirement Obligations

ASC 410, “Asset Retirement and Environmental Obligation,” requires an entity to recognize a liability for a conditional asset retirement obligation when incurred if the liability can be reasonably estimated. ASC 410-20-20 clarifies that the term “Conditional Asset Retirement Obligation” refers to a legal obligation (pursuant to existing laws or by contract) to perform an asset retirement activity in which the timing and/or method of settlement are conditional on a future event that may or may not be within the control of the entity. ASC 410-20-25-6 clarifies when an entity would have sufficient information to reasonably estimate the fair value of an asset retirement obligation. We have accrued a liability and corresponding increase to the cost of the related properties for disposal related to all properties constructed prior to 1985 that have, or may have, asbestos present in the building. The liabilities are accreted over the life of the leases for the respective properties. There were no liabilities accrued during the six months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013, respectively. We recorded expenses of $0.04 million and $0.07 million during the three and six months ended June 30, 2014, respectively, and $0.03 million and $0.06 million during the three and six months ended June 30, 2013, respectively, to general and administrative expense. Costs of future expenditures for obligations are discounted to their present value. The aggregate undiscounted obligation on all properties is $9.2 million and the discount rates used in the calculations range from 2.5% to 7.6%. We do not expect to make any payments in conjunction with these obligations in each of the next five years.

Comprehensive Loss

Comprehensive Loss

For the three and six months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013, comprehensive loss equaled net loss; therefore, a separate statement of comprehensive loss is not included in the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements.

 

Recently Issued Accounting Guidance

Recently Issued Accounting Guidance

The Financial Accounting Standards Board, or FASB, issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2014-08, “Presentation of Financial Statements (Topic 205) and Property, Plant, and Equipment (Topic 360): Reporting Discontinued Operations and Disclosures of Disposals of Components of an Entity.” Under this revised guidance, only disposals representing a strategic shift in operations, such as a disposal of a major geographic area, a major line of business or a major equity method investment, will be presented as discontinued operations. This standard is effective for our fiscal year beginning January 1, 2015; however, the FASB has permitted early adoption beginning with the first quarter of 2014. We adopted this standard as of March 31, 2014. We anticipate the adoption will result in most disposals not qualifying for discontinued operations presentation.

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board, or FASB, issued Accounting Standards, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (ASC 606).” The revenue standard contains principles that an entity will apply to determine the measurement of revenue and timing of when it is recognized. This standard is effective for our fiscal year beginning January 1, 2017 and we are currently evaluating any impact from adoption.

 

Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures
In November 2013, we entered into an interest rate cap agreement with Wells Fargo that caps the interest rate on the note payable for our Champaign, Illinois property. The agreement provides that the interest rate on the note payable for this property is capped at a certain interest rate when one-month LIBOR is in excess of 3.0%. The fair value of the interest rate cap agreement is recorded in other assets on our accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets. We record changes in the fair value of the interest rate cap agreement quarterly based on the current market valuations at quarter end as other income (loss) on our accompanying condensed consolidated statements of operations. Generally, we will estimate the fair value of our interest rate cap using estimates of value provided by the counterparty and our own assumptions in the absence of observable market data, including estimated remaining life, counterparty credit risk, current market yield and interest rate spreads of similar securities as of the measurement date. At June 30, 2014, our interest rate cap agreement was valued using Level 3 inputs of the hierarchy established by ASC 820, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures.” The following table summarizes the key terms of each interest rate cap agreement (dollars in thousands):

 

Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity

The Term Preferred Stock is recorded as liability in accordance with ASC 480, “Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity,” which states that mandatorily redeemable financial instruments should be classified as liabilities and therefore the related dividend payments are treated as a component of interest expense in the condensed consolidated statements of operations.

Equity

In accordance with ASC 505-10-45-2, “Equity,” receivables from employees for the issuance of capital stock to employees prior to the receipt of cash payment should be reflected in the balance sheet as a reduction to stockholders’ equity. Therefore, this note was recorded as a full recourse loan to the employee and is included in the equity section of the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets. As of June 30, 2014, this loan maintained its full recourse status.