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Clipper Realty Inc. - Annual Report: 2022 (Form 10-K)

clpr20221231_10k.htm
 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K 

ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022

TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from             to            

Commission File Number: 001-38010

CLIPPER REALTY INC.

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)  

Maryland

 

47-4579660

(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)

 

(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

 

4611 12th Avenue, Suite 1L

Brooklyn, New York 11219

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

(718) 438-2804

(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class

Trading Symbol

 

Name of each exchange on which registered

Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share

CLPR

 

New York Stock Exchange

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.

Yes ☐     No ☒

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.

Yes ☐     No ☒

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes  ☒     No  ☐

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes  ☒     No  ☐

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See definition of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

 

Large accelerated filer  ☐

 

Accelerated filer  ☒

Non-accelerated filer  ☐  

 

Smaller reporting company  ☒

   

Emerging growth company ☐

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. Yes ☒     No ☐

 

If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements.  ☐

 

Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b).  ☐ 

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).

Yes ☐     No ☒

 

If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐     

 

Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐

 

The aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of the last business day of the registrant's most recently completed second fiscal quarter, based on the June 30, 2022, closing price of our Class A common stock on the New York Stock Exchange – $98,186,843

 

As of March 16, 2023, there were 16,063,228 shares of the registrant’s Common Stock outstanding.

 


 

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

 

The registrant intends to file a Proxy Statement relating to its 2023 Annual Meeting of Shareholders no later than 120 days after the end of its fiscal year, which will include the information required by Part III of Form 10-K.

 

 

 

 

 
 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

PAGE

PART I

 

SUMMARY OF RISK FACTORS

2

ITEM 1. BUSINESS

4

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

8

CAUTIONARY NOTE CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

31

ITEM 2. PROPERTIES

32

ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

38

ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURE

38

   

PART II

 

ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

39

ITEM 6. RESERVED

41

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

41

ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

57

ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

57

ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE

57

ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

57

ITEM 9B. OTHER INFORMATION

57

ITEM 9C. DISCLOSURE REGARDING FOREIGN JURISDICTIONS THAT PREVENT INSPECTIONS

57

   

PART III

 

ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

58

ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

58

ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS

58

ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE

58

ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES

58

   

PART IV

 

ITEM 15. EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES

58

 

1

 

 

 

PART I

 

SUMMARY OF RISK FACTORS

 

Our business is subject to a number of risks, including risks that may prevent us from achieving our business objectives or may adversely affect our business, financial condition, liquidity, results of operations and prospects. These risks are discussed more fully in Item 1A. Risk Factors. These risks include, but are not limited to, the following:

 

 

Unfavorable market and economic conditions in the United States and globally and in the specific markets or submarkets where our properties are located could adversely affect occupancy levels, rental rates, rent collections, operating expenses, and the overall market value of our assets, impair our ability to sell, recapitalize or refinance our assets and have an adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition, cash flow and our ability to make distributions to our stockholders;

 

 

Multifamily residential properties are subject to rent stabilization regulations, which limit our ability to raise rents above specified maximum amounts and could give rise to claims by tenants that their rents exceed such specified maximum amounts;

 

 

All of our properties are located in New York City, and adverse economic or regulatory developments in New York City or parts thereof, including the boroughs of Brooklyn and Manhattan, could negatively affect our results of operations, financial condition, cash flow, and ability to make distributions to our stockholders;

 

 

We depend on a single government tenant in our office buildings, which could cause an adverse effect on us, including our results of operations and cash flow, if the City of New York were to suffer financial difficulty;

 

 

Our portfolio’s revenue is currently generated from seven of our properties;

 

 

We may be unable to renew leases or lease currently vacant space or vacating space on favorable terms or at all as leases expire or terminate, which could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flow;

 

 

The actual rents we receive for the properties in our portfolio may be less than market rents, and we may experience a decline in realized rental rates, which could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flow. Short-term leases with respect to our residential tenants expose us to the effects of declining market rents;

 

 

We engage in development and redevelopment activities, which could expose us to different risks that could adversely affect us, including our financial condition, cash flow and results of operations;

 

 

We have in the past and we may be required to make rent or other concessions and/or significant capital expenditures to improve our properties in order to retain and attract tenants, generate positive cash flows or to make real estate properties suitable for sale, which could adversely affect us, including our financial condition, results of operations and cash flow;

 

2

 

 

Real estate investments are relatively illiquid and may limit our flexibility;

 

 

Competition could limit our ability to acquire attractive investment opportunities and increase the costs of those opportunities, which may adversely affect us, including our profitability, and impede our growth;

 

 

Competition may impede our ability to attract or retain tenants or re-lease space, which could adversely affect our results of operations and cash flow;

 

 

We may acquire properties or portfolios of properties through tax-deferred contribution transactions, which could result in stockholder dilution and limit our ability to sell such assets;

 

 

Capital and credit market conditions, including higher interest rates, may adversely affect our access to various sources of capital or financing and/or the cost of capital, which could affect our business activities, dividends, earnings and common stock price, among other things;

 

 

Increased inflation may have a negative effect on rental rates and our results of operations;

 

 

Our subsidiaries may be prohibited from making distributions and other payments to us;

 

 

Our continuing investors hold shares of our special voting stock that entitle them to vote together with holders of our common stock on an as-exchanged basis, based on their ownership of Class B LLC units in our predecessor entities, and are generally able to significantly influence the composition of our board of directors, our management and the conduct of our business;

 

 

Conflicts of interest may exist or could arise in the future between the interests of our stockholders and the interests of holders of OP Units and of LLC units in our predecessor entities, which may impede business decisions that could benefit our stockholders;

 

 

Our charter contains a provision that expressly permits our officers to compete with us;

 

 

We have a substantial amount of indebtedness that may limit our financial and operating activities and may adversely affect our ability to incur additional debt to fund future needs;

 

 

Changing interest rates could increase interest costs and adversely affect our cash flows and the market price of our securities;

 

 

Mortgage debt obligations expose us to the possibility of foreclosure, which could result in the loss of our investment in a property or group of properties subject to mortgage debt;

 

 

Complying with REIT requirements may limit our ability to hedge effectively and may cause us to incur tax liabilities;

 

 

Failure to qualify or to maintain our qualification as a REIT would have significant adverse consequences to the value of our common stock; and

 

 

Complying with the REIT requirements may cause us to forego otherwise attractive opportunities or liquidate certain of our investments.

 

3

 

ITEM 1. BUSINESS

 

In this Annual Report on Form 10-K, when we use the terms the Company, Clipper Realty, we, us, or our, unless the context otherwise requires, we are referring to Clipper Realty Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries. Certain disclosures included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K constitute forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. See Item 1A, "Risk Factors," and Cautionary Note Concerning Forward-Looking Statements."

 

Overview

 

Clipper Realty Inc. is a self-administered and self-managed real estate company that acquires, owns, manages, operates and repositions multifamily residential and commercial properties in the New York metropolitan area, with a portfolio in Manhattan and Brooklyn. The Company was formed to continue and expand the commercial real estate business of the 50/53 JV LLC (a Delaware limited liability company), Renaissance Equity Holdings LLC (a Delaware limited liability company), Berkshire Equity LLC (a Delaware limited liability company) and Gunki Holdings LLC (a Delaware limited liability company) (collectively, the “Predecessor” or the “predecessor entities”). Our primary focus is to continue to own, manage and operate our portfolio, and to acquire and re-position additional multifamily residential and commercial properties in the New York metropolitan area.

 

On August 3, 2015, we closed a private offering of shares of our common stock, in which we raised net proceeds of approximately $130.2 million. In connection with the private offering, we consummated a series of investment and other formation transactions that were designed, among other things, to enable us to qualify as a real estate investment trust (a “REIT”) for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and we elected to be treated as a REIT commencing with the taxable year ended December 31, 2015.

 

On February 9, 2017, the Company priced an initial public offering of 6,390,149 primary shares of its common stock (including the exercise of the over-allotment option, which closed on March 10, 2017) at a price of $13.50 per share (the “IPO”). The net proceeds of the IPO were approximately $78.7 million. We contributed the proceeds of the IPO to Clipper Realty L.P., our operating partnership subsidiary (the “Operating Partnership”), in exchange for units in the Operating Partnership.

 

As of December 31, 2022, the properties owned by the Company consist of the following (collectively, the “Properties”):

 

 

Tribeca House in Manhattan, comprising two buildings, one with 21 stories and one with 12 stories, containing residential and retail space with an aggregate of approximately 483,000 square feet of residential rental Gross Leasable Area (“GLA”) and 77,000 square feet of retail rental and parking GLA;

 

 

Flatbush Gardens in Brooklyn, a 59-building residential housing complex with 2,494 rentable units and approximately 1,749,000 square feet of residential rental GLA;

 

 

141 Livingston Street in Brooklyn, a 15-story office building with approximately 216,000 square feet of GLA;

 

 

250 Livingston Street in Brooklyn, a 12-story office and residential building with approximately 370,000 square feet of GLA (fully remeasured);

 

 

Aspen in Manhattan, a 7-story building containing residential and retail space with approximately 166,000 square feet of residential rental GLA and approximately 21,000 square feet of retail rental GLA;

 

 

Clover House in Brooklyn, a 11-story residential building with approximately 102,000 square feet of residential rental GLA;

 

 

10 West 65th Street in Manhattan, a 6-story residential building with approximately 76,000 square feet of residential rental GLA;

 

 

1010 Pacific Street in Brooklyn, which the Company plans to redevelop as a 9-story residential building with approximately 119,000 square feet of residential rental GLA; and

 

 

953 Dean Street (“Dean Street”) in Brooklyn, which the Company plans to redevelop as a 9-story residential building with approximately 160,000 square feet of residential rental GLA and approximately 9,000 square feet of retail rental GLA.

 

See “Descriptions of Our Properties” in Item 2 for a detailed discussion of the Company’s properties.

 

These properties are located in the most densely populated major city in the United States, each with immediate access to mass transportation.

 

4

 

The Company’s ownership interest in its initial portfolio of properties (Tribeca House, Flatbush Gardens, 141 Livingston Street and 250 Livingston Street) was acquired in the formation transactions in connection with the private offering. These properties are owned by the predecessor entities, which after the formation transactions are referred to as the “LLC subsidiaries.” The LLC subsidiaries are managed by the Company through the Operating Partnership. The Operating Partnership’s interests in the LLC subsidiaries generally entitle the Operating Partnership to all cash distributions from, and the profits and losses of, the LLC subsidiaries, other than the preferred distribution to the continuing investors who hold Class B LLC units in these LLC subsidiaries (described below). In connection with the formation transactions, holders of interests in the predecessor entities received Class B LLC units in the Operating Partnership or shares of our common stock. At December 31, 2022, the continuing investors owned an aggregate amount of 26,317,396 Class B LLC units, representing 62.1% of the Company’s common stock on a fully diluted basis. Accordingly, the Operating Partnership’s interests in the LLC subsidiaries entitle it to receive 37.9% of the aggregate distributions from the LLC subsidiaries.

 

The Company’s revenue consists primarily of rents received from our residential, commercial and, to a lesser extent, retail tenants. We derive approximately 70% of our revenues from rents received from residents in our apartment rental properties and the remainder from commercial and retail rental customers. As of December 31, 2022, agencies of the City of New York leased approximately 17% of the total rentable square feet in our portfolio, representing approximately 20% of our total portfolio’s annualized rent.

 

History

 

The Company’s Predecessor is a combination of four limited liability companies - Renaissance Equity Holdings LLC, Berkshire Equity LLC, Gunki Holdings LLC and 50/53 JV LLC - which were formed by principals of our management team from 2002 to 2014. Upon completion of the private offering and the formation transactions, we assumed responsibility for managing the predecessor LLCs.

 

Business and Growth Strategies

 

Our primary business objective is to enhance stockholder value by increasing cash flow from operations and total return to stockholders through the following strategies:

 

 

Increase existing below-market rents – capitalize on the successful repositioning of our portfolio and solid market fundamentals to increase rents at several of our properties.

 

 

Disciplined acquisition strategy – opportunistically acquire additional properties, with a focus on premier submarkets and assets, by utilizing the significant experience of our senior management team.

 

 

Proactive asset and property management – utilize our proactive, service-intensive approach to help increase occupancy and rental rates and manage operating expenses.

 

 

Redevelop assets – execute on our targeted capital program to selectively redevelop properties and achieve rent growth in an expedited fashion.

 

Competitive Strengths

 

We believe that the following competitive strengths distinguish us from other owners and operators of multifamily residential and commercial properties:

 

 

Diverse portfolio of properties in the New York metropolitan area, which is characterized by supply constraints, high barriers to entry, near- and long-term prospects for job creation, vacancy absorption and long-term rental rate growth.  

 

 

Expertise in redeveloping and managing multifamily residential properties.

 

 

Experienced management team with a proven track record over generations in New York real estate.  

 

 

Balance sheet well-positioned for future growth.

 

 

Strong internal rent growth prospects.

 

5

 

Regulation

 

Environmental and Related Matters

 

Under various federal, state and local laws, ordinances and regulations, as a current or former owner and operator of real property, we may be liable for costs and damages resulting from the presence or release of hazardous substances (such as lead, asbestos and polychlorinated biphenyls), waste, petroleum products and other miscellaneous products (including but not limited to natural products such as methane and radon gas) at, on, in, under or from such property, including costs for investigation or remediation, natural resource damages or third-party liability for personal injury or property damage.

 

In addition, our properties are subject to various federal, state and local environmental and health and safety laws and regulations. As the owner or operator of real property, we may also incur liability based on various building conditions. We are not presently aware of any material liabilities related to building conditions, including any instances of material noncompliance with asbestos requirements or any material liabilities related to asbestos.

 

In addition, our properties may contain or develop harmful mold or suffer from other indoor air quality issues, which could lead to liability for adverse health effects or property damage, or costs for remediation. We are not presently aware of any material adverse indoor air quality issues at our properties.

 

Americans with Disabilities Act and Similar Laws

 

Our properties must comply with Title III of Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (“ADA”) to the extent that such properties are “public accommodations” as defined by the ADA. We have not conducted a recent audit or investigation of all of our properties to determine our compliance with these or other federal, state or local laws. Noncompliance with the ADA could result in imposition of fines or an award of damages to private litigants. The obligation to make readily achievable accommodations is an ongoing one, and we will continue to assess our properties and to make alterations as appropriate in this respect.

 

Government Regulation

 

The Company and its properties are subject to government regulations including, but not limited to real property, rental and environmental regulations such as the New York State Real Property Law and the New York State Real Property Tax Law. Additionally, numerous municipalities, including New York City where our multi-family residential properties are located, impose rent control or rent stabilization on apartment buildings including, as discussed below, the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019 which affects rent-stabilized apartments in New York City. The Americans With Disabilities Act requires us to meet federal requirements related to access and use by disabled persons and the FHAA (as defined below) requires our buildings to comply with design and construction requirements for disabled access.  Our buildings are also subject to certain New York City environmental regulations which require us to meet certain environmental criteria over various periods of time.

 

Environmental Social and Governance

 

The Company believes that its success is dependent upon the diverse backgrounds of its employees and strives to build a culture that is collaborative, diverse, supportive and inclusive. In furtherance of that goal, the company provides diversity equity and inclusion training as part of its annual harassment training for both supervisors and non-supervisors.

 

The Company places a high value on the physical and mental health of its employees. The Company provides employees with competitive compensation and a wide range of benefits including comprehensive medical and dental insurance coverage, short and long-term disability benefits, a 401(K) retirement program with matching, vacation, sick and personal leave, flexible work arrangements, flexible savings accounts, and other benefits.

 

The Company’s properties provide essential services to the communities in which they are located and the Company understands that they play an important role in making these communities better places to live and work. The Company is committed to making a positive impact in its communities and engages in community activities such as hosting and/or sponsoring free or not-for-profit activities at its properties.

 

6

 

The health and safety of the Company’s employees and their families remains a top priority, along with the health and safety of the Company’s tenants and the communities they serve.

 

The Company has also been working to identify areas where it can improve the carbon footprint of its properties. At some of its properties, in both common areas and tenant units, the Company has replaced older electric fixtures with LED lighting. Vehicles which have been used to assist with operations at some of the properties have been replaced with electric scooters. During 2021 and 2022 the Company has replaced the roofs at many of its properties with insulated roofs to help reduce heat buildup and thereby lower electric costs during the summer months. For properties in development, the Company is working with its vendors to obtain environmentally friendly products and materials.

 

Insurance

 

We carry commercial general liability insurance coverage on our properties, with limits of liability customary within the industry to insure against liability claims and related defense costs. Similarly, we are insured against the risk of direct and indirect physical damage to our properties including coverage for the perils of flood and earthquake shock. Our policies also cover the loss of rental revenue during any reconstruction period. Our policies reflect limits and deductibles customary in the industry and specific to the buildings and portfolio. We also obtain title insurance policies when acquiring new properties, which insure fee title to our real properties. We currently have coverage for losses incurred in connection with both domestic and foreign terrorist-related activities. While we do carry commercial general liability insurance, property insurance and terrorism insurance with respect to our properties, these policies include limits and terms we consider commercially reasonable. In addition, there are certain losses (including, but not limited to, losses arising from known environmental conditions or acts of war) that are not insured, in full or in part, because they are either uninsurable or the cost of insurance makes it, in our belief, economically impractical to maintain such coverage. Should an uninsured loss arise against us, we would be required to use our own funds to resolve the issue, including litigation costs. In addition, for properties we may self-insure certain portions of our insurance program, and therefore, use our own funds to satisfy those limits, when applicable. We believe the policy specifications and insured limits are adequate given the relative risk of loss, the cost of the coverage and industry practice and, in the opinion of our management, the properties in our portfolio are adequately insured.

 

Competition

 

The leasing of real estate is highly competitive in Manhattan, Brooklyn and the greater New York metropolitan market in which we operate. We compete with numerous acquirers, developers, owners and operators of commercial and residential real estate, many of which own or may seek to acquire or develop properties similar to ours in the same markets in which our properties are located. The principal means of competition are rents charged, location, services provided and the nature and condition of the facility to be leased.

 

In addition, we face competition from numerous developers, real estate companies and other owners and operators of real estate for buildings for acquisition and pursuing buyers for dispositions. We expect competition from other real estate investors, including other REITs, private real estate funds, domestic and foreign financial institutions, life insurance companies, pension trusts, partnerships, individual investors and others, that may have greater financial resources or access to capital than we do or that are willing to acquire properties in transactions which are more highly leveraged or are less attractive from a financial viewpoint than we are willing to pursue.

 

Human Capital Resources

 

As of December 31, 2022, we had 147 employees who provide property management, maintenance, landscaping, construction management and accounting services. Certain of these employees are covered by union-sponsored, collectively bargained, multiemployer defined benefit pension and profit-sharing plans, and health insurance, legal and training plans. Contributions to the plans are determined in accordance with the provisions of the negotiated labor contracts. The Local 94 International Union of Operating Engineers contract is in effect through December 31, 2026. The Local 32BJ Service Employees International Union apartment building contract is in effect through April 20, 2026. The Local 32BJ Service Employees International Union commercial building contract is in effect through December 31, 2023. The Building Maintenance Employees Union, Local 486 contract is in effect through April 29, 2023.

 

7

 

The Company believes that its success is dependent upon the diverse backgrounds of its employees and strives to build a culture that is collaborative, diverse, supportive and inclusive. In furtherance of that goal, the company provides diversity equity and inclusion training as part of its annual harassment training for both supervisors and non-supervisors.

 

The Company places a high value on the physical and mental health of its employees. The Company provides employees with competitive compensation and a wide range of benefits including comprehensive medical and dental insurance coverage, short and long-term disability benefits, a 401(K) retirement program with matching, vacation, sick and personal leave, flexible work arrangements, flexible savings accounts, and other benefits.

 

Company Information

 

Our principal executive offices are located at 4611 12th Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11219. Our current facilities are adequate for our present and future operations. Our telephone number is (718) 438-2804. Our website address is www.clipperrealty.com. We are not including the information contained on our website as a part of, or incorporating it by reference into, this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Our electronic filings with the SEC (including annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K, and any amendments to these reports), including the exhibits, are available free of charge through our website as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file them with or furnish them to the SEC.

 

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

 

Set forth below are certain risk factors that could harm our business, results of operations and financial condition. You should carefully read the following risk factors, together with the financial statements, related notes and other information contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Our business, financial condition and operating results may suffer if any of the following risks are realized. If any of these risks or uncertainties occur, the trading price of our common stock could decline and you might lose all or part of your investment. This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements that contain risks and uncertainties; please refer to the discussion under "Cautionary Note Concerning Forward-Looking Statements."

 

Risks Related to Real Estate

 

Unfavorable market and economic conditions in the United States and globally and in the specific markets or submarkets where our properties are located could adversely affect occupancy levels, rental rates, rent collections, operating expenses, and the overall market value of our assets, impair our ability to sell, recapitalize or refinance our assets and have an adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition, cash flow and our ability to make distributions to our stockholders.

 

Unfavorable market conditions in the areas in which we operate and unfavorable economic conditions in the United States and/or globally may significantly affect our occupancy levels, rental rates, rent collections, operating expenses, the market value of our assets and our ability to strategically acquire, dispose, recapitalize or refinance our properties on economically favorable terms or at all. Our ability to lease our properties at favorable rates may be adversely affected by increases in supply of commercial, retail and/or residential space in our markets and is dependent upon overall economic conditions, which are adversely affected by, among other things, job losses and increased unemployment levels, recession, stock market volatility and uncertainty about the future. Some of our major expenses, including mortgage payments and real estate taxes, generally do not decline when related rents decline. We expect that any declines in our occupancy levels, rental revenues and/or the values of our buildings would cause us to have less cash available to pay our indebtedness, fund necessary capital expenditures and to make distributions to our stockholders, which could negatively affect our financial condition and the market value of our common stock. Our business may be affected by volatility and illiquidity in the financial and credit markets, a general global economic recession and other market or economic challenges experienced by the real estate industry or the U.S. economy as a whole. Our business may also be adversely affected by local economic conditions, as all of our revenue is currently derived from properties located in New York City, with our entire portfolio located in Manhattan and Brooklyn.

 

8

 

Factors that may affect our occupancy levels, our rental revenues, our income from operations, our funds from operations (“FFO”), our adjusted funds from operations (“AFFO”), our adjusted earnings before interest, income tax, depreciation and amortization (“Adjusted EBITDA”), our net operating income (“NOI”), our cash flow and/or the value of our properties include the following, among others:

 

 

downturns in global, national, regional and local economic and demographic conditions;

 

 

the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019, which was signed into law in New York in June 2019, as well as other rent control or stabilization laws, or other laws regulating rental housing, which could prevent us from raising rents to offset increases in operating costs;

 

 

declines in the financial condition of our tenants, which may result in tenant defaults under leases due to bankruptcy, lack of liquidity, operational failures or other reasons, and declines in the financial condition of buyers and sellers of properties;

 

 

declines in local, state and/or federal government budgets and/or increases in local, state and/or federal government budget deficits, which among other things could have an adverse effect on the financial condition of our only office tenant, the City of New York, and may result in tenant defaults under leases and/or cause such tenant to seek alternative office space arrangements;

 

 

the inability or unwillingness of our tenants to pay rent increases, or our inability to collect rents and other amounts due from our tenants;

 

 

significant job losses in the industries in which our commercial and/or retail tenants operate, and/or from which our residential tenants derive their incomes, which may decrease demand for our commercial, retail and/or residential space, causing market rental rates and property values to be affected negatively;

 

 

an oversupply of, or a reduced demand for, commercial and/or retail space and/or apartment homes;

 

 

declines in household formation;

 

 

unfavorable residential mortgage rates;

 

 

changes in market rental rates in our markets and/or the attractiveness of our properties to tenants, particularly as our buildings continue to age, and our ability to fund repair and maintenance costs;

 

 

competition from other available commercial and/or retail lessors and other available apartments and housing alternatives, and from other real estate investors with significant capital, such as other real estate operating companies, other REITs and institutional investment funds;

 

 

economic conditions that could cause an increase in our operating expenses, such as increases in property taxes (particularly as a result of increased local, state and national government budget deficits and debt and potentially reduced federal aid to state and local governments), utilities, insurance, compensation of on-site personnel and routine maintenance;

 

 

opposition from local community or political groups with respect to the development and/or operations at a property;

 

 

investigation, removal or remediation of hazardous materials or toxic substances at a property;

 

 

changes in, and changes in enforcement of, laws, regulations and governmental policies, including without limitation, health, safety, environmental and zoning laws; and

 

 

changes in rental housing subsidies provided by the government and/or other government programs that favor single-family rental housing or owner-occupied housing over multifamily rental housing.

 

9

 

Multifamily residential properties are subject to rent stabilization regulations, which limit our ability to raise rents above specified maximum amounts and could give rise to claims by tenants that their rents exceed such specified maximum amounts.

 

Numerous municipalities, including New York City where our multi-family residential properties are located, impose rent control or rent stabilization on apartment buildings. The rent stabilization regulations applicable to our multifamily residential properties set maximum rates for annual rent increases, entitle our tenants to receive required services from us and entitle our tenants to have their leases renewed. On June 14, 2019, the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019 was signed into law in New York State. The legislation affects rent-stabilized apartments in New York City. Provisions of the law make it extremely difficult for apartments to exit rent regulation, repeal vacancy decontrol and high-income deregulation, repeal vacancy and longevity bonuses, establish a preferential rent as the base rent at lease renewal, and reduce / limit rent increases associated with major capital improvements and individual apartment improvements. The new law took effect immediately, is permanent and reduces the Company’s ability to raise rents on its rent-stabilized units. The legislation generally limits a landlord’s ability to increase rents on rent-regulated apartments and makes it more difficult to convert rent-regulated apartments to market-rate apartments. As a result, the value of our portfolio may be impaired and our stock price may decline.

 

In addition, we are subject to claims from tenants that the rent charged by us exceeds the amount permitted by rent stabilization. Although we believe that all of our rents are compliant with applicable rent stabilization regulation, tenants have in the past made claims that their rents exceed the maximum rent that could be charged under rent stabilization. These claims include claims that the annual increases in the maximum rent have in the past been inapplicable as a result of a failure to provide essential services by us or the prior owners. The number of these claims may increase as our rents approach the maximum rent that could be charged under rent stabilization. Tenants could also claim that our determination that luxury deregulation was applicable to their apartment was incorrect and seek a reduction in rent and/or return of rents paid in excess of the maximum legal rent. Finally, a tenant in an apartment eligible for tax benefits, such as Section 421-g of the Real Property Tax Law, could claim that rent stabilization applies to the tenant’s apartment while those tax benefits are available, even if the apartment is eligible for luxury deregulation. For example, in 2016 and later, certain present and former tenants of apartment units at our Tribeca House properties brought an action against the Company alleging that they were subject to applicable rent stabilization laws. For more information regarding these claims, see “Legal Proceedings.”

 

The application of rent stabilization to apartments in our multifamily residential properties limits the amount of rent we are able to collect, which may have a material adverse effect on our cash flows and our ability to fully take advantage of the investments that we are making in our properties.

 

All of our properties are located in New York City, and adverse economic or regulatory developments in New York City or parts thereof, including the boroughs of Brooklyn and Manhattan, could negatively affect our results of operations, financial condition, cash flow, and ability to make distributions to our stockholders.

 

All of our properties are located in New York City, with all of our current portfolio being in the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. As a result, our business is dependent on the condition of the economy in New York City and the views of potential tenants regarding living and working in New York City, which may expose us to greater economic risks than if we owned a more geographically diverse portfolio. We are susceptible to adverse developments in New York City, such as business layoffs or downsizing, industry slowdowns, relocations of businesses, terror attacks, increases in real estate and other taxes, increases in costs of complying with governmental regulations and/or increased regulation such as the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019, which was signed into law in New York in June 2019. Such adverse developments could materially reduce the value of our real estate portfolio and our rental revenues, and thus adversely affect our ability to meet our debt obligations and to make distributions to our stockholders.

 

10

 

We depend on a single government tenant in our office buildings, which could cause an adverse effect on us, including our results of operations and cash flow, if the City of New York were to suffer financial difficulty.

 

Our rental revenue depends on entering into leases with and collecting rents from tenants. As of December 31, 2022, Kings County Court, the Human Resources Administration, and the Department of Environmental Protection, all of which are agencies of the City of New York, leased an aggregate of 548,580 rentable square feet of commercial space at our commercial office properties at 141 Livingston Street and 250 Livingston Street, representing approximately 17% of the total rentable square feet in our portfolio and approximately 20% of our total portfolio’s annualized rent. General and regional economic conditions may adversely affect the City of New York and potential tenants in our markets. The City of New York may experience a material business downturn or suffer negative effects from declines in local, state and/or federal government budgets and/or increases in local, state and/or federal government budget debt and deficits, which could potentially result in a failure to make timely rental payments and/or a default under its leases. In certain cases, through tenant improvement allowances and other concessions, we have made substantial upfront investments in the applicable leases that we may not be able to recover. In the event of a tenant default, we may experience delays in enforcing our rights and may also incur substantial costs to protect our investments.

 

The bankruptcy or insolvency of a major tenant may adversely affect the income produced by our properties and may delay our efforts to collect past due balances under the relevant leases and could ultimately preclude collection of these sums altogether. If a lease is rejected by a tenant in bankruptcy, we would have only a general unsecured claim for damages that is limited in amount and which may only be paid to the extent that funds are available and in the same percentage as is paid to all other holders of unsecured claims. If any of our significant tenants were to become bankrupt or insolvent, suffer a downturn in their business or a reduction in funds available to them, default under their leases, fail to renew their leases or renew on terms less favorable to us than their current terms, our results of operations and cash flow could be adversely affected.

 

Our portfolios revenue is currently generated from seven properties.

 

As of December 31, 2022, our portfolio consisted of nine properties, seven of which generated revenues in 2022 – the Tribeca House properties, the Flatbush Gardens complex, the 141 Livingston Street property, the 250 Livingston Street property, the Aspen property, the 10 West 65th Street property and the Clover House property, which accounted for 29.1%, 31.8%, 12.5%, 13.2%, 5.3%, 2.7%, and 5.4%, respectively, of our portfolio’s total revenue for the year ended December 31, 2022. Our results of operations and cash available for distribution to our stockholders would be adversely affected if any of these properties were materially damaged or destroyed.

 

We may be unable to renew leases or lease currently vacant space or vacating space on favorable terms or at all as leases expire or terminate, which could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flow.

 

As of December 31, 2022, we had approximately 63,000 rentable square feet of vacant residential space (excluding leases signed but not yet commenced) at our operating properties, and leases representing approximately 69% of the square footage of residential space at the operating properties will expire during the year ending December 31, 2023 (including month-to-month leases). As of December 31, 2022, we had no vacant commercial space, and approximately 10,000 rentable square feet of vacant retail space. We cannot assure you that expiring leases will be renewed or tenants will not exercise any early termination options or that our properties will be re-leased at net effective rental rates equal to or above the current average net effective rental rates. If the rental rates for our commercial and/or residential space decrease, our existing commercial tenants do not renew their leases or exercise early termination options or we do not re-lease a significant portion of our available and soon-to-be-available commercial and/or residential space, our financial condition, results of operations, cash flow, the market value of our common stock and our ability to satisfy our debt obligations and to make distributions to our stockholders would be adversely affected.

 

The actual rents we receive for the properties in our portfolio may be less than market rents, and we may experience a decline in realized rental rates, which could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flow. Short-term leases with respect to our residential tenants expose us to the effects of declining market rents.

 

As a result of potential factors, including competitive pricing pressure in our markets, a general economic downturn and the desirability of our properties compared to other properties in our markets, we may be unable to realize market rents across the properties in our portfolio. In addition, depending on market rental rates at any given time as compared to expiring or terminating leases in our portfolio, from time to time rental rates for expiring or terminating leases may be higher than starting rental rates for new leases. A majority of our apartment leases are for a term of one year. Because these leases generally permit the residents to leave at the end of the lease term without penalty, our rental revenues for residential space in our properties are affected by declines in market rents more quickly than if those leases were for longer terms. If we are unable to obtain sufficient rental rates across our portfolio, then our ability to generate cash flow growth will be negatively affected.

 

11

 

We engage in development and redevelopment activities, which could expose us to different risks that could adversely affect us, including our financial condition, cash flow and results of operations.

 

We engage in development and redevelopment activities with respect to our properties as we believe market conditions dictate. For example, we are currently redeveloping the 1010 Pacific Street property and plan to develop the Dean Street property as fully amenitized residential rental buildings. We are also reviewing the regulatory, architectural and financial considerations regarding a residential square footage expansion at Flatbush Gardens; such further development would require significant capital investment.

 

If we engage in these activities, we will be subject to certain risks, which could adversely affect us, including our financial condition, cash flow and results of operations. These risks include, without limitation:

 

 

the availability and pricing of financing on favorable terms or at all;

 

 

the availability and timely receipt of zoning and other regulatory approvals;

 

 

the potential for the fluctuation of occupancy rates and rents at development and redeveloped properties, which may result in our investment not being profitable;

 

 

startup, development and redevelopment costs may be higher than anticipated;

 

 

cost overruns and untimely completion of construction (including risks beyond our control, such as weather or labor conditions or material shortages); and

 

 

changes in the pricing and availability of buyers and sellers of such properties.

 

These risks could result in substantial unanticipated delays or expenses and could prevent the initiation or the completion of development and redevelopment activities, any of which could have an adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations, cash flow, the market value of our common stock and our ability to satisfy our debt obligations and to make distributions to our stockholders.

 

We have in the past and we may be required to make rent or other concessions and/or significant capital expenditures to improve our properties in order to retain and attract tenants, generate positive cash flows or to make real estate properties suitable for sale, which could adversely affect us, including our financial condition, results of operations and cash flow.

 

In the event that there are adverse economic conditions in the real estate market and demand for commercial, retail and/or residential space decreases with respect to our current vacant space and as leases at our properties expire or terminate, we may be required to increase tenant improvement allowances or concessions to tenants, accommodate increased requests for renovations, build-to-suit remodeling (with respect to our commercial and retail space) and other improvements or provide additional services to our tenants, all of which could negatively affect our cash flow. If the necessary capital is unavailable, we may be unable to make these potentially significant capital expenditures. This could result in non-renewals by tenants upon expiration or early termination of their leases and our vacant space remaining untenanted, which could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations, cash flow and the market value of our common stock.

 

Our dependence on rental revenue may adversely affect us, including our profitability, our ability to meet our debt obligations and our ability to make distributions to our stockholders.

 

Our income is derived from rental revenue from real property. As a result, our performance depends on our ability to collect rent from tenants. Our income and funds for distribution would be adversely affected if a significant number of our tenants, or any of our major tenants:

 

 

delay lease commencements;

 

 

decline to extend or renew leases upon expiration or exercise rights of early termination;

 

 

fail to make rental payments when due; or

 

 

declare bankruptcy.

 

Any of these actions could result in the termination of such tenants’ leases with us and the loss of rental revenue attributable to the terminated leases. In these events, we cannot assure you that such tenants will renew those leases or not exercise early termination options or that we will be able to re-lease spaces on economically advantageous terms or at all. For example, the City of New York has advised us that it may vacate the 250 Livingston Street property in 2025. The loss of rental revenues from our tenants and our inability to replace such tenants may adversely affect us, including our profitability, our ability to meet our debt and other financial obligations and our ability to make distributions to our stockholders.

 

12

 

Real estate investments are relatively illiquid and may limit our flexibility.

 

Equity real estate investments are relatively illiquid, which may tend to limit our ability to react promptly to changes in economic or other market conditions. Our ability to dispose of assets in the future will depend on prevailing economic and market conditions. Our inability to sell our properties on favorable terms or at all could have an adverse effect on our sources of working capital and our ability to satisfy our debt obligations. In addition, real estate can at times be difficult to sell quickly at prices we find acceptable. The Internal Revenue Code, as amended (the “Code”), also imposes restrictions on REITs, which are not applicable to other types of real estate companies, regarding the disposal of properties. These potential difficulties in selling real estate in our markets may limit our ability to change, or reduce our exposure to, the properties in our portfolio promptly in response to changes in economic or other conditions.

 

Competition could limit our ability to acquire attractive investment opportunities and increase the costs of those opportunities, which may adversely affect us, including our profitability, and impede our growth.

 

We compete with numerous commercial developers, real estate companies and other owners and operators of real estate for properties for acquisition and pursuing buyers for dispositions. We expect that other real estate investors, including insurance companies, private equity funds, sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, other REITs and other well-capitalized investors, will compete with us to acquire existing properties and to develop new properties. Our markets are each generally characterized by high barriers-to-entry to construction and limited land on which to build new commercial, retail and residential space, which contribute to the competition we face to acquire existing properties and to develop new properties in these markets. This competition could increase prices for properties of the type we may pursue and adversely affect our profitability and impede our growth.

 

Competition may impede our ability to attract or retain tenants or re-lease space, which could adversely affect our results of operations and cash flow.

 

The leasing of real estate in our markets is highly competitive. The principal means of competition are rents charged, location, services provided and the nature and condition of the premises to be leased. The number of competitive properties in our markets, which may be newer or better located than our properties, could have an adverse effect on our ability to lease space at our properties and on the effective rents that we are able to charge. If other lessors and developers of similar spaces in our markets offer leases at prices comparable to or less than the prices we offer, we may be unable to attract or retain tenants or re-lease space in our properties, which could adversely affect our results of operations and cash flow.

 

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and measures intended to curb its spread, have had and could continue to have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, liquidity and results of operations.

 

The COVID-19 pandemic, which was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020, has had an ongoing significant adverse impact on local, national, and global economic activity and has contributed to volatility in global financial markets. The pandemic led governments and other authorities around the world, including federal, state and local authorities in the United States, to impose measures intended to control the spread of the virus, including restrictions on freedom of movement and business operations such as travel bans, border closings, business closures, quarantines and shelter-in-place orders. These restrictions have been mostly  lifted, and the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic appears to be much improved,  some of the impact of the restrictions by the State and City of New York have continued and there can be no assurance that broader lockdown restrictions will not be re-imposed or that additional new restrictions will not be put in place.

 

13

 

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and measures enacted by governmental authorities to curb its spread have negatively impacted, and may continue to negatively impact, our business in a number of ways, including affecting our tenants’ ability or willingness to pay rents and reducing demand for housing in the New York metropolitan area. For example, certain government programs intended to provide rent relief had extended tenant eviction protections for nonpayment and New York tenant courts had limited their availability in 2020 and 2021. While the courts have since opened, the back log in cases, as well as lingering economic impact on certain of our tenants’ ability and or willingness to pay both back and current rent, could negatively impact our results. Additionally, certain of our commercial tenants requested and received partial rent deferrals in 2020 through 2021, during the pandemic. While in some cases, we have restructured rent and other obligations under our leases with our tenants on terms that are less favorable to us than those currently in place. In the event of resident nonpayment, default or bankruptcy, we may incur costs in protecting our investment and re-leasing our property. Additionally, local and national authorities may enact, expand or extend certain measures, including moratoriums on or suspensions of eviction proceedings, imposing restrictions on our ability to enforce tenants’ contractual rental obligations. In addition, if governmental restrictions restricting our employees’ and other brokers’ ability to meet with existing and potential residents are re-imposed, such restrictions may disrupt our ability to lease apartments which could adversely impact our rental rate and occupancy levels.

 

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused, and may continue to cause, severe economic, market and other disruptions worldwide. We cannot assure you conditions will not continue to deteriorate as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the United States, state and local governments may reinstitute lockdowns to control the further spread of the virus. In addition, the continued deterioration of global economic conditions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic may ultimately result in a further decrease in occupancy levels and rental rates across our portfolio as residents and commercial tenants reduce their spending and replacement tenants become harder to find.

 

The full extent of any future impact of the COVID-19 pandemic’s effect on our business, financial condition, liquidity and results of operations will depend on future developments, including the duration, spread and intensity of the outbreak and the measures intended to curb its spread, all of which are uncertain and difficult to predict. We are unable to estimate the effect of these factors on our business, but if such events lead to a continued significant or prolonged impact on capital or credit markets or economic growth, then our business, financial condition, liquidity and results of operations could be adversely affected.

 

We are subject to potential losses that are either uninsurable, not economically insurable or that are in excess of our insurance coverage.

 

Our properties are located in areas that could be subject to, among other things, flood and windstorm losses. Insurance coverage for flood and windstorms can be costly because of limited industry capacity. As a result, we may experience shortages in desired coverage levels if market conditions are such that insurance is not available or the cost of insurance makes it, in our belief, economically impractical to maintain such coverage. In addition, our properties may be subject to a heightened risk of terrorist attacks. We carry commercial general liability insurance, property insurance and terrorism insurance with respect to our properties with limits and on terms we consider commercially reasonable. We cannot assure you, however, that our insurance coverage will be sufficient or that any uninsured loss or liability will not have an adverse effect on our business and our financial condition and results of operations.

 

We are subject to risks from natural disasters such as severe weather.

 

Natural disasters and severe weather such as hurricanes or floods may result in significant damage to our properties. The extent of our casualty losses and loss in operating income in connection with such events is a function of the severity of the event and the total amount of exposure in the affected area. With our geographic concentration of exposures, a single catastrophe or destructive weather event (such as a hurricane) affecting New York City may have a significant negative effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. As a result, our operating and financial results may vary significantly from one period to the next. Our financial results may be adversely affected by our exposure to losses arising from natural disasters or severe weather. We also are exposed to risks associated with inclement winter weather, including increased need for maintenance and repair of our buildings.

 

14

 

Actual or threatened terrorist attacks may adversely affect our ability to generate revenues and the value of our properties.

 

All of our properties are located in New York City, which has been and may in the future be the target of actual or threatened terrorist attacks. As a result, some tenants in these markets may choose to relocate their businesses or homes to other markets or buildings within New York City that may be perceived to be less likely to be affected by future terrorist activity. This could result in an overall decrease in the demand for commercial, retail and/or residential space in these markets generally or in our properties in particular, which could increase vacancies in our properties or necessitate that we lease our properties on less favorable terms, or both. In addition, future terrorist attacks in these markets could directly or indirectly damage our properties, both physically and financially, or cause losses that materially exceed our insurance coverage. As a result of the foregoing, our ability to generate revenues and the value of our properties could decline materially.

 

We may become subject to liability relating to environmental and health and safety matters, which could have an adverse effect on us, including our financial condition, cash flows and results of operations.

 

Under various federal, state and/or local laws, ordinances and regulations, as a current or former owner or operator of real property, we may be liable for costs and damages resulting from the presence or release of hazardous substances (such as lead, asbestos and polychlorinated biphenyls), waste, petroleum products and other miscellaneous products (including but not limited to natural products such as methane and radon gas) at, on, in, under or from such property, including costs for investigation or remediation, natural resource damages, or third-party liability for personal injury or property damage. These laws often impose liability without regard to whether the owner or operator knew of, or was responsible for, the presence or release of such materials, and the liability may be joint and several. Some of our properties may be affected by contamination arising from current or prior uses of the property or from adjacent properties used for commercial, industrial or other purposes. Such contamination may arise from spills of petroleum or hazardous substances or releases from tanks used to store such materials. We also may be liable for the costs of remediating contamination at off-site disposal or treatment facilities when we arrange for disposal or treatment of hazardous substances at such facilities, without regard to whether we comply with environmental laws in doing so. The presence of contamination or the failure to remediate contamination on our properties may adversely affect our ability to attract and/or retain tenants and our ability to develop or sell or borrow against those properties. In addition to potential liability for cleanup costs, private plaintiffs may bring claims for personal injury, property damage or for similar reasons. Environmental laws also may create liens on contaminated sites in favor of the government for damages and costs it incurs to address such contamination. Moreover, if contamination is discovered on our properties, environmental laws may impose restrictions on the manner in which that property may be used or how businesses may be operated on that property.

 

In addition, our properties are subject to various federal, state and local environmental and health and safety laws and regulations. Noncompliance with these environmental and health and safety laws and regulations could subject us or our tenants to liability. These liabilities could affect a tenant’s ability to make rental payments to us. Moreover, changes in laws could increase the potential costs of compliance with such laws and regulations or increase liability for noncompliance. This may result in significant unanticipated expenditures or may otherwise adversely affect our operations and/or cash flow, or those of our tenants, which could in turn have an adverse effect on us.

 

As the owner or operator of real property, we may also incur liability based on various building conditions. For example, buildings and other structures on properties that we currently own or those we acquire or operate in the future contain, may contain, or may have contained, asbestos-containing material (“ACM”). Environmental and health and safety laws require that ACM be properly managed and maintained and may impose fines or penalties on owners, operators or employers for non-compliance with those requirements. These requirements include special precautions, such as removal, abatement or air monitoring, if ACM would be disturbed during maintenance, renovation or demolition of a building, potentially resulting in substantial costs. In addition, we may be subject to liability for personal injury or property damage sustained as a result of exposure to ACM or releases of ACM into the environment.

 

15

 

In addition, our properties may contain or develop harmful mold or suffer from other indoor air quality issues. Indoor air quality issues also can stem from inadequate ventilation, chemical contamination from indoor or outdoor sources, and other biological contaminants such as pollen, viruses and bacteria. Indoor exposure to airborne toxins or irritants can be alleged to cause a variety of adverse health effects and symptoms, including allergic or other reactions. As a result, the presence of significant mold or other airborne contaminants at any of our properties could require us to undertake a costly remediation program to contain or remove the mold or other airborne contaminants or to increase ventilation. In addition, the presence of significant mold or other airborne contaminants could expose us to liability from our tenants or others if property damage or personal injury occurs.

 

We cannot assure you that costs or liabilities incurred as a result of environmental issues will not affect our ability to make distributions to our stockholders or that such costs, liabilities, or other remedial measures will not have an adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

 

We may incur significant costs complying with the ADA and similar laws (including but not limited to the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988 (FHAA) and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973), which could adversely affect us, including our future results of operations and cash flows.

 

Under the ADA, all public accommodations must meet federal requirements related to access and use by disabled persons. The FHAA requires apartment communities first occupied after March 13, 1991, to comply with design and construction requirements for disabled access. For projects receiving federal funds, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 also has requirements regarding disabled access. We have not conducted a recent audit or investigation of all of our properties to determine our compliance with these or other federal, state or local laws. If one or more of our properties were not in compliance with such laws, then we could be required to incur additional costs to bring the property into compliance. We cannot predict the ultimate amount of the cost of compliance with such laws. Noncompliance with these laws could also result in the imposition of fines or an award of damages to private litigants. Substantial costs incurred to comply with such laws, as well as fines or damages resulting from actual or alleged noncompliance with such laws, could adversely affect us, including our future results of operations and cash flows.

 

As we increase rents and improve our properties, we could become the target of public scrutiny and investigations similar to the public scrutiny and investigations that other apartment landlords in Brooklyn and other neighborhoods in the New York metropolitan area have experienced, which could lead to negative publicity and require that we expend significant resources to defend ourselves, all of which could adversely affect our operating results and our ability to pay distributions to our stockholders.

 

Apartment landlords in gentrifying neighborhoods in Brooklyn and other parts of the New York metropolitan area have come under public scrutiny, and in a few cases have been the subject of civil and criminal investigations, for their alleged treatment of tenants who cannot afford the rent increases that often result from neighborhood gentrification and landlord improvements to properties. As disclosed in Note 9, “Commitments and Contingencies”, Clipper Equity was the subject of an investigation by the Office of the Attorney General of the State of New York with respect to its activities, and in April 2022 entered into an Assurance of Discontinuance with the OAG to resolve the investigation on behalf of itself and its affiliates. It is possible that we or members of our management team could come under additional similar public scrutiny or become the target of additional similar investigations, which could lead to negative publicity and require that we expend significant resources to defend ourselves, all of which could adversely affect our operating results and our ability to pay distributions to our stockholders. In addition, if we or our affiliates violate the Assurance of Discontinuance or future regulatory orders or consent decrees, we could be subject to substantial monetary fines and other penalties that could seriously harm our business.

 

We may acquire properties or portfolios of properties through tax-deferred contribution transactions, which could result in stockholder dilution and limit our ability to sell such assets.

 

In the future we may acquire properties or portfolios of properties through tax-deferred contribution transactions in exchange for partnership interests in our operating partnership, which may result in stockholder dilution. This acquisition structure may have the effect of, among other things, reducing the amount of tax depreciation we could deduct over the tax life of the acquired properties, and may require that we agree to protect the contributors’ ability to defer recognition of taxable gain through restrictions on our ability to dispose of the acquired properties and/or the allocation of partnership debt to the contributors to maintain their tax bases. These restrictions could limit our ability to sell an asset at a time, or on terms, that would be favorable absent such restrictions.

 

16

 

From time to time, we may enter into joint venture relationships or other arrangements regarding the joint ownership of property. Our investments in and through such arrangements could be adversely affected by our lack of sole decision-making authority regarding major decisions, our reliance on our joint venture partners financial condition, any disputes that may arise between us and our joint venture partners and our exposure to potential losses from the actions of our joint venture partners. Risks associated with joint venture arrangements may include but are not limited to the following:

 

 

our joint venture partners might experience financial distress, become bankrupt or fail to fund their share of required capital contributions, which may delay construction or development of a property or increase our financial commitment to the joint venture;

 

 

we may be responsible to our partners for indemnifiable losses;

 

 

our joint venture partners may have business interests or goals with respect to a property that conflict with our business interests and goals (including as relates to compliance with the REIT requirements), which could increase the likelihood of disputes regarding the ownership, management or disposition of the property;

 

 

we may be unable to take actions that are opposed by our joint venture partners under arrangements that require us to share decision-making authority over major decisions affecting the ownership or operation of the joint venture and any property owned by the joint venture, such as the sale or financing of the property or the making of additional capital contributions for the benefit of the property;

 

 

our joint venture partners may take actions that we oppose;

 

 

our ability to sell or transfer our interest in a joint venture to a third party without prior consent of our joint venture partners may be restricted;

 

 

we may disagree with our joint venture partners about decisions affecting a property or a joint venture, which could result in litigation or arbitration that increases our expenses, distracts our officers and directors and disrupts the day-to-day operations of the property, including by delaying important decisions until the dispute is resolved;

 

 

we may suffer losses as a result of actions taken by our joint venture partners with respect to our joint venture investments; and

 

 

in the event that we obtain a minority position in a joint venture, we may not have significant influence or control over such joint venture or the performance of our investment therein.

 

17

 

If there is a transfer of a controlling interest in any of our properties (or in the entities through which we hold our properties), issuances of our common stock in exchange for Class B LLC units pursuant to the exchange right granted to holders of Class B LLC units, sales of Class B LLC units by the holders thereof or the issuance of LLC interests to our Operating Partnership, we may be obligated to pay New York City and New York State transfer tax based on the fair market value of the New York City and/or New York State real property transferred.

 

Subject to certain exceptions, New York City and New York State impose a tax on the transfer of New York City and/or New York State real property or the transfer of a controlling interest in New York City and/or New York State real property, generally at a current, maximum combined rate of 3.275% of the fair market value of the New York City and/or New York State real property. A direct or indirect transfer of a 50% or greater interest in any of our properties (or in the entities that own our properties) generally would constitute a transfer of a controlling interest in real property. Certain aggregation rules apply in determining whether a transfer of a controlling interest has occurred. For example, transfers made within a three-year period generally are presumed to be aggregated. Therefore, a transfer of a controlling interest could occur as a result of the combination of one or more of the private offering, the IPO, other offerings of common stock by us resulting of an increase in our investment in the entities that own our properties, issuances of our common stock to our continuing investors in exchange for Class B LLC units pursuant to the exchange right granted to holders of Class B LLC units, sales of Class B LLC units by the holders thereof, the issuance of LLC interests to our Operating Partnership in connection with the private offering or a subsequent offering of our stock, or as a result of any combination of such transfers being aggregated. In addition to any transfer tax that may be imposed upon us, we have agreed with our continuing investors to pay any such transfer taxes imposed upon a continuing investor as a result of the private offering and the related formation transactions (including subsequent issuances of additional LLC units or interests, issuances of units by the Operating Partnership (“OP Units”) or issuances of our common stock by the Company), issuances of our common stock in exchange for Class B LLC units, dispositions of property by any LLC subsidiary, the issuance of LLC interests to our Operating Partnership in connection with a subsequent offering of our stock, or as a result of any combination of such transfers being aggregated. If a transfer of a controlling interest in an entity owning our properties occurs, New York City and/or New York State transfer tax could be payable based on the fair market value of the New York City and/or New York State property at the time of each such transfer (including any transfers that are treated as a part of the transfer of the controlling interest that occur prior to the transfer that caused the 50% threshold to be met). For example, if exchanges of Class B LLC units resulted in our ownership of the entities that own our properties increasing to greater than 50%, we could be subject to New York City and New York State transfer tax at a current, maximum combined rate of 3.275% of the fair market value of such New York City and/or New York State properties. In addition, we may or may not be eligible to take advantage of the 50% reduction to the New York City and New York State transfer tax rates that could apply with respect to transfers of real property to certain REITs.

 

Risks Related to Our Business and Operations

 

Capital and credit market conditions, including higher interest rates, may adversely affect our access to various sources of capital or financing and/or the cost of capital, which could affect our business activities, dividends, earnings and common stock price, among other things.

 

In periods when the capital and credit markets experience significant volatility, the amounts, sources and cost of capital available to us may be adversely affected. We primarily use third-party financing to fund acquisitions of properties and to refinance indebtedness as it matures. As of December 31, 2022, we had no corporate debt and $1,171.2 million in property-level debt. See Note 6 of the accompanying “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” for a discussion of the Company’s property-level debt. If sufficient sources of external financing are not available to us on cost effective terms, we could be forced to limit our acquisition, development and redevelopment activities and/or take other actions to fund our business activities and repayment of debt, such as selling assets, reducing our cash dividend or paying out less than 100% of our taxable income. To the extent that we are able and/or choose to access capital at a higher cost than we have experienced in recent years (reflected in higher interest rates for debt financing or a lower stock price for equity financing), our earnings per share and cash flow could be adversely affected. In addition, the price of our common stock may fluctuate significantly and/or decline in a high interest rate or volatile economic environment. If economic conditions deteriorate, the ability of lenders to fulfill their obligations under working capital or other credit facilities that we may have in the future may be adversely affected.

 

Increased inflation may have a negative effect on rental rates and our results of operations.

 

Substantial inflationary pressures could have a negative effect on rental rates and property operating expenses. The U.S. economy is currently experiencing high rates of inflation, which has increased our operating expenses due to higher third-party vendor costs and increased our interest expense due to higher interest rates on our variable rate debt. Although the short-term nature of our apartment leases generally enables us to compensate for inflationary effects by increasing rents, inflation could outpace any increases in rent and adversely affect us. We may not be able to mitigate the effects of inflation and related impacts, and the duration and extent of any prolonged periods of inflation, and any related adverse effects on our results of operations and financial condition, are unknown at this time. Additionally, inflation may also increase the costs to complete our development projects, including costs of materials, labor and services from third-party contractors and suppliers. Higher construction costs could adversely impact our investments in real estate assets and our expected returns on development projects.

 

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We may from time to time be subject to litigation or government investigations that could have an adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations, cash flow and the market value of our common stock.

 

We are a party to various claims and routine litigation arising in the ordinary course of business and are subject to government oversight and actions. Some of these claims and actions or others to which we may be subject from time to time may result in defense costs, settlements, fines or judgments against us, some of which are not, or cannot be, covered by insurance. Payment of any such costs, settlements, fines or judgments that are not insured could have an adverse effect on our financial position and results of operations. Adverse developments in existing litigation claims legal proceedings or government investigations involving us or new claims or investigations could require us to establish litigation reserves, enter into unfavorable settlements or satisfy judgments for monetary damages for amounts in excess of current reserves, which could adversely affect our financial results. In addition, certain litigation or the resolution of certain litigation or investigations may affect the availability or cost of some of our insurance coverage, which could adversely affect our results of operations and cash flow, expose us to increased risks that would be uninsured, and/or adversely affect our ability to attract officers and directors.

 

Our subsidiaries may be prohibited from making distributions and other payments to us.

 

All of our properties are owned indirectly by subsidiaries, in particular our LLC subsidiaries, and substantially all of our operations are conducted by our Operating Partnership. As a result, we depend on distributions and other payments from our Operating Partnership and subsidiaries in order to satisfy our financial obligations and make payments to our investors. The ability of our subsidiaries to make such distributions and other payments depends on their earnings and cash flow and may be subject to statutory or contractual limitations. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Liquidity and Capital Resources — Property-Level Debt.” As an equity investor in our subsidiaries, our right to receive assets upon their liquidation or reorganization will be effectively subordinated to the claims of their creditors. To the extent that we are recognized as a creditor of such subsidiaries, our claims may still be subordinate to any security interest in, or other lien on, their assets and to any of such subsidiaries’ debt or other obligations that are senior to our claims.

 

We are considered an accelerated filer and are required to comply with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, and our inability to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting in the future could result in investors losing confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports and negatively affect the market price of our common stock.

 

As a public company, we are required to maintain internal control over financial reporting and to report any material weaknesses in such internal controls. Because our status as an emerging growth company ended December 31, 2022 and we are a smaller reporting company with $100 million or more of annual revenues, Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”) requires our independent registered public accounting firm to attest to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting for the first time. Our transition to becoming subject to the additional requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act has been and will continue to be time-consuming. Further, the costs associated with compliance with and implementation of procedures under these and future laws and related rules could have a material impact on our results of operations.

 

We are a smaller reporting company and, because we have opted to use the reduced reporting requirements available to us, certain investors may find investing in our securities less attractive.

 

As a smaller reporting company, we are permitted to comply with scaled-back disclosure obligations in our SEC filings compared to other issuers, including with respect to disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements. We have elected to adopt the accommodations available to smaller reporting companies. Until we cease to be a smaller reporting company or elect not to adopt such accommodations, the scaled-back disclosure in our SEC filings will result in less information about our company being available than for other public companies. If investors consider our common shares less attractive as a result of our election to use the scaled-back disclosure permitted for smaller reporting company, there may be a less active trading market for our common shares and our share price may be more volatile.

 

Risks Related to Our Organization and Structure

 

Our continuing investors hold shares of our special voting stock that entitle them to vote together with holders of our common stock on an as-exchanged basis, based on their ownership of Class B LLC units in our predecessor entities, and are generally able to significantly influence the composition of our board of directors, our management and the conduct of our business.

 

Our continuing investors hold shares of our special voting stock, which generally allows them to vote together as a single class with holders of our common stock on all matters brought before our common stockholders, including the election of directors, on an as-exchanged basis, as if our continuing investors had exchanged their Class B LLC units in our predecessor entities and shares of our special voting stock for shares of our common stock. As a result, our continuing investors are generally entitled to exercise 69.9% of the voting power in our Company. Even though none of our continuing investors is, by himself or together with his affiliates, entitled to exercise a majority of the total voting power in our Company, for so long as any continuing investor continues to be entitled to exercise a significant percentage of our voting power, our continuing investors are generally able to significantly influence the composition of our board of directors and the approval of actions requiring stockholder approval, and have significant influence with respect to our management, business plans and policies, including appointing and removing our officers, issuing additional shares of our common stock and other equity securities, paying dividends, incurring additional debt, making acquisitions, selling properties or other assets, acquiring or merging with other companies and undertaking other extraordinary transactions. In any of these matters, any of our continuing investors may have interests that differ or conflict with the interests of our other stockholders, and they may exercise their voting power in a manner that is not consistent with the interests of other stockholders. For so long as our continuing investors continue to own shares of our stock entitling them to exercise a significant percentage of our voting power, the concentration of voting power in our continuing investors may discourage unsolicited acquisition proposals and may delay, defer or prevent any change of control of our Company that might involve a premium price for holders of our common stock or otherwise be in their best interest.

 

The ability of stockholders to control our policies and effect a change of control of our Company is limited by certain provisions of our charter and bylaws and by Maryland law.

 

Certain provisions in our charter and bylaws may discourage a third party from making a proposal to acquire us, even if some of our stockholders might consider the proposal to be in their best interests. These provisions include the following:

 

 

Our continuing investors hold shares of our special voting stock and shares of our common stock that generally entitle them to exercise 69.9% of the voting power in our Company, including in connection with a merger or other acquisition of our Company or a change in the composition of our board of directors. As a result, our continuing investors as a group or individually could delay, defer or prevent any change of control of our Company and, as a result, adversely affect our stockholders’ ability to realize a premium for their shares of common stock.

 

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Our charter authorizes our board of directors to, without common stockholder approval, amend our charter to increase or decrease the aggregate number of our authorized shares of stock or the authorized number of shares of any class or series of our stock, authorize us to issue additional shares of our common stock or preferred stock and classify or reclassify unissued shares of our common stock or preferred stock and thereafter authorize us to issue such classified or reclassified shares of stock. We believe these charter provisions provide us with increased flexibility in structuring possible future financings and acquisitions and in meeting other needs that might arise. The additional classes or series, as well as the additional authorized shares of our common stock, will be available for issuance without further action by our common stockholders, unless such action is required by applicable law or the rules of any stock exchange or automated quotation system on which our securities may be listed or traded. Although our board of directors does not currently intend to do so, it could authorize us to issue a class or series of stock that could, depending upon the terms of the particular class or series, delay, defer or prevent a transaction or a change of control of our Company that might involve a premium price for holders of our common stock or that our common stockholders otherwise believe to be in their best interests.

 

 

In order to qualify as a REIT, not more than 50% in value of our outstanding stock may be owned, directly or indirectly, by or for five or fewer individuals (as defined in the Code to include certain entities such as private foundations) at any time during the last half of any taxable year (beginning with our second taxable year as a REIT). In order to help us qualify as a REIT, among other reasons, our charter generally prohibits any person or entity from owning or being deemed to own by virtue of the applicable constructive ownership provisions, more than 9.8% in value or number of shares, whichever is more restrictive, of the outstanding shares of any class or series of our common stock or 9.8% of the aggregate value of all our outstanding stock. We refer to these restrictions as the “ownership limit.” The ownership limit may prevent or delay a change in control and, as a result, could adversely affect our stockholders’ ability to realize a premium for their shares of our common stock.

 

 

The provisions in our charter regarding the removal of directors and the advance notice provisions of our bylaws, among others, could delay, defer or prevent a transaction or a change of control of our Company that might involve a premium price for holders of our common stock or otherwise be in their best interest.

 

In addition, certain provisions of the Maryland General Corporation Law (“MGCL”) may have the effect of deterring a third party from making a proposal to acquire us or of impeding a change of control under circumstances that otherwise could provide the holders of shares of our common stock with the opportunity to realize a premium over the then-prevailing market price of such shares, including the Maryland business combination and control share provisions. These provisions include the following:

 

 

The “business combination” provisions of the MGCL, subject to limitations, prohibit certain business combinations between us and an “interested stockholder” (defined generally as any person who beneficially owns 10% or more of our then-outstanding voting shares or an affiliate or associate of ours who, at any time within the two-year period prior to the date in question, was the beneficial owner of 10% or more of our then-outstanding voting shares) or an affiliate of an interested stockholder for five years after the most recent date on which the stockholder becomes an interested stockholder and, thereafter, imposes special appraisal rights and supermajority stockholder approval requirements on these combinations. As permitted by the MGCL, our board of directors has adopted a resolution exempting any business combinations between us and any other person or entity from the business combination provisions of the MGCL, if such business combination is approved by our board of directors, including a majority of our directors who are not affiliated or associated with the interested stockholder.

 

 

The “control share” provisions of the MGCL provide that “control shares” of a Maryland corporation (defined as shares which, when aggregated with all other shares controlled by the stockholder (except solely by virtue of a revocable proxy), entitle the stockholder to exercise one of three increasing ranges of voting power in electing directors) acquired in a “control share acquisition” (or the direct or indirect acquisition of ownership or control of control shares) have no voting rights unless approved by a supermajority vote of our stockholders excluding the acquirer of control shares, our officers and our directors who are also our employees. As permitted by the MGCL, our bylaws contain a provision exempting from the control share acquisition provisions of the MGCL any and all acquisitions by any person of shares of our stock.

 

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Title 3, Subtitle 8 of the MGCL permits our board of directors, without stockholder approval and regardless of what is currently provided in our charter or bylaws, to implement certain takeover defenses, including adopting a classified board.

 

Each item discussed above may have the effect of deterring a third party from making an acquisition proposal for us or may delay, deter or prevent a change in control of our Company, even if a proposed transaction is at a premium over the then-current market price for our common stock. Further, these provisions may apply in instances where some stockholders consider a transaction beneficial to them. As a result, our stock price may be negatively affected by these provisions.

 

Our board of directors may change our policies without stockholder approval.

 

Our policies, including any policies with respect to investments, leverage, financing, growth, debt and capitalization, will be determined by our board of directors or those committees or officers to whom our board of directors may delegate such authority. Our board of directors will also establish the amount of any dividends or other distributions that we may pay to our stockholders. Our board of directors or the committees or officers to which such decisions are delegated have the ability to amend or revise these and our other policies at any time without stockholder approval. For example, we have established a policy for our target leverage ratio in a range of 45% to 55%. Under the policy, our leverage ratio may be greater than or less than the target range from time to time and our board of directors may amend our target leverage ratio range at any time without stockholder approval. Accordingly, while not intending to do so, we may adopt policies that may have an adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations, ability to pay dividends or make other distributions to our stockholders and the market value of our common stock.

 

Conflicts of interest may exist or could arise in the future between the interests of our stockholders and the interests of holders of OP Units and of LLC units in our predecessor entities, which may impede business decisions that could benefit our stockholders.

 

Conflicts of interest may exist or could arise in the future as a result of the relationships between us and our affiliates, on the one hand, and our Operating Partnership or any of its partners or our predecessor entities and their members, on the other. Our directors and officers have duties to our Company under Maryland law in connection with their management of our Company. At the same time, we, as the general partner of our Operating Partnership, and our Operating Partnership, as managing member of our predecessor entities, have fiduciary duties and obligations to our Operating Partnership and its limited partners and our predecessor entities and their members under Delaware and New York law, the partnership agreement of our Operating Partnership in connection with the management of our Operating Partnership, and the limited liability company agreements of our predecessor entities in connection with the management of those entities. Our fiduciary duties and obligations as the general partner of our Operating Partnership and managing member of our predecessor entities may come into conflict with the duties of our directors and officers to our Company. We have adopted policies that are designed to eliminate or minimize certain potential conflicts of interest, and the members of our predecessor entities have agreed that, in the event of a conflict in the duties owed by us to our stockholders and the fiduciary duties owed by our Operating Partnership, in its capacity as managing member of our predecessor entities, to such members, we may give priority to the separate interests of our Company or our stockholders, including with respect to tax consequences to limited partners, LLC members, assignees or our stockholders. Nevertheless, the duties and obligations of the general partner of our Operating Partnership and the duties and obligations of the managing member of our predecessor entities may come into conflict with the duties of our directors and officers to our Company and our stockholders.

 

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Our charter contains a provision that expressly permits our officers to compete with us.

 

Our officers have outside business interests and may compete with us for investments in properties and for tenants. There is no assurance that any conflicts of interest created by such competition will be resolved in our favor. Our charter provides that we renounce any interest or expectancy in, or right to be offered or to participate in, any business opportunity identified in any investment policy or agreement with any of our officers unless the policy or agreement contemplates that the officer must present, communicate or offer such business opportunity to us. We have adopted an Investment Policy that provides that our officers, including David Bistricer, JJ Bistricer and Jacob Schwimmer, are not required to present certain identified investment opportunities to us, including assets located outside the New York metropolitan area, for-sale condominium or cooperative conversions, development projects, projects that would require us to obtain guarantees from third parties or to backstop obligations of other parties, and land acquisitions. As a result, except to the extent that our officers must present certain identified business opportunities to us, our officers have no duty to refrain from engaging, directly or indirectly, in the same business activities or similar business activities or lines of business in which we or our subsidiaries engage or propose to engage or to refrain from otherwise competing with us. These individuals also may pursue acquisition opportunities that may be complementary to our business, and, as a result, those acquisition opportunities may not be available to us. These provisions may limit our ability to pursue business or investment opportunities that we might otherwise have had the opportunity to pursue, which could have an adverse effect on our financial condition, our results of operations, our cash flow, the market value of our common stock and our ability to meet our debt obligations and to make distributions to our stockholders.

 

We may have assumed unknown liabilities in connection with the formation transactions, which, if significant, could adversely affect our business.

 

As part of the formation transactions, we acquired indirect interests in the properties and assets of our predecessor entities, subject to existing liabilities, some of which may have been unknown at the time the private offering was consummated. As part of the formation transactions, each of the predecessor entities made limited representations, warranties and covenants to us regarding the predecessor entities and their assets. Because many liabilities, including tax liabilities, may not have been identified, we may have no recourse for such liabilities. Any unknown or unquantifiable liabilities to which the properties and assets previously owned by our predecessor entities are subject could adversely affect the value of those properties and as a result adversely affect us. See “Risks Related to Real Estate” for discussion as to the possibility of undisclosed environmental conditions potentially affecting the value of the properties in our portfolio.

 

We may pursue less vigorous enforcement of terms of employment agreements with certain of our executive officers, which could negatively impact our stockholders.

 

Certain of our executive officers, including David Bistricer, JJ Bistricer and Jacob Schwimmer, are party to employment agreements with us. We may choose not to enforce, or to enforce less vigorously, our rights under these agreements because of our desire to maintain our ongoing relationships with members of our senior management or our board of directors and their affiliates, with possible negative impact on stockholders. Moreover, these agreements were not negotiated at arm’s length and in the course of structuring the formation transactions, certain of our executive officers had the ability to influence the types and level of benefits that they receive from us under these agreements.

 

David Bistricer, our Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and Sam Levinson, our Co-Chairman and Head of the Investment Committee, have outside business interests that will take their time and attention away from us, which could materially and adversely affect us. In addition, notwithstanding the Investment Policy, members of our senior management may in certain circumstances engage in activities that compete with our activities or in which their business interests and ours may be in conflict.

 

Our Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, David Bistricer, our Co-Chairman and Head of the Investment Committee, Sam Levinson, and other members of our senior management team continue to own interests in properties and businesses that were not contributed to us in the formation transactions. For instance, each of David Bistricer, our Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and JJ Bistricer, our Chief Operating Officer, is an officer of Clipper Equity and each of Sam Levinson, our Co-Chairman and Head of the Investment Committee, and Jacob Schwimmer, our Chief Property Management Officer, has ownership interests in Clipper Equity. Clipper Equity owns interests in, and controls and manages entities that own interests in, multifamily and commercial properties in the New York metropolitan area.

 

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We have adopted an Investment Policy that provides that our officers, including David Bistricer, JJ Bistricer and Jacob Schwimmer, are not required to present certain identified investment opportunities to us, including assets located outside the New York metropolitan area, for-sale condominium or cooperative conversions, development projects, projects that would require us to obtain guarantees from third parties or to backstop obligations of other parties, and land acquisitions. As a result, except to the extent that our officers must present certain identified business opportunities to us, our officers have no duty to refrain from engaging, directly or indirectly, in the same business activities or similar business activities or lines of business in which we or our subsidiaries engage or propose to engage or to refrain from otherwise competing with us, and therefore may compete with us for investments in properties and for tenants. These individuals also may pursue acquisition opportunities that may be complementary to our business, and, as a result, those acquisition opportunities may not be available to us.

 

We and members of our senior management may also determine to enter into joint ventures or co-investment relationships with respect to one or more properties. As a result of the foregoing, there may at times be a conflict between the interests of members of our senior management and our business interests. Further, although David Bistricer, JJ Bistricer and Jacob Schwimmer will devote such portion of their business time and attention to our business as is appropriate and will be compensated on that basis, under their employment agreements, they will also devote substantial time to other business and investment activities.

 

We may experience conflicts of interest with certain of our directors and officers and significant stockholders as a result of their tax positions.

 

We have entered into a tax protection agreement with our continuing investors pursuant to which we have agreed to indemnify the continuing investors against certain tax liabilities incurred during the 8-year period following the private offering (or with respect to item (iv) below, certain tax liabilities resulting from certain transfers occurring during the 8-year period following the private offering) if those tax liabilities result from (i) the sale, transfer, conveyance or other taxable disposition of any of the properties of our LLC subsidiaries, (ii) any of Renaissance, Berkshire or Gunki LLC failing to maintain a level of indebtedness allocable for U.S. federal income tax purposes to any of the continuing investors such that any of the continuing investors is allocated less than a specified minimum indebtedness in each such LLC subsidiary (in order to comply with this requirement, (1) Renaissance needs to maintain approximately $101.3 million of indebtedness, (2) Berkshire needs to maintain approximately $125.8 million of indebtedness and (3) Gunki needs to maintain approximately $34.4 million of indebtedness), (iii) in a case that such level of indebtedness cannot be maintained, failing to make available to such a continuing investor the opportunity to execute a guarantee of indebtedness of the LLC subsidiary meeting certain requirements that would enable the continuing investor to continue to defer certain tax liabilities, or (iv) the imposition of New York City or New York State real estate transfer tax liability upon a continuing investor as a result of the formation transactions, private offering, the IPO and/or certain subsequent transactions (including subsequent issuances of additional LLC units or interests, issuances of OP Units by the Operating Partnership, issuances of common stock by Clipper Realty, issuances of common stock in exchange for Class B LLC units or dispositions of property by any LLC subsidiary), or as a result of any of those transfers being aggregated. We estimate that had all of their assets subject to the tax protection agreement been sold in a taxable transaction immediately after the private offering, the amount of our LLC subsidiaries’ indemnification obligations (based on then-current tax rates and the valuations of our assets based on the private offering price of $13.50 per share, and including additional payments to compensate the indemnified continuing investors for additional tax liabilities resulting from the indemnification payments) would have been approximately $364.9 million. In addition, we estimate that if New York City or New York State real estate transfer taxes had been imposed on our continuing investors, the maximum amount of our LLC subsidiaries’ indemnification obligations pursuant to the tax protection agreement in respect of New York City or New York State real estate transfer tax liability (based on then-current tax rates and the valuations of our assets based on the private offering price of $13.50 per share, and including additional payments to compensate the indemnified continuing investors for additional tax liabilities resulting from the indemnification payments) would have been approximately $74.9 million (although the amount may be significantly less). We do not presently intend to sell or take any other action that would result in a tax protection payment with respect to the properties covered by the tax protection agreement.

 

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In addition, David Bistricer and Sam Levinson may be subject to tax on a disproportionately large amount of the built-in gain that would be realized upon the sale or refinancing of certain properties. David Bistricer and Sam Levinson may therefore influence us to not sell or refinance certain properties, even if such sale or refinancing might be financially advantageous to our stockholders, or to enter into tax deferred exchanges with the proceeds of such sales when such a reinvestment might not otherwise be in our best interest, as they may wish to avoid realization of their share of the built-in gains in those properties. Alternatively, to avoid realizing such built-in gains, they may have to agree to additional reimbursements or guarantees involving additional financial risk.

 

Risks Related to Our Indebtedness and Financing

 

We have a substantial amount of indebtedness that may limit our financial and operating activities and may adversely affect our ability to incur additional debt to fund future needs.

 

As of December 31, 2022, we had $1,171.2 million of total indebtedness, all of which was property-level debt. See Note 6 of the accompanying “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” for a discussion of the Company’s property-level debt.

 

Payments of principal and interest on borrowings may leave us with insufficient cash resources to operate our properties, fully implement our capital expenditure, acquisition and redevelopment activities, or meet the REIT distribution requirements imposed by the Code. Our level of debt and the limitations imposed on us by our debt agreements could have significant adverse consequences, including the following:

 

 

require us to dedicate a substantial portion of cash flow from operations to the payment of principal, and interest on, indebtedness, thereby reducing the funds available for other purposes;

 

 

make it more difficult for us to borrow additional funds as needed or on favorable terms, which could, among other things, adversely affect our ability to meet operational needs;

 

 

force us to dispose of one or more of our properties, possibly on unfavorable terms (including the possible application of the 100% tax on income from prohibited transactions) or in violation of certain covenants to which we may be subject;

 

 

subject us to increased sensitivity to interest rate increases;

 

 

make us more vulnerable to economic downturns, adverse industry conditions or catastrophic external events;

 

 

limit our ability to withstand competitive pressures;

 

 

limit our ability to refinance our indebtedness at maturity or result in refinancing terms that are less favorable than the terms of our original indebtedness;

 

 

reduce our flexibility in planning for or responding to changing business, industry and economic conditions; and/or

 

 

place us at a competitive disadvantage to competitors that have relatively less debt than we have.

 

If any one of these events were to occur, our financial condition, results of operations, cash flow and the market value of our common stock could be adversely affected. Furthermore, foreclosures could create taxable income without accompanying cash proceeds, which could hurt our ability to meet the REIT distribution requirements imposed by the Code.

 

Changing interest rates could increase interest costs and adversely affect our cash flows and the market price of our securities.

 

We currently have, and expect to incur in the future, interest-bearing debt at rates that vary with market interest rates. As of December 31, 2022, we had approximately $113.8 million of variable rate indebtedness outstanding, primarily for our development properties, which constitutes approximately 15% of total outstanding indebtedness as of such date, and we have experienced increases in the interest rates on such indebtedness, which has increased our interest expense and adversely impacted our results of operations and cash flows. Continued increases in interest rates would further increase our interest expense and increase the cost of refinancing existing indebtedness and of issuing new debt. The effect of prolonged interest rate increases could negatively impact our ability to service our indebtedness, make distributions and make acquisitions and develop properties.

 

Our tax protection agreement requires our Operating Partnership to maintain certain debt levels that otherwise would not be required to operate our business.

 

Under our tax protection agreement, we undertake that our LLC subsidiaries will maintain a certain level of indebtedness and, in the case that level of indebtedness cannot be maintained, we are required to provide our continuing investors the opportunity to guarantee debt. If we fail to maintain such debt levels, or fail to make such opportunities available, we will be required to deliver to each applicable continuing investor a cash payment intended to approximate the continuing investor’s tax liability resulting from our failure and the tax liabilities incurred as a result of such tax protection payment. We agreed to these provisions in order to assist our continuing investors in deferring the recognition of taxable gain as a result of and after the formation transactions. These obligations require us to maintain more or different indebtedness than we would otherwise require for our business.

 

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We may not have sufficient cash flow to meet the required payments of principal and interest on our debt or to pay distributions on our common stock at expected levels.

 

In the future, our cash flow could be insufficient to meet required payments of principal and interest or to pay distributions on our shares at expected levels. In this regard, we note that in order for us to qualify as a REIT, we are required to make annual distributions generally equal to at least 90% of our taxable income, computed without regard to the dividends paid deduction and excluding net capital gain. In addition, as a REIT, we will be subject to U.S. federal income tax to the extent that we distribute less than 100% of our taxable income (including capital gains) and will be subject to a 4% nondeductible excise tax on the amount by which our distributions in any calendar year are less than a minimum amount specified by the Code. These requirements and considerations may limit the amount of our cash flow available to meet required principal and interest payments.

 

If we are unable to make required payments on indebtedness that is secured by a mortgage on our property, the asset may be transferred to the lender resulting in the loss of income and value to us, including adverse tax consequences related to such a transfer.

 

Mortgage debt obligations expose us to the possibility of foreclosure, which could result in the loss of our investment in a property or group of properties subject to mortgage debt.

 

Incurring mortgage and other secured debt obligations increases our risk of property losses because defaults on indebtedness secured by property may result in foreclosure actions initiated by lenders and ultimately our loss of the property securing any loans for which we are in default. Any foreclosure on a mortgaged property or group of properties could adversely affect the overall value of our portfolio of properties. For tax purposes, a foreclosure of any of our properties that is subject to a nonrecourse mortgage loan would be treated as a sale of the property for a purchase price equal to the outstanding balance of the debt secured by the mortgage. If the outstanding balance of the debt secured by the mortgage exceeds our tax basis in the property, we would recognize taxable income on foreclosure, but would not receive any cash proceeds, which could hurt our ability to meet the distribution requirements applicable to REITs under the Code.

 

Hedging activity may expose us to risks, including the risks that a counterparty will not perform and that the hedge will not yield the economic benefits we anticipate, which could adversely affect us.

 

We may, in a manner consistent with our qualification as a REIT, seek to manage our exposure to interest rate volatility by using interest rate hedging arrangements that involve risk, such as the risk that counterparties may fail to honor their obligations under these arrangements, and that these arrangements may not be effective in reducing our exposure to interest rate changes. Moreover, there can be no assurance that our hedging arrangements will qualify for hedge accounting or that our hedging activities will have the desired beneficial impact on our results of operations. Should we desire to terminate a hedging agreement, there could be significant costs and cash requirements involved to fulfill our obligations under the hedging agreement. Generally, failure to hedge effectively against interest rate changes may adversely affect our results of operations.

 

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When a hedging agreement is required under the terms of a mortgage loan, it is often a condition that the hedge counterparty maintains a specified credit rating. With the current volatility in the financial markets, there is an increased risk that hedge counterparties could have their credit rating downgraded to a level that would not be acceptable under the loan provisions. If we were unable to renegotiate the credit rating condition with the lender or find an alternative counterparty with an acceptable credit rating, we could be in default under the loan and the lender could seize that property through foreclosure, which could adversely affect us.

 

Complying with REIT requirements may limit our ability to hedge effectively and may cause us to incur tax liabilities.

 

The REIT provisions of the Code limit our ability to hedge our liabilities. Generally, income from a hedging transaction we enter into either to manage risk of interest rate changes with respect to borrowings incurred or to be incurred to acquire or carry real estate assets, or to manage the risk of currency fluctuations with respect to any item of income or gain (or any property which generates such income or gain) that constitutes “qualifying income” for purposes of the 75% or 95% gross income tests applicable to REITs, does not constitute “gross income” for purposes of the 75% or 95% gross income tests, provided that we properly identify the hedging transaction pursuant to the applicable sections of the Code and Treasury regulations. To the extent that we enter into other types of hedging transactions, the income from those transactions is likely to be treated as non-qualifying income for purposes of both gross income tests. As a result of these rules, we may need to limit our use of otherwise advantageous hedging techniques or implement those hedges through a taxable REIT subsidiary (a “TRS”). The use of a TRS could increase the cost of our hedging activities (because our TRS would be subject to tax on income or gain resulting from hedges entered into by it) or expose us to greater risks than we would otherwise want to bear. In addition, net losses in any of our TRSs will generally not provide any tax benefit except for being carried forward for use against future taxable income in the TRSs.

 

A portion of our distributions may be treated as a return of capital for U.S. federal income tax purposes, which could reduce the basis of a stockholders investment in shares of our common stock and may trigger taxable gain.

 

A portion of our distributions may be treated as a return of capital for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As a general matter, a portion of our distributions will be treated as a return of capital for U.S. federal income tax purposes if the aggregate amount of our distributions for a year exceeds our current and accumulated earnings and profits for that year. To the extent that a distribution is treated as a return of capital for U.S. federal income tax purposes, it will reduce a holder’s adjusted tax basis in the holder’s shares, and to the extent that it exceeds the holder’s adjusted tax basis, will be treated as gain resulting from a sale or exchange of such shares.

 

Risks Related to Our Status as a REIT

 

Failure to qualify or to maintain our qualification as a REIT would have significant adverse consequences to the value of our common stock.

 

We elected to qualify to be treated as a REIT commencing with our first taxable year ended December 31, 2015. The Code generally requires that a REIT distribute at least 90% of its taxable income (without regard to the dividends paid deduction and excluding net capital gains) to stockholders annually, and a REIT must pay tax at regular corporate rates to the extent that the REIT distributes less than 100% of its taxable income (including capital gains) in a given year. In addition, a REIT is required to pay a 4% nondeductible excise tax on the amount, if any, by which the distributions the REIT makes in a calendar year are less than the sum of 85% of the REIT’s ordinary income, 95% of the REIT’s capital gain net income and 100% of the REIT’s undistributed income from prior years. To avoid entity-level U.S. federal income and excise taxes, we anticipate distributing at least 100% of our taxable income.

 

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We believe that we are organized, have operated and will continue to operate in a manner that will allow us to qualify as a REIT commencing with our first taxable year ended December 31, 2015. However, we cannot assure you that we are organized, have operated and will continue to operate as such. This is because qualification as a REIT involves the application of highly technical and complex provisions of the Code as to which there may only be limited judicial and administrative interpretations and involves the determination of facts and circumstances not entirely within our control. We have not requested and do not intend to request a ruling from the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) that we qualify as a REIT. Moreover, in order to qualify as a REIT, we must meet, on an ongoing basis, various tests regarding the nature and diversification of our assets and our income, the ownership of our outstanding stock and the amount of our distributions. Our ability to satisfy the asset tests depends upon our analysis of the characterization and fair market values of our assets, some of which are not susceptible to a precise determination, and for which we will not obtain independent appraisals. Our compliance with the REIT gross income and quarterly asset requirements also depends upon our ability to manage successfully the composition of our gross income and assets on an ongoing basis. Future legislation, new regulations, administrative interpretations or court decisions may significantly change the tax laws or the application of the tax laws with respect to qualification as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes or the U.S. federal income tax consequences of such qualification. Accordingly, it is possible that we may not meet the requirements for qualification as a REIT.

 

If, with respect to any taxable year, we fail to maintain our qualification as a REIT, we would not be allowed to deduct distributions to stockholders in computing our taxable income. If we were not entitled to relief under the relevant statutory provisions, we would also be disqualified from treatment as a REIT for the four subsequent taxable years. If we fail to qualify as a REIT, we would no longer be required to make distributions and we would be subject to entity-level income tax, including any applicable alternative minimum tax, on our taxable income at regular corporate tax rates. As a result, the amount available for distribution to holders of our common stock would be reduced for the year or years involved. In addition, our failure to qualify as a REIT could impair our ability to expand our business and raise capital, and adversely affect the value of our common stock.

 

If our special voting stock and the Class B LLC units are treated as a single stock interest in the Company, we could fail to qualify as a REIT.

 

We believe that the special voting stock and Class B LLC units will be treated as separate interests in the Company and its predecessor entities, respectively. However, no assurance can be given that the IRS will not argue, or that a court would not find or hold, that the special voting stock and the Class B LLC units should be treated as a single stock interest in the Company for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If the special voting stock and Class B LLC units were treated as a single stock interest in the Company, it is possible that more than 50% in value of the outstanding stock of the Company could be treated as held by five or fewer individuals. In such a case, we could be treated as “closely held” and we could therefore fail to qualify as a REIT. Such failure would have significant adverse consequences. See “Risks Related to Our Status as a REIT – Failure to qualify or to maintain our qualification as a REIT would have significant adverse consequences to the value of our common stock.”

 

Complying with the REIT requirements may cause us to forego otherwise attractive opportunities or liquidate certain of our investments.

 

To qualify as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes, we must continually satisfy tests concerning, among other things, the sources of our income, the nature and diversification of our assets, the amounts we distribute to our stockholders and the ownership of our stock. We may be required to make distributions to our stockholders at disadvantageous times or when we do not have funds readily available for distribution. Thus, compliance with the REIT requirements may, for instance, hinder our ability to make certain otherwise attractive investments or undertake other activities that might otherwise be beneficial to us and our stockholders, or may require us to borrow or liquidate investments in unfavorable market conditions and, therefore, may hinder our investment performance.

 

As a REIT, at the end of each calendar quarter, at least 75% of the value of our assets must consist of cash, cash items, government securities and qualified real estate assets. The remainder of our investments in securities (other than cash, cash items, government securities, securities issued by a TRS and securities treated as qualified real estate assets) generally cannot include more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of any one issuer or more than 10% of the total value of the outstanding securities of any one issuer. In addition, in general, no more than 5% of the value of our total assets can consist of the securities (other than cash, cash items, government securities, securities issued by a TRS and qualified real estate assets) of any one issuer, no more than 20% of the value of our total assets can be represented by securities of one or more TRSs (25% for taxable years ending on or before December 31, 2017), and no more than 25% of the value of our total assets may consist of “nonqualified” debt instruments issued by publicly offered REITs. After meeting these requirements at the close of a calendar quarter, if we fail to comply with these requirements at the end of any subsequent calendar quarter, we must correct the failure within 30 days after the end of the calendar quarter or qualify for certain statutory relief provisions to avoid losing our REIT qualification. As a result, we may be required to liquidate from our portfolio otherwise attractive investments. These actions could have the effect of reducing our income and amounts available for distribution to our stockholders.

 

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We may be subject to a 100% penalty tax on any prohibited transactions that we enter into, or may be required to forego certain otherwise beneficial opportunities in order to avoid the penalty tax on prohibited transactions.

 

If we are found to have held, acquired or developed property primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business, we may be subject to a 100% “prohibited transactions” tax under U.S. federal tax laws on the gain from disposition of the property unless the disposition qualifies for one or more safe harbor exceptions for properties that have been held by us for at least two years and satisfy certain additional requirements (or the disposition is made by a TRS and, therefore, the gain, if any, is subject to corporate U.S. federal income tax).

 

Under existing law, whether property is held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of a trade or business is a question of fact that depends on all the facts and circumstances. We intend to hold, and, to the extent within our control, to have any joint venture to which our Operating Partnership is a partner hold, properties for investment with a view to long-term appreciation, to engage in the business of acquiring, owning, operating and developing the properties, and to make sales of our properties and other properties acquired subsequent to the date hereof as are consistent with our investment objectives. Based upon our investment objectives, we believe that overall, our properties should not be considered property held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business. However, it may not always be practical for us to comply with one of the safe harbors, and, therefore, we may be subject to the 100% penalty tax on the gain from dispositions of property if we otherwise are deemed to have held the property primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business.

 

The potential application of the prohibited transactions tax could cause us to forego potential dispositions of other property or to forego other opportunities that might otherwise be attractive to us, or to hold investments or undertake such dispositions or other opportunities through a TRS, which would generally result in corporate income taxes being incurred. For example, we anticipate that we would have to effect any potential condominium or cooperative conversion and sale of our Tribeca House properties or 141 Livingston Street property through a TRS.

 

REIT distribution requirements could adversely affect our liquidity and adversely affect our ability to execute our business plan.

 

In order to maintain our qualification as a REIT and to meet the REIT distribution requirements, we may need to modify our business plans. Our cash flow from operations may be insufficient to fund required distributions, for example, as a result of differences in timing between our cash flow, the receipt of income for GAAP purposes and the recognition of income for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the effect of non-deductible capital expenditures, the creation of reserves, payment of required debt service or amortization payments, or the need to make additional investments in qualifying real estate assets. The insufficiency of our cash flow to cover our distribution requirements could require us to (i) sell assets in adverse market conditions, (ii) borrow on unfavorable terms, (iii) distribute amounts that would otherwise be invested in future acquisitions or capital expenditures or used for the repayment of debt, (iv) pay dividends in the form of “taxable stock dividends” or (v) use cash reserves, in order to comply with the REIT distribution requirements. If we choose to make all or part of a distribution in our own stock, shareholders may be required to pay income taxes with respect to such distributions in excess of the cash portion, if any, of the distribution received. Further, taking the actions enumerated above to comply with the REIT distribution requirements could adversely affect the market value of our common stock. The inability of our cash flow to cover our distribution requirements could have an adverse impact on our ability to raise short- and long-term debt or sell equity securities. In addition, if we are compelled to liquidate our assets to repay obligations to our lenders or make distributions to our stockholders, we may be subject to a 100% tax on any resultant gain if we sell assets that are treated as property held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business.

 

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The ability of our board of directors to revoke our REIT qualification without stockholder approval may cause adverse consequences to our stockholders.

 

Our charter provides that our board of directors may revoke or otherwise terminate our REIT election, without the approval of our stockholders, if it determines that it is no longer in our best interest to continue to qualify as a REIT. If we cease to be a REIT, we will not be allowed a deduction for dividends paid to stockholders in computing our taxable income and will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at regular corporate rates and state and local taxes, which may have adverse consequences on our total return to our stockholders.

 

Our ability to provide certain services to our tenants may be limited by the REIT rules, or may have to be provided through a TRS.

 

As a REIT, we generally cannot provide services to our tenants other than those that are customarily provided by landlords, nor can we derive income from a third party that provides such services. If we forego providing such services to our tenants, we may be at a disadvantage to competitors who are not subject to the same restrictions. However, we can provide such non-customary services to tenants or share in the revenue from such services if we do so through a TRS, though income earned by the TRS will be subject to corporate income taxes.

 

Although our use of TRSs may partially mitigate the impact of meeting certain requirements necessary to maintain our qualification as a REIT, there are limits on our ability to own TRSs, and a failure to comply with the limits would jeopardize our REIT qualification and may result in the application of a 100% excise tax.

 

A REIT may own up to 100% of the stock of one or more TRSs. A TRS may hold assets and earn income that would not be qualifying assets or income if held or earned directly by a REIT. Both the subsidiary and the REIT must jointly elect to treat the subsidiary as a TRS. A corporation of which a TRS directly or indirectly owns more than 35% of the voting power or value of the stock will automatically be treated as a TRS. Overall, no more than 20% of the value of a REIT’s assets may consist of securities of one or more TRSs (25% for taxable years ended on or before December 31, 2017). In addition, rules limit the deductibility of interest paid or accrued by a TRS to its parent REIT to assure that the TRS is subject to an appropriate level of corporate taxation. Rules also impose a 100% excise tax on certain transactions between a TRS and its parent REIT that are treated as not being conducted on an arm’s-length basis.

 

Any TRSs that we form will pay U.S. federal, state and local income tax on the TRSs’ taxable income, and the TRSs’ after-tax net income will be available for distribution to us but is not required to be distributed to us unless necessary to maintain our REIT qualification. Although we will monitor the aggregate value of the securities of such TRSs and intend to conduct our affairs so that such securities will represent less than 20% of the value of our total assets, there can be no assurance that we will be able to comply with the TRS limitation in all market conditions.

 

Our property taxes could increase due to property tax rate changes or reassessment, which could impact our cash flow.

 

Even if we qualify as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes, we will be required to pay state and local taxes on our properties. The real property taxes on our properties may increase as property tax rates change or as our properties are assessed or reassessed by taxing authorities. Therefore, the amount of property taxes we pay in the future may increase substantially from what we have paid in the past and such increases may not be covered by tenants pursuant to our lease agreements. If the property taxes we pay increase, our financial condition, results of operations, cash flow, per share trading price of our common stock and our ability to satisfy our principal and interest obligations and to make distributions to our stockholders could be adversely affected.

 

Risks Related to Ownership of Our Common Stock

 

The market price and trading volume of our common stock may be volatile, which could result in rapid and substantial losses for our stockholders.

 

Our financial performance, government regulatory action, tax laws, interest rates and market conditions in general could have a significant impact on the future market price of our common stock. Some of the factors that could negatively affect or result in fluctuations in the market price of our common stock include:

 

 

actual or anticipated variations in our quarterly or annual operating results;

 

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increases in market interest rates that lead purchasers of our shares to demand a higher yield;

 

 

changes in market valuations of similar companies;

 

 

adverse market reaction to any increased indebtedness we incur in the future;

 

 

additions or departures of key personnel;

 

 

actions by stockholders;

 

 

speculation in the press or investment community;

 

 

general market, economic and political conditions, including an economic slowdown or dislocation in the global credit markets;

 

 

our operating performance and the performance of other similar companies;

 

 

negative publicity regarding us specifically or our business lines generally;

 

 

changes in accounting principles; and

 

 

passage of legislation or other regulatory developments that adversely affect us or our industry, such as the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019, which was signed into law in New York in June 2019.

 

Broad market and industry factors may decrease the market price of our common stock, regardless of our actual operating performance. The stock market in general has from time to time experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations. In addition, in the past, following periods of volatility in the overall market and the market price of a company’s securities, securities class action litigation has often been instituted against these companies. This litigation, if instituted against us, could result in substantial costs and a diversion of our management’s attention and resources.

 

There are restrictions on ownership and transfer of our common stock.

 

To assist us in qualifying as a REIT, among other purposes, our charter generally limits beneficial ownership by any person to no more than 9.8% in value or number of shares, whichever is more restrictive, of the outstanding shares of any class or series of our common stock or 9.8% of the aggregate value of all our outstanding stock. In addition, our charter contains various other restrictions on the ownership and transfer of shares of our stock. As a result, an investor that purchases shares of our common stock may not be able to readily resell such common stock.

 

Future sales of our common stock or other securities convertible into our common stock could cause the market value of our common stock to decline and could result in dilution.

 

Our board of directors is authorized, without approval of our common stockholders, to cause us to issue additional shares of our stock or to raise capital through the issuance of preferred stock, options, warrants and other rights on terms and for consideration as our board of directors in its sole discretion may determine.

 

Sales of substantial amounts of our common stock could dilute current ownership and could cause the market price of our common stock to decrease significantly. We cannot predict the effect, if any, of future sales of our common stock, or the availability of our common stock for future sales, on the value of our common stock. Sales of substantial amounts of our common stock, or the perception that such sales could occur, may adversely affect the market price of our common stock.

 

In addition, our Operating Partnership may issue additional OP Units and our LLC subsidiaries may issue additional LLC units to third parties without the consent of our stockholders, which would reduce our ownership percentage in our Operating Partnership or LLC subsidiaries, as applicable, and would have a dilutive effect on the amount of distributions made to us by our Operating Partnership and, if applicable, to our Operating Partnership by our LLC subsidiaries and, therefore, the amount of distributions we can make to our stockholders. Any such issuances, or the perception of such issuances, could materially and adversely affect the market price of our common stock.

 

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CAUTIONARY NOTE CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

 

Various statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including those that express a belief, expectation or intention, as well as those that are not statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements may include projections and estimates concerning the timing and success of specific projects and our future production, revenues, income and capital spending. Our forward-looking statements are generally accompanied by words such as “estimate,” “project,” “predict,” “believe,” “expect,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “potential,” “plan,” “goal” or other words that convey the uncertainty of future events or outcomes. The forward-looking statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K speak only as of the date of this Report; we disclaim any obligation to update these statements unless required by law, and we caution you not to rely on them unduly. We have based these forward-looking statements on our current expectations and assumptions about future events. While our management considers these expectations and assumptions to be reasonable, they are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, regulatory and other risks, contingencies and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control. These and other important factors, including those discussed under “Risk Factors,” may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks, contingencies and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the following:

 

 

the impact of the recent increase in inflation in the United States which could increase the cost of acquiring, replacing and operating our properties;

 

 

market and economic conditions, including rising interest rates, affecting occupancy, rental rates, the overall market value of our properties, our access to capital and the cost of capital, and our ability to refinance indebtedness;

 

 

economic or regulatory developments in New York City;

 

 

the single government tenant in our commercial buildings may suffer financial difficulty;

 

 

changes in rent stabilization regulations or claims by tenants in rent-stabilized units that their rents exceed specified maximum amounts under current regulations;

 

 

our ability to control operating costs to the degree anticipated;

 

 

the risk of damage to our properties, including from severe weather, natural disasters, climate change, and terrorist attacks;

 

 

risks related to financing, cost overruns, and fluctuations in occupancy rates and rents resulting from development or redevelopment activities and the risk that we may not be able to pursue or complete development or redevelopment activities or that such development or redevelopment activities may not be profitable;

 

 

concessions or significant capital expenditures that may be required to attract and retain tenants;

 

 

the relative illiquidity of real estate investments;

 

 

competition affecting our ability to engage in investment and development opportunities or attract or retain tenants;

 

 

unknown or contingent liabilities in properties acquired in formative and future transactions;

 

 

the possible effects of departure of key personnel in our management team on our investment opportunities and relationships with lenders and prospective business partners;

 

 

conflicts of interest faced by members of management relating to the acquisition of assets and the development of properties, which may not be resolved in our favor;

 

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a transfer of a controlling interest in any of our properties that may obligate us to pay transfer tax based on the fair market value of the real property transferred;

 

 

the impact of the restatement of our financial statements and management’s recently identified material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting;

 

 

the need to establish litigation reserves, costs to defend litigation and unfavorable litigation settlements or judgments; and

 

 

other risks and risk factors or uncertainties identified from time to time in our filings with the SEC.

 

ITEM 2. PROPERTIES

 

Our Portfolio Summary

 

As of December 31, 2022, our portfolio consisted of nine properties totaling approximately 3.3 million rentable square feet (plus an approximate 270,000 rentable square feet under development) and was approximately 99% leased (excluding square footage under development). These properties include Tribeca House (two nearly adjacent residential properties with street-level and mezzanine-level retail space and an externally managed parking garage), the Flatbush Gardens complex (a 59-building residential complex), two properties in Downtown Brooklyn (one exclusively commercial, one mixed commercial and residential), the Aspen property (a residential building with street-level retail space and an externally managed parking garage), the 10 West 65th Street residential property, the Clover House residential property, the 1010 Pacific Street property (currently under development) and the Dean Street property (currently under development).

 

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The table below presents an overview of the Company’s portfolio as of December 31, 2022:

 

Address

Submarket

Year Built

 

Leasable
Sq. Ft.

   

# Units

   

Percent Leased

   

Annualized
December
2022 Base
Rental
Revenue

(millions)(1)

   

Net Effective
Rent Per
Occupied
Square Foot

 

Multifamily

                                           

50 Murray Street

Manhattan

1964

    396,224       390       99.2 %   $ 27.7     $ 71.21  

53 Park Place

Manhattan

1921

    86,288       116       99.1 %   $ 6.3     $ 76.29  

Flatbush Gardens complex

Brooklyn

1950

    1,748,671       2,494       98.8 %   $ 44.4     $ 25.97  

250 Livingston Street

Brooklyn

1920

    26,819       36       94.4 %   $ 1.4     $ 54.63  

Aspen

Manhattan

2004

    165,542       232       98.3 %   $ 5.8     $ 36.78  

10 West 65th Street

Manhattan

1939

    75,678       82       100.0 %   $ 3.7     $ 51.21  

Clover House

Brooklyn

1959

    102,131       158       94.9 %   $ 7.0     $ 73.31  
          2,601,353       3,508       98.7% (2)   $ 96.3     $ 38.19 (2)
                                             

Commercial

                                           

141 Livingston Street

Brooklyn

1959

    206,084       1       100.0 %   $ 10.3     $ 50.00  

250 Livingston Street

Brooklyn

1920

    342,496       1       100.0 %   $ 15.4     $ 44.93  
          548,580       2       100.0% (2)   $ 25.7     $ 46.84 (2)
                                             

Retail

                                           

50 Murray Street (retail)

Manhattan

    44,583       8       100.0 %   $ 2.4     $ 54.71  

50 Murray Street (parking)

Manhattan

    24,200       1       100.0 %   $ 1.4     $ 57.85  

53 Park Place (retail)

Manhattan

    8,600       1                    

141 Livingston Street (parking/other)

Brooklyn

    14,853       1       100.0 %   $ 0.4     $ 27.17  

250 Livingston Street (retail)

Brooklyn

    990       1       100.0 %   $ 0.1     $ 125.83  

250 Livingston Street (parking)

Brooklyn

                    $ 0.2        

Aspen (retail)

Manhattan

    12,429       5       100.0 %   $ 0.6     $ 49.97  

Aspen (parking)

Manhattan

                             
          105,655       17       91.9% (2)   $ 5.1     $ 53.97 (2)
                                             

Total

    3,255,588       3,527       98.7% (2)   $ 127.1     $ 37.95 (2)
                                             

Real Estate Under Development

                                           

1010 Pacific Street

Brooklyn

    115,444 (3)     175 (3)                        

Dean Street

Brooklyn

    154,468 (4)     242 (4)                        

 


(1) Represents annualized revenue based on December 2022 data.

(2) Represents weighted average.

(3) Land purchase made on November 8, 2019; square footage and number of units based on management’s development estimates.

(4) Land purchases made on December 22, 2021, February 14, 2022 and April 14, 2022, square footage and number of units based on management’s development estimates

 

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The table below presents an overview of commercial and retail lease expirations for the next ten years and thereafter, beginning in 2023. Excludes residential leases which are generally of one year duration.

 

Year

 

Number of
Tenants

   

Total
Square Feet

   

Annualized
Rental
Revenue

   

% of Annualized
Rental Revenue
Expiring

 

2023

    2       10,839     $ 762,500       2.5 %

2024

    1       1,597       76,800       0.3 %

2025

    3       550,275       25,756,016       84.1 %

2026

    1       510       18,360       0.1 %

2027

    3       42,068       1,686,672       5.5 %

2028

    1             55,200       0.2 %

2029

                      0.0 %

2030

    1       990       93,043       0.3 %

2031

    1       540       160,680       0.5 %

2032

    2       4,606       306,996       1.0 %

Thereafter

    2       26,925       1,697,300       5.5 %

Total

    17       638,350     $ 30,613,567       100.0 %

 

Descriptions of Our Properties

 

Tribeca House

 

The Company purchased the 50 Murray Street and 53 Park Place buildings on December 15, 2014.

 

These buildings were built in 1964 and 1921, respectively, renovated in 2001, and comprise a total of 506 units which include studio and one- and two-bedroom apartments as well as retail space and parking. The buildings are both full-service luxury rentals which include building finishes such as ceilings as high as 11 feet, stainless steel appliances and granite countertops, and amenities such as a doorman, elevators, landscaped roof deck, rooftop basketball court, tenant lounge, game room, toddlers’ playroom, in-house valet service and screening room. 50 Murray Street includes 390 units and 396,528 square feet and 53 Park Place includes 116 units and 86,288 square feet.

 

The properties also feature approximately 77,400 square feet of retail space, comprising approximately 53,000 square feet of street-level and mezzanine-level retail space, and an externally managed garage. Tenants include Equinox (a premium fitness club), Starbucks, 7 Eleven and Apple Bank. The weighted average remaining lease duration of the retail tenants at December 31, 2022, is approximately five years.

 

Property highlights include:

 

Location

50 Murray Street and 53 Park Place

Building Type

Residential

 

Retail

Number of Units

506

Amenities

Doorman

 

Elevators

 

Landscaped roof deck

 

Rooftop basketball court

 

Tenant lounge

 

Game room

 

Toddler’s play room

 

In-house valet service

 

Screening room

Nearby Rapid Transit Access

MTA Subway A, C, E, N, R, 1, 2, 3 trains

 

PATH train

 

The Tribeca House properties are encumbered by a loan through Deutsche Bank AG with a balance of $360.0 million as of December 31, 2022. The loan matures on March 6, 2028, bears interest at 4.506% and requires interest-only payments for the entire term. We have the option to prepay all (but not less than all) of the unpaid balance of the loan prior to the maturity date, subject to a prepayment premium if it occurs prior to December 6, 2027.

 

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Flatbush Gardens

 

Flatbush Gardens is a 59-building complex located along Foster Avenue between Nostrand and Brooklyn Avenues in the East Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn. The property’s buildings are located on seven tax parcels. The complex was constructed around 1950 and contains 2,494 studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and three-bedroom apartments, and four below-grade garages. The aggregate site area is 898,940 square feet, the aggregate gross building area is 1,926,180 square feet and the aggregate gross leasable area is 1,748,671 square feet.

 

Address

 

Block

   

Lot

   

Site Area
(Sq. Ft.)

   

Net Leasable Area
(Sq. Ft.)

   

No. of Units

 

3101 Foster Avenue

    4964       47       60,000       120,276       168  

1405 Brooklyn Avenue

    5000       200       47,500       90,762       144  

1402 Brooklyn Avenue

    4981       50       161,655       293,898       420  

1368 New York Avenue

    4964       40       195,865       354,835       503  

3505 Foster Avenue

    4967       40       182,300       355,476       504  

3202-24 Foster Avenue

    4995       30       112,875       239,316       336  

1401 New York Avenue

    4981       1       138,745       294,108       419  

Total

                    898,940       1,748,671       2,494  

 

Community District 17 is a mixed-income community. We believe Flatbush Gardens represents an entry-level, low-cost option in the market and that we will increasingly draw tenants who have been priced out of other New York City sub-markets. The neighborhood surrounding the Flatbush Gardens complex is residential on all sides. The Newkirk Avenue subway station, which is serviced by the No. 2 and No. 5 trains, is located on the west side of the complex. Brooklyn College is located 0.6 miles along Nostrand Avenue to the south of Flatbush Gardens. The No. 2 and No. 5 trains, which service both Flatbush Gardens and Brooklyn College, provide direct access to the west side and east side, respectively, of Manhattan, as well as other points in Brooklyn. Two large regional medical centers are located within a mile of the complex.

 

Property highlights include:

 

Building Type

Residential

Number of Units

2,494

Amenities

Park-like space between buildings

 

Parking lots

Nearby Rapid Transit Access

MTA Subway 2, 5 trains

 

Flatbush Gardens is encumbered by a mortgage note to New York Community Bank with a balance of $329.0 million as of December 31, 2022. The note matures on June 1, 2032, and bears interest at 3.125% through May 2027 and thereafter at the prime rate plus 2.75%, subject to an option to fix the rate. The note requires interest-only payments through May 2027, and monthly principal and interest payments thereafter based on a 30-year amortization schedule. We have the option to prepay all (but not less than all) of the unpaid balance of the note prior to the maturity date, subject to certain prepayment premiums, as defined.

 

141 Livingston Street

 

The 141 Livingston Street property is a 15-story office building with 206,084 commercial square feet, located on a 0.26-acre site in Downtown Brooklyn. The property’s main commercial tenant, the City of New York, executed a 10-year lease in December 2015; under the agreement, the annual rent increased by 25%, or $2.1 million, beginning at the end of December 2020. The property is located approximately 500 feet from the Jay Street-Metrotech, Hoyt-Schermerhorn, Hoyt Street, and Borough Hall subway stops, offering direct one-stop access to the east and west sides of Manhattan, as well as access to surrounding regions of Brooklyn and Queens, and connections to every other New York City subway line. The property is located near the Fulton Street Mall, a pedestrian mall that runs along Fulton Street between Boerum Place and Flatbush Avenue, and is within walking distance of Barclays Center and Atlantic Avenue. In addition, the property includes an adjacent lot at 22 Smith Street, currently used as a parking lot measuring approximately 5,000 square feet.

 

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Property highlights include:

 

Location

141 Livingston Street

Building Type

Commercial

 

Retail (parking)

Tenant

City of New York

Amenities

Elevators

 

Parking

Nearby Rapid Transit Access

MTA Subway A, C, F, G, R, 2, 3, 4, 5 trains

 

The 141 Livingston Street property is encumbered by a mortgage note to Citi Real Estate Funding Inc. with a balance of $100 million as of December 31, 2022. The note matures on March 6, 2031, bears interest at 3.21% and requires interest-only payments for the entire term. We have the option to prepay all (but not less than all) of the unpaid balance of the loan within three months of maturity, without a prepayment premium.

 

250 Livingston Street

 

The 250 Livingston Street property is a 12-story mixed-use building, with office and residential uses on the upper floors and office and retail at grade. The total land area of the site is 29,707 square feet. The building currently contains 342,496 square feet of office space which is 100% leased to the City of New York’s Department of Environmental Protection and Human Resources Administration under a ten-year lease that expires in August 2030; however, the City holds one-time termination options at the end of the fifth year and the seventh year. The City of New York has advised us that it may vacate the 250 Livingston Street property in 2025. Additionally, the property includes 36 multifamily residential apartment units (26,819 square feet), which were developed by Clipper Equity from 2003 through 2013.

 

Property highlights include:

 

Location

250 Livingston Street

Building Type

Commercial

 

Residential

 

Retail

Commercial Tenant

City of New York

Amenities

Elevators

Nearby Rapid Transit Access

MTA Subway A, B, C, F, G, Q, R, 2, 3, 4, 5 trains

 

The 250 Livingston Street property is encumbered by a mortgage note to Citi Real Estate Funding Inc. with a balance of $125.0 million as of December 31, 2022. The note matures on June 6, 2029, bears interest at 3.63% and requires interest-only payments for the entire term. We have the option to prepay all (but not less than all) of the unpaid balance of the loan within three months of maturity, without a prepayment premium.

 

Aspen

 

In June 2016, the Company purchased the Aspen property located at 1955 1st Avenue in Manhattan for $103 million. The property fronts the west side of First Avenue on the full block between 100th and 101st Streets, and comprises 186,602 square feet, 232 residential rental units, four retail units and a parking garage. The residential units are subject to regulations established by the HDC under which there are no rental restrictions on approximately 55% of the units and low- and middle-income restrictions on approximately 45% of the units. The residential units feature stainless steel appliances including a range, oven, refrigerator, microwave, and dishwasher. Property amenities include a courtyard, game room, fitness center, clubhouse, laundry facilities and onsite below-grade garage parking.

 

Property highlights include:

 

Location

1955 1st Avenue

Building Type

Residential

 

Retail

Number of Units

232

Amenities

Courtyard, game room, fitness center

Nearby Rapid Transit Access

MTA Subway Q, 4, 5, 6 trains

 

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The Aspen property is encumbered by a mortgage note to Capital One Multifamily Finance LLC with a balance of $62.5 million as of December 31, 2022. The note matures on July 1, 2028, and bears interest at 3.68%. The note required interest-only payments through July 2018, and monthly principal and interest payments of approximately $321,000 thereafter based on a 30-year amortization schedule. We have the option to prepay the loan prior to the maturity date, subject to a prepayment premium.

 

Clover House

 

In May 2018, the Company purchased the Clover House property in the historic Brooklyn Heights district in Brooklyn for $87.5 million, in vacant condition. The property is located near the Clark Street subway stop, the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Manhattan Bridge and multiple bus lines. The Company completed renovations in 2019 to create 158 well-appointed studio, one- and two-bedroom units across 102,131 square feet, with amenities and indoor parking for 68 cars. Amenities include various unit terraces, a rooftop terrace, a fitness center and a landscaped courtyard.

 

Property highlights include:

 

Location

107 Columbia Heights

Building Type

Residential

Number of Units

158

Amenities

Courtyard, rooftop terrace, fitness center

Nearby Rapid Transit Access

MTA Subway 2, 3, A, C, F trains

 

The Clover House property is encumbered by a mortgage note to MetLife Investment Management with a balance of $82.0 million as of December 31, 2022. The note matures on December 1, 2029, bears interest at 3.53% and requires interest-only payments for the entire term. We have the option, commencing on January 1, 2024, to prepay the note prior to the maturity date, subject to a prepayment premium if it occurs prior to September 2, 2029.

 

10 West 65th Street

 

In October 2017, the Company purchased the 10 West 65th Street property in the Upper West Side neighborhood of Manhattan for $79 million. The property, located less than a block from Central Park, consists of approximately 76,000 square feet of leasable residential area, with 82 apartment units, plus an additional 53,000 square feet of air rights. The property is located near Lincoln Center and several prominent museums. Touro College, which had leased 40 apartment units in accordance with an agreement entered into when the Company purchased the property, exercised its option to terminate the leases, effective January 31, 2019. The Company subsequently repositioned the apartments and leased them at market rates.

 

Property highlights include:

 

Location

10 West 65th Street

Building Type

Residential

Number of Units

82

Amenities

Elevator

Nearby Rapid Transit Access

MTA Subway A, B, C, D, 1, 2, 3 trains

 

The 10 West 65th Street property is encumbered by a mortgage note to New York Community Bank, entered into in connection with the acquisition of the property, with a balance of $32.2 million as of December 31, 2022. The note matures on November 1, 2027, and bore an interest rate of 3.375% through October 2022 at which time it was scheduled to reset to the prime rate plus 2.75%, subject to an option to fix the rate. On August 26, 2022 the Company signed an amendment to the note that changed the benchmark and spread used from LIBOR plus 2.75% to 1-Month CME term SOFR plus 2.5%, rounded up to the nearest 1/8th and reset monthly. The benchmark rate at December 31, 2022 was 4.36%. The note required interest-only payments through November 2019, and monthly principal and interest payments thereafter based on a 30-year amortization schedule.  We have the option to prepay all (but not less than all) of the unpaid balance of the note prior to the maturity date, subject to certain prepayment premiums, as defined.

 

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1010 Pacific Street

 

In November 2019, the Company purchased the 1010 Pacific Street property in the Prospect Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn for $31 million. The Company intends to redevelop the property as a fully amenitized residential building with approximately 119,000 square feet of leasable area. The building is expected to have 175 total units, 70% of which will be leased at market rates and 30% of which will be designated as affordable housing. The construction process is estimated to take approximately two years.

 

As of December 31, 2022, the 1010 Pacific Street property was encumbered by a group of mortgage notes to AIG Asset Management (U.S.), LLC, entered into in connection with the commencement of construction at the property.  The balance on the note was $43.5 million as of December 31, 2022. The notes, which provided for maximum borrowing of $52.5 million, had a 36-month term, bore interest at 30-day LIBOR plus 3.60% (with a floor of 4.1%) (7.37% at December 31, 2022). The notes would have matured on September 1, 2024, could have been extended until September 1, 2026, and the Company could have prepaid the unpaid balance of the note within five months of maturity.

 

On February 10, 2023 the Company refinanced this construction loan with a mortgage loan with Valley National Bank providing for maximum borrowings of $80.0 million. The loan provided initial funding of $60.0 million and a further $20.0 million subject to achievement of certain financial targets. The loan has a term of five years and an initial annual interest rate of 5.7% subject to reduction by up to 25 basis points upon achievement of certain financial targets. The interest rate on subsequent fundings will be fixed at the time of any funding. The loan is interest only for the first two years and principal and interest thereafter based on a 30-year amortization schedule.

 

953

Dean Street

 

During the period December 2021 through April 2022, the Company purchased the Dean Street property which consists of multiple parcels of land in the Prospect Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn for approximately $48.5 million. The Company intends to redevelop the property as a fully amenitized residential building with approximately 160,000 square feet of residential leasable area. The building is expected to have 240 residential units, 70% of which will be leased at market rates and 30% of which will be designated as affordable housing. The property will also feature approximately 9,000 square feet of retail space. The construction process is estimated to take approximately two years. At December 31, 2022, the 953 Dean Street property was encumbered by a $30.0 million mortgage note to Bank Leumi, N.A., entered into in connection with the initial acquisition of parcels of the property. In April 2022, the Company borrowed an additional $6.9 million under the mortgage note in connection with the acquisition of additional parcels of land in February and April 2022.

 

The note was extended as of December 22, 2022 through June 22, 2023, is subject to one six-month extension option, and bears interest at the prime rate (with a floor of 3.25%) plus 1.60% (9.10% as of December 31, 2022). The Company currently intends to refinance the note with a construction loan prior to maturity, although there are no assurances that the Company will be able to do so.

 

ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

 

See Note 9, “Commitments and Contingencies” of our consolidated financial statements included in Item 15 for a discussion of legal proceedings.

 

ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURE

 

Not applicable.

 

38

 

PART II

 

ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANTS COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

 

Market Information

 

Our common stock is traded on the NYSE under the ticker symbol “CLPR”. The stock began trading on February 10, 2017.

 

Holders

 

As of February 17, 2023, there were 5,629 holders of record of our common stock.

 

Dividends

 

There is no guarantee that we will make quarterly cash distributions to holders of our common stock. We may make distributions only when, as and if authorized by our board of directors from funds legally available for distribution. Our cash distribution policy may be changed at any time and is subject to certain restrictions, including the following:

 

 

we may lack sufficient cash to pay distributions on shares of our common stock for a number of reasons, including as a result of increases in our operating or general and administrative expenses, principal and interest payments on our debt, working capital requirements or cash needs;

   

 

 

our ability to make cash distributions to holders of our common stock depends on the performance of our subsidiaries and their ability to distribute cash to us, and on the performance of our properties and tenants; and

   

 

 

the ability of our subsidiaries to make distributions to us may be restricted by, among other things, covenants in the instruments governing current or future debt of these subsidiaries.

 

U.S. federal income tax law requires that we distribute annually at least 90% of our taxable income (without regard to the dividends paid deduction and excluding net capital gains). As a result, we expect to generally distribute a significant percentage of our available cash to holders of our common stock. Therefore, our growth may not be as fast as businesses that reinvest their available cash to expand ongoing operations. We expect that we will rely primarily upon external financing sources, including commercial bank borrowings and the issuance of debt and equity securities, to fund our acquisitions and capital expenditures. As a result, to the extent we are unable to finance growth externally, our cash distribution policy will significantly impair our ability to grow. To the extent we issue additional shares of common stock, our operating partnership issues OP Units or our existing or new LLC subsidiaries issue LLC units in connection with any acquisitions or other transactions, the payment of distributions on those additional securities may increase the risk that we will be unable to maintain or increase our distributions to stockholders.

 

Any future distributions we make will be at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on a number of factors, including prohibitions or restrictions under financing agreements, our charter, applicable law and other factors described below.

 

We cannot assure you that our board of directors will not change our distribution policy in the future. Any distributions we pay in the future will depend upon our actual results of operations, liquidity, cash flows, financial condition, economic conditions, debt service requirements and other factors that could differ materially from our current expectations. Our actual results of operations, liquidity, cash flows and financial condition will be affected by a number of factors, including the revenue we receive from our properties, our operating expenses, interest expense, the ability of our tenants to meet their obligations and unanticipated expenditures. For more information regarding risk factors that could materially adversely affect our ability to pay dividends and make other distributions to our stockholders, see “Risk Factors.”

 

39

 

Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities

 

None.

 

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

 

None.

 

40

 

 

ITEM 6. RESERVED

 

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENTS DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

 

You should read the following discussion of our financial condition and results of operations in conjunction with the more detailed information set forth under the captions Selected Financial Data and Cautionary Note Concerning Forward-Looking Statements, and in our financial statements and the related notes thereto appearing elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

 

Overview of Our Company

 

Clipper Realty Inc. (the “Company” or “we”) is a self-administered and self-managed real estate company that acquires, owns, manages, operates and repositions multifamily residential and commercial properties in the New York metropolitan area, with a current portfolio in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Our primary focus is to own, manage and operate our portfolio and to acquire and reposition additional multifamily residential and commercial properties in the New York metropolitan area. The Company has been organized and operates in conformity with the requirements for qualification and taxation as a real estate investment trust (“REIT”) under the U.S. federal income tax law and elected to be treated as a REIT commencing with the taxable year ended December 31, 2015.

 

The Company was incorporated on July 7, 2015. On August 3, 2015, we closed a private offering of shares ‐of our common stock, in which we raised net proceeds of approximately $130.2 million. In connection with the private offering, we consummated a series of investment and other formation transactions that were designed, among other things, to enable us to qualify as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

 

In February 2017, the Company sold 6,390,149 primary shares of common stock (including the exercise of the over-allotment option, which closed on March 10, 2017) to investors in an initial public offering (“IPO”) at $13.50 per share. The proceeds, net of offering costs, were approximately $78.7 million. The Company contributed the IPO proceeds to the Operating Partnership in exchange for units in the Operating Partnership.

 

On May 9, 2017, the Company completed the purchase of 107 Columbia Heights (since rebranded as “Clover House”), a 158-unit apartment community located in Brooklyn Heights, New York, for $87.5 million.

 

On October 27, 2017, the Company completed the acquisition of an 82-unit residential property at 10 West 65th Street in Manhattan, New York, for $79.0 million.

 

On November 8, 2019, the Company completed the acquisition of property located at 1010 Pacific Street in Prospect Heights, New York, for $31.0 million.

 

During the period December 2021 through April 2022, the Company purchased the Dean Street property located in Prospect Heights, New York, for approximately $48.5 million.

 

As of December 31, 2022, the Company owns:

 

 

two neighboring residential/retail rental properties at 50 Murray Street and 53 Park Place in the Tribeca neighborhood of Manhattan;

 

 

one residential property complex in the East Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn consisting of 59 buildings;

 

 

two primarily commercial properties in Downtown Brooklyn (one of which includes 36 residential apartment units);

 

 

one residential/retail rental property at 1955 1st Avenue in Manhattan;

 

 

one residential rental property at 107 Columbia Heights in the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn;

 

 

one residential rental property at 10 West 65th Street in the Upper West Side neighborhood of Manhattan;

 

41

 

 

one property at 1010 Pacific Street in the Prospect Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, being redeveloped as a residential rental building; and

 

 

the Dean Street property, to be redeveloped as a residential/retail rental building.

 

These properties are located in the most densely populated major city in the United States, each with immediate access to mass transportation.

 

The Company’s ownership interest in its initial portfolio of properties, which includes the Tribeca House, Flatbush Gardens and the two Livingston Street properties, was acquired in the formation transactions in connection with the private offering. These properties are owned by the LLC subsidiaries, which are managed by the Company through the Operating Partnership. The Operating Partnership’s interests in the LLC subsidiaries generally entitle the Operating Partnership to all cash distributions from, and the profits and losses of, the LLC subsidiaries other than the preferred distributions to the continuing investors who hold Class B LLC units in these LLC subsidiaries. The continuing investors own an aggregate amount of 26,317,396 Class B LLC units, representing 62.1% of the Company’s common stock on a fully diluted basis. Accordingly, the Operating Partnership’s interests in the LLC subsidiaries entitle the Operating Partnership to receive 37.9% of the aggregate distributions from the LLC subsidiaries. The Company, through the Operating Partnership, owns all of the ownership interests in the Aspen property, the Clover House property, the 10 West 65th Street property, the 1010 Pacific Street property and the Dean Street property.

 

COVID-19 Pandemic

 

The Company is making substantial progress in recovering from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, the Company recorded steadily increasing quarterly revenue culminating in record levels in the fourth quarter of 2022 of $33.0 million. This compares to revenue in the fourth quarter of 2019, immediately prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, of $30.6 million. At December 31, 2022, leased occupancy in the residential portfolio was 98.7% and weighted average rent per square foot was $38.41, both exceeding pre-pandemic levels in the fourth quarter of 2019 of 97.7% and $36.47 per square foot, respectively. Throughout 2022, residential rents per square foot for new tenants increased by over 20.7% from prior rental rates and by over 9.8% for renewals. While these trends may not continue, we expect our properties and the New York City market to remain desirable to a broad range of tenants.

 

Business conditions in 2022 contrast with those in 2020 and 2021, where government actions intended to curb the spread of COVID-19 created disruptions in many industries and negatively impacted the Company’s business in several ways, including reducing our tenants’ ability or willingness to pay rents and reducing demand for housing in the New York metropolitan area. During this period, all of our residential properties experienced declines in leased occupancy and residential rental rates per square foot and certain commercial tenants received partial rent deferrals or restructured lease terms unfavorable to us. Despite the improvements noted above, some of these conditions persist and present uncertainty and risk with respect to the Company’s tenants and the Company’s financial performance.

 

How We Derive Our Revenue

 

Our revenue consists primarily of rents received from our residential, commercial and, to a lesser extent, retail tenants.

 

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Trends

 

During 2022, several of the Company’s residential properties, which had experienced declines in demand and rental rates as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, experienced a renewed increase in demand and rental rates, as a result of a robust rental market in the New York metro area. The average rental rate per square foot at the Tribeca House property at December 31, 2022 was $73.75, up from $62.68 at December 31, 2021. At the Aspen property, average residential rent per square foot increased at December 31, 2022, to $36.78, up from $35.60 at December 31, 2021. At the Clover House property, average residential rent per square foot at December 31, 2022, was $73.36, an increase from $63.41 at December 31, 2021. Although urban office markets have also generally been negatively impacted as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, with an increase in remote working leading to less demand for office space, the Company’s office properties have not been adversely affected from a rent perspective given its long-term leases with the City of New York. At the 141 Livingston Street property, the City’s annual rent on its lease, which expires at the end of 2025, increased by 25% beginning at the end of December 2020. At the nearby 250 Livingston Street property, the City’s lease, which commenced in August 2020, resulted in an initial 57% increase in blended rent per square foot and a 16% increase in rentable square feet through a remeasurement. Separately, certain of our smaller commercial spaces which were vacated as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic have been released at favorable rental rates.

 

Throughout 2022 and 2021, we continued to benefit from relatively low interest rates. Our weighted average interest rate as of December 31, 2022, was approximately 4.1% per annum. Despite recent increases, interest rates continue to be at relatively low levels versus historical norms.

 

Factors that May Influence Future Results of Operations

 

We derive approximately 70% of our revenues from rents received from residents in our apartment rental properties and the remainder from commercial and retail rental customers. We believe that we have expertise in operating, renovating and repositioning our properties. As we grow, we will likely add personnel as necessary to provide outstanding customer service to our residents in order to maintain or increase occupancy levels at our apartment communities and to preserve the ability to increase rents. This is likely to result in an increase in our operating and general and administrative expenses over time.

 

A majority of the leases at our apartment communities are for approximately one-year terms, which, in a rising market, generally enables us to seek increased rents upon renewal of existing leases or commencement of new leases. This may offset the potential adverse effect of inflation or deflation on rental revenue, although residents may leave without penalty at the end of their lease terms for any reason and, in a falling market, may require us to receive decreased rents upon renewal of existing leases or commencement of new leases. Our ability to seek increased rents at our Flatbush Gardens property, our Aspen property and a portion of our 10 West 65th Street property is limited, however, as a result of the rent stabilization laws and regulations of New York City, including the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019, which was signed into law in New York in June 2019. These regulations generally limit rental increases that we can charge at our Flatbush Gardens property, our Aspen property and a portion of our Tribeca House and 10 West 65th Street property upon lease renewal; effective October 1, 2022, such increases are 3.25% for a one-year lease and 5% for a two-year lease. . The regulations also limit the maximum rent we can charge at our Flatbush Gardens property, our Aspen property and a portion of our 10 West 65th Street property on new leases. At our Aspen property, the residential units are subject to regulations established by the HDC, under which there are no rental restrictions on approximately 55% of the units and low- and middle-income restrictions on approximately 45% of the units. There are no rent stabilization restrictions at our Tribeca House properties, our 250 Livingston Street property, our Clover House property and a portion of our 10 West 65th Street property.

 

We also incur costs on turnover of residents when one resident moves out and we prepare the apartment for a new resident. The costs include the costs of repainting and repairing apartment units, replacing obsolete or damaged appliances and re-leasing the units. While we budget for turnover and the costs associated therewith, our turnover cost may be affected by certain factors we cannot control. Excessive turnover and failure to properly manage turnover cost may adversely affect our operations and could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and ability to pay distributions on, and the market price of, our common stock.

 

We seek earnings growth primarily through increasing rents and occupancy at existing properties, and acquiring additional apartment communities in markets complementing our existing portfolio locations. Our apartment and commercial operating properties are concentrated in six neighborhoods within the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn in New York City, which makes us susceptible to adverse developments in these markets. As a result, we are particularly affected by the local economic conditions in these markets, including, but not limited to, changes in supply of or demand for apartment units in our markets, competition for real property investments in our markets, changes in government rules, regulations and fiscal policies, including those governing real estate usage and tax, and any environmental risks related to the presence of hazardous or toxic substances or materials at or in the vicinity of our properties, which could negatively affect our overall performance.

 

43

 

We may be unable to accurately predict future changes in national, regional or local economic, demographic or real estate market conditions. For example, continued volatility and uncertainty in the global, national, regional and local economies could make it more difficult for us to lease apartment, commercial and retail space and may require us to lease our apartment, commercial and retail space at lower rental rates than projected and may lead to an increase in resident defaults. In addition, these conditions may also lead to a decline in the value of our properties and make it more difficult for us to dispose of these properties at competitive prices. These conditions, or others we cannot predict, could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and ability to pay distributions on, and the market price of, our common stock.

 

As a public company with shares listed on a U.S. exchange, we incur general and administrative expenses, including legal, accounting and other expenses, related to corporate governance, public reporting and compliance with various provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, related regulations of the SEC, including compliance with the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, and the requirements of the national securities exchange on which our stock is listed.

 

Significant Accounting Policies

 

Segments

 

At December 31, 2022, the Company had two reportable operating segments, Residential Rental Properties and Commercial Rental Properties. The Company’s chief operating decision maker may review operational and financial data on a property basis.

 

Basis of Consolidation

 

The consolidated financial statements of the Company included elsewhere herein are prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”). The effect of all significant intercompany balances and transactions has been eliminated. The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of all entities in which the Company has a controlling interest. All significant intercompany transactions and balances are eliminated in consolidation/combination.

 

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 commitments and contingencies at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Management adjusts such estimates when facts and circumstances dictate. The most significant estimates made include the recoverability of accounts receivable, allocation of property purchase price to tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed, and the useful lives of long-lived assets. Actual results could materially differ from these estimates.

 

Investment in Real Estate

 

Real estate assets held for investment are carried at historical cost and consist of land, buildings and improvements, furniture, fixtures and equipment and real estate under development. Expenditures for ordinary repair and maintenance costs are charged to expense as incurred. Expenditures for improvements, renovations, and replacements of real estate assets are capitalized and depreciated over their estimated useful lives if the expenditures qualify as betterment or the life of the related asset will be substantially extended beyond the original life expectancy.

 

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The Company evaluates each acquisition of real estate or in-substance real estate to determine if the integrated set of assets and activities acquired meets the definition of a business and needs to be accounted for as a business combination. If either of the following criteria is met, the integrated set of assets and activities acquired would not qualify as a business:

 

• Substantially all of the fair value of the gross assets acquired is concentrated in either a single identifiable asset or a group of similar identifiable assets; or

 

• The integrated set of assets and activities is lacking, at a minimum, an input and a substantive process that together significantly contribute to the ability to create outputs (i.e., revenue generated before and after the transaction).

 

An acquired process is considered substantive if:

 

• The process includes an organized workforce (or includes an acquired contract that provides access to an organized workforce) that is skilled, knowledgeable and experienced in performing the process;

 

• The process cannot be replaced without significant cost, effort or delay; or

 

• The process is considered unique or scarce.

 

Generally, the Company expects that acquisitions of real estate or in-substance real estate will not meet the revised definition of a business because substantially all of the fair value is concentrated in a single identifiable asset or group of similar identifiable assets (i.e., land, buildings and related intangible assets) or because the acquisition does not include a substantive process in the form of an acquired workforce or an acquired contract that cannot be replaced without significant cost, effort or delay.

 

Upon acquisition of real estate, the Company assesses the fair values of acquired tangible and intangible assets including land, buildings, tenant improvements, above and below-market leases, in-place leases and any other identified intangible assets and assumed liabilities. The Company allocates the purchase price to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their fair values. In estimating fair value of tangible and intangible assets acquired, the Company assesses and considers fair value based on estimated cash flow projections that utilize appropriate discount and capitalization rates, estimates of replacement costs, net of depreciation, and available market information. The fair value of the tangible assets of an acquired property considers the value of the property as if it were vacant.

 

The Company records acquired above-market and below-market lease values initially based on the present value, using a discount rate which reflects the risks associated with the leases acquired based on the difference between (i) the contractual amounts to be paid pursuant to each in-place lease and (ii) management’s estimate of fair market lease rates for each corresponding in-place lease, measured over a period equal to the remaining term of the lease for above-market leases and the initial term plus the term of any below-market fixed renewal options for the below-market leases. Other intangible assets acquired include amounts for in-place lease values and tenant relationship values (if any) that are based on management’s evaluation of the specific characteristics of each tenant’s lease and the Company’s overall relationship with the respective tenant. Factors to be considered by management in its analysis of in-place lease values include an estimate of carrying costs to execute similar leases. In estimating carrying costs, management includes real estate taxes, insurance and other operating expenses and estimates of lost rentals at market rates during the expected lease-up periods, depending on local market conditions. In estimating costs to execute similar leases, management considers leasing commission, legal and other related expenses.

 

The Company reviews long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. A property’s value is impaired if management’s estimate of the aggregate future cash flows (undiscounted and without interest charges) to be generated by the property is less than the carrying value of the property. To the extent impairment has occurred, a write-down is recorded and measured by the amount of the difference between the carrying value of the asset and the fair value of the asset. Management of the Company does not believe that any of its properties within the portfolio are impaired as of December 31, 2022.

 

For long-lived assets to be disposed of, impairment losses are recognized when the fair value of the assets less estimated cost to sell is less than the carrying value of the assets. Properties classified as real estate held for sale generally represent properties that are actively marketed or contracted for sale with closing expected to occur within the next twelve months. Real estate held for sale is carried at the lower of cost, net of accumulated depreciation, or fair value less cost to sell, determined on an asset-by-asset basis. Expenditures for ordinary repair and maintenance costs on held for sale properties are charged to expense as incurred. Expenditures for improvements, renovations, and replacements related to held-for-sale properties are capitalized at cost. Depreciation is not recorded on real estate held for sale.

 

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If a tenant vacates its space prior to the contractual termination of the lease and no rental payments are being made on the lease, any unamortized balances of the related intangibles are written off. The tenant improvements and origination costs are amortized to expense over the remaining life of the lease (or charged against earnings if the lease is terminated prior to its contractual expiration date).

 

Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets as follows:

 

Building and improvements

10 – 44 years

Tenant improvements

Shorter of useful life or lease term

Furniture, fixtures and equipment

3 – 15 years

 

Capitalized above-market lease values are amortized as a reduction of base rental revenue over the remaining term of the respective leases, and capitalized below-market lease values are amortized as an increase to base rental revenue over the remaining initial terms plus the terms of any below-market fixed rate renewal options of the respective leases. The value of in-place leases is amortized to expense over the remaining initial terms of the respective leases.

 

Cash and Cash Equivalents

 

Cash and cash equivalents are defined as cash on hand and in banks, plus all short-term investments with a maturity of three months or less when purchased. The Company maintains some of its cash in bank deposit accounts, which, at times, may exceed the federally insured limit. No losses have been experienced related to such accounts.

 

Restricted Cash

 

Restricted cash generally consists of escrows for future real estate taxes and insurance expenditures, repairs, capital improvements, loan reserves and security deposits.

 

Tenant and Other Receivables and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

 

Tenant and other receivables are comprised of amounts due for monthly rents and other charges less allowance for doubtful accounts. As described more fully under Revenue Recognition below, in the first quarter of 2022 the Company adopted Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 842 “Leases” which replaced guidance under ASC 840 and provided for transition from balances at December 31, 2021. In accordance with ASC 842, the Company performed a detailed review of amounts due from tenants to determine if accounts receivable balances and future lease payments were probable of collection, wrote off receivables not probable of collection and recorded a general reserve against revenues for receivables probable of collection for which a loss can be reasonably estimated. If management determines that the tenant receivable is not probable of collection it is written off against revenues. In addition, the Company records a general reserve under ASC 450.  In connection with the adoption of ASC 842, the Company recorded a cumulative effect adjustment in the amount of $6 million as of January 1, 2022 based on the modified retrospective method in accordance with the provisions of ASC 842. 

 

Deferred Costs

 

Deferred lease costs consist of fees incurred to initiate and renew operating leases. Lease costs are being amortized using the straight-line method over the terms of the respective leases. Deferred financing costs represent commitment fees, legal and other third-party costs associated with obtaining financing. These costs are amortized over the term of the financing and are recorded in interest expense in the combined financial statements. Unamortized deferred financing costs are expensed when the associated debt is refinanced or repaid before maturity. Costs incurred in seeking financing transactions which do not close are expensed in the period the financing transaction is terminated.

 

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Revenue Recognition

 

As mentioned above under Tenant and Other Receivables and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts, effective the first quarter of 2022, the Company has adopted ASC 842, “Leases” which replaces the guidance under ASC 840.  ASC 842 applies to the Company principally as lessor; as a lessee, the Company’s leases are immaterial. The Company has determined that all its leases as lessor are operating leases. The Company has elected to not bifurcate lease and non-lease components under a practical expedient provision.  With respect to collectability, beginning the first quarter of 2022, the Company has written off all receivables not probable of collection and related deferred rent, and has recorded income for those tenants on a cash basis. When the probability assessment has changed for these receivables, the Company has recognized lease income to the extent of the difference between the lease income that would have been recognized if collectability had always been assessed as probable and the lease income recognized to date. For remaining receivables probable of collection, the Company has recorded a general reserve under ASC 450. In the year-ended December 31, 2022, the Company has charged revenue in the amount of $4.9 million for receivables not deemed probable of collection and recorded an increase in revenues of $2.1 million for various residential tenants and $1.1 million for one customer at Tribeca House that were reassessed and determined to be probable of collection.. By comparison, in the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company has charged $1.8 million, to operating expenses for bad debt expense computed under the guidance of ASC 450.  In transitioning to ASC 842 in the first quarter of 2022, the Company has elected the modified retrospective approach to existing leases at the beginning of the quarter and has recorded a cumulative-effect adjustment in retained earnings using the above methods applied to balances as of January 1, 2022, of $6.0 million. 

 

In accordance with the provisions of ASC 842, rental revenue for commercial leases is recognized on a straight-line basis over the terms of the respective leases. Deferred rents receivable represents the amount by which straight-line rental revenue exceeds rents currently billed in accordance with lease agreements. Rental income attributable to residential leases and parking is recognized as earned, which is not materially different from the straight-line basis. Leases entered by residents for apartment units are generally for one-year terms, renewable upon consent of both parties on an annual or monthly basis.

 

Reimbursements for operating expenses due from tenants pursuant to their lease agreements are recognized as revenue in the period the applicable expenses are incurred. These costs generally include real estate taxes, utilities, insurance, common area maintenance costs and other recoverable costs and are recorded as part of commercial rental income in the condensed consolidated statements of operations. 

 

Stock-based Compensation

 

The Company accounts for stock-based compensation pursuant to Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 718, “Compensation — Stock Compensation.” As such, all equity-based awards are reflected as compensation expense in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations over their vesting period based on the fair value at the date of grant. In the event of a forfeiture, the previously recognized expense would be reversed.

 

Transaction Pursuit Costs 

 

Transaction pursuit costs primarily reflect costs incurred for abandoned acquisition, disposition or other transaction pursuits. 

 

Income Taxes

 

The Company elected to be taxed and to operate in a manner that will allow it to qualify as a REIT under the Code. To qualify as a REIT, the Company is required to distribute dividends equal to at least 90% of the REIT taxable income (computed without regard to the dividends paid deduction and net capital gains) to its stockholders, and meet the various other requirements imposed by the Code relating to matters such as operating results, asset holdings, distribution levels and diversity of stock ownership. Provided the Company qualifies for taxation as a REIT, it is generally not subject to U.S. federal corporate-level income tax on the earnings distributed currently to its stockholders. If the Company fails to qualify as a REIT in any taxable year, the Company will be subject to U.S. federal and state income tax on its taxable income at regular corporate tax rates and any applicable alternative minimum tax. In addition, the Company may not be able to re-elect as a REIT for the four subsequent taxable years. The entities comprising the Predecessor are limited liability companies and are treated as pass-through entities for income tax purposes. Accordingly, no provision has been made for federal, state or local income or franchise taxes in the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

 

47

 

In accordance with FASB ASC Topic 740, the Company believes that it has appropriate support for the income tax positions taken and, as such, does not have any uncertain tax positions that, if successfully challenged, could result in a material impact on its financial position or results of operations. The prior three years’ income tax returns are subject to review by the Internal Revenue Service.

 

Fair Value Measurements

 

Refer to Note 9, “Fair Value of Financial Instruments”.

 

Derivative Financial Instruments

 

FASB derivative and hedging guidance establishes accounting and reporting standards for derivative instruments, including certain derivative instruments embedded in other contracts, and for hedging activities. As required by FASB guidance, the Company records all derivatives on the consolidated balance sheets at fair value. The accounting for changes in the fair value of derivatives depends on the intended use of the derivative and the resulting designation.

 

Derivatives used to hedge the exposure to changes in the fair value of an asset, liability, or firm commitment attributable to a particular risk, such as interest rate risk, are considered fair value hedges. Derivatives used to hedge the exposure to variability in expected future cash flows, or other types of forecast transactions, are considered cash flow hedges. For derivatives designated as fair value hedges, changes in the fair value of the derivative and the hedged item related to the hedged risk are recognized in earnings. For derivatives designated as cash flow hedges, the effective portion of changes in the fair value of the derivative is initially reported in other comprehensive income (loss) (outside of earnings) and subsequently reclassified to earnings when the hedged transaction affects earnings, and the ineffective portion of changes in the fair value of the derivative is recognized directly in earnings. The Company assesses the effectiveness of each hedging relationship by comparing the changes in the fair value or cash flows of the derivative hedging instrument with the changes in the fair value or cash flows of the designated hedged item or transaction. For derivatives not designated as hedges, changes in fair value would be recognized in earnings. As of December 31, 2022, the Company has no derivatives for which it applies hedge accounting.

 

Loss Per Share

 

Basic and diluted net loss per share is computed by dividing net loss attributable to common stockholders by the weighted average common shares outstanding. As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the Company had unvested LTIP units which provide for non-forfeitable rights to dividend-equivalent payments. Accordingly, these unvested LTIP units are considered participating securities and are included in the computation of basic and diluted net loss per share pursuant to the two-class method. The Company did not have dilutive securities as of December 31, 2022, or 2021.

 

The effect of the conversion of the 26,317 Class B LLC units outstanding is not reflected in the computation of basic and diluted net loss per share, as the effect would be anti-dilutive. The net loss allocable to such units is reflected as non-controlling interests in the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

 

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Results of Operations

 

Our focus throughout the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, has been to manage our properties to optimize revenues and control costs, while continuing to renovate and reposition certain properties. The discussion below highlights the specific properties contributing to the changes in the results of operations and focuses on the properties that the Company owned and operated for the full period in each comparison.

 

Income Statement for the Years Ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 (in thousands)

 

   

2022

   

2021

   

Increase

(decrease)

   

%

 

Revenues

                               

Residential rental income

  $ 90,262     $ 85,771     $ 4,491       5.2 %

Commercial rental income

    39,484       36,958       2,526       6.8 %

Total revenues

    129,746       122,729       7,017       5.7 %

Operating Expenses

                               

Property operating expenses

    29,306       28,997       309       1.1 %

Real estate taxes and insurance

    32,561       30,449       2,112       6.9 %

General and administrative

    12,752       10,570       2,182       20.6 %

Transaction pursuit costs

    506       60       446       743.3 %

Depreciation and amortization

    26,985       25,762       1,223       4.7 %

Total operating expenses

    102,110       95,838       6,272       6.5 %

Litigation settlement and other

          (2,730 )     2,730       100.0 %

Income from operations

    27,636       24,161       3,475       14.4 %

Interest expense, net

    (40,207 )     (41,284 )     1,077       2.6 %

Loss on modification/extinguishment of debt

          (3,034 )     3,034       100.0 %

Gain on involuntary conversion

          139       (139 )     (100.0 )%

Net loss

  $ (12,571 )   $ (20,018 )   $ 7,447       37.2 %

 

The dollar amounts in the narrative disclosure below are in thousands, other than the base rent per square foot figures.

 

Revenue. Residential rental income increased to $90,262 for the year ended December 31, 2022, from $85,771 for the year ended December 31, 2021,  primarily due to increases in rental rates at Tribeca House from residual leases entered into early in the pandemic and an increase in occupancy at Flatbush Gardens, partially offset by the inclusion of $3,250 bad debt expense due to adoption of ASC 842 in 2022. Base rent per square foot increased at the Tribeca House property to $73.75 (99.2% leased occupancy) at December 31, 2022, from $62.68 (97.8% leased occupancy) at December 31, 2021. Leased occupancy at the Flatbush Gardens property increased to 98.8% leased at December 31, 2022, from 92.3% leased at December 31, 2021.

 

Commercial rental income increased to $39,484 for the year ended December 31, 2022, from $36,958 for the year ended December 31, 2021, primarily due to the restoration of revenue as per ASC 842 from a tenant at Tribeca House now probable of collection of $1,100, commencement of new leases at the Tribeca House property and increased escalation billings at the 141 Livingston Street property, partially offset by the inclusion of $513 of bad debt expense due to adoption of ASC 842 in 2022.

 

Property operating expenses.   Property operating expenses include property-level costs such as compensation costs for property-level personnel, repairs and maintenance, supplies, utilities and landscaping. Property operating expenses increased to $29,306 for the year ended December 31, 2022, from $28,997 for the year ended December 31, 2021, primarily due to higher utilities, repairs and maintenance, legal, supplies, water and sewer costs and other miscellaneous costs, partially offset by bad debt expense of $1,850 recorded in 2021 under ASC 450 which is now recorded as a reduction of revenues in accordance with the adoption of ASC 842 and lower commissions.

 

Real estate taxes and insurance.   Real estate taxes and insurance expenses increased to $32,561 for the year ended December 31, 2022, from $30,449 for the year ended December 31, 2021, primarily due to increased real estate taxes and insurance expense across the portfolio.

 

General and administrative.   General and administrative expenses increased to $12,752 for the year ended December 31, 2022, from $10,570 for the year ended December 31, 2021, primarily due to primarily due to increased executive compensation expense.

 

Transaction pursuit costs. Transaction pursuit costs primarily reflect costs incurred for abandoned acquisition disposition or other transaction pursuits.

 

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Depreciation and amortization.   Depreciation and amortization expense increased to $26,985 for the year ended December 31, 2022, from $25,762 for the year ended December 31, 2021, due to additions to real estate across the portfolio.

 

Litigation settlement and other.   Litigation settlement in 2021 represents a non-recurring expense that the Company incurred in relation to the settlement of litigation related to Real Property Tax Law (“RPTL”) 421-g.  The charge is based on NY Supreme Court rulings on March 4, 2022 that established probability and ability to compute the estimated cost.

 

Interest expense, net.   Interest expense, net, decreased to $40,207 for the year ended December 31, 2022 from $41,284 for the year ended December 31, 2021. The decrease is primarily resulted from increased capitalized interest in 2022 partially offset by increased interest expense at our 10 West 65th street building due to the resetting of the interest rate from fixed to floating. Interest expense included amortization of loan costs of $1,252 and $1,247 for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

 

Loss on modification/extinguishment of debt.   Loss on modification/extinguishment of debt in 2021 related to the refinancing of the 141 Livingston Street loan in February 2021. The amount included charges for early termination and extinguishment of debt and the write-off of unamortized debt costs.

 

Gain on involuntary conversion. Gain on involuntary conversion in 2021 represented insurance proceeds in excess of the carrying value of assets disposed of related to fire damage suffered by units at the Flatbush Gardens property.

 

Net loss.   As a result of the foregoing, net loss decreased to $12,571 for the year ended December 31, 2022, from $20,018 for the year ended December 31, 2021.

 

For comparison of the year ended December 31, 2021 to the year ended December 31, 2020, refer to Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021.

 

Liquidity and Capital Resources

 

As of December 31, 2022, we had $1,161.6 million of indebtedness (net of unamortized issuance costs) secured by our properties, $18.2 million of cash and cash equivalents, and $12.5 million of restricted cash. See Note 6 “Notes Payable” of the accompanying “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” for a discussion of the Company’s property-level debt.

 

As a REIT, we are required to distribute at least 90% of our REIT taxable income, computed without regard to the dividends paid deduction and excluding net capital gains, to stockholders on an annual basis. We expect that these needs will be met from cash generated from operations and other sources, including proceeds from secured mortgages and unsecured indebtedness, proceeds from additional equity issuances and cash generated from the sale of property.

 

Short-Term and Long-Term Liquidity Needs

 

Our short-term liquidity needs will primarily be to fund operating expenses, recurring capital expenditures, property taxes and insurance, interest and scheduled debt principal payments, general and administrative expenses, and distributions to stockholders and unit holders. We generally expect to meet our short-term liquidity requirements through net cash provided by operations and cash on hand, and we believe we will have sufficient resources to meet our short-term liquidity requirements.

 

Our principal long-term liquidity needs will primarily be to fund additional property acquisitions, major renovation and upgrading projects, and debt payments and retirements at maturity. We do not expect that net cash provided by operations will be sufficient to meet all of these long-term liquidity needs. We anticipate meeting our long-term liquidity requirements by using cash as an interim measure and funds from public and private equity offerings and long-term secured and unsecured debt offerings.

 

We believe that as a publicly traded REIT, we will have access to multiple sources of capital to fund our long-term liquidity requirements. These sources include the incurrence of additional debt and the issuance of additional equity. However, we cannot provide assurance that this will be the case. Our ability to secure additional debt will depend on a number of factors, including our cash flow from operations, our degree of leverage, the value of our unencumbered assets and borrowing restrictions that may be imposed. Our ability to access the equity capital markets will depend on a number of factors as well, including general market conditions for REITs and market perceptions about our company.

 

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We believe that our current cash flows from operations and cash on hand, coupled with additional mortgage debt, will be sufficient to allow us to continue operations, satisfy our contractual obligations and make distributions to our stockholders and the members of our LLC subsidiaries for at least the next twelve months. However, no assurance can be given that we will be able to refinance any of our outstanding indebtedness in the future on favorable terms or at all.

 

Property-Level Debt

 

The mortgages, loans and mezzanine notes payable collateralized by the properties, or the Company’s interest in the entities that own the properties and assignment of leases, are as follows (in thousands):

 

Property

Maturity

 

Interest Rate

   

December 31,
2022

 

Flatbush Gardens, Brooklyn, NY

6/1/2032

    3.125 %   $ 329,000  

250 Livingston Street, Brooklyn, NY

6/6/2029

    3.63 %     125,000  

141 Livingston Street, Brooklyn, NY

3/6/2031

    3.21 %     100,000  

Tribeca House, Manhattan, NY

3/6/2028

    4.506 %     360,000  

Aspen, Manhattan, NY

7/1/2028

    3.68 %     62,554  

Clover House, Brooklyn, NY

12/1/2029

    3.53 %     82,000  

10 West 65th Street, Manhattan, NY

11/1/2027

 

SOFR + 2.50

%     32,222  

1010 Pacific Street, Brooklyn, NY

9/1/2024

 

LIBOR + 3.60

%     43,477  

953 Dean Street, Brooklyn, NY

6/22/2023

 

Prime Rate + 1.60

%     36,985  
              $ 1,171,238  

 

Flatbush Gardens

 

There is $329.0 million of mortgage debt secured by Flatbush Gardens, as of December 31, 2022, in the form of a mortgage note to New York Community Bank. The note matures on June 1, 2032, and bears interest at 3.125% through May 2027 and thereafter at the prime rate plus 2.75%, subject to an option to fix the rate. The note requires interest-only payments through May 2027, and monthly principal and interest payments thereafter based on a 30-year amortization schedule. We have the option to prepay all (but not less than all) of the unpaid balance of the note prior to the maturity date, subject to certain prepayment premiums, as defined.

 

250 Livingston Street

 

There is $125.0 million in mortgage debt secured by 250 Livingston Street, as of December 31, 2022, in the form of a mortgage note to Citi Real Estate Funding Inc. The note matures on June 6, 2029, bears interest at 3.63% and requires interest-only payments for the entire term. We have the option to prepay all (but not less than all) of the unpaid balance of the note within three months of maturity, without a prepayment premium.

 

141 Livingston Street

 

There is $100.0 million in mortgage debt secured by 141 Livingston Street, as of December 31, 2022, in the form of a mortgage note to Citi Real Estate Funding Inc. The note matures on March 6, 2031, bears interest at 3.21% and requires interest-only payments for the entire term. We have the option to prepay all (but not less than all) of the unpaid balance of the loan within three months of maturity, without a prepayment premium.

 

Tribeca House

 

There is a $360.0 million loan secured by the Tribeca House properties, as of December 31, 2022, through Deutsche Bank AG. The loan matures on March 6, 2028, bears interest at 4.506% and requires interest-only payments for the entire term. We have the option to prepay all (but not less than all) of the unpaid balance of the note prior to the maturity date, subject to a prepayment premium if it occurs prior to December 6, 2027.

 

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Aspen

 

There is $62.5 million in mortgage debt secured by Aspen, as of December 31, 2022, in the form of a mortgage note to Capital One Multifamily Finance LLC. The note matures on July 1, 2028, and bears interest at 3.68%. The note required interest-only payments through July 2018, and monthly principal and interest payments of approximately $321,000 thereafter based on a 30-year amortization schedule. We have the option to prepay the note prior to the maturity date, subject to a prepayment premium.

 

Clover House

 

There is $82.0 million in mortgage debt secured by Clover House as of December 31, 2022, in the form of a mortgage note to MetLife Investment Management. The note matures on December 1, 2029, bears interest at 3.53% and requires interest-only payments for the entire term. We have the option, commencing on January 1, 2024, to prepay the note prior to the maturity date, subject to a prepayment premium if it occurs prior to September 2, 2029.

 

10 West 65th Street

 

There is $32.2 million in mortgage debt secured by 10 West 65th Street as of December 31, 2022, in the form of a mortgage note to New York Community Bank (“NYCB”), entered into in connection with the acquisition of the property. The note matures on November 1, 2027. Through October 2022 the Company paid a fixed interest rate of 3.375% and thereafter was scheduled to pay at the prime rate plus 2.75%, subject to an option to fix the rate. On August 26, 2022 the Company and NYCB amended the note to replace prime plus 2.75% rate with SOFR plus 2.5% (6.75% at December 31, 2022). The note required interest-only payments through November 2019, and monthly principal and interest payments thereafter based on a 30-year amortization schedule. We have the option to prepay all (but not less than all) of the unpaid balance of the note prior to the maturity date, subject to certain prepayment premiums, as defined.

 

1010 Pacific Street

 

As of December 31, 2022, there was a group of mortgage notes secured by the 1010 Pacific Street property to AIG Asset Management (U.S.), LLC, entered into in connection with the commencement of construction at the property.  The balance on the note was $43.5 million as of December 31, 2022. The notes, which provided for maximum borrowing of $52.5 million, had a 36-month term, bore interest at 30-day LIBOR plus 3.60% (with a floor of 4.1%) (7.37% at December 31, 2022). The notes would have matured on September 1, 2024, could have been extended until September 1, 2026, and the Company could have prepaid the unpaid balance of the note within five months of maturity.

 

On February 10, 2023 the Company refinanced this construction loan with a mortgage loan with Valley National Bank providing for maximum borrowings of $80,000. The loan provided initial funding of $60,000 and a further $20,000 subject to achievement of certain financial targets. The loan has a term of five years and an initial annual interest rate of 5.7% subject to reduction by up to 25 basis points upon achievement of certain financial targets. The interest rate on subsequent fundings will be fixed at the time of any funding. The loan is interest only for the first two years and principal and interest thereafter based on a 30-year amortization schedule.

 

Dean Street

 

There is $37.0 million in mortgage debt secured by Dean Street as of December 31, 2022, in the form of a mortgage note to Bank Leumi, N.A., entered in connection with the acquisition of the property in December 2021 and additional parcels of land in February and April 2022. The original note maturity of December 22, 2022 was extended by six months to June 22, 2023, and is subject to one additional six month extension option. The note bears interest at the prime rate (with a floor of 3.25%) plus 1.60% (7.10% as of December 31, 2022). The Company currently intends to refinance the note with a construction loan prior to maturity, although there are no assurances that the Company will be able to do so.

 

The Company has provided a limited guaranty for the mortgage notes at several of its properties. The Company’s loan agreements contain customary representations, covenants and events of default. Certain loan agreements require the Company to comply with affirmative and negative covenants, including the maintenance of debt service coverage and debt yield ratios. In the event that they are not compliant, certain lenders may require cash sweeps of rent until the conditions are cured. The Company is not in default on any of its loan agreements.

 

52

 

Contractual Obligations and Commitments

 

The following table summarizes principal and interest payment requirements on our debt under terms as of December 31, 2022:

 

   

(in thousands)

 
   

Principal

   

Interest

   

Total

 

2023

  $ 38,972     $ 47,268     $ 86,240  

2024

    45,548       43,978       89,526  

2025

    2,170       41,764       43,934  

2026

    2,268       41,666       43,934  

2027

    33,175       51,207       84,382  

Thereafter

    1,049,105       159,365       1,208,470  

Total

  $ 1,171,238     $ 385,248     $ 1,556,486  

 

The Company is obligated to provide parking availability through August 2025 under a lease with a tenant at the 250 Livingston Street property; the current cost to the Company is approximately $205,000 per year.

 

Distributions

 

In order to qualify as a REIT for Federal income tax purposes, we must currently distribute at least 90% of our taxable income to our shareholders. During the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, we paid dividends and distributions on our common shares, Class B LLC units and LTIP units totaling $17.1 million and $16.8 million, respectively.

 

Cash Flows for the Years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 (in thousands)

 

   

Year Ended
December 31,

 
   

2022

   

2021

 

Operating activities

  $ 20,139     $ 10,822  

Investing activities

    (51,476 )     (77,944 )

Financing activities

    9,779       30,314  

 

Cash flows provided by (used in) operating activities, investing activities and financing activities for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, are as follows:

 

Net cash provided by operating activities was $20,139 for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to $10,822 for the year ended December 31, 2021. The increase during the 2022 period reflected an increase of $5,267 of cash provided by operating assets and liabilities (including timing of payments of prepaid expenses and accrued liabilities), plus an increase of $4,051 of cash flow from operating results.

 

Net cash used in investing activities was $51,476 for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to $77,944 for the year ended December 31, 2021. We spent $45,450 and $35,531 on capital projects for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The Company funded $8,041 and $40,548 towards the acquisition of the Dean Street property for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. During the year ended December 31, 2022 we received a refund of an acquisition deposit made in 2021. For the year ended December 31, 2021, we received $150 of insurance proceeds from the disposal of assets damaged in a fire at a property.

 

Net cash provided by financing activities was $9,779 for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to $30,314 for the year ended December 31, 2021. Cash was primarily provided in the year ended December 31, 2022, by proceeds from draws for constructions on the 1010 Pacific Street Loan and the increase in the Dean Street acquisition loan to purchase additional pieces of land ($29,378), primarily offset by amortization payments on our operating properties ($2,191). This compared to proceeds from a new loan on the 141 Livingston Street, 1010 Pacific Street and Dean Street properties ($151,764), partially offset by repayment of the existing loan on the 141 Livingston and 1010 Pacific Street properties ($95,295) and loan issuance and extinguishment costs ($7,260) during the year ended December 31, 2021.  The Company paid distributions of $17,073 and $16,758 in the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

 

53

 

Income Taxes

 

No provision has been made for income taxes since all of the Company’s operations are held in pass-through entities and accordingly the income or loss of the Company is included in the individual income tax returns of the partners or members.

 

We elected to be treated as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes, beginning with our first taxable three months ended March 31, 2015. As a REIT, we generally will not be subject to federal income tax on income that we distribute to our stockholders. If we fail to qualify as a REIT in any taxable year, we will be subject to federal income tax on our taxable income at regular corporate tax rates. We believe that we are organized and operate in a manner that will enable us to qualify and be taxed as a REIT and we intend to continue to operate so as to satisfy the requirements for qualification as a REIT for federal income tax purposes.

 

Inflation

 

Inflation has recently become a factor in the United States economy and has increased the cost of acquiring, developing, replacing and operating properties. A substantial portion of our interest costs relating to operating properties are fixed through 2027. Leases at our residential rental properties, which comprise approximately 70% of our revenue, are short-term in nature and permit rent increases to recover increased costs, and our longer-term commercial and retail leases generally allow us to recover some increased operating costs.

 

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

 

In this Annual Report on Form 10-K, we disclose and discuss funds from operations (“FFO”), adjusted funds from operations (“AFFO”), adjusted earnings before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization (“Adjusted EBITDA”) and net operating income (“NOI”), all of which meet the definition of “non-GAAP financial measures” set forth in Item 10(e) of Regulation S-K promulgated by the SEC.

 

While management and the investment community in general believe that presentation of these measures provides useful information to investors, neither FFO, AFFO, Adjusted EBITDA, nor NOI should be considered as an alternative to net income (loss) or income from operations as an indication of our performance. We believe that to understand our performance further, FFO, AFFO, Adjusted EBITDA, and NOI should be compared with our reported net income (loss) or income from operations and considered in addition to cash flows computed in accordance with GAAP, as presented in our consolidated financial statements.

 

Funds from Operations and Adjusted Funds from Operations

 

FFO is defined by the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (“NAREIT”) as net income (computed in accordance with GAAP), excluding gains (or losses) from sales of property and impairment adjustments, plus depreciation and amortization, and after adjustments for unconsolidated partnerships and joint ventures. Our calculation of FFO is consistent with FFO as defined by NAREIT.

 

AFFO is defined by us as FFO excluding amortization of identifiable intangibles incurred in property acquisitions, straight-line rent adjustments to revenue from long-term leases, amortization costs incurred in originating debt, interest rate cap mark-to-market adjustments, amortization of non-cash equity compensation, acquisition and other costs, loss on modification/extinguishment of debt, gain on involuntary conversion, gain on termination of lease and certain litigation-related expenses, less recurring capital spending.

 

54

 

Historical cost accounting for real estate assets implicitly assumes that the value of real estate assets diminishes predictably over time. In fact, real estate values have historically risen or fallen with market conditions. FFO is intended to be a standard supplemental measure of operating performance that excludes historical cost depreciation and valuation adjustments from net income. We consider FFO useful in evaluating potential property acquisitions and measuring operating performance. We further consider AFFO useful in determining funds available for payment of distributions. Neither FFO nor AFFO represent net income (loss) or cash flows from operations computed in accordance with GAAP. You should not consider FFO and AFFO to be alternatives to net income (loss) as reliable measures of our operating performance; nor should you consider FFO and AFFO to be alternatives to cash flows from operating, investing or financing activities (computed in accordance with GAAP) as measures of liquidity.

 

Neither FFO nor AFFO measure whether cash flow is sufficient to fund all of our cash needs, including principal amortization, capital improvements and distributions to stockholders. FFO and AFFO do not represent cash flows from operating, investing or financing activities computed in accordance with GAAP. Further, FFO and AFFO as disclosed by other REITs might not be comparable to our calculations of FFO and AFFO.

 

The following table sets forth a reconciliation of FFO and AFFO for the periods presented to net loss, computed in accordance with GAAP (amounts in thousands):

 

   

Years ended December 31,

 
   

2022

   

2021

 

FFO

               

Net loss

  $ (12,571 )   $ (20,018 )

Real estate depreciation and amortization

    26,985       25,762  

FFO

  $ 14,414     $ 5,744  
                 

AFFO

               

FFO

  $ 14,414     $ 5,744  

Amortization of real estate tax intangible

    481       481  

Amortization of above- and below-market leases

    (35 )     (104 )

Straight-line rent adjustments

    (163 )     (202 )

Amortization of debt origination costs

    1,252       1,247  

Amortization of LTIP awards

    2,920       2,611  

Transaction pursuit costs

    506       60  

Loss on modification/extinguishment of debt

          3,034  

Gain on involuntary conversion

          (139 )

Litigation settlement and other

          2,730  

Certain litigation-related expenses

    188       299  

Recurring capital spending

    (326 )     (205 )

AFFO

  $ 19,237     $ 15,556  

 

Adjusted Earnings Before Interest, Income Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization

 

We believe that Adjusted EBITDA is a useful measure of our operating performance. We define Adjusted EBITDA as net income (loss) before allocation to non-controlling interests, plus real estate depreciation and amortization, amortization of identifiable intangibles, straight-line rent adjustments to revenue from long-term leases, amortization of non-cash equity compensation, interest expense (net), acquisition and other costs, loss on modification/extinguishment of debt and certain litigation-related expenses, less gain on involuntary conversion and gain on termination of lease.

 

We believe that this measure provides an operating perspective not immediately apparent from GAAP income from operations or net income (loss). We consider Adjusted EBITDA to be a meaningful financial measure of our core operating performance.

 

However, Adjusted EBITDA should only be used as an alternative measure of our financial performance. Further, other REITs may use different methodologies for calculating Adjusted EBITDA, and accordingly, our Adjusted EBITDA may not be comparable to that of other REITs.

 

55

 

The following table sets forth a reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA for the periods presented to net loss, computed in accordance with GAAP (amounts in thousands):

 

   

Years ended December 31,

 
   

2022

   

2021

 

Adjusted EBITDA

               

Net loss

  $ (12,571 )   $ (20,018 )

Real estate depreciation and amortization

    26,985       25,762  

Amortization of real estate tax intangible

    481       481  

Amortization of above- and below-market leases

    (35 )     (104 )

Straight-line rent adjustments

    (163 )     (202 )

Amortization of LTIP awards

    2,920       2,611  

Interest expense, net

    40,207       41,284  

Transaction pursuit costs

    506       60  

Loss on modification/extinguishment of debt

          3,034  

Gain on involuntary conversion

          (139 )

Litigation settlement and other

          2,730  

Certain litigation-related expenses

    188       299  

Adjusted EBITDA

  $ 58,518     $ 55,798  

 

Net Operating Income

 

We believe that NOI is a useful measure of our operating performance. We define NOI as income from operations plus real estate depreciation and amortization, general and administrative expenses, acquisition and other costs, amortization of identifiable intangibles and straight-line rent adjustments to revenue from long-term leases, less gain on termination of lease. We believe that this measure is widely recognized and provides an operating perspective not immediately apparent from GAAP income from operations or net income (loss). We use NOI to evaluate our performance because NOI allows us to evaluate the operating performance of our company by measuring the core operations of property performance and capturing trends in rental housing and property operating expenses. NOI is also a widely used metric in valuation of properties.

 

However, NOI should only be used as an alternative measure of our financial performance. Further, other REITs may use different methodologies for calculating NOI, and accordingly, our NOI may not be comparable to that of other REITs.

 

The following table sets forth a reconciliation of NOI for the periods presented to income from operations, computed in accordance with GAAP (amounts in thousands):

 

   

Years ended December 31,

 
   

2022

   

2021

 

NOI

               

Income from operations

  $ 27,636     $ 24,161  

Real estate depreciation and amortization

    26,985       25,762  

General and administrative expenses

    12,752       10,570  

Transaction pursuit costs

    506       60  

Amortization of real estate tax intangible

    481       481  

Amortization of above- and below-market leases

    (35 )     (104 )

Straight-line rent adjustments

    (163 )     (202 )

Litigation settlement and other

          2,730  

NOI

  $ 68,162     $ 63,458  

 

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

 

See Note 2, “Significant Accounting Policies” of our consolidated financial statements included in Item 15 for a discussion of recent accounting pronouncements.

 

56

 

ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

 

Our future income, cash flows and fair value relevant to our financial instruments depends upon prevailing market interest rates. Market risk refers to the risk of loss from adverse changes in market prices and interest rates. Based upon the nature of our operations, the principal market risk to which we are exposed is the risk related to interest rate fluctuations. Many factors, including governmental monetary and tax policies, domestic and international economic and political considerations, and other factors that are beyond our control, contribute to interest rate risk.

 

A one percent change in interest rates on our $112.7 million of variable rate debt as of December 31, 2022, would impact annual net income by approximately $1.1 million.

 

At December 31, 2022, there were no interest rate caps for the Company’s outstanding debt.

 

The fair value of the Company’s notes payable was approximately $1,092.3 million and $1,199.4 million as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

 

ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

 

The financial statements beginning on Page F-1 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K are incorporated herein by reference.

 

ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE

 

None.

 

ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

 

(a) Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures. As required by Rule 13a-15 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as of the end of the period covered by this report, the Company carried out an evaluation under the supervision and with the participation of the Company's management, including the Company's Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of the Company's disclosure controls and procedures. Based upon that evaluation, the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that the Company's disclosure controls and procedures are effective to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Securities and Exchange Commission's rules and forms. We continue to review and document our disclosure controls and procedures, including our internal controls and procedures for financial reporting, and may from time to time make changes aimed at enhancing their effectiveness and to ensure that our systems evolve with our business.

 

(b) Management's Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as such term is defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f). Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, we conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022 based on the framework in Internal Control-Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). Based on that evaluation, our management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2022.

 

The Company’s internal control over financial reporting includes policies and procedures that: relate to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of assets of the Company; provide reasonable assurance of the recording of all transactions necessary to permit the preparation of the Company's consolidated financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and the proper authorization of receipts and expenditures in accordance with authorization of the Company's management and directors; and provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of the Company's assets that could have a material effect on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

 

Our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022 has been audited by PKF O’Connor Davies, LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report which is included elsewhere herein.

 

Changes in Internal Control

 

There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting identified in management’s evaluation pursuant to Rules 13a-15(d) or 15d-15(d) of the Exchange Act during the last quarter covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K that materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

 

Our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022 has been audited by PKF O’Connor Davies, LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report which is included elsewhere herein.

 

ITEM 9B. OTHER INFORMATION

 

None.

 

ITEM 9C. DISCLOSURE REGARDING FOREIGN JURISDICTIONS THAT PREVENT INSPECTIONS

 

Not applicable.

 

57

 

PART III

 

ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

 

The information required by Item 10 will be set forth in the Company’s Proxy Statement, to be filed no later than 120 days after the end of our fiscal year.

 

ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

 

The information required by Item 11 will be set forth in the Company’s Proxy Statement, to be filed no later than 120 days after the end of our fiscal year.

 

ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS

 

Securities Authorized For Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans

 

As of December 31, 2022, we have the following shares of our common stock reserved for future issuance under our 2015 Omnibus Plan, as amended, and 2015 Director Plan, as amended.

 

Equity Compensation Plan Information

 

Plan category

 

(a)

Number of securities to be
issued upon exercise of
outstanding options,
warrants and rights

   

(b)

Weighted-average exercise
price of outstanding options,
warrants and rights

   

(c)

Number of securities
remaining available for
future issuance under equity compensation plans

(excluding securities

reflected in column (a))

 

Equity compensation plans approved by security holders

                       

2015 Omnibus Plan

    2,175,295             1,124,705  

2015 Director Plan

    774,525             425,475  
                         

Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders

                 

Total

    2,949,820             1,550,180  

 

The remaining information required by Item 12 will be set forth in the Company’s Proxy Statement, to be filed no later than 120 days after the end of our fiscal year.

 

ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE

 

The information required by Item 13 will be set forth in the Company’s Proxy Statement, to be filed no later than 120 days after the end of our fiscal year.

 

ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES

 

The information required by Item 14 will be set forth in the Company’s Proxy Statement, to be filed no later than 120 days after the end of our fiscal year.

 

PART IV

 

ITEM 15. EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES

 

(a)

The following documents are filed as part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K:

 

 

1)

Consolidated Financial Statements: See Index to Consolidated Financial Statements and Schedule on page F-1 of this Form 10-K

 

 

2)

Financial Statement Schedule: See Index to Consolidated Financial Statements and Schedule on page F-1 of this Form 10-K

 

 

3)

Exhibits: See the Exhibit Index

 

58

 

 

Exhibit Index

 

Exhibit
Number

Description

3.1*

Articles of Amendment and Restatement

   

3.2*

Bylaws

   

3.3*

Articles Supplementary

   

4.1**

Description of Securities

   

10.1*

Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement of Berkshire Equity LLC

   

10.2*

Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement of 50/53 JV LLC

   

10.3*

Second Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement of Renaissance Equity Holdings LLC

   

10.4*

Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement of Gunki Holdings LLC

   

10.5*

Registration Rights Agreement, made and entered into as of August 3, 2015, between Clipper Realty Inc. and FBR Capital Markets & Co.

   

10.6*

Registration Rights Agreement, made and entered into as of August 3, 2015, by and among Clipper Realty Inc. and each of the Holders from time to time party thereto.

   

10.7†*

Employment Agreement, made and entered into as of August 3, 2015, by and among Clipper Realty Inc. and David Bistricer

   

10.8†*

Employment Agreement, made and entered into as of August 3, 2015, by and among Clipper Realty Inc. and Lawrence Kreider

   

10.9†*

Employment Agreement, made and entered into as of August 3, 2015, by and among Clipper Realty Inc. and Jacob Schwimmer

   

10.10†*

Employment Agreement, made and entered into as of August 3, 2015, by and among Clipper Realty Inc. and JJ Bistricer

   

10.11†*

Clipper Realty Inc. 2015 Omnibus Incentive Compensation Plan

   

10.12†*

Clipper Realty Inc. 2015 Non-Employee Director Plan

   

10.13†*

Clipper Realty Inc. 2015 Executive Incentive Compensation Plan

   

10.14†*

Clipper Realty Inc. 2015 Omnibus Incentive Compensation Plan Restricted LTIP Unit Agreement

   

10.15†*

Clipper Realty Inc. 2015 Non-Employee Director Plan Restricted LTIP Unit Agreement

   

10.16*

Tax Protection Agreement, made and entered into as of August 3, 2015, by and among Clipper Realty Inc., Clipper Realty L.P., Renaissance Equity Holdings LLC, Berkshire Equity LLC, Gunki Holdings LLC, 50/53 JV LLC, and each of the Continuing Investors listed on Schedules A-D thereto

 

59

 

10.17*

Shared Services Agreement, made and entered into as of August 3, 2015, by and among Clipper Equity LLC and Clipper Realty L.P.

   

10.18*

Shared Services Agreement, made and entered into as of August 3, 2015, by and among Clipper Realty L.P. and Clipper Equity LLC

   

10.19*

Loan Indemnification Agreement, made and entered into as of August 3, 2015, by and among Clipper Realty Inc., Clipper Realty L.P. and the Guarantor defined therein

   

10.20*

Loan Indemnification Agreement, made and entered into as of August 3, 2015, by and among Clipper Realty Inc., Clipper Realty L.P. and the Guarantor defined therein

   

10.21*

Loan Indemnification Agreement, made and entered into as of August 3, 2015, by and among Clipper Realty Inc., Clipper Realty L.P. and the Guarantor defined therein

   

10.22*

Loan Indemnification Agreement, made and entered into as of August 3, 2015, by and among Clipper Realty Inc., Clipper Realty L.P. and the Guarantor defined therein

   

10.23*

Loan Indemnification Agreement, made and entered into as of August 3, 2015, by and among Clipper Realty Inc., Clipper Realty L.P. and the Guarantor defined therein

   

10.24*

Indemnification Agreement, made and entered into as of August 3, 2015, by and among David Bistricer, Trapeze Inc., Clipper Realty Inc., Clipper Realty L.P., and Berkshire Equity LLC

   

10.25*

Amended and Restated Loan Agreement, made and entered into as of December 15, 2014, by and among 50 Murray Street Acquisition LLC, German American Capital Corporation, and Deutsche Bank AG, New York Branch

   

10.26*

Joinder, Reaffirmation and Ratification of Guaranty of Recourse Obligations and Environmental Indemnity Agreement, made and entered into as of August 3, 2015, by and among David Bistricer, Trapeze Inc., Clipper Realty L.P., and Deutsche Bank AG, New York Branch

   

10.27*

Lease, made and entered into as of December 17, 2015, by and between Berkshire Equity LLC and the City of New York.

   

10.28*

Lease, made and entered into as of January 1, 1997, by and between NPMM Realty Inc. and the City of New York

   

10.29*

Letter Regarding Option to Renew Lease, dated as of December 28, 2010, from the City of New York to Berkshire Equity LLC

   

10.30*

Lease Renewal and Amendment Agreement, made and entered into as of December 15, 2016, by and between 250 Livingston Owner, LLC and the City of New York

   

10.31*

Limited Partnership Agreement of Clipper Realty L.P., dated as of August 3, 2015

   

10.32*

Amendment No. 3 to Registration Rights Agreement, made and entered into February 2, 2017, between Clipper Realty Inc. and FBR Capital Markets & Co.

   

10.33***

Loan Agreement, dated February 21, 2018, between 50 Murray Street Acquisition LLC and Deutsche Bank AG, New York Branch

 

60

 

10.34***

First Mezzanine Loan Agreement, dated February 21, 2018, between 50 Murray Mezz One LLC and Deutsche Bank AG, New York Branch

   

10.35***

Second Mezzanine Loan Agreement, dated February 21, 2018, between 50 Murray Mezz Two LLC and Deutsche Bank AG, New York Branch

   

10.36***

Consolidation, Modification and Extension Agreement, Assignment of Leases and Rents and Security Agreement, dated February 21, 2018, between Renaissance Equity Holdings LLC A, Renaissance Equity Holdings LLC B, Renaissance Equity Holdings LLC C, Renaissance Equity Holdings LLC D, Renaissance Equity Holdings LLC E, Renaissance Equity Holdings LLC F, and Renaissance Equity Holdings LLC G and New York Community Bank

   

10.37****

Loan Agreement, dated May 31, 2019, between 250 Livingston Owner LLC and Citi Real Estate Funding Inc.

   

10.38*****

Amended and Restated Mortgage Note, dated May 8, 2020, between Renaissance Equity Holdings LLC A, Renaissance Equity Holdings LLC B, Renaissance Equity Holdings LLC C, Renaissance Equity Holdings LLC D, Renaissance Equity Holdings LLC E, Renaissance Equity Holdings LLC F and Renaissance Equity Holdings LLC G, and New York Community Bank

   

10.39*****

Mortgage, Assignment of Leases and Rents and Security Agreement, dated May 8, 2020, between Renaissance Equity Holdings LLC A, Renaissance Equity Holdings LLC B, Renaissance Equity Holdings LLC C, Renaissance Equity Holdings LLC D, Renaissance Equity Holdings LLC E, Renaissance Equity Holdings LLC F and Renaissance Equity Holdings LLC G, and New York Community Bank

   

10.40†******

First Amendment to the Clipper Realty Inc. 2015 Omnibus Incentive Compensation Plan

   

10.41†*******

First Amendment to the Clipper Realty Inc. 2015 Non-Employee Director Plan

   

10.42†***********

Second Amendment to the Clipper Realty Inc. 2015 Omnibus Incentive Compensation Plan

   

10.43†************

Second Amendment to the Clipper Realty Inc. 2015 Non-Employee Director Plan

   

10.44†**********

Employment Agreement, dated May 11, 2021, between Clipper Realty Inc. and Lawrence Kreider

   

21.1********

List of subsidiaries

   

23.1********

Consent of PKF O’Connor Davies, LLP

   

23.2********

Consent of BDO USA, LLP

   

24.1

Power of Attorney (included on signature page hereto)

   

31.1********

Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) Certification of Principal Executive Officer

   

31.2********

Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) Certification of Principal Financial Officer

   

32.1********

Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

   

32.2********

Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

   

101.INS*********

Inline XBRL Instance Document (the Instance Document does not appear in the Interactive Data File because its XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document)

   

101.SCH*********

Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document

   

101.CAL*********

Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document

 

61

 

101.LAB*********

Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document

   

101.PRE*********

Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document

   

101.DEF*********

Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document

   

104*********

Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as Inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101)

 

*

Incorporated by reference to the Company’s registration statement on Form S-11 (No. 333-214021)

 

Indicates management contract or compensation plan

 

**

Incorporated by reference to the Company’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, filed on March 12, 2020

 

***

Incorporated by reference to the Company’s Form 8-K dated February 21, 2018, filed on February 27, 2018

 

****

Incorporated by reference to the Company’s Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended June 30, 2019, filed on August 1, 2019

 

*****

Incorporated by reference to the Company’s Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2020, filed on May 11, 2020

 

******

Incorporated by reference to Appendix A to the Company’s Definitive Proxy Statement filed on April 29, 2020

 

*******

Incorporated by reference to Appendix B to the Company’s Definitive Proxy Statement filed on April 29, 2020

 

********

Filed herewith

 

*********

Submitted electronically with the report

 

**********

Incorporated by reference to the Company’s Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended June 30, 2021, filed on August 9, 2021

   
*********** Incorporated by reference to Appendix A to the Company’s Definitive Proxy Statement filed on May 2, 2022
   
************ Incorporated by reference to Appendix B to the Company’s Definitive Proxy Statement filed on May 2, 2022

 

62

 

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned.

 

 

CLIPPER REALTY INC. 

     

March 16, 2023

By:

/s/ David Bistricer

   

David Bistricer

    Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer 

 

POWER OF ATTORNEY

 

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints David Bistricer and Sam Levinson his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact (with full power to each of them to act alone), with full power of substitution and re-substitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this Annual Report on Form 10-K, and to file the same, with the exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection herewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agent, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing required and necessary to be done in and about the foregoing as fully for all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agent or his substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, this Annual Report on Form 10-K has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

Name 

 

Title 

 

Date 

         

/s/ David Bistricer

 

Co-Chairman of the Board and

 

March 16, 2023

David Bistricer

 

Chief Executive Officer

   
   

(Principal Executive Officer) 

   
         

/s/ Lawrence E. Kreider, Jr.

 

Chief Financial Officer

 

March 16, 2023

Lawrence E. Kreider, Jr.

 

(Principal Financial Officer and Principal

Accounting Officer) 

   
         

/s/ Sam Levinson

 

Co-Chairman of the Board

 

March 16, 2023

Sam Levinson

       
         

/s/ Howard M. Lorber

 

Director

 

March 16, 2023

Howard M. Lorber

       
         

/s/ Robert J. Ivanhoe

 

Director

 

March 16, 2023

Robert J. Ivanhoe

       
         

/s/ Roberto A. Verrone

 

Director

 

March 16, 2023

Roberto A. Verrone

       
         

/s/ Richard Burger

 

Director

 

March 16, 2023

Richard Burger

       
         

/s/ Harmon Spolan

 

Director

 

March 16, 2023

Harmon Spolan

       

 

63

 

 

 
 

Index to Consolidated Financial Statements and Schedule

 

 

Page

Consolidated Financial Statements

 

Reports of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firms (2022: PKF O’Connor Davies LLP, New York, New York, PCAOB ID# 127, 2021: BDO USA, LLP, New York, New York, PCAOB ID# 243)

F-2

Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2022 and 2021

F-6

Consolidated Statements of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021

F-7

Consolidated Statements of Equity for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021

F-8

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021

F-9

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

F-10

   

Financial Statement Schedule

 

Schedule III – Real Estate and Accumulated Depreciation F-28
 

 

F-1

 

 

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

Stockholders and Board of Directors
Clipper Realty Inc.

Brooklyn, NY

 

Opinion on the Consolidated Financial Statements

 

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheet of Clipper Realty Inc. (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2022, and the related consolidated statements of operations, equity and cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2022, and the related notes and financial statement schedule listed in the accompanying index (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company at December 31, 2022, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the year then ended December 31, 2022, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

 

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”), the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022, based on criteria established in Internal Control-Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) and our report dated March 15, 2023, expressed an unqualified opinion.

 

Change in Accounting Principle

 

As discussed in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company changed its method of accounting for leases effective January 1, 2022 due to the adoption of ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) and the related amendments.

 

Basis for Opinion

 

These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s consolidated financial statements based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

 

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audit included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audit also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

 

Critical Audit Matter

 

The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the financial statements that were communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relate to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective or complex judgments. The communication of a critical audit matter does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which they relate.

 

F-2

 

Collectability Assessment of Tenant and Other Receivables

 

As part of the Company’s assessment of tenant and other receivables, management reviews the collectability of charges under its tenant operating leases related to the reporting of residential rental revenue, taking into consideration changes in factors such as the tenant’s payment history, the financial condition of the tenant, economic and business conditions in which a tenant resides or operates, and other factors in the area where the property is located, including the impact of assistance provided to residential tenants from governmental entities as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Actual results could differ from estimates supporting the Company’s collectability analysis. If management deems it probable that a receivable will not be collected, an adjustment will be made to reduce rental income. During 2022, the Company recognized residential rental income of $90.3 million and recorded tenant and other receivables, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $5.0 million at December 31, 2022. As described in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements, on January 1, 2022 the Company adopted Topic 842 which requires the Company to assess the probability of collecting substantially all of the lease payments. Upon adoption, the Company recorded a $6.0 million transition adjustment to write-off tenant and other receivables.

 

Auditing the Company's collectability assessment is complex due to the judgment involved in the Company’s determination of the collectability of remaining lease payments from its residential tenants. The determination involves consideration of experience with the Company’s residential lessee portfolio, including the lessee’s payment history, an assessment of the financial strength of the lessee, remaining lease payments, and the timing of expected payments.

 

We obtained an understanding, evaluated the design and tested the operating effectiveness of the Company's controls over residential rental income, including controls over management’s assessment of the collectability of future lease payments.  For example, we tested controls over management’s consideration of the factors mentioned above used in assessing collectability and controls over the completeness and accuracy of the data used in management’s analyses.

 

In order to test residential rental income recognized, we performed audit procedures that included, among others, evaluating the data and assumptions used in determining whether collection of substantially all of the lease payments was probable based on the factors mentioned above. In addition, we tested the completeness and accuracy of the data that was used in management’s analyses.

 

/s/ PKF O’Connor Davies, LLP

 

We have served as the Company’s auditor since September 29, 2022.

 

New York, New York

March 15, 2023

PCAOB ID No. 127

 

F-3

 

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

To the Stockholders and Board of Directors

Clipper Realty Inc.

 

Opinion on Internal Control over Financial Reporting

 

We have audited Clipper Realty Inc.’s (the “Company”) internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022, based on criteria established in Internal Control–Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). In our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022, based on criteria established in Internal Control–Integrated Framework (2013) issued by COSO.

 

We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”), the consolidated balance sheet of the Company as of December 31, 2022, and the related consolidated statements of operations, equity and cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2022, and the related notes and financial statement schedule and our report dated March 15, 2023, expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.

 

Basis for Opinion

 

The Company’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting, and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

 

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audit also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

 

Definition and Limitations of Internal Control over Financial Reporting

 

A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

 

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

 

/s/ PKF O’Connor Davies, LLP

 

New York, New York

March 15, 2023

 

F-4

 

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

Stockholders and Board of Directors
Clipper Realty Inc.

Brooklyn, NY

 

Opinion on the Consolidated Financial Statements

 

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheet of Clipper Realty Inc. (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2021, the related consolidated statements of operations, equity, and cash flows for the year then ended, and the related notes and financial statement schedule listed in the accompanying index (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company at December 31, 2021, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the year then ended , in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

 

Basis for Opinion

 

These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s consolidated financial statements based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

 

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audit we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.

 

Our audit included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audit also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

 

/s/ BDO USA, LLP
 

We served as the Company’s auditor from 2014 to 2021.

 

New York, NY
March 15, 2022

 

 

F-5

 

 

 

Clipper Realty Inc.

Consolidated Balance Sheets

(In thousands, except for share and per share data)

 

   

December 31,
2022

   

December 31,
2021

 
                 
ASSETS                
Investment in real estate                

Land and improvements

  $ 540,859     $ 540,859  

Building and improvements

    656,460       649,686  

Tenant improvements

    3,406       3,406  

Furniture, fixtures and equipment

    12,878       12,500  

Real estate under development

    142,287       97,301  

Total investment in real estate

    1,355,890       1,303,752  

Accumulated depreciation

    (184,781 )     (158,002 )

Investment in real estate, net

    1,171,109       1,145,750  

Cash and cash equivalents

    18,152       34,524  

Restricted cash

    12,514       17,700  

Tenant and other receivables, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $321 and $7,905, respectively

    5,005       10,260  

Deferred rent

    2,573       2,656  

Deferred costs and intangible assets, net

    6,624       7,126  

Prepaid expenses and other assets

    13,654       15,641  

TOTAL ASSETS

  $ 1,229,631     $ 1,233,657  
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY                
Liabilities:                

Notes payable, net of unamortized loan costs of $9,650 and $12,898, respectively

  $ 1,161,588     $ 1,131,154  

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities

    17,094       19,558  

Security deposits

    7,940       7,110  

Below-market leases, net

    18       53  

Other liabilities

    5,812       5,833  

TOTAL LIABILITIES

    1,192,452       1,163,708  
Equity:                

Preferred stock, $0.01 par value; 100,000 shares authorized (including 140 shares of 12.5% Series A cumulative non-voting preferred stock), zero shares issued and outstanding

           

Common stock, $0.01 par value; 500,000,000 shares authorized, 16,063,228 and 16,063,228 shares issued and outstanding, respectively

    160       160  

Additional paid-in-capital

    88,829       88,089  

Accumulated deficit

    (74,895 )     (61,736 )

Total stockholders’ equity

    14,094       26,513  

Non-controlling interests

    23,085       43,436  

TOTAL EQUITY

    37,179       69,949  

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY

  $ 1,229,631     $ 1,233,657  

 

See accompanying notes to these consolidated financial statements.

 

F-6

 

 

 

Clipper Realty Inc.

Consolidated Statements of Operations

(In thousands, except per share data)

 

 

   

Year Ended December 31,

 
   

2022

   

2021

 
REVENUES                

Residential rental income

  $ 90,262     $ 85,771  

Commercial rental income

    39,484       36,958  

TOTAL REVENUES

    129,746       122,729  
                 
OPERATING EXPENSES                

Property operating expenses

    29,306       28,997  

Real estate taxes and insurance

    32,561       30,449  

General and administrative

    12,752       10,570  

Transaction pursuit costs

    506       60  

Depreciation and amortization

    26,985       25,762  

TOTAL OPERATING EXPENSES

    102,110       95,838  
                 

Litigation settlement and other

          (2,730 )
                 

INCOME FROM OPERATIONS

    27,636       24,161  
                 

Interest expense, net

    (40,207 )     (41,284 )

Loss on modification/extinguishment of debt

          (3,034 )

Gain on involuntary conversion

          139  
                 

Net loss

    (12,571 )     (20,018 )
                 

Net loss attributable to non-controlling interests

    7,807       12,431  

Net loss attributable to common stockholders

  $ (4,764 )   $ (7,587 )

Basic and diluted net loss per share

  $ (0.36 )   $ (0.51 )

 

See accompanying notes to these consolidated financial statements.

 

F-7

 

 

 

Clipper Realty Inc.

Consolidated Statements of Equity

(In thousands, except for share data)

 

   

Number of
common
shares

   

Common
stock

   

Additional
paid-in-
capital

   

Accumulated
deficit

   

Total
stockholders
equity

   

Non-
controlling
interests

   

Total
equity

 

Balance December 31, 2020

    16,063,228     $ 160     $ 87,347     $ (48,045 )   $ 39,462     $ 64,652     $ 104,114  
                                                         

Amortization of LTIP grants

                                  2,611       2,611  

Dividends and distributions

                      (6,104 )     (6,104 )     (10,654 )     (16,758 )

Net loss

                      (7,587 )     (7,587 )     (12,431 )     (20,018 )

Reallocation of non-controlling interests

                742             742       (742 )      

Balance December 31, 2021

    16,063,228       160       88,089     $ (61,736 )   $ 26,513     $ 43,436     $ 69,949  
                                                         

Cumulative effect adjustment

                      (2,291 )     (2,291 )     (3,755 )     (6,046 )

Amortization of LTIP grants

                                  2,920       2,920  

Dividends and distributions

                      (6,104 )     (6,104 )     (10,969 )     (17,073 )

Net loss

                      (4,764 )     (4,764 )     (7,807 )     (12,571 )

Reallocation of non-controlling interests

                740             740       (740 )      

Balance December 31, 2022

    16,063,228     $ 160     $ 88,829     $ (74,895 )   $ 14,094     $ 23,085     $ 37,179  

 

See accompanying notes to these consolidated financial statements.

 

F-8

 

 

 

Clipper Realty Inc.

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(In thousands)

 

   

Year Ended December 31,

 
   

2022

   

2021

 
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES                

Net loss

  $ (12,571 )   $ (20,018 )
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by operating activities:                

Depreciation

    26,779       25,536  

Amortization of deferred financing costs

    1,252       1,247  

Amortization of deferred costs and intangible assets

    687       707  

Amortization of above- and below-market leases

    (35 )     (104 )

Loss on modification/extinguishment of debt

          3,034  

Gain on involuntary conversion

          (139 )

Deferred rent

    (163 )     (202 )

Stock-based compensation

    2,920       2,611  

Bad debt expense (recovery)

    (236 )     1,850  

Transaction pursuit costs

          60  
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:                

Tenant and other receivables

    (310 )     (5,108 )

Prepaid expenses, other assets and deferred costs

    (214 )     (2,639 )

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities

    1,222       3,456  

Security deposits

    830       127  

Other liabilities

    (22 )     404  

Net cash provided by operating activities

    20,139       10,822  
                 
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES                

Additions to land, buildings and improvements

    (45,450 )     (35,531 )

Insurance proceeds from involuntary conversion

          150  

Acquisition deposit

    2,015       (2,015 )

Cash paid in connection with acquisition of real estate

    (8,041 )     (40,548 )

Net cash used in investing activities

    (51,476 )     (77,944 )
                 
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES                

Payments of mortgage notes

    (2,191 )     (97,432 )

Proceeds from mortgage notes

    29,378       151,764  

Dividends and distributions

    (17,073 )     (16,758 )

Loan issuance and extinguishment costs

    (335 )     (7,260 )

Net cash provided by financing activities

    9,779       30,314  
                 

Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash

    (21,558 )     (36,808 )

Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash – beginning of year

    52,224       89,032  

Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash end of year

    30,666     $ 52,224  
                 
Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash – beginning of year:                

Cash and cash equivalents

  $ 34,524     $ 72,058  

Restricted cash

    17,700       16,974  

Total cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash – beginning of year

  $ 52,224     $ 89,032  
                 
Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash – end of year:                

Cash and cash equivalents

  $ 18,152     $ 34,524  

Restricted cash

    12,514       17,700  

Total cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash – end of year

  $ 30,666     $ 52,224  
                 
Supplemental cash flow information:                

Cash paid for interest, net of capitalized interest of $2,069 and $1,740 in 2022 and 2021, respectively

  $ 38,989     $ 40,227  

Non-cash interest capitalized to real estate under development

    2,331       343  

Additions to investment in real estate included in accounts payable and accrued liabilities

    4,882       8,566  

 

See accompanying notes to these consolidated financial statements.

 

F-9

 

 

Clipper Realty Inc.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

(In thousands, except for share and per share data and as noted)

 

 

1. Organization

 

Clipper Realty Inc. (the “Company” or “We”) was organized in the state of Maryland on July 7, 2015. On August 3, 2015, we completed certain formation transactions and the sale of shares of common stock in a private offering. We contributed the net proceeds of the private offering to Clipper Realty L.P., our operating partnership subsidiary (the “Operating Partnership”), in exchange for units in the Operating Partnership. The Operating Partnership in turn contributed such net proceeds to the limited liability companies (“LLCs”) that comprised the predecessor of the Company in exchange for Class A LLC units in such LLCs and became the managing member of such LLCs. The owners of the LLCs exchanged their interests for Class B LLC units and an equal number of special, non-economic, voting stock in the Company. The Class B LLC units, together with the special voting shares, are convertible into common shares of the Company on a one-for-one basis and are entitled to distributions.

 

On June 27, 2016, the Operating Partnership acquired the Aspen property located at 1955 First Avenue in Manhattan, New York.

 

On February 9, 2017, the Company priced an initial public offering of 6,390,149 primary shares of its common stock (including the exercise of the over-allotment option, which closed on March 10, 2017) at a price of $13.50 per share (the “IPO”). The net proceeds of the IPO were approximately $79,000. We contributed the proceeds of the IPO to the Operating Partnership, in exchange for units in the Operating Partnership.

 

On May 9, 2017, the Company completed the purchase of 107 Columbia Heights (subsequently renovated and rebranded “Clover House”), a 158-unit apartment building located in the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York.

 

On October 27, 2017, the Company completed the acquisition of an 82-unit residential property at 10 West 65th Street in the Upper West Side neighborhood of Manhattan, New York.

 

On November 8, 2019, the Company completed the acquisition of 1010 Pacific Street located in the Prospect Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York; the Company is currently redeveloping the property into a 175-unit residential building.

 

During the period December 2021 through February 2022, the Company purchased the Dean Street property which consists of multiple parcels of land in the Prospect Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York; the Company plans to redevelop the property as a 240-unit residential building with two ground floor retail units.

 

As of December 31, 2022, the properties owned by the Company consist of the following (collectively, the “Properties”):

 

  Tribeca House in Manhattan, comprising two buildings, one with 21 stories and one with 12 stories, containing residential and retail space with an aggregate of approximately 483,000 square feet of residential rental Gross Leasable Area (“GLA”) and 77,000 square feet of retail rental and parking GLA;

 

  Flatbush Gardens in Brooklyn, a 59-building residential housing complex with 2,494 rentable units;

 

 

141 Livingston Street in Brooklyn, a 15-story office building with approximately 216,000 square feet of GLA;

 

 

250 Livingston Street in Brooklyn, a 12-story office and residential building with approximately 370,000 square feet of GLA (fully remeasured);

 

F-10

 

 

Aspen in Manhattan, a 7-story building containing residential and retail space with approximately 166,000 square feet of residential rental GLA and approximately 21,000 square feet of retail rental GLA;

 

 

Clover House in Brooklyn, a 11-story residential building with approximately 102,000 square feet of residential rental GLA;

 

 

10 West 65th Street in Manhattan, a 6-story residential building with approximately 76,000 square feet of residential rental GLA; and

 

 

1010 Pacific Street in Brooklyn, which the Company is developing into a 9-story residential building with approximately 119,000 square feet of residential rental GLA.

 

 

Dean Street in Brooklyn, which the Company plans to redevelop as a 9-story residential building with approximately 160,000 square feet of residential rental GLA and approximately 9,000 of retail space.

 

Square footage, leased occupancy percentage and rentable unit disclosures in the consolidated financial statements are unaudited.

 

During 2019, we entered into a joint venture in which we own a 50% interest through which we are paying certain legal and advisory expenses in connection with various rent laws and ordinances which govern certain of our properties. During the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, the Company incurred $0.1 million and $0.1 million, respectively, of such expenses, which are recorded as part of general and administrative in the Consolidated Statements of Operations, and the Company has fulfilled its commitment to the joint venture.

 

The operations of Clipper Realty Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries are carried on primarily through the Operating Partnership. The Company has elected to be taxed as a Real Estate Investment Trust (“REIT”) under Sections 856 through 860 of the Internal Revenue Code (the “Code”). The Company is the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership and the Operating Partnership is the sole managing member of the LLCs that comprised the Predecessor.

 

At December 31, 2022, the Company’s interest, through the Operating Partnership, in the LLCs that own the properties generally entitles it to 37.9% of the aggregate cash distributions from, and the profits and losses of, the LLCs.

 

The Company determined that the Operating Partnership and the LLCs are variable interest entities (“VIEs”) and that the Company was the primary beneficiary. The assets and liabilities of these VIEs represented substantially all of the Company’s assets and liabilities.

 

 

2. Significant Accounting Policies

 

Segments

 

At December 31, 2022, the Company had two reportable operating segments, Residential Rental Properties and Commercial Rental Properties. The Company’s chief operating decision maker may review operational and financial data on a property basis.

 

Basis of Consolidation

 

The accompanying consolidated financial statements of the Company are prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”). The effect of all intercompany balances has been eliminated. The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of all entities in which the Company has a controlling interest. The ownership interests of other investors in these entities are recorded as non-controlling interests.

 

F-11

 

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 commitments and contingencies at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could materially differ from these estimates.

 

Investment in Real Estate

 

Real estate assets held for investment are carried at historical cost and consist of land, buildings and improvements, furniture, fixtures and equipment. Expenditures for ordinary repair and maintenance costs are charged to expense as incurred. Expenditures for improvements, renovations, and replacements of real estate assets are capitalized and depreciated over their estimated useful lives if the expenditures qualify as betterments or the life of the related asset will be substantially extended beyond the original life expectancy.

 

In accordance with ASU 2018-01, "Business Combinations – Clarifying the Definition of a Business,” the Company evaluates each acquisition of real estate or in-substance real estate to determine if the integrated set of assets and activities acquired meets the definition of a business and needs to be accounted for as a business combination. If either of the following criteria is met, the integrated set of assets and activities acquired would not qualify as a business:

 

  Substantially all of the fair value of the gross assets acquired is concentrated in either a single identifiable asset or a group of similar identifiable assets; or

 

  The integrated set of assets and activities is lacking, at a minimum, an input and a substantive process that together significantly contribute to the ability to create outputs (i.e., revenue generated before and after the transaction).

 

An acquired process is considered substantive if:

 

 

The process includes an organized workforce (or includes an acquired contract that provides access to an organized workforce) that is skilled, knowledgeable and experienced in performing the process;

 

 

The process cannot be replaced without significant cost, effort or delay; or

 

 

The process is considered unique or scarce.

 

Generally, the Company expects that acquisitions of real estate or in-substance real estate will not meet the revised definition of a business because substantially all of the fair value is concentrated in a single identifiable asset or group of similar identifiable assets (i.e., land, buildings and related intangible assets) or because the acquisition does not include a substantive process in the form of an acquired workforce or an acquired contract that cannot be replaced without significant cost, effort or delay.

 

Upon acquisition of real estate, the Company assesses the fair values of acquired tangible and intangible assets including land, buildings, tenant improvements, above-market and below-market leases, in-place leases and any other identified intangible assets and assumed liabilities. The Company allocates the purchase price to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed in an asset acquisition based on their relative fair values. In estimating fair value of tangible and intangible assets acquired, the Company assesses and considers fair value based on estimated cash flow projections that utilize appropriate discount and capitalization rates, estimates of replacement costs, net of depreciation, and available market information. The fair value of the tangible assets of an acquired property considers the value of the property as if it were vacant.

 

F-12

 

The Company records acquired above-market and below-market lease values initially based on the present value, using a discount rate which reflects the risks associated with the leases acquired based on the difference between (i) the contractual amounts to be paid pursuant to each in-place lease and (ii) management’s estimate of fair market lease rates for each corresponding in-place lease, measured over a period equal to the remaining term of the lease for above-market leases and the initial term plus the term of any below-market fixed renewal options for the below-market leases. Other intangible assets acquired include amounts for in-place lease values and tenant relationship values (if any) that are based on management’s evaluation of the specific characteristics of each tenant’s lease and the Company’s overall relationship with the respective tenant. Factors to be considered by management in its analysis of in-place lease values include an estimate of carrying costs to execute similar leases. In estimating carrying costs, management includes real estate taxes, insurance and other operating expenses and estimates of lost rentals at market rates during the expected lease-up periods, depending on local market conditions. In estimating costs to execute similar leases, management considers leasing commissions, legal and other related expenses.

 

The Company reviews long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. A property’s value is impaired if management’s estimate of the aggregate future cash flows (undiscounted and without interest charges) to be generated by the property is less than the carrying value of the property. To the extent impairment has occurred, a write-down is recorded and measured by the amount of the difference between the carrying value of the asset and the fair value of the asset. In the event that the Company obtains proceeds through an insurance policy due to impairment, the proceeds are offset against the write-down in calculating gain/loss on disposal of assets. Management of the Company does not believe that any of its properties within the portfolio are impaired as of December 31, 2022.

 

For long-lived assets to be disposed of, impairment losses are recognized when the fair value of the assets less estimated cost to sell is less than the carrying value of the assets. Properties classified as real estate held-for-sale generally represent properties that are actively marketed or contracted for sale with closing expected to occur within the next twelve months. Real estate held-for-sale is carried at the lower of cost, net of accumulated depreciation, or fair value less cost to sell, determined on an asset-by-asset basis. Expenditures for ordinary repair and maintenance costs on held-for-sale properties are charged to expense as incurred. Expenditures for improvements, renovations and replacements related to held-for-sale properties are capitalized at cost. Depreciation is not recorded on real estate held-for-sale.

 

If a tenant vacates its space prior to the contractual termination of the lease and no rental payments are being made on the lease, any unamortized balances of the related intangibles are written off. The tenant improvements and origination costs are amortized to expense over the remaining life of the lease (or charged against earnings if the lease is terminated prior to its contractual expiration date).

 

Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets as follows:

 

Building and improvements (in years)

10 44  

Tenant improvements

Shorter of useful life or lease term  

Furniture, fixtures and equipment (in years)

3 15  

 

The capitalized above-market lease values are amortized as a reduction to base rental revenue over the remaining terms of the respective leases, and the capitalized below-market lease values are amortized as an increase to base rental revenue over the remaining initial terms plus the terms of any below-market fixed rate renewal options of the respective leases. The value of in-place leases is amortized to expense over the remaining initial terms of the respective leases.

 

Cash and Cash Equivalents

 

Cash and cash equivalents are defined as cash on hand and in banks, plus all short-term investments with a maturity of three months or less when purchased. The Company maintains some of its cash in bank deposit accounts, which, at times, may exceed the federally insured limit. No losses have been experienced related to such accounts.

 

F-13

 

Restricted Cash

 

Restricted cash generally consists of escrows for future real estate taxes and insurance expenditures, repairs, capital improvements, loan reserves and security deposits.

 

Tenant and Other Receivables and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

 

Tenant and other receivables are comprised of amounts due for monthly rents and other charges less allowance for doubtful accounts. As described more fully under Revenue Recognition below, in the first quarter of 2022 the Company adopted Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 842 “Leases” which replaced guidance under ASC 840 and provided for transition from balances at December 31, 2021. In accordance with ASC 842, the Company performed a detailed review of amounts due from tenants to determine if accounts receivable balances and future lease payments were probable of collection, wrote off receivables not probable of collection and recorded a general reserve against revenues for receivables probable of collection for which a loss can be reasonably estimated. If management determines that the tenant receivable is not probable of collection it is written off against revenues. In addition, the Company records a general reserve under ASC 450.  In connection with the adoption of ASC 842, the Company recorded a cumulative effect adjustment in the amount of $6 million as of January 1, 2022 based on the modified retrospective method in accordance with the provisions of ASC 842.

 

Deferred Costs

 

Deferred lease costs consist of fees incurred to initiate and renew operating leases. Lease costs are being amortized using the straight-line method over the terms of the respective leases.

 

Deferred financing costs represent commitment fees, legal and other third-party costs associated with obtaining financing. These costs are amortized over the term of the financing and are recorded in interest expense in the consolidated statements of operations. Unamortized deferred financing costs are expensed when the associated debt is refinanced or repaid before maturity. Costs incurred in seeking financing transactions which do not close are expensed in the period the financing transaction is terminated.

 

Comprehensive Income (Loss)

 

Comprehensive income (loss) is comprised of net income (loss) adjusted for changes in unrealized gains and losses, reported in equity, for financial instruments required to be reported at fair value under GAAP. For the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, the Company did not own any financial instruments for which the change in value was not reported in net income (loss); accordingly, its comprehensive income (loss) was its net income (loss) as presented in the consolidated statements of operations.

 

Revenue Recognition

 

As mentioned above under Tenant and Other Receivables and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts, effective the first quarter of 2022, the Company has adopted ASC 842, “Leases” which replaces the guidance under ASC 840.  ASC 842 applies to the Company principally as lessor; as a lessee, the Company’s leases are immaterial. The Company has determined that all its leases as lessor are operating leases. The Company has elected to not bifurcate lease and non-lease components under a practical expedient provision.  With respect to collectability, beginning the first quarter of 2022, the Company has written off all receivables not probable of collection and related deferred rent, and has recorded income for those tenants on a cash basis. When the probability assessment has changed for these receivables, the Company has recognized lease income to the extent of the difference between the lease income that would have been recognized if collectability had always been assessed as probable and the lease income recognized to date. For remaining receivables probable of collection, the Company has recorded a general reserve under ASC 450. In the year-ended ended December 31, 2022, the Company has charged revenue in the amount of $4.9 million for receivables not deemed probable of collection and recorded an increase in revenues of $2.1 million for various residential tenants and $1.1 million for one customer at Tribeca House that were reassessed and determined to be probable of collection. By comparison, in the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company has charged $1.8 million, to operating expenses for bad debt expense computed under the guidance of ASC 450.  In transitioning to ASC 842 in the first quarter of 2022, the Company has elected the modified retrospective approach to existing leases at the beginning of the quarter and has recorded a cumulative-effect adjustment in retained earnings using the above methods applied to balances as of January 1, 2022, of $6.0 million. 

 

F-14

 

In accordance with the provisions of ASC 842, rental revenue for commercial leases is recognized on a straight-line basis over the terms of the respective leases. Deferred rents receivable represents the amount by which straight-line rental revenue exceeds rents currently billed in accordance with lease agreements. Rental income attributable to residential leases and parking is recognized as earned, which is not materially different from the straight-line basis. Leases entered by residents for apartment units are generally for one-year terms, renewable upon consent of both parties on an annual or monthly basis.

 

Reimbursements for operating expenses due from tenants pursuant to their lease agreements are recognized as revenue in the period the applicable expenses are incurred. These costs generally include real estate taxes, utilities, insurance, common area maintenance costs and other recoverable costs totaled $6,652 for the year ended December 31, 2022, and are recorded as part of commercial rental income in the consolidated statements of operations.

 

Stock-based Compensation

 

The Company accounts for stock-based compensation pursuant to Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 718, “Compensation — Stock Compensation.” As such, all equity-based awards are reflected as compensation expense in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations over their vesting period based on the fair value at the date of grant. In the event of a forfeiture, the previously recognized expense for unvested options would be reversed.

 

The following is a summary of awards granted to the Company’s employees and non-employee directors during the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021.        

 

Unvested LTIP Units

 

LTIP Units

   

Weighted
Grant-Date
Fair Value

 

Unvested at December 31, 2020

    666,076     $ 7.22  

Granted

    325,192     $ 8.34  

Vested

    (146,861 )   $ 6.41  

Forfeited

    (33,389 )     7.17  

Unvested at December 31, 2021

    811,018     $ 7.82  

Granted

    1,245,731     $ 9.21  

Vested

    (153,476 )   $ 11.38  

Forfeited

           

Unvested at December 31, 2022

    1,903,273     $ 8.44  

 

As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, there was $10.2 million and $2.3 million, respectively, of total unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested share-based compensation arrangements granted under share incentive plans. As of December 31, 2022, the weighted-average period over which the unrecognized compensation expense will be recorded is approximately four years. For the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 the Company incurred $2,920 and $2,611 in LTIP amortization respectively.

 

In the year-ended December 31, 2022 the Company granted employees and non-employee directors 931,847 and 313,884 LTIP units, respectively, with a combined weighted-average grant date fair value of $9.21 per unit. In the year ended December 31, 2021 the Company granted employees and non-employee directors 222,298 and 102,894 LTIP units, respectively, with a weighted-average grant date fair value of $8.34 per unit. In May 2021, the Company recorded forfeitures of 33,389 unvested LTIP units and accelerated vesting of 19,984 LTIP units related to our former Chief Financial Officer in connection with his departure from the Company.

 

F-15

 

Transaction Pursuit Costs 

 

Transaction pursuit costs primarily reflect costs incurred for abandoned acquisition, disposition or other transaction pursuits. 

 

Income Taxes

 

The Company elected to be taxed and to operate in a manner that will allow it to qualify as a REIT under the Code. To qualify as a REIT, the Company is required to distribute dividends equal to at least 90% of the REIT taxable income (computed without regard to the dividends paid deduction and net capital gains) to its stockholders, and meet the various other requirements imposed by the Code relating to matters such as operating results, asset holdings, distribution levels and diversity of stock ownership. Provided the Company qualifies for taxation as a REIT, it is generally not subject to U.S. federal corporate-level income tax on the earnings distributed currently to its stockholders. If the Company fails to qualify as a REIT in any taxable year, the Company will be subject to U.S. federal and state income tax on its taxable income at regular corporate tax rates and any applicable alternative minimum tax. In addition, the Company may not be able to re-elect as a REIT for the four subsequent taxable years. The entities comprising the Predecessor are limited liability companies and are treated as pass-through entities for income tax purposes. Accordingly, no provision has been made for federal, state or local income or franchise taxes in the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

 

In accordance with FASB ASC Topic 740, the Company believes that it has appropriate support for the income tax positions taken and, as such, does not have any uncertain tax positions that, if successfully challenged, could result in a material impact on its financial position or results of operations. The prior three years’ income tax returns are subject to review by the Internal Revenue Service.

 

The Company has determined that the cash distributed to its stockholders is characterized as follows for Federal income tax purposes:

 

   

Year Ended December 31,

 
   

2022

   

2021

 
                 

Ordinary income

    75 %     50 %

Capital gain

           

Return of capital

    25 %     50 %

Total

    100 %     100 %

 

Fair Value Measurements

 

Refer to Note 9, “Fair Value of Financial Instruments”.

 

Derivative Financial Instruments

 

FASB derivative and hedging guidance establishes accounting and reporting standards for derivative instruments, including certain derivative instruments embedded in other contracts, and for hedging activities. As required by FASB guidance, the Company records all derivatives on the consolidated balance sheets at fair value. The accounting for changes in the fair value of derivatives depends on the intended use of the derivative and the resulting designation.

 

F-16

 

Derivatives used to hedge the exposure to changes in the fair value of an asset, liability, or firm commitment attributable to a particular risk, such as interest rate risk, are considered fair value hedges. Derivatives used to hedge the exposure to variability in expected future cash flows, or other types of forecast transactions, are considered cash flow hedges. For derivatives designated as fair value hedges, changes in the fair value of the derivative and the hedged item related to the hedged risk are recognized in earnings. For derivatives designated as cash flow hedges, the effective portion of changes in the fair value of the derivative is initially reported in other comprehensive income (loss) (outside of earnings) and subsequently reclassified to earnings when the hedged transaction affects earnings, and the ineffective portion of changes in the fair value of the derivative is recognized directly in earnings. The Company assesses the effectiveness of each hedging relationship by comparing the changes in the fair value or cash flows of the derivative hedging instrument with the changes in the fair value or cash flows of the designated hedged item or transaction. For derivatives not designated as hedges, changes in fair value would be recognized in earnings. As of December 31, 2022, the Company has no derivatives for which it applies hedge accounting.

 

Loss Per Share

 

Basic and diluted net loss per share is computed by dividing net loss attributable to common stockholders by the weighted average common shares outstanding. As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the Company had unvested LTIP units which provide for non-forfeitable rights to dividend-equivalent payments. Accordingly, these unvested LTIP units are considered participating securities and are included in the computation of basic and diluted net loss per share pursuant to the two-class method. The Company did not have dilutive securities as of December 31, 2022, or 2021.

 

The effect of the conversion of the 26,317 Class B LLC units outstanding is not reflected in the computation of basic and diluted net loss per share, as the effect would be anti-dilutive. The net loss allocable to such units is reflected as non-controlling interests in the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

 

The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted net loss per share for the periods indicated:

 

   

Year Ended December 31,

 
   

2022

   

2021

 

(in thousands, except per share amounts)

               

Numerator

               

Net loss attributable to common stockholders

  $ (4,764 )   $ (7,587 )

Less: income attributable to participating securities

    (968 )     (653 )

Subtotal

    (5,732 )     (8,240 )

Denominator

               

Weighted-average common shares outstanding

    16,063       16,063  
                 

Basic and diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders

  $ (0.36 )   $ (0.51 )

 

Recently Issued Pronouncements

 

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments-Credit Losses (Topic 326), Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. This ASU requires entities to estimate a lifetime expected credit loss for most financial assets, including trade and other receivables and other long term financings including available for sale and held-to-maturity debt securities, and loans. Subsequently, the FASB issued ASU 2018-19, Codification Improvements to Topic 326, Financial Instruments-Credit Losses, which amends the scope of ASU 2016-13 and clarified that receivables arising from operating leases are not within the scope of the standard and should continue to be accounted for in accordance with the leases standard (Topic 842). Due to our exiting of Emerging Growth Company Status at December 31, 2022, the new standard is adopted to be effective for the Company beginning on January 1, 2022. The Company has evaluated the effect that this guidance on its consolidated financial statements and has determined that adoption did not have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements.

 

F-17

 

In March 2020, FASB issued ASU 2020-04, “Reference Rate Reform: Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting” (Topic 848). ASU 2020-04 provides temporary optional expedients and exceptions to ease financial reporting burdens related to applying current GAAP to modifications of contracts, hedging relationships and other transactions in connection with the transition from the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) and other interbank offered rates to alternative reference rates. ASU 2020-04 is effective beginning on March 12, 2020, and may be applied prospectively to such transactions through December 31, 2022. We will apply ASU 2020-04 prospectively as and when we enter transactions to which this guidance applies.

 

In January 2021, FASB issued ASU 2021-01, “Reference Rate Reform” (Topic 848). ASU 2021-01 modifies ASC 848 (ASU 2020-04), which was intended to provide relief related to “contracts and transactions that reference LIBOR or a reference rate that is expected to be discontinued as a result of reference rate reform.” ASU 2021- 01 expands the scope of ASC 848 to include all affected derivatives and give reporting entities the ability to apply certain aspects of the contract modification and hedge accounting expedients to derivative contracts affected by the discounting transition. ASU 2021-01 also adds implementation guidance to clarify which optional expedients in ASC 848 may be applied to derivative instruments that do not reference LIBOR or a reference rate that is expected to be discontinued, but that are being modified as a result of the discounting transition. The Company does not expect the adoption of ASU 2021-01 to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

 

 

3. Acquisitions

 

On December 22, 2021 the Company acquired the Dean Street property, multiple parcels of land, for $40,548, including acquisition costs of $148; this property is reflected in real estate under development within the investment in real estate in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet.

 

On February 14, 2022 and April 14, 2022 and the Company acquired additional parcel of land for the Dean Street acquisition, for $8,041, including acquisition costs of $391.

 

 

4. Deferred Costs and Intangible Assets

 

Deferred costs and intangible assets consist of the following:

 

   

December 31,
2022

   

December 31,
2021

 
                 

Deferred costs

  $ 348     $ 348  

Lease origination costs

    1,376       1,191  

In-place leases

    428       428  

Real estate tax abatements

    9,142       9,142  

Total deferred costs and intangible assets

    11,294       11,109  

Less accumulated amortization

    (4,670 )     (3,983 )

Total deferred costs and intangible assets, net

  $ 6,624     $ 7,126  

 

Amortization of deferred costs, lease origination costs and in-place lease intangible assets was $206 and $226 for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively; $10 of amortized deferred costs, lease origination costs and in-place leases were written off during the year ended December 31, 2021. Amortization of real estate tax abatements of $481 and $481 for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively, is included in real estate taxes and insurance in the consolidated statements of operations. 

 

F-18

 

Deferred costs and intangible assets as of December 31, 2022, amortize in future years as follows:

 

2023

  $ 583  

2024

    568  

2025

    557  

2026

    541  

2027

    529  

Thereafter

    3,846  

Total

  $ 6,624  

 

 

5. Below-Market Leases, Net

 

The Company’s below-market lease intangibles liabilities are as follows:

 

   

December 31,
2022

   

December 31,
2021

 
                 

Below-market leases

  $ 297     $ 297  

Less accumulated amortization

    (279 )     (244 )

Below-market leases, net

  $ 18       53  

 

Rental income included amortization of below-market leases of $35 and $104 for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively; $488 of fully amortized below-market leases was written off during the year ended December 31, 2021.

 

Below-market leases as of December 31, 2022, amortize in future years as follows:

 

2023

  $ 18  

2024

     

Total

  $ 18  

 

 

6. Notes Payable

 

The mortgages, loans and mezzanine notes payable collateralized by the properties, or the Company’s interest in the entities that own the properties and assignment of leases, are as follows:

 

Property

Maturity

 

Interest Rate

   

December 31,
2022

   

December 31,
2021

 
                           

Flatbush Gardens, Brooklyn, NY (a)

6/1/2032     3.125 %   $ 329,000     $ 329,000  

250 Livingston Street, Brooklyn, NY (b)

6/6/2029     3.63 %     125,000       125,000  

141 Livingston Street, Brooklyn, NY (c)

3/6/2031     3.21 %     100,000       100,000  

Tribeca House, Manhattan, NY (d)

3/6/2028     4.506 %     360,000       360,000  

Aspen, Manhattan, NY (e)

7/1/2028     3.68 %     62,554       64,047  

Clover House, Brooklyn, NY (f)

12/1/2029     3.53 %     82,000       82,000  

10 West 65th Street, Manhattan, NY (g)

11/1/2027     SOFR + 2.50 %     32,222       32,921  

1010 Pacific Street, Brooklyn, NY (h)

9/1/2024     LIBOR + 3.60 %     43,477       21,084  

Dean Street, Brooklyn, NY (i)

6/22/2023     Prime + 1.60 %     36,985       30,000  

Total debt

          $ 1,171,238     $ 1,144,052  

Unamortized debt issuance costs

            (9,650 )     (12,898 )

Total debt, net of unamortized debt issuance costs

          $ 1,161,588     $ 1,131,154  

 

(a) The $329,000 mortgage note agreement with New York Community Bank (“NYCB”), entered into on May 8, 2020, matures on June 1, 2032, and bears interest at 3.125% through May 2027 and thereafter at the prime rate plus 2.75%, subject to an option to fix the rate. The note requires interest-only payments through May 2027, and monthly principal and interest payments thereafter based on a 30-year amortization schedule. The Company has the option to prepay all (but not less than all) of the unpaid balance of the note prior to the maturity date, subject to certain prepayment premiums, as defined.

 

F-19

 

(b) The $125,000 mortgage note agreement with Citi Real Estate Funding Inc., entered into on May 31, 2019, matures on June 6, 2029, bears interest at 3.63% and requires interest-only payments for the entire term. The Company has the option to prepay all (but not less than all) of the unpaid balance of the note within three months of maturity, without a prepayment premium.

 

(c) On February 18, 2021, the Company refinanced the $79,500 mortgage note agreement with NYCB, with a $100,000, ten-year secured first mortgage note with Citi Real Estate Funding Inc. The note matures on March 6, 2031, bears interest at 3.21% and requires interest-only payments for the entire term. The Company has the option to prepay all (but not less than all) of the unpaid balance of the note within three months of maturity, without a prepayment premium.

 

(d) The $360,000 loan with Deutsche Bank, entered into on February 21, 2018, matures on March 6, 2028, bears interest at 4.506% and requires interest-only payments for the entire term. The Company has the option to prepay all (but not less than all) of the unpaid balance of the loan prior to the maturity date, subject to a prepayment premium if it occurs prior to December 6, 2027.

 

(e) The $70,000 mortgage note agreement with Capital One Multifamily Finance LLC matures on July 1, 2028, and bears interest at 3.68%. The note required interest-only payments through July 2017, and monthly principal and interest payments of $321 thereafter based on a 30-year amortization schedule. The Company has the option to prepay the note prior to the maturity date, subject to a prepayment premium.

 

(f) The $82,000 mortgage note agreement with MetLife Investment Management, entered into on November 8, 2019, matures on December 1, 2029, bears interest at 3.53% and requires interest-only payments for the entire term. The Company has the option, commencing on January 1, 2024, to prepay the note prior to the maturity date, subject to a prepayment premium if it occurs prior to September 2, 2029.

 

(g) There is $32.2 million in mortgage debt secured by 10 West 65th Street as of December 31, 2022, in the form of a mortgage note to New York Community Bank (“NYCB”), entered into in connection with the acquisition of the property. The note matures on November 1, 2027. Through October 2022 the Company paid a fixed interest rate of 3.375% and thereafter was scheduled to pay at the prime rate plus 2.75%, subject to an option to fix the rate. On August 26, 2022, the Company and NYCB amended the note to replace prime plus 2.75% rate with SOFR plus 2.5% (6.75% at December 31, 2022). The note required interest-only payments through November 2019, and monthly principal and interest payments thereafter based on a 30-year amortization schedule. We have the option to prepay all (but not less than all) of the unpaid balance of the note prior to the maturity date, subject to certain prepayment premiums, as defined.

 

(h) On December 24, 2019, the Company entered into a $18,600 mortgage note agreement with CIT Bank, N.A., related to the 1010 Pacific Street acquisition. The Company also entered into a pre-development bridge loan secured by the property with the same lender to provide up to $2,987 for eligible pre-development and carrying costs. The notes were scheduled to mature on June 24, 2021, required interest-only payments and bore interest at one-month LIBOR (with a floor of 1.25%) plus 3.60% (4.85% as of June 30, 2021). The notes were extended in June 2021 with a new maturity date of August 30, 2021. The Company guaranteed this mortgage note and complied with the financial covenants therein.

 

On August 10, 2021, the Company refinanced the above 1010 Pacific Street loan with a group of loans with AIG Asset Management (U.S.), LLC providing for maximum borrowings of $52,500 to develop the property. The notes have a 36 month term, bear interest at 30 day LIBOR plus 3.60% (with a floor of 4.1%) (7.72% as of December 31, 2022). The notes mature on September 1, 2024 and may be extended until September 1, 2026. The Company may prepay the unpaid balance of the note within five months of maturity.

 

On February 10, 2023 the Company refinanced this construction loan with a mortgage loan with Valley National Bank providing for maximum borrowings of $80,000. The loan provided initial funding of $60,000 and a further $20,000 subject to achievement of certain financial targets. The loan has a term of five years and an initial annual interest rate of 5.7% subject to reduction by up to 25 basis points upon achievement of certain financial targets. The interest rate on subsequent fundings will be fixed at the time of any funding. The loan is interest only for the first two years and principal and interest thereafter based on a 30-year amortization schedule.

 

F-20

 

In conjunction with the refinancing the Company incurred $3,868 of loan extinguishment costs related to prepayment penalties, writing off of unamortized deferred financed costs of previous loan and other fees.

 

(i) On December 22, 2021, the Company entered into a $30,000 mortgage note agreement with Bank Leumi, N.A related to the Dean Street acquisition. The mortgage notes originally maturity was December 22, 2022 and was subsequently extended by six-months to June 22, 2023. The note is subject to one remaining six-month extension options, requires interest-only payments and bear interest at the prime rate (with a floor of 3.25%) plus 1.60% (7.10% as of December 31, 2022). In April 2022, the Company borrowed an additional $6,985 under the mortgage note in connection with the acquisition of additional parcels of land in February an April 2022.

 

The Company has provided a limited guaranty for the mortgage notes at several of its properties. The Company’s loan agreements contain customary representations, covenants and events of default. Certain loan agreements require the Company to comply with affirmative and negative covenants, including the maintenance of debt service coverage and debt yield ratios. In the event that they are not compliant, certain lenders may require cash sweeps of rent until the conditions are cured. The Company is not in default on any of its loan agreements.

 

The following table summarizes principal payment requirements under the terms of the mortgage notes as of December 31, 2022:

 

2023

  $ 38,972  

2024

    45,548  

2025

    2,170  

2026

    2,268  

2027

    33,175  

Thereafter

    1,049,105  

Total

  $ 1,171,238  

 

The Company recognized a loss on extinguishment of debt of $3,034 during the year ended December 31, 2021, in connection with the refinancing of debt on the 141 Livingston property in February 2021; the loss consisted of the write-off of unamortized debt costs and other fees.

 

 

7. Rental Income under Operating Leases

 

The Company’s commercial properties are leased to commercial tenants under operating leases with fixed terms of varying lengths. As of December 31, 2022, the minimum future cash rents receivable (excluding tenant reimbursements for operating expenses) under non-cancelable operating leases for the commercial tenants in each of the next five years and thereafter are as follows:

 

2023

  $ 7,730  

2024

    30,359  

2025

    24,720  

2026

    4,434  

2027

    3,797  

Thereafter

    47,486  

Total

  $ 118,526  

 

F-21

 

The Company has commercial leases with the City of New York that comprised approximately 24% and 25% of total revenues for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

 

 

8. Fair Value of Financial Instruments

 

GAAP requires the measurement of certain financial instruments at fair value on a recurring basis. In addition, GAAP requires the measure of other financial instruments and balances at fair value on a non-recurring basis (e.g., carrying value of impaired real estate and long-lived assets). Fair value is defined as the price that would be received upon the sale of an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The GAAP fair value framework uses a three-tiered approach. Fair value measurements are classified and disclosed in one of the following three categories:

 

  Level 1: unadjusted quoted prices in active markets that are accessible at the measurement date for identical assets or liabilities;

 

 

Level 2: quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active, and model-derived valuations in which significant inputs and significant value drivers are observable in active markets; and

 

 

Level 3: prices or valuation techniques where little or no market data is available that require inputs that are both significant to the fair value measurement and unobservable.

 

When available, the Company utilizes quoted market prices from an independent third-party source to determine fair value and classifies such items in Level 1 or Level 2. In instances where the market for a financial instrument is not active, regardless of the availability of a nonbinding quoted market price, observable inputs might not be relevant and could require the Company to make a significant adjustment to derive a fair value measurement. Additionally, in an inactive market, a market price quoted from an independent third party may rely more on models with inputs based on information available only to that independent third party. When the Company determines the market for a financial instrument owned by the Company to be illiquid or when market transactions for similar instruments do not appear orderly, the Company uses several valuation sources (including internal valuations, discounted cash flow analysis and quoted market prices) and establishes a fair value by assigning weights to the various valuation sources.

 

Changes in assumptions or estimation methodologies can have a material effect on these estimated fair values. In this regard, the derived fair value estimates cannot be substantiated by comparison to independent markets and, in many cases, may not be realized in an immediate settlement of the instrument.

 

The financial assets and liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets include cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, receivables, accounts payable and accrued liabilities, security deposits and notes payable. The carrying amount of cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, receivables, accounts payable and accrued liabilities, and security deposits reported in the consolidated balance sheets approximates fair value due to the short-term nature of these instruments. The fair value of notes payable, which are classified as Level 2, is estimated by discounting the contractual cash flows of each debt instrument to their present value using adjusted market interest rates.

 

F-22

 

The carrying amount and estimated fair value of the notes payable are as follows:

 

   

December 31,
2022

   

December 31,
2021

 
                 

Carrying amount (excluding unamortized debt issuance costs)

  $ 1,171,238     $ 1,144,052  

Estimated fair value

  $ 1,092,345     $ 1,199,409  

 

The above disclosures regarding fair value of financial instruments are based on pertinent information available as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Although the Company is not aware of any factors that would significantly affect the reasonableness of the estimated fair value amounts, such ‐amounts have not been comprehensively revalued for purposes of these financial statements since those dates, and current estimates of fair value may differ significantly from the amounts presented herein.

 

 

9. Commitments and Contingencies

 

Legal

 

On July 3, 2017, the Supreme Court of the State of New York (the “Court”) ruled in favor of 41 present or former tenants of apartment units at the Company’s buildings located at 50 Murray Street and 53 Park Place in Manhattan, New York (the Tribeca House property), who brought an action (the “Kuzmich” case) against the Company alleging that they were subject to applicable rent stabilization laws with the result that rental payments charged by the Company exceeded amounts permitted under these laws because the buildings were receiving certain tax abatements under Real Property Tax Law (“RPTL”) 421-g. The Court also awarded the plaintiffs- tenants their attorney’s fees and costs. After various court proceedings and discussions from 2018-2022, on March 4, 2022 the court issued a ruling, finalized on May 9, 2022, on the rent overcharges to which the plaintiffs are entitled. While the court ruled that the overcharges to which the plaintiffs are entitled total $1.2 million, the court agreed with the Company’s legal arguments that rendered the overcharge liability lower than it could have been, and therefore the Company did not appeal the ruling. On June 23, 2022, the court ruled that the plaintiffs are entitled to attorneys’ fees incurred through February 28, 2022, in the amount of $0.4 million.

 

On November 18, 2019, the same law firm which filed the Kuzmich case filed a second action involving a separate group of 26 tenants (captioned Crowe et al v 50 Murray Street Acquisition LLC, Supreme Court, New York County, Index No. 161227/19), which action advances essentially the same claims as in Kuzmich. The Company’s deadline to answer or otherwise respond to the complaint in Crowe had been extended to June 30, 2020; on such date, the Company filed its answer to the complaint. Pursuant to the court’s rules, on July 16, 2020, the plaintiffs filed an amended complaint; the sole difference as compared to the initial complaint is that seven new plaintiffs-tenants were added to the caption; there were no substantive changes to the complaint’s allegations. On August 5, 2020, the Company filed its answer to the amended complaint. The case was placed on the court’s calendar and was next scheduled for a discovery conference on November 16, 2022. Counsel for the parties have been engaged in and are continuing settlement discussions. On November 16, 2022, the court held a compliance conference and ordered the plaintiffs to provide rent overcharge calculations in response to proposed calculations previously provided by the Company. The case was placed on the court’s calendar and is next scheduled for a status conference in May 2023.

 

On March 9, 2021, the same law firm which filed the Kuzmich and Crowe cases filed a third action involving another tenant (captioned Horn v 50 Murray Street Acquisition LLC, Supreme Court, New York County, Index No. 152415/21), which action advances the same claims as in Kuzmich and Crowe. The Company filed its answer to the complaint on May 21, 2021.

 

F-23

 

As a result of the March 4 and May 9, 2022 decisions which established the probability and ability to reasonably compute amounts owed to tenants for all the cases, the Company recorded a charge for litigation settlement and other of $2.7 million in the consolidated statements of operations during the year ended December 31, 2021 comprising rent overcharges, interest and legal costs of plaintiff’s counsel. The Company paid $2.3 million to the plaintiffs during the year ended December 31, 2022. A remaining liability of $0.4 million is included in the balance sheet at December 31, 2022.

 

In addition to the above, the Company is subject to certain legal proceedings and claims arising in connection with its business. Management believes, based in part upon consultation with legal counsel, that the ultimate resolution of all such claims will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s consolidated results of operations, financial position or cash flows.

 

The Office of the Attorney General of the State of New York (“OAG”) commenced an investigation concerning the conduct of screening of tenant applicants in the building portfolio in which Clipper Equity and its principals have a management and/or ownership interest. Clipper Equity cooperated with the investigation and, in April 2022, entered into an Assurance of Discontinuance with the OAG to resolve the investigation on behalf of itself and its affiliates, the terms of which have no impact to the Company’s financial position or results of operations.

 

Commitments

 

The Company is obligated to provide parking availability through August 2025 under a lease with a tenant at the 250 Livingston Street property; the current cost to the Company is approximately $205 per year.

 

Contingencies

 

While business conditions in 2022 have improved, government actions in 2020 and 2021 intended to curb the spread of COVID-19 created disruptions in many industries and negatively impacted the Company’s business in several ways, including reducing our tenants’ ability or willingness to pay rents and reducing demand for housing in the New York metropolitan area. During this period, all our residential properties experienced declines in leased occupancy and residential rental rates per square foot and certain commercial tenants received partial rent deferrals or restructured lease terms unfavorable to us. Despite the improvements in our revenues, net operating income, rental rates and leased occupancy in 2022, some of these conditions persist and present uncertainty and risk with respect to the Company’s tenants and the Company’s financial performance.

 

Concentrations

 

The Company’s properties are located in the Boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn in New York City, which exposes the Company to greater economic risks than if it owned a more geographically dispersed portfolio.

 

F-24

 

The breakdown between commercial and residential revenue is as follows:

 

   

Commercial

   

Residential

   

Total

 

Year ended December 31, 2022

    30 %     70 %     100 %

Year ended December 31, 2021

    30 %     70 %     100 %

 

 

10. Related-Party Transactions

 

The Company recorded office and overhead expenses pertaining to a related company in general and administrative expense of $256 and $267 for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The Company recognized reimbursable payroll expense pertaining to a related company in general and administrative expense of $8 and $7 for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

 

The Company paid legal and advisory fees to firms in which two of our directors were principals or partners of $0 and $604 for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

 

 

11. Segment Reporting

 

The Company has classified its reporting segments into commercial and residential rental properties. The commercial reporting segment includes the 141 Livingston Street property and portions of the 250 Livingston Street, Tribeca House, Dean Street and Aspen properties. The residential reporting segment includes the Flatbush Gardens property, the Clover House property, the 10 West 65th Street property, the 1010 Pacific Street property and portions of the 250 Livingston Street, Tribeca House, Dean Street and Aspen properties.

 

The Company’s income from operations by segment for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, is as follows:

 

Year ended December 31, 2022

 

Commercial

   

Residential

   

Total

 

Rental income

  $ 39,484     $ 90,262     $ 129,746  

Total revenues

    39,484       90,262       129,746  

Property operating expenses

    4,566       24,740       29,306  

Real estate taxes and insurance

    8,514       24,047       32,561  

General and administrative

    2,371       10,381       12,752  

Transaction pursuit costs

    81       425       506  

Depreciation and amortization

    5,501       21,484       26,985  

Total operating expenses

    21,033       81,077       102,110  
Litigation settlement and other                  

Income from operations

  $ 18,451     $ 9,185     $ 27,636  

 

Year ended December 31, 2021

 

Commercial

   

Residential

   

Total

 

Rental income

  $ 36,958     $ 85,771     $ 122,729  

Total revenues

    36,958       85,771       122,729  

Property operating expenses

    4,431       24,566       28,997  

Real estate taxes and insurance

    7,807       22,642       30,449  

General and administrative

    1,990       8,580       10,570  

Transaction pursuit costs

    60             60  

Depreciation and amortization

    5,133       20,629       25,762  

Total operating expenses

    19,421       76,417       95,838  

Litigation settlement and other

          (2,730 )     (2,730 )

Income from operations

  $ 17,537     $ 6,624     $ 24,161  

 

F-25

 

The Company’s total assets by segment are as follows, as of:

 

   

Commercial

   

Residential

   

Total

 

December 31, 2022

  $ 312,404     $ 917,227     $ 1,229,631  

December 31, 2021

    310,423       923,234       1,233,657  

 

The Company’s interest expense by segment for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, is as follows:

 

   

Commercial

   

Residential

   

Total

 

Year ended December 31, 2022

  $ 10,043     $ 30,164     $ 40,207  

Year ended December 31, 2021

    10,238       31,046       41,284  

 

The Company’s capital expenditures by segment for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, are as follows:

 

   

Commercial

   

Residential

   

Total

 

Year ended December 31, 2022

  $ 3,979     $ 48,158     $ 52,137  

Year ended December 31, 2021

    7,307       73,492       80,799  

 

 

12. Multiemployer Union Agreement and Pension Plan

 

Certain of the Company’s employees are covered by union-sponsored, collectively bargained, multiemployer defined benefit pension and profit-sharing plans, and health insurance, legal and training plans. Contributions to the plans are determined in accordance with the provisions of the negotiated labor contract. The Local 94 International Union of Operating Engineers (“Local 94”) contract is in effect through December 31, 2026. The Local 32BJ Service Employees International Union (“Local 32BJ”) apartment building contract is in effect through April 20, 2026. The Local 32BJ Service Employees International Union commercial building contract is in effect through December 31, 2023.

 

Contributions to the unions are not segregated or otherwise restricted to provide benefits only to the Company’s employees. The risks of participating in a multiemployer pension plan differ from those of a single-employer pension plan in the following aspects: (a) assets contributed to a multiemployer pension plan by one employer may be used to provide benefits to employees of other participating employers; (b) if a participating employer stops contributing to the plan, the unfunded obligation of the plan may be borne by the remaining participating employers; and (c) if the Company chooses to stop participating in the multiemployer plan, it may be required to pay the plan an amount based on the unfunded status of the plan, which is referred to as the withdrawal liability. The Company has no intention of withdrawing from the plans.

 

The information for the union’s multiemployer pension plans are as follows:

 

Legal name

Building Service 32BJ Pension Fund

Employer identification number

13-1879376

Plan number

001

Type of plan

Defined benefit pension plan

Plan year-end date

June 30

Certified Zone Status for 2022 and 2021*

Yellow in 2022 and Red in 2021

Funding improvement plan/rehabilitation plan*

Implemented

Surcharges paid to plan

None

Pension contribution made for 2022 and 2021, respectively

$383 and $382

Minimum weekly required pension contribution per employee for 2022 and 2021, respectively (in dollars)

$120.95 and $117.63

 

F-26

 

Legal name

Central Pension Fund of the International Union of Operating Engineers and Participating Employers

Employer identification number

36-6052390

Plan number

001

Type of plan

Defined benefit pension plan

Plan year-end date

January 31

Certified Zone Status for 2022 and 2021*

Green

Funding improvement plan/rehabilitation plan*

N/A

Surcharges paid to plan

N/A

Pension contribution made for 2022 and 2021, respectively

$40 and $38

Minimum weekly required pension contribution per employee for 2022 and 2021, respectively (in dollars)

$186.81 and $183.56

 

*

Certified pension zone status (as defined by the Pension Protection Act) represents the level at which the pension plan is funded. Plans in the red zone are less than 65% funded; plans in the yellow zone are less than 80% funded; and plans in the green zone are at least 80% funded. The rehabilitation plan may involve a surcharge on employers or a reduction or elimination of certain employee adjustable benefits.

 

The information provided above is from the respective pension plan’s most current annual report, which for Local 32BJ is for the year ended June 30, 2022 and for Local 94 is for the year ended January 31, 2022. The Pension Protection Act Zone Status, the most recent zone status available, was provided to the Company by the respective plans and the Local 32BJ status is certified by the plan’s actuary. The Company’s contributions to the pension plans are less than 5% of all the employers’ contributions to the plans.

 

F-27

 

 

 

Clipper Realty Inc. and Predecessor          

Schedule III Real Estate and Accumulated Depreciation

(In thousands)

 

Encumbrances at December 31, 2022   Initial Costs     Gross Amounts at Which Carried at
December 31, 2022
         

Property

Location

Description

 

Encum-

brances

   

Land

   

Building

and
Improv-

ements

   

Real

Estate

Under

Develop.

   

Cost
Capitalized
Subsequent

to
Acquisition

   

Land

   

Building

and
Improv-

ements

   

Real

Estate

Under

Develop.

   

Total

   

Accumu-

lated
Deprecia-

tion

 

Date
Acquired

Tribeca House

Manhattan, NY Residential/   $ 360,000     $ 273,103     $ 283,137     $     $ 30,973     $ 273,103     $ 314,108           $ 587,211     $ 71,720   Dec-14

Aspen

Manhattan, NY Residential/     62,554       49,230       43,080             2,809       49,230       45,890             95,120       7,760   June-16

Flatbush Gardens

Brooklyn, NY Residential     329,000       89,965       49,607             69,558       90,051       119,079             209,130       62,140   Oct-05

Clover House

Brooklyn, NY Residential     82,000       43,516       44,100             58,540       43,516       102,640             146,156       7,726   May-17

10 West 65th St.

Manhattan, NY Residential     32,222       63,677       15,337             6,451       63,677       21,788             85,465       5,022   Oct-17

1010 Pacific St.

Brooklyn, NY Residential     43,477                   31,129       52,744                   83,873       83,873         Nov-19

Dean Street

Brooklyn, NY Residential/     36,985                   40,548       17,864                   58,414       58,414         Dec-21

250 Livingston St.

Brooklyn, NY Commercial/     125,000       10,452       20,204             23,149       10,452       43,353             53,805       19,309   May-02

141 Livingston St.

Brooklyn, NY Commercial     100,000       10,830       12,079             13,807       10,830       25,886             36,716       11,104   May-02
        $ 1,171,238     $ 540,773     $ 467,544     $ 71,677     $ 275,895     $ 540,859     $ 672,744     $ 142,287     $ 1,355,890     $ 184,781    

 

(1)         At December 31, 2022, the aggregate cost for Federal tax purposes of our real estate assets was $900,570.

 

(2)         The following summarizes activity for real estate and accumulated depreciation, for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021:

 

   

2022

   

2021

 

Investment in real estate:

               

Balance at beginning of period

  $ 1,303,752     $ 1,222,977  

Acquisition of real estate

    8,041       40,548  

Additions during period

    44,097       40,251  

Write-off of assets

          (24 )

Balance at end of period

  $ 1,355,890     $ 1,303,752  

 

Accumulated depreciation:

Balance at beginning of period

  $ 158,002     $ 132,479  

Depreciation expense

    26,779       25,536  

Write-off of assets

          (13 )

Balance at end of period

  $ 184,781     $ 158,002  

 

F-28