NEW ENGLAND REALTY ASSOCIATES LIMITED PARTNERSHIP - Annual Report: 2019 (Form 10-K)

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549   

 

FORM 10-K

 

Commission file number 001‑31568

New England Realty Associates Limited Partnership

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

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 Exchange 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 if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S‑K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of the registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10‑K or any amendments to this Form 10-K ☒

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 the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

 

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 is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b‑2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐  No ☒

At June 30, 2019, the aggregate market value of the registrant’s securities held by non‑affiliates of the registrant was $116,743,241  based on the closing price of the registrant’s traded securities on the NYSE MKT Exchange on such date. For this computation, the Registrant has excluded the market value of all Depositary Receipts reported as beneficially owned by executive officers and directors of the General Partner of the Registrant; such exclusion shall not be deemed to constitute an admission that any such person is an affiliate of the Registrant.

As of March 2, 2020, there were 97,492  of the registrant’s Class A units (2,924,746 Depositary Receipts) of limited partnership issued and outstanding and 23,154  Class B units issued and outstanding.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE: None.

 

 

NEW ENGLAND REALTY ASSOCIATES LIMITED PARTNERSHIP

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

NEW ENGLAND REALTY ASSOCIATES LIMITED PARTNERSHIP

PART I

ITEM 1.  BUSINESS

General

New England Realty Associates Limited Partnership (“NERA” or the “Partnership”), a Massachusetts Limited Partnership, was formed on August 12, 1977 as the successor to five real estate limited partnerships (collectively, the “Colonial Partnerships”), which filed for protection under Chapter XII of the Federal Bankruptcy Act in September 1974. The bankruptcy proceedings were terminated in late 1984. In July 2004, the General Partner extended the termination date of the Partnership until 2057, as allowed in the Partnership Agreement.

The authorized capital of the Partnership is represented by three classes of partnership units (“Units”). There are two categories of limited partnership interests (“Class A Units” and “Class B Units”) and one category of general partnership interests (the “General Partnership Units”). The Class A Units were initially issued to creditors and limited partners of the Colonial Partnerships and have been registered under Section 12(g) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Each Class A Unit is exchangeable for 30 publicly traded depositary receipts (“Receipts”), which are currently listed on the NYSE American and are registered under Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act. The Class B Units were issued to the original general partners of the Partnership. The General Partnership Units are held by the current general partner of the Partnership, NewReal, Inc. (the “General Partner” or “New Real”). The Class A Units represent an 80% ownership interest, the Class B Units represent a 19% ownership interest, and the General Partnership Units represent a 1% ownership interest.

The Partnership is engaged in the business of acquiring, developing, holding for investment, operating and selling real estate. The Partnership, directly or through 29 subsidiary limited partnerships or limited liability companies, owns and operates various residential apartments, condominium units and commercial properties located in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. As used herein, the Partnership’s subsidiary limited partnerships and limited liabilities companies are each referred to as a “Subsidiary Partnership” and are collectively referred to as the “Subsidiary Partnerships.”

The Partnership owns between a 99.67% and 100% interest in each of the Subsidiary Partnerships, except in eight limited liability companies (the “Investment Properties” or “Joint Ventures”) in which the Partnership has between a 40% and 50% ownership interest. The majority shareholder of the General Partner indirectly owns between 47.6% and 59%, and five other current and past employees of Hamilton own collectively between 0% and 2.4%, respectively of Joint Ventures . The Partnership’s interest in the Investment Properties is accounted for on the equity method in the Consolidated Financial Statements. See Note 1 to the Consolidated Financial Statements—“Principles of Consolidation.” See Note 14 to the Consolidated Financial Statements—“Investment in Unconsolidated Joint Ventures” for a description of the properties and their operations. Of those Subsidiary Partnerships not wholly owned by the Partnership, except for the Investment Properties, the remaining ownership interest is held by an unaffiliated third party. In each such case, the third party has entered into an agreement with the Partnership, pursuant to which any benefit derived from its ownership interest in the applicable Subsidiary Partnerships will be returned to the Partnership.  

The long‑term goals of the Partnership are to manage, rent and improve its properties and to acquire additional properties with income and capital appreciation potential as suitable opportunities arise. When appropriate, the Partnership may sell or refinance selected properties. Proceeds from any such sales or refinancing will be used to reduce debt, reinvested in acquisitions of other properties, distributed to the partners, repurchase equity interests, or used for operating expenses or reserves, as determined by the General Partner.

Operations of the Partnership

On February 24, 2019, Harold Brown, the owner of 75% of the outstanding voting securities of NewReal Inc., the general partner, of New England Realty Associates Limited Partnership passed away. As a result, Mr. Brown’s estate

currently holds voting control over the NewReal shares.

 

Effective as of February 24, 2019, the Board of Directors of the Partnership’s general partner, NewReal Inc., elected Jameson Brown as the Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer of New Real to fill the vacancy created by the death of Harold Brown, who served as both the Treasurer and a director of NewReal. 

 

Effective as of May 3, 2019, the Board of Directors of the Partnership’s general partner, New Real, Inc. elected Andrew Bloch as a member of the Board. Mr. Bloch is the Co-CEO and CFO of the Hamilton Company, Inc. the Manager of the Partnership’s properties.

 

Effective as of August 5, 2019, the Board of Directors of the Partnership’s general partner, New Real, Inc. elected Sally Michael and Robert Somma as  members of the Board. Ms. Michael and Mr. Somma are Trustees of the Estate of Harold Brown.

 

As of December 31, 2019, the Partnership was managed by the General Partner, NewReal, Inc., a Massachusetts corporation wholly owned by the Estate of Harold Brown and Ronald Brown. The General Partner has engaged The Hamilton Company, Inc. (the “Hamilton Company” or “Hamilton”) to perform general management functions for the Partnership’s properties in exchange for management fees. The Hamilton Company was wholly owned by the Estate of Harold Brown and employed Ronald Brown. The Partnership, Subsidiary Partnerships, and the Investment Properties currently contract with the management company for 54 individuals at the Properties and 14 individuals at the Joint Ventures who are primarily involved in the supervision and maintenance of specific properties. The General Partner has no employees.

As of February 1, 2020, the Partnership and its Subsidiary Partnerships owned 2,892  residential apartment units in 25 residential and mixed‑use complexes (collectively, the “Apartment Complexes”). The Partnership also owns 19 condominium units in a residential condominium complex, all of which are leased to residential tenants (collectively referred to as the “Condominium Units”). The Apartment Complexes, the Condominium Units and the Investment Properties are located primarily in the metropolitan Boston area of Massachusetts.

As of February 1, 2020, the Subsidiary Partnerships also owned a commercial shopping center in Framingham, Massachusetts, one commercial building in Newton and one in Brookline, Massachusetts and commercial space in mixed‑use buildings in Boston, Brockton and Newton, Massachusetts. These properties are referred to collectively as the “Commercial Properties.” See Note 2 to the Consolidated Financial Statements, included as a part of this Form 10‑K.

Additionally, as of February 1, 2020, the Partnership owned a 40‑50% interest in 7 residential and mixed use complexes, the Investment Properties, with a total of  688 residential units, one commercial unit, and a 50 car parking lot. See Note 14 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information on these investments.

The Apartment Complexes, Investment Properties, Condominium Units and Commercial Properties are referred to collectively as the “Properties.”

The Estate of Harold Brown has, and, in certain cases, Ronald Brown, and officers and employees of the Hamilton Company own or have owned interests in certain of the Properties, Subsidiary Partnerships and Joint Ventures. See “Item 13. Certain Relationships, Related Transactions and Director Independence.” 

The leasing of real estate in the metropolitan Boston area of Massachusetts is highly competitive. The Apartment Complexes, Condominium Units and the Investment Properties must compete for tenants with other residential apartments and condominium units in the areas in which they are located. The Commercial Properties must compete for commercial tenants with other shopping malls and office buildings in the areas in which they are located. Thus, the level of competition at each Property depends on how many other similarly situated properties are in its vicinity. In addition to Item 1A, Risk Factors, See “Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Factors that May Affect Future Results.”

The Second Amended and Restated Contract of Limited Partnership of the Partnership (the “Partnership Agreement”) authorizes the General Partner to acquire real estate and real estate related investments from or in participation with either or both of the Estate of Harold Brown and Ronald Brown, or their affiliates, upon the satisfaction of certain terms and conditions, including the approval of the Partnership’s Advisory Committee and limitations on the price paid by the Partnership for such investments. The Partnership Agreement also permits the Partnership’s limited partners and the General Partner to make loans to the Partnership, subject to certain limitations on the rate of interest that may be charged to the Partnership. Except for the foregoing, the Partnership does not have any policies prohibiting any limited partner, General Partner or any other person from having any direct or indirect pecuniary interest in any investment to be acquired or disposed of by the Partnership or in any transaction to which the Partnership is a party or has an interest in or from engaging, for their own account, in business activities of the types conducted or to be conducted by the Partnership. The General Partner is not limited in the number or amount of mortgages which may be placed on any Property, nor is there a policy limiting the percentage of Partnership assets which may be invested in any specific Property.

Unit Distributions

In January 2020, the Partnership approved  a quarterly distribution of $9.60 per Unit ($0.32 per Receipt), payable on March 31, 2020. In 2019 the Partnership paid a total distribution of an aggregate $ 38.40 per Unit ($1.28 per Receipt) for a total payment of $4,696,893 in 2019. In 2018 the Partnership paid a total distribution of an aggregate $36.00 per Unit ($1.20 per Receipt) for a total payment of $4,477,923 in 2018.  

On August 20, 2007, NewReal, Inc., the General Partner authorized an equity repurchase program (“Repurchase Program”) under which the Partnership was permitted to purchase, over a period of twelve months, up to 300,000 Depositary Receipts (each of which is one‑tenth of a Class A Unit). Over time, the General Partner has authorized increases in the equity repurchase program. On March 10, 2015, the General Partner authorized an increase in the Repurchase Program to 2,000,000 Depository Receipts and extended the Program for an additional five years from March 31, 2015 until March 31, 2020. On March 9,2020, the General Partner extended the program for an additional five years, from March 31,2020, until March 31,2025.The Repurchase Program requires the Partnership to repurchase a proportionate number of Class B Units and General Partner Units in connection with any repurchases of any Depositary Receipts by the Partnership based upon the 80%, 19% and 1% fixed distribution percentages of the holders of the Class A, Class B and General Partner Units under the Partnership’s Second Amended and Restate Contract of Limited Partnership. Repurchases of Depositary Receipts or Partnership Units pursuant to the Repurchase Program may be made by the Partnership from time to time in its sole discretion in open market transactions or in privately negotiated transactions. From August 20, 2007 through December 31, 2019, the Partnership has repurchased 1,423,109 Depositary Receipts at an average price of $28.31 per receipt (or $849.30 per underlying Class A Unit), 3,530 Class B Units and 186 General Partnership Units, both at an average price of $ 1,024.08 per Unit, totaling approximately $44,324,000 including brokerage fees paid by the Partnership. 

Property Transactions 

On December 20, 2019, Mill Street Gardens, LLC and Mill Street Development LLC, collectively referred to  as Mill Street,  wholly-owned subsidiaries of New England Realty Associates Limited Partnership closed on a Purchase Agreement dated as of September 27, 2019 with Ninety-Three Realty Limited Partnership (the “Purchase Agreement”) pursuant to which Mill Street acquired Country Club Garden Apartments, a 181 unit apartment complex located at 57 Mill Street, Woburn, Massachusetts (the “Property”) for an aggregate purchase price of $59,550,000. Mill Street funded $18,000,000 of the purchase price out of an existing line of credit, $10,550,000 of the cash portion of the purchase price out of cash reserves and the remaining $31,000,000 from the proceeds of the Loan.

 

On December 20, 2019, Mill Street Gardens, LLC entered into a Loan Agreement (the “Agreement”) with Insurance Strategy Funding Corp. LLC providing for a loan (the “Loan”) in the maximum principal amount of $35,000,000, consisting of an initial advance of $31,000,000 and a subsequent advance of up to $4,000,000 if certain conditions are met. Interest on the Note is payable on a monthly basis at a fixed interest rate of: (i) 3.586% per annum with respect to the initial advance and (ii) the greater of (A) the sum of the market spread rate and the interpolated (based on the remaining term of the Loan) US Treasury rate at the time of the advance and (B) 3.500% with respect to any

subsequent advance.  The principal amount of the Note is due and payable on January 1, 2035.  The Note is secured by a mortgage on the Property and is guaranteed by the Partnership pursuant to a Guaranty Agreement dated December 20, 2019 (the “Guaranty”).

 

On May 31, 2019, Residences at Captain Parker, LLC (“Captain Parker”), entered into a Mortgage Note with Strategy Funding Corp., LLC in the principal amount of $20,750,000. Interest only payments on the Note are payable on a monthly basis at a fixed interest rate of 4.05% per annum, and the principal amount of the Note is due and payable on June 1, 2029. The Note is secured by a mortgage on the Captain Parker apartment complex located at 125 Worthen Road and Ryder Lane, Lexington, Massachusetts pursuant to a Mortgage, Assignment of Leases and Rents and Security Agreement dated May 31, 2019. The Note is guaranteed by the Partnership pursuant to a Guaranty Agreement dated May 31, 2019. Captain Parker used the proceeds of the loan to pay off an outstanding loan of approximately $20,071,000. In connection with this refinancing, the property incurred a prepayment penalty of approximately $202,000.  This expense is included in other expense on the consolidated statement of income.

On March 29, 2018, Hamilton Highlands, LLC (“Hamilton Highlands”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of New England Realty Associates Limited Partnership (the “Partnership”), purchased Webster Green Apartments, a 79 unit apartment complex located at 755-757 Highland Avenue, Needham, Massachusetts.  The sale was consummated pursuant to the terms of a Purchase and Sale Contract by and between Webster Green Apartments, LLC, the prior owner of the Property, and The Hamilton Companies, Inc., an affiliate of the Partnership, which agreement was subsequently assigned by Hamilton to Hamilton Highlands.

 

In connection with the purchase, the Hamilton Highlands entered into an Assumption and Modification Agreement dated as of March 29, 2018 with Brookline Bank pursuant to which the Hamilton Highlands assumed a note dated as of January 14, 2016 in the principal amount of $21,500,000 and various agreements relating to the Note including a Mortgage, Assignment of Leases and Rents, Security Agreement, Fixture Filing  dated as of January 14, 2016. The purchase price was $34,500,000, consisting of a payment of approximately $13,000,000 in cash and the assumption of the note and mortgage. Hamilton Highlands funded $5,000,000 of the cash portion of the purchase price out of cash reserves and the remaining $8,000,000 by drawing on an existing line of credit. The closing costs were approximately $141,000. From the purchase price, the Partnership allocated approximately $502,000 for in- place leases, and approximately $40,000 to the value of tenant relationships. These amounts are being amortized over 12 and 24 months respectively.

 

On July 6, 2017, Woodland Park Partners, LLC, a newly formed subsidiary of the Partnership, purchased the Woodland Park Apartments, a 126-unit apartment complex located at 264-290 Grove Street, Newton, Massachusetts “for a purchase price of $45,600,000. The closing costs were approximately $64,000. To fund the purchase price, the Partnership borrowed $25,000,000 under its outstanding line of credit with KeyBank, NA, and $16,000,000 from HBC Holdings, LLC, a Massachusetts limited liability company controlled by Harold Brown. The loan from HBC Holdings was to mature on July 16, 2018, with interest only at 4.75%. The balance of the purchase price was funded by the Partnership’s cash reserves. The line of credit was paid down to $17,000,000 and the loan payable to HBC Holdings was paid in full through the refinancing of Woodland Park and partnership cash reserves by December 31, 2017. From the purchase price, the Partnership allocated approximately $541,000 for in- place leases, and approximately $42,000 to the value of tenant relationships. These amounts were amortized over 12 and 24 months respectively.

 

During 2019, the Partnership and its Subsidiary Partnerships completed improvements to certain of the Properties at a total cost of approximately $3,898,000. These improvements were funded from cash reserves and, to some extent, escrow accounts established in connection with the financing or refinancing of the applicable Properties. These sources have been adequate to fully fund improvements. The most significant improvements were made at Captain Parker, 62 Boylston Street, Hamilton Oaks, Redwood Hills  , 9 School Street, and Hamilton Green,  at a cost of $878,000, $442,000,  $412,000, $338,000, $264,000, and $227,000 respectively. The Partnership plans to invest approximately $4,000,000 in capital improvements in 2020. 

During 2019, two Joint Venture Partnerships sold  5 units at a gain of approximately $735,000. Hamilton 1025 LLC sold 2 units with a gain on the sales of approximately $306,000, and Hamilton Bay Apartments LLC sold 3 units at a gain of approximately $429,000. 

Line of Credit 

On July 31, 2014, the Partnership entered into an agreement for a $25,000,000 revolving line of credit.  The term of the line was for three years with a floating interest rate equal to a base rate of the greater of (a) the Prime Rate (b) the Federal Funds Rate plus one-half of one percent per annum, or (c) the LIBOR Rate for a period of one month plus 1% per annum, plus the  applicable margin of 2.5%. The agreement originally expired on July 31, 2017, and was extended until October 31, 2020. The costs associated with the line of credit extension were approximately $128,000.

The Partnership drew down the line of credit to partially fund the purchases of Woodland Park in 2017 and Webster Green in 2018. The line was paid down in full in the first quarter of 2019.

On December 19, 2019, the Partnership drew down on the line of credit in the amount of $20,000,000, used in conjunction with the purchase of Mill Street. On December 20, the Partnership paid down $2,000,000. As of December 31, 2019, the line of credit had an outstanding balance of $18,000,000.

The line of credit may be used for acquisition, refinancing, improvements, working capital and other needs of the Partnership. The line may not be used to pay distributions, make distributions or acquire equity interests of the Partnership.

The line of credit is collateralized by varying percentages of the Partnership’s ownership interest in 24 of its subsidiary properties and joint ventures. Pledged interests range from 49% to 100% of the Partnership’s ownership interest in the respective entities.

The Partnership paid fees to secure the line of credit. Any unused balance of the line of credit is subject to a fee ranging from 15 to 20 basis points per annum. The Partnership paid approximately $48,000 for the twelve months ended December 31, 2019.

The line of credit agreement has several covenants, such as providing cash flow projections and compliance certificates, as well as other financial information. The covenants include, but are not limited to the following: maintain a leverage ratio that does not exceed 65%; aggregate increase in indebtedness of the subsidiaries and joint ventures should not exceed $15,000,000; maintain a tangible net worth (as defined in the agreement) of a minimum of $150,000,000; a minimum ratio of net operating income to total indebtedness of at least 9.5%; debt service coverage ratio of at least 1.6 to 1, as well as other items. The Partnership is in compliance with these covenants as of December 31, 2019.  

Advisory Committee 

As of December 31, 2019, the Advisory Committee members were limited partners Gregory Dube, Robert Nahigian, and David Ross. These Advisory Committee members are not affiliated with the General Partner. The Advisory Committee meets with the General Partner to review the progress of the Partnership, assist the General Partner with policy formation, review the appropriateness, timing and amount of proposed distributions, approve or reject proposed acquisitions and investments with affiliates, and advise the General Partner on various other Partnership affairs. Per the Partnership Agreement, the Advisory Committee has no binding power except that it must approve certain investments and acquisitions or sales by the Partnership from or with affiliates of the Partnership.

Available Information

The Partnership’s website is www.thehamiltoncompany.com. On its website, the Partnership makes available, free of charge, its annual reports on Form 10‑K, quarterly reports on Form 10‑Q, current reports on Form 8‑K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forms are made available as soon as reasonably practical after the Partnership electronically files or furnishes such materials to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Any shareholder may obtain copies of these documents, free of charge, by sending a request in writing to: Director of Investor Relations, New England Realty Associates Limited Partnership, 39 Brighton Avenue, Allston, MA 02134.

ITEM 1A.  RISK FACTORS 

We are subject to certain risks and uncertainties as described below. These risks and uncertainties may not be the only ones we face; there may be additional risks that we do not presently know of or that we currently consider immaterial. All of these risks could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Our ability to pay distributions on, and the market price of, our equity securities may be adversely affected if any of such risks are realized. All investors should consider the following risk factors before deciding to purchase or sell securities of the Partnership.

We are subject to risks inherent in the ownership of real estate.  We own and manage multifamily apartment complexes and commercial properties that are subject to varying degrees of risk generally incident to the ownership of real estate. Our financial condition, the value of our properties and our ability to make distributions to our shareholders will be dependent upon our ability to operate our properties in a manner sufficient to generate income in excess of operating expenses and debt service charges, which may be affected by the following risks, some of which are discussed in more detail below:

We are dependent on rental income from our multifamily apartment complexes and commercial properties.  If we are unable to attract and retain tenants or if our tenants are unable to pay their rental obligations, our financial condition and funds available for distribution to our shareholders will be adversely affected.

We may be adversely affected  by the world wide spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). The current health crises caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19), may have a material adverse effect on the national and local economies as well as the Partnership business.  The impact of an outbreak of a contagious disease on our tenants, vendors and properties is difficult to predict and could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

Our multifamily apartment complexes and commercial properties are subject to competition.  Our properties and joint venture investments are located in developed areas that include other properties. The properties also compete with other rental alternatives, such as condominiums, single and multifamily rental homes, owner occupied single and multifamily homes, and commercial properties in attracting tenants. This competition may affect our ability to attract and retain residents and to increase or maintain rental rates.

The properties we own are concentrated in Eastern Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire.  Our performance, therefore, is linked to economic conditions and the market for available rental housing and commercial space in these states. A decline in the market for apartment housing and/or commercial properties may adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and ability to make distributions to our shareholders.

Our insurance may not be adequate to cover certain risks.  There are certain types of risks, generally of a catastrophic nature, such as earthquakes, floods, windstorms, act of war and terrorist attacks that may be uninsurable, or are not economically insurable, or are not fully covered by insurance. Moreover, certain risks, such as mold and environmental exposures, generally are not covered by our insurance. Should an uninsured loss or a loss in excess of insured limits occur, we could lose our equity in the affected property as well as the anticipated future cash flow from that property. Any such loss could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Debt financing could adversely affect our performance.    The vast majority of our assets are encumbered by project specific, non‑recourse, non‑cross‑collateralized mortgage debt. There is a risk that these properties will not have sufficient cash flow from operations for payments of required principal and interest. We may not be able to refinance these loans at an amount equal to the loan balance and the terms of any refinancing may not be as favorable as the terms of existing indebtedness. If we are unable to make required payments on indebtedness that is secured by a mortgage, the Partnership will either invest additional money in the property or the property securing the mortgage may be foreclosed with a consequent loss of income and value to us.

We may be adversely affected by the potential discontinuation of LIBOR.  In July 2017, the Financial Conduct Authority (the “FCA”) announced that it intends to stop compelling banks to submit rates for the calculation of LIBOR after 2021.  As a result, the Federal Reserve Board and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York organized the Alternative Reference Rates Committee which identified the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) as its preferred alternative to USD-LIBOR.  We are not able to predict when LIBOR will cease to be published or precisely how SOFR will be calculated and published.  Any changes adopted by the FCA or other governing bodies in the method used for determining LIBOR may result in a sudden or prolonged increase or decrease in reported LIBOR.  If that were to occur, our interest payments on our debt tied to LIBOR could change.  In addition, uncertainty about the extent and manner of future changes may result in interest rates and/or payments that area higher or lower than if LIBOR were to remain available in its current form.

We have contracts that are indexed to LIBOR and are monitoring and evaluating the related risks, which include interest amounts on our variable rate debt and our unconsolidated joint ventures’ variable rate debt. In the event that LIBOR is discontinued, the interest rates will be based on an alternative variable rate specified in the applicable documentation governing such debt or as otherwise agreed upon. Such an event would not affect our ability to borrow or maintain already outstanding borrowings, but the alternative variable rate could be higher and more volatile than LIBOR prior to its discontinuance.

We are obligated to comply with financial covenants in our indebtedness that could restrict our range of operating activities. The mortgages on our properties contain customary negative covenants, including limitations on our ability, without prior consent of the lender and other items. Failure to comply with these covenants could cause a default under the agreements and, in certain circumstances; our lenders may be entitled to accelerate our debt obligations. Defaults under our debt agreements could materially and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

Real estate investments are generally illiquid, and we may not be able to sell our properties when it is economically or strategically advantageous to do so.  Real estate investments generally cannot be sold quickly, and our ability to sell properties may be affected by market conditions. We may not be able to diversify or vary our portfolio promptly in accordance with our strategies or in response to economic or other conditions.

Our access to public debt markets is limited.  Substantially all of our debt financings are secured by mortgages on our properties because of our limited access to public debt markets.

Litigation may result in unfavorable outcomes.  Like many real estate operators, we may be involved in lawsuits involving premises liability claims, housing discrimination claims and alleged violations of landlord‑tenant laws, which may give rise to class action litigation or governmental investigations. Any material litigation not covered by insurance, such as a class action, could result in substantial costs being incurred.

Our financial results may be adversely impacted if we are unable to sell properties and employ the proceeds in accordance with our strategic plan.  Our ability to pay down debt, reduce our interest costs, repurchase Depositary Receipts and acquire properties is dependent upon our ability to sell the properties we have selected for disposition at the prices and within the deadlines we have established for each respective property.

The costs of complying with laws and regulations could adversely affect our cash flow and ability to make distributions to our shareholders.  Our properties must comply with Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (the “ADA”) to the extent that they are “public accommodations” or “commercial facilities” as defined in the ADA. The ADA does not consider apartment complexes to be public accommodations or commercial facilities, except for portions of such properties that are open to the public. In addition, the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988 (the “FHAA”) requires apartment complexes first occupied after March 13, 1990, to be accessible to the handicapped. Other laws also require apartment communities to be handicap accessible. Noncompliance with these laws could result in the imposition of fines or an award of damages to private litigants. We may be subject to lawsuits alleging violations of handicap design laws in connection with certain of our developments. If compliance with these laws involves substantial expenditures or must be made on an accelerated basis, our ability to make distributions to our shareholders could be adversely affected.

Under various federal, state and local laws, an owner or operator of real estate may be liable for the costs of removal or remediation of certain hazardous or toxic substances on, under or in the property. This liability may be imposed without regard to whether the owner or operator knew of, or was responsible for, the presence of the substances. Other law imposes on owners and operators certain requirements regarding conditions and activities that may affect human health or the environment. Failure to comply with applicable requirements could complicate our ability to lease or sell an affected property and could subject us to monetary penalties, costs required to achieve compliance and potential liability to third parties. We are not aware of any material noncompliance, liability or claim relating to hazardous or toxic substances or other environmental matters in connection with any of our properties. Nonetheless, it is possible that material environmental contamination or conditions exist, or could arise in the future, in the apartment communities or on the land upon which they are located.

We are subject to the risks associated with investments through joint ventures.    Seven of our properties are owned by joint ventures in which we do not have a direct controlling interest. We may enter into joint ventures, including joint ventures that we do not control, in the future. Any joint venture investment involves risks such as the possibility that the co‑venturer may seek relief under federal or state insolvency laws, or have economic or business interests or goals that are inconsistent with our business interests or goals. While the bankruptcy or insolvency of our co‑venturer generally should not disrupt the operations of the joint venture, we could be forced to purchase the co‑venturer’s interest in the joint venture or the interest could be sold to a third party. We also may guarantee the indebtedness of our joint ventures. If we do not have control over a joint venture, the value of our investment may be affected adversely by a third party that may have different goals and capabilities than ours.

We are subject to risks associated with development, acquisition and expansion of multifamily apartment complexes and commercial properties.  Development projects and acquisitions and expansions of apartment complexes are subject to a number of risks, including:

We are subject to control by our directors and officers.  The directors and executive officers of the General Partner and members of their families and related entities owned approximately 33% of our depositary receipts as of December 31, 2019. Additionally, management decisions rest with our General Partner without limited partner approval.

Competition for skilled personnel could increase our labor costs.  We and our management company compete with various other companies in attracting and retaining qualified and skilled personnel who are responsible for the day‑ to‑day operations of our properties. Competitive pressures may require that we enhance our pay and benefits package to compete effectively for such personnel. We may not be able to offset such added costs by increasing the rates we charge our tenants. If there is an increase in these costs or if we fail to attract and retain qualified and skilled personnel, our business and operating results could be harmed.

We depend on our key personnel.  Our success depends to a significant degree upon the continued contribution of key members of the management company, who may be difficult to replace. The loss of services of these executives could have a material adverse effect on us. There can be no assurance that the services of such personnel will continue to be available to us. We do not hold key‑man life insurance on any of our key personnel.

Changes in market conditions could adversely affect the market price of our Depositary Receipts.  As with other publicly traded equity securities, the value of our depositary receipts depends on various market conditions, which may change from time to time. Among the market conditions that may affect the value of our depositary receipts are the following:

The market value of our depositary is based primarily upon the market’s perception of our growth potential and our current and potential future earnings and cash distributions. Consequently, our depositary receipts may trade at prices that are higher or lower than our net asset value per depositary receipt.

We face possible risks associated with the physical effects of climate change.  We cannot predict with the certainty whether climate change is occurring and, if so at what rate. However, the physical effects of climate change could have a material effect on our properties, operations, and business. To the extent climate change causes changes in weather patterns, our markets could experience increases in storm intensity and rising sea levels. Over time, these conditions could result in declining demand for our buildings or the inability of us to operate the buildings at all. Climate change may also have indirect effects on our business by increasing the cost of (or making unavailable) property insurance on terms we find acceptable, increasing the cost of energy and increasing the cost of snow removal at our properties. Proposed federal legislation to address climate change could increase utility and other costs of operating our properties which, if not offset by rising rental income, would reduce our net income. There can be no assurance that climate change will not have a material adverse effect on our properties, operations or business.

Security breaches and other disruptions could compromise our information and expose us to liability, which would cause our business and reputation to suffer  In the ordinary course of our business, we collect and store sensitive data, including intellectual property, our proprietary business information and that of our tenants and business partners, including personally identifiable information of our tenants and employees, in our data centers and on our networks. Despite our security measures, our information technology and infrastructure may be vulnerable to attacks by hackers or breached due to employee error, malfeasance or other disruptions. Any such breach could compromise our networks and the information stored there could be accessed, publicly disclosed, lost or stolen. Any such access, disclosure or other loss of information could result in legal claims or proceedings, liability under laws that protect the privacy of personal information, disrupt our operations, and damage our reputation, which could adversely affect our business.

Risk of changes in the tax law applicable to real estate partnerships.  Since the Internal Revenue Service, the United States Treasury Department and Congress frequently review federal income legislation, we cannot predict whether, when or to what extent new federal tax laws, regulations, interpretations or rulings will be adopted. Any such legislative action may prospectively or retroactively modify our tax treatment and therefore, may adversely affect taxation to us, and/or our partners.

If the IRS makes audit adjustments to our income tax returns for tax years beginning after December 31, 2018, it may assess and collect any taxes (including any applicable penalties and interest) resulting from such audit adjustment directly from us, in which case our cash available for distribution to our unitholders might be reduced.

Pursuant to the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, for tax years beginning after December 31, 2017, if the IRS makes audit adjustments to our income tax returns, it may assess and collect any taxes (including any applicable penalties and interest) resulting from such audit adjustments directly from the Partnership. If, as a result of any such audit adjustment, we are required to make payments of taxes, penalties and interest, our cash available for  distribution to our partners might be substantially reduced. These rules are not applicable to us for tax years beginning on or prior to December 31, 2017.

ITEM 1B.  UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

None. 

ITEM 2.  PROPERTIES

The Partnership and its Subsidiary Partnerships own the Apartment Complexes, the Condominium Units, the Commercial Properties and a 40‑50% interest in nine Investment Properties. See also “Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions and Director Independence” for information concerning affiliated transactions.

Apartment Complexes

The table below lists the location of the 2,911 Apartment Units, the number and type of units in each complex, the range of rents and vacancies as of February 1, 2020, the principal amount outstanding under any mortgages as of December 31, 2019, the fixed interest rates applicable to such mortgages, and the maturity dates of such mortgages.

 

 

 

Current free rent concessions would result in an average reduction in unit rents of less than $6.62 per month per  unit. Free rent expense amortized in 2019 was approximately $231,000 compared to approximately $300,000 in 2018.