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Commitments and Contingencies | 6 Months Ended
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Jun. 30, 2019
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] |
Commitments and Contingencies | Commitments and Contingencies Legal Matters Except as described below, the Company is not presently involved in any material litigation arising outside the ordinary course of business. However, the Company is involved in routine litigation arising in the ordinary course of business, none of which the Company believes, individually or in the aggregate, taking into account existing reserves, will have a material impact on the Company’s results of operations, cash flows, or financial position. On February 8, 2016, the Company issued a press release and filed a Form 8-K reporting the completion of a review by the Audit Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors that began after the Company received information in late December 2015 through its established compliance processes. The Audit Committee review led the Board of Directors to conclude that specific Company accounting and financial reporting personnel, in certain instances, were smoothing income items, both up and down, between reporting periods in an effort to achieve consistent quarterly same property net operating income growth. As a result of the Audit Committee review and the conclusions reached by the Board of Directors, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, its President and Chief Financial Officer, its Chief Accounting Officer and Treasurer, and an accounting employee all resigned. Following these resignations the Company appointed a new Interim Chief Executive Officer and President, Interim Chief Financial Officer and Interim Chief Accounting Officer. A new Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer were appointed effective May 20, 2016. A new Chief Accounting Officer was appointed effective March 8, 2017. Prior to the Company’s February 8, 2016 announcement, the Company voluntarily reported these matters to the SEC. As a result, the SEC and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York (“SDNY”) have been conducting investigations of certain aspects of the Company’s financial reporting and accounting for prior periods and the Company has been cooperating fully. The Company and the Staff of the SEC Enforcement Division have been discussing a possible negotiated resolution with respect to the SEC investigation. Agreement has been reached on the material terms of such a resolution, which is still subject to finalizing the necessary documents and obtaining approval by the SEC, which cannot be assured. The agreement provides for, among other things, (i) the Company consenting to a cease and desist order, without admitting or denying the findings therein, with respect to violations of Sections 10(b) and 13(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, certain related rules and Rule 100(b) of Regulation G and (ii) the payment of a civil penalty of $7.0 million. As of June 30, 2019, the $7.0 million contingent liability is included in Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities in the Company’s unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. The Company believes that no additional government proceedings relating to these matters will be brought against the Company. The Company understands that the SEC and SDNY inquiries into these matters with respect to certain former employees are ongoing. As previously disclosed, on December 13, 2017, the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York granted final approval of the settlement of the previously disclosed putative securities class action complaint filed in March 2016 by the Westchester Putnam Counties Heavy & Highway Laborers Local 60 Benefit Funds related to the review conducted by the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors. Pursuant to the approved settlement, without any admission of liability, the Company paid $28.0 million to settle the claims. This amount was within the coverage amount of the Company’s applicable insurance policies and was funded into escrow by the insurance carriers. During the year ended December 31, 2018, $8.5 million of the settlement amount was released from escrow per the court approved settlement agreement for the payment of plaintiff’s legal fees. During the six months ended June 30, 2019, the remaining settlement balance of $19.5 million was released from escrow. The settlement provides for the release of, among others, the Company, its subsidiaries, and their respective current and former officers, directors and employees from the claims that were or could have been asserted in the class action litigation. As previously disclosed, certain institutional investors elected to opt out of the class action settlement and accordingly were not bound by the release and did not receive any of the class action settlement proceeds. On October 10, 2018, the Company entered into an agreement to settle these claims for $8.0 million. This amount, which was paid in full during the year ended December 31, 2018, was within the coverage amount of the Company’s applicable insurance policies and was paid by the insurance carriers. The settlement provides for the release of, among others, the Company, its subsidiaries, and their respective current and former officers, directors and employees from the claims that were or could have been asserted in the opt out lawsuit. Environmental matters Under various federal, state and local laws, ordinances and regulations, the Company may be or become liable for the costs of removal or remediation of certain hazardous or toxic substances released on or in the Company’s property or disposed of by the Company or its tenants, as well as certain other potential costs which could relate to hazardous or toxic substances (including governmental fines and injuries to persons and property). The Company does not believe that any resulting liability from such matters will have a material impact on the Company’s results of operations, cash flows, or financial position.

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