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Related Person Transactions
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Related Person Transactions  
Related Person Transactions

Note 10. Related Person Transactions

 

We have relationships and historical and continuing transactions with TA, Sonesta, RMR and others affiliated with them, including companies to which RMR provides management services and which have trustees, directors and officers who are also trustees, directors or officers of us or RMR.  For further information about these and other such relationships and certain other related person transactions, please refer to our 2014 Annual Report.

 

TA:  As of March 31, 2015, we owned 3,420,000 common shares, representing approximately 8.9% of TA’s outstanding common shares.  TA is the lessee of 36% of our real estate properties, at cost, as of March 31, 2015.  TA has two leases with us, the TA No. 1 lease and the TA No. 2 lease, pursuant to which TA leases 184 travel centers from us. 

 

We recognized rental income of $56,691 and $55,283 for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively, under our leases with TA.  Rental income for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 includes $415 and $437, respectively, of adjustments necessary to record the scheduled rent increase on our TA No. 1 lease and the estimated future payment to us by TA for the cost of removing underground storage tanks on a straight line basis.  As of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, we had accruals for unpaid amounts of $40,988 and $40,253, respectively, owed to us by TA (excluding any deferred rents), which amounts are included in due from related persons on our condensed consolidated balance sheets.

 

Pursuant to the TA No. 1 and TA No. 2 leases, we had deferred percentage rent under our TA No. 1 lease of $1,240 and $874 for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively, which amounts are net of any waived amounts.  We have waived, in aggregate, $1,266 of such percentage rent as of March 31, 2015.  We waived $259 and $128 of percentage rent under our TA No. 2 lease for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.  We determine percentage rent due under our TA leases annually and recognize any resulting amount as rental income at year end when all contingencies are met.

 

Under the TA No. 1 and No. 2 leases, for the three months ended March 31, 2015, we funded $20,181 for qualifying capital improvements to TA for renovations, improvements and equipment at the leased travel centers and, as a result, TA's minimum annual rent payable to us increased by approximately $1,715.  

   

Previously deferred rent due from TA of $107,085 and $42,915 is due in December 2022 and June 2024, respectively; however, we have not recognized any of these deferred rent amounts as rental income or as rents receivable due to uncertainties regarding future collection.

 

RMR:  Pursuant to our business and property management agreements with RMR, we recognized business and property management fees of $18,996 and $9,662 for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.  The fees for the three months ended March 31, 2015, include estimated 2015 incentive fees of $9,027, based on our common share total return as of March 31, 2015.  The actual amount of incentive fees payable to RMR in common shares for 2015, if any, will be based on our common share total return for the two year period ended December 31, 2015, and will be payable in 2016.  Although no incentive fee was ultimately payable to RMR for 2014, business management fees recognized for the three months ended March 31, 2014, included estimated incentive fees of $728 based on our common share total return as of March 31, 2014.  The business management fees we recognized for the 2014 and 2015 periods are included in general and administrative expenses, and the property management and construction supervisory fees we recognized for the 2014 and 2015 periods are included in hotel operating expenses or have been capitalized, as appropriate, in our condensed consolidated financial statements.  In accordance with the terms of our business management agreement, we issued 30,974 of our common shares to RMR for the three months ended March 31, 2015 as payment for a portion of the base business management fee we recognized for that period.

 

Sonesta:  As of March 31, 2015, Sonesta was managing 22 of our hotels pursuant to long term management agreements.  Pursuant to these management agreements with Sonesta, we incurred management, system, reservation fees and reimbursement of certain guest loyalty, marketing program and third party reservation transmission expenses payable to Sonesta of $4,514 and $3,613 for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.  These amounts are included in hotel operating expenses in our condensed consolidated statements of income and comprehensive income.  In addition, we also incurred procurement and construction supervision fees payable to Sonesta in connection with capital expenditures at our hotels managed by Sonesta of $353 and $547 for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.  These amounts have been capitalized in our condensed consolidated financial statements. 

 

On April 28, 2015, we acquired a building and land parcel adjacent to a hotel we own which is managed by Sonesta for $750, excluding closing costs.  This land was added to that hotel property and constitutes invested capital under our Sonesta agreement. 

 

AIC:  As of March 31, 2015, our investment in AIC had a carrying value of $6,952, which amount is included in other assets on our condensed consolidated balance sheets.  We recognized income (loss) of $72 and $(97) related to our investment in AIC for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.