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Related Party Transactions
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2020
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]  
Related Party Transactions

14. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

Lease for Corporate Headquarters

The Company has a lease for its corporate headquarters from an affiliate wholly-owned by our CEO. Future minimum lease payments under this lease, which expires on September 30, 2020, are $277 thousand.

For each of the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019 total rental payments made were $142 thousand and $138 thousand, respectively.

Asset Management Agreement

On March 30, 2018, CDS Asset Management, L.C. (“CAM”), an entity wholly owned by the Company, entered into a master asset management agreement (the “AMA”) with CDS. The effective date of this Agreement is January 2, 2018. Pursuant to the AMA, CDS has engaged CAM to manage and administer the CDS’ commercial real estate portfolio and the day to-day operations of CDS and each property-owning subsidiary of CDS. Pursuant to the terms of the AMA, CAM will provide investment advisory, development and asset management services necessary to build out, stabilize and manage certain assets.

Pursuant to the AMA, CDS will pay CAM an annual cost-plus fee (the “Annual Fee”) in an aggregate amount equal to the sum of (i) the employment expenses of personnel dedicated to providing services to the Comstock Real Estate Portfolio pursuant to the AMA, (ii) the costs and expenses of the Company related to maintaining the listing of its shares on a securities exchange and complying with regulatory and reporting obligations as a public company, and (iii) a fixed annual payment of $1,000,000.

2019 Amended Asset Management Agreement

On April 30, 2019, CAM entered into the 2019 AMA with CDS, which amends and restates in its entirety the asset management agreement between the parties dated March 30, 2018 with an effective date as of January 1, 2018. Pursuant to the 2019 AMA, CDS will engage CAM to manage and administer the Anchor Portfolio and the day to-day operations of CDS and each property-owning subsidiary of CDS (collectively, the “CDS Entities”).

Pursuant to the 2019 AMA, the Company provides asset management services related to the build out, lease-up and stabilization, and management of the Anchor Portfolio. CDS pays the Company and its subsidiaries annual fees equal to the greater of either (i) an aggregate amount equal to the sum of (a) an asset management fee equal to 2.5% of revenues generated by properties included in the Anchor Portfolio; (b) a construction management fee equal to 4% of all costs associated with Anchor Portfolio projects in development; (c) a property management fee equal to 1% of the Anchor Portfolio revenues, (d) an acquisition fee equal to up to 0.5% of the purchase price of acquired assets; and (f) a disposition fee equal to 0.5% of the sales price of an asset on disposition; or (ii) an aggregate amount equal to the sum of (x) the employment expenses of personnel dedicated to providing services to the Anchor Portfolio pursuant to the 2019 AMA, (y) the costs and expenses of the Company related to maintaining the public listing of its shares and complying with related regulatory and reporting obligations, and (z) a fixed annual payment of $1,000,000.  

In addition to the annual payment of the greater of either the Market Rate Fee or the Cost Plus Fee, the Company  also is entitled on an annual basis to the following additional fees: (i) an incentive fee equal to 10% of the free cash flow of each of the real estate assets comprising the Anchor Portfolio after calculating a compounding preferred return of 8% on CDS invested capital (ii) an investment origination fee equal to 1% of raised capital, (iii) a leasing fee equal to $1.00/sf for new leases and $0.50/sf for renewals; and (iv) mutually agreeable loan origination fees related to the Anchor Portfolio.

The 2019 AMA will terminate on December 31, 2027 (“Initial Term”), an extension from the original termination date of December 31, 2022, and will automatically renew for successive additional one-year terms (each an “Extension Term”) unless CDS delivers written notice of non-renewal of the 2019 AMA at least 180 days prior to the termination date of the Initial Term or any Extension Term. Twenty-four months after the effective date of the 2019 AMA, CDS is entitled to terminate the 2019 AMA without cause upon 180 days advance written notice to CAM. In the event of such a termination and in addition to the payment of any accrued annual fees due and payable as of the termination date under the 2019 AMA, CDS is required to pay a termination fee equal to (i) the Market Rate Fee or the Cost Plus Fee paid to CAM for the calendar year immediately preceding the termination , and (ii) a one-time payment of the Incentive Fee as if the CRE Portfolio were liquidated for fair market value as of the termination date; or the continued payment of the Incentive Fee as if a termination had not occurred.

Residential, Commercial and Parking Property Management Agreements

In December 2017 and January 2018, the Company entered into separate residential property management agreements with two properties owned by CDS Entities under which the Company receives fees to manage and operate the properties including tenant communications, leasing of apartment units, rent collections, building maintenance and day-to-day operations, engagement and supervision of contractors and vendors providing services for the buildings, and budget preparation and oversight.

During the period of May through and including December 2019, the Company entered into separate commercial property and parking management agreements with several properties owned by CDS Entities under which the Company receives fees to manage and operate the office and retail portions of the properties, including tenant communications, rent collections, building maintenance and day-to-day operations, engagement and supervision of contractors and vendors providing services for the buildings, and budget preparation and oversight.

These property management agreements are each for one (1) year initial terms with successive, automatic one (1) year renewal terms, unless sooner terminated. The Company generally receives base management fees under these agreements based upon a percentage of gross rental revenues for the portions of the buildings being managed in addition to reimbursement of specified expenses, including employment expenses of personnel employed by the Company in the management and operation of each property.

Construction Management Agreements

On January 1, 2019, the Company entered into a construction management agreement for two properties owned by CDS Entities under which the Company receives fees to provide certain construction management and supervision services, including construction supervision and management of the buildout of certain tenant premises.  The Company receives a flat construction management fee for each engagement under a work authorization based upon the construction management or supervision fee set forth in the applicable tenant’s lease, which fee is generally one percent (1%) to four percent (4%) of the total costs (or total hard costs) of construction of the tenant’s improvements in its premises, or as otherwise agreed to by the parties.

Business Management Agreements

On April 30, 2019, CAM entered into a Business Management Agreement (the “Management Agreement”) with Investors X, whereby CAM will provide Investors X with asset and professional services related to the wind down of the Company’s divested homebuilding operations and the continuation of services related to the Company’s divested land development activities. The aggregate fee payable to CAM from Investors X under the Management Agreement is $937,500, payable in fifteen quarterly installments of $62,500 each.

The Hartford Investment

On December 30, 2019 the Company made an investment related to the purchase of the Hartford, a stabilized commercial office building located at 3101 Wilson Boulevard in the Clarendon area of Arlington County, Virginia. The Company’s initial investment related to the purchase of the Hartford is $1.2 million.

In conjunction with the investment, the Company entered into an operating agreement (“Original Operating Agreement”) with Partners to form Comstock 3101 Wilson, LC (the “Hartford Owner”), to purchase the Hartford. Pursuant to the Original Operating Agreement, the Company holds a minority membership interest in the Hartford Owner and the remaining membership interests of the Hartford Owner is held by Partners, who is further the Manager of the Hartford Owner. At the closing of the acquisition of the Hartford, the Company received an acquisition fee of $500 thousand and is entitled to asset management, property management, construction management and leasing fees for its management of the Property pursuant to separate agreements between the Hartford Owner, or its affiliates, and the Company, or its affiliates. The Company is also entitled to an incentive fee related to the performance of the investment.

On February 7, 2020, the Company, Partners and DWF VI 3101 Wilson Member, LLC (“DWF”), an unaffiliated, third party, equity investor in the Hartford, entered into a limited liability company agreement (the “DWC Operating Agreement”) to form DWC 3101 Wilson Venture, LLC (“DWC”) to, among other things, acquire, own and hold all interests in the Hartford Owner. In furtherance thereof, on February 7, 2020, the Original Operating Agreement for the Hartford Owner was amended and restated (the “A&R Operating Agreement”) to memorialize the Company’s and Partners’ assignment of 100% of its membership interests in the Hartford Owner to DWC. As a result thereof, DWC is the sole member of the Hartford Owner. The Company and Partners, respectively, hold minority membership interests in, and DWF holds the majority membership interest in, DWC. The Company’s ownership interest in the Hartford remains 2.5%.

Private Placements and Promissory Notes

On March 19, 2020, the Company entered into a Revolving Capital Line of Credit Agreement (the “Loan Documents”) with CDS, pursuant to which the Company secured a Ten Million Dollar ($10,000,000) capital line of credit (the “Revolver”).  Under the terms of the Loan Documents, the Revolver provides for an initial variable interest rate of the WSJ Prime Rate plus one percent (1.00%) per annum on advances made under the Revolver, payable monthly in arrears.  The five-year term facility allows for interim draws that carry a maturity date of twelve (12) months from the initial date of the disbursement unless a longer initial term is agreed to by CDS. On March 27, 2020 the company borrowed $5.5 million under the Revolver. On April 10, 2020, the capital provided to the Company by the Revolver was utilized to retire all of the Company’s ten percent (10%) corporate indebtedness maturing in 2020 owed to Comstock Growth Fund, L.C.

See Note 8 to the consolidated financial statements for further description of the CGF Private Placement and the Revolver.

Revenues from Related Parties

The following table details the revenue earned from related parties.

 

 

 

Three Months Ended March 31,

 

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

Revenue by customer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Related party

 

$

5,484

 

 

$

4,097

 

Commercial

 

 

1,482

 

 

 

785

 

Total Revenue by customer

 

$

6,966

 

 

$

4,882