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Commitments And Contingencies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
Commitments And Contingencies [Abstract]  
Commitments And Contingencies

6. Commitments and Contingencies

Ground, Building and Submerged Land Leases—The Company leases 2,086 square feet of commercial space next to the Savannah hotel property for use as an office, retail or conference space, or for any related or ancillary purposes for the hotel and/or atrium space. In December 2007, the Company signed an amendment to the lease to include rights to the outdoor esplanade adjacent to the leased commercial space. The areas are leased under a six-year operating lease, which expired October 31, 2006 and has been renewed for the second of three optional five-year renewal periods expiring October 31, 2011, October 31, 2016 and October 31, 2021, respectively. Rent expense for this operating lease for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009 was $66,198, $60,049, and $67,660, respectively.

The Company leases, as landlord, the entire fourteenth floor of the Savannah hotel property to The Chatham Club, Inc. under a ninety-nine year lease expiring July 31, 2086. This lease was assumed upon the purchase of the building under the terms and conditions agreed to by the previous owner of the property. No rental income is recognized under the terms of this lease as the original lump sum rent payment of $990 was received by the previous owner and not prorated over the life of the lease.

The Company leases a parking lot adjacent to the DoubleTree by Hilton Brownstone-University in Raleigh, North Carolina. The land is leased under a second amendment, dated April 28, 1998, to a ground lease originally dated May 25, 1966. The original lease is a 50-year operating lease, which expires August 31, 2016. There is a renewal option for up to three additional ten-year periods expiring August 31, 2026, August 31, 2036, and August 31, 2046, respectively. The Company holds an exclusive and irrevocable option to purchase the leased land at fair market value at the end of the original lease term, subject to the payment of an annual fee of $9,000, and other conditions. For each of the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009, rent expense was $95,482.

 

In conjunction with the sublease arrangement for the property at Shell Island, the Company incurred an annual lease expense for a leasehold interest other than the purchased leasehold interest. Lease expense for each of the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009 was $195,000. The lease expired December 31, 2011.

The Company leased a parking lot in close proximity to the Sheraton Louisville Riverside. The land was leased under an agreement dated August 17, 2007 with the City of Jeffersonville, which in turn leases the property from the State of Indiana. The lease term for the parking lot coincides with that of the lease with the State of Indiana, which expired December 31, 2011. The Company has the right to renew or extend the lease with the City of Jeffersonville pursuant to the conditions of the original lease provided that the City of Jeffersonville is able to renew or extend the underlying lease with the State of Indiana. For each of the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009, rent expense was $33,600.

The Company leases a parking lot adjacent to the Crowne Plaza Tampa Westshore under a five-year agreement with the Florida Department of Transportation that commenced in July 2009 and expires in July 2014. The agreement requires annual payments of $2,432, plus tax, and may be renewed for an additional five years. Rent expense for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009 was $2,806, $2,641 and $1,084, respectively.

The Company leases certain submerged land in the Saint Johns River in front of the Crowne Plaza Jacksonville Riverfront from the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund of the State of Florida. The submerged land was leased under a five-year operating lease, which expired September 18, 2007. A new operating lease was executed requiring annual payments of $4,961 and expires September 18, 2012. Rent expense for each of the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009 was $4,961.

The Company leases 3,542 square feet of commercial office space in Williamsburg, Virginia under an agreement that commenced September 1, 2009 and expires August 31, 2015. Prior to September 1, 2009, the Company leased 1,842 feet of commercial office space under a separate lease that expired August 31, 2009. Rent expense for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009 was $55,000, $55,000 and $47,742, respectively.

The Company leases 1,632 square feet of commercial office space in Rockville, Maryland under an agreement that commenced December 14, 2009 and expires February 28, 2017. The agreement requires monthly payments at an annual rate of $22,848 for the first year of the lease term and monthly payments at an annual rate of $45,696 for the second year of the lease term, increasing 2.75% per year for the remainder of the lease term. Rent expense for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009 was $44,320, $44,041 and $1,836, respectively.

The Company also leases certain furniture and equipment under financing arrangements expiring between February 2013 and December 2014.

A schedule of minimum future lease payments for the following twelve-month periods is as follows:

 

December 31, 2012

   $ 538,807   

December 31, 2013

     467,387   

December 31, 2014

     333,074   

December 31, 2015

     254,576   

December 31, 2016

     176,576   

December 31, 2017 and thereafter

     8,723   
  

 

 

 

Total

   $ 1,779,143   
  

 

 

 

Management Agreements—Each of the operating hotels that the Company wholly-owned at December 31, 2011, except for the Crowne Plaza Tampa Westshore, are operated by MHI Hotels Services under a master management agreement that expires between December 2014 and April 2018. The Company entered into a separate management agreement with MHI Hotels Services for the management of the Crowne Plaza Tampa Westshore that expires in March 2019 (see Note 9).

Franchise Agreements—As of December 31, 2011, the Company's hotels operate under franchise licenses from national hotel companies. Under the franchise agreements, the Company is required to pay a franchise fee generally between 2.5% and 5.0% of room revenues, plus additional fees that amount to between 2.5% and 6.0% of room revenues from the hotels. The franchise agreements currently expire between October 2014 and April 2023.

Restricted Cash Reserves—The Company is required to escrow with its lender on the Wilmington Riverside Hilton and the Savannah DeSoto Hilton an amount equal to 1/12 of the annual real estate taxes due for the properties. The Company is also required to maintain a property improvement fund for each of these two hotels to cover the cost of replacing capital assets at the properties. Each month, contributions are made to each property improvement fund equal to 4.0% of gross revenues for the Hilton Savannah DeSoto and the Hilton Wilmington Riverside.

Pursuant to the terms of the mortgage on the Crowne Plaza Jacksonville Riverfront, the Company is required to contribute 4.0% of room revenues to a property improvement fund.

Pursuant to the terms of the mortgage on the Crowne Plaza Hampton Marina, the Company is required to contribute 4.0% of gross revenues to a property improvement fund beginning in January 2010.

Pursuant to the terms of the mortgage on the Sheraton Louisville Riverside, the Company is required to contribute 4.0% of gross revenues to a property improvement fund beginning in February 2012.

Pursuant to the terms of the fifth amendment to the credit agreement, the Company is required to escrow with its lender an amount sufficient to pay the real estate taxes as well as property and liability insurance for the encumbered properties when due. In addition, the Company is required to make monthly contributions equal to 3.0% of room revenues into a property improvement fund.

Litigation—The Company is not involved in any material litigation, nor, to its knowledge, is any material litigation threatened against the Company. The Company is involved in routine litigation arising out of the ordinary course of business, all of which the Company expects to be covered by insurance and none of which it expects will have a material impact on its financial condition or results of operations.