14.  REDEEMABLE NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS



The Company evaluates the terms of the partnership units issued in accordance with the FASB’s Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity guidance.  Units which embody an unconditional obligation requiring the Company to redeem the units for cash after a specified or determinable date (or dates) or upon the occurrence of an event that is not solely within the control of the issuer are determined to be contingently redeemable under this guidance and are included as Redeemable noncontrolling interests and classified within the mezzanine section between Total liabilities and Stockholders’ equity on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets.  Convertible units for which the Company has the option to settle redemption amounts in cash or Common Stock are included in the caption Noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries within the equity section on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheet.



Rockpoint Transaction

On February 27, 2017, the Company, Roseland Residential Trust (“RRT”), the Company’s wholly-owned subsidiary through which the Company conducts its multi-family residential real estate operations, Roseland Residential, L.P. (“RRLP”), the operating partnership through which RRT conducts all of its operations, and certain other affiliates of the Company entered into an equity investment agreement (the “Investment Agreement”) with Rockpoint Group, L.L.C. and certain of its affiliates (collectively, “Rockpoint”).  The Investment Agreement provides for multiple equity investments by Rockpoint in RRLP from time to time for up to an aggregate of $300 million of equity units of limited partnership interests of RRLP (the “Rockpoint Units”).  The initial closing under the Investment Agreement occurred on March 10, 2017 for $150 million of Rockpoint Units and the parties agreed that the Company's contributed equity value, (“RRT Contributed Equity Value”), was $1.23 billion at closing.  Additional closings of Rockpoint Units to be issued and sold to Rockpoint pursuant to the Investment Agreement may occur from time to time in increments of not less than $10 million per closing, with the balance of the full $300 million by March 1, 2019. 



The Company has a participation right, where prior to March 1, 2022 and following either the full investment of $300 million by Rockpoint or in certain other limited circumstances, the Company may contribute up to $200 million to obtain equity units on substantially the same terms and conditions as the Rockpoint Units to be issued and sold to Rockpoint.



Under the terms of the transaction, the cash flow from operations of RRLP will be distributable to RRT and Rockpoint as follows:



first, to provide a 6% annual return to Rockpoint (and to the Company after it contributes to RRT to obtain equity units, as described above) on its invested capital (“Preferred Base Return”);

second, to provide a 6% annual return on the equity value of the properties contributed by it to the partnership (“RRT Base Return”) with 95% of the RRT Base Return to RRT and 5% of the RRT Base Return to Rockpoint; and

third, pro rata between Rockpoint (and the Company upon its contribution to obtain equity units) and RRT based on total respective invested capital by Rockpoint and RRT Initial Capital Contribution. 



Based on Rockpoint’s $150 million invested capital and RRT’s Initial Capital Contribution, at September 30, 2017 this pro rata distribution would be approximately 10.9% to Rockpoint and 89.1% to RRT.



RRLP’s cash flow from capital events will generally be distributable to RRT and Rockpoint as follows:



first, to Rockpoint (and the Company after it contributes to RRT to obtain equity units) to the extent there is any unpaid, accrued Preferred Base Return;

second, as a return of capital to Rockpoint (and the Company after it contributes to RRT to obtain equity units);

third, to RRT to the extent there is any unpaid, accrued RRT Base Return (with Rockpoint entitled to 5% of the amounts distributable to RRT);

fourth, as a return of capital to RRT based on the equity value of the properties contributed by it to the partnership (with Rockpoint entitled to 5% of the amounts distributable to RRT);

fifth, pro rata between Rockpoint (and the Company after it contributes to RRT to obtain equity units) and RRT based on total respective invested capital and contributed equity value until Rockpoint has achieved an 11% internal rate of return; and

sixth, to Rockpoint (and to the Company after it contributes to RRT to obtain equity units) based on 50% of its pro rata share described in “fifth” above and the balance to RRT.



In general, RRLP may not sell its properties in a taxable transaction, although it may engage in tax-deferred like-kind exchanges of properties or it may proceed in another manner designed to avoid the recognition of gains for tax purposes.



Beginning March 1, 2022, except in certain limited  circumstances as defined in the agreement, either RRT or Rockpoint may cause RRT to redeem (a “Put/Call Event”) all, but not less than all, of Rockpoint’s interest in the Rockpoint Units based on a net asset value of RRLP to be determined by a third party valuation and generally based on the capital event waterfall described above.  On a Put/Call Event, other than the sale of RRLP, Rockpoint can either demand payment in cash or may elect to convert all, but not less than all, of its investment to common equity in RRLP.  As such, the Rockpoint Units contain a substantive redemption feature that is outside of the Company’s control and accordingly, pursuant to ASC 480-1--S99-3A, the Rockpoint Units are classified in mezzanine equity measured based on the estimated future redemption value as of September 30, 2017.  



Preferred Units

On February 3, 2017, the Operating Partnership issued 42,800 shares of a new class of 3.5 percent Series A Preferred Limited Partnership Units of the Operating Partnership (the “Series A Units”).  The Series A Units were issued to the Company’s partners in the Plaza VIII & IX Associates L.L.C. joint venture that owns a development site adjacent to the Company’s Harborside property in Jersey City, New Jersey as non-cash consideration for their approximate 37.5 percent interest in the joint venture. 



Each Series A Unit has a stated value of $1,000, pays dividends quarterly at an annual rate of 3.5 percent (subject to increase under certain circumstances), is convertible into 28.15 common units of limited partnership interests of the Operating Partnership beginning generally five years from the date of issuance, or an aggregate of up to 1,204,820 common units.  The conversion rate was based on a value of $35.52 per common unit.  The Series A Units have a liquidation and dividend preference senior to the common units and include customary anti-dilution protections for stock splits and similar events.  The Series A Units are redeemable for cash at their stated value beginning five years from the date of issuance at the option of the holder. 



On February 28, 2017, the Operating Partnership authorized the issuance of 9,213 shares of a new class of 3.5 percent Series A-1 Preferred Limited Partnership Units of the Operating Partnership (the “Series A-1 Units”).  9,122 Series A-1 Units were issued on February 28, 2017 and an additional 91 Series A-1 Units were issued in April 2017 pursuant to acquiring additional interests in a joint venture that owns Monaco Towers in Jersey City, New Jersey.  The Series A-1 Units were issued as non-cash consideration for the partner’s approximate 13.8 percent ownership interest in the joint venture. 



Each Series A-1 Unit has a stated value of $1,000 (the “Stated Value”), pays dividends quarterly at an annual rate equal to the greater of (x) 3.5 percent, or (y) the then-effective annual dividend yield on the General Partner’s common stock, and is convertible into 27.936 common units of limited partnership interests of the Operating Partnership beginning generally five years from the date of issuance, or an aggregate of up to 257,375 Common Units.  The conversion rate was based on a value of $35.80 per common unit.  The Series A-1 Units have a liquidation and dividend preference senior to the Common Units and include customary anti-dilution protections for stock splits and similar events.  The Series A-1 Units are redeemable for cash at their stated value beginning five years from the date of issuance at the option of the holder.  The Series A-1 Units are pari passu with the 42,800 3.5% Series A Units issued on February 3, 2017.



The following table sets forth the changes in Redeemable noncontrolling interests for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 (dollars in thousands):