NOTE 8 – RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
Compensation and Services Agreement
Pursuant to the compensation and services agreement with Majestic Property Management Corp. (“Majestic”), Majestic provides the Company with certain (i) executive, administrative, legal, accounting, clerical, property management, property acquisition, consulting (i.e., sale, leasing, brokerage, and mortgage financing), and construction supervisory services (collectively, the “Services”) and (ii) facilities and other resources. Majestic is wholly-owned by the Company’s vice- chairman and it provides compensation to several of the Company’s executive officers.
In consideration for the Services, the Company paid Majestic $826,000 and $879,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. Included in these amounts are fees for property management services of $357,000 and $428,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. The amounts paid for property management services are based on 1.5% and 2.0% of the rental payments (including tenant reimbursements) actually received by the Company from net lease tenants and operating lease tenants, respectively. The Company does not pay Majestic with respect to properties managed by third parties. The Company also paid Majestic, pursuant to the compensation and services agreement, $84,000 and $79,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, for the Company’s share of all direct office expenses, including rent, telephone, postage, computer services, internet usage and supplies.
Executive officers and others providing services to the Company under the compensation and services agreement were awarded shares of restricted stock and restricted stock units (“RSUs”) under the Company’s stock incentive plans (described in Note 9). The related expense charged to the Company’s operations was $614,000 and $642,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
The amounts paid under the compensation and services agreement (except for the property management services which are included in Real estate expenses) and the costs of the stock incentive plans are included in General and administrative expense on the consolidated statements of income.
Joint Venture Partners and Affiliates
The Company paid an aggregate of $23,000 and $22,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, to its consolidated joint venture partner or their affiliates (none of whom are officers, directors, or employees of the Company) for property management services, which are included in Real estate expenses on the consolidated statements of income.
The Company’s unconsolidated joint ventures paid management fees of $2,000 and $27,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, to the other partner of the ventures, which reduced Equity in earnings of unconsolidated joint ventures on the consolidated statements of income by $1,000 and $13,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
Other
During the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company paid quarterly fees of (i) $81,378 and $78,250, respectively, to the Company’s chairman and (ii) $32,551 and $31,300, respectively, to the Company’s vice-chairman. These fees are included in General and administrative expenses on the consolidated statements of income.
The Company obtains its property insurance in conjunction with Gould Investors L.P. (“Gould Investors”), a related party, and reimburses Gould Investors annually for the Company’s insurance cost relating to its properties. Included in Real estate expenses on the consolidated statements of income is insurance expense of $277,000 and $148,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, of amounts reimbursed to Gould Investors in prior periods.