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3/17/08 Getty Realty Corp/MD 10-K 12/31/07 9:163 Bowne of Chicago...01/FA
Annual Report · Form 10-K
Filing Table of Contents
Document/Exhibit Description Pages Size
1: 10-K Annual Report HTML 710K
2: EX-10.4 Assignment of Trademark Registrations HTML 11K
3: EX-13 Annual Report to Shareholders HTML 299K
4: EX-21 Subsidiaries of the Company HTML 9K
5: EX-23 Consent of Independent Registered Public HTML 6K
Accounting Firm
6: EX-31.1 Certification of Chief Executive Officer HTML 8K
7: EX-31.2 Certification of Chief Financial Officer HTML 8K
8: EX-32.1 Section 1350 Certification of Chief Executive HTML 6K
Officer
9: EX-32.2 Section 1350 Certification of Chief Financial HTML 7K
Officer
10-K · Annual Report
This is an EDGAR HTML document rendered as filed. [ Alternative Formats ]
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
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ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
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FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2007 |
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TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
GETTY REALTY CORP.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
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| Maryland
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11-3412575 |
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(I.R.S. employer identification no.) |
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| 125 Jericho Turnpike,
Suite 103, Jericho, New York
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11753 |
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(Zip Code) |
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| Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (516) 478-5400 |
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| Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: |
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| TITLE OF EACH CLASS
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NAME OF EACH EXCHANGE ON WHICH REGISTERED |
| Common Stock, $0.01 par value
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New York Stock Exchange |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
None
(Title of Class)
Indicate by check mark if
the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of
the Securities Act. Yes
o No
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Indicate by check mark if
the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or
Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act. Yes
o No
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Indicate by check mark whether
the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by
Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for
such shorter period that
the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been
subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes
þ No
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Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is
not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in
definitive proxy or information statements
incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K
or any amendment to this Form 10-K.
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Indicate by check mark whether
the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a
non-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of
“large accelerated
filer,” “accelerated filer” and
“smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
(Check one):
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Accelerated filer þ
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Non-accelerated filer o
(Do not check if a smaller reporting company)
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Smaller reporting company o |
Indicate by check mark whether
the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the
Exchange Act). Yes
o No
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The aggregate market value of common stock held by non-affiliates (17,352,547 shares of common
stock) of
the Company was $462,965,954 as of
June 30, 2007.
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PART OF FORM 10-K |
Selected Portions of Annual Report to Shareholders for the year ended December 31, 2007 (the “Annual Report”)
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I and II |
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Selected Portions of Definitive Proxy Statement for the 2008 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Proxy
Statement”), which will be filed by the registrant on or prior to 120 days following the end of the registrant’s
year ended December 31, 2007 pursuant to Regulation 14A.
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III |
PART I
Item 1. Business
Recent Developments
A substantial portion of our revenues (76% for the three months ended
December 31, 2007 and
78% for the year ended
December 31, 2007) are derived from leases (the
“Marketing Leases”) with our
primary tenant, Getty Petroleum Marketing Inc. (
“Marketing”). Accordingly, our revenues are
dependent to a large degree on the economic performance of Marketing and of the petroleum marketing
industry, and any factor that adversely affects Marketing, or our relationship with Marketing, may
have a material adverse effect on us. Through March 2008, Marketing has made all required monthly
rental payments under the Marketing Leases when due, although there is no assurance that it will
continue to do so. Even though Marketing is wholly-owned by a subsidiary of OAO LUKoil (
“Lukoil”),
one of the largest integrated Russian oil companies, Lukoil is not a guarantor of the Marketing
Leases and there can be no assurance that Lukoil will continue to provide credit enhancement or
additional capital to Marketing in the future.
In accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), the aggregate minimum
rent due over the current terms of the Marketing Leases, substantially all of which are scheduled
to expire in December 2015, is recognized on a straight-line basis rather than when the cash
payment is due. We have recorded as deferred rent receivable on our consolidated balance sheet the cumulative difference between lease revenue recognized under this straight
line accounting method and the lease revenue recognized when the payment is due under the
contractual payment terms. We provide reserves for a portion of the recorded deferred rent
receivable if circumstances indicate that a property may be disposed of before the end of the
current lease term or if it is not reasonable to assume that a tenant will make all of its
contractual lease payments when due during the current lease term. Our assessments and assumptions
regarding the recoverability of the deferred rent receivable related to the properties subject to
the Marketing Leases are reviewed on a quarterly basis and such assessments and assumptions are
subject to change.
We have had periodic discussions with representatives of Marketing regarding potential
modifications to the Marketing Leases and in the course of such discussions Marketing has proposed
to (i) remove approximately 40% of the properties (the
“Subject Properties”) from the Marketing
Leases and eliminate payment of rent to us, and eliminate or reduce payment of operating expenses,
with respect to the Subject Properties, and (ii) reduce the aggregate amount of rent payable to us
for the approximately 60% of the properties that would remain under the Marketing Leases (the
“Remaining Properties”). In light of these developments, and Marketing’s financial performance,
which continued to deteriorate in the fourth quarter and for the year ended
December 31, 2007 (as
discussed below), we intend to attempt to negotiate with Marketing for a modification of the
Marketing Leases which removes the Subject Properties from the Marketing Leases. Following any
such modification, we intend either to relet the Subject Properties or to sell the Subject
Properties and reinvest the proceeds in new properties. Any such modification would likely
significantly reduce the amount of rent we receive from Marketing and increase our operating
expenses. We cannot
accurately predict if or when the Marketing Leases will be modified or what the terms of any
agreement may be if the Marketing Leases are modified. We also cannot accurately predict what
actions Marketing and Lukoil may take, and what our recourse may be, whether the Marketing Leases
are modified or not.
Representatives of Marketing have also indicated to us that they are considering significant
changes to Marketing’s business model. We intend to attempt to negotiate with Marketing for a
modification of the Marketing Leases to remove the Subject Properties; however if Marketing
ultimately determines that its business strategy is to exit all of the properties it leases from us
or to divest a composition of properties different from the properties comprising the Subject
Properties, it is our intention to cooperate with Marketing in accomplishing those objectives to
the extent that is prudent for us to do so by seeking replacement tenants or buyers for the
properties subject to the Marketing Leases, either individually, in groups of properties, or by
seeking a single tenant for the entire portfolio of properties subject to the Marketing Leases.
Although we are the fee or leasehold owner of the properties subject to the Marketing Leases and
the owner of the Getty® brand and have prior experience with tenants who operate their gas
stations, convenience stores, automotive repair services or other businesses at our properties, in
the event that the Subject Properties or other properties are removed from the Marketing Leases, we
cannot accurately predict if, when, or on what terms, such properties could be re-let or sold.
In February 2008 we received Marketing’s unaudited financial statements for the year ended
December 31, 2007 and became aware that the previously disclosed deterioration in Marketing’s
financial performance had continued to a point where, in conjunction with our intention to attempt
to negotiate with Marketing for a modification of the Marketing Leases to remove the Subject
Properties, we can no longer reasonably assume that we will collect all of the rent due to us
related to the Subject Properties for the remainder of
2
the current lease terms. In reaching this conclusion, we relied on various indicators,
including, but not limited to, the following: (i) Marketing’s significant operating losses, (ii)
its negative cash flow from operating activities, (iii) its asset impairment charges for
underperforming assets, and (iv) its negative earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation,
amortization and rent payable to
the Company. Based upon our assessments and assumptions, we
believe that it is probable at this time that Lukoil would not allow Marketing to fail to perform
its obligations under the Marketing Leases. Should our assessments and assumptions prove to be
incorrect, the conclusions reached by
the Company relating to (i) recoverability of the deferred
rent receivable for the Remaining Properties and (ii) Marketing’s ability to pay its environmental
liabilities (as discussed below) would likely change.
Based upon our belief that Marketing desires to have the Subject Properties removed from the
Marketing Leases, and our intention to attempt to negotiate a modification of the Marketing Leases
to such end, we believe that Marketing will not make all contractual lease payments when due for
the entire current term of the Marketing Leases with respect to the Subject Properties.
Accordingly, we have reserved approximately $10.5 million of the deferred rent receivable recorded
as of
December 31, 2007, which is the full amount of the deferred rent receivable related to the
Subject Properties. This non-cash reserve has been reflected in our results of operations for the
fourth quarter and year ended
December 31, 2007 based on information that became available to us
from Marketing after we announced our results of operations for those periods. Providing this
$10.5 million reserve reduces our net earnings and our funds from operations but does not impact
our cash flow from operating activities or adjusted funds from operations since the impact of the
straight-line method of accounting is not included in our determination of adjusted funds from
operations. For additional information regarding funds from operations and adjusted funds from
operations, which are non-GAAP measures, see
“General — Supplemental Non-GAAP Measures” in
“Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and
“Selected Financial Data” both of which appear in our Annual Report to Shareholders filed as
exhibit 13 to this Annual Report on Form 10-K and are
incorporated by reference herein. While we
believe it is no longer reasonable to assume that Marketing will make all contractual lease
payments when due for the entire current term of the Marketing Leases with respect to the Subject
Properties, after considering Marketing’s financial condition, our intention to negotiate a
modification of the Marketing Leases, and certain other factors, including but not limited to those
described above, we continue to believe that it is probable that we will collect the deferred rent
receivable recorded as of
December 31, 2007 related to the Remaining Properties. In addition,
based upon our evaluation of the carrying value of the Subject Properties, we believe that no
impairment adjustment is necessary for the Subject Properties as of
December 31, 2007 pursuant to
the provisions of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 144. We intend to regularly
review our assumptions that affect the accounting for rental revenue related to the Remaining
Properties subject to the Marketing Leases and our assumptions regarding potential impairment of
the Subject Properties and, if appropriate, to consider adjusting our reserves. Beginning in the
first quarter of 2008, we anticipate that the rental revenue for the Remaining Properties will
continue to be recognized on a straight-line basis and the rental revenue for the Subject
Properties will be recognized when paid under the contractual payment terms.
As the operator of our properties under the Marketing Leases, Marketing is directly
responsible to pay for the remediation of environmental contamination it causes and to comply with
various environmental laws and regulations. In addition, the Marketing Leases and various other
agreements between Marketing and us allocate responsibility for known and unknown environmental
liabilities between Marketing and us relating to the properties subject to the Marketing Leases.
Based on various factors, including our assessments and assumptions at this time that Lukoil would
not allow Marketing to fail to perform its obligations under the Marketing Leases, we believe that
Marketing will continue to pay for substantially all environmental contamination and remediation
costs allocated to it under the Marketing Leases. It is possible that our assumptions regarding
the ultimate allocation methods and share of responsibility that we used to allocate environmental
liabilities may change as a result of the factors discussed above, or otherwise, which may result
in adjustments to the amounts recorded for environmental litigation accruals, environmental
remediation liabilities and related assets. We may ultimately be responsible to directly pay for
environmental liabilities as the property owner if Marketing fails to pay them. We are required to
accrue for environmental liabilities that we believe are allocable to Marketing under the Marketing
Leases and various other agreements if we determine that it is probable that Marketing will not pay
its environmental obligations.
Based upon our assessment of Marketing’s financial condition and certain other factors,
including but not limited to those described above, we believe at this time that it is not probable
that Marketing will not pay the environmental liabilities allocable to it under the Marketing
Leases and various other agreements and, therefore, have not accrued for such environmental
liabilities. Our assessments and assumptions that affect the recording of environmental liabilities
related to the properties subject to the Marketing Leases are reviewed on a quarterly basis and
such assessments and assumptions are subject to change.
We cannot provide any assurance that Marketing will continue to pay its debts or meet its
rental, environmental or other obligations under the Marketing Leases prior or subsequent to any
potential modification to the Marketing Leases discussed above. Additionally, we may be required to
(i) reserve additional amounts of the deferred rent receivable at a later time, (ii) accrue for
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environmental liabilities that we believe are allocable to Marketing under the Marketing
Leases and various other agreements, or (iii) record an impairment charge related to the Subject
Properties as a result of the proposed modification of the Marketing Leases. In the event that
Marketing cannot or will not perform its rental, environmental or other obligations under the
Marketing Leases; if the Marketing Leases are modified significantly or terminated; if we determine
that it is probable that Marketing will not meet its environmental obligations and we accrue for
such liabilities; if we are unable to relet or sell the properties subject to the Marketing Leases;
or if we change our assumptions that affect the accounting for rental revenue or environmental
liabilities related to the Marketing Leases; our business, financial condition, revenues, operating
expenses, results of operations, liquidity, ability to pay dividends and stock price may be
materially adversely affected.
For additional information regarding factors that could adversely affect us relating to
Marketing, see “Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Overview
Getty Realty Corp., a Maryland corporation, is the largest publicly-traded real estate
investment trust (
“REIT”) in the United States specializing in the ownership and leasing of retail
motor fuel and convenience store properties and petroleum distribution terminals. As of
December
31, 2007, we owned eight hundred eighty properties and leased two hundred three additional
properties. Our properties are located primarily in the Northeast and the Mid-Atlantic regions in
the United States.
The Company also owns or leases properties in Texas, North Carolina, Hawaii,
California, Florida, Arkansas, Illinois and North Dakota.
Nearly all of our properties are leased or sublet to distributors and retailers engaged in the
sale of gasoline and other motor fuel products, convenience store products and automotive repair
services who are responsible for the payment of taxes, maintenance, repair, insurance and other
operating expenses and for managing the actual operations conducted at these properties. As of
December 31, 2007, we leased approximately 81% of our owned and leased properties on a long-term
basis to Marketing. Marketing is wholly-owned by a subsidiary of Lukoil, one of the largest
integrated Russian oil companies. Marketing operates the petroleum distribution terminals but
typically does not itself directly operate the retail motor fuel and convenience store properties
it leases from us. Rather, Marketing subleases nearly all of our retail properties to distributors
and retailers who are responsible for the actual operations at the locations and operate their
convenience stores, automotive repair services or other businesses at our properties.
We are self-administered and self-managed by our experienced management team, which has over
ninety-four years of combined experience in owning, leasing and managing retail motor fuel and
convenience store properties. Our executive officers are engaged exclusively in the day-to-day
business of
the Company. We administer nearly all management functions for our properties,
including leasing, legal, data processing, finance and accounting. We have invested, and will
continue to invest, in real estate and real estate related investments, such as mortgage loans,
when appropriate opportunities arise.
Our founders started the business in 1955 with the ownership of one gasoline service station
in New York City and combined real estate ownership, leasing and management with actual service
station operation and petroleum distribution. We held our initial public offering in 1971 under the
name Power Test Corp. We acquired, from Texaco in 1985, the petroleum distribution and marketing
assets of Getty Oil Company in the Northeast United States along with the Getty® name and trademark
in connection with our real estate and the petroleum marketing business in the United States. We
became one of the largest independent owner/operators of petroleum marketing assets in the country,
serving retail and wholesale customers through a distribution and marketing network of Getty® and
other branded retail motor fuel and convenience store properties and petroleum distribution
terminals.
Marketing was formed to facilitate the spin-off of our petroleum marketing business to our
shareholders which was completed in 1997 (the “Spin-Off”). At that time, our shareholders received
a tax-free dividend of one share of common stock of Marketing for each share of our common stock.
Following the Spin-Off, Marketing held the assets and liabilities of our petroleum marketing
operations and a portion of our home heating oil business, and we continued operating primarily as
a real estate company specializing in the ownership and leasing of retail motor fuel and
convenience store properties and petroleum distribution terminals. In 1998, we acquired Power Test
Investors Limited Partnership (the “Partnership”), thereby acquiring fee title to two hundred
ninety-five properties we had previously leased from the Partnership and which the Partnership had
acquired from Texaco in 1985. We later sold the remaining portion of our home heating oil business.
As a result, we are now exclusively engaged in the ownership, leasing and management of real estate
assets, principally in the petroleum marketing industry.
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In December 2000, Marketing was acquired by a U.S. subsidiary of Lukoil. In connection with
Lukoil’s acquisition of Marketing, we renegotiated our long-term unitary Master Lease with
Marketing. As of
December 31, 2007, Marketing leased from us eight hundred eighty properties under
the Master Lease and ten properties under supplemental leases (collectively referred to as the
Marketing Leases). Eight hundred eighty-one of the properties leased to Marketing are retail motor
fuel and convenience store properties and nine of the properties are petroleum distribution
terminals. Seven hundred and fourteen of the properties leased to Marketing are owned by us and one
hundred seventy-six of the properties are leased by us from third parties. The Master Lease has an
initial term expiring in December 2015, and generally provides Marketing with three renewal options
of ten years each and a final renewal option of three years and ten months extending to 2049. For
information regarding Marketing and the Marketing Leases, see
“Part 1. Item 1. Business — Recent
Developments” above. Each of the renewal options may be exercised only on an
“all or nothing”
basis. The supplemental leases have initial terms of varying expiration dates. The Marketing Leases
are
“triple-net” leases, pursuant to which Marketing is responsible for the payment of taxes,
maintenance, repair, insurance and other operating expenses. We have licensed the Getty
® trademarks
to Marketing on an exclusive basis in its marketing territory as of December 2000. We have also
licensed the trademarks to Marketing on a non-exclusive basis outside that territory, subject to a
gallonage-based royalty, although to date, Marketing has not used the trademark outside that
territory.
We elected to be treated as a REIT under the federal income tax laws beginning
January 1,
2001. A REIT is a corporation, or a business trust that would otherwise be taxed as a corporation,
which meets certain requirements of the Internal Revenue Code. The Internal Revenue Code permits a
qualifying REIT to deduct dividends paid, thereby effectively eliminating corporate level federal
income tax and making the REIT a pass-through vehicle for federal income tax purposes. To meet the
applicable requirements of the Internal Revenue Code, a REIT must, among other things, invest
substantially all of its assets in interests in real estate (including mortgages and other REITs)
or cash and government securities, derive most of its income from rents from real property or
interest on loans secured by mortgages on real property, and distribute to shareholders annually a
substantial portion of its otherwise taxable income. As a REIT, we are required to distribute at
least ninety percent of our taxable income to our shareholders each year and would be subject to
corporate level federal income taxes on any taxable income that is not distributed.
Real Estate Business
The operators of our properties are primarily distributors and retailers engaged in the sale
of gasoline and other motor fuel products, convenience store products and automotive repair
services. Over the past decade, these lines of business have matured into a single industry as
operators increased their emphasis on co-branded locations with multiple uses. The combination of
petroleum product sales with other offerings, particularly convenience store products, has helped
provide one-stop shopping for consumers and we believe represents a driving force behind the
industry’s growth in recent years.
Revenues from rental properties for the year ended
December 31, 2007 were $78.5 million which
is comprised of $75.0 million of lease payments received and $3.4 million of deferred rental income
recognized due to the straight-line method of accounting for the leases with Marketing and certain
of our other tenants and amortization of above-market and below-market rent for acquired in-place
leases. In 2007, we received lease payments from Marketing aggregating approximately $60.0 million
(or 80%) of the $75.0 million lease payments received. We are materially dependent upon the ability
of Marketing to meet its rental, environmental and other obligations under the Marketing Leases.
Marketing’s financial results depend largely on retail petroleum marketing margins and rental
income from subtenants who operate our properties. The petroleum marketing industry has been and
continues to be volatile and highly competitive. Marketing has made all required monthly rental
payments under the Marketing Leases when due, although there is no assurance that it will continue
to do so. For information regarding Marketing and the Marketing Leases, see
“Part 1. Item 1.
Business — Recent Developments” above. You can find more information about our revenues, profits
and assets by referring to the financial statements and supplemental financial information in our
Annual Report to Shareholders.
As of
December 31, 2007, we owned fee title to eight hundred seventy-one retail motor fuel and
convenience store properties and nine petroleum distribution terminals. We also leased two hundred
three retail motor fuel and convenience store properties. Our typical property is used as a retail
motor fuel and/or convenience store, and is located on between one-half and three quarters of an
acre of land in a metropolitan area. Our properties are located primarily in the Northeast and the
Mid-Atlantic regions in the United States.
The Company also owns or leases properties in Texas,
North Carolina, Hawaii, California, Florida, Arkansas, Illinois and North Dakota. Approximately
one-half of our retail motor fuel properties have repair bays (typically two or three bays per
station) and nearly half have convenience stores, canopies or both. We lease four thousand square
feet of office space at 125 Jericho Turnpike, Jericho, New York, which is used for our corporate
headquarters.
We believe our network of retail motor fuel and convenience store properties and terminal
properties across the Northeast and the Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States is unique and
that comparable networks of properties are not readily available for purchase
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or lease from other owners or landlords. Many of our properties are located at highly
trafficked urban intersections or conveniently close to highway entrance and exit ramps.
Furthermore, we believe that obtaining the permits necessary to operate a network of petroleum
marketing properties such as ours would be a difficult, time consuming and costly process for any
potential competitor. However, the real estate industry is highly competitive, and we compete for
tenants with a large number of property owners. Our principal means of competition are rents
charged in relation to the income producing potential of the location. In addition, we expect other
major real estate investors with significant capital will compete with us for attractive
acquisition opportunities. These competitors include petroleum manufacturing, distributing and
marketing companies, other REITs, investment banking firms and private institutional investors.
This competition has increased prices for commercial properties and may impair our ability to make
suitable property acquisitions on favorable terms in the future.
As part of our overall growth strategy we regularly review opportunities to acquire additional
properties and we expect to continue to pursue acquisitions that we believe will benefit our
financial performance. To the extent that our current sources of liquidity are not sufficient to
fund such acquisitions we will require other sources of capital, which may or may not be available
on favorable terms or at all.
Trademarks
We own the Getty® name and trademark in connection with our real estate and the petroleum
marketing business in the United States and have licensed the Getty® trademarks to Marketing on an
exclusive basis in its marketing territory as of December 2000. We have also licensed the
trademarks to Marketing on a non-exclusive basis outside that territory, subject to a
gallonage-based royalty, although to date, Marketing has not used the trademark outside that
territory. The trademark licenses with Marketing are coterminous with the Master Lease.
Regulation
We are subject to numerous existing federal, state and local laws and regulations including
matters related to the protection of the environment such as the remediation of known contamination
and the retirement and decommissioning or removal of long-lived assets including buildings
containing hazardous materials, underground storage tanks (“UST” or “USTs”) and other equipment.
The Marketing Leases and various other agreements between Marketing and us allocate responsibility
for known and unknown environmental liabilities between Marketing and
us relating to the properties subject to the Marketing Leases. It is possible that our assumptions
regarding the ultimate allocation methods and share of responsibility that we used to allocate
environmental liabilities with respect to the properties subject to
the Marketing Leases may change, which may result in adjustments to the amounts recorded for
environmental litigation accruals, environmental remediation liabilities and related assets. The
ultimate resolution of these matters could have a material adverse effect on our business,
financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, ability to pay dividends and stock price.
Petroleum properties are governed by numerous federal, state and local environmental laws and
regulations. These laws have included: (i) requirements to report to governmental authorities
discharges of petroleum products into the environment and, under certain circumstances, to
remediate the soil and/or groundwater contamination pursuant to governmental order and directive,
(ii) requirements to remove and replace USTs that have exceeded governmental-mandated age
limitations and (iii) the requirement to provide a certificate of financial responsibility with
respect to claims relating to UST failures.
Environmental expenses are principally attributable to remediation costs which include
installing, operating, maintaining and decommissioning remediation systems, monitoring
contamination, and governmental agency reporting incurred in connection with contaminated
properties. In accordance with leases with certain tenants, we have agreed to bring the leased
properties with known environmental contamination to within applicable standards and to regulatory
or contractual closure (“Closure”) in an efficient and economical manner. Generally, upon achieving
Closure at an individual property, our environmental liability under the lease for that property
will be satisfied and future remediation obligations will be the responsibility of our tenant.
We have agreed to pay all costs relating to, and to indemnify Marketing for, certain
environmental liabilities and obligations that are scheduled in the Master Lease. We will continue
to seek reimbursement from state UST remediation funds related to these environmental expenditures
where available. As of
December 31, 2007, we have regulatory approval for remediation action plans
in place for two hundred sixty-three (93%) of the two hundred eighty-two properties for which we
continue to retain remediation responsibility and the remaining nineteen properties (7%) were in
the assessment phase. In addition, we have nominal post-closure compliance obligations at 28
properties where we have received
“no further action” letters.
6
For additional information please refer to “Recent Developments,” above and to “Liquidity and
Capital Resources,” “Environmental Matters” and “Contractual Obligations” in “Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.”
We believe that we are in substantial compliance with federal, state and local provisions
enacted or adopted pertaining to environmental matters. Although we are unable to predict what
legislation or regulations may be adopted in the future with respect to environmental protection
and waste disposal, existing legislation and regulations have had no material adverse effect on our
competitive position. See “Item 3. Legal Proceedings.”
Personnel
Access to our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and Corporate Governance Documents
Our
website address is
www.gettyrealty.com. Our address, phone number and a list of our
officers is available on our
website. Our
website contains a hyperlink to the EDGAR database of the
SEC at
www.sec.gov where you can access, free-of-charge, our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly
Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and all amendments to these reports as soon as
reasonably practicable after such reports are filed. Our
website also contains our business conduct
guidelines, corporate governance guidelines and the charters of the Compensation,
Nominating/Corporate Governance and Audit Committees of our Board of Directors. We also will
provide copies of these reports and corporate governance documents free-of-charge upon request,
addressed to Getty Realty Corp., 125 Jericho Turnpike, Suite 103,
Jericho,
NY 11753, Attn: Investor
Relations. Information available on or accessible through our
website shall not be deemed to be a
part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. You may read and copy any materials that we file with the
SEC at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, DC 20549. You may obtain
information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330.
Special Factors Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K may constitute
“forward-looking
statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When we use
the words
“believes,” “expects,” “plans,” “projects,” “estimates,” “predicts” and similar
expressions, we intend to identify forward-looking statements. Examples of forward-looking
statements include statements regarding recent developments related to Marketing and the Marketing
Leases; the impact of any modification or termination of the Marketing Leases on our business and
ability to pay dividends or our stock price; our belief that Lukoil
would not allow Marketing to fail to perform its obligations under
the Marketing Leases; Marketing in the future; our ability to predict if or when the
Marketing Leases will be modified or terminated, the terms of any such modification or termination
or what actions Marketing and Lukoil will take and what our recourse will be whether the Marketing
Leases are modified or terminated or not; the expected effect of regulations on our long-term
performance; our expected ability to maintain compliance with applicable regulations; our ability
to renew expired leases; the adequacy of our current and anticipated cash flows; our ability to
relet properties at market rents; our belief that we do not have a material liability for
offers and sales of our securities made pursuant to registration statements that did not contain
the financial statements or summarized financial data of Marketing; our expectations regarding
future acquisitions; our expected ability to increase our available funding under the Credit
Agreement; our ability to maintain our REIT status; the probable outcome of litigation or
regulatory actions; our expected recoveries from UST funds; our exposure to environmental
remediation costs; our estimates regarding remediation costs; our expectations as to the long-term
effect of environmental liabilities on our financial condition; our exposure to interest rate
fluctuations and the manner in which we expect to manage this exposure; the expected reduction in
interest-rate risk resulting from our interest-rate swap agreement and our expectation that we will
not settle the interest-rate swap prior to its maturity; the expectation that the Credit Agreement
will be refinanced with variable interest-rate debt at its maturity; our expectations regarding
corporate level federal income taxes; the indemnification obligations of
the Company and others;
our intention to consummate future acquisitions; our assessment of the likelihood of future
competition; assumptions regarding the future applicability of accounting estimates, assumptions
and policies; our intention to pay future dividends and the amounts thereof; and our beliefs about
the reasonableness of our accounting estimates, judgments and assumptions.
These forward-looking statements are based on our current beliefs and assumptions and
information currently available to us, and involve known and unknown risks (including the risks
described below in “Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors” and other risks that we describe from time to
time in our SEC filings), uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results,
performance and achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or
achievements expressed or implied by these forward-
7
looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which
reflect our view only as of the date hereof. We undertake no obligation to publicly release
revisions to these forward-looking statements that reflect future events or circumstances or
reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
Item 1A. Risk Factors
We are subject to various risks, many of which are beyond our control. As a result of these
and other factors, we may experience material fluctuations in our future operating results on a
quarterly or annual basis, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial
condition, results of operations liquidity, ability to pay dividends and stock price. An investment
in our stock involves various risks, including those mentioned below and elsewhere this Annual
Report on Form 10-K and those that are detailed from time to time in our other filings with the
SEC.
We are subject to risks inherent in owning and leasing real estate.
We are subject to varying degrees of risk generally related to leasing and owning real estate
many of which are beyond our control. In addition to general risks related to owning properties
used in the petroleum marketing industry, our risks include, among others:
| • |
|
our liability as a lessee for long-term lease obligations regardless of our revenues, |
| |
| • |
|
deterioration in national, regional and local economic and real estate market
conditions, |
| |
| • |
|
potential changes in supply of, or demand for, rental properties similar to ours, |
| |
| • |
|
competition for tenants and changes in rental rates, |
| |
| • |
|
difficulty in reletting properties on favorable terms or at all, |
| |
| • |
|
impairments in our ability to collect rent payments when due, |
| |
| • |
|
increases in interest rates and adverse changes in the availability, cost and terms of
financing, |
| |
| • |
|
the potential for uninsured casualty and other losses, |
| |
| • |
|
the impact of present or future environmental legislation and compliance with
environmental laws, |
| |
| • |
|
adverse changes in zoning laws and other regulations, and |
| |
| • |
|
acts of terrorism and war. |
Each of these factors could cause a material adverse effect on our business, financial
condition, results of operations, liquidity, ability to pay dividends and stock price. In addition,
real estate investments are relatively illiquid, which means that our ability to vary our portfolio
of properties in response to changes in economic and other conditions may be limited.
Because our revenues are primarily dependent on the performance of Getty Petroleum Marketing Inc.,
our primary tenant, in the event that Marketing cannot or will not perform its rental,
environmental and other obligations under the Marketing Leases, or if the Marketing Leases are
modified significantly or terminated, or if it becomes probable that
Marketing will not pay its
environmental obligations, or if we change our assumptions for rental revenue or environmental
liabilities related to the Marketing Leases, our business, financial condition, revenues, operating
expenses, results of operations, liquidity, ability to pay dividends and stock price could be
materially adversely affected. No assurance can be given that Marketing will have the ability to
pay its debts or meet its rental, environmental or other obligations under the Marketing
Leases.
Marketing’s earnings and cash flow from operations depend largely upon the sale of refined
petroleum products at margins in excess of its fixed and variable expenses and rental income from
its subtenants. The petroleum marketing industry has been, and continues to be, volatile and highly
competitive. A large, rapid increase in wholesale petroleum prices would adversely affect
Marketing’s profitability and cash flow if the increased cost of petroleum products could not be
passed on to Marketing’s customers or if the consumption of gasoline for automotive use were to
decline significantly. Petroleum products are commodities, the prices of which depend on numerous
factors that affect supply and demand. The prices paid by Marketing and other petroleum marketers
for products are affected by global, national and regional factors. We cannot accurately predict
how these factors will affect petroleum product prices or supply in the future, or how in
particular they will affect Marketing or our other tenants.
A substantial portion of our revenues (76% for the three months ended
December 31, 2007 and
78% for the year ended
December 31, 2007) are derived from Marketing Leases with Marketing.
Accordingly, our revenues are dependent to a large degree on the economic performance of Marketing
and of the petroleum marketing industry, and any factor that adversely affects Marketing, or our
relationship with Marketing, may have a material adverse effect on us. Through March 2008,
Marketing has made all required monthly rental payments under the Marketing Leases when due,
although there is no assurance that it will continue to do so. Even
8
though Marketing is wholly-owned by a subsidiary of LUKoil, one of the largest integrated
Russian oil companies, Lukoil is not a guarantor of the Marketing Leases and there can be no
assurance that Lukoil will continue to provide credit enhancement or additional capital to
Marketing in the future.
In accordance with GAAP, the aggregate minimum rent due over the current terms of the
Marketing Leases, substantially all of which are scheduled to expire in December 2015, is
recognized on a straight-line basis rather than when the cash payment is due. We have recorded as
deferred rent receivable on our consolidated balance sheet the cumulative
difference between lease revenue recognized under this straight line accounting method and the
lease revenue recognized when the payment is due under the contractual payment terms. We provide
reserves for a portion of the recorded deferred rent receivable if circumstances indicate that a
property may be disposed of before the end of the current lease term or if it is not reasonable to
assume that a tenant will make all of its contractual lease payments when due during the current
lease term. Our assessments and assumptions regarding the recoverability of the deferred rent
receivable related to the properties subject to the Marketing Leases are reviewed on a quarterly
basis and such assessments and assumptions are subject to change.
We have had periodic discussions with representatives of Marketing regarding potential
modifications to the Marketing Leases and in the course of such discussions Marketing has proposed
to (i) remove the Subject Properties from the Marketing Leases and eliminate payment of rent to us,
and eliminate or reduce payment of operating expenses, with respect to the Subject Properties, and
(ii) reduce the aggregate amount of rent payable to us for the Remaining Properties. In light of
these developments, and Marketing’s financial performance, which continued to deteriorate in the
fourth quarter and for the year ended
December 31, 2007 (as discussed below), we intend to attempt
to negotiate with Marketing for a modification of the Marketing Leases which removes the Subject
Properties from the Marketing Leases. Following any such modification, we intend either to relet
the Subject Properties or to sell the Subject Properties and reinvest the proceeds in new
properties. Any such modification would likely significantly reduce the amount of rent we receive
from Marketing and increase our operating expenses. We cannot accurately predict if or when the Marketing Leases will
be modified or what the terms of any agreement may be if the Marketing Leases are modified. We
also cannot accurately predict what actions Marketing and Lukoil may take, and what our recourse
may be, whether the Marketing Leases are modified or not.
Representatives of Marketing have also indicated to us that they are considering significant
changes to Marketing’s business model. We intend to attempt to negotiate with Marketing for a
modification of the Marketing Leases to remove the Subject Properties; however if Marketing
ultimately determines that its business strategy is to exit all of the properties it leases from us
or to divest a composition of properties different from the properties comprising the Subject
Properties, it is our intention to cooperate with Marketing in accomplishing those objectives to
the extent that is prudent for us to do so by seeking replacement tenants or buyers for the
properties subject to the Marketing Leases, either individually, in groups of properties, or by
seeking a single tenant for the entire portfolio of properties subject to the Marketing Leases.
Although we are the fee or leasehold owner of the properties subject to the Marketing Leases and
the owner of the Getty® brand and have prior experience with tenants who operate their gas
stations, convenience stores, automotive repair services or other businesses at our properties, in
the event that the Subject Properties or other properties are removed from the Marketing Leases, we
cannot accurately predict if, when, or on what terms, such properties could be re-let or sold.
In February 2008 we received Marketing’s unaudited financial statements for the year ended
December 31, 2007 and became aware that the previously disclosed deterioration in Marketing’s
financial performance had continued to a point where, in conjunction with our intention to attempt
to negotiate with Marketing for a modification of the Marketing Leases to remove the Subject
Properties, we can no longer reasonably assume that we will collect all of the rent due to us
related to the Subject Properties for the remainder of the current lease terms. In reaching this
conclusion, we relied on various indicators, including, but not limited to, the following: (i)
Marketing’s significant operating losses, (ii) its negative cash flow from operating activities,
(iii) its asset impairment charges for underperforming assets, and (iv) its negative earnings
before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization and rent payable to
the Company. Based upon our
assessments and assumptions, we believe that it is probable at this time that Lukoil would not
allow Marketing to fail to perform its obligations under the Marketing Leases. Should our
assessments and assumptions prove to be incorrect, the conclusions reached by
the Company relating
to (i) recoverability of the deferred rent receivable for the Remaining Properties and (ii)
Marketing’s ability to pay its environmental liabilities (as discussed below) would likely change.
Based upon our belief that Marketing desires to have the Subject Properties removed from the
Marketing Leases, and our intention to attempt to negotiate a modification of the Marketing Leases
to such end, we believe that Marketing will not make all contractual lease payments when due for
the entire current term of the Marketing Leases with respect to the Subject Properties.
Accordingly, we have reserved approximately $10.5 million of the deferred rent receivable recorded
as of
December 31, 2007, which is the full amount
9
of the deferred rent receivable related to the Subject Properties. This non-cash reserve has
been reflected in our results of operations for the fourth quarter and year ended
December 31, 2007
based on information that became available to us from Marketing after we announced our results of
operations for those periods. Providing this $10.5 million reserve reduces our net earnings and
our funds from operations but does not impact our cash flow from operating activities or adjusted
funds from operations since the impact of the straight-line method of accounting is not included in
our determination of adjusted funds from operations. For additional information regarding funds
from operations and adjusted funds from operations, which are non-GAAP measures, see
“General —
Supplemental Non-GAAP Measures” in
“Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and
Results of Operations” and
“Selected Financial Data” both of which appear in our Annual Report to
Shareholders filed as
exhibit 13 to this Annual Report on Form 10-K and are incorporated by
reference herein. While we believe it is no longer reasonable to assume that Marketing will make
all contractual lease payments when due for the entire current term of the Marketing Leases with
respect to the Subject Properties, after considering Marketing’s financial condition, our intention
to negotiate a modification of the Marketing Leases, and certain other factors, including but not
limited to those described above, we continue to believe that it is probable that we will collect
the deferred rent receivable recorded as of
December 31, 2007 related to the Remaining Properties.
In addition, based upon our evaluation of the carrying value of the Subject Properties, we believe
that no impairment adjustment is necessary for the Subject Properties as of
December 31, 2007
pursuant to the provisions of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 144. We intend to
regularly review our assumptions that affect the accounting for rental revenue related to the
Remaining Properties subject to the Marketing Leases and our assumptions regarding potential
impairment of the Subject Properties and, if appropriate, to consider adjusting our reserves.
Beginning in the first quarter of 2008, we anticipate that the rental revenue for the Remaining
Properties will continue to be recognized on a straight-line basis and the rental revenue for the
Subject Properties will be recognized when paid under the contractual payment terms.
As the operator of our properties under the Marketing Leases, Marketing is directly
responsible to pay for the remediation of environmental contamination it causes and to comply with
various environmental laws and regulations. In addition, the Marketing Leases and various other
agreements between Marketing and us allocate responsibility for known and unknown environmental
liabilities between Marketing and us relating to the properties subject to the Marketing Leases.
Based on various factors, including our assessments and assumptions at this time that Lukoil would
not allow Marketing to fail to perform its obligations under the Marketing Leases, we believe that
Marketing will continue to pay for substantially all environmental contamination and remediation
costs allocated to it under the Marketing Leases. It is possible that our assumptions regarding
the ultimate allocation methods and share of responsibility that we used to allocate environmental
liabilities may change as a result of the factors discussed above, or otherwise, which may result
in adjustments to the amounts recorded for environmental litigation accruals, environmental
remediation liabilities and related assets. We may ultimately be responsible to directly pay for
environmental liabilities as the property owner if Marketing fails to pay them. We are required to
accrue for environmental liabilities that we believe are allocable to Marketing under the Marketing
Leases and various other agreements if we determine that it is probable that Marketing will not pay
its environmental obligations.
Based upon our assessment of Marketing’s financial condition and certain other factors,
including but not limited to those described above, we believe at this time that it is not probable
that Marketing will not pay the environmental liabilities allocable to it under the Marketing
Leases and various other agreements and, therefore, have not accrued for such environmental
liabilities. Our assessments and assumptions that affect the recording of environmental liabilities
related to the properties subject to the Marketing Leases are reviewed on a quarterly basis and
such assessments and assumptions are subject to change.
We cannot provide any assurance that Marketing will continue to pay its debts or meet its
rental, environmental or other obligations under the Marketing Leases prior or subsequent to any
potential modification to the Marketing Leases discussed above. Additionally, we may be required to
(i) reserve additional amounts of the deferred rent receivable at a later time, (ii) accrue for
environmental liabilities that we believe are allocable to Marketing under the Marketing Leases and
various other agreements, or (iii) record an impairment charge related to the Subject Properties as
a result of the proposed modification of the Marketing Leases. In the event that Marketing cannot
or will not perform its rental, environmental or other obligations under the Marketing Leases; if
the Marketing Leases are modified significantly or terminated; if we determine that it is probable
that Marketing will not meet its environmental obligations and we accrue for such liabilities; if
we are unable to relet or sell the properties subject to the Marketing Leases; or if we change our
assumptions that affect the accounting for rental revenue or environmental liabilities related to
the Marketing Leases; our business, financial condition, revenues, operating expenses, results of
operations, liquidity, ability to pay dividends and stock price may be materially adversely
affected.
For additional information regarding factors that could adversely affect us relating to
Marketing, see “Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
10
In 2004, we received a comment letter from the SEC that contains one comment that remains
unresolved.
One comment remains unresolved as part of a periodic review commenced in 2004 by the Division
of Corporation Finance of the SEC of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31,
2003 pertaining to the SEC’s position that we must include the financial statements and summarized
financial data of Marketing in our periodic filings, which Marketing contends is prohibited by the
terms of the Master Lease. In June 2005, the SEC indicated that, unless we file Marketing’s
financial statements and summarized financial data with our periodic reports: (i) it will not
consider our Annual Reports on Forms 10-K for the years beginning with fiscal 2000 to be compliant;
(ii) it will not consider us to be current in our reporting requirements; (iii) it will not be in a
position to declare effective any registration statements we may file for public offerings of our
securities; and (iv) we should consider how the SEC’s conclusion impacts our ability to make offers
and sales of our securities under existing registration statements and if we have a liability for
such offers and sales made pursuant to registration statements that did not contain the financial
statements of Marketing. We have had no communication with the SEC since 2005. We cannot
accurately predict the consequences if we are ultimately unable to resolve this outstanding
comment.
Substantially all of our tenants depend on the same industry for their revenues.
We derive substantially all of our revenues from leasing, primarily on a triple-net basis,
retail motor fuel and convenience store properties and petroleum distribution terminals to tenants
in the petroleum marketing industry. Accordingly, our revenues will be dependent on the economic
success of the petroleum marketing industry, and any factors that adversely affect that industry
could also have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of
operations liquidity, ability to pay dividends and stock price. The success of participants in that
industry depends upon the sale of refined petroleum products at margins in excess of fixed and
variable expenses. A large, rapid increase in wholesale petroleum prices would adversely affect the
profitability and cash flows of Marketing and our other tenants if the increased cost of petroleum
products could not be passed on to their customers or if automobile consumption of gasoline were to
decline significantly. Petroleum products are commodities, the prices of which depend on numerous
factors that affect the supply of and demand for petroleum products. The prices paid by Marketing
and other petroleum marketers for products are affected by global, national and regional factors.
We cannot be certain how these factors will affect petroleum product prices or supply in the
future, or how in particular they will affect Marketing or our other tenants.
Property taxes on our properties may increase without notice.
Each of the properties we own or lease is subject to real property taxes. The leases for
certain of the properties that we lease from third parties obligate us to pay real property taxes
with regard to those properties. The real property taxes on our properties and any other properties
that we develop, acquire or lease in the future may increase as property tax rates change and as
those properties are assessed or reassessed by tax authorities. To the extent that our tenants are
unable or unwilling to pay such increase in accordance with their leases, our net operating
expenses may increase.
We have incurred, and may continue to incur, operating costs as a result of environmental laws and
regulation, which could reduce our profitability.
The real estate business and the petroleum products industry are subject to numerous federal,
state and local laws and regulations, including matters relating to the protection of the
environment. Under certain environmental laws, a current or previous owner or operator of real
estate may be liable for contamination resulting from the presence or discharge of hazardous or
toxic substances or petroleum products at, on, or under, such property, and may be required to
investigate and clean-up such contamination. Such laws typically impose liability and clean-up
responsibility without regard to whether the owner or operator knew of or caused the presence of
the contaminants, or the timing or cause of the contamination, and the liability under such laws
has been interpreted to be joint and several unless the harm is divisible and there is a reasonable
basis for allocation of responsibility. For example, liability may arise as a result of the
historical use of a property or from the migration of contamination from adjacent or nearby
properties. Any such contamination or liability may also reduce the value of the property. In
addition, the owner or operator of a property may be subject to claims by third parties based on
injury, damage and/or costs, including investigation and clean-up costs, resulting from
environmental contamination present at or emanating from a property. (See “Item 3. Legal
Proceedings.”) The properties owned or controlled by us are leased primarily as retail motor fuel
and convenience store properties, and therefore may contain, or may have contained, USTs for the
storage of petroleum products and other hazardous or toxic substances, which creates a potential
for the release of such products or substances. Some of our properties may be subject to
regulations regarding the retirement and decommissioning or removal of long-lived assets including
buildings containing hazardous materials, USTs and other equipment. Some of the properties may be
adjacent to or near properties that have contained or currently contain USTs used to store
petroleum products or other hazardous or toxic substances. In addition, certain of the properties
are on, adjacent to, or near properties upon which others have engaged or may in the future engage
in activities that may release petroleum products or other hazardous or toxic substances. There may
be other
11
environmental problems associated with our properties of which we are unaware. These problems
may make it more difficult for us to relet or sell our properties on favorable terms, or at all.
We have agreed to provide limited environmental indemnification to Marketing, capped at $4.25
million and expiring in 2010, for certain pre-existing conditions at six of the terminals we own
and lease to Marketing. Under the agreement, Marketing is obligated to pay the first $1.5 million
of costs and expenses incurred in connection with remediating any such pre-existing conditions,
Marketing will share equally with us the next $8.5 million of those costs and expenses and
Marketing is obligated to pay all additional costs and expenses over $10.0 million. We had accrued
$0.3 million as of
December 31, 2007 and
2006 in connection with this indemnification agreement.
See recent developments related to Marketing and the Marketing Leases in
“Part 1. Item 1. Business
— Recent Developments” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional information.
We have not accrued for approximately $1.0 million in costs allegedly incurred by the current
property owner in connection with removal of USTs and soil remediation at a property that was
leased to and operated by Marketing. We believe Marketing is responsible for such costs under the terms of
the Master Lease, but Marketing had denied its liability for claims and its responsibility to
defend against, and indemnify us, for the claim. In addition, Marketing has denied liability and
refused our tender for defense and indemnification for another legal proceeding. We have filed
third party claims against Marketing in both proceedings. It is reasonably possible that our
assumption that Marketing will be ultimately responsible for the claim may change, which may result
in our providing an accrual for this matter.
As of
December 31, 2007, we had accrued $14.3 million as management’s best estimate of the net
fair value of reasonably estimable environmental remediation costs which is comprised of $19.0
million of estimated environmental obligations and liabilities offset by $4.7 million of estimated
recoveries from state UST remediation funds, net of allowance. Environmental expenditures were $6.3
million and recoveries from UST funds were $1.6 million for the year ended
December 31, 2007.
As the operator of our properties under the Marketing Leases, Marketing is directly
responsible to pay for the remediation of environmental contamination it causes and to comply with
various environmental laws and regulations. In addition, the Marketing Leases and various other
agreements between Marketing and us allocate responsibility for known and unknown environmental
liabilities between Marketing and us relating to the properties subject to the Marketing Leases.
Based on various factors, including our assessments and assumptions at this time that Lukoil would
not allow Marketing to fail to perform its obligations under the Marketing Leases, we believe that
Marketing will continue to pay for substantially all environmental contamination and remediation
costs allocated to it under the Marketing Leases. It is possible that our assumptions regarding
the ultimate allocation methods and share of responsibility that we used to allocate environmental
liabilities may change as a result of the factors discussed under Item 1, “Business — Recent
Developments”, or otherwise, which may result in adjustments to the amounts recorded for
environmental litigation accruals, environmental remediation liabilities and related assets. We
may ultimately be responsible to directly pay for environmental liabilities as the property owner
if Marketing fails to pay them.
Based upon our assessment of Marketing’s financial condition and certain other factors,
including but not limited to those described above, we believe at this time that it is not probable
that Marketing will not pay the environmental liabilities allocable to it under the Marketing
Leases and various other agreements and, therefore, have not accrued for such environmental
liabilities. Our assessments and assumptions that affect the recording of environmental liabilities
related to the properties subject to the Marketing Leases are reviewed on a quarterly basis and
such assessments and assumptions are subject to change. If our assessments and assumptions
regarding such matters change and we are required to accrue for environmental liabilities allocated
to Marketing under the Marketing Leases and various other agreements between Marketing and us or if
we ultimately are responsible to directly pay for such environmental liabilities as the property
owner if Marketing fails to pay them, our business, financial condition, revenues, operating
expenses, results of operations, liquidity, ability to pay dividends and stock price may be
materially adversely affected.
We cannot predict what environmental legislation or regulations may be enacted in the future,
or if or how existing laws or regulations will be administered or interpreted with respect to
products or activities to which they have not previously been applied. We cannot predict whether
state UST fund programs will be administered and funded in the future in a manner that is
consistent with past practices or whether future environmental spending will continue to be
eligible for reimbursement under these programs. Compliance with more stringent laws or
regulations, as well as more vigorous enforcement policies of the regulatory agencies or stricter
interpretation of existing laws which may develop in the future, could have an adverse effect on
us, or our tenants, and could require substantial additional expenditures for future remediation.
For additional information with respect to environmental remediation costs and estimates see
“Environmental Matters” in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results
of Operations” and Note 5 of Notes to Consolidated
12
Financial Statements, both of which appear in our Annual Report to Shareholders filed as
exhibit 13 to this Annual Report on Form 10-K and are
incorporated by reference herein.
As a result of the factors discussed above, or others, compliance with environmental laws and
regulations could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of
operations, liquidity, ability to pay dividends and stock price.
We are defending pending lawsuits and claims and are subject to material losses.
We are subject to various lawsuits and claims, including litigation related to environmental
matters, damages resulting from leaking USTs and toxic tort claims. The ultimate resolution of
certain matters cannot be predicted because considerable uncertainty exists both in terms of the
probability of loss and the estimate of such loss. Our ultimate liabilities resulting from such
lawsuits and claims, if any, could cause a material adverse effect on our business, financial
condition, results of operations, liquidity, ability to pay dividends and stock price.
A significant portion of our properties are concentrated in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions
of the United States, and adverse conditions in those regions, in particular, could negatively
impact our operations.
A significant portion of the properties we own and lease are located in the Northeast and
Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. Because of the concentration of our properties in those
regions, in the event of adverse economic conditions in those regions, we would likely experience
higher risk of default on payment of rent payable to us (including under the Marketing Leases) than
if our properties were more geographically diversified. Additionally, the rents on our properties
may be subject to a greater risk of default than other properties in the event of adverse economic,
political, or business developments or natural hazards that may affect the Northeast or
Mid-Atlantic United States and the ability of our lessees to make rent payments. This lack of
geographical diversification could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial
condition, results of operations, liquidity, ability to pay dividends and stock price.
We are in a competitive business.
The real estate industry is highly competitive. Where we own properties, we compete for
tenants with a large number of real estate property owners and other companies that sublet
properties. Our principal means of competition are rents charged in relation to the income
producing potential of the location. In addition, we expect other major real estate investors, some
with much greater resources than us, will compete with us for attractive acquisition opportunities.
These competitors include petroleum manufacturing, distributing and marketing companies, other
REITs, investment banking firms and private institutional investors. This competition has increased
prices for commercial properties and may impair our ability to make suitable property acquisitions
on favorable terms in the future.
Our future cash flow is dependent on renewal of leases and either reletting or selling our
properties.
We are subject to risks that financial distress of our tenants may lead to vacancies at our
properties, that leases may not be renewed, that locations may not be relet or that the terms of
renewal or reletting (including the cost of required renovations) may be less favorable than
current lease terms. As described in the recent developments section above in “Item 1. Business -
Recent Developments,” we intend to attempt to negotiate a modification of the Marketing Leases with Marketing
to remove the Subject Properties from the Marketing Leases. Any such modification is likely to
significantly reduce the amount of rent we receive from Marketing and increase our operating
expenses. We cannot accurately predict if, or when, the Marketing Leases will be modified or what
the terms of any modification may be if the Marketing Leases are modified. We also cannot
accurately predict what actions Marketing and Lukoil may take, and what our recourse may be,
whether the Marketing Leases are modified or not. In addition, numerous properties compete with
our properties in attracting tenants to lease space. The number of competitive properties in a
particular area could have a material adverse effect on our ability to lease our properties or
newly acquired properties and on the rents charged. If we were unable to promptly relet or renew
the leases for all or a substantial portion of these locations, or if the rental rates upon such
renewal or reletting were significantly lower than expected, our cash flow could be adversely
affected and the resale values or our properties could decline.
We may acquire or develop new properties, and this may create risks.
We may acquire or develop properties or acquire other real estate companies when we believe
that an acquisition or development matches our business strategies. We may not succeed in
consummating desired acquisitions or in completing developments on time or within our budget. We
also may not succeed in leasing newly developed or acquired properties at rents sufficient to cover
their costs of acquisition or development and operations.
13
We are subject to losses that may not be covered by insurance.
Marketing, and other tenants, as the lessees of our properties, are required to provide
insurance for such properties, including casualty, liability, fire and extended coverage in amounts
and on other terms as set forth in our leases. We carry insurance against certain risks and in such
amounts as we believe are customary for businesses of our kind. However, as the costs and
availability of insurance change, we may decide not to be covered against certain losses (such as
certain environmental liabilities, earthquakes, hurricanes, floods and civil disorder) where, in
the judgment of management, the insurance is not warranted due to cost or availability of coverage
or the remoteness of perceived risk. There is no assurance that our insurance against loss will be
sufficient. The destruction of, or significant damage to, or significant liabilities arising out of
conditions at, our properties due to an uninsured cause would result in an economic loss and could
result in us losing both our investment in, and anticipated profits from, such properties. When a
loss is insured, the coverage may be insufficient in amount or duration, or a lessee’s customers
may be lost, such that the lessee cannot resume its business after the loss at prior levels or at
all, resulting in reduced rent or a default under its lease. Any such loss relating to a large
number of properties could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition,
results of operations, liquidity, ability to pay dividends and stock price.
Failure to qualify as a REIT under the federal income tax laws would have adverse consequences to
our shareholders.
We elected to be treated as a REIT under the federal income tax laws beginning
January 1,
2001. We cannot, however, guarantee that we will continue to qualify in the future as a REIT. We
cannot give any assurance that new legislation, regulations, administrative interpretations or
court decisions will not significantly change the requirements relating to our qualification. If we
fail to qualify as a REIT, we will again be subject to federal income tax at regular corporate
rates, we could be subject to the federal alternative minimum tax, we would be required to pay
significant income taxes and would have less money available for our operations and distributions
to shareholders. This would likely have a significant adverse effect on the value of our
securities. We could also be precluded from treatment as a REIT for four taxable years following
the year in which we lost the qualification, and all distributions to stockholders would be taxable
as regular corporate dividends to the extent of our current and accumulated earnings and profits.
Loss of our REIT status would result in an event of default that, if not cured or waived, could
result in the acceleration of all of our indebtedness under our Credit Agreement which could have a
material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, liquidity,
ability to pay dividends and stock price.
As a REIT, we are dependent on external sources of capital which may not be available on favorable
terms, if at all.
To maintain our status as a REIT, we must distribute to our shareholders each year at least
ninety percent of our net taxable income, excluding any net capital gain. Because of these
distribution requirements, it is not likely that we will be able to fund all future capital needs,
including acquisitions, from income from operations. Therefore, we will have to continue to rely on
third-party sources of capital, which may or may not be available on favorable terms, or at all. We
cannot accurately predict how periods of illiquidity in the credit markets, such as current market
conditions, will impact our access to or cost of capital. We may be unable to pursue equity
offerings until we resolve with the SEC the outstanding comment regarding disclosure of Marketing’s
financial information. Moreover, additional equity offerings may result in substantial dilution of
shareholders’ interests, and additional debt financing may substantially increase our leverage. Our
access to third-party sources of capital depends upon a number of factors including general market
conditions, the market’s perception of our growth potential, our current and potential future
earnings and cash distributions, limitations on future indebtedness imposed under our Credit
Agreement and the market price of our common stock.
Our ability to meet the financial and other covenants relating to our Credit Agreement may be
dependent on the performance of our tenants. (See recent developments related to Marketing and the
Marketing Leases in Part I, Item 1. “Business — Recent Developments” in this Annual Report on Form
10-K for additional information.) If we are not in compliance with one or more of our covenants
which, if not complied with could result in an event of default under our Credit Agreement, there
can be no assurance that our lenders would waive such non-compliance. A default under our Credit
Agreement, if not cured or waived, whether due to a loss of our REIT status, a material adverse
effect on our business, financial condition or prospects, a failure to comply with financial and
certain other covenants in the Credit Agreement or otherwise, could result in the acceleration of
all of our indebtedness under our Credit Agreement. This could have a material adverse affect on
our business, financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, ability to pay dividends and
stock price.
The recent downturn in the credit markets has increased the cost of borrowing and has made
financing difficult to obtain, which may negatively impact our business, and may have a material
adverse effect on us.
14
During 2007, the United States housing and residential lending markets began to experience
accelerating default rates, declining real estate values and increasing backlog of housing supply.
The residential sector issues quickly spread more broadly into the corporate, asset-backed and
other credit and equity markets and the volatility and risk premiums in most credit and equity
markets have increased dramatically, while liquidity has decreased. These issues have continued
into the beginning of fiscal 2008. Increasing concerns regarding the United States and world
economic outlook, such as large asset write-downs at banks, rising oil prices, declining business
and consumer confidence and increased unemployment, are compounding these issues and risk premiums
in most capital markets remain near historical all-time highs. These factors are precipitating
generalized credit market dislocations and a significant contraction in available credit. As a
result, it is becoming increasingly difficult to obtain cost-effective debt capital to finance new
investment activity or to refinance maturing debt and most lenders are imposing more stringent
restrictions on the terms of credit. The negative impact on the tightening of the credit markets
and continuing credit and liquidity concerns may have a material adverse effect on our business,
financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, ability to pay dividends and stock price.
Additionally, there is no assurance that the increased financing costs, financing with increasingly
restrictive terms or the increase in risk premiums that are demanded by investors will not have a
material adverse effect on us.
Lenders may require us to enter into more restrictive covenants relating to our operations.
Any future credit agreements or loan documents we execute may contain additional or more
restrictive covenants that could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial
condition, results of operations, liquidity, ability to pay dividends and stock price.
The loss of certain members of our management team could adversely affect our business.
We depend upon the skills and experience of our executive officers. Loss of the services of
any of them could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of
operations, liquidity, ability to pay dividends and stock price. We do not have employment
agreements with any of our executives.
Our business operations may not generate sufficient cash for distributions or debt service.
There is no assurance that our business will generate sufficient cash flow from operations or
that future borrowings will be available to us in an amount sufficient to enable us to make
distributions on our common stock, to pay our indebtedness, or to fund our other liquidity needs.
We may not be able to repay or refinance existing indebtedness on favorable terms, which could
force us to dispose of properties on disadvantageous terms (which may also result in losses) or
accept financing on unfavorable terms.
Borrowings under our Credit Agreement bear interest at a floating rate. Accordingly, an
increase in interest rates will increase the amount of interest we must pay under our Credit
Agreement and a significant increase in interest rates could also make it more difficult to find
alternative financing on desirable terms. We have entered into an interest rate swap agreement with
a major financial institution with respect to a portion of our variable rate debt outstanding under
our Credit Agreement. Although the agreement is intended to lessen the impact of rising interest
rates, it also exposes us to the risk that the other party to the agreement will not perform, the
agreement will be unenforceable and the underlying transactions will fail to qualify as a
highly-effective cash flow hedge for accounting purposes.
Our accounting policies and methods are fundamental to how we record and report our financial
position and results of operations, and they require management to make estimates, judgments and
assumptions about matters that are inherently uncertain.
Our accounting policies and methods are fundamental to how we record and report our financial
position and results of operations. We have identified several accounting policies as being
critical to the presentation of our financial position and results of operations because they
require management to make particularly subjective or complex judgments about matters that are
inherently uncertain and because of the likelihood that materially different amounts would be
recorded under different conditions or using different assumptions. Because of the inherent
uncertainty of the estimates, judgments and assumptions associated with these critical accounting
policies, we cannot provide any assurance that we will not make subsequent significant adjustments
to our consolidated financial statements including those included in this Form 10-K. Estimates,
judgments and assumptions underlying our consolidated financial statements include, but are not
limited to, deferred rent receivable, recoveries from state UST funds, environmental remediation
costs, real estate, depreciation and amortization, impairment of long-lived assets, litigation,
accrued expenses, income taxes payable and the allocation of the purchase price of properties
acquired to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed. For example, we have made judgments
regarding the level of environmental reserves and reserves for our deferred rent receivable
relating to Marketing and the Marketing Leases. These judgments and assumptions may prove to be
incorrect and our business, financial
15
condition, revenues, operating expense, results of operations, liquidity, ability to pay
dividends and stock price may be materially adversely affected if that is the case. See “Item 1.
Business—Recent Developments” for information regarding Marketing and the Marketing Leases and
“Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations—Critical Accounting Policies” for more information on our critical accounting policies.
Changes in accounting standards issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the “FASB”) or
other standard-setting bodies may adversely affect our reported revenues, profitability or
financial position.
Our financial statements are subject to the application of GAAP, which are periodically
revised and/or expanded. The application of GAAP is also subject to varying interpretations over
time. Accordingly, we are required to adopt new or revised accounting standards or comply with
revised interpretations that are issued from time-to-time by recognized authoritative bodies,
including the FASB and the SEC. Those changes could adversely affect our reported revenues,
profitability or financial position.
We may be unable to pay dividends and our equity may not appreciate.
Under the Maryland General Corporation Law, our ability to pay dividends would be restricted
if, after payment of the dividend, (1) we would not be able to pay indebtedness as it becomes due
in the usual course of business or (2) our total assets would be less than the sum of our
liabilities plus the amount that would be needed, if we were to be dissolved, to satisfy the rights
of any shareholders with liquidation preferences. There currently are no shareholders with
liquidation preferences. No assurance can be given that our financial performance in the future
will permit our payment of any dividends. (See recent developments related to Marketing and the
Marketing Leases in Part I, Item 1. Business — Recent Developments in this Annual Report on Form
10-K.) In particular, our Credit Agreement prohibits the payments of dividends during certain
events of default. As a result of the factors described above, we may experience material
fluctuations in future operating results on a quarterly or annual basis, which could materially and
adversely affect our business, stock price and ability to pay dividends.
Terrorist attacks and other acts of violence or war may affect the market on which our common stock
trades, the markets in which we operate, our operations and our results of operations.
Terrorist attacks or armed conflicts could affect our business or the businesses of our
tenants or of Marketing or its parent. The consequences of armed conflicts are unpredictable, and
we may not be able to foresee events that could have a material adverse effect on us. More
generally, any of these events could cause consumer confidence and spending to decrease or result
in increased volatility in the United States and worldwide financial markets and economy. Terrorist
attacks also could be a factor resulting in, or a continuation of, an economic recession in the
United States or abroad. Any of these occurrences could have a material adverse effect on our
business, financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, ability to pay dividends and stock
price.
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments
One comment remains unresolved as part of a periodic review commenced in 2004 by the Division
of Corporation Finance of the SEC of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31,
2003 pertaining to the SEC’s position that we must include the financial statements and summarized
financial data of Marketing in our periodic filings, which Marketing contends is prohibited under
the terms of the Master Lease. In June 2005, the SEC indicated that, unless we file Marketing’s
financial statements and summarized financial data with our periodic reports: (i) it will not
consider our Annual Reports on Forms 10-K for the years beginning with 2000 to be compliant; (ii)
it will not consider us to be current in our reporting requirements; (iii) it will not be in a
position to declare effective any registration statements we may file for public offerings of our
securities; and (iv) we should consider how the SEC’s conclusion impacts our ability to make offers
and sales of our securities under existing registration statements and if we have a liability for
such offers and sales made pursuant to registration statements that did not contain the financial
statements of Marketing.
We believe that the SEC’s position is based on their interpretation of certain provisions of
their internal Accounting Disclosure Rules and Practices Training Material, Staff Accounting
Bulletin No. 71 and Rule 3-13 of Regulation S-X. We do not believe that any of this guidance is
clearly applicable to our particular circumstances and we believe that, even if it were, we should
be entitled to certain relief from compliance with such requirements. Marketing subleases our
properties to approximately eight hundred independent, individual service station/convenience store
operators (subtenants). Consequently, we believe that we, as the owner of these properties and the
Getty® brand, could relet these properties to the existing subtenants who operate their convenience
stores, automotive repair services or other businesses at our properties, or to others, at market
rents although we cannot accurately predict whether, when, or on what terms, such properties would
be re-let or sold. The SEC did not accept our positions regarding the
16
inclusion of Marketing’s financial statements in our filings. We have had no communication
with the SEC since 2005 regarding the unresolved comment. We cannot accurately predict the
consequences if we are unable to resolve this outstanding comment.
17
Item 2. Properties
The following table summarizes the geographic distribution of our properties at
December 31,
2007. The table also identifies the number and location of properties we lease from third-parties
and which Marketing leases from us under the Marketing Leases. In addition, we lease four thousand
square feet of office space at 125 Jericho Turnpike, Jericho, New York, which is used for our
corporate headquarters, which we believe will remain suitable and adequate for such purposes for
the immediate future.
| |
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|
|
|
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|
|
|
|
| |
|
OWNED BY GETTY REALTY |
|
|
LEASED BY GETTY REALTY |
|
|
TOTAL |
|
|
PERCENT |
|
| |
|
MARKETING |
|
|
OTHER |
|
|
MARKETING |
|
|
OTHER |
|
|
PROPERTIES |
|
|
OF TOTAL |
|
| |
|
AS TENANT (1) |
|
|
TENANTS |
|
|
AS TENANT |
|
|
TENANTS |
|
|
BY STATE |
|
|
PROPERTIES |
|
New York |
|
|
235 |
|
|
|
30 |
|
|
|
77 |
|
|
|
5 |
|
|
|
347 |
|
|
|
32.0 |
% |
Massachusetts |
|
|
128 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
24 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
153 |
|
|
|
14.1 |
|
New Jersey |
|
|
107 |
|
|
|
11 |
|
|
|
30 |
|
|
|
4 |
|
|
|
152 |
|
|
|
14.0 |
|
Pennsylvania |
|
|
108 |
|
|
|
6 |
|
|
|
6 |
|
|
|
4 |
|
|
|
124 |
|
|
|
11.5 |
|
Connecticut |
|
|
59 |
|
|
|
28 |
|
|
|
18 |
|
|
|
9 |
|
|
|
114 |
|
|
|
10.5 |
|
Virginia |
|
|
4 |
|
|
|
24 |
|
|
|
10 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
39 |
|
|
|
3.6 |
|
New Hampshire |
|
|
26 |
|
|
|
3 |
|
|
|
3 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
32 |
|
|
|
3.0 |
|
Maine |
|
|
17 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
3 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
22 |
|
|
|
2.0 |
|
Rhode Island |
|
|
15 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
3 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
19 |
|
|
|
1.8 |
|
Texas |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
16 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
16 |
|
|
|
1.5 |
|
Delaware |
|
|
10 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
12 |
|
|
|
1.1 |
|
North Carolina |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
11 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
11 |
|
|
|
1.0 |
|
Hawaii |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
10 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
10 |
|
|
|
0.9 |
|
Maryland |
|
|
4 |
|
|
|
3 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
10 |
|
|
|
0.9 |
|
California |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
8 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
9 |
|
|
|
0.8 |
|
Florida |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
6 |
|
|