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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 


 

FORM 10-K

 


 

x ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2003

 

OR

 

¨ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

For the transition period from             to             

 

Commission File Number 1-9997

 


 

KOGER EQUITY, INC.

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its Charter)

 


 

FLORIDA   59-2898045

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

 

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification No.)

225 NE Mizner Blvd., Suite 200

Boca Raton, Florida

  33432
(Address of principal executive offices)   (Zip code)

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (561) 395-9666

 


 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of Each Class


 

Name of Exchange on Which Registered


1. Common Stock, Par Value $.01

  New York Stock Exchange

2. Common Stock Purchase Rights

  New York Stock Exchange

3. 8 1/2% Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock, Par Value $.01

  New York Stock Exchange

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

Title of Class


NONE

 


 

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  x    No  ¨

 

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.  ¨

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Exchange Act Rule 12b-2),
  Yes x  No 
¨

 

The aggregate market value of the voting stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant on June 30, 2003 was approximately $329,687,761.

 

The number of shares of registrant’s Common Stock outstanding on February 27, 2004 was 26,796,105.

 

Documents Incorporated by Reference

 

The Company’s Proxy Statement to be filed pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Securities Act of 1934 for the 2004 Annual Meeting of Shareholders is incorporated by reference in Part III of this report.

 



Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

ITEM NO.


  

DESCRIPTION


   PAGE NO.

PART I

         

1.

  

BUSINESS

   1

2.

  

PROPERTIES

   3

3.

  

LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

   9

4.

  

SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS

   9

PART II

         

5.

  

MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS

   9

6.

  

SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

   11

7.

  

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

   12

  7A.

  

QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

   29

8.

  

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

   30

9.

  

CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE

   57

  9A.

  

CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

   57

PART III

         

10.

  

DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF THE REGISTRANT

   57

11.

  

EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

   57

12.

  

SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT

   57

13.

  

CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS

   57

14.

  

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES

   57

PART IV

         

15.

  

EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES, AND REPORTS ON
FORM 8-K

   58


Table of Contents

PART I

 

Item 1. BUSINESS

 

General

 

Koger Equity, Inc. (“KE”) is a self-administered and self-managed equity real estate investment trust (a “REIT”) which develops, owns, operates, leases and manages office buildings in metropolitan areas in the southeastern United States and Texas. In addition, KE provides leasing, management and other customary tenant-related services for certain office projects. At December 31, 2003, KE’s portfolio of assets consisted of 128 office buildings totaling 9.4 million rentable square feet located in 19 suburban office projects in 10 metropolitan areas in the southeastern United States and, Texas (the “Office Projects”). KE, directly owns 107 of the 128 office buildings in its current portfolio. Koger-Vanguard Partners, L.P. (“KVP”) is a consolidated wholly owned subsidiary limited partnership and owns a suburban office project in Charlotte, North Carolina consisting of 13 office buildings containing approximately 526,000 rentable square feet. Koger Ravinia, LLC (“KRLLC”) is a consolidated wholly owned subsidiary limited liability company and owns a single suburban office building in Atlanta, Georgia containing 805,000 rentable square feet. Koger Post Oak Limited Partnership (“KPOLP”) is a consolidated wholly owned subsidiary limited partnership and owns 3 suburban office buildings in Houston, Texas totaling approximately 1.2 million rentable square feet. Koger Post Oak, Inc. (“KPO”), a wholly owned subsidiary of KE, is the general partner of KPOLP. Koger Dallas I Limited Partnership (“KDILP”) is a consolidated wholly owned subsidiary limited liability company and owns a single suburban office building in Dallas, Texas containing 127,226 rentable square feet. K/Dallas I, Inc. is the general partner of KDILP. Koger Dallas II Limited Partnership (“KDIILP”) is a consolidated wholly owned subsidiary limited liability company and owns a single suburban office building in Dallas, Texas containing 152,163 rentable square feet. K/Dallas II, Inc. is the general partner of KDIILP. McGinnis Park Limited (“MPL”) is a consolidated subsidiary and owns two suburban office buildings in Atlanta, Georgia containing 202,279 rentable square feet. Koger McGinnis Park (KMP) is a wholly-owned limited liability company of KE and is the general partner of MPL. KMP owns 75 percent of MPL. The Office Projects were on average 81% occupied at December 31, 2003. KE expects to continue to acquire existing properties in markets compatible with its long-term investment strategy and may also develop new properties in those markets when economically desirable.

 

During January 2002, the Company acquired all of the remaining limited partnership units in KVP. These partnership units were convertible into 999,710 shares of the Company’s common stock. On January 31, 2002, KRLLC acquired Three Ravinia Drive, an 805,000 square foot suburban office building located in Atlanta, Georgia. On December 6, 2002, KPOLP acquired The Lakes on Post Oak, a 1.2 million square foot, three office-building complex in Houston, Texas.

 

On September 11, 2003, KDILP acquired CIGNA Plaza, a 127,226 square foot suburban office building located in Dallas, Texas. On September 11, 2003, KDIILP acquired Tollway Crossing, a 152,163 square foot suburban office building located in Dallas, Texas. On December 30, 2003, KMP, through a joint venture in which it owns a 75% interest, acquired two suburban office buildings containing 202,279 square feet in the McGinnis Park office complex in Atlanta, Georgia.

 

KE owns approximately 64.3 acres of unencumbered land held for development, approximately 15.5 acres of unencumbered land held for sale and six acres not suitable for development. A majority of the land held for development adjoins four of the Office Projects, which have infrastructure, including roads and utilities, in place. The remaining land held for development adjoins properties that were sold during 2001. KE intends over time to develop and construct office buildings using this land and to acquire additional land for development.

 

On December 12, 2001, the Company through its taxable REIT subsidiary, Koger Realty Services, Inc. (“KRSI”) began providing property management services to the properties sold to AP-Knight LP. On December 31, 2002, the property management agreement between AP-Knight and KRSI was terminated.

 

1


Table of Contents

KE operates in a manner so as to qualify as a REIT under the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). As a REIT, the Company will not, with certain limited exceptions, be taxed at the corporate level on taxable income distributed to its shareholders on a current basis. In order to maintain its REIT tax status, the Company must, among other requirements, distribute at least 90 percent of its annual REIT taxable income (which term is used herein as defined and modified in the Code) to its shareholders.

 

To qualify as a REIT, a corporation must meet certain substantive tests: (a) at least 95 percent of its gross income must be derived from certain passive and real estate sources; (b) at least 75 percent of its gross income must be derived from certain real estate sources; (c) at the close of each calendar quarter, it must meet certain tests designed to ensure that its assets consist principally (at least 75 percent by value) of real estate assets, cash and cash equivalents and that its holdings of securities are adequately diversified; (d) each year, it must distribute at least 90 percent of its REIT taxable income; and (e) at no time during the second half of any calendar year may the Company be “closely held” (i.e., have more than 50 percent in value of its outstanding stock owned, directly, indirectly or constructively, by not five or fewer individuals). The constructive ownership rules, among other things, treat the shareholders of a corporation as owning proportionately any stock in another corporation owned by the first corporation. Management fee revenue does not qualify as real estate or passive income for purposes of determining whether the Company has met the REIT requirements that at least 95 percent of the Company’s gross income be derived from certain real estate and passive sources and that at least 75 percent of its gross income be derived from certain real estate sources. Accordingly, in the event the Company derives income in excess of five percent from management and other “non-real estate” and “non-passive” activities, the Company would no longer qualify as a REIT for federal income tax purposes and would be required to pay federal income taxes as a business corporation. The income earned by KRSI is not included in determining KE’s qualification as a REIT.

 

Two major governmental tenants, when all of their respective departments and agencies which lease space in the Company’s buildings are combined, lease more than ten percent of the rentable area of the Company’s buildings and contribute more than ten percent of the Company’s annualized rentals as of December 31, 2003. At that date, the United States of America leased 9.9 percent of the Company’s rentable square feet and accounted for an aggregate of 13.1 percent of the Company’s annualized rents. In addition, the State of Florida leased 6.7 percent of the Company’s rentable square feet and accounted for 8.5 percent of the Company’s annualized rents. In addition to the United States of America and the State of Florida, some of the Company’s principal tenants are Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, Six Continents Hotels, Bechtel Corporation, CitiFinancial, Cigna General Life Insurance, Landstar System Holdings, Zurich Insurance, and Northern Telecom. Governmental tenants (including the State of Florida and the United States of America), which account for 16.8 percent of the Company’s leased space, may be subject to budget reductions in times of recession and governmental austerity measures. There can be no assurance that governmental appropriations for rents may not be reduced. Additionally, certain private-sector tenants, which have contributed to the Company’s rent stream, may reduce their current demands, or curtail their future need, for additional office space.

 

Competition

 

The Company competes in the leasing of office space with a considerable number of other realty concerns, including local, regional and national companies, some of which have greater resources than the Company. Through its ownership and management of suburban office buildings, the Company seeks to attract tenants by offering office space that has, among other advantages, convenient access to desirable residential areas, major expressways, airports and retail and entertainment venues. In recent years local, regional and national concerns have built competing office parks and buildings in suburban areas in which the Company’s Office Projects are located. In addition, the Company competes for tenants with large high-rise office buildings generally located in the downtown business districts of these metropolitan areas. Although competition from other lessors of office space varies from city to city, the Company has been able to achieve and maintain what it considers satisfactory occupancy levels at satisfactory rental rates, given current market and economic conditions.

 

2


Table of Contents

Investment Policies

 

The Company seeks to capitalize on some of its competitive advantages, such as the experience of its senior management team and its knowledge of the markets in which the Company operates, its operating systems, development expertise, acquisition expertise and unimproved land available for development. The Company intends to continue to develop and construct office buildings primarily using its existing inventory of approximately 64 acres of land held for development, most of which is partially or wholly improved with streets and/or utilities and is located in various metropolitan areas where the Company currently operates or manages suburban office buildings. The Company also intends to acquire existing office buildings or additional land for development in markets that the Company considers favorable. Although all of the Company’s properties are located in the Southeastern United States and Texas, management does not necessarily limit the Company’s development and acquisitions activities to any particular area. The Company may also sell one or more of its Office Projects.

 

The investment policies of the Company may be changed by its directors at any time without notice to, or a vote of, shareholders. Although the Company has no fixed policy that limits the percentage of its assets which may be invested in any one type of investment or the geographic areas in which the Company may acquire properties, the Company intends to continue to operate so as to qualify for tax treatment as a REIT. The Company may in the future invest in other types of office buildings, apartment buildings, shopping centers, and other properties. The Company also may invest in the securities (including mortgages) of companies primarily engaged in real estate activities; however, it does not intend to become an investment company regulated under the Investment Company Act of 1940.

 

For the year ended December 31, 2003, all of the Company’s rental revenues were derived from buildings purchased or developed by the Company.

 

Employees

 

The Company currently has a combined financial, administrative, leasing, and center maintenance staff of approximately 140 employees, 100 of which are located at the Office Projects, and the remaining 40 employees are located at the Company’s corporate office. An on-site general manager or property manager is responsible for the leasing and operations of all buildings in a Koger Center or metropolitan area.

 

Available Information

 

The Company’s Internet website address is: www.koger.com. The Company makes available free of charge through its website its annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, as soon as reasonably practicable after such documents are electronically filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. The information on the Company’s website is not, and shall not be deemed to be, a part of this report or incorporated into any other filings the Company makes with the SEC.

 

The Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines, Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and the charters of the Audit, Compensation and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees are available on the Company’s website at www.koger.com, Investor Relations, Corporate Governance, and are available in print to any shareholder upon request by writing to Investor Relations, 225 NE Mizner Blvd., Suite 200, Boca Raton, Florida 33432-4079.

 

Item 2. PROPERTIES

 

General

 

As of December 31, 2003, the Company, directly or through subsidiaries, owned 128 office buildings located in the ten metropolitan areas of Jacksonville, Orlando, St. Petersburg, and Tallahassee, Florida; Atlanta,

 

3


Table of Contents

Georgia; Charlotte, North Carolina; Memphis, Tennessee; Richmond, Virginia; and Houston and Dallas, Texas. The Office Projects are generally low-rise, mid-rise, and high-rise structures of contemporary design and constructed of masonry, concrete and steel, with facings of brick, concrete and glass. The Office Projects are generally located with easy access, via expressways, to the central business district and to desirable shopping and residential areas in the respective communities. The properties are well maintained and adequately covered by insurance.

 

Leases on the Office Projects include net leases (under which the tenant pays a proportionate share of operating expenses, such as utilities, insurance, property taxes and repairs), base year leases (under which the tenant pays a proportionate share of operating expenses in excess of a fixed amount), and gross leases (under which the Company pays all such items). Most leases are on a base year basis and are for initial terms generally ranging from three to five years. In some instances, such as when a tenant rents the entire building, leases are for initial terms of up to 20 years. As of December 31, 2003, the Office Projects were on average 81 percent occupied and the average annual base rent per rentable square foot occupied was $17.36. The Office Projects are occupied by numerous tenants (approximately 900 leases), many of whom lease relatively small amounts of space, conducting a broad range of commercial activities.

 

New leases and renewals of existing leases are negotiated at the current market rate at the date of execution. The Company endeavors to include escalation provisions in all of its leases. As of December 31, 2003, approximately two percent of the Company’s annualized gross rental revenues were derived from existing leases containing rental escalation provisions based upon changes in the Consumer Price Index (some of which contain maximum rates of increases); approximately 97 percent of such revenues were derived from leases containing escalation provisions based upon fixed steps or real estate tax and operating expense increases; and approximately one percent of such revenues were derived from leases without escalation provisions. Some of the Company’s leases contain options which allow the tenant to renew for varying periods, generally at the same rental rate and subject, in most instances, to Consumer Price Index escalation provisions.

 

4


Table of Contents

Property Location and Other Information

 

The following table sets forth information relating to the properties owned by the Company as of December 31, 2003.

 

Office Project/Location


  

Number

of

Buildings


  

Weighted

Average

Age of

Buildings

(In Years) (1)


  

Rentable

Sq. Ft.


  

Land

Improved

with Bldgs.

(In Acres)


  

Unimproved

Land

(In Acres)


Atlanta Chamblee

   21    21    1,124,028    76.2    2.5

Atlanta Gwinnett

   3    7    262,789    15.9    19.6

Atlanta McGinnis Park

   2    2    202,279    13.3    8.5

Atlanta Perimeter

   1    18    179,714    5.3     

Atlanta Three Ravinia

   1    12    804,762    3.8     

Birmingham Colonnade

                       16.5

Charlotte University

   2    5    182,891    18.7     

Charlotte Vanguard

   13    20    526,374    39.7    17.1

Columbia Spring Valley

                       1.0

Dallas Cigna Plaza

   1    4    127,226    8.6     

Dallas Tollway Crossing

   1    6    152,163    6.0     

Greensboro Wendover

                       9.1

Greenville Park Central

                       3.5

Houston Post Oak

   3    23    1,204,852    11.4     

Jacksonville Baymeadows

   7    11    751,315    51.1     

Jacksonville JTB

   4    4    416,773    32.0     

Memphis Germantown

   6    10    530,756    34.6     

Orlando Central

   21    32    616,650    44.7    1.3

Orlando Lake Mary

   2    5    303,546    20.2     

Orlando University

   5    9    383,883    27.1     

Richmond Paragon

   1    18    145,127    8.1     

St. Petersburg

   15    20    668,144    68.7    6.7

Tallahassee

   19    21    834,025    62.7     
    
       
  
  

Total

   128         9,417,297    548.1    85.8
    
       
  
  

Weighted Average

        16               
         
              

(1) The age of each office building was weighted by the rentable square feet for such office building to determine the weighted average age.

 

5


Table of Contents

Percent Occupied and Average Rental Rates

 

The following table sets forth, with respect to each Office Project, the number of buildings, number of leases, rentable square feet, percent occupied, and the average annual rent per rentable square foot occupied as of December 31, 2003.

 

Office Project/Location


 

Number

of

Buildings


 

Number

of

Leases


 

Rentable

Square

Feet


 

Percent

Occupied (1)


   

Average

Annual

Base Rent Per
Square Foot (2)


 

Atlanta Chamblee

  21   109   1,124,028   93 %   $ 18.23  

Atlanta Gwinnett

  3   45   262,789   87 %     19.48  

Atlanta McGinnis Park (3)

  2   19   202,279   52 %     19.40  

Atlanta Perimeter

  1   10   179,714   57 %     20.24  

Atlanta Three Ravinia (3)

  1   18   804,762   66 %     17.53 (4)

Charlotte University

  2   15   182,891   85 %     18.24  

Charlotte Vanguard

  13   55   526,374   55 %     16.03  

Dallas Cigna Plaza (3)

  1   1   127,226   92 %     22.84  

Dallas Tollway Crossing (3)

  1   3   152,163   100 %     22.87  

Houston Post Oak (3)

  3   93   1,204,852   75 %     17.94  

Jacksonville Baymeadows

  7   27   751,315   98 %     13.45 (4)

Jacksonville JTB

  4   7   416,773   100 %     12.51 (4)

Memphis Germantown

  6   83   530,756   81 %     18.25  

Orlando Central

  21   129   616,650   92 %     17.28  

Orlando Lake Mary

  2   19   303,546   65 %     19.06  

Orlando University

  5   60   383,883   84 %     19.21  

Richmond Paragon

  1   26   145,127   93 %     19.31  

St. Petersburg

  15   119   668,144   88 %     16.71  

Tallahassee

  19   58   834,025   70 %     17.41  
   
 
 
             

Total

  128   896   9,417,297              
   
 
 
             

Weighted Average - Total Company – 128 Buildings

              81 %   $ 17.36  
               

 


Weighted Average - Same Store – 120 Buildings

              84 %   $ 16.96  
               

 


Weighted Average - Acquisition – 8 Buildings

              73 %   $ 18.63  
               

 



(1) The percent occupied rates have been calculated by dividing total rentable square feet occupied in a building by rentable square feet in such building.
(2) Rental rates are computed by dividing (a) total annualized base rents (which excludes expense pass-throughs and reimbursements) for an Office Project as of December 31, 2003 by (b) the rentable square feet applicable to such total annualized base rents.
(3) Properties acquired during 2002 and 2003.
(4) Leases are “triple net” where tenants pay substantially all operating costs in addition to base rent.

 

6


Table of Contents
Lease Expirations on the Company’s Properties

 

The following schedule sets forth with respect to all of the Office Projects (a) the number of leases which will expire in calendar years 2004 through 2012, (b) the total rentable area in square feet covered by such leases, (c) the percentage of total rentable square feet leased represented by such leases, (d) the average annual rent per square foot for such leases, (e) the current annualized base rents represented by such leases, and (f) the percentage of gross annualized base rents contributed by such leases. This information is based on the buildings owned by the Company on December 31, 2003 and on the terms of leases in effect as of December 31, 2003, on the basis of then existing base rentals, and without regard to the exercise of options to renew. Furthermore, the information below does not reflect that some leases have provisions for early termination for various reasons, including, in the case of government entities, lack of budget appropriations. Leases were renewed on approximately 53 percent, 64 percent and 66 percent of the Company’s square feet, which were scheduled to expire during 2003, 2002 and 2001, respectively.

 

Period


  

Number of

Leases

Expiring


  

Number of

Square Feet

Expiring


  

Percentage of

Total Square

Feet Leased

Represented by

Expiring Leases


   

Average

Annual Rent

per Square

Foot Under

Expiring Leases


  

Total

Annualized

Rents Under

Expiring Leases


  

Percentage

of Total

Annual Rents

Represented by

Expiring Leases


 

2004

   319    1,407,345    18.5 %   $ 17.59    $ 24,748,454    18.7 %

2005

   186    991,542    13.0 %     17.15      17,002,275    12.9 %

2006

   161    984,329    12.9 %     17.11      16,842,034    12.8 %

2007

   91    1,127,016    14.8 %     17.87      20,137,236    15.2 %

2008

   77    926,856    12.2 %     17.83      16,521,713    12.5 %

2009

   37    1,308,128    17.2 %     18.13      23,718,641    18.0 %

2010

   8    151,963    2.0 %     16.56