Real Estate and Other, Net
12 Months Ended
Jan. 31, 2015
Real Estate and Other, Net [Abstract]  
Real Estate and Other, Net
Real Estate and Other, Net
 
Real estate and other consists of ongoing operating income from our real estate subsidiaries. Real estate and other also includes net gains from the sale of facilities and equipment that are no longer used in operations, asset impairments and other non-operating charges and credits. In addition, during the first quarter of 2014, we formed a joint venture to develop the excess property adjacent to our home office facility in Plano, Texas (Home Office Land Joint Venture) in which we contributed approximately 220 acres of excess property adjacent to our home office facility in Plano, Texas. The new joint venture was formed to develop the contributed property and our proportional share of the joint venture's activities will be recorded in Real estate and other, net.

The composition of Real estate and other, net was as follows:    
($ in millions)
 
2014
 
2013
 
2012
Gain on sale or redemption of non-operating assets, net:
 
 

 
 

 
 

Sale or Redemption of Simon Property Group, L.P. (SPG) REIT units
 
$

 
$
(24
)
 
$
(200
)
Sale of CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. (CBL) REIT shares
 

 

 
(15
)
Sale of leveraged leases
 

 

 
(28
)
Sale of investments in joint ventures
 

 
(85
)
 
(151
)
Sale of non-operating assets
 
(25
)
 
(23
)
 
(3
)
Net gain on sale or redemption of non-operating assets
 
(25
)
 
(132
)
 
(397
)
Dividend income from REITs
 

 
(1
)
 
(6
)
Investment income from home office land joint venture
 
(53
)
 



Investment income from joint ventures
 
(1
)
 
(6
)
 
(11
)
Net gain from sale of operating assets
 
(92
)
 
(17
)
 

Store impairments (Note 8)
 
30

 
18

 
26

Intangible asset impairment (Note 8)
 

 
9

 

Operating asset impairments
 

 

 
60

Other
 
(7
)
 
(26
)
 
4

Real estate and other (income)/expense, net
 
$
(148
)
 
$
(155
)
 
$
(324
)

 
Sale or Redemption of REIT Assets
On July 20, 2012, SPG redeemed two million of our REIT units at a price of $124.00 per unit for a total redemption price of $246 million, net of fees.  As of the market close on July 19, 2012, the SPG REIT units had a fair market value of $158.13 per unit.    In connection with the redemption, we realized a net gain of $200 million determined using the first-in-first-out method for determining the cost of REIT units sold.  Following the transaction, we continued to hold approximately 205,000 REIT units in SPG.  In November 2013, we converted our remaining 205,000 REIT units into SPG shares, which were sold in December 2013 at an average price of $151.97 per share for a total price of $31 million, net of fees, and a realized net gain of $24 million.
 
On October 23, 2012, we sold all of our CBL REIT shares at a price of $21.35 per share for a total price of $40 million, net of fees.  In connection with the sale, we realized a net gain of $15 million
 
See Note 11 for net unrealized gains on our REIT assets.
 
Sale of Leveraged Leases
During the third quarter of 2012, we sold all of our leveraged leases for $146 million, net of fees. The investments in the leveraged leases as of the dates of the sales were $118 million and were recorded in Other assets in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. In connection with the sales, we recorded a net gain of $28 million.
 
Sale of Investments in Joint Ventures
During the third quarter of 2013, we sold our investment in three joint ventures for $32 million, resulting in a net gain of $23 million. During the second quarter of 2013, we sold our investment in one joint venture for $55 million, resulting in a net gain of $62 million. The gain for this transaction exceeded the cash proceeds as a result of distributions of cash related to refinancing activities in prior periods that were recorded as net reductions in the carrying amount of the investment. The net book value of the joint venture investment was a negative $7 million and was included in Other liabilities in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

During the third quarter of 2012, we sold our investments in four joint ventures that own regional mall properties for $90 million, resulting in net gains totaling $151 million.  The gain exceeded the cash proceeds as a result of distributions of cash related to refinancing activities in prior periods that were recorded as net reductions in the carrying amount of the investments. The cumulative net book value of the joint venture investments was a negative $61 million and was included in Other liabilities in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. 

Sale of Non-operating Assets
During the fourth quarter of 2014, we sold two properties used in our former auto center operations and excess property adjacent to our home office facility not contributed to the Home Office Land Joint Venture for net proceeds of $7 million, resulting in net gains totaling $2 million.

During the third quarter of 2014, we sold one closed store and one additional property used in our former auto center operations for net proceeds and a gain of $2 million.

During the second quarter of 2014, we sold four additional properties used in our former auto center operations for net proceeds of $11 million, resulting in net gains totaling $9 million.

During the first quarter of 2014, we sold four properties used in our former auto center operations and excess property adjacent to our home office facility not contributed to the Home Office Land Joint Venture for net proceeds of $15 million, resulting in net gains totaling $12 million.

During the fourth quarter of 2013, we sold 10 properties used in our former auto center operations for net proceeds of $25 million, resulting in net gains totaling $22 million. During the third quarter of 2013, we sold approximately 10 acres of excess land for net proceeds and gain of $1 million.

During the third quarter of 2012, we sold a building used in our former drugstore operations with a net book value of zero for $3 million resulting in a net gain of $3 million.
 
Sale of Operating Assets
During the first quarter of 2014, we sold a former department store location with a net book value of $1 million for net proceeds of $2 million, realizing a gain of $1 million. During the third quarter of 2014, we sold three department store locations and recognized a net gain on a payment received from a landlord to terminate an existing lease prior to its original expiration date for total net proceeds of $66 million and a net gain of $90 million. During the fourth quarter of 2014, we sold one department store location for net proceeds of $2 million, resulting in a net gain of $1 million.

During the first quarter of 2013, we sold our leasehold interest of a former department store location with a net book value of $2 million for net proceeds of $18 million, realizing a gain of $16 million. During the second quarter of 2013, we sold two properties for total net proceeds and gain of $1 million.

Impairments
In 2014, store impairments totaled $30 million and related to 19 underperforming department stores that continued to operate (Note 8).

In 2013, store impairments totaled $18 million and related to 25 underperforming department stores that continued to operate. In addition, during the fourth quarter of 2013, we recorded a $9 million impairment charge for our ownership of the U.S. and Puerto Rico rights of the monet trade name (Note 8).

In 2012, store impairments totaled $26 million and related to 13 underperforming department stores that continued to operate. In addition, during the fourth quarter of 2012, we wrote off $60 million of store-related operating assets that were no longer being used in our operations.

Investment Income from Joint Ventures
During the second quarter of 2014, the Company recorded $43 million for our proportional share of net income from the Home Office Land Joint Venture and received an aggregate cash distribution of $51 million. During the fourth quarter of 2014, the Company recorded $10 million for our proportional share of net income from the Home Office Land Joint Venture and received an aggregate cash distribution of $7 million.