Do Liquidation Values Affect Financial Contracts? Evidence from Commercial Loan Contracts and Zoning Regulation

S-Tier
Journal: Quarterly Journal of Economics
Year: 2005
Volume: 120
Issue: 3
Pages: 1121-1154

Authors (3)

Efraim Benmelech (Northwestern University) Mark J. Garmaise (not in RePEc) Tobias J. Moskowitz (not in RePEc)

Score contribution per author:

2.681 = (α=2.01 / 3 authors) × 4.0x S-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

We examine the impact of asset liquidation value on debt contracting using a unique set of commercial property loan contracts. We employ commercial zoning regulation to capture the flexibility of a property's permitted uses as a measure of an asset's redeploy ability or value in its next best use. Within a census tract, more redeployable assets receive larger loans with longer maturities and durations, lower interest rates, and fewer creditors, controlling for the property's type, sale price, and earnings-to-price ratio. These results are consistent with incomplete contracting and transaction cost theories of liquidation value and financial structure.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:oup:qjecon:v:120:y:2005:i:3:p:1121-1154.
Journal Field
General
Author Count
3
Added to Database
2026-01-24